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Manchester United now hold an advantage in the race to sign Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand, with the midfielder being targeted as a replacement for Casemiro.

Casemiro has repaid Ruben Amorim’s faith in him with some fantastic performances this season, most recently picking up a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, while also making a number of other important contributions.

The Brazilian was lauded by Amorim after the match, with the 40-year-old suggesting he should be a role model for the other United players, saying: “I think he gives a lot of experience,

“He’s so important for us. Today he run a lot. He had to press so high and then return, and he’s doing that. So, I’m really pleased with him. And the other guys need to look at Casemiro.”

However, the 33-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford remains up in the air, given that his contract is set to expire next summer, and the Red Devils are now lining up moves for new midfielders, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson emerging as a target.

A deal for Anderson could be on the expensive side, however, with it being reported Forest could hold out for £120m, and the England international is not the only target on the shortlist…

Man Utd hold advantage in race for Hjulmand

According to a report from Football Insider, Man United hold an advantage in the race for Sporting CP midfielder Hjulmand, given his links with Amorim, with the Portuguese manager signing the Dane from Lecce back in 2023.

The central midfielder has a £70m release clause in his contract, but there is now a feeling he could be available for the cut-price fee of £50m, which will also be welcome news for the Red Devils.

Amorim is known to be a big fan of the 26-year-old, but there may be competition for his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also in the race.

With it also being revealed that United don’t plan to trigger the extension clause in Casemiro’s contract, the Sporting star could be brought in as a replacement, and he may be a solid option, having impressed for club and country.

The Denmark international displayed his ball-striking ability with a fantastic goal against England at Euro 2024, and there are signs he could have a positive influence in the Man United dressing room, having been dubbed a “leader” by sporting boss Rui Borges.

It would be a shame to see Casemiro depart, but the 33-year-old is on massive wages, raking in £350k-a-week, so it could make sense to sign a younger midfielder this summer, and Hjulmand, who’s made 12 Champions League appearances, may now be ready to test himself at a top club.

Find out the latest on Man Utd's move for Conor Gallagher

Man Utd set to push for "amazing" English signing, £52m bid in the works

The Red Devils have identified a new top target in midfield, and they could make a move in the January transfer window.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 28, 2025

Bruno Fernandes has been warned off a move to Barcelona that would see him link up with Lamine Yamal and Pedri. The Manchester United captain continues to see a transfer in 2026 speculated on, with leading teams in Europe and Saudi Arabia said to be monitoring his situation. Pedro Mendes has told his fellow Portuguese why a switch to Camp Nou would be the wrong choice.

Fernandes contract: When Man Utd deal expires

Fernandes remains a talismanic presence at Old Trafford, with three more goal contributions being delivered during a 4-1 victory at Wolves. He is, however, 31 years of age and will see his current contract expire in 2027 – with United holding the option for a further 12-month extension.

It has been suggested that the right offer could lure him away from Manchester after next summer’s World Cup – when he will be chasing down global glory alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Fernandes has not entirely ruled out a fresh start being sought.

Saudi Pro League sides are considered to be leading the chase, given the riches on offer in the Middle East, but a new challenge in European football may yet be found. Barcelona, who once prised Ilkay Gundogan away from Manchester City after seeing him pass the age of 30, are said to be one of Fernandes’ many suitors.

AdvertisementGettyBarcelona transfer: Fernandes warned off move to Camp Nou

Mendes – speaking with Boyle Sports, who offer the latest Football Betting – has said when asked if Fernandes should leave United and where his next landing spot could be: “I don't know, it's up to him, but I think Bruno at the moment is the key figure for Manchester United, right? So what else can you want? As a player at a team like United, if you are the main guy, why would you change just for a new challenge or a new chapter in your career? Fair enough, that's understandable.

“But, he won't have at Barcelona what he has at United at the moment. In Barcelona he can be a top player, for sure, 100%. But in Barcelona they have Pedri, they have players like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. Bruno won't be the top name at Barcelona. And at United, I think Bruno is that guy. He might be up for a new challenge, but what more can you ask for if you are the main guy at United.

“Bruno Fernandes needs the Premier League trophy to be among the greatest ever. Bruno Fernandes has been unbelievable for the past three or four seasons. But you just need the Premier League trophy, that will put him among the greatest ever in the league.”

Man Utd arrivals: Palhinha billed as a good fit

With questions being asked of Fernandes’ future, and Casemiro seemingly ready to leave Old Trafford in 2026, Mendes – who represented Portsmouth and Tottenham in his playing days – added on who United could look to draft into their midfield engine room: “Joao Palhinha is the typical Premier League number six, that defensive midfielder who just sweeps up everything in front of the defenders. If you have a team that has a lot of possession, he's a little bit out of his game, from my point of view.

“The players around him will shine more than him because, as you said, he just wins the ball, passes it away, tackles the ball, passes it. He's fantastic at doing that role. He was fantastic at Fulham.

“In Bayern Munich, when you have 70% or 60% of ball possession most of the games, and you don't need to do that kind of job, because normally teams play counter-attack or don't have that type of possession against you, his strength is a little bit forgotten.

“He has more of the ball and he needs to be more involved in the game, and to be fair, it's not his main strength. So probably that's why he struggled at Bayern and at Spurs at the moment. I like what I saw in some games this year from him, but it's different from Fulham.

“Palhinha at Man Utd? Well, why not? But to be fair, I think Manuel Ugarte is more or less the same type of player as Palhinha. Palhinha is an option if they want to replace him. But why not? We are not sure what is going to happen to Casemiro, so I think it could work.”

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Getty Images SportTrading places: Could Palhinha arrive as Fernandes leaves?

Palhinha is currently taking in a season-long loan at Tottenham from Bundesliga champions Bayern. A permanent move somewhere may be made next summer, with it possible that he could cross paths with Fernandes as a Portugal international colleague bids farewell to English football.

Tottenham secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday evening, strengthening their bid for automatic Champions League qualification with a commanding performance.

Thomas Frank’s side also extended their 100 per cent home record in Europe with their third consecutive N17 victory, all without conceding a single goal in that time.

Spurs have now climbed into a coveted top eight place as a result, and there were a few star performers on the night.

David Zima’s bizarre own goal opened the scoring on 26 minutes, with the Czech defender inexplicably heading Pedro Porro’s dangerous corner past his own goalkeeper after Cristian Romero’s initial flick-on.

The opening period proved slightly chaotic, with Tottenham dominating possession yet struggling to convert superiority into clear-cut opportunities against Slavia’s resilient defence.

Richarlison should have given Spurs the lead within 45 seconds, heading Wilson Odobert’s excellent cross straight at goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek from point-blank range.

Slavia threatened sporadically, with Stanek producing several outstanding saves to deny Tottenham’s attack. The Czech international frustrated Mohammed Kudus and substitute Mathys Tel — who was named in the squad despite being left out of their original 22-man list — with exceptional saves.

Thomas Frank confirms injured Tottenham star won't be back for a "long time"

The timeline is unclear.

ByEmilio Galantini 3 days ago

However, two second-half penalties then secured Tottenham’s victory.

Kudus converted their first spot-kick before Xavi Simons completed the scoring after being fouled inside the area, though Slavia’s Igoh Ogbu escaped a second yellow card for the challenge that conceded the penalty.

In some bad news, Micky van de Ven received a booking that rules him out of the crucial Borussia Dortmund clash, representing the evening’s only negative for Frank.

Ben Davies made his first appearance of the campaign during stoppage time, providing a sentimental moment with Son Heung-min watching from the stands following his emotional farewell visit to North London.

The victory maintains Tottenham’s remarkable 22-match unbeaten run at home in European competitions whilst extending Slavia’s winless streak to six Champions League games. The Czech champions also remain without a goal across their last four European matches.

Tottenham now need just four points from their remaining fixtures against Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt to guarantee at least playoff qualification, with top-eight automatic progression firmly within reach.

A lot of the noise has centered around yet another convincing performance from Simons, his second on the bounce after Brentford last weekend, but according to Hargreaves, it was another man who stole the show.

Owen Hargreaves praises 'exceptional' Mohammed Kudus

While the media have lavished Simons’ 9/10 display, it was Kudus who attracted serious praise from TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves.

Speaking after the match, Hargreaves told TNT that Kudus was Tottenham’s ‘best player by far’ and put in a truly ‘exceptional’ display.

The Ghanaian will be facing off against England at the World Cup, potentially Djed Spence, who jokingly said that he was going to pocket his teammate in the States.

However, if we were Spence, we’d certainly be worried.

Kudus has been Tottenham’s standout attacking star by some way this season, and it’s hard to imagine where Frank’s side would be without the former West Ham sensation, who crossed the London divide in July.

The 25-year-old, on top of his nine goal contributions in all competitions this season, has also averaged more successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in the Premier League — marking himself out as England’s most devastating dribbler (WhoScored).

Last night was yet another example of the excellent business done by Spurs to tempt Kudus to north London, and the best could still be yet to come.

When it comes to the greatest Chelsea players of the last 15 years or so, it’s impossible to look past Eden Hazard.

The Belgian wizard joined the Blues in the summer of 2012 and, over the next seasons, made 352 appearances, scoring 110 goals, providing 88 assists, and winning a host of trophies, including two Premier Leagues.

The international superstar was more than just output, though; he was an entertainer, someone who could make something of anything, and a legend of the league.

So, fans should be delighted about reports linking Chelsea to another superstar who could become their new Hazard.

Chelsea target their new Eden Hazard

The transfer window reopens in just over a month, and as a result, Chelsea are being linked with some seriously exciting players.

Transfer Focus

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

Porto’s Samu Aghehowa, for example, has been touted for a £79m move to Stamford Bridge, as has Nottingham Forest’s defensive powerhouse Murillo.

Yet, while both would improve the Blues’ squad and potentially the starting lineup, neither can be described as the next Hazard, unlike Vinícius Júnior.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a few teams keen on signing the Real Madrid winger.

In fact, the report has revealed that, alongside Manchester City, the West Londoners are leading the race for the Brazilian’s signature, while Manchester United trail behind.

However, on top of the competition, the Blues will have to stump up a fee of up to £100m to secure the superstar’s signature.

It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vini Jr’s immense ability, it’s one Chelsea should be all over, especially as he could be another Hazard.

Why Vini Jr would be another Hazard for Chelsea

Now, while Vini Jr obviously isn’t a carbon copy of Hazard, there are undeniable similarities between the two.

For example, in addition to sharing a position with him, the Brazilian is also a winger most would describe as an entertainer; he is not merely efficient.

In other words, the 25-year-old is more than happy to take on an opposition defender, is capable of scoring a myriad of goals and isn’t afraid of pulling off a trick or two, even if he sometimes gets heat for doing so.

While this is all obvious from simply watching the former Flamengo gem play, it’s also borne out in his underlying numbers.

For example, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, the top 3% for successful take-ons, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and more, all per 90.

Simply put, the São Gonçalo-born star is someone who wants to carry the ball into dangerous areas and is one of the very best at doing so.

With all that said, while Vini Jr has the entertainment side of Hazard to his own game, he’s also as, if not more, dangerous when it comes to backing that up with output.

Appearances

340

Starts

267

Minutes

24,291′

Goals

111

Assists

92

Points per Game

2.15

For example, in 340 appearances, for Los Blancos, totalling 24291 minutes, he has scored 111 goals and provided 92 assists.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.67 games, or every 119.66 minutes, which is even more impressive when you consider his slow start in Madrid.

With numbers like those, and the fact he’s one of the few players in the world guaranteed to get fans on their feet, it’s hard to disagree with Ronaldo’s assertion that he is “the best player in the world.”

Therefore, while it will cost an arm and a leg, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign Vini Jr, especially as he could be their next Hazard.

Chelsea: Enzo Maresca provides major Cole Palmer update ahead of Arsenal

The Blues are set for a mouth-watering Premier League clash this weekend.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2025

He widened the terms of the game’s discourse with his insightful, analytical mind, always upending conventional wisdom

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Dec-2024When India toured England in the summer of 2018, R Ashwin delivered a masterclass like no other.These masterclasses had been running for years, with Ian Ward, a former Test cricketer himself, coaxing the likes of Shane Warne, Muthiah Muralidaran, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Curtly Ambrose to give viewers a peek into their inner workings. Ward is an expert at steering players into talking about their craft in a way that straddles the line between nerdy and accessible to regular folk watching on TV.Now Ward juxtaposed two Ashwin deliveries on his screen: one that slid on with the round-the-wicket angle into the left-hand batter, and one that dipped and ripped past Alastair Cook’s groping bat and flicked the top of off stump. Ashwin dismissed Cook the same way in both innings of that Edgbaston Test.Related

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“For a youngster,” Ward asked Ashwin, “what’s the difference between the wrist position and where it’s coming off the fingers, to do those two deliveries?”Scores of current and former greats have given Ward precisely the kind of TV-friendly answer he’s looking for. Warne, famously, put his variations in neat, beribboned boxes: this is how I bowl the big, sidespinning legbreak; this is the one with a bit more overspin; this is the toppie; the googly; and oh, I flick the flipper out with my thumb, like this.Warne, of course, knew and mastered the infinite gradations between the sidespinner and the overspinner, but he also had an intuitive grasp of what TV audiences wanted.Ashwin didn’t give Ward the neatly packaged insight he was after. Instead of showing how he released the undercutter and the big offbreak, he launched into a demonstration of the various ways he cocks his wrist while loading up different deliveries. He even described how he does this for the arm ball, a variation Ward hadn’t even asked about.Viewers who had followed Ashwin’s career for any length of time may have chuckled at this, because this was typical. Among the many things this great cricketer has excelled at over his long career is denying interviewers the answer they’re looking for, while giving them entire chapters of tangential material. Few players have been as generous with their insight, but as with everything else about Ashwin, the generosity has come on his own terms.It has always been this way. The first time I interviewed Ashwin was during a Tamil Nadu-Railways Ranji Trophy game in 2008, a year and a half before his international debut. I asked the questions of a 21-year-old cub reporter, and he gave the answers of a man only a few months older but already nearing elite status in his profession.

Throughout his career, he has been more invested than most in broadening the boundaries of his sport, and more willing than most to throw open the doors of his laboratory

I asked him about his strengths as an offspinner. He told me that his big, strong fingers allowed him to give the ball a rip, and that this, allied with his height, enabled him to generate bounce on most pitches. And immediately, unprompted, he went on to describe the bounce as a double-edged sword, and explain why he often bowled with long-on back even in red-ball cricket, because the bounce made it easier for batters to hit him over the top. “I don’t want to give them that release shot.”It took me years to grasp the wider implications, but it was a valuable early lesson that cricket is all about trade-offs. If you want to strengthen the slip cordon, you’ll have to leave a gap somewhere else. A middled drive off a good-length ball is no less risky than one that’s edged behind. A fielder at long-on isn’t always a sign of defensive thinking. If you want to describe the sport properly, you must look at events in the context of these trade-offs. Never in isolation, never through the binary of good and bad.How Ashwin railed against binaries. After his most chastening home series, against England in 2012-13, he bridled against the wave of criticism that came his way, but what bothered him wasn’t the tone of the criticism but the fact that so much of it was inaccurate. He was happy to admit that he had struggled to control his length during that series, but couldn’t fathom the narrative that this had happened because he bowled too many carrom balls.For all the misplaced criticism he attracted, Ashwin also gained a growing band of admirers who tried to keep up with what he was doing to his craft. Wittingly and unwittingly, he went on to spend his entire career in the eye of a cyclone of narrative and counter-narrative.He came to occupy that space for many reasons. It was partly because he came along when cricket was being recorded at far higher resolutions and far greater frame rates than before, when holes in conventional wisdom were becoming increasingly evident to the viewer. He came along at a time when a significant number of journalists, analysts, commentators and observers on social media – the lines between these categories were also becoming blurry – were making a concerted effort to see the game for what it was, even if the mainstream was slow to respond.Drift into middle, clip the top of off: Alastair Cook was masterfully bowled twice at Edgbaston in 2018 by R Ashwin•Getty Images & PA ImagesBut it was also because Ashwin was a singularly active challenger of conventional wisdom, not just on the field – as no doubt many others also were – but off it too. He cared deeply not just about his game but game too, and how it was described.He went to great lengths to explain the effects of sidespin and overspin, and the typical behaviour of red-soil and black-soil pitches, but would roll his eyes if you generalised too broadly. “Come on, man,” he seemed to tell you. “It’s not that simple!” He contributed greatly to a widening of the terms of cricketing discourse, winced when those terms were misused, and never stopped trying to tell you how things worked. Sometimes, he’d throw in a stunning revelation when you least expected it.Watch that masterclass now, and it’s clear Ward has no idea what’s about to hit him when he asks Ashwin about his carrom ball, summoning onto his screen what he believes is an example of it.Then Ashwin tells him, and all of us: “The one there, actually it’s not the carrom ball.” He explains that he flicks the carrom ball out of the front of his hand, and this variation – he describes it as a “backflipper” here, but will soon begin calling it the reverse carrom ball – from underneath it, with the seam up. He says batters have begun to pick his carrom ball now, so he occasionally slips in this variant; the right-hander shaping to punch with the turn, through the off side, is suddenly confronted with a monstrous inswinger.All this becomes obvious when you watch it alongside Ashwin’s explanation, but it’s far from clear until he’s talked you through it.Ashwin revealed all this unprompted, in a widely televised interview, and along the way revealed something of who he is. Throughout his career, he has been more invested than most in broadening the boundaries of his sport, and more willing than most to throw open the doors of his laboratory. And he’s been entirely secure in the belief that he’ll remain a step ahead of the rest of us, everyone from his opponents to the casual fan, even if he gives away all his secrets.

He averages only 23.20 in 2024 and is now on his longest stretch of innings without a century

Andrew McGlashan13-Dec-20241:16

Katich on Steven Smith: History says he won’t be back to his best

When Steven Smith played at the Gabba earlier this year he carried his bat for 91 as Australia were toppled by West Indies. It was two matches into his brief stint as an opener. In his seven innings since, Smith has a top score of 31.After the first ODI against Pakistan in early November, Smith declared: “I’m ready. I’m ready now. Yeah, I could go out and play a Test match tomorrow, so I feel like I’m in a good place.”So far, though, it hasn’t gone his way. Having returned to the middle order against India, Smith has been trapped lbw first ball by Jasprit Bumrah, caught behind off a crackerjack delivery from Mohammed Siraj and tickled down the leg side to Bumrah.Related

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During his career, Smith has hit peaks very rarely seen in the game. However, since the 2019 Ashes, one of the highest peaks, he has averaged 42.01 in Tests compared to 64.56 before that. There have been highs in that period – in 2022 he averaged 58.40 – but overall the trend has been down, while accepting that he had set an incredibly high mark. This year he is averaging 23.20 and is now on his longest stretch of innings without a century.Does he have one more surge in him as he hunts down the 10,000-run landmark which is currently 296 runs away? Only 14 have ever reached that milestone with Australia contributing the most (three) to the club: Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Ricky Ponting.”We obviously know how great Steve Smith has been, average 60 in Test cricket and being the standout of this generation,” Simon Katich said on ESPN’s . “Think the hard part is, in that second innings in Perth he looked really good in terms of his movements and the way he was hitting the ball. He got a pretty good ball from Siraj when he got out for 17. In Adelaide he was a little bit unlucky getting strangled down the leg side.”I’m loathed to write him off just yet because we know in these conditions he’s very good, but history would suggest at 35 years of age it’s tough. You wouldn’t think he’s going to be back at his best because generally 35-year-olds have been past their peak, so he’s got some tough challenges ahead.”His latest dismissal to Bumrah, glancing a catch to Rishabh Pant, brought talk of bad luck. It was probably a little too far down the leg side to truly be a cunning plan, but teams have had considerable success targeting Smith straight in recent years. “You imagine the batsman feels he’s unlucky but it’s a plan,” Ravi Shastri said on . “It is a tactic they have used against Smith and it has paid off.”It’s worth noting it was the second time he had been caught down the leg side this season after falling that way in the first innings of his one Sheffield Shield outing against Victoria, although on that occasion it was a shorter delivery into his hip.In terms of fuller, straight deliveries, Smith has been lbw 32 times in his Test career with eight of them coming in the last two years. At his very best, Smith missed little off his pads. In 2024 alone he has been pinned by Kemar Roach, Matt Henry, Ben Sears and Bumrah.”My gut feeling is he [Smith] has got some luck coming his way; as we just mentioned caught down the leg side [in Adelaide],” Callum Ferguson added on . “But I feel like he’s moving quite well through the ball, watching him closely at the ground commentating, it looks like his body weight is transferring both ways really nicely, but he just can’t get away at the moment. Really hope he gets set and gets into the game because if he gets set then at some point he’s going to hurt someone.”Smith is currently enduring a similar start to a series against India as happened last time in Australia in 2020-21 when he was three dismissals were 1, 0 and 8. Over the last two Tests he made scores 131, 81, 36 and 55 albeit they weren’t enough to help Australia win the series.”If you look at his record, stats would suggest it’s not far around the corner,” Pat Cummins said on Friday. “In particular this year he’s looking fantastic in the nets. Just looking really sharp, looking like he’s got plenty of time. He’s doing all the right things like he always does. He got caught down the leg side too much, don’t think you can look into that too much, so I’m sure a big score is just around the corner.”Meanwhile, in the opposite corner you have Virat Kohli, another of this generation’s fab four. He has his second-innings hundred in Perth, but the jury remains out on the direction of his Test career in a year where he is averaging 26.64. It will be one of the fascinating subplots of the remaining three matches, watching two great players trying to rekindle something close to their best days.

Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap, losing their last nine wickets for 30 before Babar and Ayub’s steady 30s took Pakistan over the line

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Nov-2025Pakistan thundered to victory in the final of the tri-series, their attack blazing through the last nine Sri Lanka wickets for 30 runs, before their batters carried them without major drama to a target of 115. The victory came in the 19th over.Earlier, it had been three-wicket hauls for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz, and two wickets for Abrar Ahmed, that had seen Pakistan produce the definitive passage of the game – the second half of Sri Lanka’s innings.Sri Lanka had been 84 for 1 in the 11th over when Nawaz had Kusal Mendis caught athletically by Babar Azam, on the boundary. They would nosedive spectacularly from there, losing wickets to spin mainly, but pace too, until they were all out for 114 in 19.1 overs.The chase was low-tempo, but mostly smooth. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub put on 46 together. Babar then produced a steady 37 not out to guide the team home in plenty of time. They never hit a high gear. But they didn’t need to.Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up 3 for 18 as Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap•Associated Press

Sri Lanka’s epic plunge

How do you go from a 64-run second-wicket partnership to 114 all out? Let Sri Lanka show you how.The spinners drove the collapse. After Nawaz dismissed Mendis, Abrar and Ayub ran riot, Abrar having Kusal Perera and Pavan Rathnayake caught attempting big shots within three balls of each other. Ayub had Sri Lanka’s top-scorer Kamil Mishara caught, before Nawaz came back to rattle the stumps of Janith Liyanage and Wanindu Hasaranga.To give you an idea of how quickly wickets were falling, Sri Lanka had seven consecutive partnerships worth six runs or fewer.

Babar keeps coming back

A score of 37 not out off 34 isn’t exactly stellar T20I material, but in the context of having to guide the team to a low target, Babar’s innings was sensibly-paced. It may not deter his critics exactly, but it might hold them off.In a stretch in which Babar has been suggesting that the best version of himself might be back, it was also significant that he had such a good outing in the field in this match. The catch to dismiss Mendis was a nicely-judged overhead take, balancing to keep himself inside the boundary. The catch to dismiss Mishara was taken on the run, coming in from the straight boundary, diving forward. To get Rathnayake, he leapt up inside the circle to hold the catch with outstretched fingers.Kamil Mishara struck a quick half-century to keep Sri Lanka going•Getty Images

Mishara sets a foundation

Although Sri Lanka would fail spectacularly to build on it, their young opener Mishara had set a launching pad with his 59 off 47 balls. He had a powerful aerial game inside the powerplay, his three sixes in that phase coming in the arc between long off and deep midwicket. After the field went back, he settled into a rhythm of singles. With this being his second successive half-century, Sri Lanka are likely to persist with him.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been singled out for some hefty criticism by sections of the Spanish press as his difficult start to life at Real Madrid continues. The England international arrived in the summer after bringing an end to his time with boyhood club Liverpool, but he has only managed four starts in La Liga and just one in the Champions League despite right-back mainstay Dani Carvajal being sidelined by injury.

• Alexander-Arnold struggling after making dream summer transfer

  Alexander-Arnold decided to call time on his Liverpool career after winning a second Premier League title with the Reds last season, signing for Los Blancos in time for the summer's Club World Cup. However, it has been far from an ideal start to life at Santiago Bernabeu, with the 27-year-old struggling to convince fellow Merseyside icon Xabi Alonso that he warrants a regular place in his starting XI. He has made three consecutive starts in recent weeks thanks to Carvajal's injury, but so far he has been unable to conjure up the creative spark that made him such an asset to Jurgen Klopp and later Arne Slot, failing to register a single assist since the start of the current campaign. Instead, it's been Madrid's attacking and midfield players who have been setting up the majority of the team's goals, with Arda Guler leading the assist rankings in their La Liga outings with five, while Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde have contributed four apiece. Whether it will all come together for Alexander-Arnold in Spain remains to be seen, but the notoriously short-tempered local press have not wasted any time declaring how lost the right-back has looked during his first six months as a Madrid player.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What the Spanish media said

  While plenty of Madrid's players have struggled during the early parts of the 2025-26 season, Alexander-Arnold in particular came in for criticism after his performance in the 1-1 draw with Girona at the weekend. Writing for , Spanish journalist Alfredo Relano claimed: "Now that Trent is here, he seems like a clueless and insubstantial player, with the expression of a rabbit in the headlights. His quality at set-pieces is masked by his right foot, but in open play he is non-existent." The same publication had published a slightly more sympathetic report a few days earlier, admitting Alexander-Arnold had produced a "mixed bag" of performances since joining the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe at the club.

• How Alexander-Arnold performed against Girona

  Madrid's draw with Girona was disappointing for a number of reasons. It was their third consecutive stalemate in La Liga, which allowed Barcelona to open up a four-point lead at the top of the table after Hansi Flick's side beat Atletico Madrid on Tuesday evening, and they had to rely on an Mbappe penalty to drag them level after Azzedine Ounahi had bagged the opener shortly before half-time. Alexander-Arnold himself committed the cardinal sin of failing to track his opposite number before the goal and couldn't provide much ingenuity at the other end of the pitch. He did create two chances but only completed one of his 10 attempted crosses, also committing two fouls in defence.

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  What comes next for Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid?

  While criticism has headed his way, Alexander-Arnold did enough last time out to be included in Alonso's starting line-up for Wednesday night's trip to Athletic Club. A win is crucial for Los Blancos, with manager Alonso starting to feel the heat after some unconvincing recent performances, while an improved showing from Alexander-Arnold could ease some the pressure starting to build on the Englishman's shoulder, and perhaps even provoke a more positive reception from the Spanish media. Regardless, the boyhood Scouser will be keen to show everyone he's not the 'clueless' player he has been labelled and perhaps start to work his way back into contention for England duty, with next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico fast approaching.

Could rain affect India vs Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday? The day in Colombo started with the sun out, happily for fans waiting to watch on TV or at the R Premadasa Stadium, but word is that things might change quickly, and a severely rain-affected match isn’t ruled out.The weather in Colombo has been a matter of interest and concern, especially after the washout in Saturday’s game between Australia and Sri Lanka without a ball bowled. Will it be the same on Sunday, taking out arguably the most anticipated contest in the tournament? The morning didn’t suggest so, but the forecast is of showers through the day. The fact that it has been a dry morning “doesn’t mean anything”, locals say, since the north-east monsoon appears to have arrived in Sri Lanka before schedule.On Saturday, the skies didn’t look too bad – certainly not as gloomy as on Friday – and the signs were positive when Australia and Sri Lanka walked out before the scheduled toss time to look at the ground. But even the toss wasn’t possible as the rain picked up quickly and, even though the whole ground was covered quickly, the match had to be called off about two-and-a-half hours after the scheduled start time (3pm local).India, the hosts of the tournament, and Pakistan go into the match with contrasting results behind them. India beat Sri Lanka in the tournament opener in Guwahati on September 30 by 59 runs (rain had reduced that to a 47-overs-a-side game too) and Pakistan lost their opening game to Bangladesh by seven wickets in Colombo.

Chelsea are now preparing a club-record bid to sign Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez, with it being revealed Enzo Fernandez could play a key role in the potential transfer.

The Blues’ interest in signing a new centre-forward comes amid a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge for Liam Delap, with the 22-year-old failing to score in his opening four Premier League games since making the move to west London in the summer.

Joao Pedro has been more promising, picking up four goals and three assists in the league, but the Brazilian was given the nod in a slightly deeper role against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, upon Delap’s return from a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old excelled in attacking midfield, scoring the second in the 3-0 rout, and Enzo Maresca has suggested he is also better-suited to playing with a partner, saying: “We know that he can play as a number nine or he can play as a number 10,”

“In both positions, I think Joao is very good, but probably when he has another number nine next to him, he is playing better.”

As such, there may be space in the squad to bring in another new centre-forward, and a huge offer is now in the works…

Chelsea preparing club-record bid for Julian Alvarez

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are now preparing an offer of around €150m (£133m) for Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, which would make him their record signing, should they manage to get a deal over the line.

Fernandez could play a key role in the transfer, as the Blues are hoping the Argentinian’s presence at Stamford Bridge will convince Alvarez to make the move, given that they are international teammates.

BlueCo clearly mean business, but it looks unlikely that a deal will be straightforward, given that FC Barcelona are also in the race, and Atletico Madrid are reluctant to enter negotiations over a sale.

Should the Spanish club soften their stance, the 25-year-old could be a fantastic addition to Maresca’s forward line, having made a flying start to the campaign, chipping in with 13 goal contributions across his opening 15 matches in all competitions.

Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Pablo Gonzalez, the 49-time Argentina international also found the back of the net 17 times in La Liga alone during his debut campaign, while a tally of 11 goals and ten assists in the former Manchester City man’s final campaign at the Etihad Stadium indicates he is very well-rounded.

Signing Alvarez would be a major statement of intent from Chelsea, and if they were able to get a deal done this winter, the World Cup-winning forward could be a real difference-maker in the Premier League title race.

Julian Alvarez has been named as one of the best strikers in the world The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025