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Football pundit Micah Richards believes a Leeds United target who the 49ers have made an approach for will “light it up” should he leave Man City this summer, according to a new report.

James McAtee’s Man City career could be coming to an end amid Leeds links

James McAtee has been at the Etihad for his entire football career, but he has yet to nail down a regular starting spot. The 22-year-old has played just 34 times for City in total, 15 of which have come this season in the Premier League.

He'd be Farke's next Buendia: Leeds make enquiry to sign special £35m star

Leeds United have already wasted no time in making a move to land one Premier League star this summer.

1 ByEthan Lamb May 15, 2025

McAtee’s most successful time in recent seasons came on loan at Sheffield United, where he was a regular starter and thrived in the second tier.

After his latest spell with the Blades, City decided to keep hold of McAtee, but it is a move that has seen his career stall, as he’s struggled to win over Pep Guardiola, and it’s now been reported that he is ready to leave the Etihad.

The attacking midfielder is out of contract in 2026, and given his situation at the Etihad, Premier League-bound Leeds United have made an enquiry over the possibility of securing a transfer for McAtee this summer.

Premier League apps (starts)

15 (3)

FA Cup apps (starts)

4 (3)

Champions League apps (starts)

5 (0)

Carabao Cup apps (starts)

2 (2)

The Whites are not the only team chasing McAtee, as Nottingham Forest are also keen on landing the England under-21 international. It could be a costly deal for the Yorkshire side, as City are said to value the midfielder at around £35 million.

Micah Richards: McAtee will "light it up" should he leave Man City

The latest development in McAtee’s situation at Man City saw the midfielder left out of their FA Cup final squad on Saturday, and according to pundit Micah Richards, McAtee would “light it up” should he leave the Blues.

Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer believes McAtee needs to leave City if he wants to play regularly. Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The Rest Is Football’, via Leeds Live: “He [McAtee] is not getting in their team. He’s another one that is going to have to leave.”

Richards went on to agree with Shearer’s comments and added that “he’s got something special” and will “light it up” in a new team.

McAtee has played 48 times in the Premier League, scoring six goals in the process, and if Leeds do sign him, they will hope his experience of the division, even though it is limited, will help them next season, and he can be a creative force in their forward line.

Newcastle United have now joined the transfer race to sign an “unbelievable” £100 million star this summer, according to a recent report.

Newcastle go six unbeaten with a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace

The Magpies continued to be without manager Eddie Howe for their game against the Eagles, but that wasn’t a problem for the Premier League side, as they blew Palace away with four goals in the first half. The 5-0 win on Wednesday night means it is 12 goals in their last three league games, and assistant manager Jason Tindall believes that is down to the team being “confident”.

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Tindall told BBC Match of the Day: “We’ve got a fantastic squad, and the balance of the team has been great. We’ve got some players on the bench who can come on the pitch and make a difference. We’re confident; we’ve had a good run of results, and we have to remain level-headed and work hard every day to go out and deliver performances.”

The win against Palace has lifted Newcastle to third place in the Premier League, five clear of sixth-place Chelsea. Tindall has now stated that the Magpies have six cup finals to go and secure Champions League football for next season.

“That’s where we want to get to. Everybody in the Premier League wants to be in the Champions League. We’ve experienced it before, and we want more of it,” he told BBC Match of the Day.

“We’ve got six cup finals now remaining, and we have to stay focused to be able to go out there and deliver the performances we know will help us to get to the Champions League.”

Newcastle join Spurs in race to sign £100m Man City star

So as the Magpies close in on returning to Europe’s biggest competition, Howe and co. are beginning to look at potential transfer targets for this summer. According to a report from Spain, Newcastle are looking to sign Jack Grealish from Manchester City but face competition from other Premier League teams.

The report states that the Magpies, as well as Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, have made themselves the main contenders to sign the England international this summer. The 29-year-old is under contract until the summer of 2027, but given he has struggled to become a regular in Pep Guardiola’s team, City are potentially looking to sell him this summer if they receive offers that meet their demands.

This report states that Newcastle see Grealish, who cost City £100 million, as a good player to bolster their options, especially if they secure European football. Both Villa and Spurs have been credited with interest in Grealish before Newcastle, but the Magpies may hope that securing Champions League football can give them the edge in this race, and the fact that he has the same agent as goalkeeper Nick Pope could also help them when securing a transfer.

Jack Grealish’s Premier League stats

Apps

189

Goals

27

Assists

29

Grealish, who has been dubbed “unbelievable” by Guardiola, has scored just one goal and grabbed one assist in the Premier League this season, as he’s had to be very patient, starting just seven games in the league so far. Grealish’s potential arrival at St James’ Park would see him compete with the likes of Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy for a starting spot.

The maulings in the dead rubbers notwithstanding, South Africa have done many things right across the Australia and England ODI series

Firdose Moonda08-Sep-2025South Africa have won back-to-back ODI series and, despite the aberration in the two dead rubbers, have begun the process of building to the 2027 World Cup. While their success marks significant progress – their win in Australia was their fifth successive bilateral ODI series triumph over them, while victory in England was their first since 1998 – there are still some issues to iron out.Most pressing is the long-time concern of chasing. South Africa have not successfully chased over 200 since December 2023, and have failed to chase a score of that magnitude eight times, including twice across the Australia and England tours. Both times, with the series already won, South Africa conceded over 400 before being blown away, which may not worry them too much except for what it says about their obvious strength in batting first. Since 2023, South Africa have won 16 out of 23 matches when defending a total, but need to address the approach fielding first, especially when it matters. Here are five things to note on the road to 2027.Breetzke must playIt could, and maybe should, become a campaign slogan after Matthew Breetzke stamped his name in the stars-to-watch list with five successive ODI fifties. That it took Breetzke eight months to play those five matches speaks to how difficult it has been for him to get into the XI, but he has now made the case for staying there. You could even argue that he should be batting higher than No. 4 given that he has spent most of his career as an opener. Breetzke’s aggressive approach fits in with how South Africa want to play and his square-of-the-wicket strength makes him difficult to stop. With Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen both retired from this format, Breetzke has the potential to take over the match-winning mantle and, injuries aside, should play in as many games as possible.Matthew Breetzke continued his prolific start in ODIs•AFP/Getty ImagesUncertainty over the top orderThe jury’s still out on whether the Aiden Markram-Ryan Rickelton opening pair is the one to continue with after they came together in Australia. In six matches, they have shared one century stand, two half-century partnerships and three without getting past 11. Neither has looked entirely fluent, though Markram has been in better touch in 50-over cricket than in T20Is. Rickelton has battled for rhythm throughout so the efficacy of their partnership may best be judged when both are in better touch. Given the top-order options in the squad, South Africa may also want to experiment with other combinations, including moving Breetzke up or introducing Lhuan-dre Pretorius.Another factor that will affect the top two will be the availability of Temba Bavuma at No. 3, especially if injuries continue to interrupt his playing time. After going on tour with a mandate to manage his workload, Bavuma started five out six matches and suffered a calf strain in the fifth. While the captain has made plain his desire to lead the side at the 2027 tournament, his body may not agree and South Africa will need to start thinking of solutions. A potential one is to move Markram down to No. 3, creating an opening at the top.ESPNcricinfo LtdA middle-order of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs (who is also searching for form), and potentially David Miller promises much, especially with a wealth of allrounders to follow.Getting Jansen back inCorbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder have each made significant contributions as the fourth seamer – Bosch with two T20I three-fors in Australia, Mulder with one in the ODIs in England – and they help lengthen the batting line-up. But will there be room for one or both of them when Marco Jansen is back? Jansen has not played since the World Test Championship final where he broke his thumb, but is expected to return for the Pakistan series.Jansen offers the left-arm variation, bounce and the ability to hit boundaries at will, which means he will likely slot straight back into South Africa’s XI and that will require a rejig.Bosch also has genuine pace and is a dangerous batter and Mulder’s ability to swing the ball and move up the order as needed may result in South Africa employing a horses-for-courses approach among the three and rotating them as conditions allow.There is also the option of the left arm-spin bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy, which gives South Africa additional resources.Related

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Maharaj grabs lead spinner’s roleAll the talk about age may escape Keshav Maharaj, who is 35 now and will be 37 when the 2027 World Cup is played but continues to improve with experience.Maharaj took his first ODI five-for in Australia and became the No. 1-ranked ODI bowler the next day. He went on to take eight wickets in the England series to finish as South Africa’s most successful bowler and was named Player of the Series on both occasions.While accuracy has always been his strength, Maharaj has introduced more frequent changes of pace and gives it more flight in the shorter formats, as he actively goes in search of wickets in a more attacking role than before. Maharaj’s 50-over form earned him a recall to the T20I side and his performances have all but ensured he will be part of South Africa’s next two World Cup squads across 2026 and 2027.Ngidi’s resurgenceThe numbers are not going to make this seem like a good argument especially as 2025 has been Lungi Ngidi’s most expensive in ODIs, but that’s not the full story. Ngidi’s bowling strike rate of 26 is his best in the format in five years and points to a resurgence across formats. It was only three months ago that Ngidi played his first Test in ten months at the WTC final and recovered from a poor first innings to bowl a match-changing spell of 3 for 38 in the second innings. He has since played four of South Africa’s five T20Is in Zimbabwe, all six white-ball games in Australia, and nine out of South Africa’s 11 ODIs this year.Considering that between 2021 and 2024, Ngidi only played 36 out of 56 ODIs and struggled (with a strike rate of over 30 each year), the consistency of this comeback has been impressive, especially in Kagiso Rabada’s injury-enforced absence. Ngidi’s slower ball continues to be his ace and the delivery that bowled Jos Buttler at Lord’s and effectively won the series was one to remember.What’s next?South Africa’s focus will shift to T20Is with the series against England, which starts on Wednesday, in what is the more immediate concern as next year’s World Cup draws closer. Then they return home for a few weeks before heading to Pakistan for an all-format tour, including the start of their WTC title defence.

Manchester United’s midfield department has so often been littered with quality, but it’s clear that Ruben Amorim is yet to stumble across his best partnership at the heart of the side.

The 40-year-old has been constantly shuffling his pack, often utilising various different players together, with Bruno Fernandes now seemingly his starting number eight.

He’s started every Premier League game in 2025/26 to date, but has often had to adapt to different combinations with other first-team members in recent times.

Casemiro has been the most consistent player to partner the Portuguese international, with the pair helping the club maintain a five-game unbeaten run for the first time in Amorim’s tenure.

However, with the Brazilian now aged 33 and set to leave in the summer, it’s crucial the hierarchy line up numerous targets to strengthen such an area in January and beyond.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new midfielder

Ahead of the upcoming January window, a whole host of young and talented midfielders have been linked with a big-money move to join Amorim’s United side.

Adam Wharton has been a star who has constantly been on the Red Devils’ radar over the last couple of months, with the Crystal Palace star just one option being considered.

It’s unclear how much a deal for his services would cost this winter, but it’s safe to say it wouldn’t be a surprise if the hierarchy made a beeline for his signature in the coming months.

However, he’s not the only player they’re targeting, with INEOS reportedly now said to be eyeing up a move for the signature of Atalanta midfielder Ederson.

A report from one source claims that the Red Devils is the most likely destination for the Brazilian star, with the hierarchy at the club expected to commence talks with the player and the two clubs.

It also states that such a deal could reach around €50m (£43.7m) this winter, with personal terms not expected to be an issue given his previous agreement with Amorim’s side.

Why United’s latest target would be a huge upgrade on Gomes

As part of the club’s hunt for a new central midfielder this winter, numerous players have appeared on their radar – with Wolverhampton Wanderers star Joao Gomes just one option being considered.

Over the last couple of days, it’s been reported that the 24-year-old would be extremely keen on a move to Old Trafford in the coming months, with his current side sitting bottom of the Premier League.

As a result, a £44m price tag has been mooted for the midfielder’s signature in recent times, which could be a potential bargain for a proven English top-flight talent.

However, given the nature of the hunt for a new deep-lying option, the supporters will no doubt be hoping for a more high-profile and top-level addition to bolster the ranks.

Whilst many fans may crave a deal for a player of Wharton’s calibre, a winter deal may be somewhat unrealistic, with the Eagles potentially demanding up to £100m for his signature.

As a result, a deal for Ederson certainly could be on the cards for Amorim’s men, with the Brazilian certainly a better option than Gomes in the upcoming window.

When comparing their stats from the ongoing campaign, the Atalanta star has dominated in numerous key areas, showcasing why he would be the better addition at present.

Ederson, who’s been dubbed “out of this world” by former England boss Fabio Capello, has completed more of the passes he’s attempted, with more of his efforts per 90 going into the final third.

Such numbers highlight the Brazilian’s ball-playing ability, which could allow him to dictate the play for United for a deep-lying position – allowing Bruno to take up a more advanced role as a result.

How Ederson & Gomes compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Ederson

Gomes

Games played

8

12

Minutes played

588

925

Progressive carries

1.4

1.2

Progressive passes

7.5

5.6

Pass accuracy

90%

84%

Passes into final third

6.6

4.1

% of tackles won

53%

51%

Interceptions made

1.6

1.1

Take-on success

50%

47%

Stats via FBref

Out of possession, the Atalanta star has been just as dominant over Gomes, as seen by his higher tackle success rate and more interceptions completed per 90.

The aforementioned tallies could certainly provide Amorim with the ball-winning option he’s been craving, at a bargain, too given his current asking price.

All-round, Ederson is a more complete option for the Red Devils, with his higher take-on success and progressive carries per 90 tally reaffirming his incredible ability to transition the play.

£43.7m for a player of the 26-year-old’s quality in the current market is an excellent price, with the hierarchy needing to work tirelessly to complete a deal for his signature.

There’s no denying Gomes would be an impressive addition too, but when a player of Ederson’s quality is currently available, it’s a no-brainer as to who the club should pursue in the coming weeks.

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Manchester United are now in pole position to complete the signing of Ajax youngster Jorthy Mokio, as they look to find a long-term replacement for the ageing Casemiro and exiled Kobbie Mainoo.

The futures of both Casemiro and Mainoo are key talking points at Old Trafford currently, with the Brazilian’s current contract expiring at the end of this season, at which point he will be 34 years of age.

In fairness, the Real Madrid legend has shown improved form this season, but Fabrizio Romano has claimed that a new deal is unlikely, especially on his current £350,000 wages, which make him United’s highest-paid player.

“Casemiro is working hard and is becoming once again in his career a crucial player for the manager. So, in this moment, he is really important for Ruben Amorim, but there will be a conversation about his contract because at the moment, the numbers of his contract, salary is way too high for Manchester United to extend that.

“Or they find a solution on the contract, and this is Casemiro and for Harry Maguire, or the player could leave on a free.

It looks increasingly likely that a replacement for Casemiro will need to be found next summer, especially with Ruben Amorim seemingly not fancying Mainoo in the role.

Man Utd "leading the chase" for Mokio

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United are the front-runners to sign Mokio from Ajax, with the 17-year-old considered a prodigious talent at the heart of midfield.

“Manchester United are leading the chase for Jorthy Mokio. They are already working on a project that could offer Mokio guaranteed minutes and a clear development path.”

Mokio is a huge talent with so much to offer in the coming years, proving to be the latest great youngster to emerge from Ajax’s famous academy recently, and he should be the type of profile United are looking for in a player.

The defensive midfielder has already made 29 appearances for the Eredivisie giants, highlighting his maturity at such a young age, while scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “special” player.

Mokio has also now been capped once at senior level by Belgium, and will hope to see his star rise further at next summer’s World Cup, but United should be looking to seal a deal for him before them, before the competition increases further for his signature.

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Smith has recently returned from New York and will play two Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales ahead of facing England

Andrew McGlashan21-Oct-20251:14

Mitchell Starc: Smith ‘has been a great sounding board’ for Cummins

Steven Smith had his first hit against bowlers since the Hundred finished in late August on Tuesday, but declared he was already “ready” for the Ashes after his break in New York.Smith, who is set to captain Australia in the first Test due to Pat Cummins’ back injury, returned to Sydney last week and had three nets against throwdowns before facing the New South Wales attack during training at Cricket Central as he ramps up towards the start of the Ashes.Related

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He will play two Sheffield Shield matches – against Queensland at the Gabba and Victoria at the SCG before facing England – but believed he was already good to go having in recent times found downtime from the game more profitable than endless training or extra matches.Unlike earlier in the year when he was recovering from a finger injury sustained in the World Test Championship final and left the tour of West Indies, Smith did not hunt out a baseball cage in New York and only picked up a bat on his return home.”Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted,” Smith said. “I feel like I’m ready to go now. I feel like I’m moving really nicely. I feel in a good place.”I’ve been training quite hard. I’ve been doing a lot of lifting, trying to get a bit stronger. And I did all my strength tests yesterday and they’re all as good as they’ve ever been. So I feel like I’m going good.”Cummins has yet to be officially ruled out of the opening Test, but time is quickly running out and Smith said on Tuesday that he had still yet to start bowling. “Things can turn around pretty quickly so we’ll see where everything lands with him,” Smith said.”He’s obviously got a few things to tick off and get into his bowling, but he was in good spirits and the team’s obviously better with him in it for sure. Hopefully he can get right and if he plays three Tests or five Tests or two Tests, as many as we can get out of him, it’s the best for the team.”Steven Smith speaks to reporters as he ramps up his Ashes preparation•Getty Images

The duo have worked well as a captain-vice captain combination with Smith standing in on six occasions since Cummins’ promotion, winning five of those Tests. His tactical nous has particularly come to the fore on the subcontinent and, although Smith himself played it down, his head-to-head with Ben Stokes looms as a fascinating aspect of the early Ashes exchanges.Even if unable to play, Cummins is expected to travel with the Australia squad and Smith was confident the change of leadership would prove smooth but added he would do things in his style.”It’s nothing out of the ordinary,” Smith said. “I know how the team operates. We’re in a good place. So if it happens, I’ll look forward to it. I think the important thing is doing it my way. I think when I get out on the field, I’ve got a certain style and the way I like to do things and I need to be authentic.”I think it’s worked well when I’ve stood in over the last few years. It’ll just be a seamless sort of transition if that comes around.”Smith has rarely had a problem with the dual responsibilities of captaincy and batting: his average when captain is 68.98 against 49.90 when in the ranks. One of the six Tests where he has filled in was during the 2021-22 Ashes when Cummins was a Covid close contact in Adelaide with Smith making 93 in the first innings.”It’s interesting how the brain works, I suppose,” Smith said when asked whether he’s aware of how the captaincy makes a difference. “I feel like I kind of go to another level and try and set a standard.”I think I’ve chilled out a lot over the last probably four or five years, just a bit more relaxed out in the middle and maybe not as cranky at times. I like to listen to people, get their opinions, and then obviously make a decision when I’m in charge.”In terms of losing Cummins’ bowling, Smith was of little doubt that Scott Boland could fill the breach. “I mean, we’ve got a pretty good replacement in Scott Boland who I think is arguably one of the best bowlers in the world,” he said. “His record in Australia is outrageous, so we’re good there.”Then the other two [Starc and Hazlewood] obviously have done a wonderful job for a long time as well. So I don’t think it disrupts too much.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has had an incredible impact in a short time at Ibrox, winning his first three Scottish Premiership matches in the dugout.

The Light Blues had only won one of their first eight matches in the division, under Russell Martin and Stevie Smith, which meant that the German tactician took over the club in a difficult position.

His tactical flexibility has been particularly impressive across his first six matches in the dugout for the Gers, as he has been willing to change systems, formations, and the style of play to suit each game.

For example, he utilised a 3-4-2-1 formation to grind out a 1-0 win away at Hibernian, but then switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation to dominate and thrash Dundee 3-0 in their most recent outing.

On top of improving the results in the short-term, Rohl has also helped some of the players in the squad to show more quality than they did under the previous coaching team.

Youssef Chermiti has been under the microscope since Kevin Thelwell decided to splash £8m to sign the striker from Everton, making him the club’s most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000, but he has shown signs of life under the new boss.

Why Rangers should not give up on Youssef Chermiti

Football Insider recently claimed that pressure was mounting from some fans pushing the club to immediately cash in on the Portugal U21 international when the January transfer window opens for business.

However, the report added that there are no plans in place for the Light Blues to do that, six months on from their £8m deal to sign him, as they hope he can turn his fortunes around at Ibrox.

The 21-year-old centre-forward did not manage a single goal or assist in seven appearances under Martin and Smith before Rohl’s arrival at Ibrox, which is why it is understandable that some supporters have not been pleased with his start to life at the club.

However, Chermiti has delivered one goal and one assist in three league games under the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach, which is more like what supporters should expect from a player signed for £8m.

Minutes

21

77

45

Shots

1

1

1

Goals

1

0

0

Key passes

1

1

1

Assists

0

1

0

Aerial duels won

1/1

2/6

4/5

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese marksman has been fairly effective with the minutes that he has been given under Rohl, with productivity in front of goal and strength in aerial duels on the whole.

This shows why the Light Blues should not give up on Chermiti, yet, because the 21-year-old talent is still learning and developing as a player, and should be given time under the new manager to prove his worth, given his age and inexperience.

Whilst the former Everton centre-forward has shown signs of life under Rohl and has time on his side to improve as a player, there is another summer signing who has been an even bigger waste of money.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Rangers have spent a lot of money on attacking signings in recent seasons and Sam Lammers has arguably been one of their worst, as the Dutchman was signed for £3m from Atalanta in 2023 and scored two goals in 31 matches before leaving the following summer.

Now, Bojan Miovski looks to be on course to be the club’s biggest waste of money since the signing of Lammers, because of his struggles this season.

Why Bojan Miovski looks like a waste of money for Rangers

The Light Blues signed the striker from Girona in the summer for a fee worth up to £4.2m, which means that he could cost more than the Dutchman did, and it appeared to be a sensible signing at the time.

Miovski’s form for Aberdeen, as shown in the graphic above, suggested that Rangers were onto a winner with the Macedonia international, as he had proven himself as a goalscorer in the Premiership in the past.

However, the left-footed forward had also just come off the back of scoring four goals in 24 appearances in all competitions for Girona, per Sofascore, which shows that the Light Blues brought in a striker who had been struggling in front of goal last season.

Given the money that was spent on him and his impressive record at Aberdeen in the past, it was fair to expect that Miovski would hit the ground running as an instant impact signing for the Gers, but that has not been the case.

Youssef Chermiti

25/26

£8m

Danilo

23/24

£6m

Bojan Miovski

25/26

£4.2m

Cyriel Dessers

23/24

£4m

Oliver Antman

25/26

£4m

Mohamed Diomande

24/25

£4m

Sam Lammers

23/24

£3m

As you can see in the table above, the Macedonia international is the club’s third-most expensive signing since the summer of 2023, with only Chermiti and Danilo, who has scored two goals in his last three league games, above him.

Miovski has only scored two goals in 15 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants so far, per Sofascore, with one against Hibernian in the League Cup and one against Falkirk in the Premiership.

On top of his lack of goals, the 26-year-old marksman has lost 68% of his ground duels and 70% of his aerial duels across eight appearances in the league for Rangers this season, per Sofascore, which shows that opposition defenders have found it far too easy to get the better of him.

Miovski has no goals and no assists in six appearances under Rohl so far, whilst Chermiti has a goal and an assist and Danilo has scored twice, which shows that he has been the worst-performing striker out of the manager’s three options.

He is five years older than Chermiti, who the club have invested even more money in, which suggests that the Portuguese striker may be preferred as the first-choice option in the mid-to-long-term, because of that investment.

That means that all the pressure is on Miovski to deliver in the short-term and his performances show that he is not doing that, which is why he may be the club’s biggest waste of money since Lammers unless he can turn things around.

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After getting back to winning ways against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic and Martin O’Neill have now been handed some positive injury news on Kieran Tierney.

The Bhoys were in ruthless form as they dispatched Falkirk in comfortable fashion, welcoming veteran manager O’Neill back to the dugout in style. Given that shock league leaders Hearts also dropped points in a 2-2 draw, there’s no denying that it was the perfect evening at Celtic Park.

Things haven’t quite taken a turn for the better off the pitch, however, and Celtic have already been dealt their first blow on the hunt for their next manager. According to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, the Hoops’ pursuit of Ange Postecoglou is now unlikely to progress.

The Australian, who was recently sacked by Nottingham Forest after just 39 days in charge, had been linked with a return to Celtic before reports shut those rumours down.

With their former manager off the table for now, Parkhead chiefs have been left to choose from the remaining names on their shortlist, which reportedly includes Craig Bellamy and Kieran McKenna.

McKenna would be a particularly interesting choice despite how his Ipswich Town side have struggled as of late. He famously took the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, before suffering instant relegation last season. Now, a big move could finally be calling.

In the meantime, it remains O’Neill’s job to steady the ship and potentially take Celtic into the Scottish League Cup final with Tierney’s injury return only helping that cause.

Kieran Tierney set to return for Celtic vs Rangers

As revealed by O’Neill, Tierney is in line to return for Celtic vs Rangers this weekend after missing out on his side’s 4-0 thrashing of Falkirk. The left-back is no stranger to injury problems, but does not face a period on the sidelines this time around ahead of a crucial cup clash.

The return of the former Arsenal defender should provide O’Neill with an instant boost. His experience, alone, proves crucial in moments like these and in the Old Firm derby, of course.

Despite how Celtic have struggled this season, Tierney has enjoyed some much-needed consistency. The Scot has started seven of 10 Scottish Premiership games to begin putting his injury history behind him.

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Dubbed “unique” by Rodgers in his very first Celtic spell, Tierney now has the chance to make his mark the second time around as an experienced member of O’Neill’s squad. And that could start against Rangers in the Scottish League Cup this weekend.

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West Indian legend also highlights the responsibility of the board to make playing for the team financially attractive

Abhimanyu Bose07-Oct-20255:49

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Former West Indies captain Brian Lara highlighted lack of funds and technology as factors in the team’s recent decline, but also called upon the players to show more passion in order to compete better.After West Indies’ defeat to India in the first Test in Ahmedabad, Test captain Roston Chase highlighted “infrastructure problems” and the continuous “struggle for finances” in the Caribbean. This was touched upon by the cricket strategy and officiating committee of Cricket West Indies, of which Lara and Chase are both a part.”If you want to get things done, you have to have the capital to do it. So that is a major part,” Lara said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. “But at the same time, I would like to ask Roston Chase and the other guys to… do they have the cricket at heart? Do they really want to play for West Indies? And that is the most important thing because you would find a way.Related

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“I mean we did not have better facilities 30-40 years ago. Viv Richards didn’t bat on any better practice pitches or anything. We had to do the same thing, the same grind; but the passion was different. The passion to play for West Indies was different. So I urge the young players to realise that this is a wonderful opportunity. And I am almost sure that every single one of their parents would have had in the back of their mind, their son playing for the West Indies, their son doing well for the West Indies because it meant a lot back in those days.”So I agree with [Chase on West Indies’ struggles for finances], but I still believe there is an onus on each young player to create that love and desire to play for West Indies.”Saying that, Lara also acknowledged that the players should not be blamed for seeking lucrative deals in franchise cricket, and that CWI needed to find a way to make it financially attractive for them to represent the region.”I can’t blame any single player for wanting to pursue cricket as a career outside of the West Indies – because the disparity in what’s happening, playing five or six franchise leagues, compared to playing for the West Indies, is different [in monetary terms],” Lara said. “And you have to have empathy with that player. But you also have to feel that what can we do at home to make sure that that player, or future players, understand that playing for the West Indies is also very important.5:02

Chopra: Gulf between India, West Indies there for everyone to see

“The IPL has carved out a period of time where it’s exclusive to the IPL. But there’s six or seven different leagues that’s popping up around the world, and everybody’s wanting to do it. So I think the onus is on Cricket West Indies to find a way to create, unify the efforts of the young players who want to go out, but also have them playing for us.”And a series against India, we want to play good cricket against the best team in the world. So you want your best players out there. You don’t want your best players in America or somewhere else around the world.”Lara used an example of football legend Lionel Messi, who has spent his entire club career outside of his home country, but has been an integral part of Argentina’s national team.”I mean if you look at Argentina, Messi grew up in Europe, but he plays for Argentina. But he played for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and he was allowed [to play],” Lara said. “And there’s a lot more South American footballers that do that, and eventually go back and play for their country, and have the pride to do so.”Australia is able to do it. England is able to do it, to keep their players loyal to their country. So we have to find a way to do that and there’s no pointing any fingers at anybody. It’s just that we’ve got to come together as a team, as administrators, as coaches, as players. And really and truly if you have West Indies cricket at heart, you will find a way to move forward.””I am hoping I would like to see a stronger first-class performance before you get into the international scene” – Brian Lara•Associated PressBatting has been one department where West Indies have struggled. The squad touring India don’t have a single batter who averages 30 in Tests. They have had promising talents like Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kavem Hodge and Mikyle Louis break into the team, but none of them has been able to establish themselves as a regular.”I believe that if a player is being picked on potential only and he does not have the stats to go with it, it is very difficult for him now to get to this higher level, and [to] expect so much from him,” Lara said. “I believe that because of that situation, you would find players that are maturing later on. So it is either you stick with them – age 22, 23, 24, 25 hopefully reap the benefit when they get into their late 20s – or you look at players that are seasoned, Jason Holder and the guys who may have matured.”And if you remember, Graham Gooch scored the majority of his runs in his 30s. A guy like Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey, all these guys started playing late, and they came out to be some of the best in the world. So you are going to find, once in a lifetime, the Tendulkars. Age 16, 17, Afridi, the Garfield Sobers who were in their teenage, they were able to cope with it immediately. Everybody is not going to be blessed with that sort of talent.”So I am hoping that I would like to see a stronger first-class performance before you get into the international scene. Back in my day, you had to break records. You sat and watched cricket for two years, 20 Test matches, carry the towel, carry the water before you finally got in. And during that period of time, you grew, you matured. And some mature faster than others.”

Kranti Goud picked up 3 for 20 to continue her rapid rise with India’s ODI side

Shashank Kishore05-Oct-20254:12

Goud, Deepti, Ghosh make it two from two for India

Kranti Goud, 22, was informed of her India debut at the R Premadasa Stadium in May 2025. She had largely been picked as an apprentice, with India waiting on two senior players – Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar, both injured and in rehab.It was an unremarkable debut, for figures of 5-0-22-0. But among the many things she did right was hitting Chamari Athapaththu, a ferocious puller of the cricket ball, on her ribs. That tiny moment, lost amid Smriti Mandhana’s century and Sneh Rana’s four-for, encouraged India’s selectors to take a punt on her for the England tour.When she picked up a six-for in Durham, hooping the ball and leaving England’s top order gasping en route to an impressive series victory, it was fairly evident Goud had sealed her World Cup spot, irrespective of whether the injured senior pacers returned. Renuka has, Vastrakar hasn’t, but Goud has made herself undroppable after just two outings.Related

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A week after she opened the 2025 World Cup with 1 for 41 in India’s win over Sri Lanka, Goud stung Pakistan’s top order in a fiery new-ball spell. She finished with 3 for 20 in India’s 88-run win in Colombo, one that her neighbourhood watched on a giant LED screen they’d installed back in Ghuwara, a town in rural Madhya Pradesh.”The talk is about focusing on line and length only,” Goud said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “I haven’t thought of doing much extra. Variations like bouncer or slower balls, those depend on the situation. The coaches told me to pull my lengths back a little based on the conditions and surface, that’s what I did.”It wasn’t merely Goud listening to her coaches that did the trick. She also got the captain to give her the fields she wanted most times. In the 12th over, with the ball losing some of its shine, Harmanpreet Kaur pulled out Deepti Sharma from the slips, only for Goud to wheel her back to where she’d been.The result? Aliya Riyaz was defeated by late movement to get a healthy edge through to Deepti at second slip. A jubilant Goud immediately turned to her captain, who ran towards her to acknowledge her contribution.”The ball was swinging early on, I couldn’t understand what was happening,” Goud said with a chuckle when asked about her first spell. “One ball came in a long way. Then when the ball was old, Harman wanted to take the slip off, but I said, ‘no didi, let’s keep the slip for this over.'”I had that feeling from within that I could get a wicket, and I got it off the first ball. They found it tough to play our pacers. Because the ball was moving in and out, that’s why I had a lengthy first spell.”Goud bowled six unchanged overs with the new ball. The other small contribution she made to India’s win was her crucial lower-order runs with Richa Ghosh. Coming in with India 226 for 8, the ninth-wicket pair added 21 to haul India to 247.Goud’s contribution was 8 off 4 balls, including two fours: a cover drive off her first ball, against left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal, and then a boundary off Diana Baig when she got inside the line to help a short delivery past short fine leg.”Richa told me, if there’s a ball to be hit, go for it. But if you’re not able to, just give me a single,” Goud said. “Because only a few overs were left, we needed to score as many as we could. First ball itself was hittable, so I hit a four. Then she told me, play like this only. The second [boundary] was a short ball, so I went for it. Look forward to playing well like this.”Goud would perhaps acknowledge tougher tests await, but the stage on Sunday wasn’t to be scoffed at, even if India did come in with a 11-0 record over Pakistan in women’s ODIs. With the men’s Asia Cup having been played in an environment far from the bonhomie the teams have shown in the past, the focus was on the women’s game to see if some of the hostilities would spill over. It didn’t, even though the teams didn’t shake hands before or after the match.But the off-field noise was far from Goud’s mind. “I wasn’t thinking of India-Pakistan or other things,” she said. “My duty is to bowl, and I was doing just that.”