With the league stage and the quarter-finals done, ESPNcricinfo looks at six of the players who have set the field alight in the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Hemant Brar22-Oct-2019Manish Pandey (Karnataka)To say that Manish Pandey has been in great form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy won’t be enough. Over the nine innings, the lowest score the Karnataka captain has been dismissed for is 48, against Hyderabad. Incidentally, that’s the only game his side has lost so far. Currently third on the run-charts, behind Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Aparajith, Pandey has plundered 525 runs at an average of 105 and a strike rate of 108.02. Batting at No. 4, Pandey scored five fifties and one hundred and whenever Karnataka chased – except for the Hyderabad game – Pandey stayed till the end to finish the game.Dinesh Karthik (Tamil Nadu)Dinesh Karthik’s inspiring leadership oversaw Tamil Nadu’s nine-match winning streak in the league stage. Before the knockouts, he told ESPNcricinfo he was targeting the T20 World Cup next year and felt well-suited for the role MS Dhoni played for India for many years. Perhaps Karthik couldn’t wait for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s domestic T20 tournament, to begin and smashed 360 runs at a strike rate of 128.57 while still averaging 72. Scores of 0 and 11 in the last two games may have taken some sheen off those numbers but he has presented his case.B Aparajith (Tamil Nadu)If Karthik provided all the flourish and late fireworks, B Aparajith’s solid game at No. 3 set the platform for Tamil Nadu. Aparajith has struck 526 runs from ten innings, including one century and five half-centuries. He averages 75.14, even higher than his captain. His strike rate of 80.67 is in keeping with his role as batting mainstay, and the bonus has come in the form of his often-overlooked offspin, picking up ten wickets at an economy rate of 4.46. He saved his best for Railways, where he picked up 4 for 30 to restrict the opposition to 200 for 9 before steering the chase with an unbeaten 111.Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai)If there were doubts over Yashasvi Jaiswal converting his talent into performance at the senior level, the Mumbai teenager dispelled them all. Concerns over his big-hitting abilities were put to rest during his 154-ball 203 against Jharkhand that included 17 fours and 12 sixes. A left-hand batsman who has shots all around the park, he is currently the leading run-scorer despite playing only six games, his 564 runs include three hundreds and an unbeaten fifty, which came when Mumbai’s chase was cut short by rain in the quarter-final against Chhattisgarh. Jaiswal had waltzed to 60 off 38 balls before rain robbed Mumbai of a place in the semi-final.Roosh Kalaria (Gujarat)The highest wicket-taker for Gujarat in the last Ranji Trophy season, Roosh Kalaria has the chance to go one better this year and top the overall wicket-charts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. A left-arm seamer is always a coveted commodity and in Kalaria, Gujarat not only have a wicket-taker but also someone who doesn’t give away too many runs. Often providing his side with breakthroughs with the new ball, Kalaria has 21 wickets at an average of 15.09 and a strike rate of 23.3. Only twice in ten games has he gone for more than five runs an over, and boasts an overall economy of 3.88 in the tournament.Vishnu Vinod (Kerala)Despite the likes of Sanju Samson and Robin Uthappa in the batting line-up, it was 25-year-old Vishnu Vinod who emerged as the leading batsman for Kerala. The dashing opener amassed 508 runs at an average of 63.50 and a strike rate of 113.14. His 29 sixes were the most in the tournament, while only Jaiswal matched his tally of three hundreds. Kerala might not have made it to the knockouts, but Vinod stamped his dominance in all their matches.

The Nagaland captain scored an unbeaten 103 against Manipur, but the match was rescheduled after rain played spoilsport

Shashank Kishore15-Oct-2019You are 33 years old. You’ve grown up dreaming to play for your state that has no culture of cricket but you don’t know if there’s a future in the game because all youngsters grow up playing is football at any available space.Then you move to a big city with your family because your father is pursuing a PhD. You develop a liking for the game because your school team is the envy of all others in the city. You do well on the age-group circuit with a number of future India stars, only to get lost in the maze at the senior level. Then you fight your way through, complete your education and find employment with the government-run Railways.Things don’t work out, and you finally return home after a decade’s struggle following your state getting BCCI affiliation. Then, you’re made captain and you lead from the front to score a century in the first match of your team’s second domestic season ever, only to be told the century is invalid.How would you feel?”Hurt, upset, annoyed, robbed,” Rongsen Jonathan, the Nagaland captain, tells ESPNcricinfo what it felt like after being told his maiden List A century stands invalid following the BCCI’s decision to reschedule their Vijay Hazare Trophy fixture against Manipur. That match (held on September 24), and many others, were rescheduled after torrential downpours in the host cities rendered a number of games across Groups A, B and the Plate group incomplete.ALSO READ: How the Hazare Trophy points structure works (and how it doesn’t)In case you are wondering if the situation warranted such a move, here’s some context. The match was played on a damp surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Dehradun, according to a local venue official. Sent in to bat, Nagaland were reduced to 46 for 4. Jonathan, who walked in at No. 3 in the fourth over, batted through the innings to remain unbeaten on 103. The dampness of the surface also had him overcome a number of bruises owing to inconsistent bounce, but the surface, said the official on the condition of anonymity, was “not unplayable if you were willing to fight”. The match was called off because of rain after Nagaland bowled 8.4 overs. Jonathan alone had contributed more than 50% of his team’s total.”Nearly 60% of the match was completed,” Jonathan says. “I understand the decision to reschedule matches is taken while keeping the bigger picture in mind, but why should players be robbed of their records just because a result wasn’t possible? As players, we work hard, train all year round and, in the first match of the season, if somebody scores runs and it goes as a blank in his record, he is bound to feel hurt.”I wrote to the BCCI, I asked for a clarification from Saba Karim [the BCCI’s general manager, cricket operations], but I haven’t received a response. It’s upsetting for individuals. It hurts all the more because cricketers from the north-east [of India] have so much going against them. When somebody in the local media reads about a century or a five-wicket haul, it really inspires young kids and more people to the game. But now when you have nothing to show, there’s little we can do.”Nagaland have had three washouts, with only the game against Manipur, in which Jonathan made a century, set to be replayed on October 17. The other two games will be classified under the ‘No Result’ category.Saba Karim, the BCCI’s general manager of cricket operations•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe BCCI, however, can only be held accountable so much, thanks to an extended monsoon season and a chock-a-block cricket calendar. Currently, the senior men’s and women’s teams are in action, the latter having kicked off the domestic T20 tournament on Monday. The Vijay Hazare Trophy is being held across four venues, while a number of venues such as Visakhapatnam, Pune, Ranchi (for men), and Vadodara and Surat (for women) are/were occupied with the India-South Africa series.On his part, Karim explained the plan was only to ensure they try and get in as many games as possible. “If we are revising it, the entire game has to be revised. There is no other way,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “The reason we are rescheduling is because teams were not getting enough games, which they need to play.”So we are revising all those games, whether a ball has been bowled or some cricket has been played, and fresh numbers are going in. It’s better for the overall picture. This was unseasonal rain; it upset all our plans. The idea is to give teams as many games as possible at the start of our domestic season, which wasn’t possible because of the rain.”Jonathan soaks in ‘unexpected’ win for NagalandJonathan is a journeyman. Having begun his career after impressing at the Karnataka Under-16s, he made his List A debut in 2010 and rose up the ranks alongside Manish Pandey, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. Stifling competition, tryst with injuries, a season of indifferent form as follow-up to a season of consistent scores in club cricket meant he didn’t get the opportunities. He eventually shifted to Railways, but a system in flux and lack of infrastructure forced him to look elsewhere.”I thought anyway if this is how it is at Railways, it’s better to play for my home state, especially since they asked me to play for them after receiving the BCCI affiliation,” Jonathan says. “The goal for me at 33 is just to inspire the next generation of players. Last year, just a handful of kids came for trials at the Under-16 [level]. This year, one school ground wasn’t enough. The interest is there and we can only inspire them if we lead by example.”To that extent, Jonathan termed Monday’s win over Chandigarh as their most significant till date. Chasing 221, they were down for the count at 175 for 7. The lower order raillied to pull off a win, their second in seven games. What pleased Jonathan more was the effort was down to spunk shown by their home-grown players.”You can argue it was against the debutants, but they are all coming from a higher grade of cricket, having represented Punjab, which has a rich history,” Jonathan says. “Nagaland beating Chandigarh is something nobody expected. But we did it. There is potential and promise. With support, our aim is to be a top team in the Plate League and progress.”

The country’s history has been dotted with cricket, but it has taken time to realise their potential

Peter Della Penna in Dubai01-Nov-2019Papua New Guinea? Why are we talking about them now?They’ve just made it to their first-ever senior cricket World Cup.Wow. When did they start playing?According to the ICC, the sport was introduced to the country in the 1900s by Christian missionaries from England. But their first match took place against a touring Australia XI in 1972 at Amini Park in Port Moresby, their capital. A year later, they were formally admitted as an Associate member of the ICC.Have they ever come close to qualifying before?They have been a part of every global qualifier since 2012, and fell just short of T20 World Cup qualification in 2013 and 2015, losing a pair of elimination playoff matches to Hong Kong and Afghanistan respectively. They also narrowly missed qualifying to the 2016 T20 World Cup in India.The women’s team was one match away from reaching the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia next February but lost a semi-final match to Bangladesh at the qualifier in Scotland in September. PNG’s Under-19 side has traditionally been very successful and has participated in the ICC U-19 World Cup eight times since 1998.Ah, that’s plenty of history. What else have they achieved?Securing ODI status at the 2014 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand was a significant accomplishment. They then became one of just six teams to win their first ever ODI – along with Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Bermuda and Afghanistan – when they defeated Hong Kong in a match played in Townsville in November 2014.Hmm. Is this a big surprise? The fact that they’ve finally managed to get to a World Cup?Going by their ODI form, yes. PNG had lost eight consecutive ODIs in Scotland and Florida in August and September to begin World Cup League Two. They also lost both their tournament warm-up matches to the UAE and Oman.British bookmakers had them listed at 20 to 1 odds to win the tournament before the first match, well behind Ireland (5 to 2), Scotland (3 to 1), Netherlands (4 to 1), Oman (5 to 1) and UAE (6 to 1).Peter Della PennaIt is of a shock, then. Are any of their players full-time pros?
Much of their squad is employed by Cricket PNG in various roles, from groundstaff at Amini Park – the main turf wicket complex in Port Moresby – or as development and junior coaching officers working around the country to increase playing numbers and participation.…and they are all locals from PNG itself?The entire PNG squad is of Papuan heritage and almost all have been born and raised in and around Port Moresby. Several players are second or third generation national team representatives. The most prominent representation of that is Charles Amini, whose grandfather (Brian), father (Charles Sr.), brother (Chris) and mother (Kune) have all captained PNG national teams while the main cricket venue is named after the family.Many PNG players have gotten opportunities to play club and grade cricket in Australia as part of the Brian Bell Scholarship program to further their development. Lega Siaka (Melbourne Renegades) and PNG captain Assad Vala (Brisbane Heat) were assigned to Big Bash League sides as part of a community contract rookie scheme in the past while Chad Soper – born to a Papuan mother and New Zealander father – grew up mostly in New South Wales and plays grade cricket in Sydney for Northern Districts CC.Excellent. Anything else I should look for when I watch them?PNG have a long established reputation as one of the best fielding sides in the Associate cricket world. Their speed to the ball creates routine confusion for batsmen in the middle leading to more run-out opportunities, while their general athleticism is on par with anyone from the Test nations.That’s not to say that their players are not skilled as well, but they have historically beaten better-ranked sides through sticking to fundamentals and core discipline as well as incredible fitness and stamina. They do not have anyone bowling in the 135 kph range but their spinners are very talented and some of their batsmen – such as Vala, Siaka, Amini and Tony Ura – are among the most explosive hitters in the Associate world.

He’s only played three T20Is, but he’s confident he has the skills to bowl four overs regularly and finish games with the bat

Deivarayan Muthu in Hyderabad04-Dec-20191:07

‘Not thinking about replacing Hardik’ – Shivam Dube

India’s latest allrounder Shivam Dube has a bit of swagger about him, both on and off the field. You might have noticed that swagger when he launches mighty sixes for Mumbai or India A. On Wednesday evening, he showed similar swagger in front of the mic in Hyderabad and sounded out a warning to West Indies, the reigning world champions in the shortest format.”I think India is the best team in world cricket and we’re going to win the series,” he said.That confidence stems from having played a crucial role in India winning their most-recent T20I series, against Bangladesh last month. In the series decider in Nagpur, India gambled by picking just five bowlers, including Dube, who had bowled a mere three balls on his T20I debut in Delhi, and then just two overs in the second match in Rajkot.ALSO READ: Dube ready to ‘be the player the Indian team needs’In Nagpur, with the series on the line, Dube teamed up with Deepak Chahar and triggered a game-changing Bangladesh collapse. Dube had leaked 23 runs in his first two overs, and when he returned to the attack for the 14th over, Bangladesh needed 65 from 42 balls with seven wickets in hand, with half-centurion Mohammad Naim and the vastly experienced Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle.Dube struck with the first ball of his new spell, tricking Mushfiqur with a slower cutter and having him chop on for a golden duck. Then, in his next over, he nailed an off-stump yorker to get rid of Naim for 81. Chahar ran amok at the other end and bagged 6 for 7 – the best figures ever in men’s T20I cricket – but it was Dube’s double-strike that had cracked the game open.’Don’t worry, I’m going to show my game and win the matches for India’ – Shivam Dube•BCCISo is he good enough to bowl four overs consistently, as India look to fill in the Hardik Pandya-sized hole in their side?”Yes, I’m very confident as a bowler,” Dube said two days before the T20I series opener against West Indies. “It’s a T20 game and yes every bowler gets a bad game and a good game. So, I prepare myself for very good situations and I feel I can be in the bowling side also as a proper bowler who can bowl four overs and I’ve done that job. It really feels good.”While Dube admitted that the step-up to international cricket hasn’t been easy, he believed that he could do the job as a finisher with the bat too. Dube was Mumbai’s finisher in the recently-concluded 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy. In a Group A clash against eventual champions Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare tournament, he clattered a 67-ball 118 from No.6 and nearly powered Mumbai to victory out of nowhere in a chase of 313.”Yes, [the switch from domestic to international cricket] has been very difficult and being an allrounder is a difficult job and [it’s] more important for me to prepare my fitness level because as allrounder you need to bat and bowl also. The fitness is really a difficult job and yes I’ve done something and I’m proving it,” Dube said. “I’ll go more further.”It helps Dube that he has the backing from India’s team management as well, and he is in line to make his ODI debut following the T20I series against West Indies. This, after chief selector MSK Prasad delivered a glowing appraisal of his performances for India A.”Everyone is supporting me very highly,” Dube said. “The support from the captain and support staff has been very good for me and they give me a lot of confidence. So, [I] felt really happy and relaxed in the dressing room and the ground also.”If you’re still wondering whether he will fit into the dual role for India, he has asked you to stop worrying about him.”Yes sir, I’ve prepared a lot. Don’t worry, I’m going to show my game and win the matches for India.”

He has been Australia’s best bowler in the one-day series and he talks about how he has developed his art plus sharing knowledge with Rashid Khan

Vishal Dikshit19-Jan-2020This is your third ODI tour of India. What are the main changes you make when you’ve to bowl on smaller grounds and more spin-friendly pitches?I suppose experience has definitely helped me. Coming into the IPL and some tough international series, some successful ones and some not-so-successful ones, it gives you a bit of hindsight into what’s ahead. So you know with each individual that you’re up against how they’re probably going to play you which helps. It’s one of those places to tour where I don’t think you can really be too hard on yourself. Sometimes you get really batsman-friendly conditions, the grounds are smaller. So the way I’ve bowled helps because it’s quite a simple game plan. Obviously, I try to attack the stumps as much as possible, to try and sum up the conditions is really important. I think the last series where we had some success, the wickets were a little bit drier because it was really hot, there was a bit of spin so that helps. But I also think from the team point of view we had really good game plans and that helped with me as well. We were defending quite big scores. Basically preparations are really important here, I’ve learnt that too. And I keep saying India is one of the toughest places to tour. I think keep it simple, don’t be too hard on yourself. Preparation against these guys is really important. Virat [Kohli] is a really intense player, so body language is really important.You’ve bowled a lot of these batsmen in the IPL. Do you keep specific plans for them or does it depend more on situations?It will definitely depend on the situations. The conditions here, you see a lot of dew at night time so a couple of preparations with the wet ball is really important. And obviously you prepare differently for different guys. So, someone like Virat, you know he’s sweating on bad bowling, he’s got his strengths. And then you have guys like Rohit [Sharma], who obviously is a six-hitter, he loves hitting boundaries. You might bowl some good balls to him and he might defend them but you know that he’s going to come hard at you, early or at the back-end of your over. So it’s definitely individualised preparation.Do you feel the need to bowl more variations on pitches in India?I think very minor variations; good defensive bowling is important here. I don’t think over-attacking as a legspinner is really beneficial sometimes particularly on smaller grounds. I think your best ball and your best defense as a bowler is really important.2:43

Winning back-to-back series’ in India will be a big deal – Zampa

You use the crease too, a fair bit, like we see in the BBL, especially while bowling the wrong’uns. Does that plan work as well against good players of spin in India?I think so. Basically the way that I see the Indians play is that they love predictability. If they can line you up as a bowler, that’s when they hit you out of the park. I guess even if it’s a slight tinker of the crease or slight variations with the ball – with the pace or angles. If they can’t line you up, it’s a win but if you’re predictable, that’s when they take you down.Like when you played against the Melbourne Renegades recently, you dismissed Aaron Finch and Beau Webster with deliveries from wide of the crease. Were those the wrong’uns or more like straighter ones?They were straight ones. I think the one you’re talking about is probably the change of angle at the crease more than anything. Particularly the way I bowl, attacking the stumps a lot and the way I’m trying to get that angle from wide of the crease back in towards the stumps is a slight variation but I think it’s a good one, it’s quite a tough ball to hit.You’re the lead spinner in the ODI squad now. Do your tactics change when you’re bowling with or without Ashton Agar in the XI?No, I don’t think so. I think it depends on the situation and obviously, naturally as a legspinner you’ve to be a more attacking option than the fingerspinner. It’s important to work well together and communicate. So it might, for example, be if the quicks don’t get the job done early, it might be me coming on early to try and get a wicket. But it’s all on the situation, depending on how the powerplay goes, I don’t think the mindset changes too much.ESPNcricinfo LtdGlenn Maxwell said you’re his go to bowler for the Melbourne Stars. Is it mainly your consistency that has helped your wicket-taking ability and made you such an important bowler for them?Yeah, particularly in T20 cricket. I think in one-day cricket people still haven’t worked out wristspin. The game has changed a lot with only four players out, it’s a big difference to T20 cricket, I find having that one less player outside the circle. But I think I’ve always been touted as quite a defensive legspinner because I’m obviously not a big spinner of the ball but my numbers in T20 cricket in particular are, I would suggest that, by building pressure. That’s when the wickets come, I think I’ve got a strike rate that’s similar to someone like an Imran Tahir. He’s touted as a big wicket-taker, so I pride myself of team bowling not going searching for wickets. I think the way that I bowl, building pressure is really important.Why do you think batsmen haven’t figured out wristspinners in one-dayers?No, I think batsman have. I think more for captaincy, and even as a bowler it’s been difficult. I know it’s been around for a long time, the four outside the circle, but batsmen these days have also worked out a way to target that one zone where you don’t have that protection so that makes it a little more difficult.You go back to Essex later this year. How does playing in such different conditions and formats shape your thinking overall as a bowler?I think age and experience help a lot. For example, turning up for an international game at the start of your career was quite nerve-wracking and then the more you play, the more experience you have, it becomes less nerve wracking. Playing for Essex, and playing almost a 150 T20s now, it gives you the experience of knowing what might be coming. My theory is that in T20 cricket it only takes one good over to change your day. I had this conversation with Sandeep [Lamichhane] actually in Melbourne and we spoke about how it doesn’t matter if your first over goes for 12 because you can make it up. You can change the game even if it’s a defensive over that goes for six when your team is under pressure.Rashid Khan races off after claiming his hat-trick•Getty ImagesAnother wristspinner people talk about is Rashid Khan. Do you think a lot of batsmen can’t pick him out of the hand?It’s definitely because people can’t pick him out of the hand. I’ve never faced him but would like to, not in a game, I’d like to face him in the nets. If I’m batting against him in a game it means we’re not doing too well (laughs). I had a bowl with him last year. After a Big Bash game I tapped him on the shoulder and asked if I could have a bowl with him. So if you watch his footage he’s not a wristspinner, he’s actually a fingerspinner. So as a traditional wristspinner you have a loose wrist and you use your wrist to spin the ball. He actually has a locked wrist and by doing that he just changes the angle of that and then spins it with his fingers. So he actually locks it [his wrist] rather than like a traditional legspinner.I remember growing up I used to buy a ball, a plastic one – Shane Warne Spin King or something like that – and it used to have instructions that came with it, and it used to have different spots on the ball where you had to put your fingers for certain deliveries. So I got Rashid to do the same, I was like, “can you just draw marks for a wrong’un and then draw marks for your legspinner”. I think you have to grow up bowling like that, it’s not something that you can just do over a short amount of time. It’s freaky. It was good to have a bowl with him because I had always been like, “unbelievable, I want to bowl like him.” But then after bowling with him, I was like, “there’s no absolutely no way in the world that I’ll ever get to bowl like that”. So it’s good to know that now.How does a fingerspinner like him bowl a wrong’un then?If you think about it, or even if you watch some footage, you’ll notice that it’s as simple as knowing that he locks his wrist. So traditionally as a legspinner, for your wrong’un the back of your wrist is facing the batsman, and for a legbreak the back of your wrist is facing gully. But his doesn’t change, it pretty much faces the batsman the whole time. Depending on which way he wants to spin the ball, he just uses his fingers. He holds onto the ball really loosely, right until the end. The traditional wristspinner will hold the ball quite deep in the end.

After defeat against Fulham exposed the problems that Arne Slot must still solve, Liverpool are now reportedly expected to hold talks with one attacking addition over a summer move worth £87m.

Fulham expose Liverpool weaknesses

Whilst on paper the Reds are still just four wins away from Premier League glory, the reality is that they’ve now lost three of their last four games in all competitions having suffered defeat against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United before the international break. All of a sudden, an unstoppable Liverpool side has looked very much stoppable and one with problems to solve.

Slot spoke about his side’s imperfections following their 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage, telling reporters: “There’s always a lot of attention around Liverpool. That doesn’t start now, that’s been there the whole season.

“Of course, people want to make stories but for me it’s all about playing Fulham. They’re a good team, and if you then make three errors it’s going to be very difficult to win the game against them.

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He could replace Van Dijk…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Apr 8, 2025

“In general, we are not making many of these errors, let alone three in one game. Today, we also had (Ibrahima) Konate losing the ball too. The second half was so much better than the first, but it’s hard to win a game of football at this level if you concede three goals like this.”

The Dutchman was happy to defend his side, but there’s no denying their recent woes and that they need a number of fresh faces when the transfer window swings open. Among those particularly guilty against Fulham was Andy Robertson, who made three errors in one to gift Alex Iwobi the Cottagers’ third goal before the break.

As links continue to emerge with the likes of Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, the Scotland captain may well coming to the end of his best years in a Liverpool shirt. Meanwhile, in search of a creative spark not named Mohamed Salah, those at Anfield have reportedly kept their attention on one £100m star.

Liverpool expected to hold talks with Wirtz

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Liverpool are expected to hold talks with Florian Wirtz this summer in an attempt to jump ahead of Manchester City and land his signature for a reported £87m.

As the Citizens go in search of replacing the departing Kevin de Bruyne, the Reds could land their very own version of an undeniable Premier League legend, albeit they may have to drive that price up closer to £100m.

Bailey told The Boot Room: “Whilst Bayern and City have done the most work to this point, I am told not to totally discount others, especially in just making an offer – if you are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or even Real Madrid – who all like him – why wouldn’t you at least have the conversation?”

Stats comparison

De Bruyne in 2019/20

Wirtz in 2024/25

Appearances

48

39

Goals

16

15

Assists

22

13

An instant positive that stands out when looking at arguably De Bruyne’s best individual season at Manchester City compared to Wirtz in the current campaign is how the German has almost matched the Belgian for goals.

Of course, De Bruyne at the peak of his powers would blow away almost anyone on the assists front but Wirtz hasn’t exactly got a bad record himself and still has time to catch the Premier League icon.

Dubbed “special” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Wirtz would take Liverpool’s attacking play to a whole new level.

Manchester City could make a £51m bid for an “insane” midfielder this summer, with Pep Guardiola personally identifying him as a target, according to a report.

City stepping up midfielder pursuit

Given the drop-off in performance levels this season, Guardiola was already due to oversee a major rebuild this summer, and the need to bring in a new midfielder has now been exacerbated by the fact Kevin De Bruyne has announced his decision to leave at the end of the campaign.

Following the news, Man City have stepped up their pursuit of a replacement for the 33-year-old, with Lyon’s Rayan Cherki recently emerging as a potential target, alongside FC Barcelona’s Dani Olmo, who Guardiola is believed to be a big fan of.

Not only does Guardiola need to bring in an attacking midfielder, but the manager may also be tasked with bringing in a new option in a slightly deeper role, given that Ilkay Gundogan is arguably in the twilight years of his career at 34-years-old.

De Bruyne 2.0: Man City chasing £50m star who's "similar to Bellingham"

Man City will need to find a replacement for their outgoing legend

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 8, 2025

According to a report from Calcio Mercato, the Manchester City boss has now set his sights on AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, as he sets out to revamp his midfield this summer.

The Sky Blues could make a huge offer of around €50m – €60m (£43m – £51m) for Reijnders, despite the fact he has recently renewed his contract with the Italian side until the summer of 2030.

Real Madrid have also expressed an interest in the midfielder, having been impressed by his performances this season, but Guardiola’s side remain the most interested party, although they are yet to make a formal approach.

"Insane" Reijnders could be fantastic signing for City

The Dutchman has been one of AC Milan’s most consistent performers in the Serie A this season, averaging a 7.04 WhoScoered match rating, the second-highest figure in the squad, having particularly impressed from an attacking point of view.

The Milan star has nine goals and four assists to his name in 30 Serie A outings, and he places in the top 3% for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, while also ranking highly across some other key metrics, when compared to other midfielders in the major 5 leagues.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.29 (97th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

3.52 (86th percentile)

Progressive carries

3.32 (98th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.11 (88th percentile)

Football scout Ben Mattinson is also particularly fond of the Netherlands international, having lauded him for his “insane” performances earlier in the campaign, and at 26-years-old, the central midfielder could be entering his prime years.

Gundogan has been a fantastic servant to City, while Mateo Kovacic was an important player during last season’s Premier League title triumph, but Guardiola clearly feels he needs to refresh his options in midfield, and Reijnders could be a fantastic signing.

The footballing gods were in playful mood on Tuesday evening, as Manchester United slipped to a 13th Premier League defeat of the season, having been undone by one of their own academy graduate at the City Ground.

Now plying his trade for Nottingham Forest, Anthony Elanga ripped through the Red Devils at breakneck speed to net what proved to be the game’s only goal, with the fleet-footed Swede having now registered 29 goals and assists since leaving United back in 2023.

Sold for just £15m, the 22-year-old has made that fee look an absolute “bargain” amid his form since – as noted by analyst Ben Mattinson – albeit with new boss Ruben Amorim appearing to refute claims that selling the winger was a mistake.

Speaking in his post-match press conference following the 1-0 defeat, Amorim suggested that in-form players like Elanga – and Marcus Rashford – had been given a fair “chance” to succeed at Old Trafford, while then going on to state that the “pressure is too big” for certain players at the club.

In essence, the 40-year-old appeared to hint that such talents have only been able to flourish after breaking free of the scrutiny that comes with playing for such a historic club like United.

In the case of Elanga, his fruitful stint at Forest has followed a return of just four goals and four assists in 55 first-team games for United – were the club really in the wrong to sell him?

Why Man Utd sold Elanga in 2023

In the view of journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the “only mistake” that the Red Devils – then led by Erik ten Hag – made was “not getting a higher fee” for the Swedish speedster upon his exit almost two years ago, with Elanga hardly setting the world alight prior to that departure.

Despite scoring his first senior goal away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the 2020/21 campaign, it wasn’t until the arrival of interim boss, Ralf Rangnick, that Elanga properly forced his way into the first-team frame the following season.

Much of the winger’s impact came in the final few months of 2021/22, having scored away at Brentford and Leeds United, as well as in the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Those latter two strikes came in just the space of a few days, although as it proved, Elanga wouldn’t score again for the club after that, having been reduced to a bit-part role following Ten Hag’s arrival.

As the BBC’s Simon Stone has stated, the Dutchman ‘did not feel Elanga had the quality needed to be enough of an influence on his squad’, hence the decision to let him depart.

Having failed to score in 26 games in 2022/23, there were likely few objections when the Malmo-born starlet was eventually sold, not least with Alejandro Garnacho having emerged that season.

Hindsight might suggest that Ten Hag was mistaken in his view of Elanga, although it could be argued that United already have a bigger talent on the flanks – he just wasn’t playing on Tuesday…

The Man Utd star who's worth more than Elanga

There were instant comparisons made between the performances of Garnacho and Elanga at the City Ground, with the Argentine perhaps in danger of heading the same way as his former teammate, amid talk of an exit.

That said, it’s worth remembering that as Elanga toiled in 2022/23, a star was born in Garnacho, with the then-teenager ending that campaign with nine goals and assists in the senior ranks.

In a team that looks far too content with playing it safe in attack, Garnacho is, to his credit, a risk tasker – so too, is Amad Diallo.

As previously explored, the Ivorian had fallen behind the likes of Elanga in the pecking order amid a muted start to life in Manchester, with the diminutive left-footer having arrived on a £19m deal from Atalanta in January 2021.

It has arguably taken until this season for the one-time Rangers and Sunderland loanee to truly become a central figure at Old Trafford, but boy, has he taken his chance.

Player

Current club

Market value

Kobbie Mainoo

Manchester United

£46m

Marcus Rashford

Aston Villa

£42m

Alejandro Garnacho

Manchester United

£38m

Scott McTominay

Napoli

£34m

Mason Greenwood

Marseille

£29m

Anthony Elanga

Nottingham Forest

£29m

Dwight McNeil

Everton

£21m

Angel Gomes

Lille

£17m

Andreas Pereira

Fulham

£17m

James Garner

Everton

£17m

Following Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim spell – which yielded two goals and one assist for Amad – the 22-year-old had been the shining light of United’s campaign, up until last month’s cruel injury blow, having chalked up 12 goal involvements in only 20 games under Amorim.

The wing “wizard” – as previously hailed by journalist James Copley – has nine goals and eight assists to his name in total this season, with Elanga, meanwhile, having contributed six goals and nine assists for Forest.

Currently leading his former colleague for goal contributions, Amad is also deemed to be the higher value asset, according to Transfermarkt, having seen his worth soar to £34m. Elanga, by contrast, is valued at ‘just’ £29m.

That rising valuation has followed the signing of a new long-term contract for the £120k-per-week sensation, with Amorim also providing a boost after suggesting that his rising star is set to return before the campaign is over.

As that bumper new deal has indicated, Amad represents the future of Man Utd. Elanga – for all his positive displays since leaving Old Trafford – is now part of the past.

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Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for an “excellent” AC Milan player, who is set to leave the Italian club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Forest stepping up summer transfer plans

Forest should be well-positioned to bring in some top-quality players this summer, given that they have a very good chance of qualifying for the Champions League, and Nuno is keen to bolster his options in a number of different areas.

The goalscoring burden has largely been on Chris Wood this season, and the Tricky Trees are eager to bring in a new striker to provide competition for the New Zealander, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin among the targets.

There appears to be a heavy focus on strengthening in attacking areas, with Marseille winger Luis Henrique also of interest, alongside Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, and there have been suggestions Jota Silva could be used as a makeweight in a deal for the Sweden international.

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Bringing in attacking reinforcements may be of key significance to Nuno, but the manager could also look to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, with a report from Italy revealing Nottingham Forest have now joined the race for AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.

Thiaw will be allowed to leave Milan this summer, and the Serie A side are set to hold out for around €25m to €30m (£22m – £26m), amid widespread interest in his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Arsenal also keen.

The asking price shouldn’t be a problem for any of the Premier League clubs, but Bayer Leverkusen’s interest could pose an issue, with the German club already making an approach for the 23-year-old.

"Excellent" Thiaw could be success at the City Ground

The German centre-back remained on the substitutes’ bench at the beginning of the campaign, but he has since gone on to establish himself as an important player for Milan, getting on the scoresheet in a 3-1 Champions League victory against Real Madrid.

That was not the first time the 6 foot 4 colossus put in an impressive performance in the Champions League, having previously received high praise from former AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi for a top display against Tottenham Hotspur in February 2023.

Sacchi said: “He played an excellent game. He often found himself in one-on-one situations and did not give up an inch to the opponent.”

It has not been the best of campaigns for Milan, with the Italian side sat ninth in the Serie A, but Thiaw’s exploits in Europe indicate he could be a fantastic signing for Forest, and a fee of £22m – £26m is very reasonable for a defender of his quality.

After putting in what might be one of the club’s all-time great performances away to European champions Real Madrid on Wednesday night, Arsenal had the task of dispatching Ipswich Town yesterday afternoon.

Given the hype before their Champions League game and the sheer jubilation that followed it, it wouldn’t have been all that surprising to see the Gunners struggle to motivate themselves for a Premier League game that ultimately now means little in the grand scheme of their season.

However, Mikel Arteta has instilled a certain philosophy in his team, and they came out flying against the Tractor Boys, coming away from Suffolk as fully deserved 4-0 winners, with the likes of Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard seriously impressing.

Yet, as good as the two starters were and as vital as they will be for the rest of the season, one of the second-half substitutes is now worth considerably more than both and could even be the Gunners’ new Cesc Fàbregas.

Merino & Trossard's game vs Ipswich

With Thomas Partey set to miss the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain thanks to his brainless yellow card in the closing stages of last week’s win, Arteta left him out of yesterday’s starting lineup, moving Merino into midfield and starting Trossard up top, in preparation for the upcoming game.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

While some were understandably worried about changing a winning formula, it would be fair to say it was a tweak that worked perfectly.

For example, the Belgian scored a goal in both halves and what made them all the more impressive was that he did so with little space to manoeuvre in the box, which might be how he has to operate next Tuesday.

We weren’t the only ones impressed with the former Brighton & Hove Albion man either, as the Standard’s Simon Collings awarded him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘made his case’ to start against PSG and ‘offered more than just goals.’

Moreover, be it the confidence he’s gained from playing up top or the simple fact that he’s now had a sizable run of games in the side, the former Real Sociedad star was phenomenal and earned an 8/10 rating from Collings.

For example, his brilliant backheel allowed Gabriel Martinelli to score his 50th goal for the club, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he was here, there and everywhere in the middle of the park, as exemplified by his statistics.

For example, in just 57 minutes of action, the “duel monster,” as dubbed by Arsenal content creator Adam Keys, amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.48, provided one assist, took 33 touches, played one key pass, was accurate in 100% of his crosses, created one big chance, won ten duels and made six tackles.

Minutes

57′

Expected Assists

0.04

Assists

1

Expected Goals

0.44

Key Passes

1

Big Chances Created

1

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (1)

Touches

33

Duels Won

10

Tackles

6

Dribbled Past

0

In short, both Trossard and Merino put in stellar displays yesterday and should now be nailed-on starters for next Tuesday’s season-defining encounter.

Yet, both players are worth considerably less than one of yesterday’s substitutes, who could be the club’s next Fabregas.

The Arsenal gem worth millions more than Trossard & Merino

So, first things first, how much are Merino and Trossard worth today? Well, according to Football Transfers, the former is worth around €39.7m, which is about £34m, and the latter is valued at €31.8m, which is about £27m.

Now, while those are not insignificant valuations, they are, surprisingly so, much lower than Ethan Nwaneri’s, which is a whopping €54.6m, which comes out to about £47m, or £20m more than the Belgian and £13m more than the Spaniard.

It might seem like an absurd number for someone who’s just turned 18, but that might actually work in his favour, as the Hale Ender is already showing an ability to thrive in a title-chasing side at such a young age, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in just 33 appearances, totalling 1294 minutes.

In fact, it’s this ability to step up and perform like a seasoned professional at such a young age that makes him so similar to Fabregas.

The former captain became the youngest player to represent the team in a competitive fixture – a title now held by the Enfield-born gem – when he came off the bench against Rotherham United in a League Cup match in October 2003.

Then, over the next few years, he became a regular starter in the team, so much so that he started the club’s triumphant FA Cup final against Manchester United in 2005.

On top of breaking through in similar ways, there is a real possibility that the Gunners’ “unplayable” young star, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, could eventually move into the position once held by the Spaniard in time, as while he’s thriving on the wing at the moment, his most played position across his junior career was attacking midfield.

Finally, like the former Barcelona star, the teenage phenomenon has already shown that nothing about top-flight football fazes him, which could be one of the characteristics that help him establish a starting role in the first team in the years to come.

Ultimately, while Merino and Trossard should and almost certainly will start against PSG, Nwaneri looks like he will be one of Arsenal’s best players for potentially the next decade or more.

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