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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened talks with another target, as technical director Johan Lange begins work on their potential third summer signing after Mathys Tel and Kota Takai.

Frank holds Tottenham talks over signing £300k-p/w ace who's open to joining

The Spurs boss has been discussing him with Lilywhites hierarchy.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 18, 2025

Spurs look ready to back new manager Thomas Frank with fresh squad upgrades ahead of his first full season in charge, and Tel’s £30 million permanent switch from Bayern Munich was reportedly approved by the Dane himself.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Frank will also soon welcome J League sensation Takai after chairman Daniel Levy green-lit a £5 million deal to sign the 20-year-old defender from Kawasaki Frontale, which stands as a record fee for any Japanese player from that division.

Tottenham signed Takai to compete as a first-team player, hoping that he’s set to follow a similar trajectory to the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr (Alasdair Gold), so supporters can expect to see him in and around the senior matchday squads next term.

Frank has a proven track record of developing young players into major talents, and the 51-year-old is excited to work with his “very talented” new roster.

“It’s a very talented squad, a very good squad and I’m very excited to start working with them,” said Frank in his first interview with the club.

“Of course, when you follow the Premier League, you see the other teams, you see Tottenham – you’ve seen some fantastic performances from the team over the last years. So, I think there’s big potential.

“But, of course, I’m looking from the outside, so I’m looking forward to getting to know them, to be around them, to feel them, understand them, work with them on the training pitch. That’s where you really get the big understanding, understand the relationships between players and how you can get the best out of them.

“I’ve got an idea already, my head is spinning [with] how can we play, how do I put them together, but I’m looking forward to that.”

Tottenham in talks with Kyle Walker-Peters

In the last week, Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a swoop for ex-defender Kyle Walker-Peters, who’s now officially leaving Southampton as a free agent at the end of this month.

The 28-year-old has made over 200 appearances for Southampton since leaving Spurs for St. Mary’s in 2020, and he’d bring some much-needed experience to Frank’s otherwise very youthful squad.

Tottenham also need more club-trained players to fill their Champions League quota, and Walker-Peters fits the bill considering he came through the Hotspur Way academy.

Now, as per Graeme Bailey in a piece for TBR Football, Lange has personally “started work” on bringing the Englishman back to N17.

It is believed Tottenham have opened talks with Walker-Peters over re-joining on a free, with the full-back keen on potentially making a return to his boyhood club as he looks to secure a move back to the Premier League, following his relegation on the south coast last season.

Interestingly, Walker-Peters employs the same agency as a host of current Spurs players – including James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Richarlison, Son Heung-min, Djed Spence and Sarr – so this could perhaps help to facilitate a deal given CAA Base’s already-productive relationship with the Lilywhites.

MatériaMais Notícias

da aposte e ganhe： Sem jogos durante a semana, São Paulo se prepara para o jogo de sábado (7), contra o Vasco, no Rio de Janeiro. Entretanto, mesmo embalado pela conquista da Copa do Brasil e com duas vitórias seguidas no Brasileiro, Dorival Júnior pode ter alguns problemas para escalar a equipe.

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da betsul： Isso porque não contará com três jogadores titulares: Rafinha, Calleri e Beraldo. Contra o Corinthians, os três receberam seu terceiro cartão amarelo. Desta forma, terão que cumprir suspensão e não viajarão para o Rio de Janeiro. Assim, o time deve ter algumas alterações.

Na vaga de Calleri, uma das principais opções para substituir é Juan, tendo em vista que Erison ainda segue no departamento médico, embora esteja treinando com parte do elenco. Beraldo deve dar espaço para Alan Franco. No lugar de Rafinha, Nathan é o favorito, embora Raí Ramos também esteja disponível.

Porém, no ataque, existe a chance de outro cenário. Ao invés de Juan, Luciano pode voltar a ser titular e reforçar o ataque. O camisa 10 está sendo bastante utilizado como uma opção para entrar no decorrer da partida, como visto nos últimos jogos – inclusive, na final da Copa do Brasil. Sem Calleri, pode voltar a ser titular.

Um possível São Paulo para enfrentar o Vasco é composto por Rafael, Nathan (Raí Ramos, Diego Costa, Alan Franco e Caio Paulista; Pablo Maia, Alisson, Rodrigo Nestor (Gabriel Neves) e Wellington Rato; Lucas e Luciano (Juan).

Bangladesh escaped the frying pan with four quick wickets to bowl India out early on the second morning, but jumped straight into the fire of the relentless Indian bowling attack, getting bowled out in just 47.1 overs. India chose to bat on despite a lead of 227, and led by 308 with seven second-innings wickets in hand by stumps on day two.Even though India bowled in considerably less helpful conditions than day one, there was no respite for the Bangladesh batters. Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj took eight between them when there was assistance for the pacers, while Ravindra Jadeja broke Bangladesh’s biggest partnership when conditions eased off.The day started on a positive note for Bangladesh. Taskin Ahmed used the second new ball much better than the first for three wickets, Hasan Mahmud completed Bangladesh’s first five-for in India, and they let India add only 37 to their overnight score. However, a quick reminder followed that their bowlers had committed too many errors on day one already. India’s fast bowlers were on the money immediately, bowling testing spell after testing spell, drawing an error once every three balls to reduce Bangladesh to 40 for 5.Shadman Islam was cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah•BCCI

Bumrah began over the wicket to the left-hand openers, moving the ball away consistently, but went around for the last ball of the first over. Shadman Islam left him, probably because all the previous five balls had moved away, but this one seamed back in to hit the top of off. Zakir Hasan survived an lbw call that both the umpire and the India captain misjudged, but Deep proved to be too good for him and Mominul Haque.The first over from Deep, immediately around the wicket, wasn’t the greatest, but in his second he got the ball to seam in from a good length just outside off. Zakir was beaten completely while Mominul managed to get his pad in line only for the ball to ricochet into the wicket. He would have been lbw anyway. Mushfiqur Rahim edged the hat-trick ball towards gully but it fell short.Post lunch, India went back to their top two bowlers, who had only bowled short spells before the interval. Siraj, who had lost out on Zakir’s wicket earlier, was the most accurate of the three. Najmul Hossain tried to walk at him to counter the movement, but still managed to only edge to second slip as a wobble-seam ball seamed away from him.Akash Deep’s two-in-two rattled Bangladesh before lunch•BCCI

Bumrah kept testing Mushfiqur before he bowled a rare delivery that swung after pitching. You can’t mean to do that but it sometimes happens – mostly when the seam is upright – that the ball starts to swing after going past the batter. This one started to go even before it went past Mushfiqur, who had the angle covered otherwise. It took the edge, went quickly to second slip, and began to swerve away from KL Rahul at the last moment. Rahul’s upper body turned with the ball, and his soft hands meant the catch was taken.By now the movement began to settle down, and Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan put together a quick stand of 51 with some good-looking drives. Then India’s spin twins came on and gave away nothing despite little assistance for them from the pitch. In trying to dominate them, Litton ended up playing a slog-sweep much squarer than he would have liked, offering a catch to deep square leg. Shakib unfortunately reverse-swept Ravindra Jadeja straight into his boot for a lob to Rishabh Pant.Just before tea, India brought back the threat of Siraj and Bumrah. Siraj found the edge immediately but it didn’t carry, but with what proved to be the last ball before tea, Bumrah got the better of Mahmud. Bangladesh were still 65 short of avoiding the follow-on. The last two Bangladesh wickets hung around for three quarters of an hour, including a boundary off Bumrah that clearly set something off. Bumrah softened Taskin Ahmed up with short balls, hitting him on the helmet and the glove, before cleaning him up with a pinpoint yorker.After a first-innings duck, Shubman Gill got going in the second•BCCI

The tall Nahid Rana didn’t quite fancy getting behind the line of Bumrah either but managed to somehow deny him the five-for, also hitting him for two boundaries. Eventually, he played Siraj on as he slogged at one, giving him his second wicket. India had more than an hour and a half to bat before stumps on day two.So far ahead in the game were they, India came out swinging. Yashasvi Jaiswal took 10 runs off the first over, Rohit Sharma flicked the first ball he faced for four, but they soon discovered the pitch was still not flat enough to be toying around with the bowling. Their wickets made it the most – 16 – in a single day’s play at Chepauk. Shubman gill and Virat Kohli then batted to the merit of the bowling, but a rare dismissal – a right-hand batter getting out lbw to an offspinner playing forward – made it 17 wickets in the day. It was Kohli, who did not review it, and Ultra Edge then suggested an inside edge. By stumps, India were more than 300 ahead.

da betobet： After agreeing a deal to sign Zepiqueno Redmond on a free transfer, Aston Villa have now reportedly made an offer to sign a Serie A champion who is tempted to complete a move to the Midlands.

Aston Villa set to sign Redmond

da blaze casino： Kicking off their summer business as early as possible, the Villans are reportedly set to sign Redmond from Feyenoord when his current contract comes to an end at the end of the month. At just 18 years old, the Dutchman very much reflects the future of Aston Villa’s frontline and could provide Unai Emery with a replacement for Jhon Duran that he has needed at times.

When it comes to first-team experience, the young forward has already received a taste of Eredivisie action at Feyenoord and even featured in the Champions League last season. Now, Redmond will be keen to add some Premier League experience to a portfolio that only looks likely to grow more and more impressive as the years go on.

Despite their PSR concerns, Redmond could yet be the first of a few fresh faces in the Midlands if reports are anything to go by. Recent rumours have mentioned names such as Jack Grealish in recent weeks and there’s no doubt that his return would cause quite the stir.

Having been shown the door at Manchester City, Grealish could yet complete a sensational Villa comeback and one that would need to see him get fans back onside as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, away from Grealish, the Villans have also reportedly submitted an offer to sign a Serie A champion this summer.

Aston Villa submit offer to sign Rrahmani

According to Il Mattino, as relayed by CalcioNapoli, Aston Villa have now submitted an offer to sign Amir Rrahmani from Napoli this summer and whilst he is not desperate to leave the Italian club, he is reportedly tempted by the offer from the Midlands.

Related Emery loves him: Aston Villa now one to watch in race for £300k-a-week star

The Villans are in the race for an “unbelievable” player, with Unai Emery thought to be a keen admirer.

Posts ByDominic Lund Jun 10, 2025

Villa aren’t alone in their pursuit, however, with Tottenham Hotspur also reportedly chasing a deal to sign the experienced centre-back. And that interest should come as no surprise. The 31-year-old enjoyed an excellent campaign as part of Napoli’s Serie A-winning side, starting in all 38 games, and has done more than enough to attract impressive admirers.

League stats per 90 24/25 (via FBref)

Amir Rrahmani

Pau Torres

Starts

38

23

Progressive Passes

4.97

4.33

Tackles Won

0.82

0.67

Ball Recoveries

3.57

2.77

Given how highly those in the Midlands rate Pau Torres, the fact that Rrahmani outperformed the Spaniard in several areas proves just how impressive an addition he would be.

A deal may be easier said than done, however, especially if Antonio Conte has his say. The Napoli boss was full of praise for his defender last season, describing him as “hardworking” and like a “solider” in his title-winning side.

Manchester United are reportedly ready to accept around £40 million ($54m) for Alejandro Garnacho, with the Argentina international among several players pushed out by manager Ruben Amorim. The winger was previously valued as high as £70 million ($94.4m), but growing interest from Premier League rivals may now lead to a cut-price exit for the 21-year-old.

Garnacho could leave Man Utd for £40 million Chelsea, Villa and Spurs interested in winger Amorim’s overhaul forces major United exitsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United have slashed their asking price for Garnacho to around £40 million, per The Telegraph. The winger is one of several players left out of the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. Earlier reports have stated that Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur are all monitoring his situation, as the Argentina winger would prefer to stay in the Premier League.

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Amorim is reshaping Manchester United’s squad and has sidelined Garnacho along with Jadon Sancho, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Marcus Rashford, who is set to join Barcelona on a loan deal. The Red Devils are reportedly prepared to take financial losses to back their Portuguese coach's long-term plan, and Garnacho’s sale could be one of several departures this summer as part of a major overhaul.

TELL ME MORE…

Garnacho drew strong interest from Chelsea and Napoli in January, when he was priced closer to £70 million. His departure seems certain now that Amorim has stated unequivocally that the Argentine is not part of his plans and that his asking price has been cut. Despite overseas interest, Garnacho is expected to prioritise offers from English clubs as he wants to stay in the Premier League.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

United are set to begin their United States tour without Garnacho, and talks could accelerate in the coming weeks. Interested clubs may try to negotiate further down from the £40 million figure. With time ticking, Garnacho’s exit now appears more a question of when than if.

After playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph, Cole Palmer has used his time off to reconnect with his heritage as he travelled to the island of St Kitts in the Caribbean. The island is the birthplace of his grandfather, Sterry Palmer, and it marks the Chelsea star’s first-ever trip to the country.

Palmer inspired Chelsea to CWC winVisited his granddad's Caribbean birthplaceRousing welcome upon arrivalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Although he was born and raised in England, Palmer has always maintained strong emotional ties to his Caribbean roots. In fact, he regularly wears football boots adorned with the flags of both England and St Kitts and Nevis as a tribute to his dual heritage.

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Upon his arrival, Palmer was met with a rapturous reception. Among those waiting to greet him were Dr. Hon. Geoffrey Hanley, the Deputy Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, and the country’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Marsha T. Henderson. A vibrant performance by a local troupe of traditional masquerade dancers featured a special act for the esteemed guest.

WHAT PALMER SAID

Clearly moved by the reception, Palmer expressed his joy at finally visiting the place that inspired his family’s love for the sport.

"Landing in St Kitts off the back of winning the Club World Cup felt really special," he told reporters. "It’s where my grandad’s love for football started. The island’s beautiful and really chilled. I can’t wait to explore the mountains, rainforest and sea – and to try out the food."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

Palmer’s visit comes during a brief window of downtime before the Premier League gears up for its return in just a month's time. Chelsea begin their campaign with a challenging stretch of matches starting with Crystal Palace, followed by clashes against West Ham United, Fulham, and Brentford.

With declining interest, and the madness of the soccer calendar snatching away talent, competitive play may not be enough

Jeremy Antonisse took his time. After all, he had plenty of it. The Curacao winger had made a burst forward in 94th minute, his side trailing 1-0 to Canada. And after an incisive feed into his path, the PSV winger had the space to consider the angles, ponder the distance between him and the goal, take an extra touch, and slot home past a helpless goalkeeper.

He turned away in celebration, but as he looked towards the fans, his teammates mobbing him, he peered into what was a largely empty stadium, Curacao supporters dotted in the seats throughout Shell Energy Stadium, home of Houston Dynamo. Part of that, of course, was due to the fact that some of the loyal support had flooded out of the gates, assuming there was no way that the team could piece together a miraculous 1-1 draw.

But it spoke to a broader issue. This was one of the biggest games in the nation's history, the chance to pip a CONCACAF rising power. And the game didn't come close to selling out.

Such has been the story of the 2025 Gold Cup. It has offered plenty of quality, countless memorable moments, and a reinforcement of the jeopardy that the federation can bring. But with seemingly declining interest in the tournament itself, widely vacant stadiums, and the madness of the football calendar snatching some of its best talent away, there is a sense that even a good competition won't quite be enough.

The tournament is at a crossroads like never before. And no one quite has a solution.

• Getty
  

  What the Gold Cup should be

  As a quick refresher. The Gold Cup is a competition played by (almost) every team in CONCACAF every other year – plus one invited guest. Qatar were in it for a couple of tournaments in a row. Saudi Arabia are involved this time. It was founded in 1991, and it was pretty much the only measuring stick for CONCACAF sides outside of the World Cup.

  UEFA had the Euros. CONMEBOL had the Copa America. CAF had the African Cup of Nations. This was CONCACAF's response. The Confederations Cup rather muddled things for a while, but that brought in outside teams that treated it with varying degrees of seriousness. The Gold Cup was, well, the Gold standard.

  The key word there is . In theory, the Gold Cup was North and Central America's equivalent to the major tournaments held by other federations. It didn't matter that in the early days Mexico were by some distance the best side with the most complete history. This was the way to measure up.

  In the early 2000s, it became more relevant in the United States – if only because the USMNT improved. The 2002 iteration felt seminal. Although the U.S. had won it before, that particular squad set the tone for what was undoubtedly a rise in the quality of American soccer.

  Landon Donovan starred in the midfield. Kasey Keller held it down in goal. Brian McBride, Cobi Jones and Carlos Bocanegra were all a part of that team. The U.S. won comfortably in the final. That set the standard going forward.

  "I was probably the most motivated I've been in my career," Landon Donovan told the U.S. soccer site.

  And it hummed along after that. The tournament is where the likes of Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and others U.S. stars cut their teeth at the international level. They played through injury. They wanted to win this thing. Sure, some managers used the month-long affair as a chance to experiment. But in general, it felt like equal parts extended tryout and must-win competition.

  "I think it's a wonderful way to get your feet wet in terms of what it means to be in an international competition – the cadence of the games, how you recover, the different types of styles of opponents that you're going to play," former USMNT midfielder Dax McCarty told GOAL.

  That has since changed. And this year's tournament is most emblematic yet of the shift.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A crowded football calendar

  The concerns start with the crowding of the football calendar. This is nothing new. More and more tournaments have been forced into the fray. Club teams – both in North America and in Europe – have to contend with more fixtures. Traditional competitions are longer. Contests such as the Leagues Cup have added a whole new slate of games to things.

  FIFA has perhaps played the biggest role, though. There were fears that the introduction of the Nations League – marketed by FIFA but run by CONCACAF – would strip away interest in the Gold Cup. That competition checked some of the boxes that the Gold Cup did, while also offering a chance for various visions of competition.

  Everyone is involved, while the stronger teams are consolidated into individual groups. It is tricky to field a weaker side when you know that your opponents will bring out their big guns. One only has to look at the meltdown following the USMNT's Nations League semifinal defeat to Panama in the spring to see how important the contest has become.

  "More importance has been placed on the Nations League," Herculez Gomez told GOAL.

  The Club World Cup has also played a role. Some top players remain with their club teams. The U.S. are without presumptive starters Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, who are playing in the CWC with Juventus.

  There is also, more generally, a sort of fan fatigue. There is no doubt that American supporters of the Premier League or top European teams long for the sport to come back when their clubs aren't in action during the summer. But packing the calendar has, in reality, had something of an opposite effect.

  Where once there was nothing, there is now seemingly too much, the Gold Cup and CWC clashing, simultaneously held in the U.S. over the past two weeks, and running into next month. There is only so much time in the day.

  And some don't even have an interest in the CWC. Why might they look elsewhere?

  "I don't see any situation where I'll be watching the CWC in the summer," CBS analyst Jamie Carragher told GOAL. "I'll be on holiday. I don't even think I'll keep abreast of the games. I might watch the semifinals or the final, if it's two really big teams."

• Getty
  

  Fans, fans and more fans

  Perhaps the best way of encapsulating the interest in a competition, though, is how many people show up to watch it. The Club World Cup has had its issues with both massive and minimal crowds, but the Gold Cup's problems have perhaps been more pronounced.

  The USMNT, this tournament's , have played in less than full stadiums. Only 12,000 showed up to see them take on Trinidad & Tobago – which kicked off at 3 p.m. local on a bright and beautiful day – and just 11,727 attended their the second match against Saudi Arabia. 

  Mexico, too, have struggled to sell out. Only 34,000 showed up in cavernous AT&T Stadium to see Mexico beat Suriname, 2-0. That venue has historically driven nearly 70,000 supporters of . CONCACAF's response after it became clear that sales weren't strong was to close off several sections, including the entirety of the 400-level nosebleed seats. But even then, the lack of support was clear.

  And then there are the smaller nations. Trinidad & Tobago-Haiti was played in front of just 2,405 fans.

  There are two potential reasons for that. The first is the political climate and immigration issues in America, which have actively discouraged some fans from attending games. The second is a switch in tradition. Gold Cup games used to be played in back-to-backs. Go to one game and you could stick around for another. That would encourage even some with no apparent stake in the game to watch.

  Overall, the Gold Cup averaged just more than 19,000 fans per game in the group stage, a 32-percent decrease from an average of 28,055 in the 2023 tournament. The drop was even more dramatic for the USMNT and Mexico matches, down 57 percent and 21 percent, respectively. CONCACAF, which – like FIFA for the Club World Cup – uses dynamic ticket pricing for its matches, says it’s distributed nearly 50,000 for the Gold Cup final, which kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on July 6 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

  There is a school of thought that suggests that fans will pay closer attention as the tournament continues, and the matches become more important. Historically, the U.S. has strolled through the group stage, benched its starters, and brought in the bigger names for later rounds of the tournament.

  That won't happen for the USMNT this summer. Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and a virtual starting lineup of players are missing because of CWC commitments, injury, rest or other reasons, and won't be coming in as the calvary, even if Mauricio Pochettino's team advance in Sunday's quarterfinal against Costa Rica.

  For now, the trends aren't particularly good.

• Getty/GOAL
  

  The USMNT predicament

  For the USMNT, it's difficult to gauage, exactly, what this all means. There are two schools of thought. The first is that the Gold Cup means something – a theory built on the idea of tradition and American exceptionalism. The opposing one is that, well, it doesn't – a summation based on a widespread apathy and need for player rest.

  Both things can be true at the same time. It is entirely plausible that the U.S. want to win – something that last happened in 2021. Pochettino has insisted that he is not here to treat the tournament like a training exercise. His decision to take identical squads to the pre tournament friendlies and the competition itself alone outlined that he wanted continuity over the course of a month.

  And with limited competitive windows ahead of the 2026 World Cup, some have suggested the USMNT needed a more robust roster for this Gold Cup. So yes, then, there are the absentees. Weah, McKennie and Gio Reyna all have club obligations. Robinson is injured. Sergino Dest still needs time to fully recover from knee surgery. Pulisic asked for the summer off due to fears of load management and stress put on his legs after another campaign in which he sustained an injury.

  His decision angered the USMNT sphere in full, and led to a mud-slinging match among former U.S. nationals and the player himself. Pulisic claimed that he wanted to play in the pre-Gold Cup friendlies, but Pochettino said no. Former USMNTers weighed in, claiming Pulisic had misplaced priorities or, worse, was disloyal. Clint Dempsey pointed out that he would play through anything if it meant having the chance to represent his country.

  "For me, it was never a question if I was going to go into the national team and play,” Dempsey said. “Whether it was Gold Cup, World Cup qualifying, the Confederations Cup, Copa America, the World Cup, I wanted to be there because as a kid, I dreamed about representing my country."

  Whether you think Pulisic is right or wrong doesn't matter. His decision, more broadly speaks to the clear divide during the competition.

  "I hate to take wind out of the talking heads that want to be hyperbolic in this moment, but the Gold Cup has almost never created the majority of a World Cup roster," TNT commentator and former U.S. international Kyle Martino told GOAL. "This Gold Cup roster of missing stars is no different than any Gold Cup roster in the past. Sorry to go against the narrative that we should all pull our hair out and yell at people that aren't dedicated, but this is how it's always looked."

Fast bowler left out of table-toppers’ opening two T20 fixtures after fallow recent form

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2024

Issy Wong is switching Sparks for Storm•ECB via Getty Images

Issy Wong, the England fast bowler, has joined Western Storm on loan for the Charlotte Edwards Cup after she was left out of the Central Sparks team for their first two matches of their T20 campaign.Wong, who turned 22 last week, played for England as recently as September and featured for Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League in March. But after a quiet start to the season in the 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, she was not selected by the Sparks for their opening T20 fixtures and has pursued a move away.The ECB – who are Wong’s primary employer, as a centrally-contracted player – have approved her loan move to ensure she will be playing competitive cricket. Storm said in a statement: “The ECB have sanctioned the move to ensure fast bowler Wong is able to maximise her playing time over the coming weeks.”Wong played all three formats for England in the 2022 summer at the age of 20 and was one of the stars of the inaugural season of the WPL, taking 15 wickets to help Mumbai Indians to the title – including a hat-trick in the eliminator. But she has struggled for consistency since and has lost her place in England’s squads.This season, she has taken three wickets at 56.33 in five Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures and has also featured for an ECB Development XI against the touring Pakistan squad. She was a surprise omission from the Sparks’ T20 side, though they have won their opening two fixtures.Wong is likely to play a more prominent role for a Storm side who have lost their opening two matches and are currently without Lauren Filer, who is on England duty. She will also target more opportunities with the bat, having spent most of this season batting at No. 8 in 50-over cricket.

Former Hampshire captain is in favour of Lord’s taking central role in London Spirit

Matt Roller21-May-2024

Mark Nicholas, the incoming MCC chair, pictured ringing the five-minute bell during a Test at Lord’s•Getty Images

Mark Nicholas has left his role as chair of Southern Brave’s board. His decision to step down comes as he prepares to take over as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) chair, at a time when the club – who are proprietors of Lord’s – could become majority owners of London Spirit.Nicholas, who captained Hampshire during his playing career, is a close friend of the club’s ex-chair Rod Bransgrove. He was appointed chair of Southern Brave – who are run jointly by Hampshire and Sussex – in 2019 ahead of the Hundred’s launch, but has now stepped down from that role in recognition of his growing involvement with MCC.Southern Brave filed paperwork to Companies House last week stating that Nicholas has resigned as a director of the company. An MCC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo: “We can confirm that Mark has left his role as chair of Southern Brave. There aren’t currently any plans for him to join the board of London Spirit.”Related

Mark Nicholas recommended to take over as MCC chair

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ECB secures counties agreement on Hundred 'direction of travel'

Nicholas has been MCC president since last year, and will take over as chair in October. He has been prominent in the club’s communication with its members around the imminent changes to the ownership model of Hundred teams, which is expected to see the ECB hand 51% stakes to their hosts – in London Spirit’s case, MCC.MCC has discussed the possibility of owning a stake in London Spirit with its members since late last year and Chris Rogers, the club’s treasurer, is chair of a ‘Hundred working group’. Nicholas has expressed his interest in MCC becoming majority owners, telling members he likes the idea of the club coming together to support a single team under its banner.The global profile of Lord’s means that London Spirit is expected to be the most lucrative team when the ECB invites bids later this year. MCC may consider using a potential windfall as an endowment for the MCC Foundation, to invest in the club’s museum, and to continue to improve the facilities at Lord’s, with approval recently granted for a £61.8 million redevelopment of the Allen and Tavern Stands.

Aston Villa were knocked out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2, only to go out 5-4 on aggregate.

The Villans went 2-0 down early on but brilliantly battled back to put themselves 3-2 ahead on the night, only to fail to find a late equaliser to take the tie to extra time.

Irrespective of the final outcome, it was a sensational effort from Unai Emery’s team as they fought to the very last second to save their campaign, with impressive performers across the board – including Marcus Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford is now undroppable

After a difficult start to the match, losing possession in the build-up to PSG’s first goal, the Manchester United loanee went on to play a key role in the spirited attempted comeback.

The England international completed four dribbles on the night and two of those came in the build-up to Ezri Konsa’s goal, as he impressively beat two defenders before putting the ball on a plate for the defender to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

Rashford, who also had two shots on target on the night, was constantly trying to make things happen for the Villans – attempting nine dribbles – and provided the PSG defence with plenty of problems.

The United loanee has now produced three goals and two assists in his last seven appearances for Villa and should be undroppable at this point, due to his form in front of goal, but he is not the only player who should now be considered undroppable.

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Why John McGinn is undroppable

John McGinn stepped up with a phenomenal display for the Villans against PSG on Tuesday and should now be as undroppable as Rashford for Emery.

The Scotland international has not been a guaranteed starter at times this season, coming off the bench in each of the last two Premier League matches, but his showing against PSG should change that, as it was one that was rewarded with a 9/10 player rating by the Birmingham Mail.

McGinn, who also scored off the bench against Southampton last time out in the top-flight, was a constant nuisance to the PSG team with his all-action performance in midfield, getting stuck in as well as providing quality on the ball.

Minutes

66

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass accuracy

75%

Dribbles completed

2/2

Duels won

4

Fouls

3

The Villa star, as you can see in the table above, made three fouls and won four duels to break up play, but he also scored a deflected strike from distance and teed up Youri Tielemans for his goal.

McGinn also had more touches (40) than the Belgian wizard (31), which shows that he was constantly taking responsibility in possession to make things happen, and lost the ball 15 times.

It was a terrific captain’s performance by the Scottish midfielder and one that should convince Emery to make him an undroppable figure in the team for the weeks to come.

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