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Bayern Munich have been told to ditch Leroy Sane after a shock contract U-turn amid interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.

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Sane has not yet signed an extensionBayern have given him 10 days to sign the dealDidi Hamann wants him out of BayernFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern are understood to have given Sane a 10-day deadline to put pen to paper on a proposed new three-year contract. The club has made it clear there will be no further negotiation: the current terms are final, with no room for added bonuses or a larger signing-on fee. Should the 28-year-old fail to comply within the window, Bayern are prepared to allow him to leave on a free transfer at the end of his current deal.

AdvertisementImago ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

If Sane does choose to move on, a return to the English Premier League seems highly likely. According to journalist Christian Falk, the former Manchester City star is keen to relocate to England, where he previously enjoyed great success under Pep Guardiola. Sane’s new representative, Pini Zahavi, is expected to approach Arsenal to assess the Gunners’ interest in reigniting talks for the German international. Chelsea are also reportedly watching closely as the Stamford Bridge club is in the midst of rebuilding their attacking line and may see Sane as an ideal option to add proven experience and creativity to their youthful squad.

WHAT DIDI HAMANN SAID

Former Bayern and Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann has weighed in on the situation, suggesting the club should not cave in to increasing demands.

In his column for he wroteFor a long time, it looked like a contract extension for Leroy Sane at FC Bayern, but then the player changed his agent and is demanding more money. He's welcome to change agents, but if something has already been negotiated, the club has to stand firm.

"What Bayern are experiencing now are the consequences of the exorbitant sums they have paid in recent months. Utopian demands from their agents were approved. There was a feeling that the club did not have the final say. FC Bayern must take back control! Therefore, now would be a good time to withdraw the offer for Sane."

DID YOU KNOW?

Sane joined Bayern from City in 2020, and during his time with the club, he has amassed an impressive record. In 218 appearances across all competitions, the winger has scored 61 goals and provided 54 assists. Despite his on-field contributions, Bayern now find themselves at a crossroads with Sane. With the club determined to reassert its authority in contract matters, the coming days will be critical in determining whether the player remains in Bavaria or seeks a fresh challenge abroad.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betobet： Sobrou garra e não faltaram desafios, mas o Botafogo saiu do Mineirão com o sonho de estar na Copa Libertadores em 2023 mais latente. Com gols de Victor Sá e Tiquinho Soares, o Alvinegro derrotou o Galo por 2 a 0 e levou a equipe de Luís Castro aos três pontos nesta segunda-feira (7), no encerramento da 36ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

+ Veja a tabela do Brasileiro e simule os resultados dos jogos

RelacionadasBotafogoTiquinho Soares define Botafogo como ‘time da estratégia’ e celebra vitória em cima do Atlético-MGBotafogo07/11/2022BotafogoATUAÇÕES: Tiquinho comanda vitória do Botafogo; Lucas Perri e Victor Sá também se destacamBotafogo07/11/2022BotafogoGatito sofre luxação no ombro esquerdo durante jogo entre Atlético-MG e BotafogoBotafogo07/11/2022

da bet7： O Glorioso salta para 50 pontos e está na 10ª colocação. Já os atleticanos estacionam nos 52 e se mantêm no G8. As duas equipes voltam a campo na quinta-feira, às 20h. Os atleticanos encaram o Cuiabá no Mineirão. Já os botafoguenses recebem o Santos no Nilton Santos.

FORTE PRESSÃO ATLETICANA MAS GOL… SÓ ANULADO!

Bastou um minuto para o Atlético-MG apresentar seu ímpeto ofensivo. Na sobra de um escanteio, Mariano bateu rasteiro e a bola raspou na trave. Em seguida, Zaracho serviu e Vargas arriscou de cabeça, obrigando Adryelson a saltar para salvar.

A torcida atleticana ficou eufórica aos 12 minutos. Dodô avançou até a linha de fundo e alçou. Vargas, de cabeça, mandou para a rede. Contudo, o árbitro Leandro Pedro Vuaden, orientado pelo VAR, invalidou a jogada por impedimento do lateral-esquerdo do Atlético.

Diante de um Botafogo atordoado, o Galo continuou a se lançar à frente. Em brecha na direita, Vargas entrou na grande área e superou Gatito Fernández em dividida. Sem ângulo, o chileno esticou a Zaracho, que se desvencilhou do goleiro, mas errou a pontaria. No lance, Gatito saiu de campo com dores no braço esquerdo.

Já o Glorioso sofria para frear as jogadas de Zaracho, Jair e Dodô e não media forças no meio de campo. A equipe dependeu de lampejos para assustar os donos da casa. Jeffinho passou por Jemerson e encheu o pé, mas a bola parou na arquibancada. Tiquinho Soares tentou em duas oportunidades, sem sucesso. Bem fechados, os comandados de Luís Castro asseguraram o empate na etapa inicial.

PARECIA POR UM TRIZ…
​
A volta do intervalo trouxe um novo panorama do Botafogo. Júnior Santos aproveitou um espaço, arrancou pela esquerda e assustou Everson em conclusão traiçoeira. Só que o Atlético-MG logo manteve sua postura incisiva.

Keno lançou para a área e Vargas, após driblar Adryelson, encheu o pé. Só que Lucas Perri pulou para evitar o gol. Em seguida, Keno surgiu livre e tocou na saída do goleiro. Caprichosamente, a bola bateu na trave e voltou para as mãos de Perri.

Os botafoguenses viam jogadas de Tiquinho e Jeffinho esbarrarem na defesa atleticana. Além disso, tiveram calafrios quando Marçal fez o recuo e Vargas quase se antecipou e roubou a bola. Só que o panorama mudou na reta final.

BOTAFOGO PARTE PARA A VITÓRIA

As mudanças de Luís Castro aumentaram o poderio ofensivo do Botafogo. Jair perdeu a bola no meio de campo e Luís Henrique lançou Tiquinho Soares. O camisa 9 foi até a lateral, cruzou e Victor Sá não titubeou ao mandar a bola para a rede.

Em vantagem, o Alvinegro passou a dominar as ações e logo ampliou o placar. Lucas Fernandes fez o cruzamento e Tiquinho Soares fulminou para a rede. O Galo fez mudanças e chegou a assustar em conclusão de Pavón. Porém, o Botafogo soube administrar sua vitória na reta final.

FICHA TÉCNICA

ATLÉTICO-MG 0 x 2 BOTAFOGO

Estádio: Mineirão, em Belo Horizonte (MG)
Data e hora: 7 de novembro de 2022, às 20h (de Brasília)
​Árbitro: Leandro Pedro Vuaden (RS)
Assistentes: Michel Stanislau (RS) e Leirson Peng Martins (RS)
VAR: Daiane Caroline Muniz dos Santos (Fifa/SP)
Renda / Público: R$ 884.670,49 / 31.160 pessoas

Cartões amarelos: Réver, Allan (ATL), Marçal e Patrick de Paula (BOT)

Gols: Victor Sá, 31/2T (0-1), Tiquinho Soares, 39/2T (0-2)

ATLÉTICO-MG (Técnico: Cuca)

Everson; Mariano, Jemerson, Réver e Dodô (Rubens, 35/2T); Allan, Jair (Calebe, 35/2T) e Zaracho (Yan Felipe, 27/2T); Nacho Fernández (Ademir, 21/2T), Keno (Pavón, 21/2T) e Vargas.

BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Luís Castro)

Gatito Fernández (Lucas Perri, 19/1T); Daniel Borges, Adryelson, Victor Cuesta e Marçal; Tchê Tchê, Gabriel Pires e Patrick de Paula (Lucas Fernandes, intervalo); Júnior Santos (Victor Sá, 16/2T), Tiquinho Soares (Matheus Nascimento, 45/2T) e Jeffinho (Luís Henrique, 16/2T).

When it comes to their summer recruitment drive, Chelsea haven’t been distracted by the ongoing Club World Cup campaign.

Enzo Maresca and co are looking to mount a serious CWC challenge in the States with as much as £97 million worth of prize money on offer, but in the background, Stamford Bridge chiefs are working to strengthen ahead of a pivotal next season.

Tottenham hold talks to sign £65m star, but his club prefer he joins Chelsea

Spurs are set for a transfer tussle with their London rivals.

6 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 20, 2025

As things stand, Chelsea are prioritising a new winger right now, with the club back in talks over a potential deal for Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens after seeing three June 10 deadline bids rejected for the Englishman.

As well as Gittens, Chelsea have their eyes on West Ham star Mohammed Kudus (Simon Phillips), not to mention Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho, so supporters can fully expect at least one new wide player to come in.

However, they’re also believed to be targeting a new centre-back.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Uncertainty surrounds the long-term futures of Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile and even Wesley Fofana (Foot Mercato), who’s suffered from repeated injury problems since his £75 million move from Leicester City.

This has resulted in Chelsea considering Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, among other names, but the Toffees could demand up to £80 million to part company with the commanding centre-half before deadline day on September 1.

“Chelsea intend to push for him [Branthwaite] again and there is a possibility that they offer players to Everton in an attempt to get the fee down and make the deal more appealing on both sides,” said journalist Simon Phillips recently, via his Substack.

“The other further info we have received from SPTC sources is that there’s a feeling now that Branthwaite could actually leave Everton this window for a Champions League club – which puts Chelsea in a strong position.”

However, a far more obtainable defender, who comes with a £68 million release clause, is starting to turn Chelsea’s head as well.

Enzo Maresca wants Ousmane Diomande at Chelsea

As per TEAMtalk and journalist Rudy Galetti, Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande is “firmly” on their shortlist, despite both Real Madrid and Newcastle’s serious interest in signing the Ivorian.

The 21-year-old was a mainstay under both Ruben Amorim and Rui Borges last term, making 46 appearances in all competitions and helping the Primeira Liga heavyweights to their first domestic double in two decades.

Maresca is a “huge fan” of Diomande, and has personally listed the African as one of his top defensive targets for the summer, so this could be one to watch as Chelsea seek a good-value backline addition without paying over the odds.

Sporting are apparently braced for a ‘bidding war’, though, and Chelsea will be hoping that no other suitor decides to go beyond Diomande’s release clause so they can win the race for his signature.

The India No. 3 talks about his partnership with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in Brisbane, and looks ahead to the England series

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jan-2021The 21-year-old Shubman Gill was playing a totally different brand of cricket from you at the Gabba, scoring freely and confidently. Can you tell us more about Gill’s batting style?
He is one of the best timers of the ball. He has a natural ability to react to the ball a little earlier. He gets that extra fraction of time to judge the length, the line, and then play his shots, whether it be the pull or a cover drive. He has quick hands and his downswing is so good that even when he defends the ball, with that timing, sometimes, it goes for two or three runs. Sometimes it feels like he is playing with hard hands, but he is so good at his timing.If I speak about his batting technically, it is a double-edged sword. If you remember, he was out a few times against Pat Cummins earlier in the series, caught at gully or slip, but at the same time Gill can play the same ball for two or three. He is managing it really well. He is very talented and I hope he continues to improve because we need good openers. We have been getting good starts in the last couple of Tests matches and that is a big advantage. The way Rohit [Sharma] and Shubman started in Sydney and Brisbane laid a good foundation.Related

• Headingley showed Cheteshwar Pujara is back to focusing on what's important

• 'I worried that T20 would affect my Test technique, but I'm over that now'

• Vikram Rathour, India's batting coach: 'Failure teaches you that nothing stops. That liberates you, actually'

• Gill, Pujara, Pant showcase India's batting riches

• 'Overcome with emotion and filled with pride' – Cheteshwar Pujara

In a recent conversation with R Ashwin, Vikram Rathour, India’s batting coach, said the same – that both Rohit and Gill look for runs. Did it bother you that despite your experience, you were finding it hard to score runs while a youngster like Gill was scoring freely the other end?
Gill’s strength lies in the way he plays and that is why he is successful. If he tries to bat time or tries to defend for longer periods, it could pose a challenge for him. I can take the bowlers on too, but if I feel I need to hang back a little, I can do that as well. I can bat according to the situation. At that time, I felt it wasn’t wise to take the bowlers on because Gill was already doing that.It is important to understand what your partner is doing, as a batting unit, how the team is going forward. There could be occasions where both batsmen are playing their shots, but most of the time, if one is going well, the other has to bat normally and not do anything extraordinary. That is what I was trying to do. That is my strength.From one end you need to make sure there is a lot of assurance, a lot stability, which allows the other guy freedom to play their shots. What ended up happening in that first session was I ended up getting too many balls from the tougher end ().”[James] Anderson is very familiar with the conditions in England and can accordingly set up a batsman. However, when it comes to bowling in India, we have a little bit of an advantage”•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesJoe Root will reach the 100-Test milestone during the first Test in Chennai. What do you like about Root’s batting?
His work ethic. I have seen him bat for long periods of time as a team-mate during my stint with Yorkshire and as an opponent from the time he played against us on England’s 2012 tour of India. As a batsman, he is clear about his game plans, knows his scoring areas, is clear about his strengths, understands his game very well, and all that shows in the success he has had in Test cricket.Having faced the best of fast bowling in Australia, you now have to prepare to have another master quick – James Anderson. He has got you seven times and your average against him is 26.85. What’s the key difference between facing Anderson in England and in India?
The pace and bounce are different, firstly. Then the balls are different. There is some swing with the SG ball, but it doesn’t last and swing as much as the Dukes ball in England. Anderson is very familiar with the conditions and the bowling areas in England and can accordingly plan and set up a batsman. However, when it comes to bowling in India, we have a little bit of an advantage – not just me, but the entire Indian batting unit. We know our strengths and game plans well. When you are familiar with the conditions, it does help.Rishabh Pant was one of the key pillars, a catalyst for India in Sydney and Brisbane. You batted with him on the final days of both Tests. Can you talk about his growth?
He is fearless, not afraid to play his shots. Also, being a left-hander gives him an advantage. It frustrated the opposition bowling when there is a right-left combination. They seemed to struggle with the length. His knock in Brisbane was much, much better than what he did in Sydney. He played a brilliant innings in Sydney, too, when he scored 97 – I am not trying to take away any credit – but I felt this innings was under pressure and he handled it pretty well.I especially liked the way he handled Lyon just before and after tea [on the final day] in Brisbane. During the partnership, unlike his usual approach, where he looks to score runs, he defended in one phase – that was very impressive for me. You need to understand the situation. You need understand the game, whether you have to move away from your usual approach, it is very important.”The most impressive part about Rishabh [Pant] was the way he held himself back when it was needed in the last Test”•Jason McCawley/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesDid you need to temper his approach?
Not in particular, but I always try and communicate to young batsmen that you just need to understand the situation. If he [Pant] is at the crease, the opposition is under pressure. He is so destructive. Even if he is looking to defend, he will end up getting at least one boundary in two or three overs. So I was just telling him to try and make sure you make the right decision. Even if you want to play your shots, make sure you are clear in your mind. I will say this again: the most impressive part, for me, about Rishabh this time was the way he held himself back when it was needed in the last Test.Do you think India-Australia Test series could have five Tests in the future, like the Ashes?
It can be, no doubt about that. But five-Test series in Covid times is not easy. I think it becomes too long, especially because players need to be part of a biosecure bubble. Mentally, it is very frustrating, especially when you are away from home.Sometimes you are with the family, sometimes you are not. It’s not easy. But if it can be scheduled with enough breaks, then I wouldn’t mind it at all.You didn’t score as many runs on this Australia tour as you did in 2018-19, but you got three half-centuries. The last one, in Brisbane, was the slowest of your Test career, but was it also the most important one?
Yes, it is one of the most important fifties I have scored. The other one I remember was also against Australia, in Bangalore in 2016-17 series where I scored 92. The other was Jo’burg [50], which came on one of the toughest pitches I have played on.”Five-Test series in Covid times is not easy. Mentally, it is very frustrating, especially when you are away from home”•Getty ImagesSo Test cricket is the ultimate format?
Without a doubt. It challenges you physically, mentally, emotionally, and in multiple ways. That can’t happen in any other format. If you ask any white-ball player, even in death overs, I don’t think anyone will say they feel more pressure than in Test cricket. This is the toughest format of the game.Every session is different. You can win or lose a game in an hour – like we lost in the first Test in Adelaide. We played really well for the first two days. We were ahead with a 50-run lead and yet we lost the Test because we did not bat well in that one hour.A day after the Brisbane victory, you told the Indian Express that your two-year-old daughter, Aditi, watching you getting hit repeatedly at the Gabba, said: “When he comes home, I will kiss where he is hurt, he will be fine.” Did she do that?
She actually did that – kissed me on my hand. Forget about the injuries, when I returned home, the best part was she was so, so excited. She hugged me for almost a minute or two and she wasn’t letting go of me. I was really, really happy to hold her and be back with my family.Read part one of this interview with Cheteshwar Pujara.

Glenn Maxwell’s hopes of making a return to first-class cricket before Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka have been scuppered by the hamstring injury he picked up against Pakistan in Hobart. Maxwell faces up to a month on the sidelines, which would rule him out of either of Victoria’s next two Sheffield Shield matches and leave a tight timeframe to be fit for the start of the BBL with Melbourne Stars.Maxwell limped off during Pakistan’s innings on Monday evening and has been diagnosed with a grade two hamstring injury. He had also been in the frame for the Prime Minister’s XI for the two-day pink-ball match against India in Canberra between the first and second Tests alongside potentially a Shield outing in one of Victoria’s two upcoming matches against Queensland.Related

• Stoinis named new Melbourne Stars BBL skipper

• Sheffield Shield: Cricket Australia and NSW divided over left-field Zampa selection

• Maxwell's Test dream: 'While there's still a glimmer, I'll keep going for it'

• Sri Lanka confirm two Australia Tests in Galle, plus a one-off ODI

• Maxwell sets up Australia win in seven-over thrash

Although missing those matches is not terminal to Maxwell’s hopes of returning to Test cricket in Sri Lanka they had been viewed as an opportunity to further prove he can withstand the rigours of four-day cricket following his badly broken leg in 2022. Last month he played his first red-ball game in over a year when he featured for Victoria’s Second XI against Queensland and was encouraged by a long stint in the field.Maxwell was left bitterly disappointed when he narrowly missed playing against Sri Lanka on the 2022 tour and adding to his seven caps remains a major ambition before his career finishes after he last featured in 2017.”I think if I gave up on that Test dream now, I don’t think I’d be doing justice to that younger Glenn Maxwell who was dying to put on the baggy green when he was a kid,” Maxwell told ESPNcricinfo last month. “And I think while there’s still a glimmer of hope, I’ll keep going for it.”Glenn Maxwell is unlikely to play again before the BBL•Getty Images

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch does not believe the latest injury will change whether Maxwell is selected for Sri Lanka or not.”Don’t think it makes any difference,” Finch told ESPN’s . “The very little red-ball cricket Maxi’s played over the last probably five years, if they want to pick him, they’ll pick him regardless, and it’s not about if he goes and gets runs in Shield cricket. I don’t think that comes into it at all because it’s the skillset he has got – he’s very good against spin, he’s very versatile, [and] his offspin is better than part-time.”Chair of selectors George Bailey has previously said they will make specialist picks for Sri Lanka, and that performances in Shield cricket would not be the overriding factor given the vast differences in the conditions, while head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed Maxwell was firmly in the mix.”The ability to play on that horizontal plane sweeping and reverse sweeping, I think will be a critical skill if the conditions are extreme,” McDonald said. “Does he [Maxwell] fit that profile? 100 percent he fits that profile.”The big challenge for Maxi is clearly body and whether he can get through Test cricket, and what that may look like on the back of BBL. With Maxi, it’s he plays, see how he pulls up and then make the next decision on the back of that injury that he had.”The first Test in Sri Lanka starts on January 29 with Australia expected to have a 10-day lead up meaning those selected for the tour will miss the BBL finals and potentially the late regular-season games.Melbourne Stars’ first BBL match is the opening game of the tournament against Perth Scorchers on December 15.

Might it be that the batsmen were just better than him at that place and time?

Iain O'Brien05-Feb-2020Indulge me, for a second.Take the hammer
Smash the glass
Take the glass
Cut the Mother Earth
Opens up
And sucks you down
It sucks your sorry ass into the groundAre you pressure man or prey?
Do you suffer through the gravity?
Are you predator or prey?
Will you suffer my reality?
Are you pressure man or prey?
Do you suffer through the gravity?
Are you pressure man or prey
This 1998 New Zealand rock anthem from the Feelers, “Pressure Man” was the theme music for the precursor to T20, Cricket Max. You could say the first verse and chorus above are about short-form cricket. (Well, the song sums up a lot of life. Please replace with any non-gender-specific noun and sing along.)There is a photo of me from 2009, standing outside of a drink-break huddle. I had just dropped Gautam Gambhir at mid-off; it was day five, and it may have been the game changer.The song didn’t come to mind at the time, but for the rest of that Daniel Vettori over, I vividly remember carving out a long wound in the pristine McLean Park outfield with the smashed-glass spike of my boot and wanting it to open up and swallow me. In hindsight, the lyrics are as if I wrote them from that one experience.There are many of these moments in life and in sport. Except, in sport they are replayed and replayed and replayed. You suffer over and over.And it’s those who suffer over and over who either are or become legends and greats of the game.***A recent brief, innocent, and what seemed insignificant, back and forth on Twitter with the editor of allowed me to think about the “pressure man or prey” situation New Zealand were in recently while trying to overcome the India T20 team.”Why do they keep using Southee?” was the question I was posed after NZ Super Over loss.The demand of the question, the rhetorical, is that Southee shouldn’t be bowling that Super Over, ever. I don’t think it’s as black and white as that.Answer me these:Did Southee get the plan wrong and the execution right?Did Southee get the plan right and the execution wrong?Did Southee get the plan and the execution right and the batsman was just better?We, outside of the inner sanctum of the team, will probably never know.***In what turned out to be my fourth and last T20I, Scotland were our first opponents in the 2009 World T20. Rain cut the game short before it had even started. Seven overs each; a T7, if you like.ALSO READ: The glamorous life of a Test match bowler (2015)I bowled the first over. With The Oval Members End behind me, I ran in and delivered maybe my most perfect over. The plan locked in and every ball was perfect.The over went for 18, with two leg-byes. It was the best over I had ever bowled. It was the best I had ever kept to a plan. Ever! And I was ignominiously clubbed for four brutal fours.I do have to let you in on one thing, though. In the Scotland team, there was a Watts and a Watson. According to our scouting, Watts would open and Watson would bat about eight.I checked the plan for the opener and nailed it.Except, Watts wasn’t the opener. It was Watson, who normally batted eight. I missed the slight difference in name, which led to the massive difference in individual plans.I didn’t play another T20I. I admitted my mistake in the team debrief the next morning. I got the plan wrong but executed it right. Does that make me a bad bowler, or a good bowler who misread a name?I could have sat on that shame, that failure. I could have dwelled on the fact that no one on the park had thought to make sure I had the right plan after I was spanked for a couple of fours.

Players talk of ‘having a short memory’ when they’re asked how they deal with the massive lows of sport. But in reality, a lot have learnt to have the capacity to sit back and say, ‘I did my best, they were better’

I didn’t, though.Watts. Watson. Damn it!Some 11 years on from that game, I reflect with a greater knowledge of what I allowed myself then. It was probably the first time, and one of the very few times in my career, that I allowed myself some compassion.I failed many, many times. And almost every time I lived that failure. I endured the pain and allowed it to become more of me, more of my personality, than it should have been. All that self-loathing left me not knowing who I was and what I was. Putting on a mask to keep going, to keep being. Tired. Drained. Sleepless. Tears. Disgust.***Southee stepped up and took the ball. And failed in the third T20I against India, in the Super Over.And again in the fourth T20I, in the Super Over.But did he fail?ALSO READ: Martin Crowe: The masks we wear (2013)If we go back to the question of whether he nailed the plan and execution (and to the correct batsman – not like my stupid folly!), might it be that the batsmen were just better than him at that place and time?Fine lines. Very small margins.I think we need to give the opposition more credit than we strip credit from Southee. Or at least we need to consider doing so. And also consider that those piling onto the bowler here are adding to it their feelings and frustrations that New Zealand didn’t get over the line in regular time.You can succeed by failing. One such instance stands out in my mind – in a T20I at the SCG, against Australia, in the penultimate over.Cam White hit a straight, length delivery of mine to somewhere near the moon. Somehow, on its way down, it didn’t quite clear the rope and Vettori completed a special catch.Iain O’Brien: “I failed many, many times. And almost every time I lived that failure. I endured the pain and allowed it to become more of me”•John Walton/PA Photos/Getty ImagesWe celebrated the wicket – me, not quite so much. Vettori to me in the huddle: “Not quite your best ball, OB?” It certainly wasn’t, at all! Got lucky with the launch angle from White’s bat. Fine lines. Very small margins.But it was a success, right?***The more I study our stupid/bonkers/mad/brilliant human mind, the more I realise that in 2009 I had done something to myself that was just becoming a recognised form of mental healthcare.Compassion-focused therapy was just becoming a wholesome part of psychology. Being able to have compassion for oneself or another, as a way to deal with the emotions and outcomes of decisions and actions, whether good or bad, is an essential aspect of well-being.Imagine not being able to have compassion for yourself even if you have, to the best of your abilities, done what was required.Players hide behind the saying “having a short memory” when they’re asked how they deal with the massive lows of sport. But in reality, a lot have learnt to have the capacity to sit back, say, “I did my best, they were better,” shrug their shoulders, look for a lesson, let it all just wash over (like a kid would), and go again with the full backing of their team-mates.ALSO READ: Martin Crowe: How McCullum helped me let go (2014) That’s why I’d back Southee again. And again. That may be the definition of insanity (as in the quote attributed to Albert Einstein), but I’m backing that the plan and execution were right (or so damn close to right that no one in that line-up could have done better), and the opponent was just too good on that day. And the next.Michael Jordan once said: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”If the execution was poor, then, yes it may be right for someone else to bowl those overs that nobody really wants to bowl. But I’d still back Southee in this instance – why waste the investment?Some people carry scars of battle; some people carry a smile. Some people sleep at night; some don’t. I wish I could have shown myself more compassion when I was playing.Are you pressure man or prey?

Being a Leeds United supporter has certainly been somewhat of a rollercoaster over the last couple of years, with the club always in the middle of some form of drama on or off the pitch.

From big-money departures to Wembley defeats and title victories, the fans have truly been through it all, with another new chapter appearing on the horizon in the coming months.

After promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League, it hands the Whites a fresh opportunity to create new history and cement themselves as one of England’s greats.

They will face a huge task to beat the drop, given the gap between the two divisions, but after their ninth-placed finish back in their previous return to the top flight is evidence that they can defy the odds.

If they are to break the mould, investment is needed, but it’s also pivotal that players who are not required are moved on to provide boss Daniel Farke with added funds to make changes.

The latest on Leeds players who could leave Elland Road this summer

Striker Patrick Bamford has failed to deliver throughout 2024/25, not scoring a single goal across all competitions, leading to rumours about his future in Yorkshire.

He’s been linked with a move to newly promoted Championship side Wrexham, which could lead to a permanent move away, looking to cash in given the fact he has just one year left on his current deal.

The 31-year-old won’t be the last player to depart Elland Road this window, with full-back Junior Firpo also touted with an exit, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

He confirmed that the Dominican international has been approached by his former side, Real Betis, over a return to the LaLiga outfit, with his contract set to expire in just over two weeks.

The Whites have made an offer to extend his stay in Yorkshire, but as of yet, no agreement has been reached, with the defender looking more likely to leave given the time remaining on his deal.

Why Leeds’ £60k-p/w star could be a repeat of Summerville

Crysencio Summerville captured the hearts of the Leeds fanbase during his spell at Elland Road, producing numerous moments of magic after breaking into the first team setup.

His first major moment came back in October 2022, coming off the bench to score the winner against Liverpool at Anfield – in a game which was undoubtedly the highlight of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Dutchman would become a key member of the side after relegation to the Championship, scoring 20 times and registering nine assists, but it wasn’t enough as the club lost in the play-off final against Southampton.

He would subsequently depart and join West Ham United in a £25m deal last summer, banking a huge profit but losing one of their shining lights in the process.

Whilst Firpo would be leaving for nothing, it could see a repeat of a deal for Summerville, with both players moving on after impressive years in the second tier, with the defender notching 14 goal contributions this season.

The defender, who also earns £60k-per-week, has matched the Dutchman in struggling in the top flight previously in Yorkshire, leading to many fans previously voicing their displeasure over his performances, with such a move freeing up money off the wage bill.

The winger has struggled with injuries since his subsequent move to the top tier, starting just seven league games this season, with the deal now favouring the Whites despite the disappointment at the time.

Games played

32

Goals & assists

14

Pass accuracy

83%

Chances created

1.7

Touches in opposition box

4.1

Duels won

6.3

Tackle success rate

52%

Such a deal allowed for Manor Solomon to move to the club, handing Farke an added talent whilst banking good money, something which could replicate itself with Firpo this summer.

Understandably, given his form at Elland Road, no fan would want to lose the defender, with continuity crucial if the side are to beat the drop throughout 2025/26.

However, if the full-back doesn’t want to stay, it would be best to part ways this month and make a move for a player who could fill the void in Yorkshire.

Should he struggle to make an impact away from the club like Summerville, it would be a good decision to allow him to depart, putting trust in the hierarchy to recruit a suitable replacement in the coming months.

Their new Klich: Leeds submit offer to sign £22m star with a "huge future"

Leeds United have reportedly made an official offer to sign a star who could be Mateusz Klich 2.0.

ByDan Emery Jun 10, 2025

The Premier League confirmed its fixture calendar for the 2025/2026 season this week with Arsenal set for an intriguing opening game against Man United, and there is little doubt sporting director Andrea Berta will be aiming to secure all of Mikel Arteta’s top summer transfer targets by that date.

Regarding links to some of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, United have been equally active in the transfer market, with both sides attempting to get a prolific centre-forward through the door after disappointing seasons.

Arsenal make contact to sign trophy-laden £400k-per-week ex-Man City star

He’d be quite the addition to Arteta’s dressing room.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 17, 2025

Arsenal have been in talks with RB Leipzig over a deal for Benjamin Sesko for weeks, but as things stand, the Gunners are unwilling to match their demands of a transfer fee which could reach up to £85 million.

With Arsenal still yet to shake hands on a contract with the player’s representatives, plenty of work is still to be done if Berta wishes to strike a deal for the Slovenia international who’s eluded Arteta’s side since last summer.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Sesko rejected a proposal to join Arsenal this time last year and ex-interim sporting director Jason Ayto led a mission to tempt the 22-year-old with a move to the Emirates in January, only to be told that he wanted to see out the season with Leipzig (Ben Jacobs).

Amidst the Sesko saga, Arsenal are also trying to sign a new winger, but key target Nico Williams is now in talks to join Barcelona instead.

Arsenal planning to hijack Chelsea deal for Jamie Gittens

That is according to CaughtOffside, and given the Athletic Bilbao starlet is most likely to remain in La Liga with Barça, Arsenal are believed to be shifting their focus to Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.

The “new name” target, as described by this report, is emerging as a priority signing for the north Londoners and Arteta is apparently a real admirer. They’re currently taking “concrete steps” to swoop for Gittens and holding internal talks over a move for the Englishman, who Dortmund value at around £51 million.

Arsenal are said to be “serious” about signing Gittens and could move quickly, which comes as a real concern for Chelsea and Enzo Maresca.

The west Londoners had three bids rejected for the 20-year-old before the Club World Cup transfer deadline (Florian Plettenberg), with CaughtOffside reiterating that Gittens has already reached a long-term agreement on personal terms to join Chelsea.

Chelsea are widely expected to bid again for Gittens (Fabrizio Romano), but Arsenal appear to be posing a major threat in the race, so Maresca may now have a battle on his hands.

The Dortmund sensation, called an “incredible” one-v-one forward by Nuri Şahin, bagged 12 goals and five assists in 49 total appearances last campaign – with four of his strikes coming in the Champions League.

It wasn’t his physical skills that made him stand apart

Ian Chappell11-Oct-2020I was often asked an intriguing question during my playing days: “Why was Don Bradman so much better than any other batsman?”I didn’t have a satisfactory answer to the query. Nevertheless, I eradicated a couple of reasons for Bradman’s dominance. “It wasn’t his superior eyesight or reflexes,” I confidently said. Good reflexes and decent eyesight are required to successfully compete against top-quality international bowlers. There are enough players at that high level – not at Bradman’s Everest standard but efficient enough – to conclude that wasn’t the reason for Bradman’s record standing out like a lake in a desert.Then, out of the blue, I was presented with what I deemed to be a reasonable answer. I was watching a programme on the history of Australian cricket produced by Jack Egan and it featured never-before-seen footage of the 1938 Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. The match was famous for a brilliant Stan McCabe knock and a Bradman utterance.ALSO READ: Ian Chappell: Bradman v Sobers, Marshall v LindwallMcCabe scored a magical 232 off just 277 balls, including 170 while his last four partners added only 38. It was during this onslaught that Bradman implored his men to abandon the dressing room and sit on the balcony. “Come and look at this,” the captain said, “you will never see the like of this again.”Despite McCabe’s mastery, Australia were forced to follow on, and in Egan’s documentary, Bradman explained he didn’t want McCabe’s innings to be diminished by Australia losing the match. At that point Egan featured shots of Bradman’s match-saving second-innings century, accompanied by the animated comment: “Look at that footwork.””I am,” I said to no one in particular. It was Bradman like I’d never seen him before, apart from footage of the Bodyline series. Where he normally carved up attacks with the confidence of an international facing schoolboy bowlers, suddenly here was a mortal batsman, shuffling sideways in the crease and defending as though his life depended on survival.Don Bradman and Stan McCabe walk out to bat during Australia’s 1938 tour•Fox Photos/ Getty ImagesIt struck me that Bradman was batting with the pressure of the scoreboard and the weight of saving a match that he desperately didn’t want to lose. It was Bradman feeling all the pressures that other batsmen endure every time they walk to the crease. In that innings Bradman accumulated 144 not out off 379 balls for an uncharacteristically slow scoring rate of 37.99. He saved the match but also revealed that occasionally he was a mere mortal with a bat in hand.This innings showed that Bradman mostly – apart from his chastening Bodyline experience – was able to bat in a match with the serenity of a man involved in a casual net session. I’ve seen plenty of players flay net bowling when they weren’t concerned with fear of dismissal, losing the match, or being harassed by a demanding crowd. However, it was a different case out in the middle when they encountered all those outside pressures.ALSO READ: Jon Hotten: Why didn’t everyone copy Bradman? (2015)On most occasions his immense mental strength allowed him to cocoon himself from the outside pressures that bedevil other batsmen. It also helps explain why Jardine’s shrewd Bodyline tactics were successful in downgrading Bradman’s effect on that series. Not only did Jardine’s strategy provide Bradman with concern for his personal safety, they also succeeded in disrupting his mental serenity when batting.In addition to his immense mental strength, there’s no doubt Bradman also had a ruthless streak that drove him to crush opponents. It was this burning desire to outscore everyone else that probably caused a lot of old-timers to anoint the elegantly fluent Victor Trumper a better batsman than Bradman. Those comments annoyed Bradman and even caused him to present a pretty convincing statistical case to validate his superiority.Finally, I had what I deemed to be a satisfactory answer to the beguiling question: “Why was Bradman so much better than any other batsman?” It was his superior mental strength rather than any special physical attributes.

Shubman Gill’s first match as India captain did not go according to plan as a team full of players trying to make the step up from the IPL to international cricket was found wanting against Zimbabwe in a low-scoring thriller in Harare.Many of the players on this tour haven’t had a lot of recent cricket behind them, and Gill, at the post-match presentation, suggested that played a part in their downfall. “I think we bowled pretty well but I think we left ourselves down with the fielding. We weren’t up to our standards and I think everybody looked rusty.”Also a factor was the conditions. Harare offered sideways movement for the new ball and even once that stopped, the pitch was so slow that playing the kind of shots these batters were used to playing in the IPL – hitting through the line and over the top – didn’t always work. Five of India’s top six fell for single-digit scores and four of those fell trying to force the pace.Gill, who top-scored with 31 off 29 balls, said that his instruction to the team between innings was to bat normally. “Honestly, just take your time, enjoy the batting. Not too many runs on the board. So not much pressure but it wasn’t the way [the match] panned out.”Halfway down, we had lost five wickets and it would have been best for us if I had stayed there to the end but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Very disappointed with the way I got out and the way this whole match turned out.”A couple of hits from Avesh Khan kept India in with a chance right at the end, reducing the equation down to 18 off 12 balls. But by that time they only had two wickets in hand and Gill knew those were long odds.”Definitely there was a bit of hope for us,” he said. “But you know when you are chasing 115 and you want your No. 10 batter to stay out there, something has gone wrong.”India have a chance to quickly recover the ground they’ve lost with the second game of this five-match series coming up on Sunday.