Cesc Fabregas is reportedly a possible target for RB Leipzig amid an encouraging first season in charge of Como.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
It just has not been Arsenal’s season this year.
Mikel Arteta’s side were handed a nightmare set of fixtures to kick off the Premier League campaign. Then, they had to deal with several suspensions, only for club captain Martin Odegaard to miss almost two months of football due to an injury picked up on international duty.
Once the Norwegian returned, the North Londoners looked back to their best, but back-to-back draws in the league against Fulham and Everton once again prevented the team from gaining any momentum.
Finally, to round it all off, the Gunners’ poster boy and undoubtedly most important player, Bukayo Saka, is now set to miss “many weeks” of action after suffering a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace on the weekend.
It would be fair to say that, at the moment, without their talismanic winger, Arsenal’s prospect of finally winning the title seems a million miles away.
However, the transfer window is set to open next month, and the club have already been linked with a player this year who could be the perfect solution to their current problem.
Arsenal's internal solutions
So, before we get to the player Arsenal could sign next month to solve the issue of Saka’s absence, it’s worth looking at the possible solutions within the squad, and for our money, two seem the most likely.
The first is what we saw following the Englishman’s substitution on Saturday: Gabriel Martinelli playing off the right.
The former Ituano gem hasn’t been at his best this season, but when playing off the opposite flank at Selhurst Park, he looked genuinely dangerous for the first time in a while and managed to put away the chance Gabriel Jesus missed in the second half.
However, as the 23-year-old is naturally right-footed, that could change how that side of the pitch operates, so another option Arteta could take is starting the left-footed Ethan Nwaneri there.
The 17-year-old is widely considered to be one of the most exciting prospects in the league at the moment, and while the manager would probably prefer to ease him into the side more carefully, this crisis could be the perfect opportunity for him to establish himself as an important player in the first team.
Moreover, while he has primarily played in midfield for the first team this season, he has some experience playing out wide from his time in the youth sides.
With all that said, neither of these options is ideal, so what the club could, and probably should, do instead is sign someone next month.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
More specifically, they should sign a star they’ve already been linked to.
The star Arsenal should sign
So, to get straight to the point, the player Arsenal should be looking to sign next month is Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.
The good news for fans is that the club have been consistently linked with the former Everton man since the summer.
However, it would likely be an expensive deal, as some reports suggest the Serie A side would demand around €70m for their man, which converts to about £58m.
Now, that is undoubtedly a lot of money to spend on a player in January, but based on his form for the Bergamo outfit over the last few years, it would be more than worth it.
For example, in just 45 appearances last season, the Nigerian international, whom former professional Nedum Onuoha dubbed “one of the hottest prospects in European football,” scored 17 goals – three of which came in the Europa League Final – and provided ten assists.
This season has been just as spectacular for the 27-year-old.
In just 20 appearances, he has already scored 12 goals and provided five assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.17 games.
Appearances
45
20
Goals
17
12
Assists
10
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.60
0.85
On top of being a lethal attacker, the Wandswaorth-born dynamo is also incredibly versatile.
Therefore, he could easily step into Saka’s role on the right while the Hale End icon is out injured and then provide competition for the entire frontline when he’s back.
Ultimately, while there is no perfect solution to losing your best player, signing Lookman next month would be about as close as Arsenal could get.
Arsenal target mega swoop for dream Jesus upgrade in ÂŁ67m "machine"
The experienced international could add some much-needed firepower to Arsenal’s frontline.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 23, 2024
Leeds United are currently second in the Championship table after 20 matches following Sheffield United’s win over Millwall on Wednesday night.
The Whites are three points ahead of Burnley in third place and will be looking to maintain their position in the automatic promotion places over the months to come.
Daniel Farke’s side finished third in the division at the end of last season and, ultimately, lost 1-0 to Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final, which meant that they were unable to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The West Yorkshire outfit lost a number of their top players from the 2023/24 campaign after they failed to achieve promotion back to the top-flight, including Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, Archie Gray, and Glen Kamara.
Those sales did, however, allow Leeds to dip into the market to strengthen their squad, with the likes of Largie Ramazani, Joe Rothwell, Ao Tanaka, and Joe Rodon.
One player who has had a mixed start to life at Elland Road since his move to the club in the summer transfer window, though, is winger Manor Solomon.
Manor Solomon's form for Leeds this season
The Israel international was brought in on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and there may have been a degree of expectation over his performances.
Solomon arrived as a 25-year-old attacker with experience in the top-flight with Spurs and Fulham, rather than coming in from a lower league or as a young player in one of their first loan spells, which meant that supporters – and the club – may have expected him to hit the ground running in the Championship.
His debut suggested that that was going to be the case. The loanee started on his debut against Hull in August and registered an assist with a brilliant run and cross for Mateo Joseph in the 2-0 win.
Since then, however, Solomon has produced two goals and zero assists in 12 appearances in the second tier for Leeds, and both of those goals came in the 4-3 win over Swansea.
This means that the Spurs loanee has failed to provide a goal or an assist in 11 of his 13 appearances for the Whites since his move to Elland Road in the summer.
He has, to put it simply, not provided enough quality in the final third on a consistent basis and Leeds should consider sending him back to the Premier League side next month, as it could allow them to go and recruit a better option in that position.
In fact, the Whites have been linked with a potential move for a player who could come in and offer more than Solomon on the left flank in the second half of the season.
Leeds United linked with League One starlet
It was recently reported by TEAMtalk that Leeds United are one of a number of clubs in the race to sign Aston Villa forward Louie Barry next month.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The 21-year-old sensation is currently on loan with Stockport County in League One but the Villans are said to be weighing up their options with him ahead of the January window, as they feel that he could benefit from playing at a higher level than the third tier.
It was claimed that the Whites have joined the race to secure his signature and that they are keen to add him to their squad to help with his development over the coming months.
The outlet added that Villa have the option to recall him from his loan with Stockport in January and named Leeds and Middlesbrough as two of a number of Championship teams interested in landing his services.
This means that there could be fierce competition for Barry and that it will not be an easy deal for Farke’s side to get over the line when the January transfer window officially opens for business next month.
It is one that the German head coach should push the board to get done, though, as signing the Aston Villa youngster to bolster his squad could allow him to brutally bin Solomon ahead of the second half of the season.
Why Leeds should sign Louie Barry
Firstly, Leeds should sign Barry because he is a left-sided attacker who could provide the likes of Ramazani and Wilfried Gnonto with competition on the left flank, which would mean that Solomon is not needed.
That would, in theory, allow the Whites to send the Israel international back to Tottenham, if such a clause exits in the deal, after his underwhelming start to his loan spell with the club.
Leeds should also swoop for the 21-year-old star because he is a promising young talent who has been in terrific form in League One for Stockport so far this season.
The former England youth international, who scored 23 goals in 30 matches for Villa at youth level, has racked up 15 goals in all competitions for the third tier outfit.
This comes after the Villa youngster, whose composure was once hailed as “incredible” by Declan Rice, produced nine goals and four assists in 20 matches for Stockport on loan in League Two during the 2023/24 campaign.
Appearances
19
13
Goals
14
2
Big chances created
4
2
Assists
1
1
Dribbles completed per game
2.6
1.4
As you can see in the table above, Barry has caught the eye with a whopping 18 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just 19 League One appearances, whilst Solomon has only managed four in 13 Championship outings.
The Stockport loanee is a left winger who can dribble past opponents and cut inside onto his stronger right foot to cause havoc in the final third, which has resulted in plenty of big moments this season – as shown by his goalscoring output from the left flank.
Barry has yet to prove himself in the Championship but appears to be too good to be playing in the third tier and Leeds should offer him a chance to showcase his talent at a higher level, brutally binning Solomon in the process.
Leeds could sign a "ridiculous" ÂŁ5m star to be their next Archie Gray
Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the talented teenage sensation.
1 ByDan Emery Dec 9, 2024
Manchester United are set to take on another summer revamp this time for Ruben Amoirm as the Red Devils get ready to offload 10 players in the summer.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
INEOS want to clear house yet again this summerMan Utd to offload 10 players in the summer Casemiro, Rashford, Sancho, Antony on the listFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Minority co-owners INEOS undertook the task of cleaning house at Manchester United last summer as they looked to afford Erik ten Hag a squad of his liking by removing the Red Devils' deadweight and replacing them with the Dutchman's preferred players. However, that did not bear any fruit as Ten Hag was sacked just months into the start of the season and replaced by Sporting boss Amorim.
AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
As per Manchester Evening News, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are now set to offer Amorim the same kind of latitude as they did last summer to Ten Hag and offload almost 10 players in the summer. The sales and permanent offloading of players would allow the Red Devils to splurge large amounts of funds on incoming transfers for the players of Amorim's choice.
DID YOU KNOW?
As per the report, the players mentioned as potential departures are: Jonny Evans, Tom Heaton, Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Casemiro and Altay Bayindir. Meanwhile, the staff will also decide whether the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee, belong to the list of desired departures.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
Amorim knows that to entice his preferred players into moving to Manchester United, the club will first have to improve their performances on the field and at least get some sort of European football under their belt for next season, regardless of whether it comes from rising higher in the Premier League standings or winning the Europa League.
San Diego Padres stars show support at Snapdragon stadium as San Diego FC secure draw vs Crew
Machado hosts Padres teammates at Snapdragon StadiumFernando Tatis Jr. among Padres players in attendanceSan Diego FC earns 1-1 draw in home matchGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Manny Machado, a founding partner of San Diego FC, orchestrated a remarkable show of support by bringing nearly the entire San Diego Padres roster to the club's second home match at the Snapdragon Stadium against Columbus Crew Saturday.
The atmosphere was electric as the baseball stars showed their solidarity with the city's newest sports franchise. The MLB stars also met San Diego FC’s star Hirving Lozano and a few other SDFC players before the game, and were even cheered on the field, with the crowd showing their love for the Padres.
AdvertisementWHAT SAN DIEGO FC POSTEDTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The expansion San Diego FC played their second home match, with Maximilian Arfsten opening the scoring for Columbus in the 12th minute. Onni Valakari equalized for San Diego FC in the 68th minute with SDFC’s first home goal, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
The match was notable for being San Diego FC's second home game at Snapdragon Stadium, with the team maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
Following their unbeaten start to the 2025 MLS season, San Diego FC have moved up to second place on the Western Conference table behind the Vancouver Whitecaps, who have won all four games.
The expansion side go on the road next to face Austin FC before returning to the Snapdragon Stadium to host Los Angeles FC on March 24 and 30, respectively.
Liverpool find themselves in a promising position, heading into the wintry December period that, so often, clears the fog that shrouds any team’s destiny in a campaign.
To put that another way, Liverpool are five points clear at the top of the Premier League while also holding first place at the midpoint of the newly-shaped Champions League group phase. Arne Slot couldn’t have hoped for a brighter start, with that shock Anfield defeat against Nottingham Forest still the only blot on the copybook.
There’s a trek still to be made in 2024/25, but Liverpool have the quality and togetherness to challenge for the biggest prizes right to the finish line.
Optimism on that front is often tempered with reservation, for the Reds have been crushed between football’s two great millstones (Manchester City and Real Madrid) all too often in recent years.
Slot and FSG will be sure to recognise the position they have claimed, and though the squad is brimming with quality, the winter transfer window could present an opportunity to make one or two impactful signings. Here’s their dream lineup after January…
1 GK – Alisson Becker
Alisson Becker will still be the star man between the sticks, Caoimhin Kelleher his deputy, but whether the Brazilian is actually fit in January is another matter entirely.
In any case, he’s one of the best in the world, and though much is going on within the goalkeeping department at Anfield, the 30-year-old shouldn’t be going anywhere for a few years yet.
2 RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Unfortunately, Trent Alexander-Arnold may very much be headed somewhere next year – namely, the scorching Spanish capital. He’s out of contract next summer, Liverpool’s lifeblood, the city’s golden child.
The all-inspiring right-back is supposed to stay forever, emulate Steven Gerrard, assume the captaincy and herald the new Slot-led era toward illustrious success.
Football isn’t a perfect world, and this one’s future path is a nebulous thing. He’ll be part of Slot’s plans until the end of the season, though.
3 CB – Ibrahima Konate
Several Liverpool stars have really stepped up their game this season, but Ibrahima Konate might just take the cake. He’s been monstrous. The France international, so powerful, so mobile, so strong, is firmly on course for his finest season in Liverpool colours.
Matches (starts)
22 (17)
11 (10)
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
1
Clean sheets
5
5
Touches*
75.5
70.2
Pass completion
88%
91%
Key passes*
0.4
0.3
Ball recoveries*
4.4
2.9
Tackles + interceptions*
2.5
1.6
Clearances*
2.3
3.6
Total duels (won)*
6.0 (66%)
4.3 (76%)
Just look at the underlying data. Less defensive actions bespeak maturity and positional authority. He’s coming on leaps and bounds, perhaps even outperforming his partner…
4 CB – Virgil van Dijk
Like Trent, Virgil van Dijk’s contract expires at the end of the season. Widely recognised as one of the best centre-backs of his generation, the 33-year-old is still at the top of his game and will hopefully extend his trophy-filled stay on Merseyside.
5 LB – Antonee Robinson
One Rob’ out, another Rob’ in. Andy Robertson’s influence has waned over the past year, and Antonee Robinson could be the perfect replacement, with reports suggesting he is at the top of Liverpool’s shopping list.
Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley has hailed the ÂŁ40m-rated USMNT international as “one of the best left-backs in the world,” and with each passing performance, such lofty praise looks more justifiable.
6 DM – Martin Zubimendi
The one that got away. For now. Martin Zubimendi added Merseyside to the sizeable list of destinations that he has rejected in favour of remaining in his beloved Basque Country.
But Liverpool are persistent and present a compelling case besides. The Spain international, valued at ÂŁ50m, will surely wish to marry his elite-level skill set with a fitting club at some stage, hailed as one of “the best centre midfielders in the world” by his trophy-winning international boss Luis de la Fuente.
Of course, his arrival would knock another Liverpool midfielder’s playing time for six, and this may well prove to be Dominik Szoboszlai, whose energy and tenacity are all well and good, but are not sweetly matched by a potent streak befitting a roaming midfielder in a team like Liverpool.
7 CM – Ryan Gravenberch
Back in May, not many Reds supporters would have been all that devastated by Ryan Gravenberch’s sale, for he had failed to properly assert himself at Anfield after transferring from Bayern Munich for a ÂŁ34m.
He’s come on leaps and bounds, with a good claim to the Premier League’s best midfielder so far this season. He’s playing the role that was rolled out for Zubimendi, but the duo could actually cohabit in the middle of Slot’s park.
8 CM – Alexis Mac Allister
Perhaps not yet at his best this season, but Alexis Mac Allister is a midfielder whose quality transcends data charts etc etc. He’s as intelligent as they come, with crunching tackles and shrewd passes that provide Liverpool with something crucial.
Think of him as the flour in the cake, not the most flavoursome element but fundamental all the same. That said, though, the 25-year-old isn’t against a show-stopping moment.
9 RW – Mohamed Salah
Rinse and repeat the Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk quandaries. If that dreaded eventuality is realised, this one might sting the most.
Mohamed Salah is 32 but still one of the most incredible forwards that English football has ever seen. He’s posted ten goals and ten more assists across 17 appearances this season, with plenty more yet to come.
10 LW – Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz takes the spot on this list, but Cody Gakpo is just as important. The respective left wingers have been trying to outdo each other this season, though neither has had success in demoting their counterpart, for both have been brilliant.
This guy sure knows how to dismantle a defence. How funny, that so many Liverpool supporters were willing to cash in on him this summer. Sweet summer children that we were.
The fifth Ashes Test will be relocated away from Perth after Cricket Australia confirmed it could not be held in Western Australia due to border restrictions in place.There will also be no change in order of the Test matches – on Sunday the WA sports minister Tony Buti made a last-ditch bid for Perth to switch with Adelaide for the second Test – with the replacement venue to be confirmed in the coming days. Hobart is the narrow favourite behind having a second match at the MCG.It could be that there will now be two day-night matches in the series given that broadcasters will have lost the primetime-friendly west coast slot which allows Test cricket to broadcast in the evening in other major cities.A few weeks ago WA Cricket had been bullish about its chances of staging the Test with chief executive Christina Matthews putting it as a “97%” chance, but that receded quickly in recent days with the WA government insisting on 14 days quarantine for anyone associated with putting on the Test from outside the state including key broadcast personnel along with players’ families.”We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the WA Government, relevant agencies and Perth Stadium over recent months,” Nick Hockley, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said.”We are very disappointed that we are unable to stage the fifth men’s Ashes Test at Perth Stadium. We did everything we could in partnership with the WA Government and WA Cricket to make it work under the current border and health arrangements, but unfortunately this was not possible.”We are particularly disappointed for Western Australian cricket fans who were so looking forward to seeing the first ever Ashes Test at the new stadium.”Matthews put a figure of between three and five million dollars on the cost of losing the Test of which WA would hope to recover half through CA. She added the the difficulties of all the broadcast and production crew needed had only become apparent in the last two weeks but denied that had been an oversight.”And not just the broadcasters in Fox and Seven – there’s also Hawkeye, there’s Spidercam and there’s DRS that only have a certain specialist group of people who follow it all around the country,” Matthews said. “They can’t get here any earlier than the players. When they come to do their job, they’ve got to go in and out of the public areas.”So there’s things that can’t be kept away from the public and that wasn’t fully known until about 10 days ago. I don’t think we dropped the ball, but maybe we needed to dig a bit deeper into things Cricket Australia need to tell the government.”I’m really cranky about the fact it’s the second year in a row we’re missing a Test, but there’s really no one to blame which makes it really hard. It’s just circumstances.”There was never any chance of the late suggestion of a Test swap being possible and it was quickly shut down by the South Australian Cricket Association on Monday shortly before the CA announcement.Hobart remains a slight favourite to be the replacement venue ahead of Melbourne, with Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dominic Baker adamant the Tim Paine saga shouldn’t have an impact on any decision.Tasmania, which has not staged a Test since 2016, had been due to host the one-off Test between Australia and Afghanistan last monthBoth the NSW government and Cricket ACT have also stated their desire to host the match, at the SCG and Manuka Oval respectively, if requiredQueensland sports minister Stirling Hinchliffe on Monday threw the Gabba forward as an option to hold a second Test this summer.”We’d love to be able to see more content here at the Gabba,” Hinchcliffe said. “We’d obviously want to continue talking to Cricket Australia about making sure that we provide the best facilities for the great content.”Nick Hockley and I speak regularly and it’d be wonderful to play a part in making sure that the Ashes is the best series possible. We’ve got to see what the terms and what the arrangements will be and the circumstances. [We’re] happy to have that conversation.”WA is slated to host one other international this summer, with an ODI involving New Zealand on January 30. That series-opener would also likely be subject to biosecurity arrangements.It comes after the WACA was due to host the women’s Test between India and Australia in October before it was moved to Queensland. A one-off Test between Afghanistan and Australia was postponed last year due to Covid-19.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to get ahead of the rest as they make contact with a January transfer target, according to a new report.
It has been a frustrating campaign for Gary O’Neil’s side so far as their wait for a Premier League win continues, but securing a point at Brighton last weekend after being 2-0 down could be the springboard the club needs.
Wolves send scouts to watch ÂŁ20m midfielder as they eye January transfer
Wolves are keeping an eye on a player they are interested in signing in January.
1 ByBrett Worthington Oct 28, 2024 Wolves transfer news
Two points from nine games is a poor return for Wolves, and while they have done reasonably well going forward, their habit of conceding goals is letting them down massively. The Old Gold have so far conceded 25 goals in the Premier League, the most by any side.
Injuries haven’t helped O’Neil, as his backline is always being changed, so it was no surprise to see them being linked with a move for a defender. Wolves have sent scouts to watch young defender Nathan Zeze, as they look to sign the Nantes player in 2025. However, they are not the only side interested in the 19-year-old, as Aston Villa are also said to be keen.
As well as looking at adding in defence, O’Neil and Wolves are also keen on adding more firepower to their attack. The Midlands side have made Watford’s Giorgi Chakvetadze a top transfer target for January. Club scouts have taken in recent Watford games to watch the player, and he has now been “shortlisted” as a player to buy if they are able to do business in January. The Hornets could look to demand as much as £20 million for the midfielder, who only signed a five-year deal last month.
Given Wolves’ situation in the league, they are looking at ways of improving it, and they also have their eye on another forward-thinking player, this time someone from France.
Wolves now making early move to sign 21-goal attacker in January
According to Africa Foot, relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves have identified Toulouse winger Zakaria Aboukhlal as a target for January. The 24-year-old has been with the French side since July 2022, after he joined them from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
Aboukhlal started his career at Willem II, and after progressing through the age groups, he then moved to PSV’s under-19s in 2017. He progressed to their under-21s, and in 2019, AZ decided to snap him up, and he went on to play 90 times for them in all competitions.
The 24-year-old has now been impressing in France with Toulouse, and this report states that Wolves have “established contact in recent hours” in order to convince the attacker to move to England in January. It goes on to add that the Premier League side are working on trying to secure Aboukhlal on a loan deal with an option to buy, but as of yet there is no mention of any figures involved.
Apps
65
Goals
21
Assists
6
Talks between the parties have started, but it is not made clear whether that is Wolves and the player’s representatives, the two clubs or both. Either way, Wolves look to be keen to land the winger in January, who has scored 21 goals since joining the French side, taking his career tally for club and country to 36.
Pat Cummins had made having Steven Smith alongside him a vital part of his pitch for the Australian Test captaincy in what effectively became a joint ticket for the leadership.While the pair had been the favourites to take their respective roles after a dramatic week that likely saw the end of Tim Paine’s Test career, Cummins almost made it a non-negotiable that Smith would be his lieutenant, even as Australia enter an unknown era of having a fast bowler in charge.After the appointment, Cummins made it clear that he has no intention to rest himself from Tests – he may have to scale back his commitments in other formats – but Smith is now an injury away from captaining Australia again three-and-a-half years after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Even if not officially in charge, he is likely to have a much more active role than previous deputies.Related
Lyon endorses Cummins and Smith as 'two best candidates'
Paine working through 'deep challenges'
Paine out of Ashes after taking indefinite break
“I think there’s a couple of more unknowns about having a bowling captain and that’s why from the outset I was absolutely determined if I was captain to have someone like Steve as vice-captain next to me,” Cummins said. “I feel like I’ve got quite a lot of experience to draw on. A lot of the problems or potential issues around being a fast-bowling captain I’m sure we’ll be able to work through.”Obviously, it’s not our decision who is captain and vice-captain. I made it pretty clear that if I was given the captaincy that this is how I saw the team running and I tried to bring Steve along for that as well. He’s so central to how I see my captaincy style but [also] how I see the team functioning.”Smith admitted that his return to a leadership role may not be universally accepted. “I think there will be some negativity from some people about it,” he said. “I understand that and I get that. But for me, I know that I’ve grown a great deal over the last three or four years. I’m a more rounded individual and in turn I think it’s turned me into a better leader.”The pair are part of the group of Australian players still in quarantine on the Gold Coast after the T20 World Cup – something that Cummins suggested may have proved helpful during the recent upheaval – and they both discussed the direction they could take the team in before being interviewed by the CA panel earlier this week.Now that it is official, they will start to work on the finer points of the partnership ahead of the start of the Ashes on December 8, and Cummins indicated there may be occasions when he cedes to Smith in the field.”There’s going to be times where I’m out in the middle, it’s a hot day, I’m in the middle of a spell and I need to turn to people for advice, for tactics, for experience and that’s the main reason, one of the big reasons why I wanted Steve to be vice-captain,” Cummins said. “How that looks? I think it potentially could look differently to [how] you’ve seen partnerships work in the past. I think that will remain pretty fluid.”A 22-degree day might look differently to a 40-degree day. There will be times on the field where I’ll throw to Steve and you’ll see Steve move fielders around, maybe doing bowling changes, taking a bit more of an elevated vice-captaincy role and that’s what I really want.”That’s what I’ve asked and I’m really glad Steve is happy with that as well. We’ll nut out exactly how that works, but it’s going to be a real collaborative approach. Steve has got such huge strength especially around tactically out on the field.”For his part, Smith will go where his captain asks but hopes that his 34 Tests of experience at the helm can complement the new approach that Cummins will bring.”I’m completely guided by Patrick and whatever he needs on the field,” he said. “If there’s times when Patrick hands to me and wants me to take over and do some different things out on the field I’m there for that. My job is to support Patrick as much as I can.”
Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands international and former Essex captain, will retire from professional cricket at the end of 2021.South Africa-born all-rounder ten Doeschate, who turned 41 in June, joined Essex in 2003 after impressing Graham Gooch during a pre-season game in South Africa. He went on to make 554 appearances across all formats for the club over 19 seasons, scoring 17,046 runs and taking 348 wickets.He has played 33 ODIs and 22 T20Is for the Netherlands and was recently named in their 15-man squad for next month’s T20 World Cup. He was Netherlands’ second-highest scorer as they defended their title at the T20 World Cup qualifiers in 2019.”From the bottom of my heart I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved with Essex during my time at the Club,” ten Doeschate said.”Your profession shouldn’t define you as a person, and I realise that cricket is just a sport and that Essex is just one cog in the wheel of county cricket, but I’m not ashamed to say that for 19 summers Essex has been my purpose and focus. We have all had varying degrees of satisfaction and peaks and troughs in form but I always had the drive of giving my all for Essex.Related
Is there a place in T20 for 40-year-olds?
Ryan ten Doeschate, 41, makes Netherlands T20 World Cup squad
“Coming from Cape Town to be given a chance to pursue my dream seems a million moons ago. We’ve shared some remarkable times but for me, the biggest achievement has been making a home away from home. I have a collection of memories from Chelmsford to keep me happy long into retirement.”His first piece of silverware with Essex came in 2005, with the Eagles capturing the totesport League. The side successfully defended their title in 2006 and ten Doeschate was awarded his County Cap later that year. He also made the highest score of his career in 2006, an unbeaten 259 for the Netherlands against Canada in Pretoria at the ICC Intercontinental Cup.In 2008, ten Doeschate and Grant Flower saw the Eagles over the line in the Friends Provident Trophy Final at Lord’s and he was named the ICC Associate Player of the Year for the first time, winning the award again in 2010 and 2011.He joined Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2011 IPL, winning the 2012 and 2014 titles with them.After ten Doeschate was appointed Essex captain in 2016, the club earned promotion to the County Championship’s top tier by winning the Division Two title. The following season, they won their first County Championship title in 25 years and, two years later, the team achieved the feat once again under his stewardship in completing the Championship-Blast double.ten Doeschate stepped down as Essex skipper at the end of the 2019 season but continued to play and was instrumental in Essex claiming the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy in 2020.Tom Westley, the current club captain and ten Doeschate’s close friend, said: “It’s difficult to begin to put into words Tendo retiring. To know that he won’t be playing for Essex again is a sad day for the club.”I have always admired him, not only as a cricketer, who I believe has won more games for Essex than anyone else I have played with. It’s his values and qualities as a person, that means his name is alongside the greats of the club. He epitomises what it means to play for this great club, and his name deserves to be alongside the likes of Fletcher, Gooch, Bailey and Insole.”