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Everton are starting to make progress on transfers this summer and find themselves ready to put together a package for a solid performer who is now on their radar, according to reports.

Everton close to making first summer signing

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ashley Young were among high-profile departures at Everton this summer, but they are now close to making their first capture of the window.

Reports suggest Villarreal striker Thierno Barry is on his way to the Toffees for a fee in the region of £30 million, while Millwall forward Mihailo Ivanovic is another potential recruit if they can come to an agreement on a deal to sign the Serbia international.

Defensively, free agent Nicolas Tagliafico is in advanced talks to join Everton after leaving financially unstable former club Lyon at the end of last campaign, providing competition for Vitaly Mykolenko without David Moyes having to take a significant chunk out his budget.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has also claimed that Ipswich Town midfielder Omari Hutchinson could be interested in joining the Toffees after suffering relegation at Portman Road.

He stated: “Privately, the player would love the chance to return to the Premier League. Ipswich, on the other hand, will be hoping to keep hold of him because he’d be a key man for them next season, as they try and win promotion back to the Premier League.”

Gueye upgrade: Everton now preparing bid to sign £75k-p/w "monster"

Everton are interested in signing a Premier League mainstay in a bargain deal this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 5, 2025

Later, he added: “There will be Premier League clubs sitting up and taking notice of him, and we know that Everton are in the market for wingers.”

While it remains to be seen if Everton could sign Hutchinson, they are in the market for a goalkeeper from the EFL that could be on the move this summer.

Everton look to sign Sheffield United stopper Michael Cooper

According to reliable reporter Alan Nixon on Patreon, Everton are keen on Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper following his excellent displays for the Blades last term.

The Toffees are ready to pay £5 million plus add-ons to bring the 25-year-old to Merseyside. However, Ruben Selles wants a higher amount and the Exeter-born man is in no hurry to leave unless he has guarantees of first-team football elsewhere.

Michael Cooper’s excellent campaign for Sheffield United – all competitions
Appearances	46
Goals conceded	35
Clean sheets	23

Everton may gain an advantage given he has the same agent as Dwight McNeil and Jake O’Brien, who are also clients of Unique Sports Group alongside Cooper.

Jordan Pickford is the only senior goalkeeper on the books at Finch Farm amid Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia’s departures. Should they act to bring in a supplementary figure to the England international, someone with a 79.6% save percentage in England’s second-tier would be the profile you would want to acquire.

Moyes is beginning to make tracks as his side undergo a rebuild, and Cooper could fit the bill as a progressive signing under the guise of the Friedkin Group.

أعلن الإسباني روبرتو مارتينيز، المدير الفني لمنتخب البرتغال الأول لكرة القدم تشكيل لاعبيه لمواجهة أرمينيا، في إطار منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

ويستهل منتخب البرتغال مشواره في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لـ كأس العالم 2026 والتي ستقام بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك وكندا، بمواجهة أرمينيا خارج ملعبه.

ويقع منتخب البرتغال في المجموعة السادسة في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026 إلى جانب منتخبات المجر وأرمينيا وأيرلندا.

وكان المنتخب البرتغالي قد توج ببطولة دوري الأمم الأوروبية للمرة الثانية في تاريخه بعد الفوز على نظيره الإسباني بركلات الترجيح. تشكيل البرتغال اليوم أمام أرمينيا في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

في حراسة المرمى: ديوجو كوستا.

في خط الدفاع: جواو كانسيلو – جونزالو إيناسيو – روبن دياز – نونو مينديز.

في خط الوسط: جواو نيفيز – برونو فرنانديز – فيتينيا.

في خط الهجوم: جواو فيليكس – بيدرو نيتو – كريستيانو رونالدو.

O 𝗫𝗜 𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 para o jogo frente à Arménia 🦾#FazHistória | #ARMPOR #WCQ pic.twitter.com/U19m6EX78b — Portugal (@selecaoportugal) September 6, 2025

Manchester United have a reported interest in Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, who worked with Ruben Amorim in Portugal, but they look unlikely to win the race for his signature.

A recent report claimed that the Sweden international has decided that he would rather sign for the club’s Premier League rivals Arsenal instead of making a move to Old Trafford to reunite with his former boss.

The former Coventry star, who scored a staggering 52 goals in all competitions for Sporting in the 2024/25 season, is available for a fee of just over £61m, but it is the Gunners who seem to be in pole position to bring him over to England.

His incredible goal return in Portugal suggests that this news is a blow for Amorim and for Manchester United. However, the club are reportedly eyeing up a star who could be the manager’s next version of Gyokeres.

Man Utd battling to sign Spanish striker

The Premier League giants appear to be in the process of identifying alternative options in the number nine position, as the Swedish star looks to be headed elsewhere.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are one of a number of teams eyeing up a move to sign FC Porto’s Spanish striker Samu Aghehowa in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Chelsea are all also keen on doing a deal for the former Atletico Madrid centre-forward in the coming weeks.

It states that the Portuguese giants are looking for a fee of up to £63m for the 21-year-old marksman, with United and their Premier League rivals now set to battle it out for his signature.

Whilst they appear to be on the back foot with Gyokeres, the Red Devils should push to win this race to unearth Amorim’s next version of the Sporting superstar.

Why Samu could be Gyokeres 2.0 for Amorim

The Porto marksman is similar to the Swedish ace from a physical perspective, as he stands at 6 foot 4 and has the physicality to occupy and cause problems for defenders.

In fact, talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “monster” in the making due to his physicality and speed, which suggests that the forward could offer similar attributes to Gyokeres.

The Spain international’s performances in the Portuguese top-flight also suggest that he has the potential to be a prolific striker for United, albeit not as prolific as Gyokeres could be in the short-term.

Starts

23

31

xG

14.07

30.95

Goals

19

39

xG differential

+4.93

+8.05

Minutes per goal

119

72

Conversion rate

23%

28%

As you can see in the table above, Samu enjoyed a brilliant season with Porto, scoring 19 goals in 23 starts and outperforming his xG, yet still ended with 20 fewer goals than the Sporting number nine.

It is worth remembering, though, that the Spanish marksman is six years younger than Gyokeres and has plenty of time left ahead of him to hone his skills and improve his output as a scorer.

Samu, dubbed “outstanding” by journalist Josh Bunting, did also score six goals in nine matches in the Europa League, which shows that he can perform on the European stage.

Whilst he may not be the final, polished, product in comparison to the seasoned Gyokeres, the Porto star appears to have the physical and finishing attributes to develop into Amorim’s next version of the Swedish marksman, which is why he could be a shrewd signing for the club.

Twist: "Extraordinary" £60m+ star now plans to snub Man Utd to join Arsenal

The Gunners have received a boost in their pursuit of a forward, who Andrea Berta has already held talks to sign.

1 ByDominic Lund Jun 8, 2025

The transfer window is just around the corner, and as Mikel Arteta told the press just last month, it’s set to be a massive one for Arsenal.

The Gunners failed to get over the line in any competition this year, and while injuries have played their part, one of the team’s most significant problems, which most agree on, is their lack of a truly clinical striker.

So, it’s not been surprising then, that in recent weeks, the North Londoners have been heavily linked with several top-class number nines, perhaps none more than Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, who could be available for around £70m.

However, the club seem intent on revolutionising the entire attacking unit, and reports have now touted another superstar for a move to the Emirates, a star who’d be a dream teammate for the Swede.

Arsenal's attacking transfer targets

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other attacking talents who’ve been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Daizen Maeda and Jamie Gittens.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former has been enjoying a simply spectacular campaign north of the border with Celtic, in which he’s scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists in 48 games and best of all, he could be available for just £25m.

Gittens, on the other hand, could cost up to £51m, but as he’s still just 20 years old and has managed to rack up a stellar haul of 12 goals and five assists in 46 games for Borussia Dortmund this season, he looks like he’d be worth it.

However, to really get the most out of Gyokeres and take the club’s whole attack to another level, the Gunners will need to sign a true superstar, someone like Rodrygo.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of a few Premier League sides keen on the Real Madrid star.

Alongside the North Londoners, the report has revealed that Liverpool and Manchester City have contacted the player’s representatives and remain in contact today.

In terms of how much the winger might cost Arsenal, a report from earlier this week claimed that he could be available for around €100m, which is about £85m.

It would be an incredibly costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrygo’s immense ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be ideal for Gyokeres.

Why Rodrygo would be a dream for Gyokeres

So, to keep things simple, there is one primary reason why Rodrygo would be a dream teammate for Gyokeres, which all others stem from his output.

For the Swedish goal machine to make the most of his incredible finishing ability, he’s going to want to have someone as effective as Saka to the left of him, and that could be the Brazilian.

For example, in 50 appearances this term, the “world-class” attacker, as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has scored 13 goals and provided ten assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.17 games.

Rodrygo vs Martinelli vs Trossard
Players	Rodrygo	Martinelli	Trossard
Appearances	50	48	53
Minutes	3290′	3313′	3262′
Goals	13	9	10
Assists	10	6	8
Goal Involvements per Match	0.46	0.31	0.33
Minutes per Goal Involvement	143.04′	220.86′	181.22′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In comparison, Leandro Trossard has produced 18 goal involvements in 53 appearances, and Gabriel Martinelli has produced 15 in 48, which comes out to an average of one every 2.94 and 3.2 games, respectively.

Moreover, besides having far better raw output than the North Londoners’ current left-wing options, the 24-year-old has some seriously impressive underlying numbers to his name.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for carries into the final third, the top 2% for pass completion and passes blocked, the top 4% for progressive carrying distance, the top 9% for shot-creating actions from take-ons and more, all per 90.

Finally, despite his age, the Osasco-born dynamo has seen it all and won it all at club level, with two Champions League titles, three La Liga titles and a handful of other cups to his name, so while some of Arteta’s other options might struggle to step up on the biggest stages, it’ll just be another game to the Real star.

Ultimately, thanks to his brilliant output, impressive underlying numbers and the immense amount of experience he has at his age, Rodrygo would be a dream teammate for Gyokeres and Arsenal should do what they can to sign him.

Kai Havertz upgrade: Arsenal send scouts for "unpredictable" goal machine

The free-scoring forward could be just what Arsenal need.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 9, 2025

After a disappointing season, Manchester City are preparing to spend big in the summer.

Back in January, the Sky Blues spent a reported £180m, that’s more than all other 19 Premier League clubs combined, recruiting five players, namely Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico González, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah.

However, it appears as though this certainly won’t preclude the Citizens from spending big in the summer too.

So, does Pep Guardiola have his eye on a “world class” winger who some are labelling a potential Ballon d’Or contender?

Manchester City's first-choice winger target

According to reports in Spain, Manchester City have made Barcelona winger Raphinha their ‘priority target’ this summer, with Guardiola identifying him as their ‘ideal solution’ on the left-wing, while Chelsea and Al-Hilal are also interested.

The Brazilian, who joined Barça from Leeds United for £49m in July 2022, has been absolutely on fire this season, scoring 30 goals and registering 22 assists across all competitions.

In the Champions League specifically, the 28-year-old has equalled Lionel Messi’s tournament record for most goal involvements in a single season, requiring one more against Internazionale, or perhaps in the final itself, to surpass it.

This form has not gone unnoticed, with analyst Ben Mattinson labelling Raphinha a “world-class player”, while Julia Ranney of the Athletic notes that he is amongst the ‘top contenders’ to win the Ballon d’Or, actually currently the bookies’ favourite to do so.

So, he certainly will not come cheap but, given Barça’s ongoing, well-documented financial issues, perhaps a huge offer could tempt them to cash in.

Jack Grealish's Manchester City future

Guardiola is expected to oversee a major squad overhaul this summer; Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker are already confirmed departures, but many more are expected to follow, with Jack Grealish amongst those in the shop window.

This is the England international’s fourth season in Manchester and has been his least productive, as the table below outlines.

Jack Grealish season-by-season statistics
Statistics	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25
Appearances	39	50	36	30
Minutes	2,730	3,487	2,114	1,449
Goals	6	5	3	3
Minutes per goal	455	697	705	483
Assists	4	11	3	5
Starts	31	41	26	15
% of matches unused	33%	18%	39%	41%
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Grealish has endured a second successive miserable season at the Etihad, a key cog in the machine during the treble-winning campaign, but very much a peripheral figure more recently.

Earlier this season, Grealish went 392 days without a club goal in any competition, ending this barren streak by converting a spot-kick during an 8-0 demolition of Salford, an unused substitute for Manchester City’s last two Premier League matches, as well as nine of the last 15 fixtures he has been available for.

Richard Jolly of the Independent believes Grealish has gone from being ‘one of the most exciting attacking players in world football’ to now a player ‘who is neither exciting nor attacking’, hence why he is widely expected to be moved on this summer.

So, it probably goes without saying that Raphinha would be a major upgrade on the left wing, but let’s lay out the numbers to emphasise this assertion.

Jack Grealish vs Raphinha 2024/25 comparison
Statistics	Grealish	Raphinha
Appearances	30	49
Minutes	1,449	3,952
Goals	3	30
Assists	5	23
Goals – xG	+0.1	+5.2
Shots	31	161
Shots on target %	32.3%	39.1%
Take-on success %	37.8%	48.1%
Progressive carries	92	125
Shot-creating actions	65	212
Goals-creating actions	3	32
Touches per 90	38	51
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

Unsurprisingly, Raphinha – who Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley described as “Europe’s best player in 2024/25” – comes out on top for every single metric we could find when compared to Grealish this season.

Thus, if the Sky Blues were able to lure the Brazilian back to England, it would be a major coup, and could be the statement signing they require to reinstate themselves as title favourites again.

Imagine him & Doku: Man City chasing one of the world's "most talented LBs"

Manchester City are seeking to sign “one of the most talented left-backs in world football”, who could form a brilliant partnership with Jérémy Doku.

By
Ben Gray

Apr 24, 2025

Leeds United have received approaches from a number of clubs to sell a player who Daniel Farke called “outstanding” last month.

Players who could leave Leeds if they win promotion

The Whites are in a strong position to get the job done and win promotion from the Championship to the Premier League over the coming weeks.

Farke’s side are five points clear of third-place Sheffield United heading into the Easter weekend, knowing a maximum of seven points from their next three games will get the job done.

Should Leeds go up, a number of players from the current squad could be on the way out of the Eland Road door. Goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who has recently been dropped for Karl Darlow, may well be one to exit.

Meanwhile, Leeds are also unsure of Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford’s ability to make the step-up to the top flight, with the former failing to score in his last eight and Bamford’s injury history in recent years telling.

Piroe upgrade: Leeds in contact over “superstar" who was once worth £100m

Leeds United will hope they can win this excellent attacker’s services very soon.

1 ByKelan Sarson Apr 16, 2025

Left-back Junior Firpo is also out of contract at the end of the season, as is fellow full-back Sam Byram. Now, another player has been linked with a move away from Yorkshire, however, he is looking to remain at Leeds.

Leeds receive approaches to sell £15k-a-week star Ilia Gruev

According to a report from TEAMtalk, a number of clubs have approached Leeds over a move to sign Ilia Gruev this summer.

The 24-year-old is being eyed up by several sides, however, it is added that the midfielder is happy at Elland Road and is looking to stay, should the Whites win promotion.

The report says that ‘Gruev is very comfortable at Leeds and believes in the project they have embarked upon’ and ‘wants to prove himself’ in the Premier League.

Currently on £15,000-a-week in Yorkshire, the Bulgaria international has missed parts of the season with a serious knee injury but has regularly been trusted by Farke, especially in away games. Farke actually hailed Gruev just last month, calling him “outstanding” for most of 2024 until his injury.

“Ilia Gruev, since he came into our line up more or less in January ’24 I would say, probably until his big injury, he was our most consistent player. He was outstanding for us, defensive-wise offensive- wise, controlled our game.

“Then he sacrificed his body. I think it was away at Norwich. Got a tackle against him. He was out for everyone said more than four months. He worked so hard and his socks off in his rehab more or less three and a half months in order to come back as quick as possible.

Games

56

Goals

1

Assists

3

Yellow cards

10

Minutes played

3,708

“Everyone was moaning when he was out about our away form, we don’t win away games anymore. Ilia Gruev, after being out for three and a half months, we brought him back, Burnley, away, clean sheet. Watford away, clean sheet, win, Coventry away, clean sheet, win.

“Yes, right now, after all his rhythm is a bit away after he was out, after he was back, after being out for three and a half months, he had one or two poorer performances in the starting lineup away at Sheffield and against Sunderland, but we still managed to win both games when he was in the starting line up and everyone is like complaining a little bit about him.”

Gruev’s future could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, especially with Leeds being linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Julian Weigl in recent days.

Special talents need additional resources to get the most out of them

Ian Bishop19-Apr-2024Everybody agrees that Mayank Yadav is a special talent. It’s very rare to have someone who can consistently bowl around 145kph and go up to the mid-150s. Mayank’s got something that you can’t buy: pace and control.But he also has an injury history, and in this he is not unique. We have seen a number of Indian fast-bowling talents break down. Rohit Sharma, I remember, had expressed his frustration about bowlers picking up injuries frequently.Mayank’s body needs management and it needs great strengthening. How do we ensure his talent gets the chance to blossom fully?Related

Injured Mayank all but out of IPL 2024

Mayank Yadav 'pretty close' to return, says LSG assistant coach Sriram

Mayank to have workload managed as he recovers from injury

Maxwell on Mayank: You don't often see someone of his pace

When Mayank hushed the Chinnaswamy

I am a big American sports fan and I particularly follow the NBA, where the top players (or their teams) invest in themselves to the tune of millions of dollars in terms of having support staff and systems. Tennis players, too, do the same. I believe it is time for cricket to go that way – for the top franchises and national teams to preserve special talents like Mayank and support their growth.Pat Cummins is a very good example of someone who came in as a teenager and found that the stresses of the game were too much for his particular technique and his body. He had to come out, rehabilitate, make himself different technically, and return a few years later. And as we’ve found out, Cummins has managed to build an exceptional career, where he has developed into one of the best fast bowlers and captains.It would be a good idea for Mayank at the start of his career to have the inputs Cummins found he required. Whether it’s Lucknow Super Giants, Mayank’s IPL team, or the BCCI, they can undertake a project – not an experiment, mind you – to say, “This guy is a diamond. Let us see if we can allocate some sort of funding and see where this goes.”Give him a personal strength-and-conditioning trainer for, say, a year. Attach that person to him, not just have the player fly somewhere every six weeks for those resources. Maybe have another medical person on the panel as well. And perhaps a dietician too. Build him up.

You don’t have to tell a guy what to do right. But I can tell a guy what to do because I have made the same mistake. I can tell him what to do to avoid that. We don’t have to leave a lot of these things up to players finding out through trial and error

Mayank will still be playing cricket through this, to be clear; just that this person is attached to him. See how that pans out after a year. You have the resources for an effort like this.Whether in the future Mayank plays a lot of red-ball cricket, whether he plays all formats, or whether you keep him as a white-ball option you will be able to know after a year or two. So it is a worthwhile project, not only for India and LSG, but for the world game. This young kid, who is 21 now, by the time he’s 23 or 24, when his body has matured, he can give you almost a decade of excellent fast bowling. That’s one thing I’d like to see happen.Alongside the physical development, it is also imperative that young fast bowlers like Mayank get to hear the right voices. I came through at a time when the great Malcolm Marshall was around. While I thought Marshall was one of the greatest tactical fast bowlers that I interacted with, I could only talk with him when we were on the field together or when we were in the dressing room together. Had I been able to access his insights more often, and while I was younger, it would have expedited my learning curve. I have no doubt about that.So I get a little frustrated that icons like, say, Jasprit Bumrah, are not made to interact frequently with young fast men. When we hear Bumrah speak, we know that he understands the game. He’s clear in his thinking and he’s a great communicator. For the next generation, the Under-19 guys, and even for those who are playing alongside him, you could organise some formal Zoom meetings and have him share his wisdom with them. Bumrah doesn’t have to fly everywhere; just utilise technology.Let him talk through formal bowling plans, preparation, what he would do in certain situations. Let him talk through variations in pace and lengths, and how he sees the game. Expedite that learning curve. It doesn’t have to be something that happens every month – half-yearly or quarter-yearly should work.Jasprit Bumrah is too good a cricket brain to not be taking lessons from•Getty ImagesMS Dhoni is a similar example. Excellent captain. If you want to bring in your next generation of leaders, why not tap into his expertise? I’m not saying that these two gentlemen are the only people to talk to, but you get the drift.I picked up something always from talking to Wasim Akram when Derbyshire played Lancashire at Old Trafford. I picked up a lot from Marshall, as I said. Michael Holding, when I met him briefly early in my career, gave me something that I had to sift through and that I could hold on to. You can give players a lot of inputs without overloading them with too many different opinions. This is like a university of fast bowling. Why not formalise it?Kartik Tyagi might run into Bumrah after an IPL match and he might stand and talk to him for five minutes. We could do more than that. I thought Tyagi was someone who could have pushed on, but he has had injuries.You don’t have to tell a guy what to do right. But I can tell a guy what to do because I have made the same mistake. I can tell him what to do to avoid that. We don’t have to leave a lot of these things up to players finding out through trial and error.Let us not only leave these things to playing a lot of first-class cricket and learning as you go, but let us supplement it from the outside as well. Let them play, but also let us help them with knowledge. It is time to start being a little bit more precise and determined in our development of players, especially if you have the resources for it.

Test your knowledge and memory as the India batter becomes the second cricketer to play 100 internationals in all three formats

Sreshth Shah28-Aug-2022

The story of a player who was very nearly lost to Pakistan cricket, only to make a stirring comeback

Umar Farooq21-Feb-2020Where did he come from?
Akhtar was born in Haripur, a district in the Hazara divison of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, in the northern part of Pakistan. But he isn’t a , as most locals there are. He speaks Hindko and grew up around the Khanpur Dam and Wah Cantonment area, an hour’s drive from Islamabad.The most popular cricketer from this region was Arshad ur Rehman (popularly known as Arshad ), but he had to settle for playing in grade two for all of his 20-year career. Akhtar, too, could have been lost in the same way. He was in his early 20s when he picked up hard-ball cricket, but with lack of opportunities, he had been stuck playing district-level tournaments until Lahore Qalandars him at age 30.How did he get into competitive cricket?
Akhtar was 24 when he made his debut for Haripur in the PCB’s inter-district senior tournament. That was in 2010. He marked the occasion with an explosive hundred, an early sign that he would end up as his team’s leading run-getter – 307 runs in five games at 51.17. On that form, he might have expected a ticket to the 2011 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with Abbottabad, but it never happened. And then the runs dried up. He did get a shot at first-class cricket, though, but perhaps after he was past his prime.Why did it take so long for him to make the grade?
Akhtar was a victim of inter-district politics. While every district had due representation at the top level in the domestic circuit, players from the ones with stronger lobbies found it easier to break through. As a result, his senior career was restricted to 12 just first-class matches, between 2013 and 2017.With Abbottabad Falcons relegated from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy after finishing bottom in 2014, Akhtar returned to playing in grade two for a private confectionary maker, Candyland, and also for his home district. Finally, after playing for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) team in 2017, he gave up on his first-class dreams and took up a clerk’s job in Pakistan’s atomic energy department.What made him come back?
Well, T20 cricket. He chose to stay active in the shortest format and has been especially productive over the last three years. Between 2017 and 2018, he scored 303 runs for FATA at 33.66 with a strike rate of 126.25. It was around this time that the Qalandars’ player development programme was gaining recognition and PCB coach Ayyaz Akbar Yousafzi recommended his name to Aaqib Javed.Akhtar didn’t make much headway on his first try – actually he wasn’t even given one, largely because he was seen as overweight – but then Fakhar Zaman requested the Qalandars management to reconsider and at least let him play in the trials. Once there, Akhtar put on such a show that he eclipsed Umar Akmal with his big-hitting and was soon admitted into the Qalandars’ ranks.Okay, but how did he become their captain?
Qalandars have long struggled to make a mark in the PSL, never getting past the group stage and often finishing last. In their search for new leaders, they turned to one of their more solid performers, Akhtar, who had taken to the role of middle-order power-hitter quite well over the last two seasons, scoring 556 runs at a solid average of 37.06 and a healthy strike rate. Under his captaincy, the team won the 2018 Abu Dhabi T20 trophy.While one random title win does not herald a new era, the manner in which Akhtar achieved it impressed the Qalandars staff. His hundred in the opening game was a watershed moment. Watching him steer a chase of 184 against Yorkshire gave the management all the confidence they needed to put him in charge for the upcoming PSL season. It helped, as well, that Akhtar emerged as the Qalandars’ highest run-getter in the Abu Dhabi competition, suggesting that he enjoyed the extra responsibility.

انتقدت قناة ريال مدريد، حكم مباراة الفريق أمام سيلتا فيجو، بعد الهزيمة مساء الأحد ببطولة الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وتعرض ريال مدريد للهزيمة بهدفين دون رد أمام سيلتا فيجو، وتلقى فريق تشابي ألونسو، ثلاث بطاقات حمراء، اثنتان خلال اللقاء لفران جونزاليس وألفارو كاريراس، وأخرى لإندريك على مقاعد البدلاء.

وعاد تلفزيون ريال مدريد ليوجه سهامه مجددًا إلى الأداء التحكيمي، وقال: “رغم أن قرارات كوينتيرو جونزاليس لم تكن مؤثرة بشكل مباشر في نتيجة اللقاء، فإن ما قدمه كان مخيبًا ومؤسفًا، لقد ترشّح، كما كان يحدث في عهد نيجريرا، لنيل الجوائز التي يستحقها، سواء بأن يصبح حكمًا دوليًا أو بإدارة أهم المباريات على المستوى الوطني”.

وأضاف: “حتى هو نفسه لا يعرف ماذا يحتسب، إنه من الحكام الجدد، لكنه… سيئ، ولنقل ذلك مؤقتًا فقط، ما يقدمه الحكم أمرًا فادحًا، وفوضويًا للغاية، هو جديد، لكن يبدو أنه تلقى التعليمات جيدًا”.

وخلال بث المباراة انتقدوا قرارات التحكيم فيما يتعلق بإضاعة الوقت، قائلين: “لم يطبّق المعيار نفسه على الطرفين، وكان متساهلًا جدًا مع تضييع الوقت من جانب سيلتا فيجو، قاعدة الثماني ثوانٍ أصبحت مهزلة، إنها صفعة على وجه المشجعين واللاعبين والجميع”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماركا تكشف كواليس الفوضى أمام سيلتا فيجو.. فينيسيوس يتنبأ بقرار الحكم وطرد ثالث في ريال مدريد

وتواصلت التعليقات طوال المباراة: “سيلتا يجيد إضاعة الوقت، لكن حكم دوري نيجريرا، وهو سيء للغاية، يجب أن يمنع ذلك، نتوقع أي شيء من دوري نيجريرا، وتفاصيل نيجريرا”.

وتتابعت التعليقات: “هذا ليس يومًا نتحدث فيه عن ركلات الجزاء أو التسلل، لقد كان يومًا مليئًا بالبطاقات الصفراء وإضاعة الوقت؛ كل ذلك يُرهقك، ليس هذا سبب الهزيمة، لكن التحكيم لم يُفاجئنا، لأنه كان أداءً مؤسفًا آخر في مباراة سيئة للفريق”.

كانت هناك أيضًا شكوى بشأن طرد فران حارسيا لتراكم البطاقات الصفراء: “لم يُظهر البث المباشر تدخل فران حارسيا بالتفصيل من أفضل زاوية، لذلك لم نتمكن من تحديد ما إذا كانتا مخالفتين”.

وفيما يتعلق بالبطاقة الحمراء الثانية، التي شُهرت لـ كاريراس، قالوا: “شيء مذهل مدى سرعة مهاجمته لكاريراس عندما وُجه إليه اللوم، من السهل جدًا مهاجمة لاعب واحد وغض الطرف عن الآخرين، كانت هناك احتجاجات طوال المباراة، احتج سيلتا، واحتج جيرالديز؛ اللقطات موجودة، حتى لو لم تُعرض”.

وفي الختام، جاء ذكر فران سوتو، الرئيس الحالي للجنة الحكام: “هذا ليس تحكيمًا يليق بدوري يدّعي أنه من بين الأفضل في العالم، أريد أن أرى ماذا سيقول فران سوتو، وماذا سيُقال في برنامج (زمن المراجعة)، إن كانوا سيعرضون اللقطات أصلًا”.