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Southampton have entered talks over a deal for a “physically strong striker”, with negotiations now underway, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Saints keen on new forward amid Dibling uncertainty

The emergence of Tyler Dibling was one of the only positives for the Saints last season, in what was a very disappointing Premier League campaign, but there is a great deal of uncertainty over the academy graduate’s future.

Will Still has now dropped a new update on the youngster’s future, with the manager admitting he doesn’t know whether the teenager will remain at St. Mary’s beyond the September 1st deadline.

Still said: “I want good players and if Ty is here (Tyler Dibling) and Matty is here by the end of it then great, if they’re not, we will work out a way of winning games without them and wish them the best but I have no idea where that’s going right now.”

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The Saints could be about to land an exciting talent.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 15, 2025

Should Dibling depart, Still may be keen to bring in at least one new attacker, and a preliminary contract has been offered to Krasnodar’s Eduard Spertsyan, while talks have also been opened over a deal for West Bromwich Albion star Tom Fellows.

Another forward has now entered the frame as a target for the Saints, and he’s a player Still knows very well, with Romano taking to X to reveal that Southampton have now opened talks over a deal for Lens’ Morgan Guilavogui.

The Saints’ negotiations to sign the forward are now “underway”, but they are yet to strike an agreement with Lens regarding a transfer fee.

The French club reportedly shelled out €4.5m (£4m) to re-sign their former player earlier this summer, however, which indicates a deal may not break the bank.

Guilavogui would be versatile attacking option for Still

Still should have a good knowledge of the Lens forward’s abilities, with the Saints boss spending time working with him during his stint at the French club, and he would be a versatile addition to the forward line.

The 27-year-old is capable of playing on both wings, suggesting he could be brought in as a direct replacement for Dibling, while the France born attacker has also been praised for his ability through the middle.

St Pauli manager Alexander Blessin said: “Morgan is a physically strong striker who is very active and direct and constantly making runs in deep. He can make chances for himself by taking defenders on and also creates good opportunities for his teammates.”

“Equally important for our game, however, is the fact that Morgan transitions quickly and works very hard defensively.”

Having scored 54 career goals at club level, including six in the Bundesliga last season, Guilavogui clearly has a keen eye for goal, and the former St Pauli man has the talent to play a major role in the Saints’ promotion push.

Club

Appearances

Goals

Paris FC

87

32

SC Toulon

56

13

Lens

29

2

St Pauli

27

7

Arsenal’s £64 million ($74m) man Viktor Gyokeres gave supporters a scare after a brutal collision with team-mate Gabriel left him bloodied and bandaged during their Champions League clash with Athletic Club. The pair went for the same aerial ball in the box and Gabriel made forceful contact with the back of the striker's head. The Swede crumpled to the turf as blood gushed from the injury, requiring lengthy treatment.

Getty Images SportNasty head clash rocks Arsenal

The sight of the Gunners’ marquee striker sprawled out with blood streaming from his scalp was cause for conern. Medical staff raced on, surrounding the 26-year-old while Gabriel stood over him, visibly shaken. The wound, a nasty-looking gash on his head, needed urgent treatment. A lengthy pause followed, stretching to almost four minutes, as Gyokeres was patched up on the pitch before being escorted to the sidelines.

AdvertisementGyokeres bandaged up

The new signing was, however, able to continue despite the significant knock. He returned to the field with a black bandage wrapped tightly around his head for protection.

Getty Images SportQuiet night before injury scare

Up until the sickening clash, Gyokeres had struggled to stamp his authority on the contest. Just six touches and three completed passes in the opening half-hour left the striker on the fringes of the action. He did carve out a half-chance, spinning inside the box and forcing a straightforward save from Athletic’s goalkeeper.

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On the search for more goals

Gyokeres, who rattled in six Champions League strikes last season for Sporting, has arrived at Arsenal with a reputation for delivering under the European lights. Domestically, he has already opened his Premier League account with three goals in four games, but the expectation in north London is for him to transfer that scoring touch onto the biggest stage. His determination to play on despite a head wound will only endear him further to the Emirates faithful.

أعلن الهولندي آرني سلوت، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول تشكيل فريقه لمباراة كريستال بالاس ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.

ويواجه الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول نظيره كريستال بالاس، عصر اليوم، السبت، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرلج”.

ويستضيف ملعب “سيلهرست بارك” معقل فريق كريستال بالاس المباراة المثيرة والقوية في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

وحقق ليفربول الفوز في الـ 5 جولات السابقة جعلته متصدرًا جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 15 نقطة وبفارق 5 نقاط على وصيفه آرسنال والذي جمع 10 نقاط. تشكيل ليفربول أمام كريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي

في حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

في خط الدفاع: برادلي – فيرجيل فان دايك – إبراهيما كوناتي – ميلوس كيركيز.

في خط الوسط: ريان جرافنبيرخ – ماك أليستر – دومينيك سوبوسلاي.

في خط الهجوم: فلوريان فيرتز – ألكسندر إيزاك – محمد صلاح.

How we line up against Crystal Palace ✊ #CRYLIV — Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 27, 2025

Big picture: Can Bangladesh achieve another first?

It is time for India to dust the cobwebs off their whites as a long Test season beckons. Having not played a Test match in more than six months, they will now play ten in the next three-and-a-half, starting with Bangladesh’s visit for a two-match series.It is no secret that India is one of the toughest destinations for any team, and Bangladesh have no reluctance to admit the same. They have played three Tests in India and faced heavy defeats each time. In fact, India are one of only two teams Bangladesh are yet to win a Test against in 13 attempts. In the last ten years, India have lost only four Tests at home and haven’t lost a series here in close to 12.On paper, India can feel bullish about their chances of toppling Bangladesh when the first of the two Tests begins in Chennai on September 19. But this is a Bangladesh team that prides itself in achieving firsts.Related

• Tearaway Rana, captain Shanto among Bangladesh players to watch

• Hathurusinghe: This is the most well-rounded Bangladesh team in my time

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• Gambhir: Having Bumrah in the team 'really an honour'

In early 2022, they beat New Zealand for the first time in a Test match. Then only last month, they beat Pakistan for the first time in a Test, and beat them again to seal their first away series win in more than three years. Bangladesh have traditionally not been great travellers. They have only achieved eight overseas Test wins in 67 attempts, but it is worth noting that four of them have come since 2021.That’s not to say India don’t start as overwhelming favourites. They sit pretty at the top of the World Test Championship [WTC] points table with a percentage of 68.52, and in the form they are in should make it to their third final next year. But they are coming off a bit of a break from the format, and have players in their top order who have been out of Test action for even longer. Virat Kohli last played a red-ball game in the first week of January. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are also making Test comebacks.India’s batters have in recent times shown vulnerability against quality spinners, and in Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam, Bangladesh have three who can run through a batting line-up on their day.Bangladesh are coming into this series on an absolute high and, with India potentially rusty, will hope to catch them off guard.

Form guide

India: WWWWL
Bangladesh: WWLLLRishabh Pant will make a return to Test cricket after 629 days•PTI

In the spotlight: Rishabh Pant and Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Since his car accident in December 2022, Rishabh Pant has made a comeback in the IPL, T20Is, and ODIs. Now nearly two years later, a Test comeback beckons. It is a format Pant has excelled in; he has an average close to 44, a strike of 70-plus, with 11 fifties and five centuries. In his absence, Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat, Rahul and Dhruv Jurel have all donned the wicketkeeping gloves, but now that Pant is back, he’s set to take back his place behind the stumps. He proved his fitness in the opening Duleep Trophy encounter in Bengaluru, where he kept for 125.4 overs across the two innings. Ahead of a busy season, Pant might want to get his Test motor running nice and early.In a press conference on Tuesday, Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe reckoned Mehidy Hasan Miraz was “ready to take over whenever Shakib moves out”. Recent numbers suggest he is well on course. In the current WTC cycle, no Bangladesh player has scored more runs than Mehidy (380 in ten innings) or taken more wickets (23 in six Tests). He was a key contributor with both bat and ball in Bangladesh’s series win in Pakistan and on a Chennai track which is likely to aid spin, particularly later in the game, Mehidy has a chance to further enhance his Test credentials.Kuldeep Yadav is likely to get the nod ahead of Axar Patel if India play three spinners•Associated Press

Team news: Will India go with three spinners?

India have largely tended to play three spinners and two quicks in their home Tests, but they could be tempted to play three quicks against Bangladesh – as they did in both Tests in the 2019-20 series – on a red-soil Chepauk pitch that promises bounce and carry. Spin, though, is expected to play a major role as the pitch bakes under the Chennai sun, so three spinners seems the likelier option. In this case, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will lead the fast bowling unit, with R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the three spinners.Additionally, KL Rahul is in line to come back into the Test fold for the first time since a quadriceps injury cut short his series against England earlier this year. He will likely replace Sarfaraz Khan in the middle order. Meanwhile, Pant is also likely to slot back into the wicketkeeper role in place of Dhruv Jurel, who played the last three Tests against England.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 KL Rahul, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.Bangladesh are unlikely to make too many tweaks to their winning playing XI from the second Test in Pakistan last month. They may also look to play three spinners. Bangladesh fielded Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana as their three quicks in the second Test in Rawalpindi, and the pace trio picked up 14 of the 20 wickets they took, including all ten in the second innings. But in Chennai, they could think about bringing Taijul into the mix alongside Shakib and Mehidy.Shakib arrived in Chennai late on Tuesday night after playing a game for Surrey in the County Championship.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Nahid Rana/Taijul Islam.

Pitch and conditions: Expect the Chennai heat to play a part

The Chennai pitch for the opening Test will be a red-soil one and while there could be considerable bounce and carry for both the quicks and spinners, the surface is likely to break under the searing Chennai heat. This will mean the spinners should come into play as the Test goes on. There is an excessive heat warning in Chennai at the moment, with temperatures likely to be in the mid to high 30s (Celsius) range.

Stats and trivia

• India are on a streak of 17 unbeaten home Test series, which dates back to November 2012
• Jasprit Bumrah is the highest wicket-taker for India in Tests in 2024: 27 in five games at 15.07
• With 1028 runs in just nine Tests, Yashasvi Jaiswal is second on the list of top run-getters in the current WTC cycle. His average of 68.53 puts him second behind Kamindu Mendis among the top ten names on this list.
• Pant averages 77.16 against spinners in Tests in India and strikes at 100.87.
• Mushfiqur Rahim averages 55.16 in Tests in India.

Quotes

“Bangladesh has got some really quality cricketers. Shakib has got the experience. Mushfiqur has got the experience. You’ve got a very good bowling attack as well. Mehidy is there as well. So we know that there is talent in Bangladesh. But the important thing is that we need to be switched on from ball one. And that is what the expectations from all of us are in that dressing room.”
“We played very good cricket against Pakistan, [but] that is past. It gives us a lot of confidence, but we are here to play a new series and the dressing room believes we can play very good cricket. We are not thinking about the outcome, just want to follow the processes.”

Rangers are almost back in action and it’s a particularly exciting time for the new man in the Ibrox dug-out Russell Martin.

He will take charge of the Gers for the very first time in a pre-season friendly on Sunday, with last season’s Belgian Pro League runners-up in town, and a fair few players could be debuting in light blue.

Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell and Emmanuel Fernandez have all arrived in Govan so far this summer, but could the biggest name of the lot be on his way to Glasgow’s West End soon?

The latest on Rangers' striker search

It appears as though all three Rangers players who scored more than six goals across all competitions last season could depart.

Transfer Focus

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

Václav Černý won’t be back, he has returned to Wolfsburg following his loan, while Cyriel Dessers is seemingly on his way to AEK Athens, if the two clubs can agree a fee, with Rangers holding out for £5m, as relayed by The National.

The biggest departure of them all though, could be Hamza Igamane, who is reportedly being targeted by Ligue 1 side Lille, in a deal which could be worth as much as £20m, thereby becoming Rangers’ all-time record sale.

Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times claims that les Dogues have put their interest in the Moroccan striker ‘on hold’, but it does appear more likely than not that Igamane will be sold this summer, either ending up at Stade Pierre-Mauroy or elsewhere.

So, as Martin searches for attacking reinforcements, Mark Pirie of the Daily Record has reiterated Rangers’ interest in Jamie Vardy, stating that the Glasgow giants remain ‘keen’ on a move, citing the Daily Mail.

Meantime, Mike McGrath of the Telegraph has previously documented that, wherever he goes, Vardy wants to be a ‘regular starter’ and, well, given Rangers’ need for a centre-forward right now, with a Champions League tie against Panathinaikos less than three weeks away, the veteran would surely be guaranteed game time from the jump.

How Jamie Vardy would improve Rangers

Despite the fact he is now 38 years old, Vardy still scored ten goals last season, made all the more impressive by the fact he was playing for a generally hopeless Leicester City side, who were relegated from the Premier League.

By netting against Bournemouth in May, Vardy took his tally to 200 goals in 500 appearances for Leicester, which is very pleasing for fans of symmetry. In total, the veteran has scored 237 club career goals at professional level, ahead of what free-scoring Rangers skipper James Tavernier (138 career goals) has achieved to date.

His most recent manager at the Foxes, Ruud van Nistelrooy, labelled him a “living legend”, while Rob Tanner of the Athletic believes he is, unquestionably, Leicester’s greatest-ever player.

So, let’s assess how his statistics compare to Igamane, a player 16 years his junior, but one he could soon be replacing.

As the table outlines, Igamane did score six more goals than Vardy last season, while the Moroccan came out on top when it came to shots, shots on target and touches per 90, which all makes sense when you think about it.

Igamane was playing for a dominant team in, according to Global Football Rankings, the 43rd strongest league on the planet.

In complete contrast, Vardy was plying his trade for one of the worst teams in the Premier League, so was very much feeding off scraps, underlined by his miserly 20 touches per 90, making his tally of ten goals actually incredibly impressive.

The season before last, when Leicester were in the EFL Championship, still ranked all the way up at 11th by the aforementioned Global Football Rankings, Vardy scored 20 goals in all competitions, so just imagine how many he would get in the Premiership.

Offer made: Rangers at risk of losing another "complete" star after Igamane

Russell Martin could be dealt a second blow…

5

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 1, 2025

First-wicket pair put on 99 inside eight overs, including Hughes’ 32 off six balls

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2024Sussex 181 for 2 (Ward 68, Hughes 47, Simpson 45*) beat Essex 178 for 9 (Elgar 54, Pepper 51, McAndrew 3-33) by eight wicketsA masterful exhibition of stunning hitting from openers Harrison Ward and Daniel Hughes gave Sussex the platform to an eight-wicket victory with 26 balls to spare against an Essex team who had axed their Vitality Blast captain Simon Harmer.The first-wicket pair put on 99 inside eight overs – including 32 from a Daniel Sams over – as 10 sixes rained down all around the Chelmsford ground. The Australian Hughes claimed four of them in his 18-ball 47, and Ward chipped in with three in his 68 from 36.However, it was left to John Simpson to hit Luc Benkenstein for 10 off two balls in the 16th over to complete Sussex’s fourth success in five Blast matches this season.In turn, Essex, put in, failed to post the sort of score that might have been expected after Dean Elgar anchored two fifty-run stands with stand-in captain Adam Rossington and Michael Pepper. However, when Pepper was dismissed for a 26-ball 51, it precipitated a clatter of eight Essex wickets for 54 runs in 43 balls. They finished on a decidedly below-par 178 for 9.Ward and Hughes went off like trains as they hammered eight fours in 11 balls from Shane Snater and Aaron Beard. It did not stop there. After Ben Allison arrested the onslaught with just five conceded off the fourth over, Sams was dumped for 644666 in an incredible over of power hitting from Hughes. At one stage the pair had hit 50 from nine balls.Hughes had raced to 47 when he swept Matt Critchley into deep square-leg’s hands. By the halfway point, Sussex required just 50 runs more for a facile win, but they lost Ward, caught behind off Allison, the one bright spark with the ball on a dismal evening for the home team.However, the pre-match news that Harmer – who would have been playing his 100th T20 game for Essex – had been omitted from the team, rested or dropped depending on who you asked, was almost as seismic as the on-field carnage if not totally surprising: he had not taken a wicket in Essex’s first five Blast games and contributed just 17 runs with the bat.Rossington helped Elgar put on 50 for the first wicket inside six overs, though the captain’s contribution was 16 from 11 balls before he got an inside edge as he attempted to swipe Ollie Robinson out of the ground.Elgar had survived a drop at slip by Tom Alsop on nought, but while he outscored Rossington, he was comprehensively outgunned by Pepper for the second fifty stand of the innings. Pepper hammered 40 of those runs, including four sixes to different parts of the ground off the Sussex spin pair, Danny Lamb and James Coles.Pepper reached his half-century from 24 but two balls later he lofted Nathan McAndrew to backward square leg to precipitate the collapse. McAndrew struck again when his next delivery had a bemused Jordan Cox bowled.Paul Walter became a third wicket in five balls as he advanced down the wicket against Jack Carson and was stumped. Elgar reached his fifty with a straight six, but again fell almost immediately, lobbing Coles tamely to mid-on.The earlier onslaught became a distant memory as Matt Critchley swished at Coles and was bowled, Sams departed to a catch at deep square leg, giving McAndrew another wicket, and Benkenstein attempted a reverse sweep and lost his off-stump the ball after hitting Robinson for six over midwicket. Carson took a third catch in the match, dismissing Snater at deep mid-on.

Sunderland are now “increasingly likely” to complete the signing of a defender in the summer transfer window, according to a promising transfer update.

Le Bris bullish about Sunderland's summer

The Black Cats are still basking in the glory of being promoted back to the Premier League from the Championship amid joyous scenes at Wembley last month. Regis Le Bris made it clear that he is already focusing on new signings, however, saying how he expects the summer to pan out at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland have been linked with a move for young Liverpool striker Jayden Danns, with talks even reportedly held over a move to the club. The Englishman joined the Black Cats on loan in January, but a back injury put paid to his chances of even playing a single minute.

Elsewhere, former defender Wes Brown has also talked up Sunderland’s chances of bringing Jordan Henderson back to his old club: “Going back to Sunderland would make sense. He’d understand that he might not play every week, but when needed, definitely show the heart.”

Sunderland "increasingly likely" to sign defender

According to Africa Foot [via Sport Witness], Sunderland are now “increasingly likely” to have a chance of signing Reims defender Cedric Kipre, as he expects to leave his current club this summer. Le Bris is thought to consider the 28-year-old a “serious option” for his side, no doubt knowing that he needs to bolster his defence ahead of the return to the Premier League.

Kipre is a player who already has a wealth of experience in British football, having racked up a total of 206 appearances in the Championship and Scottish Premiership combined after leaving PSG’s academy, during spells with the likes of Wigan Athletic, West Brom, Cardiff City and Motherwell.

He won the Baggies Supporters’ Player of the Season award in 2023/24, starting all 46 matches in the Championship and averaging 3.6 clearances and 2.3 aerial duel wins per game in the competition that year.

This all highlights what a strong option Kipre could be for Sunderland, even though he hasn’t yet played in the Premier League, with his experience of Ligue 1 no doubt helping him.

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The Ivorian could provide great competition for minutes to the likes of Dan Ballard and Luke O’Nien, potentially even being a starter from the off, and the fact that his exit from Reims looks likely could only be a good thing for the Black Cats.

Newcastle United have now made contact over the signing of an “incredible” player, who could be set to leave his club for a very low fee in the summer, according to a report.

Magpies set sights on new goalkeeper

Nick Pope has struggled with injuries at times during the current season, and with the Englishman now arguably in the latter stages of his career at 33-years-old, Newcastle are looking at bringing in a new goalkeeper at the end of the campaign.

One of the most exciting targets on the shortlist is Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, fresh off the back of a fantastic season with the Clarets in the Championship, shipping a total of just 16 league goals across the entire season.

Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel is another option for the Magpies, having made contact over a deal for the shot-stopper back in April, while they have expressed a strong interest in signing Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale, who has impressed Eddie Howe in the past.

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According to reports from France (via Sport Witness), Newcastle also have their eye on a goalkeeper who has impressed in Ligue 1 this season, namely Angers’ Yahia Fofana, having now made contact over a deal for the Ivorian.

With his contract set to expire in 2026, Fofana could be in line to leave Angers this summer, and there is a feeling he could be available on the cheap, with an €8m – €10m (£6.8m – £8.4m) transfer fee being touted.

There could be fierce competition for the Paris-born shot-stopper’s signature, however, who came through the same Le Havre academy that produced talents such as Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet. Torino and Southampton also in the picture, but a move to St. James’ Park would be preferred over St. Mary’s, given the Saints’ impending relegation from the Premier League.

"Incredible" Fofana impressing in Ligue 1

Angers are among the middle of the pack in Ligue 1, but they could be a lot lower in the table if not for the performances of their goalkeeper, who is ranked as their best-performing player this season, achieving an average WhoScored league match rating of 6.88.

The Ivory Coast international has stood out for quite some time, having previously been lauded as “incredible” by scout Antonio Mango, who also added: “His agility, reactions and positioning is outstanding. Whilst being institutive with his distributions.”

Fellow scout Ben Mattinson has also stated the 6-foot-4 colossus “claims crosses well”, while praising him for his range of passing, indicating that he could be a fantastic modern-day goalkeeper.

With Fofana set to be available for a fee as low as £6.8m this summer, he could be a bargain signing for Newcastle, but Trafford should remain their number one target to replace Pope long-term, having matched the EFL record of 29 clean sheets last season.

Fulham have reached out and made contact over signing a former Real Madrid player, as Marco Silva’s side begin planning for next season.

Fulham competing for European qualification

Just seven points separate ninth from fourth in this hotly-contested Premier League race for Europe, and Fulham are still in with every chance of competing in the Conference League, Europa League or even the Champions League.

Related Club "moving" to sign "very important" Fulham star with unique offer planned

Marco Silva’s side could lose him.

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While the latter competition is unlikely, Silva will be looking to end the season as strongly as possible to give Fulham the best chance to see their names in the Europa or Conference draws next season.

Tottenham are looking at Silva as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou, and if they decide he’s the right man for the job, then this could well be the 47-year-old’s final season at Craven Cottage.

Fulham’s next five Premier League games in race for Europe

Date

Liverpool (home)

April 6th

Bournemouth (away)

April 14th

Chelsea (home)

April 20th

Southampton (away)

April 26th

Aston Villa (away)

May 3rd

The tactician will want to end his Fulham career on a high if he does decide to part company, and what better way than sealing a European qualification place? After they disappointingly crashed out of the FA Cup to Crystal Palace.

Unfortunately for Silva, some very tough tests await his side over this final stretch of the campaign, including Premier League title frontrunners Liverpool, this season’s surprise package Bournemouth and a crunch west London derby against Chelsea.

Qualifying for Europe will also go a long way to attracting the best players possible to Fulham this summer.

Andreas Pereira has been linked with a return to Brazil as well, so the Whites may also need to sign a quality new wide player to replace the former Man United winger.

Fulham make contact over signing Deportivo sensation Yeremay Hernandez

According to TEAMtalk this week, Deportibvo La Coruna sensation Yeremay Hernandez is on their radar. Hernandez’s excellent form for the La Liga 2 side this season has attracted interest from the likes of Chelsea, according to reports in Spain, but it is now believed that Fulham are ready to go toe-to-toe with their cross-town rivals.

The 22-year-old can play on either flank, bagging 11 goals and four assists from out wide, and he is seen by many as a young player with serious potential.

TT report that Fulham have made contact over signing Hernandez already, with the former Real Madrid academy gem also scouted by Arsenal and targeted by Brentford.

However, it is Fulham who’ve made a head start by instigating an approach, and it is believed they’re extremely keen on the £30 million Spaniard. Hernandez, it is claimed, would be seen as a “perfect” option for Silva, who wishes to reinforce his wide options a a top priority.

He has racked up five hundreds in his last six List A innings to lead Vidarbha into the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Shashank Kishore14-Jan-2025Karun Nair laughs at the prophecy of a casual quip from a podcast he was a part of in September 2024. Robin Uthappa, his former Karnataka team-mate, had asked what more Nair needed to do to get noticed.At the time, Nair had just returned from summer in England with Northamptonshire, scoring 487 runs in 11 innings, including a best of 202 not out. It hurt him that he wasn’t considered for BCCI’s season-opening Duleep Trophy.”Funnily enough I said I think I need to score a hundred in every single innings to kind of get noticed,” Nair laughs during a chat with ESPNcricinfo from Vadodara. He remembers that light-hearted quip as he sits on top of the run-scoring charts in the ongoing 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy.Related

High-flying Kerala run into pedigreed Vidarbha in final showdown

Nair, Dubey set up Vidarbha's semi-final date with Mumbai

Old and new pieces fit perfectly as Karnataka get their jigsaw right

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Padikkal, Shetty step up as Karnataka storm into final

Karun Nair sets new List A record for most runs without being dismissed

Nair has stacked up scores of 122*, 112, 111*, 163*, 44* and 112* in his last six innings. Prior to being dismissed for 112 against Uttar Pradesh, Nair had set a new List A record of scoring 542 runs without being dismissed, going past former New Zealand allrounder James Franklin. This glorious run has helped Vidarbha make the semi-finals, with Nair playing a key role as batter and captain.”I think I may have manifested something like this unknowingly in that chat with Robbie, and that’s coming into fruition,” Nair laughs. “At the time [of recording the podcast], I was hurting a bit. After scoring runs in England and scoring nearly 700 runs [690 at the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy] to take Vidarbha into the finals, I did feel I could’ve got a look-in for the Duleep Trophy.”Initially, right through the first half of the Ranji season I kept thinking about missed opportunities when I couldn’t convert a few of my starts. But coming into the Vijay Hazare Trophy, I had completely forgotten about it, but I’ve just kept playing and have kept getting hundreds.”Nair’s fall after being India’s second triple-centurion in Test cricket was quite steep. He not just slipped out of national contention but also fell out of favour with the selectors from his own state, Karnataka. After more than a year of not having a team, his comeback began at the DY Patil tournament in early 2023.Karun Nair has turned his career around after moving to Vidarbha•PTI A chat with former India pacer Abey Kuruvilla during the tournament helped him find a new team in Vidarbha. It helped that Nair had a rapport with Kuruvilla, who was India Under-19 selector when he was coming through the ranks.Nair joined Vidarbha ahead of the 2023-24 following a season in the minor counties for Burbage & ER Cricket Club in East Wiltshire, for whom he made two hundreds and a half-century in eight innings. It was a step down, but Nair simply wanted any game time he could.As he reflects on his runs and form he describes as “surreal and humbling”, Nair remembers the struggles of those dark days and the time when he yearned to simply get bat on ball after sitting at home for nearly seven months not knowing where his next opportunity would come from.”I think, quite honestly, it’s even amazing to myself also to look at the results that are coming about currently,” he says. “But I would say the only thing I’m focused on is cherishing each moment and being present in that particular game. I’m not thinking about the past or the future; I’m thinking about only that game and playing as though that is the most important innings of my career.”I don’t think in these six matches, it’s ever come across to my mind that I have so many runs so I can play however the way I want. Yes, obviously, I would be lying if I say I haven’t thought about the dark days, but I’ve managed to control those thoughts and kind of rein myself in and say the team needs something else for me and I need to stay there till the end and make sure that I cross the line.”As soon as there’s a stage where I know I’m confident that we are through, then that’s when I play a little more freely and attacking. So really, I would say it’s the process that I followed this year and the last probably is 12-16 months where I’ve been very thoughtful in each and every game that I’ve played. I’ve made sure that it is the most important moment in my career and made sure that I’ve taken that to every single innings that I’ve played.”Along the way, Nair has also found a new IPL home at the Delhi Capitals, a team he once captained all too briefly, after having gone unsold at the previous auction. The tough times, Nair says, is over. He likens it to seeing light at the end of a dark tunnel.Karun Nair has captained the Delhi franchise in the past in the IPL•BCCIInevitably, runs and records of this magnitude have brought with it plenty of attention. With India due to tour England later in the summer, Nair’s experience of two county seasons at Northants and runs at the Ranji Trophy could potentially keep him in the conversations.Nair chuckles at the prospects of a possible comeback, nearly seven years after he was left out following spending the entire summer in England being in the reserves.”I’m quite relaxed actually,” he says. “I wouldn’t be lying if I forgot about everything. But I don’t know, the way I feel about my game, in the mind, the way I go about things – it’s just different. I just feel different every single day I wake up.”I’m only trying to shift my focus on winning games for my team and performing along the way. Basically, I’m only thinking about that at the moment, which is kind of the right thing to do. Quite honestly, I don’t know how close I am [to being in contention for the national. team]. Like I said, again, I just want to take it one game at one time. But yeah, I don’t know.”What Nair does know is he’s rediscovered his penchant to score big, and score hundreds – “the only currency in cricket I heard growing up.” Now to try and top it off with a trophy winning season for Vidarbha.