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A total of 277 players (83 overseas) will vie for a maximum of 73 slots (23 overseas) in the auction in Delhi on November 27

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2025Allrounder Deepti Sharma and fast bowler Renuka Singh are the two Indian players among the eight listed in the marquee set that will open the bidding at the WPL 2026 auction. Sophie Devine, Sophie Ecclestone, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr and Laura Wolvaardt are the others in the marquee set.Among the players in the marquee set, only Renuka (INR 40 lakh) and Wolvaardt (INR 30 lakh) have listed their base price lower than the maximum of INR 50 lakh.A total of 277 players have registered for the WPL 2026 auction for a maximum of 73 available slots. A total of 83 overseas players will vie for the 23 slots available for them in the auction that will be held on November 27 in Delhi.Three players in the marquee sets – Deepti, Ecclestone and Healy – have played for UP Warriorz (UPW), who have four right to match (RTM) options available. UPW retained just one uncapped player in Shweta Sehrawat.Related

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Tahlia McGrath, who played for UPW, and Sophie Molineux, who represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), are not part of the 23 players from Australia. That aside, there are 22 players from England, 13 from New Zealand and 11 from South Africa in the auction pool. Chamari Athapaththu, batter Harshitha Samarawickrama and left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera are the three from Sri Lanka. Athapaththu was part of UPW last season. Three players from Bangladesh – Marufa Akter, Shorna Akter and Rabeya Khan – have listed themselves at INR 30 lakh.India batter Harleen Deol, who played for Gujarat Giants (GG) for the first three seasons, has listed her base price in the highest bracket of INR 50 lakh and in the capped allrounders’ list. Her GG team-mate, Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield also has a base price of INR 50 lakh. But since GG have retained two overseas players, Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner, they cannot exercise their RTM for Litchfield.Alyssa Healy and Sophie Devine are part of the marquee set for the WPL 2026 auction•ICC/Getty ImagesRadha Yadav, Sneh Rana, Grace Harris, Chinelle Henry and N Shree Charani are among those in the set of capped allrounders. In that set all players except Deol have a base price of INR 30 lakh.Assam’s Uma Chetry, who was the back-up wicketkeeper in India’s World Cup-winning squad, and allrounder Kranti Gaud, who has represented UPW, both have listed themselves in the highest bracket of INR 50 lakh. Australia legspinner Alana King (INR 40 lakh), India’s Asha Sobhana and Priya Mishra (both INR 30 lakh) as well as Saika Ishaque (INR 30 lakh), who was part of Mumbai Indians (MI) for the first three seasons, are all part of the first set of spinners, which is the sixth set.Left-arm spinner Thipatcha Putthawong is the only Thailand player listed, while Tara Norris, who played for Delhi Capitals (DC) in WPL 2023 and is the first player to pick up a five-wicket haul in the competition, is the only player from USA.UAE captain Esha Oza and wicketkeeper Theertha Satish round-off the four players from Associate teams. No players from Ireland or Scotland are in the list; Scotland wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce was part of DC last season.UPW and GG will enter the auction for WPL 2026 with the highest purse – INR 14.50 crore and INR 9 crore respectively – followed by RCB (INR 6.15 crore), MI (INR 5.75 crore) and DC (5.70 crore). MI and DC, who retained five players each, will not have any RTM option available.

The Colorado Rockies are 4-25 after suffering an 8-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. It was the team's eighth straight loss and they are currently on a historically bad pace. If they continue at their current pace they'll only win 22 games, which would be the second-worst season in baseball history behind the 1899 Cleveland Spiders who went 20-134.

The Spiders were 7-22 through their first 29 games.

With a current winning percentage of .138 the Rockies are on pace to set a modern-era record for losses. The 2024 Chicago White Sox, who broke the 1960 New York Mets' record for most losses in a season with 121, started 6-23.

The good news is that there really are five full months remaining in the season and the Rockies have a chance to turn things around. Or maybe short of that, not compete for one of the worst records in professional baseball history.

They're already 15.5 games out of first and since they're in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's seems likely that the Rockies will set a new record for most games out of first. The 2018 Orioles finished 61 games back. The1942 Phillies finished 62.5 games out of first. The 1909 Boston Doves finished 65.5 games back. The aforementioned 1899 Spiders finished an astonishing 84 games behind the Brooklyn Superbas.

The Dodgers, who lead the NL West, are currently on pace to win 108 games. Even if the Dodgers slow down and the Rockies speed up, there is going to be a 60-something game difference in the standings at the end of the season.

If there's any good news here it's that the Rockies are only three games behind this year's edition of the Chicago White Sox. Those two teams are scheduled to play a three-game series that starts on the 4th of July. Good seats will most likely still be available.

Manchester City’s victory over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon was a sensational performance which gave Pep Guardiola’s side even more daylight on the 2024/25 Premier League champions.

City put Liverpool to the sword in Guardiola’s 1000th game as a manager, running out 3-0 victors.

The East Mancunian side are still some way off the top of the table, with Arsenal four points clear and comfortably leading the way. Yet, City are finding their best form, having now won four of their last five games, and leading the way for the most goals scored in the top flight.

The main reason for that form in front of goal is Erling Haaland.

How Haaland's start to 2025/26 compares to other seasons

It has got to the point where you watch Haaland now and wonder when, not if, he will score. The Norwegian striker is the most clinical player in the Premier League, and, despite being 108 games into his English top-flight career, is already one goal away from a century.

This season, Haaland has been at his very best. In the Premier League, he’s found the back of the net 14 times in just 11 games.

All of those have come from open play, too, a run which has stayed intact after missing a penalty against Liverpool. Of course, he still got on the scoresheet on Sunday anyway.

City’s striker is in exceptional form, and it does seem nigh on impossible to stop him. But, this is not even his best start to a Premier League season for City. That came in his debut campaign back in 2022/23, when he bagged 15 goals in the first 11 matches.

The following term, 2023/24, was his worst start. That is ironic, given that his 11 goals in as many games would be the ideal way for most strikers to begin the campaign. In 2024/25, Haaland has 12 goals in the first 11 games.

With 19 goals for City in all competitions, it is fair to say the City number 9 is in the form of his life. Yet, there is one of his teammates who could also be in that category.

Man City star is hitting his best form alongside Haaland

Things are starting to click for Guardiola’s side in recent weeks, with Haaland, of course, looking at his very best. Phil Foden is another player who is motoring and has put in some excellent performances in the Champions League.

But it is the man who was player of the match against Liverpool who looks to be in the form of his life. Jeremy Doku shone against the Reds with a dazzling display, capped off with a goal of the highest quality.

It was a performance from the winger which will live long in the memory of City fans. He completed an unbelievable seven out of eight dribbles and was relentless against Conor Bradley.

His goal from the edge of the box saw him drive inside, buy a yard of space and unleash an effort that sailed into the top right corner.

It is not only that game that suggests Doku is playing his best football yet. City’s number 11 has some exceptional underlying numbers, averaging 3.33 key passes and 10.72 progressive carries per 90 minutes. Both of these rank him in the top 1% of positionally similar players in the Premier League.

Key passes

3.33

99th

Passes into penalty area

2.9

99th

Shot-creating actions

6.81

99th

Take-ons completed

4.93

99th

Progressive carries

10.72

99th

Described as an “unstoppable” force by BBC Sport analyst Umir, the Belgian winger already has three goals and four assists in 16 games for the Citizens this term. His best campaign saw him get 17 goals and assists across all competitions, so to be 41% of the way to that total is impressive.

With the sort of form the 23-year-old is showcasing this season, it is easy to see how he is in the form of his life. At the current rate, he could easily have his most productive season in terms of goals and assists, whilst helping City push for titles in all competitions.

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Wrexham star James McClean delivered a shock message to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side amid a lack of game time. The winger has dropped a stunning revelation, claiming that his passion for boxing has eclipsed his love for football, and he’s planning to hang up his boots for gloves sooner rather than later.

When football turned feisty for McClean

McClean’s tempestuous edge boiled over as tensions flared behind the scenes during Wrexham’s Carabao Cup derby clash against fierce Welsh rivals, Cardiff City. Emotions were running hot at the Racecourse Ground, and after the match, an incident in the players’ car park threatened to turn ugly. A group of Cardiff City fans reportedly breached a restricted area and confronted McClean, forcing him to defend himself. Witnesses claimed that he stood his ground and handled himself well. An internal investigation is now underway into how rival supporters gained access to the secured zone. But for McClean, the encounter only deepened his belief that he might be better suited to a ring than a pitch.

AdvertisementAFPMcClean is a fighter at heart

Over the past year, McClean has been training intensively in boxing. He has been posting workout clips to his Instagram that show sharp jabs and fierce combinations. 

Speaking in an interview with Westlife star released on Thursday, he said: "I'll be honest, I've really enjoyed it [at Wrexham] up until the last two or three months. It's not been ideal, I've not been playing as much as I'd like, which is never a good thing. You want to be playing and you want to be in the mix. I've never dealt really well with not playing."

The Republic of Ireland international, who joined Wrexham from Wigan Athletic in August 2023, has helped guide the club to back-to-back promotions. But the step up to the Championship has brought new realities. And it seems to have bruised his pride.

"Nowadays, I just channel that frustration and annoyance and do my training. Before, I'd throw my toys out of the pram," he said. "Now, I just channel that frustration into the punch bag and it seems to blow off a bit of steam. You kind of feel better for it afterwards."

Taste of the big stage for McClean

McClean isn’t just shadowboxing, but he has already dipped his toes into the professional world. On September 5, the Wrexham winger walked out with Michael Conlan for his high-profile bout against Jack Bateson at Dublin’s 3Arena. Now, he confirmed that talks have already taken place about entering the Misfits Boxing circuit. It is an influencer-led crossover promotion that’s given everyone from YouTubers to ex-footballers a shot at the spotlight.

"I do want to box," he admitted. "Misfits (boxing company) is opening up opportunities for a lot of people who aren't professional boxers to give them the opportunity to step in and experience what it's like to be a boxer. Absolutely, it's something I want to do and there has been background chats about it, but I'm contracted at the moment. It's definitely something I want to do in the near future.

"A lot of my training now is boxing training. I have a bigger passion now for boxing than I do for football. I would rather watch boxing than watch football. It's something I want to do and it's something I want to experience to tick off my bucket list. I've done the ring walk for Mike Conlan in Dublin. Being on the stage that night and doing the ring walk was unbelievable. I was thinking, imagine doing that, where this is for you and you're going into the ring for a tear up. I get goosebumps."

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GettyWhat comes next for McClean?

McClean was once seen as one of the dressing room’s emotional leaders. But he has now found himself watching from the sidelines more often than not this season as he has made just 10 appearances across all competitions. Wrexham currently sit 14th in the table, comfortably clear of the relegation zone but well off the play-off pace. Their next test is a home tie against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which will be their final game before the international break.

Midfielder Sandro Tonali was conspicuous by his absence as Newcastle trained on Monday morning ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.

The 25-year-old Italy international did not take part in the open section of the session in front of the cameras at the club’s Darsley Park base.

Tonali, a £55million signing from AC Milan during the summer of 2003, was replaced by Jacob Ramsey with 20 minutes of Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Brighton remaining.

The Italian has become a key member of Eddie Howe’s midfield alongside Brazilians Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton since returning from his 10-month ban for gambling offences in August last year.

Tonali, a Carabao Cup winner with the Magpies in March, played all but a few minutes for his country in their World Cup qualifying victories over Estonia and Israel during the last international break.

Head coach Howe will hope to have him at his disposal on Tuesday evening as Newcastle attempt to add to the three points they collected from a 4-0 victory over Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels earlier this month after losing their opening fixture to Barcelona at St James’ Park.

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A 2-0 lead is the worst lead. So goes the footballing cliché. But it’s a saying aptly applied to Arne Slot’s Liverpool as they continue to face adversity when two goals to the good this season.

Three times had Liverpool ceded their lead when two goals up before meeting Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

After a barnstorming start to the all-Liverpool clash, the Reds looking back to their ferocious best, old habits crept in, with Idrissa Gueye pulling one back after the interval and casting an anxious blanket across most of Anfield.

However, this time Slot’s men didn’t need to dig deep and find a last-gasp winner, instead coming together to repel the impressive Toffees and see the game off.

Five wins from five in the Premier League. The hosts might have made a slight meal of things in the second half, but they got the job done once again, with a series of players stepping up.

Liverpool's best performers vs Everton

Virgil van Dijk is imperious as Liverpool’s leader and centre-back supreme, but Ibrahima Konate performed very well indeed against Everton, putting that shaky start to the season firmly behind him.

Against Everton, the France international won seven of eight aerial duels that came his way (data courtesy of Sofascore), while making eight clearances and two tackles, showing off that physical robustness when powering forward to stamp out danger or cover a wandering midfielder.

In the first half, Liverpool won 55% of the duels, but after the break, it was Everton who showed more impetus in the challenge, flipping that to a 56% success rate against the Anfield side.

That doesn’t tell the full story, though, and Dominik Szoboszlai is a testament to that, having only won half of his eight duels but thrived in an all-action midfield role, leading the press and showing off his first-rate stamina as the match wound down, instrumental to snuffing out a late comeback.

(GK) Alisson Becker

6/10

(RB) Conor Bradley

6/10

(CB) Ibrahima Konate

8/10

(CB) Virgil van Dijk

7/10

(LB) Milos Kerkez

6.5/10

(CM) Ryan Gravenberch

9/10

(CM) Alexis Mac Allister

6/10

(RW) Mohamed Salah

7/10

(AM) Dominik Szoboszlai

7.5/10

(LW) Cody Gakpo

6/10

(ST) Hugo Ekitike

9/10

Record signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak both entered the fray either side of the hour mark, but neither could write their names into the headlines as the visitors applied pressure and pushed for an equaliser.

That pairing have the skills and styles to emerge as Liverpool’s new version of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, but it’s two higher-flying members of Slot’s squad who are emerging as such stars of old.

Liverpool's new version of Gerrard & Torres

Torres and Gerrard formed one of the most iconic partnerships in Premier League history, turning aside opponents from every which way. Liverpool’s legendary skipper once said El Niño was “the best striker in the world”, before he up and left for Chelsea.

Hugo Ekitike has some stiff competition in Isak at number nine at Liverpool, but he’s playing like a man who knows it right now, having scored his fourth goal of the season after calmly collecting from a delicious Ryan Gravenberch pass and sending the ball past Jordan Pickford.

Liverpool’s £69m striker built on Gravenberch’s earlier goal, an incredible finish, dinked up and over Pickford and down and into the net after Mohamed Salah lobbed into space.

The duo have been incredible this season; they are proving invaluable proponents of Slot’s tactics, so coolly hitting the right heights under the head coach’s guidance.

Last season, Gravenberch announced himself as a major contender for a top side, but he now appears to have taken his game to the next level.

Peter Crouch remarked after the match for TNT Sports that he believes Gravenberch “has been Liverpool’s best player this season”, and it would be hard to contest that, so influential has he been across every corner of the midfield.

Now that he’s kindling a devastating attacking side to his game, the Dutchman is truly shaping into a new, modern version of Gerrard, who was the king of complete performances when in his heyday.

Moreover, Gerrard was a constant thorn in Everton’s side, with no man having scored more in the Merseyside derby than him.

Steven Gerrard

Liverpool

9

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

8

Divock Origi

Liverpool

6

Robbie Fowler

Liverpool

6

Tim Cahill

Everton

5

Dirk Kuyt

Liverpool

5

Torres was hardly a pushover on derby day, either, scoring three times against the Blues over five appearances as a Liverpool player; all three strikes came during his first two contests.

Ekitike appears up for the task of emulating the one-time hero, and he might even be playing with an air of the Spaniard’s flair too, with former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster saying during the game that the 23-year-old “looks like prime Fernando Torres running around Anfield”.

There was something Torres-esque about the way Ekitike worked overtime, just as it should be in a meeting of intense rivalry. The Frenchman completed all four of his dribbles, won seven duels and made two tackles for Slot’s side.

Isak, to be sure, has his work cut out this season and beyond. But Liverpool want to defend their Premier League title while challenging for silverware across all the other fronts too this term, and the duality of elite options at centre-forward will go a long way toward achieving that.

Boasting a combined Transfermarkt valuation of £130m and showcasing a budding partnership when Grav threaded through for his new frontman, there’s plenty of reason to be excited on the Red half of Merseyside, with such players already shaping this new charge toward the title.

Gravenberch, too, shares the midfield with a host of world-class players, but it’s hard to argue against the Netherlands international being the first name on the team-sheet right now, immovable and brilliant in the middle of the park.

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“He’s got two-three really good variations, and it’s very tough to line Bhuvi up [thinking] that he is only going to bowl this delivery,” Jaffer says

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-20251:41

Jaffer: Bhuvneshwar’s variations crucial to his success

In a T20 game, one over – a good one or a bad one, depending on your perspective – swings things completely, even decides the outcome. On Sunday night in Delhi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered one such over. Delhi Capitals (DC) were going all right on a tricky pitch and, in the 17th over, Bhuvneshwar took out KL Rahul, who you would expect to take the innings deep, and Ashutosh Sharma, one of the batters DC look to for quick runs at the close. Not for the first time, as Anil Kumble put it, “Bhuvi had the perfect answer”.”He’s always been very special as a bowler. Whichever team he has played for, he picks up wickets in the powerplay, he’s learnt the tricks and the trade of what needs to be done in the back end, and he’s very consistent,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had beaten DC by six wickets to climb to the top of the IPL 2025 points table.”Barely a game where the batters get under him and then put him under pressure. On a surface like this, he bowled the perfect second spell. The crucial wicket of KL Rahul. KL Rahul, the idea was probably to take it deep and then target the faster bowlers and target the last three or four overs, maximise those four overs. And Bhuvi had the perfect answer.”Related

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Bhuvneshwar has never been the sort to grab the headlines, attract a lot of attention. His calling card has been consistency, as Kumble said, and doing what he is capable of as well as possible, day after day, whichever team, whichever format.Now 35 and seemingly out of the frame when it comes to international cricket, Bhuvneshwar continues to evolve as a white-ball bowler. This IPL, you might not have noticed him, but he has been a fantastic support act to Josh Hazlewood, the Purple Cap holder, and Krunal Pandya, who also seems to have reinvented himself with his new team. Bhuvneshwar has 12 wickets from nine games and an economy rate of 8.35. There was just the one game this season where he didn’t get a wicket and just two games – against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the high-scoring Wankhede Stadium and against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home in a game RCB won – that he has been expensive.On Sunday, DC might have been looking at a total slightly higher than the 162 they ended with when Rahul was out there with Tristan Stubbs. Second ball of the 17th, Bhuvneshwar pitched the ball up, scrambled seam, Rahul went downtown but couldn’t get enough on the ball and was caught in the deep. Fifth ball, Ashutosh thought the slower legcutter was a good ball to dab down behind point. It was so slow, though, that Ashutosh was done and dusted with whatever he was attempting before the ball arrived. And bowled him.2:38

Can RCB and DC both finish in the top four?

Bhuvneshwar ended with 3 for 33 on the night.”I think the two or three variations that he has… the yorker is absolutely spot on; the way Bhuvi bowls he hardly gives any width; and he uses that hard-length delivery which surprises the batters,” Wasim Jaffer said on the same show about what makes one of the older bowlers in the competition remain so relevant.Stubbs hit 34 of 18 towards the end to give DC a decent finish, but take that over from Bhuvneshwar out, and RCB might well have been chasing more than they did. Not only because of the 17th, but the 20th too, where another slower delivery got the better of Stubbs and only six runs were scored.”Sometimes they [the batters] expect the yorkers or maybe the slower ball; he uses the knuckleball. So he’s got two-three really good variations,” Jaffer said. “And it’s very tough to line Bhuvi up [thinking] that he is only going to bowl this delivery.”

Leeds United have had some incredibly gifted attacking players grace the turf at Elland Road in recent seasons to help them to succeed on the pitch.

Go back to Pablo Hernandez and Raphinha under Marcelo Bielsa, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter under Daniel Farke. There have been some remarkable talents at the club.

Unfortunately, the Whites wer unable to add more attacking quality to their current squad of players for the Premier League season when they tried to dip into the market on deadline day.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider: “There will be a hint of frustration for Daniel Farke – they missed out on some targets.

“They are still lacking a bit up front, Leeds and he fears for them on that front – not getting the deal done for Manor Solomon will be a blow to Farke and the Leeds fans, because he had such a great impact there on loan last season.”

The Whites will have to hope that other players are now able to step up and show that they can be the club’s next number ten in the making, to truly take over from the likes of Summerville and Raphinha.

Why Leeds needs to find their next Summerville or Raphinha

You only have to look at what happened to Leeds in the Premier League with and without Raphinha to realise how important it is to have a pure game-changer in the squad. Someone who can create something out of nothing to win a game for the team.

The Brazil international helped the Whites to avoid relegation in both of his seasons in the Premier League at Elland Road, and they were relegated the season he left for Barcelona in 2022.

Raphinha scored 17 goals and created 22 ‘big chances’ in two Premier League seasons with Leeds, per Sofascore, which shows that he made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Raphinha (Premier League)

20/21

21/22

Appearances

30

35

Goals

6

11

Big chances missed

4

6

Big chances created

12

10

Key passes per game

2.1

1.9

Assists

9

3

Dribbles completed per game

1.9

1.8

Stats via Sofascore

Summerville picked up the club’s number ten shirt after Raphinha’s move to Barcelona and went on to become a hugely important player for Daniel Farke in the 2023/24 Championship season.

The Dutch wizard racked up 19 goals and nine assists in 41 starts in the regular season of the second tier, before adding another goal to his tally during the play-offs against Norwich City, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that Summerville and Raphinha were mercurial wingers who could impact games with goals and assists on a regular basis to win vital points for the team during their time at Leeds.

The club’s current holder of the number ten shirt, Joel Piroe, is not that kind of player. He is a goal poacher, and a good one at Championship level, who scored 19 goals in the second tier last term.

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His lack of physicality, having won 27% of his duels in the Championship last season and 9% of his duels in the Premier League so far, may prevent him from making much of an impact in the top-flight, as opposition defenders find it too easy to get the better of him in physical battles.

Leeds, though, may have a natural successor to the number ten shirt in waiting in the form of summer signing Noah Okafor, who could be the new Raphinha for the club at Premier League level.

Why Noah Okafor may be the new Raphinha for Leeds

The Switzerland international arrived from AC Milan in a £17m deal last month and ended the window as the only winger signed by the club all summer.

Leeds have gambled on the 25-year-old attacker after he endured a dismal 2024/25 campaign. The speedster only scored one goal in 21 matches for Napoli and Milan in all competitions, per Sofascore, and missed 13 games through injury, per Transfermarkt.

Okafor’s worrying injury record and his disappointing goal return last season may not fill many supporters with much hope for the kind of impact he can have on the pitch in the Premier League this season.

However, the Swiss left winger’s form in previous seasons suggests that there is the potential for him to emerge as a Raphinha-esque star who is worthy of wearing the number ten shirt at Elland Road.

Okafor produced six goals in 881 minutes in the Serie A in the 2023/24 campaign, a goal every 147 minutes on average, for Milan, which shows what he can do when fit.

The Leeds winger shone in Austria for RB Salzburg prior to his move to Milan in 2023, having racked up 34 goals and 23 assists in 110 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

Noah Okafor’s best season for RB Salzburg

21/22 Bundesliga

Noah Okafor

Appearances

21

Goals

9

Conversion rate

24%

Minutes per goal

105

Big chances created

7

Key passes per game

1.2

Assists

8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Okafor’s best season in Austria shows that he does have the potential to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis when he is at his best.

The Switzerland international was described as an “electric” and “dangerous” player by analyst Ben Mattinson, which are adjectives that could also be used to describe both Summerville and Raphinha during their time at Elland Road.

Okafor has not had much luck with injuries in recent seasons, which has affected his development, but his form for Milan in his first season in Italy and his performances for Salzburg show that he does have the quality to make a big impact in the final third.

It is now down to Farke to get the best out of the left-sided attacker because he could be the Raphinha to his Bielsa at Premier League level, by scoring and assisting goals to win vital points for the team.

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Given Piroe’s dismal start to the Premier League season, losing 91% of his duels and being left as an unused substitute against Newcastle last time out, Okafor may have a real chance to grab the number ten shirt next season if the Dutchman moves on and he produes quality displays out wide this term.

Nicolas Jackson opened his Bayern Munich account in style, scoring and assisting in a 5-1 Champions League win over Pafos. The Chelsea loanee called it a “new start” after a difficult spell on the sidelines and says he’s “slowly” getting back to his best. With Harry Kane continuing his prolific run, Bayern look unstoppable ahead of their Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Jackson finds first Bayern goal

The Senegalese international made a telling contribution as Bayern brushed aside Pafos with a 5-1 win in Cyprus, registering both a goal and an assist. It was the 24-year-old’s first strike since joining on loan from Chelsea, and he described the moment as the beginning of a “new start” in Germany. His performance capped off a dominant evening in which the English hero Harry Kane netted twice to take his season tally to 17 goals in nine games.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportStriker reflects on ‘new start’

After the match, Jackson admitted he had been waiting for this moment since his move. “We played a very good game, pressed high, and ultimately won the match. It wasn’t easy at all. We worked hard, but we simply had to win. I’m very, very happy with my first goal. It’s a new start for me,” said the forward, who also emphasised the challenges of regaining fitness after two months out.

Finding fitness in Munich

Jackson was honest about the road ahead. “I haven’t played in a long time, but now I’m slowly getting back into fitness and want to reach my best level as quickly as possible. It’s hard to say how far I am from my best level. I haven’t played for almost two months, and I’ve also trained on my own. It’s a process; I’m trying to learn and improve every day,” he explained, adding that Bayern’s warm welcome has made him feel “at home.”

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imago images/Beautiful SportsKane leads Bayern charge

While Jackson enjoyed his breakthrough, Kane once again underlined his importance to Bayern with two goals. The England captain has now scored 102 goals in 105 games since his arrival from Tottenham, including 11 in his last five appearances. His lethal finishing, supported by new signings Michael Olise and Raphael Guerreiro, continues to push the Bundesliga champions to new levels of dominance, and the fact that he attempted a back volley which was nearly converted before it touched the pole, shows the form in which the English striker is.

Bayern’s ninth win in as many games has them two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and firmly on track in the Champions League. Their next test is a high-powered meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, one of the league’s top scorers. For Jackson, the focus will be on building fitness and confidence as he looks to establish himself as a reliable option behind Kane in a squad brimming with attacking talent.

أعلنت رابطة البريميرليج عن اللاعب الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وحل مانشستر سيتي ضيفًا على برينتفورد مساء اليوم الأحد، في إطار مباريات الجولة السابعة للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وتغلب مانشستر سيتي على برينتفورد بهدف دون مقابل، سجله النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند في الدقيقة التاسعة من المباراة.

وحصل على جائزة رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبرينتفورد، إيرلينج هالاند بعد أدائه خلال لقاء اليوم، وقد أحرز الهدف الوحيد بالمواجهة، وجاءت نسبة التصويت لصالحه 85%.

اقرأ أيضًا | بكلمة واحدة.. هالاند يتفاعل مع هدف تشيلسي القاتل أمام ليفربول

ويتصدر هالاند ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 9 أهداف، بعد مرور 7 جولات من المسابقة.

ورفع مانشستر سيتي رصيده للنقطة 13 في المركز الخامس بترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، وتوقف رصيد برينتفورد عند النقطة 7 في المركز 16.

ويتصدر آرسنال ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي بـ 16 نقطة، يليه ليفربول ثانيًا ويملك 16 نقطة أيضًا في جدول الترتيب.