All posts by h716a5.icu

Bangladesh have also dropped Mohammad Naim after a string of low scores

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2025The Bangladesh selectors have recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and allrounder Saif Hassan in the senior men’s squad for the Asia Cup next month. There was however no place for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Naim, who were both part of the Bangladesh side that beat Pakistan 2-1 last month.The same 16-member squad will play in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands starting on August 30. Mehidy would have missed the Netherlands matches due to personal reasons, but he also lost his place for the Asia Cup. Mehidy, the new ODI captain, returned to the T20I side after Bangladesh’s 2-1 defeat against UAE, but didn’t make a big impact. He has been named among the four standby players.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup•ESPNcricinfo LtdNaim couldn’t convert his domestic T20 form into international runs. He had scores of 32*, 3 and 10 in the three T20Is against Pakistan. Naim also didn’t perform well enough for Bangladesh A side in the Top End T20s in Darwin, Australia.Nurul’s last T20I was in the World Cup in 2022, when he made just 41 runs in five innings. He gained better form during the 2024-25 season in which he scored 513 runs at a strike rate of 132.90 across the Bangladesh Premier League, National Cricket League and the Global Super League. The 31-year-old Nurul had also led Rangpur Riders to the inaugural GSL title in 2024.Both Nurul and Saif are playing the Top End T20s. Saif struck a half-century against the Pakistan Shaheens, and 45 against the Melbourne Stars Academy. Nurul got couple of thirties in the five matches.Related

No Babar, Rizwan in Pakistan squad for Asia Cup

Vikramjit back in Netherlands squad for Bangladesh T20Is

Asia Cup: India-Pakistan set to go ahead after Indian government clarifies stance

Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud are the others on the standby list.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is against Netherlands on August 30, and September 1 and 3. Their Asia Cup campaign starts against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 11.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup and Netherlands T20Is:Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad SaifuddinIN: Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan
OUT: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim

When the MLB All-Star rosters were released, one of the biggest snubs was New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who's made the previous four All-Star games.

Soto's initial reaction to being snubbed on the All-Star bid was criticized since he was mostly upset about missing out on a lot of extra money due to a bonus in his contract. Otherwise he doesn't sound too upset about the snub—it just gives him some motivation to make sure he doesn't get passed over again.

He seems to already be moved on, too.

"Forget about that. It's baseball, it's part of it," Soto said after the team's 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. "It's really tough to get in—whatever, next time, I'm gonna try harder and see what I can do."

Soto is taking his own advice very seriously as he's been putting up strong performances since the snub. Since the All-Star rosters were released on July 6, Soto has posted five hits, five RBIs and two home runs.

Sunderland fans need to soak up their side’s unbelievable story in the Premier League while they still can.

Of course, it would be monumental for the Black Cats to pull off an unexpected top-four finish on their return to the top-flight, but also, it’s potentially a tad unrealistic to expect them to be competing for a spot around the Champions League table all season long.

Fans of the Wearside giants wouldn’t be turning their noses up at safety, after all, having seen their beloved team be in the doldrums all the way down in League One, once upon a time.

But, after a mightily impressive five wins have now been collected from their opening nine league games, expectations have arguably shifted, with a comfortable mid-table finish – come the end of the gruelling 38-game marathon – not the craziest shout.

Regis Le Bris will just have to hope the bubble doesn’t burst anytime soon, as a possibly challenging January transfer window now comes into view.

Latest on Wilson Isidor's future

This is one major drawback to your success story being constantly in the limelight, as other suitors now attempt to poach your best talents from you.

Sunderland will have to stay strong, therefore, during what will be a likely hectic January window, with Football Insider recently revealing that scouts from several top clubs are tracking Le Bris’ main marksman in Wilson Isidor.

This comes after the composed Frenchman fired home his fourth Premier League strike of the season already, away at Chelsea last time out.

All this speculation surrounding Isidor’s future isn’t completely new, though, with reports back in September stating that Aston Villa were looking at the ex-Zenit St Petersburg attacker as another option up top, with a £35m price tag also rumoured.

With Villa struggling at the moment to get a tune out of Ollie Watkins, it isn’t the wildest suggestion to say that they could put their money where their mouth is and go after the Black Cats’ four-goal hero shortly, with Isidor being noted as looking “very comfortable” in the Premier League by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley directly after his side’s fantastic Stamford Bridge away day.

Brian Brobbey

4

0 + 1

Eliezer Mayenda

6

1 + 0

Sunderland aren’t overflowing with striker options if Isidor does depart, with Brian Brobbey – who cost a hefty £17.3m from Ajax this summer – yet to get off the mark for his new employers, away from putting his brute strength to good use against Chelsea to assist Chemsdine Talbi’s late winner.

Moreover, Eliezer Mayenda has somewhat faded into the background after a promising Championship campaign, as Sunderland now potentially prepares to go after this new striker, in a sensational January switch, to ease any Isidor-based worries.

Sunderland plot move for new striker

Even if the 6-foot-1 focal point were to remain put, Sunderland might be looking at adding depth to their centre-forward department, anyway.

Based on reports from Football Insider, the Black Cats could soon be welcoming back a familiar face to the Stadium of Light in the form of Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu, who experienced an extremely short-lived three-game loan stint on Wearside earlier this campaign.

The £50k-per-week attacker would, unfortunately, be recalled, owing to injury issues depleting Enzo Maresca’s options in the striker spot.

Now, however, new reports suggest that a loan move for the Spaniard to return to Le Bris’ ranks might well be on the cards, as a spectacular return is plotted.

It will be interesting to see if the Blues do allow for Guiu to return to the North, considering the former Barcelona youngster has come back to Stamford Bridge and made quite the impression, with Maresca stating that the much-talked-about 19-year-old is “absolutely” in his first team plans, after bagging a Chelsea goal in the Champions League versus Ajax.

It could even be boldly argued that Guiu is a bigger talent than his Villa-linked counterpart, as the Spain U21 international now attempts to potentially set the Premier League alight, if a return to the Black Cats is signed off on.

How Guiu compares to Isidor

Initially, this might seem like a slightly naive take, considering Isidor is being tipped to move away from the Stadium of Light for £35m, after collecting four Premier League goals.

Transfer Focus

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

In stark contrast, Guiu is yet to fire home a single Premier League strike situated in West London.

But, Isidor is very much prone to a no-show here and there in attack, too, with a mammoth 20 big chances missed last season in the Championship.

Consequently, his insane tally of four strikes, despite averaging just 12.8 touches of the ball per Premier League clash, is very unlikely to be sustainable in the long run.

Whereas, all of Guiu’s numbers to date in the senior game point in the direction that he could become even more lethal if given extended runs in a first-team setting, with the 19-year-old already being branded a “nightmare” for defenders to deal with by talent scout Jacek Kulig, irrespective of him only lining up for 30 senior games across his fledgling career.

The Granollers-born starlet has also been able to find the back of the net in some very intimidating environments, with the Blues’ number 38 already managing to score in the Champions League for both Barca and Chelsea, even if he still cuts a wide-eyed presence.

Chelsea

20

7 + 0

Barca Atletic

17

6 + 4

Barca Youth League

8

2 + 0

Barcelona

7

2 + 0

Sunderland

3

1 + 0

The table above only reinforces Guiu’s “exceptional” goalscoring ability – as he was once also lauded by former youth coach Albert Capellas – with Guiu even managing to fire home one solitary effort for Sunderland earlier in the season, before he saw his spell come to a sharp close.

Nine goals on the books of both Chelsea and Barca at a senior level will also encourage the Black Cats even more as they prepare to go back in for their ex-loanee, with a confidence that he could step up and be Sunderland’s main man if needed, having never looked fazed by any of the hurdles that have disrupted his journey so far.

There is also so much room for Guiu to grow and learn, with Le Bris perhaps the perfect manager to get more out of the exciting Spaniard in the short term, having garnered a “meticulous” reputation as a head coach, as noted by one of his ex-players in Matteo Guendouzi.

Moreover, the former Lorient boss also played a pivotal role in Jobe Bellingham exploding into life more on Wearside and eventually joining Borussia Dortmund, with Guiu perhaps dreaming of a similar rise, which is kick-started by working under Le Bris again.

On the contrary, Isidor could well have peaked already as an effective poacher in the Premier League, as Sunderland now works out the best possible contingency plan if their much-loved number 18 does leave imminently, with everything pointing to Guiu rejoining the ranks being a smart next move.

Forget Xhaka: £9.5m “colossus” is Sunderland’s best signing under Le Bris

Sunderland could now have found their best signing since Regis Le Bris joined the building in this £9.5m warrior.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 28, 2025

Kate Abdo and Co. can fly into the UK as Paramount Plus has reportedly won the rights to the Champions League from 2027 to 2031. The move signals the end of TNT Sports’ decade-long grip on Europe’s most prestigious club competition and marks a major expansion of the American-owned streaming giant into the UK market.

Paramount+ set to takeover UK

According to Paramount+ has committed a substantial financial package to secure the rights, outbidding powerful rivals and positioning itself as the next major player in European football coverage. The company delivered a “knockout” offer, believed to be significantly higher than the competition. The decision, which spans six seasons, aligns the UK broadcast strategy with Paramount’s operations in the United States, where its affiliate CBS Sports already hosts the Champions League with presenters like Abdo, Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Jamie Carragher. That star-studded team may now extend their presence to British screens as part of a seamless international expansion.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTNT Sports’ decade of Champions League coverage draws to a close

It is a major turning point for TNT Sports, formerly BT Sport, which first acquired the rights in 2013 through an enormous £897 million deal that prised them away from Sky Sports. The partnership began with the 2015–16 season and grew to include coverage of the Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. However, TNT saw its exclusivity diminish in 2022 when Amazon Prime entered the fray, picking up one game per week. Now, in just two years’ time, TNT’s association with UEFA club competitions will end completely. Despite this setback, the broadcaster still holds the rights to several domestic properties, including the Premier League until 2029 and a four-year FA Cup contract secured last year that guarantees extensive third-round coverage.

Although Paramount+ has emerged victorious in this bidding war, the development places yet another financial burden on viewers already juggling subscriptions to Sky Sports, TNT, Amazon, and DAZN. With the fragmentation of sports rights accelerating, British fans may soon find themselves paying more than ever to follow Europe’s top clubs. However, there is a silver lining as reports that Paramount intends to air a selection of matches for free through Channel 5, its UK terrestrial network. This strategy mirrors its approach in other territories and could soften the blow for supporters reluctant to pay for yet another streaming platform.

Streaming giants Netflix and Disney+ also tested the waters

Although Paramount came out on top, the race was far from one-sided. Both Netflix and Disney+ reportedly explored bids, especially after Netflix’s breakout success with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing spectacle last year. That event drew an extraordinary audience of more than 100 million viewers, convincing the streaming pioneer to continue experimenting with live sports. Its latest splash, broadcasting Paul vs. Anthony Joshua this week, suggests Netflix’s ambition in the sports market remains strong, even if it fell short here. The scale of Paramount’s investment reflects the soaring value of Europe’s top football competitions. The current set of Champions League rights is estimated at close to £3 billion per season, highlighting just how fiercely broadcasters compete for a slice of the action. UEFA’s revamped tournament format, which launched in 2024, might be a factor in driving the value even higher.

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AFPWhat happens to the Super League?

While the broadcast landscape transforms, UEFA is simultaneously working through another massive development, which is a renewed proposal for a European Super League. According to a confidential eight-month negotiation process has been underway involving UEFA, A22 Sports Management (the Super League’s backers), and powerhouse clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. The discussions aim to bring an end to years of conflict by reshaping the structure of elite European competitions in a way that satisfies all parties. The most groundbreaking element of the proposal may be its broadcasting model. The Super League concept introduces UNIFY, a global streaming service offering both free, ad-supported broadcasts and premium paid options. Designed to give worldwide supporters unrestricted access to every match, UNIFY marks a radical departure from the existing broadcasting service. 

With Paramount+ preparing its UK takeover and UEFA weighing fundamental structural changes to European football, the mid-2020s are shaping up to be an era of profound change. How these developments intersect, and whether the new Super League format might redefine the broadcasting landscape once again, remains an open question.

Pant had suffered a fractured left foot during the England tour in July and is currently in rehab at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Sep-20252:05

Is there a role for Nitish Kumar Reddy in home Tests?

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is set to miss the two-match home Test series against West Indies, starting in Ahmedabad from October 2.India’s selection meeting for the series is scheduled for September 24. ESPNcricinfo has learned the Ajit Agarkar-led panel will pick 15 players, which is two fewer than the squad for the New Zealand Tests last October, the last home series India played.Pant, who was India’s vice-captain in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England this year, suffered a fractured left foot during the fourth Test in Manchester. While he limped out to bat in the first innings, he was replaced by N Jagadeesan in the squad for the final Test at the Oval. Pant is currently at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.It is learned that Pant has been undergoing strength and conditioning and is awaiting further updates from the BCCI medical team before he can resume batting and keeping. There is no firm timeline drawn for his return. India are scheduled to play a white-ball series in Australia from October 19, after the West Indies series.In Pant’s absence, Dhruv Jurel is expected to be India’s wicketkeeper during the West Indies series. Jurel, who is currently in Lucknow playing against Australia A, kept wicket in the final two Tests of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Jagadeesan, who opened in the first match against Australia A as well as swapped keeping duties with Jurel, could be the back-up in case the selectors opt for a second specialist wicketkeeper for the West Indies series.It is also understood that the selectors are likely to consider Nitish Kumar Reddy and Devdutt Padikkal for the Test series. Padikkal, who made 150 for India A against Australia A in the first four-day game in Lucknow, has played two Tests so far. He was part of the Perth Test against Australia last year, when he made scores of 0 and 25 from No. 3.Reddy was also part of that series, as well as the England Tests that followed, and has played a total of seven Tests so far. Reddy, who was supposed to make a comeback from the knee injury he suffered in England in the first four-day game against Australia A, did not make the XI. Both players are in the squad for the second four-day game which begins on Tuesday.The India-West Indies Tests are part of the World Test Championship (WTC). India are currently third on the WTC table, after drawing the five-match England series 2-2. West Indies are sixth after three losses in three games.

The Tigers finally did it.

For the first time since Sept. 14 and for just the second time in the last two weeks, Detroit won a baseball game Thursday night, defeating the rival Guardians 4-2 at Progressive Field. The victory halted an eight-game losing streak for the Tigers and finally cooled off Cleveland, which has soared back into the postseason picture by winning 17 of its last 20 games.

The Tigers, who had a 10.5-game lead in the AL Central on Sept. 1, entered the night one game behind the Guardians after dropping the first two games of the series. With the win, Detroit climbs back into a tie for first place with Cleveland with an 86-73 record.

The Guardians, however, clinched the tiebreaker over the Tigers by winning their head-to-head series this season. If the two teams end the 162-game schedule with the same record, Cleveland will be crowned AL Central champs.

Before Thursday night's game, Fangraphs gave the Tigers a 70.6% chance to make the playoffs and an 18.6% chance to win the AL Central. But after the win, Fangraphs estimates the Tigers now have an 84.1% chance to make the playoffs and a 33.5% chance to win the division.

A huge, huge win.

Elsewhere in the American League, the Mariners officially clinched the AL West on Wednesday night—their first division title since 2001. The Blue Jays and Yankees have both secured playoff berths, but the AL East is still up for grabs, with Toronto holding the tiebreaker.

Toronto took care of business Thursday night, defeating the Red Sox 6-1, while the Yankees beat the White Sox 5-3. The Red Sox remain in the second of three AL wild-card spots, sandwiched between the Tigers and rival Yankees. The Astros, who beat the Athletics 11-5 earlier Thursday afternoon, sit one game back of the Tigers for the final wild-card spot.

Here's how everything looks after Thursday's slate of games:

American League Playoff PictureAL DIVISION LEADERS

TEAM

RECORD

Toronto Blue Jays (AL East)

91-68

Seattle Mariners (AL West; clinched)

89-69

Cleveland Guardians (AL Central)

86-63

AL WILD CARD

TEAM

RECORD

GB

New York Yankees

91-68

+5

Boston Red Sox

87-72

+1

Detroit Tigers

86-73

—

—

—

—

Houston Astros

85-74

1

It is no surprise to anyone that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been in such dominant form this season. The Citizens number nine cannot stop scoring, and already has 19 goals to his name from just 16 games so far in 2025/26, chipping in with an assist, too.

His form in the Premier League has been largely unstoppable. Haaland has found the back of the net 14 times in the English top flight, coming in just 12 appearances. In two of those games, the 25-year-old didn’t score. His form has been as good as ever for City.

However, it is not just at club level where Haaland has been in fine goalscoring form. Norway are reaping the benefits, too.

Haaland’s form in the November international break

Despite only playing 48 games for his country, Haaland has 55 goals already. That makes him the top goalscorer in Norway’s history, 22 clear of anyone else. Captaining his nation in the November internationals, he added four more goals to that tally.

The first of two braces Haaland scored during the international break came at home to Estonia. Two second-half strikes, six minutes apart, helped Norway to a 4-1 win, pushing them closer to automatic World Cup qualification.

Next up was a tougher assignment against Italy. The City striker, however, helped to brush the our-time World Cup winners aside, securing another 4-1 win.

The strikes came within a minute of each other, the first an acrobatic effort in the penalty box and the second an easy goal from close range, with City teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma unable to stop Haaland from scoring.

The goals from Haaland this week will certainly please the Citizens faithful. The fact that their talismanic number nine is continuing his deadly form ahead of a huge festive period surely means they can expect to see similar results at club level.

Haaland, however, was not the only City striker who shone during the November international break.

Man City’s other in-form international striker

There is one question surrounding Haaland, and that is who City have as an alternative to the striker. There is no obvious understudy in the first team, despite the likes of Omar Marmoush being able to operate as a nine.

Well, Pep Guardiola could always turn to the academy if needs be, where the club might have the homegrown Haaland in the form of Reigan Heskey. The 17-year-old is the son of former England striker Emile and has been impressing for City’s academy for several years.

Heskey, who was born in Liverpool, can operate on either flank or as a striker. He shone for City’s under-18s last season in the U18s Premier League, a competition in which he bagged 18 goals in 19 games and assisted a further seven.

Guardiola is possibly the most important person who could take note of this impressive form of the teenager. Well, the Spaniard gave Heskey his first-team debut this season, a seven-minute Carabao Cup cameo against Huddersfield Town, along with his brother, Jaden.

It is not just his club form that has been superb, but his form for England under-17s.

Heskey has been a key member of the Three Lions U17 World Cup squad this month, with football scout Antonio Mango describing him as “unstoppable this international break.”

The 17-year-old attacker played five matches in the competition, finding the back of the net four times and assisting three. He also averaged 1.9 key passes and three successful dribbles per 90 minutes, showing just how much of a threat he is.

Goals and assists

1.4

7

Key passes

1.9

9

Big chances created

0.6

3

Dribbles completed

3

14

Tackles and interceptions

2.3

11

Heskey is certainly showing deadly form in front of goal, which Guardiola has already rewarded with minutes in the first team. If he continues on this upward trajectory, there is no reason to suggest he cannot break into the squad permanently a bit further down the line.

Haaland was not the only City striker in form for his country this month. Heskey has been on fire, and would love to keep this form going when he returns to club football.

No Rodri & the "next Kroos" signs: Man City's dream lineup after January

Here is how Man City could line up if they can get their January targets

2 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 16, 2025

Sports announcers have become increasingly enamored with trying to predict what's going to happen next in the game they are calling because it's undeniably worth it if they turn out to look like geniuses. Sometimes, though, that foresight can have financial—and delicious—consequences.

One of the feel-good moments of the MLB season occurred in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's Brewers-Cubs game when Marquee broadcasters Boog Sciambi and Jim DeShaies vowed to buy mozzarella sicks for a bar in Iowa if they turned a 6-4-3.

And of course what happened next was Willson Contreras bouncing a tailor-made grounder to short and the Cubs easily completing the task.

The lucky bar in question was the Corner Taproom in Cascade, hometown of Cubs starter Colin Rea, who got the whole thing started by inducing the bouncer.

And the Cubs announcers were very fired up about the development.

They can try to tell you baseball isn't America's pastime anymore but how can anyone deny it when things like this can happen on any given night? Imagine the joy in exuberance in that establishment when they realized a free appetizer would be coming their way.

Beautiful stuff.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has set his sights on a Real Madrid target who Mikel Arteta personally thinks is perfect for his system, according to a new report.

Arsenal prepare for Premier League blockbuster against Chelsea

The mood around N5 could hardly be more positive right now after a phenomenal week.

Arsenal dismantled North London rivals Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium last weekend and immediately followed that up by inflicting Bayern Munich’s first defeat of the entire campaign on Wednesday.

It was the perfect few days to set up a tantalising encounter with London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Arsenal now having the chance to go nine points clear of Enzo Maresca’s side.

Chelsea pose yet another tough test for Arsenal, especially after the Blues thrashed Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League, but Arteta’s side go into the contest on an all-time high.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Arsenal have also welcomed back Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard from injury, with the former two getting on the scoresheet against Bayern to round off a superb win.

Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus missed the victory over Bayern, alongside star defender Gabriel Magalhaes, but young defender Cristhian Mosquera did a ‘superb’ job filling in for the latter.

Arsenal’s strength in depth is testament to Berta’s excellent recruitment drive last summer, with their near-£270 million outlay on new signings paying dividends for Arteta.

The Gunners could hardly be any stronger right now, but Berta will be paying close attention to unmissable market opportunities.

Arsenal star makes transfer admission and says club "want" to sign him

He’s responded to the speculation around his future.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2025

One of them could be Elche sensation Rodrigo Mendoza, who is rumoured to have a tempting £17.5 million release clause in his contract amid comparisons to Pedri and Barça legend Sergio Busquets.

Arsenal hold 'initial talks' to sign Rodrigo Mendoza from Elche

That is according to TEAMtalk, who also report that Arsenal have positioned themselves as the frontrunners to sign Mendoza in January.

Arteta has apparently identified the 20-year-old as an ‘ideal’ addition to strengthen his title-chasing squad, with Arsenal already holding ‘initial talks’ to sign Mendoza after ‘exploratory’ contact.

TT sources indicate that Arsenal are prepared to test Elche’s resolve before Christmas as they look to bolster their midfield options for the second half of the campaign.

However, Arsenal face significant competition for his signature. Three other Premier League heavyweights have all made contact with the player’s representatives too, setting up a four-way English battle, and Real Madrid are believed to be targeting Mendoza too.

Sources close to Mendoza’s camp apparently state that, while multiple English clubs have registered interest, Arsenal’s early moves give them a distinct advantage.

The modest release clause represents exceptional value in today’s inflated market, particularly for a Spain Under-21 international who has progressed through every youth level.

Mendoza has nine La Liga appearances and one goal to his name so far this season, and helped Elche achieve promotion back to the Spanish top flight last season.

For just £17.5m, Arsenal could sign one of Spain’s newest rising stars, with Arteta’s apparent eagerness making this transfer one to watch.

As the new head coach of the franchise, Nayar reflects on the landscape ahead in the women’s game

Ashish Pant10-Aug-2025Abhishek Nayar has whipped up quite a CV despite only retiring from all forms of the game six years back: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) head coach, India batting coach and endorsements from players of international repute. His latest role sees him venture into women’s cricket as head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the 2026 season.The Nayar-UPW association isn’t a new one. He’s run a few training camps for them in the last few years and worked with a some players individually, including captain Deepti Sharma. He is also good friends with Kshemal Waingankar, his former Mumbai team-mate and the COO and director of cricket for UPW. So when the possibility of leading the UPW backroom staff opened up, the decision was an easy one for Nayar.”I have spent some time with people associated in the UP Warriorz ecosystem. I used to follow how they’re going, their performances. There was a bit of an emotional connect even without really, really being associated with them,” Nayar told ESPNcricinfo. “For me, when the opportunity came and they were trying to restructure the support system, it was quite an easy decision, because I already had a bit of affinity towards the franchise, an understanding of how the franchise works, the ownership, and their whole value system and approach to the WPL and to women cricketers. So for me, it wasn’t a very hard one.”The hardest decision in my head was more about, will I be able to understand women’s cricket as well as I’ve managed to understand men’s cricket. But I pride myself on doing the work and hopefully getting there.”While this is Nayar’s first time helming a women’s franchise team, he has had stints with women’s teams in recent years. Ahead of the 2024 women’s T20 World Cup, Jon Lewis, the then head coach of England women (and UPW), got the team to India for two training camps, which were overseen by Nayar. While he agrees it was a different kind of challenge, Nayar says the stint helped enhance his coaching prowess.Related

Nayar returns to KKR's backroom staff

How Nayar helped KL Rahul rediscover the music

Nayar appointed UP Warriorz head coach

“For me, it was an experience like this one is, and I never let go of an experience in life,” Nayar said. “So I took up the challenge. It was very, very awkward for me the first day, because getting the… you’re so used to saying ‘batsman’ all the time, so to start saying batter was my initial challenge. But now I’m getting a hold of it.”Luckily, commentary then helped me a lot to understand the 25 yards, 30 yards, the small differences, but yeah, it was a challenge, but I absolutely loved working with the England women players. And that was my first thought process that I can coach a lot more than manage.”[I am] still in touch with a lot of the players there and a lot of the people that I worked with who are now actually actively currently part of the last series that India played [against England in July].”

“You see fitter cricketers, you see their movement patterns a lot better. Their throws are a lot faster. That is a statement as to where WPL is taking Indian cricket and the impact it’s going to have in the years to come, just like IPL had on men’s cricket”Abhishek Nayar

By taking up the UPW role, Nayar finds himself in a unique position. He is the only one with a high-profile role in both the WPL and IPL – UPW head coach and KKR assistant coach. According to Nayar, while the basic process remains the same, there is a lot more coaching involved in women’s cricket and the space to enhance the skills of a player as opposed to men’s, where it is mostly about management.”With men’s cricket, once you start working with elite players, there’s less coaching, there’s more mentoring because it’s more about understanding the mind and not so much the technique,” Nayar said. “I think with women cricketers today, in regards to a coach, there’s a lot of excitement because you can actually help amplify the skill as well as the mindset. You can coach a lot more.”In men’s cricket, you need to manage a lot more rather than coach. You’re not really developing a player when you’re coaching in men’s cricket. Very rarely will you see someone innovating and coming up with a new shot, or you’re suddenly saying, ‘oh, Shubman’s playing something different or he’s playing a scoop shot’. Very far and few.”I was watching this recent India-England [women’s] series, and I could see that our women cricketers are growing. You can see a difference in the shots they’re making, you can see that they are bowling new deliveries, they’re tactically sounder. So you can see that growth. Men’s cricket is still a lot between the ears. With women’s cricket, there’s a lot in the skill as well, but a lot you can do in between the ears as well. So I think it’s exciting. It’s going to be fun.”With the next WPL season just a few months away, Nayar has already linked up with the UPW backroom staff to formulate plans. They had a training camp and trials in Chennai recently, with Nayar trying to understand the domestic ecosystem and “what the talent is besides all the top players in Indian cricket”.Nayar has followed the WPL from the inaugural season and firmly believes the tournament is a game-changer for women’s cricket.Apart from his role as UPW head coach, Abhishek Nayar is also assistant coach at KKR•kkr.in”I think the cricket has been crazy [at the WPL]. While I have my trials here [in Chennai], there’s a stark difference in me watching a trial two years ago to what I’m seeing today in regards to the six-hitting ability of a women’s cricketer and the ability to play a sweep and reverse sweep initially in the innings. And that all boils down to the WPL.”For me, the biggest difference has been the levels of fitness in every women’s cricketer. You see fitter cricketers, you see their movement patterns a lot better. Their throws are a lot faster. That is a statement as to where WPL is taking Indian cricket and the impact it’s going to have in the years to come, just like IPL had on men’s cricket. I’m 200% sure that the WPL will continue to have this sort of an impact on women cricketers all around.”The one aspect Nayar is yet to get his head around as he gets more involved in women’s cricket is the scouting and introduction of newer players into the system. But with the onset of women’s leagues in Bengal, Maharashtra, Delhi and now Karnataka, Nayar is confident that scouting will get easier.”It’s very new to me. I’ve been looking up to the KKR scouting for a while and that helps you understand men’s cricket a lot better. You already have your contacts in men’s cricket,” Nayar said. “With women’s cricket, I’m trying to use the same formula now that I’ve just come in.”It’s still very early stages, but I think it will end up being quite similar wherein you start following leagues. There’s a Delhi Premier League, a Bengal league that happened, a Maharashtra league. We’ll have to start tapping into that slowly and start understanding that.”Luckily, we have time this year. So I think it will still be pretty much the same where we try and get feedback from coaches who’ve been in the system for a long time. Coaches who’ve understood women’s cricket and been part of it right from the inception and academies around India as well who play a major role in making sure these cricketers then go on to play state.”After a strong start in 2023, where they qualified for the playoffs, UPW have had two underwhelming seasons in 2024 and 2025, finishing second to bottom and bottom on the points table. Now with Nayar on board, the franchise will hope for a better 2026 season as they chase the elusive WPL title.