West Ham United are now closely monitoring an “intelligent” £84m striker, who is also in the sights of Premier League rivals Arsenal and Aston Villa, according to a report.
Hammers set sights on new striker
Niclas Fullkrug may have won over some West Ham fans with his extremely honest reflection on the team’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Southampton last month, which left manager Graham Potter not best pleased.
However, the German has hardly set the world alight himself during his first season at the London Stadium, netting just three Premier League goals, and with the striker now 32-years-old, it could be a shrewd move to bring in a replacement this summer.
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda is one potential option, with the Hammers currently preparing a substantial offer for the versatile Japanese forward, while Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap also remain of interest.
Delap could be an ambitious target, given the level of interest in the Englishman, and the same applies to Botafogo striker Igor Jesus, with a report from Spain now revealing that West Ham are now racing their Premier League rivals for the Brazilian’s signature.
Botafogo'sIgorJesuscelebrates scoring their second goal
Arsenal and Aston Villa are also keen on Jesus, who the Hammers have been closely monitoring, with the Gunners thought to be seriously considering a move, which could pose a major problem for Potter’s side.
The 24-year-old is also protected by a €100m (£84m) release clause, although the Brazilian club should be willing to sanction his departure for a lower price.
Their best signing since Bowen: West Ham in the race to land £12m EFL star
As West Ham United manager Graham Potter looks to oversee a major squad rebuild this summer, should they make a move to sign a “brilliant” EFL star?
ByBen Gray May 18, 2025 "Intelligent" Jesus impressing for Botafogo
Brazilian pundit Walter Casagrande has been impressed by some of the Brazil international’s performances since returning to his home country after a spell with Dubai-based side Shabab Al-Alhi, lauding him as “very intelligent” in September last year.
The forward played an important role in Botafogo’s 2024 league title triumph, picking up five goals and three assists and receiving some very high praise for his displays.
Jesus could now be ready to make the step-up to the Premier League, and at 24-years-old he is at the right age to be a long-term success at the London Stadium, but the serious interest from Arsenal could be a major issue for West Ham.
A Madrid journalist has now dropped a significant new update regarding Davide Ancelotti’s chances of becoming Rangers’ next manager this summer.
Rangers manager search rumbles on
A host of candidates have been mentioned as options to take charge at Ibrox at the end of the season, at which point Barry Ferguson’s spell as interim manager is expected to reach its conclusion. Steven Gerrard has long been a front-runner to come in and enjoy a second stint at Rangers, having won the Scottish Premiership title in 2020/21, but Ancelotti has also emerged as an intriguing option recently.
Davide Ancelotti
The 36-year-old is currently the assistant manager to his father Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, going through a disappointing season at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the European giants going trophyless.
He has been hailed by the Madrid boss though, who has said of his son: “Davide is a competent, disciplined, professional and very calm assistant coach. He works alongside Francesco Mauri, who is very young too. Luis works with the goalkeepers, Pintus with his experience on the physical side of things. I have a young and very competent coaching team. We combine their enthusiasm with my experience well.”
It was thought that that the Italian is contemplating moving into management on his own, taking on a head coach role and moving away from his father, but now a significant update has dropped regarding Rangers’ pursuit of him.
Ancelotti set to join Brazil instead of Rangers
Taking to X on Friday morning, Madrid journalist Alberto Pereiro revealed Ancelotti won’t become Rangers’ new manager, instead deciding to follow his father to be his assistant with Brazil’s national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
This is an update that will stun Rangers given all signs pointed towards the Italian moving out on his own, with the Madrid assistant standing out as one of the more exciting candidates to be their next manager.
Better than Ancelotti: Rangers to step up move for "amazing" manager
As the 49ers continue their search for the next Rangers manager, they should forget about Davide Ancelotti and hire an “impressive” boss instead.
ByBen Gray May 15, 2025
Granted, he hasn’t yet been a head coach in his career, which would make the Gers hiring him a risk, but he will have learned so much from his father and would bring a winning mentality with him, having helped both Bayern Munich and Madrid achieve so much success down the years.
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich
2017
German Cup
Bayern Munich
2017
German Cup
Bayern Munich
2018
Champions League
Real Madrid
2022
La Liga
Real Madrid
2022
Spanish Cup
Real Madrid
2022
Club World Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Spanish Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Spanish Super Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Champions League
Real Madrid
2024
La Liga
Real Madrid
2024
Spanish Super Cup
Real Madrid
2024
Now, the Scottish giants will have to look elsewhere at options, however, and it could be that Gerrard ends up being the man to come in, with the Liverpool legend feeling he has unfinished business at Ibrox.
Newcastle United find themselves well in the hunt for a strong finish to the Premier League season and could look to pounce for a high-profile star on the market, according to a report.
Newcastle United's pursuit of summer signings
The Magpies have Champions League football firmly in their sights under Eddie Howe and will look to finalise their place in next year’s league phase before turning their attention to the summer transfer window.
Turning the spotlight on one of their direct competitors, Newcastle hope to sign James McAtee from Manchester City in the next few months and will take encouragement from the fact he has one year left on his deal at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City'sJamesMcAteecelebrates after the match
Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund are also in the hunt for his signature, which may pose a challenge in convincing the England Under-21 international that Tyneside is the place to be ahead of next season.
On the same token, talks have taken place over Newcastle making a move for Douglas Luiz with Juventus sporting director Cristian Giuntoli. The possibility of a swap deal involving Sandro Tonali has also been discussed.
Looking to the future, Heart of Midlothian forward James Wilson is a Magpies target, even if he would likely be viewed as one for the future by chiefs at St James’ Park.
Romano: Newcastle "keen on signing" £70m "tank" with same agent as Gordon
They’ve wanted him for ages.
ByBarney Lane Apr 27, 2025
PSR regulations will need to be met by Newcastle alongside every one of their direct rivals in the Premier League. In turn, that may lead to certain positions being prioritised for strengthening, while others could be left on the backburner.
Regardless, plenty of movement is underway in the North East and recent developments suggest that a marquee arrival could be set for a move to Tyneside.
Newcastle United ready to strike for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle United are plotting a move for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, who has wowed the Magpies’ recruitment team during extensive scouting missions over the last few years.
Howe would jump at the chance to bring in the Cameroon international if his current employers were willing to sell, though the Bees’ demand of over £60 million may provide food for thought once the summer window opens.
Bryan Mbeumo vs Anthony Gordon – Premier League attacking output in 2024/25
Bryan Mbeumo
Goals
18
Assists
6
Chances created
65
Shots on target
36
Completed dribbles
44
Anthony Gordon
Goals
6
Assists
5
Chances created
50
Shots on target
19
Completed dribbles
35
Labelled “fantastic” by Thomas Frank, Mbeumo has enjoyed a fantastic campaign in front of goal, registering 18 goals and seven assists in 38 appearances across all competitions.
His versatility is said to be a major reason behind Howe’s desire to land the winger. However, Newcastle are likely to wait and see what continental competition they end up in before stepping up their interest.
Attacking reinforcements appear to be on the agenda at St James’ Park and Mbeumo would be the ideal candidate to ensure the Magpies build from a position of strength.
Chelsea will surely look to capitalise on the fact that the summer window opens early in 2025, which coincides with the Club World Cup. The Blues are participating in the 32-team event at the end of the season, where they will face Mexican side Leon, Brazilian giants Flamengo and Tunisian outfit Esperance de Tunis.
FIFA have added an early start date for the transfer window in the first ten days of June. It seems as though Chelsea will capitalise on that and look to do early transfer business in order to bring new players into Stamford Bridge before the start of the competition.
Chelsea manager EnzoMarescalooks dejected after the match
In fact, they are linked with one attacker who could certainly enhance the quality of the squad.
Latest on Chelsea's search for a forward
If reports are to be believed, then the West Londoners are looking to strengthen in attacking areas before the Club World Cup. One of their primary targets seems to be highly rated Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to a report from TEAMTalk, Enzo Maresca’s side are hoping to lure him to Stamford Bridge in the first window of June. They are thought to be ‘big admirers’ of the 20-year-old and view him as a player with ‘world-class potential’.
In terms of a price for the deal, they could end up paying a fee on the lower end of the scale, considering what attackers go for in the current market.
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittensin action with Club Brugge's Ferran Jutgla
TEAMTalk suggest Gittens is worth £35m, which makes the Blues view this as an ‘achievable’ deal, heightening confidence that a move could be completed. However, Chelsea could offer Jadon Sancho back to his former club as part of the deal, thus bringing his price down further.
Why Gittens would be a good signing
In what has been a bleak campaign for Dortmund this term, it has been a strong season for former Manchester City academy player Gittens. The 20-year-old, who was born in London, has been one of the standout players in that famous Yellow shirt.
In 45 games across all competitions this season for Dortmund, Gittens has scored 12 times and assisted a further five. That included a fantastic run of form in the Bundesliga at the end of November to the start of January, where he scored and assisted seven goals in as many games.
In the Champions League, Gittens has really impressed. The England under-21 international notched up four goals and one assist in the prestigious competition. Perhaps the most notable of the bunch came against Real Madrid, when he scored at the Santiago Bernabeu, to put his side 2-0 up, although it was a game that they lost 5-2.
Well, Gittens would certainly make a fine replacement for Sancho. The West Londoners have a clause in his loan contract that could make it a permanent move from Manchester United for a £25m fee.
Contrary to popular belief, the England international has not had the worst season in Blue. He has managed three goals and ten assists in the equivalent of 23 full 90-minute games.
There have certainly been key contributions from Sancho, including a stunning late equaliser against the now-relegated Ipswich Town to secure a huge point.
With that being said, there are underlying statistics via FBref that suggest Gittens would make a better option for the Blues than Sancho does.
For example, the Dortmund star averages 0.42 goals and completes 4.07 take-ons per 90 minutes compared to 0.16 goals and 2.43 take-ons completed each game by Sancho.
Goals
0.42
0.16
Shot-creating actions
3.86
3.51
Progressive carries
5.87
5.19
Take-ons completed
4.07
2.43
Tackles and interceptions
2.06
0.65
This is certainly an interesting deal for the Blues. Gittens, described as a “wonderkid” by Statman Dave, looks like he plays with the maturity of someone in their mid-20s, and has come up clutch in big moments this season.
A flair one-vs-one dribbler, Gittens would certainly bring directness to this Chelsea attack, and add another unique element to an already strong group of forwards. For such a fair price, even if they have to lose Sancho, this seems like a good deal.
He'd revive Palmer: Chelsea want to sign one of the best players in the PL
Chelsea are hunting a summer move for a Premier League star who could see Cole Palmer recapture his form.
With one eye on the summer transfer window and another on ending the current Premier League campaign with a flourish, Fulham have now reportedly seen one target make his choice over a potential move.
Fulham still battling for shock European place
Victory at Craven Cottage against Liverpool last time out sums up the quality that Marco Silva’s side have at their best. After initially falling behind courtesy of a stunning strike from Alexis Mac Allister, the west London club flipped the game on its head and raced into a 3-1 lead at the break.
Even when Luis Diaz’s effort threatened to get the Reds back into proceedings, Fulham earned a deserved three points.
Having made such a statement with victory, Fulham still have every chance of confirming a shock European qualification ahead of the likes of Aston Villa, and Marco Silva spoke about his side’s chances in this week’s press conference.
The Fulham boss told reporters: “We set the target at the beginning of the season for us to arrive in the final stages fighting for something important.
“It is not extra pressure or more pressure for us. It is a privilege to have this type of thing. It is what I want. It is the pressure that I put on myself, my staff, my players and now if we have the chance to fight [for it], we have to embrace it.”
Silva will need no telling just how much of an impact European football would make to his side’s summer transfer window, especially amid reports that one target has already made his choice between Craven Cottage and a European club. Whether that choice changes if Fulham achieve what they’ve set out will certainly be interesting to see, however.
"Complete" Ioannidis makes transfer decision
According to Football Insider, Fotis Ioannidis is now closing in on an agreement to join Sporting CP despite interest from Fulham. What’s more, joining the Greek forward will reportedly be Georgios Vagiannidis rather than, again, a move to Craven Cottage. The Panathinaikos pair are impressive in their own right, but it’s Ioannidis who stands out the most.
Whether Fulham attempt a last-gasp hijack to sign the forward will be something to keep an eye on, especially if they qualify for European football in the coming weeks.
Dubbed “complete” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Greek forward would be an ideal option to replace 33-year-old Raul Jimenez, who is unlikely to be at the peak of his powers for much longer.
After scoring 11 goals in all competitions this season, the interest in Ioannidis should come as no surprise.
Celtic were boosted by the return of their captain last weekend when Callum McGregor came into the side for the 3-0 win over Hearts at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership, and they now prepare to face bottom-of-the-league St. Johnstone.
The former Scotland international had missed out on the defeat to Rangers before the international break through injury, and reminded the supporters of his quality and what the team lacked whilst he was out of the team.
Pass accuracy
99%
Passes completed
66
Key passes
2
Big chances created
1
Tackles + interceptions
2
Dribbled past
0x
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed metronome was almost perfect in possession, completing 99% of his attempted passes, and excelled defensively, as he was not dribbled past a single time.
The Hoops skipper has the ability to control matches with his use of the ball, dictating the tempo of matches with his incredibly efficient passing, and was a vital figure in the 3-0 win.
Arne Engels deputised for him in the number six role against Rangers before the break, but it is further forward where the Belgian’s talents are best suited.
Why Arne Engels has been worth the money for Celtic
The Hoops gambled when they splashed a club-record fee of £11m to sign the 21-year-old gem from Augsburg last summer, as he had only started 13 of his 32 matches in the Bundesliga last season.
Engels did not have a wealth of experience or a track record of excellent performances at a high level for Celtic to be sure of what they were getting when they signed him, which is why it was such a gamble to splash the cash on him.
The Belgium international’s performances for the Scottish giants since his move to Parkhead, however, have proven that he has been worth the money so far.
Engels has delivered at the top end of the pitch with a return of ten goals and 12 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, making him only the second central midfielder – after Matt O’Riley in 2023/24 – to hit double figures for goals and assists for Celtic since the start of the 2020/21 season.
This shows that the Belgian whiz has surpassed expectations, given his lack of experience prior to joining the club, as he has joined an elite group of midfielders – with just him and O’Riley – over the past five years to achieve that record, whilst still having a couple of months left to add to his tally.
There was one Celtic midfielder, however, who did not have his best afternoon in the win over Hearts at Parkhead last weekend, as Reo Hatate struggled against the Jam Tarts.
Why Reo Hatate should be dropped
Rodgers must ruthlessly ditch the Japan international from the starting line-up for this clash with St. Johnstone after he failed to provide an impressive showing last time out.
Hatate was selected to line up alongside McGregor and Engels in midfield, but did not reward Rodgers’ faith in him with an excellent performance on the pitch.
Minutes
81
Touches
74
Shots
2
Shots on target
0
Goals
0
Key passes
0
Duels won
0/5
Tackles + interceptions
0
Dribbled past
1x
As you can see in the table above, the Japanese midfielder offered next to nothing in the final third, and was a liability defensively, losing all of his duels and being dribbled past once.
This shows that Hatate was ineffective at both ends of the pitch, as he did not impact play enough offensively or protect his back four, and that is why Rodgers must drop him out of the starting line-up.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Celtic are against the team that is currently sat at the bottom of the table and that presents the league leaders with a chance to rotate and offer chances to lesser-seen players, including Portuguese ace Paulo Bernardo.
Why Paulo Bernardo should start against St. Johnstone
The former Benfica starlet made his first appearance since the 8th February when he came off the bench in the 3-0 win over Hearts last weekend, having been struggling with an ankle injury.
This clash with St. Johnstone, who are bottom of the table with 19 losses in 31 matches, could be the perfect opportunity to hand him his first start since returning from injury, against a team the Hoops can reasonably expect to boss the game against – given their respective positions in the division.
Paulo Bernardo
When he has been fit and available, Bernardo has proven his worth to the Scottish giants with some excellent displays in the middle of the park as one of the number eights ahead of McGregor.
The Portuguese whiz has scored two goals, created five ‘big chances’, and registered three assists in just 11 league starts, which shows that he can contribute offensively, but maybe not to the level that Engels can – meaning that the former Augsburg man can step up in that area.
One of those two goals came against St. Johnstone away from home back in September, as the central midfielder brilliantly found the bottom corner from the edge of the box with a sublime finish.
As well as being a threat in the final third, Bernardo is also a “tenacious” – as described by Rodgers – defender out of possession, constantly looking to win the ball back for his team.
The right-footed dynamo has averaged 4.0 tackles and interceptions combined per 90 in the Premiership, which illustrates his desire to get stuck in with challenges to help his team out defensively. Meanwhile, Hatate has averaged 1.5 tackles and interceptions per 90 and did not make any against Hearts.
This suggests that Bernardo would come into the team as an upgrade on the Japanese dud from a defensive perspective, which could help Celtic to cut out any counter attacks that St. Johnstone may have.
It also suggests that he would be ideal next to Engels in the team because he can provide the defensive edge to complement the Belgian’s brilliant offensive power.
Rodgers plots move for "incredible" star who'd be Celtic's new Elyounoussi
Celtic have reportedly sent scouts to watch the £5m-rated forward in action.
ByDan Emery Apr 4, 2025
It is now down to Rodgers to drop Hatate from the starting XI to make room for the Portuguese talent to come back into the side this afternoon.
With the summer transfer window approaching, Crystal Palace are now reportedly looking to shock a mega rich club in the race to sign one particular attacking talent for Oliver Glanser should he stay put.
Crystal Palace face Oliver Glasner concern
In his first full season in charge at Selhurst Park, it’s fair to say that Glasner’s impressive spell at Crystal Palace has not gone unnoticed. The Austrian is reportedly among the names on RB Leipzig’s radar as they look to welcome their replacement for the sacked Marco Rose. Having previously managed in Germany, there will be plenty of concern surrounding Glasner’s future in South London.
The Eagles have already suffered one major departure away from the pitch in the form of Dougie Freedman and the last thing that Steve Parish needs is to be left replacing both his sporting director and manager.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time that Europe’s top clubs came swooping in for Palace’s top talents. Just last summer, the headlines surrounded Michael Olise, who eventually swapped Selhurst Park for Bayern Munich.
Now, on top of Glasner, Eberechi Eze has also been linked with a summer exit amid links to the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Given that Palace sit above both those sides in the Premier League this season, losing Eze to either would represent the most frustrating blow for Crystal Palace.
Eberechi Eze for Crystal Palace.
Potentially preparing for the worst, however, Palace have reportedly turned their attention towards a move to sign one particular Bundesliga talent ahead of Newcastle United.
Crystal Palace battling to sign "complete" Merlin Rohl
According to Bild in Germany, Crystal Palace are now shock contenders to sign Merlin Rohl from SC Freiburg this summer in a deal that will cost a reported €25m (£21m). With Liverpool and Newcastle also interested, there’s no doubt that the Eagles would be landing an impressive coup by signing the attacking midfielder in the coming months.
What would be most impressive if Rohl joined Palace over Newcastle specifically is how the finances of both clubs compare. These days, thanks to PIF, those at St James’ Park represent one of the richest clubs in world football and could put that billionaire status to good use this summer having managed their PSR issues over the last year. Meanwhile, Palace are often forced to sell before they can buy.
SC Freiburg'sMerlinRohlin action
Just where Rohl’s next destination is remains to be seen, but his arrival would certainly ease any potential Eze exit blow for Crystal Palace this summer. The 22-year-old has earned plenty of praise during his Bundesliga rise over the years, including from former Ingolstadt coach Tomas Oral, who said: “Merlin’s the complete midfielder. He can do it defensively and offensively.”
With the Premier League calling, Palace will be desperate for Rohl to make his choice and join up with Glasner’s side this summer.
The late, great Bob Uecker remains the heart and soul of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ten months after his death in January at the age of 90, the Hall of Fame broadcaster was on everybody's mind at American Family Field following the Brewers' 3-1 series-clinching win over the rival Cubs in Game 5 of the NLDS.
While the Brewers celebrated on the field, a photo of Uecker with the text "For Ueck" was displayed on the jumbotron. Those among the sellout crowd of nearly 43,000 fans who stuck around to celebrate began to chant, "Ueeeeck."
"We love it for Ueck," Murphy said to reporter Lauren Jbara on the TNT broadcast after the game. "He's meant so much to this organization—the way he affected these players, especially last year. To win this for him is really, really special."
The players honored Uecker, too. While taking the celebratory team photo on the field, Brewers players laid out a blue flag featuring Uecker's signature in gold. It was placed on the grass, right in the middle of the photo.
Uecker's legacy lives on. And the Brewers are hoping there's a bit more Uecker magic left in the tank for their upcoming best-of-seven series against the Dodgers in the NLCS.
Rob Edwards will be under no illusions about the size of the job ahead of him after his first Premier League match in the dugout for Wolverhampton Wanderers ended in a defeat last weekend.
The Old Gold were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace at the Molineux, thanks to goals from Daniel Munoz and Yeremy Pino, and that leaves them bottom of the table with two points after 12 matches.
Edwards needs to find a way to turn results around in the short term, no doubt, but he also has the upcoming January transfer window to make some changes to the squad. One player, of many, who should be replaced is central midfielder Marshall Munetsi.
Why Wolves need to replace Marshall Munetsi
He started in the middle of the park against Crystal Palace on Saturday and won three of his 14 duels in 66 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, which shows how lightweight the midfield flop was.
The 29-year-old dud has failed to impress in the Premier League since his move from Stade Reims in February, with poor form in the second half of last season and in the current campaign.
Munetsi lost 51% of his duels and only completed 74% of his passes in the 2024/25 campaign, and has lost 54% of his duels with a dismal 62% pass accuracy this season in the top-flight, per Sofascore.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
These statistics show that the £70k-per-week midfielder has not been reliable enough in or out of possession, which is why Edwards should replace him by swooping for one of his former Middlesbrough stars, Hayden Hackney.
Why Wolves need to sign Hayden Hackney
During Vitor Pereira’s time in charge during the summer transfer window, it was reported that Wolves were willing to pay a fee of around £30m to sign the Boro ace, but a move never materialised.
Now, Edwards must reignite that interest in the January transfer window because the England U21 international could arrive at the club as a big upgrade on Munetsi in the middle of the park, allowing the manager to finally ditch him.
Hackney, who was hailed as a “fearless” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has caught the eye with his performances in the second tier this season and could arrive with a positive mentality that could inject some energy into the currently dull Wolves squad.
Appearances
12
16
Pass accuracy
62%
85%
Goals
1
3
xA
0.38
3.24
Assists
1
2
Completed dribbles per game
0.4
1.3
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.4
2.4
As you can see in the table above, the English talent has shown a lot of quality in possession in the middle of the park for Middlesbrough, whilst Munetsi has struggled to make much of an impact with the ball at his feet.
Whilst Hackney has played in the division below the Premier League, the Boro star’s statistics suggest that he does have the potential to come in as an upgrade on the former Ligue 1 midfielder.
The 23-year-old star, who scored five goals for Middlesbrough in the 2024/25 campaign, is also six years younger than Munetsi, 29, which means that he has far more time left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player.
Wolves fans may not want to read this, but Hackney would also be a signing who could be incredibly useful for the club if they do get relegated, because he is a proven Championship star, whilst Munetsi has never played at that level.
Before Gomes: Edwards must sell Wolves star who's made them a "worse side"
This Wolves player has been disappointing this season
ByJoe Nuttall Nov 24, 2025
Therefore, Edwards should push for a reunion with the English gem in January in order to finally ditch Munetsi from the starting line-up, hopefully improving the team in the process.
Umpires’ lack of experience with DRS protocols has contributed to a slew of mis-steps
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana chats with the fourth umpire after Muneeba Ali’s run-out decision•Associated Press
Umpiring standards have come under scrutiny at the Women’s World Cup 2025, which has witnessed numerous contentious calls in its first two-and-a-half weeks. The most conspicuous of these mistakes have appeared around the use of the decision review system (DRS), which is only sporadically used in the women’s game. As such, the umpires’ experience with DRS protocols has come under the spotlight.One of the most notable mis-steps occurred in the match between England and Bangladesh, when Heather Knight got three reprieves, one of which was a low catch by Shorna Akter. On 13 at the time, with England chasing 179, Knight chipped legspinner Fahima Khatum to Shorna at cover.Knight was happy to walk off, but TV umpire Gayathri Venugopalan ruled otherwise based on “inconclusive” evidence. Earlier, there was also a caught-behind decision that was given out on the field, but overturned by the third umpire, who felt the ball hit Knight’s pad through to the wicketkeeper.”I did the presentation that evening and I put it to Heather Knight, and she did not sit on the fence at all,” Nasser Hussain, who is working as a broadcaster at the tournament, said on * pressroom. “She said, ‘well, I thought it was out, I was walking off’. There were other lbw reviews as well and Heather said, ‘I’ve never been out so many times in a cricket match.’ She then got 60 or 70 not out [79 not out] to win the game, and that really hurts you.”Related
'At first look, I thought it was out' – Knight on the catching reprieve
Muneeba Ali run-out in unusual circumstances against India
Another incident was Muneeba Ali’s run out during the match between India and Pakistan in Colombo. Muneeba, the Pakistan opener, was originally given not-out on the big screen by the TV umpire, before that decision was changed to “out”.On that occasion, TV umpire Kerrin Klaaste had not viewed all the available footage before first ruling it not-out lbw, and changed that decision after viewing further footage that showed there had been a run-out decision to make as well. The correct decision was eventually arrived at, but the process caused significant confusion, leading Muneeba and captain Fatima Sana to seek further clarification from the fourth umpire on the edge of the boundary.Then, during their game against South Africa, India reviewed a not-out lbw call against Sune Luus. The third umpire, Candace la Borde, adjudicated that a murmur on Ultra Edge was enough to indicate an under-edge onto the pad even though a side-on replay showed reasonable distance between the ball and bat at the time of the murmur. Luus remained not out.During the India-Australia game, the catch taken by Sneh Rana at point to dismiss Alyssa Healy was checked by third umpire Jacqueline Williams, who said, “I can see the ball touching the ground,” before she changed her line and ruled the catch clean.Shorna Akter’s low catch of Heather Knight was deemed not out due to ‘inconclusive evidence’•Getty Images”If you look at these replays enough, if you keep zooming in – I can’t remember where I was, I might have been watching on the telly actually – there was another one of those the fingers and the hands get under the ball,” Hussain said about the Healy dismissal. “The third umpire didn’t ask for 15 different replays or whatever. She just looked at it, sort of, a couple of times, gut feel, fingers were under the ball, that’s out. Which I always worry about when I am watching at home or in broadcast. If you keep looking, you will find things; you have to be meticulous.”Of the ten umpires who have performed TV duties through the course of this World Cup, only three have officiated as TV umpire in more than 20 matches with DRS available: Sue Redfern (42), Eloise Sheridan (25), and Kim Cotton (24).There are three umpires who had never previously been a TV umpire in an ODI that used DRS – la Borde, N Janani and Sarah Dambanenava. La Borde, in fact, had never been a third umpire in any international using DRS, while Janani and Dambanenava have had DRS experience in a limited number of T20Is. More significantly, five of the ten TV umpires had performed the role in fewer than five internationals with DRS available. In addition to the three mentioned, Venugopalan and Klaaste are also inexperienced with DRS.There has also been a greater percentage of on-field decisions overturned via the use of reviews than is often seen at major global competitions. In this World Cup, there have been 25 successful overturns of on-field decisions in 36 innings – a rate of 0.67 successful overturns per innings. In the last World Cup to be played in Asia – the men’s ODI World Cup in 2023 – the rate of successful overturns per innings was 0.46.The ICC declined to comment on the umpires’ relative inexperience with DRS, and did not reveal whether teams themselves had raised queries on umpiring missteps. The ICC’s umpire manager, Sean Easey, has been at some venues during this World Cup.