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Arsenal might just have landed two of South America's most exciting young talents in Independiente del Valle's Quintero twins, Edwin and Holger. The duo, who are currently 16 years old, are set to complete their paperwork in London this week and will officially complete their switch from the Ecuadorian side in August 2027, when they will have turned 18.

Arsenal secure double Ecuadorian coup

According to , Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to secure the signings of Edwin and Holger Quintero, Ecuadorian twins who are currently plying their trade in the youth academy for Ecuador's Serie A giants Independiente del Valle. The former, in particular, has drawn comparisons to Neymar from the Ecuadorian media, making waves for his trickery as a right winger. Holger, on the other hand, is an attacking midfielder. Having already represented the Independiente under-20 team at the age of 15, the 16-year-old duo are believed to soon break into the senior side. 

also claim that the Gunners had been monitoring the Quintero brothers' progress for well over a year. Arsenal’s academy recruitment team view their latest signings as a significant step toward securing the club’s long-term future. The success of the pathway to the first team – highlighted by the rapid progress of Miles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, and Max Dowman – has played a key role in persuading the Quintero twins to join the project. The pair are in London this week to finalise contractual formalities, with a formal announcement to follow at a later date. They are set to complete their move to the Emirates in August 2027, when they turn 18, for an undisclosed fee at this time.

AdvertisementAFPEcuador's brightest stars are shining in the Premier League

Ecuador have slowly but surely emerged as one of the more intriguing talent exporters in the world, especially for clubs battling for the ultimate crown in the Premier League. Moises Caicedo, the former holder of the record for the most expensive British transfer when Chelsea sensationally splashed £115 million (€130m/$152m) in 2023, arrived at Brighton for just £4m. Now, he is considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Piero Hincapie, who arrived at the Emirates from Bayer Leverkusen on a loan with an option to buy for £45m (€52m) next summer, earned the reputation of having the potential to be one of the best players in his position.

Kendry Paez, one of South America's biggest talents to have emerged in recent memory, is also playing for Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg on loan from the Blues. The common denominator? All these aforementioned names have emerged from the Independiente youth academy. 

Arsenal investing heavily in youth

One of the regularities at Arsenal under the reign of head coach Mikel Arteta has been the trust him and his coaching staff have placed on the prodigies emerging at the Hale End Academy. Lewis-Skelly was integrated into the first team dynamics in 2024, with his debut coming in September last year. Since then, he has emerged as one of the most exciting young full-backs in Europe, aggregating 53 appearances in total and becoming a full-time England international. 

Arsenal now boast the two youngest players ever to debut in Premier League history. Nwaneri set the record in 2022, making his debut at just 15 years and 181 days old, while Dowman followed closely behind, debuting earlier this season at 15 years and 235 days.

The trio are expected to become the cornerstones of the Gunners' project in the future. Given everything we've seen from these young talents, it's safe to say that Arsenal's future is in good hands.

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Getty Images SportGunners look primed to lift major silverware this season

Arteta's troops have begun the 2025-26 season exceptionally. They currently top the Premier League charts, bagging 30 points after 13 games to hold a healthy five-point lead over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They have firmly established themselves as the team to beat in Europe at the moment, as evidenced by their 3-1 hammering of Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week. 

However, Arteta and his players will be well aware of not paying heed to any labels or shouts terming them as the 'favourites' to win major silverware this season, even though there will undoubtedly be a lot of belief within the team that they can achieve magical things this season. 

The 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday may not have proved that they can be easily beaten, but it definitely served a reminder that the seemingly unshakeable Arsenal team can be rattled. A lot of work is left to be done, but the early signs have been promising.

Arsenal's Eberechi Eze has revealed the inner workings of his relationship with former Crystal Place team-mates Michael Olise and Jean-Phillippe Mateta on the latest episode of the Beast Mode On podcast. The 27-year-old spoke of the almost-immediate friendship he struck up with Olise, and the similarities he shares with the driven and determined Mateta.

Eze spills the beans on Mateta and Olise

Eze was speaking about the France internationals with former Wycombe Wanderers team-mate Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of GOAL’s Beast Mode On podcast. 

Eze, Mateta and Olise formed a lethal strike force for the Eagles during the 2023-24 season, scoring 37 Premier League goals combined. Their partnership, along with the hiring of Oliver Glasner, helped turn around a woeful start to that campaign. Palace would win six of their seven final games, eventually finishing 10th in the table. 

This potent attacking line was quickly broken up however, with Michael Olise departing for Bayern Munich in the summer for a fee of around £50 million ($65m). One year later, after scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final, Eze would secure his own big money move, moving across the capital to join the club that released him as a boy, Arsenal. Only Mateta remains at Selhurst Park, but it's clear that Eze still enjoys a close relationship with the mates he made in south London, despite their separate paths. 

The 27-year-old spoke glowingly about Olise's talent, saying the winger impressed him from the first time he saw him play. When the prodigious winger made the switch to Selhurst Park from Reading a short time later, the pair almost instantly hit it off according to Eze. 

With regards to Mateta, the Arsenal man praised his improvement over the years, saying that both of them possess a force of will that helps them succeed at the top level. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportOlise's talent and their friendship

Asked if he knew he was on the same frequency as Olise immediately, Eze said: "I played with him maybe six months earlier [before he joined Crystal Palace] and I saw him, I spoke to him. I think he's maybe 17 [at this time].

"I saw him and I was like, ‘yo, you're mad’. That was the first time I saw him play. So then when he signed, he came into the treatment room, I was getting treatment, and I asked him: ‘why did you sign?’.

"At this time we weren’t boys, but we were cool enough. I just remember him speaking and I'm like, ‘yeah, man, this is going to be my guy’. I can tell. As time went on, you can see the relationship built and [we’re] very like minded in terms of the drive, trying to achieve something. You can see that he's got that."

Mateta's improvement and self-belief

Asked about Mateta and whether he thought he’d turn into the player he is now, Eze said: "[He’s] Scary. No. Every player you see has quality and everyone you see has strengths. You can see his ability. But for me, I look at him and I see a similar type of vibe in terms of what I feel about myself.

"I don't expect you to see what I see myself. He would have seen this, though, and you can tell by the conversations he's had INtraining ground and the things he would say about himself, he believes this. So for me, whenever someone speaks that way, you know that it’s possible and you believe that it’s possible.

"It's been beautiful to see it [Mateta’s progress] though, because that's another story of someone that's saying, ‘OK, I'm going to do this thing and you're going to see me… and whether people believe it or not, don’t matter. I’m going to do it’

"He's doing it now, so for me it's a beautiful thing to see. And when I speak to him, it's always a joy."

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Getty Images SportEze and Olise to square off in Champions League tie

All of their mutual admiration will be forgotten when Eze and Olise square off for the first time since they both left Selhurst Park, as Arsenal and Bayern Munich square off at the Emirates Stadium on November 26. That promises to be titanic clash at the top of the Champions League table, the Gunners and the Bavarian giants are two of the three clubs with a perfect record in this year's competition.

India will play five matches on this tour, beginning with three one-day games, followed by two four-day matches

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2025Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre will lead India Under-19 in a multi-format tour of Australia, which begins on September 21 at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. The 17-member side includes 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who had lit up IPL 2025 with his power-packed batting.India will play five matches on the tour, beginning with three one-day games, all at the same venue, on September 21, 24 and 26. That will be followed by two four-day matches, the first one also at Ian Healy Stadium from September 30 and the second in Mackay from October 7.From the U-19 side that recently toured England for a similar multi-format series, the players missing are Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Yudhajit Guha (now among the stand-bys), Pranav Raghavendra and Mohammed Enaan. In come Vedant Trivedi, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan and Aman Chauhan.Khilan, who was ruled out of the England tour due to a stress reaction in his right leg, has recovered and is included in the 17-member squad. Top-order Punjab batter Vihaan Malhotra, who excelled in both the four-dayers and 50-over leg of the England tour, has been rewarded with the vice-captaincy for the Australia tour.Mhatre was the leading run-scorer (340 in four innings) in the youth Tests in England, a high-scoring series which ended 0-0 with both matches severely curtailed by rain. India had earlier taken the one-day series 3-2, with Suryavanshi topping the run-charts with 355 runs in five innings. Offspinner Kanishk Chouhan led the wickets column for India in the one-day series, while fast bowler RS Ambrish impressed with six wickets in the youth Tests.The squad also includes wicketkeeper-batter Harvansh Singh Pangalia and offspinner Anmoljeet Singh, while Naman Pushpak and D Deepesh also retain their places. Apart from Guha, Laxman, B K Kishore, Alankrith Rapole and Arnav Bugga are the standby players.India had earlier clean swept the Australia U-19 side in both the one-day and four-day series at home in September-October last year.India Under-19 squad: Ayush Mhatre (capt), Vihaan Malhotra (vice-capt), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (WK), R S Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Naman Pushpak, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar, Anmoljeet Singh, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan, Aman Chauhan

Vincent Kompany played down links with Manchester City after Bayern Munich chief tipped the Belgian coach to replace Pep Guardiola at Etihad Stadium in future. Kompany played under Guardiola at City for three seasons and is heavily influenced by the Spanish coach's style and philosophy. The 39-year-old joined the Bavarian club in the summer of 2024.

• Kompany linked to Man City

  In his maiden season in Munich, Kompany helped Bayern regain the Bundesliga title after they lost it to Bayer Leverkusen during the 2023-24 campaign. In the current season, Kompany oversaw a blistering start for the Bavarian side, who are currently enjoying a rich vein of form across all competitions. 

  In the Bundesliga, they sit at the top of the table with 34 points from 12 matches, having won 11 and drawn one. Their most recent league outing saw them thrash Freiburg 6-2 at the Allianz Arena, with goals coming from Lennart Karl, a brace from Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano, Harry Kane, and Nicolas Jackson. Their Champions League campaign has been equally impressive. They enjoyed a flawless record until their last fixture against Arsenal, where they lost 3-1 and suffered their first defeat of the season. 

  Kompany has received praise from club president Uli Hoeness as the Bayern chief claimed that the Belgian would one day replace Guardiola at Etihad Stadium. Speaking at the recent ‘Power Days’ business event, Hoeness said: "Kompany learned a lot from Pep Guardiola. When [sporting director] Max Eberl suggested Kompany as the third or fourth option, Karl-Heinz [Rummenigge] and I called Pep Guardiola, with whom we are both very good friends, and asked him. Pep said, ‘You can take him blindly, he’s a fantastic coach, he’ll even take over Man City someday when I’m no longer there.'"

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  Tipped to replace Guardiola at Man City?

  Speaking about the links to his former club and Hoeness' comment, Kompany said: "I've often said, I'm not here to comment on Uli Hoeness' statements. I have huge respect for him. But in football I can't think that far ahead, my focus is on Bayern and what we can achieve now. I like to just live in the world I have in front of me now, that takes up all my time. I have zero thoughts about other teams, I only see FC Bayern."

• Kompany not bothered by recent drop in form

  Bayern's sensational form has gone down a bit in the past couple of weeks as some key errors have been noticed in their matches of late. Against Freiburg, Bayern conceded two early goals before coming back from the setback to score six and pick up a thumping win in the end. Then came the 3-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal in the Champions League.

  Kompany, however, is not too worried about the drop in form as he told reporters: "We started the season by scoring three goals in the first 20 minutes. It was to be expected that it would change. But falling behind is something we're working on, putting a greater focus on. I still think it's normal circumstances but if it starts to become a pattern, we'll have to work on breaking through that. But the last 20 games we've usually led 3-0 after 20 minutes, that's been the case much more often."

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  Kompany wants to end Bayern's wait for DFB Pokal

  After helping the club win back the Bundesliga title last season, Kompany now aims to win the DFB Pokal too, a trophy that Bayern have not won since 2020. Ahead of the club's  DFB Pokal round of 16 clash against Union Berlin on Wednesday, the Belgian coach said: "At the end of the season, we'd like to have this pressure again, even more. We want to put in a good performance and win – we're prepared for anything, for 90 minutes or another 30. It's positive pressure. You can always say you want to win everything — but it takes work and attitude. If we show tomorrow how hungry we are for the final, then we have a good chance."

India have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during their Women’s World Cup match against Australia on October 12.Harmanpreet Kaur’s team was found to be one over short of the target after allowances had been made during their unsuccessful defence of 330 in Visakhapatnam. Australia won by three wickets and with six balls to spare.There was no need for a formal hearing with the match referee after Harmanpreet pled guilty to the charges levied by the match officials and the proposed sanction. India were fined 5% of their match fees.According to the ICC Code of Conduct, players are fined 5% for every over they fail to bowl within the allotted time to complete the innings.India are presently fourth in the points table, having won their first two games in the league stage of the World Cup before losing to South Africa and Australia. Their next fixture is against England in Indore on Sunday.

More than half the squad have played some competitive cricket over since the end of last season

Andrew McGlashan28-May-20252:00

Decoding Mitchell Starc’s wobble seam delivery

The Australia squad for the World Test Championship final convenes in the UK this week for a team-building camp before training ramps ahead of facing South Africa at Lord’s on June 11. Coach Andrew McDonald termed the recent period a “muddled mess” with a mixture of players at home, featuring in the IPL either side of its suspension and playing county cricket but was confident in how the side would be able to prepare once they are all together. Here’s a round-up of what those selected have been up to over the last couple of months.Usman KhawajaAfter the controversial end to the season amid the fallout with Queensland cricket boss Joe Dawes over Sheffield Shield availability it’s been a period at home for Khawaja as he enters what might be the final stretch of his international career. The end of the Ashes next season, which concludes at the SCG, could be the stepping off point. In the WTC final his experience will be vital given the uncertainty over who will partner him at the top of the order.Sam KonstasKonstas had been keen for a county deal to further his cricket education but an opening didn’t transpire so he, too, has prepared at home with sessions at Cricket Central in Sydney and at the Brisbane-based camps where McDonald revealed he had been working on some technical tweaks. It will be fascinating to watch how the next couple of months play out for Konstas after the high-octane start to his career against India. The reported that he had self-funded an extra session in Brisbane after being invited up by Nathan Lyon.Related

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Marnus LabuschagneThe key figure in Australia’s selection debate. Has time run out for Labuschagne after two lean years in Test cricket? His two-match stint with Glamorgan was unconvincing with scores of 0, 4 and 23. But in his favour is the experience he has of playing in England, although should he retain his place in the XI it looks increasingly likely he would be handed a new role as opener.Steven SmithSmith has spent time in New York, a favourite destination of his and somewhere he owns property, where he has regularly posted on social media of various runs around the city and gym sessions ahead of joining his team-mates in the UK. With over 10,000 Test runs the management are content to allow Smith to tailor his own preparation and he will no doubt switch on to some intense net sessions when the squad begins training. As ever with Smith there is intrigue around how much longer his career will go but his recent run-scoring suggests the hunger remains.Travis Head has had another season at the IPL•Associated PressTravis HeadHead has been among the contingent at the IPL and while he couldn’t match the highs of last season he still produced the occasional dazzling display as he made 374 runs with a strike-rate of 162.60. He signed off with 76 off 40 balls in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) massive 278 for 3, having overcome a bout of Covid, and now the transition begins to Test mode. Head played the decisive innings two years ago with a thrilling 163 off 174 balls against India at The Oval.Cameron GreenThings could hardly have gone much better for Green on his return from the back surgery that kept him out for the whole of the last home season. Three centuries in nine innings for Gloucestershire, including tons in his last two outings, has left him primed for a return to the Test side even though he won’t be a bowling option until the Ashes later in the year. Last time he played Tests, against New Zealand in early 2024, he batted at No. 4 where he made a superb unbeaten 174 in Wellington. Where he fits in this time is intriguing.Beau WebsterWebster, who impressed on his Test debut against India, has had a four-game spell with Warwickshire where he has chipped in without setting things alight. He made 85 in his first innings but did not pass fifty again while claiming 10 wickets at 27.80. Whether he retains his place at Lord’s appears likely to come down to conditions and how important the selectors view overs from a fifth bowler.Cameron Green will be one of Australia’s most in-form players heading into the final•Getty ImagesAlex CareyCarey finished last season in some of the best form of his life having made a century in Sri Lanka, runs at the Champions Trophy and two hundreds to end the Shield season, the second of them central to South Australia’s historic title victory. Since then he has been at home and has used the camps in Brisbane this month to tune up for the final.Josh InglisInglis has been with Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the IPL where he had to bide his time on the bench but has since played eight matches – making 197 runs at a strike-rate of 164.16 – either side of the tournament’s suspension with his latest innings being a superb 73 off 42 balls. He was a slightly late returnee but will be available for the playoffs meaning he will join the squad in the UK when PBKS’ campaign comes to an end. Despite a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka he will likely be carrying drinks at Lord’s.Pat CumminsCummins completed the entire season for SRH as they failed to make the playoffs. He finished as their joint-leading wicket-taker with 16 at 28.12 having not played since the final Test against India due to paternity leave and an ankle problem he had nursed through the summer. Behind the scenes he has been working on increasing his loads with an eye on a return to red-ball cricket at Lord’s and the next couple of weeks will be vital in ensuring he can peak against South Africa.Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, along with Josh Hazlewood, have been involved in the IPL•Associated PressMitchell StarcStarc did not return to the IPL with Delhi Capitals meaning his tournament ended with 14 wickets at 26.14. His economy rate was high at 10.16 but he produced a couple of starring performances including a career-best 5 for 35. Having remained in Australia, Starc joined the home-based players in Brisbane last week which meant his focused WTC preparation started a little ahead of schedule.Nathan LyonAnother of those based at home, Lyon has been bowling at the training camps having recovered from a hip injury he carried for most of the home summer after initially picking it up early in the India series. It was a nastier injury than was initially indicated and a build-up of fluid needed draining to ensure he could get through the Sri Lanka tour, but feedback from the last few weeks is that he is in excellent shape heading to England.Josh HazlewoodAfter spending a period back in Australia rehabbing a shoulder niggle, Hazlewood has returned for the IPL playoffs with Royal Challengers Bengaluru aiming to cap what had been an outstanding season before the interruption. Hazlewood, who had an injury-hit home season, has so far taken 18 wickets at 17.27 with an economy of 8.44 and often found success with his Test-match length. Barring any further injury setbacks he will likely keep Scott Boland out of the XI at Lord’s.Scott Boland appears likely to miss out at Lord’s, but Australia know he will deliver if needed•Getty ImagesScott BolandSpeaking of Boland, he’s the ultimate super sub for Australia should anything happen to the big three. He managed a knee niggle through the closing stages of the season and opted against finding a small window for a county stint. Two years ago he was impressive against India in the final but may have to watch from the sidelines this time.Matt KuhnemannIt was a rollercoaster latter part to the season for Kuhnemann who starred in Sri Lanka and then had his action reported. He was cleared by ICC testing and after a period of the off-season at home has squeezed in a one-game outing for Glamorgan which proved very productive with a career-best 6 for 53. He won’t feature at Lord’s barring injury to Lyon but could play a role in the Caribbean.Brendan DoggettDoggett is the traveling reserve for the WTC final so will only be called into the 15 should injury strike. He has had a three-game stint with Durham which brought nine wickets at 33.44. An impressive home season has seen him leapfrog Sean Abbott in the pecking order.

A win will take Afghanistan to the top of the Group B points table

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-20252:26

Abhinav Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup clash in Abu Dhabi.Bangladesh captain Litton Das said the pitch looked a bit on the slow side, despite the Abu Dhabi surface having been better for batting recently. Rashid Khan said Afghanistan would have liked to bat first as well.Bangladesh made four changes with Saif Hassan, Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed coming in. Mahedi Hasan, Pervez Hossain Emon, Shoriful Islam and Mahedi Hasan missed out. Afghanistan, meanwhile, named an unchanged XI.Related

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A win for Afghanistan On Tuesday will take them to the top of the Group B points table.Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan Tamim, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Nurul Hasan, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Shamim Hossain, 8 Nasum Ahmed, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Taskin AhmedAfghanistan: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sediqullah Atal, 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Karim Janat, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 AM Ghazanfar, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi

He’s now been caught behind the wicket in four out of five innings on this tour of Australia

Alagappan Muthu16-Dec-2024Steven Smith is a reasonable authority on batting. He understands the subject enough to conduct the odd experiment or two. “I’ve changed my set-up pretty much every game I’ve played for the last 15 years,” he said. On Sunday, Smith spent a little time talking about the importance of scoring a good 30 and he seemed earnest, so let’s ignore the fact that when he was dismissed for 101 he threw his helmet and flung his gloves like they were carrying disease.India lost three batters by the time they got to 30 on Monday. Theirs was a tortured 30. KL Rahul was hit flush on the wrist to start the second over. He expected that good length ball to arrive somewhere around his knee, maybe a bit higher. So when he went forward to meet it his hands were a little low. From that point though, with a throbbing left wrist to remind him, Rahul made an essential adjustment. He has been India’s best batter on this tour because he’s put a premium on playing with soft hands and close to the body. He took it to a whole other level in Brisbane. He was almost retracting his bat at the moment of impact with the ball to take all the sting out of it.Virat Kohli didn’t seem like he was worried about what the ball was doing. That’s served him well in the past. There have been low-bounce wickets back home which didn’t spook him from going on the back foot. There have been high-bounce wickets out here which seemed to add to the glow of every shot he pulled off. There have been seaming wickets which couldn’t sway him from driving on the up. There have been spinning wickets which made his flicks against the turn that little bit more chef’s kiss.All of that has contributed to Kohli having immense trust in his method. In Melbourne at the 2022 T20 World Cup, on a Test match pitch against Pakistan’s fast bowlers, he could still dictate terms from 31 for 4 without changing anything. He planted that front foot down and cricket bent to his will. When he tried that here on Monday, against Josh Hazelwood at the end of the fourth over, a fairly full ball came up to take the shoulder of his bat. Would Kohli incorporate this new information into the way he went about scoring runs?Related

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He did. In a way.He became Kohli-er than normal. Eager to get on that front foot. Looking for the slightest opportunity to drive. Hazlewood gave him one in the eighth over.This scene has played out several times – in four out of five innings this series. Like the part in the movie where someone gets separated from the group, stumbles upon a suspicious doorway and simply has to open it. Kohli’s cover drive has become a horror movie trope. You could almost hear the India fans at the ground saying, “no, don’t do it.” You did hear them saying “why did he do it?”Well for one, Kohli appreciated that when conditions were as tough as this, scoring runs is doubly important. Travis Head’s performance over the course of this series lends weight to that argument. He walked in with Australia in trouble both in Adelaide and in Brisbane and put the pressure right back on the opposition and that’s worked out fairly well. For another, according to ESPNcricinfo ball-by-ball data in the last two years, Kohli had been dismissed only once by a fast bowler tempting him wide outside off stump, while averaging 71 and striking at 145. And this ball was wide. It wasn’t in the corridor, which is as much a Kohli weakness as it is for every batter.It is tempting to install ODI Kohli into these situations. His success was built on being risk-averse, especially at the start of his innings, and he grew to supplant one of the greatest batters India has ever produced. It has been a bit jarring to see Test Kohli lunge headlong into the traps Australia have placed all through the series.In the first innings in Perth, when the danger wasn’t really seam movement as much as the pace and bounce, he worked against himself by batting a foot or so out of his crease and then pressing forward to a ball that Hazlewood aimed into the middle of the pitch. He might just have been trying to replicate the methods that he has used in the past to overcome difficult conditions and put fast bowlers on notice. But the fact that he could only play half a shot to that delivery, and was completely surprised by it, is hard to ignore. He shifted his stance back a bit during the century he made in the second innings, almost an admission the gamble hadn’t come off.The pink ball presented him with a different challenge and his first innings dismissal in Adelaide, where he was uncertain whether to play or leave was startling as well. Kohli is rarely in two minds. As much as he is hounded for the pattern of dismissal most associated with him – chasing outside his off stump – he goes at those balls heartily. He is clear they are run-scoring opportunities. Those dismissals packed in with this one in Brisbane, where he had seen evidence that hitting on the up was risky with the taller Australian bowlers getting more out of the new Kookaburra ball, and was unable to find a suitable solution to it, is troubling. He used to be able to rise above difficult conditions. Both at home and now here in Australia, he’s not quite done that.Smith modified his trigger in a way that he thought might help him combat the bounce at the Gabba. Rahul seemed so conditioned to holding his bat softly that he lost control of it while he was patting the pitch in between balls. Head loves staying beside the ball and taking every opportunity to free his arms. Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney tried to leave the ball on length as much as they could. Whether they succeeded or not, they had contingency plans for good bowling. Kohli, for once, seems to be lagging behind.

Harry Kane has made a decision on his future at Bayern Munich, having been linked with both a move to Barcelona and a return to the Premier League. The England captain broke his trophy duck last season and looks on course to add more silverware to his honours list, with the German giants well placed in both the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Kane's €65m release clause

Kane's contract with Bayern reportedly contains a €65 million (57m/$76m) release clause, though it comes with strict conditions. It is thought the former Tottenham striker can only use the option if he notifies the Bundesliga champions by the end of January 2026, which would then open the door to a departure in the summer. Spurs and La Liga giants Barcelona have both been mooted as potential destinations if he were to leave Bavaria, but recent reports indicate the 32-year-old would prefer to stay put for now.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEngland captain set to stay with Bayern

According to , Kane won't take up the €65m release clause option and instead wants to sign a contract extension with Bayern. While he is ranked second in the Premier League's all-time goalscoring charts, only 47 behind record holder Alan Shearer, the striker is thought to prefer winning more silverware with Vincent Kompany's Bayern. Kane famously went through his goal-laden spell with Tottenham without winning a single piece of silverware and then had to wait the better part of two years to claim a trophy with Bayern, eventually getting his hands on the Bundesliga trophy after Bayer Leverkusen produced an incredible 2023-24 season to keep him waiting.

Barcelona keen on Kane as Lewandowski successor

Kane has been in extraordinary goalscoring form since moving to Germany. He went past 100 goals for Bayern earlier this season, having registered hauls of 44 and 41 in his first two campaigns after leaving north London. He has been prolific again this term, bagging 28 strikes in just 23 appearances, and such form has made him a clear target for Barcelona. The Catalan giants are on the lookout for a successor to Robert Lewandowski, who turned 37 years of age in August, and a presidential candidate has gone as far as saying he will try to sign Kane if he is elected ahead of current incumbent Joan Laporta.

In late November, Xavier Vilajoana said: "We have incredibly talented players at La Masia, but of course, if we don't have players, we will look elsewhere. I will always look for a player who understands Barca's DNA, not just a name. It's a dangerous thing to look for just a name, but someone who fits our style and culture.

"If we don't have a Harry Kane inside [the club], we are going to get him. Why not?"

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AFPPremier League return remains in doubt

Former club Tottenham have not been shy in admitting they would welcome Kane back to the club in the future. 

Speaking back in September, manager Thomas Frank said: "I think there’s a lot of Tottenham fans including myself who would like to see Kane back. He’s a top player. Personally, I don't think he will do it right now, if I’m honest, he’ll probably stay in Bayern and continue performing well.

"He’s welcome. If he wants to join us, he’s more than welcome."

However, Kane already knows signing for Tottenham would not be a guarantee of adding to his trophy cabinet, even if the Lilywhites did end a 17-year silverware drought back in May by winning the Europa League. Instead, he looks set to focus on cementing his legacy with Bayern while trying to win a major tournament with England, having gone close in two previous European Championships. He will almost certainly feature in the recently announced March friendlies, with the Three Lions set to take on Uruguay and Japan during the next international break.

More immediately, Kane will be looking to get back on the scoresheet when Bayern face Mainz on Sunday, having failed to hit the back of the net during the victory over Sporting CP on Tuesday.

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.

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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.