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Tottenham Hotspur are set to be active in this final two weeks of the summer transfer window, as confirmed by manager Thomas Frank himself.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of the Lilywhites’ opening Premier League game of the season against Burnley on Saturday, Frank was asked about the club’s transfer plans, and admitted that they could make even more signings outside the number 10 role.

The 51-year-old also praised chairman Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange and CEO Vinai Vinkatesham for working “night and day” on Tottenham’s recruitment plans for the last two months.

In terms of who Lange, Levy and Vinkatesham could bring through the door before deadline day on September 1, Tottenham are now in formal talks to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

This follows James Maddison’s nightmare ACL rupture, which is expected to sideline him for a large portion of the new season, with Spurs’ pursuit of a playmaker now pushed even more to the forefront.

Tottenham were on the verge of signing Morgan Gibbs-White to complement Maddison this time last month, but Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stepped in to block the move in bizarre fashion – even threatening legal action against the north Londoners.

Since then, the 25-year-old has penned a brand-new Forest deal, and a move for Gibbs-White is now completely off the table.

Tottenham are turning their attention towards Eze instead, but he isn’t the only Premier League attacker targeted by Levy and co.

Agents trying to seal Tottenham transfer for Man City winger Savinho

Man City winger Savinho is also high on their to-do list, and some reports suggest that Tottenham have already had a low-ball bid rejected for the Brazilian (Jorge Nicola).

City want nearly £70 million (£67m) to green-light the 21-year-old’s late-window exit, but according to The Mail, Savinho has set his sights on a move to N17 amid his desire to become a regularly-playing star.

The former Girona winger is determined to cement his place in Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, with Spurs appealing to the player considering he’d be guaranteed more game time than under Pep Guardiola at Eastlands.

As a result, his agents, led by chief representative Frederico Moraes, have jetted to Europe as they try to force a Tottenham move for Savinho.

The Mail add that Frank personally wants both Savinho and Eze, who’d play completely separate roles, so it isn’t a case of one or the other, as widely reported elsewhere.

Savinho bagged 13 assists in all competitions for City last season, but struggled to find the net with just three goals in that time.

At Girona, the forward was a key member of the side who challenged for a shock La Liga title in 2023/2024 – racking up an impressive 21 goal contributions – including a strike against Atlético Madrid and an assist versus Barcelona.

Pakistan’s premier domestic first-class competition has undergone major overhaul

Danyal Rasool22-Oct-2024Days after the 2024-25 Quaid-e-Azam trophy was delayed, the PCB have announced the final schedule for Pakistan’s premier domestic first-class competition. The tournament will begin on October 26, with the final on December 19.In a major overhaul, the days of parsimony when it came to the number of teams have flown out of the window. This year’s QeA will see 18 teams spread out into 16 regions take part; Lahore and Karachi have two teams each. Last year, just eight teams played the tournament, with the four years prior seeing just six participants. Karachi Whites are the defending champions.”Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is the pinnacle of domestic cricket in Pakistan as it is not just a tournament but also an event that showcases the immense talent across the country and prepares them for the challenges of international cricket,” Abdullah Niazi, the director of domestic operations, said in a statement. “As always, we will continue to provide the best possible platform for players to excel and show their capabilities on the biggest stage in domestic cricket as they will be rubbing their shoulders with the best players of the country.Related

It's October 19, and there's still no clarity on Quaid-e-Azam 2024-25 schedule

“Earlier we demonstrated a successful Champions One-Day Cup, and are fully committed to strengthening our domestic structure. The successful execution of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy remains at the heart of this commitment.”Just days ago, though, the fate of this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was uncertain. ESPNcricinfo understands the tournament was delayed, with the domestic cricket department awaiting the chairman’s sign-off for the tournament. The QeA was tentatively scheduled to start on October 20.The start date of October 26 is considerably later than usual. Just two of the last 15 years have seen the tournament begin after this date. The PCB opted to host the Champions One-Day Cup in September, Pakistan’s only meaningfully empty window until May, pushing the first-class competition deeper into the season.This means the Quaid-e-Azam trophy starts while Pakistan’s Test season – it’s busiest this century – will already be well into the fifth of seven home games. The final begins on December 19, a week out from the first Test in South Africa on December 26. Earlier on Tuesday, Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel suggested the first-class competition could be used to prepare for the tour of South Africa by attempting to replicate those conditions.”If you want to prepare for SENA [series in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia], you can do it during practice and first class cricket,” Shakeel said. “If there’s first-class cricket before South Africa, we could prepare those kinds of pitches there. But we should prepare pitches and conditions series-by-series, and according to the opposition.”

Half-centuries for Karunaratne, Chandimal and Dhananjaya not enough to prevent heavy Sri Lanka defeat

Alan Gardner01-Sep-2024Gus Atkinson produced his fifth performance worthy of the Lord’s honours boards in his debut summer as an England Test cricketer, adding a second-innings five-for to his maiden hundred as Sri Lanka’s resistance in the second Test was finally broken.The touring side, set an unlikely target of 483 to keep the series alive, put on a gutsy fourth-innings display in a bid to avoid a first Test defeat at Lord’s since 1991. There were valiant half-centuries for Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva, as well as more dogged lower-order resistance from Milan Rathnayake, in only his second Test. But in the end, they were well beaten, going down by 190 runs inside four days.There was only a sparse crowd in at Lord’s to appreciate the contest, but there were ripples of applause for Sri Lanka’s endeavour – followed by the latest ovation of Atkinson’s fledgling Test career, as he raised the ball aloft after removing Rathnayake to leave Sri Lanka nine down. It took his tally to 19 Test wickets at 10.94 in two Test appearances at Lord’s (three entries on the board for five wickets in an innings, one for ten in the match), to go alongside the first century of his professional career.Atkinson’s exploits also put him in select company as an allrounder, becoming only the third England Men’s player to score a hundred and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test.ESPNcricinfo LtdEngland returned on Sunday morning needing eight wickets to seal a 2-0 lead in the series – and their fifth consecutive Test win this summer. They were made to work hard for it, with Chris Woakes, Olly Stone and Shoaib Bashir contributing alongside Atkinson as Sri Lanka’s batters applied themselves to their task.If chasing 483 to win seemed unlikely, they certainly had a chance of taking the game into a fifth day. “Bat simple and bat long,” was the message, according to Dhananjaya, and Karunaratne’s first fifty of the series set the tone during the morning session as Sri Lanka lost just two wickets, one of them the “lightwatcher”, Prabath Jayasuriya.Karunaratne dug in for 129 balls for his 55, before being bounced out by Stone, then Chandimal changed gears to blitz a 43-ball fifty either side of lunch. Dhananjaya was typically cool in putting up the highest partnership of the innings alongside Rathnayake, notching his own fifty after tea; but when he played on against Atkinson with the second new ball, the end for Sri Lanka was nigh.Ollie Pope shuffled his hand regularly, trying out different combinations and tactics – although his success with the DRS did not improve, with three burned reviews taking his record as England’s stand-in captain to eight without managing to overturn a single on-field call.The review system also led to England’s one moment of palpable frustration, when Chandimal had an lbw decision reversed on the strength of the minutest of flickers on UltraEdge – “He’s not hit that,” Woakes could be seen to say on replay. But Chandimal’s skittish innings featuring 11 boundaries eventually came to an end via a bat-pad catch at short leg off Atkinson, who struck again in his next over as Kamindu Mendis flashed a drive to third slip.Dhananjaya and Rathnayake threw up another roadblock, as they had done in the first innings at Old Trafford, to extend the day into a third session. Rathnayake showed his bravery in taking on Stone’s short-ball attack and after being dropped by Joe Root at slip off Atkinson looked set to add a second fifty in as many Tests only to nick a pull behind, before Woakes’ slower ball finished the innings off, Lahiru Kumara chipping to mid-on.Dinesh Chandimal hits on the up in his energetic innings•Getty ImagesIt was a long way from an eventful start, which saw Karunaratne survive a review for lbw off the second ball of the morning – replays showing Woakes’ delivery had pitched fractionally outside leg stump. The Sri Lanka opener had another life when a slash at Atkinson evaded the diving Root, a tough, one-handed chance at slip; England then lost a second review when thought they had him caught behind off the same bowler.Woakes removed Jayasuriya after an obdurate innings of 4 from 41 balls, a thick-edged drive well held low at second slip by Harry Brook. But the fourth-wicket stand between Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews kept England at bay, with a run-out seemingly their likeliest method of a breakthrough.With just one fifty from 13 previous innings in England, Karunaratne was largely watchful in his approach, although he did take three boundaries off an over from Atkinson: a cover drive followed up with a controlled pull, before a low edge flew between slip and gully. Another steer down to deep third off Matt Potts took him to 49 before a tap to point allowed him to raise his bat for the first time on tour.Mathews looked to take on Bashir, who found some turn but was perhaps not as threatening as England would have hoped, and Pope asked Stone to go short again with lunch approaching. The move worked, Karunaratne dislodged when gloving a lifter through to Smith down the leg side.Chandimal seemed intent on counterattacking and took Woakes for back-to-back fours at the start of his spell after lunch, then hit Bashir for three boundaries in an over. A wild swipe at Woakes that flew over the slips took him to fifty, and he did the bulk of the scoring during a stand of 59 with Mathews.They were separated when Bashir tempted Mathews to try and go over the top, only to drill his shot into the hands of Woakes, going to his left at mid-off. Woakes then thought he had removed Chandimal on 55, hitting the knee roll with one coming back down the slope – only for the third umpire, Chris Gaffaney, to conclude there was bat involved, much to Woakes’ chagrin. The delay was temporary, as England closed in on a clean sweep ahead of the final Test of the summer at The Oval next week.

Andre Onana was once seen as a huge signing for Manchester United, having the potential to offer an upgrade on David de Gea after the Spaniard was released back in 2023.

The Red Devils forked out a fee in the region of £47.2m to sign him from Inter Milan back in the same summer, with the deal seen as an astute piece of business at the time.

However, nearly two years on from his big-money move to Old Trafford, the Cameroonian has failed to deliver, producing numerous howlers that have cost Ruben Amorim’s side in key moments.

He’s registered eight errors leading to goals this season, undoubtedly being at fault for conceding Brennan Johnson’s effort, which ultimately saw them suffer defeat in the Europa League final.

It’s a surprise to no one to see other targets being considered during the summer transfer window, with a new shot-stopper desperately needed if the club are to take the next step in the years ahead.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new goalkeeper

Earlier this summer, Burnley ‘keeper James Trafford was seen as a viable option for United, with his tally of 29 clean sheets this season catching the eye – but no deal has yet progressed for the former Manchester City youngster.

Champions League winner Gianluigi Donnarumma was also seen as a potential addition, but their quest for his signature has been foiled after the Italian stated his desire to remain at PSG.

As a result, the Red Devils have had to take their efforts elsewhere, appearing to be heading in the right direction over a move to sign Lille star Lucas Chevalier, according to TEAMtalk.

Their report claims that Amorim’s side has opened talks with the 23-year-old’s agents as they bid to sign a player who kept 11 clean sheets in his 34 Ligue 1 outings throughout 2024/25.

It also states they face competition from fellow English side Aston Villa, with the French outfit demanding a fee in the region of £50m to part ways with the promising talent this window.

Why Cheavlier would be a better signing than Martinez for United

As previously mentioned, United have been working hard to identify a new goalkeeper for Amorim in recent weeks, subsequently turning their attention to Villa’s Emiliano Martínez in recent days.

The Argentine has been one of Europe’s most impressive shot-stoppers in recent seasons, claiming the Goalkeeper of the Year award twice in the last three years.

This season has been no different, winning the league’s Save of the Season award, but looks set to depart Unai Emery’s side, with sales needed to avoid a PSR breach.

It’s been reported that they are demanding £40m for the 32-year-old this summer, with the player himself said to be keen on a switch to join the Red Devils.

However, the club should look past Martinez in the coming months and put their focus onto Chevalier, with the Frenchman providing a better option for Amorim’s side.

At only 23, he has the potential to grow into one of Europe’s leading talents in such a position, even outperforming Martinez in numerous key areas this campaign – subsequently highlighting the talent he possesses.

The Lille number one, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by one analyst, has conceded fewer goals and kept more clean sheets in 2024/25 – handing United the quality they’ve been lacking between the sticks.

Games played

34

37

Goals conceded

36

45

Clean sheets

11

8

Save percentage

75%

69%

Saves made per 90

2.8

2.7

Pass accuracy

80%

78%

Errors leading to goals

0

1

He’s also achieved a better save percentage and made more saves per 90, highlighting why he would be a better and higher-quality addition despite his tender age.

Chevalier has starred with the ball at his feet, completing more passes and registering fewer errors that lead to goals, offering Amorim the option to play out from the back should he want it.

Whilst £50m may appear to be a hefty figure for a young ‘keeper, the Lille star has demonstrated that he’s a competent option that’s only going to get better in the years to come.

Martinez would likely be a solid short-term solution to the current issue, but Chevalier could easily be the club’s number one for the next decade, with the hierarchy needing to prioritise a move for his signature over the Argentine this summer.

He's perfect for Mbeumo: Wilcox opens talks to sign £35m star for Man Utd

Manchester United could be about to make a move for another young gem this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 25, 2025

The summer transfer window officially opens for business next month and full focus will now be on that for Celtic after the 2024/25 campaign came to an end on Saturday.

Brendan Rodgers will surely have been disappointed by his side’s failure to clinch the domestic treble after they lost to Aberdeen on penalties in the final of the SFA Cup.

The Scottish giants had already secured the Scottish Premiership title, for the fourth time in as many seasons, and won the League Cup by beating Rangers on penalties in the first half of the campaign.

Celtic also made it through to the play-off round of the Champions League, losing to Bayern Munich, after making it through the initial league phase.

The Hoops enjoyed a successful season, in spite of their SFA Cup final defeat to Aberdeen, and it came off the back of significant investment in the team last summer.

Celtic showed that they are willing to splash the cash to improve the side and compete in Europe by signing Augsburg central midfielder Arne Engels for a club-record fee.

Why Arne Engels has been worth the money

The Glasgow giants reportedly broke their club transfer record to sign the Belgian starlet from the Bundesliga outfit for a staggering fee of £11m.

It was a huge sum of money to play for a then-20-year-old midfield maestro, yet it has turned out to be money well spent so far because he has delivered impressive performances on the pitch for the Hoops.

Engels ended the season with a return of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions, which shows that he provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the middle of the park.

Celtic have dominated Scottish football, winning the last four titles and three of the last five domestic cups available to them, so any signings coming in should be with a view to improving their form in the Champions League.

Appearances

10

Goals

1

Big chances created

3

Assists

3

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.4

Ground duel success rate

59%

Aerial duel success rate

67%

As you can see in the table above, Engels helped them to do that with his displays in Europe, which led to Celtic reaching the play-off round, having been dumped out with one win in the group stage in the 2023/24 campaign.

The Belgian whiz has been worth the money for the Hoops, so far, because he has delivered quality in the Champions League, including a goal and an assist in the 5-1 win over Slovan during the league phase.

Celtic, however, could take the Belgian talent to the next level by splashing the cash once again to sign a striker to make the most of his creativity next season.

Celtic expected to move for new striker

According to Anthony Joseph, writing for Sky Sports, Celtic are ‘expected’ to make a new move to sign Brondby centre-forward Mathias Kvistgaarden in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that the Denmark youth international has been a long-term target for the Scottish giants, and they are now prepared to make yet another swoop for his services ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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

Joseph adds that the closest the club have come, to date, to signing the 23-year-old star was in the recent January transfer window, after Kyogo Furuhashi left to join Rennes, but they were unable to get a deal over the line.

The journalist states that Brondby have been sticking to their valuation of at least £10m for the attacker, which is slightly less than what the Hoops paid to sign Engels last summer.

This suggests that it is a deal the Premiership champions could afford to do if they feel he is worth splashing the cash on, given that they were prepared to spend big on the Belgium international.

They should, now, sanction a £10m swoop for his services when they make their expected move for the striker because he could take Engels to the next level with his finishing ability.

Why Celtic should sign Mathias Kvistgaarden

The Hoops should splash the cash on Kvistgaarden because of his exceptional form for Brondby in the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that he could be a lethal forward for Celtic with the creativity that Engels can provide.

In the Premiership, the Belgium international was only rewarded with six assists from the 11 ‘big chances’ that he created for his teammates throughout the season. This shows that the midfielder was let down by the quality of finishing from the club’s forward players in the top-flight.

Adam Idah was one of the wasteful attackers responsible for that. The Ireland international scored 13 goals and missed a whopping 19 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, whilst he also underperformed his xG of 13.57.

This suggests that Celtic could take Engels to the next level as a creator by signing a striker who can more than make the most of his creativity, which is why they should swoop for Kvistgaarden.

Appearances

35

29

xG

13.57

13.82

Goals

13

17

Penalty goals

1

0

Chances created

19

19

xA

2.60

2.22

Assists

0

5

As you can see in the table above, the Danish attacker would come in as a big upgrade on Idah because of his finishing quality, having scored five more goals from open play with a similar xG tally at league level.

Kvistgaarden, whose form was dubbed “absolutely sensational” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is a striker who has the movement and the finishing skills to take Engels’ assist tally way beyond the 13 he got this season.

The 23-year-old striker, who scored 23 goals in all competitions, could thrive on the kind of quality that Engels can provide from a central midfield position, and that could make him a star for the Hoops next term as their regular starter in the number nine position.

It is now down to the board to sanction a £10m deal for the Danish marksman, to both provide Rodgers with a clinical and effective starting centre-forward, whilst also taking Engels to the next level by finding a player who can make the most of his creativity.

Celtic could sign Idah upgrade in £40m star who's "guaranteed goals"

Celtic have been tipped to swoop for a star who would be a big upgrade on Adam Idah.

ByDan Emery May 25, 2025

This time last year, Leeds United were full to the brim with nerves as a Championship playoff final awaited the Whites at Wembley.

Thankfully, no such heartache on the biggest stage is plaguing Daniel Farke’s men currently, with any loss to Southampton now a distant memory, considering the second-tier title was wrapped up in style this season by the West Yorkshire giants.

One downside to Leeds winning promotion could come in the form of Harry Gray’s development being hindered, with so much already anticipated of the teenager at Elland Road despite the attacker only being 16 years of age.

Gray's incredible rise at Leeds

Plenty of the hype surrounding Gray does come from his notable namesake, with his brother Archie now on the books of Tottenham Hotspur and a Europa League winner after exploding into life in the senior game with the Whites.

Farke was heavily responsible for the 19-year-old’s sudden rise in the first team, considering he gifted the versatile Spurs number 14 his first senior opportunities at Elland Road, with history now amazingly repeating itself.

Indeed, with Leeds’ promotion virtually wrapped up, the German would start to name the 16-year-old sensation amongst his substitutes, with his first official appearance for his boyhood employers coming against Stoke City last month.

With 11 goals next to his name playing for both the U18s and U21s too, this could well be the early beginnings of a future icon in West Yorkshire. After all, he has already been described as “one of England’s best prospects in his generation” by data analyst Ben Mattinson.

Gray might not be the only rising star that could soon work his way into Farke’s regular first team picture, though, with this fellow Thorp Arch product possessing the potential to be as big a talent as the much-talked-about striker if given time.

The Leeds youngster who could be as impressive as Gray

It isn’t the biggest shock in the world to see the Leeds conveyor belt continuing to churn out more and more top-drawer youngsters with the likes of Kalvin Phillips once beginning his journey with the Whites.

Sam Chambers could be the next prodigy to rise the ranks and make an impression; therefore, with the exciting 17-year-old also gaining his first meaningful senior opportunities this season when given a cameo late last year versus Plymouth Argyle in the league, alongside an FA Cup chance against Millwall in 2025.

These rare slices of senior action would follow on from Chambers thumping home this effort in pre-season action for Farke’s men, with the promising Scotman really catching the eye at a youth level for the Whites for his versatility all across the attacking positions.

Indeed, his ability to maraud down the wings or play as a number 10 has even seen his ever-improving game be compared to that of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling by SCOUTED editor Llew Davies, who stated that Chambers “breaks open games, beats presses, creates positive attacking situations. He’s a little bit like Grealish, Emile Smith Rowe and Dibling.”

AM

20

2

3

CM

5

1

0

CF

4

1

1

LM

3

0

0

RW

1

0

0

LW

1

0

0

RM

1

0

0

Chambers will aim to follow in both Grealish’s and Dibling’s footsteps, therefore, as the electric duo were both raw gems themselves once upon a time at Aston Villa and Southampton before their big breaks.

If he can go on to live up to these lofty comparisons, he could even be a bigger talent than Gray, with the future looking very bright at Elland Road as Premier League football returns, alongside yet another generation of stars coming through that look extremely encouraging.

Farke's next Tanaka: Leeds lining up move for "unbelievable" £10m star

Leeds United may be about to sign a star who could follow in Ao Tanaka’s footsteps at Elland Road.

1 ByEthan Lamb May 21, 2025

Monday was the day. Leeds United officially confirmed their promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking at the start of this week.

The Whites knew that they had a chance to get out of the Championship if they beat Stoke City, and they ran out emphatic 6-0 winners against the Potters.

Five of their goals came in the first half, before Wilfried Gnonto got in on the act in the second 45, and that result meant that they could cheer Burnley on against Sheffield United in the evening kick-off.

The Clarets beat the Blades 2-1 at Turf Moor in a result that confirmed Leeds and Burnley’s places in the Premier League for the 2025/26 campaign, whilst the two teams must still battle it out in the final two matches to see who wins the title.

Daniel Farke can now start to think about his preparations for next season and how his team will attack the top-flight; the players who will remain key to the starting XI, and those who may not be up to the task of stepping up.

One player whose future will be interesting to see unfold is centre-forward Joel Piroe, who has struggled at times this season but provided a reminder of his quality against Stoke.

Why Joel Piroe could be replaced this summer

The former Swansea City marksman is a terrific finisher at Championship level, that cannot be denied, as he has scored 19 goals from 16.41 xG and only missed 12 ‘big chances’ in the division this term.

Piroe scored four goals from four shots, totalling 1.35 xG worth of chances, against Stoke on Monday, showcasing his ruthless edge in front of goal.

However, he found himself completely unmarked in the box for all four of those chances, as the Stoke defenders left a lot to be desired with their performances, and the striker may not get that kind of time and space in the Premier League.

The left-footed forward had failed to score in his previous nine Championship starts, leading to doubt about his place in the team before his exceptional showing on Easter Monday, and Farke may question whether or not he has the attributes to be the club’s starting number nine in the top-flight.

Appearances

44

Dribbles completed per game

0.3

Dribble success rate

33%

Ground duels won per game

1.7

Ground duel success rate

27%

Aerial duels won per game

0.6

Aerial duel success rate

20%

As you can see in the table above, Piroe’s work off the ball has left a lot to be desired in the Championship this term, as he has been dominated by opposition defenders on the ground and in the air.

The 25-year-old striker is too lightweight at times, as shown by his dreadful success rate in duels, and that is a big concern ahead of a Premier League season where Leeds will be with their backs against the wall and fighting to avoid relegation.

All three newly-promoted teams, assuming Ipswich do not win all five of their remaining games and West Ham lose all of theirs, are being relegated from the Premier League this year, as they were the year before, which illustrates how difficult it will be for the Whites.

This means that Leeds will likely need a centre-forward who can alleviate pressure on the team by holding the ball up, duelling with defenders, and by running the channels to stretch the play and open up space for the midfielders to work.

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Unfortunately, Piroe’s physical data suggests that he will not be cut out for thatrole in the Premier League, which is why Farke could replace him with a new signing this summer.

One star from the 6-0 win over the Potters who should not be replaced in the starting XI for next season, though, is right-back Jayden Bogle, who has been an even better signing than Piroe.

Why Bogle has been a better signing than Piroe for Leeds

The English full-back was reportedly signed for a fee of £5m from rivals Sheffield United last summer, whereas Piroe was signed from Swansea for a reported fee of more than £10m in the summer of 2023.

Despite costing less than half as much as the Dutchman, Bogle has been far more consistent in his performances over the course of this promotion-winning campaign at right-back, showing that the club hit the jackpot with their deal for the defender.

Piroe has dipped in-and-out of the team at times, coming off the bench on ten occasions, and has gone through dry spells, with zero goals in nine games prior to the Stoke match, as well as struggling with his lack of physicality consistently throughout the season.

Bogle, on the other hand, has started all 42 of his appearances in the division, averaging 87 minutes played per game, which illustrates how much Farke has relied on him week-in-week-out.

Tackles + interceptions

3.2

xG

5.09

Ball recoveries per game

3.5

Goals

6

Ground duel success rate

55%

Big chances created

9

Aerial duel success rate

53%

xA

5.63

Error led to goal

0

Assists

4

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old full-back has shown that he can mix defensive quality and strength with outstanding attacking contributions from a defensive position.

Bogle, whose pass to Piroe against Preston was dubbed “tremendous” by Aidy White, has the drive and quality to motor down the right flank to deliver goals and assists – assisting Piroe’s second against Stoke.

The ex-Sheffield United star has also won the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, without making any errors that have directly led to goals against for Leeds.

Therefore, Bogle is a complete full-back who seems to have the qualities required to make the step up to the Premier League in Farke’s current team, because he has the physicality and the technical ability to deal with the step up.

Better signing than Gunn: Leeds plot bid for "unbelievable" £10m star

Leeds are plotting a bid to sign a Premier League star who would be even better than Angus Gunn.

ByDan Emery Apr 20, 2025

This is why he was an even better signing than Piroe because he can handle both sides of the game, making him a player with top-flight potential, and he cost less than half as much, which shows that Farke hit the jackpot by signing him from the Blades.

David Warner will bow out of Tests as one of the best openers to have played for Australia, and perhaps the best opener of his era

Shiva Jayaraman31-Dec-2023David Warner will end his Test career as the fifth most prolific batter for Australia. With one Test left in his career, he’s scored 8695 runs at an average of 44.58. No opener has scored more runs for Australia in Tests than Warner. Warner went past Matthew Hayden’s 8625 runs for Australia in his penultimate Test at the MCG. Hayden is the only Australia opener to score more Test hundreds than Warner’s 26.For someone who was in danger of being straight-jacketed as a white-ball specialist in the early days of his career, Warner finishes with a handsome record in Tests: he is the fourth most prolific opener ever. Only Alastair Cook, Sunil Gavaskar and Graeme Smith have made more runs in Tests as an opener. Australia fast-tracked Warner to T20Is – he made his debut even before he had played first-class cricket – because of his attacking style at the domestic level. Warner brought that style to his Test match batting as well, striking at 70.31 in the format. Among 35 batters to score 8000 or more Test runs, and those for whom strike-rate data is complete, only Virender Sehwag had a higher strike-rate.The best at a tough gigRemarkably, despite scoring at that clip Warner has been more enduring than any other opener in an era that has been largely difficult for openers. Since Warner’s debut, only seven other openers have survived long enough to score at least 3000 Test runs. Cook, who was an established opener for England long before Warner started, is the next most prolific opener with 6555 runs since Warner’s debut. Warner’s average of 45.08 is also easily higher than any of the above seven batters. With a lower cut-off of 2000 runs only Usman Khawaja and Rohit Sharma average higher than Warner.Warner also hit more hundreds than any other opener during his career. Warner’s 26 hundreds are ten more than Dimuth Karunaratne’s, who is the next-most prolific opener in terms of hundreds. Openers from New Zealand (22) and West Indies (18) and Bangladesh (12) have collectively hit fewer Test hundreds than Warner.ESPNcricinfo LtdBetter home than awayWarner was undoubtedly a better batter at home than he was away on tour. He scored 5336 runs as an opener at an average of 58.63. Among 21 openers to have scored 3000 or more runs at home, none average higher than Warner. The next best is Len Hutton, whose 3885 runs as an opener in England came at an average of 57.98. Overall, Warner has scored 5347 runs in Australia at an average of 58.11. He made 3348 runs on away tours at an average of 32.50.Not that Warner didn’t have his highs playing outside Australia: in the 2013-14 series in South Africa, he made 543 runs at an average of 90.50 with three centuries and two fifties in six innings. Among visiting batters, only Neil Harvey has made more runs at a better average than Warner in a Test series in South Africa. Harvey made 660 runs at 132.0 in eight innings in 1949-50. Ken Barrington is the only other visiting batter to score 500 runs in a series in South Africa at a better average. Best phase That South Africa tour came at the beginning of Warner’s best phase in Test cricket, which started with the Ashes hundred at the Gabba in 2013-14. From that Ashes series to end of the home season in 2015-16, Warner wasn’t just the best opener at the Test level but was also among the top batters. He scored 3066 runs at an average of 62.57 and made those runs at a strike rate of 81.49 in 27 Tests in that period. No batter scored more runs in Tests than Warner during this time. Among 76 batters to have played at least 20 innings in that period, Warner’s average of 62.57 was the fourth-best, only behind Kane Williamson, Steven Smith and Angelo Mathews, who was ahead of Warner by the smallest of fractions.The Gabba hundred in the 2013-14 Ashes would be the first of the 13 hundreds he would make in a span of just 50 Test innings. That is as prolific a streak as any of the currently active batters have had. Steven Smith and Virat Kohli are the only other currently active batters to make 13 centuries in any span of successive 50 Test innings. Warner accumulated 3017 runs at an average 62.90. Apart from Warner, only four batters with active Test careers scored 3000 or more runs over 50 successive innings – Virat Kohli, Steven Smith, Kane Williamson and Marnus Labuschagne. At his peak Warner rubbed shoulders with the best batters of this era.