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One of Bruno Fernandes' former managers has revealed he wanted to sign the Manchester United captain when an Old Trafford exit was mooted.

• Bruno targeted by Saudi teams
• Portuguese stays at Man Utd
• Ex-coach wanted to sign him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus has admitted he tried and failed to sign Fernandes back when he was in charge at Al-Hilal, a side he left in May. The attacking midfielder has been the subject of a £100 million ($135m) offer from the Saudi Pro League team but Jesus says the Portugal international was committed to the Red Devils and head coach Ruben Amorim.

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  WHAT JESUS SAID

  "I wanted to [sign him], but Bruno is determined to stay," Jesus told Sport Informa. "We already talked last year. This year I knew he had made the decision to continue with Amorim. He's in a league that they say is the best in the world, but I don't agree. For me, it's the Spanish league."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jesus and Fernandes briefly worked together at Sporting CP in the 2017-18 season when the Portuguese giants lifted the Taca da Liga cup. The two are likely to still have a good relationship but it seems that was not enough to lure Fernandes away from United to the cash-rich Middle East.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Fernandes, whose Old Trafford contract runs until 2027, has decided to stay with United for the upcoming season, despite the Red Devils finishing 15th in the Premier League last term. Another poor season, though, may push the 30-year-old to leave the club in 2026.

Reece James has been told that he is "worth £150m" and "better than Trent Alexander-Arnold" as the Chelsea captain bids to overcome his persistent injury woes. James has endured a tumultuous three-year spell plagued by recurring muscle and knee problems, resulting in sporadic availability. His 19 Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season marked his highest total since the 2021–22 campaign.

• James described as worth £150m
• Ranked above Real Madrid star Alexander-Arnold
• Recurring fitness issues threaten potential

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Since December 2020, James has suffered nine separate hamstring injuries and missed well over 400 days of football, while he also underwent major surgery in late 2023. A talismanic presence for Chelsea when fit, his limited minutes, including just 12 Premier League starts last season, have repeatedly raised concerns over his long-term viability.

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  WHAT PAT NEVIN SAID

  Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin didn’t hold back with his assessment, describing James as "stupidly good" and unmatched when at peak condition. Nevin told football betting sitehe said: "If Reece James was fit, he'd be worth £150 million. He's just stupidly good. He is that brilliant. There's nobody like him. And honestly, I put him above Trent Alexander-Arnold. At his best, fully fit, he was unbeatable. His quality going forward was staggering. He looked like a man playing with boys most of the time. But it's back to the injury thing. Had he been fully fit for the last couple of years he would be England’s definite fullback, 100%. I'm not even concerned. England are quite strong in that position, but 100 % it’s him. On top of that, he would be worth fortunes."

  However, Nevin stressed that talent alone won’t put James in the frame for a big-money move in the future because fitness must accompany ability. 

  "Every club in the world would want him, but Chelsea wouldn't sell him. Why would they? Because they'd be the best of the best," he said. "The problem you've got now is the injuries. Nobody's going to pay that money for him. However good he is, if he's only going to play 10, 15 games and don't just look at last season, you've got to look at the last three or four. You've to look at them all. And it's nothing against him."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Nevin drew a comparison to former Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney, another player renowned for flashes of brilliance interrupted by injury. He recounted a recent appearance where Tierney starred before being forced off due to a cramp; a reminder that fleeting glimpses of form mean little without continuity.

  "I was at Celtic Park the other day there, and Kieran Tierney at his first game back for Celtic. He was brilliant, absolutely light years ahead of everybody else on the pitch. And then he went off injured after 63 minutes," he said.

  "And that's it. That's all it is. And with Tierney, I think it's just a bit of a cramp or something and you should be okay. But Tierney, like Reece, fully fit, absolutely everybody wants him. So that's what you've got, Reece, now. Keep him around, well, it's a lot of money to pay to keep somebody around just to get up the team. I'm afraid that doesn't work. You need to be able to produce a product."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  With the right-back role physically demanding, Nevin suggested Chelsea consider redeploying James into midfield to lessen the toll, a strategy already applied by Enzo Maresca during the recent Club World Cup. A deeper position, sitting at No. 6 rather than marauding wing-back, could play to his strengths while preserving his body.

  "I felt for the last two years, his position is going to be sitting in midfield," he added.

  "That's it, because his body doesn't want to do that flying up, flying up, flying up, down, which you have to do the right fullback position, wingback position, and also what he was brewing at.

  "So that kind of slightly deeper line, sixth position. Chelsea are so well, well covered in that position. It's unbelievable. But James is as good as any of them. So it may well be that he spends a bit more time there."

Leah Williamson is “never too far from north London” after meeting up with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry on her summer holidays.

• Captained Lionesses to Euro 2025 glory
• Headed off to the States with partner Smith
• Met up with fellow Gunners great Henry

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gunners defender Williamson, who helped the WSL outfit to Champions League glory last season, has been spending time in the United States. She has been in New York with model girlfriend Elle Smith.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Williamson has been relaxing in the U.S. after captaining England to a historic European Championship crown. The Lionesses defended their continental title in Switzerland, becoming the first England team to win an international trophy on foreign soil.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 28-year-old has enjoyed a pampering session at an exclusive members club in the Big Apple, while also taking in WNBA action and experiencing a street party. Williamson has now linked up with Arsenal icon Henry.

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• TELL ME MORE

  World Cup winner Henry ended his career in New York with the Red Bulls in MLS. He spends plenty of time in the U.S. and helps to front Champions League coverage for CBS Sports.

Wayne Rooney has claimed that Manchester United "would be crazy" not to swoop for Champions League winner Gianluigi Donnarumma before the summer transfer deadline. The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper is expected to leave the club and Rooney hopes United can win the race for his signature.

• Rooney calls for Donnarumma at Utd
• Little trust in Andre Onana or Altay Bayindir
• Amorim under pressure to improve after 15th-place finish

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  While United have already spent close to £200 million ($270m) this summer, bringing in players like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo, Rooney believes that Ruben Amorim's squad still has some key gaps. They succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in their Premier League opener, thanks to an Altay Bayindir howler, and the former England striker feels that the Red Devils need at least two more key reinforcements if they are to be competitive this season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Donnarumma, who played a key role in PSG's Champions League success last season, is looking to leave the French giants after being sidelined by coach Luis Enrique. Rooney believes that this is the perfect window to snap the 26-year-old Italian from the Parisians, as questions continue to be raised over the credentials of United No.1 Andre Onana and Bayindir. 

• WHAT ROONEY SAID

  On his , Rooney said: "There’s the goalkeeper situation and I’m sure every Man United fan is asking the same question. For me, Donnarumma is out there and if there’s a possibility you can get him, you have to go for him. Clearly, that [the goalkeeper] is an issue."

  He added: "I go back to when we had Roy Carroll and Tim Howard in goal. I don’t think there was 100 per cent trust from the defenders in front of those two goalkeepers. But the minute [Edwin] Van der Sar came in and calmed everything down, the defenders trusted him a lot more and you see a better output of performance. These United players want that confidence and trust in the goal behind them and I just don’t see that with the ones we’ve got at the moment. With Donnarumma, he’s 26 and one of the best keepers in the world. It would be crazy if Manchester United didn’t go for him. If the deal can be done and what Donnarumma wants [in terms of a salary] is another question but I’d certainly be asking the question and try to get him to the club."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  In addition to a new goalkeeper, Rooney also urged the club to bring in another midfielder. The Red Devils have been linked with Carlos Baleba of Brighton and Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace, though both players are expected to cost a fortune. 

  "Obviously we don’t know what the situation is with PSR," the United legend said. "But to get a midfielder and a goalkeeper is a priority, if they can address that before the window closes they will be in an okay place."

Como's president says his club have not rejected an approach from Tottenham for midfielder Nico Paz, who has been linked with a return to Real Madrid.

• Tottenham want new attacking midfielder
• James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both injured
• Paz reportedly of interest to Spurs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tottenham are on the lookout for a new attacking midfielder in the final week of the transfer window, with both Maddison and Kulusevski currently out with long-term injuries. They have fallen short in pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze so far this summer and Spurs are thought to have responded by making former Real Madrid youngster Paz a target.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Paz came through the youth ranks at Madrid before leaving for Cesc Fabregas' Como, where he impressed last season with six goals and eight assists in 35 Serie A games. That haul is thought to have attracted the interest of Tottenham, but club president Mirwan Suwarso has revealed some of the speculation around the saga isn't true.

• WHAT SUWARSO SAID

  “It’s not true that we rejected a proposal,” Suwarso told Corriere della Sera.

  “Nobody makes an offer knowing that we must forward it to Real Madrid, who can match it. At some point, we feared Nico Paz could return to Real Madrid. He was raised in the Real Madrid academy and dreams of playing at the Bernabeu one day.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Paz is known to be keen on a return to Madrid one day and Los Blancos will reportedly match any bid that comes in for the 20-year-old to ensure his future is at the Bernabeu. Their move for the Argentina international could come next year, with it believed Madrid have a buy-back clause worth €10 million (£8.6m/$11.6m).

Erik ten Hag’s spell at Bayer Leverkusen has cost the club almost €6 million in severance after he was sacked after just two Bundesliga games.

• Ten Hag sacked by Leverkusen after just two months
• Managed only two Bundesliga games before dismissal
• Exit has cost the club almost €6m in total

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ten Hag’s turbulent stint at Leverkusen has already come to an end, with the Dutch coach sacked after just two months in charge. According to , the former Manchester United boss reportedly cost the club close to €6m in total between his salary – just under €5m – and severance packages, which works out to around €100,000 per day during his short reign. 

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  The Black and Reds hierarchy lost patience quickly after the team dropped five points in their opening two Bundesliga matches against Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen. It became clear that the 55-year-old was not the right fit for the club’s long-term project, with sporting director Simon Rolfes openly admitting that his appointment had been a mistake. His track record at United had already been under scrutiny, and this latest setback further damages his standing among Europe’s elite coaches.

• TELL ME MORE…

  Behind the scenes, tensions escalated as Ten Hag clashed with the board over recruitment and squad decisions. He attempted to block Granit Xhaka’s proposed departure, which breached internal agreements, and was reportedly excluded from discussions over Lucas Vazquez’s arrival from Real Madrid. His management style is also said to have alienated several players and staff members, further isolating him within the dressing room.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEVERKUSEN AND TEN HAG?

  Die Werkself have acted swiftly in moving on, eager to stabilise their season and refocus on their domestic ambitions. For Ten Hag, however, this marks another damaging episode after his struggles at United, and serious doubts now linger over his ability to manage at the top level again.

Marseille are set to sign Matt O'Riley from Brighton as a potential replacement for Adrien Rabiot.

• O'Riley to join Marseille
• Clubs have agreed for a loan deal
• Midfielder had been linked to Juventus

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  To fill the void left by Rabiot, who is set to join AC Milan in Serie A after being banished from the French club, Marseille have decided to bring O'Riley from Brighton. According to , the clubs have reached an agreement for a loan deal, but there will be no purchase option in his contract.

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  O'Riley, who was born in England, plays for Denmark and has four caps to his name. He signed for Brighton last summer from Scottish giants Celtic and made 21 appearances in the Premier League, registering two goals and two assists. Marseille were in the market for a new midfielder after deciding to sell Rabiot following his altercation with Jonathan Rowe.

  O'Riley had been linked with a move away from Brighton all summer, with Juventus eager to sign him at one point.

• TELL ME MORE

  Marseille have announced the arrival of midfielder Arthur Vermeeren from RB Leipzig, who also joins on loan. West Ham left-back Emerson Palmieri is also in the city as his announcement is expected on Monday. 

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MARSEILLE?

  After suffering a loss at the hands of Lyon yesterday, Marseille will return to action on September 14 when they face Lorient at home.

Joshua Kimmich hit out at the transfer market spiral, insisting that the players can’t be blamed as he pointed to the Premier League’s vast resources.

• Bayern star stunned by soaring transfer fees
• Premier League’s wealth widens financial gap
• Players powerless in football’s market spiral

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern hero Kimmich has voiced his concerns about the ever-growing transfer fees in football, admitting that neither players nor fans can truly make sense of the astronomical sums being paid in today’s market. The German star spoke ahead of the national team’s World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia, making it clear that players cannot influence the spiraling prices. His comments come in the wake of strong criticism from Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness, who recently slammed the transfer market’s direction.

  Clubs in the Premier League were highlighted as the clearest examples of the financial gap. With Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz for £116 million ($156m) and Alexander Isak for £125m ($169m). as well as Newcastle’s extraordinary £69m ($93m) move for Nick Woltemade, where they beat Bayern to his signature, underline the widening imbalance between Germany and England.

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  WHAT KIMMICH SAID

  Kimmich admitted that even players struggle to understand the sums being thrown around and insisted that they can’t be blamed for the explosion in fees.

  "It's hard to grasp, both for us players and for the average fan, how much money is paid for a player," he said. "We can't control the sums either, and to be honest, we can't really influence them either. Especially when such transfer sums are being paid, at the end of the day, you have to say that, of course, it's the market that determines these sums."

  Pointing to the Premier League as the driving force behind inflated prices, Kimmich highlighted the structural advantage of English clubs: "If you look at the Premier League, there are obviously financial resources available, both through ownership and TV money, so they can apparently easily pull these sums out of their sleeves."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kimmich’s frustration reflects a broader issue here with the Premier League’s financial dominance has pushed transfer spending to historic highs. According to a recent transfer report by FIFA, men’s football clubs invested a record $9.76 billion in international transfers, a staggering new benchmark. For Bundesliga sides like Bayern, once seen as among the biggest spenders in Europe, competing with English clubs is becoming increasingly unrealistic.

  The Bundesliga champions missed out on major targets this summer, including Wirtz, whose price was simply unattainable. For German football, this raises questions not just about competitiveness but about the long-term sustainability of clubs that can’t match the Premier League’s resources.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Domestically, Bayern will look to refocus on the pitch, with their Bundesliga campaign continuing against Hamburger SV on September 13 at the Allianz Arena. They currently sit top of the league, but Kimmich’s candid reflections show that transfer frustrations linger in the background at Bavaria.

ESPNcricinfo stats team06-Apr-2018Cricket is blessed to have three different formats, which, while retaining the core aspect of the game – bat v ball – are distinctly different in character. But while the game has evolved continuously, and more rapidly than ever before in the last decade, the tools for measuring performances have lagged behind, and the absence of relevant data metrics is felt most acutely with Twenty20, a game defined and decided by shorter units than any other. The traditional measurements – averages, strike rates, and economy rates – don’t always make sense.Twenty20 needs a more evolved and a more nuanced system which places numbers in a more situational and contextual spaces without sacrificing cold objectivity. It needs a new stats language.Enter ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats. Starting IPL 2018, you will see a new set of metrics introduced on the site which will quantify batting and bowling performances. Many of these are contextual numbers, which will take into account the match stats – whether it was a high-scoring or low-scoring match – and the phase of the game in which the batsman/bowler performed. These will therefore allow for the fact that bowlers concede more runs in the slog overs, and batsmen are expected to strike harder then too.The metrics you see below are only the start of this new stats journey for ESPNcricinfo. Over the next several months, there will be more such measures introduced to evaluate batting and bowling performances across various parameters which will be contextual and relevant to the T20 format.To start with, the new metrics below look at the strike rate and runs scored for batting, and the economy rate and dot-ball factor for bowling. Here is a look at these metrics, plus a top-five and bottom-five list in each from the last three IPL seasons.Smart Strike Rate
Smart strike rate is a measure to calculate the scoring rate of a batsman, but it goes beyond dividing runs scored by balls faced. Smart strike rate takes into account the overall scoring patterns in the game, and during the period when the batsman was at the crease.The two factors considered are:a) The match strike rate, excluding the batsman’s numbers in the game
b) The strike rate at the other end while the batsman was at the creaseThe first factor takes into account the overall conditions during the game. If conditions were batting-friendly and both teams scored at ten an over, then the batsmen who played the game are measured against that yardstick. The second factor takes into account when the runs were scored during a game, and what was happening at the other end during the time that the batsman was at the crease. By combining these two factors, it is possible to find out the “smart runs” scored by the batsman, which, when divided by balls faced and multiplied by 100, gives the Smart Strike Rate.All the calculations are based on numbers from the match itself; there is no dependency on historical data.ESPNcricinfo LtdSmart Runs Index
It calculates the number of runs by which a batsman has outperformed the average batsman who has come in to bat at a similar stage of the innings in past T20 matches. It can have a positive or a negative value, with a negative value indicating a below-par performance.Again, there are two parts to this calculation:a) Calculating the smart runs of a batsman in an innings/group of innings
b) Calculating the average smart runs historically made by all batsmen who have come in to bat at the same stage of an innings (in terms of overs remaining in the innings).The smart runs for the batsman is calculated based on the strike rate of other batsmen in the entire match, and the strike rate at the other end while the batsman was at the crease. Combining these factors, it is possible to find out the number of extra/fewer runs he scored in the balls he faced. This is then compared with the historical (typically, over a three-year period) average for smart runs scored from the same point of entry, in terms of overs remaining. The difference (which can be positive or negative) is the value by which the batsman has outperformed the mean. This difference is the Smart Runs Index.The point-of-entry comparison ensures that top-order batsmen don’t get the advantage of more overs to play as they are compared with other top-order batsmen, while middle-order batsmen are compared with those who bat at similar positions. Thus, the top-five list has a fair mix of top-order and lower/lower-middle-order batsmen.ESPNcricinfo LtdSmart Economy Rate
This is a bowler’s economy rate after taking into account the rate of other bowlers in the match, and also the phase of the game when he bowled (Powerplays, middle overs, death overs). Thus, due consideration is given to bowlers who bowl the tough overs – the last five/Powerplays.There are three factors considered when calculating the smart economy rate:a) Runs conceded in the previous over (not applicable for the 1st, 2nd, and 7th overs)
b) Runs conceded by other bowlers in the phase in which the over was bowled
c) The match economy rateThe runs conceded in the previous over gives an indication of the momentum of the innings immediately before that over was bowled. The run rate in the over phase is meant to factor in the stage of an innings when the bowler bowled. If a bowler bowled in the fourth over, for example, the runs he conceded in that over is compared with the run rate in the other five overs in the Powerplay. This measure, along with the previous-over factor, accounts for the type of overs the bowler bowled, and gives him credit for bowling the tough overs. The match economy rate is used to measure the bowler’s overs in the overall match context.These three factors combine to give the “smart runs” conceded by the bowler in a match, which, when divided by the overs bowled, gives the Smart Economy Rate.ESPNcricinfo LtdDot Pressure Index
In T20s, stringing together successive dot balls is vitally important as it builds pressure on the batting team, which often leads to wickets. While the economy rate reflects the overall rate at which the bowler concedes his runs, it doesn’t factor in this particular ability to build pressure.The Dot Pressure Index is a simple metric that rewards bowlers for bowling consecutive dots in an over – one point for three dots in a row, 1.33 for four, 1.66 for five, and two points for a maiden over. The total such points earned is divided by the number of matches played, for a per-match value.ESPNcricinfo LtdApart from these metrics, there will also be other smart numbers to enhance ESPNcricinfo’s T20 stats coverage. An example of that is mentioned below:Strike rate in first 5/10 balls
This is simply the strike rate of a batsman in the first 5/10balls when he comes in to bat. It is especially useful in determining which batsman is best suited to bat in which position: a batsman coming in during the slog overs needs to have an especially high strike rate in the first five balls, while that might not be as important for a top-order batsman.ESPNcricinfo LtdThis is just a sampler of the sort of stats analyses and numbers you will see on ESPNcricinfo starting with the 2018 IPL.

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has reportedly popped up on Inter's radar ahead of the summer transfer window.

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• Zirkzee had tough first season at Man Utd
• Wanted back in Italy by Inter
• Loan with option to buy considered

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Zirkzee only arrived at Old Trafford last summer from Bologna but could be heading for a swift return to Italy. According to , the Nerazzurri have set their sights on the Dutch star and are plotting a way to make a summer transfer happen. The Serie A giants are considering an initial loan move with an option to buy and feel he could fit into the team well alongside Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manchester United splashed out €42.5 million (£36m/$46m) on the 23-year-old but saw him fail to live up to his price tag in a tough first season. The Dutchman managed just three Premier League goals in 32 appearances and saw his campaign seemingly ended prematurely by injury. An uncertain future now awaits as Ruben Amorim looks set to reshape his squad ahead of the 2025-26 campaign after a dismal campaign on the domestic front.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Both Manchester United and Inter have European finals to look forward to at the end of the season. The Red Devils will face Tottenham in Bilbao in the Europa League, while Inter come up against PSG in the Champions League final in Munich.

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  WHAT NEXT

  Manchester United will aim to end a dismal season on a high by winning the Europa League in Bilbao. Even if they do secure the trophy, an intriguing summer awaits at Old Trafford as Amorim attempts to rebuild a squad currently sitting just two places above the relegation zone.