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Leeds United now face Burnley in a transfer battle to sign a Premier League level defender on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Leeds eyeing more transfers after Nmecha deal

The Whites confirmed their first signing of the summer transfer window on Sunday afternoon, as Lukas Nmecha agreed to join Leeds once his contract at Wolfsburg expires at the end of the month.

The attacking midfielder is a player who is likely to be an important figure in Farke’s team this season, but the club are not resting with just his arrival, as they are already working on more additions.

As reported by Africa Foot, Leeds have made contact with Manchester City over signing Juma Bah on a loan deal. The 19-year-old joined the Blues back in January but spent the rest of the campaign on loan at RC Lens. He now looks set for another temporary move away, with Leeds and Southampton fighting for his signature.

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Meanwhile, defender Jaka Bijol has agreed terms over a move to Elland Road this summer and a deal appears to be nearing completion. He is not the only defender on the club’s radar, as a report from Football Insider states that Alex Moreno is also interested in a move to Leeds this summer. The 32-year-old could be available for £5 million, as the Whites are in the market for a new left-back.

Leeds face Burnley in Keane battle

The list of potential new defenders to sign doesn’t stop there, as according to the Liverpool Echo, Leeds are among the teams interested in signing Michael Keane from Everton.

Keane, who has been at Goodison Park since July 2017, is out of contract at the end of this month, and while he remains in talks over a new contract, he is looking more likely to leave. That has alerted Leeds, who, along with Burnley and Sheffield United, are keen on swooping in and securing the defender on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old, who has been dubbed “immense” in the past by Harry Redknapp, has fallen down the pecking order at Everton in recent seasons. Keane went from playing 32 games in the Premier League during the 2021/22 season to playing just 12, 9 and 14 times in the last 3 campaigns.

Michael Keane’s Everton stats

Apps

230

Goals

16

Assists

10

Keane could be a viable option for the Whites to provide more depth behind Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk, and there aren’t many free signings on the market who provide such a wealth of top flight experience.

Leeds United are said to be interested in completing the signing of a “brilliant” Celtic player this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Leeds eyeing signings amid title push

The Whites have secured promotion back to the Premier League, following a scintillating run of form in the Championship that included a 4-0 win at home to Bristol City on Monday evening.

Daniel Farke’s Leeds side know that victory away to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday will seal the title, too, with their superior goal difference over Burnley meaning the Clarets’ result at home to Millwall will ultimately be meaningless.

Amid all the promotion positivity at Elland Road, the club continue to work on new signings for when the Whites are back in the top flight, with Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone mentioned as a potential upgrade to Illan Meslier and Manor Solomon expected to join permanently.

Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons is another rumoured target for Leeds ahead of next season, with the Englishman spending the second half of the current campaign on loan at Valencia, and possibly not having a long-term future with the Cherries.

Leeds keen on signing "brilliant" attacker

According to an update from The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda is a summer target for Leeds, as they look to strengthen in the final third. He is valued at £25m.

It is claimed that the Whites have “watched” the Japanese star in action, but they are far from alone in that respect, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham all getting a mention.

Maeda would be an interesting option for Leeds, possessing blistering pace and end product, having scored 62 goals in 154 appearances for Celtic, as well as registering 27 assists. The 27-year-old is also a five-time league champion, winning four Scottish Premiership titles with the Hoops and one with Matsumoto Yamaga in his homeland, and Brendan Rodgers is a big admirer.

“He’s been absolutely brilliant wherever he’s played, however he’s played, he’s had an amazing season. He earns every penny and we feel as a club he deserves more. He doesn’t give away much, other than saying he’s very happy.”

The step up from the Scottish Premiership to the Premier League is huge, so there would be a risk element in Leeds making a move for Maeda, but the level of interest in him from some of the biggest clubs in the country suggests many believe he is good enough to make the jump.

A sensational Meslier upgrade: PL player wants to join Leeds this summer

Leeds United could be about to land a star who can allow Daniel Farke to forget about Illan Meslier.

ByEthan Lamb May 1, 2025

Still only 27, the 23-cap and four-goal Japan international is at a great age to come in and be a key man for several years – he also knows Ao Tanaka well from international duty and he could help him settle – so it is a deal the Whites should look to strike.

Arsenal are now readying a £30m bid for an attacking midfielder, who plays for one of their Premier League rivals, and there is a feeling it could be accepted, according to a report.

Gunners looking to strengthen in attack

As we edge closer to the end of the Premier League season, it is becoming more apparent the Gunners need to bring in reinforcements in attacking areas this summer, with Mikel Arteta once again having to make do without a striker yesterday afternoon.

Arteta’s side dropped another two points in the Premier League title race at Goodison Park, although Leandro Trossard did manage to get on the scoresheet in the 1-1 draw against Everton, which left them 11 points behind Liverpool.

A new striker is of particular interest to Arteta, and three centre-forwards continue to be linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium, namely Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko.

Berta now convinced £48m star wants to join Arsenal after recent meeting

The Italian thinks he’s “hugely attracted”.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 5, 2025

However, with Bukayo Saka’s absence exposing the lack of depth in the squad earlier this season, a winger could also be brought in by new sporting director Andrea Berta, with Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams now thought to be interested in making the move to north London.

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal and Berta may want to bring in another attacking midfielder and are readying a €35m (£30m) bid for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss.

El Khannouss could be set to leave Leicester at the end of the season, with his side now looking very likely to be relegated from the Premier League, and the Gunners have seemingly offered him an escape route.

The north Londoners believe the Moroccan has great potential, and there is a feeling Leicester could be willing to cash in, given their difficult financial situation amid impending relegation to the Championship.

"Special" El Khannouss needs to leave this summer

It hasn’t been the best of debut campaigns in the Premier League for the 20-year-old, having picked up just two goals and one assist, however, it was always going to be a tall order to stand out in such a poor side.

With the Foxes set to be relegated, the Belgian-born starlet needs to move on this summer, and there are indications he could be a solid signing for Arsenal, having been lauded as a “special” player by some members of the media.

Freelance scout Ben Mattinson also speaks very highly of the attacking midfielder, which suggests his attacking numbers could increase dramatically if he played in a better side.

A new striker should be Arsenal’s priority for the summer, but it is promising news that El Khannouss is also being targeted, given the lack of depth in attacking areas.

Unrestricted movement between overlapping tournaments risks calling integrity into question

Matt Roller13-Feb-2024You are a T20 cricketer, who has spent the last three weeks at a franchise league playing for a team which has performed below expectations. Your final group game is approaching, and only a win will be enough to take you through to next week’s knockout stages – but you have a dilemma.Your agent has been on the phone, and tells you that a team in another league is looking for a replacement for a player who has left on international duty. You are their first choice, but the deal could fall through unless you are available next week. How does that knowledge affect your mentality heading into your must-win group game?Similar scenarios have been cropping up on a daily basis this month: whenever a team was eliminated from the SA20, their overseas stars hopped on flights to Dubai or Dhaka to play in the ILT20 or BPL. More than a dozen players – including Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Jimmy Neesham – have made appearances in more than one league already this month.For the economically rational cricketer, the financial incentives are clear: early elimination from one league is likely to open up an extra week of availability for another, maximising overall earning opportunities. Any situation where it might be in a players’ interests for their team to lose should cause alarm; an official at one franchise describes it as “the sign of a broken sport”.There is no suggestion that any player has deliberately underperformed in one league in order to ensure their availability for another. But, as one agent puts it: “It’s a bizarre thing to have in the back of your mind.” The blame lies not with the players, who are making the most of cricket’s T20 boom, but with the administrators who have let an unregulated market mutate.Sam Curran swapped the SA20 for the ILT20 after MI Cape Town’s early elimination from the SA20•ILT20There are other bewildering scenarios for players who represent affiliates of one Indian franchise yet play in the IPL itself for another. Last month, Nicholas Pooran made his debut for Durban’s Super Giants – the South African offshoot of his IPL team, Lucknow – against MI Cape Town. His stint lasted three matches: nine days later, he played for – and captained – MI Emirates in Dubai.The status quo does not work for fans, regardless of their preferences. Purists lament the demise in bilateral international cricket’s status, but even younger fans who have grown up with leagues are poorly served. Is there any meaningful way in which to follow – let alone support – a franchise whose squad changes every other day, often without any public announcement?The six ILT20 franchises cycled through 129 players – the vast majority of them from overseas – in 30 group games this season. The seven BPL franchises have used 133 between them in the first 28 matches; that number will grow further this week when Keshav Maharaj plays for Fortune Barishal, even while South Africa’s understrength Test side are playing New Zealand.The fundamental issue is that five leagues – the BBL, SA20, ILT20, BPL and PSL – stage at least a portion of their season between late January and late February. The problem has been exacerbated during this cycle by the World Cup, which ran until November 19, but will be again in 2024-25 with the Champions Trophy set to start in early February. Everyone wants a window, but there is not space for all of them.Keshav Maharaj is heading for the BPL, only days after the SA20 final•SA 20There are some attempts to find a resolution. FICA, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations, will invite players to a global scheduling symposium in the second half of this year. “Current players’ collective views are critical,” Tom Moffat, FICA’s CEO, told ESPNcricinfo. “They are at the coalface, and should be at the centre of these conversations.”This is ultimately a scheduling issue… the same national governing bodies who control international cricket scheduling also own most of the domestic leagues. As difficult as it is to achieve, if global scheduling was built around clearer scheduling windows for international cricket, and therefore the leagues, it would provide more clarity, enable appropriate balance, and naturally line the leagues up more symmetrically.”Related

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The solution must involve collaboration – exemplified by the Caribbean Premier League’s successful avoidance of a clash with the Hundred in its 2024 window – as well as long-term thinking. It is a curiosity that the windows for leagues are often vague until weeks before they start, and that they are airbrushed out of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) despite dictating so much else.But the men’s international schedule is effectively locked in until March 2027 through the FTP, and cricket’s administrators cannot wait that long to address the perverse incentives that leagues have created. Instead, boards must find collective regulatory solutions to these problems which can then be presented for approval at ICC level. These might include:1. Restructuring of contracts
Most leagues operate with a contracting system which involves players being paid the majority of their salary via a retainer, with match fees and win bonuses representing only a small proportion. Shifting the balance might avoid some situations where players stand to benefit financially from early elimination.2. Mandatory ‘cooling-off periods’
Franchise league contracts and No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) are rewritten to stipulate that players are required to declare their availability for the knockout stages of a tournament when they enter a draft or sign a contract. If they declare themselves available for the knockout stages, they should be rendered unavailable for any other domestic cricket until the day after the final, regardless of their own team’s progress.3. Standardise the Blast’s ‘Bravo Rule’
England’s T20 Blast has long stipulated that, for knockout matches, counties can only field players who have been in the matchday squad for at least one group game, a rule devised in response to Essex signing Dwayne Bravo specifically for Finals Day in 2010. Other boards should follow suit, prompting teams to use the local talent in their squad. Bizarrely, the ECB introduced the same regulation for the second season of the Hundred – then removed it during the third.4. NOC limits for centrally-contracted players
Boards could consider following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s lead and implementing a limit on the number of NOCs they grant their players within a certain window, making extremely short-term stints less appealing to those who intend to spend a significant proportion of the year playing in leagues.The fourth suggestion was advocated by Ricky Ponting last week, but the context of his comments – he was speaking while being unveiled as Washington Freedom’s new coach, in addition to his roles with Delhi Capitals and Hobart Hurricanes – outlines the scale of the challenge. Change will require administrative leadership in a sport where that has been scant.Cricket handed itself over to the free market long ago and its governance now relies on an uneasy truce between self-interested actors. Players – and their agents – have more power than ever before, and want to make hay while the sun shines. Boards want to keep hold of their players, but also to keep them happy. Leagues want to attract fans, but also to turn profit. The only unrepresented interest is that of the sport itself, with no central authority with sufficient power to keep these actors in check.Franchises want to grow their profile, but also to win. Therein lies an important question: how do SA20 team owners feel about the idea that their early elimination might open up an extra week of earning opportunities for their players elsewhere? The irony would be lost on nobody if private investors end up being the parties lobbying for regulation.

They prepare for “one last push” after having started the tournament with three successive losses

Valkerie Baynes31-Mar-20221:20

Taylor: Ecclestone is probably the best bowler in the world

The puzzle pieces all fell into place at the perfect time for England to cap a remarkable World Cup turnaround with an emphatic semi-final victory over South Africa that earned them the right to defend their title against Australia on Sunday.From Danni Wyatt’s first World Cup century that must surely have cemented her place at the top of the order, to a maiden international five-wicket haul for Sophie Ecclestone, and Sophia Dunkley’s second consecutive fifty, England have left themselves with “one last push” to overturn a chastening Ashes defeat against their old foes.England’s chances of reaching the semi-finals, let alone the final, seemed remote after they began their campaign with three straight defeats. But their fifth victory in a row, built on Wyatt’s career-best 129 off just 125 balls and sealed by Ecclestone’s tournament-best 6 for 36 were key parts of the complete performance captain Heather Knight had been seeking.Related

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Mignon du Preez has got her mojo working

Likewise, Wyatt’s place as opener was far from decided at the start of the tournament. She played the first two matches, against Australia and West Indies, at No. 6 and was only elevated for the group-stage match against South Africa when England dispensed with the out-of-form Lauren Winfield-Hill.Before her unbeaten 76 against Pakistan, also at Hagley Oval a week ago – her first half-century at a World Cup in 17 innings – Wyatt’s best score of the tournament was 33 against West Indies.Wyatt played seven matches as opener at the 2013 World Cup, including England’s third-place play-off victory. She then had four innings in the middle order at the 2017 edition but didn’t play in the knockout stages.She played two ODIs on England’s tour of New Zealand a year ago but was then dropped for the 50-over leg of their home series with India, returning to the ODI set-up when England hosted the White Ferns in September.”I’ve had a weird career especially in my ODI career, been up and down like a yo-yo, but I’m happy to bat wherever the team want me to bat,” Wyatt said. “I’ve obviously been given the chance to open the batting, which is where I want to bat.”It’s my job to get the team off to a good start and take the opportunity and I’m really chuffed with how it went today and hopefully this can be the start of a long and successful career at the top of the order.”Before this match with South Africa, England was the only side in the competition without a 50-run opening stand, their highest being 31 against West Indies.After a streaky start by fellow opener Tammy Beaumont, who was hit on the helmet by a fierce Shabnim Ismail bouncer on the sixth ball of the day and was caught behind off a loose waft at a Kapp outswinger not long after, Wyatt dominated a 41-run stand for the second wicket with Knight, who fell for just 1. She then shared another, more even, partnership worth 49 for the fourth wicket with Amy Jones, who contributed 28.But it was Wyatt’s union with Dunkley, who played brilliantly for her 60, that took the game away from South Africa, adding 116 runs off just 112 deliveries in a busy, mature partnership.Sophie Ecclestone rattled South Africa’s chase with 6 for 36•ICC via Getty ImagesWyatt rode her luck, dropped five times – on 22, 36, 77, 116 and 117 – the penultimate time drawing a sheepish grin from Knight as she watched from the stands and the last one a difficult chance that Mignon du Preez couldn’t hold diving at cover.”I’m really chuffed with how it went today,” Wyatt said. “I woke up this morning and really wanted to contribute to a win and that’s what happened. It’s been the longest trip we’ve ever had, so one last push and we want to take the trophy home with us and have a well-deserved holiday afterwards.”England left home at the start of January and were comprehensively beaten by Australia in their multi-format Ashes series before travelling straight to the World Cup. When the sides met in their first group-stage game, Australia – the overwhelming pre-tournament favourites – won by 12 runs.In that match, left-arm spinner Ecclestone’s figures read none for 77 from 10 overs, but she has since moved to the top of the wicket-takers list with 20 at an average of 12.85 and economy rate of 3.40, bolstered by her performance against South Africa. During the tournament, Ecclestone also moved ahead of Australian counterpart Jess Jonassen to No. 1 on the ICC’s bowling rankings, a position she already held in T20Is. But an international five-for had eluded her until now.Fittingly, Anya Shrubsole, the heroine of England’s 2017 World Cup triumph, took the wind out of the chase, removing the dangerous Laura Wolvaardt for a duck with a sharp return catch and Lizelle Lee, who was caught by Nat Sciver at midwicket as South Africa slumped to 8 for 2 in four overs.Ecclestone then took away any hope of a recovery, bowling Kapp and du Preez, either side of another Sciver catch at midwicket to dismiss Chloe Tryon, before tidying up the tail to leave South Africa desperately short, all out for 156.One of the first to reach Ecclestone after she had Trisha Chetty stumped to seal victory was Wyatt, who leapt into her arms to deliver a congratulatory embrace.”Soph bowled exceptionally well again today, she’s an absolute GOAT and I’m so chuffed for her,” Wyatt said. “That’s going to be the first of many five-fors and she was absolutely unplayable today, especially with that pace and dip, a bit of turn as well that she was getting.”I actually said to Nat (Sciver) on the pitch how she would go in men’s international cricket, I think she’s bowling exceptionally well at the minute and she’s not fun to face in the nets that’s for sure.”Knight was thrilled with her team’s showing, which further proved her suggestion through the latter part of the tournament that England are peaking at the right time.”That was a real complete performance from us today, what we’ve been searching for a little bit,” Knight told the host broadcaster at the post-match presentation. “I’m really chuffed that the girls have brought their best cricket when it’s all on the line.”I think the fact that we’ve been playing knockout cricket for the last four games has really helped us a little bit. It felt like another game that we’ve been playing… really excited for Sunday.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A diretoria do Corinthians não pretende negociar Carlos Miguel. Contratado em agosto de 2021 junto ao Internacional, o goleiro é reserva imeditado de Cássio e vem sendo preparado pelo clube para assumir a vaga do camisa 12.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Na última temporada, inclusive, a diretoria do Timão chegou a um acordo com o jogador, de 25 anos, para extensão do vínculo do atleta até o fim da temporada 2025. Atualmente, o Corinthians é dono de 80% dos direitos econômicos do goleiro.

A tendência natural é que Carlos Miguel assuma a posição após a aposentadoria de Cássio, que tem contrato com o Corinthians até dezembro deste ano. Até o momento, a direção do clube não abriu conversas para renovar com o ídolo e deve esperar até os meses finais do ano para definir o futuro do jogador.

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Carlos Miguel realizou sua estreia com a camisa do Timão na vitória por 2 a 1 sobre o Atlético-MG, em julho de 2024. Apesar de ter disputado apenas 14 partidas pelo clube, o goleiro possui um retrospecto positivo e perdeu apenas uma partida como titular.

CONFIRA TODAS AS PARTIDAS DE CARLOS MIGUEL PELO CORINTHIANS

▪️ Atlético-MG 1 x 2 Corinthians (Brasileirão) – 24/07/2022
▪️ Corinthians 2 x 1 Athletico (Brasileirão) – 08/10/2022
▪️ Portuguesa 0 x 0 Corinthians (Paulistão) – 12/02/2023
▪️ Corinthians 3 x 1 Santos André (Paulistão) – 04/03/2023
▪️ Argentinos Juniors 0 x 0 Corinthians (Libertadores) – 24/05/2023
▪️ Corinthians x Liverpool-URU (Libertadores) – 28/06/2023
▪️ Corinthians x Universitario-PER (Sul-Americana) – 11/07/2023
▪️ Universitario-PER 1 x 2 Corinthians (Sul-Americana) – 18/07/2023
▪️ Corinthians 2 x 1 Newell’s Old Boys-ARG (Sul-Americana) – 01/08/2023
▪️ Grêmio 1 x 2 Corinthians (Brasileirão) – 12/11/2023
▪️ Coritiba 0 x 2 Corinthians (Brasileirão) – 12/11/2023
▪️ Cianorte 0 x 3 Corinthians (Copa do Brasil) – 22/02/2024
▪️ Corinthians 0 x 1 Ponte Preta (Paulistão) – 25/02/2024 – única derrota
▪️ Água Santa 0 x 0 Corinthians (Paulistão) – 10/03/2024

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They haven’t won every game, but this season is shaping up to be a truly special one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has got his side playing some sensational football at times while simultaneously ensuring they remain the best defensive team in the Premier League.

It seems like every player, new and old, is all pulling in the exact same direction and helping each other reach new levels.

One of the team’s best players in recent weeks has been summer signing Eberechi Eze, and so fans should be excited about recent reports linking Arsenal with someone who could be another version of the Englishman.

Arsenal target another Eze

There was tremendous excitement from the Arsenal fan base when it was announced that the club had signed Eze, and understandably so.

Transfer Focus

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

After all, here was a player who many considered to be one of the most exciting in the Premier League, and had just spearheaded Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory.

Fortunately, while it took him a few games to get up to speed, the 27-year-old has more than delivered so far this season, racking up a tally of nine goal involvements in 19 games for the club and scoring that North London Derby hat-trick.

So, with all that in mind, it’s not all that surprising to hear that the Gunners may be after another player who has the potential to be another Eze in Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Turkish wonderkid.

In fact, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are going all out to sign him and have been in contact with his representatives.

However, Juventus are understandably keen to keep hold of the incredible youngster and, according to other reports from earlier this month, would need a fee of at least £88m to consider selling him.

Therefore, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he could be another Eze.

Why Yıldız would be another Eze

Now, there are obviously some key differences between Yıldız and Eze, such as their age, but there are also more than a few similarities between them.

For example, like the Englishman, the young Turkish superstar is an attacker who can and does play in a multitude of positions.

Since making his first team debut for Juventus, the 20-year-old monster has played as a second-striker, on the left and right wings, in attacking midfield and even up top a few times.

The second similarity is that, like the former Palace star, he is a dual threat, someone who is as happy scoring a goal as he is assisting one.

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 3520 minutes, he scored 12 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes.

Then this season, he has become even more dangerous, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 18 appearances, totalling 1457 minutes, which is a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 145.7 minutes.

Finally, and this is related to his output, the 26-capped international is, in the words of content creator Alex Moneypenny, “capable of the spectacular.”

He doesn’t just score tap-ins; he already has quite the impressive catalogue of goals, ranging from long-distance strikes to ones stemming from brilliant close control.

It is also this ability to create magic on the football pitch that likely led European football writer Danny Corcoran to describe the youngster as having “Mbappe-like ability.”

Ultimately, it won’t be an easy transfer to get done, but Arsenal should be going all out to sign Yıldız in 2026, as he could be another Eze.

A Saka & Olise hybrid: Arsenal in contact over signing £70m "superstar"

The incredible talent would be as game-changing for Arsenal as Bukayo Saka has been over the years.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 5, 2025

The Baltimore Orioles have designated veteran starter Kyle Gibson for assignment after a brutal start to the 2025 campaign, according to a report from Bob Nightengale of

Gibson signed a one-year deal worth $5.25 million this spring, but after four starts amassed an 0-3 record with 23 earned runs across 12.1 innings (16.78 ERA).

The 37-year-old Gibson is one of several Orioles starters who have struggled to get going this season, and his release is the latest in a series of moves for Baltimore this weekend, with the headliner being the firing of manager Brandon Hyde on Saturday after six-plus seasons leading the franchise.

Entering Sunday, the Orioles are 15-29 on the season, and sit in last place in the American League East, 10 and 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees.

Big picture

So far in the Asia Cup, things have gone roughly as expected. India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have all registered comfortable victories, and Pakistan have also avoided an early banana peel. But Saturday brings up a more even clash. Over the last few years, T20 matches between these teams have sometimes been explosive, but although the heat of the rivalry has died down a little, it is also clear that these are well-matched teams in this format. Over the last 10 years, Sri Lanka have won eight of their 16 encounters, and Bangladesh eight.Related

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• Hasaranga fit for Sri Lanka's Asia Cup campaign

• Why are Sri Lanka and Bangladesh so poor at T20I batting?

• Hridoy hits back at critics as Bangladesh opt for safety over speed

More recently Bangladesh have had the better run, winning 2-1 in Sri Lanka in July, having also beaten Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup last year in Dallas. In those matches, Bangladesh’s bowlers tended to strike early, and find wickets regularly. Sri Lanka hope their batting order is in a better place now. But it was less than two weeks ago that they collapsed to 80 all out against Zimbabwe.Bangladesh also have the advantage of having played a match at this venue already. Their crushing of Hong Kong on Thursday was a largely complete performance, with the seamers getting wickets and the top order unfussily taking the team home in a modest chase. There were also wickets for legspinner Rishad Hossain, who was excellent against Sri Lanka in their most recent series, going at only 5.47 an over in his 12 overs across three matches.This being the group of death – Afghanistan are the other top-10 team vying for a Super Four spot – whichever team loses here will ride a treacherous road to qualification.Wanindu Hasaranga is set to return after missing the tour of Zimbabwe with a hamstring injury•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

Bangladesh: WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WLWLL

In the spotlight: Litton Das and Pathum Nissanka

Bangladesh captain Litton Das needs 56 more runs to become Bangladesh’s most prolific T20I batter. He is clearly one of Bangladesh’s key T20I batters at the moment, having hit 476 runs this year at a strike rate of 137.17. He also top-scored for Bangladesh in that series in Sri Lanka. Given his experience, he is the Bangladesh batter that will worry Sri Lanka’s bowlers the most.Pathum Nissanka is having a fine T20I year himself, having made 230 runs at a strike rate of 147.43 in 2025. That Sri Lanka have been a significantly improved team in the powerplay is down partly to Nissanka’s improvements. He has opened up new parts of his game, and has become particularly severe on errors of length. In Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka lost the only match in which he didn’t get to 30.

Pitch and conditions

The Abu Dhabi pitch tends to be batting-friendly, though occasionally it will have something for the slower bowlers as well. Rain is not forecast on Saturday.2:05

Jaffer: Hasaranga’s return big boost for SL

Team news: Hasaranga set to return

Bangladesh will likely keep the same XI that beat Hong Kong. That means they will likely play three frontline seamers.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Pervez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka said Wanindu Hasaranga should be available to play on Saturday, after Hasaranga had missed the Zimbabwe series with a hamstring injury. He also suggested Sri Lanka could go in with three frontline seam options. If fit, Dushmantha Chameers seems a certainty, with Asalanka stating that Nuwan Thushara would also play. Binura Fernando may just have the edge over Matheesha Pathirana for the last spot.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Binura Fernando, 11 Nuwan Thushara.

Stats and trivia

• Pathum Nissanka needs 50 more runs to complete a tally of 2000 in T20Is. He has played only 67 innings, which means he has eight innings in which to get those 50 runs and become the fastest Sri Lanka men’s batter to the milestone. Kusal Perera got there in his 76th innings.
• Litton Das has not been dismissed for less than 50 in his last four T20I innings, making 54*, 18*, 73, and 59, against Netherlands and Hong Kong.
• Even just in Asia Cups, these teams’ record is pretty even. Bangladesh won the first T20I Asia Cup match between them, in Mirpur in 2016. Sri Lanka won the next one, in Dubai in 2022.

Quotes

“It’s more of a rivalry for the fans. For us as players it’s just good challenging competition.”
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka on the rivalry between these teams

Arshdeep Singh is learning how to enjoy the “boring times” in red-ball cricket and has spent the last few months working on his “mindset” as he tunes up for the upcoming season.Arshdeep, 26, is currently playing for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy match against East Zone in Bengaluru, his last competitive game before the 2025 Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in Abu Dhabi.”In Test cricket or red-ball cricket, there is a time when the day gets boring,” Arshdeep said. “In the session after lunch, mostly the ball doesn’t do anything. So, how can you enjoy that?”I spoke to [Mohammed] Siraj and he told me that when nothing is happening, how you enjoy that phase would tell you how successful you could be in red-ball cricket. He gave me this small tip. I really liked it.”Related

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Before this, Arshdeep last played competitive cricket at IPL 2025, where he finished as Punjab Kings’ highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets in 17 matches. He earned a maiden Test call-up for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and was in contention to make his debut in the fourth Test, but injured his bowling hand and was ruled out.Having gone close to three months without a game, Arshdeep put in a long shift on the second day, bowling 17 overs, the most by any North Zone bowler. While he only got one wicket, he “felt really good” with the number of overs he got in.”In the last couple of months I was with the team, I trained a lot, bowled a lot and worked a lot with the S&C [strength and conditioning],” Arshdeep said. “I worked on fitness as well and that helped me bowl a decent long spell. After 15-17 overs, my body feels well. It’s [the ball] coming out really well. Not many wickets but yes, they will come as well in the future.”India fast bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Shami share a light moment•PTI

Did it get frustrating at any point in England, having to spend almost two months on the sidelines? How did he keep himself motivated?”When you are not playing, you just try to push your limits. The training is almost the same,” he said. “You just put in more work when you are not playing. More overs, more strength work, more training, so that whenever you get the chance, you are ready and fully fit to go.”I don’t know how many thousands of balls I would have bowled in practice. It’s not like there was a lack of bowling. I was properly managing my workload. The aim is to stay ready whenever you get a chance.”Arshdeep will have to make a quick switch to white-ball cricket, with the Indian team slated to reach Dubai for the Asia Cup preparations on September 4. The fast bowler, however, doesn’t feel the switch to T20 cricket will be tough, and insists it is all about adaptability.”Right from the last Test [at The Oval], I had started practising with a white ball,” Arshdeep said. “I didn’t know that there was a Duleep Trophy match in between. At the end of the day, red ball, white ball or pink ball, you have to play cricket and try and enjoy it.”I have got a chance here [at the Duleep Trophy], will play with a white ball next [at the Asia Cup]. So the aim is to put in a lot of overs under your belt and play any format. The mindset is about how quickly you can adapt. In today’s cricket, a batsman can hit against the red ball and he can play conservatively against a white ball.”So, it’s all about how you can adapt according to the situation, according to the wicket, according to the weather, when you have to put in effort, when you have to conserve yourself.”India’s first game at the Asia Cup is against UAE on September 10. They will play Pakistan on September 14 and Oman on September 19 before the Super Four round gets underway from September 20.