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Arsenal’s summer spending spree is seemingly set to commence.

On Saturday morning, Fabrizio Romano reported that Martín Zubimendi “has now verbally agreed” to join Arsenal, claiming that the Gunners intend to trigger his release clause, which stands at €60m (£51m).

This deal has been in the pipeline for a while, with David Ornstein of The Athletic reporting back in January that they were “pursuing a deal” to sign the Spanish international, describing him as a “long-term target”.

Nevertheless, this is set to be just the start of Mikel Arteta’s mass summer squad rebuild, so are the Gunners also close to signing another La Liga star, who’d be the club’s best value-for-money signing since Jurriën Timber?

Latest on Arsenal's transfer search

According to a report by Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Arsenal are ‘close to signing’ Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García.

As noted by James McNicholas and David Ornstein of The Athletic, Arsenal spent all of last summer pursuing the 24-year-old, having “identified” the Spaniard as the perfect player to provide competition for his compatriot David Raya, but Espanyol were unwilling to negotiate any lower than his €30m (£25m) release clause.

The bad news for Arsenal is that the Blanquiazules are on course to avoid relegation, García’s release clause would reportedly have dropped to just £12.6m had the Catalan club finished in the bottom three, but Tom Allnutt of the Times still believes the Gunners plan to finalise this deal.

So, how will García improve Arteta’s squad, and will he be their latest bargain signing?

Arsenal's best value-for-money signings

Analyst Ben Mattinson labels García an “exciting goalkeeper”, praising his “cross claiming” and “composure on the ball”.

Meantime, Sive Vishwa of Breaking the Lines describes him as “dependable and aggressive”, forecasting that he will become “one of the best goalkeepers” of his generation.

Thus, at just £25m, García looks set to prove an absolute bargain, but who are some of Arsenal’s best value-for-money signings of the Arteta-era?

David Raya

2023

£27m

93

Jurriën Timber

2023

£34m

51

Leandro Trossard

2023

£27m

121

Jorginho

2023

£12m

78

Martin Ødegaard

2021

£30m

195

Gabriel Magalhães

2020

£27m

210

Timber in particular stands out as an excellent value-for-money signing, arriving from Ajax for just £34m two summers ago.

As outlined by Alex Howell of BBC Sport, the Dutchman is in the running to be named Arsenal’s player of the season, a remarkable achievement considering he played just 147 minutes during his first campaign in North London, suffering an ACL rupture on the opening day of the season against Nottingham Forest.

So, will García prove to be the Gunners’ latest bargain?

Well, for him to become that, he’ll need to play matches, and this won’t be easy considering current number one Raya has been “really impressive” according to Arteta, so let’s compare the two Spanish shot-stoppers.

Appearances

34

52

Minutes

3,060

4,710

Cleans sheets

7

18

Goals conceded

44

47

Shots on target faced

176

170

Saves

135

119

Save %

77.3%

74.1%

Post-shot xG – goals conceded

+9.3

+4.1

Crosses stopped %

9.6%

12.1%

Penalties faced

6

12

Penalties saved

2

2

Pass completion %

70.9%

73.9%

Long passes attempted

515

723

% of accurate long passes

39.6%

36.7%

As the table outlines, García’s statistics this season do compare favourably to Raya, made all the more impressive by the fact he is playing for an Espanyol side battling to avoid relegation from La Liga, having been promoted via the Segunda División play-offs last June.

Raya’s statistics are superior when it comes to high claims and passes completed, but García’s post-shot expected goals – goals allowed figure of +9.3, meaning he’s prevented over nine more goals than expected, is certainly eye-catching.

Across Europe’s top-five leagues, of all 204 goalkeepers who have featured this season, García ranks sixth for this metric, behind only Yehvann Diouf (Reims), Yahia Fofana (Angers), Vanja Milinković-Savić (Torino), Đorđe Petrović​​​​​​​ (Strasbourg) and Donovan Léon (Auxerre), with Raya down at 131st, according to FBref.com.

Transfer Focus

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So, García will arrive in North London confident he can usurp his fellow Spaniard in the pecking order, suggesting he could prove to be fantastic value for money.

Vini & Yamal hybrid: Arsenal could sign 'one of the world's best dribblers'

The brilliant winger would be unreal for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 10, 2025

Liverpool are now in a race to sign an “outrageous” attacker, who has been compared to Lionel Messi, but there could be fierce competition from a number of their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Reds eyeing forwards amid doubts over Salah and Nunez

Mohamed Salah is still yet to commit to a new contract to remain at Anfield, while there is major doubt over Darwin Nunez’s future on Merseyside, with the Reds now happy to sanction the Uruguayan’s departure in the summer transfer window.

Nunez has been very disappointing this season, netting just seven goals in all competitions, and Nottingham Forest are believed to have made a £50m bid.

As such, the Reds have started looking at new forwards, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha is the latest striker to be linked with a move, with contact being made to gauge whether the Brazilian would be interested in heading to Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side have also approached Brighton & Hove Albion over Joao Pedro, who is viewed as a like-for-like replacement for Nunez, while Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, who is able to play on both wings and at centre-forward, is another option for the Merseysiders.

He'd be a dream with Isak: Liverpool open talks to sign £45m Madrid target

Liverpool are ready to spend liberally in the transfer market this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Apr 1, 2025

It would be very difficult for any new signing to replicate Salah’s numbers, but Liverpool have now set their sights on another player who has been in incredible form, with a report from The Boot Room revealing they are interested in Lyon’s Rayan Cherki.

Cherki has really kicked on this season, quashing previous concerns that he did not have the correct attitude to make it to the very top, and he has struck an agreement with Lyon to leave for less than £25m this summer.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the forward, while there are a whole host of other potential suitors from the Premier League, namely Manchester United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

"Outrageous" Cherki impressing in France and Europe

It is little wonder the Frenchman is starting to attract attention from a number of Europe’s top clubs, given that he has been in fantastic form for Lyon this season, amassing eight goals and 18 assists in all competitions.

Eight of those assists have been in the Europa League, with the 21-year-old leading his side’s charge to the quarter-finals, and journalist Dean Jones has lauded his skill level as “outrageous”.

Not only that, but former Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has compared the playmaker to one of the best players of all-time, saying: “Cherki is comparable to (Lionel) Messi in terms of technical quality.”

As such, £25m could be a bargain price for Cherki, whose performances this season indicate he has developed considerably this season, and at just 21-years-old, he may still be some way off his prime.

It’s not just about the cricket or the money, Cummins explains, but the opportunity to think about his career after cricket

Matt Roller22-Jul-20241:50

Cummins: MLC is giving cricketers a platform in the US

Pat Cummins does not make Major League Cricket sound like a tough sell. “It was like, ‘do you want to come to the US for a few weeks in summer, be around a team where I’m good mates with a few of the guys, play a bit of golf and play a bit of cricket in a new country’,” he tells ESPNcricinfo from Dallas. “I jumped at it.”Yet his lucrative four-year contract with San Francisco Unicorns was a paradigm of change in the cricket world. Cummins had only previously played in one overseas T20 league – the IPL – but his interest was piqued by the identity of the franchise’s owners: Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, a pair of India-born venture capitalists based in California.Five injury-ruined years early in his career made Cummins acutely aware that professional sport is transitory. He studied business at Sydney’s University of Technology during his prolonged rehabilitation, sits on the Australian Cricketers’ Association’s board of directors, and has used his platform to advocate for action on climate change.It is why the owners’ Silicon Valley background was the clincher for him. “It’s a space that I find super interesting, particularly the venture-capital world,” Cummins says. “I potentially see that as something I’d like to do more of post-cricket, so [this is] a way to align with a few of those guys, learn off them over the next few years, be around some of those conversations.”The tournament effectively provides him with a chance to network: since arriving in the US, Cummins has already “informally” discussed potential opportunities over coffee. “If it’s something I do enjoy, hopefully I could dive a little bit deeper for the back-end of my career, and then maybe move into that space a bit more professionally after cricket.”

“For the guys that play all three formats, you’re always trying to make sure you’re peaking for those major events – and it feels like there’s been about ten major events in the last 18 months, so I haven’t really taken much time to reinvest back in my body”Pat Cummins

Cummins’ contract with Unicorns runs until 2027. By then, he will be 34 and closer to the end of his international career. “The intention is definitely to make this a long-term partnership,” he says. “Obviously playing for Australia, it’s going to clash at certain times. But outside of that, I want to make sure MLC is a real focus.”MLC remains at a nascent stage, with just 25 matches shared across two venues. But its combination of high salaries, a short window, and the novelty of playing in the US have proved attractive. Its pool of overseas players comfortably outstrips that of rival leagues, including the Hundred in England. “I hadn’t thought of the Hundred,” Cummins admits.Cummins makes it clear that, as Test and ODI captain, “playing for Australia will come first”. Cricket Australia only made him available for five out of seven MLC group games this year to manage his workload after the T20 World Cup, and his availability for the 2025 edition will depend on a potential clash with a two-match Test series in the Caribbean.He has also been rested for Australia’s white-ball tour to Scotland and England in September, giving him a prolonged break ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Tellingly, that decision received minimal pushback.”Everyone’s a little bit more realistic about the schedules nowadays,” Cummins says. “We spend ten-plus months of the year away on the road, so some tours probably carry a little bit more importance than others. For the guys that play all three formats, you’re always trying to make sure you’re peaking for those major events – and it feels like there’s been about ten major events in the last 18 months, so I haven’t really taken much time to reinvest back in my body.”1:38

Cummins explains why he will miss the September tour to England

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are part of September’s tour, but Cummins had long planned to miss it. “That window has always been earmarked as a time to really give my body a rest and do close to a full pre-season,” he explains. “I should get six or eight weeks off bowling and then build up again. Once this MLC opportunity came up and we mapped out the plan, it didn’t really change much.”I still get that same amount of break and then just probably start one or two weeks later heading into the summer… I’ll get home, I’ll have a good six or eight weeks off bowling where I’ll get in the gym every day, do some running, and get some strength back into my body. And then we’ve got a big Test match series [against India] for our home summer, so that’ll be the focus.”Cummins has only taken one wicket in three MLC appearances, but has helped Unicorns seal a top-two finish, closing out a win over MI New York on Friday night. “It’s a really high standard,” he says. “The calibre of players is ridiculous and for a competition in its second season, it’s super organised and super competitive… I couldn’t speak highly enough of it.”Australia played exclusively in the Caribbean during the T20 World Cup, but Cummins watched the US leg with interest: “That Pakistan-India game looked insane… everyone talks about baseball, basketball and NFL, but there’s hundreds of thousands of cricketers here going about their work quietly who are now starting to get a platform.”Unicorns’ long-term ambition is to bring MLC to California, with plans to build a stadium in San Jose. “Hopefully that will be ready to go in the next couple of years, and I’ll be coming back to San Fran a lot,” Cummins says. That sentence alone from Australia’s captain is proof that cricket has changed for good.

The Rajasthan Royals’ director of cricket on the making of Jos Buttler’s purple patch this IPL season and the reason he’s found success where other batters haven’t

Interview by Andrew Fidel Fernando05-May-2022A little over halfway in the IPL, Jos Buttler is by a distance the most prolific batter in the competition, having made 588 runs at a strike rate of 151. Rajasthan Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara talks about the season his team’s star batter is having.Jos Buttler is no stranger to success at the IPL, but this season he’s been far and away the best of the batters so far. Why do you think that is?
He’s been given a very clear role as an opener, without having to think about batting No. 4 or 3, or his role being questioned in terms of how the team might benefit from his position being changed.The franchise has also recognised that he’s been the best T20 opener in the world for the past few years. We’ve done our data and analytics for seven months. We had a separate analytics team that looked at player valuation quite differently and went into granular detail, and that helped us in terms of retention and in terms of auction strategy, and giving players clarity in their roles, and that’s helped Jos.Related

• Jos Buttler ton, Chahal hat-trick give Rajasthan Royals narrow win

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• The method in Jos Buttler's ton-scoring madness

• Buttler: 'You're always looking for one over that you can really target'

In terms of his technique, he’s done a lot of work in identifying what his best hitting position is, and how he changes from the first two to three overs in the powerplay to that power-hitting position the moment he feels he’s got rhythm. That’s been really good.He tends to start somewhat slow…
Jos has realised that his strike rate right throughout the innings gets better and better, so he knows not to get fazed when the ball is swinging or seaming – to fight through those periods and give himself the best chance of success. If he’s batting in the 14th or 15th over, he’s well on the way to scoring a hundred. Last season the Sunrisers game was an example. He was about 35 runs off 35 balls and ended up scoring a hundred off 56 deliveries I think. He’s great at understanding what the game is telling him to do and the pitch is telling him to do. And giving himself the best chance of taking his innings deep and scoring the runs for the side. He’s got amazing skills, amazing hands and bat speed, so that does the rest of the job.Against Sunrisers Hyderabad last season, Buttler began with a run-a-ball 35 before accelerating to 50 off 39, then 100 off 56, and finishing with 124 off 64 balls•BCCI/IPLThen he explodes in the next ten balls to the point where balls ten to 20 are one of his most productive periods. Is this a game plan he has?
For him it depends on feel. If you take the first Mumbai game – Bumrah bowled a really good over, Daniel Sams not such a good over, and then Basil Thampi comes on and suddenly, I think he felt that was an over where he could really take him down. I think he took 26 or something in that over. When he gets that feeling, how he arranges his feet in terms of his ready position is really important for him to have that maximum output.He starts off in the normal fashion but changes into his power-hitting position when the moment comes along. When there’s another tough period, he changes back. He’s brilliant at reading the game. He knows how to switch back and forth. That’s been a hallmark of why he’s been so successful this season.No type of bowler seems to have had an advantage over him this season. What’s given him that unique edge?
He’s good against spin and pace, which is not always the case with even the great players. He also has a very good shot repertoire that he’s comfortable with. He paddles, sweeps, reverse sweeps. And he’s got great hand speed and a lot of power. He’s a very, very strong guy. You can see that even off a back-foot punch, how he clears the line. So when you have those shots and that strength in your armoury and those quick hands – it gives you a huge amount of confidence.When I was playing, I had to calculate a six, and reverse sweeps were not something I did naturally. I had certain ways of scoring. But Jos is exceptional because of his range of scoring. He’s all around the wicket. He paddles pace, he hits down the ground, and he hits over extra cover. There’s no real weakness, when he gets going [for you] to tie him down. The only thing that can affect him a little bit is sticky or slow wickets. But then when he fights through those periods, those attributes that he has really help him.He looks at his T20 innings as a long innings. He’s not a guy who’s just satisfied batting in the powerplay. He’ll take it to the 12th, 14th, 15th over, which really helps the side do well. That overall game arrangement that he has makes it tough for bowlers to tie him down.”He is exceptional because of his range of scoring – he paddles pace, he hits down the ground, and he hits over extra cover”•BCCI/IPLAs good as he has been against pace, he’s prospering even more against the spinners – he has faced 103 balls of spin in the tournament, been out just once, and scored at 9.9 runs an over against them, with almost a quarter of the balls he’s faced being boundaries. Could you break down his technique against spin?
It’s risk and reward, and he understands that very well. He will use his feet against certain spinners. He understands which spinners he’s struggling against, so he’s more than happy to take a couple of singles and give the strike over to the other guy. He hits off the back foot really well now over cover, and straight down the ground really well. In the first KKR game, he back-foot-punched Varun Chakravarthy into the sightscreen. The moment they go full, he hits down the ground off the front foot. There’s very little margin in terms of spin unless there’s a lot of purchase on the pitch. As a bowler, when your margins decrease, there’s a lot of pressure to be almost perfect, which, again, can lead to a lot of mistakes, and that again is an advantage to Jos.Spinners – except for a Rashid Khan or a [Sunil] Narine to an extent – have been able to bowl good balls at him, but they’ve not been able to tie him down or get him out. Sometimes we get carried away with the boundaries only, but the way he’s rotated the strike, minimised risk, and really taken down bowlers when he knows he can – that’s the kind of back-and-forth in his batting that’s really helped him against spin.He very famously once had “f**k it” written on the top of his bat handle. As a director of cricket, for you is he the kind of player that you just leave alone to prepare their own way?
Jos is someone who thinks about his technique and his batting quite a lot – much more than I expected he would. He’s always ready to learn. He talks about his batting with a lot of knowledge and authority. He has a very set way of training and keeping his body position. He works very hard at training.My job is really to show him what the results are and why that is happening. And to convince him to keep doing the same thing – not any less or any more. Just to build that tempo into his innings and understand that each day it’ll be different. That tempo could come at different times. It could be the second ten balls, or it could be from balls 30 to 40. Just to fight through the tough parts and give himself the best chance to be impactful for the side. There’s been times when he’s struggled through with a very average strike rate, and ended up with a 150 or 160 strike rate. Sometimes it’s over 200. My job is to get him comfortable in that and give him ownership.The medium is the message: is Buttler’s “f*** it” philosophy the secret to his purple patch?•Getty ImagesAre you finding that because he’s having such an incandescent season, the oppositions’ tendency to prioritise the match-ups against him, or use different bowlers while he’s at the crease, is having knock-on effects for the rest of your batters?
With the new balls they’ll always try to get him out with set ways, which he knows about. There’s yorkers, there’s change of pace, or two fielders on the leg side to stop him from using his paddle against pace. He knows what’s coming at him and he gets prepared for that. When you’re hitting a six, you don’t really care where the field is. You’re just trying to clear the field anyway. He’s got that really clear mindset.With a lot of the sides, if he’s going well, they will have to try and bring their best bowlers back on to try and get him out or to try and get someone else out. And that gives the rest of the batters a little bit of an easier time, facing bowlers that they might manoeuvre or find to their liking or take down. It’s had a positive effect on the side. The others have been able to bat in situations and positions that suit them because Jos has been so effective.Which of his innings have been the most important this season, for you?
That RCB game, he struggled through and managed to accelerate at one particular point. For me that reinforces his actual strength and shows him very clearly that if he fights through periods that are tough, he accelerates so quickly, he gets us to positions from where we should win. Those kinds of innings show him his real ability rather than scoring a hundred at a canter. He organises his game and his mindset in a way that benefits the side when the pressure is on. Innings like that are really crucial.He also hit a fantastic century against KKR, against a very good attack featuring Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Umesh Yadav. Could you break that knock down for us?
We all know his ability against pace – he plays so straight and his commitment to his boundary-hitting. I think the significance was that back-foot punch for six against Chakravarthy. That really put the KKR bowlers under threat, because Chakravarthy, whom we’d spoken so much about, was nullified. And then all the batters started taking runs off him, and Jos was leading that. That particular shot gave not just Jos but everyone else confidence as well.It’s not easy to get to 100 in T20 cricket. You can get to 50 or 60 and feel like you’ve done your job. But Jos is not like that. He’ll push through.

Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler both impress in England’s series win

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl26-Aug-20209Zak Crawley A breakthrough series. Looked a player of huge potential in compiling a classy 267 in the final Test. Blessed with a wide range of strokes, a decent defence and a calm temperament, Crawley looks comfortable against pace and spin and has the hunger to bat all day. Made 53 in his only other innings. Here to stay.8Stuart Broad Nagging, relentless and as hungry as ever, Broad continued to prove his enduring worth to England. Generally bowling full, straight and gaining just enough lateral movement to threaten both edges, he finished as the leading wicket-taker in this series. His batting looks better than it has for some time, too.7.5Jos Buttler A series that might have saved his Test career. After combining with Woakes in a match-winning partnership in Manchester, where he made an inventive 75, he combined with Crawley in establishing a record fifth-wicket partnership in Southampton. There he played his longest, biggest and perhaps most mature Test innings in making 152. He took a couple of outstanding catches in the final Test, too, and was named England’s player of the series. That said, he did miss five chances, so those worries about his keeping – especially to the spinners – persist.Chris Woakes Produced his best Test innings in several years – an unbeaten 84 – to see England to a memorable victory in Manchester and followed it with 40 in Southampton. He claimed four important wickets in that Manchester Test, too, when he bowled beautifully and was named player of the match. He perhaps wasn’t at his absolute best with the ball in the final two games as the demands of five successive Tests started to show.James Anderson celebrates taking his 600th Test wicket•Getty Images7James Anderson By his high standards, Anderson looked slightly out of sorts in Manchester. And when you’re 38, people sometimes jump to conclusions after a bad game. But he looked better in the rain-ruined second Test and claimed seven wickets in the final match of the series – including the 29th five-wicket haul of his Test career – to prove there’s some life left in him yet. Had England’s catching been better, he’d have reached the 600 milestone much sooner, but he got there in the end and made a pretty persuasive case to suggest there were a few more to come in the process.6Joe Root The figures are underwhelming but Root was dismissed only three times in the series and, on a couple of occasions, was the recipient of excellent deliveries. Yes, England would like more runs from him – his top score in the series was 42 – but he was hardly the only top-order player to struggle. Victory in the first Test made it six in a row for him as captain, while he also retains his record of never having lost a home series as leader. Retains the complete support of his team with Buttler the latest to report how some well-timed words from Root gave him confidence when required.Ben Stokes Limited to a walk-on part by family illness. Received two balls which might be considered close to unplayable to account for his dismissals but still produced a telling contribution with the ball. Despite not being able to bowl in the first innings in Manchester due to a quad injury, he came up with a typically hostile spell to make a key breakthrough in the second.5Jofra Archer He took four wickets in the first Test, was rested from the second and finished wicketless in the last. It seems England still aren’t entirely sure how to use Archer. Relegated to the role of change bowler by the return of Anderson – in last year’s Ashes, Anderson’s absence allowed Archer to take the new ball – he was all too often used in the role of short-ball aggressor. He certainly delivered in terms of pace – in the final Test, he bowled at speeds not seen from him since the Ashes – but the thought persists that he is at his best aiming for the top of off stump and utilising that bouncer as a shock delivery.Dom Bess The figures aren’t especially pretty, but they would have been a fair bit better had Buttler been able to accept any of the three chances he was offered off Bess in Manchester. Bess probably wasn’t helped by the absence of left-handers in the Pakistan top order, either, or the slow pitches and damp conditions that reduced him to a watching role in the second Test. But the series was a reminder that he is very much a player in the development phase of his career.Sam Curran Appeared in just one game in the series as England rested Archer and looked to shore up their middle-order in the absence of Stokes. Bowled nicely enough, too, in a supporting role.Ollie Pope looks on in training•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesOllie Pope A slightly disappointing series which ended with fears Pope had suffered a recurrence of the fractured shoulder which limited his opportunities in 2019. But he made what proved to be a crucial 62 in Manchester – nobody else in the top five made 15 – and was twice the recipient of balls which reared from a length to take his glove or the shoulder of the bat. He was also twice dismissed, in very similar style, by balls from Yasir Shah that hurried on to him. But when you pick a 22-year-old, it’s surely in expectation that they will be learning on the job.Dom Sibley Made it to 20 three times in four innings – which is no mean feat in the circumstances – but failed to capitalise. He looked admirably solid against the new ball, but twice fell attempting to push on against Yasir and was once caught down the leg side off Mohammad Abbas.2.5Rory Burns A desperately difficult series for top-order batsmen saw Burns receive a couple of brutishly good deliveries including one, in the second Test, that was probably unplayable. But an average of 5 can only be a disappointment and he did look fragile against the moving ball. Crawley’s development might have left him just a little vulnerable.

For a second season in a row, the same contest at the same ground produced the same, pulsating finish

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2025It’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Yash Dayal has the ball. MS Dhoni is on strike. Ravindra Jadeja is at the other end. A 200-plus chase at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has come down to the final over. Sounds familiar? For a second season in a row, the same contest at the same ground produced the same, pulsating finish. And yet again, when all the nerves and dust settled, it was the left-arm quick Dayal who held his own.Here’s how Shashwat Kumar called it on ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary:Related

• Dayal trumps CSK in last over again to take RCB to the top

19.1 Yash Dayal to Dhoni, 1 run
low full toss on middle and leg. Dhoni cannot get under this and scuffs it down the ground to long on. Throws his head back in disappointment soon after19.2 Yash Dayal to Jadeja, 1 run
full toss on middle and leg and Jadeja cannot put it away. Drags it towards deep mid wicket and this over has begun with two singles off two balls19.3 Yash Dayal to Dhoni, OUT
massive lbw shout, and the finger goes up! No MS Dhoni magic at the Chinnaswamy tonight! Low full toss slanting into leg stump. Dhoni has a massive swipe at it but does not get any bat on it. Gets rapped on the pads and the finger goes up. Dhoni has reviewed this but it could be more in hope than anything else. The impact is in line and Ball Tracking has the ball crashing into leg stump. A monumental moment in this game, and Dayal has outwitted Dhoni two years in a row at the Chinnaswamy!19.4 Yash Dayal to Dube, (no ball) SIX runs
that is a high full toss and Dube smashes it out of sight! Borderline waist-high full toss outside off and Dube cannot believe what has been dished out. After scratching his eyes, he thumps it over deep mid wicket. No ball not given, and Dube has reviewed this. This could be touch-and-go! Dube’s waist is measured at 1.11m, and Ball Tracking shows the ball to be passing him at 1.14m. That will be a No ball – oh dearie me!19.4 Yash Dayal to Dube, 1 run
full toss just outside off. Dube swings at it with all his might and scuffs it down the ground to long off. Just a single, and the onus shifts back onto Jadeja19.5 Yash Dayal to Jadeja, 1 run
zipped in very full on off. Jadeja looks to go downtown but can only find the inside edge and then the front pad. Rolls away harmlessly into the off side19.6 Yash Dayal to Dube, 1 run
Dayal wins it for RCB again! Up against the five-time champions, Dayal shows that he is a champion to be reckoned with too. Under extreme pressure, and under extreme duress, RCB pull a win out of the fire, and they are going absolutely bonkers. It was proper carnage at the Chinnaswamy and after 40 overs of high-octane cricket, RCB stand atop the team that has caused them so much pain in the past! Full toss just outside off. Dube clears his front leg and swings for the hills. Cannot get under it and cannot find the gap either. Drilled straight to long on and that will be just a single. Spare a thought for CSK. They came so close, but in the end, fell short. A truly remarkable game of cricket, and one that those at the ground will reminisce and rejoice in years to come!

Off the field, two-way superstar Shohie Ohtani is no stranger to pulling pranks on his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates, and even manager Dave Roberts.

But what about the field?

That's what happened during the Dodgers' 10-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. In the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two outs, Ohtani stood on second base and rookie Hyeseong Kim on third. With the count 2-2, Ohtani and Kim took their leads off their respective bases. But before the pitch was thrown, Ohtani locked eyes with Kim and, with a subtle jerk of his head, motioned toward home plate. The Dodgers three-time MVP then pantomimed running really fast before he burst into laughter at second base.

Ohtani was obviously kidding, but it's a good thing Kim did not heed his advice to head for home, as Dodgers star first baseman Freddie Freeman tripled moments later, scoring both Kim and Ohtani while clearing the bases.

But not before Ohtani had a little fun.

Big Picture – Can India avert a clean sweep?

In an anti-climax, considering the rivalry and general fanfare, the third ODI at the SCG will be a dead rubber after Australia clinched the series with a two-wicket victory in Adelaide.The final result probably flattered India, who fought to the end but were mostly up against it through the game. While valid excuses could be made for the truncated rain-affected opener in Perth, India were generally outplayed in the second ODI and could never quite recover from the early wickets of captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, who bagged a second consecutive duck for the first time in his legendary ODI career.India’s top-order has been completely pinned down by Josh Hazlewood, the standout quick across the two games as England watch on ahead of the Ashes. The much-hyped returns of Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not quite gone to plan, although Rohit top-scored with 73 in Adelaide, and there remains an unknown over their futures with some pushing for Yashasvi Jaiswal to freshen up the top-order.Related

• Calm and composed Connolly showcases his worth

• Edwards called up for Sydney ODI, Beardman added to T20 squad

• Shreyas Iyer begins new chapter with old stance in Australia

• Josh Hazlewood and the beauty of a wicketless spell

• Short, Connolly, Zampa guide Australia to series victory in Adelaide

Without Hardik Pandya, India have looked unbalanced and they trotted out the same XI across the two games to no avail. There are clearly teething problems for Gill as he looks to start moulding his preferred line-up.In a notable contrast, Australia feel rejuvenated especially with fringe players Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen and Matthew Renshaw making valuable contributions in their successful run chase in Adelaide.Their performances would have pleased Australia’s hierarchy as they look to bed down a batting-order after the ODI retirements of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell.Australia have never swept India in a bilateral ODI series, providing further motivation for a group that is currently in good spirits after a patchy run in 50-over cricket.Like in the previous two games, a pro-India crowd is expected amid a sold-out SCG.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWLL
India LLWWWShubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir talk during a training session•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Matt Renshaw and Shubman Gill

Having waited nine years into his international career to play ODIs, Renshaw has fitted in seamlessly after finishing the job in Perth with an unbeaten 21 off 24 followed by a run a ball 30 in Adelaide. He has publicly spoken about shutting out the external noise and exuded composure after coming to the crease in Adelaide with Australia wobbling at 54 for 2. Renshaw helped change the momentum with a brisk 55-run partnership with Matt Short, but would have been annoyed to not make a big score after being knocked over by a looping delivery from left-arm spinner Axar Patel having attempted to launch over mid-off. Renshaw is set to get another chance in Sydney as competition hots up in this transitioning batting-order. There is also the Ashes hovering, with Renshaw considered an outside chance of being in the selection mix.There has been a lot of attention on the returns of Kohli and Rohit, which has somewhat deflected the slow start to Gill’s ODI captaincy. Gill has been unable to set the tone like he spectacularly did in Test cricket. He has made just 10 and 9 although hasn’t been helped by Rohit holding up an end early in the innings, putting pressure on Gill to counterattack. He will face some heat early in his captaincy reign if India succumb to just a sixth ODI series whitewash in their proud history, underlining the importance of this game.

Team news: Hazlewood/Starc may opt for rest

Australia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Matt Short, 4 Matthew Renshaw, 5 Alex Carey (wk), 6 Cooper Connolly, 7 Mitch Owen, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Mitchell Starc/Jack Edwards, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Nathan Ellis/Josh HazlewoodWith the match a dead rubber, Australia might be tempted to rest Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc with there being just one day of rest between games two and three. Nathan Ellis, who performed well in game one, might be recalled while allrounder Jack Edwards has been named in the squad on the back of strong form on Australia A’s tour of India. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann has also returned to the squad after an impressive effort in the first ODI but two spinners in the XI seems unlikely.Josh Inglis has joined the squad in Sydney after missing the first two but is unlikely to play as he continues to recover from a calf strain, which means the top seven will likely remain the same.Josh Hazlewood could be rested•CA/Getty Images

India (possible): 1 Shubman Gill [capt], 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Axar Patel, 6 KL Rahul (wk), 7 Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, 8 Nitish Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed SirajIndia decided to stick with the same XI in Adelaide but it did not do the trick and changes are almost certain. There has been a lot of debate over whether left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav should be in the side with the attack lacking some bite so far in the series. India have preferred the more conservative option of allrounder Washington Sundar, who has taken three wickets in the series but failed with the bat. Seamer Prasidh Krishna could be in the frame to replace Harshit Rana, who has been expensive in the series. It is also interesting to see if they find a way to give a game to Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Pitch and conditions

Clear and pleasant conditions are expected in Sydney on Saturday. While turn has not been as notable at the SCG in recent times compared to previous decades, spinners have still played a vital role on flat surfaces. Australia’s batters have feasted in the conditions, piling on huge scores during their current six-game winning streak in ODIs at the ground.

Stats and trivia

• Kohli still needs 54 runs to move past Kumar Sangakkara and into second place on the ODI runs list.
• India have lost the toss a record 17 times in a row in ODIs dating back to the 2023 World Cup final.
• India have not lost three consecutive ODIs since a four-game skid to Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2021-22
• Australia have a commanding 16-2 (1 no result) record over India at the SCG. India’s only victories were six-wicket wins in 2008 and 2016.

Quotes

“We’ve got a lot of depth in Australian cricket. With Smudge [Smith] and Maxi [Maxwell] retiring from one-day cricket earlier in the year, there’s room for some younger guys to come through.”
“It definitely hurts [to lose the series]. I personally feel the way Australian bowlers bowl on such wickets, they have a fair bit of an advantage at the start and they utilised it pretty well.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has confirmed that a game will return to Spain in the foreseeable future. The Santiago Bernabeu, home of La Liga giants Real Madrid, hosted the meeting between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders on Sunday, in which Miami claimed a 16-13 overtime win in the final international game of the 2025 season.

NFL played seven international games this year

Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota was intercepted by Jack Jones in the first play of overtime at the Bernabeu on Sunday. The error, though, paved the way for Riley Patterson's match winning field goal as an entertaining match capped a historic season for the NFL.

The game was not only the first in Spain, but the seventh international match in a season as the NFL continues to expand globally. Owing to the success in Madrid, there have been talks about playing a match in Barcelona. While Spotify Camp Nou won't be completely ready until 2027, the home of the Blaugrana and their eventual 105,000 seater stadium would be the next logical step for the sport.

Barcelona will play their first game at Spotify Camp Nou since the 2023/24 season on Saturday afternoon when they host Athletic Club, albeit with the capacity capped at 45,401 as renovations continue.

The NFL's first international game of the season came in Sao Paulo in Brazil earlier in the year, while there was also games played in Dublin and Berlin for the first time, along with the customary three games in London, two of which took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the third at Wembley.

AdvertisementAFP'We will be back, we are excited'

Goodell waxed lyrical about the Bernabeu and confirmed that the NFL will one day return to Madrid. Speaking to the Spanish media after Sunday's game, the NFL Commissioner said: "We will be back, we are excited. This has been a great opportunity for us. We always wait until we get through the games, but we want to be back here in Madrid [and] Spain. I think this is a great market for us."

Goodell added to NFL Network: "It's been spectacular. We've never played seven games, Brazil was a great start and finishing here in Madrid it just feels right. This is such a great city. The stadium is remarkable and the partners at Real Madrid and the city have just been amazing."

There are also plans in place to take the NFL further afield, with a game pencilled in for Melbourne, Australia next year, while Goodell stated earlier this year that he is keen to see a game played in Asia in 2026. "Australia is going to be a big learning and test next year," Goodell said.

"We are excited about that. I think we will be back in a lot of the markets we've been this year, but we have a couple more that we're thinking about right now. So many cities have been reaching out, and that's a great thing for us."

UEFA impressed by Bernabeu transformation

The success of the NFL game in Madrid over the weekend may have a positive impact for Real Madrid in the long run. It's been reported that UEFA were left impressed by the transformation of the stadium and that they'd one day like to see the revamped Bernabeu host a Champions League final.

Real Madrid's home has hosted the final of Europe's showpiece event four times in its history, doing so in 1957, 1969, 1980 and most recently in 2010. In addition, the Bernabeu hosted the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final between heated rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate owing to safety concerns. River would go on to win 5-3 on aggregate in the last Copa Libertadores final played across two legs.

However, one potential hiccup is that Real Madrid would need to lodge a bid to host the Champions League final, which given the strained relationship between the La Liga leaders and European football's governing body, is unlikely to be forthcoming.

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Getty Images SportWhen do Real Madrid next play at home?

Real Madrid are in the midst of a lengthy run of away fixtures. Xabi Alonso's men last played in front of their fans at the start of November, as goals from Kylian Mbappe – twice – Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras earned a 4-0 win over Valencia.

Since then, Los Blancos have played Liverpool at Anfield and Rayo Vallecano at the Vallecas in the Champions League and La Liga, respectively, and failed to win both. Next up for Real Madrid is a trip to Elche on Sunday before games at Olympiacos, Girona and Athletic Club.

Real Madrid then return home for the welcome of Celta Vigo on December 7.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com uma proposta do Cruzeiro em mãos, o treinador argentino Fernando Gago está sendo acompanhado de perto pelo clube nesta temporada. A relação com a equipe mineira poderia ter se iniciado há 10 anos.

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Durante toda a temporada, o trabalho de Gago no Racing foi monitorado pelo departamento de mercado do Cruzeiro, que buscava opções devido às mudanças de comando técnico, envolvendo Paulo Pezzolano, Pepa e Zé Ricardo.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Além de avaliar técnicos argentinos, a equipe também observou profissionais uruguaios e portugueses. No primeiro semestre, por exemplo, Pepa foi escolhido para substituir Paulo Pezzolano.

Existe um otimismo em relação à possibilidade de Gago se tornar o técnico do Cruzeiro a partir de janeiro. Segundo o GE, os detalhes da proposta enviada são considerados “interessantes” pelo staff do treinador. Embora Gago esteja atualmente na Argentina, a expectativa é que o acordo possa ser finalizado ainda nesta semana.

➡️Após 50 anos, Cruzeiro pode voltar a ter um treinador argentino no comando

Curiosamente, a história de Gago com o Cruzeiro poderia ter começado há uma década, mas como jogador. Em julho daquele ano, o clube tentou a contratação do então volante de 27 anos, que pertencia ao Valencia, da Espanha, e estava emprestado ao Vélez Sarsfield, da Argentina.

Na época, o então diretor de futebol do Cruzeiro, Alexandre Mattos, comentou sobre as negociações.

– O Cruzeiro, nesta semana, encerrou uma tratativa de duas, três semanas com o Gago. O Valencia quer vender o jogador. Querem 3 milhões de euros. Tentamos o empréstimo, mas parece que ele quer jogar no Boca. Que siga a vida dele – disse Alexandre Mattos na época.

Episódio com Ronaldo:

A temporada de 2007 marcou um momento crucial para Fernando Gago e Ronaldo Fenômeno no Real Madrid. O argentino foi adquirido por 20,5 milhões de euros do Boca Juniors, enquanto o artilheiro brasileiro, atual gestor do futebol do Cruzeiro, enfrentava desafios sob o comando do técnico italiano Fábio Capello.

Os dois estiveram juntos em campo apenas uma vez, durante alguns minutos, quando Gago foi titular e Ronaldo entrou no segundo tempo. Na semana seguinte, Ronaldo e outras estrelas do time, como Beckham e Cassano, foram afastados do Real.

No mesmo ano, Ronaldo fechou contrato com o Milan, enquanto Gago permaneceu vinculado ao Real Madrid por cinco temporadas, disputando 120 jogos.