Dream Simons replacement: Frank has "one of England's best talents" at Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph at the end of the 2024/25 campaign has brought added expectations, after finally ending their 17-year wait for a piece of silverware.

Ange Postecoglou’s triumph in Bilbao ended a generational wait for a trophy, but he was sacked after such victory, handing the responsibility to Thomas Frank in the process.

The Dane was handed a huge sum of money to try and build on the triumph, with the hierarchy backing the new manager after taking the reins ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Over £100m was spent on new additions, which has led to the Lilywhites already making an impact in the Premier League – as seen by their fifth-placed standing after the third international break.

Mohammed Kudus has already hit the ground running, registering one goal and one assist in the league, but the same can’t be said for one of their big-money summer additions.

How Simons compares to other PL midfielders in 2025/26

During the summer transfer window, Spurs forked out a total of £52m for the signature of attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, with the youngster joining the club from RB Leipzig.

The move ended their summer-long pursuit of a new attacking midfielder, with numerous options being targeted before completing a deal for the Dutch international.

Premier League options such as Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze were both considered, but various factors saw the Lilywhites miss out on both of the player’s signatures.

As a result, Simons was the man chosen to fill the void, with such a move generating huge excitement within the fanbase – undoubtedly aided by the sizable transfer fee.

However, a couple of months on from his big-money transfer to North London, the 22-year-old has ultimately failed to deliver, as seen by his tally of just two assists in his first 14 outings.

His underlying stats further showcase his lack of quality, with the youngster being massively outperformed by numerous players also in a single position in England’s top-flight.

He’s only created an average of 1.01 chances per 90, with such a tally ranking him in the bottom 25% of all other midfielders in the league, with right-back Pedro Porro creating more chances in the same time period.

Simons has also been dispossessed an average of 2.1 times per 90, subsequently placing him in the bottom 18% of all players in the division for the same category.

He will certainly need time to settle into life in England after his big-money transfer, but there’s little denying that he’s been a huge disappointment in recent months.

As a result, he could find himself struggling to nail down a starting role in the near future, especially if one player continues his phenomenal development at the club.

The Spurs star who could end Simons’ Spurs career

Over the years, the Spurs faithful have been blessed with countless talents who have operated in the attacking midfield role – subsequently handing the fanbase moments to last a lifetime.

James Maddison was the latest player in the role before his ACL injury, with the Englishman achieving some phenomenal levels during his spell in the first team in North London.

He’s racked up 16 goals and 19 assists in his 75 appearances for the Lilywhites, with his tally of 12 goals in 2024/25 the highest he’s managed after his £40m switch.

Dele was another Englishman who filled such a role in the years prior, with the former first-team star managing to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award on two separate occasions.

However, whilst he failed to match the expectations over a sustained period, Frank could be about to rely on Luca Williams-Barnett during his spell in North London.

The 17-year-old has generated huge excitement over the last couple of months, with the youngster making huge waves within various age categories in the academy.

He’s been starring way above his age group over the last few seasons, with the youngster featuring in the U18s side for the vast majority of the previous campaign.

He ended the year with a staggering 23 goals and nine assists in his 24 outings for the Lilywhites, resulting in a jump up once again – now becoming a key member of the U21 side.

At just 17, he’s arguably made himself one of the age group’s biggest stars, with his numbers from the ongoing season further reflecting his star quality despite his tender age.

Most Goals and Assists – Spurs U21s (25/26)

Player

Tally

Luca Williams-Barnett

10

Rio Kyerematen

5

Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny

4

Tynan Thompson

4

Yusuf Akhamrich

4

Oliver Irow

3

Dane Scarlett

2

Dante Cassanova

2

Stats via FotMob

Williams-Barnett has made just eight appearances, but it hasn’t stopped him from catching the eye, as seen by his remarkable tally of seven goals and five assists.

Back in September, he registered three goals and an assist in the 6-3 victory over Leicester City – with such a display undoubtedly his best in the 2025/26 campaign to date.

As a result of his performances, the youngster was named in the England U17 World Cup squad, with the midfielder already scoring twice during the ongoing competition.

Williams-Barnett has also made his senior debut during Frank’s tenure, as he was brought on in the 87th minute of the Carabao Cup victory over League One Doncaster Rovers back in September.

His performances across various teams in 2025/26 has led to huge praise being directed his way, with analyst Ben Mattinson labelling him as “one of England’s best talents”.

At just 17, the club will certainly have to manage the expectations placed upon him, but it’s undeniable that the Lilywhites have a phenomenal young prospect on their hands.

It’s unclear what his route to first-team success would be, but the hierarchy need to prepare a plan to allow him to match the potential he currently possesses at present.

As for Simons, he will need to rapidly buck his ideas up after his big-money transfer, with his spell in North London certainly being one to forget in recent months.

His future at the club could be in huge jeopardy in the years ahead, especially if Williams-Barnett is able to continue on his current development path in the youth ranks.

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Twins' Jose Miranda Lands on Minor-League IL After Getting Injured Shopping at Target

It's been a rough week for Minnesota Twins infielder Jose Miranda.

Miranda saw himself sent down to to Triple-A after a committing a costly baserunning gaffe against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. As if the demotion wasn't bad enough, shortly after joining the St. Paul Saints, Miranda was placed on IL after he sustained a hand injury while shopping at Target.

According to , Miranda injured his hand while handling a case of water at Target. The case slipped from his hand, and he "felt pain" when attempting to grab it before it fell to the ground.

Miranda will be sidelined for at least another week while recovering from the shopping-induced injury. He'll hope to get his 2025 campaign back on track when he returns to the Saints' lineup. He had yet to even suit up for a game with the Triple-A squad before being shelved with the injury.

Miranda, 26, had struggled throughout his first 12 games this season. He slashed .167/.167/.250 with one home run, five RBIs and 13 strikeouts across 36 at-bats. In 121 games last season, he registered a .763 OPS with nine home runs and 49 RBIs.

Braves Announcer Had Perfect Sad Line After Shohei Ohtani’s Dramatic Home Run

Shohei Ohtani had Dodger Stadium in hysterics Wednesday night when he crushed a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the ninth. The win moved the defending champions to 8-0 on the season and has them looking like the unbeatable force that many predicted they would be this year.

On the other side of that home run was an Atlanta Braves team that is easily the most disappointing squad in MLB a week into the season. They had a 5-0 lead at one point on Wednesday night only to have the Dodgers come all the way back and win in the most dramatic of ways. The Braves are now 0-7 and a total mess.

Braves announcer Brandon Gaudin summed up the team's struggles with a perfect line right after Ohtani's homer landed over the wall:

"And the heartache has hit a new level for the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani and the Dodgers walk it off with a homer," he said.

Ouch.

The Dodgers' call by Joe Davis was understandably much more upbeat:

The Braves will look to get their first win when they host the Marlins in their home opener on Friday.

Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for "incredible" £79m Premier League star

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is personally driving a move for Murillo, with Nottingham Forest’s stance on sanctioning a departure now being revealed.

The Blues have been solid from a defensive point of view in recent weeks, keeping clean sheets in their last three Premier League matches, most recently defeating Burnley 2-0 at Turf moor, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah impressing at the heart of defence.

Adarabioyo particularly caught the eye, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 8.6, the highest of any player, courtesy of making six tackles, winning ten of the 12 duels he contested, while also completing a whopping 102 passes, including seven long balls.

Being assured in possession of the ball is an important attribute for any player in a Maresca system, and the manager is now keen on another centre-back who could be an ideal fit in the Italian’s backline…

Maresca now driving Chelsea move for Murillo

According to a report from Caught Offside, Maresca has now personally identified Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as a key defensive target, but it could take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for up to €90m (£79m).

Forest are hesitant to cash-in on one of their key players, but they could be tempted to sanction a departure if a huge offer is submitted, with some other huge clubs also showing an interest in the centre-back, namely Barcelona and Arsenal.

The Chelsea manager is said to be a fan of ball-playing defenders capable of creating chances from deep, which means the Brazilian could be the perfect fit in his backline, and he recently put in a fantastic display as Forest secured a shock 3-0 win at Anfield.

Liverpool’s struggles continued on Saturday, with Arne Slot’s side falling to a shock defeat against a side that had made a slow start to the season, and Murillo displayed his attacking prowess by opening the scoring just after the half-an-hour mark.

It was a solid all-round performance from the one-time Brazil international, winning five of the six duels he contested, creating one big chance, and making 19 defensive actions, the highest number of any player.

It wasn’t the first time the 23-year-old has put in a top performance against the Reds, receiving high praise after impressing against Slot’s men earlier this year.

As such, Chelsea should undoubtedly pursue a move for Murillo, and it is promising news that Nottingham Forest could now be willing to sanction a departure for the right price.

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Leeds now plotting January move for "outstanding" £17.5m Champions League striker

Leeds United are now plotting a January transfer swoop for an “outstanding” striker, who just scored in the Champions League this week.

Leeds eyeing new striker amid Dominic Calvert-Lewin's struggles

On paper, it was a savvy move to bring in Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer, given that the former Everton man has plenty of experience in the Premier League, but he is yet to pull up any trees since completing a move to Elland Road.

The centre-forward has scored just one goal in 11 matches in all competitions, failing to find the back of the net in his last seven outings, and Lukas Nmecha has recently emerged as the first-choice striker, scoring the opening goal in the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa last time out.

With Daniel Farke clearly doubtful that Joel Piroe is capable of replicating his form from last season, having predominantly limited the Dutchman to appearances as a substitute, the manager may need to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, and a new target has been identified.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Leeds are now plotting a January bid for Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David, who could be available for a relatively low fee, with the Belgian club willing to listen to offers of around £17.5m.

At the moment, David is viewed as a back-up option if the Whites are unable to bring in their other targets, with AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia also of interest, and Farke is personally keen on bringing in the Spaniard.

There may also be fierce competition for the Union Saint-Gilloise star’s signature, with West Ham United believed to be leading the race, while Wolverhampton Wanderers are said to be plotting a rival bid.

"Outstanding" David impressing in the Champions League

Lauded as “outstanding” by scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of his performances in the 2024-25 campaign, the striker has gone on to make a name for himself in the Champions League this season, scoring two goals in Europe’s elite competition.

Most recently, the 24-year-old scored the only goal of the game as his side prevailed as 1-0 winners away at Galatasaray, finding the back of the net for the ninth time this season across all competitions.

Promise David’s goalscoring record

Appearances

Goals

Jupiler Pro League

13

6

Champions League

5

2

Croky Cup

1

1

As such, the Canadian clearly has the quality to help fire Leeds to safety, and £17.5m could be a bargain fee for a striker who has proven that he can deliver in the Champions League.

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That said, it remains to be seen whether David would be interested in a move to Elland Road, given that Leeds are now looking like real relegation contenders, having lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League.

Frank can unearth his own Dembele by unleashing "generational" Spurs gem

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action in the Premier League this weekend as they prepare to welcome London rivals Fulham to North London on Saturday night.

Spurs are looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in their last two games, losing 5-3 to the French giants in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Lilywhites have not won in the Premier League since they beat Everton 3-0 at the end of October, with one win in six in all competitions since, which is why it is so important for Thomas Frank’s team to win this weekend.

They will have to get one over Fulham in order to do so, though, and it is a club that they have many connections to through players who have played for both.

Ranking Fulham players who have played for Spurs since 2010

Counting all players who played for Spurs since 2010, there have been ten players who either played for Fulham before or after their time in North London.

Perhaps most notably, given that Dimitar Berbatov left Tottenham in 2008, is central midfielder Mousa Dembele, who played 240 matches for Spurs between 2012 and 2018, after signing directly from the Cottagers.

Ranking Fulham stars who’ve played for Spurs since 2010

Rank

Player

1

Mousa Dembele

2

Scott Parker

3

Clint Dempsey

4

Joao Palhinha

5

Carlos Vinicius

6

Lewis Holtby

7

Paulo Gazzaniga

8

Manor Solomon

9

Josh Onomah

10

Ryan Fredericks

As you can see in the table above, academy players like Ryan Fredericks and Josh Onomah rank at the bottom, with several less notable Spurs players before the top four.

It is hard to say anyone other than Dembele should be at the top, given that the Belgian star, renowned for his ability on the ball, is the only player on the list to play more than 100 games for the club, with 240, per FBref.

He was once ‘irreplaceable’ for Spurs, as shown in the post above from 2018, and Frank can unearth his own version of the midfielder by playing Lucas Bergvall on Saturday night.

Why Lucas Bergvall could be Tottenham's next Mousa Dembele

One of Dembele’s most notable attributes during his time with Spurs was his dribbling. Speaking about his former international teammate, Youri Tielemans once said: “His dribbling was amazing, you just couldn’t take the ball off him.”

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He was brilliant at carrying the ball up the pitch from the middle of the park, and Bergvall is a central midfielder who can offer similar qualities for Spurs in the present day.

Per FBref, the Sweden international ranks within the top 9% of his positional peers in the Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive carries per 90 (2.30) and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.55).

This shows that he is one of the most productive dribblers among central midfielders in Europe, which is why he could develop into being Frank’s own version of Dembele in the middle of the park.

Bergvall, like the Belgian, does not carry a huge goal threat, having scored once in the Premier League this season, but he can get the team up the pitch with his ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet.

The Swedish star, who was dubbed a “generational talent” by the club’s head of scouting Rob Mackenzie, started as part of a box midfield against PSG earlier this week, but playing further up the pitch ahead of Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur restricted how much he could drive from deep.

Therefore, unleashing him in a midfield three against Fulham on Saturday could allow him to provide supporters of both teams with a reminder of a player who once starred for them.

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Bergvall only attempted one dribble, which he completed, against PSG, and playing him further back on the pitch to use as a threat in transition could help Spurs to win their first Premier League game of the month this weekend.

The new Luis Palma: O'Neill must ruthlessly drop "sloppy" Celtic flop

Celtic were saved by their captain yet again on Saturday night when they were heading for a drab 0-0 draw away at St Mirren before Callum McGregor stepped up with seconds remaining.

The Hoops skipper picked the ball up from range in the 95th minute and unleashed a screamer of a shot that nestled in the top corner to secure all three points for the visitors.

Up until that point, Martin O’Neill’s side had struggled to show much in the way of quality against St Mirren, despite holding 73% of the possession, per Sofascore, which is why the game was tied with seconds remaining.

The hosts even created a ‘big chance’ from one of their 13 shots on goal, but, thankfully, they were unable to convert any of the opportunities that they created on the night.

Celtic, meanwhile, did not create a single ‘big chance’ from their 16 efforts against St Mirren, per Sofascore, which is why they needed a long-range strike from their captain to win the match.

Whilst McGregor’s sensational strike from distance bailed the club out in general, the skipper also bailed out several of his underperforming teammates on the night.

Celtic's worst performers against St Mirren

It would be remiss of us to speak about the worst performers on the night without starting with the player who was withdrawn from the match after 45 minutes, Johnny Kenny.

The Ireland international, who scored four goals in four matches for Celtic before Saturday’s game, won just one duel and lost possession six times from 17 touches in the first half, per Sofascore, as he failed to provide a focal point up front.

Kenny’s withdrawal meant that Daizen Maeda moved into the centre-forward role, after starting out wide. However, he ended the 90 minutes with two out of seven duels won, no key passes, and no shots on target, per Sofascore, which illustrates his ineffectiveness in the final third.

Minutes

67

90

Shots on target

0

0

Key passes

1

0

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

2/6

1/2

Duels won

3/11

2/7

Possession lost

14x

12x

As you can see in the table above, Sebastian Tounekti and Maeda both struggled out wide, and the latter up front in the second 45, throughout the game against St Mirren.

These statistics show that all three of the forwards who started on Saturday night failed to do enough to suggest that O’Neill should keep them in place for the club’s trip to play Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

Tounekti, Maeda, and Kenny were not the only underperforming Celtic players who failed to provide enough quality on the pitch against the Saints, though, as one Hoops flop is now looking like the new Luis Palma.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Supporters will likely remember Palma, who is currently on loan at Lech Poznan, as a player who made a fast start to life in Glasgow before falling off and eventually being deemed surplus to requirements.

The Honduras international produced seven goals and nine assists, with 14 ‘big chances’ created, in 28 Scottish Premiership games during the 2023/24 campaign for the club, per Sofascore.

Unfortunately, though, the winger followed that up with a return of zero goals and zero assists in eight league matches the following season before being sent out on loan to Olympiacos for the second half of the campaign.

Whilst his fall-off this term may not be quite as drastic as Palma’s was, Celtic central midfielder Reo Hatate appears to be heading in the same direction.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped by Celtic

The Japan international was a sensation in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign with a return of nine goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created in 37 outings in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

Hatate provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch with his ability to make a difference as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as evidenced by his statistics, and that made him a vital player for Brendan Rodgers.

This season, however, the 28-year-old star has failed to deliver consistent quality in midfield for Celtic, with the clash against St Mirren being his latest underwhelming performance, which is why he should be ruthlessly dropped by O’Neill.

The Japanese midfielder, who was described as “sloppy” by ex-Hoops boss Neil Lennon during the game against Sturm Graz in the Europa League, ended the night with no shots on target, no ‘big chances’ created, and a duel success rate of 20% (1/5), per Sofascore.

This shows that his performance was lacking in both quality and physicality, as he lost 80% of his physical tussles without providing any moments of genuine quality on the ball, and that has not been a rare occurrence for him this season.

Appearances

37

10

Goals

9

1

Minutes per goal

241

708

Conversion rate

14%

10%

Big chances created

14

2

Assists

4

1

Dribble success rate

70%

57%

As you can see in the table above, Hatate’s performances have dropped off since the end of last season, as he is scoring and creating goals far less frequently for the Premiership champions.

The Japan international’s last league goal for the club came against Aberdeen on the 10th August, and he has only produced two goals – including one penalty – and one assist in 18 appearances in all competitions this term, per Transfermarkt.

His concerning drop-off in form this season suggests that he may be on the road to becoming the next Palma, as a once supreme talent who now looks too inconsistent to be reliable to the Celtic manager.

Therefore, O’Neill should ruthlessly drop the central midfielder from the starting line-up to face Feyenoord away from home, as the Hoops may need quality and physicality to beat their Dutch opponents, and Hatate did not show either against St Mirren.

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Harmanpreet rues India's 6 for 36 collapse against Australia

India went from 294 for 4 in the 43rd over to 330 all out, a total that proved inadequate

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India’s famed top five finally came to the party at the Women’s World Cup 2025 to put on a staggering total of 330 but such was their lower-order collapse, the flatness of the pitch, and the might of the Australians that India fell “30 to 40 runs” short.It was the first time any team had scored over 300 while batting first against Australia but India believe they could have got much more after they were placed at 294 for 4 in 42.5 overs. As it happened, they lost the next six wickets for 36 runs to be bowled out with seven balls to spare. After their openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal scored half-centuries, India’s middle-order batters got off to starts but they and the lower order couldn’t cash in on the promise.”The way we started we thought if we could have added more 30-40 runs on the board, we missed runs in the last six-seven overs,” captain Harmanpreet Kaur said at the presentation. “We kept losing wickets and that really cost us because today’s pitch was totally different. We knew it was a good batting wicket, but those last six overs where we were not able to capitalise really cost us.Related

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“Today the first 40 overs were really good and in the last 10 we were not executing well. In matches these things are going to happen, we are not going to be 100% all the time but it’s very important how you come back.”Head coach Amol Muzumdar concurred with his captain that India had to finish better to get over the line. He pointed to the defeat to South Africa, where they couldn’t defend 251 despite being in a strong position, to highlight that the team have issues with the ball as well.Both Harmanpreet Kaur and Amol Muzumdar felt India did not finish well with the ball•Getty Images

“Look, in my opinion, the finish is very important in a cricket game,” Muzumdar said at the press conference. “I always say, even in this dressing room, that yes, we need a good start, but we need a better finish. So, if you see the finish that we had in the South Africa game, as far as bowling is concerned in the last five overs, we ended up losing that game. And, even today, basically, if we would have got another 20 runs, maybe things would have been different. But, at the same time, it’s been a gradual progress for us. And there are a lot of learnings. I keep talking about positives and learnings. One of the things to learn is to finish well.”India have struggled to defend competitive totals in their last two games, losing both with seven and six balls remaining. They have played these games with only five bowlers in batting-friendly conditions. Their next match against England is in Indore, which tends to offer plenty of runs as well. Will India look to bolster their attack?”Obviously, after this game, we will have a look at it,” Muzumdar said. “I am sure the team management will have a proper discussion about this and then we will take a right call as we approach the next game. I am sure about that.”Harmanpreet, however, did not sound too keen to change India’s combination which has five frontline batters, a wicketkeeper-batter, three allrounders and two frontline bowlers.”We’ll sit and discuss [about five bowlers] because this combination has given us a lot of success in the past,” she said. “Two bad games are not going to make a big difference for us. Going forward there are a lot of things we need to sort it out and hopefully we’ll come up with the best approach.”One of the other issues for India, compared to teams that have been doing better, is their consumption of dot balls. It was a much larger issue in their first three games of the World Cup before they addressed it against Australia where five of their top seven had strike rates in excess of 100.”Well, to be honest, after the previous game, we had an elongated discussion about how we are going to approach the batting innings,” Muzumdar said. “That was one of the things that was discussed about the dot-ball percentage. So far, in the last year-and-a-half, we have been playing very aggressive cricket. I thought today was a good display. Yes, the dot-ball percentage has come down. But, we will have a closer look at it, I don’t know what the percentage is (48% against Australia), but we would like to get it down.”

Williamson joins LSG as strategic advisor, Langer to continue as head coach

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ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2025Kane Williamson has joined IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a strategic advisor ahead of the 2026 season, the team’s owner Sanjiv Goenka said on social media on Thursday, while Carl Crowe has joined the team as spin-bowling coach.The franchise also confirmed that Justin Langer and Bharat Arun would continue as the head coach and the fast-bowling coach, respectively.”His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team,” Goenka wrote of Williamson, the 35-year-old former New Zealand captain.Williamson said: “I’m really excited to be joining LSG. They have a hugely talented squad and a great group of coaches which I’m looking forward to working alongside. It’s always special being involved in the IPL, the best franchise competition in the game.”Williamson, who has been a part of the Super Giants franchise while with their Durban team in the SA20, last played for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final against India in March this year. He has not retired from international cricket yet but, having opted for a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket, his appearances are likely to be sporadic.

He will miss the upcoming T20I series at home against England, but is targeting a comeback in the ODIs that follow. The first of those 50-over matches takes place at his home town in Tauranga on October 26.Though a veteran of the IPL, Williamson hasn’t had much to do in the last two seasons. In IPL 2023, playing for Gujarat Titans (GT), he picked up a knee injury in their first game of the season and played no further part in the competition. In IPL 2024, while also with GT, he played just two games, scoring 27 runs in 27 balls. He wasn’t bought at the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025.More recently, he was at The Hundred in England, where Williamson had a good if unspectacular run, scoring 204 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 129.93 for London Spirit, who finished seventh among eight teams.Related

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“We enter every IPL season full of hope and expectation – 2026 is no exception and we are excited about the work we have ahead of us as we continue building a franchise into one the Goenka family, our players, sponsors, supporters and fans are all immensely proud of,” Langer said. “The work hasn’t stopped since the end of last season as we prepare to make our mark on this season’s IPL. The hope, expectation and passion for LSG is growing strongly. We are looking forward to strengthening our squad in the coming months. And, we look forward to seeing Ekana bathed in blue when the season kicks off.”Williamson has no experience being part of a team’s support staff, but is an immensely respected figure in international cricket. He captained New Zealand to the 2019 ODI World Cup final and won the inaugural World Test Championship two years later. LSG, led by Rishabh Pant and coached by Justin Langer, finished in seventh place in IPL 2025, the same as in IPL 2024, after finishing third in their first two seasons in IPL 2022 and 2023.Though Williamson was with Durban’s Super Giants in SA20 2024, he was not retained, and the franchise had conversations with him about joining the revamped coaching staff at LSG.Crowe, meanwhile, is the second coach from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise to move to LSG after former India bowling coach Arun in July this year. Arun was with KKR for three seasons as bowling coach.After Zaheer Khan’s exit, not made public by the franchise yet, LSG are yet to confirm whether assistant coaches Lance Klusener and Vijay Dahiya will stay with the team or not.

Arteta's a fan: Arsenal very keen on "monstrous" £79m Premier League star

Arsenal are now seriously keen on signing Murillo, with Mikel Arteta personally an admirer, amid a new update on whether Nottingham Forest would consider a sale.

The Gunners are looking to bring in a new centre-back, with Gabriel set for a relatively lengthy spell on the sidelines, as confirmed by Arteta prior to the North London derby, with the manager saying: “Gabi unfortunately picked up an injury with the Brazil national team and he’s going to be out for weeks.”

“It’s clearly a blow because he’s our leader in our backline and, to me, it’s never a positive thing. The good thing is that we have very good options and we need to stand up now and do the job.”

As pointed out by Arteta, the Gunners have some quality back-up options, with Cristhian Mosquera, who has played a part in keeping five clean sheets this season, the natural replacement for the Brazilian at the heart of defence.

However, at 21-years-old, the Spaniard is still relatively inexperienced, and the north Londoners have now expressed an interest in signing a new centre-back ahead of the January transfer window.

Arsenal now seriously keen on signing Murillo

According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now seriously keen on signing Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, with his current club willing to sanction a departure if they receive an offer in the region of €80m – €90m (£70m – £79m).

The Gunners believe the 23-year-old could make an instant impact in defence, despite already having Gabriel and William Saliba on the books, and Arteta is personally a fan of the Forest star’s progressive style of play.

However, there could be major competition for the centre-back’s signature, with London rivals Chelsea also being named as potential suitors, alongside La Liga giants FC Barcelona.

The Brazilian has been a key player for the Tricky Trees so far this season, making 12 appearances in all competitions, with arguably his best performance coming in the 3-0 victory against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

The Gunners’ chances of winning the Premier League title were further boosted when Forest emerged as shock winners at Anfield, with the one-time Brazil international opening the scoring, while also making a number of other key contributions.

Murillo’s performance vs Liverpool

Number completed

Clearances

13

Blocked shots

3

Duels (won)

6 (5)

Tackles

2

Lauded as “monstrous” by journalist Ryan Taylor, the Sao Paulo-born defender could have what it takes to become one of the best defenders in the world, but it would be very difficult for him to force his way into Arteta’s plans.

Gabriel and Saliba have formed a formidable partnership, with the Gunners maintaining by far the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, and Mosquera has proven himself as a solid back-up.

Arsenal's surprise replacement for Gabriel at centre-back Not played CB for a year: Arsenal have a surprise £50m Gabriel replacement

The talented Arsenal star could be just the solution Arteta needs ahead of the North London Derby.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

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