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Harry Kane has received more transfer advice from Chris Waddle, with the England captain being told that “Bayern Munich are massive but Real Madrid are even bigger”. It has been revealed that exit clauses in Kane’s contract at the Allianz Arena can be triggered in 2026. A Premier League return is considered to be unlikely, but the prolific striker could end up heading for Spain.

• Trophy target: Kane eager to savour more success

  The 32-year-old frontman has offered no indication that he is looking for another new challenge, with an extension to his deal in Germany being mooted. Remarkable individual standards have been maintained with Bayern – registering 108 goals through 113 appearances.

  Kane has broken his trophy duck in Bavaria, savouring Bundesliga title and Super Cup successes, and is setting his sights on more major honours with club and country. A move to Santiago Bernabeu would present him with opportunities to compete for the grandest of domestic and continental prizes.

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  What next for Kane – Premier League, La Liga or Bayern stay?

  Ex-Tottenham and England star Waddle believes that Kane should be opening himself up to a spell in La Liga – potentially as a ‘Galactico’ in Madrid – with there little to suggest that he would be willing to retrace steps to north London as Spurs’ all-time leading scorer.

  Waddle told : “I know, it sounds nice, doesn't it? I've heard this before where people talk about Harry Kane coming back. It would be great for Tottenham of course, but I’m not sure Tottenham will want him at the price and his age.

  “Even if there was another team who wanted him, I’m not sure Bayern Munich will want to sell him. They let Robert Lewandowski go to Barcelona at about the same age, and he hasn’t stopped scoring since he left. I’ve looked, and Real Madrid could use a No. 9 like Harry Kane. Lewandowski could be stepping away from Barcelona and he’d be great to slot in there too.

  “Harry will be thinking that he’s done his job in England, he might feel the same about his time in Germany. He could now be looking at Italy, Spain or France for a new challenge. Bayern are massive, but Real are even bigger – what a story that would be!

  “If I was Real Madrid, Barcelona or Milan, I’d be asking why wouldn’t I go for him? He scores goals, technically very good, he can play as a No. 9 but he can play as a No. 10 too. Some of the work he’s done with Nicolas Jackson has shown just how good his passing and link-up play is. He can create. So really, I’d be surprised if Bayern would even let him leave rather than tie him down for another two years.

  “If I was Harry, I’d rather try life in Spain than head back to England. That record would be special, but his track record in England already speaks for itself.”

• Another Galactico? Kane urged to join Bellingham & Mbappe

  Waddle has previously said of Kane joining the likes of Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe in the Spanish capital: “If he decided, ‘I've done well in Germany, now I'm going to have a game in Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid,’ I'm sure Real Madrid would be interested in taking him if he wanted to leave Bayern. And listen, I'm sure Tottenham would welcome him back.

  “He's a great player, and people talk about Harry Kane being a really good, intelligent centre-forward. People say he's not quick enough or this or that, but he's gone through his career and scored goals everywhere he's gone. Every season he consistently scores goals, and that's what he's paid for. But he's a very good footballer.

  “He wouldn't necessarily say, ‘I'd love to go back to Tottenham.’ If I were him, I'd think, ‘Why don't I sample somewhere else and play for someone like Real Madrid?’ What an opportunity that would be.”

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  Kane transfer fee: Cost of triggering Bayern clause

  Kane’s contract at Bayern is due to run until 2027. He could, however, be freed from that agreement by an offer of £57 million ($75m) during the summer of 2026. It remains to be seen whether any of his reported suitors – as Barcelona are heavily linked with an approach once more – decide to formalise their interest after Kane has captained England at another World Cup.

Durban will host a playoff for the first time

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2025Newlands will host the opening match as well as the final of the SA20 2025-26. The tournament begins on December 26 with defending champions MI Cape Town taking on Durban’s Super Giants. The final will be played on January 25.The Qualifier 1 will take place in Durban on January 21, the Eliminator in Centurion on January 23, and the Qualifier 2 in Johannesburg the following day.”The SA20 season 4 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting summer of cricket, kicking off on Boxing Day and running through the holiday period,” Graeme Smith, the league commissioner, said. “Last year Newlands sold out all five matches at the venue and with the final taking place on a Sunday, it sets up an incredible afternoon with great weather, entertainment and a lively atmosphere to crown our season 4 champions.Related

• SA20: Markram heads to the auction ahead of 2026 season

• Klusener to remain in charge of Super Giants in SA20

“Durban will host a playoff for the first time. We are hoping this will excite the fans, especially because the two best teams of the competition will be playing in that Qualifier 1. We’re also excited to go back to Centurion and Wanderers on Thursday and Friday nights. It’s always key to have the venues close together because the matches are a day apart.”For now, the teams will be focused on the player auction scheduled for September 9, where they will finalise their 19-player squads.Sunrisers Eastern Cape won the first two editions of SA20, and were runners-up in the previous edition, where they fell short against MI Cape Town.

West Ham are preparing for what could prove to be a season-defining January transfer window, with chairman David Sullivan and manager Nuno Espírito Santo identifying a new striker as one of their top priorities amid Niclas Fullkrug’s imminent departure.

Fullkrug has decided to pursue fresh opportunities when the winter window opens, with his representatives already exploring possibilities in Germany and elsewhere (Fabrizio Romano).

The veteran forward, who’s suffered from a plague of injury issues ever since arriving in East London, aims to revive his international prospects ahead of the 2026 World Cup, viewing a January exit as essential to securing his place in Germany’s squad.

West Ham’s spending power remains limited following their £131 million summer outlay, meaning they may need to balance incoming and outgoing transfers carefully, which adds another layer of complexity as the hierarchy make clear they won’t sanction Fullkrug’s exit until a suitable replacement arrives (Claret & Hugh).

The Irons want a permanent sale rather than a loan for the striker, with German clubs Hamburg and Stuttgart, as well as AC Milan, expressing interest (TEAMtalk).

Meanwhile, midfielder Guido Rodriguez wants to depart as he chases World Cup selection with Argentina, attracting attention from Marcello Gallardo’s River Plate alongside several European clubs. James Ward-Prowse is another player destined for the West Ham exit door, with Lucas Paqueta reportedly considering his options as well.

With Nuno’s side languishing in 18th and staring at a relegation dogfight, January represents their best chance to course-correct, and any funds acquired from these potential sales could be put towards a cut-price move for Fulham winger Adama Traoré.

The Spaniard, who was once on fire under Nuno at Wolves, is attracting serious interest from West Ham, and Fulham could be forced to sell on the cheap with his contract expiring at the end of this season.

Now, an update has come to light on the situation, courtesy of TEAMtalk and reporter Dean Jones.

West Ham given 'approval' to sign Adama Traoré in January

West Ham have been handed encouragement in their pursuit of Traore, with Fulham now willing to entertain offers for the winger and set to ‘approve’ his sale.

The Whites are planning a squad overhaul as manager Marco Silva targets up to three new signings following a disappointing campaign that has left them 15th with only three wins. Traore represents an opportunity for them to raise funds and recoup some value, so a London Stadium switch may be on the cards for him.

The ex-Barcelona loanee flourished under Nuno at Wolves, making 131 appearances and racking up 28 goal contributions during their successful partnership, and sources indicate that West Ham will make contact before the window officially opens to explore whether a deal can be done.

Traore, while mostly impressing at Molineux, has enjoyed his moments in a Fulham shirt too.

The 29-year-old was a mainstay for Silva last season, making 41 appearances in all competitions and registering nine assists, so his best years may not be a thing of the past just yet.

His pace and directness has been a nightmare for Premier League opponents to defend at times, and he’d offer Nuno something very different out wide for a potentially affordable fee.

They may have dropped points on the weekend, but Arsenal are flying this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of both the Champions League and Premier League tables at the moment, and show no signs of slowing down.

Even with the absurd number of injuries the Gunners have had to deal with, they have been rock-solid at the back and clinical in attack.

One of Arsenal’s surprising stars of the season so far has been Leandro Trossard, but if reports are to be believed, the club could be looking to sign an upgrade.

Arsenal target Trossard upgrade

The winter transfer window is now less than a month from opening, and Arsenal have already been linked with a huge number of exciting and potentially game-changing additions.

Transfer Focus

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

Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, for example, has been touted for a £70m switch to the Emirates, as has Nottingham Forest’s monstrous centre-back Murillo.

However, while both players would certainly add something to Arteta’s squad and likely improve it, they cannot be described as Trossard upgrades, unlike Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to a recent report from Italy, Arsenal are once again interested in the hugely exciting Turkish wonderkid.

More than that, though, the report has revealed that the Gunners have once again been in contact with the player’s representatives to find out what it would take to make the deal work.

However, Juventus are understandably keen to keep hold of the incredible talent, and according to other reports from Italy, would demand at least £88m to sell him.

It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, it is one Arsenal should pursue, especially as he’d be a perfect Trossard upgrade.

How Yıldız compares to Trossard

Now, it might sound simplistic, and that’s because it is: the first place to start when comparing two attackers is their raw output from the last two seasons.

For his efforts last season, Yıldız racked up an impressive tally of 12 goals and nine assists in 52 appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 2.47 games.

Trossard, on the other hand, scored ten goals and provided ten assists in 56 appearances, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games.

In other words, the Turkish gem was comfortably more productive last season, but this year, it’s the Belgian who has been marginally better.

In 16 appearances, he has produced ten goal involvements, which is an average of one every 1.6 games.

In contrast, the Juve star has produced as many goal involvements in 18 appearances, averaging one every 1.8 games.

With that said, when you look at both campaigns holistically, it is still the youngster who comes out ahead, as he does when comparing their underlying numbers.

For example, the Regensburg-born dynamo lives up to his billing as a player with “Mbappe-like ability”, in the words of European football writer Danny Corcoran, by coming out on top in most relevant metrics like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, key passes, goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Finally, add the statistical advantages to the fact that he is still just 20 years old, and therefore has over a decade left to play at the top level, and it’s clear he would be an upgrade on the Belgian.

Ultimately, Trossard has been a great player for Arsenal and has been unreal this season, but if the Gunners have the chance, they should go all out to sign Yıldız, as he would be an upgrade.

The new Rice: Berta enters race to sign £70m midfield "machine" for Arsenal

The international superstar could become Mikel Arteta’s next Declan Rice at Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 3, 2025

He says captain Hayley Matthews is thriving in the new structure, and Deandra Dottin has “fitted in beautifully” on her return

Valkerie Baynes03-Oct-2024Bringing the fun back has been a big part of West Indies’ women’s T20 World Cup preparations. It’s a simple ethos, but a much-needed one championed by head coach Shane Deitz, the Australian who is a year into his job.”There is a lot of laughter,” Deitz told ESPNcricinfo. “[It’s about] generally having fun, and being relaxed, and enjoying each other’s company, enjoying the experience of playing cricket, [and] travelling the world.”That’s one thing that, coming from other jobs where it’s a bit more serious and they want a lot of structure, it’s good that we have a bit less of those things and make it a bit more [about] backing your gut feeling and your intuition, and how you want to play and how you naturally grow up playing.Related

• Injuries to Zaida James and Stafanie Taylor make bad day worse for West Indies

• Sultana: 'Heartbreaking' not to play in Bangladesh, but our support here is brilliant

• 'I'm still World Boss' – Dottin is as hungry and competitive as ever

• Powerplay podcast: Matthews on Wales, WI and World Cup plans

• Deandra Dottin back in West Indies squad for T20 World Cup

“You grow up playing on beaches, in the streets – a bit more [of] that environment. Australia’s a lot more structured. So just finding that balance and how to work it into our cricket has probably been one of the things that we’re trying to learn and use that to our advantage, [and] make the girls feel comfortable that that’s how we’re going to play.”Originally from New South Wales, Deitz was a wicketkeeper-batter for South Australia from 1998 to 2008. He coached the Bangladesh women’s team in 2013-14, and was heavily involved in Vanuatu cricket as a player, a coach, and an administrator, before becoming head coach of the Netherlands women’s team immediately prior to taking up his current post with West Indies.Despite his well-travelled CV, it has been a sharp learning curve for Deitz, who took over at West Indies from Courtney Walsh, who in turn had taken over from Gus Logie.”They’ve had a lot of Caribbean, [or] West Indies legends coaching them for a while,” Deitz said. “I’m far from [being] a legend – [just] a middle-aged white man from Australia. It’s a very different culture that I’ve grown up with compared to the girls, so it was about understanding them, [and] understanding the culture, and using that as part of our cricket.”I grew up watching the West Indies cricket team, and they definitely had a style about them and the way they wanted to play. So I wanted to encapsulate that into our style a bit and use what they have in their culture, and bring it into cricket. Also, just gain their trust that I’m here for them, and I’m here to make them better cricketers, and make the team a better team. That was the main thing – just understanding them and getting the team working together.”Deandra Dottin reversed her international retirement just before this year’s T20 World Cup•ICC via Getty ImagesImmediately before this T20 World Cup, star allrounder Deandra Dottin reversed her international retirement, which she had attributed at the time to concerns about the team environment. Dottin won a place in the squad for this World Cup, and Deitz says she has slotted back in “really well”.”She’s known a lot of girls for a long time,” he said. “We’ve changed a few things off the field and how the team is set up with particularly a leadership group. We really control the culture of the team and how the team works off the field. Deandra was coming in really wanting to help the team and play well. Whatever the team needs, she’s happy to do, and she’s fitted in beautifully, and the leaders of the group have made that all work.”Similar to AFL teams, who have a captain supported by several deputies, West Indies now have five team leaders, led by skipper Hayley Matthews, elected by the players to represent them with team management. Deitz didn’t name the other leaders, but said Dottin, who returned after they had been elected, was not one of them.”We spend a lot of time with each other, so like any family or room-mates or whatever, you’re always going to have a little bit of friction from time to time,” Deitz said. “So [it’s about] just making sure we’re all together and we have open conversations. If you’ve got an issue, we just talk about it, get it out there, solve it, and move on quickly.”Shane Deitz on Hayley Matthews: “The hard thing is she wants to do everything”•Getty ImagesDeitz said Matthews was thriving in the new structure. Since becoming captain in 2022, Matthews has scored 1284 runs in T20Is at an average of 40.12 and at a strike rate of 120.45 compared to her corresponding career numbers of 25.70 and 112.88.”The hard thing is she wants to do everything,” Deitz said. “It’s trying to tell her to stop. She wants to be involved with everything and run everything. She gets bored sitting down for ten seconds – particularly at the games.”I think that’s why she bats so long. But she’s been so good off the field, and what I talked about before – about the fun and enjoyment of cricket – she does that so naturally. And her personality is really coming out [with] her captaincy, and that’s a big, big bonus for us.”In terms of building depth around Matthews and Dottin, Deitz believes things are moving in the right direction. After their 2016 T20 World Cup triumph, West Indies women’s cricket fell away sharply amid a lack of resources. But in 2021, CWI increased the number of women on retainer contracts by three to 18, and in 2023 launched the West Indies Women’s Academy.”It’s a good thing now, the Under-19 World Cup – that makes a lot of countries step up their high-performance programmes,” Deitz said. “Australia, England and India, the big three countries, have more resources, more facilities, more infrastructure, [and] everything else to produce more players. We can’t complain about that. We’ve just got to maximise what we’ve got, and in our region, what we can do to try to get to that level. It can’t be an excuse; we’ve just got to be smarter, work better.”

The former Bangladesh captain joins Sazzad Ahmed in the senior women’s selection panel

Mohammad Isam20-Sep-2025The BCB has appointed Salma Khatun as the country’s first woman selector. The former Bangladesh captain will join Sazzad Ahmed in the women’s selection panel. Bangladesh are in the last stage of preparation ahead of the Women’s World Cup next month.Salma was Bangladesh’s first captain in international cricket. She went on to lead the country in 65 WT20Is and 18 WODIs. At the time of her last WT20I, she was Bangladesh’s most-capped women’s T20I cricketer, having played 95 matches. She has also played 46 WODIs.Salma was also the ICC’s No 1 bowler in WT20Is in 2014 and 2015. She took 84 T20I wickets with her offspin at an average of 18.57, with best figures of 4-6 against Sri Lanka.”I think this is a revolutionary decision by our [BCB] president [Aminul Islam], as having someone like Salma involved will provide great support for women’s cricket,” Iftekhar Rahman, the BCB’s media committee chairman, said. “This is the first time such an appointment has been made in Bangladesh.”The board has also promoted Hasibul Hossain to the senior men’s selection panel. He will join chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain and Abdur Razzak. The third position had been vacant since Hannan Sarkar left the role in February this year.Hasibul, the former fast bowler, played five Tests and 32 ODIs. He played in Bangladesh’s inaugural Test match against India in 2000, and was involved in the famous leg-bye that won Bangladesh the ICC Trophy final in 1997.Hasibul had been a junior selector in the BCB since July 2016, having worked closely with the Bangladesh Under-19 side that lifted the World Cup in 2020.

Championship bosses are being urged to snap up free agent Dele Alli and make him the "main man" in their plans. Ex-Premier League star Clinton Morrison, who was briefly at MK Dons during the same time as Dele, has told GOAL why the former Tottenham midfielder should be prepared to take a step back into the EFL after enduring a disastrous stint in Italy with Como.

• Free agent: Dele released by Everton & Como

  Having struggled on and off the field during a stint at Everton, Dele was released by the Toffees when his contract on Merseyside came to an end. He continued to train with the Premier League outfit until Como – who are managed by ex-Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas – came calling late in 2024.

  Dele took in just one substitute appearance for the Serie A outfit, which lasted less than 10 minutes after he collected a red card against AC Milan. He saw his deal terminated in September 2025 and has been without a club ever since.

  Dele has continued to work on an individual training programme, with the 37-cap England international still of the opinion that he can make a decisive contribution somewhere. He may, however, find it difficult to drum up interest after gracing one game since February 2023 and enduring long-running issues on the fitness front.

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  Elegant footballer: No doubting Dele's ability

  Morrison – who was on loan at MK Dons when Dele was still in their academy system – hopes that the ex-Spurs star can find a new home. Speaking in association with Freebets.com, the home of best casino sites, Morrison told GOAL: "I think he’s a fantastic footballer. He has got so much ability, such an elegant footballer. He’s brilliant. You probably would say it is last chance saloon for him now. He needs to find a football club and just be happy and be the Dele Alli that we all know with the natural ability that he has got.

  "It’s down to Dele Alli now what he wants to do. Does he want to continue and find another club? Where does he want to play his football? But there is no doubt about Dele Alli, he has got some major talent – unbelievable. I remember the goal he scored at Palace – flicked over the defender’s head and wellied it first time. He’s a top, top player.

  "He’s had a very good career but injuries and other stuff have kind of stopped him. I still think he’s a top talent. I wish him well and hopefully he can get back to his best because talent like that we don’t see a lot. He’s a super player."

• EFL opportunity: Where next for Dele?

  Dele is still only 29 years of age, so should be far from finished. The likes of Birmingham and Swansea – who count Tom Brady, Luka Modric and Snoop Dogg among their investors – have seen approaches mooted.

  No deal has been done, but Morrison added on Dele finding a new landing spot somewhere in the Football League: "That’s when you hit the peak of your game, at 29. If I’m a Championship manager or chairman, I’m looking to sign Dele Alli. I’m giving him the love that he needs, arm around the shoulder and say ‘you’re going to be the main man here, we’ll give you the game time’. You have got to get fit and earn the right, but when he is fit and flying there aren’t many players that are as good as Dele Alli in the Championship.

  "I do believe that he doesn’t need to think about the Premier League and maybe take a step back to the Championship and play football there. Go and enjoy yourself. That’s what you want, Dele Alli enjoying himself and playing with a smile on his face and showcasing his ability. We know he has got loads of ability and that’s what you want from him."

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  Premier League appearances & trophies: Dele's record

  Dele is a two-time PFA Young Player of the Year who graced the Champions League final with Tottenham in 2019. He has made close to 200 Premier League appearances, scoring 51 goals, and needs to find a club that will provide the backing he needs in order to rekindle a lost spark.

Tarik Skubal was dealing on Sunday and he joined some lofty company with his outing.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner was on the mound against the Cleveland Guardians and pitched seven innings and allowed no runs on three hits, with no walks and 10 strikeouts. In doing so, the Detroit Tigers lefty reached a milestone only three other southpaw pitchers have.

With that start, Skubal became the fourth lefty in MLB history to have at least three starts in a single season featuring no runs allowed, no walks allowed, and 10 or more strikeouts. The others? Sandy Koufax in 1965, Randy Johnson in 2004, and Clayton Kershaw in 2015. That's some pretty special company. Two are Hall of Famers and Kershaw will undoubtedly be headed there when he retires.

Skubal is having a remarkable season again in 2025. So far, he's 10–2 with a 2.02 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP and 148 strikeouts in 116 innings. He also leads all MLB pitchers with 4.3 fWAR.

He looks like the favorite to win the AL Cy Young again this season.