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Kelly Castle and Sophie Luff, the old guard of domestic women’s cricket, are now at the vanguard of a new era

Andrew Miller22-Apr-2025Unless you were deeply invested in the rise of English women’s cricket, you could be forgiven for not having previously heard of Kelly Castle and Sophie Luff. At the ages of 27 and 31 respectively, each has been a county cricketer for more than a decade already – providing solid, dependable presences in the previously amateur ranks of Essex and Somerset, including six years each as captain. However, throughout that time, neither player has come especially close to international recognition nor, in Castle’s case, attracted the attentions of the Women’s Hundred.Now, however, Castle, Luff and their ilk are at the vanguard of a brand-new era for their sport. Last April, Essex and Somerset were chosen as two of the eight initial Tier 1 women’s professional set-ups, and this week each player will be helping to launch her county’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign: Castle, up at Chester-le-Street, where Essex take on Durham, and Luff down at Beckenham for Somerset versus Surrey.How each player fares individually will be of less relevance than what they represent. At a time when the depth of English women’s cricket is under scrutiny like never before, amid the failings of the national team at the T20 World Cup and the Ashes, the rebooted county game is intended to create the sort of pyramid structure that has never previously existed within the sport.And what that may entail – more urgently even than the identification of a new golden generation to challenge the current stars of the international set-up – is the expansion of this middle tier of “solid pros”: the likes of which have shored up the men’s game for generations but which, due to the fast-tracked nature of the women’s elite game, have not yet had a chance to take proper root among their female counterparts.”I’ve been here for a long time, so it’s cool to see a full-circle moment,” Castle tells ESPNcricinfo ahead of a transformative season. “For a lot of us girls, no matter where we played, we didn’t know if we could play professional cricket, unless we got to international level. So now, it’s great to see that it can be a career and, for that to happen at the club that I’ve grown up playing at, is pretty cool.”The professional experience isn’t brand-new to either player: in 2020, both were among the initial tranche of 41 regional players to be handed groundbreaking full-time contracts. And yet, seeing as Castle had been one of just five initial pros within the now-disbanded Sunrisers squad, and Luff one of six at Western Storm, even that seminal step-up was limited compared to the opportunity that awaits the women’s game this summer.”I never envisaged I’d be a professional cricketer first and foremost, particularly not at domestic level,” Luff, who has been named as Somerset’s first professional captain, tells ESPNcricinfo. “It just wasn’t an option when I was growing up. I chased the England dream for a long time and that ship’s probably sailed. But the fact that I can be a domestic professional cricketer, playing in front of a lot of people and getting paid pretty well, it’s come an awful long way, and I think it’s only going to grow.”When I first started at Western Storm there were three professional players on a retainer, then it went to six in the first winter. Now we’ve got a full squad of players, some of whom are rookies obviously. But the fact that we’ve got a full squad of girls in training week in, week out, makes a huge difference. I’m really excited to see what difference that makes moving into the season.”Those rookie contracts, worth £20,000 for this first year, will have a crucial part to play in the expansion of that pyramid. Notwithstanding the growth of the women’s game in recent years, there’s still a significant element of chance that dictates the ability of young players to rise through the sport’s existing ranks, as Castle’s own story relates.Sophie Luff will be Somerset’s first professional women’s captain•Getty ImagesHad it not been for the fact that her primary-school teacher in Southend was Australian, Castle says she would never have got a taste for the sport in the first place. And thereafter, having followed the familiar path of being a token girl in the local boys’ cricket team, she made her first appearance for Essex as a 13-year-old in 2011, and so was in position to ride the wave as the first stirrings of professionalism began.”I remember thinking, if I’m not playing for England by the time I’m 15, then I’ll need to give up, which is crazy,” Castle recalls. “And then, there was always something else that just kept me going, until I’m 17 … until I’m 19 … I was in my third year of university when there were murmurs around professional cricket happening, and because I’d always worked in cricket, I managed to transition in when I’d finished. I still do a lot of coaching on the side, just to keep myself busy. It feels as though the sport is getting there, but there’s still a lot of stuff to do.”To judge by the new narrative that surrounds the county game, however, the changes this season have already been stark. The ethos of one club, two teams has been a feature of the formative years of the Hundred, but already that seems to have been adopted across the board.Wherever you look, there’s a new recognition of the importance of the women’s set-up, whether it’s Surrey factoring a bespoke women’s changing room into their plans for a multi-million pound redevelopment of the Kia Oval pavilion, or Essex talking excitedly about their plans for expansion at Chelmsford, a project that simply could not have been possible when the club only catered for its men’s team.”We get to come to the same place every day for work,” Luff says of the experience down at Taunton. “The girls have a familiarity around where they’re coming to train and the infrastructure here has been brilliant, the way that we’ve been welcomed into the club.”The one thing that I really took away from our first week here was we met every department,” she adds. “It felt like Western Storm in the previous era was just a cricket team that existed as cricket players and cricket staff – whereas coming here, there’s a lot more that goes into a county cricket club than just the cricket on the pitch.Related

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“We’ve had great access to the facilities. Our changing rooms have been upgraded. We’ve got lockers in, the gym’s been extended to accommodate more people basically. And I think the men have probably seen some benefits from us coming in as well, which is nice.”However, it’s not simply the Tier 1 teams that have got the memo. As Beth Barrett-Wild, the ECB’s Director of Women’s Professional Game, noted earlier this month, some of the most interesting dynamics are set to occur within the new Tier 2 set-up, where a lot of ambitious amateur players will be seeking to make a name – and maybe ultimately a career – for themselves this summer.At Middlesex, for instance, where there was initial “shock” and “frustration”, according to their head of women’s cricket, Marc Broom, at the club’s failure to secure Tier 1 status, there has been a determination to prove the ECB’s decision-making wrong.”We’re going to treat you like professional cricketers, and we want you to act, train and play and think like professional cricketers,” says Broom, whose players stormed out of the blocks in their opening fixture earlier this week, bowling Kent out for 66 at Radlett en route to an eight-wicket victory.”Everything we’re going to be able to provide you is what we would try and provide a professional cricketer. The difference is your contact time with coaches is going to be less than a pro. The money you receive back is going to be less than a pro, and the time you’ve got available to commit to this is going to be less than a pro.”That would sound like an unpalatable prospect to most amateur players, were it not for the new incentives that the tiered structure has put in place.”My job is to create the best environment for these players and set them on the right journeys,” Broom says. “If, at the end of this year, every single player in this squad got signed by a Tier 1 county, I would be holding my hands up saying, ‘I’ve done my job’.”Additional reporting by Valkerie Baynes

He also surpassed Ian Botham as the England bowler with the most wickets against Australia

Sampath Bandarupalli19-Jul-2023 • Updated on 01-Aug-2023604 Number of wickets for Stuart Broad in Test cricket*. He is one of only five men to claim 600-plus wickets in the format and the second most for an England player after James Anderson (690). The English duo of Broad and Anderson are the only pace bowlers to be part of the 600-wicket club.153 Test wickets for Broad versus Australia are the most by any bowler against them. He is one of the five bowlers to claim 150-plus wickets against an opponent in Tests. Broad finishes as England’s highest wicket-taker of the Ashes, and the third-highest behind Shane Warne (195) and Glenn McGrath (157).398 Broad’s Test wickets on England soil. These are the third-most wickets for a bowler at home in the format, next only to Muthiah Muralidaran’s 493 in Sri Lanka and Anderson’s 434 in England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1039 Wickets shared by Broad and Anderson in the 138 Tests they played together. These are the most wickets picked up by a pair when they played together in Test cricket. Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are the other pair with 1000-plus wickets, as they shared 1001 in 104 Tests for Australia.106 Test wickets by Broad at home against Australia. Only two other bowlers have taken 100-plus wickets against an opponent in a country – 129 by Shane Warne against England in England and 105 by Anderson against India in England.17 Number of times David Warner has got out to Broad in Test cricket, the joint-third most dismissals for a batter against a bowler in the format. Broad had Warner’s wicket in both innings of a Test on four occasions, the joint-most times any bowler had dismissed a particular batter twice in a Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 Number of batters dismissed by Broad on ten or more instances in Test cricket. No other bowler has had ten or more dismissals against six different players. The next best is the 10-plus dismissals of five players by McGrath, Curtly Ambrose, Kapil Dev, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh.19.9 Broad’s bowling strike rate when taking a five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The strike rate gives an idea of how Broad runs through the opponents when on a roll, as only Vernon Philander has a better strike rate during five-wicket hauls (bowlers with ten or more five-wicket hauls).3662 Test runs by Broad are the most by any of the seven players with 500-plus wickets in the format. Shane Warne, 3154, is the only other player to have scored 3000-plus runs and take 500-plus wickets in Test cricket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3582 Broad’s Test runs when he batted at No.8 and lower. These are the most runs scored by a player while batting in the tail (8-11) in Test cricket, finishing ahead of Daniel Vettori’s 3502.6 Number of players to score 1000-plus runs and take 100-plus wickets against an opponent in Test cricket, including Broad against Australia. Broad scored 1019 runs against the Aussies, going along with his 153 wickets.2 Recorded instances of players hitting their last ball of Test cricket for a six, including Broad off Mitchell Starc at The Oval. Wayne Daniel struck a six off Australia’s Tom Hogan in the 1984 Port of Spain Test, his last appearance for the West Indies.*July 31 – This article was updated after Broad announced his retirement

Test captain Dean Elgar singled out the middle-order batter as a player to watch out for ahead of the West Indies Tests

Firdose Moonda07-Jun-2021Finally, South Africa have their KP.No, not the opinionated one with funky hairstyles but someone with the same two initials. Keegan Petersen is also a batter, a self-confessed bringer of “banter, on and off the field” and is set to make his debut on Thursday against West Indies as South Africa play their first series of another new era. He’ll bat in the top five, wants to score runs and rib both his team-mates and the opposition in the future.”I like to believe I am an energetic, positive-energy type of person,” Petersen said, just before the team departed for the Caribbean. “I don’t take things seriously, in a good way. I find a joke in everything and I lighten the mood so hopefully, it rubs off in the right way. And I hope I bring runs.”So will South Africa, after a lean period in which the batters have collectively produced only three centuries in their last eight Tests, crossing 300 just twice in 15 innings. Their problems range from lack of confidence – especially against spin – to an inability to convert starts or build partnerships, but Petersen could be crucial in ensuring that changes.While his presence won’t bring experience in international caps like line-ups of old, his nine years in the first-class game includes an accumulation of knowledge of a range of conditions that South Africa have historically struggled on. Petersen made his name on the slow pitches in Paarl before moving to the flat decks of Bloemfontein and ultimately the more challenging spinning surfaces in Durban, which he believes are the ultimate preparation for the Caribbean. “Kingsmead has prepared me for any slow or turning wicket because that’s all we get in Durban,” he said. “It almost gave me the worst conditions so whatever I get [on this tour], I’ll be prepared for.”

“I’ve been nervous for a while now. It gives me goosebumps thinking about it. I know I will have big boots to fill. Anyone would be nervous. This is what we dream of as kids and eventually when the dream becomes a reality, it gives your system a bit of a shock”Keegan Petersen

His domestic coach, Imraan Khan, agrees. “He is a very determined, smart player who knows his game well. And he’s got a good all-round game,” Khan told ESPNcricinfo. “He is quite a short guy, so he plays square a lot of the time and he has a good game against spin. That’s one of the reasons he came to Durban – to expand his game against spin. He has good footwork, forward and back, and has really developed his sweep shot.”Petersen announced himself at the Dolphins last season with a score of 173 in his first appearance for his new team after three summers with the Knights.It was with the Knight, in the 2018-19 season, that he had first caught the eye of the national selectors. That year, he was the leading run-scorer in the first-class competition with 923 runs at an average of 61.53. Those numbers earned him a call-up to the South African squad for the 2019-20 season – Mark Boucher’s first in charge – but Petersen could not force his way into the XI ahead of Rassie van der Dussen and Zubayr Hamza. Instead, he was mentored by Jacques Kallis, who was working as South Africa’s batting consultant in that period. “He enjoyed being able to absorb information from someone like Kallis,” Khan said.Petersen pulls Chris Woakes through the leg side•Getty ImagesSince then, his numbers have dipped slightly but he remains among the top performers on the domestic scene. In the 2020-21 season, Petersen finished in the top ten first-class run-scorers and averaged 44. He might have played in the festive Tests against Sri Lanka but missed the series for health reasons. He then travelled to Pakistan but again couldn’t get a game. “That bubble was extremely difficult because we were stuck in a hotel on one floor. We couldn’t go anywhere, we couldn’t do anything,” he said. “I hope the Caribbean will be different.”Related

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It already is. South Africa are staying at the Harbour Club and have access to a golf course and a beach, so any sense of claustrophobia has been mitigated. And Petersen is all but assured he will get the chance to play after new captain Dean Elgar singled him out as the likely replacement for the retired Faf du Plessis before the team’s departure. He also knows there are going to be a lot of expectation from him.”I’ve been nervous for a while now,” Petersen said. “It gives me goosebumps thinking about it. I know I will have big boots to fill. Anyone would be nervous. This is what we dream of as kids and eventually when the dream becomes a reality, it gives your system a bit of a shock. I’ve been around, so for me to get a go in the sides means a lot because I know where I’ve come from and I know the journey has been tough and long. This is what we work for.”

The New York Yankees acquired three relief pitchers at the MLB trade deadline, yet not even a week later and the team still has a glaring issue in the back end of its bullpen.

Devin Williams, who Aaron Boone said would remain New York's closer despite its recent influx of relievers, has been dreadful in his first season with the organization. The acquisition of Williams was expected to provide some stability to the bullpen following the departure of Clay Holmes. Instead, he's had the worst year of his career and has been a liability in high-leverage situations.

Williams owns a 5.10 ERA with 55 strikeouts, 17 walks and four home runs surrendered across 46 appearances. He has 17 saves in 20 save opportunities, but has surrendered at least one run in each of his last three outings.

One glaring stat from Williams's numbers this year pops out as particularly worrisome, however. During his time with the Brewers, Williams surrendered a total of 48 earned runs across six seasons and 235 2/3 innings. He let up just 26 runs over his last three years with the organization, as he emerged as one of baseball's best relievers. In his first 42 1/3 innings with the Yankees, however, Williams has already been tagged for 24 earned runs.

Per Codify Baseball, Williams surrendered 24 earned runs in his final 145 appearances for Milwaukee, and has now allowed 24 earned runs in his first 46 appearances for New York.

Despite his struggles, Aaron Boone has continued to deploy him as the Yankees' primary closer, and said he intends to continue to do so despite trading for David Bednar and Camilo Doval. Whether that stance changes if Williams' woes continue remains to be seen.

There has been an obscene amount of cash flying to and from Premier League bank accounts over the last few years, with transfer records tumbling all the time, even in a post-pandemic world and the era of PSR.

Four Premier League clubs received record transfer fees in the summer of 2025.

So which players have gone for club-record sums?

Rank

Club

Player

Sold to

Fee

Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona

£142m

Newcastle

Alexander Isak

Liverpool

£125m

Brighton

Moises Caicedo

Chelsea

£115m

West Ham

Declan Rice

Arsenal

£105m

Aston Villa

Jack Grealish

Man City

£100m

Everton

Romelu Lukaku

Man Utd

£90m

Chelsea

Eden Hazard

Real Madrid

£89m

Tottenham

Gareth Bale

Real Madrid

£85.3m

Man City

Julian Alvarez

Atletico Madrid

£81.5m

Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid

£80m

Brentford

Bryan Mbeumo

Man Utd

£71m

Bournemouth

Dominic Solanke

Tottenham

£65m

Wolves

Matheus Cunha

Man Utd

£62.5m

Crystal Palace

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

£50m

Fulham

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Al-Hilal

£50m

Nottingham Forest

Brennan Johnson

Tottenham

£45m

Leeds United

Georginio Rutter

Brighton

£40m

Arsenal

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Liverpool

£35m

Sunderland

Jordan Pickford

Everton

£30m

Burnley

James Trafford

Man City

£27m

All 20 Premier League clubs' record signings

From Manchester City to Ipswich Town, here’s a look at each Premier League club’s most expensive signing.

ByBrogan Clasper Sep 4, 2024 Arsenal: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain £35m to Liverpool, 2017

Given the amount of cash Arsenal have splashed in more recent years, it is perhaps a surprise that their record sale dates as far back as this.

However, the Gunners have been perennially poor sellers, particularly under Arsene Wenger, though he received a pretty cool £35m when Liverpool came calling for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2017, just months after the midfielder helped Arsenal to the FA Cup.

Considering Oxlade-Chamberlain only shone in brief glimpses at Anfield, Arsenal can put this down as a fine piece of business.

Aston Villa: Jack Grealish £100m to Man City, 2021

After guiding Aston Villa to promotion and then Premier League survival, it had seemed just a matter of time before Jack Grealish would take the next step in his career.

To the Villans’ credit, they kept hold of the Englishman’s services for a further year, but could not say no to champions Manchester City, who came forward with a British-record nine-figure bid in the summer of 2021.

Grealish was part of City’s treble-winning side in 2022/23, while Villa have gone from strength to strength in his absence, and took part in the Champions League alongside Man City in 2024/25. Grealish’s departure may have been bittersweet, but things have worked out pretty well for the Midlands outfit.

Bournemouth: Dominic Solanke £65m to Tottenham, 2024

Bournemouth broke their own transfer record in 2024, but not before receiving the largest sum in the club’s history for one of their players.

Dominic Solanke’s move to Tottenham Hotspur cost the north Londoners £65m – eclipsing the £40m they received from Manchester City for Nathan Ake in 2020.

The Cherries responded to Solanke’s departure by signing Evanilson for just over £40m from FC Porto.

Brentford: Bryan Mbeumo £71m to Manchester United, 2025

Brentford have been pillaged in recent years with Ivan Toney heading to Saudi, Yoane Wissa making his move to Newcastle and Bryan Mbeumo – the biggest of the lot – heading to Manchester United in a colossal £71m deal in the summer of 2025.

Mbeumo was one of the Premier League’s standout players in 2024/25, scoring 20 top-flight goals. That tally of goals richly deserved a move and he duly got one.

Brighton: Moises Caicedo £115m to Chelsea, 2023

Moises Caicedo was subject to interest from Chelsea and Liverpool in the summer of 2023, with the Ecuadorian selecting the Blues as his next destination after Brighton & Hove Albion accepted mammoth bids from both clubs.

Despite approving a £111m transfer to the Reds, Chelsea decided to go one further by structuring a deal that could yet rise to £115m.

It was reported that £15m of that total is in appearance-related add-ons.

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2 ByStephan Georgiou Aug 23, 2024 Burnley: James Trafford £27m to Manchester City, 2025

James Trafford enjoyed a remarkable campaign with the Clarets during their promotion-winning season in 2024/25.

The goalkeeper kept a whopping 29 clean sheets. Quickly becoming one of the best English stoppers around, Man City paid a £27m fee to bring him back to the club where he grew up.

Sadly for Trafford, he was quickly displaced when the Citizens brought in Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Chelsea: Eden Hazard £89m to Real Madrid, 2019

Chelsea have had a history of receiving handsome transfer sums for players in recent years, and while Eden Hazard is undoubtedly one of their better stars within the last decade or so, the £89m they received upfront from Real Madrid turned out to be a terrific steal.

The deal to send the Belgian to the Santiago Bernabeu – which came off the back of Hazard guiding Chelsea to Europa League glory – could have reached over £150m. However, given the Blues legend only featured 76 times in an injury-ridden four-year spell in Madrid before retiring, we highly doubt many of the add-ons were ever activated.

Still, it is comfortably the highest fee Chelsea have received – it is most closely rivalled by Kai Havertz’s move to Arsenal for £65m.

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ByFreddie Taylor Oct 13, 2023 Crystal Palace: Aaron Wan-Bissaka £50m to Man Utd, 2019

Manchester United’s spending spree in 2019 features multiple times in this list as they parted with nearly £150m that summer alone. A decent chunk of that went on bringing in Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace for £50m.

The six years that have followed have not been too rosy for the club nor the player, with the Red Devils making a significant loss on the full-back when selling him to West Ham United ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Eagles have often been resolute when it comes to high-profile interest in their players, and recently had their resolve tested once more in 2024 as Newcastle threatened to eclipse the sum received for Wan-Bissaka while seeking to add Marc Guehi to their squad.

Everton: Romelu Lukaku £90m to Man Utd, 2017

It has all been downhill for Everton since selling Romelu Lukaku in 2017, when he linked up with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

However, Everton did manage to secure a princely sum for the striker, with United paying the Toffees an initial £75m in a deal that included a further £15m in add-ons.

It is unclear how much of these were activated, but Everton have struggled on and off the pitch since, finishing in the top half just once since the turn of the decade and remaining out of Europe since the year of the Belgian’s departure – all while being under scrutiny for their finances amid a number of transfer flops.

Fulham: Aleksandar Mitrovic £50m to Al-Hilal, 2023

Fulham were one of the many victims of the Saudi Pro League’s raid on European-based footballers. Their riches were too much for Aleksandar Mitrovic to ignore in the summer of 2023 – and they nearly took manager Marco Silva along with them.

However, Fulham have remained a solid top-flight club after comfortably surviving in their first season back with Mitrovic in 2022/23.

They have invested the reported £50m fee paid by Saudi champions Al-Hilal for the Serbian’s services wisely, with Rodrigo Muniz among those to shine at Craven Cottage.

Manchester United are now accelerating their move to sign a Premier League star, who’s already been contacted about a move to Chelsea, according to reports.

Man Utd debt breaks $1bn after summer window

It’s not getting any easier for INEOS and Manchester United. After they splashed out over £150m in the summer transfer window, the club’s net debt has reportedly broken the $1bn barrier for the first time. This is despite INEOS taking several controversial cost-cutting measures and highlights just how important it is that United get back into the Champions League this season.

In the club’s first-quarter accounts, which were released on Thursday, their noncurrent borrowings were reported at £481 million ($644m). Add in the £105m from their revolving credit facility, however, and that takes their total borrowings to £268m and their total net debt has grown to £749m ($1.002bn).

Yet, the transfer rumours ahead of 2026 continue to arrive. Reports earlier this week even claimed that Man United have made contact in the race to sign Arda Guler from Real Madrid. The Turkish superstar is reportedly worth £88m, however, and would once again add to the club’s growing debt.

INEOS also continue to remain patient with Ruben Amorim, insisting that he’s the man to take the Red Devils back to Europe’s top table. It’s a delicate balance. United need reinforcements, Amorim needs to get the best out of his current squad, and debt must not reach new records.

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With that said, rather than a move for such expensive targets, United are reportedly looking to sign Sunderland star Noah Sadiki ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Man Utd accelerating move to sign Sadiki

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Man United are now accelerating their move to sign Sadiki after the Sunderland star received contact from Chelsea back in October.

The central midfielder also received contact from United at the beginning of the season in an attempt to get ahead of the chasing pack. As of right now, though, those at Old Trafford find themselves head-to-head against Chelsea in the race to secure the 20-year-old, who joined Sunderland for around £15m in the summer.

It’s easy to see why Sadiki has attracted such interest so soon after arriving in the Premier League. He’s played a pivotal part in Sunderland’s incredible start to the season and it’s the type of rise that their sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman saw coming in the summer.

He told the club’s website after signing the midfielder: “Noah’s enjoyed a great level of experience at a relatively young age, and alongside his drive to improve, this makes him an exciting addition to our squad.

“During his time at USG, he’s played in domestic and European competitions regularly, and the Premier League is a natural next step in his promising career.”

Upgrade on Sesko: Man Utd pursuing "one of Europe's most in-form STs"

Javier Baez was involved in a weird double play and might need to get some ice on his head.

The Detroit Tigers are facing the Tampa Bay Rays in spring training on Wednesday and Detroit's shortstop used his head in the worst way possible. Baez reached on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the first inning, then on the next play he caused some chaos.

Outfielder Riley Green lined a ball up the middle but Rays shortstop Carson Williams made a diving play to catch the ball. He gathered himself and hurled the ball towards first to double up Baez, who was already close to the second base bag.

Baez realized he was cooked and would be doubled off but for some reason decided to jump just as Williams was throwing the ball. Thanks to his hop, the ball nailed Baez in the helmet. He was ruled out.

Video is below.

On replay it looks like it was a jump of frustration from Baez, but the timing made it look like he was trying to block the throw. It's clear he wasn't. Just a weird double play.

Manchester United have won three Premier League matches in succession for the first time in the Ruben Amorim era after their 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.

The signings of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and Matheus Cunha have had a positive impact on the team, as all three of them were directly involved in at least one goal against Brighton.

INEOS have seen the impact that signing high-quality, ready-made, players can have on the squad, which may be why they are being linked with a move to sign Adam Wharton.

The latest on Adam Wharton to Manchester United

It was recently reported that the Crystal Palace central midfielder has overtaken Brighton star Carlos Baleba on Manchester United’s shortlist of targets ahead of the January transfer window.

That report claimed that Amorim wants to sign the left-footed English starlet because of his direct style of play and forward passing in the middle of the park, as he looks to bolster his options ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

However, it has been reported that it could take a fee of up to £100m to convince the Eagles to part ways with Wharton, which would eclipse United’s club-record £89m deal for Paul Pogba.

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Instead of splashing out a club-record fee on the Crystal Palace star, though, Manchester United could unearth their own version of Wharton in Kobbie Mainoo by working with him to improve his game.

Why Kobbie Mainoo can be Man Utd's own Adam Wharton

The England international, who was described as “fearless” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has yet to start a Premier League game this season, because Amorim has stated that he is competing with Bruno Fernandes for a starting berth.

However, the Portuguese head coach could solve that problem by coaching Mainoo to excel as the holding midfielder next to the captain, as his own version of Wharton, as the young midfielder has some of the raw materials needed to perform in that position.

The 20-year-old starlet, who Mango also stated had a “meteoric rise” at United, does need to improve his forward passing and creativity in possession, though, as Wharton has the beating of him in those two aspects.

Last 365 days (Per 90)

Adam Wharton

Kobbie Mainoo

Pass accuracy

74.4%

86.3%

Shot-creating actions

3.80

2.85

Expected Assisted Goals

0.31

0.11

Progressive passes

5.57

3.62

Progressive carries

1.15

1.75

Successful take-ons

0.48

1.10

Tackles made

1.83

2.59

Percentage of dribblers tackled

40.6%

58.1%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Wharton produces more shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90 than Mainoo, based on their statistics over the past year, which shows that Red Devils youngster what he needs to develop.

The United academy graduate, however, has offered more defensive quality to his side than the Palace man by winning more tackles and winning a far higher percentage of his attempted tackles, which suggests that he does have the physical edge to play that role next to Bruno.

Mainoo’s progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, particularly in comparison to Wharton’s, also suggest that he has the direct play in the middle of the park that Amorim wants to sign the Eagles midfielder for.

The 20-year-old star’s statistics show that he does have some impressive qualities that could make him an excellent fit for the role that the club may be lining Wharton up for, if he can work on his progressive passing and creativity in the final third.

Rather than spending £100m or more on the Palace star, United could look within their own squad to coach Mainoo and help him to become their own £100m-rated midfielder by working on his weaknesses to make him a complete star.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Oct 30, 2025

Arsenal are well and truly on the charge this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League table and on Tuesday night stunned Europe by dismantling Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

While they finally faced a shot on target in the second half, the Gunners ended up putting four goals past the Spanish giants, and even then, didn’t even look like they were at their best.

One of the standout performers on the night was undoubtedly Declan Rice, and in brilliant news, another of Arteta’s signings is starting to play a bit like the Englishman.

Declan Rice's incredible form

To the surprise of practically nobody who has watched him over the last few years, Rice has continued to perform at a world-class level for Arsenal this season.

On top of being a bruising, no-nonsense midfielder who can batter opposition players and disrupt their attacks, he’s become a sensational offensive operator in his own right.

Whether it’s crashing the box late, lashing in a shot from range or delivering absurdly perfect set-piece deliveries, the Englishman is a player opposition defenders simply cannot ignore.

His dead-ball expertise was on full display against Atléti on Tuesday night, as it was his free-kick that found the head of Gabriel Magalhães to open the scoring in the 57th minute.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it was his free-kick in the 70th minute that eventually led to the Gunners’ fourth and final goal.

Moreover, he’s already chalked up three assists in the Premier League this season, all three of which have come from, you guessed it, set-pieces.

With all this in mind, it’s really quite difficult to disagree with Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz’s opinion that, in the former West Ham United captain, Arsenal have “the best set piece taker in world football.”

However, he’s not just a set-piece machine, and there is now another player in Arteta’s squad who is starting to emulate some of his other best traits.

The Arsenal star playing like Rice

There were several players who really shone for Arsenal on Tuesday night, from Gabriel to Martin Zubimendi and even Gabriel Martinelli, who scored a wonderful curled effort to make it 2-0

However, one of the real stars of the show, and the man who could be described as playing a bit like Rice these days, is Viktor Gyokeres.

The summer signing finally ended his goalscoring drought with a brace against Atléti, and while neither goal was particularly impressive from an aesthetic perspective, that really doesn’t matter.

It was just important for the Swedish international to finally get his name back on the scoresheet and to get some of the pressure off his back that has been slowly building over the last few weeks.

Moreover, even without the two goals, it was, as analyst Rohan Jivan said, his “best game in an Arsenal shirt by far,” and one that saw him named Man of the Match and given a 9/10 match rating by the Sun’s Jordan Davies.

For example, he was constantly making smart runs in behind the Madrid outfit’s defence, or off to the left to stretch the pitch and free up space for his teammates.

Moreover, even when the ball wasn’t finding him, or he had a couple of poor touches, his head never dropped; instead, it seemed to make him more determined.

This never-say-die and run yourself into the ground for the team approach is one of the key traits he shares with Rice, and then, on top of that, he’s also got that bruising, physical side to him.

The Stockholm-born “steam train,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, might not have the silky footwork of a Hugo Ekitiké or Alexander Isak, but like the former West Ham man, he will bulldoze his way into dangerous positions.

Gyokeres’ 25/26

Appearances

12

Starts

11

Minutes

925′

Goals

5

Assists

0

Goals per Match

0.41

Minutes per Goal

185′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

With all that said, it is still clear that there is more to come from the former Sporting CP monster this season, even if he now has a pretty reasonable haul of five goals in 12 games this season.

Ultimately, there are plenty of differences between the pair, but the way in which Gyokeres never gives up and uses his physical gifts to bulldoze opposition players is starting to make him look a bit Rice-like.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2025

The feeling around Manchester United at the moment is one of positivity after their phenomenal victory over defending Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield.

Ruben Amorim masterminded the Red Devils to a 2-1 triumph on Sunday afternoon, with winger Bryan Mbeumo continuing his excellent start to life at Old Trafford.

Eyebrows were raised over his £71m transfer fee, but he’s already demonstrated his quality after netting three goals and one assist in his first nine outings across all competitions.

The Cameroonian international currently sits at the top of the club’s goalscoring charts, arguably looking as though he is the club’s biggest attacking threat at present.

However, the 26-year-old still has a long way to go until he reaches the levels produced by another first-team member during his own stint at Old Trafford.

Why Bruno is United’s best player since the Sir Alex era

Sir Alex Ferguson is a man who brought huge success to Man Utd, as seen by his tally of 13 Premier League titles won during his stint in charge of the Red Devils.

However, the club have massively lacked quality and success since his departure in 2013, but it’s safe to say Bruno Fernandes has been the shining light over recent years.

The Portuguese international joined the club in a £47m deal back in January 2020, racking up 100 goals and 84 assists within his 299 appearances for the Red Devils.

He’s often featured in a number ten or number eight position at Old Trafford, even staying put despite numerous big-money transfer links to move to Saudi Arabia.

As a result, Fernandes has accrued the captain’s armband in recent years, further reflecting the importance he currently brings to the club’s first-team squad.

The 31-year-old ranked highly amongst his teammates in the Premier League last season, subsequently sitting at the top of the goalscoring and assist charts.

Bruno Fernandes – PL stats (2024/25)

Statistics

Tally

Utd Rank

Games played

36

1st

Goals scored

8

=1st

Big chances

16

1st

Chances created

91

1st

Long balls completed

82

1st

Assists

10

1st

Stats via FotMob

He also created the most chances and big chances of any player in the squad, undoubtedly being the club’s biggest threat within the final third of the pitch.

However, the club may have found another superb talent in recent times, with such a talent arguably becoming their best since Bruno after his own arrival nearly six years ago.

The United star who’s the best signing since Bruno

After United’s 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season, it was crucial that Amorim transformed the side to prevent such a finish from repeating itself.

He was handed a £200m budget to make the changes he desired during the off-season, with Mbeumo just one of the additions made by the 40-year-old.

Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha were also added to the ranks to provide needed quality and depth to the Red Devils’ forward line – after scoring just 44 times in the league last season.

However, other areas of the pitch were also bolstered during their spending spree, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens arriving at Old Trafford on deadline day.

The hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £18m for the 23-year-old’s signature in an attempt to finally solve the dire situation between the goalposts.

Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir both struggled to take the number one shirt under Amorim, which resulted in the board making the decision to land the Belgian.

The youngster had to bide his time before making his debut for the Red Devils, with Lammens so far only racking up two first-team appearances at present.

Senne Lammens – Man Utd stats

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

2

Minutes played

180

Saves made

8

Goals prevented

2.3

Goals conceded

1

Clean sheets

1

High claims

4

Passes completed

26

Stats via FotMob

However, he’s already demonstrated his quality between the sticks, keeping one clean sheet against Sunderland and playing a key role in the triumph over Liverpool.

Lammens, who’s been dubbed “unbelievable” by Liam Canning, has already achieved a save percentage of 89%, whilst preventing 2.3 goals in his first two league outings.

The Belgian has also only conceded one to date, making two high claims per 90 and offering the United first-team the authority they’ve lacked in recent times.

His latest showing at Anfield saw him make five saves, undoubtedly allowing Amorim’s men to claim all three points – with his £18m fee now looking an absolute bargain.

Given the struggles in such a department over recent years, it’s a welcome sight for the supporters to have faith in a shot-stopper within the first-team ranks.

At just 23, he has bags of time to continue his development at the Theatre of Dreams and potentially make himself a fan-favourite in the process.

If he does continue on his current path, there’s no denying he will be one of their best additions in recent years – potentially being their best since Bruno joined in the winter of 2020.

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