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Liverpool have now reportedly joined the race to sign a rising star who could replace Ibrahima Konate, having already sent their scouts to watch the defender in action.

What next after Salah's explosive rant?

Just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse, Mohamed Salah found himself strolling through the mixed zone towards the first microphone available. And this was no friendly catch-up. The Egyptian unleashed a sensational rant, accusing Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” and claiming that there is no longer a relationship with manager Arne Slot.

So, where do Liverpool and Salah go next? The Egyptian has trained today and a decision is yet to be made as to whether he travels to face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, some teammates were expecting his rant and those higher up at Anfield knew it was only inevitable that the chances increased that he’d speak out with every passing week on the bench.

Slot maintains the backing of Anfield chiefs, however, who view his decision to drop Salah as a selection choice which was unlikely to be long-term.

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What’s more, as reported by the BBC’s Sami Mokbel, the relationship between Slot and Salah is genuinely broken at present and the Egyptian simply does not see a future at Liverpool whilst the Dutchman is in charge.

It’s the lowest moment of Liverpool’s season so far and one that they could certainly do without as the fixtures come thick and fast. Alas, business goes on for FSG, who have reportedly joined the race to solve another one of Slot’s glaring problems at Liverpool.

Liverpool join race to sign Jeremy Jacquet

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Jeremy Jacquet, who has impressed their scouts at Stade Rennais.

The Reds have already made checks on the 20-year-old defender and could welcome his arrival to replace Konate in 2026. The Frenchman is in the worst form of his Liverpool career and has already played himself out of a potential move to Real Madrid. Now, with his contract still on course to expire in the summer, he could still leave as a free agent.

Dubbed “physically imposing” by Como scout Ben Mattinson back in May and as “an insane centre-back in the making” by Jacek Kulig, Jacquet has only come on leaps and bounds ever since. At 20 years old, he’s someone that should be on the radar of several top clubs.

For Liverpool, that physicality would be key. The Reds have been bullied far too often this season with Konate at the scene of the crime all too often.

Salah replacement: Liverpool keen to sign "one of the best wingers in Europe"

The result extended India’s dominance, making it 12 wins in 12 ODIs against Pakistan

Sruthi Ravindranath05-Oct-2025

Kranti Goud celebrates with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur•AFP/Getty Images

Seamer Kranti Goud led the way for India with 3 for 20 as they dismissed Pakistan for 159 in their chase of 248 in the Women’s World Cup at Khettarama.The result extended India’s dominance, making it 12 wins in 12 ODIs against Pakistan. It also took India to the top of the points table, ahead of Australia, while Pakistan have lost both their games in the tournament so far.India were sloppy in the field, but Pakistan failed to capitalise on it, never quite keeping pace with the required rate during their chase. Sidra Amin held one end up with 81 off 106, offering Pakistan a glimmer of hope, but her dismissal effectively ended Pakistan’s resistance. They were eventually bowled out in 43 overs.On a pitch where every other India batter found it difficult to score, Richa Ghosh crashed 35 not out off 20 from No.8, lifting India to 247 – the highest total without a fifty-plus stand in women’s ODIs. Harleen Deol top-scored for India with 46, with Pakistan’s five bowlers never letting the momentum go India’s way on what Jemimah Rodrigues described as “not an easy pitch” for batting during the innings break.Pakistan opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal after putting India in under grey skies, but soon went back to their usual new-ball pairing of Diana Baig and Fatima Sana. Pakistan lost a review early after an lbw shout against Smriti Mandhana was not given with the replays indicating that Baig’s delivery had pitched outside leg. Mandhana, however, struggled to get going, especially against Sana who mostly bowled tight lines, not allowing her to score on the off side. She eventually fell lbw to an inswinger from Sana for 23 after burning a review in the process.Related

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Muneeba Ali run-out in unusual circumstances against India

The introduction of spinners squeezed the scoring even further. Though Deol walked down the track to hit Rameen Shamim for a six, Pakistan kept building up the dot-ball pressure. Pratika Rawal scored 31 off 37 balls before she was undone by a Sadia Iqbal arm ball. By the end of 20 overs, India had played out 78 dots.With captain Harmanpreet Kaur too falling without making any big impact, leaving India 106 for 3 in 25 overs, the onus was on Deol to build on her start. India seemed to have found themselves in more trouble after Baig had Rodrigues caught behind for 2, but it turned out to be a no-ball. Rodrigues then smashed the free-hit to the midwicket boundary.Sidra Amin top-scored for Pakistan with 81 off 106 balls•ICC/Getty ImagesRodrigues and Deol added 45 in 51 balls before Shamim had Deol hole out to long-on in the 34th over. In the next over, Nashra Sandhu then had Rodrigues lbw for 32 after overturning an on-field not-out decision. In between those two overs, there was a 15-minute delay while the playing area at Khettarama was fumigated to clear it of a swarm of insects.India sent in Sneh Rana at No.7, ahead of Ghosh, and their struggle to up the ante continued. She holed out for 20 off 33 while struggling to break free, which brought Ghosh to the middle. Ghosh went on to punish the fast bowlers, smashing Sana’s slower delivery over wide long-on though wickets tumbled around her. She took 13 runs off Baig in the 48th over, and then Goud contributed with two boundaries in the final over of the innings to take India to an above-par total.India burnt a review with the very first ball of the chase, trying to overturn an lbw decision against Muneeba Ali. Pakistan’s openers, however, struggled to score against new-ball bowlers Goud and Renuka Singh, who came into the XI in place of Amanjot Kaur.In the fourth over, Muneeba was run-out in unusual circumstances. Muneeba, batting out of her crease, was not attempting a run when India appealed for an lbw off Goud’s bowling. As that appeal went up, Muneeba had promptly grounded her bat behind the crease before the throw from Deepti Sharma came in from the slip cordon. But replays revealed she had very briefly raised her bat off the ground again without having grounded any other part of the body behind the line when Deepti’s throw had dislodged the bails. The decision caused a brief stoppage with Pakistan captain Sana seen chatting with the fourth umpire near the rope.Goud continued to keep India in control, mixing her lengths and pace superbly. After having Sadaf Shamas caught and bowled, she had Aliya Riyaz caught at second slip, leaving Pakistan at 26 for 3 in 11.1 overs.Amin, getting off the mark with a boundary, had luck going her way. She escaped an lbw shout with India not opting to review while batting on 8; the replays later showing three reds on ball-tracking. Ghosh dropped an edge off her shortly after. She was also nearly caught and bowled by N Sree Charani while batting on 12. Amin, however, couldn’t score freely against India’s quicks.Amin, though, seemed to gain in confidence with the introduction of spinners as she hit Rana for a six over long-on. It was Pakistan’s first-ever six in an ODI against India. She then found able support from Natalia Pervais who made 33 off 46. Amin went onto bring up her fifty off 82 balls, but by then Pakistan’s required run rate ballooned towards eight. Amin fell under the pressure of that asking rate, leaving Pakistan at 150 for 8, and it didn’t take long for India to wrap up Pakistan’s innings.

The powerplays proved to be the difference on a pitch that was difficult for batting

Madushka Balasuriya16-Sep-20252:27

Mukund lauds Bangladesh’s spin-choke tactic

Bangladesh held on for a win in the first real nail-biter of Asia Cup 2025, as they pipped Afghanistan by eight runs and kept their hopes of qualification alive.The defence was set up by the very first delivery of the chase, as Nasum Ahmed trapped Sediqullah Atal lbw. It signalled the start of a dominant bowling powerplay that would see just 27 runs scored for the loss of two wickets.From that point on, Bangladesh’s bowlers, led by their excellent spin contingent, strangled the chase through the middle overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz tried to play through the innings, but he fell straight after the drinks break. That started the downward spiral of the Afghan innings.Nasum ended up finishing with figures of 2 for 9, while Rishad Hossain – whose only blip was dropping Ibrahim Zadran in the second over – finished with 2 for 18. Taskin Ahmed, recalled to the XI, picked up two as well, but the pick of the bunch was the evergreen Mustafizur Rahman with his 3 for 28 – including some pivotal overs at the death.It was a team effort that ensured Bangladesh were able to defend a total that seemed perhaps around 20 runs short, after Afghanistan’s excellent bowling through the middle and at the death had hauled Bangladesh in following a blistering powerplay led by Tanzid Hasan, who ended with a 31-ball 52.It was an innings that secured Tanzid the player-of-the-match award, and one that in hindsight, likely proved the difference between the two sides on a surface that was not the easiest to bat on.Powerplays prove to be the differenceTanzid’s display of unadulterated intent at the top of the order set Bangladesh up for a total much more than they eventually got, but it showed the importance of utilising the fielding restrictions.It was an innings with its fair share of fortune – a thick edge sailing between keeper and first slip when he was on 2 the glaring example – but he rode that luck and found a string of boundaries to give their innings momentum. Of his first 12 deliveries, six went to the boundary.2:44

Abhinav: Tanzid has shown a lot of promise

The powerplay brought 59 runs, nearly 40% of Bangladesh’s final total before Afghanistan clawed things back with the ball. Bangladesh dominated the powerplay once more in the chase, this time through Nasum Ahmed, who bowled three overs for seven runs and picked up two wickets in those pivotal first six overs.Batting only ended up getting harder in the next phase as Bangladesh tightened the screw and kept pushing the required rate ever higher.Spin to winThe spinners from both sides proved impossible to get away – in fact the only spinner that struggled was AM Ghazanfar, who was brought inside the powerplay and was targeted expertly by Tanzid.Prior to Nasum and Rishad throttling the chase, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad had done the same to Bangladesh’s innings after their Tanzid-propelled start.1:34

Jaffer: Omarzai wicket the turning point in Afghanistan’s chase

The pair gave away just 49 runs across their eight overs while sharing four wickets between them. They proved pivotal in the middle-overs period that saw four wickets fall for 65 runs.In fact, Afghanistan’s bowlers bettered their Bangladeshi counterparts both through the middle and at the death, with the difference being made up crucially in the powerplays.Bangla seamers come in clutchEven accounting for the excellence of Bangladesh’s bowling, 53 needed off the final five overs with five wickets in hand was not strictly an impossible ask. And with Azmatullah Omarzai going strong, Afghanistan would not have given up hope in the slightest.The Bangladesh seamers, however, ensured they kept their nerve at the death, and stuck diligently to their plans. Taskin, who ended with figures of 2 for 34, accounted for the key wicket of Omarzai, while Mustafizur got rid of Rashid, who had struck a pair of no-look boundaries to keep Afghanistan in the hunt.Rashid ended up admitting after the game that the final three-over requirement of 31 was not beyond the realms of modern T20 batting, and that credit must go to Taskin and Mustafizur for holding their nerve in a must-win scenario.

India lost both their overnight batters, Rahul and Gill, and still trail by 88

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2025

Shubman Gill celebrates his fourth century of the series•AFP/Getty Images

Lunch England took a huge step towards a series-clinching win just before lunch on the fifth day in Manchester when Jofra Archer finally dislodged Shubman Gill after 87 overs of resistance.When Gill walked out to face a hat-trick ball in the first over of India’s second innings, his team trailed by 311 runs and looked certain to lose within four days. But a doughty, defiant century – the fourth in his first series as India captain – kept the match and the series alive, trimming the deficit to under 100 and slowly wearing England’s bowlers down.Gill was given a life early on the fifth day when Ollie Pope failed to hold onto a stinging chance at short cover, and was hit on the glove and helmet as Ben Stokes broke through the pain barrier to bowl an eight-over spell from the James Anderson End. Stokes did not bowl on the fourth day due to cramp and grimaced after every ball due to a shoulder niggle.But he was the man that gave England their first breakthrough, pinning KL Rahul on the back pad to trap him lbw and break a partnership worth 188 with Gill. Stokes exploited the variable bounce on offer throughout his spell, with some balls shooting through low and others – like the brute that struck Gill – leaping unexpectedly.Chris Woakes took the new ball alongside Archer and occasionally beat the bat, with Gill surviving an incredibly tight leave soon after a celebratory yelp on reaching three figures. But he played away from his body to a back-of-a-length ball from Archer shortly before lunch, and edged through to Jamie Smith to make England clear favourites.

Manchester United are in the market for January reinforcements and may now be about to grant Ruben Amorim one of his key wishes at Old Trafford.

Generating momentum has been a struggle for the Red Devils in recent years. However, they have gone five matches unbeaten in the Premier League, showing a renewed sense of resolve at the club.

Standing firm behind their manager, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will feel vindicated after refusing to succumb to pressure surrounding Amorim. Long-term planning at Manchester United is key, and Fabrizio Romano believes there will definitely be a midfield arrival at the club in 2026.

He said: “Conor Gallagher could be an opportunity, but Atletico Madrid didn’t want to let him go in August. So let’s see what happens in the January window. Angelo Stiller is also a player they appreciate from Stuttgart, but I don’t see a German club selling one of the stars in the January window at all.

“So January is not going to be easy. It’s going to be about opportunities in the summer could be different. And for sure, Manchester United in 2026 will add again, at least one midfielder.”

Romano is right, January is hardly an easy month to do business, and it remains to be seen how much the Red Devils have to spend after a summer of new arrivals, though trying to keep pace with their Premier League rivals may require some form of expenditure.

Midfield is a key area where reinforcements could happen and Hertha Berlin youngster Kennet Eichhorn could be a capture with the long-term in mind.

Casemiro is also coming to the end of his contract, and Manchester United have now shortlisted a successor who has recently been in the headlines.

Man Utd place Bournemouth star Alex Scott on shortlist

According to United In Focus in conversation with Graeme Bailey, Manchester United have placed Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott on their shortlist as a potential heir to Casemiro if he leaves Old Trafford on a free transfer next summer.

The Guernsey-born midfielder earned plenty of adulation last week due to earning a maiden England call-up, and is certainly deserving of the praise he is getting, having bounced back from major knee injuries both at Bristol City and Bournemouth. He is now on the radar of the Red Devils due to his ‘dominant’ displays as Amorim looks to bring fresh energy into his engine room.

Alex Scott’s excellent 2025/26 campaign at Bournemouth

Appearances

12

Goals

1

Assists

0

Bailey stated: “Alex Scott is emerging as a real name now and United are well aware of his talents. I am told they watched him and liked him during his Bristol City days, but now he is maturing into a dominant player.

“We know all the big names linked to United heading into the New Year and ahead of next summer, but keep an eye on Scott – he is a possibility for a number of clubs and that includes United.”

Man Utd could land a heavy discount on an alternative midfielder

Featuring predominantly in a double pivot at Bournemouth, it is likely Amorim would instruct him to perform the same function at Old Trafford, and it appears he could be someone who fills the deeper-lying role at the Red Devils for years to come.

Arsenal are a club with a proud history of developing and promoting young talent into the first team.

Mikel Arteta has carried that tradition on during his time, with the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly and now Max Dowman all getting chances under him.

However, when it comes to the most successful Hale End product under the Spaniard’s stewardship, it’s hard to ignore Bukayo Saka, who has become a world-class superstar in recent years.

So, fans should be very excited about another young prospect making his way through the academy, who has been likened to a young version of the England international.

Saka's academy journey

Saka joined Hale End as a seven-year-old, with him later revealing that it was his father who pushed for him to join the club over others.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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The Ealing-born gem made his debut for the club’s U18 against Fulham in August 2017, a game the Gunners would lose 4-1.

The youngster would end that season with a respectable haul of eight goals and four assists in 22 games.

The following year, he made just six appearances for the U18S and 24 for the U23S, scoring six goals and providing nine assists for the latter.

However, that was also the season in which he made his first-team debut, away to Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League group stage, under Unai Emery.

At this point, the exciting prospect was still very much seen as a left-sided attacker and had made just a single appearance on the right across both campaigns.

The 19/20 season brought the end of Saka’s time in the academy setup, as he made just one appearance for the U23s in a Premier League 2 game against Everton, which they drew.

Saka’s youth record

Team

U18s

U23s

Appearances

28

25

Goals

16

6

Assists

6

9

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, the now 24-year-old made 28 appearances for Arsenal’s U18s, in which he produced 22 goal involvements and 25 appearances for the U23s, in which he produced 15.

Everyone now knows how the rest of the story goes, and so fans should be excited that there is another Hale End talent currently being compared to Saka.

Arsenal's next Saka

With the likes of Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and now Dowman, it feels like Hale End can’t stop producing incredible talents, and the next one off the line might just be Brando Bailey-Joseph.

The 17-year-old has been so impressive in recent months that, despite only signing scholarship terms with the club a few months ago, he has already put pen to paper on a professional deal.

Moreover, according to one analyst, he is currently looking “very reminiscent of a young Saka.”

The argument he puts forward is that, like the Gunners’ talisman, there has been a lot more talk around other youngsters in the academy over him, and he is just quietly plugging away in the background.

Bailey-Joseph’s 25/26

Appearances

16

Minutes

1098′

Goals

4

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.5

Minutes per Goal Involvement

137.25′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in 16 appearances this term, totalling 1098 minutes, he has scored four goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 137.25 minutes, which would be pretty good for a striker, let alone a winger who has been moved between both sides over and over again.

In addition to the output, the analyst also points out that, like Arteta’s mercurial number seven, he has shown an “incredible technical” ability in the academy.

This is an opinion shared by Hale End expert Will Balsam, who claims that the youngster’s “fire feet, chopping into the grass constantly, make it impossible for defenders to know what’s coming.”

Ultimately, while it’s so early in his journey, Bailey-Joseph looks like he could be the next Hale End star to make it in the first team and follow in Saka’s footsteps on the wing.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 1, 2025

Chelsea star Raheem Sterling has been urged to push for a sensational transfer to Wrexham and end his struggles at Stamford Bridge. The winger is part of the club's infamous 'bomb squad' and is training away from the first team in west London. Former Wales and Liverpool striker Dean Saunders says a transfer to Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's side would be a great bit of business.

Sterling out in the cold at Chelsea

Sterling has been deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea which has led to speculation over his future, and talk of a sensational transfer to Wrexham. The winger's last competitive appearance came back in May, at the end of his loan spell with Arsenal, and it remains to be seen when he will return to action. With the January transfer window now just weeks away, Sterling's future is likely to come under the spotlight once again. Saunders has been left baffled by Sterling's situation at Chelsea and feels a shock move to Wrexham is not out of the question.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWrexham told Sterling 'not over the hill'

Saunders told BOYLE Sports who offer the latest football betting: "Raheem Sterling to Wrexham? Why not? You might see some big players that have watched the documentary and they think, ‘I'll have a bit of that. I'd love to play for them, Wrexham.’ You might get somebody like Raheem Sterling saying that. I can't get my head around his situation. What's going on? He’s not over the hill. He's a very good player. Having said that, the Championship's not easy to play in. I've managed in the Championship and sometimes Premier League players come down and play in it and they can't believe what's going on. We're playing all the time and every game's a battle. Millwall away on a Tuesday night. When the ball's up in the air all night, some of them find it difficult."

'Everybody wants to play for Wrexham'

Saunders also feels that Wrexham is an attractive club to join following their rapid rise up the leagues under Reynolds and Mac, and the Hollywood duo's subsequent heavy investment in the first team.

"I always thought that if we could get Wrexham back in the league, I thought our team would be better than most of the League Two teams. If you get in League Two, you can go up again to League One.  Now, when you get to League One, the budgets can be five million, then you get teams like Sunderland who are in there with twenty million," he added.

"You get a few big clubs trying to go up. To get into the Championship, once you get into the Championship, I thought we could get to the Championship, but then you're competing with three Premier League teams who've just got relegated. A couple who tried to go back up but never made it, with massive playing budgets and Premier League players in it. And I thought that might be the difficult bit because you have got to put your hand in your pocket then to try and compete in the Championship. And to be fair, they have.

"I mean, I'm hearing what some of the players are earning now. You know, they've signed Josh Windass, they've signed Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore. They can play at that level every day of the week and all day long and have an impact most weeks. Fair play to the manager because they've turned the players over ruthlessly so they've kept momentum.

"If Wrexham get to the Premier League I'll be delighted because it's a great club. They've got great, great supporters. And there is a massive catchment area around Wrexham, in between Wrexham and Cardiff, there's a catchment area which they're getting players through now into the academy. 

"Obviously not far the other way is Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Everton. So they normally nick the best young kids. Then you've got Stoke not far away. So they have had all the best players nicked off them, but now everybody wants to play for Wrexham, don't they? Famous all around the world. It's an incredible story."

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Getty Images SportSterling to move on in January?

Wrexham have been tipped to spend again in January as they bid to secure promotion to the Premier League. Phil Parkinson's side currently sit 10th in the table but are only three points off the final play-off place. It's not clear yet if Sterling could be tempted to head to Wales, but it certainly would be no surprise to see the 30-year-old move on in a bid to try and resurrect his career after losing his place at Chelsea.

Cole Campbell has formally requested to leave Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window, according to Sky Sports Deutschland journalist Florian Plettenberg. The 19-year-old American winger is seeking a move in order to find regular first-team playing time and continue his development. Campbell featured for the U.S's U20 side and has made five senior appearances for BVB.

• Desire for more playing time.

  Plettenberg reported that Campbell has officially submitted his transfer request to Borussia Dortmund's management, citing concerns about his pathway to meaningful minutes with the senior squad. The U.S. youth international has struggled to break into Niko Kovac's plans this season despite showing promise in limited appearances last campaign.

  Campbell's representatives have communicated that a winter move would best serve his development.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Multiple European clubs express interest

  According to Plettenberg’s report, several European clubs have expressed interest in Campbell. Belgian sides Club Brugge and Anderlecht are among the potential destinations. Danish club FC Midtjylland is also reported to be monitoring the situation, while German second-division team SV Elversberg has been identified as another option.

• Transfer saga follows summer standoff

  Campbell's transfer request comes just months after Borussia Dortmund rejected a $4.6 million (€4 million) offer from VfB Stuttgart for the American winger. Reports from German outlet Bild indicated that Dortmund was holding out for approximately $9.3 million (€8 million) for Campbell during the summer window, despite the player having already agreed to personal terms with Stuttgart. This standoff ultimately prevented Campbell from securing a move.

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  What's next for Dortmund?

  Dortmund have a rematch with Leverkusen, the side they beat 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, in the German Cup on Dec. 2. 

Eighteen years ago, Delhi had to choose between two local players. They did not choose Kohli and the rest is history

Matt Roller26-Apr-20252:23

Will it be another happy homecoming for Kohli in Delhi?

When Virat Kohli walks out of the away team dressing room in the pavilion that bears his name at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, it will be tempting to wonder what might have been. As the IPL turns 18, Kohli remains the only player to have represented the same franchise in every single season – but it is not the team based in his hometown.It remains the biggest missed opportunity in IPL history. In February 2008, two months before the league’s launch, Delhi Daredevils (as they were then known) were lining up local players for their first squad. “In the mandatory under-22 category, we have identified Virat Kohli, Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava,” TA Sekhar, their head of cricket operations, said at the time.The move made perfect sense: Kohli was the India Under-19 captain, born and raised in Delhi, and had already represented the state team in the Ranji Trophy and in white-ball cricket. And yet, one month later, Kohli was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the inaugural IPL season. He has never left, and has declared that he never will.The chain of events started with a frenzied backdrop as the league hurried towards its launch. “Everything was done with an unhealthy rush,” recalls Charu Sharma, who was appointed chief executive of RCB by owner Vijay Mallya in early 2008. “The juggernaut started in late 2007… To get a league of this magnitude up and running in three-and-a-half months was just ridiculous.”Related

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Five ‘icon’ players were signed before the initial auction in mid-February, after which teams began to approach unsigned players directly. Franchises were told to sign a minimum of four Under-22 players, and a minimum of four from their local ‘catchment area’, prompting a race for the best young talent – including India’s Under-19s.Sharma reached out to Karnataka’s Manish Pandey, who fit both criteria for RCB, and asked him to commit to the franchise in writing. “It wasn’t a contract, just a two-liner to say, ‘It’s OK by me’ because we wanted to make it legitimate,'” Sharma says. “Manish said, ‘Thank you so much, I’m very happy,’ but a day or so later, I still hadn’t heard from him. I said, ‘What’s going on?'”Pandey was with India’s squad at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, and agents had caught wind of an opportunity. “He told me that agents had landed from India and were running around the hotel, promising people all sorts of things,” Sharma explains. “The boys were being pestered by these agents saying, ‘Sign with me, I’ll get you a better deal.’ It was quite disturbing.”Sharma escalated the matter to Mallya and his fellow CEOs at other franchises. The BCCI soon issued a diktat that, for the duration of the World Cup, the Under-19 players were strictly off-limits. In the meantime, a new system was proposed: they would be selected via a draft at a second, smaller player auction in mid-March, with each team picking up two players.The mechanism was straightforward: each team would have two picks in a double-draft, with the first team drawn at random picking first and 16th, the second team picking second and 15th, and so on. Salaries were capped at US$30,000 for the Under-19s – or $50,000 for those who, like Kohli, had already played for their state teams in the Ranji Trophy.Virat Kohli is playing his 18th IPL season for RCB•Associated Press”Lo and behold, the first name to come out of the bag was Delhi Daredevils,” Sharma says. “There was a collective groan, with everyone thinking, ‘OK, Kohli is gone.’ He was captain of the team, the best player, and he was from Delhi. And to everyone’s surprise, they got into a huddle, and after a few moments, they said, ‘We’ll take the left-arm seamer: Pradeep Sangwan.'”The decision had cricketing logic: the Daredevils squad was already stacked with batting. In the first auction, they had signed Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, AB de Villiers, Dinesh Karthik, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Manoj Tiwary; in the interim, they had recruited Shikhar Dhawan and Mithun Manhas among their ‘catchment’ players.Sangwan, another Delhi boy, was considered a star in the making. “He was touted as one of the next big things for India,” recalls Abhinav Mukund, who was part of the India Under-19 World Cup squad. “India was going through a left-arm pace obsession at that point with Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan. He bowled really well throughout that tournament, and had some pace too.”Sehwag, the Daredevils ‘icon’ player, was an advocate for Sangwan’s selection. They both grew up in the same western suburb, Najafgarh, and Sehwag had played a role in Sangwan’s call-up to Delhi’s state teams in 2007. Sekhar, the franchise’s head of cricket operations, had also played a prominent role in his development, working with him at the MRF Academy.When RCB had the second pick, they had no hesitation at all. “We took about a quarter of a quarter of a quarter-second, and said, ‘Virat Kohli, thank you,'” Sharma says, laughing. “I don’t think anybody knew that he would become a big global superstar, but he was certainly showing all the signs of being the best Under-19 player in India.”Even as he was fast-tracked into India’s national set-up, Kohli was not an immediate success at RCB. Across the first three IPL seasons, he averaged 21.75 and scored only two half-centuries, primarily batting at No. 5 or 6; it came as something of a surprise when he was the franchise’s only retention ahead of the 2011 mega-auction. But the fact remains that no other team since has ever had the opportunity to sign Kohli; it is unlikely they ever will.”I’ve been approached many times to come into the auction,” he told an RCB podcast in 2022. “[But] what this franchise has given me in terms of opportunity in the first three years, and believed in me, that is the most special thing.” Kohli has been retained for 17 consecutive seasons, and declared when quitting the captaincy in 2021 that he would be an RCB player “until my retirement”.Sangwan, meanwhile, started well at Delhi: in 2009, he took 15 wickets as the Daredevils finished top of the table in South Africa. But as Kohli soared, he never kicked on as intended: he struggled to get a game when he joined Kolkata Knight Riders, and served an 18-month ban in 2013-14 after testing positive for a banned steroid. Now 34, he has not played a professional game in 15 months.Kohli’s standing in Delhi is as strong as ever, no matter his association with a rival IPL franchise: when he made an improbable return to their Ranji Trophy side in January, crowds estimated at more than 10,000 came to watch. Sunday will be his first RCB game in the city since 2023, with both teams chasing a win which will boost their chances of a top-two finish.But in that regard, at least, Sangwan has the upper hand. For all that Delhi’s decision to sign him ahead of Kohli is remembered as the IPL’s greatest recruitment blunder, Sangwan has been part of two title-winning squads: at KKR in 2012, and with Gujarat Titans a decade later. Kohli, RCB and DC are all still on the hunt for their first IPL trophy.

Kylian Mbappe has hailed Rayan Cherki as a "spectacular talent" after seeing his France team-mate "integrate very well" into Manchester City's team. After starring for Lyon with 13 goals and 21 assists across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, Cherki was signed by City in the summer transfer window, while Didier Deschamps handed him his France debut in June.

• How is it going for Cherki at City?

  Cherki struggled with a thigh injury at the start of the 2025-26 campaign but now that he has recovered, the Frenchman has started to feature regularly in Pep Guardiola's team. He has appeared in nine matches across all competitions for the Cityzens, registering three goals and three assists. Cherki is slowly establishing himself as a key member of the City squad and is building an understanding with Erling Haaland, having set up both of the Norwegian's goals against Bournemouth in the Premier League earlier this month. 

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  'He's a special talent'

  Cherki has now linked up with his France team-mates for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. After watching the City star training with the squad, captain Mbappe spoke highly of the youngster, telling reporters: "He's a special talent. I think he has a gift, which he's making the most of. It's an innate, spectacular talent. He's integrated very well into the group and into Manchester City, which isn't easy. I hope he continues like this. He's started well with us. Now he has the opportunity to return, and I hope he's as good as he was at Manchester City."

• Guardiola blown away by Cherki

  Guardiola has coached some of the greatest players in the world, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and considers Cherki to be in a similar talent bracket. He declared in October: "Rayan is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career. His talent… he is top. The question is how he settles and how he needs to read actions. He started well at the Club World Cup but then had a few weeks off. I have the feeling most of the time when the ball comes to him, the situation is better. But not all the time you have to do exceptional things – just play football. He has something. He is a player who doesn't feel pressure. He is like a street player. He wants the ball when he doesn't have it. But he is here a short time – he needs a little bit of time because in football you learn to play with your mates. But these types of players are intelligent. They see everything."

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  Cherki tipped to reach De Bruyne's level

  Former City, Arsenal and France full-back, Gael Clichy has also heaped praise on his compatriot, backing Cherki to reach the level of Etihad Stadium legend Kevin De Bruyne. Clichy told GOAL, via : "If we talk about the quality of the player, I haven't seen anyone that good. That's a big quote, but I do feel that if he can bring his off-the-ball game to a certain level, I think we could be talking about a player that can can reach Kevin De Bruyne’s numbers, because in tight spaces, in key areas of the pitch, he can create danger. And this is what you want at City. When you play against a low block team with a defence of five, there's not much space. So you need to have the quality on the on the wing, which I think City are lacking a little bit. You know, you go from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane which for me, as a full back, were a nightmare to play against. I think they lost that."