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Manchester City have had a busy summer transfer window already. Pep Guardiola’s side were poor for the majority of the 2024/25 campaign, and now there seems to be a real focus on reshaping the squad over the summer transfer window.

After losing Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer, there was a clear focus on signing a new attacking midfielder. Rayan Cherki was the man they brought in, costing £30m from French side Lyon. He certainly has big shoes to fill, with great number tens like De Bruyne and David Silva coming before him.

However, the Frenchman might not be the only attacking midfielder that City sign this summer, with Guardiola’s side linked with another player in that position.

City’s next attacking midfield target

Losing De Bruyne to Napoli was certainly something people may have expected, but replacing him will be an incredibly tough task. That is perhaps why City want to sign another playmaker to help reduce the workload on Cherki.

Well, according to a new report from Spain, City may have identified their target, Barcelona and Spain midfielder Fermin Lopez. Citizens boss Guardiola is said to have set his sights on signing the La Masia graduate from his former club this summer.

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The report explains that City are willing to submit a bid for the youngster, and could have to pay as much as £52m to acquire his services this summer.

Why Fermin would be a good signing

Breaking into the Barcelona first team at any time is easier said than done. With that in mind, for Fermin to become an important player in Hansi Flick’s midfield alongside the likes of Pedri is a real testament to his ability, and perhaps why football talent scout Jacek Kulig called him a “genius”.

His value to a successful Barca side last season was clear to see. The 22-year-old played 46 times across all competitions, scoring eight times and registering ten assists. His versatility was important for Flick, who deployed him as a number eight, a number 10 and both flanks.

Fermin is already a Spain international and was a key part of their gold medal-winning Olympic side last summer. His record was exceptional, playing in all six of Spain’s games, scoring six goals and bagging two assists, including two goals in a 5-3 win over hosts France in the final.

In fact, a closer look at his underlying numbers from the 2024 Olympic Games, via Sofascore, shows just how well the 22-year-old performed. For example, he created 1.3 key passes and averaged 1.5 goal involvements per 90 minutes.

Fermin key stats from 2024 Olympic Games

Stat

Tournament number

Per 90 mins

Minutes played

426

71

Goals and assists

7

1.5

Key passes

6

1.3

Big chances created

2

0.4

Dribbles completed

7

1.5

Long balls completed

8

1.7

Tackles and interceptions

18

3.8

Stats from Sofascore

If City were to bring Fermin to the Etihad Stadium this summer, they would love for him to have the same impact as Silva did at the club. The Spanish attacking midfielder was once called “Manchester City’s greatest ever player” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

It is easy to see why the silky attacking midfielder is so well-thought of as a City player. He played 436 games for the club, scoring 77 goals and registering a phenomenal 136 assists. He was a key part of four Premier League title-winning sides, having also arrived from LaLiga after joining from Valencia in 2010.

With words like “genius” being thrown around to describe Fermin, it is easy to see how he can become their new Silva. There are clear similarities between the two, with them both being Spanish attacking midfielders who can orchestrate play and create chance after chance for their team.

Of course, it is not easy to hit the heights of a legend like Silva. Yet, Fermin has already shown great signs that he can become a top creative player in midfield. If his performance in the Olympics was anything to go by, City will have an exciting talent on their hands.

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Having already welcomed Anthony Elanga, Newcastle United are now reportedly “pushing” to sign Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth over £60m this summer.

Securing their second signing of the summer and their biggest so far following Antonio Cordero’s initial arrival, Newcastle will be glad to have got Elanga over the line. The Swede enjoyed an excellent campaign with Nottingham Forest last time out – scoring six goals as well as assisting a further 12 in all competitions – and will now form one of the Premier League’s deadliest trios alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

Speaking for the first time since welcoming Elanga, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told the club website: “I’m delighted to welcome Anthony to Newcastle United. He has been a key target for us so I’m delighted to secure him at this early part of pre-season.

“He is an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat. His pace, energy and ability to create and score goals will strengthen us and complement the way we want to play. Anthony is hungry to develop even further with us and to achieve success here, and we’re all looking forward to working with him.”

However, after spending around £55m to reinforce Newcastle’s frontline, PIF still reportedly have unfinished business in the summer transfer window. Recent reports have linked the Magpies with moves for the likes of Giorgio Scalvini, who would be an impressive defensive addition, while a move for James Trafford has been on the cards for some time.

What’s more, fresh reports are now claiming that those at St James’ Park are “pushing” to welcome another talented attacking option.

Downie: What Hugo Ekitike bid means for Alexander Isak

According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle are now “pushing” to sign Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt after submitting a bid worth over €70m (£61m). Jumping ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to sign the Frenchman, the Magpies could be about to form quite the strike partnership between Ekitike and Isak.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Hugo Ekitike

Alexander Isak

Starts

31

34

Goals

15

23

Assists

8

6

Expected Goals

21.6

20.3

Keith Downie has since added comment on the concerns around Isak’s future, speaking to Sky Sports live from outside St James’ Park on Tuesday morning.

While the reporter does confirm the Magpies want the Sweden superstar to sign a new contract and hope to begin talks soon, he claims the club will be in a “completely different scenario” next summer if a new deal is not signed and may well be getting their ducks in a row for Isak to leave in 2026.

There will be some concerns over how Ekitike underperformed his expected goals total last season, but keeping hold of the clinical Isak – at least for now – would instantly nullify those concerns.

The forward’s rise is one that former Reims manager Oscar Garcia saw coming from the start of his career, having told reporters: “There is something very special about him. He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training.”

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Now, that “special” player could be on his way to Newcastle to stand next to Isak in one of the best attacks that the Premier League has to offer.

West Bromwich Albion are now making moves to sign a new target, having registered their interest in a forward who Ryan Mason knows very well, according to a report.

Mason era underway at the Hawthorns

West Brom have arguably taken a risk by appointing Mason, given that his only experience as a senior manager has been as interim boss of Tottenham Hotspur, but the 33-year-old believes he is now ready for his first permanent role in the dugout.

While the young manager is yet to prove himself in the hot seat, he has certainly had the opportunity to learn from some top managers during his time at Tottenham, working under the likes of José Mourinho, Antonio Conte and most recently Ange Postecoglou.

That experience should stand the London-born coach in good stead to be a success at the Hawthorns, and the manager is now looking to put his own stamp on the squad he inherited by bringing in a player he worked with during his time at Spurs.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states West Brom are now making moves to sign Tottenham forward Mikey Moore, having registered their interest in the 17-year-old, alongside Championship rivals Birmingham City.

The Baggies are keeping close tabs on the teenager, and want to take him on loan next season, as there is a belief the youngster would be capable of being a stand-out player in the second tier, despite his age.

"Fearless" Moore has already built up first-team experience

With Tottenham suffering an injury crisis in the 2024-25 campaign, Moore was perhaps called upon more times than he would’ve expected, making 15 appearances in all competitions, during which time the starlet picked up one goal and two assists.

Much like Mason, a move to the Championship could be ideal for the left-winger, as it would provide him with the opportunity to get more first-team experience, and there are signs the starlet could be capable of making a real impact at the Hawthorns.

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James Maddison was left impressed by what he saw from his teammate last season, with the England international saying: “[He has] that young, fearless mentality and you never want to take that away from him. He’s a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. He takes in information, and he’s got bags of ability.”

Moore clearly has a lot of potential, and West Brom will be hoping that the opportunity to work under Mason will help them win the race for the forward’s signature, despite the interest from Championship rivals Birmingham.

Manchester City have opened talks over a deal for an “incredible” defender, who is now high up their list of targets, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Man City set sights on new full-backs

Pep Guardiola’s rebuild got underway during the January transfer window, with Kyle Walker being shipped out on loan to AC Milan to make way for Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes, while Nico O’Reilly has come into the fold on the opposite side of the defence.

It was an impressive debut campaign on a personal level for O’Reilly, who rotated with Josko Gvardiol at left-back, with the Englishman picking up five goals and two assists in all competitions, and Guardiola has praised Nunes for his defensive performances.

However, there have been suggestions the manager is now looking to upgrade his options at full-back, having identified Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento as a priority target for the summer.

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Livramento is not the only Premier League defender of interest to Man City either, with Romano recently taking to X to reveal they have now opened talks over a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Ait-Nouri is now believed to be “high” on City’s list of targets at left-back, and having now submitted an enquiry, talks are expected to continue as we approach the summer transfer window.

There may be competition for the defender’s signature, however, with Liverpool also being named as potential suitors earlier this month, at which point it was revealed that Wolves could look to hold out for a fee of £51m.

"Incredible" Ait Nouri impressing at Wolves

The Algerian was one of Wolves’ most consistent performers in the Premier League throughout the 2024-25 campaign, averaging a 6.95 WhoScored match rating, the second-highest in the squad, proving himself to be both solid defensively and a threat going forward.

Indeed, the 23-year-old is impressive at both ends of the pitch, as showcased by the fact he has regularly chipped in with goals over the past year, while also ranking highly for tackles per 90, when compared to other full-backs.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.12 (88th percentile)

Assists

0.20 (84th percentile)

Successful take-ons

1.82 (97th percentile)

Tackles

2.58 (82nd percentile)

As such, the France-born defender is able to play in a number of different positions, according to former manager Gary O’Neil, who said: “I’m enjoying working with Rayan, I think he’s an incredible talent, a great guy and he brings a real enthusiasm and life to the place. We can use him anywhere so, unfortunately, at the moment we have to because we don’t have many others.

“But he is talented enough when we roll him in and play him in midfield a few times and we played him as a right 10 in the second half today.”

Guardiola will no doubt be pleased by O’Reilly’s emergence as a first-team regular, but should the manager decide to sign another left-back, Ait-Nouri has proven he could be a brilliant option.

When discussing Manchester United’s long-running malaise, many will point to the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson dynasty as a defining, watershed moment in the club’s fortunes, with the Scotsman’s retirement marking the end of the Red Devils’ domestic dominance.

It could be argued, however, that the slide had begun even prior to Fergie’s exit, with even his own recruitment – while impacted by the Glazer takeover in 2005 – needing to be put under the microscope.

Indeed, cast your mind back to the summer of 2009. United had just romped to a third successive Premier League title, having also been defeated by Barcelona in what was a second Champions League final in a row.

Two league titles and another outing in a European showpiece did follow over the next four years, yet that moment marked the beginning of the end for the last of Ferguson’s great United sides, with Carlos Tevez moving on to upstart rivals Manchester City, while Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a long-awaited, world record switch to Real Madrid.

To make matters worse, the incomings could hardly have been more underwhelming. Ronaldo’s number seven shirt was taken over by an ageing Michael Owen, while options on the flanks were ‘bolstered’ by the signings of Antonio Valencia and, who can forget, Gabriel Obertan.

In many ways, that Ronaldo-shaped void on the flanks has hardly been filled in the years since, despite a plethora of attacking signings. Could that soon be set to change?

Latest on Man Utd's search for a forward

Ruben Amorim’s pursuit of Matheus Cunha has highlighted that the Portuguese is potentially seeking a different profile of player to operate in one of the two number ten berths, with the towering Wolverhampton Wanderers man more comfortable in a central role than on the flanks.

The need for a genuine winger in the 3-4-3 setup can be questioned – a fact highlighted by doubts over Alejandro Garnacho’s future at Old Trafford – although it is not unrealistic to assume that a potential attacking target could be moulded into what Amorim wants from his forwards.

Sometimes, there are options out there that are simply too good to ignore, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Desire Doue seemingly one of them. As reported in Spain, the Red Devils are believed to be ‘vying’ for the Frenchman’s signature.

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The highly-rated teenager only made the move to Paris from Stade Rennais on a £43m deal last summer, although a dazzling debut campaign at the Parc des Princes has earned unsurprising glances from afar, with INEOS said to have placed the 19-year-old at the ‘centre of their transfer radar’.

The suggestion is that such interest ‘goes beyond’ simply monitoring his progress, although a deal certainly ‘won’t be easy’ – not least if Luis Enrique and co stick to their reported €300m (£275m) asking price.

Something would have to give in that regard if a deal was to be agreed, although a move for Doue could represent United’s best since the days of ‘CR7’.

Man Utd could land their best winger since Ronaldo

Once the home of Ryan Giggs and David Beckham, the Theatre of Dreams has become a real graveyard for wingers, in particular, in recent times, with a raft of high profile stars having come and gone across the last decade or so.

Antony

96

12

5

17

Anthony Elanga

55

4

4

8

Amad

57

12

10

22

Jadon Sancho

83

12

6

18

Alejandro Garnacho

138

25

21

45

Dan James

74

9

9

18

Angel Di Maria

34

4

12

16

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

63

13

11

24

Memphis Depay

53

7

6

13

As evidenced in the table above, marquee moves for the likes of Jadon Sancho and Antony – signed for £73m and £86m, respectively – have simply backfired, with United rarely getting bang for their buck.

Perhaps only Marcus Rashford – now out on loan at Aston Villa – has truly impressed for an extended period in the wake of Ronaldo, after chalking up 138 goals in 426 games, albeit with the Englishman’s best work having perhaps actually come in a central role, rather than out wide.

Has there really been anyone close to Ronaldo’s ilk post-2009?

Has anyone come close to the Portuguese’s Ballon d’Or-winning pomp in 2008, when he ravaged all before him?

It is still early days in his senior career, although the teenage Doue is showing signs of potentially emerging as a world-class sensation in his own right, having been hailed as a “superstar in the making” by journalist Julien Laurens.

Likened to his idol, Neymar, amid his switch to the French captial, the former Rennes starlet has already registered 25 goals and assists in 48 games in all competitions this season, including six goal involvements in just 14 Champions League outings.

It is that form on the continent which has notably caught the eye, with Doue memorably rifling home in exquisite fashion in PSG’s first-leg win over Villa, having left Emi Martinez looking utterly helpless in the visiting goal.

Described as the ‘talk of Europe’ by BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty, the in-demand winger also showed flashes of his quality against Arsenal on Tuesday night, having produced a delightful Neymar-esque touch at one stage to control the ball.

Fleet of foot and with a desire to beat his man, Doue perhaps emulates Ronaldo in that regard, with such dribbling prowess evidenced by the fact that he ranks in the top 4% among his European peers for successful take-ons, and in the top 7% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Also comfortable operating on either flank – much like Ronaldo was during his time under Fergie – the rising star looks destined to dazzle for years to come, with French football now boasting another ‘superstar’ to celebrate.

Yes, Amorim’s approach may not necessarily offer a home to a winger in the traditional sense, but Doue – who can also operate as a number ten – would a sensational upgrade in any of United’s attacking roles.

He could even end the long wait at Old Trafford for a Ronaldo-level superstar out wide…

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Chelsea left it late on Sunday, but Enzo Maresca’s Blues came away from the frantic contest at near neighbours Fulham victorious with a 2-1 win secured at the death.

Pedro Neto smashed home a fierce effort as the clock ticked down to the 93rd minute mark to clinch the dramatic three points, but he wasn’t the only main talking point right after the dust had settled at Craven Cottage.

Indeed, 19-year-old sensation Tyrique George was the hero who got his team back in the contest with the much-needed equaliser, with the teenage attacker now hopeful of more senior minutes to come after his chaotic cameo against Marco Silva’s hosts.

George's promising performances for Chelsea

George would only find himself on the Craven Cottage turf for a mere five minutes before crucially levelling the contest, leaving Maresca delighted on the sidelines that he threw the promising youngster into the game.

This isn’t the Camden-born attacker’s only senior goal of the season to date, however, with George also lethal against Legia Warsaw in mid-April, but the coolness to slot home a chance past Bernd Leno when the likes of Nicolas Jackson were otherwise floundering was mightily impressive all the same.

Now off the mark in the Premier League, George will surely be demanding more first-team opportunities come his way, with the flexible starlet, who can play as a winger or as a number ten, already boasting 36 goal contributions playing for the U18s and U21s.

Minutes played

75

12

Goals scored

1

1

Assists

0

0

Touches

46

4

Accurate passes

31/35

2/2

Shots

1

1

But, he isn’t the only up-and-coming talent that Maresca and Co will be holding out high hopes for, with a similarly dazzling attacker perhaps more equipped to star in the first team over George.

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The "world class talent" who could dent George

The Stamford Bridge outfit haven’t always had a glowing reputation when it comes to giving their youngsters plenty of first-team minutes, but this could soon change away from George’s emergence on the scene.

After all, current Palmeiras ace Estêvão is ready and waiting to make an impression in England when he waves his native Brazil goodbye in June, having initially signed a whopping £29m deal in May last year.

The South American prodigy might well be two years younger than his new Blues teammate, but he has terrorised defences on a regular basis for Palmeiras ever since he entered into the first-team picture, leading to Chelsea splashing the cash to land the sensational 17-year-old.

Already heralded as a “world-class talent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, he clearly looks ready to be thrown straight into the deep-end of the Blues first team shortly, coming potentially at George’s expense.

2025

21

6

1

2024

50

19

12

2023

4

1

0

With a hefty 26 goals scored in total for the Brazilian side at a senior level, on top of 13 assists being tallied up, Estêvão will be keen to make an impact on Maresca’s starting XI, knowing he’s ready for that next step-up in quality.

Whereas, with George only managing two goals in the Blues’ first team, on the contrary, his time to become a consistent starter might well come more down the line, with the Brazilian wonderkid also adept at filling in down either wing or as an attacking midfielder like his rawer counterpart.

GOAL.com's 10 best wonderkids in world football.

In an ideal world, both players will be able to kick on next season. But, if it was a toss-up between the two, expect Estêvão to gain more meaningful first-team chances over the Englishman.

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Leeds 2019 and Brisbane 2021 made strong claims to the crown, but Kolkata 2001 still prevailed among the fans as the greatest Test match of the 21st century

Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Jun-20259:15

The Greatest Test: India roar back to victory in Kolkata, 2001

What defines a great Test match? Comebacks? Close finishes? Underdog triumphs? The platonic ideal of the final session of the final day starting with all four results still in play?Yes, all that, sure, but the collective wisdom in our shortlist to find the Greatest Test of the 21st century, and the collective wisdom of our readers, have given us another answer. Eighteen of the 32 Tests that lined up at the start of this exercise involved Australia, and 12 of them ended in Australian defeat. The three that reached the final round of voting, ended, in chronological order, with Australia losing by 171 runs, Australia losing by one wicket, and Australia losing by three wickets.Sorry, Australia. Cricket fans (as events at Lord’s last week no doubt showed you) love to see you lose. In times of despair and ennui, we seek solace in your heartbreaks, streaming them play by play on our devices or minds’ eyes.It is, of course, the ultimate backhanded compliment. Australia have lost fewer Tests in this century than any of the other teams that compete in the World Test Championship – this despite playing more Tests than anyone other than England. It’s precisely because Australia have been so hard to beat that their defeats have featured some of the most stirring individual and team performances of our time. This is why 12 of Australia’s 66 Test defeats in the 21st century – that’s more than one in six – are ESPNcricinfo-certified classics.VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid relax after their 376-run partnership in March 2001•Getty ImagesWhile other candidates were unlucky to miss out on a spot in the final round – Birmingham 2005, for instance, received a surprisingly small share of your votes despite its place in Ashes folklore – the three Tests that made it – Kolkata 2001, Leeds 2019, Brisbane 2021 – fully deserved their places. They weren’t just great Test matches; they all had that transcendent quality that puts them among the greatest sporting contests of their time. Even as they unfolded before our eyes, they gave the feeling that they existed outside reality, that the field of play was inhabited by beings governed by physical laws different to those that constrain the rest of us.Any of the three finalists could have won, and the chances are that you might have chosen a different winner if the poll was designed a little differently, or conducted it a week earlier or later, or if the gods of internet algorithms had brought it to your notice in a different way, or if the demographics of our audience were a little different, or if cricket’s political economy had a different look. While voters on ESPNcricinfo – who made up nearly 68% of the total count – overwhelmingly backed the winner, Kolkata, results went differently elsewhere: voters on our X and YouTube handles put Leeds in first place, for instance, and those on our WhatsApp channel plumped for Brisbane.All three Tests made equally strong cases, so it’s apt to wonder how one of them ended up with over 49% of the votes and the other two with roughly 25% each. What did Eden Gardens have that Headingley and Gabba did not?The answer, of course, is that it’s all subjective. So let’s talk about the subjective. I was a class IX student in March 2001, and my consumption of that Test match and that series was often indirect, restricted during school hours to terse dispatches from classmates sent to the audio-visual room at intervals proportional to the teacher’s interest in cricket and generosity of spirit.”Laxman and Dravid still batting. 398 for 4.” Cheering in the classroom. Half an hour later: “431 for 4, Laxman 196.” Pandemonium. Until I got home to catch the last half hour or so, and then the highlights, it was up to my imagination to fill in the gaps.Part of the beauty of Test cricket comes from how much of it lives in our imaginations, how intensely we feel even the bits that we aren’t in a position to watch, and while this is still true today, it was truer in 2001 than in 2019 or 2021. So much of Kolkata 2001 took place in our imaginations, and so much of it, in the aftermath, has existed in the reliving, the retelling, the little tricks of memory. The drama contained in the highlights packages – Harbhajan Singh’s offbreaks spitting like cobras from a length, VVS Laxman’s feet dancing one way to whip against the turn and another to drive inside-out, Rahul Dravid gesturing angrily to the press box, the look on Shane Warne’s face when he’s duped by Sachin Tendulkar’s wrong’un – ennoble the bits that got left out. How well must Glenn McGrath have bowled, ball after ball, to finish with 14-8-18-4 in India’s first innings? Even ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball can’t help – it’s all scoring and no commentary.Leeds and Brisbane contained cricket just as breathtaking as Kolkata, but mystique? If you ask on X and reach the right eyes, someone with access to ball-tracking data might DM you the line and length co-ordinates of the Mohammed Siraj ball that Steven Smith fended to gully.Final day, fading light, and India triumph to end Australia’s 16-Test streak•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesBut mystique isn’t the only reason Kolkata got your vote. Mystique can only get you so far when you’re up against epics that everyone, including kids who weren’t even around in 2001, followed breathlessly, like, yesterday. Mystique can only do so much when it’s up against recency bias. And it’s perfectly okay to be biased towards India’s dismantling of the Gabba’s , with an attack that had bowled all of 10 balls in Test cricket before that series taking 20 wickets and paving the way for an unforgettable fourth-innings chase. It’s perfectly okay to be biased towards England winning after being bowled out for 67, towards Ben Stokes going from 3* off 73 balls to 135* off 219, and the drama of a last-wicket stand that survived, off successive balls, a fluffed run-out chance and an lbw that would have been dead if the bowling team hadn’t run out of reviews.It’s some achievement, then, to beat Leeds 2019 and Brisbane 2021 in a poll in the year 2025 – an achievement, you might say, not unlike following on and beating an Australia team with 16 successive wins under its belt.There have been other Tests with hat-tricks, and other Tests featuring partnerships that batted through a full day’s play. There have been other Tests won by injury-ravaged underdogs, other spectacular takedowns of all-timer XIs, other Tests won from hopeless positions, and other results that snapped formidable winning streaks. Other teams have found ways to win with time running out, and other teams have won Tests with startling interventions from part-timers. Other Tests have been played on true pitches that encouraged strokeplay, other Tests on pitches with something in them for fast spin bowlers, and other Tests on lightning outfields that rewarded wristy artistry. Other great, twisty Test matches have sat in the middle of great, twisty series. Crowds of 90,000 and more have lent an electric air to other Tests at other stadiums.Kolkata 2001 contained all those ingredients. Which other Test match – from the 21st or any other century – can make the same claim?

Polarising opener might not have converted the doubters but he could yet help win the Ashes

Vithushan Ehantharajah17-Jul-2023He is playing Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc better than anyone this Ashes series. His strike rate of 79.67 is the highest among those on either side to have played more than one of the three Tests. All while nestling in the run-scorers’ charts ahead of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.He is Zak Crawley. No, really. Don’t refresh just yet. He is him. The most-polarising cricketer over the last 15 months is thriving as the one Bazballer truly nailing his brief.Taking the attack to the opposition, quite literally from ball one when his crunched cover drive off Cummins on that first morning of the first Test in Birmingham set this madcap show on the road. Indulging the licence to be streaky handed down by head coach Brendon McCullum with scores of 61, 7, 48, 3, 33 and 44 – the last of which got England to 93 in the 20th over of the fourth innings as they hunted a target of 251 that was eventually reached after 50, with three wickets to spare.Related

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Cummins, boogieman to Joe Root and a few other diners at Test cricket’s top table, has failed to dismiss Crawley in 96 deliveries so far, with 69 runs taken off him in languid fashion. Starc’s devastating left-arm whip has accounted for Crawley once, and even that was a tame flick down the leg side at Lord’s. The other 48 deliveries have been taken for 42.An opening partnership with Ben Duckett that began last winter in Pakistan has now produced 814 runs across 18 first-wicket stands, averaging 47.88. The pair are ideally suited, left-right, short-tall and both with an insatiable appetite to feel bat on ball and get the scoreboard moving. Their relationship has blossomed and as individuals, they are comfortable with where they are and what they are doing.There’s a lot to be said for that, particularly Crawley’s side of it. A dispiriting 2022 summer averaging 23 led into disappointing winter of 29.30 on flatter decks. And when he started this season stating he did not need to work on his defensive technique and dismissing public comments on his form as ill-judged, ill-informed and unwarranted, you wondered if he was leaning too heavily into a villain arc he could not pull off.Thankfully, he hasn’t. He has retained his sense of self, particularly in a dressing room where he remains a vocal member of an upbeat group thriving in each other’s company.The investment made by McCullum and Ben Stokes at the start of all this is beginning to show returns. At stages last summer, coach and captain took it upon themselves to get around Crawley. More often than not a beer, cigar and a willing ear. On one occasion, they manufactured a three-ball group on a golf day to ensure they had 18 holes with their opener to ease his worries, either through airing or forgetting them.

“If you were unconvinced Crawley was the right man to open the batting, this series is unlikely to have changed your view. Since McCullum and Stokes took over to ‘liberate’ Crawley, his career average has increased by 0.05”

Crawley does seem surer of himself this summer. Perhaps less in need of reassurance because, well, he is doing his job. He is certainly more inclined to let his personality out. It’s worth noting his comment ahead of the Lord’s Test that England would win by “I don’t know, 150” – instead they lost by 43 – was one given in jest, while twirling back-and-forth on an office chair in the Times Radio studio. The video shows the jovial nature of the prediction which got lost in print.Perhaps the most visible representation of his comfort has come in the field. Not only has he taken the third-most catches by an outfielder this series (five, with no drops) he regularly chimes from second slip or in the deep with tactical suggestions for Stokes.The journey to this point has been long, at times arduous. But here he is: able to judge himself on how he has executed the role has without worrying about how things used to be done. Basically, that means not measuring his performance by traditional batting metrics.At this point, we should introduce those “traditional metrics” to this conversation. Because for all of the above, they’re still pretty relevant. Crawley is averaging 32.66 from 196 runs this series. To cynical eyes – the majority on this topic – they tell a familiar story of spurned-starts and non-starts.If you arrived into this series unconvinced Crawley was the right man to open the batting, the last six innings are unlikely to have changed your view. Since McCullum and Stokes took over to “liberate” Crawley, his career average has increased by 0.05 to 28.65. Pretty much everyone else, working within the same parameters, has enjoyed a more significant bump.Peer across the divide and you will see Australia’s selectors mulling over David Warner’s position. Though Warner is having a poor series – 141 at 23.50 – his substantial body of work suggests dropping him is riskier than keeping him. Crawley on the other hand, has nothing like the same credit. Indeed, the idea of him is built upon future earnings. Were they in each other’s shoes, Warner would coast through this tour, and the latter probably wouldn’t be on it.Zak Crawley drives through cover•Getty ImagesIn a way, Warner’s predicament highlights the difficulties of opening the batting in England. And Crawley’s management acknowledges the toughness of the role, maybe even the need to be insulated from the discourse and your own numbers.Those two aspects go hand-in-hand when it comes to Crawley. But we are now at the stage where the extremes are so set in stone that even the mother of all purple-patches won’t tailor the conversation.On one side, an England team and management who laud world-class abilities, extrapolating these smaller contributions in the process. On Monday, Moeen Ali became the latest to step up on that front.”I think when you’re on his side, you think he’s an absolutely gun player,” Moeen said. “It’s almost like the faster and the better the bowler, he plays better. In my opinion, he’s one of the best players around. I know his average probably doesn’t say that, but the way he bats, he’s proper. Hopefully, when it clicks for him, he’ll score a lot of runs.”Then there’s the other end of the spectrum, those who see Crawley as the perfect embodiment of elitism and favouritism. A fee-paying school attendee, from a wealthy family – his father, Terry, was at one point the fifth-richest Briton on the Sunday Times rich list – whose mentor, Rob Key, is now ECB managing director of men’s cricket. The picture painted with broad strokes are of a nepo-baby of Brooklyn Beckham proportions, with an inexplicable Greg from permanence as one of three players, along with Stokes and Root, to have played all 16 Tests of the new era.Many within that second camp are not for turning, and you can understand why. Some of the factors at play are beyond Crawley’s control. It has been two weeks since the ICEC published their report which skewered the ring-fencing of the game, particularly how beholden it is to the private school system. Crawley, a product of that system, is no more the cause than he can be the antidote.As always with matters of privilege and fortune, wasting both would be far worse than having them in the first place. Having made it this far and looked at his most comfortable against the best bowlers in the world, Crawley must continue this rise in form. It may not convert the doubters, but it could yet win England the Ashes.

What’s the latest on the status of the England-India Test series? Live updates here

Andrew Miller10-Sep-2021The message on the scoreboard after the fifth Test was called off•PA Photos/Getty Images11.19am So, that’s broadly speaking the end of today’s dramas. There has been a resolution of the immediate situation, with India committing to reschedule the outstanding Test, probably next summer, but this is by no means the end of the fall-out from this saga.Among the immediate concerns are those at a local level, with Daniel Gidney, Lancashire’s CEO, stating on Sky that the club faces ‘multi-million pound losses’ due to the late cancellation. “We will need ECB help,” he says, with all the hospitality overheads – staff wages, wasted food bills, loss of bar takings etc – all stacking up.There’s also some question about what the status of this rescheduled game will be. For all that England would like to have the chance to square the series at 2-2, the most pressing issue for the ECB is doubtless the bottom line – and the need to get it played to fulfil their broadcasting requirements. Tom Harrison on Sky raised the possibility that it could yet be treated as a “one-off” Test.”I think [it’s] a standalone situation,” Harrison tells Sky. “We’ve also been offered other options. Being a few hours into this, we probably need to take a look.”The glass-half-full version of this is the prospect of us playing a one-off Test match against India as a focal point on this ground, to come back and give fans the thing they’ve missed out on this time, let’s try and work on that and see if we can deliver it. It would be wonderful. It would be the only good news that comes out of a day like today.”More broadly, this scenario underlines once again the absurdity of cricket’s global schedule. There is simply too much cricket. India have been in England since early June, and the build-up to the World Test Championship final. They are due to embark on the IPL in nine days’ time, then the T20 World Cup, then a tour of New Zealand. And England, as we well know from their rest-and-rotation policy, are feeling the strain of constant touring as much as any side. Something has got to give, and the magnitude of this moment brings it all to a head.11.12am Dinesh Karthik, India’s former wicketkeeper and current pundit, who flew home ahead of this Test to prepare for the IPL, has expressed similar fatigue sentiments with Sky.”I spoke to a few of the guys. The general feeling is, after the fourth Test, this is tiring. Almost all of the games have gone down to the wire, they’re tired and they have only one physio right now. They had two but one went down, along with a couple of the coaches.”So they had one physio and they’d done a lot of work with that man and now he tests positive. That is the problem. If it was somebody else, somebody helping with logistics, they wouldn’t be this afraid. But when this person got it, that’s when they got the jitters.”You also have to understand as soon as this finishes they have the IPL, soon after that the World Cup, and soon after that the NZ series. You’re talking about one-week turnarounds, how many bubbles can they do? They assembled in India on May 16, it’s four months almost now.”

How many bubbles can they do?@DineshKarthik says the latest positive Covid test in the India backroom staff has given the squad a few 'jitters' at the end of a long tour. #ENGvIND

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— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) September 10, 2021