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It will take some time to reflect on what unfolded in the Wankhede, but too many wides, a misfiring strike bowler and Faf du Plessis’ difficult day all played a part

Arun Venugopal in Mumbai18-Mar-2016Extra(s) baggageThe extras column is usually a pretty damning indicator of how disciplined or naughty a bowling side has been. On this count South Africa licked England 26-4 with a collection of 20 wides (from 10 wide deliveries). And, it was not just the more common wide either side of the batsman. They focused on height as well.It was Kagiso Rabada who first tried to challenge Quinton de Kock’s elasticity. He had been hit by Jason Roy for fours off the first two balls of the innings but he reacted with the very next delivery by squaring up Roy. Rabada then dug one in forcefully which sprang up, rose higher and eventually soared past de Kock, who did a Sergey Bubka impression without the pole but the ball had made it to the boundary not long after his descent.This egged Kyle Abbott on to reach for greater heights, quite literally, as he nearly bounced his leading foot in the fifth over.  The flying de Kock continued to make excellent contact with air.  South Africa eventually settled for regular wides but still flirted with going vertical every now and then.Captain Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy said in no uncertain terms that such freebies hurt their chances of winning. But Duminy refused to play up the dew factor as an excuse. “We expected it to be a little bit worse but the groundsman actually mentioned to us before the game started that there was a bit of a breeze throughout the day so it wouldn’t be too bad,” he said. “We unfortunately made the errors and we have to take responsibility for that and rectify that for the next game.”Errant gunEngland’s Reece Topley made it through the evening like a sloppy stand-up comedian lapsing from one flat joke into a more disastrous one.  He dropped a chance at mid-off offered by Hashim Amla, got clobbered both at the beginning and the end of the innings and bled 33 runs in two overs. The scorer in the media box accurately summed up Topley’s night when he erroneously mispronounced his name as “Topple”.You surely can’t get worse than that, especially in the same game. And from Dale Steyn of all people? You have got to be kidding.Except that’s what happened as Roy and Alex Hales mauled him for four fours and a six in his first over, as Steyn’s expressions morphed from incredulity to disappointment to wryness in the space of six balls. His first ball, though, was that delightful theory of what might have been. Short and angling in, Hales tucked it off his hip to short fine leg where the ball burst through Abbott’s fingers. But with a dodgy radar that had him spraying almost every other delivery down the leg side Steyn can’t complain much. With their main strike force misfiring, South Africa’s attacking threat was severely diminished. If it’s any consolation for Steyn the scorer pronounced his name right.Powerplay samenessWhat hurt South Africa more than Rabada’s 21-run first over was his re-introduction in the fourth and sixth overs where he gave away 19 further runs. Abbott, too, wasn’t lending a great deal of stability, although it could be argued that between him and Rabada England’s top three batsmen were accounted for. The costly trade-off came in the form of 89 runs being conceded in the Powerplay. Surely there was a case for du Plessis to accommodate an over from Duminy in the over after Hales was dismissed not least because Ben Stokes, a left-handed batsman, was new to the crease having been promoted to No. 3. By not doing that on a pitch where spinners achieved considerable success du Plessis probably missed an opportunity to alter the tempo and consequently rein in England’s momentum.Faf-fing aroundIn a match where both teams managed tall totals it is the break-ups that tell you where one team surged while another slumped. From overs 10 to 15 South Africa managed a mere 41 runs while England managed 65 without losing a wicket. South Africa took a hit when Amla was lbw sweeping at Moeen Ali, and du Plessis, the new batsman, struggled to score at more than a run-a-ball.  It was only after du Plessis was out in the 16th over that South Africa’s final push hit the high gear. Du Plessis’ counterpart, Eoin Morgan, played a similarly sluggish knock, but considering England’s breathless start to the chase such consolidation only served to stabilise them before the final assault.

Sri Lanka’s selectors are confident that the fast bowler will be fit enough to bowl 10 overs and field for 50 overs by the time of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017Lasith Malinga, who last played an ODI in November 2015, has been named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy in June. Long-standing injuries had put his availability in doubt, but Sri Lanka’s selectors have been satisfied he can be fit enough to deliver 10 overs and field for 50 by the time the tournament starts on June 1.Also in the squad are batsman Chamara Kapugedera, who has not played ODIs since January 2016, and fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who has been only a sporadic presence in Sri Lanka’s ODI squads over the past year. Omitted, however, are batsman Danushka Gunathilaka, allrounders Dhananjaya de Silva and Milinda Siriwardana, and quicks Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera.The team will be led by Angelo Mathews, who returns after a hamstring injury kept him out of ODI series against South Africa and Bangladesh.Malinga made his return to T20 internationals in February, following a 12-month layoff from all competitive cricket due to a knee injury. Though his form has been somewhat indifferent in the IPL, he has been largely impressive in his international matches this year, even picking up a first T20I hat-trick in his most recent game, against Bangladesh.”Malinga has got his medical clearance to bowl 10 overs, since about two weeks ago,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “We need to build him up to bowl 10 overs now. He’s playing in the IPL, which is to our advantage, because he’s in a top-class cricketing environment and he’s practising. Right now we are getting reports that he’s going into eight overs in a spell. We have to make sure he’s fit to bowl 10 by about the 10th of May.”This is the third successive ICC tournament in which Sri Lanka are sweating over Malinga’s fitness, however. He had missed last year’s World T20, from which he withdrew in the week before Sri Lanka departed for the tournament. He had also been injured in the approach to the 2015 World Cup.”Match fitness is what he’s lacking now – his physical fitness is superb,” Sumathipala said of Malinga. “We are looking for Malinga to be fit to play the practice games before the tournament – it’s very important for him to play those games.”Elsewhere on the seam-bowling front, Mathews himself is expected to be fit to bowl at the Champions Trophy – he has begun bowling in the IPL. Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera and Pradeep are the other seam options in the squad. Peculiarly, Sri Lanka have not picked a specialist finger spinner – legbreak bowler Seekkuge Prasanna, and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan have been chosen instead.Upul Tharanga – who led the team in Mathews’ absence – is one of three potential openers in the squad, with Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera there as well. Kapugedera’s inclusion is likely thanks to good performances in the ongoing provincial one-day tournament, in which he has scored two hundreds in four innings.Among the standby players for the tournament are Gunathilaka and offspinner Dilruwan Perera – both of whom will be traveling with the squad – and Siriwardana, Kumara and seam bowler Vikum Sanjaya, who SLC said would be undergoing “continuous training” in Colombo.The Sri Lanka squad – including Malinga – is expected to assemble in Sri Lanka on around the 10th of May, before they leave to Kandy for a six-day training camp. Sumathipala said the board chose the Pallekele Stadium for the camp, in order to better replicate conditions Sri Lanka may face in England. The team leaves the island on May 18, and has two ODIs against Scotland scheduled before they are due to play further practice matches – against Australia and New Zealand.On-tour standbys: Dilruwan Perera, Dhanushka Gunathilaka; Standbys on training in Colombo: Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Sachith Pathirana, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the fourth day’s play between Victoria and Western Australia in Alice Springs

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2017
Scorecard File photo – James Pattinson finished with match figures of 6 for 93•Getty ImagesVictoria will have the chance to win a third consecutive Sheffield Shield title after winning through to the final thanks to their victory over Western Australia in Alice Springs.The Warriors began the final day on 7 for 238, hoping to build a defendable lead, but managed to add only 20 to their total for the loss of their last three wickets. James Pattinson finished with 5 for 58, his first five-wicket haul in a first-class match since December 2015.That left Victoria chasing 83 and they did it comfortably, losing only two wickets along the way. Opener Marcus Harris top scored with 43 and Marcus Stoinis, who is about to join Australia’s Test squad in India, finished unbeaten on 25.The result means Victoria are guaranteed a place in the Shield final, although their opponent is yet to be decided. Depending on results in the final round of matches, any of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia or even Western Australia could yet make the decider.

Ecclestone, King also impress as Mandhana-led Trailblazers rue batting collapse

Himanshu Agrawal23-May-2022Harmanpreet Kaur’s Supernovas made a winning start to the Women’s T20 Challenge in Pune on Monday. They successfully defended 163, a prospect that looked unlikely when Smriti Mandhana raced off the blocks in Trailblazers’ chase. From 63 for 1, they collapsed to 73 for 7 in the 13th over, by which time the game was well and truly over. Supernovas eventually won by 49 runs. Pooja Vastrakar, the seam bowling allrounder, picked four wickets while England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone and Australia legspinner Alana King picked two apiece.1, 0, 2, 0, 0Trailblazers’ Nos. 4 to 8 contributed only three runs in total, as they slumped after Mandhana’s turbocharged 34. After Vastrakar got both openers, she got her third when Sophia Dunkley slapped one to mid-off where a diving Priya Punia completed her second superb catch of thre evening. That it came three balls after Mandhana was caught by Punia at mid-on rattled the Trailblazers. With big inroads made, Ecclestone and King joined the fun to close out the game.How the collapse unfoldedAfter King dismissed an advancing Sharmin Akhter, who played all around a full delivery, Ecclestone got onto the scoreboard off consecutive deliveries. First, Richa Ghosh slapped a long hop to point. Off the next delivery, Arundhati Reddy was stumped in freakish fashion when she tapped at the ball, which ricocheted off her front boot and back to an alert Taniya Bhatia behind the stumps as she whipped the bails off.Vastrakar got her fourth when Salma Khatun spooned a catch to cover. The final nail was hammered in when Meghna Singh broke Rodrigues’ resistance when Harleen Deol took a brilliant catch while diving forward at deep point. Her 24, however, merely delayed the inevitable.Super startWith the bat, every over of Supernovas’ powerplay featured at least one boundary, as Deandra Dottin and Punia got them off to a flier. The final ball of the first over was hit for six, thus signalling an early intent to go for the big hits. Dottin was on a run-a-ball seven at one stage, before launching Renuka Singh for three boundaries in the third over.That turned out to be the catalyst, as Punia decided to take the attack to Rajashwari Gayakwad in the next over. The opener hit back-to-back boundaries, the first of which was a crisp cover drive while the second was a clever piece of dab between point and short third man. Dottin crashed a four and a six off Arundhati Reddy in the final over the powerplay, before being run out by a direct hit from Akhter at square leg, even as Supernovas finished the powerplay 58 for 1.Trailblazers hit back, but fall shortSupernovas kept losing their way after the good start, but Harmanpreet Kaur and Vastrakar had added a rapid 27 for the sixth wicket to give them some impetus, but a late collapse meant they finished with at least 20 fewer than they looked like getting.Harmanpreet’s 29-ball 37 ended in a run out when she and Ecclestone ended up at the bowler’s end. The Supernovas’ captain clearly made her frustration evident, indicating that Ecclestone should have rather risked her wicket by getting to the wicketkeeper’s end.All said, Trailblazers surrendered from a position of strength and have one more game to make amends.

With Leroy Sane set to run down his contract at Bayern Munich, Mikel Arteta is eyeing a move sign the German on a free transfer this summer.

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Sane about to hit free agency this summerBayern unwilling to extend German winger's contractArteta wants to sign ex-Man City man for freeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report from , Arteta is keen on reuniting with Sane and wants to bring the Bayern Munich winger to Arsenal for free this summer. Sane's contract with Bayern will expire at the end of the season and it is unlikely that he will renew with the club.

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In recent weeks, Sane has shown visible improvement in his performances, although his end product has left a lot to be desired. As things stand, the Bavarians have not yet offered a new deal to the Germany international, and that is unlikely to change before the end of summer. However, Sane is believed to share a cordial relationship with Bayern sporting direct Max Eberl. The 29-year-old will have to take a massive pay cut (he currently earns around €20m per year) in order to prolong his career at the Allianz Arena.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sane has attracted interest from England, with Arsenal reportedly considering a move for the Bayern Munich winger. According to the report, Arteta, who is familiar with Sane from his time as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City, sees him as a potential addition. The north London club are looking to add depth to their forward line, and with Sane set to become a free agent, he could be an ideal fit.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEROY SANE?

Sane was an unused substitute on Tuesday during Bayern Munich's second leg clash against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League round of 16. Vincent Kompany's side progressed to the quarter-finals 5-0 on aggregate and will meet Inter in the last eight. Sane will be expected to feature in Bayern's upcoming fixture, a Bundesliga match against Union Berlin on Saturday.

Manchester United are preparing an offer to sign an “incredible” £67 million ace to replace goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to a recent report. Ruben Amorim’s arrival means no player is guaranteed a future at United, but it would certainly be a surprise to see the Cameroon star replaced given his performances this season.

Man Utd plotting swoop for £20m gem as scouts monitor his performances

INEOS are looking to secure another young, exciting talent for Manchester United.

ByBrett Worthington Dec 10, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

January could be a good time for United to move one or two players on, which will help them bring in new faces while balancing the books. It is clear that work is being done behind the scenes, as the Premier League side continues to be linked with players as the January transfer window gets ever closer.

The Red Devils have been linked with two high-profile players in the last 24 hours, the first being midfielder Frenkie de Jong. De Jong has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for a while now, so some fans may take this news with a pinch of salt. However, it is reported that the relationship between Barça and De Jong has turned into bitterness, and the midfielder is not keen on extending his stay, which has opened the door for United to make a move.

As well as de Jong, United are also chasing a deal for Victor Osimhen but face strong competition from Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Napoli are looking to sell the striker in January despite him being on loan at Galatasaray, and given United’s lack of goals at the top end of the pitch, they have made signing the Nigerian international a January priority.

Man Utd preparing offer to replace Andre Onana

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United are preparing a move to sign goalkeeper Mike Maignan from AC Milan. The French international has been on the books of the Italian side since 2021, and in that time, he has established himself as one of the best-performing goalkeepers in Europe and on the international stage.

Maignan, who has been dubbed “incredible” by Didier Deschamps, has been Milan’s number one between the sticks in his time at San Siro. Last season, he played 29 games in Serie A, conceding 34 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets; he also kept four clean sheets in the Champions League and Europa League.

This report from Spain states that the future of Andre Onana at United is up in the air, and rumours about him possibly leaving Old Trafford in the summer have led the club to look at possible replacements. This is despite Onana currently ranking top five in the Premier League for both clean sheets and post-shot expected goals (how likely a shot is to go in) prevented.

Maignan

Onana

Apps

14

15

Goals against per 90

1.14

1.20

Saves

34

38

Save percentage

68.0

70.2

Clean sheets

6

6

Passes attempted

606

637

Passes completed

527

501

Milan are keen to keep hold of Maignan, who is under contract until 2026, but if they were to receive a significant offer, they could be tempted to sell. United are said to be already preparing a strategy to convince both the player and the club to agree to a transfer. It would cost the Red Devils around £67 million to sign the 29-year-old.

He and Rizwan share 154-run sixth-wicket stand, but Durham openers give visitors hope

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2022An unbroken opening stand of 169 between Alex Lees and Sean Dickson gave Durham an excellent chance of saving their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Sussex at Hove after they had conceded a first-innings lead of 315.Dickson completed his century just before the close, off 137 balls with 15 fours, while the more subdued Lees finished with 50 not out.Earlier, Sussex had continued to dominate their fixture against one of the favourites for promotion as their overseas stars Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammad Rizwan put on 154 for the sixth wicket. Pujara scored 203, his second double-century in three matches – and there was another hundred in the other match – while Rizwan found his form on his home debut with an innings of 79 as Sussex piled on 538.There are enough cracks on the pitch to encourage the Sussex spinners on the final day. But Durham, who are 146 runs behind, feel they have a good chance of a fighting draw on what is still a good surface.In the first session, Sussex scored 128 runs without losing a wicket, but Durham bowled well in discouraging conditions against two world-class batters, and there was something heroic about the way Matthew Potts continued to generate pace and bounce bowling downhill from the Cromwell Road end.The game changed shape dramatically after lunch, when Sussex lost five wickets for 34 runs in nine overs as the slow left-armer Liam Trevaskis followed his 88 runs with figures of 5 for 128.That still gave Sussex a huge first innings advantage, but the Durham openers batted superbly in the final session to give their side hope.The day started with Sussex on 362 for 5, with Pujara 128 not out and Rizwan unbeaten on 5. Durham probably suspected they were in for a hard time when Pujara rocked onto the back foot and punched the first ball of the morning for four. The India Test batter scored just eight runs in the opening 45 minutes and it was Rizwan who was the busier of the two, scoring 36 by the time the pair had put in fifty. There were scares. Rizwan was almost run out by Dickson at point when he was 36 and Pujara, on 140, was close to being caught at first slip. But, mostly, it was sublime batting from both batters who proved their true worth in a young and depleted Sussex side.At lunch – which came ten minutes later than scheduled because 13 overs had been missed on the second day – Sussex had reached 490 for 5, a lead of 267, with Pujara 186 and Rizwan 74. The 150-partnership, which coincided with the side reaching 500, came off 149 balls but four runs later Rizwan, pulling hard against Matt Salisbury, was brilliantly caught by Trevaskis at deep square-leg.Delray Rawlins, badly in need of runs, got off the mark with a slogged six over midwicket but, pulling, was bowled for 12. Two overs later Pujara, venturing down the wicket to Trevaskis, was stumped. He had faced 334 balls and struck 24 fours. It didn’t last much longer. Henry Crocombe was caught at slip third ball and George Burrow was lbw to the second delivery he received. But the last session belonged to Durham.

Committee accused of pressurising ECB into suspending club from Test hosting

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2022Julian Knight MP, the chair of the parliamentary select committee investigating claims of institutional racism in English cricket, has weighed into the feud that threatens Yorkshire’s future as an international venue, by calling on the club’s former chair, Robin Smith, to retract his claims that the committee has brought “unlawful pressure” to bear on the ECB.Knight, who heads up the Department of Digital, Cultural, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee, has intervened after Yorkshire’s incumbent chair, Lord Kamlesh Patel, warned that he may have no option but to resign following two failed attempts to meet the ECB’s criteria for Headingley’s reinstatement as an international venue this summer.The club was stripped of its major-match status in November, having lost all of its major sponsors including Emerald, Nike and Yorkshire Tea, following Azeem Rafiq’s emotional testimony to the DCMS committee, in which he laid bare his experiences at Yorkshire and claimed that he had “lost his career to racism”.With the ECB’s deadline looming at the end of March, Yorkshire have one last opportunity to rubber-stamp the necessary governance reforms, including the removal of the influence of the family trust run by the former chairman, Colin Graves, which bailed out the club to the tune of approximately £15 million in the early 2000s.However, Smith – whose supporters Patel recently accused of trying to “delay and derail” the process – remains implacably opposed to the proposals, and told the Mail on Sunday that the club’s suspension only came about after the ECB had been pressurised by the DCMS select committee to take firm action.Related

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Furthermore, Patel now fears he may be held personally liable for millions of pounds in compensation, following the controversial removal of 16 members of Yorkshire’s coaching and medical staff last year.”Without firm formal support from ECB I am left wide open legally to be sued. I cannot carry on in this position,” Patel told Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, in a letter seen by the The Cricketer.”I have now told YCCC that I will step down working seven days a week and simply do what I can pro bono (as hopefully the team can get on with the work needed). But the issue of Robin and his colleagues still remains and it feels like no one is prepared to tackle him?”I believe that all his demands will not fulfil ECB conditions? However, if it allows the club to move forward properly I am more than happy to step away.”Writing on behalf of the DCMS committee, Knight urged Smith to retract his “serious and unfounded accusations”, and called on him to make his own appearance before the committee. To date, the only Yorkshire representative aside from Patel to appear at the parliamentary hearings is Roger Hutton, shortly after his resignation in November.”I was astounded to read in the Daily Mail [sic] yesterday that you have accused my Committee of putting ‘unlawful pressure’ on the England and Wales Cricket Board to sanction Yorkshire County Cricket Club for failing to address issues of racism at the club,” Knight wrote.”You were also reported as accusing us of an abuse of power. We considered it unbelievable that Azim [sic] Rafiq should have suffered racist abuse while playing at Yorkshire and were shocked by the reluctance of the club to acknowledge its responsibility in how this happened.”We now find it inconceivable that anyone should be looking to use technical points of law to challenge efforts to restore the reputation of the club and to risk the financial future of the club while threatening Lord Patel with financial ruin.”My Committee would like you to explain what you think we have done that was unlawful or an abuse of power. These are serious and unfounded accusations to be made against a Parliamentary Select Committee and we think you should seriously consider publicly retracting them.”Yorkshire are currently due to hold an Emergency General Meeting on March 31 – the final day before an agreed deadline to secure Headingley’s international fixtures – where the proposed changes to the club’s working will be voted on.

Mohamed Salah is destined to make Premier League history as the Liverpool hero matched Erling Haaland & Arsenal hero Thierry Henry's records.

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Salah inspired Liverpool to a comeback victory against SouthamptonScored twice in the second half to take his PL G/A tally to 44Equalled Haaland & Henry's tally in a 38-game PL campaignFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Despite a lackluster first-half performance, where Southampton shocked the home side with a lead from Will Smallbone, Liverpool roared back after the break, thanks to goals from Darwin Nunez and Salah. The Egyptian's first penalty saw him move ahead of Gordon Hodgson in Liverpool’s all-time goalscorer list, positioning him as the club's third-highest scorer of all time.

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Salah is tied with the highest number of goal contributions in a Premier League season, with a combined total of 44 goals and assists this term. This equals the record set by Thierry Henry during the 2002/03 season and Erling Haaland in 2022/23. However, Alan Shearer and Andy Cole still hold the record for the most goal contributions in a single Premier League campaign, having each recorded 47 in the era of 42-game seasons.

DID YOU KNOW?

Salah's 184 Premier League goals also moved him to joint-fifth place on the league's all-time goalscorer list alongside Sergio Aguero. However, he is still far off the Premier League record held by Alan Shearer with 260 strikes.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

With Liverpool securing the vital three points, they continue to press on in their hunt for both Premier League and Champions League success. They will now shift their focus on the continental fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 at Anfield on Tuesday. Following that, they will travel to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United on Sunday, aiming to secure their first piece of silverware this season.

Not looking to miss out on a rising star, the 49ers Enterprises have now reportedly sent Leeds United officials to join the race in pursuit of a rising star in Scottish football, who has attracted plenty of interest as of late.

Leeds transfer news

Leeds know all about trying to keep hold of a future star, of course, having failed to prevent Archie Gray’s exit to Tottenham Hotspur in a summer full of exits a few months ago. Now, they’ll want to flip the script and land a young sensation of their own in the transfer market.

Those at Elland Road are in a strong position to convince reinforcements too, given that they now sit top of the Championship in the early race for title glory and subsequent promotion.

When the January transfer window arrives, the Yorkshire club have the opportunity to welcome the additions that could all but seal promotion to the Premier League, before then turning their attention towards future stars for Daniel Farke’s side.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, the 49ers have now sent Leeds officials to join the race for Lennon Miller, who has been priced at a minimum £5m by Motherwell as they look to at least benefit from the Scottish sensation’s potential exit.

Leeds have made an "unbelievable signing" who could be sold for big money

The Leeds United ace has already broken records during his short stint at Elland Road.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 28, 2024

Those at Elland Road aren’t the only ones interested, however. In fact, a whole host of English clubs are reportedly chasing Miller’s signature, including Manchester United, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Championship rivals Sunderland. With that said, it could be an impressive coup if Leeds managed to welcome the 18-year-old midfielder.

A player who may make up for Gray’s exit, Leeds should go all out to sign Miller if they’re given the opportunity when 2025 arrives.

"Exciting" Miller could make up for Gray's departure

Injuries to midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev caused quite the headache for Farke, although Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell have been brilliant in their absence. A situation which highlighted Leeds’ lack of depth in the middle of the park at the time, Miller’s arrival wouldn’t just be one for the future.

The teenager has starred in Motherwell’s senior side this season, reaching four goals and four assists to prove that he no longer belongs in academy football. Now, he looks destined for his biggest move yet.

As a result of his continued rise over the last year or so, Miller has attracted plenty of interest and praise, with most of that coming from Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell, who told reporters as relayed by The Herald earlier this year: “I just think he is a really exciting talent. If he was playing at one of the other clubs I would be waxing lyrical about him as well because I do get excited when you see really good footballers in Scotland.

“It’s brilliant for us all to market and sell the product and the brand in this country. I am absolutely delighted that I feel we have got one of the top guys at his age and somebody that I believe can go on and have a real, real good future in the game.”