The former New Zealand captain sees the current WTC structure as “not ideal”

Matt Roller31-Mar-20253:42

Williamson: Current WTC structure ‘not ideal’

Kane Williamson has backed calls to introduce designated windows for international cricket, which he believes could help to turn the World Test Championship (WTC) into a “more level competition”.The ICC’s cricket committee will consider proposals to tweak the WTC’s format when it meets in Zimbabwe later this month ahead of the start of the 2025-27 cycle. ECB chair Richard Thompson is among those calling for “a fairer, better competition” after criticism around uneven schedules and a points system that Ben Stokes has described as “utterly confusing”.Williamson, who captained New Zealand to the inaugural WTC title in 2021, described the current structure – which sees Australia, England and India play far more fixtures in a cycle than anyone else – as “not ideal”. He also backed the concept of four protected 21-day international windows per year, an idea proposed by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) last week.Related

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“It comes back to scheduling,” Williamson told ESPNcricinfo. “I love Test cricket and I’d love to see it stay and I’d love to see it be a pathway for young cricketers still, alongside the T20 format… If you can prioritise windows where teams are playing each other consistently and somewhat evenly, then I think it just makes it [the WTC] a slightly more level competition.”The context now in Test cricket has certainly increased the effort and results. We don’t see draws any more, basically, in Test cricket, so every team’s pushing for a result when there’s something on it. For us as a country, winning the inaugural Test Championship final, it was really special and a great moment in our history.6:00

Williamson on how T20 leagues have changed cricket

“You put a tournament in front of somebody or a team, and they’re always quite keen to win it… Context is something that’s been spoken about for a while now, and it is great to see that there’s an effort to do that. It’s just how you keep tinkering it because there’s so many different opinions with teams, who they play and how you sort of continue to make it level.”South Africa reached June’s WTC final against Australia at Lord’s after playing only 12 Tests in the 2023-25 cycle, the joint-fewest of any team, and their route to the final has prompted some criticism over the WTC’s unequal schedule.”[Teams] get the cards that they are dealt and they try to make use of what’s in front of them, and take those opportunities,” Williamson said.”Naturally, the fact that it’s different for each team is not ideal. Any time you get the opportunity to review after a two-year Test Championship window, to try and tweak it a little bit, that’s fine. It’s still in its infancy, really, as a competition, so you’re always going to look at those things… It’s tricky though: there’s 12 months in a year, right? That’s difficult.”

“The fact that [WTC schedule is] different for each team is not ideal. Any time you get the opportunity to review after a two-year Test Championship window, to try and tweak it a little bit, that’s fine”

Williamson believes that 50-over cricket has already “given way” as a format. “I still think the ODI World Cup is at the top of the list in terms of an international event to win. When I first started, you’d have a tour for six weeks… Now, you tend to go from one thing to the next, and so it [50-over cricket] may well be the thing that gives way.”He also believes that the rapid and continued growth of franchise cricket poses significant challenges for national boards outside of the ‘big three’ of Australia, England and India, with financial incentives often drawing young players away from Test cricket.”We’re a small country and a smallish economy, certainly relative to some of the big, big nations,” Williamson said.”You mentioned the big three, and the focus on the five Test-match series that they have, and I’m a fan of watching those too. But [the question is] where that leaves everybody else, not just in terms of how they fit in their international cricket, but how we end up playing each other, or how you can still get that even competition across the board. And not just that, but [how you] still create that pathway for young players to see their heroes perhaps playing for their country.Despite giving up a central contract, Kane Williamson is eager to play for New Zealand•Getty Images”There’s so much cricket happening in the world, and so many different opportunities for players… The interesting part is what messages that sends to your young players, and what they aspire to be now. You can only say that’s gone from […] a pure Test focus, where that was the start of my career as a youngster, to maybe looking at playing in the IPL, or playing in some of these other big leagues, and country vs franchises and all that sort of discussion.”Williamson has played more than 350 times for New Zealand across a 15-year international career but his priorities are slowly shifting aged 34. He is still active across international formats but turned down a central contract for the 2024/25 season in order to play in the SA20, and is due to feature in the PSL, the T20 Blast and the Hundred later this year.”At the moment, there’s no clear windows that meet everybody’s needs, and that’s the tough part,” Williamson said of the global calendar. “If you do have clear windows, and you do allow that full focus… then you can just take your attention there. What we’re seeing a lot is players having to make decisions [themselves] and that takes away a little bit from one part, whether it’s the international or the franchise space.”Things are moving quickly… It’s quite interesting, but I still absolutely love playing for New Zealand and I’m looking forward to doing that again in the future. But it is nice: there are some other options you can have, and with a young family as well, it’s nice that they can have me around a little bit.”

It was only a few months ago that Phil Foden was so worn out physically and mentally that he asked not to be selected by England. Now he is putting his hand up to play games that he wouldn’t normally be considered for. The fire within him that almost burned out is raging again and he has rekindled Manchester City’s fortunes, fuelling their impressive return to form from their worst start to a season in 20 years.

With Foden pulling the strings in a new-look No. 10 role, City have won four of their last five games to make a statement in all competitions, totting up an aggregate score of 13-2. This resurgent City will be looking to consolidate their upturn in results in the lavish surroundings of Monaco on Wednesday, with Foden looking like their shiniest asset once more.

Foden has directly contributed to four goals in those five matches, scoring against Manchester United and Huddersfield Town while assisting against the League One side and in the Champions League win over Napoli. He has indirectly contributed to far more. His silky footwork unzipped United’s defence, allowing Jeremy Doku to feed Erling Haaland to do the rest and double the advantage Foden’s headed goal had given them.

He did not get on the scoresheet in the recent drubbing of Burnley but he may as well have done. His eagerness to pounce on a rebound forced Maxime Esteve to put the ball through his own net. Foden then provided the ball to Matheus Nunes which led to Esteve scoring a second own goal. He had also played his part in the move leading to Nunes scoring on the volley.

Getty Images SportDesperate to play

Foden's lively display against Burnley had come three days after a virtuoso performance in the Carabao Cup at Huddersfield, scoring the first goal and assisting the second for Savinho. 

That Foden should have dominated a League One side was no great shock. The bigger surprise was that he was in the starting line-up at all. Pep Guardiola had made nine changes from the team that had battled to a 1-1 draw at Arsenal but Foden had no intention of resting. 

Guardiola explained: "Phil had responsibility when he was 17 and started to train with us. The biggest example was Arsenal when everyone was exhausted and tired because we ran a lot and parked the bus and so on. In that moment Phil said, 'I want to play again.' 

"It's what happened when he arrived at 17 and wanted to play every day because he was happy. All of us know what Phil can do, just let him play and enjoy football. His physical condition is outstanding, in his mind he is ready and he can play every three days with high intensity."

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Foden's rebirth has a lot to do with the role he has been playing recently, as City’s most advanced central player aside from Haaland. When Kevin De Bruyne’s departure was announced last season, a discussion over who should be his successor began immediately. Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White were regarded as the top candidates, although in the end they went for Rayan Cherki. 

The fact that Foden had not been mentioned as a successor felt like a show of disrespect. After all, some of his best performances in his incredible 2023-24 season had come while filling in for the injured De Bruyne. As it turned out, Cherki got injured in only his second Premier League game so Foden took up the baton and he has barely stopped running with it. 

Guardiola could not be happier with him. "Close to the box I think he plays in the pockets perfectly," the coach said at Huddersfield. "When he plays a little bit free and close to the box, he can do something that is unique, we know that. When Phil plays in that position behind the strikers, he’s a real threat."

Getty Being happy again

There is another reason why Foden is playing well. He is smiling again. "We enjoy the happiness in his face," Guardiola said after the midfielder’s starring role in the derby. He was not the only one pleased to see Foden looking like his old self. 

Speaking to alongside Foden after the derby, Haaland pointed at his team-mate and said to the camera: "We have to keep this guy going because we need him so much. This is the Phil we need. All of Man City are waiting for this and we are all going to help him."

Haaland, who has been a big beneficiary of Foden’s bright form, was referencing the way Foden had finished the previous season, when he opened up on his struggles off the pitch and called for a break. "I’ve had a lot of things going on off the pitch mentally," he said in May. 

"It’s one of them – sometimes there’s things in life that are bigger than football. This season I’ve struggled a little bit. Hopefully come next year I can get my head mentally right and get back where I left off because I know what I’m capable of doing and the quality I have. I know if everything was OK I’d definitely be better on the field."

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Getty Images SportStruggles with criticism

Foden, as is his right, did not go into the details of what had been eating away at him. We do know that he had suffered two separate illnesses during the season. The first kept him out for a month, the second, a bout of bronchitis, disrupted his flow in December. 

His incredible form the previous campaign, which saw him sweep all the major individual awards including the PFA Player of the year, was somewhat tainted by his underwhelming displays for England at Euro 2024, despite reaching the final. The scrutiny of an entire nation at that time, or from City fans and the media during their unprecedented slide in results last year, could not have been easy. 

Jeremy Doku gave an insight into how Foden struggles to cope amid unrelenting waves of criticism. The City winger explained after the derby: "Phil is a lovely guy. I know sometimes he struggles when people criticise him. Football is not easy and he showed again that talent-wise you cannot say a word about him."

Milan head coach Massimilano Allegri has stood by Christian Pulisic after the US national team forward missed a penalty against Juventus in a nail-biting Serie A encounter on Sunday. The manager, who returned as the Rossoneri boss earlier this summer, has firmly stated that one miss will not prompt him to change his team's routine penalty-taker.

• Allegri firm on his position

  Milan dropped two points against Juventus in a gripping encounter, and the main reason behind it was Pulisic's missed penalty in the first half. Allegri, however, did not criticise his main man up fron, insisting he will not be making a change. Confirming his trust in the 27-year-old, the Italian manager said, "Pulisic has always been the penalty kick taker. You don’t change it for a mistake."

  He also shared his concern about who will be the penalty-taker in Pulisic's absence. "We need to understand who can be the penalty taker when Pulisic is not on the pitch," he added. 

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  Pulisic is Serie A's top-scorer

  Despite the spot-kick debacle, Pulisic continues to dominate the goal-scoring chart, having scored four goals in six appearances so far. He is the joint top-scorer, however, with Bologna's Riccardo Orsolini. Following him in the table are Napoli's Kevin De Bruyne and Inter's Lautaro Martinez, and Marcus Thuram. Apart from the four goals, he has two assists to his name, too. He has been influential in the Coppa Italia with two goals in two outings. 

• Milan lose golden opportunity?

  Milan have lost only one game in the Serie A so far, and that came in their opening fixture against Cremonese. In their build-up to the much-desired Scudetto, the Rossoneri have accumulated 13 points in six games and have defeated defending champions and the current league leaders Napoli as well. A win against Juventus would have helped them move top after six rounds of competitive matches; however, the stalemate against the Bianconeri has left them third. Although Pulisic was the one who missed the spot-kick, Milan's frontline as a whole remain under scrutiny for their lack of ruthlessness, with Allegri urging them to kill games.

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  Milan have important fixtures after the international break

  Once the October international break concludes, Milan will have some challenges awaiting them. On October 19, they'll face Fiorentina, followed by a comparatively easier fixture against bottom-dwellers Pisa five days later. In their next two games, they will take on Atalanta (October 28) and Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma (November 2).

Newcastle United’s pursuit of a striker seems like it will continue into the final days of the transfer window. Eddie Howe’s side are still without Alexander Isak, who is still not back in training after remaining adamant that he will join Liverpool this summer.

That is a deal that seems likely to go on until Monday’s transfer deadline. In that time, the Magpies will need to focus on centre-forward targets of their own. One of those players is Jorgen Strand Larsen. The Norwegian star got his first couple of goals of the new campaign on Tuesday night, hitting two against West Ham United.

The North East giants do seem to have some alternatives lined up if a deal for Strand Larsen does not materialise.

Latest on Newcastle's striker search

The Magpies’ pursuit of Strand Larsen this summer has certainly been frustrating. Howe’s side recently saw a £50m bid rejected by his club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and could return with a new offer before the deadline, with the player himself ‘keen’ to join.

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However, the former Celta Vigo star is not the only Norwegian striker in their sight. According to a recent report from The Athletic, a move for Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth has ‘been discussed’ by the higher-ups at St James’ Park in the past few days.

Of course, he is one of a number of targets for Newcastle, but with options now becoming few and far between so close to Deadline Day, a move for the 29-year-old could materialise.

As for his price, Atleti would accept anything that exceeds the £30m they spent on the striker last summer, as per reports.

Why Sorloth would be a good signing

If Newcastle can sign Sorloth this summer, there is no doubt they would be landing a striker at the very top of his game. Described as a “phenomenal” player by manager Diego Simeone, he was excellent for Atleti last term.

In 54 games across all competitions for the Spanish giants, Sorloth bagged 24 goals. Impressively, he found the back of the net 20 times in La Liga, playing 35 games and 1561 minutes, the equivalent of 17 full 90-minute games.

Already, the former Crystal Palace star has started the season on fire. Despite only playing 76 minutes this term, he has already bagged his first goal of the season, scoring the opener against Elche in what ended a 1-1 draw last weekend.

Despite being at a different stage of his career, it is easy to see why Sorloth could be considered a better signing than Strand Larsen. The Wolves star has shone for the Old Gold so far, and impressed in La Liga before that.

Last season at Molineux, the 25-year-old scored 14 goals in 35 Premier League games, six fewer than what Sorloth managed for Atleti. In Strand Larsen’s second full season in La Liga for Celta Vigo, he could only bag 13 goals, again less than what his countryman managed.

That experience of scoring regular goals consistently might certainly make Newcastle more interested in signing Sorloth this summer. The former RB Leipzig star, who could be considered something of a journeyman, has played right across Europe and has built up key experience and a knack for finding the back of the net.

In fact, the underlying stats from next season suggest Sortloth would be a better signing than Strand Larsen. For example, he averaged 1.15 goals per 90 minutes compared to just 0.49 goals each game for the Old Gold striker.

Goals

1.15

0.49

Expected goals

0.97xG

0.36xG

Shots on target

2.3

1.15

Goals per shot on target

0.48

0.42

Aerial duels won

5.63

2.33

The fee to sign Sorloth this summer will not break the bank for Newcastle, especially if they sell Isak. The Norwegian star is a true number nine with a great record behind him in recent seasons. It is easy to see why he would be a better addition than Strand Larsen.

With the Magpies looking to bring in a striker who can find the back of the net regularly, Sorloth could be the man to answer their problems.

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Fifties from Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar, and a finishing kick from Jitesh Sharma took Royal Challenger Bengaluru (RCB) to 221 as they looked for their first win at Wankhede Stadium in 10 years. However, Mumbai Indians would be optimistic as the pitch was an absolute batting beauty with the small Wankhede boundaries to boot. Kohli, though, said that the pitch was not as straightforward as they made it look.Coming off 29 balls, this was Kohli’s fastest T20 fifty since 2019, and his first sub-30-ball fifty in the IPL since 2018. Kohli’s aggressive intent allowed Patidar to get a look at his first 10 balls but then he went from 8 off 10 to 64 off 32. Jitesh ended up with an unbeaten 40 off 19 to make sure RCB didn’t lose momentum in the end.Jasprit Bumrah made a successful return to competitive cricket with analysis of 4-0-29-0 even as others around him went for a plenty. Notable was Trent Boult’s most expensive analysis in the IPL: 4-0-57-2. He did get a first-over wicket for the 31st time, but that failed to dent RCB’s intent.Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal took 73 in the powerplay but left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur took Padikkal out for 37 off 22. A crucial spell of play was Hardik Pandya’s wide lines that not only defended the leg-side boundary but also resulted in the wickets of Kohli and Liam Livingstone. However, Patidar got the better of his counterpart with ramps, shots across the line and straight hits. He scored 33 off 12 Hardik deliveries; his other 12 balls went for 12 and brought two wickets.While the batters took apart Boult at the death, but this is when Bumrah bowled the 18th and the 20th over for six and eight runs to keep RCB from getting completely out of MI’s reach.

Any cautious optimism that was slowly building in the West Ham United fanbase over the international break was obliterated on Saturday afternoon.

Instead of building on their impressive 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, the East Londoners reverted to type and lost by the same scoreline against Tottenham Hotspur.

With an abysmal record of six wins, five draws and 13 losses in his 24 games in charge, it now feels like a matter of when and not if David Sullivan and Co sack Graham Potter.

One of the names recently touted to replace him has been Nuno Espírito Santo, but West Ham might be wiser to re-sign a former coach instead, and no, we aren’t talking about David Moyes.

Why West Ham might want Nuno

While he might not be the first name on the wishlist of every fan, it’s not hard to understand why West Ham are reportedly keen on Nuno.

Firstly, unlike some of the other managers that have been suggested as replacements for Potter, like Frank Lampard, the Portuguese coach is currently out of work, and therefore should be far easier to bring on board.

Secondly, he’s already very familiar with English football, and the Premier League specifically, having managed Wolverhampton Wanderers for 199 games, Spurs for 17 and Forest for 71.

Forest

71

Al-Ittihad

53

Spurs

17

Wolves

199

Porto

49

Valencia

62

Rio Ave

80

Finally, although his time in North London was far from successful, he made a significant impact at the other two clubs.

For example, the 51-year-old led the Old Gold into the top-flight, and then not only made them a permanent fixture, but led them into the Europa League, where they reached the quarter-finals in the 19/20 season.

Likewise, when he took over the Tricky Trees, they were staring down the barrel of relegation, and now they are preparing for life in the Europa League.

In all, Nuno would undoubtedly be an improvement on Potter, but West Ham may be able to make an even better appointment than the former Forest boss by re-hiring someone who’s already spent time in the London Stadium dugout.

The coach West Ham should re-hire instead of Nuno

Now, when we talk about West Ham re-hiring an old coach, the first name that may come to mind for many is David Moyes.

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However, the Scotsman is currently doing a brilliant job with Everton, and we aren’t even talking about him in this instance. Instead, the coach the Hammers should bring back to the London Stadium is Edin Terzić.

Yes, while the 42-year-old has never been the East Londoners’ manager, he was the assistant to Slaven Bilić during the Croatian’s time at the helm between 2015 and 2017, a period in which the club notched up some impressive wins against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

The German tactician took up his first head coach role in December 2020 when he was appointed as Borussia Dortmund’s interim manager following the departure of Lucien Favre.

The boyhood Dortmund fan was an instant hit at the Signal Iduna Park, overseeing 20 wins, four draws and just eight losses, which saw the team finish in third place, just a point off RB Leipzig.

More importantly, though, he managed to win the DFB Pokal, beating Leipzig 4-1 in the final, which was likely more than the club could have hoped for when appointing him.

The Menden-born would be given the job permanently a year later, following the firing of Marco Rose at the end of the 21/22 season.

It didn’t take long for the “incredible” manager, as dubbed by former Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, to work his magic as the German giants found themselves in a title race, losing out on goal difference on the final day.

While such a bitter disappointment would be enough to destroy some coaches, the Hammers assistant remained in the job and led Dortmund on an incredible Champions League run the following year, which saw them make the final, only to lose out to perennial winners Real Madrid.

He opted to leave his role following that game and has been without a club since.

In all, the still young coach has overseen 128 matches in his managerial career, winning 75, drawing 24 and losing just 29, which comes out to a points per game average of 1.95, which is significantly better than Nuno’s average of 1.71 points per game.

Games

128

Wins

75

Losses

29

Draws

24

Points per Game

1.95

Goals For

267

Goals Against

153

Ultimately, while the former Forest man would be a great hire, we can’t help but think Terzic would be the more ambitious option, as his record at Dortmund shows.

Ex-Tottenham prospect emerging as favourite to replace Potter at West Ham

He was once in the Lilywhites reserves during his playing career.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 16, 2025

Liverpool are looking to complete the signing of an “incredible” player next year, potentially beating rivals Manchester United to his signature, among others.

Isak in Liverpool training ahead of debut

The Reds are back in Premier League action on Sunday action on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to Burnley in a game that many will expect to see the visitors win comfortably.

For Alexander Isak, it has the potential to be a special day, with the Swede in line to make his debut at some point, even if it is from the substitutes’ bench.

The 25-year-old took part in his first training session for Liverpool on Wednesday, with footage showing the elite finishing ability that he has in his locker, and why the Premier League champions were willing to pay Newcastle United a record-breaking £125m for his services.

Granted, Isak needs time to build up his match fitness, so as mentioned, Hugo Ekitike is likely to be preferred at Burnley this weekend, but a second-half cameo feels on the cards, in what is hopefully the first of many appearances in a Liverpool shirt.

Liverpool enter race to sign "incredible" ace

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are now battling to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton in 2026, whether that be in January or next summer.

Man Utd “face a fierce battle” with their biggest rivals, with FSG now entering the race, whereas Newcastle United and Chelsea are also mentioned as options for the £60m-rated England international.

Wharton is one of the most exciting young English players around currently, already becoming such an accomplished footballer at the age of just 21.

The Palace star is an elegant player with a lovely left foot, and he possesses the ability to both dictate play from a deep midfield role, but also shine out of possession, displaying good positional sense and a strong work ethic.

Wharton, who has won two of his three games against the Reds (66%), could be a brilliant squad addition for Liverpool, coming in as a replacement for Wataru Endo, before maturing into a key starter, having been lauded by former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze.

“Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with. For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”

"Huge money" – Liverpool eye 2026 move for "magician" after Isak and Wirtz

What a signing this could be.

ByHenry Jackson Sep 9, 2025

There was a time when United were clearly the more exciting proposition than Liverpool, but that has changed significantly in the modern game, and the hope is that Wharton sees the champions as his best future option, picking them over the Red Devils and other suitors.

Nottingham Forest have now submitted an offer for a defender who has “great speed”, with negotiations currently ongoing.

Business as usual at Forest despite Nuno uncertainty

Nuno speaking negatively about his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis has caused instability at Forest, and there have been suggestions that Ange Postecoglou could be brought in as a replacement for the 51-year-old.

However, there is said to be an air of business as usual at the City Ground, with Forest focusing on having a strong end to the summer transfer window, having already made major improvements to their squad.

One position in which the Tricky Trees are yet to strengthen, however, is full-back, and Nuno clearly feels more depth is required on both sides ahead of the upcoming Europa League campaign.

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The Tricky Trees have tabled a bid for a new signing, with negotiations currently ongoing.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 27, 2025

Earlier this week, it was revealed that talks over a deal for Leicester City left-back Victor Kristiansen are progressing, and now Nuno’s side are looking to strengthen on the opposite flank too.

That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Nottingham Forest have now submitted a €12m (£10m) offer for Juventus right-back Nicolo Savona, which was knocked back, with the Italian club looking for a total package worth up to €20m (£17m).

The Serie A side are open to a sale, with information from journalist Gianluca di Marzio also being relayed, who reports that negotiations between the two clubs are currently ongoing, and they are likely to meet somewhere in the middle.

Savona is being targeted as an alternative to Sevilla’s José Ángel Carmona, who has made it clear he would prefer to remain at his boyhood club, rather than moving to the Premier League this summer.

Carmona should remain Forest's number one target

The aforementioned report states Carmona could still change his mind about a move to the Premier League, which would be good news for Forest, given that he has vastly outperformed Savona from a defensive point of view over the past year.

Average per 90	Jose Angel Carmona	Nicolo Savona
Tackles	2.42	1.42
Interceptions	1.96	0.58
Blocks	1.22	0.75
Clearances	2.88	2.04

The Spaniard is also far more experienced at senior level, having made 96 appearances across spells with Sevilla, Getafe and Elche CF, while the Juventus defender has just 40 first-team appearances to his name.

Juventus boss Igor Tudor has praised his defender in the past, saying: “He is professional and has great football intelligence. He understands what is happening on the pitch, and he has great speed. So we’re talking about a player with so many skills.”

“He is a humble guy who listens to advice. These are things that may seem obvious, but they are not at all. He has those values ​​that are getting a bit lost, so they are precious now.”

However, Forest should work on changing Carmona’s mind before the transfer deadline, as there is every indication he would be a better signing than the Italian.

Zinedine Zidane surprisingly ignored Real Madrid players and instead chose Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain stars when naming the current players who 'excite' him the most. The man who lifted Champions League trophies with Real Madrid and orchestrated some of their greatest modern triumphs has openly hailed Barcelona’s 18-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal as the player who excites him the most in world football.

• Zidane drops a bombshell: Praise for a Barca teen!

  For a man so deeply intertwined with Real Madrid’s identity, Zidane’s words have landed like a thunderclap in the Spanish capital. Barcelona have long been the cradle of football geniuses. From Xavi and Iniesta to Messi, the club’s identity has been built on flair, intelligence, and artistry. Now, in Yamal, fans believe they’re witnessing the next great embodiment of that philosophy. Zidane’s words have only reinforced that belief. For Barca supporters, it’s validation from one of Madrid’s most revered figures, and that makes it all the sweeter.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Zidane: Yamal excites me

  Zidane, speaking in a recent media appearance, was asked which current stars capture his imagination. Without skipping a beat, Zidane pointed straight to the Catalan wonderkid.

  "Regardless of position, one player who excites me when he touches the ball is Lamine Yamal," he said. "Against Inter last year in the Champions League at San Siro, he did it all on his own. Then I think of Vitinha or Joao Neves. They never lose the ball."

  It’s not the first time Zidane has waxed lyrical about Yamal, and judging by his tone, it won’t be the last. Back in May, during a promotional event, Zidane was just as effusive about the teenage winger. He couldn’t stop himself from reliving Yamal’s stunning display against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final.

  “When you see him play, for example, the semi-final against Inter Milan. In the second half… I’ve never seen anything like it in my life," he said. “It’s enough to see someone who is so dominant on the pitch. It’s fabulous to see him like that. So we all enjoy ourselves and that’s why, for all these young people, Lamine is the one to watch."

• Injury relief: Yamal back in training at last

  Yamal has made a timely return to training after recovering from a groin issue that ruled him out of Spain’s recent international fixtures. The 18-year-old was all smiles at the club’s training ground this week, taking part in light drills as the Catalans prepare for a crucial run of fixtures. The plan is to ease Yamal back gradually. He could make a cameo against Girona this weekend before potentially starting the Champions League clash with Olympiacos. 

  But as Barca welcome back their teenage star, PSG are quietly watching from the shadows. Reports in France claim the Parisian giants have not given up hope of one day luring Yamal to the Parc des Princes. Having lost Messi to Inter Miami, the Ligue 1 champions see Yamal as the next big global face of football, and they’re one of the few clubs with the financial firepower to approach. The Catalan youngster recently signed a lucrative new deal after turning 18, tying him to Barcelona for the long term. But whispers persist that a blockbuster bid could one day test Barca’s resolve, much like Neymar’s record-smashing €222 million (£193.5m/$257m) move in 2017.

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  Barca’s fixture nightmare, and why Yamal holds the key

  Barcelona’s schedule over the next few weeks is nothing short of brutal. They face Girona on October 18 in La Liga, then a high-stakes Champions League clash with Olympiacos just three days later. And looming at the end of that run is the season’s first El Clasico on October 26, a fixture that could define their campaign. The Catalans are two points behind Real Madrid after eight matchdays in La Liga, and their trip to the Bernabeu will be crucial to their championship chances. However, they had a stellar 2024-25 campaign against their arch-rivals as they won all four of their Clasicos. They scored 16 goals in those four matches and became the first team to score that many goals against Real Madrid in a single season. 

West Ham United have replaced Graham Potter with Nuno Espírito Santo after agreeing a deal with the ex-Nottingham Forest boss earlier this week, but there was another intriguing option on the free agent market they ultimately failed to consider.

West Ham appoint Nuno Espírito Santo on a multi-year contract

Chairman David Sullivan had been in favour of appointing ex-manager Slaven Bilic on an interim basis until the end of the season (Pete O’Rourke), and the Croatian was even planning his coaching staff in the event he was chosen for the Hammers hot seat (ExWHUemployee).

However, despite some concerns surrounding the finances of a deal for Nuno (Sport Boom), the Portuguese has now won the West Ham job race and took charge of his first training session on Saturday afternoon — just hours after the club announced Potter’s departure.

He’s also put pen to paper on a multi-year contract, showing West Ham’s faith in the tactician.

The arrival of Nuno comes after his fairytale 2024/2025 season at Forest, where he transformed the Tricky Trees from relegation contenders to Europa League participants in under two years.

This culminated in Evangelos Marinakis handing the 51-year-old a new three-year contract in June, but a tense public fallout with the Forest chief meant that Nuno was forced to wave goodbye to the City Ground much sooner than he anticipated.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12 Graham Potter

26.1%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

Forest’s loss was West Ham’s gain, and there are many reasons why Nuno could end up being a very smart appointment.

Under Nuno, Forest became a lot more robust defensively and adopted a clear counter-attacking style, all whilst fixing their set-piece issues — which is something West Ham have been a real victim of this season.

Having conceded 7 of their 13 Premier League goals so far from corners, Nuno’s arrival could work wonders to solve this very concerning problem, and the fact he was a free agent meant the east Londoners didn’t have to pay a compensation fee.

Out of the fellow free agents linked with a move to the London Stadium — a list including Bilic, Gary O’Neil, Michael Carrick and Sean Dyche — Nuno’s name was clearly the most appealing, both internally and outside Rush Green.

However, Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board failed to consider one name — Sergio Conceicao.

West Ham missed out on appointing Sergio Conceicao

The 50-year-old left AC Milan at the end of June and is still a free agent now, meaning he was potentially up for grabs.

According to some reports, Conceicao privately expressed a preference to join West Ham last year, back when he was mentioned as one of the candidates to succeed Julen Lopetegui, and was regularly linked before the club went for Potter.

It begs the question, why didn’t West Ham consider him this time around?

Conceicao has 12 major trophies to his name after a glittering career abroad, including an Italian Super Cup triumph from his time at Milan, with the Portuguese also winning 11 pieces of silverware during his famed FC Porto era.

The coach, who once drew comparisons to José Mourinho, won three Primeira Liga titles with Porto and the 21/22 Manager of the Year award. Ultimately, his failure to qualify for Europe with Milan last season, combined with losing the Coppa Italia final to Bologna, cost him his job.

Nevertheless, he was definitely an option worth looking at, and Conceicao has attracted praise for his fast and aggressive style — which embodies the ‘West Ham way’ far more than Nuno’s pragmatic approach.

West Ham did have more candidates like Conceicao available to them, but perhaps the major worry of relegation among shareholders motivated the club into making a swift, and perhaps trigger-happy, decision.