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This season has been an undeniably strange one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are a game away from potentially making it to only their second Champions League final ever, but they have also completely fallen away in the Premier League.

One of the Gunners’ obvious weaknesses this year has been a lack of clinical finishing up top, but arguably, a lack of creativity has been just as much of a problem; Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all creating more big chances in the league.

Fortunately, the club seem to be well aware of this problem as well, and, based on recent reports, could be set to sign an incredibly creative attacker from the continent, who could be their own Bruno Fernandes.

Arsenal's transfer targets

With it clear that Arsenal want to add more creativity to the team this summer, it’s worth looking at a couple of their other targets, such as Rayan Cherki and Nico Williams.

The former could be available for around £30m, which would be a bargain, as in just 41 appearances, totalling 2894 minutes, the 21-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists.

Williams, on the other hand, would cost significantly more, at £50m, but he too has enjoyed a great campaign, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 44 games.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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However, recent reports have now touted another creative attacker for a move to the Emirates: Francisco Trincão.

According to a recent report from the Portuguese newspaper Record, as relayed by the Metro, Arsenal are one of three Premier League sides to have begun talks with Sporting CP for the dynamo.

Manchester United are reportedly one of the other teams incredibly interested in the Portuguese international, who has a release clause in his current deal worth around £66.5m.

It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Trincão’s immense ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Arsenal’s own Fernandes.

Why Trincão could be Arsenal's own Fernandes

So, if Arsenal can beat the Red Devils to Trincão’s signature this summer, what is it that could make him like their Fernandes?

Well, to start with, there are several more surface-level similarities between the pair, such as them both being Portuguese, both coming from Sporting CP, moving to one of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ and doing so at 25 years old.

However, there is another far more significant similarity between the two players, one that transcends their positional differences: their creativity.

For all the criticism that has been levelled at Fernandes in recent years, one thing that hasn’t been questioned is his technique and ability to either produce assist after assist or score goals himself.

For example, in 285 appearances for United, he has scored 98 goals and provided 85 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.55 games.

Trincão & Bruno’s final Sporting campaigns

Player

Trincão

Fernandnes

Appearances

50

28

Goals

9

15

Assists

18

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

1.03

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, in his final half-campaign with Sporting, the 30-year-old scored 15 goals and provided 14 assists in 28 appearances, which was an average of 1.03 goal involvements every game.

Now, while the incredibly “exciting” Trincão, as dubbed by former Wolverhampton Wanderers technical director Scott Sellars, hasn’t quite hit those heights this term, he’s still seriously impressed, scoring nine goals and, more importantly, providing 18 assists in 50 appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.85 games.

Just imagine if Arsenal had a player that creative in the team this season; there is a real chance that they’d have at least been in the Premier League title fight for a little while longer.

Ultimately, while it would cost a lot, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Trincão this summer, as he would add some much-needed creativity to the team, and could even become their own Fernandes.

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Arsenal have moved in to make one highly-rated player an offer to join them, sensing an opportunity, with La Liga giants Real Madrid stalling on a potential deal.

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Mikel Arteta was cut a frustrated figure after PSG knocked his side out of the Champions League semi-finals.

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Posts 9 ByEmilio Galantini May 9, 2025

PSG’s 3-1 win on aggregate means Arsenal are set to go trophyless for yet another campaign, with attention now turning to the summer window again as the Gunners seek to mount a more successful push for silverware next term.

Arsenal’s final Premier League games

Date

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

While injuries to key players arguably crippled Arsenal’s chances this season, it is becoming a real worry for Arteta that the club have precious little to show for their £500 million net spend on transfers since the Spaniard took charge.

“It depends,” said Arteta on whether Arsenal can win a trophy soon.

“This squad, two years ago, nobody believed that we could even qualify for the Champions League, or even think that we could finish second or compete in the league. Or have the amount of points that we had that in any other year you are a champion. Or have the run and the results and the performances that we had in the Champions League. But the reality at the end is that you need something to lose, and that trophy with all the work that we do, and disappointment is that it’s not going to happen.”

New sporting director Andrea Berta’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium is a major boost for Arteta ahead of next season, as the astute transfer operator is expected to seriously back him in the transfer market this summer.

According to widespread reports, Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen is a top target for them after his very impressive debut season in the Premier League with Bournemouth.

As per the reliable David Ornstein, Arsenal have already held talks with Huijsen’s representatives and are ready to pay his £50 million release clause, but competition for his signature is fierce to say the least.

Arsenal make "formal" offer to Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen

As per Cadena SER, Arteta’s side will have to contend with Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool for the 20-year-old, not to mention Real Madrid.

However, in a bid to get ahead of Los Blancos, it is believed Arsenal have presented a “formal” offer to Huijsen and his representatives, while Real are forced to delay their proposal due to complications.

They’re waiting on the potential appointment of Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso before making any approaches, as they need to gauge what the Spaniard would want in terms of players to improve his Real squad for next season.

This gives Premier League sides like Arsenal a chance to swoop in and tempt the player first, but Huijsen has every intention of giving Real a chance to present their offer, as his team have hired a law firm to negotiate with the Spanish heavyweights on the “sensational” defender’s behalf.

Nottingham Forest are “ready” to make their move for an England international in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer claim.

Damaging draw for Nottingham Forest as Marinakis takes centre stage

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side suffered a poor afternoon at the office on Sunday, drawing 2-2 at home to already-relegated Leicester City in the Premier League, affecting their Champions League qualification hopes badly.

Amid the disappointment, Forest continue to be linked with potential additions in the summer window, but the quality of their signings is likely to be affected by which European competition they qualify for next season, something owner Evangelos Marinakis is all too aware of.

Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah has been linked with a move to the City Ground at the end of the season, with the 22-year-old struggling for regular playing time this season, and unlikely to oust Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate any time soon. He could be an exciting young option with a bright future in the game.

Forest are also believed to be considering a move for Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee, with the Englishman in a similar situation to Quansah, in terms of not being a key starter for one of the biggest teams in the country.

Nottingham Forest "ready" to sign Loftus-Cheek

According to MilanLive [via Sport Witness], Nottingham Forest are “ready” to move for AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer, and could pay just £17m for his services.

The 29-year-old could leave the Serie A giants at the end of the season, following an injury-plagued campaign, though Fulham and West Ham are also mentioned as possible destinations. Meanwhile, Roma’s “excellent” relationship with Milan could give them the edge in the race to snap him up.

Loftus-Cheek could be an interesting option for Forest this summer, with the former Chelsea man a 10-cap England international who appeared for the Three Lions at the 2018 World Cup, playing four times. He is one of the best dribblers in his position in Europe, ranking in the 92nd percentile for progressive carries by central midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues.

The midfielder has now racked up 66 appearances in a Milan shirt, scoring 10 goals – it would be more if it weren’t for injury problems – and Owen Hargreaves has spoken of his admiration for him.

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Loftus-Cheek only has two years remaining on his current Milan deal, so they seem happy to cash in this summer, and he would be a shrewd addition for Forest, adding experience and physicality in the middle of the park, and not at an extortionate price.

Leeds United have now joined the race to sign a £20m Championship star, who amassed more goals than fellow target Gustavo Hamer across the 2024-25 campaign, according to a report.

Leeds looking to raid Championship clubs after promotion

With Leeds securing the 2024-25 Championship title, they are now at liberty to raid some of their former rivals for their best players, and it appears as though that could well be one of the strategies heading into the summer transfer window.

Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer is one of the potential targets, with the Whites now said to be plotting a move for the Brazil-born midfielder, who missed out on promotion in gutting fashion, courtesy of Tommy Watson’s last-gasp winner for Sunderland.

It is little wonder that Daniel Farke’s side are keen on the 27-year-old, considering the level of his performances for the Blades, with the maestro regularly chipping in with goals and assists to fuel his side’s promotion charge.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Championship

41

9

7

Play-offs

3

1

1

However, Hamer is not the only Championship attacker on Leeds’ shortlist, with a report from The Sun stating they have now joined the race to sign Middlesbrough star Finn Azaz, alongside AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

Michael Carrick will likely be unwilling to lose Azaz, given the level of his performances over the past two seasons, and he is thought to be valued at £20m, which means the Whites will have to shell out a sizeable fee for his services.

The Irishman is thought to be high on their shopping list, however, and a move to the Premier League could appeal to the attacking midfielder, given that he has certainly earned the chance to prove himself in the top flight.

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Posts ByDominic Lund May 27, 2025 Azaz outperforming Hamer in the Championship

Indeed, at 24-years-old the maestro could be entering his prime years, and his performances in the Championship last season suggest he could make a real impact at Premier League level, collecting 12 goals and 11 assists in 45 outings.

The Ireland international outperformed Hamer in terms of attacking numbers, while also placing in the 83rd percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

As such, there was some controversy that the London-born attacker was overlooked for the end-of-season awards, but his omission likely relates to the fact that Middlesbrough finished in 10th place.

While Azaz’s attacking quality wasn’t enough to secure Boro a play-off spot, he could be a real difference-maker in Leeds avoiding relegation next season.

Manchester City are getting through plenty of work at an early stage of the transfer window and could now pounce for one of Europe’s brightest attacking talents, according to a report.

Manchester City look to push Rayan Ait-Nouri deal over the line

While Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders look set to join Manchester City from Lyon and AC Milan, respectively, there may be more good news on the way for Citizens’ supporters if David Ornstein’s latest update on business at the Etihad Stadium is anything to go by.

With the Club World Cup approaching and the need for signings to help Pep Guardiola evident, Rayan Ait-Nouri is closing in on a move to the blue half of Manchester from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Although a full agreement has yet to be reached between all parties, there is an expectation that the Algerian left-back will head to Manchester City shortly to compete with Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake on the left-hand side of defence.

Intriguingly, Guardiola has admitted he wants to run with a small squad to ensure he is able to allocate minutes appropriately rather than harbouring fringe stars with no realistic prospect of first-team football.

“I said to the club I don’t want that (a large squad). I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay.”

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His comments indicate that a quality over quantity approach may be the method of action taken to streamline his group after a trophyless season. Putting emphasis on the ‘quality’ he craves, Guardiola could now move for one of Europe’s most explosive young talents to provide a fresh injection on the flanks.

Manchester City line up swoop for Bradley Barcola

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City have extensively scouted Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola during his excellent campaign for the French giants.

The outlet claim the 22-year-old could be a long-term replacement for Jack Grealish at the Etihad, though the Champions League holders are said to value the winger at around £101 million.

Bradley Barcola’s superb campaign for PSG – Ligue 1 (Fotmob)

Completed dribbles

34

Successful crosses

7

Shots on target

39

Chances created

50

Expected goals

13.58

Touches in opposition box

228

Becoming a force on the flank, Barcola registered 21 goals and 19 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions for PSG, which has also seen Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur coming to the table for his signature.

Nevertheless, Luis Enrique isn’t keen to lose one of his star men and is set to offer the Lyon-born star a contract that would see him remain at the Parc des Princes until 2030.

Manchester City are on the lookout for talent to shape the next few years of silverware they hope to achieve and Barcola would be someone who could thrive under Guardiola’s tutelage if he were to pitch up on English shores.

Manchester City’s spending spree is only just getting started.

On Monday, the Sky Blues unveiled Rayan Aït-Nouri as their first summer signing, arriving for a reported £31m from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Algerian international left-back eligible to debut in the Citizens’ Club World Cup opener against Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia next Wednesday.

Meantime, widespread reports suggest that Tijjani Reijnders will arrive from AC Milan for £46.3m, with more signings on the way too, so could a high-profile Man City stalwart be on his way out, possibly to a Premier League rival, to make way for these new recruits?

What Rayan Cherki will bring to Manchester City

David Ornstein of The Athletic reported last week that Manchester City had ‘reached an agreement’ with Olympique Lyonnais over the signing of Rayan Cherki, agreeing to pay around £34m.

Rob Dawson and Julien Laurens of ESPN claimed that Man City were hoping to finalise the deal in time for Cherki to feature during the Club World Cup group stages, with that move having now been confirmed by the club ahead of the deadline.

In terms of what City’s latest arrival will bring to the Etihad, Stuart James and Tom Williams of the Athletic believe that the 21-year-old possesses a mesmeric ‘capacity to enthral’, labelling him ‘precociously talented’ and citing former Lyon manager Fabio Grosso, who asserted that “god has given him incredible qualities”.

Those traits were notably on show during Lyon’s gripping Europa League quarter-final tie with Manchester United earlier this year, with the youngster scoring a last-gasp equaliser in the first leg, prior to also netting a stunning, driven effort from range in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford.

Described as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, the fleet-footed genius looks destined to be a star under Guardiola’s watch over the coming years.

And so, with such a high-quality midfield talent on his way to the Etihad, could a current Man City star be forced out?

The Man City star destined to depart

As noted by Mark Critchley and Ben Burrows of The Athletic, Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City’s squad for this summer’s Club World Cup, thereby not set to travel to the United States, suggesting he is highly likely to leave the club this summer.

Back in December, Richard Jolly of the Independent outlined how, during his four years at the club, Grealish had gone from ‘one of the most exciting attacking players in world football’ to now a player ‘who is neither exciting nor attacking’.

The table below highlights the England international’s decrease in importance.

Jack Grealish’s season-by-season Manchester City career

Statistics

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Appearances

39

50

36

32

Starts

31

41

26

16

Matches an unused sub

11

5

12

15

Minutes

2,730

3,487

2,114

1,521

Goals

6

5

3

3

Assists

4

11

3

5

England caps

11

9

4

3

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table notes, Grealish was an integral player for Man City during his first two seasons, but the last two he has been nothing more than a peripheral figure.

David O’Brien believes he was “exceptional” during his early years at Man City, but Alex Brotherton of BBC Sport notes that now ‘is the right time to move on’ as he seeks to save his career.

The fact he was an unused substitute in the FA Cup Final, a match they lost 1-0 to Manchester City, is widely considered to be the final nail in the coffin – as too is the arrival of another playmaker in Cherki.

For instance, Cherki racked up 32 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25 at Lyon, including 19 goals and assists in league action. Grealish – as noted in the table – was only able to record eight goals and assists, only two of which came in the Premier League. A move away now appears an inevitability.

Indeed, reports in Spain suggest that Newcastle United ‘have set their sights’ on signing him, looking to lodge a bid that would comprise an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy of around £67m.

Ben Jacobs of Talk Sport also claims that both Tottenham and Everton ‘hold a genuine’ interest in signing Grealish too, with Gillian Kasirye of Total Football Analysis documenting how his ‘exceptional ball-carrying ability’ would make him perfect for Spurs.

Thus, Grealish’s Man City exit is likely to be one of the stories of the summer but, regardless of where he ends up, he has surely played his last game in sky blue, with Cherki a readymade, exciting replacement.

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly identifying targets for incoming new manager Thomas Frank already, with the Dane also having his own input on their summer recruitment plans as he prepares for his debut season in the Lilywhites dugout.

Thomas Frank already identifying transfer targets at Spurs

According to Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources, Frank is closing in on the Spurs job and an agreement has been reached for him to replace Ange Postecoglou – just days after the Australian was given his marching orders.

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Romano has given his renowned ‘here we go’ to the appointment and there is an expectation that Frank could even be confirmed as Tottenham’s new manager in the next few days (BBC), with the 51-year-old poised to swap Brentford for north London.

The move is so advanced, in fact, that reports are already flooding in regard to Frank identifying his preferred summer transfer targets for Spurs.

GiveMeSport reported earlier this week that Frank has recommended Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze to Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy as a possible signing, in the event they cannot beat Man United in the race for Bryan Mbeumo.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

This comes amid reports that they’re after a new left-winger after the departure of Timo Werner, with Spurs said to be eyeing Man City star Jack Grealish, who is almost certain to depart Eastlands this summer (talkSPORT).

The arrival of a new forward in that area would also raise questions about the future of Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman arrived at N17 on loan in January, and the deal includes an option to buy for around £45 million. However, it is believed that Spurs would want to whittle down that fee if they do opt to keep Tel, following a mixed first six months at the club.

Tottenham to open talks over cut-price Mathys Tel deal

According to TEAMtalk this week, that is most certainly the plan, and Tottenham are set to open talks over a reduced-price move for Tel in the coming weeks.

They also state Frank has personally told Spurs chiefs that the 20-year-old’s permanent arrival would sufficiently reinforce his attacking options ahead of a 2025/2026 campaign where they’ll be competing in the Champions League.

Frank apparently believes Tel is a perfect fit for his high-pressing system, and is a major fan of the winger’s work rate among other desirable traits, like his versatility.

Taking this into account, Frank has requested that the club keep Tel right where he is, which could end up being the right call considering his glowing reputation among Bayern Munich circles.

Ex-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann once tipped Tel to bag ’40 goals a season’ at some point in his career, while Bayern back-up keeper, Sven Ulreich, called him a ‘role model’ for younger players.

“Mathys is a fine guy, is inquisitive, willing to learn, down-to-earth and works a lot on himself,” Ulreich said.

“He is a role model for all the young players who come here. He comes up and does his job. We’ve had other examples that didn’t handle it that way.”

Already closing in on the arrival of Jaka Bijol, Leeds United have now reportedly turned their attention towards a second defensive addition in what would be a bargain deal this summer.

Leeds to face Arsenal and Newcastle in opening run

Two months out from their Premier League return, Leeds now know who awaits them on the opening day in August. With the Premier League fixtures officially released, the Whites will square off against Everton at Elland Road on the opening day, before travelling to Arsenal for their first away game as part of a mixed opening run of games.

That first game against Everton will be Daniel Farke’s first real opportunity to see how prepared his side are for top-flight football. If reports are anything to go by too, it will be a squad full of fresh faces.

Already, Udinese defender Bijol is reportedly on the way to become Leeds’ second signing of the summer and the rumours are not stopping there. The Whites have also been linked to the likes of Rodrigo Muniz with reports even going as far to suggest that they’re prepared to spend £35m to secure the Fulham striker’s signature this summer.

In one swift move, Farke could have two new attacking options in Muniz and Lukas Nmecha, who arrived as a free agent to get Leeds’ summer business underway. The former Wolfsburg forward expressed his delight after officially joining the Yorkshire club, telling Leeds’ official media channels: “It’s just a great challenge and I’m really excited to get to know the team.

“I’ve spoken with the manager many times and I’m excited to play that style of football that they played in the Championship, even in the Premier League. I saw that there was dominance last season in terms of possession and the goals. I’m an attacking player, so obviously that’s exciting for me.”

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It’s not just attacking talents that Farke is after, either, amid reports that Leeds are also now interested in another impressive defender after Bijol.

Leeds keen to sign Lovro Golic

According to Fabrizio Romano, Leeds are now keen to sign Lovro Golic on a free transfer this summer. The 6’3 defender is set to leave AS Roma as a free agent and has attracted interest from Elland Road as well as German club Hoffenheim and Italian club Lecce.

At just 19 years old, Golic is someone who is full of potential and a player who has already been praised by the great Jose Mourinho. The young defender revealed the story of when the former Chelsea boss called him up to the Roma first-team, saying: “The team manager called me and told me that the next day I would have to train with Mourinho.

“At first I asked him if he had called the right player, I couldn’t believe it. When I entered the field, Mourinho asked Dybala what he thought of me, he replied that I seemed a real wall. When Mourinho told him that I was 16 he was incredulous. Even Abraham couldn’t believe I was so young.”

PNG gave West Indies a near-scare in their opening game and will hope to go one better against a demoralised New Zealand side

Sruthi Ravindranath16-Jun-20242:12

Time for NZ to give Ish Sodhi a go?

Match detailsNew Zealand vs Papua New Guinea
June 17, Tarouba, 10.30am local timeBig picture: New Zealand look to end with a bangIs it one last time for New Zealand’s golden generation in T20Is? They only have three players under 30 in their side. None of their senior batters have come to the fore in the tournament so far. Trent Boult, well, has been Trent Boult-ing, but he’s confirmed this will be his last T20 World Cup.Though Kane Williamson believes it may not be the end of the road yet for many seniors, New Zealand bowing out of the tournament early will make them rethink the future.Related

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They did come together to show their prowess against Uganda in the last game, rolling them over for 40. Though all of their bowlers made a mark, their batting unit, one of their biggest letdowns this tournament, did not get much time in the middle. The win also came a bit too late, their fate already sealed: they will not be heading to the knockout stage of a men’s World Cup for the first time since 2014.Papua New Guinea, meanwhile, will be exiting with different emotions. They gave co-hosts West Indies a near-scare in the first game. Their spinners bowled superbly in that game. Their fast-bowling unit has been impressive. This will be the first time these teams come up against each other. Can PNG’s bowlers challenge New Zealand’s demoralised batting unit?Alei Nao has been a bright spot for Papua New Guinea•ICC via Getty Images

Form guide New Zealand WLLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
PNG LLLLWIn the spotlight: Glenn Phillips and Alei NaoNo New Zealand player is among the top 40 run-scorers at this year’s T20 World Cup. At No. 43 is Glenn Phillips with 58 runs in two innings. He top scored with a run-a-ball 18 against the unplayable Afghanistan bowling unit in the first game and followed it up with 40 against West Indies. He came in at No. 6 and counterattacked, hitting three fours and two sixes in his 33-ball stay, after yet another top-order collapse but his knock went in vain. He’s been one of the positives in New Zealand’s dull tournament.Alei Nao has been the pick of the bowlers for PNG. The 30-year old seamer struck with his very first delivery at this T20 World Cup, removing West Indies’ Johnson Charles for a duck in Providence. He has been excellent for PNG with the new ball and has taken a wicket in the powerplay in all three games. Nao has taken four wickets at an economy of 5.10 so far.Team news: No major changesPNG brought in left-arm quick Semo Kamea for Charles Amini in the last game against Afghanistan. Both teams are likely to go with the same playing XI barring any injury concerns.New Zealand possible XI: 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultIt’s been a disappointing T20 World Cup for Kane Williamson and New Zealand•ICC/Getty Images

Papua New Guinea possible XI: 1 Assad Vala (capt), 2 Tony Ura, 3 Sese Bau, 4 Lega Siaka, 5 Hiri Hiri, 6 Kiplin Doriga (wk), 7 Chad Soper, 8 Norman Vanua, 9 Alei Nao, 10 John Kariko, 11 Semo KameaPitch and conditions: Batters bewareThe pitches at the Brian Lara Stadium have not been too conducive to batting. The fast bowlers have had a bit of help with the new ball, while the spinners have found some turn. It is expected to be partly cloudy in the morning, and thunderstorms can be expected in spots throughout the day.Stats that matter: NZ’s batting woes New Zealand have the best economy rate of 4.22 in the powerplay in the T20 World Cup 2024 PNG have scored at a run rate of 5.22 this tournament, the third-lowest behind Uganda and Sri Lanka New Zealand have the second-lowest batting average (12.60) among Full Member nations at this T20 World Cup behind Ireland

Blistering half-century seals thriller off final ball as Hammond 66 goes in vain

ECB Reporters Network12-Jul-2024

Brad Wheal was in the wickets for Hampshire•Getty Images

Hampshire 177 for 5 (Howell 62*, Smith 3-35) beat Gloucestershire 176 for 9 (Hammond 66, Wheal 4-35) by five wicketsBenny Howell’s brutal half-century took down his former Gloucestershire team-mates to keep Hampshire Hawks’ Vitality Blast hopes alive.All-rounder Howell had already taken two wickets as Hampshire fought back to restrict their visitors – who have never won a T20 at Utilita Bowl – to 176.But he then clubbed four sixes and five fours to equal his T20 best of 62 not out to start a south coast party.The Hawks’ five-wicket win put them four points adrift of the qualification places with three matches to play, while fourth-placed Gloucestershire remain two points behind Essex.Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft saw off a couple of tricky new ball overs before tucking into their work after Gloucestershire had chosen to bat.Neither flaunted any flair but used timing and a lightning outfield to pick a boundary or two an over – as 49 stress-free runs came in the powerplay.But where Hammond ticked into gear – albeit surviving a couple of drops – Australia Bancroft came a cropper when Howell chopped one through him to end 92-run stand, Gloucestershire’s best opening partnership versus the Hawks.Hammond went past 350 runs in this year’s Blast and a seventh T20 fifty – coming in 36 balls – but the visitors went from looking at setting 200 to an almighty collapse.All told it saw eight wickets fall in 33 balls, with the vast majority of them caught slogging to fulfil the double-hundred prophecy.Scotland international Brad Wheal – now the owner of 50 T20 wickets for Hampshire. was the chief destroyer with four wickets. His figures of four for 35 were only ruined by a late six and four from Ben Charlesworth.Charlesworth was a rare Gloucestershire success in the second half with his 39 off 19 taking them to a par, but under what they had looked set for, 176.In reply, Ben McDermott started strongly by pumping fellow Aussie down the ground for a maximum, but James Vince strangling a pull shot behind off the last ball of the powerplay stemmed the hosts’ momentum.The following six overs went for 27 runs as Tom Smith led a Boa-like tightening on the Hawks.Tom Prest reverse swept to point and McDermott and Toby Albert both thumped to long off as Smith struck in his first three overs with analysis of three for 14.But a switch of ends for his last saw Howell explode with a pair of sixes in a 22-run over to take the equation to 63 off 30 balls, and swung the pendulum.Howell continued his assault against Marchant de Lange with another two huge hits and was also dropped by wicketkeeper James Bracey – his first Hampshire half-century coming in 22 balls.Joe Weatherley had been the onlooker for much of the fifty stand and fell when de Lange parted his stumps.A five-run over from Matt Taylor meant 31 was needed from the last two overs but Howell recharged with James Fuller to make it 14 off the last.It was taken down to four off the last delivery, which Howell scooped to the boundary to celebrate by ripping off his helmet.