Manchester United have plenty of work to do in the window, but could now be ready to sell one of their most recognised stars to offer Ruben Amorim extra funds to bolster his squad.

Manchester United look to sell before they can buy

Supporters of the Red Devils will be impressed by their ability to bring in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo despite missing out on funds generated by qualifying for European competition, albeit an outlay exceeding £130 million came out of the Old Trafford coffers to secure both deals.

In simple terms, Manchester United will now need to generate money through player sales to continue restructuring their squad with quality arrivals. Marcus Rashford and his £300,000 per week wages have been moved on to Barcelona, which is a start.

The Catalan giants have an option to make his move permanent next summer. Financially, that would be a major weight off of INEOS in their bid to generate capital, but the Carrington graduate isn’t the only one who will walk through the exit door.

Alejandro Garnacho could be sold to Chelsea by Manchester United for £40 million, with a reduced rate being offered to the Club World Cup champions as the Premier League giants try to push through a sale for another wantaway star.

Clearing the decks, Casemiro is another who could exit Old Trafford amid interest from Saudi Arabia. The 33-year-old has shown that he is still a proven presence at the top level, though his £350,000 per week wages are a drain on resources.

Man Utd make contact to sign "decisive" £43m forward with 22 G/A in 24/25

The Red Devils have set their sights on a new target, and they have now made an approach over a potential deal.

ByDominic Lund Jul 24, 2025

Squad culls require tough decisions to be made and aren’t easy to perfect. Still, those choices need to be taken for the greater good, and Manchester United could now have a chance to offload another high earner.

Manchester United could sell Luke Shaw

According to The Sun, Manchester United will listen to offers for Luke Shaw amid serious interest from Saudi Pro League clubs in the England international.

The 30-year-old has two years left on his deal at Old Trafford and feels he could be at the end of the road at Old Trafford, where he has enjoyed a mix of success and injury problems over the last 11 years.

Luke Shaw’s time at Manchester United

Appearances

287

Goals

4

Assists

29

Trophies won

UEFA Europa League x1

FA Cup x1

EFL Cup x2

FA Community Shield x1

Should he decide to move on, Manchester United would likely be open to negotiating an exit without too many complications. However, he is a popular presence in the dressing room and is admired by Amorim, despite his £150,000-per-week wages accounting for a significant portion of their expenditure.

Patrick Dorgu is set to assume the role of first-choice left wing-back this term, leaving Shaw with a difficult decision to make on his future that could also impact the Red Devils’ scope to recruit more new additions.

Fifties from Qasim Akram and Sahibzada Farhan led Dolphins’ spirited attempt in the chase but it wasn’t enough

Danyal Rasool14-Sep-2024

A century for Usman Khan and five wickets by Mohammad Hasnain inspired Panthers to their first win of the Champions One-Day Cup, beating Dolphins by 50 runs. A team batting effort that also saw quickfire half-centuries from Haider Ali and Shadab Khan helped them to 328, the third consecutive time in this competition the first innings saw a score in excess of 325. Qasim Akram’s 65 and a half-century from Sahibzada Farhan led Dolphins to the most spirited attempt at a chase in this competition, but Hasnain ripping through the middle order meant they always looked a bit shy of the target.Batting conditions have been easier in the first innings in Faisalabad thus far, and after being stung looking to chase in the opening game, Shadab had no hesitation batting first this time. His side wobbled in the early stages when Mir Hamza prised out both openers for single figures, but Usman and Haider’s 103-run fifth-wicket partnership steered the ship back on course towards the huge first-innings total that has become characteristic of this season. Once again, the bowlers were unable to stem the flow of runs in the death overs, and though legspinner Usman Qadir did take three wickets in the final over, much of the damage had already been done.Dolphins started brightly with a 68-run stand between openers Mohammad Hurraira and Farhan, but the legspin of Usama Mir and Shadab found a way of breaking through. Mir coaxed edges out of Farhan and Mohammad Akhlaq, and Shadab removed Hurraira, who had sped along with three fours and as many sixes in a 30-ball 39.It was the Hasnain show thereafter. With his trademark high pace, he kept chipping away at the middle order, a couple of sixes off the final two balls of his spell souring figures that were far more impressive than the 5 for 74 may register on the scorecard. It wasn’t until he cleaned up Qasim and Faheem Ashraf in the 42nd and 44th overs that the game irrevocably swung his side’s way, with the five-for he registered just reward for his efforts.

عبّر الألماني ماتياس يايسله، المدير الفني لفريق الأهلي، عن فخره الكبير بأداء لاعبيه عقب العودة التاريخية من تأخر بثلاثية نظيفة إلى تعادل مثير 3-3 أمام الهلال، في قمة الجولة المسماة “عزّنا بطبعنا” من الدوري السعودي، مساء أمس الجمعة.

وأوضح يايسله في المؤتمر الصحفي عقب اللقاء أن البداية جاءت قوية من جانب فريقه، حيث أجبر الهلال على التراجع خلال أول ربع ساعة بفضل أسلوب الضغط العالي، لكن أخطاء فردية في التغطية الدفاعية سمحت لـ الزعيم بالتقدم بثلاثة أهداف، قبل أن ينجح الأهلي في العودة بقوة في الشوط الثاني.

ونقلت صحيفة “الرياضية” تصريحات يايسله والتي قال فيها: “الأهداف التي استقبلناها جاءت من سوء تغطية دفاعية وإصابة غير متوقعة لمجرشي، لكنني كنت واثقًا من إمكانية العودة، عززنا الحدة في الثنائيات، وخلقنا فرصًا عديدة حتى سجلنا ثلاثة أهداف أمام منافس بحجم الهلال”.

طالع أيضًا | فيديو | الأهلي يخطف تعادلًا مثيرًا من الهلال في الدوري السعودي

وأضاف يايسله أن إيمانه بقدرة فريقه على تحقيق ما وصفه بـ “المعجزة” لم يتزعزع، مشددًا على أن الاستمرار في الضغط العالي كان الخيار الوحيد لقلب النتيجة، كما نفى وجود أزمة في مركز المحور داخل الفريق، مؤكدًا: “الأهلي يملك قائمة متكاملة ولا نعتمد على لاعب واحد”.

وعن الدفع بالبرازيلي ماتيوس جونسالفيس منذ البداية، أوضح يايسله: “مشاركته جاءت تتويجًا لجهده في التدريبات، ورأيت أنه يستحق التواجد أساسيًا”.

كما خص يايسله جماهير الأهلي برسالة تقدير، بعدما رفعت “تيفو” ضخمًا يحمل صورته في المدرجات، قائلاً: “أشعر دائمًا بدعم هذا الجمهور العظيم، والتيفو دليل إضافي على ذلك”.

واختتم المدرب تصريحاته بالتطلع إلى حصد لقب بطولة كأس إفريقيا وآسيا والمحيط الهادي أمام بيراميدز المصري يوم الثلاثاء المقبل، مؤكدًا أن الهدف واضح: “نريد التتويج بالبطولة لأننا نمثل الوطن ونسعى لرفع اسمه عاليًا”.

Chelsea have the chance to seal their second trophy under Enzo Maresca when they face PSG in the Club World Cup final.

It will be a tough task, as the French side are arguably the best side on the planet, evidenced by their 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

Enzo Fernandez will be crucial as the Argentine will be tasked with trying to keep possession for the Blues, while also aiming to stop PSG from mounting attack after attack in the final third.

That being said, despite Maresca signing plenty of attacking players this summer, might the former Benfica starlet be growing worried amid the club’s latest transfer link?

Chelsea enquire over Barcelona midfielder

The list of attacking players linked with the Blues is lengthy, but Maresca now looks like he could be set to add a midfielder or two to his squad.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Caught Offside, Chelsea, along with Arsenal, have enquired about the availability of Barcelona star Marc Casado this summer.

The Catalan giants are demanding €50m (£43m) should any club wish to make an official bid for the Spaniard.

He does have a release clause worth €100m (£86m), but due to their financial situation, Barcelona may be forced to accept a lower offer. If Maresca does sign the player, it could be bad news for Fernandez.

Why Chelsea must sign Marc Casado

Last season in the Premier League, Fernandez played alongside Moises Caicedo in the heart of the Chelsea midfield.

He registered 13 goal contributions in the top flight, while also creating 13 big chances and averaging 2.3 key passes per game for the Blues. The Argentine may be a more effective player going forward, but defensively, Casado has the upper hand.

Indeed, last season, the Barcelona starlet tackled a higher percentage of dribblers (48.8% vs 36.9%) per 90, along with committing fewer fouls (26 vs 52) and making more interceptions (22 vs 13) in their respective domestic leagues.

Furthermore, Casado also won more total duels per game (53% vs 47%) and lost possession fewer times per game (7.7 vs 12.8) than the current Blues midfielder.

With the club signing a plethora of attacking players this summer, shoring up the midfield now appears to be Maresca’s priority.

A move for Casado could have Fernandez fearing for his place in the starting XI next season, that’s for sure, with Caicedo seemingly a shoo-in to start, having been described by Maresca as “one of the best, if not the best, defensive midfielder in the world”.

Following Spain’s victory over Switzerland last November, Casado was showered with praise by teammate Bryan Zaragoza, who said: “He’s an animal. I don’t even know what to say about how he played. He’s barbaric.”

This sort of player is exactly the type of midfielder that Maresca would love to have available to him.

Aged just 21, Casado is only going to get better with age, especially by playing in the Premier League and Champions League for the Blues.

If the Stamford Bridge side can secure his signature for a decent fee, it might turn out to be one of their best signings of the summer, with Casado representing a perfect partner to Caicedo in the centre of the park.

For Fernandez, however, it could well be bad news in the long run.

£17m ace nearing Chelsea exit after Madueke, it'd free up space for Ekitike

Ekitike could be on his way to Chelsea this summer.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 11, 2025

Newcastle United’s transfer activity is really starting to heat up.

As has been widely reported, the Magpies are close to signing Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a whopping £55m, a deal that truly kickstarts their business this summer.

The Swedish international scored six goals and registered 11 assists in the Premier League last season, meaning only Mohamed Salah and future teammate Jacob Murphy accumulated more of the latter.

The £55m fee means Elanga will become the second-most expensive signing in Newcastle’s history, behind only compatriot Alexander Isak.

Now though, could Eddie Howe convince a Premier League-proven striker, who is available as a free agent, to make the move to Tyneside?

Newcastle's search for a striker

It was confirmed on Monday that Callum Wilson had departed Newcastle, following the expiration of his contract.

The England international scored 49 goals in 130 appearances for the Magpies, 18 of which came during the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, as they finished fourth, but the 33 year old saw just 458 minutes of action last season, starting only two league fixtures due to injury issues, so will depart as a free agent.

Thus, to fill his spot in the squad, Luke Edwards of the Telegraph is reporting that Newcastle are ‘contemplating’ a move to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who himself is currently without a club, after leaving Everton.

Having missed out on Arsenal-bound Viktor Gyökeres, Mark Critchley and Laurie Whitwell of the Athletic believe that Calvert-Lewin is also a target for Manchester United, but the Red Devils will ‘only advance if they do not get any of their top targets’, so could Newcastle swoop in sooner?

Transfer Focus

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

How Dominic Calvert-Lewin would improve Newcastle

First and foremost, the 28-year-old has scored more Premier League goals against Newcastle than any other team, so signing him would, at the very least, prevent that tally from rising.

Newcastle

15

6

Crystal Palace

13

5

Burnley

11

4

Brighton

15

3

West Ham

12

3

Bournemouth

10

3

West Brom

4

3

More importantly, Calvert-Lewin could be an excellent fit for Newcastle.

The main question marks surrounding the England international pertain to his injury record, racking up just 1,613 minutes on the pitch this season due to a hamstring injury.

At Newcastle though, with Isak already there, Calvert-Lewin would not need to be an every-game starter, so his minutes could be managed, and, when fit and firing, he’s difficult to stop.

During the 2020/21 season, one of the best of his career, scout Jacek Kulig heralded him as a “monster.”

Meantime, Harshal Patel of Total Football Analysis has praised Calvert-Lewin’s ‘ability to hold up the ball’ and ‘intelligent movement’, with Patrick Boyland of the Athletic adding that he is an ‘elite-level striker’ in terms of ‘heading ability’, concluding there are few better in that regard than the ‘demon of the skies’.

So, should they sign Elanga and Calvert Lewin, could Newcastle become a crossing team that are impossible to stop?

Well, last season, the Magpies ranked 13th in the Premier League for completed crosses into the penalty area, according to FBref.com, but could Elanga change that?

Assists

11

3rd

Completed crosses

8

52nd

Shot-creating actions

102

30th

Goal-creating actions

18

6th

Big chances created

9

38th

Progressive carries

102

25th

As the table outlines, Elanga ranked, generally, very highly for all creative metrics in the Premier League last season, so the Swede and Calvert-Lewin could work as an excellent attacking duo, similar to his partnership with Chris Wood at Forest.

Thus, given that they already have Isak, and that Calvert-Lewin is available for free, this appears to be a no-brainer, low-risk move for Newcastle, that could only prove to be a smart addition.

Newcastle likely to see £30m bid accepted to sign a Scalvini upgrade

Eddie Howe is keen to bolster his defence this summer at Newcastle United.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jul 7, 2025

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign a “talented” defender, and the Premier League have now approved the transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd's transfer priority revealed

The Red Devils’ main priority this summer is to bring in a new striker, with Fiorentina’s Moise Kean being identified as a potential target, and it is clear to see why, with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund scoring just seven league goals between them last season.

However, Ruben Amorim is also keen to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, and the manager is now eyeing a reunion with Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio, with the manager selecting the Portuguese defender as his ideal target.

Former United defender Paul Parker has been left concerned by the lack of new arrivals up to this point, saying: “For Man United to just compete against anyone and not let themselves down, they need at least four more signings.

“They can’t carry on where they are at this moment in time because they’ll start next season and it will still be negative in the dressing room and with the fans. It became the Theatre of Nightmares towards the end of last season.”

According to a recent update from Romano on X, however, Man United have made another addition, with a deal for “talented” 15-year-old Southampton defender Harley Emsden-James now agreed and signed, having tracked him closely over the last 12 to 14 months.

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The Premier League have now approved the transfer, which is exciting news for United, given that the youngster is viewed as a “major talent”, and they have beaten a number of rival clubs to his signature, including Manchester City and Chelsea.

Man Utd also need to bring in senior centre-back

It is promising news that United have been able to get a deal for Emsden-James over the line, given that he is highly rated by a number of the Premier League’s top clubs, but at 15-years-old, the teenager clearly won’t be in the first team in the near future.

As such, Amorim will need to bring in a senior centre-back this summer, with Lisandro Martínez still sidelined due to an ACL injury, while Harry Maguire has entered the last year of his contract at Old Trafford.

The aforementioned Inacio could be a solid option, having been described as “one of the best” centre-backs in the 2023-24 Europa League by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, given his defensive showings and keen eye for goal, which was on display again last season.

With United set to make a loan with an obligation to buy bid for Inacio, the deal could progress in the near future, and at 23-years-old, he would be able to make an instant impact at Old Trafford.

West Ham United have now reached a verbal agreement over a deal to sign a defender, who is set to be available for around £4m this summer, according to journalist Dominik Schneider.

Hammers set out to strengthen defence

West Ham recently secured the signature of Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer, but Graham Potter has no plans to stop there, with the manager also keen to bolster his options in the centre of defence.

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown revealed the desire to sign a new centre-back comes amid major doubts over Nayef Aguerd’s future, with Potter looking to sell the Morocco international this summer.

Brown said: “West Ham are aiming to sign a top-class centre-half. Potter wants reliable options in that position because he isn’t happy with what he’s got. It’s something West Ham have been lacking for a while, and it’s going to be a priority before the season starts because the manager is pushing for it.

“Potter isn’t happy with Mavropanos, he’s far too mistake prone and is liable to cost you a game, and he’s looking to move on Nayef Aguerd as well.”

That said, it may be difficult to compete for the signature of an established top-level centre-back, off the back of the Hammers’ very disappointing 2024-25 campaign, and they now look set to take a gamble on a defender from the Swiss league.

West Ham now battling Sunderland to sign "aggressive" Bundesliga winner

The Hammers have had a first-hand look at his quality.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 19, 2025

That is according to Schneider on X, who reveals West Ham have now reached a “verbal agreement” over a deal for Lugano defender Albian Hajdari, and a deal could be on the cheap side.

Hajdari has a €5m (£4.3m) release clause included in his Lugano contract, and while the Hammers are yet to trigger it, the centre-back is “keen to join” this summer, indicating it could be very easy to get a deal over the line.

"Dominant" Hajdari could excel at the London Stadium

While the 22-year-old would not be a big-name signing, there are clear indications that he could be a success at the London Stadium, having performed very well for Lugano over the course of the past year.

The Lugano star’s defensive abilities certainly cannot be called into question, given that he is placed in the top 1% for interceptions per 90, and the top 2% for blocks, when compared to his positional peers.

Not only that, but the one-time Switzerland international has also received high praise from scout Ben Mattinson, who described him as “aerially dominant” and “composed on the ball”, with the latter quality potentially making the Binningen-born defender ideal for Potter.

At just over £4m, Hajdari could be a bargain addition to Potter’s squad, and there are clear signs that he could kick on at the London Stadium.

Chelsea have now made contact with the agents of an “amazing” Premier League star, who is open to a move to Stamford Bridge this summer, journalist Simon Phillips has revealed.

Maresca looking to bolster his backline

Enzo Maresca is proud of the strides his side have taken since last summer, having recently been crowned Club World Cup champions, with the manager saying: “For me, the biggest achievement this season is that exactly one year ago, no one was talking about Chelsea for football (reasons), but talking about the big squad, big money.

“Now, no one is talking about this, but they are talking about the way we play, and the way we win games. This is personally the biggest achievement of this season.”

The Blues silenced a lot of critics with their shock 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, but their squad arguably still needs to be trimmed down, with Nicolas Jackson now unhappy about potentially being behind Liam Delap and Joao Pedro in the pecking order.

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Chelsea could sign a more exciting talent than Morgan Rogers by snapping up this £52m ace.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 20, 2025

At the opposite end of the pitch, however, Maresca may still need some new recruits, given that Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah or Benoit Badiashile could be used as part of a swap deal for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers.

As such, according to Phillips, Chelsea have now made fresh contact with the agents of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who is expected to cost around £40m, as he has now entered the final year of his contract and doesn’t plan to renew.

The journalist also added: “Guehi has a lot of interest and not just from Chelsea, and he is expected to depart his club this summer.

“Guehi is believed to be open to making a move back to Chelsea this summer but is also aware of other interest from big clubs in the Premier League.”

Guehi could be "amazing" signing for Chelsea

It could be difficult for the Palace defender to immediately force his way into Maresca’s starting XI, given that the Blues’ backline impressed considerably at the Club World Cup, keeping four clean sheets, including one against PSG in the final.

However, having proven himself in the Premier League over a number of years, the 25-year-old clearly has the talent to be a success at Stamford Bridge, with international teammate Harry Maguire even dubbing him as “amazing”.

The England international made 44 appearances in all competitions last season, displaying his leadership abilities by captaining the Eagles, while also impressing manager Oliver Glasner.

Guehi could be a fantastic signing at just £40m, and Chelsea should have the funds to make a deal, considering their recent Club World Cup triumph.

Emilio Gay will join Durham on loan for their County Championship clash with table-topping Surrey at the Kia Oval on Tuesday, after the club captain Scott Borthwick was ruled out for the rest of the season with an elbow injury.Gay, 24, has enjoyed a prolific season at the top of Northamptonshire’s order, scoring 919 runs at 57.43 in ten matches, including a career-best 261 against Middlesex in April.However, he was out of contract at the end of the season, and having agreed to join Durham on a two-year deal from 2025, he has now brought forward his time at the club to include their final two Championship matches, against Surrey and Kent.Alex Lees will take over as Durham’s captain for the remainder of the season.Gay’s arrival is a boost for Durham, who are currently fifth in Division One in their first season back in the top flight for eight years, and who will face a Surrey side still smarting from their shock defeat against title challengers Somerset at Taunton last week. Surrey currently lead Somerset by eight points, and have still to face Essex in their final match at Chelmsford, starting September 26.Surrey’s morale took a further dent on Saturday when Somerset also ended their hopes of a domestic double in the T20 Blast semi-final at Edgbaston.With England’s ongoing white-ball series against Australia limiting player availability, Surrey were shorn of four key players in that contest. They now face missing more personnel for the last rounds of the Championship, with Gus Atkinson already ruled out with injury, and Ollie Pope rested for the final two rounds with England due to fly out for their Test series against Pakistan in just over two weeks’ time.

The allrounder, who led Panthers to the Champions One-day Cup title, contributed with either bat or ball in all but the opening game

Danyal Rasool30-Sep-2024

Shadab Khan hailed his side’s ability to not worrying about the result after leading Panthers to a crushing victory over Markhors in the final of the Champions One-Day Cup.”The main purpose of our coaches and mentors was to develop the side,” he said at the press conference following the win. “We wanted to give youngsters an opportunity so they could develop and represent Pakistan in the future.”Captaining the side, Shadab’s all-round role in Panthers’ triumph was instrumental, as he picked up his second piece of silverware in 2024, six months after Islamabad United’s victory in the PSL. However, Shadab has endured a difficult year – especially with the bat – in terms of his own form, although the last three weeks have given the man once feted as Pakistan’s golden boy reason to smile. At the Champions Cup in Faisalabad, he contributed with either bat or ball in all but the opening game.Related

Panthers' bowlers skittle Markhors for 122 to set up title win

Crucially, Shadab found better control with the ball, landing more deliveries in the right areas – something he has struggled with in the recent past. He credited it to finding his rhythm, and wanted to keep working at it. Shadab said he will “definitely play as many red-ball games as possible” this season.”Individually, I need more improvement,” he conceded. “But things are getting better because I hadn’t bowled long spells recently. I bowled longer spells this tournament, and that gave me more confidence. But there’s still plenty of time before I get to that level.”Shadab also spelled out his broader philosophy – both for himself and the side he leads. “We wanted to focus on the process rather than the result. We’re an emotional country – when we get results, we rise really high, and when we don’t, we hit rock bottom. We zig zag in this emotional cycle. What we can control is our process, and that should be level, not up and down. So we tried to keep things simple rather than caring about the result. The result is not in our hands; even today we discussed this. We weren’t even thinking about the result.”The result, though, took care of itself. After a bright start from Markhors, Shadab and his fellow bowlers triggered a remarkable collapse, as Markhors’ last eight wickets fell for just 40 runs. Shadab took one of those wickets in the three overs he bowled, and with the bat, a breezy and an unbeaten 14 off nine balls helped get his side comfortably over the line, as Panthers got to the target with a whopping 32 overs to spare.Shadab didn’t think the pitch had too many demons in it, crediting his side instead for bowling well. “I don’t think about a particular number to restrict the opposition to,” he said. “I think we bowled really well to get them out so cheaply. We wanted to put as much pressure on them as possible because that’s where a team makes mistakes, and that’s where you can take wickets in quick succession. In high-pressure matches, it’s harder to build partnerships.”He specifically heaped praise on his two leading fast bowlers, one of whom was the 16-year old Ali Raza.”Ali Raza’s mentality belies his age,” Shadab said. “The way he’s bowling, I think he could be a useful asset for the Pakistan side in future. We need to be careful with him because he’s still young and his body’s still fragile. That makes him more vulnerable to injuries.”Panthers’ Mohammad Hasnain was the Player of the Series for taking 17 wickets at an average of 16.17•PCB

The other quick whom Shadab credited was Mohammad Hasnain, whose 17 wickets at an average of 16.17 earned him the Player-of-the-Series award. Shadab said Hasnain had a sensational tournament upon his return from a long-term ankle injury, due to “his own hard work”.Shadab would know better than most the value of giving young bowlers confidence. His own breakout role under national spotlight had come as a 17-year old in 2017 before he went on to play a pivotal part in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph later that year. Islamabad, for whom Shadab went on to play in the PSL, had faith enough in him to appoint him vice-captain at 20, and captain at 21.But while Shadab’s form with the ball has wavered for much of his career, his tactical skills as captain are rarely in question. It is perhaps little surprise that he doesn’t feel youth is any barrier to success.”We’re inexperienced,” Shadab says pithily about the side with the youngest average age in the Champions Cup, “but we’ve won the tournament.”