Former England captain is optimistic about prospects but warns against presuming all-out pace is key

Vithushan Ehantharajah31-Oct-2025Michael Vaughan believes winning the Ashes would vindicate Ben Stokes’ work as Test captain, adding the allrounder may prove to be England’s most valuable bowler on “very English” Australian pitches.With the first Test in Perth just three weeks away, the majority of England’s Test squad are in New Zealand, either involved in the ongoing ODI series or training alongside it. The Ashes group will come together in Western Australia on Monday, where they will be joined by the England Lions who will help them prepare with a three-day game starting on November 13, eight days before the series opener at Optus Stadium.Despite their last Test win on Australia soil coming in January 2011 – confirming a historic 3-1 success – and an aggregate 13-0 scoreline in the three tours since, England are optimistic. Much of that is down to the belief and more confrontational style instilled in the group by Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.Results have dramatically improved under Stokes. He has personally overseen 22 wins in 36 Tests as full-time skipper, flipping a slump of one win in 17 prior to his appointment. However, England have yet to win a five-match series since he and McCullum took the reins at the start of the 2022 summer, which includes a 2-2 draw in 2023’s home Ashes. They have also failed to make an impression in the World Test Championship, sitting sixth in the current cycle after drawing with India this summer.Speaking at a Viagogo event, Vaughan, who marshalled England’s 2005 Ashes success, ending an 18-year drought, feels the time has come for Stokes to mark his captaincy with some tangible success.”I think they need a trophy,” he said.”I mean, would I take two-all now? Probably, let’s be honest. In the last few series, 2010-11 is the only time that I’ve seen England have success. We won one Test match in 2002-03, we won three Test matches in 2010-11. We haven’t won a Test since. So actually looking at growth in terms of what English cricket is delivering and, crikey, if you could get a two-all series, you’d obviously take that.Michael Vaughan and Chris Woakes speak to the media at a Viagogo event in London•Viagogo”But I think Ben and his mentality, and the way that he plays his cricket, this is his moment. He has to deliver and he has to get that urn in his hand. And it’s not putting him under pressure. They’ll be speaking in this kind of language in the dressing room. They will expect to win this series and now’s the time to deliver.”Vaughan also warned England not to get carried away with the notion that all-out pace is the way to go in Australia.The tourists have spent the last two years cultivating a more rounded seam attack for all conditions, but particularly in Australia with the Kookaburra ball.James Anderson was pushed into retirement last year, ultimately, because they did not believe, at 43, he would be effective on this tour. In turn, there was a focus on raising the average speed of their attack and favouring those with high release points, with the likes of Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. Diligent work behind the scenes has ensured Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, two of the quickest in the world, have made it to this hallmark series.As such, England believe they possess the fastest attack they have ever taken on an Ashes tour. However, it is worth noting recent Australian pitches have tended to be greener and thus more amenable to the Kookaburra ball.The numbers highlight the shift, with top seven batters averaging 30.22 since the start of the 2021-22 Ashes, compared to 38.14 in the previous 20 Tests. Following the retirement of Chris Woakes and the non-selection of Sam Cook, Vaughan sees Stokes as the only bowler with the wares to excel if conditions turn out to be more sporting than anticipated.”I don’t think it’s all about pace,” said Vaughan. “I’d be very, very wary to just think that because we’ve got Jofra, because we’ve got Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson that can bowl with a bit of gas, that’s all you need.Related

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“Scott Boland, he averages 12 (12.63) because he hits the top of off stump more often than not, and the ball just wobbles around a bit. This series is the series that I look and think. ‘give me a Chris Woakes or a Sam Cook’ just in case, because we might get conditions that are very, very English and top of off will still be the main threat. And it’s who’s going to consistently hit the top of off stump.”There’s not many quick bowlers that hit the top of off stump. They’re basically there to bowl a bit of pepper and change up the pace of play.”I guess Ben’s the one bowler that you can just go, okay, you go back to top of off. It’s the one concern I have about the England attack that I’m thinking, who’s going to continuously hit the top of off if the ball’s wobbling around? Pace, yes, but it might be a series where the top of off stump is the area to go for.”Though Stokes is working his way back from a shoulder injury in New Zealand, he comes to Australia in perhaps his best bowling form. His 17 wickets at 25.23 in the home season’s Anderson-Tendulkar trophy were his most productive, beating a previous best 15 in 2013-14 Ashes, his first Test series.Despite arriving into the 2025 summer off the back of two right hamstring tears in the space of six months, Stokes was remarkably fit. His speeds were consistently challenging, around the mid-80s, and his skills undimmed. That he had also retained his will for long spells was a nod to his remarkable endurance, but also a familiar cause for concern when he broke down on the final day of the fourth Test against India.Feeling discomfort in his right shoulder, he continued bowling, subsequently ruling himself out of contention for the decider at the Kia Oval. England went on to lose a thriller, allowing India to square the series. It was the fifth Test Stokes had missed in the space of 12 months.Woakes, who dislocated his shoulder on day one of that fifth Test, leading to his international retirement, urged his former teammate to play it sensible to ensure he features throughout the series.”He’s bowling probably the best he’s ever bowled in his career,” said Woakes. “He’s as fit as he’s ever been. But as he’s getting older and you know, he’s a chance of breaking down.”I think at Old Trafford this year, I think he knew was f**ked, basically. ‘I’m broken anyway, I’ll just keep going’. Which isn’t a clever thing to do, but that’s the way Stokes is. He wants to give all to the team, as a leader, he wants to be the guy to do it. We need him to play all five Test matches.”

Roston Chase has voiced concerns about the “infrastructure problems” and the continuous “struggle for finances” in the Caribbean, but said that he didn’t want to use that as an excuse for West Indies’ poor performances in Test cricket in recent times.West Indies have lost five of their six Test matches this year. This includes being bundled out for 27 in the third Test against Australia in July. On Saturday, they went down by an innings and 140 runs to India on the third day of the opening Test in Ahmedabad.”I think the systems in the Caribbean are a bit poor in terms of training facilities and stuff,” Chase said after the game. “I am not using that as an excuse or something to hide behind for poor performances that we’ve been putting out lately. I still think that the onus is on the players to find some way to churn up runs and wickets and stuff.Related

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“But what I would say is yes, there is obviously a struggle in the Caribbean for finances. So whatever help we can get, if they are planning to get the help, I hope that we do get it so that we could strengthen the infrastructure for cricket.”While West Indies still have good fast bowlers in their set-up, their batting has been in freefall. In their last 15 innings in Test cricket, they have crossed 250 only once. Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s first-class average of 34.80 was the best among the top six batters in the West Indies’ XI for the first Test against India. Chase attributed the low averages to the pitches in the Caribbean not being batting-friendly.”Yeah, that is some of the infrastructure problems that we do have,” he said. “The pitches in the Caribbean are not really batsman-friendly. So guys don’t really bat for long periods and score those big scores. And then, too, the outfields in the Caribbean are really slow. When you hit the ball in the gaps, you probably end up struggling to get two. Those are just some of the problems that we are faced with in the Caribbean.”That’s why you see guys averaging so low. If you look at the past series we had against Australia, I think that was the first time I’ve ever played an international series where a batsman never scored a hundred in three matches. Obviously, we had a poor batting display. This has been something that has been plaguing us for the past two series.”In Ahmedabad, West Indies won the toss and batted first. They were bowled out for 162 in 44.1 overs in their first innings, and for 146 in 45.1 in their second.”We’ve not been able to at least bat 80 overs, bat a day or even get at least 250 or 300 runs on the board,” Chase said. “Anytime you win a toss in a Test match and bat and you don’t bat out the first day, you’re always going to be in trouble.”We saw the wicket. Although it had a bit of moisture, we still thought that it was a good wicket to bat first on. We thought that once we batted well and the openers went out there and just softened that moisture, then it would have been a good wicket to bat on, as we did see coming on later into the first day. But we didn’t start well and we never really put any partnerships in place. We never really got back into the game.”Chase suggested the only way for the batters to improve was to tighten and trust their defence. “We gifted some of the wickets too easily,” he said. “For me, it was a bit of rough and some balls were spinning up the rough. But there wasn’t any devils in the wicket. I still thought that it was a wicket that you could stand up and bat on as shown by the Indian batters.”But we need to trust in our defence a bit more. I can’t say that we weren’t scoring because the run rate was still good. But I just think that we need to be a little more solid in our defence.”West Indies are missing two of their three main fast bowlers in the series against India•AFP/Getty Images

While West Indies’ batting has been an issue, they are also missing two of their key fast bowlers in Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph through injuries. Jason Holder also declined to be a replacement, citing a planned medical procedure. Players picking and choosing formats has also been an issue with West Indies, but Chase said that “a guy is going to try to earn his living”.”I can’t really speak on another man’s body,” Chase said. “One thing I can say is that there’s a lot more cricket being played. There’s not a lot of rest for a player, especially if he’s playing all formats of the game. And then, especially with the leagues around the world, guys are looking to earn their money. They’re not really resting, getting adequate rest that their body may need.”But if they can try to stay as fit as possible and do a lot of gym work and not get too bulky but be strong enough that they can handle the load or in the case where they can pick and choose certain formats of the game and be available, I think that would be obviously better for us. But it is what it is. A guy is going to try to earn his living.”So I can’t really fault a guy for trying to go there and be available for whatever cricket it may be that he’s given the opportunity to play.”

أعلن نادي بيراميدز، موافقته على انضمام وليد الكرتي مهاجم الفريق إلى منتخب المغرب المشارك في بطولة كأس العرب. 

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق بطولة كأس العرب، في الأول من ديسمبر المقبل، في العاصمة القطرية بالدوحة. 

طالع.. طريق بيراميدز.. موعد مباراة فلامينجو وكروز أزول في كأس الإنتركونتيننتال

وجاء بيان نادي بيراميدز على النحو التالي:

انطلاقًا من العلاقات الطيبة التي تربط نادي بيراميدز بمختلف الأندية والاتحادات الوطنية العربية، وتلبية لطلب الجامعة المغربية لكرة القدم، بشأن لاعبنا وليد الكرتي، وافقت إدارة نادي بيراميدز على انضمام اللاعب إلى صفوف المنتخب المغربي المشارك في كأس العرب للمنتخبات بقطر.

وجاء قرار نادي بيراميدز بالموافقة على انضمام الكرتي للمنتخب المغربي، على الرغم من ارتباط الفريق بمباراتين في الدوري المصري الممتاز يومي 3 و6 دبسمبر وفي ظل غيابات عديدة يعاني منها الفريق، انطلاقًا من العلاقات الطيبة التي تربطه بجميع المنتخبات العربية، وبما يضمن الحفاظ على تحقيق مصالح الطرفين.

ومن المقرر أن يصل وليد الكرتي خلال الساعات المقبلة إلى العاصمة القطرية الدوحة، بعد عودته من زامبيا مع بعثة بيراميدز، عقب سماح إدارة النادي بالتحاقه ببعثة الفريق المغربي في كأس العرب.

Fan voting for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game—the 95th in history!—opened Wednesday. This date on the calendar can sneak up on you.

Well, if you have some research to do for your ballot, we’re here to help. Our five-member staff roundtable covers some of the more difficult decisions on the ballot as well as an early look at the favorites to start on the mound.

1. Make the case for someone to make their All-Star Game debut.

Tom Verducci: The easy pick here is Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs, one of the major breakout stars of the season. I’ll go with a slightly less obvious pick: James Wood of the Washington Nationals. In NL OPS he trails only Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber. He also is top five in the league in home runs, RBI and total bases. He hits lefties, he’s a .305 hitter with runners in scoring position and he absolutely mashes fastballs (.667) with his easy off-field power.

Stephanie Apstein: It has to be Cal Raleigh, right? He’s on pace for the greatest season of all time by a catcher. Raleigh has played in every game for the Seattle Mariners this season, he leads the league in dingers and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Sign him up for the Home Run Derby while we’re at it. 

Nick Selbe: There are plenty of candidates here who need no political stumping—Raleigh, Crow-Armstrong and Hunter Brown will all be heading to Atlanta (at least let’s hope so). So I’ll use this space to campaign for Nick Pivetta, who’s enjoying the best year of his career in his age-32 season. Pivetta waited until mid-February to sign with the San Diego Padres despite posting the league’s fifth-highest strikeout rate from 2023 to ’24 (minimum 250 innings pitched). The owner of a 4.76 career ERA heading into the ’25 campaign, Pivetta has put it all together through the first couple months, posting a 6–2 mark with a 2.74 ERA backed up by a 2.97 FIP. It’s a crowded field of worthy arms in both leagues, but he’s done enough to earn a roster spot.

Ryan Phillips: The Chicago White Sox aren’t as bad as they were last year but they’re still terrible. Despite that, they need an All-Star, and it’s not easy to find one on their roster. Enter rookie righty Shane Smith. A Rule 5 pick this year, he’s 2–3 with a 2.45 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 60 strikeouts against 25 walks in 62 1/3 innings. He also leads the team with 1.7 WAR, making him an easy pick as their lone participant. And he’s a former undrafted free agent, so this is a great story to boot. 

Will Laws: We’ll get to Crow-Armstrong in just a second, so let’s talk about a player who may never again get a shot at an All-Star Game. In his eighth MLB season, Baltimore Orioles DH Ryan O’Hearn has already surpassed his previous career high in WAR (2.1). A former eighth-round pick of the Royals, O’Hearn has proven to be quite the find for the O’s over the last several years and is somehow the team’s most deserving nominee amid a hugely disappointing season in Baltimore. And while the batted-ball metrics indicate O’Hearn’s breakout at age 31 shouldn’t be taken lightly, he can’t exactly be counted on to be slashing .326/.411/.519 through 52 games again. He’ll battle with Rafael Devers for the starting AL DH slot—and I kind of want to give credit to O’Hearn for playing three different positions.

2. The National League outfield race is especially crowded. Which three most deserve to start?

Jhostynxon Garcia was promoted to the Boston Red Sox's Triple A Worcester club a little over a week ago. On Monday night he was a clue on .

Garcia was name-dropped in the "Culture, In the Popular Sense" category, with contestant Miles Tepper, a graduate student from California, telling Ken Jennings a nickname in the form of a question worth $400.

Tepper either knew that Garcia's nickname was "Password" or just recognized that people use passwords to unlock things online. Based on the fact that Tepper's response was what is password, he may have just used context clues and known nothing about the No. 5 prospect in the Sox's organization.

You can watch the clue and correct response on Reddit.

And here's video of Garcia hitting a home run in his Triple A debut with the announcer saying, "The password has arrived!"

Garcia's nickname showed up on Jeopardy! the day after his first hitless game in Triple A, but he still has 10 hits in 24 at bats start since joining Worcester.

Arsenal’s worst performance of the Mikel Arteta era to date? Quite possibly.

This season has been a brilliant one for the Gunners so far but as Wolves came to town, the team at the bottom of the Premier League table, Arteta’s side didn’t look up to the task.

They struggled to create much of note, relying on two own goals to win 2-1. Their defence was also well below-par. Since Gabriel Magalhaes got injured, they have not been the same side.

Fortunately, though, Arsenal found a hero in the form of Bukayo Saka.

The winger put the team on his back, swinging in the corner that led to Sam Johnstone’s own goal. Then, with the clock running down and Wolves looking like they’d rescued a point, Saka popped up again.

This time it was from open play. He got the ball on the right, put in an inch-perfect delivery, and it was headed into his own net by Yerson Mosquera.

So what went wrong?

Why Arsenal struggled to beat Wolves

As poor as Arsenal were at the Emirates on Sunday, you have to credit Wolves.

The Old Gold have been dire this term but they headed to the capital and played with a renewed sense of organisation, a new sense of grit and fight.

The fact that they scored what they thought was a goal to win them a point said it all. Out of nowhere, Tolu Arokadare headed the ball home with only injury time remaining.

This was a battle for Arsenal and that goal proved it. For that strike, their defending was notably poor. Arteta acknowledged that.

Speaking at full-time, he said that his team showed “horrible defensive habits” before the Wolves goal, suggesting that it was “unacceptable”. Quite.

Chalkboard

That said, they were also abject in the final third. Arsenal created just two big chances, only forced the goalkeeper into one save and had two shots on target.

Against a side who have amassed two points all season, to quote Arteta, that is unacceptable.

What didn’t help, once again, was the performance of a certain Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede scored 54 times in 2024/25 but has really struggled since coming back to England. He now looks like he’s suffering from a lack of confidence.

The three performances he’s put in since returning from injury have been really worrying. He didn’t have a single shot in his 45-minute cameo a week ago against Aston Villa and then after being given a start against Club Brugge in Europe, left the pitch after the hour mark having managed just four passes. He only had one shot of note, too.

Against Wolves, he was just as bad. He struggled to get on the end of chances and barely saw any of the action, completing just three passes. If Arteta’s side are to win the league, then they need far more from their marquee summer signing.

Arsenal star was as bad as Gyokeres vs Wolves

For Arsenal’s forward line this has been a puzzling season to date. In the early months of the campaign, the team were accused of relying on set-pieces. Yet, over the last month, they’ve not scored a single goal from a set play in the league.

Their open play threat has improved significantly. That was until Wolves came to town.

The attacking threat on this occasion, Saka aside, was virtually non-existent. The fact that Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Martinelli all failed to last 90 minutes said it all.

While Gyokeres will take a lot of the blame for the bluntness in attack, Martinelli must also take some criticism.

Having scored a brilliant goal in midweek, curling the ball in from range, he was back to his usual inconsistencies on Saturday.

What summed up the Brazilian’s performance was his header from one of Declan Rice’s first-half corners. A deep ball to the back post found Martinelli and standing a matter of yards out from the goal, he somehow headed the ball off target.

Truth be told, the winger struggled to get the better of an ageing Matt Doherty on Wolves’ right flank. Martinelli only completed one dribble and succeeded with a dire 67% of his passes.

While the 24-year-old did have four shots, not a single one of them was on target. Not great at all.

In the words of GOAL’s Charles Watts, he was largely “disappointing”. It was a performance way below what we’ve come to expect from him this season.

In the Champions League, the Brazilian has scored in five consecutive games but domestically, he’s leaving a lot to be desired.

When Arsenal face Everton next week, Arteta must ensure that Martinelli is back on the bench with Leandro Trossard – arguably the club’s best forward this season – selected ahead of him.

Only 3 passes all game vs Wolves: Arsenal star must now be dropped

Arsenal struggled to beat basement club Wolves on Saturday night.

By
Matt Dawson

1 day ago

Tottenham Hotspur improved their chances of securing automatic qualification from the Champions League table after a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague.

Thomas Frank’s men produced a dominant display in North London last night, as seen by the incredible stats behind the three-goal triumph over their Czech opponents.

The Lilywhites registered a total of 10 shots on target during the victory, subsequently achieving an xG of 2.56 and having five big chances fall their way in front of goal.

Frank’s side also registered over 50 passes than the visitors, whilst notching nearly double the amount of touches in the opposition box – reaffirming the dominance during the win.

The result was an excellent team performance, one that was certainly needed after the last European outing against PSG, with two players massively shining in the win.

How Simons & Kudus downed Slavia Prague

After scoring against Brentford in the Premier League at the weekend, Xavi Simons was rewarded with another start for Spurs – something which he took full advantage of.

The Dutchman featured for 90 minutes in the triumph, impressing throughout and managing to get on the scoresheet for the second successive match.

His underlying stats further highlighted his superb showing, with the 22-year-old completing six passes into the final third, whilst being fouled three times – the most of any player on the pitch.

He wasn’t alone in starring in North London against Jindrich Trpisovsky’s men, with Mohammed Kudus having yet another night to remember for the Lilywhites.

The Ghanaian international started for the fourth successive match and managed to net his second goal for the club, after tucking home a penalty in the 50th minute.

Like Simons, he also produced some magnificent figures, subsequently completing two successful dribbles, whilst registering six touches in the opposition box – offering a constant threat to the visitors.

Spurs star is becoming a future £100m talent

Spurs have a plethora of young talents on their hands who can certainly make a huge impact on their chances of success between now and the near future.

Simons is no doubt a player who can thrive for many years to come in North London, especially if he can adapt to the demands of the Premier League after his big-money transfer.

Kudus is another player who has the quality to be a leading talent for the Lilywhites, with his tally of eight combined goals and assists in 21 matches evidence of the levels he’s capable of producing.

Frank has already assembled a young and promising squad, especially after forking out a reported £100m for the aforementioned duo during his first window.

However, numerous other youngsters were already on the books before the Dane’s arrival, with Archie Gray one player who has had to patiently wait for his chance to shine for the Lilywhites.

The 19-year-old joined in a £40m deal back in the summer of 2024, but has often had to bide his time under Frank, with the Englishman finally getting the run he deserves in the first-team.

He’s now started the last two games in a row, just like Simons, with the teenager now deserving of an extended run as a regular starter to help aid his development.

Gray’s showing against Slavia Prague was yet another example of the talent he possesses, but it’s safe to say he’s only going to get better as he progresses in his career.

He featured for 59 minutes against the Czech opposition, but managed to produce numerous incredible figures which should keep him in the side at the weekend.

Minutes played

59

Touches

34

Passes completed

92%

Tackles won

2

Long ball accuracy

100%

Recoveries made

2

Duels won

75%

Interceptions made

1

The youngster completed 92% of the passes he attempted, whilst posting a 100% long ball accuracy rate – showcasing his incredible ability with the ball at his feet.

He also won two tackles, made two recoveries and came out on top in 75% of the duels he entered, even managing to dominate without the ball despite his tender age.

Gray’s 34 touch display wasn’t one that will set the world alight, but it’s one that should certainly keep his starting position at the base of Frank’s side in the months ahead.

He’s previously been labelled a “future £100m” star by Ben Mattinson, which is certainly a bold statement, but one that can come true if he continues on his current trajectory.

Simons and Kudus will no doubt get the majority of their credit after their respective goals, but Gray is also deserving of massive credit for his recent form – especially after barely featuring in the early months of the season.

Frank's new Mbeumo: Paratici set to make Spurs bid to sign "world-class" CF

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to land a new talisman in the upcoming January window.

ByEthan Lamb 6 days ago

انتهت منذ قليل أحداث مباراة  السعودية وجزر القمر، في بطولة كأس العرب قطر 2025 بفوز السعودية

وواجه منتخب السعودية نظيره منتخب جزر القمر، في تمام الثامنة والنصف مساء بتوقيت القاهرة، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب. 

ويقع منتخب السعودية في المجموعة الثانية في مجموعات بطولة كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات المغرب وعمان وجزر القمر. 

طالع.. حسام البدري: أنا أكثر مدرب مصري حقق بطولات.. ويرشح بطل كأس العرب

وحقق منتخب السعودية الفوز على منتخب جزر القمر بثلاثية مقابل هدف، أحرز ثلاثية السعودية كلا من محمد كنو هدفين، وسالم الدوسري، بينما أحرز هدف منتخب جزر القمر اللاعب إبراهيم يوسف في الدقيقة 63

ورفع منتخب السعودية رصيده إلى 6 نقاط، في صدارة المجموعة الثانية ببطولة كأس العرب، بينما يتذيل منتخب جزر القمر المجموعة بدون أي رصيد من النقاط. 

وكان منتخب المغرب قد تعادل مع نظيره منتخب عمان بدون أهداف، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين في الرابعة والنصف من مساء اليوم الجمعة.  ترتيب مجموعة السعودية في كأس العرب 

1- السعودية – 6 نقاط 

2- المغرب- 4 نقاط 

3- عمان- نقطة وحيدة 

4- جزر القمر- بدون نقاط  

Leeds United are now considering a January approach to sign a “fantastic” Premier League forward, who wants to leave his current club.

Leeds looking to bolster attacking options in January

Former scout Mick Brown has made it clear that Leeds still want to sign a new centre-forward next month, despite a recent uptick in form, telling Football Insider: “Leeds will still want to sign a new striker,”

“It’s easy to get caught up in recent results, and Calvert-Lewin has been very impressive, but that doesn’t take away from all of the games when he wasn’t performing.”

The former Everton man now has four goals to his name in 13 Premier League outings, which is a respectable return, and Daniel Farke should be encouraged the striker managed to score against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in consecutive games.

That said, with the Whites still only two points above the relegation zone, bringing in another forward during the upcoming transfer window could help boost their survival chances.

Not only are they keen on a new striker, but a new winger is also of interest, with contact being made over a deal for Barcelona’s Roony Bardghji, and another target has now entered the frame.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Leeds are now considering a January approach for Chelsea forward Tyrique George, who has decided he wants to leave the Blues, having struggled for minutes under Enzo Maresca.

George is yet to start a Premier League game in 2025-26, having fallen behind Chelsea’s new signings in the pecking order, and clubs are now queuing up to secure his signature, with Everton, Southampton and Fulham also keen.

The Whites are keen to bring in a creative player, capable of playing on the wing and in the number 10 role, and the 19-year-old might fit the bill…

"Fantastic" George could be solid Wilson alternative

Harry Wilson has been a long-term target for Leeds, having pursued the Fulham man during the summer, but it would not be surprising if the Cottagers are keen to keep hold of the winger, given that he has been in red-hot form.

Indeed, the Welshman has four goal contributions to his name in his last six Premier League outings, so Farke’s side may have to move onto alternative targets, and the Chelsea ace could be an exciting option, having received high praise from scout Jacek Kulig.

The Englishman has been impressing for club and country whenever given the opportunity, chipping in with three goals and one assist in ten outings for the Blues this season.

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However, George needs more game time if he is going to fulfill his lofty potential, so a move to Elland Road could be ideal.

Nottingham Forest have endured a superb upturn in form under Sean Dyche over the last few weeks after the manager took the reins from Ange Postecoglou.

The Englishman has reinstalled a defensive solidity back into the first-team squad, as seen by the club’s recent upturn in form in the Premier League.

His side have only lost twice in his eight games in the role, with his Red managing to keep four clean sheets in the process – including one against Liverpool at Anfield.

The Reds may have lost 2-0 to Brighton and Hove Albion over the weekend, but it’s merely a bump in the road, especially considering the excellent results since his arrival.

However, with the January transfer window rapidly approaching, numerous players have already appeared on their radar to try and bolster the ranks for the remainder of the campaign.

Forest’s hunt for new additions in the January window

In recent weeks, a whole host of players have been touted with a move to join Forest, but Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood stands out as one of the most consistent players touted with a transfer.

It was reported that Dyche’s side saw the 20-year-old as their primary target for the winter window, but it was unclear about how much a deal would set Evangelos Marinakis back.

However, it seems as though the youngster won’t be departing the AMEX this window, with Fabian Hurzeler’s men not entertaining any offers for his signature.

He’s not the only player currently being considered by the Reds at present, with Inter Milan star Stefan de Vrij another player currently being considered by the club at present.

According to Football Insider, Dyche’s side are keen on a move to land the Dutch international, with the player having just six months left on his deal at the San Siro.

They also state that the board are in the market for added defensive reinforcements in the winter window, which could make the 33-year-old the perfect target.

Why Forest’s latest target would be Milenkovic 2.0

Signing centre-backs from Serie A hasn’t been alien to Forest over recent seasons, with Nikola Milenkovic joining the club from Fiorentina in the summer of 2024.

The Serbian international joined for just £12m, with such a deal being one of the best deals in the club’s history – as seen by his immediate impact in the Premier League last campaign.

He featured in all but one game last campaign, even scoring five times and registering two assists – showcasing his impressive ability at both ends of the pitch.

The 28-year-old managed to win the club’s Player of the Season award in 2024/25, helping the Reds secure European football for the first time in 30 years.

This campaign, he’s still managed to be a key component in the side’s backline, featuring in every minute of the league season and offering the defensive solidity needed in Dyche’s system.

He’s often partnered Murillo at the heart of the defence, but Morato covered his compatriot against the Seagulls at the weekend – even producing a huge mistake which contributed to the defeat.

Such a scenario has no doubt led to rumours over a move for De Vrij in the coming months, which could see a repeat of the deal that saw Milenkovic move to the East Midlands.

The Dutchman, who earns £118k-per-week, has only made two appearances so far this campaign, but he has produced some remarkable stats which could see him thrive in the Premier League.

De Vrij, who’s been dubbed “sensational” by journalist Nima Roodsari, has completed 94% of the passes he’s completed, whilst also completing 100% of the dribbles he’s attempted.

Games played

2

Minutes played

180

Pass accuracy

94%

Dribble success

100%

Tackles made

2

Duels won

5.5

Aerials won

3.5

Aerial success

60%

Such numbers reflect the centre-back’s talent with the ball at his feet – something which is extremely important within the current philosophy at the City Ground.

Without the ball, he’s been just as impressive in Italy’s top division, as seen by his tally of two tackles and 5.5 duels won per 90 for Cristian Chivu’s Inter Milan squad.

Other numbers, such as 3.5 aerials won per 90, subsequently achieving a success rate of 60%, showcase his dominance out of possession – matching Milenkovic’s talents in the Premier League in recent years.

It’s unclear how much a deal for the Dutchman would cost in the upcoming window, but he certainly could offer an experienced and immediate option at the back.

Should he reach the levels produced by Milenkovic in Nottingham, there’s no reason why De Vrij could make himself a fan-favourite in the hunt for European success come the end of the campaign.

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