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SL’s last-wicket stand of 78 to chase down 304, or an 18-year-old’s heroics? Which Test was better? Vote now!

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The SA-SL 2019 Durban Test moves to the round of 16.The Perera miracle in Durban, 2019
Sri Lanka were enduring a tough time heading into this series. They were coming off a 2-0 pummeling in Australia, their captain had been sacked, and an inexperienced team, led by Dimuth Karunaratne, was put on the plane to South Africa. The perfect lead-up to a heroic comeback story?In what was a seesawing Test in Durban, Sri Lanka emerged victorious, chasing down 304 with one wicket to spare. They had lost their ninth wicket while still 78 runs off their target. Kusal Perera then scored 67 of them all by himself. Perera gave Sri Lanka an incredible finale on the fourth afternoon along with the No. 11 Vishwa Fernando, as they put on a record-breaking tenth-wicket stand to see their team home in a tense finish.At lunch on the day, Sri Lanka were 166 for 5, still 138 runs away from a win, after which Keshav Maharaj scythed through the Sri Lankan lower-middle order, leaving them at 226 for 9. That brought Fernando to the middle, and from the moment he got there, he was entirely focused on survival. He faced 22 balls before he got off the mark.It looked like victory was assured for South Africa, but as Fernando clung on at one end, Perera defended with unreal calm and even took several blows to his body on his way to the target. Batting for 309 minutes, he farmed the strike superbly, and picked his opportunities to attack and push the score forward. Along the way, he also made his career-best Test score of 153, sealing the famous win with a boundary.Debutant Cummins’ heroics in Johannesburg, 2011Trust Pat Cummins to do something heroic. But to do such a thing on his Test debut? As an 18-year-old?Australia had a lot to prove entering this Test. They had been bowled out for 47 in the first Test of the series in Cape Town, their lowest total in 109 years. They had lost that match before lunch on the third day.In seaming conditions at the Wanderers, Australia took a 30-run lead in reply to South Africa’s 266. Having been brought in as Ryan Harris’ replacement for the second Test in Johannesburg, Cummins came to Australia’s rescue in the second innings as he outbowled his more senior colleagues.He gave Australia a fighting chance of victory in a match that, 24 hours earlier, appeared to have slipped from their grasp after superb batting from Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers. Cummins was responsible for breaking the Amla-de Villiers stand, as he went on to bag six wickets to set up a target of 310 runs for his team.Openers Shane Watson and Phil Hughes failed to repeat their first-innings displays. They were both out to Vernon Philander as Australia were 19 for 2, but Ricky Ponting and Usman Khawaja brought down the home side’s advantage. Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn’s strikes, though, left Australia six down with another 95 runs to get.Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson then forged a partnership of 72 to erase the bulk of the deficit, but with his team eight down with 12 runs required, it was Cummins who kept his calm and scored two boundaries in the 15 balls he faced to seal the close win for Australia. It was the highest fourth-innings total at the Wanderers.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta issued a rallying cry to supporters. “Be in your seats by 7.30pm,” he commanded.

Fans inside the Emirates Stadium did not disappoint. North London Forever blared out from the sound system and after an intense week in which they’d gone unbeaten against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, the fans were very needed.

The Gunners failed to defeat ten-man Chelsea at the weekend and it was a performance that looked tired. Arsenal have enormous squad depth but injuries are already testing this crop of players. As a result, Arteta rang the changes for the visit of Brentford on Wednesday night.

Arsenal may well have secured a 2-0 victory but it was not a vintage performance. It was a display befitting of just how different the starting XI looked.

There were no Bukayo Saka or Eberechi Eze. Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke started instead. With Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba still injured, the responsibilities at the heart of the defence fell to Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie again.

Did they deliver? Well, Arsenal scored twice and kept a clean sheet, so it’s hard to argue against that.

Did Arsenal's midweek starters stake their claim?

Mosquera and Hincapie were rather patched together at the last minute when Saliba sustained a training injury late last week.

The Frenchman has now missed the last two games but for the two summer signings, this was a more composed and easier night than their showing at Stamford Bridge.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Hincapie has been brave and aggressive in both fixtures but Mosquera struggled against Chelsea, notably when it came to progressing the ball. Of course, a Brentford side missing the Premier League’s second top goalscorer in Igor Thiago for over an hour helped their cause, but if Arteta is going to be missing two of the world’s finest defenders, the stand-ins have proven they can more than do a job.

It was in attack where Arsenal perhaps struggled a bit more. While Set Piece FC seem to have become more about scoring from open play, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli didn’t do a huge amount to suggest they should be starting.

Madueke was energetic and effervescent on the right flank, performing four dribbles, two of which were successful, but he ultimately lacked end product, amassing two shots and failing to provide a key pass. Martinelli’s night was even worse. He had only one shot and completed just one dribble.

Odegaard, who stood in for Eze, was also lacking sharpness. The skipper created four key passes but lost six of his seven duels.

For Arteta, he will have been pleased with Mikel Merino, however. The Spaniard scored yet again, taking his goal tally as a centre-forward for the club to ten in 22 outings.

Arsenal have been fortunate that they can rely on their squad depth. They’ve missed Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus in recent weeks but Merino has more than stepped up.

It was the substitutes who changed the game on Wednesday too. Saka, who replaced Madueke, scored the second strike to seal all three points for the Londoners.

Yet, the goalscorers were pipped to the man of the match award by someone who’s been on the fringes of things this season.

Arsenal's man of the match against Brentford

The contributions that Saka and Merino came up with were vital but if it wasn’t for the performance of Ben White, this night would have been far more challenging.

For White, this has been a troubling last year or so of his career. Signed for a mega £50m back in 2021, he had established himself as a core member of the Arsenal side.

2021/22

37

0

2022/23

46

7

2023/24

51

9

2024/25

26

2

2025/26

8

1

He was notably described by journalist Tom Barclay as “one of the best prospects in English football” in the summer he moved from Brighton and in the early stages of his Arsenal career he lived up to that, amassing nearly 100 appearances between 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Last season, however, things began to unravel. Fellow right-back Jurrien Timber was back from an ACL injury and his form since has been impeccable. In the words of the Standard’s Simon Collings, he is “the best right-back in the Premier League right now.”

What didn’t help White last season were persistent injuries that meant he was never really able to build momentum.

In 2025/26, though, he’s been available all season but has been met with stubborn resistance from Arteta to play him. He’s not the first person to find himself in this position during the Spaniard’s tenure.

Think of the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe or Oleksandr Zinchenko. While they all didn’t do a lot wrong in Arsenal colours, Arteta sought to upgrade them at the earliest opportunity available.

Zinchenko, in particular, has suffered the same fate as White has this season. When the Ukrainian signed for Arsenal from Manchester City he revolutionised the way Arsenal were able to play.

Previously, Arteta’s system saw Tierney flying forward from left-back but Zinchenko was fielded as an inverted full-back, something we now see from both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori.

During that 2022/23 campaign, Zinchenko and White were vital from their respective roles in defence. They contributed in all phases of play. The former Man City man was finally moved on in the summer, albeit only on loan to Nottingham Forest and if White wasn’t careful, he may have been heading elsewhere too.

But, he revived his career on Wednesday, given just his second start in the top-flight all campaign. The defender’s only previous start came against Manchester United on the opening weekend and since then, Timber has made the spot his own.

When Brentford came to town, White rolled back the years. The 28-year-old was phenomenal, notably providing the assist for Merino’s opener.

He took home the player of the match award and deservedly so for a display in which the England international won more duels (10) and made more tackles (6) than any other player against Brentford. He also made more clearances than any of his Arsenal colleagues (6).

Many have tried and failed to get back in Arteta’s good books. Zinchenko and Ramsdale can testify to that. However, White has showcased that he’s still very much an elite full-back and he should not be dismissed just yet.

With Mosquera having had to limp off the field in the first half with an injury, replaced at centre-half by Timber, it would not be a surprise to see White back in the starting lineup this weekend against Aston Villa. On the evidence of this performance, he is undroppable right now.

Playing better than Saka: Arsenal ready to pay club-record fee for £132m star

The Arsenal target has been having a better campaign than Bukayo Saka this year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

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O Fluminense anunciou nesta terça-feira (7) a contratação de Thiago Silva, que retorna ao clube carioca após 16 temporadas. Cria de Xerém, o zagueiro assinou contrato válido até julho de 2026 e vestirá a icônica camisa 3.

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O jogador, que atualmente defende do Chelsea, da Inglaterra, poderá atuar pela equipe de Fernando Diniz a partir do dia 10 de julho, quando a janela de transferências internacionais será aberta. Com isso, o zagueiro estará à disposição da comissão técnica para as oitavas da Copa do Brasil e Libertadores – caso o Fluminense consiga a classificação.

Após disputar três temporadas pela equipe profissional do Fluminense (2006 a 2008), Thiago Silva se transferiu para o futebol europeu, onde se tornou ídolo do Milan, PSG e Chelsea. Pela Seleção Brasileira, disputou quatro Copas do Mundo e duas Olimpíadas.

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A notícia do retorno do zagueiro movimentou as redes sociais. Emocionados, torcedores do Fluminense comemoraram a contratação e elegeram Thiago Silva como “o maior zagueiro do mundo”. Confira a seguir alguns comentários.

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Kylian Mbappe’s withdrawal from France’s squad due to ankle inflammation has ignited controversy once again after the Real Madrid star was spotted in Dubai during the international break. Instead of returning to Madrid for medical checks, the forward spent several days at a luxury hotel and visited a local padel club, reopening old debates in France about his absences.

Mbappe sparks new storm after Dubai trip

French captain Mbappe’s absence from France’s final World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan has created renewed tension after the forward travelled to Dubai shortly after being released from national team duty. Declared unavailable by Didier Deschamps, the Real Madrid star was expected to undergo medical examinations in Madrid before rejoining his club’s training schedule. Instead, luggage tags posted by the Instagram account Drikcfootball showed the forward departing Paris for Dubai last Saturday morning.

As reported by Mbappe stayed several days at the luxurious Atlantis The Royal hotel and visited the “Padel One” club, though it remains unclear whether he played or simply attended. His trip came just 24 hours after the French Football Federation (FFF) issued a statement explaining that he was suffering “from inflammation in his right ankle, which requires further examination,” following his brace against Ukraine, a match that secured France’s qualification for the next World Cup.

This sudden detour to Dubai, without stopping in Madrid for evaluation, has posed tough questions, recalling the autumn of 2024 when Mbappe’s recurring absences for Les Bleus had already caused friction shortly after he signed for Real Madrid. It has once again left many in France questioning the management of his fitness, his communication, and the timing of his personal activities during international breaks.

AdvertisementAFPDeschamps explains injury concerns amid ‘chronic’ issue

France coach Deschamps attempted to calm tensions but ended up adding more layers to the debate. Speaking to, he clarified the long-standing ankle problem that forced him to release the player, saying: “He has almost chronic inflammation because he's had this ankle problem for a while now. Even if it doesn't prevent him from playing. I believe there's no risk to take given that we've already qualified, and I've made him available to Real Madrid.”

The president of the FFF, Philippe Diallo, added historical context when reflecting on the forward’s importance, saying at the time: “He is currently going through a delicate sporting moment. When he is the best player in the world, he becomes an irreplaceable asset for the French national team. My only wish is for him to return to his best and rejoin us in March for the next call-up, bringing everything he has always given us.”

Recurring issues, distractions and national team frustration

Mbappe has been managing ankle discomfort since October 4, when he suffered a knock against Villarreal. While he has continued playing, the pain has not fully subsided, and Deschamps admitted the issue is prone to relapses.

But the controversy extends beyond injuries, as the Real Madrid star also endured a six-month spell without playing for Les Bleus coinciding with an alleged sexual assault case in Stockholm, an accusation he has firmly denied. For French authorities, such off-field turbulence, combined with the recurring “ankle problem,” continues to place the player under intense scrutiny at a time when every absence becomes part of a larger narrative.

This latest incident, withdrawing from France due to inflammation only to appear in Dubai days later, has deepened frustration

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GettyReal Madrid return for Elche showdown

Despite the noise around his absence, Real Madrid are not expected to conduct any further medical examinations on Mbappe, as nothing has been planned yet. The forward is due back at Valdebebas on Wednesday for treatment. If he trains as planned on Friday, with no session scheduled Thursday, he is expected to start against Elche on Sunday, as Xabi Alonso aims to manage workloads during a demanding season.

Inside Real Madrid, the focus appears less on the ankle complaint and more on the psychological strain linked to Mbappe’s ongoing legal dispute with Paris Saint-Germain. Still, in sporting terms, Mbappe remains crucial as Madrid navigate a packed run of fixtures in La Liga and Europe.

For France, all eyes now turn to March’s international window, and Should Mbappe return fully fit and available, this controversy will fade. But if more absences follow, old tensions will resurface once again.

Shohei Ohtani isn't human. His otherworldly superpowers were known heading into Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, but he entered another stratosphere Friday. Even for him.

On the mound, he pitched six scoreless innings and recorded 10 strikeouts along the way. At the dish, he went 3-for-3 with three home runs and a walk. Yes, you read that right. His second solo shot of the night traveled 469 feet over the right-field wall up and out of Dodger Stadium, too.

The two-way superstar started his night by striking out three batters in the first inning, then quickly headed to his second job at the plate and smacked a leadoff home run.

In the second, he needed just 10 pitches to retire the Brewers' batters who went three up, three down. He recorded three strikeouts before his next homer in the fourth, which went so far even his teammates couldn't believe it.

Ohtani's second homer of the night made him the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit two home runs in a postseason game as a pitcher, according to ESPN Insights. He had one more in him, though, hitting his third deep ball of the night in the seventh. This one went to center field and made the Dodgers superstar the first player with three homers and 10 strikeouts in a game counting both the regular season and playoffs, according to MLB's Sarah Langs.

Here's an awesome look at his wildly historic night, with each strikeout and home run in order:

The Dodgers defeated the Brewers 5-1 to complete the sweep and make their second World Series appearance in a row. But, this one will be remembered forever as the Shohei Ohtani game.

Cardinals designated hitter Willson Contreras didn't like a called third strike while he was at the plate against the Pirates on Monday night.

As he faced an 0-2 count in the bottom of the seventh inning in a tight game, he was called out on strikes following a pitch that landed down in the zone. From the replay, the pitch appeared to be a strike, clipping the bottom of the zone, but Contreras still took exception.

He looked back at home plate umpire Derek Thomas and was ejected from the game, which caused him to get incredibly heated as the Cardinals coaching staff tried to hold him back. As he was pushed back toward the dugout, Contreras tossed his bat toward the field as he continued to yell at Thomas, and the lumber hit one of his own coaches.

When he eventually got into the dugout, an entire bucket of Hi-Chew was thrown onto the field, creating a messy scene the team's batboys had to clean up. It's unclear if Contreras tossed the bucket of candy or not. You can watch the wild sequence below:

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was also ejected per MLB.com's John Denton. Also, according to Denton, the coach that was hit with Contreras's bat was Brant Brown—St. Louis' hitting coach.

A lot of fallout for what appeared to be a correctly called strike. Despite the situation, the Cardinals held onto their lead and defeated the Pirates 7-6 Monday. We'll see if there's any further punishment following Contreras's outburst.

While they haven’t been perfect, Arsenal have been far and away the best team in the Premier League this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are sitting four points clear of second place, and while the attack is yet to click fully, the rest of the team have been exceptional.

One of the standout stars, as was the case last year and the season before that, has been Declan Rice.

The England international has been a difference maker on more than one occasion so far, and so fans should be delighted about reports linking Arsenal to someone who could be another Rice-type signing.

Arsenal target another Declan Rice

There are a few stars in contention for Arsenal’s Player of the Season thus far, and Rice is undoubtedly one of them.

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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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On top of becoming even more of an attacking threat in that left-eight position he moved into last season, the former West Ham United captain has shown more of that defensive steel he was famous for, dropping into a double pivot on several occasions with Martin Zubimendi.

So with the Englishman thriving in all phases of play, it’s not a surprise to see Arsenal moving for another player of his ilk, an international star in the making: Adam Wharton.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims the Gunners are one of several sides keen to sign the Crystal Palace star.

The report has revealed that, alongside the North Londoners, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United are racing to sign the 21-year-old, while Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on the situation.

However, on top of beating out the competition, the Gunners will have to stump up around £100m to tempt the Eagles into selling the jewel in their crown.

With all that said, Wharton’s immense ability and potential make him a player worth pushing the boat out for, particularly after an impressive first start for his country during November’s international break.

Why Wharton would be another Rice for Arsenal

Described as “the best U21 player in the Prem” by one analyst, if Arsenal were to bring Wharton to the Emirates in January, it would be another example of them poaching a highly rated central midfielder from another Premier League side.

Moreover, they would once again be taking a non-big six London-based outfit’s best English central midfielder.

Finally, it would be the second time within a three-year period that the North Londoners spend north of £100m to do so.

Now, beyond what would make the deals so similar, what makes the Palace ace analogous to the former West Ham star?

Well, like his older compatriot was at the time of his move, the 21-year-old ace is very highly rated, with former Sky Sports employee Matthew Stanger labelling him a “generational talent” and one CONCACAF B certified coach dubbing him “the best deep-lying English midfielder since Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick.”

While that is indeed supreme praise, it’s easy to see where it has come from, as much like the 72-capped England star, he is capable of doing more than just sitting deep and shielding the back four.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for expected assisted goals, the top 4% for key passes, the top 5% for through balls, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, and more, all per 90 minutes.

Wharton’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Key Passes

2.07

Top 4%

Through Balls

0.58

Top 5%

Expected Assists

0.22

Top 6%

Inswinging Corner Kicks

1.29

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.75

Top 10%

Crosses into Penalty Area

0.26

Top 13%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.39

Top 17%

Crosses

2.78

Top 18%

All Stats via FBref

Additionally, he has already won three senior caps for the Three Lions, and played a pivotal role in the Eagles winning the FA Cup last season – the first major honour in their history.

Ultimately, it is still early in his career, but Wharton looks to be a superstar in the making, and under someone like Arteta, could develop into another Rice-type monster.

Related Arteta can fix Gabriel injury blow by unleashing Arsenal's £45m "beast"

After both Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori picked up injuries on international duty, Mikel Arteta must unleash Arsenal’s “physical” defender vs Spurs.

Posts ByBen Gray Nov 16, 2025

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O zagueiro Eduardo Bauermann, Ex-Santos, é o novo jogador do Everton-CHI. Aos 28 anos, o atleta, liberado após cumprir suspensão de 365 dias, desembarcou no Chile para assinar com a equipe e disputar o campeonato nacional.

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Retorno de Bauermann ao futebol

O zagueiro deixou o Santos no início da última temporada e acertou com o Alanyaspor, da Turquia, mas saiu do time antes mesmo da estreia, muito por conta da punição. Além de Everton, Santos e Alanyaspor, o zagueiro atuou, também, por Internacional, Náutico, Atlético-GO, Figueirense, Paraná e América-MG.

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Entenda o caso

Antes punido com 12 jogos de suspensão, o zagueiro Eduardo Bauermann foi condenado a 360 dias sem poder exercer a profissão, além de uma multa de R$ 35 mil.

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Inicialmente essa decisão em segunda instância do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) era válida apenas no Brasil. Entretanto, a Fifa internacionalizou a pena e abrangeu a suspensão para todas competições oficiais da modalidade.

– Me arrependo por ter deixado envolver com pessoas que se diziam amigas, que eu confiava. Mesmo me arrependendo e não fazendo nada do que me foi proposto para prejudicar a minha equipe, eu fui muito prejudicado. Fui o maior prejudicado, na verdade. Meu nome, minha imagem, meu lado desportivo foram prejudicados. Muitas portas se fecharam, minha honra foi colocada à prova, a segurança minha e da minha família ficaram estremecidas – comentou Bauermann, na época da punição

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Major League Baseball is set to implement an Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) beginning in the 2026 season, the league announced on Tuesday. Each team will receive two challenges per game, and the challenges can be kept if they are successful. The challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher or batter immediately following a pitch.

Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal Ripken Jr. was asked about the ABS system coming to baseball next season, and voiced strong support of it in an appearance with 106.7 's show on Thursday.

"I'm for the system," Ripken said. "I really believe the whole game can swing on one pitch. You know, it's a 2-1 count, bases loaded and a slider's gonna be down and away and they get the call—it's 2-2 as opposed to 3-1 with the hottest hitter at the plate. It changes the opportunity. Tennis does a good job, football does a good job with the technology, and we have that here. I guess the question is, 'Is two challenges enough?' So it's going to be a little bit of a learning period and a tweaking period and who knows, maybe it goes to all ABS at some point. But I like the idea."

It will certainly be a change that some fans will support and others—baseball purists—may not. But it is baseball's foray into 21st century technology and the challenge system in a sport that is difficult to officiate is long overdue.

It has been reported how much Premier League suitors have to pay to trigger Antoine Semenyo's release clause ahead of the January transfer window. Semenyo is a wanted man by a number of the division's big hitters, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United among those keen on the Bournemouth star. The Ghanaian was linked with a recent summer move away from the south coast but penned a five-year deal with the Cherries.

• Bournemouth keen to keep Semenyo until the summer

  However, Bournemouth expect Semenyo to leave the club in the New Year as the Cherries reluctantly accept that they may be powerless to prevent the 25-year-old from leaving the club in the January transfer window. Semenyo has made a flying start to the season under Andoni Iraola having scored six goals and provided an additional three assists for Bournemouth.

  The south coast side are keen to retain their star man's services until the end of the season as they look to build upon a fine start to the campaign. Indeed, Bournemouth are currently ninth in the table following back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Aston Villa but level on 18 points with Tottenham, Villa, Manchester United and Liverpool from fifth down to eighth.

  Semenyo has been central to that solid start to the campaign even if he has failed to directly contribute to a goal in his last four league outings, which includes a penalty miss in a 4-0 loss at Villa last weekend.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Spurs, Utd & Liverpool keen on January Semenyo move

  Semenyo had his suitors over the summer, with Tottenham and Manchester United previously keen on the forward. However, both teams opted to pursue alternative targets, with Spurs signing Mohammed Kudus from West Ham, while United acquired Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo from Wolves and Brentford, respectively.

  Spurs and United have again been linked with a move for Semenyo, while Liverpool have been credited with an interest in the Bournemouth star. A report this week suggested that Liverpool have sounded out a January move for Semenyo as they look to revive their stuttering title defence.

  The Reds will also lose Mohamed Salah for the Africa Cup of Nations from mid-December, and they could be without the Egypt international for up to eight matches, which would include games at north London duo Spurs and Arsenal. While Salah has struggled to match last season's expectations, scoring just four goals and providing two assists in the Premier League this season, the Reds are wary about being caught short over the hectic winter period.

  Adam Wharton has also emerged as another potential target for Liverpool as the Premier League champions weigh up a move for the Crystal Palace youngster in a bid to shore up their midfield.

• Interested parties learn of release clause

  Prior to Semenyo's decision to sign a new deal at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth had set a £70 million ($92m)  asking price on the forward in a bid to ward off interest. However, in penning a five-year contract with Bournemouth, The Athletic writes that Semenyo now has a release clause of £65m ($86m).

  Liverpool broke their transfer record over the summer to sign Alexander Isak, while Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike also made the move to Anfield for hefty fees. Spurs and United, meanwhile, both also spent big in the off-season, and it would take a significant outlay for the Premier League pair to land Semenyo.

  However, the release clause must be activated by a set date in January in order to allow Bournemouth to acquire a replacement for Semenyo, but is available to any team. What's more, while the clause stands at £65m in January, interested parties will be able to activate it at a lower price in the summer.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Semenyo on Ghana duty before returning to domestic action

  Semenyo was part of the Ghana side that started a 2-0 loss to Japan in a friendly on Friday and is expected to feature from the outset against South Korea on Tuesday.

  Bournemouth and Semenyo then return to domestic duties with the welcome of West Ham on Saturday afternoon. The Hammers have won back-to-back league matches at the expense of Newcastle and Burnley following a rocky start to the season.

  The Cherries round off the month with a trip to high-flying Sunderland as Iraola looks to mastermind a return to winning ways following a downturn in form.