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Liverpool have reportedly made their first approach to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United and could now break the British transfer record for a second time this summer.

Liverpool make first approach to sign Isak

Whilst the initial consensus was reportedly that Newcastle United’s attempted move to sign Hugo Ekitike would not leave the door ajar for Isak’s exit, Liverpool didn’t seem to receive that message. Now, according to David Ornstein, the Reds have made their first approach to sign the Swede in another big-money deal.

As things stand, Newcastle’s stance, as it has always been, is that Isak is not for sale. But Liverpool’s decision to make their approach may yet have loosened their grip on one of the Premier League’s hottest talents. From ‘not for sale’, a record-breaking £120m price tag has now been mooted, which could hand Liverpool the encouragement they need.

Liverpool’s admiration for Isak is far from new and it certainly isn’t a surprise. If there was a weakness in Arne Slot’s Premier League-winning side last season, it came in the No.9 role, as Luis Diaz was often forced to play out-of-position to lead the line and Darwin Nunez continued to struggle.

Now that both have been linked with moves away to Bayern Munich and now AC Milan respectively, however, Liverpool may finally have the funds and room to welcome the ultimate solution to their striker problem. In one summer, the Reds could go from Diaz, Nunez and Mohamed Salah to arguably the world’s best trio in Florian Wirtz, Isak and Salah.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Isak	Wirtz	Salah
Starts	34	25	38
Goals	23	10	29
Assists	6	12	18
Expected Goals	20.3	9.4	25.2

There’s still a long way to go before Isak becomes Liverpool’s next No.9, but that’s not to say Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes don’t already have their next trick planned.

What Liverpool plan to do next in Isak chase

According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool will “for sure” submit a club-record bid to sign Isak this summer and follow up their initial approach. The Swede is their “dream” target in a deal that could reportedly cost in the region of £120m.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “For sure, Liverpool want to try for their dream target with an eventual club-record bid. Liverpool have intention to try and they made an approach with Newcastle.”

The transfer specialist then went on to reveal that if Liverpool fail in their pursuit of Isak, then their attention will turn back towards Ekitike. The Eintracht Frankfurt striker has been the subject of a £60m+ bid by Newcastle, but the Magpies could now be facing a lose-lose situation up against the Reds in a ruthless mood.

Wirtz's dream CF: Hughes in talks to sign £63m "monster" for Liverpool

Isak and Ekitike aren’t the only high-level strikers Liverpool have their eye on.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 15, 2025

As the season approaches and the transfer window progresses, both forwards are likely to steal plenty more headlines. As things stand, however, in a transfer battle between Liverpool and Newcastle, it seems as though the Premier League champions have the edge.

Brydon Carse to debut, Chris Woakes set for first overseas Test since 2022

Matt Roller05-Oct-2024Ben Stokes has been ruled out of England’s first Test against Pakistan in Multan, as he continues to recover from a torn hamstring. Stokes confirmed after training on Saturday that he is not yet fully recovered from the injury he sustained two months ago while playing in the Hundred.In Stokes’ absence, Chris Woakes will play his first overseas Test in two-and-a-half years and his first in Asia since 2016, while Brydon Carse will make his Test debut. Ollie Pope will captain England for a fourth successive match in Stokes’ absence, having led them to a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka last month.”I tried my hardest to try and get myself fit for this first game but we’ve taken the call to miss this one. I’ve not quite managed to get game-ready,” Stokes said. “We got to a certain point, but just looking at the bigger picture around what we’ve got coming up and actually physically where I’m at with my rehab, I’m not quite ready to play.”Related

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Stokes spent the first 45 minutes of England’s training session doing shuttle runs with Peter Sim, the strength and conditioning coach. He later batted in the nets, facing spin from Rehan Ahmed and local net-bowlers as well as throwdowns from England’s coaching staff, but is taking a cautious approach to his comeback.He will now target the second Test in 10 days’ time. “I’ve pushed myself incredibly hard,” Stokes said. “I’ve worked really, really hard with the medical team to get to where I’m at now. I think I’m further ahead than what we expected today. Look, I’ll be working just as hard over the next 10 days to try and give myself a chance to be fit.”Whatever sports you play, you’re going to get injuries. I’m 33 now, so I’ve put my body through quite a lot. I’ve started working incredibly hard over the last two years: I know that I’m getting older, so it’s not through lack of effort. It’s just one of those things where, with what we do, you’re going to put yourself at risk every time you walk out on the field for injuries.”Brydon Carse has been confirmed for a Test debut•Getty ImagesIf Stokes is available for the second Test, it may only be as a specialist batter – though he said it was “too far away” to tell. “That’s in my 10-day plan from now to that next one, eking bowling back into my training. We’ve had a good plan put together by myself and the medical guys out here, so I’ll be working incredibly hard to try and give myself a good chance of being ready.”England confirmed their XI later on Saturday, two days out from the first Test. They have picked two specialist spinners, with Jack Leach returning to the side for the first time since January alongside his Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir. Gus Atkinson has shaken off a thigh niggle and will play his first overseas Test after impressing during the English summer.Carse pipped Olly Stone and his Durham team-mate Matthew Potts – who both featured against Sri Lanka last month – to the final spot in England’s seam attack. Carse, like Potts, impressed in England’s recent ODI series against Australia but his additional pace and superior batting have seen him win the battle to be England’s third fast bowler.Having missed most of the summer due to a gambling ban, Carse regularly hit 90mph/145kph during Australia’s tour and has impressed England’s players in the nets. “He’s a natural wicket-taker,” Joe Root said. “He’s got those balls in him that, out of nowhere, on the flattest of wickets, you can make something happen… He offers a huge amount to the squad.”Carse, 29, was born and raised in South Africa but qualified for England through his ancestry in 2019. He will become England’s sixth Test debutant of the year after Tom Hartley, Bashir, Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Josh Hull, and has been carded to bat at No. 9, just below Atkinson.England XI: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Jack Leach, 11 Shoaib Bashir

Newcastle United will be looking to recruit well this summer to give themselves the best chance of a strong 2025/26 campaign. The Magpies will be in the Champions League once again and will no doubt be hoping to turn themselves into top-four regulars in the Premier League.

One area in which Eddie Howe’s side might look to improve this summer is at centre-back. Just like they were in 2024, Newcastle have been linked with Marc Guehi, but Football Insider report they will face competition from Arsenal.

Either way, Howe seems intent on strengthening the existing centre-back options, which include the likes of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar. Another target has recently come to fruition, for whom the Magpies could make a move.

Newcastle's latest centre-back target

It will be fascinating to see, not only whether Newcastle are successful in their pursuit of Guehi, but also whether he is the only centre-back who will sign this summer. They have certainly been linked with multiple players, and could make a move for another Premier League defender.

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 a report from 3 Added Minutes, the North East giants have opened talks to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

The report from Charlie Haffenden explains that Newcastle have ‘initiated talks with the player’s representatives’ ahead of a potential summer move.

Those at St James’ Park have ‘been keeping tabs on van Hecke’ this summer, but could still face competition from newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool.

As for a price, it was reported by Sussex World that the Dutchman ‘has a transfer guide price’ of at least £60m, but it could well be more.

Why Van Hecke would be a good signing

At 25 years of age, Van Hecke is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting centre-backs in the Premier League. This is perhaps highlighted best by the fact that he is a full international with the Netherlands.

Last season on the South Coast for Brighton, Van Hecke played a crucial role. He featured 34 times in the Premier League, missing three games due to a couple of separate, small injury issues and another with suspension.

As well as grabbing a goal and assist last term, he helped Fabian Hurzeler’s side keep eight clean sheets in the Premier League, featuring for all but one of those games across all 90 minutes. He is a pivotal figure at the back and could perhaps now be considered the leader of the backline at the AMEX Stadium.

If the Magpies were to sign Van Hecke this summer, he could act as a direct replacement, and an upgrade, for Blyth-born centre-back Burn. The England international is a well-loved figure at St James’ Park, but is now 33 years of age.

With that being said, the defender, who also moved to St James’ Park from Brighton, played in 37 games in the Premier League last season. He also scored a pivotal second goal in the Carabao Cup final.

However, to preserve his future in a Magpies shirt, and add an upgrade at the back ahead of the Champions League and top four push, signing Van Hecke would certainly be a smart move. He was described as an “outstanding” player by Pete Davey, a Newcastle content creator.

Indeed, that is a word that can be used to describe Van Hecke’s underlying stats on FBref, which are far better than Burn’s. The Dutchman is a superb progressive passer, which is his standout attribute.

Last season in the Premier League, he averaged 6.93 progressive passes and 3.98 ball recoveries per 90 minutes. In comparison, Newcastle’s number 33 averaged 2.03 progressive passes and 2.78 ball recoveries each game.

Van Hecke and Burn key stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Van Hecke	Burn
Progressive passes	6.93	2.03
Passes into final third	6.87	1.35
Blocks	1.12	0.97
Tackles and interceptions	2.1	1.78
Ball recoveries	3.98	2.78
Stats from FBref

As the numbers showcase, Van Hecke would be a huge upgrade on Burn for a number of reasons. Not only is he a sensational passer of the ball, but defensively, he has very few weaknesses, particularly with the way he reads the game.

Burn is an icon of Newcastle United, but is not getting any younger, and the chance to improve their defence by signing Van Hecke might be too good to pass up for Howe.

Schar upgrade: Newcastle among favourites to sign "unbelievable" £40m star

Newcastle will be looking to improve their defence this summer

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 16, 2025

Liverpool made mincemeat of the Premier League’s finest in 2024/25, winning the title in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm.

Such was their dominance that a late-season sojourn over in the Gulf states was permitted while rivals worked toward positive finishes to the term.

This wasn’t the case for the Anfield side; far from it. However, 2025/26 will bring a new campaign and Liverpool are acting like it, using their pull, heightened by the recent success, to sign Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

Liverpool like to pluck exciting talents from their divisional rivals, and this summer is proving no different. Indeed, with a fee agreed with Leverkusen for the £34m sale of Jarell Quansah and Ibrahima Konate’s future uncertain as he enters the final year of his contract, Real Madrid lurking, is it any surprise that sporting director Richard Hughes is hoping to sign Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi?

Why Liverpool target players like Kerkez & Guehi

Liverpool might have broken the British transfer record this month (should Wirtz’s fixed £100m fee be expanded by the £16m in add-ons), but the Merseysiders tend to walk down a less-beaten path, signing up-and-coming talents from clubs settled lower down the Premier League ladder.

Take Andy Robertson, for example, signed from Hull City for just £10m back in 2017. He’s since solidified his name among the division’s all-time great full-backs.

Most Assists in Premier League History (defenders)

#

Player

Apps

Assists

1.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

259

64

2.

Andy Robertson

308

60

3.

Leighton Baines

420

53

4.

Graeme Le Saux

327

44

5.

Kieran Trippier

204

38

Data via Premier League

And how could we forget Gini Wijnaldum? The Dutchman was the industrious, metronomic heartbeat which kept Klopp’s system ticking, purloined from Newcastle United after their relegation to the Championship.

Shoutout Xherdan Shaqiri, too.

The point is, Liverpool run their club intelligently, identifying players proven in the Premier League and with plenty of scope for growth. Manchester United, with their Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, may well have taken a leaf from their rival.

While FSG are in a position to sign superstars like Wirtz, they haven’t lost track of their roots: Kerkez, signed for £40m, is evidence of his, hailing from the south coast, while the 24-year-old Guehi would also align with this tried-and-tested Merseyside method, having been at the centre of transfer rumours in recent days that suggest Liverpool would be willing to pay £50m to snap him up.

Slot will have had his say in identifying such players, looking to bring them to Anfield, but he is benefiting somewhat from the club’s prowess when Klopp was at the helm. Certainly, there’s one star in particular who aligns with the discussed method who should be the barometer from which to judge an addition’s success.

Liverpool have struck gold on Premier League signing

Like Kerkez and Virgil van Dijk before him, Alexis Mac Allister has proved a stunning signing for Liverpool, joining the club from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth £35m two years ago.

His first term, the Argentina international, who was instrumental in his nation’s 2022 World Cup triumph, filled in as a holding midfielder after the Anfield side failed in a bid to land Moises Caicedo; since, with Slot in charge, he’s moved back into a more expansive midfield role, winning silverware in both seasons on Merseyside.

One constant, however, has been Mac Allister’s brilliance in the centre of the park. The 26-year-old has only gone from strength to strength after switching the Seagulls for the Liverbird, with pundit Joe Cole even declaring him a “superstar” who “can play anywhere”.

Alexis Mac Allister in the Premier League (LFC)

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

33 (31)

35 (30)

Goals

5

5

Assists

5

5

Touches*

74.2

55.8

Pass completion

88%

87%

Big chances created

3

6

Key passes*

1.4

1.3

Dribbles*

0.5

0.5

Ball recoveries*

5.9

4.2

Tackles + interceptions*

4.1

3.3

Ground duels (won)*

5.0 (50%)

4.3 (50%)

Data via Sofascore

Take a look at the table above. What do you see? Curiously, Mac Allister has shifted roles under Slot, less active and frenetic in his play, calmed into a controlling force which channels the flow of the coach’s ball-playing vision.

The South American star perhaps said it best himself: “In terms of the change, perhaps with Jürgen I played as a lone five [holding midfielder]. So, the position was very different. I was much more defensive than anything else.

“So, the system has changed a little, but the main ideas are the same. I think perhaps the big change is in having that patience to have longer periods of possession and dominate games more and obviously that creates more chances.”

It’s certainly showcased through the metrics: as per FBref, Mac Allister ranked among the top 20% of midfielders in the Premier League last year for goal involvements, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 14% for shot-creating actions and the top 13% for tackles per 90.

He’s the real deal, having ballooned in value and technical quality since making the leap. It’s a rise that Slot and co will no doubt hope Kerkez will follow, and Guehi too, should he sign from Palace this summer.

The fiesty midfielder’s progress at Liverpool has even impelled Real Madrid to come knocking on the door, with reports earlier in the year suggesting Florentino Perez would be willing to fork out some €90m (£76m) for the maestro, who has been earmarked as a potential long-term successor to Luka Modric’s soon-to-be vacant locker at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Naturally, this puts him in a much higher bracket than Kerkez and Guehi, but we must caveat that with a firm ‘for now’, as the ball-playing specialist may yet find his new and potential teammates to be rivalling him on the financial scales down the line.

Liverpool know their stuff, work with a calculated eye to sign up-and-coming Premier League stars and bring them up to elite status, when certain other high-station clubs then come sniffing around for fully developed product.

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Mac Allister is a perfect representation of that, and soon Kerkez and perhaps Guehi will be too.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jun 27, 2025

Celtic ended the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign with a 1-1 draw against St Mirren at Parkhead, having already clinched the title at the end of last month.

Jonah Ayunga’s goal gave the away side a shock lead at the start of the second half, but James Forrest stepped up in stoppage time to score a league goal for the Hoops for the 16th consecutive season – an extraordinary achievement.

As you can see in the clip above, central defender Liam Scales failed to get good distance on his headed clearance, which teed up Ayunga to rifle the ball into the back of the net.

Liam Scales' performance against St Mirren in numbers

The left-footed defender came into the side to replace Auston Trusty next to Cameron Carter-Vickers, with a chance to catch the eye ahead of the cup final.

Whilst he may not be happy with the goal that Celtic conceded and his part in it, Scales did a lot of good work in the match to keep the away side at bay.

The central defender ended the 90 minutes with eight clearances, four interceptions, and eight duels won, including seven out of 11 aerial battles won, which shows that he made a number of key defensive interventions.

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Meanwhile, central midfielder Paulo Bernardo was even worse than Scales and should be dropped by Brendan Rodgers for the SFA Cup final clash with Aberdeen next weekend.

Why Paulo Bernardo should be dropped

The Portuguese midfielder was given another chance to impress in the middle of the park ahead of the cup final, as Reo Hatate has been ruled out through injury.

There is a vacancy in the midfield next to Callum McGregor and Arne Engels, due to the Japanese star’s absence, and it should be Luke McCowan who is given the nod, not Bernardo.

In the clash with St Mirren, the former Benfica starlet lost 67% (4/6) of his duels and failed to create a single chance for his teammates in 54 minutes on the pitch.

This shows that he struggled in and out of possession for the Hoops and was even worse than Scales, who at least made numerous defensive interventions and completed 94% of his attempted passes.

Vs Aberdeen & St Mirren	Luke McCowan	Paulo Bernardo
Key passes	6	1
Big chances created	1	0
Assists	2	0
Shots	4	6
Goals	1	0
Duels won	4/9	7/12
Tackles + interceptions	4	6
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, in the two matches since Hatate suffered his knee injury, McCowan has provided far more quality in possession from a midfield position in comparison to Bernardo.

These statistics suggest that the former Dundee man is more likely to make a big impact from the start at Hampden Park against Aberdeen next weekend, given his recent form in front of goal.

Therefore, Rodgers must take Bernardo out of the starting XI to bring the Scottish dynamo back into the side when the team takes to the field with the ambition of winning the treble.

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1

By
Dan Emery

May 17, 2025

Derby County secured their Championship status in dramatic fashion and could now strike in the market to land a talented defender, according to reports.

Derby County look forward after great Championship escape

John Eustace pulled off something of a minor miracle after arriving at Pride Park, taking Derby from seven points behind at one point to eventual safety on the final day of the Championship season.

Plenty of controversy came to light when the 45-year-old swapped Blackburn Rovers for a side in a dogfight to avoid being relegated to the third-tier of English football, but it all seems to have worked out in the end.

There has been plenty of speculation over what may come next as Eustace bids to provide an element of stability at the Rams, and he has now taken a major step in shaping the future of his squad following the release of Derby’s retained list for 2025/26.

Jeff Hendrick, Kemar Roofe and Conor Washington are among senior members of his group who won’t be offered new deals, paving the way for potential transfer activity over the coming weeks.

Derby County’s retained list – who still has a future at Pride Park?

Players released (not offered new deals upon expiry)

Tom Barkhuizen, Sonny Bradley, Tyrese Fornah, Jeff Hendrick, Rohan Luthra, Erik Pieters, Kemar Roofe, Conor Washington.

Players out of contract with discussions ongoing over futures

Craig Forsyth, Liam Thompson.

Loanees returning to parent clubs

Harrison Armstrong, Marcus Harness, David Ozoh, Nat Phillips, Jerry Yates.

Lincoln City midfielder Ethan Erhahon has emerged as a target for Eustace amid competition from Blackburn for his signature. Make no mistake, there will be mass changes at Derby and plenty of movement is set to take place.

Speaking of which, Derby have made an offer to bring a talented star to Pride Park this summer and have now received a reply.

O'Rourke: Derby receive reply to Cody Drameh offer

Taking to social media platform X, journalist Pete O’Rourke has confirmed that Derby have been knocked back in their attempts to land Hull City full-back Cody Drameh on loan after making an initial offer for the 23-year-old.

Eustace previously worked with the former Leeds United man at Birmingham City, calling the defender “top” in 2023 and is keen to be reunited with a familiar face, though he is also being targeted by Stade de Reims and Toulouse.

Labelled “fantastic” by Rob Edwards, Drameh registered a goal and an assist in 29 appearances this campaign as Hull narrowly staved off relegation in similar fashion to Derby.

Winning 49 tackles on league duty, the London-born man is a sought-after talent that still has room for development, though it remains to be seen whether the Tigers will be willing to let him go during the off-season.

They might still be in with a chance of winning the Europa League, but this season has been a disaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

The North Londoners would have started their campaign hopeful of improving on their fifth-place finish last year and qualifying for the Champions League.

However, with less than two months of the season remaining, Ange Postecoglou’s side find themselves down in 14th place in the Premier League and with more losses than wins.

With that said, there has been one big positive from the campaign, which is how well their youngsters have fared, and based on recent reports, Daniel Levy and Co now seem intent on adding another up-and-coming talent to their squad in the £50m Dean Huijsen. However, they may already have their own version of the Spaniard out on loan.

Why Spurs want to sign Huijsen

With what has to be an enormous summer of transfer activity ahead of them, why would Spurs want to spend a significant amount of money on Huijsen?

Well, there are a few reasons, and the first is their fragilities at the back, as with Micky van de Ven incredibly injury-prone and Cristian Romero increasingly so, the club need another centre-back who’d not only be capable of filling in when needed but also challenge both for a place in the starting lineup, which he could do.

For example, despite still being just 19 years old, the Spaniard has made 29 appearances for Bournemouth this season, 24 of which have been starts, and considering the Cherries have conceded five fewer goals than the North Londoners in the league this year, that’s an encouraging sign.

Moreover, he won his first senior cap for Spain last month and looks to be on a trajectory to the very top of the game.

Finally, he also has some genuinely impressive underlying numbers to his name, with FBref placing him in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions, the top 2% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 4% for clearances, the top 5% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Interceptions

2.10

Top 1%

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.17

Top 2%

Clearances

6.78

Top 4%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.64

Top 5%

Progressive Carries

1.45

Top 8%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.09

Top 10%

Touches in the Attacking Box

1.36

Top 12%

In short, Huijsen would be a great signing for the present and future, but it might be unnecessary, as one of Tottenham’s loanees looks like he could be their version of the teenager.

Spurs' own Huijsen

While Spurs have several exciting youngsters out on loan this season, from Ashley Phillips to Yang Min-hyeok, it’ll likely come as no surprise to those of you who follow him that the player we are talking about is Luka Vušković.The Croatian wonderkid joined Tottenham back in September 2023, but as he was just 16, post-Brexit rules mean he can’t officially move to North London until this summer.

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While not ideal, this allowed the youngster to go out on loan, and he’s spent this season in Belgium with KVC Waterloo, where he has been sensational.

So what makes him like Huijsen, then?

Well, the first and most obvious point of similarity is that both players are enormous for their age, with the Spaniard coming in at 6 foot 6 and the Croat just over 6 foot 4.

On top of that, a similar level of expectation is placed upon the Lilywhites gem.

For example, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a “truly amazing CB” and proclaimed that he’s “destined for great things.”

At the same time, football analyst Ben Mattinson has described the teenager as a “freak athlete” and a “freak talent” who has a “scary ceiling.”

Finally, while the Bournemouth man has shown himself to be someone who can chip in with a goal or two, the Split-born prospect is on another level.

Appearances

29

Clean Sheets

5

Goals

7

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.31

For example, in just 29 first-team appearances this term, he’s scored seven goals and provided two assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 0.31 games, which is just incredible for a centre-back.

Ultimately, signing Huijsen wouldn’t be a bad idea, but Tottenham shouldn’t feel like they need to, as in Vušković, they already have their own version of the Spaniard.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 9, 2025

Australia threw two legspinners at Virat Kohli and he scored off both with ease to control India’s chase

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Mar-20251:55

Kumble: Kohli always in control during chases

When you have lived the kind of made-for-television existence that Virat Kohli has for the past 15 years, how much mystique, and how much freshness, does the spotlight leave for you? Kohli has invited much of the attention. There is arguably no cricketer in history that has revelled in this glow so much as Kohli, the broadcaster’s Kohlicam a self-perpetuating highlights package waiting to be cut to quicken the pulse of hundreds of millions.But human beings are complex. And though it feels like there are few dark corners waiting to be revealed about Kohli the person, and certainly no mysteries to Kohli the batter, there are some moments that he wants to keep to himself.On the eve of the Pakistan vs India match of this Champions Trophy, for instance, Kohli showed up to the nets of the ICC’s academy hours before he was scheduled to be there, and had a big throwdowns session, with one or two net bowlers in attendance. This was long before the media believed he would arrive, so it is difficult to figure what exactly he worked on. But when word spread that Kohli had landed, fans showed up and were kept outside the gates, from where they could catch only the barest of glimpses.Related

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• 'Grow up' – Gambhir takes aim at 'perpetual cribbers'

This is Kohli’s life. Many would show up just to watch him sneeze, and then replay the video of the sneeze with friends, then discuss at length what could possibly have caused it, and whether he looked like he was suppressing any more sneezes, and at what velocity exactly the air was coming out of his nose. Were there any hints of snot? No, surely. The vegan diet. The punishing exercise regimen. In this body? No way. There is no excess mucus there.Kohli, the batter, has had recent trials against legspin. With other players you might not even notice. Wristspin anyway rocks the world on South Asian tracks right now. Also the ODI sample size is tiny.And because it is Kohli, and this career is under the electron microscope, facts that you would not discover about others, you do discover about Kohli. Since the start of 2024, Kohli had been out five times to legspin in the six ODI innings he had faced legspin in. His batting strike rate against legspinners was 48.64.This is a very specific kind of bowling, in a currently unfavoured format, so the data can only reveal so much. But how you have tended to get out in your last few innings is the thing that opposition bowlers tend to prey on. This is the blood in the water that the great white sharks – which Australia tend to embody in big tournaments – are drawn to.

“When you play 300 games, you will end up getting out to some of the spinners – so that’s okay. He’s got a hundred in this competition [against Pakistan], he’s got a [84] in this competition, and when you’ve got runs in this competition, you will eventually get out to some kind of a bowler”Gautam Gambhir

But although great whites generally rule the oceans, they are not the apex predator in this particular food chain. Kohli is an orca. On Tuesday, he stunned the sharks, and ate them up. Australia bowled 96 balls of legspin in this game, bringing in Tanveer Sangha to complement Adam Zampa. Only 14 of those 96 balls came when Kohli was not in the middle.Against Zampa, one of the best white-ball bowlers going, Kohli made 23 off 24 balls. Against Sangha, he hit 12 off 9. All up, that’s 35 off 33 balls against a type of bowling he is supposed to be struggling against. He even deployed the sweep against Sangha’s bowling – not one of his favoured shots. He got him away through fine leg for four.Kohli would eventually get out to Zampa, holing out to long-on on 84. Zampa bowled a googly that Kohli picked, but he wanted to crash it high over that long-on boundary anyway. Maybe in the very back of Kohli’s brain, right near the section neuroscience professors might label “impulse centre”, there was a thought that if he sent this ball high and long into the night, there would be no more doubts about him and legspin. Whether this is Kohli being intensely attuned to what people might be saying about him, or Kohli being intensely attuned to his own cricketing reality, it is hard to tell.Virat Kohli might have a problem against legspin, but there was little evidence of it on Tuesday night•ICC/Getty ImagesBut it is worth noting that this shot came only when India’s victory was all but assured. They needed 40 off 45 when he played that shot, with KL Rahul already batting well, and Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja to come. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that winning matches for India is not important to Kohli.”When you play 300 games, you will end up getting out to some of the spinners – so that’s okay,” coach Gautam Gambhir said after the match when asked about Kohli’s recent brushes with legspin. “He’s got a hundred in this competition [against Pakistan], he’s got a [84] in this competition, and when you’ve got runs in this competition, you will eventually get out to some kind of a bowler. So rather than dissecting and bisecting that he’s got out to legspin and then… when you’ve played 300 ODIs you will eventually get out to certain kind of bowlers.”The end of Kohli’s innings in this particular match revealed something brand new about a player it was thought there was no more to be known. He could have cruised his way to a 52nd ODI hundred, extending his lead at the top of a leaderboard that he will likely rule forever. But there was some part of him that also needed to crash a top-quality legspinner over long-on. And who could possibly deny the fun, the freshness, and the mystique in that?

ESPNcricinfo presents its team of the US Masters T10 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2023Aaron Finch (California Knights)Finch has only just quit the game internationally, so he is not quite in the turning-the-clock-back category yet, and is still pretty huge in the Big Bash League. That showed, never more than early on in the tournament, when he smashed 75 not out in 31 balls and 63 not out in 30 balls against New Jersey Triton’s and Morrisville Unity respectively. California lost both matches, though, but not for want of trying on Finch’s part, who ended as the highest scorer in the competition, with 236 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 203.44.Mohammad Hafeez (Texas Chargers)He was the Player of the Tournament, and totally deserving of the honour, after scoring 210 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 253.01 – the best among the batters – and picking up seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.85. In the final, he didn’t need to bowl, but was the best batter, scoring 46 in 17 balls in Texas’ chase. A collapse meant it wasn’t enough to win the game for them, who had to get to the title after a Super Over, but Hafeez showcased his all-round ability in spades.Jacques Kallis (California Knights)He’s close to 48, but he is arguably the greatest all-round cricketer since Garry Sobers. And there were plenty of signs of the old class-is-permanent cliché, particularly against Texas, where he smashed 64 not out in 31 balls and put up a stand of 158 with Milind Kumar to make it a one-sided contest. There were all the old trademark shots on display, and that inside-out drive over the covers looked good enough to eat. If that was a high-scoring game, he played a measured knock in a low-scoring game against Atlanta Riders, where he scored 38 not out in 27 balls in a five-run win.

We've traveled back in time to witness @jacqueskallis75 deliver batting performance for today's match 1!

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