Category Uncategorized

As Manchester United get set to take on Chelsea in the penultimate game of their miserable Premier League season on Friday night, one man who won’t be involved in proceedings is Old Trafford exile, Jadon Sancho.

The 25-year-old loanee – who is ineligible to feature for the Blues against his parent club – is set to head into a summer of uncertainty at Stamford Bridge, with it yet to be seen whether the west London side will secure his services on a permanent basis.

With talk in recent months indicating that Enzo Maresca’s side could actually pay a £5m fee in order to send him back to Manchester, despite agreeing to a £20m-£25m obligation to buy last summer, the Red Devils face the very real prospect of being lumped with the £195k-per-week winger once again.

In truth, even with a change in the dugout following Ruben Amorim’s arrival, the England international should have no future back at the Theatre of Dreams, having proven a simply wasted venture following his £73m arrival in 2021.

Perhaps hampered by a long, drawn-out saga that began in 2020, the former Borussia Dortmund man has been unable to replicate his Bundesliga heroics, having chalked up just 18 goals and assists in 83 games for United to date.

Antony

96

12

5

17

Anthony Elanga

55

4

4

8

Amad

61

13

11

24

Jadon Sancho

83

12

6

18

Alejandro Garnacho

146

26

22

48

Dan James

74

9

9

18

Angel Di Maria

34

4

12

16

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

63

13

11

24

Memphis Depay

53

7

6

13

Alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony, Sancho is a player who INEOS need to cash in on this summer. What they must not do, however, is sign a talent of a similar ilk…

Man Utd's search for a forward

Whether it pays off or not remains to be seen, although it is encouraging to see that United are looking to target current Premier League stars this summer, ensuring there should be less of a need for adaptation next season.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, both Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap appear to be at the top of the shopping list, while recent reports have also indicated that Amorim and co are interested in Bournemouth’s £60m-rated sensation, Antoine Semenyo.

With the Red Devils intent on strengthening the 40-year-old’s attacking options, Sky Sports have since revealed that United are also keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest’s Callum Hudson-Odoi.

As per reporter Dharmesh Sheth, the Englishman currently has just a year left on his contract at the City Ground, with talks currently “ongoing” with the Champions League hopefuls regarding an extension.

Reading between the lines, INEOS appear ready to pounce should those negotiations hit a stumbling block, with Forest perhaps willing to cash in, considering that they signed the ex-Chelsea man for a fee of just £3m back in 2023.

Alongside former United academy graduate, Anthony Elanga, Hudson-Odoi has no doubt flourished for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side – but is he what Amorim really needs?

Why Man Utd could be targeting another Sancho

The journey of a young footballer is rarely a smooth one, as Sancho, in particular, has come to learn.

Plucked from Manchester City by Dortmund on a £10m deal in 2017, the wing wizard went on to sparkle in German football over the next four years, with his total record for the Bundesliga side – when factoring last season’s loan spell back at the club – standing at 120 goals and assists in 158 games.

For all that talent and potential, it just hasn’t worked out since then, with Sancho now a forgotten man in Manchester, having also provided only eight goal involvements in the league this season for the Blues. His last Three Lions outing came as far back as October 2021.

It has been a similar story for Hudson-Odoi too, with the one-time wonderkid touted for big things after making his senior international debut at the age of just 18, having also been the subject of a £70m offer from Bayern Munich in 2020.

Injuries and limited game followed back at Chelsea, however, while he was also shipped off to Bayer Leverkusen for an unsuccessful loan in 2022/23, which yielded just one goal and one assist.

After recording 16 goals and 22 assists in 126 games for the west Londoners, the decision was made to cash in on the fleet-footed winger two years ago, while on the international scene, he has been unable to build on his three caps – all of which came in 2019.

To his credit, the man once described as a “monster of a talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella has found his feet at Forest, with 13 goals and six assists in 68 games in all competitions, including the winner against Manchester City earlier this year.

Non-penalty goals

0.21

0.16

Assists

0.08

0.21

Shot-creating actions

3.93

3.59

Pass completion

82.2%

82.5%

Progressive passes

2.76

4.65

Progressive carries

5.31

5.28

Successful take-ons

1.51

2.38

Touches in penalty box

3.01

6.39

Progressive passes received

7.78

11.68

That said, like Sancho, he hasn’t exactly pulled up any trees – if you’ll pardon the pun – in Nottingham, having matched his compatriot’s record of only eight goal contributions in the top-flight this term.

Interestingly too, the two widemen – both of whom can play on either flank – are noted as statistically similar players among those in their position in the division, as per FBref, with United at risk of landing another mercurial and inconsistent talent.

Perhaps, for a bargain fee, Hudson-Odoi could prove worth the gamble, although having witnessed Sancho struggle so greatly in recent years, targeting a player of similar quality and ability may well need to be avoided.

Forget Obi: Amorim can finally axe Hojlund for Man Utd's homegrown Gyokeres

Man Utd could have another academy sensation up their sleeve…

1 ByRobbie Walls May 14, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da gbg bet： Uma das promessas da equipe sub-17 do CSA, o meia Kauan teve grande atuação na última rodada do Campeonato Alagoano da categoria. O paulistano de Diadema marcou duas vezes contra o Metropolitano e ajudou o seu time a vencer a partida por 4 a 0. O jovem falou sobre o seu bom momento.

RelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraSaiba quem é Joelinton, jogador da Seleção Brasileira e do NewcastleSeleção Brasileira16/06/2023Seleção BrasileiraSeleção Brasileira terá novatos como titulares e veterano como dúvida em amistoso contra GuinéSeleção Brasileira16/06/2023Futebol InternacionalAlvo da Seleção, José Mourinho rejeita proposta astronômica do mundo árabe e segue na RomaFutebol Internacional16/06/2023

da betano casino： – Estou bastante feliz pela minha ótima fase. Contribuir diretamente para as vitórias do CSA é o meu objetivo, sempre. Tenho certeza que me dedicando da maneira como venho fazendo, as coisas seguirão acontecendo da melhor forma – afirmou.

Kauan tem três assistências no torneio estadual e já vem treinando com o elenco sub-20 do CSA. O atleta revelou o sonho de chegar à equipe profissional.

– Tenho que respeitar todas as etapas e sou bem tranquilo quanto a isso. Mas claro que tenho o sonho de realizar um jogo oficial pelo CSA e às vezes fico imaginando. Mas até lá existe ainda o sub-17 e o sub-20 e o meu foco está todo voltado para o que vivo hoje – definiu.

da prosport bet： Heading into Sunday’s clash at St James’ Park, both Chelsea and Newcastle United found themselves locked on 63 points in the Premier League.

da bet vitoria： But, come the full-time whistle, the gulf in class between the two Champions League chasing outfits was obvious, with both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes sharing out the goal-load to hand Eddie Howe’s Toon a richly deserved 2-0 win.

Of course, the Magpies’ quest for a golden three points was undoubtedly helped by Nicolas Jackson receiving a red card deep into the first half, with the ex-Villarreal striker enduring yet another torrid afternoon leading the line for Enzo Maresca’s men.

Jackson's horror show on the road

The 23-year-old does have somewhat of a healthy goal return next to his name this season at 12 strikes overall, but all the main talking points from the clash on Tyneside would centre on his dismissal, away from his hot-and-cold ability to find the net.

Indeed, after planting an elbow into the face of Newcastle defender Sven Botman, the inconsistent Blues attacker would be sent off, meaning he is now suspended until the end of the Premier League season.

There was still 65 minutes of the match left after Jackson’s moment of madness, but the damage had already been done on Chelsea’s end, meaning Newcastle eventually strolled to a 2-0 victory to gain an upper hand to finish inside the coveted top five.

Jackson didn’t even test Nick Pope with a single effort on goal before clashing with the Magpies centre-back, with Maresca now tasked with deciding who to start up top now in the remaining top-flight contests to come ahead of the suspended striker.

Other Chelsea first-teamers could also feel the wrath of the manager’s team selection moving forward, with this fellow underperformer in attack only lasting ten more minutes than Jackson before being hooked.

Chelsea's other big underperformer

Nobody wearing Chelsea blue would come away from the 2-0 defeat with much praise, with Romeo Lavia another who looked out-of-sorts in the midfield department, especially when his casual nature on the ball centrally led to Tonali’s speedy opener.

But, Lavia would at least see out 75 minutes on the St James’ turf, with Noni Madueke half a tactical substitution due to Chelsea being reduced to ten men, and half an alteration made purely out of his ineffectiveness in attack when he lasted just 45 minutes.

Madueke’s performance in numbers

Stat

Madueke

Minutes played

45

Touches

16

Accurate passes

8/9 (89%)

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Dribbled past

2x

Total duels won

0/4

Stats by Sofascore

At times, Madueke was merely a spectator to the constant waves of Newcastle attacks, with the 23-year-old dribbled past more times than he could conjure up successful dribbles himself.

Moreover, the ex-PSV Eindhoven winger could trudge off the pitch at the half-time interval and not return off the back of failing to register a single effort on the home side’s goal, alongside failing to win a single duel from four attempts. In stark contrast, even as Newcastle bossed proceedings, Jacob Murphy would win four duels as a committed warrior for Howe’s hosts.

It could well be time for Maresca to experiment with something fresh down the left channel, therefore, with 19-year-old sensation Tyrique George capable of playing down that flank, alongside an equally hit-and-miss Jadon Sancho.

The Italian will just pray that any changes he does makes to his XI pays off, with the Blues now slipping down the league, whilst Newcastle bask in the glory of third position.

Whenever Chelsea seem to be settling into their groove, another bump seemingly appears in the road, with just two Premier League games now left for the Blues to make any European dreams come true.

Related The next Cole Palmer: Chelsea in contact to sign "generational" £60m talent

Chelsea are looking to make the new Cole Palmer their first summer signing

Posts ByRoss Kilvington May 10, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： O Santos visitou o Vasco em São Januário e saiu com a vitória por 1 a 0, neste domingo, pela sexta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O gol do triunfo do Peixe foi marcado por Deivid, de apenas 17 anos. Assista aos melhores momentos da partida no vídeo acima!

RelacionadasSantosATUAÇÕES: Iluminado, Deivid brilha novamente, e Lucas Lima é garçom em vitória do Santos sobre o VascoSantos14/05/2023SantosJoão Paulo enaltece nova partida em que o Santos não sofre gols e elogia vitória ‘maravilhosa’ sobre o VascoSantos14/05/2023VascoVÍDEO: Torcida do Vasco xinga o técnico Maurício Barbieri após derrota para o SantosVasco14/05/2023

da gbg bet： + Veja a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

Liverpool have joined the race to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi as the FA Cup-winning defender edges closer to the end of his contract.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

12 months left on Guehi's contractSeveral clubs interestedLiverpool join raceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Daily Mail, Slot's team are looking to bring in a central defender amid ongoing speculation about Jarrel Quansah's potential exit to Bayer Leverkusen. Guehi has been identified as a strong addition to the squad, but Palace's previous asking price of £65 million ($87m) may be a little steep for the Premier League champions. They have rejected bids to that value before, from Newcastle, but their bargaining power has taken a hit since.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool's excellent Premier League-winning campaign, in which they also bagged serious funds from a strong Champions League performance, means they have plenty of cash to spend this summer. Guehi would serve as a replacement to Quansah and potentially a long-term successor to Ibrahima Konate, who has been linked with Real Madrid.

DID YOU KNOW?

Liverpool are having a busy summer in the transfer market, but in order to finance big-money moves like their record-breaking swoop for Florian Wirtz, player exits are also crucial. Frustratingly, he club has just been dealt a blow regarding out-of-favour forward Darwin Nunez; Napoli boss Antonio Conte is reportedly very keen on landing his signature, but the Uruguayan's price tag is proving a serious obstacle.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL & GUEHI?

Guehi's path towards an exit is potentially about to be cleared, with Palace in talks to sign Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande for around £40m. With a replacement lined up, the Eagulls are far more likely to let their captain leave, and if the Premier League champions make a substantial offer, it'll be difficult for the England international to refuse.

The ban includes all ECB events, meaning he cannot play the ILT20 and the Abu Dhabi T10, until 2029

Danyal Rasool05-Apr-2024

Usman Khan’s Pakistan prospects improved after his superb performances in the 2024 PSL•PCB/PSL

Usman Khan, who recently reverted allegiance from UAE to Pakistan, has been banned by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for five years. The ban includes all ECB events during this period, meaning he cannot play in the ILT20, the Abu Dhabi T10, or any other ECB-affiliated competitions held in the UAE until 2029.An ECB statement said the decision had been reached after Usman was “found to have breached his obligations to the Emirates Cricket Board”.The board accused Usman of misrepresenting his intentions to them. “Usman was found to have misrepresented to ECB about his decision to play for the UAE team and has used the opportunities and development provided by the ECB to him to seek out other prospects and it was evident that he was no longer wanting to play for ECB nor complete the eligibility criteria which he was under an obligation to do.”That disciplinary action would be taken against Usman was widely expected, though the severity of the punishment and the combative tone taken by the ECB showcases the strength of feeling at the board. Usman was well on the way to qualifying for the UAE, having seemingly given up hopes of playing for Pakistan. He competed in the Abu Dhabi T10 and the ILT20 as a local player for the UAE, and as recently as last month, played the Pakistan Super League as an overseas player.His performances in that tournament shifted the dial, though. He ended up as the second highest run-scorer despite playing just seven of 11 games for Multan Sultans, scoring two of the tournament’s four centuries. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo on the eve of the final, he appeared to express little interest in playing for Pakistan, but when he was called up for a training camp with the rest of the Pakistan squad, he accepted.Related

Pakistan call up Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim for New Zealand T20Is

Usman Khan: 'Where I come from, there's no support behind me; the cricket I've played is on merit'

Five PSL stars who could be on their way to the T20 World Cup

UAE-bound Usman Khan included in Pakistan training camp ahead of NZ T20Is

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after his call-up, Usman believed he had not breached any contract, contesting that his contract included an exit clause with a 30-day notice period. He was resigned to whatever sanction the ECB levied, and said the allure of playing for Pakistan when the PCB came calling after the PSL was too enticing to turn down.It is not yet clear whether the ban means the work permit Usman held will also be voided, but either way, events over the last few weeks effectively closed the door on prospects of Usman ever playing for UAE. His most immediate concern is Pakistan’s upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, for which he is expected to be named in the squad. The T20 World Cup, one of the primary reasons Usman wanted to play for Pakistan, takes place in June in the USA and the West Indies.

West Ham United could make a move for a “magnificent” striker who’s scored 11 goals this season, alongside top target Jonathan David, according to a report.

David emerges as priority signing

David is out of contract with Lille at the end of the season, meaning he is set to be available on a free transfer, and West Ham boss Graham Potter has identified him as his top target to strengthen his frontline.

It will not be easy to win the race for the Lille star, however, with the aforementioned report revealing the likes of Inter Milan and Juventus are also keen, and more recently Barcelona have been mentioned as potential suitors.

The Canadian is said to favour a move to the Camp Nou, but the Hammers could have a major advantage in the race for his signature, as they are able to outspend the La Liga side.

In fact, the Irons have now submitted a contract offer worth a total of £16.5m, in an attempt to beat the European giants to the 25-year-old, but he is not the only striker they have in mind for a summer move.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, West Ham could also make a move for Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha at the end of the season, with Potter keen on bringing in some additional firepower in attack.

West Ham set to rival Inter Milan for signing of 'the next Carlos Tevez'

Tevez was loved by West Ham fans during his time at the club.

ByBarney Lane Mar 3, 2025

The Hammers have been impressed by Emegha’s red-hot form since returning from injury, and there is a chance he could be brought in alongside David, with club chiefs planning to bring in two forwards ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

There could be competition for the forward’s signature, however, with Newcastle United also named as potential suitors, while Chelsea could have a major advantage if they decide to make a move, given that Strasbourg are the Blues’ sister club.

West Ham need new forward options

West Ham have had some bad luck on the injury front this season, with Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio being ruled out, and given their ages, the duo are likely to be approaching the twilight years of their careers.

Considering Potter’s side have also scored just 30 Premier League goals this season, the second-fewest outside the relegation zone, it makes sense to bring in two new forwards this summer, and there are signs Emegha could be a good acquisition.

At 22-years-old, the Dutchman is at the right age to be a long-term success at the London Stadium, and he has scored 11 goals in 19 Ligue 1 appearances, while also providing two assists.

That said, David should remain West Ham’s priority target for the summer, given that the Canada international has proven himself over a number of years in Ligue 1, while also impressing in the Champions League this year, registering six goals and two assists.

da wazamba： While betting on the football can add a bit of fun to the weekend for supporters, it remains strictly forbidden for players to get involved.

da 888： In order to maintain the game’s integrity, the FA has in place a worldwide ban for those involved in football, namely players, club staff and officials working in the Premier League down to the eighth tier of English football, as well as the top two tiers in women’s football.

Rules are more relaxed for those who play below these levels, but they are still barred from betting on any game or competition they can participate in and/or influence.

The ban prohibits these individuals from betting on anything football-related, including the sharing of inside information and match-fixing.

Related 16 times professional footballers were banned

Some of these guys make Luis Suarez look like an angel!

Posts ByAlex Caple Oct 27, 2023

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta is currently embroiled in a betting scandal which could result in the Brazilian receiving a lifetime ban from the FA. His hearing is set to take place in March 2025, lasting three weeks.

Signed by the Hammers in August 2022, Paqueta was investigated for potential betting breaches in August 2023, before being charged at the end of last season, having been accused of getting booked deliberately.

In addition, the Hammers ace has also been charged with multiple breaches of failing to comply with the FA’s investigations.

Should Paqueta be banned for life, it would be unprecedented at this level of the English game. However, if a more lenient punishment befalls him, he would be joining a number of Premier League players to face temporary bans and sanctions for breaking betting rules.

We’ve taken a look at those players below, ranked by the severity of their punishments.

9 Martin Demichelis Fined £22,058 (2016)

Former Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis escaped a football ban in 2016 despite breaking the FA’s rules on betting.

It was reported that the Argentinian placed 29 bets on football matches over the course of four weeks in early 2016.

Now manager of Mexican club Monterrey, the centre-back left City that summer to join Espanyol in La Liga.

8 Cameron Jerome Fined £50,000 (2013)

Cameron Jerome was another player lucky enough to escape a suspension from the FA, despite admitting to “repeatedly” breaching betting regulations, according to reports.

Playing for Stoke City at the time, Jerome was fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct, but did not miss any football as a result.

Perhaps going in his favour was the fact that none of his breaches concerned matches or competitions he was involved in.

7 Andros Townsend 4-month suspended ban, fined £18,000 (2013)

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace midfielder Andros Townsend was banned and fined for breaching betting regulations in 2013.

While he was not betting on games he was involved in, the FA banned him for four months, with all but one of those months suspended.

With Townsend’s ban falling in the summer, he didn’t miss a single match, though he did voluntarily withdraw from the England squad for the U21 European Championship and was fined £18,000.

6 Harry Toffolo 5-month suspended ban, fined £20,956 (2023)

Nottingham Forest defender Harry Toffolo was handed a suspended five-month ban in September 2023 after breaching betting rules on 375 occasions.

Reports at the time appeared to suggest that these breaches were related to bets on football and passing on inside information during a period of over three years ending in March 2017 while playing for Norwich City.

The independent commission’s report said that the player’s mental health was a mitigating factor in his betting offences, with the player’s situation thankfully improving having now kicked a gambling addiction.

Toffolo’s suspended ban remains active today, and will expire at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Related Nottingham Forest and 8 other Premier League surprise packages

The Premier League has had plenty of surprise packages over the previous 30 years – here are some of the best.

Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 5, 2024 5 Kieran Trippier 10-week ban, fined £70,000 (2020)

Kieran Trippier was given a 10-week ban from football for breaking betting rules around the time he joined Atletico Madrid from Spurs in 2019.

In late 2020, Trippier was found guilty of passing on information regarding his prospective move to Atletico Madrid before it became public knowledge, effectively hinting to a friend to bet on him switching clubs.

The ban was briefly lifted following an appeal from his new club, but Trippier still missed 11 matches during that period and was ordered to pay £70,000.

4 Daniel Sturridge 4-month ban, fined £150,000 (2020)

Daniel Sturridge was handed a part-suspended ban and fined £75,000 for two breaches of betting rules regarding a potential transfer move during his time at Liverpool.

However, the FA appealed the decision, which had essentially banned the forward for a couple of weeks despite Sturridge breaking the strict betting rules in place. His fine was then doubled to £150,000 – the highest on this list.

Sturridge was investigated for instructing his brother to bet on him joining Sevilla in January 2018. The FA argued that Sturridge’s family used his inside info to earn money in the betting markets.

Thousands of pounds were placed as bets, with some £20k even being rejected by bookmakers, such was the suspicious activity at the time.

Sturridge ended up joining West Brom that winter and missed out on the England World Cup squad that year.

The charges saw his contract at Turkish club Trabzonspor terminated, and he ended his playing career at Perth Glory before moving into punditry.

3 Ivan Toney 8-month ban, fined £50,000 (2023)

England striker Ivan Toney was banned from football for hundreds of betting breaches, resulting in an eight-month suspension between May 2023 and January 2024.

Playing for Brentford at the time, he was also fined £50,000 after admitting to 232 breaches of the rules, which included betting on his team to lose, as well as his own performance.

While a lifetime ban is possible under those circumstances, Toney’s provisional 15-month ban was reduced owing to his gambling addiction.

The ban put his place in England’s Euro 2024 squad under threat, but Toney returned to form in time to make the team, netting a penalty in the crucial shootout win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

Related Every England penalty shootout at major tournaments

A chance to relive all of the Three Lions’ penalty shootouts at major tournaments.

Posts 1 ByStephan Georgiou Jul 6, 2024 2 Sandro Tonali 10-month ban, fined £37,380 (2023)

Newcastle United signed Sandro Tonali in the summer of 2023, but by the following October, the Italian had been banned for 10 months and fined €20,000 (£17,380) for breaching betting regulations during his time in Serie A with Milan.

As part of his recovery from a gambling addiction, Tonali was ordered to return to Italy to speak to young players about the dangers of betting.

Before his ban took effect, he also placed bets on Newcastle to win on four occasions, with the FA handing him a suspended two-month ban and a £20,000 fine.

The FA said the money placed on those bets was worth over €100,000 (£85,600).

1 Joey Barton 18-month ban, fined £30,000 (2017)

Joey Barton’s playing career was effectively ended by an unprecedented 18-month ban for 1,260 bets placed over a 10-year period.

Barton, who claimed he had a gambling addiction, felt the length of the ban was harsh and felt a player who was “less controversial” would have received a lesser punishment.

He had also been banned for one month during his time at Rangers by the Scottish FA, while some of his bets involved his own team losing – albeit while he was not playing.

It was thought he was placing an average stake of around £150 per bet, which would total £189,000 being spent on betting alone.

A month after the ban took effect, he was released by Burnley, and Barton moved into management after serving his suspension.

Fortune Barishal have acquired Mushfiqur Rahim as the most high-profile pick in the BPL draft held in Dhaka on Sunday. Led by Tamim Iqbal, the side that lost in the eliminator last season, also picked Yannic Cariah, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Saifuddin during the draft.But it was defending champions Comilla Victorians who made some big-name signings. They were conservative in the draft because they already had Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine and Iftikhar Ahmed among their 11 overseas signings before the draft took place. During the draft, they picked the West Indian duo Rahkeem Cornwall and Matthew Forde, apart from bringing back their championship winning captain Imrul Kayes.Sylhet Strikers, who were runners-up last season, retained the talismanic Mashrafe Mortaza, while Najmul Hossain Shanto was their direct signing from among the local players. Mohammad Mithun and Rezaur Rahman Raja were their draft picks.Khulna Tigers went for the Sri Lankan duo of Dasun Shanaka and Kasun Rajitha among their overseas picks, having already named Nasum Ahmed and Nahidul Islam as their retentions.Big-spenders Rangpur Riders have Shakib Al Hasan as their main man, and they got Rony Talukdar and Shamim Hossain among their local picks in the draft. They also picked Michael Rippon, who moved from Netherlands to New Zealand recently, and USA allrounder Yasir Mohammad among their overseas names.BPL 2024 is scheduled to begin in mid-January, once again clashing with the BBL, ILT20 and SA20 which will run around the same time. Here are the draft picks, direct signings and retentions for each team:

Comilla Victorians

Retained & direct signings: Litton Das, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanvir Islam, Towhid Hridoy, Mohammad Rizwan, Sunil Narine, Moeen Ali, Andre Russell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Zaman Khan, Khushdil Shah, Johnson Charles, Noor Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Rashid KhanDraft picks: Imrul Kayes, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Zaker Ali Anik, Mahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Mushfik Hasan, Rahkeem Cornwall, Matthew Forde

Sylhet Strikers

Retained & direct signings: Mashrafe Mortaza, Zakir Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Ryan Burl, Ben Cutting, Harry TectorDraft picks: Mohammad Mithun, Rezaur Rahman Raja, Ariful Haque, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Nazmul Islam, Shafiqul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Jawad Rowen, George Scrimshaw, Richard Ngarava, Dushan Hemantha, Sameet Patel

Khulna Tigers

Retained & direct signings: Nasum Ahmed, Nahidul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Anamul Haque, Evin Lewis, Faheem Ashraf, Dhananjaya de Silva, Shai Hope, Dasun Shanaka, Mohammad Waseem JrDraft picks: Afif Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Habibur Rahman Sohan, Mukidul Islam Mughdho, Akbar Ali, Kasun Rajitha

Durdanto Dhaka

Retained & direct signings: Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Arafat Sunny, Mosaddek Hossain, Chaturanga de Silva, Sam Aiyub, Usman QadirDraft picks: Mohammad Naim, Saif Hasan, Irfan Sukkur, Sabbir Hossain, Alauddin Babu, SM Mehrob Hossain, Lahiru Samarakoon, Sadeera Samarawickrama

Chattogram Challengers

Retained & direct signings: Shuvagata Hom, Ziaur Rahman, Nihaduzzaman, Shohidul Islam, Mohammad Haris, Nazibullah Zadran, Mohammad Hasnain, Stephen EskinaziDraft picks: Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Al-Amin Hossain, Shykat Ali, Imran Uzzaman, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Salahuddin Sakil, Curtis Campher, Bilal Khan

Fortune Barishal

Retained & direct signings: Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ibrahim Zadran, Shoaib Malik, Paul Stirling, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Dunith WellalageDraft picks: Mushfiqur Rahim, Rakibul Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Soumya Sarkar, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Pritom Kumer, Yanik Cariah

Rangpur Riders

Retained & direct signings: Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Babar Azam, Matheesha Pathirana, Brandon King, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ihsanullah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nicholas PooranDraft picks: Rony Talukdar, Shamim Hossain, Ripon Mondal, Hasan Murad, Michael Rippon, Fazle Mahmud, Yasir Mohammad, Abu Hider Rony, Ashikuzzaman

Lasith Malinga will return to Mumbai Indians for IPL 2024, this time as their fast-bowling coach. He will replace Shane Bond, who had held that position for the past nine seasons.After retiring in 2021, Malinga had joined Rajasthan Royals in 2022 as their fast-bowling coach, a position he served for two seasons. This will be Malinga’s second stint in Mumbai’s support staff, having served as their mentor in 2018. A year later, Malinga returned to the field to share the bowling duties with Jasprit Bumrah, with the pair playing a key role in Mumbai winning their fourth IPL title.Overall, Malinga won five titles with Mumbai: four IPLs (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) and the Champions League T20 in 2011. Malinga played 139 matches for Mumbai in all, taking 195 wickets at an economy rate of 7.12. Out of those, 170 wickets came in the IPL, the joint-sixth-most in the league.Bond had joined Mumbai in 2015 and played a key role with Rohit Sharma and Mahela Jayawardene, who served as head coach from 2017 to 2022. It could not be confirmed whether Bond will continue as the head coach of MI Emirates in the ILT20, which started in January this year, where the franchise finished third on the points table in the six-team tournament before losing the second Qualifier to eventual champions Gujarat Giants.

MSK Prasad joins Super Giants as strategic consultant

MSK Prasad, the former India wicketkeeper and chief selector, has taken up the role of strategic consultant with the Super Giants franchise, which owns Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20.Prasad played six Tests and 17 ODIs for India from 1998 to 2000. In 2016, he replaced Sandeep Patil as the chairman of India men’s selection committee and served in that role till 2020. Apart from that, he was also the director of cricket operations at the Andhra Cricket Association.”His involvement at RPSG Sports will be instrumental in providing essential guidance across a spectrum of critical domains as head of talent search, talent development and our academy business,” Super Giants said on their website.