South Africa’s Test captain, currently on an injury layoff, looks back at the team’s memorable draw in Pakistan

Temba Bavuma27-Oct-2025Professional cricketers get used to missing matches through injury but it’s never easy when you miss out on moments like our eight-wicket victory in the second Test, in Rawalpindi to level the series against Pakistan. You are obviously super-happy and proud of the guys and their achievements, but selfishly, as a player, you want to be there. You want to have contributed to the cause in some form.Being out of action with a grade-two calf tear is frustrating but the interval has been enjoyable in terms of readjusting and tinkering with my training programme. Over the last few weeks I have generally started my day with a session with the biokineticist in the morning, followed by a batting session. I have then done strength and conditioning sessions with my trainer based at the Wanderers Stadium.My rehab has been a collaborative effort between Lions and the national side. Ziyaad Mahomed, Lions’ physiotherapist, and Proteas’ physiotherapist Sizwe Hadebe have been administering my rehab and plenty of communication has flowed between them. Tumi Masakela, CSA high-performance strength and conditioning coach, took over from the physiotherapists once they were happy that I was able to train pain-free. I’m at that point now where everything I’m doing is pain-free whether it’s batting or running.Related

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In my absence, Aiden Markram has captained the side and led well, especially in the second Test. For us as South Africans, we are not super-accustomed to the subcontinent, so it will take us a little longer to adapt to the conditions and start getting the feel from a field-setting and bowling-changes point of view. I think Aiden had a stronger sense of that in the second Test, which was seen in the way he used his bowlers, found the balance between attack and defence, and placed fielders at the right angles. I thought his handling of the spinners, especially, which is never easy to get right, was good and they were a lot more effective for those conditions.Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer were superb. Kesh is doing Kesh things and is really cementing himself as one of the best spin bowlers we’ve produced as a country. He is a wily character and he knows how to read you as a batter and is able to adapt his skill to what the opponent is doing. When playing against him, I feel like you have to make the play.That is generally the case when facing good bowlers. They don’t often give you bad balls and you sometimes have to score off their good balls. Kesh gets the ball to drop and angle, utilises the crease, and he is always in the game.Simon, who took his 1000th first-class wicket during the second Test, is a silent warrior. He actually reached out to me after the Test Championship final and said that he’s still available to play South African cricket. He expressed that’s still his goal, and it was exciting to hear that. I then had a conversation with the coach, Shukri Conrad, to get him back involved. I’m glad he’s returned to the fold, and looking at the Tests we’re going to have on the subcontinent, it made a lot of sense. The partnership between Simon and Kesh will become a formidable one, especially in subcontinental conditions. I also like the competitiveness between them. We also have Senuran Muthusamy and Prenelan Subrayen to support them, and Aiden, who can turn his arm over as well.South Africa have an attack tailored for the subcontinent with Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer in their ranks•Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty ImagesSen was a well-deserved Man of the Series against Pakistan. He contributed with the ball in the first Test and the bat in the second. It would have been nice for him to get to the three-figure mark, but the way he’s come into the team, he’s really bolstered our resources from both a batting and bowling perspective. He took 11 wickets and scored 106 runs, but he’s an unassuming character; he’s not loud and gets his job done. Whenever the opportunity is there, he tries to grab it with both hands. I’m sure the guys would have celebrated hard for a bloke like Sen.What we have been able to do well and something which has served us, is selecting based on character rather than simply basing it on stats. Character is a big thing for us as a team and everything we do, we do it for each other. It’s knowing you have individuals, who on their day will make the play for the team.A great example of that came from Kagiso Rabada with the bat. We obviously all know him with the ball. But, for me, with him making a play like that, making 71 runs in the second Test, it was probably the defining moment in the game. I hear they call him “Brian Charles” Rabada now!KG killed all energy within the Pakistani team. It was always going to be tricky for them going into their second innings and trying to play with any great deal of confidence, having suffered that at the hands of Kagiso and his bat.

The India wristspinner picked up a five-for in unfriendly bowling conditions by beating batters in the air and keeping the wickets in play

Karthik Krishnaswamy12-Oct-20251:15

Chopra: Not a surface Kuldeep would love

Angles. Over the wicket creates an entirely different angle to around the wicket, and while left-arm over and right-arm around create a broadly similar angle, they’re still a little different because of how the human body works. The right-arm-around bowler can deliver from far wider on the crease than the left-arm-over bowler, and the left-arm-over bowler from significantly closer to the stumps.All this, quite naturally, brings us to Kuldeep Yadav, the most artful employer of left-arm over in the history of Test-match spin bowling.That’s quite a claim, but it’s easily backed up, because left-arm wristspin has been such a rare sight in Test cricket. Left-arm fingerspinners bowl over the wicket too, but it’s the mirror image of vanilla when they do it against left-hand batters, and a defensive tactic against right-hand batters. For the left-arm wristspinner, over the wicket is the default setting.Related

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And no left-arm wristspinner in the history of the sport has taken even 100 Test wickets. Johnny Wardle took 102 but primarily bowled left-arm orthodox. Garry Sobers took 235 but mostly bowled left-arm seam and left-arm orthodox.Kuldeep, playing just his 15th Test match, is already the most prolific Test bowler of his kind. He has 65 wickets at an average of 21.90, and if that isn’t impressive enough, his strike rate of 37.00 is the best of any spinner, of any kind, ever, with a cut-off of 50 Test wickets.Kuldeep Yadav has the most wickets – 65 – by a left-arm wristspinner in Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesIt’s the record of a generational talent who combines the often hard-to-reconcile skills of spinning the ball furiously out of the hand and landing it exactly where intended in a manner that only a handful of wristspinners, right- or left-arm, have ever managed. It’s the record of a wristspinner with an exquisite feel for the combination of line, length and trajectory that the batter would be least comfortable facing each time he skips into his run-up. And it’s the record of a master at using the left-arm-over angle.Take two balls that Kuldeep bowled on Sunday morning to send back Shai Hope and Tevin Imlach in quick succession after they had put on 49 for the fifth West Indies wicket.First to go was Hope, who last week in Ahmedabad had been bowled while trying to drive Kuldeep against the turn. The angle across him, accentuated by away-drift, had drawn his bat wider and wider, opening up a huge gate for the ball, which turned sharply into Hope, to burst through.Here in Delhi, Hope was no doubt extremely vigilant about the threat to his inside edge when he stretched forward to defend as Kuldeep floated another ball across him from left-arm over. Even before the ball landed, it began opening up a weakness in Hope’s defence: his front foot went straight down the pitch, toe roughly in line with middle stump, when the ball was already drifting away towards off.Hope correctly read the ball out of Kuldeep’s hand, picking the stock ball that would turn into him, but guessed wrongly about the degree of turn. The ball only really straightened down the line, going past the outside edge to hit the top of off stump.The ball to Imlach was another stock ball, only a little slower and a touch shorter and straighter. It happened to hit a part of the pitch from where the ball turned far more sharply while skidding through slightly low. Imlach, playing back, was lbw, beaten on the inside edge while making a hurried attempt to flick.2:05

Ten Doeschate: Mystery element makes Kuldeep effective

Two stock balls, both angled across the right-hand batter and turning in the same direction. One pitched roughly in line with off stump, one in line with middle or thereabouts. One beat the outside edge, one beat the inside edge. Both ended up hitting the stumps or being projected to hit the stumps.Those two balls summed up the fundamental difficulty of facing Kuldeep as a right-hand batter. He delivers from left-arm over, and from so close to the stumps that he typically releases from somewhere above the umpire’s right shoulder. Delivered from there, his stock ball can land anywhere from leg stump to a fair way outside off stump, turn or straighten inwards, beat either edge, and remain on course to hit the stumps, giving him a seemingly endless range of pitching lines and degrees of turn with which he can get batters lbw or bowled.All this with just his stock ball and his angles. All this before we throw in all the ways he can scramble batters’ judgment of line and length with variations in pace, drift, and dip. He might look to straighten the ball from a middle-stumpish line if he senses that you tend to get closed off, and force you to play around your front pad. He might float the ball slower and wider if he senses that you’re petrified about lbw, and hesitant to get your front foot across the stumps, to try and get you playing away from your body. He might push one through flatter if you tend to camp on the back foot, inducing you to play the trajectory rather than the length. He might do any of these things while keeping both edges the stumps in play.All this before he even feels the need to slip in his wrong’un. It’s no surprise that he uses that variation sparingly against right-hand batters and frequently against left-handers. He does everything in his power to constantly keep the stumps in play.The geometry of Kuldeep’s bowling ensures that he traces a wicket-to-wicket path all the way from pitching point to stumps more often than most spinners, and ball-tracking data supports this notion.In Test matches in India since the start of 2022, spinners on average have pitched in line finished within the stumps with roughly 7% of their balls to right-hand batters, and roughly 5% of their balls to left-hand batters. India’s spinners, unsurprisingly, have done better than the average spinner. R Ashwin has done this with 7% of his balls to right-hand batters and 11% of his balls to left-handers. Ravindra Jadeja has gone at 9% to left-handers and 15% to right-handers.If these two great fingerspinners have shown a greater tendency to be stump-to-stump against their preferred match-ups, Kuldeep has shown no evidence of having a preferred match-up. He’s bowled stump-to-stump deliveries with a frequency of 13% against right-hand batters and 13.5% against left-handers. No surprise, then, that there’s barely any difference between his averages against right-hand batters (21.94) and left-handers (21.73).Kuldeep’s fifth Test five-for might make it harder for India to leave him out in overseas Tests•PTI And keep in mind that these numbers are based on precise ball-tracking, and exclude all the balls that pitch an inch wide of the stumps, or are projected to turn or bounce just enough to miss off stump or leg stump by an inch. Add all those balls to the count, and you begin to see how often Kuldeep makes batters fear for their pads and stumps, and how much error he induces by doing this as often as he does.On Sunday, this relentless stump-to-stump examination produced one bowled and two lbws within the first hour of play. It was exactly the kind of bowling India needed on a slow, low Delhi pitch where edges were unlikely to carry to fielders, and where the ability to keep the stumps in play was priceless.It showed, all over again, what a treasure Kuldeep can be on pitches without too much help for spinners. He’s likelier to beat batters in the air than most fingerspinners, and he turns the ball both ways, but he often doesn’t need to because of his mastery of his stock angle and stock ball.Sunday morning’s display — and the threat he still presents West Indies on this docile track despite their fightback after being asked to follow on — will only have convinced Kuldeep’s fans that India ought to have played him at some point during their recent tour of England. He never got that chance, and India drew 2-2. Did that scoreline vindicate his non-selection, or did not selecting him keep India from winning the series?No one knows, but his fifth Test five-for made one member of India’s coaching staff wonder what could potentially have been.”It’s very difficult,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said at his end-of-day’s-play press conference. “I just cast my mind back to all the discussions around teams and how we tried to fit him in. But one thing, I think we got the [reading of] wickets pretty spot-on in England. It was very high-scoring Tests, so we were always trying to balance playing the batting all-rounder or do you play three guys at the end who don’t really bat?”But I guess [Kuldeep has] shown here, even on an unresponsive wicket, it does maybe make you think, oh, what happens if we had played him in Manchester, or what happens if we had played him at Headingley? But those are calls you have to make in real time, and we always try to figure out what’s best, then we go with the call and the players have been brilliant at buying into it.”But I think he’s done himself some favours, looking forward, if we do have to make the brave call where we want to win Test matches, maybe we do go a batter light and play Kuldeep, judged on how he’s bowled again in these two Tests.”If you’re one of the many vociferous fans who believe Kuldeep has to play no matter where India are playing, those words may have left you feeling vindicated, if his bowling on Sunday morning hadn’t already done that job.

Manchester United are rivalling Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal for the signing of Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise.

The 23-year-old has arguably matured into one of the best wingers in world football, excelling in a Bayern shirt since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024.

Olise has six assists already in the Bundesliga this season, which is more than Bruno Fernandes (three) and Bryan Mbuemo (one) combined in the Premier League, with a half-dozen league goals also coming his way, outlining his end product.

The Frenchman is a hugely sought-after player, which is no great surprise, given his age and talent – Liverpool have been linked with a move – and Bayern will be desperate to fend off any interest in him.

United may have spent big on attackers in the summer transfer window, bringing in Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but they are likely to be on the lookout for further additions in 2026, in order to make competition for places as fierce as possible.

Man Utd in the mix to sign £123m-rated Michael Olise

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United are showing “serious interest” in £123m-rated Bayern star Olise, but Liverpool and Arsenal are also in the race to snap him up.

Olise would be a spectacular addition for United, with Bayern centre-back and teammate Dayot Upamecano heaping praise on his brilliance in the past, saying: “He’s a magician. His technical level is very high. He can do everything. He can score, set up, and even defend.”

That said, the one confusing aspect of United potentially signing him is the fact that he plays a similar role to Mbeumo, in terms of being a left-footed right winger who cuts inside to wreak havoc.

It could be argued that the Red Devils don’t need both, especially with Amad Diallo continuing to grow as player in that role, with those funds being focused on other key positions, such as central midfield.

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He has a massive future in the game.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

That’s not to say that United should pass up the chance to bring in Olise, though, and beating Liverpool and Arsenal to him would be a massive statement, and he has the talent to light up Old Trafford for years to come.

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Dhaka Capitals and Rangpur Riders are the only surviving teams from the 2024-25 season

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2025

Fortune Barishal, who won the last two editions of the BPL, will not feature in 2025-26•Fortune Barishal

Five teams, down from seven last year, will take part in the 2025-26 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Dhaka Capitals and Rangpur Riders are the only surviving teams from the 2024-25 season, with three other franchises – Chattogram, Rajshahi and Sylhet – having gone through ownership changes.This means Chittagong Kings, Durbar Rajshahi and Sylhet Strikers are out of the competition, with Chattogram Royals, Rajshahi Warriors and Sylhet Titans taking their place.Fortune Barishal, who won the last two editions of the BPL, and Khulna Tigers are out of the tournament entirely.The BCB’s media department announced the list of participating teams on Thursday, but did not reveal any details of the new ownership.The BPL player draft is set to take place on November 17. The tournament is likely to be held from mid-December 2025 to mid-January 2026.

To watch him bat in Mumbai was to understand what aggressive intent on turning tracks looks like at the highest level

Himanshu Agrawal13-Nov-2024It’s the 18th over of New Zealand’s second innings in Mumbai. R Ashwin is about to deliver the fourth ball, but stops in his delivery stride. He has spotted Daryl Mitchell shaping for the reverse sweep, and denies him the chance.When Ashwin finally bowls, Mitchell steps out. He is unmoved until Ashwin completes his action, and it’s only when he is about to release the ball that Mitchell leaves the crease. Mitchell gets to the pitch of the ball and launches it back over Ashwin’s head for a massive six.In the lead-up to the Test series in India, New Zealand captain Tom Latham had spoken about how his batters were looking to approach their task. “It’s an exciting challenge going over to India and once we can go over there hopefully [we can] play with a bit of freedom, bit of no fear and try and take it to them. If we do that, hopefully gives ourselves a good chance.Related

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“Think in India we’ve seen teams that have done well out there in the past have been quite aggressive towards them. Especially with the bat they’ve looked to play a few shots, but also put them under pressure, which is really important over there rather than sitting and waiting for something to happen.”That two-part ball from Ashwin to Mitchell illustrated exactly what Latham meant. Recall what happened just before that: Ashwin had got the two previous deliveries to turn sharply and kick up at Mitchell, producing back-to-back lbw appeals.This was a treacherous third-innings surface where any ball could turn sharply or jump at the batter, or occasionally even keep low. On this pitch, against a bowler of Ashwin’s class, Mitchell, doing exactly what his captain had wanted, tried and put the pressure back on the opposition rather than sit back and hope.There was a method to this, of course. It wasn’t about hitting out recklessly. In Mitchell’s case, it was about knowing his strengths and maximising them, and showing the discipline to keep backing those strengths and not turn to unfamiliar shots.

Mitchell’s methods suggest that it’s about being selective about what risks to take, and backing those risks fully

Let’s examine the options he turned to: the reverse sweep and the step-out loft down the ground. These are two shots Mitchell has played expertly in Test cricket. Since his debut in November 2019, he has employed the reverse sweep 73 times against spin in Asia. Only Joe Root has played it more often.Those 73 reverse sweeps have fetched Mitchell 73 runs, including ten boundaries, and cost him his wicket on two occasions. Like any shot, the reverse sweep can get batters out, but it can get you quick runs between those dismissals if you’re good at it. Mitchell has averaged 36.50 while playing the shot in Asia. It hasn’t worked out quite as well for another frequent reverse sweeper, Alex Carey, who has been out four times in 60 attempts in this period, while averaging 19.And like that six against Ashwin showed, Mitchell also excels at coming down the track to go over the top. Since his debut, he has stepped out 62 times against spin with aggressive intent, as per ESPNcricinfo’s data; those 62 attempts have brought him 246 runs, with 21 fours and 25 sixes, as well as seven dismissals. Only Rishabh Pant has stepped out with aggressive intent more often, smashing 350 runs off 77 such deliveries, with just three dismissals.The reverse sweep is a shot Daryl Mitchell has played expertly in Test cricket•Associated PressDigging deeper shows how selective Mitchell is about the areas he targets. Of those 62 balls he has stepped out to with aggressive intent, he has hit 51 in the ‘V’. He has accumulated 215 runs off those balls, at a strike rate of 421.57, and hit 16 fours and 24 sixes.Again, as good as Mitchell is at this dancing straight hit, he knows he can get out to it. He has been out six times while doing it, and the last instance cut short his second innings in Mumbai, with Ashwin, deliberately placed two-thirds of the way back to the long-on boundary, taking an outstanding running catch off Ravindra Jadeja.Turning pitches magnify both the risk and the reward of aggressive shots. Batters who adopt high-risk methods successfully tend to work out ways to better their odds. Mitchell’s methods suggest that it’s about being selective about what risks to take, and backing those risks fully. There were many examples of this in the first innings of the Mumbai Test, when he made 82. He was hit on the pad by Jadeja while attempting his second reverse sweep, and on the glove on the fourth occasion when he missed one off Ashwin, which can happen on pitches with bounce for the spinner. But Mitchell played the shot three more times after that.Eventually, New Zealand swept India 3-0, pulling off one of Test cricket’s greatest upsets. Mitchell’s reverse sweeps and forays down the pitch were two small pieces in the jigsaw of planning and execution that made up that seismic result.

Lancashire have said they are investigating after an incident in which a fan attending the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford was asked to cover up the Pakistan shirt they were wearing.The fan, named in Pakistani media as Farooq Nazar, posted a video on social media documenting the request, initially from a member of the security staff at the ground, that he cover the shirt, a replica of Pakistan’s traditional green limited-overs kit.The security guard, who identifies himself as working for Lancashire, says: “I’ve been asked by control if you can cover that shirt up, please.” Later on, a steward can be heard saying the shirt “might be considered nationalistic”.Related

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In the video, Nazar can be seen becoming increasingly agitated amid repeated requests to cover up. Eventually, he is approached by a police officer, who asks to continue the conversation away from the stands. According to reports, Nazar then opted to leave the ground rather than hide his shirt.Political relations between India and Pakistan, frosty for years, have been at their most tense this year, following a brief military skirmish between the two countries in May. Those tensions have filtered into relations between the BCCI and PCB; the two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 and no Test cricket since 2007-08. Their participation in ICC events hosted by either country has also recently become problematic, with a neutral venue added in to stage their games as part of a hybrid solution to the issue.It is unclear on which day of the Test, which ended in a draw as India batted their way through five sessions, the incident took place but Lancashire confirmed they were looking into it.”We are aware of the incident referenced and are taking steps to understand the facts and context surrounding the matter fully,” a Lancashire spokesperson said.In recent years, Lancashire have openly spoken of building their links with India. The Hundred team based at the ground, Manchester Originals, are set to become 70% owned by Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG group, which runs Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, while Lancashire’s chief executive, Daniel Gidney, has suggested giving the BCCI a stake in the 100-ball tournament.

Halloween might now be over for another year, but that didn’t stop Newcastle United from showing their Jekyll and Hyde tendencies away at West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.

Heading into this tie against Nuno Espirito Santo’s dejected hosts, Newcastle had collected three wins from their last three games in all competitions.

But, regardless of this run of wins, their poor away record in the Premier League this season continued on at the London Stadium, as Nuno was gifted his first Hammers victory as manager, off the back of the Toon collapsing to a 3-1 loss.

Of course, West Ham did have some genuine moments of quality to thank for their much-needed win, as Lucas Paqueta smashed home this sweetly struck equaliser late into the first half.

Yet, they were definitely boosted by a charitable defensive showing throughout from the away side, too, with Nick Pope perhaps wishing he had done better with this opener, in hindsight.

Newcastle's worrying defensive display

Newcastle would have been the definite favourites for this tie during the pre-match build-up, with West Ham going 247 days without a home victory heading into their showdown with Eddie Howe and Co.

Football is very rarely played to the script, though, with the Newcastle defence that looked rock-solid mid-week when comfortably beating Tottenham Hotspur, replaced by a shoddy, error-prone backline at the London Stadium.

It was the exact same defence, too, minus Sven Botman coming back into the first team mix ahead of Fabian Schar. Howe would have very much regretted making this call in first-half stoppage time, when Botman inexplicably placed a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, past his own goalkeeper, to hand West Ham a slim 2-1 advantage.

The Dutchman wasn’t alone in having an off-day at the back, though, with Emil Krafth hooked off at the half-time mark after he had managed to win zero duels or zero tackles, as Howe desperately wished he had Kieran Trippier available in his spot, instead.

Aaron Ramsdale will also feel he’s in with a slight shout to usurp Pope in between the sticks after a clean sheet was picked up by the ex-Arsenal ‘keeper versus Spurs, with the former Burnley stopper an unsteady pair of gloves, again, when he spilt a late effort into Tomas Soucek’s path to tie up the win for the hosts.

He does have some credit in the bank, though, having kept an impressive five clean sheets in the Premier League so far this season, away from his error-strewn showing on Sunday.

Whereas, one of his other teammates defensively remains on a very precarious tight-rope when it comes to being selected in the starting XI, after a campaign full of disastrous performances.

Howe must drop 3/10 Newcastle star

Howe really did experiment with his XI in East London, as the likes of William Osula, Jacob Ramsey, and Anthony Elanga were all thrown into the first-team action at some point during the chaotic clash.

The 47-year-old’s widespread tinkering did very little to turn the game on its head, though, as Dan Burn struggled throughout as a left-back once more.

Burn’s Newcastle numbers by position
Position	Games played	Goals + Assists
CB	82	2 + 2
LB	78	6 + 2
Sourced by Transfermarkt

In the past, the 6-foot-7 giant has excelled in the left-back spot, as seen in his collecting six goals when selected on the left-hand side from 78 appearances and counting.

But, in the here and now, it’s clear that the ageing number 33 is no longer well suited to a full-back role, with one Newcastle-based content creator’s comments earlier in the season that Burn being selected regularly here is the “stuff of nightmares” very much ringing true against Nuno’s spirited hosts.

Indeed, the Blyth-born defender would offer very little to Howe and Co’s cause in the forward areas, with zero dribbles attempted.

On top of that, Burn would also fail to win a single tackle or a single ground duel during the 3-1 defeat, leading to Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin handing him a disappointing 3/10 score post-match.

It’s surely the correct time, now, for Lewis Hall to gain more first-team experience in the left-back spot, over Burn, who is showing no signs, as of late, that he’s cut out for this demanding position long term.

Hall was back on the bench, too, at the London Stadium, after a lengthy absence out of the first team fold through injury, as Howe now contemplates ditching his long-standing servant for the promising youngster, as Champions League football returns to St James’ Park mid-week.

Howe can drop Jacob Ramsey by unleashing underperforming Newcastle star

Newcastle travel to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 2, 2025

West Ham chiefs are already working to try and save Nuno Espírito Santo when the January window opens for business, with Brazil international defender Alexsandro now a key winter target.

According to recent reports, and amid the Hammers’ dire start to 2025/2026, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board are ready to back Nuno to the hilt with new additions mid-season.

Sky Sports reported last week that Nuno has got confirmation funds will be available to spend in January, and West Ham are actively targeting a new defender, midfielder and forward.

Much has been made of their glaring need for a new striker, with Real Madrid sensation Endrick rumoured to be on West Ham’s January shortlist as the east Londoners ponder a loan deal.

However, long-term injuries to Konstantinos Mavropanos and Ollie Scarles have left West Ham desperately short at the back too.

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Mavropanos is expected to be out for up to six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Brentford, while Scarles was forced to undergo surgery on his collarbone and could be missing until 2026 (ExWHUemployee).

If West Ham’s desire for a star new defender to shore up their leaky backline wasn’t already there, it definitely is now.

So far, West Ham have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League, and it is crystal clear that Nuno needs to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Bearing this in mind, Nuno has now got his eyes on Alexsandro.

The 26-year-old has been a mainstay for Lille and his impressive performances in France even attracted attention from Premier League title frontrunners Arsenal in the summer.

Before Mikel Arteta’s side eventually signed Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera as their central defensive additions, credible South American news outlet UOL reported that Arsenal held initial talks over Alexsandro, which eventually went nowhere.

This is good news for West Ham, as Nuno is believed to be extremely keen.

Alexsandro makes key demand to join West Ham in January

According to Hammers News, the Irons boss wants him in the first week of January after identifying Alexsandro as the club’s priority defender signing this winter.

A deal is described by one transfer source as having a “good” chance of happening, and early talks have already been held over the centre-back’s potential arrival.

However, Alexsandro has apparently set out a key condition to join West Ham.

It is believed the Ligue 1 star wants “assurances” that there will be a route out of the London Stadium if West Ham enter the doomsday scenario of relegation, so it appears he’s looking for a safety net before committing.

While Alexsandro has been excellent for Lille overall, as evident by the Gunners’ reported interest earlier this year, he has real disciplinary issues.

Last season, the player was handed a seismic 13 bookings in all competitions, picking up three yellow card suspensions in the French top flight alone.

Nuno would need to try and work this out of Alexsandro’s game if the defender moves to Rush Green at the start of next year, but according to ESPN, he could be available for just £26 million.

West Ham have also held talks to sign two more players from the same club

As we head into the November international break, it's time to review the Premier League season so far. Each side has played 11 games out of 38 and we've got a rough idea of who will be fighting for what this year. Arsenal boast a four-point lead at the top and even have half an eye on Chelsea's record of 16 goals conceded in a single campaign, while Wolves already seem destined for relegation.

However, only 10 points separate Chelsea in third place from West Ham down in 18th. With money flying around from all clubs, there's greater parity than ever. The Premier League is indeed the 'Super League'.

We at GOAL are ready to pause and reflect on the best players to date, with so much quality now splattered across the division, from the leading scorer to towering defenders, from midfield metronomes to total destroyers:

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  10Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)

  You can see why Pep Guardiola has been so enamoured with the idea of Jeremy Doku since he arrived from Rennes in 2023. The Belgian winger is easily among the best one-v-one dribblers in world football, though this standout talent has often proven frustrating when trying to turn chances into goals, either himself or by setting up others.

  The stats this season aren't too different to his usual numbers – one goal and three assists in 11 Premier League games – but Doku is doing far more to aid Manchester City's recent uptick. Rather than being marooned on an island by the touchline, he's playing far more centrally and getting into the tight spaces only he can expertly navigate so effortlessly.

  Bumping Doku into the top 10 is partially grounded in recency bias, but his Player-of-the-Match performance in Sunday's 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool was too difficult to ignore and was one of the finest individual performances of the season.

  "I want to play without any fear or doubt or anything," he told reporters. "I'm 23 years old. I hope this is not my peak level. I hope I can still improve, improve my finishing, improve my movements in the box, improve my decision-making, improve on my awareness when I have the ball – a lot. This is an unfinished product and I hope with these team-mates, and a very good coach like Pep, I can still improve."

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  9Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal)

  Of all the signings Arsenal made this summer, the ones who excited supporters most upon announcement were Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze. They haven't, however, quite hit the ground running in N5, but Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi certainly has.

  He's immediately brought a heads-up attitude that has been missing from Arsenal's midfield since Granit Xhaka departed the club in 2023. Just like the days of Arsene Wenger, the Gunners' No.6 can break the lines with pinpoint passing so effortlessly. Backed up by the muscle of Declan Rice, Mikel Arteta has a rather complete duo on his hands.

  After scoring twice in a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest back in September, Arteta said of Zubimendi: "Certainly he's given us a lot of positive things, his presence, his authority on the pitch, the way he connects with the players and that composure that he's having. If he starts to add assists and goals like this, it's another dimension of a player… He was unbelievable, the two goals are very difficult to score. Martin is bringing such a presence, composure and understanding of the game that makes the team flow and play better. And on top of that, he's adding goals and assists, so that's the trajectory that we have to maintain with him."

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  8Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United)

  It was hard for Manchester United to sink any lower this season, but they gave it a bloody good go for a few weeks. A slow start to the Premier League campaign, coupled with a humiliating exit to League Two side Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup, followed a year that saw them finish 15th () and lose the Europa League final to Tottenham ().

  Ruben Amorim hasn't totally 'turned the Reds around' quite yet, but there are reasons to be positive, none more so than the acquisition and integration of Bryan Mbeumo, a big-money signing who is actually thriving in the intense Old Trafford spotlight. The forward already has five goals in 11 Premier League games for United – a tally which would have ranked as the squad's third-highest for all of last season – and looks every bit a player worthy of representing a club with 20 titles to their name. The Homer Simpson-inspired celebration is a bonus.

  Even United's all-time leading scorer has been hugely impressed by Mbeumo, with Wayne Rooney commenting: "Mbeumo has been consistent with his performances, I think that's the main thing. If you're consistently getting in the right positions, getting chances, you will score. When you're a forward and you score goals, you enjoy scoring goals and that feeling keeps going. His confidence is very high at the minute. Hopefully that continues because he's certainly been the best signing for United this season."

  Mbeumo took home the Premier League Player of the Month award for October and United fans must already be dreading how they may cope without him when he joins up with the Cameroon squad for their Africa Cup of Nations campaign this winter.

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  7Declan Rice (Arsenal)

  Such has been the success of Declan Rice at Arsenal that nobody even bothers to debate whether the Gunners were right to break the nine-figure mark to sign him from West Ham. "We got him half price," Gunners supporters gleefully sing from the terraces.

  This hasn't even been that outstanding of a season for Rice, not by his standards. Nonetheless, he's still providing the midfield steel that protects their dominant backline and is as important an offensive weapon – a huge part of their , if you will – as anyone else in their squad, terrorising opponents with his wicked corners and free-kicks.

  For Arsenal and England, Rice has been afforded a bit more freedom this term and for good reason. "I can play No.6 or No.8," he said recently. "I think now I am more of a box-to-box No.8. The manager has adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year, given me a bit more freedom to drop deep, but also get in the box when I can. It is the same with Thomas [Tuchel]. I think that really suits me on that left side of midfield. Being able to get back to being an all-round action midfielder is what I want to be, and I am just enjoying my football.

  "I have got two managers who lay it out really easy with the game plan, what I have to do and where I have to be. Obviously, I am the one that has to go and execute it, but when you have confidence in football, you feel unstoppable at times. I ended the season really strong last year and probably didn’t start one or two games of this season as good as I wanted, but I have picked up my form now. I feel really strong. I feel fit, really confident in my game, and hopefully the only way is up from here for England and Arsenal."

Micky Van de Ven’s addition back in the summer of 2023 raised eyebrows among many Tottenham Hotspur supporters, especially after the hierarchy forked out £40m for his signature.

Such a fee was a hefty one during the Daniel Levy era, but it may have come as more of a surprise given the Dutchman was largely an unknown quantity to many of the fans.

However, just over a couple of years on from his move, he’s cemented himself as a key member of Thomas Frank’s squad – arguably being one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Despite his defensive role, the 24-year-old has had a huge impact within attacking areas, netting three times in the Premier League this season – putting him joint top of the Lilywhites’ goalscoring charts.

It’s not all been plain sailing for the club within the defensive department, with numerous other big-money additions unable to live up to the hefty fees paid for their services.

Spurs’ issues at centre-back for Van de Ven’s arrival

Spending big on centre-backs hasn’t been alien to Spurs in recent years, as seen by their £42m addition of Davinson Sanchez back in the summer of 2017 – a then club-record transfer.

The Colombian racked up over 200 appearances for the Lilywhites over a six-year period, subsequently leaving in the summer of 2023 to join Turkish side Galatasaray.

He was a solid option under various managers in North London, but ultimately, the fanbase were left disappointed – especially after paying a club-record fee for his signature.

Joe Rodon was another youngster signed by the hierarchy to potentially grow into an elite-level centre back, subsequently paying Swansea City £11m back in the summer of 2020.

However, the Welshman would only make 15 Premier League appearances for the club, before being sold to Leeds United as part of the Archie Gray deal in 2024.

It’s safe to say with Van de Ven, times have changed in North London, but the club have already unearthed another top-level talent who could be a real hit with the fans in the years to come.

The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Van de Ven

Whilst he’s been battling with injuries over the last few months, Van de Ven’s importance to the Spurs side simply cannot be understated – with Frank’s men a much better side with the Dutchman at the back.

He’s already helped the Lilywhites keep seven clean sheets across all competitions, with the 24-year-old evidently having a huge impact at both ends of the pitch.

The defender has also demonstrated his strength in another area, with the former Wolfsburg man registering the fastest speed of any player in England’s top-flight throughout 2024/25.

At present, he’s currently partnered by Cristian Romero at the heart of the backline, but that could be about to change in the years ahead, given the emergence of Luka Vuskovic.

The Lilywhites forked out a reported fee in the region of £12m for the signature of teenage sensation from Hajduk Split, with real hope he can be a first team starter in the near future.

The Croatian has spent a couple of years out on loan, with his spell on loan at Westerlo catching the eye – but for his attacking quality rather than his talent at the back – just like Van de Ven.

He scored seven times and notched two assists in his 36 outings, a simply staggering feat for a young defender, which earned him another loan move – this time to Bundesliga side, Hamburg.

The prospect of top-flight German football may have seemed like a huge jump to many, but the 18-year-old has wasted no time in impressing the supporters of Die Rothosen.

Vuskovic, who’s been labelled “one of the most exciting teenage centre-backs” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already opened his account for the German side in 2025/26.

Games played

6

Goals scored

1

Pass accuracy

84%

Duels won

10.2

Aerial duels won

7.5

Aerial success rate

87%

Dribbles completed

100%

Touches

85.8

However, his defensive stats are just as impressive, with the youngster winning a staggering 10.2 duels per 90 – 7.5 of which have been in the air – subsequently achieving a success rate of 87%.

He’s also completed 100% of the dribbles he’s attempted, whilst completing a total of 84% of his passes – showcasing his incredible all-round game despite his tender age.

It’s very rare you come across such a dominant young centre-back, but it’s clear Vuskovic has all the tools needed to be a monster hit with the Lilywhites fanbase in the years to come.

Should he stay on his current path, there’s no reason why he can’t emulate Van de Ven’s success in North London and even surpass the Dutchman’s recent levels.

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