Noman puts Pakistan in driver's seat on 16-wicket day

South Africa are 51 for 2 and need to pull off the second-highest successful chase in Pakistan to win the Lahore Test

Firdose Moonda14-Oct-2025

Noman Ali has been Shan Masood’s trump card in Lahore•Getty Images

Pakistan are eight wickets away from ending South Africa’s ten-match winning streak in Test cricket after asking them to complete the highest successful chase in Lahore and second-highest in Pakistan. A target of 277 looks far away with the visitors 51 for 2 at stumps on the third day.In a match that has played to script, Pakistan won the toss, batted first, took a 109-run innings lead and scored quickly in their second go to leave South Africa in a battle for survival. Spinners have been the key protagonists, led by Senuran Muthusamy who finished with career-best match figures of 11 for 174, including a second five-for. Muthusamy’s haul is the fourth-best by a South African spinner but that is unlikely to be enough to help them win the game.Instead, it is Noman Ali who will take the headlines after picking up his fifth successive Test five-for earlier in the day and, adding to that haul, two second-innings wickets as well to set Pakistan on their way.The day began with South Africa’s first innings still standing. There were four wickets left and Sajid Khan took one of them when Muthusamy edged him to slip, where Salman Agha claimed a sharp catch.With the score 228 for 7, Tony de Zorzi had a decision to make. He was 81 overnight. A swing across the line for four against Sajid and a strike over long-off for six against Noman made it clear what his plans were going to be. De Zorzi reverse-swept Noman for a single to bring up a hard-fought hundred, which was the second of his Test career and second in the subcontinent.Tony de Zorzi brought up his second Test century•Getty Images

With the second new ball looming, de Zorzi sought to be as aggressive as possible but it was his undoing. He advanced on Noman and swung hard but only got the ball as far as Shaheen Shah Afridi on the long-on boundary to give Noman a five-for. South Africa made it to the second new ball, Pakistan took it and gave it to their spinners, and it took Noman eight balls to strike. Prenalen Subrayen tried to defend but got an edge and Agha was in action again to take another good catch at slip. Noman finished with 6 for 112.With a first innings lead of 109, Pakistan could afford early losses and risky strokeplay. Imam-ul-Haq was the first to fall when he shimmied down the pitch to drive Simon Harmer through the offside but he missed the ball as it turned away from him and was stumped for 0.Kagiso Rabada caused significant problems in a superb new-ball spell. He found Abdullah Shafique’s edge three times but the ball went for four on each occasion and also beat Shan Masood with a peach that just missed off stump. The pressure Rabada created brought rewards at the other end. Harmer got a second when Masood was stuck on the back foot trying to cut a delivery that angled in and hit on the pad. Babar Azam survived an lbw review before lunch off Rabada when he was hit high on the back leg and Markram was convinced to send it upstairs. The ball would have bounced over the stumps.Babar continued to live dangerously after the break. He top-edged a sweep off Harmer but it went over leg slip. Shafique hit Muthusamy high over mid-off but Wiaan Mulder couldn’t take the catch over his left shoulder. Eventually, Babar settled down and was willing to show a little more patience than his peers.He scored just nine runs off the first 26 balls he faced and was getting his eye in when he watched Shafique hand Muthusamy a thigh-high caught and bowled dismissal. In Muthusamy’s next over, Babar came down the pitch to hit him through mid-on and assert his authority.Senuran Muthusamy finished with the fourth-best match figures by a South African spinner•Getty Images

Saud Shakeel, on a pair, survived a South African review for lbw off Muthusamy as UltraEdge picked up an under-edge but had to wait seven balls before he scored. He swept Muthusamy behind square for his first runs of the match. Pakistan grew more aggressive as Babar hit Muthusamy over his head, past midwicket and through third for a trio of boundaries in the same over to enter the forties.The adoring home crowd were denied a Babar fifty when Rabada got one to nip back into him and hit his back pad. He was given out lbw and reviewed, unsuccessfully. Then, just before tea, Shakeel tried to clear midwicket but hit the ball to Tristan Stubbs at deep square leg to leave Pakistan 150 for 5.Things happened quickly after the break as Pakistan lost their next five wickets for 17 runs in an overall collapse of 7 for 48 from Babar’s dismissal. Mohammad Rizwan was bowled by Harmer, who ripped one in between the bat-pad gap. Afridi was promoted to No. 8 and reverse-swept Muthusamy to backward point and then Muthusamy picked up his tenth when he bowled Agha with a tossed-up delivery that beat his swipe.Any delight South Africa took from a strong bowling performance was soon eclipsed by the dread of how their own line-up would fare in the second innings. Noman soon provided the answer. Markram, frustrated with his 3 off 10, cleared his front leg to try and hoick Noman leg side but missed and was bowled. Then, Mulder, for the second time in the game, played a poor stroke, albeit that this was more of a non-shot. He shaped to cut, backed out and edged Noman to slip and Agha’s safe hands made no mistake.Ryan Rickelton and de Zorzi saw out the day but not without some nervy moments. Rickelton was on 26 when he jabbed Noman to Shafique at short leg but the ball was hit quickly and Shafique could not hold on. De Zorzi survived an lbw shout in the penultimate over after he moved well outside off stump and Pakistan considered reviewing against Rickelton off the last ball but he too had made sure to get outside the line of the stumps.

نجم مانشستر سيتي ملمحًا لرحيله: أريد نقل خبرتي إلى اللاعبين الشباب

ألمح نجم نادي مانشستر سيتي إلى رحيله عن صفوف الفريق، وذلك عقب نهاية هذا الموسم ، موضحًا أنه يريد نقل خبرته إلى اللاعبين الشباب في النادي الإنجليزي خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وتنتهي عقود عدد من لاعبي مانشستر سيتي مع الفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة، ويأتي على رأس هؤلاء اللاعبين برناردو سيلفا قائد النادي الإنجليزي.

سيلفا والذي يخوض موسمه التاسع مع مانشستر سيتي لم يتواصل حتى الآن مع إدارة السيتيزن بشأن توقيع عقد جديد والذي سينتهي بنهاية شهر يونيو من العام المقبل.

واعترف سيلفا في تصريحات إلى شبكة سكاي سبورتس، أنه لا يعلم ما إذا كان سيجدد عقده مع مانشستر سيتي أم لا، حيث قال: ”لا يزال من غير الواضح ما سيحدث بالنسبة لي مع مانشستر سيتي، لكن بغض النظر عن ذلك إنه لشرف لي دائمًا أن ألعب في هذا النادي”.

وأضاف سيلفا في حديثه: “بعد كل هذه السنوات وبصفتي أيضًا من أقدم اللاعبين في الفريق، حان الوقت لأشارك كل هذه الخبرة والمعلومات لمساعدة الشباب”.

وأوضح: “أريد أن أكون مستعدًا في أسرع وقت ممكن لأتمكن من المنافسة على الأشياء المهمة، وهو أمر مطلوب في هذا النادي”.

طالع .. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام ليدز يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف عمر مرموش وأردف برناردو: “التعرض للانتقادات جزء من وظيفتنا، نحن في أحد أفضل الأندية في العالم ومعاييرنا عالية، وعلينا الفوز بالألقاب إذا أردنا البقاء في هذا النادي، وإلا، إذا لم أفز بالألقاب ولم أقدم أداءًا جيدًا فسيبيعني النادي، وسأرحل ثم يأتي لاعب آخر، إنها سنة الحياة”.

وتابع عن مواجهة ليدز يونايتد اليوم السبت بالدوري الإنجليزي: ”علينا أن نتحسن كفريق، ليس فقط في هذه المباراة ضد ليدز بل في جميع المباريات، علينا أن نتحسن وأن نكون أكثر ثباتًا وأن نؤدي بشكل أفضل، وسنبذل قصارى جهدنا، هذه المجموعة من اللاعبين موهوبة للغاية،  منحني مانشستر سيتي أكثر مما كنت أتمناه”.

وعن المنافسة على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم واصل برناردو: “نعلم أنه بإمكاننا الوصول إلى مستوى جيد جدًا وقد أثبتنا ذلك هذا الموسم في بعض المباريات، لكن علينا أن نفعل ذلك كل ثلاثة أيام وهذا هو الأصعب”.

واختتم: “أعتقد أننا في وضع أفضل بكثير الآن مما كنا عليه قبل بضعة أشهر، أشعر أننا نتحسن كثيرًا ولنرى إن كان ذلك كافيًا لمنافسة آرسنال. في الوقت الحالي، ليس لأنهم يتقدمون بسبع نقاط، ففي كرة القدم تتغير الأمور بسرعة كبيرة”.

برناردو من المرجح أن لا يجدد عقده مع مانشستر سيتي ، بينما يهتم بنفيكا باستعادة لاعبه السابق والذي بدأ معه مسيرته الكروية في بطل البرتغال.

Ibrahim Zadran fined, handed demerit point for breaching code of conduct

Afghanistan batter Ibrahim Zadran has been fined 15% of his match fee and handed a demerit point for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct during their third ODI against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi on October 14.The incident happened during the 37th over of Afghanistan’s innings when Zadran hit an equipment near the dressing room with his bat after being dismissed for 95 off 111 balls. This was Zadran’s second successive dismissal in the 90s. In the second ODI, too, he was out for 95.This meant a breach of Article 2.2 of the ICC code of conduct for players and player support personnel, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match”.Related

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Since Zadran admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Graeme Labrooy, there was no need for a formal hearing.This was Zadran’s first offence in a 24-month period. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is – whatever comes first for the player.Zadran’s innings was central to Afghanistan sweeping Bangladesh 3-0 in the ODI series.

Orioles Player Ejected After Two Very Childish Moves Following Strikeout

The Baltimore Orioles are hosting the Minnesota Twins in an afternoon game on Wednesday and while Ramón Laureano started the game in left field, he'll be watching the final few innings from the clubhouse after being ejected for throwing a tantrum after a called third strike.

With two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth inning, Laureano let a very close pitch on a 3-2 count go by without swinging. Home plate umpire James Hoye called it a strike to end the inning, which prompted Laureano to freak out. First he slammed his bat to the ground and then he had an all-time spike of his helmet that led to his immediate ejection.

Here's how that played out, starting with a pitch that he should have been swinging at, and his childish actions after being called out:

The announcer nailed it with this line: "The bat throw and then helmet spike is going to get run pretty much every time."

That might be the easiest ejection of the MLB season.

Red Sox Prospect Roman Anthony Sneaks Out of Minor League Game Like Taylor Swift

Boston Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony is going to be in the spotlight quite a bit.

Considered to be one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and with his call-up to the majors likely coming soon, he’s getting quite the reception from fans attending his games with the Triple A Worcester Red Sox.

Apparently, that attention has become so great in recent days that it is sometimes necessary to sneak him out of the ballpark and onto the team bus. In a video shared to social media, Anthony could be seen hiding in an equipment trolley covered in gear as he rolled out past fans waiting for an autograph.

Have you seen those videos of how Taylor Swift sneaks onto the stage when there are 100,000 people waiting and watching to get their first glimpse of her? Basically the same thing here, as the team jokingly referenced this in their post of the great escape.

To his credit, there are also plenty of videos of Anthony making time for fans and autographing as needed. It seems that the trip in the laundry cart was either a true necessity to keep the show moving, or maybe just a fun bit of team bonding.

Either way, it worked.

Red Sox fans are hoping Anthony’s next trip—whether in a car, plane, train or laundry cart—ends with him in the majors.

Chelsea star who saved Caicedo is their "most underappreciated player"

Well, given the circumstances, that was an exceptional result for Chelsea.

Sure, Enzo Maresca’s side would have gone out there looking for a win, but considering Arsenal are the Premier League leaders, a point is not bad and has kept them within touching distance.

Moreover, when Moises Caicedo got himself sent off in the first half, it felt like only a matter of when, not if, the Gunners would take the lead.

There were sensational displays across the pitch for the hosts, including one monster that saved the Ecuadorian international from becoming the talking point.

Chelsea's standout stars

One of Chelsea’s best players this evening, and all season for that matter, was Robert Sanchez.

Chalkboard

The Spanish shot-stopper has come in for some harsh criticism over recent years, but against the Gunners, he was superb.

On top of his passing generally being on point and his collection of crosses being efficient, he also made several top-quality stops, like the one from Gabriel Martinelli’s shot in the first half.

Another hugely important player for the Blues was captain fantastic, Reece James.

The Englishman once again started the game in the middle of the park and was, in the words of presenter Olivia Buzaglo, “gargantuan.”

In his 94 minutes of action, he provided an assist, played two key passes, won 100% of his tackles, won 11 of 12 duels, didn’t get dribbled past at all, recovered the ball twice, and completed 100% of his dribbles.

It was just the sort of performance the team needed from their captain after Caicedo was sent off in the first half.

However, there was another starter who was just as vital to the win, and truly saved the Ecuadorian’s blushes.

The Chelsea player who saved Caicedo

Once Caicedo was sent off, there was an expectation that Arsenal would eventually wrestle control back from Chelsea and stamp their authority over proceedings.

However, the Blues clearly had other ideas.

Just three minutes into the second 45, James delivered an incredible corner into the Gunners’ penalty area, and Trevoh Chalobah rose to meet it and head it home.

It was a well-worked set-piece and a brilliant header that seemed to shock the visitors and gave the Stamford Bridge faithful something to cheer about and take their minds off the red card.

However, while that was the most memorable moment of his game, Chalobah did far more than just score, as he was superb at the back and showed some great on-the-ball skill, coming out from the back on multiple occasions.

He unsurprisingly made quite the impression on the watching press as well, with the Standard’s Dom Smith awarding him an 8/10 match rating at full-time.

The 26-year-old’s statistics more than justify such a rating as well.

Chalobah’s game v Arsenal

Minutes

94′

Goals

1

Tackles (Won)

1 (1)

Clearances

6

Recoveries

4

Ground Duels (Won)

2 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Dribbled Past

0

Touches

52

Shots

1

Fouls Won

1

All Stats via Sofascore

In his 94 minutes of hard-fought action, the academy graduate won 100% of his tackles, made six clearances, recovered the ball four times, won five of seven duels, didn’t get dribbled past, took 52 touches and won one foul.

It was another performance from the Englishman that proves he’s more than just a stopgap until the club splashes the cash on a new defender.

Or, as Gary Cahill said in an interview that came out a few hours before the game, he is “the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.”

Ultimately, they might not have won, but Chelsea put in a sensational performance to claim a point against Arsenal, and alongside the likes of Sanchez and James, Chalobah saved Caicedo from becoming the talking point.

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Slot's 4/10 flop who had a "nightmare" must never start for Liverpool again

Liverpool’s dire run of form continued on Saturday afternoon. The Reds were defeated 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at Anfield, leaving Arne Slot’s side with just three wins in their last 11 games in all competitions, and just 18 points to their name in the Premier League.

It was a hugely underwhelming performance from the reigning Premier League champions. Their poor form sees them slip to 11th in the top flight, with just 18 points to their name. They are already eight points behind league leaders Arsenal.

In terms of the Saturday afternoon clash at Anfield, a first-half strike from defender Murillo, and second-half goals from Nicolo Savona and captain Morgan Gibbs-White were enough to give Sean Dyche’s side all three points.

The Reds dominate the ball, having 76% possession, and 21 shots at the Forest goal, but simply didn’t do anything of substance. They lacked real bite in attack, with just four of their shots actually finding the target. Forest, on the other hand, had seven shots on target out of 15.

There were some poor performances across the board from Slot’s side, although a few stand out in particular.

Liverpool’s worst players vs. Forest

It was yet another tough day at the office for Liverpool, with one man struggling to get into the game being Liverpool striker Alexander Isak. The Swede went another game without finding the back of the net, still chasing his first goal in the Premier League for Liverpool.

Liverpool content creator George Scaife expressed his surprise at the fact that Isak got just 15 touches of the ball against Forest. Indeed, there was a lack of service against Forest for the Reds’ number nine, who only managed one shot on goal.

Another man who left a lot to be desired for Liverpool on Saturday afternoon was Alexis Mac Allister. The 2022 World Cup winner was part of yet another reshuffled midfield, and although he almost put Liverpool ahead, he struggled to contribute anything of note.

Indeed, the disappointing performance from Mac Allister was noticed by Liverpool World journalist Will Rooney. He gave the Argentina international a 4/10 rating, criticising him for the fact that he ‘stupidly dived in’ on Neco Williams, which allowed the former Liverpool man to find a cross leading to Savona’s goal.

Isak and Mac Allister certainly struggled against Dyche’s men, but there was one player who was perhaps worse.

Liverpool’s worst player vs. Forest

It was yet another day to forget for Reds centre-back Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman’s poor afternoon was summed up by James Pearce, The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter. He described it as a “nightmare” and said it was “error after error” at Anfield.

His once-formidable partnership with Virgil van Dijk has been breached plenty of times this season. Indeed, that was something that Forest found it easy to do on Saturday, given that they bagged three goals.

Some of the stats from the 26-year-old’s performance against Forest highlight how tough a day it was for him. Konate only won four out of seven attempted duels, conceded two fouls and was dribbled past once.

Touches

61

Passes completed

50/54

Number of times ball lost

5

Ground duels won

2/5

Aerial duels won

2/2

Fouls

2

Number of times dribbled past

1

Indeed, Rooney gave the former RB Leipzig man a scathing review. The journalist rated his showing a 4/10, explaining that he “should have dealt with the ball better,” which led to a corner from which Forest opened the scoring, and “made a meal of the cross” from which Forest had their goal ruled out.

This season, Konate, who is out of contract in the summer, has put in several underwhelming showings. As recently as September, it was reported that Real Madrid will try and sign the Frenchman, either on a free if he doesn’t sign a new contract, or in January.

Slot and the higher-ups at Anfield now have a decision to make. With Konate’s performances and contractual situation, they may well decide to recruit in January and look to move on from the Frenchman.

They have been linked with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi again in the last few weeks, after failing to sign him on deadline day. Perhaps the Reds will be of the view that it is best they cut their losses on Konate and sell him to Los Blancos, or elsewhere, and reinvest that money.

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Man City exploring move to sign £65m Premier League star alongside Anderson

Manchester City are firmly in the Premier League title race and could bring a high-profile star to the Etihad Stadium in January after Pep Guardiola hatched a plan to land his signature.

Manchester City move on after seeing off Leeds United

Truthfully, Manchester City didn’t put on their best display against Leeds United. However, they will be delighted by the end result as Phil Foden’s classy winner prevented back-to-back defeats after losing out at Newcastle United.

Title races are never straightforward and always require steel in the face of uncertainty, albeit Guardiola reserved special praise for the scorer of the Citizens’ crowning strike as they kept on track in pursuit of the top-flight crown.

“It’s not the first time we saw that. A thousand, thousand, million times he’s done it. The quality, shooting, strong. Like his goal against West Ham to win the Premier League. Phil has to be around the box. Shoot or pass. His finishing is so quick. Phil is doing a really good season.”

Back-to-back blanks in front of goal for Erling Haaland may be a sign that more needs to be done in the way of recruiting someone to plug the gaps at the top end of the field. Still, Omar Marmoush is likely to be given more opportunities as the season continues to unfold.

Keeping pace at the top will require investment in January, especially given the Citizens’ rivals are likely to strengthen after a bruising festive period, which is set to stretch everyone’s squad to the limit.

Finding solutions when certain sources of goals dry up will be the challenge for all title contenders, not just Manchester City, but they could be the ones set to benefit early on in the January window if the Sky Blues can wrap up an exciting deal.

Elliot Anderson is one of their main targets but there are other irons in the fire.

Man City keen to activate Antoine Semenyo's release clause

According to The Times, Manchester City are exploring a move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

They are considering activating the winger’s £65m release clause on New Year’s Day, potentially beating other suitors to sign the Ghana international.

Although not set in stone, there is a feeling at the club that bringing in the Cherries attacker could be the difference in their hunt for the Premier League title, an opinion that many will share after his flying start to the campaign.

Semenyo’s 2025/26 record – all competitions

Appearances

13

Goals

6

Assists

1

Dubbed “talented” by Jamie Redknapp, Semenyo has also created 15 chances and completed 21 dribbles on Premier League duty, per Fotmob, showcasing his appeal to suitors keen to tempt him away from the South Coast.

Now, it will be over to City officials as they aim to convince Semenyo that moving to Manchester is the best course of action for his career. On the face of it, playing a part in a title chase could be an appealing prospect.

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Mikel Arteta suggests Arsenal star could be out until 2026 after injury update

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta suggests the Gunners could be without a key player until 2026 after a pre-Chelsea injury update.

Arsenal set for Premier League six-pointer against Chelsea

The Gunners face a brief period of assessment ahead of Sunday’s Premier League blockbuster at Stamford Bridge, with Arteta sweating over the fitness of a few key players following Wednesday’s triumphant Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

Their commanding 3-1 victory over the German champions came at a cost, with Leandro Trossard forced off in the first half through injury.

The Belgian’s withdrawal was a fairly worrying sight given his excellent form this season, though substitute Noni Madueke stepped up brilliantly in Trossard’s stead to score his first goal for the club.

Arteta played down fears surrounding Trossard’s injury in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision to withdraw him was precautionary rather than enforced by serious damage.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

However, the manager’s cautious approach means Trossard’s participation against Chelsea remains uncertain, with Arsenal’s medical staff set to analyse his condition ahead of Sunday.

Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are also doubts for this weekend, with Arteta refusing to confirm their involvement against Chelsea following their spells out through injury.

Havertz has been nursing a knee problem which required surgery, keeping him out since the very start of 2025/2026, while Mikel Merino has deputised well in place of Gyokeres, who hasn’t featured since their 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.

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The Gunners are moving in ahead of January.

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Gabriel Jesus continues to work his way back to full fitness after 11 months out with an ACL injury, with the Brazilian participating in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week.

Jesus is actually set for an ‘earlier than expected’ return from injury, but uncertainty continues to surround his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.

The star defender injured his thigh on international duty with Brazil and is set to miss the trip to Chelsea, with Arteta also asked if he’ll return before the end of 2025.

Mikel Arteta suggests Arsenal star Gabriel could be out until 2026

When asked by reporters if Gabriel would make a return to the field this year, Arteta’s answer cast doubt.

This suggests that the £100 million defender may not be back until 2026, thrusting summer signings Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera right into the spotlight.

Hincapie was given the nod for Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Spurs last weekend, and the Ecuadorian performed very well alongside William Saliba at the heart of Arteta’s backline.

Mosquera was then chosen to partner Saliba against Bayern, and again earned plaudits for his display, so Arsenal’s boss has a key selection decision to make against Enzo Maresca’s side.

Middlesbrough now leading race to sign int'l star who scored vs England

Middlesbrough are already working on Kim Hellberg’s first signing and are now reportedly in pole position to sign a Ligue 1 winger for their new manager.

Hellberg: Championship promotion is the "clear aim"

After hijacking Swansea City’s move, Middlesbrough unveiled Hellberg earlier this week and watched on as their new manager instantly set his sights on promotion to the Premier League. The 37-year-old will be desperate to simply pick up where Rob Edwards left off and secure a win on his debut against Derby County this weekend.

Speaking to reporters for the first time, Hellberg outlined his Premier League ambition, saying: “To get to the Premier League, that’s the clear aim,” said Hellberg in his first press conference. “If it’s this year or next year, it is of course difficult to say.

“It’s an opportunity when you’re in this position, to aim for it and to work as hard as possible to get into that spot that gets you to the Premier League. That’s nothing to hide from.”

It is, of course, easier said than done to achieve promotion from the Championship, but Boro have certainly put themselves in a strong position to do exactly that.

Despite defeat against Coventry City late on in midweek, those in Riverside only sit third on goal difference and could move into the automatic promotion place if results go their way this weekend.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the playoffs, Boro have given themselves a four-point gap inside the top six. Everything is set up for Hellberg to make a promotion charge, before potentially welcoming his first arrival at the club in 2026.

Middlesbrough in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly

According to Africa Foot and relayed by Sport Witness, Middlesbrough are now in pole position to sign Cheikh Sabaly from FC Metz in 2026. The winger is set to become a free agent next summer and has also attracted the interest of Southampton, but it is Boro who are currently most likely to seal a bargain deal.

The Senegal international is certainly talented and England fans saw that talent for themselves back in June, when he scored in a stunning 3-1 victory for his country against Thomas Tuchel’s men.

Now, Sabaly could get the chance to become the star of the show every week in England, courtesy of Boro. Whether the promotion contenders wait until the winger is a free agent to make their move is the big question.

In Ligue 2 last season, Sabaly scored 15 goals and provided four assists. Whilst he has struggled to make the same mark in Ligue 1, there’s every chance he would rediscover his best form in the Championship.

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