قدّم محمد شريف لاعب منتخب مصر الثاني، اعتذارًا علنيًا لمدربه حلمي طولان، موضحًا حقيقة الموقف الذي أثار ضجة كبيرة عبر مواقع التواصل خلال المباراة الماضية أمام الإمارات في كأس العرب عقب استبداله.

وقال محمد شريف خلال المؤتمر الصحفي قبل مواجهة الأردن غدًا: “الكابتن حلمي طولان بمنزلة أبي، وهو أول من منحني الفرصة للعب في هذا المركز، أعتذر له أمام الجميع، رغم أنه لم يحدث ما يزعجه، ولكنني أوضح الأمور حتى يفهم الجميع الحقيقة”.

وتابع: “حين خرجت من الملعب وضعت يدي على فمي لأنني أدرك كثرة الكاميرات، قلت له: يا كابتن، كنت أتمنى الاستمرار لأنني كنت أشعر بأنني قريب من التسجيل، لكن للأسف في مصر نضخم كل شيء دون معرفة السبب الحقيقي”.

وأضاف: “الكابتن حلمي قال لي: (اخرج يا شريف مش وقته)، وفهم البعض أنني قلت لفظًا غير لائق، وهذا غير صحيح إطلاقًا، لا طبعي ولا تربيتي تسمحان بذلك، والرجل بالنسبة لي أب. حديثي معه كان من باب القرب والثقة فقط”.

طالع أيضًا | حلمي طولان: أعددنا منتخبًا لكأس العرب ثم خضنا البطولة بفريق آخر

وأوضح شريف: “لم أعترض يومًا بطريقة غير لائقة سواء مع المنتخب أو الأندية، مررت بمواقف أصعب كثيرًا ولم يصدر مني أي رد فعل، المشكلة أننا نُضخّم الأمور دون أن نسأل أولًا، هذا هو كل ما حدث”.

ومن جانبه، علّق حلمي طولان، مؤكدًا متانة العلاقة بينهما: “أنا اخترت هؤلاء اللاعبين بعناية، وكلهم أصحاب أخلاق والتزام، شريف تحديدًا لاعب أعرفه جيدًا منذ أن كان في إنبي، وغيّرت مركزه ولعب رأس حربة وسجّل وأبدع حتى ضمّه الأهلي”.

وأردف: “علاقتي بشريف وبجميع اللاعبين علاقة أب بأبنائه، وشريف تحديدًا علاقتي به ممتازة للغاية، لم يتجاوز في حقي يومًا”.

واختتم طولان: “كل ما في الأمر أن شكل اللقطة أمام الناس لم يكن جيدًا، وهذا فقط ما آخذُه على شريف، لكنه لم يتجاوز، ولن أسمح له بذلك أصلًا، علاقتنا والحمد لله علاقة احترام”.

Game 1 of the National League Championship Series came down to one deciding at-bat on Monday night and the person in the batter's box would have done something differently if he had the opportunity.

With the Dodgers holding onto a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning, Brewers' Brice Turang encountered a bases-loaded, two-out opportunity against L.A. reliever Blake Treinen. Turang quickly fell down 1-2 in the count and went into battle mode. The next delivery broke inside and potentially would have hit him on his back leg for a game-tying HBP, but Turang instead avoided it. Treinen would go on to notch a strikeout, ending the proceedings and giving the Dodgers a 1-0 series league.

Turang was asked about the pitch and his avoidance after the game and couldn't quite explain it.

"Well, if you see me look in the dugout, I'm thinking, 'Damn.' I know it. Everybody knows it. I couldn't tell you why I did it, I just got out of the way. That's how it is."

Turang didn't wear the breaking ball because he was in the biggest at-bat of his life and instinct kicks in when someone is throwing pure heat with incredible movement. It would have been nice for Brewers fans had he simply stood his ground and made the score 2-2 but it's much, much easier to make decisions given more than .1 of a second to consider them.

MatériaMais Notícias

O goleiro Cássio se despediu do Corinthians após 12 anos vestindo a camisa alvinegra. Em entrevista coletiva realizada no CT Joaquim Grava, o atleta agradeceu o clube pela oportunidade e pelas conquistas que teve, e afirmou que agora é o momento de um novo desafio na carreira, mas negou que ir para o banco de reservas tivesse sido crucial para a decisão de deixar o Timão.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão

➡️ Acredita que o Timão avançará em primeiro no grupo da Sul-Americana? Se liga nas odds: 1.53

– Acho que foi uma série de situações. Em certo momento, você entende que seu ciclo acabou e estou tranquilo quanto a isso. No começo do ano, tive uma possibilidade de sair e entendi que naquele momento não era a hora. Acho que nesse momento é hora de ter um novo desafio na minha carreira, e sair bem, sabe? Não estou saindo porque fui para o banco, e sim por entender que o ciclo acabou. Eu fui outras vezes para o banco, em 2016, e não saí por isso – disse o goleiro.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

Cássio se diz feliz com a fase da carreira, afirma que sai tranquilo do clube e também como gostaria.

– Honestamente, todas as festas feitas, todas as homenagens, não tenho dúvida que saí pela porta da frente. Jogo de despedida é para quem vai se aposentar, na minha opinião. Não tenho dúvida que saio pela porta da frente, não é o que muitos imaginavam, mas não controlamos o futuro. Até brinquei com alguns funcionários, achava que eles iam sair antes. Agora saio em paz, com tranquilidade, olha todo o carinho que recebi, não tive atrito com ninguém, foi tudo conversado – afirmou o goleiro.

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+ Corinthians oficializa saída de Cássio: veja o que sabemos sobre a rescisão do goleiro

Cássio acertou sua rescisão com o Corinthians e irá atuar no Cruzeiro até o fim de 2027. Para antecipar a sua saída do Corinthians, Cássio e Carlos Leite, representante do atleta, abriram mão de alguns valores que tinham a receber da equipe do Parque São Jorge. 

Sobre a questão financeira em relação a sua saída, Cássio se limitou a dizer que está tudo bem resolvido, e que os responsáveis cuidarão disso.

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– Essa situação foi muito bem gerida com o presidente e diretoria. Isso nunca foi problema, em todo o tempo que estive aqui e tudo foi muito bem resolvida. Essa é uma parte que quem cuida são meus empresários e advogados e tudo correu tranquilamente.

O presidente do Corinthians, Augusto Melo, falou brevemente sobre a saída do goleiro. O mandatário, aliás, prometeu um busto em homenagem ao goleiro, que será eternizado no Parque São Jorge.

– Dia triste para nós corintianos, mas faz parte. Nessas horas, não temos palavras para descrever a emoção e tristeza. Agraço a essa pessoa fantástica que convivi, um grande homem e ídolo que ao longo desses 12 anos aprendi a admirar e torcer. Obrigado, Cássio. Obrigado pelos títulos maravilhosos, por entrar na história, você estará eternamente em nossos corações e será lembrado todos os dias quando entrarmos no CT. É um ciclo que se encerra e que você seja muito feliz.

Com 712 jogos disputados com o manto alvinegro – sendo o goleiro que mais atuou –, Cássio é um dos maiores ídolos da centenária história do clube. Ao todo, foram nove títulos conquistados: quatro Paulistas (2013, 2017, 2018 e 2019), dois Brasileiros (2015 e 2017), uma CONMEBOL Libertadores (2012), um Mundial de Clubes FIFA (2012) e uma CONMEBOL Recopa (2013).

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansFutebol Nacional

Saturday’s edition of was billed as a homecoming for Pat McAfee, the former West Virginia special teams star who grew up outside of the city. McAfee paid tribute to the city’s impressive sports history.

Of course, the modern Pittsburgh sports landscape features both one of the most electrifying athletes in the country—Cy Young winner Paul Skenes—and his otherwise disappointing franchise, the Pirates.

“We even have baseball history,” McAfee said. “Paul Skenes just won the Cy Young, he’s the best player in baseball. That’s sick.”

Cheers for Skenes quickly turned negative, and as McAfee began to address the Pirates struggles, saying, “And although the team may be absolute …” the Pirates fans in attendance came close to drowning him out with loud chants of “Sell the team!”

“Yeah, that’s what they’re saying,” McAfee continued after cutting himself off.

“What’s going on with the Pirates is they don’t spend any money and they don’t actually win, you see, so we have Paul Skenes go on a historic run at PNC Park, the most beautiful ballpark in of MLB,” McAfee continued, acknowledging the fan base’s complaints before kicking it to Kirk Herbstreit for a quick history lesson about great Pirates players and teams of yesteryear.

“Sell the team” chants have become commonplace in Pittsburgh, with Skenes addressing them—and putting the responsibility to win on his own shoulders and those of the team’s players—all the way back in early April. The Pirates would finish 71–91, the franchise’s seventh consecutive sub-.500 season. Pittsburgh last reached the playoffs in 2015, the last of three straight postseason bids for the franchise. The ‘13 trip to the NLDS broke a 20 year streak without playoff baseball.

As we’ve seen in recent days with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, fan outrage can make impact with a struggling sports franchise. Ousting an ownership group that doesn’t feel incentivized to invest in a winning ballclub is a much more difficult undertaking, even with pressure coming from the set.

The No. 3 batter talks about making it to the West Indies side, and looks ahead to the ODI series in Bangladesh

Deivarayan Muthu17-Oct-2025While Shai Hope and John Campbell were standing up to India’s attack in the Delhi Test earlier this week, Keacy Carty, another promising West Indies batter, was sweating it out against spin a few thousand kilometres away in Chennai, in the lead up to the ODI series in Bangladesh, which will kick off on October 18. Carty was left out of the Test side for the India tour, but is arguably the first batter on West Indies’ team sheet in ODI cricket right now.The 28-year-old has become a stable presence at No. 3 for West Indies in ODIs, thanks to his ability to construct and reconstruct innings. He can also bat at different tempos – as his strike rates, ranging from the sixties to 100-plus indicate – a rare skill among emerging batters from the Caribbean.Since his ODI debut in May 2022, Carty has slotted in 23 times at No. 3, scoring 1110 runs at an average of 52.85 and strike rate of 85.97. Only Kane Williamson (62.47) and Virat Kohli (58.28) have a higher ODI average than Carty among No. 3 batters who have played at least 20 innings during this period.So what makes Carty tick in this crucial position in ODIs?Related

• Bangladesh, West Indies prepare to do battle with puzzles to solve

• Keacy Carty: 'I'm not just proud to be here, it's time to be impactful'

• West Indies hand maiden ODI call-up to Ackeem Auguste for tour of Bangladesh

“Before I got the opportunity to bat at No. 3 in back-to-back games, [coach Daren] Sammy basically told me that this is what’s required from anyone that wants to bat in that particular position,” Carty says on the sidelines of a training session at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai. “He brought up the stats and said, ‘This is what the top three in the world is doing and this is what we are doing’.”So we identified a few areas I could improve upon, two-three new skills. Just the willingness to want to do well at the position is what really drives me. I feel in 50-over cricket, you have a lot more time, so you don’t have to be too helter-skelter. If you identify two-three areas where you can get a single, a two or a four, you’re always going to have someone in the circle, so you can always capitalise.”Carty doesn’t want to be left behind by the rapid evolution of the white-ball game. Conditions in the Caribbean, especially at his CPL home base in Trinidad, are often sluggish and unfavourable to playing in the “V” behind the wicket, but he sees his stint at the Super Kings Academy as an opportunity to hone the scoop shot, which could help him manipulate fields and open up new scoring zones in other parts of the world.”The purpose of coming here to Chennai was obviously to improve the way we play spin and the way we think of playing spin,” Carty says. “In the event that a team probably takes out the 45 [short fine leg] and puts him at short midwicket, I remember on one occasion I played it [the scoop] and they put him back. I wasn’t really practising it in CPL that much because I don’t think it would have been that useful. Hitting in front of the wicket is a better way to play in the Caribbean. Here, I’ve been working on a few things indoors, doing drills, and putting it to practice against the spin bowlers.”Carty’s awareness of conditions and his own game came to the fore during his maiden ODI century, against England in a successful chase of 264, which tipped the series decider West Indies’ way in Bridgetown in November 2024. On a slow surface, Carty knew he could simply play out Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid and line up Reece Topley and part-timer Liam Livingstone.In nine ODIs in 2025 so far, Carty has scored 495 runs at an average of 55•Nick Potts/PA Photos/Getty Images”It wasn’t necessarily the quickest pitch,” Carty recalls. “So by the time he [fast bowler Archer] finished his first spell and the first change came out with some spin… it was a night game too. I didn’t think the ball was doing too much nor was the pitch assisting him too much. So on that day, it wasn’t necessarily a big threat for me. I mean, on a different day, maybe a different ball game… But on that day, given all the circumstances, it wasn’t really too threatening.”Any opposition I’m coming up against, I always try to keep their main threat out of the game. I think that would put the team in a better position to do well. So I was a bit more cautious against him [legspinner Rashid]. But I really had the game plan of keeping him out of the game, to then force the other bowlers to be attacking who are probably not as good because we know [Rashid] has about 400 wickets [373 in white-ball cricket] for England.”Learning the game and being interested in expanding your knowledge of the game is going to help you sharpen your skills. I don’t think without attention to detail you can be that good of a player for a long period.”As part of Trinbago Knight Riders, the current CPL champions, Carty has also been feeding off inputs from his captain at the franchise, Nicholas Pooran, and his predecessor Kieron Pollard.”To be honest, it’s been a lot of knowledge and a lot of coaching at TKR,” Carty says. “Pooran is a bit more lenient with me versus Pollard (). That’s just the nature of the individual. But when I’m with TKR, they do come down hard on me in a sense because I guess they feel like I can do well, so they would like to see me do well and do well fast. And it’s not only me – it’s to all younger players as well.Carty has played in four CPL seasons, and he just won his first, the 2025 edition, with Trinbago Knight Riders•CPL T20/Getty Images”Something as simple as – we may finish with practice at 8 o’clock at night, I see a message from Pollard and it’s footage of me batting against spin now versus last year. He would ask me to tell him what I think. Obviously, he’s played a lot of international cricket, a lot of domestic cricket around the world, and has had a lot of coaching from different territories, different conditions and he always shares that knowledge with us.”While Carty plays for Trinidad and Tobago in the CPL, he hails from St Maarten and became the first player from there to represent West Indies in international cricket, against Netherlands in May 2022 in Amstelveen. Funnily enough, Carty was also eligible to represent the opposition, since St Maarten is a constituent country of the kingdom of Netherlands, but his loyalty has always been with West Indies.Daniel Doram, a tall left-arm fingerspinner from St Maarten, who now plays for Netherlands, is among Carty’s good friends. They are team-mates at Leeward Islands, but Carty is looking forward to coming up against him in international cricket in the future.”I remember when I went to bat, one of the players said, ‘Guys, you can have this every day if you want’. I can vividly remember that,” Carty says with a laugh. “Daniel and I are very good friends. He also plays for the same team [Leewards]. So we’re basically the two younger generations that came up and are a part of the team.”He’s obviously playing for Holland now. Hopefully, if we ever play against each other, I can get the better of him (laughs). Yeah, I am eligible to play for the Netherlands, but that part is definitely far off.”Carty top-scored with 52 not out in West Indies’ Under-19 World Cup final win against India in 2016•Pal Pillai/Getty ImagesCarty also credits older St Maarten players like Sherwin Peters and Colin Hamer for shaping his career.”What they learned at the league level, they passed on that knowledge, so I was a few steps ahead of anyone my age,” Carty says. “So it’s basically like a brotherhood and you really don’t like losing because of how they came up. That passion and willingness to win has always been a part of them. As a youngster being a part of it, it’s going to naturally adapt to your demeanour. I’ve not necessarily been a part of a [world-title-] winning West Indies team, but we are improving and I do feel one day things are going to turn around.”Carty is a late bloomer in international cricket. In 2016, he steered West Indies to the Under-19 World Cup title in Bangladesh with an unbeaten half-century in the final against India, but he needed six more years to break into international cricket even as some of his age-group team-mates stepped up to the next level almost immediately after the World Cup.Carty is happy, though, to have taken the stairs, and not the elevator, to the West Indies senior side.”A few guys like Shimron [Hetmyer], Keemo Paul and Alzarri [Joseph] played international cricket shortly after U-19,” Carty says. “I guess you can see why, based on their skillset. For me, it took a bit more time, which is okay. I just felt like I was a bit more… Like I knew my game a bit more.”He has now returned to Bangladesh as a bankable No. 3, well-prepared for whatever the hosts throw at him. While spin is always a factor in Bangladesh, he is also wary of their burgeoning pace stocks.Carty has spent his time in Chennai working on improving his batting against spin•Super Kings Academy”I’ve played in Bangladesh [before] and also watched Test cricket there, where they prepare spin decks. So the work here in Chennai will come into play there,” he says. “Hopefully it will be fruitful, but I’m keeping an open mind because they do have a pace attack that has been doing well for them – Tanzim [Hasan Sakib], Taskin [Ahmed] and the fast guy, [Nahid] Rana.”They also do have quality spinners – Taijul, Nasum and the two Hasans. So it’s going to be interesting to see what type of decks they prepare. But I’m keeping an open mind because I’ve been there twice and the pitches have been amazing.”West Indies missed out on qualifying for the last ODI World Cup, in 2023, and Carty dreams of taking them to the 2027 tournament. “Definitely you want to be a part of the World Cup,” Carty says. “But I’m basically taking it series by series and just trying to get over every small hurdle that we have ahead of us so far.”He isn’t part of the current Test squad or the T20I squad in Bangladesh, but has ambitions of becoming an all-format player for West Indies. Switching from one format to another in a short span has become a tightrope walk these days, but Carty is ready to walk it.”I do want to get back into the Test team. I think where it gets tricky is balancing all three and being able to adapt. Playing Tests today and in three days’ time you’re playing a T20 or an ODI… I feel that’s going to be more difficult. But I do want to be an all-format player for West Indies.”

This time last week, Chelsea looked like they would be the ones to rival Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Unfortunately, a humbling loss away to Leeds United, quickly followed by a drab one-all draw away to Bournemouth, has put such ideas to bed, for now anyway.

While Enzo Maresca’s squad is undeniably talented, some areas could be improved upon, such as the number nine position.

Fortunately, Chelsea are now being linked with someone who could do just that, someone who could be an upgrade on Liam Delap.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

The transfer window is now less than a month away from reopening, and in a surprise to absolutely nobody, Chelsea are already being linked with a host of players.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, the Blues have been one of a number of sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

Likewise, RB Leipzig’s incredibly exciting Castello Lukeba has been touted for a £53m move to Stamford Bridge.

However, while the two defenders would certainly bolster Maresca’s squad, neither one could or would displace Delap or Joao Pedro up top, unlike Joaquín Panichelli.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a few Premier League clubs interested in the RC Strasbourg striker.

Alongside the West Londoners, the report has revealed that West Ham United and Aston Villa have set their sights on the Argentine striker.

The report does not reveal how much the £28k-per-week star might cost, but considering his contract runs until the summer of 2030, he’s unlikely to be cheap.

Even so, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Panichelli, as he could be the striker to really take them forward, even if that’s bad news for Delap.

How Panichelli compares to Delap

Now it might sound simplistic, and that’s because it is, but the first and most important metric to compare when looking at two strikers is output.

Unfortunately for Delap, this is an area that Panichelli has him beat, and comfortably at that.

For example, so far this season, the Argentine, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango has dubbed “one of the most in-form Strikers in Europe,” has scored ten goals in 19 appearances, totalling 1367 minutes.

In other words, the Córdoba-born gem is averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games, or every 136.7 minutes.

In stark contrast, the Blues’ summer signing has scored just a single goal in 11 appearances, totalling 453 minutes.

Panichelli vs Delap in 25/26
Player	Panichelli	Delap
Appearances	19	11
Minutes	1367′	453′
Goals	10	1
Assists	0	0
Goal Involvements per Match	0.52	0.09
Minutes per Goal Involvement	136.7′	453
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The next advantage that the former Deportivo Alavés star has over the Englishman is the fact that he seems to be less injury-prone.

For example, while he did suffer a significant ACL injury in the 23/24 season, which kept him out for 24 games, he only missed one game in the entirety of last season, and so far this year, he’s missed just one.

On the other hand, the former Ipswich Town star suffered a knee injury that kept him out for 18 games in 23/24

Furthermore, so far this year, he has already missed 12 matches due to a hamstring problem, and now his current shoulder injury.

Finally, the Winchester-born ace doesn’t even have the advantage of being significantly younger and therefore possessing a higher ceiling, as he’s currently 22 years old and the Strasbourg star only turned 23 two months ago.

Ultimately, Panichelli is clearly a more dangerous forward and, on top of that, seems to be injured less often. Therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to sign him in 2026, even if that spells the end of Delap’s time at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea flop has fast become their biggest liability since Bakayoko

Chelsea and Maresca need to move on from the walking disaster as soon as possible.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

3 days ago

The Saudi Pro League is renowned for its wealth and ability to give players huge wages, but who are the most expensive signings in the competition’s history?

European football remains the dominant force in the modern game, with the likes of the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga generally possessing the best players in the world.

In recent years, the Saudi Pro League has increasingly come to the fore, offering footballers eye-watering weekly wages and tempting them away from European clubs in the process.

To some, it is a sub-standard league where players go to earn big money in the twilight of their careers, but others feel it could only continue to grow in the coming years, especially if it continues to attract some of the biggest names in the sport.

There have been plenty of big-money signings to Saudi clubs since its rise to prominence – here are the 15 most expensive to date.

Saudi Pro League: Most expensive transfers

Rank

Player

Transfer

Date

Fee (£)

1

Neymar

PSG to Al-Hilal

Aug 2023

£77.6m

2

Jhon Duran

Aston Villa to Al-Nassr

Jan 2025

£71m

3

Mateo Retegui

Atalanta to Al-Qadsiah

July 2025

£57m

4

Darwin Nunez

Liverpool to Al-Hilal

Aug 2025

£56.6m

5

Malcom

Zenit to Al-Hilal

Jul 2023

£51.4m

6

Otavio

Porto to Al-Nassr

Aug 2023

£51.1m

7

Moussa Diaby

Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad

Jul 2024

£50m

8

Ruben Neves

Wolves to Al-Hilal

Jul 2023

£47m

9

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Fulham to Al-Hilal

Aug 2023

£46m

10

Galeno

Porto to Al-Ahli

Jan 2025

£41.6m

=11

Ivan Toney

Brentford to Al-Ahli

Aug 2024

£40m

=11

Fabinho

Liverpool to Al-Ittihad

Jul 2023

£40m

12

Mohamed Simakan

RB Leipzig to Al-Nassr

Sep 2024

£37.9m

13

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Lazio to Al-Hilal

Jul 2023

£34m

14

Marcos Leonardo

Benfica to Al-Hilal

Sep 2024

£33.7m

15 Marcos Leonardo Benfica to Al-Hilal (£33.7m)

Kicking off the list is Brazilian youngster Marcos Leonardo, who joined Al-Hilal from Benfica earlier this year in a deal worth a reported €40m (£33.7m).

The 21-year-old forward was previously with Santos in his homeland, but he clearly felt that a Saudi move was best for his development at this early stage in his career. Only time will tell if it is the right call, but it has been rare to see such a young footballer head there.

14 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic Lazio to Al-Hilal (£34m)

For a long time, it seemed inevitable that Sergej Milinkovic-Savic would end up at one of the best teams in Europe, having stood out as such a dominant performer for Lazio, combining talent and physicality in midfield.

It came as a huge shock to see him join Al-Hilal last year in a deal reportedly worth £34m, especially as he was still only in his late 20s at that point. Will he return to Europe in the future?

13 Mohamed Simakan RB Leipzig to Al-Nassr (£37.9m)

Mohamed Simakan made the decision to leave RB Leipzig and join Al-Nassr in September 2024, in a move worth €45m (£37.9m), linking up with Cristiano Ronaldo in the process.

Only in his mid 20s, the centre-back’s decision to move away from Europe arguably surprised some, but it is still early days, and the club’s success on the domestic and continental stages may determine whether he’ll come to regret saying goodbye to the Bundesliga.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Frenchman will certainly be looking to make an impression as he seeks a first senior international cap.

12 Fabinho Liverpool to Al-Ittihad (£40m)

Liverpool enjoyed a glorious period in their history under Jurgen Klopp, winning plenty of trophies, and Fabinho played a massive role in the Reds’ success.

A world-class No 6 at his peak, the Brazilian’s ability started to wane in the 2022/23 season, with his body no longer allowing him to cover ground like he once did.

A Saudi move felt like the best outcome for all parties, and Fabinho moved to Al-Ittihad for a reported £40m the following summer.

11 Ivan Toney Brentford to Al-Ahli (£40m)

Much like Milinkovic-Savic, Ivan Toney felt like a player who was only on the up at Brentford, with a move to one of the Premier League’s biggest teams often mooted.

Instead, the England international left the Bees to join Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024 in a move that surprised many, even amid his contract issues in west London.

Reports of his eventual transfer fee were mixed, but most appear to indicate Brentford received a sum of around £40m.

10 Galeno Porto to Al-Ahli (£41.6m)

Former Porto star Galeno was one of two major signings in the January 2025 market for the Saudi Pro League, with the winger joining Al-Ahli for €50m (£41.6m).

Galeno had scored eight in 18 appearances for Porto before departing for the Middle East, and has already written his name into the history books, scoring in the AFC Champions League final against Kawasaki Frontale.

His arrival marks Al-Ahli’s most expensive signing, replacing Ivan Toney.

9 Aleksandar Mitrovic Fulham to Al-Hilal (£46m)

Many players who have moved to the Saudi Pro League have been individuals whose peaks have been and gone, but Aleksandar Mitrovic went there while in his prime.

He was just 28 when he opted to trade Fulham for Al-Hilal, but he is no doubt reaping the financial rewards. Mitrovic’s transfer fee was officially undisclosed, with the Cottagers indicating they had received a “club-record” fee. While it was thought to be close to £50m, a sum of £46m appears to be the most widely mentioned.

8 Ruben Neves Wolves to Al-Hilal (£47m)

Ruben Neves’ move to Saudi Arabia has to stand out as one of the biggest surprises having grown into such a key player at Wolves, while still only being in his mid-20s.

It looked like the Portugal star had the pick of his clubs given the natural talent he possesses in midfield, but the race for his signature was won by Al-Hilal, who paid £47m for Neves’ services.

7 Moussa Diaby Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad (£50m)

It looked like Aston Villa had signed themselves a gem of a player in Moussa Diaby, with the winger catching the eye with his quality and end product during his one season at Villa Park.

His campaign did fizzle out a bit as it went on, but few would have expected to see him ditch the Midlands side for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad, with the Villans receiving around £50m in the process.

It’s hard not to feel as though the Frenchman is wasting the best years of his career in a lesser division, although the financial aspects of the move are undeniably appealing.

6 Otavio Porto to Al-Nassr (£51.1m)

Otavio was always a highly rated figure for Porto, and became a key part of the Portugal setup before opting for a Saudi move instead of a European switch, which cost Al-Nassr €60m (£51.1m) in August 2023.

He’s not set the world alight in the Middle East, scoring just one goal and supplying five assists in 2024/25.

The India batter went past the mark of 351 ODI sixes against South Africa in Ranchi

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Nov-2025Rise to the topRohit was not a prolific six-hitter at the beginning of his ODI career. He hit his first in his third innings – against Pakistan in Jaipur – but by the time he scored his maiden hundred in his 40th innings, in May 2010, he had only five sixes off 1023 balls faced.Three years later, against Australia in Bengaluru, Rohit let loose, smashing 16 sixes – a record for an ODI innings at the time – on his way to the first of three double-centuries. Until then, he had hit only 36 sixes in 102 ODI innings at a rate of 102.14 balls per six.