Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Karthik Krishnaswamy get together to discuss India’s Test series against West Indies, Gambhir’s time so far as the India head coach, and more
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025Why was India’s decision to follow on in the Delhi Test puzzling? Did India underestimate West Indies’ batting? Why didn’t Nitish Kumar Reddy bowl in the Test? Dustin Silgardo, Sidharth Monga and Karthik Krishnaswamy get together on the Rock and Roll It podcast to discuss India’s Test series against West Indies, Gautam Gambhir’s time so far as the India head coach and whether he needs to manage his bowlers’ workload better.
Manchester United have been warned off a £100 million ($134m) move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, with ex-Red Devils defender Paul Parker explaining to GOAL why such a swoop would be “foolhardy”. Transfer plans at Old Trafford are being drawn up heading towards 2026, but they are being advised to steer clear of a highly-rated England international.
Wanted man: Anderson attracting attention
Anderson has been generating plenty of hype since bursting onto the Three Lions scene under Thomas Tuchel. He helped England to secure faultless qualification for the 2026 World Cup and is expected to figure prominently at that tournament.
Said event will provide the classy 23-year-old with a global window in which to showcase his talent. The expectation is that more names will be added to what is an ever-growing list of suitors – with United reportedly forming part of that pack.
AdvertisementGettyEngine room: Man Utd looking for midfield reinforcements
The Red Devils are mulling over additions to their engine room as questions continue to be asked of how long Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro will remain at Old Trafford. The former is being linked with teams across Europe and the Saudi Pro League, while the latter is seeing his contract run down towards free agency.
Anderson would be a different kind of ‘No.6’ to Casemiro, with his game more about retaining the ball than winning it back, but would he be a good fit at Old Trafford at the price being mooted?
Price tag: Would Man Utd spend £100m on Anderson?
When that question was put to Parker, the former United full-back – speaking in association with gambling portal British Gambler – told GOAL: “I keep seeing his name bandied about. When it’s Manchester United, everybody wants to throw out someone all the time. Everyone goes with it.
“I’m not used to labelling players with numbers. You just want a midfield player who has got the capability to go up and down, wants to go up and down, and he definitely has that. I’m quite sure a lot of these young players don’t want to be labelled anymore. They did all that when they were kids playing FIFA. When it gets to the real world, you see that they want to get about. In my opinion you want midfield players like a Roy Keane, a Paul Ince, a Bryan Robson – players who can and want to do everything.
“I see where he is [Anderson] and I quite like him. The moment you mention it with Manchester United it’s £100m. That seems to be the going rate. Are United going to go and spend that kind of money on one player? I think it would be foolhardy if they go and do that.
“When you look at Anderson, he is a high-energy player but there are a lot of high-energy players out there. To be in the Premier League now, it is about how athletic your team is. There is a lot better chance of getting results at weekends, gives you an advantage and opportunity, when you have got athletic players. Sunderland are proving that at the moment. One player for me in midfield is not enough. They need a major rebuild.”
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GettyWorld Cup window: Man Utd could explore other options
It remains to be seen whether United formalise their supposed interest in Anderson. Ruben Amorim also needs to determine how he is going to split any transfer funds that are made available to him. As alluded to by Parker, it is unlikely that all of his recruitment eggs will be lumped into one basket.
Forest will not be dropping their demands, though, so anybody wanting to lure Newcastle academy graduate Anderson away from the City Ground will need to dig deep. He is tied to a contract on Trentside that is due to run until the summer of 2029.
The Reds are under no pressure to sell and that may force the likes of United to use next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico as an opportunity to assess alternative options that come with a slightly more budget-friendly price tag.
During the last couple of years, Tottenham Hotspur have started to splash the cash in the transfer market to aid them in their quest for success in the Premier League.
In the last four years alone, the hierarchy have dropped over £400m on new additions, but not all the big-money additions have made the desired effect in North London.
Tanguy Ndombele is just one of the players who cost a pretty penny, with the Frenchman costing a reported £63m in 2019 – a deal that was then a club-record.
He was only able to rack up 91 appearances for the Lilywhites over a five-year period, before leaving on a free transfer last summer to move back to his homeland.
With the January window on the horizon, the board and Thomas Frank will need to keep such a deal in mind to prevent themselves from losing a huge chunk of their investment.
The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this January
In recent weeks, Juventus defender Gleison Bremer has been one of the latest players touted with a move to join Spurs during the upcoming transfer window.
It’s been reported that Frank’s men are willing to fork out £35m for the Brazilian centre-back, as the board aim to add key depth and quality to the backline.
Juventus defender Gleison Bremer
The Lilywhites have shipped 11 goals in their last three competitive outings, which could make the 28-year-old a viable option for the upcoming window.
However, the attacking department could also be subject to improvement, with Monaco star Maghnes Akliouche once again emerging on their radar after previously wanting to sign the forward in the summer.
According to Sacha Tavolieri, the Lilywhites are extremely keen on a deal to land the 23-year-old this winter, but a deal could cost the hierarchy a pretty penny.
The journalist has stated that the Ligue 1 side are currently demanding a fee in the region of €70m (£61m) for his signature, a deal that would be one of the most expensive in their history.
Why Spurs’ £61m target would be Simons 2.0
Spending big on a young attacker hasn’t been alien for Spurs in the last couple of months, with the board splashing a reported £52m on the signature of Xavi Simons last summer.
The Dutchman’s move generated huge excitement, with the hierarchy selecting the 22-year-old as the player to fill the void in the number ten role after James Maddison’s injury.
However, a couple of months on from his mammoth transfer, the youngster has struggled to hit the ground running, as seen by his tally of zero goals and just two assists to date.
Frank has also evidently been frustrated by the Dutchman’s lack of quality, with the manager leaving him on the substitutes bench in each of the last two outings.
A little ounce of leeway must be handed Simons’ way though, especially with the attacking midfielder often having to operate in a somewhat unnatural left-wing role in multiple of his starts.
However, the club could be about to land another version of the big-money talent this January, especially if they manage to complete a deal for Akliouche in the near future.
He’s been ranked as a similar player to Simons in the Champions League by FBref, with the pair even facing off against each other in the clash between the two sides in October.
When comparing the pair’s respective stats in such a campaign, the Frenchman has dominated the current Spurs star, which could hand Frank the attacking talent he’s craved in recent months.
Akliouche, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has achieved a higher tally of combined goals and assists in the Champions League at present.
Games played
5
5
Goals & assists
2
1
Pass accuracy
83%
81%
Progressive passes
6.3
4.7
Passes into final third
3.8
2.9
Take-ons completed
2.7
2.1
Carries into final third
2.1
1.3
Crosses completed
2.4
2.1
He’s also completed more of the passes he’s attempted, with more of his efforts going into the final third – showcasing his creative nature when in possession.
The aforementioned tallies would undoubtedly hand Frank the big-money talent he’s been craving since taking the reins in North London during the off-season.
The Monaco star has also completed more take-ons per 90 in Europe this season, whilst achieving more carries into the final third per 90 – reaffirming his incredible ability with the ball at his feet.
£61m in today’s market for a player of Akliouche’s quality would be an excellent deal, with the 23-year-old having bags of time to reach the next level in his development.
As for Simons, the Frenchman’s potential move could push him down the pecking order further, but it could also provide him with the
needed kick to ignite his career in North London.
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