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Salary pots increased significantly across men’s and women’s competitions in wake of equity sale

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2025The Hundred will switch from a draft system to a player auction for the 2026 season, imitating the long-standing method for squad-building in the IPL, while the overall salary pot for the men’s and women’s competitions will be significantly hiked, by 45% and 100% respectively, according to changes agreed in the wake of this year’s equity sale, which raised more than £550 million for the ECB.The maiden auction is set to take place in March 2026, and is one of several significant changes that were ratified by the Hundred’s Board on Thursday, as part of the ‘reset’ process to launch the first season in which the eight teams will be either co- or fully owned by private investors.In a bid to attract the best available players for the tournament, the total amount that men’s teams can spend per season will rise from the present level of £1.2 million to £2.05 million, while the women’s figure will rise to £880,000 per team. The base salaries for the lowest-paid women’s players will increase by 50%, from £10,000 to £15,000.According to the ECB, there will be salary caps in place, but also salary collars – a minimum spend per team per season – and the option of multi-year contracts will also be introduced. As flagged by ESPNcricinfo last year, the number of overseas players per squad is set to rise, from three to four – subject to Home Office clearance – with a total of 16-18 players permitted per squad.There will be no right to match, but direct signings will be permitted: up to two overseas players and two centrally-contracted England players. The window for such signings will extend from mid-November to mid-January, while the Hundred Board has also approved the retention of the wildcard system which will allow two players per franchise to be selected from the T20 Blast, via a player draft in June 2026.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

As a consequence, a cumulative pre-auction deduction will be factored in for each franchise, which will reduce the spend permitted at the auction depending on the number of players picked up beforehand.For the men’s competition, this will equate to: £350k (1 signing), £650k (2 players), £850k (3 players), £950k (4 players). For the women’s competition, the figures are: £130k (1 signing), £240k (2 players), £310k (3 players), £360k (4 players).Vikram Banerjee, the Managing Director of the Hundred, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for the Hundred. These changes will help us make the competition even better, ensuring we get the best players in the world and improving the standard of cricket and level of entertainment further again.Related

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“Working alongside our new partners we’ve been exploring how we can take The Hundred forward and we’ve decided that moving to an auction will allow us to improve the competition. For a competition that has always been proud to innovate, we’re delighted to be holding the first auction in major UK sport.”In making this decision, we have stuck to three key principles: i) ensuring The Hundred attracts the best players in the world, ii) maintaining a competitive balance between the squads, iii) guaranteeing whatever changes we make work across the men’s and women’s games. “The decision to increase the men’s salary pot by 45% has been taken because market forces in the men’s game necessitate a more significant uplift to ensure we’re able to attract the best players in the world.”The salary pot for the women’s competition in the first year of The Hundred was £120,000, with the top-earning players earning £15,000 – the pot has risen for the third year in a row. With the pot now £880,000, top-earning players are set to earn in the region of £130,000, as well as a significant increase in salaries for those at base price.”Salaries in The Hundred women’s competition are very competitive, and they compare favourably with other franchise cricket competitions and across the landscape of women’s sport.”It’s been fantastic to work alongside our new partners, they’re already bringing energy and expertise and I know that together we can make The Hundred even better, for fans and players alike.”

Liverpool are now reportedly pushing to sign a Celtic youngster in what could deal the Hoops a frustrating blow ahead of Wilfried Nancy’s arrival.

O'Neill: Celtic have restored "confidence"

As far as interim managers go, Celtic couldn’t have done a lot better than Martin O’Neill. There would have been concerns that the 73-year-old was out of ideas in the modern game, but he’s since proved any doubters wrong by getting the Bhoys back on track and rolling back the years.

Signing off in style in his final European game, Celtic secured a much-needed victory against Feyenoord on Thursday evening and O’Neill admitted that “confidence” has been restored in the squad.

The veteran manager told reporters: “Judging from last season, the format, you are looking for 10 or 11 points to qualify. It won’t be easy, but Celtic have two home games and the confidence is in the side now.

“I told my two brothers who came to the game to start my chant, so they must have done so. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. In the dressing room, the lads are full of it.

“It’s hard to say what I thought [when I took charge]. My two daughters were all in on going for it, but my wife said I would probably mess it up. I haven’t messed it up so far. It’s been great. The results are what you live by and they’ve been terrific.

“[The new manager] has got some players who are big winners, which is great. I’m sure he will lean on some of those lads and then it’s about improving some of the other players.

“The restoration of confidence is big and it’s keeping it going after that. Winning away from home is terrific – it’s not easy away from home in Europe. It gives them belief that they can come and compete.”

The job will now be passed over to Nancy, who could be about to lose one of his best academy stars right away amid Liverpool’s interest in Derek Jikiemi.

Liverpool pushing to sign Celtic gem Jikiemi

As reported by The Daily Record, Liverpool are now pushing to sign Celtic gem Jikiemi after sending their scouts to watch the 15-year-old Parkhead wonderkid. The central defender is one of the most talented players in Celtic’s academy, but could be about to follow in Ben Doak’s footsteps by swapping Glasgow for Merseyside.

Although Jikiemi is one for the future, losing him would represent where Celtic currently find themselves in the European pecking order. They won’t be expected to compete Liverpool in the market, but they must do better to keep hold of homegrown talent.

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If the teenager did complete a move to Anfield then Celtic would only receive compensation for the years that he came through their system in an added blow.

The Hoops can, however, secure their young star to professional terms at the end of the season when he’s 16 years old. Whether they get the chance to do that remains to be seen, however.

Celtic now confident they'll beat Man City to history-making first signing for Nancy

India opener Mayank Agarwal is set to join Yorkshire on a short-term deal for the remainder of the County Championship.Agarwal, who is expected to link up with the squad ahead of their match against Somerset on Taunton starting September 8, will play three matches in all before returning to India in time for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. This will be Agarwal’s first county stint.He was most-recently in action at the Maharaja T20 Trophy, Karnataka’s flagship T20 tournament. Prior to that, he was part of an IPL-title winning campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after being signed as a late replacement for the injured Devdutt Padikkal.Agarwal, 34, is no stranger to England, having been on two tours previously with the Test side – in 2021-22 and for the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023.He had been in line to open during the 2021-22 tour, which India drew 2-2, but was ruled out prior to the series opener due to concussion. He has also been on two tours with the India A team.Agarwal, currently Karnataka’s all-format captain, comes with rich first-class experience. He has 8050 runs in 190 innings at an average of 43.98 with 18 hundreds and 44 half-centuries.In all, Agarwal has hit 1488 Test runs in 36 innings at an average of 41.33, with four Test centuries, including a best of 243 against South Africa. He played the most recent of his 21 Tests in March 2022 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.Other prominent Indians to feature in the UK domestic season this year are Khaleel Ahmed (Essex), Tilak Varma (Hampshire), Yuzvendra Chahal (Northants), Ishan Kishan (Notts) and Sai Kishore (Surrey). Jaydev Unadkat is set to join Sussex this month.

Rangers are now reportedly ready to grant Danny Rohl’s transfer request after the German commenced a personal scouting mission ahead of January.

Rangers must be "ruthless", says Rohl

As Old Firm rivals Celtic closed the gap on Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Rangers stuttered for the second-consecutive outing in midweek – drawing 2-2 against Dundee United. Just when Rohl was looking for a reaction, he watched on as the Gers were forced to salvage a point courtesy of Nedim Bajrami’s late penalty.

Disappointed by yet more dropped points, the Rangers boss told reporters: “We are disappointed because it’s just one point. We put everything on the pitch until the end, that’s why we deserve a point.

“When I see how many chances we create, we should win this game. If we can bring this together in the future with a clean sheet, we win games.

“We are disappointed, but I see a step forward today from my group. We had more tempo, better decision-making, our body shape between the lines. We sped up our games in the right moment.

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“I’m not happy because you have to win, there’s no question. We have to be ruthless in both boxes. I am convinced that more goals will come. At the moment it is hard work.

“Of course, the last two results are not what we want. They are two different results. The weekend [at home to Falkirk] was a boring draw, today it was an entertaining draw, but for both you get just one point.”

It’s become clear in the last week that those at Ibrox must back Rohl when the January transfer window swings open. Without sporting director Kevin Thelwell, there’s also every chance that the German will have greater control on arrivals and that could see Youssef Chermiti replaced.

Rangers ready to grant Rohl request

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now ready to grant Rohl’s request for a new No.9 to replace summer flop Chermiti. The Gers boss has commenced a personal scouting mission in recent weeks and recruitment chiefs have held talks with agents in the Netherlands and Belgium on the hunt for a crucial addition.

Alongside a new striker, Rohl has reportedly asked the 49ers to sign a dynamic central midfielder and a versatile full-back in an attempt to add quality in depth.

It comes as no surprise that Rohl has set his sights on a striker. It would instantly make up for Thelwell’s mistake in the summer, which saw Chermiti arrive for as much as £8m to make the forward one of Rangers’ most expensive ever signings. That alone perfectly sums up the disaster that was the sporting director’s time in Scotland.

It’s also not a great shock that Rohl’s after a dynamic midfielder in 2026, given that Nicolas Raskin could still leave the club amid interest from the Premier League. Losing the Belgian would be a major blow, but the sale would also fund a much-needed overhaul when the winter window swings open.

Rohl must now ditch Rangers dud who was the "shining light" under Martin

Australia captain Alyssa Healy will miss the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup match against England after suffering a “minor calf strain” during a training session on Saturday.Vice captain Tahlia McGrath will lead the side in her absence, while Beth Mooney will keep wicket. Healy will be monitored ahead of the final league game against South Africa on Saturday, Cricket Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.”Really unfortunate there for Midge [Healy] but we know we have got some options,” Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke said in Indore on Tuesday. “It’s twofold. Obviously, it’s a big loss for us. She’s our captain, she’s made back-to-back hundreds, she’s certainly in some form with the bat. We talk about our depth a bit and that’s going to be tested. It’s going to provide some opportunities for others to step up into some role, which we’ve got the ability to cover. Whilst it’s not ideal, that’s why you bring 15 players to be able to absorb when things like this arise.”Related

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Nitschke said Georgia Voll was the “obvious choice” to replace Healy, but added that Australia were yet to take a final decision. On Monday, Voll had a long batting session at the Holkar Stadium and faced both pace and spin. Nitschke also gave her left-arm throwdowns from a low trajectory to emulate England’s left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, and Voll was seen training for the scoop against that kind of delivery.”Georgia Voll is here and has filled that role before,” Nitschke said. “We’ll sit down today and probably just make sure we’re getting our matchups right and come to a final decision, but she’s the obvious choice.”Voll made her ODI debut against India last year and scored a century in just her second game. She played the WPL for UP Warriorz as a replacement player and even scored an unbeaten 99 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Voll bagged a duck in her first international match on Indian soil – against India last month in New Chandigarh – but followed it up with a half-century.”Volly’s a pretty casual customer,” Nitschke said. “She seems to be able to take everything in her stride, and if we do go that way and select her, I’m sure that she’s going to be ready and up for the challenge. She has shown that she has certainly got what it takes to perform at this level, and doesn’t seem to get too overawed by an occasion. So if that’s the way we go, I’ve got full confidence that she’s going to be ready to step in.”Nitschke also threw her weight behind McGrath, who has had scores of 26, 5 and 12 in the World Cup so far. McGrath has led Australia only four times in ODIs before, and Wednesday’s game against Ashes rivals England will be her first at the ODI World Cup.”It works in her favour, she is a pretty cool customer, TMac,” Nitschke said. “She probably hasn’t had the [desired] output, but she had a really important partnership for us in the New Zealand game with Ash Gardner. She’s someone that certainly steps up when she’s leading the team. So, I’m looking forward to seeing her out there captaining us, and I know she’d do a fantastic job.”Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield put on an unbroken 202-run stand against Bangladesh•ICC/Getty Images

Healy came into the World Cup low on runs – she scored 27, 9 and 30 in the ODI series against India – and started the competition with 19 and 20 against New Zealand and Pakistan respectively. But she then hit 142 in 107 balls in a record run-chase against India and 113 not out in 77 balls in a ten-wicket win against Bangladesh.Australia, having won four out of their five matches so far, were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals and currently sit at the top of the points table. England and South Africa have also secured their spots, with one more berth still up for grabs.This latest injury is a setback for Healy, whose 2024 T20 World Cup campaign was also marred by injury. During that tournament, she was sidelined for Australia’s final group match against India and their semi-final loss to South Africa after injuring her plantar fascia. The injury also had a knock-on effect through the remainder of her 2024-25 season. Knee and foot issues kept her out of much of the WBBL, an ODI series against India, the T20I leg of the Ashes, and a T20I tour of New Zealand.After months of rehabilitation, Healy made her long-awaited return in August, playing six white-ball matches for Australia A against India A in Queensland before being named in the World Cup squad.

When approaching a transfer window, whether it is in the summer or January, Glasgow Rangers should be looking to do one of two things with their signings.

They should be making signings with a view to improving the team in the short-term, as they should always be competing for trophies every season.

As well as those impact signings, the Gers should also be looking for young players who have the potential for big development, with a view to selling them on for a substantial profit in the future, to carry their player trading model.

In the summer transfer window just gone, Kevin Thelwell led the recruitment drive and it is hard to see many signings that fall into either of those categories at the moment.

In terms of short-term impact, Rangers are currently fifth in the Scottish Premiership after finishing second last season, which shows that they have regressed on the pitch.

Meanwhile, there are not too many players who were signed in the summer who currently look like they will go on to be sold for a profit in the future.

Rangers summer signings who are most likely to be sold for a profit

Thelwell, who was moved on from his position on Monday, swooped to bring in seven players on permanent deals to Ibrox in the summer, along with the pre-agreed permanent deals for Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron that were agreed before he joined in April.

Rangers have a fairly decent record of selling players for big money in recent years. Calvin Bassey joined Ajax for £19.6m, Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £6m, and Nathan Patterson signed for Everton for £11.5m in 2022, whilst Hamza Igamane was sold to Lille for £10.4m this year.

Excluding Cortes and Cameron, as they were not sanctioned by Thelwell, it would be bold to confidently predict that any of the seven permanent summer signings will be sold for profit.

Djeidi Gassama feels like the most likely, at this moment in time, because he was signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m and has produced six goals and two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt. No other summer signing has scored more than twice.

Because none of the others have provided much of an attacking threat, Emmanuel Fernandez, despite playing just four matches, may rank second. Signed for £3.5m, he has scored two goals in four matches and won 88% of his aerial duels in two league outings, per Sofascore.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Emmanuel Fernandez

3

Oliver Antman

4

Thelo Aasgaard

5

Youssef Chermiti

6

Bojan Miovski

7

Joe Rothwell

As you can see in the table above, Joe Rothwell and Bojan Miovski, who both started on the bench against Livingston last weekend, rank in the bottom two because they have been bit-part players at the ages of 30 and 26, which does not suggest that they are likely to kick on and be sold for a big profit.

Oliver Antman, with three goal contributions, and Thelo Aasgaard, with two goal contributions, rank just ahead of those two because they are 24 and 23, respectively, and still have time to improve.

Youssef Chermiti ranks in fifth because he has plenty of time to develop, at 21, but was signed for a whopping fee of £8m and has only produced one goal in 13 matches as a striker, per Transfermarkt, which makes it seem unlikely, on current evidence, that they will recoup that outlay.

Meanwhile, there is a player in the current Rangers squad, signed before Thelwell arrived, who does look likely to be sold on for a substantial profit, and potentially for even more than the likes of Joe Aribo and Hamza Igamane.

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Nicolas Raskin was signed by former Gers boss Michael Beale under the previous ownership at Ibrox, whilst they were between sporting directors, in January 2023 for a reported fee of roughly £1.5m from Standard Liege.

Why Rangers could sell Nicolas Raskin for a profit

Given that the Belgian midfielder was signed for a fairly small sum of money, certainly in comparison to a player like Chermiti, it will be ‘easier’ for Rangers to bank a profit on him if they ever decide to cash in.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Leeds and Tottenham are two of a number of clubs across the Premier League and Europe that are eyeing up a possible move for Raskin, but that the Gers want a “big fee” for their star.

This shows that there are teams keen on snapping the Belgium international up from Ibrox in the winter window, which means that Rangers could, if they wanted to, cash in on him to fund new signings for Danny Rohl, not to say that is what they should do.

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that it would take a fee of £18m to £20m to tempt the Gers to sell Raskin, which would be a substantial profit on the £1.5m they signed him for almost three years ago.

Selling him for a fee in that region would mean that Rangers would get more money for him than they did for Igamane, Patterson, and Aribo, as aforementioned, although it would take a fee of £20m for him to take Bassey’s crown as the most expensive sale in the club’s history.

Appearances

33

10

Sofascore rating

7.43

7.39

Goals

4

1

Assists

10

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.4

2.8

Ground duel success rate

57%

53%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

56%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin’s performances as a box-to-box midfielder in the Premiership have been exceptional since the start of last season, as he has provided quality in the final third and defensive strength out of possession.

The 24-year-old maestro, once praised as “unbelievable” by ex-Gers striker Kris Boyd, has proven that he can provide consistent performances for the club, which is something the batch of summer signings this year have failed to do thus far.

That is why Raskin may end up being sold for a huge fee, as possibly the most or second-most expensive sale in the club’s history, amid interest from several teams in January, whilst it is hard to say if any of Thelwell’s signings will go on to be sold for a profit.

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Whilst Rangers supporters may not want to see the Belgian move on from the club in January, his story and the fact that there is the possibility that he is sold for huge money is an example that Thelwell’s replacement should look to follow.

Southampton are currently on the search for their next permanent head coach after they made the decision to part ways with Will Still earlier this month.

The former Lens boss only won two Championship matches during his time at St. Mary’s, and the club must, simply, find a manager who can bring a winning mentality back to Hampshire.

Southampton, as shown in the graphic above, have had a run of less-than-successful head coach appointments, which may not fill supporters with too much hope for the next one.

The latest on Southampton's managerial search

The Telegraph reports that former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil is in pole position to land the job, having left Wolves last year.

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It states that he is the leading contender for the role at this moment in time, but that it is still early on in the process and there are other managers are in the frame.

The Telegraph adds that Michael Carrick, who is also out of a job, is a head coach who is being considered and could come into the running to replace Still in the coming days.

The former Middlesbrough boss, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been a free agent since the end of last season, and could be a dream alternative to O’Neil.

Why Southampton should hire Carrick over O'Neil

Parking any concerns about O’Neil’s Portsmouth ties to the side, given that he previously stated a desire to manage Pompey, the former Wolves boss has yet to show that he can coach a team to dominate and win games consistently.

As shown in the graphic in the post above, his Bournemouth and Wolves teams consistently conceded more chances than they created, and both clubs improved statistically after he left.

There should, therefore, be concerns about whether or not he is the right profile of coach to lead Southampton to promotion back to the Premier League as a side that needs to win consistently to gain promotion.

Carrick, meanwhile, has a proven track record of coaching a dominant team in the Championship, as well as taking over in a similar situation to the one that Saints find themselves in.

The English boss joined Boro after they had won two of their first 11 league games in the 2022/23 campaign and led them to a fourth-place finish, per Transfermarkt, whilst Southampton have won three of their 14 league matches this term.

Michael Carrick’s two full seasons at Middlesbrough
Championship	23/24	24/25
League finish	8th	10th
xPTS (Expected league finish)	73 (5th)	71 (6th)
xG	69.5	67.4
xGA	55.0	56.4
xGD	+14.5	+11.3
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Carrick also coached expected play-off finishes in his two full seasons at Middlesbrough, but his squad did not deliver results that matched the performances.

Some may point to the fact that Boro are currently third in the Championship after his departure, but they are sixth for xPTS and have failed to win any of their last three games, per FotMob, which suggests that their fast start is slowing down to match their performance level.

Overall, Carrick could be a dream alternative to O’Neil because he does not have links to Portsmouth, he does have relevant Championship experience, and he has achieved a play-off finish after taking over a club in a similar position.

Whereas, O’Neil has never managed in the Championship and has lost 52 of his 100 games as a manager, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has yet to prove himself as a coach who can deliver winning football.

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Australia’s stand-in captain said that a pink-ball Test is ‘just a completely different game’

Matt Roller30-Nov-2025Steven Smith looks set to emulate former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul by wearing ‘eye blacks’ on his cheeks during the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. He trialled the anti-glare strips while batting in the nets during Australia’s floodlit training session on Sunday evening ahead of Thursday’s day-night, pink-ball fixture in Brisbane.Smith has played 13 of Australia’s 14 previous pink-ball Tests but has not taken to the format in the same way as red-ball cricket: he has only scored one hundred in 24 innings in day-night Tests, averaging 37.04. His record in daytime Tests is far superior, with 35 centuries in 190 innings and an average of 58.31.”The pink ball in general is just a completely different game,” Smith had said during Australia’s most recent day-night Test match, a 176-run win over West Indies in Jamaica in July. “Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things like that, and the way it behaves is completely different to a red one.”I think people like the spectacle. But as a player, particularly as a batter, it’s very challenging. The game can so quickly, and things change really quickly, which you probably don’t get so much with a red ball. But yeah, people like watching it, I suppose, so I guess it’s here to stay.”Related

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The ‘eye blacks’ – small, black, adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone – that Smith wore in training are commonplace in several American sports, and are designed to reduce the glare from floodlights by absorbing the light that would otherwise reflect off the skin.Chanderpaul is the most prominent cricketer to have used them previously. “I always used it whenever it was very glary,” he told in a 2018 interview. “I stick them on and it does help take 60-70 percent of the glare off my eyes, and that was good for me.”Alastair Cook, who played three day-night Tests for England, has identified focusing on the pink ball’s black seam as the biggest challenge for batters due to glare. “When the floodlights shine off the pink leather, it distracts from focusing on the black seam – and if you can’t see the seam as a batsman, you’re in big trouble,” Cook wrote in his column.”Whatever type of cricket you are playing, the seam is your clue as to how the ball will behave… At least you have a chance with a red ball. If it’s a pink one under lights, it’s nigh-on impossible to pick up the seam and, therefore, decide with confidence which way the ball might move.”Smith’s innovation came on the same day that Joe Root questioned whether the Ashes should feature a pink-ball Test, comments which Travis Head dismissed.Australia lead the five-Test series 1-0 after beating England inside two days in Perth.

Leeds United have now made contact over the signing of an “incredible” £50m player, with the 49ers looking to get a deal done in the January transfer window.

Leeds looking to strengthen amid poor run of form

After a solid start to the season, defeating Everton 1-0 on the opening day, Leeds’ survival hopes have taken a major hit over the past couple of months, having lost five of their last six Premier League games, which means they have now fallen into the relegation zone.

Gary Neville has recently suggested the warning signs were there right from the start, saying: “I said Leeds were going down after watching them on the first game of the season I thought ‘that’s not right, that’. Everton were shocking that night, but I just thought Leeds…”

Things aren’t going to get any easier in the coming weeks, with Daniel Farke’s side set to take on Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next three matches, which means they could be in even deeper trouble by mid-December.

As such, the 49ers may have to bring in some fresh faces during the January transfer window, and they have already started work on potential new signings, with a report from The Mirror revealing Leeds have now enquired about signing Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips on loan.

However, the Whites want Phillips’ current employers to make a major contribution towards his astronomical £250k-a-week wages, which could be a stumbling block, and as things stand, it is unlikely that a deal transpires.

Since making a £50m move to the Etihad Stadium in 2022, the midfielder’s career has been on a downward trajectory, and he is prepared to move abroad, having now returned to full fitness after suffering a serious Achilles injury in pre-season.

"Incredible" Phillips still has time to get career back on track

Pep Guardiola has personally expressed sympathy for how the Englishman’s career has panned out, describing him as an “incredible person”, but the Man City ace still has time to get things back on track, given that he is still just 29-years-old.

That said, it would be a risk for Leeds to re-sign their former player, considering he has found game time very hard to come by this season, appearing for just seven minutes, which came in City’s 2-0 EFL Cup triumph against Huddersfield Town.

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On his day, the 31-time England international is capable of great things, having particularly impressed for the Three Lions at Euro 2021.

As such, if a low-cost loan move were an option, it could be worth taking a gamble on Phillips, who is represented by the same agent as Wilfried Gnonto, but it may take him some time to get back to his best, having barely featured for City.