Sanju Samson fought a lone battle by scoring 73* off 56 balls as Kerala limped to 119 against Andhra in Lucknow. But KS Bharat killed the chase by smashing a rapid 53 off 28 balls, and taking his side to victory with seven wickets and eight overs to spare. Samson, who is likely to open the batting for India against South Africa if Shubman Gill isn’t fit, carried his bat after opening the innings and losing one partner after another.Kerala were 79 for 7 in the 17th over, with the highest partnership until then being 17 for the seventh wicket. But Samson got enough support from No. 9 Biju Narayanan to add an unbeaten 40, as Kerala huffed and puffed to a small total. The next highest score after Samson’s was MD Nidheesh’s 13, and Bharat ensured there was no contest, having smashed his fifty within the first nine overs. Ashwin Hebbar (27) and Pyla Avinash (20) also played their parts to hand Andhra their fifth win in six games.

Vyshak, Padikkal star but Saurashtra win thriller

Vijaykumar Vyshak got 3 for 28, and nearly sealed the game with bat in hand. However, Karnataka lost to Saurashtra by one run in a thrilling finish in Ahmedabad. Chasing 179, Karnataka were reduced to 49 for 3 in the seventh over, before Devdutt Padikkal and Ravichandran Smaran added 54. Ankur Panwar got Padikkal for 66 to break the stand, and Karnataka lost their way again. Vyshak and Shreyas Gopal took it all the way during their tenth-wicket partnership, but couldn’t take their side past the finish line.Earlier, Vyshak broke a 55-run opening stand for Saurashtra. Contributions from Siddhant Rana (42), Vishvaraj Jadeja (40), Harvik Desai (28) and Jay Gohil (27) helped Saurashtra to 178. They were 76 for 1 after seven overs and looked set for a bigger total, slowing down later even though Rana and Gohil added 66 for the fourth wicket. In the end, the total turned out to be just enough.File photo: Shardul Thakur got 3 for 19•BCCI

Shardul, Mhatre and Rahane shine for Mumbai

Shardul Thakur took three of the four wickets to fall in the powerplay as Mumbai eased their way past Chhattisgarh in Lucknow. Mumbai captain’s 3 for 19, alongside two wickets each for Suryansh Shedge, Atharva Ankolekar and Tushar Deshpande, bowled Chhattisgarh out for 121 after Mumbai opted to bowl first.Chhattisgarh were 59 for 7 at the start of the tenth over, having also lost Shashank Singh for 10. Shubham Agarwal and Mayank Yadav added 38 for the eighth wicket, but Shedge struck in back-to-back overs to halt Chhattisgarh’s brief recovery.Ayush Mhatre and Ajinkya Rahane then lay the foundation for the 122 chase by adding 82 for the first wicket. Agarwal got Rahane for 40 in 28 deliveries to break the stand, but by then, Mumbai were well on track for their fifth win in the group stages. Agarwal also dismissed Siddhesh Lad for 5, but Mhatre remained unbeaten on 69 off 49 balls, which included five sixes. Mumbai eventually won with eight wickets and 25 balls remaining.

Jayant trumps Shami as Puducherry thrash Bengal

Bengal suffered a collapse of 9 for 38 to be bowled out for 96 in pursuit of 178 against Puducherry in Hyderabad. Offspinner Jayant Yadav bagged 4 for 28, which included the wicket Karan Lal, who top-scored with 40. The collapse started when Abhimanyu Easwaran was run out for 12, with no Bengal batter from Nos. 4-11 getting into double-figures.The win was set up by Puducherry’s captain Aman Khan, who smashed five fours and seven sixes in his 74 off 40 balls. Aman added 68 for the third wicket with Jashwanth Shreeram, who scored 45 off 34. Their stand was broken by Mohammed Shami, who, after getting Shreeram in the 15th over, also dismissed Aman in the 19th. Shami finished with 3 for 34, following up 4 for 13 in the previous game against Services.

MatériaMais Notícias

Corinthians e Racing-URU, vice-líder e líder do grupo F da Copa Sul-Americana, respectivamente, duelam nesta terça-feira (28) pela liderança da chave e, consequentemente, pela classificação direta às oitavas de final da competição continental.

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A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Um ponto atrás do clube uruguaio na tabela de classificação, o Timão precisa de uma vitória em Itaquera para garantir a primeira colocação do grupo.

Em caso de empate ou derrota, a equipe comandada por António Olivera terá que disputar um mata-mata contra um dos terceiros colocados da fase de grupos da Libertadores. A definição deste possível confronto será definido por sorteio.

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Após um início conturbado de Sul-Americana, onde conquistou apenas quatro pontos em três rodadas, o Corinthians venceu os últimos dois duelos, eliminou o Argentinos Juniors da competição e colou no Racing-URU, líder do grupo.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Maycon e Ruan Oliveira, com lesões no joelho, estão fora da temporada. Pedro Henrique, Matheuzinho e Palacios seguem em transição física. No entanto, todos os jogadores considerados titulares da equipe comandada por António Oliveira no momento estarão à disposição.

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O Corinthians recebe o Racing-URU, na Neo Química Arena, às 19h (de Brasília), pela sexta e última partida da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana.

CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO GRUPO F

1º lugar: Racing-URU – 11 pontos2º lugar: Corinthians – 10 pontos 3º lugar: Argentinos Juniors-ARG – 6 pontos (elimiado)4º lugar: Nacional-PAR – 1 ponto (eliminado)

Tudo sobre

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India will eye a series win and may not want to tinker much with their XI after a close match

Sidharth Monga02-Dec-2025Big picture – Raipur’s second ODI everThere is a reason why ODIs are a format after India’s heart. Why, at a time when ODIs fight for relevance outside the World Cup, do Indians still sell out stadiums to watch their team in action? It doesn’t demand as much devotion as Tests do, but still provides enough time and certainty for their heroes to showcase their skill and fitness. And when two of the greatest of all time, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, find the form they did during the first ODI between against South Africa, it’s all the more reason for a three-match series to be frenzied.While ODIs are less reliant on luck than T20Is, the first ODI was also an example of how much heavy lifting the side losing the toss has to do. Despite all the pedigree they have, India came within a couple of connected full tosses of possibly losing to a side that has been chopping and changing, and has played 37 players in this year alone.Ranchi was India’s experience and skill coming up against the conditions and the incredible hitting depth in the South Africa line-up. You’d expect the same for the rest of the series if India keep losing tosses – they have now lost 19 in a row – but the only ODI Raipur has ever hosted was a bit of a dream for seam bowlers, who bowled New Zealand out for 108 in early 2023.Related

'I'm easy wherever I fit in' – Bavuma not fussed about batting spot ahead of must-win ODI

'They're brilliant, and are performing' – Kotak on Rohit, Kohli

Harshit takes the first step in fast bowlers' race for 2027 WC

SA find reason for ODI optimism despite top-order tangles

It happened to be the match immediately after one that mirrored this series’ Ranchi ODI. Asked to bat first back then, India rode on Shubman Gill’s double-century to post 349 for 8 – exactly what India got against South Africa in Ranchi – and had New Zealand reeling at 131 for 6, but the lower order gave India a scare once the dew came in, getting to within 12 runs of the score.This time, you’d hope Raipur gives us a closer contest than the Ranchi thriller. Not least because if India are on the dealing end of a one-sided game, the series will then have to feature a dead-rubber in Visakhapatnam.Form guideIndia: WWLLW
South Africa: LLWLLIn the spotlight: Harshit Rana and Nandre BurgerIndia had only a brief window of movement in Ranchi before the dew turned bowling into a nightmare. But Harshit Rana took two wickets in that small window to put India ahead. He has now shown that not only can he be effective in hitting the pitch hard with the old ball, but also with the new ball. Rana’s next challenge might be taking the new ball in the afternoon, when it tends to do little.Unlucky to not be a regular part of the Test set-up just yet, Nandre Burger took on that challenge in the afternoon in Ranchi, and came out with credit. He bowled at consistent high pace, and found a way to challenge the batters. If Burger can find a way to do even better, he will be a theme in the rest of the series.Team news: Bavuma, Maharaj should be backIndia will not want to be fickle with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Now that they have started the series with them there, one match against a soft ball shouldn’t be enough to push the two players out.India (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad/Rishabh Pant, 5 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh KrishnaTemba Bavuma should be back after resting in the first ODI•ICC/Getty ImagesSouth Africa rested regular captain Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj for the first ODI, but they were both quite active. Bavuma spoke to the players during drinks breaks, and Maharaj served as a substitute fielder for a while. So they should come right back in. Maharaj is an easier swap for Prenelan Subrayen, while Bavuma should replace one out of Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, both of whom scored ducks in Ranchi.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Quinton de Kock/Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Tony de Zorzi, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Ottneil BaartmanPitch and conditionsThe India vs New Zealand match from 2023 remains Raipur’s only day-night List A game, so there isn’t much history to go by. But the endeavour generally is to not produce a pitch too loaded in favour of the bowlers. So that 108 all out of nearly three years ago will likely be an aberration more than the trend. The weather promises to be pleasant for cricket, with temperatures not likely to go higher than 27 degrees celcius or lower than 14.Stats and trivia Rohit Sharma now holds the record for most ODI sixes: 352. The 681 runs scored in Ranchi was the highest aggregate for an India-South Africa contest.

Mohamed Salah is in danger of “destroying his legacy” at Liverpool, says Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, with the Egyptian superstar aiming an explosive rant in the Reds’ direction. He has accused the Premier League giants of 'throwing him under the bus', with his exploits down the years deserving greater respect, but Rooney claims it is the Anfield icon who is acting out of order.

• Legend status: Salah's remarkable record at Liverpool

  Salah has earned legend status on Merseyside, with 250 goals recorded for Liverpool through 420 appearances. He has won two domestic titles and a Champions League crown with the Reds, collecting PFA Player of the Year and Golden Boot honours along the way.

  A new two-year contract was signed during the summer of 2025, with that agreement set to take Salah to a decade of loyal service. Questions are now being asked of whether he will make it beyond January 2026.

  After being benched for a third successive game, as he was left watching on as Liverpool squandered two more points in a dramatic 3-3 draw at Leeds, Salah admitted that his working relationship with Arne Slot has broken down. He has hinted at bidding farewell to Reds fans during a home date with Brighton on Saturday – before he heads off on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

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• AFP
  

  Tarnishing his legacy: Rooney reacts to Salah rant

  Rooney is among those to have been left stunned by the shocking episode, with the ex-England captain saying on his latest : “Arne Slot has to show his authority and pull him in and say 'you are not travelling with the team, what you said is not acceptable'. Take yourself off to Afcon and let everything calm down. If I was him there would be no way he would be in the team. It needs to be sorted out quickly either way.”

  Rooney went on to say of Salah speaking out in public, with his comments dividing opinion among a fan base that have taken him to their hearts: “He is absolutely destroying his legacy at Liverpool. It would be sad for him to throw it all away. He's gone about it all wrong.”

• Earn your spot: Salah told no position is guaranteed

  Salah has claimed that he should not have to “go every day fighting for my position because I earned it”. Rooney believes no player should adopt that mentality, with every place having to be earned – especially at the very highest level.

  He added on The Wayne Rooney Show: “Time catches up with all of us, and this season he hasn't looked as his best, at his sharpest. You want to see him roll his sleeves up and say 'ok then, I'll show you'.

  “To have the arrogance to say he doesn't have to earn his place because he has already earned his place, you need to be at your best every week to try and stay in the team. If I was one of his team-mates, I wouldn't be happy at all with what he said because this is where Liverpool need him most. If anything, he has thrown Liverpool under the bus with his words.

  “He's been absolutely incredible for Liverpool, but this was disrespectful to his team-mates, manager and fans. I would imagine he will be very quiet around the training ground and that will bring a negative energy in itself to the new players Arne has bedded in. I am sure over the next couple of years he will regret saying what he has.”

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• GOAL
  

  Fighting fires: Another issue for Slot to contend with

  Liverpool are reportedly considering leaving Salah out of their travelling squad for a Champions League clash with Serie A giants Inter on Tuesday. It could be that he is left at home to reflect on his actions and whether the matter could have been handled differently.

  Slot will likely be quizzed on the issue at his pre-match press conference in Italy, with the Dutch tactician being left with another fire to fight after finding positive results hard to come by of late – with the reigning Premier League champions struggling for consistency as a collective.

Florida State ended Stanford’s 17-match unbeaten run on Monday, winning its fifth national championship with an 87th-minute winner at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. The No. 3 seed defeated the top-seeded Cardinal in the College Cup final for the second time in three years, adding a third national title in five seasons.

Getty ImagesWhat happened

Stanford entered the final with a nation-best 96 goals, but a lights-out performance from Florida State freshman goalkeeper Kate Ockene – who finished with a career-high nine saves – kept the Cardinal at bay. The Seminoles defended nearly flawlessly, surviving 18 shots, nine on target, before Wrianna Hudson seized on a late defensive lapse in the 87th minute.

Hudson, the team’s leading scorer with 15 goals, delivered the winner with a finish from the top of the six-yard box. With four minutes remaining, Stanford pushed hard for an equalizer, but Florida State managed the closing moments with composure, keeping the game under control until the final whistle.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA rematch of 2023

Florida State beat Stanford 5-1 to win the 2023 NCAA National Championship, though Stanford still leads the all-time series 4-3-0. That meeting marked FSU’s fourth title and second in three years, with four different Seminoles finding the net.

Entering Monday, Florida State owned four national titles while Stanford had won three. Both returned to the final with different storylines. The Seminoles, ranked No. 3, reached the championship match for the seventh time in the last 11 years. Senior forward Jordynn Dudley, a MAC Hermann Award finalist, arrived with 11 goals and was a constant threat, firing four shots even if she didn’t score the winner.

Stanford entered as the favorite, averaging a nation-best 4.0 goals per game. The attack was led by Jasmine Aikey, who finished the season with 21 goals.

Getty ImagesThe MVP

Freshman goalkeeper Kate Ockene had the performance of her life as she was tested throughout the entire match and stepped up on each occasion to keep a high-octane Stanford attack at bay. 

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Getty ImagesThe big loser

Stanford’s back line finally broke in the 87th minute. A corner kick set the sequence in motion, and the Cardinal failed to fully clear the initial delivery, which dropped at the penalty spot. The loose ball eventually fell to Janet Okeke, who played Taylor Suarez down the right. Suarez drove a low cross back into the six-yard area, where Wrianna Hudson arrived unmarked to finish.

The group had conceded just one goal in its last three matches prior to Monday's loss.

The New York Mets played the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. The NL East rivalry doesn't have as much juice this season as it has in years past; the Mets are rolling with one of the best records in baseball but the Braves have scuffled all year. Entering Tuesday night's affair there was a 13-game difference between New York and Atlanta in the divisional standings.

Even with that, though, the game did not unfold without some measure of drama.

The score was tied at 4-4 entering the ninth inning at Truist Park. Soto kicked off the top of the ninth with a single to get a man on base for Pete Alonso, batting cleanup. The Mets slugger mashed one deep into right field, but Ronald Acuña Jr. made a great play at the wall and caught the fly ball for the first out of the inning.

But Soto, for some reason, was caught between first and second for a few moments after Acuña made the grab. He seemed confused as to whether Acuña actually caught the ball or if it hit the wall first. His hesitation proved fatal as the Braves star gunned the ball back into the infield to force Soto out at first before he made it back to the bag. What could have been a rally for the Mets suddenly ended up with two outs and nobody on base; they'd go on to lose in extra innings, 5-4.

Afterwards Soto laid the blame right at the feet of the umpire for the crucial blunder, explaining he was waiting for the call to be made and felt the ump took "way too long" to do so.

"I mean, we rely on the umpires," Soto said. "We wait for them to make the call. We had something like that earlier this year too. The goal is look for the umpire and make sure he makes the right call. But I felt like he just took way too long to make the decision and it just put me in a tough spot."

Soto's frustration is clear. Obviously if he assumed the catch was made and booked it back to first base he would have been safe this time. But if he assumed wrong he would have put his team in a bad spot. Similarly if Soto presumed the catch was not made and started sprinting he would have looked foolish if the catch was, in fact, made. It's part of every baseball player's process on the basepaths to look to the umpire or their coaches to determine what happened.

Unfortunately for the Mets Soto couldn't puzzle it out on time Tuesday. He believes the ump needs to be better next time from these quotes.

After being scratched from the Atlanta Braves' lineup on Tuesday due to a back issue, Ronald Acuna Jr. returned on Wednesday with a bang. Acuna led off the game with a rocket home run, a long ball that apparently landed in uncharted waters at Sutter Health Park, as neither ESPN nor Statcast could get a good reading on the distance the ball traveled. But that arguably wasn't even Acuna's most impressive homer of the contest.

That came later in the top of the fourth inning.

Facing Athletics right-hander Mitch Spence, Acuna took the first two offerings for strikes, then opted to swing at a slider that was well out of the strike zone, but one that Spence hung nonetheless. The Braves' superstar somehow reached out and crushed the ball the opposite way to right field at 106 mph for his second homer of the game.

How indeed. The pitch was 1.19 feet from the center of home plate, which is tied for the furthest outside pitch that Acuna has homered on in his career, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

Acuna certainly looks Home Run Derby-ready. The Braves' superstar will be swinging for the fences in the competition in front of the hometown fans at Truist Park on July 14 at 8 p.m. ET.

خطف فريق بيراميدز، فوزًا قاتلًا على حساب كهرباء الإسماعيلية، بهدفين مقابل هدف، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وأقيمت المباراة بين بيراميدز وكهرباء الإسماعيلية اليوم الأربعاء على ملعب ستاد الإسماعيلية، في المواجهة المؤجلة من الجولة الثامنة من الدوري المصري.

وتقدم كهرباء الإسماعيلية بالهدف الأول بعد عرضية من الجهة اليمنى داخل منطقة الجزاء حولها أوناجم برأسية قوية على يمين الحارس داخل الشباك في الدقيقة 56.

طالع.. مفاجأة مُدوية.. فيريرا يُعلن الصدام القانوني ضد ميدو بعد “التشهير به”

وفي الدقيقة 65 جاء هدف التعادل لبيراميدز بعد عرضية داخل منطقة الجزاء حولها علي جبر برأسية قوية استقرت داخل الشباك.

وسجل زلاكة الهدف الثاني لصالح بيراميدز، في الدقيقة الثانية من الوقت بدل الضائع من الشوط الثاني بعد عرضية رائعة من محمد الشيبي.

ورفع بيراميدز رصيده إلى 26 نقطة في المركز الثاني من جدول الترتيب من 11 مباراة، بينما كهرباء الإسماعيلية في المركز قبل الأخير برصيد 8 نقاط. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز وكهرباء الإسماعيلية

Heung-min Son touches down in London next week to bid farewell to the Lilywhites fanbase at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s side are set to take on Slavia Prague in the Champions League, and what they could do with a prime version of Son and Harry Kane leading the line.

It’s fair to say that the world-class forwards have not been replaced since both departing in recent years, and that has been to the detriment of the new manager’s project.

Creatively, Spurs have not been at the races, but the need for an elite centre-forward has been just as severe. Talismanic figures like Kane are hard to come by, though.

Why Spurs are missing Harry Kane

It is not hard to work out why Tottenham miss their all-time record goalscorer, whose shooting skills are second to none and who, regardless, has so much more to his game than mere finishing.

Harry Kane

435

280

Jimmy Greaves

376

266

Bobby Smith

316

211

Heung-min Son

454

173

Martin Chivers

350

167

Now a superstar with Bayern Munich, the Three Lions captain is one of the most prolific forwards in world football, actually described as “the best player in the world” by writer Mitch Fretton.

This might just be the case. Kane has posted 25 goals from 21 matches in all competitions this season. His Bayern side are runaway Bundesliga leaders already.

He is the star of the show, the cream of the crop. Just as he was at Tottenham.

How Frank must wish for such a player leading his line. Although saying that, the Danish coach does has a Kane-esque star in his ranks, even if this player is performing on the other side of the field.

Spurs have a new Kane-like talisman

There isn’t a single forward in Tottenham’s first team who would scratch the same surface as Kane in his north London pomp right now, but Cristian Romero is showing off talismanic properties, albeit in a different way.

The Argentina international has been something of a divisive figure at times down N17, boasting world-class talent but also an erraticness and rash streak that has pulled him away from the action at times.

But he’s still an immense player, evidenced when he came up trumps as Spurs salvaged a draw at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening, scoring a brace against Newcastle United.

Romero is hardly a similar player to Kane, but they share some similarities that suggest Romero could be the club’s new version.

They are both leaders. Kane was never anointed as Tottenham’s first-choice captain due to Hugo Lloris, but he’s undoubtedly a top leader. In this, Romero and him are alike, with the Argentine both a vocal and lead-by-example skipper, so imposing and aggressive in the heart of the defence.

The 27-year-old is a “monster” of a player, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 2.5 tackles and 5.7 duels in the Premier League this season, winning 64% of the latter.

Micky van de Ven, lauded by some as Tottenham’s best player, has not yet achieved the same kind of defensive mastery, averaging only 1.1 tackles per game and winning just 51% of his duels.

It’s clear in this regard that Romero boasts surpassing quality, more roundedness, more completeness. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of Premier League defenders this year for goals, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for tackles per 90.

Let’s hope he remains under Frank’s wing over the coming years. On the basis of the evidence, the head coach is going to need him.

The new Son: Spurs prepared to pay £65m to sign "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fork out a hefty sum to land a new attacker for Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Crystal Palace have now joined the race to sign a centre-back who’s having a “monstrous” season, amid a new update on Marc Guehi’s future.

Guehi underlines his importance to Palace once again

Palace are under no illusions as to just how important Guehi is, having cancelled their captain’s move to Liverpool on deadline day, and he once again put in a top performance against Fulham last time out.

The Eagles bounced back from the 2-1 defeat against Manchester United by securing a late 2-1 win at Craven Cottage, with the centre-back scoring a late winner and receiving a 7.9 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player.

The 25-year-old has been a real threat going forward in the Premier League this season, having found the back of the net twice and chipped in with three assists, with his latest goal sending Oliver Glasner’s side up to fourth in the table.

However, according to a new update from TEAMtalk, Guehi is set to either leave for a cut-price fee in the January transfer window or on a free transfer in the summer, and Crystal Palace have now identified Lens’ Samson Baidoo as a potential replacement.

Baidoo’s stand-out performances in Ligue 1 this season is one of the reasons Lens have defied expectations and currently sit top of the table, meaning he has now attracted the attention of a number of clubs, with West Ham United also keen.

Lens have the second-best defensive record in Ligue 1 this season, and the 21-year-old has also impressed on an individual basis, exhibiting plenty of signs that he could be a shrewd addition for the Eagles…

Baidoo enjoying "monstrous" season in Ligue 1

Journalist Andres Onrubia Ramos has been extremely impressed by the youngster’s showings since moving to Ligue 1 in the summer, lauding him as a “beast”, while also stating the starlet is having a “monstrous” season and may not be at Lens for long.

Related Crystal Palace keen on £11m "absolute star" wanted by two Champions League clubs

The Eagles have joined the race for a new forward.

Posts ByDominic Lund Dec 4, 2025

The Austrian has proven himself from a defensive point of view over the past year, while also, much like Guehi, catching the eye going forward, which suggests he could be a like-for-like replacement for the England international.

Samson Baidoo’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Non-penalty goals

0.12 (94th percentile)

Assists

0.06 (85th percentile)

Blocks

1.88 (97th percentile)

Tackles

1.94 (84th percentile)

The Graz-born defender is enjoying a fantastic debut campaign in Ligue 1, which suggests he may soon be ready to test himself in the Premier League, but Lens should be in a strong negotiating position, as the starlet is under contract until 2030.

Of course, Crystal Palace will be very reluctant to see Guehi leave, and with Glasner’s side making a push for Europe, they shouldn’t sanction a January departure, but Baidoo could be a fantastic replacement next summer.