The sides chasing Michael Atherton's son, why Jonny Bairstow and Yorkshire have hit a stalemate and a front runner for England spinner Shoaib Bashir has emerged: COUNTY CRICKET TRANSFER ROUND-UP

Sam Northeast appears set to return to boyhood club Kent at the end of the season eight years after leaving to further his international ambitions.

Glamorgan captain Northeast’s current contract runs out in October, when he turns 36, and Kent are keen to take back one of the most prolific batsmen on the county circuit.

Originally quitting Canterbury to move to Hampshire in the belief that it would act as a catalyst for England selection, he has actually hit his top form since relocating to Cardiff ahead of the 2022 season, averaging 46 in 50 first-class matches - six runs above his career mark.

Mail Sport understands the pursuit of Northeast by Kent, the County Championship’s bottom side at the competition’s halfway point, coincides with a substantial offer from Essex to Ben Compton, one of a raft of players in the final months of deals free to talk to rival counties from June 1.

Compton, grandson of the great Denis Compton, is the leading English-qualified run scorer in the 2025 Championship with 823 including four hundreds.

The 31-year-old was a late developer, but surged beyond the 1,000-run barrier in his breakthrough season of 2022 and has established himself as one of the most reliable opening batsmen in the country.

Josh de Caires, son of ex-England captain Michael Atherton, is another player understood to be interesting Essex as well as Atherton’s former club Lancashire. De Caires, 23, was overlooked by Middlesex during the first half of the Division Two season, but was recalled for this week’s trip to Northamptonshire and responded with a career-best 87 in the second innings.

It is not a particularly big summer in terms of major switches, but the two centrally-contracted England players whose county deals are expiring soon face a contrasting few weeks.

As recently revealed by Mail Sport, a dozen clubs have been in contact with Test spinner Shoaib Bashir with regards to a new home from 2026 onwards.

Warwickshire have now emerged as frontrunners to take on the Somerset man - with Essex, Lancashire and Leicestershire offering potential alternative destinations - after they secured their No 1 target Jordan Thompson, the Yorkshire all-rounder on a lucrative three-year contract.

The return of slow left-armer Danny Briggs to Sussex, confirmed earlier this month, means Warwickshire have a vacancy for the role of senior spinner. In the short term, they have recruited Australian off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, but are in the market for a longer-term solution and Bashir’s future should be decided by the end of July.

Meanwhile, talks between Jonny Bairstow and Yorkshire have been placed on hold until later in the season following initial discussions earlier this month.

The 35-year-old was appointed club captain on the eve of this season, but what kind of contract if any is offered by Yorkshire will depend on his intentions once the ECB stop paying his wages this autumn.

Bairstow may even consider going freelance towards the end of his career after his eye-catching performances as a replacement player for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League opened up potential opportunities on the global franchise circuit.

Yorkshire’s cricket manager Gavin Hamilton has made clear the club want one of their best ever players to continue his career with them, but is realistic enough to know a permanent gig with Mumbai at next year’s IPL could be in the offing as well as offers to play for other MI off-shoots around the world. 

Bairstow has already agreed a deal to play for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 on the back of Yorkshire’s Hundred sell off to the Sunrisers group and how much he is available from next year is likely to be dictated by the fullness of his diary.

Yorkshire have handed a new deal to Will Luxton, their ex-England Under-19 batter, but Jonny Tattersall, who captained the team during the business end of 2024’s Championship promotion, is yet to agree fresh terms and appears set to quit Headingley.

Surrey swooped for Yorkshire seamer Matt Fisher 12 months ago but insiders at the Oval suggest there are no imminent plans to make additions for 2026. Rather than sign a fast bowler from elsewhere, they are likelier to integrate Alex French, a 6ft 6ins academy player, into their first-team squad.

Similarly, Hampshire are keen to develop what young talent they have in their pace stocks and are increasingly hopeful of keeping England white-ball international John Turner, who spent time on loan at Lancashire earlier this season and was considering his options.

Lancashire were understood to be in pole position to sign exciting paceman Ajeet Singh Dale when Dale Benkenstein, his former Gloucestershire coach, was in charge at Emirates Old Trafford, but there is serious competition around the shires for the signatures of both Dale and his county colleague Zaman Akhter while another emerging new-ball operator Nathan Gilchrist looks certain to leave Kent along with sought-after batsman Tawanda Muyeye.