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Praise continues to flood in for Manchester City phenomenon Erling Haaland, who surpassed 10 Premier League goals in the first eight games of a season for the third time in his career with both goals in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Everton at Etihad Stadium. The 25-year-old has already scored an astonishing 23 goals in 13 matches for club and country this season.

• Haaland continues to smash records

  No player other than Haaland has achieved the feat of reaching double figures in Premier League goals by match number eight, but the Norwegian powerhouse has achieved it in three of his four years for City. If he continues scoring at his current rate, he will score an unprecedented 52 goals this season. Logic dictates that is nigh-on impossible, but logic clearly has not met Haaland.

  The 25-year-old could conceivably reach 100 Premier League goals by early November, his total of 96 leaving four goals to go ahead of matchups with Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Liverpool and a Champions League clash with former club Borussia Dortmund sandwiched in between. The fastest player to the landmark is currently the division’s all-time top scorer Alan Shearer, who managed the feat in 124 games – Haaland has played just 105 so far. He is a truly generational goalscorer, and then some – the greatest that English football has ever seen, according to Jamie Carragher.

  Though Haaland himself still feels he has a challenge on his hands to win the European Golden Boot ahead of Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.

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• Getty Images
  

  Nevin and BBC Sport pundits heap praise on Haaland

  "The man is an absolute phenomenon," former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "He was walking about and looking fairly disinterested in the game. We had hardly mentioned his name. The ball has landed to him twice and never for a millisecond do you think it's going to end up anywhere but the goal.

  "The thing with Haaland when you see him at his very best is that he just looks like a grown man playing with kids. He has got that back again hasn't he? People just bounce off him, his pace is extraordinary and he looks superhuman. He is alive again."

  Former Premier League striker Glenn Murray said on Final Score: "The scary thing is, he has become more complete this season. He is a better footballer than when he arrived at Manchester City and scored all those goals. He was just a goalscorer then, I think his all-round game is improving."

  The aforementioned Shearer added on BBC Match of the Day: "If you are building from scratch what you want as the ideal centre-forward. Look at Haaland. He has goals, pace, strength, is good in the air. Doesn't mind being roughed up, it doesn't bother him if he doesn't have many touches. He is almost perfect."

• 'I'm disappointed he did not score five!' – Guardiola

  City boss Pep Guardiola said of Haaland following Saturday's victory: "Sergio [Aguero] scored a lot of goals with his head but the presence from Erling, his stature is huge. I am really pleased, not just for the incredible threat to the opponent but [that] we found him much more than the first half. That is really important, when you have these players you have to use them. Erling lives for it. Our delivery of passes has been better and Erling is our key man right now.

  "[I'm] disappointed he did not score four or five," Guardiola added. "All jokes aside, really pleased but we cannot rely on just him, we need other players [to score]. Wingers, attacking midfielders. They have to make a step up and score goals. We play to provide Erling with quality and passing but other players have to step up. The chances were clear, and they have to score. At this level they have to demand themselves. Chances from Savinho and Jeremy [Doku] and Tijjani [Reijnders] – they have to score. They have to do it otherwise we can't do what we want to do."

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  Haaland continues to haunt opposition managers

  Toffees manager David Moyes explained a conversation he had with Haaland at full-time: "I wish he had been somewhere else! Most managers will be thinking the same."

  He added: "I thought in the main we did a really good job. But then how can you say that? He scored two goals. The second one was a bit scruffy and we had not given him too many opportunities.

  "Later on in the game, I give great credit to our goalkeeper, the way he defended Haaland one-v-one because we had opened up trying to get a goal."

Will Aston Villa woes in front of goal continue?

On Sunday, at the fifth attempt, the Villans did manage to score a Premier League goal for the very first time this season, thanks to this Matty Cash rocket at the Stadium of Light.

However, it did not help the Claret and Blue Army claim a maiden win of the season, with Sunderland equalising soon after, despite the fact the Black Cats played for around an hour with only ten men.

Next up, Unai Emery’s team will commence their Europa League campaign, welcoming Coppa Italia winners Bologna to Villa Park, hoping for a repeat of the 2-0 victory they enjoyed against the Rossoblù in the Champions League 11 months ago.

To do this, Villa will have to unearth a way to score goals, having managed only two in six fixtures across all competitions so far, which is why Emery should unleash his summer signing who is Bernardo Silva-esque.

Morgan Rogers' ongoing struggles

Last season was very much Morgan Rogers’ breakout campaign, scoring a whopping 14 goals and registering 16 assists across all competitions.

As recognition, he was named PFA Young Player of the Year, only the fifth Villa player to win the award, after Andy Gray (1977), Gray Shaw (1981), Ashley Young (2009) and James Milner (2010).

However, this time round, Rogers is yet to register either a goal or an assist in six appearances, seemingly struggling for confidence.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Rogers himself admitted “I might have been a surprise package last year, but now people know about me and they know about my game” adding, “they try to stop me…it’s been difficult”.

Given Villa’s ongoing struggles in front of goal, it is surely worth Emery trying something different when Bologna visit Birmingham on Thursday, so should he make a bold change instead?.

Who Unai Emery should start instead of Morgan Rogers

After a summer of frustrations due to PSR restrains, Aston Villa’s deadline day trolley dash saw them pick up Victor Lindelöf, Jadon Sancho and, most notably, Harvey Elliott.

The latter arrived from Liverpool initially on loan, but with a £35m option to buy, having starred at the under-21 European Championships, scoring five goals as England retained their title in Slovakia, named player of the tournament.

At the time of his Fulham debut against Wolves in May 2019, Elliott became the youngest player in Premier League history, subsequently spending six years at Liverpool without ever being a first-team regular, underlined by the fact that 78 of his 149 appearances for the Reds came as a substitute.

​​​​​​​

Still only 22 years old, he has moved to Villa aiming to become a first team regular, yet to start a league match in claret and blue, but that fact will surely soon change.

Well, Elliott did have an immediate impact at his new club, becoming the first Villan to score a goal this season, breaking the deadlock against Brentford in the EFL Cup last Tuesday, as they were ousted on penalties in West London.

His statistics from this summer’s aforementioned under-21 Euros underline Elliott’s potential.

Elliott – U21 Euros

Stat

Elliott

U21 Euros rank

Goals

5

2nd

Shots

20

1st

Shots on target

7

2nd

Big chances missed

3

2nd

Key passes

10

7th

Total passes

230

5th**

Average SofaScore rating

7.53

1st*

*minimum 5 appearances; **among midfielders only.

All stats via SofaScore

As the table notes, Elliott was key to England as an attacking force during the summer, with only Newcastle’s new signing Nick Woltemade​​​​​​​ scoring more goals, while only Mathys Tel of Tottenham registered more shots on target, both of whom are strikers.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said that the Englishman is “like a Bernardo [Silva]”, given his ability to “control the game from a wide area”, praising his “technical ability”, while former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor labelled him a “special young talent”.

Given Aston Villa’s lack of goal threat so far, they simply need to make room for Elliott in their lineup, ideally as a central figure, which could force Rogers onto the bench.

Their visitors on Thursday Bologna have lost both away matches so far this season, beaten 1-0 by both Roma and AC Milan in Serie A, while the Rossoblù have not won on English soil since beating West Bromwich Albion in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 58 years ago.

Thus, this is a match Europa League king Emery should be looking to win, but, stating the obvious, his team will need to score a goal to achieve this, and adding Elliott to his starting lineup may be his best hope of achieving this.

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Posts ByCharlie Smith Sep 23, 2025

Now that we have some distance from the disappointing loss to Liverpool, there is plenty to be optimistic about for Arsenal this season.

For example, Mikel Arteta was backed in a big way in the summer, with players like Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke.

Moreover, in addition to these new players, Hale End looks to have produced another superstar in the making for the club in the unreal Max Dowman.

The teenager already looks more than comfortable in the senior game and like he has a bright future ahead of him, although there was another academy superstar who was once predicted to do big things and is now worth less than £1m.

Max Dowman's rapid rise

It would be fair to say that, aside from the Champions League run, last season was one of the least enjoyable campaigns Arsenal fans have had for some time, as it felt like everything was going wrong.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

However, the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly was a real bright spot, and yet, even as they broke into the first team, there was talk of an even more exciting prospect in the academy – a 14-year-old who was playing well beyond his years.

This was, of course, Dowman, and when you take a look at his statistics from last season, it becomes easier to understand why those in the know, like Jacek Kulig, were going as far as proclaiming him to be the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

For example, in just 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, he put the ball in the back of the net 19 goals and provided five assists for good measure, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Numbers like these forced Arteta and Co to bring the youngster on the pre-season tour this year, and for the first time, fans were able to see why so many are so excited about him, as he came off the bench against Newcastle United and won a penalty in short time.

However, the most significant indication of just how highly the club rate the teenager is the fact he’s now a regular part of the first-team squad, and that not only did he make his Premier League debut against Leeds United, but that the manager felt comfortable subbing him on at Anfield when the team needed a goal.

In all, while it is still so early, the hype around Dowman is starting to feel justified, which unfortunately was never the case with a former Hale Ender who is now plying his trade in Europe.

Arsenal's original Dowman

Every year, there is a new set of exciting academy talents that fans get excited about, but sometimes, there is more than that; there is an expectation, and while Dowman looks like he might fulfil the expectations fans have of him, Charlie Patino was unable to live up to the expectations people had of him.

While it seems a long time ago now, the youngster was expected by many to be the next big thing to emerge from Hale End.

For example, back in October 2021, former Gunners’ wonderkid Jack Wilshere told the press that the youngster was “going to make a name for himself in the future” and that he was “one who everyone at the training ground is talking about.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Arsenal scout Brian Stappleton claimed that Sean O’Connor, the scout who discovered Wilshere, told him Patino was “the best player who has ever walked through the doors at Hale End.”

The hype was only further fueled when the “golden” youngster, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, came off the bench to make his competitive debut for the club in a League Cup match against Sunderland in 2021 and scored.

With regular first-team football the next step, Arsenal sent their exciting wonderkid on a number of loan spells, first to Blackpool and then Swansea City.

However, while he did okay during this time, a total tally of seven goals and eight assists in 72 games didn’t suggest he was quite ready to play under Arteta, and so when the player’s camp made it clear he wanted to leave, the Gunners were forced into accepting a low £1m off from Deportivo La Coruna due to the lack of interest from other sides.

Team

Blackpool

Swansea

Appearances

37

35

Goals

3

4

Assists

4

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

0.22

Unfortunately, things have not worked out for the 21-year-old, as he’s made just 12 appearances over the last year, in which he’s failed to score or assist a single goal.

Unsurprisingly, this has seen his valuation tank, and according to Transfermarkt, the former next big thing is now worth €600k, which is just £518k.

Ultimately, while there is still plenty of time for Patino to forge a great career for himself, it’s probably safe to say the hype and pressure placed on his shoulders were not justified.

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Omarzai picked up 5 for 58 on a flat pitch after scoring 41 off 31 balls to beat England in the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-20251:40

Mumtaz: Fantastic execution under pressure from Omarzai

There was a moment that captured the tension beautifully in Lahore on Wednesday. With England needing 27 runs to get in 20 balls, Jamie Overton tapped a full toss to sweeper cover and the fielder just couldn’t pick it up. He tried once, didn’t work, he tried again, it was fumbled. Azmatullah Omarzai was watching it all, knowing he would be bowling the next over, knowing he couldn’t afford missteps like that.In a wildly see-sawing Champions Trophy game, where both teams had to win to stay alive, Omarzai produced a death-overs performance of 3.5-0-26-3. When he came on to bowl in this unforgiving phase of play, Joe Root was still out there, 114 not out, and it seemed like he had tilted the contest in England’s favour. Omarzai conjured an incredible effort ball that defied a lifeless pitch, got big on a set batter and bounced him out.”Omarzai is one who just flies under the radar,” former Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “He is so effective with both bat and ball. He’s a very smart cricketer. I think he bowls the harder overs, the tougher overs, and what he did so well was obviously change the pace and continue to hammer down that length, and length on such placid flat tracks is the key. I think he’s got the makings of being one of those Hardik Pandyas or Azhar Mahmoods, the perfect utility allrounder for Afghanistan.”Related

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Root was slow on the upper cut. That doesn’t happen a lot. It almost seemed like he was expecting the offcutter again. He had been deceived by one earlier in the over, but still managed to hit it for a boundary. And he might have been setting up for another, with short fine and short third up, but was caught completely off guard. Being unpredictable is a vital asset for a fast bowler in the back end of an innings. Omarzai couldn’t be lined up. Not even by a member of the Fab Four.”To outfox somebody of the calibre of Joe at the position of the game, batting well across a hundred, when he had the measure of the other bowlers, that is what [sets him apart],” Mumtaz said.Omarzai had provided Afghanistan with their first wicket as well, taking out the hard-hitting Phil Salt in just the fourth over of a chase of 326. He compensated for Rashid Khan having an off night with the wicket of Jos Buttler through the middle overs. An equation of 110 off 79 balls got that bit harder because England had only two recognised batters left – Overton and Liam Livingstone and – he knocked over one of them to drag a game with plenty of twists and turns back in Afghanistan’s favour.”He picked up Salt, he picked up Buttler, and he picked up Overton as well,” Mumtaz said, “All four of those wickets crucial, obviously in the end finished with a five-for, [with Adil] Rahid[‘s wicket] as well. He broke the game open not once but on three different occasions. I thought Root, Buttler and Overton, given the position of the game was quite spectacular.Azmatullah Omarzai is on top of the world after Afghanistan beat England•AFP/Getty Images”Afghanistan just held the nerve and I think that is the biggest transition for this side, that they now know how to win key moments in games and they know how to win against better-ranked sides in the international circuit. The crowd, obviously the England support was outnumbered 99 to 1%. The roar was magnificent, and I think a true victory celebration. They are one for the big events now, the Afghanistan side.”Former England batter Nick Knight looked back at Afghanistan’s history to highlight how far they had come. “You don’t have to go that far back. Before you looked at Afghanistan cricket and you just focused on one player. Rashid Khan. If he has a really good day, Afghanistan maybe had a chance of winning,” Knight said. “You think how quickly that’s moved on. Rashid, his figures in the last couple of games haven’t been great [1 for 125 in 20 overs]. His impact in the contest hasn’t been that great.”Yet they’re very competitive. You think of the trajectory that Afghanistan cricket has been on, perhaps the pioneer, you might say, has been Rashid Khan. He’s been a huge influence, but now you think of the other players that are making immense contributions in major competitions.”Omarzai has a cherished memory, one of his earliest associated with cricket, when he went out to celebrate Afghanistan’s first ever ODI victory against a Full Member. Eleven years later, he is the one inspiring others to take to the streets. His team faces Australia on Friday in a rematch of that epic from the 2023 World Cup and if they win, they will progress to a second successive ICC tournament semi-final.

Darwin Nunez continues to trundle toward the exit door at Liverpool, leaving behind him a pre-season of preparation in red that has been rich with goals.

But the Uruguayan started only once in the Premier League after Boxing Day last season and scored just seven goals across 47 matches in all competitions. Given that he scored a brace against Brentford, the 25-year-old blanked 41 times under Arne Slot’s wing last year.

So then, Liverpool will need to sign a new striker, even having purchased Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m fee.

Given that Luis Diaz was sold to Bayern Munich for £65.5m last month, you might think a new electric-paced left winger would be at the top of sporting director Richard Hughes’ agenda.

But Rio Ngumoha may well have changed that narrative.

Liverpool's latest prodigy

A star is born. Ngumoha cannot be denied now: this is an up-and-coming player with the potential to go right to the top.

But let’s park our excitement for a moment; Ngumoha is only 16 after all, and must be dripped into life on the professional circuit, not poured right in and exhausted before he has had the chance to develop his remarkable technical and athletic faculties.

Still, his goal-and-assist performance against Athletic Bilbao on Monday afternoon was quite the Anfield debut. Friendly though it was, the attacking midfielder played with such gusto and slickness on the ball, striding forward and unleashing a confident looping strike from outside the area to turn the limelight onto him.

Is it any wonder he has been described as a “special” talent by journalist Bence Bocsak, who said the teenager “has completed more dribbles (14) than any other #LFC player in pre-season.”

Slot will be keen to placate the mounting noise around his name, but you can’t help but think that Liverpool have spawned a custom-built Diaz replacement, one who might play quite the important role in the years to come.

Nguomha’s ball-carrying ability and capacity for goal contributions of all shapes and sizes suggest he could form a dangerous partnership with Ekitike over the coming years, but the same stands for another centre-forward Liverpool are interested in signing this summer.

Liverpool lining up another striker

No, it’s not Alexander Isak we’re on about here. The Newcastle United number nine is Liverpool’s dream target, but the Magpies are playing hardball and might not even find a fitting replacement.

Thus, Caught Offside have revealed that Liverpool have entered the race for Paris Saint-Germain forward Goncalo Ramos, who has fallen out of favour in Luis Enrique’s system.

PSG would hope to recoup something in the ballpark of €65m (£56m) for the Portugal international, who, aged 24, hopes to take the next step in his career and become a focal point for his side.

Though Liverpool want to sign Isak above all others, Ramos would hardly be a poor fallback, and he’s also wanted by Aston Villa, Manchester United, Juventus and Napoli.

What Goncalo Ramos would bring to Liverpool

Ramos cut his teeth in his homeland with Benfica before signing for PSG in an €80m (£70m) deal in 2023, coming off the back of a breakout World Cup campaign in Qatar 2022.

Though the Iberian forward has only scored 33 goals across 86 matches for the French giants, assisting eight goals besides, he’s rarely featured as the star man, starting ten Ligue 1 fixtures in 2024/25. Still, he scored ten times.

And the underlying data is in his favour too. As per FBref, Ramos ranked among the top 4% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goals scored, the top 11% for assists, the top 9% for pass completion and the top 2% for touches in the attacking box per 90.

The steady rate of prolific performances across Ramos’ senior career thus far suggests that Slot could shape into one of the world’s foremost forwards, proving the perfect long-term dance partner for an up-and-coming talent like Ngumoha.

Goncalo Ramos – Career Stats so Far (all comps)
Season	Apps	Goals	Assists
24/25 – PSG	46	19	6
23/24 – PSG	40	14	2
22/23 – Benfica	47	27	8
21/22 – Benfica	46	8	4
20/21 – Benfica	12	4	–
19/20 – Benfica	1	2	–
Data via Transfermarkt

Hailed as an “outrageous” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Ramos’ wide range of offensive instruments bespeaks his suitability in Slot’s system at Liverpool. He’s fast, powerful and nimble, suggesting he could operate across a variety of roles for a coach who has displayed a preference for forwards who are willing to be fluid in their roles.

But if Ngumoha’s fast-developing potential has anything to say, it’s unlikely that Slot would be seeking to convert the right-footer into a left-sided forward, whose pace would be used to swerve inside, ready to strike on goal.

Furthermore, Ekitike has indeed already signed on and will bring to the Premier League a more refined and expansive game as a frontman. In any case, the Frenchman is a mean and still-improving goalscorer himself, thus apt to dovetail right into the Slot machine.

But Ramos would bring the icing on the cake, ensuring Liverpool have enough firepower to compete across multiple fronts this season, even if the concerted effort to sign Isak falls flat.

FBref record that both Isak and Ekitike are statistically comparable players to the PSG star, so he’s certainly got the right skill set.

And with Ngumoha already making waves within the Liverpool first team, there’s no reason why these two stars couldn’t strike up a mesmerising partnership in the years to come.

Ekitike repeat: Liverpool prepare £50m offer for "monster"; it's not Isak

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2

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 5, 2025

As many as eight of the ten IPL franchises are understood to be represented in the process, and have already held extensive talks with counties

Matt Roller12-Dec-2024The ECB has pledged to avoid an “IPL takeover” of English cricket after the latest deadline in the Hundred’s sales process arrived with significant American interest. Prospective investors were given until Monday to submit bids in the second round of the process, with each host county or club now preparing to choose their two preferred partners for a joint venture.As many as eight of the ten IPL franchises are understood to be represented in the process by either their owners or co-owners, and have held extensive talks with counties in the past two months. But there has also been serious interest from private equity and US-based sports investors, including some who are already involved in English football.ESPNcricinfo understands that Avram Glazer, the co-owner of Manchester United, has submitted two second-round bids. Cain International, founded by Chelsea co-owner Jonathan Goldstein, and Knighthead Capital, who own Birmingham City, have also reportedly been involved in the second round of talks with host counties.Related

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The ECB, which hopes to raise a minimum of £350 million from the sales process, has indicated that it would ideally prefer a spread of investors to a scenario in which all eight have similar backgrounds. In an interview in the new edition of , the board’s chairman Richard Thompson said there was “a huge amount of American money” on the table.”This isn’t going to end up being an IPL takeover,” Thompson said. “There’s a huge amount of American money involved – very sophisticated investors who understand franchise sport. We invented sport, they invented the franchise, and they’re looking long-term.”They know we’ve got the best time zone in the world. And if you’re looking to maximise the media rights, you look at the fact that rugby and football have got such incredibly successful domestic products, and we haven’t, really. They can see how unvalued that is.”A lot of those American investors have had huge success investing in the Premier League and feel that the way that English law is structured, the way there is this tribalism and passion for sport in this country, they’ve seen that success play out through football and think, ‘well, that can play out just as easily in cricket, if we invest well’.”IPL franchises have invested heavily in the three major T20 leagues that have launched in the last two years. Between them, they have stakes in four out of the six Major League Cricket (MLC) franchises, three of the six ILT20 franchises in the UAE, and all six teams in South Africa’s SA20.

“If we make decisions that actually leave some value on the table, that will be for the good of the sport, and that’s an important principle… In other processes, you talk about maximising value; here, we’re talking about optimising value, and that’s a subtle change but it’s really important”Tim Bridge, leader of the sports business group at ECB’s financial advisors Deloitte

Sanjay Govil, a tech entrepreneur who owns Washington Freedom in MLC, is also understood to have submitted multiple bids for stakes in Hundred franchises. CVC Capital Partners, which owns Gujarat Titans in the IPL, and Ares Management are both understood to be among the private equity firms still involved in the process, with both interested in Oval Invincibles.Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, the Hollywood actors and co-owners of Welsh football club Wrexham AFC, are understood to have been in contact with the ECB and its financial advisors regarding their interest in Welsh Fire. It is unclear if they submitted a second-round bid before Monday’s deadline.The money raised from the sale of 49% stakes in each of the eight Hundred franchises will be split among the 18 counties and MCC, barring 10% ring-fenced for recreational cricket. Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, recently described the sale as “a once-in-a-generation” chance to secure “a significant capital injection” into English cricket.The level of interest in the Hundred was described as “unprecedented” by Tim Bridge, the leader of the sports business group at Deloitte, one of the ECB’s financial advisors, at a recent Lancashire members’ forum. “The level of interest really does make us have initial confidence that we’re going to reach a very successful outcome,” he said.The owners of Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, among others, are understood to be bidding for stakes•BCCIHe also suggested that some counties may not choose to partner with the highest bidder. “If we make decisions that actually leave some value on the table, that will be for the good of the sport, and that’s an important principle… In other processes, you talk about maximising value; here, we’re talking about optimising value, and that’s a subtle change but it’s really important.”Lancashire, who have spoken to potential partners from the US but retain their desire to work with an IPL franchise, are among the host clubs to have indicated a preference to keep hold of their 51% stake in their Hundred team. Others include MCC (London Spirit), Surrey (Oval Invincibles) and Warwickshire (Birmingham Phoenix).After each host club has shortlisted two potential investors, they will resume discussions which will run into the new year. In late January, each club will nominate a preferred partner and enter into a period of exclusivity with them, with the ambition of signing detailed contracts by the start of April.One source suggested that the nascent threat of a boycott of the Hundred by players disillusioned by the ECB’s new policy on no-objection certificates has had no impact of note on the second round of bids.

كسر فينسنت كومباني، مدرب نادي بايرن ميونخ صمته وعلق على إمكانية عودة هاري كين إلى صفوف توتنهام هوتسبير خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي العام المقبل.

كين سوف ينتهي عقده مع نادي بايرن ميونخ بنهاية الموسم المقبل، ولم يتم توقيع عقد جديد بين اللاعب والفريق البافاري حتى هذه اللحظة.

وورد أن نادي توتنهام يمتلك خيار إعادة شراء كين من جديد، وذلك في العقد الموقع مع بايرن ميونخ.

وكان مدرب توتنهام ، توماس فرانك، رحب بفكرة عودة كين إلى السبيرز من جديد وأنه سوف يكون سعيدًا إذا عمل مع ابن الـ32 عامًا.

أقرأ أيضًا .. رئيس جالطة سراي يتحدي ليفربول: سنهدي جماهيرنا فوزًا عظيمًا

وأشار كومباني في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “مترو” إلى أن كين يجب أن يكون واضحًا مع إدارة بايرن ميونخ إذا أراد العودة إلى توتنهام.

وقال كومباني: “إنه يمر بمرحلة ممتازة، وآخر ما أريد فعله هو فتح الباب أمام نقاش مختلف حول فكرة رحيله عن بايرن ميونخ”.

وأضاف كومباني في حديثه عن كين: ”الشيء الوحيد الذي أراه دائمًا مع هاري هو رغبته في الفوز بالألقاب وهو قادر على ذلك في بايرن ميونخ، هذا هو التركيز الوحيد”.

ثم أوضح المدير الرياضي لبايرن ميونخ، ماكس إيبرل عن مصير كين: “أعتقد أنه في سنه لا يزال يحرز تقدمًا كبيرًا كشخصية على أرض الملعب”.

وأردف: ”في توتنهام بالطبع كنا نعرفه جميعًا من خلال تسجيله للأهداف، لكنني أعتقد أن أسلوب لعبه الحالي في هذا الفريق، ليس فقط من حيث تسجيل الأهداف بل كلاعب وقائد في الملعب والتضحية بنفسه من أجل الفريق وهذا يظهر ما كنت أقوله”.

وتابع: ”إنه في سن يسمح له باتخاذ قراراته بنفسه سواء كان لديه بند في عقده أم لا، إذا قال أريد اتخاذ قرار كما فعل في توتنهام، فسيتخذه، لكننا نتمنى بالطبع أن نحقق معه موسمًا ناجحًا للغاية وفي المستقبل”.

 

Manchester City are now in advanced talks to sign an “unbelievable” star, and they are looking to get a deal wrapped up before the end of July.

Ederson's Man City future up in the air

In recent days, there have been conflicting reports surrounding Ederson’s future at the Etihad Stadium, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg initially suggesting the Brazilian was closing in on a move to Turkish champions Galatasaray.

Since then, however, widespread reports have suggested City are keen to keep hold of their goalkeeper for the final year of his contract, which means it may not be necessary to bring in a replacement in the near future.

Having been number one throughout his time at the Etihad, Ederson is unlikely to want to play second fiddle, but there has now been a suggestion that Pep Guardiola’s side are making progress in their pursuit of a new goalkeeper.

Give Me Sport writer Sam C, has now taken to X to reveal that Man City are in “advanced talks” over a move for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford.

The deal is by no means sealed at this point, but there is a willingness to try and get it over the line before the end of July, although it is unclear whether the Blues will need to fork out the full £40m buy-back clause included in their former player’s contract.

Trafford could be "unbelievable" Ederson heir

Minority Burnley owner JJ Watt was left very impressed after the shot-stopper made two penalty saves in one game during the Clarets’ 0-0 draw against Sunderland last season, lauding the 22-year-old as “unbelievable”.

The Englishman’s penalty-saving ability is one of his key strengths, ranking in the top 1% for spot-kicks prevented per 90 over the past year, while also placing in the top 1% for his save percentage and goals against over the same time period.

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As such, the Burnley star could be the ideal heir to Ederson, particulrly considering City expert Steven McInerney believes the goalkeeper is also impressive in possession of the ball, saying: “Trafford is very good, remarkably good with the ball at his feet,

“Maybe not quite Ederson, but if Ederson’s a 10 out of 10, James is at least a nine. Ederson is a freakish one-of-one that way, but I don’t think you have to be the very best in the world at passing to be successful in a passing side.”

It remains to be seen whether City sanction Ederson’s departure this summer, but if they do, there may be no better replacement than Trafford.

After missing out on Joao Pedro to Chelsea, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards an instant alternative who scored 27 goals last season.

To say it’s been a disappointing summer for Newcastle thus far would be a major understatement. The Magpies first missed out on Dean Huijsen, then saw their bid rejected for Anthony Elanga and have since watched on as Pedro chose Chelsea instead of a move to St James’ Park. Going three for three for transfer failures, the Magpies will be desperate to secure at least one top target in the coming months.

To that end, there will be some relief around Tyneside that James Trafford is still on his way. The Burnley shot-stopper, like Elanga and others, has been a top target for quite some time. On this occasion though, the Magpies are set to get their man.

Whilst Trafford will offer Eddie Howe an instant upgrade on Nick Pope, what he will not end is Newcastle’s search for attacking reinforcements.

Once again, they simply must go again in pursuit of fresh options. The money is there for PIF to spend this time around after PSR struggles forced Newcastle to take a step back in the past and now they must back Howe with alternative targets.

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Those around St James’ Park will be frustrated with how this summer has gone so far, but it’s far from over. Missing out on Pedro would even be a blessing in disguise if Newcastle now go and sign one particular forward as an excellent alternative.

Newcastle battling to sign Samu Aghehowa

According to O Jogo, as relayed by Caught Offside, Newcastle are now battling to sign Samu Aghehowa from FC Porto this summer. The former Atletico Madrid forward enjoyed a clinical debut season in Portugal and has attracted plenty of interest from the Premier League as a result. As has been the case with in-form forwards all summer, however, he will cost a hefty price.

Porto are in no mood to lose their star at a cut-price and will reportedly demand that his €100m (£85m) release clause is triggered if they are to bid farewell this summer. Having had bids around the £50-60m mark rejected for other targets already, that fee may not be a problem for Newcastle who will be getting more and more desperate to land key reinforcements.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Samu Aghehowa

Joao Pedro

Starts

30

27

Goals

19

10

Assists

3

6

Expected Goals

14.1

8.1

Dubbed a player with “elite potential” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Aghehowa would turn any Pedro failure into an instant afterthought at Newcastle if he arrived this summer. With 19 league goals and 27 goals in all competitions last season, the Spain international would be worth every penny of his £85m release clause.

Chelsea are set to try and ship out a host of different fringe players over the coming two months, as BlueCo look to trim their wage bill and keep in line with PSR regulations by raising funds.

Enzo Maresca’s side have done excellently to navigate their way around financial roadblocks to strengthen the squad consistently, ever since Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club three years ago.

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However, if they’re not successful in offloading certain squad members, this task will be made all the more difficult.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell, who are on a combined salary of around £525,000-per-week, are back at Cobham after their 2024/2025 loan spells at Arsenal and Crystal Palace respectively.

Chelsea will want to find new homes for the England international duo sooner rather than later, and they could be joined by Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, David Datro Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka, Armando Broja and Axel Disasi, who are all thought to be on the club’s ‘for sale’ list (The Athletic).

Chelsea could even sell Noni Madueke this summer, despite the Englishman being called one of Maresca’s “best players”, while striker Nicolas Jackson’s future is also up in the air.

There is also the curious case of Renato Veiga, who left Chelsea for Juventus on a loan deal midway through the season, mainly due to his determination to play as a centre-back rather than a full-back in Maresca’s system.

“I had a chat with Renato. I told him playing in the position he’s playing with us, it’s given him the chance to join the national team and created speculation around him, which only happens when you’re playing well,” said Maresca on Veiga’s dissatisfaction in the full-back role earlier this season.

“If there is a player that wants to play in just one position, they are going to struggle. They have to learn to play in different positions because it’s a good thing for the player and the club.”

Renato Veiga "surprised" by Chelsea decision with sale possible

As per journalist Graeme Bailey, after returning from his loan spell at Juve, Veiga was left “very surprised” by Chelsea’s decision to omit him from the Club World Cup squad.

What’s more, it hasn’t been ruled out that the defender could be one of a five-man defensive exodus before deadline day – with Veiga, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin, Benoit Badiashile and Disasi all on the chopping block.

“It’s a fascinating situation with Veiga, he was very surprised he wasn’t included in the Club World Cup squad,” said Bailey.

“There were indications from Chelsea that he would get a chance in a left-sided centre-back role — but Chelsea have so many centre-backs it’s staggering, and they still want more.

“It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Chalobah, Tosin, Badiashile, Disasi and Veiga could all be sold.

“People keep asking why Chelsea can spend so much money, well, there’s five reasons why PSR isn’t a concern.

“But Veiga had a really good time at Juventus, playing at centre-back. And that’s why he left Chelsea on loan in the first place, he didn’t want to be a left-back, even if he was quite good at it.

“Chelsea were happy with him on the left but he turned up at Stamford Bridge wanting to be a centre-back. Now he’s gone to Juventus, played well, and he thought he’d done enough to warrant a spot at the Club World Cup to prove himself as a centre-back.”