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Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie before the deadline on Monday, but a deal may not be as straightforward as that after all.

The Ecuador international is poised to come in as a direct replacement for Jakub Kiwior, who has now sealed a loan move to FC Porto ahead of a permanent switch in 2026.

Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta are looking to both grant Kiwior’s wish for more game time elsewhere, whilst also ensuring that the Gunners are not left too exposed defensively in case one of William Saliba or Gabrial Magalhaes succumbs to injury at some point this season – which is a distinct possibility.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Cristhian Mosquera helps to reinforce Arteta’s options in this regard, but the young Spanish prospect is untested in England and would benefit from a more experienced partner of the highest calibre.

Hincapie played a key role under Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen last term and was a member of their Bundesliga-winning side in 2023/2024 – a team that also went unbeaten all campaign until their loss to Atalanta in the Europa League final.

The 23-year-old also offers versatility and can play in multiple defensive roles, with Arsenal believed to be closing in on a loan deal which includes an obligation to buy next year – similarly to Kiwior.

The Premier League title hopefuls appear determined to get Hincapie over the line with time running out, but according to BBC journalist Sami Mokbel, they face a late roadblock.

Arsenal talks for Piero Hincapie take late transfer twist

According to Mokbel, due to “concerns” over UEFA’s squad coast ratio rule, Arsenal are working to sell players before finalising a deal for the defender.

In his piece for the BBC, Mokbel also reports that a successful move for Hincapie “hinges” on Berta getting players out of the door with Kiwior.

Of the names up for grabs at Arsenal, it is believed Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Fabio Vieira could all leave the Emirates before Monday’s deadline.

Zinchenko has attracted interest from Italy and Turkey, while Stuttgart were in talks for Vieira and Fulham have approached for Nelson – but the latter want to sign him on a straight loan and are reluctant to agree to any permanent deal conditions (BBC).

كشفت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الخميس، عن وجود اهتمام من قبل نادي أوروبي كبير للتعاقد مع نيكو شلوتربيك، نجم نادي بوروسيا دورتموند، وذلك خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي العام المقبل.

شلوتربيك من المتوقع أن يكون حديث الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل، خصوصًا مع عدم تجديد عقده مع دورتموند والذي سوف ينتهي بنهاية شهر يونيو من عام 2027.

ويعتبر شلوتربيك من بين أبرز اللاعبين في مركزه في أوروبا خلال السنوات الأخيرة، وقدم مستويات مميزة حقًا رفقة دورتموند.

وأدى تألق شلوتربيك إلى ارتباطه بالانتقال إلى صفوف ريال مدريد، وكذلك إلى ليفربول.

أقرأ أيضًا .. أوين: ريال مدريد رفض بيعي إلى الدوري الإنلجيزي

لكن صحفي شبكة سكاي سبورتس، فلوريان بليتينبيرج، أكد اهتمام نادي بايرن ميونخ بالتعاقد مع شلوتربيك خلال صيف العام المقبل، حيث يبحث النادي البافاري عن ضم قلب دفاع مع غموض مستقبل دايوت أوباميكانو، وكيم مين جاي.

وأضاف بليتينبيرج في حديثه، أن بايرن ميونخ ينتظر ما إذا كان شلوتربيك سيجدد عقده مع دورتموند أم لا، بينما يعتبر اللاعب مترددًا في اتخاذ قرار واضح بشأن مستقبله مع الفريق الأصفر.

وأردف الصحفي الألماني، أن شلوتربيك ليس هدفًا لليفربول، في حين يعتبر أمر انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد غير مرجح على الإطلاق.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após uma vitória e um empate na Copa Sul-Americana, o Santos realizará o seu terceiro jogo pela Copa Sul-Americana. O adversário da vez será o Newell’s Old Boys, da Argentina. O confronto acontecerá na noite desta terça-feira (2), no estádio Marcelo Bielsa, a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília).

+ Guia Santos: veja a análise dos adversários, onde assistir e tudo sobre o Peixe na Sul-Americana

Baseado nesta partida, o LANCE!preparou um material para você conhecer algumas particularidades do desafiante do Peixe. Confira!

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosNewell’s Old Boys x Santos: onde assistir, escalações e desfalques do jogo pela Sul-AmericanaSantos01/05/2023SantosSantos e Argentinos Juniors homenageiam Pelé e MaradonaSantos01/05/2023SantosSoteldo tem lesão na coxa constatada e vai desfalcar o SantosSantos01/05/2023

+Joia de 15 anos estreia pelo Barcelona: lembre jogadores que começaram cedo no profissional

BREVE HISTÓRIA

O clube começa dentro de um colégio, na Argentina, fundado pelo inglês Isaac Newell. Anos após a criação da instituição de ensino, em 1903, Claudio Newell, filho do fundador, decide montar um time de futebol com alunos e ex-alunos. Para marcar o acontecimento, aproveita e registra o clube com o sobrenome da família. Desse jeito, inicia a jornada do “Clube Atlético Newell’s Old Boys” (ou Meninos do Newell na tradução direta).

Apesar de não ter grandes conquistas internacionais, o time detém uma fama eterna por ser o primeiro clube da carreira de Lionel Messi.

ATUAL MOMENTO

Na disputa da Sul-Americana, o clube argentino registra um bom começo. Triunfou sobre o Audax Italiano, fora de casa, por 1 a 0, na primeira rodada. No segundo jogo, venceu com autoridade, por 3 a 0, o Blooming. Por conta dos resultados, o time é líder do Grupo E.

O desempenho no Campeonato Argentino não é o mesmo. Ainda na primeira fase do torneio, o clube está na 12ª colocação, uma posição mediana na tabela que possui 28 equipes. Nos últimos cinco jogos da competição, o time venceu uma vez, empatou em duas ocasiões e perdeu em outras duas oportunidades.

HISTÓRICO

Santos e Newell’s Old Boys se enfrentaram quatro vezes na história. Em 4 jogos disputados, o Peixe venceu três vezes e o duelo terminou empatado em uma ocasião. Contudo, vale ressaltar que os clubes não se encaram há anos. A última vez que jogaram uma partida juntos foi em 1977.

Wicketkeeper says he had originally planned to retire before the start of this season

Shashank Kishore06-Nov-2024Wriddhiman Saha had already made up his mind to retire from cricket when he casually went to the Eden Gardens this June. But after he returned from a meeting meant to amicably resolve differences with certain factions within the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which had led to his departure to Tripura for two seasons, Saha had a change of mind.The reason: Sourav Ganguly. The former India captain had convinced Saha to stay on so that he could end his career with Bengal. And so, Saha, who has had plenty of taping around his fingers and strapping around his hamstring and pain-relief patches on his back, decided to continue with the team’s physio on speed dial to be able to help him fight through another season.”You can say it was because of emotional attachment,” he says as he sits down for a chat on the opening day of Bengal’s fourth-round Ranji fixture against Karnataka in Bengaluru. “I wasn’t going to play this year but Sourav Ganguly and my wife pushed me to play and finish with Bengal after two seasons with Tripura.”When he gave his nod to play, Saha made it clear he won’t be available for the white-ball leg of the domestic season. He knew he wouldn’t last the rigours of another full season. It was also partly influenced by his desire to have his spot taken by someone else, because he’d already informed his previous IPL franchise, Gujarat Titans, he wasn’t going to play in the tournament anymore.As it turns out, one of the direct beneficiaries of Saha’s exit (from when he moved to Tripura) has been Abishek Porel, who has flourished so much over the past year across formats that Delhi Capitals considered him worthy of being retained. For Saha, a mentor to the young group of wicketkeepers across the country, there couldn’t have been a better validation.”I’ve been pushing myself for the last year. But because of my body condition and injuries, I won’t be able to play for the full season,” he says. “That’s why I chose the most vital format – Ranji Trophy. It will be tough [to carry on] but I will play and hopefully we qualify. If we do, I will play till the end of the season, else I’ll finish off at Eden Gardens.”Related

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Saha laughs when asked if the decision to contemplate retirement was tough. “It was very easy,” he replies spontaneously. “I was already prepared that I won’t play this year. But when my wife and Sourav Ganguly pushed me, I couldn’t refuse.”Still considered among the best wicketkeepers in India, perhaps even around the world, Saha seems at peace with his decision. He’s fully happy with the way his career has panned out, even though his career coincided at different times with two mavericks: MS Dhoni in the early years and Rishabh Pant in the later. Has he ever considered himself unlucky?”No, I don’t think so,” he says. “There are so many of them who didn’t play despite toiling so hard. Amol Muzumdar, Padmakar Shivalkar sir. I feel fortunate and proud to have played 40 Tests for India.”Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps: acrobatic and safe•BCCIAs he looks ahead, Saha is open to opportunities in coaching and mentoring. He’s clear the first rights will be with Bengal. “Not yet [thought of the immediate future], but if I get an offer from another state or Bengal, I will think about it,” he laughs. “If not, family life (laughs). I have been playing cricket since childhood. I haven’t done anything else. I want to share as much knowledge as I have in cricket. I’ve already started doing that at a couple of academies back home.”Saha ended his Test career with 1353 runs in 56 innings at an average of 29.41, with three centuries and six half-centuries. Arguably, his finest moment on home turf when he hit unbeaten half-centuries in both innings to help India beat New Zealand in 2016. Saha admits “maybe I could’ve done more” with the bat, but insists his career graph was largely a reflection of his emphasis on being a wicketkeeper first and a batter next.”When I started, I was a wicketkeeper. I knew I could never be as good as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli,” he says. “I wanted to earn a name in what I did from childhood – that’s why I put more emphasis on wicketkeeping.”He grew up working with Kiran More, Saba Karim and Deep Dasgupta. Chats with Dhoni over the years, and occasional interactions with Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy fueled his pursuits of being his best version. As a seasoned professional, Saha says he’s happy to chat with young keepers and help them.”I’ve spoken to keepers from the women’s team, we keep talking to each other,” he says. “Last IPL, Dhruv Jurel spoke to me. Rishabh [Pant] has done it all along when we played together. The understanding was good, he used to share his experiences, I used to give him as much input as possible.”As Saha reflects on his career, he’s happy he continued to play for three more years despite being told in late 2021 by then coach Rahul Dravid that the Indian team were moving on from him.”That door got closed, but I knew domestic, and IPL was still there,” he says. “It wasn’t like I got demoralised because of that. I’ve played now for three-four years since that. Why did I start playing? Because I like it. Last year, I’d stopped liking the game and planned to leave. After this season, I’m moving on.”Hopefully we can make the final. If not, I’ll finish off at Eden Gardens.”

Alick Athanaze is fit and available for selection after having recovered from injury

Deivarayan Muthu11-Sep-20241:08

Powell: Very important to win home games

Rovman Powell’s Barbados Royals, one of two as yet unbeaten teams in CPL 2024 along with defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors, will be at full strength for their home leg, which kicks off against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in Bridgetown on September 11.The South African pair of David Miller and Keshav Maharaj has linked up with the side while batter Alick Athanaze has recovered from the finger injury that had put him out of Royals’ game against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Basseterre last week. With Maharaj back and available until the end of the season along with Miller – both players were rested for the upcoming UAE tour where South Africa will face Afghanistan and Ireland in white-ball games – Dunith Wellalage, the Sri Lanka allrounder who was picked by Royals as a replacement player, has returned home.Related

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Shamarh Brooks, who was originally selected as a temporary replacement for Miller, however, will continue to stay with the squad as cover.”We’ve got David Miller and Kesh Maharaj, and we’ve got our full complement of five overseas players,” Royals head coach Trevor Penney said on the eve of their first home game of the season, against Falcons. “Looks like Alick Athanaze is fit for selection as well. So it will definitely be a different team and will be a good headache to have with some of the youngsters that have come in and played really well as well. So we will have a selection meeting later and will come up with the team for tomorrow.”Alick has been playing for West Indies. He’s an up-and-coming batsman that really needs to play in our side. It’s going to be up for debate in our selection meeting.”David Miller has represented Royals in both the CPL and SA20•SA20

Royals have secured contrasting wins in contrasting conditions so far in CPL 2024. In their first game, on a North Sound pitch that got better for batting, Royals overhauled 146 with plenty to spare while in their second, they scrapped to victory with just one ball to spare on a used Basseterre surface. Bridgetown has had some rain in the lead-up to Royals’ home leg but their captain Powell suggested that has not affected their preparation.”I think, to be honest, it [Barbados] has one of the better conditions I’ve seen,” Powell said. “The practice wickets were good and the guys told me that the wickets in the middle are good. They had a camp here before we started the CPL, so cricket is being played on the wicket.”Royals finally have all their five overseas players available for selection and Powell hoped that their franchise T20 experience will serve them well. Miller and Maharaj are familiar faces already at the Royals set-up. While Miller had played his part in Royals’ run to the final in CPL 2022 and had even captained Paarl Royals in the SA20, Maharaj has represented Royals in the IPL.”This is just a top-up,” Powell said. “A lot of the guys have been playing franchise cricket around the world. So, these training sessions are just top-ups – just to get some blood flowing, hit a few balls in the middle and as a bowling group see if we can correct a few errors that we have made in the past few games.”Maharaj will slot into Wellalage’s role and will work with mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana, whose economy rate of 4.62 is currently the best among all bowlers who have bowled at least 24 balls this CPL. With the pitches in the region expected to slow down even further as the tournament progresses, Powell spoke about the impact the spinners could have on the CPL. With slower-ball specialist Naveen-ul-Haq and offspin-bowling allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall also pitching in with the ball, Royals haven’t even needed Nyeem Young’s medium-pace at all across two matches.”Bowlers win tournaments and batters win games,” Powell had said after the win against the Patriots. “I think we have a pretty good overseas spin department and that is very, very important. In the Caribbean, quality spinners sometimes become difficult to bat [against]. But having said that, we have fast bowlers that are there to back them up.”Aaron Jones has prioritised the CPL over USA commitments•ICC/Getty Images

Jones to stay at the CPL; Gous to leave for international dutyAaron Jones, the USA vice-captain who made a splash during the T20 World Cup earlier this year, will stay with St Lucia Kings for the rest of the CPL while his national team-mate Andries Gous is set to leave the Trinbago Knight Riders squad for the upcoming ICC CWC League ODI series in Namibia.Jones is in action in the CPL as a local player through his Barbados passport while the South Africa-born Gous slotted in as a temporary replacement for Tim David at TKR. As such, Gous was signed up for just four games and is now in line for his ODI debut. David, meanwhile, is set to link up with TKR and reunite with his Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard, who is the TKR captain in the CPL, after participating in three T20Is in England.Hassan Khan in action for San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC•MLC

Hassan Khan replaces Fakhar Zaman at FalconsFalcons have brought in allrounder Hassan Khan as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman for the rest of CPL 2024. Fakhar has returned home for the the Champions One-day Cup, Pakistan’s newer version of the domestic 50-over competition, which will run from September 12 to 29, clashing with the CPL.Hassan, 25, was born in Karachi and had captained Pakistan in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand before he moved to the USA. A left-arm spinner and a right-hand batter, Hassan was the highest wicket-taker for San Francisco Unicorns in MLC 2024 with ten strikes in nine matches at an economy rate of 7.09.

This summer is shaping up to be a truly seismic one for Arsenal.

The pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side to finally get over the line in the Premier League next season will be immense, but it looks like the board are doing their bit to back them in the market.

Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi are now officially through the door, while Andrea Berta and Co appear to be in talks with England internationals Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

That’s not all, though, as reports suggest the club is making rapid progress to sign an international game-changer who could help make Madueke entirely unplayable.

Arsenal target free-scoring game-changer

Arsenal ended last season’s Premier League campaign with 17 fewer goals to their name than champions Liverpool, so bringing in a new striker this summer was always going to be a priority.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

Over the last few weeks, the club have been linked with a plethora of talented number nines, such as Ollie Watkins and Benjamin Sesko.

For some time, it looked like the latter was going to be the one to make the move to North London, but that changed late last week as it became evident that RB Leipzig were asking for too much money.

Interestingly, instead of caving to their demands, Berta and Co quickly pivoted to another target, someone who could help make Madueke unplayable: Viktor Gyokeres.

At least that is according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has revealed that Arsenal are in constant talks with Sporting CP, and that the Swede himself is pushing for the move, asking his camp for updates “every hour.”

Moreover, the Italian journalist has reaffirmed reports that personal terms have been agreed, while a recent report from GIVEMESPORT has claimed that the Gunners are set to agree a deal in excess of £65m for the goalscorer.

It is undoubtedly a lot of money to spend on one player, but over the last two years, Gyokeres has shown he could be a difference-maker for a top side, and he’d help make Madueke unplayable as well.

Why Gyokeres would make Madueke unplayable

It might sound simplistic, but one of the reasons Gyokeres would be such a good teammate for Madueke is the fact that he’s a striker who spends as much time as possible in and around the penalty area.

This is important because the Chelsea ace’s biggest strength, at least at the moment, is his ball-carrying and ability to get the ball into dangerous areas.

Therefore, he needs his striker to constantly be in goal-scoring areas, rather than dropping back into midfield or out wide, as Kai Havertz does.

However, it should come as no surprise that the most significant reason the Swede could help Madueke reach another level entirely is his raw output.

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 4248 minutes, the free-scoring “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, put the ball in the back of the net on 54 occasions and provided 13 assists for good measure.

In other words, the former Coventry City star averaged 1.28 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.40 minutes.

Just think about how many goals and assists the Blues ace would rack up playing next to a striker capable of such world-class output.

Moreover, the Englishman already showed last year that, in relatively restricted minutes, he could be a useful outlet out wide.

In the 2449 minutes of action he played prior to the World Cup, the former PSV Eindhoven ace scored 11 goals and provided five assists.

Madueke’s 24/25 (pre CWC)

Appearances

41

Minutes

2449′

Goals

11

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvements

153.06′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 153.06 minutes despite not having a prolific number nine to play alongside.

Ultimately, Madueke looks like he’d be a valuable addition to Arsenal’s squad this summer, but by adding Gyokeres as well, Arteta could help take the Englishman to another level entirely.

Related Arsenal set to bid for £52m winger with "full agreement" on personal terms

The Gunners are set to make an offer for a forward, who has a reached a full agreement over a move to north London.

Posts ByDominic Lund Jul 7, 2025

A “fantastic” Sunderland player looks to be closing in on a summer exit from the club, with “positive” discussions reportedly taking place over his future.

Who could Sunderland sign back in the Premier League?

The Black Cats are preparing for life back in the Premier League, following their memorable promotion to the Championship, with plenty of players being mentioned as potential signings.

Dynamo Kiev striker Vladyslav Vanat is reportedly seen as a top target for Sunderland, who are believed to be leading the race to snap him up in the summer transfer window. The 23-year-old scored 17 goals in the league last season, outlining his pedigree as an exciting target.

Meanwhile, Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez has also been backed to join the Black Cats this summer, although he appears to have poured cold water on the rumour in a recent Instagram post, saying:

“10 years ago as a kid moving from south east London to Liverpool, I couldn’t even imagine looking this far into the future. Looking back now I’m full of gratitude & take so much pride in being a part of this club and city.No denying the challenges along the way, but embracing them to grow as both a player and a person is something I’ve always tried to do & I’m grateful for all the support in trying to do that.It’s been a blessing to be a part of the different dressing rooms and getting to create such special memories over the years with so many great players & staff. I felt it was important to share my thanks to you all for the support throughout the years, it’s always meant the world and I will never take it for granted. A decade in red… and still hungry to keep going.”

Sunderland in "positive" discussions over exit for 22 y/o

Now, according to Hibernian head coach David Gray, talks over Sunderland midfielder Nectarios Triantis sealing a permanent move there are going positively currently, following a loan stint at the Scottish club last season.

“He is another one who had a fantastic season. You seen how much he improved last year, playing week-in, week out. His parent club have just got promoted to the Premier League and their are conversations going on. Clearly he was a big part of what we done last year and it is a position that we are going to need to fill. There is conversations going on there that are positive at the minute but you always need to be proactive and making sure that you are trying to get your work in as early as you can.”

Since then, The Northern Echo have reported that talks are at an advanced stage over a permanent exit for Triantis.

This summer feels like the right time for Triantis to leave Sunderland, considering he hasn’t been an important part of Regis Le Bris’ plans at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland hold 'formal' talks and now lead the race to sign £21m star

The Black Cats are ready to strike on the market.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 20, 2025

The 22-year-old Australian has made just five appearances for the Black Cats since arriving in the summer of 2023, and receiving funds for him instead of losing him on a free transfer in 2027 makes perfect sense.

Manchester City are set to be in the market to bolster their squad when the summer transfer window officially opens for business in the coming months.

The Cityzens dropped points once again in the Premier League as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Southampton, who had 11 points in the top-flight heading into the game.

Pep Guardiola’s side have already missed out on the Premier League title, though, and that may be why the club are eager to bring in fresh recruits, with a fresh report detailing their interest in a Serie A star.

Manchester City make Serie A star a serious target

According to The Telegraph, Manchester City are interested in a deal to sign Tijjani Reijnders from Italian giants Milan in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that the Cityzens have made the Netherlands international a ‘serious’ target to come in and bolster their options in the middle of the park, as they aim to revitalise the squad.

It also reveals that Milan would want a club-record fee for the central midfielder, which means that it will be in excess of the £57m they once raked in from Real Madrid for Brazilian icon Kaka.

Manchester City should, now, splash the cash to sign the Dutch talent because he could come in as a big upgrade on Ilkay Gundogan in the middle of the park.

Why Reijnders would be a better option than Gundogan

Guardiola swooped to bring the German midfielder back to The Etihad, after a one-year stint at Barcelona, last summer, and it has been a difficult season for the veteran, who has failed to live up to the standards he set in his first spell at the club.

Gundogan had hit double figures for goals in each of his last three seasons at City, combining for 38 goals, but has only produced two goals and five assists in 47 matches in all competitions upon his return.

Reijnders, meanwhile, has racked up 15 goals in 51 matches for Milan in all competitions this season, including three goals in ten outings in the Champions League.

He has provided a regular goal threat from the middle of the park for the Serie A giants, whilst Gundogan is heading into the final two matches of the league campaign without a goal to his name in the Premier League.

24/25 season	Reijnders (Serie A)	Gundogan (Premier League)
Appearances	35	31
xG	6.42	2.74
Goals	10	0
Big chances missed	3	6
Big chances created	7	3
Assists	4	5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Reijnder has scored ten more goals, despite missing half as many ‘big chances’, and has created more ‘big chances’ for his teammates in midfield.

These statistics suggest that the 26-year-old star, whose performances were described as “insane” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has the attacking quality to be miles better than Gundogan for City by offering a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch.

The Milan star has also won 63% of his ground duels, compared to Gundogan’s 48%, and could also offer more to the Cityzens out of possession as a strong midfield presence by winning a higher percentage of his battles with opposition midfielders to regain or retain the ball.

It is now down to City to strike a deal with the Italian team because Reijnders appears to have the quality to be miles better than the German midfielder for Guardiola next season and beyond.

Instant Marmoush upgrade: Man City targeting "world class" £85m star

Man City will be aiming to strengthen this summer

By
Ross Kilvington

May 10, 2025

Aston Villa are keen on completing the signing of a speedy attacking player who Virgil van Dijk has spoken highly of, according to a new transfer rumour.

Aston Villa edging towards Champions League

The Villans picked up another priceless three points in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, winning 1-0 at home to Fulham to enhance their hopes of sealing a place in the Champions League once again.

It proved to be a good weekend for Villa away from their own result, too, with rivals Newcastle United only managing to draw 1-1 away to Brighton, further boosting their hopes of securing a top-five finish.

If Unai Emery’s side do achieve that goal, it will give them a better chance of signing top-level players in the summer transfer window, with Omari Hutchinson mentioned as an option this summer. The 21-year-old may wish to leave Ipswich Town ahead of their return to the Championship, and would be a long-term attacking signing.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has been linked with a switch to Villa, potentially coming in as a replacement for Emiliano Martinez, should the Argentine move on. The Ukrainian may like the idea of a fresh challenge, with Thibaut Courtois ahead of him in the pecking order.

Aston Villa learn Yilmaz price tag as Galatasaray make demands

According to Fotomac [via Sport Witness], Aston Villa are interested in signing Galatasaray attacker Baris Alper Yilmaz this summer. West Ham and Napoli are also said to be in the race to sign the 24-year-old ahead of next season.

His current club have ‘contacted the player’s agent to inform him that they will only accept a non-negotiable offer’ of £30m for his signature.

Yilmaz is a gifted player who could be a superb signing for Villa, having scored 11 goals in 27 starts in the Turkish Super Lig matches this season, as well as bagging one goal and assist apiece in the Europa League. The Galatasaray ace has also netted twice in 26 caps for Turkey at international level, with Liverpool captain Van Dijk lauding him after facing him for the Netherlands.

“Baris Alper Yilmaz was running constantly. He was running elusive. It was difficult for every defender. He made it very hard for us. He couldn’t score a goal though. If we were to describe him in any way, he is a really important player.”

At 24, Yilmaz is still a fairly young player, and his ability to thrive on both the left and right wing would make him a versatile option for Emery, adding depth and quality to his attack.

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The fact that the Turk has been compared to Wales and Madrid legend Gareth Bale, in terms of playing style, says all you need to know about what an exciting signing he could be for Villa.

In his comeback from a life-threatening car crash in December 2022, Rishabh Pant made 18 off 13 balls and passed the wicketkeeping test too

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Mar-2024

Rishabh Pant at the toss of his comeback match in Mullanpur•BCCI

The moment Rishabh Pant has longed for since December 30, 2022 arrived at 4.06 pm on March 23, 2024, in little-known Mullanpur. David Warner had gloved an attempted hook off a slower bouncer from Harshal Patel and was walking back, but the ongoing review process extended the wait. Yards away from Warner on the other side of the boundary, was Pant, ready to take his first steps on a cricket field in a competitive match since surviving a car crash 15 months ago.As Pant started his walk to the middle, he was introduced as the new batter over the public address system. The whole crowd – the ground was more than half full, with thousands still outside because of the security process – stood up to celebrate Pant’s return. It wasn’t a visceral roar but it was wholesome. The non-striker Shai Hope also punched his bat with a gloved hand a few times to welcome his captain.A large number of fans had travelled from neighbouring towns and cities in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and, of course, Delhi. A few wearing navy blue ‘Pant 777’ t-shirts braved the harsh afternoon sun in anticipation of a Pant special, which the Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting had predicted, having observed how zealously his captain had been training in the week leading up to today.Pant took guard on leg stump. The Punjab Kings left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar angled the ball away from his reach, forcing Pant to stretch and reach to connect. Having had his knee ligaments reconstructed, it’s an area he’s going to be tested, in addition to throws coming to his end while running between the wickets. Pant refused to run a double twice in his first six deliveries.Related

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Such caution is understandable as he is taking small steps back after a severe injury. On 4, Pant pulled a long hop from legspinner Rahul Chahar straight to deep midwicket, where Harshal Patel was blinded by the sun and couldn’t catch it. His second boundary was a cover drive, off Harshal, but Pant’s innings ended soon after.A slower offcutter from Harshal climbed towards Pant’s head and his predetermined ramp ended up in backward point’s hands. He rapped his pads, berating himself. His first innings in his second innings as a cricketer lasted 23 minutes and ended on 18 off 13 balls, but it had its moments.The Capitals finished with 174 and then came Pant’s bigger challenge: keeping wickets and making decisions as captain in the fast and furious pace of T20 cricket. He was up for it, even after losing one of his four specialist bowlers Ishant Sharma to an ankle injury.Ask batters to pick the chirpiest wicketkeeper around and Pant is likely to be high on their list. Part of his talkativeness may be to wind up the batters, but he also does it to motivate and guide his bowlers.Rishabh Pant made 18 off 13 balls in his comeback match•BCCIPant has kept wicket to Kuldeep Yadav at both India and DC, and shares a rapport with the left-arm wristspinner. Throughout Kuldeep’s four-over spell against Punjab, Pant rarely kept silent, and some of that chat came through on the stump microphones. (let him hit long), (you are bowling well. Relax and bowl freely),” Pant said in Kuldeep’s first two overs as Prabhsimran Singh and Sam Curran were batting.Prabhsimran’s aggressive intent was evident, and Pant wanted Kuldeep to relax. (You are our only hope. It [the wicket] will come),” were Pant’s words the ball before Kuldeep had Prabhsimran caught in the deep. Not just to Kuldeep, Pant’s message to his team was to keep believing, even as Punjab took control of the chase. You could hear him saying “put in the energy”.Pant’s biggest strength was his fearlessness, and the question was whether he would still be fearless. He did not hesitate to stretch or dive behind the stumps, and attempted two stumpings, successfully dismissing Jitesh Sharma with the second attempt.On the eve of the Capitals’ season opener against Punjab, Ponting had described Pant as the “heartbeat” of the team. While the result did not go his way, Pant was pulsing with energy, and achieved what many feared he may never do again. Play cricket.