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Captain’s 76 not enough as Gloucestershire defend 251 at York

ECB Reporters Network02-Aug-2024

Ollie Price added a half-century•Getty Images

Ollie Price’s watchful 98 off 118 balls plus a feverish bowling display led by three-wicket quick Matt Taylor led Gloucestershire to an entertaining win over Yorkshire at York as they successfully defended a 252-target to triumph by 36 runs.Price had underpinned Gloucestershire’s 251 for 9, while opener Miles Hammond leant support with 54. But the visitors added only 85 runs in a damaging final 15 overs which saw seven wickets fall.The Vikings responded on a challenging batting pitch, with new-ball seamer Ben Coad (2 for 27 from 10 overs) particularly impressive as one of four bowlers who struck twice.Shan Masood and James Wharton hit 76 and 56 respectively to leave Yorkshire well placed, but they slumped from 137 for 2 to 215 all out inside 48 overs. Left-armer Taylor finished with 3 for 35 off 10. Both counties have now won two, lost two in Group B.Gloucestershire elected to bat on the same hybrid pitch used for Yorkshire’s Wednesday win over Sussex, and they showed early caution against accurate bowling. After Cameron Bancroft’s early departure, caught behind off Coad, Hammond and Price advanced impressively as extra bounce was evident without extra pace.They rotated strike amidst an 88-run partnership, and a feature of Price’s innings was his sweeping and reverse-sweeping against spin. But the reverse against Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin was Hammond’s undoing, bowled shortly after reaching his 84-ball fifty. By then, Price had also reached 50 off 65.Price beautifully drove two boundaries almost arrow straight off Ben Cliff’s seam in the 34th over before, at the start of his next, James Bracey hoisted the same bowler over long-on for one of only two sixes in the entire innings. However, Gloucestershire’s acceleration was shackled, as four wickets fell for 19 from 172 for 2 in 36th over to 191 for 6 in the 41st.Cliff struck twice in an action-packed 36th as Bracey played on and Ben Charlesworth was caught behind. Coad then forced Jack Taylor to play on, as did Moriarty to Graeme van Buuren. Tom Smith added a useful 27, but Price was yorked by George Hill as the visitors only just crept over 250.Wickets continued to fall as Yorkshire replied. Fin Bean was bowled off the inside-edge as he left Matt Taylor alone before Ajeet Singh Dale bowled Will Luxton shortly afterwards, the Vikings 24 for 2 in the seventh over.Masood and Wharton set about a no-frills recovery, sharing a third-wicket 113. Masood hit 63 in Wednesday’s Sussex win, and by the time his latest half-century arrived off 52 balls, Yorkshire were on a healthy 94 for 2 in the 21st.Acceleration came when they hit three leg-side sixes off the spin of Price and van Buuren, taking the score to 117 for 2 in the 23rd. It was now Yorkshire’s game to lose. But that’s exactly what happened.Matt Taylor had Masood caught behind and bowled Hill in successive overs before Harry Duke pulled Dom Goodman’s seam to midwicket – 147 for 5 in the 33rd.Wharton reached his fifty off 78 balls, but him crawling through the 40s heightened home nerves. It was, therefore, no great surprise when he miscued Smith’s left-arm spin to backward point, leaving the Vikings six down at 163.That became 176 for 7 in the 39th when Singh Dale trapped Dom Bess lbw. Now it was Gloucestershire’s game, and they didn’t let things slip.Coad was run out before Matthew Revis, for 41, and Moriarty were caught in the deep off Goodman and van Buuren.

تحدث محمد بركات لاعب الأهلي الأسبق، عن تعادل منتخب مصر مع بوركينا فاسو بالمواجهة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وانتهت المباراة بين مصر وبوركينا فاسو بالتعادل 0-0، ليتم تأجيل حسم تأهل الفراعنة إلى الجولة المقبلة أمام جيبوتي.

طالع | موعد مباراة مصر القادمة بعد التعادل مع بوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كأس العالم

وقال محمد بركات في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة ام بي سي مصر: “تعادل مرضي بشكل كبير وتعادل بطعم المكسب، بوركينا المنافس الأقرب لك، وتخوض المباراة على ملعبه، وبالنسبة له كانت فرصة أخيرة”.

وتابع: “حسام حسن تعامل مع المباراة بشكل جيد، وواضح في الملعب أن اللاعبين لم يكن لديهم أي استعداد للخسارة”.

وزاد: “لا يصح أن نضع حسام حسن تحت الضغط طوال الوقت، بل يجب أن نفخر بأن لدينا مدربًا وطنيًا مثله، ويؤدي ما هو مطلوب منه، فهو لم يخسر أي مباراة، وتعادل في مباراتين، ولم تُسجل ضده سوى هدفين، وكل أرقامه مقبولة جدًا”.

واختتم: “محمد هاني كان من أفضل اللاعبين المتواجدين في الملعب، وكان أحد نجوم المباراة”.

وأضاف: “وضعنا قدمًا في كأس العالم للمرة الرابعة، تحية لكل اللاعبين المتواجدة في الملعب والجهاز الفني، نفتخر أننا لدينا جهاز فني يتأهل بنا لكأس العالم”.

Looking to finally seal their second signing of the summer, INEOS have now reportedly submitted a “new” £60m+ offer for Manchester United to sign an attacking reinforcement who has been likened to Kevin De Bruyne.

INEOS keen to get Man Utd deals done by pre-season

Having already welcomed Matheus Cunha to get their summer plans off to the perfect start, Manchester United are now targeting a number of further much-needed reinforcements. And INEOS want things wrapped up fairly quickly ahead of the next campaign. According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, Manchester United are trying to get their business done by the time that pre-season commences on 7 July.

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That gives those at Old Trafford around two weeks to seal any further business and assemble a squad capable of instant improvement under Ruben Amorim next season. It, therefore, comes as little surprise to see the rumours already coming thick and fast as to who the Red Devils could welcome in the next fortnight.

One of the most prominent names on that front has been Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine shot-stopper could be among those shown the door in the Midlands as Villa attempt to comply with PSR rules and Manchester United are reportedly lying in wait.

A World Cup winner and one of the more experienced Premier League goalkeepers these days, there’s no doubt that Martinez would be an instant upgrade on Onana. But he’s not the only one who could arrive in the next two weeks after INEOS reportedly submitted a new bid to sign an impressive attacking reinforcement.

Man Utd submit "new" £60m+ Mbeumo offer

According to Fabrizio Romano, INEOS have submitted a “new” £60m+ offer to sign Bryan Mbeumo for Manchester United this summer. The player is reportedly prioritising a move to Old Trafford this summer and talks are ongoing with Brentford as all parties attempt to reach an agreement for his signature.

Alongside Cunha, Mbeumo could finally transform United’s attack, which often struggled when forced to rely on the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee last season.

Whilst both players were struggling for the Red Devils, Cunha and Mbeumo were thriving for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford with the latter particularly standing out – scoring 20 Premier League goals.

Mbeumo earned high praise as a result and has even been likened to Manchester City legend and recent Napoli signing De Bruyne by Football Transfers.

The Brentford star won’t come cheap but all signs point towards a player who would finally live up to the hype at Old Trafford.

Unbeaten stand of 129 between Paul Walter and Matt Critchley keeps hosts afloat following Durham’s 587

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2024

Ollie Robinson underlined his Test credentials with a new career-best score•Getty Images

Essex 249 for 4 (Walter 80*, Critchley 51*, Potts 2-65) trail Durham 587 (Robinson 198, Lees 113, Ackermann 73, Critchley 4-158) by 338 runsPaul Walter and Matt Critchley dug Essex out of trouble on day two of their Vitality County Championship run-fest with Durham.Durham’s fast bowling attack had restricted the hosts to 120 for 4 in response to 587, but Walter struck 80 not out and Critchley unbeaten 51. The duo put on 129 for the fifth wicket to close the day on 249 for four.Earlier, Ollie Robinson had done his England Test hopes no harm with a flawless 198 as Durham secured maximum batting points in their title charge.Durham, resuming on 445 for 4, continued to drown Essex’s attack in runs – as they smashed 142 runs in 26 morning overs before they were bowled out – with maximum batting points pocketed.Robinson completed his 150 with the third ball of the day – the last four of his nine career centuries have exceeded the milestone.The former Kent man simply picked up where he had left off on day one, scoring runs at ease and refusing to allow the bowlers to build any pressure.He passed his previous best of 171 – collected against Lancashire in May – and looked set for 200 before trying to force a cut shot but only edged behind. He was given a generous applause by the crowd on his return to the dressing room.Otherwise, Critchley and Simon Harmer plugged away with semi-regular wickets amongst the flow of runs.Harmer and bat-pad Nick Browne combined to dismiss Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede, with the South African later bowling former team-mate Peter Siddle. The off-spinner returned 4 for 188, the most runs he had conceded in a Championship innings.To go with Robinson, Critchley also snaffled Ben Raine and Matt Potts. Essex’s spinners joining for figures of eight for 346 with Durham bowled out for 587 – the 15th highest score at Chelmsford.After an energy-sapping 122 overs in the field, the hosts were lethargic with the bat. Browne had already survived being dropped at second slip on 12 when he tickled Potts behind in the sixth over.Dean Elgar oozed elegance with seven fours in 40, in a 51-run stand with Tom Westley, but edge Siddle to first slip before Westley was leg before to Raine. Jordan Cox got a start but also fell before making a telling contribution – bowled by a jag backer from the energetic Potts. It left Essex 120 for 4 and starting to worry about the follow-on target.But Critchley mimicked Alex Lees’ controlling style, while Walter was closer to Robinson’s aggression, to resuscitate the innings with a century partnership.Walter was imperious in his decision-making, whether it was slog sweeping for six, clipping off his legs, touching to third or flashing outside off stump. The maximum took him to 2,000 first class runs before his half-century came up in 63 balls.Walter and Critchley – whose fifty came in 111 deliveries – were unbreakable in the evening session, as Essex finally found a foothold in the match, but remain 188 runs shy of the follow-on.

It’s safe to say that Liverpool fans will have very little care for the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States of America. In fact, not many football fans in general have tuned in for proceedings just yet.

Chelsea’s opening game with LAFC was played in front of a minuscule crowd considering how big the stadium actually was.

Despite that, there are some talking points on the pitch, none more so than Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Real Madrid got their campaign underway against Saudi side Al Hilal on Wednesday and could only manage a 1-1 draw. Perhaps the gap to Saudi’s top sides isn’t as big as we may think.

How the media world reacted to Trent’s debut

It doesn’t feel like long ago now that Alexander-Arnold announced to the fanbase that he’d be leaving his boyhood club behind in favour of the Spanish capital, Madrid.

After he let it be know that he’d be departing; the right-back was understandably greeted with a chorus of boos. For one of the club’s most infamous academy graduates, this was surprising.

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Yet, once all was said and done, the right-back didn’t actually end up leaving on a free transfer.

Before the aforementioned Club World Cup got underway, there was a frenzy in the transfer market as a plethora of teams tried to get early deals over the line.

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At Chelsea, it was striker Liam Delap arriving while Manchester City confirmed the additions of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki. Not bad at all.

As far as Madrid were concerned, they ended up parting ways with around £8m in order to bring Alexander-Arnold to the club in time for the beginning of this summer’s tournament in the USA.

Well, after his debut on Wednesday evening, Florentino Perez and Co may well be wishing he hadn’t officially signed yet.

This clearly wasn’t Madrid at full strength but it was a horrible afternoon for the Merseyside defender.

He was slapped with a 5/10 match rating from one Real-based outlet, who noted the full-back had ‘some problems’ in the first half and was rather ‘discreet’ throughout.

Another Spanish publication, Football Espana, weren’t too kind either, also giving Trent a rating of 5/10. They were also damning of his abilities, writing that it was an ‘underwhelming’ debut where he was ‘not at his best defensively’. Now, isn’t that a surprise?

Closer to home, 90min gave the new signing a 4/10 rating, making note of how he ‘sometimes forgot’ his marking duties.

How Trent compares to Huijsen on debut

Also making his debut for Madrid in the game with Al Hilal was Dean Huijsen.

The Spaniard was the subject of interest from a plethora of Premier League clubs before the window got underway with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in particular chasing their signature.

The Reds were reportedly one of the favourites to prise him away from Bournemouth but like Alexander-Arnold, Madrid was an offer he could not refuse.

As it happens, the centre-back enjoyed a far better maiden game in Real colours, handed a 7/10 rating by Football Espana.

They wrote that, ‘in contrast to Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen looked assured in his debut. He helped a lot in build-up, which would have pleased Alonso.’

Trent vs Huijsen – Real Madrid debuts

Trent

Stat

Huijsen

65

Mins played

90

2

Clearances

3

1

Interceptions

1

0

Tackles

3

57

Touches

80

89%

Accurate passes

87%

1

Key passes

1

1/4

Ground duels won

6/6

0/1

Aerial duels won

2/4

Stats via Sofascore.

Despite the setbacks of not signing Huijsen and losing Trent, Liverpool appear to be in a good place, having confirmed the arrival of Jeremie Frimpong and reportedly on the verge of signing Florian Wirtz in a British record deal and Milos Kerkez.

Therefore, it’s unlikely they’ll be losing too much sleep over the Alexander-Arnold situation now.

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The left-arm swing bowler is Maharashtra’s highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2024

Samad Fallah picked up 272 Ranji wickets for Maharashtra•Dainik Dabang Dunia

Samad Fallah, Maharashtra’s highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy, has formally announced his retirement. The left-arm swing bowler picked up 272 Ranji wickets for Maharashtra, and 287 first-class wickets overall, in 78 matches, at an average of 28.48.Fallah also took 75 List A wickets and 62 in T20s. He was instrumental in delivering Maharashtra their only silverware at the senior level since 1940-41, picking up a match-winning four-wicket haul in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) in March 2010.Fallah’s last official match was a Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-overs) game for Uttarakhand in March 2021. Having moved to Uttarakhand for the 2020-21 season, he returned to Maharashtra and made himself available for selection in all three formats, but didn’t get a chance to resume his career.Related

The free jazz of Samad Fallah's bowling

Now 39 and head coach of Nashik Titans in the Maharashtra Premier League, Fallah has made his retirement official. Fallah traced an unusual path to professional cricket, never playing any representative age-group cricket, and making his way into club cricket via eye-catching performances in tennis-ball tournaments. He made his Maharashtra debut at 22 and immediately made an impact, picking up a match-winning second-innings six-wicket haul against Himachal Pradesh in November 2007. He quickly established himself as the leader of Maharashtra’s attack, picking up 20-plus wickets in every Ranji season from 2007-08 to 2014-15.As he reached his peak, Maharashtra built one of the best seam attacks in Indian domestic cricket, with Fallah, Anupam Sanklecha, Domnic Muthuswami and Shrikant Mundhe combining to lead the team to the Ranji final in 2013-14 and the semi-finals in 2014-15. Fallah’s high point came in the semi-final in Indore in January 2014, when he picked up 7 for 58 on the first morning to help bowl Bengal out for 114.The unconventional trajectory of Fallah’s career found expression in his bowling too. He enjoyed long spells of nine or ten overs, and seldom marked a fixed run-up, preferring to begin his run from wherever his mood took him. He constantly varied his angle and approach to the crease too, sometimes even running in zigzag to try and unsettle batters.At the time of retirement, Fallah is the second-highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy among left-arm fast bowlers, with only Jaydev Unadkat (316) above him. Hiralal Gaekwad, whose Ranji Trophy career stretched from 1941 to 1963, picked up 278 wickets, but he bowled a mixture of left-arm spin and seam.

Liverpool’s pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz appears to be entering the endgame phase as they look to wrap up a deal for the Germany international.

Arne Slot is attempting to bolster his squad, having already signed Jeremie Frimpong in the summer transfer window, and the midfield creator is next up on his wishlist.

According to BILD journalist Christian Falk, an offer of £110m from Liverpool for the German wizard has already been rejected by Leverkusen, as they want up to £118m for his services.

The reporter claims that the Bundesliga outfit are expecting the Premier League champions to come back with a final offer for Wirtz, and that both sides are expected to agree on a fee of £118m.

This deal for Wirtz looks set to smash the club’s record transfer fee, set at £85m when they signed Darwin Nunez from Benfica in the summer of 2022, but is he worth the money?

Why Florian Wirtz is worth the money for Liverpool

The 22-year-old starlet is worth the gamble, even at a whopping £118m, because the star could be a transformational signing for the Reds, even after they won the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign, due to the impact he could make at the top end of the pitch.

No central or attacking midfielder for Liverpool managed more than Dominik Szoboszlai’s return of six goals and six assists in the top-flight for Slot’s side, which shows that none of the manager’s options in that area of the park were particularly prolific or creative.

Wirtz, however, is a number ten who can consistently provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, as evidenced by his performances for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga over the past two seasons, in particular.

During the 2024/25 campaign, the right-footed dynamo racked up 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for the German outfit, including six goals in nine matches in the Champions League.

Florian Wirtz (Bundesliga)

23/24

24/25

Appearances

32

31

xG

9.00

9.40

Goals

11

10

Big chances created

12

17

xA

9.75

9.44

Assists

11

12

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz has hit double figures for both goals and assists in each of the past two Bundesliga campaigns, which shows that he can provide a consistent threat in the final third from an attacking midfield position.

Whether the 22-year-old superstar can translate that kind of form over to the Premier League still remains up for debate, of course, but he has done it on the big stage for Germany as well.

The international star scored four goals and provided three assists in seven matches for his country on their way to the semi-finals of the Nations League, which is further proof that he would be worth the money for the champions.

Liverpool, alongside a deal for Wirtz, could unearth England’s answer to the German star by signing one of their reported targets, Morgan Gibbs-White.

Liverpool's interest in Morgan Gibbs-White

It was recently reported by a Spanish outlet that Liverpool are one of a number of teams eyeing up a possible move for the Nottingham Forest playmaker in the summer transfer window.

The outlet claimed that Chelsea and Manchester City are also in the running to sign the England international from the Tricky Trees, who qualified for the UEFA Conference League for next season.

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

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It also revealed that Nottingham Forest would be willing to negotiate with those three clubs for a fee in the region of £70m, which means that he would be significantly cheaper than Wirtz as a number ten option.

The report, however, did not mention any incoming bids or imminent talks planned with the Premier League side for the Reds, so Gibbs-White may not be a priority target for the champions at this moment in time.

Irrespective of whether or not Liverpool finalise a move for Wirtz from Leverkusen, the Nottingham Forest star would be an excellent signing for the club as England’s own version of the Bundesliga star.

Why Gibbs-White could be England's own Wirtz

England fans watched on, likely in boredom, as their team struggled to break down Andorra and came away with a drab 1-0 win, thanks to Harry Kane’s 50th-minute strike from close range.

Despite the fairly dismal attacking showing from the Three Lions, Gibbs-White was brought on with just one minute left to play and did not have a chance to make an impact.

Moving to Anfield and playing in Europe, in the Champions League, would put the former Wolves starlet in the spotlight at the very top of the domestic game and make it incredibly difficult for Thomas Tuchel to ignore him.

A transfer to Liverpool could also help to take Gibbs-White’s output to the next level as part of a team that creates more chances and has more of the ball than Nottingham Forest.

In the 2024/25 season, Liverpool created 82.2 xG to Forest’s 45.5 xG and averaged 57.7% possession to Nuno Santos’ side’s 41.2%, as per FBref, which means that the English star would be part of a far more dominant and attacking outfit if he made the move to Anfield.

24/25 Premier League

Morgan Gibbs-White

Appearances

34

xG

6.34

Goals

7

Big chances created

10

Key passes per game

1.5

Assists

8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old playmaker still managed to produce 15 goals and assists combined in the division, despite his team’s lack of dominance and creativity on the whole.

Gibbs-White, once dubbed “exceptional” by Pep Guardiola, scored more goals and provided more assists than any of Liverpool’s central midfielders. Now imagine how many goal contributions he could rack up as part of Slot’s dominant side…

The Forest star has not had the chance to showcase his talent in a team as great as Leverkusen’s or Liverpool’s, like Wirtz, and could explode in the final third if given that opportunity, based on his outstanding output in Forest’s team.

Therefore, the Reds could unearth England’s answer to Wirtz and give themselves two versions of the German star by signing the Tricky Trees talent before the end of the summer transfer window to provide him with a chance to flourish in a dominant side.

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Leeds United are heading towards the opening of the summer transfer window on Sunday, and are preparing to build a squad that can compete in the Premier League next term.

Daniel Farke’s side will be competing in the top-flight in the 2025/26 campaign after they won the Championship title with a staggering 100 points, beating Plymouth Argyle 2-1 away from home on the final day of the season to clinch the trophy.

The Whites are now tasked with preparing a group to battle against relegation from the top-flight at the first time of asking, which is going to be incredibly difficult when you consider recent history.

Southampton, Ipswich, and Leicester were all relegated from the Premier League this season, after Sheffield United, Burnley, and Luton all went down the season before, all six of whom had just been promoted from the Championship.

This illustrates the size of the task at hand for Farke and his players heading into the upcoming campaign, which is why this summer transfer window is particularly important.

Leeds needs to ensure that they have a team that is good enough to compete week-in-week-out in the top-flight, and that is why Brenden Aaronson’s future in the starting XI should be in doubt.

Why Brenden Aaronson must be replaced

The USA international started 43 of his 46 appearances in the Championship as a regular starter under Farke in the number ten position, but he has not done enough to suggest that the step up to the Premier League will suit him.

Aaronson ended the season with a return of nine goals and two assists in those 46 outings in the second tier, which was a decent, but unspectacular, haul for the attacking midfielder.

His finishing left a lot to be desired throughout the season for Leeds, with nine goals from 11.43 xG, and this does not suggest that he is ruthless enough in front of goal to be an effective operator at the top end of the pitch in the top-flight.

Aaronson, of course, played for the Whites in their last season in the Premier League, under Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce, and his lack of quality was on full display that year.

22/23 Premier League

Brenden Aaronson

Appearances

36

xG

3.86

Goals

1

Key passes per game

1.3

Assists

3

Ground duel success rate

43%

Aerial duel success rate

17%

Stat via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the American flop was incredibly wasteful in front of goal, underperforming his xG by almost three goals, and was a liability out of possession, as opposition defenders dominated him in duels.

With this in mind, the former RB Salzburg star should not be guaranteed to keep his place as a starter when the Premier League season gets underway next season.

Instead, Leeds should attempt to replace him during the upcoming summer transfer window, which appears to be what they are aiming for with their latest target.

Leeds eyeing move for Championship star

According to Leeds United News, reporter Graeme Bailey claims that Leeds United are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Jack Rudoni from Coventry City this summer.

The report claims that the Whites are keen on doing a deal for the English attacking midfielder in the coming weeks, as they eye up a move for the Championship sensation.

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It adds that the second tier champions are yet to make an enquiry about his availability, though, which suggests that any transfer is in the very early stages at this point.

Meanwhile, EFL Analysis claims that Sheffield United, Leicester City, and Southampton are also lining up moves for the Sky Blues attacking midfielder this summer, providing competition for his signature.

Leeds, though, could have an advantage over those three clubs because of their promotion to the Premier League, and they should use that to snap him up ahead of next season.

Why Leeds should sign Jack Rudoni

The Whites should swoop to sign Rudoni from the Championship side this summer because he could be way better than Aaronson for Farke in the top-flight.

Whilst the left-footed star is unproven in the Premier League, having yet to play there in his career, his performances in the Championship during the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he has more to offer to the team than the American lightweight does.

The former Huddersfield Town star, who was dubbed a “standout” by pundit Lee Hendrie, joined Coventry in the summer of 2024 and hit the ground running as an instant star for the club this term.

Rudoni only delivered five goals and three assists in 35 appearances for the Terriers in the 2023/24 Championship campaign, but the move to the Sky Blues helped to get the best out of him.

24/25 Championship

Jack Rudoni

Brenden Aaronson

Appearances

43

46

xG

7.49

11.43

Goals

9

9

Big chances missed

6

11

Big chances created

16

9

Key passes per game

1.8

1.6

Assists

12

2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Coventry star delivered 21 goals and assists in 43 appearances for Frank Lampard’s side, ten more than Aaronson managed in three more appearances.

They scored the same number of goals, nine, but the EFL star managed that tally with an xG of just 7.49, which shows that he was far more efficient with the chances that came his way.

Rudoni, whose personality was described as “infectious” by Lampard, also created seven more ‘big chances’ and produced ten more assists, speaking to the kind of creative quality that he could provide Farke’s team with in the Premier League.

These statistics suggest that the Coventry magician could be way better than Aaronson for Leeds by coming in to deliver more quality as a finisher and a creator in an attacking midfield position.

This could give him a greater chance of being a success in the top-flight in comparison to the USA international, as he appears more likely to make an impact in the final third.

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It is now down to the club to win the race for his services in a battle with the likes of Southampton, Sheffield United, and Leicester this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur face the very real prospect of losing a key member of their squad when the summer window reopens, despite their Europa League triumph last week, with an elite club set to open imminent talks over his signature.

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Spurs have an opportunity to strike a bargain deal.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2025

The Australian guided his side to a first European trophy since 1984, ending their 17-year wait for any major trophy in the process and securing a spot in the Champions League for next season – which comes as an almighty transfer boost for the Lilywhites.

However, Postecoglou’s domestic campaign told an entirely different story.

The 59-year-old oversaw Tottenham’s largest number of Premier League defeats in a single season (22), with the north Londoners finishing just one place above the relegation zone.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

2024/2025 was an extremely mixed bag for Postecoglou, and if they hadn’t narrowly squeezed past a lacklustre Man United side in the Europa League final, it’d be a no-brainer that the tactician should be given his marching orders.

The joyous celebrations and emotions that come with the end of Tottenham’s trophy drought have given Levy some serious thinking to do, with Spurs chiefs currently ’50/50′ about sacking Postecoglou, according to some reports.

A decision must be made soon, as this summer’s first mini-transfer window opens in just three days.

Tottenham have been handed a significant financial windfall from their qualification from the Champions League, not to mention more pull in the transfer market overall, with Spurs suddenly a more appealing destination for out-of-contract Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané (Sport Bild).

There is a consensus within the club that they need to bring more experienced players in to bolster their young squad (Sami Mokbel), and while their Europa League glory will help in that aspect, there is still a very real possibility that they lose some imperative stars as well.

Atletico Madrid to open imminent talks for Cristian Romero

According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, Tottenham defender Cristian Romero remains high on the agenda of Atletico Madrid heading into June 1.

The Argentine played a crucial role in helping to deliver Spurs their Europa winners’ medal, being crowned the tournament’s Player of the Season, all while putting in a Man of the Match display against United in the final.

However, Spanish media sources believe Romero still has every intention of leaving Tottenham this summer, despite their memorable night in Bilbao, following other previous reports that the £165,000-per-week centre-back is keen to quit the club for Atletico (Marca).

Postecoglou’s side value him at around £60 million, and won’t sell for any lower than £44 million (Marca), even if the La Liga side wish to negotiate an agreeable fee.

Following these reports, Thomas has claimed that Atletico could open talks for Romero as early as this week, with Diego Simeone’s side competing in next month’s Club World Cup and potentially wanting to get business done early.

Given the “underrated” Romero’s importance to Tottenham, and Levy’s well-known stubbornness when it comes to negotiating transfers, we don’t expect this saga to be resolved quickly.

Already thinking about potential life without loanee Marcus Rashford, Aston Villa are now reportedly battling Paris Saint-Germain to sign an in-demand winger who’s ready for a new challenge this summer.

Aston Villa's transfer plan

Even though the race for Champions League qualification is yet to reach a conclusion, Aston Villa are seemingly already preparing for the summer transfer window, which could be busy on all fronts.

The Premier League already received a glimpse of the players that Unai Emery is capable of attracting in the January transfer window and, if reports are anything to go by, the Spaniard’s pull-power could be on full show yet again this summer. That said, any incomings are unlikely to come without the sacrifice of departures amid reported PSR concerns.

As a result of those issues, the rumours have already been coming thick and fast over just who could be heading for the exit door at Villa Park this summer. The vultures are seemingly beginning to circle around Emery’s best talent too, with Chelsea reportedly interested in Ollie Watkins and Liverpool eyeing a summer swoop to sign Morgan Rogers.

Given that both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio are on course to leave at the end of their respective loan spells from Manchester United and PSG, losing Watkins and Rogers at the same time could leave Villa’s attack almost entirely decimated.

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The Villans could shift some valuable deadwood.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford May 10, 2025

What those exits could allow Aston Villa to do, however, is sign an in-demand winger who would instantly ease their loanee woes and reinforce Emery’s frontline once and for all.

Aston Villa battling PSG to sign Fofana

According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa are now battling PSG to sign Malick Fofana from Lyon this summer. The winger has enjoyed an impressive season at the French club, who are enduring financial struggles of their own, and now has a queue which includes PSG, Villa, Liverpool and Newcastle United in pursuit of his signature.

Despite Lyon’s financial struggles, any deal to sign Fofana in the coming months will not come cheap. Reports indicate that the Ligue 1 side have set a hefty price tag of around €50m (£42m) to sell their 20-year-old star.

Dubbed “explosive” by analyst Ben Mattinson earlier this season, Fofana has scored 11 goals and created another six in all competitions throughout the current campaign and could be worth splashing out on this summer.

For £42m, Villa could sign a player who’s keen on a new challenge and one who could become both the present and future of Emery’s frontline.