أفادت تقارير إعلامية اليوم السبت، أن أحد أندية الدوري السعودي للمحترفين يفكر بشكل جدي في التعاقد مع لاعبين من صفوف نادي ريال مدريد خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي.
ريال مدريد يستعد للسفر إلى النمسا خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة، وذلك من أجل إقامة معسكر قصير، قبل العودة إلى إسبانيا استعدادًا لبداية الموسم، حيث سيواجه الفريق أوساسونا في الجولة الأولى من الدوري الإسباني.
أقرأ أيضًا .. مكتشف ماستانتونو يوضح توقعاته بشأن مستقبل اللاعب مع ريال مدريد
وأفاد صحفي ماركا، خوسيه فيليكس دياز، بأن ثنائي ريال مدريد، داني سيبايوس، ودافيد ألابا، مطلوبين من قبل الدوري السعودي للمحترفين خلال هذا الصيف.
وأضاف دياز، أن الأندية السعودية تدرك جيدًا أن سيبايوس بجانب ألابا لم يعودا لاعبين أساسيين في تشكيلة ريال مدريد خلال السنوات الأخيرة، وبالتالي هما متاحين للبيع.
وأوضح المصدر، أن ألابا يريد أن يكمل عامه الأخير في عقده مع ريال مدريد ، ومن ثم يغادر كوكيل مجاني، في حين لا يريد سيبايوس أن يوقع إلا لصالح ناديه السابق ريال بيتيس حال غادر الفريق الملكي.
سيبايوس يرتبط بعقد مع ريال مدريد إلى نهاية موسم 2027 المقبل، لكنه قد يغادر صفوف الفريق الملكي بالفعل في ظل انعدام مشاركته بشكل أساسي مع النادي الإسباني.
أما بالنسبة لألابا، فقد لعبت كثرة الإصابات التي تعرض لها الدولي النمساوي خلال السنوات الأخيرة دورًا هامًا في ابتعاد اللاعب عن التشكيلة الأساسية لـ ريال مدريد
تعرض لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي توتنهام هوتسبير، للإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي خلال المباراة الودية التي جمعت فريقه ضد نيوكاسل، استعدادًا للموسم الجديد 2025/2026.
وواجه توتنهام هوتسبير نظيره نيوكاسل يونايتد مساء الأحد الماضي، في مدينة سيول وانتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي 1/1 ضمن الفترة التحضيرية للموسم المقبل.
اقرأ يضًا | سون يوجه رسالة عاطفية لجماهير توتنهام بعد رحيله
وأعلن توتنهام هوتسبير إصابة الدولي الإنجليزي جيمس ماديسون، قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بـ تمزق في الرباط الصليبي الأمامي بـ ركبته اليمنى، وأنه سيخضع لعملية جراحية.
وكشف النادي الإنجليزي أن العملية الجراحية سوف تُجرى في الأيام المقبلة، وبعدها سيبدأ جيمس مرحلة إعادة تأهيله مع الفريق الطبي.
Captain Niki Prasad wants to make sure team “stays on top” after a dominant display in Malaysia where India cruised unbeaten to a second Women’s U-19 World Cup title
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2025″Coming at the start of the tournament, I think I mentioned one thing that we are here to dominate, we are here to make sure that India stays on top.”Those were the words of India captain Niki Prasad after she led India to a second consecutive Women’s Under-19 World Cup title in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. And dominate is what India did throughout the tournament, winning all their games and not letting any team score more against them than the 113 for 8 that England made in the semi-finals.India had chased in four of the six games before the final, and they won all those matches comfortably, never losing more than two wickets. After South Africa won the toss and chose to bat in the title bout, India just replicated the template that served them so well through the competition, their spinners playing a pivotal role in getting the opposition out for 82.Related
G Trisha excels with bat and ball as India become back-to-back Under-19 champions
India then chased down the target in 11.2 overs, with G Trisha – who also returned figures of 3 for 15 with the ball – scoring an unbeaten 44.”We are definitely going to create this legacy of winning ICC trophies, winning a lot of trophies for India,” Prasad said at the post-match presentation ceremony.Prasad had to put behind her the disappointment of not making the squad for the previous Under-19 World Cup, which India won under the captaincy of Shafali Verma in 2023, but she’s soaking it all in now.”I think I’m feeling really happy that I am right here standing, making sure that India stays on top. And it’s obviously a special moment that we’re playing the World Cup and doing this for India,” she said.India lost the toss and were asked to bowl. Prasad said India drew from their experience bowling first in most of their matches in the competition.”I think all of us just tried to stay calm and down-to-earth and just stick to doing what our job is,” she said.G Trisha poses with her medal after taking India to the Under-19 World Cup glory•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“I think if we would have won the toss we would have definitely chosen batting but you know throughout the tournament we’ve been bowling well and we’ve been bowling first [more] so nevertheless we just wanted to go out there and show what we can do.”Trisha, who was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament, dedicated the latter award to her father, who was in the audience.”Because of him I started playing cricket. I don’t think without him I would have been here,” said Trisha, who was also part of the team in 2023.While she played in the middle order in 2023, Trisha was pushed up to open this time around, and she ended up topping the run charts with 309 runs from seven matches with an average of 77.25. No other batter reached the 200-run mark. Her strike rate of 147.14 was also the best in the tournament.Trisha, who said she idolises Mithali Raj, has been working on her power game in recent times and credited India’s batting coach Apoorva S Desaii for giving her role clarity before the competition.”So we’ve been working on [my power game] since a while. For this tournament our batting coach Apoorva sir he has kept telling ‘you are going to open the innings and make sure you’re ready for it’,” Trisha said.Apart from her heroics with the bat, Trisha also returned seven wickets from the six games she bowled in.Parunika Sisodia struck in her first over of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
India’s left-arm spin trio ‘like a family’
One of the major factors in India’s domination was their trio of left-arm spinners Vaishnavi Sharma, Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia, who were three of the four highest wicket-takers in the competition.While Vaishnavi topped the charts with 17 strikes, Shukla and Sisodia were not far behind with 14 and 10 wickets respectively.According to them, the three are close and have developed a great understanding between themselves.”I guess back in the room in the hotel, what all three we talk about is nothing related to our bowling,” Sisodia said after India’s win. “All our bowling just came and, you know, in the game coming on we just enjoyed ourselves.”We keep telling each other a little bit of, you know, what the batters are doing, helping each other [on the field].”At this point, I guess, we are just, you know, eye contacting and we are understanding each other now.”With all of them being left-arm spinners, is there competition or does this fact not affect them?”We are like the best friends,” Sisodia was quick to respond, with emphasis on the “best”. Vaishnavi, who was too overcome with emotion to speak a few minutes earlier was quick to interject: “We are like family actually. We all are family.”Asked about their plans for the future, Sisodia said: “I guess all of us… I mean, not just us [three] but the whole team, we all want to just go ahead and, you know, never look back from here.”Wicketkeeper and opener G Kamalini, who was animatedly photobombing the interview, then came in and summed up the feelings of the team in a line in Tamil: ” [We have lifted the World Cup].”
They were outplayed by India and then crushed an injury-hit Sri Lanka who couldn’t compete. What does it mean for Australia’s Test side?
Andrew McGlashan06-Feb-20194:39
Cricket Tragics’ Review: How do you judge Australia’s thrashing of Sri Lanka?
Heading the right awayTravis Head filled his boots in Canberra, reward for the hard yards he had put in when faced more demanding conditions throughout the season. He had started well against India on two tricky pitches in Adelaide and Perth before throwing his wicket away in the latter part of the series. Against Sri Lanka he helped ensure a big lead in Brisbane then twice scored runs when the first three wickets had fallen cheaply at Manuka Oval. For now, he is on the outer of the ODI team so he may be able to focus on his red-ball game ahead of the Ashes, where he appears locked in for the middle order.Greatness in CumminsWe already knew Pat Cummins was a terrific cricketer, but for large parts of this season he has carried the Australian team. As with Head, the somewhat easier successes against Sri Lanka were payback for the grind of bowling to Cheteshwar Pujara. The other notable aspect for Cummins is that he has now stayed fit throughout two full home summers – there were times earlier in his career when it was possible to wonder if that would ever happen. One of the challenges for the management in the months ahead is how to ensure he is ready for the matches that really matter. At the end of the Sri Lanka series, former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted that one day Cummins would win an Ashes on his own: a potentially career-defining year lies ahead.ESPNcricinfoBeyond the big threeIf Josh Hazlewood hadn’t suffered a back injury it’s likely that Australia’s pace attack wouldn’t have changed all season. But Jhye Richardson earned his chance against Sri Lanka and, though the opposition was weak, he looked at home. He is a different type of bowler – shorter, skiddier – than the main three and it has prompted a debate about whether he has the skills to be an Ashes starter. Even if he doesn’t make the XI at Edgbaston there has been the chance to have a look at a bowler outside the big three which both reinforces the pace-bowling depth and ensures the incumbents are kept on notice. The other thing to note about Richardson was that he appeared to find a hint of reverse swing in Canberra, something the Australia quicks struggled to obtain this season.Flexible thinkingIt took five Tests and a long-winded route to get there, but by the end of the season Australia’s Test side was close to having the best available batsmen in the XI. Joe Burns (a specialist opener opening the innings) and Kurtis Patterson may not have made a difference against India, but they are batsmen who have performed consistently in the Sheffield Shield and were worthy of selection. The fact the selectors made the last-minute decision to call-up Patterson both highlighted their uncertainty but on the other hand should be acknowledged as sensible, pragmatic thinking.ESPNcricinfo LtdWarner and who?But the belated batting successes does not mean all the questions have been answered. The entire season has been played with the backdrop of the suspended duo of David Warner and Steven Smith. They are both certain, fitness-permitting, to return for the Ashes. The two Tests against Sri Lanka have created some doubt as to who will open with Warner. Marcus Harris impressed against a world-class India attack but couldn’t take his chance against Sri Lanka while Burns flayed 180. There could yet be space for just one of Harris or Burns in the Ashes squad. If so, it’s a tough call.The comebacksAnd talking of the banned pair, that represents a challenge of its own. While there’s no doubt they will return – Tim Paine said he saw them playing a key role in the Ashes – there are still some unanswered questions about how the process will be managed. Is there any lingering resentment that needs to be sorted out? Is Warner, especially, willing to adopt a new way of playing? The early weeks in England – beginning with the World Cup build-up – are likely to be a bit of circus, although Smith may not be there. Then there’s the question of getting back up to speed for international cricket. Regardless of the world-class ability Warner and Smith possess it’s not a given that they can stroll back into the international game.Winning when it’s swingingYes, England’s batting is struggling badly at the moment, but while Australia ended their century drought with four hundreds in Canberra there was also a reminder of an old problem they will need to counter in the Ashes. In the two innings they were 3 for 28 and 3 for 37 as the Sri Lanka seamers, with just five caps between them, managed to cause problems in the short period where the Kookaburra ball swung. There was some hard-handed driving that will be a risky approach in England against the Duke ball which continues to move for much longer. It remains to be seen what sort of pitches are produced for the Ashes but there needs to be some tightening up in the top order.
Manchester United’s glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson now feel like a distant memory given the slump that they’ve endured over the last couple of seasons.
The Red Devils won 13 Premier League titles during the Scotsman’s reign, helping them win the treble back in the 1998/99 season – a feat that remains remarkable to this day.
However, his side have failed to win the league title since Ferguson’s final year in charge at Old Trafford, with their drought now about to enter its 15th season.
Ruben Amorim is the latest boss to try and end such a wait, but his tenure has yet to lift off after a 15th-place finish after taking the reins back in November last year.
However, the summer transfer window presents an opportunity for the 40-year-old to transform their fortunes, leading to numerous players being touted with a move to the Theatre of Dreams.
The latest on United’s hunt for new signings this summer
Over the last couple of days, Copenhagen winger Roony Bardghji has been touted with a move to United, handing the side an added threat in the final third after scoring against the Red Devils in the Champions League last season.
He’s not the only player on their radar, with Richard Rios emerging as a potential option after impressing for Palmeiras at the ongoing Club World Cup.
However, their ambitions in the market have been evident with their attempts to sign Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, taking another step in landing the talent, according to one Spanish outlet.
They claim that Amorim’s side have taken the next step in their pursuit, submitting a £60m offer for the 25-year-old after having their opening bid of £55m rejected.
It also states that the hierarchy see him as a key part of their ambitions for the future, which has seen the Cameroonian international agree to a move with the two sides needing to negotiate a fee.
Why United’s £60m target would be a better signing than Ekitike
Despite the interest in other forwards, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké has been another name that has been mentioned as a potential option for Amorim this summer.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough year in the Bundesliga this campaign, registering 22 goals across all competitions, evidently catching the eye of the Red Devils.
However, they’re not alone with Liverpool and Chelsea also in the race to land the Frenchman’s signature ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.
Any deal for Ekitike’s services would cost the hierarchy a small fortune, given the German outfit are demanding a fee in the region of €100m (£84m) to part ways with their talisman.
Such a fee may not be value for money, with Mbeumo certainly a better option for Amorim’s side in his attempts to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.
Brentford's BryanMbeumoreacts
He’s set to be available for a cheaper fee this window, whilst also having the experience in England’s top-flight – netting 20 goals this campaign, the best year in his professional career to date.
Mbeumo, who’s been labelled “world-class” by former teammate Pontus Jansson, has outscored the Frenchman and achieved a better goal per shot on target rate – demonstrating his clinical nature despite not being a centre forward.
Games played
38
33
Goals & assists
27
23
Shot on target accuracy
43%
38%
Progressive passes
3.7
1.8
Key passes made
1.9
1.5
Take-on success
47%
43%
Carries into opposition box
2
1.8
Goals per shot on target
0.4
0.3
He’s also achieved a higher tally of progressive passes per 90, along with more key passes, having the ability to provide others around him with the tools to star alongside him.
However, the 25-year-old’s talents don’t end there, completing more take-ons and carries into the penalty area, demonstrating his direct nature with the ball at his feet.
If the offer of £60m is accepted, it would be an excellent piece of business by the hierarchy, handing Amorim the tools he needs for success at Old Trafford.
Whilst Ekitike would be a viable option, the difference in price and experience in such a division makes the Brentford talent a better option ahead of the 2025/26 season.
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Ian Chappell pays tribute to his first touring room-mate Graeme Watson
Ian Chappell25-Apr-2020You never forget your first touring room-mate; it’s not quite a love-of-your-life remembrance but a fond recall.My first room-mate on a five-month tour of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) and South Africa in 1966-67 was Graeme Donald Watson. His nickname was Beatle as he wore his hair long like the ‘Fab Four’. He was chosen as the replacement for Doug Walters who was called up for Army national service.Beatle was a genuine allrounder who batted in the top six for Victoria and bowled hit-the-deck-hard medium-fast. Before the tour, I’d played against Graeme, but I really only knew him as a slightly unusual Victorian in that he stayed around for a beer after play.On a five-month tour where you’re regularly cooped up in the same room, you get to know a guy pretty well. The friendship is either a lasting one or it runs out of steam pretty quickly. In our case, it remained firm until Friday, when sadly cancer claimed the Beatle’s life.There are many fond memories of that tour. We shared a lot together including a solid partnership against Eastern Province where we both completed our first centuries for Australia. The match was played at St George’s Park, which was then known as Pollockville because of the presence of the brothers, Peter the fast bowler and Graeme, one of the pre-eminent Test batsmen of the time.The second-innings battle of the Graemes ended with Pollock c Chappell b Watson 120.After commencing his debut Test at Newlands with an impressive half-century, Beatle injured his ankle while bowling and finished up on crutches with his leg in plaster. That resulted in the unusual sight of late-night crutch races being held in the corridors of Deals Hotel in East London, with the other participants being the fully capacitated but slightly inebriated Dave Renneberg, Brian Taber and yours truly.Unfortunately for Beatle injuries dogged his sporting life.I toured with Beatle again in 1972 but by that time I was captain and enjoyed a single room, so he had to make do with second best. He’d been included in the touring party despite suffering a near-death experience after an incident at the MCG in the Rest of the World series of 1971-72.I was batting with Watson when an unintentional beamer from Tony Greig hit him in the nose and he was carted off the ground bleeding profusely. He was extremely unfortunate as Greig’s delivery was affected when his bowling hand hit the stumps and Watson top-edged a ball that would’ve hit him in the chest if his attempted pull shot had missed.By 1972, Chappell was captain and enjoyed a single room, so Watson (back row, extreme left) had to make do with second best•Getty ImagesIt was only on that 1972 tour when I met one of his nurses at a social function that I found out Beatle had actually stopped breathing for a while when he was in hospital. It was typical of Beatle to say very little about the incident; he made light of any injury and at times was too brave for his own good.That serious injury occurred on January 5 but with a fervent desire to be selected for the 1972 tour of England, he defied doctors’ orders and played against South Australia on February 26. In the second innings with a gale blowing in the direction from mid-off to fine leg, I told fast bowler Kevin McCarthy the only option was to operate with a strong leg-side field.A bouncer from McCarthy struck Watson on the side of the head and for a moment my heart sank. Fortunately, it was only a glancing blow and he successfully continued his innings.In another season, he bowled for Western Australia with a broken bone in his leg and Rod Marsh swears that at times he was standing as far back for Beatle as he was for Dennis Lillee.However, there was one injury that did stop him; a broken jaw. A talented dual sportsman, he was in the Melbourne Football Club squad that won the 1964 Victorian Football League grand final. When he suffered two broken jaws in quick succession during the 1965 season, that brought his football career to an abrupt halt. On that South African tour, whenever Keith Stackpole wanted to annoy Beatle, he’d call out, “Hey, glass jaw.”His cricket career involved playing for three states Victoria, WA and New South Wales. During regular drink sessions with a group of mates it was a standard joke to claim that he played with four states – he was selected for Queensland but joined World Series Cricket instead – the same number as he had wives.I was in the official party at his first wedding which was attended by then Australian prime minister Harold Holt. I was unable to attend any of the other ceremonies which was unfortunate because it precluded me from using the hilarious line of England’s fast bowling funnyman John J Warr.When JJ attended England batsman Bill Edrich’s fifth wedding he was asked, “Which side – bride or groom?” Without a flicker of a smile, he answered, “Season’s ticket.”I know his last two wives well, Karina with whom he sired two beautiful girls in Laura and Louisa, and Jan who was at his side when he passed away. Beatle had generously offered a kidney to Jan who needed a transplant, but the dreaded cancer diagnosis put an end to that plan. Fortunately, Jan received a transplant and is now recovering well.Watson had a successful business life after sport, cleverly maximising his qualifications as an architect. He excelled in solutions for sports stadium management and was involved in that capacity in the highly successful Sydney Olympic precinct.His architectural background stood out in the functional design of his house at Burradoo in the NSW Southern Highlands and the farmhouse on his property at Wollombi, just north of Sydney. That was a favourite venue as a ‘male retreat’ and I have fond memories of the sessions enjoyed there with Tabsy and Beatle that made allowances for one female – our dog Bella.Beatle lived a very full life and he was looking forward to caring for Jan in her post-operation period, but unfortunately, the tables were turned and it was she who lovingly cared for him.His last public act was a selfless one as usual. Even in struggling health, he offered to help the Southern Highlands District Cricket Association raise funds for junior development.This culminated in a sold-out dinner in early March which provided much-needed funds for the association. Beatle – with his voice fading – made a fine speech that night, full of common sense and with a vision for the future.It was a long journey from Salisbury (now Harare) to Burradoo, but it was a successful one, with a lot of laughs along the way.
England MD optimistic that fast bowler will be ready to play ‘one or two’ Tests against India
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2024
Jofra Archer demonstrated his fitness in an injury-free year for England•Getty Images
Rob Key has conceded that Jofra Archer’s decision to play in the IPL next year will put him “a couple of months behind” schedule in his attempted Test comeback. However, the league’s new rules left the ECB’s management feeling unable to deny him the opportunity to earn two seasons’ wages.Archer has not played a Test since February 2021 due to back and elbow issues, but has been injury-free in 2024. His chances of a comeback increased this week when he signed an extension to his central contract, which now runs beyond the 2025-26 Ashes, while Ben Stokes said that Archer remains “very interested” in returning to Test cricket.Key, England’s managing director, had initially planned for him to play for Sussex in the County Championship in April and May to build up his workload ahead of England’s Test series against India in June and July. But under new regulations, missing the IPL’s mega-auction would have rendered Archer ineligible for the subsequent mini-auction as well, at significant financial cost.Archer’s name was on the initial longlist of names circulated to IPL franchises before the auction but he did not feature on the shortlist, with the ECB making the case that they were still managing his injuries. But after clarification from the BCCI, he was added back to the shortlist and was bought for INR 12.5 crore (£1.18m) by Rajasthan Royals, following a bidding war with Mumbai Indians.”Jofra is always brilliant to deal with,” Key said, in an interview on Wisden Cricket Weekly’s Patreon channel. “We were like, ‘The best thing might be to miss the IPL this year and get yourself ready, and we’ll start building your loads up… if you can get through a bit of Championship cricket, and then you can start the Test summer. He was happy with that.Related
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“But we had to look and see what India were going to do with [the IPL’s rules]. We thought that we could make the case that he’s still in part of a managed workload period. The problem with that was he was then bowling with two slips and a gully and bowling 90mph in the T20s in the West Indies, so it’s hard to make the case that he’s injured when he’s bowling like that.”They [the BCCI] came back after a bit of back-and-forth and said, ‘Well no, he won’t be allowed to go into this year, next year from then on. So then you start thinking that could be about $4 million that he loses out on there, and I don’t then feel… then it’s on him, really. You say, ‘Jof, what do you want to do? This is your career, your life. You’ll still be able to play Test cricket.'”We believe there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge for that, but we still think he’ll be alright. We’ll just be a couple of months behind… So then Jofra decided that he felt the best thing for him was to go into the IPL [auction], which we had no issue with, and then do that loading throughout the IPL and get himself ready for the Test series that way.”Key still believes Archer could be “one of the best bowlers” England have ever had and that he could play a role against India – though cautioned that he will not be an automatic selection. “The plan is that he’ll be ready to play,” he said. “He was only ever going to play one or two Tests this summer, probably – at a push, three.”He’s also got to get in the team now. I think he could be one of the best bowlers we’ve had, but he’s got to find form. He’s got to be able to show that he can sustain it through a whole four-day game. It’s not a case that he’s fit, so he just comes into play. We’ve got some very good bowlers around now… I don’t see any reason why he can’t [return to Tests].”Key admitted that his decision-making as managing director has been informed in part by his concern that franchises will offer England players year-round deals which are so lucrative that they opt out of their central contracts. “You don’t know what other governing bodies are going to do,” he said. “We’re very much in a new world.”I don’t think we want to be in a place where centrally-contracted England players walk away from English cricket… Let’s say a franchise signs someone for $2 million to play all year round: we won’t see them for England. These franchise owners, they won’t say, ‘Oh, that’s fine, we’ll pay them $2 million and you go and bowl them 20 overs a day in a Test match.'”
Wolverhampton Wanderers are now seriously considering a bid for a £22m “magician”, who could be brought in to replace Matheus Cunha this summer, according to a report.
Cunha closing in on Man Utd move
Cunha is set to join Manchester United in a £62.5m move, with the deal likely to go through despite the Red Devils making a late attempt to pay the fee over five years rather than two. The 26-year-old has, of course, been a key player for the Old Gold in the Premier League, netting 15 goals in 33 games in 2024/25, and his departure will leave a hole in the squad, but a new statistic highlights the fact the Brazilian isn’t exactly the hardest of workers.
That said, the forward’s attacking output is by far the most important thing, and Vitor Pereira is now tasked with bringing in a replacement capable of recording a similar number of goal contributions next season.
According to a report from GiveMeSport, Wolves now have an attacking midfielder in mind, having set their sights on Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss, with a serious bid for the 21-year-old now being considered.
Contact made: Wolves launch move for £34m Brazilian requested by Pereira
Pereira is looking to make his mark this summer.
By
Tom Cunningham
May 23, 2025
El Khannouss is being targeted as a direct replacement for Cunha, and there is a belief he could be the Old Gold’s new talisman heading into the 2025-26 campaign, but it will take a bid of around £22m to prise him away from Leicester.
Pereira’s side are very keen on wrapping up a deal for the Leicester ace, having found it difficult to land Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, but there could be serious competition for his signature, with Arsenal also considering a move.
"Magician" El Khannouss could be ideal Cunha heir
The 21-year-old found it difficult to make a name for himself in a poor Leicester side during the 2024-25 season, but he is still very young, and there are some signs he could thrive at Molineux as a replacement for Cunha.
Lauded as a “magician” for his performance against Southampton earlier this month, the Moroccan has shown real signs of quality on occasion, picking up an assist and an 8.0/10 SofaScore rating courtesy of a very impressive display against the Saints.
El Khannouss vs Southampton
Statistic
Number completed
Assists
1
Duels won
5
Successful dribbles
3
Accurate crosses
2
The maestro’s play-style is also easy on the eye, having become known for trivela passes during his time with Genk, and he could be an exciting player to watch for Wolves supporters.
With Cunha’s departure set to generate £62.5m, Wolves should have ample funds to replace the Brazilian international, and El Khannouss could be the ideal heir.
Fast bowler believes England are still in the contest after witnessing fast start to own innings
Andrew Miller08-Oct-2024Brydon Carse was tired but proud by the close of the second day in Multan, after coming through a two-day trial in oppressive heat to claim his maiden Test wickets in the course of Pakistan’s imposing first-innings total of 556.Though he was made to wait until the 19th over of his debut performance, having had a first-day lbw verdict against Shan Masood chalked off on review, Carse was rewarded with the wickets of Naseem Shah and Aamer Jamal in his final two spells, to round off a wholehearted effort in conditions that his team-mates insisted are unlikely to get much tougher as his England career progresses.”It’s been hard work and hard toil over the last two days, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge,” Carse told Sky Sports at the close. “Being out there with this group of lads, it’s been a tough but good two days.”A couple of the guys and Stokesy [Ben Stokes] said to me when we came in after fielding, ‘look, Brydon, it’s not going to get as tough as this [again] over the last two days’. There were times out there when the heat was probably the biggest challenge, and obviously the wicket, but as a group of bowlers, everyone kept on coming back, with the seamers in short bursts. Yeah, it was challenging at times.”Although Pakistan’s total is imposing by any standards, it could have been significantly worse had England not maintained their discipline until the bitter end. It was only in the closing moments of Pakistan’s innings, when Jamie Smith missed a stumping and Gus Atkinson dropped a sitter at midwicket, that the fatigue truly began to tell, but those misses ended up costing England just six runs between them.”I had a conversation with Woaksey and Gus towards the end there,” Carse said. “Both them boys’ legs were proper hanging on. There’ll be ice baths. we’re testing our hydration … I’ve been in the red for most of these two days, even with the constant consumption of water and fluids. But tonight, the lads will refuel and get food down us, and try and get a good night’s sleep, and hopefully have a good batting day tomorrow.”Coming into the contest, with memories of England’s victory at the same venue in 2022, it had been widely assumed that reverse-swing would be the likeliest means for the seamers to challenge on this surface. But the ball steadfastly refused to budge through England’s 149 overs in the field – a fact which surprised Carse.Related
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“The guys were working on the ball out there, but I don’t think it was as abrasive over the square as we probably expected. There was a lot of short-pitched bowling and a lot of changing of fields, which is certainly a role that I have been used in back home in county cricket at certain times. But hopefully in the second innings, we can get that ball reversing quite quickly, then we might be able to set slightly different fields and not be as predictable.”Reflecting on his maiden stint as a Test bowler, Carse admitted he thought his first-day lbw appeal against Masood had been “stone-dead”, despite DRS showing it to have pitched just outside leg. Given Masood had made just 16 of his eventual 151, it was a key moment in Pakistan’s innings, as was Chris Woakes’ disputed boundary catch off Salman Agha, which was eventually given as six, and which Carse later acknowledged was “one of those 50-50 chances that didn’t go our way”.But he and England stuck to their task, and Carse’s moment of catharsis came in the fifth over of his opening burst on the second morning, as Naseem poked a lifter off his hip to Harry Brook at leg slip.”Popey actually said to me after the fourth over: ‘Do you want to go one more?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, definitely’. Because I felt I was close to getting the breakthrough that we needed. And then obviously it came, and it was a special feeling, although probably not the celebrations that you often expect.”With two days gone, England are behind in the game, and may yet have to contend with Ben Duckett’s injury absence after he was struck on the thumb while completing the final catch of Pakistan’s innings. But Carse was adamant there was plenty for his team still to fight for, especially given the flying start that Zak Crawley has provided to their first innings with his run-a-ball 64 not out.”We spoke last night when we had them 340 for four, if you had that sort of score back home in England, you’re probably behind the game quite a bit,” he said. “But coming into today, in that first session, they only got 60 or 70 runs, and we scored 100 there tonight in 20 overs. If we can come tomorrow and bat positively and really put their attack under pressure, let’s see where we’re at by the end of the day, and then there’s still two full days of cricket to go.”
da betobet： Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for the third season running, but you’d be blind not to see the progress that Mikel Arteta has driven across the years of his tenure.
da bet vitoria： Injuries, contentious officiating and plain bad luck all played their part in the Gunners’ setbacks in front of goal this term, but there’s also been a yawning hole at the front of the ship which has impeded Arteta’s pursuit of silverware.
To be sure, Arsenal will be frustrated with having failed to secure a new number nine across the past several transfer windows, but there’s so much to like about this team, balanced, dynamic and youthful.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetalooks dejected after the match
However, to emerge from the looming market without a brand-new centre-forward would be a travesty. Luckily, Arteta, Andrea Berta and co are on the case.
Why Arsenal need a striker
The fact Mikel Merino has been forced into 12 matches as a makeshift striker this season emphasises the injury crisis and need for more firepower at the Emirates Stadium.
Saying that, the fact Merino scored six goals and laid on three assists across those fixtures underscores his quality and Arteta’s tactical expertise.
Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have missed much of 2025 with respective injuries, and Arsenal are ready to sign a new marksman.
Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres is one of the principal targets, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealing two months ago that the Gunners have been developing strong interest in the Sweden international. Sporting director Berta, in particular, is felt to be championing the potential addition.
However, Arteta feels Arsenal’s future is best served in a different direction. Indeed, there’s another name on the list. You know who it is.
Arsenal reach agreement for new ST
As per Arsenal sources, an agreement on personal terms has been reached for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, with Arsenal no doubt buoyed by the revelation that exorbitant claims of a £93m price tag are wide of the mark.
Talks are also ongoing between Arsenal and the Bundesliga club, who want a swift resolution after giving Sesko a gentleman’s agreement he could leave in a year when the Premier League outfit came knocking last summer.
With a €80m (£67m) release clause in his contract, as per Sky Germany, Arsenal will need to wrap this one up swiftly, especially with rivals Chelsea and Liverpool both registering their interest too.
What Benjamin Sesko would bring to Arsenal
Arsenal have been searching for a prolific goalscorer for several years now. You’d have to date back to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to find the last time a Gunner surpassed 20 goals in a single Premier League season.
Arsenal – Premier League Top Scorers by Season
Season
Player
Goals
24/25
Kai Havertz
9
23/24
Bukayo Saka
16
22/23
Martin Odegaard
15
21/22
Bukayo Saka
11
20/21
Alexandre Lacazette
13
19/20
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
22
Stats via Transfermarkt
Aubameyang might not be too fondly remembered in north London after joining Barcelona on a free transfer in February 2022, having been stripped of his captaincy due to a disciplinary issue, but who could argue against the Gabon forward’s prowess?
He scored 92 goals and provided 21 assists across just 163 appearances for Arsenal, worth the club-record £60m outlay that was paid to Borussia Dortmund for his four years of service.
To have such a prolific star back in the mix would be a brilliant move for the development of Arteta’s project, and Sesko might just be the man for the job.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates
While Sesko, 22, has yet to reach his peak, the signs of greatness are there. This season alone for Leipzig, he has scored 21 goals and added six assists from 45 appearances, 40 starts.
There’s a reason the 6 foot 5 striker has been dubbed “the next Erling Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with his rangy profile, sinewy strength and electric pace all combining to make him the prototypical modern striker for a top outfit worth their salt.
Benjamin Sesko – Senior Career Goals so Far
Club
Season
Apps
Goals
RB Leipzig
24/25
45
21
RB Leipzig
23/24
42
18
RB Salzburg
22/23
41
18
RB Salzburg
20/21
37
11
RB Salzburg
20/21
1
0
FC Liefering
20/21
29
21
FC Liefering
19/20
15
1
Data via Transfermarkt
He’s raw, full potential as yet untapped, and thus there would be an element of risk in Arsenal sealing a deal. However, Sesko is one of the most exciting young forwards on the map, hailed as a ball-striking “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson.
But the potential is indeed staggering, and there’s every chance he could become the club’s best striker since the days of Aubameyang, who was one of the most prolific players in Europe during his finest days in an Arsenal shirt.
Perhaps he could even eclipse the former talisman. The Slovenia international has missed 18 big chances across his two campaigns in the German top flight, but he’s also put away 27 goals, as per Sofascore.
Moreover, this term he has averaged 4.1 successful duels per game, indicating an energy and combativeness that will serve him well in the harsh environs of the Premier League.
That and his brutish power. Frankly, the ingredients are all there for a superstar, and if Sesko is already serving prolifically in the Bundesliga, backed up by impressive underlying data, there’s every reason for Arsenal fans to start getting optimistic about a deal being completed.
With the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka all serving chances for him on a silver platter, this might be a move that is lauded across years to come, should Arteta get his man and provide his side with their finest centre-forward since Aubameyang.
Better than Sane: Arsenal in talks to sign £50m star alongside Sesko
Arsenal could be about to make multiple key signings within the attacking department ahead of 2025/26.