Big picture – will KKR’s batting stand up?

If a depleted Royal Challengers Bangalore attack could deflate the power-packed Mumbai Indians at the batting-friendly Chinnaswamy Stadium, imagine what they could do at a more pace-friendly Eden Gardens against the underwhelming top six of Kolkata Knight Riders.Against Punjab Kings’ bowling attack, which doesn’t look the most threatening in the tournament, Knight Riders were 146 for 7 in 16 overs, without a single marquee name in their top six which managed a combined 90 runs off 74 balls, leaving too much on Andre Russell’s shoulders and weathered knees. They signing of Jason Roy is a clear boost, but he won’t be joining them in time for this game.On Thursday, they have to match the fired-up top order of Royal Challengers. In the previous match, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis scored blazing half-centuries, hammering 11 sixes and as many fours together. Both of them like pace onto the bat, which could put the onus on the Knight Riders’ spin trio of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Anukul Roy, if he gets another game. Spinners have been more economical compared to the quicks in Kolkata since 2018, and both du Plessis and Kohli haven’t scored as quickly against spinners in the last three IPLs. Kohli also doesn’t have a great record against both Narine and Varun. Remember the 2021 eliminator when Narine single-handedly took out the trio of Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers to help his team to the final?Even if Knight Riders can’t replicate that performance, they will be hoping to put up a better show in front of their home crowd.

Team news – RCB without Topley

Royal Challengers will continue to be without Wanindu Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood, who are yet to join the squad, and Rajat Patidar has been ruled out of the tournament. Their left-arm quick Reece Topley, who snared Cameron Green with a searing yorker in their last game, hurt his right shoulder badly while fielding and traveled to Kolkata with his arm in a sling. They can bring in David Willey as a like-for-like bowling replacement.Roy will join Knight Riders in time for Sunday’s game in Ahmedabad, and Litton Das will fly in from Dhaka after the ongoing Test against Ireland. Lockie Ferguson, who missed their first game as well, is still bowling with half a run-up in the nets and is unlikely to play.Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis were on fire in RCB’s first match against Mumbai Indians•Associated Press

Toss and Impact Player strategy

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers didn’t have to use the Impact Player rule in their convincing win against Mumbai. If they bat second like they did that day, they can bring in another batter like Suyash Prabhudessai or Anuj Rawat in place of Akash Deep or Mohammed Siraj, and do the opposite while batting first.Probable bat-first XI: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Michael Bracewell, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Suyash Prabhudessai, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Akash Deep, 10 David Willey, 11 Karn SharmaProbable bowl-first XI: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Michael Bracewell, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Harshal Patel, 8 Akash Deep, 9 David Willey, 10 Karn Sharma, 11 Mohammed SirajKolkata Knight Riders
While batting second against Kings, they subbed out Varun to bring in Venkatesh Iyer in the chase, and they could stick to a similar strategy in this game as well. Batting first, they could start with an extra batter with Russell slotted at No. 7 and Narine at 8, and sub out Mandeep Singh for a bowler to retain Venkatesh’s bowling option for the second innings. In either case, they could also play Kulwant Khejroliya instead of Shardul Thakur, who leaked 43 in the first game, with enough batting depth.Possible bat-first XI: 1 Mandeep Singh, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Anukul Roy, 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Nitish Rana (capt), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Shardul Thakur/Kulwant Khejroliya, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Tim SoutheePossible bowl-first XI: 1 Mandeep Singh, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Anukul Roy, 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Nitish Rana (capt), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Shardul Thakur/Kulwant Khejroliya, 9 Varun Chakravarthy, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Tim Southee

Stats that matter – Tie Kohli up with spin

• Maxwell, Kohli and du Plessis don’t have great strike rates against Narine in the IPL. Maxwell’s stands at 101.75 (58 off 57 balls), Kohli’s at 103.06 (101 off 98) and du Plessis’ at 80 (36 off 45 balls)
• On the other hand, Kohli loves hitting out against the India quicks in the Knight Riders squad. He has hit Umesh Yadav for 150 runs off 85 balls and Thakur for 67 off 42. So don’t be surprised if they introduce Narine early against Kohli and du Plessis.
• Russell is going to play his 100th IPL game and Narine his 150th, and it will be in front of the Knight Riders home crowd.

Pitch and conditions – Home disadvantage

The trend at Eden Gardens in the IPL has mostly been to chase. The pitch usually has something for the quicks and spinners both, and the bigger dimensions mean boundaries may not come as often as they did for Kohli and du Plessis at the Chinnaswamy Stadium a few days ago. It’s expected to be slightly humid with temperatures in the late 20s in the evening, and some early swing and dew later as usual.

Quotes

“One cannot be judgmental after only one game. Even in the last game, we were in the game till the end and it was unfortunate [that we lost]. I’m pretty confident about the side we have.”

Jesse Lingard will consider his future at FC Seoul when his deal runs out later this year, despite "finding peace" at the club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Lingard has 'found peace' at FC Seoul
• Still set to consider his future
• Contract runs out in November

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lingard has enjoyed a fruitful spell in South Korea after suffering a difficult spell on and off the field, a period during which he left Manchester United and struggled at Nottingham Forest. However a return to England remains a possibility, with the 32-year-old claiming he is considering his next steps ahead of his contract expiring in November.

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  WHAT LINGARD SAID

  Lingard told : "I've thought about the future quite a bit. Not much can happen this season so I just want to concentrate on football. But other possibilities are out there – of course you are going to think about it. We are only human. We will see what happens when the [transfer] window opens."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lingard has scored 10 goals in 42 appearances for FC Seoul, assisting four more, and claims he is a much happier person since making the switch. He added: "It's been an amazing experience. Different cultures, the people are amazing, the city is amazing. I feel I've come on leaps and bounds mentally. I think the move has improved my outlook on life. I'm out here to find peace. Happiness is peace at the end of the day."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

  Lingard's availability is likely to spark interest among clubs around the world, despite the fact he turns 33 later this year. He said: "I'm still playing football and I'm enjoying myself. I still have many years of playing football ahead of me – I'm 32 but the stats don't show that I'm 32."

He has been called up on the back of his impressive performances in the T20I series, where he made 290 runs in five matches

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2023Mark Chapman has been added to the New Zealand ODI squad for their upcoming five-match series against Pakistan that begins in Rawalpindi on Thursday.Chapman has been called up on the back of his impressive performances in the T20I series, where he finished as the highest run-scorer with 290 runs in five games. His runs tally is the most by any player in a five-match T20I series. The series ended 2-2, with Chapman scoring an unbeaten 57-ball 104 in the fifth T20I to stun the hosts after New Zealand were 26 for 3 in a chase of 194.Chapman has played seven ODIs so far, of which two have been for Hong Kong. He played his first ODI for New Zealand in 2018 and last played in the format in July 2022, when he scored a match-winning 101* against Scotland.”The way Mark’s played against one of the best T20 bowling attacks in the world has been nothing short of outstanding,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “His match-winning knock in the fifth and deciding match was particularly special and we’re happy to have someone in such strong form added to our ODI squad.”Tom Blundell and Henry Nicholls will join the squad in Rawalpindi for the ODIs, while Dane Cleaver, who was part of the T20Is, will return home.The ODIs begin in Rawalpindi on April 26, with the last three matches set to take place in Karachi. The final game takes place on May 7.New Zealand ODI squad (updated): Tom Latham (capt),Tom Blundell, Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young

تقدم فريق الكرة بنادي يوفنتوس، بالهدف الثاني أمام منافسه الوداد البيضاوي المغربي، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما اليوم، ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وتقام المباراة بين يوفنتوس والوداد، في إطار مباريات الجولة الثانية من منافسات المجموعة السابعة بالبطولة، على أرضية ملعب “لينكولن فاينانشال فيلد”.

ويتواجد يوفنتوس في المجموعة السابعة ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للأندية، رفقة أندية الوداد المغربي ومانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي بالإضافة إلى العين الإماراتي.

وكان كنان يلدز، لاعب يوفنتوس قد سجل هدف فريقه الأول بحلول الدقيقة 6 من عمر الشوط الأول، بعد جملة فنية على حدود منطقة جزاء الوداد، لينجح كيفرين تورام في تقديم تمريرة حاسمة لـ يلدز، الذي تمكن من التسديد وهز شباك الفريق المغربي.

طالع.. فيديو | بالخطأ في مرماه.. عبدالمنعم بوطيل يُسجل هدف يوفنتوس الأول أمام الوداد

وأضاف يلدز الهدف الثاني لصالح فريقه في الدقيقة 16، من تصويبة صاروخية على حدود منطقة جزاء الوداد سكنت المرمى مباشرة. هدف يوفنتوس الثاني أمام الوداد في كأس العالم للأندية

 

16' KENAN YILDIZ, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? 😱

A beautiful golazo from the wonderkid to double @juventusfcen's lead! 🔥

Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #JUVWAC pic.twitter.com/VbaRU0HuHe

— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 22, 2025

Celtic have enjoyed so much success both on and off the field at Parkhead in recent years thanks to their player-trading model of buying young players, giving them a platform on which to shine, before selling them on at a profit.

This, as noted by Mark Pirie of the Daily Record, saw the club named the ‘best-run club in Britain’ last year by the Fair Game Index.

However, one player, signed by Ange Postecoglou on the cheap, is still at the club, and remains a key figure in Brendan Rodgers’ side, earning rave reviews.

Ange Postecoglou's biggest successes in the transfer market

When Ange Postecoglou arrived at Celtic in 2021, as David Hytner of the Guardian puts it, the club was a complete ‘mess… in need of a reboot’ and a mass squad overhaul.

The Australian himself admitted “I was a joke” when he arrived, but defied all expectations by winning five out of six domestic trophies, departing for Tottenham having delivered a treble.

As noted by Callum McFadden of Breaking the Lines, the primary factor behind Postecoglou’s success was his excellent recruitment.

A total of 32 players were signed during Postecoglou’s two-year reign in Glasgow, so here’s a selection of the very best.

Selected Celtic signings under Ange
Players	Games	Fee paid	Sold for fee
Kyōgo	165	£4.5m	£10m
Starfelt	87	£4m	£4.3m
Abada	112	£3.5m	£8m
Juranović	53	£2.5m	£7.5m
Giakoumakis	57	£2.5m	£8m
Jota	91	£6.4m	£25m*
Carter-Vickers	148	£6m	Current player
Hatate	131	£1.4m	Current player
Maeda	146	£1.6m	Current player
O’Riley	124	£1.5m	£25m
Johnston	100	£3m	Current player
Oh Hyeon-gyu	47	£2.5m	£4m
*Jota was re-signed for £8.5m in January
All statistics and information courtesy of Transfermarkt

12 players who featured in the table and, of the eight who’ve departed, including Jota, who’s of course returned, Celtic have made a profit of around £65m in the transfer market alone, Matt O’Riley’s move to Brighton the most lucrative.

However, it’s one of these signings, still at the club, who is starring at the moment.

Celtic colossal centre-back

When Cameron Carter-Vickers joined Celtic, initially on loan, in 2021, he was surplus to requirements at Tottenham, having made just five appearances for Spurs, one of which had come earlier that summer, starting a Europa Conference League qualifying defeat to Paços de Ferreira that Nuno Espírito Santo did not take particularly seriously.

Nevertheless, north of the border, he’s been invaluable for Celtic, with Postecoglou describing him as “outstanding”, also calling him both a “leader” as well as the “best defender in the league”, hence why his move was made permanent for £6m the following summer.

Overall, the 27-year-old has made 148 appearances in hoops, winning eight major trophies, taking his tally to 18 caps for the United States during this time too, with Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show believing his performances in Scotland should make him USA’s first-choice at next summer’s World Cup on home soil.

So, let’s have a look at some of Carter-Vickers’ stats.

Carter-Vickers vs other centre-backs (last 365 days)
Statistics (per 90)	Carter-Vickers	Percentile
Attempted passes	94.01	99%
Pass completion %	94.2	99%
Progressive passes	4.75	80%
Progressive carries	1.34	90%
Aerials duals win %	2.97	85%
Tackles	1.63	63%
Interceptions	1.04	42%
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As the table outlines, when compared to other centre-backs, he ranks highly for both in-possession and out-of-possession statistics, his tackles and interceptions numbers are hampered by the fact Celtic average almost 74% possession in the Premiership this season.

Nevertheless, the American has become irreplaceable in this side, with Rodgers labelling him “top class”, while former U.S. U20s manager Tab Ramos says he has always been impressed by Carter-Vickers “aggressiveness in the air”, underlined by the percentage of aerial duals he wins, ranked third for this metric in this season’s Champions League (minimum 20 duals contested).

His performance against Bayern Munich in Germany last Tuesday led to Alex Barker of the Athletic stating that he was convinced Carter-Vickers to be “the best centre-back outside Europe’s top five leagues”. Fine praise indeed.

According to Transfermarkt, the 27-year-old is now worth more than double what Celtic paid for him, with his value currently at its highest point (£11.5m), reinforcing his status as a bargain signing.

To put that into context, he’s worth more than record-signing Arne Engels (£9m), according to the same source, and worth more than a man who Alistair Johnston believes is “one of the most in-form players in Europe”, Daizen Maeda.

The Japan star is worth £6.5m in the eyes of Transfermarkt, a figure that only goes to prove how great a signing his American teammate has been.

Rodgers has unearthed a new Celtic superstar & it's not Daizen Maeda

The Celtic sensation had more touches than Jota in the win over Aberdeen.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 26, 2025

The dust has settled, acceptance firmly embedded in the myriad of Liverpool supporters who thought Wembley would bring more joy, sparking the beginning of a double for Arne Slot in his debut season.

And that is important, that last part. Slot has not yet spent a year in the hot seat. Jurgen Klopp left after winning the Carabao Cup last term, falling short across other routes.

But this time, Liverpool have surprised the world by imperiously shifting into pole position in the Premier League. 12 points cover the ground between Anfield and their closest competitor Arsenal. It’s a significant gap and one that ceding would mark an unprecedented collapse in the business stretch.

However, FSG will bore witness to a startling polarity against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, with Alexander Isak once again reminding Liverpool and the rest of them that he will be the most covetous option on the market when it opens in a few months.

Alexander Isak showed why Liverpool need him

Isak. Born in Sweden, reared under the fabled Sociedad mountains and shaped into a superstar at Newcastle, getting better and better after joining for a club-record £63m fee in 2022.

After sealing the Magpies’ victory over Liverpool, respected analyst Raj Chohan hailed him as “the best striker in the world this season, bar none.”

That’s 23 goals for the campaign, three assists. It’s no surprise he’s so desperately wanted for by Europe’s elite, Liverpool among the most interested.

But it’s not just the numbers. Isak is so intelligent and instinctive. His movement and anticipation are second to none. Injury problems, also, seem to have deserted him.

Indeed, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has confirmed Anfield’s desire to bring him in this summer, though finances will determine the true substance of the pursuit.

Isak is a superstar, but Liverpool boast a first-class squad that such a player would love to join, especially with the likes of Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz all flattering to deceive and thus facing potential sales this summer.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

While the frontline needs to be revamped, Liverpool certainly don’t need to replace any of their starting midfield options, merely bring in some competition, some depth.

After all, they are regarded as one of the best in the business, repurposing Liverpool’s engine room and driving it toward trophies.

All three were signed by Klopp, but one in particular has Slot’s mark on him, thriving in a new role.

Slot's Liverpool triumph is now worth as much as Isak

Liverpool’s season has been stained by the performances over the past several weeks, but there’s still a Premier League title on the line and that was the all-important prize before the season started – in fact, such success was considered out of Slot’s reach by most.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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But the mood shifted quite swiftly as Liverpool proved themselves title contenders. Now, they are way ahead in the driving seat.

Pre-season trepidation devolved into something more worrying when Liverpool failed to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi last summer, doubly so when Ryan Gravenberch was promoted to the first-choice at number six. An internal solution to an obviously outward problem.

Only, it wasn’t so. In fact, Liverpool have gone from strength to strength with the Dutchman partnering Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai in the Red centre.

He’s been nothing short of a revelation, with Reds reporter Ste Hoare hailing him for his “sensational” performances this term. Had Gravenberch failed to adapt to Slot’s teachings, Liverpool would not be ahead in the title race.

As you can see, the leaps and bounds he’s made this year have been extraordinary, so much more composed and intelligent with his distribution, also providing an athletic and energetic approach to meld with his central peers.

Ryan Gravenberch in the Premier League

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

26 (12)

29 (29)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

2

Touches*

28.8

65.5

Pass completion

83%

89%

Key passes*

0.6

0.8

Dribbles*

0.9

1.0

Ball recoveries*

2.8

5.2

Tackles + interceptions*

1.5

3.5

Total duels (won)*

2.8 (47%)

4.7 (58%)

Stats via Sofascore

The decision to sign Bayern Munich’s struggling prospect for £34m in August 2023 looks all the more clear. Klopp saw something in the Netherlands star, and Slot has now activated his latent brilliance.

In fact, as per CIES Football Observatory – the world’s leading football-focused statisticians – Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder is currently worth about £88m, marginally more than Newcastle’s Isak: £87m.

Now, the free-scoring striker is going to fetch a heavier cost if he is to leave this coming summer. Newcastle have already revealed they are looking for a sum in excess of £150m to grant his sale.

Though Gravenberch has looked somewhat leggy in recent weeks, it’s hardly surprising given he’s started the vast majority of Liverpool’s fixtures. Indeed, the 22-year-old’s 3,516 minutes played across all competitions this year is surpassed only by Virgil van Dijk and Salah.

Comparatively speaking, he’s got every bit as much potential as a player like Isak, who is three years the midfielder’s senior. If he continues to make headway over the coming years, there’s no telling how high Gravenberch might reach as he soars toward the uppermost echelon of midfielders playing in Europe right now – if he’s not reached that level already.

Related Suarez 2.0: Liverpool line up move for "the most complete CF in the world"

This free-scoring centre-forward would be an even bigger deal than Darwin Nunez at Liverpool.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 16, 2025

Leeds United are in a promising position for promotion even despite Saturday’s draw with West Brom, but there is a collective realisation that squad surgery this summer could be required in a couple of positions.

Leeds held by West Brom but continue planning for promotion

Daniel Farke could only watch as his side were held in a somewhat frustrating Saturday lunch time encounter with West Brom, as they racked up 15 shots but only put two on target, settling for a point courtesy of Darnell Furlong cancelling out Junior Firpo’s opener.

Still, the German will be delighted with Leeds’ position in the hunt for a return to the Premier League, and there is plenty to be done in Yorkshire to ensure his squad possesses sufficient depth to handle the rigours of next season.

Irrespective of what league his side ply their trade in later down the line, the Whites have been linked with several statement moves for high-calibre stars that could revolutionise Farke’s project at Elland Road.

Recently, Leeds United’s interest in Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn has become public knowledge. Capable of playing on either flank, the former Bayern Munich man has been an impressive force north of the border with 18 goals to his name this campaign.

Continuing the theme of exciting potential arrivals, AC Milan loanee Tammy Abraham is an ambitious target for the Whites after a spell at San Siro where he has struggled to fire with regularity.

His previous experience in the Premier League and homegrown status would appeal should promotion come to fruition. Over the last few years, the tale of new top-flight sides being unable to retain their place in the division has been all too common, so you need to be equipped for the challenge that may lie ahead.

Leeds United’s last five league finishes

2023/24 – Championship

3rd

2022/23 – Premier League

19th

2021/22 – Premier League

17th

2020/21 – Premier League

9th

2019/20 – Championship

1st

Farke will be aware of this having experienced a similar fate at Norwich City, where he was dismissed with his side sitting adrift in the hunt for survival after 11 matches in 2021/22. Undoubtedly, he is keen to avoid a prospective repeat scenario, and Paul Robinson has urged the Leeds United boss to act in the market by securing the services of an England international.

Paul Robinson urges Leeds United to sign Aaron Ramsdale

Speaking to Football Insider, Paul Robinson has urged Leeds United to sign Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale this summer, with the outlet confirming the Whites leadership are “planning” to replace Illan Meslier with a new signing.

He explained: “The big one Leeds should look at is Aaron Ramsdale. If Leeds are in the Premier League next year, keen an eye on Aaron Ramsdale’s situation. You’ve got to admire his attitude, the way he’s gone to Southampton and played a lot of this season injured, playing in a team that’s struggled.

Leeds may have unearthed the Championship's new Gyokeres in "dangerous" ace

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“He’s not wanted to be part of a title-challenging team or Champions League side as a cup goalkeeper, he’s gone to Southampton to play week in, week out. I think he’s a top-class goalkeeper and would be a huge addition for Leeds. That’s going to be a key position for Leeds next year.”

Despite Southampton’s struggles in the Premier League, Ramsdale has made 86 saves this season and the former Arsenal man, who joined the Saints for £25 million, has also recorded a pass completion rate of 87% in his own half.

Keeping two clean sheets in 19 top-flight appearances, the England international looks primed for a new challenge to keep his hopes alive of featuring in the Three Lions’ World Cup squad in 2026. Leeds may be the ideal environment for him to keep developing, but they will likely need to secure promotion before the possibility can advance to becoming a feasible pursuit.

There remains much unnecessary talk surrounding Jack Grealish’s life away from football, yet focusing in on his performances on the pitch, it’s fair to say the Manchester City man is leaving a lot to be desired.

Plucked from Aston Villa on a then British-record £100m deal back in the summer of 2021, the 29-year-old has scored just 16 goals and provided only 23 assists in 151 games in all competitions.

Of course, judging a player of his ilk purely on goal contributions would be a mistake, with the England star having been central to the club’s treble success, despite only registering five goals and 11 assists that season, with teammate Kyle Walker lauding him as a “nightmare” to play against.

That said, it would be fair to say that the £300k-per-week man has regressed since then, albeit with injuries playing their part, having failed to score a single Premier League goal since December 2023.

With just two goals and five assists to his name in 2024/25 in total, the experienced playmaker has been usurped by the lively Jeremy Doku down the left flank, with the January signing of Omar Marmoush also putting his Etihad future further into doubt.

Jack Grealish's future at Man City

As Caught Offside noted last month, there is set to be something of a ‘squad evolution’ at the Etihad this summer, with Kevin De Bruyne among those looking set to depart amid his expiring contract.

According to the latest reports, Grealish could follow the Belgian in moving on elsewhere at the end of the season, despite the Englishman still having over two years left to run on his existing deal.

The suggestion is that City are willing to accept an offer for their struggling star if their asking price is met, with the wideman said to be ‘unhappy’ at the club at present.

This comes amid reports back in January that Tottenham Hotspur were among those keen on signing Grealish, with it looking as if Guardiola and co are happy to sanction an exit for a player who is now deemed to be worth around £38m, according to Transfermarkt.

Having fallen behind the likes of Marmoush, Doku and Savinho of late – with further competition on the flanks also provided by Phil Foden and the returning Oscar Bobb – Grealish’s exit would seemingly not provide too much of a blow for the Citizens, despite his contribution in recent seasons.

Stat

Record (per 90)

Ranking

Non-penalty goals

0.00

Bottom 4%

Assists

0.15

Bottom 40%

Pass completion

87%

Top 2%

Progressive passes

6.35

Top 7%

Progressive carries

9.75

Top 1%

Successful take-ons

1.92

Top 24%

Tackles

1.33

Bottom 41%

Interceptions

0.30

Bottom 29%

Equally, it looks as if the Manchester side are already brewing a perfect, ready-made replacement in the academy ranks too, in the form of 19-year-old, Emilio Lawrence.

Man City's academy Grealish replacement

Following the success of parachuting Foden and Rico Lewis into the first-team squad in recent years, Guardiola has again turned to the youth ranks this season, with Nico O’Reilly – who scored a brace in the FA Cup triumph over Plymouth Argyle – the standout graduate in 2024/25 to date.

O’Reilly had been a central figure in a blossoming U21 side, prior to his promotion, with the aforementioned Lawrence showing signs that he could well follow suit, amid his dazzling form at Premier League 2 level.

In that competition so far this season, the teenage winger has already chalked up seven goals and a further seven assists in just 17 appearances, with City’s U21s currently five points clear at the top of the table.

The Manchester-born, Scotland youth international has been in the City ranks since signing from Premier League rivals Everton in 2022, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano describing that capture as another “big statement” for the Etihad side.

Also lauded as a “top talent” by Romano, young Lawrence would be a perfect replacement for Grealish on the left flank, having contributed 17 goals and assists in just 31 games in total for the U21 side, as per Transfermarkt.

An ‘incredibly dangerous forward player’ – as per the club’s official website – Lawrence boasts a mouthwatering combination of fleet-footed skill and electric pace, as well as an obvious end product.

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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

There may well be a desire to dip into the market once again this summer, should Grealish lead what could be a raft of exits, yet with the academy – who have seen the U18s reach the FA Youth Cup semi-finals – currently blossoming, Guardiola should consider handing a chance to those already at the club.

Lawrence may not be the only standout attacker in a frightening youth side, although he’s certainly doing enough to warrant an opportunity at senior level.

Pep can forget De Bruyne by unleashing Man City's 17-year-old assist king

With Kevin De Bruyne seemingly on his way out of Manchester City, do the Sky Blues have a ready-made replacement in a 17-year-old wonder-kid?

ByBen Gray Mar 12, 2025

Manchester United have lined up another Sporting CP star as they plan for life without Al-Hilal target Bruno Fernandes.

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Man Utd identify next Bruno FernandesSporting star lined up to replace captainFernandes could join Al-Hilal for £100mFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

report that manager Ruben Amorim is keen to reunite with Pedro Goncalves, who has starred for the Portuguese outfit since signing in 2020. A fee of £70 million ($94m) could be enough to tempt Sporting to sell.

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Amorim turned Goncalves into a prolific goal-scoring midfielder during their time together at Sporting. He struck 18 times in the 2022-23 season and bagged another 14 in 2023-24, while his familiarity with Amorim's 3-4-3 system would be a huge tick for the Red Devils.

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Al-Hilal have made a £100m ($135m) play for Fernandes, who has seven days to decide whether to accept the hugely lucrative move. While United are loath to lose their captain, that fee could allow them to reinvest in several areas of the squad.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

United are also set to wrap up a move for Matheus Cunha from Wolves as they aim to bounce back from a terrible 2024-25 campaign. They look set to miss out on striker Liam Delap, who is joining Chelsea.

Surrey 88 for 1 (Sibley 35*) trail Kent 278 (Evison 77*, Lawes 3-41) by 190 runsThe oldest game in county cricket. The Brown Caps versus the Spitfires. Defending champions versus relegation candidates. Actual South London versus Claiming to be South London.It’s been 314 years of this fixture between Surrey and Kent, and it has rarely lacked narrative. Even the first game back in 1709 had £50 on it. But even given the history and the contrasting presents of these two teams, the focus heading into this opening day at the Kia Oval was dominated by two cricketers in particular.It is two days since Surrey’s Ben Foakes was axed from the squad for the first Test of the summer. Ultimately for Jonny Bairstow, but essentially for Kent’s Zak Crawley.If you’re not up to speed with the situation, search “Foakes” and “Crawley” on Twitter and let the discourse wash over you and dissolve the meat off your bones. Essentially: Bairstow was always coming back in. Foakes had done a lot right. And a side who do things differently could have done things differently by promoting someone to open at the expense of an opening batter averaging 25.86 across 12 Tests under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.Whatever your view on all this, the relief of actual cricket offered sanctuary. Foakes would have certainly regarded it as such. Had he kept his place with England, there’s a chance he would have opted to sit out to preserve his back ahead of the Ireland Test which begins on June 1. Instead, here he was, getting on with his life.Crawley, similarly. This was a chance to focus on the stuff that actually matters. And when Surrey opted to bowl first upon winning the toss, here was the perfect opportunity to get to the middle and away from the noise. At the ground where his unbeaten 69 took England to a series-winning target of 130 against South Africa at the end of last summer, no less.Soon after the Test announcement on Tuesday, Crawley was interviewed by the BBC as the criticism of Foakes’ snub had already gone from zero to 100 on social media. Presented with the reaction, the opener indulged a familiar misguided swipe – this time at “the average punter” and their opinions, “which, of course, I don’t care [about] anyway”.Your heart sinks a little to read that because it’s a little out of character, and very much the words of a man done with the condemnation. He went on to explain that hundreds, actually, aren’t all they are cut out to be. “I could play brilliantly for 20 and get a good ball,” he said. “You could play terribly for a hundred and everyone says ‘well batted’, when actually I played better for the 20.”A shame, then, that he managed just 19, edging Jordan Clark to third slip an over after tucking Dan Worrall away for a couple of fours through square leg. The bat came down at an angle, offering the outside half when he could have perhaps left on length.By that point Kent were 30 for 2. Worrall had pocketed Ben Compton with a perfect delivery from around the wicket that clipped the top of off after the left-hander did opt to leave. Clark was promoted to open the bowling alongside Worrall after Kemar Roach had to cut short his stint with Surrey to return home for family reasons.There’s an argument to be made that Clark is one of the club’s best domestic signings. The extra bounce off a length to snare Crawley was replicated to get rid of Jack Leaning two balls after the lunch break for his 100th first-class wicket for Surrey.Two overs from that end later, Clark bowled Jordan Cox, going wider on the crease and sneaking one through the right-hander’s defence. Up ticked the tally to 101 and down went the average under the 30 mark by a sliver (29.99).There was a sense this was all a bit too one-sided for Division One. But for a few starts up top, Kent were powerless to stop Surrey stomping all over their top and middle order. The sight of skipper Sam Billings flashing Tom Lawes through to Foakes, who dived across first slip to take his second catch, felt like a key indicator of a batting group in disarray. At 118 for 7, the end looked nigh. Then Joey Evison happened.And he really did happen. A remarkable unbeaten 77 dragged Kent to a hugely unlikely 278, picking up only their third batting point of the season to boot. Since making the move down to Canterbury from Nottinghamshire last summer, the softly-spoken 21-year-old has shown the kind of fight you’d usually associate with a much rowdier individual.Stands of 74 with Wes Agar and 82 with Michael Hogan, for the eighth and tenth wicket respectively, began with the allrounder protecting the bowlers until they were comfortable enough to hold their own. Even while protecting them, Evison indulged in some outrageous shots, driving on the up, flicking over midwicket for six, and occasionally stepping out and blasting so straight down the ground that he threatened to punch a hole through the standing umpire. One of those, off his 77th delivery, took him to a second half-century of the season.The first was a four-hour act of defiance against Warwickshire, ending with Evison being dismissed for 99 by Hasan Ali. Not only was it Kent’s last second-innings wicket, but it confirmed defeat deep into the final day. Nevertheless, this knock was desperately required and upheld his reputation as the fourth emergency service as far as Kent are concerned.The addition of 160 for the last three wickets was especially frustrating for Surrey as it delayed tea to 4.39pm, before Lawes snared Hogan for Foakes’ third catch midway through the first over of the restart. With the momentum a little more Kent’s way, Hogan dismissed Surrey captain Rory Burns at the start of the eighth over.That, however, was as good as it got for the visitors. Fresh from his official appointment as Test vice-captain, Ollie Pope strolled out and looked as comfortable as you’d expect on his favourite ground. Along with an engaging early evening workout from Dom Sibley, the pair ensured Surrey are 190 behind heading into Friday, with plenty of scope for a lead going into the second half of this match.There was one other bright spot for Kent in the field. Seamer Arafat Bhuiyan, having signed on Wednesday until the end of the season, sent down his first five overs for the county.Arafat, born in Bangladesh with UK residency, was one of three graduates from the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to make his first-class debut on Thursday, along with Zaman Akhter for Gloucestershire and Zain-ul-Hassan for Glamorgan. Formed ahead of the 2022 season, the work SACA have already done to correct the under-representation of British South Asians in the professional set-up is remarkable given its standing start.Arafat is the seventh player to move from the scheme into a full-time deal, and he bowled tidily from the Vauxhall End after being brought on for the 12th over. Earlier in the day, the 26-year-old’s first run was cheered by the Kent dressing room, with applause eventually rippling around the ground.His spell with the ball began with a maiden to Sibley which eased the nerves, bowling with decent pace. Given the calibre of Surrey’s XI, a maiden wicket will likely be a noteworthy one, and any incision he can provide will be vital if Kent are to push back on their more vaunted opponents.Even for a fixture with as much history and a match with plenty of talking points, Arafat and his story were welcome additions.