Viktor Gyokeres has been told that he is "too heavy", with the Arsenal striker was advised to lose weight to achieve Premier League success. The Gunners' bold summer gamble on the Sweden international was meant to herald a new era at the Emirates Stadium, but his first weeks in north London have been dominated by concerns rather than celebration. He was signed for a total fee of £63.5 million from Sporting CP, but questions have been raised over his physical readiness for English football's unforgiving pace.

• Unsteady start for Arsenal's new hope

  Gyokeres arrived at Arsenal with the reputation of a late bloomer. Though he spent four years contracted to Brighton between 2017 and 2021, he never played a single Premier League minute, instead reviving his career through two prolific seasons at Coventry before conquering Portugal with Sporting. Feeling he had outgrown Lisbon, the striker pushed to complete his move to the Emirates. But the drawn-out transfer had left him behind in his conditioning. His debut came under sweltering conditions in Hong Kong during a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, a match in which he appeared short of rhythm and sharpness. Social media was quick to point out that the new signing appeared "a little heavy", prompting early whispers over whether he had reported for duty in peak physical condition. 

  Just as Gyokeres seemed to be settling into his new surroundings, disaster struck. During Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor, a match in which he opened the scoring before Declan Rice added the second, the Swede signalled discomfort and was withdrawn at half-time. Arteta’s post-match tone was measured but clearly troubled. 

  "I am concerned because he hasn't had many muscular issues and he needed to leave the pitch and he was feeling something," he told reporters. "That's obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very, very explosive. So we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury and we'll announce the moment we know."

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  Schwarz questions Gyokeres' readiness

  Former Arsenal star Stefan Schwarz believes the striker’s struggles are rooted not only in physical shortcomings but also in mental and tactical adaptation.

  "I believe with Viktor Gyokeres, he's not fully fit yet," he told in an interview with "As well with the new system, new manager, and new teammates, it takes time to develop the understanding. It's not just the physical part of it, it's the mental part as well. Mental tiredness may be from adapting to a new club, new expectations, and higher expectations from supporters around the whole world. But it's a good partnership (Gyokeres and Arsenal). And hopefully it will benefit Sweden for sure and Graham Potter."

  Despite the criticism, Schwarz remains optimistic that Arsenal is the right environment for the striker to flourish.

  "He's in a strong team. Arsenal has been fighting for the big titles, so maybe he can help the team to take this big step. But, of course, everyone is a piece of the jigsaw puzzle," he added.

  "So everyone is important, but of course, he has a big presence. He's a strong, physical guy, and a good finisher with both feet. However, he needs to get his fitness up. I think he's in the right team with Mikel Arteta and the players around him. It's a fantastic squad. The quality shown by the players on the bench and the options that Arsenal have means that Gyokeres won't play all the games because I think they have a lot of good options to make tactical decisions from time to time based on the opponent or the result during the games."

• 'Sometimes the dog who barks loudest is not always the strongest'

  Schwarz did not shy away from the blunt assessment that Gyokeres needs to shed a few kilos to be successful in the Premier League. 

  "Sometimes the dog who barks loudest is not always the strongest," he said. "I think it's just the players in the Premier League. They are more powerful players, faster players. The strikers will always be counted on for the goals that they are scoring. Hopefully, he'll start to create and score goals, have a good run, get that real boost, and get a bit lighter because he's a heavy player. I think that would help.

  "He didn't have a proper pre-season, and you need to play the games. You have those six weeks to interact with your colleagues, to understand the movement. When the midfielder makes the pass, you just have to look in their eyes, you know where they'll pass it. That's a relationship that takes a bit of time, and football is about fine margins. Look at Dennis Bergkamp, he was the best at that. He will learn and score a lot of goals, and that will benefit Arsenal."

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  What comes next for Gyokeres?

  Arsenal’s first match after the international break is no gentle reintroduction as it happens to be a north London derby with Tottenham at the Emirates on November 23. The club hopes that Gyokeres’ injury is not severe enough to rule him out of the biggest league fixture of their season so far. He may not be the only player racing the clock. Arsenal are also monitoring the recoveries of Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and captain Martin Odegaard, all of whom could return in time for the showdown with Spurs.

It's a tale as old as time: the girl marrying the boy on the football team. But that tale is set to become a reality Tuesday after Taylor Swift unexpectedly announced her engagement to Travis Kelce after two years of dating.

Swift and Kelce's joyous news may have fallen on deaf ears to the Brads, Chads and dads out there, and somehow even one NFL coach. As the rest of the world celebrates what feels like a fairytale come true, we took a look back at the 10 biggest moments in the NFL power couple's love story.

The moments range from "Pinch me, I'm dreaming" to downright corny, yet they share the same invisible string connecting a world-class football player to a world-famous pop star for the rest of their lives (dare we say, some things bigger than sports).

MORE: One Taylor Swift Song to Describe Every NFL Team Entering the 2025 Season

Without any further ado, here we go…

10. It's Instagram official

A month before their engagement, Kelce sent Swift's fans into a frenzy after he shared an offseason photo dump of never-before-seen pictures with his then-girlfriend.

The youths call it "hard-launching," or "putting someone on the grid." Of course, Kelce and Swift had been going strong for nearly two years by then, so the relationship itself wasn't a surprise. The photos, however, were.

Kelce gave fans a rare glimpse of his personal life with Swift, from his vacations with their friends to romantic dinner dates. It marked a sizable relationship milestone for the couple and, in retrospect, served as a precursor of happy news to come.

9. Swift goes back to school at Tight End University

No one does Nashville like country-turned-pop singer Taylor Swift (and yes, we know she was born in Pennsylvania).

This year's Tight End University program saw Swift make a surprise guest appearance at her boyfriend's annual event, and she left behind an unforgettable mark on the stage. At the time, Swift hadn't performed in public since buying back her masters to her first six albums, and she chose—out of all places—a rowdy sports-centered shindig in Nashville to put on a special show.

Those in attendance were graced with a live version of one of her top hits, "Shake It Off:"

Add it to the lore.

8. Karma is the guy on the Chiefs

As much as Swift loves her easter eggs, she'll also drop the in-your-face hint from time to time. During her Eras Tour concert in Argentina in November 2023, she changed the lyrics in her song, "Karma," to pay a sweet tribute to Kelce.

Swift sang, "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs, coming straight home to me," changing the original word, "screen," to "Chiefs."

Given that this happened during the couple's early dating days, the small lyric tweak was, in fact, a really big deal.

Here's video of that cheeky moment, including Kelce's bashful reaction:

7. Finally meeting Queen Kylie and Shirtless Jason Kelce

If Kelce and Swift could be considered America's Royal Couple, Jason and Kylie are… the king and queen of Philly.

Swift first met Philly's royalty during a cold and wintry playoff game between the Chiefs and Bills in January 2024, and it honestly could not have been more iconic. There's Swift chatting it up with Ky in the suite. Swift watching a shirtless Jason leap out the window and howl at the moon. And later, Jason bringing the pop star small children for her to meet, because it was a nice thing to do.

Swift even recounted her experience at the game during her podcast debut:

"It was wild," Swift said. "All of a sudden, you're out there in the snow, you're handing me children through the window… 'Whose kid is that, Jason?'"

Which just so happens to be a good segue…

6. New neeeeews: Swift's podcast debut

As far as surprises go, Swift hopping on to announce her 12th album came out of left field.

There were too many priceless moments to count: the pet otter dream, Swift knowing and not knowing ball, the Super Bowl easter eggs, her emotional reaction to buying back her masters, the stories of Swift and Kelce's rosy domestic life. We'll be the first to admit that the Kelce brothers' bro-ey podcast can often drag on for too long, but with Swift as their very special guest, fans lapped it all up.

Both Swift and Kelce can now add breaking the internet and a new Guinness world record to their respective impressive resumes.

5. How it all started

Now we're getting into the heavy-hitters.

Kelce had a friendship bracelet and a dream, and Swift had a strict rule about not doing meet-and-greets during her Eras Tour. The Chiefs tight end publicly giving Swift a shout-out on his podcast was the equivalent of John Cusack boom-boxing it, and this romantic comedy looks like it'll get its happy ending after all.

"If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets, and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it," Kelce said. "Alright, nah."

Shoot your shot, fellas.

4. Don't drop the baby at Wembley

It's a little too early to be thinking of Kelce and Swift growing their family right now, but if they do choose to go down that path, they'll have the perfect story to tell their unborn child.

Last offseason, the Chiefs star made his one and only on-stage Eras Tour appearance at Wembley Stadium, going undercover as one of Swift's backup dancers during her set.

Fitted in a top hat and tuxedo, Kelce dazzled hundreds of thousands of Swifties in London with a brief but instantly memorable performance that had him thinking the whole time: "Do not drop the baby," as he was tasked with picking up Swift and carrying her to a couch during a transition between songs.

“I’m still cracking up/swooning over @killatrav’s Eras Tour debut. Never going to forget these shows,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post after the show.

Neither will we.

3. Swift's first Chiefs game at Arrowhead

The collective gasp when we saw Swift in the Chiefs suite during a September home game against the Bears. That's it. That's the blurb. Nothing else needs to be said.

2. Celebrating the Chiefs' 2023–24 Super Bowl win

As red confetti fluttered in the air and reporters swarmed the field, one photograph was shared 'round the world after the Chiefs' Super Bowl win in 2024: Kelce locking lips with Swift.

Kelce had just helped Kansas City clinch its second straight Lombardi Trophy in an overtime victory against the 49ers, and his night was sealed with a sweet kiss by his girlfriend, who flew to Las Vegas from Tokyo to watch him play.

That photo of Kelce and Swift is currently displayed at Arrowhead and has been named one of TIME's top 100 photos of the year. A picture is traditionally worth a thousand words, but this one just needs two: True love.

1. Put a (wedding) ring on it

Tell a friend: Kelce and Swift are engaged. After receiving a blessing from Swift's father, the Chiefs star planned a special proposal for Swift and popped the question in a picturesque garden in Missouri. The rest, as they say, is history.

كشف محمد إبراهيم مدرب منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا، حقيقة تلقي مهاجم الأهلي والفراعنة الصغار، عرضًا من برشلونة الإسباني، خلال المشاركة ببطولة كأس العالم للناشئين.

وذكرت تقارير عديدة خلال الساعات الأخيرة، رغبة نادي برشلونة في التعاقد مع حمزة عبد الكريم خلال الفترة المقبلة.

حمزة عبد الكريم يبلغ من العمر 17 عامًا فقط ويعتبر من بين أبرز المواهب الشابة في كرة القدم المصرية خلال السنوات الأخيرة.

وتم تصعيد حمزة عبد الكريم إلى الفريق الأول لـ الأهلي خلال هذا الموسم، وشارك اللاعب مع الأحمر خلال مباراة شبيبة القبائل ببطولة دوري أبطل إفريقيا.

طالع | سبورت تنشر تفاصيل مفاوضات برشلونة مع الأهلي للتوقيع مع حمزة عبد الكريم

وقال محمد إبراهيم في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة صدى البلد: “مجموعة من اللاعبين في منتخب 2008 تستحق جميعها أن تكون في مواقعها، ونتمنى أن يحترف جميع اللاعبين، وأن توافق الأندية على احترافهم، ونرغب في أن نرى خمسة أو ستة أو عشرة أو عشرين لاعبًا في الدوريات الكبيرة خلال الفترة المقبلة بإذن الله”.

وتابع: “فيما يخصّ حمزة عبد الكريم، فقد سألني مندوب برشلونة عنه بعد مباراة سويسرا، وبرغم خسارة المنتخب المصري كنت سعيدًا جدًا، وأبلغت حمزة ووالده بذلك، لكنني لم أكن على علم بمدى جدّية هذا المندوب، وأنا أتمنى له التوفيق دائمًا”.

وواصل: “هناك لاعبون آخرون عرض عليهم خوض فترات المعايشة، منهم بلال عطية، والنجعاوي، وآخرون، وأتمنى أن تكون هناك مجموعة كبيرة من هؤلاء الشباب محترفة”.

وزاد: “هذا العمر خطير جدًا وصعب، ولكن، هؤلاء اللاعبين امتلكوا قدرًا كبيرًا من الانضباط والالتزام، ولديهم مقومات كبيرة جدًا تجعلهم في مكانة مهمة، إضافة إلى إصرار كبير، وهو أمر بالغ الأهمية في هذه المرحلة”.

وأتم: “البيت هو الأساس، والتربية في هذا السن شديدة الصعوبة، لكن هؤلاء الأولاد كانوا ملتزمين، وأحبّهم جميعًا، وكانوا على قدر كبير من المسؤولية”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a vitória na estreia da Taça Santos Dumont, o América-RJ ocupa a liderança parcial ao lado do Maricá. Com isso, os Encarnados dão um passo em busca de uma vaga na elite do futebol do Rio de Janeiro.

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REGULAMENTO

A Taça Santos Dumont conta com 12 times que se enfrentam em turno único de pontos corridos. Os quatro primeiros colocados se classificam para a semifinal em busca de uma única vaga na elite do Campeonato Carioca.

Por outro lado, os dois últimos colocados serão rebaixados para o terceiro escalão do estadual do Rio de Janeiro.

A semifinal será disputada em jogos de ida e volta, e os confrontos serão realizados entre o 1º colocado x 4º colocado e 2º colocado x 3º colocado. Em caso de igualdade no marcados, os clubes com as maiores pontuações nos pontos corridos da Taça Santos Dumont se classificam para a decisão.

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Assim como na fase anterior, a final será disputada em duas partidas, e o vencedor conquistará uma vaga na elite do Campeonato Carioca. Em caso de empate no agregado, o duelo será decidido na disputa por pênaltis.

CLUBES TRADICIONAIS

Além do América-RJ, a Taça Santos Dumont conta com clubes tradicionais no cenário do futebol do Rio de Janeiro. Americano, Audax-RJ, que foi rebaixado na última Taça Guanabara, , Cabofriense, Duque de Caxias, Olaria e Resende estão entre as equipes mais conhecidas.

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Por outro lado, Araruama, Artsul, Maricá, Petrópolis e Serrano-RJ também participam da competição que forma o segundo escalão carioca.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalRomário

Friday was a scary 24 hours for Tigers fans, who watched star pitcher Tarik Skubal allow four earned runs to the Marlins before leaving his start with discomfort in his side.

Fortunately, Detroit manager A.J. Hinch indicated to reporters Saturday that Skubal would be fine.

"Tarik Skubal’s imaging came back clean and he plans on making his next scheduled start," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote on social media Saturday, citing Hinch. That start would potentially take place Thursday against the Guardians.

Skubal, 28, is a strong candidate to win his second straight American League Cy Young Award. He's 13–5 with a 2.26 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 183 1/3 innings this season, and he leads all AL hurlers in bWAR for the second consecutive year.

The Tigers are currently 84–64, and lead Cleveland by 7.5 games in the race for the AL Central Division. Detroit hasn't won a division crown since taking four straight from 2011 to '14.

Chasing 113 in 31 overs, Pakistan were well in control before rain ended the game prematurely

Valkerie Baynes15-Oct-2025

Fatima Sana wrecked Pakistan’s top order•ICC/Getty Images

No result Pakistan will never know, and England won’t want to know after they escaped what had threatened to be the upset this World Cup craved, thanks to the start of the Colombo monsoon.Both teams took a point – Pakistan’s first from four matches and England’s moving them to the top of the table, leading Australia on net run rate – after what had shaped as a thriller ended in a washout, the second in as many days at the R Premadasa Stadium.But it is Pakistan who should hold their heads high after a devastating opening spell from their captain Fatima Sana, who put England on the canvas at 78 for 7 before a 47-run stand for the eighth wicket between Charlie Dean and Em Arlott dragged them to 133 for 9 in 31 overs.Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 113, Pakistan were well in control, reaching 34 without loss after 6.4 overs before heavy showers returned to end the match prematurely.Related

• Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

• England's lucky break masks deeper batting issues

England, unbeaten heading into the match, were without their spin and seam-bowling spearheads when Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell were ruled out through illness and replaced by legspinner Sarah Glenn and seamer Arlott.But it was their misfiring batting line-up that came unstuck. Of England’s recognised batters, only Nat Sciver-Brunt, with a century in the previous match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, and Heather Knight, with a gritty 79 not out that rescued England from the threat of another upset at the hands of Bangladesh, had been in the runs since England chased down a paltry target of 70 without loss in their opening game with South Africa.Arlott, who had impressed England head coach Charlotte Edwards with a century at the start of the domestic season and went on to make her international debut during the English summer, was run out for 18 off 23 balls in the penultimate over while Dean expertly picked gaps in the field to top-score with 33 before becoming Sana’s fourth wicket, scooping to Omaima Sohail at short fine leg.Tammy Beaumont was bowled for 4•Getty Images

Earlier, openers Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones continued to struggle and both departed inside the first three overs of the match. Beaumont left a dazzling nip-backer from Diana Baig to her peril as the ball clipped the off bail, leaving her with scores of 21 not out against South Africa followed by 13, 32 and 4 so far.Jones, meanwhile, helped herself to two fours off Sana’s first over before the latter produced a superb nip-backer which clattered into the top of middle and off, Jones departing for a second single-figure score in three innings.Knight, who had three dismissals overturned against Bangladesh, challenged an lbw decision in Sana’s next over and replays showed the ball was missing down the leg side. She also survived a hopeful Pakistan review for lbw two balls later when the ball was tracking outside off.But Sana’s biggest and best wicket was arguably that of Sciver-Brunt, done by yet another one that nipped back off the seam. She shaped to cut only for the ball to slide under her glove and onto the top of middle stump.Knight tried her luck once more when she was rapped on the pad by Sana but, with the ball on target to hit the top of leg stump, England were left floundering at 38 for 4.Sadia Iqbal chimed in for the spinners when she bowled an out-of-sorts Emma Lamb, sitting back in her crease to an arm ball that dipped and slid through her defences. Lamb had entered the World Cup in great form with half-centuries in warm-up games against India and Australia but she is another England batter yet to reach 20 at this tournament.Omaima Sohail scored an unbeaten 19 off 18 balls•ICC/Getty Images

Likewise, Sophia Dunkley, who was removed for 11 via a successful review when she was struck on the pad attempting to sweep with the ball homing in on leg stump as Iqbal celebrated her second wicket and England lurched to 57 for 6 in the 12th over.Alice Capsey, on 8, swept Rameen Shamim’s first delivery, a low full toss, straight to square leg where Muneeba Ali shelled a simple chance. But Shamim had Capsey lbw for 16 when she missed a sweep shortly before the rain arrived for the first time, with England 79 for 7 after 25 overs.After a stoppage of around three hours and 45 minutes, play resumed with England needing to bat out another six overs, during which time they added 54 runs, thanks largely to Arlott and Dean.Pakistan have never beaten England in ODIs and have just one win against them in T20Is in 2013, which only added to their sense of what might have been had the weather not intervened.Sohail hadn’t played since her first-ball duck in Pakistan’s defeat to Bangladesh in their opening game but, recalled to bolster a batting line-up which – apart from Sidra Amin – had proved fragile at this event, she marshalled Pakistan’s pursuit here, easing to 19 off 18. She was supported by Muneeba, who remained unbeaten on 9.Pakistan’s performance offered some encouragement for a side that also had Australia 76 for 7 before losing by 107 runs, although that may well be an empty consolation.For England, it is a sharp reality check for a side which perhaps hasn’t fully exorcised the demons of a year ago, where their shortcomings under pressure knocked them out of another global showcase.

Cole Palmer has missed recent national team call-ups due to a persistent groin injury and a fractured toe, hampering his involvement in England's 2026 World Cup planning. And there's more bad news for the Chelsea star as his absence from the official 2026 England calendar has caused some media speculation, with some fans worrying it is a "major hint" he could miss the World Cup.

Palmer overlooked by Three Lions 

The 2026 England calendar will be a popular stocking filler for many excited young football fans this Christmas, but they certainly won’t feature on anyone’s present list in the Palmer household. The players included features the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and there’s even a space for Jack Grealish. But The Blues’ star forward and the man who scored the Three Lions’ sole goal in the Euro 2024 final against Spain doesn't make the cut. 

The England store website says: "Celebrate the England National Team every day of the year with this 2026 Calendar. Featuring vibrant imagery and key dates, it’s the perfect way to keep track of important events while showing your support."

However, sources from the FA have suggested that players were largely selected for the calendar based on appearances during the 2024/25 season for production deadlines, a campaign during which Palmer struggled with injury issues and limited playing time under manager Thomas Tuchel.

AdvertisementAFPIntrigue over Palmer's latest injury 

Palmer has had to sit out a number of matches recently with a variety of injuries, but the most recent injury to his toe has caused real intrigue, particularly regarding how it occurred. And team-mate Marc Cucurella has hinted it may have happened while playing popular football computer game FIFA. 

He told reporters on Monday: "To be fair, I don't believe it. It is true that these things can sometimes happen. I have had this a couple of times but I'm stronger than them, so I don't feel anything. It's a big upset for us because he's getting closer to playing with us, to train with us, and then now he needs to rest. But this is part of life, a part of footballers' lives, we have personal lives, and we have these kinds of problems, so hopefully he can recover fast." 

When asked what he was doing, Cucurella replied: "I don't know. He's running because I think he lost a FIFA game or something like this, I think!"

Injury-prone Palmer on track to face Gunners

It has been a rollercoaster week for Palmer and the injury updates which have come from Blues boss Enzo Maresca. Midweek, Palmer was still recovering in a protective boot, by Friday he was in contention for the crunch London derby clash with Arsenal. 

Ahead of the game with Barcelona, Maresca said: "Yes, Cole is wearing a (protective) boot. We don’t know when he will be back but for sure it will be soon. He’s already on the pitch, he’s already touching the ball, and the feeling (for him) is good. At the moment, we are only looking at tomorrow’s game. It’s a Champions League game against Barcelona, that is our focus, and then we will look ahead to Arsenal. I don’t think he will be available for these two games, but he is doing well." 

But during his Friday press conference, he confirmed Palmer is ready to face the Gunners. Speaking to reporters, he said: "He is available for both (to start and to play). (His return will elevate the squad) A lot. As you said, he's probably our best player. We are happy he is back. We need to give him time to make sure he's 100 per cent fit. He has done fantastically in the past, and there is no doubt he will do fantastically in the future."

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Getty Images SportAll eyes on Stamford Bridge

League leaders Arsenal visit Chelsea on Sunday with both teams in excellent form and the midfield clash featuring Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo will be key. A win for the Blues will move them to three points behind their north London rivals, but their recent record against Arteta’s side is poor, having won just one of the last 11 Premier League encounters.

Manchester United had a busy summer reshaping their attack to help cater to Ruben Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system. There were two major outgoings in forward areas, with two academy graduates departing.

Alejandro Garnacho moved on a permanent deal to Chelsea, and Marcus Rashford joined Barcelona on loan with an option to buy.

Of course, the Red Devils needed to sign replacements, with two big-money signings moving to Old Trafford. One of those was Bryan Mbeumo, who has hit the ground running since his move from Brentford.

Matheus Cunha has also shone after his summer transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, United appear not to be done there, with another attacking target lined up.

Latest on Man Utd's search for a forward

You cannot knock the signings of Mbeumo and Cunha, who have both performed well since moving to Old Trafford. Cameroon star Mbeumo has been particularly impressive, with seven goals and assists in just 12 games for the Red Devils.

Well, INEOS could now look to add to that firepower up front with a move for Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Karim Adeyemi.

Sky Sports Germany are reporting that the 13-time Premier League champions are ‘in talks’ with his agent, Jorge Mendes, over a potential move for the attacker.

Transfer Focus

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

23-year-old Adeyemi will be out of contract in June 2027, and at this stage, it is unclear whether he will extend his stay at the Signal Iduna Park.

This could give United, and other top European clubs, a chance to pounce.

A price is not confirmed should a move materialise, but there is a rumoured release clause of £70.5m in his potential new deal, a fee Dortmund could demand.

Why Man Utd could be targeting Garnacho 2.0

The 2025/26 campaign has been impressive from Adeyemi, who is performing well and putting up a good goals and assists output. Yet, he’s been an important player for Dortmund, showing great versatility by operating on both flanks and as a number nine.

This term, the 11-cap Germany international has found the back of the net three times and assisted three goals, in 14 appearances so far. On top of that, Seb Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic’s German football correspondent, says he thinks this is the “best football of his career.”

Perhaps this impressive form is a continuation of his 2024/25 campaign, by far his most productive in that famous Yellow shirt so far. In 41 appearances, he scored 12 goals and assisted 11, including a famous Champions League hat-trick against Celtic.

If United were to bring Adeyemi to the club, he could be the second coming of Garnacho, with the pair noted as statistically similar players among those in their position in Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

The Argentine is showing his former club what they’re missing out on by selling him this summer. For Chelsea, Garnacho already has two goals and two assists in ten games.

It may be a sale that will always leave Red Devils fans wondering what could have been. Their former number 17 showed flashes of brilliance for the club, but struggled when Amorim took over.

He managed ten goals and assists under the tutelage of the Portuguese manager, including this stunning strike against Brentford.

It is easy to see how the players are similar. The pair are quick, direct wingers who utilise their pace well, looking to drive at defenders. On top of that, their underlying numbers from this season are similar.

For example, Adeyemi – described as a “pace monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson – averages 1.43 key passes per 90 minutes, compared to Garnacho’s 1.58 key passes each game.

Both attackers are versatile forwards who could play as a number 10 or even at wing-back under Amorim. They offer similar creativity in the final third and possess blistering pace, which can hurt defenders.

There is no doubt that £70.5m is a large fee for the German. Yet, Adeyemi could enhance the quality of United’s attack and be the second coming of one of their most exciting academy graduates in recent years.

INEOS have already signed a "machine" who could end Sesko's Man Utd stay

Manchester United already have an elite-level prospect who could steal Benjamin Sesko’s starting role.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 18, 2025

Ever since the WTC final, the fast bowler has gone from strength to strength under a management that has emboldened him to unleash his skills as he sees fit

Firdose Moonda22-Aug-20252:16

Ngidi: Always a test of character against Australia

When cricketers are encouraged to express themselves, we usually know what that looks like for batters: play your shots, innovate, entertain. But how do bowlers interpret that instruction?”It’s pretty much about giving you the freedom to bowl what you want to bowl,” Lungi Ngidi said, after claiming his second ODI five-for during South Africa’s 84-run win in the second ODI against Australia in Mackay. “We’ve been playing international cricket for a couple of years now, so we kind of know what we’re good at and what we need to do. Set your field and bowl what you want to bowl according to whatever you see in front of you. Play the conditions in front of you and don’t be scared to try things.”Like offering one of the opposition’s most dangerous batters a little bit of width, in the belief he would nick off. Or dropping your pace down to just over 100kph because you’d seen the efficacy of the slower ball in the first innings.Related

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Ngidi did both those things as he bowled South Africa to a series-winning victory, and he did them because he had the confidence to make bold decisions about how he wanted to go about his business.His strategy against Marnus Labuschagne was informed by what Ngidi saw in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, when Labuschagne was dismissed in both innings driving loosely at Marco Jansen. Ngidi, of course, is not the same type of bowler as Jansen, but he believed he could exact similar results.Marnus Labuschagne fell into Lungi Ngidi’s deliberately laid trap•Getty Images”We do our video analysis and we’ve seen, even from the Test Championship, outside off with the ball shaping away seems to be effective. He leaves very well, but you need to score runs at some point in ODI cricket so you’re probably going to feel outside off,” Ngidi explained. “I just tried to keep it simple and just plug away at that length and that line and it seemed to come off. It went according to plan.”Pace-off is Ngidi’s speciality but he used it more after getting confirmation that it worked during South Africa’s innings, in which Nathan Ellis was the stand-out seamer. Ellis started with a 110kph back-of-the-hand slower ball and delivered at least two an over among his pace-on, short-ball change-ups, which got him both his wickets. Ngidi was taking notes.”The beautiful thing about bowling second is I get to sit there and watch what works. And I saw Ellis’ plan and he was pretty successful with that,” he said. “It just gives you an idea of what’s going to work later on in the innings. Also Watching [Xavier] Bartlett up front, it seemed to be swinging or nipping around so it pretty much gives you a blueprint of how to go about things.”Both Ngidi and Nandre Burger found movement early on and made the initial breakthroughs but it was Ngidi’s second spell that earned him his first Player-of-the-Match award, in any format, in nearly three years. He ripped through Australia’s lower order and took four wickets for eight runs in 14 balls. The first was a signature Ngidi delivery, a slower offbreak that Aaron Hardie chipped back to him. But it was Ngidi’s quick reaction to get across and take the catch low to the ground that showed how committed he was to the contest against an opposition he loves playing against.’The beautiful thing about bowling second is I get to sit there and watch what works’•Getty ImagesHis career-best, of 6 for 58, also came against Australia and he has taken more wickets against them in ODIs – 26 at an average of 16.96 – than any other opposition (and he has only played against them once more than he has England, India or Sri Lanka) and it’s fair to say they bring out the best in him.”It’s always a battle against Australia. It’s always competitive,” he said. “It’s a test of character because we were put under pressure from the T20s, and we had the opportunity to win a series tonight so just mentally stepping up and finishing it off. It’s just a great rivalry that’s always been there. And it’s going to continue for many, many years.”Ngidi emphasised “staying strong mentally” both to the broadcasters and at his press conference, and it may apply to more than just the ongoing series. His career to date is perhaps best described as stop-start, with injuries and indifferent form often interrupting a good run. The last time he played all matches in a multi-format tour was in 2018, when he played in four of South Africa’s four games in Australia.Currently, Ngidi is on a five-match streak in Australia, and he also played in four of South Africa’s five T20Is last month in Zimbabwe and made a Test comeback the month before that at the WTC final at Lord’s. It was in that game, where his selection raised eyebrows because he had not played a Test in 10 months, that Ngidi showed the value of being backed by the coaching staff and being given freedom by them.Ngidi picked up the second five-wicket haul of his ODI career•AFP/Getty ImagesCoach Shukri Conrad picked Ngidi even after dropping him from the 2024 tour to Bangladesh and, after a rusty start, Ngidi delivered a match-changing second-innings performance when he took 3 for 38. Conrad has since picked Ngidi across all formats, and the returns have only been getting better. Ngidi iced the cake when he became the first South Africa seamer since Kagiso Rabada in July 2015 to take an ODI five-for away from home.Because they came up in the same Under-19 group and are at similar ages, the two are often spoken about in parallel terms, Rabada’s stardust usually leaving Ngidi in the shadows. That was the case in this game too. Ngidi told the broadcasters that when he knew Rabada would be unavailable for this series because of injury, he would “have big shoes to fill.”It’s easy to assume that means he needs to take on Rabada’s role but that only applies to seniority and experience, not style of bowling. While Rabada’s game is based on pace and accuracy, Ngidi’s is on variation and movement and he had the perfect stage to show that in Mackay. That he performed to expectation and beyond is an example of South Africa’s new way, which is as much about staying true to their identity as it is about getting the results they want.”The most important thing is how we played. Are we playing our brand of cricket? Are we playing the way we want to play? When we lose and we’re not playing our way or with the freedom that the coach has given us, then it’s a problem. But when we execute and we play the way we want to play, that’s the beautiful thing,” Ngidi said. “We have lots of white-ball cricket to come. So this is good momentum to kick us off for the rest of the season.”

The former England quick, who will be a pundit in Australia, has joined those making some feisty pre-series comments

AAP15-Oct-20252:00

Why Miller is willing to bet on an England Ashes win

Stuart Broad has lit the fuse for a fiery summer, declaring Australia’s team is the worst they have rolled out for an Ashes series in 15 years.Almost six weeks out from the first Test in Perth, Broad joined the chorus of English voices talking up the tourists’ chances. In the past fortnight, Zak Crawley has claimed the term Bazball “winds” Australia up, while Joe Root has suggested this is his best chance to win Down Under.Former England captain Michael Atherton has suggested Australia are panicking with Pat Cummins’ injury, and Scott Boland no longer creates fear for the tourists.Related

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But amidst all the bravado coming out of England, Broad’s comments will grab the most attention, given he spent 15 years as Australia’s arch-nemesis before retiring after the 2023 Ashes.In the last 20 years, in home series Australia have swept England 5-0 in 2006-07 and 2013-14, as well as claiming 4-0 victories in 2017-18 and 2021-22.The 2010-11 summer is the only blemish on that home record over the past two decades, beaten 3-1 at a time when the Australian team was in a state of transition.Broad claimed the current Australian squad appeared to be in a similar state, having played in the 2010-11 series as well as England’s three series defeats in Australia since then.”It’s probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it’s the best English team since 2010,” Broad, who is now working as a pundit, said on his BBC Podcast hosted with Jos Buttler.”It’s actually not an opinion, it’s fact. So those things match up to the fact it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series.”Broad’s comments came in response to David Warner claiming Australia would win 4-0, because they were playing for the Ashes while England are “playing for a moral victory”.Broad pointed to questions over the make up of Australia’s batting line-up. He also pointed to perceived lack of bowling depth, with Cummins having conceded he is unlikely to play in the first Test.Stuart Broad had a legendary Ashes career•Getty Images

“When have we ever, since 2010, been discussing who is going to bat No.1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and who is going to be the spare bowler for Australia,” Broad said. “You’re always go in there going: ‘well,the Aussies, they’re really strong. They’ve just got the same bowlers, the same team’.”But in 2010, when they were trying to replace [Glenn] McGrath, [Shane] Warne, [Matthew] Hayden, [Justin] Langer, they didn’t have a spinner. They changed the seamers all the time, and they had a bit of a mixed match of batters.”So I don’t think anyone could argue that it’s their weakest team since 2010.”Australian players have said England’s team is the best they have sent out in some time, with the high-octane pace duo of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer both fit.Questions do remain over how England will manage that pair, who have spent long stints on the sideline with injuries.Root also arrives as the No.1-ranked batter in the world, but he is yet to score a century or win a Test in Australia across three visits.Harry Brook headlines a list of younger England talents, after scoring 10 hundreds in his first 50 Test innings at a strike-rate of 87.52.