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This season marks a new era for Tottenham
Hotspur football club, as Thomas Frank leads the side into the 2025/26 campaign after his appointment from Brentford.

It’s already been the perfect start for the Dane, picking up three points in the Premier League opener against Burnley – with a Richarlison double and a strike from Brennan Johnson securing the win.

However, if the side are to continue their charge this campaign, the hierarchy will need to once again back the manager to make the changes he craves to his side.

Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha have made moves from West Ham United and Bayern Munich, respectively, whilst Mathys Tel also made his loan move permanent from the latter.

However, despite the £85m already splashed during this window, the Lilywhites could’ve forked out a much bigger sum, had they managed to complete a deal for another big-money talent.

Spurs’ failed move for Gibbs-White this summer

Earlier this summer, Spurs made a surprise move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, with a deal for his signature seemingly progressing rapidly at the time.

The Lilywhites had gone from being interested in a move for the 25-year-old, to agreeing a deal, and the player himself set for a medical with the North London outfit.

However, the deal wasn’t plain sailing, with the club’s decision to trigger his £60m release clause one that caused controversy with Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis.

The Greek businessman put a halt to the move, after claiming Frank’s side had made an illegal approach for his signature, subsequently threatening legal action against the club.

A deal for Gibbs-White’s signature subsequently fell apart, leading to the England international signing a new three-year contract at the City Ground – becoming their highest paid player in their history.

After missing out on his signature, other options have been considered by the Lilywhites’ hierarchy, leading to numerous other options being considered in recent weeks.

Spurs’ hunt for a Gibbs-White alternative this summer

Eberechi Eze has been the biggest target for Spurs in recent weeks, with the Crystal Palace star seemingly set for a departure from Selhurst Park between now and the end of the window.

Talks have been held between the two clubs over the last few days, leading to claims that an agreement has been reached to sign the 27-year-old, with a £60m fee currently being mooted.

However, he’s not the only player in their sights this window, leading to Roma talent Lorenzo Pellegrini being labelled as the latest target, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport.

They claim that Spurs have made an enquiry to land the Italian midfielder, who made 34 appearances for the Serie A outfit throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

It also states that his current employers will be looking to offload him this window, opening the door to a switch to North London with just one year remaining in his current deal at the Stadio Olimpico.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be their answer to Gibbs-White

After James Maddison’s ACL injury, it has left a huge hole in the number ten position at Spurs, highlighting the need for added reinforcements in such an area.

A move for Gibbs-White would’ve provided added competition for places in the side, but at present, Frank’s side don’t currently have a recognised attacking midfielder to fill the void.

However, after missing out on his signature earlier this window, the need for another talent in such an area is desperately needed before the window’s September 1st deadline.

Whilst Pellegrini won’t be many supporters’ first choice this window, at 29, he could be the perfect squad option, especially if Eze completes his own move to join the club.

To sweeten the deal for the Lilywhites faithful, he’s been labelled as a similar player to Gibbs-White by FBref, able to offer a cheaper alternative to the Englishman.

When delving into their respective stats from the 2024/25 season, the Italian managed to outperform him in numerous key areas, showcasing why he’d be a superb addition to the current squad.

Pellegrini, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by former Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri, managed to complete more of the passes he attempted, with more of which per 90 being defined as key passes.

How Pellegrini & Gibbs-White compared in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Pellegrini

Gibbs-White

Games played

25

34

Goals & assists

3

15

Pass accuracy

80%

78%

Key passes made

1.7

1.6

Take-ons completed

41%

40%

Carries into final third

1.7

1.6

Crosses completed

2.7

1.4

Fouls drawn

1.5

1.2

Stats via FBref

Such figures highlight the quality he possesses with the ball at his feet, offering Frank’s side a more creative option to the Lilywhites within the final third.

He also completed more of the take-ons he attempted, whilst also completing more carries into the final third – subsequently being able to drive with the ball into dangerous areas, adding another dimension to the club’s attack.

The Italian has also completed more crosses per 90, whilst drawing more fouls per 90, showcasing the threat he carries when having the ball at his feet – with the opposition unable to contain his talents, as seen by the fouls drawn tally.

It’s unclear how much a deal for Pellegrini would cost this summer, but it’s evident that any move could be a shrewd piece of business that would aid the club in their hunt for success.

If he can match the levels produced by Gibbs-White in the Premier League, it would be an excellent deal, subsequently softening the blow of missing out on the Forest star.

Related Eze's dream teammate: Spurs chasing late move for "exceptional" £47m star

Tottenham Hotspur have identified their next target to star alongside Eberechi Eze.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Aug 20, 2025

قررت رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة، برئاسة أحمد دياب، تعديل مواعيد مباريات فرق الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويأتي هذا التعديل في إطار الاستعدادات النهائية لبطولة كأس السوبر المصري المقامة في الإمارات في الفترة من 6-9 نوفمبر المقبل.

طالع.. الزمالك لـ”بطولات”: ما فعله معنا الأهلي سنرده بالمثل

وتقرر إقامة جميع المباريات الأربع يوم 2 نوفمبر، وتُلعب مباراتا الزمالك وطلائع الجيش، وبيراميدز والاتحاد السكندري في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً.

بينما تنطلق مباراتا الأهلي والمصري، وسيراميكا كليوباترا وبتروجيت في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً.

ويهدف هذا التعديل إلى تحقيق مبدأ العدالة والمساواة بين الفرق الأربعة المشاركة في كأس السوبر، وهي الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا.

وبفضل هذا القرار، ستحظى جميع الفرق بفترة راحة متساوية قبل السفر إلى الإمارات والمشاركة في مباريات السوبر المقررة في يومي 6 و9 نوفمبر.

Wrexham, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney calling the shots, have been told what they must change in order to avoid a relegation scrap.

Records broken with three successive promotionsAdjusting to life in second tier of English footballParkinson advised to tinker with tactical approachFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons have enjoyed a meteoric rise, with the EFL history books being rewritten when celebrating three successive promotions. Hollywood co-owners have helped to lift the Welsh outfit into the second tier of English football.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Competing in the Championship was always going to be difficult, even with big spending taken into account, and Wrexham have picked up four points from as many games at the start of the 2025-26 campaign. They have been warned that they could be dragged into a basement battle if Phil Parkinson does not tinker with his tactical approach.

WHAT GOODMAN SAID

Former Football League star turned pundit Don Goodman told : “If you look at those first five games in all competitions, they conceded 12 goals, so I think the clean sheet away at Millwall will please Phil Parkinson. It's been a baptism of fire. They found it tough. It may surprise some people that they’ve found it difficult because I think some people got a little bit carried away with this rise through the leagues. But I'm really confident it hasn't surprised Phil Parkinson. He would have understood the big, big gulf for most League One teams between League One and the Championship, and that's why there's been so many new signings.

“They've signed Ben Sheaf, and that just tells me there is a recognition that they need to change the way they go about things. Because I think in the Championship, you tend to be in a relegation battle if you're in the low 40s in terms of possession. That's where Wrexham are at, there's only a couple of teams that have had less than them.

“I think only Derby County and Oxford United at this point have averaged less possession than Wrexham, and neither of those two teams have won a game of football yet. The trend is usually that clubs with super low possession, and high thirties or low forties is super low, usually end up in a relegation fight. That is pretty factual, I would say. So, currently I do think that the gap remains similar because Wrexham have got work to do.”

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Goodman went on to say, with it being pointed out that Tom Brady’s Birmingham appear better suited to life in the Championship, as, after landing the League One title with 111 points last season, they like to see more of the ball: “Wrexham, on the other hand, you feel are going to have to adapt a little bit more. But when you look at them bringing in the likes of Conor Cody, Callum Doyle, Lewis O'Brien and Ben Sheaf, these are players with quality on the ball. I do think that Phil Parkinson will recognise that if he wants to win games and get points, they're going to have to control the ball. I'm not saying they need to have 55% of the ball, I'm saying there are pockets of games. where you're going to have control of things. I think the signings that they've made are maybe a slight recognition of that.”

Celtic have now opened talks to sign an “outstanding” striker, who’s open to a move to Parkhead this summer, according to a report.

Hoops looking to sign new goalscorer

The Hoops lost Kyogo Furuhashi during the January transfer window, with the Japanese striker signing for Rennes, meaning Brendan Rodgers could do with bringing in a new striker this summer, especially given the uncertainty surrounding Daizen Maeda’s future.

The likes of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Brentford and Fenerbahce could battle it out for the Japenese forward, who really stepped up in Kyogo’s absence last season, regularly providing goals and assists in all competitions.

Daizen Maeda 24/25

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Scottish Premiership

34

16

10

Scottish FA Cup

4

0

3

Scottish League Cup

3

6

1

Champions League

9

4

1

Losing a forward who provided so many goal contributions last season would be a real blow for Rodgers, which is why the manager is desperate to keep hold of the 27-year-old, and the reigning Scottish Premiership champions are confident they can agree an extension.

However, the manager may also be keen to bring in an out-and-out striker this summer, and the Hoops are now stepping up their pursuit of a centre-forward who has already proven himself in the Scottish Premiership…

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Celtic have now opened talks with the agents of Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard over a potential return to Parkhead, and the Frenchman is said to be open to the move.

Edouard left the Scottish side for £15m back in 2021, and he could be available for a similar fee this summer, with Palace willing to sanction a departure, given that Jean-Philippe Mateta has emerged as their first-choice striker.

However, there may be some way to go before a deal can be agreed, as the Hoops are unwilling to fork out £15m up front and would prefer to loan the centre-forward until January initially, but a deal of that nature does not appeal to Palace.

"Outstanding" Edouard could be ideal signing for Celtic

The former Celtic star has already proven he has what it takes to be a key player for a top Scottish Premiership side, most notably performing remarkably well in the 2019-20 campaign, during which he picked up 22 goals and 10 assists in 27 league games.

In that season, the Kourou-born forward was described as an “outstanding, talented player” by Neil Lennon, while he also caught the eye in the Europa League, opening the scoring with a well-taken goal in his side’s 1-1 draw against FC Copenhagen.

Not only did the Palace forward impress under Lennon, but he also performed very well under Rodgers, netting 14 league goals in the 2018-19 campaign, so Rodgers will know he can trust his former player.

As such, Edouard could be the perfect addition for Celtic at striker, but the deal looks some way off completion as things stand, given their desire to sign him on an initial loan deal.

Newcastle United have yet to show their hand in the summer transfer market, though Eddie Howe and his transfer coterie are hard at work as they look to strengthen the first-team squad.

Heading back into the Champions League, the 2024/25 Carabao Cup champions are looking for new forwards.

João Pedro is the focus of expected talks with Brighton & Hove Albion, but Chelsea have also reportedly opened communications with a view toward signing the Brazilian forward.

Newcastle chasing new forward

It’s not just focal frontmen on the Tynesiders’ agenda. Howe needs more wingers to strengthen his side, and he is currently mulling over a move for one of the Premier League’s most prominent figures.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are monitoring Jack Grealish’s situation at Manchester City as he prepares to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.

A host of further clubs – like Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Serie A champions Napoli – are all keen, with Everton also interested in pursuing a loan move.

Given Pep Guardiola has issued confirmation of the Three Lions star’s looming exit, Newcastle may well find a smoother path toward agreeing on a financially acceptable deal, one that might set them back around £40m if prior reports are to be believed.

Why Newcastle should sign Grealish

When Manchester City signed Grealish from Aston Villa in 2021, they broke the British transfer record, landing the England international for a fixed £100m fee.

Not quite defined by his prolific output, Grealish’s grasp of the game’s technicalities, his faculty for tricks and flicks and a “little touch of magic”, as has been noted by journalist Henry Winter, set him apart from most other attacking midfielders, bringing something every bit as important as a rifle-crack shooting ability.

But something’s gone awry under Pep Guardiola’s leadership. Now, the 29-year-old is not so much a magician as a machine, limited to a mechanical, structured role that promotes possession play but has clipped the wings of a high-flying player.

Across 157 performances for Man City, Grealish has scored 17 goals and supplied 23 assists. Of course, he’s also won the treble (in perhaps his finest year at City), and many more titles besides.

Howe could bring him back to the fore. In fact, if the Newcastle boss can unlock the door which has barred Grealish’s better football, he might even find a new star man in attacking midfield, better even than Anthony Gordon.

Gordon is an electric and dynamic winger whose performances on Tyneside have been instrumental to the side’s success of recent years, but Grealish at his finest is a cut above.

The City star has a natural bent for the artful side of the game, and it grew his reputation to a record-breaking level at Aston Villa, earning him that mammoth move to Manchester.

Prem Comparison – Jack Grealish vs Anthony Gordon
Match Stats (* = per game)	Grealish 20/21	Gordon 23/24
Matches (starts)	26 (24)	35 (34)
Goals	6	11
Assists	10	10
Shots (on target)*	1.9 (0.7)	2.3 (0.9)
Big chances missed	4	9
Pass completion	83%	82%
Big chances created	14	16
Key passes*	3.2	1.6
Dribbles*	2.5	1.5
Tackles + interceptions*	1.7	1.8
Total duels (won)*	8.9 (61%)	5.3 (49%)
Stats via Sofascore

Here we have Grealish’s Premier League data from his final season in a Villan shirt matched against Gordon’s from 2023/24, his first full term as a Magpie, when he was awarded the club’s Player of the Season.

Bringing power, energy and enthusiasm, Gordon was a “nightmare for anyone” he came up against, something he claimed himself while at EURO 2024.

That’s all well and good, but given that Grealish is the “closest thing to Paul Gascoigne” in the eyes of talkSPORT’s Troy Deeney, Howe might just find he could add a new attacking star who’s more nightmarish yet.

Grealish’s desire to win duels, outfox opponents and create for his teammates is exactly the kind of skill set Newcastle need, especially since their Merseyside-born winger has just come off a less-than-perfect year at St. James’ Park, posting six goals and six assists apiece in the Premier League.

Still, though rumours of Gordon’s summer sale float about, there’s no reason why these two mavericks can’t play in conjunction at Newcastle next season.

PIF’s current target earns a pretty penny, taking home £300k per week, and thus would need to reduce his earnings if he wants to find his finest football once again, but if he demonstrates the willingness to do so, who better than Howe to bring him back to his zenith as United look to build on their recent success?

Dream Gordon replacement: Newcastle eye up move for £40m "big-game player"

Newcastle might need to replace Gordon if he joins Liverpool

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 18, 2025

Leeds United have now joined the race to sign a £20m Championship star, who amassed more goals than fellow target Gustavo Hamer across the 2024-25 campaign, according to a report.

Leeds looking to raid Championship clubs after promotion

With Leeds securing the 2024-25 Championship title, they are now at liberty to raid some of their former rivals for their best players, and it appears as though that could well be one of the strategies heading into the summer transfer window.

Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer is one of the potential targets, with the Whites now said to be plotting a move for the Brazil-born midfielder, who missed out on promotion in gutting fashion, courtesy of Tommy Watson’s last-gasp winner for Sunderland.

It is little wonder that Daniel Farke’s side are keen on the 27-year-old, considering the level of his performances for the Blades, with the maestro regularly chipping in with goals and assists to fuel his side’s promotion charge.

Competition	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Championship	41	9	7
Play-offs	3	1	1

However, Hamer is not the only Championship attacker on Leeds’ shortlist, with a report from The Sun stating they have now joined the race to sign Middlesbrough star Finn Azaz, alongside AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

Michael Carrick will likely be unwilling to lose Azaz, given the level of his performances over the past two seasons, and he is thought to be valued at £20m, which means the Whites will have to shell out a sizeable fee for his services.

The Irishman is thought to be high on their shopping list, however, and a move to the Premier League could appeal to the attacking midfielder, given that he has certainly earned the chance to prove himself in the top flight.

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Azaz outperforming Hamer in the Championship

Indeed, at 24-years-old the maestro could be entering his prime years, and his performances in the Championship last season suggest he could make a real impact at Premier League level, collecting 12 goals and 11 assists in 45 outings.

The Ireland international outperformed Hamer in terms of attacking numbers, while also placing in the 83rd percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

As such, there was some controversy that the London-born attacker was overlooked for the end-of-season awards, but his omission likely relates to the fact that Middlesbrough finished in 10th place.

While Azaz’s attacking quality wasn’t enough to secure Boro a play-off spot, he could be a real difference-maker in Leeds avoiding relegation next season.

Everton narrowly lost against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon to make it back-to-back defeats in the Premier League for the first time since David Moyes’ return in January.

Though the Toffees have now lost three of their past five matches in the division, the context behind those defeats reveals they were against three of the top five (also falling against Liverpool and Manchester City) which each contest being closely contested.

However, the lack of goals sprouting from Moyes’ team makes a telling comment on the need for new parts across the attacking areas, with the latest non-showing from Jack Harrison all but confirming his expected departure at the end of the season.

Jack Harrison's performance vs Chelsea

Harrison scored four goals and provided three assists for Everton last season, hardly a lofty tally but decent enough, especially when considering his industrious approach.

But the Leeds United man has regressed on his second term at Goodison Park, and with his loan spell now approaching its final stages, it’s unlikely that Moyes will seek to activate a permanent clause.

One goal and one assist apiece this season isn’t good enough, with his latest struggle against Chelsea only further proving that he needs to be cut loose this summer, lest Everton fail to make the headway everyone is hoping for next year.

Minutes played

63′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

8/16 (50%

Key passes

1

Possession lost

13x

Tackles + interceptions

1

Duels won

1/2

The fact that Moyes hooked the right winger just after the hour mark highlights his struggle, having been hemmed in his own half for the lion’s share of the first half. He did send one good pass Beto’s way, but it wasn’t enough to convince Moyes he could play a part in the late attacking flurry.

However, Everton’s issues don’t just centre around the frontal players. Indeed, The Friedkin Group must invest in a range of positions this summer if Bramley Moore is to reach the heights envisaged.

And that includes making upgrades in the defensive area, where Everton are at their strongest. That’s because Nathan Patterson proved it would be a risk to enter the 2025/26 season with him as the first-choice option at right-back.

Nathan Patterson showed why Everton need to spend

Patterson has struggled big time with injuries over the past several years, only making 58 appearances since joining from Rangers in a £16m deal back in January 2022.

Against Chelsea, the Scotsman, 23, made just his second Premier League start of the season and Moyes probably wasn’t all that impressed.

Noni Madueke completed four dribbles and won nine of his total 13 contested duels, largely finding success against the struggling Patterson.

The Liverpool Echo didn’t hold back when providing their assessment of the mismatch, branding the right-back with a 5/10 match rating after being run ragged by the sparkling Englishman.

With Michael Keane, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young all ostensibly departing at the end of their contracts this summer, Everton are certainly going to need new defenders.

Though the likes of TEAMtalk have recently reported the Blues are scouring the market for potential centre-halves, Patterson’s rusty performance made a firm comment on the importance of signing a new right-back too, with Jake O’Brien called back into the middle following James Tarkowski’s season-ending hamstring injury.

Patterson’s shoddy injury record and consequent discordance on the field suggest that Everton need to sign a new right-back this summer.

Packing the frontline with fresh quality is the most obvious area in need of refurnishing, but TFG need to balance the summer outlay to ensure they can make real progress next year.

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ByConnor Holden Apr 26, 2025

Much like their near Yorkshire neighbours in Leeds United, Sheffield United slipped up in the intense automatic promotion battle this weekend in the Championship.

Indeed, Chris Wilder travelled back to former employers Oxford United and was dealt a firm body blow in the form of a 1-0 loss, leading to Burnley jumping up to the top of the second tier at the away side’s expense.

Wilder will be particularly irked by the continued poor displays by £10m man Tom Cannon, with the attacker joining the building back in January with a reputation for being a goal machine, only to now be regularly fluffing his lines.

Cannon's poor displays at United

The £10m price tag that was instantly put above the 22-year-old’s head did have the potential to backfire against him, with the Irishman demanding that hefty fee off the back of a goal-laden loan spell with Stoke City.

Unfortunately for the automatic promotion hopefuls, Cannon’s blistering form in front of goal for the Potters – which saw him bag an impressive 11 strikes from 25 games – is yet to come to the forefront at Bramall Lane, with the United number 28 still goalless in his new location.

Cannon’s numbers for United
Stat	Record
Games played	10
Games started	4
Goals scored	0
Assists	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Cannon’s numbers for Stoke
Stat	Record
Games played	25
Games started	24
Goals scored	11
Assists	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Instead of leading the line as United’s main marksman, Cannon has been reduced to a background figure for Wilder’s men, with just four starts coming his way from ten overall appearances.

Patience will have to be exercised on the end of the promotion chasers – considering the 22-year-old cost such a lavish amount to bring in – but they must rue selling this former attacker now who could well have been the club’s original Cannon.

Sheffield United sold the original Tom Cannon

Thankfully for Wilder and Co, other attackers have stepped up to the mark whilst Cannon flounders, with Tyrese Campbell boasting ten goals for the season now as the Blades’ star striker.

But, the United boss wouldn’t say no to having Daniel Jebbison back at his disposal as another exciting attacking option, with plenty expected of the Canadian forward when he was still situated in South Yorkshire.

After all, in a similar fashion to Cannon, Jebbison was tipped for big things from a very young age, with the then 17-year-old attacker tapping home this effort in the Premier League way back in 2021.

Helping himself to a stunning six goals from six games in the U18 structure too – much like Cannon who fired home a ridiculous 28 goals for the Everton U18s – Jebbison must have been anticipating that this strike against Everton would catapult him into stardom at Bramall Lane, but his reality would unfortunately play out much differently.

The one-time Canada international would only go on to amass two more goals for United from a further 33 first-team outings, before he was sold on to AFC Bournemouth in 2024 to bring his long-standing association with his boyhood club to a close.

Now out on loan at Watford, United must wonder if Jebbison could be the goalscoring machine they desire in the here and now if he was back on their roster, with his national team manager in Jesse Marsch recently stating that the 21-year-old still possesses “massive potential.”

Annoyingly, Jebbison never exiting might well have saved United significant amounts of cash in buying Cannon, but Wilder will pray he can get a tune out of the former Leicester City man sooner rather than later, as huge games come thick and fast in the brutal promotion race.

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By
Sean Markus Clifford

Apr 6, 2025

Quinton de Kock reversed his white-ball retirement earlier this year, and scored 239 runs at 119.5 during three ODIs in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2025Quinton de Kock has had a little bit of fun already in his second stint as an ODI cricketer. Having initially retired after the World Cup in 2023, he made himself available for South Africa again earlier this year and had a good run in Pakistan, scoring 239 runs in three matches at an average of 119.5.”I think he’s big, he’s massive,” South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince said. “With Rohit [Sharma] and Virat [Kohli] coming to the Indian team, I think Quinny probably has a similar effect coming into our team with his experience, with his quality that we saw in Pakistan.”His presence definitely boosted the dressing room and we got quite a few young left-handers and just quite a few young players in the team. For them to sit around and have a few conversations with him and also be out with him in the middle and bat with him, I think that does a lot for their growth – being able to bat with him out in the middle. So he is a big influence for us.”Related

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South Africa are also looking forward to seeing the heights Marco Jansen can reach after the allrounder played a starring role in helping them beat India 2-0 in the Test series. Prince broke down key elements of Jansen’s contributions in Guwahati – 93 off 91 with the bat, and 6 for 48 with the ball.”I think what’s important for Marco is clarity about how he bats. When you’re batting at No. 8, No. 9, generally you don’t have a lot of partners. So for him… once he gets in, he needs to score quickly, because he’s only got one or two partners to come. So playing an aggressive role is something that we discussed.And then to follow that up with the ball in the way that he did. Again, we talk about assessing the conditions. When we come to India, we don’t expect the pitches to bounce as much as that one did. So we assess this communication between our batters and our bowlers. And our batter’s feedback was that the bounce is quite steep. Maybe we should look to use the bounce more than what we anticipated. And the bounce was quite steep and it was difficult to handle… Therefore, we say adapting to what is in front of us is the most important thing.”

A Manchester City star who Pep Guardiola recently called “incredible” now wants to leave in the January transfer window, and a Premier League club have emerged as potential suitors.

Man City could be rocked by multiple departures this winter

The January transfer window is now less than a month away, but Guardiola has insisted it is “too early” to start thinking about potential additions to the squad, with a busy month ahead, as his side look to keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

With the north Londoners being held to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, following City’s 3-2 victory against Leeds United on Saturday, there is now a five-point gap, and the games are coming thick and fast, with Guardiola’s side set to play seven games this month, including a trip to Fulham tonight.

In truth, there are signs that some additions could be needed this winter, given that the Blues arguably aren’t the side they once were, having only managed to scrape past Leeds, after suffering back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Man City could also be rocked by a couple of departures, according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states James Trafford wants out just five months after moving to the Etihad Stadium, while fellow goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is also open to a move.

Trafford was originally told he would be joining as the new first-choice goalkeeper, but the former Burnley man has found game time hard to come by recently, with Gianluigi Donnarumma emerging as the preferred option between the sticks.

The 23-year-old’s chances of going to the World Cup with England are under threat, with Thomas Tuchel only willing to take players receiving regular minutes, which means a January move would make sense, and Newcastle United are expected to make an approach.

"Incredible" Trafford needs to be playing consistently

Guardiola recently made it clear he is a big fan of the Englishman, saying: “With Trafford, I see the training sessions and for a long time I haven’t seen a goalkeeper as good as James. We have two incredible keepers.”

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Having equalled the record for clean sheets in a single season in English football during 2024-25, it is little wonder the £50k-a-week shot-stopper is eager to be playing consistently, particularly considering his chances of going to the World Cup are in jeopardy.

Guardiola’s side are in safe hands, with Donnarumma making a solid start to life at City, keeping six clean sheets in all competitions, while also ranking highly across some key metrics for goalkeepers over the past year.

Gianluigi Donnarumma’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Goals against

0.89 (95th percentile)

Save %

50% (87th percentile)

Clean sheet percentage

35% (80th percentile)

Letting Trafford leave could be risky, given that the goalkeeper could be a quality back-up option for Donnarumma if the Italian were to get injured, but the Englishman is simply too good to play second fiddle, and City shouldn’t stand in his way this January.