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Amid an injury crisis at the heart of their midfield, Leeds United could now sign a World Cup winner who is already reportedly training at the club in the hope of earning a contract.

Leeds transfer news

Just when Leeds were finding their form, Daniel Farke’s side were hit with a double injury blow in the middle of the park with both Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu suffering long-term blows. Creating a crisis to send those at Elland Road scrambling for options, Leeds have been left with just Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell to fill the two starting places at the base of Farke’s midfield, leaving no room for any further injuries.

£60,000-a-week Junior Firpo eyeing Leeds exit in January as club plot move

The left-back has been impressive under Daniel Farke.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 18, 2024

To solve that problem, it looked as though Leeds were going to turn the way of Premier League veteran Cheikhou Kouyate, who went as far as having a medical at the club before failing that process in an unexpected twist.

Back to square one, the Yorkshire club did not end their search at Kouyate and scoured the market of free agents before potentially unearthing a previously unnamed German player who could now steal plenty of headlines. According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Christoph Kramer is now training with Leeds in an attempt to earn a contract at the club and secure his first move since leaving Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of last season.

It’s at the Bundesliga club that Kramer worked under current Leeds boss Farke in the 2022/23 campaign, before he moved on to Elland Road in the summer of 2023. Now, almost 18 months later, the duo could be reunited for at least the rest of the season to ease Leeds’ injury woes and hand Kramer the move that he so desperately needs.

A World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, it’s fair to say that Kramer certainly ticks the box for the experience that should be more than welcomed by both Leeds and Farke.

Kramer could prove to be crucial arrival

After 10 years at Gladbach, Kramer bid an emotional farewell at the end of last season, but now he seems ready for a new challenge and potentially one that will feature the race for promotion in the Championship. At 33 years old, the German’s final big move could come courtesy of Leeds and former boss Farke, as he puts his experience to the ultimate use in England’s second tier.

Of course, as seen in the case of Kouyate, nothing is certain and those at Elland Road will want to be sure about Kramer before pulling the trigger. Meanwhile, if the World Cup winner does complete a swift move, it remains to be seen just how quickly he’ll adjust to life back on the pitch after going a summer without any football.

Farke would be wise to ease any fresh face into his side at this stage, perhaps allowing Tanaka and Rothwell to keep their places and using Kramer as a backup option. On paper, it must be said that signing free agent Kramer would be a shrewd piece of business.

Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Molineux, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Ashleigh Gardner among the others to gain in the latest ICC rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2021Beth Mooney’s 36-ball 34 and 43-ball 61 in the two completed T20Is against India in Carrara last week have pushed her to the top of the women’s T20I batters’ rankings, taking her past Shafali Verma, who had a lean run, aggregating 22 runs in three innings. Australia won the series 2-0, after the first game was washed out, to win the multi-format series 11 points to five.Mooney, in the squad as a replacement for Rachael Haynes – who had to withdraw because of an injury – topped the scoring chart for the series and climbed to the top, while Smriti Mandhana, who tallied 70 runs for the series, went past Meg Lanning, who also had a poor run of scores, to No. 3.Among the bowlers, Sophie Molineux climbed 12 spots to No. 9 after picking up three wickets in the series at an economy rate of 5.60, playing a key role in putting the brakes on India’s scoring, as they managed just 118 for 9 batting first in the second game and 135 for 6 in reply to Australia’s 149 for 5 in the last one.Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who topped the wicket-takers’ table with five wickets in two innings, rose to No. 12.Ashleigh Gardner, meanwhile, broke into the top ten, at No. 10, in the allrounders’ rankings after picking up four wickets at an economy of 5.63.On the ODI front, Zimbabwe’s Josephine Nkomo made the biggest gains across tables after scoring 164 runs and picking up four wickets in the series against Ireland – she debuted at No. 98 for batters, No. 58 for bowlers and No. 57 for allrounders.

Chelsea are closing in on the signing of midfielder Mathis Amougou from Saint-Etienne after agreeing a deadline day transfer.

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Chelsea agree £12m deal for midfielderSet to complete signing on deadline dayTeenager has made 17 Ligue 1 appearancesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea and French side Saint-Etienne have struck an agreement over a deal worth around £12 million ($15m) that will see the 19-year-old move to Stamford Bridge ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday, reports.

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Enzo Maresca's side have been in the market for a new midfielder for some time and turned their attention to the France Under-19 international late in the window, having also considered a move for Sporting CP's Dario Essugo.

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Amougou joined Saint-Etienne's youth academy at the age of 15 and made his senior debut in 2023. He has made 17 Ligue 1 appearances this season, nine of which have been as a starter.

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Chelsea's deadline day business may not stop at the arrival of Amougou, with Joao Felix expected to complete a loan move to AC Milan before the window closes.

Virgil van Dijk could join Barcelona next summer as the Liverpool skipper nears free agency amid a contract stand-off with the club.

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Van Dijk could head to Barcelona Has entered final months of Anfield contractDeco unlikely to sign the Dutch defenderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Van Dijk, along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are in the final months of their contracts at Anfield and the players are yet to agree on new deals with the Reds. Per , if Van Dijk becomes a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, the experienced Dutch defender could head to Spain and join Barcelona.

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The Catalan giants will be looking to sign a new centre-back in the summer as they are all set to part ways with Andreas Christensen, who has fallen out of favour under Hansi Flick. With Christensen out of the team, Barcelona will be keen on adding a new central defender and it is believed Van Dijk will be offered to the La Liga outfit. The club are also linked with a move for Jonathan Tah, who is keen on leaving Bayer Leverkusen.

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The Sport report also adds that the Catalan club are unlikely to go after the Dutch international, though, Deco has ruled out the possibility of signing the defender due to his age. At 33, Van Dijk would not be the ideal candidate to fit into Hansi Flick's system, as per the Barca sporting director.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

With Real Madrid and Atletico dropping points in La Liga this weekend, Flick's side could reclaim the top position in the league table if they beat Rayo Vallecano at home on Monday.

Liverpool and Chelsea are weighing up a move for a £30,000 per week Nottingham Forest star, according to a new report. It has been an excellent 2024/25 season for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side so far, as they have lost just one of their opening nine league games and now sit in seventh spot on 16 points, two adrift of the top four.

Nottingham Forest preparing £16m+ move for Trabzonspor star Batista Mendy

He has been long-linked with a move to the Premier League.

ByBen Browning Oct 25, 2024 Nottingham Forest transfer news

The Reds have been a very busy side in transfer windows since becoming a Premier League club, and they already have their eye on one player who they would like to sign next summer. Forest are one of several sides interested in signing Batista Mendy from Trabzonspor.

The midfielder has become a key player for the Turkish side, starting 31 league games last season and has already started seven in this campaign. Mendy’s performances have caught the eye of Forest as well as Crystal Palace, and they could be able to sign the player for around £16 million next summer as Trabzonspor look to make a quick profit after signing him from Angers in France.

But while Forest have their eye on new signings, their performances this season are also meaning their star players are attracting interest. Defender Ola Aina has emerged on the radar of AC Milan, with the Italian giants plotting a move to sign the player and also facing competition from Roma, who have been linked with a £10 million move for him as well.

Forest will be determined to keep hold of Aina, but it doesn’t stop there for the Reds, as another defender is also being eyed, but this time from Premier League clubs.

Liverpool and Chelsea monitoring Murillo

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool and Chelsea are considering a move for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo. The 22-year-old has been at the City Ground since August 2023, and despite being there for such a short space of time, he has already established himself as a key player under Nuno.

This report states that Liverpool have drawn up a shortlist of centre-backs amid the uncertainty of current defender Virgil van Dijk, who is out of contract at the end of this season. It goes on to add that Murillo, who is on a weekly wage of £30,000, has entered Liverpool’s shortlist “forcefully,” and they now intend to monitor the defender over the rest of the season before weighing up a move in the summer.

But while Liverpool are interested in the Forest ace, so are Chelsea, and they also have Murillo on their shortlist. The Blues are said to be analysing where they want to improve in the next transfer window, and they may end up having more important positions to prioritise, but the Brazilian is on their centre-back list.

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Forest have no intention of selling Murillo in January, but were they to receive a big offer in the summer, it could potentially force their hand into a sale. The defender is contracted to the City Ground until the summer of 2028 and this report adds that they could consider offers in the region of £60 to £70 million.

India’s coach also suggested that the team might continue to rest and rotate players over the coming 12 months

Sreshth Shah21-Nov-20211:46

Should Axar, Ashwin, Chahal and Harshal be in the squad for India’s next series?

India may have just swept the T20 World Cup runners-up 3-0 in his first series as full-time head coach, but Rahul Dravid wants to take a “realistic” view of where the team stands. He is mindful, in particular, of New Zealand’s hectic schedule: they began this T20I series just three days after their World Cup final defeat in Dubai, while missing their captain Kane Williamson.Watch live cricket on ESPN+ in the US

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from India vs New Zealand live in the US. Match highlights of the third T20I is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

“We have to keep our feet on the ground and be realistic, especially with bigger things down the line in the next 12 months,” Dravid told host broadcaster Star Sports after the third T20I in Kolkata. “It’s not easy for New Zealand to play a World Cup final, turn up three days later, and play three games in six days. We knew it was never going to be easy on them.”While New Zealand were without Williamson through the series and rested stand-in captain Tim Southee for the last match, India, too, missed key personnel, with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja rested. Dravid said the big positive from the series win was the performance of the players who got chances in the absence of the seniors.Harshal Patel was one of the finds of the series, taking four wickets in two games and contributing a lower-order cameo in Kolkata•Getty ImagesHarshal Patel picked up four wickets in two games while returning an economy rate of 7.28, and also contributed a useful lower-order cameo in Kolkata. Axar Patel, standing in for Jadeja, played all three games and ended the series with a Player-of-the-Match-winning three-wicket haul in the final T20I. There were promising displays from the debutant allrounder Venkatesh Iyer and the back-up opener and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan as well.”It’s been great to see the younger guys come through, we’ve given opportunity to some of the guys who haven’t played too much cricket in the last few months with the seniors taking rest,” Dravid said. “The greatest takeaway for us is to see the skills available to us. We need to continue developing those skills.”Related

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Dravid said that with player workloads in focus over a packed upcoming 12 months, India are likely to continue resting key players across the year and giving new players regular game time. That thought process was in full view in Kolkata, where KL Rahul and R Ashwin – two players who are set to feature in the upcoming Test series – were rested after victory was secured in Ranchi.”It’s really nice that we have options,” Dravid said. “We can mix and match. Its going to be a long season, lots of games to be played till the next World Cup and we need to do that [rest and rotate] with some of our players and be realistic about how much cricket needs to be played.”

Liverpool’s start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign has been superb. With Jurgen Klopp’s departure after close to a decade in charge at Anfield, the Reds would surely have been forgiven if they had gotten off to a slow start under Arne Slot. However, they are currently flying high in the top flight.

They are currently one point behind top-of-the-table Manchester City, with 22 points to their name so far. The Merseysiders have suffered one defeat, a shock loss at Anfield against Nottingham Forest, and have drawn just one game, too. That was a crucial point away from home against Arsenal.

There have been several players in strong form under Slot so far, with Luis Diaz one of Liverpool’s standout players.

Diaz’s stats in the 2024/25 season

It has been a fast start to winger Diaz’s career under the tutelage of Slot. The Colombian forward, already has seven goal involvements in the Premier League, with five goals and two assists in just nine games.

On two occasions, the Reds number seven has scored twice in a game. One of those games was against Manchester United. That day, Liverpool cruised to a 3-0 victory, with Mohamed Salah also getting himself on the scoresheet.

Although the Reds winger scored another two goals just two games after his Old Trafford double, against Bournemouth, he has been devoid of goal involvement. The 27-year-old has gone four Premier League games without finding the back of the net, although he did get an assist at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.

With that being said, Liverpool’s number seven scored in midweek, grabbing one of three goals against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup. The Reds got through to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory on the South Coast.

After a fast start to the season, Diaz would surely have hoped to maintain such impressive form. After playing 90 minutes at the Amex Stadium, Slot may well choose not to select him in the Reds’ next outing against the same opponents, at Anfield this time around. Instead, Dutch international Cody Gakpo could get the nod.

Why Gakpo could start vs. Brighton

Unlike his fellow left winger Diaz, 25-year-old attacker Gakpo has not had the best start to the 2024/25 campaign in the Premier League. Although he has played nine times in the top flight, the former PSV Eindhoven winger has yet to find the back of the net and has just one assist.

However, the winger was superb against the Seagulls in midweek. He scored twice to take his Carabao Cup tally for this season up to four goals, having bagged two against West Ham United in the previous round.

The Liverpool winger received a glowing review from This is Anfield journalist Mark Delgado for his performance. He gave Gakpo a 9/10 rating, explaining that he put up a “strong enough showing” against on the South Coast to earn himself another start on the left-wing this weekend.

Aside from his pair of goals against Fabian Hurzeler’s team, the 25-year-old had brilliant stats courtesy of Sofascore. He had 46 touches and created two chances, completing two dribbles and even winning an impressive three duels.

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Passes completed

22/30

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Ground duels won

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Slot may well decide to give Gakpo, who was once described as “unstoppable” by football statistician Statman Dave, the start ahead of Diaz this weekend.

Not only might he factor in his fellow Dutchman’s impressive performance against the same opposition, but given Diaz’s tough run of form, may well decide to drop him to the bench, with Mo Salah taking up his position on the right – with Gakpo taking Diaz’s usual spot on the left in the Premier League.

Competition for places at Anfield is exciting, and this is a perfect demonstration of two talented players gunning for one spot. It certainly leaves Slot with a selection headache ahead of another big fixture on Saturday.

Slot must drop Szoboszlai and unleash Liverpool's "outstanding" talent

Liverpool travel to Arsenal this evening looking to win yet another Premier League outing.

1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 27, 2024

Paul Pogba has seen his hopes of making his comeback in Serie A after Fiorentina rejected the opportunity to sign the free agent.

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Pogba cleared to return in MarchFree agent is yet to find a new clubFiorentina turned down his offerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Pogba is gearing up for his his return to football when his doping ban, which was cut from four years to 18 months, ends in March. The midfielder has been in search of a new club since his contract at Juventus was terminated and offered himself to Fiorentina.

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After careful consideration, however, the Viola have knocked back his approach as his salary demands exceed their budget and they have no intention of bringing him to the club, reports.

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Pogba, 31, had been linked with a return to France with Marseille said to be interested, though coach Roberto De Zerbi has explained that they decided against adding the former Manchester United star to the squad.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR POGBA?

The France international has not received any concrete offers so far despite his imminent return. A move to MLS has been reported as a possibility, but he may prefer to remain in Europe for the time being.

After failed bids to acquire an IPL franchise, the Glazers have made their first formal foray into cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2021Manchester United Football Club’s American owner, Lancer Capital, has made its first foray into cricket by acquiring a franchise in the soon-to-be-launched UAE T20 League. The update came a week after Reliance Industries, the owner of Mumbai Indians in the IPL, also announced their investment in the league through a franchise ownership.”I am very excited to be a part of UAE T20 at its formation,” Avram Glazer, chairman of Lancer Capital, said in a statement. “UAE T20 promises to be a world class event that will be transformative to the growth of cricket in the Emirates.”Last month, Lancer Capitals was among the final shortlisted bidders for the two new IPL franchises, eventually losing out to RPSG Group and CVC Capital, the groups that acquired the Lucknow and Ahmedabad franchises respectively.Out of the nine bids, Lancer Capital had posted the lowest bid at INR 4128.65 crore (US$ 551 million approx.) for the Ahmedabad franchise, and INR 4023 crore (US$ 537 million approx.) for the Lucknow franchise.The latest investment adds to the company’s portfolio in the sporting world: the Glazer family also owns Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”I am very excited to welcome Mr. Glazer to the UAE T20 Family,” Khalid Al Zarooni, UAE T20 League chairman, said. “To have a partner who has invested into sports properties with a long term investment perspective is a testament to the strength of the UAE T20 League’s Business Model and its value proposition to its stakeholders and an ode to the UAE as the destination of choice for global sports events.”The owners of the Knight Riders T20 teams are also understood to be “on-board” to own one of the teams in the UAE event. Capri Global, which also made a failed bid for the two new IPL franchises, Big Bash League’s Sydney Sixers, and Kiran Kumar Grandhi, a co-owner of Delhi Capitals, are believed to be among the other interested parties.The six-team league has been sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board and is looking to make room for itself in the January-February window, although its inaugural edition in 2022 is likely to be played in February-March.

Manchester City have included no exit clauses in new contracts and January deals and reportedly expect to be fined in their long-running FFP case.

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City spent big in winter transfer windowRuling in FFP case expected in the springVarious punishments being speculated onFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The reigning Premier League champions have had at least 115 charges relating to supposed financial mismanagement hanging over their head since early 2023, when a four-year investigation into dealings at the Etihad Stadium was completed.

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An independent hearing came to a close in late December, but no verdict has been delivered as yet. The expectation is that official word is now a matter of weeks away, with various punishments – ranging from points deductions to expulsion from the English top flight – being touted.

WHAT DAVID ORNSTEIN SAID

Journalist David Ornstein has told of where the protracted saga stands at present: “It’s just over two years ago since those charges and the feeling I get from speaking to people at and around the club is that we could be looking at a springtime verdict.

“So, maybe a month or two away and that feels pretty soon. Of course this is still subject to potential appeals in that process too, but the verdict would feel like a seismic moment whatever the outcome.”

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City spent big again in the winter transfer window, bringing in the likes of Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez, while prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has been handed a lucrative 10-year contract. That business hints at the club being confident that they will avoid the harshest possible sanctions.