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Leeds United have now made an approach over a deal for a “special” striker, according to a reporter.

Leeds keen on new striker despite signing Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha

Leeds appear to be very well-stocked in the centre-forward department, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin arriving alongside Lukas Nmecha to complement Joel Piroe.

It was Nmecha who was the match-winner in the Whites’ opening Premier League game against Everton, with the former Wolfsburg man converting a penalty a matter of minutes after being brought on as a substitute.

Calvert-Lewin also seems like a decent capture, given that the 11-time England international was available on a free transfer, and the 28-year-old is vastly experienced at Premier League level, although Daniel Farke has admitted it was a gamble.

Farke said: “Let’s be open about it. It’s always a bit risky to sign players who’ve had difficult years with a few injuries. There are always question marks and doubts. But the second part of the truth is that if he had his prime season last season he wouldn’t be on the market for us.”

Perhaps given the former Everton man’s patchy injury record, the Whites remain interested in signing another striker before the September 1st transfer deadline, and they have now stepped up their pursuit of a Bundesliga star.

Leeds now hold strong interest in signing "phenomenal" 24/25 title-winner

The Whites have set their sights on a defender, who is “open” to leaving his current club this summer.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 21, 2025

That is according to Florian Plettenberg, who has now taken to X to reveal that Leeds have recently submitted an enquiry over a deal for VfB Stuttgart striker Ermedin Demirovic, who is attracting widespread interest.

Nottingham Forest have also made an approach for Demirovic, alongside a number of other Premier League clubs, and the striker “remains a player to watch until deadline day.”

However, it could be difficult to get a deal over the line, with the Sky Sports reporter stating Stuttgart are eager to keep hold of the 27-year-old, who is “only willing to consider top offers.”

"Special" Demirovic could take Leeds' attack to next level

A deal for the Bosnia international could be on the expensive side, with Stuttgart thought to be holding out for £35m, but that could be a price worth paying, considering he has the ability to take Leeds’ attack to the next level.

Lauded as “special” by Stuttgart director Fabian Wohlgemuth, the Hamburg-born striker chipped in with 23 goal contributions for Stuttgart across all competitions last season, helping his side secure a shock DFB-Pokal triumph.

Not only that, but the Stuttgart star has retained a fantastic goal record in the Bundesliga across the past two campaigns.

Season	Goals	Assists
2023-24	15	10
2024-24	15	2

As such, if Leeds can afford to stump up the £35m asking price, they should undoubtedly go all out for Demirovic, as the striker could be a real difference-maker in their battle to avoid relegation.

تحدث المدير الرياضي لنادي برشلونة، ديكو، عن أزمة صفقة لاعب أتلتيك بلباو نيكو ويليامز، الذي كان قريبًا بشدة من الانتقال إلى بطل الدوري الإسباني هذا الصيف، قبل أن تنهار الصفقة في النهاية.

كان برشلونة يتطلع إلى الحصول على خدمات نيكو ويليامز، الصيف الماضي، ولكن الصفقة لم تتم بسبب تراجع لاعب أتلتيك بلباو خشية عدم تمكن النادي الكتالوني من تسجيله، إلى جانب مطالبه المالية.

بعد ذلك، عرض نيكو ويليامز نفسه على برشلونة هذا الصيف، من خلال وكيل أعماله، وكان على مقربة من الانتقال إلى حامل اللقب، قبل أن يفاجئ الجميع بتوقيعه على عقد جديد مع أتلتيك بلباو.

وظهرت تقارير صحفية آنذاك تفيد بأن هناك العديد من الأمور التي تسببت في إفساد صفقة نيكو ويليامز، من ضمنها مطالب وكيل أعماله (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وقال ديكو، في تصريحات لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسباني: “كنا نتفاوض مع لويس دياز ولكن رأينا أن الأمر صعبًا للغاية، بالنسبة لـ راشفورد رغب مانشستر يونايتد في بيعه فقط، وكنا نبحث عن حلول، لم يكن نيكو ويليامز مطابقًا للمواصفات التي نريدها، ولكنه يستطيع اللعب على اليمين واليسار، ومن ثم سيكون لدينا لاعبًا في كلا المركزين، ولكن ليس بنفس مواصفات لاعب جناح”.

وأضاف: “إذا طلب منا لاعب رائع مثل نيكو الانضمام وعندما يبحث الوكيل عنا، سنتحدث، وهكذا جرت الأمور، هكذا هي كرة القدم، اللاعب، لأي سبب كان، لم يوافق على الشروط المقترحة، كان لدى الوكيل مصالحه ولا نعرف كيف تسير الأمور، ولكن لا يوجد جدل، الأمر سهل للغاية.، يمنحك نيكو جناحًا أيمنًا وآخر أيسرًا، ولا يعطيك رقم “9”، ولكن إن لم تكن لديك الحلول الأخرى فسيكون ذلك جيدًا لنا لأنه لاعب رائع ويمكنه أن يعطيك مركزين من المراكز الثلاثة”.

وواصل: “نحن وضعنا شروط النادي، وكان علينا تدوين ذلك في العقود بعد ذلك، رفضنا أن نقبل الشروط التي وضعوها لأنه لا يوجد لاعب يفرض أي قيود علينا، في النهاية لم يحدث شئ، منحناهم مهلة للرد، ولكنهم لم يجيبوا، فسلكوا طريقهم وكان لدينا طريقنا”.

وعما إذا كانت ضمانات التسجيل التي طلبها وكيل نيكو ويليامز غير مقبولة، قال: “الأمر ليس هكذا، الأمر بسيط للغاية، الأمر فقط أنه إذا كنت ستتفاوض، فأخبرني بكل ما تحتاجه وما تريده ولا تغيره بعد ذلك، هذا كل شيء، ولن أتحدث عن هذا بعد الآن، كان هناك الكثير من الكلام والكثير من الهراء من جانب بلباو أيضًا”.

وعن رأيه تجاه موقف أتلتيك بلباو من توجهه إلى الدوري الإسباني لمعرفة قواعد اللعب المالي النظيف لـ برشلونة، قال: “لا أريد الخوض في مسائل لا تخصني، أنا أعمل مع اللاعبين ومع إدارة النادي، لكنني لا أعتقد أن بلباو مثال يُحتذى به في هذا الصدد”.

وشدد: “لم نسع لضم لاعبهم، عليهم القلق بشأن وكيل اللاعب الذي زار برشلونة عدة مرات لعرضه، إنها ليست مسألة نادي، إذا سمح أحد لاعبينا لوكيله بالتحدث إلى فرق أخرى، فلا يمكننا أن نغضب من الآخرين بسبب ذلك، سنمضي قدمًا، إنه لاعب في بلباو”.

واختتم ديكو: “الأمر بسيط جدًا، سعى الوكيل إلينا وحاول أن يجعلنا نضم نيكو، لكن الأمر لم ينجح، وعلينا أن نمضي قدمًا في أمور أخرى أكثر أهمية”.

Yash Dayal, who was in the squad for Bangladesh series, misses out

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-20242:16

Bangar: If Shami is unfit for Aus tour, there could be space for Mayank

India will go into the home Test series against New Zealand with pretty much the same squad that took on Bangladesh in September – that means Mohammed Shami hasn’t recovered in time for what will be India’s last red-ball action ahead of the five-Test series in Australia to close out this year. Yash Dayal, who had received his maiden Test call-up for the Bangladesh series, also missed out.Jasprit Bumrah has been named vice-captain for the three Tests against New Zealand. With Rohit Sharma in doubt for the first Test against Australia, which begins in Perth on November 22, there is now more focus on India’s vice-captain.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India did not have a designated vice-captain for their most recent Test series against Bangladesh but Bumrah has performed the role for India in the past when he was the vice-captain in the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. Later, he served in the position in the two-Test tour of South Africa in 2023-24 and then in the five-Test series earlier this year against England.Bumrah has also led India once in the one-off Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was forced to sit out after having tested positive for Covid-19.Related

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As for Shami, he is working his way back from an ankle injury for which he required surgery. He last played a competitive match in November 2023 – the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. It was hoped he would return to full match fitness during India’s ongoing home season, ahead of the marquee series in Australia.Tearaway Mayank Yadav, who made his T20I debut for India earlier this month against Bangladesh, will join the squad as a travelling reserve along with Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy.India play three Tests against New Zealand, the first of which begins on October 16 in Bengaluru. That’s followed by Tests in Pune and Mumbai. New Zealand have a major injury concern going into the series, with Kane Williamson picking up a groin issue.India are currently on top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, with 74.24 percentage points from 11 Test matches. Wins in each of their remaining eight Tests (three against New Zealand at home and five away against Australia) will take them to 85.09%, but the more realistic aim for them will be to make sure that they get enough points to seal their place in the WTC final regardless of other results.India Test squad for the New Zealand seriesRohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt)Travelling reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna

Despite plenty of speculation over their futures at Ibrox, Nicolas Raskina and Mohamed Diomande both lined up for Glasgow Rangers in their first game of the season on Tuesday.

The duo both started and both registered assists in a 2-0 win over Panathinaikos at Ibrox in the first leg of the club’s second round Champions League qualifier.

It remains to be seen if Diomande, who assisted Djeidi Gassama’s goal, will still be in Glasgow at the end of the summer transfer window, though, amid interest from Besiktas.

The Turkish giants have already had one offer turned down for the central midfielder, and are reportedly expected to go back in with a second bid for the Ivorian star.

Why Mohamed Diomande is important to Rangers

Russell Martin may not want to lose the left-footed star, though, because he is an important player who provides quality in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Diomande scored four goals, created 11 ‘big chances’, and registered seven assists in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues, which shows that he offered a strong threat at the top end of the pitch.

The 23-year-old talent also showcased his defensive talent in the Europa League, making 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 54% of his duels overall.

These statistics show that Diomande is important to Rangers as a midfielder who can impact games at both ends of the pitch, but the Gers could forget all about him with a move for Salvatore Esposito.

Why Rangers should sign Salvatore Esposito

It was reported earlier this month that the Light Blues are one of the clubs in the race to sign the Spezia central midfielder, who is valued at around £5m by his club.

The 24-year-old midfield star is the kind of signing that could make supporters forget all about Diomande, if the Ivorian whiz moves on to Besiktas, or elsewhere, this summer.

That is not a disservice to Diomande, of course, who has been a fantastic player for Rangers, but it speaks to the kind of quality that the Italian ace could offer in the middle of the park.

24/25 season

Diomande (Premiership)

Esposito (Serie B)

Appearances

36

34

Goals

4

7

Big chances created

11

18

Assists

7

9

Duels won per game

4.4

7.3

Ground duel success rate

57%

68%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

51%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Esposito significantly outperformed the Rangers star at league level last season, offering more to his team in possession and defensively.

Whilst he is unproven in the Scottish Premiership, the Spezia star appears to have the potential to provide more quality, as both a scorer and a creator of goals, in the final third, whilst also being stronger and more efficient in his duels off the ball.

The Italy international was described as a “tenacious” midfield “controller” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and his statistics from the 2024/25 Serie B campaign back those comments up, as he excelled in duels and offered quality on the ball.

Esposito is the kind of box-to-box midfielder that Rangers will desperately need if they lose Diomande this summer, which is why this is a signing that could make a lot of sense for Martin in the coming weeks if it becomes clear that the Ivorian gem is going to be on his way out of Ibrox.

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Whilst the Gers would like to keep their current number ten, the Spezia star is a player who has the quality and pedigree, as an Italian international, to make the Light Blues forget all about Diomande.

South Africa needed 30 off 30 balls with six wickets in hand, to win their maiden World Cup title, and then India fought back

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jun-20241:12

Manjrekar: ‘No surprise to see Hardik flourish on the big stage’

Suryakumar Yadav snatched a boundary catch for the ages, Jasprit Bumrah snuck in two electric final overs, and Hardik Pandya pilfered the two big wickets as India pulled off one of their great heists to win a World Cup, finally.With five overs to go, South Africa were rampant. Heinrich Klaasen, one of the great hitters in the game, threatening to throw off decades of painful big-match history for his team with a hail of sixes. He and David Miller had clubbed 38 runs off the two previous overs, and with six wickets in hand South Africa needed only a run-a-ball off the last 30 balls.Related

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Rohit Sharma was forced to go to the best bowler in the world, when he would have otherwise saved Bumrah for later overs. Bumrah didn’t quite break the partnership, the batters never daring to take him on. But he did break Klaasen and Miller’s stride. They scrambled only four runs off that over.But the most telling blow, came at the start of the 17th over. After the flow of the game was further slowed due to an apparent knee complaint for Rishabh Pant, Hardik bowled a wide line outside off and took the edge of Klaasen, Pant snaffling the chance gleefully.Still, Miller was there, though he couldn’t get a boundary away off the rest of that over.Then Bumrah came back, bowled several ripsnorters in the last over of yet another tournament he has dominated. With one of those magic balls, a wicked in-seamer, he burst through the defenses of the last recognised South Africa batter, Marco Jansen, and grazed leg stump.With Keshav Maharaj now in the middle, their batting line-up notably short, and 20 needed off 12 balls, South Africa were for the first time since the early overs of the chase in trouble. Arshdeep Singh delivered a nerveless 19th over, off which South Africa could muster only four.Rohit Sharma holds the T20 World Cup trophy aloft, and the celebrations begin•AFP/Getty ImagesThe dream-killing blow came next. With 16 needed off the final over, bowled by Hardik. Miller tried to lift the first ball, a wide full toss, over the straight boundary. But he didn’t connect perfectly, and Suryakumar, running full tilt along the rope, his feet only centimetres inside, caught the ball, popped it up as he briefly stepped over the boundary, then completed the running catch as he hopped back into the field, sparking wild jubilation in the stands, and ecstatic celebrations from the India players.South Africa batters No. 8, 9, and 10, did not manage to get Hardik away, aside from a single outside edge that flew for four.When Hardik India completed the seven-run win, the bowler sank to his knees in relief, his team-mates exulted, and the crowd, largely supporting India, flew into euphoria. Their team had become World Champions again, after 13 years.Bumrah’s spectacular finals showingOn a flat track in Barbados, Bumrah bowled two unplayable deliveries that brought him two wickets – both bowled. The first of these was the better one. It was one of the best in the tournament, and very arguably one of the best ever in finals. Angled in to Reeza Hendricks, it pitched and seamed away to hit the top of off, beating the batter’s outside edge.Jasprit Bumrah sent back Marco Jansen in his final over•ICC/Getty ImagesHe conceded five runs in that first over, eight runs in the next (one of only two boundaries off his bowling came here – a not fully-controlled steer through deep third).But those last two overs went some distance to defining this match. Four runs off the 16th over, after the 15th had been clubbed for 24 runs. Two runs off the 17th. His figures were 2 for 18.Arshdeep plays his roleArshdeep Singh was almost as outstanding, returning 2 for 20. His two powerplay overs cost only eight, and brought the important wicket of Aiden Markram, who edged him behind. In the middle overs, he dismissed Quinton de Kock, who was looking to raise the tempo after he had overseen the recover after two early blows.And then that fantastic 19th over, in which he bowled two balls to Miller but conceded only three off them, otherwise keeping Maharaj on strike.This, after India’s spinners had leaked 106 off their nine collective overs.Klaasen makes a six-filled chargeOne of the best hits of the tournament was Klaasen crashing a wide, Kuldeep Yadav googly way over the cover boundary for six, with minimal foot movement. That was his third six (he’d banged Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja over the rope earlier).But it was against Axar Patel that he really thumped South Africa into the ascendancy. First ball of the 15th over, he bullied down the ground off the back foot for four. Axar bowled two wides in fear. Then later, two massive hits down the ground – one of which pounded the roof of the stadium, then a four through wide long-off for good measure.Heinrich Klaasen took on the bowling in the middle overs•Getty ImagesHe completed his fifty off 23 balls, the fastest ever in a T20 World Cup final. After he was dismissed, South Africa could not manage a single intentional boundary, the only four coming off Kagiso Rabada’s outside edge.Kohli drops anchorThe headlines will say Virat Kohli top scored with 76 off 59, but there were times when this knock was laboured.Between the fourth and 18th over, Kohli faced 35 balls in which he scored 29 and hit no boundaries. When he got to fifty, he had used up 48 deliveries, and didn’t raise his bat, having batted for most of that time in ODI middle-overs mode. There was an obvious critique to make here: was this an innings so unambitious, it was actually doing India harm?But the counter-argument is strong. Kohli had been 22 off 16 when the third wicket (Suryakumar Yadav) went down, in the fifth over. And the security he gave at one end, allowed Axar (pushed up the order No. 5) and Shivam Dube to prosper with their big-hitting.The boundaries returned for Virat Kohli after he got to his fifty•Getty ImagesHis stands with those batters reaped 72 off 54 (Axar hit 47 off 31) and 57 off 33 (Dube hit 22 off 13), and formed the heft of India’s innings. Their 176 for 7 was the most any team has scored in a World Cup final.Did South Africa choke?For 35 overs of this game, you could not have possibly arrived at that conclusion. They were pumped up in the early overs, when Keshav Maharaj struck twice, and Rabada removed Suryakumar – India’s most-dangerous batter. They held their catches and were excellent in the outfield.They overcame losing early wickets nicely too. But at one point, they needed 26 off 24 balls, had six wickets in hand, and only one over of Bumrah left to face. They tried to target Hardik, which was the smart play in that situation, but lost both their key batters to him.There are simpler explanations too: India were battle-hardened and skilful; South Africa’s batting line-up was short.

Watching rain fall doesn’t sound like a nail-biting pastime but for England the hours waiting to start their final group match of this T20 World Cup, against Namibia, were gripping. England’s eventual victory, by 41 runs in a match reduced to 10 overs per side in Antigua on Saturday, was pure relief for the defending champions.No result other than a win would have kept England in contention for the Super Eight phase but they had to get on the park for that. After the toss was delayed by three hours – won by Namibia, who chose to bowl first – they finally had the chance to control their own destiny, to a point. The equation was simple. England had to beat Namibia and then wait to see whether Australia defeated Scotland – which they duly did, though not without a struggle – to ensure England joined the Australians in progressing from Group B.Showers before the scheduled start returned to Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in the form of a torrential downpour just as it looked like the covers would be lifted. England had to hold onto hope of a reduced-overs match despite the rain appearing to have set in. Eventually, play began at 4pm local time, reduced to 11 overs per side, which became 10 when rain intervened once more, albeit briefly, with England 82 for 3 after eight overs.Harry Brook’s unbeaten 47 off 20 balls and Jonny Bairstow’s 31 off 18 steadied them from a perilous 13 for 2, the pair sharing a 56-run stand for the third wicket to help lift their side to 122 for 5. With Namibia chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 126, England’s bowlers didn’t allow them to score fast enough and secured a comfortable victory, after a torturous wait.

Namibia’s dream, England’s nightmare

David Wiese conceded just a solitary run from the first over on an understandably tacky wicket, testing England openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt by varying his lines and lengths. Then Ruben Trumpelmann removed Buttler for a four-ball duck with a wonderful inswinger that crashed into leg stump with the second ball of the next over in a dream start for Namibia. It wasn’t until 10 balls into the match that England scored their first boundary, which became two when Salt lofted wider deliveries from Trumpelmann for four down the ground and over deep third. When Wiese returned for a second over on the trot, he had Salt caught behind off an excellent knuckle ball, delivered slow outside off stump and finding a thick edge to put England in trouble at 13 for 2 inside three overs.

Bairstow unleashed

Left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz came into the attack in the fourth over and in for some Bairstow treatment, reverse-swept for four and muscled over long-on for six next ball. Bairstow skied Gerhard Erasmus’s third ball back over his head and, to England’s relief, the ball plugged in a gap between an advancing long-off, long-on and the bowler running back. He crashed the next through the leg side for four. Brook chimed in with a powerful six over deep midwicket off Jack Brassell and sent the next through point for four to bring up England’s fifty off 34 balls. When Erasmus returned, Bairstow immediately nailed a six over midwicket.Bairstow survived a run-out chance on 31 and hadn’t added to his score when he top-edged an attempted cut off Scholtz towards short cover, where keeper Zane Green collected. Bairstow’s 18-ball knock was his first foray into double figures in three innings at this tournament and his highest score at a T20 World Cup, setting a solid platform after England’s shaky start before more rain arrived to halt play.

Brook in on the act

After such a long wait to learn whether they would get to play again, England’s innings was further reduced to 10 overs when rain caused another 10-minute stoppage, by which time Brook and Moeen Ali were left with twelve balls to set an imposing target. They took 19 runs off Brassell in the penultimate over, 18 of them to Brook, who finished with 4,6,4 to take England past the 100 mark. Moeen fell for 16 off six balls but Liam Livingstone blasted the first two balls he faced from Trumpelmann for six before he was run out on the last ball of the innings and left the field clutching his side in some discomfort. Ben Duckett’s appearance as substitute fielder in his place raised further concerns over Livingstone’s fitness.

Davin makes way for Wiese

Reece Topley conceded only two runs off the opening over of Namibia’s pursuit, one of them a front-foot no-ball on the first delivery of the innings. England’s bowlers were keeping a lid on Namibia’s scoring and, needing 83 more off the last four overs, Nikolaas Davin retired out on 18 off 16, the first player to do so at an ICC event, making way for the vastly experienced Wiese. He clubbed the first ball he faced – off Sam Curran, making his first appearance at this World Cup – for four through backward point. Wiese proceeded to smash back-to-back sixes off Adil Rashid over long-off and deep midwicket then pierced the covers for four.But they needed 55 off the last two overs and Michael van Lingen holed out to Brook off Chris Jordan, brought into the side for Mark Wood on the strength of his death bowling, on the final ball of the ninth. When Jofra Archer removed Wiese, again via a Brook catch in the deep in the final over, the 39-year-old walked off amid handshakes from several England players, a fitting international farewell in his last game for Namibia, the nation he transferred his allegiance to in 2021 after 26 matches for South Africa.

There is no shortage of transfer links swirling around the Leeds United sphere as the club eye up plenty of players for possible moves to Elland Road this summer.

The Whites will be in the market to strengthen their squad after they won the Championship, with 100 points, and earned promotion back to the Premier League.

Daniel Farke is looking to bolster his team with new signings, and has already been linked with a number of stars. The club are reportedly in talks over a deal for Udinese centre-back Jaka Bijol, for example.

The Championship champions have also reportedly made contact with Premier League rivals Fulham over a potential move for their centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz.

Leeds are clearly targeting players in several areas of the pitch, in defence and in attack, but there is one central midfielder who has also been linked with a return to Elland Road, Kalvin Phillips.

However, a recent report suggested that a move back to West Yorkshire is unlikely for the Manchester City outcast, which could be good news for Farke.

Why Leeds should not sign Kalvin Phillips

TEAMtalk recently claimed that Leeds United are not planning a move to bring the England international back to the club this summer, because they have a budget that they do not want to waste and his £150k-per-week wages would be difficult to take on.

The outlet added that Phillips is also dealing with an Achilles problem that is set to keep him out for a big chunk of pre-season next month, which means that he would be playing catch-up heading into the campaign when the Whites need a fast start.

Even taking the financial issue and his injury situation out of the equation, the West Yorkshire outfit should not sign the defensive midfielder because of his dismal performances in the Premier League in recent years.

Phillips failed to make the grade at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola and was sent out on loan to West Ham United for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, before joining Ipswich on loan this season.

Appearances

12

19

Starts

3

14

Dribbled past per game

4x

25x

Error led to shot

0

1

Error led to goal

1

1

Red cards

1

1

Ground duel success rate

42%

46%

As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old dud was dribbled past more than once per start across both spells and dominated in duels on the deck, whilst also being sent off for both clubs.

Phillips has been a liability in the Premier League in the past 18 months, as evidenced by his dismal statistics and the scathing criticism from referee Mike Dean in the clip below, and that is why the club are right not to be interested in signing him this summer.

Farke, however, could land his own version of Phillips, when he was at his best at Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa, by signing the club’s latest reported target.

Leeds eyeing deal for Championship star

According to the printed edition of the Daily Mail (9 Jun, page 55), as relayed by MOT Leeds News, the Championship champions are lining up a move for Southampton defensive midfielder Shea Charles.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Whites ‘admire’ the Northern Ireland international, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, ahead of a potential swoop for him in the summer transfer window.

It does not, however, reveal how much money Southampton would want for the 21-year-old talent, who signed for the club from Manchester City in a deal reported to be worth up to £15m in the summer of 2023.

Leeds must, now, press ahead with a move to sign the Championship enforcer this summer because he could be Farke’s own version of Phillips next season.

Why Shea Charles could be Kalvin Phillips 2.0

As aforementioned, the Manchester City flop is not in his best moment right now, after two dismal loan spells, but he earned a move to Guardiola’s side off the back of two impressive seasons in the Premier League with Leeds under Bielsa.

In the 2020/21 campaign, Phillips made 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game, winning 52% of his duels, whilst completing 85% of his attempted passes in the top-flight.

That was the England international at his best for the Whites, as a combative and composed midfielder, and Charles’ performances for Sheffield Wednesday suggest that he can offer similar qualities in the middle of the park.

As you can see in the chart above, the Northern Irish star’s statistics this season are notably similar to Phillips’ in the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, whilst he also excelled more in possession as a progressive passer and carrier.

Whilst these statistics are only from his displays at Championship level, Charles has plenty of time left to develop and improve at the age of 21, and he could grow into being Farke’s own version of Phillips at his peak.

Appearances

43

Assists

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.9

Ball recoveries per game

5.7

Dribbled past per game

0.7x

Ground duel success rate

58%

Aerial duel success rate

60%

As you can see in the table above, the Southampton loanee caught the eye with his defensive work for the Owls in the second tier, making almost four tackles and interceptions per game without being dribbled past very often.

Charles, who talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed has “undeniable Premier League potential”, can offer the destructive midfield presence that Phillips provided Bielsa with, but without a tendency to be taken out of the game with ease by being dribbled past.

The midfield star may also be more reliable defensively than Phillips because he ended the season without any errors that led to shots or goals for the opposition and was not sent off a single time.

Therefore, Farke could unearth an even bigger talent than the England international by signing Charles, because he has the potential to be more reliable defensively whilst also offering more in possession with his progressive passes and progressive carries to influence play on the ball.

He must go before Bamford: Leeds have told £11m flop he will now be sold

Leeds have told this flop that he must leave this summer, and the dud must go before Patrick Bamford.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 9, 2025

It is now down to the club to strike an agreement with Southampton to bring the Northern Ireland international to Elland Road to bolster the manager’s midfield options for the 2025/26 campaign and beyond.

Will Manchester City end this season by hoisting aloft silverware?

On Saturday, the Sky Blues will compete in a third successive FA Cup Final, this time facing Crystal Palace, firm favourites to win the competition for the eighth time.

However, Erling Haaland was insistent this week that victory at Wembley would not constitute a successful season, simply echoing the message given by manager Pep Guardiola following the semi-final victory over Nottingham Forest.

So, regardless of the result this weekend, a mass-squad overhaul is required at the Etihad this summer, but could the recently dethroned Premier League champions land not one but two top-class midfielders?

Manchester City is targeting a new midfielder

It’s evident that City are hot on the trail of a crop of new central players with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze linked in recent weeks.

Yet, it’s not all about the England internationals as far as Pep and Co are concerned, with a bid now potentially set to be launched for one of the best midfielders in Italy.

Indeed, according to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City will “submit a formal opening bid” as they attempt to sign midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan.

The 26-year-old joined Milan from AZ Alkmaar for a reported €20m (around £17m) two summers ago, and his impressive performances mean that, according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, he is now valued at £50m.

Matt Santangelo from That Milan Podcast described the Dutchman as “fantastic”, adding that he’s been “Milan’s best midfielder this season”, while Luca Bianchin of Gazzetta dello Sport believes he is ‘one of the most beautiful players to watch in the world’.

With I Rossoneri down in eighth in Serie A and, following Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia defeat to Bologna, it’s looking very likely that Milan will not qualify for any European competition at all, so they’ll surely be under pressure to sell some key assets, merely adding to the speculation that Reijnders could be on his way to Manchester.

Manchester City's new-look midfield

It’s not just Reijnders because, according to a report by Christian Falk and Phillip Arens of Bild, Manchester City have met with Bayer Leverkusen representatives as they aim to sign Florian Wirtz.

This, though, certainly won’t be an easy deal to get over the line given that, as reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have also ‘made contact’ with Wirtz’s entourage, while TEAMtalk notes that incoming Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso would love to bring him from the BayArena to the Bernabéu too.

Patrick Scherer from Kölner Stadt Anzeiger claims that Wirtz is valued at around €100m (around £84m), reflective of the fact that, as noted by Michael Cox of the Athletic, he is ‘one of the most sought-after talents in world football’, adding that he is a top-class creator and ‘brilliant at finding space’.

What is clear is that Wirtz is a world-class talent and, whoever does manage to sign him this summer, will be getting their hands on a genuine difference maker.

What Man City's midfield and attack could look like in 2025/26

But how would Wirtz, Reijnders and the soon-to-be-returning from injury Rodri all fit together?

Well, let’s assess their respective statistics to help answer this question.

Appearances

44

52

50

Minutes

3,302

4,411

4,327

Goals

16

15

9

Assists

15

5

15

Shots

118

123

84

Shots on target %

44.9%

41.5%

32.1%

Attempted passes

2,170

1,848

4,588

Pass completion %

80%

87.9%

91.9%

Progressive passes

229

267

495

Attempted take-ons

205

92

78

Tackles

38

32

84

Blocks

38

24

32

Interceptions

21

49

34

Ball recoveries

141

143

287

Touches per 90

64

40

107

As outlined by the table, these three players as a midfield trio would work really well together, complementing each other’s strengths.

Rodri is pretty much exceptional at everything, no wonder Man City have missed him so much this season, with the Spaniard’s 107 touches per 90 and 4,588 attempted passes particularly eye-catching.

Wirtz meantime, is the creator in chief, one of only six players across Europe’s big five leagues to reach double-figures for both goals and assists this season, alongside Mohamed Salah, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Romelu Lukaku and Gaëtan Perrin.

Meantime, the German’s 205 attempted take-ons is also pretty noteworthy, ranked second in the Bundesliga this season for this metric.

Lastly, we come to Reijnders, who is something of an all-rounder, scoring a very impressive 15 goals across all competitions this season, actually taking the most shots of the trio, while his 49 interceptions stands out too, suggesting he’d been an excellent Rodri partner.

The Dutchman has racked up over 4,400 minutes for Milan during this campaign, sitting out just one of their 53 matches, and this was due to a suspension, and his availability is certainly a valuable asset so, if Man City are able to assemble these three as a midfield trio, they might just become unstoppable once again.

Florian Wirtz now has representatives in Manchester as Guardiola pushes deal

It’s not one they want to miss out on.

1 ByTom Cunningham May 14, 2025

It is a truly testing time for Tottenham Hotspur right now, with Ange Postecoglou’s future in real doubt and the Australian relying on a good run in the Europa League to restore faith in his position.

Tottenham face change of manager and losing key players this summer

Spurs take on Eintracht Frankfurt over two legs which will define Postecoglou’s position, according to credible media sources like Fabrizio Romano, and anything less than impressive is highly likely to result in the Australian’s eventual dismissal.

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Postecoglou’s tenure has been called “irreparable” by some, regardless of their campaign in Europe, and Postecoglou even admitted in a press conference this week that he’s aware of the rhetoric surrounding his position.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

The Lilywhites are on course for their worst Premier League season, currently sitting 14th in the table after 16 top-flight losses, which is a real crash back down to Earth for Postecoglou after he recorded the best ever start by a new manager in the competition’s history last season.

Their on-field troubles and lack of stability under Postecoglou are also resulting in star players being linked with moves away from N17, including defender Cristian Romero, who is attracting serious interest from Atletico Madrid ahead of the summer window (Sky Sports).

Tottenham are believed to be targeting Atalanta’s Isak Hien as a potential replacement for the Argentine already, but he isn’t the only one who could end up departing.

It has also been revealed that Man City are now displaying an interest in star left-back Destiny Udogie, which will surely be a worry for Spurs given the pull of Eastlands.

As the threat of players jumping ship looms large, Tottenham midfielder Pape Sarr has revealed that he nearly made an exit of his own.

Pape Sarr makes Tottenham exit admission after nearly finalised deal

The Senegalese, in an interview with D Sports, claims that it very nearly happened during Antonio Conte’s tenure.

Sarr admitted he packed his bags and nearly left Tottenham, but an injury to Oliver Skipp prompted Conte to perform a full U-turn over letting him depart on loan.

“I was about to go on loan to Italy,” said Sarr.

“Everything was almost established, but the week before the finalisation, I remember that we were holding an opposition between us. I was a substitute with Ndombele.

“That moment, I was so excited, I wanted to show all my talents. Two days later, Skipp injured himself in training, and I replaced him. After the match, it was Conte himself who called me and said, ‘You’re not going to go on loan, I’m counting on you, you’re going to stay’.

“I had already packed my bags, and I called my dad and my agent, because they had already made the trip. At first, I was a little dubious, because I knew I was not going to play, but I thought that, once I had the opportunity, I would show up. At first, being one of the 20 players selected for the game was a real challenge for me.”

Since then, the 22-year-old has become a mainstay for Tottenham. He dazzled next to Yves Bissouma at points last term, and has been equally useful for Postecoglou this campaign – bagging six goals and three assists across 44 appearances in all competitions.

Deepti Sharma, Megan Schutt and Marizanne Kapp have bowling landmarks within their sights

Namooh Shah29-Sep-20251 – Bates is 257 runs away from becoming the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket. Bates (10,612) is currently second in the list after Mithali Raj (who finished with 10,868 runs).Bates is also just 104 runs away from reaching 6000 ODI runs. If she does so, she will only be the second after Raj (7805) to reach the landmark.Related

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112 – Runs required by Mandhana to complete 5000 ODI runs. She will be the second India batter after Raj and fifth overall in women’s ODIs to reach the milestone. Mandhana will also be the fastest by innings if she manages to reach the milestone in this tournament.323 – Runs required for Bates to surpass Debbie Hockley’s tally of 1501 in the women’s ODI World Cup and become the leading run-scorer in the tournament.1000 – Mandhana is 72 away from becoming the first to score 1000 runs in a calendar year in women’s ODIs. The record is held by Belinda Clark, who scored 970 runs in 1997.Suzie Bates is eyeing a number of records in the women’s World Cup•Getty Images1 – Bates will be playing her 350th international at her second match of the tournament. That will make her the first player to get to 350 international caps in women’s cricket.3 – Marizanne Kapp is 12 away from becoming the third-highest wicket-taker in women’s ODIs, having taken 169 wickets before the start of the tournament. Kapp will surpass Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Anisa Mohammed, who finished their career at 180 ODI wickets. Jhulan Goswami, with 255 wickets, heads the ODI list, while Shabnim Ismail is second on the list with 191.150 – Schutt and Deepti have 140 wickets in women’s ODIs and need ten more to get to the 150 mark.Schutt, on 34 wickets, can also become the leading wicket-taker at women’s ODI World Cups if she picks up ten more wickets. That will take her tally past Goswami’s 43. Kapp, with 32 wickets, also has a chance to overhaul Goswami’s tally.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – Mandhana, currently with 16 international hundreds, needs two more to become the most prolific century-scorer in women’s international cricket. Meg Lanning with 17 is currently at the top.3 – Both Mandhana and Bates are three away from topping the list for most hundreds in women’s ODIs where Lanning sits at the top with 15.198 – Runs Pratika Rawal needs to complete 1000 runs in women’s ODIs. She has a chance to become the fastest to reach the milestone if she does it in the next five innings.