Ashwani’s 4 for 24 was the best figures by an Indian on IPL debut, as MI extended their record against KKR at Wankhede to 10-2

Alagappan Muthu31-Mar-20251:36

Aaron: ‘Skiddy’ Ashwani quicker than batters expected

Mumbai Indians (MI) got on the IPL 2025 board in IPL 2025 with an eight-wicket victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which took their record against those opponents at Wankhede Stadium to 10-2. The win was set up by the most unlikely source: a fast bowler named Ashwani Kumar picked up the best figures by an Indian on IPL debut – 4 for 24 – to knock KKR over for 116.Debutant Ashwani’s dream dayAshwani is 23 years old. He had played only four T20s before this. Naturally, he was nervous when he was told he would be playing this game. He didn’t eat lunch. It’s possible he may never do so on any match day given how well this one went and how superstitious cricketers can be. Ashwani picked up a wicket with his first ball, and it was the opposition captain Ajinkya Rahane. Over the course of a dream day, he took down Rinku Singh and Andre Russell as well. This league does not present any higher quality of wickets.The most impressive thing about Ashwani was how hard he was to line up. He has an orthodox bowling action. His speeds were largely in the early to mid 130kph. Those are the kind of bowlers that get smashed around in the IPL. But try as they might, KKR were not able to do it.Ashwani came to prominence because of his performances in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 trophy last year, when he displayed an affinity for the death overs. Ashwani didn’t really bowl in that phase of the innings against KKR, but did show why he could find success in high-pressure situations. It was his control of length.Trent Boult struck in the first over for the 30th time in the IPL•Associated PressRinku tried to take him down, but one ball after using his feet and hitting him for four, he was caught on the deep-point boundary. Ashwani pulled his length back to surprise the batter. Russell tried to take him down, but one ball after clearing his front leg and smacking him through the line, he was beaten by a bouncer and then bowled by a 140kph pitched-up delivery that surprised the batter, again. Ashwani was innately aware of when to vary his lengths and was able to do so even when high-quality batters were attacking him and putting him under pressure.Boult continues romance with the first overAshwani tripling his career tally of T20 wickets – from two to six – over the course of one evening relegated everything else to the side. But he was merely exploiting a lovely platform set by two high-quality new-ball bowlers.Trent Boult once again showed off the freakish ability he has to take wickets in the first over. For the 30th time in the IPL, he provided his team with a perfect start, rearranging Sunil Narine’s stumps. From the other end, Deepak Chahar took away Quinton de Kock’s strengths – hitting balls at the stumps over square leg – by keeping his lines wide and having him caught at mid-off.KKR continued to attack, conscious that the Wankhede Stadium is a chase-friendly venue. Despite those early wickets, they indulged in eight aggressive responses in the first four overs. Some worked. Some didn’t. This is T20 cricket in the modern age. There is very little holding back. Rinku could have. He fell playing a big shot right after finding the boundary, even though KKR only had Russell and Ramandeep Singh as recognised batters with nearly half the innings left to play.3:07

Does Rohit have a technique issue?

Rickelton comes goodRyan Rickelton was beaten by each of the first four balls he faced. His first four came off an inside edge, first six off a top edge, and all of a sudden, it really did look like T20 cricket was flipping hard. A pitch that was supposed to be a belter – because of the pace and bounce on offer – was being harnessed by the fast bowlers on both sides to telling effect.But with only 117 to chase, Rickelton could bide his time, and when his opportunity came – Harshit Rana trying too hard to pick up wickets and giving away a slower-ball on the half-volley – he nailed a straight drive and never looked back. Rickelton brought up fifty with a six off Narine, and was at the other end when Suryakumar Yadav brought up victory with a six. Rohit Sharma, though, had another failure, falling for 13. The worries around his batting form continue.

Glasgow Rangers are still looking for their first win of the Scottish Premiership season after they were held to a 1-1 draw by St Mirren away from Ibrox on Sunday.

The Light Blues needed academy graduate Findlay Curtis to come off the bench to score an excellent goal to rescue a point for the side late in the second half.

Russell Martin’s team looked bereft of quality at the top end of the pitch until Curtis and James Tavernier, who supplied the corner that led to the goal, came on as substitutes.

If the head coach wants to bring the captain back into the starting XI, in the Champions League or against Celtic next weekend, Max Aarons may need to drop out.

Why Max Aarons should be dropped

The Bournemouth loanee is not a horrendous player and he did not put in a terrible performance against St Mirren on Sunday, but he does not offer the same level of attacking threat that Tavernier does.

Aarons has only created one chance in three starts in the Premiership for Rangers, per Sofascore, and did not create any chances in 69 minutes on the pitch in this match.

The English full-back has not offered enough going forward, whilst Tavernier has only started one of the three games and created three chances for the team, per Sofascore.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

This is why Aarons should be dropped from the XI to add more creativity to the side, but the defender is not the only player who should be ruthlessly dropped, as Lyall Cameron’s position should also be under threat.

Why Lyall Cameron should be dropped

Martin must ruthlessly ditch the Scottish central midfielder alongside Aarons after the former Dundee man put in a disappointing display against St Mirren.

The manager knows that he will get a hard-working, tireless, performance from Cameron, who runs his socks off, but the quality in and out of possession was not there for him on Sunday.

He missed a very presentable opportunity to open the scoring when Jayden Meghoma whipped a brilliant ball into the box, although it was maybe at a bit of an awkward height.

Aside from that miss, though, the 22-year-old central midfielder’s all-round performance was not good enough to justify him keeping his place in the team against Celtic next weekend, looking beyond the second leg against Club Brugge.

Minutes

90

Shots on target

0

Dribbles completed

0/1

Big chances created

0

Ground duels won

0/6

Aerial duels won

0/1

Tackles + interceptions

0

Dribbled past

2x

As you can see in the table above, Cameron failed to deal with the intensity and the physicality of the clash with St Mirren, as he lost 100% of his duels.

The opposition found it far too easy to get the better of him in one-on-one situations, and he did not make up for his lack of physicality with quality or creativity on the ball in the final third.

Mohamed Diomande won more duels (one) and made more tackles and interceptions (two) in just 26 minutes off the bench for the Light Blues, which suggests that he may have more to offer to the team out of possession as a physical presence.

Rangers may need physicality to deal with Celtic next weekend at Ibrox, as they look to close the already-growing gap to their rivals, which is why Cameron should be ruthlessly ditched from the XI alongside Aarons.

Morelos 2.0: Rangers are in talks to sign a "powerful" £5.6m-rated striker

As Rangers seek to bolster their forward line before the transfer window closes, could the Gers sign a “powerful” striker similar to Alfredo Morelos?

Aug 22, 2025

Leeds United have had a busy summer transfer window, with a large focus on strengthening their attack.

Despite finishing as the Championship’s leading goalscorers last term, Daniel Farke’s side have concentrated on signing new forwards to help add to their forward line ahead of their relegation fight from the Premier League.

Two of their new additions have been free transfers, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin switching to Elland Road after his Everton contract expired, and Lukas Nmecha joining from Wolfsburg. Their other addition in attacking areas was that of AC Milan and Switzerland star Noah Okafor.

However, Farke is clearly still keen to add attacking depth to his side. Leeds are linked with a late move for yet another attacker.

Leeds push for new attacker

As the Whites’ search for a fourth attacker in the window goes on, they have been linked with a shock move for former Chelsea and Tottenham star Timo Werner. However, the RB Leipzig star rejected the newly-promoted side.

Transfer Focus

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

Instead, Farke and his side could make a move for a Ligue 1 star.

That’s according to a report from Sky Sports who say that Leeds are said to be looking for a ‘versatile forward’ in the next few days, and Strasbourg star Dilane Bakwa is a player ‘of interest’ to the 49ers group.

Leeds have been smart with their money on forwards this summer, making those two free signings, so there could be room left in the budget.

That is money that would be needed in this deal, given that Bakwa has been reportedly valued at £30m by Strasbourg this summer.

Why Bakwa would be a good signing

France U21 international Bakwa has certainly garnered a huge reputation in Ligue 1. He ticks the versatile attacker box that Leeds are looking for, and can play on both the right flank and as a centre-forward.

Last season, the 23-year-old, who hails from Creteil, just outside of Paris, played a huge part in Strasbourg reaching the UEFA Conference League. In 30 top-flight appearances for Liam Rosenior’s side, he bagged six goals and assisted a further nine.

The Strasbourg number 26 has already started the new campaign on fire. In the first two Ligue 1 games of the season, he has two assists, including this pinpoint cross to Emmanuel Emegha, which the striker headed home.

If Leeds manage to agree a deal to bring Bakwa to Yorkshire, they’d love for him to replicate the impact of their last great signing from Ligue 1, Raphinha.

Of course, the Brazilian is a Ballon d’Or contender for Barcelona, and has been on fire under Hansi Flick for the past 12 months.

Looking back at his days at Elland Road will surely always remind Leeds supporters just how good he was in White.

The Brazilian superstar played 67 times for the club, scoring 17 goals and assisting 12. Strikes like this against Everton were what made him so deadly.

Well, there are certainly similarities between Raphinha and Leeds’ potential new signing Bakwa. The attacker is also lighting up Ligue 1 before his prospective move to Elland Road, and is predominantly a right-winger but can lead the line, just like his Brazilian counterpart.

When looking at the underlying statistics from their most recent seasons in Ligue 1, it is easy to see why Bakwa could be the second coming of Raphinha at Leeds.

For example, the Frenchman averaged 3.86 progressive carries and 0.51 goals and assists per game last season, compared to the former Rennes winger’s tally of 3.40 progressive carries and 0.43 assists per 90 minutes.

Bawka & Raphinha – most recent Ligue 1 season
Stat (per 90)	Bawka	Raphinha
Goals and assists	0.51	0.43
Progressive passes	4.66	3.67
Goal-creating actions	0.58	0.27
Progressive carries	3.86	3.4
Ball recoveries	3.32	5.21
Stats from FBref

A fee of £30m is a big investment just days before the transfer window slams shut, but Bakwa could be worth it for Leeds.

He is a “menacing” attacker, according to football scout Antonio Mango, and can hurt Premier League defenders with his efficiency in the final third.

If Bakwa can replace Raphinha, then he will be well-loved by Leeds fans this season and beyond.

Better than Okafor: Leeds eye last-minute move to sign "unplayable" star

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a last-minute move to sign a star who is even better than Noah Okafor.

2

By
Dan Emery

Aug 27, 2025

Glasgow Rangers return to action in the Scottish Premiership after the first international break of the season as they welcome Hearts to Ibrox this afternoon.

The Gers, amazingly, are still searching for their first league win of the campaign after four draws in their first four games under Russell Martin last month.

Rangers were held to a 0-0 draw by Celtic in their last match before the break at Ibrox, and Martin should be focused on getting more service to Bojan Miovski this time out.

Why Rangers need to create more for Bojan Miovski

The Scottish giants signed the Macedonia international from Girona last month to bolster their options in the number nine position, but he did not get the chances to showcase his finishing skills against the Hoops.

Miovski ended the match with zero ‘big chances’, 13 touches, and zero shots on target, per Sofascore, which shows that they did not get the ball to him in dangerous positions enough.

The left-footed forward, as shown in the graphic below, scored 32 goals in the Premiership during his two seasons with Aberdeen before his move to Girona in the summer of 2023. This means that he is a proven scorer who knows how to find the back of the net on a regular basis in the division.

It is, therefore, down to Martin to create a system and a starting line-up that gets the best out of the forward, which did not happen in the draw with Celtic last time out.

In order to help Miovski to thrive against Hearts, the Rangers head coach must not start with the wing pairing of Mikey Moore and Djeidi Gassama again.

The mistake Martin made for Rangers against Celtic

Martin made a mistake against Celtic by deploying Moore on the left wing and shifting Gassama out to the right against Kieran Tierney, which meant that he was unable to get at Anthony Ralston filling in at right-back for the away side.

Moore, per Transfermarkt, has scored more goals as an attacking midfielder or striker, 17 in 15 games, than he has as a left winger, four in 18, in his career to date, which suggests that he is at his best in a central position.

Gassama, meanwhile, started the season with four goals in eight appearances on the left wing before being moved to the right against Celtic for the first time, per Transfermarkt, and these two calls both backfired for the Ibrox side.

Minutes

72

82

Shots

2

0

Shots on target

0

0

Key passes

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

1/3

1/3

Possession lost

15x

10x

As you can see in the table above, the wing pairing ended the game with zero shots on target, one key pass, and zero ‘big chances’ created, whilst they also combined for two out of six dribbles completed.

The Daily Record handed both players 6/10 player ratings for their performances, which seems generous based on their statistics, and noted that Gassama did not look comfortable having to go down the line instead of cutting in.

Both players did not appear to be in positions that got the best out of them, as evidenced by their performances and how they have both performed in other roles at Rangers and elsewhere, and this had a knock-on effect on Miovski.

Because the two wide players were so ineffective for Rangers, the Macedonia international did not get any chances of note to test Kasper Schmeichel, which heavily contributed to the rather drab 0-0 draw that was served up by the two teams.

To correct his mistake, Martin should move Gassama back to his favoured position on the right and unleash Oliver Antman, who is a natural right winger, on the right wing to provide Miovski with the service that he needs.

The former Aberdeen marksman’s record at Premiership level suggests that he will score goals for the Gers if he gets chances, but he seems unlikely to get them if Moore and Gassama play together again in those roles.

Rangers must regret losing the "Mbappe of Scottish football" for nothing

Rangers had a star who was described as the Kylian Mbappe of Scottish football, then lost him for nothing.

ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2025

Mitchell Marsh hopes to be a one-club player in the BBL after re-signing with Perth Scorchers for the next three years.Australia’s T20I captain was out of contract at the end of last season and was not part of Scorchers’ ten pre-signed players prior to the player movement window, which led to some speculation as to whether he might be on the move.But Marsh was given some time by Scorchers to assess what his future looked like after losing his spot in the Test side in January. Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey did suggest earlier this week that the door was not closed on Marsh’s Test career. But Marsh has committed to Scorchers for the next three years and indicated that he expects to be playing much more BBL cricket, after playing just one game for Scorchers in the past three seasons.Related

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“I’m really proud to sign on with the Scorchers, a team that I’ve played with since I was a kid, and a franchise that has looked after me incredibly well,” Marsh said.”Being a one-club player was a big part of my decision, which was obviously quite an easy decision. I think with the landscape of cricket these days, a lot of us play for a lot of different teams around the world and the idea of always coming home and playing for the Scorchers and hopefully finishing my career as a one-club player will be something I’m really proud of in years to come.”A lot of the guys in this team are not only mates on the field but also some of my best friends in life – Joel Paris, who’s coming back across, was a groomsman at my wedding. Playing alongside your best mates is always a special experience.”I’ve tuned into every game the last few years and tried to feel part of it all. There’s no doubt I’ll be around a lot more the next few years and that’s something I’m really looking forward to. It’s all about contributing, trying to add value to our team, and making sure we get back to playing finals and chasing more silverware.”Marsh, 33, is the only player remaining on Scorchers’ list who played for them in the first season of the BBL. He made 77 not out against Sydney Sixers in the first-ever BBL final.Scorchers high performance manager Kade Harvey was pleased that Marsh was set to be available for the next three years.”Clearly, signing Mitch was a priority given his calibre as a person and player, so we’re excited to have him on board for another three seasons,” Harvey said. “Mitch has been massive for the fabric of our franchise since its foundation. Not only is he loyal to and passionate about the Scorchers, but Mitch is also the kind of person the rest of the team rallies around.”He offers leadership, experience and a range of skills on field that will benefit our side enormously, as well as a genuine hunger for success.”Meanwhile in the WBBL, Jess Jonassen has also remained a one-club player after re-signing with Brisbane Heat for two more seasons.Jonassen captained the side to the WBBL final last season and has played 147 matches for Heat, the most of any player. She is coming off an outstanding WPL, where she took 13 wickets for Delhi Capitals, the third most in the tournament, and made two half-centuries to help them reach their third successive final.

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal is backing Kylian Mbappe to prove that he can be “the best in the world”, with the French forward already showing that Real Madrid made no “mistake” in making him another ‘Galactico’. The World Cup winner moved to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2024 but has been unable to break his Champions League trophy duck and been overlooked in another battle for Ballon d’Or recognition.

• Getty
  

  Champions League and Ballon d'Or targets for Mbappe

  Mbappe has had his sights locked on those prestigious honours for some time. He made history at Paris Saint-Germain by becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer and has graced two World Cup finals with France. The expectation was that he would lead the generation of talent emerging behind all-time greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

  The Frenchman has been billed as a Golden Ball winner of the future ever since making a senior breakthrough while still in his teens. Mbappe is now 26 years of age and still has not earned a billing as the best player on the planet. Time is on his side, though, and he remains in the best possible surroundings when it comes to competing for collective and individual accolades.

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• Nadal tips Mbappe to become best in the world

  That is an opinion shared by tennis great Nadal, who is a big Real Madrid supporter. A man with 22 Grand Slam titles to his name believes that Mbappe is capable of taking up a standing at the very top of the global game. That is where the Blancos expected him to end up when completing a deal that had been mooted for several years.

  ‘King of Clay’ Nadal told when asked for his take on Mbappe, who netted 44 goals across his debut campaign in the Spanish capital: “When Kylian was signed, we knew what we were getting. Kylian was signed, believing he was the best in the world, and he’s having a great start to the season, proving it wasn’t a mistake to think he was the best in the world. He’s going to fight to be that, I’m convinced, and he’ll do so with a great team behind him. I’m especially excited that he’s succeeding like this because I know how excited he was too.”

• AFP
  

  Real Madrid top of La Liga after derby setback

  Mbappe has been back among the goals this season, finding the target on 14 occasions through just 10 appearances. He has been doing his bit to ensure that Real remain in the hunt for major trophies at home and abroad. They are back on top of the Liga table, two points clear of Clasico rivals Barcelona.

  One domestic defeat has been suffered in 2025-26, when going down 5-2 in a dramatic derby date with neighbours Atletico Madrid, with Xabi Alonso’s side responding to that setback in style when seeing off 10-man Villarreal. Nadal claims to see cause for optimism, adding: “Xabi is here, he knows the club well, he’s young, with a spectacular resume in Germany.

  “He’s started the season and won every match except one. He missed the derby, and it was too big a blow, but it feels like the world is ending. The reality is that I was fully prepared, and Real Madrid will fight for everything. A little calm, let the team work, which is vital, and not just think about the specific moment. We have to keep our sights set on a very long season, with big goals. It was a complicated start, and it’s turning out very well.”

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• Real Madrid fixtures: Testing run approaching

  Real have reached another international break, giving them an opportunity to rest and recharge – with the likes of Jude Bellingham, who has recovered from shoulder surgery, getting the chance to work on building their fitness.

  The Blancos will return to action on October 19 when making a short trip to Getafe. They will then enter a crucial run of fixtures in domestic and continental competition. Over the course of four games – with three of those taking place at the Bernabeu – Real will face Juventus, Barcelona and Liverpool.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo entra em campo para enfrentar o Cuiabá, às 18h30 (de Brasília) deste sábado (22), na capital mato-grossense, peloCampeonato Brasileiro. Para o duelo, o objetivo da equipe de Dorival Júnior é evidente: manter a boa fase. O Tricolor ocupa a quarta colocação na classificação, com 25 pontos. Uma combinação de resultados pode levar o clube do Morumbi à vice-liderança.

O Tricolor não perde há seis jogos. No período foram cinco vitórias e um empate, sequência inferior apenas à alcançada por Dorival em sua chegada, no início da principal competição nacional.

RelacionadasSão PauloPrincipais notícias do dia do São Paulo hoje: Nikão emperra negociação, Ferraresi fica e Rafinha liberado para homenagem na AlemanhaSão Paulo21/07/2023São Paulo!Dia do fico! São Paulo chega a acordo com Grupo City e encaminha novo contrato com FerraresiSão Paulo21/07/2023São Paulo!Assim fica difícil! São Paulo tem mais um interessado em Nikão, mas jogador não quer deixar CruzeiroSão Paulo21/07/2023

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Tricolor com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Para o duelo no Mato Grosso, o São Paulo vive o dilema de escalar força máxima desde o início ou optar por uma formação mista, buscando preservar suas principais peças de olho no confronto de terça-feira (25), às 21h30 (de Brasília), no jogo de ida da semifinal da Copa do Brasil contra o rival Corinthians, em Itaquera.

Alguns desfalques são certos para o jogo. O atacante David está suspenso, enquanto o lateral-direito Rafinha foi liberado por diretoria e comissão técnica para participar de um evento na Alemanha do Bayern de Munique onde será homenageado. Em compensação o treinador contou com retornos importantes de mais nomes que estavam entregues ao departamento médico: o zagueiro Beraldo e o meia Talles Costa voltam a ser relacionados após se recuperarem.

FICHA TÉCNICA
CUIABÁ x SÃO PAULO
CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 16ª RODADA

Data e hora: 22/7/2023 (sábado), às 18h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Arena Pantanal, em Cuiabá (MT)
Árbitro: Bruno Mota Correia (RJ)
Auxiliares: Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha (RJ) e Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (PR)
VAR: Rodrigo Nunes de Sa (Fifa-RJ)
Transmissão: Premiere e em tempo real pelo Lance!

CUIABÁ
Walter; Matheus Alexandre, Marllon, Alan Empereur e Rikelme; Raniele, Deenílson e Fernando Sobral; Clayson, Deyverson e Jonathan Cafú
Técnico: António Oliveira

SUSPENSO: Pablo Ceppelini

PENDURADOS: Denílson e Jonathan Cafú

SÃO PAULO
Rafael; Nathan (Raí Ramos), Arboleda (Matheus Belém), Diego Costa (Beraldo) e Caio (Welington); Pablo Maia, Alisson (Luan) e Nestor (Michel Araujo); Juan (Alexandre Pato), Luciano e Calleri (Erison)
Técnico: Dorival Júnior

DESFALQUES: Galoppo (cirurgia no joelho esquerdo), Igor Vinícius (transição após cirurgia no púbis), Alan Franco (dores na perna direita), Gabriel Neves (fraturas nas costelas), Moreira (aprimoram forma física) e Rafinha (liberado por questões particulares)

SUSPENSO: David

PENDURADOS: Alan Franco, Rafinha, Raí Ramos, Caio, Patryck, Alisson, Rodriguinho, Wellington Rato, Michel Araújo, Luciano, Calleri e Marcos Paulo

+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão

+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados da Copa do Brasil-23 na tabela do LANCE!

أوضح رئيس برشلونة، خوان لابورتا، رأيه في إمكانية فقدان النادي لملكيته الجماعية وانتقاله إلى نموذج الشركات المساهمة الذي تتبعه أندية أخرى في أوروبا مثل مانشستر سيتي وباريس سان جيرمان.

وتحدث لابورتا عن موقفه الحازم من هذه الفكرة، مؤكدًا أن الوضع القانوني لبرشلونة يشكل درعًا يحميه من الوقوع تحت سيطرة جهات خارجية.

ودافع لابورتا عن القيم الإنسانية لبرشلونة، قائلاً في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “نعم، يمكننا أن نكون أكثر من مجرد نادٍ في عام 2025، نحن نادٍ عالمي حافظ على جوهره التأسيسي، الذي يُعرّف بأنه أكثر من مجرد نادٍ، وفخرنا بجذورنا الكتالونية، وفي الوقت نفسه، القدرة على استيعاب وفهم جميع أنماط تفكير جماهير برشلونة”.

وأكمل: “لا يمكنك فصل الجانب الرياضي عن الجانب المؤسسي أو التمثيلي، برشلونة مؤسسة، ولا يمكن التعامل معه بمعايير تجارية بحتة، فالأمر أكثر تعقيدًا من ذلك، يجب إدارة برشلونة بكفاءة مالية وإدارية، نعم، لكن مع حساسية خاصة تجاه القضايا الرياضية والاجتماعية”.

واسترسل: “المفتاح لإدارة كل هذا معقد، ولا يمكن فصله إلى أجزاء مستقلة، عليك أن تجمع بين معايير مبنية على أسس اقتصادية، وأخرى تتطلب حسًّا إنسانيًا واجتماعيًا أكبر، وجميعها يجب أن تتعايش بانسجام تام”.

اقرأ أيضًا | لابورتا يبرر انفعال فليك: تصرف إنساني نابع من الشغف والحكم أخطأ في حقه

وحول مخاطر أن ينتهي الأمر بنادي برشلونة في يد صندوق استثماري ويتحوّل من نادٍ مملوك لأعضائه إلى شركة رياضية مساهمة، أوضح لابورتا: “بسبب وضعنا القانوني، من الصعب جدًا أن يتم استغلال برشلونة أو السيطرة عليه من قبل جهات خارجية”.

وأتم: “تلك الدول التي تمتلك صناديق استثمارية تهتم بالاستثمار في الأندية، لكن في حالة برشلونة الأمر معقد للغاية، نحن نسعى إلى إقامة علاقات من خلال رعاية تجارية، لا من خلال المساهمات في رأس المال، لأننا لسنا شركة مساهمة، نحافظ على مسافة واضحة من هؤلاء المستثمرين المحتملين، ونرسم خطًا فاصلاً لا يمكن تجاوزه”.

Birmingham City completed the summer transfer window with one of the highest quantities of arrivals in the Championship, despite being quite a way off the highest expenditure.

Tom Wagner and Tom Brady oversaw permanent transfers, loan moves and free agent arrivals for 14 new players for a net spend of just over £3.6 million for Chris Davies. They ranked 7th for highest net spend, and only a small number of teams had more arrivals; however, leading up to deadline day, Davies shared his desire for more arrivals:

“I think we need a little bit of reinforcement, just depth in our defensive area and again, we could do with a bit more depth, maybe higher up the pitch as well. But we have to see what the squad looks like in the next couple of days because there’s a lot of moving parts to it, as I said. But everyone’s trying, we’ll see what happens.”

The Blues did manage to bring in late additions in defender Jack Robinson and winger Patrick Roberts from Sheffield United and Sunderland respectively. However, it now looks like that deadline day didn’t satiate Davies’s desire for reinforcements and so Birmingham are looking to take advantage of the free agent market to bring in a Premier League-proven midfielder.

Birmingham front-runners to sign free agent Oxlade-Chamberlain

Birmingham City are looking to reinforce their midfield options and continue developing into a Premier League quality team by bringing in free agent and former Premier League winner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Since leaving Liverpool in 2023, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been playing for the Turkish side Besiktas. However, in mid-August, it started being reported that Besiktas were looking to terminate Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract and that the midfielder was interested in a move back to England. On August 27th, the Turkish side paid off the remaining £1.5 million of his contract, making him a free agent.

While any club could have signed the Nike-sponsored midfielder during the transfer window, clubs focused on deals that required an actual club-to-club transfer, as being a free agent, Oxlade-Chamberlain can be signed at any time.

Ever since the rumours of a contract termination first broke, Birmingham have been one of the most heavily connected teams. Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke has now reported that Birmingham are at the forefront of the race to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain and are the leading candidates. However, they face competition from European teams as well as Premier League side Leeds United.

Opportunity to sign "wonderful" midfielder

If Birmingham can tempt Oxlade-Chamberlain away from his other suitors, they will be receiving a seasoned player with Champions League and International experience.

When he joined Besiktas, his former Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, had plenty of praise, calling Oxlade-Chamberlain “wonderful”.

In the years since Klopp said this about Oxlade-Chamberlain, his injury record hasn’t improved. However, the experience that he can bring to the Birmingham side, having gone through a successful promotion campaign with Southampton and having copious amounts of Premier League experience, will make him an invaluable addition to the team.

Santiago Giménez has yet to score in Serie A after six appearances for AC Milan, with his lone goal coming in the Coppa Italia. Still, manager Massimiliano Allegri insists the Mexico striker has his full trust, praising Giménez’s importance to Milan’s structure and work rate after Sunday’s goalless draw with Juventus.

Getty Images Sport'He gives us structure'

AC Milan were forced to settle for a draw against Juventus on Sunday, ending their four-game winning streak in Serie A. couldn’t capitalize on their strong form and dropped to third place after six rounds after previously being on the top of the league. 

Giménez led the line once again for Milan, logging just over an hour before being replaced by Rafael Leão. Despite the striker's scoreless streak extending to another match, Allegri couldn’t have been clearer about how much he values the Mexican's contribution.

“Santiago is a fundamental piece of this team,” Allegri said after the match. “He gives us structure – the way he connects play, holds up the ball, and presses from the front is vital. The goals will come, but what he brings goes well beyond statistics.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportStill searching for a goal

While the goals haven’t flowed as many fans expected, Giménez’s professionalism has earned him the trust of both his teammates and Allegri. Since arriving from Feyenoord, the 24-year-old has tallied seven goals in 27 appearances, numbers that don’t fully capture his influence on the pitch.

“Giménez played really well today,” Allegri added. “He worked hard, created spaces, and even forced a penalty. I took him off thinking Leão could give us a different spark, but Santi didn’t deserve to come out.”

Getty Images SportMilan in strong form

Gimenez was reportedly close to leaving Milan on deadline day this summer, yet decided to stay and fight for his place. That decision seems to be paying off – Milan have won five of their last six games in all competitions.

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Getty Images SportNext stop: International duty

Giménez now turns his focus to the national team, having been included in Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad for the October friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador. With Raúl Jiménez unavailable due to injury, the Milan striker could lead the attack for – another opportunity to show why his club manager calls him “fundamental.”