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With Leeds United looking to shift their focus away from title celebrations and towards the summer transfer window, the 49ers are now reportedly in active talks to sign an attacking target.

All eyes on the Premier League for Leeds

There will no doubt still be those partying in Yorkshire after Leeds sealed the Championship title ahead of Burnley on goal difference, having both hit the 100-point mark. The open-top bus parade was certainly a spectacle, as the city poured into the streets to make up for lost time in their 2019/20 promotion during the pandemic and the players enjoyed the release that they were desperate for all season.

Daniel Farke spoke of his pride after earning title glory alongside promotion to the Premier League, telling reporters: “I’m happy we won and are allowed to label ourselves as champions and to be the best team through the whole season.

“A proud day, an emotionally moving day because we have invested so much and wanted to crown ourselves with some silverware. For many of my lads it was the first time they’d won any title, I’m very happy for them, my staff, our supporters. It’s a pretty proud day.”

Farke's next Pukki: Leeds looking to sign "powerful" £17m striker

Daniel Farke will hope this new potential signing can become his next Teemu Pukki at Leeds United.

ByKelan Sarson May 9, 2025

The celebrations can’t go on forever though, and with their return to the Premier League on the horizon, Leeds are beginning to turn their focus back towards what is a crucial summer transfer window. As the 49ers desperately look to get things right, several names have already threatened to steal the headlines.

Names such as Beto and Archie Brown have both been mentioned in the last week or so and there’s no doubt that both could make an impact. Before either of those two potentially arrive, however, the 49ers have reportedly set their sights on a familiar face.

Leeds in active talks to sign Solomon

According to The Boot Room, the 49ers are in active talks to sign Manor Solomon on a permanent basis from Tottenham Hotspur this summer as they aim to make him their first signing of the summer.

Spurs are reportedly demanding as much as £20m for their winger, amid interest elsewhere from Everton and Marseille, with Leeds willing to offer around £15m. Given that the player reportedly wants to complete a return to Elland Road, it remains to be seen just how much of a problem that difference in valuation proves to be.

The old saying says that you should not fall in love with a loan player, but Solomon did almost everything to win the hearts of Leeds fans following a tough start to life in Yorkshire. Ending the campaign with 10 goals – including the one to win the title late on against Plymouth Argyle – signing Solomon should be top of the 49ers’ wishlist.

A player that Kevin de Bruyne described as “excellent” back in September, a swift reunion between Leeds and Solomon is one that makes sense for all parties this summer.

Barcelona and their sporting director Deco have made £120,000-per-week Newcastle United star a top transfer target, according to a recent report.

Newcastle chasing attacking reinforcements this summer

The Magpies still have plenty to play for in what has been a tremendous campaign, as they ended their long wait to lift a trophy. Eddie Howe’s side are still firmly in the race to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, and the hope will be that securing that will help them when it comes to transfers this summer.

Mega-money Harvey Barnes upgrade: Newcastle want to sign £62m forward

Newcastle are hoping to strengthen in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 23, 2025

The transfer window doesn’t open until the beginning of June, but already, Newcastle are lining up potential arrivals. According to a recent report, Newcastle are interested in a move to sign Alexis Saelemaekers from Italian giants AC Milan. The midfielder has been sent out on loan to AS Roma this season, and on his return at the end of the campaign, he could be allowed to leave, with Milan looking to get around £17 million for his services. His arrival would strengthen a midfield that already has plenty of exciting options.

As well as looking at ways to improve their midfield, Newcastle are also looking at improving their forward line, especially as Alexander Isak continues to be linked with a move away from St James’ Park.

According to L’Equipe, Newcastle have made Emanuel Emegha a transfer target, as the forward has been mightily impressive for Strasbourg. The striker is said to be open to a move to England and could be seen as a potential replacement for Isak, should he depart.

Barcelona now choose £120k-p/w Newcastle star to replace De Jong

However, signing a player like Saelemaekers may become more of a priority for the Magpies, as according to a report from Spain, Barcelona now want to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle as a replacement for Frenkie De Jong.

The report states that Deco is now working on a replacement for De Jong, as while the Dutchman is under contract until the summer of 2026, talks over a new deal are not advancing.

Therefore, he could be moved on by the Spanish giants, and they have identified Tonali as the perfect replacement. It claims that Barça see the Newcastle midfielder as someone who can immediately fit into their system and would be perfect to cover De Jong.

Tonali, who earns £120,000 a week at St James’ Park, has been on Barça’s radar for a while, even before he joined the Magpies. His performances in England for Newcastle have now confirmed to the Spanish giants how good he really is.

Apps

31

Starts

23

Goals

3

xG

3.53

Shots per game

0.9

Assists

2

xAG

1.35

Big chances created

2

Key passes

0.4

Tackles per game

1.5

Interceptions per game

0.9

Barça would place Tonali as essential to their midfield plans, but the fact he is under contract until 2028 and is expected to cost a lot of money are two stumbling blocks for Barcelona. However, they are confident that if De Jong doesn’t sign a new contract, it will give them an opportunity to sign Tonali, but this transfer hinges on what happens to the future of De Jong.

The 29-year-old has had an up-and-down India career but that has worked in her favour

Sruthi Ravindranath15-Jun-2024D Hemalatha’s life was going exactly as she had planned. It was the 2015-16 season and she had started playing cricket only three years prior. But she rose through the ranks and was already on the verge of being called up to the Indian team. But a motorcycle accident left her with a broken wrist. She had injured her top hand. She was advised to take a year or two off from playing cricket. Excessive hand movement may aggravate the injury, she was warned.”‘ (that was the biggest setback of my life),” Hemalatha, who was only 20 at the time of the event, said to ESPNcricinfo. “I couldn’t digest the fact that I was going to lose two years to this. I was at my peak age. I was in form. In cricket, not playing for 2-3 months is seen as a setback, and one or two years was drastic, especially at the start of my career.”Even with her wrist bandaged, she was itching to hold her bat. She would check the grip every time she walked past it. In just one and a half months after the accident, she took out the bat, swinging it around with her bottom hand. And within seven months, she was back to playing full-time. She owes all of it to her ‘love’ for cricket.”Every time I looked at my bat, I’d want to pick it up. I was mentally stressed just thinking about it. It’s probably [the thing] that pushed me to recover within seven months. But that was the time I worked on my mental strength. It’s only during those hard times you’ll think more. The way you speak to yourself, the reason you’re working to achieve. The hard times taught me how to grow mentally. That’s my life lesson.”Hemalatha was forced to start from scratch again after her accident, but very soon found herself in the India A mix. Following a couple of impressive performances for India A against the Australia and England A sides, she earned a maiden call-up to the senior side in March 2018. She eventually made her India debut in July that year against Sri Lanka following which she also found a place in the T20 World Cup squad in 2018.Even after making the India squad, her career continued on an up-and-down course. After the Women’s Asia Cup in October 2022, she spent the next 16 months out of the team.Hemalatha: My strike rate should be more than 100, I focus on that•ECB via Getty ImagesIt was the “mental strength” Hemalatha had cultivated during these difficult times that played a big role in her comeback into the Indian team this time around. After sitting out of the senior side for 16 months following an average run, she was called up for the T20I series against Bangladesh in April-May this year. Her superb outing in that series has also earned her a spot in the white-ball sides for the South Africa series. And it’s an opportunity she is not taking for granted.”When I realised I’m getting a chance again [with the Indian team], I told myself I wanted to make use of the opportunities,” she said. “It doesn’t matter at which level you play, you need that mental strength. Playing for India is a big goal, but only if I perform in these smaller games I can get there, and for that too you need mental strength. Even when I made my India comeback, I didn’t take it easy. It was not my end goal. I never thought ‘there’s nothing bigger than this’. Even after getting there, I was focused on giving my best for the team, was thinking of all the ways to win a game.”Hemalatha says they were small games but in actual fact, those games, and her performances in them were anything but small. She scored 199 runs in six innings at 49.75 for Railways in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy last year. She scored two fifties and played a part in Railways’ title win in the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy this year and then went on to win the Women’s Inter-Zonal ODI Trophy with Central Zone. She shone brightly in Gujarat Giants’ otherwise dull season in the WPL, her 74 off 40 against Mumbai Indians being one of the highlights.With Jemimah Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia out due to injuries and Hemalatha showing the kind of consistency that could no longer be ignored, India gave her the No. 3 role in Bangladesh and she didn’t disappoint.During her comeback match, the second T20I in Sylhet, she showed off just how well she strikes the ball, coming down the track to middle offspinner Sultana Khatun over cow corner for her first big hit of the day, ending with 41 off 24 balls. Over the course of four games, she showcased a fine range of shots, from picture-perfect cover drives to lofts down the ground to sweetly-timed sweeps to finish with a series-highest strike rate of 141.55D Hemalatha was a bright spot in an otherwise dull 2024 WPL campaign for the Gujarat Giants•BCCI”My strike rate should be more than 100, I focus on that,” Hemalatha said. “I work on my basics and that helps with my hard-hitting. Batting is all about timing, so I work on that. If you have good timing, the ball will go long. I have been working on my range-hitting as well. Even during the WPL I worked on it. I don’t focus only on that in my training though, if there’s a requirement for me to hit it, I will. But if there’s a situation where I need to stay at the crease, I will stay. I can play both. I never plan my innings before.”Hemalatha got to know women played cricket professionally only before she got into college in 2012. She was excited about the prospect of making a career out of it. Her parents, initially hesitant about her new career path, eventually encouraged her to take it up. Her father had one piece of advice for her: ‘Whatever you do, put your heart into it’. She learnt her basics from her coach, Sriram, in her neighbourhood. Once she got selected for the Tamil Nadu state team, she started training under Peter Fernandez, a well-known cricket coach in Chennai.She then moved from Tamil Nadu to the Railways domestic team, where she played with Mithali Raj, one of her idols. They played together in the Indian team as well and were reunited at the WPL where Mithali is Giants’ mentor.”Mithali is a legend,” Hemalatha said. “You can ask her anything – about the game, mindset, how to go about the match… just anything. She has all the answers. It has helped me tremendously on and off the field. She knows what my strengths are. She talks to me about plans against specific bowlers, how to hit on a specific pitch, she gives so many inputs. We discuss even during practice. Even after I come back from batting we have a proper chat.”Hemalatha expects a lot from herself. In the middle of that breakthrough series in Bangladesh, she was certain she was playing an innings that she didn’t like only to arrive in the dressing room and be celebrated for her strokeplay.”Harmanpreet [Kaur, the India captain] is a fighter, she’s very aggressive on the field” Hemalatha said. “Off the field she’s very friendly and amazing. After the second T20I, she came up to me and told me that I have beautiful shots. Only then was I convinced that I actually played well. When I came out after batting, everyone was full of praise. When I was playing, I wasn’t too satisfied. But when the team told me I played well, I got convinced.”From here, Hemalatha will be keen to take all the motivation and confidence she has gained over a career that has had plenty of highs and lows to make her spot in the India side permanent.

This IPL has seen a few feisty reunions, featuring Warner, Rashid, Kuldeep, Chahal, and others

Yash Jha07-May-2022A player-franchise association of years breaks down every few years. Now with a new home side, a player meets his old friend and turns up big against them. It’s a script that plays out often and with much interest around it. Like in football, the IPL, now that it is a decade-and-a-half into existence, is seeing its own share of feisty reunions, and a fair few players have turned the heat on their past employers this season. We pick the most notable such contributions so far in IPL 2022:David Warner (Delhi Capitals): 92* (58) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Brabourne StadiumDavid Warner scored a match-winning knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad•BCCIIt’s hard to think of a more publicly acrimonious fallout in the IPL than the one between Sunrisers and Warner in 2021: team legend, he led them to the 2016 title, three Orange Caps in six completed seasons alone for Sunrisers, and yet reduced to a reserve.Warner quashed any arguments of how much was left in the tank with a Player-of-the-Tournament medal in Australia’s title win at the T20 World Cup that followed the IPL season last year. Well into this IPL campaign came his chance to take on his team of the previous seven years.He grabbed it with both hands, playing that quintessential Warner knock that had heralded so many Sunrisers victories in the past: cautious to begin with, unaffected by wickets at the other end, upping the gears with ease, and batting it out till the end. He took his time and picked his battles – 15 off 13 balls against Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but 47 off 25 versus Umran Malik and Kartik Tyagi combined – and was the fulcrum of Capitals’ charge to 207 for 3, which proved too good for his old team.Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans): 31*(11) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Wankhede StadiumRashid Khan finished on 31 in 11 balls•BCCIThe absence of Rashid from Sunrisers’ list of retained players ahead of the 2022 auction sparked off the most blazing debate with many questioning the franchise owners and team management’s logic.It turned out to be an evening to forget for Rashid when he came on to bowl against Sunrisers. It was probably the familiarity that helped Sunrisers’ batters taking Rashid apart: he conceded 40-plus runs for only the third time in the IPL, with Abhishek Sharma smashing him for 34 from just 15 balls.But Titans – who had gleefully lapped Rashid up as one of their three draft picks – would have the final laugh.The tie seemed beyond Titans with 56 needed from the final four overs when Rashid joined Rahul Tewatia in the middle. The equation became 37 off 14 after Rashid hit his first six – a helicopter flick off Bhuvneshwar – and some blows from Tewatia brought it down to 15 off four, with Rashid on strike, facing Marco Jansen. Six, dot, six, six: a stunning sequence left Sunrisers seething, the usually-calm Muthiah Muralidaran fuming, and Titans extending their stay at the top of the table.Wriddhiman Saha (Gujarat Titans): 68 (38) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Wankhede StadiumWriddhiman Saha reached fifty in 28 balls•BCCIThat Titans were still in the hunt in the back-end of that chase was down to another ex-Sunrisers man. Saha got a late entry into the XI after the move to play Matthew Wade at the top didn’t work, and he hadn’t done much in his first two outings (11 off 18 and 25 off 25).But he took the attack to Sunrisers, comfortably outscoring Shubman Gill in a strong start to Titans’ pursuit of 196. The openers faced 18 balls each in the powerplay – Saha scored 39 and Gill 15. Saha brought up a 28-ball fifty and continued to motor on, leaving Titans with 74 to get off 40 balls by the time he was done.Saha was fluent against his former Sunrisers team-mates, taking 10 from seven balls off Bhuvneshwar and 13 off six off T Natarajan, while taking Marco Jansen to the cleaners: 26 off nine balls, laced with four fours and a six.Kuldeep Yadav (Delhi Capitals) : 4 for 35, Brabourne Stadium and 4 for 14, Wankhede Stadium, both vs Kolkata Knight RidersKuldeep Yadav was a thorn in KKR’s side•BCCIFrom 2019 to 2021, Kuldeep Yadav had bowled 270 balls for Knight Riders in the IPL and picked up just five wickets. By the time he bowled his 27th delivery against them this season, the Capitals’ lead spinner had crossed that tally, and he is the second-highest wicket-taker this IPL right now.The first rubber was a high-scoring clash at Brabourne, and Kuldeep had gone wicketless while conceding 28 runs from his first 16 balls – but his last eight deliveries would decisively turn the game in Capitals’ favour. He had Shreyas Iyer stumped for 54 off 33 before dismissing Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine and Umesh Yadav in the space of four balls – the last an excellent caught-and-bowled effort.Kuldeep took it to another level 18 days later. After getting rid of B Indrajith and Narine off consecutive deliveries in his first over, he got the wickets of Shreyas and Andre Russell in his third. It could have been more than a four-for, but Capitals – for some reason – didn’t bowl out Kuldeep’s quota.Yuzvendra Chahal (Rajasthan Royals): 2 for 15 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Wankhede StadiumYuzvendra Chahal also struck against his former side•BCCIChahal’s exclusion from Royal Challengers’ shortlist was one of the talking points when the retentions were announced ahead of the mega auction. Between 2014 and 2021, Chahal picked up 139 wickets in 113 games for Royal Challengers; no bowler took more wickets in the IPL in that period.That provided enough intrigue as the legspinner lined up against his old unit early in the 2022 season, and although his new team – Royals – couldn’t get the win, Chahal was arguably the best bowler on the night. He returned superlative figures of 2 for 15 from his four overs, accounting for Faf du Plessis and David Willey, and also playing a part in the run out of his former captain Virat Kohli.Rahul Tripathi (Sunrisers Hyderabad): 71 (37) vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Brabourne StadiumRahul Tripathi brought up his half-century in just 21 balls•PTI With 397 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 140, Tripathi was key to Knight Riders’ run to the final last season and second only to Gill on their run-scoring charts. Knight Riders did stay in pursuit of him till the INR 6-crore mark at this year’s auction, before seeing Sunrisers eventually acquire the 31-year-old for INR 8.5 crore (USD 1.1 million approx.).Tripathi walked out early in Sunrisers’ chase of 176, and took the attack to Knight Riders. Sunrisers went from 15 for 1 at the end of the third over to 105 for 2 after 11, with Tripathi flaying 53 of those runs off just 23 balls. He was particularly severe on Varun Chakravarthy, taking 19 runs from six balls off him, including two magnificently-driven sixes on the off side.Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran (Sunrisers Hyderabad) vs Punjab Kings, DY Patil Stadium
Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran took their side home•BCCIMarkram and Pooran had been part of the Punjab Kings line-up that found ways to not finish over the line in 2021. The pair, most notably, was in the middle for that Kartik Tyagi over last year when Kings contrived to lose to Royals in Dubai.So what could be more IPL than the same duo being tasked to finish off a chase against Kings? It wasn’t the most nerve-wracking equation – 75 needed from 57 balls when Pooran joined Markram in the middle – but they assembled knowing there wasn’t a lot to follow for Sunrisers. Shashank Singh, who hadn’t batted in the IPL until then, was slated at No. 6, and J Suchith at No. 7.They took Sunrisers home with little trouble. Markram was fluent in his 41 off 27, Pooran solid in his 30-ball 35, and Sunrisers were over the line with seven balls to spare.

Players who have been dropped have more chance to question the decision-makers

Daniel Brettig30-Apr-2020Players left off Cricket Australia’s men’s contract list for next season will not feel any better than the countless others to have a similar experience over the 35 years since the governing body unified marketing and playing contracts into one authoritative annual ledger.However, they will be the most informed about the circumstances around their omissions and the paths by which they may find a way back into the fold, after the national selection panel instituted a long overdue process of granting players more information about how they have been judged, and a formal opportunity to debate their individual feedback with selectors.What can be seen in this decision are the influences of a couple of events last season. First there were the withdrawals of numerous players for mental health reasons, with anxiety around selection or non-selection and the issues within it always a source of angst. Secondly, CA chose to appoint the widely respected George Bailey as a selector, with a brief to work on improving communication between panel and players.ALSO READ: Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis lose Cricket Australia contractsFor Trevor Hohns, who has been either a selector or chairman of the panel over two stints stretching back to 1993, it is a significant change from years of communications between players and selectors that varied wildly.Over many years it was even non-existent, as players heard about their omissions via radio broadcasts or perhaps the different city to which their flight baggage was tagged. Phone calls gradually became the norm, but even then they would often be short conversations between selectors eager to break the news and move on, and players reeling from the shock of having their income drastically reduced in an instant. Hohns summarised the change.”What I can tell you is all players have been contacted, those that have been awarded a contract have been contacted. Those who were in the contract list last year and have been omitted, they’ve been contacted and spoken to,” Hohns said. “Then we’ve followed that up with a letter confirming their inclusion or their omission.”For those who have been omitted, there’s also been some feedback from the national selection panel included in that letter. So they can digest that. Then in the next week or so, someone from the panel – it may well be the coach – will call those players and give them the opportunity to discuss it and debate that feedback that has been provided. I think the system should work pretty well.”Usman Khawaja hasn’t topped 40 in six Ashes innings so far•Getty ImagesThis system will run in concert with selection criteria that are evolving and increasing in depth all the time. “As far as selecting, we obviously watch a lot of cricket, we know the players, we think we know them back to front, we know what they can do,” Hohns said. “We keep our own notes, we keep our own information, but we also provide a lot of data, a lot of statistics. There’s a fair bit of that research goes into it, and that’s a matter of the simple part is what they’ve done over the last 12 months.”We know all that, we have all the records, but then we have to try to project where they may fit in to our teams going forward into the next 12 months. That’s basically how we do it. We take other things into account as well of course and these days a fair amount’s placed on character, placed on fitness and how they present themselves. All those things come into play when we’re ranking them.”Hohns is currently on a short-term bridging contract with CA as further deliberations about his future are placed on hold by the Covid-19 pandemic. But the formalisation of feedback from selectors to players and back the other way has the distinct ring of Bailey’s influence since he was appointed a selector late last year, before he had retired from a long first-class and limited-overs career that saw him captain Australia in ODIs and T20s while also playing five Tests.Typically of his reputation for thoughtfulness and clear communication skills, Bailey had made it plain that he was taking soundings from team-mates and opponents alike while still playing as to what they wanted to see from the national panel.”I’m trying to ask a lot of the players now,” Bailey told 2GB Radio in December. “My understanding of it is and in my experience I reckon what they’re after is a really logical sequence of events. I think players can understand selections when they can see a process has been followed and a player has been picked with a really good argument and reasoning behind it. I think at times that maybe hasn’t happened.”I think the other things that players want, they may not want it at the time, is brutal honesty. Players would prefer to be hit between the eyes with the real reason that they are or aren’t being selected rather than perhaps a reason that has been made to let them down gently or make them feel better about it. There’s no great way to deliver particularly getting dropped, a message for that point in time that you’re ruining someone’s dream.”Asked about Bailey, Hohns spoke warmly of the qualities he had brought to the selection table. “George has been very good. His input has been invaluable, he’s a very experienced cricketer, as we all know. He’s been an Australian captain as well, so he certainly knows all the players, knows them back to front because he’s only recently retired.”Australia’s cricketers, it is easy to suspect, are looking forward to seeing his name flash up on their phones too, even at times when the news might not be good for them.

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has named his two players of the season so far, and they’re not who you would expect.

Arsenal looking to make it 10 games unbeaten against Crystal Palace

After putting Atlético Madrid to the sword on Tuesday night, Mikel Arteta is now looking to extend Arsenal’s impressive unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 games against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Palace, who recently saw their own 19-game unbeaten streak come to an end against Everton before the international break, will be tricky customers for an Arsenal side who need every point they can muster.

Arteta’s side are in high spirits right now and look absolutely rock solid, having conceded just three goals in the Premier League so far this season, and they have plenty of stars to thank for their imperiousness.

Gabriel and William Saliba continue to cement their places among world football’s best centre-backs, with the former majorly contributing going forward as well. His threat from set plays has been a constant thorn in the opposition’s side since the very start of last season, and Gabriel’s carried this trend into 25/26 as teams struggle to find an answer.

Bukayo Saka, now that he’s returned from a hamstring problem, is back to his imperious best and caused Atlético all sorts of problems on the right-hand side, with Paul Merson saying he had the La Liga side “on toast”.

Bukayo Saka

5

Gabriel Magalhaes

3

Viktor Gyokeres

3

Julian Alvarez

3

Eberechi Eze

2

via WhoScored

Before his knee injury, Noni Madueke was seriously impressing too, while goalkeeper David Raya was rewarded with new and improved terms recently amid his continued contribution to the team.

Declan Rice has also stood out as the linchpin of Arsenal’s midfield, with Martin Zubimendi doing a stellar job alongside the England international.

However, according to Parlour, two completely different names have shone above the rest.

Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori named Arsenal's players of the season so far

Speaking to EPL Index, Parlour claimed that Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are quietly outshining everyone, even with Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s rise to the Premier League summit.

Timber has been a rock at the back, showcasing defensive brilliance with more tackles on average per 90 in the Premier League than any other Arsenal player, according to WhoScored.

The Dutchman is also their best-performing player by average match rating (WhoScored), so the numbers absolutely support Parlour’s theory.

Timber really needs to start getting even more credit from pundits who arguably don’t mention him enough, but Arsenal recognise his stellar contribution amid reports they’re speaking to the right-back about a new and improved deal.

Calafiori, meanwhile, has kept budding teenage star Myles Lewis-Skelly out of the team with his very impressive performances at left-back so far, with the Italian averaging more tackles on average than any other defender in the team, including both Saliba and Gabriel.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nos bastidores do Beira-Rio, a saída de Andrés D’Alessandro do cargo de diretor esportivo, anunciada na noite de terça-feira (9), não chegou a ser lamentada. O fim de mais um ciclo do ídolo colorado na avenida Padre Cacique é, acima de tudo, o retrato de um desgaste interno que se transformou incontornável diante da falta de entrega de resultados. O Lance! conta o que sabe sobre o pedido de demissão do ex-camisa 10 do Internacional.

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➡️Tudo sobre o Colorado agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Internacional

Bastidores da saída de D’Alessandro

O pedido do campeão da Libertadores de 2010 ao presidente alvirrubro para não permanecer foi desencadeado por outro movimento do cartola. Pouco antes, Alessandro Barcellos havia demitido o diretor executivo André Mazzuco. Ao se reunir com o cartola, D’Alessandro disse que, dessa forma, preferia não continuar no clube.

Barcellos não fez força para manter o argentino, aceitando de bate-pronto sua posição. A avaliação nos corredores do Beira-Rio sobre a performance de D’Ale no cargo ficou clara. De acordo com o que ouviu o Lance!, pouco consideraram o trabalho do ídolo bem-sucedido na função.

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Sua principal missão era manter o vestiário mobilizado, ser ponte permanente entre jogadores, comissão técnica e direção. Nada disso aconteceu de forma satisfatória. Principalmente no primeiro quesito, já que o time esteve desmotivado em boa parte da temporada. Soma-se a isso, contratações indicadas por ele fracassaram.

Desgaste acentuado na última semana

Todo esse cenário gerou um desgaste, que foi acentuado na última semana, quando D’Alessandro procurou rádios de Porto Alegre para motivar a torcida para o jogo contra o Bragantino. Entre dirigentes e até jogadores, o movimento foi visto como uma forma de “limpar” sua imagem junto aos fãs.

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A decisão de romper com D’Ale, principalmente por conta da sua imagem, não estava amadurecida dentro do Conselho de Gestão, onde parte dos integrantes viam seu trabalho com insuficiente. A decisão do argentino de não permanecer com a saída de Mazzuco facilitou.

A consequência mais imediata dessa ruptura pode recai sobre a permanência de Abel Braga. Cotado para assumir um cargo no Departamento de Futebol, o ex-técnico tinha em Mazzuco e, principalmente, em D’Alessandro, nomes de confiança, tanto que havia manifestado desejo de trabalhar com o camisa 10 no Inter.

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Sky Sports presenter Dan Bardell has now shed light on a “sneaky” Leeds United moment against Aston Villa, which VAR may have missed in Unai Emery’s side’s 2-1 win at Elland Road.

Morgan Rogers’ second-half double sealed Aston Villa a 2-1 win at Leeds and lifted his side into the Premier League’s top four. The England forward cancelled out Lukas Nmecha’s early opener for Leeds soon after the interval before his exquisite free-kick secured Villa a sixth win from their last seven league games.

A fifth defeat in six league matches was a bitter pill to swallow for Leeds, who remain in the relegation zone and had nothing to show for a spirited display, which saw them match their opponents for long periods.

Leeds dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season after Saturday’s results and a second home league defeat of the season heaped further pressure on head coach Daniel Farke.

Eight of Leeds’ 11 points prior to kick-off this season had been won at Elland Road and they made the ideal start, taking an eighth-minute lead after a lengthy VAR decision.

Sean Longstaff’s free-kick was hooked back across goal by Gabriel Gudmundsson and after Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez dropped the ball under pressure from Anton Stach, Ezri Konsa’s attempted clearance rebounded off Nmecha and into the net.

VAR Paul Tierney concluded after a lengthy check that neither Gudmundsson or Stach had been offside.

"Sneaky" moment VAR may have missed in Leeds v Aston Villa

Nmecha’s third goal of the season was confirmed after a lengthy VAR check for offside. There will have also been some fears that a foul could’ve been given, something which may not have been checked in great detail.

Taking to X during the first half, Sky Sports man Bardell suggested the goal shouldn’t have stood due to a “sneaky nudge”, despite the fact Martinez should’ve done a lot better, saying: “Could be disallowed for a couple of things there, but not great from Martinez, although I do think there was a sneaky nudge too. Not ideal.”

Ultimately, regardless of whether there was meaningful contact, the Argentinian should’ve done a lot better, considering he is still regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

That said, Villa managed to force their way back into the game regardless, with Rogers putting in a fantastic second-half display, bagging a brace, which ensured his side moved up to fourth in the Premier League table.

Leeds looking to boost survival chances by submitting imminent bid for Real Madrid star Related Leeds set to make imminent bid for Real Madrid ace after Farke convinces 49ers

The Whites are looking to bring in a new forward, having not scored enough goals so far this season.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 21, 2025

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد لمواجهة نظيره جيرونا ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض ريال مدريد مباراته أمام جيرونا مساء غدٍ الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 14 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على جيرونا في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

واستكمل لاعبو ريال مدريد تدريباتهم بقيادة الإسباني تشابي ألونسو، إذ شارك بالمران 19 لاعبًا باستثناء راؤول أسينسيو، ألابا، كارفاخال وهويسن.

اقرأ أيضًا | الصحافة الإسبانية عن أرنولد: جنى ثمار صبره مع ريال مدريد

وتعتبر مشاركة راؤول أسينسيو في مباراة جيرونا محل شك كبير بسبب إصابته بعدوى فيروسية في اللحظات الأخيرة قبل المران. 

في حال لم يلعب أسينسيو وينضم لتشكيل الفريق فإن وضع خط دفاع الفريق الإسباني سيكون معقدًا للغاية لأن هويسن غير متاح، وميليتاو تحت مراقبة دقيقة حيث لم يشارك إلا في حصة تدريبية كاملة واحدة مع الفريق.

من ناحية أخرى، سيعتمد ألونسو على كامافينجا وكورتوا، الثنائي نزل إلى أرض ملعب فالديباس وتدربا بشكل مثالي وأصبحت جاهزيتهما تامة لخوض مباراة جيرونا.

أما ماستانتونو وروديجر، لقد تعامل معهما ألونسو بحذر شديد الفترة الماضية حتى لا تحدث انتكاسة فقد ينضما إلى قائمة مباراة جيرونا بعد إكمالهما عدة حصص تدريبية مع بقية زملائهما، كل ذلك وفقًا لصحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

The 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA is creeping up on us, and with England already booking their spot in North America, the talk now is who will be on that plane.

Thomas Tuchel will need to select a 26-player squad as he looks to end the Three Lions’ 60-year wait for a World Cup triumph.

Some are guaranteed to be in the squad, but there are others who still need to impress. Here’s a look at who is best placed to be included.

Rank	England 2026 World Cup Power Rankings	Position	Club
1	Harry Kane	Forward	Bayern Munich
2	Declan Rice	Midfielder	Arsenal
3	Jordan Pickford	Goalkeeper	Everton
4	Marc Guehi	Defender	Crystal Palace
5	Bukayo Saka	Forward	Arsenal
6	Jude Bellingham	Midfielder	Real Madrid
7	Elliot Anderson	Midfielder	Nottingham Forest
8	Reece James	Defender	Chelsea
9	Anthony Gordon	Forward	Newcastle
10	Phil Foden	Midfielder	Man City
11	Djed Spence	Defender	Tottenham
12	John Stones	Defender	Man City
13	Morgan Rogers	Midfielder	Aston Villa
20	Cole Palmer	Midfielder	Chelsea
15	Adam Wharton	Midfielder	Crystal Palace
16	Trent Alexander-Arnold	Defender	Real Madrid
17	Dean Henderson	Goalkeeper	Crystal Palace
18	Marcus Rashford	Forward	Barcelona
19	Ezri Konsa	Defender	Aston Villa
20	Dan Burn	Defender	Newcastle
21	Eberechi Eze	Midfielder	Arsenal
22	Jordan Henderson	Midfielder	Brentford
23	Jarrod Bowen	Forward	West Ham
24	Morgan Gibbs-White	Midfielder	Nottingham Forest
25	Nico O’Reilly	Defender	Man City
26	Conor Gallagher	Midfielder	Atletico Madrid

1

Goalkeepers

Rank	England Goalkeeper Rankings	Club
1	Jordan Pickford	Everton
2	Dean Henderson	Crystal Palace
3	James Trafford	Man City
4	Nick Pope	Newcastle
5	Aaron Ramsdale	Newcastle

Jordan Pickford has been England’s number one since 2018 and the Everton star looks set to remain first choice heading into 2026, providing he stays fit.

With two more spots open for ‘keepers, there looks set to be a battle between Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale.

Of the four, Henderson and Pope are getting regular minutes for Crystal Palace and Newcastle, whereas Trafford and Ramsdale are finding minutes hard to come by. Tuchel has been picking Trafford, though, so Pope could miss out.

2

Full-backs

Rank	England Full-Back Rankings	Club
1	Reece James	Chelsea
2	Djed Spence	Tottenham
3	Trent Alexander-Arnold	Real Madrid
4	Nico O’Reilly	Man City
5	Tino Livramento	Newcastle
6	Myles Lewis-Skelly	Arsenal
7	Kieran Trippier	Newcastle

Top of the full-back charts are Chelsea’s Reece James and Tottenham’s Djed Spence, who have been regulars in Tuchel’s squads recently, with the former working under the England boss at Stamford Bridge.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out by Tuchel earlier this year following his move to Real Madrid, but his technical ability will surely see him selected even if it isn’t as a starter.

Elsewhere, Tuchel has warned Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly he needs more minutes at club level to be considered for selection. Nico O’Reilly is in a good position after starring under Pep Guardiola at Man City, whereas Tino Livramento is set to return to regular action with Newcastle soon.

3

Centre-backs

Rank	England Centre-Back Rankings	Club
1	Marc Guehi	Crystal Palace
2	John Stones	Man City
3	Dan Burn	Newcastle
4	Ezri Konsa	Aston Villa
5	Jarell Quansah	Bayer Leverkusen
6	Trevoh Chalobah	Chelsea
7	Jarrad Branthwaite	Everton
8	Levi Colwill	Chelsea
9	Harry Maguire	Man Utd

With Tuchel potentially going with a back four, Marc Guehi is on course to take one of two starting centre-back spots if he continues to star for Crystal Palace.

John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and Trevoh Chalobah have all been in Tuchel’s squads and could battle it out to partner Guehi.

Meanwhile, Jarrad Branthwaite and Levi Colwill could make a late push if they can get enough minutes under their belt when they return from injury in 2026.

There may not be a place for Harry Maguire, though, who appears to have fallen out of favour at international level.

4

Central midfielders

Rank	England Central-Midfielder Rankings	Club
1	Declan Rice	Arsenal
2	Elliot Anderson	Nottingham Forest
3	Adam Wharton	Crystal Palace
4	Jordan Henderson	Brentford
5	Alex Scott	Bournemouth
6	Ruben Loftus-Cheek	AC Milan
7	Conor Gallagher	Atletico Madrid
8	Curtis Jones	Liverpool

Right now, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson look set to be the two starting central midfielders in Tuchel’s England side, allowing the Three Lions’ attacking stars freedom to shine.

Adam Wharton appears to be next in line to come in for either Rice or Anderson, whereas Jordan Henderson has also made a few of Tuchel’s squads.

Alex Scott of Bournemouth was also handed a maiden call-up and AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been in Tuchel’s squads in 2025.

5

Attacking midfielders

Rank	England Attacking-Midfielder Rankings	Club
1	Jude Bellingham	Real Madrid
2	Phil Foden	Man City
3	Morgan Rogers	Aston Villa
4	Cole Palmer	Chelsea
5	Eberechi Eze	Arsenal
6	Morgan Gibbs-White	Nottingham Forest

Further forward in an attacking midfield role, Tuchel will surely select Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Real Madrid star Bellingham appears to be getting back to his best, whereas Tuchel sees Foden as a central player over a winger.

Cole Palmer has been injured at Chelsea and may have some work to do in 2026 to make the 26-player squad ahead of Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White.

6

Forwards

Rank	England Forwards Power Rankings	Club
1	Harry Kane	Bayern Munich
2	Bukayo Saka	Arsenal
3	Anthony Gordon	Newcastle
4	Marcus Rashford	Barcelona
5	Jarrod Bowen	West Ham
6	Noni Madueke	Arsenal
7	Jack Grealish	Everton
8	Ollie Watkins	Aston Villa
9	Danny Welbeck	Brighton

Captain Harry Kane will lead the line for England in North America, providing he stays fit, after starring once again for Bayern Munich, and Tuchel could select a number of versatile forwards instead of another striker to back up the Bayern Munich star.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen can play out wide or through the middle, whereas Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are currently first-choice wingers.

Players with work to do to make the squad include Ollie Watkins and maybe even Jack Grealish, despite his positive start at Everton. A surprise name to keep an eye on could be Brighton’s Danny Welbeck following his fine form in the Premier League.