Liverpool signed a “truly generational talent” in Florian Wirtz last month, as the German playmaker has been described by sports media professional Cristian Nyari.

His playmaking and flair will certainly help cover for the sale of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who now performs his talents in Real Madrid white.

Sure, the Reds have paid Bayer Leverkusen £100m up front, with the possible add-ons raising the deal to a British-record £116m, thus adding an incredible dimension to Arne Slot’s Premier League champions.

And Liverpool may yet welcome another attacking player to the fold, for rumours concerning Luis Diaz’s potential Anfield sale this summer are persisting.

Why Liverpool might need a left winger

Last month, Liverpool rejected Barcelona’s advances for Diaz, with the 28-year-old identified as the perfect piece to complete Hansi Flick’s frontline.

Slot wants to keep the 28-year-old on Merseyside, but every player has a price, and the Colombian is entering the penultimate year of his contract.

And according to Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Liverpool may find the perfect heir in Rodrygo, who will be allowed to leave Real Madrid this summer after playing a fringe role under Xabi Alonso at the Club World Cup.

The Brazil international has, however, been valued at a jaw-dropping €100m (£85m), so it would definitely take the big-money sale of a forward like Diaz to facilitate the deal.

Why Rodrygo would be a Luis Diaz upgrade

As per the report, Rodrygo would be open to a move to Liverpool, even if Arsenal currently lead the race for his signature, but he would only make the leap if given assurances that his place would lie on the left wing.

Luckily, Liverpool would be happy to oblige, for Diaz could be sold to get the transfer wheel spinning.

Rodrygo, 24, has routinely been fielded out on the right flank across his years at Los Blancos, but he’s long considered the alternate flank his most effective role, something that was reflected through his statistics across the 2024/25 campaign.

Right winger

29

8

5

Left winger

12

6

6

Centre-forward

8

0

0

Described as a “world-class superstar” by his former Real teammate Luka Modric, Rodrygo could absolutely come to prove an upgrade on Diaz, should he be entrusted with a regularity of minutes in his favoured position.

Liverpool’s South American sensation did post 17 goals and eight assists last season, but Rodrygo actually hit the same number of goal involvements (25) despite his travails.

Given his junior age and incredible mastery of the grand Champions League stage, there’s every chance that Slot could hit the jackpot by signing the one-time Santos prospect. He already boasts 25 goals in just 64 games in Europe’s premier competition, while Diaz has scored just ten times in 34 outings.

Moreover, Rodrygo has demonstrated that he can match Diaz’s crisp passing and his energy. As per FBref, the Brazilian ranked among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last term for pass completion and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Ultimately, Liverpool would be selling a crucial part of the Slot project in Diaz, but Rodrygo is more than his equal and could prove to be the perfect investment to propel this team up to the next level.

Huijsen 2.0: Liverpool enquire to sign one of the 'most complete teen CBs'

Liverpool could be set to target their next centre-back sensation, in the mould of Dean Huijsen

ByRobbie Walls Jul 10, 2025

Glasgow Rangers and new Ibrox owners 49ers Enterprises have reached an agreement to sell a Gers player without the approval of new manager Russell Martin.

Aarons completes Ibrox medical and set to join Rangers

The Gers have already made midfielder Lyall Cameron the first official signing of the summer at Ibrox, however, the 49ers and Martin are after more before the Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos and their Scottish Premiership opener at Motherwell.

Motherwell vs Rangers

August 2

Rangers vs Dundee

August 9

St Mirren vs Rangers

August 23

Rangers vs Celtic

August 31

Rangers vs Hearts

September 13

Martin admitted he is “excited” at the players Rangers are targeting and is hoping for a “few” to arrive over the coming weeks.

One of those looks set to be Max Aarons, with the right-back on course to arrive on a straight loan deal from Bournemouth. The defender has even been pictured at Ibrox and has already completed a medical.

With Aarons set to sign, it could be a case of one defender in and one out at Ibrox going off a recent update.

Rangers reach agreement to sell Gers defender Robin Propper

According to reports relayed by Sport Witness, Rangers have reached an agreement in principle to sell Robin Propper for €1.5m (£1.27m) to FC Twente.

A deal is yet to be complete, though, ‘due to the recent changes within the technical staff of Rangers’, meaning Martin has yet to give the green light to an exit.

The report adds that ‘a meeting between Propper and the new head coach is planned soon and will be decisive for the further course of the transfer’.

Concern as Rangers now at risk of losing £20m Ibrox star star on the cheap

This would be a real setback for the Gers.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 24, 2025

FC Twente’s manager, Joseph Oosting, has publicly spoken out over a transfer for Propper, saying “I have been in contact with him via the app. We would like to have Robin. Will he come? That is the question.”

Oosting added to another Dutch outlet: “We have been in contact, I hope he returns. No point of discussion. I assume that it will work out. But in football you can never be sure of such things.”

Should a £1.27m deal go through, Rangers will be making a slight loss after spending £1.5m on Propper just 12 months ago.

Graeme West, the current Cricket West Indies (CWI) high-performance manager, is set to take over as director of high performance at Cricket Ireland (CI).In his stint with CWI that started in 2012, West worked closely with young talent from across the West Indies, and in 2016 was coach of the West Indies team that lifted the Under-19 World Cup. After working with the U-19 and ‘A’ teams, his current role as high-performance manager included the setting up of academy programmes and building a pool of coaches. He is expected to have a similar profile in Ireland, starting next month.Before joining CWI, West spent five years at the Middlesex academy. There, he worked with Ireland internationals Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, Andrew Poynter and Stuart Poynter. West has not played any top-flight cricket, but holds a Level 4 ECB coaching qualification.”I am delighted to be joining Cricket Ireland as the organisation continues to grow and strengthen,” West said in a statement. “The Strategic Plan for 2024-27 is incredibly exciting and I look forward to applying my experience and philosophy to the wealth of talent and expertise that has been assembled as we further establish Ireland as a major cricketing nation.”Warren Deutrom, the chief executive at CI, said the appointment was a step towards Ireland becoming a “fit-for-purpose Full Member”.”When we set out to create and recruit for the role, the profile, initiative and experience that Graeme possesses is exactly what we were looking for,” Deutrom said. “We knew that in order to be successful in this new role, the candidate required leadership experience, exceptional people skills and the ability to be a mentor as much as a manager. In Graeme, we believe we have found that candidate.”As an organisation, we are going through a process of reviewing and evolving our operations to ensure we are fit-for-purpose as a Full Member in a rapidly changing environment. One of the strategic decisions we made was to acknowledge the scale and scope of our work has outgrown our pre-Full Member structures.”The senior men’s team have a busy few weeks ahead, with a white-ball tour of the UAE to play South Africa later this month. The senior women’s team is set to host England for three ODIs and two ODIs starting Saturday.

Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on a PSG player who Juventus are in ongoing talks to sign, as the Serie A heavyweights face the prospect of a Premier League hijack if they don’t start making progress in negotiations.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Jul 21, 2025

Enzo Maresca, as per reliable journalist Simon Phillips, is prioritising the signing of yet another attacker, despite having already seen Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro join his squad for a combined fee of around £145 million.

According to Phillips, Chelsea’s struggle against teams in the low-block last season is a key reason for this, with Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons both rumoured to be standout targets.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea held fresh talks with the representatives of Eze last week, while credible media sources suggest that Simons is also high on Chelsea’s attacking shortlist after another impressive campaign in Germany.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has even claimed that talks between all parties have commenced for Simons in particular, so this is certainly one to watch over the coming days.

While their priority appears to be the Dutchman as things stand, reports in Italy are now stating that Chelsea are emerging as contenders for versatile PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani.

During his best season to date, the France international – who also impressed during the latter stages of the World Cup in Qatar – netted 23 goals and registered 17 assists in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022/2023.

Following a regrettable PSG stint – having signed for a seismic £76 million – Kolo Muani rediscovered some of his best form on loan at Juve last term, finding the net 10 times for them since January, and the Old Lady are currently attempting to sign him permanently.

Chelsea eye move for Randal Kolo Muani amid Juventus talks

That is according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim that Juve are in ongoing negotiations to make Turin the striker’s new home.

However, they warn Igor Tudor’s side that they face “serious” competition for the 26-year-old from England. Indeed, La Gazzetta state that Chelsea have expressed an interest in signing Kolo Muani, so Juve may not have it all their own way.

PSG want to cash-in on the player, who can also play on both wings, “immediately”.

This has prompted the Parisiens to explore the Premier League market if a solution cannot be found in talks with Juve, but it would be quite the move by Chelsea to bring in yet another centre-forward for Maresca after completing deals for Delap and Pedro.

He’d surely most likely be used as a wide player, especially if Chelsea don’t sell Nicolas Jackson, but there is still reason to believe he’d upgrade Maresca’s ranks.

“He is a striker who offers different game options to our team,” said Real Madrid star and international teammate Kylian Mbappé.

“He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play.”

Leeds United have put plenty of work into improving their options across the backline since the summer transfer window officially opened for business last month.

The Championship champions confirmed their latest arrival of the window last week when they unveiled Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri as their number one for next season.

He has arrived from Ligue 1 side Lyon on a permanent deal to compete with Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow, and will play ahead of the likes of Sebastiaan Bornauw, Gabriel Gudmundsson, and Jaka Bijol, who have also been signed to improve the defence.

In front of the backline, Leeds have also swooped to sign defensive midfielders Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach to provide some steel in front of the back four in the top-flight.

German centre-forward Lukas Nmecha, who arrived on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, is the only attacking player who has been added to the squad this summer, though, and the club could now turn to signings in the forward areas.

When the Whites were last promoted to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, the signing of forward Raphinha was vital to their survival.

Why Leeds need their next Raphinha

Leeds need to find Daniel Farke his own version of Raphinha before the end of the summer transfer window because the club’s current options in the attacking midfield and wide positions are uninspiring.

The West Yorkshire outfit do not have any players in those positions who have shown that they have the quality to make a big impact in the Premier League next season, as they all struggled in their most recent seasons in the division.

Appearances

24

36

34

24

Goals

2

1

1

2

Big chances created

3

5

6

3

Key passes per game

0.4

1.3

1.0

1.0

Assists

1

3

0

4

As you can see in the table above, Dan James, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, and Wilfried Gnonto have only scored six goals combined in their most recent seasons in the Premier League.

Raphinha, however, scored 11 goals and created ten ‘big chances’ in 35 top-flight games in his second and final season at Elland Road, after a return of six goals, 12 ‘big chances’ created, and nine assists in his first year in the league.

The Brazilian forward, who signed from Rennes for a fee of £17m in the summer of 2020, made a huge impact in front of goal with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, and it does not seem like Farke has any similar players in his current squad.

That is why the Whites must dip back into the market to improve their attacking options, which appears to be what they are on the verge of doing.

Leeds set to agree deal for Brazilian forward

According to L’Equipe, Leeds United are on course to reach an agreement with Feyenoord over the signing of Brazilian winger Igor Paixao this summer.

The report claims that the Whites have submitted an offer of around £28m, with add-ons on top of that, and the Eredivisie side are said to be happy with the numbers involved, but it is now down to the clubs to finalise the finer details.

Transfer Focus

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

It adds that Ligue 1 side Marseille are also interested in signing the 25-year-old forward and have already agreed a five-year contract with the player.

However, the French outfit have failed to reach an agreement with Feyenoord on a transfer fee, which opened the door for Leeds to swoop in with this latest offer.

L’Equipe states that Marseille will need to raise their offer to match the Whites’ proposal if they want to remain in the race to sign the attacker, but it remains to be seen if they are willing or able to do so.

What Igor Paixao would bring to Leeds

Leeds must push to get this deal over the line before Marseille can re-enter the race because he would bring plenty of goals and assists to Elland Road next season.

Paixao has the quality on the ball to be the next electric Brazilian sensation to grace the wings in the Premier League for Leeds, following in Raphinha’s footsteps in West Yorkshire.

The Feyenoord star showcased his quality in the Champions League with two goals, including the one in the post above, and four assists in 11 games during the 2024/25 campaign.

On top of his impressive performances on the European stage, which showed that he can compete against the best of the best on the continent, Paixao also delivered exceptional numbers in the Eredivisie for his side.

xG

10.56

Top 2%

Goals

16

Top 2%

xG on target

16.25

Top 2%

Shots on target

43

Top 2%

xA

6.71

Top 4%

Assists

10

Top 3%

Chances created

70

Top 1%

Successful crosses

36

Top 2%

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds target was one of the best players, if not the best player, in the Dutch top-flight when it came to making an impact as a scorer and a creator of goals last term.

Analyst Ben Mattinson claimed that Paixao has “insane” technique from long range, and he has scored six goals from outside the box in the last two Eredivisie seasons to back that up.

This suggests that the £28m-rated star could provide Leeds supporters with some special moments on the pitch by scoring some long-range screamers to win vital points for the team in the Premier League next season.

Paixao is a winger who can score great goals, score goals on a regular basis, and create and assist goals consistently, and has proven himself in the Champions League.

Leeds submit offer to sign ex-Barcelona star who earns £12m-a-year

This could be quite the coup…

2 ByTom Cunningham Jul 27, 2025

This is why he could be Farke’s own version of Raphinha, who helped Leeds to stay in the Premier League for two seasons with his goals and assists, as he could be a match-winner for the club with his quality in the final third.

Deal for English county confirmed after former majority owner Rod Bransgrove sells stake

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Sep-2024

An aerial view of Hampshire’s Utilita Bowl•Getty Images

The GMR Group, the newly unveiled owner of Hampshire, is “keen and open” to buying a majority stake in the Southern Brave franchise in the Hundred. That confirmation has come from Grandhi Kiran Kumar, GMR’s corporate chairman, who recently sealed a multimillion-pound deal which has made Hampshire the first English county to have overseas ownership.ESPNcricinfo understands that GMR Group’s parent company, GGPL, will initially hold a 53% stake in Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Ltd, Hampshire’s parent company, with a completed 100% acquisition expected within the next 24 months. The overall deal, which was sealed earlier this year, is close to £120 million, half of which is understood to be operating debt. The equity part of the deal is worth £43 million.It is understood that GMR, an Indian infrastructure conglomerate that owns teams in various T20 leagues, including the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and WPL, have paid 53% of that equity amount upfront with the remainder to be be paid in a phased fashion. There is also an incentive element in the deal which is related to the performance component, but the exact nature of how that will work will be worked out by all parties soon.The process does not guarantee GMR’s acquisition of Southern Brave, the Hundred team who play at Hampshire’s Utilita Bowl, though they are clear favourites to acquire full ownership. The ongoing sale of equity in the eight Hundred teams by the ECB will involve 51% stakes being transferred to host counties – in this case, Hampshire – but the process includes a mechanism which would require GMR to pay fair market value for the remaining 49% before that transfer happens.Grandhi told ESPNcricinfo on Monday that the acquisition of Southern Brave was part of his plan. “We will evaluate as we go forward,” he said. “Certainly, we are happy to work with ECB. We are certainly very keen and open.”Jofra Archer is Southern Brave’s star player•Harry Trump/Getty Images

Both parties have stressed that the Hundred was not a significant part of the original plan when Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire’s majority owner, first pitched the idea of selling his 60% stake in the company. It was in June of 2023 when India and Australia were playing the World Test Championship final at The Oval that Grandhi was alerted to a possible investment opportunity in Hampshire.As the months went by, GMR started looking at the opportunity seriously. While the cricketing aspect of the deal was appealing, GMR, whose core business remains in infrastructure, was equally – if not more – attracted to five-star Hilton hotel and golf course at the Utilita Bowl.”We come from an infrastructure background,” Grandhi told ESPNcricinfo. “We are into airports, roads etc. When you see this, it is quite amazing with what they have done. When we visited the facilities, including the hotel, we were impressed.”The entire concept is very nice, especially the fact that it was developed with keeping the fans in mind. Rod [Bransgrove] and his management team have kept the cricketing and sporting culture intact. I was quite amazed with the other facilities like the golf course. It is quite inclusive.”Kiran Kumar Grandhi (left) sits on the IPL auction table•BCCI

Grandhi assured Hampshire fans and members that GMR do not intend to “come and takeover”. He said: “We are looking at this opportunity holistically. The Hundred [opportunity] came only recently. Our discussions with Hampshire started nearly one-and-a-half years ago. When I heard about the opportunity I said, ‘Why not?’ The first six months went knowing each other and become comfortable. The deal happened much later.”The deal makes GMR Group the majority shareholder in the club, after Hampshire’s former chairman, Rob Bransgrove decided to sell his 60% stake in the company. Bransgrove will, however, continue as group chairman until at least September 30, 2026, with David Mann retaining his role as group CEO.While its business focus has been in the infrastructure business, GMR Group made its first major sporting investment in 2008 when it bought Delhi Daredevils. In 2018, GMR sold a 50% ownership stake in the Delhi franchise to Jindal South West (JSW), a fellow Indian business heavyweight. In cricket, the GMR Group also owns the Dubai Capitals franchise in the UAE’s ILT20 and has a stake in Seattle Orcas in MLC.The potential for overseas investment in Hampshire derives from Bransgrove’s original bail-out of the county in 2000, when he secured the club’s move from its 116-year home at Northlands Road in Southampton to the Utilita Bowl, on the outskirts of the city.Related

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Kevin Pietersen helped to broker Hampshire's 'historic' GMR deal

In so doing, he converted Hampshire from a members-owned club to what was then known as Rose Bowl PLC, and oversaw the building and development of the venue – which now includes the Hilton hotel and Boundary Lakes Golf Course, with plans for more additions currently under consideration with Eastleigh Borough Council.The Utilita Bowl hosted its maiden Test match against Sri Lanka in 2011, while in 2020, its on-site hotel and remote location made it an ideal venue for the ECB’s bio-secure summer during the Covid pandemic. The ground hosted three Tests against West Indies and Pakistan, and six white-ball matches against Australia and Ireland.”This is the fulfilment of a dream for me and, I hope, for all Hampshire Cricket supporters,” Bransgrove said. “Beyond our team’s accomplishments on the field over the past 24 years, we have transformed our stadium into a premier Test Match and events venue and one of the most exceptional cricket and leisure facilities in the country. We have also been pioneers in the development of women’s cricket and have consistently innovated throughout this relatively short history.”After a thorough selection process, we chose GGPL as our partners due to their shared values and commitment to our vision. We believe GGPL is the perfect organization, with the right people, to build on our proud legacy. Becoming the first English cricket club to join an international cricket group will open exciting new opportunities as we embrace the globalization of this great sport.”Rod Bransgrove (left) and David Mann (right) were GMR’s guests at the ILT20 in February•ILT20

In 2021, Hampshire also hosted the inaugural World Test Championship final between New Zealand and India, again with Covid restrictions, while in 2027, it is due to host its maiden Ashes Test.Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said that the deal “demonstrates the global interest” in investing in English cricket and underlines “the continuing appeal of county cricket.”Gould said: “This is an exciting time for Hampshire Cricket, and I’d like to welcome GGPL to cricket in England and Wales. I am pleased to see their commitment to continuing to develop Hampshire’s cricket teams and pathways and enhance facilities at Utilita Bowl, and their respect for the traditions of the game in this country.”I’d like to thank Rod Bransgrove for all he has done in transforming Hampshire and creating a world-class stadium, and look forward to continuing to work together in his role as Group Chair.”

From a frustrating lack of activity a few weeks ago to a new piece of news seemingly dropping on the hour, this summer is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting one for Arsenal.

Instead of second-guessing Mikel Arteta’s vision following a third successive second-placed finish in the Premier League last year, the board are doubling down on their support for the Spanish manager.

It’s not even pre-season yet, but the club has already announced Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Norgaard is expected to be announced any day now.

Moreover, after years of fans crying out for it, the North Londoners are finally reinforcing the attack, with Viktor Gyokeres looking like the man to lead the line and Eberechi Eze being able to fill in off the left as well as in attacking midfield.

Yet, that’s not all, as reports are now linking Arsenal to another Premier League star, someone who’d be loved by the Swedish and English stars.

Arsenal eye attacker to help Gyokeres and Eze

The big topic of discussion regarding Arsenal’s transfer dealings over the last few days has undoubtedly been Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

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

After months of deliberation over who was going to be the club’s new number nine, it looks like the Sporting CP star is the man, as he’s reportedly agreed personal terms with the Gunners and the Lisbon outfit appear ready to accept an offer of around £70m.

Things are marginally less advanced with Eze, as while he has supposedly agreed terms with the North Londoners and is incredibly keen on making the move, less progress has been made with Crystal Palace.

Stories from earlier this week claimed that Andrea Berta and Co are preparing to make an offer of £60m in three £20m instalments, but it remains to be seen if the Eagles accept anything less than the 27-year-old’s £68m release clause.

That’s not all, though, as the Premier League runners-up have also been linked with another attacking dynamo, Bryan Mbeumo.

Yes, on the latest episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, journalist David Ornstein revealed that Arsenal have “explored” a move for the Brentford star this summer.

If this is a move the Gunners are still keen to complete, they may need to hurry things along, as Manchester United remain incredibly eager to bring him to Old Trafford.

In terms of how much he’d cost, reports from earlier this summer claimed that the Bees want a fee in excess of £65m for their star attacker.

It would undoubtedly be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line for Arsenal, but given Mbeumo’s ability, it is one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a dream teammate for Eze and Gyokeres.

Why Gyokeres and Eze would love Mbeumo

Well, the first and arguably most crucial reason Gyokeres and Eze would love playing alongside Mbeumo is his output.

After all, goals win games, and he sure scores a lot of them.

In 42 appearances this season, totalling 3577 minutes, the Bees’ “mini-Salah,” as dubbed by pundit Jason Cundy, scored 20 goals and provided nine assists.

Appearances

42

Starts

39

Minutes

3577′

Goals

20

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

Minutes per Goal Involvement

123.34′

That comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.44 games, or one every 123.34 minutes.

Just imagine how many assists Eze would be able to chalk up playing behind the Cameroon international, and for Gyokeres, he’d make full use of the 25-year-old’s creativity.

Moreover, the sheer weight of goals the former Troyes gem scores would force opposition defenders to pay him a great deal of attention, which in turn should help free up more space for the Swedish hitman to operate in.

However, it’s not just the output that would make the Avallon-born ace a great teammate for the former Coventry City star, but also his versatility.

For example, while the United target does spend most of his time off the right, he can play up top, or even as a second striker, which means he’d be able to fill in for the Stockholm-born goal machine when he’s in need of a rest.

This would help prevent him from burning out in what is likely to be an incredibly intense season for the North Londoners next season.

Ultimately, while it may be unlikely, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Mbeumo, as well as Gyokeres and Eze, this summer.

The Brentford star’s proficiency in front of goal and positional versatility could help them play even better.

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He’s trying to seal a north London move for his client.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 8, 2025

The last time Sunderland triumphantly won promotion up to the Premier League back in 2007, the Black Cats managed to stay in the tricky division for a mammoth nine straight seasons, before falling down to the lower reaches of the EFL.

Regis Le Bris would love for the same level of stability to greet his side in 2025, with Sunderland’s standout summer business – which has included a club-record £30m being forked out to win Habib Diarra – making those on Wearside believe they can instantly secure survival and thrive back in the promised land.

The ambitious Wearaide outfit were dealt a heavy dose of realism last time out in pre-season, however, as Hearts convincingly put the top-flight newcomers to the sword in a 3-0 loss.

Still, not much can often be read from freak pre-season results, but more signings will likely be in the pipeline for Le Bris and Co. before August’s big showdown with West Ham United officially kicks off the Premier League campaign.

Sunderland express interest in new goal machine

The Frenchman will have some concerns about how his team will initially take to the daunting step-up, worrying that the Hammers will expose the porous Sunderland defence at will, much like the heavy Hearts defeat.

This could well spur the Black Cats into snapping up one or two new defensive recruits, with Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi still on the shopping list, amid reports the Colombian might be available for around the £22m mark.

Away from chasing after defenders, however, Sunderland are also actively in the market for some fresh striker personnel, with a surprise target now appearing on the shortlist.

Indeed, as per reports from Spain, Jamie Vardy is preparing for one final dance in the top-flight after waving goodbye to Leicester City, with Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sunderland and even Manchester United all interested in the potent veteran’s short-term services.

In fact, it reports that the Mackems have already come forward with an attractive offer to sign the veteran attacker.

How Vardy can become Sunderland's next Defoe

With a weighty 145 Premier League goals next to his name, Vardy could be a smart pick-up by Sunderland as they navigate the choppy waters of the top-flight.

He could even go on to be the Wearside club’s second coming of Jermain Defoe, with the former forward once playing the role of seasoned old-timer to perfection during Sunderland’s Premier League heyday.

Long before Le Bris helped put Sunderland back on the footballing map, Defoe was leading the line for the Black Cats with some venom in the big time.

The well-travelled attacker would go on to amass a high 34 of his 156 Premier League goal collection at the Stadium of Light, with one of his ex-Sunderland bosses in Gustavo Poyet even hailing that his side were ‘a different team’ altogether when Defoe was strutting his stuff for fun.

Games played

480

342

Goals scored

156

145

Assists

32

50

Hat-tricks

4

3

PL title wins

0

1

Amazingly, Vardy will attempt to eclipse Defoe’s bumper 156 goals in the Premier League if he lines back up in the top division next campaign, with the 26-time England international only 11 strikes off his counterpart’s 156 goals, despite making 138 fewer appearances.

Moreover, much like Defoe managed to achieve at the Stadium of Light, Vardy was a constant livewire presence for the Foxes that ensured safety was reached time after time during his 13-year association with the club, with a jaw-dropping Premier League title success also coming his way when regularly bamboozling defences.

He was so well thought of at the King Power Stadium that he was even lauded as “world-class” by former boss Brendan Rodgers, on top of international acclaim also coming his way during his purple patch in Leicester blue when ex-Germany manager Joachim Low heralded him as “spectacular” in 2016.

It’s not all just nostalgia, however, as Vardy did try his utmost last season to help the Foxes avoid the drop, but his healthy nine strikes in Premier League action just weren’t enough.

Le Bris will hope he can chip in with a similar amount or even more donning Sunderland red and white, as a new, seasoned attacker now potentially attempts to live up to Defoe’s legendary status.

Sunderland make £13m bid to sign "goal machine" and want deal done ASAP

The Black Cats have included a buy-back clause.

ByCharlie Smith Jul 28, 2025

انتقد ثيو والكوت، جناح نادي آرسنال السابق، مدرب الفريق اللندني ميكيل أرتيتا، وذلك عقب تعادل الجانرز مع مانشستر سيتي في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

آرسنال تعادل مع مانشستر سيتي بهدف لكل فريق يوم أمس الأحد، في قمة منافسات الجولة الخامسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، والتي احتضنها ملعب الإمارات.

وكان آرسنال على وشك الهزيمة في لقاء الأمس، حيث كان مانشستر سيتي متقدمًا بهدف دون رد، لكن جابرييل مارتينيلي أنقذ الجانرز وسجل هدف التعادل في الوقت بدل الضائع من عمر الشوط الثاني.

أقرأ أيضًا .. فيديو | جوارديولا يثير الحيرة بتصرفه الغريب قبل هدف آرسنال القاتل أمام مانشستر سيتي

ويرى والكوت في حديثه إلى شبكة بي بي سي سبورت، أن أرتيتا أخطأ أمام مانشستر سيتي في إدارته للمباراة وفي توقيت التبديلات.

ويعتقد والكوت، أن أرتيتا قد أجرى التبديلات في وقت متأخر للغاية، بالإضافة إلى عدم المبادرة بالهجوم من بداية اللقاء.

وقال والكوت: “سؤالي هو، لماذا انتظر أرسنال حتى الدقيقة 90 ليبدأ هجومه، ولماذا لم يبدأ منذ بداية المباراة واللعب بتلك الكيفية؟ لا أوجه انتقادا صريحا لأرتيتا ، لكنني أعتقد أنه أفلت من العقاب اليوم”.

وأتم والكوت في حديثه: “شعرت أنه اعترف بخطأه في إدارة اللقاء، وذلك في اختيار فريقه بإجراء التبديلين في الشوط الأول، بينما جاءت تبديلاته الأخرى في وقت متأخر جدًا”.

ودفع أرتيتا بكل من إيبيريشي إيزي بجانب بوكايو ساكا، بدلًا من نوني مادويكي وميكيل ميرينو بعد نهاية الشوط الأول، في حين حل جابرييل مارتينيلي بدلًا من يوريان تيمبر.

وسجل مارتينيلي هدفا رائعا لصالح آرسنال في الدقائق الأخيرة من اللقاء ، ليجنب الجانرز الهزيمة أمام مانشستر سيتي.

Australia have banned the pre-game activity that threatened to derail Ashleigh Gardner’s T20 World Cup as the allrounder challenged her side’s batters to fill their boots in the third T20I against New Zealand in Brisbane on Tuesday.Gardner missed the series opener against New Zealand in Mackay last Thursday after colliding with team-mate Georgia Wareham attempting to catch a soft “Vortex” ball in a warm-up drill.The reigning Belinda Clark Medallist initially laughed off the incident before leaving the ground in tears, fearing an eighth career concussion as she was ruled out of the contest.Related

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She was cleared though and returned on Sunday with a Player-of the-Match effort, her 3 for 16 the headline act of a disciplined bowling performance in a 29-run win over New Zealand.The 27-year-old saw a neuropsychologist in 2018 after suffering four concussions in the space of 20 months.”It’s been nice to get back out there after a weird occasion, a head collision in a warm-up,” she said. “It was weird to wrap my head around, but I’ve felt really good the last couple of days.”I’ve had a lot of head knocks in the past; I know when I am concussed and when I’m not.”There was no sign of the Vortex before Sunday’s game, Gardner confirming their pre-match routine had been tweaked.”That’s the end of the Vortex for the rest of the tour,” she said.Ashleigh Gardner returned three wickets after missing the opening game due to a concussion scare•Getty Images

Usually happy to chase, captain Alyssa Healy opted to bat first on Sunday and force her team to set the pace ahead of next month’s World Cup defence in Dubai.Healy (38 off 25) got off to a flyer but Australia’s innings stalled, the hosts recording their worst collapse in the format when they lost their last seven wickets for 28 runs as Amelia Kerr returned career-best figures of 4 for 20.A total of 142 proved more than enough thanks to Australia’s bowlers. But Gardner wants to see improvements in their final hit-out in Brisbane on Tuesday before flying to the UAE.”There’s still a lot left in the tank; hopefully in this last game if we do bat first we can put a massive total on the board,” she said.She said there were no excuses given the side’s incredible batting depth meant Annabel Sutherland entered at the fall of the sixth wicket.”Sutherland at eight is pretty ridiculous,” she said. “Going into conditions like Dubai, we haven’t played there before [for Australia] so we’re kind of going into the unknown a little bit.”But knowing we have a defendable total like 140, we know our bowling unit is good enough to restrict them”The skill we possess, in all facets… it was pretty clinical.”