Tag Futebol

Champions League nights are now back on the menu at St James’ Park.

The last time Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United participated in the illustrious competition, the Tyneside outfit hosted some unbelievable contests, with the Toon’s triumphant 4-1 victory over Paris St. Germain still a match that’s fondly remembered in the history books to this day.

Unfortunately, Howe can’t call upon Alexander Isak tomorrow evening as Barcelona come to town, with the Swedish superstar leading the line heroically that night for his now former side, before moving to Liverpool.

But, the much-loved Magpies manager can still spring a surprise on Barca in the forward positions, with Anthony Elanga perhaps given the nod to start, alongside the likes of Nick Woltemade, who has arguably filled the hole left behind by Isak already.

How Elanga can trouble Barca

While toppling Hansi Flick’s La Liga giants will, of course, be no easy feat, there will be a belief coursing through Newcastle’s veins that they can cause an immediate upset back in the Champions League, having pulled off just that versus PSG.

To help in their bid to try and unsettle the visitors from Spain from minute one, Howe might well be prepared to launch Elanga into first-team action, despite him picking up zero goals or assists from his opening four Premier League contests donning Newcastle black and white.

Yet, when you remove his lacklustre numbers in the top-flight so far, it could well be that adding his trademark burst of pace – that he showed time after time for Nottingham Forest – into what will be a nervy contest could catch Flick’s side off-guard, with Elanga also often boasting end product when bursting forward, having collected 11 goals and 21 assists in total at the City Ground.

Moreover, Elanga already has a Champions League goal next to his name for Manchester United, with a clear eagerness to prove himself in a competition that once saw him just gain some reduced minutes here or there.

Howe starting some tricky and hard to contain wingers could be a huge advantage, considering Lamine Yamal – who is similarly quick and easy on the eye – is ruled out for this mid-week affair for Barca through injury.

Yet, it’s not just Elanga that can gift the Toon a difference-maker out on the flanks, with one of the Swede’s teammates arguably Howe’s own version of Yamal.

Howe's own version of Yamal

Flick will be gutted that he can’t call upon his 18-year-old ace for this showdown on English soil, with the Spaniard already up two goals and three assists this season in league action.

That’s before you even delve deeper into his overall Champions League numbers, with five goals and eight assists already tallied up by the teenage sensation on Europe’s grandest stage, despite his career still being in its infancy.

Therefore, it might be wild to state that Newcastle possesses its own version of the “ridiculous” attacker – as former Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger once labelled him – but Anthony Gordon has found himself consistently in the spotlight from a very early age, like Yamal.

Indeed, Gordon first made waves in the first-team picture at Everton when he was just 18 years of age – which is the same age Yamal currently is – with his career only going from strength to strength when departing the Toffees for an opportunity at Newcastle.

LW

125

26 + 29

RW

53

8 + 8

AM

21

13 + 2

CF

17

5 + 1

SS

1

0

When looking at the table above, it’s clear that the 14-time England international has taken to terrorising Premier League defences for the Magpies like a duck to water, with a tally of 22 goals and 23 assists coming his way when lining up in a whole host of different positions.

Amazingly, despite being touted to have a crazy £173m market value next to his name in Spain, Yamal can only boast 19 more goal contributions at the Camp Nou, with Gordon hopeful he can steal all the headlines as Newcastle pick up a victory, knowing Barca’s number ten is sidelined.

Having also been lauded as “unplayable” when at the peak of his powers by Statman Dave, it will be a welcome return to the starting XI for Gordon if he is selected after being suspended from Premier League action.

In a dream reality, he will be able to combine effortlessly with Woltemade and Elanga to guide the Toon to another famous victory in Europe’s standout competition. In the absence of Isak, he can be Newcastle’s new attacking talisman – just like Yamal is in Catalonia.

Why Newcastle could be facing instant punishment from UEFA back in UCL

It could be bad news for the Magpies…

ByTom Cunningham Sep 17, 2025

Crystal Palace fans must be waiting with bated breath right now, as last-minute transfer developments continue to filter out of Selhurst Park.

Eberechi Eze has already heartbreakingly left East London behind, with Marc Guehi perhaps the next high-profile departee, as his much-talked-about switch to Liverpool remains up in the air.

If Guehi were to go, it doesn’t have to be all bad news, with the Eagles now looking to rekindle their interest in a defensive titan just in time before 7pm’s cut-off.

Crystal Palace rekindle interest in £40m star

Oliver Glasner’s Eagles already look to have defensive recruits in mind, with Igor Julio expected to leave Brighton and Hove Albion behind to join the Seagulls’ Premier League arch rivals on a loan basis before the window slams shut.

He could be joined through the door by past Palace target Strahinja Pavlović, with Sky Sports, via Ed Aarons reporting that the AC Milan colossus remains the Eagles’ number one target at the back, having looked at the Serbian in January.

However, the £40m-rated centre-back was deemed too costly at the time, with a deal also looking difficult to execute in the here and now.

Yet, if Guehi were to finally uproot to Anfield, that might well accelerate this move forward.

Therefore, Pavlović swapping Italy for England at the final hour could be a move to keep an eye out on, with the Premier League side winning a dream replacement for their 6-foot titan in the process.

How Pavlovic can be a dream Guehi replacement

After all, if Guehi were to relocate to Arne Slot’s Reds shortly, he has at least exited Glasner’s Eagles on the best possible note, having caressed this effort home versus Aston Villa to secure a farewell 3-0 win.

Away from that moment of individual brilliance, Guehi has also been rock solid at the start of the 2025/26 campaign, with the captain leading by example when collecting two clean sheets from his side’s opening three league clashes, with an imposing four duels won on average.

Palace’s deadline day target is also well known for being commanding in the air – as seen in this fierce header cannoning in at the back-end of the last Serie A campaign – with former Rossoneri icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic even going as far as to laud Pavlović as a “beast” in this department.

But, the 24-year-old is far from being a one-trick pony, even if he has also been heralded as a “warrior” by national team manager Dragan Stojkovic for his gritty approach, with his calm ability on the ball making him even more of a readymade replacement for Guehi.

Games played

24

34

Goals scored

2

3

Assists

1

2

Touches*

67.8

64.9

Accurate passes*

50.0 (89%)

43.1 (84%)

Total duels won*

5.0

4.9

Clean sheets

7

11

Amazingly, Pavlovic actually bettered Guehi’s pass accuracy average last season in the hustle and bustle of Serie A action, with plenty of promising signs evident to suggest that the Serbian could fill the void left behind by the 25-year-old effectively.

It might just be too little too late for Palace if they want to get a statement deal over the line before 7pm, as Guehi’s switch to Liverpool perhaps goes down to the wire.

But, developments can suddenly spark into life on such a chaotic day, with Palace winning themselves a top deal at the death if Pavlovic does promptly swap Milan for London.

Better deal than Uche: PL "animal" in medical ahead of Crystal Palace move

Crystal Palace look set to win the services of another star on deadline day, away from their pursuit of Christantus Uche.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 1, 2025

As their search for a striker continues, Newcastle United are now reportedly eyeing a late move to sign a want-away star who outscored Jorgen Strand Larsen last season.

Howe responds to Isak statement

When Newcastle commenced their search for a striker earlier this summer, the last thing they were looking for was the kind that Alexander Isak has become in recent weeks. But that’s the reality that they find themselves in. The Swede has done everything to leave the club, from going on strike to even taking aim at the club on social media, yet he remains a Newcastle player.

Eddie Howe, who has been left to answer several questions every week about the forward, responded to his statement on social media following the PFA awards – telling reporters:

“This has been an unfortunate situation, but there are always two sides to every story. There’s more than even I will know, because there are conversations that have taken place far away from me and my knowledge of them.”

The Newcastle boss went on to admit that there were conversations between himself and Isak towards the end of the season, but reiterated that they will remain private: “Me and Alex had conversations towards the end of last season. I am not going to deny that. But individual conversations are best off remaining private.”

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Away from what is still a developing saga, meanwhile, Newcastle are still searching for a new striker to ease any potential Isak blow or to simply bolster their squad.

Reports recently indicated that their attention has turned towards Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Strand Larsen, but the Midlands club’s £60m+ price tag may yet force the Magpies to once again re-evaluate their options.

Newcastle eyeing late Sorloth move

According to the Daily Mail’s reliable journalist Craig Hope, Newcastle are now eyeing a late swoop to sign Alexander Sorloth, who reportedly wants to leave Atlético Madrid this summer after falling out with Diego Simeone.

The Norway international last featured in the Premier League as a struggling Crystal Palace striker from 2018 to 2020, but has since rebuilt himself into the type of clinical player that Newcastle so desperately need.

Hope revealed when speaking about Newcastle’s transfer targets:

“Alexander Sorloth at Atlético Madrid. Now, he’s available. His goal record is quite incredible when you look at the amount of goals he scored in La Liga for Atlético Madrid.

“He played at St James’ a couple of weeks ago. Absolutely in the mold of his countryman Strand Larsen as well – a big, tall, powerful centre-forward, a record of doing it in the top division. That’s the latest information to me that Sorloth is one of the names being considered.”

League stats 24/25

Sorloth

Strand Larsen

Minutes

1,566

2,587

Goals

20

14

Assists

2

4

Expected Goals

16.8

10.3

An experienced forward at the top level who outscored Strand Larsen last season, Sorloth could finally be the man that solves Newcastle’s striker problem if they make their move this month.

Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to meet a rival Premier League club’s demands and sign an “outrageous” attacker, according to journalist Sebastien Vidal.

Tottenham ramping up attacking midfielder pursuit after Maddison blow

With the new Premier League season set to get underway this weekend, Tottenham fans are justified in feeling a little disappointed by their activity in the transfer window, having made very few major additions to the squad this summer.

Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso have completed permanent moves to north London after initial loan spells, but otherwise Spurs have been quiet, with Mohammed Kudus the only other high-profile addition.

Having secured Champions League qualification, it is frustrating that Daniel Levy & co haven’t been able to strike while the iron is hot and bring in some top players, missing out on Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White last month.

Tottenham now discuss signing "genius" £25m attacker who's keen on PL move

Spurs have now held talks over the signing of an attacking midfielder.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 11, 2025

Not only that, but the Lilywhites have now lost Son Heung-min and James Maddison, with the former joining LAFC and the latter set for a significant spell on the treatment table after suffering an ACL injury.

Consequently, there is an even more pressing need to bring in a new attacking midfielder, and Tottenham are now ramping up their interest in multiple players, with Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze named as potential options.

Manchester City’s James McAtee and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott are also of interest, and Spurs are now “ready” to meet the Reds’ demands for the young Englishman, according to an update from Vidal on X.

The journalist states that Thomas Frank’s side are looking to “boost their attacking creativity”, and a move for Elliott could be on the cards, with the 22-year-old in line to receive regular game time if he moves to north London.

There is a feeling that Liverpool will sanction the England U21 international’s departure this summer, and a £40m fee has been touted.

"Outrageous" Elliott could be ideal Eze alternative

There is certainly no shortage of exciting options on Tottenham’s shortlist, with Eze perhaps chief amongst them, having outperformed the other targets in terms of attacking contributions in the Premier League last season.

However, the Crystal Palace star is also the most senior player at 27-years-old, meaning he received more game time, and it could be difficult for Spurs to win the race, given that Arsenal are thought to be closing in on a deal, having agreed a £55m fee.

Elliott could be the best option out of the remaining targets, given that he has been lauded as “outrageous” by scout Jacek Kulig in the past, while the Liverpool ace also has experience in the Champions League.

As such, it is exciting news that Tottenham are ready to meet Liverpool’s demands, and a fee of around £40m seems reasonable.

South Africa were being turned inside out by India’s spinners but they found a way through to level the series

Ashish Pant10-Nov-2024Tristan Stubbs admitted that he was “proper nervous” and just tried to control his breathing as he struck an unbeaten 47 off 41 balls to shepherd a tricky chase and take South Africa over the line by three wickets in the second T20I against India.”I was just trying to breathe,” he said with a smile after the game. “It’s my favourite place to play cricket and I was nervous, proper nervous, so I was just trying to control my breathing.”Stubbs grew up in Knysna, a small town about 260 kilometres up the road from Gqeberha and has played all his domestic and franchise cricket at St George’s Park. This knock was even more special for Stubbs as it was his mum’s birthday and he had plenty of his family and friends in the crowd who had driven down to the ground to celebrate.”Normally there’s a whole bunch of them [his friends and family], probably I reckon 30 to 35 of them,” Stubbs said. “They come through normally once a year for the SA20 and they’ve made a trip now. It’s my mom’s birthday too, so it’s sort of a celebration.”Before I met the team I went and said hello to everyone at the house that they’re staying at. So yeah, it’s been a really good day.”Coming into bat at 33 for 2 in the sixth over with South Africa chasing 125, Stubbs saw his side slip to 66 for 6 in the 13th. That soon became 86 for 7 in the 16th, but he got vital support from Gerald Coetzee with whom he shared an unbroken 42-run stand for the eighth wicket off just 20 balls.”Fortunately, the run rate never got away from us,” Stubbs said about the chase. “Once we lost the wickets, I had 30 in mind off the last three and then G [Coetzee] really came and played an innings to help that out and then, fortunately, we got over the line.”He walked in and he said straight away we can win this. I believed it all the time. We were always two hits away from being back to run-a-ball and then we had the crowd behind, which was just amazing.”Stubbs was caught right in the midst of an intense Varun Chakravarthy spell, who ran through South Africa’s middle order with a career-best 5 for 17. Ravi Bishnoi also kept things tight at the other end, but Stubbs bided his time before taking on the fast bowlers at the death. He later admitted the South Africa batters were out-skilled by the two spinners on a surface that was “typically staying low” but was pleased to stay till the end to take his side home.’They got the better of us in the middle there by just outskilling us,’ Stubbs said of India’s spinners•AFP/Getty Images”They both [Chakravarthy and Bishnoi] were doing just enough to beat you on either side,” he said. “It wasn’t easy to come in and just rotate even, let alone take them on. They are two of the best spinners in the world so when they are on, it’s really tough and they got the better of us in the middle there by just outskilling us.”So yeah, it was really nice to get the team over the line and be there not out at the end. I think as someone who bats in the middle, that’s your whole goal when chasing, get the team over the line but do it by being not out at the end.”It’s been quite the breakthrough year for Stubbs. In February, he became just the 11th batter to score a first-class triple-century in South Africa while in the last month and a bit, he’s racked up his Test and ODI centuries. Stubbs also played a key role in Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s second-successive SA20 title while he finished the IPL 2024 as Delhi Capitals’ second-highest run-getter with a terrific strike rate of 190.90.What’s brought about this maturity in Stubbs’ game?”I don’t actually know how to answer that. It’s just been nice,” he said. “I really enjoy the longer format because you can spend more time in the middle without feeling like you need to play a big ball and I really enjoy the graft of batting long.”I think the longer form cricket just naturally helps your T20 game and the batsmanship and spending time in the middle and not having to make a play really helps the rest of the formats. So I think that’s been the biggest thing.”

تحدث اللاعب ليوناردو باليردي، قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مارسيليا، عن أفضل لاعب في العالم بالوقت الحالي، خلال تصريحاته قبل مباراة ريال مدريد بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستعد ريال مدريد لمواجهة نظيره أولمبيك مارسيليا بقيادة دي زيربي، في أولى جولات مرحلة الدوري من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويواجه النادي الإسباني بقيادة تشابي ألونسو، الذي يخوض أولى مبارياته في بطولة “ذات الأذنين” رفقة الفريق، نظيره مارسيليا، مساء اليوم، الثلاثاء، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

مارسيليا لم يُشارك في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا في آخر 3 مواسم للبطولة بسبب الفترة الصعبة التي قضاها النادي قبل القيام بالإصلاحات والاعتماد على المهدي بن عطية مديرًا رياضيًا للنادي التاريخي.

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وعندما سُئل الأرجنتيني باليردي، عن كون مبابي أفضل لاعب في العالم قال في تصريحات نقلتها “موندو ديبورتيفو”: “لا، بالنسبة لي ميسي هو الأفضل طالما أنه لم يتوقف عن لعب كرة القدم”.

وأتم: “لكن هذا ليس تقليلًا من مبابي، إنه من أفضل اللاعبين في العالم لقد أثبت ذلك لسنوات عديدة وهو حاليًا في مستوى رائع”.

مبابي ليس غريبًا عن مرمى الفريق الفرنسي إذ نجح في تسجيل 9 أهداف ضد مارسيليا مع باريس سان جيرمان بين أعوام 2017-2024 وهدف واحد مع موناكو موسم 2016-2017.

Seamer takes five-for as Northants battle to limit first-innings deficit

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2024

Half-centuries from Sam Robson and Leus du Plooy gave Middlesex the upper hand on the second day of their Vitality County Championship game against Northamptonshire at Merchant Taylors’ School.Robson enhanced his impressive record at the Northwood venue, which includes four first-class centuries, by grinding out a vital 58 while Du Plooy hit an unbeaten 66 as the home side reached 250 for seven, a first-innings advantage of 43.However, Ben Sanderson kept Northamptonshire right in contention with figures of five for 58, regaining his status as Division Two’s leading wicket-taker after being briefly displaced by Middlesex captain Toby Roland-Jones.Northamptonshire were dismissed for 207, with Roland-Jones taking a season’s best of five for 49 – and the visitors’ hopes of restricting Middlesex to a lower total were not helped as Prithvi Shaw shelled a trio of slip catches.Sanderson and Lewis McManus, who had hauled Northamptonshire out of difficulties the previous evening, did enough to usher the visitors beyond the key landmark of 200 as they extended their partnership to 83.Sanderson unfurled a pair of classic drives to the boundary off Tom Helm and thoughts of a maiden first-class half-century must have entered the veteran seamer’s mind as he overtook McManus to reach 40.However, those thoughts were dashed when Henry Brookes bowled Sanderson around his legs and, although debutant Dom Leech cracked a cover boundary to raise the visitors’ 200, Roland-Jones quickly wrapped up the innings by capturing their last two wickets in three balls.In reply, Middlesex’s opening pair both survived close calls during the hour prior to lunch, although they made it to the interval unscathed on a surface with variable bounce and pace.With just a single to his name, Robson edged a rising delivery from Justin Broad through the slips, while Mark Stoneman offered a tricky slip chance off the same bowler and Shaw, going low to his left, was unable to hang on.Sanderson made the breakthrough soon after the resumption, getting the ball to swing and uprooting Stoneman’s off stump for 36, but Robson and Max Holden dug in for an afternoon of laborious progress.Robson cut the seamers with authority to keep the scoreboard moving and passed 50 from 118 balls with a sweet cover drive for four off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, whose change of ends then bore immediate fruit as he trapped Holden leg before.Northamptonshire might have removed Robson as well in the next over, with Shaw – who had also put down Holden – fumbling another opportunity, but Sanderson made amends immediately after tea with two wickets in as many deliveries.With Robson lbw to one that kept low and Stephen Eskinazi succumbing in identical fashion, Middlesex were suddenly wobbling at 129 for four but a bristling partnership of 72 between Du Plooy and Fernandes was exactly what they needed.Leech eventually brought the stand to an end with his first Northamptonshire wicket, having Fernandes taken at second slip, but Du Plooy remained to nudge his side into the lead with a crisp off-driven boundary.However, Sanderson returned with the new ball and promptly claimed two more wickets in quick succession, completing his third five-for of the summer before Roland-Jones launched a late flurry of boundary-hitting.He took two fours from successive Sanderson deliveries and had just cracked Broad to the fence to earn Middlesex a batting bonus point when the deteriorating light brought play to a close.

Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 49-ball 50, which bailed India out from a precarious situation on a low-scoring New York surface against USA, wasn’t a typical 360-degree knock, but it impressed his captain.”He showed he’s got a different game as well, that is what you expect from experienced players,” Rohit Sharma said on the official broadcast after India won their third straight game to enter the Super Eight stage. “To come out and bat differently if the situation demands, that is what Surya did. The partnership [67-run stand] with [Shivam] Dube was very important for us. In the end, to take us home was a great effort.”We knew it was going to be a tough task scoring those many runs [111], but credit to us. At the end, we held our nerves, got that partnership as well. We lost wickets upfront but credit to Surya and Dube to show that maturity and take the game till the end.”Related

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Dube finished on 31 off 35, and though he did the job required off him, the scorecard won’t reveal his struggle to force the pace against cutters dug into the surface. Dube was on 5 off 14 balls at one point, but muscled a six off Corey Anderson in the 15th over just as USA were beginning to tighten the screws. Before that shot, India needed 44 from 35.While Dube’s spin-hitting has made him a point of difference in the middle overs for Chennai Super Kings for two IPL seasons now, and led to his selection for the World Cup, he is also expected to chip in with the ball. On Wednesday, Rohit turned to Dube for an over. That went for 11. In a match where 221 runs were scored from 38.2 overs.”I think that is something we want; we want options with us,” Rohit said when asked about Dube the allrounder. “As and when we feel like we can use them, we should be able to use them. Today, I thought we could use them, the pitch had something in it. But yeah, again, all I want is to have options moving forward.”Rohit called the conditions “very tough” for batters, but lauded his bowlers, particularly Arshdeep Singh, for leading the way. Arshdeep struck twice in his first over – the first of the match – and finished with 4 for 9, his career-best figures in T20Is. Hardik Pandya also picked up two key wickets, of Aaron Jones and Anderson, with short deliveries.”We knew bowlers had to take the lead,” Rohit said. “We knew run-scoring is difficult on this pitch. Again, all our bowlers did the job, particularly Arshdeep, the way he started off was magnificent. Playing cricket here wasn’t easy. It could’ve been anyone’s game.”All three games we played, we had to stick in till the end and take the game as deep as possible. Lucky for us, we managed to pull through in all three games and [we] take a lot of confidence for a victory like this.”Rohit also lauded USA’s Indian-origin players for their performance. Saurabh Netravalkar, the left-arm seamer, was his junior in the Mumbai circuit once upon a time, while Harmeet Singh, the left-arm spinner, went to the same school as him in the Mumbai suburb of Borivali.”Lot of these guys, we’ve played cricket together,” Rohit said. “But I’m very happy to see them, their progress in cricket. Last year, we saw them play in the MLC [Major League Cricket] as well, they’re going from strength to strength, and I can hope for nothing but the best for them. They’re hard-working guys making their mark here in US.”

Manchester City may have one eye on the Club World Cup this summer, though they are refusing to relent in their pursuit of additions and could now be in a position to land one of PSG’s leading stars.

Man City's changing dynamics this summer

The end of a trophyless campaign for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City appears to have only fueled his desire to ensure his side doesn’t end up empty-handed next time out.

Fortunately, the Club World Cup will offer a quickfire chance to atone for a year without silverware alongside a bounty of nearly £100 million for the eventual winners of the competition.

Of course, Manchester City are hardly struggling for cash. Still, a sizeable extra windfall would allow more room for manoeuvre in their quest to rejuvenate a squad that will see some experienced figures depart over the summer.

Kevin De Bruyne appears to be on his way to Napoli and bows out as possibly the Citizens’ greatest ever player, leaving a void to be filled not only in the engine room but in terms of leadership.

Jack Grealish could be on his way to Tottenham Hotspur after becoming a spare part. Although his influence has waned in recent times, there is no doubt that his experience has helped to set a culture of success inside the Manchester City dressing room.

Related Hugo Viana makes £40m+ Man City offer to sign Brazilian ahead of Man Utd

The Citizens are looking to steal a march on their rivals…

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AC Milan star Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri could arrive to work under Guardiola. Nevertheless, their prospective moves don’t undermine the need for stars capable of producing match-winning moments to arrive, no matter where they may feature on the pitch.

Man City eye surprise Gianluigi Donnarumma move

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City have made contact over a move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma if number one Ederson is sold this summer.

The Brazil international is attracting interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League and could be allowed to leave for just over £25 million if appropriate offers come in.

Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

40

Clean sheets

12

Goals conceded

39

On the other hand, former AC Milan star Donnarumma is in the middle of a contract wrangle with Paris Saint-Germain and is also being tracked by Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Juventus, with City also registering their interest.

Intriguingly, he has been labelled a “top goalkeeper” by Guardiola back in 2017 and won’t have done himself any harm after picking up the Champions League trophy last weekend.

Speaking about his future at the French giants, Donnarumma stated: “New deal or leaving? We will see what happens… I don’t know.

‘It’s time to enjoy this magic season now. I will go on holiday and then we will see.”

From a Manchester City standpoint, that doesn’t sound like a man who has completely ruled out the prospect of playing elsewhere next term. Now, it is over to their recruitment staff to try and tempt the £205,000 per week earner to English shores.

This summer is a huge one for Liverpool football club if they are to sustain the success they’ve achieved in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm on Merseyside.

The Reds have claimed the Premier League title for just the second time in 2024/25, achieving such a feat with multiple games to spare, highlighting the impressive job done by the Dutchman.

Many supporters undoubtedly had fears for the side after Jürgen Klopp’s departure last summer, but it’s safe to say Slot has rapidly put those worries to bed.

He has the opportunity to create a new era of success for a generation of the fanbase, but it’s crucial that the board backs him in his quest by landing him the targets he wants.

With just a couple of weeks until the transfer window opens, work has already been done behind the scenes to land targets who would drastically improve the options at the manager’s disposal.

The latest on Liverpool’s hunt for new defenders this summer

Whilst boasting the second-best defensive record in the Premier League, Liverpool are still in the market for added reinforcements in such a department.

Bournemouth ace Milos Kerkez has been their number one option to strengthen the left-back department, with the Cherries demanding a fee in the region of £40m for his signature.

However, the Hungarian might not be the only star to join the Reds from Andoni Iraola’s side in the coming months, with Dean Huijsen on their radar, according to one Spanish report.

It claims that Slot’s side have already made an offer to the 20-year-old’s representatives over a summer switch to Anfield, but face competition from sides such as Real Madrid and Chelsea.

It also states that it remains to be seen whether he will stay in England or move to LaLiga during the off-season, with multiple outfits willing to trigger his £50m release clause in his contract.

Why Liverpool’s £50m target would be better than Murillo

Huijsen isn’t the only defender linked with a switch to join Liverpool in the near future, with Nottingham Forest’s Brazilian star Murillo emerging as another target for Slot’s men.

The 22-year-old has been a key part of their hunt for a Champions League spot, having a real impact at both ends of the pitch – as seen by his goal against Crystal Palace earlier this week.

He’s a unique option in today’s market, taking pride in his ball-playing ability, always offering a presence in driving out with the ball from the back and playing a diagonal pass to a teammate – but could cost a fee in the region of £80m.

However, despite his eye-catching ability at the City Ground, the hierarchy should still prioritise a move for Bournemouth star Huijsen, with the Spaniard a better option in 2025.

When comparing his stats to those of Murillo this campaign, he’s managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – handing the manager a perfect partner to Virgil Van Dijk.

Huijsen, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has completed more progressive carries per 90 whilst also completing more of the passes he’s attempted – showcasing his impressive ability on the ball.

How Huijsen compares to Murillo in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Huijsen

Murillo

Games played

29

34

Goals & assists

4

2

Progressive carries

1.5

0.6

Progressive passes

4.7

3.1

Pass accuracy

83%

78%

% of tackles won

60%

58%

Interceptions made

1.9

0.9

Aerials won

2.6

1.2

Stats via FBref

He’s also won more of the tackles he’s entered to date and made more interceptions, highlighting that he’s a better option than Murillo without the ball – further improving the club’s impressive defensive record.

Given the difference in stats, it should be a no-brainer for the club, not to mention saving themselves £30m if they were to make a move for Huijsen instead of the Forest gem.

Such a saving could allow for added investment into other key areas of the first-team squad, further improving their chances of making it back-to-back triumphs in the Premier League next season.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair May 8, 2025