As the Scottish Premiership campaign nears, Celtic could still lose star man Matt O'Riley, with another offer reportedly on the way that would see them receive a player on top of a transfer fee.

Celtic transfer news

In between welcoming Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo and, most recently, Paulo Bernardo, Celtic have faced the ongoing battle of keeping hold of O'Riley. The Dane is undoubtedly the standout player in Scotland, attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool, Atalanta and Southampton, but it remains to be seen whether he gets his move. As things stand, he is set to join Bernardo, Schmeichel and Sinisalo in Brendan Rodgers' list of options come the opening day against Kilmarnock this Sunday.

Speaking to Celtic's official website after re-joining on a permanent deal, latest signing Bernardo said: "It’s amazing for me and it’s a big step in my career. I really enjoyed last season when we won the championship and the cup, so it was great for me – my first two titles in my career, too.

"I love the atmosphere at Celtic Park and away in all the games. Celtic is a big, big club. The fans feed us in the game so we can score one more goal or win the game in the last minute. They show that they love the club and I think they really like me too, so I love them."

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This Sunday's opening day fixture against Kilmarnock could yet be the new arrival's final chance to play alongside O'Riley, despite ongoing rumours over his potential exit. According to Football Insider, Southampton are now set to submit a player-plus-cash offer to sign O'Riley, which could see young midfielder Shea Charles head to Glasgow this summer.

"Aggressive" Charles has crucial versatility

Whilst Charles would be far from a like-for-like replacement for the more attack-minded O'Riley, he would offer crucial versatility defensively, given that he is naturally a defensive midfielder who can also play at centre-back and right-back. If Southampton's fee is also suitable, then it's a deal that may well suit all parties in the coming weeks.

However, Saints boss Russell Martin may not be too keen to show Charles the door, despite his club's reportedly pending offer. He said via the Daily Record last season: "I know Flynn [Downes] has played in front of him, but when he has come on from the bench he has had a really good impact on the games. We have really good competition in the midfield. Shea wants to win. He is aggressive and he breaks up play. He will be a really important player for us."

With just a matter of weeks left until the transfer window slams shut, the O'Riley saga is far from over. The Dane will be in the shop window for all to see as the Scottish Premiership gets underway this weekend and Celtic will have to continue worrying about losing their star man.

West Ham United are eyeing a late summer swoop for a £25 million forward, as his club attempt to ward them off and tie him down with a new contract.

West Ham could sign another forward before August 30

The Hammers have been among one of the Premier League's busiest teams this transfer window, having already spent north of £120 million on eight major summer signings for Julen Lopetegui.

Related West Ham open talks to sign £107,000-per-week international for Lopetegui

His side have been one of the Premier League’s biggest spenders this summer.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Aug 20, 2024

Technical director Tim Steidten brought in defender Max Kilman, winger Crysencio Summerville, centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, forward Niclas Fullkrug, Brazilian starlet Luis Guillherme, right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, midfielder Guido Rodriguez and back-up goalkeeper Wes Foderingham to the London Stadium earlier this window, but reports suggest they could still bring in a few more.

West Ham are reportedly locked in talks over a deal for PSG midfielder Carlos Soler, and Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth says another forward coming in is "definitely one to watch", depending on outgoings.

"With regards to forwards, it will probably depend on departures in that area," said Sheth to GiveMeSport earlier this week.

West Ham summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Max Kilman

Wolves

€47.5m

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United

€29.3m

Niclas Fullkrug

Borussia Dortmund

€27m

Luis Guilherme

Palmeiras

€23m

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

€18m

Wes Foderingham

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Free transfer

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

Loan transfer

West Ham summer departures

To

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Flynn Downes

Southampton

€17.85m

Said Benrahma

Lyon

€14.4m

Thilo Kehrer

Monaco

€11m

Nathan Trott

FC Copenhagen

€1.5m

Ben Johnson

Ipswich Town

Free transfer

Joseph Anang

St. Patrick's Athletic

Free transfer

"We hear a lot about Maxwel Cornet and Danny Ings potentially leaving. Would that be enough for them to go into the market to bring in another player? So it's definitely one to watch."

The Irons have spared no expense in backing Lopetegui over what has been an exciting transfer window for West Ham, and it is believed that Sunderland star Jack Clarke is another player on Steidten's radar.

The former Tottenham outcast has been a revelation for Sunderland since swapping north London for The Stadium of Light. Last season, Clarke racked up 15 goals and four assists for the Black Cats in all competitions, over what was a career-best campaign for him.

West Ham eye Jack Clarke move as Sunderland negotiate new deal

The 23-year-old's contract expires in 2026, though, and it is believed Sunderland are attempting to tie him down as they try to ward off suitors.

According to a report in the print edition of The Sun this week (via WHZ), West Ham are eyeing a move for Clarke as Sunderland try to agree a fresh contract for him, but it is unclear whether Lopetegui's side could tempt either his club or the player.

He'd apparently cost around £25 million to prise away from Sunderland, which could be considered a bargain, given his reputation, age and form right now.

"I've always been looking up to Jack," said ex-Spurs teammate Romain Mundle.

"We love each other and he's an unbelievable player, a player that I watch in training every day. He's a perfect attacker to look up to and learn from. He helped me settle in with the club. I talk to Jack daily. He's always been there for me and taken me under his wing. He's there to guide me. I'm there looking at him in training and learning off him as well. I couldn't think of a better example to learn off."

The re-opening of pub beer gardens in the last two weeks has caused a significant blow to Saturday-morning productivity levels for large swathes of London’s population, not least if the stacks of empty plastic pint glasses on St John’s Wood High Street were anything to go by. But Middlesex’s seamers’ efforts on the third day at Lord’s marked them out as outliers, as they took seven wickets before 12.20pm to blow Surrey away and romp home in a derby that had seemed finely poised on Friday evening.”Bang, bang here, boys,” implored Nick Gubbins from cover as Ethan Bamber stood at the top of his mark at the start of play, but what followed was more like a fusillade: Rory Burns edged the first ball of the day through to John Simpson behind the stumps, and Surrey added only 25 runs to their overnight total as Middlesex rattled through their lower order.Tim Murtagh had Ben Foakes caught behind and trapped Rikki Clarke in front, and conceded 11 runs in eight unchanged overs from the Nursery End, while Bamber pinned Jamie Smith lbw and Toby Roland-Jones wrapped up the job with three of the last four to finish with 4 for 29. The target was just 17 – just enough for Max Holden to reach his highest score of the season thanks to a couple of crisply-struck boundaries, the second of which sealed the win.Peter Handscomb, Middlesex’s new captain, didn’t even have time to ask for the words to the team song. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s great,” he said. “To come out the way we did this morning was phenomenal. For Bamber to start with that first ball and get the big wicket of Burns and set the tone was just fantastic.”It has been a surreal 18 months for Handscomb since he signed for the club, chatting to his future team-mates via WhatsApp and following their progress from afar without being able to meet them in person as restrictions on international travel saw his contract deferred last season. Having watched them slip to a heavy defeat at the Ageas Bowl via Hampshire’s live stream last week while quarantining, victory inside seven sessions represented a near-perfect start – his third-ball duck the only blemish.”It was nice not to have to go out and face the ball to potentially get a pair on debut for Middlesex,” he laughed. “That was a nice touch. It’s about mentally getting my head around the game and understanding which shots I can and can’t play, and just being able to change that as quickly as possible. We’re figuring out what the Covid restrictions will allow us to do but it’d be nice to be able to get outside and enjoy what is a pretty good win.”Related

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This match was a reminder of the template Middlesex had set during their title-winning season in 2016. Roland-Jones and Murtagh were both key contributors to that side, and while Bamber lacks the point of difference that Steven Finn offered – he is known as ‘Mini Murts’ – he remains penetrative, with 13 wickets already this season. Roland-Jones looked somewhere near his best this week, occasionally finding extra bounce from a length thanks to his height, and Murtagh shows no sign of age as his 40th birthday approaches. Their batting remains brittle, but Sam Robson looks in the form of his life at the top of the order, and Handscomb should add consistency to their middle order.For Surrey, Saturday was an unmitigated disaster. Their hopes had rested heavily on Burns, but the manner of their collapse after his dismissal portrayed a team low on confidence after two years in which wins have been hard to come by. Foakes and Clark will not look back on their dismissals fondly, playing expansive shots when survival was the key, and Jamie Smith – who scored 11 of their 25 runs in the day – was dropped at second slip before he had got going.They have lost two of their first three games, with a high-scoring draw against Leicestershire on a flat pitch in the other, and are already a long way off the pace in Group Two. Having racked up 672 for 8 declared last week, they managed 284 for 20 across two innings here. “We bowled well, caught poorly, and too many dismissals were probably self-inflicted,” Alec Stewart, their director of cricket, said. “We created 15 chances in Middlesex’s first innings but we dropped five catches.”They host early pace-setters Hampshire next week, and will need their top five – all of whom have played Test cricket – to find a way to counter Mohammad Abbas and Kyle Abbott. “There are still seven games to go, and we felt if you win six then you’ll probably go through top [of the group],” Stewart said. “Lee Fortis is a world-class groundsman but he’ll hold his hands up and say it wasn’t the ideal pitch last week. We’ve got to lick our wounds and then re-group to prepare for a game against a good side.”

Manchester United have been busy in the transfer window so far. They have made four signings, with the view of improving on a disastrous 8th-place finish in the Premier League in the 2023/24 campaign. They got off to the perfect start this season, beating Fulham 1-0 at Old Trafford on the opening night.

That goal was scored by one of their new signings, Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman joined the club from Bologna for £36.5m after an impressive season under Thiago Motta. He was United’s first signing, closely followed by 18-year-old wonderkid centre-back Leny Yoro. The Frenchman switched Lille for Old Trafford in a deal worth £52m.

United’s next two signings came in a double deal from Bayern Munich. They added Matthijs de Ligt for an initial £38.5m and Noussair Mazraoui for £12.8m plus add-ons. The pair had already played under Erik ten Hag during his tenure at Ajax and both featured in Friday’s clash against the Cottagers.

However, United are not thought to be done there, and could well dip into the transfer market again to add the quality that helps them finish in the top four this term.

Man Utd target Bundesliga defender

The player in question here is Bayer Leverkusen and Ecuador international centre-back Piero Hincapie. The versatile 22-year-old defender was a crucial part of Xabi Alonso’s invincible Leverkusen side last term, but could leave the club this summer.

At least, that is according to a report from El Comercio, which reports that the Red Devils view Hincapie as an option to further bolster their backline. As per the report, United are 'determined to sign the Bayer Leverkusen defender' during the summer transfer window.

However, the report suggests that United will not be alone in their quest to sign Hincapie. The Red Devils will have to compete with German giants Bayern and Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid, as well as Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to acquire his services.

In terms of a price, a report from TEAMtalk suggests the Ecuadorian is valued at around £50m. Given the fact his contract does not expire until 2027, it seems like it could be tough to negotiate a price down.

How Hincapie can replicate United legend

If United sign Hincapie this summer, he will become just the second Ecuadorian player to represent the English giants, with the first being club legend and former captain Antonio Valencia.

The Old Trafford legend played 339 times for the club, scoring 25 goals and grabbing 58 assists along the way. Valencia also won nine major honours in the famous red shirt, including two Premier League titles and the Europa League.

Trophy

Times won

Year(s) won

Premier League

2

2010/11, 2012/13

Europa League

1

2016/17

Community Shield

3

2010/11, 2013/14, 2016/17

FA Cup

1

2015/16

League Cup

2

2009/10, 2016/17

In September 2010, he suffered a terrible injury, breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle. However, the former United skipper showed great resilience to come back from that injury and go on to become an Old Trafford icon.

Valencia’s versatility was a key feature of his time at United. He began his Old Trafford career as a right-winger, but as he got older, switched positions and became a right-back once Rafael departed the club.

Indeed, Hincapie could well replicate such versatility and look to become the next great Ecuadorian player of the Red Devils. The 22-year-old can play at centre-back or left-back, and such versatility was crucial for Alonso and Leverkusen last term.

Under the Spanish manager last season, the 22-year-old featured 26 times in Leverkusen's invincible Bundesliga campaign, and missed just two games across their cup runs in the Europa League and DFB-Pokal.

If the Red Devils sign the Leverkusen defender, Hincapie will be hoping he can do exactly what the only other Ecuadorian to play for the club did at Old Trafford by winning the Premier League. Valencia was part of the United squad that last won the top flight, and Hincapie would no doubt hope to replicate that achievement.

Whilst £50m is a lot of money for Hincapie, they would be adding a “beast” of a centre-back, as football scout Antonio Mango described him. It would certainly be a good piece of business for the 20-time English champions if the defender can replicate his countryman Valencia and bring plenty of trophies to Old Trafford once again.

Siraj defended 13 in the final over, the unbeaten fifties from both Capitals batters in vain

Sreshth Shah27-Apr-20215:16

Dasgupta: Lack of dew due to sandstorm helped RCB

With Rishabh Pant and Shimron Hetmyer set in the middle and the Delhi Capitals needing 14 to win, the batting side held the edge going into the final over of the chase. However, Mohammed Siraj conceded only 12 to hand Royal Challengers Bangalore a one-run win that lifted them back to the top of the IPL 2021 points table.The Capitals were struggling, having lost their first three wickets early in the 172 chase, but Hetmyer’s 23-ball fifty brought them back into the contest. However, with 10 needed in the last two balls, and Hetmyer losing strike, all Pant could do was hit two fours, leaving both unbeaten batters on their haunches after the narrow defeat.That the Royal Challengers reached 171 for 5 after losing the toss was courtesy another masterclass from AB de Villiers. While the rest of his team-mates failed to make the most of the Ahmedabad surface, de Villiers creamed an unbeaten 75 off 42 deliveries. In a game of close margins, the 23-run 20th over by Marcus Stoinis went a long way in the Royal Challengers winning the match.Avesh, Ishant tidy for Capitals
Avesh Khan struck in his first over. Getting a length ball to angle in, he had Virat Kohli chopping on for 12. Off the next ball, Devdutt Padikkal was bowled by Ishant Sharma, as the fast bowler chose to go straight instead of going across the left-hander as he did in his first two overs. In the space of two balls, the Royal Challengers were 30 for 2 in 5.1 overs.Ishant eventually finished with 1 for 26 in his four. Avesh did not add to his wicket tally but bowled yorkers at will in the death overs to finish with 1 for 24.de Villiers tees off yet again
The Royal Challengers recovered through Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell, and while both fell after getting starts, they had set the stage for de Villiers. He found his groove by running hard early in his innings to get his eye in. After that, he hammered Kagiso Rabada past mid-off to get his first four.Axar Patel was then muscled over his head for six, Rabada was sliced past third man and then pulled over deep midwicket, and although Khan’s pinpoint yorkers kept de Villiers quiet for most of the 19th, he hauled a short ball to the right of long-on to reach his fifty in 35 balls.Stoinis goes for plenty
That Royal Challengers were only at 148 for 5 after 19 overs was because Pant, the Capitals captain, had used his top bowlers early. Sharma was bowled out long back. So was Rabada. That meant Amit Mishra had bowled only three overs, and Pant did not give him the 20th. Instead, he went to Stoinis.It was a plan that did not pay off. de Villiers faced every delivery and crunched 22 runs in the over after Stoinis started off with a wide. That pushed the Royal Challengers’ score to 171, a total that looked far off for most of the innings.Capitals’ top three fall early
A sudden sandstorm delayed the start of the chase by 15 minutes, but no overs were lost, and Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan began by smacking 23 runs in the first two overs.However, Dhawan fell prey to a deliberate around-the-stumps angle from Kyle Jamieson when he steered a pull to fine leg in the third over. Next over, Siraj got a length ball outside off to move away slightly, and Steven Smith edged it behind. Shaw, who looked the best of the top three, was out soon after the powerplay when he chased a wide ball from Harshal Patel and edged it to the keeper. The Capitals were then 47 for 3.Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell console Shimron Hetmyer after the close finish•BCCI/IPLPant, Stoinis build a partnership
Although Pant’s timing was off early in his innings, what helped the Capitals was Stoinis’ stroke-making. He lapped Yuzvendra Chahal for four and then struck Washington Sundar for a couple more boundaries to keep the required run rate to under 12. That helped the lack of fours from Pant’s bat go under the radar.But Pant then turned on the screws with two fours to begin the 13th over, bowled by Harshal, and it appeared like the game was moving to the Capitals’ corner, when Stoinis was out for 22 a few balls later. The 45-run partnership, though, gave the Capitals hope.Hetmyer’s blitzkrieg
When Hetmyer came in to bat, Pant was on 33. When Hetmyer reached his half-century, Pant was on 42. In between, Hetmyer creamed the ball to all parts, starting with the 15th over, from Siraj, where he struck a six and a four. The 17th over, delivered by Harshal, was tidy but Hetmyer eked out another four over extra cover.At that stage, the Capitals needed 46 off 18 balls, and Jamieson was entrusted with the 18th. Hetmyer carted him for three sixes, the equation reducing to 25 off 12.Pant struggles, Siraj the hero
An 11-run 19th over by Harshal meant that Siraj had to defend 13 off the final six balls. But what was going the bowling side’s way was the extent of Pant’s struggle. Hetmyer, the form batsman, faced just one ball in the first four as Siraj’s full lengths did not allow the batters to get under the ball. With two balls left, Pant needed to hit a six and a four to get the two points.The penultimate ball was a full toss that was slashed over third man, and Pant had to hit a six off the last one for the win. But he failed to do that as Siraj went wide, and all Pant could do was clatter a four to deep point. Hetmyer, who finished on an unbeaten 53 off 25 balls, was on his knees at the bowler’s end, and Pant, too, cut a dejected figure at the wicketkeeper’s as the Royal Challengers rejoiced at their thrilling victory.

It wasn't plain sailing, but Manchester United kicked off their 2024/25 Premier League season with three points, courtesy of debutant Joshua Zirkzee's off-the-bench winner against Fulham late on.

The former Bologna forward, who signed in a £36.5m deal in July, netted in the 87th minute after driving Alejandro Garnacho's cross home after a testing game far from the desired fluency and control for the Old Trafford hosts.

United, for now, perch atop the league table, and while there's roughly 97% of the campaign still to play, there's much to be excited about. Not everyone was up to scratch, however, with Mason Mount leaving much to be desired.

Mason Mount's performance vs Fulham

Signed from Chelsea for a fee rising to £55m last summer, Mount endured a torrid time throughout the 2023/24 season, starting only five times in the top flight as he battled against mounds of injuries.

Having played just shy of an hour in the Red Devils' Community Shield loss against Manchester City last week, the England international was rewarded with another starting berth.

Man Utd 1-0 Fulham: Mason Mount's Performance
Statistic	#
Minutes played	61'
Goals	0
Assists	0
Touches	27
Shots taken	1
Big chances missed	1
Accurate passes	11/15 (73%)
Key passes	2
Possession lost	10x
Dribbles completed	0/2
Total duels won	5/10
Yellow card	1
Stats via Sofascore

Journalist Joe Lyons commented that Mount "has to be up there with the poorest and most mind-boggling signings post-Fergie" following his travails in the Premier League curtain raiser, failing to grasp the opportunity and playing off the flow of the game before being hooked on the hour mark.

Mount did show glimpses of the quality that led United to fork out a hefty sum for his signature, but there is plenty to do after missing a glorious chance in the second half and failing to provide the complete performance that was so often on show at Stamford Bridge when he was at his best.

It's not fair to heap all of the criticism on one man, who looked sharp in moments and will be expected to grow into his skin as the term progresses, but the £250k-per-week talent simply has to be better; he's hardly nailed down a claim as an undisputed starter.

Neither has Marcus Rashford, for that matter.

Marcus Rashford has it all to prove

Throughout the 2022/23 campaign, Ten Hag's first at the helm, Rashford was at his barnstorming best, plundering 30 goals and ten assists across all competitions and being lauded as "unstoppable" by his manager.

Last season told a bleaker tale, one of inconsistency and anonymity. Rashford only scored seven times in the league and performed at a portion of his former level.

This season, he simply has to restore that all-powerful attacking ability that sent the United faithful into rapture almost every week, and he failed his opening audition against the resilient Cottagers.

The Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst wasn't exactly scathing in his post-match comments, but he did echo an undertone of disappointment for a star who has it all to prove this year.

Handing Rashford a 5/10 match rating, he wrote: 'Got on the ball plenty in the first half without threatening. Inadvertently played in Mount, who failed to convert from close range.'

Rashford was lively, displaying some of that electric and eager character that has earned him acclaim, but despite this, he was let down by his underlying numbers.

As per Sofascore, the winger failed with all five of his attempted dribbles and won only two of his eight contested duels – a success rate of just 25%.

He took 46 touches but also completed only one key pass, squandering possession on 16 occasions. Rashford must now hone his sharpness to ensure he reclaims his one-time undroppable status, but at present, that squad standing is anything but.

With Zirkzee introduced for Mount with 30 minutes to play, the versatile Dutchman has certainly staked an early claim for a regular starting role that would see Bruno Fernandes drop deeper.

Moreover, Rasmus Hojlund is currently injured and there are a host of wide forwards itching to impress themselves – with Garnacho also benched for the first league fixture of the year.

Rashord is a top-class player on his day, but such days need to be found with greater consistency to convince Ten Hag that he can be the talisman United need to reach new heights at the start of an exciting new era.

He'd make Fernandes unplayable: Man Utd in talks to sign "one of the best"

The Red Devils are in for this top talent once again.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 16, 2024

Nottingham Forest are locked in talks to sign an alternative to Santiago Gimenez in the final days of the transfer window, it has emerged.

Nottingham Forest target late reinforcements

Heading into the final month of the transfer window, Nottingham Forest had outlined a minimum of five new signings to make before the transfer window slammed shut, in order to give manager Nuno Espírito Santo the best chance of Premier League survival.

As per the reliable John Percy, the Reds were keen to sign two wingers, a forward, a goalkeeper and a left-back before August 30th.

So far, they have made good progress on that front; the arrivals of Ramon Sosa from CD Talleres and Jota Silva from Vitoria SC respectively have fulfilled their desire for fresh blood in wide areas, while they are also reportedly in talks to sign Aston Villa left-back Alex Moreno, who Unai Emery admitted was "close to leaving" the Villans.

Personal terms done: Nottingham Forest "very close" to signing £23k-p/w ace

It would be an interesting move for the Reds having seen first hand what he can do.

ByBen Browning Aug 19, 2024

Any deal could be a season-long loan for the Spaniard and would provide cover and competition for current left-back Ola Aina at the City Ground.

Meanwhile, Forest are also chasing a striker and had earmarked PSV attacker Gimenez as a potential target. However, they have seen their initial €25m (£21m) offer rejected by the Eredivisie side, who are believed to be holding out for around €40m (£34m) to sell the Mexican this summer. Now, they have identified an alternative to the 23-year-old.

Nottingham Forest table offer for "beast"

That comes in the shape of Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, who is set to be on the move this summer after managing just 11 Premier League starts in 2023/24.

The 25-year-old was an unused substitute for the Gunners as they beat Wolves 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the season, and has already been the subject of a failed move to Marseille, who ultimately opted to sign Elye Wahi instead.

Now, he is on Nottingham Forest's radar, with the Reds having already sent an opening offer to Arsenal for his services, though it was rejected according to Fabrizio Romano.

Eddie Nketiah in the 23/24 PL season

Appearances

27

Starts

10

Goals

5

Assists

2

Yellow Cards

3

Minutes per goal/assist

153

As per David Ornstein, that initial bid totalled £25m including add-ons, but the Gunners are holding out for between £30m and £35m to part ways with their second choice striker.

Despite seeing limited game time, Mikel Arteta is still believed to rate Nketiah highly, while the Englishman is in no rush to leave the Emirates given he still has three years left to run on his £100,000-a-week deal.

Speaking after Nketiah scored against Nottingham Forest 12 months ago, Arteta hailed his striker as a "beast".

“Eddie sums up what we want this season in terms of the squad,” Arteta told the club’s official website.

“He was a player who was really disappointed not to start against Manchester City in the absence of Gabby [Gabriel Jesus], but he had an incredible impact in the game against City and he trained this week like a beast."

Now, that "beast" could well be heading to Nottingham.

حسم علي معلول، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، مستقبله مع القلعة الحمراء، بعد عودته من الإصابة.

وكان وكيل معلول، قد أعلن في وقت سابق رحيل اللاعب عن الأهلي، خاصة وأن الأخير لم يفتح ملف التجديد.

وقال معلول عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “سعيد أنني موجود معكم في قناة الأهلي، وإن شاء الله لن تكون آخر مقابلة بيننا، وإن شاء الله هناك أخبار جيدة لنا جميعًا”.

طالع.. قائمة الأهلي لمباراة بتروجيت في الدوري المصري.. غياب 4 لاعبين

وتابع: “علاقة الحب بيني وبين جماهير الأهلي منذ أول يوم في 2016، تابعت أن الجماهير تطالب باستمراري.. العلاقة تطورت خلال 9 سنوات وأصبح هناك حب متبادل، مع إصابتي رأيت الناس يقفون معي، وأريد أن أشكركم وأقول لكم إنكم على رأسي، وإن شاء الله أكون عند حسن ظنكم”.

وواصل: “الإصابة جاءت في توقيت صعب، وقررت إجراء العملية في مصر، رغم أن كابتن محمود الخطيب عرض عليّ إجراءها في أي مكان أفضل، لكن كانت عندي ثقة في الجهاز الطبي بالنادي وقررت أكسب وقتًا وأجري العملية هنا، وتأهلت هنا، وأشكر رئيس الجهاز الطبي الذي تعب معي لمدة 8 أشهر بدون إجازة”.

واستمر: “كنا نعمل صباحًا ومساءً، لأن هذا عملي وأريد أن أعود للملعب في أقرب وقت، وأنا منذ 6 أسابيع في التدريبات والأمور أحسن كثيرًا”.

وأوضح: “إن شاء الله من اليوم علي معلول مستمر مع الأهلي، وإن شاء الله تكون بداية جديدة، وأعدكم إنكم سترون علي معلول مثل (زمان وكل زمان)، وأكون عند حسن ظنكم، وأعود لارتداء قميص الأهلي الجديد لسنوات طويلة”.

ومن جانيه، قال شوبير عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “علي معلول تم قيده في قائمة الأهلي المحلية والإفريقية بشكل رسمي”.

Cites her ability to demoralise opponents as key quality

Vishal Dikshit20-May-2021

Shafali has received a strong endorsement from the former India women coach•Getty Images

India Women’s outgoing head coach WV Raman believes 17-year-old opener Shafali Verma’s game-changer of a batting approach could “demoralise” opposition bowlers in Test cricket too. Verma, who has so far represented India only in T20Is, is part of the ODI and Test squads as well for the all-format England tour next month. India are also set to tour Australia, where they will play a pink-ball Test in September.”If a batter goes on to psychologically demoralise the opposition bowlers in the first 45 minutes to one hour, I would take that any day in any format,” Raman told . “Let’s say in a four-day game or a Test match you are as it is looking to play out, if at all you happen to bat first.”Sometimes there could be a bit of reluctance to bat first if you win the toss for various reasons, but if you have someone in your side who can go out…some players are like that, they don’t care what the conditions are, who they are up against, they would back themselves and they’ll go after the bowlers and demoralise them.”Verma, currently the top-ranked T20I batter in the ICC women’s rankings, is known for her hard-hitting approach at the top and boasts of a T20I strike rate of 148.31. Raman cited Prithvi Shaw’s example from the Under-19 level to underline Verma’s ability to play a similar role across formats.”Like I saw Prithvi Shaw doing in the Under-19 side in 2017,” Raman said. “He would go there and get a 70-80 in no time. And by the time he got out and by the time you had a drinks break, you suddenly see the score close to 90 or 100. The issue is settled straightaway and imagine it provides you advantages in every respect. Not only does it make it very disconcerting for the bowlers in the opposition camp, it provides great confidence to the batters going next in your own side. What more do you need? It’s priceless.”Raman was also asked if the Indian team lacked an explosive finisher in ODIs and if the team management should consider moving Verma down the order in the format to collect more runs towards the end. “If they can find somebody who can do that from 35-50 overs, have them in the side, and have Shafali also in the side, why restrict yourself to either Shafali Verma or somebody at the bottom? Just have as many bazookas as you can and launch them mercilessly.”Verma made her international debut less than two years ago and has 22 T20Is to her name with 617 runs at an average of nearly 30. In T20Is since her debut in September 2019, Verma has been the second-highest run-scorer only behind Beth Mooney, she has the second-best strike rate after Alyssa Healy’s 155.95 (minimum 10 innings) and she has struck the most sixes (29) in the period.With her explosive batting style, she has already signed deals for The Hundred in England this summer, the WBBL in Australia later this year, and she got her maiden ODI and Test call-ups for the upcoming England tour. On Wednesday, the BCCI also handed her a Category B annual contract worth INR 30 lakh, a promotion from her Category C contract last year.

Manchester City are in danger of losing several players to Real Madrid if Pep Guardiola leaves in the summer of 2025, according to a fresh transfer update from Spain.

Guardiola may leave Man City next year

City once again clinched Premier League glory last season, making it four league titles on the spin, and the early indications this time around suggest that Guardiola's men are again very much the team to beat.

It could be that this is their legendary manager's final season at the Etihad, however, with the Spaniard failing to rule out the idea of moving on in 2025. He may feel that he has taken his team as far as he can, as was the case with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool earlier this year, having been in charge since 2016.

Should Guardiola move on, he will leave City as one of the most influential figures in the club's history, not only nurturing many of the best players ever to appear in the blue shirt but also winning countless trophies, not least the holy grail of the Champions League in 2023.

The supporters will hope that the former Barcelona hero still has many years left in him in charge, but at this point, it would arguably be a surprise if he was still manager this time next year given the silence around a new contract. Now, it looks as though a hugely important City player could now leave alongside him next year.

Man City could lose another "huge" star in 2025

According to a report from Spain, Manchester City could lose Erling Haaland to Real Madrid at the end of this season, with the reigning Champions League winners keen on snapping him up and capable of paying his current £19.5m-a-year salary.

The update states that Florentino Pérez is personally a massive fan of the player, and has made him one of their most coveted targets for next summer. It is also claimed that Haaland "has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the Premier League at a reasonable price," while the uncertainty surrounding Guardiola and the 115 charges is also thought to be playing its part.

This comes after Madrid have already been lurking around midfielder and potential Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, with City desperately trying to extend the Spain international's contract to fend off that interest.

The idea of City losing Pep, Haaland and Rodri – all at the peak of their powers – will terrify City supporters, with the 24-year-old in particular a simply unbelievable talent whose goalscoring statistics are off the chart. Incredibly, he already has seven league goals in three games this season, and 97 in 102 appearances overall.

Guardiola treasures the Norwegian, describing him as "huge", and he feels like the difference-maker in this season's Premier League title race, with his ability to find the net at a freakish rate potentially giving the Cityzens the edge over Arsenal and Liverpool.

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The lure of Madrid is great, however, especially with Kylian Mbappe now joining the likes of Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham there, so it is easy to see Haaland's head still being turned by a move to arguably the biggest club in the world.

Keeping him on beyond this season has to be one of City's biggest aims, though, during which time they will hope he continues to smash record after record.