تحدث روبي فاولر، أسطورة نادي ليفربول، عن تتويج كتيبة آرني سلوت بلقب الموسم الحالي من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، 2024/25.
وتوج ليفربول بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بشكل رسمي، مساء أمس الأحد، بعدما فاز على توتنهام.
وواجه ليفربول نظيره توتنهام على ملعب “الأنفيلد” في الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدف.
وتمكن ليفربول بذلك الفوز من حسم لقب الدوري الإنجليزي، للمرة العشرين في تاريخه.
اقرأ أيضًا.. جماهير ليفربول تختار أفضل لاعب في مباراة توتنهام بـ الدوري الإنجليزي
وقال روبي فاولر، في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للبطولة: “عندما تفعل ذلك أمام جماهيرك، فهذا ليفربول، مرتين في غضون 5 سنوات، إنه أمر رائع”.
وأضاف: “يجب أن يشكر الكثيرون ليفربول! لقد فاز مانشستر سيتي بسبعة ألقاب من آخر 9”.
وواصل: “عندما جاء يورجن كلوب، كان عليه أن يغير عقلية الجميع، ثم جاء آرني سلوت وأظهر الثقة في اللاعبين فورًا، انخرط في العمل، ودفع اللاعبين لتقديم أفضل ما لديهم”.
وأردف: “لقد فازوا بالدوري أمام جماهيرهم، ستة فرق فقط فازت باللقب مبكرًا بهذا القدر، أن يفعلوا ذلك هنا في الأنفيلد لأمر رائع، هذا هو الحديث الذي دار بين سلوت ولاعبيه، هذا ما يجب فعله، هذا هو جوهر الأمر”.
Visitors concede first-innings deficit of 132 before Michael Neser burst keeps game in balance
ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2022Joe Leach marked his return to first team action with career best figures of 6 for 44 to help Worcestershire establish control on day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Glamorgan at New Road.The allrounder has been side-lined since suffering a back problem in mid-May but quickly made his presence felt on a wicket of pace and bounce continuing to offer encouragement to the seamers.His three-wicket burst on Sunday evening had put Worcestershire in the ascendancy and he continued in the same vein today to earn his side a lead of 132. Only opener Ed Byrom, with a fighting half century, offered much resistance.Azhar Ali and Jake Libby then built on Worcestershire’s position of strength with a second wicket stand of 87. But Michael Neser bowled an inspired late spell which brought him three wickets as the home side closed with a lead of 279.Leach has been a talismanic figure for Worcestershire with the ball for many seasons since making the switch from initially being primarily a middle-order batter. The 31-year-old has that ability to take wickets in clusters which shows no sign of diminishing as he lifted his first-class tally past the 380 mark.Byrom was making only his second Championship appearance in a season where he initially had minor surgery and then suffered a hip flexor strain. But he hit a career best 176 on his return to four-day action against Sussex at Cardiff earlier in the month and showed more defiance here against a probing attack.Tom Fell came into the Worcestershire side for his first senior appearance of the season as a concussion replacement for Taylor Cornall, who was struck on the helmet by a delivery from Neser during Worcestershire’s first innings.Fell had last played at first-team level in the Championship match with Kent at Canterbury last September.Leach struck in his first over of the day when beating the defensive prod of Sam Northeast, who was bowled. It became two wickets in two balls when Kiran Carlson pushed forward and was snapped up by Josh Baker low to his right at third slipCharlie Morris was rewarded for a challenging opening spell when Billy Root was caught behind.Leach returned to the attack shortly before lunch to have Glamorgan keeper Tom Cullen taken at first slip for his sixth scalp.Michael Neser offered no stroke to Ed Barnard and was bowled before opener Byrom completed an excellent half century off 112 balls with eight fours. The innings was wrapped up when No. 10 Andrew Salter, who had opened in the first six Championship games, nicked Barnard to second slip.Byrom was last out on 57 when he drilled Dillon Pennington to long-on.When Worcestershire batted again, Ed Pollock’s poor run continued when he drove at a widish delivery in Michael Hogan’s opening over and was caught at first slip.Azhar did the bulk of the scoring during the early stages of the partnership with Libby who gradually opened out. He cover-drove and on-drove Hogan for boundaries in the same over. But the Australian broke the partnership in his next over when Azhar on 42 was caught behind off a delivery which kept low.Libby moved to within one run of his half-century before he tried to work James Harris to leg and was lbw. Fell was then undone by a lifter from Neser which he edged to give Cullen his seventh catch of the match so far.Neser had more success when club captain, Brett D’Oliveira, was taken by Northeast low at second slip. First innings century-maker Barnard could only manage a single before he was bowled by Neser.
Everton are reportedly interested in signing a “wonderful” player who is excelling in the Europa League this season, with the Blues even preparing an offer for him.
Everton transfer news
Blues supporters will be hoping that a special new era at the club is about to begin under The Friedkin Group, having suffered for so long under the ownership of Farhad Moshiri. Things aren’t going swimmingly under Sean Dyche, however, and it feels increasingly likely that a change of manager could happen in the coming months, most likely at the end of the season.
Dyche will hope to be backed in the January transfer window, in order to give his Everton side the best possible chance of avoiding yet another relegation battle in the Premier League, let alone be sent packing to the Championship for the first time.
Everton manager Sean Dyche
One transfer report has claimed that the Blues are looking to sign a new right-back and winger in January, in order to boost their options in those areas of the pitch. Seamus Coleman is not the long-term solution at right-back, while on the right flank, there isn’t enough quality in the mould of Iliman Ndiaye on the opposite side.
In terms of possible sales at Goodison Park in the near future, Everton striker Beto could be on the move, following a disappointing spell at the club. Sevilla are looking to strike a deal for him, with his representatives in talks with the La Liga side.
Everton preparing offer for "wonderful" 24 y/o
According to Takvim, Everton are keen on signing Galatasaray winger Yunus Akgun in the January transfer window, with an offer being readied for his services.
The report states that the 24-year-old has been “placed on the transfer list of Everton”, adding that the Merseysiders are “expected to knock on Galatasaray’s door during the mid-season transfer window and make an official offer”.
Yunus Akgun for Galatasaray.
Akgun could be exactly what Everton are after out wide in January, adding the attacking quality that is badly needed between now and the end of the season, and beyond.
The Turk is equally adept at shining on the left and right-hand side and his performances in the Europa League have really caught the eye this season, with five goals coming his way in just six appearances.
Appearances
6
Starts
6
Minutes played
521
Goals
5
Assists
0
Dribbles per game
2.8
Shots per game
2.8
Key passes per game
2.2
At 24, Akgun is still a relatively young player with further levels to find, and football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded him as a “wonderful” player in the past.
Everton have been so lacking in front of goal all season, only finding the back of the net 15 times in 18 Premier League outings, but snapping up the Galatasaray ace would surely help change that for the better in the coming months.
Manchester United and Arsenal, among other clubs, have reportedly been scouting two highly-rated Greek talents from Olympiacos over the last months.
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Arsenal and Man Utd interested in Greek starlets
Mouzakitis and Kostoulas highly-rated star
Olympiacos chief sounds a warning to interested sides
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Olympiacos starlets Christos Mouzakitis and Charalampos Kostoulas are considered to be two shining stars of Greece's upcoming golden generation. The pair have been scouted by multiple clubs over the last few months, and The Daily Mail has reported that Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United are two of those sides.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mouzakitis is a left-footed central midfielder and made his senior debut for Greece against Finland last November to become the youngest player ever to do so. Kostoulas, on the other hand, is a number nine or a second striker. Despite the interest, Olympiacos sporting director Darko Kovacevic has claimed that Kostoulas will stay at the club this summer.
WHAT KOVACEVIC SAID
Speaking to the media, Kovacevic said: "There is growing interest in him, but he is an Olympiacos player. He will stay at Olympiacos for sure this season, and I hope for longer."
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WHAT NEXT FOR THE TWO STARLETS?
Mouzakitis and Kostoulas are likely to stay at Olympiacos for at least another season, partially due to their long contracts with the Greek giants.
And just like that, Arsenal are well and truly back in the Premier League title race.
Mikel Arteta’s side went into the North London derby last night knowing that any dropped points would effectively end their domestic season and made sure that did not happen.
It might not have been the best display of finishing from the men in red, but the defence and midfield were immaculate and kept Tottenham Hotspurs’ dangermen from doing much of anything, especially the sensationally talented Dejan Kulusevski.
The Swedish international has been incredible this season, and while he was anonymous last night, we imagine the Arsenal faithful would be delighted to have a player like him in their team.
Fortunately, recent reports have touted another Premier League star who’s won comparisons to him this season with a move to the Emirates in what could be a game-changing transfer.
Arsenal target Kulusevski-esque attacker
According to a recent report from French outlet RMC Sports, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Alongside the Gunners, it has been revealed that fellow Premier League sides Manchester United and Spurs are keen on the attacker and that they could move to sign the Cameroonian before the month is out.
However, the report has also claimed that it will take a ‘big cheque’ to tempt the Bees into selling, something in excess of €50m, which comes out to about £42m. None of the interested parties have made a bid yet but they have been in contact to ‘gather information’ about what it could take to complete a deal.
That claim seems to have been backed up by Arsenal insider Connor Harrison who has revealed in the last 24 hours that the Gunners have been speaking to his agent since last summer.
It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Mbuemo’s immense ability and Arsenal’s need for attacking reinforcements, it’s one well worth pursuing, especially as he’s won comparisons to Kulusevski this season.
How Mbuemo compares to Kulusevski
So then, before we look at some of the other reasons why Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Mbuemo this month, let’s examine this comparison to Kulusevski and where it has come from.
It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League this season, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Swede is the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Cameroonian.
We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by looking at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, live passes, goal-creating actions, tackles won and more, all per 90.
Mbuemo & Kulusevski
Statistics per 90
Mbuemo
Kulusevski
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.46
0.45
Shots
1.67
1.71
Live Passes
31.3
30.5
Goal-Creating Actions
0.48
0.48
Tackles Won
0.81
0.86
Carries
28.1
31.1
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season
However, while comparisons to a player of the Spurs ace’s calibre – who already has 16 goal involvements to his name this season – is certainly encouraging, it’s obviously not the sole reason why Arteta and Co should be signing the Brentford star this month.
One of the other most significant reasons is his own attacking output, as in just 25 appearances this season, the “unplayable” 25-year-old, as dubbed by Bees boss Thomas Frank, has scored 13 goals and provided four assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.47 games.
On top of that, the “incredible” former Troyes star, as dubbed by manager Thomas Frank, can play off the right and down the middle, which could see him provide competition for Bukayo Saka – when fit – and Kai Havertz, thus ensuring nobody’s level can drop.
Ultimately, Arsenal are crying out for a forward signing this month, and from how unbelievably well he has played this season, Mbeumo could be the perfect one, and their own Kulusevski to boot.
Arsenal have been trying to sign £51m star "for years" and "will" get him
Cricket Australia is under more pressure than ever before to attract big-name overseas talent to the BBL due to the huge sums of money that might be on offer in the new South Africa and UAE T20 leagues which will run at a similar time of the year, according to both Ricky Ponting and Usman Khawaja.Ponting has moved into a team role in the BBL for the first time since playing and commentating on the tournament through the first 11 years having been appointed as Hobart Hurricanes’ head of strategy. He made his first key appointments on Friday announcing Jeff Vaughan as head coach for the next three years alongside new assistants James Hopes and Darren Berry.Ponting and his new coaching staff held a three-hour meeting on Thursday night in which they discussed Hurricanes’ plans for the upcoming overseas player draft which is to be held on August 28. Hurricanes will have the last pick (8th) in the first two rounds after being drawn out last in the weighted lottery.But following the development that the new South Africa T20 league had sold ownership of each of their new franchises to IPL owners, and with the likelihood of the same thing happening in the UAE, Ponting warned the BBL might be under greater threat than ever in terms of attracting the best players given the overlaps in January.Related
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“There might be more pressure on Cricket Australia now than ever before,” Ponting said. “I’ve got no idea what Cricket Australia are thinking as far as the current model they’ve got, but it just seems that, if you look at the draft already this year, and you look at the player availability, it looks like the majority of the players are pretty happy to commit to the BBL for the first part, the first six or eight games.”Then the South African tournament is going to start up in mid-January and you can guarantee the players are probably going to look to play the first half here and go play the second half over there, which for a tournament like the Big Bash is not ideal. So if there are ways around that and ways that that can be changed, then I think Cricket Australia most definitely have to look at that.”Time to go private?Khawaja was even more forthright on the threat CA faces from the overseas tournaments. He was part of the Australian Cricketers’ Association delegates conference in Melbourne earlier this week where CA CEO Nick Hockley and head of the BBL Alistair Dobson both presented on the upcoming season and the draft. Khawaja again stated his belief the competition had to look to private investment.”I’ve spoken about this before, I think there’s a fork in the road for the Big Bash in my personal opinion,” Khawaja said. “I don’t speak for ACA or CA, my personal opinion is the BBL needs to look to privatising because the money needs to come from somewhere. Players won’t come to the Big Bash unless you are paying them the right money.”There are other tournaments starting up that are privatised. If you don’t keep up with that, and there’s a small window for the Big Bash to privatise in the next few years, and I’m afraid if we don’t do that we’ll fall behind. Already you’ll see players not list for the draft. I’ve talked to a couple and they’ve not listed for the draft because they want to spend Christmas at home and then will go and play in the UAE. That’s a red flag for me already.”The money has to come from somewhere and you don’t necessarily want it to come from CA’s stock, then that affects another part of the organisation. So why not bring money from outside. I think the IPL is a very good model. If we aren’t trying to follow that type of progression, I feel like the BBL can be left behind.”This season the BBL will run from December 13 to February 4 with overseas players able to nominate how much they are available for.Hobart Hurricanes head of strategy Ricky Ponting appointed Jeff Vaughan as Hurricanes new coach•Cricket Tasmania
Faf du Plessis has put his name in the draft along with current South Africa batter Rilee Rossouw, among a host of other names. Du Plessis is set to be bracketed as a platinum player but may not be available for the second half of the tournament if he opts for the South African league, meaning BBL teams have to weigh up whether he or another platinum player is worth using roughly AUD$200,000 from a $1.9 million salary cap for half a season. Platinum players are set to earn up to $340,000 but CA will make up the difference which will sit outside the cap.BBL teams have opted for lower tier overseas in the past in order to have them available for the whole tournament with Perth Scorchers recruitment of Colin Munro and Laurie Evans last year a prime example.”If you are going to have 14 games like IPL the money has to match,” Khawaja said. “Even for the local players here, if leagues start coming up in UAE, South Africa, wherever, what if a local player starts thinking I’ll get paid twice as much money to go and play over there, why would I stay here in the Big Bash. Those are the questions we have to ask ourselves. I don’t think the amount of games is the issue, personally, it’s the salary cap.”Homegrown namesThe recruitment of Australian internationals is another element to this year’s tournament with multi-format players, some of who don’t have clubs, set to be available for the last three weeks after the scheduled ODI series with South Africa was cancelled.Last season Steven Smith was not allowed to play in the finals for Sydney Sixers despite wanting to. A key part of the next MOU negotiations between CA and the ACA, due to formally begin in September, will be regarding CA contracted players appearing in the BBL when available. David Warner has not played in the tournament since 2013 and Mitchell Starc has already said he won’t be available this year as he opts to rest. Whether they are forced to play and who they play for is an issue that needs to be resolved in the near future.Steven Smith will likely appear in the BBL this season•Getty Images
“I don’t think players would like to be told where they’re playing,” Ponting said. “I think they would want to have the choice. I know that was one of the things we were talking about last night is, if there is a chance for us to be able to get hold of some of the guys that are going to have quite a decent break now through the middle of this tournament, so we threw a few names around there.”This has been spoken about for a long time now as well. How do we get the Australian players back into BBL but more importantly, if we do, how are they remunerated, and what teams are they associated with? And I think it’s coming to the point now…with these other tournaments around the world that more and more attention needs to be paid to that for the BBL’s sake.”I think there’s a chance attracting the best overseas talent here is probably going to get harder and harder as we’ve seen already the last three or four seasons. But the most important thing is getting our best Australian players when at all available to come and play in the BBL.”
Celtic are believed to be battling with 12 other clubs to complete the signing of a “very energetic” player on a pre-contract agreement in January, according to a fresh transfer claim.
Latest Celtic news
It was another good weekend for the Hoops in the Scottish Premiership title race, with Brendan Rodgers’ side easing to a 4-0 win at home to St Johnstone. Not only that, but Rangers could only draw 2-2 away to Motherwell, meaning the Hoops have now opened up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.
In terms of transfer news, Celtic are still being backed to do plenty of business in the January window, being linked with Chelsea midfield duo Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka. The pair have not started a single Premier League game between them this season, highlighting why a move away is likely to appeal to both.
Chelsea'sKiernanDewsbury-Hallin action
Talk of a Kieran Tierney reunion has also constantly been mentioned in recent weeks, and it looks like a transfer that could have legs, as the Hoops look to bring a former favourite back to Parkhead. He isn’t seen as a key player at Arsenal, so a fresh challenge needs to come his way, whether that be in January or at the end of the season.
There could also be outgoing transfer business at Celtic next month, with three clubs thought to be interested in signing Luis Palma, who is keen on sealing a move away from the reigning Scottish champions.
Celtic eyeing agreement with £45k-a-week player
According to a new report from The Boot Room, Celtic are one of 13 clubs interested in signing Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill, with a pre-contract agreement in January mooted, prior to him moving to Parkhead for free next summer.
Rivals Rangers are one of the other teams in the mix to snap up the £45,000-a-week ace, with Fiorentina, Lazio, Everton, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Leeds United all also keen. Bologna, Udinese, Trabzonspor and Besiktas get a mention, too, highlighting the level of interest in him.
Josh Brownhill
Brownhill may not be the most spectacular midfielder around, instead being famed for his industry in the middle of the park, but he could be a strong signing by Celtic, and he has scored nine goals in the Championship this season.
Now 29, the Englishman possesses a wealth of experience, meaning he would come straight in as a key starter, and Lee Hendrie has lauded his ability in the past, saying: “He’s very energetic, he’s very neat and tidy on the ball.
“He gets up and down the pitch well and you know what you’re getting when you’re getting a player from Burnley, Sean Dyche, what he expects. And, obviously, he’s proved that he can do this step up, coming from Bristol City, so I’d certainly take him all day.”
Josh Brownhill’s Championship stats this season
Total
Appearances
23
Starts
22
Minutes played
1993
Goals
9
Assists
3
Tackles per game
1.6
Clearances per game
1.3
Pass completion rate
82.6%
The fact that Brownhill will be available on a free next summer, with Celtic able to reach an agreement next month, makes his signing a no-brainer for Rodgers’ men, and it’s now a case of beating many other clubs to his signature.
Everton have reached a £17m agreement to sign an “excellent” attacking player in the January transfer window, according to a fresh update from RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins.
Latest Everton news
The Blues made a disappointing start to life under David Moyes on Wednesday evening, losing 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League. It leaves them sitting 16th in the table ahead of Sunday’s visit of a struggling Tottenham side, which is a huge game for both teams.
Everton supporters would no doubt love to see new signings arrive this month and Lyon winger Ernest Nuamah is believed to be an option. The Merseysiders have been linked with the young speedster as they look to improve their attacking options.
Olympique Lyonnais'ErnestNuamahduring the match
The Blues are also believed to have been offered the chance to sign former Chelsea and Arsenal winger Willian in January, with the Brazilian currently a free agent. At 36, he may not be the force he once was, but that’s not to say that he couldn’t be a good signing for Moyes, who will know the importance of adding more firepower to his squad.
Everton have reportedly made contact over a move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, too, with a loan move until the end of the season mooted for the Irishman. He has struggled for minutes at the Amex since August, so a temporary switch to Goodison Park could benefit all parties – if they can get Armando Broja off the books first.
Everton reach agreement to sign "excellent" winger
According to Hawkins on X, Everton have reached an agreement with Lyon for the signing of Nuamah. A deal of around £17m has been sealed, with “negotiations” currently ongoing with the player to finalise personal terms, which are not expected to be a problem.
This is a hugely encouraging update from a Blues perspective, with a move for Nuamah seemingly edging closer all the time. The 21-year-old has been hailed by compatriot Asamaoh Gyan, who has called him “excellent”, while football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as “outrageous”.
At 21 years of age, the Ghanaian is an extremely young player who is still maturing as a footballer, so it would be unfair to expect consistent brilliance every week, but he can still come in and be a great option from the off.
Concrete interest: Moyes chasing his next Lingard masterclass at Everton
Everton are ready to make an exciting signing this month.
ByAngus Sinclair Jan 17, 2025
He already has three goals in 12 caps for Ghana, and while at his best on the right-hand side of the attack, his versatility also allows him to do a good job on the opposite flank and as a centre forward.
Board chief Ramiz Raja says, “my four-nations concept is not yet dead”
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2022
Ramiz Raja on his quadrangular T20 Super Series idea: “The media seems to have got the impression that it has been shelved. That’s not true”•AFP/Getty Images
Feeling “short-changed” by the IPL potentially getting a two-and-a-half-month window in the next ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), the PCB will raise the issue at the ICC AGM in July.There has been no announcement from the ICC about the window, and it is unlikely to be one given it is a domestic league. And the FTP for the next eight-year cycle has not yet been finalised but BCCI secretary Jay Shah said recently that a window for the now 10-team tournament will make sure “all the top international cricketers can participate”.That will not include Pakistan players – Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are one and two in the ICC T20I batting rankings – as it hasn’t done for every IPL season other than the first. That is mostly due to poor political relations between the two countries, as a result of which the IPL window arguably impacts Pakistan’s international season more than other members.”There hasn’t been any announcement on increasing the [IPL] window,” Ramiz Raja, the PCB chairman, said during a press conference in Lahore after the PCB’s 69th board of governors (BoG) meet. “I have views on it which we’ll raise at the ICC platform in the July meeting.”Ramiz also said that his quadrangular T20 Super Series idea – which was passed on by the ICC board meeting in April – was not dead yet.Related
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“My four-nations concept is not yet dead. The media seems to have got the impression that it has been shelved. That’s not true. They were bundling rights for World Cup events, so they said if they announced another property, then all investors would start chasing this. This would become a new challenge, so they thought it better not to introduce it yet. But this will be the only cricket board that will challenge any platform where it believes Pakistan is being short-changed. When we get this development [of the IPL window expanding] formally, we will put across our views in a robust manner.”Ramiz has been in touch with the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly about cricketing ties but acknowledged that the situation was beyond them.”I’ve spoken on the sidelines to Sourav Ganguly, and I told him now three former cricketers [including Martin Snedden] are on the [ICC] board. I said if even we can’t bring about change, then what’s the point? He invited me to the IPL twice, once in Dubai and once this time. I was torn over it. I thought if I went, the fans wouldn’t forgive me, even though it perhaps made cricketing sense to go. But there are issues right now which will take time to resolve, because this is a political game. If it was a cricketing issue, we’d sort it out in two minutes. But we did get the Champions Trophy 2025, so we did break the influence to some extent. And people realised Pakistan’s team and fans deserve such a world-class event.”The IPL had been an eight-team tournament since 2014, until two new teams – Lucknow Super Giants and eventual winners Gujarat Titans – were added this year, with the number of matches increasing from 60 to 74 and the duration of the league from 50-odd days to over two months. In the bid document for the IPL’s recent media-rights auction, which resulted in a blockbuster deal, the BCCI had said the number of matches in the IPL could go up to 84 in 2025 and 2026, and up to 94 in 2027.
Manchester City got back to winning ways on Sunday, beating Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power.
Savinho, belatedly, opened his account for the club, on target in his 24th appearance in Sky Blue, before Erling Braut Haaland made the points secure in the East Midlands.
This though was just a second victory in 14 matches for the Citizens, moving the four-in-a-row champions back up to fifth, with Pep Guardiola himself admitting his team are “at risk” of missing out on next season’s Champions League.
With Guardiola having signed a new two-year extension back in November, Man City will need to undergo a major rebuild in 2025, so who will be top of incoming sporting director Hugo Viana’s wishlist?
Erling Braut Haaland's recent concerning form
After arriving from Borussia Dortmund, Haaland ripped up all the record books during his first two seasons at Manchester City.
Thus, despite the fact he’s currently the second-top scorer in the Premier League, behind only Mohamed Salah, this is considered a down-season for the Norwegian centre-forward, with the table below outlining why.
Statistic
22/23
23/24
24/25
Appearances
35
31
19
Minutes
2,769
2,552
1,709
Goals
36
27
14
Goals per 90
1.17
0.95
0.74
Goals – xG
+7.6
-2.2
-0.8
Shots
116
113
77
Shots per 90
3.77
3.99
4.06
During his debut campaign, Haaland broke the single-season scoring record, netting 36 times, while his goals – xG figure of +7.6 made him the second-most clinical forward in the division, although he’s currently performing below his expected goals figure, having more shots-per-90 than ever before this season, with these yielding fewer goals.
So, could a high-profile edition help get Haaland back to his best?
How Jamal Musiala would improve Manchester City
As reported by Caught Offside earlier this week, Manchester City are interested in signing Bayern Munich superstar Jamal Musiala, with Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain also interested in securing his services.
The 21-year-old is being targeted as a potential replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract expires next summer, although the Bavarian giants are currently negotiating a new contract with Musiala, hoping to tie down their most prized asset until 2029.
That aforementioned report claims Musiala is valued at €180m (around £149m), which would more than treble Bayern Munich’s record departure, selling Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona in 2022 and Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester United last summer, both for €50m (£42m).
Meantime, this would also smash Man City’s transfer record, the £100m splashed on Jack Grealish in 2021.
Germany star Jamal Musiala
So, would Musiala be worth this heavy investment? If anyone is, it’s got to be him.
Germany’s all-time most-capped player Lothar Matthäus compared his compatriot to Lionel Messi, exclaiming his delight that the “best player from the young English generation” chose to represent die Mannschaft.
Back in September 2022, during a UEFA Nations League fixture at Wembley, Musiala was in the very unique position of being booed by opposition fans due to the fact that he was facing his former nation; he previously represented England at youth level.
For his national team of choice, Musiala has scored seven senior goals to date, on target against Scotland, Hungary and Denmark during Euro 2024.
For Bayern Munich meantime, the youngster has a more than impressive 14 goals to his name already this season, coming in just 22 outings, breaking the deadlock inside 30 seconds as the Bundesliga leaders smashed RB Leipzig 5-1 in the final fixture before the winterpause.
Jamal Musiala
Having scored 16 and 12 goals across the previous two seasons, it’s easy to see why Martin Rogers of Fox Sports has described Musiala as one of the best players on the planet, so it would be quite the coup if Man City were able to secure his signature.
Indeed, it would also prove fruitful for that man Haaland, with the German superstar possessing that innate creative touch having laid on six ‘big chances’ in the Bundesliga this season. Such creativity is being lapped up by teammate Harry Kane at Bayern, with the England skipper – who has 11 joint goal contributions with Musiala – describing his club colleague as “fantastic to play with”.
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The playmaker’s desire to wreak havoc in the final third – as shown by the fact that he ranks in the top 4% in Europe for touches in the attacking penalty area – could help to drag City closer to the opposition goal, thus enhancing the opportunity for Haaland score.
Such a youthful combination could certainly be tantalising one at the Etihad, if this marquee deal can be pulled off.
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