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After eight seasons outside the luxuries of the Premier League, it’s fair to say Sunderland returned with a bang against West Ham United.

The first half played out as a tense 0-0 affair, before the Black Cats then suddenly burst into life as Eliezer Mayenda, Daniel Ballard, and Wilson Isidor all found the back of the net in quick succession to hand Regis Le Bris’ underdogs a glorious 3-0 win.

Off the back of such an impressive victory, Sunderland find themselves just below top spot in the Premier League on goal difference, owing to Manchester City’s slightly more emphatic 4-0 success.

The aim will be to continue to put wins on the board to ensure a heartbreaking relegation doesn’t happen, with more signings looking to be in the pipeline, too, in order to help matters on the pitch.

Sunderland explore move for £30m star

Sunderland really have been one of the big spenders in the Premier League this summer, despite their newly promoted status.

£141.5m has been splashed out in total on 12 brand new signings, with the Black Cats adding former Bayer Leverkusen right-back Nordi Mukele to their camp just after the resounding triumph over the Hammers for £9.5m.

More cash could soon be spent on landing Getafe attacker Christantus Uche, with both Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers also keen on the Nigerian forward, on top of Le Bris’ outfit further taking a fancy to this new £30m target to upgrade their options up top.

Indeed, it had been reported that Sunderland had lodged a £27m bid for Leicester City star Abdul Fatawu. An update from BBC Sport confirms that the Wearside club is exploring a possible move for the standout Foxes winger, but a move may well prove to be tricky to get over the line, owing to his pricey valuation, which is now allegedly closer to £30m.

That means any move for the Ghanaian to join the Stadium of Light ranks would match their record transfer fee for Habib Diarra.

It could well be deemed a gamble worth exploring, with a potential here for Sunderland to pick up their next Amad Diallo if Fatawu goes on to be as tricky and effective as the Ivorian was all those years ago donning the famous red and white stripes.

How Fatawu could be Sunderland's next Amad

Amad would never get to grace the Stadium of Light turf in the Premier League.

Instead, he proved to be a dangerous spark throughout his loan stint in the Championship for the Wearside outfit, with Sunderland fans still possessing a fondness for the slick 23-year-old two years on from his explosive stint at the club.

14 goals and four assists would fall into Amad’s lap from 42 memorable appearances for the Black Cats, with his game then taken to that next level back at parent employers Manchester United, leaving him with a healthy haul of 14 goals and 12 assists for the Red Devils from 65 outings.

Fatawu will hope he can become as established in the Premier League if a move to Sunderland does manage to get off the ground, having already been dubbed “unplayable” for his heroics in the EFL by scout Jacek Kulig.

Games played

40

Goals scored

6

Assists

13

Big chances missed

0

Big chances created

32

Total duels won*

6.1

During Leicester’s title-winning exploits under Enzo Maresca, Fatawu would routinely light up the Championship – in a similar rampaging fashion to Amad on Wearside – with the right-sided winger accumulating a ridiculous 19 goal contributions from 40 clashes.

Staggeringly, 32 big chances would also be created from those contests, with the 21-year-old always on the front foot, wanting to make openings happen, much like his fellow left-footer Amad always looked to dazzle and please supporters when situated at Sunderland.

The next big stride Fatawu will have to make is translating this jaw-dropping Championship form over to the Premier League regularly, having managed to amass two assists at the level last campaign, before a cruciate ligament nightmare took over.

Sunderland might well be the best place for him to explode into life even more, based on their gung-ho performance against the Hammers, with the opportunity there for him to emerge as the next exciting young talent on the right flank, in the mould of Amad before him.

Moreover, their glittering track record with up-and-coming gems coming good is also in their favour here, as another major buy looks to be completed by the ambitious, top-flight newcomers in the nick of time.

An Adingra repeat: Sunderland submit huge bid to sign "unplayable" star

Sunderland aren’t done just yet with their excessive summer spending.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 19, 2025

The teams now move to Nelson for the next two games in the series

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2025No result – Harshitha Samarawickrama scored an unbeaten 66 and appeared to steady Sri Lanka’s effort in Napier before incessant rain forced a washout in the first ODI after 36.4 overs of action with the visitors at 147 for 5.Asked to bat by Suzie Bates, Sri Lanka slid from 70 for 1 to 94 for 4, but the game had nearly evened up courtesy Samarawickrama’s second fifty-plus score in ODIs. The rain, though, meant no further play, and after a three-hour break, the umpires called off the contest.Chamari Athapaththu was the first batter dismissed, for a 21-ball 9, with seamer Bree Illing striking with the new ball. Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne, the other opener, then added 45 for the second wicket.Jess Kerr ended the stand when Gunaratne edged one behind to Polly Inglis in the 19th over, following which No. 4 Kavisha Dilhari and No. 5 Manudi Nanayakkara fell to Bates and Illing respectively.A promising partnership of 44 for the fifth wicket ended when Eden Carson ran Nilakshika Silva out for 17. Samarawickrama, with her seven fours, held one end up amid the dismissals and reached her fifty in 83 balls. She had wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani (2*) for company when rain arrived.The teams now move to Nelson for the next two games in the series.

أشاد ليونيل سكالوني مدرب منتخب الأرجنتين بإدارة ريال مدريد وتشابي ألونسو بسبب أحد لاعبي الفريق في الدوري الإسباني بموسمه الأول.

وكان فرانكو ماستانتونو قد انضم لصفوف ريال مدريد قادماً من ريفر بلات الأرجنتيني الصيف الماضي وأثار إعجاب الجميع بأدائه واحترافيته.

وأثيرت تساؤلات حول مدى تأقلم ماستانتونو مع ريال مدريد وكيفية استفادة تشابي ألونسو من خدماته، ويبدو أن المدرب يملك خطة تطوير واضحة للاعب الشاب.

وقال سكالوني في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “الماركا”: “يقدم مدربه وفريقه أداء رائعا معه، يمنحونه كثيرا من وقت اللعب والمشاركة وهو يحسن استغلال ذلك”.

وأضاف :”ماستانتونو شاب يحتاج إلى أن يعامل بالطريقة التي يعامله بها ناديه ونحن نفعل الشيء نفسه”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. سكالوني يوضح موقفه من مشاركة ميسي أمام فنزويلا وديًا

وأكد سكالوني أنه لم يحسم بعد إذا كان ماستانتونو سيشارك في مباراتي الأرجنتين الوديتين ضد فنزويلا وبورتوريكو: “إذا رأينا أنه بحاجة للعب سيشارك، إنه بخير ومتحمس”.

واختتم سكالوني: “أنا متأكد من أنه سيشارك في إحدى المباراتين أو كلاهما، نحن سعداء بإمكانياته، يجب ألا ننسى صغر سنه”.

جدير بالذكر أن ماستانتونو قد عانى من بعض الانزعاج خلال مباراة ريال مدريد وفياريال وتم تشخيص ما تعرض له بأنه شد خفيف في أوتار الركبة، وأكد الجهاز الطبي لريال مدريد أنه من المتوقع مشاركة اللاعب في المباريات الودية للأرجنتين وأن إصابته ليست خطيرة.

Rohit Sharma wants to injury-proof the Indian cricket team, and has called for expanding their bench strength, particularly the fast-bowling department so that they have eight or nine players ready to step into the first XI at any given moment.”We want to create a bench strength where tomorrow if anything happens to anyone, we are not worried, and we don’t want to be worried or too heavily reliant on a few individuals. That’s not the right thing to do,” Rohit said on the eve of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. “We want to look at the future at the same time, try and make sure that we get the right guys in as well.”We want to create guys where even if there are injuries, we have got someone to quickly step in and take that role.”It’s not about three or four options. We want to try and do that like, you know, when it comes to batting, there are a lot of options. We want to create the same with the bowlers as well.”Along with the 15-member squad for the three-match series against New Zealand, India are also carrying Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy as travelling reserves. Mayank and Reddy recently made their international debuts in the T20Is against Bangladesh recently, while Rana was an unused member of that squad.Related

• Rain washes out first day in Bengaluru

• Latham hopes cloudy Bengaluru brings NZ's seamers to life

• India's problem of plenty – three spinners or three seamers?

• India start as favourites, but Bengaluru weather could level the playing field

• Shami not ready for New Zealand Tests; Bumrah named vice-captain

Prasidh Krishna was also initially named as a travelling reserve for the New Zealand Tests, but he has reportedly suffered another injury setback. During Karnataka’s opening fixture of the new Ranji Trophy season, against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, he bowled only eight of the 140 overs that his side sent down.”You know, the reason we wanted to keep them close to us was because we are thinking of them to take them to Australia,” Rohit said. The five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins on November 22. “We just want to monitor them and see their workload. We have seen some talent in them. I understand that they have not played a lot of red-ball cricket, but when you see a talent, you want to try and groom them.Harshit Rana, 22, has played nine first-class matches and picked up 36 wickets•PTI

“You want to try and bring them as close to the team as possible. And in a short period of time, they have shown they have some ability as well. So, we want to keep them with the team and see whether they will be ready for international cricket or not, especially Test cricket, because Test cricket is a different ball game compared to white ball cricket. So, we want to keep them, we want to see what they can offer us, and have more options with us, more than anything else.”Nitish and Harshit both obviously are quite talented individuals, and in the future obviously they are going to provide a lot of stability to the team. So, just want to see what they are capable of, what they have to offer.”Mayank’s rise has been both rapid and eye-catching. He burst on the scene during IPL 2024, bowling at speeds of 155kph, and accurately at that, for Lucknow Super Giants. He could only play four matches though with an abdominal issue keeping him sidelined. Still, India had seen enough to fast-track him into their T20 side against Bangladesh earlier this month, where he picked up four wickets from three games while consistently pushing the speed gun into the high 140kph.”Mayank obviously has shown what he can do, but we just want to be very careful with him, he has had a lot of injuries in the past,” Rohit said. “So, we want to progress him, not rapidly, we want to just see every day how he feels.”We are trying to build his workloads with the red ball. He has not played a lot of red-ball cricket at all. So, for us, it’s important that we try and build them gradually, rather than just getting them into international cricket straight away.”T20 format is such where you can get a lot of these guys and see what they are capable of and if they can handle the international exposure. But Test cricket is a different ball game. The pressure is different. You have to sustain for five days, that’s the most important thing. So, we are trying to monitor them and see, you know, what they can offer to us.”3:36

Rohit: Bumrah has always been in our leadership group

The most important cog in India’s fast-bowling line-up is the leader of the pack Jasprit Bumrah. The 30-year-old was recently named vice-captain for the series against New Zealand.There is a chance Bumrah might step in as captain in the early Tests against Australia next month with Rohit’s participation in doubt owing to personal reasons.”He’s always been part of that leadership group and one of the experienced players as well,” Rohit said of Bumrah. “He’s played a lot of cricket and I’ve played a lot of cricket with him. He understands the game pretty well. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”Tactically, I can’t say much because he’s not captained much. But, when you talk to him, he understands the game. He understands what is required. When you are in a situation where you need a leader to step up, I think Bumrah will be one of them. In the past, he’s always been in our leadership group.”So, it’s probably the right thing to just have him around and speak to the bowlers and internally discuss how to take the team forward.”Rohit remained tight-lipped about the India XI for the opening Test against New Zealand stating that they will take a call once they reach the venue on match day. It has been raining relentlessly in Bengaluru over the last few days, forcing India to cancel their training session on the eve of the game, while New Zealand were left to train indoors.”It all depends on the conditions now. Even today, there has been a lot of rain. The pitch is under the covers. So, we want to take that call when we come here in the morning tomorrow,” Rohit said. “And again, it depends on match-to-match, what sort of pitch we play on. Based on that, we want to decide what is going to be our best playing XI. We keep our options open for playing three seamers and three spinners as well.”

Both teams happy to decide final on the field as shortened contest beats the weather

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2024After a first-day washout in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge, Glamorgan managed to beat both Somerset and the weather to regain the title that they last won in 2021, in a competition that was pragmatically reduced from 50-overs-a-side to 20 to maximise the prospect of a result.It was, as Sam Northeast, Glamorgan’s matchwinning batter, said: “the right thing to do in the circumstances”. That sentiment was echoed by Somerset’s captain, Sean Dickson, who insisted his over-riding emotion was one of pride even as his team saw a third title slip through their fingers in the space of a week, after their loss in the T20 Blast final at Edgbaston and Surrey’s County Championship triumph on Friday.”We hadn’t played any Twenty20 for a while so it was strange coming into a 20-over contest,” Northeast told the ECB Reporters Network, after top-scoring for his team with 63 not out from 49 balls. “We didn’t even know we were going to get a game at all, so the change from 50 to 20 overs, about 40 minutes before, meant we had to adapt as best as possible.”In the event, it started to rain just as we were coming off, so somebody was clearly looking down on us. I’m glad they did make the change. It was the right thing to do in the circumstances, to get the game on.”Somerset had made the early running after winning the toss and choosing to bowl, with Alfie Ogborne, their 21-year-old left-armer seamer, claiming two wickets in his first over. However, the team’s inexperience was exposed at key moments of the contest, particularly while Northeast, Billy Root and Timm van der Gugten were accelerating through the back-end of their innings to add 115 in the final ten overs.”We didn’t really know what a good score was,” Northeast said. “So from my point of view it was just about building partnerships, getting a bit of a platform and trying to accelerate once we had a feel for the pitch.”At one point we thought 160 might be okay but that little innings from Timm van der Gugten at the end gave us what we thought was a pretty good score, one that we knew would be competitive. Timm hit the ball really cleanly and Billy Root through the middle too, and the way Will Smale got us off to a bit of a flyer meant we had something to build on.”With Somerset choosing to back the players that had carried them through to the final, it meant they were missing 11 players who had featured in this year’s Men’s Hundred, which had run concurrent with the group stages. Their most experienced player on the day was England’s left-armer spinner, Jack Leach, but between the damp conditions and the List A regulation fields that limited the number of out-fielders through the middle overs, he did not get a bowl.”As a county, we’ve ended up winning nothing when we would have liked to finish with at least one or two trophies,” Dickson said. “But the bottom line is that we have just competed for three trophies and we are really proud as a squad that we have been able to do that.”In this competition, we have resisted the temptation to bring back guys that we lost to the Hundred, so I’m hugely proud that this squad in particular made it all the way to the final.”And we were much happier today to be able to go out and try to win on the field, rather than have had a total washout and shared the trophy. No one wants to share a trophy, everyone wants a bash at trying to be a winner.”We were fine playing it as a T20. We just wanted to get a game on, as did they. We had a discussion with the umpires, the match ref and the ECB ref that was there so we were all on board.”We could analyse all day where the game was won and lost but I think they obviously bowled better than us. With the fresh pitch, it definitely offered something with the new ball up top.”Our bowlers were slipping and sliding all over the place, which was unfortunate, but that’s what you get for choosing to bowl first and we just have to take our medicine and move forward.”

Matthew Mott has joined Sydney Sixers in the BBL on a three-year deal as assistant coach following his departure as head coach of the England Men’s white-ball team.Mott, who was in charge of Australia Women for eight years before shifting to England, will link up with Greg Shipperd at Sixers as a replacement for Cameron White, who was appointed head coach of Melbourne Renegades earlier this year.Related

• Lehmann quits coaching roles with Heat and Queensland for commentary gig

• Walker to leave Kent with Mott in frame as replacement

• Matthew Mott steps down as England white-ball coach

• Duckett first pick as English players dominate BBL draft

• Draft takeaways: Adelaide Strikers' Mandhana bargain; and who is Jafer Chohan?

“I’m delighted to join back up with the Sydney Sixers,” Mott said. “Having started my coaching journey in Sydney many years ago, it’s a place that evokes both great memories and a comforting sense of familiarity, which I’m looking forward to.”The idea of being an assistant to Greg Shipperd, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, really appealed to me.”Mott’s spell as England’s white-ball coach started brightly when they won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, to unite both global white-ball trophies, but ended after their semi-final exit at the tournament earlier this year which followed a poor performance in the ODI edition in 2023.Mott started his coaching career with the New South Wales men’s side in 2007. His return to the state’s system will see him reunite with Rachael Haynes who was one of the key members of the Australia side he coached to extensive success.”We couldn’t be more pleased to have Motty committed for the next three years with the club,” Haynes, Sixers’ general manager, said.”When the opportunity arises to bring a coach of Motty’s calibre into your ranks, it’s a no-brainer. We know what a fantastic resource he will be for our playing group.”It goes without saying that his coaching resume speaks for itself. He has an incredible track-record of success around the world, and he’s proven he knows what it takes to build, and sustain, a winning culture.”Our club is in safe hands under the leadership of Greg Shipperd, and Charlotte Edwards in our women’s program, and we’re delighted to be able to add Motty’s experience to that group, taking us forward.”In the BBL draft last weekend, Sixers retained James Vince when Renegades attempted to sign him and later sprang a surprise by taking Yorkshire legspinner Jafer Chohan as their last pick. They have secured West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein before the draft.

Chelsea’s capture of Liam Delap was Enzo Maresca’s first signing of the 2025 summer transfer window.

It will likely be the first of many as the Italian looks to sign high-profile stars that will improve his squad ahead of next season.

With Champions League football to look forward to for the first time since the 2022/23 season, Maresca is going to spend in order to be fully prepared for the group stages.

As such, the club have been linked with numerous attacking players in recent weeks. Hugo Ekitike is someone that the manager is keen on bringing to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s Club World Cup fixtures
Date	Opponent	Venue
Monday, June 16	Los Angeles	Mercedes-Benz stadium
Friday, June 20	Flamengo	Lincoln Financial Field
Tuesday, June 24	Esperance	Lincoln Financial Field
Via Chelseafc.com

He could cost around £84m, however, which may prove to be a stumbling block. Samu Aghehowa is another striker on Maresca’s list of targets, but he could cost roughly the same as Ekitike if Chelsea are serious about bringing him to London.

Wide options are also being targeted and Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens is a talent that the Blues are desperate to have before the start of next season.

How much would the German side demand for the Englishman to let him move to the Premier League?

The latest on Chelsea's pursuit of Jamie Gittens

Gittens has been linked with a move to Chelsea over the previous few weeks, and it appears the club are serious about signing him.

According to Ben Jacobs on Sunday, the Blues have had a bid rejected. He said on social media: “Understand Dortmund want around £42m for Jamie Gittens. Chelsea’s opening bid of £30m has been turned down but positive talks continue. Chelsea happy to wait until after the June 10 deadline if no breakthrough ahead of the Club World Cup.”

Less than a year ago, Gittens was hailed as the future of Dortmund and was looking to follow in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham.

Since Nico Kovac took over as coach, however, the youngster has struggled to fit into his system, and it now appears they are looking to cash in on the winger.

Since making his debut for the club in the 2021/22 season, the 20-year-old has amassed over 100 competitive appearances.

A total of 31 goal contributions – 17 goals and 14 assists – have been registered in that period, establishing him as one of the most promising young wingers on the continent.

While landing a player of Gittens’ quality this summer, do the club need another wide option?

Maresca can already count on the likes of Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, Tyrique George and Mykhaylo Mudryk (when he returns from his suspension) to play on either wing.

Add in the fact that they have signed Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda, it is evident that this area is rather stacked with players.

Instead of spending another £40m-£50m on someone like Gittens, no matter how talented he is, perhaps directing these funds to other areas of the squad should be deemed a bigger priority.

A new goalkeeper, for example.

Chelsea preparing to make move for new goalkeeper

It is no secret that the Blues have struggled to find a consistent number one goalkeeper in recent years.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Edouard Mendy and Robert Sanchez have all held the position over the previous few years, but none truly convinced the supporters, with Kepa and Sanchez notably-error prone.

As such, signing a new ‘keeper this summer should be what Maresca is focusing on.

Well, according to Sky Sports, the Blues have told AC Milan that they are willing to pay a transfer fee in the region of €15m (£12.6m) to secure the services of Mike Maignan.

It’s a fee that could get them close to completing a move with journalist Graeme Bailey reporting on the saga that the Blues now expect to sign the Frenchman in time for the Club World Cup.

The Milan number one has been with the club since the summer of 2021, making a total of 163 appearances for the Serie A side, notably impressing at club level and on the international stage, most recently against German in the Nations League.

If Maresca wishes to improve his options between the sticks, then signing the 29-year-old is clearly a must.

Why Mike Maignan would be a better signing than Jamie Gittens

The Blues have a plethora of wingers available to make an impression under Maresca but their goalkeeping department leaves plenty to be desired.

Last year, Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen were both used by Maresca. The Spaniard made 34 appearances, while Jorgensen played 23 times for the club.

Transfer Focus

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

Across his 34 games, the Spaniard kept just ten clean sheets, conceding 37 goals in the process. Jorgensen managed to keep only nine clean sheets while shipping 22 goals.

To summarise, the Blues need someone who could be the main choice under Maresca. A player that will win them points when the club aren’t playing well.

In that regard, Maignan is the ideal choice. He was hailed as “world-class” by writer Carlo Garganese in 2022 for a stunning performance against Inter Milan.

Across his 163 games for the Italian giants, Maignan has kept 59 clean sheets, working out as one every 2.7 games.

In the Italian top flight last season, the Frenchman made 2.7 saves per game – a 71% success rate – while also keeping 12 clean sheets, conceding 1.1 goals per game, was successful with 95% of his passes within his own half and averaged 46.5 touches per match.

When compared to his positional peers in Serie A, Maignan ranks in the top 10% for passes attempted per 90 (37.02), while also ranking in the top 7% for defensive actions outside his penalty area (1.86) per 90.

That last statistic is important, signifying that the 29-year-old plays quite far off his goal line in order to distribute the ball and stop opposition attacks.

Maignan is now the French number one and with Milan not in any European competition next season after an eighth-place finish in Serie A, joining Chelsea makes sense for all parties.

He will be able to establish himself as the number one ‘keeper at Stamford Bridge while playing in the Champions League once again.

Could they secure his services for a fee just north of £10m? It would be tough, but not impossible, that’s for sure. He could turn out to be a much better signing than Gittens should Maresca get a deal over the line.

Better than Delap: Chelsea step up move for £85m "monster in the making"

Chelsea are looking to improve their attacking options further

1

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 9, 2025

Crystal Palace have now opened talks to sign a Champions League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a report.

Eagles have lofty ambitions after FA Cup triumph

Oliver Glasner is expected to remain at Selhurst Park beyond the end of the campaign, despite no doubt catching the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs by leading Palace to FA Cup glory, and Steve Parish has now insisted the board must match their manager’s ambition.

The Palace chairman said: “He (Glasner) will stay here, for some period of time,”

“Of course we want him to stay but things happen in football, clubs evolve and move on and I’d love him to stay but the club has to develop and show the ambition in terms of the things we have to do to move it forward for people to feel part of something. If that all aligns maybe it will.”

With the summer transfer window now fast approaching, the Eagles have started to identify some ambitious transfer targets too, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Lee Kang-In and Lyon star Rayan Cherki entering the frame in recent days.

There has now been a new update on a defender Crystal Palace are keen on in a report from The Sun, which states they have now opened talks over a deal for Atletico Madrid’s Reinildo Mandava, who is set to leave the Spanish club for free this summer.

Mandava’s contract is set to expire this summer, and he is attracting a lot of attention from the Premier League, with Everton and Fulham also being named as potential suitors, although they are seemingly yet to make any formal moves.

Crystal Palace now keen to sign £20m maestro; could join in Guehi swap deal

Palace have set their sights on a midfielder, who could join as part of a swap deal for Marc Guehi.

By
Dominic Lund

May 26, 2025

It appears as though the Eagles are more advanced than their Premier League rivals in their pursuit of the Atletico ace, having already entered discussions to sign the 31-year-old, with Glasner keen to wrap up a lot of his transfer business early this summer.

"True gladiator" Mandava could be shrewd signing

The report states the Atletico defender is being targeted to provide competition for Tyrick Mitchell at left-back, and there are certainly indications he would be able to do exactly that, given his experience at the top level.

The left-back has made 25 appearances in the Champions League, while also featuring regularly for Atletico in La Liga over the past four seasons, indicating he could be a solid back-up option for Mitchell at the very least.

Average per 90	Tyrick Mitchell	Reinildo Mandava
Assists	0.15	0
Tackles	2.65	2.13
Blocks	1.98	0.96
Clearances	3.14	2.82

Lauded as a “true gladiator” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Mandava is an experienced defender, who could provide depth heading into a congested 2024-25 campaign, given qualification for the Europa League, but Mitchell has proven himself as more of a well-rounded full-back over the past year.

Leeds United will be playing Premier League football in the 2025/26 campaign after they secured their promotion from the Championship earlier this month.

The Whites celebrated their ascension to the top-flight after Burnley’s win over Sheffield United on Easter Monday, which came shortly after their own 6-0 win over Stoke City at Elland Road.

Daniel Farke and his staff will now be looking ahead to the summer transfer window, although there is still one more match to play against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park this afternoon.

It is going to be a critical summer of business for the West Yorkshire outfit because they know that they have to build a squad that is capable of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League.

This means that the players in the current squad will be under the microscope as Farke will have to judge which players are good enough to make the step up, and which of them will need to be replaced with better talents.

One of the stars whose place in the squad is up in the air heading into next season is centre-forward Joel Piroe, who is unproven at Premier League level.

Why Joel Piroe may not be Premier League quality

There is no doubt that the former Swansea star has been a key player for the Whites in this promotion-winning campaign with his goals and assists.

Piroe has racked up 19 goals and seven assists in 45 appearances in the Championship so far this term, and is currently the top scorer in the division – leading by two goals – ahead of the final round of matches today.

This shows that the Dutchman has been the most effective goalscorer in the second tier, as no one has scored more than him, but that does not guarantee that he will be a success in the Premier League.

Sammie Szmodics (27), Adam Armstrong (21), and Leeds’ Crysencio Summerville (19) ended the 2023/24 campaign as the top three scorers in the Championship, and all went on to play in the Premier League this season.

This season, Szmodics (four), Armstrong (two), and Summerville (one) have combined for seven goals in the Premier League for their respective clubs, which illustrates just how big the gap is between the second and the first tier.

24/25 Championship

Joel Piroe

Appearances

45

Goals

19

Assists

7

Duels won per game

1.6

Ground duel success rate

33%

Aerial duel success rate

20%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Piroe has made an impact at the top end of the pitch, but he has also been dominated in physical battles.

This suggests that he could fall the same way as the likes of Szmodics, Armstrong, and Summerville, who are all slight in frame, by failing to make the step up to the Premier League.

Leeds eyeing up Premier League striker

The Whites could, however, sign a striker who is way better than Piroe as they are reportedly keen on a star who has already proven himself in the Premier League.

According to The Boy Hotspur, as relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs to have shown an interest in Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Richarlison.

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The report claims that the Whites, Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fluminense, Al Hilal, and Al Shabab are among the teams keen on a swoop for the Brazil international.

It also states that Everton are already in talks with Spurs over a deal to sign the versatile attacker, who left Goodison Park to join Tottenham in the first place.

The outlet adds that the Premier League side would like to sell him permanently, for a fee in the region of £30m, but that a loan with an obligation to buy the forward next summer is also a possibility.

With this in mind, Leeds must push to win the race for the Brazilian striker’s signature because he could come in as a way better option than Piroe next season.

Why Richarlison is way better than Joel Piroe

Richarlison is a Premier League-proven centre-forward who would come in as an experienced, high-quality, option for Farke at the top end of the pitch.

The 27-year-old star, who was once described as a “goalmouth monster” by Ange Postecoglou, has scored five goals in 19 appearances in an injury-hampered season this year, but did produce 12 goals in 31 games in all competitions for Spurs last term.

Richarlison has a good track record of scoring goals throughout his Premier League career with Watford, Everton, and Spurs in his eight years in England, which means that Leeds would be signing a player who is a known quantity in the top-flight.

Whereas, Piroe has yet to make an appearance in the top-flight and his goals in the Championship are not enough, as proven by last year’s top scorers, to suggest that he will be a star in the Premier League.

Richarlison’s Premier League career

Season

Appearances

Goals

Minutes per goal

Assists

24/25

14

4

103

1

23/24

28

11

137

4

22/23

27

1

1,023

4

21/20

30

10

253

5

20/21

34

7

410

3

19/20

36

13

237

3

18/19

35

13

206

2

17/18

38

5

565

4

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Richarlison, bar a disappointing 2022/23 campaign, has been a reliable presence at the top end of the pitch throughout his time in the league.

The Brazil international has also scored 20 goals in 48 caps for his country at international level, whilst Piroe is yet to be capped by the Netherlands, which further illustrates the gap in quality between the two players.

These statistics, in club and international football, suggest that Richarlison would be a way better option for Leeds than the Dutch marksman, who is set to fight against history to prove himself in the Premier League after a decent goal return in the Championship.

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Therefore, Leeds should push to sign the Brazilian star from Spurs in the upcoming summer transfer window because it would provide Farke with a Premier League-proven goalscorer who has the quality to hit double figures for goals in the league, whilst there are still big question marks over Piroe’s suitability for the top-flight.

It has been a strange season for Alejandro Garnacho. The Manchester United attacker has ten goals and eight assists across all competitions this term, but just six of those 18 goal involvements have come in the Premier League, in 31 games.

With that being said, the 20-year-old has achieved a huge milestone this season. Last weekend, he scored his 15th Premier League goal, coming against Newcastle United as Ruben Amorim’s side slipped to a 4-1 defeat.

Impressively, that took him past his idol, and one of the best players in United’s history, Cristiano Ronaldo, for goals at the same age. At 20 years old, the former Red Devils number seven had just 14 top-flight goals.

However, Garnacho certainly has a way to go before he can match Ronaldo’s legacy at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man Utd legacy

Once described as “the greatest player of all time” by former teammate Gary Neville on Sky Sports, few in history have done it like Ronaldo. The 40-year-old is now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, but his extraordinary career really took off during his first spell at Old Trafford.

After signing for United in 2003 for a reported £12.24m, the Portugal star scored 118 times and grabbed 60 assists in 292 appearances for the English giants.

He was phenomenal, winning three Premier League titles in a row and the Champions League in 2007/08.

That 2007/08 campaign was nothing short of extraordinary, with United winning the double and Ronaldo the Ballon d’Or in 2008, becoming the best player on the planet. He scored 42 goals and provided eight in 49 games in all competitions that season.

His move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 for a then-world-record £80m was certainly devastating for the Red Devils. He was, in many ways, irreplaceable. Although their success continued, it was never easy to replace someone like Ronaldo.

Well, they might well be in danger of a repeat situation this summer, in a deal worth even more than Ronaldo’s back in 2009.

Man Utd’s new Ronaldo in 2025

If you asked United fans 16 years ago which player they would least like to be sold, Ronaldo would likely have been the answer. Well, in 2025, the answer to that question would surely be Bruno Fernandes.

It has been an unforgettable season for United’s captain Fernandes, in what has been a poor season as a side. He has an incredible 16 goals and 18 assists in 46 games in all competitions for the Red Devils.

His eight goals and ten assists in the Premier League this term ensures it is his second-best season in terms of output since his move to United back in 2020. The only season he exceeded those numbers was 2020/21, when he scored and assisted 29 goals. As Statman Dave said, he is a “machine”.

It isn’t easy to pinpoint one performance from the Red Devils’ number eight that has been his best this season. He has managed multiple goal involvements in a single game eight times, but his best was arguably the excellent hat-trick against Real Sociedad in the Europa League.

Indeed, Fernandes’ underlying FBref numbers compared to other midfielders in the last 365 days are astounding. For example, the 30-year-old averages 9.32 progressive passes, which ranks him in the top 3% of midfielders.

Goals and assists

0.65

99th

Key passes

3.15

99th

Progressive passes

9.32

97th

Shot-creating actions

5.93

99th

Ball recoveries

6.10

85th

United fans – and Amorim – may be worrying that their captain will leave the club, given Madrid were recently linked with a move. At the end of March, the Daily Star claimed Los Blancos are targeting a £90m move for their talisman.

That would see him leave for even more than Ronaldo did all those years ago, and given Fernandes’ importance to this United side, there is certainly a case to be made that this would be an even bigger loss.

The Red Devils will surely be hoping Fernandes doesn’t become their new Ronaldo, in that sense.

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