Tag Futebol

da dobrowin： Tottenham Hotspur are in desperate need of investment from the hierarchy this summer if they are to reach the next level under Thomas Frank’s guidance.

da betcris： The Dane has been appointed to help build on their Europa League triumph at the end of the recent season, but if he is to do that, he will need to receive funds from the board.

However, despite their European success in 2024/25, their Premier League standing was nothing short of a disaster, finishing in a measly 17th position, losing 22 matches out of their 38 outings.

The new boss will have to find the right balance between their Champions League efforts and their attempts to rise back up the table, something which has become vital to owner Daniel Levy.

As previously mentioned, the lack of squad depth could be a huge hindrance to Frank’s efforts, needing to make key additions if he is to be an immediate success in North London.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Striker Arnaud Kalimuendo has been a key target for Spurs throughout this window, after registering 18 goals in 34 outings for French side Stade Rennais this season.

Xavi Simons is another player on their radar throughout the off-season, as the Lilywhites aim to add a new dimension to their forward line ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

However, another name has entered the frame in recent days, with Belgian centre-back Koni de Winter emerging as a potential defensive reinforcement, according to Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness.

The report claims that Frank’s side are currently leading the race for the Genoa star, who could be available for as little as £25m throughout this summer.

It also states that the 23-year-old is subject to a lot of interest at present, with Crystal Palace also in the race for his signature, but that the Lilywhites currently hold the advantage in the pursuit of his services.

Why De Winter would be a better signing than Semenyo for Spurs

Antoine Semenyo is an attacker who has caught the eye in the Premier League this season, registering 16 combined goals and assists for Bournemouth.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough year in England’s top-flight, something which has captured the attention of Frank’s side – subsequently entering the race for his signature.

However, Manchester United are also in the race to land the Ghanaian international this window, with the Cherries demanding a fee in the region of £65m to part ways with the star man.

Given his tally in front of goal this campaign, he would certainly provide needed depth within the final third, but De Winter would certainly be a better addition for Frank this window.

Cristian Romero has been hugely touted with a move away from North London during the off-season, with Atlético and Real Madrid both keen to land the Argentinian.

Such a move would leave a huge hole in the starting eleven, something which the manager would need to address, with De Winter arguably the perfect fit for the backline.

The 23-year-old, who’s been labelled “imperious” by journalist Sacha Tavolieri, has completed 87% of the passes he’s attempted, with 1.7 per 90 going into the final third – handing an option for the side to play out from the back if needed.

Koni de Winter’s stats for Genoa in Serie A (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

25

Goals scored

3

Pass accuracy

87%

Passes into final third

1.7

Tackles won

58%

Aerials won

3.2

Recoveries made

4.8

Stats via FotMob

He’s also won 58% of the tackles he’s entered, whilst winning 3.2 aerials per 90, offering an extremely talented defensive option that would improve the situation in the defensive third.

De Winter has also made 1.1 interceptions per 90 and 4.8 recoveries, helping the Italian side keep 10 clean sheets and secure a mid-table finish in 2024/25.

£25m in today’s market would be an excellent deal for the Lilywhites, handing Frank the platform he needs for success during his first year at the helm in North London.

Whilst Semenyo would be a superb signing, the need for added defensive reinforcements will be needed, especially if Romero departs, with the Belgian having the tools to fill any void.

Related Frank's own Kane: Spurs in talks to sign one of the "best STs in the world"

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making moves to land a new talisman this summer.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Jun 26, 2025

Celtic have now submitted an offer of up to £2.5m for an “amazing” versatile star in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer update.

Hoops supporters will be hoping to see a flurry of attacking reinforcements between now and the end of the current window, with Bojan Miovski one such player who has been linked with a summer switch to Parkhead.

The 26-year-old is now plying his trade at Spanish side Girona, but he has proven his worth in the Scottish Premiership in the past, proving to be a star man for Aberdeen and scoring 44 goals in 98 appearances for them.

Meanwhile, Rapid Vienna winger Isak Jansson has been mentioned as a possible replacement for the outgoing Nicolas Kuhn, who is on the verge of joining Serie A side Como.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claimed Celtic have enquired about the availability of Jansson, and there has now been another key development.

Celtic make £2m+ bid for Jansson

According to a new update from Celts Are Here, Celtic have now submitted an offer of as much as £2.5m for the signature of Jansson this summer.

That said, a bit in excess of £3.4m has reportedly been made by an unnamed club, so the Hoops won’t have things all their own way. A rumoured valuation of £8.6m is said to be “super ridiculous”, according to the report, perhaps set with the goal of making Celtic and others enter a bidding war.

Losing Kuhn will clearly hurt the Hoops, considering what a dangerous and prolific performer he was for the Scottish champions last season, but in Jansson, they could have a fantastic option lined up.

The Swede has been capped internationally across four different youth age groups and can play on either wing or through the middle as a number nine, and he has racked up 17 goal contributions (10 goals and seven assists) in 45 appearances for Rapid.

Sweden Under-21s

3

0

Sweden Under-17s

20

2

Sweden Under-16s

1

0

Sweden Under-15s

2

1

At 23, Jansson is still a young player with plenty of time to improve as the years pass, so Brendan Rodgers may like the idea of developing him as a footballer, with Rapid sporting director Marcus Katzer lauding both his ability and sell-on value.

“One week after we exercised the purchase option in the season, we had an offer of more than £1 million on the table. He will clearly be transferred for many times what we paid for him. He has been an amazing success for us.”

There is a lot of competition for Jansson’s signature, however, so it won’t be easy for Celtic to strike a deal, but he is an ideal right-sided winger to come in and fill the void left by Kuhn, while his versatility also allows him to add depth across the attack as Rodgers prepares to fight on multiple fronts next season.

Sunderland’s summer transfer window has been choppy so far, with both Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson deserting the Black Cats after the ecstasy of promotion.

It hasn’t been all doom and gloom for Regis Le Bris and Co, however, as Enzo Le Fee has at least put pen to paper on a permanent Wearside stay to bolster the midfield areas.

Still, the Frenchman will want more and more new signings to enter the Stadium of Light in their unlikely bid to survive in the Premier League.

The former Lorient boss will surely be prioritising some defensive additions to help his team navigate the frightening step-up in quality, with a new, imposing target now reportedly on their agenda.

Sunderland interested in former Leeds colossus

As per a report from French outlet Jeunes Footeux, Sunderland are interested in landing former Leeds United centre-back Charlie Cresswell this summer, off the back of his impressive stint out in Ligue 1 with Toulouse.

It’s stated that Le Bris wants young, solid players who are already seasoned at the highest level, with Cresswell ticking those boxes for sure, considering he was also in and around the senior picture at Elland Road during the Whites’ brief stays in the Premier League.

Japhet Tanganga s also very much on the Black Cats’ radar as they look to add in some new defensive bodies here and there, with the Millwall brute perhaps gaining somewhat of an advantage when you glance at his modest £1.2m valuation.

But, if Sunderland are willing to pay a few million on top of Tanganga’s price-tag, they could win themselves an upgrade on the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youth product in Cresswell, with the 22-year-old no doubt champing at the bit to return to England to prove himself further.

Why Cresswell would be an upgrade on Tanganga

Cresswell has settled into life in the top division in France swimmingly, meaning he could be ready to take the plunge back into the English game with the newly promoted Black Cats.

This season for Toulouse, Cresswell would chip in with four strikes when putting his lofty 6-foot-3 frame to effective use, alongside also coming away from his 31 appearances in Ligue 1 with a respectable tally of nine clean sheets.

Tanganga did end up with 14 clean sheets of his own in the Championship, but he was present for nine more games at the heart of defence for the Lions than Cresswell was for Carles Martínez Novell’s men, away from falling short of the 22-year-old’s goal total by one.

Regardless, Cresswell has actually shown off his strengths as a no-nonsense centre-back option at the Den himself away from Tanganga’s standout campaign, with the table below further backing up why he might be worth the extra cash at around the £8m ballpark, as per Transfermarkt.

Games played

28

31

Goals scored

4

3

Assists

2

1

Touches*

53.5

63.3

Accurate passes*

28.1 (71%)

41.2 (83%)

Total duels won*

7.6

4.9

Clean sheets

5

9

Indeed, the table proves that Cresswell can battle it out in England, away from just his spells in the Leeds senior mix, with a ridiculous 7.6 duels won on average during his breakout 22/23 campaign in South East London. To add context, Tanganga only won 5.8 last season, on the contrary.

Moreover, with a full Ligue 1 season now under his belt which saw him collect nine clean sheets – which is two more than his former Spurs counterpart ever managed in North London in the elite division – Sunderland could now direct all their focus on attempting to land the Preston-born youngster, over winning a cut-price deal for Tanganga.

Currently out with England at the U21s Euros, where he’s rubbing shoulders with the likes of Premier League regulars Harvey Elliott and Elliot Anderson, the “outstanding” star – as he’s been glowing labelled in the past by Leeds content creator Joe Wainman – will believe the time is right for him to make this next move.

Sunderland will be hopeful he can be one key part of the puzzle that secures survival.

Sunderland plot move for "amazing" £15m+ star who scored 19 goals in 24/25

The Black Cats are eyeing reinforcements through the middle…

1 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 15, 2025

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin knew that he had to make a fast start to the summer transfer window, especially with the Champions League qualifiers zooming into focus.

Indeed, his first competitive match against Panathinaikos is just a few weeks away, leaving no margin for error.

Date

Opposition

Competition

July 22

Panathinaikos

Champions League qualifiers

July 30

Panathinaikos

Champions League qualifiers

August 2

Motherwell

Premiership

August 9

Dundee

Premiership

August 23

St Mirren

Premiership

Lyall Cameron had agreed a pre-contract agreement with the Ibrox side back in January, but Martin has moved to bring in Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell and Emmanuel Fernandez to bolster his squad.

Of course, there will be several outgoings as well. Cyriel Dessers looks like he is set to leave Glasgow this summer. Hamza Igamane is another player who could be departing, with French side Lille reportedly agreeing personal terms with the young striker.

These potential sales will raise funds for the manager to further strengthen his squad as the weeks go on.

Aarons will add plenty of competition for James Tavernier at right-back next season, while Rothwell has played under Martin before, therefore knows his style of play well and won’t take long to get settled in.

Fernandez is a curious signing, however. He played in a Peterborough side that finished 18th in League One last season.

Aged just 23, there is plenty of room for growth, but can the Englishman turn into the next Calvin Bassey at Ibrox?

Why Rangers signed Emmanuel Fernandez

The first port of call for Martin upon his arrival at Rangers was to sort out the defence. Last season, the Gers conceded 71 goals across 58 competitive matches, which works out as 1.2 goals conceded per game.

Transfer Focus

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

This figure has to improve if the Light Blues wish to challenge for domestic supremacy this season, no doubt about that. In comparison, Celtic conceded 59 goals in 57 matches last season.

Leon Balogun has already left, and it looks like Robin Propper could well be off in the coming weeks, leaving Martin with work to do.

With Aarons already signed, the announcement of Fernandez came as no surprise. The Ibrox side reportedly spent £3.5m to sign the centre-back and, at that price, Martin will be hoping he can settle quickly at the club.

The manager will utilise a possession-based style of play, encouraging his defenders to play out from the back, hence the move for Fernandez.

In League One last term, Fernandez succeeded with 67% of his dribbles, while also averaging a pass success rate of 87% for the Posh.

He even ranked in the top 17% when compared to his positional peers for touches in the opposition box (41), proving that he finds himself in dangerous positions on a regular basis.

These statistics certainly fit in with Martin’s style of play, and he could be a decent signing, provided that he contributes from the start.

Rangers haven’t had much success recently with players from the EFL, as they have largely struggled to adapt to Scottish football.

Fernandez will be the first of a few defenders through the door this summer. Recent news indicates that Martin is closing in on another centre-back in the coming days…

Rangers closing in on Premier League defender

The former Posh defender will surely be the first of several centre-backs making the move to Ibrox.

Leicester City defender Conor Coady has been linked with a move to Glasgow, although it remains to be seen whether he swaps the Foxes for Rangers.

Harry Darling was also linked with a reunion with Martin at Ibrox earlier in the transfer window, but he has decided to join Norwich City instead.

Journalist Anthony Joseph has given an update on the club’s chase for new signings, saying that Rangers are “close to agreeing a loan deal” for Wolves centre-back Nasser Djiga.

Joseph went on to add that the move would be a “straight season-long loan”, with the Ibrox side hoping to have the player booked in for a medical “in the coming days”.

Nasser Djiga

An initial temporary deal could work out well for both parties and Djiga could even turn out to be an instant upgrade on Fernandez, that’s for sure.

Why Rangers must sign Nasser Djiga

The African defender only joined Wolverhampton Wanderers during the winter window from Red Star Belgrade, but he found game time hard to come by in the Premier League.

Indeed, the 22-year-old only played five times for the Old Gold in the top flight and experience north of the border will surely bolster his long-term ambitions at Molineux.

His performances at the Serbian outfit were impressive, however, especially during the first half of the season. While Fernandez can play out with the ball, it appears as though the 6 foot 4 Burkina Faso international is even better.

Across 17 Serbian top-flight matches, Djiga not only succeeded with 95% of his passes, but the defender also succeeded with 80% of his dribble attempts, showcasing his desire to burst forward from the heart of the defence.

When compared to his positional peers in the Champions League last term, Djiga ranked in the top 5% for progressive carries (1.63) per 90, while also ranking in the top 23% for touches in the opposition penalty area (1.13) per 90.

Considering these statistics were recorded at the highest level of the game, Djiga should have no problem settling in at Ibrox.

Judging by his performances in Europe’s top club competition, the Wolves centre-back appears to be an instant upgrade on Fernandez and this could see him slot straight into the starting XI once he seals his move to Rangers.

Scottish analyst and content creator Kai Watson profiled the youngster amid his links to Ibrox, saying:

“He hasn’t been given a chance at Wolves but at Red Star he was a strong passer of the ball with a good understanding of the game. He seems like the ideal CB for Russell Martin.”

Martin’s aim is to bring in players who might not be massive names, but who fit his style of play perfectly.

Only then, can Rangers truly begin to challenge for domestic superiority.

The dream squad Rangers can build: £19.5m quartet & "sublime" star all sign

Rangers will be eyeing plenty more signings this summer

4 ByRoss Kilvington Jul 5, 2025

Their spinners bowled fewer poor deliveries and drew more forward-defensives from the England batsmen

Sidharth Monga14-Feb-20211:22

Manjrekar: Ashwin’s wicket-taking ability is taken for granted

It is a peculiar thing that has been happening during Tests in India for at least 20 years. It was on full display when the crowds returned to Chennai for the second Test. It is not exactly that but it sounds like a wild celebration at the fall of India’s second wicket. First it used to be for Sachin Tendulkar, now Virat Kohli.Steve Waugh described this period when the intensity picked up but also when the crowd would disorient you as fielders. Waugh wrote by the time you got used to the noise, Tendulkar already had 40 on the board. Not too different with Kohli. If you did manage to get Tendulkar out early, the pin-drop deathly silence in the stands was a joy for the fielding sides. England had managed it here in five balls. Kohli and the crowd were stunned by the full Moeen Ali offbreak that bowled him.India were now 86 for 3 in the first session. Sixty-five of those had been scored by one man. The man coming in was coming off scores of 1 and 0, someone who prefers facing pace to spin. India were playing five bowlers. Never mind all the profligacy before, England still had a chance to get right back into the game. They had done so twice after losing the toss against Sri Lanka in Galle not long ago. An attacking field was set. In came Ali, and what Ajinkya Rahane got was a full toss first ball, which he dispatched for four through extra cover.Related

• Stats – All-round Ashwin goes past Sobers, Kallis

• Foakes – 'Extremely tough pitch, we've got to apply ourselves'

• R Ashwin: 'I have got better at varying the seam position'

• Stats – Ashwin's unique double-century, and Foakes' strong record in Asia

It summed up England’s bowling effort. Because of the excessive assistance from the pitch, there were unplayable balls every now and then but equally there were full tosses, half-volleys and long hops to take the pitch out of the equation. Kohli just happened to get the best ball out of the Ali lengths bingo. The spinner Ali replaced, Dom Bess, bowled seven full tosses in the fourth innings in the first Test, conditions out of a spin bowler’s dream. Ali bowled 10 in the first innings of this Test, a match tailormade for spinners, where puffs of dust and mini explosions were seen as early as in the first half hour of the match.When the ball reached the hands of R Ashwin and Axar Patel, though, the full tosses and the long hops disappeared. In all, England spinners bowled 14 full tosses. On 20 occasions they were cut or pull. India’s spinners were cut or pulled 10 times, and bowled no full tosses. And full tosses and being cut or pulled is the extremes; there are many other bad balls spinners can bowl within the spectrum.Basically, as a spinner on such a pitch you know you are in the game if you keep drawing a forward defensive or from on the crease. In a much shorter innings, India’s spinners drew the forward-defensive 112 times to England’s 115. If you are accurate enough to keep the batsmen tied down, your eventual misbehaving ball is likelier to be more lethal because you will have fielders in place to take the catches. Add to the accuracy the guile of Ashwin’s changes of pace, the drift, and then the variations in seam angles from both the spinners to make sure the ball spins less.India’s spinners bowled no full tosses in England’s first innings•BCCIOverall India’s batsmen were in control 82.4% of the times as against England’s 74.6%. If your bowlers are good enough to draw a false response once every four balls as against the opposition doing it once an over, you will end up on the winning side.Especially when you have batsmen who are playing a role in doing so. Bowlers should always get the extra credit because they initiate every bit of action in cricket, but sometimes bowlers react to what has been happening too. India batted way better than England did against spin. This pitch looked like a selectively watered one, where drier areas provided excessive turn and smoother ones went straight on. And they were next to each other on a good length for spinners and slightly fuller.Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant didn’t let it matter. In all India’s batsmen stepped out 81 times, reaching the pitch of the ball and doing their thing before it could do its. They swept from the rough and were to the pitch of the ball when the spinners went straighter. England often got caught up on the crease, stepped out – or were allowed to do so – only 20 times, and swept from straight lines.This is something India perhaps saw in the third innings in the last Test. It was a much better pitch for the batsmen, only really got difficult on days four and five. The control percentages in the four respective innings there were 88, 89.4, 79.5 and 88.3. That dip in the third innings didn’t go unnoticed. Knowing the quality of spin England brought, India knew it was the scoreboard pressure that made them potent. That is why they were happy to take the risk of what can sometimes turn out to be a lottery pitch. They didn’t just gamble; they backed themselves to negate the toss advantage on such a surface.Whatever you think of the pitch – and there will be talk around it because it started exploding in the first session of the Test – the side winning this Test played much better cricket, and it wasn’t even close. And they did so through a method, skill and discipline, and not through lottery.

Impeccable judgment outside the off stump leaves South Africa short of answers

Karthik Krishnaswamy26-Dec-20212:35

Jaffer: No surprise to see Rahul and Agarwal do well

In his ninth and tenth overs on Sunday, Lungi Ngidi delivered two similar balls to two right-hand batters. Both pitched on a good length and nipped in off the seam while also climbing unexpectedly steeply.Both batters responded similarly, pressing onto the front foot to defend. The first ball ricocheted off the inside shoulder of Cheteshwar Pujara’s bat and into his thigh pad before lobbing into the hands of a diving short leg.Related

Joy of defensive game key to KL Rahul's Centurion success

Stats: Cheteshwar Pujara's front-foot defending woes

Rahul hits hundred as India punish wayward South Africa

The second hit KL Rahul’s inside edge high up, deflected into his pad, and landed safely, more or less by his feet. Even if this ball had ballooned, there was no one at short leg to gobble it up.This was a fairly benign first-day pitch by South African standards, but Ngidi had been finding a little bit of uncertain bounce in this little passage of play. He had consumed Pujara with extra bounce one ball after skidding one through slightly low to send back Mayank Agarwal. And yet, there was no short leg for Rahul.There was no short leg because, where Pujara had been facing his first ball, Rahul was batting on 47 off 122.The next three balls demonstrated a key aspect of the method that had allowed Rahul to survive up to this point, and to earn the absence of a short leg. Ngidi delivered them from wide of the crease, angling the ball into the fifth-stump channel and getting it to straighten marginally.Rahul stepped forward to all three balls, aligned to defend towards mid-off or extra-cover should he have felt the need to offer a shot. Having tracked the path of the ball with wide, expressionless eyes, he decided each time that he didn’t need to. He left all three alone, tucking his bat behind his front pad to let the ball pass unimpeded.KL Rahul left 76 of the 202 balls he had faced from South Africa’s seamers on day one•AFP/Getty ImagesBy the time the day’s play drew to a close, Rahul had left 76 of the 202 balls he had faced from South Africa’s seamers, almost always in that minimalist, bat-behind-pad manner, a contrast to the outré flourishes of Steven Smith or Marnus Labuschagne.As you might expect, Rahul’s leave percentage steadily fell over the course of the day’s play, as he grew more used to the conditions and as the slips cordon thinned out – from 45.24 at lunch to 42.48 at tea, and 37.62 at stumps. A classic Test innings.Those percentages, though, don’t say a whole lot all by themselves. Of all the Test series he has featured in away from Asia, Rahul’s highest leave percentages against fast bowling – 44.55 and 37.93, respectively – have come on two of his least successful tours, of South Africa in 2017-18 and Australia in 2018-19.Context, clearly, is important. Bouncier conditions always demand more leaves. And as his innings in Centurion has demonstrated, leave percentages tend to drop when a batter enjoys more success. The converse is true too – friendlier conditions that demand fewer leaves usually bring more runs; Rahul’s lowest-ever leave percentage against pace in a series outside Asia, 19.80, came during his debut series in Australia where he played two Tests on flat pitches and scored a hundred in the second.A high leave percentage, moreover, is often simply an outcome of bowlers not forcing batters to play enough balls. South Africa’s attack at Centurion was certainly guilty of this, particularly in the first session that Rahul and Mayank Agarwal – who was just as resolute outside off stump – negotiated without being separated. Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada were often a touch too wide with the new ball, and the debutant Marco Jansen often strayed too straight and onto the pads in compensation.What stood out in Rahul’s innings, then, wasn’t so much the quantity of his leaves as the quality: his alignment at the crease, his head position, and consequently the time he seemed to have to decide what to do with each ball, and the certainty of those decisions.KL Rahul kisses his helmet to celebrate his hundred•AFP/Getty ImagesThis assurance outside off stump had also been a feature of his displays during India’s tour of England earlier this year, when he made a comeback to the Test team after a two-year hiatus and scored 315 runs at 39.37 including a century at Lord’s, finishing behind only Rohit Sharma among India’s aggregates and averages for the tour.Agarwal, a close friend of Rahul’s who also plays for the same state team, also picked out his judgment outside off stump as the key feature of his recent red-ball successes.”As someone who’s watching him closely, I think he really understands where his off stump is,” Agarwal said. “He’s really getting into the line of the ball and he’s leaving really well, and he’s very disciplined with his gameplans and his mindset. And he’s looking to bat sessions and he’s looking to bat through whenever he gets set.”Before his comeback, Rahul had last played Test cricket on the 2019 tour of the West Indies, where he had shown a palpable uncertainty outside off stump, frequently getting beaten while offering mixed responses to that line of attack, neither playing nor leaving, and getting squared up in the process.In England and at Centurion, he was beautifully side-on, perfectly positioned to defend his off stump should the need arise, and to leave the ball should it end up outside his eyeline. He was also in the perfect position to caress the ball through the covers should the bowler overpitch, as Ngidi did in response to those three successive leaves.The last ball of Ngidi’s over was full again, though not a half-volley, and this time aimed at the stumps. Rahul pulled his front pad smartly out of the way and defended towards mid-on, his balance perfect. In the timeless cycle of Test cricket, a sound response to channel bowling will invariably be met by a shift to straighter lines and the search for lbw. South Africa’s quicks will probably attack Rahul’s stumps more and more as this series progresses, earlier in his innings, and how he responds will be fascinating to watch.For now, though, savour the mastery of Rahul’s judgment outside off stump, the elegance of his strokeplay, and, if you’re an India fan, the position he’s put them in after the first day of a litmus-test tour.

The Spanish defender addressed Rayados fans after a rough start to the tournament as Liga MX sides continue to stumble in tournament

• Monterrey have slim chances of advancing
• Only four out of 18 Liga MX teams are moving on
• Rayados face NY Red Bulls on Sunday

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following Monterrey’s defeat in their opening game of Leagues Cup – a 3-2 loss on the road against FC Cincinnati – captain Sergio Ramos delivered a blunt message to fans on social media, suggesting the defeat leaves the Mexican side with slim chances of advancing to the next round of the Leagues Cup.

  “Disappointed to start the Leagues Cup this way. We need to analyze, improve and bounce back with a strong performance on Sunday. Football always gives you new chances. Let’s go all in!” Ramos posted on social media.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The start of the Leagues Cup hasn’t been ideal for Liga MX clubs – especially for heavyweights such as América, Cruz Azul, Chivas, and Monterrey. Despite boasting one of the tournament’s strongest squads, Monterrey fell to Cincinnati, severely denting their hopes of advancing to the next round.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT DOMÈNEC TORRENT SAID

  Spanish coach Domènec Torrent strongly criticized the Leagues Cup format following Monterrey’s defeat.

  "Maybe we’re already out – they’ve put together such a strange competition, where you lose one game and you’re practically eliminated," he said. "It’s a tournament where you’re hoping all the other Mexican clubs lose too, because you’re competing against them. I’m not going to complain, but out of 18 teams, only four qualify – 14 get eliminated. One loss punishes you too much."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MONTERREY?

  Monterrey will now have to assert themselves against a New York Red Bulls side that already dealt Chivas a defeat in their Leagues Cup opener. The two teams play Sunday.

Leeds United will be looking to buck the recent trend and remain in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship.

To do that, the 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke may need to sign plenty of new players, while also shipping some out who they feel aren’t good enough to make an impact in the top flight.

The transfer activity at Elland Road is already underway, and it promises to be a frantic few months away from the pitch. Grok, the AI tool on X, has already predicted signings Leeds could make this summer.

AI predicts the 2025/26 Premier League table

Who are the winners and losers from AI’s table?

1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 7, 2025

To maintain a solid position with PSR, though, the Whites may also look to cash in on a number of players before the deadline, some of which played a regular role in their promotion from the Championship. Now, Grok has also predicted Leeds’ summer sales.

AI predicts 6 players Leeds United will sell this summer 1 Illan Meslier (£20m)

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier struggled last season in the second tier, making a number of errors that cost Leeds points.

The Frenchman was dropped by Farke for the run-in, and Leeds are expected to sign a new first choice keeper to replace the 25-year-old.

Grok says Meslier’s ‘Premier League experience and age make him valuable’, estimating a fee in the region of £20m which would represent a big profit for the Whites.

2 Brenden Aaronson (£15m)

Another player who struggled to set the Championship alight was Brenden Aaronson, with left-back Junior Firpo recording more goal contributions in the second tier.

Leeds’ only out-and-out attacking midfielder, the chances of an Aaronson exit are described as moderate, with a £15m fee mooted.

It is added that ‘interest from European clubs could prompt a sale, but Farke may give him a chance to prove himself in the Premier League’.

3 Jack Harrison (£12m)

One transfer that won’t surprise many Leeds fans would be if Jack Harrison completed a permanent Elland Road exit.

After spending the last two seasons on loan at Everton, the winger won’t be moving to the Toffees on a permanent basis.

Games

206

Goals

34

Assists

32

Minutes played

15,734

Grok have a departure worth £12m down as a high possibility, saying his ‘prolonged absence and Farke’s focus on new wingers make a permanent exit likely’.

4 Mateo Joseph (£10m)

Mateo Joseph’s potential exit could help Leeds from a PSR standpoint, and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Betis this summer.

The Spaniard failed to score on a regular basis after beginning the previous campaign as first choice.

AI states ‘Leeds are reluctant to sell young talents, but a lucrative offer from Betis could sway them’ and have placed a £10m fee on any possible deal.

5 Max Wober (£8m)

Defender Max Wober has already admitted that Leeds are planning to sell him this summer, so it comes as no surprise that he is on Grok’s list.

The Austrian, like Aaronson, returned from a loan spell in Germany to help the Whites to promotion, although he wasn’t a regular under Farke.

Signed for around £10m in 2023, Leeds could still bring in £8m for the centre-back, according to Grok.

6 Joe Gelhardt (£5m)

The last player on AI’s predicted exit list is Joe Gelhardt, who again looks surplus to requirements at Elland Road.

The forward was loaned out to Hull City for the second half of the 24/25 season and helped the Tigers stay up, and he still has two years left on his Whites contract.

Leeds are open to offers for Gelhardt, though, and Grok says a £5m exit could be on the cards.

Adelaide will host the third Test from December 17 as the traditional Ashes rota is shaken up

Alex Malcolm16-Oct-2024Cricket Australia has unveiled the dates for the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia with the Gabba set to host the day-night second Test while Adelaide will host the third Test as a day game under a new agreement to have the pre-Christmas Test for the next seven years.CA confirmed that Perth will host the first Ashes Test next summer from November 21-25 before the second Test is played with a pink-ball under lights in Brisbane from December 4-8. The third Test will a day game in Adelaide from December 17-21 before the traditional Boxing Day Test begins on December 26 at the MCG. Sydney will host the fifth Test from January 4-8.A shake-up to the traditional Ashes rota had long been forecast after CA announced its fixturing contracts with the various state governments in August.Related

• Webster happy to scrap for Ashes spot with Green's return to bowling on track

• Darwin's international return confirmed; India white-ball tour locked in

• 'Where does Australian cricket play?' Queensland Cricket renews talks over Gabba future

• Is this the end for the Gabba?

• MCG to host one-off Australia-England Test in 2027 to mark 150 years of Test cricket

Adelaide has been the main home of the day-night Test since the first one in 2015 and has hosted the two previous Ashes day-night Tests in 2017-18 and 2021-22 as the second Test in the rotation in those Ashes series following the traditional Gabba opener.But South Australia’s government, along with CA, were keen to give Adelaide a marquee holiday slot given the Test’s popularity from a tourism standpoint and it is now third in the rotation.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Gabba has hosted three day-night Tests previously including West Indies’ famous win earlier this year in January. But it will be the first time Brisbane has not hosted the Ashes opener since 1982-83 when Perth hosted the first Test and Brisbane had the second.The future of the Gabba has been left clouded amid uncertainty over the redevelopment plans for the stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics. There is a chance the Ashes Test next year could be the last Gabba Test ever as there is no Test scheduled there for 2026-27 – and beyond – and the stadium in its current state will not be usable by 2030.There has been criticism of CA for not maintaining the Gabba as the opening Test of the summer for at least the next two seasons, with former Australia allrounder Shane Watson among a host of voices who would prefer the Gabba to be the opening Test. But it understood the Australian team is quite happy to play the opening Test of the summer at Optus Stadium in Perth, as has been the case in the last two summers, given Australia’s perfect record there.There may be less enthusiasm about using the pink ball at the Gabba as Australia’s bowlers have previously been vocal about the pink ball being better suited to the Adelaide Oval pitch than the Gabba. There have been periods in the Gabba pink-ball Tests where the ball has become very soft and the game has stagnated as a result.

da cassino online： With Liam Delap on his way to Chelsea, Ipswich Town are now reportedly looking to sign a former Championship forward worth over £20m, and he’s already scored at Portman Road.

Ipswich looking to replace Delap

da 888casino： It’s a big summer for the Tractor Boys. After suffering relegation at the first time of asking in the Premier League, those at Portman Road must reassess and go again in the Championship. On that front, Kieran McKenna will of course have his sights set on earning a place back in the top flight, avoiding any further drop-off in the process next season.

Related If "sensational" Ipswich star leaves, it would be as disastrous as Delap

Ipswich Town could also lose this sensational star away from just Liam Delap leaving Portman Road.

Posts ByKelan Sarson May 23, 2025

In pursuit of that, however, the Ipswich boss will have to cope without star man Delap. The talented striker is reportedly set to join Chelsea this summer after the Blues triggered his relegation release clause ahead of the summer transfer window. Landing a bargain deal worth just £30m, it seems only a matter of time before Delap is presented as Enzo Maresca’s latest signing.

Just how Ipswich replace Delap is the question that they must now consider this summer. Already, names such as Divin Mubama have threatened to steal the headlines, but whether the Tractor Boys go two for two when it comes to signing talented Manchester City gems remains to be seen.

The young forward has struggled to gain first-team opportunities at the Etihad, but is valued at around £10m nonetheless. Given how successful their deal to sign Delap was last summer, Ipswich may see Mubama as an ideal opportunity to splash out again on Premier League talent.

Mubama isn’t the only option on Ipswich’s radar, however, with those at Portman Road also reportedly setting their sights on an MLS star.

Ipswich now looking to sign Latte Lath

According to EFL Analysis, Ipswich are now looking to sign Emmanuel Latte Lath from Atlanta United this summer. The 26-year-old left Middlesbrough to join the MLS side for a reported £22.5m during the January transfer window, but could already be on his way back to the Championship courtesy of the Tractor Boys.

Having been interested in signing Latte Lath during the last summer window, themselves, Ipswich’s interest reportedly remains following their Premier League relegation. Given how proven the forward is in England’s second tier too, that interest certainly makes sense.

Emmanuel Latte Lath in the Championship

Record (via Transfermarkt)

Appearances

59

Goals

27

Assists

4

It was during his time in the Championship that the Atlanta striker proved his goalscoring prowess in front of McKenna and Ipswich when he found the back of the net in a 1-1 draw at Portman Road in the 2023/24 campaign.

It was also a spell in which Latte Lath found himself at the centre of Michael Carrick’s praise. The Middlesbrough manager told reporters back in October: “We’ve got really good players in the squad and there’s times when players are going to be in or maybe don’t start the game.

“But I thought Manu coming off the bench, fresh and sharp like he is, would be a big benefit for us tonight. I was delighted with him, his reaction to not playing was also fantastic as you’d expect and hope for. Everyone shared that love.”