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Sunderland will be playing in the Premier League next season and they know that their recruitment work this summer will need to be spot on to give them a chance of avoiding an instant relegation.

The Black Cats recently confirmed the signing of Enzo Le Fee on a permanent basis from Roma for a club-record fee of £20m as their first addition ahead of their return to the top-flight, after he spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Regis Le Bris’ team.

Le Fee showed quality on the ball, with 1.3 dribbles completed per game, but combined that with 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game in his 11 league starts, which suggests that he could thrive in a relegation battle where plenty of defending will be needed.

The French maestro also heads into the Premier League with plenty of experience in Europe’s major leagues, with 132 games in Ligue 1 and six matches in the Serie A, which means that he is used to playing at the top level and that is why he could be an excellent signing for the Black Cats.

Sunderland eyeing deal for Premier League defender

Sunderland could repeat the blinder that they have seemingly played with Le Fee, who is an experienced top-flight performer who is already settled in and used to playing for the club, by signing another one of their loan stars.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to the Northern Echo, the Premier League newcomers are considering a deal to bring Chris Mepham back to the Stadium of Light in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Wales international is one of a number of defensive options being weighed up by the board at Sunderland, as they eye up a possible reunion with the Bournemouth centre-back.

It states that there was no obligation for the loan move to be turned into a permanent one this summer, which means that they would have to negotiate a fee with the Cherries.

Why Sunderland should sign Chris Mepham

The Black Cats should swoop to sign Mepham on a permanent basis in the coming weeks because it could be a repeat of their Le Fee blinder.

Like the French star, the 27-year-old colossus would not need any time to settle in because he just played 40 matches on loan at the club in the 2024/25 season.

The Welsh titan also has top-flight experience, like Le Fee, having played 61 times in the Premier League for Bournemouth, which means that he knows the division and could provide vital experience to a young team lacking games at that level.

Mepham, who was hailed as “outstanding” by pundit Carlton Palmer, also delivered solid performances for Sunderland when called upon in the Championship this season.

24/25 Championship

Chris Mepham

Appearances

38

Pass accuracy

87%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.3

Clearances per game

6.1

Ground duel success rate

55%

Aerial duel success rate

63%

Clean sheets

11

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Bournemouth loanee was dominant in his duels and helped the team to keep 11 clean sheets in 38 outings in the second tier.

He also averaged the most clearances per match in the entire squad, ahead of the likes of Luke O’Nien and Dan Ballard, which may be down to his experience and know-how, as he excels at being in the right place at the right time at the heart of the defence.

Mepham was, therefore, an important player for Sunderland in the Championship and that is why they should press ahead with a deal to sign him on a permanent basis, as a star who knows the club and has Premier League experience under his belt.

Like Le Fee, the 27-year-old brute would hit the ground running on Wearside in the top-flight because of his loan spell at the Stadium of Light and because of the top-flight games that he has played.

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It is now down to the club to ensure that they can strike a deal with Bournemouth to bring him back to Sunderland, to join Le Fee as their second signing.

With their summer business officially underway courtesy of Antonio Cordero, Newcastle United and Eddie Howe are now reportedly ready to make their first approach to sign a big-money Premier League winner.

Newcastle confirm Antonio Cordero arrival

Starting as they mean to go on, Newcastle confirmed Cordero’s arrival from Malaga last week. The young Spaniard is set to officially arrive on 1 July when his current contract expires and he becomes free to complete his move to Tyneside.

After putting pen to paper, the young winger told the club website: “It’s truly an honour to be here, truly a pleasure. I am a person who likes to aspire high. Why not come to one of the best places in the world to do it. It’s a big step, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here. I’m happy to do it and have a great desire to get going already.”

Meanwhile, in what is likely to be one of his final acts as sporting director, Paul Mitchell welcomed Cordero to the club, saying: “Antonio is an exciting talent. We’re delighted to bring him to Newcastle United amidst interest in Spain and across Europe. He has lots of potential, and the next phase of his development will be for the club to select a loan move that will challenge him and build on his experiences.”

Following an impressive start to the summer, it seems as though the Magpies are only just getting started. Recent reports have indicated that they’ve already made an enquiry to sign Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga and Brighton’s Joao Pedro as they look to make up for missing out on Bryan Mbeumo.

Attacking reinforcements seem to be top of their wishlist too, with Howe now reportedly ready to make his first approach to sign a Premier League winner this summer.

Howe and Newcastle ready to make Grealish approach

According to The Sun, Howe is now ready to personally make an approach to sign Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City as he looks to help the England international revive his career courtesy of Newcastle.

The midfielder was dropped by Pep Guardiola on the final day of the season and reports have since revealed that he could miss out on a place in Manchester City’s Club World Cup squad as the exit door swings open.

The next move is key for Grealish with the World Cup coming up next summer and Thomas Tuchel recently making it clear that he needs to be back playing every week if he is to work his way back into the England squad.

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Posts 1 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 8, 2025

The Three Lions boss told reporters: “He is never shy of pressure. It’s the opposite. He grows in big matches but he’s a player who needs minutes and minutes and minutes and simply does not get them for a very long time. That’s basically everything. Nothing has changed.”

With that said, if any side can offer the former Aston Villa star that and cover his hefty £16m-a-year salary, it may well be Newcastle this summer.

Leeds United will be doing plenty of deals in the next couple of months in an attempt to build a squad that can avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League.

The Whites have already made one new signing to bolster Daniel Farke’s options at the top end of the pitch, as Lukas Nmecha has agreed a deal to join the club on a free transfer from Wolfsburg at the start of next month.

He only scored three goals in 19 appearances in the Bundesliga during the 2024/25 campaign, and has only scored eight league goals in the last three seasons combined.

This does not suggest that Nmecha is likely to be the go-to centre-forward option from the start for the West Yorkshire outfit, but the former Germany international could provide experienced back-up to the other number nines in the squad.

The 26-year-old star will not be the last striker to arrive at Elland Road this summer, though, as reporter Graham Smyth claimed that the club are still looking for another addition in that position.

This could spell bad news for 21-year-old marksman Mateo Joseph’s future in West Yorkshire, amid speculation that he could move on ahead of next season.

Why Mateo Joseph could leave Leeds

The Spain U21 international is reportedly being eyed up by several clubs, as GIVEMESPORT recently claimed that Birmingham, Strasbourg, and Real Betis are all keen on securing his signature.

This suggests that there will be no shortage of suitors for the Whites academy graduate if Farke decides that he will not be a part of his plans for the Premier League season, which will kick off with a clash against Everton on the first Monday Night Football of the campaign.

Joseph has now had a taste of first-team football, with 61 Championship outings and four goals in the last two seasons, and should be wanting to play regular minutes next term to continue his development.

The Spanish youngster only scored three goals in 39 matches for Leeds in the second tier during the 2024/25 campaign, but did put up some promising underlying numbers.

24/25 Championship

Mateo Joseph per 90

Percentile rank vs forwards

Non-penalty xG

0.36

Top 29%

Shots total

2.73

Top 11%

Shots on target

1.05

Top 17%

Non-penalty goals

0.21

Bottom 34%

xAG

0.13

Top 20%

Assists

0.21

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

2.31

Top 20%

Touches in the opposition’s box

5.25

Top 10%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Joseph ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to getting into high-quality shooting positions and creating chances for others, but his finishing let him down.

A loan move away from Leeds to play regularly and hone his skills next term could be the ideal next step for him, whilst Leeds are eyeing up a striker who could be an upgrade on him in the short term.

Leeds plotting move for new striker

According to TEAMtalk, the Championship champions are eyeing up further forward additions after the signing of Nmecha, and Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy is one of the players they are plotting a move for.

The Turkish attacker and Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz are both said to be targets for the West Yorkshire outfit, as they look to improve Farke’s options in the final third.

Transfer Focus

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

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TEAMtalk adds that Leeds are moving forward in deals to sign Muniz, Kilicsoy, and USG’s Noah Sadiki, with the Besiktas whiz said to be available for a fee of £18m.

The outlet claims that the Whites have extensively scouted the Turkey U21 international and view him as a versatile star with potential who would come in as a long-term signing for Farke.

If Leeds can get an £18m deal over the line to sign the 19-year-old forward during the summer transfer window then they could have an immediate upgrade on both Nmecha and Joseph for next season.

Why Leeds should sign Semih Kilicsoy

There are many reasons why signing the teenage marksman from Besiktas makes a lot of sense for Leeds, including his age profile. At 19, he has many years left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player, which means that the striker could grow in value over time.

It also means that he may not demand to be the first-choice number nine week-in-week-out in the Premier League straight away, and be happy to be a versatile bench option at first, which would allow the Whites to also sign a more experienced striker, such as Muniz.

Kilicsoy’s performances for Besiktas in the last two seasons also suggest that he would offer more quality in front of goal than both Nmecha and Joseph in the top-flight.

The Turkish attacker, who was once hailed as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons combined for his club side.

Joseph managed seven goals and four assists for Leeds in all competitions, and Nmecha racked up five goals and zero assists in that same time, which immediately suggests that the teenage star has more to offer the team at the top end of the pitch.

24/25 (per 90)

Kilicsoy (Super Lig)

Joseph (Championship)

Goals

0.21

0.21

xG on target

0.35

0.35

xA

0.13

0.10

Assists

0.14

0.21

Dribbles completed

2.49

0.78

Dribble success rate

57%

42%

Fouls won

2.00

1.29

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Kilicsoy offered more quality at the top end of the pitch than Joseph this season, with more goals and xA combined per 90, along with far more success in dribbling past opposition players.

Impressively, the teenage attacker managed 0.59 goals and 0.21 assists per 90 in the Super Lig in the previous campaign, when he managed 11 goals and four assists in the division, whilst Joseph scored one goal in 22 league games for Leeds that term.

Therefore, Kilicsoy could be a very exciting signing for Leeds as a young forward who has shown that he has the potential to make a big impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals, even more so than Joseph and Nmecha have in recent years.

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This is why Leeds must press ahead with a deal to sign the £18m-rated centre-forward before the start of the Premier League season to bolster their attacking options.

Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign took a disastrous turn when the Blues faced off against Flamengo in Philadelphia.

It was looking all rosy for Enzo Maresca’s side after Pedro Neto opened the scoring, but a second successive win for the West Londoners in the competition ended up falling out of their grasp in horrible fashion.

Nicolas Jackson’s second-half dismissal was the beginning of Chelsea’s downfall, leading to Filipe Luis’ Flamengo taking home a surprise 3-1 victory.

This loss would have angered Chelsea fans, knowing full well that the Blues are looking to upgrade on Jackson soon in the chaotic summer transfer market, as seen in their ongoing pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt gem Hugo Ekitike.

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Posts ByCharlie Smith Jun 13, 2025 Chelsea ready to launch bid to solve problem position

Jackson could well find he’s out of the door soon, as the Blues’ patience begins to wear very thin. Yet, the shock defeat to Flamengo would have also made Chelsea aware that they need to seal an upgrade in the goalkeeper department too.

Transfer Focus

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

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As per a new report by TEAMTalk, Chelsea are ready to go all in for a new goalkeeper very soon to replace the inconsistent Robert Sanchez.

It’s stated that the Blues have not cooled off regarding their interest in AC Milan shot-stopper Mike Maignan, with a second bid now being prepared for when the Club World Cup finishes.

A bid around the £20m mark, which includes add-ons, could well seal the deal here, with Chelsea in dire need of a new, reliable ‘keeper, particularly if reserve stopper Djordje Petrovic bids farewell to Stamford Bridge for good this summer.

Why signing Maignan should be a bigger priority than Ekitike

Whilst Jackson does currently find himself in the bad books at Chelsea after his red card incident, he has at least managed to show off his class in flashes when bagging 30 Blues strikes and counting.

Whereas, Sanchez is becoming more and more known for his error-strewn performances in West London with the capture of Maignan perhaps a more pressing matter than landing Ekitike.

After all, whilst Ekitike appears to be the flavour of the month with the Blues, Liverpool and Manchester United all sniffing around, the blistering Frenchman has flopped before when a big move has been put in front of him.

Indeed, the 23-year-old only netted three goals on the books of Paris St. Germain after a breakout Stade De Reims spell. Therefore, similar pressures could get to him again after a 22-goal season leading the line for Frankfurt, especially if a reported £60m price tag comes to fruition.

On the contrary, the much-talked-about Maignan is a seasoned professional now at the highest level, as seen in his glistening resume of 343 appearances and counting for both Milan and Lille in some tough, challenging divisions.

Therefore, the “elite” keeper – as he was once labelled by Liverpool’s number one Alisson – should be able to arrive at Stamford Bridge and succeed, with plenty of clean sheets often following him wherever he goes.

Maignan’s record at Milan & Lille

Season

Games

Goals conceded

Clean sheets

24/25

53

59

14

23/24

42

52

12

22/23

29

27

10

21/22

39

32

19

20/21

48

38

23

19/20

34

41

12

18/19

38

33

15

17/18

34

53

5

16/17

12

14

4

15/16

4

3

1

Stats by Sofascore

In total, Maignan is now up to 115 clean sheets for both the Ligue 1 club and his current Serie A employers, with last season seeing him collect 14 of those. To add context, the error-stricken Sanchez lagged behind on ten, with five saves still not enough to keep Flamengo at bay last time out.

At around £20m or so, Chelsea really must prioritise adding the Frenchman to their camp soon over progressing with the far more expensive Ekitike deal, with Maignan having a way smoother June to date too, keeping a clean sheet for his nation against Germany in the Nations League.

The fact of the matter is that Maresca has plenty of attackers at his disposal. Regardless of Jackson’s ill-discipline, they will find a way to score goals. The acquisition of a new gloveman, however, could be the difference between winning titles.

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Matches in the Under-23 CK Nayudu Trophy, meanwhile, will not feature a toss

Shashank Kishore06-Jun-2024

The two phases of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy will sandwich the white-ball domestic tournaments•PTI

The BCCI has announced the splitting of the Ranji Trophy into two phases for the 2024-25 domestic season. The decision comes following deliberations between a four-member working group and senior players and coaches, who had raised concerns over lack of game time owing to weather disruptions in northern India during winters.The BCCI eventually okayed the change following a recommendation from the working group, involving current India head coach Rahul Dravid, NCA chief VVS Laxman, senior men’s selection chairman Ajit Agarkar and BCCI general manager (domestic cricket) Abey Kuruvilla.Related

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Last season, the Ranji Trophy was played predominantly between January and March, after the conclusion of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-overs competition) and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20s).This time, however, the Ranji Trophy will begin in October, with each team playing five league games during a five-week window before the white-ball competitions commence.The last two group-stage fixtures will be held soon after the completion of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on January 18, followed by the knockout phase of the competition from February 8. The Ranji final is set to be held from February 26 to March 2.In a bid to “fortify the core of domestic cricket while prioritising “player well-being”, the board has also introduced an extra day’s gap between matches, making it a total of four days as against three, which was the case until the 2023-24 season.Shardul Thakur was among the prominent voices who had spoken of the need for more time between games to facilitate better recovery and preparation as players. Dravid too had touched upon the importance of “hearing the players” while drawing up domestic schedules owing to the sheer volume of matches played.Shardul Thakur was a prominent voice who had spoken of the need for bigger gaps between Ranji Trophy matches•PTI

Zonal format scrapped for Duleep TrophyIn another significant move, the senior men’s season-opening Duleep Trophy, which will be played from September 5 in Anantapur, will not be played between zonal teams. This marks yet another change to the structure of the tournament whose relevance has been questioned by several notable voices in recent times.In 2022-23, the BCCI had reverted to the zonal format with the six teams (North, South, East, West, Central and North East) picked by a zonal committee chaired by a convener. The move was seen as a way to add more context to the tournament.This season, the tournament has been whittled down to a four-team event with squads picked by the national selectors. ESPNcricinfo understands one of the reasons for this move is to ensure the selectors are able to give a wider pool of players, including those in the targeted group, enough opportunities heading into India’s Test season.India are set to host Bangladesh and New Zealand for Test series at home before traveling to Australia between November and January for a five-Test series, all of which are part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle. It’s likely the Test season will be preceded by two shadow tours, one at home and one in Australia.No toss in CK Nayudu TrophyIn a bid to increase competitiveness and prevent hosts from tailoring tracks to suit their strengths, the Under-23 CK Nayudu Trophy, seen as a feeder tournament for the senior state teams, will no longer feature tosses. The visiting team will instead be allowed to choose whether to bat or bowl first.The BCCI has also introduced a “revamped points system “aimed at fostering balanced performances. This includes the attribution of points for batting and bowling prowess in the first innings, alongside points for securing the first innings lead or achieving an outright victory.”Women’s inter-zonal competitions scrappedIn another move aimed at widening the talent pool, the BCCI has scrapped inter-zonal competitions for women across formats and replaced them with a Challenger Trophy, with all sides picked by the senior women’s selection committee.This move is aimed at building a robust feeder system into the national team, as well as building a robust Under-19 structure that will compete at the next World Cup where India will be the defending champions.ESPNcricinfo understands the board has taken cognizance of the inconsistencies in selection at the zonal level, with a number of senior voices speaking out against contentious picks.Last season, for example, Shreyanka Patil and Kanika Ahuja didn’t find a place in their respective zonal squads despite having featured for India earlier in the season. Satheesh Shubha too was ignored from the inter-zonal red-ball competition, despite having made her Test debut during the season against Australia.

The India captain was thrilled to be able to give departing coach Rahul Dravid a major trophy: ‘You saw how proud he was and how excited he was’

Sidharth Monga30-Jun-20248:43

Rohit Sharma on Dravid, key moments of the final and more

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.Just because of the desperation with which he coveted a world title, Rohit Sharma placed this T20 World Cup win as the greatest time of his career, the greatest achievement. “This has to be the greatest time, I can say that,” Rohit said at the press conference after the match. “It’s only because how desperately I wanted to win this. So, all the runs, all the runs that I’ve scored in all these years, I think it does matter, but I’m not big on stats and all of that. I think winning games for India, winning trophies for India, that is what I look forward to all the time. And having this now right beside me probably has to be, I don’t know, honestly, I don’t know if it’s the greatest or what but it is definitely one of the greatest, I can say that.”Rohit spoke of the desperation again when asked to describe his mental state when he sunk onto the ground and celebrated the win. “I wanted this badly,” he said. “It’s very hard to put it in words because that moment, I don’t want to say what I was thinking and what was going in my mind, but it was a very emotional moment personally for me.Related

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“I wish I could capture that moment myself but not really, you can’t do that but I will always remember that. Yeah, those are the moments you wait for and then you don’t plan these things, it just happens because you’re so desperate for certain things in life and I was very desperate for this in my life. So happy that we eventually crossed the line this time.”Rohit brought the trophy to the press conference. He has been close to a World Cup many times since winning his first back in 2007. He lost out on being selected in 2011 at the last moment, and had then been a critical part of India’s five knockout appearances in six World Cups. The last defeat, at the end of an unbeaten run at home, left him the most heartbroken.In the absence of a clear transition plan, Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid agreed to give it another shot. Rohit had high praise for Dravid. “More than any one of us, I think he deserved that trophy,” Rohit said. “What he has done for Indian cricket for the past 20-25 years, I think this was the only thing that was missing in his cabinet. I am very happy from all of us on behalf of the entire team that we could actually do this for him. You saw how proud he was and how excited he was.Rohit Sharma stressed how much the victory was for, and because of, Rahul Dravid•Getty Images

“He’s done so much for Indian cricket when he played. Over the last three years, he has worked hard with this team. He has had to suppress his instincts on many an occasion because it is not that easy for the boys to match his wavelength. So Rahul bhai suppressed himself. He learnt what the boys wanted. He prioritised that. Rahul bhai did that for the whole team. He tried to understand what the boys wanted, and what is needed to be given to the boys. Because eventually we have to do the job, Rahul bhai can’t go and bat.”For three years he has provided the boys role clarity. The boys who are not with the team, he has stayed in touch with them: keep telling him what is up with the team, when they can come ack, what their role will be when they come back. Rahul is a studious person. He was the first one to take care of this when he came: we have to tell the boys what we want from them.”Rohit hinted at some disagreement among the brains trusts ahead of the final, but as a captain he ruled he needed to bat first. He has won four of his six IPL titles batting first. “I’m a believer of just having runs on the board in big games,” he said. “That’s how my mind works. It is not necessary that everyone thinks like that in the team.Rohit Sharma: ‘I was very desperate for this in my life’•Getty Images

“But I have a decision to make and I made it very clear that no matter how the pitch is, whatever it is, we have to try and put runs on the board and then fight it out. You have the talent in your bowling and I have seen what the guys have done with the ball. So, I had that confidence that whatever score we have, we can try and defend it.”I know the result came in our favour, but even if the result didn’t come in our favour, I would have still completely backed the decision of batting first. Although I thought the pitch really played well, throughout the 40 overs the pitch was really good. It didn’t grip as such, which we really thought it would after the first half, with the sun beating down so hard, there is no grass on the pitch, it looks a lot drier. But obviously a lot of rolling and water must have gone in there to make it nice and hard. But, yeah, that was the thought and we were very clear with that decision as well, that we want to put runs on the board and try and defend it later.”While Rohit went through a whole host of contributors to the win in the final, he reserved special praise for the Player of the Tournament Jasprit Bumrah. “I don’t know how much I can talk about Bumrah,” he said. “Obviously, we’ve been seeing this with him for such a long time now. Whenever he has ball in his hand, he tends to create magic for us every time. I am very lucky to have players like this in my squad. Players who are playing for me and Team India. Really, really grateful.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now closing in on a deal to sign a “highly-rated” player, who “wants” to move to the Premier League this summer, it has been revealed.

Wolves looking to bolster options in defence

Vitor Pereira oversaw a remarkable turnaround at Molineux in the second half of the 2024-25 season, but the manager is likely to be concerned by the fact his side shipped a total of 69 goals in the Premier League, despite recording an xG against of 59.01.

Having let in 10 more goals than they were expected to throughout the campaign, there are clearly some problems with the Wolves backline, and the manager is looking to upgrade his defensive options this summer.

Direct contact has been made with Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Igor Julio, but the Brazilian is thought to be prioritising a move to La Liga side Real Sociedad, so the Old Gold may be forced to move on to alternative options.

It could be a more sensible idea to target a player with aspirations of playing in the Premier League, and there has now been a positive development in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ pursuit of Rennes defender Christopher Wooh.

According to a claim from the Turkish media (via Sport Witness), Wolves are now closing in on a deal for Wooh, having previously been reported to be ready to make a €5m (£4.3m) offer for his services.

Trabzonsor president Ertugrul Doğan has revealed the Turkish club had also struck a deal for the Rennes defender, but a move to the Super Lig seems unlikely at this stage, given that the defender has made it clear he wants to move to England.

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Posts ByTom Cunningham Jun 27, 2025

Doğan said: “We’d reached an agreement with Rennes for Wooh. We signed a preliminary protocol. However, the player wants to go to the Premier League. He’s negotiating with another team. We are trying to overcome this problem.”

With Pereira’s side now preparing an offer for the 23-year-old, they appear to be in the driving seat, and Trabzonspor’s chances of winning the race look slim.

"Highly-rated" Wooh could be solid signing for Wolves

U23 scout Antonio Mango described the Rennes ace as “highly-rated” a little under two years ago, and the centre-back has since gone on to establish himself as a regular first-team player, putting in some impressive performances over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

2.23 (92nd percentile)

Interceptions

1.42 (82nd percentile)

Aerials won

2.60 (76th percentile)

The Cameroon international has also proven himself as an attacking threat for his country, most notably scoring an injury-time winner against Gambia to send his side through to the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 in 2024.

With Wolves clearly in need of upgrading their defence, given their struggles last season, Wooh could be a savvy addition to Pereira’s squad, and a deal for the 6-foot-3 colossus is unlikely to break the bank.

علّق نادي مانشستر سيتي على الإصابة التي تعرض لها نجم الفريق عمر مرموش، في مباراة منتخب مصر يوم الثلاثاء ضد نظيره منتخب بوركينا فاسو، في إطار تصفيات قارة إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.

وحل منتخب مصر ضيفًا على بوركينا فاسو، في الجولة الثامنة من التصفيات المؤهلة إلى المونديال، حيث تعادلا سلبيًا بدون أهداف.

ولم يتمكن عمر مرموش من استكمال المباراة، حيث تواجد في التشكيل الأساسي، ولكنه تعرض لإصابة مبكرة أجبرته على الخروج.

وقال مانشستر سيتي، عبر موقعه الرسمي: “أُجبر عمر مرموش على مغادرة الملعب مبكرًا بعد تعرضه لإصابة في ساقه، خلال تعادل مصر وبوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كأس العالم في المجموعة الأولى”.

وأضاف: “تعرض مهاجم مانشستر سيتي، الذي قاد هجوم الفراعنة خلال المباراة التي أقيمت على ملعب 4 أغسطس في واجادوجو، للإصابة بعد تدخل قوي في الدقيقة الرابعة”.

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وواصل: “وبعد تلقيه العلاج على أرض الملعب، لعب عمر مرموش في البداية، لكنه اسُتبدل لاحقًا بعد مرور 10 دقائق، وفي غيابه تعادلت مصر، متصدرة المجموعة، مع بوركينا فاسو، صاحبة المركز الثاني في لقاء اتسم بالتوتر الشديد وقلة الفرص الواضحة”.

وأردف: “مع تبقي مباراتين في المجموعة، تظل مصر بعد هذه النتيجة في صدارة المجموعة الأولى برصيد 20 نقطة من ثماني مباريات، وعلى بعد خطوات قليلة من التأهل لنهائيات كأس العالم للمرة الرابعة”.

واستكمل: “فوز منتخب مصر على جيوبتي في مباراتهما المقبلة في شهر أكتوبر، سيحسم تأهله إلى كأس العالم، مع العلم أن متصدر المجموعة هو من يتأهل مباشرة إلى البطولة الصيف المقبل”.

 

افتتحت اليوم الجمعة، منافسات الجولة الثانية من بطولة الدوري السعودي موسم 2025-2026، بثلاث مواجهات قوية.

ونجح فريق الاتحاد في تحقيق فوز كبير على الفتح بنتيجة 4-2، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي.

والتقى الاتحاد مع الفتح على أرضية استاد مدينة الملك عبد اللة الرياضية، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثانية من مسابقة دوري روشن السعودي.

طالع أيضاً.. ساعات قليلة تفصل النصر عن صفقة قوية

وفي مواجهة أخرى فرض التعادل السلبي كلمته على مباراة الأهلي والاتفاق، وسط محاولات عديدة من كلا الفريقين لتسجيل هدف وهز الشباك، إلا أن الحالة الدفاعية حالت دون ذلك.

كما شهدت الجولة ذاتها مواجهة بين فريقا الحزم والشباب، واستطاع الأخير تحقيق الفوز بهدف دون رد. 

وتستأنف مواجهات الجولة غداً بعدة مواجهات أيضاً، حيث سيلاقي الهلال نظيره الاتفاق، والأخدود ضد التعاون.

ويتصدر الاتحاد جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 6 نقاط، يليه الاتفاق في المركز الثاني ولديه 4 نقاط، ويأتي الأهلي في المركز الثالث، وفي جعبته 4 نقاط. جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي

1- الاتحاد – 6 نقاط

2- الاتفاق – 4 نقاط

3- الأهلي – 3 نقاط

4- النصر – 3 نقاط

5- الخليج – 3 نقاط

6- القادسية – 3 نقاط

7- الهلال – 3 نقاط

8- الفيحاء – 3 نقاط

9- الشباب – 3 نقاط

10- ضمك – نقطة

11- الحزم – نقطة

12- الخلود – بدون نقاط

13- نيوم – بدون نقاط

14- النجمة – بدون نقاط

15- الرياض – بدون نقاط

16- الفتح – بدون نقاط

17- الأخدود – بدون نقاط

18- التعاون – بدون نقاط

يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري السعودي، بشكل محدث وباستمرار من هنا

Khurram Shahzad’s six-for had Pakistan on top, but they couldn’t capitalise on the opposition being 26 for 6

Ashish Pant01-Sep-2024

Litton Das’s century was his second in an away Test•AFP/Getty Images

In a comeback story for the ages, Litton Das’ sublime 138 backed up by Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s confident 78 helped Bangladesh bounce back from the depths of 26 for 6 to post 262 and keep Pakistan’s first-innings lead to a mere 12 runs in the second Test in Rawalpindi.This was Litton’s fourth Test century and his first in more than two years. He was also ably supported by No. 10 Hasan Mahmud, who hung around for a ninth-wicket partnership that frustrated Pakistan for 149 balls, on top of adding 69 valuable runs as Bangladesh closed in on parity. In the end, the visitors fell a mere 12 short.Bangladesh’s remarkable turnaround continued with the ball too with Hasan picking up two wickets in 10 balls. Pakistan, at 9 for 2, could only wonder what if having begun the third day’s play so well. Khurram Shahzad had set the tone, picking up his first Test-match five-for. He finished with 6 for 90, having ripped through the Bangladesh top order in a fiery spell of 4 for 15 in the first hour of the day. But Mehidy and Litton added 165 runs for the seventh wicket to herald the visitors’ fight back. Then there was more rearguard action in the final session.Resuming at 193 for 8 after tea, Litton and Mahmud stalled the Pakistan bowlers for more than two hours. Litton farmed most of the strike as he declined singles and only gave Mahmud a handful of balls to face. Mahmud showed solid defensive technique, playing his part in Litton reaching his century. The wicketkeeper-batter, who overcame severe cramps in the second session, reached the milestone with a delicate dab past backward point.Pakistan finally grabbed the last two wickets when Litton, trying to take on Salman Ali Agha, mistimed his shot for once and holed out at long-on. Two balls later No. 11 Nahid Rana shouldered arms to a straight ball and was give out lbw. Apart from Shahzad, Hamza and Salman also chipped in with two wickets apiece.Khurram Shahzad picked up his first five-for in Test cricket•Associated Press

Earlier, the Bangladesh top order seemed clueless against the Pakistan pair of Shahzad and Mir Hamza. They struck six times in 34 balls in the first hour, swinging the new ball through hoops, but more importantly sticking to their lines.Hamza created the opportunities, but it was Shahzad who got the wickets, picking three in five deliveries. His plan was quite simple. Target Bangladesh’s left-handers from around the wicket and always keep the stumps in play. It worked magnificently.Shahzad had Zakir Hasan flicking uppishly with Abrar Ahmed taking a simple catch around the short midwicket area. In his next over, he cleaned up Shadman Islam, the opener walking right across his stumps but failing to account for Shahzad’s swing. Three balls later, it was Najmul Hossain Shanto’s turn to walk back, playing all around a full ball to find his middle stump rattled.Hamza then had Mominul Haque caught off the first ball of the ninth over. It was a meek dismissal, with the batter chipping a full-length ball to mid-on with the Bangladesh score reading 20 for 4. That soon became 26 for 5 when Hamza got a length ball to nibble away ever so late with first-Test hero Mushfiqur Rahim only managing a thin edge through to Mohammad Rizwan. Shahzad then trapped Shakib Al Hasan, who played down the wrong line to be adjudged lbw. Shakib reviewed, but to no avail.Mehidy Hasan Miraz added a fifty to the five-for he’s already taken in this game•Associated Press

At 26 for 6, Bangladesh’s lowest Test total of 43 looked in danger. But Mehidy and Litton shepherded them past that hurdle and many more. With the sheen off the ball, and the Khurram-Hamza pair out of the attack, the two batters dug in and took Bangladesh to lunch without further damage.Litton went the aggressive route after the break. Still trailing Pakistan by 199 runs, he came down particularly hard on Shahzad, taking him for two fours in three balls in the third over of the session, before smashing him for three fours on the bounce in the next. Bangladesh scored 40 runs in the first six overs after lunch. Litton and Mehidy brought up the 100-run stand for the seventh wicket soon after which also saw them avoid the follow-on that was reduced to a margin of 150 as the opening day was washed out.Litton reached his fifty with a clip towards deep backward square leg while Mehidy also did not take much time to reach his eighth Test half-century. Pakistan were not helped by fast bowler Mohammad Ali leaving the field, feeling unwell.When Shahzad decided to go short, Litton and Mehidy took him on with the pull shot and had decent success with it. Litton clubbed the fast bowler over deep square leg while Mehidy got inside the line and achieved the same result over long leg. Having gone for just 15 off his first seven overs, Shahzad went for 58 from his next six. But he managed to make a comeback.He foxed Mehidy with a fuller ball which he lobbed back to the bowler. That gave Shahzad his five-wicket haul and he quickly added another one, trapping Taskin Ahmed right in front of the stumps which signalled the tea interval.Pakistan would have hoped of a swift end to the innings post the break but Mahmud and Litton were having none of it.