It is starting to feel like it’s now or never for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta has done a brilliant job taking the Gunners from mid-table mediocrity to perennial challengers over the last five years. Still, after three successive second-placed finishes in the Premier League, some are starting to lose patience.

Fortunately, the board and new Sporting Director Andrea Berta and Co are backing him this summer, and have already made several exciting signings, most notably Viktor Gyokeres.

However, with Alexander Isak looking like he might be going to reigning champions Liverpool, the North Londoners might need to find some more firepower from somewhere.

Interestingly, the club have already been linked with just the player this summer, someone who’d improve the team overall and even help Gyokeres reach the output levels of Isak.

Transfer Focus

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

Gyokeres' potential impact at Arsenal

After what felt like months of back and forth with Sporting CP, Arsenal finally got their hands on Gyokeres for around £63.5m including add-ons late last month, and while that is undoubtedly a lot of money, it’s not hard to understand why the club think he’ll be worth it.

For example, in just 52 appearances last season, the Swedish “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a staggering 54 goals and provided 13 assists to boot.

In other words, the 27-year-old international averaged 1.28 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.40 minutes, which is nothing short of miraculous.

However, two potential problems could stifle his output in England.

The first is the simple fact that Portugal’s top-flight is far more forgiving than the Premier League, with it being ranked as just the eighth toughest in the world by Opta Analyst, coming in behind the Championship and Belgian top-flight.

The second problem is that, unlike the right-hand side, where Bukayo Saka will provide a constant stream of top-quality chances, the Gunners’ left-wing options haven’t been as effective as they needed to be over the last few years.

This is even more of a problem with the former Coventry City star, as when you look at his heat map from last season, it’s evident that, at times, he floats out to the left to interchange and collect the ball from his teammates.

However, the good news is that Arsenal could solve this problem if they go back into the market and sign an international player they were linked with earlier in the window: Morgan Rogers.

Why Rogers could help Gyokeres reach Isak level numbers

While there haven’t been any concrete links to Rogers in recent weeks, he was touted for a move to Arsenal earlier in the summer, although with a potential price tag of up to £100m.

Ignoring the potential cost of the deal for now, it would be fair to say that adding Rogers to Arteta’s current side would make them even more dangerous this season, and in particular, he could help Gyokeres reach Isak’s level of numbers.

We say this as even though he was playing for an Aston Villa side that eventually missed out on Champions League qualification last season, he was still an absolute output “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob.

Appearances

54

Minutes

4496′

Goals

14

Assists

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

Minutes per Goal Involvement

155.03′

For example, in 54 appearances last season, totalling 4496 minutes, the Halesowen-born superstar scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists, which means he was able to average a goal involvement every 1.86 games, or every 155.03 minutes.

On top of being a reliable source of goals and assists, the second reason the Claret and Blue star could be the player to help supercharge Gyokeres this season is his positional versatility.

While the 23-year-old dynamo is more than comfortable playing in the midfield, as a somewhat traditional number ten, he’s just as, if not more comfortable playing off the left, which, as we’ve already mentioned, is an area of weakness for Arteta and Co.

Just imagine a winger pairing of Saka on the right and Rogers on the left; there is no way Gyokeres won’t hit the same numbers Isak did last season playing between those two.

Ultimately, it would be a costly and extremely complicated transfer to get over the line, but if Arsenal want to ensure their new number nine can match the man who may be going to Liverpool, they should do all they can to sign the Villa star.

A new Bergkamp: Arteta has spoken to £100k-p/w star about joining Arsenal

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 13, 2025

Liverpool kick off their Premier League title defence against Bournemouth on Friday evening, providing a fitting curtain-raiser to the English top-flight campaign.

Arne Slot did suggest that fans should expect changes. But who could have foreseen spending on this scale?

When Florian Wirtz arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in June, he arrived as a £100m player. That figure may yet rise to £116m, which would make him the most expensive signing in British history.

But perhaps not for that long. The German might only be 22, but he’s already established himself over a series of years as among the game’s world-class playmakers. It would take a special signing indeed to eclipse him financially.

24/25 – 45 (36)

15

16

23/24 – 49 (39)

18

20

22/23 – 25 (19)

4

8

21/22 – 31 (27)

10

14

20/21 – 38 (31)

8

8

19/20 – 9 (4)

1

–

But that might yet happen before the September 1st deadline, for Liverpool remain focused on signing Newcastle United’s wantaway striker Alexander Isak.

The latest on Liverpool's hunt for forwards

Liverpool have already signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt this summer, and the young French forward’s debut goal in the Community Shield illustrated his quality and potential, with further flicks and fluid connections with Wirtz eliciting much excitement within the fanbase.

But Isak would be the cream of the attacking crop.

Having already seen a £110m offer rejected for the Sweden international, Liverpool are now biding their time as they wait for encouragement on the Magpies’ part.

The 25-year-old scored 27 times for Newcastle last season, perhaps the most important of which came at Wembley against Liverpool, contributing toward United lifting the Carabao Cup.

Though signing the number nine is sporting director Richard Hughes’ priority, Slot has suggested that Liverpool could do with multiple attacking signings before the end of the window, saying: “We need to have one more attacker at least.”

With this in mind, it’s safe to say that Liverpool’s long-standing interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola is very much alive, with the French winger reported earlier in August to be on the Reds’ shortlist.

However, the 22-year-old won’t come cheap, should FSG wish to advance their interest. PSG, who hope to secure the winger’s future, have transfer-listed him at €100m (about £86m).

What Bradley Barcola would bring to Liverpool

It’s exciting to think that Barcola has yet to reach his potential, but is already considered to be such a devastating attacking threat. Last season, as PSG won the quadruple, the Les Bleus talent racked up 42 goal involvements.

But his goals and assists don’t define him. The rangy wide forward has emerged in recent years as one of the most talented dribblers in the business, with data-driven site FBref recording him to rank among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries (5.45) per 90.

His pace and creativity would provide a welcome contrast to the goalscoring Cody Gakpo, and it could even work into forming the dream partnership with Isak and Wirtz, the latter of whom would pull strings and orchestrate from number ten to accommodate both forwards in their progress around the final third.

Analyst Ben Mattinson shares the opinion of many in stating that Barcola is “one of the best left wingers in Europe”, and the player’s specific qualities would appear tailor-made for both Isak and Wirtz, playing to their respective strengths in different ways, forming unbreakable connective attacking tissue on Merseyside.

It’s worth mentioning that this is without even mentioning a certain Salah out on the right, who might have turned 33 over the summer but remains one of the greatest forwards of his generation, with an uptick in creative output over the past few years to balance out the attacking output over the next year.

And all this while considering Ekitike already resides within Slot’s ranks. Barcola’s supreme level of balance in his output suggests Liverpool could achieve a state of true balance next season, evening out the frontline after Salah shouldered such a heavy burden across the 2024/25 season, albeit to a trophy-winning effect.

But this level of dynamism will ensure that Liverpool have enough dimensions about them to keep opponents guessing and ensure that not only can their Premier League title be defended this season, but the Reds can advance toward trophies across other fronts, boasting the depth to do so.

Isak, to be sure, would be the elite focal frontman to make it all happen from a goalscoring standpoint, but the Newcastle man is hardly restricted in his style of play, with pundit Ally McCoist actually remarking last season that he’s the “best all-round centre-forward” in the Premier League.

With Wirtz proving himself to be an attacking midfielder of the highest quality over the past few years, one who could indeed rival the likes of Cole Palmer for the throne in English football, now that Kevin De Bruyne has left Manchester City, both Barcola and Isak has the supply line to find space and opportunities with the kind of regularity that will make it an illustrious upcoming chapter on Merseyside.

Whether Liverpool manage to pull off an ambitious move for Barcola this summer remains to be seen, but if Slot’s comments are anything to go by, the interest is certainly genuine.

Awful Torres repeat: PL rival ready offer to sign £43m Liverpool "monster"

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ByAngus Sinclair Aug 15, 2025

Will Manchester City be back on top of the Premier League next season?

Last time round, Pep Guardiola’s team endured a nightmare campaign, losing 17 times across all competitions, seeing their historic sequence of four successive Premier League titles come to an end.

As they aim to change that, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Sverre Nypan have all been signed so far this summer, but are the Sky Blues now aiming to make a marquee addition that could restore their position of dominance?

Manchester City seeking a statement signing

Even by the usually astronomical high standards, the Premier League’s biggest clubs have been spending an enormous amount this summer already, and we’re not even into August yet, as the table below documents.

Liverpool

5

£294m

Chelsea

8

£227m

Arsenal

6

£187m

Manchester United

2

£136m

Manchester City

5

£125m

Tottenham Hotspur

6

£124m

Please note: all information is correct at the time of publication

As the table documents, all of the Premier League’s traditional heavyweights have spent big this summer, most notably Liverpool.

The reigning champions have already splurged almost £300m to sign Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Miloš Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili, but a report by Mark Ogden of ESPN claims they’re willing to spend as much as £165m to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle, with the Swede pushing for the move, which would be quite the statement signing.

In response, reports in Spain claim that Manchester City have ‘made an initial offer’ of £170m to Chelsea in an attempt to re-sign Cole Palmer, adding that he is valued at closer to £250m by the Blues, which would smash the world-transfer record of €222m held by Neymar.

Palmer joined the Citizens’ academy as an eight-year-old, making just 41 appearances for the first team, 28 of which came as a substitute, thereby leaving for Chelsea two summers ago for a reported fee of £42.5m, in search of more opportunities.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, from Man City’s point of view, this has turned out to be one of the great modern-day transfer market mistakes, given Palmer’s form in West London, with former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison asserting back in December that “he is the best player in the Premier League… of that there is no doubt”.

Now though, is Guardiola leading a sensational attempt to bring Palmer back to the Etihad?

How Cole Palmer's return would transform Manchester City

Just before his move to Chelsea, Palmer scored in both the FA Community Shield against Arsenal and the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla but, even so, no one could’ve forecast the impact he would make at Stamford Bridge.

As the table below outlines, few have been more productive in front of goal in the Premier League since he joined Chelsea.

Mohamed Salah

47

28

75

Erling Braut Håland

49

8

57

Cole Palmer

37

19

56

Ollie Watkins

35

21

56

Alexander Isak

44

8

52

Jarrod Bowen

29

14

43

Son Heung-min

24

19

43

Bryan Mbeumo

29

13

42

Bukayo Saka

22

19

41

Matheus Cunha

27

13

40

As documented, only Mohamed Salah and Erling Braut Håland have registered more goals and assists across the last two Premier League campaigns than Palmer, made all the more remarkable by the fact that just three of his goals have come since Boxing Day, emphasising his incredible form beforehand.

Worth also noting that he’s accumulated four more than the aforementioned, in-demand Isak, despite the fact the Swede is a centre-forward. In all, the Englishman has provided 57 goals and assists in 89 Premier League games, only just behind Isak’s return of 63 goal involvements in 86 outings in England’s top-flight.

Palmer was also instrumental as Chelsea won the Club World Cup earlier this month, scoring twice against Paris Saint-Germain in the final, and the Conference League, with Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian describing his second-half performance against Real Betis in Wrocław as ‘astonishing’.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserts that he is a Premier League “legend in the making”, while his manager, Enzo Maresca, described him as a “top player” who is “not normal”.

Selim Ben Hmida of Total Football Analysis outlines how Palmer is at his best when deployed as an ‘advanced playmaker’, given his ability to shoot from distance, create chances and drive into space.

Thus, while Isak is looking likely to be a frightening signing for Liverpool, Palmer would be a transformational acquisition for Man City, should they manage to re-sign him, given that the England international and Håland would surely form an unstoppable duo.

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1 ByKelan Sarson Jul 28, 2025

Positivity, excitement and optimism. Those are just three of the words associated with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal reign.

However, arguably for the first time since this project really started to motor, a sense of negativity has crept in.

Arteta’s side have enjoyed an interesting summer. The likes of Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres are standout purchases but something is missing, notably on the left.

With Manchester City and Liverpool strengthening again, spending mega bucks, it really does feel as though the title is far away again.

Still, Arsenal did go to Old Trafford on the Premier League’s opening weekend and win 1-0. It’s not always been a happy hunting ground so Arteta’s men will take the three points and swiftly move on.

Arsenal were resilient and staunch in their efforts to claim the victory but it certainly wasn’t all plain sailing, not least for debutant Gyokeres.

What went wrong for Gyokeres on Arsenal debut

After scoring his first goal for the club in their 3-0 pre-season win over Bilbao a week ago, there were high hopes for Gyokeres.

That’s not forgetting the fact he scored 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting last term either.

Yet, in Manchester on Sunday, Gyokeres cut a frustrated figure, someone who struggled to get into the game and was let down by his teammates.

The Swede regularly burst into the channels and on a frequent basis wasn’t played the ball.

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Those beside him, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, only produced two key passes as the club’s big summer signing was starved of any service.

So, after failing to have a single shot on goal within an hour of his debut, he was withdrawn from the action to loud jeers from the home crowd, with Kai Havertz brought on in his place.

As Football.London’s Tom Canton noted, the centre forward ‘struggled to get into the game in the first half and was limited in terms of service and touches.’

So room for improvement, but he wasn’t the worst player on the away side.

The Arsenal player who was worse than Gyokeres

Speaking of the forward line, it was a poor day at the office for Arsenal’s wingers.

This is significant because it’s an area of the squad that Andrea Berta and Co have been trying to improve this summer.

Noni Madueke has joined from Chelsea but there’s a cry from supporters to sign someone of the quality of Eberechi Eze or Rodrygo.

Well, those cries will only have grown louder after Martinelli’s ineffective showing on Sunday afternoon.

The Brazilian was handed a 4/10 rating by the Standard, who wrote that there was a ‘familiar issue – no conviction in the final third.’

Last season, that was also very much the case for Martinelli and there has no improvement over pre-season and into the full season.

This is a big worry, particularly if Berta doesn’t sign another winger between now and the deadline.

The numbers paint a grim picture of just how poor the 24-year-old was. He managed just one shot – a tame effort right at the goalkeeper.

Furthermore, he only attempted one dribble that ended up being unsuccessful, had one key pass, didn’t make a cross and only completed three passes before he was hooked on the hour.

To make matters worse, Martinelli had just 14 touches, 33 fewer than David Raya. He also won just 50% of his duels.

Martinelli vs Man Utd

Minutes played

60

Touches

14

Accurate passes

3/5 (60%)

Shots

1

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

0/1

Crosses

0

Possession lost

7x

Times fouled

1

Stats via Sofascore.

In all honesty, there wasn’t much that the wide player got right, with one moment summing up his last few years.

As Arsenal aimed to break through the centre of the pitch, the Brazil international looked to swing a ball out to the left-hand side of the field but dinked it right out of play.

If that’s a sign of things to come, then Arsenal need to sign a replacement instantly. Irrespective of their activity in the window, either Leandro Trossard or Madueke must replace him for the game with Leeds United next weekend.

Related Arteta has two players to blame for Gyokeres' nightmare Arsenal debut

Viktor Gyokeres struggled on his Arsenal debut at Old Trafford.

Posts 1 ByMatt Dawson Aug 17, 2025

Arsenal have reportedly been hit with a double injury blow ahead of their Champions League opener against Athletic Club. The Gunners have been branded as one of the favourites to win this season's competition but they will be without two talisman early on.

• Arsenal without Saka and Odegaard

  According to ESPN, Arsenal are set to be without captain Martin Odegaard and winger Bukayo Saka for Tuesday's trip to Athletic Club. The former came off with a shoulder injury in the Gunners' 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend, and Saka has been out with a hamstring problem since August 23. 

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Injury concerns mount for Arsenal

  Arsenal keenly felt the loss of the injured Saka for much of last season as their bid to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004 came up short. The report adds that alongside Odegaard – who also struggled with injuries last term – and Saka, defender Ben White missed first-team training on Monday with a 'minor issue'. 

• Arsenal are 'one of the favourites'

  Athletic Club boss Ernesto Valverde said on Monday that he considers the north London side to be one of the favourites to win this season's Champions League.

  "Arsenal are totally focused on this match," he said. "They are one of the favourites to win the Champions League thanks to their technical and tactical ability, and the winning spirit that Arteta has instilled in them. It's the start of the Champions League and we're playing against a high-level opponent, the kind that Bilbao likes, but we have to be very careful and take advantage of opportunities. Arsenal won't be forgiving."

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• Getty Images
  

  Arsenal's next fixture: A tough test in Spain

  Mikel Arteta's side begin the league phase of their Champions League campaign away to last season's Europa League semi-finalists. This will be a difficult match for the Gunners but if they can come through it, it may give them a lot of belief going forwards.

The attacking midfielder seemed primed for a fresh start at a new club, but the coach who brought him in is now gone

So that went well. 

A few weeks ago – days, even – all of the vibes around Gio Reyna were so good. he was giving interviews to German tabloids where he outlined his ambitions to be in the USMNT squad for the 2026 World Cup. He had hinted that he was in regular contact with Mauricio Pochettino – a rare thing, if Christian Pulisic is to be believed.

Suddenly, we had an oft-maligned footballer, unable to stay fit for the best part of four years, turning the corner. The Reyna era – one that might have defined a successful run for the U.S. at the World Cup – seemingly had been rebooted.

Soccer, as it turns out, is a cruel and unforgiving thing. And right when things seemed to be looking up for the American attacking midfielder, a shock to the system – Borussia Monchengladbach manager Gerardo Seoane was dismissed by his side Monday afternoon, after just three fixtures.

This can be a ruthless game, and, whatever you might think about the relative quality of a head coach, three games is simply too short of a span to make such a rash decision.  Seoane, surely, deserved more time. 

Not that any of this is Reyna's to control. In fact, this is painfully out of his hands. And in that light feels especially unfair. Reyna took a risk leaving Borussia Dortmund. He moved for a football project that was supposed to revive his career. And now, the central figure in that project has been ousted. That Reyna revolution – such as it was – is under threat after just one start. 

Getty ImagesThe saga concludes with Monchengladbach

Perspective is everything here. There was a real jeopardy around where, exactly, Reyna would be playing his football this year. It was assumed that he would look for a way out with his contract dwindling and no apparent support from the manager. But in a confusing turn of events, he was named in the squad to the Club World Cup.

That he barely played wasn't an immense surprise, but it wasn't the act of a club trying to keep a player fit before they flog him to another team.

Of course, transfer talk picked up. A deal to Serie A strugglers Parma seemed to be sorted for around $4 million. But then that collapsed, leaving Reyna's future uncertain, again. Just as suddenly, Monchengladbach jumped. And it couldn't have been a better fit – at least, in theory. Here was a distinctly mid-table club that would offer plenty of time for rest between games due to their lack of European football.

They were close enough to his former home. And, perhaps most importantly from a USMNT point of view, they could offer plenty of playing time in a variety of positions. The club hierarchy waxed lyrical about Reyna's signing:

"It's a transfer where we normally have no chance, no chance, but he wants to make a fresh start with us," sporting director Roland Virkus said. "That's why we should be proud that the boy has chosen Borussia. [He can] play as a hanging striker, on the wing, at No. 10, or directly behind a central striker."

AdvertisementGettySo far, so good

And in the early days, everything seemed sorted. Reyna wasn't involved in Monchengladbach's first game – the ink had barely dried on his contract by the time his new side had a scoreless draw with Hamburg. But he was subsequently used in an international break friendly against Schalke.

The video did the rounds on U.S. social media. It didn't matter that this game meant nothing, and a glut of starters for both sides were unavailable due to national team duties. Reyna was back. Well, back enough to convince Seoane that he was ready to be involved against Werder Bremen over the weekend.

Reyna played well. He started in his most familiar No. 10 position, connected some nice passes, and exploited those tiny pockets of space only he can navigate. His off ball work wasn't spellbinding, but for a footballer who hasn't been on the pitch consistently for years, it was a solid showing – enough, at least, to build some confidence.

But it was a pretty miserable afternoon for the side as a whole. They were battered, 4-0, at home by a team who are, in effect, their equals. After the game, the team walked up to their own ultras to be ceremoniously berated. Seoane was removed 24 hours later. 

Getty ImagesWhy the manager was fired

There is no other way to frame this: Seoane's sacking was harsh. And on top of that, poorly timed. Monchengladbach had endured a miserable end to the 2024-25 season, winning none of their last seven fixtures. At one point, they might have snuck into the Europa League. By the end of it all, they looked like little more than a mid table team.

Fan reception wasn't great. After all, how could it be? They had been let down by their side, the dreams of returning to Europe folding in two pretty disastrous months (the thing omitted here is that Monchengladbach had to play both Dortmund and Bayern with the season on the line). Some called for the manager to be let go there and then. 

But the board kept faith, and handed Seoane a little cash to work with, too. They spent just €25M, but brought in two presumptive starters, and a backup center forward. These aren't the kinds of things you do if you're planning to fire someone. Furthermore, they sold well. Everything pointed towards something of a new era, with Seoane the guy to figure things out. 

As it turned out, it wasn't to be. Virkus admitted after the defeat that he would be evaluating the manager's future. He didn't need long. The club said they had "lost faith that a turnaround with Gerardo can succeed" in a statement that summed things up.

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Who's next?

And so we arrive at the present. A few names are already cropping up associated with the Monchengladbach job. The early trendy speculation is on Pellegrino Matarazzo, an American with extensive coaching career in German soccer.

He would be a remarkably interesting appointment and, in theory, a good one for Reyna, too. He grew up in New Jersey, played college soccer for Columbia, and has coached both Stuttgart and Hoffenheim – cutting his teeth at the kind of mid-table sides that are of Monchengladbach's level these days.

He was supposedly in the mix for the USMNT job last year before they appointed Mauricio Pochettino. Matarazzo is tactically flexible but, historically, has relied on creative midfielders in a sort of 3-4-3-ish system – the kind of thing that could suit Reyna just fine.

Other names are bound to pop up in the coming days. It would seem to be logical that the board would not dismiss one manager if they had no replacement lined up. What, exactly, that means though, remains to be seen. 

Hazlewood’s four-for helped Australia bowl India out for 150 but the visitors ended the day on top

Tristan Lavalette22-Nov-2024

Jasprit Bumrah led India’s fightback with the ball on the opening day•Getty Images

Befitting the rivalry between Australia and India, the latest tussle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy started in eventful fashion with wild momentum swings and a DRS controversy as pace bowlers from both attacks thoroughly dominated in favourable conditions at Optus Stadium.By the end of a madcap first day’s play, India had remarkably finished on top after stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah tore through Australia’s top-order with spectacular seam bowling. He finished with 4 for 17 from 10 overs.He claimed debutant Nathan McSweeney for 10 in the third over before dismissing Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith with consecutive balls in the seventh over to turn a fast-moving first Test on its head.Related

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Stats – India's woeful year with the bat continues in Perth

In just his second red-ball match opening the batting, McSweeney faced a baptism of fire and initially judged the length well before Bumrah adjusted to a fuller length and trapped him on the pads. Smith’s shift back to his favoured No.4 did not start well after he shuffled across his stumps and was plumb lbw by a wicked Bumrah delivery that decked back a mile.Australia nosedived further when Travis Head was bowled by a cracker of a delivery from debutant quick Harshit Rana, while Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne fell to Mohammed Siraj.Mohammed Siraj struck twice, including trapping Marnus Labuschagne lbw•Getty Images

Having started the season slowly, Labuschagne had an excruciating time. He was dropped by Virat Kohli at second slip after edging Bumrah and didn’t score off his first 23 deliveries faced. He received mock applause from the terraces when he finally broke his drought, but Labuschagne could never get going and made a painstaking 2 off 52 balls.Bumrah wasn’t quite done as he returned in the shadows to dismiss Pat Cummins as Australia limped to stumps at 67 for 7.It was a remarkable turnaround after India were bowled out for 150 in just 49.4 overs. Nine of Indian batters were caught behind the wicket – keeper or in the well-stocked cordon – in a mode of dismissal that has been common in Perth over the years at Optus Stadium and at the nearby WACA ground.After India sensationally left out veteran spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah elected to bat after winning the toss. With overcast skies above a green-tinged surface, it was undoubtedly an agonising decision but batting first appeared the logical move given the pitch is expected to deteriorate amid warmer weather later in the match.With unseasonal wet weather ahead of the match, there had been particular intrigue over how the pitch would behave. There was movement and bounce, but perhaps not the minefield the scoreboard indicates.India’s top order were all at sea against superb new ball bowling from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who claimed all four wickets in the first session. Starc, especially, was outstanding to set the tone for an Australian pace attack that strangled India.Having pushed through injury issues last summer, Starc entered the season fit and firing. He continued his strong form with fast and probing bowling, especially troubling the left-handers with an immaculate line and away swing.Marnus Labuschagne took a good relay catch to dismiss Harshit Rana•Associated Press

Seemingly attempting to start the series in the same fashion as the Ashes series in 2021-22, Starc’s first delivery was an anti-climax and missed the leg stump of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and flew to the boundary.He was on target after that and his accuracy overwhelmed Jaiswal, who on his eighth delivery, as he tried to score his first runs in Australia, drove on the up and edged to McSweeney in the gully.With his bat well in front of his body, it was an errant stroke that had echoes of an ungainly dismissal for Pakistan captain Shan Masood in last year’s Perth Test.With captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill unavailable, Devdutt Padikkal received an unexpected opportunity at No.3 after impressing in the India A matches recently. But he was totally shackled by the quicks and did not score off his first 22 deliveries faced. The pressure proved too much with Padikkal on the next ball edging Hazlewood behind with an angled bat trying to defend to covers.All eyes were on Kohli, who received healthy applause from the 31,302 crowd although Indian fans in the terraces were vastly outnumbered in a rare sight.India desperately needed their long-time talisman to shrug off a form slump on a ground he scored a brilliant century in the 2018-19 series. Kohli batted well outside the crease in a well-worn strategy he had successfully implemented previously in Australia.But Hazlewood, who has had great success against Kohli over the years, adjusted and bowled a back of length. Kohli on 5 could only fend a lifting Hazlewood delivery that landed straight to first slip.Opener KL Rahul, who just a week ago had been struck on the elbow in an intra-squad match simulation, bravely batted through the carnage. He struck India’s first boundary off the bat in the 12th over in ungainly fashion when he tried to evade a Cummins short ball only for it to hit his bat and fly over the slips.Rishabh Pant doing Rishabh Pant things, playing a remarkable falling scoop off Pat Cummins•Getty Images

Rahul made it to 26 before being given not out by on-field umpire Richard Kettleborough after Starc appealed for caught behind. After Australia reviewed, Snicko showed a spike as the ball passed the bat and the decision was overturned. Having indicated that the bat hit his pad, Rahul trudged off the ground shaking his head as India slumped to 47 for 4.After lunch, allrounder Marsh made a successful return to bowling with the wickets of Dhruv Jurel, who had been selected on the back of his performances for India A, and Washington Sundar.Marsh had only bowled four overs since tearing his hamstring at the IPL. But he ran in powerfully and finished with 2-12 from five overs in a boost for an attack without allrounder Cameron Green, who will miss the entire series due to a back injury.India’s hopes rested with a counterattacking Rishabh Pant and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy, who combined for 48 runs – the biggest partnership of the innings.Pant was typically adventurous, marked by an audacious scoop for six off a full delivery from Cummins, while Reddy mixed orthodox drives with paddle sweeps to thwart offspinner Nathan Lyon.But both were unable to kick on as India were dismissed by tea. In his first red-ball match since the New Zealand Tests in March, Cummins looked a little underdone and was unable to find a consistent length as he finished with 2 for 67 from 15.4 overs.He did dismiss Pant and Reddy and left the field mightily pleased with Australia’s performance. But Cummins’ mood soured quickly and just over two hours later he trudged off the field after being dismissed by his opposite number.

Leeds United have a “deal in place” for their next summer singing, who was also wanted by Premier League rivals Newcastle United.

Leeds signing tall and powerful players ahead of Premier League return

The Whites and the 49ers Enterprises have so far made six additions to Daniel Farke’s squad, who are currently away in Germany at a pre-season training camp.

Ahead of their Premier League return, Leeds have clearly been looking to bring in tall and physical players, strengthening the spine of their side with centre-backs Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw, alongside midfielders Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.

Height of Leeds’ summer signings
Anton Stach	6ft 4
Sebastiaan Bornauw	6ft 3
Jaka Bijol	6ft 2
Sean Longstaff	6ft 1
Lukas Nmecha	6ft
Gabriel Gudmundsson	5ft 9

Left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson and centre-forward Lukas Nmecha make up the signings so far, and more look to be on the way. Stach was the most expensive and most recent signing and said after officially joining:

“I am excited to join such a good team, such a good Premier League team, and I am looking forward to the next season. My style of play, I would say I am an aggressive player. I am good in duels. I am good at anticipating passes from the opponents and it would be good for the Premier League. Now we will see, I will try my best.”

Leeds submit £30m bid to sign "insane" forward who's now keen to join

The Whites have entered negotiations for an attacker.

By
Dominic Lund

Jul 24, 2025

Leeds have also been on the search for a new first choice goalkeeper to replace Illan Meslier, with Lyon’s Lucas Perri identified as a top target for those at Elland Road.

Newcastle were also looking to sign the Brazilian this summer, but a positive development has now emerged with sporting director Adam Underwood set to get his man.

Leeds agree deal to sign 6 foot 5 goalkeeper Perri

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on X, Leeds now have a “deal in place” to sign Perri from Lyon.

A medical has been booked and it appears as if that could take place in Germany, the same way Stach underwent checks with Whites staff.

Sky Sports reporter Zinny Boswell believes the fee is worth just over £15m, with personal terms also in place for Perri to move to the Premier League with Leeds.

The 27-year-old, who stands at 6ft 5, joined Lyon in January 2024 from Botafogo and made 49 appearances for the French side. He kept 15 clean sheets during that time, 10 of which came in Ligue 1 in 2024/25.

Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca will surely be gutted to lose Perri, considering he lauded him as the “best in the world” just back in March.

Leeds will be delighted meanwhile, with Perri seemingly set to be thrown straight in as number one ahead of Meslier and Karl Darlow.

MatériaMais Notícias

Aos 20 anos, Zé Felipe vive uma nova etapa da sua carreira. Artilheiro do último Pernambucano Sub-20 pelo Ipojuca, o atacante vai disputar a Série A2 do Campeonato Carioca com o Artsul. A estreia no torneio está marcada para este sábado (13), às 15h, quando a equipe visita o Maricá.

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– Estou muito motivado com esse novo desafio. O Artsul me apresentou um projeto sério e espero ajudar o clube na busca pelo acesso. A Série A2 é uma competição difícil, mas estamos trabalhando forte pelos nossos objetivos – disse o jovem atleta.

Zé Felipe terminou a última temporada com números expressivos. Em sete jogos no Pernambucano Sub-20, o atacante foi autor de 11 dos 16 gols marcados pelo Ipojuca. Ele também defendeu os profissionais na Série A2 estadual e anotou mais dois tentos. Além disso, havia marcado outras duas vezes pelo Bela Vista, onde disputou o Goiano Sub-20 — totalizando 15 gols em 18 partidas no ano de 2022.

– Foi uma temporada muito boa para mim, onde pude mostrar meu futebol e crescer como jogador. Agora é trabalhar para seguir evoluindo e marcando gols. Estou focado em deixar a minha parcela de contribuição aqui no Artsul – finalizou.

Baiano da cidade de Terra Nova, Zé Felipe acumula passagens por clubes como Jacuipense e Atlético de Alagoinhas no seu estado natal, além de ter atuado no Atlético Goianiense. Monitorado por outras equipes do futebol carioca, o atacante do Artsul tem uma multa fixada em R$ 82 milhões (cotação atual) para clubes do exterior.

تلقى الجهاز الفني للنادي الأهلي بقيادة عماد النحاس، صدمة قوية قبل القمة المرتقبة أمام الزمالك، بعد تجدد إصابة أحد لاعبي الفريق في العضلة الضامة، وهو ما يحرمه من المشاركة في اللقاء.

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة ديربي القاهرة بين الأهلي والزمالك، غدًا الإثنين، على استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن الجولة التاسعة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وعلم بطولات أن اللاعب المصاب هو المغربي أشرف داري، مدافع الأهلي، الذي تجددت إصابته في العضلة الضامة بعد عودته مؤخرًا إلى التدريبات، الأمر الذي أثار قلق الجهاز الفني خشية غيابه لفترة طويلة في ظل ضغط المباريات خلال المرحلة المقبلة.

طالع أيضًا | خاص | إصابة لاعب الأهلي قبل مواجهة الزمالك في الدوري

وسيخضع أشرف داري اليوم لفحوصات وآشعة طبية دقيقة لتحديد حجم الإصابة بشكل كامل، بالإضافة إلى المدة المتوقعة لغيابه عن الملاعب، وذلك لوضع البرنامج العلاجي والتأهيلي المناسب له خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وبذلك تقرر غياب أشرف داري عن مباراة القمة أمام الزمالك، ليزيد من معاناة الأهلي الدفاعية خلال اللقاء المرتقب محليًا وعربيًا.

ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة غريمه التقليدي الزمالك في لقاء قمة لا يقبل القسمة على اثنين، حيث يسعى المارد الأحمر لتقليص الفارق ومواصلة الضغط على المتصدر، بينما يطمح الفارس الأبيض لتأكيد تفوقه والاستمرار في صدارة جدول الدوري.