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Liverpool are said to be interested in signing a “tough-tackling” defender, but the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid are also mentioned for the player who has been compared to Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool injury concern before Man Utd

The Reds’ international players will return to club duty this week, as they prepare for a huge Premier League clash at home to Man Utd on Sunday afternoon.

One player who is facing a race against time to be fit for the game is Ibrahima Konate, with the 26-year-old returning to Liverpool early from France duty, with his international side revealing his injury: “Injured in the right quadriceps during his last match with Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate has followed a treatment and protocol since his arrival this Monday but will not be able to take his place against Iceland.”

This is clearly a concern heading into a big game, even though Konate has struggled for top form so far this season, and the Reds’ centre-back options are starting to feel worryingly sparse.

New signing Giovanni Leoni is already out for the season with ACL damage, while Liverpool also cruelly missed out on signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi on deadline day, so they do feel slightly short at the heart of their defence.

Liverpool "like" £50m+ Bundesliga defender

According to journalist Mark Brus for Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing £52m-rated RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba, with some other huge clubs also in the mix.

“Lukeba has a release clause worth €90m, which clubs see as too high, but it’s largely symbolic anyway – the real asking price is more like €60m. Liverpool like him, but you can add Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle and Real Madrid to that list.”

Liverpool need to focus on a new centre-back signing next summer, and frankly, an addition there could be needed in the January transfer window if their injury problems persist.

In Lukeba, the Reds would be signing a fantastic young player who is already a key man for Leipzig, making 79 appearances and also winning six caps for France.

At 22, he is playing with a level of maturity beyond his years, with Max Eberl heaping praise on his ability: “He is left footed and can play as a left-sided centre-back in both a back-three and a back-four. Castello’s main strengths are his tough-tackling nature, his pace, his positioning and how good he is on the ball.”

The versatility that Eberl points out is a big positive with Lukeba, giving Liverpool depth in various areas, and he should be looked at as a leading centre-back option. In fact, Football Transfers say he is similar to Reds icon Van Dijk, which is an eye-catching comparison.

National team manager defends Liverpool star as key fact exposes real "truth"

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ByTom Cunningham Oct 12, 2025

That said, Guehi still feels like the No.1 choice, having been so close to joining last month, and the hope is that they are still his preferred club, rather than the many others who have been linked with signing the England international.

Heading into added on time at Fulham, Leeds United looked as if they were going to have to make do with a second successive stalemate in the Premier League.

A point would have likely been taken as well after a valiant defensive display in West London saw Joe Rodon win a commanding five aerial duels, while Karl Darlow in between the sticks stayed alert throughout, with three big saves registered.

Unfortunately, an own-goal right at the death from Gabriel Gudmundsson would hand the Cottagers all three points, as the summer purchase from Lille accidentally placed a header past Darlow – after stopping a Fulham attacker from connecting with a late corner-kick – to break Leeds hearts.

This sucker punch shouldn’t detract too much from the otherwise committed defensive display on Leeds’ travels, but the loss did definitely highlight the lack of cutting edge Daniel Farke’s relegation-threatened side possesses in attack, as another goal-shy performance was served up.

Leeds' poor displays in attack

Since the opening day victory over Everton at Elland Road, Leeds have failed to score a single goal from open play, with that worrying trend continuing away at Marco Silva’s fortunate hosts.

Not even the added presence of new signing Noah Okafor to the starting XI could inspire an improved performance in the forward areas, with the former AC Milan winger failing to hit a single on-target effort at Bernd Leno’s goal, before being hauled off just shy of the 70-minute mark.

Brenden Aaronson did show occasional glimpses of quality down Okafor’s opposing right-hand side, with one big chance unfortunately squandered by the hot-and-cold American, but it was another flat display that will seriously worry Leeds in their hunt for more wins near the foot of the division.

In particular, one underperformer up top at Craven Cottage will have irked Farke to the point where he feels his spot in the first team is no longer concrete, with a huge clash at the bottom of the table coming Leeds’ way next against Wolverhampton Wanderers, demanding a more potent display in the attacking areas.

The "bang average" Leeds star who must now be axed

It’s not as if Fulham blew away the visitors either, with Silva’s men being restricted to just five efforts all afternoon due to a tight-knit Leeds defence routinely keeping them at bay.

However, there is always a possibility that a side will come back into a game if your own finishing is so wasteful, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin endured another frustrating day at the office, leading the line for the away team.

Having missed four big chances on his debut as Leeds were dumped out of the EFL Cup at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, Calvert-Lewin would have been looking for a swift change of fortunes, lining up for Farke’s men on Saturday. Instead, the ex-Everton marksman would trudge off the pitch after 69 minutes, looking rather dejected by his unmemorable efforts.

Indeed, the 28-year-old’s overall numbers from the 1-0 defeat don’t paint a pretty picture, with Calvert-Lewin giving up the ball every three touches, just one glaring statistic of many that makes for some pretty grim reading.

Minutes played

69

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

15

Shots on target

0

Accurate passes

5/8 (63%)

Total duels won

6/6

Possession lost

5

The brand-new number nine did throw himself about valiantly with all six of his duels won, but it’s clear that Calvert-Lewin is still bereft of confidence in front of goal, with zero shots on target being registered at Leno’s goal, despite his commanding presence in the air.

His passive showing in terms of peppering Leno’s net would even see Sky Sports’ Michael Dawson, when speaking on Gillette Soccer Saturday, state that Calvert-Lewin was “bang average” throughout, with a starting spot now not looking so secure.

Further handed a low 6/10 rating post-match by the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who bemoaned Calvert-Lewin ‘needlessly’ finding himself offside throughout the tense affair, it will be interesting to see who the German picks for the crunch clash at Molineux.

With Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha also at the former Norwich City’s disposal up top, it could well be that one of those reserve faces gets the nod over the former England international shortly, as Calvert-Lewin has depressingly failed to hit the ground running in West Yorkshire.

£2.5m Leeds player now house-hunting to seal permanent Elland Road exit

The Whites appear set to swiftly offload the man in question.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 12, 2025

The RR opener batted fearlessly on IPL debut to scored34 off 20 balls

Shashank Kishore19-Apr-20252:53

Boucher: Suryavanshi must be ‘special’ to be selected at 14

At 14 years and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the IPL’s youngest debutant when he was brought in as an Impact Player in Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) chase of 181 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Jaipur on Saturday. He began his IPL career with a six off his first delivery, bowled by Shardul Thakur.Suryavanshi, who hails from Samastipur, a city about 100 kilometres north east of Patna, made his first-class debut at the age of 13 in January last year, and was picked for INR 1.1 crore at last November’s mega IPL auction. He had attracted the attention of IPL scouts when he made a 58-ball century for India in a youth “Test” against Australia in September last year. Having sat on the RR bench for the first half of IPL 2025, he got his opportunity because of an injury to Sanju Samson.”Playing IPL at 14 is unimaginable,” Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut before the chase once it became clear that Suryavanshi would be getting a go. “He must be a special cricketer,” Mark Boucher said.Related

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IPL's youngest debutants: Vaibhav Suryavanshi makes history

“Everybody has been anticipating this day this year right from the auction when he was picked,” Rayudu added. “Everybody was quite curious to know who this kid was. The only other guy that the whole of India saw at 16 was Sachin Tendulkar and from then on we know what he has achieved. So everybody is expecting big things from Suryavanshi as well.”Opening the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryavanshi did not hold back. He launched the first ball he faced – a length delivery from India international Thakur – by making room and lofting on the up over the extra-cover boundary.His fearlessness and intent to keep on attacking became evident when he cleared his front leg and swung at his third ball, hitting another India international, Avesh Khan, down the ground for six. He earned a reprieve off his fifth delivery, when Prince Yadav put down a high catch running back from midwicket.As LSG brought in spinner Digvesh Rathi in the fourth over after RR had raced to 39 for no loss, Suryavanshi focused on defence. There was a clear plan to hit anything pitched short or full, like the time he climbed into Rathi when he dropped short, or when he launched legspinner Ravi Bishnoi straight down the ground.Suryavanshi scored 34 off 20 – 26 in boundaries – on IPL debut before Aiden Markram had him stumped when he got one to rip off the surface to beat him in flight. Suryavanshi had overbalanced and lifted is back foot, giving Rishabh Pant the chance to complete the stumping and break the 85-run opening stand that came off 8.4 overs. At that stage, RR were well placed for victory, but a dramatic turn of events in the last three overs sent them crashing to their fourth consecutive defeat.

Ryan Reynolds, Rob Mac and Tom Brady should have plenty of cause for celebration in the coming years, claims Alan Shearer, with Wrexham and Birmingham City being told that they will "both be in the Premier League in the near future". Two ambitious projects that see A-list investors heavily involved have captured the imagination of a global audience and continue to generate plenty of drama.

Wrexham & Birmingham chasing the Premier League dream

Wrexham have rewritten the EFL history books by enjoying three successive promotions, with a meteoric rise out of the National League and into the Championship being enjoyed. Birmingham took a step backwards following a failed managerial experiment with Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, but captured the League One title in historic fashion last season.

The Red Dragons and Blues are now plotting a course through the second tier of English football. Big money has been spent on chasing the dream, with Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and Mac helping to fund a £30 million-plus ($40m) spending spree during the summer of 2025.

AdvertisementGettyParkinson & Davies charged with delivering results

Wrexham did endure a slow start to the new season, with untimely injuries doing little to aid their cause, leading to questions being asked of Phil Parkinson’s future. He retains the full support of his board, while Chris Davies will be given time to get things right at St Andrew’s after also overseeing an inconsistent opening to the 2025-26 campaign.

Both teams – who have starred in their own documentary series – are aware that they need to build on solid foundations and cannot expect to blaze a trail through a division as competitive as the Championship. They are, however, being tipped to hit their ultimate end goals by adding top-flight fixtures to their respective schedules.

Shearer's promotion prediction for Wrexham & Birmingham

Ex-England captain Shearer, who remains the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, has told of promotion bids in North Wales and the West Midlands: "Ryan Reynolds and Tom Brady are chasing the dream of Premier League football, I guess. They're looking at huge football clubs which Wrexham and Birmingham are to try and chase the dream of getting to the promised land. Certainly, in Ryan Reynolds' view, they're closer to it than they thought they would be.

"They're not far away now albeit I don't think they'll get promoted this season, but they all want a bit of the Premier League because wherever you are, it's remarkable. I was in Kansas City last weekend and the reaction to the Premier League is something you've never seen before. It's off the charts. So that's what they all want, they've seen it on TV, they're all very wealthy, want to invest and get a piece of the pie.

"I think they will both be in the Premier League in the near future, I do. If they continue to invest like they have done, how they get around PSR is a different matter, but they look at clubs who have been drifting, but look at the history, how big they are and how big they can become in the area that they're in and both Birmingham and Wrexham are huge. There's a chance to grow them even bigger and there's also a chance they get what they want and reach the Premier League."

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GettyHollywood derby: Wrexham face Birmingham at the Racecourse

Shearer is not the first to suggest that Wrexham and Birmingham will soon be rubbing shoulders with the big boys. Ben Foster, who was talked out of retirement by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2023, has backed the Red Dragons to secure promotion "within five years". David Dunn, meanwhile, told GOAL back in May that Brady and the Blues are capable of "bouncing again" and going up this season.

There is clearly work for both sides to do in order to position themselves among the Championship frontrunners, but they will get another opportunity to establish momentum heading into the latest international break when facing one another at SToK Racecourse on Friday – with there set to be plenty of eyes, including a few famous ones, on that fixture.

Sunderland fans will already be planning their journeys down to Burnley on the weekend as the Black Cats’ second Premier League fixture of the new season edges ever closer.

While the Wearside outfit kicked straight into gear in the top-flight with a 3-0 triumph over West Ham United, the Clarets succumbed to a disappointing 3-0 defeat away at Tottenham Hotspur, resulting in both newly promoted sides occupying very different parts of the early table heading into Saturday’s showdown.

Even if Regis Le Bris’ men do follow up their opening day success with a win on the road, expect them to be busy in the transfer department right up until September’s deadline, as a new attacking target now appears on their agenda.

Sunderland gifted chance to sign £17m star

After all, another couple of new signings to add on to their 12 incomings this summer isn’t going to hurt anyone.

The ambitious Black Cats are continuing to be linked with a whole host of exciting names, with FC Copenhagen centre-back Gabriel Pereira reportedly catching their eye at around the £9m mark, on top of Abdul Fatawu also being on their radar in attack.

Unfortunately, Sunderland may well deem a £30m move for the Leicester City winger to be too much money to cough up, despite their excessive spending in the market. Thankfully, this alternative target could do the job instead.

Indeed, as per French outlet RMC, ex-Norwich City forward Jonathan Rowe looks to be leaving Marseille now this summer, owing to a recent altercation with teammate Adrien Rabiot resulting in the Ligue 1 club saying he can depart.

Both players in question have been put up for sale subsequently, with Rowe allegedly available for a fee around the £17m mark, which has piqued Sunderland’s interest – albeit with Serie A side Bologna seemingly at the front of the queue, as Fabrizio Romano has revealed on X.

For significantly less than Fatawu’s asking price, Sunderland could secure themselves a big upgrade on the Ghanaian forward by swooping in for Rowe, irrespective of his bad behaviour under Roberto De Zerbi.

How Rowe compares to Sunderland target Fatawu

Of course, Fatawu is a shining star in his own right for Leicester, with the entertaining 21-year-old up to an impressive seven goals and 15 assists for Marti Cifuentes’ men.

But, it would be deemed an almighty risk to fork out £30m on the Foxes’ number seven all the same, especially if Rowe is waiting in the wings ready to be picked up for £13m less.

Norwich

56

13 + 5

Marseille

31

3 + 4

England U21s

10

3 + 0

Fatawu only has two assists to show for his Premier League troubles at the King Power Stadium. Whereas, Rowe has turned into a competent performer in the French top-flight with Marseille – away from his blistering exploits with Norwich where he bagged a stunning 13 goals from 56 games – despite his time at the Stade Velodrome now turning sour.

Three goals and four assists had come Rowe’s way in the Marseille first-team picture before the recent ill-timed development, with a hope on the former Canaries youth product’s end that he can enter into the Premier League with Sunderland shortly and take the tough division by storm, having matured out in France, away from his boyhood side.

Rowe would surely slot into Le Bris’ team effortlessly, with the England U21 regular showing off his direct, forward-thinking mentality with this sumptuous strike last season in Ligue 1 action, which was the same gung-ho philosophy that saw the Black Cats wipe the floor with Graham Potter’s Hammers.

On the other hand, Fatawu is more known for his unselfish approach – as seen when he created a mammoth 32 big chances in league action during Leicester’s promotion up to the Premier League – with a worrying zero goals next to his name in the demanding English top-flight.

In another reality, Le Bris and Co. do swoop in for Fatawu, as the Frenchman is handed another youthful project.

However, if Sunderland want instant success and another player who can make them a dangerous prospect at the very top, the Premier League newcomers should attempt to land the “scintillating” winger – as he was previously labelled by pundit Carlton Palmer – before the window slams shut.

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Newcastle United are in desperate need of some reinforcements in attack.

The obvious dark cloud hanging over proceedings at the moment at St James’ Park is the ongoing Alexander Isak situation, with Eddie Howe and Co now resiliently firing back to insist that their superstar Swede is not for sale.

This will no doubt cause unrest in the camp, with Isak adamant that he wants to leave. Regardless of whether he does miraculously stay or is expectedly moved on, the Toon need some signings in the forward department, with Callum Wilson also leaving a notable hole when he exited for West Ham United recently.

The Magpies have been incessantly linked with a whole host of names in their bid to try and add some firepower, with one face now standing out as a key target.

Newcastle make £80m star key target

Unfortunately for Newcastle, they have already stumbled when trying to snap up some strikers of Isak’s calibre.

Benjamin Sesko ended up deciding that Manchester United was going to be his next onward destination after RB Leipzig, with the Toon once in the race for the lethal Slovenian’s signature, before the Red Devils won his coveted signature.

That hasn’t stopped Newcastle sniffing around for other targets, however, with Spanish hotshot Samu Aghehowa also on the radar from FC Porto. But, one target above them all is now seemingly the main striker catching the Toon’s attention.

Amazingly, despite blowing hot and cold at Chelsea regularly, Nicolas Jackson is reportedly that man, with a new report by Football Insider revealing that the Premier League side are setting their main sights on the Blues’ number 15 after that damaging Sesko rejection.

£80m is the reported price tag for the 24-year-old, with Jackson also keen on the idea of a Tyneside move – according to the report – amid tensions with Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge.

While Jackson hasn’t been sublime throughout his Blues stay to date, he could turn around his Premier League adventure with the Toon, much like Demba Ba did back in 2011 after suffering an unwanted relegation with West Ham United.

How Jackson can be Howe's very own Ba at Newcastle

Ba would only line up for the Hammers a total of 13 times before spreading his wings in the English game with Newcastle, the team he’s most commonly associated with in the Premier League.

That isn’t to say the Senegalese centre-forward was a colossal failure in East London, though, with a seven goals coming his way donning claret and blue.

But, he would take his game to the next level at St James’ Park, with 29 goals tallied up from 58 appearances on Tyneside, immortalising himself as a great among the Toon faithful subsequently.

Jackson’s record at Chelsea by season
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
24/25	36	13	6
23/24	45	17	6
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Staggeringly, despite grumbles about Jackson’s form in West London – which has even led to talkSPORT’s Alan Brazil stating that he “tries but can’t finish” – Jackson has actually bettered Ba’s Magpies record over his last two seasons for Chelsea, with his entire tally for the Blues coming in at a reasonable 31 strikes from 85 clashes.

With Howe’s impressive track record with strikers at Newcastle also catching the eye, as seen in Isak becoming the talk of the town under his tenure, the hope will be that Jackson – as Ba was before he joined – is a diamond in the rough the ex-AFC Bournemouth manager can improve, having also been heralded as “special” by journalist Rahman Osman when swatting away critics.

Ba’s debut season heroics even saw Newcastle finish in a sensational fifth spot during the 2011/12 campaign, leading to then-Magpies boss Alan Pardew lauding him as possessing a “natural eye for goal.”

Jackson might well have had some less glowing words come his way during his up-and-down Blues stint to date, but he will be hopeful he can propel the Toon to heights that are even loftier than fifth by being the spark that guides Howe and Co. back into the top four and beyond this coming season.

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أعلن آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول تشكيل فريقه لمواجهة جالطة سراي في إطار منافسات الجولة الثانية بمرحلة الدوري لدوري أبطال أوروبا.

وكان ليفربول قد افتتح مشواره في دوري أبطال أوروبا بالفوز ضد أتلتيكو مدريد بثلاث اهداف لهدفين على ملعب أنفيلد.

بينما افتتح جالطة سراي مشواره في دوري أبطال أوروبا بهزيمة ثقيلة خارج ملعبه ضد آينتراخت فرانكفورت بخماسية لهدف واحد.

وشهد تشكيل آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول لفريقه اليوم مفاجأة من العيار الثقيل، حيث قرر أن يبقى النجم المصري محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء.

أقرأ أيضاً.. آلان شيرر يُطمئن جماهير ليفربول بشأن محمد صلاح: الأمر مسألة وقت

وجاء تشكيل ليفربول مكونا من: أليسون بيكرن فان دايك، إبراهيما كوناتي، ميلوس كيركيز، جيريمي فريمبونج، جرافنبيرخ، كورتيس جونز، سوبوسلاي، فيرتز، جاكبو، هوجو إيكتيكي.

وعبر منصة “أكس” تفاعلت جماهير ليفربول مع قرار آرني سلوت ببقاء محمد صلاح على دكة البدلاء أمام جلطة سراي:

“أنا متأكد أن سلوت أبقى صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء بسبب مباراة تشيلسي نهاية هذا الأسبوع، يحاول الحفاظ على لياقته البدنية”

I’m sure Slot benched Salah because of the Chelsea game this weekend.

Trying to manage his fitness. I don’t expect Szoboszlai and Wirtz to play full time as well.

Kerkez starting means Robertson will start this weekend (probably) — Femi George (@thefemigeorge) September 30, 2025

“لم أتوقع أن يجلس صلاح على دكة البدلاء، واو”

didnt expect Salah to be benched wow — Irf . (@irfLFC) September 30, 2025

“أين صلاح وإيزاك”

Guys where is salah and isak… pic.twitter.com/1W4SX6wRCs — Yiğit (@yigitmilt8n) September 30, 2025

“يا إلهى، لقد أجلس صلاح”

HOLY SHIT HE DROPPED SALAH — Eire🇮🇪🇮🇪🔴🔴 (@MerseyMCooleys) September 30, 2025

“صلاح ليس أساسياً، للمرة الأولى في التاريخ”

No Salah in the starting lineup..

First time in history.. pic.twitter.com/v2GSRMHifV — MagDon (@DRealMagnus) September 30, 2025

“يا إلهي على هذه الأيام، صلاح على دكة البدلاء”

Oh my days. Salah on the bench 😬😬😬😬😬😬😬 — Akshat_Lfc18 (@liverpool1_love) September 30, 2025

“صلاح على دكة البدلاء، أعلم أنه لم يقدم أفضل أداء له ضد كريستال بالاس لكن أعتقد أنه يستحق أن يبدأ أساسياً”

Salah dropped! I know he didn’t had the best game vs palace but I think he should start — Jayden (@JaxdenCH) September 30, 2025

“استبعاد صلاح قرار ممتاز، ليس عليه أن يلعب كل المباريات أسبوعاً بعد أسبوع”

Dropping Salah is a great decision. He doesn’t have to play every game week in week out. — 💫 (@agunsux) September 30, 2025

“أين الملك”

Where is the King? — Freddy (@ANSisHere) September 30, 2025

Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on a PSG player who Juventus are in ongoing talks to sign, as the Serie A heavyweights face the prospect of a Premier League hijack if they don’t start making progress in negotiations.

£50m "game-changer" would now love to join Chelsea despite Arsenal approach

The Blues have been handed a boost in their pursuit of an attacker.

ByDominic Lund Jul 21, 2025

Enzo Maresca, as per reliable journalist Simon Phillips, is prioritising the signing of yet another attacker, despite having already seen Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro join his squad for a combined fee of around £145 million.

According to Phillips, Chelsea’s struggle against teams in the low-block last season is a key reason for this, with Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons both rumoured to be standout targets.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea held fresh talks with the representatives of Eze last week, while credible media sources suggest that Simons is also high on Chelsea’s attacking shortlist after another impressive campaign in Germany.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has even claimed that talks between all parties have commenced for Simons in particular, so this is certainly one to watch over the coming days.

While their priority appears to be the Dutchman as things stand, reports in Italy are now stating that Chelsea are emerging as contenders for versatile PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani.

During his best season to date, the France international – who also impressed during the latter stages of the World Cup in Qatar – netted 23 goals and registered 17 assists in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022/2023.

Following a regrettable PSG stint – having signed for a seismic £76 million – Kolo Muani rediscovered some of his best form on loan at Juve last term, finding the net 10 times for them since January, and the Old Lady are currently attempting to sign him permanently.

Chelsea eye move for Randal Kolo Muani amid Juventus talks

That is according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim that Juve are in ongoing negotiations to make Turin the striker’s new home.

However, they warn Igor Tudor’s side that they face “serious” competition for the 26-year-old from England. Indeed, La Gazzetta state that Chelsea have expressed an interest in signing Kolo Muani, so Juve may not have it all their own way.

PSG want to cash-in on the player, who can also play on both wings, “immediately”.

This has prompted the Parisiens to explore the Premier League market if a solution cannot be found in talks with Juve, but it would be quite the move by Chelsea to bring in yet another centre-forward for Maresca after completing deals for Delap and Pedro.

He’d surely most likely be used as a wide player, especially if Chelsea don’t sell Nicolas Jackson, but there is still reason to believe he’d upgrade Maresca’s ranks.

“He is a striker who offers different game options to our team,” said Real Madrid star and international teammate Kylian Mbappé.

“He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play.”

Arsenal have all but sealed the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, and Mikel Arteta finally has the centre-forward he has craved.

This is a club on the up, has been for several years with Arteta at the helm. But things have perhaps gotten a little monotonous. The football has lost a sense of flair. A sense of X-factor. A sense of electricity.

But context is important, and must indeed be applied here. The Gunners were wracked by injuries across the 2024/25 campaign, and the highest level of fluency was always going to prove difficult to reach.

But even so, the lack of an out-and-out goalscorer was evident; had Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus achieved injury-free seasons, something still would have lacked in the Premier League. Enter, Gyokeres.

The Sweden striker is the subject of a £64m agreement between Arsenal and two-in-a-row Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon. Across his two terms with the club, he has scored 97 goals and laid on 28 assists across 102 matches.

It’s a game-changing signing, and Arteta may be about to welcome more quality to his team.

What comes next for Arsenal

Gyokeres fixes what is ostensibly Arsenal’s biggest problem, but with the futures of left-sided forwards Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli unclear, technical director Andrea Berta may be set to oversee a few more exciting deals.

Arsenal are also looking for another creative midfielder, and are locked in talks with the camp of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. Xavi Simons has been of interest, but the RB Leipzig man looks likely to join Chelsea.

Simons’ versatility would have been a welcome asset for an Arsenal side in search of more dynamism and multi-faceted quality, but, in Eze, Arteta would land a sensation proven in the Premier League and having assumed a talismanic role for the Eagles last term, leading them to the FA Cup title.

Whether Eze or Simons joins the Emirates side remains to be seen, but a deal for either shouldn’t deter from the signing of an out-and-out winger.

Arsenal lining up new winger

As per Caught Offside’s Charles Watts, Arsenal are “looking at” a deal for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, though Liverpool are also expected to raise their interest if they sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich.

Though Los Blancos are open to selling Rodrygo, who has been informed of a reduced role in Xabi Alonso’s system, they will only part ways for a significant fee, with figures as high as £87m entering market discourse.

Watts stresses that the new deal for Ethan Nwaneri shouldn’t disrupt the pursuit of the Brazilian player.

What Rodrygo would bring to Arsenal

While Arsenal could do with some more creativity in the form of an up-and-coming talent like Simons, Martin Odegaard is set to lead the club once again.

The skipper might not have been at his best last term, but he’s still “one of the world’s best footballers”, as has been claimed by Benfica winger Andreas Schjelderup.

And with a “world-class” player such as Rodrygo out on the left, as has been said by his former teammate Luka Modric, there’s no telling how high the Real Madrid man could fly in an Arsenal shirt.

Rodrygo left plenty to be desired last season, but he’s surpassed 25 goal contributions across three campaigns now, surely underscoring his elite ability.

Furthermore, he only missed one big chance in La Liga last season, as per Sofascore, scoring six goals. What does this tell us? Well, it says that while he was under-par, the 24-year-old retained an impressive clinical edge to his performances, which could be enhanced in an Arsenal side desperate for a high-level winger to rival Bukayo Saka.

But with Saka, of course, one of the finest right wingers in world football, Rodrygo would need to move away from his regular role on that flank, and instead play off the left wing.

Luckily, this is exactly what he wishes to do, the right-footer having found the left side an elusive area, typically out of his reach due to Vinicius Junior taking precedence at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Rodrygo – Real Madrid Stats by Position (24/25)

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Right winger

31

8

5

Left winger

12

6

6

Centre-forward

10

0

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

Rodrygo’s prowess on the left is clear. He is far more prolific when placed in his natural role. Should Arsenal use him in the fitting way, there’s every chance that he would prove himself as a bigger talent than someone like Simons, who is on Arteta’s radar but perhaps isn’t needed when Odegaard is desperate to return to his finest form.

Moreover, the Dutchman scored 11 goals and provided eight assists across all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, so even as he forged a highlight season in his career, Simons still wasn’t on par with Rodrygo, who had failed to spark his best football.

And though the 22-year-old is more of a playmaker than the fearsome Rodrygo, he routinely played out on the left wing, so it feels like the Gunners are instead prioritising the latter.

This is further reflected through the Bundesliga club’s asking price for their star man. Arsenal and Chelsea have both been quoted at £56m, suggesting that his signature doesn’t carry the same weight as Rodrygo’s.

But then we know this. We know how much of a statement signing this would be. With both Trossard and Martinelli flattering to deceive at stages last year, there’s little question that the Brazilian would spark frissons of excitement that Simons would perhaps not quite match.

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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It won’t be an easy one to pull off, but if Arsenal have the means, they must throw the kitchen sink at Rodrygo, reeling him over to take this exciting project to the next level.

Related Arsenal have the budget to sign £100m CF who's more exciting than Gyokeres

Arsenal are not finished yet in the summer transfer market.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jul 24, 2025

For the second consecutive day, South Africa’s batters showed great grit to stay in the game after being put on the back foot by the India bowlers in the one-off women’s Test in Chennai. If Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp fought hard on the second day after India declared at 603 for 6, Luus was at it again on Sunday, in the company of Laura Wolvaardt this time, which helped South Africa cut down the deficit to 105 runs after they were bowled out for 266 in the first innings.At stumps on the third day, South Africa were 232 for 2 in their second innings, with Luus scoring her first Test hundred and Wolvaardt remaining unbeaten on 93. South Africa will hope for more of the same on the fourth and final day to push the game to a draw.Related

• 'Strong in attack and strong in defence' – Determined Sune Luus stonewalls India

• The obstinate ways of Kapp against spin

It was an eventful opening session for India on a hazy morning where Sneh Rana’s sensational bowling on a pitch offering more turn fetched her five wickets – to go with three from Saturday – to give her figures of 8 for 77. South Africa lost six wickets for 30 runs after starting the day on 236 for 4.Rana got the first breakthrough in her third over, the fifth of the day, when she dismissed a well-set Kapp for 74 with an almost unplayable delivery. Kapp was done in by the extra bounce as the ball, after pitching on off and middle, popped up to beat her outside edge and take the top of off stump. This triggered a collapse as three balls later, Rana removed Sinalo Jafta, who inside-edged one to Shubha Satheesh at short leg.Three overs later, Deepti Sharma picked up her second wicket. This time the ball stayed low when debutant Annerie Dercksen missed with her prod and was hit on her back pad. South Africa took the review but it was in vain. In the following over, Rana took her sixth when Nadine de Klerk perished whipping towards square leg where Rajeshwari Gayakwad dived in front to complete the catch. No. 7 and No. 8 came soon after as Rana finished off the innings.Rana became only the second Indian woman to pick up eight wickets in an innings in Test cricket after Neetu David, now India’s chair of selectors, who took 8 for 53 in a two-run loss against England in Jamshedpur in 1995.Sneh Rana finished with a career-best 8 for 77 in the first innings•BCCI

India enforced the follow-on with South Africa 337 runs behind. They then lost Anneke Bosch early to low bounce when she was trapped in front by Deepti in the first over. But Wolvaardt nailed her cover drives and looked assured in her approach.At lunch, South Africa were 29 for 1. India struggled from that point, going wicketless for close to 66 overs across the second and third sessions.In this period, Luus and Wolvaardt shared a mammoth 190-run partnership for the second wicket to provide South Africa hope of a draw. It was South Africa’s highest partnership for any wicket in women’s Tests.South Africa came out in the afternoon session determined to play the long game and they succeeded, scoring 95 runs in 34 overs to take tea at 124 for 1. Luus, who made 65 off 164 balls in the first innings, carried forward that form and temperament, moving to 64 off 121 balls at the end of the second session.Having been trapped lbw to one that kept low from Rana in the first innings, Wolvaardt used the depth of the crease more in the second dig. She pulled short deliveries through square leg and drove the fuller ones to long-on.Deepti Sharma dropped Marizanne Kapp off her own bowling in the last over of the day•BCCI

India toiled hard to break the stand with Harmanpreet Kaur trying as many as seven bowlers, including herself. But they weren’t disciplined with their lengths and speeds. Perhaps not being used to such a long time in the middle affected them. Deepti also dropped two catches – Kapp benefitting both times – in the last two overs of the day. The first was at slip off a Rana delivery that Kapp edged, and the second was a straightforward return catch.Wolvaardt and Luus, though, reaped the rewards of patience on a pitch that got slower after the first session.Consuming more than 200 balls meant Luus and Wolvaardt also had gotten used to the low bounce, with only the odd delivery popping up in the last two sessions of the day. Luus spent 234 minutes at the crease, hitting 18 fours. When she reached her half-century, Luus brought out the rocking-baby-cradle celebration, a gesture for the team’s strength and conditioning coach Zane Webster, who is an expectant father. She scored her maiden century in the final session, and became only the second South African to score a hundred in India in women’s Tests.The huge stand was finally broken by Harmanpreet when she cleaned up Luus in the 74th over. The low bounce came to her aid as Luus went back to pull but missed.With Kapp at the other end, Wolvaardt marched on to finish unbeaten. That has raised hopes of a South African lead on the last day, a scenario that looked near-impossible at the start of Sunday.For India, Jemimah Rodrigues was off the field for a majority of the last two sessions because of cramps.