The opener was in sight of a century on a day reduced to 44 overs by rain and bad light

Andrew McGlashan01-Apr-2023Matt Renshaw made a bid for a place in Australia’s Ashes squad as he dominated a shortened opening day of the first four-day match against New Zealand A in Lincoln with an unbeaten 92.Renshaw, the most experienced batter in the Australia A squad, does not have a county deal like others vying for a tour spot so these two matches are valuable to him after a difficult tour of India where he missed out three times batting in the middle order, albeit in conditions a world away from what will be on offer in England.”Really strange times at the moment for me,” he said. “I feel like I haven’t had much of a bat since the end of the Shield season. I had BBL, which was quite successful at the end. It feels really strange saying four months was four bats, but that’s the way cricket can be. It was nice to be back in the middle and enjoying batting.”Though he batted in the middle order in India, where he was preferred to Travis Head in the first Test before being David Warner’s concussion sub in the second, he is viewed as an opening option when a vacancy arrives, which could be sooner rather than later depending on Warner’s form. The first phase of Renshaw’s Test career came as an opener and this season he returned to that role for Queensland after a period in the middle order.Renshaw, who survived a big appeal for a catch down the leg side on 17, became increasingly dominant as his innings developed. He hurried into the 80s as he took on a short-pitched attack from Scott Kuggeleijn, which brought 18 off an over including a top-edged six, then collected consecutive boundaries off left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel.Related

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Renshaw's chance to push Ashes claims, eyes also on Hardie in New Zealand

The South Island of New Zealand in early autumn could also hardly be more removed from Nagpur and Delhi. With a further eye on conditions which are likely to prevail in the UK for the World Test Championship final against India then the Ashes these two matches are being played with the Dukes ball.The New Zealand A bowlers did not find much joy with it on an opening day truncated to 44 overs after the first session was washed out then lengthening shadows took the players off for bad light.”The pitch is really similar to what you would expect over in England, so it’s a really nice challenge for us over here,” Renshaw said. “Losing the toss and batting is a really good opportunity to test yourself on these wickets.”After being in India for six weeks facing an SG [ball] on wickets that don’t bounce, it was a nice change and challenge coming over here.”Should Renshaw reach three figures on the second day it will mean he has effectively made consecutive centuries for Australia A after the one he scored for the Prime Minister’s XI against West Indies in Canberra last November. He returned to the Test side at the SCG in January only to be positive for Covid-19 on the opening day then see his chances of a proper innings hit by the weather.The only wicket to fall was that of 18-year-old Teague Wyllie, the Western Australia batter, who opened for the first time in his first-class career. He did not entirely settle against the new ball before cutting Kuggeleijn into backward point.Tim Ward accompanied Renshaw in what became a second-wicket stand worth 113 during the rest of the day. He, too, was tested by the short delivery but more often than not opted to avoid rather than take the ball on.

da bet7： Manchester United’s academy is one thing that will never fail them. The Red Devils have produced some exceptional players over the years, going back as far as the legendary Busby Babes. In the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson, the Class of ‘92 rose to fame, and, more recently, the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay have flown the Carrington flag.

da casino： Nowadays, Ruben Amorim’s squad includes Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and, more recently, Toby Collyer, who have become important first-team players at Old Trafford. They are blessed with academy talent, which has been the case for decades.

Incredibly, the Red Devils might battle it out towards the end of the transfer window to resign another former academy star.

United target former academy graduate

The player in question here is Lille and England international midfield Angel Gomes. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from the French club, and it could leave the door open for a potential return to the Premier League.

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At least, that is according to a report from Caught Offside. They claim that United ‘have thrown their hat into the ring’ in an attempt to re-sign Gomes before the January transfer window closes on Monday. A price is not clear at this stage, but Gomes’ contract expires next summer, so the fee could be fairly cheap.

However, they are not believed to be the only side targeting a move for the Englishman. London clubs Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have already eyed up a move, as have fellow Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

He is also of interest to German sides Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, ensuring it will be a battle for the Red Devils, who may need to move quickly – as per the report.

Why Gomes would be a good signing

Should the Red Devils get the deal for Gomes done, it could be an excellent signing. Before looking at his current season with Lille, let’s address his United career to date. He played ten times for his boyhood club, making his debut as a 16-year-old in 2017, becoming the youngest United debutant in over 60 years.

This season, the now 24-year-old has been an important player for Lille, although has struggled with injuries. He has played 18 times for the French side this term, scoring twice and grabbing an assist, with one strike coming in the Champions League against Feyenoord in the 6-1 win.

It would be a happy homecoming for Gomes, who has changed a lot since leaving Old Trafford. He is incredibly versatile in midfield, able to play as a number ten, or even as a defensive midfielder.

Indeed, that is similar to another United academy graduate in the current squad, Mainoo. The 19-year-old has been making waves since first breaking into the team in 2023/24, and could now be considered a key player in Amorim’s side.

Like Gomes, an extremely press-resistant and progressive player, Mainoo can play in several positions in midfield. Most recently, he thrived as a number ten on Thursday night in the Europa League but can play deeper, too.

Gomes and Mainoo games by possession (min 45 mins played)

Position

Gomes (G/A)

Mainoo (G/A)

Defensive midfield

11 (2)

30 (2)

Central midfield

37 (6)

21 (4)

Attacking midfield

42 (12)

4 (2)

Stats from Transfermarkt

The pair are statistically similar too, and their in-possession qualities are highlighted by the FBref statistics. For example, over the past two seasons, Gomes averages seven progressive passes and 1.79 progressive carries compared to Mainoo’s 3.24 progressive passes and 1.23 progressive carries per game.

Singing Gomes could be an excellent piece of business for United. Their academy graduate, once described as an “unbelievably gifted player” by football statistician Statman Dave, would add quality depth to their midfield, and excellent versatility just like Mainoo brings.

For United to have two versatile midfielders in their squad, capable of playing as a six, an eight or a ten, would make things unpredictable for opponents and certainly a handy for Amorim.

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The Estonian midfielder made a surprise appearance at the New York Red Bulls supporters' tailgate

• Lindpere signed autographs and posed for photos
• Estonian international had first goal at Red Bull Arena
• New York Red Bulls lost 2-1 to D.C United

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  Former New York Red Bulls star Joel Lindpere delighted supporters with an unexpected appearance at the pre-match tailgate festivities before a crucial Eastern Conference clash against longtime rivals DC United.

  The Estonian midfielder, who played 104 matches for the club between 2010-2012, engaged with fans in the stadium parking lot, signing autographs, posing for photos, and sharing memories of his time in New York.

  The 43-year-old former midfielder appeared moved by the warm reception he received from fans.

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• WHAT NEW YORK RED BULLS POSTED

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  DC United defeated the New York Red Bulls 2-1. Brazilian winger João Peglow scored both goals for DC United, finding the net in the 35th and 44th minutes of the first half.

  The first came off a goal kick assist from goalkeeper Luis Barraza, while his second was an impressive bicycle kick. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting pulled one back for the Red Bulls in the 57th minute, but DC United held on for the win.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Following their 2-1 loss, New York Red Bulls stay in ninth place with 12 points. They face CF Montreal next in the MLS at home on April 26 and then go on the road to face Inter Miami on May 3.

Blackburn Rovers are ready to make a move to sign a 25-year-old striker in what remains of this January transfer window, according to a new report.

Blackburn Rovers news and updates

John Eustace’s side fell to back-to-back defeats on Tuesday evening, as they were beaten 2-0 at Ewood Park by Coventry City. Despite the two losses, Rovers remain in the play-off places, but given they have lost 10 games, the most of any top six side this season, Eustace will have his eyes on ways of improving his team in the transfer market.

Blackburn now offer £1.75m to sign new forward instead of Brereton Diaz

Rovers are keen to add more attacking firepower to their ranks this month.

ByBen Browning Jan 15, 2025

One player that Blackburn are interested in signing is Lewis O’Brien from Nottingham Forest. The 26-year-old has been playing in the MLS but has now returned to the City Ground and is expected to leave on loan once again before the window closes on February 3rd. But Blackburn are not alone in their pursuit, as Hull City have joined the race to sign O’Brien and are planning to make a move soon.

Signing a new midfielder may have just become even more important for Rovers, as Eustace confirmed this week that Sondre Tronstad is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines due to picking up a significant hamstring injury: “We have had Sonny [Tronstad] scanned, and he’s going to be out for six weeks, unfortunately. He has been a magnificent performer for us, and he’ll be a big miss.”

Blackburn to make move for striker who has 44 career goals

But a new midfielder isn’t all that Eustace wants, as according to TuttoMercatoWeb, Blackburn are looking to rekindle their interest in striker Augustus Kargbo in the remaining days of this transfer window.

Rovers made contact with the 25-year-old during the summer transfer window, but a deal never worked out. This report states that interest has remained from the Lancashire side, and they are now ready to make a fresh move this month.

Kargbo, who has won 17 caps for Sierra Leone, currently plays for Serie B side Cesena and has done so since August 2023. The forward has spent the majority of his career in Italy and has done well since moving to Cesena, as he scored nine goals and recorded 10 assists last season, taking his tally to 44 career goals in senior football.

Apps

53

Goals

15

Assists

14

It is unclear how much Kargbo could cost Rovers in this transfer window, but the striker is only under contract until 2026, meaning there shouldn’t be a massive price tag.

Blackburn currently have Makhtar Gueye, Yuki Ohashi, Andreas Weimann, and Harry Leonard as their forward options. Weimann and Gueye are their top goalscorers with five goals, but if Rovers are going to last the distance in the play-off race, there is going to be a need for more goals in the team.

Kargbo’s flexibility in the sense that he can play on the left as well as behind the striker means his arrival may not guarantee he replaces one of the current ranks but instead partners them at the top end of the pitch.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot wants to sign a new defensive midfielder, and a new target who could cost £34m is now rising up his list of options, according to a recent report.

Slot still eyeing a midfielder

The Reds are still setting the pace at the top of the Premier League table, which justifies Slot’s decision to persist with Ryan Gravenberch in the middle of the park after missing out on Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who now looks set to join Arsenal.

However, the Premier League leaders are still interested in signing a new central midfielder, either this month or at the end of the season, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes is now on the shortlist.

Joshua Kimmich, a versatile midfielder who can also play right-back, is another player being considered by the Merseyside club, given that he will be available on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.

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Contact has been made with a world-renowned player.

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According to a report from TEAMtalk, Slot wants to bring in a defensive midfielder in the summer, meaning Kimmich could be a solid option, but a new target has also now entered the frame. Liverpool are now monitoring VfB Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller, having followed his performances closely over the past few weeks, and he is now starting to rise up the list of targets.

Stuttgart have no intention of letting Stiller leave, however, and they are currently attempting to renew his contract, but if an agreement cannot be reached, they will be forced to listen to offers in the summer.

The German club would be willing to listen to bids in the region of €40m (£34m) at the end of the season, and there may be a number of offers to deal with, as many European clubs are interested in his signature after he added two more assists to his tally in a big win against Freiburg on Saturday.

What Stiller could offer Liverpool

Throughout his career so far, the Germany international has mainly featured in a defensive midfield role, but he is also capable of creating chances, as displayed by the fact he recorded five assists in the Bundesliga last season and now has four this time around.

Fellow Liverpool target Kimmich lauded his compatriot earlier this season, describing him as “technically strong”, while also praising him for his “good passing skills”.

The 23-year-old’s ability in possession of the ball is perhaps his finest attribute, ranking in the 97th percentile for passes attempted per 90 over the past year, and the 96th percentile for progressive passes, when compared to his positional peers.

The only slight doubt about signing the German is the fact he does not rank particularly highly for interceptions and tackles, so if Slot wants a midfielder who specialises in defending, it is probably best to consider different options.

That said, Stiller is still young and has plenty of time to develop his game, so he could prove to be a brilliant signing for the Reds if they make a move for him this summer.

سجل الموهوب، بيدرو فرنانديز، هدف برشلونة الثالث في شباك فيسيل كوبي، وهي المباراة الودية الأولى للفريق الكتالوني ضمن جولته الآسيوية استعدادًا للموسم الجديد 2025/2026.

وأقيمت مباراة برشلونة وفيسيل كوبي على ملعب “نويفر” في اليابان وهو اللقاء الذي شهد ظهور أكثر من لاعب جديد مع العملاق الكتالوني مثل ماركوس راشفورد، خوان جارسيا، روني باردجي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برشلونة يقترب من تجديد عقد جوكر الفريق خوفًا من الرحيل مجانًا هدف بيدرو فرنانديز الرائع في مباراة برشلونة وفيسيل كوبي اليوم

ولكن الجديد هو تألق الموهوب، درو فرنانديز، مهاجم الفريق الثاني بنادي برشلونة والبالغ من العمر 17 عامًا فقط، فهو مواليد عام 2008، حيث سجل هدفًا رائعًا في الدقيقة 87.

وكان الثنائي إريك جارسيا وروني باردجي هما من سجلا هدفي برشلونة الأول والثاني في شباك فيسيل كوبي، لتكون تجربة ودية مفيدة للغاية بالنسبة للمدرب، هانز فليك.

الجدير بالذكر أن برشلونة سيسافر إلى كوريا الجنوبية من أجل استكمال الجولة الآسيوية ومواجهة سيول ودايجو قبل العودة إلى إسبانيا.

At the venue of his memorable debut where he guided a tricky chase, Pujara applied the hard grind to expertly steer India out of choppy waters against the same opposition

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Bengaluru06-Mar-2017Some of the highest points of Cheteshwar Pujara’s career have come while batting in the second innings of home Tests against Australian offspinners named Nathan.In Pujara’s debut Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in October 2010, MS Dhoni promoted him from No. 6 to No. 3 when India were 17 for 1 chasing a potentially tricky 207. He responded with 72 off 89 balls, and India waltzed home at a run rate of 4.60. Of Pujara’s 72 runs, 25 came off Nathan Hauritz, in 19 balls. Hauritz had come into the series on the back of a good year in Test cricket, having made crucial contributions to wins against Pakistan in Sydney and New Zealand in Wellington. Bangalore would be his last Test match.Three years later, Pujara was one of seven batsmen dismissed by Nathan Lyon in India’s first innings, after scoring 52 on a spiteful Feroz Shah Kotla pitch. Mitchell Johnson hit Pujara’s glove with a lifter in that innings, and it was with a broken finger that he opened the batting in the second innings, with India chasing 155. India scored at more than five an over while hunting down their target, and Pujara ended up with an unbeaten 82 off 92 balls. This time, 31 of his runs, off 44 balls, came off Lyon.By the time Pujara walked in to bat on Monday, he had faced Lyon 16 times in Tests – only James Anderson has bowled to him more often – and had been dismissed five times, more than by any other bowler. The fifth of Lyon’s dismissals of Pujara had come two days previously, a bat-pad catch at short leg that was the first of the offspinner’s eight first-innings wickets.The situation was rather different to Bangalore 2010 or Delhi 2013. This was the third innings of a far more attritional game, and Australia were well ahead when Pujara strode in. India were 1-0 down in the series, and were now trailing by 48 runs on a crack-ridden pitch offering inconsistent bounce and turn.Pujara began uncertainly against Lyon, twice playing inside the line of balls that didn’t turn. Hauritz had bowled him with one such ball during his debut 72, and Lyon had bowled him with another in the first innings of the 2013 Delhi Test. This time, both balls kissed his outside edge; the first one kept low and hit the wicketkeeper’s pad, and the second went to the left of slip, where Steven Smith dropped the sharp chance. In between, there was also a ball that jumped out of the rough, hit Pujara’s inside edge and his pad, and fell wide of short leg.It isn’t clear whether what happened next was down to accident or design, but Pujara, having faced eight out of Lyon’s first 12 balls when he was at the crease, only faced two of his next 24. KL Rahul, looking more comfortable than anyone should have on a pitch as challenging as this one, shielded his partner expertly.By the time Rahul fell for 51, India’s deficit was down to three runs. Pujara was now batting on 14 and looking slightly surer of his bearings. By tea, India had lost two more wickets but Pujara was still there, on 34.Second ball after tea, Pujara danced down the pitch to Lyon, met the ball on the full, and stroked it to the cover point boundary. Forays down the track to drive against the turn had been a feature of both his 72 on debut and his unbeaten 82 at the Kotla, but this was the first and last time he would play such a shot during this innings, even though Lyon was bowling to a 6-3 leg-side field with a massive gap between backward point and mid-off. This wasn’t a pitch for the flowing drive, with the ball not coming on to the bat and a straight, catching midwicket waiting for the inside edge or the uppish flick.Pujara, instead, was making a conscious effort to play with the turn. By the time he went to stumps batting on 79, he would have only played two scoring shots into the off side against Lyon. Six of his seven scoring shots into the leg side against Steve O’Keefe either came when the left-arm spinner drifted down the leg side, giving him the chance to glance or paddle-sweep, or when defensive shots rolled into the leg side off the inside edge when the ball skidded through straight.Through the age-old trick of getting his eye in, Pujara gradually grew comfortable against the spinners, his footwork a lot more decisive. The pitch, drier than it had been on Saturday, was also slower – Josh Hazlewood later said batsmen now had more time to adjust if the ball jumped or shot through low – and Pujara, as well as Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane, profited from staying on the back foot as much as they could against Lyon.Against the quicks, who were now perhaps Australia’s most potent weapons, Pujara hardly ever drove, and instead waited for balls on his pads or hints of width so he could use the pace and steer the ball to third man. Against Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Marsh, he only scored six runs in front of square – all via clips through forward square leg – while scoring 25 behind the wicket. Hazlewood took three of India’s four wickets, and Pujara ended up with a control percentage of 93 and a strike rate of 60 against him. His corresponding figures against Starc were 80 and 66.66.This, then, was an innings built on simple, self-enforced limitations: don’t drive, don’t play against the turn, look to use the pace of the ball when the chance presents itself. It was an entirely different innings to Bangalore 2010 and Delhi 2013, but it had a not-too-dissimilar effect on Australia, and on their offspinner named Nathan.

Wrexham are now pushing to sign an “exceptional” League One striker before the end of the January transfer window, according to a report.

Red Dragons going through tricky spell

Since the turn of the year, Phil Parkinson’s side have picked up just one win in five League One matches, which has dented their promotion hopes somewhat, now sitting six points behind second-placed Wycombe Wanderers.

The Red Dragons are still faring very well in their first season in the third tier, remaining in a very strong position to at least reach the play-offs at the end of the season, but Parkinson may feel some extra firepower is needed in attack if his side are going to push for the top two.

With Paul Mullin netting just three times in the league and Ollie Palmer also struggling to find the back of the net this season, the Welsh side have been increasingly reliant on 37-year-old Steven Fletcher for goals over the past few weeks.

Fletcher is now Wrexham’s joint-top scorer in League One with six goals, while promotion rivals Birmingham City and Wycombe have more dependable options in attack in the form of Jay Stansfield and Richard Kone.

According to a report from Football League World, the Red Dragons are looking to rectify that problem in the final days of the winter transfer window, as they are now pushing to sign Reading striker Sam Smith.

Parkinson’s side are now plotting a late swoop for Smith, having seen their automatic promotion hopes take a hit since the turn of the year.

There are signs a deal could be possible, too, as Reading may be forced to cash in on the striker due to the financial issues they are facing under the helm of owner Dai Yongge.

Striker needed at the Cae Ras

Mullin was a revelation at the Cae Ras after arriving from Cambridge United, playing a major role in the Red Dragons securing promotion from the National League and League Two, but it would be fair to say he has struggled to make the step-up to the third tier.

The former Tranmere Rovers man has just two goals to his name in 26 League One outings, failing to find the back of the net in his last six games, having fallen down the pecking order somewhat.

Fletcher has been a more reliable source of goals, but at 37-years-old, the Scot is not a long-term solution for Parkinson in attack, so it is exciting news that a move for Smith could be on the horizon.

The Reading forward is fourth in the League One goal-scoring charts, having netted 11 times in League One this term, following up an impressive 2023-24 campaign in which he bagged 15 goals in 34 outings.

Having been lauded as an “exceptional player” by former Royals boss Ruben Selles earlier this season, there are plenty of signs the 26-year-old could be a real upgrade for Wrexham in attack, and they will be hoping to wrap up a deal before February 3rd.

Bizarre analogies, pithy one-liners and slick selfies abound in our Twitter round-up

Alex Bowden14-Apr-2017We’re developing quite a soft spot for Mark Richardson’s robust approach to Twitter. Like his batting, it is minimalist and functional.

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Richardson’s verdict on that?

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Short and to the point.We’re willing to cut David Miller some slack too. Normally we make an effort to omit the small proportion of cricketers’ tweets that promote some sort of product or service (so about 80% of them). However, Miller sets about his promotional chores with such shameless gusto that we’re willing to make an exception.Last time around it was “Another day, another chance to thrive”, accompanied by a photo of him exiting a pool in sunglasses.This week…

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To be fair to him, he doesn’t explicitly state that he’s met these goals, so we can’t question his modesty too much.Apparently rather less concerned with how cool he looks is Stuart Broad.

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Like almost everyone else, his bowling partner was unimpressed.

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But it’s as Paul Collingwood says.

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Well if it’s good enough for Gower…

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One man bowing to the passage of time is Misbah-ul-Haq, who has announced his impending retirement. Shoaib Akhtar paid tribute with this somewhat bizarre analogy.

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Anyone who’s ever so much as misplaced an apostrophe on Twitter will tell you that there’s always some smart-arse willing to offer a correction.

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Trent Woodhill is even going so far as to correct himself.

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With the IPL now in full swing, we have no shortage of in-flight selfies to choose from. We’re giving this one the nod this week for having the greatest number of willing participants. Good work, Shikhar.

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And of course the flip side is plenty of cricketers complaining about air travel.

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And we’re fairly certain that there’s a fairly heavy-handed deployment of sarcasm here.

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Aston Villa continue to impress this season.

Last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City means Unai Emery’s team are now unbeaten in 13 Premier League or Champions League home games, winning eight of them, most notably defeating Bayern Munich and Manchester City in front of their own supporters.

This leaves the Claret and Blue Army eighth in the league, thereby occupying the last potential European position, also fifth in the gigantic Champions League standings, on course to go straight through to the round of 16, with games against Monaco and Celtic still to come later this month.

One Villa player in particular has caught the eye this season so far, with some of Europe’s leading clubs casting admiring glances.

Aston Villa's main man in demand

According to RMC Sport on Twitter, Ligue 1 champions and Champions League giants Paris Saint-Germain have made contact over the possibility of signing striker Jhon Durán.

Transfer Focus

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

As per talkSPORT, the Colombian is valued at £60m, while Jacob Steinberg in the Guardian has also documented Chelsea’s long-standing interest.

Having lost Kylian Mbappé last summer, PSG are certainly in the market for the striker, with Randal Kolo Muani having been “discarded” by manager Luis Enrique, so could Durán be les Rouge-et-Bleu’s man?

Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show predicts that Durán is going “get a big transfer in 2025”, adding that Villa would be able to justify this given that they already have Ollie Watkins and, as noted by Adrian Clarke, Emery is struggling to get both of them into the same team.

Aston Villa's Jack Grealish repeat

Durán is currently suspended, following his red card at Newcastle on Boxing Day, but will serve the last of his three-match ban against West Ham in the FA Cup on Friday night, so it’ll be interesting to see if he returns in place of Watkins when Villa visit Everton on Wednesday.

It is quite the dilemma Emery is faced with, so let’s see how his two centre-forwards compare.

Jhon Durán vs Ollie Watkins comparison (24/25)
Statistics	Jhon Durán	Ollie Watkins
Appearances	26	29
Starts	7	22
Minutes	989	1,835
Goals	12	9
Goals – xG	+4.4	-3.6
Shots on target %	47.2%	39.3%
Assists	0	7
Shot-creating actions	20	51
Touches	324	467
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

Of course, Durán’s pure goal-scoring numbers are very impressive, scoring more goals than Watkins in little over half the number of minutes, while his goals – xG figure of +4.4 is very impressive, currently ranked eighth in the Premier League for this metric, while Watkins, in stark contrast, is sixth-bottom for the same statistic.

However, the Englishman’s tally of seven assists, to the Colombian’s zero, as well as Watkins’ greater number of shot-creating actions and touches suggests he is a superior all-round striker.

Losing Duran could then evoke memories of one of Aston Villa’s last big-money, high-profile sales, which saw Jack Grealish move to Manchester City for a then British record £100m.

At the time, it was viewed as an impossible task to replace Grealish, with Richard Jolly of FourFourTwo claiming they “squandered” the money on “failed” signings Leon Bailey, Emi Buendía and Danny Ings.

Nevertheless, since then, Villa have finished seventh, reached the UEFA Conference League semi-finals and got back into the Champions League for the first time in over four decades, so they haven’t done too badly.

Thus, of course, supporters will not want to see Durán go, but his departure may be necessary if they’re to avoid breaching Profit and Sustainability rules and, with Emery in charge, Villa have proven themselves capable of thriving, even in the face of losing star players.

For that reason, losing the former Chicago Fire striker may not actually prove the end of the road for the Emery revolution. Having arguably thrived since Grealish’s departure, Villa could well reinvest in similar fashion if Duran is to follow suit.

Like Grealish – who has now gone over a year without scoring for Man City – Villa’s number nine could find that the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere.

Talks opened: Aston Villa pursuing "top talent" who could be Duran 2.0

Aston Villa are looking to add to their attacking options

By
Joe Nuttall

Jan 10, 2025