Manchester City now want to sign a winger who terrorised Matheus Nunes in the Champions League earlier this season, having identified him as an ideal target to strengthen their attack, according to a report.

New winger needed at the Etihad

Jack Grealish’s struggles this season are well-documented, and there have now been reports Man City are ready to accept a bid for the £300k-per-week winger, which means Pep Guardiola will be tasked with bringing in a suitable replacement.

Sporting CP’s Trincao has recently emerged as a potential target, with City looking to hijack Manchester United’s move for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man, while SC Braga youngster Roger Fernandes is also a subject of interest.

AC Milan’s Rafael Leao is among the most high-profile players on the Sky Blues’ shortlist, with the Portuguese forward being identified as a key target, and another winger who has impressed in the Champions League this season is now also under consideration.

Man City secure summer signing of "unbelievable" £66m star, claims report

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According to a report from Spain, Man City now want to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who has become a key player for Luis Enrique’s side this season, stepping up in the absence of Kylian Mbappe.

Barcola is viewed as an ideal option to strengthen Guardiola’s frontline, and there are suggestions City are very keen on a deal, but it may be difficult to get it over the line.

PSG are not willing to sanction the £107k-per-week winger’s departure unless they receive a substantial fee, given his importance to the French side’s long-term project.

Barcola could be "one of the best" left-wingers in Europe

The Frenchman has received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson this season, who described him as “one of the best” left-wingers in Europe back in October, while also lauding him for stepping up since Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid.

City fans may remember the PSG star from his impressive performance in the Champions League clash back in January, picking up an 8.6 SofaScore match rating after bagging a goal and an assist, on a night where Nunes had a very tough time at right-back.

The former Lyon man has 30 goal contributions to his name in all competitions this season, including 20 in 25 Ligue 1 games, having shown real signs of development since being forced to become PSG’s talisman.

Season

League appearances

Goals

Assists

2021-22

11

0

1

2022-23

26

5

8

2023-24

25

4

7

2024-25

25

13

7

Barcola may be the ideal replacement for Grealish this summer, and given that he is just 22-years-old, he could make the left-wing spot his own for years to come.

Bangladesh are playing an ODI against India in India for the first time since 1998

Mohammad Isam18-Oct-20235:31

Bond: India could turn up 80% and still be good enough to win

Big Picture: Can Bangladesh spring a surprise?The defending champions have been upset by Afghanistan. Australia haven’t looked like Australia of World Cups past. Pakistan seem lacking too. And the South African juggernaut fell apart against Netherlands. Of all the pre-tournament favourites, only India and New Zealand have played like favourites. The latter have made it four wins in four, and now India are looking to do the same, against Bangladesh in Pune.Bangladesh may have a favourable 3-1 ODI record against India in the last 12 months – most recently winning their Super Four encounter in the Asia Cup last month – but beating India in India is easier said than done.The hosts have played with plenty of main-character energy in their first three fixtures, scoring convincing victories against Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were tested to varying degrees in all those games – reduced to 2 for 3 in the chase against Australia; Afghanistan setting a target of 273; and Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan building a solid platform – but in the end it wasn’t even close.India’s outstanding bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, has taken 28 out of a possible 30 wickets so far, while they have lost only nine wickets in three chases and never more than four in a game. Rohit Sharma’s ultra-aggressive approach has been the highlight of their batting performances and he’s got another batting-friendly surface waiting for him in Pune.Related

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Bangladesh’s only win against India in the ODI World Cup was 16 years ago – in Trinidad in 2007. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were just starting their careers then, and they have played India three times on the biggest stage since, losing quite convincingly on each occasion.This Bangladesh squad has enough experience and young talent in their ranks to stretch India, but their current form isn’t promising. Mushfiqur has scored two fifties in three matches so far but the rest have struggled with consistency. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das had one good knock each. Rookie Tanzid Hasan hasn’t had much impact. Towhid Hridoy, who scored 500 runs before the World Cup this year, is batting lower than his usual No. 5 position. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also hasn’t been effective.Shakib suffered a quadriceps injury last week but could play – as per their coach, Bangladesh are awaiting results of a scan done on match eve before taking the final decision.* With Bangladesh looking to lengthen their batting by having Mahmudullah at No. 8, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed, both of whom played a part in the Asia Cup win against India, are unlikely to make the XI.Whether Bangladesh runs India close or not could come down to how their fast bowlers fare. Mustafizur Rahman aside, the others have been off-colour. Shoriful Islam has been expensive at times and Taskin Ahmed is not the force he was earlier this year. If these three, or Hasan Mahmud and Tanzim Hasan, can fire it will give Bangladesh a stronger foothold in the contest.Kuldeep Yadav took eight wickets in a Test the last time he played Bangladesh•AFP/Getty ImagesForm guideIndia WWWLW (last five ODIs, most recent first)Bangladesh LLWLLIn the spotlight: Kuldeep Yadav and Najmul Hossain ShantoKuldeep Yadav has five wickets from three games and his economy of 3.9 in 30 overs is testament to the control he’s offered during the middle overs. He revealed recently that increasing his pace has allowed him to bowl better in the last 12 months. Bangladesh’s most recent memory of Kuldeep is his eight-wicket haul in the Chattogram Test late last year – India will be hoping for more of the same from him.After his unbeaten fifty against Afghanistan, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s low scores against England and New Zealand have had an impact on Bangladesh’s top-order returns. His free-flowing batting has been a huge boost to Bangladesh in 2023 and they desperately need him back among the runs.Team news: Bangladesh to gamble with extra bowler?India are unlikely to change their winning combination. The small ground dimensions and flat pitch could mean that Shardul Thakur is likely to keep his spot ahead of R Ashwin.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajIf Bangladesh can play Shakib, they will. They could be tempted to promote Mehidy Hasan Miraz to open with Litton and Mushfiqur could also bat higher in the order. The question is whether Bangladesh will look to strengthen their bowling by sacrificing some batting depth.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahmudullah, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditions: High scores in Pune?Since 2017, teams batting first have posted 300-plus totals in three out of five ODIs in Pune, though this will be the first international at this venue in nine months. There was some drizzle on the eve of the match but the forecast is for sunshine on match day.Stats and trivia: A 25-year wait ends This is Bangladesh’s first ODI against India in India in 25 years. From those who played their previous ODI against India at the Wankhede in 1998, Minhajul Abedin is the current chief selector, Khaled Mahmud is the team director, and Athar Ali Khan is a TV commentator.Virat Kohli has an average 67.25 and strike rate of 101.25 in 15 ODIs against Bangladesh, with four centuries.Shakib, Taskin and Mustafizur all have five-wicket hauls against India in ODIs.Quotes”He had a good batting session yesterday. He did a bit of running between the wickets as well. We are waiting for the result of the scan we did today. We haven’t tried his bowling yet. We will assess him tomorrow morning, and make a decision. If he is not ready to play, we won’t risk it. If he is ready, there’s a chance of him playing tomorrow.”

“When you enter a World Cup, every team will pose you a challenge. So, from our perspective, I don’t think we’ll take anyone lightly.”

The tournament will once again overlap with the Hundred and the MLC

Andrew Fidel Fernando16-Feb-2024

The fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League will be played from July 1 to July 21 this year, according to an SLC release. This means the tournament will clash with Major League Cricket and the T20 Blast.The second season of MLC starts on July 4 and the final likely on July 28, while the T20 Blast will run from May 30 to September 14. There was a similar overlap last year as well, which meant the LPL struggled to attract foreign talent, given the money on offer. But it has nevertheless enjoyed some popularity among local fans.The 2024 season will again feature five teams, as it has from its inception. There will be 24 matches in all. The teams will play each other twice in the league stage, which will consist of 20 matches. There will then be a qualifier, an eliminator and a second eliminator, and the final – the same as with the IPL. Four of the five teams qualify for the playoffs, as they have done for the last three seasons.The LPL has seen substantial turnover in franchise ownership, with last year’s owners a completely different set from those that had run teams in the inaugural edition, in 2020.The first three editions were won by teams bearing the Jaffna name (Stallions in the first season, Kings in seasons two and three), all captained by Thisara Perera. In 2023, B-Love Kandy, led by Wanindu Hasaranga (except for the final when he was injured), were victorious.

Glasgow Rangers’ domestic season is all but over. Defeat in the League Cup final to Celtic ended their defence of the trophy, while the Ibrox side suffered an embarrassing loss to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup a few weeks ago.

Now, all of Philippe Clement’s eggs will be placed in the Europa League basket as the club were drawn to play Fenerbahce in the last-16 of the competition.

It won’t be an easy task, especially away from home, but if the Light Blues play like they have done on the continent this season, they have an excellent chance of going through.

Much will depend on whether they turn up or not, however, as performances have been shaky, to say the least.

There have been very few bright sparks throughout the season. Hamza Igamane has been one, but even he has struggled since last scoring against Aberdeen on January 15.

Perhaps things might have been different if Danilo and Nedim Bajrami had both been playing to the best of their abilities, as the pair have qualities that can change games in an instant.

It hasn’t been plain sailing for either due to several reasons.

Danilo & Bajrami's struggles for Rangers this season

In Danilo’s case, injuries have largely been his downfall. Since joining the Gers in the summer of 2023, the Brazilian has missed a total of 58 matches for the club due to several injuries, including a broken cheekbone and a serious knee injury.

When he has featured this term, the centre-forward has been solid in the final third. Across 19 games, he has scored seven goals and chipped in with three assists.

His goal against Celtic in the festive Old Firm tie looked as though it could be the catalyst for Danilo to emerge as a key player under Clement. A few weeks later, he sustained a shoulder injury that once again kept him out for a few weeks.

In Bajrami’s case, injuries haven’t been a problem at all, but he has failed to live up to the £3.4m fee that the club paid to secure his services last summer.

On the surface, it appeared to be a solid signing. Not only could Bajrami play across multiple positions, but he had experience of playing in Serie A, while scoring for Albania against Italy at Euro 2024.

A goal against Malmo on his first European start was certainly a confidence boost, and he shone on the continent for the Gers.

Since the start of 2025, however, the former Sassuolo midfielder has recorded just three assists in all competitions, with two coming against non-league side Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup.

Where Are They Now

He has scored just one Premiership goal since arriving in Scotland while registering just one assist and averaging 1.2 key passes per game.

Hardly the sort of numbers that justify the transfer fee and if he doesn’t improve between now and May, Clement may look to offload the Albanian when the summer transfer window opens.

Rangers have sold their fair share of players over the years who appear to suddenly shine once they leave Ibrox. One such player is currently starring in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday this season – Josh Windass.

Josh Windass’ Rangers statistics

Windass joined the Light Blues ahead of the 2016/17 season, the club’s first back in the top flight since their financial troubles began in 2012.

Mark Warburton was trying to build a team capable of challenging Celtic for the title, but this proved to be a false dawn. The Englishman suffered a succession of injury problems during his maiden campaign, restricting him to just 27 appearances and a solitary goal.

The following year was far better for Windass. Not only did he establish himself as a key member of the starting XI, but the attacking midfielder also netted 18 goals and grabbed eight assists in all competitions throughout the campaign.

It didn’t do the team much good as they failed to win any silverware for the second season in a row since their promotion. In May 2018, Steven Gerrard took over as manager, and it resulted in a fresh start for everyone at the club.

For Windass, it was clear the former Liverpool captain didn’t take to him. During the final few weeks of the summer transfer window in 2018, Windass finally left Ibrox and joined Wigan Athletic for a transfer fee in the region of £2.5m.

This represented a solid piece of transfer business for the Gers, especially as they required funds to bolster the squad.

He only lasted a year and a half at Wigan, with his spell at the Owls being far more productive indeed…

Windass' record at Sheffield Wednesday

Across 170 matches for the Championship club, Windass has scored 50 goals while registering 21 assists in all competitions.

The 2024/25 campaign has been especially positive for the 31-year-old. Not only does he have ten league goals this term, more than Bajrami and Danilo put together, but he has even recorded three assists.

Windass has also created four big chances in the second tier for the Owls while averaging 0.6 key passes and registering 2.4 shots per game.

It appears as though the Championship is certainly his level, as he failed to truly demonstrate his best during his two-year spell in Scotland.

The Englishman was right to leave in 2018, especially considering the fee was so good for a player who wasn’t going to be in Gerrard’s plans.

The fact he has scored more league goals than Danilo and Bajrami, however, proves that the club have sold so many players over the previous few years who seem to find that extra gear at a new club.

For both Danilo and Bajrami, the next few weeks could be important indeed. That’s for sure.

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يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك لخوض شهر مليء بالإثارة والمباريات القوية ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز لموسم 2025-2026.

واستهل الزمالك مشواره في بطولة الدوري المصري بالفوز على سيراميكا كليوباترا بهدفين دون رد بالجولة الأولى، بينما تعادل سلبياً بالجولة الثانية أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا.

وفي الجولة الثالثة، حقق الزمالك فوزًا صعبًا على مودرن سبورت بهدفين مقابل هدف، كما فاز في الجولة الرابعة على فاركو بهدف دون مقابل، وأنهى الجولة الخامسة مساء أمس الأحد، بهزيمة أمام وادي دجلة بنتيجة 2-1.

طالع أيضاً.. طارق يحيى يهاجم فيريرا بعد خسارة الزمالك أمام وادي دجلة: مباراة للنسيان.. وسيرحل في هذا التوقيت

ويحتل الزمالك المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصد 10 نقاط من 5 مباريات، بفارق نقطة وحيدة عن المتصدر فريق المصري.

ويشهد شهر سبتمبر مواجهة من العيار الثقيل بين قطبي الكرة المصرية الزمالك والأهلي، حيث ستقام المباراة بينهما يوم 29 من الشهر ذاته. مواعيد مباريات الزمالك في شهر سبتمبر

الجولة 6: الزمالك × المصري  يوم السبت 13 سبتمبر الساعة 8:00.

الجولة 7: الإسماعيلي × الزمالك يوم الخميس 18 سبتمبر الساعة 5:00.

الجولة 8: الزمالك × الجونة يوم الثلاثاء 23 سبتمبر الساعة 8:00.

الجولة 9: الأهلي × الزمالك يوم الاثنين 29 سبتمبر الساعة 8:00.

What began as a daunting year for Pat Cummins and Australia has ended in ultimate glory, the kind of year that might sit alongside some of the best years any Australian side has had this century. It started with an honourable Test series defeat in India, and it ended with a spectacular World Cup triumph, also in India. Along the way they became, not inconsiderably, Test world champions and retained the Ashes in England.Cummins was in no doubt though that a sixth World Cup triumph, with the odds very much stacked against them in the final against hosts and arch-rivals India, represented the “pinnacle” of their achievements.”That’s huge, I think that’s the pinnacle of international cricket, winning a one-day World Cup,” Cummins reflected, an hour or so after Glenn Maxwell hit the winning runs to seal an emphatic six-wicket triumph in Ahmedabad.Related

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“Especially over here in India, in front of a crowd like this. Yeah, that’s huge. Yeah, it’s been a big year for everyone, but our cricket team has been here in India, Ashes, World Test Championship, and to top it off with this is just huge. These are the moments that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”You only get a shot at it every four years. Even if you have a ten-year career, you might only get two chances at it. And yeah, it’s just the whole cricket world stops with this World Cup. So it doesn’t get any better.”Cummins had spoken before the match about silencing a big crowd and his side did just that throughout the day. The bowlers first put an end to the flurry of powerplay boundaries India hit, and then restricted them to a record low of just four across the last 40 overs of the innings. And when they batted, Travis Head alone hit three more boundaries than the entire Indian batting order, each one stifling the noise of over 90,000, the vast majority of whom were Indian fans.Cummins was, by his own admission, nervous as he waited for the game to start, clocking the sea of blue on his way to the ground as his team made their own way there. But he was nerveless when the game began, first in deciding to bowl first against the tournament’s most fearsome batting line-up, and then, with the ball himself.He’s had an indifferent tournament with the ball, only to save his best for when it mattered the most. In dismissing Virat Kohli in the 29th over, he produced the moment that did more than most to stun the crowd into silence.”Yeah, we did take a second in the huddle just to acknowledge the silence that was going around the crowd,” he said. “It just felt like it was one of those days where it was all made for him to score another hundred like he normally does, so yeah, that was satisfying.”He had a good day as captain, never allowing India to settle as he rotated his bowlers, quite often after one-over spells. By the 30-over mark of India’s innings, he had made 14 bowling changes, the joint most by any side in this World Cup. No leadership decisions will feel as vindicated as those to keep Head in the squad despite his broken hand not allowing him to play in their first five games, and to persist with Marnus Labuschagne in the XI. Head hit a match-winning 137 in the final and Labuschagne an unbeaten 58, together in a partnership of 192. Labuschagne played through the tournament, despite concerns about the impact it had on Australia’s scoring rate through the middle.Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne put together a 192-run stand to put Australia on the doorstep of victory•ICC/Getty Images

“We wanted to be pretty brave this World Cup, we didn’t want to kind of limp into the semi-finals, we wanted to be the team that could score 400 and you saw that the way we kind of shaped up with Trav, [David] Warner and then having [Mitchell] Marshy at No. 3,” Cummins said. “We wanted to be really aggressive and then a couple of our allrounders are obviously aggressive to finish up the innings so we would rather fail that way. But then Marnus just showed his class and in South Africa, you had to pick him – he was fantastic, and he was playing a different style to probably what he did for the first start of his ODI career. It was paying off and we know he’s a gun, so you had to try and find room for him.”And then the Trav Head one was, we thought his World Cup was over. It wasn’t until about the next night afterwards [the injury] where Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] came up to me. He’s like, ‘I haven’t slept all night, I think we’re going to keep him, we’re going to take the risk. He might be right for the Netherlands and then if we’re going to make the finals and we want to win the World Cup I think he needs to be there for the finals.'”Cummins had only played two ODIs since November 2022 (and eight since November 2020) when the World Cup began. But he said he had rediscovered the joys of the format during the World Cup, calling for more games that matter. The future of ODIs is likely to be discussed at the ICC Board meetings this week in Ahmedabad, though no concrete decision is expected.”Maybe because we won, but I did fall in love with ODI [cricket] again this World Cup,” he said. “I think the scenario where every game really matters, it does mean a bit different to just a bilateral. So yeah, I don’t know. I mean, the World Cup’s got such a rich history, I’m sure it’s going to be around for a long time. There’s so many wonderful games, so many wonderful stories within this last couple of months. So, I think there’s definitely a place.”

Former Ajax star Quincy Promes continues to avoid imprisonment as legal uncertainty surrounds his return from Dubai.

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Promes seeks non-custodial return to NetherlandsSentenced to 7.5 years for assault and drug traffickingExtradition from Dubai remains unresolvedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Promes has requested permission to return to the Netherlands without being taken into custody, despite having been sentenced to a combined 7.5 years in prison for two separate convictions. According to RTL Boulevard, the former Ajax and Netherlands forward wants to suspend his pre-trial detention to travel freely for ongoing legal appeals and to continue his football career. He is still in Dubai, where he was arrested after a car accident while at Spartak Moscow and has not been able to leave since due to continuous extradition procedures.

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Promes, 33, was sentenced to one and a half years in prison in 2023 for stabbing his cousin in a serious assault and then received an additional six-year sentence in 2024 for his involvement in the trafficking of cocaine. He did not appear at either trial and has yet to serve any time. Previously denied by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service owing to issues about preferential treatment, his legal team is advocating to let him return for court procedures without imprisonment. Moreover, the current status of the Dutch extradition requests in the UAE remains unclear. Promes earned 50 caps for the Dutch team between 2014 and 2021 and was part of the squad that reached the Nations League final in 2019 that lost to Portugal. Currently, the player plays for Dubai United in the UAE with his contract expiring at the end of June.

WHAT QUINCY PROMES SAID

Promes told RTL Boulevard: "I want to answer for myself in the Netherlands and continue my career. And that I fly back and forth to the Netherlands a few times when I am called up and then I can just continue playing football. That is what I want,"

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PROMES?

Promes' lawyer, Cem Polat, has submitted a fresh request to Dutch authorities asking for the suspension of detention conditions to allow the winger to appear at his appeal hearings. A response from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service is pending. Promes is still playing in the UAE and no schedule for return travel or trial attendance has been announced.

MatériaMais Notícias

da gbg bet： A justiça entrou com pedido de bloqueio no valor de R$ 4,9 milhões da conta de Arboleda, zagueiro do São Paulo. A medida foi determinada após um descumprimento de contrato com uma empresa de marketing esportivo que administrava a carreira do atleta.

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da 888casino： A informação foi adiantada pelo portal ‘Metrópoles’, mas o LANCE! acessou a plataforma ‘Jus Brasil’ e verificou a existência do andamento do processo. Ao que tudo indica, a empresa de marketing esportivo Euro Futsfoi contratada pelo equatoriano em 2020.

ATUAÇÕES: São Paulo vive noite de horrores no ataque e não se garante nos pênaltis em eliminação no Paulistão

Veja tabela do Campeonato Paulista e simule os próximos jogos

Entretanto, o zagueiro descumpriu uma das cláusulas do contrato ao utilizar um outro agente para seu processo de renovação com o Tricolor paulista – que aconteceu em dezembro de 2021. A multa, caso algo assim acontecesse, girava em torno de R$ 3 milhões, mas foi ajustada após correções monetárias e juros.

Porém, ao tentar este bloqueio, teria sido constatado que não havia nenhum dinheiro na conta do jogador. Ao acessar o processo, ele é descrito na classe de ‘Busca e apreensão em alienação fiduciária’. Ou seja, para ter certeza que esta dívida seria paga, foi exigido o bloqueio da conta de Arboleda.

Com a falta de pagamento, ele foi movido para a classe de ‘despejo por falta de pagamento cumulado com cobrança’, assim, ao que tudo indica, a empresa pretende obter 30% da penhora da sua remuneração.

Michael Owen is a player who will forever live in the hearts of Liverpool supporters, emerging through the academy and making a name for himself in the first-team at Anfield.

The now-retired striker made just shy of 300 appearances during an eight-year period, notching 158 goals – sitting in the top ten for the club’s highest goalscorers.

He would win the Ballon d’Or in 2001, winning the award at the tender age of just 22, before leaving the Reds in the summer of 2004 to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.

His achievements on Merseyside have undoubtedly cemented him in the club’s history forever, with his goalscoring record a huge reason for the love he received from the fanbase.

Fast-forward 21 years on from his subsequent departure, current boss Arne Slot has the opportunity to land a new version of the England attacker.

Liverpool to plot £40m summer bid for PL star

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are keen on making a move for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap this summer should they be relegated from the Premier League.

However, the Reds are not alone in their pursuit of the 22-year-old, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United just three other sides wanting to land the youngster.

Despite the Tractor Boys’ lowly league standing, Delap has managed to notch 12 goals in 30 league appearances – three times more than the club’s next highest goalscorer this campaign.

The report states that the striker has a £40m relegation release clause in his current contract, potentially a bargain given his recent form in England’s top flight.

Despite the interest elsewhere, it would be a superb addition, allowing the young star to follow in the footsteps of Owen at Anfield and taking his own career up a notch.

Why Delap could be the next Owen for Liverpool

Former Reds striker Owen was a freak of nature during his time on Merseyside, with the striker becoming the second-youngest player to ever claim the Ballon d’or.

Whilst Delap is already at the same age as when the 45-year-old claimed the trophy, he still has a lot of work to do before he gets anywhere near emualting such a feat, but the signs of following in Owen’s footsteps are all positive.

The Ipswich ace – who has burst onto the scene at a similar age – has already wasted no time in demonstrating his goalscoring quality at the top-level, possessing a similar skillset, with his pace in behind the backline causing constant problems – just as Owen demonstrated during his eight-year spell in the first-team on Merseyside.

He’s just six goals off the iconic striker’s tally from his own first season in the Premier League, doing so whilst featuring for a lower-quality side – highlighting how impressive he’s been for Kieran McKenna’s side.

If he is to reach the levels set by his compatriot, Delap is in desparate need of a big-money move to a top-six side this summer, but given his nationality, Slot’s side would have to pay a premium for his signature – but it would be worth every penny, especially if his figures from this season are anything to go by.

How Delap compares to Liverpool’s current striker options

Whilst sitting top of the Premier League table, Liverpool have struggled to rely on a striker, with Mohamed Salah often being the man to produce the goods within the final third.

Whilst the Egyptian has registered 54 combined goals and assists in just 45 games across all competitions, with it unthinkable to imagine where the side would be without his contributions.

Strikers Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez have struggled to nail down the centre-forward role, often sharing the role between themselves over the past couple of months.

However, the pair have only registered 11 combined Premier League goals between them in 2024/25, a tally lower than Delap has managed on his own at Portman Road.

Whilst on the face of it, the Manchester City academy graduate has outscored the pair, his underlying stats are also better than the aforementioned pair – highlighting what a superb signing he would be this summer.

Games played

30

20

25

Goals & assists

14

9

7

Shot-on-target accuracy

45%

32%

39%

Take-ons per 90

1.4

1

0.7

Take-on success

47%

38%

38%

Aerials won

46%

44%

34%

Fouls won

1.8

1

1.3

Delap, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also achieved a higher shot on target accuracy rate, showcasing his clinical nature within the final third.

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90 this campaign and also having a higher aerial success rate, offering an all-round presence that the club have missed in the last few months.

Given the form of the current Reds strikers, it wouldn’t be a surprise to no one to see either of them offloaded during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Should they leave, Delap has showcased that he’s a perfect option to replace either of the current forwards, improving further with higher-quality players around him.

If he moves and gets anywhere close to the levels produced by Owen, it would be a bargain deal at £40m, potentially taking Slot’s reign at Anfield to the next level.

Best signing after Van Dijk: Liverpool struck gold on "world-class" star

He’s been one of the best footballers in the world for quite a few years.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 8, 2025

India coach praises the selectors’ input and their captain was pleased with Kuldeep and Jaiswal’s growth

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2024

After winning a series in which injuries, player unavailability, workload management and general transition forced India to give out five debuts – their joint-equal highest after their very first series – India’s coach has reserved special praise for the selectors, who, Rahul Dravid said, “pushed and challenged” the team management to play new options.At various points in the series, India missed Mohammed Shami, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj, but were 4-1 victors despite losing the first Test. The commentators of the broadcast were congratulating Dravid and the support staff when he made a special mention for the selectors.”I’d just like to give a big shoutout to Ajit [Agarkar, chairman of selectors] and his team as well,” Dravid said. “A lot of the youngsters that come in, honestly, as a coach and as a captain, we don’t actually get to see them because we don’t see as much domestic cricket as Ajit and his team of selectors do. And they’ve pushed us and they’ve challenged us to pick some of these young players and they’ve picked the right ones and they’ve come out here and performed. So sometimes it’s not easy being a selector because you always get the criticism but a big credit and a big pat on the back to Ajit and his team as well.”Related

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One of the selections that worked out splendidly was wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, who was picked with an experience of just 15 first-class matches. The wicketkeeper had become a tricky spot for India in Pant’s absence especially with Ishan Kishan practically making himself unavailable for international cricket. However, just in his second Test Jurel prevented India from falling behind by a huge margin in Ranchi, a performance that bagged him the Player-of-the-Match award.Considering the high number of newcomers in the side, India needed some of the relative youngsters to put in veteran performances. Yashasvi Jaiswal, experience of four Tests coming into the series, and Kuldeep Yadav, eight caps coming into the series, stood up throughout. Jaiswal bagged the Player-of-the-Series award, becoming only the second India batter to score 700 or more in a series, and Kuldeep became the fastest Indian bowler and the second-fastest spinner overall to 50 Test wickets.Rohit was full of praise for them. “It was a long conversation [with Kuldeep, when he was down and out],” Rohit said. “It’s not maybe once or twice. It was over a period of time that we had conversations with him. Certainly, has got a lot of potential. We know that he can be a match-winner on his day. We saw in the first innings where chips were down a little bit. He came and bowled pretty well.”He’s got something about him, which we all need to be happy about. After his injury – he had a knee injury a couple of years back – he has worked hard at NCA, worked with his coaches, and is putting a lot of body into the ball, which is good to see. The most pleasing was his batting through the series.”Rohit had been wary of praising Jaiswal too much lest he jinx him, but once the series was over he let himself celebrate his opening partner. “I can talk about him now,” Rohit said. “Guy’s got a long way to go. Started off really well. This is amazing to be in this position for him personally. We saw through the series he wants to take on the bowlers and that is something that we want to encourage. When the guy’s got talent like that, who can play the shots like that, puts bowlers under pressure from the word go, that’s something that we want to encourage and something we want to take forward.”Obviously there will be a lot of challenges for him moving forward, but I’m pretty sure he is a tough guy. He has come a long way to where he is right now. So obviously he will understand what he needs to do individually and then what the team expects from him as well.”