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Manchester United are only at the beginning of Ruben Amorim’s era in charge at Old Trafford, but they look set to enter the market this summer for some exciting additions.

Ruben Amorim's Manchester United transfer rescue mission

Following a quiet transfer window for Manchester United, Ruben Amorim managed to bring in Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven to bolster the ranks. Limited funds were available to strengthen a squad in need of regeneration, though the Portuguese boss was able to mitigate his main problem position at left-back amid Luke Shaw’s injury problems.

Expectedly, the former Sporting manager will return to the market this summer in search of youthful exuberence to freshen up a group littered with depreciating assets. The likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are taking up valuable Manchester United wage space, while others are simply not pulling their weight and may need shipped out.

While Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee’s inefficiency in front of goal has made the headlines, there is no doubt the engine room has to be replenished further once the window opens again. Nevertheless, Toby Collyer deserves a special mention following his emergence as an option that could succeed one or two of his counterparts.

Homegrown English talent is the way to go for Manchester United. Not only do they represent pure profit in line with PSR regulations; they also ease registration worries for European competitions. With that in mind, could they turn to the Premier League for a sprinkle of stardust?

Manchester United still retain strong Adam Wharton admiration

As per TEAMtalk, Manchester United still hold strong internal admiration towards Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton after decision-makers at the club wanted him as a replacement for Eriksen last year.

Around the time the Red Devils planned on offloading the Denmark veteran, Wharton suffered an injury which halted his progress following an explosive breakthrough in South London. Now, he will be monitored by Amorim’s men for the foreseeable future despite alternative interest from Manchester City and Newcastle United.

Manchester United midfielders’ contract expiry dates

Christian Eriksen

June 2025

Casemiro

June 2026

Kobbie Mainoo

June 2027

Bruno Fernandes

June 2027

Mason Mount

June 2028

Manuel Ugarte

June 2029

Toby Collyer

June 2027

Despite Crystal Palace preparing to charge a huge price for the Three Lions midfielder, who has been labelled ‘top-level’ by Declan Rice, United chiefs remain head over heels for the star and his situation will be one to watch as the summer draws closer.

Limited in his involvement this term, Fotmob show Wharton has won ten tackles, made 11 interceptions and 53 recoveries on Premier League duty, with six of those coming in the opposition’s final third.

Tentative excitement is in the air at Old Trafford once Amorim has the chance to fully assess his squad in the summer. Arrivals are bound to supplement departures, and reducing the age of the squad has to be a priority. Fitting the bill, Wharton is someone who could fit the bill as a long-term solution as the Red Devils roadmap a route to success to put themselves back among the elite in English football.

Moment of ‘pure joy’ for Knight, Cross as England stay in the series in epic fashion

Andrew Miller12-Jul-2023

Alyssa Healy, Australia’s captain, has challenged her side to throw out the excuses and galvanise for a response, after conceding that England’s third consecutive victory in the white-ball leg of the Women’s Ashes has left the series “on the line now, proper”.After slipping to a 6-0 deficit following defeat in the one-off Test in Trent Bridge and the first T20I at Edgbaston, England have now roared back to contention, squaring the rubber at six points all with a nailbiting two-wicket win in Bristol, with two final ODIs to come at Southampton and Taunton.And while Australia need only to take victory in either match to retain the trophy that they have held since 2015, the fearlessness of England’s fightback – led on this occasion by Heather Knight’s superb captain’s innings of 75 not out but epitomised by an astonishing penultimate-over ramp for four from Kate Cross – has put real belief into their team’s challenge.Fittingly, it was left to Knight to seal the chase with an emphatic slap for four through point off Jess Jonassen, after which she flung away her bat and let her emotions pour out as she leapt into Cross’s arms and soaked up the acclaim of another packed house, with 5,731 fans in Bristol’s County Ground.”It was just pure relief and ecstasy,” Knight said at the post-match presentation. “I thought it was slipping away there when we were eight-down, we kept losing wickets at regular intervals and kept making it hard for ourselves, but I was just trying to stay in my little bubble and keep really calm.”At 235 for 8, England still needed 29 to save the series, with only Lauren Bell to come, but Cross settled quickly into her work with back-to-back fours off Jonassen, before Knight climbed into the spin of Ashleigh Gardner with a huge six over cow corner. And then, with the requirement into single figures, Cross unfurled the stroke that telegraphed the extent of England’s resolve.”Kate Cross, what a hero,” Knight said. “She was quite nervous when she came in, but we just broke it down, trying to get it in tens. And when fine leg came up, I just had a chat with her, ‘paddle’s on, I back you to do it’. I thought she might go pace off, but Crossy executed it brilliantly, and took all the pressure off.”Cross finished unbeaten on 19 from 20 balls from No.10, a priceless contribution that showcased all of her experience, and more than made up for a tricky day with the ball, with her six overs in Australia’s innings going for 42. What’s more, after being laid low by a tropical disease in March that disrupted Cross’s preparation for this series, it was further proof of the fighting qualities that had got her back to full fitness for this campaign.”I kept saying to her, ‘Lauren Bell’s in next, so keep going, keep getting it down,” Knight joked. “Poor Lauren was a bit nervous, but I’m really pleased for Kate. She’s probably not had the best day but she’s one of the most resilient people that I know, so to see her do that was outstanding.”Heather Knight gets low to reverse-sweep during her matchwinning knock•PA Images/Getty

For Healy and Australia, however, it was a deeply chastening loss. Last week, their 2-1 defeat in the T20Is was their first loss in any series since 2017-18; now they have lost their first ODI in 16 attempts – and only their third in 46 – and have lost three matches in a row for the first time since February 2017.”I mean, the Ashes is on the line now proper, isn’t it?” Healy said. “So if that doesn’t galvanise the group, I don’t know what it does. We obviously haven’t been in this position a lot. And you know, we either see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, or we see it as an opportunity to throw excuses out there. So it’s up to us to turn it around for the next two games, [because] that Ashes trophy is well and truly on the line.”Defending 264, Australia were rattled early on by a brilliant Powerplay onslaught from Tammy Beaumont and Alice Capsey, whose fast-paced 40s helped lift England to 84 for 1, their highest 10-over score in ODI history. And though their spinners in particular helped to stem the tide, the run-rate remained below five an over for the bulk of the remaining chase.And despite a scruffy display that contained 23 extras, the multiple World Champions refused to give up without a fight – a trait that gave Healy some comfort as she prepared for what will doubtless be a difficult post-match debrief.”It ended up going right down to the wire,” she said. “Look, we just got outplayed a little bit at the end but thought we fought really well to keep ourselves in the fixture. It was a good game of cricket all round.Related

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Ladies who Switch: Ashes alive with England on a roll

“We were probably 20 runs short with a bat, and then we bowled 20-odd extras so I mean, that’s 40 runs in the game, so it’s probably what’s done us at the end of the day.”We’ve been showing it in patches,” she added. “The way we took it as deep as what we did, shows it’s still there. We’ve just got to be better, got to be sharper in different certain areas to get ourselves over the line. And that’s what we’re going to have to find over the next few days.”England, however, also have room for improvement even after this thrilling win, in particular their own fielding display which was marked by six dropped catches and a missed stumping. Knight, however, credited the Bristol crowd for playing their part in keeping the team’s spirits high throughout, and carrying them over the line.”We can be a lot better as well,” Knight said. “It was definitely not our best day. But the fight in the side is remarkable and we showed that again today.””I found it a really tricky wicket, I don’t think I middled one until I was on about 30,” Knight added. “It was quite hard to feel fluent and to rotate the ball around but the crowd kept us in it.”We know Australia are a brilliant team and we’re going to have to go again in Southampton, but the support from the crowd was unreal. I had to not get too high when everyone was singing Hey Jude at the end, and try not to sing along in my head, but it’s been awesome.”The support’s really made the difference for us and hopefully that will continue over the next few games. It’s been an awesome series. I wouldn’t mind a few less nail-biters, to be sure, but it was just pure joy at the end.”

أجريت قرعة دور ربع نهائي بطولة كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية، كاراباو، موسم 2025-2026، وشهدت مواجهات قوية وأخرى متوازنة.

وانطلقت منافسات دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس كاراباو، أمس الثلاثاء، وشهدت ثلاث مباريات، بين جريمسبي وبرينتفورد، وايكومب وفولهام، ريكسهام وكارديف.

واستأنفت يوم الأربعاء، مباريات دور الـ16، والتي شهدت مواجهة بين ليفربول وكريستال بالاس، تشيلسي وولفرهامبتون، مانشستر سيتي وسوانزي سيتي، آرسنال وبرايتون، بالإضافة إلى توتنهام ونيوكاسل يونايتد.

وودع ليفربول المسابقة بعد هزيمته بثلاثية نظيفة أمام كريستال بالاس، وتغلب مانشستر سيتي على سوانزي بثلاثية لهدف، وحقق آرسنال فوزًا أمام برايتون بهدفين دون رد، وتشيلسي تخطى ولفرهامبتون بنتيجة 4-3، وفاز نيوكاسل على توتنهام بهدفين دون رد.

وتقام مباريات ربع نهائي كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية، كاراباو، يوم 15 ديسمبر المقبل، وسيعلن لاحقًا عن مواعيد المباريات بشكل محدد. الأندية المتأهلة لربع نهائي كأس كاراباو

برينتفورد.

فولهام.

كارديف.

تشيلسي.

آرسنال.

كريستال بالاس.

مانشستر سيتي.

نيوكاسل. نتائج قرعة ربع نهائي كأس كاراباو

آرسنال ضد كريستال بالاس.

مانشستر سيتي ضد برينتفورد.

نيوكاسل ضد فولهام.

تشيلسي ضد كارديف سيتي.

Wrexham have been warned, as they bid to become the No.1 team in Wales, that they are entering “one of the hardest leagues in world football”.

• Run of three successive promotions
• Hollywood co-owners dreaming big
• Ready for Championship challenge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Three successive promotions, with the history books being rewritten along the way, have lifted the Red Dragons into the Championship. Dreams of one day reaching the Premier League continue to form at SToK Racecourse.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have helped to fund an ambitious project that shows no sign of slowing down. Wrexham have been busy again in the summer transfer window, with recruitment records being smashed on a regular basis.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Phil Parkinson is aware of the need to raise collective standards, despite all that he has achieved, with Wrexham now operating at a level above former top-flight performers Cardiff City and alongside Swansea.

• Getty
  

  WHAT PHELAN SAID

  Quizzed on whether the Red Dragons can become top dogs in Wales, former Swans defender Terry Phelan – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “When ownership come in, they have a vision. Wrexham are a big club, let’s be honest. Wrexham are a massive club. Back in the day, Wrexham were competing with everybody – Micky Thomas was playing there, Joey Jones, Brian Flynn was there.

  “You look at Wrexham, the owners have gone in there, seen the vision and put this vision together. They have gone out and splashed big money, so they are not afraid of spending. They are going in the right direction. They have a wonderful environment with the ground, the training facilities on the way, and what they want to do is attract players. You want to attract players because it’s a new project. I think they are selling the project very well.

  “Yeah, it’s a different kettle of fish now, they are going to be playing in one of the hardest leagues in world football. That is a big statement. It is a hard league and we’ll see how they go.

  “Swansea, bit of a yo-yo club. They have been there in the EPL, come down a little bit, but I think they will always be there or thereabouts. South vs North, there is a bit of distance there. The rivalry is more between Swansea and Cardiff, so I think Wrexham will just want to compete at the highest level and with the best teams.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da apostaganha： O Palmeiras encara o Atlético-MG nesta quinta-feira (19), no Allianz Parque, precisando da vitória para se recuperar na tabela do Brasileirão após três derrotas seguidas na competição.

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da betobet： + Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

Mas se depender do apoio da torcida, o time de Abel Ferreira deve sentir a falta do apoio total dos palmeirenses pela primeira vez no ano dentro de sua nova arena.

+ O brabo tem nome! Aposte R$100 e ganhe R$340 com gol de Rony, do Palmeiras, contra o Atlético-MG

Com uma baixa procura e muitos ingressos disponíveis para a venda, podemos ter um público na casa dos 25 mil pagantes no duelo diante do Galo, o que seria o pior público do ano na casa palmeirense.

continua após a publicidade

O horário das 19h, o preço dos ingressos e a atual fase de protesto da torcida com a diretoria talvez expliquem a falta de interesse de muitos palmeirenses para a partida.

Os ingressos para a torcida do Verdão estão sendo comercializados no site www.ingressospalmeiras.com.br e até no Gol Norte, que é o setor mais barato do estádio, ainda possuem cadeiras disponíveis para venda.

continua após a publicidade

+ Palmeiras joga pesado com Flamengo e aumenta proposta por Bruno Henrique

A bola rola para Palmeiras x Atlético-MG a partir das 19h (horário de Brasília) desta quinta-feira (19), e o jogo terá transmissão apenas do Premiere FC.

“She can accelerate as well as play the defensive role, which is great as a batter to have”

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2025

Pratika Rawal has made one of the strongest starts to an ODI career by any batter, male or female. No woman has scored as many runs in their first six innings as Rawal has – 444 at an average of 74.00 – and only one man, South Africa’s Janneman Malan, has done better.On Wednesday, Rawal made her biggest splash yet, stroking 154 off 129 balls, adding 233 with her opening partner Smriti Mandhana, and helping India smash multiple records – including their biggest ODI total, 435 for 5 – during the third ODI against Ireland.Related

Mandhana and Rawal's tons fire India to record win

Stats – Mandhana smashes fastest ODI century for India on record-breaking day

Mandhana, India’s stand-in captain in the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur, was full of praise for Rawal after the match, and noted her versatility as one of her biggest strengths.”Yeah, really pleased with the way she’s batting,” Mandhana said of Rawal. “I feel [she] has a really calm head on her shoulders, knows what she’s doing, has I think both sort of games, where she can accelerate as well as play the defensive role, which is great as a batter to have.”To see her rise from the first one-dayer against West Indies [last month] to now is really nice, and good runner between the wickets as well, converts the ones into twos, which always helps in one-day cricket. So really happy for her, and I hope she keeps continuing her form, because it’s a big year for us [India are due to host the ODI World Cup in August-September].”‘Sometimes you have to go out and respect the conditions, but [on] wickets like these – if it’s in your slot, you have to go for it’•BCCI

India’s batters enjoyed a hugely productive series against Ireland, chasing down 239 in less than 35 overs in the first ODI and posting 370 in the second before Wednesday’s record-obliterating events. Mandhana felt that the Rajkot pitch was the kind where batters could play their shots with utmost freedom, and she certainly did on her way to scoring India’s fastest-ever ODI century, off 70 balls, and finishing with 135 off 80 balls.”I would love to carry this wicket [everywhere I go] as a batter for sure, but as a captain I don’t know. It’s a hard wicket to bowl on. But for me it was very clear than I wanted to go out and try and play shots which are in my arc, because it’s not every day that you get the opportunity to do that as an opening batter, because sometimes you have to go out and respect the conditions and play, but [on] wickets like these and the outfield – if it’s in your slot, you have to go for it.”There was no clear plan. I just said, if it’s in my arc, I’m going to go for it. Some days it comes off, some days it doesn’t. Today I’m happy that it came off.”Having posted a record total, India went on to defend it with aplomb, with spinners Deepti Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar and Minnu Mani sharing six wickets and help bundle Ireland out for 131. The 304-run win was India’s biggest in ODIs.Tanuja Kanwar picked up 2 for 31•BCCI

Ireland had batted through their 50 overs in the first two ODIs, but Mandhana felt India’s bowlers had been just as good in those two games – it was just that there was a bit more help for the spinners in the third ODI, with the same pitch being used through the series, and that Ireland’s batters had tried to play more shots in pursuit of their steep target.”I think today the wicket also gave a lot of assistance to our spinners, because it was the same wicket which was used in the first two ODIs as well, so there was a little bit of spin on offer,” Mandhana said. “I think first two one-dayers, there was not much in it, and also today they came out and were trying to play some shots, and sometimes, when the batters play shots, that’s the best time to get opportunity to get them out.”In the first two one-dayers I thought they were just trying to take a single or double, which again… it’s a hard wicket to bowl and try and get them out. I wouldn’t say that the bowlers did not do [well] in the first or second ODI. I think they bowled brilliantly in the first and second ODI as well, but today there was a little bit more in the wicket for them and, as I said, the batters playing shots helps.”For all the damage the spinners did, it was fast bowlers Titas Sadhu and Sayali Satghare who set the tone, taking two of the first three wickets to begin Ireland’s slide.”Yeah, I think they both bowled really well, got us the first two early wickets, which is always good to get with the new ball, sets the foundations for the spinners to come,” Mandhana said. “Saima [Thakor], Sayali, Titas, all three bowled really well throughout the three ODIs, and it’s a pretty difficult wicket and outfield to bowl [on], so really happy for them.”

It is not the average score at a venue. It’s not the scoring rate. And it’s not the perfect winning score

Anantha Narayanan15-Mar-2019

– from

MatériaMais Notícias

da bwin： A Seleção Brasileira foi derrotada pelo Uruguai por 2 a 0, nesta terça-feira (17), em Montevidéu, no Estádio Centenário, pela quarta rodada das Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo de 2026. Nuñez e De La Cruz marcaram para os uruguaios. O próximo desafio agora é somente em novembro contra Colômbia e Argentina. Por enquanto, assista no vídeo acima à entrevista coletiva na íntegra do técnico técnico Fernando Diniz após a derrota canarinho:

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da heads bet： + Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

+ Uruguai passa fácil pelo Brasil e assume a vice-liderança das Eliminatórias

Meet the teenage Warwickshire player who might end up as one of the fastest bowlers in the women’s game

Valkerie Baynes21-Mar-2020Issy Wong doesn’t just make solving a Rubik’s Cube in a matter of seconds easy, she makes it like the simplest thing in the world too.When a spectator at last year’s Kia Super League Finals Day was spotted with a Cube – that 3-D puzzle that ranks alongside Pac-Man and Space Invaders as the quintessential icon of a 1980s childhood well spent – someone in the Southern Vipers’ dugout dropped their team-mate right in the spotlight: “You should see Wongy, she can do it in 30 seconds.”So there she was, a teenager who had barely played a handful of games for the Vipers, on live TV, reeling her way through a complex puzzle as her team cheered her on. For the record, she solved it in 33 seconds, smashing her previous personal best of 35.

Just 33 seconds!

17-year old Isabelle Wong was speedsolving the Rubik's Cube during #KSLFinalsDay

: @ECB_cricket pic.twitter.com/SQKIJSxtgb

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 2, 2019

“I think we can call that performing on the big stage,” Wong says with a laugh. “I was the most nervous I’ve ever been, I was shaking like a leaf in the wind.”Asked how she does it, she responds with the most astute of analogies.”With most things, if you know what you’re looking for, it becomes a lot clearer, so there’s certain patterns, certain things you can look for, and once you see that, that’s almost like a trigger for the next pattern of moves,” she says. “Like in cricket, if you see a half-volley outside your off stump, you know the next step is a cover drive. It’s almost the same thing but on a much smaller scale.”Wong is not just quick with a puzzle in her hand. Put a cricket ball in it and she is seriously rapid too. She hovers around the 70mph mark at the age of just 17, and has her sights set on going much faster.”It’s obviously a long way off at the moment, but the 80-clicks mark has never been hit by a girl yet, so it’s certainly an ambition of mine over the next few years,” she says. “Hopefully I can keep getting stronger, keep getting quicker. I just want to keep going, and that’s in the back of my mind.”Clever, ambitious and precociously talented, Wong has created quite the buzz among some high-profile peers, and the excitable chatter accompanying her emergence on the elite scene has been recognised with a call-up to play for Birmingham Phoenix in the Women’s Hundred.Tony Marsh/CricpixThere, presuming the tournament goes ahead despite the current uncertainty over what impact the Covid-19 pandemic will have on the English season, Wong will be captained by New Zealand captain Sophie Devine.”Issy Wong is a name that really stands out for me,” Devine says. “I’ve heard a lot of her name thrown around the last year or two. Any bowler that can bowl at some decent clicks is certainly going to catch your eye over a lot of people.”Word of mouth is that she hits the deck hard and hurries batters up, which I think is a really exciting thing in the women’s game.”We’re seeing a lot more of it now – bowlers bowling with real pace. And she’s certainly going to offer something slightly different for us in having that extra pace. She’s obviously a pretty smart cricketer as well, so there’s lots to work with there.”Born in London to English parents – her father has Chinese heritage – Wong acknowledges the cricketing traditions of her mother’s native Yorkshire, but her only real connection with the sport lies with her grandfather “who played a bit when he was younger”.”When I was in trouble and it was a bit awkward, I always used to say, ‘So Grandad, how’s the cricket going?’ to change the topic,” she says. “But apart from that no one in my family really played.”The Wongs moved to Warwickshire when Issy was five, and she started playing the game at an after-school club. One of the coaches suggested she join her local club, which she did around the age of seven and from there she joined Warwickshire.Progressing through the county’s youth pathway, she was part of the Warwickshire women’s side that lifted the county T20 trophy last year, and then she was named in the England Women’s Academy squad.Now in her final year at Shrewsbury School, where she became the first girl to play for the 1st XI in 2019, Wong plans to delay going to university so that she can focus entirely on cricket for a few years “and see where that could take me”.Paul Greetham, Warwickshire’s high-performance manager, describes Wong as a “major success story” of the county age-group system.”From a very early age she had this obvious desire to bowl quicker than anybody else, particularly, and as her batting’s developed, she’s learnt she can hit the ball quite a long way as well, so she’s always had a bit of X-factor about her, and always shown a high level of ambition without coming across as arrogant or cocky,” Greetham says.Tony Marsh/Cricpix”I can remember as a 12- or 13-year-old she was stating that she wanted to be the fastest women’s bowler ever. She’s always had that about her.”The other thing that I think sort of set her apart is that she always seemed very comfortable playing amongst boys, and she wasn’t just satisfied with playing alongside them, she wanted to beat them. I’ve always admired that about her.”A smooth run-up and energetic attack on the crease, combined with a good technical bowling action, lend Wong the speed that has so many people talking about her, but Greetham believes desire plays a big part too.”Not everybody’s got that,” he says. “She still is a developing athlete. I genuinely think she can get close to 80 miles an hour at some point, and I don’t think there has been a female seamer that has reached those heights. She’s got that ambition to do it. “Bowling aside, at this early stage of her career there is still the prospect of Wong developing into an allrounder given the enjoyment she derives from hitting the ball a long way and her lack of inhibition when it comes to hitting in the air.”My batting is, um, hit and miss, I’d say,” Wong says. “When it comes off, it’s, I think the word is ‘entertaining’. I’m certainly more of a bowler, but looking to keep developing my batting and hopefully develop into an allrounder as I get older.”Greetham believes her batting can reach a high level. “I think she’s better than a lower-order batter,” he says. “I think she could develop into definitely a middle-order batter, there’s no two ways about that. She’s got enough about her and she loves batting as well.”Should the English season get underway in some form or other, and the inaugural Hundred goes ahead as planned, Wong will have the opportunity to expand her cricketing education among some of the best in the business.”It will be a big step for her in terms of who she’ll be playing with or against,” Greetham says. “Any 18-year-old would be relatively inexperienced, but the thing that she won’t be is daunted. She’ll just see it as another game of cricket and one that she wants to have an impact upon.”It seems Issy Wong is making something of an impact on the game as a whole already.

Sunderland are the early big spenders out of all the newly promoted teams heading up to the Premier League.

Leeds have secured three new buys in the form of Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol, and Sebastiaan Bornauw, but the Whites’ promising business has been blown out of the water by the Black Cats’ lavish approach, as seen in Sunderland forking out a combined £50m to land both Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra.

Plenty more luxurious buys could soon be on the menu away from this club-record £30m deal, as Regis Le Bris eyes up Ligue 1 and beyond to improve his budding squad.

More transfers expected at Sunderland

Le Bris must know the French top division inside and out, having previously been at the helm of ex-employers Lorient in the division.

Transfer Focus

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

He’s certainly clued up on those who he thinks could take the Premier League by storm, with Sunderland reportedly interested in the likes of Lyon’s electric attacker Georges Mikautadze and standout Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell to immediately improve their first-team options, while they are also allegedly keeping close tabs on 20-year-old starlet Arthur Evom Ebong.

Yet, his next buy could see him venture out to Serie A to try and link up with Matteo Guendouzi.

Indeed, reports from Italy suggest that Lazio are scared about the prospect of keeping their star Frenchman around this summer, with Aston Villa, neighbours Newcastle United and Sunderland named as interested parties.

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3

18/19

48

1

2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Although it is reported that Sunderland may have to splash out a club-record £43m to land Guendouzi, it could be a worthwhile splurge to make, even as the Black Cats edge closer to adding Noah Sadiki to their plentiful midfield options.

His wealth of Premier League experience could potentially be invaluable to the Wearside underdogs as they climb back up to the top-flight, alongside the fact that the 26-year-old has turned into an even more formidable central midfield option in Italy.

Why Guendouzi would be a better signing than Sadiki

Of course, Sadiki could go on to be another youngster that Sunderland manage to get the very best out of, with the Congo international no doubt joining the Stadium of Light ranks dreaming of becoming the Black Cats’ next Jobe Bellingham-style project.

Last season, the 20-year-old undoubtedly impressed those out in Belgium, with the versatile Saint-Union Gilloise number 27 helping himself to two goals for his Europa League-competing outfit across the 2024/25 campaign, leading to Sunderland making their £17.75m move.

Yet, if it’s immediate success Sunderland are after – instead of waiting around for a youngster to learn the Premier League ropes – Guendouzi is their next best possible buy.

The 6-foot-1 battler is very much well-versed in what it takes to be a competent performer in some top leagues, having now made a mammoth 151 appearances in both Ligue 1 and Serie A, away from just his 57 top-flight outings in North London.

He will no doubt be chomping at the bit to return to England, too, considering he wasn’t always the star of the show at the Gunners. Still, even from just 23 Premier League starts during his final Arsenal season, he still showed off his presence as a “monster” – as he’s been glowing labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – winning 4.8 duels per game.

Games played

37

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

Touches*

68.3

Accurate passes*

52.1 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

4.7

The 26-year-old has since refined other aspects of his varied game at the Stadio Olimpico, with the table above showing off his well-rounded characteristics as a far more confident and assured performer when averaging a mightily impressive 91% pass accuracy last season in the hustle and bustle of Serie A.

If there’s any manager that could get even more of Guendouzi, too, it’s Le Bris, with the popular Wearside boss once coaching the Frenchman during the early stages of his football education at Lorient.

Also hailed as possessing “something special” by journalist Aaron West in the past, it does feel as if the time is right for the ex-Gunners midfielder to return to England and be a star, whilst Sadiki waits for his moment in the spotlight down the line.

Shades of Cresswell: Sunderland now in advanced talks to sign £4m star

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ByKelan Sarson Jul 3, 2025