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Fakhar Zaman has been named in Pakistan’s squad for the Champions Trophy, marking his return after he fell out with the PCB over a social media post in October 2024. In a squad that PCB called “horses for courses”, Faheem Ashraf, who last played international cricket in 2023, has also been called up. Khushdil Shah and Saud Shakeel are also included. The same squad will also play the ODI tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in the build-up to the Champions Trophy.The squad confirms what was widely feared within Pakistan: Saim Ayub remains unavailable because of the ankle fracture he sustained during the Cape Town Test. At the time, it was announced he would be out for six weeks, but it was believed his chances of recovering in time for the Champions Trophy were exceptionally slim. Earlier today, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed Ayub’s return remained “at least four weeks” away.Abdullah Shafique’s loss of form has cost him a place in the squad. In the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, which Pakistan won 3-0, he became the first player to be dismissed for a duck in every match of a series. It means Pakistan will go in with a completely different opening pairing, with Fakhar likely to pair up with either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, with the PCB citing Babar’s success opening in Test cricket as a potential factor to consider.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition and match strategy,” a statement from Asad Shafiq, a member of the selection panel, said. “Both players are highly capable at the top of the order, with Babar being particularly seasoned in the role, regularly opening in T20Is and also excelling in the Cape Town Test by scoring two half-centuries in Saim Ayub’s absence.”The squad also retains its pace-heavy element that saw Pakistan win three successive away ODI series towards the end of last year. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain are all part of the final 15, with only one specialist spinner in Abrar Ahmed. Neither Sufiyan Muqeem, who took four wickets on debut in the only ODI he played, nor Shadab Khan, who captained his side to Champions Cup glory in September, have made the final cut.Related

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“One of the standout qualities of this side is its flexibility – an essential trait in today’s modern-day cricket,” Asad Shafiq, a member of the selection panel. “We are confident that this squad strikes the right balance between youth and experience, and has all bases covered. Each player has been chosen with a clear role in mind, ensuring the captain has versatile options at his disposal.”Irfan Khan, who was eyed by the selection committee as a key component of Pakistan’s middle order and feted for his fielding, also drops out. Faheem’s return comes off the back of limited ODI cricket, having had an indifferent Champions Cup in September. Strong showings with the bat in the President Cup in October, however, seem to have played a part in earning him what appeared an unlikely recall.Pakistan’s first game at the Champions Trophy comes against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19, following which they go to Dubai to play against India. They play their final group game against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 27.

Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

Indian allrounders Krunal Pandya and Nitish Rana were sought after by RCB and RR

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-20242:04

Moody: Curran poses a left-hand conundrum with bat for CSK

Bhuvneshwar Kumar emerged as the most expensive player sold in the early bidding on day two of the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) buying him for INR 10.75 crore (US$ 1.28 million approx.).Fast bowlers were in high demand with Deepak Chahar going to Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 9.25 crore ($1.10 million approx.), Akash Deep to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 8 crore ($0.95 million approx.), Mukesh Kumar to Delhi Capitals (DC) for INR 8 crore ($0.95 million approx.), pace-bowling allrounder Marco Jansen to Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 7 crore ($0.83 million approx.), and Tushar Deshpande to Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 6.50 crore ($0.77 million approx.).RCB and RR also went up against each other for Indian spin allrounders, with RCB snapping up Krunal Pandya for INR 5.75 crore ($0.68 million approx.)and RR getting Nitish Rana for INR 4.20 crore ($0.50 million approx.).Related

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A large number of players were unsold in the early bidding, including established IPL names like Shardul Thakur, Kane Williamson and Ajinkya Rahane. There were no takers for Prithvi Shaw either, despite his base price being only INR 75 lakh. On day one, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow were among the high-profile players to go unsold.Records were broken on day one of the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, when PBKS first bought Shreyas Iyer for INR 26.75 crore and then LSG bought Rishabh Pant for INR 27 crore, making them the most expensive players in the history of the league.

Despite already securing the services of Mohammed Kudus this summer, there’s still a huge lingering sense of disappointment at Tottenham Hotspur so far this summer.

Morgan Gibbs-White emerged as a key target for Thomas Frank’s side, as the Dane looks to improve the forward options at his disposal in North London.

The hierarchy even went to the length of triggering his £60m release clause, leading to Fabrizio Romano confirming he was set for a medical at the club.

However, his move has now been cancelled after Nottingham Forest lodged an appeal for an illegal approach, resulting in the 25-year-old signing a record-breaking contract with his current employers.

As a result, missing out on his signature has seen other targets being considered for the number ten role, with Frank evidently wanting to improve such a position ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for a new attacking midfielder

Despite having James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski already on the books at Spurs, other attacking options are being considered to provide depth within the final third.

The likes of James McAtee, Harvey Elliott and Jack Grealish have been touted with moves to North London, still remaining on their shortlist despite interest elsewhere.

They’re not the only ones currently in their sights, leading to Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey being named as another target, according to TBR Football.

They claim that the Lilywhites are weighing up a move for the 24-year-old forward, who could be able to depart Villa Park if an acceptable offer is presented this summer.

The report also states that Unai Emery’s side are currently demanding a £40m fee to part ways with the academy graduate who’s notched 14 Premier League goals in his career to date.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be their answer to Gibbs-White

There’s no denying that, given the work conducted for Gibbs-White’s signature this summer, that the Forest star was the number one target to strengthen their squad.

Frank has previously stated his admiration for the England international, likely being gutted to miss out on his services after the hierarchy demonstrated their ambition, given years of inactivity in the market.

£60m in today’s market would’ve been an excellent price tag for a player of his quality, but if the club are to be successful next campaign, they will need to rapidly move on to other targets.

Such a situation has seen Ramsey emerge as a key target for Frank’s side, potentially allowing them to forget about the disappointment currently being felt in North London.

However, any move for the Villa star would allow the club to land their own version of the Forest star, potentially replicating a deal that saw the 25-year-old move to the City Ground.

Ramsey could join the Lilywhites for a similar fee as Gibbs-White did a couple of years ago, whilst also moving away from his boyhood club in order to further his career.

The similarities are there for all to see, but when delving into their underlying figures from 2024/25, the Villa academy graduate has managed to better the former target in various areas, arguably being a better addition for Frank’s side.

Games played

29

34

Goals & assists

4

15

Pass accuracy

85%

78%

Passes into opposition box

1.4

1.3

Take-on success

54%

40%

Progressive carries

3.4

2.2

Carries into opposition box

1.2

0.4

Tackles won

0.9

0.7

Blocks made

1.3

0.5

Ramsey, who’s been dubbed “ridiculous” by Squawka, managed to complete more passes, registering more into the opposition box per 90 last season, arguably being a more creative option for the Lilywhites.

The number ten role also requires individual brilliance, something which the 24-year-old possesses, as seen by his higher tallies of take-ons completed and carries into the opposition’s box per 90.

Whilst the attacking role requires talent with the ball, it also comes with the demands of being effective out of possession, something which the Villa gem has demonstrated, winning more tackles per 90, potentially being a superb all-round option within the current Spurs side.

He may not provide the immediate excitement like a deal for Gibbs-White did, but Ramsey is a hugely talented player who could add further quality to the current first team squad in North London.

If he can continue on his current trajectory, he could even surpass the levels produced by the Reds’ talent, potentially seeing the disappointment of missing out on his signature become a blessing in disguise.

Big Solanke upgrade: Spurs exploring deal to sign £26m "monster"

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ByDan Emery Jul 27, 2025

With James Trafford already on his way, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie reports Newcastle United may soon complete another deal to sign a £60m reinforcement and finally kickstart their summer.

James Trafford set to join Newcastle

While the narrative around Newcastle’s transfer window has so far been failure, that could be about to change. The Magpies are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign long-term target Trafford in what could be the start of their summer finally turning around.

After Trafford, those at St James’ Park are likely to shift their focus back towards their frontline. Although their need for a striker has been somewhat eased by the fact that Callum Wilson has put pen to paper on a new deal, they’ve still got their sights set on signing a new right-winger.

Just who that will be is the question. Already this summer, Newcastle have been rejected by Bryan Mbeumo and then by Joao Pedro, who now looks set to join Premier League rivals Chelsea. It’s rejection that they will be frustrated by given their Champions League place, but rejection that they must move on from.

Even better than Guehi: Newcastle now in talks to sign £43m "top talent"

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ByRoss Kilvington Jul 1, 2025

Alternatives mentioned so far includes Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott. The 22-year-old enjoyed an excellent U21 Euros tournament – winning Player of the Tournament as England won the competition for a second time under Lee Carsley. Now available for around £50m, Newcastle could make their move.

If not Elliott, however, then it could still be one long-term target who one reporter now expects to complete a move to St James’ Park this summer.

Keith Downie now expects Elanga to join Newcastle

As reported on his YouTube channel, Sky Sports’ Keith Downie now expects Newcastle’s deal to sign Elanga “will get done” this summer with the Swede happy to swap Nottingham Forest for Tyneside.

Downie said on his YouTube channel: “All the noises are that Elanga is the number one choice. Of course, that was Bryan Mbeumo, but it’s now been moved to Elanga, and I can see him being perfect for Eddie Howe’s style.

“I feel that deal will get done. Newcastle aren’t in competition with anyone and they know that they are close in terms of the fee. I think the player would be happy to move here from what I’m being told. And it’s a case of Newcastle coming up with the numbers.”

“They offered £45m last week but Forest want £60m. I feel if Newcastle split the difference and offered £52-53m, they’d get the deal done, and I’d hope there will be some movement on that in the next few days. I expect Newcastle to come back in with an improved bid if they haven’t already.”

After missing out on Mbeumo and then Pedro, signing Elanga would be seen as a huge success for Newcastle who would be turning their fortunes around on the transfer front with the addition of both the Forest star and Trafford.

Arsenal’s transfer plans include the potential signing of a Premier League star before summer deadline day on September 1, with sporting director Andrea Berta identifying one Aston Villa star as a key long-term target.

Mikel Arteta is gearing up for what will be a vital 2025/2026 season.

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ByEmilio Galantini Jun 19, 2025

The Spaniard, discounting Community Shields, has been pursuing his second piece of major silverware since their 2020 FA Cup triumph at Wembley, even though Arsenal have backed him to the hilt with a net-spend of around £487 million in that period.

The pressure is well and truly on Arteta to deliver glory after many years building the project, even if they have come mightily close to ending their two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title on a couple of occasions.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Man City’s imperiousness is largely to blame for Arsenal’s lack of title celebrations over the last three years, with injuries to key players and a lack of cutting edge resulting in Arteta surrendering the crown to Liverpool last campaign.

The north Londoners will need to back their manager again with new signings over the coming months, if they hope to close the large gap between them and Arne Slot’s champions.

According to various reports, Arsenal are attempting to sign a new striker, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres both at the top of their wishlist (BBC).

Bukayo Saka’s long injury lay-off midway through 2024/2025 hamstrung Arteta’s chances of ever catching Liverpool, while Leandro Trossard is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, so Arsenal remain in the market for a winger too.

A few interesting names have been linked in the last few weeks, including Real Madrid star Rodrygo, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, but the latter is closing on on a move to Barcelona after agreeing personal terms (The Athletic).

An alternative to the highly-rated Williams, who was rumoured to be a top target, comes in the form of Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.

The England international could be just as difficult to prise away from Villa Park, but according to Football Transfers, Unai Emery may have to cash-in.

Aston Villa could be forced to sell Morgan Rogers to Arsenal

The outlet claims that Villa may reluctantly sell Rogers if they recieve a £50 million-plus bid from Arsenal, indicating that a deal could be there for Arteta thanks to their rival’s PSR concerns.

Berta has apparently identified the former Middlesbrough star as a long-term target, and Villa are already pushing ahead with their pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze in response, as they weigh up Rogers’ replacement.

Villa anticipate an Arsenal bid for Rogers this summer and are increasingly concerned they’ll lose the 22-year-old, so this could be one to watch.

There is little denying that one of the Premier League’s most impressive sensations from last season would be a stellar capture, either.

“There’s no doubt he’s an exceptional player,” journalist Charles Watts said about Rogers’ links to Arsenal.

“Arsenal saw that first hand last season, especially in the game at Villa Park at the start of the campaign when he gave them all sorts of problems. The expectation is that Aston Villa might have some PSR difficulties that they will have to navigate this summer having failed to qualify for the Champions league and it could be that they are forced into a sale of a player they would ideally not want to let go.

“Rogers is one of those players who has been mentioned as a potential departure and that’s no surprise given the way he has developed since moving from Middlesbrough.

“When it comes to Arsenal, I think he would be a welcome addition should they interest firm up into anything more concrete.”

Chelsea are not short of quality options in their midfield. Enzo Maresca has some excellent players at his disposal in the centre of the park, including the £100m plus duo of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. The pair have been integral to the Chelsea side this term.

Former Blues winger Joe Cole recently claimed that Caicedo is an “outstanding” player and picked him for the most improved player in the entire Premier League.

With 38 games, he has played more times in the top flight this season than any other Chelsea player. As for Fernandez, he’s featured 36 times, also highlighting his importance to the Blues.

Remarkably, Chelsea appear to be looking to bolster their midfield depth by adding a title-winning midfielder to their squad this summer.

Chelsea’s midfield target

Adding a new midfielder to this squad would certainly be a statement for Chelsea, given the star power they have. Let’s not forget that Romeo Lavia is also an option for Maresca. However, as all sides with top aspirations should, they are looking to improve their options in midfield.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a report from Italian news outlet Gazzetta, the West London side have made ‘an important offer’ for Napoli midfielder Frank Zambo Anguissa. There are question marks about whether the newly-crowned Scudetto winners can convince him to remain in Naples.

Indeed, it is thought that ‘a clause in his contract allows him to evaluate this option independently’. This could leave the door open for Chelsea to bring him back to West London; the midfielder was formerly on the books at Fulham.

If he does leave, a price has not yet been clarified, but Napoli paid the Cottagers a reported £15m back in 2022, according to The Athletic.

Why Anguissa would be a good signing

For Chelsea’s project under Maresca, it seems like they are about to enter phase two. With Champions League qualification secured, the Blues will surely want to become a permanent fixture in the top four once again, and, eventually, push for a Premier League title.

Well, who better to help with that than a two-time Italian champion like Anguissa? He has played a pivotal role in Napoli’s success under a former title-winning manager at Stamford Bridge, Antonio Conte.

He played 35 Serie A games this season, notching up 2858 minutes in total, the equivalent of 31 full 90-minute games. One reason why he was pivotal in the middle of the park is his tendency to pop up with a key goal or assist. Anguissa found the back of the net six times and provided five goals for his teammates.

If the Blues agree a deal for Anguissa, perhaps he will bring some of the qualities Declan Rice possesses in the midfield for Arsenal. Of course, the England international was once a Chelsea academy player, years before he broke through into first-team football with West Ham United.

Just like Anguissa, the 26-year-old is an all-action midfielder, known for his hard work off the ball and his quality in possession. In fact, he has similar goal involvement numbers to the Cameroon international, with four goals and seven assists in the Premier League in 2024/25.

The pair are also noted as similar players among those in their position in Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, when looking at their underlying statistics.

For example, the pair are both hard workers off the ball, with the Napoli midfielder averaging 5.4 duels won per 90 minutes compared to 3.9 duels won each game for Rice.

Open play passes completed

39.2

39.9

Forward passes

12

11.6

Take-ons completed

0.8

0.5

Duels won

5.4

3.9

Ball recoveries

4.8

5

As writer Zach Lowy has stated, Anguissa is “one of the most underrated midfielders in Europe”, which the stats certainly back up. There is no doubt that the Blues would want a Rice-type player in their midfield, and he certainly tricks the boxes, given his impressive carrying skills, numbers out of possession and amount of goal contributions.

Whilst a fee is not clear, Chelsea have seemingly made contact with Anguissa already, so this could be a deal that moves swiftly. If they do manage to bring him to the Blue side of West London, he could be an excellent addition to an already star-studded midfield.

Maresca's next Vardy: Chelsea confident of winning race for "monster" CF

Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker before the Club World Cup

ByJoe Nuttall May 27, 2025

Manchester United supporters are wise enough not to get too carried away by any new signing, not least after over a decade of pain with regard to recruitment, with high-profile deals having repeatedly gone south in recent times.

That said, even after a season that saw the Red Devils finish trophyless amid their worst-ever Premier League campaign, the club’s pulling power remains, with Wolverhampton Wanderers star, Matheus Cunha on his way to Old Trafford.

Plucking a player from Molineux may not appear too much of an achievement, although this is a man who just ended the season with 15 Premier League goals, having notably courted interest from Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in January.

After frequently looking abroad for new additions – particularly during the Erik ten Hag tenure – it is promising that the INEOS regime are now targeting players within the top-flight, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap also under consideration.

As Ruben Amorim has hinted, however, there is certainly no blank cheque this summer, with such deals likely needing to be funded by departures. Alejandro Garnacho, according to the latest reports, looks set to be one of them, although is that the right call?

Why Man Utd must keep Alejandro Garnacho

Not for the first time in his United career, Garnacho has publicly voiced his frustration regarding his situation at the club, having memorably liked a tweet criticising Ten Hag’s handling of him in the past, before more recently hitting out at his lack of game time during the Europa League final defeat last week.

Seemingly not helped by those around him – with his brother also foolishly calling out Amorim for throwing the Argentina international “under the bus” – the 20-year-old is doing himself no favours. The manager’s decision to send him on his way this summer thus appears no surprise.

That said, there has been enough evidence to suggest that this is a player whom the former Sporting CP boss should be looking to encourage, rather than exile, with Garnacho having fought his way back after being left out of the December Manchester Derby.

A run of 18 starts in a row heading into the Bilbao showpiece illustrated that growing faith, with Garnacho arguably making a bigger impact in the final than the man who had replaced him, Mason Mount, after swiftly drawing a save from Guglielmo Vicario after entering the fray.

With his 21 goals and assists in all competitions placing him ahead of Amad Diallo in that regard, it remains a head-scratching decision to force the former Atletico Madrid ace toward the exit door, even if the need to meet PSR regulations remains.

If a suitable, eye-catching offer does arrive, perhaps United and INEOS would be correct to contemplate a sale. No player in the current squad appears to be untouchable, following such a disastrous season.

Even so, there should surely be other marketable assets to prioritise with regard to outgoings, with Rasmus Hojlund among them.

The latest on Rasmus Hojlund's future

Last week’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur saw United toil amid what was a particularly limp attacking performance, with Hojlund coming closest to getting on the scoresheet, only to see his goalbound header cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven.

The luckless striker then fired a blank against Aston Villa on the Premier League’s final day, rounding off a season that has ended with just ten goals to his name in all competitions, including just four in the top-flight.

For United’s leading number nine, such a return simply isn’t up to scratch, with reports having unsurprisingly suggested that a move to Serie A could be on the cards for the ex-Atalanta starlet.

That may be an admission of defeat for the £64m man, although interested clubs may be keen to take a chance on a player who has shown glimpses in a United shirt, not least with his five goals in last season’s Champions League group stage run.

There is a view that these past two years have merely been a bump in the road. Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as a “monster in the making” back in 2023, with reports in Italy outlining that Inter have made him their ‘dream’ target.

‘Big Six’ – No.9 stats in 24/25 (all comps)

Club – Player

Games

Goals

Assists

Arsenal – Gabriel Jesus

27

7

2

Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson*

34

13

5

Liverpool – Darwin Nunez

47

7

7

Manchester City – Erling Haaland

44

31

4

Manchester United – Rasmus Hojlund

52

10

4

Spurs – Richarlison

24

5

2

*there is no No.9 at Chelsea

Stats via Transfermarkt

Indeed, there is said to be ‘total agreement’ at San Siro regarding a move for the Dane, with his time at Old Trafford said to be seen as ‘just an accident along the way’ to him eventually shining. That faith has been represented in a four-year contract offer from the Champions League finalists.

While no fee has been mooted for Hojlund, whom the Serie A side could look to initially sign on loan, CIES Football Observatory deem him to potentially be worth as much as €93m (£78m) – thus placing him ahead of the £62.5m Cunha.

That may seem ludicrous considering his United woes, although it’s worth remembering that this is a player whom Paris Saint-Germain were desperate to sign in 2023, after scoring ten goals in Italy.

He hasn’t become a poor centre-forward overnight, yet he simply doesn’t appear the right fit for the Red Devils. A sale for a sizeable fee would be best for all parties this summer – particularly if it could help to keep Garnacho on board instead.

Related Not Bruno: Man Utd selling £70m ace would be their biggest error in 17 years

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Posts ByRobbie Walls May 28, 2025

Manchester City reached their third FA Cup final in succession with a solid 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley over the weekend.

The competition is providing plenty of solace to Pep Guardiola amid a campaign of disarray, that’s for sure.

Winning the tournament for the third time would give the Spaniard a jolt heading into the summer.

With Kevin De Bruyne departing the Etihad, plus another few first-team players likely leaving to balance the books, it will be all change in Manchester ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Losing out on a fifth successive Premier League title will have hurt everyone at the club, but with the transfer window opening in a few weeks, Guardiola has the chance to build a team that can usher in a new era starting in August.

Man City eye move for Premier League defender

The likes of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov have settled in nicely following their January moves to England and this could work well in the club’s favour heading into a busy summer, particularly because most of them are now already settled in England.

However, Pep is unlikely to settle for just those four names and could bolster his backline further when the summer window opens for business.

Indeed, according to Football Insider, City are interested in re-signing defender Pedro Porro from Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but the North Londoners will ‘strike a hard bargain’ as per the report.

Transfer Focus

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

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Porro joined City back in the summer of 2019 from Girona, but he didn’t play a single first-team match for the club, eventually moving to Sporting CP.

He joined Spurs in January 2023 on loan, with the club eventually paying £39m to sign him permanently that summer.

They now value the right-back at around £50m which, as City ‘attempt’ to sign him, could prove to be a sticking point in any future negotiations.

Why Pedro Porro could be Man City's own Trent

Following Kyle Walker’s move to AC Milan, Matheus Nunes has been deputising at right-back for the club, which means they are targeting a new defender to play this role from next season onwards.

It is still early days yet, but Porro does have plenty of Premier League experience and has featured in the Champions League.

Particularly striking is that he plays similarly to Liverpool’s outgoing defender Trent Alexander-Arnold. Indeed, according to FBref, Alexander-Arnold is the most comparable player to Porro in Europe’s top five leagues.

The Englishman has registered 113 goal contributions across 351 games for his boyhood side. He loves to get forward as often as possible, often neglecting his defensive responsibilities.

Porro offers the same sort of qualities going forward, no doubt about that. Depending on the system Guardiola plays, he won’t be fazed by his right-back pushing into the final third on a regular basis, especially if someone is there to cover.

The pair have registered similar statistics over a range of metrics in domestic competitions this season, including goals and assists (eight vs nine), shots per 90 (1.35 vs 1.69), crosses (191 vs 142) and carries into the final third (40 vs 35), proving that the duo offer a major attacking threat in the opposition half.

Comparing Alexander-Arnold and Porro in the PL this season

Metric

Trent

Porro

Accurate passes per 90

39.3

33.9

Big chances created

14

8

Goals

3

2

Assists

6

6

Key passes per 90

1.8

1.7

Total duels won per 90

3.1

3.8

Will £50m be a price that Guardiola is willing to pay for another right-back this summer? Or will he be keen to spend this sort of money on improving another area of his squad?

Well, Porro may have endured an underwhelming season for Spurs, but the case could be made for basically everyone in their squad.

Ange Postecoglou has led Spurs to one of their worst seasons in recent memory, but this shouldn’t deter City from signing Porro.

The defender has played 81 times in the top flight for the club, scoring eight goals and grabbing 17 assists in the process. This works out as a goal contribution every 3.2 matches, which isn’t bad for a defender.

This season in the Premier League, the 25-year-old has even created eight big chances for his teammates, averaging 1.7 key passes and even registering 1.2 shots per game for the North London side.

Despite Spurs being poor defensively – conceding 56 league goals this term – Porro has managed to win 50% of his total duels per game while also making two tackles and recovering 4.8 balls per game.

Described as a “titanic” star by The Athletic’s former Spurs correspondent Charlie Eccleshare, Porro also shines when compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

The Spaniard ranks in the top 5% for total shots (1.49) and passes attempted (69.3) per 90, while also ranking in the top 7% for progressive passes (5.85) and in the top 2% for blocks (1.86) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

The narrative surrounding Porro as simply an attack-minded defender is wrong. Of course, he is much better going forward than simply defending, but as evidenced, he does have a few solid defensive traits.

Walker is expected to return to the Etihad this summer once his temporary move to Milan comes to an end, but if Guardiola wishes to win another Champions League crown with City, an improvement at right-back is needed.

Should he make a few statement signings in the summer, City could enter the 2025/26 season as arguably the favourites to claim back the league title.

Will Porro be in the starting XI? Only time will tell.

Related 109-touch Man City star put in his best display of the season at Wembley

Manchester City showed off their class at Wembley against Nottingham Forest to reach the FA Cup final.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Apr 27, 2025

Northamptonshire have re-signed Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Australian seamer Harry Conway as overseas players for next season.Conway, who took 20 wickets in four Championship appearances earlier this year, will return for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for the first block of seven games in April and May.Chahal, meanwhile, has agreed to return for a third consecutive summer at Northants, joining for the second half of the season to play in the County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Overall, he has taken 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A for the club.”Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.””For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”Northants have also signed batter Louis Kimber on a two-year deal from Leicestershire. Largely known as a white-ball hitter and occasional offspinner, Kimber made headlines in 2023 after scoring 243 off 127 balls in the County Championship at Hove.”Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann said. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”

Josh Shaw joins Somerset

Josh Shaw spent six years at Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Gloucestershire have seen another member of their seam-bowling group depart, after Josh Shaw signed for Somerset earlier this week.Shaw, 29, had been under contract at Bristol since 2019, having previously played on loan from Yorkshire. He follows Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Archie Bailey (Durham), Tom Price and Dom Goodman (both Sussex) in leaving over the close season.”We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.”We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”

After leaking ten runs off the first two balls of the 20th over, Fareed roared back to close out the game successfully

Alagappan Muthu05-Sep-202515:43

Can Afghanistan make the final of the Asia Cup?

Afghanistan had the game sewn up. They were playing a second-string side with even their captain Rashid Khan among six players sitting out. But Asif Khan threatened to rip it wide open. A dead rubber had burst to life. Fareed Ahmad started the final over with 16 to defend and was bashed for 4 and 6 off the first two deliveries. An upset was looming and the left-arm quick felt it. Asif felt it, batting on 40 off 25. It never came to be.Fareed had three chances to influence the outcome and he came up with the perfect option each time to close out the match: 4, 6, 2, dot, dot, wicket. And so, UAE ended the tri-series winless but they came so very close. The emotions at the end were excruciating, particularly for Asif and the captain Muhammad Waseem. They’re going to make the Asia Cup very interesting.Eye-catching IbrahimIbrahim Zadran was captaining Afghanistan for the 10th time in his career. Four of those games were against UAE. It is easy to see why he was the stand-in. He was cool when the runs didn’t come – 5 off 9 – and resplendent when they did. He looks so technically correct that even the shots in anger carried a stamp of class.There was one moment when he looked totally out of place though. He was utterly deceived by left-arm spinner Haider Ali’s change of pace and trajectory – the flatter ball making the batter think he should play back when the length was fairly full. Ibrahim lost his stumps for 48 off 34. He might feel a lot better about his contributions in the pointy end of the chase, where soon after he went up to have an arm around Fareed, the bowler switched from bowling over the wicket to round the wicket and gave away no more runs.Sharafuddin Ashraf conceded 20 runs in four overs and took a wicket•Emirates Cricket Board

Afghanistan slow down, Janat ramps upIt was a slow pitch and it showed when Afghanistan lost three wickets in 3.1 overs after a 98-run opening partnership. Karim Janat was 10 off seven balls at the time. He hit the only boundary during this spell too – a six, which are sometimes easier to pull off in these conditions especially against a bowling attack that didn’t camp in the good length spot for long enough. Often, they were too full or too short and that allowed Janat and the rest of his team-mates down the order to get underneath the ball.So it didn’t matter that overs 13, 14 and 15 went for only 16 runs. The next three yielded 36. Afghanistan finished on a healthy 170 for 4. Haider (2 for 23) and Simranjeet Singh (1 for 24) were the pick of the bowlers. Left-arm quick Muhammad Rohid was desperately unlucky with both of UAE’s dropped catches coming off his bowling. Rahmanullah Gurbaz enjoyed his second life going from 14 off 16 to 40 off 38.UAE almost, but not quiteUAE took to the chase with gusto, scoring almost twice as many boundaries as Afghanistan did in the powerplay (7 vs 4). Waseem was enchanting, depositing Mujeeb Ur Rahman inside out over cover for six. He produced another lovely piece of innovation, upper-cutting the debutant Abdollah Ahmadzai over deep third as he stalks Rohit Sharma on top of the six-hitters’ table in T20Is and it was looking like UAE had the firepower to earn the consolation win that they desperately wanted.However, in trying the same shot, Waseem feathered an edge behind and the greenest member of a side that was saving most of its firepower for the final had punched through an opening. Afghanistan rallied to turn an equation that read 67 off 48 balls into a rather more troubling 43 off 18. Mujeeb and Noor Ahmad, bowling in tandem from the 14th to the 17th overs, were virtually unhittable. Then it was the debutant’s turn but Abdollah leaked 16 runs all to Asif and the UAE bench started to stir.Four more boundaries – one of them a dropped catch – across the last two overs kept the contest alive and created tension among the Afghanistan coaching staff but in the end, they just about squeezed through.