Sai Sudharsan continues to lead the batting charts but Gill is just two runs away from him
ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-20252:23
Moody: Marsh has ‘golden ticket’ to just intimidate bowlers
Orange Cap tableGT’s opening pair of B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill continue to hold on to their the top two spots despite scoring 21 and 35 respectively against LSG. Sai Sudharsan now has 638 runs from 13 innings while Gill is just two runs away from the leader.Mitchell Marsh, who stole the show on Thursday with his maiden IPL hundred, moved up in a big way. One of the most consistent run-getters this season, Marsh’s 117 off 64 balls helped LSG post a mammoth 235 for 2 and eventually win the game by 33 runs. Marsh took his tally to 560 runs from 12 games to sit fourth, with Mumbai Indians’ (MI) Suryakumar Yadav between him and the GT openers.LSG’s other major batter on the night, Nicholas Pooran, who had slipped down on the Orange Cap table after spending a lot of time at the top in the early part of the tournament, advanced to seventh place with 511 runs with his unbeaten 56 off 27.Purple Cap tableChennai Super Kings’ (CSK) Noor Ahmad has reclaimed the top spot after GT’s Prasidh Krishna, who was wicketless in Ahmedabad, slipped to second position. Both have 21 wickets. Prasidh’s average is 19.66 and economy rate is 8.09 while Noor’s average is slightly better, 18.42, while his economy rate is 8.41.Also in action was GT left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore, who jumped to sixth spot after his 1 for 34. He now has 16 wickets from 13 matches.Meanwhile, MI left-arm quick Trent Boult is third on the list with 19 wickets.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game. Highest batting strike rates Best bowling economy rates Most sixes Best bowling figures in a match
This season feels like it’s set to be a pivotal one for this Chelsea project.
Enzo Maresca has a season under his belt, the players from last season are that bit more experienced in the Premier League, and they looked unreal in pre-season.
Add to that the impressive signings the club made in the summer, and it’s not unreasonable to expect a genuine title challenge from the West Londoners this year.
There are several players who will play a key role in that challenge, including one who cost them even more than their old transfer target, Xavi Simons.
Chelsea's potential difference-makers this season
It should really go without saying at this point, but so long as he’s fit and available, Cole Palmer will be one of Chelsea’s most important players this season.
After all, in just two years, the Englishman has managed to rack up a simply incredible haul of 43 goals and 29 assists in 98 games.
Another key player for Maresca this year is going to be Trevoh Chalobah.
The defensive stalwart was an important player for the Blues upon his return from Crystal Palace mid-way through last season, but with Levi Colwill now out for most of the campaign, he’s become even more critical to the team.
Fortunately, he’s made an impressive start to the season, with three starts, two clean sheets and a goal to his name.
Finally, the first few games of the season have shown us that, despite still being just 18 years old, Estevao looks ready to play an important role in this team.
He might not start too many games when everyone is fit, but his direct approach means he could be incredibly effective as an impact sub, someone who could terrify settled defences.
Yet, there is another player who has impressed even more this season, someone who could be a serious difference-maker for Chelsea and cost more than Simons did.
The Chelsea star worth more than Simons
While they eventually decided against signing him, it was widely reported that one of the players Chelsea were keenly interested in for much of the summer this year was Simons.
Market Movers
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However, when the Blues made it clear they were no longer interested, Tottenham Hotspur swooped in, paying around £51m plus add-ons to RB Leipzig for the talented Dutchman’s services.
Now, that may well end up being a brilliant deal for the North Londoners, but the Pensioners probably don’t care, as they made a game-changing attacking signing of their own, splashing £60m on Joao Pedro.
So far, it would be fair to say that the World Champions made the right choice in signing the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace, as he has looked like a player worth twice as much.
For example, he scored three goals in three games in the USA, bagged another two in the pre-season friendlies and already has two goals and two assists in three Premier League games.
Moreover, FBref place him in the top 3% of forwards in Europe’s top-five leagues for expected assisted goals, the top 5% for passes into the penalty area and the top 7% for carries, all per 90, which suggests he’s not just getting lucky.
Finally, if we compare his output from last season to that of Spurs’ new star, it becomes quite clear that BlueCo got the better deal.
For example, the “insane dribbler,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2299 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.65 games, or every 114.95 minutes.
In contrast, the former Leipzig gem scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in as many appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.
Appearances
33
33
Minutes
2299′
2763′
Goals
13
11
Assists
7
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.60
0.57
Minutes per Goal Involvement
114.95′
145.42′
Ultimately, while Simons may well be a hit for Tottenham, Chelsea look like they have the better and more valuable player in Pedro.
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Among the active IPL teams, LSG’s win-loss record at home is now the second-worst overall
Sidharth Monga01-Apr-20252:13
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Yet another home team has been left frustrated by the pitch dished out by their curator. After they were beaten by eight wickets with 22 balls remaining in their first home game of the season, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Zaheer Khan said it seemed the opposition had brought their own curator to prepare the pitch. This defeat tipped LSG’s overall win-loss ratio at home to below 1. Ironically, among the active teams in the IPL, only their opponents on the night, Punjab Kings (PBKS), hold a worse win-loss ratio at home.”What was a little disappointing for me here…” Zaheer said at the press conference. “Considering it’s a home game and in IPL you’ve seen how teams have looked at taking a little bit of home advantage, from that point of view you’ve seen the curator is not really thinking that it’s a home game. I think maybe it looked like, you know, it was Punjab curator out here.”So that’s something which we will figure. It’s a new set-up also for me, but I hope that this is the first and the last game when it comes to that. Because you are disappointing the Lucknow fans as well. They’ve come up with so much expectations of winning the first home game here.Related
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Pant 'still figuring out a lot of things for the team'
“As a team, we are confident. We accept that we’ve lost the game, and we have got to do whatever it takes to make that impact in the home leg. We still have six more games to go here, and this team has shown in the season so far, whatever little cricket is played, that we have the right outlook and the mindset to look at the IPL. What you can expect is innovation, out-of-the-box thinking, the fight, the hunger, and that sums us up as a team.”Struggling with injuries to their fast bowlers, LSG would perhaps have preferred a surface that assisted spin or at least didn’t offer help to the PBKS seam attack. LSG played only two quicks for this match, one of them a last-minute inclusion in Shardul Thakur. They have only one overseas fast bowler in their whole squad, Shamar Joseph.PBKS dominated LSG with their fast-bowling trio of Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen before adding two overs of Marcus Stoinis for good measure. Put together, they returned figures of 5 for 112 in 13 overs.Zaheer called for more support for the home team. Asked if they might have misread the pitch in their first home game, Zaheer said: “That’s what we are saying. We will go according to what the curator tells us. We are not using this as an excuse. We have seen during the last season that it’s not like batters don’t have to struggle here at times. All these things go on in cricket. But the way the home team should get support, everyone needs to know this is our home team that is playing in Lucknow and what can we do to help them win? Everyone’s contribution is important. We will find a way anyway to win matches…”2:11
Aaron: Bishnoi needs to take more responsibility
Even the captain Rishabh Pant suggested during the post-match presentation that they were expecting a slower pitch. They even left out seamer Prince Yadav for an extra spinner in M Siddharth. When asked about the unusual move of bowling three overs of spin in the powerplay, Pant said: “The idea was to get a slower wicket. We felt it’s a home game, it’s going to stop a little bit. I think the slower ones, when bowled into the wicket, were still sticking in but we weren’t good enough on the day. We have got to learn and move forward. It is our first home game. Still assessing the conditions.”LSG are the third team to express frustration at the home conditions after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). KKR suggested they wanted more assistance for spin but that they didn’t have any say. CSK, the team with the best win-loss ratio at home in all IPL, said they have been struggling to get a read on home conditions for two years now.
Birmingham City suffered a shock defeat to Port Vale in the League Cup on Tuesday night. The Valiants are currently sitting 41 places below Birmingham in the league pyramid, and post-match, Chris Davies tried to explain the result, via the club’s official channels.
“I think overall, we just didn’t find our normal rhythm to our game that we are so used to seeing – especially at home. Ultimately, we’ve gone behind to a set-piece, which can happen, but we just couldn’t find enough of our normal fluidity to create pressure and chances.”
The Birmingham boss thought that his side’s lack of attacking threat was a bigger concern than the goal they conceded: “Our connections, our passes, we weren’t as quick onto the ball as we normally are. A little bit of our intensity wasn’t there; they broke away a few times and got up the pitch. We just couldn’t find those chances.”
The Blues only managed an xG of 0.33 and didn’t register a shot on goal despite having 70% possession. Following the defeat, Birmingham have entered the race for an attacking talent who may help them avoid a repeat of their League Cup embarrassment in the Championship.
Birmingham turn to Celtic for new forward
Birmingham City are the latest club to enter the race for Yang Hyunjun as they “approach” Celtic to discuss a permanent deal, via Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph. The 23-year-old currently has three years left on their contract.
The Scottish champions have received a number of inquiries about the South Korean so far this window from clubs including Legia Warsaw, Gent and Norwich City, and when Norwich came in for the winger, it was reported that he indicated to Celtic his desire to explore a move away from the club
Warsaw inquired about Yang in early July, and they have since signed Sparta Prague winger Ermal Krasniqi on loan. Sky Sports have also reported that Gent are out of the race for Yang. Like Warsaw, Norwich have also signed an alternate winger since their Celtic inquiry with Senegal’s Papa Amadou Diallo.
This indicates that Birmingham’s rivals for Yang may be out of the race, allowing them a free run at the forward.
Suitors moved away from Yang, but that shouldn't dissuade Birmingham
While the Huddersfield game has illustrated Birmingham’s need to sign another attacker, the fact that numerous teams have inquired about Yang and gone in a different direction may raise concerns for some Birmingham fans.
Sky Sports went into detail about Gent’s decision not to sign Yang, saying: “The Belgian club’s head of recruitment and director of football both wanted to sign the South Korea international. However, it’s understood the manager, Ivan Leko, ultimately blocked the move as he wanted a left-footer with a better goals and assists record.”
Last season, Yang got 11 goal involvements in 34 appearances, which, while a decent return, isn’t an exceptional feat. What makes Yang’s record more impressive is that in the league, his 23 appearances lasted an average of 42 minutes, which indicates that when given the chance to play, he makes the most of it.
Despite his limited opportunities, Yang’s work ethic has been praised by Celtic’s Arne Engels, who, when asked about him, described Yang as “unbelievable”.
This indicates that Yang has the positive attitude and work ethic that will help in Birmingham’s promotion push, and his goal involvement will likely increase when he is given more opportunities to play.
Australia are hopeful Ellyse Perry will be fit to bat on day two of the women’s Ashes Test at the MCG after she suffered a corked hip while fielding on the opening day.Perry landed heavily on her left hip after diving to flick a ball back on the rope during the afternoon session. She left the field shortly after and did not return for the last two hours of England’s first innings.Australia batted for 22 overs under lights after bowling England out for 170 and lost debutant opener Georgia Voll but Perry did not walk out at No.3 despite being eligible to bat because her injury was external.Annabel Sutherland instead joined Phoebe Litchfield with the Australian team confirming that Perry would not bat on the first night and would instead be assessed ahead of day two with hopes she will be fine to bat when required.Meanwhile, Nat Sciver-Brunt said the mood was “positive” in the England camp after yet another capitulation with the bat. Sciver-Brunt played a lone hand, top-scoring with 51 as England were bowled out for 170 having been sent into bat. It could have been a lot worse had Australia not missed six chances in the field.Sciver-Brunt’s body language gave hints of exasperation, but she was measured with her words after Australia had cruised to 56 for 1 at stumps.”Positive,” Sciver-Brunt said. “Obviously, we would have liked a few more runs but I think with the ball, we did what we wanted to do. We didn’t go chasing anything. We had great energy throughout and tried to build consistent areas and let the ball and the wicket do the talking. So, yeah, I thought we did that. We did that really well.”Alana King however continues to torment England. Australia’s legspinner claimed 4 for 45 on the opening day, including Sciver-Brunt, although she could have had her twice and picked up at least two more as four chances went begging off King’s bowling alone.King now has 18 wickets for the entire multiformat series at 11.33, including Sciver-Brunt three times.Sciver-Brunt was the only England batter to pass 30•AFP/Getty Images
“She’s bowled pretty consistent areas, and obviously got quite a bit of turn actually throughout the series,” Sciver-Brunt said. “And I think the fact that when it does turn, it’s not always the same amount every time. Some might skid, some might turn and bounce. So yeah, that makes it quite tricky when the stumps are always kept in play.”Despite being bowled by King playing back to her for the second time in the series, Sciver-Brunt said England’s plans hadn’t changed too much throughout the series.”I think playing her off the back foot as much as possible, and just, I guess reacting to the ball,” Sciver-Brunt said. “She does toss the odd one up as well, so being confident to use our feet as well. But yeah, she bowled pretty well today.”King was thrilled to take four wickets after bowling 23 overs unchanged from the Shane Warne stand end at the MCG. She hoped her hero was watching from on high.”Bowling from the Shane Warne stand end is something that is the first time I’ve ever done playing, obviously, here since the stand has been named after him,” King said. “So pretty nostalgic. He’s obviously taking plenty of poles at the MCG for fun, so yeah, all I can say is hopefully he’s smiling down and having a couple of beers and enjoying a few ripping past the outside edge.”It’s pretty cool. Loved playing at the MCG. I’ve played a few games here. It’s home for me. Loved playing Test cricket here and to bowl a whole session was pretty cool. Can’t get much better than that.”
The cogs are whirring away down Anfield Road, and Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes must be pretty pleased with Liverpool’s progress in the transfer market.
But they have more work still to do. In spite of signing Hugo Ekitike for £79m, Liverpool are mooted to remain in the market for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who has informed his club that he wishes to explore a move away this summer.
And though the Sweden international has many admirers, it is the Reds who lead the race.
They couldn’t, could they? Unfortunately for those not of a Liverpool persuasion, they could. FSG have run the club expertly in recent years, managing the finances with a deft touch to be in a position for big-money moves across the summer.
And while the Premier League champions have already broken their transfer record by signing through the addition of Florian Wirtz, the £100m figure potentially stretching to a British-record £116m, they are primed to break it once more here.
Ekitike and Isak
However, a few outgoings may be needed.
The players who might be leaving Liverpool
With Trent Alexander-Arnold having already left Liverpool for Real Madrid, there’s a chance that Ibrahima Konate might follow. The French defender has entered the final year of his contract, and negotiations over a renewal have yielded little fruit thus far.
Ibrahima Konate warming up for Liverpool
From an attacking standpoint, the signing of Ekitike and the potential arrival of Isak would surely see Darwin Nunez leave. The 25-year-old has fallen down the pecking order in Arne Slot’s system and is being chased by Saudi Arabian suitors.
Liverpool seem happy to let him leave, but are less inclined to accept Bayern Munich’s advances for Luis Diaz, having rejected a £58.5m offer. The Bundesliga champions are expected to return for the versatile forward, who was so important for Slot’s title-winning side.
Luis Diaz
While Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has been touted as a possible replacement for the Colombian, he’s been priced at £100m.
And when a cheaper and exciting alternative is available, the track to head down becomes clear.
Liverpool lining up Diaz replacement
According to Fabrizio Romano, Lyon’s Malick Fofana is one of the names on FSG’s list as they consider replacements for Diaz, who may indeed have played his last competitive game for the Reds.
Lyon's Malick Fofana
The 20-year-old has put his name on the map over the past 18 months in France, and is also courted by Bayern, though their curiosity will fade away in the case they do sign Diaz.
Fofana might be young, but his talent is clear. Lyon recognise this, and as such have priced him at €60m (£51m).
Why Liverpool want Malick Fofana
Hailed for his “explosive” athleticism by analyst Ben Mattinson, Fofana has established himself over the past few years, leaving his Belgian homeland in January 2024 when joining Lyon from Genk for a €22m (£19m).
That figure made an interesting comment from the off regarding Fofana’s skill set, and having now featured 62 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring 15 goals and supplying eight assists, he’s shaping into quite the interesting winger.
While Isak would be replacing Diaz at centre-forward, the 28-year-old is typically a winger, and someone like Fofana would be a more direct heir.
And given that he might end up costing around half of what has been demanded for the Prem-proven Gordon, FSG may well opt to sign the lesser-known talent, especially since the likes of Wirtz and Cody Gakpo already reside in the Liverpool ranks.
Matches (starts)
29 (16)
34 (28)
Goals
5
6
Assists
4
5
Shots (on target)*
1.1 (0.5)
1.7 (0.6)
Big chances missed
4
10
Pass completion
84%
81%
Big chances created
6
6
Key passes*
0.9
1.5
Dribbles*
0.8
1.1
Tackles*
1.1
0.9
Duels won*
2.9
4.4
Sure, Gordon rode the crest of a wave after the 2023/24 season, awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Year, having notched 22 goal involvements in the Premier League, but that year was followed by a regression in output and confidence.
His creativity and tenacious style were still clear, but Fofana is showing himself to have the making of a clinical winger beyond the goalscoring level of Gordon.
Does Gordon’s progress warrant the £100m fee? He’s a fine player, to be sure, with a Merseyside connection besides, but there’s little sense in forking out such a sum when there’s a player like Fofana waiting for his breakout move.
While Gordon has forged a slick partnership with Isak over the past few years, Fofana is considered by data-driven site FBref to be a statistically similar player to the England international, so he has the athletic, snappy style to thrive alongside the Swede.
It’s chalked down that the Belgian ranked among the top 10% of positional peers last term for non-penalty goals scored and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.
Isak’s quality is such that he could elevate the level of any winger worth their salt, but Gordon is indeed tactically aligned with the number nine to a higher degree.
By signing Fofana as Diaz’s replacement this summer, Slot could capture that synergy and use it to Liverpool’s gain, fashioning another angle out of his burgeoning superpower.
Gakpo 2.0: Liverpool now eyeing "one of the best young talents in football"
Liverpool still have a few more transfer targets in their sights this summer.
انتهت مباراة بيراميدز وطلائع الجيش، التي جمعتهما اليوم السبت، بفوز الفريق السماوي برباعية نظيفة، ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة من مسابقة الدوري المصري 2025-2026.
طالع.. فيديو | محمد الشيبي يسجل هدفين لـ بيراميدز أمام طلائع الجيش
وواصل بيراميدز نتائجه الإيجابية في الدوري، حيث رفع رصيده إلى 14 نقطة في المركز الثالث من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري.
ومن المقرر أن يخوض بيراميدز مباراته المقبلة ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، حيث سيلتقي مع الجيش الرواندي.
وتأتي مباراة بيراميدز أمام الجيش الرواندي، ضمن منافسات ذهاب دور الـ64 من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. موعد مباراة بيراميدز القادمة بعد الفوز على طلائع الجيش
تقام مباراة بيراميدز والجيش الرواندي يوم 1 أكتوبر المقبل في تمام الساعة الثالثة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.
There is some uncertainty around the conditions that the second Test between India and Bangladesh will be played in with representatives from both teams admitting that they didn’t know which pitch will be used.”To be honest, I don’t know which surface we are going to play on yet,” India batting coach Abhishek Nayar said on Thursday afternoon, which followed similar thoughts expressed by Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe on Wednesday.”Yes I had a look at [the pitch],” Hathurusinghe had said, “But the groundsman has prepared two pitches. We don’t know on which we will play on. Tomorrow we will find out.”During Wednesday’s training session, India captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gautam Gambhir had a look at the two pitches that have been prepared for this Test match. They seemed to spend a little more time looking at the drier of the two black-soil surfaces.Related
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Indications are it might start as a good batting surface before taking slow and low turn from the third day onwards. But the weather in the week of the Test match might complicate matters. It’s overcast and there are thunder storms expected on the first three days of the game, which may slow down the natural wear and tear that helps subcontinental pitches become spin-friendly. There was some rain after India’s training session ended on Thursday as well and the groundstaff were quick to get the square covered.India, as a result, are waiting until the morning of the Test to finalise their XI, specifically whether they need an extra spinner instead of the extra seamer they used on Chennai’s red-soil surface.”Both the pitches look pretty good,” Nayar said. “Kanpur is always known to have good pitches. I am not sure about the bounce yet. I think, with the conditions and the forecast, it is going to be interesting as to how when we turn up to go in the morning, the conditions are. I think a lot will depend on that because as you know in Test wicket, conditions can be a huge factor in how the pitch plays. So it is too early for us to judge and decide or have any sort of thought process on the pitch or the conditions. But we are hoping we come in tomorrow to a sunny day and not an overcast Kanpur.”India lead the series 1-0 and if they go in with a spinner over a seamer, their choice will be between local boy Kuldeep Yadav, who had an outstanding series against England at the start of the year, and Axar Patel, whose ability to relentlessly attack the stumps can come in quite handy if there is low bounce. Axar joined R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the last Test that India played in Kanpur, against New Zealand in 2021, which went into the fifth day with the visitors holding onto their last wicket and drawing the game.
Tottenham Hotspur appear to have lost out in the race for a highly-rated forward, as La Liga champions Barcelona agree terms to seal his signature before Thomas Frank’s side had the chance.
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Spurs are expected to back their new manager to the hilt this summer, especially after they qualified for the Champions League with their historic Europa League final win in Bilbao.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025
Average match rating
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
The Lilywhites are set for a significant financial windfall, which Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge described as “huge” in terms of their recruitment drive. Chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange no longer have to operate under a sell-to-buy policy, with Spurs already agreeing a permanent deal for Mathys Tel as they continue to scour the market for new wingers.
With Son Heung-min’s future uncertain, amid links to Saudi Arabia, the likes of West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus, Man City outcast Jack Grealish, Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo have all been linked within the past fortnight.
Brentford's BryanMbeumoreacts
Tottenham face competition from Man United for Mbeumo, who’ve now submitted a fresh £60 million bid for the Cameroonian, while Bournemouth are expected to demand around £70 million for Semenyo (The Athletic).
Levy and Lange will need to either dig deep into the Tottenham coffers or get very creative in their pursuit of a high-profile winger, as all of their reported targets are likely to cost a premium.
The north Londoners did have their eyes on a bargain option, though, in the form of FC Copenhagen starlet Roony Bardghji.
FC Copenhagen midfielderRoony Bardghji.
Bardghji, dubbed the ‘Swedish Messi’ by some, burst on to the scene with a heroic performance against Man United in the Champions League nearly two years ago.
He bagged a stunning late winner against them at the end of an unlikely 4-3 group stage victory over the Red Devils in November 2023, with Bardghji set to leave Copenhagen on the cheap this summer as his contract expires in late December.
The 19-year-old, after coming back from a serious injury, is now on the verge of joining Barcelona – but Spurs did try their hand.
Barcelona hijack Tottenham talks for Roony Bardghji
Tottenham held talks with Bardghji and his representatives in a bid to tempt the winger to London, according to journalist Graeme Bailey and TBR Football, but Barça are now seemingly set to “win the race” for his signature.
Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic in action with FC Copenhagen's RoonyBardghji
That is according to TBR again in another update this week, with Bailey reporting that while Tottenham hoped to inspire a ‘Lucas Bergvall-type’ transfer by opening talks with Bardghji, Hansi Flick’s side have hijacked their move by closing in on a deal for the top talent.
This is echoed by reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, who believe that Bardghji’s move to the Camp Nou is merely a matter of time with terms agreed.
Levy has now missed out on a potential bargain forward who could’ve joined for the meagre price of just £1.7 million, not to mention a player who’s been likened to Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.
“He has very similar characteristics to Mohamed Salah,” said Scandinavian journalist Nicklas Degn.
“When Copenhagen have to come up with something brilliant or unlock a team, it is Roony they look to. He has this unique talent.”
Manchester City’s spending spree is only just getting started.
On Monday, the Sky Blues unveiled Rayan Aït-Nouri as their first summer signing, arriving for a reported £31m from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Algerian international left-back eligible to debut in the Citizens’ Club World Cup opener against Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia next Wednesday.
Meantime, widespread reports suggest that Tijjani Reijnders will arrive from AC Milan for £46.3m, with more signings on the way too, so could a high-profile Man City stalwart be on his way out, possibly to a Premier League rival, to make way for these new recruits?
What Rayan Cherki will bring to Manchester City
David Ornstein of The Athletic reported last week that Manchester City had ‘reached an agreement’ with Olympique Lyonnais over the signing of Rayan Cherki, agreeing to pay around £34m.
Rob Dawson and Julien Laurens of ESPN claimed that Man City were hoping to finalise the deal in time for Cherki to feature during the Club World Cup group stages, with that move having now been confirmed by the club ahead of the deadline.
In terms of what City’s latest arrival will bring to the Etihad, Stuart James and Tom Williams of the Athletic believe that the 21-year-old possesses a mesmeric ‘capacity to enthral’, labelling him ‘precociously talented’ and citing former Lyon manager Fabio Grosso, who asserted that “god has given him incredible qualities”.
Those traits were notably on show during Lyon’s gripping Europa League quarter-final tie with Manchester United earlier this year, with the youngster scoring a last-gasp equaliser in the first leg, prior to also netting a stunning, driven effort from range in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford.
Described as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, the fleet-footed genius looks destined to be a star under Guardiola’s watch over the coming years.
And so, with such a high-quality midfield talent on his way to the Etihad, could a current Man City star be forced out?
The Man City star destined to depart
As noted by Mark Critchley and Ben Burrows of The Athletic, Jack Grealish has been left out of Manchester City’s squad for this summer’s Club World Cup, thereby not set to travel to the United States, suggesting he is highly likely to leave the club this summer.
Back in December, Richard Jolly of the Independent outlined how, during his four years at the club, Grealish had gone from ‘one of the most exciting attacking players in world football’ to now a player ‘who is neither exciting nor attacking’.
The table below highlights the England international’s decrease in importance.
Appearances
39
50
36
32
Starts
31
41
26
16
Matches an unused sub
11
5
12
15
Minutes
2,730
3,487
2,114
1,521
Goals
6
5
3
3
Assists
4
11
3
5
England caps
11
9
4
3
As the table notes, Grealish was an integral player for Man City during his first two seasons, but the last two he has been nothing more than a peripheral figure.
David O’Brien believes he was “exceptional” during his early years at Man City, but Alex Brotherton of BBC Sport notes that now ‘is the right time to move on’ as he seeks to save his career.
The fact he was an unused substitute in the FA Cup Final, a match they lost 1-0 to Manchester City, is widely considered to be the final nail in the coffin – as too is the arrival of another playmaker in Cherki.
For instance, Cherki racked up 32 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25 at Lyon, including 19 goals and assists in league action. Grealish – as noted in the table – was only able to record eight goals and assists, only two of which came in the Premier League. A move away now appears an inevitability.
Indeed, reports in Spain suggest that Newcastle United ‘have set their sights’ on signing him, looking to lodge a bid that would comprise an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy of around £67m.
Ben Jacobs of Talk Sport also claims that both Tottenham and Everton ‘hold a genuine’ interest in signing Grealish too, with Gillian Kasirye of Total Football Analysis documenting how his ‘exceptional ball-carrying ability’ would make him perfect for Spurs.
Thus, Grealish’s Man City exit is likely to be one of the stories of the summer but, regardless of where he ends up, he has surely played his last game in sky blue, with Cherki a readymade, exciting replacement.
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