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O Palmeiras foi colocado como um dos clubes interessados em contar com Luciano Rodríguez, que defende o Liverpool, do Uruguai.

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De acordo com informações divulgadas inicialmente pelo jornal AS, da Espanha, o atacante seria uma opção para suprir a saída de Endrick, que vai para o Real Madrid na metade do ano.

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O valor de mercado de Luciano Rodríguez está entre 10 a 15 milhões de dólares (R$ 51,2 milhões a R$ 76,8 milhões), valores acima do que o Palmeiras costuma gastar com contratações. Apesar de ter mapeado o atleta, não há negociações oficiais em andamento, segundo apuração do Lance!.

O atacante é visto no Uruguai como um possível sucessor de Luis Suárez. Ele, inclusive, já foi chamado justamente de “Novo Suárez”.

Em visita ao Brasil para enfrentar justamente o Palmeiras, pela segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores, Luciano Rodríguez afirmou que tem interesse em atuar no país. Porém, deixou o futuro em aberto.

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– O futebol brasileiro está muito avançado aqui no continente. Obviamente, gostaria de jogar aqui. Mas não decidi ainda qual será meu próximo destino – disse, em entrevista à “Espn”.

Aos 20 anos, o jogador chegaria para ser uma opção de atuar centralizado no ataque palmeirense. Ele soma 48 partidas com a camisa do Liverpool, 14 gols marcados e uma assistência.

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Palmeiras

Rangers’ wait for a first victory in this season’s Europa League goes on.

Prior to Thursday night, the Gers had lost seven successive European matches for the very first time and, while that streak has come to an end, they did not claim a much-needed victory, held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Braga.

James Tavernier broke the deadlock from the penalty spot, equaling Ally McCoist’s tally of 21 European goals for the club, chasing down Alfredo Morelos’ all-time record of 29.

This looked like being the decisive goal on the night, especially when Rodrigo Zalazar was sent off for gently headbutting Nicolas Raskin, only for Gabri Martínez to equalise for the ten-men Arsenalists soon after.

The match would end ten vs ten, Mohamed Diomandé rather softly shown a second yellow card by referee Allard Lindhout in injury time, as Rangers were booed off once again.

So, after five Europa League matches, the Light Blues have just one point on the board, probably needing to win their final three fixtures, against Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and Porto to avoid an ignominious early elimination, having finished all the way up in eighth in last year’s league phase.

This was only new manager Danny Röhl’s eighth match in charge, and he certainly has a tough job on his hands, so which summer recruits underlined why they cannot be trusted by the German coach during this latest poor result?

Nasser Djiga's poor Rangers form

With both John Souttar and Derek Cornelius suffering long-term injuries on international duty last week, Danny Röhl has no choice but to keep picking Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga at centre-back, even though the latter once again let him down.

The Burkinabé international has, fair to say, not impressed since joining on loan from Wolves in the summer, very much at fault for Braga’s equaliser on Thursday, completely misjudging a ball into the box and allowing Martínez to slot the ball past Jack Butland.

Speaking during TNT Sports post-match coverage, former Celtic defender Johan Mjällby asserted that he would expect better from a 12 year old.

This though is not Djiga’s first high-profile error.

He was sent off on his home Premiership debut against Dundee before, later that month, running in the complete opposite direction as Romeo Vermant broke the deadlock just three minutes into the Champions League play-off tie, the first of nine goals Club Brugge would bag across the two legs.

Also speaking during commentary on TNT Sports on Thursday, when asked which position Rangers most urgently need to improve in the January transfer window, McCoist quickly answered centre-back, with Djiga clearly not at the required level, but which other summer recruit did not impress against Braga?

Rangers flop struggles again vs Braga

On Monday, Rangers confirmed that chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had both been sacked, the pair widely blamed by supporters for the clubs, how shall we put this diplomatically, puzzling summer recruitment?

The most bewildering of their 13 new signings was the arrival of Youssef Chermiti for £8m, potentially rising to £10m with add-ons, making him the club’s most expensive signing of the post-liquidation era, having scored a grand total of, let’s count them up here, zero goals in two seasons at Everton.

The Portuguese under-21 international has got off the mark north of the border, on target during a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock, Röhl’s first Premiership match in charge, and the German coach has shown Chermiti plenty of faith thus far, making him a regular starter.

However, that could soon change, with the table below underlining that he did not impress against Braga.

Shots on target

Zero

10th

Shots off target

1

1st

Shots blocked

2

1st

Expected goals

0.09

8th

Attempted dribbles

4

5th

Successful dribbles

Zero

10th

Accurate passes

11

21st

Key passes

Zero

10th

Duels contested

15

3rd

Duels won

6

9th

Possession lost

18

4th

Touches

39

16th

SofaScore rating

5.9

28th

The table emphasises Chermiti’s difficult night.

He was successful with none of his four attempted dribbles, completed just 11 passes and lost six of the 15 duels he contested, as well as turning over possession on 18 occasions from 39 touches – essentially losing the ball every 2.2 touches.

Unlike at the back, Röhl does have options for his forward line.

Danilo and Djeidi Gassama were chosen to complete the front three on Thursday, with Oliver Antman, Theo Aasgaard and Bojan Miovski all introduced as substitutes, while Mikey Moore is nursing a knock.

Thus, while Chermiti continues to offer very little, he surely should be left on the bench for Sunday’s clash with Falkirk.

Rangers' £3.5m "colossus" can become the new Connor Goldson under Rohl

As Danny Röhl searches for his best Rangers starting XI, could his “colossus” in defence become the club’s new Connor Goldson, starting against Braga?

ByBen Gray Nov 27, 2025

Bangladesh will hope to create an upset after beating Sri Lanka in their first Super Four game

Sidharth Monga23-Sep-20254:47

Chopra: India lives in Bangladesh’s head rent free

Big picture: Can Bangladesh challenge India?Even though they haven’t been close games, the tension during the two India-Pakistan matches has made players do and say things they otherwise wouldn’t. One of them is based on facts but lacks professional humility. After beating Pakistan once again, India captain Suryakumar Yadav invoked a dominant head-to-head in recent years in order to call for an end to the term “rivalry” for these contests.There is good reason to believe Suryakumar, or any India captain, would not have said what can be interpreted as arrogant had it not been Pakistan and the current relations between the two countries. For where is a rivalry for India in recent times? Since the start of 2024, India have won 32 and lost three matches of T20I cricket.The sheer talent, now coupled with the appropriate intent, has turned India into perhaps the most formidable T20I side ever assembled. Add to it the slowness of the Dubai pitches, and India are able to experiment with just one frontline quick and getting him to bowl three overs in the powerplay.Related

Jasprit Bumrah doing 'exceptionally tough job' at Asia Cup

Bangladesh ready to 'ride the hype' in high-stakes India clash

Fizz at the finish: Mustafizur Rahman is on a roll, but can he keep India quiet?

Bangladesh solve the middle-overs riddle

Suryakumar: India vs Pakistan isn't a rivalry anymore

Those who market the sport will not be too thrilled at such numbers because the biggest draw in sport is the possibility. If there is any consolation, though, one of the three defeats India have suffered in these two years has come against Zimbabwe.Bangladesh will go in believing they can cause an upset. They have just done that to the leaders of their group in the first round, Sri Lanka. They did so using the slowness of the conditions with Mahedi Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman combining for figures of 8-0-45-5. The reward is massive. If they can somehow beat India, Bangladesh will be a good shout to enter the final. Can they do the unthinkable, beat India for the first time since 2019, repair their 16-1 head to head, and somehow initiate a rivalry?Form guideIndia WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWLWWIn the spotlight: Sanju Samson and Mustafizur RahmanAnother experiment that India are able to work on is Sanju Samson in the middle order. Clearly, the team management seems to have decided that Samson is too good a player to be sitting out, so they are trying to create a place for him in the side now that the top order is packed with Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar and Tilak Varma. The one innings he has played there is no sample size to draw any conclusions, but there were signs he wasn’t quite at home when starting against an older ball. So eyes will be on him whenever he gets a chance to bat.4:20

Chopra: India need to give Samson a long rope

One of the challenges for Samson and the rest of the middle order will be the canny bowling of Mustafizur Rahman, who becomes double dangerous on slower pitches. He showed that against Sri Lanka with figures of 4-0-20-3. An encore could give Bangladesh a strong chance against India.Team news: No changes expected for IndiaIn the first round, India experimented with their combination only once their progress to the Super Four was confirmed. So don’t expect any changes to their first-choice XI, which they returned to against Pakistan.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun ChakravarthyCaptain Litton Das complained of a back strain during training two days before the match, but he should be okay to play. The one change Bangladesh are pondering is Tanzim Hasan for Shoriful Islam, who travelled for 49 runs against Sri Lanka.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Saif Hassan, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt. & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Nasum Ahmed, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanzim Hasan, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditionsAs expected, the pitches have been slow, making it difficult to score quickly in the middle overs. Expect more of the same in the extreme heat of Dubai.Stats and trivia With the wicket of Fakhar Zaman, Hardik Pandya went past Yuzvendra Chahal to become India’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, now only three behind Arshdeep Singh’s 100. Mustafizur is tied with Shakib Al Hasan as the most prolific wicket-taker for Bangladesh. When he does go past Shakib, he will become only the fourth bowler in T20Is to reach 150 wickets.

It is all change at Tottenham Hotspur at boardroom level.

Last month, it was announced that Daniel Levy was stepping down as the club’s executive chairman after a quarter of a century in the role.

Levy certainly divided opinion among Spurs supporters, but will, undeniably, forever be one of the most influential figures in the club’s history, overseeing the construction of the new training ground and stadium, catapulting the club into the ‘big six’, something that would have been fanciful a decade or so ago.

Now, Peter Charrington has succeeded him as non-executive chairman while Vinai Venkatesham, formerly of Arsenal, was appointed chief executive officer in April.

It will be interesting to see what these changes mean for Spurs going forward, while another noteworthy appointment, or should we say re-appointment, was made this week.

Fabio Paratici's Tottenham return

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Fabio Paratici has returned to Tottenham Hotspur as sporting director.

He previously held the role between June 2021 and April 2023, before serving a 30-month ban from all footballing activities handed to him by FIFA, one of 11 Juventus executives punished in this way following the plusvalenze scandal, also given a suspended 18-month sentence.

Despite this, Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport believes his re-appointment is a major coup, considering his excellent reputation, boasting ‘one of the most extensive contacts books in the game’.

Paratici will be joint sporting director alongside Johan Lange, stating “I’m convinced that working in partner­ship with Johan we can build a special future for the club and our supporters.”

The table below documents all the players signed when Paratici was in situ the first time.

Bryan Gil

£21.6m

43

Pape Matar Sarr

£14.6m

113

Emerson Royal

£25.8m

101

Rodrigo Bentancur

£15.9m

123

Cristian Romero

£42m

133

Dejan Kuluševski

£30m

146

Pierluigi Gollini

Loan

10

Clément Lenglet

Loan

35

Pedro Porro

£40m

116

Arnaut Danjuma

Loan

12

Fraser Forster

Free

34

Ivan Perišić

Free

50

Yves Bissouma

£25m

100

Djed Spence

£19m

51

Richarlison

£60m

101

Destiny Udogie

£15m

74

As the table documents, many of Paratici’s Spurs signings made little impact in North London; looking at you Bryan Gil!

Others though remain key figures in Thomas Frank’s team to this day, including Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Destiny Udogie and more.

However, one in particular was infamously not wanted by then-manager Antonio Conte, but Paratici can feel truly vindicated by his decision to sign him.

Paratici's greatest transfer market triumph

Back in July 2022, Djed Spence joined Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £19m.

The full-back had been an integral part of Nottingham Forest’s promotion-winning team during a very memorable loan spell from Middlesbrough, leading to Daniel Taylor of the Athletic describing him as the best loan player he’d ever seen at the City Ground.

Despite this, upon his arrival, manager Conte instantaneously labelled him an “investment of the club” and “not my signing”, which Spence later revealed “shattered my confidence”.

Thus, following loan stints at Stade Rennais, Leeds United and Genoa, he made his first start for Spurs away at Southampton last December, 881 days after signing for the club.

Well, since then, the 25-year-old has not looked back, starting 24 of Spurs’ last 30 Premier League fixtures, as well as both in the Champions League so far this season.

A hugely versatile asset, given that Spence has been deployed in both full-back positions, Ian Wright also describes him, at his best, as a “swashbuckling” presence. In the words of Harry Redknapp, he’s been a “revelation” in north London.

Meantime, current manager Frank asserted that Spence is “exceptionally good” is one-on-one defensive situations adding, “he’s a great type, can play both sides… big credit to Djed. He truly deserves it. It has been a tough”.

The Tottenham manager was referencing Spence’s international breakthrough, making his senior England debut against Serbia at Stadion Rajko Mitić last month, replacing Reece James for the final 20 minutes or so in Belgrade.

This month, Spence started both of England’s matches against Wales and Latvia, with Three Lions captain Harry Kane giving this emotional speech when presenting his team-mate with his maiden cap.

Given Thomas Tuchel’s dearth of left-back options, Myles Lewis-Skelly the other leading contender for that spot, it is far from inconceivable that Spence will be starting at the World Cup next year.

Back at Tottenham, his exponential improvement over the last 12 months is vindication for Paratici, who always believed in him, and proves that all it takes is the right environment for a player to thrive, one that clearly did not involve Conte.

Paratici already handed Frank the next Mbeumo in "incredible" Spurs star

Tottenham Hotspur have hit the jackpot on one star who could be Thomas Frank’s next Bryan Mbeumo.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 17, 2025

Thursday, Topps announced an exclusive partnership with two-way MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers batter/pitcher is partnering with the brand on a unique global trading card deal. Previously, Ohtani partnered with Topps in a non-exclusive fashion.

As a part of the deal, Topps will manufacture products that feature Ohtani autographs and game-used memorabilia to be distributed in the United States and Japan markets. David Leiner, President of Trading Cards at Fanatics Collectibles, which owns Topps, promised that the partnership would give collectors, "product that's never before been seen in the hobby."

Ohtani joins other countrymen, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ichiro Suzuki, and Hideki Matsui in partnering with Topps. He also joins a roster of larger-than-life athletes partnered with Topps like LeBron James.

“I'm happy to be exclusively partnering with Topps to give fans unique cards and collectibles for seasons to come," Ohtani said in the press release. Just a few days ago, Topps announced a 1/1 card with a "40/40 club" inscription from Ohtani along with the date he achieved the exclusive mark.

Fanatics acquired the familiar Topps trading card brand in 2022 and is giving a new platform to the collectibles space. Earlier this month Fanatics held a "fan fest," a sports-angled convention comparable to conventions in other spaces like Comic Con, and later this year will hold its first unique auction in a deconsecrated church.

Ohtani famously is reported to make a number in the ballpark of $100 million annually from endorsements and non-baseball contracts. Quite possibly, that massive figure gave him the flexibility to largely defer his contract with the Dodgers in last offseason's free agency, giving the franchise more flexibility to build a winning team around him.

Manchester United have problems to deal with on the field, but they could now be about to announce a new signing after he was spotted at Old Trafford.

Manchester United performances called out by Wayne Rooney

Since the time that Wayne Rooney played for Manchester United, anyone connected with the Premier League will tell you that the Red Devils have struggled to replicate the consistency of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Years have gone by and trophies have been won along the way, though Ruben Amorim’s club have never got close to reclaiming the top prize, and they are in a gradual decline that INEOS haven’t been able to alter since becoming involved at Old Trafford.

After a defeat against Brentford left Manchester United sitting 14th in the table with two wins from six, Rooney has called out the Red Devils and has ‘no faith’ in Amorim to turn around a wretched run of results.

He said: “I just don’t know what’s going on. I have tried my hand in management and it didn’t work out too well, so I get it. Ruben Amorim is my age, he’s still a young manager and I’m sure he’s got a massive future, but what’s going on at Man Utd, this is not Man Utd. I honestly hope he can turn it round and he does. But…after everything I’ve seen, honestly, I’ve got no faith in it.”

Ultimately, the Portuguese boss is here to stay for now and Manchester United need to keep fighting, starting with a pivotal fixture on home soil against Sunderland this Saturday.

Ten Hag sold Man Utd talent for just £10m, now he's outperforming Bruno

Manchester United may have made a mistake in allowing one player to depart Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 29, 2025

Supporters will hope a victory can kickstart a turnaround, and in the meantime, fans will also be intrigued to see that their club are closing in on a seemingly imminent deal.

Manchester United target Mouhamed Dabo spotted at Old Trafford

Earlier this week, it was reported that Manchester United are closing in on Barcelona target Mouhamed Dabo, who is currently on the books of Be Sport Academy and has spent the last few weeks on trial bidding to win a deal.

Now, he has been spotted at Old Trafford and has even trained at Carrington, indicating that an official announcement may not be too far away as INEOS close in on a sought after young player.

Building for the future is a necessary step for Manchester United to breed stars of the future, with Chido Obi-Martin, Diego Leon and Sekou Kone among their most exciting hopes, and Dabo may be another to add to their talent conveyor belt as INEOS look to the long-term.

Arsenal came back with a bang this weekend

Mikel Arteta’s side appeared to have put their defeat to Liverpool well and truly behind them as they comfortably beat Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest 3-0.

There were brilliant performances across the pitch for the home side, with Noni Madueke continuing his form from the international break, Martin Zubimendi scoring a brace, and Viktor Gyokeres netting his third goal of the Premier League season.

While Eberechi Eze also impressed on his first start for the club, he did endure a slightly more unproductive night in the Champions League against Athletic Club.

Therefore, a slight tweak to Arteta’s side could get the best out of him.

Eze's superb showing against Forest

He may have made his official debut for Arsenal against Liverpool prior to the international break, but it was over the weekend that Arteta handed Eze his first start for the club, and boy did he repay him.

The England international was signed to bring an air of unpredictability and flair to the Gunners’ attack, and it took him all of five minutes to do just that, beating a defender and getting the crowd on their feet.

It was much of the same from that point on, as while he did not win every duel nor complete every dribble, the former Crystal Palace star was a constant threat on the left-hand side and ensured Forest couldn’t get a moment’s rest.

The Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, received his reward just a minute after the restart, drilling a ball across the penalty area for Gyokeres to smash into the net.

It was a truly brilliant performance from the Englishman, one that saw the Standard’s Sam Tabuteau award him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, which, based on his statistics, felt more than justified.

For example, in 79 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goals and assists figure of 0.50, provided one assist, completed three dribbles, took 43 touches, played one key pass, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, created one big chance, won two fouls and won 100% of his aerial duels.

It was the kind of showing that more than justifies the money Arsenal spent on him, although if Arteta wants to get even more out of him in the future after a subdued display in Europe on Tuesday, one change could be made.

The Arsenal star who can make Eze even better

The truly exciting thing for Arsenal fans is that after their summer of business, they have so many talented players in the squad who all deserve to start.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, Arteta could make Eze even more unplayable by dropping the in-form Riccardo Calafiori, “Arsenal’s Player of the Season so far” in the words of one content creator. Instead, Arteta must look at unleashing new signing Piero Hincapié.

The £65k-per-week international completed his loan move with an option to buy at £45m to the club on deadline day and hasn’t been able to play from the start for them yet, but as his performances in the international break showed, he’s more than match fit.

Moreover, there is one part of his game that could make him the perfect partner for Eze on that left-hand side: his ability to overlap.

The Ecuadorian “beast,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, might not be as gung-ho as a Jeremie Frimpong, but he is undoubtedly excellent at bombing up and down the byline, so much so in fact that respected analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “a left-sided Ben White.”

Hincapie’s FB Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Shots Blocked	0.63	Top 1%
Touches (Def Pen)	6.86	Top 1%
Touches (Def 3rd)	27.36	Top 1%
Progressive Passing Distance	362.56	Top 2%
Passes Completed (Medium)	27.99	Top 2%
Touches (Mid 3rd)	42.26	Top 2%
Total Passing Distance	1024.66	Top 3%
Pass Completion % (Short)	94.3%	Top 3%
Live-ball Passes	64.71	Top 3%
Passes Received	56.86	Top 3%
Aerials Won	2.29	Top 3%
Passes Completed	61.85	Top 4%
Carries	46.56	Top 4%
Progressive Carrying Distance	139.59	Top 4%
Touches	81.65	Top 5%
Total Carrying Distance	234.96	Top 5%
Pass Completion %	87.8%	Top 6%
Average Shot Distance	13.10	Top 7%
Passes into Final Third	5.12	Top 8%
% of Aerials Won	63.8%	Top 8%
All Stats via FBref

You can see some elements of his desire and ability to maraud up the pitch in his underlying numbers, with FBref ranking in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues for progressive passing distance, the top 4% for progressive carrying distance and overall carries, the top 8% for passes into the final third, and more, all per 90.

With all that said, you may wonder why having an overlapping full-back would help maximise Eze’s potential.

Well, simply put, while the former Palace star can play at left-wing and looked great there on Saturday, he is someone who very much prefers to move into more central areas when he gets closer to goal, which we can see from his heat map last season.

Therefore, if Hincapié starts at left-back and is the one to provide width through his overlapping runs, Eze can move closer to the middle of the pitch and do what he does best.

Ultimately, we’ve not seen it yet, but this pairing could be the one that helps Arsenal’s left-hand side become as much of a threat as their right has been in years past.

£150k-per-week Arsenal star looks like the player Pepe was supposed to be

Nicolas Pepe is back at Arsenal, albeit in the form of a different player.

By
Matt Dawson

Sep 16, 2025

There was a time when Virat Kohli could be kept quiet by spin bowling. Then last year, in keeping with the Indian team’s new direction in T20 cricket, he upped his game when pace was taken off the ball. Kohli began IPL 2025 with an innings full of intent, and on the eve of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s game against Chennai Super Kings in Chepauk, there is once again focus on what he will do when he faces R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad.”He has batted well in the recent past against spin, especially in white-ball cricket,” RCB batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik said, “So, I don’t want to go too deep into stats. I am not very aware. But if I remember, in the [T20] World Cup finals, he got runs where it mattered. And apart from that, in the Champions Trophy, he had a good tournament second-highest run-getter [for India]. And that doesn’t come without playing on spin.”So, I believe right now, he is batting as well as he has ever done. And you speak to him even today, just now as I came out. He wanted to work on one more shot. At this point of time, to work on one more shot, tells you the hunger that he has in his mindset. He wants to just improve and keep raising the bar. So, he is a special player. And at this point of time, the way I see it, he is batting as confidently and as well as he has ever done in IPL.”Related

• CSK vs RCB: The good, the bad, the silly and the ugly

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The conditions in Chennai haven’t always been spin-friendly though. CSK coach Stephen Fleming has previously stressed on wanting to get back their home advantage. His preference remains the same – “if it does turn, great”, he said – but he does appear to be at peace with whatever he gets on match day.”It’s difficult,” Fleming said. “We don’t have much influence, really, on what comes up. Each pitch has a different characteristic. We’ve found that. So we’ll work really hard from ball one to try and work out what we have, trying to get us a team that’s pretty well-equipped for all conditions because that’s been the key to playing here.”We do find it’s a flat wicket. We’ve got guys that are good at bowling in those conditions. If it does turn, great. I’m sure we won’t get a green seamer, so the other two is what we’re looking for.”Noor Ahmad has given CSK’s attack a point of difference•BCCI

Fleming also had a theory on why mystery spin is so popular in T20 cricket. “A lot of these players are coming straight out of one season or half a season, two seasons at most, of first-class cricket. So they haven’t got a lot of grounding. They haven’t got the 10 years of first-class experience, but they’re incredibly powerful. So they know how to hit the ball, hit it a long way, but the subtleties of the game is something that you learn over time.”When you’re young and getting these big opportunities, sometimes you haven’t had the experience against a wide range of bowlers. So for many, it’s coming up against this type of player [mystery spinner] for the first time, and it’s a tough stage. But their default position is power, so you still have to be very smart with what you do. But that’s why we think players with a little bit of difference make a big difference.”

Nottingham Forest cruised to an opening-day win in the Premier League as Keith Andrews’ Brentford were brushed aside with ease.

New Tricky Trees recruit Dan Ndoye got on the scoresheet to the delight of his adoring City Ground masses, on top of Chris Wood asserting his dominance in the forward positions once more by firing home a brace in the 3-1 victory.

Amazingly, Nuno Espirito Santo still has Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee to add to the first team picture, with both new signings not ready to feature against the Bees, after joining Nuno’s ranks in quick succession just before this opening clash.

These two flashy buys don’t signal the end of Forest’s summer business, however, with more new signings looking to be completed before the month is out.

Nottingham Forest in talks to sign £30m star

Europa League football might well be triumphantly on the menu for the Tricky Trees this campaign, but this season will see Forest try to push into those coveted Champions League spaces.

Forest’s ambitious late dealings in the transfer market could make these bold dreams a reality, with Douglas Luiz reportedly close to linking up with McAtee and Co. from Juventus, having once stood out in the Premier League with Aston Villa as an exciting midfield presence.

Rumours are also circulating that Forest are in talks to sign Rico Lewis from Manchester City, with Caught Offside reporting – despite Nuno’s men having a recent £30m approach pushed back – that talks are still ongoing between the two sides over striking up a potential deal.

While McAtee’s name has dominated a lot of the conversation at the City Ground in recent days, adding Lewis could be an even more exciting capture than securing the skilful midfielder’s services, with the 20-year-old arguably more well-versed as to what it takes to be a success at such a daunting level.

Why signing Lewis could be more exciting than McAtee

Of course, a signing in the attacking positions will always catch the eye more than a defensive addition, particularly when it involves the amount of promise McAtee has in his locker.

Indeed, from just 34 appearances at the Etihad, McAtee has left a lasting impact on the City masses watching on, with a vibrant seven goals next to his name. On top of that, he has six goals and three assists in the Premier League alone, boosted by a standout two-season loan stint at Sheffield United.

However, while it’s undeniable that the 22-year-old will likely go on to be a success away from feeding on minimal scraps at Pep Guardiola’s men, Lewis has what it takes to be an instant, shining part of Nuno’s first team over one for the future, considering he has been in and around the Spaniard’s first team plans more regularly over the years.

Amazingly, despite only being 20 years of age, the City number 82 already has 59 Premier League appearances under his belt, meaning he won’t be taken aback by the bright lights of the City Ground if he were to shortly relocate to Nottingham.

Lewis Premier League numbers vs McAtee
Stat	Lewis	McAtee
Games played	59	28
Games started	40	23
Goals scored	3	6
Assists	3	3
Passes completed	2424 (93%)	619 (74%)
Crosses completed	13 (23%)	31 (19%)
Total duels won	158	118
Stats from the Premier League

He isn’t just an honourary member of the youth team that has been shoved into the senior scene for the sake of it, however, with an impressive return of three goals and three assists also coming his way, which included him linking up with Erling Haaland just this weekend to get City up and running in their 4-0 demolition job of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With Nuno already possessing Morgan Gibbs-White, too, on top of having plentiful options down the wings where McAtee can also play, such as Ndoye, there is no guarantee that McAtee would instantly come into his starting XI.

Whereas, Lewis – who has been dubbed “special” in the past by football statistician Statman Dave – would have no qualms about trying to take Ola Aina’s starting spot from him, having had to compete with some top talents already over his time in Manchester.

Capable of also lining up as a defensive midfielder if needed, this feels as if it would be yet another exciting addition by Forest, with both the former Blades midfielder and Lewis adding sparks of quality that could propel Forest even further up the top-flight standings.

Deal close: Nottingham Forest in advanced talks to sign Celtic "sensation"

The youngster has already captained his national team.

By
Callum Kemp

Aug 17, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur’s antics in the transfer window over recent days have been constant, pulling off numerous high-profile additions throughout the summer.

Xavi Simons made his £52m move to join the Lilywhites at the end of last week, finally ending the club’s long-standing pursuit of a new attacking midfielder this summer.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze were Thomas Frank’s main targets for the position, but the hierarchy decided to turn to the Dutchman to help bolster the club’s attack.

Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel have both already arrived in such an area this window, strengthening the options at the manager’s disposal ahead of his debut campaign in the role.

However, with just a few hours left in the window, the board could be set to back the manager once again, subsequently targeting a move for another top-level forward.

Spurs’ hunt to land a new attacker on deadline day

Despite having an offer rejected earlier this summer, Spurs haven’t given up hope on a move for Manchester City star Savinho before tonight’s 7pm deadline.

It’s been reported that the Brazilian youngster still remains as a priority target for Frank, with a £70m transfer being mooted for the 21-year-old’s signature.

However, he’s not alone on their list, with Atalanta star Ademola Lookman another option for the Lilywhites this evening, according to GIVEMESPORT’s latest update.

They claim that the player himself is pushing for a move to North London, after previously stating his desire to depart the Italian outfit before the end of the window.

It’s also been suggested that the Nigerian forward could be available for around £43m – a potential bargain for a talent who registered 20 goals throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

Why Spurs’ £43m target would be even better than Kolo Muani

In an attempt to bolster the front line, Spurs have turned their attention to PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani in recent hours – with a deal rapidly progressing throughout the day.

The Lilywhites have struck an agreement with Luis Enrique’s side to land the 26-year-old attacker, which will see the Frenchman join Frank’s side on a season-long loan.

It’s been reported that Spurs will pay a €5m (£4.3m) loan fee for his signature, with the deal not including any option or obligation to buy this time next year.

His tally of 10 goals in 22 appearances last season highlights the quality he possesses when in front of goal – hopefully handing the manager an option amid Dominic Solanke’s ankle injury.

However, a move for Kolo Muani may even be trumped in the remaining hours – especially if the hierarchy can strike up a late agreement for former Fulham star, Lookman.

The Nigerian has excelled in recent months – as seen by his goalscoring tally – which could make him a superb proposition for Frank and the rest of the frontline.

When comparing his underlying stats to those of Kolo Muani from 2024/25, he managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – highlighting why he’d be a better addition.

Games played

31

26

Goals & assists

20

12

Pass accuracy

73%

70%

Key passes made

2.4

1.3

Passes into final third

1.2

0.4

Take-ons completed

1.5

1.4

Progressive carries

5.7

1.7

Aerials won

57%

38%

Lookman, who’s been labelled “incredible” by Squawka Sport, outscored the PSG star, whilst also achieving a better goal per shot on target rate – subsequently highlighting his added threat in front of goal.

However, in terms of chance creation, the Atalanta star has further dominated, completing more key passes per 90 and more passes into the final third – offering more of an all-round threat in attacking areas.

His talent in possession is further showcased in his higher tallies of take-ons completed and progressive carries made – which could allow him to beat the opposition before finding the back of the net.

£43m for a player of Lookman’s quality in today’s market is an excellent price, subsequently handing Frank the added attacking quality he’s craved throughout the summer window.

If he does join, he could potentially form a deadly partnership with Kolo Muani in North London – which could allow the Lilywhites to build on their Europa League triumph.

Imagine him with Kolo Muani: £70m star Spurs' top target on deadline day

Tottenham Hotspur look set to make another move after agreeing a deal for Randal Kolo Muani.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 1, 2025