Not just Kristensen: 49ers must sell Leeds flop who's cost £525k-per-game

After relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 season, it was to be expected that Leeds United would lose numerous players ahead of their return to the Championship.

Tyler Adams was the most high-profile departure, leaving to join Bournemouth in a £20m deal, ending his one-year stay at Elland Road after being unable to prevent the side dropping into the second tier.

After notching 28 goals for the Whites over a three-year period, Spanish forward Rodrigo also departed Yorkshire, moving to Qatari outfit Al-Rayyan after they triggered his £3m relegation clause.

rodrigo-transfer-gossip-leeds-united-live-updates-ola-solbakken-as-roma

Such departures were inevitable, raising funds but also clearing somewhat of the wage bill, something which was vital to avoid any form of financial breach after dropping down a division.

One other player departed on loan during the aforementioned window, with the former first-team star now looking set for a permanent move away from the club this summer.

Rasmus Kristensen’s stats for Leeds United

Danish full-back Rasmus Kristensen joined Leeds in a deal worth around £10m during the summer of 2022, looking to provide added quality to the defensive department.

However, despite making 32 appearances across all competitions and registering three goals, it wasn’t enough to stop the side dropping into the Championship, with the defender leaving on loan as a result.

Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen

He would subsequently join Roma for the entirety of last season before linking up with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt on another temporary spell for the ongoing campaign.

It’s emerged in recent days that the German side are set to purchase the 27-year-old permanently at the end of the season for a fee in the region of £6.7m, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.

It’s safe to say the Whites have conducted excellent business in offloading the full-back, with the 49ers needing to make sure another one of their Premier League additions follows him out of the door in the coming months.

The player who’s cost Leeds £525k per appearance

Over the years, Leeds have spent heavily to try and become an established top-flight outfit once again, but more importantly have also conducted shrewd business in offloading players.

Georginio Rutter

Georginio Rutter joined during the spell in the Premier League but still managed to make a profit on him after his showings in the second tier – highlighting the hierarchy’s impressive work in the market.

However, it’s highly unlikely that boss Daniel Farke would be able to say the same with Max Wober should the defender depart at the end of the season.

The Austrian joined the club in a £11m deal from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2023, making 19 appearances before the Whites suffered relegation at the end of his first campaign in Yorkshire.

He would subsequently join Borussia Mönchengladbach on loan for the 2023/24 season before returning for the ongoing year – but has been unable to cement his place in the starting eleven.

The 27-year-old has made just seven appearances across all competitions in 2024/25, currently missing due to a knee injury, but could return to action in April for the business end of the season.

When combining his transfer fee with his earnings of £35k-per-week wage, he’s cost a total of £525k per appearance he’s made in Yorkshire – a figure way too high given his lack of impact in recent times.

Games played

6

Minutes played

307

Pass accuracy

77%

Tackles won

1.8

Duels won

6.7

Interceptions made

2.4

Fouls committed

2.1

With the prospect of a return to the Premier League on the cards, Farke will want as many funds as possible to improve the playing squad to avoid an immediate return back to the Championship.

Wober could join Kristensen out of the door in the coming months, allowing for fresh blood in the backline, potentially making room for further investment in such a department in the near future.

Leeds hit the jackpot on Farke's "crucial" star whose value has risen 2025%

Leeds United certainly conducted shrewd business signing a player who’s been key under Daniel Farke.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 6, 2025

Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan tons, Jofra Archer six-for snap England losing streak

Heinrich Klaasen produces fighting knock but South Africa miss out on World Cup Super League points

Valkerie Baynes01-Feb-2023England 346 for 7 (Buttler 131, Malan 118, Ngidi 4-62) beat South Africa 287 (Klaasen 80, Hendricks 52, Archer 6-40) by 59 runsJofra Archer’s maiden ODI five-for crowned his comeback and ensured England would leave with more than a consolation victory after Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan’s perfectly crafted centuries prevented what had looked like a certain series sweep to South Africa.The tourists depart in the knowledge that Archer is back in business after his 6 for 40 in just his second international match after spending the best part of two years out of the game injured. He sealed a 59-run victory despite the best efforts of Heinrich Klaasen and Wayne Parnell, who put on 85 runs off just 54 balls for the seventh wicket, which poses implications for South Africa’s hopes of qualifying directly for this year’s World Cup. They must now beat Netherlands 2-0 in their upcoming series and hope New Zealand defeat Sri Lanka at least once in their three-match series to secure an automatic berth in India.The hosts were on course for a 3-0 series result when England slumped to 14 for 3 thanks to Lungi Ngidi’s three wickets for seven runs in the space of 11 balls. But Buttler and Malan staged a fourth-wicket stand worth 232 runs to take their side to 346 for 7.Half-centuries from Klaasen and Reeza Hendricks and starts by Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma and Parnell kept South Africa in touch but breaking partnerships was key for England and Archer was the chief destroyer.ESPNcricinfo LtdBavuma, centurion and Player of the Match as South Africa went 2-0 up on Sunday in Bloemfontein, eased to 22 off 16 balls at the end of the fourth over which included a huge six over deep midwicket off Chris Woakes. At 41 for no loss after seven, England introduced Archer, but it was Woakes who made the breakthrough with a slower ball that saw Bavuma chipping to Reece Topley at mid-off.Archer, back after resting for the second match, claimed just his second wicket of the series when Rassie van der Dussen slashed to Jason Roy at point. Archer’s next ball was a 146kph/90mph bouncer which rapped Markram’s left shoulder and Markram responded by driving the next ball fiercely down the ground for four.With Hendricks opening in place of Quinton de Kock, who was rested after picking up a minor thumb injury in the second ODI, South Africa’s run chase was still in good hands. He reached his fifty off 59 balls and put on a half-century partnership with Markram off 40 deliveries, but then Adil Rashid removed Hendricks, stepping back to try and dig out one that had pitched well outside leg stump before turning back to rap the inside of his left knee and deflect onto his stumps.Markram was looking set and put on 46 runs with Klaasen before he miscued off Archer and found Moeen Ali sitting under the ball at midwicket. That brought in David Miller and he crashed Moeen’s first ball through the covers for four and his fourth down the ground for an effortless-looking six. But then Archer removed the threat with the first ball of his next over, a sizzling back-of-a-length delivery that found Miller’s inside edge and was pouched by Buttler.Klaasen and Parnell then teamed up, Klaasen clubbing Moeen for 14 runs in the 37th over and reaching 80 off 62 before skying Archer to Ben Duckett, running in from deep backward square. Archer took out Parnell’s middle stump to seal his five-for and made it six when he pinged the top of Tabraiz Shamsi’s off stump, ending England’s five-match losing streak in ODIs.Jos Buttler leaves the crease after his century•AFP/Getty ImagesAt the 10-over mark, England’s scoring rate was going nowhere at 20 for 3 after South Africa had sent the visitors in on a Kimberley ground notoriously difficult to defend upon.Ngidi hit his lengths beautifully at the outset and struck with his sixth ball as Roy mistimed his attempted drive and picked out Bavuma at mid-off. Ngidi struck again in his second over with a shorter ball angled across left-hander Duckett, who nicked to Klaasen behind the stumps. Harry Brook was unable to lift his side off the back of his 80 in the second game, which followed a duck on debut in the series opener, when Ngidi had him caught behind stabbing at a wide delivery outside off stump which found the inside edge.Buttler found the initial going tough, taking 14 balls to get off the mark. Markram saw his fourth ball smashed for six over long-off as Buttler set about raising the tempo. That was after he had narrowly survived being run out chancing a second off Parnell with Miller diving, gathering and firing the ball into Klaasen in one fluid motion, and before Malan’s pull shot off Shamsi burst through Hendricks’ fingertips.Buttler raised his fifty off 64 balls, which was slow by his standards but what his side needed in the circumstances. Shamsi missed the chance to remove Malan when he dived to his right for an attempted return catch but managed only to get a finger to it. Malan then dispatched Parnell over the fence at deep square leg to bring up an even more sluggish half-century (off 79).ESPNcricinfo LtdFrom there, however, Malan went on the attack, carving Parnell to the boundary through backward point and heaving Shamsi for six over wide long-on, Shamsi conceding a second maximum in three balls when Buttler pummelled him over midwicket.The England duo pounced on anything short, and there was plenty from Jansen as he conceded 18 runs off the 34th over – 17 of them to Malan who targeted the leg-side fence, and beyond, three times in as many balls. They brought up their centuries within three balls of each other, Malan to the rope at deep-third and Buttler flicking to the leg side for two. Malan’s second fifty came off just 27 balls and Buttler’s from 42. Malan eventually fell to a leading edge off Sisanda Magala which found Klaasen waiting underneath it at short fine leg.Moeen offered an entertaining cameo, failing connect with his one-handed attempt at a reverse sweep off Shamsi but taking England past the 300-mark that had seemed out of reach earlier with back-to-back sixes, including one off a no-ball from Ngidi. Moeen’s knock ended when Ngidi nailed him with a yorker which tore between his ankles, and Buttler holed out to long-on off Jansen three balls later.

Livingstone to miss Punjab Kings' IPL opener

He is expected to join the squad before their second game against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on April 5

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2023

Livingstone struck 437 runs in 14 games last IPL at a strike rate of 182.08•BCCI

England’s power-hitter Liam Livingstone will miss Punjab Kings’ opening game of IPL 2023 as he is yet to get a fitness clearance from the ECB after recovering from a knee injury he suffered in December.Kings open their IPL campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali on April 1.Livingstone, who is a key member of the Kings squad for his all-round abilities, has not played competitive cricket since picking up the knee injury on his Test debut in Pakistan.Related

Punjab Kings: Another new captain and coach for a new season

Bairstow out of IPL 2023; Matthew Short named replacement

He had also suffered an ankle injury during the Hundred competition at home last year.”He is out of the first game at least as the ECB is conducting scans to determine his fitness status,” an IPL source told PTI. “He should be available from the second game onwards.” Kings’ second game is against Rajasthan Royals on April 5 in Guwahati.Having spent around a week in Dubai on Lancashire’s pre-season tour, Livingstone was at Old Trafford on Wednesday and even posted a video on social media where he is seen batting in the indoor nets.

Last year, Livingstone had an impressive IPL season as he amassed 437 runs in 14 games at an average of 36.41 and a strike rate of 182.08. He had also picked up six wickets with his mixture of offbreaks and legbreaks in 2022, when Kings finished sixth for the fourth season in a row.With Jonny Bairstow also ruled out of the tournament, this leaves Sam Curran, the highest-paid player in IPL history, as the only England player to have joined the Kings squad.Besides Livingstone, Kings will also miss Kagiso Rabada in their opening game because of national duties. Rabada is expected to reach India on April 3, two days ahead of the away game against Royals.

São Paulo encaminha a venda de Rigoni para time da MLS

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo encaminhou a venda de Rigoni para o Austin FC, time da MLS pelo valor de 4 milhões de dólares (cerca de R$ 21,4 milhões na cotação atual). A informação foi dada primeiramente pela ESPN e confirmada pelo LANCE!.

RelacionadasSão PauloPablo Maia destaca postura do São Paulo contra o Atlético-MGSão Paulo11/07/2022São PauloReinaldo tem lesão detectada e se torna um novo desfalque para o São PauloSão Paulo11/07/2022São PauloJogadores do São Paulo aproveitam desfalques de titulares para ganhar espaçoSão Paulo11/07/2022

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>ATUAÇÕES: Defesa do São Paulo se destaca, mas ataque não corresponde e quase não assusta

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> Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro e simule os próximos jogos

Conforme apuração do L!, metade do valor será pago no momento da compra e a outra metade em janeiro de 2023. O jogador teve um rendimento abaixo do esperado no Tricolor nesta temporada.

Rigoni terminou 2021 como vice-artilheiro da equipe, com11 gols. Porém, neste ano a situação foi diferente. Em 32 jogos, marcou apenas dois, além de três assistências – sendo o último ainda no Campeonato Paulista, contra o Botafogo-SP. Em algumas entrevistas recentes do Rogério Ceni, o treinador destacou que o atleta não estava demonstrando confiança.

– Ele é um cara muito bom de se dar no dia a dia, sempre sorridente, feliz. Jogador ambidestro, boa finalização, tem todos os fundamentos, tem o drible. Momentos ruins, todos passam. Luciano deu uma entrevista falando sobre isso. Ele não está com tanta confiança – disse Ceni.

Conforme adiantado pelo LANCE!, a diretoria do São Paulo já tinhasinalizado de forma positiva à sondagem que o atacante recebeu do futebol dos Estados Unidos. A oferta partiu de um grupo de empresários dispostos a levar o jogador para lá. Além de Rigoni, Gabriel Sara também está próximo de assinar com outra equipe – o Norwich, da Inglaterra.

Jamie Porter's duck-shoot leaves Middlesex with top-flight reality check

Essex 266 (Lawrence 105, Roland-Jones 7-61) lead Middlesex 170 (Higgins 70, Simpson 63, Porter 6-35) by 96 runsVisitors to Lord’s will notice that there are now two replay screens above the Allen Stand next to the Pavilion. Opulence, perhaps, but in an UltraHD era, the crispness of those letters and digits were a recognisable example of a traditional sport moving with the times. And yet there was a moment at about 2.50pm on Good Friday, when all within the ground strained between blinks as they tried to register what both screens displayed.Middlesex’s top four all had noughts to their names, all dismissed, yet four runs had been amassed by virtue of two front-foot no-balls. Jamie Porter had figures of 3 for 2 – Sam Robson was lbw to the first ball of Middlesex’s innings before Pieter Malan was bowled with the third, then Stevie Eskinazi was caught down the leg side with the 16th – just after Sam Cook got in on the act with Mark Stoneman caught behind.Four for Four. And not just any four for four; the first time in 48 years No.1, 2, 3 and 4 had all been dismissed for ducks in the County Championship.All that was missing was the sitcom record-scratch accompanied by the usual “You’re probably wondering how we got here?”. The answer to that in itself was more than enough to get your head around at the start of a Bank Holiday weekend. Dan Lawrence completed a measured yet engaging century, but with Toby Roland-Jones taking 7 for 61 in response, Essex, having begun day two on 162 for 3, were limited to 266 all out under bright blue skies.What advantage they had ceded was quickly re-established with the ball. It took 4.4 overs for Middlesex to get their first run off the bat, a frantic tip-and-run from Max Holden drawing ironic cheers from the stands. He was the next to fall – 20 for 5 – when Porter nabbed a fourth thanks to a smart low catch by Simon Harmer at second slip.A period of breath-catching followed with a127-run stand between Ryan Higgins and John Simpson. But it only delayed the inevitable of a sizeable Essex first-innings lead – 98 – and Porter’s first five-wicket haul of the summer. The 29-year-old finished with six for 35, with Harmer’s 3 for 33 – beginning with bowling Higgins through the gate to break the sixth-wicket partnership – keeping the tail honest. That Essex were able to remove the last five Middlesex wickets for just 23 at the end of a session pushing three hours was a testament to their red-ball dominance established well before this day.It felt like an age since Lawrence had resumed on 74. It was a whole different game with a very different story when he was ticking off the remaining runs to a 13th first-class century with the same patience, sound judgement and the odd flash of brilliance he showcased on Thursday. He marched at Tim Murtagh to pull him for six – a second of this knock – and went from 99 to 103 with an on-drive for four. The stroke was greeted with a skip and punch of the air at the climax of a cursory jaunt to the non-striker’s end.Dan Lawrence celebrates reaching his hundred•Getty Images

Lawrence is not usually a big celebrator, but the personal value of this knock after a 2022 summer of struggle – just 420 runs at 21.20 – was high, and not just because this was a first hundred at Lord’s. He knows this is a huge summer as far as international credentials are concerned.Unlike last summer, when he drifted away from the Test set-up under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum despite a valiant showing in the Caribbean under different interim management, Lawrence looks more at ease. He may have only carried drinks in New Zealand, but was left with a far better idea of where he stands and what he can do to move forward.”I think the general messaging for me was I score quickly enough anyway,” Lawrence explained about the nuggets he had been offered from Stokes and McCullum. “So I don’t need to change that much. It was probably more the other way for me; I’m trying to hone my defence a little bit more and then have the odd calculated gamble where I’ll take someone on when I feel like I need to. And it paid off this week.”The game changed considerably when Lawrence departed. He was the first of four wickets to fall for just 30 runs, the last three to Roland-Jones, bringing up the seamer’s 25th five-wicket haul. The first came as the culmination of a 12-over period in which Essex managed just 14 runs. Helm, Higgins and Luke Hollman kept things quiet until the new ball, before the skipper stepped in to finish things off.Adam Rossington, formerly of this parish, flicked straight to square leg before Roland-Jones bagged Simon Harmer (lbw) and Shane Snater (bowled via an inside-edge) in consecutive deliveries, the latter giving him five in the match and a 500th first-class dismissal. The hat-trick ball was a naff half-volley on leg stump put away by Ben Allison with ease. A more appropriate delivery to a No.9 eventually came after lunch – the 35-year-old seaming one into the front pad after Allison had committed early to a forward defence.Matt Critchley was watching calmly at the other end, like a Parisian dining alfresco amid a riot. His calm indifference to the collapse unfolding was characterised after lunch when he struck four fours in the 89th over off Helm, including a gorgeous straight drive to remind Middlesex a frontline batter had been playing possum.Critchley moved to 50 from 98 – a third score of fifty or more for Essex since joining from Derbyshire at the end of 2021 – but greeted the milestone with a shake of his head. He had exposed the No.11 Porter to five deliveries of a Roland-Jones over in taking that single. Ironically, he would be the man to fall to the Middlesex skipper, lured into attacking the short boundary and skying a pull that was smartly taken by Simpson.Barely 30 minutes after the catch, Simpson was back out there tending to the wreckage of Middlesex’s top-order. He was the one to walk out on 4 for 4, for so often the designated firefighter this side of London, heading towards the danger once more. Higgins was more of the aggressor in their stand – a half-century from 72 balls, whereas Simpson’s came from 151 – and Simpson’s failed attempt to take matters into his own hands further spoke of Essex’s chokehold on the game.Essex could have had Simpson for just 5 had Rossington reacted better to a nick off Porter. That would have made it 15 for 5 and perhaps increased the likelihood of Middlesex not passing the follow-on target of 116. Nevertheless, the hosts have plenty to do to avoid a chastening defeat in their first match back in Division One.

لاعب بالميراس: الأهلي منافس قوي ومنظم.. وندرسهم لتحقيق الفوز

تحدث إستيفاو لاعب فريق بالميراس البرازيلي عن مواجهة الأهلي المقبلة في منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية.

وخاض بالميراس أولى مبارياته أمام بورتو البرتغالي، والتي انتهت بالتعادل السلبي، مثل نتيجة مباراة الأهلي وإنتر ميامي بالمجموعة ذاتها.

ويلتقي الأهلي وبالميراس يوم الخميس القادم في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

وقال إستيفاو في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للفيفا: “قدمنا ​​مباراة جيدة، شهدت تبادلًا كبيرًا للكرة والتمريرات، لكننا افتقرنا إلى الكفاءة في إنهاء الهجمات”.

وأضاف: “لم نكن قادرين على تسجيل أي هدف، الآن علينا أن نتحسن ونسعى لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية في المباراة القادمة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ترتيب هدافي كأس العالم للأندية بعد هاتريك موسيالا في مباراة بايرن ميونخ وأوكلاند

وأردف: “كان الجمهور عنصرًا أساسيًا، كان الاحتفال الذي قدموه رائعًا، إنهم لاعبنا الثاني عشر، لقد كانوا عنصرًا أساسيًا بالنسبة لنا، الآن سنسعى للفوز في مباراتنا القادمة لندخل السعادة إلى قلوبهم”.

اختير إستيفاو كأفضل لاعب في المباراة، وعلّق: “أنا سعيد، لكنني أعترف أنني أستطيع مواصلة التحسن لمساعدة بالميراس أكثر”.

وعلّق على مواجهة الأهلي قائلاً: “إنهم منظمون، يستخدمون التمريرات السريعة بكثرة، إنهم فريق قوي حقًا، الآن سنحللهم وندرسهم لتقديم أداء جيد ضدهم”.

Green, Tilak Varma, Chawla fire Mumbai Indians to third win in a row

The result took Mumbai up two spots to No. 6 on the points table, while Sunrisers Hyderabad are still one place off the bottom

Vishal Dikshit18-Apr-20232:14

Moody: Green’s all-round performance a big tick for Mumbai

Two days after their top order made short work of a 186-run target against Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians’ middle order muscled an above-par total of 192 on a sluggish pitch against Sunrisers Hyderabad to set up their third straight win and take them two places up to the sixth spot on the points table. It was also the second day in a row in the IPL where a team defended a total successfully.Mumbai will also gain confidence from the fact that their bowlers reduced Sunrisers to 127 for 5 in the 14th over without the help of Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer, their main quick bowlers, and were largely ahead in the game. Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen and Washington Sundar pulled out some big hits but couldn’t finish the job. The last over started with 20 required, and Arjun Tendulkar had the ball. It was a sequence of wide yorkers, which resulted in two wickets and just five runs scored.The prime architects of Mumbai’s win were Cameron Green and Tilak Varma, who put on a stand of 56 in 28 balls and helped them score 83 off the last six overs before Green sent down some tight overs to finish with 1 for 29, including the big wicket of Aiden Markram.Rohit lights up the powerplayAfter opting to bowl, Sunrisers brought on Washington in the third over for the match-up against Rohit Sharma: 25 runs off 26 balls with three dismissals before this game. But Rohit turned it around by taking on the bigger leg-side boundary, which had the two fielders out. He hit two fours behind square, and then one through cover-point to hit the pedal.Rohit continued to attack with his array of shots; he smoked T Natarajan over mid-on and ramped him for four more. It didn’t last long. Natarajan sent a slow cutter on the pads and Rohit got a leading edge to mid-off to leave for 28 off 18.But Ishan Kishan then took over and took Mumbai to 53 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Caught Markram bowled JansenJansen had already bowled two good overs in the powerplay – making him one of the best in this IPL with an economy rate of 5.57 – and he returned for the 12th over to strike twice. He first banged the ball short – not to forget the height he delivers from – to make Kishan miscue the ball to mid-off, where Markram completed an excellent catch.Four balls later, Markram was at it again when Suryakumar Yadav chipped a slow cutter down the ground; Markram ran across, put in the dive, and got up with the ball in his hand. It was a case of leading by example after Markram had said at the toss that his team had to field better, having dropped 11 catches earlier in the tournament, according to ESPNcricinfo’s data.2:35

Moody: Tilak Varma has big career ahead of him

Tilak and Green take offMumbai could have easily slipped or slowed down after that, but their search for boundaries every over paid off when Tilak Varma and Green took on their best bowler of the day to start the onslaught.Green used his tall frame to unleash big swings combined with brute force, while Tilak Varma displayed more of his clean hitting and supple wrists against the spinners. The two batters collected 21 and 14 runs off the 15th and 16th overs respectively, with three fours and as many sixes to lift the run rate from 7.78 to nine an over.It took Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience in the 17th and 19th overs to keep Mumbai under 200. He took the pace off with his cutters and knuckle balls to concede just 14 runs in those two overs.Natarajan, meanwhile, missed his yorkers and Green dispatched him for three consecutive fours followed by a six over long-off that also took him past his first IPL fifty, off 33 balls. In the last over, Tim David manipulated the field to put away two more Natarajan full tosses to collect 14 more useful runs.Highest win% contribution for Mumbai Indians’ players against Sunrisers Hyderabad•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Behrendorff makes early inroadsAfter missing the previous game because of an illness, Jason Behrendroff returned to deliver two big and early bowls to Sunrisers. His short ball drew a top edge from Harry Brook before a delivery outside off took Rahul Tripathi’s outside edge to Kishan.The onus was largely on Markram now to chaperone them to the end overs as Mayank Agarwal wasn’t scoring as quickly and the asking rate was creeping up.Markram started attacking with his strong suit – hitting a six off a spinner – but holed out to deep midwicket off Green while attempting a big hit. Three balls later, Abhishek Sharma found long-off off Piyush Chawla and Sunrisers were four down with the asking rate nearly touching 12.Shades of a fightbackWith runs not coming easily and the lack of dew helping the bowlers, Sunrisers were already behind the curve. They got a big boost when Heinrich Klaasen blasted Chawla with two mighty pulls and two reverse sweeps for 4, 6, 6 and 4, but he then handed a catch to long-on in the same over, but after reducing the equation to 66 from 36.It was within reach at that point, but Meredith soon accounted for Agarwal in a frugal over and Jansen, after a couple of boundaries, handed David his fourth catch of the match. David wasn’t quite done – after Washington raised Sunrisers’ hopes again, his lazy running gave David an opportunity, and the direct hit from mid-off ended Washington’s stay.

Juventus table surprise Endrick transfer offer with Real Madrid open to sending Brazilian wonderkid out on loan

Juventus have made an approach to sign out-of-favour Real Madrid forward Endrick on loan until the end of the 2025-26 season.

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Juventus keen on Endrick moveBrazilian's struggled for game timeNegotiations with Serie A side underwayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

As per Fichajes, Juventus are interested in bringing the Brazilian wonderkid to Turin. Real Madrid are looking into options for the out-of-favour attacker to get him more minutes and experience in one of Europe's top-five leagues. Talks are underway between Juve and Madrid in what would be a loan deal that would seemingly suit both of them.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo ahead of him in the pecking order, Endrick seemingly needs to exit the Bernabeu to ensure he plays more regularly to aid his development. Juventus, meanwhile, are working on rebuilding their front line and see the young Brazilian as an important piece in the puzzle. What's more, the Serie A side secured Champions League football in the final game of the 2024-25 season, which would likely to appeal to Endrick as he looks to test himself in Europe's premier club competition.

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It’s been a largely forgettable season for both Los Blancos and Endrick. The Brazilian wonderkid showed flashes of brilliance early on, but largely spent the campaign watching from the sidelines. His standout moment came in the Copa del Rey, where he netted five goals in six appearances. Despite that, however, the former Palmeiras star was handed just 847 minutes of action by Carlo Ancelotti, with the majority as a substitute.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Los Blancos are pushing hard to solve their midfield woes with reports suggesting that Nico Paz's buy-back clause will soon be triggered by the Liga giants. Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller is also reportedly on the club's radar, with it likely to be a busy summer of incomings and outgoings at the Bernabeu. Madrid's match commitments for this season aren't over yet, either, with their first game in the Club World Cup coming on June 18 against Al-Hilal.

Aston Villa's "world-class" star is already becoming Emery's new Duran

Aston Villa’s January transfer window is proving to be a huge success, with the likes of Marco Asensio, Marcus Rashford and Axel Disasi all contributing to their recent run of form, including a 6-1 victory over two legs against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Marco Asensio celebrates for Aston Villa

Unai Emery was able to bolster his squad options ahead of their European venture, as they now find themselves in the quarter-final of the competition, set to face PSG.

Whilst there was plenty of success in the January window, there was also a huge sale, which could be conceived as both positive and negative, as they received such a high fee but lost a very talented squad member.

The loss of Jhon Duran from Aston Villa

Aston Villa signed Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire in the January 2023 transfer window, joining the club for a fee of around £14.75m with a potential further £3m in add-ons. Duran made 78 appearances for the Villans, scoring 20 goals.

But, it was at the start of the 2024/25 season that the Colombian international really exploded into life, netting four Premier League goals in the opening five games, despite coming from the bench in all five, only totalling 131 minutes across that handful of fixtures.

He also shone on the continental stage, scoring that memorable goal against Bayern Munich. It’s a pity he didn’t see fit to stay in English football.

Al Nassr'sJhonDurancelebrates with Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo after the match

Indeed, the 21-year-old striker’s excellent form saw teams from all over Europe interested in Duran, but Aston Villa decided to make the sale to Al Nassr, joining the Saudi Arabian club for a fee worth up to £71m, making it Villa’s second-highest fee received for a player, behind only Jack Grealish.

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Aston Villa's new Jhon Duran

Luckily for Emery, the Midlands side has been able to replace Duran’s goal contributions from the bench with their January signing, Asensio.

The Spaniard has made eight appearances since joining the club, already netting seven times, despite only totalling 383 minutes played. Just like Duran, he has been a true super sub.

Whilst Asensio isn’t a centre-forward (as Duran was), he offers versatility across the front line, being a natural attacking midfielder who can also play off the right, drifting inside as a secondary number ten, or even as a false nine, something he did semi-regularly for PSG.

Goals

0.71

1.01

Assists

0.32

0.00

xG

0.83

0.58

xAG

0.27

0.04

Progressive Carries

2.96

1.02

Progressive Passes

5.13

1.84

Shots Total

3.57

4.47

Goals/Shot

0.18

0.21

Key Passes

1.91

0.61

Shot-Creating Actions

4.35

2.14

When you compare Asensio’s underlying numbers this season to those of Duran, you can see how the output has helped to ease the blow of losing their 21-year-old talisman, with the Spaniard not only replacing his goals, but also adding creative spark between the lines, helping to progress play and create chances for others as well as himself.

Former Arsenal, West Ham and Brighton defender, Matthew Upson, labelled Asensio “world-class” when speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, praising the 29-year-old’s “knack to pick up the right areas”. It’s safe to say he’s been a cracking signing.

Next season, Villa may look to replace Duran’s centre-forward position in the squad with a different profile, but with the likes of Asensio, Rashford and even Donyell Malen, who was also signed in the January window, Emery is clearly happy with the options at his disposal for the back end of this campaign.

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ByConnor Holden Mar 13, 2025

Celtic hit the jackpot on Ange signing who's now worth as much as Tierney

Losing Kyogo Furuhashi – without acquiring a replacement – represented a notable blow for Celtic at the time, yet as it is, the Scottish champions are now reaping the rewards of their January dealings.

Since returning to Parkhead, wing wizard Jota has already slotted back in smoothly, scoring three goals in just six Premiership outings thus far, including an emotional strike on his second debut away at Motherwell.

Meanwhile, deadline day arrival, Jeffrey Schlupp, has been quietly brilliant following his short-term loan switch from Crystal Palace, with the 32-year-old – who opened his account in fine fashion against St Mirren – having swiftly ousted Greg Taylor as Brendan Rodgers’ starting left-back.

Even the decision not to immediately replace Kyogo has been somewhat vindicated, with compatriot Daizen Maeda representing a more than adequate solution through the middle, as evidenced by his brace in the thumping win over Aberdeen.

The hope will be that Celtic’s final bit of January business proves just as fruitful in the near future, with former hero Kieran Tierney set to return this summer after signing a pre-contract agreement with the Hoops.

Kieran Tierney's season at Arsenal

Where has the time gone?

Tierney’s Parkhead homecoming ahead of next season will mark six years since he initially left the Old Firm side in order to join Arsenal, with the Gunners forking out £25m to land the then-22-year-old defender in August 2019.

The flying full-back had been a revelation under Rodgers prior to sealing that Premier League switch, notably recording a mammoth haul of 37 assists in 170 games from his left-sided berth.

Unfortunately, despite a strong start in North London – which saw the Scotland star lauded as a “warrior” by one-time Arsenal man, Ashley Cole – injuries have largely been the story of his spell in England, having also spent last season on loan at LaLiga side, Real Sociedad.

Thankfully, however, the experienced asset looks to be back to full fitness having been re-introduced to the matchday squad in recent months by Mikel Arteta, a fact that ensured Celtic were unable to land Tierney on loan for the remainder of the current campaign.

While he has still only made ten appearances in 2024/25, Tierney did start the recent Champions League clash at home to PSV, lining up in what appears to be his temporary home under Arteta at left-wing.

This period could then be valuable for the defender – who is valued at €10m (£8.5m), according to Transfermarkt – to find his groove once again, ahead of re-joining Rodgers’ ranks this summer.

A fit and firing Tierney would be a real weapon down the left-hand side for the Hoops, just as Alistair Johnston already is on the opposite flank…

Celtic have hit the jackpot on the new Kieran Tierney

What made Tierney “unique” in his first spell at Celtic Park, as per Rodgers, was just how “robust” he was, possessing that winning combination of attacking silk and defensive steel.

Market Movers

When the £110k-per-week star returns to his former employers this summer, he will find that Celtic have perhaps found a replica of such talents in the form of Johnston, with the Canadian sensation simply a monster in both boxes.

Signed by Ange Postecoglou from MLS side CF Montreal – for just £3.5m – back in December 2022, in preparation for the subsequent sale of Josip Juranovic, the 26-year-old has been a revelation since then, hardly putting a foot wrong in truth.

25 games (24 starts)

4 goals

7 assists

13 ‘big chances’ created

1.6 key passes*

87% pass accuracy*

10 clean sheets

2.1 tackles & interceptions*

56% total duels won*

Ever since being thrust straight into Old Firm action on his debut by Postecoglou, the rampaging right-back has looked at ease in green and white, having been lauded as “inspirational” by his current boss after taking on the captain’s armband in the absence of Callum McGregor earlier this season.

This term, the Vancouver native has chipped in with four goals and nine assists in all competitions, taking his total tally for the club to 24 goals and assists in 102 games thus far.

Equally, Johnston’s ability defensively was on show during Celtic’s Champions League voyage, as he currently ranks in the top 15% of full-backs in the competition for tackles made, as well as in the top 15% for clearances and the top 12% for aerial duels won, as per FBref.

Unsurprisingly, that all-round package has seen the defender’s value soar of late, with Transfermarkt calculating that he is now worth the same as Tierney, at €10m (£8.5m), marking a sizeable increase from his initial price tag.

The prospect of then having Johnston on one side and Tierney on the other next season truly is exciting, as Celtic look to maintain their domestic stranglehold, while seeking to keep pushing on in Europe.

Celtic star is already proving to Rodgers he's their next Kieran Tierney

Celtic are going to overhaul of their left-backs in the summer, with Kieran Tierney set to return, but does Rodgers already have a better option?

ByBen Gray Mar 12, 2025

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