Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has been one of the most compelling stories of the summer. After sealing promotion via the play-offs with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United at Wembley, the Black Cats have wasted little time trying to prove they belong at the top level.

Backed by ambitious ownership and a clear recruitment strategy, the club have already invested more than £135m in new players, signalling their intent to establish themselves in the division.

The Stadium of Light has welcomed a string of high-profile arrivals, each carefully selected to elevate both quality and depth across the squad.

Granit Xhaka was lured from Bayer Leverkusen to anchor the midfield, while Brighton’s Simon Adingra and Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra have injected dynamism into the attack.

Club Brugge talent Chemsdine Talbi provides further promise for the future, and Nordi Mukiele, a £12m purchase from Paris Saint-Germain, adds defensive versatility following his loan spell at Leverkusen.

The excitement was palpable when Sunderland began their campaign with a commanding 3-0 win in front of a packed-out home crowd.

However, reality struck in their second fixture – a 2-0 defeat away to Burnley at Turf Moor.

Sunderland make new transfer bid

With Brentford next up at the Stadium of Light, head coach Régis Le Bris and his recruitment team are determined to finalise what they see as the “final piece of their defensive jigsaw” before the transfer window closes.

That final piece is expected to strengthen Sunderland’s backline, particularly in central defence where the club want a reliable partner for Mukiele.

Reports this week suggest Sunderland have identified their man, and negotiations are already well underway.

According to Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie, Sunderland have submitted an increased offer to Bologna for Colombian international Jhon Lucumí. The player is said to be “open to the move”.

Transfer Focus

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

The bid, believed to be worth £24m, reflects the Black Cats’ determination to land the 27-year-old, who has just one year remaining on his contract in Italy.

A recently expired release clause means Bologna are now free to negotiate openly, though Sunderland remain confident given the player’s openness to a Premier League move.

Lucumí has built a strong reputation in Serie A since joining Bologna from Belgian side Genk in 2022. Last season, he featured 44 times across all competitions for Bologna, including seven appearances in the Champions League – experience that would add further resilience to Sunderland’s back line.

For Sunderland, the move would underline the club’s ambition and their belief that strengthening defensively is key to building on their successful play-off campaign.

Why Lucumí could be the perfect partner for Mukiele

The potential partnership between Mukiele and Lucumí represents an intriguing blend of attributes.

Sunderland’s recruitment has shown a clear preference for complementary skillsets, and the statistical comparison between the two defenders highlights exactly why the club view Lucumí as the missing piece.

According to FBref, Lucumí’s passing stands out. His 91.1% pass completion rate last season far exceeds Mukiele’s 80.4%, reflecting his calmness under pressure and suitability for building from the back.

He also averages more progressive passes per 90 minutes (3.72 compared with Mukiele’s 3.60), suggesting he can drive play forward rather than simply passing sideways.

Perhaps most significantly, the Sunderland target’s long passing numbers are a major asset: he completed 7.14 long passes per 90, more than three times Mukiele’s 2.20, allowing Sunderland to stretch opponents and transition quickly.

In terms of defensive distribution, Lucumí also boasts a greater progressive passing distance (376.4 per 90) compared to Mukiele’s 254.4.

Defensively, the contrast is more balanced. Mukiele edges Lucumí in tackles per 90 (2.00 vs. 1.83) and in dribblers tackled (1.20 vs. 1.00), reflecting his aggression and ability to operate one-versus-one, particularly when stationed at right-back.

However, Lucumí marginally leads in blocks (1.10 vs. 1.00) and matches Mukiele almost identically in defensive-third tackles (0.79 vs. 0.80) and aerial duels won (1.55 vs. 1.60).

Together, these profiles suggest a partnership: Mukiele the front-foot enforcer, Lucumí the composed sweeper with elite distribution.

This balance could be transformative for Sunderland’s backline. In their promotion campaign, defensive lapses often placed undue pressure on the midfield and goalkeeper.

The step-up to the Premier League only magnifies those weaknesses, meaning recruitment at centre-back was always going to be decisive.

With Mukiele able to shuffle wide if needed, and Lucumí offering authority in the centre, Sunderland would gain tactical flexibility – an asset that could prove invaluable against both possession-heavy and counter-attacking opponents.

The move also makes sense financially. The defender’s current market value of £20m, as per Transfermarkt, is close to Sunderland’s £24m offer, meaning the club are not grossly overpaying despite Bologna’s leverage.

At 27, he is entering his peak years, offering immediate impact alongside resale potential should he excel in England.

His international pedigree further strengthens his profile, particularly for a squad already enriched with leaders like Xhaka and ambitious young talents such as Diarra and Talbi.

With just days remaining in the window, Sunderland’s pursuit of the centre-back reflects a club not content with short-term survival.

They want to consolidate their status as a competitive Premier League side.

By securing the Colombian, they would be adding a defender whose style could unlock the best of Mukiele and provide the foundations for a more balanced, resilient season.

Better signing than Disasi: £24m titan is now pushing to join Sunderland

Sunderland would pick up a better buy than landing Axel Disasi by signing this star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Aug 27, 2025

Heading into the dying moments of the Premier League clash between Brentford and Chelsea on Saturday night, it looked as if Enzo Maresca’s Blues were going to join the exclusive club of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and AFC Bournemouth in winning three of their first four league clashes of the season.

However, former Anfield youngster Fabio Carvalho had other plans late on, with his 93rd-minute finish from a long Kevin Schade throw-in clinching the Bees a share of the points in a dramatic 2-2 draw.

The away side were right to feel dejected at the final whistle, with Moises Caicedo gifting the visitors the narrow lead with just five minutes remaining on the clock, before the heartbreak of added-on time ensued.

At one stage, however, the West London outfit might well have been staring down the barrel of a defeat, only for the usual heroics of Cole Palmer to come to the rescue once more.

Palmer's heroics for Chelsea

Palmer had barely been on the pitch for five minutes before he curled home an ice-cold finish to hand Chelsea a way back into the contest at 1-1.

Making only his second league appearance of the season after picking up an injury on the opening day, it would have been a welcome relief for fans of Maresca and Co to see their former Manchester City star back to his best.

The 23-year-old superstar was arguably unlucky not to add to his solitary goal during the action-packed affair, too, having seen another of his many efforts be saved by a very busy Caoimhin Kelleher.

In total, Palmer registered five efforts on the Brentford net, despite only being in the thick of the action for 34 minutes. To add context, Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto – who both played the full 90 minutes – could only muster up a weak three shots between them.

It goes without saying, therefore, that Maresca should bring the dazzling midfielder back into his main XI, as the Blues now face the daunting task of trying to beat both Bayern Munich and Manchester United in quick succession.

While the bright number ten looks to break back into the first-team fold for good, the Italian occupying the Stamford Bridge dug-out might well look to drop a notable underperformer.

Chelsea's 4/10 star must now be dropped

Unfortunately, while Palmer showed off his obvious class when being introduced, others donning Chelsea blue really did recede into their shell when trying to make openings happen at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Debutant Facundo Buonanotte had a forgettable first 45 minutes in a Blues shirt, with zero shots or successful dribbles registered, which then allowed for Brentford to race into a 1-0 lead before the half-time break.

It wasn’t just the Argentinian who floundered in isolation, though, with fellow new signing Jamie Gittens also looking somewhat out of his depth during a flat 45 minutes for the ex-Borussia Dortmund ace.

Reinstated into the starting lineup for the first time since the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, Gittens should have been champing at the bit to prove himself.

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

Instead, he failed to ever get going across his drab 56 minutes on the pitch, only to then have more salt added to his wound by being outclassed by Palmer’s stylish cameo.

Minutes played

56

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

17

Accurate passes

11/13 (85%)

Shots

1

Offsides

2

As can be seen glancing at the table above, Gittens would only manage to amass a lacklustre 17 touches of the ball during his brief time on the pitch, with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez even bettering that amount at 23 touches.

Palmer surpassed Gittens’ touch tally too at 26, with the “anonymous” attacker – as he was branded by the Sun’s Lloyd Canfield – amazingly also managing more offsides than troubling shots on Kelleher’s net.

Alejandro Garnacho could well get the nod to start over the below-par number 11 against Bayern Munich; therefore, with Football London’s Bobby Vincent further dishing out a low /10 post-match rating to the attacker, who was noted as trying but ultimately failing to ever make an impact.

This will hopefully act as a learning curve for the £48m summer purchase, who could well look to Palmer now for some inspiration as he attempts to kickstart his stuttering Blues career sooner rather than later.

Chelsea scouts spotted watching 17 y/o gem who's been dubbed the new Kante

He’s a rising star…

ByTom Cunningham Sep 13, 2025

A truly disastrous night for Celtic, one that could have enormous ramifications.

On Tuesday, or the early hours of Wednesday local time, the Hoops were dumped out of the Champions League in the play-off round by Kazakh champions Kairat.

Both legs, as well as extra time, finished goalless, before the Scottish Premiership champions were ignominiously defeated on penalties; Adam Idah, Luke McCowan and Daizen Maeda all seeing attempts saved by Temirlan Anarbekov.

The board gambled on making signings after Champions League qualification was secured, but that has backfired spectacularly.

Thus, Brendan Rodgers’ team will now take their place in Friday’s Europa League draw, but desperately need new recruits if they’re even to be competitive at that level, so could a new winger soon be on his way to Parkhead?

Celtic's need for attacking reinforcements

Across more than three and a half hours against Kairat, Celtic rarely looked like scoring.

Over the two legs, the Celts mustered just six shots on target, creating only three Opta-defined big chances, clearly lacking any sort of cutting edge.

In Almaty on Tuesday, James Forrest, Maeda and Yang Hyun-Jun was the front three deployed by Rodgers, a far cry from an attack containing Kyōgo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kühn, both of whom have been sold this year.

Thus, according to a report by Sky Sports News, Celtic are ‘in talks’ with Swedish side Hammarby​​​​​​​ as they attempt to sign winger Sebastian Tounekti.

They add that the Hoops have seen an opening bid of £2.6m rejected, with the Stockholm-based side holding out for closer to £5m, noting that ‘negotiations are ongoing’.

Transfer Focus

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

Hammarby are currently attempting to win the Allsvenskan title for the first time in 24 years, sat second with nine games to go, but may be under pressure to sell, having been dumped out of Conference League qualifying by Nordic rivals Rosenborg earlier this month.

So, could Tounekti soon swap Stockholm for Celtic?

What Celtic supporters should expect from Sebastian Tounekti

Despite the fact he’s just 23 years old, Tounekti is quite accustomed to changing clubs.

After beginning his senior career at Tromsdalen in the Norwegian lower leagues, he’s since represented Bodø/Glimt​​​​​​​, Groningen​​​​​​​, Haugesund and Ranheim, before joining Hammarby earlier this year.

In 26 appearances for the Swedish side, he has scored two goals and registered five assists, starting all four of their European ties against Royal Charleroi and Rosenborg, very much a key figure, as the table below documents.

The statistics very much crystallise Tounekti’s strengths, namely chance creation and dribbling, given that, among his current teammates, he ranks first for assists, big chances created and successful dribbles per match this year, while also in the top five when it comes to goals and shots.

Minutes

1,522

8th

Starts

19

5th

Goals

2

5th

Assists

5

1st

Big chances created

8

1st

Shots

36

3rd

Big chances missed

4

3rd

Successful dribbles per 90

2.1

1st

Average Sofascore rating

7.09

8th

Celtic analyst DataBhoys outlines how his strengths are getting to the byline and producing cut-backs, rather than drifting inside and looking to create centrally.

Despite being born in Tromsø​​​​​​​, Tounekti is a full Tunisian international, winning just his second cap during a friendly against Morocco in June, four years after his debut, so he’ll surely be motivated to play at the highest possible level, with an Africa Cup of Nations to come in December, followed by the World Cup next summer.

So, why would he improve Rodgers’ current attacking options?

Well, most Celtic supporters would agree that Yang is not a starting-level player, given that he has scored just nine goals in 71 appearances for Celtic, only a regular due to Jota’s injury and Kühn’s sale to Como.

In fact, it has been reported that big-spending EFL Championship side Birmingham City have made an approach in an attempt to sign Yang, with the South Korean international outlining his desire to explore a new challenge earlier this summer.

With Birmingham splashing the cash, Celtic could probably secure a pretty decent fee for Yang, who arrived for just £2m from Gangwon FC two summers ago.

Thus, most supporters would be content if that money was reinvested in signing Tounekti, who certainly has the potential to be a clear upgrade.

Awful news for Adam Idah: "Proven goalscorer" now open to joining Celtic

Adam Idah’s place in the squad may be in danger as a striker is keen on a move to Celtic.

3 ByDan Emery Aug 28, 2025

Babar, Agha got fifties but Smith’s four-for triggered a Pakistan collapse that saw them fall short by 73 runs

Danyal Rasool29-Mar-2025Mark Chapman inflicted misery upon his favourite opponents once more, a career-best 132 off 111 balls helping New Zealand to a 73-run victory in Napier. A strong start from Pakistan’s bowlers came undone by a 199-run fourth wicket partnership between Chapman and Daryl Mitchell, whose grittier 76 came in the slipstream of Chapman’s more regal knock. It was topped off by a cameo from Pakistan-born New Zealand debutant Muhammad Abbas, who scored the quickest 50 on debut in ODI history, taking 24-balls to get there as the hosts posted 344.Pakistan’s response for large periods suggested they were well on course for victory. Fifties from Babar Azam and Salman Agha put Pakistan in pole position before Pakistan collapsed from 249 for 3 to 271 all out, losing three wickets for four runs as New Zealand turned the tables to seal a victory that was, for long periods, less comfortable than the final scorecard.When Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and bowled first, it appeared a masterstroke. The seam bowlers were hooping it round corners, the life in the pitch presenting challenges New Zealand’s top order was finding insurmountable. Naseem Shah had Will Young nick off early while debutant Nick Kelly’s struggle of an innings came to an end when Akif Javed cleaned him up. Henry Nicholls perhaps looked the most uncomfortable of all, and when he miscued his umpteenth hook off Akif, there was almost relief at his misery coming to an end.But New Zealand knew Pakistan were fielding just four bowlers, and as Chapman and Mitchell ground through the middle overs, they had to bring Salman Agha on at some stage. When they did, the hosts wasted little time putting him to the sword. A pair of backfoot sixes from Chapman in his third over made New Zealand’s intentions plain, and the stranglehold Pakistan had over them for the first half of the innings began to loosen.With Chapman in irresistable touch, even Pakistan’s premier bowlers found it a struggle to contain him, and with Salman going for 67 in five overs, Irfan Khan, who had never before bowled a List A ball, was called upon. It was off him that Chapman brought him his hundred, a smite down the ground off a gentle medium pace producing four runs, as well as a roar and a dazzling smile from Chapman.The wheels had come off Pakistan’s bowling effort completely by now. Even when Chapman and Mitchell fell, 21-year old Abbas had been given the perfect platform to showcase his power-hitting, which he duly did. He memorably took down Naseem at the death, a glorious six over cover a sign his talents extend beyond frenetic big hitting. He brought up his half-century off the innings penultimate ball; New Zealand had scored 166 in the final 15.Usman Khan played some innovative shots in his 33-ball 39•Getty ImagesIt was something of a miracle New Zealand didn’t take early wickets for how uncomfortable Usman Khan and Abdullah Shafique initially looked. While Shafique settled and began to show touches of the class that saw him feted upon his initial inclusion into Pakistan’s setup, Usman’s approach remained low-percentage and haphazard. His struggles against the short-ball were almost painful to see; however, by the time Nathan Smith goaded him into miscuing a pull, he’d amassed a handy 33-ball 39.Shafique followed soon after miscuing a smear off Michael Bracewell, but Pakistan rebuilt with Babar and Rizwan. They kept the scoring ticking along and though the asking rate climbed during their 76-run partnership, it never quite spiralled out of control. It was Abbas who broke through when Rizwan edged him through for a sharp catch to the keeper, but that brought Agha – explosive form and all – out to the middle.That stand appeared to have proved decisive. It was the one time New Zealand looked in disarray in the field as Babar and Agha picked off the bowlers at will. When Smith was slapped around for 21 in an over, punctuated by a majestic pull for six by Babar – who appeared to be motoring along to three figures, Pakistan had brought the asking rate to a shade above eight with just 96 runs to get.It all turned on a dime, though, when Babar just couldn’t get enough power on a pull off O’Rourke. Mitchell was inches from touching the rope as he took the catch, but with Babar gone for 78, it all fell apart. A clumsy run-out and a first-ball duck for Irfan Niazi suddenly saw Naseem Shah and the tail out to the middle, and Pakistan realised there were far too many runs for Agha to get playing a lone hand.Not that any serious attempt was ever made. Smith wound up the tail with applomb while Duffy stuck the dagger in when Agha holed out to leave the final pair at the crease. Akif slogged one last time at Smith and O’Rourke made no mistake. Pakistan, who had been ahead of New Zealand all through the chase, thought they were approaching the home stretch half an hour earlier. Instead, they fell off a cliff.

The opener had missed MI’s previous outing against LSG after being hit on the knee in the lead up to the game

S Sudarshanan06-Apr-20250:26

Jayawardene provides an update on Bumrah and Rohit’s availability

Mumbai Indians (MI) opener Rohit Sharma’s participated in Sunday’s net session, in a bid to be fit for their next game, at home against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday. Rohit had missed MI’s previous game, against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after being hit on the knee in the lead up to the match.Rohit was among the first batters to walk in for nets on Sunday. He batted for half an hour with MI opener Ryan Rickelton. They faced a strong set of bowlers in the returning Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santer and Karn Sharma. He stood cross-legged at the back when Rickelton took strike and hit a few shots. One of those straight hits got a nod in approval from Rohit.While batters in his net and the adjacent net played big shots, Rohit was keen to get bat to ball. He was consciously trying to middle his shots, which were mere pushes off the front and the back foot. He also edged one Bumrah length ball towards where the slips usually stand. He looked at his bat to gather focus and did not react to Bumrah, who had a long follow-through after that. Rohit continued to bat in rotation with Rickelton before walking off and sat behind MI’s nets for most of the training session. He was not in any visible discomfort and is likely to replace Raj Bawa from the previous game, possibly as an Impact Player.Related

Bumrah available for selection for Mumbai Indians against RCB

Rohit misses MI's away game against LSG with injury

“Ro [Rohit] looks good, he’s going to bat today as well,” MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said before the nets session on Sunday. “Rohit had an unfortunate impact on his leg while batting so he felt uncomfortable. We were travelling yesterday. He’ll have a hit today and then we will do an assessment on that.”Rohit had played MI’s first three games for scores of only 13, 8 and 0 before missing the away fixture in Lucknow. In his previous game, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rohit came in as an Impact Player and scored 13 as MI chased down 117 for an eight-wicket win.”He had a couple of hits, he’s batting well in the nets,” Jayawardene said when asked about Rohit’s form. “If you’re telling me every two innings to look at someone’s performance, it’s a bit unfair. My memory of his last innings was the Champions Trophy winning knock. So we have to give and back the experienced guys, and them coming to the party. We’ve always, as Mumbai, backed the core group to deliver for us so we’re going to do that. It was unfortunate that he got hit in the nets and hopefully he’ll be 100% and that’s how we will continue to back the guys to get the results for us.”Rohit Sharma batted at the Wankhede nets on Sunday evening•Mumbai Indians

‘Tilak will walk in here tomorrow and win the match for us’One of the major talking points from MI’s last game was retiring out Tilak Varma in the chase of 204. When Tilak struggled to 25 off 23 balls and MI needed 24 to win from seven balls, Jayawardene decided to retire him out, although MI went on to lose the game with captain Hardik Pandya and Mitchell Santner in the middle.”The modern age is much more tactical, and we’ll keep changing batting line-ups to match up certain bowling line-ups and all that,” Jayawardene explained on Sunday. “So I don’t see how different that is. As a batsman I’ve had times where you go to bat and struggle to get through and they bowl well to you, it’s a combination of that. And he batted very well for us in the last three games, in tough situations like we’ve lost wickets early and he built those partnerships, and got us to situations that we need to.”So that’s what his role is with that experience that he brings to the game and I still value that. He was trying and he wasn’t able to get going. So I just felt that it was my decision and to throw someone else to get those two hits and Mitch had done that in the last few games, he was in decent form. We needed two hits to get to that 15 or 20 runs in that last over. So it had nothing to do with Tilak and I’m sure he’ll walk in here tomorrow and win the match for us. That’s who Tilak is for us and there’s a lot of value for him.”MI have won only that one game so far against KKR and lost all their away matches. They are currently eighth on the points table. MI will hit the road again after Monday to play Delhi Capitals in Delhi before returning home to host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Gareth Southgate has reportedly laid out his demands for a "four-year rebuild" at Manchester United, with the ex-England boss continuing to see a return to management at Old Trafford speculated on. That is because current Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim finds himself falling under ever-increasing pressure, with more change in the dugout being mooted less than a year after reins were handed to the highly-rated Portuguese tactician.

• Getty
  

  Amorim under pressure: How long will Portuguese last?

  Ex-Sporting coach Amorim has emerged victorious in just 18 of his 49 games in charge of United – giving him a sorry win ratio of 36.73 per cent. The 40-year-old is aware that he needs to deliver a reversal in fortune if his head is to be kept off the chopping block. He retains the backing of the Red Devils board for now.

  There is, however, plenty of talk to be found regarding potential successors to Amorim at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’. Southgate figures prominently in that debate having been linked with the Red Devils on a regular basis since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group acquired a stake in United during February 2024. Southgate has steered away from the dugout since stepping down as England boss in the wake of their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

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• Southgate concerns: Man Utd fears raised

  reports that Southgate is "open to discussing the possibility of taking over at United". He is, however, said to have concerns regarding the amount of time he will be given to get the club back on track. Amorim was only appointed in November 2024 and could already find himself being ushered through the exits.

  claims "well-placed sources say boyhood United fan Southgate believes it could take up to four years to make United contenders in the Champions League". They go on to state that the 55-year-old would "require assurances that the United hierarchy stick to any long-term plan they map out".

  He is said to favour a "gradual change" model, with there fears on his part that United will "demand instant success – particularly if he made swift progress". For now, Southgate – who is promoting his new book ‘Dear England: Lessons in Leadership’ is in no rush to return to the dugout. He has signed up for a BBC show and is happy exploring opportunities away from management – with it suggested that he may never take another coaching role.

• Getty
  

  Right man for the job? Man Utd told Southgate ticks the boxes

  United are being told, though, that their sights may be locked on the best man for the job. Former England international defender Joleon Lescott – speaking on podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet – has said: "Manchester United have flirted with Gareth Southgate in the past. I don’t think there are many United fans that have wanted that. Things are so bad now, that they want Southgate. Arguably, he is the best person for their transition and the level of transition they are in. He is the only man who could go in there and create a positive culture – he galvanised England which is harder than changing the culture at United. He brought fans together.

  "England fans weren’t always together, it was always Chelsea fans wanted Chelsea players to do well, Liverpool fans wanted Liverpool players to do well. Now, fans just wanted England to do well."

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• Southgate's last spell in club management

  Part of the problem for Southgate will be that he has been out of the club management game since May 2009, when he oversaw Middlesbrough’s relegation out of the Premier League. He went on to become England U21 boss, before taking over with the senior team in 2016 and guiding the Three Lions to back-to-back European Championship finals and the 2018 World Cup semi-finals – earning himself a knighthood.

  United have one more game to take in before the next international break is reached, with Amorim under serious pressure to take three points from a home date with newly-promoted Sunderland on Saturday – with the Red Devils currently sat 14th in the Premier League table.

تحرك نادي ريال مدريد بشكل مفاجئ حول قضة إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني بمدينة ميامي في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

ووافق الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم ”يويفا”على إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال هذا العام في ميامي بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، لتكون هذه هي أول مباراة دوري تُلعب خارج البلاد.

وتبقى فقط موافقة الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم ”فيفا” على مقترح إقامة هذه المباراة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، ليصبح الأمر رسميًا.

اقرأ أيضًا | لابورتا يعلن تصرف برشلونة النهائي بشأن طرد فليك.. ويتجاهل كورتوا

وكان الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” قد أعلن موافقته على إقامة مباراة فياريال وبرشلونة خارج إسبانيا، والتي ستُقام في 20 ديسمبر بشكل استثنائي.

وقدم ريال مدريد شكوى رسمية إلى المجلس الأعلى للرياضة الإسبانية ليعبر عن معارضته الشديدة للمباراة المقرر إقامتها في ميامي بين فياريال وبرشلونة.

وفقًا لصحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، فإنه بعد تلقي شكوى ريال مدريد، طلبت اللجنة العليا للرياضة من الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم معلومات دقيقة حول الأسباب التي تدعم قرار رابطة الدوري الإسباني بإقامة المباراة خارج إسبانيا، ومن ثم طلب الاتحاد الاطلاع على الوثيقة المكتوبة من أجل الرد.

وسبق أن أصدر نادي ريال مدريد بيانًا معارضًا لفكرة إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في ميامي، عندما كان الأمر في بدايته، قبل إصدار الموافقة من جانب يويفا.

It wouldn’t be a summer transfer window if Chelsea were not extremely busy, would it?

This summer, the Blues splashed over £300m on nine new senior recruits, six of whom are attackers.

Well, the recent 5-1 demolition of West Ham emphasised the attacking potential that Enzo Maresca’s side possesses, but do they have a slight issue at centre-forward, one that a Cobham graduate sold for £34m could’ve fixed had he stayed?

Chelsea's striker conundrum

During Chelsea’s controversial 2-0 West London derby victory over Fulham last weekend, Liam Delap hobbled off in the 14th minute due to a hamstring injury, and this had quite the ripple effect.

At the same time, Nicolas Jackson was in Bavaria finalising a move to Bayern Munich, only for Chelsea to pull the plug on the move, despite having frozen out the Senegalese international since the Club World Cup, saying that they could not let him go.

Jackson’s agent, Ali Barat, released an angry statement and, in the end, he did complete his move to Bayern, with the Bundesliga champions paying an extortionate £14m loan fee, with a £56.2m obligation to buy having been agreed.

Instead, the Blues decided to recall Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland, the Spaniard having seen just 103 minutes of action for the Black Cats, scoring against Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup, with Chelsea having to pay a penalty fee, cutting short one of the shortest loan spells in Premier League history.

It remains to be seen how long Delap will actually be sidelined for, while the returning Guiu is far from guaranteed minutes, given that Maresca has João Pedro, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estêvão Willian, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens, Tyrique George and others from which to choose.

Nevertheless, this whole chaotic and messy situation could’ve been avoided had Chelsea kept hold of a Cobham academy graduate once compared to the club’s greatest-ever centre-forward.

Chelsea's ideal Liam Delap back-up was sold in 2021

Tammy Abraham joined Chelsea at the age of seven, but certainly had to work hard for his place in the first team at Stamford Bridge.

Following loan spells at Bristol City, Swansea City and Aston Villa, scoring 48 goals in 78 EFL Championship appearances, his breakthrough came once Frank Lampard was appointed manager in 2019.

Abraham was Chelsea’s top scorer in 2019/20 with 18 goals, including 15 in the Premier League, before bagging 12 the following campaign, part of Thomas Tuchel’s team that won the Champions League against Manchester City at Estádio do Dragão.

That summer though, the England international was sold to Roma for £42m which makes him the fourth most expensive Chelsea academy sale of modern times, behind Mason Mount, Ian Maatsen and Conor Gallagher.

He then netted 27 goals during his first season with the Giallorossi, winning the inaugural Conference League, before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament rupture on the final day of the season against Torino, which rather hampered his progress.

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Now 27, he spent last season on loan at AC Milan, scoring ten times for the Rossoneri, two of which came against Roma in the Coppa Italia, before joining Beşiktaş on loan back in July.

Well, Abraham has made a bright start to life in İstanbul, scoring six goals in eight appearances for the Black Eagles, averaging a goal every 108 minutes, including a hat-trick against St Patrick’s Athletic in a Conference League qualifier in Dublin.

At his best, speaking after a Champions League victory over Lille, Rio Ferdinand compared Abraham to Chelsea’s greatest-ever striker, asserting that much of what he produced was “Didier Drogba-esque”, praising his “hold-up play” while highlighting his “magnificent touch” and beautiful finish for his goal at Stade Pierre Mauroy.

But how do his statistics compare to those of Delap? Let’s find out.

2025/26

6

0

2024/25

10

13

2023/24

1

8

2022/23

9

4

2021/22

27

0

2020/21

12

0

2019/20

18

N/A

2018/19

26

N/A

As the table documents, given that Delap is only 22 years old, he has only ever scored 25 senior goals, yet to prove himself as a regular goalscorer, even if bagging 12 in the Premier League for a very poor Ipswich side is a noteworthy achievement.

Abraham on the other hand, aside from campaigns massively blighted by injury, has been consistent in front of goal, reaching double figures in five of the last seven full seasons, including surpassing 25 goals for both Aston Villa and Roma, making a blistering start to his Beşiktaş career last month too.

So, while Delap, who is five years younger, clearly has greater potential, Abraham would certainly have proved to be a capable deputy, given their stylistic similarities too, both physical penalty box presences who like to stay within the width of the area.

Thus, for however long Delap is on the sidelines, Abraham would’ve offered the perfect cover.

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Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson has been fined INR 24 lakh after his team’s second over-rate offence in IPL 2025. Samson and his team were slapped with the fine for maintaining a slow over-rate in their game against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.As per Article 2.22 of the IPL’s code of conduct, a captain is fined INR 24 lakh for a second over-rate offence in a season, and the IPL has done away with match suspensions for a third offence. The rest of the players in the playing XII – including the Impact Player – are fined either INR 6 lakh or 25% of their match fees, whichever is lower.RR’s first over-rate offence this IPL was, however, under the captaincy of Riyan Parag when Samson was playing only as an Impact Player as he recovered from a finger injury. The first offence was against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last month when Parag had been fined INR 12 lakh.RR’s second offence came in their third loss of the season in five games, after having won their previous two games on the bounce. They are currently placed seventh on the points table.

West Ham United have now made firm contact over a late swoop for an “incredible” defender, with Nayef Aguerd seemingly heading for the exit door.

West Ham eyeing replacements for Marseille-bound Aguerd

Ahead of Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, there were rumours that Aguerd and Lucas Paqueta wouldn’t be travelling to the City Ground, with both players looking for the exit door on transfer deadline day.

However, Paqueta re-affirmed his commitment to the club after scoring the second goal in the shock 3-0 triumph, with his celebration indicating the Brazilian has no plans to leave anytime soon.

Aguerd, on the other hand, was not involved, with the Moroccan now on the brink of completing a move to Ligue 1 side Marseille.

Consequently, the Hammers will have to bring in a replacement today, and they have now made a late swoop to sign Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, according to a report from The Sun.

The report states West Ham have now made firm inquiries over a deal for Cresswell, who is now more likely to join than Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis, given that the Saints are set to hold out for over £20m for the Englishman.

The Toulouse centre-back, on the other hand, is valued at £13m plus bonuses, and the Irons may choose to cough up that amount for his services before the transfer window closes at 7pm this evening.

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Lauded as “incredible” by scout Jacek Kulig, the 23-year old has performed remarkably well for Toulouse over the past year, most importantly impressing from a defensive point of view, while also proving himself as a real threat at the opposite end of the pitch.

Statistic

Average per 90

Blocks

1.61 (83rd percentile)

Clearances

6.63 (88th percentile)

Aerials won

3.26 (91st percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.14 (97th percentile)

The Englishman has outperformed Aguerd across all of those metrics, with the Morocco international averaging 1.21 blocks per 90, 4.66 clearances, 2.87 aerials won and failing to score a single goal.

As such, the Preston-born defender could be a real upgrade on the 29-year-old in the heart of the West Ham defence, and a £13m transfer fee seems reasonable, given the level of his recent performances.

The only concern over signing Cresswell will be the fact he failed to make the cut at Leeds United, making just 14 senior appearances for the club, but the centre-back has clearly grown as a player since then, having made 31 outings for Toulouse in Ligue 1 last term.