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Manchester City may not have won either the Premier League or Champions League this season, but they could end 2024/25 on a high note next weekend.

Of course, winning the FA Cup won’t right the wrongs of what has been a largely dismal campaign for the Etihad side, but it would be a nice consolation prize.

While everything will be focused on that final next week, Pep Guardiola will certainly have one eye on improving his squad, especially with the transfer window set to open in a few weeks.

City will take part in the revamped Club World Cup in June, and the window opens on the first of that month, before closing ten days later. This is to give those who are partaking in the event this summer a chance to get a head start on their business.

Despite bolstering the first-team squad in January with signings such as Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez, Guardiola wants more this summer.

Players such as Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White have been heavily linked with a move to Manchester this summer as replacements for the departing Kevin De Bruyne.

Could City’s first signing be a defender, however? As it appears, Guardiola is closing in on a deal to sign a player could replace Kyle Walker at right-back.

Kyle Walker’s future with Man City is uncertain

After eight and a half trophy-laden seasons with the club, the Englishman joined Milan on a six-month loan deal during the winter transfer window.

He has played 14 games for the Italian giants, but it looks as though he is likely to return to Manchester once his temporary spell ends in a few weeks.

Football Insider stated last month that Walker is likely to take a pay cut should he return to his parent club, and it is highly unlikely that he would be the starting right-back heading into the new campaign.

An upgrade or replacement for the former Tottenham Hotspur man is certainly needed.

Man City closing in on move for Brazilian defender

According to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, City are pressing ahead in their bid to close in on the signing of Flamengo defender Wesley Franca before the Club World Cup starts next month.

He goes on to state that Wesley is the preferred option to come in as the new right-back next season, placing him higher than Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento.

The Brazilian came close to sealing a move to Atalanta last summer, but the move broke down at the final hurdle. Flamengo had even rejected a proposal of £20m by Russian outfit Zenit St Petersburg earlier this year, meaning City might have to splash the cash.

Mathues Nunes has been deputising at right-back for City in recent months, and it is clearly a position which needs strengthened heading into the 2025/26 season.

Transfer Focus

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

With interest in Wesley intensifying, Walker might have to get used to playing a backup role next term.

Why Man City want to sign Wesley Franca

Wesley is still only 21 years of age, but has already racked up a total of 127 appearances for Flamengo, winning the Copa Libertadores and two Brazilian Cups during his embryonic career thus far.

His progress in Brazil has been followed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who recently took to X to praise the youngster, saying: “Wesley França (21, 2003) has really been coming of age recently.

“He’s been exceptional for Flamengo this season, his games matured which brought super consistency. Be surprised if he doesn’t play in Europe next season.”

Elsewhere, he was hailed as the “best RB in Brazil” by respected analyst Ben Mattinson earlier this month and Guardiola could have a star in the making should he make the move to City.

His philosophy recently appears to be signing players who have yet to hit their peak that have the potential to become world-class stars in the future.

Wesley certainly fits this bill well indeed. Should City secure his signature, ideally before the Club World Cup, then the Spaniard will have the right-back position locked down for the next few years.

Especially as he is a better option than a returning Walker, that’s for sure.

Why Wesley Franca is an upgrade on Kyle Walker

When compared to his positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions, Wesley has shone in a range of metrics. He currently ranks in the top 14% for progressive carries (2.72), successful take-ons (1.29) and progressive passes received (9.48) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

Compare this to Walker, who fails to even rank in the top 60% for progressive carries (1.26), successful take-ons (0.46) or progressive passes received (2.28) per 90 when compared to his peers across the top five leagues in Europe. It is clear who has offered more going forward in the previous 12 months.

Metric

Wesley

Walker (PL only)

Key passes per 90

1.3

0.5

Big chances created

2

2

Assists

1

0

Total duels won per 90

6.1

2.3

Successful dribbles per 90

1.3

0.2

Defensively, Wesley ranks in the top 7% for tackles won (2) while also ranking in the top 17% for percentage of aerial duels won (60.5%) per 90 when compared to his peers.

Yet again, Walker trails his younger rival in these metrics, ranking in the bottom 69% for tackles won (1.01). Although he does rank in the top 19% for percentage of aerial duels won (59.4%), this is still lower than Wesley’s output.

It is evident that Walker is on the wane and if he remains with City throughout next season, he likely won’t be starting many games. Perhaps Guardiola will retain his services due to the experience he can provide in certain matches, but going forward, someone younger and fresher will be key to City’s success in this area.

Wesley ticks all the boxes and would be an important signing for the club. Can they bring him in before the Club World Cup starts? Or shall Flamengo hold firm until the competition is over.

Things could get interesting over the next few weeks. Watch this space.

Man City preparing for summer move to sign "incredible" £80m West Ham star

They could finally get their man…

ByTom Cunningham May 8, 2025

Stats highlights from the match between SRH and RR in Hyderabad

Sampath Bandarupalli23-Mar-20252:06

‘Kishan hammered everyone to every corner’

286 for 6 Sunrisers Hyderabad’s total against Rajasthan Royals is the second highest in the IPL. They missed equalling their own record by one run.242 for 6 RR’s total against SRH is their highest in the IPL, going past the 226 for 6 against KXIP in 2020.528 Total runs scored by SRH and RR – the second-highest aggregate for a T20 match. The highest is 549 runs by RCB and SRH in last year’s IPL match in Bengaluru.4 Number of 250-plus totals by SRH in the IPL; all have come since the start of 2024. They have four of the top five IPL totals. SRH are the only team with four 250-plus totals in men’s T20s.34 Fours hit by the SRH batters against RR – the most in a men’s T20 innings .208 Runs scored by SRH in boundaries vs RR. Only RCB have scored more in an IPL innings – 210 boundary runs in their 263 for 5 against Pune Warriors in 2013. SRH also scored 208 runs through boundaries during their record 287 against RCB last year.81 Boundaries hit by the SRH and RR batters – 51 fours (SRH 34, RR 17) and 30 sixes (SRH 12, RR 18) – equalling the most in a T20 match. South Africa and West Indies also hit 81 boundaries in the 2023 Centurion T20I, while RCB and SRH hit 81 in 2024.76 Runs Jofra Archer conceded in his four overs – the most expensive spell in the IPL, going past the 73 runs Mohit Sharma conceded against Delhi Capitals last year.14.1 Overs in which SRH passed 200 against RR – the joint fastest in the IPL, equalling RCB against Kings XI Punjab in 2016.94 for 1 SRH’s powerplay score on Sunday is the fifth highest in the IPL. Three of the top five powerplay totals in the IPL have been by SRH, including the top two.

Fast, skillful and entirely homegrown, the left-arm quick is Ireland’s brightest ambassador on the global stage

Matt Roller03-Apr-2023As Ireland’s squad gathered on Friday night, their first-ever win in Bangladesh was not the only cause for celebration.Instead, they crowded into the team room of their Chattogram hotel with a few Hunter beers for the first meeting of what captain Andy Balbirnie called “the newly-formed Irish Gujarat Titans supporters club”, toasting the achievements of an absent squad member.Eoin Morgan was the first Irishman to play in the IPL some thirteen years ago, but Josh Little’s debut for Titans on the opening night of the 2023 season was different: he became the first Ireland player involved in the competition, taking 1 for 43 as the defending champions started with a win.While Little suffered some rough treatment from Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni, his maiden wicket – ripping out Ambati Rayudu’s middle and off stumps – demonstrated his ability. Most pertinently, his comeback after his first ball was swung over square leg for six in front of 100,000 people suggested that he has the temperament to perform on the biggest stage in franchise cricket.Related

Focus on incoming South Africans as Delhi Capitals aim to bounce back against Gujarat Titans

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It was a significant night for Irish cricket. For many years, their leading players have crossed the Irish Sea to further their ambitions in the game – either to play for England, like Morgan and several others, or to develop through the county system. Little, by contrast, is a product of the Irish pathway alone.”He’s come through the system, all the way up from under-age cricket – and hasn’t had to go to England to learn his trade which a lot of us had to do,” Balbirnie says. “He’s just come up through the ranks and naturally done well. I’d like to think it’s shown to a lot of youngsters back home that you’re never too far away. He’s a great ambassador for that next generation now.”The natural who lit up Pembroke
As a ten-year-old schoolboy at St Andrews Primary School, Little picked up a soft cricket ball and threw it hard and flat back at Andrew Leonard, now an established broadcaster but then a development cricket coach in Dublin. “I have a vivid memory of it,” Leonard recalls. “I asked him, ‘Who are you? Which club do you play for?'”He told him his name was Josh, and that he didn’t play cricket; Leonard insisted that he should follow his friend Sanil Gupta down to Pembroke Cricket Club in Sandymount, the affluent Dublin suburb he lived in. He called his boss, Brían O’Rourke, and told him, “you won’t believe this kid I found!”A week later, Little rocked up at Pembroke for the first time. “He ran up and bowled,” O’Rourke recalls, “and he just had everything. He didn’t need any coaching, just a bit of mentoring and the opportunity to play. He came straight into our Under-11 programme, and looked really good, really comfortable.”Before long, word started to spread about the young left-armer who was making an impression on everyone who watched him. Balbirnie, who rose through Pembroke’s ranks himself, remembers watching Little play for their Under-15s in an age-group final.”I actually felt that the game could have got dangerous with the way Josh was bowling,” Balbirnie recalls. “He was just so much quicker, so much better than the other team. I was a bit concerned about the welfare of the opposition.”Throughout his teenage years, Little was a keen player at Monkstown Hockey Club and even represented Ireland at age-group level. “We’ve lost that battle a few times over the years,” O’Rourke says, “but luckily we won it with Josh.”Little gets an extra yard of pace from his wrist snap at delivery•BCCIFord meets Ferrari
Two months after his 16th birthday, Little went to Bangladesh to play for Ireland in the Under-19 World Cup, where his 11 victims in the tournament included India’s captain Ishan Kishan. Later that summer, he was used as a net bowler when Sri Lanka toured for an ODI series.”I remember there was this young lad bowling left-arm, lively pace, swinging the ball nicely in the nets,” recalls Graham Ford, who was coaching Sri Lanka. “I overheard a few of our players asking him why he wasn’t in the squad.”It didn’t take long before he was: he made his T20I debut later that summer, against Hong Kong. Balbirnie believes that early exposure to international cricket was a major reason that Little ended up choosing cricket over hockey: “Being capped at 16 might well have swayed his decision.”But a year later, when Ford became Ireland’s head coach, he encountered a young bowler in his final year at school who did not resemble an international athlete. “I don’t think he fancied academics,” he recalls, “but he would use it as an excuse not to come to training.”As an 18-year-old, Little was more interested in his social life than thoughts of a professional career. “He went on holiday as soon as he finished school and he missed some training sessions because of that – which the hierarchy didn’t like,” Ford says.”He was out of nick, he put on weight. He missed an interprovincial game to go to Electric Picnic, the music festival. My common terminology for a bloke like that is, he was loose.”Before long, Ford decided to intervene. “I called him aside, and I told him, ‘you can make a lot of money playing this game. I’ve seen a lot of players in my time, and you’ve got what it takes – and it’s a far easier way of making money than having to study, or work, from 8 until 6 every day. With the talent you’ve got, you can live a wonderful life.'”Credit to him, because after that, it was like a switch had been flicked.” As Little recently himself told the : “That five-minute chat changed my entire perception of things… Ever since then I’ve been head down, just gym and cricket.”Josh Little bounced out Eoin Morgan on his ODI debut•Getty ImagesPerhaps the first sign of that turnaround came on Little’s ODI debut, which came in May 2019 against an England team preparing for an imminent World Cup. He took 4 for 45 in his eight overs, including the scalp of the returning Morgan for a third-ball duck, fending a sharp bouncer behind via the glove.”He wasn’t shy: he certainly didn’t care who Eoin Morgan was,” O’Rourke recalls. Ford adds: “He gets into the battle, switches on competitively, and he goes like hell. He’ll get into the scrap and is very happy to do that. You need to have that – particularly as a fast bowler.”Little’s competitive streak got him into trouble early in his international career. In 2020, he was reprimanded for a sweary send-off after dismissing Jonny Bairstow; a year later, he was adjudged to have made “inappropriate physical contact” with Quinton de Kock, barging into him with his shoulder.”He was a bit raw,” Balbirnie reflects. “The emotions can bring out the best in him, but he’s learned to control them a bit more. But I’ve never pulled him aside, and I’ve never really seen him cross the line. He still has that fire in his belly to do well, which is what makes him tick.”Over the last 18 months, Little’s stock has soared on the T20 circuit. He won his first franchise contracts during the 2021-22 season; after impressing in the Hundred and the T20 World Cup in 2022, he has been in high demand in 2022-23, picking up deals in the SA20, the PSL and the IPL.His point of difference as a bowler is his whippy wrist action, developed playing ‘stumpy’ – a variation on tape-ball cricket in which batters use a stump instead of a bat – in the Pembroke nets. “You bowl off 12 yards with a tennis ball, and have to snap your wrist to get some pace into it,” Leonard explains. “His extra pace comes from that.”Those who have worked closely with him describe a headstrong individual, who sees no point in preparing for the sake of it. “He will do the bare minimum,” O’Rourke says. “In his warm-up, he might bowl two or three balls to the keeper. If it’s coming out nicely, he’ll say, ‘that’s enough. I don’t need any more.'” At last year’s IPL, he left his stint as a net bowler with Chennai Super Kings – his opponents on debut – ahead of schedule, unhappy at his limited opportunities to impress the franchise’s coaches.Little’s stocks have risen after he impressed in the Hundred and the T20 World Cup in 2022•Getty ImagesIreland’s challenge is to keep hold of him. His IPL contract is worth INR 4.4 crore (€0.5 million approx.), around six times the value of his central contract; he is missing their first three Tests since 2019 in order to play for Titans, though will return home in mid-May for an ODI series against Bangladesh that Ireland must win 3-0 to qualify for this year’s World Cup.”It’s a situation that is going to have to be managed pretty well by the people above me,” Balbirnie says. “Money is always the elephant in the room when you’re talking about things like this, but it’s huge amounts – money that could take five, six, or even more years to earn while playing for Ireland. There is a fine balance there.”We want to have Josh available for our key games, but you can’t begrudge a player getting picked up like that.”Ford puts it simply: “If they played hardball and said ‘no, you can’t go’, then they’d lose him completely. They don’t want that; Ireland need to keep him in their system.”Back at Pembroke, Little’s rise makes him the club’s latest success story, representing them in the men’s national team alongside Balbirnie, Barry McCarthy and Lorcan Tucker. Kim Garth, who became a dual international last year after moving to Australia, is another graduate of their system. “Pembroke are very proud of all those five,” O’Rourke says.The club’s end-of-season dinner last year coincided with the final of the Hundred, where Little was playing for Manchester Originals. “The man was ringing the bell saying, ‘lads, the food’s on the table’,” O’Rourke recalls. “And everyone was saying, ‘no, no, Josh is into his second over here, we want to watch him!'”And so, he expects Pembroke’s bar to be busy during Titans’ games over the next few weeks: “It’s what sport is all about. You never forget your own.”

Eight records that were broken at IPL 2021 auction in Chennai

Dustin Silgardo and Sampath Bandarupalli 19-Feb-20213:31

Did Maxwell deserve the price he got at the auction?

Morris becomes most expensive player in auction history
Chris Morris broke Yuvraj Singh’s record for the highest bid at an IPL auction, earning a winning bid of INR 16.25 crore from the Rajasthan Royals, INR 25 lakh more than the bid Yuvraj got from Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) in 2015. The bid makes Morris IPL’s second-highest earner after Virat Kohli, who Royal Challengers Bangalore retained for INR 17 crore in 2018.ESPNcricinfo LtdGlenn Maxwell becomes second-highest earner at auctions
With his INR 14.25 crore fee this time, Maxwell has attracted bids totalling INR 45.30 crore in the five auctions he has been a part of – he got bids of INR 5.32 crore in 2013, INR 6 crore in 2014, INR 9 crore in 2018 and INR 10.75 crore in 2020. That puts him behind only Yuvraj in the list of players who have been spent most on at auctions. Yuvraj attracted bids totalling INR 48.10 crore over six auctions, Dinesh Karthik has earned INR 38.85 crore over six auctions, while Morris now has got bids totalling INR 37.96 crore over five auctions. This does not mean these players are the highest earners in IPLs, though, as players who have been retained at high prices would have earned more.ESPNcricinfo LtdK Gowtham gets highest bid for uncapped player
Chennai Super Kings bought uncapped K Gowtham for INR 9.25 crore, going past the INR 8.8 crore Mumbai Indians shelled out for the then uncapped Krunal Pandya in 2018. In 2016, uncapped allrounder Pawan Negi caused a surprise bidding war that Delhi Capitals won for Rs 8.5 crore, while Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) splurged INR 8.4 crore on legspinner Varun Chakravarthy in 2019.ESPNcricinfo LtdRiley Meredith becomes most expensive uncapped overseas player
A 24-year-old fast bowler from Australia, uncapped Meredith was bought for INR 8 crore by Punjab Kings, making him more expensive than Jofra Archer, whom Rajasthan Royals bid INR 7.2 crore for in 2018. At the time, Archer hadn’t yet played for England. Gowtham earns 46.25 times his base price
Gowtham had set his base price at the minimum, INR 20 lakh, which meant that when he went for INR 9.25 crore, it was the largest jump from base price for any player in an auction. Previously, legspinner M Ashwin held the record – he had earned INR 4.50 crore from an INR 10 lakh base price in 2016.Getty ImagesFour 14 crore+ players at one auction
There had never been more than one INR 14+ crore winning bid at previous auctions. This auction saw four, with Morris, Kyle Jamieson, Jhye Richardson and Maxwell all going past that mark. The limited supply of gun players juxtaposed with some big budgets caused a surge in spending. The only other INR 14+ crore bids in auctions previously had been for Pat Cummins in 2020, Ben Stokes in 2017, and Yuvraj twice, in 2015 and 2014.RCB become franchise with most 14 crore+ players
No team had more than one INR 14+ crore winning bid in their auction history coming into this one. By making two INR 14+ crore winning bids, for Maxwell and then Jamieson, RCB took their number up to three – they had bought Yuvraj for INR 14 crore in 2014. The other teams with INR 14+ crore bids in auctions are Rajasthan Royals (Morris, 2021), Delhi Capitals (Yuvraj, 2015) Kolkata Knight Riders (Cummins, 2020), Rising Pune Supergiant (Stokes, 2017), and Punjab Kings (Richardson, 2021).Kyle Jamieson shatters the New Zealand record
The winning bid of INR 15 crore for Jamieson was three times the INR 5 crore Kolkata Knight Riders bid for Trent Boult in 2017, making Jamieson easily the most expensive New Zealand player in IPL history.

MatériaMais Notícias

Atlético-MG e Cruzeiro se enfrentam pelo jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Mineiro, neste sábado (30), às 16h30h (de Brasília), na Arena MRV. O jogo terá transmissão da Globo, Sportv e Premiere.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasDicasAtlético-MG x Cruzeiro: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na final do MineiroDicas29/03/2024NotíciasApostando R$100, se o Cruzeiro for campeão mineiro, você recebe R$230; se o Atlético vencer, você leva R$155Notícias29/03/2024DicasCruzeiro x Internacional: estatísticas e informações para apostar no jogo do Brasileiro FemininoDicas22/03/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
ATÉTICO-MG X CRUZEIRO
CAMPEONATO MINEIRO – IDA (FINAL)
Data e horário: sábado, 30 de março de 2024, às 16h30h (de Brasília);
Local: Arena MRV, em Belo Horizonte (MG);
Onde assistir: Globo, Sportv e Premiere;
Árbitro: Felipe Fernandes de Lima;
Assistentes: Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira e Magno Arantes Lira;
VAR: Emerson de Almeida Ferreira.

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
ATLÉTICO-MG (Técnico: Gabriel Milito)
Everson, Bruno Fuchs, Lemos, Jemerson, Zaracho, Battaglia, Igor Gomes, Saravia, Arana, Paulinho e Hulk.

continua após a publicidade

CRUZEIRO (Técnico: Nicolás Larcamón)
Rafael Cabral, William, Zé Ivaldo, João Marcelo, Marlon, Lucas Romero, Lucas Silva, Matheus Pereira, Matheus Vital, Arthur Gomes e Dinenno.

Tudo sobre

Atlético-MGCampeonato MineiroCruzeiroFutebol Nacional

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo foi decepcionante no Morumbis e apenas empatou por 0 a 0 com o Barcelona-EQU, pela quinta rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. A partida marcou o retorno de Lucas, que entrou no segundo tempo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasGrêmioGrêmio retoma atividades em São Paulo após viagem de barco e deslocamento na madrugadaGrêmio16/05/2024São PauloEntenda como Zubeldía ganhou o elenco do São Paulo fazendo o oposto de Carpini São Paulo16/05/2024

➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

Com o resultado, o São Paulo chega aos 10 pontos e precisa vencer o Talleres na última rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores por quatro gols de diferença para terminar como líder do grupo. O Barcelona-EQU briga por uma vaga na Sul-Americana com o Cobresal.

➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

Com a paralisação do Brasileirão, o próximo compromisso do São Paulo é na quinta-feira (23), contra o Águia de Marabá, pela partida de volta da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.

continua após a publicidade

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
SÃO PAULO 0 X 0 BARCELONA-EQU
LIBERTADORES – 5ª RODADA – FASE DE GRUPOS

🗓️ Data e horário: quinta-feira, 16 de maio de 2024, às 21h (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Morumbis, em São Paulo (SP)
Gols: ESPN e Star+
🟨 Árbitro:  Kevin Ortega
🚩 Assistentes: Stephen Atoche e Jesús Sánchez

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES

SÃO PAULO (Técnico: Luis Zubeldía)
Rafael; Igor Vinicius, Arboleda, Alan Franco e Welington; Alisson, Galoppo e Michel Araújo; Ferreirinha, Luciano e André Silva. 

continua após a publicidade

BARCELONA-EQU (Técnico: Ariel Holan)
Javier Burrai; Alex Rangel, Nicolás Ramírez, Luca Sosa e Anibal Chalá; Leonai, Gaibor e Damián Díaz; Joao Rojas, Preciado e Corozo.

Tudo sobre

LibertadoresSão PauloStar +STARPLUS

دخل النادي الأهلي في مفاوضات متقدمة مع أحد لاعبي الدوري المغربي، لتدعيم صفوفه بصفقة جديدة، خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية القادمة.

النادي الأهلي يسعى إلى فتح اتصالات مع عدد من اللاعبين تمهيدًا لتدعيم صفوفه في يناير المقبل، من أجل مواصلة المنافسة على كل البطولات المشارك بها.

طالع | موعد مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي اليوم في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ووفقًا لموقع “le 360” المغربي، فإن فريق الرجاء المغربي مهدّد بخسارة أحد أبرز ركائزه الدفاعية، بعد دخول الأهلي المصري بقوة على خط التعاقد مع الظهير الأيسر يوسف بلعمري.

وأضاف: “عاد مستقبل بلعمري إلى الواجهة مجددًا بعدما أعاد الأهلي فتح قنوات التواصل مع اللاعب خلال الأسابيع الماضية، في خطوة تهدف إلى استباق المنافسة على ضمه قبل فتح سوق الانتقالات الشتوية وتشير المعطيات إلى أن المفاوضات بين الطرفين بلغت مرحلة متقدمة”.

وتابع: “يوسف بلعمري وافق بشكل مبدئي على الانتقال إلى الأهلي، لكنه اشترط أن يتم الانتقال خلال الميركاتو الصيفي بدلًا من الشتوي، ويعتقد اللاعب أن الانتظار سيمنحه فرصة الحصول على عرض مالي أكبر، خصوصًا في ظل اهتمام أندية قطرية وإماراتية به مقابل مبالغ مرتفعة”.

وأكمل: “يوسف بلعمري فضّل عدم فتح مفاوضات مباشرة بين الأهلي والرجاء لشراء الأشهر الستة المتبقية من عقده، مُصرًّا على استكمال الموسم الحالي مع الفريق الأخضر قبل تحديد وجهته المقبلة، ويعتقد اللاعب أن إنهاء الموسم سيمنحه امتيازات تعاقدية أفضل عند نهاية العقد”.

وأشار الموقع المغربي إلى أن الأهلي كان قد تقدّم بعرض يشمل منحة توقيع تصل إلى مليون دولار، إضافة إلى 500 ألف دولار تُحول إلى الرجاء مقابل التخلي عن عقد اللاعب، كما يصر وكيل أعمال بلعمري على إدراج بند في العقد يسمح للاعب بالرحيل مباشرةً في حال توصّله إلى عرض أوروبي خلال الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل”.

وأتم: “بين رغبة الأهلي في ضم اللاعب سريعًا، وتمسّك بلعمري بتأجيل الانتقال، وإصرار الرجاء على احترام عقده، يبدو أن ملف الظهير الأيسر مرشّح ليكون أحد أبرز ملفات الميركاتو المقبل، في صفقة تُوصف بحق بأنها قياسية وقد تنتهي برحيل أحد أهم أعمدة الفريق الأخضر”.

Juventus are now reportedly keeping close tabs on Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto as they attempt to solve their defensive problems under new manager Luciano Spalletti.

Heading into the November international break, those at Stamford Bridge have reason to be optimistic. They bounced back from a 2-2 draw against Qarabag in style on Saturday, putting three past a managerless Wolverhampton Wanderers side. It was the Blues at their best, with Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto and unexpected goalscorer Gusto all getting on the scoresheet.

The dominant victory sets them up for the perfect return when they visit Burnley after the international break. It’s a game that Chelsea should win to commence an all-important week which then features games against Barcelona and Arsenal. Victory in those two would suddenly spark interesting questions about the Blues’ ambitions.

Chelsea’s next 5 games

Competition

Date

Burnley vs Chelsea

Premier League

22/11/2025

Chelsea vs Barcelona

Champions League

25/11/2025

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Premier League

30/11/2025

Leeds United vs Chelsea

Premier League

03/12/2025

Bournemouth vs Chelsea

Premier League

06/12/2025

As things stand, Enzo Maresca’s side are third in the Premier League and six points behind leaders Arsenal. If the Club World Cup winners are to be serious title challengers then victory over the Gunners is a must at Stamford Bridge.

The January transfer window is also worth keeping an eye on. Those in West London are rarely shy when it comes to splashing the cash and they’ve already been linked with moves for the likes of Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz.

The right-back is one of the best in his position in the world and would instantly hand Reece James plenty to think about and hand Gusto quite the problem. The Chelsea man has already lost his place to James this season and rumours are now arriving about his own future.

Juventus now tracking Malo Gusto

Serie A giants Juventus are now tracking Malo Gusto, according to reports in Italy relayed by TuttoJuve. The Italian club are looking to solve their right-back problem and have identified both the Chelsea star and Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina as 2026 targets.

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He’s enjoying an impressive campaign.

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Gusto has started just six of Chelsea’s 11 Premier League games so far this season, but Maresca reiterated that he is one of his “main players” after he scored his first goal for the club against Wolves.

The versatility that Maresca praised has seen Gusto play both right and left-back as well as right-midfield throughout his career, and while that added depth is value from a player on £45,000-a-week, he’s been unable to make any of those positions his own at Stamford Bridge.

As James continues to keep the Frenchman out the side, it will be interesting to see whether he makes a decision about his Chelsea career if Juventus come calling. A move to the Italian giants, even amid their current struggles, wouldn’t exactly be a major downgrade for Gusto.

Chelsea launch move to re-sign Antonio Rudiger; he's made Real Madrid decision

Pakistan may be sitting at the bottom of the Super Four table after another fairly convincing defeat against India, but their best performer on the night felt the game showed what Pakistan were capable of. Sahibzada Farhan, who dominated the first ten overs of the contest and scored a 34-ball half-century, was confident Pakistan were well set up to put themselves on the board against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.”The way we batted today, the boys are very confident,” Farhan said, speaking after the game against India. “The wickets in Abu Dhabi are true and the ball comes onto the bat, and we’ll play to win.”Unlike Sri Lanka, who have played two of their four games in Dubai, Pakistan’s four matches at the Asia Cup have all taken place there. Without a formal training session, they will go into a game which may end up proving an eliminator for the losing side, with Sri Lanka having begun the Super Fours with defeat to Bangladesh. Farhan, though, dismissed the idea that preparation was a concern.Related

• Similar goals, similar problems: SL, Pakistan resume borderline sappy yet competitive rivalry

“We’re very well prepared. The boys are confident ahead of the Sri Lanka game because this wasn’t a one-sided game; it was one we took right to the end.”That increased optimism is largely down to Farhan himself. His start, particularly in the way he took down Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay, as well as the aggression against Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in the four overs that followed, took Pakistan to 91 for 1 in ten overs, their highest midway total against India. Despite a post-drinks slowdown which robbed them of momentum, Pakistan posted 171, requiring India to complete the highest successful chase of the tournament for victory.”I worked a lot on my six hitting,” Farhan, who hit three sixes and is Pakistan’s highest run-scorer of the tournament, said. “When I used to score runs before, there were very few boundaries among them. If we’d won this game, it would have been very valuable to me. Performing against India is very highly rated but I just regret we didn’t win the game today.”The mistake we were making in previous matches was losing wickets early on and not utilising the powerplay. This time around our powerplay was brilliant, with 91 in 10 overs. There was a collapse in the middle and we’ll look to rectify that.”When, with a six of Axar, Farhan reached his half-century, he opted to celebrate in a manner that raised eyebrows at the time, with Farhan cocking his bat and miming the firing of a gun. It was just one of the flashpoints in an ill-tempered game between the two sides, though Farhan said there was nothing to read into it.”That celebration was just a spur of the moment. I rarely celebrate when I get to fifty,” he said. “But when I got there I suddenly got the idea of celebrating, and so I did without knowing or caring how people would interpret it. We should play aggressive cricket against any team, not just India, the way we played today.”Farhan hoped Pakistan and India aren’t done with each other yet in the Asia Cup. “We’d love to be able to meet India again in the final.”Their trip to Abu Dhabi is likely to have a huge say in determining how realistic that ambition is.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.'s sensational 2024 campaign continued Tuesday as he made MLB history during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers.

After drawing a walk in his first at-bat of the game, Witt showcased his speed by swiping second base for his 30th stolen bag of the year. In doing so, Witt reached the 30–30 club for the second consecutive season, becoming the first shortstop in league history to record multiple seasons with 30 homers and 30 steals in their career.

Witt achieved the feat in just the third season of his career, making the accomplishment even more impressive. For all the great shortstops that have suited up in the past, none have managed to match Witt's combination of strength in the batter's box and speed on the base paths.

To put his achievement into perspective, in league history only five other shortstops have ever recorded a 30–30 season, including Barry Larkin (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jimmy Rollins (2007), Hanley Ramirez (2008) and Francisco Lindor (2023). Witt has now done it twice in his first three seasons.

This year, Witt has launched 32 home runs and has now swiped 30 steals. He's slashing .332/.384/.600 with 108 RBI and a league-best 200 hits, having earned his first trip to the All-Star Game. During last year's breakout campaign, he hit 30 home runs and stole 49 bases.

The future is bright in Kansas City so long as Witt is manning the shortstop position, something he's proven early and often into his young career.