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Aston Villa have now opened talks with the agents of a goalkeeper, who’s in red-hot form, amid doubts surrounding Emiliano Martinez’s future.

Martinez's Villa future up in the air after failed Man Utd move

Martinez was widely expected to leave Villa in the summer, with it being revealed that he wanted to join Manchester United, but the Argentina international ultimately ended up staying put, and has since been reintroduced to the squad.

Indeed, the 33-year-old, who is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, has started the last four Premier League matches, during which time the Villans are undefeated, having won their last four games on the spin in all competitions.

However, the goalkeeper’s future remains up in the air, with Ruben Amorim personally requesting that Man United sign him in the January transfer window, which means Unai Emery may be tasked with bringing in a replacement.

According to a report from WinWin (via Sports View), Aston Villa have now made their first approach to sign a new goalkeeper, having opened talks with the agents of AS Monaco goalkeeper Yanis Benchaouch-Marty.

Villa are making contingency plans, in case Martinez departs next summer, and Benchaouch-Marty has caught their eye, having recently impressed for national side Morocco, guiding them to the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup following a fantastic display against South Korea.

Emery’s side are expected to make moves to sign the 19-year-old once the tournament ends, with Morocco U20s set to take on France U20s in the semi-final this evening.

Aston Villa set to make January approach for £52m Champions League "monster"

Villa are expected to make a move for a “freak athlete”.

ByDominic Lund Oct 14, 2025 Benchaouch-Marty could be long-term Martinez heir

The AS Monaco youngster has certainly put himself in the shop window with some of his performances at the U20 World Cup, perhaps most notably putting in a fantastic display in Morocco’s statement 2-1 victory against Brazil.

The Moroccan came very close to keeping a clean sheet, with Brazil scoring a 92nd-minute penalty, which ultimately ended up being nothing more than a consolation, but he still achieved a 8.6 SofaScore match rating, the highest of any player on the pitch.

Statistic

Number completed

Saves from inside the box

4

High claims

1

Long balls (accurate)

12 (7)

Accurate passes

32/37 (86%)

The teenager is showing signs he could be a long-term heir for Martinez, but the young goalkeeper is clearly still in the infancy of his career, given that he is still yet to make a senior appearance for AS Monaco.

As such, Emery will be hoping his current first-choice goalkeeper sticks round a little while longer, potentially as a mentor for Benchaouch-Marty, and Villa are currently under no pressure to cash-in, with Martinez under contract until the summer of 2029.

Are Aston Villa starting to build some serious momentum?

Having failed to win any of their first six matches this season, scoring only two goals, the Villans have since won four on the spin, beating Bologna and Feyenoord in the Europa League, as well as Fulham and Burnley at Villa Park in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, chance creation remains a concern for Unai Emery, considering his team sit second-bottom of the Premier League when it comes to expected goals, above only Burnley, while only Fulham, Sunderland and Burnley have mustered fewer shots on target.

Back in January, the Claret and Blue Army addressed this by signing both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan; the Spaniard scored eight goals and registered one assist, while the England international netted four times and notched six assists.

However, both moved on to pastures new over the summer, so who could be this season’s Asensio, and why will he help unlock Villa’s primary star attacker?

Ollie Watkins' struggles for confidence

As the graphic documents, ever since he arrived from Brentford, Ollie Watkins has been a reliable goalscorer in a claret and blue shirt.

However, this season, the England international is seemingly struggling for confidence, seeing a very tame penalty saved by Bologna’s Łukasz Skorupski, before, to great relief, getting off the mark three days later against Fulham.

Nevertheless, when compared to last season, pretty much all of his statistics are down, as the table below outlines.

Ollie Watkins PL statistics
Stats per 90	24/25	25/26
Goals	0.6	0.2
Shots	2.4	1.3
Shots on target	1.4	0.5
Shooting accuracy	59.7%	37.5%
Chances Created	0.9	0.7
Duels Contested	10	8.6
Touches	27.1	25.3
Touches in the box	6.3	4.5
Stats via Squawka

As documented, every available metric for Watkins this season has plateaued, with the decrease in his shooting statistics the most stark drop off.

Of course, seven matches into the Premier League season, it is only a small sample size, while the fact Watkins’ touches as well as touches in the opposition penalty area have both decreased suggests that it is as much a service issue as a Watkins problem.

Last season, Watkins and the aforementioned Asensio formed an effective partnership, the former setting up the latter to score his second goal against Cardiff City in an FA Cup tie in February, but who is most likely candidate to break into the Villa team now and add that much-needed creativity?

Aston Villa's forgotten summer signing

After a summer of very little activity, restricted by Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules, Aston Villa were certainly busy on deadline day.

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Victor Lindelöf arrived as a free agent, Harvey Elliott joined from Liverpool, on loan with a £35m option to buy, so the move many missed was Jadon Sancho’s loan move, rescued from the Chelsea bomb squad at the 11th hour.

Still only 25 years old, it is now four years since the England international joined Manchester United for around £73m, and his career certainly has not panned out as hoped since.

Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær praised his “tremendous pace, flair and creativity”, noting that he had “already achieved a great deal” for such a young player.

Well, after scoring only 12 goals in 83 appearances for the Red Devils, he has been loaned back to Borussia Dortmund and then Chelsea, spending last season at Stamford Bridge.

While he may not have been the world-beater he once was, Sancho was effective for the Blues, scoring five goals and accumulating ten assists across all competitions, including netting at Tottenham in the Premier League and then against Real Betis in the Conference League Final in Wrocław.

Given how little he has done since 2021, his most recent England cap coming against Andorra almost exactly four years ago, it is easy to forget just how exciting Sancho was when he first burst onto the scene at the Westfalenstadion.

Raj Chohan of BBC Sport praised his ‘incredibly mature decision-making’ in the final third, while Nick Wright of Sky Sports asserted that the ‘extraordinary talent’ was one of the very best young players in Europe.

During his best season in the Bundesliga, 2019/20, Sancho ranked third for goals, second for assists, first in terms of goals – xG, first for goal-creating actions, second for attempted take-ons and second when it came to carries into the final third.

Put succinctly, the Englishman was truly a phenomenon so, with Emery’s coaching, will Aston Villa get him back to that level?

Well, if they can, during that aforementioned 2019/20 Bundesliga season, Sancho created 19 big chances, thereby ranked behind only Thomas Müller and Serge Gnabry.

For comparison, in the Premier League last season, the Villa players who created the most big chances were Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, both reaching 16.

Thus, getting Sancho back to his exhilarating best could be exactly what this team needs to unlock talisman Watkins. Like Asensio – and Rashford – before him, he could be the club’s new loan success story and revive his floundering career.

​​​​​​​

Forget McGinn: Aston Villa's "jewel" looks like the modern day Gareth Barry

Man in the middle of the park is Aston Villa’s modern Gareth Barry, key to their revival

By
Will Miller

Oct 5, 2025

It's difficult to overstate Cole Palmer's importance to Chelsea, but it's probably reflected in how determined head coach Enzo Maresca has been to have him at his disposal this season despite a persistent, niggling groin injury. The Blues have now paid a significant price for that over-reliance on the 23-year-old, with the attacker – who has already been sidelined for close to a month – now ruled out until December, in a crushing blow to his club and his World Cup hopes.

Palmer has only made four appearances in all competitions this season; after pulling out of the starting line-up on the second Premier League matchday of the campaign, he returned prematurely in spite of the ongoing problem in September and was inevitably forced back onto the treatment table as the wear and tear on his groin became too much to bear.

Having already missed a month of action, Maresca has now revealed that Chelsea's talisman requires a further six weeks to recover, meaning he won't be seen until late November at the earliest and will be sidelined for at least nine club matches between now and then, in what will be a defining period for the Blues' long-term prospects in 2025-26. The only silver lining is that, for now, he doesn't require surgery.

It also means he will be forced to sit out a third England camp in a row in November, having been unavailable to Thomas Tuchel in both September and October through the same injury, and – despite his obvious talent – his hopes of going to the World Cup next summer are now under serious threat as the German tactician looks to reward those who have performed consistently for him so far.

AFPPaying the price

There is little doubt that this is an injury that Palmer could have avoided or that would have been less severe if it wasn't for Chelsea's run to unexpected glory at the Club World Cup in the summer, where the 23-year-old was their hero once again as he dismantled European champions Paris Saint-Germain almost singlehandedly in the final.

Despite the west Londoners often coming up against relatively weaker opposition in the U.S., Palmer clocked up more than 550 minutes in six games over the course of just under a month. It is believed that this groin problem flared up at some point during the tournament, where matches were invariably played in excruciating and physically draining heat and humidity.

After the final on July 13, the squad was afforded just three weeks off before reporting back for training in early August as part of their scaled-back warm-up plans, with Palmer playing more than 100 minutes across their two friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on the same weekend when, evidently, he wasn't fully fit.

It's easy to forget that he was also involved in the completely misguided post-season England camp in June, too – needlessly playing in what should have been a routine win over Andorra before warming the bench against Senegal.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Bizarre, wrong, impossible'

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin is in no doubt that the club's summer schedule is to blame for Palmer's injury woes, with the attacker previously a near ever-present for the west Londoners.

"Cole Palmer is the same as everyone, not in terms of quality, but in terms of he's one of those things called a human being," the Scot told . "The physicality of what Chelsea players have gone through, it's going to get to them and we know it's going to get them. And it's not a maybe, it's a when, not if.

"So Cole's getting a little bit of it now. Because he played all through the summer, I thought a big hit would happen around November, December time. I thought that sort of time you'd start seeing a lot of injuries and form dipping with a number of players.

"Chelsea's pre-season was two games in three days. It's bizarre, it's wrong, it's impossible."

Getty Images SportRushed back

Some blame should certainly be attributed to Maresca and perhaps the Chelsea medical staff following this latest setback, as his unwavering determination to have his key man available as often as possible has undoubtedly come at the detriment of his fitness.

Following his last-minute withdrawal before the thumping victory over West Ham on matchday two of the league season in August, apparently after painkillers failed to have the desired effect, the head coach admitted his talisman had already been playing through the pain barrier in the season opener against Crystal Palace five days prior, after which the attacker was criticised for a subdued performance in the goalless draw.

Palmer was able to rest during the September international break and started as a substitute in the first game back against Brentford, but he was called upon by Maresca with Chelsea trailing 1-0. He popped up with a vital equaliser, and scored again as he played the full 90 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League a few days later, but three run outs in a week proved to be too much as he was forced off after just 21 minutes at Manchester United the following weekend, and he hasn't played since.

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Getty Images Sport'I was wrong'

It had been reported that Chelsea were hopeful of having Palmer back by early November, and Maresca had downplayed the severity of the problem, but he has now been forced to eat his words.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Nottingham Forest, the Italian tactician conceded: "I was wrong, unfortunately, he needs to be out for probably six more weeks. We try to protect Cole as much as we can and the most important thing is when he comes back he is fully fit.

"Unfortunately, the medical staff are not magicians, you never know that (he will definitely be fine again by then). He will probably need six weeks, we hope that six weeks is enough. It is a problem we need to see step by step, week after week. But for sure he is going to be okay."

That recovery timeline means Palmer will miss nine matches, including upcoming big games against Tottenham and Barcelona, while he faces a race against time to be fit for the showdown with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on November 30.

Manchester United supporters are clinging on to all and any green shoots of recovery right now.

On Saturday, Rúben Amorim’s team claimed a much-needed victory going into the international break, beating Sunderland 2-0 at Old Trafford, thanks to goals from Mason Mount and then Benjamin Šeško.

​Next up, the Red Devils take on champions and fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield, before tough-looking fixtures against Brighton, Nottingham Forest and then Tottenham.

​​​​​Ahead of this challenging period, has Amorim unearthed a deadly attacking duo reminiscent of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole from Manchester United’s glory days?

In numbers: Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole at Man United

Back in 1998/98, Manchester United famously won the treble, beating Newcastle in the FA Cup Final, pipping Arsenal to the Premier League title by a solitary point on the final day, before that historic comeback against Bayern Munich to snatch the Champions League.

Fair to say, Yorke and Cole were key figures in this success, scoring 29 and 24 goals respectively across all competitions.

As the table below documents, this makes them one of the most dangerous attacking duos in Premier League history.

Andy Cole &

Dwight Yorke

Manchester United

1998/99

53

Chris Sutton &

Alan Shearer

Blackburn Rovers

1994/95

52

Didier Drogba &

Frank Lampard

Chelsea

2009/10

63

Thierry Henry &

Robert Pirès

Arsenal

2003/04

58

Harry Kane &

Son Heung-min

Tottenham Hotspur

2017/18

59

Wayne Rooney &

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United

2007/08

60

Julián Álvarez &

Erling Håland

Manchester City

2022/23

69

Sadio Mané &

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

2018/19

53

Yorke, who is currently the manager of Trinidad and Tobago, bet you didn’t know that, arrived at Old Trafford from Aston Villa, later representing Blackburn, Birmingham and Sunderland.

Cole meantime, was poached from Newcastle, where he’d been a massive star, turning out for 12 English clubs in total.

Now, does the current iteration of Manchester United have a duo who could replicate the famous Yorke and Cole duo?

Manchester United's modern-day Yorke and Cole

As Amorim searches for a winning formula, while they may not be a traditional strike partnership, Amad Diallo alongside Bryan Mbeumo could be the pair of attackers to fire Manchester United up the table.

Amad was arguably the Red Devils’ most dangerous attacker last season, registering 11 goals and ten assists, most memorably scoring a stoppage-time winner in the Manchester derby at the Etihad.

After arriving as a teenager from Atalanta for up to £37m, the Ivorian endured an underwhelming loan spell at Rangers, before showcasing his talents at Sunderland, scoring 14 goals for the Black Cats, firing them into the EFL Championship play-offs.

Now, Amad is earning plaudits for his performances back at Man United, with Darren Bent, speaking on talkSPORT, labelled him a “wonderkid”, adding that he is the club’s “best [player] by some distance” after he scored a hat-trick against Southampton in January.

Mbeumo, meanwhile, joined for a reported fee of £71m this summer, having scored 20 Premier League goals for Brentford last season.

The Cameroonian international opened his Man United league account against Burnley in August, while he has had more shots (17) of any player at the club so far this season.

An electric winger, Carl Anka of the Athletic has asserted that he is certainly ‘one of the better forwards in the Premier League’.

So now, how does Amorim get both into the same starting lineup?

Well, Man United signed an entirely new front three in the summer, with Matheus Cunha yet to get off the mark, but Šeško has scored against both Brentford and Sunderland, thereby opening his account for the club.

In a solution to get them all in, Amad was deployed at wing-back for Sunderland’s visit, a decision that proved successful.

At the weekend, as outlined by Adam Bate of Sky Sports, Amad and Mbeumo as a duo were very ‘impressive’, with the Ivorian attempting six dribbles, his highest figure in any home league game under Amorim, with the manager himself stating that “he can help Bryan to play more inside and worry more with the runs behind the defenders”.

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

Well, Black Cats boss Régis Le Bris certainly agreed, noting afterwards that Man United “are really strong on the side”, adding that this forced him into making a lesser-spotted tactical substitution in the first half.

Meantime, journalist Muhammad Butt labelled them a “superb double-act”, praising their “wonderful chemistry and creativity”, with Carl Anka of the Athletic concluding that this match was 2the best pair have played with each other” to date.

Thus, Amad’s form both last season and at the weekend necessitates getting him into the side somehow.

For tougher fixtures, he should potentially be used at Cunha’s expense in attack, while in games where the onus is on Manchester United to create and break down the opposition, he has to be chosen over Diogo Dalot or Noussair Mazraoui at right-wing-back, given that they offer so little going forward.

In summary, it is still early days, but this duo could be Man United’s best partnership since the glory days of the late-90s.

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ByMatt Dawson Oct 7, 2025

Lancashire live to fight another day as visitors unable to press home advantage in small window of play

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Apr-2025Lancashire 264 (Harris 77, Balderson 51, Scriven 5-46) and 90 for 3 (Bohannon 45*) drew with Leicestershire 491 for 8 dec (Handscomb 142*, Rehan 100, Hill 64)The Rothesay County Championship match between Lancashire and Leicestershire ended in a draw after the home side’s fourth-wicket pair, Josh Bohannon and Marcus Harris, safely negotiated what could have been a tricky final session at Emirates Old Trafford.Resuming on 16 for 3 at 4.30pm after persistent rain had prevented play getting under way in the first two sessions at Manchester, Bohannon and Harris extended their stand to an unbroken 79 and had taken their side to 90 for 3 by the time the draw was agreed with a minimum of eight overs left to be bowled.At that point, Bohannon was 45 not out and Harris was unbeaten on 34. However, the last session was not without its alarms for the home side. Bohannon was dropped twice in the opening seven overs by wicketkeeper Ben Cox off the bowling of Ian Holland, although neither chance was easy.Leicestershire take 15 points from the game to Lancashire 11 and the visitors will have left the ground disappointed not to have had a longer opportunity to press home their advantage.The home team had gone into the final day still needing 212 runs to avoid an innings defeat and Keaton Jennings’ players might be grateful for the week off they will have before their next game, at home to Gloucestershire on May 2-5, when it is expected that James Anderson will make his first appearance of the season.Leicestershire, on the other hand, are certain to remain among the Division Two leaders after this round of fixtures and will travel to Bristol for their match against Gloucestershire in good spirits.

Roberto De Zerbi has threatened Mason Greenwood and his Marseille squad after seeing them claim a notable Classique victory over arch-rivals Paris Saint-Germain. A battling win in a rearranged fixture at Stade Velodrome underlined the title credentials of De Zerbi’s side, but he has pointed out that said win will count for little if it does not set a standard for the rest of the season.

• Marseille held their own against Real Madrid

  Marseille finished as Ligue 1 runners-up in 2024-25, booking them return tickets to the Champions League. They held their own for long periods in a European opener with Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu, with USMNT star Tim Weah firing them in front before going on to suffer an agonising 2-1 defeat against 10 men.

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• AFP
  

  Fought off PSG following storm delay

  De Zerbi’s team were able to get over the line in their latest outing, with Nayef Aguerd netting the only goal of the game inside five minutes against PSG – in a match that was delayed by 24 hours due to stormy weather conditions in southern France.

• Are Marseille Ligue 1 title contenders?

  De Zerbi showed plenty of passion in that contest, as he was shown a late red card for arguing with the match officials, and wants to see his players prove that they are capable of challenging for a domestic crown.

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• Getty
  

  De Zerbi's warning to Greenwood & Co

  De Zerbi told reporters of the need to build on victory over PSG, who were without Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele: “This victory should not give anything more to the team. The defeat in Madrid brought us a lot, made us realise that we have strong players. The squad is strong, we know that, but Friday will be even more important than tonight's match. I have already threatened the players, they know it. If we beat Paris and then tap dance against Strasbourg, it means we are not a great team.”

حقق منتخب السعودية فوزاً ثميناً ضد إندونسيا بثلاث أهداف لهدفين، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من ملحق آسيا المؤهل لكأس العالم 2026.

وافتتح منتخب أندونسيا التسجيل في الدقيقة 11 من ركلة جزاء عن طريق ديكس، وتعادل صالح في الدقيقة 17 لمنتخب السعودية.

وأضاف فراس البريكان الهدف الثاني لمنتخب السعودية من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 36، وسجل الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 62 من الشوط الثاني، وقلص ديكس الفارق لمنتخب أندونسيا في الدقيقة 88 من ركلة جزاء أيضاً.

اقرأ أيضاً.. التعادل السلبي يحسم مباراة قطر وعمان في تصفيات كأس العالم

وحصل منتخب السعودية على أول ثلاث نقاط في مجموعة تضم إندونيسيا والعراق، ويرغب الأخضر في ضمان صدارة المجموعة والتأهل المباشر للمرحلة النهائية من تصفيات آسيا دون خوض أي مباريات فاصلة أمام وصيف المجموعة الثانية بنظام الذهاب والإياب لحسم بطاقة التأهل المتبقية للمونديال.

وكانت المباراة قد شهدت تفوقاً كبيراً من جانب منتخب السعودية، حيث بلغت نسبة استحواذه 57% مقابل 43% لمنتخب أندونسيا.

وسدد منتخب السعودية 16 تسديدة مقابل 9 تسديدات لمنتخب أندونسيا، وجاءت على المرمى منهم 10 تسديدات مقابل 5 تسديدات لمنتخب أندونسيا، وشهدت المباراة إشهار حكم المباراة للبطاقة الحمراء في وجه محمد كانو لاعب منتخب السعودية في الدقيقة 93. أهداف مباراة السعودية وإندونيسيا في تصفيات كأس العالم 

A “great” Liverpool player has now reportedly held talks with a foreign club’s sporting director over a summer move there, with a four-year deal being offered to him.

Liverpool handed potential fresh Isak boost

The Reds have had a summer transfer window to remember, with the likes of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez hopefully taking them to new heights under Arne Slot.

After smashing their transfer record on Wirtz, Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has now emerged as Liverpool’s next dream target, although the Magpies are refusing to budge currently after rejecting an opening offer for the Swede.

A new update from The Athletic‘s David Ornstein does claim that Isak is “adamant he will not play for Newcastle again”, however, adding that even if he stays put at St James’ Park, he has “no wish to reintegrate” with his teammates.

This acts as a boost to Liverpool, who clearly still want to sign the 25-year-old, but the coming weeks have the potential to be unpredictable, as the Premier League champions consider a second offer, hoping that the Magpies’ stance softens at the same time.

While plenty of focus is on Isak, and a possible new centre-back signing, a new claim has dropped regarding the future of a current Reds player.

"Great" Liverpool player in talks with foreign club

According to a new report from Caught Offside, Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott’s move to RB Leipzig this summer could be edging closer, with the Reds wanting £47m with a buyback option or £56m without during discussions.

The Bundesliga club have now offered the 22-year-old a four-year contract, and it is claimed that “manager Ole Werner and sporting director Marcel Schafer have already held direct talks with the player, outlining their vision for him to become a central figure in the team’s attack-minded system.”

Elliott is a popular figure at Liverpool, helped by the fact that he grew up supporting the Reds, but now feels like the right time for him to enjoy a new challenge, and the report says he is open to an Anfield exit.

The Englishman isn’t a regular starter under Slot, and that won’t change unless there are serious injury problems, and he has reached a point in his career where he needs to be playing week in, week out.

Elliott could be a great signing for Leipzig, and an ideal potential replacement for Xavi Simons, as the report alludes to, with former Liverpool man Joe Cole hailing him earlier this summer.

“I love the kid, he plays football the right way. I am excited for his future. He has done a great job for Liverpool, but if he decides to move on, there are levels to move on again. That passion, he can show every week.”

Dream Van Dijk heir: Romano confirms Liverpool want £34m Guehi alternative

Liverpool are hoping to sign a centre-back in the transfer market this month.

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Angus Sinclair

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Whether Leipzig agree to a buyback option remains to be seen, but even if they don’t, this is the right time for Liverpool to sanction Elliott’s exit, allowing him to kick on elsewhere, not to mention ensuring the Reds receive good money for him.

Arsenal loanee Oleksandr Zinchenko has been ordered to pay a tax bill of £300,000 after losing a court battle. Zinchenko, who was struggling for game time under Mikel Arteta at Emirates Stadium, joined Nottingham Forest on loan during the summer transfer window.

Zinchenko loses court battleWill also have to clear accountants' billZinchenko joined Forest on loanFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the HMRC has ordered Zinchenko to settle a tax bill worth £300,000. The details of the tax amount emerged after the Gunners loanee put his Alex Zinchenko Image Rights firm into voluntary liquidation. HMRC had approached the High Court to shut down the firm. Zinchenko was the only stakeholder in the company until Ukraine FA official Artemijs Rjabovs took over and renamed it Ozir Ltd. 

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Zinchenko will also have to pay off bills worth £35,000 to his accountants. The Ukraine international completed a loan move to Forest during the summer transfer window, after he fell out of favour under Arteta and struggled for minutes on the pitch during the 2024-25 campaign. 

DID YOU KNOW?

Forest were forced to leave Zinchenko and record summer signing Omari Hutchinson out of their 2025-26 Europa League squad due to UEFA’s homegrown quota rules.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ZINCHENKO?

With Ange Postecoglou all set to replace Nuno Espirito Santo as Forest boss, Zinchenko will hope to impress the Australian manager and feature regularly in his starting lineup this season. Forest next face Zinchenko's parent club Arsenal on Saturday in the Premier League. 

Fast-bowling allrounder returned 4 for 21 before a fighting innings from Athapaththu confined TKR to a runners-up finish

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2024A four-wicket haul from fast-bowling allrounder Aaliyah Alleyne paved the way for Barbados Royals’ second Women’s Caribbean Premier League title. In a low-scoring final, Royals restricted Trinbago Knight Riders to 93 for 8 before overhauling the target with five overs to spare. Royals were the defending champions and finished runners-up in the inaugural WCPL in 2022.After being asked to bat, TKR started on the right note with captain Deandra Dottin – back in West Indies’ squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 after reversing her international retirement – smacking a six off Chinelle Henry in the opening over. But things went down south for them after Royals’ skipper Hayley Matthews got one to sneak in through Dottin in the second over. Henry then dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues, who ensured TKR’s qualification with a half-century in the previous outing, caught and bowled for just two.Related

Athapaththu: Franchise cricket isn't about the money, I learn from them

Deandra Dottin back in West Indies squad for T20 World Cup

Opening the batting in place of Harshitha Samarawickrama, who was left out, Jannillea Glasgow then added 43 for the third with Shikha Pandey, who was promoted to No. 4. The introduction of Alleyne in the 12th over changed the course of the game. She struck on her first ball to have Glasgow miscue one to mid-off before cleaning up Pandey in her next over.Alleyne’s double-wicket 16th over, where she dismissed Chedean Nation and Zaida James within four balls, brought TKR to a screeching halt. Three of her four wickets broke the batters’ stumps, and she achieved that by constantly keeping the stumps in play.Chasing 94 for back-to-back titles, Royals raced off inside the powerplay with Chamari Athapaththu being the aggressor. She struck three consecutive fours off Jess Jonassen in the fourth over and then a further three off Shamilia Connell in the penultimate over of the powerplay, at the end of which, Royals were 48 for 0.Offspinner Samara Ramnath, TKR’s leading wicket-taker in WCPL 2024, then dismissed Matthews – caught by a diving Dottin at backward point. A few overs later, Connell pulled off an athletic catch at long-on to get rid of Qiana Joseph for Ramnath’s second wicket. A couple of balls after taking a catch to dismiss Alleyne at long-on, though, Connell landed on the boundary cushion in an attempt to catch a Laura Harris hit and hurt her ankle. She had to be stretchered off, and the West Indies management will be monitoring her recovery since she is part of the T20 World Cup squad.Despite losing three wickets for two runs in the middle, Athapaththu kept at it and sealed Royals’ win in the 15th over to set the celebrations off. The result was fitting for Royals, who lost only one match this season. Matthews was the Player of the Tournament, thanks to a chart-topping 11 wickets and the second-most runs in WCPL 2024.