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Arsenal now hold a firm interest in signing another “dangerous” forward, despite recently signing Eberechi Eze, and his club desperately need to sell.

Gunners keen on another forward after Eberechi Eze

The Gunners’ attacking quality was on full display in the recent 5-0 victory against Leeds United, with Viktor Gyokeres bagging his first two goals for the club, but the one downside was Bukayo Saka sustaining a relatively lengthy injury.

The injury is not as bad as first feared, but Saka is set to miss around four weeks due to a hamstring issue, with Martin Odegaard also picking up a knock, joining Kai Havertz on the sidelines.

Three injury setbacks at such an early stage of the season has underlined just how important it is for Mikel Arteta to have a deep squad, with the manager saying: “We’ve been two weeks and we’ve already lost Kai, Martin and Bukayo, so it tells you how well-equipped you have to be in this league to manage and to maintain the level that we want.”

Arteta should already have enough players to deal with the absences, given the recent arrival of Eze, while the Spaniard also has Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard at his disposal, but the north Londoners have now entered the race for another forward.

That is according to a report from Diario Nervion on X, which states Arsenal now hold a firm interest in signing Sevilla forward Dodi Lukebakio, who looks like he could be on the move this summer.

The Spanish club desperately need to sell players this summer, given their difficult financial position, and there is widespread interest in Lukebakio, with Everton and AC Milan also named as potential suitors.

Arsenal star wants to leave with Berta now "set to bid" for £52m replacement

The Gunners are poised to make a move for another new signing, who is keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium.

ByDominic Lund Aug 25, 2025

However, the 27-year-old is reluctant to leave the La Liga side, having already turned down moves away in the past, so it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible.

"Dangerous" Lukebakio would provide depth in attack

Lauded as “dangerous” by The Athletic’s Michael Cox, the Belgium international enjoyed a very impressive 2024-25 campaign, chipping in with 11 goals in La Liga, matching the number of goals he scored for Hertha Berlin in the previous season.

The Brussels-born forward is also established at international level, having picked up 26 caps for Belgium, with his attacking quality on show when assisting Romelu Lukaku in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden.

That said, there are doubts over whether the forward, who is known to pocket £50k-a-week, would be a necessary signing, given the arrivals of Eze and Noni Madueke this summer, while Trossard also remains an Arsenal player.

As such, Lukebakio should not be a priority target for the Gunners, and they should instead focus on getting a deal for a Jakub Kiwior replacement over the line, with Piero Hincapie recently emerging as a major target.

Bangladesh haven’t had a great run in ODIs lately but Shanto believes they are title contenders

Mohammad Isam12-Feb-2025Bangladesh haven’t had a great run in ODIs lately. In addition, they have little to no prep heading into the Champions Trophy 2025. But captain Najmul Hossain Shanto strongly believes Bangladesh are title contenders.”We are going to the Champions Trophy to become champions,” Shanto said. “All eight teams deserve to be champions in this tournament. They are all quality teams. I believe our team has the ability. No one will feel extra pressure. Everyone genuinely wants (to become champions), and believes in their capabilities. We don’t know what Allah has written in our fate. We are working hard and doing our best. I believe we can achieve our goal.”Since 2023, Bangladesh have lost 24 out of the 41 matches they’ve played, which includes series losses against Afghanistan and West Indies. Shanto, too, has not been in great form, as he is coming off an injury and a string of low scores in the Bangladesh Premier League [BPL]. He also hasn’t played international cricket since November after he missed the West Indies tour due to a hamstring injury. Bangladesh last played ODIs at the start of December in 2024, which they lost 3-0.Related

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Bangladesh will also be without senior allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, although his absence was along expected lines. He has been suspended from bowling in top-flight cricket due to an illegal action and recently failed a second independent assessment of his action. When asked whether Bangladesh would miss Shakib’s presence, Shanto said that the team does not linger on hopes of a miraculous Shakib comeback, adding that it was “irrelevant” to discuss the subject before the tournament.”Of course, we will miss him but I don’t know why this question is being asked,” Shanto said. “Everyone already knows the answer, and many players have said it before. Of course, we will miss Shakib . It would have been great if he were here. This question has been answered many times. I don’t think it’s relevant to talk about this before a tournament.”So who will take over Shakib’s role in the team? “Whoever gets the responsibility will have to play Shakib’s role,” Shanto said.There are a few more big names – like Litton Das and Tamim Iqbal – missing from the Bangladesh squad, but Shanto insisted that he was happy with his team. “I am very happy and confident with the 15 players in the squad,” he said. “Anyone who plays has the ability to win a match single-handedly.”

“Not too long ago, we didn’t have quality pace bowlers, but now we have a strong pace bowling unit. We didn’t have wristspinners before, but now we do. Overall, we have a balanced team.”Najmul Hossain Shanto

Shanto also called for Bangladesh to asses the conditions quickly and raise their game by chasing and defending 320-plus totals. Bangladesh are set to play their first match against India in Dubai before facing New Zealand and Pakistan in Rawalpindi.”I expect the pitches in Pakistan to be 300-plus wickets. If we bat first, we need to put up such scores. Even while defending, we will need to defend such scores. In Dubai, conditions vary at different times. Still, I think scores will be around 260-280. It’s tough to predict exact numbers, but historically, that’s how it has been. We will analyse how many runs are needed on a given day or how many we need to restrict the opposition to.”Shanto also hopes his bowling attack, particularly the pacers, continue to give their best, and believes Bangladesh have a “balanced team”.”Not too long ago, we didn’t have quality pace bowlers, but now we have a strong pace bowling unit,” he said. “We didn’t have wristspinners before, but now we do. Overall, we have a balanced team. If everyone fulfills their responsibilities properly, we can defeat any team at any time.”

“It was pretty cool to tick off,” she said after becoming just the second woman to score an ODI century from No. 6 or lower

Andrew McGlashan17-Jan-2025

Ashleigh Gardner celebrates her maiden ODI century•Getty Images

Ashleigh Gardner was relieved to not be stuck in the 90s for too long on the way to an “emotional” maiden international century which put Australia on the brink of retaining the Ashes.Gardner’s previous highest score for Australia was 93, made in a T20I against India in 2020, and in Hobart she became just the second women’s batter to score an ODI century from No. 6 or lower in the order.In the 45th over, Gardner was on 90 and facing Nat Sciver-Brunt when the England allrounder pushed consecutive balls down the leg side which Gardner was able to take advantage of, with a single off the final delivery of the over leaving her on 99 against Lauren Bell. One dot followed before she pulled Bell through square leg.Related

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“Because I haven’t made many hundreds throughout my whole cricketing life I had a feeling that I would get really nervous in the 90s,” Gardner said. “Thankfully for me, Nat bowled a couple down the leg and I was able to get those away to the boundary and race through the 90s.”The rest just fell in place and I was able to get to that milestone. It’s certainly something that I can be really proud of. I’ve played a lot of international games and haven’t quite made that mark…to be able to reach that was pretty emotional, but it was pretty cool to tick off.”Gardner had walked in with Australia tottering on 59 for 4 but was able to stitch together partnerships of 95 with Beth Mooney and a defining 103 from 83 balls with Tahlia McGrath before the innings was capped off by George Wareham’s 12-ball 38.Gardner made a conscious effort to try and put pressure on England’s leading spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, who she scored 24 off 29 balls against in what became Ecclestone second-most expensive return in ODIs.”For me and Moons, it was just to build a partnership and to ease the nerves a little bit and calm people down,” Gardner said. “The conversations just kept being around putting pressure back on them. I know for me, batting in those types of situations, you can go back in your shell.”For me that doesn’t really work because then I go too far the other way, so I still try to be really proactive. I tried to put pressure back on Ecclestone, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I guess it made her change something, and that was what I was trying to do.”The messages were kind of the same with T-Mac [McGrath]. That was probably the best I’ve seen T-Mac bat in a very long time. She just took a lot of pressure off me. I didn’t feel like because I was the one in that I had to keep going as hard.”Gardner put an exclamation mark on her performance with a spectacular parried boundary catch late in England’s innings to remove Ecclestone.Ash Gardner took a spectacular juggling catch on the rope•Getty Images

“I was probably off the rope too many steps, knowing that she hits the ball pretty hard and far,” she said. “After the initial catch, it was [about] trying to get my momentum to basically not fall over the rope. It was just one of those things where instinct kicks in and you throw the ball back and hope that you can catch it on the rebound.”I made a bit of a meal of it in the end, and I’m sure people will probably say that I put a bit of mayo on it. I didn’t mean for it to be caught that way, but I’ll take it.”Winning the ODI series has ticked plenty of early boxes for Australia and leaves them needing just two more points to retain the Ashes but with the memories of 2023, when 6-0 became an 8-8 draw, there is a determination not to be in that position again.”I know there was sort of redemption after the white-ball series that we played last time in the [last] Ashes. We weren’t up to it,” Gardner said. “I think the standard that we’ve shown throughout today was probably the most clinical batting performance that we’ve put out there. We’ve played on some tricky wickets, so it’s really exposed us at different times and being able to overcome that.”Knowing that we’re going into the T20s, which I think probably is England’s best format, being able to take confidence in what we’ve done in these last three ODIs into that first T20, I’d imagine England probably don’t have as much confidence as what we do, so we should really relish in that.”Having seen 59 for 4 turn into over 300, England still had a chance at 200 for 4, needing 109 from 80 balls, but when Danni Wyatt-Hodge was superbly caught Phoebe Litchfield, they lost 6 for 22.”You looked at the worms and they were bang on,” captain Heather Knight said of the chase. “I think we were ahead actually, for most of it. We felt like on the bench we could probably chase 10, 11 an over for the last ten. So being in that position, we felt pretty good. We just didn’t have that set batter to go on and go really big”Those key moments, when the game’s on the line, they [Australia] seem to be able to cope with them really well. We haven’t been able to seize the moment a little bit and really hammer down any advantage that we have got. It’s something that we need to do a little bit better, realising when we’re in a key moment of the match, can we go after this? Let’s go and win this. So hopefully we can show some progress in that in the T20s.”

Afridi’s omission makes it unlikely that he will win his place back for Pakistan’s home Test series against West Indies in January

Danyal Rasool04-Dec-2024Shaheen Shah Afridi has been left out of Pakistan’s squad for the two-Test series in South Africa in December and January. Afridi, who was released from Pakistan’s Test side after their defeat in the first Test against England in October, remains part of the white-ball squads for the tour. Babar Azam and Naseem Shah, who were released alongside Afridi after that first Test, return to the Test squad.Afridi’s absence specifically from the Tests, though, appears to signal a point in his career where the red-ball format has become less of a priority than it has before, a state that may even become permanent for him. When he was dropped in October, the belief was that the more pace-friendly surfaces in South Africa, where he played his second and third Test matches five years earlier, would suit him better as he tries to return to form in the format.Since returning from a knee injury he picked up during a Test in Sri Lanka in July 2022, Afridi has played just a handful of Tests, and been ineffective while doing so; in six games, he has 17 wickets at an average of 45.47. His omission from these Tests makes it exceedingly unlikely he will win his place back for Pakistan’s home Test series against West Indies in January, following which Pakistan have no Test matches at all till October 2025.There’s also a return for seamer Mohammad Abbas, who last played Test cricket for Pakistan in 2021. Abbas, whose metronomic accuracy and ability to seam the ball initially saw him come into the Pakistan side when they played their home Tests in the UAE, is the only fast bowler in the squad who was also in the side for Pakistan’s last Test tour to South Africa in 2018-19.ESPNcricinfo LtdSajid Khan, meanwhile, has been left out of the travelling party, Alongside Noman Ali, Sajid was instrumental in turning the series against England around when Pakistan rejigged their pitches to suit the spinners, taking 19 wickets across the two Tests. But surfaces in South Africa will be vastly different to those, and Pakistan travel with just the one spinner, and have opted for Noman’s left-arm orthodox spin instead.That means Abrar Ahmed, at the start of this season considered Pakistan’s premier Test spinner, has also been omitted.Khurram Shahzad returns to the Test side for the first time since a recurring rib injury sidelined him following Pakistan’s home Tests against Bangladesh in August. Initially, he was thought to be out for just a few days, but it would turn into a much longer absence as he missed the entirety of the England Test series. Since returning at the end of October, though, he has been in sparkling form, taking 13 wickets in two Quaid-e-Azam trophy matches, and a further 15 in three innings against the Sri Lanka A side.It leaves Pakistan’s squad somewhat bereft of high pace, a quality more valuable in South Africa than perhaps anywhere else. Naseem is Pakistan’s only true fast bowler for the series, with Aamer Jamal, Shahzad, Abbas and Mir Hamza the others in the squad. This is likely to stand in stark contrast to South Africa’s Test squad, which currently possesses a battery of fast bowlers who can push into the high 140s and even beyond.There’s much less flux in Pakistan’s white-ball squads, with Pakistan opting to stick largely to the team that played the ODI and T20I series in Australia. Sufiyan Muqeem’s bright start in Zimbabwe has seen him rewarded, as he keeps his place for both white-ball teams against South Africa, while Omair Yousuf is part of the T20I squad.Pakistan play three T20Is and three ODIs in South Africa between December 10 and 22, and two Test matches in Centurion and Cape Town beginning on December 26 and January 7. South Africa is, statistically, Pakistan’s least happy hunting ground in Test cricket, where they have won just two Test matches, and never a Test series.Pakistan squads for South Africa tourTests: Shan Masood (capt), Saud Shakeel (vice-capt), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)
T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan (wk)

حقق فريق المصري البورسعيدي، الفوز على غزل المحلة في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى المصري مع غزل المحلة، ضمن منافسات الجولة السابعة من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز موسم 2025 -2026، على ملعب ستاد السويس الجديد.

طالع|رابطة الأندية تُعلن عقوبات الجولة السادسة لـ الدوري المصري.. إيقافات وغرامات

تقدم صلاح محسن بالهدف الأول للمصري في الدقيقة الرابعة بعد متابعة داخل منطقة الجزاء ليسددها في مرمى عامر عامر حارس المحلة.

وتعادل أحمد شوشة لغزل المحلة في الدقيقة الثانية من عمر الوقت البدل الضائع، 45+2، للشوط الأول من ركلة جزاء.

وفي الدقيقة 51 من عمر الشوط الثاني، سجل صلاح محسن الهدف الثاني للمصري من ركلة جزاء لينتهي اللقاء 2-1 للمصري.

ورفع المصري رصيده إلى 14 نقطة في المركز الأول من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري بينما تجمد رصيد غزل المحلة عند 8 نقاط في المركز العاشر. أهداف مباراة المصري وغزل المحلة اليوم في الدوري

A very exciting season awaits for Newcastle United.

Last time round, the Magpies won the EFL Cup, ending their 70-year wait for domestic silverware, and finished fifth in the Premier League, with the Champions League patch featuring rather prominently in Monday’s third kit launch video.

More importantly, ahead of their Champions League return, Eddie Howe – backed by the Saudi PIF – will be determined to bolster his squad, so could some new signings be imminent?

Newcastle looking to bolster their backline

As has been widely reported, Newcastle United are close to signing Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford for £40m, thereby surely set to become the Magpies’ new number one.

This is interesting, because it is pretty debatable if Trafford is a clear upgrade on existing first-choice shot-stopper Nick Pope, more on that later.

Meantime, according to the Mirror, via Fußball Transfers, Newcastle are ‘stepping up their efforts’ to sign Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, claiming that they’ve made a £50m offer.

Transfer Focus

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

They add that Tottenham are also ‘interested’ in signing the Burkina Faso international, while die Werkself ‘are willing to negotiate a sale’.

However, having already sold Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Odilon Kossounou for a combined £164m this summer, die Schwarzroten are not under pressure to accept a low-ball offer, so could hold out for Tapsoba’s £81m release clause.

Nevertheless, having just brought in Jarell Quansah from Liverpool for a reported fee of £30m, Bayer may well be preparing for life after Tapsoba, so could he be on his way to Tyneside?

Why Edmond Tapsoba would be a better signing than James Trafford

Still only 26 years old, Tapsoba joined Bayer Leverkusen from Vitória de Guimarães in 2020, making 226 appearances for the German club to date, starting 28 of 34 Bundesliga matches as die Werkself picked up the Meisterschale for the first time ever in 2023/24.

His performances have earnt rave reviews, with journalist António Mango labelling him a “monster”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserted that he is “solid as a rock”.

So, let’s assess how he compares to Newcastle’s current centre-backs.

Appearances

43

42

10

46

Minutes

3,613

3,629

581

3,974

Pass completion %

87%

83.7%

89.4%

88.4%

Tackles

1.4

1.2

2.7

1.1

Interceptions

0.9

1.4

1.1

0.8

Clearances

3.1

4.1

5.5

5.3

Blocked shots

0.6

0.8

0.9

0.7

Ball recoveries

4.5

4.2

3.1

2.8

Aerial duel success %

61%

44%

61%

66%

Ground duel success %

48%

48%

71%

50%

Touches

80.7

72.4

68.5

65.5

As the table documents, Tapsoba compares favourably to Newcastle’s existing centre-backs, leading the way when it comes to ball recoveries and touches per 90, while, across the board, he was only behind Sven Botman on a per 90 basis.

This, however, is due to the fact the Dutchman played fewer than 650 minutes across all competitions last season due to various knee injuries, underlining that centre-back is a position that Howe will be looking to bolster, especially left centre-back.

Goalkeeper, on the other hand, did not appear to be such a problem position, so let’s compare the two ex-Burnley goalkeepers, Pope and Trafford.

Appearances

28

28

Goals conceded

35

62

Saves

86

106

Save %

71.7%

65.7%

Post-shot xG – goals conceded

+1.8

-5.9

% of crosses stopped

10.9%

7.2%

Pass completion %

73.5%

65.5%

As the table highlights, when comparing the pair’s most recent Premier League campaigns, Pope’s numbers are actually more impressive than those of Trafford, with the caveat that the latter was playing for a hopeless Burnley side, and has certainly improved following a season back in the EFL Championship.

Nevertheless, Trafford does not appear to be coming in to fill a position of need, unlike Tapsoba.

Ben McAleer of the Guardian described the defender as calm and composed in possession, while Dylan Buesnel of Total Football Analysis agrees, praising his excellent ball retention and ‘ability to keep the ball under pressure’, adding that his ‘defensive attributes are helping him shine’.

Meantime, Vishnu Anandraj of Breaking the Lines labels him a ‘consistent performer’, impressed by his ‘athleticism and composure’, all of which suggests Tapsoba would be a transformative signing for Newcastle and for PIF, whereas it’s difficult to argue that the same could be said of Trafford.

Clubs can sign one player outside of the draft on a multi-year deal and up to four overall

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2024

Lizelle Lee was one of Hobart Hurricanes’ overseas players last year•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes will have pick one in the WBBL draft later this year after coming out first during the weighted lottery that was not in their favour.The first four picks involved those sides who did not make finals in the 2023-24 season – Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers, Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars – followed by the four sides that reached the playoffs. The Melbourne teams finished in the bottom two places last season so had a greater chance of earning the first pick, but will have to wait behind Hurricanes and Sixers.Hurricanes finished sixth last season having taken Shabnim Ismail and Bryony Smith in the draft alongside Lizelle Lee as a direct nomination.Perth Scorchers, who were knocked out in the Challenger, will have the last pick in rounds one, two and four of the draft – in round three, the order is reversed. Picks can be traded between clubs so the order could change. The draft is expected to take place in September.Last season’s first pick went to Sydney Thunder who took South Africa allrounder Marizanne Kapp as a platinum player with Scorchers opting not to use their retention option.Cricket Australia

This year clubs can sign up to four overseas players which would include anyone who joins under the new multi-year pre-draft option. New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr was the first player confirmed under that part of the system after being lured away from Brisbane Heat and signing a deal with Sixers.The pre-draft route in the WBBL essentially replaces the direct nominations option that was in place last year and which most clubs made use of. If clubs opt to sign a fourth player, they would become the first overseas replacement.The draft will again include four price bands: platinum (AU$110,000), gold (AU$90,000), silver (AU$65,000) and bronze (AU$40,000).Next season’s WBBL has been reduced to a 40-game regular season in a bid to manage the workload of the game’s leading players and boost attendances. The tournament is expected to start shortly after the conclusion of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, which will finish on October 20.Given the proximity of the World Cup to the WBBL season, it remains to be seen how many of the world’s leading players commit to the tournament in Australia.

Chelsea have reportedly opened club-to-club negotiations over signing a £100 million striker for Enzo Maresca, with their opening bid already submitted as BlueCo attempt to move quickly in the transfer market.

Chelsea shortlist striker targets as summer transfer talks begin

It is no secret that the west Londoners, amid their chase for Champions League qualification, are looking to sign a centre-forward when the window reopens.

Chelsea really looking at signing £25m "new name" who agreed to join Arsenal

He’s shook hands on personal terms with the Gunners last year.

ByEmilio Galantini May 23, 2025

Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku boast just two Premier League goals between them since the turn of the year, while Marc Guiu is inexperienced and coming back from injury, emphasising their need for a proven option up top.

Rank

Team

Points

GD

Man City

68

+26

Newcastle

66

+22

Chelsea

66

+20

6

Aston Villa

66

+9

7

Nottingham Forest

65

+13

According to journalist Simon Phillips this week, Eintracht Frankfurt starlet Hugo Ekitiké, RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko and Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen are just some of the strikers under consideration by Stamford Bridge chiefs – but all will likely command a marquee fee and considerable wages.

Ipswich Town star Liam Delap is also set to make a decision about joining Chelsea, amid interest from Man United, with Fabrizio Romano backing up other reports that the Blues have held talks with Kieran McKenna’s number nine.

Another player to be linked this last week, Brighton star Joao Pedro, is now emerging as a more serious potential target as well.

The Brazil international has racked up 10 goals and seven assists in all competitions under Fabian Hürzeler this season, and the jury is out on whether he’d really improve Maresca’s current options, but ex-Premier League scout Mick Brown has heard that he’s keen on a switch to Cobham.

“I hear he’s spoken to people around him about a move, and he would be interested in Chelsea,” said Brown to Football Insider.

“He wants to make a step up from Brighton as they’re going to miss out on European football again. It’s just a case of whether they decide he’s the right man for the job.”

Chelsea open talks with Brighton over signing Joao Pedro

Despite claims Pedro would cost around £60 million, there are also suggestions that Brighton intend to hold firm on a marquee £100 million price tag, so the 23-year-old could end up being a very expensive option.

However, that doesn’t mean Maresca’s side won’t at least try their hand, as shared by Brazilian news outlet Ge Globo and their journalist Cahê Mota from Rio de Janeiro.

He reports that Chelsea have opened talks with Brighton over signing Pedro, and they’ve already made an offer of around £50 million for the striker. Chelsea are attempting to “speed up” these negotiations ahead of the Club World Cup, with discussions also expected to intensify next week as they try to tempt the former Watford ace with a move.

It remains to be seen whether their initial bid of £50m will be enough, as Brighton and Tony Bloom are widely known to be tough negotiators when it comes to selling their star players to Chelsea, as evident by the transfer fees they acquired for Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella.

However, we believe BlueCo would be unwise to splash anywhere near £100m on Pedro, considering they have other, more prolific striker targets who could turn out to be much better value for money.

The Southampton hierarchy have now spoken to a 4-3-3 style manager as a possible alternative to the heavily linked Eric Ramsay, according to a recent report.

Latest on Southampton’s search for a new manager

It is now 11 games since the Saints tasted victory, as they were once again beaten over the weekend, this time by Fulham, who came from one goal down to win 2-1 in the final minutes. Southampton are already heading to the Championship, but with four games remaining in the Premier League, they are looking to eclipse Derby County’s lowest ever points tally in the top flight.

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The Saints need to make a new appointment.

BySean Markus Clifford Apr 27, 2025

But the club’s hierarchy are going to use these coming weeks to find a new permanent manager, with several names being mentioned to the vacancy. Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl is someone who has been linked with a move to Southampton on a couple of occasions, and he is among the names the club are interested in, but they do face competition from fellow relegated side Leicester City, who are also keen on Rohl.

Former Rangers and Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is also on the Saints’ managerial shortlist, but it remains to be seen if he is interested in managing in the Championship.

Sky Sports have also reported that former Chelsea and Manchester United coach and current Minnesota United manager Eric Ramsay is in the hunt to become the new Southampton manager. Ramsay’s ability to speak French and Spanish has made him an attractive proposition.

Southampton hold talks with Lens boss Will Still

But the list of options that the Saints are currently evaluating doesn’t stop there, as according to TalkSPORT, Southampton have held talks with Lens manager Will Still about becoming their new manager.

The report states that the Saints have met with Still and have held talks over their managerial vacancy but are not going to rush into any decision and will take their time over making an appointment. As well as speaking to Still, Southampton do also hold an interest in former Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner and current Coventry City boss Frank Lampard, while it states that Gerrard is not under consideration.

Still, who prefers to play an attacking 4-3-3 style as manager, joined Lens in the summer after having an interview with Sunderland over becoming their new manager. His move to Lens came after impressing with fellow French side Stade Reims, where he was manager for two seasons, averaging 1.44 points per game in 64 matches.

Games

34

Won

14

Drawn

6

Lost

14

Points

48

Points per game

1.41

Still is very early into his managerial career, and except for being a manager in Preston North End’s academy in 2011, he has no experience of managing in England. However, given how well he has done in France, the Saints will hope his managerial pedigree can help him fit into the Championship and build an exciting team to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

With European football secured, Nottingham Forest now reportedly want to sign a Ligue 1 captain who is represented by the same agency as Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Marinakis' controversial Nottingham Forest outburst

Although Nottingham Forest secured European qualification on Sunday, that was only half the story as they fell to a frustrating 2-2 draw against a relegated Leicester City side. From potentially finishing as high as third, a place in the top five is now out of Forest’s hands after picking up just one win in their last five Premier League games.

Many were left disappointed around the City Ground following the draw against Leicester, but none more so than Evangelos Marinakis. The Nottingham Forest owner marched onto the pitch to seemingly air his discontent at manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Marinakis has since released a statement revealing that his anger was aimed at the medical staff who misjudged Taiwo Awoniyi’s ability to carry on following his collision with the goal post in the dying embers, but the moment certainly sparked plenty of controversy.

The forward gave staff the green light to continue before then coming off not long after Forest had decided to make an alternative substitution.

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The Greek owner said in his statement: “We are extremely proud and close to Nuno and the team, and we must all celebrate the historic achievements of this season.

“Everybody – coaching staff, players, supporters and including myself – we were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s misjudgment on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game. This is natural, this is a demonstration of the passion we feel for our club. Let’s all be grateful, passionate and keep on dreaming!”

Nottingham Forest targeting Rennes captain Truffert

Away from any on-pitch controversies, meanwhile, it looks as though Marinakis is looking to put European qualification to instant use. According to The Telegraph, Nottingham Forest now want to sign left-back Adrien Truffert from Stade Rennais this summer.

The club’s captain at just 23 years old, whether Forest can pry Truffert away from Stade Rennais remains to be seen in the coming months, but what should help any deal is the fact that he’s represented by the same agent as Anderson and Gibbs-White.

Minutes

2,662

2,414

Key Passes

38

17

Tackles Won

34

48

Ball Recoveries

137

101

In terms of numbers, Truffert has endured an excellent season in comparison to Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams. Outperforming the Welshman when it comes to ball recoveries and key passes, there’s every chance that the Frenchman would gain a starting place at the City Ground if he completed a move this summer.

What his move would do as well is add key depth for Espirito Santo. As his side step into European football, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss will need quality in depth more than ever and Truffert would seemingly provide that at left-back.