Category Uncategorized

There is a lot to be happy about as an Arsenal fan at the moment.

While the games against Liverpool and Manchester United weren’t great, Mikel Arteta has got his team playing a more entertaining brand of football this season, which has seen them score 11 goals in five games so far.

Moreover, the attacking additions to the team seem to be adapting well, with Eberechi Eze getting an assist on his first start, Viktor Gyokeres already scoring three, and Noni Madueke looking like a serious threat on the right.

On top of all of that, Hale End seems to have produced another superstar in Max Dowman, although there is another youngster in the squad who could have just as high a ceiling.

Max Dowman's incredible rise

While those with a real knowledge of academy football would have been aware of Dowman for some time, most fans started to hear about him last season.

In just 23 appearances across a number of youth teams, totalling 1945 minutes, he put the ball in the back of the net 19 times and provided five assists for good measure.

In other words, the Chelmsford-born gem averaged 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes, which is utterly unreal and lends credence to talent scout Jacek Kulig’s bold claim that he is the “most exciting prospect” he has seen “since Lamine Yamal.”

Dowman in 24/25
Appearances	23
Minutes	1945′
Goals	19
Assists	5
Goal Involvements per Match	1.04
Minutes per Goal Involvement	81.04′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The club itself clearly view him as a future star as well, as he was soon training with the first team, and while he wasn’t able to make any senior appearances last year due to rules over his age, no such barriers exist this season.

He made an instant impact on the pre-season tour, winning a penalty in the match against Newcastle United and then impressing against Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal.

The strong performances have carried on into the season proper now, with him winning another penalty against Leeds United and then being trusted to come off the bench away to Liverpool.

In all, it feels like the sky is the limit with Dowman, which could also be said for another of the club’s new young stars.

Arsenal's youngster with as much potential as Dowman

What’s so amazing for Arsenal is that, at the moment, you could argue there are a number of players with ceilings as high as Dowman, from Ethan Nwaneri to Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Chalkboard

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

However, in this instance, the player in question is a summer signing: Cristhian Mosquera.

The young Spaniard cost the club just £13m back in July, and it would be fair to say he has since made that fee look utterly absurd.

Already described as a “backline leader” last October by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, the towering defender looked pretty good during pre-season, but it was against Liverpool where folk began to take notice.

He was forced on in the fifth minute to replace the injured William Saliba, and while most youngsters would wilt under such intense pressure, he played the next 85 minutes as if he was a seasoned professional with a decade of experience, making three clearances, blocking two shots, and making four tackles.

Mosquera’s game vs Liverpool
Clearances	3
Blocked Shots	2
Tackles	4
Ground Duels (Won)	5 (4)
Lost Possession	5
Touches	62
Accurate Passes	47/51 (92%)
All Stats via Sofascore

He was even more impressive against Nottingham Forest, as on top of displaying his defensive nous, the level of opposition allowed him to show fans his ability on the ball and passing range.

In 94 minutes of action, the game-breaking “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, took 92 touches, completed 75 passes, won 100% of his ground duels and completed eight defensive actions.

Then again, despite it being his Champions League debut, the former Valencia gem was utterly unfazed by the game on Tuesday night, not giving Bilbao even a sniff of a goal.

Ultimately, just as Dowman looks like he could be a generational attacking talent, Mosquera looks like he has everything needed to become a world-class defender, and it might not take long at all.

"This fella" – Keown blown away by Arsenal star who outshone Martinelli

There’s another member of the team who’s perhaps not getting enough credit.

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 17, 2025

Romelu Lukaku’s agent has revealed that Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti once considered signing the Belgian striker before the club turned their focus to Kylian Mbappe. The Napoli forward was seen as a short-term option, but Madrid opted to wait – a decision that eventually brought the French superstar to the Bernabeu on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

• The untold story behind Real Madrid’s striker search

  In an interview with , renowned agent Federico Pastorello lifted the lid on a surprising twist in recent transfer history – Lukaku’s brief link with Madrid. The Belgian striker, now at Napoli, was apparently on Ancelotti’s radar in 2023 when Los Blancos were evaluating options to strengthen their forward line.

  At that point, Madrid were still waiting for their long-term target, Mbappe. According to Pastorello, the club were unwilling to commit funds for a loan move while anticipating the Frenchman’s arrival. Madrid then made the pragmatic choice of bringing back academy product Joselu, a move that ultimately paid off. The Spaniard proved instrumental in helping them win both La Liga and the Champions League, turning a low-cost gamble into a success story.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Agent reveals Ancelotti’s admiration for Lukaku

  "Well, don't let any club get mad at me, but I think Real Madrid is the best club in the world for many reasons," he said. "I must be honest and say there was an opportunity, at a time when it wasn't clear where Romelu was going and with Ancelotti as coach."

  The agent admitted that Lukaku’s move to Spain never go through due to Madrid’s long-term vision: "They were thinking of reinforcing the forward line, but they were already focused on the big signing of Mbappe for the following year and didn't want to spend money on a loan. So let's say there was an opportunity because Ancelotti would have liked it; he always held Lukaku in high regard, but unfortunately it didn't materialise."

  The revelation adds another layer to the story of Madrid’s patient pursuit of Mbappe, a saga that dominated European football for years. While Lukaku’s name was quietly floated around in the background, the club stayed loyal to their dream of bringing the French superstar to the Bernabeu, a decision that would later reshape their attacking future.

• Madrid’s patience and Mbappe’s arrival

  Madrid’s strategy paid off handsomely. After years of pursuit and multiple rejections, Florentino Perez finally landed Mbappe on a free transfer, one of the most dramatic moments in modern football history. The move underscored the club's financial discipline and long-term planning, avoiding costly short-term fixes while waiting for their marquee signing.

  The 26-year-old's debut season brought promise despite falling short of major trophies. He still netted 44 goals across competitions, proving why Madrid were right to wait. Under new boss Xabi Alonso, the Frenchman has been unstoppable, scoring 14 goals in 10 matches this season before suffering a minor injury while on international duty with France.

  Meanwhile, Lukaku’s journey took him to Italy, where he played a key role in Napoli’s title-winning campaign last season, contributing 14 goals and 10 assists. However, a thigh injury has sidelined him until early 2026, halting his momentum just as he appeared to rediscover his best form.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  What’s next for Mbappe, Lukaku, and Real Madrid

  Los Blancos' upcoming fixtures will test both Mbappe’s recovery and Alonso’s tactical setup. The Spanish giants face Getafe on October 19, followed by a Champions League clash with Juventus three days later, before locking horns with Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season on October 26. Mbappe’s fitness remains a key storyline as fans eagerly await his return to full strength. His form could define Madrid’s ambitions this season, especially in Europe, where expectations are sky-high.

  As for Lukaku, his focus remains on rehabilitation and returning to action for Napoli in 2026. Off the pitch, he continues to mourn the loss of his father, Roger, who passed away last month at 58, a tragedy that led the Belgian striker to remove all his social media posts except one heartfelt tribute.

Toss Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bowl against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad. He cited dew as the reason behind his decision.RR were without Wanindu Hasaranga, who missed out because of personal reasons. Fazalhaq Farooqi replaced him.While Shubman Gill said GT were fielding an unchanged XI, there was no Washington Sundar in their bat-first XI; he was one of their five Impact Player options. Instead, Arshad Khan was part of their starting XI.GT named only three overseas players in their XI and none among their Impact Player options. That means Glenn Phillips, who hurt himself in the field in their last game, will not be available even as a substitute.Both sides have momentum on their side. GT are on a three-match winning streak, while RR, after two losses at the start of the season, have two wins in their last two games.The match is being played on a red-soil surface, which is expected to offer good pace and bounce. One square boundary is much shorter than the other, 60m as compared to 71m from the pitch. The straight boundary measures 73m.Gujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Arshad Khan, 9 Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna.Impact Player options: Washington Sundar, Kulwant Khejroliya, Anuj Rawat, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Jofra Archer, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Fazalhaq Farooqi, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Tushar Deshpande.Impact Player options: Kumar Kartikeya, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Akash Madhwal, Kunal Singh Rathore.

MatériaMais Notícias

A vitória do Botafogo diante do Cuiabá por 1 a 0 pode não ter sido da forma que os torcedores gostariam. No entanto, antes de fazer uma análise aprofundada da partida, é necessário abordar as dificuldades que todos os jogadores alvinegros enfrentaram dentro de campo.

RelacionadasBotafogoAdryelson sofre lesão na coxa, é substituído no segundo tempo e vira preocupação no BotafogoBotafogo22/06/2023BotafogoTiquinho Soares celebra vitória do Botafogo diante do Cuiabá: ‘Um dos jogos mais difíceis que nós pegamos’Botafogo22/06/2023BotafogoDono da SAF do Botafogo, Textor agradece meia do Bahia por vitória contra o PalmeirasBotafogo22/06/2023

O Glorioso teve desfalques importantes no jogo. Com Lucas Fernandes e Gabriel Pires lesionados e Eduardo suspenso, Luís Castro entrou com um meio-campo alternativo. Isso consequentemente acabou afetando na posse de bola e na construção de jogadas da equipe alvinegra na Arena Pantanal.

+ Luís Castro no Al-Nassr? Veja nomes que já estão ou podem chegar ao futebol da Arábia Saudita

+ Luís Castro analisa vitória do Botafogo e rasga elogios ao elenco: ‘Sou muito feliz com eles’

O Botafogo novamente soube aproveitar as oportunidades criadas. Tiquinho Soares, como de costume, teve categoria para deslocar Walter na cobrança de pênalti e garantir mais uma vitória importante na temporada. O atacante novamente não decepcionou quando foi acionado.

O sistema defensivo também mais uma vez funcionou. O Cuiabá foi com tudo em busca do empate no fim do jogo, mas não conseguiu concretizar as oportunidades criadas. Méritos para os defensores alvinegros e para Lucas Perri, que protagonizou grandes defesas no segundo tempo.

Apesar das dificuldades, os jogadores alvinegros se mantiveram aguerridos dentro de campo. O time de Luís Castro ganhou muita moral com esta vitória e chega confiante para partida diante do Palmeiras no Allianz Parque.

Ruben Amorim put up a passionate defence of Casemiro as he insisted that the Brazilian showed he "cares" with his reckless red card against Chelsea. The Brazilian midfielder had already found the net to double United’s lead, only to undo his own good work with a reckless challenge just before half-time. Already carrying a yellow, he lunged into another rash foul, leaving the referee with no choice but to send him packing.

Brazilian hero turns villain before the break

Casemiro's dismissal shifted the momentum. What should have been a comfortable night for United turned into a nervy second half as Chelsea eyed a second-half comeback.

AdvertisementAFPChalobah goal sets up squeaky finish

The man advantage gave the visitors hope. United, who had looked untouchable for most of the first half, suddenly found themselves pegged back. Chelsea pushed forward with renewed belief and, deep into the second period, Trevoh Chalobah popped up with a goal to reduce the deficit. That strike sparked a frantic final ten minutes where every Chelsea attack had the United faithful on edge. The Red Devils eventually held on, but Casemiro’s moment of madness ensured it was far from straightforward.

Amorim leaps to Casemiro’s defence

Amorim was quick to protect his midfield general. Speaking to , he revealed Casemiro was taking the incident harder than anyone.

"He's [feeling] worse than me," he said. "We won so I will forget a little bit and he will suffer because he's a top professional. He understands what he did. He is experienced enough that that play should not be played like that. He cares too much."

When pressed on whether Casemiro’s rashness was down to pressure, Amorim offered a different take.

“It’s hard to say. With Casemiro, that’s the pressure," he said. "The guy has five Champions Leagues. I feel more pressure on some young guys sometimes. But maybe it’s because Casemiro cares – we scored one and then he has that tackle. Then they have maybe one time that they passed the half of the pitch and we want to win the ball right away. So I think sometimes it’s a little bit, not the pressure, they want it too much in that moment. That is not a bad thing.” 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPCasemiro to miss Brentford clash

United can breathe a sigh of relief that the red card was for two bookable offences rather than a straight dismissal. It means Casemiro will serve just a one-match suspension and will miss next Saturday’s lunchtime clash away at Brentford. For Amorim, that’s a small mercy as he looks to steady the ship after a rocky start to the season.

Tottenham have opened talks to sign another player in a “separate deal from Savinho”, according to Fabrizio Romano on Tuesday, with the Lilywhites moving to support new manager Thomas Frank with late fresh faces before deadline day.

Spurs recently lost Son Heung-min to LAFC, who drew the curtain on his memorable 10-year stay at the club with an emotional farewell in Seoul, while star playmaker James Maddison is set to be absent for most of 2025/2026 with an ACL rupture.

This series of blows comes amid Dejan Kulusevski’s lengthy lay-off with a knee injury too, so the need for new attacking options is glaringly obvious.

Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange attempted to shore up Frank’s forward line with a £60 million deal for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White last month, and the deal was so advanced that Spurs even had a medical booked in for the Englishman.

However, after Forest blocked the move, threatened legal action and convinced Gibbs-White to commit his future to the City Ground, Tottenham were forced back to square one in pursuit of a new number 10.

With just three weeks to go until the transfer window closes on September 1, Spurs have now upped the ante in search of proven attackers to fill the voids left by Kulusevski, Son and Maddison.

On Sunday evening, it was first reported by Romano that Tottenham opened club-to-club talks with Man City over a deal for Savinho, and the Brazil international winger is open to moving down south in what would be a statement deal.

The 21-year-old is expected to cost in excess of £45 million, but considering Savinho’s age, flair, pace, proven top-level experience and contribution going forward at Eastlands, this could be a very good value deal.

Savinho bagged 13 assists in all competitions for City last season, and was a key member of the Girona side that finished third in La Liga and briefly contended for the title in 2023/2024 – racking up 21 goal contributions.

His playing style can be likened to that of ex-City and Leicester star Riyad Mahrez, with the prospect of him joining Spurs a pretty tantalising one for supporters.

Now, in another bit of very promising news, Tottenham are in negotiations for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze as well.

Tottenham open talks for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze

Frank’s side have been linked with a potential swoop for the 27-year-old in the last few days and earlier this summer, but discussions are reliably believed to be underway.

According to Romano via X on Tuesday morning, Spurs talks for Eze have reopened, with Levy and co trying to sign the England international again as they also work on a deal for Savinho simultaneously.

What’s more, Eze is also keen on a switch to N17, dealing a major worry to arch rivals Arsenal, who’ve been actively pursuing a deal for some time.

The former QPR star’s 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last term explain just half the story, with Eze spearheading Palace to their first ever major trophy by scoring their FA Cup final-winning strike at Wembley in May.

He is by far Palace’s standout attacking asset. Eze averaged more shots at goal, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any of his teammates in the top flight last season, with the CAM also able to fill Tottenham’s ‘locally trained’ Champions League quota in another potential boost.

There are plenty of reasons for Tottenham to move, and even more reasons for fans to clamor for his signature.

Newcastle United have been put through the wringer this summer, having missed out on key attacking targets in Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro and now Hugo Ekitike.

However, context is important, and in the latter’s case, Liverpool have moved ahead with a bumper deal after Eddie Howe and co stood firm on their stance that Alexander Isak is not for sale.

Ekitike, valued at €100m (£85m), has handed in a transfer request at Eintracht Frankfurt as he edges closer to Anfield. Thus, Newcastle have turned their attention to Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.

However, the Magpies may be foiled once again with that one.

Newcastle lining up Ekitike alternatives

On Friday afternoon, Manchester United finally achieved a breakthrough in their long pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo, with a £71m fee agreed between the Premier League clubs.

This transfer may run counter to Newcastle’s ambitions regarding Wissa, for the Bees have already lost Thomas Frank and their captain Christian Norgaard, and thus will be loath to part with their central striker too.

Thus, Newcastle need – once again – an alternative.

Well, according to Sport BILD, Howe has lined up Napoli’s Victor Osimhen as an ambitious alternative, with the free-scoring marksman said to be one of the players who is on the Magpies’ ‘radar’.

While the £64m-rated Osimhen is the centre of talks between Napoli and Galatasaray, with whom he spent the 2024/25 season on loan, the allure of the Premier League could work in the Toon’s favour.

Why Newcastle want Victor Osimhen

Osimhen is one of the most feared and famous centre-forwards currently competing in Europe. The end of an unhappy marriage with Napoli led to his loan move to Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig, but who can say he hasn’t made good use of the cards dealt?

The prolific star’s meaty haul does suggest that he’s got every bit the clinical nature of Isak, with Statman Dave even commenting that he’s “the best striker on the market” right now.

With Isak’s long-term future a debatable thing, there’s a chance that Osimhen could prove to be not just a fitting replacement but an incredible upgrade. Indeed, his goalscoring consistency can be viewed across a number of years and a number of countries.

24/25 – Galatasaray

41

37

8

23/24 – Napoli

32

17

4

22/23 – Napoli

39

31

5

21/22 – Napoli

32

18

6

20/21 – Napoli

30

10

3

A title winner who is more than just a goalscoring focal point, Osimhen could be the perfect man to add another layer to this incredible Newcastle side.

Isak, a world-class striker, scored 27 goals across 42 matches last season. Osimhen, meanwhile, bagged 37 times over 41 games. Though the Nigerian competed in a division of inferior quality to the Premier League, he scored six goals across seven matches in the Europa League, including a brace in a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Moreover, Isak’s six Champions League outings in 2023/24 yielded just the one goal, and no assists either. Conversely, Osimhen’s prolificness in the European theatre is underscored further by his record of nine goals and an assist across 17 Champions League fixtures.

And Osimhen could even emulate his positional peer in regard to movement and intelligence. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 4% of strikers across Europe last season for shot-creating actions and the top 18% for progressive carries per 90.

Ultimately, Newcastle have scored a winner by keeping hold of Isak, and in Osimhen, they could land a new number nine to challenge him for that first-choice spot, certainly proving an upgrade on the young Ekitike.

He’s Lewis Miley 2.0: Newcastle agree terms to sign "exciting" sensation

Newcastle are looking to strengthen for the present and the future

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 17, 2025

Glasgow Rangers welcome Panathinaikos to Ibrox this evening in the first leg of their second round Champions League qualifier, and one player who will not be involved in Ridvan Yilmaz.

The Turkey international was left out of the squad for the match, with Jefte and Max Aarons preferred in the full-back department, and it remains to be seen if his future is in Scotland.

It was recently reported that the left-back has agreed to return to Besiktas this summer, but it is now down to the clubs to thrash out a deal for the defender.

Yilmaz only started 11 matches in the Scottish Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign and may be looking at a return to his home country to play week-in-week-out.

Rangers in talks to sign new left-back

The Light Blues should sanction an exit for the 24-year-old flop this summer because they are currently pursuing a deal for a player who would be a big upgrade for Russell Martin.

Transfer Focus

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

According to DaveOCKOP, Rangers are in talks over a deal to sign Liverpool left-back Owen Beck to bolster their options at the back for the 2025/26 campaign.

The report claims that the two clubs are locked in negotiations but the Light Blues are progressing in their pursuit of a swoop for the Welsh full-back.

It adds that the Premier League champions are currently holding out for a fee of £10m for their academy graduate, whilst the Gers would like to pay around £7m for him.

However, John Percy has since claimed that Derby County have agreed a deal to sign the defender on loan, which means that the Light Blues will need to step up their pursuit immediately to hijack a move.

Why Rangers should sign Owen Beck

Martin should push for the club to reach an agreement with Liverpool in these talks because he is a proven Scottish Premiership performer who would come in as a big upgrade on Yilmaz this season.

The 22-year-old star, who was once described as a “spectacular” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, spent last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers, playing 24 times in the Championship, but previously shone on loan at Dundee.

Beck played 25 matches in the Premiership whilst on loan at Dundee in the 2023/24 campaign and caught the eye with his impressive displays at left-back, earning a place in the Team of the Year.

Appearances

25

17

Big chances created

6

4

Assists

4

2

Key passes per game

2.3

1.2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.9

1.8

Ground duel success rate

57%

60%

Dribble success rate

60%

0%

As you can see in the table above, the Liverpool loanee provided quality as both an offensive and defensive force down the left flank that season, as he created goals and prevented them by making tackles and interceptions.

These statistics suggest that the left-footed star has the potential to be a big upgrade on Yilmaz for Rangers, as he could provide more quality as a creator at the top end of the pitch whilst also offering a more well-rounded defensive presence, thanks to his strength in duels on the ground and in the air.

Given that his performances came in the Premiership, as well, the Light Blues would be signing him with almost a guarantee of quality, as Beck has been there and done it at that level.

As dispensable as Nsiala: Teams have major interest in Rangers flop

There are teams eyeing up moves for this flop and Clinton Nsiala from Rangers this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 21, 2025

This is why the Light Blues should be pushing to sign the ace who was once considered the best left-back in Scotland, because he would improve the team and allow the club to send Yilmaz back to Besiktas, should an acceptable offer come in.

India captain provided the star turn with the ball, and his captaincy, as his team defended 137

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-20244:05

Takeaways – Suryakumar the captiain as funky as the batter

It was 30 needed off 30 balls again and India still pulled it off and like at the T20 World Cup final a month ago, Suryakumar Yadav was one of their heroes. Only this time he did it as bowler of the 20th over, where he defended five runs by picking up two wickets.Sri Lanka’s batting has been extremely brittle in this T20I series. They collapsed three times in three games – 9 for 30, then 7 for 31 and finally 7 for 22. Tuesday’s debacle would hurt particularly badly because they lost two wickets to Rinku Singh in the 19th over. He had only ever bowled 60 deliveries in his entire T20 career, which began way back in 2014. And two more wickets fell with the captain taking the ball. He’d only bowled twice in the last five years across first-class, List A and T20 cricket.Suryakumar’s inventiveness as captain – trusting two brand new bowlers to bowl the last two overs – pushed the game into a Super Over, where he hit the winning runs. At the presentation, he said he fully believed the win was possible even though India had only 137 on the board.”More than the last over, I feel when we were around 30 for 4 and 48 for 5, how the boys showed character in the middle and took the game away from them, I felt 140 was par score on that track and the way they batted. When we were going in during our fielding sessions, I told them I had seen such kinds of games. I think if we put our heart in for one, one-and-a-half hours we can pull it off.”All three games offered spin-friendly conditions which Suryakumar might have factored into his calculations because his bowling the 20th over was far from the plan.”It was fun,” Riyan Parag said, “And that’s why actually we didn’t feel the nerves. We planned it in such a fun way, it was very spontaneous, Rinku bowling the 19th over. I was pretty sure Siraj was going to bowl the last over but then Surya just came on to bowl and got it to a Super Over. So I think everyone was pretty chill. We were having fun. That’s one of our motto as well. We are being ruthless but we have fun and enjoy the game and that’s why we were able to pull this off today.”The specialist bowlers did their job too. Washington Sundar took two wickets in two balls in the 17th over, dismissing the Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka and their premier allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga to create chaos in the chase. Then he fronted up for the Super Over and took two wickets in two balls there as well.”I guess all work I’ve done, and a lot of blessings from God definitely helped me,” Washington said. “I just wanted to try and stay calm and just focus on what I’m supposed to do and very grateful to Surya especially to throw the ball to me in that [Super Over] situation.”We did a bit of homework against their batsmen. Obviously, there was a little bit of purchase in the wicket as well, so I didn’t really have to do too much. I just had to hit the right lengths often. The rest was there.”Suryakumar’s willingness to try unorthodox things was on show even in previous games, when he turned to Parag’s part-time spin to bowl in the death overs in previous games. Parag is actually India’s second most used bowler of the series (9.2 overs), behind only Ravi Bishnoi (12 overs). He was particularly pleased with the way his legbreaks are coming out.”I’ve been working on it,” Parag said. “Its taken some time. I’ve tried it out in domestic games. I had a few net sessions prior to the tournament and it was coming out pretty well. I just expressed myself. Surya said just go for it. I bowled it with a free hand and it turned out pretty well.”Parag’s plan in the third T20I, where he bowled four overs for 27 runs was simple. “It’s always easy to get carried away when its turning so much so the goal and the ideology behind todays’ bowling was to keep it stump to stump, get a lot of revs behind the ball and the wicket was helping so I didn’t really have to do much. I just had to hit the right areas. And then Rinku and Surya at the end [laughs]”

Leeds United are reportedly in pole position to sign a £20m+ attacker who Chelsea wanted to sign last year.

Leeds on the search for attacking additions in Premier League

The Whites are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window following promotion to the Premier League, despite the 49ers promising a busy market.

Talking after their Championship title win, chairman Paraag Marathe said that the club would “spend to be competitive in the Premier League”.

Leeds’ 2024/25 signings by 49ers	From	Fee
Joe Rodon	Tottenham	£10m
Largie Ramazani	Almeria	£10.5m
Jayden Bogle	Sheffield United	£5m
Ao Tanaka	Fortuna Dusseldorf	£2.95m
Isaac Schmidt	FC St Gallen	£2.5m
Alex Cairns	Salford	Undisclosed
Joshua Guilavogui	N/A	Free
Manor Solomon	Tottenham	Loan
Joe Rothwell	Bournemouth	Loan

Daniel Farke and those behind the scenes at Elland Road have a lot to do before 2025/26 season, and attacking additions are required in Yorkshire.

A new number 10 is wanted with Emiliano Buendia, Gus Hamer and Gabriel Sara all linked with moves to Leeds in recent weeks, whereas it remains to be seen if winger Manor Solomon will return on a permanent basis from Tottenham.

Leeds make contact to sign free agent star who scored 23 goals this season

The Whites are looking for some attacking flair after claiming promotion to the top-flight.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jun 2, 2025

When it comes to a new striker, Leeds have had their reservations over Championship Golden Boot winner Joel Piroe and the experienced Patrick Bamford, leading to rumours of a new centre-forwards arriving.

Forwards with Premier League experience such as Callum Wilson and Jamie Vardy have been mooted as targets, and there has been a new Leeds update on another attacking addition.

Leeds in pole position to sign £20m+ Christantus Uche

According to reports from SER journalist Jose David Palacio, relayed by MOT Leeds News, Leeds are in pole position to sign Getafe attacker Christantus Uche.

The La Liga ace is looking to leave his current employers, and alongside the Whites, Brentford are also at the front of the queue for Uche, who has a £21m release clause in his current contract.

The Nigeria international is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also drop deeper as a central midfielder or turn out slightly further forward as a second striker. At the age of 22, Uche has a career-high €8m Transfermarkt valuation and has been catching the eye over the last 12 months, with Chelsea making contact over a deal last year.

As can be seen, Uche, who actually doesn’t have a weak foot, has had quite the rise in recent years, playing amateur football at the age of 19, but by the looks of things, a move to the Premier League with Leeds could now be on the cards.