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After turning their season around in excellent fashion, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly turned their attention towards keeping hold of one of Vitor Pereira’s star men.

Wolves' resurgent run under Pereira

When Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil before replacing him with a manager who had never stepped foot in the Premier League, there were plenty of concerns over their ability to avoid relegation. Five months on, however, Pereira has silenced doubters and even shared a few drinks with his fans following a recent run of six-straight Premier League victories. The Midlands club haven’t just survived under their new manager, they’ve thrived.

Games

19

Wins

10

Draws

2

Defeats

7

Goals Scored

27

Goals Conceded

22

What makes that record even more impressive is the fact that star man Matheus Cunha has missed four of those 19 games, including three of Wolves’ six-consecutive wins between March and April.

It’s an absence that Wolves fans would have feared, but one that they now know Wolves can perform with. And that’s something that Pereira’s side will likely have to get used to amid rumours that Cunha will be on the move this summer.

The Brazilian has a release clause worth around £63m and has attracted interest from Manchester United and others as a result. Following an excellent campaign, there’s no doubt that the forward deserves a big move. Whether that big move will be to Old Trafford and a side who are on course to finish below Wolves remains to be seen, however.

Wolves set to make enquiry for £50m Liverpool ace; will be key for Pereira

Wolves are now the latest team show a significant interest in a player who looks set to leave Liverpool.

ByBrett Worthington May 7, 2025

If the former Atletico Madrid man does depart, meanwhile, then those at Molineux will be in for an important summer. With money to spend, they would have to instantly replace Cunha whilst also keeping hold of their other star men amid similar interest.

Ait-Nouri set for new contract talks

According to the Express and Star, Wolves are now set to offer Rayan Ait-Nouri a fresh deal in an attempt to keep hold of their versatile left-back just over a year before his current deal expires.

Although the Algerian has gone under the radar at times this season thanks to Wolves’ early struggles, there’s no denying that it’s been another fantastic season. With three Premier League games to go, the defender has scored five goals and assisted another seven in all competitions to significantly improve on last season’s numbers.

As important to Pereira as he was O’Neil, Ait-Nouri found himself at the centre of the latter’s praise last season when his former manager told reporters: “It’s very important being able to use him in a few different positions out of necessity.

“He could roll inside and play in midfield from left back, he played as a 10 in the second half. He’s a great lad. He’s come on professionalism-wise and asks loads of questions now.”

Whilst reports suggest that Wolves value their full-back at £40m this summer, Ait-Nouri’s time at the club may not be coming to an end any time soon with a new contract seemingly set to be on the table.

Barry Ferguson’s Rangers are still, just about, alive in this season’s Europa League.

Before kick-off, most would’ve agreed that the Ibrox outfit required a win at home to stand a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Well, when referee István Kovács blew for full-time following a whopping 12 minutes of injury time, the Ibrox faithful celebrated the 0-0 draw with Athletic Bilbao like a victory, and with good reason.

This stalemate means the Light Blues will travel to the Basque Country next Thursday with a fighting chance of keeping this continental adventure going but it wasn’t without its stresses, that’s for sure.

Was Robin Pröpper's red card justified?

The primary reason why Rangers supporters and players alike were delighted with this first-leg goalless draw is because centre-back Robin Pröpper was sent off after just 12 minutes.

Following video review, the referee deemed that the Dutch defender had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity when he, rather aggressively, brought down Inaki Williams on the edge of the penalty area.

Speaking during commentary on TNT Sports, Rangers legend Ally McCoist, fair to say, did not agree with this decision, describing the red card as “really harsh”, adding “he’s gone to try and win the ball… he’s been beaten by a bit of skill”.

Pröpper was only starting as a result of John Souttar’s suspension due to yellow card accumulation, meaning the Scotland international will be available to return at the heart of the Rangers’ defence in Bilbao next Thursday.

This though, is not the Dutchman’s first mishap; Aaron Nijjar of Football Insider claims his ‘performances have been marked by uncertainty’ since joining from Twente last summer.

Chalkboard

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

Not everyone in Blue performed badly…

Rangers' hero against Bilbao

The headline team news ahead of Thursday’s first leg came in goal where, following a string of error-stricken performances, Jack Butland had been dropped, with Liam Kelly donning the gloves instead.

Well, fair to say the 29-year-old repaid his manager’s faith, accumulating three high claims and making three saves, preventing an xG figure of 1.84, a large proportion of which is thanks to his penalty save late on.

As outlined by Will Unwin of the Guardian, everyone inside Ibrox ‘was confused’ when Athletic had a goal ruled out for offside, only for a penalty to be awarded instead; Dujon Sterling penalised for handball, and this one was rather harsh.

Álex Berenguer who, four and a half minutes earlier, had been celebrating in front of the 3,000 traveling Athletic supporters, elected to smash his spot-kick down the middle, only for Kelly to stick out his right boot and make a remarkable save, sparking wild scenes of celebration.

So, while Kelly was the hero, his teammate up the other end of the park did not cover himself in glory.

Rangers' frustrating front-man

Rangers assistant manager Neil McCann himself admitted last week that Cyriel Dessers ‘will always divide opinion’, which is probably a bit of an understatement if we’re honest.

Scott Bradley of Breaking The Lines describes the Nigerian as the “most frustrating player” he’s ever seen in a Rangers jersey, and Dessers did not star on Thursday, accumulating just 18 touches – fewer than the aforementioned Kelly (44) – losing possession seven times, registering just four passes and firing both of his attempts off target, albeit in difficult circumstances.

Dessers has, in fairness, been in fantastic form since Ferguson took over as interim manager, scoring five goals in eight appearances, most notably on target during the famous 3-1 victory over Fenerbahçe in İstanbul.

Nevertheless, despite the fact his centre-forward was clearly exhausted, Ferguson waited until the 85th minute before introducing Hamza Igamane.

This change surely should’ve been made earlier, with the Moroccan possibly even deserving to start in Bilbao, as these statistics underline.

Appearances

48

39

Minutes

2,892

2.277

Goals

23

14

Assists

7

3

Europa League goals

3

4

Minutes per goal

126

163

Goals – xG (UEL only)

-2.3

+2.8

Big chances missed

26

5

The two statistics that jump off the page from the table above are big chances missed, Dessers have racked up a staggering 26 across the Europa League and Premiership this season, as well as the goals – xG.

In this season’s Europa League, only Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais can boast a better goals – xG figure than Igamane, while only five players rank below Dessers for the same metric.

Thus, looking ahead of next Thursday’s mouthwatering return leg at San Mamés, it’s clear that Igamane is the better option to start at centre-forward.

McCoist: I'd have loved to have played with Raskin and this Rangers star

The Rangers legend has had his say…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 10, 2025

The Pakistan top-order batter talks about his Test debut, the BPL, and what he needs to become an established international player

Mohammad Isam09-Feb-2024On a crisp Monday morning, Saim Ayub spoke of what he has to do to be a successful international cricketer. A soft-spoken 21-year-old, who seems to be in a bit of a pickle with his batting form, Ayub talked of the importance of the mental aspect of the game.We sat in the reception of the academy building at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Ayub is playing for Durdanto Dhaka, and when we met, he had only scored 65 runs over three BPL knocks. He added 12 runs in his two remaining innings, finishing on a batting average of 15.40 for the tournament.He didn’t bring great form into the BPL. Ayub had scores of 0 and 33 in his only Test appearance, against Australia, followed by 39 runs in four T20Is against New Zealand.That didn’t stop Mohammad Rizwan, the far more established Pakistan cricketer, who plays for Comilla Victorians in the BPL, from lavishing praise on Ayub, predicting that he would be the next big thing in Pakistan cricket.”These leagues always help young players,” Rizwan said in a press briefing before a Comilla match the day I met Ayub. “We believe that Saim Ayub is the next superstar from Pakistan. If he goes to CPL or plays the BPL, he will be used to those conditions [and] get confidence from here, [read situations] well. If he learns from here, it is fantastic. He can apply it in the Pakistan team as well.”Related

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Ayub himself would demur. He certainly doesn’t think he is the next big thing in Pakistan right now – or anywhere close to being it. He just wants to get it right, and soon, for Pakistan.”All I know is that I have a lot left to do at the international level,” Ayub says. “I have a lot to learn. I need to improve my game a lot, which will help me dominate. I am working on those things.”I learned a lot from failures. Top cricketers told me that you learn more from failures than you learn from success. I am happy that I got failures in my early stage. Now I know what standards I have to reach. If I had early success, I wouldn’t improve in those important areas.”For the Test debut in Sydney, Ayub says he didn’t quite expect to play after missing the first two matches of the series. Now that the debut is out of the way, he has much to ponder.”One and a half years ago, I was watching [the Pakistan team] on TV. I never thought I would play with them so soon. Especially in Tests – I didn’t think it would happen. I had only played 14 first-class matches up till then. I thought I might need a few years to get into the Test team. I thought I’d be working on my technique and mentality.”By Allah’s grace, I got into the team. The Test cap is the most valuable thing to me. I was very excited about it. They suddenly told me. I was surprised. I was ready mentally. I was really happy.”The debut doesn’t happen again, so you have to now look past it. You have to dominate international cricket. There are no more excuses. You have to do it,” he says.”One and a half years ago, I was watching [the Pakistan team] on TV. I never thought I would play with them so soon. I thought I might need a few years to get into the Test team”•Getty ImagesTo that end, he has been widening his range of shots. There was a pick-up off the hips against Matt Henry that went for six – a no-look pull shot over fine leg in the Eden Park T20I.”[A range of shots] is needed in modern cricket. If there are eight zones in the field, I want to be able to hit the ball in all of them. There’s so much analysis in the game these days that you have to stay ahead of it. I want to prepare myself that way.Ayub says that playing Test cricket is his main goal, which he believes will help him as a limited-overs cricketer.”I have the same level of interest in all three formats. I love Tests as much as I love playing T20Is and ODIs. I want to play all three formats. Legends play all three formats. Your white-ball game becomes slightly easier when you play red-ball cricket.At the start of his career too, he was slightly rushed into action. After his time in the Under-19s, the PSL came calling in 2021. It wasn’t quite an auspicious start: he got 114 runs in seven innings.”When I first played PSL, I hadn’t played any domestic T20s. I didn’t play the U-19 World Cup due to injury, so I went directly from U-19 cricket to PSL. It is a big jump. PSL level is almost like international cricket. I would have got some idea about T20s if I had played some domestic [T20] matches. It was three-day and one-day cricket in our U-19 level,” he said.Ayub was starstruck by the big-name players in the PSL. He realised quickly that he needed to change his mindset to do well at that level. “I couldn’t believe I was playing in the PSL, especially when someone like Chris Gayle batted at the other end. I didn’t know what to do. It took me a bit of time to adapt.Ayub is lifted up by his Guyana Amazon Warriors team-mates after he hit the winning six in the 2023 CPL final•Getty Images”At 18 or 19, you can change and adapt quite easily. When you turn 25 or 28, changing something in your skill set becomes difficult. You have to make that change early. It is the mentality that needs enhancement.”It wasn’t that I totally changed my batting. I enhanced some of my skills. I had a bit of skills to work with. I did strike a few fours and sixes in that PSL. I could play a bit. But I didn’t have the mindset about how to think, how to play. My coaches helped me get that focus. Basically I enhanced my mentality about 90%. The other 10%, I worked on my skills,” he says.Ayub says playing the first two seasons of the PSL gave him a better understanding of what playing at the highest level of cricket involves.”You can say that PSL lets you play with similar level of cricketers. You have overseas players as well. You get to practise how to handle pressure. When you get used to it in the PSL, you know what you may be facing at the international level.”Otherwise, cricket-wise it is similar [to the lower levels]. Bowlers and conditions are almost similar. If a bowler is bowling at 150-plus kph [in domestic cricket], he won’t bowl at 160kph at the highest level. It is almost the same, except for handling the pressure,” he says.Although under pressure for his lean batting patch, Ayub has come across as a well-rounded individual. This is his second season in the BPL. He also played in the CPL last year – hitting the winning runs in the final – and is looking to learn from these experiences: not just how to be a better cricketer but to understand and communicate with all kinds of cricketers.On the field with Mosaddek Hossain (left) in the BPL: Ayub managed only 77 runs from five matches for Durdanto Dhaka•Durdanto Dhaka”For me, going around the world to play cricket, I want to experience different conditions, people, situations, grounds. To play in new places, [under] new coaches and meeting new people. It gives new challenges to win matches in different scenarios. It also develops my personality to know how to communicate with people from England, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and West Indies. I am very interested in all this, which will allow me to grow.”I like it when people give me love. I was like them, so I shouldn’t forget where I have come from. I never will.”I don’t use my social media. Someone else manages my account. I don’t have social media on my phone. I don’t use it. I am done with it. I don’t like it,” he says.Ayub will find as he goes along that social media is unavoidable. He will find out that on-field pressure sometimes gets mixed up with off-field drama. And that that is not confined to Pakistan cricket alone.Rizwan may have billed him as the next superstar, but it’s not an assessment Ayub shares. Still, he is at a point where he is assured about his talent. Now it is up to him to convert it to big runs.It all starts from zero, even for the biggest cricketers. Saim Ayub can give it a try too.

RCB’s team director feels that the ‘pleasing aspect’ of their season was the fact that ‘so many different players stood out’

Shashank Kishore28-May-20221:54

RCB’s Mike Hesson – ‘We had the potential to get 175-180’

Another season full of hope. Another season of disappointment. Or was it? Royal Challengers Bangalore have now made it to the playoffs for three seasons in a row. In IPL 2022, they crossed the Eliminator hurdle after two back-to-back misses. On Friday, they ran into an inspired Rajasthan Royals, perhaps a little nervous and lost their way with the bat. A target of 158 was too easy for Royals, who blasted 67 in the powerplay, and eventually romped home with 11 balls to spare.Mike Hesson, their director of cricket, felt they may have made a better fist of it with 175-180 to defend, but credited Obed McCoy and Prasidh Krishna for their impressive efforts with the ball. McCoy had to cope with the news of his mother’s illness back home in the Caribbean, while Prasidh had to channel the hurt of being unable to defend 16 off the final over in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans as he saw David Miller go 6,6,6 to seal the deal.Both bowlers rose to the occasion to pick up six wickets between them, denying Royal Challengers any momentum at the back end where they lost 5 for 35 in the last five overs. Where McCoy mixed his lengths and pace with subtle variations and a superb back-of-the-hand slower one, Prasidh hit hard lengths, got deliveries to rear up awkwardly, and towards the end, delivered sharp bouncers and a superb yorker.”It’s a fair reflection,” Hesson said, when asked if the batting could’ve been better. “[At] 123 for 3 with five overs to go, we were very much in a position to get potentially 175-180 with [Glenn] Maxwell set along with [Rajat] Patidar. We lost those two wickets and then in the last three overs, Obed McCoy and Krishna bowled nicely, and we struggled to get any momentum. We only got 30 odd off the last five, probably leaving us 20 short.”Hesson was, however, quick to point out how one bad evening with their death overs batting wasn’t an overall reflection of where they stood as a team.”You’re always after more power hitters,” he said. “I think between Maxwell, who was well set after 15 overs, Patidar has got power, Lomror has power, Shahbaz Ahmed has shown he’s got power. We’ve had a number of guys stand up along with Dinesh Karthik who has been outstanding.”In the last five overs of the innings, our death run-scoring through the season has been exceptional. It’s probably more at the top end where we didn’t get that momentum, but other than today, we’ve pretty much nailed the last five overs of most innings.”Honest about the team’s frailties, Hesson was hopeful of the underwhelming performers turning a corner and learning from their mistakes, while also reiterating it wasn’t a case of them being dependent on just two or three players, as has been the perception around the group for a long time now.Rajat Patidar is all smiles after hammering a hundred in the IPL 2022 Eliminator•PTI “If you rely solely on two or three players, you’re not going to make it to the playoffs,” he said. “The beauty of our side has been we didn’t necessarily rely on all of our retained players. We built a squad around our retained players, but we didn’t necessarily have to rely on them for every game. That was probably the most pleasing aspect, the fact that so many different players stood out.”Mohammed Siraj is a fine bowler; he didn’t have the best tournament, but we know that he will come back strong. He just didn’t get those new ball wickets, didn’t get the ball swinging, and lost a little bit of confidence, but as I said, he will bounce back.”Glenn Maxwell had a good all-round season with both bat and ball – very high strike rate, average close to 30, strike rate of 170 and went for seven an over with the ball. Sure, you always want more, but he’s had a pretty good tournament.”At the top of the order, Virat (Kohli) and Faf (du Plessis). Obviously, we started with Virat at three and moved him to the top and he certainly got better and better as the season went on. Look, he was in really good touch in the last four or five innings. There are always things you want to tweak, when you get knocked out of a tournament, there are always areas we need to improve, but all in all, pleased with the way the team gelled this season.”Hesson picked out the development of a strong Indian core as their biggest takeaway from the season. Rajat Patidar, for example, wasn’t even in the original squad, and only came in midway following an injury to Luvnith Sisodia. Two nights ago, he became the first uncapped player to hit an IPL playoff hundred and backed that up with a half-century against Royals on Friday.Shahbaz Ahmed, the allrounder, featured in every game, playing key roles lower down the order. Harshal Patel, who had a record-breaking 2021 season, overcame personal turmoil with the passing away of his sister. He returned to the bio-bubble despite having had a newborn son the same week and delivered consistently as a death bowler despite a split webbing towards the playoffs.Dinesh Karthik may have been commentating on the season if he hadn’t been motivated enough to make an India comeback. He emerged as one of the best death-overs batters this season, striking at 220 across the 110 deliveries he faced in this period. This earned him yet another comeback to India’s T20I squad at 36. Among the overseas players, Josh Hazlewood and Wanindu Hasaranga, the current purple cap holder, were standouts.”Probably the non-established players, in terms of the fact that they’ve now established themselves as an Indian core,” Hesson said of the positives. “Think about Patidar, Shahbaz, Lomror. From a bowling point of view, Harshal Patel was exceptional. DK came in and performed an incredibly tough role. We really struggled to get consistency and he was probably one of the most consistent players at the back end of the innings.”They were real strong points. Josh Hazlewood was impressive, Wanindu Hasaranga, at the time of us getting knocked out, has the purple cap, as he got a lot of middle over wickets. We needed a little more in the powerplay from the wickets point of view, and with the bat, we left ourselves with a little bit, but otherwise, we were pretty good.”

Tarik Skubal won the American League Cy Young award in 2024 by winning the pitching Triple Crown and leading the AL in wins, strikeouts and ERA. In 2025 he proceeded to have an even better statistical season, lowering his ERA and WHIP and striking out even more batters than he did during his Cy Young season.

About to enter his age 29 season, Skubal has one more campaign under Detroit's control before he becomes a free agent. As of right now, he's due to make $22.5 million next season, which is about half what Max Scherzer got annually from the Mets when they signed him to a three-year deal back in 2022.

The Tigers made Skubal an offer last offseason that was deemed "non-competitive" and it seems that another incredible season on the mound did not convince them to make whatever he considers a competitive offer.

According to Jon Heyman of the , the two sides are about a quarter of a billion dollars apart. No, seriously. In the words of Heyman, "Yep, that’s not a misprint. It’s close to $250 million."

While the total money or number of years is not clear, Heyman says that the "baseline for Skubal is seen as $400M." So the Tigers could be doing anything from making an insultingly low offer to being right there on the average salary, but far apart on the length of the contract.

Either way, they're going to have to pay Skubal to keep him.

Who is the highest paid pitcher in MLB?

For Skubal to crack the top five highest-paid pitchers, he'd need more than $35 million a year, which is exactly what Corbin Burnes is getting from the Diamondbacks. Shohei Ohtani has an average salary of $70 million, but unless Skubal can hit 50-plus home runs a season as a designated hitter, he should probably focus on what these guys are making.

Here are the five pitchers with contracts worth an average annual value of over $30 million, when they signed those deals and how long they are.

Pitcher	Average Annual Value	Signed	Contract Length
Zack Wheeler	$42,000,000	2025	3 years
Jacob deGrom	$37,000,000	2023	5 years
Blake Snell	$36,400,000	2025	5 years + club option
Gerrit Cole	$36,000,000	2019	9 years
Corbin Burnes	$35,000,000	2024	6 years

Roma have officially opened negotiations with Manchester United regarding a January swoop for Joshua Zirkzee, a report in Italy claims. The Giallorossi are planning to terminate Evan Ferguson’s loan spell with the Brighton striker managing just one goal in 14 competitive appearances since joining the Serie A club in the summer.

Talks begin with Man Utd

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and Roma are determined to correct the mistakes of the summer. The capital club's attack has stalled in the first half of the season despite their positive results, prompting sporting director Frederic Massara to take decisive action. According to , he has established direct contact with the hierarchy at Old Trafford to discuss bringing Zirkzee back to Serie A.

The Dutch forward, who earned a big-money move to United after a breakout season with Bologna, has found life in the Premier League difficult. Often utilised as a substitute or left on the bench entirely, Zirkzee is reportedly open to a return to Italy, where his stock remains high.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRoma target loan move for Dutch forward

According to , Massara has received the green light from the Friedkin Group to pursue the deal. The sporting director is reportedly planning a "blitz" to the UK, using Roma's upcoming Europa League trip to face Celtic as a logistical springboard to finalise discussions with United.

The negotiation will not be straightforward. United are eager to protect their investment and would prefer a permanent sale or a loan with a guaranteed obligation to buy. Roma, operating under financial fair play restrictions, are pushing for a loan with an option to buy, potentially set around the €35 million mark, which could become an obligation if certain conditions are met.

However, the will of the player could be decisive. Zirkzee is understood to be keen on the move, and his profile is viewed as the perfect tactical fit for Gian Piero Gasperini's system. Unlike a traditional poacher, Zirkzee’s ability to drop deep, link play, and orchestrate attacks mirrors the role Gasperini has successfully used with forwards in the past at Atalanta.

Ferguson to be sent back to Brighton

The urgency to recruit Zirkzee is a direct consequence of the failure of Irish striker Ferguson. He arrived on loan from Brighton in the summer with high expectations, tasked with providing the goals to fire Roma into the top four. Instead, his tenure has been a nightmare.

Ferguson has made 14 appearances across all competitions and registered a single goal – against Cremonese last month. His performances have been described by the Italian press as "ghost-like," with the striker struggling to adapt to the physicality and tactical rigours of Serie A.

Reports suggest that the upcoming match against Como in Serie A represents a "last call" for the 21-year-old, but the decision appears to have already been taken. Roma are preparing to terminate the loan agreement in January, sending Ferguson back to Brighton early to free up the squad space and wage budget necessary to register Zirkzee. It is a harsh conclusion to what was meant to be a developmental step for the young Irishman, but Roma’s precarious league position leaves no room for sentiment.

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AFPTel, Raspadori, and Silva on standby

While Zirkzee is the undisputed "Plan A," Massara is keeping his options open should negotiations with United hit a wall.

According to reports, Roma have identified Mathys Tel as a viable alternative. The former Bayern Munich prodigy is also struggling for game time since his summer move to Tottenham and could be available on a loan deal. The French forward offers versatility and pace, traits that appeal to the Giallorossi scouts.

Furthermore, domestic options remain on the table. Giacomo Raspadori is a player Gasperini has admired for years, though extracting him so soon after he left Napoli to join Atletico Madrid will be no easy feat. Finally, Fabio Silva is on the shortlist as a "wildcard" option amid his struggles since making a summer transfer from Wolves to Borussia Dortmund.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign an “agile” Emiliano Martinez replacement, who has been in impressive form so far this season.

Villa eyeing new goalkeeper amid Martinez uncertainty

Martinez is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but he has looked shaky at times this season, off the back of major interest from Manchester United during the summer transfer window, before they ultimately decided to bring in Senne Lammens.

The Argentinian was criticised for not doing more to prevent Lukas Nmecha’s goal in the 2-1 victory against Leeds United, although the performances against AFC Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers were much more encouraging.

That said, with the shot-stopper now 33-years-old, and Villa willing to accept January bids, potential replacements are now being identified, including Manchester City’s James Trafford and Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin.

According to a report from Sky Sports, a Bundesliga star is also of interest to Unai Emery’s side, namely Borussia Monchengladbach’s Moritz Nicolas, who wants to move to a top club next summer, given his ambitions to play in Europe.

A number of clubs are in the race for Nicolas, who stands at 6’3, including Villa, who view the colossus as a successor to Martinez, although the Argentina international remains under contract until the summer of 2029.

Related Aston Villa plotting £18m bid for "tremendous" defender, Martinez is a big fan

The Villans are planning a move for a new centre-back, who is also being targeted by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025 "Agile" Nicolas in top form in the Bundesliga

The 28-year-old was nominated for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Player of the Season award last season, as a result of being the second-best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga in terms of xG prevented, conceding just 25 from an xG of 33.5.

After the nomination, the Monchengladbach star received plaudits from board member Roland Virkus, who said: “Mo is very agile for his height and is also really good with his feet.”

Having averaged a save percentage of 74.8% per 90 over the past year, the German places in the 81st percentile, when compared to other goalkeepers, which suggests he could be a solid replacement for Martinez, with the Villa goalkeeper averaging 71.1%.

Not only that, but the former Roda JC man has already amassed five Bundesliga clean sheets this season, including three in his last four matches, most recently making four saves to keep RB Leipzig at bay in a 0-0 draw.

Nicolas clearly has the quality to be Martinez’s successor, but Aston Villa should look to keep hold of their goalkeeper if possible, given that he is already proven in the Premier League, showcasing his quality by making three saves from inside the box against Wolves last time out.

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“Ele tinha que ser homem. Não quis falar comigo, não passava a bola pra mim nos treinos…” – contou o jogador.

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For Oman, Kaleem and Faisal picked up three wickets each

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2025Innings By no means the perfect innings for Pakistan, but 160 should be enough on this Dubai wicket. A fiery return to form for Mohammad Haris, who scored 66 off 43 deliveries, was the primary contribution that helped Pakistan to that figure.Either side of him, Pakistan struggled. They managed just two boundaries in the first five overs, which produced just 31 runs, with Saim Ayub falling for a golden duck. Sahibzada Farhan, put down early, scratched through his innings for 29 off 29, and it was left to Haris, promoted up the order, to inject impetus into the innings.Sixteen came off the final powerplay over, and that was the start of the onslaught. Until then, Haris had 16 off 18. His next 25 balls would produce 50 as Pakistan raced up close to eight runs per over, but once again, Oman pegged them back. Aamir Kaleem, the left-arm spinner, was the pick of the bunch as he had Haris drag on, before Salman Agha lapped a full toss off his first delivery to deep midwicket.It produced another barren spell for Pakistan and the boundaries dried up again. Fakhar Zaman struggled for timing and Hasan Nawaz, so often a hammer at the death, couldn’t get himself in, and holed out off his 15th ball for nine runs. It wasn’t until Mohammad Nawaz arrived in the 17th over, his cameo ensuring Pakistan got past the 150 mark. On a slow wicket in Dubai, that might just do the job, but Oman’s bowlers have ensured their batters get a sniff.

Uncapped Hampshire fast bowler in XI for opening game of series at Headingley

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2025

Sonny Baker impressed for Manchester Originals in the Hundred•Getty Images

Sonny Baker, the Hampshire fast bowler, will make his international debut in the first match of England’s ODI series with South Africa at Headingley on Tuesday.Baker, 22, has only played 11 List A games but caught the eye during the Hundred, where he took nine wickets in seven appearances for Manchester Originals. Capable of pushing the speed gun up to 90mph/145kph, he impressed with the Lions over the winter and was handed an England development contract earlier this year.He will be joined in England’s pace attack by Jofra Archer, playing his first ODI since the Champions Trophy, and Brydon Carse. Harry Brook captains the XI in his second series since taking charge, while Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett will continue to bed in their opening partnership.Related

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Brook said that England were “excited to see where he goes” after Baker’s performances in the Hundred, noting in particular his duels with Kane Williamson, David Warner, Steven Smith and Jonny Bairstow while playing for Originals.”He’s been awesome in the Hundred,” Brook said. “We’ve seen him bowl at some of the best batters in the world and he had them on toast, so it’s been really good to see. He bowls at high pace and he can swing it both ways with exceptional death skills as well. To have him in the team and for him to be opening up tomorrow is awesome. I think there’s quite a lot of people excited to see where he goes.”There have been a few moments. The spells he bowled to Williamson and Warner and then Smith and Bairstow, all four are world-class batters in the shorter format and he was all over them. He bowled with high pace and high skill. He was awesome to watch this year and everyone was talking about him.”On the day that Jamie Overton shelved first-class cricket, Brook agreed that Baker could potentially force himself into the equation for the Ashes: “I don’t select the red-ball side, but yeah, he’s obviously done really well this summer and we’ll see how he goes tomorrow. He’s bowling at high pace with a lot of skill, and it looks like he has quite a lot about him as well.”England XI for 1st ODI: 1 Jamie Smith, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Sonny Baker