Chelsea look on course to agree to a dramatic late exit ahead of the Monday 7pm transfer deadline, thanks to super agent Ali Barat, who has brokered the transfer.
Enzo Maresca’s side, without a doubt, take this summer’s crown for most industrious selling club.
In total, Chelsea have raised around £310 million in player sales, having agreed the departures of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, Renato Veiga, Alfie Gilchrist, Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku.
Joao Pedro
Noni Madueke
Jamie Gittens
João Félix
Jorrel Hato
Djordje Petrovic
Liam Delap
Lesley Ugochukwu
Dario Essugo
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Mamadou Sarr
Renato Veiga
Estevao
Armando Broja
Kendry Paez
Carney Chukwuemeka
Alejandro Garnacho
Mathis Amougou
Basir Humphreys
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Marcus Bettinelli
Christopher Nkunku
Nicolas Jackson
Alfie Gilchrist
Lucas Bergstrom
Madueke, Amougou, Dewsbury-Hall and Nkunku’s departures have helped Chelsea to make room for new summer signings, which is crucial for the west Londoners to register their new recruits in Maresca’s Champions League squad, due to a complex agreement with UEFA.
Nkunku agreed to join AC Milan earlier this week for a fee of around £36 million (including add-ons), while Jackson was tipped to leave imminently this week by his own agent, Diomansy Kramara, in a public statement.
Now, the decision with hours to go looks like Nicolas Jackson will be a Bayern Munich player after days of back and forth.
Nicolas Jackson set to join Bayern Munich from Chelsea
The Senegalese is set to compete with one of Europe’s best strikers, Harry Kane, in a star-studded Bayern side who are favourites to clinch another Bundesliga title under former Man City captain Vincent Kompany.
On Saturday morning, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg broke the news that Jackson will join Bayern on loan for £13m – a record loan fee – with an option to buy for around £56 million in 2026. The deal was helped on by Barat, who worked as a mediator between the parties, with the representative helping Chelsea trim their squad whilst also securing a mammoth move for Jackson.
At one point, after the injury to Liam Delap, the Blues wanted Jackson to return to Stamford Bridge. Instead, they ended up recalling Marc Guiu from Sunderland and now look on course to give Jackson his wish with a move to Bayern, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 24-year-old bagged 13 goals and six assists in 37 appearances for Chelsea last season, including a strike in the Conference League final against Real Betis, but scored just once in the Premier League since the turn of 2025, with the Blues securing the biggest loan fee in football history for an out of form player.
With time running out in the summer transfer window, Manchester City are now reportedly “exploring” a deal to sign a Gianluigi Donnarumma alternative for Pep Guardiola.
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In a late twist to the transfer tale, it looks as though Ederson could be on his way out of Manchester City this summer. The Brazilian missed his side’s opening game victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, as James Trafford made his second debut for the club, and has been the subject of interest from Galatasaray.
Fabrizio Romano has even gone as far as to suggest that the Turkish club have opened negotiations and talks are ongoing between themselves and Manchester City over a deal to sign Ederson. Whether they manage to match City’s reported £22m valuation before the end of the transfer window remains to be seen, however.
Of course, if Ederson does leave the Etihad this month, then it will likely trigger a domino effect of goalkeepers. Whether that sees Donnarumma head to Manchester City to replace the South American is another question entirely, though.
Although the Italian is certainly available after Paris Saint-Germain opted out of negotiations to extend their goalkeeper’s contract before signing Lucas Chevalier, the French giants’ price tag reportedly remains too high for City to consider as deadline day approaches.
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That could still change as all parties become more and more desperate to reach a resolution, but for now it seems as though those at the Etihad are ready to shift their focus towards a fresh option.
Man City now "exploring" Lammens deal
Having initially hijacked their move to jump ahead in the race to sign Donnarumma, the Citizens have reportedly set their sights on another Manchester United hijack. According to Sacha Tavolieri, Manchester City are now “exploring” a deal to sign Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp this month after reaching a stand-off in negotiations to sign Donnarumma.
The shot-stopper has been on United’s radar for the majority of the summer as they look to land a much-needed upgrade on Andre Onana. Like their initial pursuit of Donnarumma, however, it looks as though City could now emerge to jump ahead of their rivals in ruthless fashion.
Senne Lammens for Royal Antwerp.
Described as “excellent” and a young talent who’s “like Alisson” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Lammens is still just 23 years old and would push Trafford all the way for a starting place under Guardiola. With a deal to sign the Royal Antwerp star, City would suddenly have two goalkeepers who are full of potential.
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Manchester City have now held talks with a £78 million Real Madrid “superstar” as Arsenal continue to work on a transfer of their own, according to a new report.
City hold talks to sign Denzel Dumfries after Walker departure
On Saturday, City announced defender Kyle Walker had left the club to join Burnley, which puts an end to his eight-year stay at the Etihad. The England international has linked up with Scott Parker, who he played with at Tottenham Hotspur, on a two-year deal at Turf Moor. Walker spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan.
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ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2025
As the 35-year-old moves on from City, the Blues are now set to enter the market to find his replacement. Newcastle United’s Timo Livramento has been linked with a move to the Etihad for a few months now, and Football Insider’s Mick Brown believes City will accelerate a move to sign Livramento now Walker has left.
Denzel Dumfries in action at the Club World Cup.
However, he is not their only option, as according to Football Transfers, City have held talks to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter. The Dutch international has been a key player for the Serie A giants over a number of seasons, but it is believed he could be available this summer for just £21.5 million due to a release clause in his contract that expires next week.
Man City hold talks to sign Rodrygo
While the Blues work on a deal for Dumfries, they are also busy working on another one that could blow the transfer market wide open. According to TBR Football, Man City have held discussions with the representatives of Rodrygo.
Real Madrid's Rodrygo
Rodrygo looks set to leave Real Madrid, as he doesn’t appear to be in the plans of Xabi Alonso, and he’s now held talks with City, as well as Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and others, as his availability has been made clear.
This news comes after it was reported that Arsenal are not only leading the charge to sign the Brazilian international in this transfer window but are even prepared to make an offer worth £78 million to bring him to the Emirates, a switch that Rodrygo is said to be open to making.
The 24-year-old, who has been dubbed a “superstar” by teammate Luka Modrić, scored six goals and recorded six assists in 30 La Liga games last season, as he was an important member of Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
Apps
270
Goals
68
Assists
51
However, Rodrygo, who is under contract until 2028, looks to have failed to make an impression on Alonso, as the winger has played just three games in the Club World Cup, failing to appear in games against Pachuca and Juventus. Should he arrive at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola may see him as an upgrade on Jeremy Doku, who has shown flashes of his talent but struggled for consistency.
Tottenham are gearing up for two first-team friendlies in one day this Saturday, and away from the pitch, Thomas Frank’s busy Lilywhites continue their summer recruitment plans.
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Spurs announced that they will be taking on both Wycombe Wanderers in a behind-closed-doors encounter at 11am tomorrow before their trip to Kenilworth Road, with their later clash against Luton Town kicking off just four hours later.
The two matches will give a number of first-team players much-needed match action, with the squad set to be split into two groups. Earlier this week, Frank explained this decision in an official statement which confirmed their additional game against Wycombe.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
“We wanted an extra game in our schedule to give as many players as many match minutes as possible, in order to put them in the best position, physically,” said Frank.
“We will play two even, strong teams, and they will play between 60 and 75 minutes, maybe more. By the end of Saturday, 22 players will have played a lot of match minutes, and they will be in a very good place before we go on tour.”
As Tottenham gear up for two 90-minute contests in quick succession, chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange maintain the club’s pursuit of new signings before deadline day on September 1.
Reliable media sources claim that Brentford striker Yoane Wissa remains a target for Spurs, and they’re in ongoing talks for the Congolese who scored 20 goals in all competitions under Frank last campaign.
However, Newcastle United are also in talks for Wissa, and they’re poised to submit a new bid in an attempt to win the race for Frank’s former star (Sky Sports).
While Frank faces stiff competition for the 28-year-old, as things stand, it looks as if Spurs are the only team competing for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White.
Morgan Gibbs-White agrees "in principle" to join Tottenham
The 25-year-old was on the verge of a move to north London a fortnight ago, with Spurs even scheduling a medical for Gibbs-White on July 11 as they prepared to pay his £60 million release clause (BBC).
However, Forest then unceremoniously blocked the transfer – threatening both Tottenham and the player’s agent with a letter of legal action against them (Sky Sports). Nuno Espirito Santo’s side objected to how Spurs found out about Gibbs-White’s ‘confidential’ clause whilst accusing them of ‘tapping up’ the player too, and this tense stalemate remains ongoing with Levy hoping for a breakthrough (Fabrizio Romano).
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, sharing an update on the situation for TBR Football, Gibbs-White has agreed “in principle” to join Tottenham, and Forest appear resigned to eventually losing the England international.
This is because Evangelos Marinakis and his recruitment team are actively pursuing replacements, with talks ongoing over a deal for Man City’s James McAtee.
Manchester City'sJamesMcAteecelebrates after the match
Spurs are not giving up on signing Gibbs-White and the attacking midfielder remains their absolute priority. Forest were also hoping that City would come back in for Gibbs-White to spark a potential bidding war, but Pep Guardiola and co have “moved on” – giving Frank a clear run.
If the former Wolves star wishes to push through a move to N17, Sky Sports have claimed that Gibbs-White has the option of threatening Forest with legal action of his own for breach of contract.
Alternatively, Tottenham could offer to pay a larger fee to Forest in an attempt to loosen their stranglehold on Gibbs-White and finally seal the deal.
South Africa’s quicks ravaged Afghanistan’s top order, taking five wickets inside the first five overs, to send the opposition spiralling towards their eventual 56 all out in the first semi-final of T20 World Cup 2024.Then, although they lost Quinton de Kock early, Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks calmly navigated the small chase on an exceedingly tricky Tarouba pitch.For a team infamous for playing jittery cricket in the knockouts, this win was dominant and clinical. South Africa left next to nothing to chance. They bowled beautifully, fielded well, and weathered some difficult early overs while pouncing on the loose balls.Related
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As their reward, they have their first ever berth in a men’s World Cup final, and continued their unbeaten run in the tournament, which now is up to eight matches. The margin of victory, by nine wickets and with 67 balls remaining, underscored the control they exerted on this match, from start to finish.
Jansen and Rabada rip out the top order
The Tarouba surface not only offered lateral movement but also a lot of bounce early on. With the heights that Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada bring to the table, South Africa had a great attack to exploit conditions.Kagiso Rabada flattened Mohammad Nabi’s off stump•AFP/Getty Images
Jansen struck at the end of the first over to remove Afghanistan’s batter of the tournament – Rahmanullah Gurbaz – who edged a ball angled across him to Hendricks at slip. In his next over, Jansen bowled Gulbadin Naib through the gate with a delivery that darted back into him.Rabada’s first over sent Afghanistan really into a nosedive. He jagged two balls back and hit timber on both occasions. The ball that clipped the top of Ibrahim Zadran’s middle stump was the killer – Ibrahim at that point was Afghanistan’s best hope of getting to a good score. Fourth ball, he took out Mohammad Nabi’s off stump with an even more stunning delivery. That over was a double-wicket maiden.
Nortje and Shamsi do the rest
With the top five gone, and their middle order having failed to produce much right through the tournament, Afghanistan were seriously struggling. Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi closed down the innings from there. Nortje had Azmatullah Omarzai (the only Afghan batter to get to double figures) caught at deep point, then later knocked out Rashid Khan’s off stump.Shamsi bowled a leg-stump line to the right-handers and kept getting them lbw as the balls rushed onto them. They reviewed all three decisions, but the on-field umpires had given them out, and umpires’ calls on impact were good enough.Jonathan Trott and Rashid Khan during the innings break•ICC/Getty Images
Farooqi and Naveen can’t wreck South Africa’s top order
Coming into this match, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq had 29 wickets between them. Their only chance of defending such a paltry score was running through the top order together.Farooqi added to his tournament-high wicket tally in his first over, setting de Kock up with some big outswingers before jagging one back in and making a mess of his stumps.And Naveen should have had Markram the next over, but most of Afghanistan’s players didn’t hear the thin edge to the wicketkeeper, and Rashid wasn’t sure enough of it to review the decision.
Markram and Hendricks take the chase home
There were still testing moments, as the pitch continued to play up, still often keeping low. But whenever Afghanistan bowled poor deliveries, South Africa’s batters pounced. The fifth over itself yielded 13 runs – more than a fifth of the target. South Africa got home in the ninth over, sparking restrained celebrations, even though this was a historic victory for them.
Crystal Palace have now opened talks to sign a Champions League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a report.
Eagles have lofty ambitions after FA Cup triumph
Oliver Glasner is expected to remain at Selhurst Park beyond the end of the campaign, despite no doubt catching the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs by leading Palace to FA Cup glory, and Steve Parish has now insisted the board must match their manager’s ambition.
The Palace chairman said: “He (Glasner) will stay here, for some period of time,”
“Of course we want him to stay but things happen in football, clubs evolve and move on and I’d love him to stay but the club has to develop and show the ambition in terms of the things we have to do to move it forward for people to feel part of something. If that all aligns maybe it will.”
Oliver Glasner lifts FA CUp.
With the summer transfer window now fast approaching, the Eagles have started to identify some ambitious transfer targets too, with Paris Saint-Germain forward Lee Kang-In and Lyon star Rayan Cherki entering the frame in recent days.
There has now been a new update on a defender Crystal Palace are keen on in a report from The Sun, which states they have now opened talks over a deal for Atletico Madrid’s Reinildo Mandava, who is set to leave the Spanish club for free this summer.
Mandava’s contract is set to expire this summer, and he is attracting a lot of attention from the Premier League, with Everton and Fulham also being named as potential suitors, although they are seemingly yet to make any formal moves.
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It appears as though the Eagles are more advanced than their Premier League rivals in their pursuit of the Atletico ace, having already entered discussions to sign the 31-year-old, with Glasner keen to wrap up a lot of his transfer business early this summer.
"True gladiator" Mandava could be shrewd signing
The report states the Atletico defender is being targeted to provide competition for Tyrick Mitchell at left-back, and there are certainly indications he would be able to do exactly that, given his experience at the top level.
Reinildo Mandava for Atletico Madrid
The left-back has made 25 appearances in the Champions League, while also featuring regularly for Atletico in La Liga over the past four seasons, indicating he could be a solid back-up option for Mitchell at the very least.
Average per 90
Tyrick Mitchell
Reinildo Mandava
Assists
0.15
0
Tackles
2.65
2.13
Blocks
1.98
0.96
Clearances
3.14
2.82
Lauded as a “true gladiator” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Mandava is an experienced defender, who could provide depth heading into a congested 2024-25 campaign, given qualification for the Europa League, but Mitchell has proven himself as more of a well-rounded full-back over the past year.
Tottenham Hotspur have commenced their official search for Ange Postecoglou’s replacement after months of speculation about the Australian’s long-term future, with Spurs announcing on Friday that they’ve parted company.
Daniel Levy slammed for sacking Ange Postecoglou
It is safe to say that chairman Daniel Levy’s controversial decision to sack Postecoglou has been met with fierce criticism.
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According to The Telegraph, Spurs’ squad themselves are furious about the call to hand Postecoglou his P45, just over a fortnight after he helped to end the club’s 17-year wait for major silverware and qualify for the Champions League.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Son Heung-min called Postecoglou a Spurs legend and bid him farewell in an emotional goodbye message on Instagram, and he’s not the only Lilywhites star to come out in support of the former Celtic boss over these last few weeks.
“Always listen to the room. Pedro Porro said keeping Postecoglou would be good for the dressing room, while James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray all publicly backed him. It all links to that famous saying: if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” said Sky Sports journalist Sam Blitz in a critique of Postecoglou’s exit.
“Yes, Postecoglou had his faults – the league form was a shambles. But his season objectives last August would have been to get into the Champions League and win a trophy.
“He did that, albeit in a fortunate way. And he even went against his ‘Angeball’ principles to achieve it – showing he could be developing into more than the stubborn manager with one plan. In getting rid of the Australian, Levy is back to square one. And whoever he brings in faces an uphill struggle.
“If you’re Thomas Frank or Andoni Iraola, you should look at when Nuno Espírito Santo – an experienced manager who took outsiders into Europe – took the step-up to that role. He lasted 17 games.”
It is actually hard to argue with this assessment, but as Levy’s remorseless scythe swings again on the Spurs managerial merry-go-round, another tactician must now step into Postecoglou’s shoes.
Daniel Levy decides on Thomas Frank as Tottenham talks advance
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Tottenham are expected to advance in talks with Frank, who would make the serious step-up from Brentford to manage a side competing in the Champions League next season.
According to Tottenham News, Levy has now “settled” on Frank as his preferred manager to replace Postecoglou, so it appears the north Londoners are prioritising a move for him right now.
The Dane’s has led Brentford through solid campaigns on a shoe-string budget, perhaps appealing to Levy in the process, but reservations lie with his lack of top-level pedigree or trophy-winning experience.
Levy will also have to pay Brentford around £8 million to hire Frank by triggering his release clause.
Celtic clinched their fourth Scottish Premiership title in as many seasons on Saturday after they hammered Dundee United 5-0 at Tannadice Park.
The Hoops ran riot on their way to the trophy with a five-star display against Jim Goodwin’s side, as Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn scored two goals each and Ryan Strain scored an own goal.
Brendan Rodgers has now won the league title in Scotland in all four of his full seasons in charge of the club, and has the chance to win the treble if his team can beat Aberdeen in the final of the SFA Cup at Hampden Park.
The Northern Irish head coach won the Premiership and the League Cup in his first year back at Parkhead in the 2023/24 campaign, having left in 2019 to join Leicester City.
Celticmanager BrendanRodgerscelebrates with the trophy after winning the League Cup
Rodgers had initially joined the Scottish giants ahead of the 2016/17 campaign and won the league title that year and in the 2017/18 season, before eventually departing before the end of his third term.
The Celtic manager had some terrific players, as he does with the current squad, during that first spell at Parkhead, including winger Scott Sinclair.
Why Scott Sinclair was a star for Brendan Rodgers
The English forward was one of the first signings made by Rodgers in the summer of 2016, joining on a permanent deal from Aston Villa for a fee that could rise to £4.5m.
This was a move that made a lot of sense at the time because the Northern Irish boss had already managed Sinclair at Championship and Premier League level with Swansea City, and the winger scored 35 goals in 90 matches for the Welsh outfit under the boss.
Sinclair hit the ground running with a tremendous debut campaign in Scottish football in the 2016/17 campaign. The £4.5m signing ended that term with a return of 25 goals and ten assists in 50 appearances in all competitions, including 21 goals in 35 Premiership outings.
Celtic’s wing wizard followed that up with 18 goals and 17 assists in 55 games in all competitions for the Hoops in the 2017/18 campaign, helping Rodgers to win a second title in as many seasons in Glasgow.
The manager left before the end of the 2018/19 campaign, but Sinclair still managed to rack up 17 goals and seven assists in 43 matches in all competitions before the head coach’s move to Leicester.
As you can see in the clips above, the English dynamo had the quality to mix great movement inside the box to score ‘easy’ goals with the technical ability and invention to find the back of the net from range with stunning strikes.
Sinclair was an electric attacker who was a star for Rodgers because he could consistently provide quality at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator.
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Some people may look at the form that Daizen Maeda has produced on the pitch for Celtic this season and suggest that he is the manager’s new version of Sinclair, but that is not the case.
Why Daizen Maeda is not the new Scott Sinclair
The Japan international has been in phenomenal form in the current campaign for the Scottish giants, with a return of 33 goals and nine assists in 46 appearances in all competitions.
There is no denying that the 27-year-old attacker has been a superstar for the Hoops, but 14 of those 33 goals have been scored with him playing in a centre-forward position.
Daizen Maeda
Maeda is more of a fox in the box, whether he starts out wide on the left or through the middle as a striker, as all of his goals in the Premiership and the Champions League have been scored from inside the box.
This suggests that the Japanese attacker is not particularly similar to Sinclair, who only played four matches as a striker in his entire Celtic career, because he is more of an inside forward rather than a traditional winger.
Maeda may not be the new Sinclair at Parkhead for Rodgers, but the Celtic manager may have unearthed his next version of the winger in Nicolas Kuhn.
How Nicolas Kuhn is similar to Scott Sinclair
Despite playing on the opposite wing to Sinclair, who operated on the left flank, the German forward has a lot of similarities to the former Hoops sensation.
Like the English whiz, Kuhn is an out-and-out winger who has played on the wing in all 51 of his starts for the club in all competitions to date, with 48 of those coming on the right wing.
The former Rapid Vienna star has scored 21 goals and provided 17 assists in 64 matches for the Bhoys to date, including 18 goals and 14 assists in 46 appearances this term.
As you can see in the clip above, Kuhn has shown that he has the quality to deliver terrific goals on the biggest stage, finding the back of the net from distance against RB Leipzig in the Champions League earlier this term.
Appearances
40
39
Goals
20
15
Shots from outside the box
5
13
Goals from outside the box
0
2
Dribbles completed per game
0.7
1.8
Assists
9
9
As you can see in the table above, the German attacker offers more of a traditional wide threat in comparison to Maeda, because he likes to dribble at opposition full-backs to create attacks out of nothing, and the winger is willing to take on more shots from distance to score stunning goals.
This shows that Rodgers has unearthed his new version of Sinclair in Kuhn, because he is another wing wizard who can provide consistent quality as a goalscorer, mixing finishes inside the box with quality long-range strikes and exciting dribbling, whereas Maeda is more of a striker in the way that he plays, whether that is as a centre-forward or starting on the left.
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Hopefully, the German attacker can continue to deliver in the final third in the weeks, months, and years to come under Rodgers to enjoy as successful a Celtic career as Sinclair did.
Leeds United are now seriously interested in signing an “excellent” £25 million ace to replace Illan Meslier should they be promoted to the Premier League, according to a new report.
Farke remains confident Leeds' promotion will be sealed
It looked as though it was going to be another successful weekend for the Whites on Saturday afternoon, as they were closing in on another three points to move them a step closer to promotion. However, a mistake by goalkeeper Meslier was punished not once but twice, as his fumble allowed Harry Darling to equalise at 1-1 and then Zan Vipotnik’s shot in the 96th minute snuck under the Leeds goalkeeper.
It is not the first time that Meslier has cost his side all three points this season, but despite the fact the Whites have only won one of their last five matches, their worst form of this campaign, Daniel Farke remains confident that Leeds will still win promotion to the Premier League.
“We have gone many, many steps, and right now it’s the final step. That’s always the most difficult,” the boss said this weekend.
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“There’s never a guarantee of success, but we have been in this situation before. I know how tricky it sometimes is to lead from the front, but also what is necessary to bring it over the line, and we will try everything to make sure the lads have the best chance to make the final step. If you ask me right now, I’m 100% convinced that next season we will play in the Premier League.”
Leeds looking to replace Meslier with Southampton star Ramsdale
Given Farke is confident that his side will be a top-flight team next season, it may be no surprise to see plans are already being worked on for the summer, and a new goalkeeper seems to be high on the agenda. According to TEAMtalk, Leeds have now placed Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on their transfer shortlist should promotion be sealed.
The report states that the Whites are now seriously looking to sign a new number one this summer, given the mistakes that Meslier has made this season, despite Farke’s public backing of the Frenchman. Meslier’s contract expires in 2026, so Leeds will have a decision to make on his long-term future, and this summer could be the only realistic chance to cash in and upgrade.
However, Leeds are not the only team interested in signing Ramsdale, as AFC Bournemouth are also keeping an eye on things and could make a move once the Saints are relegated.
Newcastle United are also fans of the goalkeeper and could move for him as they eye a long-term replacement for Nick Pope. The also adds that Ramsdale has a relegation clause in his contract, and any club wanting to sign him will have to offer him the guarantee of football, as he wants to compete for the England number one spot.
Apps
174
Goals conceded
262
Clean sheets
40
Leeds’ chances of signing Ramsdale, who cost the Saints £25 million in the summer, do rest on them securing promotion to the Premier League, as the Englishman is looking to remain in the top flight. Despite the fact that Southampton have been terrible in the Premier League this season, Ramsdale has impressed many, with former England goalkeeper Joe Hart labelling his performances as “absolutely excellent”.
Bangladesh couldn’t counter the dew, and that wasn’t their only problem in Sharjah
Mohammad Isam23-May-2025Bangladesh bowlers made it easy for UAE to swing hardIn terms of numbers, Bangladesh hit more sixes than UAE in the three-match series, but UAE hit more fours, and that meant they led the boundary count. UAE also had two other factors in their favour. They hit fours and sixes in clusters, and since they chased in all three games, they timed those clusters well.This was mainly due to how the Bangladesh bowlers missed their lengths. Granted that there was dew whenever they bowled, but they couldn’t quite grasp how big-hitters like Muhammad Waseem and Asif Khan operated. Both batters often telegraphed their intention to go leg side, but the bowlers, particularly spinners Mahedi Hasan and Tanvir Islam, still allowed them the room to swing their arms to take the ball high over the midwicket or mid-on boundaries.And fast bowlers Nahid Rana and Hasan Mahmud were far too wide or far too short far too often. Tanzim Hasan found it hard to grip the ball, and Shoriful Islam started off well in both appearances, but then lost his steam, losing pace and losing his lengths.UAE tackled the dew, Bangladesh complained about itUAE’s Haider Ali said after the third T20I that he often bowls with the wet ball in training to prepare for the familiar Sharjah dew. Although it is not clear whether the Bangladesh bowlers did the same, their captain Litton Das complained about the dew after each match. Dew can only be encountered with practical methods. Complaining about something that affects a lot of games in Asian conditions took Bangladesh nowhere.When they beat West Indies 3-0 without many of their top players in December, Bangladesh seemed to adjust better to conditions. It’s also true that Bangladesh like pitches that produce 140-150 runs, which was the case in Kingstown then. They won all three games defending low totals, with their spinners bowling well under lights. There was no dew then, though, something that frustrated them in Sharjah.Parvez Hossain Emon’s century in the first T20I was one of the few highlights for Bangladesh•Emirates Cricket BoardBatters have a hit-and-miss seriesDespite putting up scores like 191 and 205, Bangladesh’s batting generally lacked consistency. Parvez Hossain Emon struck a century and Tanzid Hasan got a half-century. The openers generally gave the team good starts – Tanzid went well in all three matches. But more was expected from Litton and Towhid Hridoy.Litton is slowly coming back into some batting form. But Hridoy couldn’t get the team out of trouble when he had the opportunity in the third game.There also appears to be some lack of clarity about Najmul Hossain Shanto, who got to play only the second game. Jaker Ali took his opportunity in the third game when the top and middle order collapsed, but Mahedi and Shamim Hossain have hit-or-miss roles that they couldn’t capitalise on.The missing pace frontmanEven before the Bangladesh players boarded their flight to the UAE, there was confusion about their squad composition. Delhi Capitals (DC) had announced that Mustafizur Rahman would be joining them at IPL 2025, but the BCB said it hadn’t been approached for the no-objection certificate. Once the documents came through, the BCB allowed Mustafizur to leave for the IPL after the first match against UAE.That made a difference, Bangladesh losing a bowler who returned 2 for 17 in the first T20I, which was the only one they won. His absence became all the more glaring as the inexperienced bowlers failed to contain the UAE batters in the next two games.Carrying the scars to PakistanBangladesh would have expected to have a fairly easy time of it in Sharjah heading into the bigger series in Pakistan. How things have changed! It is now crucial that the players pick up the pieces from the series against the 15th-ranked team in T20Is. Not to forget, they had earlier lost 2-1 to USA last year. Against UAE, Bangladesh’s lack of game awareness stuck out. Pakistan are next, a team that is much better than UAE, that too in home conditions. Can Bangladesh lift themselves in Lahore?