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England 1-0 up in five-match series after comprehensive eight-wicket win

Valkerie Baynes13-Mar-20214:44

Should India play an extra seamer?

Big pictureThe emphatic style of England’s victory in the first match is what resonates most and India need to find a rapid response. That the hosts never recovered from 22 for 3 – their second-lowest powerplay score in T20Is – was key. It left them with an indefensible total of just 124 for 7, England’s top order mowing down the paltry target with ease.Having put their faith in an aggressive batting strategy, it falls to India’s batsmen to remedy the situation. Yes, Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 67 but failures at the top of the order and an extended tail meant the plan didn’t come off this time. By contrast, everything England tried worked first time, from opening the bowling with sole spinner Adil Rashid to pummelling India with pace and bounce via Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Chris Jordan. Then the 72-run stand between Jos Buttler and Jason Roy, whose 49 saw him pass 20 for the first time in five T20I innings, broke the back of the chase. It meant that India’s selection of three spinners in contrast to England’s one became a moot point.Related

England's bowlers ensure the plan comes together

Morgan hails bowling effort as England go 1-0 up

India's high risk, high reward tactics should be given a chance

Eoin Morgan acknowledged that his side expects to come under pressure during this series between the No. 1 and No. 2 sides in the world, but the quality of England’s full-strength side means he has back-up plans aplenty. Like England, India have the personnel. It’s a case of whether they can execute better this time to avoid conceding a 2-0 lead in this five-match series.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)England WWWWL
India LLWWWVirat Kohli and Eoin Morgan shake hands after England’s win in the first match•Getty ImagesIn the spotlightVirat Kohli said that Rohit Sharma would be rested for the early part of this series, which suggests they will persist with Shikhar Dhawan. But does the risk of going 0-2 down prompt an early recall for Sharma? India’s top-order failure in the first match does not by any means fall at Dhawan’s feet – their top three combined for just five runs while Kohli fell for his second straight international duck and KL Rahul made just one. However, with Sharma India’s first-choice opener alongside Rahul, Dhawan has arguably a more limited window in which to produce the kind of knock India need.It’s near impossible to pick holes in an England side which won so comprehensively with bowlers and batsmen alike performing. To be critical would perhaps be to draw attention to the question of how they get the most from Ben Stokes in this format. His 1 for 25 at an economy rate of 8.33 made him England’s most expensive bowler in the first game, although he was hardly costly, and the fact he wasn’t required to bat is further testament to the strength of England’s performance. But there’s a sense that a batting average of 18.84 and bowling average of 37.41 simply belie Stokes’ calibre and it feels as though at the moment he forms part of the “Plan B or C” that Morgan was grateful his side didn’t need to resort to in the series opener.Team newsEngland could be reluctant to tinker with a side which won the first match so comprehensively. Morgan said the likes of Reece Topley and Tom Curran were unlucky to miss out on selection but it appears the most likely change would come if the pitch looks particularly slow, in which case Moeen Ali could come in as a second spinner, possibly at the expense of Sam Curran.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark WoodIndia could be accused of going too spin-heavy in the first match given the success of England’s seamers so they may opt for more pace, possibly bringing in Navdeep Saini for Washington Sundar or Axar Patel. With both spinners offering valuable depth to the batting line-up and India unlikely to dispense with their ‘go hard or go home’ approach one match in, the choice is more complex than a simple ‘need for speed’.India (possible): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Washington Sundar/Navdeep Saini, 9 Axar Patel, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalWill India stick with Washington Sundar for the second T20I?•Getty ImagesPitch and conditionsWith an array of pitches available at the vast Narendra Modi Stadium, there’s every chance the second match will be played on a pitch other than the two-paced surface of the first match, on which the spinners were able to extract wickets but England’s seamers dominated with pace and bounce. With a scorching day of 38 degrees Celsius forecast and low humidity, it looks like still being very warm and dry when play commences in the evening.Stats and trivia England have won their last five away T20I series and eight of their last 10 T20I series overall. KL Rahul fell to Jofra Archer for the first time in T20s in the opening match. He has scored 89 runs off 61 balls vs Archer in T20s with 11 fours and three sixes. Yuzvendra Chahal has conceded 82 sixes in 46 T20Is. Only Tim Southee (90 sixes in 78 innings) has conceded more. Virat Kohli needs 72 more runs to become first man to 3000 T20I runsQuotes”It’s nice to get the big players out early doors to keep the crowd quiet. It was nice to get him out very early. If you get a wicket early doors, or if you’re batting and hit some sixes or fours, the crowd goes quiet [and] you can actually hear yourselves talk to each other. That’s not something you can generally do in India… especially if India are going well or taking wickets.”
Adil Rashid on dismissing Kohli in the third over“We have come with a plan and we need to execute it as much as possible. Going into the World Cup, we need to see to it that we have ticked all the boxes. We have to try this as much as possible.”
Shreyas Iyer on India’s desire to test their aggressive batting approach with an even bigger stage in mind

Joe Burns and Will Pucovski fall cheaply as Umesh Yadav makes a big impression

Andrew McGlashan07-Dec-2020

Cameron Green drives down the ground•Getty Images

The Indians were able to land a couple of big pre-Test blows as Australia’s likely opening pair for Adelaide, Joe Burns and Will Pucovski, were dismissed for five runs between them. But Cameron Green put together a century that will continue the debate about whether his Test debut should come sooner rather than later.Green was given lives on 24, a regulation catch to second slip, and on 78, which was a much tougher chance to Wriddhiman Saha, but overall this was the latest display to reinforce the opinion that he is the ‘best since Ponting’.In just his 20th first-class match, this was his fifth century, although there were a few tense moments bringing it up as Michael Neser was run-out, No. 10 Mark Steketee walked out, and an injured Jackson Bird was not padded up. However, facing the first delivery of the second new ball from Umesh Yadav, the pick of the Indian quicks, he drove an imperious boundary through the covers.The only box left to tick is an increased bowling workload, but both national selector Trevor Hohns and coach Justin Langer have said he could play Test cricket purely as a batsman. Green added 104 with Tim Paine, not a bad person to make a good impression in front of, but the Australia captain had already made clear his admiration of Green.”He’s an exceptional talent,” Paine had said in June. “Playing against him he was really impressive out in the middle, looked like he was in complete control of his game and really knew what he was trying to do, and to see him moving around the crease, there were a couple of little things I noticed when I was keeping against him where I thought ‘he’s pretty impressive’, not only is he talented, but he looks like he really knows what he’s doing.”After the Indians had briefly extended their first innings on the second morning before declaring with captain Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 117, one of the main plot lines of this match was able to take shape as Burns and Pucovski walked out together. They were both making the walk back fairly soon.At the end of the fifth over, Pucovski, who scored back-to-back double-centuries in the Sheffield Shield earlier this season, drove a catch to point, and two overs later, Burns edged Yadav through to the keeper as he tried to leave a delivery. Burns’ dismissal continued his run of low scores from the Sheffield Shield where he made 7, 29, 0, 10 and 11 although, before David Warner’s injury which has probably rendered any debate moot for at least one Test, had plenty of backing as the incumbent when Pucovski made his substantial case.Umesh Yadav sent back both the Australia A openers•Getty Images

Depending on how the final day of this match plays out, they may get another innings and then a call would need to be made as to whether they stay in Sydney for the pink-ball game that starts on Friday at the SCG. The original idea was that the majority of the Test squad would head to Adelaide early in the week, but Langer said there could be a change of plans. They will need to weigh up the possible gains or losses of another match situation or the more controlled environment of team training.From 2 for 5, the innings was steadied by a 55-run stand between Marcus Harris – a Test opener the last time India were here – and Australia A captain Travis Head, but the latter fell on the stroke of lunch when he bottom-edged Mohammed Siraj on to his stumps. Then, shortly after the break, Harris was superbly caught at slip by Rahane off R Ashwin to leave Australia 4 for 68.Ashwin settled into a well-controlled spell, which also accounted for Nic Maddinson, who was given lbw on the sweep. The Indians had earlier been convinced Maddinson had edged Siraj behind, so much so that Saha even made the review signal in jest – replays did suggest a nick.The current and future of Australia’s Test team were then together again and unlike the Burns-Pucovski alliance, Green and Paine had much more success. However, Green should have gone when he edged the excellent Yadav, but Hanuma Vihari spilled it: slip catching will be a vital element of the series. Had the chance been taken, the Indians may have earned a first-innings lead.Green lofted Ashwin over midwicket for six to move into the 40s – one of the hallmarks of his innings was the footwork against spin – shortly after having had to be on his toes to sway out of the way of a well-direct short ball from Kartik Tyagi. However, after that Tyagi appeared to lose his run up and struggled in his last two overs of the afternoon session. He received some consoling words from team-mates but did not bowl again.Paine played very compactly until falling to a well-telegraphed short-ball plan, hooking at Yadav and being brilliant held by Prithvi Shaw, flinging himself off his feet at backward square leg.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em crise após nova derrota, e agora sem treinador, o Santos tem uma semana para preparar seus recentes reforços para a sequência do Campeonato Brasileiro. O Peixe não vence há seis partidas, acumula eliminações na Copa Sul-Americana, derrota no jogo de ida da Copa do Brasil para o Athletico-PR, e não supera ninguém no Campeonato Brasileiro desde a 14ª rodada.

RelacionadasSantosSantos confirma demissão do treinador Fernando DinizSantos05/09/2021SantosDerrota para o Cuiabá escancara crise no “turbulento”SantosSantos05/09/2021SantosLéo Baptistão ganha elogios após primeiro jogo pelo SantosSantos05/09/2021

Diego Tardelli completará duas semanas de treinos no Santos, e foi o que pediu para poder aprimorar a fora física antes de estrear. O jogador vem treinando normalmente com os companheiros e está regularizado no Boletim Informativo Diário (BID) da CBF.

– A ideia é entre o jogo do Bahia ou o segundo jogo da volta contra o Athletico-PR, vai depender de mim dentro de campo como eu vou estar me sentindo. Dentro de uma semana e meia ou duas semanas já devo estar em campo sim – comentou o atacante santista.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Já o uruguaio Emiliano Velázquez chegou ao Santos nesta segunda-feira (30). O jogador vem treinando com o grupo e deve ter mais uma semana de preparação antes de estrear. O jogador deve ser regularizado nesta semana e estar à disposição no sábado, para a abertura do returno.

O Alvinegro Praiano encara o Bahia no próximo sábado, na Vila Belmiro. O Peixe não vence há seis partidas. O adversário, por sua vez, vem de vitória por 4 a 2 sobre o badalado Fortaleza, e venceu o Santos no primeiro turno por 3 a 0, em Salvador.

Glasgow Rangers have been hard at work to improve their playing squad during the summer transfer window after they failed to bring the Scottish Premiership title back to Ibrox last season.

Rangers had to watch on as their closest rivals lifted the trophy for the third season in a row and Philippe Clement will now be plotting ways to return to the top spot in the 2024/25 campaign.

Gers Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has wasted little time in snapping up fresh talent for the Belgian head coach to work with before the Light Blues kick off the season with a trip away from Glasgow to take on Hearts at the start of next month.

Hearts

(A)

Motherwell

(H)

Ross County

(H)

Celtic

(A)

Dundee United

(A)

Jefte, Oscar Cortes, Liam Kelly, Connor Barron, and Clinton Nsiala have already been brought in to Ibrox and forward Hamza Igamane is reportedly set to be the next to come through the door.

Rangers' pursuit of a new number nine

Igamane can play as a striker but is also a versatile player who can play out wide on either flank or as an attacking midfielder, which means that Clement could use him out wide or behind a starting number nine.

The 21-year-old has never played club football outside of his home country in Morocco and the Gers may want to bring in a striker who could be relied upon to hit the ground running, given that they have huge Champions League qualifiers next month.

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers do have an interest in two more experienced strikers who currently play for teams in the Scottish Premiership.

The report claims that Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland remains an option for the Ibrox giants and that the Scotland international would be open to the move.

It also states that the Light Blues 'like' Aberdeen centre-forward Bojan Miovski but are wary of the rivalry between the two clubs inflating the price of a potential deal.

The Daily Mail adds that a swoop for the North Macedonia international feels 'unlikely' at this moment in time, due to that frayed relationship with the Dons.

If Koppen and Clement can overcome the odds to sign the Rangers transfer target, however, then they could land a dream replacement for Kemar Roofe at the top end of the pitch, after the ex-Leeds forward left the club to become a free agent at the end of May.

Why Rangers need to upgrade on Kemar Roofe

The Scottish giants must swoop to sign a better striker than the Jamaica international this summer as he did not provide enough competition for Cyriel Dessers last season.

Finishing was a major issue for the Gers during the 2023/24 campaign in the Premiership as the team scored just 85 goals from 99.4 xG in total.

No player underperformed their xG by more than Dessers as the Nigeria international scored 16 goals from 21.59 xG – an underperformance of 5.59.

Danilo missed 41 matches through injury during the season and that left Roofe as the only senior striker in the squad to compete with the misfiring marksman.

Rangers needed him to provide a suitable alternative to Dessers when the former Cremonese forward was struggling badly in front of goal but he failed to be what they needed.

Appearances

15

Starts

6

Goals

1

Assists

0

Pass accuracy

66%

Unfortunately, as you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old dud struggled badly with the opportunities that Clement and ex-boss Michael Beale afforded him.

Roofe ended the campaign with one goal from 1.48 xG and two goals in 24 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, which came after he had managed two goals in six outings during the 2022/23 season.

Alongside his struggles in front of goal in his last two years at the club, the experienced frontman was also a big liability when it came to availability.

He was absent for 12 or more matches in each of his four seasons at Ibrox and missed a staggering 35 games apiece in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns.

This all shows that Rangers need a better option than him to compete with Dessers and that is why Miovski would be a dream replacement for Roofe if they can bring him in before the end of the summer transfer window.

What Bojan Miovski would bring to Rangers

Firstly, the 25-year-old attacker is a proven Premiership performer who could be relied upon to come in and hit the ground running ahead of their league opener against Hearts, and Champions League qualifiers, next month.

He was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year, alongside fellow Gers target Shankland, whilst no Rangers attacker made it into the XI.

This shows that his peers voted him as one of the best players in the SPFL during the 2023/24 campaign and Livingston boss David Martindale backed that up with his comments during the season.

The Livi coach hailed him as "one of the best STs in the league" who would "walk" into any team in the Premiership back in December, which speaks to how impressive he was in front of goal last term.

Miovski has proven himself to be a lethal force in the Scottish top-flight over the course of his two seasons in the country with Aberdeen, which suggests that the left-footed star has the quality to be an instant success at Ibrox.

Appearances

37

38

Goals

16

16

Minutes per goal

181

197

Big chances missed

15

16

Conversion rate

23%

15%

As you can see in the table above, the Light Blues target has racked up 32 league goals for the club and missed 31 'big chances' in total in his first two years in Scotland.

Whereas, Dessers missed a staggering 27 'big chances' for Rangers in just one season last term, which highlights the difference between the pair when it comes to finishing high-quality opportunities.

Rangers already have "dream" Lawrence replacement in forgotten star

The Light Blues talent spent last season out on loan and is set to return to Ibrox.

ByDan Emery Jul 2, 2024

Therefore, Miovski could be a dream replacement for Roofe this summer as his statistics suggest that he could come in and provide Dessers with far more competition for his place next term.

Manchester City are reportedly "trying" to land one of the most lethal goalscorers in Europe at academy level, as they look to the future in this summer's transfer window.

What next for Erling Haaland?

Arguably the most lethal striker in world football, Erling Haaland scored 27 Premier League goals last season as he helped Manchester City to their fourth consecutive Premier League title under Pep Guardiola's stewardship.

Having spent two seasons in the English top flight, he has grabbed 63 goals in 66 games as well as adding 13 assists, and is scoring at roughly a goal every 85 minutes, a record that no other player in the competition's history can match.

For context, Sergio Aguero took 108 minutes between finding the back of the net, while Thierry Henry took nearly two hours, by which time the Norweigian freak of nature would be already sniffing out his next.

Under contract at the Etihad until 2027 and still just 23-years-old, there shouldn't be any speculation over Haaland's immediate future, but rumours continue to swirl. Reports in Spain continue to link him with a move to La Liga, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona considered options for the Scandinavian colossus, while there has long been an expectation that he will not spend the entirity of his career with the Manchester giants.

"Increasingly real" chance £63m star moves this summer as Man City lurk

He could be just what Manchester City need.

ByBen Browning Jun 12, 2024

With that in mind, City will have to plan for his successor, and appear to be doing just that by identifying a striker who finds the back of the net at an equally incredible rate.

City "trying" to sign Bundesliga youth star

Now, reports have linked them with a player who is scoring even faster than Erling Haaland in the shape of teenage prodigy Dzenan Pejcinovic.

The 19-year-old is yet to make his mark at senior level for Wolfsburg, but found the net 28 times in 18 games in the U19 league last season, scoring roughly every 55 minutes and marking himself as one of the most prolific goalscorers in academy football.

His record at international level reflects that too, averaging a goal per game across four different youth groups for Germany and converting at a shockingly fast rate.

Dzenan Pejcinovic at youth level (international)

Level

Appearances

Goals

Minutes per goal

Germany U16

2

2

60

Germany U17

17

17

57

Germany U18

10

10

48

Germany U19

9

9

75

He has caught the eye of Pep Guardiola and co, with reports in Germany revealing that the Cityzens are "trying to secure" his signature this summer as they look to add him to their ranks.

With Haaland already at the club and Julian Alvarez an able deputy, it could be a case where if he is bought, he will be immediately loaned out to one of the City Group sides, which include Girona, Troyes and Palermo.

However, Wolfsburg are not keen to let him leave, with Sports Director Sebastian Schindzielorz explaining: "We are very happy with Dzenan’s development, and our thoughts are on how we want to continue to push this development forward.

"Unfortunately, the injury got in the way. That’s why our main priority is to get Dzenan healthy and able to take on pressure again. We hope that he can start training again during the preparation phase, then we’ll see.”

Though they are keen to keep him, if Guardiola manages to turn his head, they may be powerless to prevent his exit.

West Indies will take an 18-player squad on the tour which will include five T20Is in late September

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2020Anisa Mohammed, the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, has opted out of the five-match tour of England which will be played in a biosecure venue next month.West Indies have named an 18-player squad for the tour, captained by Stafanie Taylor, which includes the uncapped Kaysia Schultz.”All players were given the option to decline selection for any Covid-19 related concern,” a Cricket West Indies statement said. “Anisa Mohammed was the only potential selectee who declined the invitation to travel to England. CWI fully respects her decision to choose to do so.”When the West Indies men’s team toured England earlier in the season Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul opted out of the trip.The squad will undergo Covid-19 tests this week before taking a charter flight to the UK on August 30.The series will mark the resumption of the top level of the women’s game for the first time since the T20 World Cup final at the MCG on March 8 with West Indies visiting England in place of India and South Africa who both cancelled proposed trips due to Covid-19.”It is with pleasure that we are able once again to have our West Indies Women’s team involved at the international level,” lead selector for women’s and girls cricket, Ann Browne-John said. “This tour to England gives our players a great opportunity.”The larger eighteen-member squad also gives an opportunity to have young developing players involved; like the two players from Guyana, left-arm bowler Kaysia Schultz and all-rounder Shabika Gajnabi. It also gives the opportunity to the young Trinidadian offspinner Karishma Ramharack to get some international experience.”CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams said: “CWI is pleased to be restarting its international women’s program with a tour to England, where the standard of women’s cricket has grown tremendously. We thank the ECB for their invitation and the added opportunity to travel with a larger squad affords us the chance to introduce a few younger players to this level of the game, and fast track their development. With so much uncertainty surrounding cricket scheduling currently, this is a timely opportunity for our women to resume competitive cricket at the highest level.”West Indies had a disappointing T20 World Cup tournament in Australia with just one victory in four group matches.The five T20Is will be played from September 21 to 30.West Indies squad Stafanie Taylor (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Britney Cooper, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Lee-Ann Kirby, Hayley Matthews, Natasha McLean, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman

Political tensions between India and China may have played a part in Vivo’s exit

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2020A week after Vivo’s exit, the BCCI has advertised for its replacement as IPL title sponsors for the 2020 season spanning between August 18 and December 31 this year. Interested parties would need to buy the bid document by August 14 with the BCCI announcing the winning bid four days later.The BCCI has made it clear that only companies with an annual turnover of at least INR 300 crore (US$ 40 million approx.) would be eligible to bid for the IPL title sponsorship.The winning bid, the BCCI has pointed out, would not necessarily need to be the highest bidder and would depend on various other factors. “For the avoidance of doubt, it is clarified that BCCI shall not be obliged to award the Rights to the third party which indicates willingness to pay the highest fees in the course of discussions/ negotiations,” BCCI said in a media release on Monday, signed by board secretary Jay Shah.”BCCI’s decision in this regard will also depend on a number of other relevant factors. It includes, but is not limited to, the manner in which the third party intends to exploit the rights and the potential impact of the same on brand IPL as also the fan/ viewer experience, which will be examined and evaluated by BCCI in the course of discussions/negotiations with interested third parties who submit an EOI.”Vivo had bagged the title sponsorship for two years initially in 2015, and retained the rights signing a five-year contract (2018-22), paying about $341 million. Last week, the BCCI said in a media release, spanning one line, that it had suspended the contract with Vivo only for the 2020 season. Although the BCCI did not lay out any reasoning, the political tensions between India and China over border dispute in June is understood to be the key reason behind Vivo’s exit.The BCCI has not specified whether Vivo would make a comeback although some unconfirmed media reports suggested the Chinese handset manufacturer would retain the IPL title sponsorship for two years from 2021 season.

Jonathan Tah admitted that a failed move to Bayern Munich took its toll on him but he is determined to achieve success at Bayer Leverkusen.

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• Tah wanted to join Bayern Munich
• Was ready to sign five-year contract
• Happy to continue at Leverkusen

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The German defender was linked with a move away from Bayer Leverkusen throughout the summer with clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona reportedly interested in signing him. Tah had even agreed to personal terms with the Bavarian side and would have signed a five-year contract with them, however, the club failed to reach an agreement with the Bundesliga champions over the player's transfer fee which was set at €30million (£25m/$33m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A failed move to the Allianz Arena has affected Tah personally but the 28-year-old claimed that he was happy to continue playing under Xabi Alonso and is determined to achieve more success with the club in the 2024-25 campaign.

• WHAT JONATHAN TAH SAID

  Speaking to Sky Sports, the Germany international said, "Of course, it's exhausting when there's such a back and forth. I don't want to lie, but in the end, I accept it. And as I also shared on social media: I'm completely here with my head."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYER LEVERKUSEN?

  Alonso's side, who won the league title unbeaten last season, tasted defeat early in the current campaign as they went down 3-2 against RB Leipzig in just their second match on Saturday. They will be next seen in action after the international break against Hoffenheim on September 14 in the Bundesliga.

Manchester City are looking to sign a current Premier League star, with contact already made over a possible transfer.

Man City transfer rumours

Despite being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid earlier this month, it promises to be a busy end to the season, with Pep Guardiola’s side looking to retain the Premier League title and the FA Cup.

Off the pitch, Etihad officials could also be busy when it comes to buying and selling ahead of the 2024/25 season, with Jack Grealish the latest player to be linked with a move away. Bernardo Silva continues to be linked with a move to Barcelona, but there have been a number of incoming rumours.

For example, Crystal Palace star Michael Olise appears to be a target, as well as Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, who City are reportedly willing to break the bank for.

Report: Man City eyeing summer move for international “wonderkid”

He once had a spell at Manchester United.

ByHenry Jackson Apr 20, 2024

Former academy gem Jeremie Frimpong has been linked with a return to Manchester as the long-term replacement for Kyle Walker, and a new update suggests contact has been made for a possible Rodri partner.

Man City make Bruno Guimaraes approach

According to 90min, Man City are looking to sign Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes and have approached the player's camp over a move. The report states that Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are contenders to sign the Brazilian midfielder, with the Gunners also looking at Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.

City’s interest in Guimaraes comes as the club are ‘looking for a player to compliment Rodri and like the fact Guimaraes can play as a number six or a number eight’. However, the report adds that even though Newcastle need to bring in some funds to comply with FFP, they would love to keep Guimaraes, so his £100m release clause may need to be triggered.

Guimaraes has been a regular at St James’ Park since joining in 2022 and has gone from strength to strength, with his Transfermarkt valuation doubling to a career-high €85m since moving to England. He has now made more than 100 appearances for Newcastle, 44 of which have come during the current campaign, and Guimaraes quickly received praise from Magpies legend Alan Shearer as well, who said in 2022.

“He was superb. Man of the match for me was Bruno. The way he handles that ball under pressure and is able to ping that ball into the forward players, he’s so comfortable on the ball, particularly if you give him this amount of space.”

Goals

7

4

Assists

7

6

Expected assists

3

5.2

Progressive passes received

48

61

Tackles

57

72

Blocks

27

46

Interceptions

20

29

Capable of playing as a holding or central midfielder, you could argue that a Rodri and Guimaraes partnership in midfield could be dominant for City, and if the club get their way, we may see that at the Etihad come August.

Alejandro Garnacho reportedly insisted on returning early to Manchester United training after guiding Argentina to Copa America glory.

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• Garnacho starred with Argentina in Copa America
• Headed back to Carrington earlier than expected
• United staff were impressed with his commitment

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the the 20-year-old winger, who played a pivotal role in Argentina's success, requested to return to training at Carrington sooner than expected. Despite the physical and mental toll such high-stakes competitions can take, Garnacho chose to forgo an extended break in favour of preparing for the Community Shield which speaks volumes about his professionalism.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Although Garnacho started the Community Shield clash against Manchester City on the bench, his impact on the game was undeniable. Introduced in the 59th minute, Garnacho turned the tide in United's favour by scoring in the 82nd minute, giving his team a crucial lead. The goal earned him a place in the history books as he became the youngest United player to score in the Community Shield since George Best achieved the feat in 1965.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Garnacho's performance in the Community Shield was not an isolated incident. Last season, the young winger played over 400 more minutes than any other teenager in the Premier League, showcasing his importance to Erik ten Hag's squad.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

  With the Premier League season opener against Fulham just around the corner, Garnacho is expected to start the match. His early return to training and impactful performance in the Community Shield suggests that he is more than ready to take on the challenges of the new season. United fans will be eager to see if Garnacho can build on last season's successes and continue his upward trajectory as one of the most exciting young talents in world football.