Amid an incredibly busy summer of incomings, Aston Villa are now reportedly negotiating a deal that would see another fresh face arrive in a move that would also see Lucas Digne depart.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have put their new-found Champions League status to good use in recent months, convincing the likes of Amadou Oana and Ian Maatsen to complete impressive moves to the Midlands. Maatsen's arrival particularly strengthens Unai Emery's left-hand side, with both Alex Moreno and Lucas Digne now 31 years old and arguably edging past the peak of their powers.

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Maatsen, meanwhile, is still just 22 years old and fresh from an excellent loan spell at Borussia Dortmund, in which he played a vital part in helping the Bundesliga giants reach the Champions League final, before suffering defeat against Real Madrid. Given that quality, all signs are pointing towards the former Chelsea man taking the starting role at left-back for Villa this season.

That does, however, cast doubts over the futures of Digne and Moreno, who have both been linked with a move away this summer. The former has even reportedly been used in recent negotiations as part of a swap deal.

According to Aslinda, Aston Villa and NSWE are negotiating a player-plus-cash deal to sign Ernest Muci from Besiktas that would see Digne head to the Turkish giants. With talks ongoing, it could yet be a move that takes place before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

As things stand, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder doesn't seem to be part of Giovanni van Bronckhorst's plans in Turkey. The former Rangers boss excluded the Albanian from his side's Turkish Super Cup mauling of Galatasaray, before failing to introduce the midfielder from the bench in Besiktas' opening league game against Samsunspor.

Aston Villa know all about "incisive" Muci's quality

Prior to completing a winter move to Besiktas, Muci was starring at Legia Warsaw and even scored a brace against Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League, sealing a stunning 3-2 victory for his side.

He wasn't done there with his audition in front of the Villans, either, going on to find the back of the net once more in the reverse fixture at Villa Park – this time as his side lost 2-1. If Emery wasn't aware of Muci's quality before those fixtures, then he was certainly well aware by the end of the group stage. Praised for being "incisive" by analyst Ben Mattinson, Muci is a player who can steal the show at his best.

If Villa can offload Digne in the process, then their deal to sign the Albanian attacking midfielder could go down as a wise move in the latter stages of the window. Given his recent position in the Besiktas squad too, Muci could be considering the exit door.

South Australia lost their fourth game in a row

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2021Queensland 6 for 321 (Labuschagne 82, Heazlett 65, Renshaw 56, Khawaja 50) beat South Australia 161 (Weatherald 68, Kuhnemann 4-37) by 160 runsHalf-centuries from Queensland’s top four and a four-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann saw Queensland stay unbeaten in the Marsh Cup as their bonus-point win took the side to the top of the points table at the end of four rounds.South Australia, who were bowled out in the 35th over, lost their fourth game in a row and remain last. Queensland’s win now means there are four sides in contention for the two spots in the Marsh Cup final with one round of games to go. If they had wrapped up victory one run sooner, Queensland would have secured a double bonus-point win.Electing to field first, South Australia were on the back foot early into the game thanks to an opening stand of 118 from the Queensland openers. Sam Heazlett struck a 64-ball 65 – peppered with four fours and four sixes – in the company of Usman Khawaja in the first-wicket partnership that lasted 19.4 overs before being caught behind off Spencer Johnson. Next over, Khawaja fell on 50 dismissed by Wes Agar.The two new men at the crease, Marnus Labuschagne and Matt Renshaw then piled on another big partnership. They added 128 runs in 20.2 overs, hitting 10 fours and five sixes between them. Labuschagne top-scored with 82 while Renshaw made 56 before a run-out ended the stand. Some big hits from Jack Wildermuth and Jimmy Pierson in the death overs took Queensland to 6 for 321.South Australia’s chase never got going, as they lost three wickets inside the first 11 overs. Michael Neser had Harry Nielsen caught behind early while Billy Stanlake removed Travis Head and Renshaw dismissed Alex Carey. Although Jake Weatherald made 68, he missed a batting partner who would do the same; the second-highest score by a South Australia batsman was Callum Ferguson’s 19.Both Ferguson and Weatherald were dismissed by Kuhnemann, who was the sixth bowler introduced by Queensland captain Khawaja. He then dismissed Nos 9 and 10 to finish with his best List-A figures of 4 for 37 and close out the massive win in Brisbane’s Allan Border Field.

Glasgow Rangers still have just under two weeks left in the summer transfer window to make further additions before the deadline passes at the end of August.

Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has dipped into the market to land Hamza Igamane, Oscar Cortes, Mohammed Diomande, Liam Kelly, Clinton Nsiala, Jefte, Connor Barron, Robin Propper, and Vaclav Cerny so far.

However, there could be more to come from the Light Blues before the end of the window as their recruitment thus far did not help them to qualify for the Champions League.

The Gers lost 3-1 to Dynamo Kyiv over two legs and that defeat made it clear that the Scottish giants still lack quality in areas of the squad, which needs to be addressed this summer, and in future windows.

Rangers will play in the Europa League group phase this season and they could need more quality additions to compete and go far in that competition.

One area of the pitch in which Koppen and Philippe Clement could look to strengthen is in attacking midfield, where Ianis Hagi and Todd Cantwell are not part of the squad as it stands.

Rangers must swoop for Chelsea starlet

The Ibrox giants have been linked with attacking midfielders throughout the summer transfer window and one potential option is Chelsea's Leo Castledine.

Rangers are reportedly interested in signing the 18-year-old playmaker before the end of the month to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

The Light Blues are keen to land him on a season-long loan with an option to make it permanent next summer, but the Premier League giants would prefer a straight loan.

Fellow Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen and unknown teams from the English Championship are also eyeing up the England youth international, which means that Rangers will face plenty of competition for his signature.

Clement's side have also been linked with an interest in Manchester United attacking midfielder Hannibal Mejbri but his £7m price tag could make that a difficult deal to complete.

Instead of splashing out a fee of £7m to sign the Tunisia international, Rangers could save funds and land Castledine on loan from Chelsea to bridge a gap in that position until next summer at least.

The Blues youngster is a fantastic talent and could be a dream signing for current Light Blues striker Cyriel Dessers, who has blown hot and cold in his time at Ibrox so far.

Cyriel Dessers' hot and cold time at Rangers

It is fair to say that the experienced forward splits opinion in Glasgow as there is a lot to like and a lot not to like about his performances for the club.

The striker was brought in on a permanent deal from Italian side Cremonese by former Gers boss Michael Beale last summer and enjoyed a solid first season in Scotland on paper.

He ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of 22 goals and nine assists in 54 appearances in all competitions, which shows that he was able to find the back of the net a fair amount.

However, that goal return does not tell the full story of his season. Dessers was a frustrating player to watch at times due to his wasteful finishing in front of goal, particularly in the Scottish Premiership.

The 29-year-old attacker missed a staggering 27 'big chances' and scored 16 goals in the division, which shows that he spurned far more huge opportunities than he scored. Meanwhile, no other Rangers player got into double figures for 'big chances' missed.

This suggests that Dessers should have scored more than he did based on the quality of chances that were created for him by his teammates in the Premiership.

He has started the current campaign with an impressive return, on paper, of three goals in five starts but his finishing has, once again, been questionable.

Appearances

2

Goals

1

Big chances missed

3

Key passes

0

Assists

0

Pass accuracy

57%

As you can see in the table above, Dessers has not made the most of the opportunities that have fallen his way in the first two Premiership games, whilst also being loose in possession with no creativity.

These statistics suggest that Rangers are in need of an attacking midfielder who can contribute with goals to make up for the striker's struggles in the final third.

Why Rangers should sign Leo Castledine

Koppen and Clement must push to land an agreement to sign Castledine on loan from Chelsea because he has the potential to be that goalscoring number ten that the team currently lacks.

Tom Lawrence is the only natural attacking midfielder in the first-team mix and has started the season with zero goals and zero assists in four starts.

Appearances

23

Goals

2

Big chances created

4

Assists

3

Pass accuracy

82%

As you can see in the table above, the Wales international also struggled to make a regular impact at the top end of the pitch in the 2023/24 campaign.

Lawrence does not appear to have the attacking quality that Rangers need to make up for Dessers' struggles in front of goal, but Castledine has the potential to have it.

The 18-year-old star, who turns 19 this month, enjoyed a stunning 2023/24 season with a return of ten goals and nine assists in 18 Premier League 2 appearances for Chelsea's U21s, predominantly playing in an attacking midfield role.

He has showcased his ability in the final third throughout his time in the Blues academy with 14 goals and ten assists in 46 matches for the U21s and 18 goals and six assists in 47 games for the U18s.

Castledine, who was hailed as "exceptional" on the ball by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has yet to prove himself at senior level, with just the one first-team outing, and a loan to Rangers could be his chance to shine.

If he can translate his sensational form at youth level over to Ibrox (Hampden for now) then he could be the dream signing to partner Dessers in attack, by providing a huge goal threat from a number ten role whilst also being a creator for his teammates.

انضم مهاجم منتخب مصر، عمر مرموش، إلى مانشستر سيتي رسميًا حتى يونيو 2029 ليكمل إرث الفراعنة في الدوري الإنجليزي رفقة، محمد صلاح وسام مرسي.

وكان موسم مرموش مع آينتراخت فرانكفورت مميزًا للغاية، لكن الأمر قد يكون صعبًا مع بداية مشواره في مانشستر سيتي مع وجود مباريات نارية ومصيرية تنتظره في الفترة المقبلة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أنشيلوتي: أتمنى خروج مانشستر سيتي من دوري أبطال أوروبا

عمر مرموش: العمل مع بيب جوارديولا ؟ إنه أحد أفضل المدربين في التاريخ، أريد التعلم منه من خلال التدريب تحت قيادته pic.twitter.com/Of5fnat1mb — Btolat.com (@Btolat) January 23, 2025

ويعاني مانشستر سيتي من موسم متذبذب للغاية سواء على المستوى المحلي في الدوري الإنجليزي بالإضافة إلى اقتراب خروجه من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا عقب الهزيمة بالأمس أمام باريس سان جيرمان.

وتتبقى جولة واحدة أمام مانشستر سيتي في مجموعة دوري أبطال أوروبا سيخوضها في الأسبوع المقبل والفريق يحتل المركز الخامس والعشرين بالترتيب وهو مركز غير مؤهل إلى ملحق دور الـ16 وبالتالي قد يخرج من البطولة مبكرًا.

في حين أن هناك أكثر من مباراة قوية وصعبة في الدوري الإنجليزي أمام ليفربول الذي يضم، محمد صلاح، كذلك آرسنال وتوتنهام وتشيلسي. مباريات عمر مرموش مع مانشستر سيتي في يناير وفبراير

تشيلسي – الدوري الإنجليزي – 25 يناير.

كلوب بروج – دوري أبطال أوروبا – 29 يناير.

آرسنال – الدوري الإنجليزي – 2 فبراير.

لايتون أورينت – كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي – 8 فبراير.

نيوكاسل – الدوري الإنجليزي – 15 فبراير.

ليفربول – الدوري الإنجليزي – 23 فبراير.

توتنهام – الدوري الإنجليزي – 26 فبراير.

After Chelsea confirmed the arrival of Pedro Neto on Sunday afternoon, introducing him to the Stamford Bridge faithful at half-time against Inter, it looked a pretty pleasant time to be a Blue.

Todd Boehly was also on the verge of concluding a deal to bring Atletico Madrid forward Samu Omorodion to the Bridge.

Yet, just a matter of hours later the deal was as dead as a dodo. David Ornstein reported that a 'major problem' when it came to the player's contract had jeopardised a move and he would now not head to London.

Omorodion could still head to England but it's unlikely to be in the direction of Chelsea, with the Atleti striker reportedly now offered to the likes of Aston Villa and Bournemouth.

Chelsea's main Omorodion alternative

Victor Osmihen has been the name on many lips this summer, not just at Chelsea but throughout the footballing world.

He's been an option for teams in Saudi, PSG have looked at him and Arsenal are also allegedly in the conversation to beat Chelsea to his signature.

However, with a proposed £109m price tag in the offing, a deal looks tricky to complete.

As a result, the transfer team in west London are heading back to Madrid in an attempt to prise away another forward; Joao Felix.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Portuguese has already said yes to a move and it's now up to Boehly and Co to decide whether they want to proceed with a move.

Felix has already had one spell at Chelsea during the second half of the 2022/23 season where he played 20 times and scored four goals.

During his stint in the Premier League, the 24-year-old played in a variety of positions, namely as an attacking midfielder or centre-forward, occupying somewhat of a false 9 role.

His replacement that summer after he left? A certain Cole Palmer. How he has exploded since leaving Manchester City behind.

Cole Palmer's transfer value in 2024

Felix wasn't totally convincing during his loan spell at the club and as a result, Mauricio Pochettino didn't seek a permanent deal.

Palmer was one man who arrived to fill the void and he did that in remarkable fashion. Hailed as a "fantastic" player by club icon Joe Cole, the former Man City star emulated Chelsea greats Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba during a breakthrough campaign for the now England international.

The 22-year-old scored a whopping 25 goals in 45 outings, also supplying 15 assists in that time. It's safe to say not signing Felix was a good decision on that evidence.

It was a campaign that subsequently saw Palmer's transfer value explode. Signed for a fee of £40m he is now estimated to be worth around £69m by Transfermarkt.

How does Chelsea's new transfer target compare? Well, the Portugal international could head back to English football in a deal worth £43m according to reports. That's a fraction more than the £38m Omorodion was set to join for.

Considering a deal to sign the Atleti forward has fallen apart, Felix would be a solid alternative but he doesn't touch Palmer when it comes to output.

Palmer vs Felix: 2023/24 League Season

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Palmer

Felix

Goals

22

11

Assists

7

3

Pass success %

79%

81%

Key passes *

2.47

1.11

Passes into final 3rd *

4.67

1.17

Progressive passes *

6.77

3.98

Shot-creating actions *

5.57

3.63

Succesful take-ons *

1.79

1.70

Progressive carries *

4.02

4.04

Stats via FBRef.

As we can see, the Englishman unsurprisingly wiped the floor with Felix throughout a devastating 2023/24 campaign in the Premier League.

That's certainly not to suggest the former loanee wouldn't be a good addition but he would most definitely be playing second fiddle to Palmer.

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Seamus Coleman, Ben Godfrey, Nathan Patterson and Ashley Young have all featured at right-back for Everton in recent months, with none fully able to cement the role on a permanent basis.

Irish defender Coleman has been at the club since 2009, but the now 35-year-old looks as though injuries have caught up with him in recent years.

Godfrey has already departed Goodison Park this summer, with Patterson massively struggling with injuries throughout the second half of last season.

Experienced full-back Young has demonstrated he’s prone to a mistake or two during the recent campaign – notably picking up a red card away at Anfield – with the club still needing to strengthen the right-back area despite the array of different options.

The club have been targeting reinforcements in the defensive department, including one talent, with Sean Dyche’s side even placing a bid for his services ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Everton make bid to sign £10m defensive talent

According to TuttomercadoWEB, Everton have submitted a bid to sign Hellas Verona talent Jackson Tchatchoua this summer.

The 22-year-old, who only joined the Italian side on a permanent basis this summer, has been subject to huge interest this summer, with French side Rennes also wanting to complete a deal for his services.

The report states that the Toffees placed a bid totalling £8.4m, but Verona are demanding a £10m package to part ways with the full-back who would be a phenomenal addition to Dyche’s side.

With Everton unable to find a settled right-back in recent times, Tchatchoua could easily fill the void, with the Cameroonian registering a tally of 26 league appearances last campaign – with only Young featuring in more during the 2023/24 season.

His potential arrival on Merseyside this summer could also allow one other player to thrive at Goodison, should he follow the full-back in a move to the club this summer.

Why Tchatchoua would allow Gnonto to thrive at Everton

Wilfried Gnonto is a talent who has constantly been linked with Everton ever since Leeds United suffered relegation back to the Championship back in 2022/23.

The Italian undeniably has a lot of talents that could improve Dyche’s forward line, but it’s unknown which flank he would be utilised on at Goodison.

Should he feature on the right, he could form a brilliant partnership with Tchatchoua, with the full-back producing figures that would bolster Everton’s defence, but also aid Gnonto should he move to Merseyside.

The Cameroonian has been brilliant defensively, winning an average of two tackles per 90, whilst also completing 1.2 interceptions – showcasing that he’s more than capable of slotting into Dyche’s defensive system.

Jackson Tchatchoua's stats per 90 in Serie A (2023/24)
Statistics	Tally
Games	26
Assists	2
Passes completed	42
Progressive passes	2.8
Progressive carries	1.8
Tackles won	2
Interceptions	1.2
Stats via FBref

However, it’s his attacking capabilities that could allow the 22-year-old to form a great partnership with Gnonto, completing an average of 42 passes per 90, with 2.8 of those being progressive, demonstrating his intent to play the ball forward where possible.

He’s also averaged 1.8 progressive carries, enjoying running with the ball at his feet, undoubtedly a feature of his play that was key during his previous stint as a winger, which shows that he can carry and progress the ball into dangerous positions for the Italian forward.

All things considered, Tchatchoua would be a great addition to Dyche’s side, with the club potentially signing an excellent talent for a bargain price.

He has the potential to improve further whilst also cementing his place at right-back and, if he reaches the levels expected of him, making the club a tidy profit down the line to boost their PSR battle.

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The youngster has enjoyed a stellar 12 months.

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Ethan Lamb

Jul 18, 2024

Five years, four stress fractures, one bout of surgery and countless injections separate Reece Topley, the England rookie who took part in his side’s wide-eyed journey towards the final of the last World T20 in India in 2016, from the seasoned, 27-year-old pro whose career could yet come full circle as England’s latest T20I campaign prepares to get underway in Ahmedabad.The fact that Topley is still playing cricket at any level is remarkable in itself. By his own admission, he was “totally done with it” at one stage of his interminable injury agonies – not least on one grim afternoon in the summer of 2018, when a call to say he had been picked for the India ODIs was trumped by another confirming that, yes, he would be undergoing a back operation.But the fact that Topley has fought back from the brink, to muscle himself a berth in England’s full-strength T20I squad, is a testament to the enduring attributes of a 6ft 7in left-arm seamer – a rare breed of bowler who can generate good pace and sharp swing from his awkward high action, and whose skills at the death have not been diminished in the interim.It remains to be seen whether those attributes can earn him an instant recall (“if I get an opportunity it’s about performing that role to Morgy’s standards,” he said) but, having flirted with all manner of alternative career paths – including human-rights lawyer and financial markets analyst – during his years on the sidelines, he’s gagging to get back to the career he thought he’d fallen out of love with.Related

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“It’s unbelievable to be back amongst the set-up and with these lads,” he said. “The last time I played, I had that innocence of youth when it was that natural progression. I took it in my stride and it never really fazed me.”This time round, I seemed to enjoy the process of getting selected, working back into the team a lot more. It feels like I have really had to work hard for it, and possibly I took that for granted first time round. But this time it is something I cherish.”This will not be Topley’s official England comeback. That milestone was ticked off in the summer, against Ireland at the Ageas Bowl in August, where he capped a very serviceable return to the fray by claiming his first international wicket for 1597 days with the final ball of the innings.But, having also travelled to South Africa on the curtailed white-ball tour before Christmas, these five matches in Ahmedabad could yet mark the start of his true comeback – especially given what they could mean for the T20 World Cup in the autumn.”I do view this as a second career in a way,” Topley said. “I had such a long break in the middle, I’m older and more mature as a person, I have a totally different outlook on what being a pro cricketer is.”The last time I played in a T20 was at the World Cup, that game in Mumbai where we chased down 230-odd,” he added. “It was a very memorable game. A lot has happened between that, obviously, but I’m very pleased to be back, and quite proud of everything I have overcome.”Reece Topley played his first England international in four years against Ireland•Getty Images

That contest, against South Africa at the Wankhede, remains England’s highest T20I chase, and the third-highest for any nation. And for Topley, it proved to be the end of the road in the short term, as his two overs were slammed for 33 runs, only days after he had endured similar treatment from Chris Gayle and West Indies.But the format, in Topley’s estimation, has accelerated in the interim, and as and when he gets his chance to prove his mettle once more, he’s confident that he’ll have the mental resolve to rise to the evolving challenges, just as he had to overcome his numerous and daunting threats to his career.”I’ve still got certain attributes from last time I played for England,” he said. “I’m still a swing bowler up top and a fairly decent death bowler, but any progression that has been made, it’s probably inside my own head.”I moved away from cricket for a year, and when I came back, the game had moved on. It wasn’t until I played that I realised how batsman are taking the Powerplay differently, how things are changing at the death. It was only through that competition that you really get a grasp of how the game has moved.”Back at the start my career, you’d have your five best bowlers bowling. Whereas now, every position has a role and everyone, 1 to 11, is more under the microscope now. It’s not necessarily about the individual performances, it’s about the death bowlers closing out an innings, it’s about the guys up front taking wickets, it’s about spinners or fast bowlers taking wickets in the middle, if that’s your role.”Topley returns to a very different team dynamic as well. Whereas England’s last World T20 campaign was conducted on a wing and a prayer, with Eoin Morgan instructing his players to “embrace the naivety” of being the competition’s outsiders, this time they arrive as 50-over world champions, and the No. 1-ranked side in both white-ball formats. As such, the chances to impress may be scarcer, but the rewards of success could be more lasting.”If I get the opportunity, it’s for me to force [Morgan’s] hand and take that chance,” Topley said. “Whatever the role for the game that I’ve been given, perform that for the team so that Morgs has a difficult choice of leaving me out, whenever that time comes.”It’s probably one of the harder teams in the world to try and crack into. I can only do that by taking opportunities if any come my way. Healthy competition for places is what you need in a great side and, if you look back to the one-day series leading up to the World Cup that England won, there was massive competition for places there. I think that shows it’s healthy. I am going to try and take all the opportunities that come my way and hopefully perform my role for the team.”But whatever happens, Topley is at least back on the stage that his ability has long warranted, even if his body has struggled to match up to the expectations.”I’ll be honest, I did sort of give up at one point,” he said. “I was totally done with it. I remember people saying I wouldn’t play cricket again. I’d washed my hands of cricket and was well on to looking at other things. But I think it was something to do with being told you can’t do something. When it comes full circle to playing cricket, it is extremely rewarding. And thankfully I can say it’s pain free. It’s something I won’t take for granted again.”