Mumbai Indians (MI) are starting IPL 2025 with some personnel issues, which has pushed Suryakumar Yadav into an even bigger spotlight. Though he does captain India in T20Is now, Sunday will only be the second time he leads his IPL franchise. Standing against him will be a Chennai Super Kings team stacked with some excellent spin bowling talent. How does he plan to deal with them?”Only sixes,” he said to kick off a chilled-out press conference. It ended with Suryakumar in stitches as he contemplated the idea of MS Dhoni as an uncapped player, to which he has been reclassified thanks to the revival of an old IPL rule.”Jokes apart,” Suryakumar continued. “They have some experience also in their side. The good bowlers who have played for this franchise before and have been playing for the franchise for a really long time. But this format, whatever comes your way, you have to be yourself. Just enjoy and take one ball at a time.”Related

• Ashwin, Dhoni and their history of funvention

• Vettori: 'Whatever ground we go to, our batting is going to be aggressive'

• Jayawardene banks on MI's core group

• Suryakumar to lead in MI in season opener

• What can MI do to cope with Bumrah's absence?

Suryakumar’s sunny disposition wasn’t be soured by the players he will be missing – Hardik Pandya (suspension) and Jasprit Bumrah (injury) – or by his recent batting form.”Is that for IPL or for Team India? For IPL, IPL form has been good,” he said, throwing back to last season when he scored 345 runs in 11 innings including a century and three fifties.”I think the harder you work, the luckier you get. If it has to come, it will come anytime. But I am actually a process-oriented man. I love to work hard in the nets. And if the runs have to follow, it will follow quickly. Someday or the other.Suryakumar Yadav gets into his rhythm in the nets•Mumbai Indians

“If I am practicing well, hitting the ball really well in the nets, when I go in the game, my mind is clear, I know what I have to do. That is the moment, that is the sweet spot for me. When I know that I am in good space and I will get runs for the side.”His batting, and his team, aren’t the full extent of Suryakumar’s concerns anymore now that he is India captain and they are building towards a home T20 World Cup. He says he has always been on the lookout for breakout talents.”My eyes were always open, even when I was not the captain. Even when, I think, Rohit [Sharma] was the captain of T20. That time also, my eyes were wide open. Because at the end of the day, when someone does really well in the IPL for the franchise and goes on to play for India, every player is important. So, any player who can make an impact for India, your eyes have to be wide open. And it won’t be that different from all the years. I think it will be the same. Just a little bit of added responsibility. That’s it.”MI will need to look to their bench to balance their XI at Chepauk, where a “good wicket” awaits them. It looks like they might turn to Satyanarayana Raju, a 25-year-old Andhra fast bowler who picked up seven wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 8.23 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was among the first set of bowlers to hit the nets on the eve of the game on Saturday.”I feel if you see Mumbai Indians set up over the years, it is more than 10-15 years now. The scouting team has been amazing. We have picked amazing players. Going after, looking at all the domestic matches, sharing it with the coaches and the picks have been great. We have a lot of exciting players also this time in our dressing room. Good characters, funny ones as well. It is good we saw them during the camp, during the practice games. I think they are ready for the stage.”

Pakistan are trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, this despite a number of first-choice NZ players unavailable due to IPL commitments

Vishal Dikshit20-Mar-2025

Big Picture: Can Pakistan stop New Zealand’s charge?Even against a depleted New Zealand squad, Pakistan’s revamped T20I side managed to hit a new low of getting bundled for 91 in the series opener. Even against a New Zealand side without the flying Glenn Phillips, Pakistan have been handing out catches incessantly through the two games so far – for all ten dismissals in the first game and eight out of nine in the second.If this new-look Pakistan side wants to keep the five-match T20I series alive in Auckland on Friday, they need to step up on all fronts and prove to the world – and even perhaps to themselves – that it’s not all doom and gloom with less than a year to go for the next T20 World Cup.Pakistan themselves are a depleted side, in the early days of learning to live without Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in this format, and without the injured Saim Ayub. It’s still early days to judge the new opening pair of Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris, but their inability to cope with the pace and bounce in Christchurch before poor shot selections in Dunedin doesn’t bode well.Related

Pakistan slide feels like a terminal, slow decline

Neesham, Allen, Seifert 'very hungry' to play for NZ as 2026 T20 World Cup prep begins

Rauf backs Pakistan's youngsters: 'Give them 10 to 15 matches, that is how they become players'

Salman Agha’s blitzy 46 off 28 and cameos from the experienced Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi down the order in the second game helped them to 135 for 9 in a rain-reduced 15-overs-a-side game. However, the ineffectiveness of their bowling attack – which holds a lot more promise than their batting – to contain the New Zealand batting places a big question mark over who can really help them keep the series alive.New Zealand’s openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen were devastating in both games, exemplified by Seifert carting Afridi around for 26 runs in an over in the second game. Given the sunny forecast in Auckland, Pakistan will first hope they win the toss, which they haven’t so far this series, and then try to remove the openers early to test their middle order.New Zealand have not had much to worry about so far; their bowlers have worked like a well-oiled machine in favourable conditions and even though they put down three catches in the first match, they have held on to 18.Pakistan will also be desperate to lift their hopes after a forgettable home Champions Trophy campaign and put an end to their five-match losing streak in T20Is, which started in Zimbabwe in December last year.Form guideNew Zealand WWLWW
Pakistan LLLLLJames Neesham picked two wickets in the second T20I•Joe Allison/Getty Images

In the spotlight: James Neesham and Hasan NawazAfter last playing T20Is in the 2024 T20 World Cup, James Neesham returned to the side in the absence of the stars that are in India for the IPL. He got to play only in the second game, picking two wickets towards the end and scoring just 5 in the chase before holing out. Once a game-changer in New Zealand’s white-ball squads, Neesham has fallen out of favour in ODIs but he has committed himself for next year’s T20 World Cup. The onus remains on him to prove that form is something he can turn around quickly, especially in home conditions, as he has not scored over 40 in the format since December 2023.Hasan Nawaz has had as poor a start to his international career as anyone could: two ducks in two games. It’s the nature of dismissals in both games that might disappoint him and the team management as he dished out wild swings to miscue the ball on both occasions. The 22-year-old came into this series with runs for Lions in Pakistan’s Champions T20 Cup, finishing second on the run-scorers’ list and with the second-most sixes, too. The challenge now will be to keep his place in the Pakistan XI for the remaining games and try to earn his runs in more hostile conditions.Mohammad Ali has been carted for 59 runs in five overs across the two T20Is•Getty Images

Team newsSince it’s a five-match series and there was a quick turnaround between the first two games, New Zealand rested Kyle Jamieson and Tim Robinson to bring in Ben Sears and Jimmy Neesham for the second match. They could bring Jamieson back and rest Jacob Duffy for the third game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Seifert, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 James Neesham, 6 Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell (capt), 8 Zakary Foulkes, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Jacob Duffy/Ben SearsPakistan changed the mix of their bowling attack to pick fast bowler Haris Rauf for legspinner Abrar Ahmed for the second match. Mohammad Ali has been expensive in both games, leaking nearly 12 runs in both games put together. Abbas Afridi is the one option in their squad if they wish to replace Ali.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Haris (wk), 2 Hasan Nawaz, 3 Salman Agha (capt), 4 Irfan Khan, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Jahandad Khan, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Mohammad AliPitch and conditionsEven though New Zealand bowled in the first two games and won both, the last four matches (barring a tie between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in 2023) in Auckland were won by teams batting first. Eden Park in general is known as a high-scoring ground and with no rain predicted for Friday, and temperatures expected to dip below 20 degrees at night, the crowd should be entertained for a full 40 overs.Stats and triviaFinn Allen has scored 433 runs in 11 innings against Pakistan in T20Is, the most by him against any opponent, including two fifties and a hundred. He is already in the top five list of batters to score most runs against PakistanIf he plays on Friday, Ish Sodhi will become joint second-most capped player for New Zealand in T20IsHaris Rauf needs two more to reach 200 international wickets

UEFA have been presented with a final proposal for the Super League project that would include dramatic evolution of the current Champions League format. According to Mundo Deportivo, the project has been under tight wraps for the past eight months, with UEFA, Super League backers A22 Sports Management, and key powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid conducting secret negotiations to hammer out a deal that could end football’s civil war.

• Carl Recine
  

  From war to peace: a secret deal in the making

  Since the infamous Super League breakaway fiasco in 2021, tensions between UEFA and Europe’s elite clubs have simmered beneath the surface. But now, after seven rounds of discreet meetings, some even taking place inside UEFA’s own headquarters, both sides are finally edging toward a compromise. The goal? A revamped European competition that keeps UEFA in charge, satisfies the big clubs’ financial ambitions, and prevents the re-emergence of a rogue Super League.

Advertisement

• The final offer: Free global tv and a supercharged format

  The Super League’s latest and perhaps last proposal includes two revolutionary ideas designed to win UEFA’s approval.

  1. A free global streaming platform, making top-tier European football accessible to fans everywhere.

  2.  A revamped tournament structure that mirrors the Champions League but promises more thrilling, high-stakes clashes from day one.

  The free streaming service, named UNIFY, would feature both ad-supported and premium options, offering global access to every match while keeping viewing costs low. It’s being hailed as a modern, fan-first approach that could revolutionise football broadcasting, bringing in bigger revenues and broader reach than existing TV deals.

• Getty/GOAL
  

  A new “super” champions league format

  Under the proposal, the Champions League would remain by name, but with a bold new look. The current 36-team setup would stay, yet the structure would be split into two separate groups of 18 clubs each. The top 18 clubs, ranked by UEFA coefficients, would face off in eight blockbuster first-phase matches against fellow heavyweights. Meanwhile, the lower 18 clubs, ranked 19th to 36th, would play their own eight fixtures, a mix of competitive, evenly matched encounters determined by draw. Qualification for the tournament would still come via domestic league performance, keeping national competitions relevant.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Knockout chaos: A fresh twist to the finals path

  The knockout stages would also get a makeover. The top eight teams from the elite group would automatically qualify for the round of 16. The remaining 16 spots would be filled through a dramatic playoff round, with teams ranked ninth in Group 1 battling lower-ranked qualifiers from Group 2 in what promises to be explosive, winner-takes-all ties. Once the round of 16 begins, the structure will follow the familiar knockout route to the grand final. The goal? To keep the essence of the Champions League intact while supercharging the competitiveness and unpredictability of every round.

Crystal Palace are looking to replace Eberechi Eze’s creativity at Selhurst Park and could now be set to seek out two replacements as opposed to one, according to a report.

Crystal Palace look to future after Nottingham Forest draw

Completing a successful week on the field despite the circumstances behind Eze’s departure, Crystal Palace maintained their unbeaten Premier League start after securing a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest amid a backdrop of hostility between both sets of supporters.

While their controversial expulsion from the Europa League is still fresh in the memory, a 1-0 victory over Fredrikstad FK has placed Oliver Glasner and company on course for Conference League football.

Paying tribute to the Eagles’ supporters, he stated on his side’s positive early performances via Match of the Day: “We always know we can count on our supporters and fans.

“They did it again. It’s always great to play at Selhurst. I’m more or less delighted with our start to the season. This was our fourth competitive game, fourth time unbeaten. There’s a lot of noise around us but a lot of credit to the players to deal with the situation.”

Still, there will be plenty of focus on who comes in to enrich his squad, and speculation over Crystal Palace making a move for Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss refuses to die down.

Mateta 2.0: Crystal Palace in talks to sign £14m ace who's "got everything"

Crystal Palace is in talks to sign a new striker who possesses shades of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s lethal game.

By
Kelan Sarson

Aug 20, 2025

West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta could also be en route to Selhurst Park. However, Manchester City have also renewed their interest in the Brazilian, creating a saga that may drag on into the final days of the window.

Either way, there is a need for reinforcements to bolster Glasner’s slim squad depth, and there is a chance he could look to bring in two players to replicate Eze’s unique level of output.

Crystal Palace eye double deal to replace Eberechi Eze

According to The Sun, Crystal Palace could sign Villarreal star Yeremy Pino and Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis to replace Eze amid a difference in opinion between Glasner and Steve Parish.

In short, Glasner would favour a move for Tzolis. Meanwhile, Parish prefers Pino, fashioning a scenario where both players could be purchased for fees of £20 million apiece.

With Eze departing for £67.5 million, there is a wealth of money for the Eagles to play with in South London. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether their boss will soften up on a move for Pino, who he doesn’t currently see room for in his side.

Clearly, both players in question would improve Crystal Palace’s attacking output, though time is of the essence if either are to be drafted in before the window closes.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has left his £116 million summer signing Florian Wirtz on the bench for Saturday's crunch Premier League clash with Chelsea. The new arrival has made a slow start to life at Anfield following his move from Bayer Leverkusen, which has brought plenty of criticism, and he has now been taken out of the starting XI by his manager.

Liverpool team named for Chelsea match

Slot has named his team to face the Blues and there's no place for Wirtz. The Reds boss has instead named Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominic Szoboszlai in his team, along with attackers Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak for the game at Stamford Bridge.

AdvertisementIMAGO / XinhuaWirtz benched after criticism for a slow start at Liverpool

Big things were expected of Wirtz after Liverpool invested heavily to bring him to Anfield, but he is yet to produce a single goal or assist in nine appearances in all competitions for his new employers. His lack of end-product has brought plenty of scrutiny and criticism on the new arrival. Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher feels the Reds have lost intensity since Wirtz arrived.

"It sounds odd to say it, but Wirtz was signed to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold – a No 10 to provide the passing range and creativity of a unique full-back. He is yet to add what Liverpool are missing without Alexander-Arnold, while at the same time the team has lost the intensity which made them so difficult to play against. It means Slot has a dilemma as he tries to defend the title going through a transitional phase that might take longer than many thought. He must decide whether to regroup and temporarily revert to the strategy of last season, accommodating Wirtz in a different role or leaving him out entirely until he is up to speed with English football," he told .

"Or he might persist with his vision believing more short-term pain might be necessary until it clicks. The latter would be dangerous because even with all the credit in the bank from his title win, there is immense pressure to keep winning, especially when you have spent a combined £230m on two players who are supposed to be ready-made to take a championship-winning side to the next level. Slot excelled by moulding Klopp’s signings into a better team. Now he has to repeat the trick with his own recruits."

Slot says Liverpool needed Wirtz

Slot has defended his new signing and told reporters Liverpool needed a player with his profile. He said: "We were very happy winning the league. But we didn’t shut our eyes for the second part of the season to how many times we needed a set piece [to win]. That is not something bad because Arsenal and Chelsea are needing a set piece almost every single game at the moment. We’ve brought in a very different midfielder than we had last season [Florian Wirtz], which we think we needed because there was a big, big difference between the amount of goals we found from open play in the first part of last season and the second part of last season.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Chelsea team to face Liverpool

Enzo Maresca has also raised a few eyebrows with his selection. Teenager Josh Acheampong is named in the starting XI, while academy defender Landon Emenalo is on the bench.

“To hold back Krunal for the 20th over made absolute sense” – Bangar also praised Patidar’s captaincy

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-20252:15

Is 2025 finally going to be RCB’s year?

The popular Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) slogan, , which translates to “this year the cup is ours”, has been doing the rounds over the years in IPL. It’s never happened, not with the men’s team. But Ambati Rayudu believes IPL 2025 could be that year – 18th time lucky.”If you look at their team, they have a pretty set combination,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “If you see the teams that are not doing well in the IPL, they are still trying their combinations. But RCB is one team, along with Delhi [Capitals (DC) and Punjab [Kings (PBKS)] to some extent, who have got their combinations well set for the season.”I have always enjoyed their [RCB’s] cricket. We have fun at their expense, only because nobody talks about DC or Punjab. Only because RCB always has a team that can win the IPL. But somehow, they come short because of their own shortcomings. Nobody else defeats them, it’s them. But this year, with [Rajat] Patidar [as captain], (this year the cup is RCB’s).”Related

Hazlewood eyes the dots as RCB reach unforgiving Chinnaswamy

RCB return to Chinnaswamy to take on unbeaten DC with renewed optimism

Rajat Patidar fined for RCB's slow over-rate against Mumbai Indians

Patidar lauds Krunal's 'courage' after triple-wicket final over

Stats – Kohli becomes first Indian to 13,000 T20 runs; Bhuvneshwar overtakes Bravo

In Patidar’s first year as captain, RCB have won all their three away games – in Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai – so far and lost one at home to sit third on points table following their 12-run victory against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Monday. Only net run-rate separates table-toppers DC, second-placed Gujarat Titans (GT) and RCB.Sanjay Bangar echoed Rayudu views and heaped praise on Patidar’s captaincy and tactics during the game against MI. Chasing 222, MI needed 138 runs from the final ten overs, and they had brought the equation down to 52 from four overs with six wickets in hand and, at that stage, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya looked set to finish it off. However, Patidar’s use of fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazelwood, and left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya at the death saw RCB eke out a win. While Bhuvneshwar bowled the 16th and 18th overs, Hazlewood bowled the penultimate one. Handing over the ball to Krunal for the last one was also an unusual move but worked for RCB as he picked up three wickets and defended 18.”For me, the biggest takeaway in that captaincy during those 20 overs is getting Bhuvi early,” Rayudu said. “Because you generally associate Bhuvi to bowling either 19th or 20th. But getting Bhuvi early when they really needed experience, when they needed to get the game back into their control, I felt was a brilliant move.Rajat Patidar has led RCB to three wins from four matches•Associated Press”Because he could have gone [to] Krunal again, thinking that we have Hazlewood and Bhuvi. But even the execution from Bhuvi and Hazlewood was amazing. And this also shows this IPL is different, because there is no dew. Bowling yorkers even in the second innings has become slightly more easier. And also with the use of saliva. “Bangar said that having just five bowlers might have been an “advantage as well” for RCB because Hardik “had numerous options” and “probably MI didn’t really use the resources” at the right time.”But that wasn’t the case with RCB,” Bangar said. “I just guess that also the type of batsmen that were there at No. 3 and No. 4 allowed Rajat to bowl those spinners [Krunal and Suyash Sharma] in tandem. Which wasn’t the case with MI. Because MI always had this at the back of their mind. That they don’t have to bowl spin to Rajat Patidar. And that played in RCB’s hands. So he was pretty smart with that particular thing.”And to hold back Krunal for the 20th over made absolute sense. Because you don’t really want him to be bowling the 19th over, with Josh Hazlewood only having 10 or 12 to defend. So all in all, a very good day out for Rajat.”For all you know, before the season began, everybody was talking about RCB not really having the depth in the spin department but here you have eight overs of spin [were] bowled at Wankhede and quite effectively, which was probably the difference between winning and losing.”

Everton fans might well have felt jittery heading into their side’s first-ever competitive contest at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, fearful that it wouldn’t feel like home from minute one.

While it will take the hardened Toffees masses some time to get used to their brand-new home, away from feeling comfort in the old-school aesthetic of Goodison Park, David Moyes’ men experienced a dream start to Premier League life on Bramley-Moore Dock by confidently getting the better of Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0.

At the end of the day, it was a determined team effort that saw the jubilant three points be secured, with Jordan Pickford having to come up trumps once more to save a penalty, but the individual heroics of Jack Grealish did steal most of the headlines post-match.

The former Aston Villa ace looked a man reborn with two sublime assists next to his name at the full-time whistle, with Moyes now on the hunt for a late Grealish-style repeat in the dying stages of the busy transfer window.

Everton now in the race for £40m star

The Toffees may well look back on the loan-to-buy deal to pick up Grealish as one of their golden captures of the window, if he can keep this sensational form up over the course of a full season.

This move might also make Everton feel more confident that they can land signings who can transform their fortunes, having already secured the capture of Grealish’s heir apparent, Tyler Dibling, from Southampton.

Moreover, Moyes has even been bold enough to try and raid his old employers, West Ham United, for Tomas Soucek, but a bid has been allegedly turned down. Still, it’s not only the Czech enforcer tickling his fancy from the London Stadium.

Indeed, the Daily Mail Online has now revealed that Everton has emerged as a surprise, late candidate for the signature of Hammers midfielder Lucas Paqueta, with Spurs and Aston Villa also in the hunt for the £40m-rated star.

Transfer Focus

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

Much like Grealish has previously suffered with, Paqueta has had a lot of stormy off-field issues come to light, but if he can move on from his Hammers nightmare and selects Everton as his next club, he might well go down as a remarkable repeat of the exciting Birmingham-born attacker joining Moyes’ camp.

Why Paqueta can be a stunning Grealish repeat

Even when the now 29-year-old Grealish was performing to the peak of his powers at Villa Park – which saw him collect a bumper 32 goals and 43 assists at his boyhood club in total – he was still a figure often filling column inches for some wild reasons.

Therefore, when the goals and assists subsequently dried up at Manchester City, with the £100m talent only mustering up 17 goals and 23 assists on the books of the regular Premier League champions, he had nowhere to hide from rampant criticism.

Thankfully, he looks as if he will be able to repair his fractured playing days under Moyes’ guidance, with Paqueta hopeful he can move on from a number of his own controversies, too, under his old Irons manager.

After all, it’s clear when examining his up-and-down numbers at West Ham, that he must hold a clear affinity to the Scotsman, with all but six of his goal contributions for the club falling under the reign of the seasoned Glaswegian.

Moyes

83

13 + 14

Julen Lopetegui

21

3 + 0

Graham Potter

17

3 + 0

Under Moyes’ influence, the Brazilian would even guide West Ham to a Conference League success, with then teammate Declan Rice lauding the 27-year-old as possessing “mind-boggling” ability.

There were even discussions at the time that he could leave East London behind for a chance at City for £100m, which is coincidentally the same eye-watering amount Grealish – who was also raved about as a “magician” during his celebrated stay at Villa by Ashley Cole – would join Pep Guardiola’s men for.

No such blockbuster move would come to fruition, with Paqueta now more known for his alleged off-field antics, rather than his “maverick” status for the Hammers, as he was previously dubbed by Moyes.

It could well be that Everton is just the place to be this summer if you want to breathe life back into your stagnant playing days, with Paqueta back at full throttle, alongside a reinvigorated Grealish, making the Toffees a dangerous threat to watch this season.

Insider has "no doubt" Everton are "looking" at £55k-a-week defensive midfielder

Would he be an ideal addition for the Blues?

ByHenry Jackson Aug 25, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers are already pressing ahead in their efforts for the January transfer window and could now have an avenue to landing a key target, according to a report.

Wolves look for stability after rocky Premier League start

Undoubtedly, Wolves have work to do under Vitor Pereira if they want to avoid being dragged into a scrap this campaign after a poor run of early-season results.

Three straight Premier League losses against Manchester City, Bournemouth and Everton have left the Old Gold rooted to the bottom of the table, albeit executive chairman Jeff Shi is confident that stability will come in the form of results sooner rather than later.

“Wolves need stability now – we need a coach to stay here and help us for a long time. Every coach needs time and the jigsaw to be made. We should give the coach enough time and the players he needs to prepare for the season.

“I feel the more important thing to define this season is the squad and the coach, the chemistry and the unity. If you have that foundation, you will have a strong season. If you don’t, maybe you have a doubt. Before Vitor came the team chemistry had some problems. This year that issue is gone. We have a strong team spirit and a very committed team structure.”

Tolu Arokodare’s late arrival from Genk has offered a much-needed forward option to work with alongside the likes of Jorgen Strand Larsen. However, missing out on Josh Brownhill despite talks with the former Burnley midfielder was an unfortunate turn of events.

Late on, Wolves also failed with a £30 million bid to sign Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney, but they may be about to complete a return swoop for another one of their targets during the summer window.

Wolves target Christos Mandas could be sold in January

According to Corriere dello Sport, Wolves target Christos Mandas is likely to be sold by Lazio in January after losing his spot as their number one goalkeeper to Ivan Provedel. During the window, the Old Gold submitted a bid worth over £17 millon for the Greece international, who kept six clean sheets in 20 appearances last term.

Wolves' most expensive signings of all time

Football FanCast takes a detailed look at Wolves’ 10 most expensive signings of all time.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025

Unhappy to become a deputy for the entirety of the campaign, Mandas is waiting for his chance, though may be forced into considering other options if Provedel remains in front of him for the foreseeable future.

Lazio are open to selling the 23-year-old for significant financial gain, opening up an opportunity for Wolves to pitch a vision of Premier League football to the Serie A star.

Maintaining a 74.3% save percentage in the Italian top-flight across 2024/25, it remains to be seen if Pereira can tempt the talented goalkeeper to the West Midlands once the January window opens.

Newcastle United are “in the mix” to complete the signing of a player who was described as one of the “biggest revelations” from Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy.

Hopkinson excited about Newcastle role

David Hopkinson has been appointed as the Magpies’ new CEO, in the biggest development at the club since the international break got underway. The 54-year-old Canadian has admitted that he cannot wait to get started in his new role, as he looks to make Newcastle supporters embrace him.

“I’m getting into this with both feet. This is not some sort of transactional assignment for me. This is where I intend to make my home. This is the community I intend to represent on every stage imaginable.

“The CEO role has an ambassadorial component to it and I want to be a great ambassador for Newcastle United and ultimately for Newcastle. My intention is to become an adopted Geordie here, but you have to earn that.”

The summer transfer window may be closed, but that hasn’t stopped Newcastle being linked with potential future signings, with one exciting name now thrown into the hat.

Newcastle "in the mix" to sign Barcelona rising star

Speaking to The Boot Room, journalist Graeme Bailey reports that Newcastle will be “in the mix” to sign Barcelona youngster Marc Casado in 2026.

“Casado is a really interesting name to keep an eye on heading into 2026. Newcastle do need and wanted something extra in midfield and he is someone who does appeal. It remains to be seen if he is attainable in the near future, but if he is available, then Newcastle are likely to be in the mix.

“Newcastle could get a closer look at Casado in the Champions League this season as they welcome Barcelona to St James’ Park in the Champions League later this month.”

Casado is a big young talent with a bright future in the game, so the idea of Newcastle prising him away from Barca is a mouthwatering prospect, if they are able to.

The 21-year-old midfielder has racked up 42 appearances for the La Liga champions, registering six assists in that time, while scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as one of the “biggest revelations” during the 2024/25 campaign.

Whether Newcastle are able to entice Casado to St James’ Park remains to be seen, but if he is struggling to start regularly for Hansi Flick’s side, he may see a move elsewhere as best for his long-term development.

PIF have already signed Newcastle's new Elliot Anderson and he's "terrific"

Eddie Howe will hope he has his own Elliot Anderson now at Newcastle United in this terrific talent.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 8, 2025

At 21, he is a player with so many more years ahead of him, and he could be viewed as a long-term successor to Bruno Guimaraes at the heart of the Magpies’ midfield.

Arsenal scouts have watched a “world-class talent” in action a number of times already this season, and they could be set to battle Tottenham Hotspur for his signature.

Gunners looking to bolster options in midfield

Mikel Arteta made major improvements to his squad in the summer transfer window, and Martin Zubimendi is already looking like a very astute signing, having been singled out for praise after scoring twice in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney said: “The technique on the first of his two goals against Nottingham Forest was frightening. It would have been so easy to get over that and put it into Row Z, and his header was nice as well.

“We see so many players that can’t head a ball any more and it was really calm. He ran the show and that is why Arsenal brought him in. They want him to be that maestro when they have loads of the ball.”

Related "He's still got it" – Odegaard says "complete" icon is Arsenal's best ever

The Arsenal captain has revealed who he believes the best player in the Gunners’ history is.

Posts ByDominic Lund Sep 14, 2025

Christian Norgaard also arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the summer, meaning Arteta should be very well-stocked in the engine room this season, but the north Londoners have now joined the race for another central midfielder.

That is according to a report from journalist Ahad Shaukhat for the Daily Briefing, who states Arsenal scouts have now watched Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi on a number of occasions already.

Bouaddi is being targeted by a number of top clubs from across Europe, with bitter rivals Tottenham also in the race for his signature, but there have been suggestions a deal could be on the expensive side.

The 17-year-old has been widely reported to have a price tag of £40m, which would be a huge amount to pay for a teenager.

"World-class talent" Bouaddi is one for the future

Despite his age, the young Frenchman has already established himself as a regular starter for Lille, making a total of 58 senior appearances for the French club, including four in Ligue 1 so far this season. Already he has emerged as “one of the best young midfielders in Europe”, in the words of football writer James Brooke.

Earlier this year, the Lille starlet also received very high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who lauded him as a “world-class talent”, while also describing the youngster as having “excellent technical capacity & ball carrying ability.”

That is underlined by the fact the Senlis-born ace ranks in the 90th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to other midfielders, and the 85th percentile for tackles over the same timeframe.

Having already started to make a name for himself in Ligue 1, Bouaddi clearly has a lot of potential, and may not be too far off first-team level for a top Premier League club, so Arsenal should undoubtedly look to win the race for his signature.