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Maximum bonus points was enough to keep Leicestershire at the top of the early Division Two table after their Rothesay County Championship match against neighbours Derbyshire ended in the draw that had looked nailed-on throughout the final day, despite visiting captain Wayne Madsen inevitably making runs.Out for 96, 41-year-old Madsen missed out on notching his seventh century in this fixture. Nonetheless, his record in 26 first-class matches against Leicestershire stands at 2,150 runs at an average of 63.23.The home side, leading by 382 overnight, batted on for a further eight overs in their second innings before declaring nine wickets down to set Derbyshire an unlikely target of 449 from a minimum 86 overs. They were 305 for four with a possible six more overs remaining when the sides shook hands on a draw.Australian Caleb Jewell’s 73 extended his start as a Derbyshire player to four half-centuries in four innings, while Brooke Guest finished 68 not out.The pitch had yielded runs at a healthy 4.36 per over across the first three innings but 5.22 per always looked a mightily tall order for the team that finished bottom of Division Two last season, even though they also opened the new campaign with a win. Likewise, taking 10 wickets with little evidence of deterioration in the surface looked a remote prospect for the home side.Derbyshire, moreover, have no history of chasing down substantial winning targets. The county’s biggest fourth-innings total to win a match against county opposition is 365 for seven against Nottinghamshire in the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020, at Trent Bridge; against all opponents it is 379 for nine against the Australian tourists at Derby in 1997.Leicestershire rattled off another 66 runs for the loss of one wicket before skipper Peter Handscomb signalled the declaration at 357 for nine, which made their pedestrian progress over the final 90 minutes of the third day suggest they were already ready to settle for a high-scoring draw after opening their season with a win.Jack Morley, Derbyshire’s left-arm spinner, conceded 34 runs in his last four overs compared with 50 in his first 22.Ben Mike, padded up on the Leicestershire balcony while Ben Green and Logan van Beek were blocking their way through 18 overs on Sunday evening, hammered an unbeaten 38 from 26 balls, including sixes off Morley and Blair Tickner. He and Tom Scriven added 55 from 40 balls after Green had clipped Morley straight to short midwicket in the second over.As Derbyshire began the nominal pursuit of their target, van Beek had David Lloyd caught by second slip Handscomb in the sixth over, the captain taking his second catch as the only slip when Ian Holland had a tentative Harry Came dangling the bat two overs after lunch.The combination of Jewell and Madsen took out another 20 overs before the Leicestershire attack could make further inroads. The Australian left-hander, who has made half-centuries in each of his first four Derbyshire innings, was impressive in making 50 from 53 balls but had become a little bogged down when he was bowled off a bottom edge by Scriven for 73.He and Madsen had added 87, the latter passing fifty for the 20th time in first-class matches against Leicestershire.While he and Jewell were together, the more optimistic Derbyshire followers might have imagined they had a chance, although it would be hard to imagine a more tenuous one.Madsen kept it just about alive, surviving a difficult chance to wicketkeeper Ben Cox off Green on 64. After adding a six down the ground off Rehan Ahmed to 13 fours, another hundred looked his for the taking until, one more boundary away, he dragged one on from Mike.With a minimum 24.4 overs still potentially left, Leicestershire might have caused some panic for the visitors had they been able to whip out another couple quickly, but Guest and Luis Reece denied them. Derbyshire drop a place third in the table.

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

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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.”

تمكن منتخب مصر، من تحقيق الفوز على نظيره منتخب غينيا بيساو، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين ضمن تصفيات كأس العالم. 

والتقى منتخب مصر مع نظيره منتخب غينيا بيساو، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساء بتوقيت القاهرة على ملعب القاهرة الدولي، في الجولة العاشرة والأخيرة من تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026. 

وحقق منتخب مصر الفوز على منتخب غينيا بيساو بهدف دون رد، ليُنهي الفراعنة مشوار تصفيات كأس العالم، منفردين بصدارة المجموعة في تصفيات كأس العالم، وبدون أي هزيمة.

وأحرز محمد حمدي، هدف مصر الأول أمام غينيا بيساو، في الدقيقة العاشرة من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، برأسية من داخل منطقة الجزاء، بعدما قابل عرضية مرسلة من الجانب الأيسر بعد تنفيذ ركلة ركنية.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة منتخب مصر بعد نهاية تصفيات كأس العالم

بهذا الفوز، رفع منتخب مصر رصيده إلى 26 نقطة في صدارة المجموعة، ويحتل منتخب بوركينا فاسو المركز الثاني برصيد 21 نقطة. 

يُذكر أن منتخب مصر كان قد ضمن تأهله رسميًا إلى نهائيات كأس العالم عقب الفوز في الجولة الماضية على منتخب جيبوتي بثلاثية نظيفة.  أهداف مباراة منتخب مصر وغينيا بيساو في تصفيات كأس العالم 

MatériaMais Notícias

A coletiva de Abel Ferreira já era aguardada antes mesmo da bola rolar para Atlético-MG x Palmeiras neste domingo (28), que terminou com empate por 1 a 1, no Mineirão, em jogo válido pela 8ª rodada do Brasileirão 2023. Após arrumar confusão com um repórter depois do jogo, Abel foi para a coletiva e claro que foi perguntado sobre o estado do gramado do Mineirão.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasOLHAR DO PORCO: Palmeiras mostra poder de reação em jogo polêmico contra o GaloPalmeiras28/05/2023PalmeirasAbel pega celular de repórter e arruma confusão nos vestiários do Mineirão após empate do PalmeirasPalmeiras28/05/2023PalmeirasVÍDEO: Os melhores momentos do empate entre Atlético-MG e Palmeiras pelo BrasileirãoPalmeiras28/05/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Muito crítico na questão da qualidade dos gramados no Brasil, o treinador teve que assistir a sua equipe atuando no gramado do principal estádio de Minas Gerais, que vive péssimas condições após alguns eventos realizados por lá recentemente.

Perguntado na coletiva sobre como o gramado poderia ter atrapalhado o jogo e o que ele tinha para dizer sobre esta questão, Abel relembrou que essa já era uma questão falada por Telê Santana, ainda em 1992:

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– 22 de junho de 1992, Telê Santana falou sobre a qualidade dos gramados, e eu, tendo em conta a qualidade do gramado, queria dar os parabéns aos meus jogadores pelo esforço que fizeram para proporcionar o melhor espetáculo possível, dar os parabéns aos jogadores do Atlético-MG, porque também fizeram esse esforço. Tendo em conta as condições, foi umbom espetáculo, acho que foi um jogo bem disputado, nem sempre bem jogado, mas os jogadores fizeram esse esforço, foi um jogo muito bom das duas equipes levando em conta o gramado em que jogamos. – disse o técnico do atual campeão brasileiro.

Desde que chegou ao Brasil, Abel Ferreira é um crítico feroz da qualidade dos gramados do nosso país e para o treinador português esse é um dos principais pontos de melhoria para que o nosso futebol evolua em comparação ao futebol europeu.

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O Palmeiras agora se prepara para encarar o Fortaleza no Castelão, pela Copa do Brasil, e mais uma vez a questão do gramado promete tirar o sono do comandante alviverde, uma vez que o Verdão jogará em um palco onde o gramado também já foi muito criticado por Abel Ferreira.

All the pre-season friendlies are now over for Sunderland as the main task of the Premier League comes to the Stadium of Light this coming weekend.

A late trip to Augsburg last time out saw Regis Le Bris’ men clinch a 1-0 win in Germany as new £30m signing Habib Diarra proved to be the difference-maker on the day by powering home the decisive strike, alongside fellow fresh recruit Robin Roefs, showing off his quality in goal by saving a penalty.

Away from this encouraging performance against Bundesliga opposition, Le Bris and Co. have also welcomed in their tenth summer signing of a busy transfer window in the form of ex-West Ham United defender Arthur Masuaku.

He will be chomping at the bit to play on the opening day, as his ex-Hammers side travel to Wearside.

More defensive additions could soon be on the menu, away from just the experienced 31-year-old joining, with a former Newcastle United player even on the Black Cats’ radar.

Sunderland make approach for £17m signing

Sunderland might well be into the double digits now with incoming signings, but they are yet to win themselves a centre-back this summer.

It hasn’t been through lack of trying, however, with the likes of Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi consistently popping up as a target, alongside talk now that Fiorentina youngster Pietro Comuzzo could soon join the building in the heart of defence for a whopping £34.5m.

Of course, they are also close to landing Omar Alderete from Getafe to strengthen here, too.

However, away from all these rumours, it has now surfaced that Sunderland have opened talks to understand the situation surrounding former Magpies defender Lloyd Kelly.

Indeed, as per reports from Italy, the current Juventus centre-back has admirers on Wearside, who would be willing to fork out £17m for the Premier League-proven defender’s services so they can shore up ahead of a potential relegation battle in the top-flight.

There will likely be some apprehension involving the deal due to Kelly’s prior St James’ Park struggles, but Le Bris and Co will hope they can strike gold with the 26-year-old, in much the same way they managed with Daniel Ballard, who was once chucked to one side himself by Arsenal.

How Kelly could be Ballard 2.0 at Sunderland

Sunderland certainly gambled on Ballard when they initially signed him in 2022, considering he had never made a senior appearance for the Gunners and was regularly thrown out on loan.

However, now heading into the Premier League, the Northern Irishman is a solid member of Le Bris’ starting XI, having now notched up 89 appearances for the Black Cats, with six important goals also coming his way as a colossus unafraid to launch himself into duels.

Kelly will hope he can instantly fit in, too, having been put through the wringer somewhat at Newcastle when last plying his trade at the very pinnacle of English football.

In total, the 26-year-old only lined up for 14 appearances on Tyneside before amazingly finding himself on the books of Juventus out in Italy.

Kelly’s last two seasons @ Bournemouth

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

(22/23)

(23/24)

Games played

23

23

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

2

1

Touches*

61.3

47.4

Accurate passes*

36.7 (81%)

26.0 (78%)

Tackles*

1.4

1.0

Clearances*

4.3

2.6

Total duels won*

3.3

2.9

Clean sheets

5

4

Stats by Sofascore

He has since impressed in spurts for the Serie A giants, with five clean sheets collected from just 11 league outings last season, but it will be his promising showings for the Cherries in the hustle and bustle of the Premier League that will have caught Sunderland’s eye even more.

In particular, Kelly’s offerings during the 2022/23 season for Bournemouth will stick out, as the ex-England U21 international managed to show off his class with the ball at his feet with two assists tallied up, on top of also collecting a respectable five clean sheets from his 23 clashes in the demanding division.

Ballard equally impressed in the Championship last season in this regard with one assist coming his way from an average of 33.2 accurate passes per match, with Kelly hopeful he can put a whirlwind few years behind him and cement himself as a Black Cats regular, alongside the former Gunners youngster.

After all, his time at Bournemouth even saw his ex-Cherries manager in Gary O’Neil, hail him as “incredible”, as Kelly hopes his valiant efforts to steer his new employers away from any relegation danger.

Related Sunderland scouting Italian prodigy who would smash transfer record again

After breaking their transfer record with Diarra, Sunderland have identified a new target…

Posts ByCallum Kemp Aug 8, 2025

Sunderland have agreed a £13m up-front fee to sign Granit Xhaka, who will sign a three-year contract on Wearside this week.

Xhaka had emerged as the Black Cats’ most high-profile target of the summer transfer window, as they look to make significant and experienced signings before the new Premier League season gets underway.

The Swiss has been strongly linked with a move to Sunderland from Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen, with the 32-year-old already having a huge amount of experience in the English game from his Arsenal days.

Xhaka seemingly likes the idea of being a vital player in the Black Cats’ quest to avoid relegation straight back to the Championship, feeling that his time in a Leverkusen shirt has reached its natural conclusion after winning the Bundesliga title back in 2023/24.

The legendary Switzerland international has dominated the Sunderland-related headlines of late and now two quickfire updates have emerged regarding the situation.

Xhaka set to sign three-year contract

Reports broke on Monday morning that Sunderland have agreed a £15m move for Xhaka, with the veteran midfielder set to join from Leverkusen imminently. However, Keith Downie has shared a further update, revealing plenty of good news for those on Wearside.

Indeed, Xhaka’s contract will be a year longer than first reported, and the initial cost is actually lower than the numbers going around.

This is fantastic news for anyone associated with Sunderland, with Xhaka a statement signing who could take Regis Le Bris’ team up another gear.

Sunderland make £13m bid to sign "goal machine" and want deal done ASAP

The Black Cats have included a buy-back clause.

ByCharlie Smith Jul 28, 2025

The Black Cats achieved promotion with a young team, with emerging midfielders such as Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg excelling, but more experience is needed in the middle of the park in the Premier League, not to mention a replacement for the former after his move to Borussia Dortmund.

In Xhaka, Sunderland could have the perfect man to come in, with the ex-Arsenal player winning an incredible 137 caps for Switzerland and being hailed by former Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso for his “big heart”, always giving his all for the cause and playing with plenty of passion.

Switzerland

137

14

Switzerland Under-21s

5

0

Switzerland Under-19s

10

3

Switzerland Under-18s

3

2

Switzerland Under-17s

13

1

It’s now a case of the final parts of the transfer being sorted, before Xhaka joins up with his new teammates, hopefully making a huge impression from the off.

Fast bowler had previously indicated he would be unlikely to play another away Test after modest record

Matt Roller21-Aug-2024

Chris Woakes celebrates dismissing Nishan Madushka, the first of his three wickets•Getty Images

Chris Woakes believes he could lead England’s bowling attack in Pakistan and New Zealand this winter, despite his modest Test record overseas.Woakes has a bowling average of 51.88 in his 20 away Tests, compared to 21.57 in 32 at home, but said that he will not “shy away” from touring either this winter and beyond, despite having last featured in an overseas Test at Grenada in March 2022.Woakes took 3 for 32 at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday as England bowled Sri Lanka out for 236 on the opening day of the first of three Tests, and has now taken 14 wickets at 19.07 this summer. At 35, he has led England’s attack since James Anderson followed Stuart Broad into retirement earlier this summer, and is not ruling himself out of fulfilling the same role overseas.”Naturally as you get older, the more Test cricket you play, you pick up new skills, you have more experience to fall back on and are a little bit wiser,” Woakes said. “I haven’t played an away Test for a little while, so it’s hard to look back at that – but that might be a good thing as well, that I haven’t in a little while. It gives you a little fresh look on things.”Woakes was not involved for England’s only Test tour of the 2023-24 winter, instead playing for Sharjah Warriors at the ILT20 after appearing to concede that he was unlikely to play another overseas Test, saying: “My away record speaks for itself.” However, after bad light brought an early close in Manchester, he insisted that he remains available for selection.”I certainly wouldn’t shy away from it,” Woakes said. “I’ll play for England where I’m picked to play for England. I certainly wouldn’t rule myself out, and obviously that will be a discussion for probably further down the line, but I’m certainly not ruling myself out. The selectors will have their plans, but I’m certainly not going to turn down a tour if selected, so we shall see.”England will play six overseas Tests this winter, three each against Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December. Brendon McCullum, their coach, said after their whitewash against West Indies that it would be “hard to rub him out right now” from selection overseas, not least as perhaps England’s only seamer capable of contributing regularly with the bat from No. 8.Related

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He will bat one spot higher than that in this series, promoted to No. 7 in Ben Stokes’ absence. “I’ve worked hard on my batting in my whole career,” he said. “It’s not something which I’ve always found easy. I’ve put in some hard yards to make sure that I’m capable of doing that, and it’s an extra string in the bow which allows you to potentially be selected ahead of someone else, who maybe can’t quite fulfil that role.”I feel like batting at No. 8 in the Test side, it’s probably a role which sometimes goes under the radar. You do have to be able to contribute with the bat and it’s not necessarily just the runs you score; it’s the time you spend out there to bat with the genuine batters that you come and join in the middle, who can then add more runs for the side.”Having spent most of his Test career as a change bowler behind Anderson and Broad, Woakes has thrived with the new ball this summer. “It’s not like Ben and Baz have come up and said, ‘you are the leader, you have to lead this attack’. It’s just a role which I’m taking on this summer as the opening bowler and the oldest to try and give options and communicate with the other bowlers as much as I can.”He struck twice in his fourth over on Wednesday, having Nishan Madushka caught at first slip when he went chasing after a wide outswinger, and setting Angelo Mathews up to pin him lbw playing no shot. “It was a big wicket for myself, and it’s always nice when you’ve moved a few away and then you get one to come back like that,” Woakes said.In the afternoon session, Woakes had Kamindu Mendis caught behind to leave Sri Lanka 92 for 6, with poor light denying him an opportunity to dismiss debutant Milan Rathnayake, who made 72 from No. 9. “We’re really happy,” he said. “To bowl a team out on day one of a Test match and to be none down at the close is a superb day.”The Sri Lankans will probably still feel with how the surface played for the first half of today that you can get on a roll and you can pick up wickets on that pitch, but we will see… it felt like today it was more of a new-ball pitch or a hard-ball pitch, where it moved around with that harder ball. Once it got soft, it actually looked really nice and easier to bat.”

As their search to sign a striker continues, Manchester United are now reportedly being pushed by their scouts to sign a fresh option who even outscored Matheus Cunha last season.

Man Utd still on the hunt for a striker

Whilst Manchester United can celebrate that they’ve already signed Cunha and are reportedly closing in on Bryan Mbeumo, they haven’t had the same transfer luck when attempting to sign an out-and-out No.9. Instead, they’ve faced a flurry of rejection.

After missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, the Red Devils seemed to turn their attention towards Viktor Gyokeres in an attempt to form a reunion between the Swede and Ruben Amorim. Reports have since emerged that the Sporting Club star prefers a move to Arsenal over Old Trafford, however, to potentially leave Manchester United back at square one.

Without European football to offer, those at Old Trafford are seemingly struggling to convince all of their top targets to join. Even if it’s not Gyokeres or Delap, though, Manchester United simply must sign a striker this summer.

Having already added Cunha and with Mbeumo reportedly on his way, a fresh face to lead the line would complete United’s attacking transformation. From the struggling Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, Amorim could have true quality to choose from next season and that would be vital to his chances of turning things around in Manchester.

The new McTominay: Man Utd moving to sign "one of the best CMs in Serie A"

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ByEthan Lamb Jun 19, 2025

With that said, United’s search is still ongoing and scouts have now even reportedly had their say, pushing the Red Devils to sign an unexpected name in the coming months.

Scouts pushing Man Utd to sign Arokodare

As reported by Graeme Bailey, scouts are now pushing Manchester United to sign Tolu Arokodare from KRC Genk this summer. The forward is now also reportedly on the radar of club chief Jason Wilcox, who could yet solve Amorim’s striker problems by signing last season’s Belgium Pro League Golden Boot winner.

Bailey told United in Focus when speaking about the Red Devils’ interest in Arokodare: “Ruben Amorim knows what he wants, he wants that target man – we know the club are moving on from Rasmus Hojlund.

“Victor Osimhen and Victor Gyokeres, these are targets for a reason, but their first choice was Liam Delap – we know that – but we also know he [Amorim] wasn’t that keen. So could Arokodare emerge as a target? It’s not impossible – he is a huge talent, in every way.”

Starts

28

29

Goals

17

15

Assists

5

6

Expected Goals

22.7

8.6

A player who outscored Cunha last season, Arokodare could reportedly be available for just £20m this summer in a deal that Manchester United should take full advantage of.

Will Emi Martínez leave Aston Villa this summer?

According to a report by Football Insider, the Villans are under pressure to ‘sell a prize asset’ before 30 June to avoid breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules, claiming that Martínez is one of the most likely candidates to be sacrificed.

Well, there are plenty of suitors for the back-to-back Yashin Trophy winner.

Goal documents Manchester United’s interest, while The Telegraph claim that numerous Saudi Pro League clubs would be delighted to secure his signature.

Well, given, as noted by Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic, Martínez’s propensity to deliver ‘defining moments’ and ‘standout performances’, he will be a difficult man to replace, but have Aston Villa actually managed to identify an upgrade?

Aston Villa's first-choice Emi Martínez replacement

According to a report by John Townley for Birmingham Live, Aston Villa will ‘target’ a move to sign LOSC Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, should Martínez be sold.

French publication L’Équipe has previously noted that newly-crowned European champions Paris Saint-Germain are tracking the 23-year-old, with TEAMtalk claiming that he is valued at just £34m by les Dogues.

Chevalier joined Lille as a 13-year-old, making 127 appearances for the senior team, conceding exactly 127 goals and keeping 44 clean sheets in this time.

So, could he soon be swapping Northern France for the English Midlands?

Why Lucas Chevalier would be an Emi Martínez upgrade

During his three seasons as Lille’s number one, Chevalier has earned countless rave reviews.

Alongside Rayan Cherki of Olympique Lyonnais, they were the only non-PSG players to feature in Ligue 1’s team of the season.

Meanwhile, following les Nordistes’ stunning 1-0 Champions League victory over Real Madrid at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in October, Joel Domenighetti of L’Équipe described Chevalier’s display as ‘exceptional’, while Nick Hartland of Get French Football News labels him ‘one of the breakout stars’ from this season’s competition.

Described as “one of the most talented young goalkeepers in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig, what makes him so good is that – in the words of Liam Tharme and Matt Pyzdrowski of the Athletic – he not only boasts ‘excellent reach’ and exceptional ‘handling’, but also that his ‘super-strength’ is his ‘accomplished’ in possession play.

So, how did the young Frenchman compare to the man he could be replacing between the Villa Park posts this season?

The table makes for interesting reading, considering the duo played a near-identical number of minutes this season across their respective domestic leagues and the Champions League

Chevalier vs Martínez 2024/25 comparison
Statistics	Chevalier	Martínez
Appearances	48	49
Minutes	4,350	4,275
Goals conceded	53	57
Clean sheets	13	14
Post-shot xG – goals-conceded	+9.6	+4.7
Saves	123	144
Save %	74.9%	72.8%
% of crosses stopped	5.4%	11.3%
Ball recoveries	83	45
Errors leading to an opposition shot	4	8
Note: Martínez’s statistics are Premier League and Champions League only.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

Across Europe’s top five leagues, the Frenchman ranks tenth for post-shot xG – goals conceded, while he is also 11th in this season’s Champions League for the same metric, a key figure as Lille upset the odds to finish seventh in the league phase.

Meantime, his save percentage ranks highly both domestically and in the Champions League, with his Ligue 1 figure of 74.6% a noteworthy amount higher than Martínez’s 69% in the Premier League.

This is not to denigrate​​​​​​​ Martínez in any way, given that former Aston Villa striker Chris Sutton believes the Argentine has been an “outstanding goalkeeper” and a “brilliant shot-stopper” since joining the club in 2020.

Nevertheless, if the Claret and Blue Army are able to sell the 32-year-old for a big fee and replace him with a 23 year old, this is surely an upgrade they should be looking to make.

Aston Villa book medical to sign forward who Emery feels can be next Duran

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By
Charlie Smith

Jun 1, 2025

The forward line at Manchester United has massively disappointed throughout 2024/25, undoubtedly having an impact on their lowly Premier League standing.

Ruben Amorim’s team have only managed to find the net on 42 occasions within their 35 league outings – an average of just 1.2 per game, with numerous players failing to deliver.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have been the two senior forward options throughout the campaign, but have largely struggled in the final third, netting just seven league goals between them.

Such form has allowed youngster Chido Obi to emerge into the first-team squad at just 17, becoming the youngest United starter in the Premier League after his appearance from the off against Brentford on Sunday.

However, if they are to get anywhere near their former glory next season, it’s crucial the board back Amorim and hand him the funds to allow him to make themselves changes he desires.

The latest on United’s hunt to sign new attackers

A new striker needs to be high up on the club’s list this summer, with the hierarchy evidently wasting no time after entering talks to land Nigerian talisman Victor Osimhen.

The 26-year-old, who’s spending the year on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, appears to be of interest to the club after scoring 24 times in 27 league appearances.

However, the striker isn’t the only forward on their radar, with Sporting CP winger Francisco Trincao firmly on their radar ahead of the summer, according to CaughtOffside.

The report states that manager Amorim is leading the charge to the 25-year-old’s signature after previously managing the attacker during his time in charge of the Liga Portugal outfit.

It also claims that the boss has personally requested the board to land the Portuguese international who’s said to be available during this window for a fee in the region of £34m.

Why United’s £34m target could be Amorim’s next Amad

Ivorian Amad Diallo has been a key player for United throughout this campaign, registering 17 combined goals and assists across all competitions.

However, his progress has been massively halted over the last three months, only returning to action in recent weeks after his extended lay-off, but he has already showcased his quality.

The 22-year-old scored off the bench in the defeat to Brentford last weekend, but his return to full fitness could hand the Red Devils a mammoth boost in their Europa League triumph hopes.

Regardless of who’s signed this summer, Amad will remain a key member of the side, undoubtedly playing a crucial role in any success they could achieve in the manager’s first full campaign in charge.

However, Amorim could land his new version of the Ivorian in the form of Trincao, who possesses very similar attributes, given their ability to cut inside onto their favoured left foot off the right-hand side.

They can also both feature in a wing-back role if needed, with the Sporting ace massively outperforming the current United star when delving into their respective figures from this season.

Trincao, who’s been labelled “world-class” by journalist Rafael Hernandez, has notched more combined goals and assists, highlighting the threat he poses in attacking areas.

Games played

32

23

Goals & assists

22

13

Shots taken

3.3

2.3

Shot-creating actions

5.1

4.5

Progressive passes

4.9

3

Passes into final third

3.1

1.3

Take-ons completed

2.3

2

Aerials won

40%

37%

He’s also completed more progressive passes and completed more take-ons per 90, having all of the tools to hand other attackers the chance to increase their own tallies in the final third.

The former Barcelona ace has also managed to take more shots per 90, whilst also winning more aerials, certainly handing Amorim an all-round presence to transform his attack in 2025/26.

£34m in today’s market is an excellent price for a player who’s proven his quality, producing countless stats that are well above those of current star Amad.

Depth is also just as important to the first-team squad next season, handing the manager the opportunity to rotate his side and have the best possible chance of success in multiple competitions.

He'd be amazing with Cunha & Amad: Man Utd in talks to sign elite striker

Manchester United could be allowed to land a new talisman who could supercharge their overhaul this summer.

ByEthan Lamb May 6, 2025