Tag Futebol

Manchester City have already had a busy summer transfer window, and it has been needed.

The 2024/25 season was not at all what anyone might have expected from the Citizens; certainly Phil McNulty, BBC Sport’s chief football writer, thought they’d win the Premier League, and explained he’s “not sure this will be” the time to bet against them.

Yet, after 12 months on, we know City came third and went trophyless. It was a tough season for their biggest stars, namely Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, and the busy summer of transfers was certainly needed to help put them back on their perch.

However, Pep Guardiola’s side seem to be far from done in the transfer window, if recent reports are to be believed.

Man City's latest transfer target

Three major signings have already switched to the Etihad Stadium this summer. City signed AC Milan’s Tijani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki from Lyon and Rayan Ait-Nouri from fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Now, with the window still wide open, Guardiola’s side could once again buy from within the Premier League.

According to a report from Football Insider last week, the East Mancunian side had ‘been working behind the scenes on a deal’ to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

Personal terms are not considered a significant issue with this transfer. In fact, the England international is thought to have an agreement in place with City already. All that is missing is the agreement between the two clubs.

That said, it’s more likely that the player signs for Tottenham Hotspur instead. Subject of a fierce saga over the weekend, Spurs activated Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause last week, but Nottingham Forest are now considering legal action, suggesting that the Lilywhites actually made an illegal approach for the player.

As a result, that has put his move to north London in serious jeopardy, something that could allow City to strike.

Why Gibbs-White would be a good signing for Man City

There is no doubt that City need reinforcements this summer, and they have certainly made good strides so far with the three main incomings. However, adding Gibbs-White to that, after such an impressive campaign last term, would be another excellent addition.

In a superb season for Forest, their number 10 was a standout player. The 25-year-old played 34 Premier League games in 2024/25, contributing an impressive seven goals and ten assists as his side qualified for the Conference League.

One thing that will surely stand out to Guardiola is Gibbs-White’s ability to create and score in big games.

Last season, he bagged a goal and created one away to Manchester United, assisted a goal at home to Spurs and at home to City themselves, with a sensational long-range pass to pick out Callum Hudson-Odoi.

The addition of the Forest star could be bad news for Foden, who did struggle last season. Coming off the back of a PFA player of the year-winning campaign, the England international certainly underwhelmed.

He played 45 games across all competitions, scoring jus ten goals and registering six assists, less than what Gibbs-White managed in the Premier League alone.

In the recent Club World Cup, Foden seemed more like his old self, bagging three times and providing one goal in four games.

It is not just the goal and assist numbers that might be a concern for Foden. Both players excel in the same position, a number 10 behind the striker.

Whilst the City academy graduate played on the right a lot last term, he once said himself that “I prefer it in the middle”. His England teammate played as an attacking midfielder 32 times last season, too.

There is also not much difference between the pair’s key stats, via FBref. For example, last season the Forest number 10 averaged 5.27 progressive passes and 4.08 ball recoveries per 90 minutes. Comparatively, Foden notched up an average of 5.23 progressive passes and 3.1 ball recoveries each game.

Gibbs-White and Foden key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Gibbs-White

Foden

Goals and assists

0.48

0.46

Key passes

1.64

2.18

Progressive passes

5.27

5.23

Goal-creating actions

0.61

0.46

Take-ons completed

1.00

0.71

Ball recoveries

4.08

3.1

Stats from FBref

Signing Gibbs-White would be a fantastic addition for City. He is an excellent creative midfielder who works hard off the ball too, and is a “menace” going forward, according to football analyst Antonio Mango.

Whilst it could spell bad news for Foden, there is no doubt that the Forest star would be a strong signing and help City climb the table again this season.

Related Their own Frimpong: Man City ready to launch £21m bid for "monster" star

Manchester City could be about to win their very own Jeremie Frimpong if this breathless star soon relocates to the Etihad.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 8, 2025

One of the biggest priorities for Arsenal this summer is to sign a new centre forward with Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko both touted.

Yet, the Gunners must also bolster their options out wide where Bukayo Saka could do with added assistance on the right wing. Upgrades on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, the scorers of ten goals apiece last term, could also be upgraded.

Andrea Berta has reportedly been looking at whole host of options with Premier League trio Anthony Gordon, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers all reportedly on their radar.

However, reports over the last 48 hours have suggested that Noni Madueke is now a very realistic option for Arsenal in the transfer window.

How Arsenal could strengthen out wide

The ever-reliable David Ornstein revealed to his followers on Saturday afternoon that Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Madueke.

Club-to-club talks are yet to take place but the Gunners have clearly not done a lot of work on the player side.

Chelsea are now expecting a bid from the Gunners in the forthcoming days, according to Sky Sports.

Capable of playing on the right or the left, the England international would add solid cover along the Arsenal attack, but truth be told, they can surely do better than this.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, one option is Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. They have flirted with making a move for the Brazilian for most of the window and according to prior reports, positive talks have been held regarding a move.

Reports from Spain a few days ago suggested that Arsenal were prepared to put a whopping £78m on the table to prise the winger away from the Spanish capital and it’s now been revealed that he actually fancies a move.

According to Gunners insider, Hand of Arsenal, intermediaries working with clubs in Saudi Arabia have been told that “in no uncertain terms that Rodrygo’s preference is to move to the Premier League.”

The report goes on to reveal that Arsenal is the Brazil star’s “absolute priority” if a deal can be struck with Madrid.

How Rodrygo compares to Noni Madueke

There are understandable concerns from Arsenal supporters that Madueke would be another dud Chelsea player they’ve signed.

However, he does have immense talent. The winger scored a Premier League hat-trick in 2024/25 and despite the wealth of riches available to Enzo Maresca in attack, the England international still started 27 games in the top-flight.

Yet, he’s not Rodrygo, is he? The Brazil “superstar”, as he’s been dubbed by former teammate Luka Modric, has a history of scoring plenty of goals in Spain and the best campaign of his career came back in 2022/23, when he found the net on 19 occasions.

He may have only scored six times in LaLiga throughout the last campaign but he found the net 14 times across all competitions. He also supplied 11 assists to rubberstamp his threat as a creator too.

Madueke, on the other hand, only scored 11 goals in all competitions and registered just five assists. Already, we can see that Rodrygo produces better output. But, where else does the 24-year-old Madrista thrive?

Goals per game

0.24

0.25

Assists per game

0.11

0.20

Shots *

3.54

2.52

Key passes *

1.42

2.29

Progressive passes *

3.05

5.05

Shot-creating actions *

3.50

4.95

Successful take-ons *

1.99

2.29

Progressive carries

6.81

5.28

Carries

28.4

41.5

Touches

43.4

62.6

Well, in 80% of the metrics analysed, it’s the Madrid sensation who comes out on top. Not only does he produce more goals and assists per game, but he’s just overall a much greater threat in the final third of the pitch.

Madueke does trump him for progressive carries, but that aside, there are some big wins for Arsenal’s £78m target, perhaps most notably in a creative sense, where he registered more progressive passes, shot-creating actions and key passes.

Yes, Arsenal had problems scoring goals last term but with Saka out injured, they also lacked a bit of creativity. After all, no one in the Premier League came close to matching his level of output in that regard.

Saka produced the highest number of expected assists per 90 minutes last term (0.52) in the entire division, more than even Mo Salah, who produced 0.48.

So, with Rodrygo looking a lot more like the complete package when compared to Madueke, he must be Arsenal’s biggest priority once they’ve got a striker over the line.

The dream squad Arsenal could build: £235m stars & "the new Haaland" sign

Here’s what the Arsenal squad could look like at the end of the summer.

ByMatt Dawson Jul 6, 2025

Leeds United have received approaches from a number of clubs to sell a player who Daniel Farke called “outstanding” last month.

Players who could leave Leeds if they win promotion

The Whites are in a strong position to get the job done and win promotion from the Championship to the Premier League over the coming weeks.

Farke’s side are five points clear of third-place Sheffield United heading into the Easter weekend, knowing a maximum of seven points from their next three games will get the job done.

Should Leeds go up, a number of players from the current squad could be on the way out of the Eland Road door. Goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who has recently been dropped for Karl Darlow, may well be one to exit.

Meanwhile, Leeds are also unsure of Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford’s ability to make the step-up to the top flight, with the former failing to score in his last eight and Bamford’s injury history in recent years telling.

Piroe upgrade: Leeds in contact over “superstar" who was once worth £100m

Leeds United will hope they can win this excellent attacker’s services very soon.

1

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 16, 2025

Left-back Junior Firpo is also out of contract at the end of the season, as is fellow full-back Sam Byram. Now, another player has been linked with a move away from Yorkshire, however, he is looking to remain at Leeds.

Leeds receive approaches to sell £15k-a-week star Ilia Gruev

According to a report from TEAMtalk, a number of clubs have approached Leeds over a move to sign Ilia Gruev this summer.

The 24-year-old is being eyed up by several sides, however, it is added that the midfielder is happy at Elland Road and is looking to stay, should the Whites win promotion.

The report says that ‘Gruev is very comfortable at Leeds and believes in the project they have embarked upon’ and ‘wants to prove himself’ in the Premier League.

Currently on £15,000-a-week in Yorkshire, the Bulgaria international has missed parts of the season with a serious knee injury but has regularly been trusted by Farke, especially in away games. Farke actually hailed Gruev just last month, calling him “outstanding” for most of 2024 until his injury.

“Ilia Gruev, since he came into our line up more or less in January ’24 I would say, probably until his big injury, he was our most consistent player. He was outstanding for us, defensive-wise offensive- wise, controlled our game.

“Then he sacrificed his body. I think it was away at Norwich. Got a tackle against him. He was out for everyone said more than four months. He worked so hard and his socks off in his rehab more or less three and a half months in order to come back as quick as possible.

“Everyone was moaning when he was out about our away form, we don’t win away games anymore. Ilia Gruev, after being out for three and a half months, we brought him back, Burnley, away, clean sheet. Watford away, clean sheet, win, Coventry away, clean sheet, win.

“Yes, right now, after all his rhythm is a bit away after he was out, after he was back, after being out for three and a half months, he had one or two poorer performances in the starting lineup away at Sheffield and against Sunderland, but we still managed to win both games when he was in the starting line up and everyone is like complaining a little bit about him.”

Gruev’s future could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, especially with Leeds being linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Julian Weigl in recent days.

Manchester United are keen on signing a “super” striker, who is now likely to be available for just £30m this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd stepping up striker pursuit after derby stalemate

Man United’s attacking issues were glaring during the 0-0 draw in the Manchester derby, failing to create a big chance in the entire match, which indicates Ruben Amorim may have to bring in a playmaker during the summer transfer window.

However, striker has also been a problem position for far too long, and United are now stepping up their pursuit of some top forwards from across Europe, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen reportedly being identified as their number one target.

However, there have been conflicting reports about which striker the Red Devils are most interested in signing, with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap also thought to be one of the main options for the summer transfer window.

Man United's striker targets…

Player

Current club

Potential cost

Victor Osimhen

Napoli

£62.1m

Matheus Cunha

Wolverhampton Wanderers

£62m

Viktor Gyokeres

Sporting CP

£64m

Lorenzo Lucca

Udinese

£25m

Liam Delap

Ipswich Town

£30m

Previously, Delap had been valued at around £40m, with a number of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, also expressing an interest in the English forward, but there has now been a suggestion he could be available for even less.

That is according to an update from Romano on X, with the transfer expert stating the striker’s release clause will drop to just £30m in the event of relegation, which is looking increasingly likely, with Ipswich now 12 points from safety.

United are said to remain “keen” on the striker, alongside Chelsea, with Man City set to receive 20% of the proceeds from any transfer.

£65m price drop: Man Utd and Amorim increasingly keen on "special" forward

The Red Devils are set to battle it out for a winger, whose price tag may have dropped considerably.

1 ByDominic Lund Apr 9, 2025 "Super" Delap could be exactly what Man Utd need

United took a risk bringing in Hojlund for £72m, given that the young Dane had no experience in the Premier League, and it would be fair to say the move hasn’t worked out thus far, having scored just 24 goals in 84 games.

Delap, on the other hand, has proven himself in the Premier League this season, scoring 12 goals in 30 games, which is a very impressive return, given that his side are near certain to be relegated to the Championship.

Pundit Danny Murphy has also spoken very highly of the Ipswich star, saying: “I just don’t see a weakness for him. He has scored enough goals in a struggling side really, but if he gets a lot of chances he will score more. He has just got that lovely balance between physical and technical [ability] and rarely do you get both. He is a super talent.”

A fee of just £30m for the 22-year-old could be an absolute steal, and Man United should look to capitalise on Ipswich’s relegation by securing a bargain move for the forward.

Five teams, including Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka, are still in contention for a spot in the WTC final

S Rajesh26-Oct-2024India
Two shocking defeats against New Zealand means that India have left themselves with plenty to do to make a third consecutive WTC final, although they are still hanging on to the top spot currently with a slender lead over Australia. To be certain of a place in the top two in this cycle, India need to win the last Test of the ongoing series against New Zealand – in Mumbai – and then beat Australia 3-2. That will take them to 64.04% points (assuming they don’t lose any points due to slow over rates).Even if Australia win 2-0 in Sri Lanka, they can still only get to 60.53% with two wins against India, while New Zealand will end up at 57.14% if they lose in Mumbai and then beat England 3-0 at home. In that case, South Africa will be the only team which can top India. A 2-2 series result in Australia will leave India on 60.53% in comparison to Australia’s 62.28% (assuming India win in Mumbai, and Australia beat Sri Lanka 2-0).Related

Nothing's changed, India say, but the evidence suggests otherwise

India need Kohli and Rohit to regain their old aura

De Zorzi and Stubbs hit maiden tons to make it South Africa's day

Bittersweet moment for India, as one of cricket's great winning streaks ends

McDonald feels Konstas' lack of experience won't hamper Test selection

If India lose in Mumbai, New Zealand can finish on 64.29%, but only with a 3-0 result against England. Then India will need four wins and a draw in Australia to make sure of a place in the final, regardless of other results.However, India can still finish in the top two with fewer wins if the other teams in contention don’t maximise their points. For example, if New Zealand lose in Mumbai and beat England 2-0, they will only get to 52.38%; if South Africa lose one of their five remaining Tests, they will finish on 61.11%; and if Australia beat India 3-2 but draw 1-1 in Sri Lanka, they will finish on 60.53%.New Zealand
At the start of the series in India, it seemed highly improbable that New Zealand would still be in contention for a place in the final. But their stunning wins after two out of the three Tests have given them a chance to dream. If they win each of their four remaining Tests, they will finish on 64.29%. It won’t ensure qualification, but it will certainly keep them in the mix. If they lose one of those Tests, though, their percentage will drop to 57.14%.South Africa
If South Africa win each of their five remaining Tests, they will finish with 69.44%, which will surely be enough for qualification, as only one out of India or Australia can go past that number. Four wins and a draw will leave South Africa with 63.89%, while four wins and a defeat will lower the percentage marginally to 61.11%, which could still give them a chance if other results go their way. They have a favourable schedule, though, with home Tests to come against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, after the second Test of their ongoing series against Bangladesh.If South Africa win their five remaining Tests, it will be enough for a place in the WTC final•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia
India’s defeats against New Zealand have improved Australia’s chances of making it to the final. A 3-2 series win against India and a 1-0 victory in Sri Lanka will take them to 62.28%, ensuring they finish ahead of India. New Zealand can still surpass that, but only if they win each of their remaining games. If New Zealand slip up, then South Africa is the only team which can go past Australia. To ensure qualification without depending on other results, Australia need five wins from their seven remaining matches.Sri Lanka
With a full 24 points gained from their last two Tests, Sri Lanka have made a strong push towards a top-two finish in this WTC cycle. Their four remaining Tests are against two opponents who are also contenders for the final. If they win each of those matches and take home 48 more points, they will finish on 69.23% and assure themselves of a place in the final regardless of other results. If they lose one and win three, they will end up at 61.54%, which will still leave them with a chance of qualifying, depending on other results.England
The two defeats in Pakistan means that England can finish with a maximum of 48.86% even if they beat New Zealand 3-0 in their last series of the current cycle. That won’t be enough for a place in the final.Even if Pakistan win their last four Tests, it will be too late to make a difference in this WTC•Getty ImagesPakistan
Pakistan’s home form has shown some revival, but it is too late to make a difference in this cycle. Even if they win each of their last four Tests, they can only finish on 52.38%, with no chance of making it to the final.Bangladesh
The three defeats in their last three Tests against India and South Africa have hurt Bangladesh badly – from having 45.83% points at one stage, they have dropped to 30.56% now. Even if they win each of their three remaining Tests, they will only improve to 47.92%, which won’t be enough for a place in the top two.West Indies
West Indies have already played four series and have only scored 20 points out of a possible 108. Even if they win their last four Tests, they can only finish on 43.59%, and are hence out of the race for a spot in the WTC final.

The big question is whether Australia will want to pick a second specialist offpinner against India’s right-hand heavy batting order

Alex Malcolm05-Feb-2023Todd Murphy has only been bowling offspin for six years. Eleven months ago, he had played just one first-class game. Since then, he has only added six more.Yet there is a chance, come Thursday, that the 22-year-old could be making his Test debut for Australia against India in Nagpur alongside his mentor Nathan Lyon.Related

• Who partners Nathan Lyon? Can injury-hit Australia accommodate Cameron Green?

• Battles to watch: Lyon vs Pujara and Kohli, and Ashwin vs Warner and Smith

• If India keep Smith and Lyon quiet, they have the edge against Australia

• Agar, Swepson, Murphy – Who will partner Lyon on India tour?

• Watson on Australia's spin challenge: How to tackle Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar?

It would be a similar rise from obscurity to that of Lyon’s in 2011. But Murphy’s rise, albeit just as rapid, has come along a more traditional pathway. He has been in the Victoria age-group programmes, thanks to the talent-spotting of his long-time coach, former Victoria legspinner and current Victoria and New Zealand women’s spin coach Craig Howard.Murphy played in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup for Australia, toured with Australia A to Sri Lanka last year and went to Chennai to train at the MRF academy with a select group of handpicked young Australian players. Two of his seven first-class matches have been for Australia A, if you include his excellent performance for Prime Minister’s XI against West Indies in November, which was for all intents and purposes an Australia A team.Howard believes Murphy has all the tools to succeed if called upon in Nagpur.”He’s got very good at being able to adapt on the fly for what the conditions suit,” Howard told ESPNcricinfo. “Right from the start we’ve made sure that he is quite flexible with his seam position. And we’re often talking about which conditions require high overspin and which ones require high sidespin and somewhere in between as well.”If they do produce absolute raggers then he’ll know what to do. He’ll need to bowl with high sidespin and a little bit of undercut and a fraction of overspin, and sort of work that axis with the occasional high overspun ball and a bit of cross-seam stuff too, where you get natural variation off the shiny side, where it skids and it sometimes hits the seam and holds.”There’s a lot more subtle variations over there, whereas a lot of those subtle variations in Australia just don’t work.”There has been talk swirling around Australian cricket for the last six months that Murphy has fast become the country’s second-best red-ball spinner. But the selectors balked at the idea of picking him for the recent Sydney Test against South Africa when they did select two spinners. Coach Andrew McDonald cited the need for picking not necessarily the next-best spinner but the best one to complement Lyon, which meant the left-arm orthodox bowler Ashton Agar got the nod.The emergence of Travis Head as a part-time offspinner has only added to the conundrum. Can Australia pick two specialist offspinners in India with part-time support from a third offspinner, and only have part-time legspin options to spin it the other way in Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith? It is something captain Pat Cummins is considering.”It’s a chance. That’s something we’ll have to balance up if we want to go with two spinners,” Cummins said on Saturday. “Do we want variation or just two offspinners? So there’s no reason why we can’t go that way. Travis Head is in the side as well and bowls really good offspin. We’ve got plenty of variety to choose from.”

“Absolutely there’s no reason why [they can’t play together]. If your two best spinners are standouts and they both spin it the same way this certainly shouldn’t be a problem, and because they are a little bit different in what they do there should be no reason why they can’t play together.”Craig Howard

The worry is that two offspinners won’t match up well to India’s top order with the top four likely to be exclusively right-handers while it’s possible there could be only one left-hander in the top six.Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc won’t play the first Test either, meaning there won’t be a lot of rough created outside the off-stump of the right-handers.But Howard believes Murphy and Lyon can play together in the same side given they are slightly different offspinners. Murphy also has a good record against right-handers in his short first-class career, averaging 26.7 and striking at 62.2, which is streets ahead of Agar and even legspinner Mitchell Swepson in recent years.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var a in e.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data["datawrapper-height"][a]+"px"}}}))}();