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The Orange Cap table wears a different look, but there is no major change on the Purple Cap table after Prasidh Krishna got to the top spot on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-20251:13

Pujara: SKY put a lot of pressure on spinners

Orange Cap leaderboardVirat Kohli (RCB) became the third-ranked batter on the run-getters’ table when he was done for the day, the fifth batter to top 300 runs for the season, but Suryakumar Yadav (MI) got there later in the day, too, and went past Kohli to third spot.Kohli has been scoring consistently without setting the tournament on fire all this while, and has been there and thereabouts on the leaderboard. In the day game on Sunday, Kohli was faced with a moderate chase of 158 and led the way for his team as they pulled off a seven-wicket win.He scored 73 not out off 54 balls, and that has taken his tally for the season to 322 runs. For Kohli, it was the fourth half-century of the season, and he now averages a remarkable 64.40 – the highest for batters with over 150 runs and only behind Tim David’s 142.00 in the tournament overall. His strike rate of 140.00 is the poorest among the top five, though.Suryakumar then scored 68 not out off 30 balls as MI beat CSK by nine wickets to take his aggregate to 333, ending the weekend only behind Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Nicholas Pooran (368 runs) and B Sai Sudharsan (365) of Gujarat Titans (GT). GT take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday, and Sai Sudharsan needs just four runs to take the Orange Cap.Behind Suryakumar and Kohli, also past the 300-run mark, are GT’s Jos Buttler (315) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (307) of Rajasthan Royals (RR). LSG’s Mitchell Marsh, for so long only behind Pooran and Sai Sudharsan, has fallen to No. 7 with 299 runs.7:26

Pujara: Kohli is the best when it comes to chases

Purple Cap leaderboardA number of bowlers who had a shot at getting close to GT’s table-topper Prasidh Krishna’s 14 wickets on Sunday, but none of them got a wicket. Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed of CSK, Josh Hazlewood (RCB) and MI captain Hardik Pandya went wicketless in their respective games, while Arshdeep Singh’s lone strike against RCB has now put him in the mix, but he is still some way away.Prasidh Krishna leads the table, followed by Delhi Capitals’ (DC) Kuldeep Yadav, Noor, Hazlewood and LSG’s Shardul Thakur at 12 wickets each, followed by the five bowlers with 11 wickets: GT duo R Sai Kishore and Mohammed Siraj, Hardik, Arshdeep and Khaleel.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras partiu para o seu “plano B” na busca por um “camisa 5” na Argentina. Após ver Aníbal Moreno, do Racing-ARG, ficar cada vez mais longe, o Verdão abriu conversas com o Huracán-ARG para contratar Santiago Hezze. A informação foi publicada primeiramente pelo Nosso Palestra e confirmada pelo Lance!.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras fica em BH ou volta para SP? Entenda a logística do Verdão para este final de semanaPalmeiras25/07/2023Fora de CampoTorcedor do Flamengo suspeito de ter matado a palmeirense Gabriela Anelli é preso pela Polícia CivilFora de Campo25/07/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras pode fechar janela como único time da Série A que não contratou ninguémPalmeiras25/07/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Aos 21 anos, Hezze pinta como uma opção mais “barata” e menos complicada de negociar. Diferentemente do Racing, o Huracán não está na disputa da Libertadores, nem da Copa Sul-Americana, o que poderia facilitar a liberação do jogador.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

Conforme adiantado pelo Nosso Palestra, o Verdão planeja investir entre 4 e 5 milhões de dólares (entre R$ 19 milhões e R$ 23,7 milhões na cotação atual) para comprar 50% dos direitos de Hezze. O clube argentino tem 80% desses direitos e os 20% restantes pertencem ao jogador.

continua após a publicidade

Segundo apurado pela reportagem, se houve uma proposta oficial nessas condições, o Huracán não deve fazer muito esforço para segurar o jovem atleta, que já chegou a ser sondado por clubes europeus nesta janela de transferências. A agremiação argentina precisa fazer pelo menos duas vendas, e os principais ativos seriam o próprio Santiago Hezze e o atacante Juan Gauto, que está a caminho do Racing.

Hezze é um dos principais nomes de sua posição no país e já frequentou a seleção pré-Olímpica da Argentina. Por ser jovem, tem alto potencial de revenda, o que atrai o Verdão, que entende que em um futuro próximo pode lucrar em cima do investimento realizado.

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+ Palmeiras tem entraves além da questão financeira para tirar Aníbal Moreno do Racing

Apesar das conversas pelo plano B, o Palmeiras ainda não desistiu de Aníbal Moreno, do Racing-ARG. A última oferta palmeirense foi de 7,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 35,6 milhões na cotação atual), mas foi prontamente recusada pelos argentinos, que querem 10 milhões de dólares livres de impostos (R$ 47,4 milhões). Com prazo curto e o jogo duro por parte dos hermanos, o Alviverde vê o acordo distante neste momento.

O Verdão busca um substituto para Danilo desde janeiro, quando o volante foi vendido ao Nottingham Forest-ING. De lá para cá, o clube acumulou negociações e conversas frustradas. Wendel, do Zenit-RUS, Matheus Henrique, do Sassuolo-ITA e Walace, da Udinese-ITA foram alguns dos nomes que entraram no radar palmeirense, mas não chegaram como reforços.

Arsenal finally ended their long search for a prolific number nine with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, and Mikel Arteta is silently hoping the Swede can replicate his heroics from Portugal.

Over two sensational campaigns for Sporting CP, Gyokeres scored 97 goals in 102 appearances — firing Rui Borges’ side to a domestic double last season and motivating sporting director Andrea Berta to splash a potential £64 million on him.

Arsenal’s confirmed summer signings

Price tag

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

The Gunners agreed to pay a guaranteed £55 million, plus a further £9 million in potential add-ons for the 27-year-old, and you can make a serious case that this comes as a bargain fee.

Gyokeres’ proven goalscoring consistency in one of Europe’s top five leagues, not to mention the fact he’s currently in the prime of his career, emphasise how Berta potentially secured one of the signings of the summer.

The former Coventry City and Swansea City star also has some experience in England already, with Berta reportedly persuading Arsenal to move for Gyokeres over fellow long-time striker target Benjamin Sesko (The Athletic).

Arsenal made proposals for Sesko in the summer of 2024 and in January this year, making multiple attempts to sign the Slovenian, but Berta’s arrival prompted the north Londoners to shift focus towards Gyokeres instead.

Thus far, despite barely having a sniff against tough opposition in Man United and Liverpool, Gyokeres did net a Premier League brace during Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Leeds United, with the player still arguably finding his feet in Europe’s toughest, most competitive division.

That being said, some critics already have doubts, like Rio Ferdinand, with the pundit telling his YouTube channel that he’s yet to be convinced by Gyokeres after his performance at Anfield just prior to the international break.

Now, ex-Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy has explained his own doubts about the centre-forward in an interview with The Metro.

Gael Clichy explains why Arsenal could regret signing Viktor Gyokeres

The Frenchman says that Gyokeres lacks the link-up play to help Arsenal, insisting that now-Liverpool star Alexander Isak was far more suited to Arteta’s system.

Football is often very reactionary at the best of times, and perhaps Gyokeres has come in for some unfair criticism since his arrival from Sporting due to the heavy expectations on his shoulders.

Arsenal are desperate to end their two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title, with Gyokeres widely seen as one of the potentially game-changing signings to help them do just that.

Arteta’s side take on Nottingham Forest in the early kick-off on Saturday following the return from internationals, and Gyokeres can take advantage of the visitors settling under new manager Ange Postecoglou.

A convincing display against Forest in a must-win game will do wonders to restore faith in Gyokeres, with Postecoglou’s brand of open, high-pressing football potentially playing right into the number nine’s hands.

“We need more domestic players like Vipraj Nigam to step up in the IPL,” Varun Aaron says

Ekanth11-Apr-20253:02

Are Delhi Capitals the most balanced side this IPL?

With Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam, Delhi Capitals (DC) have arguably the best spin attack in IPL 2025. But are DC also the most balanced side in the competition, given that Axar and Nigam’s all-round skills add depth to their batting order and provide six bowling options without having to think too much?After KL Rahul led them to victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Sanjay Bangar and Piyush Chawla suggested that Capitals weren’t quite there yet but were very much in the conversation.”Good bowling attack, they still have some issues at the top of the order,” Bangar said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “Top order hasn’t really fired for them as expected. But with KL Rahul and [Tristan] Stubbs – like now Stubbs’ second back-to-back season that he’s really producing the goods for them – [they are] clearly a team to watch out for.”Related

KL Rahul hands RCB another loss in Bengaluru

You have to graft for runs at the Chinnaswamy now

Behind-the-wicket lessons told Rahul 'what pockets to target'

Chawla agreed. “They look like a good balanced side, but there is always a scope of improvement. Top of the order and I’ll say the fast-bowling department just feel… maybe a few wickets with the new ball, like you can’t always be dependent on [Mitchell] Starc and Mukesh [Kumar] all the time. When spinners are bowling in the powerplay, they have to come into the party as well.”They do have a point about the top of the batting order.Jake-Fraser McGurk, who has opened in all four of DC’s games so far, averages 11.50. Abishek Porel and Faf du Plessis, the others in the top three, also average in the 20s and the three of them have one half-century between them. Rahul, who was promoted to open against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), slotted back to No. 4 and had to pull off a rescue act against RCB. He led the way from the top of the order in du Plessis’ absence in the last game too.On the bowling front, they have Starc and Kuldeep, who have 17 wickets between them, but Phil Salt smashed 30 off a Starc over and 16 off an Axar over in the powerplay on Thursday. DC fought back strongly with Nigam dismissing Virat Kohli and joining Kuldeep later on to dismantle RCB’s middle order and reducing them to 125 for 7, before scripting a six-wicket win.3:17

Bangar: Rahul’s assault on Hazlewood was ‘terrific batsmanship’

Vipraj Nigam ‘a great find’Varun Aaron, the former India quick, said that along with his bowling, Nigam’s ability with the bat has highlighted the importance of domestic talent coming through in IPL 2025.”Vipraj was brilliant tonight, he’s a great find for Delhi Capitals,” Aaron said on JioStar. “He’s contributed with the ball and, as we’ve seen, can be destructive with the bat too. Going forward, he’s great value for the investment Delhi Capitals made in him. We need more domestic players like him to step up in the IPL and help take their teams over the line.”Nigam and Kuldeep finished with 2 for 18 and 2 for 17, respectively, to stop RCB at 163 for 7. They bowled 23 dots in the eight overs between them. That set up DC’s win, but watching them do their stuff worried Stubbs.”I went in at the break thinking ‘how are we going to make a run here’,” Stubbs, who went on to play the perfect second fiddle to Rahul in the chase, said at the post-match press conference. “It looked like it was really hard to bat, so I was like, ‘flip, what am I going to do’. But that just shows the three of them are world-class spinners. Kuldeep’s, if not the best in the world, [among them] at the moment.”2:13

Why was Kuldeep difficult to attack at Chinnaswamy?

Stubbs: ‘If you can get through net sessions, you feel confident’Stubbs, who bats in the top order in South Africa’s Test side and in the middle order in their white-ball sides, drew from his international experience to stitch a match-winning 111-run partnership with Rahul. His contribution wasn’t insignificant: 38 not in 23 balls.”I think my roles recently have been so different, like face the new ball in Test cricket and then, I feel like international cricket can still sort of be classed as old-school cricket because the scores aren’t as big as they are here [in the IPL], so you’re always that space,” he said. “So, you just fall back on past experiences and then, when it’s really good, it frees you up to [go], ‘okay, I can just play here’. But yeah, it’s tough playing different situations but it’s cricket and that’s why we love it.”Now, if spin does become more and more impactful at the IPL, Stubbs should be ready for it.”Kuldeep I faced in one net session. He actually asked to bowl to me because the last time he bowled to me was the [T20] World Cup final. So, he wanted to do it again,” Stubbs said. “But, honestly, if you can get through that net session, you feel really confident because they [DC’s spinners] are bowling really well.”And then if you walk out of that session feeling good, then you know you’re in good stead.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo terá duelos decisivos nas próximas semanas, tanto pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, quanto na Copa do Brasil, com três clássicos em quatro jogos. Nas quartas de final do mata-mata nacional, o Tricolor terá pela frente o Palmeiras, já nesta quarta-feira (5), às 19h30, no Morumbi.

Para os tricolores paulistas apaixonados: produtos a partir de R$39,90 na FutFanatics!

Depois, o São Paulo viaja para Bragança Paulista, onde enfrenta o Bragantino, no domingo (9), às 16h, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. Após essa partida, o elenco terá três dias de preparação para o duelo de volta da Copa do Brasil contra o Palmeiras, na quinta-feira (13), no Allianz Parque, às 21h30.

O Tricolor encerra a sequência de clássicos enfrentando o Santos, no domingo (16), às 16h, no Morumbi, em duelo válido pela 15ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Será a última partida envolvendo clubes regionais e de rivalidade com o São Paulo.

Veja os próximos jogos do São Paulo

São Paulo x Palmeiras – Copa do Brasil

Bragantino x São Paulo

Palmeiras x São Paulo

São Paulo x Santos

حقق فريق باريس سان جيرمان فوزًا كبيرًا على خصمه فريق باير ليفركوزن، مساء يوم الثلاثاء، في إطار منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

وحل باريس سان جيرمان ضيفًا على ليفركوزن في الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري، من دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث حقق فوزًا بسبعة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

جاءت سباعية باريس سان جيرمان عن طريق كل من ويليان باتشو في الدقيقة 7، ديزيري دوي في الدقيقة 41 والدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت المحتسب بدلَا من الضائع للشوط الأول، خفيتشا كفاراتسخيليا في الدقيقة 44 ونونو مينديز في الدقيقة 51.

كما سجل عثمان ديمبلي هدفًا في الدقيقة 66، واختتم فيتينها سباعية باريس سان جيرمان بتسجيله هدف في الدقيقة 90.

واكتفى باير ليفركوزن بتسجيل هدفين في مرمى باريس سان جيرمان عن طريق اللاعب أليكس جارسيا سيرانو، في الدقيقة 38 من ضربة جزاء و54.

وشهدت تلك المباراة طرد اثنين من اللاعبين، حيث تحصل لاعب ليفركوزن روبرت أندريش على بطاقة حمراء في الدقيقة 33، قبل 4 دقائق فقط من طرد لاعب باريس سان جيرمان إليا زبارني، لتتعادل الكفة.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد باريس سان جيرمان إلى 9 نقاط في صدارة دوري أبطال أوروبا، بفارق الأهداف عن إنتر ميلان وآرسنال اللذان فاز بدورهما في تلك الجولة على سانت جيلواز وأتلتيكو مدريد بأربعة أهداف دون رد، على الترتيب.

سُجلت أهداف إنتر ميلان عن طريق كل من دينزل دومفريس في الدقيقة 41، لاوتارو مارتينيز في الدقيقة الأولى من الوقت المحتسب بدلًا من الضائع للشوط الأول، هاكان تشالهان أوغلو من ضربة جزاء في الدقيقة 53 وفرانشيسكو إيسبوسيتو في الدقيقة 76.

في حين جاءت رباعية آرسنال عن طريق كل من جابرييل في الدقيقة 57، جابرييل مارتينيلي في الدقيقة 64، وفيكتور جيوكيريس في الدقيقة 67 و70.

Glasgow Rangers have officially confirmed that Youssef Chermiti has arrived at Ibrox on a permanent deal to bolster Russell Martin’s options at the top end of the pitch.

Cyriel Dessers’ transfer to Panathinaikos, the team Rangers beat in the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season, has also been officially confirmed by the Scottish Premiership giants.

Chermiti joins Bojan Miovski in arriving at Ibrox to improve the manager’s options in the final third ahead of the rest of the first half of the 2025/26 campaign.

Rangers in pursuit of new winger

The two strikers may not be the only forwards to arrive in Glasgow before the deadline passes later this evening, though, as the club are looking at another attacker.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to RangersReview, Glasgow Rangers maintain an interest in Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi heading into the final hours of the window.

The report mentions the club’s ongoing pursuit of the English forward as part of their round-up ahead of the deadline, following the Dessers and Chermiti announcements.

This means that the Gers are still looking to bolster their attack with a further addition before the window slams shut, with a deadline-busting move for Rak-Sakyi still on the cards.

Why Rangers should sign Rak-Sakyi

Kevin Thelwell must push to get this late deal over the line in the coming hours because he could add a different profile to what Martin currently has at his disposal in the final third, as the club’s new Vaclav Cerny.

The bore-draw with Celtic on Sunday highlighted the lack of diversity out wide for Rangers, as Djeidi Gassama was forced to play on the right wing, unable to do much but go back the way on his right foot when he could not take Kieran Tierney on down the outside.

Last season, Cerny provided something different in the attack as a left-footed forward who could cut in from the right to score and create goals for the team, ending the campaign with 12 goals and four assists in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

24/25 Championship

Rak Sakyi per 90

Percentile rank vs wingers

Non-penalty xG

0.32

Top 13%

Goals

0.36

Top 11%

Shots on target

0.88

Top 22%

xA

0.18

Top 22%

Assists

0.10

Bottom 47%

Successful dribbles

2.44

Top 7%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi offered a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Championship on loan at Sheffield United, but was not rewarded with the assists that his creativity deserved.

The 22-year-old star, who was described as a “frightening” forward by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored seven goals and provided two assists in 22 league starts for the Blades, and previously scored 15 goals and assisted eight goals in 40 League One starts for Charlton.

Like Cerny, he is a left-footed right winger who looks to cut in to provide a constant threat in the final third, and his performances in England suggest that he could bring a lot of quality to Ibrox.

Rak-Sakyi could also be another loan signing, as Cerny was with Wolfsburg, and make a big impact in a short time in Glasgow, without the club having to shell out millions on a permanent move, which is another reason why this could be a shrewd piece of business if they can beat the deadline.

Related Rangers considering late approach to sign "amazing" £5m Rothwell upgrade

Rangers are weighing up a late move to sign a potential upgrade on Joe Rothwell.

Posts ByDan Emery Sep 1, 2025

The transfer window might be closed again for a few days, but it feels like Arsenal are starting to fall behind their rivals.

For example, Manchester City have already secured the services of Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Ait-Nouri and look set for more.

However, perhaps the most worrying development, at least in terms of the Gunners’ chances in the Premier League next season, has been Liverpool’s £116m capture of Florian Wirtz.

The German is about as perfect an example of a statement signing as you’ll ever see, but in some more positive news, reports have recently linked Arsenal to someone who could be their own version of the international superstar.

Arsenal transfer news

While Arsenal are yet to make any official signings this summer, they have been linked with a host of potentially game-changing stars, such as Eberechi Eze and Rodrygo.

Transfer Focus

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

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The former has a release clause reportedly worth around £68m in Crystal Palace contract, and while that is a sizeable sum of money, it would be a price more than worth paying for a Premier League-proven attacker who scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 games this season.

Likewise, while Rodrygo could cost a whopping £84m this summer, his tally of 24 goal involvements this season and record of winning the biggest trophies in the game means he’d be a superb addition to the Gunners’ squad.

However, regarding the North Londoners’ answer to Wirtz, it looks like it will be Benjamin Sesko.

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the RB Leipzig star.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Gunners have now made a ‘breakthrough’ in negotiations and are expected to make an offer of €100m early next week, which comes out to around £85m.

It would represent an enormous vote of confidence in the young striker, but given his ability and potential, this is a transfer Arsenal should get done as soon as possible, as Sesko could be their own Wirtz.

Why Sesko would be Arsenal's Wirtz

Okay, so the first thing to say is that the two players are obviously not comparable in terms of position, as while Wirtz can play in a few other places, he is primarily an attacking midfielder, not a striker.

However, their positions have little to do with why Sesko could be Arsenal’s version of the German.

The first actual reason is that, like Liverpool’s new creator, the Slovenian international has the potential to be a truly game-changing addition to the Gunners.

Sesko in 24/25

Appearances

45

Minutes

3258′

Goals

21

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.6

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, even though he’s still just 22 years old, the former Salzburg gem was able to score 21 goals and provide six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes.

That means the Radeče-born “monster,” as dubbed by respected data analyst Ben Mattinson, averaged a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or every 120.66 minutes for a pretty poor Leipzig side.

So, just imagine what he could do under Arteta with Bukayo Saka to the right of him, hopefully, a new left-winger on the other side and a rejuvenated Martin Odegaard behind him.

Moreover, despite standing a mammoth 6 foot 5, the 41-capped behemoth is still incredibly rapid and capable of hitting speeds of 35.69 km/h and then, to top it off, you only need to watch his clips to see how technical he is with the ball at his feet.

Finally, aside from the ways in which Sesko could take Arteta’s side to the next level, he’d also be arriving for huge money and from the Bundesliga, just like Wirtz.

Ultimately, even though the money involved is more than most expected, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign the Leipzig gem this summer.

Related He's just like Saka: £68m winger is Tognozzi's dream target for Arsenal

The exciting wonderkid would be a superb addition to the Arsenal squad.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 13, 2025

With their Goodison Park farewell complete, Everton have reportedly turned their attention towards a new era and reportedly signing a defensive reinforcement for David Moyes’ side.

Everton bid farewell to Goodison Park

On an emotional day, Everton’s men’s team said their farewell to one of the most historic grounds in English football history in style, easing past relegated Southampton 2-0. Signing off in style, it will now be all eyes on a new era at the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium and one that The Friedkin Group will be desperate to see become full of success.

The farewells haven’t ended there, however, with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ashley Young also announcing that they’re set to leave Everton when the summer arrives.

Manager David Moyes was among those to share praise for Doucoure, telling Everton’s official website: “Doucs has been an influential player throughout his time at the Club, including since I returned as manager, and Evertonians will always be grateful for his dedication and crucial goals. Everyone at Everton thanks Doucs for his service and wishes him all the best for the future.”

Related The next Lukaku: Carragher urges Everton to sign £30m "wrecking ball"

Everton manager David Moyes is gearing up for a busy summer of spending.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 21, 2025

The Frenchman was full of emotion as he came off for the final time in an Everton shirt and there’s no doubt that he’ll be tough to replace in this summer’s transfer window.

The same, meanwhile, will be said for Jarrad Branthwaite if he departs in the coming months. Having often been linked with a move away throughout his Everton career, the rumours have already commenced ahead of this summer and there will certainly be nerves surrounding the centre-back’s future once again.

However, this time around, it does at least seem as though there is a plan in place in the event that the defensive star heads elsewhere in the coming months, with one Ligue 1 star reportedly on Friedkin’s radar.

Everton in talks to sign Diomande

According to Africa Foot, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have now opened talks to sign Sinaly Diomande from AJ Auxerre, with negotiations now well underway. The 24-year-old has popped up on the Toffees’ radar following a solid campaign at Auxerre, in which his side finished 11th in Ligue 1 despite only earning promotion to France’s first tier last season.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Sinaly Diomande

Jarrad Branthwaite

Starts

22

28

Progressive Passes

72

66

Tackles Won

19

20

Ball Recoveries

86

93

If there were any concerns that Diomande wouldn’t have the quality to ease any potential Branthwaite concerns, then this season’s numbers should put those to bed in an instant.

In possession, Diomande is particularly impressive when compared to Branthwaite – even outperforming the Everton man for progressive passes in less starts. If Everton are looking to step beyond relegation worries and mid-table mediocrity, then signing a defender capable of progressing that play at such a level could prove to be crucial.

Ahead of what could be a busy summer, signing Diomande may well be the perfect way for Friekdin and Everton to start.

Manchester United are now closing in on their first signing of the summer as they have agreed personal terms with Wolves star Matheus Cunha, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd stepping up transfer plans as they lodge multiple bids

This summer is expected to be a busy time for the Red Devils as they look to address what has been a very poor campaign and give Ruben Amorim the ingredients to become a success at Old Trafford. The summer transfer window isn’t even open yet, but United have already started to make moves in the transfer market.

A report from Spain has claimed that Man United have submitted a £55 million bid to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford – Mbeumo is seen as a player who can improve United’s attacking options, and the hope from Old Trafford is that the offer is enough to tempt Brentford into selling one of their star players.

As well as making an offer for Mbuemo, reports have claimed United have also lodged a staggering £113 million bid to try and sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig this summer.

The Dutch international is expected to leave the Bundesliga side, and United hope he will ease the creative burden on Bruno Fernandes. It is claimed that United are desperate to bring Simons to Old Trafford, and his signing would be a huge statement from INEOS in terms of them backing Amorim in the transfer market.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson May 19, 2025 Man Utd closing in on £62.5m Cunha deal after agreeing personal terms

Mbuemo and Simons appear to be top targets for the Red Devils, but they are not going to be the first signing the Premier League side make this summer. That is because, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Man United are close to signing Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Romano reports that United are close to signing Cunha, as the Wolves star has now accepted the project on offer at Old Trafford and has agreed personal terms with the Red Devils, which means the deal is now almost completed. Romano adds that just the final details need to be sorted between all parties ‘and then, here we go’.

United have moved very quickly to sign Cunha, who has been dubbed “sensational” by pundit Micah Richards. The Brazilian international has a release clause worth £62.5 million, and the Red Devils are expected to trigger that to reach an agreement.

It was claimed last week that Arsenal had reopened talks to sign Cunha from Wolves, perhaps prompting INEOS to act fast with their move for the versatile forward, who has scored 15 goals in the Premier League this season.

Matheus Cunha’s 24/25 Premier League stats

Apps

31

Goals

15

xG

8.04

Shots per game

3.2

Shots on target per game

1.3

Chance conversion

15%

Assists

6

Big chances created

13

Cunha’s arrival at Old Trafford will likely see him deployed as one of United’s number 10s in Amorim’s system. But his versatility means the Brazilian can also operate as a number nine, which Amorim may be more inclined to do, given the struggles of Rasmus Hojlund.