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RCB are expected to be without Tim David, but Josh Hazlewood is back

Vishal Dikshit26-May-20251:24

Chance for Pant to open?

Big Picture: Will LSG spoil RCB’s party?Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) need not have watched the game between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday with a calculator in hand to see what kind of margin they need for Tuesday to finish in the top two for a straight shot into the IPL 2025 final. No matter what the result on Monday night, RCB just need to win their last league game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to reach 19 points that will guarantee them a place in qualifier 1, whether they finish on top or second.If LSG win on Tuesday, though, RCB will finish third and play in the eliminator, like they did last year and bowed out of the tournament after a loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR).Related

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Hazlewood returns to bolster RCB ahead of playoffs

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RCB need their share of luck now to find lost momentum

Injury scare for Tim David ahead of playoffs

What might scare RCB a little is that the teams eliminated from the playoffs race have been beating the teams that have made it to the playoffs over the last four days. It was LSG who started that trend by taking down the table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) with a match-winning century from Mitchell Marsh. Nicholas Pooran’s return to runs after a slump in between also bodes well for LSG, and so does the bowling of 6’4” fast bowler Will O’Rourke, who has bagged four wickets in his two showings so far, after he came on as a replacement for the injured Mayank Yadav.The day after LSG’s last game, RCB had their four-match winning streak broken by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Even though one loss doesn’t make or break a team’s confidence, RCB suffered a blow in that clash when their middle-order basher Tim David hurt himself while fielding in the deep, and is unlikely for Tuesday.RCB will, however, be boosted by the return of their ace fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who stayed back in Australia for his shoulder rehab when the IPL had resumed, and has joined the team ahead of the last league game.Form guideRoyal Challengers Bengaluru LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Lucknow Super Giants: WLLLLIn the spotlight: Josh Hazlewood and Rishabh PantThere are not many overseas bowlers who have taken IPL 2025 by storm, but Josh Hazlewood is among the small bunch. His metronomic bowling style married with the T20 weapons of hard lengths, pace variations and yorkers make him one of the most feared fast bowlers in the competition. He is a potent weapon in both the powerplay and the death overs, and RCB will look to bank heavily on him, on both Tuesday and in the playoffs, before he heads to London for the WTC final.0:58

Moody: RCB need to move on from this loss quickly

Rishabh Pant is having his worst IPL season, be it in terms of runs, strike rate or average. In his last game, however, Pant gave glimpses of Pant of the old when he hit two sixes with his usual physics-defying positions he gets into by the time he finishes his shots. It could be because LSG had been eliminated from the playoffs, and we saw a carefree Pant with a nothing-to-lose attitude. LSG will hope he bats more like that on Tuesday, and he will hope he gets some more runs before flying out to London for the Test series as vice-captain.Team news and likely XIIsRCB will be forced to make a couple of changes. Hazlewood’s return to the XI will be in place of Lungi Ngidi, who misses the last league game to fly back home for WTC final preparations with his national side.The big miss will be David, who had scored 42 runs off 20 deliveries he faced in their last two games. RCB may not have a like-for-like replacement for him if he’s unavailable, but they do have Liam Livingstone and Tim Seifert who was brought in as replacement for Jacob Bethell for the remainder of the tournament, just like they have Blessing Muzarabani for Ngidi. Both Seifert and Muzarabani have joined the squad. Their captain Rajat Patidar was only fit to bat in the last game, and he could continue to be their Impact Player if he has still not recovered to field.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash SharmaThe main change LSG could make is bringing back Digvesh Rathi, who missed the last game because of his one-match suspension. If their opener Aiden Markram has returned home to prepare for the WTC final, LSG will need a new opener. Will Pant move up the order again? They may also want to give chances to more players on the bench such as batter Matthew Breetzke, wicketkeeper-batter Aryan Juyal, batting allrounder Yuvraj Chaudhary, bowling allrounder Rajvardhan Hangargekar and batting allrounder Arshin Kulkarni who still haven’t played a game this season, and Himmat Singh hasn’t batted even once despite getting two matches this season.Lucknow Super Giants: 1 Matthew Breetzke/Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Himmat Singh, 8 Digvesh Rathi, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Akash Deep, 11 Will O’Rourke, 12 Akash SinghThe big questionPitch and conditionsIt’s going to be a mixed-soil pitch for Lucknow’s last game of the season, made up of red and black soil. That’s usually a batting-friendly track. The last game played on that strip was between LSG and CSK when the hosts were restricted to 166 and MS Dhoni had taken CSK home. It’s expected to be extremely hot in Lucknow on Tuesday, with temperatures going over 36 degrees Celsius, and a good amount of humidity too to make it more sultry. There is no rain in the forecast.Stats and trivia RCB will have to find a way to stop LSG’s overseas batters from hitting sixes: Marsh has struck the second-most sixes in the powerplay so far whereas Pooran has the most in the middle overs Will RCB be brave enough to bowl Krunal Pandya to Pooran? Because Pooran also holds the record of most sixes against spin in this IPL, at 25, with 15 being the second-best. Pooran has hardly faced Krunal so far, having scored 25 off his 15 balls so far in the IPL without being dismissed yet RCB could become the first time in the history of the IPL to win all their seven away games, if they bag another W on Tuesday Virat Kohli is 24 away from 9000 runs for RCB overall, in the IPL and Champions League T20 combined

Sultans might have felt their 185 would be enough on a tricky surface, but Mitchell and Raza finished the chase with an over to spare

Rvel Zahid27-Apr-2025Multan Sultans’ disorder with the ball at the death took the game away from them as the dynamic Lahore Qalandars duo of Sikandar Raza and Daryl Mitchell put together a quick 89-run stand to take their team to victory, and the second spot on the PSL 2025 table.After Qalandars asked Sultans to bat, their seamers didn’t allow the openers Mohammad Rizwan and Yasir Khan get away in the powerplay, which ended with 39 runs on the board and Yasir’s wicket. Rizwan had to graft his way through, and for the longest part, couldn’t really shift gears as he needed to.Tom Curran’s slow deliveries created enormous problems for the Sultans batters. He got the better of Shai Hope in the 11th over with a ball that nipped back in sharply and went through the gate, leaving Sultans at a precarious 70 for 3.That’s when Kamran Ghulam joined Rizwan and, finally, there was some impetus to their innings. They found boundaries at regular intervals and that lifted them to a competitive total. Haris Rauf conceded 20 in the last over, which pushed the total to 185. Rizwan batted through the innings to finish on 76 off 48 balls, while Ghulam scored his 52 not out off just 31 balls, scoring at 167.74.On a pitch where the ball was not coming onto the bat too well, it seemed enough.Kamran Ghulam gave Multan Sultans a late lift-off•PCBQalandars started their pursuit with clear intent and launched an onslaught from the get-go. Mohammad Naeem fell cheaply, but Abdullah Shafique, at No. 3, played free-flowing cricket from the moment he walked out. His flick off Mohammad Hasnain in the seventh over was a thing of beauty, impeccably timed with poise and class. The platform was set for the middle-order chasing stars Mitchell and Raza, who propelled their side to a position of dominance even though Mitchell took his time to gauge the conditions.At the end of the 12th over, the game hung in balance as Ubaid Shah foxed Shafique, luring him to chase a delivery in the channel that rose more than he expected. In the same over, he got Sam Billings miscuing to deep backward square to go for a three-ball duck.But there was no panic. Raza was in his element and seemed to infect Mitchell, who hadn’t been too quick with his run-scoring till then.They hit eight sixes between them in their stand that went into the 19th over, taking 14, 11 and 18 in overs 13, 14 and 15 to put the equation in Qalandars’ favour. In the end, it was a stroll to the target as they targeted Ubaid and Akif Javed in the 18th and 19th overs respectively. Mitchell fell for a 38-ball 64 but Raza finished the job with an over to go, ending with 40 not out in 21 balls.It was a familiar story for Sultans, who are struggling to put up well-knit efforts consistently, which is why they find themselves stuck at the bottom of the table. With their fifth defeat, they are on the brink of elimination and have entered the must-win territory with four games remaining.

Manchester United have endured somewhat of an overhaul of the squad this summer, with Ruben Amorim splashing the cash during his first summer window at Old Trafford.

With less than a week remaining until the market slams shut, the 40-year-old has already spent around £200m – all on players within the final third of the pitch.

Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have all made the move to the Theatre of Dreams, but none of the stars have yet netted their first goal in any of the first two Premier League outings.

Players such as Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen and Jonny Evans were released at the start of the summer, freeing up some of the funds to land the aforementioned trio.

However, further players are likely to be offloaded before Monday’s deadline, with numerous players touted with big-money moves away from Amorim’s side.

The latest on United’s potential departures this summer

Kobbie Mainoo has emerged as a surprise option to depart United in the coming days, after being an unused substitute in each of the club’s two opening league outings.

The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro have all been preferred over the academy graduate in recent days – casting doubt over his long-term future at Old Trafford.

As a result, the 20-year-old is now said to be open to a departure before the deadline, with the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea monitoring his current situation – with a £45m transfer fee being mooted.

The Englishman is not the only player touted with an exit, with bomb squad member Alejandro Garnacho edging ever closer to a departure, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The journalist claims that the Argentine’s move to join Chelsea is now “very advanced” after the player rejected a proposal from Saudi Arabia – stating he only wants to move to Stamford Bridge.

It’s also been reported that a fee in the region of £50m with future add-ons has been agreed, with only minor details remaining before the 21-year-old departs Amorim’s side.

Why United selling £50m star would be a bigger blow than Mainoo

Mainoo has endured somewhat of a rapid rise over the last couple of years, with no supporter able to envisage the impact he would’ve had on the first-team squad.

There’s no denying that the Red Devils have fallen way below the expectations set by the fanbase, but the 20-year-old midfielder has often been a shining light – often popping up in crucial moments.

He announced himself to the supporters with a last-minute strike against Wolves back in February 2024, with his effort securing a 4-3 win for the club at Molineux.

Goals in the FA Cup and against Lyon in the Europa League have further highlighted the impact he’s made within the first-team, with the hierarchy potentially living to regret any deal that would see him depart the Theatre of Dreams.

However, a deal for Garnacho to depart could arguably be a bigger blow, losing another top youth prospect who could develop into an elite-level forward.

The Argentine made his debut for the Red Devils back in April 2022 – going on to rack up just shy of 150 appearances, and looking like the future of the club at one stage.

Despite scoring 11 times and producing 10 assists across all competitions throughout 2024/25, he was left on the bench for the Europa League final – prompting a fall-out with the manager after comments on social media.

He’s since been placed in the bomb squad at Old Trafford, but it could prove to be a decision that comes back to bite them – especially if he moves to a divisional rival.

Garnacho’s tally of 21 goal contributions last season showcases the talent he possesses within forward areas, something which the Red Devils have lacked already this campaign.

Alejandro Garnacho’s stats for United in the PL (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	36
Minutes played	2195
Goals & assists	8
Shots on target	1.2
Pass accuracy	83%
Chances created	1.5
Successful dribbles	1.1
Touches in opposition box	7.6
Fouls won	1.8
Stats via FotMob

Amorim’s side have only netted one goal in the opening two league outings, with the youngster able to help the side in their quest should they keep hold of him beyond the summer.

However, it appears as though he’s set to leave in favour of a move to Chelsea, with the Blues potentially getting themselves a bargain given his output and tender age – having the potential to explode in the capital.

There’s no denying that Amorim wants to make his own stamp on the squad – but selling star youngsters like Mainoo and Garnacho could turn ugly, especially if they can fulfil their potential away from Old Trafford in the years ahead.

He'd revive Fernandes: Man Utd chasing the "best English CM since Scholes"

Manchester United want to sign a midfielder before the end of the transfer window.

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 27, 2025

Another defeat will put UPW on the brink of elimination, but they have home advantage on their side

Hemant Brar05-Mar-20255:00

How do Warriorz contain Nat Sciver-Brunt?

Who’s playingUP Warriorz (UPW) vs Mumbai Indians (MI)
Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, 7.30pm ISTBig picture: UPW at critical junctureAfter their Super Over win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UPW have faced two back-to-back defeats. That has left them with just four points from six games and at a critical juncture in the tournament. Given their net run rate is by far the worst among all teams, another loss will push them to the brink of elimination.MI are in a much better position with six points from five games and a net run rate in the positive. But they have their own share of concerns, the biggest being their opening pair. Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews have added just 73 runs in five innings at an average of 14.60 and a run rate of 5.03. Three times they were separated with less than ten runs on the board. While Matthews did score a half-century two games ago, Bhatia has managed just 38 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 84.44.When the two sides met last month, in Bengaluru, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s all-round performance – 3 for 18 and 75 not out – decimated UPW. Can UPW find a way to stop her?Form guideUP Warriorz LLW (last three matches, most recent first)
Mumbai Indians LWWIn the spotlight: Chinelle Henry and Amelia KerrChinelle Henry was not part of UPW’s original plan. She was drafted in only when Alyssa Healy pulled out of the tournament. But she has emerged as their MVP, especially with the bat. Despite batting mostly at No. 8, and never higher than No. 7, she is the leading run-getter for UPW with a tally of 138 at a strike rate of 209.09. Given UPW lack firepower in the middle order, it would only be prudent to promote Henry a couple of slots.Should Chinelle Henry bat higher up the order?•BCCIAmelia Kerr was one of the key batters for MI in the first two seasons. But this time she has had a lean run so far. In four innings, she has scored just 47 runs at an average of 11.75 and a strike rate of 88.67. With the openers also not clicking, that has left MI being overly reliant on Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur. Kerr would like to rectify that.Team news: Ishaque for Gupta?Despite losing their last two games, it is difficult to see how UPW can improve their XI. Perhaps they could bring in Rajeshwari Gayakwad for Gouher Sultana, who did not bowl a single over in the previous game despite Gujarat Giants piling up 186 for 5.UP Warriorz (probable): 1 Grace Harris, 2 Kiran Navgire, 3 Georgia Voll, 4 Vrinda Dinesh, 5 Deepti Sharma (capt), 6 Shweta Sehrawat, 7 Uma Chetry (wk), 8 Chinelle Henry, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Gouher Sultana, 11 Kranti GoudWith UPW likely to have only one left-hand batter in their XI, MI could consider bringing in left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque for offspinner Sanskriti Gupta.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 S Sajana, 7 Amanjot Kaur, 8 G Kamalini, 9 Saika Ishaque/Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Shabnim IsmailStats and trivia: The Sciver-Brunt show Teams winning the toss have opted to chase in all 15 games so far this season. They went on to win 13 of those. Sciver-Brunt is MI’s leading run-getter and joint-leading wicket-taker in the tournament. In WPL 2025, Sciver-Brunt has more half-centuries (three) than the whole UPW team combined (two). UPW are the only team with no player in the top five run-getters or the top five wicket-takers in WPL 2025.

Ireland Women left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire has been reported for a suspect bowling action following the first ODI against India in Rajkot, where she picked up 3 for 57 from eight overs.As per the ICC regulations, Maguire, 18, needs to get her action tested at an ICC-accredited testing centre within 14 days of being reported. She can continue bowling until the results of the test are known.Last month, Maguire was named in Ireland’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. Since the assessment window falls in the middle of the tournament, she had to be withdrawn from it. Genevieve Morrissey has replaced her in the squad.*Graeme West, the director of high performance at Cricket Ireland, said, “The staff and players are rallying around Aimee, reassuring her that she will return with a stronger action and will continue to shine on the international stage for many years to come.”The experience and expertise that we possess within our High Performance Coaching and Support Services at Cricket Ireland will provide Aimee with the care, support and guidance to deliver the remedial programme which will begin following the team’s return from India.”Maguire made her international debut in 2023. So far, she has played 11 ODIs and nine T20Is, taking 25 wickets in all with a best of 5 for 19 against England in a one-dayer last year.Having lost the first ODI by six wickets, Ireland trail the three-match series 1-0. The remaining two ODIs are also to be played in Rajkot, on January 12 and 15.

This summer, Liverpool have shown signs that they are looking to progress from a Premier League-winning side to a Champions League-winning side.

They have added players all over the pitch, including Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong, who both bagged their first competitive goals for Liverpool at Wednesday during the FA Community Shield last weekend.

Arne Slot isn’t done with signings yet, though, as he appears to still be pushing for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and now England and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace captain looks likely to move this summer after the club’s co-owner and chairman, Steve Parish, admitted that they may have to sell him.

The current valuation for Guehi is £35 million. Slot’s summer spending won’t be ending there either, as he looks to make Guehi part of a double centre-back transfer plan.

Liverpool in "negotiations" for "really special" Italian talent

As well as Guehi, Slot is looking to bring in 18-year-old Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni. This news was shared by Fabrizio Romano, who highly rates Leoni and previously described him as “really special”.

Romano has revealed that both deals are being worked on, with Guehi being seen as a great signing for now and Leoni as one for the future.

The young centre-back won’t come cheap, as he is currently valued at £34 million, which would make him Parma’s third most expensive sale ever, behind Gianlugi Buffon and Hernan Crespo. This price may seem expensive now, but it’s reasonable given the longevity of the investment.

Leoni made 17 appearances for Parma last season and even popped up with a goal. His experience in the Serie A could make him valuable in the short term as well as the long term for Liverpool, as Slot currently faces a challenging squad depth situation.

Slot an injury away from trouble

While it has been left as one of the last positions that they will fill this window, the centre-back situation is a much more pressing matter for Liverpool than many fans realise.

Currently, Slot isn’t spoiled for options in the centre-back department. His first choices are undoubtedly exceptional, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. However, after that, their options are Joe Gomez, who missed 28 games last season through injury, and Rhys Williams, who, at 24, has never really been trusted in the first team.

£55m+ Liverpool player open to Anfield exit, offered 4-year deal to leave

Should the Reds try and keep hold of him?

ByHenry Jackson Aug 12, 2025

An injury to either of their first two choices would leave them in a precarious predicament. Slot could use a player from another position as a makeshift centre-back in this case, but the more sensible move would be bringing in Guehi or Leoni, preferably both.

Another issue is that Konate only has a year left on his contract and is already being looked at by Real Madrid. Van Dijk recently signed a contract extension, but only for two years, meaning both players days at the club are also numbered.

Liverpool need to bring in centre-backs this summer because their squad depth isn’t sufficient for this season, and it will only get worse in the coming transfer windows. As good as the other signings have been, if they fail to sign at least one centre-back, it will be seen as a massive blunder.

Birmingham City co-owners Tom Wagner and Tom Brady are now in very advanced talks to sign a £10m+ star for Chris Davies, according to a new transfer report.

Birmingham City seal Demarai Gray return

It has been a busy summer transfer window so far for the Blues ahead of their Championship return, with a number of new players arriving at St Andrew’s ahead of the 2025/26 season.

One of the latest additions is former academy star Demarai Gray, who has returned to Birmingham nine years on after leaving for Leicester City. The winger joins from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq and has penned a three-year deal with the Blues.

Talking after returning to the club, Gray said: “To be back here now means a lot and having tasted success a bit throughout my career, I’m hungry and I really want to do it here with Birmingham and try and help the team get back to where we belong.

“It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. Seeing some old faces is always nice, to be back around the stadium brought back a lot of feelings and I can’t wait to get going now, get back in front of the fans and see where this season can take us.”

Birmingham City enter race to sign £6m "monster" ahead of Sheffield United

The Blues have joined the race to sign a defender from a Premier League club.

2

By
Brett Worthington

Jul 2, 2025

Wagner and Brady aren’t showing any signs of stopping, though, and there has been a promising development in the club’s pursuit of Rennes forward Kyogo Furuhashi.

Birmingham City in “very advanced” talks for £10m+ Kyogo Furuhashi

According to reliable French outlet L’Équipe, Birmingham City are now in “very advanced” talks to sign Furuhashi from Rennes.

A deal is ‘close to being concluded’ and it may be worth a total of €12m (£10.3m), the same figure Rennes paid Celtic for the Japan international earlier this year.

Furuhashi has struggled in France after leaving Glasgow, however, he certainly enjoyed his time in the UK, scoring on a regular basis and winning numerous honours with the Scottish giants.

Kyogo Furuhashi’s Celtic stats
Games	165
Goals	85
Assists	19
Minutes played	10,741
Trophies won	9

Called an “elite striker” by Brendan Rodgers during his time at Celtic, whereas Ange Postecoglou also waxed lyrical of the forward when he was Hoops manager.

Now, it looks as if Davies could have the hard-working striker at St Andrew’s potentially lining up alongside Gray and Jay Stansfield in the Championship.

With a deal agreed to sign Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United have reportedly joined the race to sign another attacking star who is just as quick as the rapid Swede.

What Newcastle could do next after Elanga

The Magpies’ summer is finally turning around. Both James Trafford and Elanga are reportedly set to join Eddie Howe’s side to hand the manager two instant upgrades, whilst PIF’s spending could yet continue. With Champions League football to play next season, those at St James’ Park are seemingly set to hand Newcastle the squad depth that they’ve needed for some time.

For £55m, Newcastle will be welcoming a player who is likely to form one of the deadliest attacking trios that the Premier League has to offer alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon. Meanwhile, if the Magpies are looking to compete on all fronts, then the depth that Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy will offer that trio will certainly come in handy.

PIF are reportedly not done there, however. Instead, they’re reportedly keen to make a statement with further attacking incomings amid recent links to the likes of Yoane Wissa and Hugo Ekitike.

He's just like Isak: Newcastle explore move for "unbelievable" £50m star

Newcastle are planning to improve once again after agreeing a fee for Anthony Elanga.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 11, 2025

Either forward would complete the set for Newcastle, who would have a group of six quality attacking options to choose from next season and two for every position.

Alas, those two aren’t the only names still on the Magpies’ reported radar. According to recent reports, those at St James’ Park have also set their sights on signing a Bundesliga star ahead of Chelsea who is just as quick as speed demon Elanga.

Newcastle now interested in £56m Karim Adeyemi

According to Bild, as relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle are now racing Chelsea to sign Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund this summer. The German international is reportedly valued at a hefty €65m (£56m) by the Bundesliga giants, which means that the Magpies will have to spend big once again if they are to secure his signature.

Even after welcoming Elanga, Adeyemi’s ability to lead the line and play on both wings has seemingly seen him keep hold of his place on Newcastle’s radar. Whether Newcastle decide to push on and reach Dortmund’s hefty asking price remains to be seen, but there’s no denying that the combined speed between Adeyemi and Elanga is a frightening prospect for any opposition defence.

Last season, the new arrival clocked an impressive speed of 36.7km/h last season to match Adeyemi’s record in 2023 and both could now find themselves leading a rapid Newcastle frontline next season.

It also goes without saying that the Dortmund star is more than just his speed, having scored 12 goals and set up another 11 in all competitions last season to justify the praise of Matthias Jaissle.

The former Red Bull Salzburg coach previously told reporters: “Karim has almost everything a striker needs. His quality and speed are incredible.”

Sunderland are set for a busy summer of transfer business before the window closes at the start of September, as they look to build a team that can compete in the Premier League.

The Black Cats have already confirmed their first signing of the summer as Enzo Le Fee has joined the club on a permanent deal, after spending the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland’s French whiz scored one goal and provided one assist, whilst averaging 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game, in his 15 appearances in the Championship as a loanee.

The 25-year-old added a touch of class to the team, as shown in the clip below, and Regis Le Bris will be hoping that he can deliver in the Premier League as well.

Le Fee was not the only loan star on Wearside during the 2024/25 campaign, though, as central defender Chris Mepham was on loan from Bournemouth.

However, they have yet to agree a deal to bring the Wales international back to the Stadium of Light for the next Premier League season, despite a recent report claiming that they were considering a permanent move for him.

Why Sunderland may not sign Chris Mepham

Football Insider recently noted that Mepham has signed a one-year extension with the Cherries, which means that he will not be available on a free transfer this summer.

This means that Sunderland would have to pay a transfer fee for the central defender to sign him from their Premier League rivals, rather than being able to snap him up for nothing.

Whilst it remains to be seen how much Bournemouth would want for the centre-back, this could put the Black Cats off a potential deal as it may be more costly than previously expected.

Fellow newly-promoted side Burnley have also been linked with a possible swoop for the Welsh colossus, who was a solid, but not outstanding, performer for Sunderland in the second tier.

Tackles

1.3

7th

Interceptions

0.9

6th

Clearances

6.2

1st

Blocks

0.9

1st

Pass accuracy

87%

6th

Long passes made

2.1

5th

As you can see in the table above, Mepham excelled in some areas of the game, notably making blocks and clearances, but was not one of the top-performing defenders at the club when it came to making tackles or interceptions.

Sunderland may feel that they could find better value elsewhere in the market, as they look to bolster their defensive options, which may be one reason why they may not sign him on a permanent deal.

In fact, the Black Cats are reportedly looking at a Championship central defender who could be an even better signing than Mepham this summer.

Sunderland eyeing deal for Championship enforcer

According to the Daily Express, Sunderland are one of a number of clubs eyeing up a deal to sign Millwall centre-back Japhet Tanganga in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Black Cats, Leeds United, and Burnley all have a ‘concrete interest’ in the former Tottenham Hotspur defender, as they look to bolster their defensive options.

Transfer Focus

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

It states Crystal Palace are also keen on a deal for the 26-year-old enforcer, and that they could have an advantage in the race to sign him as a London club and a team with European football in the 2025/26 campaign.

The Daily Express reveals that he has a £1.2m release clause, that can only be activated by Premier League clubs this summer, which means that he could be a bargain signing for any of the interested teams.

It also reveals that Tanganga would like his future to be sorted by the end of the month, possibly to be ready for a pre-season with a new club, but it does not state what his preference is at this moment in time.

Why Sunderland should sign Japhet Tanganga

The Black Cats must now push to win the race for Tanganga ahead of Burnley, Leeds, and Palace because he could be an even better signing for the club than Mepham would be this summer.

Whilst the former Sunderland loanee is far from immobile, there may be concerns about how he would handle the step up in intensity and pace in the Premier League.

Whereas, Tanganga is an incredibly mobile and rapid central defender who can cover ground quickly and has the physicality to deal with top-flight attackers.

Carlton Palmer told Football League World: “He is capable of playing in the Premier League, he’s got the physical tools to cope with the demands of the top-flight with his positional play and reading of the game, while he has tremendous recovery pace.”

Appearances

38

40

Tackles per game

1.4

1.4

Interceptions per game

0.9

0.9

Dribbled past

0.5x

0.3x

Duels won per game

4.9

5.9

Ground duel success rate

55%

61%

Aerial duel success rate

63%

63%

As you can see in the table above, Tanganga’s superior physical attributes in comparison to Mepham were on display in the Championship last season.

The Millwall colossus was dribbled past less frequently, which is because he has the pace to keep up with attackers when they try to knock it past him, and won a higher percentage of his duels on the ground overall.

This suggests that Tanganga would be more suited to dealing with Premier League attackers in one-on-one situations defensively than Mepham would be next season, due to his more impressive physicality.

Therefore, he could be a better signing for the Black Cats this summer because he is more likely to deal with the step up to the top-flight to help Le Bris’ side in their battle against relegation.

Sunderland now make approach for £13k-p/w defender with 25 UCL appearances

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It is now down to Sunderland to activate his £1.2m release clause and to convince him to make the move to the Stadium of Light, instead of joining one of the other three interested parties from the Premier League.

Everton have emerged as contenders to complete the signing of a Premier League champion, according to a fresh transfer update.

Forwards Everton could sign this summer

The Blues were relatively goal-shy last season, only scoring 42 goals in 38 league matches, highlighting the need for David Moyes to add attacking quality to his squad in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool winger Ben Doak continues to be mentioned as an eye-catching option for Everton, in a move that would cause plenty of controversy on Merseyside, with Moyes considering him a leading option to bring in ahead of next season. It remains to be seen if the Reds are willing to sell to their local rivals, though.

The Blues are also said to be willing to trigger the release clause of Villarreal forward Thierno Barry, paving the way for Dominic Calvert-Lewis to bring an end to his time at the club, as has been expected for some time now.

Meanwhile, Oguz Aydin is another reported target for Everton, with the Fenerbahce winger a player capable of bringing strong end product in the final third, following 10 goal contributions (seven goals and three assists) in the Turkisk Super Lig in 2024/25.

Everton eyeing shock move for Man City star

According to The Daily Mail, Everton are “monitoring” Manchester City winger Jack Grealish, as they eye a “shock” move for him this summer.

The £300,000-a-week ace is expected to leave the Etihad in the coming weeks and months, and the Blues have emerged as contenders to snap him up. While no talks have taken place yet, they are “aware” of his availability, although a loan move may be most likely, due to profit and sustainability rules surrounding his wages.

Grealish’s stock has dropped significantly over the past year or two, hence City being willing to sell him, but that’s not to say that he couldn’t shine for Everton, having been praised by Pep Guardiola last year.

“He was aggressive. I know in controlling the ball he is good, but he made four or five shots. This is what it is – he has to prove himself, but I am really pleased with the game he played.”

There has been a feeling that Grealish’s maverick style has been stunted at City, with the Englishman having to play a more refined role where risk-taking isn’t allowed, but he could flourish if let off his leash at Everton.

The fact that Moyes is a big admirer of the 29-year-old can also only bode well, with the Blues boss calling him the “best player in the Premier League” back in 2021, which speaks volumes.

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If he believes he can get the best out of Grealish, it is a move that Everton must try and make happen, with the Englishman capable of lighting up matches with his dribbling ability and entertainment value.