أثيرت أنباء خلال الساعات الماضية عن اقتراب انتقال المهاجم الفلسطيني أسد الحملاوي، لاعب كرايوفا الروماني، إلى الأهلي في يناير المقبل.
وتحدثت تقارير عن وجود اتفاق بالفعل ودفع الشرط الجزائي، وهو ما أثار ضجة كبيرة بين جماهير القلعة الحمراء الباحثة عن مهاجم جديد.
اقرأ أيضًا | مجدي عبد الغني عن تصريحات حسام غالي: لماذا تعلّمنا مبادئ الأهلي؟.. وسيجعلوني “أبو لهب”
مصادر خاصة لـ بطولات، نفت بشكل قاطع صحة هذه الأخبار، مؤكدة أنه لا يوجد أي اتفاق من قريب أو بعيد بين الأهلي واللاعب.
وأضافت أن كل ما يتداول لا يتعدى كونه شائعات واجتهادات إعلامية، وأن النادي لم يدخل في أي تواصل رسمي مع الحملاوي.
كما أوضحت المصادر أن الحديث عن انتقال اللاعب مقابل مليون يورو غير صحيح إطلاقًا، حيث يبلغ الشرط الجزائي في عقده مع كرايوفا 10 ملايين يورو.
وتأتي هذه الشائعات بالتزامن مع رغبة الأهلي في تدعيم خط الهجوم، خاصة مع ضغط المباريات وأزمة التهديف.
من جانبه، أكد ياسين طاهري، المدير الرياضي لنادي كرايوفا، في تصريحات تلفزيونية قبل أيام قليلة، أنه ليس هناك أي عرض رسمي من الأهلي أو غيره بشأن الحملاوي.
وأضاف طاهري أن اللاعب يركز حاليًا مع الفريق الروماني ولا يفكر في الرحيل خلال الموسم الجاري.
وشدد طاهري على أن إدارة كرايوفا لن تناقش مستقبل اللاعب إلا إذا جاء عرض رسمي بعد نهاية الموسم.
With Habib Diarra signed and Reinildo also on his way, Sunderland are now reportedly battling against Paris Saint-Germain to secure their third arrival of the summer.
Sunderland set to sign Diarra and Reinildo
Just when Leeds United believed they were in the driving seat, Sunderland came bustling in to steal Diarra from under their noses. Outbidding the 49ers, those at the Stadium of Light are reportedly set to secure the midfielder’s signature for a club-record fee of £30m. But they are not done there – far from it, in fact.
After Diarra, the Black Cats have turned towards La Liga and Atletico Madrid to agree a deal for Reinildo Mandava. The left-back is set to become a free agent at the end of next month, allowing Sunderland to swoop in and secure his signature.
Both incoming arrivals signal Sunderland’s intent. None of the last six promoted teams have survived at the first time of asking in the Premier League, but the playoff winners are spending as though they’re in the mood to finally put an end to that trend.
Diarra particularly stands out between the two. The former Strasbourg midfielder gave English football a glimpse of his talents against the Three Lions earlier this month when he scored Sengal’s second goal in a 3-1 win. Now, 20 days on, he’s set to become a permanent feature in the Premier League.
Senegal's Habib Diarra in action against England's Eberechi Eze.
There’s still plenty of time remaining in the summer transfer window, however, and the Black Cats could yet reportedly turn back towards La Liga for yet another reinforcement.
Sunderland racing to sign Gasiorowski
Having already agreed a deal to sign Reinildo from Atletico Madrid, those in Wearside have seemingly returned to La Liga for another talent. According to reports in Spain, Sunderland are now racing PSG to sign Yarek Gasiorowski from Valencia, who are willing to let their centre-back leave below his huge €60m (£51m) release clause.
Sunderland set to make £17m bid for 21 y/o likened to Real Madrid legend Raul
The Black Cats could pull off an ambitious move.
BySean Markus Clifford Jun 29, 2025
Up against PSG and Brighton & Hove Albion, Valencia’s willingness to sell the 20-year-old for around €25m (£21m) rather than demanding his £51m release clause should hand Sunderland a major boost, but would still take their spending upwards of £50m for the summer.
A player with “immense potential” according to scout Jacek Kulig, Gasiorowski would slot straight into Sunderland’s plan to mix players who are on the rise and those who are more established – joining Reinildo and Diarra.
Whether the Black Cats can fend off interest from PSG and Brighton remains to be seen, however, in what would be another impressive signing.
Daniel Farke will be hoping he can finally earn his stripes as a Premier League-worthy manager situated in the Leeds United dug-out next season.
The German is certainly a well-regarded manager at Championship level, considering he can boast three promotions up to the big time with Norwich City and now the Whites, but he has also only ever won a mere six top-flight ties from 49 contests when jumping up a level.
Leeds United manager DanielFarkecelebrates after the match
He won’t feel too weighed down by the pressure of keeping the West Yorkshire side afloat if improvements are made all across the pitch, however, with a new goalkeeper surely a must after a rocky season or two with Illan Meslier as his number one stopper.
Moreover, as much as Joel Piroe did finish as the Championship golden boot winner this season just gone, upgrades could be fancied in the striker department still, with this new sharpshooter reportedly on the agenda.
Leeds' search for a striker
After all, Farke already knows too well how challenging the new division can be, even for those once seen as the cream of the crop in the EFL’s elite league.
Off the back of this, the promotion winners are now reportedly in the race to sign up AC Milan attacker Tammy Abraham to seriously enhance their firepower, as per journalist Graeme Bailey.
AC Milan'sTammyAbrahamreacts after the match
Bailey elaborates that Abraham is keen on a move back to England after calling Italy his home at both parent side AS Roma and loan outfit AC Milan since 2021, with the likes of Manchester United, Everton, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and more all interested in adding him to their respective rosters.
The Whites are keeping an eye out to see how the situation develops, but if they were to amazingly beat all this competition and land the £34m star, they would secure themselves a big upgrade on their current Dutch marksman when venturing into the Premier League.
Why Abraham could be an upgrade on Piroe
This isn’t to say Piroe won’t be given chances to impress when moving up to the tough division, with his 19 league strikes undoubtedly helping Farke’s men to lift the title.
But, Abraham would surely get the first team nod over the ex-Swansea City man on his arrival, with the 27-year-old now a seasoned machine in front of goal, having left Chelsea so early into his career to perfect his clinical edge.
AC Milan
44
10
7
AS Roma
120
37
13
Aston Villa
40
26
3
Swansea City
39
8
4
Bristol City
48
26
4
The £93k-per-week marksman does have 26 Premier League strikes next to his name, ahead of former Leeds hero Raphinha (17), for instance, as well Patrick Bamford (24), with that mainly down to his short-lived Stamford Bridge stint.
That said, Abraham would truly blossom into a lethal finisher away from the familiarity of England, as seen in his bumper 67 combined goals and assists lining up for Milan and Roma.
Piroe does have his plaudits too, considering he has bagged 79 strikes in total for both Leeds and one of Abraham’s many loan sides in Swansea, but the Dutchman has been prone to long stretches of barren form too.
In the Championship this season just gone, for example, the division’s top scorer still managed to squander a hefty 13 big chances.
On the contrary, despite playing for an underperforming Rossoneri on loan after finding his time in the Italian capital to be injury-ravaged, Abraham would only waste ten big chances in Serie A action.
He is in many ways a goalscoring “monster” – as he once referred to himself after improving under Jose Mourinho.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Therefore, the former Blues youth product has the potential to be the centre-forward Farke and Co are longing for as they embark on their daunting Premier League adventure, with the likes of Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto no doubt excited by the prospect of linking up with their brand new teammate.
He'd be incredible with Buendia: Leeds chase star with a "hint of Haaland"
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With the summer transfer window set to open on the 1st of June, it is clear that Chelsea are going to sign a striker. The Blues, who face Real Betis in the Conference League final on Wednesday, are strongly linked with several new names who could lead the line for them.
A recent report from Kieran Gill for The Mail named some of the striker targets the Blues are chasing this summer. They include Eintracht Frankfurt youngster Hugo Ekitike, also wanted by Liverpool, and fellow Bundesliga striker Benjamin Sesko, currently playing for RB Leipzig.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
However, there is another man the West Londoners are interested in, for whom they are thought to be leading the race to sign.
Chelsea’s main striker target
It will be fascinating to see who the Blues pursue this summer, with regards to their centre-forward targets. Of course, they seem to be strong contenders to sign Ekitike and Sesko, but they are arguably not their preferred choice.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Well, according to a report from Chris Wheeler of The Mail, Chelsea are currently the favourites to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. The Blues have ‘edged ahead’ in the race in recent days, perhaps swung by their Champions League qualification, which was confirmed on Sunday.
This has been corroborated by journalist Graeme Bailey, with the transfer insider outlining that the Blues are now ‘confident’ that they will beat Manchester United in the battle for his signature, having already held ‘fresh talks’ with the player.
Ipswich Town'sLiamDelapreacts
Any deal for the in-demand striker would cost in the region of £30m, owing to a relegation release clause in his contract at Portman Road.
Why Delap would be a good signing
Few players in their first Premier League campaign have made as much of an impression this season as Delap. In what was a disappointing season for Ipswich as a whole, the England under-21 forward certainly made a big impact.
The 22-year-old, who is the son of Stoke City cult hero Rory, played 37 times in his first full Premier League season. In that time, he managed to bag himself 12 goals and also chipped in with two assists.
One of the biggest positives about Delap is his consistency. His longest goal drought in 2024/25 was seven games, which actually came in the final few games of the season.
Aside from that, he was a consistent scorer for the Tractor Boys, even finding the back of the net against Chelsea in a 2-0 win at Portman Road.
If the Blues do manage to sign Delap, then he is in safe hands under Enzo Maresca. The Italian coach certainly knows how to get the best out of a clinical goalscorer, given the form Jamie Vardy showed under him for Leicester City last season in the Championship.
In 37 games under the now-Chelsea boss, the Foxes legend helped himself to 20 goals and two assists. That included 18 strikes in 35 Championship appearances, to help his side win the league and return to the top flight.
Maresca certainly knows how to handle a deadly centre-forward and get the best out of him, be it as an individual goalscorer or his general striker play.
In a team that scored 89 goals in 2023/24, Vardy had to be selfless too, and Maresca helped him fit in with the team’s dynamic.
Well, that can certainly be said about Delap, too. One person full of praise for the Ipswich star is analyst Ben Mattinson, who described him as “a problem for every Premier League defence”. He’s also been described as a “monster” by teammate Alex Palmer.
Ipswich Town'sLiamDelapapplauds fans after the match
The stats on Sofascore from this season show he is more than just a goalscorer, but a well-rounded striker. For example, Delap won an average of two aerial duels per game and played 21 key passes this term.
Shots
2.3
68
Shots on target
1.1
32
Dribbles completed
1.4
40
Aerial duels won
2
58
Expected goal involvements
0.37xGI
10.75xGI
Vardy and Delap are also noted as similar players among those in their position in both Europe’s top five leagues and in the Premier League, as per FBref, reflecting their statistical likeness.
For example, the Ipswich forward averages 0.34 goals per shot on target and 0.24 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes. In comparison, Vardy averages 0.35 goals per shot on target and 0.32 goal-creating actions each game.
The fact that they are so similar surely plays into Maresca’s hands, too. He surely knows how to get the best out of his number nines, and they are certainly like-for-like players, as the stats back up.
Maresca knows what he is doing when it comes to getting the best out of a striker. Delap will surely fit the bill nicely, as someone who is happy to work hard for his team and can score goals at a good rate, too.
If he can be as good as Vardy was under Maresca, then Delap will surely be a success at Stamford Bridge.
He's shades of Drogba: Chelsea open discussions to sign "the next Mbappe"
Chelsea needs to sign a striker or two this summer
Manchester United are looking to enjoy a statement summer window under Ruben Amorim and could now elbow Manchester City aside for a potential bargain signing, per reports.
Man Utd begin summer window preparation
The Red Devils will be looking forward to the end of a frustrating Premier League season where they haven’t been able to reverse the current of an inconsistent run of results.
Erik ten Hag tried and failed before Amorim arrived at Old Trafford. However, the Portuguese boss has presided over a chaotic campaign that is destined to end in a bottom-half finish.
Manchester United manager RubenAmorimduring training
Nevertheless, winning the Europa League could provide a backdoor route to Champions League qualification as Manchester United and INEOS look to establish themselves among the elite.
Athletic Club await in the semi-final, which could pave the way for a showdown against either Tottenham Hotspur or Bodo Glimt should circumstances align in ideal fashion.
On the transfer front, Manchester United are eyeing an ambitious move for Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka and could land his services for a fee of £34 million.
Amorim wants him: Man Utd eye £42m bid to sign star ahead of Bayern Munich
Manchester United find themselves in a battle to sign a player Ruben Amorim really wants.
ByBrett Worthington Apr 26, 2025
Casemiro may well depart Old Trafford, and there is plenty of speculation over new faces to firm up Amorim’s bid for success— the Red Devils’ interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha and Atalanta’s Ederson offer an inkling of where they may aim to target.
The engine room and their forward line are obvious areas to shore up, but finances will likely dictate the level of business that could occur to add strength to a side in need of a rebrand.
That said, Manchester United have now been offered the chance to sign a proven midfielder who could be available for nothing this summer.
Man Utd offered chance to sign Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa
According to reports in Italy via Sport Witness, Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa alongside rivals Manchester City via his entourage.
Intriguingly, his contract with the Serie A giants is set to expire this summer, though both parties have the option to extend it by two more years, so he could be available for free over the coming months.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s record at Napoli
Appearances
148
Goals
11
Assists
17
Trophies
1 Serie A in 2022/23
Labelled “fantastic” alongside midfield partner Scott McTominay by Philip Billing, the Cameroon international has also attracted recent interest from Chelsea, while Monaco and Marseille have also made contact to gauge his availability.
Anguissa’s family want to move to England, and his agent has previously been in London and Manchester to discuss a change of scenery ahead of the summer window.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for Napoli.
Deemed to be a similar player to Luka Modric, via Football Transfers, the 29-year-old is now potentially in line for a Premier League return after enjoying a spell at Fulham between 2018 and 2022.
After registering six goals and four assists in ten appearances across all competitions this term, it now remains to be seen whether he will end up at Old Trafford.
The India captain has been in the spotlight off the field, but his returns on it are dwindling
Shashank Kishore27-Sep-20252:05
Is captaincy affecting SKY’s form?
Suryakumar Yadav’s last act on the field against Sri Lanka on Friday was a punch through the covers to seal India’s victory in the Super Over. But before that moment of assurance at the finish, he had seemed like a man just beginning to be affected by his poor form.During India’s first innings, Suryakumar had chosen to review an lbw decision against him despite knowing that it was almost certainly out. One of T20 cricket’s most feared batters had scores of only 0, 5 and 12 in his last three innings at the Asia Cup.His performance in this tournament is in keeping with a pool of scores that is hard-hitting. In ten innings this year, India’s T20I captain has managed just 99 runs with three ducks, while striking at 110. Go back further, from just after India’s T20 World Cup win in June 2024 to now, his numbers get only marginally better: 329 runs in 19 innings with two half-centuries.Related
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There doesn’t seem to be an apparent weakness or loophole in his game, though his propensity to premeditate – like that pick-up flick he plays nonchalantly – has caused his downfall a few times in this Asia Cup alone. Away from the glare of the game, there seems to be no issue with Suryakumar’s batting. He’s striking the ball sweetly at training, but that fluency has been missing on match days. This lean run has come at a time when the spotlight is on him for different reasons – for his gestures, expressions, comments, press conference quips, and the biggest of them all, handshake-gate. There have been disciplinary hearings off the field and drastic batting-order shuffles on it.On Friday, Suryakumar had an opportunity to find his rhythm in a dead rubber, but he flickered before fizzling out for 12 off 13 balls. An on-the-up cover drive for four off Maheesh Theekshana was as good as it got. He kept getting beaten while playing down the wrong line. A nip backer from Dushmantha Chameera beat his inside edge, and he got a leading edge over point off a slower one.Suryakumar Yadav fell for another low score against Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty ImagesSuryakumar’s first attempt at a sweep also resulted in a leading edge on to the grille of his helmet as he misread the length. He was lbw in the same over, premeditating a sweep against Wanindu Hasaraga, getting caught in a tangle and hit flush on the pad by a full delivery. He walked off tossing his bat, with a rueful look up to the sky.His only significant innings in this tournament was in the group game against Pakistan, when he struck an unbeaten 47, finishing the chase with a six and walking off with his usual gum-chewing swagger. That knock barely registered because the discourse was dominated by handshake-gate.Through all this, his commitment to his team’s needs has not wavered. He’s been the loudest advocate for flexibility in batting roles, that everyone below the openers must be ready to move up or down. Against Oman, Suryakumar chose to push himself down to No. 11, giving the likes of Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav time in the middle instead.Thirteen T20I innings without a fifty is uncharted territory. Suryakumar endured barren series in South Africa and at home against England, but had a blazing IPL before this Asia Cup. He amassed 717 runs at a strike rate of 167.91 for Mumbai Indians, scoring 25-plus in 16 consecutive innings, which is why the continued downturn in international cricket is a surprise.After the Super Four game against Pakistan, Suryakumar made headlines for his proclamation that India vs Pakistan is no longer a rivalry. For all his chatter and quips, nothing will speak louder than runs in Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan.
He is going up the ranks in the Tamil Nadu side with heaps of wickets
Deivarayan Muthu11-Feb-2024No R Ashwin? No Washington Sundar? No problem for Tamil Nadu. They still have immense spin depth, with R Sai Kishore leading the line. There was no room for Manimaran Siddharth in Tamil Nadu’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy squad, even though he was snapped up by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 2.4 crore after a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Then there is Ajith Ram, who is more of an old-school left-arm fingerspinner who relishes bowling long spells.Ajith isn’t as tall as Sai Kishore but can create sharp angles from wide of the crease and is particularly accurate with his lengths. On Sunday, he created such a sharp angle from left-arm around that he burst through Mayank Agarwal’s defences and knocked out his leg stump for 11 in Karnataka’s second innings at Chepauk. Ajith wheeled away for almost 20 overs, returning 5 for 61 as Karnataka folded for 139, leaving Tamil Nadu a target of 355. This, after Ajith had taken 4 for 75 in nearly 30 overs in the first innings.”So, my kind of bowling style is to bowl long spells,” Ajith had said on Saturday. “So, when I have to bowl long [spells] I have to give confidence to the captain that I can bowl tight enough and not leak runs. At the same time, I’m a bowler who can support the bowler at the other end. On a particular day, if both the bowlers bowl well, anyone can get wickets. That has been my pattern so far.Related
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“I definitely rely more on bowling the stump line. So that anything that happens off the wicket will be beneficial for me. If the batsman misses, I will get him lbw, or if it turns, there’s a good chance for me to get him at slips or the keeper.”Ajith had been on the fringes of the Tamil Nadu Ranji side for a while before he established himself as their second spinner behind Sai Kishore in the 2022-23 season, when he picked up 19 wickets in four games at an average of 20.36. He has followed it up with 27 wickets in five games at just 13.03 this season.”I’ve always dreamt of playing for the Tamil Nadu [senior team] and it’s been my goal for a long time,” Ajith said. “Right from playing Under-19s and Under-23s and everything…so I was always looking forward to getting better every day. Luckily I got the chance last season after doing well for three-four years in Under-19 and Under-23, and it has been going well for me.”Ajith could have cut short Devdutt Padikkal’s first innings at 77 on the opening day had M Mohammed not dropped a catch at long-on. Padikkal went on to finish on 151 and almost batted Tamil Nadu out of the game. But at one point, it seemed like Ajith would never be bowling to top batters like Padikkal. So, when he was not on Tamil Nadu’s radar, he enrolled himself into an MBA course just to get some game-time by playing university cricket.”That [The MBA degree] is just for playing university games and something like that,” Ajith said. “It was not from my side to study and pursue MBA; it was just to get some extra games when I’m not playing in the Ranji Trophy. During the time, we will have our inter-college matches and that will be a good opportunity for me.”Ajith believes that his stints at university cricket have been useful for Ranji Trophy. “I personally take it as good match practice because all good cricketers play for the colleges and universities,” he said. “So, definitely it’s good match practice – like seeing them play there and coming here… I’ve played against three-four Karnataka guys in university games. So, it’s a good experience to learn more.”
His second successive golden duck added to the growing chorus calling for him to take a break
Shashank Kishore23-Apr-20225:07
Vettori: This is the time when Kohli could turn to his friends, mentor
It’s the second over of the innings. Kane Williamson has to strain his vocal cords to get Aiden Markram’s attention. He wants to move Abhishek Sharma from backward point to first slip. He wants to strengthen the slip cordon in a T20 powerplay with Markram now at second slip. He’s had to literally yell from across the pitch because the decibel levels have soared.Virat Kohli takes strike to Marco Jansen, who until four years ago could barely mumble a word to Kohli while assisting India’s then all-format captain as a net bowler in Pretoria. The Jansen of 2022 isn’t as conservative with his actions, though.Jansen is expressive with his body language and most certainly expressive with his words. If he wants to give Jasprit Bumrah a send-off, he very well will, after roughing him up with a succession of short balls. Even if it means copping a few when it’s his turn to bat. It comes from an unmistakable confidence in his abilities.The inswing to the right-hander is his natural ball. But it’s the one that holds its line that had brought him much success during a breakthrough home summer against India. It’s this very ball that has him all pumped up this evening. He sends Faf du Plessis’ off stump cartwheeling.Now, he’s up against Kohli. The Mumbai crowd can be unforgiving at the best of times. Kohli will know all too well the feeling of being booed here. But now, they’re willing him on. To score runs. Just about anything that can classify as “form”.Kohli, bat-twirler and ferocious gum-chewer, faces up. His body language exudes naked aggression. Even before the openers had walked out to bat, there he was, all padded up, helmet strapped in, gloves set, like they usually are every single game. Nothing different there.What has been different this IPL, though, is Kohli has been searching for runs. He has blown more cold than hot. Where’s the timing? Is he struggling with bubble fatigue? Is he a victim of his own greatness? Where are the hundreds? Where’s the genius chase master? Even MS Dhoni has wound the clock back. Surely, Kohli isn’t far away.2:17
Is Kohli a victim of bubble fatigue?
Kevin Pietersen wants him to “chill”. Ravi Shastri wants him to “take a break”. Dilip Vengsarkar, the man who picked him for India, straight out of the Under-19s, is sure it’s the tiredness that is getting to him. The harder he’s trying, the tougher it’s getting.Game after game, the chorus has been getting louder. Where is Kohli of the 2016 vintage? The season where he could have walked on water. The season when he made four centuries and a mind-boggling 973 runs. That aggression has gone missing. The accumulation has been painful. The struggle to force the pace against spin all evident.Royal Challengers Bangalore’s team management, however, believes he’s as free in the mind as he has ever been without the captaincy. Head coach Sanjay Bangar is confident the drought will end soon. Kohli believes, everyone believes.Williamson thinks otherwise, as he places Markram at second slip. Kohli sees one pushed full. He instinctively throws his hands at it. Brabourne doesn’t quite have the spongy bounce of Centurion, so it’s likely the ball will fly off the bat should it meet his forward stride. Except, Jansen has angled it away towards fifth stump. He has dangled a carrot.It can play on the ego of great players like Kohli. The front foot is out in no time, hands away from the body. The bolt-upright seam hits the deck and moves away a wee bit. In a split second, after he has played it, Kohli knows it hasn’t gone where he wants it to. The ball flies low to Markram. Gone. Zero. A second straight first-ball duck.Four nights ago, he had a wry smile after he flayed one straight to backward point. Here, he looks down at the pitch, looks at his bat, looks at the non-striker Anuj Rawat. As if to ask if what has happened is legitimate. He then yanks his gloves off and walks off shaking his head.The Royal Challengers dugout is stunned. Kohli is stunned. Then comes the realisation. It’s another knock that has ended in disappointment. And the chorus grows again.What is ailing Kohli the batter?
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is set to demand north of £53 million for one of Sean Dyche’s star players as Barcelona eye up a move, according to a new report.
Nottingham Forest turn corner under Sean Dyche
It’s been 42 days since Ange Postecoglou became the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history after a nightmare stint at the City Ground, with Forest since appointing Dyche to steady the ship.
Arsenal 3-0 Forest
Premier League
Swansea 3-2 Forest
Carabao Cup
Burnley 1-1 Forest
Premier League
Real Betis 2-2 Forest
Europa League
Forest 0-1 Sunderland
Premier League
Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland
Europa League
Newcastle 2-0 Forest
Premier League
Forest 0-3 Chelsea
Premier League
The Englishman arrived at Forest with skepticism surrounding his controversial appointment, but so far, Dyche has seriously impressed.
His debut in the dugout saw Forest secure a 2-0 Europa League victory over FC Porto, their first in Europe, establishing early momentum before Forest defeated fellow strugglers Leeds United 3-1 at the City Ground — ending a nine-match winless domestic streak that went all the way back to the opening weekend under Nuno Espírito Santo.
Ibrahim Sangare’s first Forest goal kickstarted the comeback after Lukas Nmecha’s early strike, before Morgan Gibbs-White’s header and Elliot Anderson’s stoppage-time penalty completed the turnaround.
Even more impressive came Forest’s stunning 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield.
Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Gibbs-White scored as Dyche put on a tactical masterclass against the Merseysiders, who are in catastrophic form right now amid reports that Arne Slot could lose his job.
The Tricky Trees have also shut up shop, conceding just once in their last four games across all competitions, and that is testament to the performances of Murillo, who also put in a Man of the Match display against Liverpool last weekend.
The Brazilian is attracting serious interest from elite clubs, including Arsenal, and we can now add the La Liga champions to his growing list of admirers.
Barcelona identify top target Murillo as Nottingham Forest demand £53 million
According to reports from Spain, Murillo has now ‘become Barcelona’s top target’ to reinforce Hansi Flick’s defence.
Forest are clear, they want north of £53 million for the centre-back and are in a very strong position to demand good money considering he’s contracted until 2029.
Good news for Dyche is that Barça are currently unable to meet this price tag due to their constraints around the La Liga salary cap and well-documented financial difficulties.
The prospect of Murillo leaving in January is unlikely at best as well, despite the admiration from top clubs, with journalist Pete O’Rourke telling Football Insider that Forest will block any winter move.
The 23-year-old finished last campaign as Forest’s best performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored, in what was a fairytale campaign where they nearly qualified for the Champions League under Nuno.
Forest have scope to demand even more money for their prized asset, and we could even see a potential bidding war next summer.
Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez is having himself quite a year. Over 18 starts so far this season, Sanchez sports a 2.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 116 strikeouts. Most notably, Sanchez is tied for fourth in WAR amongst pitchers across the majors.
Few hurlers have helped their teams win as much as Sanchez has helped the Phillies this year.
When Sanchez was initially left off of the All-Star Game roster, it was something of a disappointment, but things boiled over when Sanchez was passed on as a replacement pitcher. When Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd opted out of playing in the Midsummer Classic, his spot went to Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski.
Misiorowski is a young, flamethrowing star, and it’s not shocking that the powers that be would be excited to see what he can do against the best batters in baseball. But while his fastball is mighty impressive, Misiorowski has started in just five games so far in his career—the fewest a player has ever appeared in before making their All-Star debut.
The Phillies were rightfully disappointed with the snub of their star pitcher, with Nick Castellanos comparing the move to something out of the Savannah Bananas. But while MLB might not have recognized Sanchez as an All-Star, the Phillies decided to treat him like one, awarding Sanchez the $50,000 bonus his contract assured him if he had made the All-Star Game.
Fans online loved the classy move by the organization.
The Phillies will enter the All-Star break in a tight battle with the Mets for first place in the NL East. Maybe the extra rest will help Sanchez as he looks to continue his dominant year on the mound.