After conceding three goals during their latest Premier League defeat, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery knows what position needs bolstered during the winter transfer window.

With Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos both turning 32 by the end of the season, bringing in another centre-back is top of the manager’s wish list heading into January.

Recent reports indicate that Emery has already set his sights on bringing in a new signing…

Aston Villa's transfer search

As reported by Caught Offside earlier this week, PSG defender Milan Skriniar is set to be put up for sale by the French club next month, with 11 clubs battling it out to secure his signature.

Transfer Focus

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

A price tag of €35m (£29m) has been set for the player, but this figure could be reduced to around €25m (£21m) as per the report.

European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, AS Roma and Bayer Leverkusen are also interested in Skriniar, meaning Villa face some stiff competition.

If they managed to pull off the signing, the Slovakian would be an ideal upgrade for Carlos, no doubt about that.

Milan Skriniar can be an upgrade on Diego Carlos

Carlos has started just 13 games throughout the 2024/25 campaign, failing to really impress during his time on the pitch.

In the Premier League, the Brazilian has lost possession 7.2 times per game, while winning only 45% of his ground duels along with committing one foul per game.

Emery needs some quality in this area and a move for Skriniar could see Carlos moved on in January and this would be the best move for all parties.

The Slovak centre-back has spent the previous seven seasons playing for two of the biggest teams in Europe – Inter Milan and PSG.

Winner of both the French and Italian domestic leagues along with a handful of cups, Skriniar has that winning mentality that Emery requires to lead his defence.

During Euro 2020, Swedish player Albin Ekdal heaped praise on the defender before the clash between the two nations, lauding him as “one of the best in the world”:

This season hasn’t been the most productive, however, making just five appearances in all competitions, slipping down the pecking order in the French capital.

Despite this limited game time, Skriniar has shone on the field. Not only has he won 61% of his total duels contested, but the centre-back has lost possession just 3.6 times per game while averaging a 97% pass success rate in Ligue 1.

Imagine how impressive he could be if he was given a regular starting berth in Emery’s Villa side. Especially considering his solid displays for the French side, despite playing just five games.

A fee of £21m may turn into a wonderful bargain. That’s a certainty.

McGinn 2.0: Aston Villa battling PL rivals for "underrated" £50m maestro

Aston Villa are eyeing up a move for a La Liga midfielder…

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da bwin： Chelsea could swoop for one marquee striker “at any moment”, according to a reliable journalist, with Enzo Maresca’s side firmly on the hunt for a new number nine before January deadline day on February 3rd.

Chelsea shortlist new striker options amid Nkunku uncertainty

da dobrowin： It was rumoured that Chelsea’s plan to bring in a centre-forward was more for the summer window than January, but amid the uncertainty surrounding Christopher Nkunku’s future, it is widely reported that the west Londoners are keen on one right now.

Related Chelsea offered loan deal for £135k-per-week Brazilian who Man City want

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Nkunku is said to have agreed terms with Bayern Munich, and if Chelsea can agree a deal to sell him this month, then Maresca would lose an impactful back-up star who’s netted 13 goals across all competitions so far this term.

Bearing this in mind, Chelsea are targeting a host of potential centre-forward options who could come in to potentially replace the Frenchman. RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich Town star Liam Delap, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović, Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran and Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez are thought to be on their shortlist (Simon Phillips), so the search is well and truly on for Maresca’s perfect man.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Man City (away)

January 25

West Ham (away)

February 3

Brighton (away)

February 14

Aston Villa (away)

February 22

Southampton (home)

February 25

Chelsea have reached out to the representatives of Vlahovic, according to reports in Italy. Maresca’s side have also made multiple approaches to Delap’s agent in the last few weeks, according to respected Stamford Bridge reporter Simon Phillips.

As per the same media source, Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is now a serious potential incoming.

Chelsea could move for Matheus Cunha "at any moment"

The versatile Molineux forward, who has starred in an array of attacking positions under both Gary O’Neil and Vitor Pereira this season, is attracting very real interest from Chelsea as they pursue a proven new striking option to complement Nicolas Jackson.

Cunha has been in the midst of a contract debacle, and reportedly agreed the financial aspects of a new deal, but both the Brazil international and his club hit a roadblock in talks when discussing the possibility of a relegation clause (Dean Jones).

Ben Jacobs writes that Wolves will demand around £80 million to sell him in this window, but that hasn’t stopped Maresca’s side from potentially rivaling Arsenal in the race for his signature.

Phillips, writing via his Substack, says Chelsea could move for Cunha “at any moment”, and he is “definitely one to watch” heading into the final stretch of January.

“My top source has said Matheus Cunha ‘is definitely one to watch’,” wrote the reporter.

“With Cunha, more and more noise is building that he will leave this month, and our source has said that Chelsea are in and around this situation and could move for Cunha at any moment. Although the same source believes that it’s most likely at the moment that he ends up at Arsenal, because they are the club trying and pushing the most right now.”

The 25-year-old has bagged 10 goals and four assists in all competitions for Wolves this season, and there is little denying he could be an excellent alternative to Jackson as Chelsea aim to qualify for the Champions League.

Exiled Wrexham striker Paul Mullin posted an emotional five-word message on Instagram after his side took a giant leap towards another promotion.

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Wrexham beat Blackpool 2-1Inch closer to third straight promotionMullin sends five word messageFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mullin has not played a single minute for Wrexham since January but despite being left out of the squad, he still rejoiced in the Welsh side's crucial 2-1 win at Blackpool as they went back into League One's automatic promotion spots. The 30-year-old said it was a "great result" for the Red Dragons, while reflecting on their promotion from League Two in an emotional post.

AdvertisementWHAT MULLIN SAID

Mullin, who led Wrexham two back-to-back promotions, wrote in an Instagram story: "Great result from the boys!"

In another post, he posted a photo from last season and added: "Time flies… feels like yesterday".

InstagramInstagramTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mullin has gone from being the main man at Wrexham to someone who can't even get in matchday squads under manager Phil Parkinson. January signing Sam Smith, veterans Jay Rodriguez and Steven Fletcher, and Jack Marriott are all ahead of him in the pecking order as the Welsh outfit inch closer to a third-straight promotion. While many may not want to admit it, Mullin's time with the club could be drawing to a close.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Wrexham, who sit second in League One with a two-point lead over Wycombe Wanderers in third, can secure promotion to the Championship this weekend if they beat fourth-placed Charlton Athletic and Wycombe fail to win at Leyton Orient.

اتخذ الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك بقيادة البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، قرارا جديدا بشأن تدريبات الفريق غداً الأربعاء، خلال المعسكر الحالي المقامة بالعاصمة الإدارية، استعداداً للموسم الجديد.

وقرر الجهاز الفني خوض التدريبات على فترتين، ستقتصر الفترة الصباحية على خوض تدريبات في صالة الجيمانيزيوم لتجهيز اللاعبين بدنياً للمرحلة المقبلة، في حين ستشهد الفترة المسائية التركيز على الجوانب الفنية.

طالع| مران الزمالك | يانيك فيريرا يتوجه بطلب للاعبين وتدريبات بدنية لرفع معدلات اللياقة

وكان فريق الزمالك انتظم في معسكر مغلق بالعاصمة الإدارية، ظهر اليوم الثلاثاء، في إطار المرحلة الثانية من فترة الإعداد للموسم الجديد.

ومن المقرر أن يستمر المعسكر حتى يوم 27 يوليو الجاري، على أن يتخلله خوض عدد من المباريات الودية، لتجهيز اللاعبين للموسم الجديد.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن الزمالك أتم التعاقد مع 4 صفقات جديدة في الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي، وهم عمرو ناصر من فاركو والحارس المهدي سليمان والأنجولي شيكو بانزا، وأحمد شريف.  

da bwin： Glasgow Rangers still have a bit of time left before the January transfer window officially slams shut if they want to make any further additions to their first-team squad.

da bet vitoria： The Light Blues have already confirmed, on deadline day, that they have reached an agreement with Lyall Cameron to sign him at the end of his contract with Dundee in the summer.

His deal with the Scottish Premiership side expires at the end of the season and the young central midfielder will link-up with his new teammates at Ibrox ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Whilst the main focus from supporters may be on the players who could be arriving at Ibrox before the end of the window, Rangers have also been handed a big boost by keeping hold of their star players.

Rangers star set to stay at Ibrox

According to Italian journalist Fabio Marsiglia, Romania international attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi is set to remain a Rangers player beyond the end of the current transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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His contract at Ibrox is due to expire in the summer and Serie A outfit Genoa were reportedly keen to snap him up ‘immediately’ to bolster their squad.

However, Margsiglia, speaking to Ibrox News, has revealed that the Italian team has moved on to another target. The reporter said: “I don’t think Hagi can arrive today because Genoa is closing with Milan for Hugo Cuenca, a 2005-born attacking midfielder or winger.”

This suggests that the midfielder is going to remain a Rangers player until, at least, the end of the season and that should come as a massive boost for Philippe Clement and his team.

Why keeping Ianis Hagi is a massive boost

The manager, the players, and the supporters should be delighted that Genoa are not swooping in to sign the midfield star today because he is a crucial player for the Gers.

It was only yesterday, on Sunday, that Hagi provided a timely reminder of the quality that he can provide on the pitch for Rangers, scoring twice in the 4-0 win over Ross County.

The £21k-per-week star, who was once described as an “absolute dream” to work with by Steven Gerrard, has starred in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues this season.

Hagi was not initially included in the squad for the Europa League, which he can now be registered for ahead of the play-offs, and that allowed him to focus fully on thriving in domestic action.

24/25 Premiership

Ianis Hagi

Starts

12

Goals

3

Big chances created

5

Key passes per game

2.1

Assists

5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old magician has made a big impact at the top end of the pitch with eight direct goal contributions in 12 starts.

These statistics, and his aforementioned performance on Sunday, show that Hagi is an important player for Clement and that is why keeping hold of him beyond deadline day is a huge boost for the club and one that should be celebrated heading into the second half of the season.

Related Propper upgrade: Rangers chasing late move for "complete & dominant" star

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Posts ByDan Emery Feb 2, 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2016Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers then combined for a blistering 157-run partnership, which left Sunrisers Hyderabad gasping•BCCIKohli hit 75 off 51, including seven fours and three sixes•BCCIDe Villiers did even better, smoking 82 off 42, including seven fours and six sixes•BCCIBhuvneshwar removed Kohli in the 16th over with an accurate yorker, but by then Royal Challengers Bangalore had motored to 163•BCCIWhen IPL debutant Mustafizur Rahman dismissed de Villiers and Shane Watson off consecutive deliveries in the 18th over, it looked like Sunrisers might manage some damage control•BCCISarfaraz Khan, 18, had other ideas. He scooped and reverse-scooped his way to 35 off 10 balls to propel Royal Challengers to 227 for 4•BCCIParvez Rasool struck early in the defence to bowl Shikhar Dhawan for 8•BCCIDavid Warner, however, muscled a half-century off 21 balls to give his side hope•BCCIBut that evaporated when he holed out to Adam Milne for 58 in the ninth over•BCCISunrisers then lost four wickets – including two to legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal – in four overs•BCCIAshish Reddy showed some fight with 32 off 18 balls•BCCIWatson finished with two wickets as Royal Challengers romped to a 45-run win•BCCI

The last month or so has been far from ideal for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have dropped points in the Premier League and are now set to be without the talismanic Bukayo Saka for at least a couple of months.

However, the one positive development has been the return to form of Gabriel Jesus, who’s bagged five goals in his last three games and looks far more dangerous than he did just a month ago.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, though, it might be too little too late, as recent reports have once again linked the club to one of Europe’s most exciting up-and-coming strikers, who could be his long-term replacement.

Arsenal transfer news

According to reports from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their interest in RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Šeško and he now wants to seal a move to England in 2025.

The report claims that following his impressive form for the German side this season, the Slovenian international has caught the eye of several potential suitors heading into next year.

While this competition is far from ideal for the Gunners, the good thing is that they now know how much they’ll need to offer to secure the 21-year-old’s services, as the report claims Leipzig will only listen to offers in excess of €70m, which is about £58m.

It would still require a significant investment from Arsenal to get this transfer over the line, but given Šeško’s ability and potential, it is worth pursuing, even if it could be bad news for Jesus.

How Šeško compares to Jesus

So, as things stand, it would appear that Jesus has reclaimed the starting number nine role at Arsenal, and given his five goals in the last three games, it’s a role he could be set to keep for a little while longer.

However, if the club were to go out and spend shy of £60m on Šeško either next month or in the summer, they’d surely only do so with the intention of giving him as many minutes as possible, putting him in direct competition with the Brazilian.

With that said, which one of them comes out on top in a direct comparison?

Well, when it comes to their pure output since the start of last season, it’s quite a comfortable victory for the Radeče-born “monster”, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson.

For example, he has found the back of the net 29 times and provided five assists in 65 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement every 1.91 games.

In contrast, the former Manchester City star has scored 14 goals and provided ten assists in 59 games across the same period, equating to a rather disappointing average of a goal involvement every 2.45 games.

Interestingly, things are a little closer when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers since the start of last season, although the Leipzig gem still comes out just ahead in the most relevant metrics.

For example, while he’s second best for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots and goal-creating actions, he is comfortably ahead in metrics like actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots on target, goals per shot and shot on target and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Moreover, the fact that the Sao Paulo-born ace scored a flurry of goals in the last month has improved his overall per 90 numbers, which could be misleading without that added context.

Ultimately, while Jesus is still a brilliant footballer and a player who could be a valuable asset for Arsenal, it seems unlikely that he’s going to develop into a goalscoring phenomenon in the coming years, which could be the case for Šeško.

Therefore, while it will cost the club a significant amount of money, the Gunners should do what they can to sign the Slovenian goal machine as soon as possible.

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Dec 30, 2024

كشف الصحفي الإيطالي الموثوق فابرزيو رومانو أن نادي ليفربول يستعد للتحرك بقوة لضم مهاجم نيوكاسل، ألكسندر إيزاك، في ظل استعدادات إدارة الريدز لإعادة تشكيل خط الهجوم هذا الصيف.

ونجح ليفربول في ضم أكثر من صفقة لتدعيم خط الهجوم مثل فلوريان فيرتز وهوجو إيكتيكي القادمين من الدوري الألماني عن طريق ناديي باير ليفركوزن وآينتراخت فرانكفورت.

اقرأ أيضًا | لم يصل بعد.. إيكو تقيم أداء محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وميلان

وقال رومانو في تصريحات عبر بودكاست “Here We Go”: “مع توقع رحيل داروين نونيز، فيديريكو كييزا ولويس دياز، يرغب ليفربول في إعادة بناء الهجوم بلاعبين مثل هوجو إيكيتيكي، الذي يمكنه اللعب كجناح، إلى جانب عناصر مبدعة مثل فلوريان فيرتز”.

وأشار إلى أن الإدارة ترى في إيزاك فرصة نادرة: “هم يؤمنون بأن ألكسندر يمثل فرصة مثالية تمامًا لتقديم شيء مميز للمدرب آرني سلوت، في بعض الأحيان، لا يتعلق الأمر بالتخطيط فقط، بل بالفرص التي يتيحها السوق، وليفربول يرى أن هذه هي لحظته لضم اللاعب، خاصة أن الأندية الأخرى ليست نشطة في هذا الملف”.

وأوضح رومانو أن المنافسة على الصفقة شبه غائبة حاليًا: “في الوقت الحالي، لا يوجد أي نادٍ ينافس ليفربول مباشرة، هذا لا يعني أن بقية الأندية لا تريده، لكن ببساطة، لا أحد منهم مستعد للتقدم بعرض”.

وتابع: “هذه فرصة كبيرة في السوق بالنسبة لنادي ليفربول، لديهم الإمكانية للقيام بخطوة كبيرة، ولا يريدون أن تضيع منهم”.

وفيما يتعلق بموقف اللاعب نفسه، أكد رومانو أن إيزاك منفتح تمامًا على فكرة الانضمام للريدز، بل ورفض عروضًا سعودية منذ بداية الميركاتو.

وقال: “اللاعب كان واضحًا جدًا مع الأندية السعودية في بداية فترة الانتقالات، لا يريد الانتقال إلى السعودية، مع كامل الاحترام لتلك البطولة، لكنه يرغب في البقاء بأوروبا، والتنافس على أعلى مستوى، من أجل الفوز بلقب دوري أبطال أوروبا والدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، لهذا السبب اختار ليفربول”.

واختتم رومانو مؤكدًا: “حتى هذه اللحظة، لا توجد أندية أخرى قريبة من حسم الصفقة، ليفربول هو النادي الوحيد الذي يملك فرصة حقيقية للتوقيع مع اللاعب”.

Manchester City star Erling Haaland has already started jogging as he eyes comeback from his ankle injury.

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• Haaland has started jogging
• Continues to recover from ankle injury
• Man City face Everton on Saturday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Haaland shared an update on his injury as he shared a video on his Instagram story where he can be seen jogging inside the Manchester City gym. At the end of the video, the striker can be heard saying, "We're getting there!"

  IG:@erling

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Norwegian goal-machine was forced off during City's FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth last weekend, with the 24-year-old later spotted in a protective boot. The club later confirmed that the player had injured his left ankle, and manager Pep Guardiola revealed that the club doctors had ruled the striker out of action for between five and seven weeks. The champions are now hoping that Haaland returns to action towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign and fully recovers before the FIFA Club World Cup in the US.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite the injury setback, Haaland remains the club's highest scorer this season with 30 goals to his name in 40 matches across all competitions. He has also contributed four assists.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  The Cityzens will be back in action in the Premier League on Saturday as they take on Everton at Goodison Park.

Sunderland are battling another Championship club for the signing of a “brilliant” Premier League player, according to a new transfer update.

Latest Sunderland news

The Black Cats are preparing to host rivals Middlesbrough on Monday evening, in what represents an important game for both sides in the promotion battle.

There is still time for Sunderland to make new signings before the transfer cutoff, and Willem Geubbels has been linked with a move to the Stadium of Light. The 23-year-old is currently on loan at St. Gallen, scoring seven league goals in 12 starts this season.

The Black Cats have also been backed to make a late move for Southampton attacker Cameron Archer, as Regis Le Bris looks for additional firepower in his squad between now and the end of the season. He has scored five goals for a struggling Saints side in 2024/25 to date, including three in as many matches in the EFL Cup.

Sunderland had been pushing to complete the signing of Ajax striker Chuba Akpom, too, but he has favoured a move to Ligue 1 side Lille instead, preferring to move to one of Europe’s top five leagues. Now, another attacker has been linked with a switch to join the Le Bris revolution.

Sunderland want to sign "brilliant" striker

According to a new report from Football Insider, Sunderland want to sign Liverpool striker Jayden Danns before the end of deadline day.

Blackburn Rovers are believed to be providing competition, however, as the two Championship clubs look to boost their promotion chances this season.

Danns could be exactly what Sunderland are looking for, in terms of bringing in a striker who knows where the goal is, and who will be hungry to prove himself in the second half of the season.

The 19-year-old has already become a handy squad player for Liverpool, scoring in the 4-0 win at home to Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round last month, taking his tally to three in nine appearances. Meanwhile, Marc Albrighton has lauded his quality, saying:

“Jayden Danns loves a goal and getting in those positions. That was brilliant from start to finish. He expected the rebound and he finished it well first time. You can see how much it means to him – a great moment for the young lad.”

Danns will be aware that his playing time at Liverpool is going to be limited between now and May, considering the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez are all strong options currently.

Sunderland prepare bid for £6.7m+ "absolute top talent" before deadline day

He has been tipped for big things in his career.

ByHenry Jackson Jan 31, 2025

For that reason, a loan move to Sunderland could be ideal, allowing him to grow as a player, and also play a part in a crucial period of the season for one of the best teams in the Championship.