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Aston Villa completed their fourth signing of the summer transfer window this week as they announced the arrival of Nicolo Zaniolo on loan from Galatasaray.

Who have Aston Villa signed this summer?

The Villans had already splashed the cash to sign winger Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record £51.9m.

Unai Emery also swooped to land Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City and his former Villarreal central defender Pau Torres for a reported fee of £33m.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

There could be more on the way for Villa supporters, though, as they have been touted with making an addition in the number nine position.

Santos centre-forward Marcos Leonardo has been linked with a move to the club earlier this summer, which suggests that Emery is looking at possible competition for Ollie Watkins.

How good is Marcos Leonardo?

The 20-year-old dynamo, who has reportedly been valued at €15m (£13m) by the Brazilian club, is an excellent young talent who could be an exciting player to play alongside Diaby in attack over the years to come.

Despite his young age, Leonardo has a wealth of experience with Santos as he has already been able to rack up 150 first-team appearances for the club. In that time, the talented finisher has scored 48 goals and provided 11 assists for his teammates.

This year, the prolific ace has scored seven goals and assisted two in 13 Serie A matches. He also enjoyed a fantastic U20 World Cup this summer with a return of five goals in five outings, which earned him a Sofascore rating of 7.44.

Leonardo scored 12 goals in 18 clashes across the two competitions for club and country combined, which is an average of one strike every 1.5 appearances.

Watkins, meanwhile, scored 15 goals in 37 Premier League games – one every 2.47 matches – and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 last season for Villa.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for the Brazilian youngster, who is seven years younger than the England international, to develop into a better option than the ex-Brentford man if he is able to translate that form over to English football.

Having a player like Diaby on the wing to supply him could allow the 20-year-old starlet to thrive as the ex-Bundesliga wizard is a sublime creator.

The 24-year-old magician created 14 'big chances' and produced 1.8 key passes per game in the German top-flight last term, which came after he provided 15 'big chances' and 1.9 key passes per outing during the 2021/22 campaign.

No Villa player, meanwhile, managed more than 1.2 key passes per match last season, which suggests that the French dynamo is Emery's outstanding creative threat and could be a dream player for Leonardo to make runs for.

U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed that the Brazil U20 international has "frightening" pace and this is another reason why he could be a lethal partner for Diaby as the current Villa ace is also known for his speed.

Bayer Leverkusen's website once described the France international as like 'lightning with a run-up' due to his immense pace when bursting forward to attack, which has also been backed up by The Analyst, which hailed his running power as 'searing'.

Therefore, Villa should sign Leonardo as an eventual replacement for Watkins due to the potentially lethal link-up that he could have with Diaby.

Faf du Plessis’ return to cricket after back and shoulder injuries has been delayed by a viral infection

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth26-Dec-2017Faf du Plessis will miss the four-day, day-night Test against Zimbabwe, which starts on Boxing Day, after his recovery from back and shoulder injuries was delayed by a viral infection. AB de Villiers, who makes his return to Test whites for the first time since January 2016, will captain the side in place of du Plessis.The South African management is hopeful of having du Plessis fit in time for the first Test against India, which starts from January 5 in Cape Town.”Faf has been making steady progress from the respective back and shoulder injuries and until last week was on track to make a comeback in this match. He developed a respiratory tract infection which delayed his recovery this week, and subsequently made it difficult for him to make a full recovery in time for the match. He will continue to receive treatment and rehab from our physiotherapist, Craig Govender, and we are hopeful he will recover in time to lead the team for the first Test match against India,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager, who is also a medical doctor said.That de Villiers will step in to captain is interesting given the events of January 2016 when he was appointed stand-in captain for the two Tests against England after Hashim Amla stepped down. He was then given the job on a full-time basis but was never able to assume the role. An injury kept de Villiers out of the series against New Zealand last August, Australia in November and Sri Lanka at the end of last year, before he missed the Test leg of the tours of New Zealand and England due to a self-imposed sabbatical from the longest format. De Villiers was widely expected to retire from the game completely but in August, he recommitted across all formats.However, in his time away, the South Africa Test team were forced to move on and many, including Vernon Philander, said they had. With de Villiers’ return, a selection conundrum, became apparent, especially as de Villiers’ most recent replacement, Temba Bavuma, has not only shown great promise but is also the only black African batsman in the squad. The selectors seemingly had to weigh dropping Bavuma, the only batsman not to score a century against Bangladesh, while choosing between de Villiers and du Plessis. But now that decision has been made for them, how they will balance the team for the India series remains to be seen.South Africa’s other selection question is choosing which of their four fit seamers to pick, with the likely toss-up between Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, to partner Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander.

Wrexham's Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced they will be honouring the club's longest-serving steward after his passing.

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Wrexham to honour longest-serving stewardRoger Lloyd served the club for 48 yearsFans to applaud in honor of late Red Dragon supporterWHAT HAPPENED?

Roger Lloyd, who served Wrexham for 48 years, recently passed away due to illness. His last game as a steward at Racecourse Ground was on December 23 when the club took on Newport in a League Two clash, with his passing coming a day after the match. Lloyd fell ill and then passed away peacefully at a hospital with his family by his side.

His son-in-law recently urged Red Dragons fans to honor the ground staff's legacy by giving a round of applause in the 48th minute of Wrexham's next fixture against Barrow on January 1.

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Reacting to the heartfelt message on X, Wrexham co-owner Rob Mcelhenney wrote, "So sorry to hear this news. Sending love to your whole family. Happy to spread the word of this tribute and will reach out about anything we can do to show our gratitude to this wonderful man."

In Mcelhenney's post, Ryan Reynolds wrote, "48 years and a heartbreak emoji".

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2023 was a memorable year for the Welsh club, being promoted to League Two at the end of the 2022/23 season. Their journey in the fourth division has been quite smooth in the ongoing campaign, as they sit third in the league, five points behind leaders Stockport with a game in hand.

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The Red Dragons are linked with moves for Peterborough forward Jonson Clarke-Harris and Sheffield Wednesday striker Lee Gregory in the January transfer window as Phil Parkinson wants to further bolster his squad to secure a second consecutive promotion this season.

Manchester United are reportedly in talks to sign Real Madrid defender David Alaba this summer, seeing him as a strong option to come in at the back.

How old is David Alaba?

The Austrian, who is now 31 years of age, has enjoyed a glittering career, enjoying a huge amount of success along the way.

Alaba has won an incredible 10 league titles during his career, as well as three Champions League crowns, with endless silverware coming his way at both Bayern Munich and Madrid. Not only that, but he has been named Austria's Footballer of the Year an eye-catching eight times, showing just how much he has stood out as the best player in his country.

The defender is contracted to Madrid until the summer of 2026 and has continued to be a key man there in recent times, starting 21 La Liga matches last season, mainly in more of a centre-back role, as he has become accustomed to in the latter part of his career.

It could be that Alaba is allowed to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the current transfer window, however, which is where United come into play, as they continue to eye up important summer signings.

Could Man United sign David Alaba?

The Faithful MUFC relayed an update from Spain, who claimed that Alaba could possibly seal a move to Old Trafford this summer, with Madrid saying "OK" to a move happening and the player himself potentially "accepting the offer" from the Reds.

The parties are believed to be "in talks" over the transfer, while United manager Erik ten Hag is "obsessed and wants to have him under his command."

At 31, there is an argument to say that Alaba isn't quite the force he used to be – only natural, given his age and some of the injuries he has had – but he remains a top-level footballer who could be a fascinating short-term signing by United.

His ability to play at both centre-back and left-back would be great for squad depth, with such versatility an invaluable attribute to have, and he has even turned out in various midfield roles on more than 100 occasions during his career.

The winning mentality that Alaba possesses could be invaluable, too, enhancing United's hopes of trophies moving forward, and the fact that he was hailed by Pep Guardiola during their time together at Bayern, highlighting just how highly he was thought of.

The Austrian is on a huge £370,000-a-week, but you could argue that he may not come in as a guaranteed starter for United, considering Lisandro Martinez is excelling in the left-sided centre-back role and Luke Shaw is the first-choice left-back, but he could push those individuals hard, ensuring they remain at their best level, bolstering the club's high-quality defensive options even further.

There may be some who have their concerns, due to Alaba not being a young signing with a high long-term ceiling, but additions of this ilk can be so priceless, as Casemiro has shown, having joined United at the age of 30, and by the looks of things, a move is one to keep an eye on.

David Miller has certainly gone the extra mile to be available for Glamorgan’s T20 Blast quarter-final against Leicestershire

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2017David Miller has certainly gone the extra mile to be available for Glamorgan’s T20 Blast quarter-final against Leicestershire…actually he’s gone the extra thousands of miles.Miller, the powerful left-hander, has made an overnight journey from South Africa back to the UK so he can line up against Leicestershire on Wednesday evening.On Tuesday he was playing for South Africa A in their second four-day match against India A in Potchefstroom which is about 90 minutes from Johannesburg. Straight after the match, he went to the airport and caught a flight back to London before being driven to Wales for the crucial T20 match.Miller played in four of Glamorgan’s group matches, scoring 117 runs at a strike-rate of 150.

Samit Patel continued to make the most of the richest vein of form of his career with another imperious innings on the first day against Leicestershire

ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2017
ScorecardSamit Patel continued to make the most of the richest vein of form of his career with another imperious innings on the first day of Nottinghamshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge.Patel reached the close on 157 not out, scoring his runs from 222 balls with 17 fours and a six, as the home side closed on 345 for 4 after being asked to bat first.Since making 82 against Derbyshire on June, 4 in the second innings of Nottinghamshire’s last home match, Patel has rattled off an unbeaten 257 versus Gloucestershire and then one-day cup scores of 66 and 122 not out in last week’s wins over Somerset and Essex.The 32-year old was given not out on 37 after the umpires had conferred with Leicestershire claiming a slip catch by Paul Horton but a bump ball seemed to be their judgement.Otherwise it was a breeze, on a day that badly needed one, for the middle order stroke-maker, who picked up a couple of milestones during his five and a half hours at the crease.On 89 he reached 11,000 runs in first class cricket and the shot that took him to his 26th first-class hundred also took him to 10,000 for his county.Jake Libby fell for 7 inside the first hour of the day, nibbling Dieter Klein down the leg side and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Lewis Hill.On a stiflingly hot day, the visitors’ gamble of opting to bowl first and pick up early top order wickets wasn’t helped by the early loss of Ben Raine. The allrounder had sent down 3.2 overs before he left the action in some discomfort with a side strain.”It doesn’t look good for him, it looks worse than the previous side strain he had, so that’s not good news for us or for Ben, who is absolutely gutted,” Pierre de Bruyn, the Leicestershire head coach, said.Steven Mullaney appeared untroubled in making 40 from 59 balls but then had his defences exposed as Gavin Griffiths nipped one back to flatten his middle stump.Brendan Taylor, also off the back of two substantial white ball innings (156 and 62), made 61 in his first Championship knock of the summer.He had a scare on 48 when he nicked Clint McKay but wicketkeeper Lewis Hill couldn’t gather low down. A couple of deliveries later the former Zimbabwe captain was gifted two overthrows from an errant shy, to reach his 50 from 104 balls.Klein picked up his second wicket when he had Taylor caught behind to a regulation nick and he struck again when Michael Lumb dragged on for 36, soon after tea.Late in the day Leicestershire took the second new ball and Patel greeted its arrival by hoisting McKay several rows back over the midwicket fence as his unbeaten fifth wicket partnership with Riki Wessels neared three figures.Notts had a further reason to be thankful with the announcement that James Pattinson, their Australian quick bowler, has been cleared to remain in the country and will participate in the Royal London One-Day Cup final a week on Saturday.

Manchester United could look to secure Brentford goalkeeper David Raya this summer if veteran stopper David De Gea is to leave Old Trafford this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Manchester United's goalkeeping situation?

As per The Athletic, Manchester United reportedly offered De Gea a new contract at Old Trafford before eventually changing their mind on the decision at the last minute.

The 32-year-old has since received a new proposal from the Red Devils ahead of this term; however, he is now out of contract at Manchester United as he mulls over his future and is a target for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, according to The Sun.

Despite the fact De Gea's 12-year stay at Manchester United looks to be in a perilous position, he would still ideally like to be kept on at the Premier League giants if both parties can come to a compromise in negotiations.

Sky Sports have revealed that Manchester United are considering several goalkeeping options as Erik Ten Hag looks to strengthen his last line of defence, including the likes of Raya, Inter Milan's Andre Onana and Porto stopper Diogo Costa.

De Gea was named on the Red Devils' official released list and any push for another goalkeeping addition is believed to be a separate case to the future of the Spaniard.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has stated that Raya, who earns around £25k-a-week at the Gtech Community Stadium, is indeed on the radar at Old Trafford and may be a potential replacement for De Gea.

Jones stated: "Raya is a pretty simple deal waiting to happen, if United want to go down that path. And if de Gea is going to leave, we've heard for some time that Raya is on their radar as somebody that could replace him."

Would David Raya be a good signing for Manchester United?

Raya, who has been hailed as an "incredible" player, has earned a reputation as an accomplished goalkeeper in the English top flight due to his shot-stopping abilities and composure with the ball at his feet, a trait that Manchester United boss Ten Hag has traditionally demanded from his man between the sticks.

Last season, the 27-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions for Brentford, managing to amass 12 clean sheets, as per Transfermarkt.

FBRef show that Raya was a key part of why Brentford secured a top-ten finish in the Premier League, recording a save percentage rate of 77.7%.

As per WhoScored, the Spanish stopper also ranked in Brentford's top five performers across the term, behind Ben Mee, Bryan Mbuemo, Ethan Pinnock and Ivan Toney, earning an average match rating of 6.97/10 for his exploits on the field.

Manchester United will be looking to build on an impressive 2022/23 campaign under Ten Hag and bringing in someone like Raya could help to take the Red Devils to the next level at Old Trafford.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes West Ham star Declan Rice only wants to join the Gunners and a move is "closing in", according to reports.

Who could join Arsenal this summer?

It's set to be a pivotal summer at the Emirates Stadium and one which could well determine whether the north Londoners maintain their place among England's elite next season.

Arsenal narrowly missed out on their first league title in nearly 20 years last season, with Pep Guardiola's treble-winners beating them to the punch, but reports suggest that Arteta is determined to reshape and improve.

Central midfield is of top priority this window, leading to their serious chase for Rice and Brighton star Moises Caicedo among others. Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan, as he nears the end of his contract, is also of serious interest in north London.

Meanwhile, in terms of other positions, it is believed that Arsenal are now targeting Chelsea star Kai Havertz for the forward areas, and there have been links to potential additions at right-back.

Going back to Rice, the pursuit is hotting up, with TEAMtalk sharing what they know on the situation amid advanced negotiations.

It is believed they're on the brink of finalising an agreement for the 24-year-old, who has just won the Europa Conference League and his first major trophy at West Ham. However, there is one final hurdle to clear, which is the compromise on a final fee.

The Irons are hoping for around £100 million plus add-ons for their prized asset, but Arsenal would rather pay closer to the £90m mark. Despite this, Arteta's side are very much "closing in", and the Gunners boss has "never wavered in his belief that Rice wants to only join Arsenal".

Edu and co firmly believe they've won the race for his signature despite serious interest from Bayern Munich, with the latter side apparently now deciding not to advance.

Who is Declan Rice?

David Moyes' star player proved yet again why he is so in demand with his performances last season.

Indeed, the "sensational" midfield enforcer finished 2022/2023 as West Ham's best-performing player by average match rating, all while making more interceptions per 90 than anyone in their side (WhoScored).

Given Arsenal's need to shore up that area of the squad, we could think of few better than Rice to upgrade Arteta's options, especially since he is both homegrown and proven in the Premier League.

It will be interesting to see what fee both sides eventually settle on for the transfer.

Inter Miami were always going to sell plenty of Lionel Messi jerseys, and they have found an ingenious way of shifting even more shirts.

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Argentine icon starring in the StatesEverybody wants a piece of himAll-time great is a marketing dream

WHAT HAPPENED?

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner completed a stunning move to the United States over the summer after reaching the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain. He has made an immediate impact in America, with a mad scramble to secure tickets sparked each and every time that he takes to the field.

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Off the pitch, the Argentine icon remains a marketing dream. Inter Miami have been selling their iconic 2023-24 pink home kit by the bucket load, but interest in shirts from previous campaigns has been difficult to generate.

DID YOU KNOW?

The MLS outfit have found a way around that, with the club’s inaugural white home kit from 2020 now on sale in their official shop with ‘Messi 10’ on the back despite the fact that he moved to Florida some three years after that kit was released.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

That clever approach to sales should serve Inter Miami well, with everyone in the States seemingly wanting a bit of Messi. He has hit 11 goals for his new club through as many appearances – helping them to Leagues Cup glory, a place in the U.S. Open Cup final and a shot at securing a play-off spot in the MLS Eastern Conference.

The Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers could not be separated on runs even after the Super Over. So it all came down to the boundary aggregate

The Report by Will Macpherson at the SCG14-Jan-2017Super Over
ScorecardStafanie Taylor struck her first fifty of the season•Getty Images

In the end, not even a Super Over could separate the Sydney Smash.Having elected to bat, the Sydney Sixers made 138. In reply, the Sydney Thunder managed the same. In the Super Over, the Thunder made eight, then the Sixers did too.Confusion reigned, but the Thunder had won – on the basis that they had hit more boundaries in the 40 overs (16) than the Sixers (14). So, in a game normally won by a number of runs or wickets, the Sydney Thunder had beaten the Sydney Sixers by two boundaries. Eh?The first 40 overs had been an undulating, exciting advert for the Women’s BBL, and the Super Over had the national news on Channel Ten delayed – who knows how many new fans will have stumbled across the game as a result – and as many as 17,000 people watching at the ground.The main event
The 40 overs that were unable to separate the two sides were dominated by fine innings from two top-order batsmen, and the timing of their wickets decided the outcome.First came Ashleigh Gardner, whose stellar competition continued. She came to the crease in the first over with Alyssa Healy gone, and scored a fine 54 from 41 balls, including sixes down the ground and to cow corner. She shared a stand of 65 with Sara McGlashan, who was scratchy early on but grew into her innings. When McGlashan was caught and bowled by Erin Osborne, though, they lost five for 30 from the final 21 balls. Gardner was stumped by Alex Blackwell – making a rare appearance as a wicketkeeper – off Stafanie Taylor (who had earlier taken another key wicket, Elysse Perry), and Sixers hopes of making 150 were over.Ashleigh Gardner continued her fine form•Getty Images

Taylor’s excellent game continued as she made 68, he first half-century of the season, to dominate the chase. Blackwell, who fell to the excellent Kim Garth, then Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in, but Taylor rode her luck (she was dropped three times) to keep her team in it and looked to be guiding them to victory. The late introduction of Lisa Sthalekar in the 15th over put the brakes on the Thunder as she picked up two wickets, then Taylor fell slogging Sarah Aley in the penultimate over. Naomi Stalenberg and Osborne could only manage seven of the eight they needed from the final over; Super Over it was.Super finishSo, how did that Super Over pan out, then? The Thunder batted first. Garth, an Associate rookie and replacement for the absent South African duo Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk, limited Taylor – who earlier made an excellent 68 before falling in the final over – and Rachael Haynes, who was run out off the last ball, to just eight. Garth, continuing the beautiful line and length she had bowled when taking 17 for 1 earlier) had denied them any boundaries, which was a superb effort.Knowing that they had fewer boundaries in regular tim, the Sixers knew they needed nine to win, but the Thunder knew eight would work for them. Healy smote Rene Farrell down the ground for four, but was then carelessly run out. Perry found two through cover, then was caught at long-on. Needing three off the last two, Angela Reakes was run out turning for a second. Gardner, so brilliant earlier, could only scramble her first ball for a single. No one really understood why, but it was not enough.What it all meansBefore the Sydney Smash, the Sixers had won three games (in a run of seven straight victories). The Sixers still sit four points clear at the top of the table, and need to win one of their two remaining fixtures to qualify for a semi-final. The Thunder are sixth, and their hopes of defending their title remain alive.