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Aston Villa have certainly enjoyed a frantic start to their transfer business since the window opened, making five new signings while selling three players.

Unai Emery had to move on a few players before June 30 to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations, forcing his hand in the transfer market, but it now looks like he has the green light to bring in several new additions between now and the end of the window.

Might a reunion be on the cards for a former Villa favourite in the coming weeks?

Aston Villa keen on signing Premier League superstar

According to Football Insider, Manchester City are willing to sell Jack Grealish this summer, with Pep Guardiola looking to recoup a large chunk of the £100m they shelled out on him three years ago.

The report states that Villa would be keen on re-signing Grealish, who moved from Villa Park to the Etihad in 2021, but much will depend on exactly how much City will demand for the attacking midfielder.

The transfer would signal a sign of intent by Emery as he looks to strengthen ahead of playing in the Champions League next season.

What Jack Grealish could offer Aston Villa

Since moving to City three years ago, the Englishman has made 125 appearances under Guardiola, registering 32 goal contributions in the process.

It's fair to say, however, that the 2023/24 campaign wasn’t his most productive, as he managed to score just three goals in 33 appearances and these performances meant he missed out on England’s Euro 2024 squad.

Perhaps a move back to Villa could be the spark which ignites Grealish’s career, especially considering the success he enjoyed in the Midlands.

Not only was he dubbed a “world superstar” by presenter Dan Bardell in 2021, but Grealish also amassed 213 appearances for his boyhood club, emerging as a massive fan favourite during his spell.

If he moved back to Villa, Grealish could shine under Emery in a number ten role, which could help him create chaos along with current star man Ollie Watkins.

When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the City star ranks in the top 2% for progressive carries per 90 (7.6), while also ranking in the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (7.37), showcasing his talents for bringing the ball forward as often as possible, which could see plenty of chances being created for Watkins, perhaps even more than last term.

Adding someone of Grealish’s quality to the squad could see Emery’s side shine in Europe’s premier club competition. Indeed, not only has the 28-year-old won the Champions League, but he has registered five goal contributions across 28 matches, evidence to show that he can perform well at the highest level.

Watkins scored 27 goals last season for Villa, but with Grealish performing behind him, there is no doubt he could have the chance to increase this total during the 2024/25 campaign, that’s for sure.

Jack Grealish repeat: Important Aston Villa star could leave for PL club

Another of Aston Villa’s finest academy graduates could depart.

By
Joe Nuttall

Jul 4, 2024

A Manchester United player has reportedly said yes to joining a European giant in the summer transfer window, according to a new update regarding his future.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils continue to be linked with a host of exciting players, in what supporters will hope is a hugely productive first summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe overseeing matters. The United part-owner will want to make big inroads in the market, in order to slowly guide his boyhood team back to the summit of English football, having been in the wilderness for too long by their high standards.

Left-back could be an area that the club look at in the coming months, with Luke Shaw's injury problems well-documented at this point, and Bournemouth ace Milos Kerkez has emerged as a strong option to bring in. Still only 20, the Hungarian made 28 appearances for the Cherries in the Premier League last season, averaging two clearances and 1.7 tackles per game in the competition.

Benfica midfield star Joao Neves has also constantly been backed to seal a move to United in the summer window, too, as he continues to stand out as a young player with an enormous amount of potential. Bruno Fernandes has even spoken of his admiration for his Portugal teammate, saying: "He is an excellent player, he’s with the national team. That’s also why the big clubs are after him."

There are also players who could leave the Red Devils before the start of next season, however, joining the likes of Raphael Varane and Antony Martial in heading out of the exit door. A big update has now emerged regarding one such figure.

Man Utd player says yes to joining Juventus

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via The Faithful MUFC], Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood wants to join Juventus this summer and has already said yes to a move to the European giants. A minimum fee in the region of £30m is mooted, with a transfer thought to be advancing.

Ratcliffe appears to be willing to sell the Englishman, who spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Getafe. In truth, it could make complete sense for United to part company with Greenwood for good this summer, with the Red Devils making numerous changes behind the scenes and to their playing squad.

There is no question that the 22-year-old remains a footballer of huge long-term potential – he scored eight goals and registered six assists in La Liga in 2023/24, handling the change to a different league impressively – but Ratcliffe and everyone associated with the club may well be looking at the bigger picture.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1

By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Granted, the club have backed him in the past, but Ratcliffe has come in as part-owner and now may be the driving force in ensuring that his time at Old Trafford comes to an end. They could receive good money for him from Juventus, using those funds to bring in another exciting young attacking player.

Comment by chair of Barnsley Woolley Miners CC reported to Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League

George Dobell27-Jun-2021New concerns about the culture of cricket in Yorkshire have emerged after “disgraceful” comments made by a leading official in the recreational game on social media.Reacting to the news that Darfield Cricket Club had signed Kastun Stoute, a top-order batter from Barbados, as an overseas player, Phillip Chapman replied: “I’m sure he sold me some sunglasses with flashing lights in Tenerife!!”Chapman is chair of Barnsley Woolley Miners CC and has worked in the Yorkshire system as a pathway coach and team manager. His comment received a laughing emoji from Roy Chapman, who has also worked as a pathway manager and coach in the Yorkshire system.Others were far less impressed. The comments were quickly branded “disgraceful”, “vile” and “disgusting”. Chapman subsequently deleted the post.Darfield Cricket Club confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they have reported their concerns to the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League and are understood to have vowed not to let Chapman set foot on their property.Barnsley Woolley Miners CC were previously called Barnsley CC. The likes of Geoffrey Boycott, Darren Gough, Dickie Bird and Martyn Moxon all developed through the club. The journalist and broadcaster Michael Parkinson also played for them.While Chapman admitted his comments were, in retrospect, “clumsy” and apologised “if someone found it offensive”, he denied any suggestion of racism. He also clarified that his comments were made in a personal capacity and not as a spokesperson for the club.”My best friend is black,” Chapman told ESPNcricinfo. “And my wife is Eastern-European. There’s no way I’m racist.”I’m sorry if someone found it offensive. On reflection, I can see it was clumsy. But I was making a joke about sunglasses, not about the colour of his skin. If he had been white, I’d have said he looked like Elton John.Related

John Holder sues ECB over alleged racial discrimination

Rafiq raises doubts over 'evidence being ignored'

“Do we live in a time when you’re not allowed to have a sense of humour anymore? It seems that whatever anyone says, the race card is played.”The incident comes at a time when the culture of cricket in the region is under scrutiny. A much delayed enquiry into the issue, sparked by Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of racism at Yorkshire, is expected to report within the next three weeks.ESPNcricinfo has seen some submissions to the enquiry. Among them is an allegation from Rafiq, the former Yorkshire captain, that as a 15-year-old player at Barnsley he was held down and had red wine poured into his mouth. His account is supported by an independent eyewitness.”The worrying thing for me is that Mr Chapman doesn’t seem to realise the problem with these comments,” Rafiq told ESPNcricinfo.”He doesn’t seem to realise they are demeaning. He doesn’t seem to realise that one person’s banter is another person’s demise. He doesn’t realise how black or Asian kids growing up around Barnsley will see these words and conclude the club isn’t a welcoming environment for them. He just doesn’t get it and you can’t have a person like that involved in a position of authority.”And think about this: if people have the confidence to say these things on social media, what do you think they say when nobody is watching? I hope the league step in and if they don’t, I hope the ECB takes action.”Stoute made 98 on debut on Saturday to help his new side to victory over Wakefield Thornes.

Zimbabwe hampered by batting collapse after looking good for 200 at one stage

Mohammad Isam22-Jul-2021

Bangladesh made a trifecta of winning their 100th matches in all three formats after beating Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the first T20I. Their pace bowlers took eight wickets to engineer a batting collapse, before Mohammad Naim and Soumya Sarkar put together the team’s first-ever century opening stand in the format.Zimbabwe paid the price once again for fielding errors and conceding too many extras, but mainly lost out due to a batting collapse. They slipped from 91 for 2 to be bowled out for 152, at least 40 short of what they looked set to get.Naim’s 66 not out – his second T20I fifty – was a matured effort, in which he not only played the role of the aggressor upfront but also finished the game off. The match was sealed when he slapped a boundary over mid-off in the penultimate over. He had Nurul Hasan at the other end when victory was achieved.Naim’s three fours off Richard Ngarava in the fourth over fuelled Bangladesh’s innings. Sarkar joined in the fun by then whacking two big sixes, eventually getting to a half-century off 45 balls. He would fall soon after as Regis Chakabva’s back flick after collecting a throw from the deep caught Sarkar short of the crease as he tried to complete a second run.Zimbabwe could have had Naim on 49, but for Sikandar Raza’s misjudgment when he stopped a throw from the deep with Naim well short of the crease behind him.Zimbabwe eventually effected a run out when Blessing Muzarabani scored a direct hit from short third man to dismiss Mahmudullah, but it was all too late.Earlier, Nurul Hasan played a critical role in bringing Bangladesh back into the game after Regis Chakabva took off like a bullet train, hitting a 22-ball 43. He drove, pulled, scooped and nurdled runs during the course of a second-wicket stand worth 64 with Wessley Madhevere. Just when Zimbabwe looked set, Madhevere lobbed a simple return catch to Shakib in the ninth over.But Zimbabwe started to decelerate when Hasan’s throw towards the non-striker’s end ran out the rampant Chakabva in the eleventh over. Raza fell later in the same over, caught behind off Shoriful Islam to turn a wobble into a full-blown collapse.After a little recovery, Zimbabwe lost their last four wickets in 11 balls. After Mohammad Saifuddin bowled Luke Jongwe, substitute Shamim Hossain ran hard to his left at long-on to take a brilliant catch to leave batter Ryan Burl stunned.Apart from Islam, Rahman struck some late blows to ensure Bangladesh finished well short of what they would’ve aimed for. They also didn’t utilise one full over of their innings. Eventually their collapse – 8 for 61 in 13 overs – cost them an opportunity to take a lead in the series.

كشف سيزار برافو، وكيل نجيك جراديشار، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن كواليس انضمامه لصفوف القلعة الحمراء خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الماضية.

وقال برافو في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “المفاوضات بدأت عندما اتصل بي أسامة هلال، عضو لجنة الاسكوتينج في الأهلي”.

طالع.. الأهلي يعلن تعيين متحدث رسمي لقطاع الكرة

وتابع: “لم نتخذ قرارًا محددًا، لكنه تحدث معي بشأن اللاعب وطلب مني تقريرًا مفصلًا عنه، ولم نكن نفكر وقتها أن يكون للاعب نصيب في التواجد بالأهلي، لأن كان لديه عروض أخرى، وعندما جاء عرض الأهلي، درسناه جيدًا”.

وأضاف: “جراديشار كان يمتلك عروضًا من أوروبا، وكنا نستهدف انضمامه إلى نادٍ في المجر ليستكمل معه الموسم”.

وأتم: “بعد أن علم بمفاوضات الأهلي، كان يهدف إلى استكمال الموسم في مكان آخر، والأهلي يمتلك استراتيجية كبيرة، ولا تتاح لأي لاعب فرصة لرفض اللعب له، نظرًا لما يحققه من شهرة”.

ويستعد الأهلي في الوقت الحالي لمواجهة الزمالك، على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ15 من الدوري المصري.

Two teams, who have struggled in the last two cycles, are now pushing for a final spot in this cycle

Firdose Moonda26-Nov-2024It could not be more deliciously set up. South Africa and Sri Lanka will play in what is effectively a quarter-final of the World Test Championship (WTC) over the next two weeks. Both believe they have built outfits that could challenge for the title next June.If that sounds like an obviously optimistic thing to say, consider who we are talking about. Over the last two WTC cycles, South Africa lost more than half the series they played in, while Sri Lanka finished in the middle and in the bottom half of the points table. These are teams that have spent a significant amount of time, especially recently, talking about transition phases and building blocks. Now, it sounds like they are ready to move off the ground floor and potentially catch the elevator to the roof if they make it to Lord’s next June.Both captains spoke about their current teams as “the best we have after a long while,” as Dhananjaya de Silva put it, though for vastly different reasons. For Sri Lanka, who have won six out of their last eight Tests and crossed 400 four times in that period, they have the makings of a batting line-up they can trust to perform in various conditions and the numbers to prove it.Related

• Sri Lanka reap the rewards of investing in their seam bowlers

• SL begin crucial SA tour in happy hunting ground

• Bavuma battles 'mental demons' on return from lengthy layoff

• Race to the WTC final: India back on top after Perth win

• Bavuma, Coetzee, Jansen return for SA's home Tests against SL

Kamindu Mendis is Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer of this WTC cycle, and seventh overall, while Dhananjaya is 11th, with three hundreds and six fifties. For context, South Africa only have one batter in the top 40, and he is in 39th place: David Bedingham. Mendis also leads the averages in this edition of the WTC (with a cut-off of 10 innings), with Dhananjaya in fifth place. Between them, they have scored eight of Sri Lanka’s 11 hundreds; the other three have come from three different players. Mendis’ hundreds have come in Sylhet, Manchester and Galle, which speaks to the ability to transfer talent across what Dhananjaya called increasingly tough conditions for run-scoring everywhere.”It’s hard to get runs anywhere in the world,” he said. “If you go to Sri Lanka, it’s spinning. And if we go to England, it’s going to seam. When we come here [to South Africa], it’s going to bounce. It’s hard work always for the batsman. But we’ve got some experience, people who played a lot of cricket here and a lot of cricket in England, a lot of cricket in Sri Lanka. In this team, there’s experience and youngsters; we’re a mixed side. So I think this is the best team after a long while and we have to make the most of it.”South Africa have something similar, not in numbers necessarily but in sources of their achievements, which come from a wide spread of players. The seven hundreds they have scored in this cycle have each come from a different batter and five of those are from batters scoring hundreds for the first time. For a line-up without any standout superstars (and you may argue one that overly relied on Dean Elgar most recently but AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla before that), that shows progression in both domestic depth and their ability to make the step up.Kagiso Rabada has been in terrific form in Test cricket•AFP/Getty Images”We’ve had different players putting in performances,” Temba Bavuma said. “Younger guys have come into this space and they’ve started putting in performances. With me being a senior player, I take a lot of joy from seeing the young guys coming into the team and I try to contribute to them becoming as good as they can be.”It will probably come as no surprise to hear that what South Africa lack in batting, they make up for in their bowling. Kagiso Rabada is top of the bowling averages among bowlers who have bowled more than 100 balls in this cycle, with Keshav Maharaj not too far behind. Overall, South Africa have the second-lowest bowling average, of 24.13, of this WTC. Yes, Rabada steals the headlines here but with good reason. His career wickets of 313 are only 16 fewer than Sri Lanka’s entire six-man pace attack, and we can’t forget that he has always had strong support. It’s not Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje this time but Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee, who are two of the quickest going around.All this makes the battle lines clear: this series will be decided by how Sri Lanka’s batters take on South Africa’s attack, even on surfaces which are not expected to be overly seamer-friendly. Given the way they played in England, where they won at The Oval, Sri Lanka have every reason to believe they will be able to challenge South Africa at two venues where they have had success before. “We didn’t have a bad series in England, but results didn’t come our way. We played good cricket, and we pushed the England team,” Dhananjaya said. “We’re going to push the South African team to the very end.”And South Africa, after winning their first series in the subcontinent in 10 years last month, also have cause to be bullish as they keep faith in a group of players who will form the core of the future of the Test team. “In this series, there’s no new faces, so we’re definitely settling in as a team and guys are very comfortable with each other,” Bavuma said. “It was all about putting together this team of personalities, guys who effectively can do something special for the team. For me, there is a sense of something special that can come about this team. And I guess we have four or five games to kind of do that.”Four? Definitely because that’s the number of matches both South Africa and Sri Lanka have left in this cycle.Five? Whoever wins at least one of the next two can start to realistically dream of that finale next year.Let the Test summer begin.

Phil Jones slammed a fan who claimed his career was a "shame" as the former centre back launched a scathing attack to defend his Old Trafford legacy.

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• Jones spent 12 years at United
• Racked up 229 appearances across competitions
• Won five major honours including a PL title

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After signing for Manchester United from Blackburn Rovers in 2011 under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the centre-back was initially hailed as one of the most promising young defenders in English football. Unfortunately, recurring injuries hampered his progress, restricting him to only 13 appearances over his last four seasons with the Red Devils.

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• Getty/ GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the twilight of his career, Jones often faced ridicule from fans for his dismal injury record. His past achievements drowned into oblivion as the defender struggled to secure a squad berth at Old Trafford and subsequently settled into a premature retirement.

• WHAT JONES SAID ABOUT HIS CAREER

  Jones recently opened up about his career in a candid discussion on the podcast, where he recalled an interaction with a fan who described his career as a "shame".

  "Someone said to me, ‘Oh, it’s a shame about your career, Phil, but it’s lovely to meet you,’" Jones recounted during the interview. "I said, 'You what? What do you mean?' I’ve been at United for 10 years, won the Premier League, played over 200 games for United, played in two World Cups, won the Europa League and FA Cup, and you’re trying to tell me it was a shame?"

  Jones used the moment to assert his pride in his time as a professional footballer. “That was me standing up for myself and having respect for myself, saying, ‘No, this stops now.’ I’ll tell you how my career went. Of course, I would’ve liked to play more, but I’ve lived the dream. 99% of people would snap their right hand off now for their kids to come through and have the career I had,” he explained.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Jones made 229 appearances for United during his stay at Old Trafford. He won five major trophies, including a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a Europa League title and two FA Community Shields.

After losing seven of their first eight games, RCB are on the brink of achieving something remarkable. Here’s how they did it

Shashank Kishore17-May-2024Are Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on to something?Parallels are being drawn to the summer of 2016, when they made the IPL final after languishing near the bottom of the points table for the first half of the season. From two wins in their first seven matches, they had an inspired run of six victories in their next seven matches to finish in the top two. They were eventually runners-up to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).RCB’s start was worse this season. Seven losses in eight games left them rock bottom, and they had to win all their remaining matches to have a chance of finishing in the top four. They have won five in a row, and had several other results go their way, to keep them in the race, and now they just need to win one more. By a certain margin, though against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), weather permitting.Related

• Form vs funk in RCB vs RR winner-takes-all rumble

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• IPL 2024 scenarios – RCB vs CSK for final playoff spot

• Rain threat looms over RCB-CSK clash in Bengaluru

RCB’s resurgence has been led by their batters, and the upswing has coincided with them finally hitting upon an effective bowling combination. Since scoring 262 for 7 in a chase of 288 against SRH, RCB’s run rate of 11.37 in their next seven games is the best in the league and a massive improvement over the 8.94 in their first six games.

Kohli on the frontlines

Like in 2016, Virat Kohli has been central to RCB’s late surge towards the playoffs. Back then, he scored four centuries and amassed 973 runs in the season, both records that still stand. While he is still a distance from those astronomical numbers, he is scoring faster than he has in any IPL season while remaining typically consistent: Kohli has contributed three half-centuries in the five-match winning streak.His acceleration starts in the powerplay, a phase where he’s scored at a strike rate of 193 in his last seven games, up from 131 in the first six. His overall powerplay strike rate of 163 in IPL 2024 is his best for a season.That is crucial. Even though Kohli was near the top of the run chart, there were questions raised about his ability to score quickly after the fielding restrictions were lifted, especially against spin. He has improved that aspect of his game too, raising his strike rate against spin from 123.57 in his first nine games this season to 167.69 in his next four. Unlocking shots he seldom used earlier – like the slog sweep – has been at the heart of this reinvigoration.”It’s an evolving process,” Kohli said after his 92 off 47 balls against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. “I brought out the slog-sweep against the spinners. I didn’t practice it, I know I have hit it in the past. I’m always looking to expose that side of the field against spin. I know I need to take risks, it needs a bit of conviction. I have been managing to stay ahead of that thought. I am trying to keep up with the strike rate for me and the team.”Virat Kohli is scoring faster than he ever has in an IPL season•BCCI

Patidar and Jacks find their gears

After RCB’s loss to SRH on April 15, Glenn Maxwell attended the press conference at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, even though he hadn’t played the game. He went on to reveal he had asked to be dropped after scoring only 32 runs in his first six innings.In came Will Jacks, playing his first IPL season, and he made an impact in his third game by scoring 55 off 32 balls in a chase of 223 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. They eventually fell one run short but Jacks’ 102-run partnership off 48 balls with Rajat Patidar showed RCB how to construct their middle order for the rest of the season.Patidar has been especially aggressive against spin in the middle overs in RCB’s last seven games, scoring at a strike rate of 254.71 and an average of 135 (135 runs, 53 balls, one dismissal). Among 19 batters with 50-plus runs against spin in this phase and period, his strike rate is the best, and all five of his fifties this season have come in less than 30 balls.While Jacks wasn’t as prolific as Patidar, he had his moments, like when he smashed Rashid Khan for 6, 6, 4, 6, 6 to race to 100 off 41 balls in RCB’s victory against Gujarat Titans. He isn’t available for Saturday’s game against CSK, though, having returned to England for national duty.”You don’t need a rocket scientist to figure who the replacement will be,” RCB’s assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan said on the eve of the match.With Faf du Plessis providing powerful cameos up top, and Cameron Green and Dinesh Karthik finishing strong, RCB will turn once again to Maxwell for that muscle in the middle overs.Rajat Patidar has scored five fifties, all in less than 30 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Siraj turns his season around

Ever since Mohammed Siraj became RCB’s spearhead, his form has shaped his team’s bowling performance.RCB picked up the fewest wickets (34) among all teams in the first eight games this season. Their bowling average (47.50) was the worst and their economy rate of 10.8 was the highest too. Siraj took only five wickets in seven games in this phase, and regularly conceded more than 10 an over.There’s been a remarkable transformation in their last five games. RCB have taken the most wickets (41), their bowling average of 20.5 is also the best, while their strike rate of 14 is only behind KKR’s.Siraj has had a massive role to play in this revival, bowling effectively in the powerplay and at the death, where he has a superb economy of 7.3 across the seven overs he has bowled. Two of these performances – against Titans and Kings – have had a positive impact on RCB’s net run-rate. Siraj has taken seven wickets in his last five games, and conceded more than 9 an over in only one match.Mohammed Siraj has found his rhythm when his team really needed it•BCCI

RCB run into their ideal bowling combination

With Maxwell benched, Mayank Dagar not making the XI after the first few games, and Karn Sharma missing six of the first seven, RCB were woefully short of spin options.They eventually turned to a 33-year-old left-arm spinner, Swapnil Singh, in their ninth game of the season. Before that, Swapnil had played only two IPL matches, for Lucknow Super Giants last season, and taken no wickets.Coming in as an Impact Player, Swapnil was entrusted with an over in the powerplay against the fearsome SRH batting line-up, and he dismissed Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen in the space of five balls to break their chase. RCB have given him the first over in his next four games, and he’s offered them control as well as frequent breakthroughs.Along with Swapnil, Yash Dayal and Green have also had improved returns and contributed to the team’s resurgence just before it became too late. Dayal’s spell of 3 for 20 and Green’s 1 for 19 were crucial to RCB’s NRR-boosting victory against Delhi Capitals in their most recent game.Halfway through the season, almost no one gave RCB a chance of making the playoffs. But they are still here, having strung together a run of wins in what was effectively five knockout games. Hopefully, the weather in Bengaluru will allow them their shot at completing the greatest comeback in the history of the IPL.

Roberto De Zerbi is now in the frame to replace Pep Guardiola, amid a new update on the Manchester City manager’s future at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s contract isn’t due to expire until the summer of 2027, having penned an extension last season, and Man City fans will no doubt be hoping he stays for the foreseeable future, given the unprecedented success he has brought to the blue side of Manchester.

Trophies Pep Guardiola has lifted at Manchester City

Number of times won

Premier League title

6

Champions League

1

UEFA Super Cup

1

Club World Cup

1

FA Cup

2

League Cup

4

Community Shield

3

However, Jurgen Klopp resigning as Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023-24 campaign due to fatigue displayed just how draining it is to be a Premier League manager for a sustained period of time, and there will come a point where City need to start seriously thinking about successors.

At the moment, the former Barcelona boss will be focusing on closing the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, while also attempting to win a second Champions League, but there has now been a new update on when he could leave the Blues.

Man City targeting De Zerbi amid Guardiola future update

According to reliable reporter Paul Hirst, in a report for The Times, an exit at the end of the 2026-27 campaign is on the cards as the 54-year-old has won everything there is to win since arriving at the Etihad Stadium back in 2016.

The three-time Champions League-winning manager is expected to see out his current contract, but Man City may then be faced with the difficult task of bringing in a successor, and De Zerbi is in the frame, as the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss has admirers within the club.

Guardiola is personally a fan of the Marseille manager, who has made a fantastic start to the 2025-26 campaign, with his side currently second in Ligue 1, just two points behind Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Not only is the 46-year-old impressing in France, but he was also hailed by Statman Dave for the work he did during his first year as Brighton manager.

The Italian is well-known to favour a possession-based style of football, so he may not need to make wholesale changes at Man City, which is another bonus, alongside his experience in the Premier League.

The only concern will be that De Zerbi is yet to lift many major trophies, winning only the Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2021-22 season.

In truth, whoever replaces Pep will find it almost impossible to eclipse what the Spaniard has achieved at City, and supporters will be hoping he extends his stay beyond the end of next season.

Every current manager in the Premier League has been ranked Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

Every current Premier League boss ranked from best to worst.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 8, 2025

تحدث أوريلين تشواميني، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد حول مباراة مانشستر سيتي ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض ريال مدريد مباراة هامة نظيره مانشستر سيتي مساء غدٍ الأربعاء ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

وقال تشواميني، في المؤتمر الصحفي والذي نقلته صحيفة “آس”: إنه لمن دواعي سروري اللعب في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وخاصةً على أرضنا وأكثر من ذلك، ضد مانشستر سيتي، منافسنا القوي، نتطلع إلى ذلك بشوق”.

وأضاف حول طلب ألونسو باللعب بحماس أكثر: “لا أعرف موقفنا ولكن إذا لم نفُز، فذلك لأننا بحاجة إلى تحسين أدائنا، أن نلعب بشكل أفضل دفاعيًا وهجوميًا، علينا أن نتحسن، نأمل أن نتمكن من ذلك، ما يحدث الآن لا يمكن أن يستمر”.

وأكمل: “علاقتي مع ألونسو؟ كلنا في هذا معًا، إذا أردنا الفوز، فعلينا جميعًا القتال من أجل ذلك مع المدرب، مع الفريق، نحن في الملعب وعلينا أن نبذل قصارى جهدنا، غدًا لدينا فرصة جيدة لقلب الأمور”.

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وعن عدم الضغط العالي على الفرق المنافسة كما كان، أوضح: “علينا التحسن في هذا الجانب، في البداية نرغب في الضغط، أحيانًا نؤدي ذلك بشكل جيد، وأحيانًا أخرى بشكل سيء للغاية، علينا التحسن لاستعادة المزيد من الكرات”.

وتابع حول مواجهة هالاند: “سنناقش خطة اللعب مع المدرب اليوم، لدينا العديد من الإصابات في خط الدفاع لكن لدينا العديد من اللاعبين القادرين على تقديم أداء عالي، علينا جميعًا أن ندافع معًا ونظهر التزامنا، نلعب ضد فريق رائع، هالاند لاعب مذهل لكن إذا لعبنا بكامل طاقتنا، يمكننا الفوز بهذه المباراة”.

واستطرد” النقص في الحدة؟ ضد سيلتا بالطبع، وفي مباريات أخرى أيضًا، إذا لم نلعب بأقصى قوة فسيكون الفوز صعبًا للغاية، علينا أن ندرك أن الفوز بهذه المباريات يتطلب بذل قصارى جهدنا، لم نفعل ذلك ضد سيلتا، ويجب أن نفعله غدًا”.

وسُئل تشواميني ما هي المشكلة، في الفريق أم ألونسو، فأجاب: “ضد سيلتا، كان لدى المدرب خطة جيدة لكننا نحن اللاعبين من نلعب، إذا خسرنا 2/0 فذلك بسبب مشكلة، مثل نقص التركيز وذلك ليس خطأ المدرب، سنتحسن”.

وأتم: “مانشستر سيتي فريق رائع خاصةً عند الاستحواذ على الكرة، علينا أن نكون متماسكين دفاعيًا، وأن نخلق الفرص لمهاجمينا عند الاستحواذ على الكرة، ستكون مباراة ممتعة للغاية”.