Everton have had a busy 2025 summer transfer window so far. David Moyes’ side are looking to build on the momentum they garnered at the back end of last season, with the dawn of a new era upon the club. They are, of course, set to move into the Hill Dickinson Stadium next season.

One of the players they are pursuing, and seem close to signing, is Fulham right-back Kenny Tete. BBC Sport report that the Toffees are ‘close to securing a deal’ to sign the Dutchman on a free transfer from the Cottagers, with his contract set to expire this summer.

Another player they are after is French striker Thierno Barry, with talks intensifying this week. The Toffees are also linked with a midfielder who could perfectly complement the centre-forward.

Everton's next target after Barry

It is looking like a deal to sign Tete is on track to be completed before long, and one that would see them sign Barry might not be too far behind. They are reportedly in talks for the Villarreal star, who has a £40m release clause.

That’s according to a recent report from The i Paper. Barry is not the only young talent the newspaper has linked the Toffees with. They have reportedly ‘registered an interest’ in signing Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee.

It seems like the talented young number 10 will be made available for sale this summer, and Everton could pounce as a result. The Manchester Evening News confirmed at the end of May that he is ‘set to leave’ the Etihad Stadium, and will be available for a fee of around £25m.

Everton's new look attack with Barry and McAtee

After a couple of successful seasons on loan at Sheffield United, McAtee was given a deserved chance in the City first team last season, but struggled for any real game time. However, when he did get the opportunity, he certainly left an impression, particularly on Pep Guardiola, who described him as a “special” talent.

The 22-year-old, who came through City’s esteemed academy, scored seven goals in his 27 appearances last season. However, he played just 936 minutes in all competitions, leaving him with just 10.4 full 90-minute games on average.

For the Blades during his two loan spells in 2022/23 and 2023/24, McAtee was a standout player. He played 75 games for the club, scoring 14 times and grabbing eight assists. Six of those goal involvements came in the Premier League, including a sublime strike against Brentford.

McAtee has been a creative force throughout his career, both in youth and professional football. Once described as being “simply too good” by scout Jacek Kulig, he could well be playing as a number 10 behind Barry at the Hill Dickinson Stadium if both deals get over the line, where Everton fans could see that creativity shine.

The Villarreal number 15, who is an international for France at U21 level, certainly impressed in the 2024/25 campaign for the Yellow Submarine. He scored 19 goals and grabbed four assists in 41 games.

Barry knows exactly where the back of the net is, and with McAtee’s ability to fashion chances, they could form a dangerous combination. Indeed, the stats from the Man City star’s three seasons at professional level show just how exciting he can be as an attacking midfielder.

According to Sofascore, the 22-year-old, who was born in Salford, averaged 1.8 key passes for the Blades in his first campaign. He maintained a similar level when they got promoted, playing 1.4 key passes in 2023/24, and chalking up 0.8 for City last term, without much involvement.

Goals

0.4

0.2

0.7

Assists

1.8

1.4

0.8

Big chances created

0.3

0.2

0.2

Dribbles completed

1.9

1.8

0.7

Tackles and interceptions

1.8

2

1.3

Expected goal involvements

N/A

0.24

0.38

Therefore, McAtee could make Barry completely unplayable if the pair are to unite on the Blue half of Merseyside next season. The Frenchman is clinical in front of goal, and with the creativity of the Man City youngster behind him, he could hit whole new heights.

The 22-year-old has not had much of an opportunity for City, but has shown exactly how good he can be when the chance to play has arisen. With regular football and a clinical striker ahead of him at Everton, he could excel at the Toffees.

Huge upgrade on Beto: Everton in talks to sign "elite" big-money striker

Everton will be looking for improved output in front of goal next season

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 25, 2025

Leeds United are already making significant moves in the transfer market as the brand-new Premier League season kicking off in August edges ever closer.

It’s less than two months now until the Whites get their daunting top-flight season underway with a Monday night affair against David Moyes’ Everton, with both Lukas Nmecha and Jaka Bijol – who have joined from Wolfsburg and Udinese respectively – desperate to be in Daniel Farke’s starting lineup when the Toffees come to Elland Road.

They’re unlikely to be the only fresh signings competing for a starting spot, however, with a new central midfielder clearly a priority based on the latest rumours filtering out of West Yorkshire.

Leeds make approach for £13m star

As per a report from Foot en France, Leeds have now made an approach to land Stade Brestois star Madhi Camara this summer, as their ongoing pursuit of a central midfielder drags on.

Indeed, it had previously been reported that the Whites were also chasing after another midfield ace from Ligue 1 in the form of Habib Diarra, with an alleged £24m bid even being made.

Now, however, their attention could shift towards attempting to land Camara instead, with fellow promoted outfit Sunderland also keen on snapping up the 26-year-old at Farke and Co.’s expense.

With the report ending on the fact that Leeds might be able to win the Brest number 45 for around the £13m mark, securing Camara’s signature might well be deemed as an even better purchase to make than solely going after the more expensive Senegal international, before you consider delving deeper into their comparative statistics.

Why Camara would be a better signing than Diarra

With Joe Rothwell heading back to AFC Bournemouth this summer, Leeds do look slightly depleted in the middle of the park, which is where Camara might come to the rescue.

After all, the 26-year-old will feel he’s earned his stripes enough in the top French division now to be a success story in the Premier League, with 182 appearances under his belt in Ligue 1 for both Brest and Saint-Etienne. On the contrary, Diarra has just 94 clashes next to his name.

In addition to his wealth of top-flight experience in France, Camara also has the boost of amassing ten Champions League clashes on the books of Éric Roy’s men, with a goal even coming the 5-foot-10 ace’s way in the illustrious competition this season when facing off against RB Salzburg.

Farke would surely love the “all-action” nature of Camara – as he was once labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – if he were to arrive on English shores shortly, with his ability to pick up 26 goal contributions in total for Brest, which beats out Diarra’s own Strasbourg total by five, backed up by a second side to his wide-ranging game that can also offer up plenty of grit and determination when needed.

Total shots

1.58

0.96

Shot-creating actions

2.33

2.18

Attempted passes

38.23

37.42

Pass completion %

84.9%

83.0%

Successful take-ons

1.02

0.50

Tackles

2.46

0.84

Interceptions

1.12

0.50

Blocks

1.50

0.84

Away from trumping his 21-year-old counterpart in terms of shots averaged and shot-creating actions managed over the last year, the table above also shows off that attritional side to Camara’s game that might well have caught Farke’s eye, with more tackles, interceptions, and blocks also won in favour of the £13m midfielder.

Hailed further by Mattinson as possessing a “nice all-round midfielder profile”, this might well be a smart signing for Leeds to make if a battle against the drop is on the menu, away from gambling on Diarra to come good at a far steeper price tag.

The Whites have shown they’re ready to splash the cash, having forked out £15m on Bijol’s services, with Camara perhaps the next notable pick-up from Europe that can help Leeds stave off relegation.

After Bijol: Leeds join race to sign £17m star who's the new Hernandez

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ByJoe Nuttall Jun 25, 2025

Attention is already turning to the new 2025/26 Premier League season, with promoted sides Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland looking to buck the recent trend and avoid relegation at the first time of asking.

Liverpool, under Arne Slot, will be the defending champions, whereas Pep Guardiola is leading a Manchester City rebuild. Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will finally be hoping that this is their year, while Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to improve on their terrible domestic campaigns last time around.

Grok, the AI tool on X, relayed by Birmingham World, has already predicted the 2025/26 Premier League table, looking at how many points each team will collect, including their goal difference.

AI 2025/26 Premier League table in pictures:

AI Premier League table 2025/26
Rank	Team	Games	Points	GD
1	Liverpool	38	88	+42
2	Arsenal	38	80	+30
3	Man City	38	78	+28
4	Newcastle	38	72	+22
5	Chelsea	38	68	+18
6	Aston Villa	38	65	+12
7	Nottingham Forest	38	62	+10
8	Tottenham	38	60	+8
9	Brighton	38	58	+6
10	Fulham	38	55	+4
11	Man Utd	38	54	+2
12	Everton	38	52	0
13	West Ham	38	50	-2
14	Bournemouth	38	48	-5
15	Brentford	38	46	-8
16	Leeds Utd	38	42	-12
17	Crystal Palace	38	40	-15
18	Wolves	38	38	-20
19	Burnley	38	34	-25
20	Sunderland	38	30	-30

The next 10 Ballon d'Or winners predicted by AI

Who could win the Ballon d’Or across the next ten years?

By
Matt Dawson

May 31, 2025

20

20th: Sunderland

(30 points, -30 GD)

Starting the countdown at the bottom of the table, AI thinks Championship playoff winners Sunderland will finish in 20th place.

They believe Regis Le Bris’ side will accumulate 30 points, though, 18 more than Southampton, who were 20th in 24/25.

19

19th: Burnley

(34 points, -25 GD)

Another newly promoted side, Burnley are believed to be the next side to go down. Scott Parker worked wonders at Turf Moor in his first campaign, conceding just 16 goals in 46 games and ending on 100 points.

However, potentially losing some of those defensive stars, including goalkeeper James Trafford, could see the Clarets struggle.

18

18th: Wolves

(38 points, -20 GD)

Wolves have been flirting with the bottom three in the 23/24 and 24/25 seasons, and AI thinks 25/26 is the year they are going down.

After losing Matheus Cunha to Man Utd, the Old Gold will need to replace their top scorer and could struggle under Vitor Pereira.

17

17th: Crystal Palace

(40 points, -15 GD)

Just avoiding the drop are the 24/25 FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. AI claims that the fixture congestion from Europe could see them struggle in the Premier League.

Another problem for the Eagles is player sales, with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta all being linked with moves away from Selhurst Park.

16

16th: Leeds United

(42 points, -12 GD)

AI feels that Leeds United, the Championship title winners, could buck the trend and avoid relegation by finishing on 42 points.

If they do, the Whites, who won the second tier title in stoppage time on the final day, will be the first side since the 2022/23 season to get promoted and remain in the Premier League.

15

15th: Brentford

(46 points, -8 GD)

Despite a top 10 finish in 24/25, Brentford are next on the list, with AI believing Bryan Mbeumo’s potential departure could result in a drop-off for Thomas Frank’s side.

Mbeumo scored 20 of the Bees’ 66 goals last season but could be on his way to Man Utd, which may see them slide down the table.

14

14th: Bournemouth

(48 points, -5 GD)

Another side who finished in the top 10 last season, Bournemouth, could also be in line to lose some of their star players.

Already selling Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo are also in demand, with AI feeling that any sales will negatively impact the Cherries.

13

13th: West Ham

(50 points, -2 GD)

One side that AI feels will slightly improve from 24/25 is West Ham, who finished 14th in the previous campaign on 43 points.

Graham Potter is preparing for his first full season in charge at the London Stadium and will be looking to make his mark in the transfer window.

12

12th: Everton

(52 points, 0 GD)

Another team AI think will finish one place higher than 24/25 is Everton. David Moyes came in and steadied the ship for the Toffees and will be leading them at their new stadium in 25/26.

It is added that keeping hold of star defender Jarrad Branthwaite and adding depth to the side is key, though.

11

11th: Manchester United

(54 points, +2 GD)

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Man Utd in 24/25, so AI does have them finishing higher but still in the bottom half with 54 points.

‘Integrating new signings and addressing defensive frailties’ under Ruben Amorim in a 3-4-3 system could still see the Red Devils struggle, ending 12 points and four places better off.

We are only in June, but Chelsea are wasting no time at all when it comes to the transfer window.

For example, even though the likes of Liam Delap, Mamadou Sarr and Dario Essugo are already through the doors at Stamford Bridge, the Conference League Champions are still looking to make more significant additions.

That said, with the Champions League and more expectations in the Premier League to come next season, it’s not hard to understand why the West Londoners want to make sure Enzo Maresca has everything he needs.

One of the names most heavily touted for a move to Chelsea is Jamie Gittens, but interestingly, another international has now been linked with the club, someone who’d arguably be an even better signing.

Chelsea target Premier League star

Since wrapping up their prior transfer dealings, the most significant saga Chelsea have been in has been about Gittens.

Transfer Focus

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

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Interestingly, the club were first linked with him back in October and then again during the winter window, but it would be fair to say that the links have seriously heated up in the last few weeks.

In fact, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed yesterday afternoon that the deal was close to being completed, while stories from late last week claimed that a fee of around £55m would be enough for Borussia Dortmund to sell.

However, while the young Englishman is undoubtedly very talented and will be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad, it now looks like the club are moving after someone from the Premier League who’d be an even better signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which has revealed that Chelsea are very interested in Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

The report goes a step further, revealing that the Blues have already made contact with the Tricky Trees to find out more information about the player.

Unfortunately, one potential sticking point for a deal for the Brazilian is that Forest reportedly value him at more than €80m, which comes out to around £68m.

While that is an enormous amount of money, this might be a deal worth fighting for as Murillo has proven himself in the Premier League and could end up being a better signing than Gittens for Chelsea.

Why Murillo would be a better signing than Gittens for Chelsea

Now, the first thing to say is that both players would be good additions to Chelsea’s squad.

After all, it’s never a bad thing to sign an exciting and dynamic young winger, who’d not only scored at the Bernabeu but also managed to rack up a tally of 17 goal involvements in 49 games for a top European side at just 20 years old.

However, in the context of what the Blues actually need this summer, there are two significant reasons why Murillo would be a better signing than Gittens, the first of which relates to the club’s abundance of wingers in the squad.

As things stand, Maresca will be able to choose from ten players who are capable of playing on the wing next season – not including Mykhaylo Mudryk – so signing the Dortmund star will make it 11, which for any team is unnecessary.

That also leads us to the second reason: due to the number of attacking options at the Bridge, the Forest ace is likely to have a greater impact if he were to join.

After all, only one centre-back made 40 appearances across all competitions this season, Levi Colwill, while Tosin Adarabioyo made 38.

Moreover, when we compare the relevant underlying metrics between the former Fulham ace and the Tricky Trees star, like tackles, block interceptions and more, it becomes obvious that the “monstrous” Brazilian, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor, would be a noticeable upgrade.

Murillo vs Adarabioyo

Statistics per 90

Murillo

Adarabioyo

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.07

0.07

Progressive Passes

3.25

2.68

Progressive Carries

0.62

0.32

Passing Accuracy

78.5%

91.1%

Key Passes

0.37

0.06

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.37

0.06

Shot-Creating Actions

1.24

0.96

Tackles

1.50

1.08

Blocks

1.95

0.57

Interceptions

1.02

0.70

Clearances

7.03

5.10

Ball Recoveries

4.01

2.61

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

Ultimately, Chelsea would be smart to sign both Gittens and Murillo this summer, but when it comes to who will likely have more of an impact next year and, therefore, be the better signing, we’d have to lean heavily towards the latter.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 24, 2025

David Bedingham, Dane Paterson and Dane Piedt are the only players from South Africa’s makeshift squad that toured New Zealand in February to be named for their next red-ball assignment, against West Indies in August. While Bedingham is seen as central to the future of South Africa’s long-format batting, Paterson, 35, has been included to add experience in the absence of Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen, and Piedt, 34, to have a second spinner in addition to Keshav Maharaj.The rest of the players were all part of South Africa’s home series against India earlier this year with the exception of batter Matthew Breetzke, who has earned his first Test call-up. Breetzke is currently playing for Northants and was part of a South African A side that toured Sri Lanka last year. With Dean Elgar’s recent international retirement, he will provide batting back-up to a top five that will likely include Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham.Red-ball coach Shukri Conrad confirmed that Stubbs would take over the No. 3 spot, with de Zorzi moving up into Elgar’s opening slot. “Technically Stubbs is one of the best around,” Conrad said at a press conference. “He’s the type of cricketer that I want at the top of the order. And I think he has got all the makings of a top-class No. 3 batter. He will get a really good run and he is definitely one for the future. Some might say it’s a big call, but I certainly won’t be throwing someone in at the deep end and give him a task that I didn’t think he was capable of handling.”Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton has been recalled after last playing Tests in the home series against West Indies in March 2023 and will compete with incumbent gloveman Kyle Verreynne for a spot at No. 6. The only seam-bowling allrounder in the squad is Wiaan Mulder, who also last played Tests at home against West Indies, after Jansen was rested from the tour.”Given the hectic schedules and not necessarily for South Africa – you take someone like Marco, who would have had two months at an IPL straight to a World Cup, straight into an MLC – the plan was always for different guys to be getting breaks at different times,” Conrad said. “So this is Marco’s time where we felt we can do some really good work with him from a rehab and conditioning point of view, and if there’s some technical work that needs to happen.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jansen will also miss the October Tests in Bangladesh and “be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan”, Conrad said. “And then another quick will have the Bangladesh series off and be ready for Sri Lanka and Pakistan. So it’s conversations that Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and I have been having for the longest time now. We want to make sure that we manage these players properly. They never get time to actually do some work on their bodies and any technical stuff. It’s not a holiday.”The pace attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi with Nortje not considered after he opted out of a central contract this year with the aim of focusing primarily on T20 cricket. Paterson and left-armer Nandre Burger are the other two pace options.South Africa’s first-choice Test players have not been in action since the New Year’s Test, which they lost to India after being to miss the New Zealand series and honour SA20 commitments. South Africa lost that series 2-0 and sit in seventh place on the WTC points table, but have only played four matches. They have eight more Tests scheduled in this cycle – two in the West Indies, two in Bangladesh in October and home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – and have hopes they could put themselves in a position to compete for a spot in the WTC final.”We’ve got eight test matches left in the cycle and whilst one doesn’t want to look too far ahead, in order to give ourselves a good crack at it, we probably need to win at least seven,” Conrad said. “That’s part of the end goal. We know that every Test series is going to be a challenging one. But when we play to our full potential, I think we can obviously get the right results. We’re still very much in the mix.”Those members of the squad who are not involved in the MLC or on the county circuit – Bavuma, Breetzke, de Zorzi, Mulder, Paterson, Stubbs and Verreynne – will take part in a four-day training camp in Durban before departing for the West Indies. The first Test takes place in Trinidad from August 7 and the second in Guyana a week later.

South Africa Test squad

Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to back new manager Thomas Frank in the summer transfer market, as the Lilywhites scour for more new forward options after sealing a £30 million permanent deal for Mathys Tel.

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Tel showcased flashes of his ability during his initial loan, which has now been made permanent for £15 million less than the originally agreed £45 million buy-option with Bayern Munich, and Frank has expressed his serious excitement over this move by chairman Daniel Levy.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

“Very, very excited about Mathys signing with a permanent deal,” said Frank.

“I think he’s a very talented player that can play across the front four positions. He’s a goalscorer that we can develop even further to be more consistent in his all-round game but also to more consistently land in the right positions in the box. So I’m looking forward to it.”

The Frenchman will help to replace Timo Werner, who’s returned to parent club RB Leipzig after a lacklustre one-and-a-half-year temporary stint in N17, but Spurs may soon find themselves needing another wide player.

Son Heung-min’s exit from Tottenham is seen as a real possibility this summer, with the 32-year-old about to enter the final 12 months of his contract. Levy just has this window to make any significant cash back off his sale, and he’s apparently placed a £50 million price tag on his head, according to reports in Asia.

Frank’s need for a potential Son replacement has prompted links to a few intriguing targets this week, including Man City’s Jack Grealish, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo.

The latter bagged 20 goals in all competitions under Frank last season, and Tottenham are believed to have held initial talks over signing Mbeumo, even if Man United have been tipped as his preferred destination (Sky Sports).

Fabrizio Romano also claims that Tottenham began internal conversations over a move for the Cameroonian as soon as Frank signed his Spurs contract, so he appears to be a serious option if United cannot meet Brentford’s valuation.

Good chance that Bryan Mbeumo chooses to join Tottenham

According to journalist Duncan Castles on The Transfers Podcast this week, there is a “good chance” that Mbeumo chooses to join Tottenham, contrary to reports of his United preference, but Levy needs to meet his £70 million asking price.

“The indication from Manchester United was Mbeumo had chosen to move there and verbally told them that his preference was to move there,” Castles said.

“But I’m not hearing exactly the same on that. I think there is a good chance that Mbeumo, should Tottenham get to the price that Brentford are asking, that he might choose Spurs ahead of Manchester United.

“There are a couple of obvious reasons for that. One is that it allows him to stay in London, and secondly, it allows him to carry on playing for Thomas Frank, who has joined Tottenham as the replacement for Ange Postecoglou.”

The versatile African would be a quality heir to Son on the right-hand side, and he’s adept at playing as a centre-forward too, meaning both Mbeumo and new signing Tel could help to ease the goalscoring burden on club-record signing Dominic Solanke.

Dravid sent a touching message to his successor wishing him luck which featured advice and some humour

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2024

Gautam Gambhir on taking over from Rahul Dravid: “It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill”•AFP/Getty Images

“Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people.”Outgoing India head coach Rahul Dravid did what many consider the unthinkable – he made Gautam Gambhir smile with the above message. Dravid sent out a touching message to the new head coach, who takes over with the T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday. In a video posted by the BCCI on social media, Gambhir was made to sit in front of a laptop to play the message which he didn’t know came from Dravid.”As your team-mate, I saw you giving it your all on the field,” Dravid said to Gambhir. “As your batting partner and fellow fielder, I saw your resilience and refusal to surrender. Across many IPL seasons, I noted your desire to win, your assistance to younger players and your drive to extract the best out of your team on the field.”I know how dedicated and passionate you are about Indian cricket and I am sure you will bring all these qualities into the new job.Related

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“As you know, the expectations will be high and the scrutiny will be intense. But even in the worst of times you will never be alone. You will have the support of the players, your support staff, the leaders of the past, the management and never forget for whom you play – for fans who are very demanding but will always be behind the team.”Soon after winning the T20 World Cup final last month in Barbados, Dravid had mentioned the role of “luck” that had helped his team lift the trophy and he hoped the same would help Gambhir too.”I also wish you a little bit of luck, as you know that all of us coaches need to make us look that little bit wiser and smarter than we actually are,” he said.Dravid’s dry humour also gave an appearance to elicit a smile from Gambhir. “Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people,” he said.”From one Indian cricket coach to another, one last thing. In the most heated of times, exhale, take a step back. I wish you the very best, Gautam. I am sure you will take the Indian team to even greater heights.”Reacting to Dravid’s message which made him “emotional,” Gambhir said there was a lot to learn from his predecessor not just for him but for the entire generation.”I don’t know how to react because this message means so much to me,” Gambhir said. “The reason is not because it comes from the person who I have succeeded but from a person who I have always looked up to when I was playing.”I have always felt that and I said it in a lot of my interviews – I think the most selfless cricketer I have actually ever played with. Rahul has done anything and everything Indian cricket needed.”I think there is so much to learn from, not only for me but for the next generation and the current generation as well. That’s how important Indian cricket is, not me, not individuals.”I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.”It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill. Hopefully, I can do that with absolute honesty, transparency and hopefully, I can make the entire nation and more importantly, the person I have always looked up to – Rahul – proud,” he said.

كشف ياسين الطاهري وكيل المهاجم الفلسطيني أسد الحملاوي لاعب فريق كاريوفا الروماني، حقيقة اهتمام الأهلي بضم اللاعب، خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية القادمة، كما أوضح حقيقة وجود عرض من الزمالك.

وقال ياسين الطاهري في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “كما نعرف جميعاً أسد التحق باللعب في ناد روماني، وكان اللاعب الأول، وبالتالي نحن نركز في أن يقدم أفضل ما لديه بصرف النظر عن اهتمام أي ناد آخر، أنا لا أرى أي ضغوط في هذا التوقيت، هناك اهتمام بتركيز اللاعب مع فريقه”.

وتابع: “فيما يخص الأهلي أو الزمالك، لم يكن هناك أي تواصل رسمي على مستوى الناديين، الأمر لا يتعلق بالأهلي أو فريق بعينه، لكن في الوقت الحالي ليس هذا الوقت المناسب لنتفاوض”.

وأردف: “نحن نلعب كرة القدم طوال الوقت ونشارك في البطولة برومانيا ونركز على حصد البطولات وتسجيل الأهداف، وهذا ليس توقيت الحديث عن أي أمور أخرى”.

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وبسؤاله هل كان هناك اهتمام سابق من الزمالك والأهلي؟ أجاب: “نعم كان هناك اهتمام بالتعاقد مع أسد الحملاوي، وتمت بعض المفاوضات بشكل مباشر وغير مباشر”.

واختتم: “لكن في الوقت الحالي لدينا الكثير من الأسباب تجعلنا نتجنب الحديث عن أي أمور أخرى، هناك الكثير من الأندية الكبرى مهتمة بالتعاقد مع اللاعب، لكن نحن اخترنا التركيز على المشروع الحالي للاعب وهذا كان خيارنا”.

Parade delayed by two hours after team arrived late from Delhi and rain came down in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-20242:11

Scenes from India’s victorious homecoming

Thousands thronged Mumbai’s Marine Drive, and the Wankhede Stadium was at full capacity on Thursday evening, in anticipation of the Indian team’s open-top bus parade and felicitation for winning the T20 World Cup. The team’s arrival in Mumbai from Delhi was delayed, though, and their bus parade in South Mumbai was further delayed by the massive crowds, which caused logistical challenges. Eventually the parade got underway two hours behind schedule, but neither the chaos of the jam-packed roads nor the rain proved to be deterrents to the fans.”The open-bus parade, which was delayed by two hours, started from the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Nariman Point at 7.30pm and went till the Wankhede Stadium,” PTI reported. “The distance is covered usually in five minutes but it took more than an hour as the players savoured the evening.Indian fans congregated at Marine Drive hours ahead of the team’s open-top bus parade•AFP/Getty Images”The squad landed in the city a little after 5pm local time. As per the itinerary shared by officials, a two-hour open-bus parade [was scheduled] from 5pm to 7pm. However, it was learnt that the team could only leave New Delhi by 3.42pm.” Delhi to Mumbai is usually a 2-hour, 10-minute flight.The team had arrived in Delhi from Bridgetown, Barbados, at 6am, having flown in on a charter flight. They had had to stay put in the West Indies for longer than expected because of Hurricane Beryl, which had forced airports closed. After arriving in Delhi, the team was transferred to a hotel and later in the morning met India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast.

An excellent meeting with our Champions!

Hosted the World Cup winning team at 7, LKM and had a memorable conversation on their experiences through the tournament. pic.twitter.com/roqhyQRTnn

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 4, 2024

The evening was reserved to meet and celebrate with fans, but with the thousands packing the route to the stadium, and evening showers in Mumbai adding to the logistical complications, there was a long delay before any celebrations could kick off. Eventually, the gates were closed at the Wankhede, with the stadium at capacity, and intermittent but heavy showers followed.PTI reported: “As the gates closed amid intermittent rain, extreme humidity and chaos of several thousand people arriving in the vicinity, those [who found] places inside Wankhede remained fixed to their seats even if there was scarcity of food and water.”As the fans ran in all directions … in the stands amid a heavy burst of rain, several pairs of footwear got left behind in the rush.”While the wait [went on], rain kept pelting down with breaks but it could not force the fans off their seats in the stadium.”The rain comes down on fans waiting to felicitate the Indian team at the Wankhede•AFP/Getty ImagesEventually the team arrived at the stadium around 9pm, and speeches from captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and coach Rahul Dravid followed. There was also a lap of honour.India had won their first World Cup – ODI or T20 – in 13 years when they snatched a thriller against South Africa by seven runs in Bridgetown on Saturday. Since then, Rohit, Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have announced they will not play another T20I, while this World Cup was also Dravid’s last assignment with the team.

The Premier League fixtures for the new season were released on Wednesday and, fair to say, they were not kind to Arsenal.

The Gunners will commence their campaign at Old Trafford on 17 August, before also facing Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle all in their first six matches; brutal!

So, ahead of their first scheduled pre-season game against AC Milan in Singapore on 23 July, Gooners worldwide are itching to see their team make some signings, so could their cravings be quelled by the arrival of an “insane” young talent?

Arsenal targeting defensive reinforcements

According to reports in France, Arsenal have “submitted” a contract offer to Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, adding that “talks are progressing well” for the “versatile left-footed centre-back”, who is valued at around £43m.

Hato, who is just 19 years old, made his senior debut for Ajax in the KNVB Beker against Den Bosch in January 2023, accumulating 111 appearances subsequently, starting 48 of the Dutch giants’ 54 matches across all competitions this season, predominantly deployed at left-back by Francesco Farioli, but also utilised at centre-back semi-regularly too.

His Eredivisie form has earned international recognition, earning six senior caps for the Netherlands, currently at the Under-21 European Championships in Slovakia, starting all three of Jong Oranje’s group stage fixtures as a central defender.

So now, could the teenager be on his way to North London?

How Jorrel Hato could replicate Jurriën Timber's success at Arsenal

Just under two years ago now, Jurriën Timber, heartbreakingly, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during his Premier League debut against Nottingham Forest, thereby making just one more appearance that entire season, this coming on the final day.

Nevertheless, this time round, Timber established himself as an absolute stalwart in the Arsenal back-line, making 48 appearances across all competitions, very much the undisputed first-choice right-back, while also doing a commendable job on the left side or in the middle when called upon.

Ben McAleer of the Guardian described his performances as ‘commanding’, while Adam Keys asserted that the Dutchman is the “best 1vs1 defender” on the planet right now, following his exceptional performances against Vinícius Júnior and others.

So, while Timber is likely to begin next season as first-choice, above Benjamin White, who suffered his own long-term injury in November, he also offers Mikel Arteta invaluable versatility, affording Gabriel and William Saliba a breather when necessary.

So, could Hato do the same?

Well, let’s assess how the duo compare with each other.

Jorrel Hato 2024/25 vs Jurriën Timber 2022/23
Statistics	Hato	Timber
Appearances	50	47
Minutes	4,185	4,207
Pass completion %	88.8%	91.9%
% of dribblers tackled	81%	73.3%
Interceptions	38	59
Clearances	88	86
Ball recoveries	179	235
Touches per 90	63	83
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

As the table outlines, when comparing Hato’s statistics from this season to those of Timber from his final campaign at Ajax, they are largely remarkably similar, with the teenager coming out on top when it comes to tackles and clearances.

Adam Keys describes Hato as incredibly talented, noting that he would offer Arteta “insane” depth across the entire back line.

Meantime, Domagoj Kostanjšak of Total Football Analysis documents how Hato boasts an ‘excellent duelling frame’, adding that he is ‘very comfortable on the ball’, which allows him to be ‘adventurous and brave’ in possession, while also a more than capable defender, given that he ‘reads the game well’.

On top of this, Ben Mattinson of Breaking the Lines outlines how the Dutchman is extremely ‘technically gifted’ and destined for greatness.

Thus, it is clear that Hato would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s squad, so Arsenal should act fast, before someone else comes in for this ultra-talented youngster.

Fabrizio Romano: £56m star "in London" with new Arsenal signing "completed"

Mikel Arteta has been gifted a major boost.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 21, 2025