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Part and parcel of promotion to the Premier League is the reality that some players are not going to be a part of Leeds United’s future beyond this summer.

Players who did not play regularly in the Championship may not be suited to playing in the top-flight, given that they were not deemed good enough at a lower level, and that is why Patrick Bamford could be in trouble.

The English forward only played 17 times in the league in the 2024/25 season, coming off the bench in all of those outings, and failed to provide a single goal or assist to the team.

No final decision on his future has been communicated by the club or player, but his lack of minutes last season does not suggest that he is likely to be a key player in the top-flight next term.

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

Meanwhile, another member of Daniel Farke’s first-team squad has already revealed that the club have made a decision on his future at Elland Road.

Max Wober's statement on his Leeds future

Whilst on international duty with Austria, central defender Max Wober has confirmed that the Premier League side have told him to leave during the summer transfer window, as they want to cash in on him.

He told Krone: “Leeds have already told me clearly that they want to sell me.”

Wober’s contract at Elland Road does not expire until the summer of 2027, though, so a team will have to come in with an offer to sign him if they want to move on from the Austrian flop on a permanent basis.

Leeds paid a reported fee of £11m to sign the left-footed dud from RB Salzburg in January 2023, under Jesse Marsch, but it remains to be seen how much of that fee the club would want back for him.

Why Wober must go before Bamford

The West Yorkshire outfit must push the Austria international out of the door at Elland Road this summer before Bamford because he does not, on paper, look to be a player who will provide much value to the squad.

Wober, who was described as “half-hearted” and “slow” against Hull by pundit Tony Dorigo, only played eight times in the Championship this season, playing half as many matches as the striker, and endured a rough time in the Premier League last time out.

22/23 Premier League	Max Wober
Appearances	16
Starts	14
Clean sheets	2
Dribbled past	8x
Duel success rate	53%
Penalties committed	1
Error led to shot	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Austrian flop played for Leeds in the second half of their relegation season and failed to step up, with two clean sheets in 16 games.

These statistics, coupled with his lack of minutes this term, suggest that he is unlikely to make the step up to the Premier League, which is why it is a good decision by the club to tell him to move on.

Bamford, meanwhile, may not be a frontline option for Leeds, given his struggles this season, but he is an experienced player who could provide value off the bench and around the squad.

The 31-year-old striker has scored 24 goals and provided 14 assists in 104 Premier League games in his career, including 17 goals in the 2020/21 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bamford has been there and done it in the top-flight in the past and could impart his experience and wisdom to the younger and less experienced members of the squad as a back-up option next season.

That is not to say that Leeds must keep the striker at Elland Road, as a move for him to go and play regular football could still suit all parties, but he has more to offer the team than Wober, who does not have any past success in the Premier League.

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Therefore, Leeds should make selling Wober a big priority this summer, whilst they can afford to be relaxed about Bamford and his situation.

Wrexham fans must have become used to their side languishing in the National League and being known as sleeping giants, with the Red Dragons stuck inside non-league’s top division for a mammoth 15 seasons, before a dramatic turnaround in fortunes came about during the 2022/23 campaign.

Now, Phil Parkinson’s team will be embarking on an unbelievable Championship adventure this coming season, with Wrexham just fresh off the wild feat of three promotions in a row to demand a seat at the esteemed second-tier table.

The ultra ambitious Welsh outfit will head into the Championship full of confidence, and rightly so, with this sky-high optimism only raised more by the potential arrival of a new striker who could go down as Wrexham’s next Paul Mullin.

Mullin has been there from the very start of the crazy journey up the leagues, with his growing collection of goals making him a firm fan favourite at the Racehorse Ground.

Mullin's remarkable journey at Wrexham

The 30-year-old joined the Wrexham ranks right as the club was about to be catapulted into stardom, with every season – bar his debut campaign – ending in the sweet glory of promotion.

Along the way, the prolific striker has bagged a jaw-dropping 105 strikes from 165 overall clashes, with the Liverpool-born centre-forward a definite member of the Red Dragons’ hall of fame.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an inevitable end, with Mullin’s waning output of just three league strikes last season meaning he could be moved on very shortly.

Wigan Athletic are allegedly interested in his services, but this potential dent to Wrexham’s squad would be immediately fixed by a brand-new goalscoring menace joining the club, someone who has displayed a similar deadliness in front of goal to Mullin during the high points of his up-and-down career.

Wrexham's "clinical" new Mullin

The much-loved 30-year-old might well be a potent hero in the lower reaches of the EFL, but it would be a tall order to expect him to light up the Championship, considering he has never plied his trade here across his extensive playing days.

On the contrary, Danny Ings has shone at the difficult level in the past, with Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph now boldly revealing that the newly promoted side are in talks with the 32-year-old over a statement deal taking place.

Before going on to be known as a Premier League-calibre striker for the likes of Southampton and West Ham United, Ings would get his first big break in the Championship with Burnley by scoring 27 of his 43 Clarets goals in the unpredictable division.

The well-travelled veteran would surely welcome a return to the level, therefore, to recapture his groove in front of goal, with the hope that he can go on to be as deadly as Mullin in his fresh location, even so deep into his career.

Burnley

130

43

14

Southampton

100

46

10

West Ham

69

5

5

Aston Villa

52

14

8

AFC Bournemouth

30

8

3

Liverpool

25

4

1

Overall number

406

120

41

After all, the table above shows off Ings’ “clinical” nature – as he was once labelled glowingly by Liverpool writer Leanne Prescott – across the myriad of clubs he has lined up for, with his weaker return of five strikes for West Ham mainly impacted by his recurring injury issues when on the books of Graham Potter’s men.

Ings going down as a success in Wales will all depend on whether the injury-prone forward can shake free of these constant trips to the treatment room.

If he can, he could become that same talismanic figure for Parkinson’s men that Mullin once was, with Wrexham already daring to dream about a Premier League stay one day.

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Already focused on the summer transfer window, Aston Villa sporting director Monchi is now reportedly leading their charge to sign a Serie A midfielder in the coming months.

Emery focused on Tottenham game

Whilst the Villans continue to build their summer plan around the action on the pitch, Unai Emery’s focus has not changed. Champions League qualification is still a possibility for his side, who have Europa League finalists Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to play as they wait for a potential slip up from those above them in the Premier League.

Emery will be well aware of just what’s at stake in the next couple weeks and reiterated the need for focus ahead of this weekend’s Tottenham game, telling reporters: “I am wishing to play. I don’t want holidays because we’re in a very good moment after a long season, but now we’re very, very motivated.

“Very excited to play at Villa Park tomorrow, for our objectives we have in front of us to play again in Europe. It’s not in our hands but we can have some options to play Champions League again. And focusing on Tottenham because I know the most difficult way we can have is our own way, playing against Tottenham tomorrow and how we can beat them.”

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Monchi and Aston Villa could make their move…

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Aston Villa won’t need reminding what Champions League football can offer, either. They experienced moments that those at Villa Park will forever savour this season, with victory over Bayern Munich a particular standout. Now, however, they’ll be desperate to ensure that their place among Europe’s elite is not just a one off blip and, instead, a consistent feature of the competition.

Meanwhile, away from the action, Monchi is already thinking about the targets that could arrive with or without Champions League qualification.

Monchi leading Payero charge

According to reports in Italy, as relayed by Sport Witness, Monchi is now leading Aston Villa’s charge to sign Martin Payero from Udinese this summer. The sporting director is reportedly a huge admirer of the midfielder, which could yet see the Villans push on and secure his signature in the coming months. In terms of depth, there’s no doubt that the Argentine has plenty to offer.

Minutes

1,381

2,997

Progressive Passes

3.33

7.03

Progressive Carries

2.16

1.17

Ball Recoveries

4.90

4.35

When assessing the numbers, it’s clear that Payero wouldn’t be able to offer the same quality in possession as Tielemans, but he would be able to complete the legwork that the Belgian arguably struggles with. And that could create quite the midfield combination for Emery.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the midfielder enjoys a foray into English football, either, having previously been at Middlesbrough. It was there that he earned the praise of former manager Neil Warnock.

The former manager told reporters when he unveiled the midfielder in 2021: “Martin will be a great addition to the squad. I think he will be an exciting signing, we’re delighted to get everything done, and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

Celtic find themselves on the cusp of another Scottish Premiership crown and could now be set to test the water for a talented winger who their manager is a huge fan of, per reports.

Celtic look to make summer mark with domestic clean sweep on the table

With Rangers lingering in the distance, Celtic are on course for a domestic treble and need a maximum of nine points to claim a fourth Scottish Premiership title in quick succession under Brendan Rodgers.

The Bhoys face St Johnstone this weekend before taking on Kilmarnock in their last pre-split fixture. They also have a chance to progress to the Scottish Cup final against the former as their dreams of a clean sweep remain in motion.

Looking ahead to the summer, Rodgers has hinted that Daizen Maeda’s Celtic progress could soften his hunt for a new striker, claiming the Japan international could be his number-one choice moving forward.

He stated: “I think he can be (the number-one striker). I think it’s one where to replace, to move him onto the side and take him out of the middle, with all due respect, it’s probably easier for us to get a top winger than it is a top striker.”

Daizen Maeda’s prolific campaign for Celtic – all competitions

Appearances

43

Goals

30

Assists

9

Backed up by the recent rumour mill, Celtic appear to be focusing on movement elsewhere and have identified Augsburg’s Elvis Rexhbecaj as a target to compete with Callum McGregor in the engine room.

On the same token, Liverpool’s Wataru Endo has been mentioned in dispatches at Parkhead. Now, true to his word, Rodgers is ready to revisit a move for a winger who he has had his eye on for a while to help strengthen the Hoops’ forward line.

Celtic ready to pounce for Royal Antwerp's Michel-Ange Balikwisha

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are ready to relaunch their interest in Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha after sending scouts to the Belgian side’s recent 5-1 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, where the DR Congo international registered an assist.

Valued at £5 million, Rodgers has had the 23-year-old on his radar for quite some time, even if fitness problems scuppered the potential of a January move to secure his signature.

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Frustratingly, injury problems have limited Balikwisha to eight appearances this campaign, though he has created five chances and won 11 duels on Jupiler Pro League duty.

Labelled “amazing” by analyst/writer Ben Mattinson, Rodgers has previously taken a personal interest in pushing a deal over the line for Balikwisha, so it won’t come as a major surprise to hear that he is back on Celtic’s recruitment department’s agenda.

Champions League qualifiers are likely to provoke a swift turnaround in Glasgow, and there is every chance the Congolese star could be one of several arrivals ahead of 2025/26.

Bangladesh conceded 297 as a horror series drew to an end, leaving them with plenty to ponder

Mohammad Isam13-Oct-20240:56

Seven records India smashed against Bangladesh

Mahmudullah took one final crack towards long-on, only for Riyan Parag to intercept the shot a few yards inside the rope. His long-time team-mate Tamim Iqbal was on air to pay him a tribute as he walked back to the Hyderabad dressing room. Earlier in the day, the Bangladesh players had presented Mahmudullah with a crest to mark his T20I retirement. By the time he got out, the visitors required 168 runs at 31.11 per over. India’s 297 for 6 is the second-highest men’s T20 total of all time. Not everyone from the shell-shocked Bangladesh dugout stood up to applaud him as he crossed the rope.Mahmudullah departs the Bangladesh T20I team at a troubled time. India have dismantled them in their first bilateral series in the format since their underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign earlier in the year. The difference between the two sides was not just that of the world champions and another team. It was worse. India played the high-risk, high-reward game, a version of T20 batting that gets refined almost every month. Bangladesh are lagging behind, playing an archaic form of T20 cricket.India’s margins of victory in the three matches are evidence enough of this gulf. They won with 49 balls remaining in Gwalior, and then by 86 runs in Delhi and finally 133 runs in Hyderabad. The last game on Saturday was a fiasco for Bangladesh. Sanju Samson struck a 40-ball century, sharing a 173-run second wicket stand with captain Suryakumar Yadav. The innings included 25 fours and 22 sixes, adding up to 232 runs, setting a new world record for most runs from boundaries in a T20I innings.Tanzim Hasan Sakib got an early wicket but went for plenty of runs•BCCIThe fast bowlers couldn’t repeat their Delhi performance, conceding 169 runs in 12 overs. Taskin Ahmed could only smile as he was carted around. Tanzim Hasan removed Abhishek Sharma in his first over, but then got hit for half a dozen sixes. Mustafizur Rahman couldn’t stem the flow of runs despite having the most experience at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, among the Bangladesh bowlers, having played nine IPL games there.Related

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Legspinner Rishad Hossain was hammered for 30 runs in his second over, while Mahedi Hasan’s darts made him the most economical bowler on the night for them, still going at 11.25.Bangladesh also messed up a few chances, chiefly the run-out opportunity in the 18th over. Parag and Hardik Pandya were both at the striker’s end. Wicketkeeper Litton Das had plenty of time to effect the dismissal but his throw at the non-strikers’ end was poor. It went right over the bowler, Mustafizur’s head, and led to a misfield from the Najmul Hossain Shanto backing up from mid-off. India ended up getting the single. Shanto slammed the ball in disgust.For all that though, it is really Bangladesh’s batting that has led them down into the doldrums. The 164 for 7 they made on Saturday was their best day of the series and yet they were 133 runs short of India’s total. The top order couldn’t put together one decent partnership. Litton Das and Shanto batted poorly, throwing away their wickets after initial bursts of boundaries. Newcomer Parvez Hossain Emon has a lot to work on. Bangladesh have nothing in the way of a viable opening partnership. And without that foundation the rest of their line-up is shapeless.Litton Das made 42 in 25 before being dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi•BCCI”A big score becomes easier to get with runs from the top order, at least till No. 4,” Hridoy, who made 63 off 42 balls, said in Hyderabad. “I think we have to improve as a batting group. It has been happening for a long time now. We are hopeful that we can take lessons from this series. We have lacked in every department. We didn’t bowl well or bat well in every game. We have a lot to improve. We don’t play in these [batting-friendly] wickets. You have seen that too. This is not an excuse, but the more we play on these wickets, we will get more used to [them].”Shanto and Taskin have raised similar concerns but Hridoy went further. “Most of our players can’t read wickets,” he said. “We play most of our matches in Mirpur [where spin plays a dominant role] and sometimes in Chittagong. If we keep playing on good wickets, we won’t change overnight, but we will slowly improve.”I wouldn’t say that our standard is too low. We were competing against a very strong side. They are T20 world champions. They are ahead of us in terms of skills, and they know their home conditions. I think we are a good side but we need to know how to play better on flat wickets.”The 3-0 loss against India was Bangladesh’s third bilateral series defeat this year. They have also lost to Sri Lanka at home and USA in Texas. They did poorly in the T20 World Cup. The big question now is whether Bangladesh will continue to play T20s in this manner or are they looking for a longer discussion about playing the game differently?

They are far from perfect, but have put together a solid body of work over the past few seasons

Himanshu Agrawal15-Feb-2023Bengal have a shot at Ranji Trophy glory nearly 34 years after they last won it, and have in their ranks two players – Manoj Tiwary and Anustup Majumdar – who might be getting a shot at the biggest prize in Indian domestic cricket for the last time.For a while now, the two have been the team’s go-to men, not just as senior players but also as friends and mentors to the younger players trying to make a name for themselves. Among them, Abhimanyu Easwaran is a star in the line-up, and is even at the doorstep of the national team. There is a core of regular first-XI players. While others, like Sudip Kumar Gharami, Karan Lal, Abishek Porel, Kazi Saifi and Koushik Ghosh are working their way up. All playing their part in a period of transition for the team.”I just want someone to grab that [second] opening slot and support Abhimanyu,” Tiwary, the Bengal captain, told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the final against Saurashtra starting Thursday. “But, despite that, I believe that the reserve players in Bengal are good enough to be a part of the XI.”

Anustup Majumdar is ‘the backbone of the side’

Bengal have tried as many as six opening pairs this season with Abhimanyu, after returning from India A duty, the only constant. Majumdar, as he did during their inspired run to the final in 2019-20, has been the glue that has held the batting together. He’s the team’s crisis man who has made “tough runs” time and again, like he did in the semi-final last week, in making 120 and 80 to oust defending champions Madhya Pradesh.”People don’t talk about Anustup, what a hero he is,” Arun Lal, former coach and member of the last Ranji-winning side, said. “He is the backbone of the side. I get worried when he gets out.”Arun Lal on Anustup Majumdar: “I get worried when he gets out”•Cricket Association of BengalArun’s worries stem from the fact that the younger batters have often failed to make the most of their opportunities. But there’s hope. Gharami, who debuted during the 2019-20 final, averages nearly 43 in first-class cricket across 28 innings with four hundreds. Three of those have come this season, including one in the semi-final.”Sudip will be a sensation,” Arun said. “He is young and hungry, and will be a big name in the next ten years.”Tiwary as also optimistic about Abishek Porel, the wicketkeeper, who has become a regular member of the side following the departure of Wriddhiman Saha and Shreevats Goswami to Tripura and Mizoram respectively. Last year, Abishek was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning squad. While the transition to first-class cricket hasn’t been the smoothest for him, there has been plenty of promise with both bat and gloves.”Abishek is a very aggressive player,” Tiwary said. “And look at some of his catches this season; they show the hard work he has put in.”

Fast bowlers are making the difference for Bengal

Since Ashok Dinda’s departure following a tiff with the coaching staff in 2019-20, Bengal have relied on a youngish pace attack to carry them forward. And each of them, Mukesh Kumar, Ishan Porel and Akash Deep, have delivered stunning returns, with plenty of support from spin-bowling allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed.Related

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Across the last three Ranji seasons, the 258 wickets the Bengal quicks have picked up is the best for any team. This Ranji season, the 348 for 4 Himachal Pradesh scored against them in a drawn game is the most they have conceded in an innings. Uttarakhand’s 272, in another draw, is the second highest.These performances have resulted in a national call-up for Mukesh, while Akash Deep and Ishan Porel have been knocking on the doors of India A. Shahbaz, meanwhile, made his India debut in the shorter formats late last year.”Currently they are the best bowling side in the country by far,” Arun Lal said. “There’s no respite [against them]. Akash has been a revelation: he won’t bowl every ball at 140kph, but his line and length stands out.”This season, Akash Deep has picked up 37 wickets at 20, including three five-wicket innings hauls and a ten-wicket match haul. That consists of a 4 for 62 in the quarter-final, and 5 for 42 in the semi-final. Mukesh has pocketed 18 wickets in only four games, while Ishan Porel, too, has had his moments, beginning with a five-for against Uttar Pradesh.Akash Deep has picked up 37 wickets this season, including three five-wicket innings hauls and a ten-wicket match haul•Cricket Association of BengalShahbaz’s contribution hasn’t been limited to just the ball. While his 20 wickets have cost only 27.80 apiece, he has scored 339 runs at 48, including 81 in the quarter-final. Since the 2019-20 season, Shahbaz is one of only two players to have scored at least 1000 runs and taken 50 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.”We’ve got a champion in Shahbaz,” Arun Lal said. “He provides solid depth from No. 6 or 7. The era has changed. Now you need an allrounder to get you a hundred. That is where the difference really arrives.”In a further positive for Bengal, the oldest of the quartet of bowlers are Mukesh and Shahbaz, both 29. Safe to say then that Bengal’s bowling is in great hands at least in the medium term.

‘Everybody will have to chase Bengal cricket’

Two months back, Tiwary had hinted that this season could be his last. With Abhimanyu away on national duty, he accepted captaincy again and has nurtured a young group of players, placing a lot of emphasis on team spirit and camaraderie, which hasn’t been Bengal’s strongest suit in the past. Having spent considerable time with them in a high-performance environment, Tiwary liked what he’s seen and was optimistic of the future.”The youngsters have established themselves,” he said. “The pace bowlers have been so good that with all due respect to Dinda, I haven’t really missed him as captain. Obviously Wriddhi was experienced and consistent, but Abishek has shown promise Today’s youngsters represent India A quite often, and also get to play in the IPL. hat has helped them develop outstanding work ethic. Those things give you dividends.”Come Thursday, all of them will take the field with one common dream: to recreate there magic of 1989-90. Even if that doesn’t happen, Arun Lal suggested that it was only a matter of time. “In the next five years, this mature group of younger players will help Bengal win the Ranji at least twice,” he predicted. “Everybody will have to chase Bengal cricket.”

Stats highlights from the first day of the Test between India and England in Chennai

ESPNcricinfo stats team05-Feb-20217 Centuries for Joe Root in the last 15 innings when he has scored a fifty. Excluding the one against West Indies at Old Trafford in 2018, when he remained unbeaten on 68, his conversion rate to hundreds is 50%. Out of the 54 times he had made a fifty before that, Root had hit 13 centuries, a conversion rate of 25% (excluding two unbeaten fifties). Among batsmen who have hit at least 10 fifty-plus scores since September 2018, no batsman has had a better conversion rate than Root. Kane Williamson (six hundreds out of 12) and Henry Nicholls (five hundreds out of 10) are the other batsmen to convert 50% their fifties to centuries in that period.7 Successive Tests in India in which Root has got at least one fifty-plus score. Javed Miandad is the only batsman who had a better run (8). Alvin Kallicharan and VVS Laxman are the other batsmen with seven fifties in seven Tests in India.ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 Batsmen including Root who have hit a century in three consecutive Test matches in Asia. Hashim Amla was the last batsman to do so; he had scores of 253* in the Nagpur Test in 2010, then 114 and 123* in Kolkata in the next Test, and 80 and 118* against Pakistan in Dubai in the first Test of his next tour to Asia. Ken Barrington is the only other England batsman among the eight.9 Batsmen who have hit a century in their 100th Test. Root is the third England batsman to do so after Colin Cowdrey and Alec Stewart. Ricky Ponting is the only one to hit two hundreds in his 100th Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2012 The last time a visiting team in India put on a 200-run partnership. Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott had added 208 runs for the fourth wicket in the third innings of the Nagpur Test. The last 200-plus stand in the first innings of a Test in India by an away team was in 2010, when Amla and Alviro Petersen added 209 runs for the third wicket in Kolkata. Dom Sibley and Root recorded only the 14th instance of a visiting team putting on a 200-run partnership in the first innings of a Test in India.17 Tests played by Jasprit Bumrah before his first one at home. Excluding Pakistan players who debuted in the mid-2000s and had to play their ‘home’ Tests at neutral venues in the UAE, this is the longest any player has gone before playing his first Test at home. West Indies’ Daren Ganga also played 17 Test matches before playing his first home Test match.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3.87 The combined economy rate of Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar – India’s fourth and fifth bowling options – in this innings so far. Between them the two bowlers bowled 32 overs and conceded 20 out of the 30 boundaries hit in the day. The other bowlers – Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and R Ashwin – returned a combined economy rate of 2.34 from 57.3 overs.

Manchester City have now reportedly opened talks to sign a teenage gem ahead of both Chelsea and Arsenal in 2026.

Man City obsessed with signing Yan Diomande

It’s all slowly coming together for Pep Guardiola and Man City again, with just two points separating themselves and Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The Citizens sent an impressive statement in midweek, almost a warning shot to Arsenal, when they came from behind to defeat Spanish giants Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. It was a professional, clinical victory and the type that Pep Guardiola’s side will be hoping to carry over against Crystal Palace this weekend.

That said, Guardiola – ever the perfectionist – will be well aware that Man City still have new levels to reach in this new chapter of his iconic tenure and that could see the Citizens turn towards the transfer window.

According to recent reports, Man City have become obsessed with signing Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig in a move that would complete a deadly front three alongside Erling Haaland and Jeremie Doku.

That spot is arguably the one that is most up for grabs, with Savinho struggling to find last season’s form and Rayan Cherki’s game out of possession yet to reach the levels needed to play every week under Guardiola.

Diomande has enjoyed an excellent breakout campaign in Germany, but he’s not the only young player on Man City’s radar. Those at the Etihad are also reportedly targeting a move to sign 17-year-old talent Oskar Pietuszewski.

Man City open talks to sign Pietuszewski

As reported by TeamTalk, Man City have now opened talks to sign Pietuszewski and are leading the race to sign the Polish teenager ahead of both Arsenal and Chelsea.

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At just 17 years old, the Jagiellonia winger will reportedly cost interested parties as much as €15 million (£13m) if they decide to make their move in 2026. With scouts from Barcelona, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and others all keeping tabs on Pietuszewski, it’s easy to see why his price tag has been set at such a rate.

After becoming a record-breaker for Poland’s U21 side, scout Jacek Kulig dubbed Pietuszewski a “truly special talent” in impressive praise for the teenager.

The winger has the world at his feet and could yet join up with one of the greatest managers to ever grace the game in Guardiola to take his potential to a whole new level in the process.

"Top-level" £35m maestro with shades of Yaya now a priority Man City target

One Rangers player who Danny Rohl does not rate could be on his way out of Ibrox amid interest from the Championship, according to recent reports.

Rohl praises "fantastic" Rangers reaction

After back-to-back draw against Falkirk and Dundee United, Rangers couldn’t afford to drop points again in the Scottish Premiership. They’ve been much improved since Rohl’s arrival, but another day without victory would have sparked all too familiar concerns around Glasgow.

The German and his Rangers team bounced back from those draws in style against Kilmarnock, however. With a brace from Bojan Miovski to accompany Mikey Moore’s effort, the Gers sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Rohl shared his delight at full-time, but also urged Rangers to “develop” their “game management” – telling reporters: “From the first minute tonight, I knew the fans were behind the team. We have to do this together.

“I think looking back through the whole week, It was a good performance on Wednesday from Bojan Miovski. I’m glad Mikey [Moore] is back but in general, it was a whole team performance.

“We have to develop our game management, but tonight it was a fantastic reaction and now we have five wins in seven so this is a good step forward. We have to continue, everyone wants to win against us or take something from us. This is a tough league so we have to put the work in.”

It would be a good time for those at Ibrox to hit top form, given how frantic the festive period is and with the January transfer window now less than a month away from swinging open.

The winter window represents the first chance for Rohl to stamp his mark on his side and rumours have already claimed that he’s after a clinical striker.

Arrivals are unlikely to come without departures, though, and Kieran Dowell is among those who could reportedly be heading for the Ibrox exit door.

Hull City keen to sign Kieran Dowell

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Hull City are now keen to sign Dowell in the January transfer window. The midfielder is yet to feature under Rohl, who quite clearly doesn’t rate him, and now looks destined to leave on loan in just under a month.

It’s been the story of Dowell’s Rangers career, but he must get his move in the January window.

The 28-year-old was offered some hope when Russell Martin arrived instantly jumped to his defence by saying: “And by the way he tries really, really every day, trains like an absolute beast, which I don’t think some people have come to this club and been bought for a lot of money, and I don’t think they have done that.”

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Any hope of a Rangers revival has now evaporated, however, with Rohl seemingly ready to bid farewell to the midfield flop who has struggled since arriving in 2023.

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Arsenal have made a blistering start to this season, and the theme of their success continues to be squad depth.

On Wednesday night, it was substitutes that made all the difference, as the Gunners beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League.

Riccardo Calafiori set up Noni Madueke to score the go-ahead goal, before Gabriel Martinelli raced around Manuel Neuer to stroke home the clincher soon after, all three doing so off the bench.

In recent seasons, most notably last year, Arsenal’s title hopes have been derailed by injuries, simply not possession-requisite deputies, in terms of quality, quantity and sometimes both, to cope with key absentees.

Well, this time round, numerous key figures have been or are currently still sidelined, and this has not hampered the Gunners one bit, so do Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta now have their eyes set on further new recruits in January?

Arsenal target a new attacker

Those who thought Mikel Merino up front had been confined to the past were very much mistaken, the Spaniard forced back into the emergency centre-forward role because, well, in recent weeks there haven’t been any other options.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyökeres remain sidelined, Martin Ødegaard, Madueke and Martinelli have all made their returns this week, but Leandro Trossard is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge after suffering a knock against Bayern, the severity of which is not yet known.

So, could Arteta request the arrival of a new attacker in January?

Well, according to reports in Spain, Arsenal are interested in signing Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, with Manchester United also in the race to secure his signature.

They add that die Schwarzgelben value the German international at £75m, but could be under pressure to sell, considering that his contract expires in 2027, hence why there is ‘intensifying’ interest from the two Premier League giants.

So, could he become the 13th German to feature for Arsenal, following in the footsteps of Jens Lehmann, Per Mertesacker, Mesut Özil, Bernd Leno, Lukas Podolski and others?

What Karim Adeyemi​​​​​​​ would bring to Arsenal

After beginning his senior career at RB Salzburg, Adeyemi joined Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for €38m (around £33m), scoring 31 goals and registering 22 assists for the club to date.

Analyst Ben Mattinson praises his “electric pace” and labels him a “transitional monster”, which is possibly best demonstrated by this goal he scored in the Champions League against Graham Potter’s Chelsea at the Westfalenstadion​​​​​​​.

Meantime, according to the Bundesliga, he is one of the fastest players in the division’s history, reaching a top speed of 22.77 miles per hour, which would result in an £80 fine if he ran that fast up Holloway Road parallel to the Emirates.

He is very much a key player at Dortmund, as the table below documents.

Adeyemi 2025/26 stats

Stats

Adeyemi

Dortmund rank

Goals

5

2nd

Assists

3

2nd

Shots

31

2nd

Key passes

12

3rd

Shot-creating actions

39

2nd

Goal-creating actions

7

2nd

Big chances created

4

2nd

Attempted take-ons

54

1st

Successful take-ons

24

1st

Progressive carries

35

1st

Top speed

32.2 km/h

1st

Touches in box

65

1st

Average rating

7.31

2nd

Stats via FBref & SofaScore

The table underlines Adeyemi’s importance to Dortmund.

Only Serhou Guirassy has scored more goals, with wing-back Julian Ryerson the only player boasting better creative numbers, but Adeyemi is currently combining the two.

The attacker also leads the way at die Schwarzgelben for all the dribbling statistics as well as top speed, registering the most touches of any Dortmund player in the opposition penalty area.

This emphasises how he is currently able to combine all the things that make both Madueke and Bukayo Saka elite – the two players noted as among the five most stylistically and statistically similar players to Adeyemi among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Madueke is a direct dribbler who is a major goal-threat, underlined by the fact that he ranked third in the Premier League last season for progressive carries and fifth when it came to touches in the attacking penalty box.

Saka meantime is the creator in chief, registering more shot-creating actions and big chances created than any other Arsenal player so far this season, despite a spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Well, right now, Adeyemi is able to combine all of these qualities into one, seemingly fulfilling his full potential at the age of 23, suggesting he would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s team and could be the man to fire them to that elusive first Premier League title since 2002.

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