One of the issues with Manchester United’s current squad is the lack of goals upfront from strikers Joshua ZIrkzee and Rasmus Hojlund. Zirkzee is a player who brings so much more aside from goals, given his ability to link up play, although Ruben Amoirm would perhaps have liked to have seen him score more than the four goals he has managed so far.

Hojlund is a player who possesses great talent but has looked short of confidence at times this season. He has scored seven goals in the 2024/25 campaign, although just two of those have come in the Premier League.

Marcus Rashford also seems set to leave the club, with The Manchester Evening News reporting that Aston Villa are closing in on a late move for the 27-year-old.

To help add goals to their sides – and potentially fill Rashford’s ‘void’ – United have been linked with a new striker in the final days of the transfer window.

Man Utd's search for a striker

The player in question here is Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface. The 24-year-old Nigerian international came close to a move to Saudi side Al Nassr at the start of the week, and although the deal broke down, he could still leave the German champions.

Transfer Focus

According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, United ‘have been made aware of his situation’ due to ‘historic interest’ they have in signing him, and could make a move before the transfer window slams shut on Monday.

The Saudi side had agreed on a fee of £50m for the Nigerian, so it is safe to assume he could cost United anywhere upwards of that fee.

However, they are not the only Premier League side to have been offered the chance to sign him. London trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have also been notified of his availability, as have Aston Villa, who need a replacement for Jhon Duran after his move to Al Nassr.

Why Boniface would be a good signing

If there is one thing Boniface will bring to United’s attack, it is perhaps the thing they need most; goals. This season, he has managed to find the back of the net eight times in 15 appearances in all competitions.

He made a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign, with six goals and an assist in the first ten Bundesliga games, but an injury has since kept him sidelined. However, that was certainly a contention of his form the previous season.

In arguably the best team of 2023/24, Boniface led the attack under Xabi Alonso superbly. He managed 21 goals and ten assists in 34 games, showing why football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “complete forward”.

Just as he did this season, he started the 2023/24 on fire, with nine goals and assists in seven top-flight games.

He has also managed to outperform Rashford over the past few seasons. It has not been an easy couple of campaigns for the England international, who has seven goals across all competitions this season and managed just eight last term.

However, he has an exemplary record at his boyhood club, with 138 goals to his name, in 426 appearances since making his debut back in 2015/16.

Should United manage to sign Boniface, he could be their own version of Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. Former manager Erik ten Hag confirmed that the club wanted to bring the England captain to Old Trafford in the summer of 2023, but they “couldn’t get him”, with the Bundesliga giants instead winning the race.

In their search for more goals, there is no doubt that Kane would have brought just that to United. His record for Bayern is simply outstanding, with 70 goals and 22 assists in just 72 games. He has been phenomenal.

The Red Devils might have their own version of Kane if they signed the Nigerian striker. The pair are noted as similar players across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, showing just how deadly Leverkusen’s number 22 can be in front of goal.

For example, Boniface has an expected goals per game of 0.89xG, compared to Kane’s 0.86xG. The Leverkusen star also averaged 3.7 shot-creating actions per game, with Kane only slightly more, averaging 3.73 shot-creating actions per game.

Stat (per 90)

Boniface

Kane

Expected goals

0.89xG

0.86xG

Shots

5.47

3.79

Shots on target

1.19

1.57

Goals per shot on target

0.43

0.42

Shot-creating actions

3.7

3.73

This could be a brilliant deal for United. For ‘just’ £50m, they would be beating some of their biggest rivals to a striker whose numbers are up there with the England captain, and who could certainly add goals to their side.

This could be the exact deal Amorim needs to help his side push for a respectable Premier League finish.

Dream Hojlund upgrade: Man Utd hold talks over signing "absolute jewel"

Man United are looking to add goals to their side

ByJoe Nuttall Jan 31, 2025

Amid a spluttering start to England’s Test summer, Alex Hales played with the sort of discipline that suggests he has the game to succeed at this level

George Dobell at Headingley19-May-2016Like a sprinter running a marathon or a sports car delivering bricks, Alex Hales took on an unfamiliar role for England on the first day of the Investec Test at Headingley.Hales came into this side with a reputation as a dasher. He was, at least up to a point, meant to be England’s answer to David Warner: an aggressive opening batsman who took the attack to the opposition and set the tone for the way in which “new England” see themselves as a team.But here, as his colleagues perished to overly aggressive shots – pushing at balls a fraction too short or wide for the stroke on a typical May pitch that offered enough movement to keep the bowlers interested – Hales left with a discipline that will have surprised those who witnessed him batting in South Africa.It was exactly what England required, too. While fashion dictates that modern cricket has to be played at full speed, fashion also gave us mullets and double corduroy. While Test cricket survives, there will be a place for the leave, the block and the patient accumulation of runs. And in conditions such as this, with the ball swinging and the pitch offering a little seam movement, trying to hurry is akin to driving as quickly as possible to get through fog.The surprise was more that Hales supplied the foundation that England required. While his captain, the notoriously obdurate Alastair Cook, was drawn into a drive well away from his body, Hales showed that the old-fashioned attributes by which Test openers used to be judged – crease occupation, shot selection and patience – still have value in the modern game.There were still some classy strokes. When the bowlers strayed on to his pads, he whipped through midwicket and when the ball was over-pitched he drove elegantly. Rangana Herath was cut nicely, too. But we knew Hales could play the attacking strokes; it was the defensive ones of which we had to see evidence.Under the easy-going veneer, there is a steel to Hales. It took confidence to sit out the first few weeks of this county season; confidence to sit out the IPL; confidence to ignore those he knew would want him to push on the scoring rate here.While the likes of Sam Robson were plundering early season runs, Hales had the wisdom to understand that what he required most, after an emotionally draining winter in which he featured in the England team in all three formats, was a mental break. And while few would have blamed him had he capitalised on his white-ball reputation – he has been rated No. 1 in the world in T20 cricket – and pursued a future as a T20 specialist, he has instead demonstrated his ambition by taking the higher-risk option and prioritised a Test career.Most of all, he has learned that you have to earn the right to score quickly in Test cricket. You have to see off the new ball, wear down the bowlers and gain experience. Those urging him to push on in such circumstances are doing him no favours.None of this should come as a surprise. Marcus Trescothick, arguably England’s last quick-scoring, successful Test opener, took 25 deliveries to get off the mark on Test debut and 122 balls to reach his half-century. His strike-rate in Test cricket was only 46.34 for the first two years of his Test career, which is very similar to Cook’s overall (46.30). From 2002 until the end of his career, it was 57.45.But Trescothick understood, as Hales appears to now, that he had to give himself a chance to score quickly in Test cricket.

Under Peter Moores at Nottinghamshire, Hales has noticeably tightened up his game and now appears to have the confidence in his defence to endure long scoreless spells

The most pleasing aspect of this innings from Hales was that it suggested he had learned from his previous experience. His performance in South Africa was characterised by fragility outside off stump. Unsure which balls to play and which to leave, which balls to attack and which to defend, his uncertainty was exploited to the tune of five catches in the cordon during the series.Recognising his weakness, he returned to the nets at Nottinghamshire. Under the watchful eye of Peter Moores, a consultant coach at the club, he has noticeably tightened up his game and now appears to have the confidence in his defence to know he can endure relatively long scoreless spells. He took 115 balls to make 34 for Nottinghamshire against Yorkshire at the start of the month – a mature innings in demanding circumstances – and, after only one scoring shot in his first 26 balls here, has already produced, in terms of balls received, his longest Test innings. He will resume 29 short of a maiden Test century.”I’ve tweaked a couple of things just outside off stump,” Hales said. “In South Africa I was caught between defence and attack a couple of times and that’s something I’ve been working upon. It’s still a work in progress and I think that’s going to be key to whether I’m successful as a Test player.”I didn’t feel out of my depth in South Africa. Even when I wasn’t scoring runs, at no point did I feel out of my depth. It was more about me making mistakes than bowlers getting me out and, at the start of my career, I think I would prefer that. I know I’m still a work in progress.”I took an extra couple of weeks to recharge myself. And that’s done me the world of good. When I came back to practice it was a lot more intense. I knew what I wanted to improve and I feel like I’ve come a long way in the last six months. There was no inkling from the selectors whether they would stick with me.”It was a challenging pitch and a challenging situation today. It was tricky. There was swing all day and some nibble and some bounce. I had to rein myself in a bit.”This does not mean England’s search for a partner for Cook is over. On another day, the thick-edged drive that bypassed third slip and gully when he had 4 would have gone to hand; on another day, one of his slightly uppish cuts could have gone to a fielder. It is telling that he used the phrase “work in progress” about his game twice and he will be aware that both Robson and Adam Lyth hit Test centuries at Leeds only to be dropped within a few months. But this was an encouraging step forward.As an aside, it is amusing to consider how such an innings from Nick Compton might have been received. Would he have been hailed for his determination or criticised for his limitations? While Hales was lauded for playing himself in and giving himself a chance to build an innings, would Compton have been criticised for putting too much pressure on his partners? He gave his detractors too much ammunition here with an edge to a regulation delivery in the channel outside off stump, but it does not always seem he is judged by the same standards as his colleagues.The difference, perhaps, is that when Hales bats in such a manner, he is playing within himself, while Compton probably does not have that extra gear. But for an England side that again found themselves five wickets down uncomfortably early – they lost 3 for 2 at one stage – it is not the speed of scoring that is the issue so much as the speed of wickets falling.But what a shame that only 9,436 people should be on the ground to witness an absorbing day’s play. Everyone understands the importance of satisfying the broadcasters and the level of their investment to the English game. But there remains little evidence that there is an appetite – or a climate – to watch Test cricket in England in May outside London. While recent initiatives announced by Andrew Strauss may help generate a little more interest in international cricket, the more pressing issue is gaining greater exposure for the sport as a live spectacle either online or on TV. Ticket sales for Durham are significantly worse than those for Headingley.

A distracted and angry team played without passion or practice, in a tournament that is off the radar for Australia’s sporting public

Jarrod Kimber at Edgbaston10-Jun-2017In the gloom of Edgbaston, with England nearly home, the rain about to come, and their million-dollar bowler clutching his hamstring, Glenn Maxwell dropped a catch that he misread so badly it almost hit him. Even when it didn’t rain on Australia’s chances, their cricket was underwhelming.Australia have played only one completed match – and even that was incomplete. They were poor in their first match, and much better in the second. By the end of those two washouts, their tally of two points was exactly what they deserved. If you include their two warm-ups, they’d played in four games in England, and finished just this one.Essentially Australia’s only game of this entire tournament was a knockout game against the only unbeaten team, the favourites, the home team, and they came into it with no proper preparation. Most casual Australian cricket fans don’t even know what the Champions Trophy is, what it means, or how often Australia has won it. Plus, it’s footy season, and this is hardly the Ashes. Besides, the Australian players haven’t had to face anything as hostile on the field as they have from their own board. But even though Cricket Australia’s executives might have played even more reckless shots than their top order, this Australian team never looked right from the moment it took the field in this tournament.The problem started at No.4. Moises Henriques has never made more than 18 in an ODI. His top score for Australia is 81 not out in Tests. He averages 31 in List A cricket. He made two List A fifties in his first nine seasons of cricket. He’s only ever made limited-overs hundreds in domestic cricket. He’s 30. Ten Australian players have scored over 4000 runs in ODI cricket batting at No.4: Michael Clarke, Damien Martyn, Allan Border, Michael Bevan, Mike Hussey, Steve Waugh and Greg Chappell.Henriques has good recent form in the IPL, Big Bash and one-day cup, but at No. 4, in an ICC tournament, it was two or three places too high.It is not Henriques’ fault he is batting at 4: he is there because of a hole in the centre of this team. Australia are a batsman short and a bowler short. And to elongate the batting and rush through the fifth bowler’s overs quicker, Henriques has been brought in to fill this gap. The middle overs in this tournament are when bowling sides try and take wickets – England smashed through theirs with wrist spin and pace to make sure Australia had nothing left with which to strike at the death. But in the 13th to 15th of a must-win game, Australia was bowling Moises Henriques and Travis Head when they needed wickets with no catchers, no hope of a plan other than ‘”let’s hope Ben Stokes does something idiotic”.Would Australia have won the game with Marcus Stoinis instead of Henriques, or even Chris Lynn for Henriques, with Head and Maxwell combining for ten overs? Probably not, because even though the chemistry was wrong, the performances weren’t much better. Pat Cummins has taken two wickets in 25 overs in this tournament, and served up 144 runs – 52 of which came in his first five overs against New Zealand. Today, Stokes took him for 43 runs from 28 balls.Steven Smith was an angry man for much of a sorry Australia performance•Getty ImagesDavid Warner came into this tournament having made a staggering 23.5% of Australia’s runs since the last World Cup: here he failed in two of the three games. Steven Smith makes 16.5% of Australia’s runs; he failed in two out of three as well. Starc looked underdone in the first match, bowled beautifully in the washout against Bangladesh, and clutched his hamstring for much of this game.Australia’s game-plan relies on one of their top three batting big, to make up for their shallowness below them. Instead they lost regular wickets, and then 5 for 15 once the tail was exposed. Australia’s game-plan relies on their fast bowlers taking regular wickets. Instead they started brilliantly but couldn’t keep striking. And that was the ballgame.You could extrapolate this one game and talk about the Ashes, and a psychological dominance that England might feel they now have over Australia, but you probably shouldn’t. The Australians might be embarrassed that a team lost to England with six or seven potential Test players, but you know, they played a better-prepared team with better form in a must-win game, and they lost. Their ODI team might need a stronger allrounder, but other than that, it’s hard to answer any big questions from two washouts and a loss.Plus there are bigger questions in Australia that need to be answered right now, what’s Schapelle Corby up to, who’s winning in the footy and what is the best kind of fusion to win with on a reality TV cooking show?At 35 for 3, Hazlewood raps Stokes on the pad, the Australians are screaming, and one ball later they are coming off. Smith looks frustrated, but he has all day. He was angry when Henriques got out, he was angry when he got out, and he was angry when his team fielded poorly. The only time he wasn’t angry was when the rain came for the last time, then it was relief.Australia, caught rain, bowled England, 0.

Aston Villa are among the teams looking to sign an “elite” young defender in the January transfer window, according to a recent report.

Aston Villa transfer news

Inconsistent form in recent weeks has seen Unai Emery’s side stall somewhat in the Premier League, so this month is a good opportunity for the Spaniard to strengthen his squad as they look to compete in multiple competitions.

Aston Villa now finalising agreement to sign another new player for Emery

Aston Villa aren’t messing about this January as they look to bolster their ranks.

By
Ben Browning

Jan 12, 2025

The Villans are set to see a player leave the club in the coming days, as Jaden Philogene closes in on a transfer. The winger is set to join Ipswich Town in a deal in excess of £20 million after struggling at Villa Park since joining in the summer transfer window. The Midlands side have already found Philogene’s replacement in the form of Donyell Malen.

Malen is free to leave Borussia Dortmund this month, and both clubs remain in talks to find an agreement on a transfer. The Bundesliga side are looking to get £25 million for the forward, while Villa were looking to pay around £21 million, but reports are indicating that a deal is now close to being finalised.

Malen is not the only player on Villa’s radar, as reports in Turkey have claimed that Villa have agreed to a deal to sign Yasin Ozcan, and he is expected to arrive in England this week.

Aston Villa plotting swoop for £21m defender

Malen and Ozcan may not be the only arrivals at Villa Park this month, as according to AS Sport, Aston Villa are interested in signing Sevilla defender Loic Bade, with Monchi spotted watching the player in action on Saturday night.

Bade, who has been dubbed an “elite talent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, first joined Sevilla on loan in January 2023 before joining them on a permanent basis six months later. The Frenchman has been a regular for the Spanish side since joining the club, playing 28 times in La Liga last season.

Bade is under contract until 2029 after signing a new deal in September, which inserted a 60 million euro release clause. But Sevilla need to sell this month to straighten up their financial situation and have placed a 25 million euros (£21 million) fee on his head, which has alerted Aston Villa’s attention.

Loic Bade’s 24/25 La Liga stats
Apps	15
Starts	14
Clean sheets	5
Interceptions per game	1.0
Tackles per game	2.0
Balls recovered per 90	4.4
Clearances per game	3.9
Dribbled past per game	0.3

Villa are looking to sign a new centre-back after Pau Torres broke his toe in recent days and is now expected to be on the sidelines for at least two months, while Monchi watched Sevilla’s match against Valencia on Saturday night, the Spanish side obviously being a club he knows well.

The Midlands side are not the only Premier League team interested in Bade however, as Liverpool and Newcastle United have also kept a close eye on the player in recent months, but Villa have the opportunity to get ahead of them if they are keen on signing the centre-back, who is said to be close to leaving Sevilla.

There have been some eye-watering sums of money spent on players during the 2024/25 season, but who was its most expensive addition?

There were some high-profile pieces of business between summer 2024 and early 2025, with Kylian Mbappe moving to Real Madrid on a free transfer as the French superstar finally joined the team he had always dreamed of playing for.

Winter transfer window 2025: All the latest deals from England and Scotland

Find out who is on the move this winter with our comprehensive list of done deals from the Premier League, EFL and Scottish Premiership.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Feb 3, 2025

But who were the most expensive signings of the 2024/25 campaign? Here are the top 14, who all moved for at least £50m.

Top 11 transfers: 2024/25 season
Rank	Player	Signed for	Date	Fee
1	Julian Alvarez	Atletico Madrid	Aug 2024	£81.5m
2	Jhon Duran	Al-Nassr	Jan 2025	£71m
3	Dominic Solanke	Tottenham	Aug 2024	£65m
4	Omar Marmoush	Man City	Jan 2025	£63m
5	Joao Neves	PSG	Aug 2024	£60m
6	Khvicha Kvaratskhelia	PSG	Jan 2025	£59m
7	Leny Yoro	Man Utd	Jul 2024	£58.9m
8	Pedro Neto	Chelsea	Aug 2024	£54m
9	Dani Olmo	Barcelona	Aug 2024	£51m
10	Manuel Ugarte	Man Utd	Aug 2024	£50.5m
=11	Moussa Diaby	Al-Ittihad	Jul 2024	£50m
=11	Amadou Onana	Aston Villa	Jul 2024	£50m
=11	Michael Olise	Bayern Munich	Jul 2024	£50m
=11	Nico Gonzalez	Man City	Feb 2025	£50m

14

Nico Gonzalez

Porto to Man City (£50m)

Midfielder Nico Gonzalez was Manchester City’s fourth signing of the 2025 winter window, having also signed Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis for a combined £180m.

Gonzalez was perhaps more of a necessity for the Citizens given that Rodri had been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury. He made the move from Portuguese giants Porto for £50m to finally bring an end to City’s extravagant spending (at least, until the summer).

13

Michael Olise

Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich (£50m)

Michael Olise was always a great player to watch during his Crystal Palace days, but with all due respect to the Eagles, it was clear that his talent merited playing for a top European club.

Bayern Munich came calling last summer, splashing out £50m on the Frenchman, and he has produced some brilliant moments in his maiden season at the Allianz Arena. He has six goals and assists apiece in the Bundesliga, as well as four goals in the Champions League, one of which was a superb solo effort against Shakhtar Donetsk.

12

Amadou Onana

Everton to Aston Villa (£50m)

It was no great surprise to see Amadou Onana depart Everton for Aston Villa in last year’s summer transfer window, no doubt feeling that he needed to join a club playing in the Champions League rather than one battling to stay in the Premier League.

The Belgian has enjoyed a solid first season at Villa Park, starting 14 matches in the Premier League and chipping in with two goals in the competition. That said, Villa fans may want a little more from him as he attempts to justify the £50m fee the Villans paid for him.

11

Moussa Diaby

Aston Villa to Al-Ittihad (£50m)

Having looked like a superb signing for Villa just over a year ago, Moussa Diaby’s time there petered out a little as the months passed, and he ended up joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad last summer.

They paid a reported £50m for his services, but only one goal has been scored in 10 league appearances this season, perhaps suggesting that Villa did well to get a healthy sum of money for the winger.

10

Manuel Ugarte

PSG to Man Utd (£50.5m)

Manchester United sealed a mega-money deadline-day move for PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte just a year after the Uruguayan joined the French giants from Sporting CP.

The Red Devils paid an initial £42.1m to bring the Ligue 1 champion to Old Trafford, with add-ons worth around £8.4m allowing PSG to break even following their outlay on Ugarte 12 months prior.

With Erik ten Hag departing the club just months later, it has not been the greatest of first campaigns for Ugarte, though all parties will be hoping he can show his best, particularly with his former club agreeing a sell-on fee in their negotiations.

9

Dani Olmo

RB Leipzig to Barcelona (£51m)

Dani Olmo was one of the star players at Euro 2024, standing out with his attacking brilliance and helping inspire Spain to glory, alerting some of Europe’s top clubs in the process.

It was Barcelona who eventually acquired the signature of the 26-year-old, signing him for £51m from RB Leipzig, but it was a complex transfer not without its issues, as he was only registered for the first half of the season.

That problem has now been overcome, with Olmo granted permission to continue representing the Catalan giants amid rumours over his short-term future.

8

Pedro Neto

Wolves to Chelsea (£54m)

Pedro Neto was always a great player to watch for Wolves, but injuries seemed to hold him back. Still, that didn’t stop Chelsea from taking a punt on him last summer.

So far, the Portuguese’s availability has been good, with 19 league appearances handed to him in his first half-season, but his only goal in the competition was a great long-range strike at home to Arsenal. More is needed to justify the £54m that the Blues spent on him.

7

Leny Yoro

Lille to Man Utd (£58.9m)

Leny Yoro was arguably Manchester United’s most exciting signing of the summer considering he arrived with a reputation as one of the world’s leading young centre-backs.

However, it’s fair to say that it has been a sobering first season at Old Trafford for the Frenchman, with only four starts and nine appearances coming his way in the league my mid-January. That said, the defender is still only 19 and is playing in a mediocre team, so it would be unfair to judge him too much at this point.

United paid just over £52m upfront for the former Lille starlet, with add-ons taking the potential total transfer fee to £58.9m.

6

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Napoli to PSG (£59m)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been one of Europe’s most devastating wingers in recent years, and once the January window arrived, it became clear that a move away from Napoli was on the cards.

The 23-year-old was linked with various top clubs, including Liverpool, but he ended up joining PSG in January 2025 for £59m plus add-ons. While the specific financial details were not disclosed by either club, it is likely that these add-ons would take the overall transfer fee well past the £60m mark, if not more.

Having lit up Serie A as Napoli marched to Scudetto glory and with Georgia as they made their historic major tournament debut, Kvaratskhelia could become one of PSG’s key men post-Mbappe.

5

Joao Neves

Benfica to PSG (£60m)

Joao Neves has been considered one of Europe’s leading young midfielders for a number of years, and it was always clear that Benfica were going to find it extremely hard to keep hold of him.

Paris Saint-Germain snapped up the Portuguese for an initial £50m prior to the start of the new season, with the price potentially rising to £60m including add-ons.

Neves hasn’t disappointed in France, proving to be a key figure in the middle of the park. The 20-year-old has registered seven assists in just 13 starts in Ligue 1, and it feels as though there are still plenty of further levels to find in his career.

Hull City are now closing in on a deadline day signing as they look to bolster their ranks before the transfer window slams shut, according to a fresh report.

Hull City transfer latest

It has been a busy January window for the Tigers as they look to battle relegation from the Championship in the second half of the campaign, with several fresh faces arriving already ahead of a potential hectic final day of the window.

Ruben Selles’ side moved early to snap up Leeds United forward Joe Gelhardt on loan, while they also won the race to sign exciting talent Louie Barry after half a season in League One saw him recalled by Aston Villa in search of football at a higher level.

The highly-rated 21-year-old was a second-half substitute in their 2-1 defeat against fellow Championship strugglers Stoke City, but is expected to play a larger role going forwards for the Humberside outfit.

The 15 most expensive signings in EFL Championship history

The second tier has had its fair share of mega-money deals.

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 3, 2025

Elsewhere, the Tigers have shelled out to sign young midfielder Eliot Matazo from Monaco in a deal believed to be in excess of £1m (as per Transfermarkt), and they have also added Nordin Amrabat on a free transfer with the veteran winger signing a short-term contract with Hull.

Meanwhile, there have also been moves to sign Kyle Joseph from Blackpool and Matt Crooks from Real Salt Lake City in what has been a busy month for the Championship outfit.

However, they are not set to stop there, with another signing now imminent at the MKM Stadium before the window shuts.

Hull City closing in on defender

Now, it has been reported that Hull City are on the verge of signing veteran centre-back John Egan from Burnley as they look to bolster their backline, according to reliable journalist Barry Cooper.

The Tigers have conceded 40 times so far this season, and are looking to improve their defence in search of safety. Egan meanwhile is out of contract at Turf Moor this summer after arriving in the summer, and has not really featured in Scott Parker’s plans this season.

As a result, he is available for a “nominal” fee, and Burnley are “ready to sign off” on his exit, according to the Hull Daily Mail, with Egan “keen to play” and that being a large factor in the deal being complete.

The Republic of Ireland international will now turn his attention to keeping goals out of the Hull City net, but has previously enjoyed games against the Tigers. He has scored three of his 27 goals for various clubs against the Humberside outfit, winning five of his nine outings against them.

Wins

Goals

Hull City

5

3

QPR

7

2

Ipswich Town

3

2

Port Vale

0

2

Carlisle

1

2

There could yet be further movement at the back too, with the report adding that “City are still working on bringing in cover on the left side of their defence” after failing to bring Charlie Taylor to the MKM.

A Qatari consortium are said to be hatching a divisive plan in their potential bid for a takeover of Tottenham Hotspur, as they eventually seek to buy the north London club.

Tottenham supporters plan Daniel Levy protest against Man United

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, amidst yet another disappointing campaign, is facing more protests from frustrated Lilywhites supporters – who are planning to voice their dissatisfaction during their clash with Man United this weekend.

Tottenham hold direct talks with £55m star as Bayern give up on keeping him

He could feasibly link up with Mathys Tel next season.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 13, 2025

Fans are being urged by a protest group to gather in the south stand after the United game, to make clear to the board, who will hear them from the luxury lounge, that enough is enough (via The Times).

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (away)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is under mounting pressure, amid a crippling injury crisis and serious lack of form, with the north Londoners closer to relegation than they are to European qualification.

A large section of critics believe Tottenham’s major squad shortage ultimately comes down to a lack of good investments in players over the years, and there are calls for more funds to be reinvested into building a squad that can genuinely compete at the top end of the Premier League.

“The thing that causes a lot of the frustration, you can see there’s certain figures around the club supportive of Daniel Levy and you hear lines like ‘who do Spurs fans think they are? They’re so entitled,” said Spurs fan and Rule The Roost podcaster, Jack Hussey.

“He’s built them this good stadium and they’ve had Champions League football and they should be grateful for that’.

“On one hand you can appreciate that – but, you have to also take into consideration, Spurs fans are charged one of the highest amounts of money to watch the club, ticket prices are through the roof.

“Daniel Levy is the highest paid chairman in the Premier League, but the figures show you – Tottenham’s wage spend ratio to turnover is one of the lowest in the league – something there isn’t making sense.

“I have to default back to the fact that it’s only been the last 20 years or so that Tottenham haven’t been regularly winning things, prior to ENIC and Daniel Levy taking over, Tottenham regularly won trophies and competed at the top end of the table.”

Qatari consortium looking to buy Tottenham in "controversial" plan

Now, according to The Guardian and reliable journalist Matt Hughes, private Qatari investors could now be looking to hand Spurs a way out of the ENIC era.

Indeed, it is believed that the Qatari consortium is looking to buy Tottenham, with the potential takeover likely coming in the form of a phased buyout as they eventually seek to acquire full control of the club.

However, in a “controversial” plan, those prospective buyers are also thinking about keeping Levy on with a long-term management contract – regardless of whether ENIC becomes a minority shareholder.

In a further bit of crucial information, these mystery bidders from the Middle East are not thought to be the Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) or Sheikh Jassim – who were involved in a bidding war to buy Man United.

Past reports have also indicated that ENIC and Joe Lewis would be seeking a “minimum” of £4 billion to sell their majority Spurs shares.

England batsman Jason Roy talks about his favourite meat, the England players’ football and dancing skills, and more

Interview by Jack Wilson08-May-2016The England team have a competition to see who is the best dancer. Who wins?
That’s impossible to answer. There’s not one iota of dance talent in that dressing room.You wear the number 67 for England. Why?
Because I can’t wear 20! That has always been my number but Bressie has got that, so 67 was the number I was assigned.Who do you least want to be stuck next to on the team bus?
Sam Billings. He’s got terrible chat. It’s relentless.Who is the best footballer in the England team warm-ups?
To be fair to him, Jos Buttler can play a bit.And who is the worst?
Alex Hales. Hands down.Which of your team-mates is the most fun on a night out?
Ben Stokes – he goes for it every time. He’s hilarious. Reece Topley is funny too as he thinks he’s a ladies’ man.Who is the last at the bar to buy a round of drinks?
Sam Billings. Easy.Who is the biggest stats geek in the dressing room?
[Laughs] I desperately want to pick someone but we’re not the cleverest bunch. If anyone, it’d have to be Rooty.Reece Topley: ladies’ man?•Getty ImagesWho is the most superstitious?
Stokes again. He always does that stupid thing at the crease when he comes out to bat. At Surrey, Arun Harinath has to go to the toilet just before he bats. Every time, without fail. So, if he’s late to bat, which has happened loads of times, you now know why.If you could go back in time and face any bowler from history in their prime, who would it be?
I want to say Shoaib Akhtar but I’d be lying. A spinner, definitely. [Shane] Warne or Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan].Which of your team-mates is most likely to play a practical joke?
That has got to be Rooty or Hales.And who is it most likely to be on?
David Willey. He’s an easy target.What is your favourite shot?
The straight drive – or any of them that goes for runs.If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring?
A lighter, a fishing rod and a satellite phone.Where do you keep tomato ketchup: in the fridge or in the cupboard?
Fridge. Who keeps it in a cupboard? That’s nuts.What meat do you like most on your roast dinner?
Tough one, but nothing beats lamb and mint sauce. Nothing whatsoever.

Instead of adding some bizarre aspects to his bowling, debutant Kuldeep Yadav used flight, dip and turn to puzzle the Australian batsmen

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Dharamsala25-Mar-20172:12

Left-arm wristspin looks tough to face because it’s rare – Kuldeep

It wasn’t a wicket-taking ball, but it was one of the best deliveries Kuldeep Yadav bowled on his first day as a Test cricketer in Dharamsala. It hovered above Matthew Wade’s eye line, drawing him forward, making him believe he could get close to the pitch of the ball and drive. Once it reached the apogee of its flight, the ball began descending steeply and landed a few inches short of Wade’s expectations.It made Wade stretch and reach out in front of his body, and still, he didn’t meet it on the half-volley. It ripped away off the pitch and beat the outside edge.When teams select spinners of unusual styles, they often do it because of the mystery. Late last year in Adelaide, South Africa handed Tabraiz Shamsi a Test debut largely because they thought the pink ball and floodlights would make his left-arm wristspin harder to pick out of the hand and off the seam. He played that one Test, since which South Africa have reverted to the left-arm orthodox of Keshav Maharaj.Kuldeep, like Shamsi, is a left-arm wristspinner who can be hard to pick out of the hand. Glenn Maxwell found that out in the worst way possible when he was squared up and bowled off the thigh pad while playing down the wrong line of a googly. Wade later said he had found it difficult to read Kuldeep as well when he was new to the crease.”Yeah, it took a couple of balls to get used to it. He bowled a lot of different deliveries. He bowled a lot of legspinners with a scrambled seam and then his wrong’un was scrambled seam as well, so it took a few balls to get used to it. But once you stayed out there for a little while, you got a read on him.”Kuldeep’s bowling on Saturday, though, wasn’t all about mystery. It wasn’t even primarily about mystery. Take, for instance, that ball to Wade. It had beaten the batsman even before it landed. It had beaten him in the air.The same was the case with the ball he bowled to dismiss Peter Handscomb – it hung enticingly in the air, drifting wider and wider, all that width tempting the batsman into a drive away from the body.The wicket of Pat Cummins? Classic legspinner caught-and-bowled against left-handed batsman, except in the mirror. No mystery here, just flight and dip and turn.This was the first day of the Test match, and the HPCA Stadium pitch was unlike the pitches at the three previous venues of this series. There were no footmarks to exploit just yet, little help by way of up-and-down bounce, and only a few cracks to disturb the equanimity of an otherwise firm surface. This wasn’t yet a surface for India’s fingerspinners to thrive on.The ball to dismiss Handscomb had flight, drift and turn to beat the batsman•Associated PressWristspinners, though, tend to extract a decent amount of turn and bounce from harder pitches. In that sense, India’s decision to go with a third spinner, and to pick Kuldeep rather than the offspinner Jayant Yadav, was thoroughly sound.Wristspinners, however, can also be erratic, and when Kuldeep came on for the first time, with lunch just minutes away, India couldn’t afford erratic. Australia were 120 for 1 and already going at more than four an over.Kuldeep had learned the evening before that he was part of India’s 12-man shortlist, and on the morning of the match that he would be playing. He was replacing India’s captain in a swap that wasn’t like for like. He was the extra bowler playing at the expense of a sixth specialist batsman, and he would have to justify not just his inclusion but the change in the team’s composition as well. Given Australia’s situation when he came on, Kuldeep had to be on the money straightaway.”We planned about the next session during lunch time,” Kuldeep later said. “The plan was to not give them more than 70 to 80 runs. Not much [was discussed] about number of wickets we intended to take. Obviously, if you are giving away only 80 runs you are bound to get wickets. [I] followed plans as per team management’s demands.”He certainly seemed to. Kuldeep did not bowl a full toss – apart from when Shaun Marsh or Handscomb stepped out and met his deliveries on the full – or a long-hop all day, and when he did err, it was almost always on the fuller side.His pitch map, in the end, didn’t look a whole lot different to Ravindra Jadeja’s in terms of length, just a broader spread, consistent with the greater margin for error afforded to a bigger turner of the ball. In terms of line, though, it was even more stump to stump, reflecting his predominantly left-arm over angle to the right-hand batsmen, which allowed him to land both his stock ball and his googly in roughly the same area.This presented Australia’s batsmen a problem they hadn’t faced all series. Two kinds of deliveries, turning in opposite directions from roughly the same area, one threatening the inside edge and the other the outside edge, both of which could conceivably hit their stumps.All through the series, Australia’s batsmen have spoken about playing for the one that attacks the inside edge and threatens lbw and bowled, and not worrying too much if their outside edge was beaten. They could do that with Jadeja. They could do that with R Ashwin. Those two had to produce an absolute peach to beat the outside edge and still hit the stumps. With Kuldeep, it was a little different.Kuldeep’s left-arm over angle to right-handers allows him to land both his stock ball and the googly in roughly the same spot•ESPNcricinfo LtdIt made for an excellent package: consistent lines and lengths, deceptive trajectory, turn in both directions. For Kuldeep to put it all together demanded a great deal of composure – he was playing on a stage he had never been part of before – and belief in his own ability. He certainly seemed like a man full of confidence at the end of the day’s play, during his first press conference as a Test cricketer.He referenced his dismissal of David Warner when asked about his interactions with Shane Warne.”Did you see the first wicket?” Kuldeep asked. “That wasn’t a chinaman. It was a flipper which I learnt from Shane Warne.”So learning from Warne and then dismissing one of his [Australia’s] players is great. My idol was Warne and I have followed him since childhood. I still watch his videos and it was a dream come true when I met him. I couldn’t believe I was speaking to my idol and sharing my thoughts on bowling and what all I should be doing.”I did exactly what he told me to do. He has promised that he will have another session with me in the near future.”Was that wicket really a flipper? Flippers tend to go straight on and skid, staying a touch lower than expected. Warner was instead defeated by extra bounce. It would be just like Warne, though, to call a non-flipper a flipper and make batsmen hurry back to the video analyst.When asked about bowling to Steven Smith, who made his third hundred of the series on Saturday, Kuldeep was matter-of-fact.”Actually, I was bowling to Smith for the first time, and I didn’t have any difficulty as he wasn’t playing any shots against me,” he said. “Maybe he didn’t want to take any chance against me and was depending on singles. Maybe since wickets were falling at the other end, he was being cautious.”I was never nervous against Smith. From childhood, I have been told that a spinner should take wickets even if he gets hit. My theory remains the same.”Then someone asked him which of his wickets he prized the most.”All four are precious but the first one was very special. The next two [Handscomb and Maxwell] were satisfying, as I got them exactly how I had visualised their dismissals.”He surely cannot have visualised bowling Handscomb through the gate or squaring up Maxwell with a googly. Maybe he did. Or maybe it was all just , something he picked up from all the Warne videos he has watched. We may yet come to see and hear more of it from this confident young leggie in the mirror.

This season has felt like a slog for Arsenal.

It’s the third year on the bounce that Mikel Arteta’s side have fought for the Premier League, but instead of Manchester City, it’s Liverpool who, as things stand, look set to pip them to the crown.

The North Londoners haven’t been at their scintillating best for much of the campaign, but they have also been incredibly unlucky with injuries, with their two best attackers, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, out injured.

Worse still, a player the club released as a youngster continues to thrive at the very highest level and has already scored more goals than Saka and Havertz combined.

Havertz and Saka's seasons

So, it would be fair to say that since he moved to Arsenal for £65m in June 2023, Havterz has been a player who has split opinions among fans and pundits alike.

The German international initially joined the club as a midfield option, but halfway through last season, when he was struggling to adapt, Arteta opted to move him up and make him the team’s starting number nine, which was a decision that more than paid off.

By the end of the campaign, the former Chelsea ace had scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 51 games, but eight of those goals and seven of those assists came in just 18 appearances up top, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.2 games.

He hasn’t been quite as clinical this season and has received flak for it, but we’d argue that the Aachen-born marksman has been more effective than people have given him credit for, as in 34 appearances, he’s scored 15 goals and provided five assists, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 1.7 games, and also makes him the club’s top scorer.

From one player who sometimes has as many critics as fans to one who was in simply sensational form prior to his unfortunate hamstring injury: Saka.

In just 24 appearances, totalling 1828 minutes, the Gunners’ “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored nine goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.09 games, or every 83.09 minutes.

In short, Arsenal are in for a serious uphill battle if they are going to overtake Liverpool without these two in the team, which makes the club’s distant decision to release a prolific goalscorer, who has more goals than he pair combined this season, as a child even harder to take today.

The former Arsenal prospect outscoring Saka and Havertz

With a club the size of Arsenal, there will always be incredible youngsters who slip through the gaps, such as Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Donyell Malen.

However, we aren’t sure many teams have made the decision to release a player who would end up being as unbelievably talented as Harry Kane.

The England captain was a part of Hale End until he was around 12 years old, when then-academy manager Roy Massey decided to release him, as he didn’t believe the youngster had what was needed to make it in the game.

Now, while the club have since come to regret that decision in a big, big way, it did take about three years for Tottenham Hotspur to swoop in and pick him up after he spent a few weeks on trial with Watford, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Following a number of loans around the Football League, the Walthamstow-born star finally made it into the Lilywhites’ first team and went on to become their all-time top goalscorer, racking up an incredible haul of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 games before securing a mega-money move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.

The “world-class” centre forward, as dubbed by Harry Maguire, has been just as devastating in Germany, and this season, he has already scored 29 goals and provided ten assists in just 31 appearances, totalling 2459 minutes.

That means he is not only outscoring Havertz and Saka combined, but he’s also averaging 1.25 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.05 minutes, which is utterly outrageous and the sort of output that would surely fire Arteta’s men to the title.

Appearances

31

24

34

Minutes

2459′

1828′

2776′

Goals

29

9

15

Assists

10

13

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.25

0.91

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

63.05′

83.09′

138.8′

Ultimately, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and Arsenal are blessed with a plethora of incredibly talented players of their own, but a world in which they kept hold of Kane is one that might’ve seen them win a lot more silverware.

An £85m superstar in the making: Arsenal struck gold on "incredible" dynamo

The sensational talent is already a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 21, 2025