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No way back for hosts after slump to 4 for 3, despite Hain’s 45

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2025Durham launched their Vitality Blast campaign with an impressive three-wicket victory over The Bears at Edgbaston.The Bears were 143 all out from exactly 20 overs after only Sam Hain (45 from 28 balls) came close to salvaging the innings from the wretched foundation of four for three. Durham bowled superbly as a unit with Jimmy Neesham taking three wickets and Callum Parkinson, Nathan Sowter and Ben Raine two apiece.Ollie Robinson (45, 36) and Graham Clark (40, 23) then lifted Durham to 147 for seven with 17 balls to spare to condemn The Bears to back-to-back defeats to start their campaign.Durham chose to bowl and started brilliantly as they reduced the Bears to four for three after 17 balls. Parkinson’s first over yielded just one run but two wickets as Alex Davies pulled to backward square leg and Tom Latham holed out to deep mid-wicket. Zak Foulkes added the wicket of Moeen Ali, caught at short fine leg.Hain and Ed Barnard (23, 18) cranked the innings into motion but Durham’s attack, skilfully juggled by skipper Alex Lees, prevented the big individual contribution that was required.Raine was brought on and yorked Barnard with his fourth ball. Sowter was brought back on and rattled Kai Smith’s off-stump through a defeated cut. Hain lifted Neesham to extra cover. Sowter removed George Garton, lbw reverse-sweeping.The lower order fiddled a few scrappy runs but the innings ended, when Danny Briggs lifted the final ball from Neesham to long on, in near silence. It was excellent work by Durham, not least New Zealand seamer Foulkes whose 4-0-18-1 gave him a happier memory of Edgbaston than his most recent experience there, a golden duck for the Bears in last season’s miserable Blast quarter-final defeat to Gloucestershire.The Bears badly needed early wickets and Barnard supplied two, forcing Lees to play on and having Colin Ackermann caught at cover. While Barnard’s first two overs cost just 12, however, the two from the other end, from Adam Sylvester and Moeen, leaked 32 to give Durham a rapid start. They reached 50 in the fifth over.Clark’s clean hitting concluded when he clipped Jake Lintott to mid-wicket. Raine and Neesham were bowled by Moeen going for big hits that were not needed but Robinson and former Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes sensibly took their side to the brink of victory with a stand of 24 in 17 balls.Robinson holed out to Briggs with six still needed but Rhodes saw his team to victory and hit the winning boundary, somewhat ironically against the club which consistently omitted him from their T20 side.

كشف محمد أحمد سلامة رئيس مجلس إدارة الاتحاد السكندري، موقف النادي من تقديم شكوى ضد التحكيم بسبب أخطاء مباراة الأمس أمام الأهلي ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

وكان الاتحاد السكندري قد تعرض للهزيمة أمام الأهلي بنتيجة 2-1، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما بالجولة الـ11 من الدوري.

وقال محمد أحمد سلامة في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “سنقدم شكوى ضد التحكيم، وأنا كنت حاضرًا في المقصورة وشاهدت ما حدث، الأمر ببساطة أن كابتن الفريق كريم الديب وهو لاعب مهذب ومحترم كان يتحدث مع الحكم في كرة عادية جدًا تخص خطأ ضد أحد زملائه”.

وتابع: “فوجئنا برد فعل مبالغ فيه من الحكم، لا أعلم إن كان الأمر بسبب لعب الأهلي بعشرة لاعبين فأراد أن يجعل الفريقين متساويان، لا أعلم الحقيقة”.

طالع | رئيس الاتحاد بعد الخسارة أمام الأهلي: لسنا ناديًا صغيرًا.. وسنتقدم بشكوى

وبسؤاله هل تعتقد أن هناك نظرية مجاملة للفرق الكبرى كالأهلي والزمالك؟، أجاب: “لا إطلاقًا نحن لا نبحث عن شماعات، ولا نستخدم مثل هذه المبررات، نحن نتحدث فقط عن واقعة محددة حدثت في المباراة، كان من الطبيعي أن يتحدث كابتن الفريق مع الحكم في كرة عادية”.

وواصل: “لكن رد الفعل كان عنيفًا جدًا من الكابتن مصطفى شهدي، لا أعرف هل كان متوترًا بسبب النتيجة أو ضغط الجمهور”.

وزاد: “ركلة الجزاء أيضًا كانت مثار جدل كبير، الكرة اصطدمت بيد اللاعب لكنها لم تخرج عن محيط جسمه، وجاءت فجأة بعد أن غيّرت اتجاهها من رأس شبانة”.

وأتم: “وشاهدنا اللقطة تُعاد عشرات المرات واختلف عليها المحللون، لذلك الموقف كان صعبًا للغاية، خاصة ونحن ننافس في ظروف حرجة أمام فريق كبير مثل الأهلي”.

Everton failed in their efforts to sign a player with a “huge future” right at the end of the summer transfer window, seeing an offer for his services turned down.

Rohl "really excited" about Everton move

The Blues managed to complete the signing of Freiburg midfielder Merlin Rohl on deadline day, adding in one more player talented player to David Moyes’ squad.

The German is clearly raring to get going at his new club once club football returns after the international break, speaking of his delight at his move to Everton after his switch was sealed.

“I’m really excited and full of joy to sign for Everton. It’s a big club, with great history and great fans. It’s the right time for me to join Everton. It feels like a shifting point for the Club. The future looks really good and I’m excited to be part of it.

“I’ve watched the evolution of the Club closely. With the manager and stadium, there are a lot of positives. “I just love to play football and can’t wait to play in front of such passionate fans in such a great stadium.”

It was a strong summer for Everton overall, with Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall among the star additions, while Tyler Dibling is a player with a big future in the game. Now, it has been claimed that the Merseysiders missed out on signing another young star.

Everton failed with bid for future star

According to a report from reports in Spain [via Sport Witness], Everton submitted a last-gasp offer for Espanyol right-back Omar El Hilali, but were rebuffed in their efforts to snap him up before the window closed. Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Como were all in the same boat, but the £22m-rated defender ended up staying put at his current club.

It is a shame to see Everton fail to sign El Hilali, considering what an eye-catching young player he is, already making 90 appearances for Espanyol at the age of just 21.

He has also been capped at both Under-23 and Under-20 level for Morocco, while scout Jacek Kulig has tipped him to have a “huge future” in the game.

Hopefully, the chance still arises for Everton to go back in for El Hilali in the near future, whether that be in January or next summer, with the Moroccan a footballer who could add so much long-term quality to a position that has too often seen ageing players used there in recent years, from Seamus Coleman to Ashley Young.

Not Dibling: Everton are brewing Grealish 2.0 in "phenomenal" 18-year-old

Everton are brewing a terrific homegrown talent who is similar to Jack Grealish.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 3, 2025

He could also provide good competition for Jake O’Brien, who has become a very solid right-back for the Blues, but is also a centre-back by trade.

After what has been a busy summer transfer window already, Leeds United have officially welcomed their next new addition. The Whites have already signed eight players this summer, including two new attackers in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, who scored on his debut against Everton.

Now, Daniel Farke’s side added their third forward. It was reported a few days ago that Leeds are close to agreeing a deal to sign Noah Okafor from AC Milan. The Switzerland international will now join the club from the Italian giants for a reported fee of £17m.

With just ten days or so left of the window, it may seem that Leeds’ business will finish at Okafor, but they may yet make another signing.

Leeds' next signing after Okafor

Leeds’ recruitment this summer has been smart, bringing in a couple of free transfers and not paying over £20m for a player.

Transfer Focus

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

Bilal El Khannouss, a player strongly linked with the club, would have exceeded that with his reported £32m fee, but the Leicester City star is also being lined up by Crystal Palace.

Instead, a report from Simon Jones at the Daily Mail suggests that Leeds are looking at pursuing a deal for another Foxes star, versatile full-back James Justin. The Whites are said to be ‘assessing a move’ for the 27-year-old who has just one year left on his contract at the King Power Stadium.

However, the Yorkshire side are not the only Premier League club in for Justin this summer, with Everton also considering a late move for the defender. As for how much the deal would cost, it was reported earlier in the window that Justin could be available for a cut-price fee of just £6m.

Why Justin would be a good signing for Leeds

Despite struggling with major injury issues at times during his career, England international Justin would bring a plethora of experience to a Leeds side looking to stay in the Premier League.

Last season was not easy for Leicester, with the Foxes suffering from yet another top-flight relegation. He played all but two games in the Premier League, chipping in with two goals, including a stunner against Arsenal, and two assists, showing his attacking output from full-back.

In the top flight, he has regularly chipped in with goal contributions, with last season’s four the best of his career.

The stats show just how strongly he has performed in the Premier League. His all-round contributions have always been consistent, and at his best, he averaged 1.2 key passes per game in 2019/20, and 4.2 tackles and interceptions in the same season.

Justin’s PL career (per 90)
Season	Chances created	Tackles & interceptions
2019/20	1.2	4.2
2020/21	0.9	4
2021/22	0.8	3.5
2022/23	0.5	2.5
2024/25	0.4	3.2
Stats from Sofascore

If Leeds acquire Justin this summer, he could well be the dream signing for Okafor. The Switzerland star has struggled for consistency, spending the second half of last season on loan at Napoli, but barely featuring, making just four appearances.

Yet, at his very best, the attacker can be lethal. In the 2021/22 campaign for former club RB Salzburg, he scored 14 goals and assisted 11 in 34 appearances. That season, he operated as a striker more often than not, but also featured off the left.

Well, Justin has proven he can be a consistent chance creator in the Premier League. If he can start getting those chances flowing for Okafor, then the forward could explode in the Premier League.

Each player’s versatility is also key. Leeds’ prospective new attacker can play on either flank, just as Justin can. This offers interesting tactical flexibility for Farke; he can perhaps switch his winger and full-back pairing at will to build their relationship on the pitch, whilst maximising the strengths of other players on the pitch.

A strong creative option and a “colossal” defender, according to Statman Dave, Justin could be an excellent addition for Leeds. With the versatility and creativity he offers in the final third, this could make him a dream signing for Okafor. At just £6m, this seems to be a steal for Leeds.

Better than Nmecha: Leeds now competing to sign "powerful" new striker

Leeds United are reportedly competing to sign a striker who could be even better than Lukas Nmecha.

1

By
Dan Emery

Aug 20, 2025

The draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon might have put a slight dampener on things, but this season still feels like it could be a great one for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are finally back in the Champions League and, based on what we saw over the summer, look like they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the Premier League.

Moreover, with the transfer window still open for just under two weeks, there is plenty of time for the Blues to get even stronger.

One of the players most heavily touted for a move to Stamford Bridge has been Xavi Simons, although the West Londoners are now being linked to someone who’d be a more critical signing, someone who is also being linked with cross-city rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea race Spurs for more important signing than Simons

While there have been sporadic reports linking Simons with a move to Chelsea for a few years now, they began to really pick up steam earlier this summer.

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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Since then, there has been a steady stream of stories touting the RB Leipzig star for a move to Stamford Bridge, and while there have been moments when it seemed unlikely, it now appears to be just a matter of time.

However, even though the Dutchman is an extraordinarily talented attacker who amassed a tally of 19 goal involvements in 33 games last season, there is another international the Blues are now looking at who’d be a far more critical signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has claimed Chelsea are still very interested in Piero Hincapié.

However, the West Londoners are not the only ones interested in the imposing centre-back, as Tottenham Hotspur are also racing to secure his signature.

On top of beating the North Londoners, Chelsea will have to stump up a fee in excess of €45m, which is about £39m, and while that’s certainly a lot, it would be worth it, especially as Hincapié would be a more important addition to the squad than Simons.

Why Hincapié would be a more important signing than Simons

Now, Simons would undoubtedly have a sizable impact on this Chelsea side, as over the last few seasons, he has more than proven his ability as a winger and number ten.

However, at this point in time and in the foreseeable future, we’d say that Hincapié would be far more of a game-changer for the Blues, and one of the main reasons why is down to the makeup of the squad.

For example, while they did look somewhat blunt against Palace on Sunday, the Conference League champions have an abundance of exciting and dynamic attacking talent in the squad.

Moreover, we still haven’t seen what the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens might be able to do with a run of Premier League appearances under Maresca.

In contrast, the Argentine’s defensive options are starting to look a little thin, especially with Levi Colwill out for potentially the season and Tosin Asarabioyo missing the match at the weekend.

Moreover, while the incredibly exciting Jorrel Hato might be the perfect solution in a few years from now, it would be unfair and unwise to throw him in at the deep end at just 19 years old and with no experience of playing in a top-five league.

The second reason the Leverkusen star would be such an essential addition to the team is that, on top of being defensively solid, he’s a great passer and carrier of the ball, which should help massively in build-up play.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 2% for crosses into the penalty area, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 6% for key passes and more, all per 90.

Finally, with a Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal under his belt, the “Ecuadorian football legend in the making,” as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, would bring a real know-how and maturity to this Blues side, which could be crucial in a season where they should be challenging for silverware.

Hincapié Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.18

Top 1%

Progressive Passes Received

2.35

Top 2%

xA: Expected Assists

0.10

Top 2%

Crosses into Penalty Area

0.26

Top 2%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.29

Top 2%

Touches (Att 3rd)

12.16

Top 2%

Crosses

1.23

Top 3%

Carries into Penalty Area

0.16

Top 3%

Fouls Drawn

1.26

Top 4%

Progressive Carries

1.65

Top 5%

SCA (Shot)

0.18

Top 5%

Carries into Final Third

1.41

Top 5%

Key Passes

0.52

Top 6%

Touches (Att Pen)

1.52

Top 7%

Passes into Penalty Area

0.52

Top 9%

Tackles Won

1.39

Top 9%

All Stats via FBref

Ultimately, Simons will be a great addition to this Chelsea team, but for our money, Hincapié would be a far more important signing to make this summer.

Related Chelsea submit £43m bid for defender who's "as good as Van Dijk and Saliba"

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India captain says match simulation gives them a better chance at maximising their three days at the WACA in the lead-up to the Test series

Alagappan Muthu03-Nov-20245:43

Rohit: Not going to look beyond the Australia series

India will go from their 0-3 defeat to New Zealand to Australia in a couple of weeks’ time and they will face that challenge without the aid of any practice matches. This was their choice. They’ve scrapped a game they were supposed to play against India A at the WACA in favour of centre-wicket training with India A. This means the first game of any kind they will play during the Border-Gavaskar series is the opening Test match in Perth.India took this decision before the whitewash happened on Sunday and the captain Rohit Sharma explained why. “Look, you know, rather than practice match, we planned a very match simulation kind of a thing with India A,” he said. “I think sometimes when you play that practice match, we’re travelling with a squad of 19 players and it was only three days that were allotted to us. And I don’t know how much workload we can get done in those three days in terms of getting everyone prepared.”So we, as a management as well, we feel that rather than having that, the match simulation where the batters can spend more time in the middle, batting in the middle, and then the bowlers as well can bowl a lot of balls, so that is something that, we as a team feel more comfortable doing rather than playing a practice game because game time is not a problem. All of us have been playing a lot of cricket. So it’s just about spending time in the middle.”Related

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India A are already on site and have played a four-day game against Australia A in Mackay. That squad includes members who are part of the Test squad as well and several other leading performers in first-class cricket. So Rohit is hopeful of getting reasonably good prep, especially now with the shift from practice match to match simulation.”If a batter gets out, he has to sit in the dugout for the whole day, you know, and he doesn’t get too much of batting done,” Rohit said. “Whereas in match simulation kind of a thing, you know, the batters can go out and play 50-70 balls and then if you feel that he’s had enough, we can retire him out and then get someone else in. So that is the plan.”We want to maximise this three-day slot that we’ve got and I feel this is the best way to do it where the batters can have a lot of time in the middle and the bowlers at the same time can get their workload in terms of getting the number of balls bowled in the middle. So that was the idea and we will be.”I think we’ll be training at WACA, which is as close to Optus where you have that bounce and carry. So hopefully we can use those three days perfectly and maximise how much ever we can from our point of view.”The five Tests in Australia now assume even greater importance because India will need to win four of them to make it to the WTC final next year. They may have to start the series without Rohit, who mentioned that he “wasn’t too sure if I’ll be going to [Perth]. But let’s see. Fingers crossed.”

كشف هانز فليك، مدرب نادي برشلونة، عن موقف مدافع الفريق الكتالوني من المشاركة أمام خيتافي غدًا الأحد، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

برشلونة يستضيف خيتافي مساء غد الأحد على ملعب يوهان كرويف، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق الفوز على خيتافي من أجل تشديد الخناق على ريال مدريد متصدر الليجا حتى الآن.

أقرأ أيضًا .. برشلونة يحدد قائمته لحضور حفل الكرة الذهبية.. غياب اسمين بارزين

وتحدث فليك خلال المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص باللقاء والذي نقلته صحيفة سبورت عن موقف باو كوبارسي من المشاركة أمام خيتافي، حيث أصيب اللاعب الشاب خلال مواجهة نيوكاسل يونايتد يوم الخميس الماضي في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقال فليك عن كوبارسي: “سنرى إن كان بإمكانه اللعب غدًا، سيكون كوبارسي خيارًا متاحًا لنا سواءً على مقاعد البدلاء أو من البداية”.

وعن داني أولمو وعدم مشاركته أساسيًا، أضاف فليك في حديثه: “لدينا 25 لاعبًا وعلينا دائمًا اتخاذ القرارات، لقد بدأنا الموسم للتو وكل لاعب مهم في تشكيلة الفريق، أنا سعيد بجودة اللاعبين، ربما لا يكون بعضهم راضيًا لكن الأمر يتعلق بالفريق وإذا شاركوا فعليهم إظهار ذلك، فهذه هي مباراتهم التي يجب أن يتألقوا فيها، إنهم يدركون أهمية هذا الأمر، الفريق هو الأهم وهو أساس النجاح في هذا النادي”.

وعن سباق الكرة الذهبية وإمكانية تتويج لامين يامال بها، أوضح فليك: “لا أعرف إن كان لامين سيفوز بها، ولكن سنرى يومًا ما، أن نكون هناك يعني أن نحترم الفائز في النهاية، نحن لدينا لاعبين مرشحين للفوز بها وأي شخص موجود يستحق الجائزة، علينا أن نحترم الفائزين فهذا أمر بالغ الأهمية”.

وعن ما إذا كان التعادل أمام رايو فاليكانو نقطة تحول لمشوار برشلونة هذا الموسم أردف المدرب الألماني: “إذا نظرنا إلى الموسم الماضي سنجد أن الأمور تتغير كثيرًا في الحياة وكرة القدم، وظيفتنا هي أن نبذل قصارى جهدنا من أجل النادي وبنسبة 100%، وسأبذل قصارى جهدي أيضًا”.

وبشأن تعرض مدرب أتلتيكو مدريد، دييجو سيميوني، للسباب من قبل مشجعي ليفربول في دوري أبطال أوروبا، واصل فليك: “لا أشعر بما شعر به سيميوني، لقد مررت بمواقف مماثلة لكن هذا هو الواقع، ليس من الجيد سماع الإهانات من المدرجات، كل شخص يختلف عن الآخر وأحب أن أتحدث عن رد فعل تشولو وهو ما يعبر عن مشاعره، وأنا أتفهم ذلك لكن الوضع مختلف”.

وعن خيتافي استكمل: “ما يهمني أكثر هو فريقي، نعرف ما نتوقعه ومن المهم أن نتدرب جيدًا وأن نستعيد نشاطنا وهذا ما يجب أن نفكر فيه”.

وبشأن تصريحات مدرب خيتافي، خوسيه بوردالاس، حول اعتراضه على إقامة لقاء برشلونة وفياريال في أمريكا قال فليك: “لكل شخص رأيه الخاص في الأمور، لا يهمني ما يقوله الآخرون”.

وفيما يتعلق بمدى جاهزية ملعب كامب نو لاستقبال مباريات برشلونة استطرد: ”الأمر ليس بيدي فأنا مطلع على التطورات والوضع وأين سنلعب لكن القرار ليس بيدي، علينا التركيز على أدائنا وسنرى ما سيحدث خطوة بخطوة”.

وعن ماركوس راشفورد، أوضح فليك: “اكتسب ماركوس ثقة كبيرة بهدفيه في مرمى نيوكاسل وفي أسلوب لعبنا، يجب أن نلعب بأقصى قوة وهذا ما أتوقعه منه، عندما تصل إلى فريق جديد عليك أن تتكيف والآن هو الوقت المناسب”.

وأردف: “أؤمن بشدة بجودة هذا الفريق ولكن علينا العمل بجد دائمًا، علينا أن نتطور كل يوم وأن نتكيف مع كل موقف وسأواصل بذل قصارى جهدي”.

وعن إصابة جافي تابع: ”نأمل أن يعود قريبًا، إجراءه لجراحة؟ الآن ليس الوقت المناسب لاتخاذ قرار. سنتخذه في بداية الأسبوع المقبل”.

وعن موقف لامين يامال وأليخاندرو بالدي وإصابة الثنائي واصل: ”نعمل على عودة الثنائي، علينا أن نتابع حالة لامين يومًا بيوم، أما بالدي فنحن على دراية بوضعه وأعتقد أن عودته قريبة، علينا الانتظار بشأن لامين، لكنه يبذل جهدًا كبيرًا ويتلقى العلاج وتحسنه مستمر”.

Arsenal are extremely busy behind-the-scenes as they look to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s squad with proven quality, and it is believed yet another player has been given permission to join them by his club.

New sporting director Andrea Berta’s arrival has motivated plenty of excitement and anticipation among supporters for this summer window, with the Italian known to spin many plates at a time in pursuit of his preferred transfer targets.

Mikel Arteta personally wants Arsenal to sign £94m forward this summer

They know the costs of what would be a marquee deal.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 25, 2025

Berta’s track record at former club Atlético Madrid also makes him stand out as a proven replacement for ex-director Edu Gaspar, and the 53-year-old has already made a solid start to his tenure at the Emirates with a couple of completed deals.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)	Money on new signings
19/20 – winter	£0
20/21 – summer	£81.5m
20/21 – winter	£900k
21/22 – summer	£156.8m
21/22 – winter	£1.8m
22/23 – summer	£121.5m
22/23 – winter	£59m
23/24 – summer	£208m
23/24 – winter	£0
24/25 – summer	£101.5m
24/25 – winter	£0

After months of talks, Berta has put the finishing touches on Arsenal’s move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, with the Gunners set to pay £56 million for him. This is slightly above his release clause, but the fee will be paid in installments, with Zubimendi recently finalising his move to N5.

Arsenal also triggered Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £5 million release clause to make him Berta’s second summer arrival after Zubimendi (Fabrizio Romano), securing a solid and experienced back-up option for David Raya.

Brentford captain Christian Norgaard was linked earlier this week, as claims started to emerge that Arsenal were considering a shock move for the 31-year-old to replace Thomas Partey, and that deal has seriously intensified in the last 24 hours.

Following accelerated talks with Brentford, they’ve now agreed a deal worth an initial £10 million, plus an additional £5 million in potential add-ons (BBC), and the Denmark international is set to become Berta’s third signing of the window.

Christian Norgaard permitted for Arsenal medical after deal agreed

As per trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Norgaard has now been “authorized” to undergo his medical at Arsenal after a deal was agreed for the Scandinavian, so barring any physical complications, the midfielder will be Arsenal’s “next” completed deal.

With Partey set to leave as a free agent after June 30, Norgaard comes in as a like-for-like stand-in for the Ghanaian, and one who boasts similar attributes as a Premier League proven defensive midfield anchor.

Berta has moved swiftly to ensure that Arteta won’t be left short in the midfield department, and Norgaard has long been praised as a player who “goes under the radar” with his consistent performances.

“Norgaard is a better player than a lot of people give him credit for,” said former top-level scout Mick Brown to Football Insider recently.

“So interest from clubs like Arsenal might come as a shock, but he would be a good option for them. He’s a very consistent performer who goes under the radar a lot of the time, and that’s what these clubs are looking for, a solid, consistent player.”

A “brilliant” Rangers player has been linked with a move away from Ibrox this summer, and the Scottish Premiership giants could even lose him on the cheap.

Rangers exit rumours ahead of Champions League qualifier

The Russell Martin era is now officially underway at Ibrox, with the Englishman’s first task as Gers boss being a Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos at the end of July.

While the new Rangers boss will no doubt be eyeing some new signings who can suit his style of play, some current players could move on this summer, including Gers star Cyriel Dessers.

A report on Sunday even claimed that the 30-year-old attacker could seal a move to Greek side AEK Athens in the space of 48 hours, so he may depart Ibrox imminently, following two years at the club.

Meanwhile, it looks as though Rangers centre-back Robin Propper could also be on his way out of the club, with talks planned with Martin about his future after a disappointing stint. Captain James Tavernier’s legendary spell with the Gers could also reach its conclusion, so it may be all change, and now another exit claim has emerged regarding a different player.

£20m Rangers star wanted by two clubs

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are now “at risk” of losing Hamza Igamane this summer, amid interest from Ligue 1 side Marseille and Serie A outfit Lazio. In fact, it says that Marseille have now made a new approach to sign the forward over the coming months, which has “rocked” Rangers.

Worryingly, it is claimed that while the Gers have “set a £20m asking price” for the services of the 22-year-old, “this figure could potentially be negotiated”, suggesting that he may depart on the cheap.

Igamane enjoyed such an impressive first season in a Rangers shirt in 2024/25, scoring 15 goals in the Scottish Premiership and Europa League combined, so to lose him so soon would be an undoubted setback for Martin.

The Moroccan has had so many good moments, but a lethal late strike away to bitter rivals Celtic late in the campaign, securing a 3-2 win in the process, endeared him to Gers supporters even more than before.

Meanwhile, pundit Derek Ferguson was full of praise for the impact he made, saying: “Igamane is a real breath of fresh air, the young man. The manager said he was trying to get him up to speed, but in the last few games he has been nothing short of brilliant. He is off the cuff and he had three or four nutmegs this afternoon – and took his goal brilliantly. I don’t know if you remember Ted McMinn, but Igamane’s got that unpredictability.”

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It is understandable why Igamane’s head may be turned by Marseille or Lazio, seeing as they are big clubs in their own right, but the hope is that Martin can persuade him to stay at Rangers, talking up the club’s future under him and promising to make him a massive part of his plans.

Leeds United had to put out a statement to defend their captain, Ethan Ampadu, after his former partner posted a picture of their child in a Galatasaray shirt.

The Whites pointed out that they are separated and that the Wales international is sensitive to the situation, and that he did not have any responsibility for the image being published on social media.

It is a shame that this situation has created problems for Ampadu after what was a truly brilliant season from the versatile star, who is now a hugely valuable asset for the club.

Ethan Ampadu's current market value

At the time of writing (19/06/2025), the Welsh star is valued at €16m (£13.4m) by Transfermarkt, which is significantly more than the fee the Whites paid for him in the summer of 2023.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Leeds reportedly paid a fee of £7m to sign the defensive midfielder from Chelsea ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, and he is now worth almost twice as much, thanks to his form for the club in the Championship.

Ampadu has made 84 appearances in all competitions for the West Yorkshire outfit in that time, helping the team to keep 35 clean sheets in the second tier.

There is a former Leeds defender, though, who is now worth even more than the Wales international, having left the club on a free transfer last year – Robin Koch.

Robin Koch's current market value

The Whites swooped to sign the German defender from Freiburg for an initial fee of £11.5m in the summer of 2020 and he went on to play 77 times for the club across three seasons at Elland Road.

After Leeds were relegated from the Premier League, Koch opted to join Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the 2023/24 campaign until his contract ran out in the summer of 2024.

This meant that the towering centre-back, once dubbed a “monster” by winger Vincenzo Grifo, left to sign for Frankfurt on a free transfer last year, and that has turned out to be an absolute bargain for the German side.

Appearances

36

30

Goals

0

3

Dribbled past per game

0.9x

0.4x

Clearances per game

4.1

6.5

Aerial duel success rate

62%

67%

Duels won per game

5.2

4.7

As you can see in the table above, Koch’s performances for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this season have been far more impressive than his displays for Leeds in the Premier League were, which has led to interest from elsewhere.

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg recently reported that Bayer Leverkusen are prepared to trigger his release clause, which is worth up to €20m (£16.8m), whilst Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are also interested in signing him.

This shows that Koch’s value has soared since his exit from Leeds because he is now worth far more than the £11.5m that the club paid for him in 2020, and obviously more than the £0 they got back for his services in 2020.

The Whites, therefore, may rue how his situation unfoded because they were unable to extract a transfer fee from his exit, as he ran his contract down, and now he is closing in on a big-money move for even more than club captain Ampadu is worth.

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