All posts by h716a5.icu

Chinelle Henry will lead the team in the injured allrounder’s absence

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2025Barbados Royals have suffered a significant blow on the eve of their WCPL title defence, with a shoulder injury ruling out their captain Hayley Matthews for the entire season.Allrounder Chinelle Henry will lead Royals in Matthews’ absence.Related

Shreyanka Patil among three Indians picked in WCPL draft

How Salonee Dangore went from track and field to the CPL

Guyana Amazon Warriors sign Dane van Niekerk

Matthews is the WCPL’s leading run-getter (424 at a strike rate of 113.06) and wicket-taker (23 with an economy rate of 5.79), and a key player in Royals’ title-winning campaigns of 2023 and 2024. She was Player of the Match in the 2023 final against Guyana Amazon Warriors, scoring a 59-ball 82 and taking two wickets, and Player of the Series in the 2024 season.Royals announced the news of Matthews’ injury via X, formerly Twitter. They have not announced a replacement yet.

Our two-time WCPL Champion and skipper has been ruled out of the season with a shoulder injury.

Wishing you a smooth recovery, Hayley. We can’t wait to see you back stronger!pic.twitter.com/9T7xcmb0HW

— Barbados Royals (@BarbadosRoyals) September 6, 2025

Royals are set to play their first game of WCPL 2025 against Amazon Warriors on Sunday night.Matthews had picked up a shoulder injury on the England tour and opted for surgery during the WBBL. She was the Melbourne Renegades’ pre-draft pick but pulled out before the WBBL draft. She played the home series against South Africa and then the Hundred and was slated to undergo surgery after the WCPL.NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Trishan Holder and Steffie Soogrim were among a select group of emerging West Indian players who tuned up for WCPL 2025 with a stint at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Chennai last month.Barbados Royals squadChinelle Henry (capt), Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Kycia Knight, Steffie Soogrim, Shamilia Connell, Sheneta Grimmond, Qiana Joseph, Trishan Holder, NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Chamari Athapaththu, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Webb, Shreyanka Patil

Newcastle United may be active in the January transfer market, with a number of areas in need of work.

After winning the Carabao Cup last season and securing Champions League qualification for the second time in three seasons, Eddie Howe has struggled to get a tune out of his Magpie squad, who languish in 14th place in the Premier League.

Struggles on the road have been well documented in recent weeks, but Newcastle have a wider crisis of creativity that must be fixed.

#

Club

xG Total

1.

Chelsea

20.4

2.

Man City

19.3

3.

Crystal Palace

19.0

4.

Arsenal

18.8

5.

Man United

18.2

12.

Newcastle

12.8

Nick Woltemade has been the shining light at number nine, so exciting and promising in Alexander Isak’s former berth, but he can only do so much as United struggle to fashion chances with the regularity that is required to compete at the top of the table.

Latest on Newcastle's transfer search

While Newcastle have dynamic wingers and a robust and compact central midfield, there’s no question that more is needed, and with Joelinton under fire for his performances this season, there’s a vacancy emerging for a hungry new playmaker.

Newcastle did sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa for a fee in excess of £40m this summer, but the 24-year-old has yet to hit a rich vein of form on Tyneside. A new solution may be needed here.

Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, Newcastle could land the help that they need in the form of Kees Smit, having learned that they will have to make the 19-year-old AZ Alkmaar’s club-record sale if they wish to prise him away from the Netherlands in 2026.

The Eredivisie outfit would be looking for a £22m payment if they are to relinquish control of their prized prospect, and with Barcelona and Real Madrid lurking, Newcastle will need to act speedily.

Why Newcastle want Kees Smit

Smit might be a teenager, but he’s already welcomed a few onto the hype train, with analyst Ben Mattinson marvelling at the “duel monster” and his all-encompassing midfield qualities.

Effortlessly calm in tight spaces, Smit is fostering an exciting and creative skillset, with FBref recording that he ranks among the top 6% of similar midfielders over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for through balls, and the top 10% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

He thrived against Crystal Palace in their recent Conference League clash, grabbing an assist, completing three dribbles and winning six duels.

There’s a maturity about this creator that suggests he could be tailor-made for a career in the Premier League, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 3.5 duels, 1.2 tackles and six ball recoveries per Eredivisie match too. He’s the complete package.

19 years old. We might even be talking about a bigger talent here than Woltemade, a dominant athlete whose technical understanding has seen him become one of AZ’s most important cogs at this fledgling phase.

Woltemade has been one of Newcastle’s star players this season, and he will continue to improve, but Smit’s playmaking may elevate the German to another level entirely down the line.

Smit or Woltemade? Who’s the bigger talent? Perhaps we’re splitting hairs. United just need to get the deal over the line, thus combining two brilliant footballers and reenergising Howe’s attack.

He'd revive Gordon: Newcastle could hire Howe 2.0 in "the best coach in PL"

Recent form has made Newcastle consider the unthinkable possibility of Howe moving on at some stage.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 15, 2025

Millions of dollars. Your choice of multiple offers. Wining and dining. Swag. Perks. Private jets. A better version of the lottery. Such are the images we have come to associate with MLB free agency, especially after teams have just forked over $2.6 billion in the 49th go-round of the free-agent carousel that began with the 1976 Basic Agreement.

For Corbin Burnes, one of the top pitchers on the market, the reality of free agency was more prosaic. It included only three offers, lots of talk about day care and school commutes, five weeks that went by with nothing but crickets from his family’s preferred destination, advice from his agent, Scott Boras, about patience, just one in-person visit and only one piece of swag—the Toronto Blue Jays let him keep a tablet pre-loaded with recruiting material about the organization’s facilities and support staff.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen,” Burnes said about his first venture into free agency. “Every other [offseason] you know where you’re going to be and you’ve got your staff you’re working with, from the team phone calls, workouts, throwing programs, whatever.

“So, the biggest factor was the unknown. I think just even from the get-go, there’s just some nerves of, ‘What’s going to happen?’ That’s one of the things people don’t get. We get free agency, yes, but we really can’t control it. People go, ‘You finally get to pick the team you play for.’ It’s really not the case at all.”

In the last hour of Dec. 27, Burnes, 30, agreed to a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a deal that seemed to come out of nowhere and pleased him immensely. Burnes lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife, Brooke, son Carter, 3, and twin daughters Charlotte and Harper, who were born in June. They will not have to switch homes to accommodate his work, not even for spring training.

“And when they start school,” Burnes says, “I can wake up in the morning, and take them to school. And I don’t have to worry about FaceTiming them in the morning and saying, ‘Have a good day at school.’ Like, something happens every day. You don’t have to worry about switching pediatricians in the middle of the season.

“I travel 83 or 84 days of the year and get to be home the rest of those days and not worry about traveling back and forth to be in different cities. I don’t have to split the family up.”

As free agency began, Burnes agreed to provide a peek behind the scenes of free agency—not so much the business side of it, but more about the personal side. This is his story. It is his personal timeline of his 57-day journey into free agency.

Tottenham Hotspur are now willing to pay £70m to sign AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, as they believe he would be perfect for Thomas Frank.

It is little wonder Tottenham are looking to bring in a new forward, given that some of their current attacking options have been far from impressive so far this season, with Jamie O’Hara left fuming by Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani after the Chelsea defeat.

Mathys Tel has also found it difficult to adapt to life in the Premier League, with the 20-year-old being dropped to the bench in recent weeks, having now scored just one goal in his opening 10 matches in all competitions.

Spurs’ attacking woes were particularly apparent in the 1-0 defeat against their London rivals on Saturday, failing to craft a single big chance, while also having just three shots in the entire match.

Tottenham willing to make offer for Antoine Semenyo

Having struggled in front of goal, Tottenham are now willing to make their club-record signing in one of the stars of the Premier League this season, with a report from Spain revealing they are prepared to make a bid of around €80m (£70m) for Semenyo.

There is a belief the Bournemouth forward would be ideal for Frank, given that he is fast, powerful and clinical, but there could be competition for the Ghanaian’s signature, as several unnamed European clubs are also keen.

The Cherries value the 25-year-old highly, but they may be willing to cash-in for the right price this winter, with a £80m fee being touted.

The Bournemouth star has shown signs of year-on-year development since first emerging as a regular starter in the Premier League during the 2023/24 season, and he is already over half-way to matching his goal and assist tally from the previous campaign.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

33

11

2024-25

37

17

2025-26

10

9

Scout Ben Mattinson has also been left impressed by the Ghana international in the past, urging Arsenal to sign him back in February.

Semenyo has earned a move to a top club, with his performances this season indicating he is ready to make the step-up, and it would be a real statement of intent from ENIC if they were able to get a deal done.

Tottenham now leading race for Samu Aghehowa Tottenham leading race for Samu Aghehowa with FC Porto now willing to sell

Spurs have set out to sign a new striker.

ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

Allrounder’s century lifted Derbyshire from ruin after the Indian leg spinner took 3 in 11 balls

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jul-2025Derbyshire 348 for 8 (Andersson 105, Chahal 4-116) vs Northamptonshire Martin Andersson led a Derbyshire fightback with a spirited 105, his third century of the summer, as his side rallied to 348 for 8 on day one of this Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.It came after Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal struck three times in 11 balls to tip the morning session firmly in Northamptonshire’s favour; the visitors ruing their decision to bat as they slipped to 98 for 5 at lunch, despite 39 from Luis Reece.But Andersson (148 balls, 14 fours) then dominated a 102 run-partnership with Aneurin Donald (37) during the afternoon, before sharing a further stand worth 61 with all-rounder Zak Chappell (32).Chahal, who found turn and bounce on a pitch previously used for the Vitality Blast Women Tier Two Finals Day on Saturday, later removed Chappell to finish with figures of four for 116.Earlier Derbyshire had a tough opening hour against some tight Northamptonshire bowling, the bulk of early runs coming through fine leg, their first wicket falling when Caleb Jewell (16) was undone by a George Scrimshaw delivery that jagged back and kept low, trapping him lbw.It brought Reece together with Harry Came (17) who combined in a confident 48-run stand off 69 deliveries, Reece unfurling a handsome cover drive against Scrimshaw to bring up Derbyshire’s 50 in the fifteenth over, before using his feet against Chahal to collect three boundaries over the infield.With Came taking on the seamers, momentum was running in Derbyshire’s direction, before Chahal intervened. First, he turned one across Came to trap him lbw and then picked up Reece who flicked straight to short leg. Brooke Guest’s stay was short, Chahal getting one to grip and turn to take the edge through to the keeper.Justin Broad capped the perfect morning for Northamptonshire, putting a dampener on Wayne Madsen’s 250th first-class game, when he was caught behind playing a lazy shot down the legside.After lunch Andersson and Donald came out fighting, bringing their 50 partnership up off 60 balls, Andersson sweeping and cutting Chahal and pulling seamer Liam Guthrie to the ropes.With 40 runs coming in the first 20 minutes of the session, Chahal then applied the brakes. Racing through his overs, he pushed the ball through quicker too, keeping both batters in check, despite bowling occasional short balls and legside deliveries. And, with fellow spinner Rob Keogh finding some drift at the other end, the scoring rate slowed markedly for a time.Finally though, Andersson got one away, sweeping Chahal for four before playing the same shot against Keogh to reach his 50 from 66 deliveries. Donald meanwhile, managed just two boundaries in his 37 but deployed the reverse sweep to keep the scoreboard ticking over against Chahal as the pair’s stand reached three figures.Keogh made the breakthrough, flighting the ball up and turning it back in sharply to bowl Donald between bat and pad. It brought Chappell to the crease, who began in typically positive fashion. He had advanced to 22 when Scrimshaw put down a straightforward chance at backward point and Derbyshire went into tea on 237 for 6, having added 139 for the loss of just one wicket in the afternoon.Chappell’s reprieve was short lived. After tea he clubbed Chahal down the ground to bring up Derbyshire’s 250 but then edged an attempted reverse sweep straight to slip.Andersson took two boundaries off Chahal through extra cover to reach his century, but the new ball brought immediate rewards when he came down the track to Procter and edged behind.New batter, teenage debutant Joe Wilkins showed no nerves though, looking highly impressive as he drove confidently. With Ben Aitchison also playing some stylish shots the pair put on an excellent unbeaten 48 for the ninth wicket.

Winning trophies and top-scorer awards might be routine to Erling Haaland, but this week the striker stands on the brink of what could be a once-in-lifetime opportunity: to qualify for the World Cup with Norway. Since Haaland was born in 2000, Norway have never competed on the world's biggest stage. Their six attempts have all fallen flat, only reaching the play-offs on one occasion.

Automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, however, is in their own hands. And at the feet of Haaland. The Manchester City striker is the top scorer in UEFA qualifying on 12 goals from six games, five more than closest rival Memphis Depay.

In Norway's most recent qualifier against Israel, Haaland struck a hat-trick in a 5-0 drubbing. In the previous game, he scored five and set up two more as Norway walloped Moldova 11-1. The Scandinavians have won all six of their games to take a three-point lead over Italy ahead of their final two games, Thursday's home fixture against Estonia and Sunday's showdown with the Azzurri at San Siro.

But most crucially, and in large part thanks to Haaland's insatiable hunger for scoring, they hold a 16-goal lead in goal difference, the tie-breaker in the event they finish on the same amount of points as Italy. Victory against Estonia, who have lost five of their seven qualifiers, will therefore all-but guarantee them a spot at the World Cup.

Haaland and Norway are taking nothing for granted, but they are on the cusp of what the striker, who has won almost every major trophy with City, has described as the biggest objective of his career.

Getty Family ties

Haaland has a very close relationship with his former footballer father, Alfie, but also a healthy rivalry with him. "He never pushed me to anything, but he early knew that I wanted to become good at football," Haaland told magazine. "I said a long time ago 'Hopefully I'll become better than you'. I told him many times. That's been something that has been a motivation for me ever since I was young, to live from football and become better than him."

It is fair to say that Erling has already had a far more impressive career than Alfie, who won zero major honours in his 20-year stint in professional football. Erling, by contrast, has won nine trophies, including the Champions League and Premier League, two Golden Boots and been named Player of the Season in both England and Germany. But Alfie can boast of one thing his son is yet to achieve: he has played in a World Cup.

Alfie was part of the Norway side that qualified for the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., and so there is an added significance to Erling's bid to reach next summer's tournament and become the second member of his family to not only play in the world's most prestigious competition, but to do so in the same country as his father.

AdvertisementGetty 'Biggest party ever'

Norway last reached the World Cup in 1998 (Alfie didn't make the squad), and while in the U.S. they agonisingly missed out on the knockout stage by one goal after all four teams in their group finished on four points, Norway had an epic journey in France, reaching the last 16 by beating none other than world champions Brazil. 

Granted, Brazil had already qualified as Group A winners, but they still fielded an all-star side including Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and the best player in the world at the time, Ronaldo. Norway went behind in the 79th minute but staged an incredible turnaround in the space of five minutes to snatch a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Tore Andre Flo and an 89th-minute penalty from Kjetil Rekdal. 

Norway were beaten 1-0 by Italy in the last 16, but no one alive then will forget the achievement of beating Brazil and making it to the knockout stage. Haaland is not looking that far ahead, but he knows that just making it to the finals will be a historic achievement. "If we would qualify for the World Cup, it would be like another big nation winning it," he told . "It would be the biggest party ever. Scenes in Oslo would be incredible."

Getty 'Sick and tired'

Norway had something approaching the biggest party ever when they beat Italy 3-0 in June. Rain had hammered down relentlessly throughout the game, but fans remained inside the Ullevaal Stadion long after full-time, serenading their players while wearing their ponchos.

"People didn't want to go home," said coach Stale Solbakken. "The rain was pouring, but they were there long before the game and long after the game."

Solbakken was part of the squad at the 1998 World Cup, giving the current crop of players, the vast majority of whom were not born then, a link with the past, although it is one that Solbakken wants to break: "We are sick and tired of talking about that now, so we need to get to another tournament. It’s 25 years since we've been in a major tournament, so it's about time."

Solbakken's experience at the World Cup is not even his most significant achievement. While training with FC Copenhagen in 2000, the 57-time Norway international collapsed from a heart attack as his heart stopped beating for almost seven minutes and he went into a coma for 30 hours. "He was clinically dead," said the club doctor who revived him. "It is a miracle that he is still alive."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFP'Biggest match-winner'

Solbakken was forced to retire at the age of 30, entering coaching in 2002. He won eight league titles with Copenhagen in two spells before becoming Norway coach in 2020. He is blessed with an incredible generation of players headlined by Haaland and Martin Odegaard (who is out injured at the moment), and backed-up by Haaland's City team-mate Oscar Bobb, Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth, RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa, Fulham midfielder Sander Berge and Borussia Dortmund full-back Julian Ryerson.

"Offensively, we have players with some X-factor now. We feel we can always score a goal," Solbakken added. "As a team, we have become much more solid defensively as well. We have a better mix. The feeling (in the squad) has always been good, but there’s an extra edge to it now that we have done so well."

No one has quite the X-factor of Haaland, and yet Solbakken insists the striker is "easy to coach". "He is very down-to-earth in terms that he wants to do his work defensively as well," he added. "He thinks about the team before he thinks about himself. You can see that when other players score, he's as happy as he is when he scores himself. He's aware he's a leader and he's taking care of his team-mates in a very good way. The other players know that Erling is our biggest match-winner and that we have to make sure that we put him in the right areas so he can score goals and be dangerous."

Freddie Freeman had a legendary World Series run with the victorious Los Angeles Dodgers this year, starting with his walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of Game 1 over the New York Yankees.

He went on to hit a home run in the first four games of the World Series, and eventually won the World Series MVP award.

One Dodgers fan, The Bismarck Tribune's Maeve Hushman, decided to commemorate Freeman's World Series performance with a tattoo of his grand slam. The tattoo shows the numbers of the three players on the bases when Freeman hit his homer—No. 50 Mookie Betts on first, No. 25 Tommy Edman on second and No. 3 Chris Taylor on third. It then shows a ball being hit outside the ballpark.

What a creative way to celebrate the Dodgers' title. She will never forget Freeman's historical walk-off grand slam, that's for sure.

Just when Chelsea were seemingly building serious momentum, wait, what happened?

When the Blues took a fourth-minute lead through Alejandro Garnacho against Sunderland, they appeared set to cruise to a nice routine victory at 3 o’clock on a Saturday.

However, Wilson Isidor equalised for the Black Cats soon after and then, right at the death, with the home side pushing for a winner of their own, Chemsdine Talbi snatched victory, sparking wild celebrations from the Mackems who had traveled to West London.

Chelsea did end the afternoon with 16 shots to Sunderland’s ten, but forced Robin Roefs into just two saves, while Robert Sánchez made six, hence why the newly-promoted outfit ended the game with a higher xG figure: 0.97-1.16.

Before this, Enzo Maresca’s team had won four on the spin, demolishing Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League, while also beating both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Now, though, question marks will be raised against the manager, so, with a fierce London derby against Tottenham to come next Saturday, which player should Maresca cast aside following his display during this defeat?

João Pedro's start to life at Chelsea

Back in the summer, after arriving mid-way through the Club World Cup from Brighton, straight into action having been on a Brazilian beach, João Pedro was being heralded as a revelation.

He scored twice on debut against former side Fluminense in the semi-finals, before also netting during the final demolition over Paris Saint-Germain a few days later.

However, since serious football has returned, he’s not lived up to these admittedly astronomical high standards.

Pedro has scored only twice this season, on target against both West Ham and Fulham back in August, thereby enduring something of a goal drought, which is not ideal given that Liam Delap is sidelined long-term.

Also not helping Pedro’s cause is the fact that, on Wednesday night, he missed the annihilation of Ajax, suspended, having been sent off in stoppage time against Benfica, and the team put in a free-flowing, free-scoring display in his absence.

Per Sofascore, during Sunday’s defeat to Sunderland, in 85 minutes on the field, he touched the ball just 30 times, lost possession on nine occasions, was flagged offside twice, and mustered zero shots, replaced by Tyrique George towards the end, a change Chelsea supporters may have wished to see sooner.

However, his place in the starting lineup may actually not be under that much threat, given that his primary competition for minutes may have actually been even worse.

The Chelsea youngster who should be dropped

It may still only be October, but Marc Guiu has already endured a weird season.

The teenage Spaniard began the campaign on loan at Sunderland, making just three appearances for the club, scoring against Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup, before being abruptly recalled following the aforementioned injury sustained by Delap.

Upon his return to West London, he did not feature in any of their first six fixtures, making the recall seem a bit pointless, but he then changed the game off the bench against Nottingham Forest last weekend, providing a much-needed focal point.

Guiu was then rewarded with a start against Ajax in mid-week and repaid the manager’s faith, breaking the deadlock in that one, thereby starting against his, briefly, former club this weekend too, a first-ever Premier League start.

However, as the table below documents, safe to say he did not make Sunderland supporters rue what could have been.

Shots on target

1

8th

Shots off target

1

6th

xG

0.22

4th

Accurate passes

2

30th

Duels contested

3

23rd

Duels won

Zero

30th

Possession lost

6

17th

Touches

10

26th

SofaScore rating

6

30th

As the table documents, Guiu won zero duels, completed just two passes, and touched the ball only ten times, the same number as the man who replaced him in the 76th minute, namely Jamie Gittens.

Bobby Vincent of Football London awarded him a 4/10, noting that he ‘got very little change’ out of Dan Ballard, while Sam Tabuteau of the Evening Standard added that he ‘struggled to get into the game’ and lacked ‘finesse’, believing the game was a ‘reminder of his inexperience’, both of which are pretty polite ways of phrasing it, we would suggest.

Thus, the Barcelona wonderkid may not be the answer to Chelsea’s centre-forward conundrum after all.

With games against Spurs, Barcelona and Arsenal to come in November, Maresca will surely favour alternative options, especially for those tougher assignments.

Not just George: Maresca must start Chelsea teen who's "similar to Palmer"

Enzo Maresca must start this exciting Chelsea youngster more regularly, who is being compared to Cole Palmer.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 25, 2025

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, a Westlake, Ohio, native and lifelong Cleveland sports fan, had his fandom levels for Cleveland sports teams questioned after he attended Game 1 of the ALCS between the Guardians and New York Yankees with his girlfriend and pop star Taylor Swift.

Fans couldn't help but notice that Kelce wasn't wearing any gear respresenting the Guardians. But Kelce, who posted an excited message on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the Guardians' thrilling walk-off win over the Yankees in Game 3 on Thursday, also took the time to set the record straight on his Cleveland sports fandom.

Well, there you have it. Kelce, who was raised on Cleveland sports and played football at the University of Cincinnati, made it clear that it shouldn't matter if he wears Cleveland sports gear or not—anyone who knows him knows he's a true fan.

Kelce's response to the critics prompted the Guardians, clearly in a good mood following the dramatic victory, to take to X and poke fun at the Chiefs tight end with a lighthearted joke.

Now, would be one heck of a response.

As the Premier League season enters the final stage, Manchester City are already starting to prepare for the summer transfer window and are now willing to make a £60 million offer to sign a “magician” for Pep Guardiola, according to a recent report.

Man City eye new midfielder to possibly replace Bernardo Silva

Given how busy the Blues were during the January transfer window, it is expected to be even busier at the Etihad this summer, as the club looks to potentially move players on and bring in new, young, and hungrier replacements.

Man City have a "quality" striker to replace Haaland & it's not Marmoush

With Erling Haaland sidelined for a while, Pep Guardiola must entrust Man City “quality” striker to deputise, and it is not Omar Marmoush.

ByBen Gray Apr 14, 2025

Over the weekend it was reported that Portuguese giants Benfica are interested in a move to sign Bernardo Silva from City. It is claimed that Silva is willing to take a pay cut on his current wage to secure a move to his homeland and to return to his boyhood club. His exit could be granted by Guardiola and the City chiefs, as his contract expires at the end of next season, and the Blues seemingly have their eyes on both a future successor and an immediate replacement.

According to The Star, City have seen an offer rejected for Sheffield Wednesday’s Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri. The attacker is only 15 years old, but the Blues see him as a player who has a bright future in the game, and the Premier League champions are willing to spend a seven-figure deal on him to secure a transfer. He may not be ready-made for the Premier League, but he could be seen as a long-term replacement for Silva.

Man City prepared to offer £60m to sign “magician”

If Silva does leave the Etihad, the Blues have their eyes on finding a more ready-made replacement as well. According to a report from Spain, Man City have made Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison one of their transfer targets ahead of this summer.

The report states that the Blues are looking ahead to the future, and Maddison’s excellent campaign for Spurs hasn’t gone unnoticed by Guardiola. So much so, that City are now willing to offer £60 million to secure the Englishman’s signature. Maddison isn’t seen as a player who can just become a squad player; in fact, they see him as the perfect replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, who is leaving City at the end of the campaign.

Maddison, who has been dubbed a “magician” by Statman Dave in the past, is seen as the perfect player for Guardiola’s system, and the City boss hasn’t hidden his admiration for the player, calling him “quality” this season.

Apps

221

Goals

56

Assists

48

Maddison has netted nine goals and recorded six assists in 30 league games this season, and that has been achieved in an underperforming Tottenham side. The 28-year-old is a key player for Spurs and Ange Postecoglou and is under contract until 2028, but they will consider a possible sale should they receive an offer of £60 million.