The New York Yankees lost Game 5 and the 2024 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. The loss may weigh most heavily on Aaron Judge, the pinstripes superstar whose intense struggles in the Fall Classic were capped off by a game-changing error in the fifth inning on a routine fly ball. The rally the Dodgers put forth in that inning would change the course of the game and lead to the Yankees' elimination.
It will be a long offseason for Judge and even longer if he (for some reason) tunes into sports talk radio at any point, because Yankees fans are going to be airing their grievances for the next few months. The airwaves received a fine example of that on Thursday morning, when a disgusted caller demanded the Yankees strip Judge of his captaincy and ship him to Queens to play for the New York Mets after his brutal showing.
This is Pat from East Islip:
"All this talk all morning has been about how Gerrit Cole didn't cover first base. This entire World Series comes down to Aaron Judge. He didn't hit, and in the game he did hit, he dropped a fly ball any Little Leaguer would have caught. He's a disgrace to the Yankee uniform, he should be stripped of his captaincy, and as far as I'm concerned, we should trade him to the Mets."
It's about what you'd expect. Sports fans are never more irrational than after a big loss and this was the biggest loss for the Yankees in over a decade. Judge had a majestic season and will likely end up with another MVP award for his efforts, but many New York fans will only remember his regrettable October performances.
The Yankees will not trade him to the Mets, nor will they strip him of his captaincy after he became the first player in pinstripes to earn the honor since Derek Jeter. But, Judge has a long road ahead of him in proving to the fans that his October slump will be a footnote in his venerable career rather than a legacy-defining stretch.
Harry Kane has opened up on family life and revealed the battles with his daughter Vivienne over his phone. Kane moved to Bayern Munich in 2023 and lived in a hotel for the first six months of his time in Germany as he initially struggled being away from his family. However, they have since settled in the country with the striker tearing up the Bundesliga.
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Kane is thriving in Munich
Tottenham were forced into the sale of Kane in 2023 as the England captain entered the final 12 months of his contract in north London. A host of Premier League sides, including Manchester City and Manchester United, were both credited with an interest but it was Bayern who won the race to secure his services.
And Kane has excelled in the Bundesliga having scored freely in Germany's top tier under Vincent Kompany. Earlier this season, Kane made history as he became the fastest player to score 100 goals for a team in Europe's top five leagues, doing so in 104 appearances, beating the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland, who both reached the milestone in 105 outings.
And the former Spurs man is leading the race for the 'Kicker-Torjagerkanone' having scored 12 league goals in his opening nine Bundesliga outings this season. Kane has since opened up about his family life in Germany, including his own battles with daughter Vivienne over his phone.
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'She enjoys taking pictures'
In a Q&A on his official Instagram page, Kane rattled through the questions about his phone, which offered an insight into life for the striker. The first question was 'Last photo in your camera roll?' to which the Bayern hitman replied: "The last photo? It's actually me trying to get my phone off my daughter, Vivienne. She had my phone and as you can see, she enjoys taking pictures. That's me trying to get it back off her."
In addition, Kane was asked the last person he called, answering: "The last person I called was my wife Kate. She's get a German number. We was just catching up. Family stuff, kids stuff. Who's picking up who at what time, just the usual stuff really, yeah."
Finally, Kane was asked 'What is your lock screen photo?', replying: "My lock screen changes all the time cause again the kids get hold of my phone. This is it at the moment (lock screen of emojis). Vivienne again she loves messing about and that's supposed to be me (points to emoji of a man) a grumpy man and she's got the love hearts at least, and she's got the cat because she loves cats. So, there you go."
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'Slowly but surely it starts to feel like home'
Kane has previously discussed his family life and the struggles that come with being away from his wife and children, including son Henry who was born the same month the Three Lions star left Spurs for Bayern. The striker resided in a hotel for the first six months of his time in Germany, and felt the pressure to perform on the pitch while being away from his family for so long.
However, they reunited at the start of 2024, and discussed his family with , stating: "They’re in school now and have been skiing the last couple of weekends. Just having that has been great for them. We’ve met a few of the parents at school and made friends with teammates’ wives and kids. Slowly but surely it starts to feel like home.
"People ask what are the big differences, but a lot of the routine is pretty much the same. You miss friends you have at home or a golf course, but you soon learn about those things here and it becomes part of your home."
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Bayern looking to extend remarkable winning run
After drawing a blank in Bayern's 2-1 win at PSG on Tuesday night, Kane has now failed to score in his last two club outings, and scored in just one of his last four club appearances. The Bavarians return to league duties on Saturday afternoon when they take on Union Berlin as they look to extend their remarkable winning start to the season.
Kompany has overseen 16 successive victories ahead of Saturday's trip to the capital ahead of the November international break. Bayern will resume domestic duties against Freiburg later this month before a mouth-watering meeting with Arsenal in the Champions League.
Harry Came fell nine runs short of a second century in the match as Derbyshire were forced to settle for a draw in an exciting finish to their Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Gloucestershire at Bristol.The hosts declared their second innings at lunch, having progressed from an overnight 364 for three to 526 for six. Graeme van Buuren added 70 to his score before being dismissed for 175, while James Bracey hit a brisk 43.That set Derbyshire a victory target of 316 in a minimum of 67 overs. Came and Caleb Jewell put together an opening stand of 177 in just 31.3 overs before Jewell fell for 83, from 80 deliveries, with 12 fours, and Came for 91, off 118 balls, with 7 fours and 3 sixes.But Gloucestershire refused to buckle and left-arm spinner van Buuren claimed four for 64 to give his side a chance before Anuj Dal (36 not out) and Ben Aitchison batted out for a draw at 296 for eight. Derbyshire took 14 points and Gloucestershire 11.Cameron Bancroft began the day undefeated on 170 in Gloucestershire’s second innings. The captain could add only six before being bowled by Zak Chappell, but could still take immense pride in a match-turning innings spanning almost seven-and-three-quarter hours and 366 balls.Van Buuren was obliged to exercise initial caution as he and Bracey guarded against a collapse. But once the pair had brought up 400, they went on the attack. Bracey smacked a straight six off Alex Thomson to stretch the lead to 207 and followed up with two quick boundaries off Jack Morley.On 134, van Buuren edged Morley just short of Wayne Madsen at slip, but it was all the good fortune the South African needed to reach 150 off 261 balls, with 20 fours.A six over long-on off Thomson brought up the century stand with Bracey, who faced just 56 balls in an entertaining cameo before top-edging an attempted slog sweep off Thomson and presenting wicketkeeper Brooke Guest with a simple catch.It was 498 for six when van Buuren’s was caught at wide long-on off Thomson looking to accelerate towards the declaration. Zaman Akhter hit sixes off two of his first three balls, while Ben Charlesworth also cleared the ropes with a powerful reverse sweep off Morley on the stroke of lunch.Gloucestershire gave the new ball to debutant Todd Murphy when the afternoon session began, hoping the Australia Test off-spinner would make early inroads. With David Lloyd unable to open the batting having been off the field injured on day three, Came partnered Caleb Jewell and soon signalled his side’s intentions with a four and a six in Murphy’s second over.That set the tone for an exhilarating century stand, Came reaching a fluent half-century off 61 balls, with 5 fours and 2 sixes, and Jewell following him to the same landmark, having faced 52 deliveries and hit 7 fours.Came hit a straight six off van Buuren as Derbyshire progressed serenely to 169 without loss at tea, needing a further 147 to win. Came was 87 not out and Jewell unbeaten on 75.Jewell hit the first two balls of the final session from Ajeet Singh Dale for boundaries, but fell to the third, caught at mid-off by the diving Miles Hammond, who produced an even better effort to dismiss Came, one-handed at mid-wicket off Murphy to leave Derbyshire 189 for two.Madsen made 17 before edging an attempted pull shot off Akhter to wicketkeeper James Bracey and Martin Andersson registered a third-ball duck, lbw to Murphy with 104 runs still required. That target had been reduced to 81 when Guest was caught behind off van Buuren for 22.Derbyshire entered the final hour of the match on 249 for five, needing a further 67 from a minimum of 16 overs. Their task increased when Thomson, on 10, edged a sweep to Hammond at slip off van Buuren, who followed up by having Zak Chappell caught at mid-wicket. That finally brought in Lloyd to bat with a runner with 45 needed and Anuj Dal unbeaten on 27.Lloyd made only nine before falling lbw to the inspired van Buuren. But Dal stood firm and Aitchison helped clinch the draw as the game ended with Gloucestershire fielders crowded around the bat.
Delhi Capitals’ (DC) stand-in captain Faf du Plessis pointed out that they lost their momentum in the last two overs when Mumbai Indians (MI) were batting after bowling well for 17-18 overs, which eventually led to their 59-run defeat at the Wankhede Stadium. The loss saw DC knocked out of contention for the IPL 2025 playoffs, while MI booked the last spot.Bowling first, it looked like DC would be chasing an under-par total with MI struggling at 132 for 5 after 18 overs. But Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir hammered 48 runs off the last two overs to take MI to 180 and DC were bowled out for 121 in reply.”I thought we were excellent today in the field. The guys showed great fight. Obviously, not the easiest pitch to bat on, so probably made the bowlers’ job a little bit easier. But still, it’s a very strong batting line-up (of MI), and I thought we were excellent,” du Plessis said after the game. “And then [we] just let it slip there in the last two overs which… momentum is a real thing in cricket. So I thought the way that they counterpunched there to get almost 50 in the last two overs really [cost us]. All that hard work that we did for 17-18 overs, [we] lost that momentum.”Related
Depth over daredevilry: Suryakumar's solo show saves the day for Mumbai Indians
Suryakumar, Santner and Bumrah lead MI into playoffs
DC were under pressure in a must-win situation as they were one point behind MI before this game, and had lost four of their last five matches before Wednesday. They further lost their regular captain Axar Patel to an illness for this match, someone who could have been useful on the Wanhede track, du Plessis said, where left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner finished with 4-0-11-3.”I’m a big believer that you’ve got to make sure you take [momentum] and you never take it for granted,” he said. “So when you’re playing like that and you’re performing well, then everything falls your way. And we could feel like the last couple of games, there was really a fight to try and get that momentum back and not doing the basics well in both departments.”So it shows you that when you’re on top of that wave, you’ve got to make sure you don’t lose it as quickly.”DC were a depleted side against MI, without Axar and their star bowler Mitchell Starc, who didn’t return to India once the IPL resumed after a brief suspension earlier this month. DC fielded as many as five uncapped players compared to MI’s one.”I think if you look at the two teams before today’s fixture, it was a case of David and Goliath. So I enjoy that because it gives guys the opportunity to really play together as a team,” he said. “So credit to them. [Sameer] Rizvi today showed some signs. He’s got some talent there. But when you’re playing against a powerful team like this, you need to be at your best all the time.1:49
Moody: ‘DC bowlers should have used the surface more’
“And unfortunately, all 17-18 overs we were, and then the last two overs I thought we were pretty average. And then with the bat, you would need a good start on a surface like that, and we didn’t get going at all with the bat. So it sums up pretty much our season. We’ve been cold in either batting or bowling the last six or seven games.”And to be in the top four in the IPL, you can’t afford to do that. So probably a fair reflection not to make that top four.”Compared to the five wickets taken by MI’s spinners combined, DC’s spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam managed just one between them, which made them miss Axar even more.”Yeah, I think especially [missed] Axar on a wicket like that,” du Plessis said. “If you look at the way that Mitch Santner bowled, they’re very similar bowlers. To bowl four overs, I think [Santner] only went for ten runs. Axar is that kind of class bowler, international, proven left-arm spinner that on a wicket like that, he would love to bowl in it. But unfortunately, he was very, very sick the last two days.”Starcy, yes, of course [we missed him]. Starc is a fantastic bowler. But I think especially the spinners on a wicket like this, it’s worth gold.”
O técnico Abel Ferreira não comandará o Palmeiras nos dois próximos jogos do Verdão. O treinador está suspenso e não poderá estar com o restante da delegação nos jogos contra o Athletico-PR, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, e São Paulo, pelas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Com isso, Abel só voltará à beira do gramado no duelo diante do Flamengo, no próximo sábado (8), no Allianz Parque, pelo Brasileirão.
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Na partida contra o Furacão, neste domingo (2), o técnico irá cumprir a punição de um jogo de suspensão determinada pelo STJD pelo episódio em que Abel tomou o celular da mão de um repórter na zona mista do Mineirão após o empate com o Atlético-MG. O Palmeiras não deve recorrer da decisão.
Diante do Tricolor, na próxima quarta-feira (5), Abel Ferreira terá que cumprir suspensão devido à expulsão no jogo contra o Fortaleza, na Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador, nas oitavas de final. Na ocasião, o treinador português havia recebido cartão amarelo no primeiro tempo por ter reclamado dos critérios da arbitragem, e na segunda etapa levou vermelho direto. A súmula alegou que Abel teria proferido xingamentos ao árbitro Savio Pereira Sampaio.
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Com as advertências recebidas contra o Leão do Pici, o técnico chegou a50 cartões desde que assumiu o comando do Palestra, em 2020. Ao total, Abel Ferreira soma 44 cartões amarelos e oito vermelhos, o que equivale a aproximadamente um cartão a cada quatro partidas (cerca de 26%) em que comandou a equipe alviverde.
+ Palmeiras ‘sobra’ entre os brasileiros na fase de grupos da Libertadores nos últimos seis anos
O auxiliar João Martins deve comandar o Palmeiras nos dois jogos em que o português cumprirá suspensão. Nas 20 partidas em que substituiu Abel, o Verdão somou 12 vitórias, sete empates e somente uma derrota.
RCB were sloppy on the field, but the bowlers put in a good shift; only two of the six used went at over nine an over
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2025
Yashasvi Jaiswal muscles a celebration upon reaching a 35-ball fifty•BCCI
Yashasvi Jaiswal made 75 off 47 balls to carry Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a total of 173 for 4 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the first game of IPL 2025 in Jaipur.Jaiswal was able to score so quickly on a slow pitch because he had shots all around the wicket and didn’t always look for the right ball to play them. His first boundary was a prime example of this when he turned a back of a length delivery into something else by charging at Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He made good of his match-up against spin – he averages 169.5 against it since IPL 2023 with a strike rate of 148 – because he was willing to indulge in shots like the reverse sweep and the lap sweep.Just before he was dismissed, Jaiswal played the shot of the day, a scoop off Josh Hazlewood even though the bowler went wide of off stump to deny the leg side to him. While all this was happening, the batters at the other end – try as they might – could only score 47 runs in 49 balls.Sanju Samson had a difficult return to a ground where he’s had a lot of recent success. Three of his last six innings in Jaipur have been half-centuries. This one though was a struggle. He was on 5 off 11 before falling for 15 off 19.RR’s lack of batting depth might be compelling them to be a little more cautious than ideal in T20 cricket and the innings was fizzling out.Dhruv Jurel was 2 off 8 but he rallied alongside Shimron Hetmyer and Nitish Rana to help his team score 47 runs in the last four overs to take them up to 173, which is just shy of the average first-innings score (180) at Sawai Mansingh stadium over the last two years in the IPL.RCB put in a good shift with the ball, only two of the six they used went at over nine an over. Krunal Pandya got through the day with a wicket and an economy rate of just 7.25.
Leeds United’s Championship hoodoo is finally over.
After slipping up in the second-tier playoff final to Southampton at the close of the 2023/24 season, the Whites had to dust themselves down and go again, and they did just that, with 100 points successfully accumulated last campaign as the Championship title came to Elland Road.
The best possible start to life back in the big time has also just greeted Daniel Farke’s men, with new recruit Lukas Nmecha the difference maker from the penalty spot to hand Leeds a narrow 1-0 win over Everton.
There will be no resting on their laurels, however, as the Premier League newcomers look to add even more exciting signings while the busy transfer window remains open.
Leeds lead race for £43m sensation
After all, the dust has barely settled on that Monday night success, and yet Leeds are very near to completing signing number nine of a full-on summer.
As reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, via X, Leeds are set to announce the signing of AC Milan winger Noah Okafor for a fee around the £18m ballpark.
This capture really should boost a Leeds attack that did manage to register 21 shots on goal against the Toffees, only to be thankfully bailed out by Nmecha’s calm approach from the penalty spot.
A new striker addition could also be on the cards in the form of FC Nantes ace Matthis Albine, with Caught Offside revealing that Leeds are among the frontrunners for the Frenchman’s services, having already held talks with the 22-year-old, who is also keen on moving to West Yorkshire.
Nantes' Matthis Abline shoots against Brest.
Despite stealing a vast majority of headlines after the Everton game, Nmecha could well find he’s been upgraded on if the €50m (£43m) striker does seal a switch to England shortly, on top of Joel Piroe also feeling less secure about his first-team minutes moving forward.
How Abline compares to Piroe & Nmecha
It might well feel cut-throat to insinuate that Piroe and Nmecha will fade into the background if Abline were to arrive at Elland Road imminently.
Indeed, the German has just got Leeds up and running in the unforgiving terrain of the Premier League, while his Dutch counterpart collected the Championship golden boot accolade last campaign when firing home a clinical 19 strikes.
However, both do display some worrying deficiencies in their attacking games that could hold them back from being the lethal heroes Leeds need to help survival be reached, compared to their new French target, who scored stunning strikes like this last season in Ligue 1 with ease.
Despite powering home those 19 strikes, Piroe would still manage to squander 13 big chances in the Championship – as per Sofascore – which could prove to be costly in a fight against the drop. He’s already shown signs of rust at the intimidating level, too, with an unmemorable 27 touches of the ball registered against Everton, before being taken off by Farke.
Moreover, Nmecha is just fresh off a season that was riddled with injuries at Wolfsburg, culminating in just three efforts being powered home when he was fit enough to line up for 19 Bundesliga clashes.
Away from Piroe and Nmecha displaying many downsides, however, Abline will be raring for the challenge of the Premier League if a pricey move gets off the ground before September’s deadline, having fired home a career-best total across the 2024/25 campaign for Nantes.
Abline – 24/25 Ligue 1 stats
Stat (*per game)
Record
Games
34
Goals
9
Big chances missed
6
Assists
2
Big chances created
6
Key passes*
0.8
via Sofascore
Last campaign saw Abline fire home a large chunk of his overall 16 goals for Nantes, with 11 strikes tallied up as Luis Castro’s men survived comfortably in the French top-flight in 13th spot.
The “unstoppable” forward – as he has been hailed by journalist Andres Onrubia Ramos – could well grow into even more of a lethal attacker performing for the relegation-threatened Whites, therefore, knowing now what it takes to be a dependable hero in a battle against relegation.
Throwing Abline into the mix would give Farke plenty of options in attack, with the “instinctive” finisher – as he has also been lauded by analyst Ben Mattinson – no doubt craving the tag of being Leeds’ main man week in week out, at the expense of both Piroe and Nmecha.
Based on all the evidence noted, he will certainly have a persuasive case on his side to be the Whites’ starter up top.
"Deal to be finalised soon" – £17m league winner has decided to join Leeds
The Whites are set to sign a “magnificent” player.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers wants the club to bring in new attackers to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch before the end of the summer transfer window.
Speaking after the 2-0 win over Aberdeen, the boss said: “Listen, there’s no doubt that we need to reinforce the top line. There’s no doubt, I’m really pleased with where we are structurally in defensive numbers.”
He added: “But I think we need competition at the top end of the field. So, yes, for Adam, he’s a big, honest boy. He was at his best here when was really challenging with Kyogo for the position. And that is something that is important, I think, for us to get.”
This shows that the Hoops want to strengthen their options in the final third, despite winning both of their opening matches in the Scottish Premiership this season.
It will now be interesting to see where Celtic go to find reinforcements for their attack, whether they go big with a huge money signing, a player from a major league, or an unknown gem.
One of Celtic’s most successful striker signings in the last decade is Odsonne Edouard, who joined in an interesting move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
How Celtic hit gold with Odsonne Edouard
The Hoops swooped to bring the French marksman to the club for the 2017/18 campaign on an initial season-long loan, in what was not a marquee addition at the time due to his lack of first-team exposure.
Edouard had only played 17 matches at senior level, scoring one goal, on loan at Toulouse in the previous season, which meant that Celtic had not brought in an established star who looked primed to be a prolific scorer for the club.
The young marksman, though, did enjoy a successful season on loan with the Scottish giants with a return of 11 goals in 29 games in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, for the Hoops, which convinced the club to sign him on a permanent deal in the summer of 2018.
Celtic reportedly splashed out a record fee of £9m to sign Edouard after his loan came to an end, and that turned out to be money well spent by the Bhoys.
24/25
Daizen Maeda
33
23/24
Kyogo Furuhashi
19
22/23
Kyogo Furuhashi
34
21/22
Kyogo Furuhashi
20
20/21
Odsonne Edouard
22
19/20
Odsonne Edouard
29
18/19
Odsonne Edouard
22
As you can see in the table above, the Frenchman scored 22 goals or more in all three of his seasons at Parkhead as a permanent player, and no player has scored 20 goals or more in three successive seasons since he left.
Premier League side Crystal Palace reportedly agreed a deal worth up to £18.5m to sign the striker from Celtic in the summer of 2021, which meant that the Hoops made a significant profit on the £9m that they paid.
The Scottish giants are now reportedly looking at a potential deal to sign a player who could come in as a repeat of this Edouard masterclass, albeit in a different position.
Celtic have £13m star on their radar
According to Football Insider, Celtic and Rangers are both interested in a deal to sign AS Monaco left-back Kassoum Ouattara to bolster their respective squads.
The report claims that the Ligue 1 side are set to demand a fee of £13m to sell the player on a permanent basis, and both Scottish teams are unwilling to pay that price this summer.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Journalist Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider: “Ouattara is somebody who has emerged on their radar. Right now, the big question mark is whether it would be a loan or a permanent deal. I think if it’s a permanent deal that Monaco are only considering, that might just be too pricy for both Rangers and Celtic.
He added: “It’s not going to be a straightforward deal for Rangers or Celtic, but it’s definitely a position both clubs are looking at as they want to strengthen their options.“
This suggests that an initial loan deal with an option or an obligation to make it permanent next year, similar to the Edouard deal, could be the route for Celtic to go down.
Why Celtic should sign Kassoum Ouattara
The Hoops should push to sign the French left-back to compete with Kieran Tierney because he is an exciting young talent who could be an Edouard repeat.
Like the former Celtic marksman, the Monaco youngster would arrive at the club on an initial loan, if that is the deal they can agree, from a Ligue 1 team after only playing 16 times at first-team level last season.
Kassoum Ouattara in action for Monaco.
Ouattara, who was hailed as “seriously talented” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is a player who has the potential to enjoy success at Parkhead in the same way that Edouard did, albeit in a different position.
In his limited game time in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 campaign, the 20-year-old starlet showed great promise as an offensive option from left-back, whilst playing at a good level in one of Europe’s major leagues.
xA
0.29
Top 5%
Chances created
1.38
Top 17%
Successful crosses
1.62
Top 7%
Cross accuracy
41.2%
Top 9%
Successful dribbles
1.15
Top 12%
Assists
0.23
Top 9%
As you can see in the table above, Ouattara ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to creating chances for his teammates, and getting his side up the pitch with dribbles.
These statistics suggest that the youngster would be well-suited to playing in a Celtic team that dominates games week-in-week-out, given that they have won the league in each of the last four seasons and won their first two games without conceding a goal.
Brendan Rodgers
This means that Ouattara would have the license to constantly bomb on and attack down the left flank, overlapping the winger, to showcase his creative qualities in the final third.
Therefore, the 20-year-old talent would have the perfect platform to show other teams what he is about to attract interest from elsewhere, which is what Edouard had when he scored 22 goals or more in three straight seasons to earn a big move to Monaco.
He'd fill the Jota-shaped hole: Celtic in pursuit of signing £5m "threat"
Celtic are reportedly still in pursuit of a deal to sign a star who would fill the hole left by Jota’s injury.
ByDan Emery Aug 11, 2025
Celtic could, therefore, repeat their Edouard masterclass by signing Ouattara on loan before bringing him in permanently next year, with a view to him being sold on for a profit in the future.
It will be fascinating to see what the future holds for Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish. It certainly seems like it will be away from the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola saying earlier in the summer that “I don’t know” if he will leave.
There have been links with a move away, of course. The most recent club to enquire about the 29-year-old was Everton. It was reported earlier this week that the Toffees were keen to accelerate a deal with City over a season-long loan for the England international, although it remains to be seen if a move will progress this summer.
Instead, City could use Grealish as part of a deal to sign a long-term target, who they are once again linked with, and could be the second coming of the England international.
Man City’s Grealish solution
It has recently been reported by Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola that City could look to use Grealish as a makeweight in a deal to sign West Ham United and Brazil attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta 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.
That would see City’s number 10 move to the London Stadium, and they manage to knock money off the £50m package the Hammers have requested for Paqueta. A player plus cash deal is something the Citizens are ‘pushing’ to do this summer.
The former Lyon midfielder has been a long-term target for Guardiola, and the club have assessed a possible transfer for the last few summers.
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta
In theory, this part-exchange deal is smart business from City, but Grealish would also need to be open to the move to the capital, or else it would fall through.
Why Paqueta would be a good signing
At 27 years of age, Paqueta is the talisman of this West Ham side, along with captain Jarrod Bowen. Last season, the versatile Brazilian was not at his best, but when at the top of his game, he is a “magical” player, according to Statman Dave.
Indeed, it was a quiet campaign for the former Flamengo midfielder. He failed to register an assist in any competition, playing 36 games in total. He did find the back of the net five times, with four of those strikes coming in the Premier League.
Generally speaking, though, the numbers that Paqueta has put up during his West Ham career have been strong. He’s played 120 games for the Hammers, scoring 18 times and assisting a further 14.
His most memorable assist in Claret and Blue came in the Europa Conference League final, where he teed up Bowen with a perfectly-weighted through ball for the winner.
In many ways, the 27-year-old would join City as the direct replacement for Grealish. The England international does seem like he will leave the club this summer, with West Ham now seeming like a possible destination amid their move for Paqueta.
In 157 appearances as a City player, Grealish found the back of the net 17 times and assisted 23. His best season came in the treble-winning campaign of 2022/23, where he contributed 16 goal involvements.
There are similarities between both players, which could make Paqueta seem like the second coming of Grealish. Both were one of the best players at their previous, or in Paqueta’s case, current clubs. Indeed at Aston Villa, the Englishman “was the talisman and everything went through him”, as per Dave Woodhall, editor of Villa fanzine Heroes & Villains.
Their versatility is a key trait, too. Grealish has played on both wings, as a number 10, a number eight and even as a striker for City. Likewise, so has the West Ham star in East London, as well as playing as a number six.
West Ham United's LucasPaquetain action with Brighton & Hove Albion's Jack Hinshelwood
Comparing the numbers on FBref of each player since Paqueta has been a Premier League player, it is easy to see the similarities.
For example, the Brazil star averaged 1.56 passes into the penalty box and 0.43 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, compared to Grealish’s 2.11 passes into the penalty area and 0.62 goal-creating actions each game.
Goals and assists
0.26
0.43
Passes into penalty area
1.56
2.11
Progressive passes
6.15
4.8
Goal-creating actions
0.43
0.62
Ball recoveries
6.13
4.23
Whatever way City decide to structure this deal, it seems like Paqueta could become the second coming of Grealish. There are plenty of similarities between the two, and Guardiola would love the 27-year-old to replicate the impact City’s number 10 has had at times.
Lucas Paqueta
For £50m, or exchanging Grealish and rescuing the fee, this is certainly an exciting deal for City fans.
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Arsenal have emerged as the leading contenders to sign a “rising star” for Mikel Arteta this summer, amid their plethora of other potential deals, with sporting director Andrea Berta showing no sign of slowing down.
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The north Londoners have already signed goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, midfielder Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, with the latter completing his medical earlier this week (David Ornstein).
Arsenal are now attempting to bolster a host of different areas in attack after this trio of transfers, and supporters are anticipating the end of their long search for a prolific number nine, as their club close in on a deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Chelsea’s Noni Madueke could join the Sweden international, having agreed personal terms, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze also holding “positive” talks to join Arsenal in a separate deal (ESPN).
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
25/26 – summer
£65m
Sky Sports back that Arsenal could sign both a left-winger and Eze this summer, in what is a very exciting prospect for fans, but it plunges the futures of both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli into serious doubt.
Eze would come in to complement Gunners captain Martin Odegaard, as per Sky this week, and his versatility means Arteta could also utilise the 27-year-old as an alternative to Bukayo Saka when required.
Saka spent months out injured midway through 2024/2025, which undoubtedly hampered Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge, so it would be useful for Arteta to have different quality options on that side.
With Berta working on multiple attacking signings already, and a move for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo also still on the cards, it does beg the question: where does FC Porto sensation Rodrigo Mora fit in?
Arsenal in pole position to sign FC Porto starlet Rodrigo Mora
The 18-year-old was a member of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League-winning squad and displayed real flashes of brilliance during FC Porto’s Club World Cup campaign – scoring a brilliant solo goal in their 4-4 draw with Al-Ahly.
Rodrigo Mora for FC Porto.
Arsenal sent scouts to run the rule over Mora during his CWC outings, with the teenager emerging as “one of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football”.
That is according to Football Transfers, who state that Arsenal are now the current favourites to sign Mora, ahead of both Man City and Man United, having expressed the most significant interest so far.
The Portuguese’s contract includes a £60 million release clause, but given Berta’s pursuit of other illustrious forwards, it would be quite a move if he managed to get a transfer done this window.
Perhaps the versatile attacking midfielder could come as an alternative to Eze, following his impressive 2024/2025 haul of 12 goals and four assists in all competitions.
He’s also already a record-breaker, having become the youngest debutant in Portuguese football history two years ago.
“We now have Rodrigo Mora, who just turned 18. He’s a brilliant footballer, another rising star,” said Porto president André Villas-Boas.
“We love the game, and I believe that passion fuels the talent we see right now. Technically gifted, for sure.”