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Had Manchester United failed to beat Chelsea on Saturday evening, had they failed to capitalise on Robert Sanchez’s fifth-minute red card under the Old Trafford lights, Ruben Amorim might have reached a point of no return.

At least, the Portuguese tactician would have slid deeper into the pit which threatens to engulf him, having laboured to a woeful 15th-placed Premier League finish last year, losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur and enduring more inconsistency across the opening weeks of the season.

Amorim is under no illusions about the scale of the task still ahead of him, but he is determined to make it work at The Theatre of Dreams, and, with Bruno Fernandes still leading the ranks from the centre circle, there’s a belief that the club will rise again.

The significance of Bruno Fernandes

Had Man United failed to beat Chelsea, tensions would have boiled over. They didn’t, with the Red Devils scoring a hard-fought, well-deserved victory, lifting them to ninth in the standings.

Fernandes got the ball rolling, turning in from close range following Patrick Dorgu’s powerful header. He continued to provide United with a presence across attacking and defensive phases, so passionate and rousing from the middle of the park.

Thanks to data provided by Sofascore, we can observe that the Portugal international, 31, also won four duels and two tackles across his 87 minutes, replaced late on by Kobbie Mainoo.

He might be getting on a bit, but Bruno is still the leading force in this side, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon. If United are to rise once again, he will form the nucleus of the resurgence.

However, it’s worth noting that Fernandes has entered the penultimate year of his £300k-per-week contract, and while INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe would love nothing more than a renewal, that might prove difficult, for Fernandes will want to remain among the highest earners.

Surprisingly, the Iberian playmaker isn’t actually the top earner at the club. Indeed, the man above him is a controversial number one, and it may be that he needs to be sold in 2026.

Man United must sell their top earner

Casemiro’s Manchester United contract expires at the end of the current campaign, though the club have the option to extend the veteran’s stay for an additional year.

Curiously, the 33-year-old has enjoyed something of a revival under Amorim’s wing. “Leave the football before the football leaves you,” Jamie Carragher notoriously said of the Brazilian in 2024, but Casemiro has bounced back, providing an anchoring presence in the centre.

But it’s imperfect, there’s no doubt about that. Having signed for the Red Devils from Real Madrid for a whopping £70m fee in August 2022, Casemiro has played 130 matches for the club, scoring 18 goals and winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

This season, he has started four of his side’s five Premier League fixtures thus far, watching from the bench as Pep Guardiola’s side gave their neighbours a hiding in the Manchester derby.

Casemiro scored what proved to be the winning goal during the recent win over Chelsea, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as he got himself sent off before the interval to hand the Blues a lifeline in a match they were struggling to find room to breathe in.

Perhaps he was unfortunate to have been shown a second yellow for hacking down Andrey Santos, but the fact remains there is a rash streak about the South American, who has now been dismissed three times in the Premier League.

United need to sign a new number six, and no mistake. Casemiro is still capable of putting in a “monster shift”, as has been said by Statman Dave, but there’s plenty not to like there too.

Casemiro

2026

£350k-per-week

Bruno Fernandes

2027

£300k-per-week

Mathhjis de Ligt

2029

£195k-per-week

Harry Maguire

2026

£190k-per-week

Matheus Cunha

2030

£180k-per-week

Last winter, for example, AS Roma had shown an interest in signing Casemiro, but the interest ultimately came to nought. Still, it underlines the abiding curiosity in one of the most accomplished midfielders of his generation, and is something INEOS must consider in the forthcoming January window.

Indeed, if Amorim truly wants his project to hit the heights he would have envisaged upon signing the contract, he would do well to inform the board that he wants Casemiro gone, perhaps then accelerating a bid for Carlos Baleba, with the Brighton & Hove Albion talent of a vested interest to the Devils during the summer, who had been willing to pay a figure in the region of £100m for him, but for the Seafulls to maintain an unwillingness to do business.

So be it. But Baleba’s head was turned by the thought of a move to Manchester, and the club’s interest isn’t going to have gone away, merely been shelved until the time comes when they can strike again.

Indeed, it’s already been suggested that United are preparing a January move for the Cameroonian prospect, who, aged only 21, has already established himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents. It’s felt that a figure close to that which Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo – £115m – would need to be forked out, so recouping finances from the wage bill would ease the cost and then some.

Should Casemiro be sold – for what would inevitably be a small fee – Man United’s wage bill would indeed reduce dramatically, and then a concerted transfer assault on the south coast could be mounted.

Casemiro and Fernandes celebrated together when the Brazilian put paid to Chelsea’s resistance and made it two-nil before 40 minutes at Old Trafford.

He still offers something, the 33-year-old, but Man United wanted to spend big on a new holding midfielder this summer, and are expected to go again in 2026.

Given the staggering pay packet Casemiro takes home each month, is there really any justification for his continuing presence in Amorim’s squad?

Better than Casemiro: Ten Hag sold "incredible" Man Utd star for just £9m

Manchester United must now regret offloading one talent given his rise away from Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 22, 2025

Manchester United face off against their rivals Manchester City this weekend in the Premier League and could now miss the services of three important stars for the clash.

Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim clarifies goalkeeper situation

The Manchester Derby rightfully has a spot as one of the most anticipated local rivalries in world football and Ruben Amorim will be looking for a morale-boosting victory at the home of the Citizens to further their cause for Premier League improvement.

Last term, Amad Diallo’s late winner against Pep Guardiola’s men in a 2-1 victory during the early stages of Amorim’s tenure proved to be one of the highlights in a campaign full of lows for Manchester United. Other than that, supporters will be glad to view 2024/25 as a distant memory.

Nevertheless, this season hasn’t started without any hitches either, making Sunday’s clash between two eternal enemies one that could go on to shape the dynamic of their respective endeavours over the next few months.

Looking ahead to the clash, Amorim confirmed that £18.2 million Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens will have to wait for his competitive debut after joining from Royal Antwerp on Deadline Day.

“Yeah (Altay Bayindir will play). It is the same thing I do with different positions, It is a different league, different country, different training, different ball, so they will fight for the position. I believe in Altay, he (Lammens) is ready to play but Altay is going to continue.”

However, there are other concerns Amorim will need to deal with ahead of their upcoming derby clash, including the fact three of his players have been ruled out due to injury.

Man Utd trio set to miss Man City clash

Unfortunately, Manchester United trio Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot look set to miss the clash with Manchester City due to injury, Amorim confirmed in his pre-match press duties.

Man Utd’s injury list – who will miss Manchester Derby?

Lisandro Martinez

Matheus Cunha

Diogo Dalot

Mason Mount

The trio earn £415,000 per week between them at Old Trafford and have featured in all three of Manchester United’s Premier League matches so far, so who could come in to replace them?

Kobbie Mainoo may well be a swap for Mount, while Casemiro may start in a deeper role to allow Bruno Fernandes more creative freedom. Patrick Dorgu may also be included higher up to allow greater tactical flexibility.

Either way, Manchester United are gearing up for their biggest match of the season so far and will need to be at the top of their game to take something come full-time at the Etihad.

The plot has thickened in the Newcastle United and Alexander Isak saga. The Swedish striker released a statement on Tuesday night, reaffirming his desire to leave the club, saying, “when promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue.” It is easy to see that he is still set on a move away from St James’ Park.

Of course, the Magpies will need to decide soon whether or not to sell their star striker. With less than two weeks left of the transfer window, any deal to leave the club will have to move quickly so Newcastle have time to sign a replacement.

They are constantly linked with new centre-forwards, and could make a move for someone in the coming days.

Newcastle’s striker target

The Magpies have been linked with numerous centre-forwards over the past few weeks and months. Wolves striker Jorgen Strand-Larsen and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa have been touted as two of the leading potential targets.

Transfer Focus

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

Yet, a clear option has seemingly emerged, with Football Insider reporting that Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos “is keen to make that move” to St James’ Park this summer.

The North East giants have “been watching him” in action for the Champions League winners, in case a move should materialise.

Indeed, the fact that the former Benfica star is so interested in the move is surely a huge positive for Eddie Howe. This is a deal that could happen in the coming months, “if it all adds up” for Newcastle.

Reports earlier in the window suggest PSG could ask for £56m to sanction a deal this summer.

Why Ramos would be a good signing

Despite limited opportunities for 24-year-old Ramos under Luis Enrique in the French capital, he impressed when he did break into the side. Described as a “future star” by Statman Dave, Ramos has certainly shown glimpses of just how deadly he can be.

Last season, the Portugal international, who scored a World Cup hat-trick in 2022, played 46 games and 1812 minutes, the equivalent of 20 full games. In that time, he managed to bag 19 goals and assist a further six.

His impact was felt in PSG’s first game of the 2025/26 campaign, too. Ramos scored a late equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup, one of just four touches he had in open play, showing how clinical he can be in front of goal.

Well, the word clinical could certainly be used to describe Isak. He was exceptional for Newcastle last season, finding the back of the net on 23 occasions in just 34 Premier League games, assisting six goals on top of that.

There was certainly a case to be made that he was the best centre-forward in the top flight last term, a sentiment Jamie Carragher seemed to share. Last December, he called him the “best striker in the Premier League right now”.

With the sheer number of goals that he scored, it is easy to see why.

If Ramos moves to St James’ Park, Howe would love him to turn into the second coming of Isak. Even in the way they each took the headed goals above, bursting past a defender late on to head home, you can see the instinct they possess in front of goal.

There are stats to suggest the players are very similar, too. For example, Ramos averaged 0.85 goals and 0.51 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes last season. In comparison, the Newcastle striker averaged 0.75 goals and 0.46 goal-creating actions each game.

Ramos & Isak compared
Stat (per 90)	Ramos	Isak
Goals	0.85	0.75
Expected goals	1.15xG	0.66xG
Goals per shot	0.15	0.2
Shot-creating actions	2.54	3.01
Goal-creating actions	0.51	0.46
Stats from FBref

Whilst £69m is a huge investment to make, especially so late in the window, Newcastle will need to replace Isak if he leaves. There is evidence to suggest that Ramos would be the perfect candidate to do that.

Given his goalscoring rate and some of the underlying statistics, he could be Newcastle’s dream Isak replacement. At the very least, signing a player who wants to represent the club is a huge pull for the Magpies.

Their new Isak: Newcastle pushing really hard to sign "sensational" £60m CF

Newcastle are looking to sign a centre-forward before the end of the summer transfer window.

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 19, 2025

Defending champions India started their Under-19 Women’s World Cup campaign with a bang, routing West Indies for just 44 before scripting a nine-wicket win. This came just hours after Sri Lanka had skittled Malaysia for 23 earlier on Sunday.In the second game of the day, India’s bowlers cashed in on their decision to bowl first by troubling West Indies with swing and spin. Fast bowler VJ Joshitha handed them a double-blow when she trapped Samara Ramnath in front and on the next ball had Naijanni Cumberbatch caught at slip to a superb diving catch from Sanika Chalke.When left-arm spinners Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia struck in consecutive overs to remove Jahzara Claxton and Brianna Harricharan respectively for ducks, West Indies were 17 for 4 after 5.1 overs. Three run outs in as many overs added to their woes, and 39 for 7 soon became 44 all out as Shukla and Sisodia wrapped things up. Sisodia finished with 3 for 7 while Joshitha and Shukla picked up two each.India lost only Gongadi Trisha, for 4, in the modest chase as G Kamalini and Chalke finished things off in 4.2 overs.Dahami Sanethma top scored for Sri Lanka with 55•ICC via Getty Images

Hosts Malaysia were shot out for just 23 in their maiden Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup appearance by Sri Lanka, who completed a 139-run win in the first of the two games on Sunday, in Kuala Lumpur.Put in to bat, Sri Lanka rode on quick knocks from opener Sanjana Kavindi (30 off 13) and No. 3 Dahami Sanethma (55 off 52) to score 52 in the powerplay before Sanethma led the innings even as wickets fell at the other end, including two in the 17th over. Cameos from Hiruni Hansika (28 off 21) and Shashini Gimhani (13 off 7) powered them to 162.In reply, Malaysia lasted 14.1 overs as left-arm spinner Chamodi Praboda struck twice in the second over to reduce the hosts to 2 for 3. Manudi Nanayakkara and Limansa Thilakarathna took two wickets each as no Malaysia batter reached double-figures and six were dismissed for ducks. Praboda finished with figures of 4-2-5-3.

Manchester United are now genuinely planning to break the bank for a £100m+ “beast”, having already held talks over a potential deal, according to a report.

Man Utd vying to sign midfielder amid Casemiro concerns

Casemiro was subjected to a lot of criticism last season, with Gary Neville criticising the Brazilian’s ability to get around the pitch after a 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle United.

Referring to Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, Neville said: “When I saw the team sheet I thought it would be difficult for Man Utd to play well. [They have] two centre midfield players who can’t run.”

Consequently, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new, much younger midfielder this summer, and there have been widespread reports they have now submitted a bid for Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez.

Ugarte 2.0: Amorim asks INEOS to sign "world-class" £43m star for Man Utd

Manchester United need to choose wisely as they seek to strengthen Amorim’s squad further in the summer transfer market.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Aug 13, 2025

However, there is also an option from much closer to home, namely Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, and it has been suggested that an offer could be made for the 21-year-old imminently.

According to a new report from TEAMtalk, Man United are now planning to break the bank to secure Baleba’s signature, with Brighton set to hold out for over £100m.

There is now a genuine desire to go all out for the central midfielder, despite executives being aware that a deal would blow the budget, as they believe he possesses rare qualities, and could provide long-term value to Ruben Amorim’s squad.

Talks have already been held over a deal for the Brighton star, and there is a feeling that another approach could be made before the weekend, although there is an awareness the Seagulls will drive a hard bargain.

"Beast" Baleba could be statement signing for Man Utd

There have been reports that Manchester City have been left shocked by United stepping up their interest in the Brighton maestro, given that Pep Guardiola’s side were planning to launch an offer next summer.

Liverpool and Arsenal are also in the race for the Cameroonian’s signature, displaying just how highly he is rated by some of the Premier League’s top clubs, and Amorim’s side would be making a statement if they were able to pull off a deal.

Not only did the starlet impress with his dribbling and tackling ability, but he was also praised by teammate Matt O’Riley, who said: “He is strong. To put it simply he is an absolute beast. It’s nice to play alongside someone like that because he just smashes everyone and makes my life quite easy.”

As such, it could be worth taking a gamble on Baleba, but it would be disappointing if doing so means Man United are unable to compete for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s signature.

Najmul Hossain Shanto* and Mushfiqur Rahim have both been ruled out of Bangladesh’s upcoming two-Test series in the West Indies. While Mushfiqur has a finger injury, Shanto has a groin strain. The absence of Mushfiqur means Bangladesh will go into a Test series for the first time in 16 years without any of Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal or him.Mushfiqur, a veteran of 94 Tests, has also been suffering from a shoulder injury since the Pakistan Test series in August. He suffered the finger injury during the first ODI against Afghanistan in Sharjah last week.Shanto, who will also miss the third and final ODI against Afghanistan in Sharjah on Monday, sustained the injury during the second ODI, a BCB statement said. He left the field, and scans later confirmed the nature of the injury.”We have received the team physio’s report and the scan report, which has confirmed a Grade II strain on his left groin,” BCB senior physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury said in a statement. “This will require a period of rest and rehabilitation. We will reassess his condition after two weeks. He will return home from the UAE to continue his rehab.”Mehidy Hasan Miraz will captain the side in Shanto’s absence.Shahadat Hossain, the 22-year-old right-hand top-order batter, has been named Shanto’s replacement.He has played four Tests after debuting against New Zealand last year, and has an average of 14.75 with a highest score of 31. He was dropped for the home Tests against South Africa in October, and averages 26.33 in four matches in the National Cricket League, including a century in his last game. Possible alternatives could have been Amite Hasan, who has 466 runs at an average of 77.66 in the NCL, and Anamul Haque and Amit Majumder, who have also crossed the 400-run mark in the competition.Mushfiqur Rahim had hurt his shoulder during the Test series against Pakistan in August•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh have also left out Khaled Ahmed and Nayeem Hasan, but will welcome Litton Das back in the fold after the wicketkeeper-batter missed the second Test against South Africa in Chattogram, and the three ODIs against Afghanistan due to fever.The touring party has a strong pace attack, including Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana. Uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad has been added to the spin department that includes vice-captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam.Bangladesh have kept faith in their regular top-order batters Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Zakir Hasan. Shanto and Mominul Haque will bat at No. 3 and 4 respectively. Mushfiqur’s role could fall on Jaker Ali or Mahidul Islam Ankon, with Litton back with the gloves, and likely to bat at No. 7.Bangladesh will start the tour with a four-day warm-up game at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, followed by the first Test in Antigua from November 22. The second Test is in Jamaica, starting November 30. The visitors will then play three ODIs and as many T20Is, but their white-ball squad hasn’t been announced yet.Bangladesh Test squad: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shahadat Hossain, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Litton Das (wk), Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Hasan Murad

India captain also praises his fielders, saying some crucial catches hastened their push for victory in Kanpur

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20242:35

Manjrekar: ‘This is the legacy Rohit Sharma will leave as captain’

India captain Rohit Sharma has credited his players for embracing the risk involved in forcing a result in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, where there was no play for two days because of rain. Overall only 35 overs were bowled across the first three days, but despite that, India found a way to beat the weather, clock, and Bangladesh for a 2-0 series sweep, which extended their lead at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) rankings.After India’s attack bowled Bangladesh out for 233 in the post-lunch session on day four, Rohit laid down the marker by launching the first two balls he faced for sixes. The other batters also bought into this approach, even if it mean that the result might go either way.”The bowlers came to the party first,” Rohit told . “They got the wickets that we needed, and then when we came inside, we had to take a little bit of risk to get a result. I know the result could have gone either way, but I was okay with it. So was the coach [Gautam Gambhir] and the other players as well because you have to be brave enough to take those decisions and go and play that way. When things fall in place, everything looks good. And that is where it can change quickly, when things doesn’t fall in place. Everybody would’ve started criticising the decision that we took and all of that but what matters is what we think inside this changing room. And that is what mattered. And that is what we went with in this game.”It was a clear plan that we want the result, how we can get the result. Everybody started finding answers for that. I think it was an exceptional series. It may go unnoticed.”Related

Rohit's legacy: Rewiring his generation, encouraging the next

Rohit Sharma and the sixes that woke up a dead game

Stats – Rohit and Jaiswal give India speed-scoring records

Rohit Sharma and India earn their rewards for being brave

Under Rohit, India have adopted an aggressive approach across formats, even at World Cups, and it was no different in Kanpur, where WTC points were up for grabs. So, what does aggression mean to Rohit?”For me aggression is all about your actions,” he said. “It’s not about my reactions: the kind of batting we do, the kind of field positioning we do, the kind of bowling we do; that to me is aggression.”Look, without the help of the other ten players, and, obviously people who are sitting in the dressing room as well, this wouldn’t have been possible when we had lost two days, two-and-a-half days actually, it’s very easy for everyone to just drift away from the goal that we had of winning this test match. When we came here on the fourth day of the morning, first things first, they [Bangladesh] were batting and we needed to get them out. We needed seven wickets quickly, so I thought everything started there.”1:43

Decoding Yashasvi Jaiswal’s superb slip catch

Both as a batter and leader, Rohit has transformed India into prioritising winning over everything else. He said that his captaincy style is based around trusting his judgement and decisions.”When you are playing at such a high level, you need to have a bit of everything,” Rohit said. “You need to be calm, to think wisely. There are a lot of decisions that you have to take on the field. Not every decision will go your way, but you have to back it and use your experience, use your knowledge. So that is what I do. I, I’ve been there enough to trust my judgment that I do take on the field, the decisions that I take on the field, I trust on it. And then, then I go by it. There are players around me who are open to giving suggestions, but at the end of the day, I trust my mind and I trust my judgment, and that’s all that matters.”Rohit: Some crucial catches turned the gameRohit was also impressed with India’s fielding, especially their slip catching, during the home Test series against Bangladesh. It was Yashasvi Jaiswal who had set the tone on the first day in Kanpur, where he took a smart, low catch to dismiss Zakir Hasan for a duck. Then, in Bangladesh’s second innings, Jaiswal completed another sharp catch, this time at gully, to send back a well-set Shadman Islam for 50 and hasten India’s push for victory.”I was just informed out of the 24 catches that came our way, we took 23 of them, which is a great result especially in the slips,” Rohit said.”You don’t often see in India ball carrying through the slips. But the guys who were standing behind were so sharp and to take those catches, it may look easy on television, but it is not, trust me, because they are standing way ahead than they normally do. So all those catches that come the way, they are very hard to take those catches. The reaction time is very less, and I have seen it. They put everyone puts a lot of effort in getting those things right.”And the Dilip [T Dilip, fielding coach] obviously is helping with the players. Some crucial catches as well, which actually turned the game around.”

The son of former India captain and coach is playing a state’s T20 league for the first time

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2024

Karun Nair will lead Mysuru Warriors, last year’s runner-up•Maharaja T20

Samit Dravid, son of former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, has bagged his maiden Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 contract with last season’s runner-up Mysuru Warriors at the auction in Bengaluru on Thursday.Dravid, an 18-year old allrounder, was bought at a price of INR 50,000. A medium-pacer and middle-order batter, he was part of the Karnataka Under-19 team that won the 2023-24 Cooch Behar Trophy, and also represented KSCA XI in a three-day game against the visiting Lancashire side in AlurAt Warriors, Dravid will be led by Karun Nair, who was retained as captain by the team. Warriors also picked up allrounders K Gowtham for INR 7.4 lakh and J Suchith for INR 4.8 lakh, while fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, who recently underwent surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon, went for INR 1 lakh.Wicketkeeper batter LR Chethan, who played for Gulbarga Mystics last season, was the most expensive player at the auction, joining Bengaluru Blasters at a price of INR 8.2 lakh. Blasters will be led by Mayank Agarwal, who was retained along with Suraj Ahuja, Shubhang Hegde, and Mohsin Khan. Legspinner Shreyas went to Mangaluru Dragons for INR 7.6 lakh.Mystics retained Devdutt Padikkal, who missed the previous season due to injury, along with Vijaykumar Vyshak and acquired the services of Luvnith Sisodia for INR 7.2 lakh. Defending champions Hubli Tigers secured legspinner KC Cariappa for INR 4.2 lakh. They will once again be led by Manish Pandey and also have fast bowler Vidwath Kaverappa in their ranks.The 2024 season of the Maharaja Trophy is likely to be held from September 15 to October 1 with all the matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Maharaja Trophy squadsHubli Tigers: Manish Pandey, Shrijith KL, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Manvanth Kumar L, Cariappa KC, Mohammed Taha, Thippa Reddy, Karthikeya KP, Kumar LR, Aadarsh Prajwal, Kruthik Krishna, Aneeshwar Gautam, Madhav Prakash Bajaj, Shreesha S Acahar, Daman Deep Singh, Mitrakant Yadav, Nishchith Pai, Rishi BopannaMysore Warriors: Karun Nair, Karthik CA, Manoj Bhandage, Karthik S U, Suchith J, Gowtham K, Vidyadhar Patil, Venkatesh M, Harshil Dharmani, Goutham Mishra, Dhanush Gowda, Samit Dravid, Deepak Devadiga, Sumit Kumar, Smayan Srivastava, Jasper EJ, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Sarfaraz AshrafShivamogga Lions: Abhinav Manohar, Nihal Ullal, Koushik V, Shivaraj S, Pradeep T, Hardik Raj, Dhruv Prabhakar, Anand Doddamani, Rajvir Wadhwa, Avinash D, Dheeraj Mohan, Bharath Dhuri, Aadithya Vishwa Karma, Aditya Mani, Rohit K, Rohan Naveen, Sharath HS, Mohith BAGulbarga Mystics: Devdutt Padikkal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Smaran R, Aneesh KV, Pravin Dubey, Luvnith Sisodia, Sharath BR, Aaditya Nair, Monish Reddy, Sharan Goud, Yashovardhan Parantap, Nathan Dmello Joachim, Faizan Riaz, Ritesh Bhatkal, Wahid Faizan Khan, Abhishek Prabhakar, Prithvi Shekhawat, Shimon LuizBengaluru Blasters: Shubhang Hegde, Mayank Agarwal, Mohsin Khan, Suraj Ahuja, Anirudha Joshi, Naveen MG, Prateek Jain, Chethan LR, Melu Kranthi Kumar, Santokh Singh, Aditya Goyal, Rakshith S, Varun Rao TN, Niranjan Naik, Lavish Kaushal, Varun Kumar HC, Shikhar Shetty, Bheem Rao NavaleMangaluru Dragons: Rohan Patil, Paras Gurbax Arya, Siddharth KV, Nikin Jose, Shreyas Gopal, Dheeraj J Gowda, Darshan MB, Macneil Hadley Noronha, Tushar Singh, Lankesh KS, Samarth Nagaraj, Sankalp SS, Abhilash Shetty, Nischith Rao, Lochan S Gowda, Pranav Bhatia, Sanjay Ashwin, Sagar Solanki

Aston Villa now want to sign a “world-class” ace from Chelsea who could be a potential replacement for Emi Martinez, according to a recent report.

Latest on Emi Martinez’s future at Aston Villa

Martinez has now not only established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League but also one of the best in world football after his heroics with Aston Villa and his national team. His move to Villa Park back in September 2020 proved to be a real turning point in his career, but despite how good he’s become and the fact he is under contract until 2029, his future at the club is in extreme doubt.

That is because at the beginning of last month it was reported that Unai Emery is ready to move on from the Argentine and sell him this summer. It was reported then that teams from Saudi Arabia were showing the most interest, but now the likes of Manchester United and Atlético Madrid have also expressed significant interest.

Before the season ended, Emery refused to say whether Martinez would still be an Aston Villa player next season.

“We will see. Of course, it is the last match here [this season], and I don’t know. We will see about the team and the players, but of course, they are responding on the field.”

Related He's scored at Villa Park: Aston Villa racing to sign "fantastic" £42m star

Only Jacob Murphy, Mohamed Salah and Anthony Elanga assisted more goals than him last season…

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham Jun 12, 2025

Martinez has been away with Argentina, helping his country qualify for the World Cup in 2026, and speculation over his future hasn’t gone away, with his wife, Mandinha, speaking about her husband’s tears at Villa’s final home league game.

“He wasn’t in tears. No. Anybody who knows Emi knows he is an emotional character, and that’s who he is. It just shows you how much he loves the Villa fans. I love the Villa fans. We love Villa.”

Aston Villa want to sign Djordje Petrovic from Chelsea

But as Villa still weigh up what to do about Martinez’s future at the club, according to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have registered their interest in signing Djordje Petrovic from Chelsea, after he spent last season on loan in France with Strasbourg.

The report states that Chelsea have now put their goalkeeper up for sale, given the Serbian asked to be left out of the club’s Club World Cup squad, as he wants assurances on regular game time. Chelsea’s decision to sell him has now alerted teams like Aston Villa, who could be in the market for a new number one.

The Villans are not alone in their pursuit though, as Brentford, Wolves, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Fiorentina have also registered their interest. The report states that the Blues would be looking to get £25 million for Petrovic, which is double the £12.5 million they paid back in August 2023 when they signed him from New England Revolution.

Djordje Petrovic’s 24/25 Ligue 1 stats

Apps

31

Clean sheets

10

Goals conceded

38

Goals conceded per game

1.2

Saves made per game

3.6 (74%)

Penalties saved

1/8

Passing accuracy per game

36.0 (79%)

Errors leading to shot

1

Errors leading to goal

0

Petrovic finished his campaign on loan with 10 clean sheets in 31 Ligue 1 games, as manager Liam Rosenior labelled his goalkeeper “world-class”.

Glasgow Rangers restored some pride when they avoided defeat to their city rivals in their last match in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.

The Light Blues had already had their second-placed finish confirmed, as Celtic won the league title at the end of last month, but they avoided their misery being compounded with a defeat.

Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring for the Gers in front of their home supporters with a composed finish before the break, but Adam Idah secured a point for the away side with a clever turn and finish inside the box in the second 45.

Whilst it was a decent point for the Light Blues, that result did extend Barry Ferguson’s winless run to six matches in all competitions, and he has won just four of his 12 games in charge so far.

There were some more positives to extract from the 1-1 draw with Celtic, though, including the performance of central midfielder Mohamed Diomande.

The Ivorian star assisted the goal from Dessers and won nine of his 12 duels throughout the game, as he showed that fans can be excited about what he could produce next season.

Why Rangers fans should be excited about Mohamed Diomande

The 2024/25 campaign has been the left-footed star’s first full season at Ibrox, having joined on a permanent deal last summer after his initial five-month loan, and he now has plenty of experience under his belt.

Diomande has played 70 matches in all competitions for the Light Blues to date, including 51 in the current campaign, and is now primed to kick on as a star for the club next term, having had 18 months of experience in Glasgow.

It did not take too long for the central midfielder to announce himself in Scottish football after his initial loan move from FC Nordsjælland, as he scored against St. Johnstone in February 2024.

His performances in that loan spell led to the club deciding to sign him on a permanent deal in the summer of 2024, with Philippe Clement in charge, and he has kicked on to become a key player in the current campaign.

Diomande showed potential as a goalscorer, as shown by his stunning strike against St. Johnstone, and as an all-action defender in his time on loan, but his creative quality has shone through this term.

Appearances

13

33

Goals

2

4

Big chances created

1

10

Assists

0

7

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.3

1.8

Ball recoveries per game

4.8

4.3

Duel success rate

52%

55%

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed star has created nine more ‘big chances’ and delivered seven more assists than he did in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign for the Light Blues.

Rangers fans should, therefore, be excited about what the £12k-per-week star could do next season, after 18 months of adjusting to Scottish football, as he has already shown plenty of signs of promise in the Premiership with his work in and out of possession.

Diomande provides great value for money, given that he is the 12th-highest earner at Ibrox, but that is not the case for every player in the squad. In fact, one of the players who should be sold by the 49ers this summer, Kieran Dowell, earns even more than the Ivorian.

Why Rangers should sell Kieran Dowell

The English attacking midfielder reportedly earns £16k-per-week, which is more than the likes of Diomande, Hamza Igamane, Jefte, and John Souttar, among others.

He has, however, not provided value for money for those wages because the former Norwich City man was deemed not good enough for the squad in January and was loaned out to English League One side Birmingham City.

Dowell enjoyed a successful second half of the season with the Blues, who won the League One title with a staggering 111 points, as he caught the eye with goals and assists.

The left-footed star ended the campaign with five goals, nine ‘big chances’ created, and four assists in 19 appearances in the third tier of English football, and is now set to return to Ibrox this summer.

Birmingham do not have an option to make the deal permanent but manager Chris Davies revealed that they will explore the possibility of a move to bring him back to England ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The 49ers, once the takeover is finalised, and sporting director Kevin Thelwell must take advantage of this interest from the Blues in order to ensure that Dowell never plays at Ibrox again.

He has one year left on his contract in Glasgow and this means that the upcoming summer transfer window would be the best time to cash in on the attacking midfielder if they are not planning to extend his contract beyond next year.

Dowell’s performances for Rangers since his move to Scotland on a free transfer from Norwich City in the summer of 2023 do not suggest that the 49ers should be aiming to extend his deal.

Appearances

12

12

Starts

5

2

Goals

2

0

Big chances created

1

4

Assists

2

0

Duel success rate

49%

46%

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old flop failed to nail down a place in the starting XI on a regular basis under Michael Beale or Clement, and only contributed two goals and two assists in 24 appearances in the Premiership.

His underperformance on the pitch for the Light Blues in his first 18 months at Ibrox led to him being loaned out in the January transfer window, which shows that he was deemed surplus to requirements at the start of the year.

Therefore, Dowell has not done enough to justify his £16k-per-week wages, particularly when the impressive Diomande earns even less than him in Glasgow, and that is one of the reasons why the 49ers must ruthlessly cash in on him this summer.

The Gers should attempt to extract a fee from Birmingham for the English dud and ensure that he does not play for Rangers at Ibrox ever again, because the midfielder has not done enough in a Light Blues shirt to suggest that he would be a key player for the next manager coming in.

Not just Gerrard: "Error prone" Rangers star must not be part of 49ers era

Steven Gerrard is not the only big name who should not be part of the 49ers era at Rangers.

ByDan Emery May 8, 2025