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Celtic are brilliant at signing and developing young players before selling them on for profit on the future, as evidenced by the stars they have sold over the years.

As recently as January, the Scottish Premiership champions raked in a reported fee of £10m for Japan international centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi from Rennes, yet he does not even place within the top sales in the club’s history.

Celtic’s most expensive sales

Player

Fee

Kieran Tierney

£25m

Matt O’Riley

£25m

Jota

£25m

Moussa Dembele

£20m

Odsonne Edouard

£18.5m

Kristoffer Ajer

£13.5m

Virgil van Dijk

£13m

As you can see in the table above, the likes of Jota, Matt O’Riley, and Kieran Tierney have all been sold for more than twice as much, the latest of which was O’Riley’s move to Brighton last summer.

Two of those players are also now back at Parkhead. Jota returned to Glasgow from Rennes on a permanent deal in January, whilst Tierney has joined on a free transfer from Arsenal, six years on from his move to the Premier League.

These are some of the top examples of players who have thrived in the Premiership for Celtic before making the club millions by moving elsewhere, and a great example of their brilliant recruitment work is central defender Kristoffer Ajer.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Kristoffer Ajer

In February 2016, the Scottish giants paid a reported fee of just £650k to sign the centre-back after a trial spell at Parkhead from Norwegian side Start.

The Hoops identified the young defender as a promising talent at the age of just 17, and were patient with him before they introduced the starlet to the first-team.

Ajer spent time in the academy, playing youth league football, before being sent out on loan to Kilmarnock in the Premiership, before his emergence as a senior option for Celtic in the 2017/18 campaign.

The towering youngster then went on to score seven goals and provide seven assists in 176 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops before his exit in the summer of 2021.

Kristoffer Ajer’s soaring market value at Celtic

Date

Market value

February 2016

£650k reported fee

February 2017

£680k

August 2018

£1m

August 2019

£2.5m

January 2021

£3.4m

June 2021

£6m

July 2021

£13.5m reported fee

Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Ajer’s market value soared way beyond the initial £650k that the Hoops reportedly paid Start to sign him as a 17-year-old.

In the summer of 2021, Premier League side Brentford reportedly paid a fee of £13.5m to sign the centre-back, breaking their own transfer record, which represented a huge profit for Celtic.

This shows that the Scottish giants hit the jackpot with the young defender as they identified his potential at an incredibly young age and went on to benefit from it with performances on the pitch and a huge fee when he left.

Celtic enquire about deal for teenage star

Celtic could find their next version of Kristoffer Ajer this summer amid reported interest in another 17-year-old centre-back prospect to bolster their squad.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to Mozzart Sport, as relayed by B92, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Red Star Belgrade central defender Veljko Milosavljević in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Hoops have already made an enquiry about the 17-year-old starlet, and made an offer of £5m that was turned down by the Serbian outfit.

It adds that two teams from England are also eyeing up the young centre-back, but they have yet to make any official bids for his services as of yet.

Red Star Belgrade are said to want more than £5m that Celtic put on the table for the teenage titan, although the report does not mention exactly how much they would want for him.

Why Celtic should sign Veljko Milosavljević

The Hoops should sign the Serbian youngster before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September because he has the potential to be Ajer 2.0 at Parkhead.

Whilst he would not arrive for a cheap fee of £650k, given that they have already had an offer of £5m turned down for him, the Red Star talent would arrive as another teenage centre-back with the potential to develop and improve, therefore growing in value in the future.

Despite not turning 18 till this weekend, the Celtic target has already played 19 first-team matches for the Serbian giants, and established himself as a regular in the league in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Milosavljević initially caught the eye in the Serbian youth league, winning 11.8 duels per game across eight starts in the division, before being made a permanent member of Vladan Milojevic’s first-team squad.

24/25 Mozzart Superliga

Veljko Milosavljević

Appearances

14

Starts

11

Pass accuracy

90%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.2

Dribbled past per game

0.2x

Error led to shot

0

Error led to goal

0

Penalties committed

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the teenage talent started 11 of his 14 outings for the Superliga champions, as the centre-back showed that he could compete in a team that was chasing the league title.

Milosavljević, who scout Gianni Bellasi described as a “physically imposing” defender, proved himself to be a reliable option at the back, despite his inexperience, with zero errors that led to shots, goals, or penalties.

That is particularly impressive when you consider that Liam Scales made two such errors and Auston Trusty made five such errors in the Premiership for Celtic this season, in a title-winning side for Brendan Rodgers.

This shows that it is not easy to play a lot of games without making costly mistakes as a centre-back in a dominant team, given the nature of how much they look to play out from the back, but the Serbian star has shown promise in that respect.

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Posts 2 ByDan Emery Jun 25, 2025

Therefore, Milosavljević could follow in Ajer’s footsteps at Parkhead if Celtic sign him this summer because he is a 17-year-old centre-back talent who has shown that he has the qualities to be a reliable figure at the back if he can adapt to Scottish football.

Of course, there are no guarantees in football and there is no telling exactly how he will develop, but his career to date suggests that the potential is there for him to be an exciting signing for the Hoops.

Netherlands tripped up South Africa in the previous two men’s World Cups. They will be targeting a hat-trick, in conditions that might suit their style of batting better

Firdose Moonda07-Jun-20243:21

Morkel: South Africa cannot expect to roll Netherlands over

Match detailsNetherlands vs Nepal
New York, 10.30am localBig picture: Third time lucky for South Africa?Related

Klaasen on New York pitch: Batters need to suck it up

Nortje: Don't need 20 sixes to make an entertaining game

SA vs SL stats – Nortje and Baartman hack into the dot matrix

Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.Of course, it will take doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily; Klaasen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.Paul van Meekeren with Sybrand Engelbrecht after Netherlands’ win over South Africa in the 2023 ODI World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

Form guideSouth Africa: WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Netherlands: WLLLWIn the spotlight: Reeza Hendricks and Vivian KingmaAfter not getting a game at the 2022 T20 World Cup, Reeza Hendricks is the first-choice opener at this event and, as the batter with the lowest strike-rate in T20Is in South Africa’s top six, will be desperate to show what he is capable of. He had limited opportunity in the Sri Lanka match – he only faced two balls before being dismissed Test-match style by Nuwan Thushara, whom he edged to slip. Now he has had time to come to terms with how to play in New York and must combine his shots with the patience he must have, after waiting so long for an opportunity this high-profile.Vivian Kingma went wicketless against Nepal but that is no reflection of the threat he posed. He got movement upfront, swung the ball away from the right-hand batters, beat the bat on several occasions and found the edge in a spell that set the tone for the Dutch. On a surface that could have considerably more assistance for him, South Africa’s top order will want to be at their most watchful while also finding a way to target the bowlers around him.Team news: Do Netherlands play an extra seamer?Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markam, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich NortjeConditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.Netherlands: 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Vikramjit Singh, 4 Sybrand Engelbrecht, 5 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 6 Bas de Leede, 7 Teja Nidamanuru, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Tim Pringle, 10 Paul van Meekeren, 11 Vivian Kingma2:42

Which Netherlands bowlers will South Africa look to take down?

Pitch and conditionsWe’re going to see a “new” surface at the venue tomorrow with one of the middle pitches set to make their first tournament appearance, and there will be many eyes on it. The same surface will be used for the India-Pakistan match, so this fixture is something of a test run. From what we’ve seen so far, both pitches 1 and 4 have been tricky for batters because of inconsistent bounce. The ICC has acknowledged the quality has not been up to the standard expected and that it is working on a “remedy.” So far, it has been observed that grass has been shaved off one of the surfaces, which could reduce some of the bounce.At least, everyone can fully focus on the strip and not overhead because the weather is set fine, with highs in the mid-20s.Stats and trivia Netherlands have beaten South Africa in their previous two World Cup meetings, but have not won any matches against them outside of those two. Ottneil Baartman is the leading South African wicket-taker in T20s this year and the sixth-highest overall. His 34 wickets have come at an average of 15.17, the best among the top ten wicket-takers. At 121.13, Max O’Dowd has the highest career strike rate in the Dutch squad. Five South Africans – Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Aiden Markram – have higher numbers than that. Quotes”We definitely want to get back a couple of games against Netherlands. They just do the basics extremely well. The moment they get on top of you, they become a difficult beast. When they do the basics right, they do it so well that they keep squeezing you. They have unbelievable outfielding, so it’s not easy just to shift that momentum against them. For us, it’s a big game.”
“We’re lucky in the sense that we play on a lot of different wickets. Back in the Netherlands, we play on artificials, we play on spicy wickets, we play on spinning wickets. So, for us it’s about adapting to whatever the wicket brings to us.”

Water is wet, the sky is blue, and Chelsea are incredibly busy in the summer transfer window.

Like they do every year, the Blues are making the most of silly season, already welcoming in Premier League-proven talents like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.

Moreover, they have also reportedly agreed a deal worth around £55m to sign the incredibly exciting Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.

However, it’s not all about the incomings, as the West Londoners have already made a few sales and are looking to make a few more, although one potential exit could end up being something of a Mohamed Salah repeat.

Chelsea's summer sales

While most of the attention this summer has been on the club’s incomings, and rightly so, Chelsea have already made a few sales.

Transfer Focus

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

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The biggest thus far has been Bashir Humphreys’ move to Burnley, where he spent last season on loan, for a fee supposedly around £10m.

The full-back isn’t the only Blues player who was on loan last season to leave this summer, though, as Kepa Arizabalaga made the incredibly familiar move to Arsenal for around £5m earlier this month.

Interestingly, based on reports, the Spaniard might not even be the only Blues player to move to the Emirates this summer.

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Noni Madueke could follow Kepa to the red side of North London in the coming weeks or months.

In fact, the Italian journalist claims that the Gunners are in talks with the player’s representatives, and that he’d be “open” to a move.

In terms of the money involved, reports from earlier this month claim that the Englishman could end up costing £55m.

While there are certainly some who would see this as an excellent sale for Chelsea, there are also ways in which it bears a resemblance to Salah’s departure all those years ago.

Why Madueke's move could be Salah 2.0

Okay, so before the pitchforks and torches come out, we are not in any way trying to argue that Madueke is as good a player as Salah is today, as that would be patently absurd.

However, there are some similarities between them and this potential transfer to that of the Liverpool star.

The first is that it could be another example of Chelsea selling a young and exciting right-winger years before they hit their peak.

While he was not indispensable last season, the former PSV Eindhoven star was a useful player to have in the squad and someone who showed glimpses of brilliance.

For example, the “unbelievable” forward, as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, racked up a tally of seven goals and four assists in just 32 Premier League appearances, and in Europe, he was even better, scoring three goals and providing one assist in five games.

Madueke’s FBref scout report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Progressive Carries

6.82

Top 1%

Carries into Penalty Area

4.12

Top 1%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.04

Top 4%

Touches (Att Pen)

8.15

Top 4%

Non-Penalty xG

0.43

Top 6%

Shots Total

3.54

Top 7%

Progressive Carrying Distance

154.28

Top 7%

Shots on Target

1.33

Top 8%

All Stats via FBref

Moreover, he possesses some genuinely world-class skills, as, according to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area per 90 minutes.

In other words, there were almost no players better at getting the ball up the pitch and into seriously dangerous areas than the Englishman.

Don’t just take our word for the potential of the winger though, as coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst has argued that he’s “further along on his journey than Salah was at the same age” and that “if he continues to work hard, then he could and should be recognised as one of the world’s best down the line.”

Additionally, if the Reading-born ace does get to the very top of the game, then he could end up being as much of a thorn in the Pensioners’ side as the Egyptian has been, only this time for an even bigger rival.

Ultimately, while he’s nowhere near Salah today, Madueke has the ability to be something special, and if Chelsea let him go to a rival now, they could end up regretting it in the same way they regret losing the Liverpool star all those years ago.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 4, 2025

قاد ممفيس ديباي منتخب بلاده هولندا، للفوز على ليتوانيا بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء اليوم الأحد، بالتصفيات المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

والتقى منتخب هولندا مع ليتوانيا في إطار تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، على ملعب “داريوس وجيريناس”.

وافتتح المنتخب الهولندي التسجيل عن طريق لاعبه ممفيس ديباي في الدقيقة 11، ثم عزز كوينتين مادورو تقدم هولندا بهدف ثانٍ في الدقيقة 33.

وتمكن منتخب ليتوانيا من تقليص الفارق بهدف في الدقيقة 36 من اللقاء، وأدرك التعادل في الدقيقة 43، لتصبح النتيجة 2-2.

وعاد ديباي ليسجل الهدف الثاني له والثالث للمنتخب الهولندي في الدقيقة 63 من اللقاء، وقد أصبح الهداف التاريخي لمنتخب بلاده.

وبات رصيد ممفيس ديباي مع هولندا 52 هدفًا ليتخطى نجم هولندا السابق، روبن فان بيرسي الذي يملك 50 هدفًا.

حسمت المباراة بفوز هولندا بثلاثية لهدفين، لتحصل على ثلاث نقاط، وترفع رصيدها لـ10 نقاط في صدارة المجموعة.

وتضم مجموعة هولندا كل من بولندا (7 نقاط)، فنلندا (7 نقاط)، ليتوانيا (3 نقاط)، مالطا (نقطتان). أهداف مباراة هولندا وليتوانيا

England Under-19s suffer collapse before Shanmuganathan fifty buoys tourists in second dig

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2024

Keshana Fonseka made 86 in England’s first innings (file photo)•Getty Images

England Men Under-19s will head to Chelmsford for a series decider after the first Youth Test against Sri Lanka Under-19s ended in a rain-affected draw.Any hopes of a result had been dulled when the second day was completely washed out, after which the tourists controlled the contest to earn a deserved 77-run first-innings lead. Sri Lanka U19s then batted out the remainder of the match to be 192 for 4 when stumps was called at 5.30pm.Skipper Dinura Kalupahana’s century was followed by Praveen Maneesha’s 6 for 56 as the legspinner claimed five of the six Young Lions wickets to fall on the final day.England U19s were bowled out for 247 but will take positives ahead of next week’s second Youth Test in the form of Freddie McCann’s 92 at the top of the order while Lancashire’s Keshana Fonseka also fell just short of a century when he was caught driving at Sheshane Marasinghe on 86. The pair had put on 160 for the second wicket yesterday.Surrey Academy paceman Alex French picked up four wickets in the first innings too – when England had reduced Sri Lanka to 37 for 4 – but they were unable to assert that early authority as Kalupahana’s classy century shifted the momentum.Three late wickets last night meant the Young Lions started the day needing to reassert themselves, but instead they lost 6 for 54 with Maneesha’s skiddy legspin doing the majority of the damage.Rocky Flintoff added one to his overnight score when he was caught by Nathan Caldera before Maneesha had Jack Carney trapped lbw pushing forward.Fonseka had been untroubled as he struck 13 boundaries in his 149-ball stay but, like a number of batters yesterday on a slowing pitch, he pushed a drive into the infield and was caught by Sadew Samarasinghe.Maneesha mopped up the remaining three wickets in back-to-back overs to give Sri Lanka a first-innings lead they would barely have imagined earing after their first-morning collapse.From there the match meandered towards a draw. Farhan Ahmed picked up his first wicket of the match when he snuck one past Samarsinghe’s forward prod and in the next over Noah Thain held a sharp catch above his head at first slip when Pulindu Perera swiped at Jaydn Denly’s second ball.Sharujan Shanmuganathan was composed in reaching 73 before swiping at Denly and being caught in the deep by Ahmed, who also held the catch to remove Gayana Weerasinghe off Daavya Sharma.

علق حسام غالي عضو مجلس إدارة الأهلي، على إمكانية توليه منصب رئيس النادي الأهلي في المستقبل، موضحًا رأيه في الصراع من أجل الوصول لهذا الهدف.

وقال حسام غالي في تصريحات عبر منصة اليوتيوب: “الناس بالطبع تضع آمالاً كبيرة أو تراني كـ رئيس للنادي الأهلي، ويمكنني أن أرى نفسي رئيساً لنادي الأهلي، ويمكنني أن أحقق طموح الناس الذين يرونني رئيساً للنادي، ويمكنني أن أحقق لهم ما يحلمون به طول حياتهم بشأن النادي ومبادئه وشخصيته واسمه وكيانه، لأنني أحفظه وأعرفه جيداً جداً وتربيت فيه”.

وتابع: “لكن عندما دخلت مجال الإدارة، رأيت الدنيا على حقيقتها قليلاً، لا من بعيد كما كنت أراها وأنا ألعب كرة القدم، وأرى الموضوع بوضوح أكبر الآن، أشعر الآن أنني غير قادر على حمل السيف والدرع والدخول في هذه المعركة حالياً وأنا أتحدث الآن، فهي تحتاج إلى طاقة وجهد هائل”.

وأردف: “طوال حياتي حملت السيف والدرع منذ كنت طفلاً صغيراً حتى توقفت عن كرة القدم، داخل الملعب حرفياً أحمل السيف والدرع، وأنا أحارب الجميع الإعلام والجمهور والمدير الفني الذي لا يثق بي أو المدير الفني الذي لا يريد أن يدفع بي، وألعب رغماً عنه”.

وأوضح حسام غالي: “كنت دائماً أحمل السيف والدرع وأحارب، ولم أخذ استراحة المحارب هذه بعد أن توقفت عن كرة القدم، بل دخلت في العمل الإداري، وعملت قليلاً ثم ذهبت مديراً رياضياً في الجونة، فدخلت تحت الضغوط وما زال اللاعب موجوداً أيضاً، فوجدت نفسي ما زلت أحمل السيف”.

وواصل: “لديّ الرغبة في أن أصبح رئيساً، لكن حالياً أنا غير قادر على حمل السيف والدرع والدخول في هذه المعركة بعد أن رأيت وعيشت الموضوع وتكالب الناس الكثيرين والصراعات الكبيرة جداً، وإذا كانت هي في هذه المكانة أو لديها تطلعات أو لديها غرض في إعطاء الشخص الذي يراه الجمهور أنه يمكن أن يصبح رئيسا للنادي ويحقق طموح النادي، لكن بالمقابل يُطعن بالخنجر في الظهر أو شيء لا أعرفه، الأهم أن الشخص الذي هو حسام غالي هذا الانطباع الذي يأخذه الجمهور أنه “رجل الأهلي”، لا أن نشوه هذه الصورة أو نجعل الانطباع الذي يأخذه خطأ”.

وزاد: “أنتم تفكرون خطأ هذا لا يجوز لذا دائماً هناك خناجر بالطبع تُوضع في الظهر، هل أستطيع القتال؟ نعم أستطيع القتال، لكن إذا فعلت ذلك سأخرج أموراً سيئة جداً، وأنا لا أفعل ذلك، ولم أوضع يوماً في موقف أدخل وأحارب حروباً غير شريفة أو غير نزيهة”.

طالع | وليد صلاح الدين يكشف خطة الأهلي للتجديد مع ديانج وعبد القادر.. وموقف المدرب الجديد

وأوضح: “أنا دائماً أحارب حربي بشرف ونزاهة، وجهًا لوجه أو بجهدي وأحصل على ما أريده، لكن هذه الأمور في الظهر والتكتيكات ليست من شأني ولا أعرف كيف أفعلها ولم أفعلها يوماً، لم أفعل يوماً أن أقول لك الآن أجلس وأضحك في وجهك وأحضنك وأقبلك وفي الخلف أطعنك في ظهرك، لن تستطيع حتى لو لعبتها لن تستطيع لعبها مثلهم، هم أشطر منك”.

وأشار: “لن أستطيع لعبها، أنا إذا كنت صادقاً فهذا ليس داخلي، ستنظر إلى وجهي وتعرف، ونعم بالطبع لديّ الرغبة ولديّ الحلم وأريد أن أحقق طموح الجمهور الذي يراني في هذه المكانة، لكن صدقني حالياً لا، غير قادر على حمل السيف”.

وبسؤاله لو أصبحت رئيساً لنادي الأهلي، ما هو أول قرار ستتخذه؟، أجاب: “سأختار الناس حولي بشخصية نادي الأهلي، ناس لديها إنكار للذات، ناس لديها طموح، ناس تحب العمل في فريق عمل لا فردية، وناس غير متسلقة، وشخصياتها قوية”.

وأتم: “أحب العمل مع شخصيات قوية لكن غير متسلقة، وبالطبع، لا يكون الذي يقول (أنا الذي أفعل)، وأنا الشخص الموجود، لا أنت شخصيتك قوية وقائد وكل شيء لكن في النهاية الجماعة، أتمنى أن تكون هذه الأمور موجودة وكانت موجودة من قبل”.

Sunderland completed their sixth signing of the summer transfer window earlier this week when they confirmed the arrival of Simon Adingra from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Black Cats have signed Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Habib Diallo, Enzo Le Fee, and Reinildo to bolster Regis Le Bris’ options across the park.

Sunderland have only added Reinildo to their defensive ranks, though, and could look to improve their back four in the coming weeks before the end of the window.

It had been reported in June that the club were considering a permanent deal for Chris Mepham, who spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Bournemouth, but there has not been an update on the situation since then.

Sunderland plotting deal for Ligue 1 star

The Black Cats appear to be looking at alternative options to the Wales international in that area of the pitch, though, as they are reportedly keen on another right-sided centre-back.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to Football Insider, Sunderland are interested in signing Toulouse central defender Charlie Cresswell to bolster their team this summer.

The report claims that the Premier League new boys are ‘plotting’ a deal to bring the England U21 international to the Stadium of Light in the coming weeks.

Speaking to Football Insider, scout Mick Brown added: “Sunderland have been looking at Charlie Cresswell. They had scouts at the Under-21 Euros and from what I hear they were impressed by what they saw.”

The Sun have previously claimed that it will take a fee of £18m to tempt Toulouse into cashing in on the former Leeds man, who would be an upgrade on Mepham for Sunderland.

Why Sunderland should sign Charlie Cresswell

Le Bris should push the club to strike a deal for the 22-year-old colossus, who won the U21 Euros with England this summer, because he would add defensive quality to the squad.

Cresswell caught the eye with his impressive performances at the Euros, winning 67% of his duels across six appearances, but he also showcased his ability in Ligue 1 for Toulouse.

The English star showed that he can deliver brilliant defensive displays on a regular basis in a major European league, which is something Mepham, who played 38 times in the Championship last term, has failed to do.

Stats

Cresswell (24/25 Ligue 1)

Mepham (23/24 Premier League)

Appearances

31

10

Goals

3

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.0

1.9

Clearances per game

6.1

2.9

Duels won per game

4.9

4.3

Ground duel success rate

51%

37%

Aerial duel success rate

66%

60%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Cresswell’s showings in Ligue 1 were significantly more impressive than Mepham’s were when he last played in the Premier League with Bournemouth.

These statistics suggest that the former Leeds man would come in as an immediate upgrade on what the Welshman could have offered in the top-flight, as he is more dominant defensively and offers a greater threat from set plays.

The Toulouse star, who was once hailed as “incredible” during his loan spell at Millwall by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also five years younger than Mepham, which means that he also has more long-term potential as a young player with time left ahead of him to develop and improve.

Therefore, Cresswell could be a significantly better signing for Sunderland than Mepham due to both his quality in the here and now, as well as his potential to get better in the future.

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The umpires carried out an inspection around noon, even though it was raining, and called it off for the day

Hemant Brar30-Aug-2024

Persistent rain washed out the opening day in Rawalpindi•AFP/Getty Images

No play Persistent rain allowed no play, not even the toss, on the first day of the second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. The umpires had an inspection at noon, even though the rain had not stopped, and called it off for the day. The chances of play were so bleak that the teams had not even left their hotel.There is a forecast for more rain later in the day; it is expected to be overcast for much of tomorrow as well. On Thursday, too, the teams had to cancel their practice sessions because of rain.Bangladesh lead the two-match series 1-0 after registering their maiden Test win over Pakistan in the previous outing. Pakistan had fielded an all-pace attack then but included legspinner Abrar Ahmed in their XII this time. For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed is fit and is expected to replace fellow fast bowler Nahid Rana. But we will have to wait at least until Saturday morning for the playing XIs.According to the original schedule, this Test was supposed to be played in Karachi but the PCB shifted it to Rawalpindi because of ongoing construction at the National Stadium.

واصل فريق مانشستر سيتي، بقيادة المدرب بيب جوارديولا، نتائجه الجيدة في الوقت الحالي بعدما انتصر على نابولي مساء يوم الخميس، في إطار منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

واستضاف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة فريقي مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي ونابولي الإيطالي، حيث فاز السكاي بلو بهدفين دون رد، بفضل إيرلينج هالاند وجيريمي دوكو.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي ونابولي في دوري أبطال أوروبا

ويُعد ذلك هو الفوز الثاني على التوالي لـ مانشستر سيتي هذا الموسم، بعدما انتصر على مانشستر يونايتد بثلاثة أهداف دون رد يوم الأحد الماضي في قمة منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز. موعد مباراة مانشستر سيتي القادمة في الدوري الإنجليزي

وينتظر مانشستر سيتي مباراة صعبة أخرى، يوم الأحد المقبل، في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز 2025/26، وذلك ضد خصمه فريق آرسنال.

ويستضيف ملعب “الإمارات” مباراة فريقي آرسنال ومانشستر سيتي، في تمام الساعة 6:30 مساء يوم الأحد 21 سبتمبر، بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.

ويحتل مانشستر سيتي حاليًا المركز الثامن في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي، برصيد 6 نقاط، في حين أن آرسنال لديه 9 نقاط في المركز الثاني.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now “close” to reaching an agreement for a “powerful” defender, with talks “underway”, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Wolves set sights on defender with Semedo set to leave

Wolves are now planning for life without Nelson Semedo, as their former captain is still yet to commit to a new contract, and Vitor Pereira’s latest update indicates the right-back will not be returning to Molineux.

The manager said: “The relationship that I have with Nelson, we have been, from the beginning, very honest. He said to me that maybe it’s time, after five years here, to find another challenge and I understand. But I need to feel that he’s honest with me. I prefer to know the truth from the beginning. Then, waiting and waiting and waiting. We cannot wait.”

The 31-year-old established himself as a key player during his five seasons at Molineux, making 34 Premier League appearances last season, but given that he is now looking increasingly likely to leave, Pereira has set his sights on a replacement.

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Last week, it was revealed the Old Gold had overtaken AC Milan in the race for Almeria right-back Marc Pubill, and there has now been another exciting update on the pursuit of the defender, which states talks are “underway”.

Taking to X, Romano has now revealed that Wolves are “close to reaching an agreement” for Pubill, with both Almeria and on the player’s side, and they are hoping to get a deal over the line very soon, having submitted a €15m (£13m) offer.

"Powerful" Pubill could be solid replacement for Semedo

It will be a blow for Pereira to lose Semedo, given that the Portuguese defender has bags of Premier League experience, but there are plenty of signs the Almeria full-back could be capable of being a solid long-term replacement.

At just 22-years-old, the Spanish defender is still young, but he has a plethora of first-team experience, making 63 appearances for Almeria, during which time he has showcased his attacking prowess by picking up two goals and eight assists.

Football scout Ben Mattinson has also praised the Spain U21 international for his performances at the U21 European Championships.

As such, Pubill could be an exciting long-term addition to Pereira’s squad, so it is promising news that a deal is now edging closer to completion.