Aston Villa kicked off their Premier League season with a draw at home against Newcastle United.

Villa looked in trouble at half-time as they hadn’t had a single shot, whereas Newcastle had eight shots that were valued at 1.1 xG.

However, the second half was a better performance, and post-match Unai Emery praised his team’s efforts: “We didn’t concede a lot in the second half and created chances, but the red card completely changed the match. We have to feel happy and proud of our work. This is the level we are playing against, which is the highest in the Premier League and Europa League. Today was a very good test, and, in the end, it was a good result.”

In the second half, although Villa had less possession, they did more with it as they registered three shots on target. Newcastle again had eight shots, but they were of significantly lower quality as they only valued 0.33 xG.

With game one down and their attention back on the transfer market, Villa have agreed to move on a player who was excluded from yesterday’s squad due to ongoing transfer negotiations.

Bailey allowed to travel for medical ahead of Aston Villa exit

Leon Bailey has been granted permission to travel to Rome for a medical ahead of his loan move to Roma. The winger was not in Villa’s match-day one squad due to the negotiations, with looking to move Bailey on all summer since “Emery has not been happy with his progress since he signed his new deal in 2024” and has wanted him gone.

Sports Witness have cited reports that Aston Villa’s Director of Football, Monchi, has now agreed a deal with Roma for Bailey to join on loan with an option to buy. There was no indication as to how much of Bailey’s £6.24 million-a-year contract will be covered by Roma.

A deal is well and truly on the cards, pending a medical, between Roma and Aston Villa, with Bailey set to travel on Monday.

Where things went wrong for Bailey at Villa

When Bailey arrived at Villa, he was seen as a player with a lot of promise as he was coming off the back of a 25-goal involvement season at Bayer Leverkusen.

Midway through his stellar 23/24 season, Bailey was awarded a new contract that kept him at Villa until 2027, with the club having the option to extend by another year. During that season Bailey registered 27 goal involvements across all competitions, which made it for most prolific season in his career.

However, his form took a sharp turn downwards in the 2024/25 season when he only managed six goal involvements in all competitions. This has led to Emery being unhappy with his progress and wanting to move him on.

While it looks like the loan will only have an option to buy, and there is always the possibility that Bailey returns to Birmingham next summer, it might be best for all involved if this move is made permanent and Bailey gets a chance to rediscover his best form in a new environment.

NSW recovered from 124 for 6 to finish the opening day in a healthy position after the match had started in dramatic fashion

Andrew McGlashan18-Feb-2025

Scott Boland again enjoyed himself at the SCG•Getty Images

Scott Boland again enjoyed himself at the SCG but Ollie Davies rescued New South Wales on a day where Sam Konstas’ batting approach came under the spotlight.In fifth before the round started, NSW are in more desperate need of victory in a push for the final but were in danger of being well short of a competitive total when Boland reduced them to 124 for 6, having earlier won a brief duel with Konstas who fell for a frenetic 10 off 7 balls when he attempted to sweep Boland in just the third over.Related

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2.1 overs, 30 for 1: Konstas involved in wild Shield start

With Nic Maddinson taking 20 off the second over of the match from Fergus O’Neill, the scoreboard read a bizarre 30 for 1 after 13 deliveries. Early in the afternoon, Boland took two wickets in three balls as NSW threatened to fall away but a seventh-wicket stand of 102 between Davies and Chris Green carried them to what appeared a competitive 238 on a surface expected to get tougher for batting.The home side were then able to take four Victoria wickets before the close with Green’s late removal of an aggressive Harry Dixon, who was caught a slip, tilting the day their way.Yet the major talking point of the day came in first 10 minutes. Konstas reverse scooped his second ball from Boland for four and thumped another boundary straight of mid-off. Then, having watched Maddinson target the short boundary with consecutive sixes, Konstas attempted to sweep Boland and was bowled.It provided plenty of fuel to the debate about how Konstas should style his batting, but while his brazen approach against Jasprit Bumrah had some tactical nous to it this felt purely reckless.”I knew Maddo was going to go after Fergus O’Neill, just because he’s so good at controlling his length and nicking people off,” Davies told ESPNcricinfo. “Maddo said, I just want to put him under the pump and get him off his game a little bit.”So that was Maddo’s plan, and I’m not sure what Sammy was doing. I didn’t speak to him about his plan before [he went out], but if he thinks that’s the best way he’s going to score runs, then I’ll back him in 100%. He has shown it before, at Test level and Shield level, that he can score hundreds and big runs. So I’m still backing him in. I hope there’s a big score around the corner, hopefully second innings from here.”Sam Konstas was bowled sweeping against Scott Boland•Getty Images

Normality returned to proceedings following Konstas’ departure and at 70 for 1 NSW had a solid platform. However, Maddinson, who did not take another boundary off O’Neill after his early onslaught, pulled to deep square leg and the in-form Kurtis Patterson edged a flat-footed poke at Boland shortly before lunch.On resumption, Matthew Gilkes was lbw offering no shot at O’Neill before Boland’s double intervention at the ground where he claimed 10 in the match against India on his previous appearance. Josh Philippe looked less than impressed at being given caught down the leg side but there was no doubt about Will Sutherland’s edge to first slip.Davies, another batter not shy of bringing out his shots, played positively but sensibly to resurrect the innings alongside the stubborn Green. He struck 13 boundaries and also collected a six over fine leg, which was a little more top edge than middle, to take him to fifty from 62 balls.He was given a life on 61 when Tom Rogers missed a chance at first slip and was in sight of a first century for the season before edging a drive off Sutherland as NSW lost their last four wickets for 12.Both Edwards and Jackson Bird struck early with the new ball – Edwards producing an excellent delivery that clipped Campbell Kellaway’s off stump – and when Peter Handscomb fell to Hanno Jacobs, Victoria were wobbling on 25 for 3.Dixon, who made his first-class debut in previous round, counterattacked including taking 16 off Jacobs’ fourth over but he couldn’t quite make it to stumps leaving a huge amount resting on Marcus Harris who was unbeaten with 33.

After missing out on Facundo Buonanotte to Chelsea, Leeds United have now reportedly re-opened talks to sign a priority target before the transfer window slams shut.

Chelsea hijack Leeds' Buonanotte move

Just like Igor Paixao earlier this summer, Leeds are set to miss out on an attacking reinforcement at the death. This time, it’s Chelsea who have jumped ahead of them in brutal fashion to close in on a deal to sign Buonanotte from Brighton & Hove Albion. The news leaves those at Elland Road back to square one and still in need of additions.

Just where Leeds go from here is the big question. The 49ers have just two days to welcome alternative options and complete a squad that must be good enough to avoid the drop.

So far, Leeds have welcomed as many as 10 signings, with the latest arrival being James Justin from Leicester City. Once again, though, he will boost Daniel Farke’s backline rather than add some much-needed goals to his side.

The defender told Leeds’ official website after putting pen to paper: “Obviously to join a club of this size and to have the history it has had, and being back in the Premier League was a massive thing for me, so I’m over the moon to have joined.

“Everyone that I’ve spoken to about the club and the area has had great things to say about it. So I’m excited to join the lads and get to work.

Whilst Justin is a welcome arrival, Leeds have continued their search for an attacking reinforcement and have reportedly turned back towards one of their main targets.

Leeds re-open El Khannouss talks

According to Leeds United News, Leeds have now re-opened talks to sign Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester this week. The attacking midfielder just missed out on a move to Crystal Palace after they decided to sign Yeremy Pino instead. Although that would have been a disappointment for him, it has seemingly allowed Elland Road chiefs to swoop back in for their priority target.

Dubbed a “fantastic talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, El Khannouss was a rare bright spark in a relegated Leicester side last season and could now provide Leeds’ attack with that same spark.

Leeds eyeing £75k-p/w Premier League playmaker who's a lot like Buonanotte

The Whites may have landed a late boost in the transfer market.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 30, 2025

With their attacking problems clear for all to see, the 49ers must back Leeds one final time to welcome a talent like El Khannouss before the deadline.

The left-arm quick said his priority was the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June

Andrew McGlashan27-Feb-2025Mitchell Starc has revealed that an ankle injury was the major reason for him missing the Champions Trophy but that “personal views” also played a part in him withdrawing from the tournament.Starc joined Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in being absent from the event meaning Australia are without their big three fast bowlers leaving an inexperienced pace attack but a win against Afghanistan on Friday will put them in the semi-finals.When the squad was announced, Cricket Australia said Starc had withdrawn for personal reasons with the full support of the board and the team.Related

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Speaking for the first time since the squad was named, Starc did not expand on what the personal views were but talked about the World Test Championship final against South Africa being a priority.”There’s a few different reasons, some personal views, and had a bit of ankle pain through the Test series [against Sri Lanka],” Starc told the Willow Talk podcast. “So just get that one right, obviously we’ve got the Test final coming up and a West Indies tour after that.”There’s some IPL cricket as well, but my main one top of my mind is that Test final so get my body right, play some cricket in the next couple of months and then ready to go for the Test final.”In Pakistan, where Starc toured in 2022, the Champions Trophy is being played under strict security measures which limit the movement of the players. Sides that come up against India also need to travel to Dubai with India playing all their matches at the same venue under the hybrid model agreed to ensure the tournament went ahead.Starc has often put his body on the line for Australia. He fought through the pain of a side issue in the latter stages of the Test series against India and was then clearly limping during the second match in Galle earlier this month where he played both Tests as the lone specialist fast bowler.If Starc plays the WTC final and all three Tests in West Indies he will earn his 100th cap in Jamaica during July. He also needs 18 more wickets to reach 400.Starc has a deal with Delhi Capitals for the upcoming IPL which starts on March 21. Cummins has returned to bowling and is on track to be available for that tournament while ESPNcricinfo understands that Hazlewood is also progressing towards a return for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Should all three be available for the WTC final the selectors will face a tough decision on the make-up of the pace attack with Scott Boland having made a compelling case to be retained.On the WTC concept itself, Starc admitted he had been underwhelmed by it during the first cycle but when Australia missed out due to a slow over-rate it quickly increased in significance although he believes the model needs amending.”The first one being a new concept, I remember definitely, I was like, what’s this all about? It doesn’t mean much,” he said. “We’re trying to win every Test match, every Test series. And then we got close to it and we missed out and watching it on the TV, we all wanted to be a part of it. So that quickly changed.”And then the second cycle, we made the final and obviously playing India on neutral territory, that was a big occasion for both teams, managed to get the chocolates that time. And now we find ourselves sitting [with] a chance to win it for the second time on the trot.”I think the format needs some tinkering still. It’s a very hard one to fix, I guess, when you only play six series that contribute to the point system. You get the same points for home and away wins, it’s a percentage based model. So it’s an imperfect system. But I think two really good teams will be facing off in the final.”

There was an air of inevitability right from the time a beaming Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bowl in Mumbai Indians’ second match of WPL 2025 against Gujarat Giants. Teams chasing had won every single game so far this season. Couple that with Mumbai’s 4-0 record against Giants coming into this match and odds were stacked heavily in Mumbai’s favour.And the game panned out accordingly.Hayley Matthews’ frugal three-wicket squeeze backed up by two-wicket hauls from Nat-Sciver Brunt and Amelia Kerr helped bowl out Giants for 120. Sciver-Brunt then continued her stellar run with the bat, scoring her second fifty on the bounce to shepherd Mumbai’s chase.She finished with 57 off 39 balls as Mumbai chased down the target by five wickets and 23 balls to spare. The win not only helped Mumbai open their account in WPL 2025, but also extended their lead over Giants to 5-0. Giants are now the only side in the tournament to not have a single win against a particular team.

Giants’ powerplay malfunction

Harmanpreet spoke at the toss about capitalising in the first few overs before the dew set in. She went pace from both ends up top and the move paid dividend with Sciver-Brunt accounting for Beth Mooney, who sliced a simple catch to Sanskriti Gupta at backward point in the second over.Shabnim Ismail then got rid of Laura Woolvardt, whose lofted drive could only go as far as S Sajana stationed perfectly at deep cover. That reduced Giants to 14 for 2, which four balls later became 16 for 3 when Matthews sent back D Hemalatha whose across-the-line heave was caught wonderfully by Kerr sprinting to her left from deep midwicket.Ashleigh Gardner, Giants’ wrecker-in-chief in the first two matches, started fluently again striking a four and six but was undone by a Sciver-Brunt slower delivery which she mistimed to Sajana at deep midwicket.At 28 for 4 after six overs, Giants couldn’t have asked for a worse start. This was their third-lowest powerplay score in the WPL and comfortably the lowest for any team this season. What also hurt Giants were the sheer number of dot balls at the start. Twenty-six of the 36 balls in the powerplay were dots, the joint-most in WPL history.Nat Sciver-Brunt used the scoop again•BCCI

Deol fights, no one else does

It might be a case of Giants worrying about the dew later on or just them not trusting their defence enough that despite the fall of wickets, the batters continued going for their shots. Deandra Dottin got going with a reverse sweep, but a wild mow across the line off Kerr brought about her downfall, with Yastika Bhatia executing a quick stumping.Kashvee Gautam, like many of her team-mates, started strong smashing debutant Parul Sisodia for two fours and then lifted Ismail for a six over long-on, but like the others, flattered to deceive edging Matthews behind.In all this, Harleen Deol stood tall. She played the waiting game, but did not let any scoring opportunities go. The sweep became her ally as she breached the gaps with consistency during her 31-ball 32.But the wickets continued to fall at the other end and when Deol departed with the score on 103 for 8 in the 17th over, the end was nigh. However, Sayali Satghare and Priya Mishra ensured that Giants played out their full quota of 20 overs.For Mumbai, Matthews was miserly in her four-over spell going for just 16. She bowled 16 dot balls in her spell, as did Sciver-Brunt while 19 of the 24 balls that Ismail bowled were dots.

Sciver-Brunt’s flawless fifty in MI’s first win

Coming into the tournament, there were questions raised on Sciver-Brunt’s form considering she had a relatively quiet Ashes. In a matter of two innings, she’s brushed aside the doubters.A 121-chase was never going to be daunting. Matthews started fluently, striking three fours but ended up smashing a rank long-hop from Tanuja Kanwar straight to Deol at square leg. If Giants were entertaining any thoughts of a collapse, Sciver-Brunt shut that down quickly.She got going with a fierce pull first ball and it was one-way traffic thereon. Dottin was crashed through point before Priya Mishra was pulled through square leg twice in three balls. While Bhatia fell mistiming Mishra to long-on and Harmanpreet was trapped in front by Kashvee, Sciver-Brunt stood like an immovable force.It was not just power but also precision and the ability to find gaps at will that kept Sciver-Brunt going. She added a 45-run stand with Kerr off 38 balls to take Mumbai closer. She took 34 balls to collect her fifty before falling just seven runs shy of the target. G Kamalini, on debut, struck her first ball for four while Sajana finished the game by depositing Dottin over mid-off to give Mumbai their first win of WPL 2025.The win has taken Mumbai to second place on the points table while Giants’ NRR has taken a hit, though they are in third place.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo está armando um jogo festivo para a despedida de Joel Carli. O zagueiro é idolatrado pela torcida alvinegra e se aposentará dos gramados no fim de junho. A informação foi publicada primeiramente pelo “O Globo” e confirmada pelo LANCE!.

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A data ainda não foi definida pelo clube. O LANCE! apurou que, além do jogo festivo, existe um planejamento do Botafogo em realizar um evento no Nilton Santos para Joel Carli dar autógrafos e tirar fotos com os torcedores. A expectativa é que este encontro aconteça nos próximos dias.

+ Veja os valores dos lotes arrematados no leilão do Instituto Neymar

Depois que se aposentar, Joel Carli assumirá um cargo no departamento de futebol do Botafogo. A ideia é que participe diretamente na transição dos jovens das categorias de base. A função exata ainda não foi oficializada pelo clube.

O zagueiro é o segundo estrangeiro com mais jogos disputados na história do Glorioso. O argentino realizou 189 partidas pelo clube e será sempre lembrado com muito carinho pela torcida alvinegra.

Whisper it quietly, but there are some promising signs at this early stage of the season for Tottenham Hotspur.

Whisper it quietly, because there have been false dawns before. But then, in Thomas Frank, Spurs have appointed a calculated and composed manager whose experience and success in the Premier League with Brentford speaks for itself.

Wins against Burnley and Manchester City have placed Tottenham in a good position for the league season ahead, and having kept clean sheets in both, a new degree of defensive solidity may have returned to the club.

But it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. Tottenham lost James Maddison to an ACL injury during a pre-season clash against Newcastle United in July, and he is expected to be out for much of the campaign.

Moreover, efforts for a new number ten have thus far proved fruitless: Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze both came close to one-way trips down N17, but alas, external forces have wreaked their will against Spurs’ plans.

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Could that happen once more with RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons?

The latest on Xavi Simons to Spurs

Simons has been on Tottenham’s radar for a while, but much of the summer transfer window has pointed toward Chelsea being the team primed to sign the Netherlands international.

A talented playmaker, the 22-year-old has agitated to leave the Bundesliga club after last season’s struggles shut the door on any hopes of playing European football this season.

And while Chelsea remain interested, transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano revealed on X on Thursday that the 22-year-old has flown to London ahead of crunch talks with the respective outfits.

Recent rejections will be stamped fresh in the minds of the Lilywhite faithful, and given that Chelsea have been working on a move for many months, it would be worthwhile for chairman Daniel Levy to identify a fallback.

Luckily, he has, and this England international might even work out to be a better signing.

Spurs prepare offer for Simons alternative

According to Spanish newspaper AS – as translated by Sport Witness – Tottenham are preparing a late-window offer for Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher, who has been pursued by the Londoners several times when Ange Postecoglou was at the helm.

However, several other Premier League clubs are interested too, with Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and West Ham United vying for the 26-year-old’s signature.

The Spaniards only welcomed Gallagher from Chelsea one year ago, but might be willing to talk business if their €40m (£35m) valuation is met.

Transfer Focus

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

Palace have already made an official approach, but the pointers suggest Tottenham are getting ready to do the same, with a bid set to be lodged ‘in the coming hours’.

What Conor Gallagher would bring to Spurs

Gallagher was fashioned in the furnaces of Chelsea’s Cobham youth academy, bringing to the Premier League a robust, athletic and durable playing style.

Gallagher made 95 appearances for Chelsea before being sold, actually featuring 135 times in the Premier League all told due to successful loan stints at Selhurst Park and with West Bromwich Albion.

There may well be a vested interest in Simons, but the diminutive star hasn’t actually played Premier League football before, whereas Gallagher has, with his ex-Chelsea teammate Moises Caicedo once hailing him being “like a machine”, adding so much energy and tenacity to the engine room.

He’s not quite so attack-minded as a player like Simons, but might his dynamism and multi-positional skill within the midfield game not prove worthwhile for Frank’s Tottenham?

Matches (starts)

35 (18)

37 (37)

Goals

3

5

Assists

1

7

Pass completion

85%

92%

Big chances created

5

11

Key passes*

0.6

1.4

Dribbles*

0.7 (50%)

1.0 (68%)

Ball recoveries*

5.1

6.3

Tackles*

1.3

2.3

Duels (won)*

3.5 (45%)

5.7 (50%)

After all, there have been suggestions that Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur might both leave the club before the market slams shut.

Simons is prolific, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists across 33 matches in all competitions last season. Moreover, he boasts an interesting defensive profile. His aggressive personality on the pitch, plus a high success rate in the duel, often beating his man and coming out on top during tussles.

However, Gallagher is truly the complete package, and has showcased as much across several years in his homeland and a recent foray into La Liga, where time spent under Diego Simeone’s wing will have fashioned an even steelier base to his combative side.

FBref reveal that Brentford ranked 15th in the Premier League for average possession held (47.9%) last season, with an emphasis on transitional play and applied pressure on opponents.

Gallagher, who was viewed by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca to have been at tactical odds with his ball-playing vision, may well thrive in an environment at Tottenham that is not reliant on having the ball every moment, for his athleticism, fitness levels and ability to cover ground could add an impactful dimension to the squad.

And it’s not like he can’t contribute from an offensive standpoint, with FBref’s data also revealing that Gallagher ranks among the top 12% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goal involvements per 90.

Given that Maddison will be desperate to return to form when he is given the green light after the New Year, it might be shrewder and more prudent for Tottenham to sign a profile like Gallagher’s, especially with Dejan Kulusevski also readying himself to return from a muscular injury sustained toward the backend of the 2024/25 campaign.

Simons, who can play centrally and out wide, would be a fantastic buy regardless, but Chelsea lurk in the background of that race, and when considering the myriad facets, Gallagher might better fit the bill.

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The new Dele: Spurs have "been offered" chance to sign £73m English talent

Tottenham Hotspur could secure a late move for a Premier League talent.

2 ByEthan Lamb Aug 28, 2025

أعرب محمد عبد الجليل، نجم الكرة المصرية السابق، عن سعادته الكبيرة بتأهل منتخب مصر إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، مشيرًا إلى أن الفريق قدم أداءً قوياً طوال مشوار التصفيات.

وقال عبد الجليل، عبر “راديو ميجا”: “منتخب مصر لم يواجه أي صعوبات في مشوار التصفيات، والمنافسات في المجموعة لم تكن قوية”.

وتابع: “منذ إعلان القرعة، كان الجميع متأكدًا أننا سنتأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026، لذلك قد يشعر البعض أن التأهل جاء دون حسابات معقدة”.

أضاف:”أعجبني حسام حسن، فقد تغيّر 180 درجة سلوكياً وفنياً، منذ توليه قيادة المنتخب أصبح يتعامل مع اللاعبين بطريقة مختلفة تمامًا عما كان يفعل عندما كان يدرب الأندية، وهو ما انعكس بشكل إيجابي على الفريق”.

طالع.. خاص | حسام حسن يتوجه بطلب للاعبي منتخب مصر قبل مواجهة غينيا بيساو

واستمر: “محمد صلاح نجم تاريخي وقائد حقيقي، ونجح في التأهل للمونديال مرتين على التوالي، وهذا إنجاز كبير له هو يستحق الأفضل دائمًا، ونتمنى أن نقدم جميعًا أداءً مميزًا في كأس العالم”.

وحذر عبد الجليل اللاعبين: “أطالب لاعبي المنتخب بعدم الانشغال بتصوير الإعلانات قبل انطلاق مونديال 2026، لكي لا نكرر أخطاء مونديال روسيا 2018، حيث خرجنا بدون أي نقاط من دور المجموعات”.

واستطرد: “حزين على مستوى أحمد فتوح لاعب الزمالك، فهو موهوب ومميز ويملك إمكانيات فنية كبيرة، لكنه مسؤول عن تراجع مستواه، لا يوجد أفضل منه في الجبهة اليسرى للمنتخب، لكن عقلية اللاعب أهم من موهبته، ويحتاج إلى تعديلها قبل فوات الأوان”.

وتابع: “أحمد نبيل كوكا ومحمد حمدي غير مناسبين للجبهة اليسرى في منتخب مصر، والأجدر بها فتوح أتمنى أن يستعيد مستواه سريعًا قبل أمم إفريقيا المقبلة”.

واختتم: “أتمنى مقابلة أحمد فتوح لأحكي له قصتي مع الكرة، وسأشده من شعره فهو موهبة كبيرة، وأنا واثق أنه الأنسب للعب في مركز الظهير الأيسر للمنتخب في المونديال”.

The mood around Nottingham Forest at the moment is surely one of confidence.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have managed to keep a firm grip on star man Morgan Gibbs-White, have Europa League football to look forward to, and are currently unbeaten in the Premier League from their opening two contests.

Of course, there is always the unwelcome distraction of Evangelos Marinakis’ enigmatic persona, with it being reported that Nuno and the Greek owner are currently on frosty terms.

Still, hopefully their feud can be sorted out soon, with Marinakis no doubt keen on a few more additions here and there this summer to further enhance the Forest ranks.

Forest close to securing deal for £10m star

Swatting aside talk linking Forest with a whole host of new managers, the Tricky Trees are also in line to snap up some last-minute purchases on the pitch.

Indeed, Mads Bidstrup is reportedly on their shopping list for a fee around the £17m mark, as more and more notable names are linked to the City Ground after splashing excessive wads of cash – £67.5m to be precise – on promising English duo Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Defensive additions must also be seen as a priority, and Fabrizio Romano took to X recently to confirm that the Europa League competitors are in negotiations regarding Leicester City star Victor Kristiansen:

“Nottingham Forest are in club to club talks with Leicester City for Viktor Kristiansen. Deal on as exclusively revealed in July and now in progress.”

With Forest in need of more options in this depleted position on the pitch, he could well be an ideal late capture for a modest fee around the £10m mark.

That’s before you even mention his close-knit relationship with new Forest ace Dan Ndoye at Bologna, which makes it even more of a dream deal to urgently seal.

Why Kristiansen would be a dream for Ndoye

While Ndoye has started like a runaway train in his new surroundings, with a goal and an assist coming his way from his opening two clashes on English shores, he would no doubt welcome a familiar face through the door in the form of the attack-minded Scandinavian.

After all, while the brand new £34m winger has started both of his Forest clashes to date on the right flank, he regularly lined up down the Dane’s regular left flank during his time with Bologna, with a healthy four goals and five assists coming his way from 35 appearances on this opposing channel.

Kristiansen – Bologna stats (23/24)

Stat – per 90*

Kristiansen

Games

32

Goals scored

0

Assists

3

Touches*

60.4

Accurate passes*

38.8 (86%)

Big chances created

5

Total duels won*

2.9

Clean sheets

8

Stats by Sofascore

Kristiansen stood out as a strong performer all season long during Bologna’s 2023/24 heroics, which saw Vincenzo Italiano’s men finish in fifth spot, with three assists tallied up as an impactful attacking teammate next to Ndoye.

Amazingly, when they were selected together in the same XI, the pair only lost two clashes all campaign, with Kristiansen’s further knowledge of the Premier League – with two assists at the challenging level with the Foxes – making him, again, an interesting presence for the Swiss attacker to bounce off of.

With Kristiansen also being lauded as a “powerful” figure when first signing on the dotted line for Leicester by King Power Stadium great Iwan Roberts, it will be up to Nuno to get the very best out of the 22-year-old, even if he is just primarily used as a back-up figure next to the more consistent starter of Neco Williams.

When he is thrown into action, though, expect him not to look out of place, as another young and exciting talent who once called the Serie A home tries to shine in the Premier League, much like Ndoye.

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Leeds United made the perfect start to life back in the Premier League on Monday night with a 1-0 win over Everton under the lights at Elland Road.

Lukas Nmecha, who signed on a free transfer from Wolfsburg this summer, came off the bench to score the winning goal from the penalty spot on his debut for the Whites.

Daniel Farke went with Joel Piroe, who scored 19 goals in the Championship last season, as the main number nine from the start against the Toffees, but the Dutchman did not enjoy much success.

The former Swansea player showed some nice touches at times when he dropped deep to get involved, but his lack of mobility and physicality were issues against James Tarkowski and Michael Keane.

Piroe lost all three of his ground duels and lost four of his five aerial battles in the match, per Sofascore, which speaks to his lack of quality in physical tussles.

It will now be interesting to see what happens with the number nine position in the weeks to come, especially after Nmecha made a fast start to life in West Yorkshire.

What Lukas Nmecha's role could be this season for Leeds

The former Germany international was an interesting signing when he arrived from Wolfsburg earlier this summer, because he has struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons.

Nmecha has not scored more than four goals in a single season since the 2021/22 campaign, per Sofascore, and only managed three goals in 20 appearances last season for Wolfsburg.

Injury issues played a significant role in that, as the 26-year-old striker has missed 64 games due to injury over the last three years, according to Transfermarkt, which impacted his ability to deliver consistently on the pitch.

The former Manchester City academy graduate’s performances in the Bundesliga when he was fit and available in the 2024/25 campaign also left plenty to be desired.

Nmecha struggled in front of goal, as a finisher and a creator, and did not produce performances that made a move to the Premier League seem very likely for this summer.

Appearances

19

Starts

3

xG

4.54

Goals

3

Big chances missed

5

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, the German forward underperformed against his xG, missed five ‘big chances’, and did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates in his 19 appearances in the division.

Despite his underwhelming goalscoring form and persistent injury issues, Farke opted to take a gamble on him this summer, and it is one that is already starting to pay off after his debut goal.

However, Nmecha’s time with Wolfsburg in recent seasons suggests that the role he played against Everton is most likely to be his main one at Elland Road – coming off the bench to make an impact when needed.

Leeds in the mix to sign new striker

The Championship champions are reportedly interested in adding another striker to their squad, despite having Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha, and Piroe.

Transfer Focus

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

According to El Chiringuito TV, Leeds United are one of the sides that are competing to sign Villarreal centre-forward Karl Etta Eyong before the end of the summer transfer window.

Supporters may recognise his name because the 21-year-old marksman scored against the Whites in a 1-1 draw at Elland Road earlier this month, nodding in from a couple of yards out in the 62nd minute.

This latest report claims that Leeds, Rangers, and Levante are all in the race to sign the Cameroonian forward, who currently wants to stay at Villarreal.

It adds that the Spanish side have already rejected a loan offer from Championship outfit Swansea, but it is unclear as to whether Farke’s team are keen on a loan or permanent deal for the striker.

Why Leeds should sign Etta Eyong

Leeds should push to convince Etta Eyong to want to move on from Villarreal this summer because he could arrive at Elland Road as a very interesting addition to the squad.

As aforementioned, Piroe may not have the physicality, as backed up by his performance against Everton, to be very effective in the Premier League, and there are still a lot of question marks over Nmecha.

Etta Eyong could come in as a striker who is an even better option than Nmecha to start games in the top-flight for Leeds, to provide serious competition for Calvert-Lewin as the main number nine for Farke.

The 21-year-old attacker, who was described as a “powerful” star by analyst Kai Watson, does not have heaps of senior experience under his belt, but he has shown plenty of promise in his short career to date.

Etta Eyong earned his place in the first-team at Villarreal towards the end of last season and scored three goals in seven games in pre-season, including goals against Arsenal and Leeds, per Sofascore.

Appearances

5

Starts

1

Minutes

136

xG

0.74

Goals

2

Duels won

5

Pass accuracy

80%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old talent has shown plenty of promise in the very limited minutes he has been given in LaLiga, scoring two goals from 0.74 xG in just 136 minutes of football.

Prior to his emergence in the first-team with Villarreal, Etta Eyong also scored 18 goals in 30 matches for the B team in the third tier of Spanish football, which shows that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Unlike Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha, the promising talent also has a clean injury record, with no notable injuries in his career, per Transfermarkt, which suggests that he is more likely to be available week-in-week-out.

This could make him a more valuable centre-forward option than Nmecha for Farke, purely because of his potential to be available for more matches in the Premier League.

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Putting all of this together, Etta Eyong could be even better than Nmecha for Leeds because of his fitness record and his potential as a goalscorer, having caught the eye in a major European league after delivering prolific performances for Villarreal’s B team.