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Sunderland may have had one of the busiest and most productive summer transfer windows in their history, but it looks as though their business may not be done yet.

A memorable summer of transfers for Sunderland

The Black Cats have prepared brilliantly for their return to the Premier League, making as many as 11 permanent signings and bolstering their squad significantly.

It was something that Regis Le Bris spoke positively about last month, with Sunderland going from strength to strength in the market even since then.

“I am happy because we needed to reinforce the squad. The players who decided to join Sunderland had multiple choices. But finally, they decided to join Sunderland even with the same offer for many other clubs.

“That means they are convinced by the energy of the project. “I think we are clear in the way we want to recruit and the way we want to work. I think the owner, and the whole club, are showing their ambition. It is not just about surviving, we want to be competitive in this league, with the identity of Sunderland.”

Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi could potentially be the next player through the entrance door at Sunderland, joining the likes of Habib Diarra and Granit Xhaka, among others, but they may not be done there, following a new update.

Sunderland’s 11 permanent summer signings

Joined from

Price

Habib Diarra

Strasbourg

£27.1m

Simon Adingra

Brighton

£21m

Enzo Le Fee

Roma

£19.8m

Chemsdine Talbi

Club Brugge

£17.2m

Noah Sadiki

Union SG

£14.6m

Granit Xhaka

Bayer Leverkusen

£12.9m

Nordi Mukiele

Paris Saint-Germain

£10.3m

Omar Alderete

Getafe

£9.8m

Robin Roefs

NEC Nijmegen

£9m

Reinildo Mandava

Atletico Madrid

free transfer

Arthur Masuaku

Besiktas

free transfer

Sunderland backed to do more transfer business

Writing on X, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie said that Sunderland could still make two more signings alongside Lucumi this summer, amid “talks” with further additions.

Black Cats supporters will love this update from Downie, during a summer that would arguably have been beyond their wildest dreams, in terms of spending.

Admittedly, there is a risk in bringing in so many signings, in terms of a potential speedy relegation back to the Championship leaving the club in financial peril, but it is refreshing to see such a bold approach taking place.

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The 3-0 win at home to West Ham showed what Sunderland’s new signings are capable of, but after last weekend’s 2-0 defeat away to Burnley, it won’t all be plain sailing regardless of who comes through the door on Monday.

Glasgow Rangers have made a big decision regarding the future of manager Russell Martin, following an uninspiring start to his time at Ibrox.

Martin already under huge pressure at Rangers

The Englishman arrived as the Gers’ new boss in the summer, but he has struggled badly so far, drawing his opening two Scottish Premiership matches.

Things got even worse for Martin earlier this week, however, with Rangers’ 3-1 defeat at home to Club Brugge leaving them on the cusp of Champions League elimination. Speaking after the game, the 39-year-old tried to be positive.

“I understand the intensity and emotion here but it can’t change the way we work and become a weight around the players necks. There has been fragility in this club for a long, long time. The club has bounced around different plans and its been hinged on emotions. Now we have owners that understand where the club has been, where’s it at, and where’s it going.

“I came to this club knowing it wasn’t going to be easy or a quick fix. I hope we’ll be judged in May and by then we’ll be in a really good place and winning stuff.”There are loads for us to be excited about moving forward. We have to go next week and really attack it.”

Despite Martin doing his best to quieten the dissenting voices, there are some Rangers fans who already want him sacked, and there has now been an update on his future.

No "knee jerk" reactions in Rangers boardroom

Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke claimed that Martin’s job as Rangers manager is safe for now, but improvements are clearly needed.

“There’s always pressure when you’re at a huge club like Rangers. Pressure will only continue to build, especially if they have more performances like against Club Brugge in that opening 20 minutes. It was really embarrassing from a Rangers perspective that game.

“It’s been a difficult start to his tenure at Ibrox for Russell Martin. They’ve dropped points in the league. They’re already four points behind Celtic. And if they were to crash out of the Champions League before the league stage as well, that’d be a huge blow to the club’s ambitions and also to the club’s finances as well.

“So look, the pressure is on Russell Martin to deliver. From what I’m told there won’t be any knee-jerk reactions from the Rangers board just yet. They’ve obviously got faith in Russell Martin, I don’t think there’s a massive pressure from the board.”

In fairness to Martin, this is probably the best decision for now, considering how little time he has been in charge, as he looks to adjust to his new surroundings and get his tactical demands across to his squad.

That said, drastic improvements are needed very quickly, or he will find himself out of the job, starting with Sunday’s trip to St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

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More dropped points there for Rangers would feel disastrous, considering they are already four points adrift of Celtic, with their rivals likely to be seven clear by the time Sunday’s game kicks off, assuming they win at home to Livingston on Saturday.

Crystal Palace are looking to source fresh reinforcements and could now be set to close in on their next signing after making a decisive move in recent days.

Crystal Palace prepare for FA Community Shield clash

After their historic FA Cup victory, Crystal Palace have the chance to claim another piece of silverware in the FA Community Shield against Liverpool at Wembley this weekend.

Speaking ahead of the tie, Oliver Glasner has confirmed the Eagles will go all out to win the trophy despite being up against the odds in light of the Reds’ status as Premier League champions.

“We are facing the champions. A team who invested £300m, buying high-quality players. It is a great challenge. We will be ready. I don’t expect they will be in the best possible shape, the same with us at the beginning of the season.

“We will go for winning the next trophy. When you have the chance to win a second trophy in three months, go for it.”

Eberechi Eze has been frequently linked with a move to Arsenal, which reports suggest could turn Crystal Palace in the direction of West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta should their star man move across London.

Tosin Adarabioyo is also on the Eagles’ radar and could become a statement addition if circumstances align, though it remains to be seen where Glasner will opt to strengthen with less than two weeks until the Premier League season kicks off.

Crystal Palace’s opening fixtures of the season

Liverpool

FA Community Shield

Chelsea (A)

Premier League

Nottingham Forest (H)

Premier League

Aston Villa (A)

Premier League

Sunderland (H)

Premier League

Now, the Eagles may be moving closer to announcing a new addition ahead of their return to competitive action, according to reports.

Crystal Palace make decisive move for Arnau Martinez

According to Tuttosport, Crystal Palace have made a decisive move to sign Girona full-back Arnau Martinez, who is also said to be a target for West Ham United and Juventus.

Said to be available between £8.7 million and £10.4 million, the Eagles have stepped up their efforts in a decisive manner and they hold the advantage of recently negotiating with Girona to sanction Odsonne Edouard’s potential move to the La Liga outfit.

As pictured, the former Celtic striker is still on the books and no deal has been sealed yet, but effectively carrying out two transfers between both entities would potentially be advantageous to Crystal Palace in terms of profit margins.

Martinez, who is predominantly a right-back, featured 39 times last season for Girona across all competitions, registering three goals and three assists.

Labelled “intelligent” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Spain Under-21 cap made 18 chances in La Liga last term and appears to fit Crystal Palace’s exciting style of play from full-back, though it remains to be seen whether they will win the race for his signature.

Head coach concentrates on team dynamic as rare series win becomes the priority

Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2024

Jason Gillespie chats to Azhar Mahmood ahead of the third Test•Associated Press

Not often in Pakistan cricket does someone pass up the chance to take credit for any successful outcome, regardless of how significant their part was. But Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie kept such praise at arm’s length when talking about Pakistan’s bounce-back win over England in the second Test.Gillespie made clear that effectively all the decisions taken in the wake of Pakistan’s chastening innings defeat in the first Test had little to do with him. Moments after the result was official, the PCB announced a new selection committee, one that included former umpire Aleem Dar, as well as Aaqib Javed. It excluded Gillespie and captain Shan Masood from having any say in selection matters – Masood, too, last week said he preferred to pass on the credit “to everyone else” for their part in the win.”The PCB came out and made some changes after that Test match,” Gillespie said ahead of the third Test. “It was decided that a new selection panel would come in and they would be making decisions. I was not involved in the decision-making, I was just there. I’m now just the coach on match-day strategy. I just keep out of things now and just focus on the players and getting them ready for cricket.”It is a remarkably different brief from the one Gillespie was given when he was offered the role earlier this year. At the time, he told ESPNcricinfo he had some “really positive conversations” with the board and the chairman to make sure “we’re moving in the right direction short term, in the medium and long term”.Industrial fans have been used to dry the Pindi pitch•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan’s late decision to pack the bowling attack with spinners and prepare a surface to assist them does appear to run in contrast to Gillespie’s goals and ambitions when he took over the Test side. In that interview with ESPNcricinfo, he had specifically cautioned against short-termism. “It’s very easy when you’re coming into jobs; you’ve got a two-year contract or a one-year contract,” he had said. “You make short-term decisions to look after your own back. But that doesn’t help anyone, because if everyone has that approach, nothing long-term gets done.”When asked about the composition of the team, Gillespie repeated the point. “It’s not for me to talk about now. I’m no longer a selector, so I’m probably not the person to ask.” Corralled into a role that is much narrower in focus than his initial job description suggested, he did indicate he understood how unusual his situation was. “I’m getting splinters in my a*** from sitting on the fence here,” he quipped.But with a potential series win against England on the line, the importance of the final Test was not lost on Gillespie. In his short time as coach, he has built up positive relationships with several players in the side, paying as much tribute to their qualities as human beings as to their cricketing talent.Related

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“The last few years, Pakistan’s Test cricket hasn’t been where we’d like it to be. Any win is great, and any series win’s fantastic. Just coming into this environment, as a coach, I’m very protective of players. They’re the ones going out and representing their country. I suppose there’s a dad in me that comes out and I want to protect all the boys from all outside noise and whatever.”It is this ability to stay calm that Gillespie wanted to channel more meticulously in his players. At several key points during the second Test, with England appearing to swarm, Pakistan found a way to hunker down when the pressure was on. In the first ten overs, Pakistan fell to 19 for 2 as Babar Azam’s replacement Kamran Ghulam walked out for his Test debut. It could have gone awry very quickly, but Ghulam scored a hundred, and Pakistan put on 366.When England responded, they made light work of the spinners in the first 40 overs, and stood poised for a significant first-innings lead when they were placed at 211 for 2. But in the drying embers of Day 2, Sajid Khan slowed up the pace, found the rough, and triggered a collapse that helped Pakistan take a decisive 75-run lead.”There’s a lot of things in professional sport that you can’t control,” Gillespie said. “To be able to just park that and not focus on that is a skill within itself. Focusing on what we can control, the right things at the right times, and staying calm when things are all happening. The way England played, they looked to create things all the time and the way we want to go against them is to by staying calm and not getting flustered. I thought we did that really well in the last Test match. I was really proud of the boys.”You communicate with your players regularly, talking about their games and how we can help them improve as cricketers and people. I’m very fortunate, I’ve got a wonderful support staff who have developed some really good relationships with our players and players will gravitate towards certain coaches over others at times. But if you all work as a team, that’s the most important thing.”

Rangers’ busy summer spending spree continues at Ibrox. Indeed, since Russell Martin’s appointment at Ibrox, the Gers have made six new signings to date, most recently bringing in Nasser Djiga on a season-long loan.

He follows Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez and Thelo Aasgaard through the arrivals’ door at Rangers, but are the Glasgow giants now going to get their hands on a vastly experienced new centre-back?

Rangers aiming to bolster their back line

The start of Rangers’ season is now fast approaching.

Transfer Focus

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

Last Sunday, the Gers faced Club Brugge in a pre-season friendly, fighting back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Club Brugge at home, thanks to second-half goals from Mohamed Diomandé and then youngster Findlay Curtis.

No such defensive sloppiness can be afforded in just ten nights’ time when the Light Blues commence Champions League qualifying, welcoming Panathinaikos to Govan, hence why Martin is targeting even more new signings this week.

Thus, according to a report by Sky Sports News, Rangers remain interested in signing Conor Coady from Leicester City.

Earlier in the window, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider claimed that the Gers were ‘in advanced talks’ with the Foxes, as they attempted to sign the centre-back, but this is yet to come to fruition.

As outlined by Rob Tanner of the Athletic, Leicester are actively looking to get some of their highest earners off the books, following their relegation back to the EFL Championship, so will surely be quite accommodating, as they too want this deal to get over the line.

Thus, it remains very possible that Coady will make the move to Rangers but, with Panathinaikos on the horizon, Martin will be eager for this deal to get done sooner rather than later.

How Conor Coady would improve Rangers defence

Right now, Rangers have seven senior centre-backs on their books, although this could be down to six, after a bid was accepted for Robin Pröpper, who is seemingly on his way back to FC Twente, as confirmed by Martin.

So, here are the options Martin currently has in his squad.

John Souttar

28

2022

94

Ben Davies

29

2022

58

Clinton Nsiala

21

2024

13

Leon King

21

2020*

42

Nasser Djiga

22

2025

Zero

Emmanuel Fernandez

23

2025

Zero

*King made his senior debut in 2020.

As the table outlines, there is not a huge amount of experience among Rangers’ current central-defenders but, given that he played in both the Champions League for Crvena zvezda and the Premier League for Wolves last season, Djiga has surely arrived to be first-choice.

Alongside, John Souttar is probably in pole position to partner the new arrival, having made 40 appearances for the club last season, accumulating 3,411 minutes, the most he has ever enjoyed in a single campaign of his injury-blighted senior career.

Thus, Coady’s potential arrival would probably be particularly bad news for the Scotland international, banishing him to the bench.

James Tarkowski, who played alongside Coady at Everton, labelled him a “great leader”, while his manager at Goodison, Sean Dyche, heralded his “immaculate” professionalism.

Meantime, Adam McNulty of Breaking the Lines praised his ability ‘to pick out a runner’, documenting his outstanding distribution, supported by the fact that, in the 2019/20 Premier League season, Coady completed more accurate long passes than anybody else.

Given that new manager Martin’s style of play prioritises control through possession, this could be an invaluable asset to have at the back.

But how do his statistics compare to those of Souttar? Let’s find out.

Appearances

43

40

Minutes

3,103

3,411

Passes Attempted

73.45

56.95

Passing Accuracy %

92.48%

86.4%

Forward Passes

25.6

20.9

Tackles Made

0.8

0.8

Aerial duel success %

51.91%

68.06%

Ground duel success %

57.22%

69.43%

Clearances

3.6

6.9

Interceptions

0.9

0.7

Ball recoveries

3.5

2.7

Touches

81.9

70.45

First and foremost, it is worth noting that the last two seasons were included for Coady due to his lack of action at Leicester, thereby providing a larger sample size.

With that in mind, the Englishman comes out on top for the vast majority of metrics included when compared to Souttar, notably attempting, on average, 17 more passes per 90, as well as five more forward passes.

Defensively too, Coady accumulated more interceptions and ball recoveries, while taking 11 more touches per game, underlining that he is a good fit for a Rangers team who, domestically, dominate possession but, in Europe, are forced to do a lot more defending.

Thus, this signing appears to be an absolute no-brainer for the Light Blues, one that they should do everything in their power to finalise as soon as possible.

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Sunderland are making some exciting moves in their hunt to consolidate in the top-flight and are reportedly now circling for a talented Real Madrid youngster, according to a report.

Sunderland close in on Marcin Bulka and Habib Diarra

The Black Cats are wasting no time in building a side capable of staying in the Premier League, and it is fair to say that Regis Le Bris is making some serious progress on the transfer front.

Yesterday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Sunderland are set to sign Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra for a package of £30 million plus add-ons, adding a layer of steel to their engine room ahead of the new campaign.

On the same token, the Black Cats are on the brink of adding OGC Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka after an agreement was found between both clubs regarding the Poland international.

Plenty of due diligence has been carried out on Wearside ahead of what promises to be a special campaign for everyone connected to the club. Yverdon Sport midfielder Moussa Baradji is another reported target amid claims he could be available for £2.5 million.

Off the field, Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith has confirmed Florent Ghisolfi will become Sunderland’s director of football, even if there is a wait due to administrative procedures needing to be fulfilled before he can enter the building.

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An agreement appears to be close.

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He explained: “It’s thought that Sunderland and Ghisolfi are finalising the deal and as when recruiting a player from abroad, there are administrative processes to go through.

All being well, it will be in place in time for Ghisolfi to begin work as the players return to the Academy of Light in early July and the preparations for the new season begin in earnest.”

Back to on-field matters, Sunderland are reportedly set to step up their pursuit of a talented star who plies his trade at Real Madrid.

Sunderland willing to make offer for Gonzalo Garcia

According to reports in Spain, Sunderland are willing to offer a loan proposal for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia with a mandatory purchase option that could top £17 million.

Real Oviedo, AS Roma and Leeds United are also keen on the 21-year-old forward, who has emerged as a breakout star at the Club World Cup, being likened to Raul by Los Blancos boss Xabi Alonso.

Goncalo Garcia’s breakthrough at Real Madrid

Appearances

9

Goals

3

Assists

2

However, Real Madrid could look to negotiate a buyback clause of £25.6 million for the former Spain Under-19 international.

Enjoying a brilliant campaign combining his exploits at first-team level and with the La Liga giants’ second string, Garcia registered 28 goals and six assists in 43 appearances across all competitions.

Sunderland may need to push their negotiation powers to the max to force this one over the line, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get, which will be a mantra they will hope can prove decisive should negotiations ramp up.

Celtic are taking some time to assess where they need to strengthen in the transfer market and are now looking to close in on a talented young star who could improve their backline, according to a report.

Celtic's left-back situation remains in a state of flux

Although there hasn’t been an official parade of Kieran Tierney back at Parkhead yet, the Scotland international is returning to Celtic on a free transfer after his Arsenal contract expires.

Brendan Rodgers will be delighted to secure the services of a modern-day club icon who won eight trophies during his first spell at the reigning Scottish Premiership champions, but who will provide competition for the 27-year-old next season?

Jeffrey Schlupp has held discussions over a permanent Celtic transfer following his loan spell in Glasgow and is available for nothing due to his time at Crystal Palace drawing to a close.

However, the Ghana international earned £60,000 while on the books at Selhurst Park, which may complicate matters if the Bhoys decide he is the man to strengthen their left-hand side of defence.

Another player set to be a free agent before too long is long-serving Celtic full-back Greg Taylor. After six years as first-choice, it appears he may move on this summer despite Rodgers’ desire to retain the Greenock-born man.

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Time is on Celtic’s side as they plot how best to proceed with adequate cover for Tierney, who has played just 20 matches this season following a spate of injury issues over the last few years.

Now, the Bhoys have reportedly made an approach for an exciting talent that could deputise when needed under Rodgers’ stewardship.

Celtic make approach for Peterborough United left-back Harley Mills

According to Football League World, Celtic have made an approach for Peterborough United left-back Harley Mills, and Fulham have also previously offered £1 million for his services.

Spending the first half of the campaign on loan at Enfield Town, he shot to prominence after returning to Posh due to scoring a delightful free-kick in their famous Vertu Cup final victory over Birmingham City earlier this year at Wembley Stadium.

Harley Mills at Enfield Town and Peterborough United

Appearances

25

Goals

2

Assists

2

Lauded for his ‘wand of a left foot’ by Darren Ferguson, the youngster has completed 66.7% of his dribbles and won the same percentage of tackles on League One duty this term.

Admittedly, his inexperience may be cited by some as a point of contention. Still, Celtic have identified gems such as Moussa Dembele and Matt O’Riley from the lower leagues of English football, so it may not be a total surprise that the Scottish champions could repeat the trick.

In more recent times, Finnish goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo was signed from Aston Villa after a productive loan spell at Exeter City, demonstrating that the Bhoys have their ear to the ground regarding emerging talent.

Ultimately, the ball is now in Peterborough’s court. Mills has the offer of a fresh contract on the table at the Weston Homes Stadium, but he only has 12 months remaining on his current terms and seems to be exploring his options.

Liverpool are gearing up for a busy summer indeed, with FSG moving swiftly to snap up the signing of Jeremie Frimpong, who is set to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back when his £30m release clause is activated.

Trent’s quality is such that Liverpool need to replace him with multiple players. That’s why plans are reportedly being drawn to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, who is one of the most sought-after and talented playmakers in the world.

He’s outperformed Liverpool’s similarly fielded players this season and would likely be the star of the show under the Anfield lights next year.

Of course, this shouldn’t detract from Liverpool’s principal goal this summer: signing a new centre-forward.

Liverpool lining up new striker

Darwin Nunez is allegedly set to leave, and an upgrade is surely needed for Arne Slot’s side to do it all over again next year.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are ‘on course to up the ante’ in their bid to sign Hugo Ekitike having sent scouts over to Germany to watch the Frenchman in action this weekend, with Eintracht Frankfurt facing Freiburg in the culminating game of the Bundesliga season.

Frankfurt, third, have benefited immensely from Ekitike’s dynamic attacking play this season, and it’s not surprising that they are seeking an £84m payment to part with their pride and joy.

£84m is no small sum, but it’s more payable than Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who has been named a £150m player to dissuade suitors from placing bids this summer.

Why Hugo Ekitike is perfect for Liverpool

Ekitike is a young and hungry centre-forward with an immense amount of ability. He scores goals, but he also knits attacking play together, makes intelligent passes, outfoxes his opponents with agile movements.

He made headway toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign. Signed for a reported €35m (£30m) fee last summer, Ekitike had already been playing for Die Roten as a loanee for five months, blanking across his first nine Bundesliga appearances before netting four from five to close the campaign.

Now, the signs of a first-class player have been found and fostered. Across all competitions, the 22-year-old has posted 22 goals and 11 assists this season, with his all-around game leading football legend Wesley Sneijder to claim he has “the grace of Neymar” while journalist Graeme Bailey has described him as the “next Mbappe”.

Matches (starts)

32 (30)

Goals

15

Assists

7

Shots (on target)*

3.4 (1.4)

Big chances missed

15

Pass completion

76%

Big chances created

12

Key passes*

1.3

Dribbles*

1.6

Duels won*

4.2

There’s no question that securing Ekitike’s services would be a more important deal than bagging Wirtz, and that’s saying something. Wirtz is a phenomenal player, already one of the best in his position at 22.

But Ekitike, his age-mate, has been described as “one of the best centre-forwards out there” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and he’s only just getting started.

As per FBref, the Frenchman ranks among the top 10% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

With an athletic and all-encompassing approach to the striker’s game, Ekitike is not just a fitting Nunez heir at number nine but indeed one of the most exciting profiles out there, with a completeness that Slot could use to fashion a new superstar.

Of course, in an ideal world, Liverpool would succeed in plucking both forwards from the German scene this summer, but it would seem prudent to address the Merseysiders’ glaring deficiency at centre-forward before turning toward the staggering sums required to win the Wirtz race.

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Liverpool boss Arne Slot’s season will be rewarded in the transfer market this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair May 15, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ stunning 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League was the first time they have done the double over the Red Devils since the 1970s.

It was a win that proves how good this Wolves squad is, and next season they should be aiming for a top-half finish without a shadow of a doubt.

Vitor Pereira has worked miracles at Molineux since taking over towards the end of 2024, and if he is backed in the summer transfer window, he can take the club to the next level.

One burning question is, will Matheus Cunha be in the starting XI for the first Premier League fixture of the 2025/26 season?

Matheus Cunha’s future at Wolves is uncertain

The Brazilian may have enjoyed a wonderful season on the pitch, scoring 16 goals and grabbing four assists, but his behaviour in recent months suggests he could be sold this summer.

Cunha has clashed with supporters on social media following a post he put up on his Instagram. He even confessed that he wishes to leave in order to challenge for trophies, and if a big offer comes in, the forward may depart.

The former Atlético Madrid star only signed a new contract back in February, tying him down for another four years. A £62.5m release clause has been inserted into the deal, so whoever wants to sign him this summer will need to stump up the cash.

While losing him would be a big blow, the club sold a player in the summer of 2022 who is now worth £40m more than the Brazilian and is also starring in the Premier League.

Goals

14

Assists

4

Big chances created

12

Key passes per game

1.7

Shots per game

3.2

Goal conversion percentage

16%

Wolves must regret selling £100m-rated star

While Cunha has been stealing the limelight in Wolverhampton, a player not so far away in Nottingham has also very swiftly become one of the leading Premier League players; Morgan Gibbs-White.

Selling the playmaker for a fee in the region of £42.5m was seen as excellent business by the Old Gold initially. Indeed, he’d registered a total of just three goals and one assist in 88 matches for the club was hardly an impressive return, but the move has backfired spectacularly.

Since moving to Nottingham Forest, the Englishman has racked up 111 appearances for the club, registering 43 goal contributions – 16 goals and 27 assists – in the process.

It is no wonder he has been dubbed “sensational” by certain sections of the media for his displays and according to journalist Graeme Bailey, the attacking midfielder is now being valued at around £100m by Forest amid interest from Manchester City.

This is nearly £40m more than Cunha, and the statistics back up his high valuation. In the top flight this term, he has created eight big chances, averaged 1.6 key passes and succeeded with one dribble per game.

Furthermore, he ranks in the top 11% for goal-creating actions (0.63) and in the top 5% for passes into the final third (4.33) per 90 when compared to his positional peers this season in the top flight.

Wolves perhaps made the correct decision at the time by selling the 25-year-old, but boy, must they be rueing that decision now.

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1 ByRoss Kilvington Apr 19, 2025

Without England quick’s skill and heart, India might already be out of sight

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-Feb-20242:12

Manjrekar: Sarfaraz against spin was a ‘sight to the sore eyes’

To be fair to Ravindra Jadeja, you could see why he thought a single was on.It was about 18 minutes to the close. England were weary after being slow-cooked in Rajkot’s dry, 34-degree Celsius heat. Debutant Sarfaraz Khan had come in and turned up the dials to char them to a crisp. And with Ben Stokes marking his 100th Test cap with rogue fields of catchers close enough to kiss, pushing one beyond them to move to a century was easy work. That’s certainly what Jadeja was thinking in his first three steps to the other end before coming to an abrupt halt.From the depths of the circle emerged Mark Wood, wearing the toil of his 17 overs like 17 jabs from Mike Tyson, whites looking like he was dragged up the Rajkot Highway, drenched in sweat. Yet he swooped, gathered and threw, with such calm and composure, taking out the one stump in view at the non-striker’s end. It probably happened in slow motion for Jadeja, and even slower for Sarfaraz – but it was milliseconds for everyone else. In an instant bit of brilliance, India’s next golden boy, was barbecued for 62, and a potentially match-altering fifth-wicket stand was capped at the knees on 77.Related

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Here was a perfectly packaged summation of England’s first day of this third Test in Rajkot. Just as it looked like India were pulling away, Wood, who had already given so much, gave some more. His 3 for 69, bowling the most he has in a single day of Test cricket in over two years, is the reason England were not dismayed after losing the toss. His direct hit is the reason they can look at India’s score of 326 for 5 at stumps and feel a sense of satisfaction.Two weeks ago, Wood lamented looking second-rate next to the genius of Jasprit Bumrah. But his impact here is close to what the No.1 ranked bowler gives to his team. Without the Durham quick’s skill and heart, India might already be out of sight.Stokes might not have called the coin correctly, but his selection of Wood over off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was vindicated within 11 balls from the Pavilion End. A hard length, with a bit of bounce and enough movement away from left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal drew an edge through to Joe Root at first slip.Shubman Gill was next for a nine-ball duck; forced into playing a delivery that arrowed into him before decking away off the pitch. Just like that, Wood, who had gone wicketless for 25 overs as the lone seamer in Hyderabad, had pocketed the double centurion and second-innings centurion from Vishakapatnam.Mark Wood takes flight•Getty ImagesBoth dismissals could be regarded as bonuses. Before today, only David Warner at Trent Bridge in 2015 and Marnus Labuschagne at Sydney in 2022 were Wood’s previous wickets in the first six overs of an innings.That he opened the bowling with James Anderson was more out of circumstance than design. The reasons for his inclusion here were why he was selected ahead of Anderson in the first Test – his pace and ability to reverse swing the ball late had him as a point of difference. Essentially, he is at his most valuable when the ball is old and the pitch is unresponsive. Ergo – the most unrewarding time to bowl.Not that you can ever really tell from Wood’s body language. When you have had the injuries he has had to overcome, limiting him to just 33 Tests in nine years, a day in the field is not taken for granted.His first six-over burst was predominantly full deliveries, save for a few short, including one that reared up and clocked Rohit Sharma in the face. A mix of short stuff in the next stint of three followed, along with a patented wide jump into a delivery that whistled past Rohit’s edge on 77. The third and fourth spells were almost exclusively bumpers, all delivered with enthusiasm belying the graft required to get a softer ball up at a batter’s throat.Rohit Sharma got hit on the grille by Mark Wood•AFP via Getty ImagesEven early in that fourth spell, when one sat up for Jadeja to thump through mid on for four, Wood did not relent. Three deliveries into his next over, Rohit, 131 to his name, clothed a pull to Stokes, the middle fielder of three stationed at midwicket for the spooned top-edge.That it broke a stand of 204 between Sharma and Jadeja speaks to the lack of cutting edge or control when the seamers were out of circulation. That’s not unexpected given the lack of experience in the spin department, particularly on a first-day pitch. But for the first time on this tour, it felt like Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed and even Root were exposed.Had Root taken a low chance off Rohit when on 27, and England taken reviews when he was on 87 and Jadeja on 93 to overturn lbw appeals, the trio would have more to show than Rajat Patidar’s brain fade against Hartley. But India realised they could just focus on surviving Wood and Anderson and pilfer the rest. Root was particularly expensive, going at 5.23 an over, failing to use his off-breaks to keep the hosts in check or challenge Jadeja’s outside edge.As well as Sarfaraz batted, his innings was a microcosm of England’s conundrum. After facing five balls from Wood in his first six, he had 52 by the time he next faced a seamer. And though he played Anderson well, with a gorgeous late cut for four, he ducked and weaved when reacquainted with Wood (on 61) to play out a maiden.Unfortunately for Sarfaraz, Wood still found him lacking in the field. And as Kuldeep Yadav emerged as a night watchman, England were at least able to finish as they started – with a hold on proceedings.They will have to dig deep and go again on Friday, hoping for similar moisture in the air that greeted them on Thursday morning. Stokes’ decision to take the second new ball two overs before the close means it will be ripe for yet more early hijinks. And having proved more incisive in these conditions than one of England’s greatest in Anderson, there is even greater importance on Wood backing up one big day with another.