da wazamba： Turning their attention towards the summer transfer window, Arsenal are now reportedly looking to hijack AC Milan’s move to sign a defensive reinforcement alongside interest in Matheus Cunha.

Arsenal transfer news

da 888casino： All but down and out in the Premier League title race thanks to knockout blows from West Ham United and Nottingham Forest, Arsenal’s task is clearer than ever this summer. They must rebuild Mikel Arteta’s attack. That must be their priority if they want to finally end their wait for England’s biggest honour for the first time in over two decades.

With that priority in mind, it’s no surprise that the rumours have already been coming thick and fast as names such as Alexander Isak threaten to steal the headlines. As things stand, it certainly seems like the Newcastle United man is the Gunners’ number one target, but whether they can afford to match his reported £150m price tag is another question entirely.

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If it’s not the Swede, meanwhile, then it may well be Cunha. After failing to secure a move to The Emirates or elsewhere in January, the Brazilian put pen to paper on a new deal at Wolverhampton Wanderers which reportedly includes a release clause of £62m. A far more affordable option than Isak, Arsenal are seemingly among those eyeing Cunha’s signature once again this summer.

He’s not the only Wolves star they could sign, either. According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are now looking to hijack AC Milan’s move to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri this summer.

The Italian giants have reportedly been lining up a move to sign the left-back as a replacement for Theo Hernandez, who looks set to leave the San Siro this summer. Arsenal could yet stand in the way of that move, however, and perhaps even match Wolves’ €60m (£50m) price tag when the summer arrives.

"Talented" Ait-Nouri would add surprise attacking spark

If reports are to be believed and Ait-Nouri is on Arsenal’s radar, then those in North London could be about to see the end of central defenders inverting at full-back with natural players preferred in such a role. Ait-Nouri would certainly be a solid candidate if that is to be the case too, given how his attacking exploits would help to sharpen a blunt Arsenal attack.

Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Riccardo Calafiori

Starts

26

10

Goals

3

2

Assists

5

1

Ball Recoveries P90

4.76

3.13

A player who often steps onto the front foot and leaves his mark, Ait-Nouri is exactly the type of driving force Arteta needs to ignite his side’s attacking spark once again.

Earning plenty of praise during his time at Wolves, former manager Gary O’Neil told reporters when asked about the left-back: “I know he’s played a lot of games for Wolves and he’s extremely talented, but there’s still a lot of learning that he needs to do in his understanding of the game.”

At just 23 years old, there’s still plenty more to come from Ait-Nouri whether it’s at Wolves, AC Milan or, indeed, Arsenal.

Zimbabwe’s loss on Tuesday and their poor net run rate has knocked them out of contention

S Rajesh04-Jul-2023Zimbabwe’s 31-run defeat to Scotland means they can no longer qualify for the ODI World Cup in India later this year. That’s because their net run rate has fallen to -0.099, largely due to their heavy defeat against Sri Lanka, when they lost with almost 17 overs to spare.Zimbabwe were on six points with two games to spare, but they failed to get those two points which would have ensured qualification. If Netherlands beat Scotland on Thursday, then all three teams – Zimbabwe, Scotland and Netherlands – will finish on six points.Related

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Scotland's Sole-stirring bowling display knocks Zimbabwe out of World Cup

With Netherlands’ net run rate in the negative but already above Zimbabwe’s, any win for them will only improve that further, thus ensuring that Zimbabwe cannot finish in the top two.Thus, the focus now shifts to the Netherlands-Scotland game, and the result margins for those two teams to qualify. A win for Scotland will obviously take them through, but even if they lose, they could qualify if the margin of defeat is relatively small.If Netherlands score 250, Scotland can afford to lose by up to 31 runs to stay ahead on run rate. A win by 32 or more runs for Netherlands will lift their NRR above Scotland’s. If Scotland bat first and score 250, they will stay ahead on NRR if Netherlands chase it down in around 44.1 overs (depending on how they get their winning runs). If they chase it down any sooner, then Netherlands will trump Scotland’s run rate and take the second qualification spot.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has confirmed that the Catalan club are interested in Liverpool's Luis Diaz and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.

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Barcelona interested in Diaz and RashfordDeco claims renewals are priority at BarcaWill likely not look for a natural striker optionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona's campaign this season has been their finest since 2019, as Hansi Flick's high-intensity football has led the Catalan side to a domestic treble. The front line of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal have put on a show in Europe as they have scored 92 goals combined, with super sub Ferran Torres scoring 19. However, reports have suggested that Barcelona may be looking to sign a new winger this summer with Diaz and Rashford being discussed as the likeliest option.

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Barcelona sporting director Deco has now confirmed that the Catalan side like both the aforementioned Premier League stars, but claimed that the club will also be prioritising strengthening their squad by handing their current players renewals. The Brazilian also added that the Catalans will likely not make a move for a proper striker despite having next to no natural replacement for 36-year-old Lewandowski, as they have a number of different profiles to play in the No. 9 position.

Getty ImagesWHAT DECO SAID

Speaking to RAC1, Deco said: "Talking about players who have contracts with other clubs is complicated out of respect. We like Luis [Diaz], we like [Marcus] Rashford, and we like other players. When we go to the market, there are names that we know and that could improve the team.

"Our big priority is to strengthen what we have at home, renewals of Pedri, Gavi, Araujo, Raphinha, Kounde… I understand that when people talk about signings, they always think about players coming from abroad, but for me, renewals are also signings. Lamine is the best signing in history. Then, if the team can be improved. From what we've seen this season, we need a player with a different profile to what we have to help the strikers. Fermín has played as a winger and has done well. The composition of the squad also depends on the market.

On the striker position, he added: “In the squad we have players capable of playing there such, as Ferran Torres, who has had a spectacular season, Dani Olmo, as a false ‘9’, Fermin. This squad has internal solutions when Lewandowski is not there. Inter have a pure striker like Thuram, PSG don’t have them, and Arsenal don’t have them either. We should not be obsessed with looking for a ‘9’, today we have one and many solutions.”

WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The Catalan side failed their ultimate goal of winning the Champions League this season. However, they will be hopeful that reinforcements and an improvement in defence will help them clinch the club's sixth European title in the future.

Everything you need to know about Alexandre Lacazette's salary details playing for Lyon

French striker Alexandre Lacazette rose through the ranks at Lyon, playing for both the youth and B teams before breaking into the first team in 2010. The Frenchman scored over 125 goals in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side over seven seasons, before moving to Premier League giants Arsenal in the summer of 2017.

Unable to replicate his form in England, Lacazette returned to Lyon in 2022, where he quickly regained his rhythm and picked up right where he left off five seasons earlier.

Lacazette signed a three-year contract with the French side, which runs until June 2025.

In addition to his goal-scoring contributions, Lacazette also earns a substantial salary playing for Lyon. Exactly how much does he make?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

*

• Alexandre Lacazette's wages at Lyon in numbers

  As per Lacazette's contract with Lyon, he receives a weekly salary of £98,116 ($131,552), making him the club's highest-paid player. His annual salary totals £5.1 million ($6.8 million).

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Alexandre Lacazette	French	£98,116	$131,552	£5,102,009	$6,840,679

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• AFP
  

  Top earners at Lyon

  Alexandre Lacazette is the highest-paid player at Olympique Lyonnais, with Corentin Tolisso next.

  Nemanja Matić, previously with Manchester United and Chelsea, is third, followed by Rayan Cherki.

  Nicolás Tagliafico, an Argentine full-back, is fifth.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Alexandre Lacazette	French	£98,116	$139,445	£5,102,009	$6,840,679
  Corentin Tolisso	French	£89,122	$119,493	£4,634,325	$6,213,616
  Nemanja Matic	Serbian	£78,820	$105,680	£4,098,614	$5,495,345
  Rayan Cherki	French	£65,410	$87,701	£3,401,340	$4,560,452
  Nicolas Taglafico	Argentine	£59,523	$79,808	£3,095,219	$4,150,012

• Top earners in Ligue 1

  Lyon players, despite high earnings, are not among the top five highest-paid in the league. PSG's financial and football dominance is clear, with their players holding the top thirteen salary positions. Adrien Rabiot, a former PSG midfielder now with Marseille, ranks fourteenth.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages in GBP	Weekly wages in USD	Annual wages in GBP	Annual wages in USD
  Ousmane Dembele	Paris Saint-Germain	£297,548	$393,131	£15,472,512	$20,442,812
  Khvicha Kvaratskhelia	Paris Saint-Germain	£270,438	$357,312	£14,062,794	$18,580,245
  Marquinhos	Paris Saint-Germain	£222,235	$293,756	£11,561,405	$15,275,324
  Lucas Hernandez	Paris Saint-Germain	£218,202	$288,296	£11,346,509	$14,991,396
  Achraf Hakimi	Paris Saint-Germain	£218,202	$288,296	£11,346,509	$14,991,396

• AFP
  

  Highest paid players in the world

  PSG dominates Ligue 1, but none of their players rank among the top five highest-paid footballers worldwide.

  The top five are all from the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo leads with a high salary at Al Nassr.

  Karim Benzema, his former Real Madrid teammate, is second. Riyad Mahrez, formerly of Manchester City and now with Al-Ahli, is third.

  Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are fourth and fifth, respectively.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages GBP	Weekly wages USD	Annual wages GBP	Annual wages USD
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	£3,216,155	$4,210,425	£167,250,468	$218,942,120
  Karim Benzema	Al Ittihad	£1,608,178	$2,105,213	£83,625,234	$109,471,060
  Riyad Mahrez	Al Ahli	£839,469	$1,098,921	£45,652,372	$57,43,893
  Sadio Mane	Al Nassr	£643,271	$842,085	£33,450,094	$43,788,424
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Al Hilal	£558,038	$730,509	£29,017,956	$37,986,458

رد داروين نونيز مهاجم ليفربول السابق على الرسالة العاطفية التي تلقاها من محمد صلاح بعد انتقاله للهلال السعودي نهاية الأسبوع الماضي.

وكان نونيز قد غادر ليفربول يوم السبت بعد التوصل لاتفاق مع النادي السعودي للتعاقد مع المهاجم الفائز بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

أقرأ أيضاً.. محمد صلاح يوجه رسالة إلى نونيز بعد انتقاله إلى الهلال السعودي

وانضم نونيز إلى قائمة اللاعبين الذين غادروا ليفربول خلال الصيف بعد رحيل لويس دياز وكاويمين كيليهير وجاريل كوانساه، وسجل اللاعب أول هدف له مع ناديه الجديد خلال الفوز بسداسية نظيفة ضد آراو النمساوي.

وحرص صلاح على التعبير عن امتنانه وتمنياته لزميله السابق نونيز في رسالة على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي حيث كتب: “أعتبر نفسي محظوظاً لوجودك كزميل وصديق”.

وأضاف: “لقد كنت دائماً حقيقياً جداً وقدمت لنا كثير من الطاقة الإيجابية أينما ذهبت، لقد أضحكتنا وأظهرت لنا عاطفتك في كل ما فعلته، سأفتقدك كثيراً وأتمنى لك كل التوفيق في ناديك الجديد”.

ورد مهاجم الهلال السعودي على محمد صلاح قائلاً: “أخي شكراً لك على كل شيء لقد كنت شخصاً رائعاً بالنسبة لي منذ انضمامي إلى ليفربول، سأفتقدك كثيراً”.

ويستعد ليفربول لمواجهة بورنموث مساء غد الجمعة في افتتاح الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

MatériaMais Notícias

da brdice： Jhesgon Méndez chegou ao São Paulo. E em sua apresentação oficial, na tarde desta quinta-feira (12), no CT da Barra Funda, o volante equatoriano explicou como o compatriota Arboleda, quase um estandarte do Tricolor, e o atacante Alexandre Pato, com quem jogou no Orlando City, dos EUA, acabaram lhe motivando a vir para o Morumbi.

– Conversei com Arboleda quando o São Paulo me contatou, ele comentou como era o clube, as pessoas. A verdade é que ele falou muito bem de tudo. Não foi necessário que ele me dissesse algumas coisas, eu já sabia, porque o clube é grande. Falei com o Pato, grande amigo meu, ele está muito feliz que estou aqui. Foi uma decisão pessoal, agradeço ao presidente, ao Rui Costa (diretor executivo de futebol). Sempre tento para um lugar onde as pessoas te querem. Isso foi importante.

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da apostaganha：
+Valores aumentados: saiba as premiações da Libertadores e Sul-Americana 2023 fase a fase
+ Confira as principais negociações do futebol nacional no Mercado da Bola do L!

E quais dicas o Pato deu ao jogador de 25 anos? Ele mesmo conta…

– Fizemos muito boa amizade nos EUA. Ele (Pato) me falou da grandeza do clube, me explicou algumas coisas que quem está fora não sabe. Agradeço a ele pelos conselhos. Disse para eu desfrutar com responsabilidade, mas para não se sentir pressionado, desfrutar do futebol, tentar ganhar títulos.

Revelado pelo Independiente del Valle, justamente o algoz são-paulino na final da Copa Sul-Americana do ano passado, o jogador atua desde 2019 no futebol dos EUA.

Considerado uma grande promessa, foi contratado pelo Orlando City, mas perdeu espaço na equipe de Miami e acabou se transferindo para o Los Angeles FC no último ano, onde se sagrou campeão da MLS (Major League Soccer).

Como seu contrato com os estadunidenses se encerra agora em janeiro, ele virá em uma transferência sem custos para o clube do Morumbi. O LANCE! apurou que deverá assinar vínculo de três anos.

Méndez chega ao Morumbi com holofotes suficientes para ser titular do meio-campo, atuando como segundo homem da posição, à frente de Pablo Maia e responsável pela articulação inicial das jogadas.

– Falei com o treinador, ele me contou algumas coisas que busca para a equipe. Ele pediu que eu jogasse mais adiante, mas eu gosto de sair de trás, onde tenho mais controle do time.

Na apresentação, Méndez também explicou o motivo de ter escolhido a camisa 21, com grande simbolismo parea ele.

– Tem o significado especial, foi a data que morreu meu pai há cinco meses. Foi um momento duro para mim, pois ele sempre estava ao meu lado, me apoiando, escolhi esse número por ele.

> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

Liverpool have been here before. Winter has passed, and the biggest prizes lie tantalisingly ahead.

Having overcome Tottenham Hotspur over two legs, Liverpool have reached the Carabao Cup final, which will be played against Newcastle United next month.

Arne Slot’s side also won the Champions League group phase and bypassed the pesky added knockout round, straight into the last 16.

But it’s the Premier League that Anfield covets most. In its modern version, Liverpool have only lifted the trophy once, in 2020, and the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, two of the greatest players of their generation, are desperate to consolidate their quality with a second triumph.

You feel that were either of these veterans, both out of contract this summer, absent this season, Liverpool would be swimming deeper. Up front especially, Liverpool’s frontline needs to be doing more as a collective, with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz’s performances raising speculation about their future at the club.

The future of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez

Liverpool have one of the most dangerous strike forces in Europe, but that’s not to say that every player is performing at the top of their game.

Mohamed Salah

35 (33)

27

19

Cody Gakpo

36 (25)

16

5

Luis Diaz

34 (25)

12

3

Diogo Jota

22 (12)

8

2

Darwin Nunez

33 (16)

6

4

Federico Chiesa

10 (3)

1

2

Salah has absurdly clinched 27 goals and 19 assists from 35 matches in all competitions, driving Liverpool to titles and, perhaps, himself to Ballon d’Or gold.

On the left, Cody Gakpo is also riding the crest of a prolific wave, but Diaz and Nunez are beginning to frustrate, with their combined goal involvements in 2024/25 – 25 – a steep distance below Salah’s haul of 46 contributions.

It may be that FSG decides to cash in this summer, especially since Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Nunez was close to joining Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in January before they signed Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk revealed that while the Reds are keen to tie their Colombian left winger down to a new contract, there was intrigue from the Saudi Pro League in the summer, and Liverpool would entertain bids worth £67m.

Theoretically, Liverpool could bank more than £120m for their South American forwards this summer, something that could be redirected toward, say, transfer target Alexander Isak.

Both Diaz, 28, and the 25-year-old Nunez are talented players and contribute effectively to Slot’s project, but given that their goalscoring records leave plenty to be desired, it wouldn’t be right to say they’re indispensable.

Especially when former Liverpool sensation Luis Suarez managed to outscore the pair of them in 2024.

Liverpool must rue losing Luis Suarez

When Suarez was 24, he left Ajax and joined Liverpool in a deal worth £23m. It was an exciting transfer, though dwarfed by the signing of Andy Carroll, who arrived concurrently in January 2011.

Registering 123 goal contributions from 132 matches for the Merseysiders, it’s fair to say that Suarez is one of the greatest forwards in Liverpool’s modern history, almost singlehandedly winning the club their first Premier League title in 2013/14.

Who could forget that season? There are similarities between Salah’s unrelenting drive under Slot’s wing and Liverpool’s former all-powerful talisman, who plundered 31 goals and 13 assists from 33 top-flight matches that year but still came up short.

Unfortunately, Anfield was in a very different state back then, with Brendan Rodgers’ outfit lacking the same degree of evenly spread and high-class talent.

He’s been hailed as a “legend” of the game by talent scout Jacek Kulig, having forced his way out of Liverpool after that agonising title miss, signing for Barcelona in a deal worth £75m – a package that fell short of only Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale’s transfers to Real Madrid at the time.

Of course, the experienced marksman will have no regrets, not least because he went on to win the Champions League and five La Liga titles (one with Atletico Madrid) before leaving Europe and journeying across the pond. The greatest testament to Suarez’s skill set is that he wasn’t minnowed next to Lionel Messi, scoring 195 goals and providing 113 assists over 283 appearances.

Suarez now plies his trade in the MLS with Inter Miami, alongside former Barcelona teammates Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, with the US campaigns typically starting in February and running until October.

He may be in the twilight phase of his storied career, but the Uruguayan still managed to chalk up some spectacular numbers, scoring 25 goals and adding 12 assists across 37 matches in all competitions.

That haul of 37 goal contributions is a distance more than both Nunez (24) and Diaz (27) registered for Liverpool across the calendar year 2024.

He’s still got it, and though English football’s fitness demands would represent an insurmountable hurdle for the ageing player, it’s pertinent to note that he’s still got it in front of goal, something that both Diaz, who has been deployed as a makeshift number nine this year, and Nunez have struggled to produce consistently.

Sure, you’d probably be right in supposing that the 38-year-old striker is past his Premier League sell-by date, and would not be a useful option in Slot’s high-energy Liverpool team, but Suarez went on to achieve greatness with Barcelona and could have become a true Anfield legend had he stayed.

The failure to effectively replace him only added insult to injury, with Ricky Lambert and Mario Balotelli tasked with replicating his offensive threat. Redmen supporters (and FSG) must count their lucky stars that Klopp was the man who replaced the beleaguered Rodgers at the helm.

However, it’s difficult to imagine a world where Rodgers would have remained instated in the dugout for many years past his dismissal, even had Suarez been retained. Perhaps we would be looking at a world where Klopp’s project would have been fronted by the iconic centre-forward.

Slot has already found Luis Diaz 2.0 in Liverpool's "frightening" 17 y/o

Liverpool believe they have one of Europe’s biggest talents in this forward.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 15, 2025

Continuing quite the trend, Chelsea are now reportedly ready to finalise a deal worth over £12m to sign yet another young South American gem, having already previously signed the likes of Aaron Anselmino.

Chelsea transfer news

The more that Todd Boehly’s Chelsea reign goes on, the more it seems as though he’s willing to sacrifice the present day for the sake of potential future dominance. Handing Enzo Maresca one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, the American is yet to see the fruits of his labour, with the Blues once again on course to miss out on a place inside the top four.

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1 ByTom Cunningham Mar 1, 2025

He seems to be sticking to his plan nonetheless, however, and is building a batch of future stars. Last summer, it was Anselmino and a year before that it was Deivid Washington and Angelo – who has already swapped Stamford Bridge for Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, in 2022, Andrey Santos came through the door. Now, continuing the South American trend, Chelsea are reportedly about to seal a deal to welcome another gem.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are now ready to finalise their deal to sign Denner Evangelista from Corinthians in a package worth €15m (£12m), including add-ons, which will see the 17-year-old arrive in 2026.

Still just a teenager, the left-back looks destined to reach the very top courtesy of Chelsea when 2026 arrives. Joining the likes of Washington, Anselmino and Santos, Evangelista and his South American teammates could be ready to take the Premier League by storm when he arrives next year.

Evangelista is one to watch

By signing Evangelista, Chelsea would be handing Maresca a fourth South American talent to work with and another who will enter the peak of his powers in years to come. And whilst it may be difficult to see Boehly’s vision in the fog of top four failure once again, the American owner has seemingly set his sights on building a side capable of ending the Blues’ problems for an entire era.

The young left-back is certainly one to watch too, with scouting consultancy Concept Scouting full of praise for the young Brazilian following news of Chelsea’s likely deal.

Whether Evangelista will be ready to play a first-team role when 2026 arrives remains to be seen. Just like Anselmino, Santos and Washington, he could be forced to wait for his opportunity and instead head out on loan elsewhere, before eventually returning to play an integral part at Stamford Bridge.

Aston Villa moved one step closer to a potential trip to Wembley with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup at Villa Park at the weekend.

Goals from Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers secured the victory over Ange Postecoglou’s side on Sunday, with the first goal coming inside the opening minute of the match.

Whilst the main talking point was the terrific result and their progression through to the next round of the competition, it was also a big game for two of the January recruits.

Villa pushed the boat out to land Marco Asensio on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United, and both players came off the bench to make their debuts for the club.

Rashford completed one of his two attempted dribbles in his 24 minutes on the pitch against Spurs, but failed to register a shot on goal or a key pass for his teammates.

Asensio, meanwhile, was introduced to the game at the same time as the England international and made a greater impression on the onlooking supporters at Villa Park.

Marco Asensio's debut performance

The Spain international came on for Leon Bailey with 24 minutes left to play and produced a magical cameo that has created plenty of excitement heading into the rest of the season.

Asensio is on loan at Villa until the end of the season, but Fabrizio Romano recently reported that both sides are open to exploring a permanent move in the summer, which means that he may currently be auditioning for a long-term move to England.

The former Real Madrid attacker will certainly be getting a call-back after his first audition, as he caught the eye with an impressive showing against Spurs.

He completed 100% (1/1) of his attempted dribbles, 100% (15/15) of his attempted passes, and 67% (2/3) of his duels in his 24 minutes on the pitch, to go along with one chance created.

As you can see in the clips above, his cameo was full of sublime touches and turns to retain possession and create openings for the Villans in the closing stages of the win.

Asensio, who has won three Champions League trophies, arrived at Villa with a terrific pedigree, having played for PSG and Real Madrid at the top level for a number of years, and his class was on full display on Sunday.

Surprisingly, however, the 29-year-old, despite his career achievements, is not one of the very top-valued players in the squad, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at €20m (£17m), at Aston Villa.

Aston Villa's most valuable players

Monchi and Unai Emery have crafted a terrific squad at Villa Park and it is one that is now chock-full of brilliant, high-valued, players who are contributing week-in-week-out on the pitch.

Whilst Asensio does not crack the top ten most-valuable stars at the club, fellow loanee Rashford has arrived as the joint-most valuable Villans ace, with a market value of £46m.

Ollie Watkins and Amadou Onana are also tied with the former Manchester United superstar and England international at £46m, as they make up the top three.

As you can see in the table above, Asensio does not make the top ten list, behind the likes of Rashford, Rogers, Bailey, and Ramsey, but he is far from the only star who is unfortunate to miss out.

Belgium international Youri Tielemans is currently valued at €30m (£25m) and this means that, despite being worth more than the Paris Saint-Germain dynamo, he is also not among the top ten most-valuable players in the squad.

That should not take away, however, from the masterclass that Villa have played with the former Leicester City man, as they have hit the jackpot with the midfield maestro.

Villa have hit the jackpot with Youri Tielemans

The 27-year-old magician first made a name for himself in England during his time with Leicester City under Brendan Rodgers, with a return of 28 goals and 26 assists in 195 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes.

In the summer of 2023, Leicester had just been relegated from the Premier League and the midfield star’s contract at the King Power expired, which made him a free agent.

The Villans swooped to sign the central midfielder on a free transfer, which meant that they spent £0 on his transfer fee, to bolster Emery’s options in the middle of the park ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Tielemans, who was once dubbed “outrageous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, produced two goals and six assists in 32 appearances in the Premier League in his first season with the Villans, but only started 17 of those matches.

This term, the 27-year-old star has started all 24 of his outings in the top-flight for Villa, which shows that Emery has trusted him to start week-in-week-out in the middle of the park.

As you can see in the table above, Tielemans has offered a constant creative threat in the Premier League for the Villans with ten ‘big chances’ created already.

His form has also helped his market value to soar. In December 2023, the Belgian maestro was valued at €20m (£17m) and this shows that his value has soared by millions in the past 13 months or so.

Villa have, therefore, hit the jackpot with the former Leicester star as they brought him in for £0 and he has developed into a consistent starter who is now worth millions more, and more than Asensio.

Emery will, now, be hoping that the midfielder can continue to shine for the rest of the season and beyond, which could help his value to increase even further to push into the top ten.

Aston Villa eye move to sign £43m striker outscoring Watkins this season

Aston Villa need a new forward, and this star could prove the answer.

By
Ben Browning

Feb 10, 2025

Matt Parkinson claimed four wickets and took a brilliant catch to hand promotion-chasing Durham a strong start to their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash after bowling out Sussex for 266 on day one.Sussex openers Tom Haines and Tom Clark put on 110 for the opening stand in a wicketless first session for the hosts. But, Parkinson turned the momentum of the day by removing Haines for 51 with a sensational diving grab before he tore through the middle order, including the prized wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara.Tom Alsop top-scored with 59 for the visitors, but Ben Raine and Matthew Potts were on their mettle with the new ball to clean up the Sussex tail, who lost all 10 wickets for 156 runs in the afternoon and evening sessions.The visitors won the toss and elected the bat on the same wicket used in England’s T20I win over New Zealand on Wednesday. Haines struggled to get off the mark, enduring a 21-ball wait to notch his first runs of the morning. Those runs came with the element of fortune edging a Potts delivery through the slip cordon to the boundary.Clark battled the Durham attack and took a blow from Potts to the body. His composure took a slight knock when Bas de Leede found his outside edge, but Robinson put down the opener on 22 with a sharp chance to his left.The Sussex openers found their timing as the morning progressed, ending the first session solidly by bringing up the century stand. Haines secured his fifth half-century of the term by striking Raine’s first ball of the afternoon through cover to the fence. Clark followed suit with his fifty from 99 deliveries, presenting the visitors with a promising platform.But, Parkinson led the Durham fightback in the afternoon session as Sussex lost four wickets for 52 runs. First in the field, he claimed a brilliant diving catch at fine leg running 20 yards to dismiss Haines for 51. He then struck with his first ball from the Lumley End, prising out Clark for 58 as Potts secured the catch at first slip.Parkinson’s accuracy and drift caused Pujara problems as the India international survived a stumping appeal from Robinson before he drilled the next delivery straight to Graham Clark at short cover. The procession continued from Sussex with James Coles handing Parkinson his third on a pitch proving more than helpful for the spinners on the first day.Parkinson’s day could have improved further, but he put down a quick return chance from Alsop on 24. The Sussex man made the most of his reprieve and pressed on to his third half-century of the season, sharing a vital stand of 59 with Oli Carter. George Drissell broke the partnership with his first wicket in first-class cricket for Durham, earning his reward for a tight line.Durham turned a solid day into an impressive outing after taking the new ball. Raine ended Alsop’s resistance for 59, earning his 50th wicket of the season as the left-hander became the third Sussex batter to reach fifty and fail to kick on.Potts collected his first two wickets of the day to remove Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Jack Carson, while Parkinson closed out the Sussex innings as Jaydev Unadkat was caught on the fence. The visitors lost their final five wickets for just 19 runs, failing to capitalise on the platform provided by Haines and Clark at the top of the order. Durham ended the evening six without loss, 260 behind Sussex heading into day two.