Wrexham are currently preparing for a season in the Championship after they finished second in League One to earn promotion up to the second tier.

The Red Dragons are yet to make their first signing since the end of last season, but there will be plenty of work going on behind the scenes to identify targets to improve the team.

Phil Parkinson will have to judge which of his players are ready to make the step up to the Championship after a season in League One, which means that some difficult decisions could have to be made.

Why Thomas O'Connor may be replaced

One player who could be replaced as a regular starter is left-sided central defender Thomas O’Connor, who has been at the club since they were in the National League.

The former Southampton academy graduate has never played above League One level in his career to date, and was a regular starter – starting 25 of his 31 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign – for Wrexham this season.

O’Connor was, however, an unused substitute in five of the last seven matches and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to handle the step up to the Championship, a level that he has never played at before.

Transfer Focus

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

The BBC reported earlier this month that Wrexham, Norwich, Birmingham, and Sheffield United are among the teams interested in a deal to sign Harry Darling on a free transfer from Swansea City.

His contract with the Welsh side is due to expire at the end of this month, and the Red Dragons are one of the sides looking to snap him up for nothing.

Why Darling would be an upgrade on O'Connor

Parkinson must push to convince Darling to make a move across Wales rather than joining Birmingham, Norwich, or Sheffield United, as he would improve the club’s options at the back.

Despite being right-footed, the 25-year-old Englishman often plays on the left-side of a centre-back pairing and this means that he could take O’Connor’s place as the left-sided centre-back in a back three at Wrexham.

Unlike the current Red Dragons defender, Darling is an experienced Championship defender who has made 108 appearances at that level, which means that he would arrive at the Racecourse as a proven second tier star.

He would be a relatively risk-free signing as someone who has been there and done it and could immediately improve Wrexham’s team, particularly when you take his performances this season into account.

Appearances

31

39

Goals

0

5

Clearances per game

2.9

5.0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.3x

Ground duel success rate

53%

66%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

64%

As you can see in the table above, Darling’s defensive work in the Championship, in terms of his success rate in duels and how often he was beaten by opposition attackers, was more impressive than O’Connor’s was at a lower level.

This suggests that the Swansea star, who was hailed as “outstanding” by former boss Luke Williams, is a big upgrade on the current Wrexham left centre-back, particularly from a defensive perspective.

Darling also, as shown in the table, scored five goals from centre-back, compared to O’Connor’s barren return in League One, and this suggests that he would offer a much greater goal threat in the 2025/26 campaign.

The English titan, who ranked in the top 31% of centre-backs in the league for progressive passes per 90 (3.70), is a ball-playing defender who has shown that he can mix technical quality and class on the ball with strength and reliable out of possession at Championship level.

Big Rathbone upgrade: Wrexham still in race to sign "outstanding" PL star

Wrexham could be about to land a big upgrade on Oliver Rathbone by signing this Championship-experienced ace.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 12, 2025

Therefore, he would be the perfect signing, as a proven second tier star, to come in as a big upgrade on their left-sided centre-back position this summer.

Glasgow Rangers are now in talks with a European club over the sale of a “brilliant” key player, who has already agreed personal terms to go, according to a recent report.

Martin wants more defensive reinforcements at Rangers

The Gers are closing in on their return to pre-season action, as it is less than four weeks away until they return to competitive action in the Champions League second qualifying round. Before that, Russell Martin will hope to have as much transfer business wrapped up as possible, as he will want to make a strong start as the new Rangers boss.

The Scottish giants announced the signing of Max Aarons on a season-long loan deal from AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday. The defender is “delighted” to be joining Rangers, as he describes the Gers as a “huge club”.

Aarons told the club’s media team: “I am delighted to be here; as you can see, it’s a huge club, and you realise that when you walk through the doors. I can’t wait to get going.

“I’ve got a lot of experience now in different leagues, and I have played a lot of games. I think I can bring that experience; I can bring a new energy, and I think Rangers fans can be excited – I am really looking forward to it.”

Rangers bid made: 49ers table offer to bring "spectacular" 22 y/o to Ibrox

The Gers want a permanent transfer.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 26, 2025

Aarons may not be the only defender to arrive at Ibrox this summer, as the Gers are in talks to sign Conor Coady from Leicester City. Meanwhile, Rangers are also looking into the possibility of a deal to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool, with the new boss making it clear he wants to improve his defensive ranks.

Rangers now in talks to sell Hamza Igamane

Deals for Coady and Beck may soon become more financially viable too, as according to Sacha Tavolieri, Rangers are in talks to sell Hamza Igamane to French outfit Lille.

Tavolieri states that Lille have made Igamane a top target, as they see him as the person to replace Jonathan David, who is leaving the club on a free transfer.

He adds that the Rangers forward has spoken to the club and has now agreed personal terms, and all that remains is the two clubs, who are in talks, to agree a transfer fee.

Earlier this week it was reported that Rangers were “at risk” of losing Igamane, as teams such as Marseille and Lazio were circling with interest. In fact, it was claimed that Marseille had made an approach to sign the 22-year-old, which had rocked the Scottish club.

Rangers have set a £20 million asking price on Igamane, but it remains unclear if Lille would be willing to pay that much.

Apps

46

Goals

16

Assists

3

The Morocco international was sensational for the Gers last season, as he netted 12 goals in 33 league games, as well as a further four in the Europa League. A standout moment was him netting the winner in the 3-2 win away at Celtic, an impact that Derek Ferguson lauded as “brilliant”.

“Igamane is a real breath of fresh air, the young man. The manager said he was trying to get him up to speed, but in the last few games he has been nothing short of brilliant. He is off the cuff, and he had three or four nutmegs this afternoon – and took his goal brilliantly. I don’t know if you remember Ted McMinn, but Igamane’s got that unpredictability.”

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is personally leading the charge to sign a “powerful” player, with an offer now ready to be submitted, according to a report.

Berta taking hands-on role at the Emirates

Having laid the foundations, the Arsenal hierarchy believes now is the time for the team to start winning silverware, and Berta has a big role to play, with the Italian regarded as a master negotiator, capable of being involved in multiple deals at once.

The 53-year-old is taking a hands-on role at the Emirates Stadium, attending training sessions and press conferences, while also putting in work behind-the-scenes to secure agreements for the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi.

There have been some disagreements with Mikel Arteta, however, especially when it comes to which striker they should bring in, with Berta keen to sign Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, while the manager would prefer to sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Berta is simultaneously working on moves for both strikers, indicating a decision is yet to be made as to which striker is the preferred option, and the north Londoners are also keen to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch.

That is according to a report from Super Deporte (via Sport Witness), which states Berta is now leading the charge for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, who has recently been identified as a key target by Arteta.

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Arsenal could be growing closer to signing a new striker.

ByMatt Dawson Jun 29, 2025

Such is Arsenal’s level of interest, they are now ready to submit an offer in the region of €20m – €25m (£17m – £21m) for Mosquera, with around €3m – €5m (£2.6m – £4.3m) of the higher amount based on bonuses relating to performance.

Berta is said to be key to the deal, with the sporting director retaining a long-term interest in the 21-year-old, having also targeted him during his time with Atlético Madrid.

"Powerful" Mosquera could be ideal centre-back signing

With any new centre-back signing unlikely to immediately take Gabriel or William Saliba’s spot in the starting XI, it would make sense to bring in a younger centre-back, capable of replacing one of the first-choice options on a long-term basis.

The Valencia star is showing very promising signs in La Liga, having now established himself as a key player, missing just one La Liga game last season, while the defender has also received high praise from former youth coach Miguel-Ángel Angulo.

Angulo said: “He’s characterised by a physical condition and good technical qualities, powerful in the air, and mature for his age.”

Having also received plaudits from Statman Dave, Mosquera is clearly an exciting young player, who could provide Arsenal with the depth to compete on all fronts next season, before going on to stake a claim for a regular starting spot.

MatériaMais Notícias

da esport bet： O Maracanã será o palco da decisão da Copa Libertadores da América de 2023, O anúncio foi feito em evento realizado na sede da Conmebol, em Assunção, no Paraguai, no dia 8 de março. Onde também ficou decidido que a final da competição será realizada no dia 4 de novembro de 2023. um sábado. Um dos templos mais famosos do futebol mundial, essa não será a primeira vez que o estádio vai receber a final da Libertadores. Confira abaixo, todos os jogos de finais de Libertadores que o Estádio do Maracanã já recebeu.

da mrbet： +Condição especial para matrícula no curso Gestor de Futebol, aprovado por Dante, Petković, Léo Moura e outros craques. Saiba mais!

FLUMINENSE 3 (1) X (3) 1 LDU
FINAL DA COPA LIBERTADORES DA AMÉRICA DE 2008 (2º JOGO)

A primeira vez que o Maracanã viu uma equipe dar uma volta olímpica numa final de Libertadores aconteceu em 2008. O Fluminense de Conca, Thiago Neves e Thiago Silva venceu a LDU de Quito por 3 a 1 no tempo normal (após derrota por 4 a 2 na partida de ida no Equador). Na decisão por pênaltis, no entanto, o Tricolor das Laranjeiras viu o experiente goleiro Cevallos brilhar e vencer a disputa por 3 a 1, para a tristeza dos mais de 86 mil torcedores presentes no Maracanã.

Data: 2 de julho de 2008.
Público: 86.027 pessoas.
Árbitro: Héctor Baldassi (ARG).
Gols: Bolaños (LDU), aos 6′ do primeiro tempo; Thiago Neves (FLU), aos 12′; aos 28′ do primeiro tempo e aos 11′ do segundo tempo.
Pênaltis: Urrutia, Salas e Guerrón (LDU); Cícero (FLU).

Fluminense: Fernando Henrique; Gabriel (Mauricio), Thiago Silva, Luiz Alberto e Júnior César; Ygor (Dodô), Arouca (Roger), Thiago Neves e Conca; Cícero e Washington. Técnico: Renato Gaúcho.

LDU de Quito: Cevallos; Jairo Campos, Calle, Norberto Araujo e Ambrosi; Vera, Urrutia, Guerrón e Bolaños (Salas); Manso (Willian Araujo) e Bieler. Técnico: Edgardo Bauza.

PALMEIRAS 1 X 0 SANTOS
FINAL DA COPA LIBERTADORES DA AMÉRICA DE 2020 – JOGO ÚNICO

A segunda vez que o ‘Templo do Futebol’ viu uma equipe dar a volta olímpica foi no dia 30 de janeiro de 2021, um sábado. No final do jogo, Breno Lopez, atacante do Palmeiras, sobe contra a marcação de Pará, lateral do Santos, e coloca a bola no ângulo esquerdo do goleiro John, que nada pode fazer, 1 a 0 para o Palestra. O Verdão conquistava ali, sua segunda Copa Libertadores, e Abel Ferreira caminhava a passos largos para o começo de uma era vitoriosa no clube da Barra Funda. Vale lembrar que o Brasil e o mundo passava pela pandemia da COVID-19, o jogo, que de início seria com portões fechados, terminou com um acordo entre a CONMEBOL e os clubes para que fossem convidadas 1.250 pessoas de cada lado, totalizando 2.500.

Data:30 de janeiro de 2021.
Público: 2.500 pessoas (Convidados dos clubes).
Árbitro:Patricio Loustau (ARG).
Gols: Breno Lopes (PAL) aos 53 do 2º tempo.

Palmeiras:Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Luan, Gustavo Gómez e Matías Viña; Danilo, Raphael Veiga (Alan Empereur), Zé Rafael (Patrick de Paula) e Gabriel Menino (Breno Lopes); Rony (Felipe Melo) e Luiz Adriano.Técnico:Abel Ferreira.

Santos:Jonh; Pará (Bruno Marques), Lucas Veríssimo, Luan Peres e Felipe Jonatan (Wellington); Alison, D. Pituca e Sandry (Lucas Braga); Marinho, Kaio Jorge (Madson) e Solteldo.Técnico:Cuca.

RESSALTANDO AS OUTRAS DUAS FINAIS QUE ACONTECERAM NO ‘MARACA’

Ver o Santos de Pelé, Coutinho, Zito e Pepe jogar no Maracanã era bastante comum nos anos 1960. Tanto que a equipe jogou a primeira partida da final da Libertadores de 1963 contra o Boca Juniors no estádio. Com uma grande atuação de Coutinho, o Peixe venceu o Boca por 3 a 2 e garantiu o título oito dias depois, na Bombonera, com uma vitória por 2 a 1 em cima dos xeneizes.

SANTOS 3 X 2 BOCA JUNIORS
FINAL DA COPA LIBERTADORES DE 1963 – (1º JOGO)

Data:3 de setembro de 1963.
Público: 63.376 pessoas.
Árbitro:Marcel Alert Bois (FRA).
Gols: Coutinho (SAN); aos 2′ e aos 21′, Lima (SAN); aos 28′ do primeiro tempo; Sanfilippo (BOC); aos 43′ do primeiro tempo e aos 44′ do segundo tempo.

Santos: Gilmar; Mauro e Geraldino; Dalmão, Zito e Calvet; Dorval, Lima, Coutinho, Pelé e Pepe. Técnico: Lula.

Boca Juniors: Errea; Magdalena, Marzolini (Orlando) e Simeone; Rattín e Silveyra; Grillo, Rojas, Menéndez, Sanfilippo e Alberto González. Técnico: José D’Amico.

FLAMENGO 2 X 1 COBRELOA
FINAL DA COPA LIBERTADORES DE 1981 – (1º JOGO)

O Maracanã voltaria a ser palco de uma decisão de Libertadores em 1981, quando o Flamengo de Zico, Nunes, Júnior e companhia recebeu o Cobreloa no primeiro jogo da decisão. O placar terminou em 2 a 1 para o Fla. No entanto, a equipe chilena venceu o jogo de volta por um a zero no Estádio Nacional de Santiago. O primeiro título da Libertadores do Flamengo viria apenas no dia 20 de novembro com vitória por 2 a 0 com grande atuação de Zico no Estádio Centenário de Montevidéu.

Data: 13 de novembro 1981.
Público: 93.985 pessoas.
Árbitro:Carlos Espósito (ARG).
Gols: Zico (FLA); aos 12′ e aos 30′ do primeiro tempo; Merello (COB); aos 20′ do segundo tempo.

Flamengo: Raúl; Leandro, Figueiredo, Mozer e Júnior; Andrade, Adílio e Zico; Lico (Baroninho), Nunes e Tita. Técnico: Paulo César Carpegiani.

Cobreloa: Wirth; Rojas, Mario Soto, Tablio e Escobar; Jiménez, Alarcón e Merello; Múñoz, Siviero e Puebla. Técnico: Vicente Cantatore.

Aston Villa are in a position where they may need to sell players to meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and there is plenty of contention surrounding their situation from fans, pundits and journalists alike.

Aston Villa's PSR situation and who may leave the club this summer

In short, Aston Villa are one of the Premier League’s most at-risk clubs with PSR heading towards the deadline on June 30th. Per The Athletic’s projection, they can only lose £15 million in 2024/25 to remain within regulatory boundaries.

Unai Emery’s men have recorded a pre-tax loss of £206.2 million in the last two years, which is the highest deficit across the top-flight in that time and leaves the Birmingham-based outfit in danger of punishment.

Big money sales such as Jhon Duran leaving for Al Nassr and Leon Bailey’s anticipated move to Saudi Arabian outfit Neom SC have left hope that the Villans can evade any form of penalty.

However, they are teetering on the brink and their failure to qualify for Champions League football ended up being a massive setback, especially when Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s expensive loan deals formed part of their bid to secure a place despite already treading water in their efforts to balance the books.

There have been suggestions that Aston Villa could sell stakes in their women’s team to make ends meet, an option that remains active following a failed bill to cancel that practice after Chelsea flipped £90 million in losses to a £128 million profit in 2024.

Aston Villa now seriously interested in signing "aggressive" 13-goal rival

He could be on the move.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 5, 2025

Losing a maximum of £105 million over three rolling years is the limit for Premier League clubs in order to comply. Still, not everyone is happy at the rules that their clubs have to abide by to evade sanctions.

Journalist fumes at Aston Villa PSR latest

Taking to social media platform X, iNews correspondent Mark Douglas vented his frustration at Aston Villa’s need to sell and made the point that Newcastle United have suffered a similar fate in their efforts to progress as a club.

Admittedly, PSR has become a controversial topic among football fans for a number of reasons, with some feeling that the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs are protected more than others due to the ease in making ‘pure profit’ sales or by filing via subsidiaries of their PLC’s entity.

Regulation is critical to promote fairness, though there are clear elements in the current system that leave a lot to be desired. Aston Villa find themselves in a frustrating situation and will need to meticulously ensure they don’t fall foul of the authorities.

Others will argue their wage to revenue ratio is a problem, brought on by decisions such as paying £227,500 of Marcus Rashford’s salary weekly during his stay. Either way, the rise of PSR over the last few years has become a contentious issue and continues to limit the progression of those attempting to challenge the traditional order.

Allrounder Shivam Dube has been ruled out of India’s T20I series against Bangladesh due to a back injury. Tilak Varma has replaced him in the squad for the three-match series which begins in Gwalior on Sunday.Dube had also suffered a side strain this February which had ruled him out of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semi-final game. He has been a regular in India’s T20I side since he returned to the national set-up last August.Since his comeback, Dube has scored 377 runs in 23 games at an average of 31.41 and a strike rate of 126.93. That run included back-to-back unbeaten half-centuries against Afghanistan in January and also crucial cameos in India’s title-winning run at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. He has also picked seven wickets in this period.Related

• Gwalior takes centre stage as youthful India prepare for experienced Bangladesh

• International cricket returns to Gwalior after 14 years, at a brand new venue

• Suryakumar: 'Mayank has the X factor, important to manage him well'

Dube’s last competitive game came for India A against India B in the first round of the Duleep Trophy in Bengaluru. He bowled only 12 overs in the match – all in the first innings – and scored 20 and 14 with the bat.Tilak, meanwhile, has played 16 T20Is so far, the last of which was the first T20I against Afghanistan in Mohali in January. Although primarily a middle-order batter, Tilak also bowls part-time offspin. A BCCI release said Tilak will link up with the squad in Gwalior on Sunday morning.

India’s T20I squad vs Bangladesh

: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, JItesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, Tilak Varma

Glamorgan chief executive says ‘contact has been made’ with Hollywood duo who have transformed Wrexham’s fortunes

Matt Roller16-Sep-2024Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, the Hollywood actors and co-owners of Wrexham AFC, have been in contact with Glamorgan about the prospect of buying a stake in Welsh Fire, the Cardiff-based team in the Hundred.Reynolds and McElhenny, who took ownership of Wrexham in November 2020, have witnessed back-to-back promotions in 2022-23 and 2023-24, with the club now playing in the third tier of English football. The pair are believed to be considering further investment in Welsh sport.The ECB formally started the process for securing private investment in the Hundred earlier this month. Raine, the American investment bank, has distributed prospectuses to interested parties and Vikram Banerjee, who is leading the process as the ECB’s director of business operations, said there has been a “phenomenal level of interest from a diverse mix of investors”.Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan’s home ground, has the smallest capacity of any venue in the Hundred, and Welsh Fire are expected to be the cheapest franchise with an estimated valuation of around £30 million. Revenue from initial investments will be distributed across the counties but Glamorgan will be handed a 51% stake in Welsh Fire which they can control.Related

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Lancashire want IPL link for Manchester Originals

Glamorgan have spoken to a number of different interested parties over the past few months, with the owners of Pakistan Super League franchise Multan Sultans understood to be among them. But there has been particular intrigue around the prospect of Reynolds and McElhenny buying a stake which Dan Cherry, the club’s chief executive, believes is “an exciting proposition”.Cherry told ESPNcricinfo: “It is a feasible option. Contact’s been made. There’s not been anything substantial come back yet, but we’re in the process and I know that they’ll certainly be included in any process that we’ve got going forward. All bids and offers that are going to come in are going to be interesting to us, and we’re going to have to evaluate what the best bid is for us.”There’s obvious interest in what Ryan Reynolds and the guys have done at Wrexham, which has been fantastic for football in North Wales. That doesn’t necessarily mean to say that it’ll be the right option for us, but if they’re interested in talking to us, obviously it’s an exciting proposition.”The majority of IPL franchises are expected to bid for stakes in Hundred teams, though the ECB are reluctant to replicate the SA20’s ownership model where every team is IPL-owned. Private equity firms CVC and RedBird Capital are also understood to have an interest in the sale process, though Ineos – who have invested heavily across sports, including latterly Manchester United – are unlikely to bid.Glamorgan believe that the Fire’s relatively low valuation – the London-based franchises could be worth four times more – makes them an attractive investment, given the costs across the Hundred are relatively similar with a salary cap in place and that the majority of revenue will come from an even split of central broadcast money.”We just see the great opportunity here to be part of a nation, not only being great value,” Cherry said. “You’d be representing Wales: Cardiff is a fast-growing city with major events happening here all the time at Principality Stadium, the Castle, and Cardiff City Stadium. It’s a great place to invest, and we believe we’ve got something different to all of the other venues.Welsh Fire’s women reached the Hundred final for the first time this year•ECB/Getty Images”We are really proud of the fact that we are the only Welsh first-class county, and that we are hosting England matches here at Sophia Gardens is important to us. Ultimately, that is something which, when we talk to a potential partner or investor, will be something really important to us: maintaining our Welsh interest, heritage and history.”Cherry said that Glamorgan are “very open-minded” and will not rush into a deal. As things stand, they intend to retain their 51% stake in Welsh Fire. “We want to make the right decision for the club and the game: we want to find the right partner, the right investor that’s going to improve what we do and support us along the journey – not take over.”We are keen to build a partnership where people can add value to us as a club… whether it be on the cricket side, around players and coaches and sharing academies, or more on the commercial side. We’re looking for a true partner that can add value – not looking to lose control and sell our soul, as some people would have it.”Glamorgan have had a mixed first year under Grant Bradburn as head coach, with their season resting on Sunday’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Somerset. But Cherry, in his first full season as chief executive, believes the club’s financial position has improved to the point where they can continue to grow the sport in Wales and achieve more of their on-field aims.”It’s pretty well documented that we probably haven’t achieved what we would’ve liked to on the field over the last 15-20 years,” he said. “We haven’t produced players to play for England and we spent all of that time in Division Two. The opportunity to be part of the group of people that can hopefully change that is really exciting.”We’ve had to work through some of the challenges around our finances and the debt profile, but we’re in a much stronger position now financially to be able to now put all of our efforts into trying to improve the cricket side of things. That’s going to be a big focus for me in this role in the coming years.”

تحدث سامي قمصان المدير الفني للمقاولون العرب، عن فوز فريقه على مودرن سبورت في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وحقق المقاولون العرب فوزه الأول هذا الموسم على حساب مودرن سبورت بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الممتاز.

طالع.. المقاولون العرب يُعلن تعيين سامي قمصان مديرًا فنيًا للفريق

وقال قمصان في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “فوز اليوم جاء في توقيت جيد جدًا بالنسبة لنا، هذا أول فوز لنا منذ حوالي 11 مباراة”.

وأضاف: “فريق المقاولون كبير ويمتلك تاريخًا كبيرًا، وهو أكثر فريق بعد الأهلي والزمالك يمتلك بطولات”.

وتابع: “كان من المهم عودة الثقة للاعبين، والمباراة الماضية لم يحالفنا التوفيق، لكن الحمد لله ربنا أكرمنا اليوم”.

وواصل: “كانت لدينا فترات كبيرة طول المباراة كنا فيها الأفضل، وعندنا ثقة كبيرة في اللاعبين، وأضعنا أهدافًا كثيرة، وأعتقد أنها كانت ممكن تحسم المباراة مبكرًا، لكن في النهاية أشكرهم على الجهد”.

واختتم: “لاعبو الفريق كانوا يلعبون تحت ضغط عصبي كبير، من أجل عودة الثقة والانتصارات وعودة الفريق لمكانه الطبيعي”.

Paris Saint-Germain are closing in on Lucas Chevalier as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s future hangs in the balance, with talks at an advanced stage.

• PSG closing in on Lucas Chevalier
• Deal worth €40m, final talks underway
• Donnarumma's contract talks stalled

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Fabrizio Romano, PSG are on the verge of signing Chevalier from Lille in a deal worth around €40 million (£34m/$46m). Talks are in the final stages, with both club presidents – Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Olivier Letang involved to iron out the add-on structure. The 23-year-old has agreed to a five-year contract and is set to replace Donnarumma, whose own future remains uncertain amid stalled contract talks.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chevalier’s arrival marks another step in Les Parisiens' commitment to a new transfer model focused on young, high-potential talent. Meanwhile, Donnarumma, despite a strong 2024-25 campaign, has rebuffed their offers to extend his contract. His current deal runs until 2026, but a disagreement over the salary has stalled progress, resulting in interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Saudi Arabian clubs.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The French goalkeeper made his professional debut in 2022 and has rapidly become one of Ligue 1’s most reliable goalkeepers, earning praise for his calmness and passing under pressure. Chevalier impressed with Lille last season, keeping 13 clean sheets in 48 games and showing strong distribution skills that align with Luis Enrique’s style of play.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

  PSG are expected to finalise the deal with Lille in the coming days. Once completed, Chevalier will join preseason training and begin preparing to succeed Donnarumma, while the club continue exploring transfer opportunities for the outgoing Italian star.