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da 888： Looking to rediscover their best form under Unai Emery, Aston Villa are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a Champions League midfielder worth up to £37m in 2025.

Aston Villa transfer news

da marjack bet： Amid a difficult run of form in which they went eight games without victory, the last week has been incredibly important for Aston Villa, who followed up a 3-1 defeat of Brentford in midweek with a narrow 1-0 win over relegation contenders Southampton.

With Jhon Duran back on the scoresheet at the perfect time, the Villans will now turn their attention towards European action against RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, with the January transfer window now under a month away, those in the Midlands may well be thinking about just how to take Emery’s side back up to the level needed for Champions League qualification in what would be the ultimate success.

Names such as former midfielder Douglas Luiz have already been mentioned in recent weeks, but it’s a new target who could emerge to provide the Villans with a welcome boost.

According to CaughtOffside, Aston Villa are now interested in signing Felix Nmecha, with Borussia Dortmund now open to offers in the region of €40-45m (£33-37m) in 2025.

However, the Midlands club aren’t the only ones interested, as Manchester United and Newcastle United are also reportedly eyeing moves to sign the ex-Manchester City academy star.

Related Better than Duran: Aston Villa's "outstanding" 8/10 star stole the show

Aston Villa secured their second league win this week

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Dec 8, 2024

Signing Nmecha would certainly hand Aston Villa a boost in the middle of the park, creating quite the partnership alongside summer signing Amadou Onana. That said, it remains to be seen whether the Villans will splash out as much as £37m when either January or the summer transfer window arrives.

"Fast" Nmecha could partner Onana

Squad depth is key for any side competing in the Champions League and Premier League as Newcastle learned last season – and as Aston Villa are learning the hard way in the current campaign.

Emery’s side have so far struggled to maintain success on multiple fronts, but adding a player of Nmecha’s calibre would go a long way towards doing exactly that.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Felix Nmecha

Amadou Onana

Progressive carries

3

8

Progressive passes

41

23

Tackles won

13

15

Ball recoveries

40

36

Two players who have gone stride for stride so far this season and two who progress play in different ways, Nmecha and Onana could form the perfect balance at the heart of Emery’s side.

It’s also no surprise that the Dortmund midfielder has found himself at the centre of praise, with sporting director Sebastian Kehl saying (via the Bundesliga website): “Felix Nmecha is a fast, technically adept and physically strong player who will enhance our midfield both offensively and defensively with his profile.”

Villa didn’t hesitate to splash the cash on Onana last summer and should now do the same to complete their midfield with the addition of Nmecha.

Healy and Litchfield put on an unbroken 202-run stand after King and Wareham led the bowling effort

Valkerie Baynes16-Oct-20253:44

Review: Watch out, Healy is back!

Australia 202 for 0 (Healy 113*, Litchfield 84*) beat Bangladesh 198 for 9 (Mostary 66*, Haider 44, King 2-18, Wareham 2-22) by 10 wicketsThis one followed the script, even if it wasn’t a flawless performance by Australia.With back-to-back centuries, Alyssa Healy led Australia to a 10-wicket victory against Bangladesh in Visakhapatnam, some 24 hours after the Colombo weather intervened to ensure there would be no twist featuring Pakistan and England in what has been a predictable World Cup results-wise so far.An unbroken partnership worth 202 with Phoebe Litchfield, who was unbeaten with 84, kept defending champions Australia unbeaten during this edition and moved them ahead of England at the top of the points table, guaranteeing a place in the semi-finals.Alana King was pivotal in restricting Bangladesh to 198 for 9 with an impressive 2 for 18 from her 10 overs, which included four maidens. Fellow legspinner Georgia Wareham finished with 2 for 22 from seven.Meanwhile, Australia coughed up a rare six dropped catches, missed an appeal for another and leaked 28 runs from the last three overs of the Bangladesh innings, most of them to Sobhana Mostary who posted a spirited 66 not out.Sobhana Mostary punches one straight down the ground•ICC/Getty Images

But with only Rubya Haider joining Mostary in passing 19 among the Bangladesh batting line-up, their total looked too lean.So it proved as Healy followed her 142 against India at the same venue with 113 off just 77 balls to lead her side to the highest successful run chase without losing a wicket at a Women’s World Cup and the second-highest in women’s ODIs.She finished with a flourish, striking three consecutive fours through the off side off Ritu Moni and Litchfield ended their pursuit with 25.1 overs to spare via back-to-back boundaries in the next over off Fariha Trisna.That said, Trisna, playing her first match of the tournament while fellow seamer Marufa Akter was rested, opened with a maiden and Nishita Akter Nishi, brought in for injured spinner Nahida Akter, conceded just three off her first over as Healy and Litchfield settled into a rhythm.But from there, Australia’s top-order duo pressed the pedal, racing to 78 without loss at the end of the first powerplay, Healy managing to slash one through Fahima Khatun’s hands at midwicket and edging just shy of her off stump for back-to-back fours in the 10th over.Litchfield was particularly proactive early, advancing down the pitch and manipulating her crease en route to a 46-ball fifty shortly after Healy raised her half-century off 43.Nigar Sultana, the Bangladesh captain and regular wicketkeeper gave the gloves to Rubya and directed traffic from the outfield but Ritu Moni looked aghast when Rubya fumbled a stumping chance of her bowling when Litchfield was on 46. Healy received her own slice of luck when her top-edged sweep off Shorna Akter was put down at short fine leg.Alana King finished with figures of 10-4-18-2•ICC/Getty Images

King and Wareham had kept Bangladesh in check despite Mostary’s efforts as she scored the second half-century of her ODI career – and second at this World Cup – to help Bangladesh to their highest ODI total against Australia.Rubya added a valuable 44 runs amid an uncharacteristic rash of missed opportunities by Australia. She was twice dropped on 22, Litchfield failing to hold a tough chance at slip off Megan Schutt and Healy spilling one behind the stumps off Darcie Brown. She moved to 44 off 59 balls before picking out Tahlia McGrath at mid-on to give Ash Gardner her first wicket.King took two wickets for just one run in the space of 23 balls through the middle overs. She extended Nigar’s lean run with the one that enticed her out of her crease then turned away as Healy whipped off the bails in time, and then drew Shorna into an edge which went low to Beth Mooney at slip.Wareham tightened Australia’s grip with her first five overs yielding just six runs and the wickets of Ritu and Rabeya Khan to make it 162 for 8. Interspersed with those dismissals, Annabel Sutherland removed Fahima and Nishita, the latter after overturning an lbw decision, and she now sits at the top of the leading wicket-takers’ list outright for the tournament with 12.Mostary could have been gone on 32 when she flicked at a short ball down the leg side from Brown that was signalled wide to a muted Australian appeal with replays showing it had come off her glove before Healy gathered.Mostary launched a campaign for late runs, steering a Gardner delivery through deep third for four to bring up her fifty. Gardner saw Mostary put down twice off consecutive balls when Sutherland couldn’t hold what would have been an excellent catch running to wide long-on and Wareham parried one to the boundary rope from deep midwicket.But Australia’s efforts with the ball and the bat papered over some cracks they will certainly be aiming to fill permanently ahead of next Wednesday’s clash with England.

يترقب نادي الزمالك حسم عدد من الملفات الخاصة بالفريق قبل انتقالات يناير، وعلى رأسها مستقبل المهاجم ناصر منسي الذي تراجع دوره بشكل واضح في الفترة الأخيرة.

ويأتي هذا في ظل سعي الزمالك لإعادة ترتيب أوراقه الهجومية، مع تقييم شامل لعقود اللاعبين ومدى تأثيرهم الفني خلال المرحلة الماضية.

وبحسب مصادر بطولات، فإن ناصر منسي ينتظر حسم مصيره داخل النادي خلال الأسابيع المقبلة، خاصة بعد خروجه من حسابات الجهاز الفني في الفترة الأخيرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هل ينتقل أحمد قندوسي لـ الزمالك؟ وكيله يكشف الكواليس

ولم يسافر منسي مع بعثة الزمالك إلى الإمارات خلال مشاركة الفريق في كأس السوبر، بعد قرار الجهاز الفني باستبعاده بسبب زيادة وزنه بشكل ملحوظ، وهو ما أبعده أيضًا عن المباريات.

وترى إدارة الزمالك أن الاتجاه الأقرب هو السماح برحيل ناصر منسي خلال ميركاتو يناير، سواء من خلال البيع النهائي أو على الأقل الإعارة لنادٍ آخر.

وأكدت المصادر أن القرار النهائي لم يُحسم بعد، إذ تنتظر الإدارة عقد جلسات داخلية خلال الأيام المقبلة لمناقشة الملف قبل حلول شهر يناير.

وحتى هذه اللحظة، لا توجد أي عروض رسمية وصلت إلى الزمالك لضم المهاجم، رغم انتظار اللاعب لخطوة تحدد مستقبله وتفتح أمامه فرصة جديدة للمشاركة بشكل أساسي.

Those of a Celtic persuasion are in mutinous mood right now, and rightly so, having been forced to witness a calamitous summer of transfer activity.

An unbeaten start to the new domestic season has also been overshadowed by last month’s grim Champions League exit, with the failure to properly enhance Brendan Rodgers’ ranks leading up to that tie having undoubtedly backfired.

In the Premiership, away from the chaos, things appear to have gone a little bit stale, with the current crop producing displays that are a far cry from the scintillating style of the glorious Ange Postecoglou era.

The recent drab Glasgow derby was an obvious case in point, with that 0-0 stalemate at odds with Postecoglou’s outfit at their pomp. Just look back to such performances as the 3-0 win over the Ibrox side in February 2022.

Parkhead was at its buoyant best that night, and the football was simply stunning, with the men in green and white almost playing a different game to their beleaguered opponents.

That magic, that ferocious approach, has since been lost.

From plucking bargains from afar under the Aussie, the Hoops have resorted to paying over the odds during the Rodgers regime, with far too many transfer dealings having gone south of late.

Celtic's recruitment record post-Ange

As noted by former Celtic skipper Scott Brown, the club’s recruitment record under Postecoglou was simply “fantastic”, with the experienced coach simply a master at acquiring a hidden gem on the cheap.

Take Matt O’Riley, a player signed for just £1.5m from EFL side MK Dons back in January 2022, before ultimately being sold to Brighton and Hove Albion on a £25m deal in the summer of 2024 – marking a sensational profit.

Such success stories have been few and far between since then, however, with the 2023 summer window proving particularly disastrous. Indeed, of those signed amid Rodgers’ return, only Paulo Bernardo and Hyun-jun Yang are still at the club – albeit with even the Korean having come close to departing for Birmingham City before the recent deadline.

The likes of Gustav Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Luis Palma and Marco Tilio have all come and gone without so much as leaving a trace, having looked destined to fail from the off amid their limited roles under Rodgers.

While it is too early to judge this summer’s transfer dealings, the recruitment of 12 months ago is also worthy of scrutiny. Adam Idah, for instance, has already been shipped off to Swansea City, while Arne Engels – signed for £11m – has yet to truly establish himself as a regular starter in Glasgow.

Described as “nowhere near the finished article” by his manager, the young Belgian appears to be burdened by such a lofty price tag, with that expensive outlay a constant source of debate among supporters and pundits alike.

The 22-year-old may well still come good, although the race is on to live up to the weight of his transfer fee.

Market Movers

Would the Hoops not have been better off seeking out a bargain instead, in the mould of say Reo Hatate?

How Hatate's value compares to Arne Engels

Reflecting back on that night in the winter of 2022, the rout of Rangers proved a breakout moment for that man Hatate, with the Japanese genius netting two stunning efforts to properly announce himself to the Parkhead faithful.

As per reporter Michael Bridges, Hatate and his compatriots simply “ripped the league to shreds” following their arrival.

Having been signed from Kawasaki Frontale just a few weeks prior, the all-action midfielder quickly made a mockery of his meagre £1.1m price tag, having been a mainstay under both Postecoglou and Rodgers since then.

After chalking up 13 goals and 14 assists in 66 games under the new Nottingham Forest boss, as per Transfermarkt, Hatate has enjoyed a rather similar record under his successor, with 15 goals and 14 assists under his belt from 81 outings.

While Rodgers did hint at the 27-year-old’s “inconsistency” during their first year working together, he did go on to flourish last term, having also got off the mark in 2025/26 with an outrageous effort away at Aberdeen.

That thumping strike emphasises just why the diminutive playmaker is such a “big talent” – in the words of Rodgers – with his overall record of 56 goal involvements in 147 games in all competitions ensuring he has more than made his mark in Glasgow.

Games

37

Goals

10

Assists

4

Big chances created

14

Key passes*

1.2

Pass accuracy*

82%

Tackles*

0.9

Interceptions*

0.2

Total duels won*

44%

Such a stellar impact can also be felt when considering his soaring market value, with Hatate deemed to be worth as much as €13m (£11m), according to Transfermarkt. For comparison, Engels’ value is now said to be around €12m (£10m).

The subject of interest from Serie A side Udinese back in May, before ultimately staying put at Celtic, the 11-cap international looks like a player who will soon rake in a sizeable profit for the club, should he move on in the near future.

In the meantime, however, the hope will be that Hatate can play a central role in trying to revive this limp season for Rodgers and co, with the Hoops in very real danger of merely letting things drift.

Celtic may have their biggest talent since Doak in "lightning" 19-year-old

While Ben Doak continues to shine away from Celtic, the Hoops could have their own rising star to enjoy

ByRobbie Walls Sep 9, 2025

da marjack bet： Chelsea are now ready to open agent talks to sign a “spectacular” forward, who is also being targeted by Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Blues keen on new winger amid slow start for Gittens

da bwin： Jamie Gittens arrived at Stamford Bridge in a £51.5m deal back in July, but it would be fair to say the winger has made a slow start to life in west London, having failed to record a goal or an assist in his opening four Premier League games.

After struggling against Brentford, touching the ball just 17 times, the 21-year-old has been rested for the last two matches, with Enzo Maresca opting not to call upon the left-winger at Old Trafford, despite the Blues trailing for most of the game.

Gittens still has plenty of time to prove himself ahead of the January transfer window, but the west Londoners have now set their sights on a new winger, who could push for a starting spot on the left-wing.

Related Chelsea now set to open talks to sign "baller", Maresca thinks he's ideal

The Blues are planning to enter discussions to sign a new midfielder.

Posts ByDominic Lund Sep 21, 2025

That is according to a report from Bianconera News (via Sport Witness), which states Chelsea have ‘come knocking’ for Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, who is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United also keen.

Such is the Blues’ level of interest, they are now ready to open talks with his agents over a deal, but it could be difficult to prise Yildaz away from Juventus, given that the Italian club are reluctant to sanction a departure, and have started working on a new contract.

The report doesn’t state how much the Serie A side are looking to receive, but it may take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, with Maresca’s side having a £61m offer knocked back during the summer transfer window.

"Spectacular" Yildiz could be Gittens upgrade

The 20-year-old has made a flying start to the new Serie A campaign, picking up four goal contributions in his opening four games, while also finding the back of the net against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Scout Jacek Kulig has also lauded the youngster for his ability to make “spectacular solo runs”, and he has outperformed Gittens across a number of key attacking metrics over the past year.

Average per 90

Jamie Gittens

Kenan Yildiz

Assists

0.10

0.21

Progressive passes

4.36

3.47

Shot-creating actions

4.36

2.04

As such, Yildiz could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, but it may take a huge offer to get a deal done, given that a £61m bid was knocked back during the summer, and the Turk is yet to prove himself over a long enough time period to justify paying that sort of fee.

“I got a random thought that if I do something today, it would be for the Orange Army”

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-20252:44

Abhishek’s 141 an all-time great knock?

It took a special innings from Abhishek Sharma for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to snap a four-match losing streak in IPL 2025. Abhishek blazed his way to 141 off 55 balls in Hyderabad, against Punjab Kings (PBKS), an innings that featured remarkably consistent ball-striking and a unique century celebration where he pulled out a note from his pocket that read “This one is for Orange Army [SRH’s fans]”.”I wrote it today itself,” Abhishek said of the note, “because I usually wake up and write something. I got a random thought that if I do something today, that would be for Orange Army. Luckily, today I felt it was my day.”Abhishek hit 14 fours and ten sixes in his innings. While a lot of it was power hitting, there were deft shots in the mix as well. Like when Marco Jansen went around the wicket and bowled with no fielder to the left of deep midwicket in the tenth over, Abhishek went across the line and hit two boundaries through fine leg.Related

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“If you’ve seen me close enough, I never play anything behind the wicket, but I was still trying few shots because they had a pretty good plan for us outside off. So, I wanted to just invent a few shots which I think was very easy on this pitch because of the [even] bounce and the [boundary] size on one side.”Apart from the recent losses that had put them at the bottom of the points table, SRH came into the game with pressure on their batters, especially Abhishek himself and his fellow opener Travis Head, who had misfired in the last four games.But they put on a 171-run stand in 12.2 overs in a 246-run chase that SRH completed with nine balls to spare. Abhishek said that a calm team environment had ensured that both batters and the rest of the group remained positive.”I’d be lying if I say there was no pressure,” he said. “There is pressure if you don’t do well in three or four innings, especially if your team’s losing. But I never felt that we’ve been losing games, nobody in the team had a negative mindset, there was only positivity from everyone. All were waiting for an explosion like this from SRH team. We had to break the four-match streak today to stay in the table.”SRH have moved up two spots and are now at eighth position on the points table. Their next game is against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Carla Ward has spoken bluntly about Manchester United and the club's commitment to its women's team this season. The Red Devils have started well but the former Birmingham City and Aston Villa boss took issue with Marc Skinner only naming four outfield players on the bench for Sunday's WSL win over Liverpool amid growing concerns from fans about squad depth.

Man Utd Women low on numbers

There were just 16 players out of a possible 20 in United's matchday squad for the trip to the Totally Wicked Stadium to face a struggling Liverpool side. Skinner's team dominated the match, barely allowing the hosts a kick of the ball in the first half, during which they scored twice and could have had several more goals by the break.

Liverpool, who named a full bench of nine players, came into the contest more in the second half when United's intensity dropped and had greater options for freshness. A lack of quality ultimately stopped the Merseysiders seriously mounting any sort of comeback attempt, but there were similar signs when the Red Devils had faced Arsenal a week earlier.

United named eights subs against the Gunners, including two goalkeepers and two academy players, whereas Arsenal were able to call on star like Beth Mead, Frida Maanum and Ballon d'Or nominee Chloe Kelly. It meant they ended the 0-0 draw in the ascendancy, where it had been much more even earlier in the contest, and there was a degree of United hanging on for a point.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMultiple players unavailable

United's depth, although already thin, is being further affected by injuries.

Millie Turner, a regular starter alongside Maya Le Tissier in the centre of defence in recent seasons, is nursing a knee problem and has no set timeline to return. Versatile winger Leah Galton and box-to-box midfielder Simi Awujo are sidelined, while Hannah Blundell is not yet ready for first-team action as she builds fitness after a year out while pregnant and on maternity leave.

Left-back Anna Sandberg missed the Liverpool game through illness but should soon return, and Celin Bizet, Jayde Riviere and Gabby George have also each had spells out already this season because of more minor injury complaints.

Ward hits out at Man Utd hierarchy

Carla Ward, speaking as a WSL pundit for Sky Sports suggested that Manchester United should have done more during the summer to prepare the squad for a crucial season that sees the team in the Women's Champions League proper for the first time.

Based on her own, albeit very different, experience at Birmingham she also claimed that Skinner was making it clear to the hierarchy that he needs more players by naming such a small bench – the argument there would be that the boss could otherwise have filled out the squad with academy players.

"I think when you only name that many on the bench – and I've been there – you're sending a message to the board," Ward said. "I think Manchester United have let the women's team down this year. There's an opportunity to bring more bodies in – they're in the Champions League and playing across all competitions, so [Skinner] has got his hands tied.

She added: "You can question players going out on loan…Keira Barry and a couple of players might have been able to stay. That's such a small bench, a thin bench, and not many options."

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Getty Images SportSkinner: 'Nothing I can do about it'

Marc Skinner spoke to reporters after the Liverpool game, fielding a question about squad depth, or lack thereof. He was open about the need for more recruitment, but stressed that it's not something which can be fixed right now. He also stated that efforts were made in summer that didn't materialise because of how the market suddenly changed.

"There's nothing I can do about it," Skinner explained. "Until that [January] window, there's nothing I can do. We have to invest in the window. I've said that and I'll be very clear on that. The club need to support these players with their incredible talent.

"There were reasons in the summer that it just didn't work. It wasn't for lack of trying, let me be very clear on that. The market shift changed massively, so we have to invest in that window and to support these [players]. Until then, we've got to find solutions, and that's my job to try and do that."