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Aston Villa made it five wins from their last six games in the Premier League when grinding out a determined 1-0 victory away at AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

This win – which was clinched courtesy of Villa’s new all-time top-flight scorer Ollie Watkins – guarantees at least Conference League football for Unai Emery’s Villans next campaign.

But, the main prize of Champions League football is still very much up for grabs for the in-form outfit sat in sixth spot.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance by Villa on the South Coast, but at his crunch stage of the season, any win will do, with a big team effort needed to clinch the three points, especially after Jacob Ramsey was dismissed.

Aston Villa's best performers vs Bournemouth

Villa really had to dig deep during the last ten minutes of the clash after homegrown attacker Ramsey was shown his second yellow.

Thankfully, Emery’s visitors were already hanging onto a slim lead courtesy of the aforementioned Watkins, who once again came up trumps for the Villans in their moment of need.

The potent number 11 would find himself in the right place at the right time yet again to fire home his 75th career goal in the big time, with this effort ultimately being the difference-maker to the annoyance of Andoni Iraola’s frustrated hosts.

The Cherries just couldn’t find a breakthrough, with the likes of Emiliano Martinez having to stay very alert throughout with four saves made, alongside both Matty Cash and Lucas Digne down the flanks who won a combined 11 duels on the day.

But, it was once again Morgan Rogers who stood out in attack for Emery and Co, with the electric number 11 understandably a wanted man heading into the hectic transfer window.

Morgan Rogers' transfer value continues to soar

Rogers isn’t the only face that could soon be waving Villa Park goodbye, with Watkins – who the ex-Manchester City man set up for the winner at Bournemouth – also reportedly keen on a move away amidst interest from Arsenal.

For the 22-year-old, however, according to other reports, Chelsea and Stamford Bridge might well be his next onward destination, but off the back of a seriously impressive campaign for Emery’s men, the 6 foot 2 attacking midfielder won’t be exiting the building for cheap.

Indeed, it’s now being speculated that Villa would only consider parting ways with Rogers if a bumper £90m bid was put on the table, with the exciting forward menace arguably deep in the best form of his career at this point in time.

In all competitions this campaign, Rogers has notched up a ridiculous 14 goals and 14 assists from 52 overall games, leading to Jamie Carragher even hailing the four-time England international as an “unstoppable” force, on top of Villa thanking their lucky stars now that they won the 22-year-old for a modest £15m just last year.

Rogers’ numbers at Villa
Stat	Rogers
Games played	68
Goals scored	17
Assists	15
Original fee	£15m
Value now	£90m
Percentage increase	500%
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Emery’s side have had to exercise patience with the 22-year-old, considering he only chipped in with three goals and one assist last season after a January move, but it’s clear that he is destined for greatness now, whether that be with the Villans long-term or with Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.

Further lauded as “magnificent” by scout Antonio Mango after his assist away at Bournemouth, his current employers will just pray that Rogers sees Villa as his home for the foreseeable.

But, with his value increasing by that whopping 500%, Emery and Co would be mad not to sell up, particularly if that £90m does fall into their bank account soon.

Same agent as Asensio: Aston Villa join race for "outrageous" 15-goal ace

He’s a Champions League finalist.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 10, 2025

MS Dhoni’s quips and one-liners

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2020If I tell everyone what it is, then they (CSK) won’t buy me at the auctions. It’s a trade secret.Dhoni tight-lipped on the secret behind CSK qualifying for the playoffs at will.I won’t count it as a bad performance. It was so bad that I can’t count it as a performance.
MS Dhoni usually didn’t mince his words after a poor display.You can convert 1.8 runs or 1.9 runs into twos, but not 1.75 or 1.7.
Some calculations from one of the best runners between wickets for when an outfield has dew.Personally I feel I use a bit too much of my brain in this format.
Has anyone summed up the Twenty20 format better?That’s why you should watch the game. What went wrong you would have realised.
There were times when journalists were at the receiving end of his one-liners.Another 20 days and you can apply for citizenship.
The feeling after India’s long tour of Australia in 2014-15.It’s like having 100kg put over you. After that even if you put a mountain, it will not make a difference.
What’s pressure? A matter of a few extra kilos.Whenever we have played with four fast bowlers, two things happen. One the captain gets banned, two we lose.
He often got straight to the point when discussing tactics.They actually feel it will be better off to put a bowling machine there.
When his bowlers didn’t like the new ODI rules introduced in 2013.God is not coming to save us.
The words of wisdom in the huddle before India’s successful defence of a below-par total in the 2013 Champions Trophy final.At the moment, we are not even using one, where will we bowl two?
The time he felt helpless when two-bouncer-an-over rule was introduced in ODIs, given how India’s fast bowlers were either injured or out of form.Frankly, I am quite bad at analysing technique; you have seen my technique.
But will we see him as an expert on the telly?We will be busy shopping. That’s something we can afford to do. There is nothing really in our hands.
What to do when your team’s fate lies in the hands of a match played by others.From Kishore Kumar, we have gone to Sean Paul.
Dhoni had to adapt to the old and the young during his stint as captain.You die, you die. You don’t see which is the better way to die.
His wit didn’t desert him during back-to-back whitewashes in England and Australia.I don’t mind repeating everything.
After he led India to the 2011 World Cup. A lot of Dhoni fans wouldn’t mind hearing those words now.The only person who can control Sreesanth is Sreesanth. It is beyond my control and I don’t think too much about.
Man-management MS Dhoni style.Till the full stop doesn’t come the sentence is not complete.
The time when he got metaphorical ahead of the 2011 World Cup final.One other guy won’t play.
It’s not easy remembering your XI, especially when it’s the first game of a World Cup campaign.The only thing that went well for us was the warm-up before the game.
The positives from a bad game.Frankly speaking I don’t understand Duckworth-Lewis. I just wait for the umpire’s decision.
He is like the rest of us.What happens inside a meeting, where the selectors, the captain and the coaches are there, when it comes out, it is disgusting and disrespectful.
The time when he got upset when discussions of the selection meeting were leaked to the media.If you are not 100 per cent fit and not at your best [and still play], it’s cheating.
When he made his stance on fitness clear after sitting out a Test series in Sri Lanka, in 2008.When you’ve played international cricket, you realise you never play 100 percent.When his stance on fitness evolved in a 2019 IPL match.I’ll just ask Mahela if he will lend Mendis for a couple of practice sessions.
That was a plan.You [media people] change my girlfriends every two days. Please let one continue for some time.
The days when Indian media loved speculating about all things Dhoni.We are told that Mumbai is a city which is always on the move. See, me and my boys have brought the entire city to a standstill today.
His reaction after crowds thronged to welcome the team at a parade following the World T20 win.Before I start I should say I read an article by you in Cricinfo. You’d said Australia were the favourites. Today I think me and the boys, we proved you wrong.
Speaking to Ravi Shastri after India’s victory over Australia in the semi-finals of the 2007 World Twenty20, MS Dhoni had revealed that he read our site.Now even PETA has said you can’t cosmetically remove the tail.
A woke answer from a woke captain – after many questions about India’s lower-order batting.You may put hybrid fuel in the car but the cylinder, the engine, everything, needs to be like that.
On whether India needs a fielding coach.I love to go back to Ranchi. I have three dogs at home. Even after losing a series or winning a series, they treat me the same way.
On the break from being India’s captain and under constant scrutiny.In countries like Australia or England, people speak English in such an accent that it is very hard to understand. So, at parties when locals come to us and start talking, even if we are not getting anything, we say ‘yeah’. Or if I have a drink in hand, I excuse myself by saying, ‘I’ll just get a drink’ but never show up in front of that person again
Early tours with the Indian team were challenging on many fronts.From 1929 hrs consider me as retired
Finally, Dhoni using his first Instagram post in six months to announce retirement in a way only he could

Rajasthan Royals 183 for 1 (Jaiswal 104*) beat Mumbai Indians 179 for 9 (Tilak 65, Sandeep 5-18) by nine wicketsSandeep Sharma announced his return from injury with magnificent figures of 5 for 18, the best by any bowler in this season’s IPL, before Yashasvi Jaiswal blazed back to form with a sparkling 59-ball century, as Rajasthan Royals signed off from the Jaipur leg of their campaign with a seventh statement win in eight matches to cement their table-topping status.Set a middling 180 for victory after a Mumbai Indians’ innings that owed everything to a 99-run fifth-wicket stand between Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera, Royals’ chase was signalled and sealed by Jaiswal, who had 31 from 18 balls prior to a 30-minute rain delay, before converting his first fifty of a difficult season into a towering 104 not out from 60 balls.Jaiswal added 74 in eight overs with the in-form Jos Buttler, who made 35 from 25, and a further 109 in 65 with Sanju Samson, whose terrible reprieve on 19 by Tim David at midwicket was the moment all hope evaporated for Mumbai. By then, Jaiswal had also had a major let-off, on 50, when Wadhera at deep cover dropped a leading-edged swipe off Piyush Chawla over the ropes for six.Related

• Jaiswal bats himself back to form, for Royals and for India

• Sandeep Sharma, the metamorphosis man

• Chahal becomes first bowler to to take 200 wickets in IPL

• Yuzvendra Chahal's milestones on the way to 200 IPL wickets

Mumbai’s performance was summed up by the deployment of their two outstanding bowlers of the campaign. After being riled by a first-ball slap for six, Gerald Coetzee bowled like the wind in his solitary powerplay over, visibly troubling Jaiswal with his 150kph-plus pace, in particular with a top-edged pull that flew over the keeper for four. Yet he was not given another over until Jaiswal was into the 80s, when he again got a well-set batter flinching, but by this stage the match was already lost.And though Jasprit Bumrah bowled with his peerless verve up front, including a two-run first over to limit Buttler’s early intentions, he too was held back too late into the chase – and when he did return, his comeback over was not a success. A first-ball no-ball was followed by a second-ball wide on height, where upon Jaiswal swung the rolled-over free hit for six, en route to a 16-run over, Bumrah’s most expensive of a stellar season.Boult, Sandeep boss the powerplayAt the Wankhede three weeks ago, Trent Boult silenced Mumbai’s home support with the prized scalp of Rohit Sharma, who grazed his first ball of the match – and the fifth of the innings – through to Sanju Samson behind the stumps. It was a case of rinse-and-repeat in the rematch: Rohit c Samson b Boult, again from the fifth ball, albeit this time with 6 to his name. One filleted four through deep third, then a wild swing through the full length, for Samson to rush round from behind the stumps and gather with a tumble. Remarkably, it was the 26th time that Boult had struck in the first over of his IPL career.Mumbai had batted first after winning the toss, on the proviso that there’s not a lot of dew on offer when chasing in Jaipur. There was, however, sufficient movement off another dry surface to reward Royals’ attacking full lengths, and after one ball of the fourth over, Sandeep had launched a memorable performance in style, to reduce his opponents to a ropey 20 for 3.The first of his victims was Ishan Kishan, caught behind for a third-ball duck as he went fishing to Sandeep’s wide line, pushed tantalisingly up into his arc. Then, after a flurry of two fours in three balls that had hinted at riches to come, Suryakumar Yadav swung without timing across the scrambled seam, and was already wincing as the ball plopped into Rovman Powell’s hands at midwicket.Mohammad Nabi ended the powerplay with an 18-run flurry against Avesh Khan’s first over, but at 45 for 3, the damage at the top was already telling.Yuzvendra Chahal is the first bowler to take 200 wickets in IPL•BCCI

200 up for Yuzvendra ChahalOnly two bowlers in the history of T20 cricket had previously taken 200 wickets in a single competition – Danny Briggs and Samit Patel, both in the T20 Blast. With his extraction of Nabi in his first over of the night, Yuzvendra Chahal became the third entry on that list, and against Mumbai too – the team for whom he had made a one-off, wicketless debut in his maiden IPL season in 2013.The moment arose with another cunning piece of bowling, as Nabi, on 23, closed the face on the front foot to lob a leading edge back to the bowler, off his third delivery. Chahal sunk to his knees as his team-mates engulfed him, fully aware of the feat of excellence and endurance that he’d just recorded. And, at 52 for 4, Mumbai were on their knees too.Tilak, Wadhera find some fightMeasured at first – particularly while R Ashwin was rattling through four wicketless overs for 31 – and then with mounting assurance, Mumbai’s revival was entirely down to two of the younger men in their ranks. Tilak led the line with a combative 65 from 45, bringing up his fifty with a six that also made him, at the age of 21 years and 166 days, the third-youngest player to 1000 IPL runs.However, it was the less heralded Wadhera, playing his first match of the season, who provided the impetus that met the needs of this extraordinarily high-scoring edition. His 49 from 24 balls included three fours and four sixes – two of them in consecutive balls from Chahal, who moments earlier thought he had managed to trap Tilak lbw for 55 on the reverse-sweep.DRS, however, showed the ball to be missing off, and the pair celebrated the reprieve with the verve of a century, which spoke volumes for the importance of their stand. But, as it turns out, their alliance would end on 99 from 54 balls when Boult was recalled to the attack for his final over. His first delivery was a slower-ball bouncer, which Wadhera could only lob to backward point.Sandeep Sharma removed Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in his first two overs•BCCI

Sandeep applies the gloss finishAt 170 for 5 in the 18th over, Mumbai still had designs on a 200-run total, but Royals’ death bowlers had other ideas. Avesh was on the mark to pin Hardik Pandya lbw for 10 as he walked across his stumps, and after leaking just six runs, even with Tim David looking to cut loose, Sandeep snapped the innings shut.Tilak’s excellent knock ended with a tumbling take from Powell at long-on, following which Coetzee’s first-ball launch picked out Shimron Hetmyer down the ground. David finally got the strike back with three balls remaining but he too picked out a boundary rider to make it three wickets in the over, and 5 for 18 all told for Sandeep.Not only were they the best figures by an Indian bowler for Royals, Sandeep’s figures marked a triumphant return after an injury-plagued season – he had previously managed one wicket in two outings before a side strain had kept him sidelined for most of a month.Jaiswal finds his range at the right timeAfter two double-centuries and more than 700 runs in a startling Test campaign against England, Jaiswal’s IPL had been something of a comedown – just 121 runs and a top score of 39 in seven previous knocks. But there’s never been any doubting his precocity, and when he did finally reach his first fifty of this campaign, the acclaim on the Royals bench was notable. They are already top of the table at the halfway mark, after all … if he is hitting his straps for the run-in, so much the better for their prospects of a second title.By the end, it was as if he’d never been away. His innings was studded with eight fours and seven sixes, including the winning carve through point off Tilak with eight balls left unused. On his watch, Royals are four points clear at the top, and getting better with every outing.

He’s not flashy. He always ends up in a support role. But he never shirks the dirty work

Mohammad Isam at Eden Gardens23-Nov-2019Virat Kohli had a wry smile on his face, shaking his head as he watched Taijul Islam taking a remarkable catch at fine leg. Taijul’s body was parallel to the ground as he leapt to his right and made the grab while mid-air. He landed awkwardly, and threw the ball up. Team-mates stood stunned, but as soon as Taijul got up, they raced towards him.Behind by 202 runs, down 1-0 in the Test series and having just been subjected to a batting masterclass by arguably the best in the world, Taijul’s catch suddenly injected a bout of energy to the entire side. They smiled and had a bit of fun. Ebadot Hossain, the bowler, even gave a salute goodbye to Kohli, all in good fun.This wasn’t just about a great catch. They were celebrating Taijul – quiet, almost forgotten, until there’s need for dirty work. Bangladesh turn to him for those long spells to hold up one end while Shakib Al Hasan or Mehidy Hasan take wickets at the other because he always gives it his all. Even when he’s batting.On the second day, he was probably the only bowler to ask Kohli some tough questions, varying his pace and length expertly. In the middle of his marathon 17-over spell from the start of the second day till the new ball was available after lunch, he beat Kohli twice in five balls drawing the batsman onto the front foot both times and spinning it past his outside edge.This, remember, was a bowler who was originally dropped from the XI, who is only playing this game after being called in as a concussion substitute for offspinner Nayeem Hassan. It is easy to drop someone like Taijul. The team management, much like any other in a normal office setting, knows there are certain individuals who can “take it in the chin and move on”. Taijul is one of those who would happily do the dirty work – he took on 12th man duties in addition to everything else – and then be happy to fade away into the background.Taijul Islam keeps his eyes on the ball•BCBLast month he became only the third bowler in Bangladesh Test history to take 100 wickets. He has taken 87 of those at home, where he averages 27.04 in 18 Tests. His overseas average, to take 19 wickets, is 59.05, which is a major concern and one of the reasons he is easily dropped from the side away from home.His experience, however, always keeps him in the fray. The selectors can’t keep him out of the Test squad, one of the reasons being his “Test specialist” tag. He also offers more with the bat than the average Bangladesh tail-ender. Taijul often provides confidence to the main batsmen with his sheer willingness to play time. He doesn’t run away from the ball, presents a straight bat on most occasions and ends up scoring useful runs. He is a safe fielder, but not someone who would pull off something flashy every day. Today he did, and he also gave us a reminder of his value.Even early in his career, Taijul found himself working overtime. When he took 8 for 39 against Zimbabwe in 2014, the best innings figures by a Bangladesh bowler, his team still needed his dogged batting to pull off the victory.But Mehidy Hasan’s emergence, particularly his 19-wicket haul against England in 2016, put Taijul further behind in the pecking order. As long as Bangladesh use spin-friendly pitches at home, though, Taijul will keep hanging on. And he will never give up.He will bowl through tough phases, like 17 overs non-stop on the second day of a lost-cause Test match against the best batsman in the world. He will have to bat ugly against tough bowling attacks, letting the other batsmen get to their milestones. He will field well, occasionally taking a great catch.When Ebadot lifted him up in the middle of their jubilation following the Kohli catch, Taijul’s smile turned into a scowl. He told Ebadot to put him down. Enough of this. It was not the occasion for merry-making. If there’s one Bangladesh player who was aware even in that moment what was happening at Eden Gardens, it was Taijul. He has seen and fought through it all before.

The Royals captain says team needs to address issues after fourth straight defeat

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2024

After leading the table for several weeks, Royals are in danger of not finishing in the top two•BCCI

After suffering their fourth consecutive defeat, against Punjab Kings in Guwahati, Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has admitted his team is “going through failures” that need to be rectified at the earliest.Royals set the pace early in the tournament by winning eight of their first nine matches, but had lost three on the bounce coming in to Wednesday’s game. While Samson had insisted after the loss against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday that Royals were still playing “decent cricket” and “following the process”, he was more blunt in his assessment after the five-wicket defeat to Kings.”To be honest, we have to sit back and accept that we’re going through some failures,” Samson said. “When you lose four in a row, you have to find out what’s not working well in the team. When you are getting to the business end of the season, you need someone to raise their finger up and say, ‘I am going to win the game for the team’.Related

Shaky middle order beginning to hurt Rajasthan Royals at crucial stage

IPL playoff scenarios – Who's best placed to join KKR in the top two?

Samson: Losses make it 'challenging to focus on the controllables'

“Yes, this is a team sport, but we have a lot of match-winners in the side, and we need individuals to step up. So it’s about having the right characters who can play with passion, and singlehandedly win the game for us. If all of us try that, and even a couple [of players] manage to step up, it would make a difference. We need those characters who can carry us.”Royals were playing their first home game at Guwahati this season and chose to bat on a wicket pitch that “wasn’t very high-scoring,” according to Samson. They scored only 144 for 9, which Samson said was at least 20-30 runs fewer than he’d have liked.”We were expecting a better wicket, if I’m being honest. I don’t think it’s a 140 wicket, but maybe 160 or 170 with the power and batting we have.”We’re not used to playing in these kind of wickets in this season when teams have been scoring 200 or 220. We had to play smart cricket and focus on the basics and build momentum, trying to get boundaries here and there.”Royals had also struggled batting first on a slow pitch in Chennai, where they had been restricted to 141 for 5 after winning the toss and choosing to bat.While Royals qualified for the playoffs after Lucknow Super Giants lost to Delhi Capitals on Tuesday – a development that came as a “relief” to Samson – their defeat against the Kings has left their current No. 2 spot vulnerable to both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. Those teams could also draw level with Royals on 16 points and overtake them on net run rate.Royals’ last league game is against the table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders in Guwahati on Sunday.

Much of the talk at Manchester United is currently centred on the goalkeeping ranks – amid reports that Andre Onana could be on his way this summer – although Sunday’s defeat to Newcastle United also showcased the Red Devils’ woes in an attacking sense too.

As that 4-1 thrashing highlighted, Ruben Amorim’s side are simply starved of quality at the top end of the pitch, with the visitors looking particularly lifeless following the loss of Joshua Zirkzee to injury, alongside the withdrawal of goalscorer, Alejandro Garnacho.

Substitute Rasmus Hojlund, for instance, has still scored just three Premier League goals this season, while the returning Mason Mount has just one goal and one assist to his name in 36 games for United in total.

Having relied on the talents of Amad Diallo during Amorim’s early tenure – with the Ivorian registering 12 goal involvements in 20 games under the Portuguese coach – the Old Trafford side having looked particularly short of ideas since the 22-year-old’s cruel injury blow.

In all, United have scored just 38 goals in 32 league games this season, while the recent Manchester derby marked the 12th time that they have failed to score in a top-flight fixture in 2024/25.

At least one new forward is then the priority this summer – will Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman, Matheus Cunha, be among those to arrive?

Latest on Man Utd's pursuit of Cunha

Tensions are brewing at Molineux regarding the future of their standout Brazilian, with Cunha – who only recently returned from a four-game suspension – having irked the Wolves fanbase following a subsequently deleted Instagram post, in which the 25-year-old stated that he “will follow my dreams, not yours”.

That hint regarding a potential exit has come after the former Atletico Madrid man previously outlined his desire to “take the next step” in his career, with the 14-goal hero signing a new contract back in January which includes a £62.5m release clause.

As reported last week, United could be among the clubs to trigger that clause this summer, with The Athletic outlining that Cunha is among those being considered to play in one of the two number ten berths under Amorim.

The in-demand talent – who is also courting attention from the likes of Newcastle United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest – notably scored and assisted against United on Boxing Day, having now racked up 39 goal involvements in just 76 Premier League outings to date.

It is clear then why Cunha would represent an attractive addition, even amid his recent disciplinary issues, albeit with there likely to be question marks over how the Red Devils would fund a move, with Amorim outlining that the club will have to sell before they can buy this summer.

The Man Utd flop who could help fund Cunha move

Reports have claimed that there could be more than ten first-team departures at the Theatre of Dreams ahead of next season, with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof approaching the end of their contracts, while both Tom Heaton and Jonny Evans could be in line for retirement.

There will also be a desire to cash in on those who aren’t currently making an impact under Amorim, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony all in need of a permanent new home amid their respective loan moves.

In the case of the latter man, the Brazilian is one of those that INEOS certainly need to send packing after three dismal years in Manchester, with the former Ajax starlet having registered just 12 goals and only five assists in 96 games following his £86m arrival.

Antony

96

12

5

17

Amad

57

12

10

22

Jadon Sancho

83

12

6

18

Alejandro Garnacho

135

25

20

45

Dan James

74

9

9

18

Angel Di Maria

34

4

12

16

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

63

13

11

24

Memphis Depay

53

7

6

13

That grim record represents just what a costly mistake the 24-year-old has proven to be, with club legend Gary Neville describing him as “frustrating at times”, having only shown flashes of what he can do.

In truth, you can almost count on one hand the real high points that Antony has enjoyed in a United shirt, be it his crucial late equaliser in the eventual 4-3 win over Liverpool last season, or his long range stunners against both Barcelona and Real Betis in the Europa League in 2022/23.

That record against LaLiga sides perhaps illustrates why he has now found his feet while turning out for Betis in recent months, with the polarising left-footer looking like a man reborn with eight goals and assists in just 15 games for the Seville outfit.

Such performances are a positive in the sense that it should generate a market for Antony this summer, with the club desperately needing to shift their expensive flop off the wage bill, amid his reported salary of £105k-per-week.

That wage appears even more unjustified when considering that he earns more than what his compatriot, Cunha, is collecting at Molineux, with the Old Gold star taking home £90k-per-week, despite his stellar impact at Premier League level.

As Antony has shown in Spain, there does appear to be a player in there somewhere – albeit, just not a Manchester United one.

He could be their next Rooney: Man Utd submit bid to sign big-money star

Man United could welcome their new Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford this summer.

ByMatt Dawson Apr 14, 2025

Manchester United have lined up another Sporting CP star as they plan for life without Al-Hilal target Bruno Fernandes.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd identify next Bruno Fernandes
• Sporting star lined up to replace captain
• Fernandes could join Al-Hilal for £100m

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  report that manager Ruben Amorim is keen to reunite with Pedro Goncalves, who has starred for the Portuguese outfit since signing in 2020. A fee of £70 million ($94m) could be enough to tempt Sporting to sell.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amorim turned Goncalves into a prolific goal-scoring midfielder during their time together at Sporting. He struck 18 times in the 2022-23 season and bagged another 14 in 2023-24, while his familiarity with Amorim's 3-4-3 system would be a huge tick for the Red Devils.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Al-Hilal have made a £100m ($135m) play for Fernandes, who has seven days to decide whether to accept the hugely lucrative move. While United are loath to lose their captain, that fee could allow them to reinvest in several areas of the squad.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  United are also set to wrap up a move for Matheus Cunha from Wolves as they aim to bounce back from a terrible 2024-25 campaign. They look set to miss out on striker Liam Delap, who is joining Chelsea.

MatériaMais Notícias

da mrbet： Na manhã desta quarta-feira (15), o Palmeiras realizou mais um treino seguindo a preparação para o confronto da semifinal do Campeonato Paulista diante do Ituano, neste domingo (19), às 16h, no Allianz Parque. O meio-campista John John comentou sobre o seu aprendizado em 2023 e citou colegas de equipe como inspiração.

– São experiências incríveis estar com o melhor elenco do Brasil atualmente. Só tenho de agradecer ao Palmeiras e a Deus pelas oportunidades. É muito difícil um menino novo hoje estar se encaixando em um elenco como esse, então eu tenho trabalhado muito no dia a dia para conseguir meu espaço e, junto do grupo, alcançar os nossos objetivos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel divide elenco do Palmeiras em preparação para a semifinal do PaulistaPalmeiras15/03/2023Fora de CampoEsposa de Willian Bigode envia áudios e cobra dono da Xland: ‘Estamos f***’Fora de Campo15/03/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras arrecada mais de oito toneladas de doações para vítimas das chuvas no litoral norte de SPPalmeiras14/03/2023

da bwin： A primeira oportunidade do jogador na temporada foi justamente na vitória do Verdão diante do time de Itu fora de casa, por 3 a 1, no dia 25 de janeiro, entrando no lugar de Rafael Navarro na segunda etapa. O meiafoi promovido ao elenco profissional neste ano e agora tem a oportunidade de participar do dia a dia e de se relacionar com inspirações.

– Eu vejo muito o Veiga, o Tabata e o Zé Rafael. São jogadores em quem eu me inspiro e tento pegar um pouco de cada para estar somando no meu futebol – revelou John John.

– O rachão é um momento de descontração e tive a oportunidade de disputar uma bola com o professor, onde coloquei um pouquinho na frente (risos), mas é brincadeira. Ele tem conversado com a gente para termos paciência, que o nosso momento uma hora ou outra vai chegar. O Ituano é um adversário difícil.

Desde 2021 no Palmeiras, John John foi campeão dos principais títulos do sub-20: Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil, Brasileiro e Copa São Paulo de Juniores. Além disso, participou da campanhado título brasileiro profissional em 2022.

O camisa 40 do Verdão também falou sobre os conselhos que recebe da comissão técnica e projetou um duelo difícil contra o Ituano na semifinal do Paulistão.

– Eu pude jogar contra eles no começo do campeonato e temos de respeitar como sempre fazemos com todos os adversários. Vamos colocar o nosso jogo em prática para buscar vaga em mais uma final – completou John John.

O Palmeiras volta a treinar nesta quinta-feira (16), às 10h, na Academia de Futebol. A equipe comandada pelo técnico Abel Ferreira vai em busca do bicampeonato estadual e do segundo título neste anos. O primeiro foi o da Supercopa do Brasil diante do Flamengo.

continua após a publicidade

The former Barcelona ace was spotted at Chase Stadium watching his former teammates in action with the Herons as they beat CF Montreal 4-2

Pedro visited Chase Stadium to see Messi and former Barcelona colleagues in personSpanish posed for reunion photos after the matchVisit comes as Pedro approaches free agency with Lazio contract expiring in JuneGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED

Lazio star Pedro was reunited with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba Wednesday evening as the former Spain international was in the stands at Chase Stadium for the match against CF Montreal.

The 37-year-old played alongside all four Miami stars with the La Liga side, while he logged over 200 appearances for the Catalan club from 2008-2015.

He witnessed a Miami victory, and the South Beach club labeled him a "special guest" on social media.

AdvertisementWHAT WAS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIAGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Inter Miami defeated CF Montreal 4-2 Wednesday evening, as Messi and Suarez each bagged a brace in front of their former teammate in the stands. The broke their four-match winless streak in the league, following a run of two draws and two losses, including a 3-0 loss against Orlando City and a 4-1 loss against Minnesota United.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Following their victory, Inter Miami have moved up the Eastern Conference table into 6th place with 26 points from 15 games and face the Columbus Crew this weekend. The contest will be their final MLS game before the Club World Cup begins on June 14, with their first match in the competition taking place against Al Ahly on the same date.

As Celtic chase a sixth treble in nine seasons, what is the primary factor behind their continued domination of Scottish football?

Well, of course, the Hoops have more money than everybody else, which certainly helps, but it’s only due to their excellent recruitment, both in terms of buying and selling players, they are able to maximise this financial advantage.

According to the Fair Game Index, the Celts are the best-run club in Britain, and the Premiership champions often get decisions in the transfer market right, certainly striking gold by selling a flop for £2.5m, who’s done very little since departing.

He was signed under Ange Postecoglou who got a lot right while in Glasgow.

The best and worst of Ange Postecoglou's Celtic signings

During two seasons at Celtic, Postecoglou won five major honours, signing a total of 29 players, with Alison Conroy of Sky Sports noting that he ‘tapped into his knowledge…of markets…rarely explored before’, most notably the J League.

Graham Falk of the Scotsman believes that the majority of these signings were major successes, so let’s assess some of the best.

Kyōgo

165

£4.5m

£10m

Starfelt

87

£4m

£4.3m

Abada

112

£3.5m

£8m

Juranović

53

£2.5m

£7.5m

Giakoumakis

57

£2.5m

£8m

Jota

92

£6.4m

£25m*

Carter-Vickers

150

£6m

Current player

Hatate

133

£1.4m

Current player

Maeda

148

£1.6m

Current player

O’Riley

124

£1.5m

£25m

Johnston

102

£3m

Current player

Oh

47

£2.5m

£4m

As the table outlines, Celtic have made an enormous profit by selling players.

Chief among there are Kyōgo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Liel Abada and, Matt O’Riley, while Reo Hatate, Jota, Daizen Maeda, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston are key figures in Brendan Rodgers’ current side.

However, this table does not include all of Postecoglou’s signings, more than half have been left off, with one in particular, who did very little during his time at Parkhead, not impressing since departing either, showing that Celtic did extremely well to sell him for £2.5m.

What happened to Ange's forgotten Celtic forward

In the summer of 2022, Celtic signed wide-forward Sead Hakšabanović from Russian Premier League club Rubin Kazan for a reported fee of £1.75m.

Despite having only just celebrated his 23rd birthday at the time, Hakšabanović was already a bit of a journeyman, having been on the books of Halmstads BK, West Ham United, Málaga, Norrköping, the aforementioned Rubin Kazan and then Djurgården on loan before landing in Glasgow.

At his unveiling, Hakšabanović stated he wanted to achieve “something similar” to Henrik Larsson, widely considered the club’s best player of the modern era, and suffice to say he did not live up to those expectations, despite being labelled a ‘great talent’ by Euan Robertson of Football Scotland.

In 42 appearances for Celtic, the Swedish-born Montenegro international scored just five goals, three of which came in November 2022, earning him the Premiership’s Player of the Month award, albeit he did very little after that.

Finding himself not in Rodgers’ plans, Hakšabanović spent last season on loan at Stoke City in the EFL Championship, but scored only once in 21 appearances for the Potters, never able to establish himself as a regular starter under either Alex Neil nor Steven Schumacher.

Despite this, Allsvenskan champions Malmö decided to pay a reported £2.5m for his services, and this move certainly has not paid off for the Sky Blues so far.

To date, the forward has made just five appearances for the Nordic giants, yet to register either a goal or an assist, sidelined since August due to a groin injury. To put his torrid numbers into context, he’s scored three fewer than the much-maligned Greg Taylor. Grim reading indeed for the attacker.

Johan Flinck of Swedish outlet Sportbladet labels Hakšabanović a ‘flop’, adding he is yet to ‘show his skills on the pitch’, underlining that Celtic did extremely well to sell the misfiring winger for a profit last summer.

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1 ByDan Emery Mar 10, 2025