Texas Super Kings produced a dominant all-round performance to crush Seattle Orcas by 51 runs and finish, for now, at the top of the table. With 14 points, Super Kings have a superior net run-rate than San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom, who are placed second and third respectively but have a game to play in the group stage.After being put in to bat, Super Kings were powered by a sensational 91 off 52 balls from captain Faf du Plessis, who retired out in the penultimate over of the innings. His innings included six fours and four sixes. Du Plessis was well supported by Shubham Ranjane, who smashed 65 off 38 balls as the pair stitched together a 131-run stand off just 71 balls that laid the foundation for Super Kings’ imposing total of 188 for 4.Orcas’ bowlers had no answers once du Plessis and Ranjane got going, struggling to contain the run flow or break the partnership. Orcas did manage to take a couple of late wickets, but the damage was already done.In the chase, Adam Milne led the charge with the ball, producing a spell that tore through Orcas’ top and middle order. The fast bowler finished with 5 for 20, including a three-wicket 18th over.Orcas made a sluggish start and were always behind the game after racing to 42 for 2 in the powerplay. Kyle Mayers top-scored with 35. But David Warner struggled to find any rhythm, while Shayan Jahangir fell for a duck. Shimron Hetmyer showed some intent, but with the required rate climbing rapidly and little support from the other end, the odds were heavily against him. His solo effort of a quick-fire 26 couldn’t rescue the innings in their must-win clash. By the time Sikandar Raza walked in, the game had already slipped away with Orcas needing 98 runs off 47 balls. His impact came far too late.Only three batters managed to pass 20 as Orcas were bundled out for 137 in 18.4 overs.With a seventh loss in ten games, Orcas slipped to fifth with six points. Super Kings have to wait till tomorrow to see if they can hold on to the top-two position.
Manchester United are now expected to make a £60m offer for a “physical beast” in the January transfer window, as a replacement for a current first-team player.
Man Utd looking to bolster defence after shaky start
Man United are yet to keep a clean sheet across the six games they’ve played in all competitions this season, with even League Two Grimsby Town managing to get the better of Andre Onana twice in the EFL Cup second round at the end of August.
Ruben Amorim has tried to address one of the issues by bringing in Senne Lammens at the end of the summer window, but the 23-year-old is yet to start, with Altay Bayindir keeping his place in the starting XI.
It remains to be seen what sort of impact Lammens can make, given that the Belgian is still young, and is yet to prove himself in a major league, having only ever played in Belgium.
Amorim calls up youngster who struggled in League 2 to Man Utd first team training
The Manchester United manager has made a surprising decision ahead of this weekend’s trip to Brentford.
By
Dominic Lund
Sep 24, 2025
As such, the Red Devils have now started looking at other ways in which they can shore things up at the back, and they have now set their sights on a Premier League defender.
That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Man United are now the club showing the strongest interest in signing Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, who could be brought in as a replacement for Harry Maguire.
Liverpool and two other unnamed top flight clubs are keen on Branthwaite, but United’s interest may well be the most advanced, given that they are expected to make a £60m bid for his services in the January transfer window.
It is unclear whether the Toffees would be willing to sanction a departure, but the 23-year-old wants a big move, and United still have plenty of pulling power.
"Physical beast" Branthwaite could be solid Maguire replacement
A towering presence at 6’5, the Everton defender is slightly taller than Maguire, and could have the ability to succeed at Old Trafford, having been lauded as a two-footed “ball-playing physical beast” by scout Ben Mattinson.
At just 23-years-old, the defender is at the right age to be a long-term success at United, and he has already established himself in the Premier League over the previous two seasons with Everton, with Jordan Pickford left particularly impressed.
Due to a hamstring injury, the Englishman is yet to feature for Everton this season, but he was solid throughout the 2024-25 campaign in the Premier League, averaging a 7.02 SofaScore rating, compared to 6.91 from Maguire.
There are question marks over whether £60m may be a little pricey, given that Branthwaite is yet to establish himself at international level, but he is clearly a talented defender, still in the early stages of his career.
One thing that the current Leeds United squad seems to be lacking is the next great academy product. Centre-back Pascal Struijk is a graduate of their academy, but at 26 years of age, he is firmly established in the first team.
18-year-old Scottish attacker Sam Chambers has played for the senior team, but has not even been on the bench this season,
Of course, over the last few years, some excellent players have come through the Leeds academy system and made it to the first team. Kalvin Phillips is one name who springs to mind, becoming a key player in the midfield at Elland Road before moving to Manchester City.
The other player who fits the bill was Archie Gray.
Archie Gray’s career at Leeds
The 19-year-old is arguably one of the most successful academy graduates at Elland Road in recent years. He has deep family ties to Leeds, and came through their academy before breaking into the first team.
In total, the versatile midfielder, who was born in Durham, played 52 games for the club. All those appearances came in the 2023/24 campaign, a season in which he chipped in with two assists.
After a successful debut season in professional football for Gray, the youngster, who can also play at right-back and did so 30 times for the Whites, secured a big transfer. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2024 for a fee of around £30m.
Since moving down to North London, the 19-year-old has played 48 games for the Lilywhites. He’s once again shown great versatility, playing full-back on both sides, at centre-back and in his natural midfield role. Of course, Gray was also a Europa League winner last term.
Since Gray, Leeds haven’t had a top academy prospect break into the first-team squad and establish themselves. Well, perhaps the next big thing is waiting in the wings.
Leeds’ best academy talent since Gray
Certainly, if Gray is able to break through under Daniel Farke and become an established first-team player, the same door could be open for future academy talents on the books at Elland Road.
Well, perhaps sooner or later, that player will be Scotland youth attacker Lewis Pirie. The versatile forward joined Leeds back in 2023 from Scottish outfit Aberdeen. After starting out in the under-18s side, he’s broken into the under-21s this season.
In his first two full seasons as a Leeds academy player, his record shows why he is considered such an “exciting” prospect. At least, that is a word that former Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin used to describe him.
Indeed, Pirie has played 29 games for the club over the past couple of years. In that time, he’s found the back of the net on seven occasions, and assisted one goal, too.
Having played 1701 minutes, he has a minutes per goal and assist record of 213 minutes.
The 18-year-old is has already built up a strong reputation for himself. He can operate on both flanks and up front, and has even played deeper as a number 10 for the Leeds academy.
As we saw with Gray, Farke loves versatility, which could be a key difference to helping him reach the first-team.
Centre forward
8
2
Right wing
4
2
Right midfield
3
0
Left wing
2
2
Attacking midfield
1
0
With the versatility he offers and the clear goal threat he can bring to the table, Pirie could be the perfect option if Farke wishes to bring another academy star into the first team at Elland Road.
It will be fascinating to see if the Whites boss will look to bring through another young talent into the frame. If so, that player could very well be Pirie.
Their next Raphinha: Leeds star could soon steal the number 10 from Piroe
Leeds United may have their next Raphinha in the making at Elland Road.
O Palmeiras tem motivos para comemorar após três vitórias consecutivas. Mais do que isso, o Verdão tem mostrado evolução a cada partida e vai deixando para trás aquele momento ruim que tanto prejudicou os resultados do time. Como o próprio Abel Ferreira comentou, há uma retomada física, técnica e mental dos jogadores, algo que se reflete dentro de campo. Para se ter uma ideia, a escalação diante do Atlético-MG, na quarta-feira (2), no Mineirão, não era utilizada há três meses e deve se firmar como a titular para o restante da temporada.
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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui
Antes de encaixar essa sequência de bons resultados, o Alviverde teve um período em que fez oito jogos e venceu apenas um. Retrospecto incomum para uma equipe do nível que essa atingiu nos últimos anos. Foi durante esses dias fora da realidade palmeirense que o time acabou sofrendo com baixas e atletas que não estavam em plenas condições de competir.
+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!
– Sobre a má fase, eu expliquei muito bem, eu disse que, infelizmente, em função da loucura que é a intensidade dos jogos no Brasil, nós tivemos vários jogadores, que vocês não souberam, abaixo de sua forma e, mais do que isso, lesionados. Desde o nosso goleiro ao nosso centroavante. Isso sim foi a grande influência do nosso baixo rendimento – declarou Abel em sua entrevista coletiva.
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No entanto, a verdade é que o treinador sofre com as questões físicas do elenco há algum tempo. O time formado por Weverton; Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Zé Rafael, Gabriel Menino e Raphael Veiga; Artur, Dudu e Rony, não jogava junto desde o dia 3 de maio (três meses atrás), quando venceu o Barcelona-EQU por 2 a 0, pela Libertadores. Naquela ocasião, Murilo teve grave lesão no ombro, precisou operar e desfalcou o Verdão por um longo tempo.
Antes disso, esse time só havia sido utilizado uma vez, na vitória por 2 a 1 diante do Corinthians, no Allianz Parque, pelo Brasileirão. Exatamente no jogo que antecedeu o duelo com o Barcelona-EQU. O fato chama a atenção, pois na teoria é essa a equipe titular na cabeça de Abel Ferreira, que praticamente não pôde usá-la em 2023.
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+ Veiga ultrapassa o número de participações em gols da temporada 2022 pelo Palmeiras
E não foi apenas Murilo que acabou impedindo essa escalação. Nesse mesmo período, Rony, Zé Rafael, Dudu, Artur e Raphael Veiga chegaram a desfalcar a equipe por questões físicas. Weverton e Piquerez foram desfalques por não terem chegado da Data Fifa no mesmo dia de um jogo do Palmeiras. Além de Gómez, Menino e Mayke, que tiveram suspensões. Ou seja, todos os titulares chegaram a ser baixas em algum momento desses últimos três meses.
Agora, com a retomada física e técnica do time, Abel Ferreira finalmente pôde reunir aqueles que considera os 11 titulares no momento. Esse time, muito provavelmente, será utilizado com prioridade na Libertadores, visto que a distância para o líder no Brasileirão está em 12 pontos, e na competição continental restam seis jogos para tentar buscar novamente a Glória Eterna.
Leeds United have been dealt an injury “blow”, with a £40,000-a-week star set for a spell on the sidelines.
Leeds start Premier League season with 1-0 win over Everton
The Whites made a perfect start to life back in the Premier League on Monday evening, beating Everton 1-0.
Summer signing Lukas Nmecha scored the winner from the penalty spot late on, with Anton Stach, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Lucas Perri all making their debuts from the start.
Since then, Leeds have brought in Noah Okafor to bolster their attacking options even further. The Switzerland international has cost the Whites up to £18m, something which Farke was delighted with.
“He has really good pace, he’s a really good dribbler, really good on the offensive one-on-one. A strong player as well. I don’t want to pressure him too much because he’s not played one game, so I’ll let him deliver before, but from his skills, he has more or less everything to impress, and it’s up to him.”
Incomings
From
Fee
Noah Okafor
AC Milan
£18m
Anton Stach
Hoffenheim
£17.4m
Jaka Bijol
Udinese
£15m
Lucas Perri
Lyon
£13.9m
Sean Longstaff
Newcastle
£12m
Gabriel Gudmundsson
Lille
£10m
Sebastiaan Bornauw
Wolfsburg
£5m
Louis Enahoro-Marcus
Liverpool
Undisclosed
Lukas Nmecha
Wolfsburg
Free
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Everton
Free
Okafor is in contention to make his debut against Arsenal this weekend, however, one Leeds star won’t be at the Emirates.
Farke confirms Ethan Ampadu injury “blow”
When asked about Ethan Ampadu’s condition after he was replaced following a heavy challenge in the second half against Everton, Farke revealed some “bad news” for the Leeds captain.
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Leeds could pull off a last-minute hijack
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Ampadu, on £40,000-a-week, actually set a new Leeds record outside the Don Revie era following Monday’s win over Everton.
It is now 25 consecutive league games without losing for the skipper, and he’ll be hoping to continue that run when he returns.
Gujarat will face the winner of the game between Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir in the semi-final
Shashank Kishore11-Feb-2025
File photo: Urvil Patel hit 140 in Gujarat’s total of 511 against Saurashtra•GCA
Urvil Patel, who had smashed the second-fastest T20 century in November last year, carried his fine form into the red-ball format to hit a maiden first-class hundred in Gujarat’s innings-and-98-run victory over Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final match in Rajkot. Gujarat will play the winner of the ongoing fixture between Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir in the semi-final.Urvil top-scored with 140 in Gujarat’s massive total of 511 in the first innings, which gave them a 295-run lead over Saurashtra, who managed only 216 after being sent in. Urvil was supported by Jaymeet Patel (103) and Manan Hingrajia (83) as they wore out a competent Saurashtra attack by batting out 159.1 overs.But Saurashtra were in the game at one stage when Gujarat were reduced to 78 for 3 early on the second day. Then Hingrajia and Jaymeet put together a 144-run stand to set the foundation for a mammoth score.Saurashtra began the fourth day trailing by 262 runs with all ten wickets in hand but were bowled out in under two sessions. Left-arm seamer Arzan Nagwaswalla picked up three wickets for Gujarat, while seamer Priyajitsing Jadeja got four – including the big strike of Pujara. Ravi Bishnoi, who had linked up with the squad following his return from national duty, picked up two crucial wickets in the second innings.Saurashtra eventually made just 197 in the second innings, with Harvik Desai top-scoring with 54. Cheteshwar Pujara finished a modest season with scores of 26 and 2. Barring the 234 against Chhattisgarh in the second game and 99 against Assam last week, Pujara’s highest score in the eight other innings was the 26 he made in the first innings against Gujarat.Saurashtra’s exit marked the end of a decorated career of their batter Sheldon Jackson, one of their stalwarts. He finishes his first-class career with 7283 runs in 174 innings at an average of 45.80. Jackson hit 21 hundreds and 39 half-centuries in all, with the high point being the Ranji Trophy win in 2019-20.
انتقد ستيف نيكول أسطورة ليفربول، ناديه السابق، ووصفه بأنه “يائس”، معربًا عن استيائه من بعض قرارات المدرب آرني سلوت في هزيمة الريدز أمام تشيلسي.
وكان إستيفاو قد سجل هدف الفوز في الدقيقة 95 لصالح تشيلسي، وألحق الهزيمة الثالثة على التوالي ببطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في جميع المسابقات.
وحقق آرسنال الفوز أمام وست هام يونايتد أمس السبت، ليتخلى ليفربول عن صدارة جدول الدوري الإنجليزي لصالح الفريق اللندني.
وقال نيكول في تصريحات نشرتها “ليفربول إيكو”: “جاء الهدف الثاني لأن روبيرتسون كان قد قطع 100 ياردة وركض من منطقة الجزاء وعاد، كان يضع يديه على ركبتيه وكان يحاول التقاط أنفاسه”.
وأضاف: “لهذا السبب سجلوا الهدف، كان بإمكانك إشراك أي لاعب يرتدي قميصًا أزرق في نهاية تلك المباراة، كان ليفربول في حالة يرثى لها في النهاية”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. ستوريدج عن أداء محمد صلاح أمام تشيلسي: لست قلقًا.. وهذا ما يفتقده في ليفربول
وواصل عن أحد قرارات سلوت: “في رأيي لم يشارك إندو ليحصل على نقطة، كان ماك أليستر منهكًا، ولهذا السبب دخل إندو، لم تكن هذه خطوة تكتيكية، منذ دخول إندو وحتى صافرة النهاية، كان ليفربول يتقدم للأمام كما لو كان تحدياً شرساً، إنهم يلعبون كرة قدم يائسة، إنهم يائسون، كيف يمكنك تحويل تشكيل الفريق إلى ما انتهى به ليفربول؟ اثنان من لاعبي خط الوسط الثلاثة يلعبان في الخط الخلفي”.
وواصل: “تخلصت من ظهيرك الأيسر، أنت عالق في ظهير أيسر لن يتمكن أبداً من الصمود أمام إستيفاو أو أي شخص آخر أو نيتو، بحلول نهاية المباراة تصبح الأمور فوضوية، تحول خط وسطك لدفاع وتحول دفاعك لمهاجمين، ثلاثي الهجوم بمن فيهم صلاح الذي لا يستطيع الآن تسجيل أي هدف”.
وأكمل: “يعاني محمد صلاح أكثر من أي لاعب آخر بسبب عدم قدرة ليفربول على الاحتفاظ بالكرة، صلاح ليس لاعب كرة قدم عادي، إنه لاعب يعتمد على الكرة ويمررها، لكنه يسجل الأهداف ولطالما كان كذلك، حالياً، هناك جانب واحد مفقود من هؤلاء الثلاثة وهو الأهداف، ليفربول في مشكلة كبيرة، لا يستطيع القيام بثلاث تمريرات متتالية، هناك كثير من الأمور الخاطئة والأمر يعود للأساسيات”.
وأتم نيكول تصريحاته موجهاً رسالة لسلوت: “عليه أن ينظر للصورة الكاملة هنا، ليفربول مرة أخرى لم يكن بنصف مستواه الذي كان عليه العام الماضي، ليفربول مرة أخرى يفقد الكرة إلى جانب سوء أداء الدفاع، هناك العديد من الأخطاء منذ بداية الموسم وليس مباراة تشيلسي فقط، لم تكن هناك فرصة واحدة تجعلك تقول إن ليفربول يجب أن يسجل، تشيلسي كان الأفضل والليفر كان على بعد خطوات من ذلك”.
A mixed start to Newcastle United’s pre-season fixtures.
First, the Magpies demolished Carlisle United 4-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly, with the now-departed Sean Longstaff breaking the deadlock, before Joelinton, Jacob Murphy and youngster Ben Parkinson were all on target.
Newcastle midfielder Joelinton
However, on Saturday, with over 10,000 Geordies in attendance in Glasgow, Eddie Howe’s side were embarrassingly battered 4-0 by Celtic at Parkhead, with Nick Pope responsible for an absolute howler, gifting the Hoops their second.
Next up, the Toon Army will take on Arsenal at the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday, but will they have a new signing to get excited about before then?
Newcastle United's latest transfer news
So far this summer, Newcastle have signed Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £55m, making him the club’s second-most expensive signing of all-time, behind fellow-Swede Alexander Isak.
Meantime, they’ve seen a £25m bid rejected for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, although the DR Congo international has left the Bees’ pre-season training camp in Portugal, and it is widely expected this deal will be finalised in the end.
While Wissa would be an excellent addition, representing a major upgrade on the released Callum Wilson, are Newcastle also turning their attention back to their top target?
Well, as reported by Chris Waugh of the Athletic, Newcastle ‘remain interested’ in signing Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi, noting that internal discussions during recruitment meetings have been held.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Fair to say, Newcastle hold a long-standing interest in the England international, having had four bids rejected for Guéhi last summer, the highest of which was £60m, with Palace owner Steve Parish telling BBC Sport back then that it would require “superstar money” for the Eagles to consider selling their captain.
Guéhi is purportedly valued at £70m by the South London side, so should Newcastle push the boat out to bring him to Tyneside?
How Marc Guéhi would improve Newcastle
Howe will be looking to bolster his centre-back options this summer, ahead of a very busy schedule, given that his side have qualified for the Champions League.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe reacts
The table below underlines his limited options in that position last season.
Appearances
46
42
10
Starts
44
40
8
Minutes
3,974
3,629
581
% of total minutes played
91%
83%
13%
As the table outlines, due to Sven Botman’s injury issues, Dan Burn and Fabin Schär started the vast majority of Newcastle’s 48 fixtures last season in league and cup, something that’ll surely not be possible again with, at a minimum, eight Champions League ties thrown into the mix.
Should Guéhi arrive, he would certainly become first-choice in that spot, given that then-England manager Gareth Southgate described his performances at last summer’s Euros as “exceptional”, while former teammate Josef Buršík, now of Club Brugge, labelled him an “absolute tank”.
Meantime, Nathan Jackson of Total Football Analysis outlines how he has the potential to become the best centre-back in the Premier League, with Elias Burke of the Athletic praising his ability to complete ‘ambitious’ forward passes, due to his top-class quality on the ball, citing Roy Hodgson, who asserted that he is a future England captain.
So, let’s see how he compares to Burn, the man he’d surely be usurping in the Newcastle pecking order.
Pass completion %
84.15%
88.62%
Forward passes
20.8
17
Duels contested
8.4
8.9
Aerial duel success %
53.91%
66.07%
Ground duel success %
63.46%
50%
Tackles
1.8
1.1
Interceptions
0.9
0.8
Blocks
0.7
0.7
Ball Recoveries
4.3
2.8
As the table outlines, Guéhi comes out on top for the vast majority of defensive metrics included; it is little surprise that Burn boasts better numbers when it comes to aerial duels!
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehi
This is exactly why Guéhi would be such a key signing for Newcastle, as he would represent a massive upgrade in a position of need.
Wissa, on the other hand, while an excellent player, not so much.
The Magpies already have Isak, who Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show asserts is one of the best four centre-forwards on the planet, alongside Erling Braut Håland, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski.
Of course, an Isak back-up is necessary, but this is why they signed William Osula last summer, a player who Beth Limb of Breaking the Lines believes has a ‘bright future ahead’, praising his ‘strong physical profile’ and ‘wonderful burst of acceleration’.
So, while Wissa will be a useful squad addition, Guéhi would represent a transformational first-team starter, hence why Newcastle should go all out to secure his signature.
Better fit than Ekitike: Newcastle lead race to sign £44m Wissa alternative
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Fast bowler was fined after angry to reaction to suffering injury in first Barbados T20I
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2024 • Updated on 14-Nov-2024Reece Topley, the England fast bowler, is to return home from the Caribbean after jarring his right knee in the first T20I against West Indies in Barbados*.The left-arm seamer picked up the injury in his delivery stride during the fifth over of the series opener on Saturday, and though he attempted to continue to bowl after a short rain delay, he left the field after one more delivery, and took no further part in the match.The injury was sufficient for him to miss England’s second match in Barbados, a seven-wicket win on Sunday to give them a 2-0 series lead. Topley will have a scan in London on Friday to determine the extent of the damage.It was the latest cruel setback in a career that has been littered with injury, and as he walked up the steps to the players’ pavilion, Topley was seen picking up a chair and smashing it on the staircase handrail. The reaction earned him a fine from the ICC amounting to 15 percent of his match fee.It was a similar reaction to that which Topley had produced in Mumbai during the 50-over World Cup in October 2023, when he had swiped another chair out of his path after leaving the field with what would later be revealed as a tournament-ending break to his left index finger.The 30-year-old’s damaged knee joins a list of unfortunate issues, including a career-threatening stress fracture of the back, and a rolled ankle – sustained on a boundary sponge during a practice match in Brisbane – that ruled him out of England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in 2022.Topley escaped punishment for the 2023 incident, but this time, he was found guilty of a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, with Article 2.2 relating to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.”Topley admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Richie Richardson, the ICC’s match referee, so there was no need for a formal hearing.In addition to his fine, one demerit point has been added to Topley’s disciplinary record. When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned. However, this was Topley’s first such offence within the time period.*November 14, 8.45pm GMT – This story was updated with news of Topley returning home
It’s been a non-stop summer for those at the Stadium of Light as the reality of the Premier League begins to dawn on Sunderland.
By the time Sunderland’s opener comes around versus West Ham United, the complexion of Regis Le Bris’ starting lineup could look very different from the playoff final success against Sheffield United, with both Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson already nowhere to be seen.
Moreover, there will no doubt be a lot of new faces vying for game-time after joining the newly promoted club, with Marcin Bulka perhaps taking over first-team goalkeeper duties from Anthony Patterson if he does join from OGC Nice.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported on Wednesday that the Black Cats have opened talks regarding a potential move for the Polish stopper, as they seek to win the race ahead of a long list of other suitors.
OGC Nice's MarcinBulkaand Youssouf Ndayishimiye celebrate after the match
He might not be the only defensive addition coming in this summer to bring extra competition, however, as Sunderland now find themselves locked in a race to sign a promising centre-back.
Sunderland in the race to sign £7m defender
As per a report by OnTheMinute, Sunderland remain in the race to land 21-year-old defender Saba Goglichidze.
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The Empoli centre-back is attracting lots of interest despite his current employers’ recent relegation from the Serie A, with the report adding that the Black Cats’ fiercest rivals in Newcastle United are now keen on the Georgian as well, alongside fellow Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest.
It’s even been speculated that the Tricky Trees are now ready to place a £7m bid for the 6-foot-4 colossus, with OnTheMinute stating that a bid around this region could be enough for Empoli to part ways with their main asset.
Juventus' DusanVlahovicin action with Empoli's Saba Goglichidze
Sunderland will hope they can gain an advantage in this race somehow, with Goglichidze’s potential arrival – on top of Bulka walking through the door – undoubtedly strengthening Le Bris and Co. at the back ahead of their uphill Premier League climb.
How Goglichidze could shine with Bulka
After all, when assessing Goglichidze’s stay at Empoli up to this point, it’s clear he isn’t fazed by the bright lights of a top division.
Indeed, the up-and-coming 21-year-old has even had suitors from AC Milan and Juventus look at him, with his sparkling form in Italy seeing him pick up a solitary assist from his 33 league encounters last season, on top of also bravely battling away for his basement side with 3.9 duels won on average.
With four clean sheets in league action next to his name, too, it’s clear that Goglichidze is destined for bigger and better things than slumping down to the Italian second division, and with Bulka behind in him the sticks, he could go on to look even more confident and assured knowing he has a top-drawer shot-stopper by his side.
Across his four seasons in between the sticks for Nice, the reliable Pole has managed to collect 30 clean sheets, with a hefty 18 of those coming just last campaign. To add context, Patterson would finish his own individual season with a lesser 14 next to his name, even from 45 games overall.
Sunderland’s league numbers when they were last relegated (16/17)
Stat
Sunderland
Games played
38
Goals scored
26
Goals conceded
69
Goal difference
-40
Sourced by Transfermarkt
That is still a respectable tally, but there will be a real worry in the air about the intense jump-up in quality, considering Southampton – who were the reigning playoff champions before Sunderland’s big moment at Wembley – are just fresh off leaking a dire 86 strikes stuck at the bottom of the division, which is 17 more than the Black Cats gave up during their last relegation horror-show in the top-flight.
The Saints looking so porous could be sounding the alarm bells for Le Bris and Co. as we speak, with the Black Cats giving up a high 44 strikes last season themselves. Amazingly, both Leeds United and Burnley only gave up 46 goals combined.
The arrival of fresh blood in the form of Saba Goglichidze and his potential new Polish teammate might be just what the newly promoted side needs, therefore, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig even going as far as to declare the 21-year-old a “wonderful” talent.
It will be a turbulent ride ahead for Sunderland, but if Le Bris can work his magic on this fresh defensive pairing, survival might be reached.
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