Man Utd accelerating move to sign “exciting” PL star who’s already had Chelsea contact

Manchester United are now accelerating their move to sign a Premier League star, who’s already been contacted about a move to Chelsea, according to reports.

Man Utd debt breaks $1bn after summer window

It’s not getting any easier for INEOS and Manchester United. After they splashed out over £150m in the summer transfer window, the club’s net debt has reportedly broken the $1bn barrier for the first time. This is despite INEOS taking several controversial cost-cutting measures and highlights just how important it is that United get back into the Champions League this season.

In the club’s first-quarter accounts, which were released on Thursday, their noncurrent borrowings were reported at £481 million ($644m). Add in the £105m from their revolving credit facility, however, and that takes their total borrowings to £268m and their total net debt has grown to £749m ($1.002bn).

Yet, the transfer rumours ahead of 2026 continue to arrive. Reports earlier this week even claimed that Man United have made contact in the race to sign Arda Guler from Real Madrid. The Turkish superstar is reportedly worth £88m, however, and would once again add to the club’s growing debt.

INEOS also continue to remain patient with Ruben Amorim, insisting that he’s the man to take the Red Devils back to Europe’s top table. It’s a delicate balance. United need reinforcements, Amorim needs to get the best out of his current squad, and debt must not reach new records.

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With that said, rather than a move for such expensive targets, United are reportedly looking to sign Sunderland star Noah Sadiki ahead of Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Man Utd accelerating move to sign Sadiki

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Man United are now accelerating their move to sign Sadiki after the Sunderland star received contact from Chelsea back in October.

The central midfielder also received contact from United at the beginning of the season in an attempt to get ahead of the chasing pack. As of right now, though, those at Old Trafford find themselves head-to-head against Chelsea in the race to secure the 20-year-old, who joined Sunderland for around £15m in the summer.

It’s easy to see why Sadiki has attracted such interest so soon after arriving in the Premier League. He’s played a pivotal part in Sunderland’s incredible start to the season and it’s the type of rise that their sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman saw coming in the summer.

He told the club’s website after signing the midfielder: “Noah’s enjoyed a great level of experience at a relatively young age, and alongside his drive to improve, this makes him an exciting addition to our squad.

“During his time at USG, he’s played in domestic and European competitions regularly, and the Premier League is a natural next step in his promising career.”

Upgrade on Sesko: Man Utd pursuing "one of Europe's most in-form STs"

Scouts sent: Man Utd keeping tabs on £50m Anderson alternative who Amorim loves

Manchester United have now reportedly sent scouts to keep close tabs on an Elliot Anderson alternative who Ruben Amorim once called a “natural leader”.

Roy Keane slams "schoolboy" Man Utd star after West Ham draw

Just when it seems like Man United are making progress, the Red Devils are hit with more frustration. This time, it was West Ham United who took full advantage to snatch a point at Old Trafford thanks to Soungoutou Magassa’s late equaliser.

It’s now one win in five for Ruben Amorim’s side and club legend Roy Keane couldn’t hold back his criticism any longer following the draw against West Ham.

It was another game in which United failed to make their attacking prowess count as Keane questioned midfielder Mount following his cameo from the bench.

It’s not the first time that Amorim’s midfield has been questioned and it certainly won’t be the last. INEOS are well aware that additions in that area should be next on their list of priorities, having reinforced the frontline in the summer.

18x ball lost: Amorim must ruthlessly bench overhyped 5/10 Man Utd man

This Man Utd ace struggled in their 1-1 draw at home to West Ham

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Joe Nuttall

Dec 5, 2025

As such, names such as Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton have emerged as 2026 targets. The former is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League, with United among the chasing pack to land his signature.

But the Nottingham Forest star isn’t the only name on their shortlist. Instead, they could yet form a reunion between Morten Hjulmand and Amorim.

Man Utd keeping close tabs on Hjulmand

According to Caught Offside, Man United scouts are now keeping close tabs on Hjulmand in case they miss out on both Anderson and Wharton. The Sporting CP star is valued at £50m – making him a cheaper alternative to Anderson – and is someone that Amorim knows well from his time in Lisbon.

League stats 25/26

Hjulmand

Anderson

Minutes

1,067

1,260

Progressive Passes

91

119

Tackles Won

16

20

Ball Recoveries

79

115

Although Amorim was quick to dub Hjulmand a “fantastic player” at Sporting, there’s no denying that Anderson should remain Man United’s top option.

The Nottingham Forest star has blown the Dane away, statistically speaking, so far this season and has done the same comparison to a number of Premier League stars.

He won’t come cheap and United must overcome the hurdle of competition from Manchester City and others, but INEOS simply have to go all out for the England international in 2026. If the Red Devils are to rise again, they cannot settle for second best.

"Pretty torrid" – Samuel Luckhurst slams Man Utd star vs West Ham

Biggest error since Aaronson: 49ers have "wasted funds" on huge Leeds flop

If Daniel Farke is relieved of his duties soon by the 49ers regime, how will he be remembered among the die-hard Leeds United fanbase?

First and foremost, there will likely always be some fondness towards the German from the Elland Road faithful for being the manager who delivered a promotion back up to the Premier League, having collected the Championship title on a mighty 100 points.

But, in the here and now, that title success – and the subsequent parade that merrily went through Leeds city centre – feels like a lifetime ago, with the ex-Norwich City boss continuing to struggle in the Premier League as a head coach.

A change could soon come then, with the Whites now five defeats from their last six league games and stuck in 18th spot.

Unfortunately, though, Leeds haven’t always got it right when getting right of celebrated promotion winners in the past, with Marcelo Bielsa’s replacement coming in the form of Jesse Marsch, who could only muster up a weak 11 wins from the pressurised dug out.

On top of that, his track record in the transfer department left a lot to be desired when he was situated in West Yorkshire, with all of his hits, followed by a large list of poor misses.

Leeds’ top five most expensive signings

Player

Cost

The manager who signed them

1. Georginio Rutter

£35.5m

Marsch

2. Brenden Aaronson

£28.5m

Marsch

3. Rodrigo

£26m

Bielsa

4. Dan James

£25m

Bielsa

5. Luis Sinisterra

£21m

Marsch

Sourced by FFC

Ranking Marsch's signings at Leeds

Amazingly, Marsch would sign off on Leeds’ two most expensive captures of all time during his whirlwind 12-month stint in England.

Georginio Rutter never really kicked into gear at the Whites under the unpopular American’s management, but considering he managed to put away eight goals and 18 assists in the end, largely under Farke, he is definitely seen as a success story, having also banked Leeds £40m when he moved to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Another standout success story from Marsch’s spending is Wilfried Gnonto, even if he is not now a regular under the current regime.

Landing the tricky Italian for just £3.8m continues to stand out to his day as an almighty bargain, with the ex-FC Zurich attacker even managing to star under Marsch, when collecting three goals from just 12 games under his methods, which included this fierce effort being thumped home.

Unfortunately for Marsch, this is where his positives in the transfer department begin to dry up, with a vast majority of the ten other signings made under his short-lived tenure no longer at the club.

Luis Sinisterra would at least manage to bag a promising five league goals at Elland Road, to somewhat justify the lavish £21m dropped on his services, but much like Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, and Marc Roca who all joined the Leeds ranks together at the same time, this wave of disappointing pick-ups couldn’t leave the building any faster after relegation was confirmed.

Weston McKennie has also left a bad taste in the mouth up to the present as a failed loanee under Marsch, with the American midfielder registering just one forgettable assist from 20 appearances, which led to the ex-Juventus man labelling the short stint as one of the “lowest” points of his varied career.

The elephant in the room now is, of course, the fact that the current Canada boss was the figure who first brought Brenden Aaronson to English shores, with the former £28.5m purchase a constant source of frustration.

Marsch couldn’t quite get a tune out of the ex-Union Berlin man, despite working closely alongside him at RB Leipzig, with just one sorry goal all he could muster up, before his fellow compatriot’s dismissal.

Thankfully, Farke has managed to get the best out of the 25-year-old in flashes, particularly in the Championship. Yet, with just one goal and one assist all he wrote this season in the Premier League so far, the consensus will be that Leeds overpaid back in 2022 when securing the hit-and-miss playmaker’s services for £28.5m.

Aaronson’s record under Farke

Season

Games

Goals + Assists

25/26

13

1 + 1

24/25

47

9 + 2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Still, Aaronson does have his nine strikes to fall back on during Leeds’ phenomenal promotion journey.

Whereas this summer recruit has little to cling onto, as he already looks to be an even bigger waste of money than Aaronson’s much-talked-about arrival.

Leeds have made a bigger error than Aaronson

Much like the West Yorkshire giants showed off during Marsch’s reign, significant wads of cash were also dropped in the off-season to try and prepare Leeds for the gigantic leap up to the Premier League.

A position that was in dire need of upgrading was definitely in between the sticks, with Illan Meslier overstaying his welcome as Leeds’ number one goalkeeper by the time a top-flight return was officially clinched, having become error-prone during the Whites’ vital promotion run-in.

Therefore, Leeds must have thought they’d hit the jackpot when they secured the services of Lucas Perri for a substantial £13.9m, with the Brazilian ‘stopper previously being tipped to be one of the “best in the world” in his position by his former manager Paulo Fonseca.

However, the top-flight newcomers have yet to see the calm and assured version of Perri that regularly shone for Lyon – with ten clean sheets falling into his lap last season in Ligue 1 – with the South American receiving plenty of pelters, instead, particularly when he conceded this Morgan Rogers free-kick last time out, as he bizarrely remained rooted to his spot.

Off the back of leaking this effort from Rogers, Perri has now given up a costly eight goals across his string of depressing clashes in November, with the underlying numbers overall – away from just goals conceded – also pointing in the direction of the number one being a colossal waste of cash.

Indeed, it’s unclear now if Leeds have even upgraded on a wobbly Meslier, with Meslier arguably a better option at this point, with his 21 clean sheets in the tough division to date an impressive tally, weighed up next to Perri’s two so far.

The drop-off from his standout Ligue 1 campaign last season is also extremely worrying, with Perri averaging a 74% pass accuracy in the French top division, compared to him now regularly mis-hitting passes, at a far lesser average of 57%.

Of course, the defenders do have to share their load of the blame here for the recent porous displays, but the backline cannot be confident whatsoever, having a ropey Perri behind them, with ex-Leeds player Jon Newsome rightly suggesting that Farke and the 49ers had “wasted funds” after the demoralising 3-1 defeat at the City Ground.

In another reality, Leeds might well have been better sticking with what they had over splashing £13.9m on Perri, with Aaronson at least putting in bright performances here and there this season, while the new ‘keeper has routinely suffered.

Indeed, one Leeds content creator would even hail his showing against West Ham United as “his best in a Leeds shirt”, with eight duels won against the Hammers, standing him in good stead for any relegation scrap that comes, away from also firing an effort home.

The relegation-threatened side would have hoped they’d moved past notable blunders in the transfer department when Marsch left the building, but it looks as if Perri could now be seen in the same light as failed faces such as Sinisterra and Adams down the line, particularly if relegation is grimly served up and the Whites struggle to offload him.

Leeds in one of the biggest transfer battles of all time for England midfielder

He could add so much quality and bite to the midfield.

By
Henry Jackson

Nov 25, 2025

Rahane steps down as Mumbai's Ranji Trophy captain

“I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies,” Ajinkya Rahane says

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2025

Ajinkya Rahane helped Mumbai break a nine-year drought by leading them to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in 2023-24•PTI

Ajinkya Rahane has given up the captaincy of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season, saying he believes “it’s the right time to groom a new leader”. In a communication to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Rahane, now 37, said he wants to continue as a player for the team.”Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour,” Rahane wrote in a social media post. “With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader. And hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season.”Rahane helped Mumbai break a nine-year drought by leading them to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in 2023-24. While his red-ball form over the past two years has been patchy (467 runs in 27 innings with just one century), he was more fluent in the shorter formats. At the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in December last year, when he played under Shreyas Iyer, Rahane was the Player of the Tournament for his chart-topping 469 runs in a title-winning season.Related

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Rahane was most recently in charge of Kolkata Knight Riders at IPL 2025, for whom he was the highest scorer with 390 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 147.27. The team had a mediocre season, though, finishing eighth with just five wins.In July, Rahane said he still possessed the “hunger and passion” for the game and for red-ball cricket, stating he even carried his trainers and cricket gear while on holiday in London to begin preparations for the upcoming domestic season.”I still want to play Test cricket,” Rahane had told Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton in an interview with . “I’m really passionate about playing Test cricket. I’m enjoying my cricket at the moment. For me, it’s all about focusing on the controllable things. Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but [there are] things as a player I cannot control. I got no response.”As a player, all I can do is keep playing cricket, keep enjoying the game, and give my best each and every time. I love playing Test cricket, love playing red-ball [cricket], it’s a passion. The love for the game keeps me going.”Mumbai are currently preparing for the upcoming season by playing the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Chennai, with a young squad led by 18-year-old Ayush Mhatre. Mumbai allrounder Shardul Thakur, a key member of their 2024-25 Ranji campaign, was named captain of West Zone for the season-opening Duleep Trophy.

Thierry Henry "pushing" Arsenal star who reveals messages before West Ham

Bukayo Saka revealed a pre-match message from Thierry Henry helped make sure Arsenal did not allow history to repeat itself at home to West Ham.

Saka’s second-half penalty ensured the Gunners downed London rivals West Ham by a 2-0 score on Saturday in Mikel Arteta’s 300th match in charge of the club.

It was a milestone occasion with Saka able to mark his 200th appearance in the Premier League with a goal, which Henry had previously achieved. It brought up 100 goal involvements in the division for the England attacker. Asked about those stats and Henry, Saka told broadcasters:

“I’m really happy on these records. I’m just going to keep pushing and try and get some team trophies, which is what we have been searching for.”

Arsenal should have scored after 13 minutes but Viktor Gyokeres could not finish off Saka’s dangerous delivery and Eberechi Eze blazed the rebound over.

The deadlock was broken seven minutes before half-time when Eze had a shot saved by Alphonse Areola and Declan Rice made no mistake against his old club.

West Ham remained in the contest until Jurrien Timber was bundled over in the penalty area by El Hadji Malick Diouf and Saka tucked away the spot-kick for his first goal of the campaign after 68 minutes to seal a comfortable victory at Emirates Stadium.

It was Saka’s 55th goal in the Premier League to go with 45 assists. “I don’t really like to linger on these things, but you said it – it’s a beautiful achievement and I’m really proud of it,” Saka, 24, said.

“Obviously 200 games for Arsenal in the Premier League is a really big moment. I’m going to enjoy it and it was nice to get the goal as well and the win.”

Arteta talked up Saka’s “really impressive” numbers, saying: “When you look at those numbers, 200 games, 100 goal involvements, I mean it’s unbelievable.

“His age, what he’s doing, the manner that he’s doing it as well, really impressive. That’s the kind of players that we need to achieve what we want.”

Nuno Espirito Santo handed a debut to West Ham academy graduate Callum Marshall over experienced forward Callum Wilson.

“First of all, let’s be correct and I said it, it’s not easy to play a young lad in front of Callum Wilson, but I think it’s important for us that

we all understand that we need as soon as possible to have total knowledge of what we have in the squad,” Nuno said.

“It’s good on that aspect but this is the issue and the main reason behind that is we are going to need all of them. We have hopes that the young lads bring new things.”

Freedom in final after Qualifier 1 abandoned due to heavy rain

With no reserve day scheduled, Freedom advanced directly to the final, having finished first on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2025

Qualifier 1 was called off due to heavy rain•Sportzpics for MLC

– Match abandoned due to rainThe Qualifier 1 between Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom in the MLC 2025 was washed out after relentless rain, with only toss possible. With no reserve day scheduled, Freedom advanced directly to the final, having finished first on the points table during the league stage. This will be Freedom’s second final in two years.The match was officially called off at 9.45pm local time in Dallas – two hours and 45 minutes after the scheduled start of play at 7pm, and 41 minutes before the cut-off time for a five-overs-a-side game.The toss took place on time at 6.30pm local time, with Freedom electing to bowl first. They made one change to the XI from their last league game, bringing in fast bowler Lockie Ferguson for Mark Chapman. Super Kings, meanwhile, went in unchanged.However, just minutes before the scheduled start of play, the stadium was placed under a lightning advisory, and the pitch was covered. After the storm passed, heavy rain followed, leading to the eventual abandonment of the match due to persistent wet weather.Super Kings will now face the winner of the Eliminator – between MI New York and San Francisco Unicorns on Tuesday – in the Qualifier 2.

Worcestershire stumble again despite Allison five-for

Four late wickets for Surrey saw them take control of the Rothesay County Championship clash at Visit Worcestershire New Road, as Worcestershire ended day two 69 for 4, still trailing by eight-runs.Ben Allison led the way for the hosts, with his 5 for 44 helping restrict Surrey to 291 all-out, Dom Sibley top-scoring with a measured 73.With a lead of 77, Surrey’s seam-bowling attack ensured the day belonged to them with another potent display.Nathan Smith and Matt Fisher collected two wickets apiece, as Worcestershire’s top four were ripped apart in a devastating evening session that put the visitors well in control.Surrey added 40 to their overnight total, but shortly after Ryan Patel had brought up an elegant half-century, Allison made the breakthrough for Worcestershire as he hurried the left-hander with a back of a length delivery that was chipped straight to Jacob Duffy at mid-on.Rory Burns joined Sibley, as the pair continued Surrey’s batting dominance, bringing up their 100 in the 35th over.With Sibley easing his way to a measured 132-ball fifty, Worcestershire’s seamers offered little in the way of opportunities, as lunch arrived with the visitors in total control at 147 for 1.The home side struck twice in quick succession upon resumption, however, when Duffy drew an edge from the bat of Burns for 34, followed up three overs later by the industrious Matthew Waite, who produced a gem of a delivery to see the back of Sam Curran for just 8.Worcestershire had seamer Allison, their standout bowler on the day, to thank for a vital three-wicket burst, that swung the momentum of the afternoon and checked the visitors’ progress.After ending Sibley’s 184-ball knock, he then claimed the wickets of Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner in successive overs, as the home side reduce their opponents to 197 for 6.As a result of Santner’s frustration at his dismissal, Worcestershire were awarded five penalty runs and saw their total rise to 214, with confirmation the New Zealand international had been charged with two separate Level One offences.Dan Lawrence came together with Jordan Clark, as Surrey raced into a lead of 52 when tea was taken. Lawrence continued his fine four-day form, passing fifty early in the evening session, but failed to capitalise as he edged a rising Tom Taylor delivery shortly after the new ball was taken, departing for a well-made 52.Taylor was consistent throughout, claiming more two wickets late on, before Allison returned to complete his five-wicket haul as Surrey were bowled out for 291.With 17 overs left in the day, Smith wasted no time exposing the hosts top-order batting frailties, as he dismissed both Gareth Roderick and Henry Nicholls inside his first two overs.Fisher picked up where he left off in the first innings, nicking two wickets for himself as the top four departed, leaving Worcestershire still short of parity and well behind in the contest.

It's not Kudus: Spurs talent could now steal the #10 shirt from Maddison

Tottenham Hotspur have made an excellent start to life under Thomas Frank over the last couple of weeks, with the Dane only losing one of his first nine games at the helm.

Part of his success in North London has been down to the immediate impact of summer addition Mohammed Kudus, with the Ghanaian nailing his place in the starting eleven.

The 25-year-old cost £55m from Premier League rivals West Ham United, already hitting the ground running and contributing to the Lilywhites’ success on the pitch.

He’s already registered four assists across all competitions, two of which came on the opening day in the 3-0 triumph over Burnley – a game which was his competitive debut for the club.

Such an achievement matched a record set by one other first-team member, but the new addition has yet to feature alongside him in the early stages of the 2025/26 campaign.

James Maddison’s highs and lows at Spurs

James Maddison became the first player in Spurs’ Premier League history to register two assists on his league debut, subsequently being joined in such a club by Kudus.

The Englishman joined the Lilywhites back in the summer of 2023 for a fee in the region of £40m from Leicester City after the Foxes’ relegation the season prior.

Tottenham Hotspur'sJamesMaddisonreacts

Since his transfer, he’s racked up 75 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring 16 times and registering 19 assists across all competitions – but such numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Injuries have massively plagued the 28-year-old over recent years, already suffering four injuries in his two-year spell, subsequently missing 25 matches through various setbacks.

Maddison has since suffered an ACL injury, further adding to his frustrations and is now expected to miss out on the vast majority of the Dane’s first campaign in charge.

There’s no denying that the attacking midfielder is a player who possesses huge talent, but ultimately his lack of fitness has constantly prevented him from making an impact on a consistent basis.

As a result, he could easily lose his number ten shirt in the near future, with one player already on the books deserving of the opportunity to wear such a historic shirt.

The Spurs star who could steal Maddison’s #10

Over the last couple of years, Spurs have been fortunate to see multiple top talents wear the number ten shirt – none more so than former striker Harry Kane.

The centre-forward emerged through the ranks in North London, before making his mark in the first-team and cementing himself in the Lilywhites’ history forever.

He found the net on 280 occasions during his decade-long spell with the club, subsequently surpassing the late Jimmy Greaves and becoming their all-time top-scorer.

However, Maddison was the player to inherit such a shirt after the former’s departure to join Bayern Munich, but the club may look to hand another first-team star the responsibility of wearing such a historic number.

Pape Matar Sarr joined the Lilywhites as an unknown quantity to many of the supporters, but it’s safe to say he’s now become one of the club’s best players at present.

The Senegalese international joined for just £14.6m in 2021, but would have to wait until the following summer to make his first competitive appearance for the English outfit.

However, since such a day, the 23-year-old hasn’t looked back, subsequently racking up over 100 appearances in all competitions – five of which have come in the Premier League under Frank.

Sarr, who’s been dubbed “unbelievable” by Jamie O’Hara, has already registered a goal and two assists in England’s top flight this season, highlighting his attacking quality despite his deep-lying role.

He’s now posted a total of 10 goals and eight assists since making the move to England, which has allowed him to be a vital component within the club’s midfield department.

Pape Sarr – stats in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

5

Goals & assists

3

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribble success

50%

Fouls won

1.2

Duels won

5.1

Recoveries made

4.8

Touches in opposition box

2.3

Stats via FotMob

Out of possession, Sarr has been just as impressive, winning 5.1 duels per 90, along with 4.8 recoveries made – arguably being one of the best box-to-box options in the league.

At 23, he had plenty of time to build on his early success in North London, potentially playing a crucial role in any future success achieved during Frank’s tenure in the role.

As a result, he could easily be handed the number ten shirt by the club to reflect his importance, but such a decision could prove to be harsh in Maddison, given his recent struggles.

However, football is a cruel industry and it remains to be seen what level the Englishman is at after such an injury lay-off, with the hierarchy having a huge call to make on his future.

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مفاجأة.. مستقبل تشابي ألونسو مع ريال مدريد في خطر بسبب الكلاسيكو

فجرت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، مفاجأة بشأن المدير الفني لفريق ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، قبل مباراة الكلاسيكو المرتقبة مساء يوم الأحد، ضد خصمه برشلونة.

ويستضيف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة ريال مدريد وبرشلونة في قمة منافسات الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2025/26.

وذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية أن تشابي ألونسو سيخوض غدًا أول كلاسيكو له كمدرب لريال مدريد، وهو ما يمثل حدثًا مهمًا لأي مدرب ولكنه أكثر أهمية بالنسبة للإسباني.

وأوضحت أن السبب وراء ذلك يعود إلى الشائعات التي انتشرت منذ أيام حول ريال مدريد والتي تشير إلى أن مستقبل ألونسو على المحك في مباراة الكلاسيكو.

وأفادت أن ألونسو بدأ يفقد مصداقيته لدى الجماهير وكذلك بين أعلى مستويات ريال مدريد، خلال تلك الفترة القصيرة منذ وصوله إلى النادي خلفًا لكارلو أنشيلوتي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فينيسيوس جونيور يوجه رسالة إلى جمهور ريال مدريد قبل الكلاسيكو

وأكدت أن ذلك الوضع بدأ منذ هزيمة ريال مدريد أمام أتلتيكو مدريد بخمسة أهداف لهدفين في مباراة الديربي، حيث بدأ تشابي ألونسو يفقد بعضًا من مصداقيته، ولم يساعد ريال مدريد في اللعب كما توقع الجميع عند توليه المسؤولية.

ليس هذا فقط، بل كذلك التوتر الذي تسبب به تشابي ألونسو في غرفة الملابس مع لاعبين مثل فينيسيوس جونيور وفالفيردي، وهما من أقطاب الفريق.

ووفقًا للصحيفة نفسها، فإن هزيمة ريال مدريد في كلاسيكو الغد ستعرض منصب تشابي ألونسو للخطر، خاصة إذا كانت الخسارة ساحقة، مثلما حدث الموسم الماضي.

ومن ثم، فإن ريال مدريد يقاتل في الوضع الراهن من أجل أكثر من مجرد 3 نقاط، وهو الأمر الذي يدركه تشابي ألونسو تمامًا.

GT choose to bowl in season opener against Punjab Kings

Dew looms as a concern as Shreyas Iyer also said he wanted to bowl first in Ahmedabad

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-20259:17

Kane Williamson: Shubman Gill has clear thoughts as a captain

Shubman Gill was very clear as soon as the coin landed in his favour in Gujarat Titans opening game of IPL 2025. He chose to bowl and reeled off all the reasons for it. One, the dew. They saw plenty of it over the last week as they practiced in Ahmedabad. Two, from experience, he understood “there is not much help for the spinners.” And three, lots of big totals have been chased down at Narendra Modi stadium.The new Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer would have preferred to chase as well. Both captains will have noted that the team batting second has won five of the last six IPL games here. Iyer, playing for a new franchise this year after winning the IPL last year, had a headache picking his XI because he was “spoilt for choice.” There were two IPL debutants among them, the opener Priyansh Arya and allrounder Suryansh Shedge.A striking feature of both teams is the international quality in their bowling attacks. Kagiso Rabada will play his first game for his new franchise, the Titans, against his old franchise. His new-ball partner for South Africa will be on the other side this time, Marco Jansen. Mohammed Siraj is looking for a new start with Titans after being omitted from India’s squad for the Champions Trophy, Two high quality spinners will be on show as well in Rashid Khan and Yuzvendra Chahal. It is, however, unlikely that they will get any help.GT named only three overseas players in their bowling first XI, with either Glenn Phillips or Sherfane Rutherford likely to come in when they bat. Both are gun fielders, however, and will be missed in the first innings.PBKS are likely to bring in one of seamer Vijaykumar Vyshak or left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar when they bowl second.Gujarat Titans (bowling first XI): 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler, 4 Shahrukh Khan, 5 Rahul Tewatia, 6 R Sai Kishore, 7 Arshad Khan, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh KrishnaPunjab Kings (batting first XI): 1 Prabhsimran Singh, 2 Priyansh Arya, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Shashank Singh, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Suryansh Shedge, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

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