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India, Pakistan’s next opponents in the Champions Trophy, will almost inevitably seek to expose this frailty

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Feb-20252:31

Mumtaz: ‘Very disappointing to watch Babar’s lack of intent’

When the masters of playing spin are at their peak, the thoughts that dominate the higher functions of the mind are not necessarily about the next ball, the pitch, how fast it is turning, how much flight is being given, and how fast or slow it comes, but where the fielders are, how they manipulate them and by extension the opposition captain.Here’s Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a very good player of spin, talking about Brian Lara, who was arguably the best spin player ever (no one dominated Shane Warne Muttiah Muralidaran, quite like Lara):”I know Brian, when he bats, he hits the ball behind point, very hard. Sometimes he got spin on the ball, and sometimes he doesn’t put spin on the ball. And he does it deliberately. It depends on where the guy on the point boundary is fielding. If the guy on the boundary is out square, then he puts spin on the ball so it keep running away further behind and the guy can’t catch it. And sometimes they put him behind, and Brian hit it with no spin so it go in front for four. He still the ball, but he does not put spin on the ball. He’s an amazing batter. Serious.”Babar Azam had been an amazing batter – serious – too. Until the end of 2021, Babar averaged 89.94 against spin in ODIs with a strike rate of 89. These are, from a bowling team’s perspective, “get him off strike and try and bowl as many as you can at the other guy” numbers. Babar was weaker against pace bowling, by which I mean he averaged only 57.22 against seam bowling.Related

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But spin? Uff. He’s never swept his way to hundreds, as others often do on Asian surfaces. But there were jaunts down the crease to clip balls through wide long-on, sinkings deep into the crease to play that whip shot through midwicket, cuts either side of point, and the regular array of Babar cover drives. When he slog-swept, the ball tended to travel over wide long-on, rather than square leg. No one much cared at the time, where it was going. Because it was going somewhere pretty often.That a wall has been hit and a decline has been entered since then is public knowledge by now. The Babar of February 2025, has demons to overcome. Oppositions know this well. New Zealand, the kings of finding little gaps in the armour of opposition and wriggling through them to the semi-finals of major tournaments, landed on a big one in the tournament opener. Babar, by his high standards, doesn’t love the ball that turns into him. Since 2022, he’s loved it even less.Until the end of 2021, he’d averaged 51.72 against balls that turned in (offspinners and left-arm wristspinners combined). From 2022 onwards, he’s averaged 31.80 against balls turning in. The killer stat is the strike rate – where before the end of 2021 it had been 88.49 against bowlers whose stock delivery turned the ball into him, since then it has dipped to 67.65.And where Babar was once a batter who would dictate fields to bowling teams, sides such as New Zealand, who play the percentages beautifully, have begun to dictate terms to him. In the Champions Trophy opener, Babar scored 22 off 35 balls off bowlers whose stock delivery came in. These were not offpsinners of the highest quality. With apologies to the index finger of Michael Bracewell, the man is clearly a better batter. For Glenn Phillips, offspin is clearly his third-best cricketing discipline, to follow his spectacular fielding and manic batting.Babar Azam played a scratchy innings against New Zealand•ICC/Getty ImagesThat the two were so adept at keeping Babar quiet is down to their field placements too. For much of that innings, there was a short midwicket in place, which would have made Babar think twice about that whip to the legside that is a favoured middle-overs shot. A more confident Babar would have hit over the top, smoked boundaries either side of that fielder, and wormed his way in the brain of the opposing captain. He made 64 off 90, when to be up with the required rate he would have had to make better than a run-a-ball. It was, if we are being brutally honest, a match-losing innings.In ODIs at least, the batting against spin has been Babar’s primary problem. In fact, his batting against pace has improved – he averages 57.52 against pace since 2022, when he’d averaged 47.35, both strike rates hovering around the 90 mark. Oppositions know this now. Babar opened the innings Wednesday, but he faced 57 balls of spin, to the 33 deliveries of seam bowling.India have such a surfeit of spin options, that they will almost inevitably seek to expose this frailty. They have Kuldeep Yadav as one bowler who can turn the ball into Babar. In the squad, also is Washington Sundar.Spinners turning the ball into a great right-hand batter tend to fare poorly, generally speaking. But we are not in a great phase of Babar’s batting right now. India will also come armed with the knowledge that this particular great player of spin is scratching his way to fifties, rather than dictating fields to oppositions. And in Dubai, they will likely play on a track that will envenom the kinds of bowlers Babar does not love facing right now.

A half-century from Phoebe Litchfield trumped Sarah Glenn’s four-for to secure a win for Sydney Thunder over Brisbane Heat. Set 154 to chase, Heat never looked in contention to chase the target – they were reduced to 10 for 3, then 30 for 4, inside the first half of their innings.To add to Heat’s troubles, Chinelle Henry retired hurt on 10 after she was hit on the jaw by a Shabnim Ismail bouncer. Annie O’Neil provided some late impetus to the chase, scoring 33 off 21. She was caught off the last ball of the innings, giving Georgia Voll her second wicket and Thunder a 23-run win.Heat’s loss keeps them at the bottom of the table, having earned just one point – from an abandoned game – this year.Earlier in the evening, Thunder were victims of a collapse themselves: they were reduced to 33 for 4 right after the powerplay, and 93 for 6 by the 13th over. It was only thanks to Litchfield’s rear-guard effort – she hit eight fours and one six during her 43-ball stay at the crease – that Thunder recovered. She fell in the 17th over, after which, a boundary-laden 26 not out off 19 from Em Arlott took them past the 150-run mark.Heat’s Glenn took three of Thunder’s first four wickets, and finished with figures of 4 for 18 from her four overs. However, she ended up on the losing side.

The 2026 IPL auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. This will be the third successive year when the IPL auction is being held overseas. The 2024 auction in Dubai was the first time it was held overseas. The two-day mega auction for the 2025 season was held in Jeddah in November 2024.Like all mini auctions, the 2026 edition, too, will be a day-long exercise. Franchises have to first sort the list of players they want to release and retain from their 2025 squads, by 3pm IST on November 15. After that they will be sent a registered pool of players to shortlist. That long list will then be pruned for IPL to finalise the auction pool.The trading window, which opened after the 2025 season, will continue until a week before the auction and then resume to go on until a month prior to the IPL start date in 2026. The 10 franchises cannot trade a player who will be bought at the 2026 auction.So far there have been four confirmed trades among five teams. That includes the most high-profile player swap in IPL history which involved five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) getting Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, who have traded in the allrounder pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.On Thursday, Mumbai Indians, also five-time champions, procured India allrounder Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford in all-cash deals from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 2 crore and Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 2.60 crore, respectively. In a separate trade, LSG got Arjun Tendulkar at his base price of INR 30 lakh from MI.The tentative window for IPL 2026 is March 15 to May 31.

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A torcida do Palmeiras ficou na bronca com Abel Ferreira por escalar Raphael Veiga como titular na partida contra o Independiente del Valle, pela terceira rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAdministradora do estádio do Palmeiras se posiciona contra torcedor que cuspiu em TitePalmeiras24/04/2024PalmeirasKendry Páez ou Endrick? Palmeiras x Del Valle reserva duelo de joias pela LibertadoresPalmeiras24/04/2024NotíciasSecador nas alturas! Com R$50, você pode ganhar R$286 se Flamengo e Palmeiras forem derrotados na altitude!Notícias24/04/2024

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Após o empate no Allianz Parque com o Flamengo, Abel Ferreira admitiu a necessidade em dar um descanso a Raphael Veiga, porém destacou o poder de decisão do camisa 23 para mantê-lo no time titular.

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

A torcida do Palmeiras esperava ver Rômulo na vaga de Veiga contra o Independiente del Valle, mas Abel optou por manter o camisa 23 no time e não relacionou o reforço contratado junto ao Novorizontino.

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Com a partida em Quito, Raphael Veiga completou o 12º jogo consecutivo sendo titular pelo Palmeiras. A comissão técnica do Verdão irá avaliar o condicionamento do meia para o Choque-Rei de segunda-feira (29), contra o São Paulo, pelo Brasileirão.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

Diante do Del Valle, ele completou 50 partidas de Libertadores pelo Verdão, alcançando a 43ª posição no ranking de atletas com mais partidas pelo clube na história, igualando Zé Rafael, com 288, e a 6ª colocação no século.

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Veiga também está a um gol de pênalti de igualar Evair no topo da lista de artilheiros de penalidades máximas em tempo regulamentar desde 1990.

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Abel FerreiraLibertadoresPalmeirasRaphael Veiga

Tottenham Hotspur’s squad in 2025/26 is packed with numerous midfield stars, but it’s apparent that boss Thomas Frank is yet to work out his best combination in such an area.

The Dane has utilised a three-man midfield in the vast majority of his 11 Premier League outings to date, often varying between two deep-lying options with a ten and a flat three.

Joao Palhinha arrived in the summer on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich and has started all but one, with his ball-winning presence a real component to the Lilywhites’ side.

The same can’t be said for £52m addition Xavi Simons, as the Dutchman has struggled to nail down a starting position in his attacking midfield role – subsequently being named in the starting eleven on just six occasions.

However, there’s little denying that one player would have easily walked into the current squad had he still been on the books after his previous spell in North London.

Spurs’ most underrated player in the last decade

When talking about Spurs’ most underrated players in numerous years, many players will be mentioned, but one will always rise to the top – with that man being Mousa Dembélé.

The Belgian midfielder joined the Lilywhites from Fulham for just £15m back in the summer 2012, with very few supporters anticipating the levels he would produce in the capital.

He would go on to rack up a total of 249 senior appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, often catching the eye with his physicality and dazzling feet.

Standing at 6’1, you wouldn’t expect a player to easily get past the opposition, but Dembele used to glide past his men – leading to his tally of 10 goals and 11 assists.

Many of his former teammates have sung his praises in recent years, even labelling him as one of the most underrated players they have played alongside in their careers.

Former right-back Kieran Trippier is just one player to sign his praises, with the Englishman stating: “He was a remarkable player. He was unbelievable, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for being such an unbelievable player.”

Since his move to Guangzhou City back in 2019, the Lilywhites have massively lacked a player of his quality, with Frank and the supporters undoubtedly wishing they had a player of Dembélé’s talents at present.

The Spurs star who was tipped to be the next Dembele

In the last six years since Dembele’s departure from Spurs, the hierarchy have spent upwards of £300m on the midfield department alone – a simply staggering amount of money.

Numerous of their additions still remain on the books in North London, with the aforementioned Simons just one of the options Frank is still able to call upon.

Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall are two other young stars who have been brought to the club in the last few seasons, with both cementing themselves within the first team ranks.

The latter of the duo joined for just £8m from Swedish side Djurgarden last summer, but has already racked up a total of 60 appearances despite being just 19.

However, Yves Bissouma is another midfield addition that remains in North London, but his time at the club has been far from successful in the last few years.

The Malian joined for a reported £25m from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2022, leading to journalist Alasdair Gold claiming he’s just “like Dembele”.

In the three years with the Lilywhites, the 29-year-old has already racked up a century of appearances – even finding the back of the net on two separate occasions.

However, it’s been a period that has been littered with controversy, with Bissouma being suspended by the club back in August 2024 after being pictured inhaling laughing gas.

Frank’s arrival has seen the downward spiral continue for the Malian, with the Dane leaving him out of the UEFA Super Cup clash with PSG after being consistently late for training.

In the three months since the final, he’s failed to make a single appearance for the Lilywhites, even being left out of the Premier League and Champions League squads for the first half of 2025/26.

Such an omission is a sign that the manager simply doesn’t see the 29-year-old as part of his long-term plans – with the hierarchy desperately needing to offload him in January.

Bissouma currently earns a reported £55k-per-week in North London, with the club paying him a staggering £1.4m since his last competitive outing in the first-team.

Not only has he failed to reach the levels many anticipated upon his move, but he’s also bleeding the club dry of crucial funds that will be needed in January.

His lack of action, current earnings and disciplinary record all point to an exit for the midfielder in the upcoming winter window, with the club needing to make his departure a priority.

Frank will no doubt want to clear him off the books, raising funds for the January market, which is no doubt a crucial point of the season in his quest to secure Champions League football a second successive year in North London.

Spurs have "one of Europe’s best finishers" & he could end Richarlison's stay

Tottenham Hotspur can offload Richarlison if Thomas Frank shows faith in one other squad member.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 14, 2025

Crystal Palace have a wealth of assets of interest to some of the world’s best clubs and they could now be lining up a replacement for one star who is attracting attention.

Crystal Palace look to keep hold of Adam Wharton

When thinking of promising Premier League midfielders, Adam Wharton wouldn’t be too far down the public’s list due to his ability to dictate matches in the Eagles’ engine room.

Recently, the England international has attracted interest from Liverpool, and they are unlikely to be the only club keen on his services as he continues to thrive under Oliver Glasner in South London.

Eventually, the time may come for Wharton to move on. However, Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider that he doesn’t believe that will be in the imminent future as he is settled at the club.

He stated: “It doesn’t seem he’s in any real massive rush to leave Palace right now, he’s enjoying his football and playing week in, week out in the Premier League. He has become a key man in Glasner’s side with Palace doing so well at the moment, having won the FA Cup last year and playing in Europe.

“It seems Wharton is happy with life at Selhurst Park, but his form and performances will attract interest from other clubs.”

Talks on: Crystal Palace lead Wolves to sign "finisher" who shocked Chelsea

Negotiations have been opened.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 1, 2025

Either way, Glasner isn’t hanging around as he looks to strengthen the engine room and Atlético Madrid’s Conor Gallagher could return to Crystal Palace in January, even if he isn’t short on options from elsewhere.

Wheels are already in motion as the Eagles look to take their recruitment to new heights, and they could now be sizing up a move for another midfielder as part of a potential contingency plan.

Crystal Palace want to sign Nicolas Raskin

According to reports in Spain, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin, and they feel his attributes could be suited to their deep-lying midfield role if Wharton were to depart Selhurst Park.

The Belgium international has registered a goal and four assists in 14 appearances this term across all competitions, though he was also frozen out while Russell Martin was in charge and hasn’t been able to help the Scottish Premiership outfit arrest their wretched run of form.

Five similar players to Nicolas Raskin (FBRef)

Manuel Ugarte

Manchester United

Rocco Reitz

Borussia Monchengladbach

Anton Stach

Leeds United

Jan Schoppner

Heidenheim

Christian Norgaard

Arsenal

With his contract due to expire in 2027, there is potential for Crystal Palace to land the 24-year-old on a cut-price deal if he opts not to renew his terms at Ibrox.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen how that will play out, but Besiktas are also said to be keen on luring him to Turkey, providing competition for the Premier League high-flyers if they wish to strengthen their midfield.

Labelled “aggressive” by Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, Rangers will push for him to stay, though the Eagles will hope the lure of top-flight exposure will be enough for their target to leave Glasgow.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has extended invitations to three former players – Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards – to take part in an emergency meeting following West Indies’ 3-0 series loss at home to Australia. The West Indies greats will join Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes and Ian Bradshaw on the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee to review the team’s “deeply disappointing” performances over the past few weeks.West Indies folded quickly in the first two Tests too, but they saved the biggest ignominy for the very last, folding for 27 in 14.3 overs in Kingston. The total was just one run better than New Zealand’s Test-record low of 26 in 1955 but it was 20 runs short of West Indies’ previous worst total of 47. It was the first time in Test history a team recorded seven ducks in an innings and the six runs made collectively by West Indies’ top-six batters was the lowest in any innings in Test history.Related

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Dr Kishore Shallow, the president of CWI, said that the entire West Indies cricket community will have several “sleepless nights” following the losses, but called for patience as they look to “rebuild and start investing in the next generation”.”Like every West Indian cricket fan, I felt the pain of our recent Test defeat to Australia,” he said. “There will be some sleepless nights ahead for many of us, including the players, who I know feel this loss just as heavily. But while disappointment is natural, we must not allow this moment to define our journey. We are in a rebuilding phase, steadily investing in the next generation, and reigniting the spirit that has long made West Indies cricket a force in the world.”Progress is rarely straightforward. It takes time, perseverance, and belief, especially in our most difficult moments. The road ahead will test us, but I have faith in the talent and commitment of our players when they apply themselves. We have already seen encouraging signs, particularly with the ball. Our batters are keen, but now must be even more deliberate as they work to improve.”Shallow said the involvement of Lara, Richards and Lloyd wasn’t purely “ceremonial”, and that they would be actively involved in West Indies’ “next phase of cricket development”.”These are men who helped define our golden eras, and their perspectives will be invaluable. We intend for this gathering to result in tangible, actionable recommendations.”Consistent with my message over the last weeks, this is a moment that calls for collaboration, not division. We need everyone on board: fans, players, coaches, legends, and administrators, if we are to truly move forward. There is much work to be done. But we must do it with purpose, and we must do it together.”West Indies will next take on Australia in a five-match T20I series starting July 21, before hosting Pakistan for a white-ball series in August.

MS Dhoni, Matthew Hayden, Daniel Vettori, Hashim Amla, Sarah Taylor, Graeme Smith and Sana Mir are the latest inductees into the ICC Hall of Fame, unveiled two days out from the start of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s.Mir became the first woman from Pakistan to be a Hall of Fame inductee.After making her debut in 2005, Mir captained Pakistan in 72 of the 120 ODIs and in 65 of the 106 T20Is she played, including two gold-medal wins at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014. She is the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in ODIs, taking 151 wickets with her offbreaks, and topped the ODI rankings for bowlers in 2018.Sana Mir is the first woman from Pakistan to be in ICC’s Hall of Fame•ICC

“From dreaming as a little girl that one day there would even be a women’s team in our country to now standing here, inducted among the very legends I idolised long before I ever held a bat or a ball – this is a moment I couldn’t have dared to imagine,” Mir said. “I am incredibly grateful for this honour and hope to give back to the sport in any way I can.”Former India captain Dhoni helped India break their drought in men’s ODI World Cups, four years after helping them to the inaugural men’s T20 World Cup title in 2007. He hit the winning runs as India won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and became the first team to win the silverware on home soil. Two years later, he captained India to the Champions Trophy title. He finished his ODI career with an average above 50, having played 350 matches and scored over 10,000 runs. Apart from his ability to ace run-chases, Dhoni will also be remembered for being the only captain to win all three white-ball ICC trophies. India also reached the top of the ICC Test rankings under him.”It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world,” he said. “To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever.”Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla were both among the latest ICC Hall of Fame inductees•Getty Images

Hayden was one of the most feared Australia openers of his times. He hit three centuries in Australia’s 2007 ODI World Cup win and was also part of their win in the 2003 edition. He finished his career with 30 Test centuries and an average over 50.Amla was a Test-cricket behemoth for South Africa, who became the No. 1-ranked team in the format during his long career. He was the first from South Africa to score a triple century in Tests when he hit an unbeaten 311 against England in 2012. He finished with over 55 international centuries across formats.Amla’s South Africa team-mate, Smith, was thrust into captaincy at only 22, and it was a role that he excelled in for a long time. He led South Africa in a world record 109 Tests, winning 53 of those. He is the only player to captain a Test team in over 100 matches. He also captained them in 150 ODIs, the most for South Africa.Sarah Taylor executed many a lightning stumpings across her international career•PA Images

“It is an honour to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, especially alongside Graeme,” Amla said. Smith concurred: “This is also a proud moment for South Africa, as two of us have got recognition this year.”Australia’s assistant coach and former New Zealand captain Vettori is one of only three players to score 4000 runs and pick up 300 wickets in Tests. He also captained New Zealand to a runners-up finish at the 2009 Champions Trophy.Taylor was one of the architects of England’s ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup double in 2009. She also starred in their win at the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2017, making a crucial 45 in the title-clash against India at Lord’s. She made a name for herself with some sensational wicketkeeping, effecting 232 dismissals across formats. Outside of the cricket field, Taylor took regular mental-health breaks, which helped normalise conversations around the issue among cricketers.”Being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame is one of the best moments of my life and truly feels like a dream come true,” she said. “Women’s cricket has been thriving in recent years, and receiving this award during such a significant time makes it even more special. I am grateful to the members of the ICC Hall of Fame selection panel for this recognition.”

West Ham United boss Graham Potter is walking on increasingly thin ice after a lacklustre start to the campaign, with pressure on the tactician at an all-time high after their London derby defeat to Tottenham on Saturday.

Potter’s side put in an impressive performance away to Nottingham Forest just prior to the international break, winning 3-0 at the City Ground courtesy of goals from Lucas Paqueta, Callum Wilson and Jarrod Bowen, but were on the receiving end of the same scoreline against Spurs.

Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven rounded off a routine win for Thomas Frank’s men at the London Stadium, whilst piling the misery on Potter, who has recorded the second-worst win percentage of any West Ham manager in Premier League history.

Since the former Chelsea and Brighton boss was appointed on January 9, West Ham also have the worst top flight record of any Premier League side outside Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town — who were all relegated last term.

They’ve also conceded 11 goals already, the highest number of any West Ham side at this stage of a Premier League season since Avram Grant’s Hammers were relegated in 2011.

The numbers make for extremely grim reading, and reports suggest that West Ham are internally discussing replacements for the under-fire Potter.

Nuno Espirito Santo is allegedly being considered by West Ham and chairman David Sullivan is a fan of the Portuguese, according to journalist Alan Nixon, with the ex-Wolves and Tottenham boss readily available after leaving Forest.

It is also claimed that West Ham have approached Coventry City boss and ex-player Frank Lampard, who has resurrected his managerial career in the West Midlands and came close to promotion from the Championship last season.

Kretinsky could push for "natural winner" to replace Potter at West Ham

The West Ham shareholder may push for a manager with a fantastic track record to replace Graham Potter.

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 16, 2025

Even serial winner Jose Mourinho has been linked with a move to east London after departing Fenerbache, but this trio of intriguing names have now been joined by Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna on West Ham’s managerial target list.

Kieran McKenna emerging as frontrunner for West Ham job

That is according to journalist Wayne Veysey and Football Insider, who report speculation is mounting that McKenna is emerging in pole position for the West Ham job after a development.

Veysey writes that McKenna was a surprise guest in the West Ham boardroom during their 3-0 loss to Spurs after being invited to attend.

It is unclear right now what the 39-year-old’s stance is on leaving Portman Road for the English capital, but there is reason for West Ham to consider him as an option.

Why Kieran McKenna could be a good appointment for West Ham

Ipswich’s boss guided them to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, before they were unfortunately relegated last campaign, and reports suggest that McKenna was actually a top Chelsea target to replace Mauricio Pochettino before they hired Enzo Maresca.

The coach, who once played for Tottenham reserves and the Lilywhites youth teams before hanging up his boots due to a hip injury, is regarded as one of England’s most promising young managers.

It’s been a slow start to 25/26 for the Tractor Boys, who’ve just recorded their first win of the Championship season with a 5-0 win over Sheffield United, and McKenna may well be tempted by the prospect of an immediate switch back to the top flight.

He’s also coached Man United and Spurs at junior level, with Liverpool legend John Barnes calling him a “sensational” tactician.

Aston Villa are now making advances in their pursuit of a “fabulous” attacker, with Unai Emery keen to bolster his forward line before the September 1st transfer deadline.

Emery keen on new forward after disappointing start

The 0-0 draw against Newcastle United on the opening day wasn’t the worst result, but Emery is likely to be a little more concerned by his side’s most recent performance, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat away at Brentford on Saturday.

The Villans dominated possession throughout the match, and arguably should have at least drawn the game on the balance of play, recording an xG of 1.23, compared to Brentford’s 1.27, but they were ultimately unable to take their chances.

As such, it is no surprise that Emery wants to bring in at least one new attacker before the deadline, and Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that three forwards with Premier League experience remain on the manager’s shortlist.

However, according to a report from A Bola (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have also submitted an offer for a Liga Portugal forward, namely Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo, with a €20m (£17m) proposal being tabled.

The Villans are said to be making advances in their pursuit of Catamo, but there is set to be competition for his signature from Fenerbahce, and the most recent offer was deemed too low by Sporting.

The Portuguese club are looking to hold out for around €25m – €30m (£22m – £26m) for the forward, meaning Monchi will have to increase his offer to tempt them into a sale.

He's like Duran & Benteke: Aston Villa make £65m star their top target

Aston Villa are eyeing up a new striker who is a mix of Jhon Durán and Christian Benteke.

ByWill Miller Aug 23, 2025 Catamo could be "fabulous" Ramsey replacement

With Jacob Ramsey departing to join Newcastle United, Emery could do with bringing in another versatile midfielder, and the Sporting star certainly fits the bill in that regard, given that he is capable of playing on both wings and in attacking midfield.

Once lauded as “fabulous” by former coach Filipe Celikkaya, the 24-year-old also played a major role in Sporting CP’s back-to-back Liga Portugal title triumphs in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, regularly chipping in with goals and assists.

Season

League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

27

8

2024-25

30

7

That said, it would be a risk to sign Catamo, given that he is unproven in one of Europe’s top leagues, and with Villa known to be treading a fine line PSR-wise, it may be better to only bring in Jackson, who could set them back £65m.