Manchester City are now weighing up whether to hijack their Premier League rivals’ move for a “game-changer”, according to a report.

Man City looking to sign new attackers before deadline

Despite already bringing in Rayan Cherki this summer, Man City may be tempted to bring in more attacking options before the transfer deadline, given that Jack Grealish joined Everton on a season-long loan deal, and there is speculation surrounding Savinho’s future.

Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur have been named as potential suitors for the winger, and Fabrizio Romano has revealed Pep Guardiola would like to bring in another Brazilian forward as a replacement.

However, there is widespread interest in Rodrygo, with Liverpool also considering a move, alongside the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta’s side very serious about signing the forward.

As such, it could be difficult for Man City to win the race for the Real Madrid star, but he is not the only attacker on their shortlist, with a report from talkSPORT revealing they are now considering a stunning hijack of Chelsea’s deal for Xavi Simons.

Simons has struck an agreement on personal terms over a move to Stamford Bridge, but given that a club-to-club deal has not been finalised, there is still time for City to make a late move for the RB Leipzig star, who is valued at £60m.

Man City now "leading" chase to sign £86m star who's keen on Etihad move

There has been a new update on City’s pursuit of a “special striker”.

ByDominic Lund Aug 13, 2025

The west Londoners are hoping to pay just over £50m, meaning the deal has now stalled, potentially opening the door for the Dutchman to move to the Etihad Stadium.

"Game-changer" Simons could be exciting addition for City

Since making the move to Germany, the former Paris Saint-Germain man has been a reliable source of goals and assists for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, showcasing that he could now be ready to test himself in the Premier League.

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Assists

2023-24

8

13

2024-25

10

7

The Amsterdam-born attacker is also a versatile player, capable of playing on both wings and through the middle, indicating that he could be a like-for-like replacement for Jack Grealish.

Once lauded as a “game-changer” by ESPN’s Tom Hamilton, Simons could be an exciting addition for City, but they have a difficult decision on their hands when it comes to deciding whether to pursue the Netherlands international or Rodrygo.

The Brazil international is thought to be Guardiola’s “dream target”, and he is more experienced at the top level, having scored 25 Champions League goals.

However, given that a deal for Rodrygo could amount to £86m, it would be more financially prudent to sign Simons, and there is every indication the RB Leipzig man could be just as successful at the Etihad Stadium.

Looking to spend big once again this summer, Manchester United are now reportedly preparing a “formal bid” to sign an attacking reinforcement who’s just as quick as Erling Haaland.

Amorim: Man United look like "different team" in pre-season

It’s been a summer full of positives so far for Manchester United, who have welcomed both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to Ruben Amorim’s side. Off the pitch, the Red Devils have spent well and have the potential to spend more. On the pitch, meanwhile, things are beginning to come together under Amorim.

His side particularly impressed in their most recent pre-season outing when they defeated Bournemouth 4-1 in the Premier League Summer Series. Goals from Rasmus Hojlund, Patrick Dorgu, Amad Diallo and Ethan Williams sealed an impressive victory just two weeks out from the start of the campaign.

Amorim lauded his side for how different they’ve looked in pre-season, telling reporters: “Of course, scoring first in the beginning of the games can change the confidence of the team. We changed some positions, and you feel that they know what to do in different positions.

“It was a good test. We controlled quite well the runs of Evanilson and Semenyo one against one. Luke Shaw was also really strong. So it was a good day.

Man Utd offered their very own version of Isak in Garnacho swap talks

The Red Devils could potentially ignite an intriguing player exchange deal.

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Sean Markus Clifford

Aug 1, 2025

“It was just a pre-season game but the feeling with the same players, even being a pre-season game, if you look at the same players now playing, it looks like a different team and that is a good sign.”

Things could be about to get even better for the United boss too, with reports suggesting that those at Old Trafford are now readying a formal bid to land their answer to Haaland.

Man Utd readying "formal bid" for Sesko

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are now readying a “formal bid” to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. Looking to welcome the forward, who reportedly favours a move to Old Trafford rather than Newcastle United, the Red Devils have been told to pay as much as €75m (£65m) for his signature in their biggest deal of the summer.

Whether Manchester United match Leipzig’s hefty price tag with their opening offer is now the big question. Of course, it’s clear to see why the German club are keen to make a hefty profit on their star striker.

Dubbed “special” by former Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell, Sesko scored 21 goals in all competitions last season and clocked a top speed of 36 km/h to match Haaland’s explosive record.

The last powerful speed demon took to the Premier League with ease and now Manchester United will be hoping to welcome Sesko before watching him enjoy the same fortunes as the world-class Haaland.

Aston Villa have been limited by the Premier League’s ill-famed Profit and Sustainability rules this summer, but Unai Emery remains in charge and the club have spent wisely to ensure they have the tools to tackle the season ahead.

And while roadblocks have been swerved over the past few months, with the recent £40m sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United an example of how the Midlands outfit have been hamstrung this term, one or two further additions may yet be made before the September 1st deadline.

That sale, poignant as it is, could lead to the signing of Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, with Emery personally driving the potential deal. He’s full of untapped potential, but the Spanish tactician might just be the perfect man to lift him toward that high ceiling.

But it’s not just the frontline Emery is mulling over, with a deal in the works for a new defensive player too.

Aston Villa eyeing new defender

Aston Villa welcomed 19-year-old centre-back Yasin Ozcan to their fold this summer after a pre-contract agreement, but the former Kasimpasa star has headed straight out on loan to Anderlecht.

However, a right-sided and versatile player remains of interest to the Villans, with Emery interested in signing an up-and-comer skilled across defence and in a number six berth.

Indeed, according to Foot Mercato, Villa have been buoyed in their summer-long bid to sign teenager Jaydee Canvot after the Toulouse star rejected a proposal from Saudi Arabia, and may be preparing a new offer for him in the final days of the window.

The £17m-rated youngster has already been the subject of one Aston Villa bid this summer, and it would appear Emery is persisting in his chase, and maybe that will pay off.

Why Villa want Jaydee Canvot

Canvot only broke into Toulouse’s senior set-up last season, starting 12 Ligue 1 matches in total, having featured for only five minutes across the opening 15 fixtures of the term.

Shifting between central defence and an anchoring midfield role, Canvot showed why there’s such excitement around him, assuredly completing 87% of his passes and also completing 70% of his dribbles, denoting control and purpose when carrying the ball forward.

His precision and adeptness in reading the game suggest he would be perfect for life in the Premier League, already framed at 6 foot 2 besides.

This versatile defensive style even suggests that Canvot could emulate his countryman Boubacar Kamara and play a similar role at Villa Park. Data-driven platform FBref has actually recorded Kamara to be one of Canvot’s most statistically similar players, ranking among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for through balls and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90.

His passing and natural predilection for forward play further underscore his potential in Emery’s system, and that also substantiates the claim that he could be the next version of Kamara, who has been described by the boss in the past as being “very important” to the side’s build-up and link-up play.

However, the 25-year-old has suffered his share of injury problems since joining Aston Villa from Marseille in 2022, and so while Canvot would replicate him in jumping to England over the Channel and settling in Aston, Birmingham, he would also ease the worries around another setback to Kamara, providing a similar presence and absorbing the fruits of his more experienced peer’s teachings.

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The Athletic’s David Ornstein has noted that Canvot is “viewed as a [sic] top prospect,” and Villa would provide him with the perfect nurturing ground to grow into his skin and reach the level of first-team stars such as Kamara.

Graham Potter already has his work cut out to get a disgruntled West Ham United fanbase back on his side.

Two games down in the brand new Premier League season, and the Hammers find themselves in a miserable rock bottom position, having just shipped five goals to Potter’s ex-employers Chelsea in a humiliating 5-1 home defeat.

With just five wins from 21 games in charge now, the worry will be that the 50-year-old boss is already under significant pressure to turn matters around, or face the earliest boot of the season.

He will surely hope that more transfers in through the door can give him the best possible chance at hanging onto his job post, as the premature relegation candidates continue to be linked with a whole host of exciting names.

West Ham lodge £17.5m bid for new midfielder

The dark clouds hanging over proceedings at the London Stadium could be lifted by a positive incoming or two.

The basement side isare tipped to be in the race to land Raheem Sterling as he navigates a Chelsea exit this summer, while they are also deep in the battle to snap up promising AS Monaco midfielder Soungoutou Magassa, having even submitted a bid for his services.

Another bid has also been lodged by the Hammers to snap up Torino’s midfield ace Ivan Ilic, with Hammers News revealing that the same £17.5m package that was put forward for Magassa – before Nottingham Forest raced ahead of Potter and Co. for the 21-year-old – has now been placed on the table for the Serbian.

The report does state there is no concrete update on whether Ilic would welcome a move to East London, but he is seen as an alternative to the in-demand Magassa.

The 24-year-old might actually be deemed as the better option to pursue, with Potter perhaps winning another Tomas Soucek-style figure by landing the impressive Serbia international.

How Ilic can become Potter's new Soucek

Soucek might well have been subject to interest from the likes of Everton and Leeds United earlier in the transfer window, but it looks as if the towering midfield presence will remain at West Ham, even as they likely prepare for a tough battle against the drop.

Coming in at 247 games now for the Hammers, it would have been a real shame if the long-standing servant decided he had enough this summer, with a stunning 41 goals and 13 assists also on his side, away from completing his usual forceful midfield duties.

Losing such a much-loved body would have been disastrous, therefore, but Potter will feel more at ease with his midfield options – away from relying on Soucek – if he can snap up Ilic just in time before September’s cut-off, with his well-rounded game drawing some similarities to the Czech icon.

Indeed, from 68 games for current employers Torino, Ilic has displayed a similar strength to Soucek in chipping with goals and assists, with seven strikes and six assists tallied up from those clashes.

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His former Slavia Prague counterpart does have the boost of scoring 27 more career strikes for West Ham, compared to Ilic’s lesser nine goals in the Serie A, but the correlations between the two don’t end here.

When the 24-year-old was at the peak of his powers in the Italian top-flight, he would forcefully win duels for fun, as seen in his average of 4.6 won per Serie A clash during the 2021/22 campaign for Hellas Verona.

Soucek won five per game last season during 30 Premier League contests, with the duo together perhaps giving the Hammers some well-needed grit centrally to toughen up after a disastrous run of defeats, on top of also being able to offer the likes of Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen further up the pitch a helping hand.

After all, football analyst Ben Mattinson has previously heralded Ilic as a “complete” midfielder, while also further waxing lyrical about how “underrated” of a presence he is, strutting his stuff in Serie A.

Soucek has also been showered with the same level of praise, having been once lauded as having “absolutely everything” you need in a midfielder by ex-Irons player David Connolly back in 2021.

Potter will hope he has uncovered this next Soucek by Ilic entering through the door, with the Serbian also being another feel-good presence to steer the club away from relegation doom.

West Ham submit opening offer to sign "exciting" 6'2 Alvarez replacement

The Hammers have made their first move…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 23, 2025

Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of one player who’s now effectively ruled out every other destination this summer, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Blues are expected to be very busy in terms of both incomings and outgoings before the transfer deadline on September 1.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Enzo Maresca has already watched Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Armando Broja, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Lesley Ugochukwu leave Stamford Bridge this summer, raising nearly £220 million transfer fees.

This has allowed Chelsea to balance out the squad and make room for key new additions, with UEFA pressuring the west Londoners to produce a ‘positive transfer balance’, or face an inability to register summer signings for next season’s Champions League.

With more also expected to depart, Chelsea are currently in talks to seal a few further incomings as BlueCo give Maresca their full backing.

Chelsea have been linked with RB Leipzig sensation Xavi Simons for a while now, and it looks like things are seriously heating up.

Maresca’s side are advanced in their talks and The Netherlands international has removed Leipzig from his Instagram bio – a clear indicator that his move to London is gaining traction with Chelsea reliably believed to be far down the line in negotiations.

Some reports even suggest that Chelsea have reached a “total agreement” for Simons and only the final details are to be ironed out, but this is yet to be backed up by the wider media.

Simons isn’t the only player who’s dropped hints about a potential move to Chelsea on Instagram, either, with Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho deploying similar social media tactics.

The Argentine boldly liked a post from Fabrizio Romano linking him with a switch to London, which is again seen as a clear suggestion that he wants to join them.

Tottenham and Aston Villa have been named as alternative landing spots for Garnacho who’s determined to leave Old Trafford, but according to Ornstein, Chelsea face zero threat from either of them.

Alejandro Garnacho rules out every other club but Chelsea

The reporter, in an update on X, states that Garnacho only wants Chelsea ‘or nothing’.

For The Athletic, Ornstein writes that talks are ‘now advanced’ for the 22-year-old, who’s effectively ruled out all other options but a switch to Cobham.

In a further boost for Chelsea, United have been forced to drop their previous asking price of £70 million to around £50 million, as per the BBC, so Maresca could see the exciting winger join his squad in a cut-price deal.

Garnacho’s public Red Devils fallout could be cause for concern over his attitude, but The Telegraph report that Chelsea are satisfied with his personality after conducting extensive background checks.

اختارت رابطة الأندية المحترفة، أفضل لاعب في مباراة الزمالك وغزل المحلة، التي جمعت بين الفريقين اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز. 

طالع.. فيديو | غزل المحلة يخطف نقطة ثمينة ويُزيد معاناة الزمالك في الدوري المصري

والتقى الزمالك أمام نظيره غزل المحلة، في الخامسة مساء اليوم على ملعب استاد هيئة قناة السويس، في الجولة العاشرة من عمر مسابقة الدوري المصري.

وانتهت مباراة الزمالك أمام نظيره غزل المحلة، بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين اليوم، ليفقد الفارس الأبيض نقطتين هامتين بعد الخسارة أمام الأهلي في الجولة الماضية، في صراع صدارة الدوري الممتاز. 

وتم اختيار محمود صلاح لاعب فريق غزل المحلة، كأفضل لاعب في مباراة الزمالك وغزل المحلة.

وبهذه النتيجة، رفع الزمالك رصيده إلى 18 نقطة، في المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، بينما رفع فريق غزل المحلة رصيده إلى 11 نقطة في المركز الـ14 في ترتيب الدوري الممتاز. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Cinco minutos. Esse foi o tempo que durou a persistência do São Paulo em atacar com grande ímpeto o Fortaleza no empate sem gols entre as equipes no Castelão, quinta-feira (11), pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. Tão logo Juan Vojvoda, o consagrado técnico dos cearenses, se tocou do que o adversário tentava fazer, tratou de travar as válvulas de escape pelos lados de campo. E aí Dorival Júnior respondeu, reforçando a marcação no meio-campo e deixando Calleri ainda mais isolado.

O jogo de xadrez travado entre o comandante do time paulista e do Leão do Pici se por um lado deixou a partida feia para quem queria fortes emoções, do outro escancarou o que se esperar de Dorival no Morumbi para a sequência desta temporada.

RelacionadasSão PauloATUAÇÕES: Com ‘mistão’ pouco inspirado, São Paulo faz jogo sonolento contra o FortalezaSão Paulo11/05/2023São PauloMistão do São Paulo cumpre missão, amarra Fortaleza e garante o empate sem gols pelo Brasileirão em jogo de 2 expulsõesSão Paulo11/05/2023São PauloSem viajar com o São Paulo para Fortaleza, Jandrei sofre fratura na mãoSão Paulo11/05/2023

+ ATUAÇÕES: Com “mistão” pouco inspirado, São Paulo faz jogo sonolento contra o Fortaleza

Sem medo de ser feliz, o treinador não tem receio nenhum de fazer o que o antecessor Rogério Ceni mais temia: mandar seu time não jogar. Sim, parece uma antítese clara, mas vale ressaltar que o novo São Paulo não tem vergonha nenhuma de mandar a bola para o mato quando necessário, se fechar quando o adversário mais forte ataca e jogar dentro de suas limitações.

Parece pouca coisa. De fato pode ser. Mas é um avanço inestimável a um time que antes perdia pontos bobos com empates e derrotas após abrir o placar. O São Paulo de Ceni era facilmente encaixotado quando sofria um gol logo cedo. Não tinha alternâncias necessárias de jogo para reverter um quadro muitas vezes favorável a si mesmo.

O estilo mais pragmático chegou para ficar no Tricolor… Se o torcedor são-paulino vai gostar? Às favas, ora bolas. Dorival continua ostentando uma invencibilidade no clube. Falava-se em ‘feijão com arroz’ quando ele foi contratado. Porém o simples, muitas vezes, é muito complexo para quem estava acostumado a um estilo de jogo que, por ora, não há espaço no Morumbi, sejamos francos.

E talvez o retrato mais fiel do peso da balança tricolor seja exatamente esse. O São Paulo começou o campeonato ameaçado pelo fantasma do rebaixamento. Exagero? Difícil dizer. Na edição mais difíceis dos últimos anos, com todos os ‘grandes’ jogando (entre eles o Fortaleza, importante ressaltar), o clube de Ceni perdia de virada para o Botafogo nos últimos minutos. O de Dorival arranca empates salvadores contra Coritiba, no Castelão e vence o Internacional.

Pontos mais do que fundamentais para, acima de tudo, manter o sonho vivo. Qual sonho? O tempo irá dizer. Mas seguiremos jogando como time pequeno, pode indagar o torcedor mais corneta… Sigamos o conselho de nossas vovós: às vezes vale dar um passo para trás para depois avançar. Ihhhhh, 45 pontos qualquer dia tamo aí…

+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados da Brasileirão-23 na tabela do LANCE!

South Africa have not played a single, full 20 over game in the tournament having been hounded by rain

Raunak Kapoor30-Jan-2025AustraliaThe story so far: Australia topped their group with comfortable wins against Scotland and Nepal, and a tense two-wicket win against Bangladesh. An easy win against West Indies in the Super Six combined with other results meant they secured a semi-final spot ahead of their final Super Six clash against Sri Lanka, where they failed to chase 100, becoming the only semi-finalists to suffer a defeat in the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.What’s working: The bowling attack. Eleanor Larosa’s left-arm swing is a genuine threat with the new ball. Fifteen-year old WBBL sensation Caoimhe Bray, who idolises Ellyse Perry, is playing Perry’s role for this U-19 team: wicket-taking, decisive counter-attacking batting or making tough catches look easy. Legspinners Teegan Williamson and Hasrat Gill have 15 wickets between them at a combined average of 7.77. Lily Bassingthwaighte’s late entry into the playing XI has added more teeth to the attack, resulting in opposition scores of 48, 91 for 9, 56 for 8, 53 and 99 for 8.What’s not working: The batting. Openers Kate Pelle and Ines McKeon are both power-hitters, but have consistently misfired, leaving Australia with a big decision on whether to leave one of them out in the semi-final. Nepal captain Puja Mahato had them at 14 for 3 before Bray’s brilliant counter-attacking 45, also the highest score for an Australian batter in the tournament, helped them post their highest team total of 139 for 6. Accurate spin bowling has also been a challenge for the Australian batters at the top and in the middle order, a struggle that was apparent in their last game when they failed to chase 100. Captain Lucy Hamilton at No. 3 remains their most reliable bat. Her innings of 30 off 35 on a tough spinning surface in Bangi, Malaysia, against Bangladesh won her the Player of the Match in a chase of 92.What to look out for: They might be entering the semi-final off a loss, but Australia have been tested as a unit far more than their opposition, or for that matter, all the other semi-final sides. Their batters would welcome the change of venue to the Bayumeas Oval in Kuala Lumpur where run-scoring has been much easier than the more challenging UKM Oval, where Hamilton’s side have played all five of their matches in the tournament. If they can get a competitive total, even 100-110, they’ll back the form of their bowlers to defend it.South Africa go into semi-finals undefeated•ICC/Getty ImagesSouth AfricaThe story so far: Rain has followed Kayla Reyneke’s South African side throughout the tournament. But it has relented just enough to allow them one reduced game after another to secure the wins needed to top both their Group Stage and the Super Six Group, without having played a full 40 overs once. They won an 11-overs-a-side game against New Zealand, an eight-overs a side shootout against Nigeria and a 10-overs per side contest against Ireland. Their only full match happened to be against Samoa, where they blew their hapless opposition away for a record low of 16 and chased it in 10 balls. Their final Super Six match against USA was washed out.What’s working: While they’ve never had to bowl a full 20 overs, the bowling unit does seem well-equipped and well-rounded. Nthabiseng Nini might be among the quickest in the competition and has been effective moving the ball away from the right-handers, while Monalisa Legodi moves it the other way. Legspinner Seshine Naidu and captain Reyneke’s offspin have made light work of any opposition so far. All four playing in their second U-19 Women’s World Cup. Reyneke has led the side impressively and in spite of lengthy rain breaks and waiting on the sidelines, South Africa have looked sharp when on the field.What’s not working: They might have four wins on the board but South Africa’s batters have batted only 26.5 overs all tournament, less than half of England (55.2) and India (54.2), just over a third of the overs their more battle-hardened semi-final opponents Australia (76.5). It’s hard therefore to conclude what sort of form their batters are in but openers Jemma Botha and Simone Lourens, and keeper Karabo Meso have notched up quickfire 20s and 30s when needed. All three of them are also playing their second edition of the women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup.What to look out for: South Africa’s spinners will be key to testing Australia’s vulnerabilities. Reyneke leads their wicket-taking list with nine wickets at an average of 3.88 and economy of 4.03.

Juventus fought back with two stoppage-time goals to draw 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday's Champions League thriller, but coach Igor Tudor was furious after the game. The Croatian blasted referee Francois Letexier and VAR for missing a first-half handball that he felt should have given his side a penalty that would have changed the course of the game.

Vlahovic and Kelly’s stoppage-time heroics rescue Juventus

After a cagey first-half, the game exploded in the second. Dortmund netted through Karim Adeyemi, Yan Couto and Ramy Bensebaini’s penalty, while Kenan Yildiz and Dusan Vlahovic kept Juve alive. Trailing 4-2 deep in stoppage time, Vlahovic struck in the 94th minute and set up Lloyd Kelly’s dramatic equaliser two minutes later.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTudor slams referee and VAR over missed handball decision

Speaking after the game, Tudor slammed the officiating, saying his side should have been awarded a spot kick in the first half. However, after an intense derby win against Inter at the weekend, his players were struggling by the end of the first 45 minutes.

"Clearly, it's a positive thing. If this match had been played on Saturday, a week after Inter, it wouldn't have ended like this," he said in a press conference. "At half-time, I saw the players' faces were white, they were dead. The goals we conceded are the result of fatigue. Bremer is playing after a long injury, [Andrea] Cambiaso had been out for a while, and Yildiz was so tired he should have been taken off at half-time. They lack freshness, the energy to get there first."

He added: "This referee damaged us; there was a penalty for us in the first half. This has to be said, because with the penalty for us and without the one for them, it could have ended 4-2. He wasn't having a great night."

Defense remains a major issue despite Juventus fightback

Juventus showed plenty of fight, but their defensive problems were clear once again. Tudor admitted they conceded "two or three easy goals that could have been avoided," blaming both fatigue and lapses in concentration. 

"We also missed [Francisco] Conceicao due to our style of play, Cambiaso played his first game in 15-20 days, Bremer is coming off a long layoff: all these issues matter, but I have a great squad and we accept this point. It was the best we could do," he added.

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Getty ImagesJuventus turn focus to Verona trip after Champions League thriller

After a thrilling home draw in the Champions League, the Old Lady will now prepare for a Serie A trip to Verona on Saturday. Tudor’s side has made a strong start to the season, winning their first three games and sitting second behind Napoli on goal difference.

Taskin Ahmed became only the third bowler in history to take a seven-wicket haul in men’s T20s, claiming 7 for 19 in Durbar Rajshahi’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match against Dhaka Capitals. It is also the best bowling figures in the BPL’s history, beating Mohammad Amir’s 6 for 17 for Khulna Tigers in 2020.Taskin continues to be consistent in all formats after he finished 2024 with 63 international wickets at 19.23, Bangladesh’s biggest haul in the year.He emulated Colin Ackermann, who was the first bowler to take seven wickets in a T20 – in a Vitality Blast game in 2019 – and Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus, who took seven for Malaysia against China in 2023.After Dhaka decided to bat at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Taskin removed both openers Litton Das and Tanzid Hasan in his first two overs. He bowled a ripper to Litton, who fended the short ball towards first slip, before Tanzid was caught behind chasing a wide one.Dhaka recovered in the middle overs before Taskin returned with the wicket of Shahadat Hossain in the 17th over. Beaten by a slower ball, Shahadat holed out to Ryan Burl who took a sharp catch at long-on. Taskin had Chaturanga de Silva later in the same over, before a triple-wicket final over. Alauddin Babu was the first to go in the 20th, skying one to mid-off, before Taskin yorked Mukidul Islam. He missed out on the hat-trick but got Shubham Ranjane next ball to finish with 4-0-19-7.The glut of wickets in the last four overs slowed Dhaka down significantly, leaving Rajshahi with a moderate 175 to chase. They reached the target in the 19th over, with seven wickets in hand.Taskin said it was a proud moment for him, becoming the bowler with the best figures in the BPL. “I have always thought about taking a lot of wickets. If you don’t visualise it, you can’t make it happen. Obviously you need luck to take wickets. I am happy that I could execute my plans… It is a great feeling that I could deliver whenever my captain brought me into the attack.””It is always special to take a five-wicket haul in every format,” he added. “I have taken three or four wickets plenty of times. You need luck to get five. I am really happy. It’s a big deal for me. I am from Bangladesh so I will remember holding this BPL record.”Taskin said that he was happy with the type of pitches on offer at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, with the surfaces mostly sporting. “I think there is little margin for error. We can’t get away with any lose deliveries. Pitches are great for batters, who face a bit of challenge only against the new ball. I think such pitches will help us in the Champions Trophy [in February] where we will play on mostly good batting tracks in Pakistan and UAE.”