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Aston Villa are on the verge of completing their first major move of the summer as Unai Emery looks to build a squad capable of competing on all fronts next season.

Villans looking to strengthen

After a fourth placed Premier League finish, Emery's side want to bolster their ranks this summer ahead of a Champions League challenge in September. They have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Ross Barkley from Luton Town in a deal that is expected to set them back around £5m, though that has yet to be confirmed by either club following Luton's relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season.

Aston Villa want to sign UCL winner who could light it up in Europe

It would be a return to Villa Park for the player

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 20, 2024

One departure has been completed, however, in the form of midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, who is reportedly on the verge of joining Everton in a deal worth close to £10m. Additions will be forthcoming, with the club interested in signing Lewis Dobbin from Everton as well as trying to agree a swap deal with Juventus for Douglas Luiz, which will see Samuel Iling-Junior and at least one more Juve player make the switch to Villa Park.

Meanwhile, the club are still looking to offload fullbacks, with Matty Cash interesting both Inter and AC Milan, while Lucas Digne is thought to be free to leave the club.

There remains speculation around Jhon Duran too, amid interest from Chelsea, and now that deal could be about to take another step forwards.

Villa agree defender deal

That comes as Aston Villa have reportedly agreed a deal with Chelsea to take Ian Maatsen to Villa Park this summer. The Dutch defender spent the second half of last season on loan with Borussia Dortmund, helping them reach a Champions League final, where they were beaten by Real Madrid.

But he has since returned to Stamford Bridge, with Dortmund not willing to pay the £35m option to buy the fullback that was in their loan agreement, and that clause having since expired. With just two years left to run on his £20,000 a week deal in west London, he was always likely to be sold this summer.

And Villa have pounced. As per David Ornstein, the 22-year-old has agreed a six year contract with the Midlands outfit, while Chelsea will pocket a fee "just north" of £35m, which has since been clarified by other outlets as up to £40m with add-ons included.

The defender is currently at EURO 2024 with the Netherlands, having been a late call up to Ronald Koeman's squad, and was an unused substitute in their group stage opener against Poland.

Ian Maatsen 23/24 (all competitions)

Appearances

38

Goals

3

Assists

2

Yellow Cards

10

Any move for Maatsen may see Duran head the other way as both sides look to balance their books for the purposes of financial fair play, though it technically would be in a seperate deal. Well-liked by his coaches, Maatsen was hailed by Vincent Kompany during his loan spell at Burnley, in which he helped the Clarets win the Championship.

“He's got to be coachable in a sense that when he's not doing well we've got to be able to tell him and eventually learn from his mistakes", the now Bayern boss explained.

“He's got to be willing to work hard, he does that terrifically, and get better. He's just turning into something that we expected him to be able to become. He's a very, very versatile full-back with lots of energy and great potential."

France are within touching distance of the Nations League quarter-finals after beating Belgium 2-1, with Randal Kolo Muani bagging a brace.

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France beat Belgium 2-1Kolo Muani bags brace in fine displayTchouameni sent off & Tielemans misses penaltyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

France held on for all three points after going down to 10 men late on in their highly-entertaining victory over Belgium, significantly boosting Les Bleus' hopes of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals.

Belgium's pace going forward caused France problems in the early exchanges and midway through the first half they earned a penalty when William Saliba clattered into Lois Openda. The Arsenal man was the most relieved person inside the King Baudouin Stadium as Youri Tielemans blazed the resulting spot-kick over the bar, and Randal Kolo Muani showed the Aston Villa midfielder how it's done when he scored a penalty for France moments later.

The hosts got back into the contest on the stroke of half-time when Openda evaded Saliba to steer home a cross from Timothy Castagne, but France restored their lead in the 62nd minute when Kolo Muani diverted a header beyond Koen Casteels for his second of the night. Aurelien Tchouameni made France sweat when he was sent off after picking up a second yellow card with 15 minutes to go, but Didier Deschamps' side held on for all three points to put themselves in a great position to reach the last eight.

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It's safe to say Kolo Muani has enjoyed this international break. He provided an assist in their 4-1 win against Israel last week and followed that up with a brace in Brussels. The Paris Saint-Germain striker never looked like missing his penalty and then won the game in the second half. No Mbappe, no problem for France.

THE BIG LOSER

Tielemans will be hurting over his missed penalty, which would have given Belgium a 1-0 lead at a time in the game where France were very unsettled. But this was an unconvincing display from Saliba at the heart of France's defence. His foul for Belgium's penalty was very clumsy and he lost track of Openda for the Red Devils' equaliser. Thankfully for the 23-year-old, Kolo Muani was on form at the other end of the pitch or else the scrutiny would have been even more intense.

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WHAT COMES NEXT?

France are now on nine points in Group A2 and have one foot in the quarter-finals. They take on Israel in their next meeting on October 14 while Belgium, on four points and needing a miracle, host group leaders Italy.

Win takes Royals to fifth, level on points with fourth- and sixth-placed Kings XI and Kolkata Knight Riders

Vishal Dikshit30-Oct-20203:31

Was Rahul right in blaming the dew?

A breath-taking half-century from Ben Stokes and a perfectly-paced 48 from Sanju Samson trumped a belligerent 99 from Chris Gayle to keep the Rajasthan Royals alive in the playoff race with a seven-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab in Abu Dhabi, where KL Rahul’s team is yet to win a match. The Royals’ chase of 186 was set up in the powerplay itself by Stokes’ 26-ball 50, and even though he fell in the sixth over, Samson’s classy 25-ball innings and some enterprising batting from Steven Smith and Jos Buttler against a dew-wet ball took the Royals to 12 points – level with the Kings XI and the Kolkata Knight Riders – and helped them jump from seventh to fifth place.Gayle cops fine

Chris Gayle, the Kings XI Punjab batsman, has been fined 10 percent of his match fee for breaching the IPL code of conduct during the match against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi on Friday. He admitted to the Level 1 offence 2.2 of the IPL’s code of conduct and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee.

Samson and Stokes carried forward their form from the win against the Mumbai Indians; Stokes’ handsome pulls and unorthodox reverse sweeps helped him collect six fours and three sixes for a strike rate of 192.30, and Samson’s well-timed strokes against both pace and spin brought down the Royals’ asking rate dramatically to just seven by the 14th over. Samson took the baton after Stokes’ dismissal and reduced the equation to just 41 from 34 balls by the time he fell, which made it fairly easy for Smith and Buttler to seal the Royals’ fifth win while chasing.A Royal performance by the top order
Right from the first over, the Royals’ batsmen took on each one of the Kings XI bowlers. If it was Stokes who went after M Ashwin in the powerplay for 16 runs, aided by two sixes, later it was Robin Uthappa and Samson who kept finding boundaries against Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh.Openers Uthappa and Stokes attacked Mohammed Shami and Singh early on, which meant that as soon as Stokes found mid-off in the sixth over off Chris Jordan, the Kings XI brought legspin on from both ends against two right-hand batsmen. Barring an expensive ninth over from Singh for 14 runs, Ashwin and Bishnoi bowled six overs on the trot, and Uthappa and Samson milked them for 52 runs. Uthappa relied on singles to give Samson the strike, and the younger man aited until the tenth over to tear into the bowlers. When he saw flight, he lofted it straight back, and when he saw the length even marginally short, he cut and pulled to propel his strike rate to nearly 200 at one point.Uthappa holed out off Ashwin for 30 while attempting a second straight six, and Samson was run-out while attempting an unnecessary single in the 15th over, but their fifty partnership had done enough for the middle order.Jofra Archer shakes Chris Gayle’s hand after castling him for 99•BCCIGayle gets two lives, and makes the most of them
On two occasions, Gayle’s attempted boundaries gave the Royals chances to send him back and both times he survived. The first time, when he was on 4, Gayle skied the ball really high towards deep square-leg, where Riyan Parag also saw Robin Uthappa running towards him from the 30-yard circle and grassed a catch he should have taken. The second time, with Gayle on 50, the ball was lofted towards mid-on where Stokes ran in from the deep, but Rahul Tewatia, the bowler, went for the catch but couldn’t reach it.KL Rahul was playing second-fiddle at the other end as he tried to up the rate but couldn’t time the ball as well as he normally does during his 41-ball 46. Gayle was almost batting in a different game. The duo saw off the dangerous Jofra Archer’s two-over first spell, which accounted for Mandeep Singh with a nasty short ball, so that they could take on a wayward Varun Aaron, who came in place of Ankit Rajpoot, and make use of Kartik Tyagi’s pace. Tyagi’s approach of bowling yorkers also did not work as Gayle made room to either find boundaries or dispatch the low full tosses into the stands.After the trio of fast bowlers couldn’t get rid of Gayle in the powerplay, the Royals had to turn to their legspinners whom Gayle didn’t spare either.Stokes and Archer keep things tight
When speeds slower than Archer’s was being hit for runs, Stokes figured it was better to take the pace off the ball. He sent down knuckle balls, cutters and slower ones under 130kph, which were much tougher to hit for boundaries. One of those accounted for Rahul in the 15th over, but Nicholas Pooran and Gayle then went after Aaron and Tyagi again in the end.With two overs left, Gayle was on 84 and he stormed into the 90s with his 1000th T20 six before launching Archer over long-on to reach 99. But Archer, from around the wicket, followed it with a near-yorker that deflected off Gayle’s pads and cannoned into the stumps. An emotional Gayle lost his bat when he tried to hit it into the ground in frustration and then walked off after shaking Archer’s hand with his helmet perched on his bat.

With the summer transfer window now officially open, Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made their first move to sign a defensive reinforcement for Ange Postecoglou and his side.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites and Daniel Levy are looking to bounce back from a mixed Premier League season, having started well before dropping off and eventually failing to qualify for the Champions League. What became clear throughout the campaign is a lack of depth within Postecoglou's squad, with a particular focus on the backline. As Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro suffered ill-timed injuries, Spurs were left short on the type of quality they must find in the summer transfer window.

Decision imminent as Tottenham receive formal bid for £20 million ace

Fabrizio Romano has shared exit news out of north London.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 15, 2024

With that said, the reports have already started. On the incomings front, Spurs have already been linked with the likes of Eberechi Eze in an attempt to bolster their attack. Eze could be a particular one to watch after another excellent season at Crystal Palace. Called up to Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 England squad as a result, the attacking midfielder would complete a summer to remember with a big move. And he's not the only one.

According to Caught Offside, Daniel Levy and Spurs have made their first move to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna this summer, though the young Italian centre-back prefers a move to Juventus. Holding talks for the first time nonetheless, Spurs may just hope to gain an edge on the Serie A giants ahead of potentially meeting Bologna's €35m (£30m) release clause.

Still just 22 years old, Calafiori would join the likes of Van de Ven in a project that is still getting underway under Postecoglou and a project that he could play a crucial part in. Given that he is currently at Euro 2024 with Italy, however, any deal may have to wait until after his tournament has concluded.

"Confident" Calafiori can partner Romero

With Van de Ven stepping into the left-back role towards the end of the season at Spurs, the arrival of Calafiori would open up further possibilities for Postecoglou, who could partner Romero and the young Italian. Suddenly, the Australian would be looking at a back four of Van de Ven, Calafiori, Romero and Porro in what is, on paper, a backline potentially worthy of a top four finish.

Progressive Carries

28

32

Progressive Passes

96

179

Tackles Won

37

40

Interceptions

56

44

Ball Recoveries

194

189

Keeping up with a defender of Romero's quality takes some doing, but Calafiori did exactly that last season and could now find himself standing next to the Argentine if Spurs push on with their pursuit this summer.

It's no surprise that he's already impressed at the Euros too, with Zach Lowy taking the opportunity to call the young defender "confident" and a "delight to watch" on X.

It will be all eyes on Calafiori in North London as the Spurs target takes on the Euros and potentially proves exactly why they're after his signature this summer.

France boss Didier Deschamps reacted positively to the news of Paul Pogba's four-year doping ban being reduced.

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Deschamps reacts to reduction of Pogba's banCould move out of JuventusFrance manager vowed support to PogbaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Juventus midfielder recently found out that his four-year doping ban has been cut to 18 months after his successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). As per the new ruling, Pogba is now expected to be back in action in March 2025.

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However, there has been speculation over the Frenchman's future at Juventus, with the claiming that the Serie A giants are in talks with the player over a mutual termination of his contract. France manager Deschamps has welcomed the news of Pogba's ban being reduced and vowed to keep supporting the player in the next stage of his career, albeit without directly opening the door for him to return to the national team.

WHAT DIDIER DESCHAMPS SAID

In an interview with the France Football Federation, the World Cup-winning coach said: "I’ve spoken on the phone with him for a long time during this challenging period for him. Obviously, it’s very, very, positive news for him. At least now, he knows he can return to play football in March. There will be a time, from January to March, when he’ll have to do a lot of specific work. It’s a relief for him, and I am happy for him too. It’s still a heavy sanction, but 18 months is less harsh than the initial four years. Some steps must be taken, but it’s excellent news humanly."

Deschamps added: "In the meantime, there will be discussions with his club, Juventus, his current employer. But at least he knows that in March 2025, he can return to playing. He loves football so much. I ensure I remain in contact with and support all the players. I’ve known Paul from the very start, but when there are complicated moments, injuries, private issues, or suspensions like this one, the players know that I am available at any time and can communicate with them and with him in this case. It’s essential to me, without knowing what will happen tomorrow. This kind of support is natural in the relationship of trust that I feel I have with the players."

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

The 31-year-old has been linked with a move to MLS as several U.S. clubs have reportedly shown interest in his services. A move to Ligue 1 could also be an option, with former Manchester United and France star Patrice Evra admitting that he wants to see Pogba linking up with Mason Greenwood at Marseille.

It’s fair to say that Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge of Manchester United was far from ideal, with subpar performances being matched by frustrating results.

There were many reasons for that, but one that cannot be overlooked was the absence of United’s Argentine rock, Lisandro Martinez.

The centre back missed a huge 42 matches through injury last campaign, with his recovery often met by another setback.

With the number six in mind, let’s take a look at a Man United target who could already be just as good as Martinez.

Man Utd’s search for a new centre back

As per a report from Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, Man Utd are considering a move for Odilon Kossounou, with talks having been held regarding a potential swoop.

It’s said that a fee in the region of £38m would be enough to secure his services this summer, which is a fairly reasonable number for a player of his quality.

Despite being handed a new offer, the defender hasn’t yet replied to Bayer Leverkusen, as he’s reportedly not opposed to a new adventure.

However, United will face competition from other Premier League clubs for his signature, with Liverpool and Newcastle United both keen.

Why Kossounou could already be as good as Martinez

Ever since his move to Leverkusen in 2021, Kossounou has been a reliable performer when called upon, despite not always being in the starting eleven.

Last season, the 23-year-old played an important role in Xabi Alonso’s side going unbeaten domestically while winning the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal.

Kossounou started 21 times in the Bundesliga, operating as a wide right centre-back in a 3-4-3 variant, and he also featured eight times in their run to the Europa League final.

It seems that based on his statistics from last season, the number six only needs a run of games to truly excel, and Man United could just provide him that opportunity.

Touches

79.51

71.05

Passes completed

63.31

57.26

Progressive passes

7.01

3.90

Progressive carries

2.39

1.11

Passes into final third

7.70

4.04

Tackles

1.49

1.67

Interceptions

1.34

0.70

As you can see from the table above, Kossounou is already boasting fantastic numbers, with the majority even being superior to Martinez’s.

Just like the World Cup winner, the right-footed ace is an extremely complete defender who has excellent technical ability and confidence on the ball.

Regardless of whether they’re under pressure or have time on the ball, the first thought is how to move the ball forward, as shown by their touches and progressive statistics.

However, as you can see, Kossounou absolutely wipes the floor with Martinez in that respect, even though that’s expected when the Red Devils had just over 50% possession last term.

On the other hand, what makes the former Club Brugge defender "exceptional," as dubbed by football scout Antonio Mango, is his athletic and dynamic ability while clearly having defensive solidity, which would make him perfect alongside Martinez.

Given that United struggled with transitions last season, having a centre back that is comfortable defending wide zones and 1v1 scenarios is vital, and Kossounou’s experience of playing as a wide centre back would lend himself nicely to those tasks.

Overall, signing Kossounou could prove to be an excellent purchase this summer, particularly if he can perform anywhere near the level of Martinez.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1 ByTom Lever Jun 7, 2024

Tom Blundell will take over as wicketkeeper and move down the order

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2020Will Young has been handed his Test debut against West Indies in Hamilton after BJ Watling was ruled out with a hamstring injury.Tom Blundell will take the wicketkeeping gloves and move down the order with Young partnering Tom Latham at the top.Watch the cricket on ESPN+

New Zealand vs West Indies is available in the USA on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the series

Young, 28, has been close to a Test debut before and was set to play against Bangladesh in 2019 before the final Test in Christchurch was cancelled following the terror attack in the city.He averages 43.76 in his first-class career with ten centuries, the most recent of which came against West Indies for New Zealand A last week”It’s an exciting opportunity for him at the top of the order and I know he’s just looking forward to getting involved after some near opportunities that didn’t eventuate,” captain Kane Williamson said. “He’s been around the environment for some time without getting his first opportunity so I think that’s also a real positive. Often you come into teams and it’s new, you are trying to get a feel for the group but he’s got that feel, he’s an experienced player, has played a lot of first-class cricket and to a very high standard and he deserves that opportunity.”He’s pretty calm and relaxed and knows that he just wants to go out and contribute as much as he can to the team so that attitude is a great thing to have.”Watling picked up the injury during his last outing in the Ford Trophy and following assessment in Hamilton it was decided there was too much risking including him for a Test.”He has seen it all before,” Williamson said. “He knows his body better than anybody. Obviously, he has got a sore hamstring at the moment, but he’s very confident that he can get back to full fitness quite soon. He himself is aware of the challenges you put your body through over a five-day period, and so it’s very difficult to go into a match at a sort of half-fitness.”He cares about the team more than anybody, so he sees it from that perspective. Through discussion with the management, they found that was the best option. He’s a leader in the group, and he showed that through the conversations we had yesterday.”A decision over the rest of the final XI is yet to be made with one of the key debates whether New Zealand go in with a frontline spin option in Mitchell Santner, who was called up in place of the injured Ajaz Patel, or opt for an all-pace attack.”It’s a little bit tricky,” Williamson said of the make-up of the likely XI. “Naturally that is always a bit of a challenge playing in New Zealand, and looking at the roles that you might believe have larger factors. It’s unique to here more than in other places in the world.”

Scotland debutant Nicky Devlin has revealed who got Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt following a draw at Hampden Park that left the Portuguese upset.

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Goalless stalemate in GlasgowCR7 played the full 90 minutesShirt swap requests at final whistleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure in Glasgow after failing to provide the required level of inspiration for his country that could have turned one point into three. Portugal were forced to settle for a share of the spoils in a goalless stalemate.

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Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes against Scotland, meaning that he was on the pitch when the final whistle blew. Whenever that is the case, the all-time great sparks a mad scramble for his shirt – with swap requests often fielded before, during and after his appearances for Al-Nassr and Portugal.

WHAT DEVLIN SAID

Devlin, who made his Scotland bow off the bench against Portugal, was unable to claim a prized memento. He has told reporters of who won that race, with Ronaldo throwing a post-game strop: “I think Che [Adams] might have got his top to be fair. I don't think he was too happy at the end… I got one with my name on the back and the number one which the manager gave me, so I was delighted with that.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Evergreen Ronaldo, who is 39 years of age, earned international cap 216 when lining up against Scotland. He has a record-setting haul of 133 goals to his name at that level and is being tipped by many to extend his remarkable career through to the 2026 World Cup.

Barcelona legend Gerard Pique taunted Real Madrid with a teasing social media post after his old team's El Clasico triumph.

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Barcelona hammer Real Madrid 4-0Pique revels in El Clasico winPosts tweet mocking Los BlancosFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A Robert Lewandowski brace and late goals from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha at Santiago Bernabeu strengthened Barcelona's advantage at the top of La Liga on Saturday. Former Blaugrana defender Pique was quick to bask in the glory of the victory, and took to social media to point out how Madrid can "never be like us".

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The 37-year-old's tweet translates to: "We [Barcelona] are unique. They [Madrid] can never be like us. With all the young people of La Masia. What a recital. What a pride. ❤️."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Pique, who played 616 times for Barcelona from 2008 to 2022 and won a hatful of trophies along the way, was right to feel overjoyed at the result that ended Madrid's 42-game unbeaten La Liga run. Hansi Flick's team are now six points clear at the top of the league and they will take some beating in this title race.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Barcelona will look to go further clear at the top of the table when they host Espanyol next Sunday, before returning to Champions League action on November 6 away to Red Star Belgrade.

Seamer suggests 200-run target could be tricky for home side after first-innings collapse

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2021Vishwa Fernando has warned that Sri Lanka’s attack is ready to tear in again and give South Africa “a good challenge”, if their remaining batsmen can muster a fourth-innings target worthy of the name.Vishwa claimed his maiden Test five-for as Sri Lanka triggered a collapse of 9 for 84, after South Africa had been in a position of strength at 218 for 1. Sri Lanka’s captain, Dimuth Karunaratne, then led the way with the bat, finishing on 91 not out, as Sri Lanka edged into a lead with six second-innings wickets still standing.”This is a pitch that helps the seamers, and if you bowl good areas then it definitely helps you,” Vishwa said. “I think if we get another 200-250 runs ahead, we’ll be able to give them a good challenge, with our attack.”We had a simple plan. We cut down runs and built pressure. We talked about that at the drinks break in the first session [before which South Africa had scored 68 runs without loss]. That’s our simple plan. We had assistance.”Tomorrow’s first session is decisive. If Dimuth aiya and [Niroshan] Dickwella bat well and stay in the game, they’ll give us a good chance.”Vishwa played an instrumental role in Sri Lanka’s 2-0 win in South Africa two years ago, taking 12 wickets across two Tests as well as keeping Kusal Perera company during their extraordinary one-wicket victory in Durban, and said he had fallen back on the knowledge he had gained after claiming career-best figures.”That previous experience in South Africa was really helpful. I’m bowling to a lot of the same South Africa batsmen. We knew what their strengths were. It was a big advantage to have done well here before.”