Joshua Kimmich has hinted at his displeasure with Bayern's summer transfer plans, after the Bavarians giants failed to land Florian Wirtz.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Manchester City were largely ridiculed for their spending in the early days of their takeover, with Sheikh Mansour taking over the club in 2008 and investing heavily in the club, seeing a massive upturn in performance for the Citizens.
However, in the last five seasons, City’s net spend is £-308,749m, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham all having a higher net spend in that time.
Season
Net spend (£)
2020/21
£-91,253m
2021/22
£-37,621m
2022/23
£5,981m
2023/24
£-100,767m
2024/25
£-85,085m
A lack of heavy investment over the years has allowed Pep Guardiola to keep a tight-knit group, only adding vital pieces to the puzzle and not disturbing the overall dynamics too much, but this has now caught up with them, with the squad now entering a period of heavy rebuilding.
Manchester City's big rebuild in 2025
Manchester City invested heavily in the January transfer market, looking to strengthen Guardiola’s side to ensure that even in their poor run of form, they had enough to challenge for Champions League qualification. The Citizens spent around £181m making five new signings.
Players such as Vitor Reis and Juma Bah were clearly signed with the future in mind, but the likes of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov have all made instant impacts on Guardiola’s side, adding much-needed energy and athleticism.
The dynamics Marmoush has provided alongside Erling Haaland since his arrival has been a breath of fresh air, stretching the pitch with runs in beyond the big man, working hard to win second balls and not being afraid to get his shots off.
The 26-year-old has made ten appearances since joining the club, scoring four goals in 666 minutes played.
Both Khusanov and Gonzalez have been important too, adding extra defensive quality, especially in transition moments, for this City side, who have often looked dead on their feet this season.
Gonzalez has particularly caught the eye of Guardiola with the boss describing him as a “mini Rodri.”
But as good as all of these additions have been so far, City will want to continue their spending in the summer and in order to do so, they will need to part ways with some bigger names, allowing them to invest further in the squad.
How Man City can sell to buy this summer
It isn’t just about selling to generate funds to spend, but it is also to open up wage funds by offloading high earners who aren’t justifying their salaries.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne on £400k-per-week and Jack Grealish on £300k-per-week are both players who could leave the club this summer, which would open up significant wage funds for City.
Another is cult hero Bernardo Silva. Currently taking home £300k-per-week, he could find himself replaced in the summer with fresh legs.
Now 30 years of age, the Portuguese is approaching the latter stages of his career and hasn’t exactly set the world alight this term across his 39 appearances scoring three goals and providing four assists.
In every single metric analysed below, Silva has fallen, only substantiating the fact that his performance levels are getting worse in a City shirt.
Goals
0.27
0.10
Assists
0.25
0.10
xG
0.16
0.13
xAG
0.27
0.15
Progressive Carries
4.94
3.69
Progressive Passes
6.20
4.65
Shots Total
1.46
1.09
Key Passes
2.19
1.70
Shot-Creating Actions
4.59
3.43
Ball Recoveries
3.51
2.95
Sadly, he’s offering far less output, notably creating far fewer opportunities for his teammates to score from.
He’s also particularly less effective in build up in terms of progression and even dropping off slightly in his defensive work, notably ball recoveries.
Described as “world-class” by pundit Dion Dublin over his time at Manchester City, now could be the time for them to get his high wages off the books and reinvest in a younger core group of players, allowing Guardiola to kick-start this new Manchester City era.
Since joining the club back in 2017 from Monaco, Silva has earned over £50m in wages at Manchester City, with his current contract set to expire in June 2026. Perhaps it’s time for a change?
Aguero 2.0: Man City hold talks to sign one of "the world's best players"
Man City could be looking to sign their next Sergio Aguero this summer
ByRobbie Walls Mar 26, 2025
With Bernardo Silva reportedly heading for the exit door, Manchester City have reportedly joined the race to sign a potential replacement worth over £50m this summer.
Man City transfer news
It looks set to be a hectic summer at the Etihad, with several stars making way for a new era at Manchester City, who have felt the full effect of an ageing squad this season. Following a campaign full of repeated injury problems, the deal seems to be that if you can’t stay fit then you’re unlikely to stay at the club this summer, as Pep Guardiola looks to rebuild.
Among those on the list of potential departures is Portuguese midfielder Silva, who has reportedly already agreed personal terms with French giants Paris Saint-Germain. And whilst Manchester City and PSG are yet to reach an agreement over a transfer fee, Silva certainly looks destined to depart.
Not many will argue against his exit now that he’s 30 years old, but that doesn’t mean that the Citizens shouldn’t aim to find a replacement and they seem to be well aware of that.
Aston Villa handed chance to sign "super" £50m+ star considering PL move
He’s outscored Watkins this season…
ByTom Cunningham Mar 5, 2025
According to The Boot Room, Manchester City are now racing to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa, who value their midfielder at more than £50m this summer following a rejuvenated spell in the Midlands.
With Arsenal also linked with a move for the Aston Villa graduate in recent months, Manchester City will hope that the lure of playing under Guardiola works wonders once again and they instantly find their replacement for Silva.
"Amazing" Ramsey could replace Silva
Replacing Silva will be one of the toughest tasks in the Premier League – whether Manchester City choose to do so this summer or in years to come. The 30-year-old has been at the heart of history as one of Guardiola’s most consistent players no matter which role he has been deployed in. All good things must come to an end, however, and Ramsey could yet receive a career-defining call.
The 23-year-old has been back to his best at Villa Park this season after struggling with injury problems and could now find himself on his way to one of Europe’s best.
Starts
14
21
Progressive Carries
3.44
3.58
Key Passes
0.92
1.77
Ball Recoveries
4.20
3.26
Although it’s clear that Ramsey still has another level to reach in possession, his work off the ball highlights exactly what Silva has lacked towards what looks like the end of his Manchester City career.
Dubbed “amazing” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, if Guardiola wants to re-energise his midfield then Ramsey should certainly be on Manchester City’s summer wishlist. At just 23 years old too, the Villa graduate is a player destined to get better and better.
The FIFA President says he's been working closely with the U.S. government to ensure the safety for fans traveling to U.S.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Ipswich Town might still be licking their wounds from their Premier League defeat to Southampton last weekend, but there is still every chance they can beat the drop this season.
Kieran McKenna’s side might be down in the relegation zone, but with 14 games left to play, they are only three points from safety, and as their stomping win over Coventry City yesterday afternoon showed, they have the talent to turn things around.
However, they will need to start converting decent performances into decent results in the league and get more from their January signings, like Jaden Philogene and Ben Godfrey.
The former Everton star is a talented defender, but at the moment, is being outperformed by one of the club’s former loanees, who played under former manager Mick McCarthy and is currently winning comparisons to the incredible William Saliba.
Ipswich's former loan stars
Before we get to the player in question, let’s look at some former stars who have spent time on loan with Ipswich, starting with a centre-forward who flopped at Portman Road but is now one of the best in the Premier League: Chris Wood.
The New Zealand international joined the Tractor Boys on a short-term loan in February 2015 but struggled to make an impact and left without a goal or assist to his name in eight appearances.
Since then, the 33-year-old has played for several teams across the country but is currently tearing things up for Nuno Espírito Santo’s high-flying Nottingham Forest.
The Kiwi superstar has already racked up a sensational haul of 17 goals and two assists in 24 league games, which is only five fewer goals than Ipswich have managed as a collective.
A loanee who enjoyed a more fruitful spell in East Anglia and is currently still with the club is Omari Hutchinson.
The former Chelsea ace joined the club in the summer of 2023 and, over the following campaign, racked up a healthy tally of 11 goals and six assists in 50 appearances, which was enough to secure a permanent £20m move to the club.
He’s been less effective in front of goal this season, but as his wonder striker against Manchester United proved, the talent is undeniably there.
With all that said, the former loanee we are here to talk about is a defender who’s winning significant comparisons and outperforming Godfrey this season.
The former Ipswich loanee outperforming Godfrey
McCarthy was the manager of Ipswich Town for just over five years and, as such, was responsible for signing his fair share of players on loan.
The likes of David McGoldrick, Tyrone Mings and even former Arsenal prospect Ainsley Maitland-Niles all joined the Tractor Boys on temporary deals under the Irishman, but the defender we are talking about is former Tottenham Hotspur gem Cameron Carter-Vickers.
The Lilywhites’ academy product joined the Suffolk side in January 2018, and while it was just a short-term loan, he made 17 appearances for the club, all of which were starts.
Following the completion of his loan, the American international would go out on several more short-term deals before securing a permanent move to Celtic in the summer of 2022, where he remains today and is undoubtedly one of the team’s most important players.
This season has seen the “brilliant” defender, as dubbed by ex-Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday, make 19 appearances in the league and, most impressively, five in the Champions League, in which he has an excellent points per game average of 2.20.
In contrast, Godfrey has played just 230 minutes of football for Atalanta and Ipswich and made just a single appearance in the Premier League, which was in the 6-0 defeat to Manchester City, so it would be fair to say that the former loanee is having the better campaign at present.
If that wasn’t enough, FBref, which compares players in similar positions across the Champions League, has concluded that the exceptionally gifted Saliba is the eighth most similar centre-back to the American this season.
Passing Accuracy
94.4%
93.0%
Expected Assists
0.02
0.02
Shots
0.21
0.33
Tackles
1.91
1.83
Tackles Won
1.06
1.00
Shots Blocked
0.21
0.17
We can better understand how this conclusion was reached by examining the underlying numbers in which they ranked closely, such as passing accuracy, expected assists, shots, tackles and tackles won, shots blocked and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, Ipswich probably made the right decision to sign Godfrey last month, as he has performed well in the Premier League before, but right now, they could really do with someone like Carter-Vickers again.
He left in 2015: Ipswich loan flop is now outscoring both Delap & Lath
The incredible goalscorer would be perfect for Ipswich this season.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 5, 2025
Former Glamorgan stalwart enticed by new challenge at age of 41
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2022
Michael Hogan was Glamorgan’s leading wicket-taker in 2021•Getty Images
Michael Hogan, the Australia-born former Glamorgan fast bowler, has gone back on his decision to retire and signed a one-year deal with Kent at the age of 41.Hogan, who has a British passport and qualifies as a local player, made his first-class debut for Western Australia as a 28-year-old, before starting a decade-long association with Glamorgan. He announced last year that 2022 would be his last summer with the club, although he remained a reliable performer and won involvement with the Hundred as a Blast wildcard pick for Southern Brave.He revealed after the final game in his testimonial season for Glamorgan that he had been contacted by other counties about continuing his career, telling the BBC: “It’s better to be wanted than not, but at 41 years old, I’m over the moon with how long a career I’ve had. I’m looking forward to spending time with my family.”However, he has been tempted into a rethink by Kent, where he will bolster the seam attack after the departures of Matt Milnes, Harry Podmore (who signed for Glamorgan this week in an unrelated move) and allrounder Darren Stevens.Related
Derbyshire sacrifice T20 home game for Edgbaston's 'Blast Off' double-header
Hogan set for retirement after Glamorgan testimonial in 2022
Hogan earns Hundred wildcard pick in final season
Hogan's run finally draws to close
Podmore moves on from Kent after signing Glamorgan deal
“Hoges has been an outstanding bowler for many years and will bring a vast amount of experience to our bowling unit. His numbers show he is an invaluable acquisition, and he continues to be a threat in both four-day and T20 cricket,” Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, said.”I’m particularly excited about the knowledge he will bring with him, which will be invaluable to all our bowlers, particularly the young and upcoming talents at the club.”Hogan was Glamorgan’s leading wicket-taker in both the Blast, with 20 at 16.65, and the County Championship (45 at 27.44) last season. He also captained the club between 2017 and 2018, and it was reported in the last week that Glamorgan, who had offered him another one-year deal, were unhappy to learn of his change of heart.The contract at Kent will see Hogan begin moves into coaching, as he joins the backroom set-up for their defence of the Royal London Cup.It will also test his ability to maintain an unlikely world record: never having been dismissed lbw in 380 appearances as a professional.Hogan said: “I’m really looking forward to a fresh challenge at this stage of my playing career. After 10 memorable seasons with Glamorgan the opportunity to play for Kent in Division One of the Championship, and to also cut my teeth mentoring in a new environment, is an exciting one.”
January is always a notoriously difficult time for clubs to conduct any form of transfer business given the lack of time available to make signings and to find suitable replacements.
Such a theory has come to fruition in recent weeks for Leeds United, with Daniel Farke unable to strengthen his side with less than a week left in the window.
However, their previous business in the winter months could play heavily on their minds, especially after completing a loan move for Jean-Kevin Augustin back in January 2020 with a deal to purchase him after promotion.
He would only make three appearances, but after their success and promotion, £24.5m had to be forked out for his services despite never actually moving to Elland Road on a permanent basis.
Despite such a mistake, the club are on the hunt for another new attacker this month, leading them to a player who’s featured in the Champions League this campaign.
Leeds targeting move for CL sensation
According to the Daily Mail, Leeds are one of a number of sides in the race to land RB Salzburg winger Adam Daghim before Monday’s transfer deadline.
However, they face stiff competition from the likes of Leicester City and Brentford, with the Premier League sides potentially holding the edge, but the Whites could offer him increased game time.
The report claims that the 19-year-old has caught the eye of the club’s hierarchy, potentially putting their connections to another Red Bull outfit to good use, following in the footsteps of Brenden Aaronson.
Daghim has registered four goals across all competitions in 2024/25, but has featured in the Champions League six times for the Austrian outfit this campaign.
It’s unclear how much a deal for the young winger would cost the Whites this month, but any move for his services could spell the end of one player’s time in Yorkshire.
Why Daghim could end Gnonto’s Leeds United career
Italian winger Wilfried Gnonto has been a key player under Farke so far this season, making 27 appearances in the Championship throughout 2024/25 – registering nine goal contributions in the process.
However, he hasn’t started a league game for the Whites since the 1-0 victory over Derby County on the 29th of December, since only featuring for a total of 58 minutes in the league.
Such a lack of game time has seen links emerge, touting the 21-year-old with a big-money move to Saudi Arabia, potentially banking the club a huge profit in the process.
Given his age, it would be a risk to offload him but the funds generated could allow for a move to sign Daghim, with the 19-year-old Salzburg ace providing an upgrade on the Italian should he leave in the coming days.
The Dane, who’s previously been dubbed a “huge talent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has outperformed Gnonto in dribbles completed whilst dominating in terms of touches in the opposition’s box.
He’s also completed more of his attempted crosses whilst also creating more chances per 90, offering an added threat in attacking areas for Farke’s side.
How Daghim compares to Gnonto in 2024/25 so far
Statistics (per 90)
Daghim
Gnonto
Games played
28
29
Goals & assists
4
9
Chances created
1.3
1.2
Crosses completed
23%
6%
Successful dribbles
3.2
1.8
Touches in opposition box
6.4
5.5
Tackles won
57%
46%
Stats via FotMob
Whilst the competition appears to be tough for his signature, it’s clear that Daghim possesses a lot of qualities that could improve the Leeds attack, substantially boosting their chances of securing promotion.
As for Gnonto, given his lack of game time of late, it could be the perfect time to cash in on the youngster, pocketing a competitive fee for his services, allowing for the potential investment of Daghim before Monday’s deadline.
Better move than Buendia: Leeds could make late move for "incredible" ace
Leeds United still haven’t made any new additions with less than a week remaining in the transfer window.
ByEthan Lamb Jan 29, 2025
حسم التعادل الإيجابي 1-1 مباراة يوفنتوس ولاتسيو في اللقاء الذي جمعهما مساء اليوم، السبت، ضمن منافسات الدوري الإيطالي.
وواجه يوفنتوس نظيره لاتسيو ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 36 من بطولة الدوري الإيطالي، على ملعب “أولمبيكو روما”.
طالع | يوفنتوس يستهدف التعاقد مع لاعب ريال مدريد في الصيف
وأحرز هدف اللقاء الأول الفرنسي كولو مواني، مهاجم يوفنتوس في الدقيقة 51 من كرة عرضية متقنة من الجهة اليسرى سددها مواني برأسه داخل الشباك.
وتعادل فيتشينو لصالح لاتسيو في الوقت القاتل من المباراة وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 96 بعد كرة عرضية داخل منطقة الجزاء استطاع أن ينهيها في الشباك.
وشهد اللقاء حالة طرد في الدقيقة 61 ليوفنتوس وذلك للاعب بيير كالولو كياتينجوا.
بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد يوفنتوس للنقطة 64 في المركز الرابع، فيما تواجد لاتسيو في المركز الخامس بنفس عدد النقاط، في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإيطالي. أهداف مباراة يوفنتوس ولاتسيو اليوم في الدوري الإيطالي
بعد مباراة مثيرة حتى النهاية .. لاتسيو ويوفنتوس يتعادلان 1-1 في الجولة 36 🔚#الدوري_الإيطالي 🇮🇹 #لاتسيو_يوفنتوس pic.twitter.com/Ofcx7KphHh — ADSportsTV (@ADSportsTV) May 10, 2025
Coach Mark Boucher lays down the law on the game that dare not speak its name ahead of Lord’s Test
Firdose Moonda15-Aug-2022Alright, line ’em up because we’re going to need them.”If you mention Bazball you’ve got to have a tequila,” Mark Boucher joked (maybe). “I’ll bring the bottle.”It was after 12pm so the shot glasses could have come out, but South Africa’s coach didn’t have any Jose Cuervo or Patron to hand (that we know of) and no-one mentioned the B-word by name in the 17 minutes and 45 seconds he sat in front of us.In fact, no-one mentioned any B-word in relation to a cricket playing style even though the situation is ready-made for a new one. Bouchball, anyone? Too soon?Let’s pretend it’s not and ask what a Bouchball approach would look like, whether we want to name it or not. “A nice brand of cricket,” is how Boucher described South Africa’s style of play, which makes it sound like little more than a comforting cup of tea, perhaps lemonade given the weather, but that’s not quite the way to talk about a team that hasn’t lost a Test series in a year.”We want to play aggressive cricket but you’ve got to be smart with regards to that as well,” is Boucher’s more detailed explanation of the kind of cricket his team play. He has also spoken about being adaptable, in different conditions and with different team combinations, of team efforts, rather than superstars, and of their ability to bounce back from difficult situations.Related
How callow South Africa ceded the psychological high ground
Boucher on Bazball: 'It's probably the way that red-ball cricket is going'
Dean Elgar: 'I didn't come here to play second fiddle. I came here to win a series'
Olivier out of Test series against England with torn hip-flexor muscle
South Africa put the past behind and emerge into the sunshine
South Africa lost the opening Test against No.1 ranked India on Boxing Day and then won the series 2-1 to kick off a strong home summer. They then came back from defeat to the Lions in their first match on this tour to draw the ODI series and win the T20 rubber and will hope that after being defeated by an innings in 56 runs in the four-day tour match, where they “learnt to fetch the ball,” they will come back to have success in the Tests.It’s not uncharted territory for South Africa to win in England with an inexperienced squad. The first time they did it, in 2008, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Boucher were the only batters who were part of the previous tour while Makhaya Ntini was the only fast bowler. This time, only Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada (who remains in doubt for the first Test although he is progressing well from an ankle injury) and Keshav Maharaj have played here before.The lack of game time in England may be a concern, especially as the series starts with a great sense of occasion at Lord’s, and Boucher is hoping inspiration will trump inexperience over the next week.”We spoke about coming to Lord’s and the feeling of walking through the gate and that emotion of playing at the home of cricket. It’s a different feeling when you walk through those gates compared to any other gate in the world,” Boucher said. “And you only had to be around when the guys arrived and walked into the museum. All the players just staring in awe at what was around them. Just watching the players’ reactions to walking into Lord’s – there’s a lot of passion. The emotions were running high in a good way. As a coach, you don’t have to try and get the boys geed up for a game like this. The youngsters want to be here and they want to be a part of creating something special.”South Africa’s players were treated to a special section of memories created just for them, harking back to previous tours here. They were also shown some old favourites which caught the eyes of even those who’ve seen them before.”Guys who had been here were still looking around, still looking at WG Grace’s gloves and going, ‘I don’t know if I could wear those today,'” Boucher said. “They put on a nice South African section for us. We’ve been successful here so hopefully we can look at that and know that there are memories to be created at this venue. They would like to be a part of more memories.”Of course, the history and the place South Africa find themselves in now – the top of the World Test Championship table – also means there’s a sense of pressure. But Boucher and a backroom staff that includes Neil McKenzie, Charl Langeveldt and Justin Ontong believe they’ve equipped the squad with enough support to cope. “It’s about us as a coaching staff trying to give the guys certain tools to deal with the pressures,” Boucher said. “And it’s a great feeling, especially if you can overcome that [the sense of occasion] and do well.”Whether those methods include a little bit of tequila, we won’t know but Boucher hasn’t ruled out some visits to the bar – perhaps even before the game. Asked if he expects England’s commitment to Bazball, which seems to involve chasing, to extend to bowling first if they win the toss, no matter the conditions, Boucher said he didn’t know but had a way to find out. “Maybe I will have a beer with Baz later and ask him,” he said.Bottoms up. Let’s play.
Everton are reportedly interested in completing the January signing of a £7.4m defender who could replace both Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young.
Everton transfer news
The Blues’ season continues to be an uninspiring one, not only because of consistently disappointing results, but also due to the negative football being played by the under-fire Sean Dyche. While they have breathing space in the Premier League, in terms of the relegation battle, it is still frustrating for supporters that they are once again aiming to avoid the drop more than anything else.
Everton’s form means that potential replacements for Dyche are continuing to emerge, with legendary former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri mentioned as a hugely eye-catching option for the Merseysiders. He won six Serie A title during his time in charge in Turin, and would therefore be a major coup.
New signings in the January transfer window will go down well at Goodison Park, and they have been linked with players, as The Friedkin Group weigh up making their presence felt early on. Yunus Agkun has been mentioned as an exciting target for the Blues, with the Galatasaray ace scoring five goals in six appearances in the Europa League this season.
Everton are believed to be eyeing both a right-back and a winger this month, with additional depth and quality required in those areas of the pitch moving forward. Now, a key update has emerged regarding a signing in one of those positions.
Everton want to sign £7.4m defender
According to Takvim [via Sport Witness], Everton are keen on securing the signing of Galatasaray right-back Elias Jelert, as they look to the future with Coleman and Young in the latter stages of their careers.
They could snap him up for £7.4m, with his current club willing to sell him on a permanent deal in January, with offers expected to arrive for him.
Jelert could be exactly what Everton need in January, at a time when Coleman and Young are closer to 40 than 30, and clearly a long way past their very best, despite still giving their all for the club.
The next Ancelotti: TFG could axe Dyche for serial title winner at Everton
Sean Dyche could be facing uncertainty at Everton in the coming months.
ByAngus Sinclair Jan 3, 2025
At 21, the Galatasaray man would be a long-term addition as well as possibly an immediate key man, with one goal coming his way in the Europa League this season, as well as an 86.4% pass completion rate in the competition. Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has even described him as “complete” and “one of the most interesting young right-backs in Europe”.
Jelert may tick so many boxes for Everton, and if they can beat others to his signing, it could end up being a masterstroke, given how highly rated he is as a young player with a bright future in the game.