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Two iconic Manchester City players now want to leave the Etihad and join the same club during the summer transfer window.

A new era dawning at Man City this summer

It became clear that Pep Guardiola’s squad had aged together last season, with a number of players showing signs of being past their best, from Kyle Walker to Kevin De Bruyne.

City surrendered their Premier League title to Liverpool, and it was paramount that fresh blood was added to the squad this summer, with the club doing exactly that, bringing in Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, among others.

It feels like the end of an area at the Etihad, with doubts existing over the futures of many heroic figures from down the years, whether it be Ederson between the sticks or Ilkay Gundogan in the middle of the park – Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa has been linked to come in as a replacement for the former.

Guardiola needs a younger, fresher team to wrestle their title back next season, and receiving money for ageing figures will aid them in that respect, generating more funds for transfers. Now, a key update has emerged regarding two players who look set to depart in the coming weeks.

Two Man City legends looking to leave

According to Yagiz Sabuncuoglu for Haber Sarikirmizi [via Sport Witness], both Ederson and Gundogan are keen on leaving Manchester City and joining Galatasaray this summer, bringing an end to legendary stints at the club.

“Okan Buruk wants a goalkeeper with good feet from the beginning. Ederson is one of the best players in that description. The player rejected Napoli. He wants to come to Galatasaray. His asking salary is less than €10m. The figure Manchester City wants is not high. If Galatasaray sign Ederson, Manchester City are ready to let him go.

“Ilkay Gundogan is ready for the squad, he wants to come to Galatasaray. Galatasaray haven’t been able to make a comeback yet because they are trying to get Osimhen done first and then the goalkeeper.”

While it will be sad to see Ederson and Gundogan leave City this summer, it does feel as though their time at the club has reached its natural conclusion.

The combined £330,000-a-week pair have achieved so much at the Etihad, winning an incredible 12 Premier League titles between them, but the brutal fact is that neither are quite at the level they used to be.

Ederson’s decline is arguably the most surprising of all City’s players, considering he is still only 31 years of age, which is nothing for a goalkeeper in the modern game, but errors have crept into his game more and more, both on and off the ball.

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Meanwhile, Gundogan no longer possesses the box-to-box energy he once did, and he needs to move to a league that is less physically demanding. Both will be remembered as true legends for City, though, with the duo pushing hard to be in an all-time XI in the club’s history.

James Anderson draws a crowd at Canterbury, even as a side-show

ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2024

George Balderson was in the wickets against Kent•Getty Images

Lancashire were 38 for 1, trailing Kent by 206, after day one of their Vitality County Championship relegation showdown at Canterbury.Josh Bohannon and Luke Wells were unbeaten on 22 and 14 respectively at stumps, after Beyers Swanepoel had bowled Keaton Jennings for a duck.Earlier George Balderson and Nathan Lyon took three wickets apiece for second-from-bottom Lancashire, as they bowled out the division’s basement side for 244.Tawanda Muyeye was Kent’s highest scorer with 59, while Ben Compton made 55.Although both sides have struggled all season, the crowd for the first day of the 172nd Canterbury week was estimated at over 2,000. Cars were queueing for half a mile down the Old Dover Road and moving so slowly that they were overtaken by hundreds of pedestrians walking up the hill.If they’d come to see James Anderson they were disappointed. Despite making the trip south he was left out of the squad and, perhaps unable to believe his luck at having been asked to bat against an Anderson-free attack, Compton plundered 11 from Tom Bailey’s opening over.The scoring rate soon slowed however. Will Williams found Marcus O’Riordan’s edge in the fourth over and although George Bell dropped him, he’d moved on to just 16 when Balderson had him caught at third slip by George Lavelle.Bailey switched to the Nackington Road end and got Daniel Bell-Drummond for 4 but Joey Evison joined Compton and batted through to lunch, at which stage it was 102 for 2.It wasn’t a standard interval: the crowd realised Anderson was bowling at one stump on the outfield and around a hundred fans formed a circle to watch. When he’d finished it took him nearly five minutes to reach the pavilion as he stopped for dozens of selfies.When the outfield had finally cleared Kent suffered a mini-collapse. Evison went for 25, edging Bailey to Matty Hurst, before Balderson claimed two wickets in the space of 10 balls. Harry Finch drove him to Josh Bohannon at mid-off for one and Compton fell to an ankle-high catch by Jennings at second slip.That left Kent on 124 for 5 and it nearly got worse for the hosts as Muyeye was on 23 when he pulled Lyon to the midwicket boundary, only to be dropped by Jack Blatherwick.Having dropped into the middle order after struggling as an opener, Muyeye responded with his first half-century of the season.Debutant Charlie Stobo joined him and made an inventive 36 before he was bowled by Lyon, ending a stand of 82 and leaving Kent on 210 for 6 at tea.Swanepoel made 19 before he top-edged Lyon behind and Matt Parkinson went for a nine-ball duck against his former county, lbw to Luke Wells.Lyon then bowled George Garrett middle-stump for three and although Muyeye was dropped again, this time off Lyon by a sliding Williams, he was lbw to Wells in the next over, denying Kent a single batting point and leaving Lancs to face 14 overs before stumps.Swanepoel sent Jennings’ off stump flying for an eight-ball duck but he was the only victim, with Wells just surviving a dicey penultimate over from Stobo.

West Ham United are searching for reinforcements this summer and have now made contact over a bargain move for a striker with a proven track record who is available on a free transfer, according to reports.

West Ham United seek to recruit a goalscorer

Graham Potter hasn’t enjoyed the most fruitful spell since taking charge of West Ham. However, the Irons are set to be active on the market to address their fundamental issues.

Above all, the lack of a prolific striker at the London Stadium has led to a dependence on Jarrod Bowen, and it is fair to say the Irons are now moving in on targets to fill the vacancy available through the middle.

Reports suggest Rangers striker Hamza Igamane is being targeted by West Ham following a breakthrough season in Scotland. However, Brentford, Everton, Lens, RC Strasbourg, Lille, and Stade Rennais are among alternative interested parties.

Further back, Burnley’s Josh Brownhill could add goals from midfield for the Hammers as his Turf Moor future becomes increasingly uncertain with his contract set to expire.

Potter’s men endured an uninspiring campaign last term and require some inspiration, which has prompted Carlton Cole to urge West Ham land Jack Grealish ahead of their Premier League counterparts.

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Circling the wagons, West Ham have now made contact to sign an alternative England international who is set to be a free agent this summer.

West Ham make contact to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin

According to Football Transfers, West Ham have made contact to sign Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and they are prepared to better his current £100,000 per week salary in order to secure his services.

Michail Antonio is on course to depart the London Stadium after failing to agree terms on a short-term extension, and Potter believes the Toffees forward would be an ideal addition to strengthen his forward line without paying a transfer fee.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s record at Everton

Appearances

273

Goals

71

Assists

22

Dubbed a “proper number nine” by David Moyes, Calvert-Lewin is viewed as a low-risk high reward signing and has previously been offered to the Hammers, albeit they passed on the chance last summer due to his injury history.

Niclas Fullkrug didn’t set the heather alight last year and Evan Ferguson’s short loan spell didn’t have the desired impact, which may explain why West Ham have plumped for Premier League experience as they close in on a new striker.

After sending their scouts, Leeds United are now reportedly battling to sign an in-demand central defender whose agent is already holding talks over his immediate future.

Leeds United's summer transfer plans

More than ever, the three teams that earn promotion from the Championship to the Premier League must get things right in the transfer market. Those before Leeds, Burnley and what will now be one of Sunderland, Coventry City and Sheffield United got things disastrously wrong before paying the price of relegation. Now, those aforementioned teams must not make the same mistake.

For two consecutive seasons in the Premier League, all three promoted sides have instantly suffered relegation. What was once a rarity is now a worrying trend that the likes of Leeds must break. To that end, it looks as though the 49ers are ready to back those at Elland Road when the summer transfer window arrives.

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The reports have already been coming thick and fast ahead of the transfer window, with the Whites setting their sights on a fresh shot-stopper and a new striker. When it comes to those targeted, meanwhile, the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher and Beto have both threatened to steal the headlines as of late as Leeds look to commence their summer shopping in Merseyside.

Kelleher would be a particularly impressive signing, given how he’s performed as Alisson Becker’s deputy at Liverpool. The Irishman has been called on more often than not at times in the face of Alisson’s injury struggles, but has not struggled to step up in place of the Brazilian. And that, in itself, should speak volumes of his ability.

Meanwhile, in front of a new No.1, it looks as though Leeds have also set their sights on a new centre-back.

Leeds now battling to sign Bologna defender Lucumi

According to The Boot Room, Leeds are now battling to sign Jhon Lucumi from Bologna this summer after sending scouts to watch the defender throughout the current campaign. Now up against the likes of Liverpool and Crystal Palace in pursuit of his signature, the 49ers could make an impressive statement by signing Lucumi.

With his agent already reportedly holding talks with intermediaries over his client’s future, however, those at Elland Road may need to act sooner rather than later if they want to sign the 26-year-old Bologna star. In terms of what he would add to Farke’s side, it’s clear that Lucumi could be a shrewd signing in Yorkshire.

Described as “one of the most composed” defenders that he has seen by analyst Ben Mattinson, Lucumi looks set to be one to watch this summer following another impressive individual campaign in Serie A and the Champions League.

With one eye on sealing automatic promotion and another on the summer transfer market, Leeds United and the 49ers are reportedly poised to join the race to sign a new midfielder from the Austrian Bundesliga.

Leeds face crucial five-game run

In the space of a week, Leeds have seen their automatic promotion chances thrown into serious doubt for the first time in months to reclaiming their place at the top of the Championship – summing up the drama of England’s second division.

Victory against Middlesbrough last time out would have come as a huge relief for those in Yorkshire, who must now make it two wins in the space of a week when they play host to Preston North End on Saturday afternoon.

Leeds United vs Preston North End

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Leeds United vs Bristol City

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Plymouth Argyle vs Leeds United

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With just one game against one of the Championship’s top six coming up in their five fixtures, Leeds should be full of confidence that the league title and automatic promotion will be theirs for the taking in the coming weeks.

Currently top on goal difference, the Whites will be desperate to form a gap between themselves on Burnley when the Clarets square off against third place Sheffield United and they, themselves, face Stoke City on April 21.

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Speaking about the pressure on his side during Leeds’ promotion run-in, manager Daniel Farke told reporters: “It’s so difficult and I wish sometimes the fans knew this. We’re in a business where there is lots of pressure.

“I don’t like to complain about this because the players have a proper life and earn lots of money, but let’s not forget, we work with human beings and we must keep this in mind when we criticise them a little bit.”

Farke, like those at Elland Road, has just five games before he can breathe a potential sigh of relief and then turn his attention towards the summer transfer window for Leeds.

Leeds set to join race for Abubakr Barry

With promotion back in their hands, the Whites have reportedly shifted their focus towards the transfer market. According to Kronen Zeitung in Austria, as relayed by Sports Witness, the 49ers are now poised to join the race to sign Abubakr Barry from Austria Vienna this summer, battling against Hull City as well as clubs in Germany and France for the midfielder’s signature in doing so.

The 24-year-old midfielder has impressed in Austria this season and could yet find himself on the move as a result despite only arriving in Vienna last summer. Dubbed “fantastic to watch” and even compared to Jobe Bellingham by scout and analyst Mfalsafa on X, Barry is undoubtedly one to watch.

Whilst chasing such a player, promotion to the Premier League will certainly go a long way for Leeds, who are already planning ahead.

How hard-hitting batter turned to another sport after injury curtailed his rugby career

Matt Roller16-Sep-2025When Ross Adair walks out to open the batting at Malahide on Wednesday he will complete a rare sporting double.The last time Adair pulled on a green Ireland shirt to face England, his opponents included the future England rugby union captain, Maro Itoje; this time, his opposite number at the top of the order will be Jos Buttler. Even if his encounter with Itoje was an Under-19s fixture, he will surely become the only man to have faced both modern English sporting greats in international competition.The prospect of playing against Buttler makes Adair grin. “I’m a 31-year-old man, and I’m trying not to be too excited about this guy – who is not much older than me – coming over to play cricket against me,” he says, sheltering from the wind on the Sport Ireland campus on the outskirts of Dublin. “To be in the presence of someone who’s done so much in the game will be pretty cool.”It is the latest landmark in a second sporting life that Adair himself admits seemed unlikely when he was recovering from the double hip surgeries that effectively ended his rugby career. “That was life’s way of telling me that I was on the wrong path,” he says. “I didn’t expect to be here, if I’m quite honest. It just sort of happened.”Adair and his younger brother, Mark, juggled both sports as teenagers, but went in different directions. “I got to a stage where there was Ulster Under-20s or the Under-19 Cricket World Cup,” he explains. “Ryan Eagleson (now Ireland’s bowling coach) was the Under-19s coach and he left me out… The cricket door closed, the rugby door was open, so away I went.”Primarily a winger, Adair struggled to break into a strong Ulster backline. “The back three when I was there was [Andrew] Trimble, [Jared] Payne and [Tommy] Bowe – effectively a Lions back three.” He made a single substitute appearance at senior level in the Pro12, scoring a try during his seven-minute cameo, before moving onto Jersey Reds in the English Championship.Ross Adair in action for Ulster’s A team during his rugby union career•Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty ImagesCricket went on the backburner. “We played one-hand, one-bounce in the changing rooms. That kept my eye in… I maybe came back and played a couple of games for Holywood, my local club – [Rory] McIlroy territory. But if I’d gone back to Jersey with a broken finger, they’ve have been like, ‘What are you doing?'”By the time a degenerative hip condition prompted two surgeries in early 2018, he had started to fall out of love with rugby. He returned to play for Ballynahinch and for Ulster’s A team, but recalls clearly when he realised it was time to quit: “The ref blew the first whistle, and I was counting 80 minutes down in my head… I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.'”Adair took a job in property development and started to play cricket again on the side – though an Ireland call-up was a long way off his radar: “It was just a bit of for me, a bit of fun.” Runs in club cricket earned him opportunities for Northern Knights in the Irish inter-provincial system – initially at No. 7 or 8 – before he blasted a century from the top of the order in 2022.His first Ireland call-up came on a tour to Zimbabwe, with senior players missing playing franchise cricket, and hitting 65 off 47 in his second cap ensured further opportunities would follow. He ran the drinks at last year’s T20 World Cup but marked his arrival at international level in September, launching nine sixes in a 57-ball hundred against South Africa.A combination of injury, bad weather and Ireland’s sparse fixture list means that he has only batted once since in T20Is, scoring 48 against West Indies in June. “I’ve had to watch the highlights of my hundred a couple of times, just to [remind myself], ‘You can still do this, you’re fine.’ Sometimes you second-guess yourself, but that’s all part of sport. It’s very normal.”By his own admission, Adair is a “raw” batter who relies more on temperament than technique. “I’m just glad I’m not one of the guys that go, ‘My head was a millimetre out of position there.’ You’d go insane… I like going with the flow. I could always strike a cricket ball, but I was just very, very raw. That helped me a lot when I came back.”He finds cricket more “mentally challenging” than rugby, particularly given the high-variance nature of his role as an attacking opener: “You could go five or six games in a row without getting any runs and you think you’re shit, but that’s not the case. There’s a score around the corner… It’s live by the sword, die by the sword. For me, it’s an amazing way to live.”Adair was inspired by England’s record-breaking hitting on Friday night, when they racked up 304 for 2 against South Africa: “That’s my kind of cricket. It always has been: see ball, hit ball.” He saw Phil Salt’s series – a first-baller, followed by an unbeaten 141 off 60 balls – as emblematic of the life of a modern T20 opener. “It’s scary… But that’s just the way it is.”When I went back to cricket, once I finished playing rugby, I could just go back and blast it. I wasn’t worried about the consequences… When it did take off a bit, I was trying to keep that mindset: don’t worry about it. If you get out, you get out. It’s fine. You could be 90 off 40, you could also be 0 off 1… That sense of freedom makes it a bit easier for me.”Related

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He believes there are more transferable skills between cricket and rugby than might be obvious – “being in front of a crowd, blocking out the noise… and I’ve taken a lot of high balls” – and sees T20 as the “closest thing” between the two. “It’s just such a good, explosive, aggressive version of cricket… That’s maybe why I love it the best.”Adair won his first central contract last year, shelving his day job to become a professional cricketer aged 30, and has one eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. “Hopefully with these games coming up, I can put my foot down for that opening role… They’re proper cricketing countries – the people there are mad for it – so it’s a very exciting time.”Facing England will be the biggest challenge of his career so far, but he will not be changing his approach. “I respect them so much because of what they do, and the cricket they play, but you have to park that sometimes… I’ll keep coming and trying to take them on, no matter who they are. I’ll park the respect once it comes to the game.”The two nations’ cricketing rivalry is not as deep as in rugby, but Adair is still “incredibly” excited ahead of Wednesday’s series opener. “I love playing England. I’ve had my experience with England before and even then, as an 18-year-old in the rugby sphere, you just want to get stuck in. It’s a bit different in cricket because it’s not as confrontational – but it still means a lot to us.”

“I am planning for the next match already,” says the big-hitter, after a heartbreak at his home ground, close on the heels of defeat in the BPL final

Mohammad Isam04-Mar-2024Midway through the press conference after Sri Lanka’s three-run win against Bangladesh in Sylhet, journalist Shakila Bobby asked Jaker Ali a question. The young batter had just come off a breathtaking 68 off 34 balls, which included a Bangladesh record of six sixes in the innings.”You just played your first game at home in Sylhet. The crowd was chanting your name. What was that like?” Shakila asked from the back of the press-conference room.” [sister], I have always loved playing at this venue. I made my first-class debut at this ground. I know the wicket and atmosphere of this place. It was all good, but it would have been great had we won the game,” Jaker responded.Related

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Wait, sister? Few in the room knew beforehand that Jaker and Shakila were siblings. Most of the Dhaka-based journalists who had travelled to Sylhet had no idea. But now interest was piqued. Another journalist asked Jaker how it felt to take a question from his sister.”She must be proud of me. She looks happy,” Jaker responded, with a shy smile.Shakila is the Sylhet correspondent for the Bangladesh daily . Her husband Mamun Hossain is a photographer with the same newspaper. They brought their toddler Saiyara Mahek along, and watched the game from the press box. The niece cheered a few times as Jaker was hitting his big sixes, the crowd going wild around her.After the press conference, Jaker caught up with his sister’s family. And then Shakila spoke to the other journalists. “It was my dream to ask Jaker a question in a press conference,” she said, beaming. “I never knew that it would come true one day.”Shakila Bobby, Jaker Ali’s sister, with her husband Mamun Hossain and their daughter Saiyara Mahek•Bangladesh Cricket BoardShakila said the whole family is into sports. Shakila herself is a former captain of her district’s cricket team. Their father, who died in 2017, was an athlete in the Bangladesh Army. They hail from Habiganj, a town 75km to the southwest of Sylhet.Jaker plays his first-class cricket for Sylhet Division, which is why he felt so at ease at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, the team’s home venue. Jaker struck five of his six sixes after Mahmudullah got out, having given his senior partner support when he was going all guns blazing.Jaker took the game into the last over, but started if off strike, with No. 8 Rishad Hossain facing up. When Jaker got the strike, it was 10 needed off four balls. He could not get the job done, but expanded on all of it at the press conference. “[Mahmudullah] Riyad told me to bat normally. I didn’t have any extra plans. He was getting boundaries with calculative risks. It freed me up. It made life easier for me.”[Later] I asked Rishad to give me the strike, but he got out. I was on strike when we needed 10 off the last four balls. I was confident that we could win the game. I was playing a good innings. But I didn’t connect with the ball and it went to hand.”When Riyad was taking chances, my plan was to ensure that we would get 10 or 12 runs in the over. This was my role with Riyad at the crease. I shifted my gear after he got out.”

“My face is telling you how I feel. Losing is always heart-breaking. I didn’t sleep the night after losing the BPL final. I would have felt great if we could have won today. But I am planning for the next match already.”Jaker Ali is not dwelling on the tough times

Jaker got into this Bangladesh T20I squad because Aliss Al Islam sustained a finger injury. He had done enough in this season’s BPL to be in the reckoning (in fact, his Comilla Victorians coach Mohammad Salahuddin had blasted the outgoing chief selector Minhajul Abedin for not picking him in the first place). His exploits included unbeaten knocks of 40, 38 and 18, all featuring explosive hitting.”My BPL form really helped me here,” Jaker said. “We got here in Sylhet just two days after we finished the BPL in Dhaka. No changing in format was good for me. I also knew about this ground well, this being my home ground.”Jaker said captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had given him a heads-up about his call-up, which allowed him a bit of time to prepare mentally. Jaker had not got the job done in the BPL final against Fortune Barishal, which gnawed at him. He had lost a night’s sleep, but then he had to prepare for his first home game for Bangladesh. Tonight was a bit of a repeat for him, but, importantly, he seemed keen to learn from these experiences.”My face is telling you how I feel. Losing is always heart-breaking. I didn’t sleep the night after losing the BPL final. I would have felt great if we could have won today,” he said. “But I am planning for the next match already. We can take note of plenty of positives from today’s game.”

On a sluggish wicket, he scored 79 off 84 to keep India on track in the chase and showed he can still thrive under pressure

Hemant Brar19-Jan-20222:00

Manjrekar: India must tweak their line-up to make middle order ‘wholesome’

“Champions thrive under pressure.” That was Shikhar Dhawan’s message to India’s Under-19 cricketers ahead of their World Cup campaign in the West Indies. Having struck three centuries in the 2004 edition of the tournament, Dhawan knows what it takes to perform there. But he could have used the same words to motivate himself too.At 36, Dhawan is in the twilight of his career. Last July, he led a second-string Indian side to Sri Lanka and hoped to utilise the tour to make his place “stronger” for the 2021 T20 World Cup. Dhawan has stepped up his T20 game in the last couple of years, but the selectors preferred Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan as their openers for the global tournament.Related

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One justification behind Dhawan’s exclusion could have been that a top three of Rohit, Dhawan and Virat Kohli makes the T20I side too anchor heavy. When Chetan Sharma, the chairman of selectors, was asked about it, he said, “He is a very important player for us… The need of the hour was that we wanted to look at other players while we give rest to Dhawan.”Make of it what you will but the bottom line is ODIs is now the only format Dhawan finds a place in. But in stand-in captain Rahul’s words, Dhawan was “in a great space” coming into the South Africa series.”He’s a senior player, he understands exactly what is expected of him,” Rahul said on the eve of the first ODI. “He has come out here and is really having fun, really enjoying his cricket. For me as a captain, it will just be about trying to keep him in that space, and give him that confidence and freedom to go out there and do what he has been doing for so many years.”On Wednesday, Dhawan did exactly that. Chasing 297 on a sluggish wicket, he scored 79 off 84 to keep India on track. South Africa eventually won by a comfortable margin but Dhawan’s knock once again underlined his value in the ODI side and showed he can still thrive under pressure.Shikhar Dhawan lays into a drive•AFP/Getty ImagesWith the pitch helping spinners and the ball not coming on to the bat, South Africa opened the bowling with part-time offspinner Aiden Markram. While Rahul played Markram cautiously, Dhawan skipped down the track and lofted him over mid-on.From the other end, he hit Marco Jansen to the square boundary on either side of the wicket. That meant despite Rahul scoring 12 off 17 balls, India’s scoring rate hovered around five.Keshav Maharaj was introduced in the tenth over but started with a wayward delivery down the leg side and Dhawan enchased that too for four.Luck was on his side as well. In the second over of the innings, he got inside edge off Jansen but the ball missed the stumps and went for four. Later, when he was on 43, he played back to a fuller delivery from Maharaj and got an outside edge but with no slip in place, it fetched him another boundary.That meant Dhawan reached his fifty off just 51 balls without taking much risk. Along with Kohli, he added 92 off 102 balls for the second wicket to put India in a commanding position.But with the target still 159 runs away, Maharaj got one to turn sharply from outside off. Dhawan was shaping for a cut and was bowled. Kohli fell soon after, which allowed South Africa to wrest back control.