Leeds United will be doing plenty of deals in the next couple of months in an attempt to build a squad that can avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League.

The Whites have already made one new signing to bolster Daniel Farke’s options at the top end of the pitch, as Lukas Nmecha has agreed a deal to join the club on a free transfer from Wolfsburg at the start of next month.

He only scored three goals in 19 appearances in the Bundesliga during the 2024/25 campaign, and has only scored eight league goals in the last three seasons combined.

This does not suggest that Nmecha is likely to be the go-to centre-forward option from the start for the West Yorkshire outfit, but the former Germany international could provide experienced back-up to the other number nines in the squad.

The 26-year-old star will not be the last striker to arrive at Elland Road this summer, though, as reporter Graham Smyth claimed that the club are still looking for another addition in that position.

This could spell bad news for 21-year-old marksman Mateo Joseph’s future in West Yorkshire, amid speculation that he could move on ahead of next season.

Why Mateo Joseph could leave Leeds

The Spain U21 international is reportedly being eyed up by several clubs, as GIVEMESPORT recently claimed that Birmingham, Strasbourg, and Real Betis are all keen on securing his signature.

This suggests that there will be no shortage of suitors for the Whites academy graduate if Farke decides that he will not be a part of his plans for the Premier League season, which will kick off with a clash against Everton on the first Monday Night Football of the campaign.

Joseph has now had a taste of first-team football, with 61 Championship outings and four goals in the last two seasons, and should be wanting to play regular minutes next term to continue his development.

The Spanish youngster only scored three goals in 39 matches for Leeds in the second tier during the 2024/25 campaign, but did put up some promising underlying numbers.

24/25 Championship	Mateo Joseph per 90	Percentile rank vs forwards
Non-penalty xG	0.36	Top 29%
Shots total	2.73	Top 11%
Shots on target	1.05	Top 17%
Non-penalty goals	0.21	Bottom 34%
xAG	0.13	Top 20%
Assists	0.21	Top 6%
Shot-creating actions	2.31	Top 20%
Touches in the opposition’s box	5.25	Top 10%
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Joseph ranked highly among his positional peers when it came to getting into high-quality shooting positions and creating chances for others, but his finishing let him down.

A loan move away from Leeds to play regularly and hone his skills next term could be the ideal next step for him, whilst Leeds are eyeing up a striker who could be an upgrade on him in the short term.

Leeds plotting move for new striker

According to TEAMtalk, the Championship champions are eyeing up further forward additions after the signing of Nmecha, and Besiktas striker Semih Kilicsoy is one of the players they are plotting a move for.

The Turkish attacker and Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz are both said to be targets for the West Yorkshire outfit, as they look to improve Farke’s options in the final third.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

TEAMtalk adds that Leeds are moving forward in deals to sign Muniz, Kilicsoy, and USG’s Noah Sadiki, with the Besiktas whiz said to be available for a fee of £18m.

The outlet claims that the Whites have extensively scouted the Turkey U21 international and view him as a versatile star with potential who would come in as a long-term signing for Farke.

If Leeds can get an £18m deal over the line to sign the 19-year-old forward during the summer transfer window then they could have an immediate upgrade on both Nmecha and Joseph for next season.

Why Leeds should sign Semih Kilicsoy

There are many reasons why signing the teenage marksman from Besiktas makes a lot of sense for Leeds, including his age profile. At 19, he has many years left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player, which means that the striker could grow in value over time.

It also means that he may not demand to be the first-choice number nine week-in-week-out in the Premier League straight away, and be happy to be a versatile bench option at first, which would allow the Whites to also sign a more experienced striker, such as Muniz.

Kilicsoy’s performances for Besiktas in the last two seasons also suggest that he would offer more quality in front of goal than both Nmecha and Joseph in the top-flight.

The Turkish attacker, who was once hailed as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons combined for his club side.

Joseph managed seven goals and four assists for Leeds in all competitions, and Nmecha racked up five goals and zero assists in that same time, which immediately suggests that the teenage star has more to offer the team at the top end of the pitch.

24/25 (per 90)	Kilicsoy (Super Lig)	Joseph (Championship)
Goals	0.21	0.21
xG on target	0.35	0.35
xA	0.13	0.10
Assists	0.14	0.21
Dribbles completed	2.49	0.78
Dribble success rate	57%	42%
Fouls won	2.00	1.29
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Kilicsoy offered more quality at the top end of the pitch than Joseph this season, with more goals and xA combined per 90, along with far more success in dribbling past opposition players.

Impressively, the teenage attacker managed 0.59 goals and 0.21 assists per 90 in the Super Lig in the previous campaign, when he managed 11 goals and four assists in the division, whilst Joseph scored one goal in 22 league games for Leeds that term.

Therefore, Kilicsoy could be a very exciting signing for Leeds as a young forward who has shown that he has the potential to make a big impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals, even more so than Joseph and Nmecha have in recent years.

Better than Aaronson: Leeds submit bid to sign £21m Sadiki alternative

Leeds are looking at signing a new midfielder this summer

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 17, 2025

This is why Leeds must press ahead with a deal to sign the £18m-rated centre-forward before the start of the Premier League season to bolster their attacking options.

أدلى ميكيل أرتيتا مدرب آرسنال بتصريحات بعد فوز فريقه أمام كريستال بالاس في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وتوسيع فارق النقاط مع مانشستر سيتي.

ويتصدر آرسنال الترتيب بفارق 6 نقاط عن مانشستر سيتي الذي تعرض لهزيمة من أستون فيلا بالجولة العاشرة للدوري الإنجليزي.

وقال أرتيتا في تصريحات نشرها موقع آرسنال الرسمي: “أخبرتُ اللاعبين أنني أقدر هذا الفوز أكثر من أي فوز آخر هذا الموسم، لأننا ندرك صعوبة الأمر بعد اللعب كل ثلاثة أيام، أتيحت لنا فرصة كبيرة أيضًا في ظل ما حدث خلال مباريات هذه الجولة (هزائم مانشستر سيتي وليفربول وتشيلسي)”.

وأضاف: “وكنتُ أعلم أننا لعبنا ضد فريق، برأيي، من بين أفضل الفرق مؤخرًا من حيث التنظيم، ومدى صعوبة اللعب، ومدى الإحباط الذي يسببونه، ولحظة فقدان التركيز، سيعاقبونك”.

حول إصابات ساليبا ورايس وكالافيوري، أوضح أرتيتا: “أولها كان ساليبا الذي اضطر للخروج بعد الشوط الأول، وديكلان رايس عانى من إصابة في الشوط الأول، أما كالافيوري، فلنرى كيف ستسير الأمور”.

وعن حاجة مارتينيلي للعلاج بعد المباراة، أشار: “علينا التحقق من ذلك، فقد شعر ببعض الانزعاج، وقال إنه شعر بشيء ما، لا نعرف ما إذا كانت مشكلة عضلية أم لا، لذا سنوافيكم بالمزيد من الأخبار لاحقًا”.

وعن قرار استبدال ساكا في الشوط الثاني، تابع: “كان مريضًا، ولم يتدرب جيدًا، لذلك لم نكن نعرف ما إذا كان سيشارك، لذا بذل جهدًا كبيرًا ليكون متاحًا، كان الطبيب رائعًا أيضًا في توجيهنا، ومنحنا أفضل فرصة له ليكون في أفضل حالة ممكنة، لذا تمكن من اللعب لبضع دقائق، كلما طالت المباراة، زاد إرهاقه وتعرضه لخطر الإصابة، ولم نكن نريد المخاطرة”.

وإذا كان يمكنه توضيح حالة اللاعبين الذين غادروا الملعب، أجاب: “لا، لأنني لا أعرف، ليس لأنني لا أريد أن أخبركم، بل لأنني حقًا لا أعلم، بالنسبة لويلباك، هناك أمران مرتبطان باستبداله، أما بالنسبة لديكلان، فلا أعرف تحديدًا، فقد كانت ضربة، لكنني لا أعلم إن كانت في عضلة الساق أم في وتر العرقوب أو في أي موضع بالضبط”.

وعن خسارة مانشستر سيتي أمام أستون فيلا، أفاد: لا، لم أكن على علم، علمتُ بالأمر في نهاية المباراة، أعتقد أن معظم اللاعبين أيضًا ممنوعون من استخدام هواتفهم بين الشوطين، لذا آمل ألا يكونوا على علم بذلك، ربما من خلال الجهاز الفني”.

وأكمل: “لكنني أعتقد أنه كان أسبوع إيجابيًا للغاية بالنسبة لنا، خاصةً لأننا قمنا بما كان علينا فعله، وهذا يُظهر صعوبة الدوري، ومدى صعوبة الفوز في هذه المباريات”.

اقرأ أيضًا | جوارديولا بعد هزيمة مانشستر سيتي وفوز آرسنال: كنت قلقًا ومراقبة الجدول ليست مهمتنا

وحول أهمية تفوق آرسنال على مانشستر سيتي بست نقاط، أستطرد: “نحن في مكاننا الحالي، إنه لشرف لنا أن نكون ثابتين في مستوانا، مع إدراكنا لصعوبة كل مباراة، ما زال الوقت مبكرًا، لذا لا يعني هذا سوى مواصلة العمل على ما نُنجزه بشكل جيد، ولكن هناك أمور يجب تحسينها لتحقيق فارق أكبر”.

عما إذا كان هدف إيزي هو اللحظة التي تعاقد آرسنال معه من أجلها، رد: “نعم، بالتأكيد، تسديده للكرة بهذه الطريقة، مشابه جدًا لما فعله العام الماضي، ولكن ضدنا عندما سجل من تلك الركنية، مباشرة على القائم”.

وأتم: “لذا، لديه القدرة على فعل ذلك، ضد فريق يدافع بهذا العدد الكبير من اللاعبين، قوي البنية، لا يترك أي مساحة مع وجود تسعة لاعبين يدافعون عن أفضل لاعب، عليك خلق فوضى أو فتح مساحات لخلق فرص كبيرة، وقد استقبل الكرة والهدف ببراعة”.

MatériaMais Notícias

da pinnacle： A Portuguesa-RJ já definiu qual será o treinador da equipe em 2024, ano em que o clube completa 100 anos desde a fundação. A diretoria optou por manter o nome de Caio Couto, campeão da Copa Rio de forma invicta nesta temporada e que avançou até as quartas de final do Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, ficando a apenas um jogo do acesso à Série C do ano que vem.

RelacionadasSão PauloJames Rodríguez cumpre expectativa, mas São Paulo acredita em evolução ainda maiorSão Paulo24/10/2023PalmeirasMessi do Palmeiras e multa de R$ 300 milhões: Estevão trilha caminho de EndrickPalmeiras24/10/2023Futebol NacionalSemifinalista, Ibrachina conta com goleiro espanhol desejado por clubes de São PauloFutebol Nacional23/10/2023

da casino： Com Bruno Henrique perto de renovar, veja o possível ‘novo Flamengo’ para 2024

Em 2024, Caio terá a missão de comandar a Lusa nas disputas do Campeonato Carioca, Campeonato Brasileiro Série D e Copa Rio. Além destas, pode conseguir também uma vaga na Copa do Brasil caso o Fluminense conquiste a Copa Libertadores ou então o Flamengo se classifique de forma direta para a mesma competição via Campeonato Brasileiro, fator que abriria mais vagas nas primeiras fases do torneio.

Caio Couto foi contratado para assumir a função de treinador principal da Portuguesa-RJ ainda em 2023, após comandar o Audax Rio na primeira divisão do Campeonato Carioca. Desde então, esteve à beira do campo em 28 jogos, conquistando 15 vitórias, 10 empates e apenas três derrotas, com um aproveitamento de 65,4% dos pontos disputados. Sua equipe ainda balançou as redes 50 veses (média de 1,7 gol por jogo) e sofreu 25 gols (média de 0,8 gol por jogo).

+ Calando os críticos! Aposte R$100 e fature R$250 com Vinícius Júnior e o Real na Champions

Aos 47 anos de idade, o profissional possui a Licença B para treinadores da CBF Academy e coleciona passagem por clubes como Botafogo, Fluminense, seleção brasileira feminina, Santos feminino, entre outros. Dentre suas principais conquistas estão os títulos do Campeonato Carioca sub-17, pelo Fluminense, o Sul-Americano sub-20, com o Brasil, e o Campeonato Brasileiro feminino, pelo Santos. Em 2017, foi eleito o melhor técnico do Campeonato Paulista e do Campeonato Brasileiro na modalidade feminina pela FPF e CBF, respectivamente.

The 32-year-old joins to boost promotion push following relegation to Division Two

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2025Australia batter Marcus Harris has joined Lancashire for the 2025 season.The left-handed opener will be available for the club’s County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaigns through to September. He is due to arrive in the UK ahead of Lancashire’s opening Championship fixture against Middlesex at Lord’s, which begins on April 4.Acquiring someone of Harris’ standing brings vital experience to Emirates Old Trafford, which head coach Dale Benkenstein cited as vital for an immediate return to Division One after the county were relegated in 2024. Lancashire were keen to bring back New Zealand star Daryl Mitchell, who impressed with bat and ball during a stint in 2023, only for the allrounder to secure a lucrative Platinum deal with PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars.Harris has 12 Test caps for Australia, three of which came in the 2019 Ashes when the tourists secured the urn in Manchester. He came close to a recall for the home Test series against Australia, only for selectors to opt for Nathan McSweeney and then Sam Konstas.The 32-year-old has been a consistent performer domestically, and currently boasts 445 runs at an average of 49.44 for Victoria in this season’s Sheffield Shield. He is also well-versed in county cricket following spells at Leicestershire (2021 and 2024) and Gloucestershire (2022 and 2023), averaging 48.39 from 29 first-class appearances across both teams, with nine centuries.”I am really excited by the opportunity to join Lancashire for the English summer and will give my all to help this great Club win promotion back to Division One of the County Championship,” Harris said, via a statement from Lancashire on Thursday.”Emirates Old Trafford holds some special memories for me after we retained the Ashes there back in 2019 and I know that Nathan Lyon and Chris Green have both spoken so highly about their time at the club.”I have really enjoyed my time playing county cricket in England over the last few years and to start a new challenge with Lancashire is something which I am really looking forward to getting stuck into.”Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton said: “Marcus is an experienced operator with international pedigree and has a proven track record of scoring runs at the top of the order in domestic cricket in Australia and England.”He has a strong record in England, following a number of games with both Leicestershire and Gloucestershire in recent years. We are looking forward to working with Marcus and believe that he will play a key role as we look to earn promotion back into Division One at the first time of asking.”It was important to us that we got somebody on board who was going to be available for the majority of the County Championship this summer with the appropriate pedigree, and Marcus ticks that box, while he will also add valuable experience to our side in the One-Day Cup during August.”Harris will play alongside James Anderson, who earlier this month signed on for the upcoming season with Lancashire having not played since last July, when he bowed out of Test cricket against West Indies at Lord’s.West Indies quick Anderson Phillip is the club’s other overseas signing, and is available through to July for the first 11 Championship matches.

Sunderland supporters will be trying to hold back their excitement ahead of the new Premier League season finally kicking off.

There’s no guarantee in place that signings galore will improve your chances of staying afloat in the tricky division, with Ipswich Town picking up 14 total purchases last season and still managing to fall through the relegation trapdoor.

But, the star-studded quality of signing Sunderland is managing to attract makes being giddy quite hard to contain, with the standout £20m purchase of Enzo Le Fee getting the ball rolling this summer, whilst a £30m deal for Habib Diarra to join from Strasbourg edges ever nearer to completion.

Reinildo is also set to join the Stadium of Light ranks after allowing his Atletico Madrid contract to expire, with plenty more notable names being tipped to call Wearside their fresh home shortly.

Transfer latest at Sunderland

Most Sunderland supporters would have been initially apprehensive about all the business being conducted in this hectic transfer window, considering the window opened with both Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson deserting the Stadium of Light.

Now, however, the mood has flipped, with the likes of Georgian superstar Georges Mikautadze being tipped to join Le Bris’ enthused ranks alongside those already named, on top of an alleged £17m bid being lodged by the Black Cats to snap up Nantes attacker Matthis Abline.

The most intriguing purchase of them all could soon come in the form of Almeria goal-machine Luis Suarez moving to England, with reports from Spain now suggesting that Sunderland have enquired about landing the explosive attacker.

Such a deal would result in the Black Cats having to fork out £21m, with the La Liga 2 side upping their transfer valuation off the back of Suarez’s impressive 2024/25 offering.

It could even be argued that snapping up the clinical Colombian would see the newly promoted side land an even bigger talent than Diarra, despite the Senegal international costing Sunderland a club-record £30m to snap up.

Why Suarez could be a bigger talent than Diarra

After all, whilst Diarra was able to boast four goals and five assists from the midfield areas last season for Liam Rosenior’s men, Suarez’s numbers up top for Almeria in another demanding European setting are an even more majestic sight to take in.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, the “crazy” South American – as he was once labelled by talent scout Jacek Kulig – would take La Liga 2 by storm with his devastating goalscoring prowess.

That was seen in him collecting 27 of his bumper 31 strikes in the second division, away from also netting four of those efforts in the challenging Copa Del Rey when facing off against opponents from La Liga.

Games played

41

Goals scored

27

Scoring frequency

135 mins

Assists

8

Big chances missed

27

Staggeringly, Suarez would also chip in with eight assists across his 41 La Liga 2 outings, which is three more assists than Diarra managed in the heart of Strasbourg’s midfield, with the hope that the dangerous Almeria marksman can offer up similarly deadly displays when leaping up to the Premier League.

He could instantly displace Wilson Isidor on his arrival, therefore, considering the Frenchman blew hot and cold last campaign with just 13 Championship goals next to his name, away from Suarez wreaking havoc in the Spanish second division.

On the contrary, it doesn’t feel as set in stone that Diarra would instantly dive into Le Bris’ XI – irrespective of his lofty price tag – with Dan Neil already at the Frenchman’s disposal centrally who collected five goal contributions himself last season in league action, alongside Le Bris also possessing the star-quality of Le Fee who could kick on even more up a division.

Whilst Diarra will no doubt go on to be a success story under the ex-Lorient manager’s wing if Le Fee’s trajectory is anything to go off of, it does appear as if Suarez could really burst into life even more as a terrifying goalscorer on Wearside, with his blistering introduction into the English game perhaps helping the Black Cats to maintain their fraught Premier League status.

Better signing than Diarra: Sunderland now targeting "fantastic" £18m star

Sunderland’s rapid summer business is showing no signs of slowing down as a new target now appears on their shopping list.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 1, 2025

Real Madrid demolished WSG Tirol in their final pre-season friendly ahead of the 2025-26 campaign on Tuesday, as Kylian Mbappe starred with a brace.

Mbappe with a brace and an assistMilitao made scoring returnMadrid triumph 4-0 in final friendlyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

Los Blancos ended their pre-season preparations with a thumping win at Austrian side WSG Tirol. Xabi Alonso fielded a strong starting lineup as Vinicius Junior featured in the Madrid attack alongside Kylian Mbappe and Brahim Diaz. Rodrygo, however, was left on the bench, amid strong speculation that the Brazilian could exit the Santiago Bernabeu in this transfer window. 

Eder Militao, starting for the first time since recovering from his second ACL injury, opened the scoring for his team with a looping header from Diaz's cross and Mbappe soon doubled the team's lead with a great finish. The France captain received a through ball with his right foot from Arda Guler and took a swift turn before putting the ball into the net with a thunderous left-footed strike.

Madrid resumed action after the break with similar intensity with which they ended the first half. Mbappe completed his brace and extended his team's lead to three goals just before the hour mark as he followed Aurelien Tchouameni's through ball inside the Tirol box, before dribbling past the opposition goalkeeper and finding the back of the net.

Following their third goal, Alonso made a host of changes as Rodrygo finally entered the pitch, replacing his compatriot Vinicius. Antonio Rudiger was also introduced in place of goal scorer Militao, while veteran full-back Dani Carvajal came on for new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Mbappe ended a remarkable night with an assist for Rodrygo as he showed off impeccable trickery with his foot before forwarding a through ball from which the Brazilian comfortably slotted home.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE MVP

Mbappe's fiery form in the final friendly of pre-season will reassure Madrid fans before the start of the new campaign. The Frenchman was undoubtedly the star of the game as his brace helped the Spaniards rout their opponents.

Getty Images SportNEW FACES

New signing Alvaro Carreras did exceptionally well in his first-ever game for Madrid. The full-back remained on the pitch for just over an hour, where he made 72 touches, won most of his duels and completed two tackles and as many interceptions. Carreras, along with other arrivals like Dean Huijsen and Alexander-Arnold, played a crucial role in the club keeping a clean sheet. 

Getty ImagesONES TO WATCH

A lot of eyes will be on Arda Guler this season as the youngster could feature regularly in the starting lineup under Alonso. The Turkish sensation had a stellar outing on Tuesday as he capped it off with a brilliant assist for Mbappe's first goal.

Big picture: Pakistan confident, Australia shorthanded

Australian soil has mostly been the site of nightmares for Pakistan over decades. But ignited by fiery bowling from quick Haris Rauf, Pakistan are on the verge of a rare series victory in Australia and go into Sunday’s decider at the Optus Stadium highly confident after a nine-wicket hammering of the world champions in Adelaide.It can, of course, be fraught with danger to feel any type of certainty over such a volatile team but Pakistan deserve to enter the third and final ODI in Perth as favourites. They probably should have already wrapped up the series if not for Pat Cummins’ late heroics with the bat at the MCG.Pakistan bounced back superbly with a masterclass in the second ODI, blowing away Australia’s batters with skilful pace bowling before impressive young opener Saim Ayub treated Australia’s frontline attack with disdain.It’s hard to recall a more clinical performance by a visiting team in Australia. Pakistan, whose white-ball coach Gary Kirsten quit amid upheaval just a week before the tour, can almost sniff an unlikely series victory and they will face a weakened Australia.Cummins, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Marnus Labuschagne won’t play as they start preparing for the first Test against India.Josh Inglis will become Australia’s 30th ODI captain and has the tough task of galvanising a new-look team in conditions that will once again test their batting-order preaching all-out attack. There will be considerable pressure on misfiring openers Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, who have both copped criticism for their shot selections across the two games.While the series is viewed as an entrée to the blockbuster Test summer, as underlined by modest crowds in Melbourne and Adelaide, there is added significance for both teams ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

Form guide

Australia LWWLL (last five ODIs, most recent first)
Pakistan WLLWWJosh Inglis will lead Australia for the first time•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Josh Inglis and Haris Rauf

Josh Inglis, 29, will make his captaincy debut for Australia and also will lead his team in the subsequent T20I series against Pakistan. Given his heavy workload with the gloves, Inglis has never taken the reins of Western Australia or Perth Scorchers in the BBL, but his leadership credentials and tactical nous are widely regarded. He did captain a very strong Prime Minister’s XI in a first-class match against West Indies two years ago. The England-born Inglis started the season in sublime form and was even bandied around as a possible left-field option to solve Australia’s Test opening dilemma. Inglis continued to look in good touch in the opening two games but failed to convert starts. On a ground he has long dominated in the BBL, Inglis looms as Australia’s key batter as he bids to start his captaincy on a winning note.Haris Rauf has been undoubtedly the standout performer so far this series with eight wickets to rattle Australia. He’s been unplayable at times on helpful surfaces and he has created doubt over whether Australia’s batters can handle rapid pace. Rauf should relish the extra bounce at the Optus Stadium, but he will need to not get carried away. He should strive to replicate the discipline he showed in Adelaide marked by a superb line and length delivery – reminiscent of Test cricket – to nick off Labuschagne. If he can finish off the series in style, then his performances across the three games will go down in Pakistan’s fast-bowling lore.

Team news: Mass changes for Australia

Quick Sean Abbott, who played in the series opener, is likely to return for Australia along with experienced allrounder and Perth local Marcus Stoinis. Hometown heroes Lance Morris and Cooper Connolly will be in consideration, while quicks Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett are also in the squad.Australia (probable): 1 Matt Short, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Josh Inglis (capt, wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Aaron Hardie, 7 Cooper Connolly, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Spencer Johnson/Xavier Bartlett, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Lance MorrisAfter such a comprehensive victory in Adelaide, Pakistan are set to remain unchanged.Pakistan (probable): 1 Saim Ayub, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5 Kamran Ghulam, 6 Salman Agha, 7 Irfan Khan, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Mohammad HasnainSaim Ayub treated Australia’s attack with disdain in the second ODI•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

A fast and bouncy surface is expected at a ground that aims to mimic the famous conditions at the nearby WACA. But runs usually flow at the ground in white-ball cricket as batters target the relatively short straight boundaries.”The same three principles… pace, carry and bounce but more of a batter’s wicket. Lots of runs,” WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ESPNcricinfo.It has been a relatively mild spring in Perth and pleasant temperatures in the mid-20s are expected throughout the day fixture.

Stats and trivia

• Salman Agha has the fifth-highest strike rate (94.86) in Pakistan’s history of batters who have faced at least 500 deliveries.
• Glenn Maxwell needs 50 runs to reach 4000 in ODIs.
• The teams have never played an ODI at the Optus Stadium. Pakistan held a 4-3 edge at the WACA.
• Only two ODIs have been played at the Optus Stadium. In front of more than 53,000 fans, England’s 12-run victory over Australia in January 2018 was the first official sports event at the Burswood ground, while South Africa beat Australia by six wickets later that year.

Quotes

“We go to Perth with a clear plan, a clear method. We’re committed to the style we want to play.”

Alexander Isak has been ruled out of Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia as the Swedish striker continues to generate transfer talk.

• Striker seeing move speculated on
• Will not make trip to the Far East
• Recovering from minor thigh injury

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Magpies are preparing to face north London giants Arsenal and Tottenham while in the Far East, as well as a K-League XI. Eddie Howe has pieced together his travelling party, with the countdown on to the 2025-26 campaign.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He is hoping that prolific frontman Isak will be part of his plans for a season that includes Champions League action, but questions continue to be asked of how much longer the talented 25-year-old will be spending on Tyneside.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Premier League champions Liverpool – who may have moved on after landing Hugo Ekitike – and Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal have been credited with interest in Isak. He will not form part of Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEWCASTLE SAID

  The Magpies said in an update on their , with their Sweden international No.14 having been training by himself of late: “Eddie Howe has an almost fully-fit squad to choose from, however Alexander Isak misses out with a minor thigh injury.”

da esport bet： Arsenal have suddenly sprung to life in the last few days.

da roleta： For much of the last few weeks, fans were beginning to worry that Mikel Arteta’s side were being left behind by their Premier League rivals like Liverpool and Manchester City, who have been incredibly busy in the transfer window thus far.

However, seemingly out of nowhere, the North Londoners appear to have wrapped up deals for Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and now it looks like they are making progress on a deal to sign Christian Mosquera.

On top of that, the Gunners are now being linked with Crystal Palace’s incredible Eberechi Eze, although there is another international touted for a move to the Emirates this summer, someone who’d be a better signing than the Englishman.

Arsenal target international talent

Considering Arsenal scored 17 goals fewer than eventual Premier League champions Liverpool this season, it’s no surprise that most of their rumoured targets this summer are attacking players, with a real focus on left-wingers, such as Nico Williams and Eze.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

The former looked like he could be the answer to the Gunners’ problems in that area of the pitch, but as things stand today, he looks more likely to move to Barcelona than England.

Eze, on the other hand, does feel like a realistic target, as he’s proven himself in the Premier League for years now and has a release clause worth around £68m in his contract, which would make signing him relatively straightforward.

Yet, if Arteta and Co really want to take the team to the next level this summer and bring in someone who’d represent a real signal of intent, they might be better off signing Rodrygo.

The good news is that they might have the same idea, as, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, the report goes a step further, claiming that the Gunners are now preparing to make an offer of around €80m for the Brazilian international, which translates to around £68m.

Interestingly, the club want to stagger the payments into three installments, with the first being around €50m and the next two being €15m each, which is something they might not be able to do with the Palace star due to his release clause.

It would still be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Rodrygo’s ability, experience and stature in the game, it’s one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Eze.

Why Rodrygo would be a better signing than Eze

Okay, the first thing to say is that both players are incredibly talented footballers and would, therefore, make excellent additions to Arsenal’s squad.

After all, their raw output from this season isn’t all that far apart, as the Palace star scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 games, totalling 3303 minutes, while the Real monster produced the same goal involvements in 3448 minutes across 53 games.

However, the first real argument for the latter being the superior player emerges when we take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.

Rodrygo vs Eze

Statistics

Rodrygo

Eze

Non-Penalty G+As

0.51

0.52

Progressive Passes

5.05

3.37

Progressive Passes Received

11.8

5.31

Progressive Carries

5.28

2.40

Shots

2.52

3.48

Goals per Shot

0.11

0.07

Shots on Target

0.93

0.94

Goals Per Shot on Target

0.30

0.26

Expected Assists

0.20

0.16

Key Passes

2.29

2.01

Passes into the Final Third

3.08

1.70

Shot-Creating Actions

4.95

4.69

Goal-Creating Actions

0.42

0.35

Tackles Won

0.65

0.76

Blocks

0.84

0.94

Interceptions

0.51

0.38

Clearances

0.42

0.35

Carries into the Final Third

4.07

1.67

Carries into the Penalty Area

2.34

0.76

Aerial Duels Won

0.33

0.24

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

For example, even though the former QPR star comes out on top in some metrics, like shots and shots on target per 90, he does far worse in the vast majority of relevant statistics.

In fact, not only does the former Santos gem do better in most attacking areas, like progressive and key passes, but also in some of the defensive metrics as well, like interceptions and clearances, highlighting his willingness to do the dirty work and help out his team.

Finally, in addition to being vastly superior in a statistical sense, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, is two years younger and has significantly more experience at the highest level.

For example, he has won two Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and a host of other trophies, so he knows exactly what it takes to play at the very top of the game, which is something the Eagles ace just doesn’t have in his locker.

​​​​

Ultimately, both players would be excellent signings for Arsenal, but due to his incredible experience, age and superior statistics, Arsenal should be looking to sign Rodrygo over Eze this summer.

Related Better than Sesko & Gyokeres: Arsenal have "looked at" signing £82m star

The incredible goalscorer would be an unreal addition to Arsenal’s squad.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 27, 2025

Celtic are preparing for the 2025/26 season after another successful year under Brendan Rodgers, with the Hoops lifting another Scottish Premiership title.

Their dominance in Scotland is showing no signs of slowing up, and something those at Parkhead have done well in recent years is making a number of shrewd signings.

They have also cashed in on a plethora of Celtic Park stars at the right times, making profits on the likes of Matt O’Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota, with the latter of the three since returning.

Matt O’Riley

Brighton

£25m

2024

Jota

Al-Ittihad

£25m

2023

Kieran Tierney

Arsenal

£25m

2019

Moussa Dembele

Lyon

£19.7m

2018

Odsonne Edouard

Crystal Palace

£14m

2021

But who could be in line to leave Celtic this summer? Grok, the AI tool on X, has predicted five players the Hoops will cash in on ahead of 25/26, and if they are correct, Celtic will receive more than £50m.

£20m+ spent as "next Neymar" joins: AI predicts 5 players Celtic will sign

The Hoops could back Brendan Rodgers this summer.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 14, 2025 AI predicts 5 players Celtic will sell this summer 1 Reo Hatate (£25m)

The first player Grok has predicted to leave Parkhead is midfielder Reo Hatate, who they say has been a ‘standout performer’ for Celtic.

Signed for just under £1.5m in 2022, Hatate could generate a huge profit and has been backed to exit for up to £25m.

AI adds that Hatate’s ‘versatility, work rate, and technical ability make him a prime candidate for a big move’.

2 Cameron Carter-Vickers (£15m)

Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers has been heavily linked with a move away this summer, so it isn’t a shock that AI believes an exit could happen.

Purchased for an initial £6m from Tottenham back in 2022, Carter-Vickers has made Celtic Park his home following plenty of loan spells earlier in his career but is now wanted by multiple clubs in England.

Grok says that £15m could be enough for Celtic to sell, basing that off the club’s previous defensive sales, such as when Virgil van Dijk joined Southampton and Kristoffer Ajer moved to Brentford.

3 Daizen Maeda (£12m)

After Kyogo Furuhashi left Celtic at the beginning of 2025, Daizen Maeda featured in a more central role in the latter stages of the season and ended the campaign with 33 goals in all competitions.

As a result, the Japan international has been linked with a move to the Premier League as he enters the final two years of his current Parkhead contract.

It is stated that following Furuhashi’s exit, ‘Maeda could be next if Celtic look to refresh their attacking options’, with a £12m fee mooted.

4 Gustaf Lagerbielke (£3m)

After spending the 24/25 season on loan at FC Twente, Gustaf Lagerbielke is looking to leave Celtic this summer, so it’s no surprise that he is on AI’s list.

Games

10

Goals

1

Red cards

1

Minutes played

576

The Sweden international hasn’t lived up to expectations at Parkhead and is among several fringe players who ‘don’t fit into Rodgers’ long-term plans’.

If a permanent sale materialises, Grok feels a transfer could be worth up to £3m, around the fee they paid Elfsborg back in 2023.

5 Hyeok-kyu Kwon (£1m)

Another player who looks surplus to requirements is midfielder Hyeok-kyu Kwon, who has had loan spells at Scottish Premiership sides St Mirren and Hibernian since moving to Celtic Park.

Yet to make a competitive appearance for the Hoops, the 24-year-old is still under contract until 2028, but the club are open to offers for Kwon.

Grok says a fee worth just £1m could be enough for Celtic to sell the midfielder.