It is fair to say that Celtic and their recruitment team did not enjoy the deadline day that they were hoping for at the end of the summer transfer window on Monday night.

The Hoops went into Monday wanting two wingers and two centre-forwards to bolster their squad until at least January, but they were unable to get what they wanted.

Sebastian Tounekti joined the club on a permanent deal from Hammarby to add to Brendan Rodgers’ options in the wide areas, as a player who has predominantly played on the left wing in his career to date.

However, the Scottish Premiership champions did not add a single number nine to their squad before the window slammed shut, despite allowing Adam Idah to complete an initial £6m move to EFL Championship side Swansea City.

The Hoops were then forced to look at the free agent market to find a replacement for the Ireland international, and Kelechi Iheanacho arrived after his contract with Sevilla was ripped up on Monday night.

Celtic had to swoop for Iheanacho, who worked with Rodgers at Leicester, because they were unable to get a deal done for Kasper Dolberg before the deadline.

Why missing out on Dolberg was a blow for Celtic

The Scottish giants were linked with an interest in the Denmark international heading into the final days of the transfer window, but they failed to agree a deal with Anderlecht, and he went on to sign for Dutch side Ajax later in the week.

Reporter Stephen McGowan has since revealed that the transfer did not happen for several reasons: the club bid too low in their first attempt to sign him, the player was not sold on Celtic, the player was not too keen on Glasgow.

However it happened, missing out on a deal for Dolberg was a blow for the Hoops because he could have arrived at Parkhead as an upgrade on Idah for Rodgers.

The Danish marksman’s form for Anderlecht in the 2024/25 campaign suggested that he would have been a terrific signing for the club, hence why they were keen to bring him in in the first place.

24/25 season	Dolberg (Pro League)	Idah (Premiership)
Appearances (starts)	31 (30)	35 (19)
xG	16.70	N/A
Goals	18	13
Conversion rate	22%	17%
Goals from outside the box	3	2
Assists	2	0
Duel success rate	50%	41%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Dolberg scored five more goals than Idah at league level last season, with a greater conversion rate in front of goal, and performed better in his physical duels.

The 27-year-old centre-forward also scored five goals in nine games for Anderlecht at the start of the current campaign, per Transfermarkt, before he completed his permanent move to Ajax after Celtic failed to sign him.

This is why missing out on Dolberg was such a big blow for the Hoops, because the striker is in the prime years of his career and could have come in as a player who would have been ready to hit the ground running as an instant upgrade on what Rodgers previously had.

Instead, Celtic have had to take a risk signing Iheanacho on a free transfer, after the Nigeria international scored one goal in 24 league matches for Sevilla and Middlesbrough last season, per Sofascore.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Another risky move the manager could make would be to unleash a player from the B team who could potentially emerge as his own version of Dolberg – Rhys Dargie.

Why Celtic should give Rhys Dargie a chance

Whether it is in a League Cup match or off the bench in the Scottish Premiership, Rodgers should look to present the young attacker with a chance to prove his worth at first-team level.

Celtic are clearly in a difficult position with their strikers, given that they felt the need to sign Iheanacho as a free agent after the window slammed shut, but they have a talented goalscorer in their academy set-up who may have the potential to make an impact for Rodgers.

In July, Broxburn reporter Stu Mclellan described Dargie as “some talent” after his impressive performance in a 3-2 win for Celtic’s B team against Broxburn on the opening day of the Lowland League season.

The 18-year-old starlet is a versatile talent who can play centrally or out wide. Interestingly, Dolberg played on the right wing and as a striker at U19 level for Ajax in his academy days, per Transfermarkt, and this Celtic youngster could follow in his footsteps.

Dargie has shown impressive instincts in front of goal at youth level, as evidenced by his goal in the clip above. The teenage whiz reacted brilliantly in a central position to divert the ball into the back of the net from Jude Bonnar’s effort.

Rhys Dargie	24/25	25/26
Appearances	16	10
Minutes	894	707
Goals	9	4
Minutes per goal	99	176
Assists	0	3
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic B star has a very impressive goalscoring record at youth level with 13 goals in 26 games since the start of last season.

In that time frame, Dargie averaged a goal every 123 minutes. Interestingly, Dolberg also averaged a goal every 123 minutes in all competitions for Anderlecht last term, with 24 goals in 2,963 minutes, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that Celtic have a player in their academy who has the potential to be just as prolific as Dolberg if he can translate his form over to the first-team.

Although Dargie has played a lot of his football as a right-winger, the teenage talent’s goalscoring instincts suggest that the club could get the best out of him in the centre-forward position, particularly given his impressive goal return, which is the route that Dolberg also went down in the Ajax academy.

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Therefore, Rodgers could unearth his own version of Dolberg by boldly unleashing this impressive youngster as a striker for the first-team in the coming weeks.

Tottenham opened their Champions League account for the campaign with a 1-0 win over La Liga side Villarreal in north London on Tuesday night, with a calamitous own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior gifting Thomas Frank’s side a precious three points.

It was a tight, cagey affair, and Villarreal had chances of their own to level, including a late free-kick in a dangerous area, but former Arsenal flop Nicolas Pepe blazed it over the bar.

Micky van de Ven

7.4

Djed Spence

7.3

Rodrigo Bentancur

7.3

Mohammed Kudus

7.2

Santiago Mourino

7.1

via WhoScored

Pape Sarr also forced a low, outstretched save from Luiz on 30 minutes to keep the score at 1-0, and that’s how it stayed, with there being precious few highlights from the fairly uneventful victory — not that Frank is complaining too much as Spurs make it four wins from five in all competitions.

Midfielder Lucas Bergvall also continued his fine start to the season with a Man of the Match display against Villarreal, outshining the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus in what was another excellent performance.

It’s been an excellent start to life under the Dane, but Tottenham’s restructured boardroom – headed by CEO Vinai Vinkatesham and minus ex-chair Daniel Levy – will bear in mind that Ange Postecoglou made the best start by any other manager in Premier League history when he first joined the club in 2023.

However, with the form on display by some of his key men, especially defensively, the early signs are extremely promising.

Frank’s side have conceded just three goals in six games this season, including the UEFA Super Cup final, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero proving imperious at the back for Tottenham.

Jamie O'Hara says Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero "walk" into Real Madrid

Speaking on talkSPORT, pundit Jamie O’Hara has claimed that Romero and van de Ven are the best centre-back partnership in the world right now, going on to claim that both of them stroll into Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid side.

The duo have been vital for Frank since he took over from Postecoglou, and the numbers speak for themselves.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero shining for Tottenham

Van de Ven complements Romero by offering strong aerial ability, searing pace and consistency in clearances and interceptions.

The Dutchman’s clean-sheet rate when fit and his ability to handle one-on-one duels have become key for Spurs. Romero, meanwhile, brings aggression, leadership, and experience, especially in big games.

In Postecoglou’s final season, they featured in 18 matches together, during which Tottenham conceded just 20 goals.

Together, what van de Ven lacks in experience, Romero makes up for with leadership and composure; and while the latter’s aggressive defending sometimes invites risk, the former helps cover for him. Their strengths balance each other out, and it is clear that the pair remaining fit will be crucial to Tottenham’s prospects this season.

Georgia Voll and allrounder Tess Flintoff have been awarded their first Cricket Australia central contracts but the chances of Jess Jonassen making a comeback have receded further after she was omitted from the 18-player list.Voll’s deal was largely a formality after a breakout season where she debuted across all three formats and scored a maiden ODI century against India followed by a brace of T20I half-centuries against New Zealand, stepping into the shoes of the injured Alyssa Healy at the top of the order.Flintoff, though, remains uncapped at international level although was called up for 2023 tour of Ireland has long been marked as a player for the future and has featured for Australia A including in the recent series against England A where she claimed five wickets in the four-day game.However, her elevation comes after a 2024-25 season where she had a poor WBBL for Melbourne Stars with 59 runs in seven innings and just three wickets. Her batting returns in the WNCL for Victoria were much stronger with 330 runs at 33.00 although her eight wickets came at 59.25.Back in 2022, as a 19-year-old, Flintoff struck the fastest WBBL half-century from just 16 balls against Adelaide Strikers.”Tess is an exciting young player who we can see having a long future in the green and gold,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “Having overcome injury we’re looking forward to seeing her fit and firing throughout summer which adds further depth to our pace-bowling stocks.”Georgia has made a sensational start to her international career, showing her immense talent from the onset and playing a pivotal role for the team in the absence of Alyssa Healy at the top of the order.Georgia Voll has made an impressive start to her international career•Getty Images

“Her ability to adapt to the various formats has been impressive and will come into play with an ODI World Cup later this year and a multi-format series against India in the new year.”Meanwhile, left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Jonassen has not played for Australia since December 2023 although has remained a consistent performer in domestic cricket and T20 leagues, most recently in the WPL for Delhi Capitals.Alana King, Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux, the latter who missed the Ashes and New Zealand tour with a knee injury, are now ahead of her in the spin-bowling pecking order.”While Jess Jonassen has not been included on this year’s list, we’re always keeping an eye on players outside of the squad and she is no exception,” Flegler said.Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck retains her place on the list as she continues her recovery from the shoulder injury she suffered early in last year’s T20 World Cup.Players not awarded contracts as part of the initial squad of 18 can earn upgrades throughout the year by accruing 12 upgrade points. Players receive five points for a Test match, two for an ODI and two for a T20I.Australia do not play again until an away series against India ahead of the ODI World Cup which is expected to start in late September. The home season features a multiformat series against India which will be followed by a tour of West Indies in late March and April which will also feature a Test match.

Australia Women contracts list 2025-26

Darcie Brown, Tess Flintoff, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

يستعد فريق ليفربول للسفر لمواجهة برينتفورد لخوض مباراته السابعة خارج ملعبه هذا الموسم في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويملك بطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز فرصة لتقليل الفارق مع المتصدر آرسنال إلى نقطة واحدة في حال تحقيق الفوز قبل أن يلتقي الجانرز مع كريستال بالاس يوم الأحد.

وقام ليفربول بخمسة تغييرات في محاولة لاستعادة قوته بعد تعرضه لسلسلة من أربع هزائم متتالية، فقد رد الريدز بأداء يمكن القول إنه الأفضل له هذا الموسم بفوزهم على آينتراخت فرانكفورت بخماسية لهدف واحد في ألمانيا.

ونشرت “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية أن ليفربول سيدخل اختبارًا آخر للقياس عليه إذا كان الفريق قد تجاوز أزمته أم لا في ملعب جي تيك كوميونيتي مساء السبت.

ويحتاج سلوت لوضع إجابة للسؤال الأول، حيث يحتاج لحل أزمة مركز الظهير الأيمن، بعد إصابة جيريمي فريمبونج في أوتار الركبة ومن المؤكد عودة كونور برادلي لهذا المركز، أما على الجبهة الأخر فسيكون السؤال إذا كان سيستمر آندي روبرتسون أم سيعتمد على ميلوس كيركيز؟.

اقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب ليفربول بدون تفكير طويل: محمد صلاح الأفضل في النادي

وقد يعتمد سلوت على روبرتسون لخبرته على اللاعب الذي مازال يواجه بداية صعبة في ملعب آنفيلد، ومن المرجح أن يلعب جونز في خط وسط ليفربول حيث لا يزال جرافنبيرخ يعاني من مشكلة في الكاحل.

كما سيجيب سلوت على سؤال إذا كان سيعود ماك أليستر للمشاركة بعد إراحته ضد فرانكفورت بعد تألق دومينيك سوبوسلاي الذي سجل هدف وسيكون من الصعب استبداله.

ويثير فلوريان فيرتز لاعب ليفربول التساؤلات ايضاً بعد أن قدم أفضل أداء له مع الريدز بعد أن صنع هدف كودي جاكبو في الشوط الثاني، ولكن هناك معضلة واحدة تتعلق بأسلوب برينتفورد البدني وإذا كان سلوت سيفضل البدء بالألماني من مقاعد البدلاء وبسبب تضييق المساحات لذا قد يكون هناك تعديل في هذا المركز.

وسيتعين على سلوت البدء بمهاجمه هوجو إيكتيكي الذي سجل هدفه السادس هذا الموسم بطريقة رائعة ضد فرانكفورت، وسيكون أسهل قرارات المدرب نظراً لغياب إيزاك لفترة بسبب إصابة في الفخد.

ومن المتوقع أن يحافظ كودي جاكبو على مركزه الأساسي بعد أن سجل ثلاث أهداف في ثلاث مباريات، ولكن ماذا سيفعل سلوت مع محمد صلاح الذي دخل بديلاً في الشوط الثاني ضد فرانكفورت والذي كان يصمم على عدة محاولات تهديفية للتسجيل وعلى الرغم من أنه لا يمر بفترة جيدة حالياً وسجل هدفين هذا الموسم إحداهما فقط من اللعب المفتوح، وهل سيقوم سلوت بمنح كييزا فرصة اللعب بدلاً منه؟ وقد تكون هناك فرصة أخرى لفيرتز للعب بشكل مختلف داخل الملعب.

ولم يبدأ كييزا أساسياً في أي مباراة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز حتى الآن لكنه بدأ متأهباً ونشيطاً عند حاجة فريقه له، وسيكون قرار سلوت بإبعاد صلاح قراراً صعباً للغاية وتبقى القرارات بيده.

MatériaMais Notícias

Conhecido pela energia que lhe rendeu o apelido de “doido”, o técnico Lisca já teve passagem por clubes tradicionais brasileiros e alguns outros menores, entre eles Vasco, Internacional, Santos, Avaí e Sport.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoBahia domina, vence o América-MG e deixa o Z4 do BrasileirãoBrasileirão06/08/2023NotíciasAmérica-MG tem a pior defesa do Brasileirão; veja o rankingNotícias07/08/2023América MineiroFim da linha: Vagner Mancini é demitido do América-MGAmérica Mineiro07/08/2023

O técnico foi responsável pelo vice-campeonato da Série B e acesso do América-MG e que também, no mesmo ano, pela primeira vez chegou as semifinais da Copa do Brasil. Além disso, conseguiu garantir a permanência do Ceará na Série A em 2018.

+ Veja as chuteiras dos craques no Campeonato Brasileiro 2023

Lisca tem no seu currículo apenas dois títulos: o Campeonato Gaúcho da Segunda Divisão de 2009, pelo Porto Alegre, e a antiga Copa Hélio Dourado de 2012, pelo Juventude.

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Real Madrid are preparing two key bargain signings for 2026 as part of a long-term squad rejuvenation plan. The Spanish giants are monitoring Stuttgart midfielder Chema Andres, viewed as a potential successor to Aurelien Tchouameni, while also finalising plans to bring back Nico Paz from Como. Both moves could cost under €20 million combined.

Real Madrid eye double 2026 return

Madrid have set their sights on two young talents for the 2026 project, Andres and Paz. Both are former academy products who could return to the Santiago Bernabeu at a combined cost of around €19m (£16m/$22m). According to , Madrid are particularly focused on strengthening their midfield depth and preparing a succession plan for Tchouameni, who currently lacks a natural backup. Chema Andres, now starring at Stuttgart, has caught the club’s attention with his commanding performances in Germany. Meanwhile, Paz’s situation appears even clearer, the club already informed him that he’s part of their future plans, prompting him to reject a major offer from Tottenham last summer.

AdvertisementAFPAndres impresses at Stuttgart

Andres, 20, has emerged as one of the Bundesliga’s most promising pivots, since moving to Stuttgart, the Spanish midfielder has cemented his place as a starter, often keeping Angelo Stiller out of the lineup. He has played eight of the club’s 10 matches this season, scoring a goal and maintaining a 94% passing accuracy. His performances have earned him a place in Spain’s Under-21 national team, further validating his growth. Real Madrid still own 50% of his rights after Stuttgart paid €3m for the rest, meaning reacquiring him would only cost around €10m. Madrid reportedly believe the price will not be an issue.

Andres earns Rodri comparisons

Right-footed and technically sound, Andres is viewed as a natural organiser and defensive midfielder a “Rodri-type” profile who could succeed Tchouameni in the future. However, he says he does not like being compared to the Manchester City star, though he said it is a "privilege and a blessing" to be seen as similar to the Ballon d'Or winner.

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Getty Images SportPaz's return already planned

While Andres is under evaluation, Paz’s return appears to be a certainty. Madrid reportedly have a verbal agreement in place assuring the 21-year-old’s comeback next summer. The deal with Como allows Madrid to re-sign him for €9m in 2026 or €10m in 2027, a fraction of his current market value. Paz has been thriving under Cesc Fabregas in Serie A, registering three goals and three assists in six games this season after an impressive 2023-24 campaign. His tactical versatility, able to play as a midfielder, winger, or even a full-back, makes him an ideal squad option for Madrid’s long-term rebuild.

Kent were all out for 218, handing the visitors a four-run first-innings lead

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Stevie Eskinazi anchored Middlesex’s second innings•Getty Images

Middlesex have batted themselves into a commanding position at the end of day two of their Rothesay County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury, reaching 222 for 6 at stumps, a lead of 226.Stephen Eskinazi gave them a platform with 57 before Ben Geddes cashed in after being dropped twice to make 73 not out.Earlier Kent were all out for 218, handing the visitors a four-run first-innings lead. Grant Stewart made 56 and Harry Finch 52 but their 101-run partnership was broken in the second over of the morning session. Blake Cullen had Middlesex’s best figures with 4 for 60, while Ryan Higgins took 3 for 37.Kent were still 50 in arrears at the start of Day 2 but after passing 50 in the first over, Stewart swished Ryan Higgins to Zafar at midwicket. Finch punched Roland-Jones through the covers to bring up his 50 but Higgins pinned him lbw in the next over.Jas Singh and Kashif Ali almost got Kent to parity, until an eventful 83rd over. Kashif was on 16 when he hooked Cullen, but Brookes reacted a split second too slowly and the chance went down. However, he was run out off the very next delivery, when Singh drove Cullen through the covers and Zafar Gohar’s throw allowed Cullen to break the stumps with Kashif a centimetre from making his ground. Cullen then bowled Singh middle stump to give Middlesex a slender advantage.Nathan Fernandes’ run of single-figure scores this continued when Nathan Gilchrist had him lbw for one in the fourth over.Max Holden, lucky to get off the mark with a tailender’s swipe at Stewart, nicked Gilchrist to Daniel Bell-Drummond at third slip for five in the next over, but Eskinazi and Leus du Plooy steered them to 33 for 2 at lunch and looked well set for an hour after the resumption until the latter edged Stewart to Jack Leaning for 26, breaking a 56-run partnership.Joey Evison struck with his second ball, bowling Higgins off stump for 15 and Ben Geddes nearly went in the same over but Tawanda Muyeye couldn’t cling on at first slip.Eskinazi clipped Evison for a single to reach 50 but was lbw to Singh in the 42nd over and there was further encouragement for Kent members, during an otherwise interminable afternoon session, when Michael Cohen came on as a sub fielder after missing the entire 2024 season with a back injury.Middlesex, however, were 147 for 5 when tea was finally taken at 4.23 pm and the game began to drift away from the hosts, with Gilchrist unable to take a return catch off Geddes, who subsequently straight-drove Evison for four to reach his 50.Jack Davies joined him in making batting look easy on a track that had looked treacherous on day one until Leaning got him for 27, caught by Bell-Drummond at first. Cullen then came in for three deliveries before the players came off for bad light.

Leeds United may be without two of their wide options when they face off against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League this weekend.

Head coach Daniel Farke has revealed that both Wilfried Gnonto and Daniel James may not be available to take part in the trip to the Molineux Stadium.

This means that Brenden Aaronson seems likely to keep his place on the right flank, unless the German boss decides to go with Jack Harrison ahead of the USA international.

The American flop, who is an attacking midfielder by trade, has scored one goal in 40 appearances in his Premier League career, per Sofascore, whilst the English winger has scored one goal and failed to provide any assists in 37 outings in the division since the start of last season.

These statistics do not make for great reading and do not suggest that Aaronson or Harrison are likely to come up with a moment of magic to win the game for Leeds against Wolves this weekend.

The Whites have failed to score a goal from open play in the Premier League this season, partly because of their lack of quality out wide, and they may still rue the fact that they were unable to land Igor Paixao.

Why Leeds failed to sign Igor Paixao

Leeds put a £30.5m offer down on the table for the Brazilian forward during the summer transfer window, only for the attacker to turn down a move to Elland Road to sign for Marseille.

Feyenoord, per the Yorkshire Evening Post, were willing to accept the club’s offer for Paixao, which meant that they left it up to the player to decide where he wanted to go next in his career.

Unfortunately, for Leeds and Farke, the left-sided attacker opted to sign for Marseille because they are a stable top-flight side and had Champions League football to offer him, which the Whites were unable to compete with in the end.

Missing out on Paixao was a frustrating blow for the Championship champions because he had the potential to be an exciting addition to the squad after an impressive campaign in the Netherlands.

The 25-year-old star, who is in the prime years of his career, racked up 18 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for Feyenoord last term, per Sofascore, which convinced Leeds to put a bid of more than £30m in for his services.

24/25 Eredivisie

Igor Paixao

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

10.56

Top 2%

xG on target

16.25

Top 2%

Goals

16

Top 2%

Shots on target

43

Top 2%

xA

6.71

Top 4%

Chances created

70

Top 1%

Assists

10

Top 3%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Paixao was one of the most productive forwards in the Dutch top-flight with his contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Given the options currently at Farke’s disposal for this weekend’s clash and how the games have gone so far this season, missing out on Paixao was a big blow for the Whites.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

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However, Leeds were brewing their own version of Paixao, and potentially their next Raphinha, at Elland Road in Largie Ramazani before Farke ditched him in the summer window.

Why Ramazani could have been Leeds United's own Paixao

The Belgian winger could have been a hybrid of both Paixao and Raphinha in West Yorkshire if the club had kept him and continued his development in England, instead of allowing him to join Valencia on loan.

Supporters will, of course, remember how exciting Raphinha was to watch when Leeds were last in the Premier League, after his move from Rennes in 2020.

Well, Ramazani played in LaLiga at the same time as the Brazil international in the 2023/24 campaign and they were listed as similar players, statistically, by FBref. The then-Almeria star averaged 0.33 xAG per 90 compared to the Brazilian’s 0.38 xAG per 90, as they both ranked within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in LaLiga for creating high-quality chances.

After his promising form in LaLiga for Almeria, Ramazani completed a £10m move to Elland Road in the summer of 2024 to sign for Leeds in the Championship.

The left-sided attacker, who was described as a counter-attacking “weapon” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, only started seven matches in the second tier during the 2024/25 campaign, but delivered six goals and two assists in his limited minutes on the pitch for the Whites.

24/25 Championship

Largie Ramazani per 90

Percentile rank vs wingers

Non-penalty xG

0.54

Top 2%

Shots on target

1.84

Top 2%

Goals

0.69

Top 2%

Assists

0.23

Top 20%

Chances created

1.50

Top 32%

Dribbles completed

2.07

Top 15%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Ramazani ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers for goals and assists when filtered into per-90 metrics, which illustrates how efficient he was in the minutes that Farke handed him.

Fuelled by those performances in the Championship, FBref list Paixao as one of the most similar players to the Belgian forward over the past 365 days based on their statistics per 90.

The chart above shows that the £10m Leeds forward even outperformed the Brazilian in a host of statistics, but it is worth adding that he only started seven games whilst Paixao was a regular starter for Feyenoord.

What these statistics do show, though, is that Leeds had an exciting left winger who has been comparable to both Raphinha and Paixao on their hands, yet they allowed him to leave on loan.

It is a decision that seems more bizarre with each passing game that the Whites do not score an open play goal in, particularly when you consider that Ramazani already has an open play assist in two appearances for Valencia in LaLiga.

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Posts ByDan Emery Sep 16, 2025

The Whites, therefore, must regret ditching him in the summer window, even if it was only on loan, because he has the quality to provide an attacking spark in the final third, like Raphinha and Paixao, and that is something that they desperately need right now.

Virat Kohli and Josh Hazlewood have a chance to move up on their respective leaderboards tonight after the LSG vs RCB game

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-20251:41

‘SKY adjusted quickly and knew which shots he could play’

Orange Cap tableSuryakumar Yadav was in action, and true to his reputation and form, scored 57 in 39 balls to be MI’s top scorer on the night, but fell ten runs short of breaking up the Gujarat Titans (GT) monopoly at the top of the run-getters’ table. He ended the night on 640 runs, just nine behind second-placed Shubman Gill, with B Sai Sudharsan looking like he might become the first batter this season to top 700 runs when GT play next.Virat Kohli, following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) washout against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the 43 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) remains at No. 6, but has a chance tonight against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to at least get past Yashasvi Jaiswal of Rajasthan Royals (RR), who is done for the season and is currently at No. 5, just 11 runs ahead of Kohli.Also in action in that match will be LSG’s Mitchell Marsh, who is 80 runs behind Suryakumar and in with a chance of signing off from IPL 2025 with another big one.For PBKS, it has been more of a team effort when it comes to the batting, and that’s reflected on the leaderboard: Shreyas Iyer is their top scorer so far with 514 runs, which puts him at No. 9, with Prabhsimran Singh at No. 11 with 499 runs, and Priyansh Arya at No. 15 with 424 runs.Purple Cap tableArshdeep Singh played a big part in PBKS’ win over MI with 2 for 28, lifting him to 18 wickets and the fifth place on the Purple Cap table.Trent Boult could have challenged Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the table-topper with 24 wickets, and GT’s Prasidh Krishna, No. 2 with 23, but went wicketless for MI against PBKS to stay in third place with 19 wickets.RCB’s Josh Hazlewood, if he plays on Tuesday night, could even go past Boult – he is just one wicket behind with 18.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game. Highest batting strike rates Best bowling economy rates Most sixes Best bowling figures in a match

Fakhar Zaman set it up and Abdullah Shafique knocked it down, as Lahore Qalandars overcame a sloppy outing in the field to overhaul a competitive but eventually below-par target of 191 to knock out Karachi Kings. Qalandars will play Islamabad United in the second Qualifier on Friday.David Warner’s 75 had earlier kept Kings in the game, but on a good batting surface supporting contributions were few and far between. Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for Qalandars with figures of 3 for 35, but it was the pressure exerted by the spinners through the middle that derailed Kings’ innings.Related

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In fact most of Qalandars’ battle wounds were self inflicted, with them dropping Warner twice – the nadir of an abysmal fielding performance – but once the chase began, all that was swiftly forgotten.Fakhar set the tone, before Shafique expertly broke the chase with a pair of game-breaking partnerships. He was visibly upset at not being able to see the game through, but by the time he was dismissed the contest was as good as done.Fakhar sets it up for ShafiqueFakhar continued his rich vein of form at the top of the order, this time rollicking 47 off 28 to give Qalandars the ideal start to their chase. Thirty-eight of those runs came in boundaries, and propelled him to a healthy strike rate of 167.85But while Fakhar was in full flight, his team-mates trundled along closer to the ground. For a while it seemed Qalandars might fail to capitalise on Fakhar’s platform – despite his innings, they were scoring at less than the required 10 an overEnter Shafique, who alongside Kusal Perera, set about putting together an 83-run stand, which essentially turned the game in Qalandars’ favour. Perera, usually a dominant figure in the middle, identified early the mood Shafique was in and simply focused on turning over the strike. Shafique fulfilled his role, finding boundaries when required to keep Qalandars within touching distance of the required scoring rate, before settling in and upping the ante. It took an outstanding grab from a backpedaling James Vince to dismiss him, but by then the requirement had been brought down to 33 off 28.David Warner top-scored for Karachi Kings with 75•PCB

Qalandars blow hot and coldDuring the pitch report, 200 was deemed a par score, so having restricted Kings to 190, one would assume Qalandars would have been relatively happy with their first innings having been asked to chase. Well, yes and no.On a fairly belting track, Qalandars would have been forgiven for thinking they’d given Kings an unnecessary lifeline in an innings that the Kings were in danger of letting flounder. On most days the two drops off Warner – on 47 and 61 – would be bad enough, but those were just the most egregious of the four dropped catches in the innings. Add to this four no-balls and the resulting free hits, 12 wides and countless examples of sloppy fielding, and there is an argument that Qalandars might have been able to cut Kings’ score by at least 20%.But despite one of the worst fielding efforts of this PSL, Qalandars’ bowlers stuck to their tasks diligently. Rauf was the pick of the bunch with his three wickets, while Mohammed Naeem’s three overs went for just 15 – both bowlers though were guilty of dropping a chance each, and having a chance spilled off their bowling.Middle overs make the differenceAfter weathering a Warner-led rapid start, in which Kings were ticking along at quicker than 10 an over inside the powerplay, Qalandars dragged things back through the middle overs courtesy some tight overs of spin from Naeem and Shakib Al Hasan – a period that might have been even better, had Qalandars simply held on to their chances.But even with those dropped catches, Kings lost four wickets through overs 7-16, while scoring just 74 runs. They managed to raise their scoring at the death to put forward a fighting total, but it always seemed a little short.But where Kings struggled, Qalandars found a spark. Led by Shafique, they struck 104 runs through the same middle over period and lost two fewer wickets. It meant the Sri Lankan pair of Perera and Bhanuka Rajapaksa were given the fairly straightforward task of knocking over the remaining runs at a touch over run-a-ball, which they did with minimal fuss.