Manchester City are now reportedly one of the two most interested clubs in signing a key defensive reinforcement for Pep Guardiola worth over £40m.
Man City interested in key defensive addition
This time last year, Man City were gearing up for a frantic January transfer window. The Citizens were struggling more than ever before under Guardiola, who was on the worst run of his career himself.
One year later, things are little less concerning. The serial winners still have problems to address, but they still very much find themselves in a Premier League title race.
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Before they can even think about leapfrogging Arsenal, however, Man City must improve defensively. Close collapses against Leeds United and Fulham were worrying warning signs and the January transfer window represents the chance for Guardiola to add key reinforcements.
He told reporters when asked about his side’s defensive frailties as of late: “I don’t like to concede six goals in two games, but we have to build from that. We have to fix these kind of things. I believe we can do better. We create chances and score goals because we have built a team for that, but we have to be more solid.”
So, who could Man City sign in 2026? As things stand, the biggest names on their radar seem to be Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown.
Guehi would be a particularly impressive signing, given how Liverpool remain so closely linked with his signature. If he’s available as a free agent next summer, City should jump at the chance to welcome the England international.
Meanwhile, Brown would also be an impressive addition. The left-back reportedly has plenty of fans at the Etihad and has emerged as an early target to help Guardiola solve his current defensive leak.
Man City battling Arsenal to sign Brown
According to Caught Offside, Man City are now the most interested club to sign Brown alongside title rivals Arsenal. The two Premier League sides are seemingly leading the chasing pack to sign the impressive Frankfurt man, who is set to cost around €50m (£44m) when 2026 arrives.
It’s easy to see why Man City are one of the top contenders to sign Brown next year, especially as Guardiola transitions back towards flying full-backs.
The German was described as exactly that by Ben Mattinson last season, with the Como scout also calling the Frankfurt man “pacy”.
Man City rarely miss out in the transfer market and even as Arsenal rise to the top of the Premier League, they should feel confident that they can lure Brown to Manchester in 2026.
Man City now expected to sign "unbelievable" PL star who nearly joined Liverpool
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl made it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership since his move to Ibrox to replace Russell Martin in the dugout with a 2-1 win over Livingston on Saturday.
Goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande scored the goals for the Light Blues at Ibrox to secure all three points for the German manager.
It was a game that was packed with controversial incidents, though, as Livingston’s equaliser and Diomande’s winner were both tight offside calls that were ultimately deemed to be legal.
The most contentious moment of the game came when Fernandez appeared to block a goal-bound shot with his arm, but his arm was in a natural position and VAR opted not to intervene.
That caused the official Livingston account to post on X that the officials did not get “a penalty for a blatant handball to the Lions” in their full-time post after the match.
Rohl, however, will be more concerned with the performances of some of his players, rather than the officials, and Thelo Aasgaard was one of the players who failed to deliver on Saturday.
Why Thelo Aasgaard must be dropped
The Norway international was given the nod to start the match in the number ten position, with Nico Raskin and Diomande behind him in midfield, but he was unable to justify his inclusion in the side with a strong performance.
Instead, the summer signing from Luton Town produced a dismal first-half display that caused Rohl to withdraw him from the match at half-time to bring Bojan Miovski into the game.
Per Sofascore, Aasgaard did not register a single shot on goal and created one chance, which was not a ‘big chance’, in 45 minutes on the pitch before being placed on the bench.
Thelo Aasgaard’s Premiership season
Opponent
Manager
Goals + key passes
Livingston
Danny Rohl
0 + 1
Dundee
Danny Rohl
0 + 1
Hibernian
Danny Rohl
0 + 1
Kilmarnock
Danny Rohl
0 + 0
Dundee United
Stevie Smith
1 + 4
Falkirk
Russell Martin
0 + 0
Livingston
Russell Martin
0 + 0
Hearts
Russell Martin
0 + 1
Celtic
Russell Martin
0 + 0
St Mirren
Russell Martin
0 + 0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the English-born midfield flop is yet to score a goal or create more than one chance in a game for any permanent Rangers head coach in the Premiership this season.
He has provided one assist in the league under Rohl, against Dundee, but that was a fairly simple pass from the halfway line that Djeidi Gassama turned into a wonderful goal, as shown in the clip below.
These statistics, including his poor display against Livingston, show why Rohl should ruthlessly drop the attacking midfielder from the starting line-up for the Europa League clash with Braga at Ibrox on Thursday night.
Unfortunately, the 23-year-old summer signing has not done enough with his opportunities on the pitch to prove to the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach that he deserves to keep his place in the starting XI moving forward.
Aasgaard was far from the only Rangers player who failed to deliver a good enough performance against Livingston, though, and is not the only flop who should drop out of the side for the upcoming clash with Braga.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Rohl must also ruthlessly ditch right-sided attacker Oliver Antman from the starting line-up for that meeting with the Portuguese outfit after his struggles in a Gers shirt of late.
Why Rangers should drop Oliver Antman against Braga
The German head coach may have hoped that the winger’s international performances for Finland during the international would provide him with confidence and positive momentum for the game against Livingston.
Antman scored, as shown in the clip above, and provided an assist for former Celtic striker Teemu Pukki in a 4-0 win for his country against Andorra on Monday.
Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Go Ahead Eagles was unable to transfer his form for Finland over to his time on the pitch with Rangers on Saturday, as he failed to deliver an impressive display.
Vs Livingston
Thelo Aasgaard
Oliver Antman
Minutes
45
64
Shots
0
0
Key passes
1
1
Big chances created
0
0
Crosses completed
0/0
0/5
Duels won
2/4
5/13
Possession lost
4x
14x
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Antman was just as bad as Aasgaard against Livingston. They both failed to register a shot on goal and only created one chance for the team, without creating any ‘big chances’.
Rangers signed the Finland international to provide creativity on the right flank after he produced an eye-catching return of 17 assists in all competitions at club level during the 2024/25 campaign, to go along with seven goals.
Antman, though, has no goals and one assist in nine Premiership outings for the Scottish giants so far this season, and that assist came in the away clash with Livingston back in September.
Since he provided two assists against Viktoria Plzen in a 3-0 win on his debut for the club, the forward has no goals and one assist in 17 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, per Transfermarkt, and writer Kai Watson noted that Rangers “need more from” him.
Antman has not been able to carry his form for Go Ahead Eagles from last season over to Scottish football, yet, and his performance against Livingston on Saturday was another ineffective outing for the Light Blues.
On top of that, the 24-year-old flop has no goals and no assists in three matches in the league phase of the Europa League this term, which does not suggest that he is likely to have much of a positive impact against Braga on Thursday.
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Therefore, Rohl must ruthlessly ditch both Antman and Aasgaard from the starting line-up for the clash with the Liga Portugal outfit after their underwhelming performances against Livingston.
Siddique took a four-for in the chase where Oman crumbled in the powerplay
Alagappan Muthu15-Sep-2025
Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem gave UAE a rapid start•AFP/Getty Images
A skillful half-century from Alishan Sharafu and a dogged one from Muhammad Waseem took UAE to 172 for 5, and then a 42-run victory as well, in their Asia Cup game against Oman on Monday.Sharafu’s methodBoth teams were searching for their first points of the tournament and their challenge in Abu Dhabi was to negotiate a slow and low pitch. Sharafu did so by charging out of the crease. Twelve attempts just within the powerplay fetched all six of his fours.On the back of that, UAE, who were 11 for 0 after three overs, collected 39 runs off the next three and never looked back. Sharafu’s best shot, though, came outside the field restrictions, an inside-out drive over cover for six against legspinner Samay Shrivastava.Waseem’s recordWaseem became the fourth-quickest batter to 3000 T20I runs, behind Mohammad Rizwan, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. He wasn’t really at his best in this game. The 69 off 54 balls was often a struggle, but there were also clever moments, like when he saw a new bowler – Aamir Kaleem – coming on in the powerplay and smashed him for three fours in the over. Waseem went to his fifty with a trademark six down the ground.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Oman didn’t help themselves in the field. They had a chance to dismiss Waseem on 27 off 22 but the fielder wasn’t all the way back on the long-on boundary, and not only did he miss the catch but he also let it go for four. Then with Waseem on 34 off 33, Shakeel Ahmed dropped a dolly at short fine leg.UAE finished on 172 for 5 with their middle-order players chipping in with crucial runs. Harshit Kaushik and Muhammad Zohaib put together hit 40 off 21 balls.Oman’s collapseJatinder Singh briefly looked like the best batter on show as he found ways to time the ball in slow and low conditions. He raced to 20 off 10 but soon enough hitting through the line on a surface where the ball wasn’t coming on came back to bite him. The Oman captain dragged Junaid Siddique back onto his stumps during a period where his team lost three wickets in 14 balls.The powerplay was still going and Oman had lost nearly half their side. Four of their top five bagged single-digits and from a start like that – 32 for 4, then 50 for 5 – all they could do was try and play out the overs. Siddique threw a spanner in those works too, taking two wickets in the 16th over and finishing with 4 for 23. Oman were bowled out for 130.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has responded to an approach by Juventus this week as the Serie A giants search for Igor Tudor’s replacement.
It’s been an extremely mixed start to 2025/2026 for Maresca after delivering two major trophies in the space of a few months earlier this year.
A win of four straight wins in all competitions before their damning loss to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last weekend best sums up their inconsistency thus far, with Chelsea only just getting past Premier League bottom side Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The west Londoners were 3-0 up and cruising thanks to first-half goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estevao, but the home side seriously threatened an unlikely comeback when Tolu Arokodare and David Wolfe pulled it back to 3-2.
Summer signing Jamie Gittens was then on hand to score Chelsea’s fourth and his first ever goal for the club, which ultimately sealed their place in the quarter-finals, even if Wolfe bagged another for Wolves in added time to make Maresca’s side sweat.
The 4-3 win at Molineux was overshadowed somewhat by Liam Delap’s needless red card, with Maresca lambasting his two bookable offences as “embarrassing”.
Delap is now set to miss Chelsea’s crunch clash against Tottenham this weekend through suspension, despite only just returning to the fold after weeks on the treatment table with a hamstring injury.
Away from the pitch, Juve are believed to have contacted Maresca’s entourage on the same day that Chelsea edged past Wolves.
Enzo Maresca responds to Juventus approach with Chelsea demands clear
Reports earlier this season suggested Maresca’s long-term future at Chelsea is far from certain, with tensions existing between the Italian and his club hierarchy.
As well as this, journalist Simon Phillips reported that both Cole Palmer and Reece James aren’t fully behind Maresca’s methodology, so if results continue to be topsy-turvy, this situation is worth keeping an eye on.
Now, Phillips has provided another update on the 45-year-old’s future.
Writing via his Substack, the reporter shares news that Juve approached Maresca’s camp on Wednesday amid their search for a new manager.
However, the tactician’s response is clear — he’s not looking to leave midway through the campaign.
While a move to Turin at the end of the season isn’t ruled out, Chelsea will demand a huge compensation fee — which could reach up to £10 million.
Chelsea are braced for a crucial run of games from now till the end of November, including Spurs, Arsenal and La Liga champions Barcelona in the Champions League.
Given their pretty weak defence and lack of options, particularly at centre-back, the Blues could also look to reinforce Maresca’s ranks in January.
Chelsea hold talks with Premier League centre-back over cut-price January move.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph in the 2024/25 campaign allowed numerous players to write themselves into the club’s history books forever.
The Lilywhites ended their 17-year wait for a piece of silverware, and did so in tremendous fashion after defeating fellow Premier League side Manchester United in Bilbao.
Ange Postecoglou handed the fanbase memories to last a lifetime with the triumph, but it wasn’t enough to maintain his position as manager in North London.
Thomas Frank was elected as the man to take the reins during the summer, with the Dane handed the responsibility of taking the club to the next level after the European success.
However, his appointment has prevented numerous players from kicking on in their careers, with the first-team members often struggling to replicate the form they demonstrated under the Aussie.
The biggest losers from Thomas Frank's appointment at Spurs
Yves Bissouma was often one of Postecoglou’s first names on the teamsheet during the 2024/25 campaign, as seen by his tally of 44 appearances across all competitions.
The Malian international featured in 11 of the 15 club’s European outings last campaign, but it’s safe to say his spell under Frank has been far from successful to date.
He was left out of the club’s UEFA Super Cup final after being late numerous times, resulting in missing out on the club’s Premier League squad for the current 2025/26 campaign.
However, he’s not alone in that regard, with Brennan Johnson one of the Lilywhites’ most important players in the previous campaign, as seen by his phenomenal goalscoring record.
The Welshman scored 18 times across all competitions – even netting the winner in the Europa League final – subsequently ending the year as the club’s top goalscorer.
Like Bissouma, he’s struggled for consistency this time around, with the 24-year-old only starting five league games out of a possible 11 since Frank took charge in the summer.
Mohammed Kudus’ arrival has no doubt pushed him down the pecking order, with the manager seemingly preferring the Ghanaian international over him at present.
Spurs star is no longer "one of the best in the world"
Spurs’ £120m spending spree during the summer window has made competition for places even tougher in 2025/26, with the first-team now having incredible depth in certain areas of the squad.
Given the number of competitions the Lilywhites are currently featuring in this season, it’s crucial Frank has the ability to rotate and rest certain players when needed.
Competitions such as the Premier League and Champions League will likely take priority, which has seen numerous players have to settle for minutes off the bench as a result.
Djed Spence has taken his career in North London to the next level over the last couple of years, with the full-back taking advantage of the injury crisis last campaign.
The Englishman made himself a regular starter under Ange last campaign, which has resulted in the 25-year-old now becoming an international regular under Thomas Tuchel.
His starts at right-back has provided competition for Pedro Porro in such an area of the pitch, with the Spaniard often missing out from the starting eleven as a result in recent months.
The 26-year-old has become known for his ability in possession rather than out of it, with Spence the complete opposite and making him an excellent fit for Frank’s system.
In 2024/25, Porro registered nine assists across all competitions, the most in a single season since his move to England – resulting in one journalist labelling him the “best in the world”.
However, in the ongoing campaign, the full-back has only registered one assist to date – showcasing his struggles – with his underlying stats also a cause for concern.
He’s completed just 72% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with such a tally ranking him in the bottom 8% of all players in England’s top-flight this season.
Games played
11
Goals & assists
1
Passes completed
72%
Crosses completed
17%
Duels won
3.9
Times dribbled past
1.3
Fouls committed
1.3
Dribble success
42%
Porro’s crossing success has also taken a massive hit in recent months, as the Spaniard has only completed a total of 17% of his efforts as of the middle of November.
Out of possession, he’s struggled just as much, as seen by his tally of just 3.9 duels won per 90, with such a figure placing him in the bottom 25% of all defenders in the league.
His lack of defensive talent is also evident in his tally of being dribbled past 1.3 times per 90, which is higher than 82% of other full-backs in the division at present.
Such numbers will certainly be a cause for concern to the manager, especially given the quality of players such as Spence already on the books in North London.
Despite his form under Ange, Porro could now find himself on borrowed time in the near future, with the hierarchy potentially tempted to cash in on him and invest in other areas of the squad.
He can end Bentancur's stay: Spurs gem is showing "shades of Mousa Dembele"
Tottenham Hotspur have a star who could end Rodrigo Bentancur’s career in North London.
Chelsea have built a squad full of brilliant players over the last few years, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella all being genuinely world-class.
However, it would also be fair to say that, so far, their summer signings have not exactly hit the ground running.
In particular, Jamie Gittens has failed to live up to the expectations people had of him after his impressive campaign with Borussia Dortmund last year, during which he recorded 17 goal involvements.
So, it’s not a surprise to see reports linking Chelsea with an exceptionally exciting winger who could end up being a significant upgrade on the Englishman.
Chelsea target Gittens upgrade
With the transfer window less than a month away from reopening, Chelsea have once again been linked with a plethora of brilliant players.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
For example, while there has been plenty of talk about Emmanuel Emegha, the Blues have also been linked with his free-scoring teammate, Joaquín Panichelli.
On top of that, the West Londoners have also been one of several sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s imposing Murillo.
However, while both players would improve Maresca’s squad, because of where they play, neither could be described as an upgrade on Gittens, unlike Yan Diamonde.
Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a handful of top teams interested in signing the Ivorian winger.
In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Blues’ board are convinced about the 19-year-old wonderkid and see him fitting into the team perfectly.
However, on top of having to get ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, the Pensionsers would also have to stump up a lot of money to secure the player.
According to the report, RB Leipzig would want up to €100m to sell their star asset, which is about £87m, but even so, Diomande looks like a player Chelsea should go all out for, especially as he’d be a significant Gittens upgrade.
How Diomande compares Gittens
Now, while Diomande is someone who can play on both flanks and has actually spent a little more time on the right recently, he is seen as a left-sided player.
Therefore, were he to join Chelsea next month, one of his main rivals for game time would be Gittens, but who is the better player?
Well, when it comes to raw output, which is fundamentally the most crucial metric of all, it’s not even close.
For example, in 15 first-team appearances this season, totalling just 951 minutes, the Ivorian star has scored seven goals and provided four assists.
That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games, or every 86.45 minutes, which is a rate of return that lends credence to journalist Bence Bocsák’s claim that he is a “generational talent.”
Diomande vs Gittens
Player
Diomande
Gittens
Appearances
15
18
Minutes
951′
830′
Goals
7
1
Assists
4
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.73
0.27
Minutes per Goal Involvement
86.45
138.33′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In stark contrast, the Englishman has scored a single goal and provided five assists in 18 appearances this season, totalling 830 minutes.
That comes out to a pretty underwhelming average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 138.33 minutes.
Moreover, a caveat about the Reading-born ace’s age cannot be made, as the Leipzig star is just 19 and already running games in attack.
On top of having the better output, the Abidjan-born superstar in the making also has some brilliant underlying numbers to his name.
For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.
Finally, while the competition is less fierce, it is impressive that the Ivorian monster has already won four senior caps for his country, compared to none for the Englishman.
Ultimately, Gittens may well come good, but at the same time, Diomande is massively outperforming him and looks like someone Chelsea should break the bank on.
Fewer touches than Sanchez & 70% duels lost: Chelsea flop must be dropped
It was another night to forget for Chelsea, especially for one starter who Enzo Maresca must now drop.
The country’s first dedicated and fully equipped cricket venue will host its first international match this weekend
Firdose Moonda10-Oct-2025Never before have Namibian cricketers had their own facility to train and play at, but as of 2025, that’s changed.Construction of the Namibia Cricket Ground (NCG) was finished in August, and it’s now officially open, complete with an indoor centre and a gym. On Saturday it will host its first international match, between Namibia and their neighbours South Africa, the highest-profile fixture on Namibian soil to date.”It really feels like a new dawn and new age for the sport,” Gerhard Erasmus, Namibia’s captain says. “It’s our first high-performance venue and the first time that as sportsmen, we don’t have to drive around to two or three different venues in a day to go to different training sessions. That’s what it means for the players, but what it means for the community is also massive.”Cricket isn’t even one of the biggest sports in the country [but] all the tickets [for the one-off T20I] were sold out so quickly. People are buying their blue Namibia Eagles shirts in numbers from the offices, so we feel very proud. Usually, rugby and soccer are sports where you hear stories about full stadiums and lots of vibe, and it’s so cool that this is our first event and we’ll have 4000 people and everybody’s almost fighting each other in town for a ticket. I never thought I would say that as a cricketer.”Related
Namibia to play South Africa for first time in new Windhoek stadium in October
What does the path to the 2027 ODI World Cup look like?
The draw of seeing a South African side headlined by Quinton de Kock’s international return could be one reason for the interest in the match, but the thrill of watching their own national side at a brand new, centrally accessible venue is another. The NCG has been built in the heart of the country’s capital, Windhoek, in a precinct where the streets are named after different sporting codes. There’s Netball Street, Rugby Street, and even, you guessed it, Cricket Street, where a new paved road leads into and out of the stadium. The ground itself features one main building and grass embankments, giving it a hybrid feel – part big stadium, part club ground. All of this infrastructure is ensconced in an area dedicated to physical activity.Just next door is the national rugby stadium and a few blocks away is Independence Stadium, which hosted some of Namibian cricket’s early matches. Since then, fixtures have been played about five kilometres away at a privately owned club ground called Wanderers, which Cricket Namibia had to rent to use. Wanderers is a multi-sport facility that is also used by club members, which Erasmus has previously described as “not ideal” to have as a home base.Captain Gerhard Erasmus is hopeful of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup, part of which will be played in Namibia•ICC via Getty”We’ve all grown up at Wanderers and trained around there, but we didn’t really have our own home,” he says. “Now we have one and it’s right next to the other stadiums. Because it’s newly built, it really feels like a refreshment in that vicinity.”For Erasmus, the unveiling of a cricket-specific venue – especially when other sports are seeing a downturn – is also a reward for what Namibian cricket has achieved since 2021, when they qualified for their first T20 World Cup. The national rugby team have missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup for the first time since 1999, and the football team are on the verge of being knocked out of contention for the next year’s World Cup. But cricket continues to enjoy success.Last week, Namibia secured a fourth successive T20 World Cup qualification and dominated all their opposition until they lost to Zimbabwe in the final, a result that was irrelevant to their participation at the World Cup. In the four matches that mattered, Namibia posted totals over 200 twice and JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck both registered maiden T20I hundreds. Though their batting strength throughout the qualifiers was notable against opposition like Kenya, Nigeria and Malawi, none of whom have played at a T20 World Cup, Erasmus is careful not to get too far ahead of himself. “In all fairness, it was probably one of our easiest qualifications. It felt like it was written in the stars that we had to qualify because there’s lots of things going for us,” he says. “We’ve played most of our games at Harare Sports Club, so there were no upsets in terms of conditions. We really had it nice. As cricketers, you always tend to moan when it goes badly. This time around, it all went swimmingly.”Again, the importance of a dedicated venue was underlined but it is not the only reason Namibia enjoyed a good week in Zimbabwe. Erasmus also credited a change in approach, which has come with new management and head coach, Craig Williams, Namibia’s leading all-format run-getter. “With the new set-up and the new coach in the last couple of months, pressure has been taken off us in terms of having to score, having to bat a certain way or having to do a certain thing. It’s more of an assess-and-react blueprint we tend to follow,” he says. “Guys are much calmer and they’re setting a better foundation. We’ve always been known to hit the ball very well. We’ve got power and everybody knows our six-hitting ability, but [the ability] to construct an innings has sometimes been lacking. It feels like it’s really changed in the last couple of months. Even domestically, we have lots more hundreds over the recent past.”Wanderers, a multi-sport facility that also hosts rugby, hockey and netball, among others, was the principal venue for cricket in Namibia earlier•Getty ImagesNow that needs to translate into the 50-over game, because Namibia are not guaranteed a place at the 2027 ODI tournament – played across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia – and have a long way to go in qualifying. They are currently in sixth spot on the eight-team World Cricket League Two table, 11 points off the leaders Scotland, with 12 matches left to play. Irrespective of where they finish on that table, they will still have a chance to get to the World Cup. The top four teams progress directly to the World Cup Qualifier and the bottom four to the playoffs, so the possibility of playing in a home World Cup is still alive and Erasmus knows how crucial it is that they give it their best shot.”For Associate nations it’s very important to qualify to stay relevant in world cricket,” he says. “Obviously we have fewer opportunities than Test nations, and in T20 World Cups we have the carrot dangling every second year, but even then, like you would have seen with Scotland, there’s big repercussions to not qualifying. As players as well, you feel like you’re missing out.” And missing out on their own party and their own venue in two years’ time is not something Namibia want at all.
Wrexham, owned by Hollywood icons Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have been boosted by a public grant from the government of Wales worth an astonishing £18 million. The funding is set to help the club in their ambitions to rebuild StoK Cae Ras into a world-class arena that meets UEFA's stadium requirements, with the goal of hosting prominent international fixtures in the future.
Wrexham received hefty public grant from Welsh government
Wrexham have received nearly £18 million (€21m/$25m) in non-repayable public grants from the Welsh government – far more than any other football club in Britain, according to UK government state-aid disclosures. Local officials had previously said that Wrexham would get a "substantial amount" of a £25m (€29m/$34m) Welsh government grant earmarked for redeveloping the area around Wrexham General train station, which sits adjacent the Racecourse Ground. What hadn’t been made public until now is that the club itself would receive the majority of that funding directly.
The club, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has also enjoyed a surge in commercial success. Their involvement has helped secure major sponsorships from global giants such as Meta, United Airlines, and TikTok. The public grant will only strengthen their already healthy financial situation.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportA positive step towards Wrexham's bid to meet £350m valuation
Back in June, reported that owners Reynolds and McElhenney were considering selling a minority stake in a valuation of the club at £350m (€400m/$475m), having bought for just£2m in 2021. Earlier this year, Wrexham hit the £100m valuation mark following a 15 per cent stake acquisition by New York's Allyn family. More investors are being sought according to the report, with internal talks having taken place already. The Welsh government grant will further strengthen the owners' bid to transform Wrexham into the most expensive club in the Championship and solidify their push to achieve a record-breaking fourth-successive promotion, which will take them to the Premier League.
"This looks like an £18m nonrepayable subsidy to a privately owned business now flirting with a £350m valuation. Its existing owners are US-based and very wealthy and liquid private individuals," said Stefan Borson, a football finance expert who works as the head of sport at the McCarthy Denning law firm.
"The club, and its owners, will benefit from the stand for the next 50 years, yet at no point would the taxpayer be repaid or directly profit from the club’s rise. The current ownership have put Wrexham on the global map but it is hard to understand why funding this stand in this way would be a priority for the government.
"So many. I don't want to say to the world that I'm the best because there’s no truth to that. In my mind, I'm the best version of myself, if you know what I mean? It's different when you say you are the best in the world to the world. 'There are so many good players in my position. I'm doing my best. But I need to show more because I feel like I can do more. With goals, with assists, I can feel it.'"
Wrexham's StoK Cae Ras ambitions
Reynolds and McElhenney have reiterated their desire and ambition to convert StoK Cae Ras – the oldest international football stadium on the planet – into a world class venue. "We have a plan in place right now that would eventually work from stand to stand, so eventually you get all four sides. It's hard to say for sure, butwe think we could get between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there," McElhenney told last year.
With the renovation of the Kop Stand, the capacity will exceed 12,000. When that happens, it will comply with UEFA stadium requirements, having already been selected as one of the venues when Wales hosts next year's European Under-19 Championship. What's more, the Racecourse Ground has also been included in UK's official bid to host the 2035 Women's World Cup.
A council spokesperson said: "The Racecourse is an important cultural and heritage asset for the city of Wrexham and we are obviously keen to protect it for the future.
"Utilising grant funding from Welsh government, the council have provided funding to the football club to enable the redevelopment plans to be enhanced to a standard to enable international matches to be hosted in Wrexham once again."
A Wrexham spokesperson added: "The impact of these improvements, and the ability to host international sporting events in north Wales, will create both a catalyst for local job creation and provide an overall economic uplift to the region due to the increased number of visitors attracted to the events and their economic activity while they are in the area."
Meanwhile, the Welsh government is certain that the funding "will make the crucial difference between the club satisfying league requirements and meeting the more demanding international fixture standards," adding that, consequently, StoK Cae Ras "can host competitive international football at the world's oldest international stadium, boosting the local economy and delivering a fitting landmark for Wrexham."
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Getty Images SportWrexham pushing for Championship playoff spot
Phil Parkinson's men enjoyed an excellent November, going unbeaten in England's second tier after a difficult start to the season at the club's highest level in over 40 years. Their last defeat came over a month ago against Stoke City, and since then they’ve put together a strong run of form, remaining undefeated and collecting 15 from a possible 21 points.
They find themselves in 10th position on the league table, just two points behind sixth-placed Ipswich Town. If they can now find a bit of long-term consistency, Wrexham will fancy their chances of securing a promotion playoff spot, which would put them on the brink of the Premier League.
كشف إنزو ماريسكا مدرب تشيلسي موقف كول بالمر من مواجهة آرسنال غداً على ملعب ستامفورد بريدج في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
ويستضيف تشيلسي متصدر البريميرليج آرسنال، ويحتل الجانرز قمة جدول الدوري الإنجليزي بفارق ست نقاط عن غريمه اللندني.
وكان تشيلسي قد استعاد مستواه المعهود بفوز كبير على برشلونة بثلاثية نظيفة، وتحدث عن عودة كول بالمر.
أقرأ أيضاً.. جوارديولا يوضح موقف رودري من المشاركة أمام ليدز يونايتد.. ويلمح لرحيل لاعب مانشستر سيتي
وأكد ماريسكا جاهزية بالمر لمواجهة آرسنال في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” البريطانية: “الجميع سعداء، زملائنا سعداء، ونحن جميعاً سعداء، الأهم أن بالمر سعيد فهو بحاجة لخوض المباريات”.
ولن يشارك روميو لافيا في مباراة تشيلسي وآرسنال حيث يعاني من إصابة جديدة، وحول ويليان إستيفاو الذي تم استبداله في الدقيقة 83 أمام برشلونة، اختتم ماريسكا: “لم يظهر عليه أي علامات إصابة ولست قلقاً، أداء اللاعبين يعطي لي شكوك دائماً حول المباريات القادمة وهذا جيد ومشكلة جيدة للمدرب”.
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have just gotten another terrible piece of injury news.
During the sixth inning of L.A.'s matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was hit in the left wrist area by an 88 mph sinker from Jose Quintana. He immediately took himself out of the game.
Video is below.
The Dodgers officially called it a "wrist contusion."
We'll see what happens and there's a chance this was precautionary, but the Dodgers have been on the wrong side of injury luck all season. A number of key pitchers have missed significant time, including Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Clayton Kershaw. Meanwhile, Max Muncy has been out for weeks with a knee injury and now Freeman may be hurt.