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Arsenal are believed to be emerging as favourites to sign a highly-rated forward who is among Chelsea’s top transfer targets this summer, with Andrea Berta threatening to scupper the club’s London rivals.

Arsenal targeting new attackers for Mikel Arteta this summer

According to recent reports, the Gunners are contemplating fresh additions in both wide areas and further up front.

Talks held: Berta could now sign once-£137m forward for Arsenal after twist

The odds of his potential arrival have just increased.

ByEmilio Galantini May 6, 2025

Mikel Arteta’s side are apparently debating the prospect of signing an alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right wing, while uncertainty surrounding the long-term futures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard could also prompt the club to move for a left-winger (GiveMeSport).

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

There is also the very real prospect of a new number nine arriving at the Emirates, with injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz exposing Arteta’s lack of prolific, natural options in the centre-forward area (GiveMeSport).

Many intriguing names have been linked with moves to N5 over the last few weeks, and especially since Berta’s appointment as sporting director was confirmed in late March.

According to German newspaper Ruhr Nachrichten, as relayed by Get Football News Germany, Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Gittens is becoming a key target for Arteta and Berta.

The Englishman, formerly of Man City’s academy, is making a real name for himself in the Bundesliga as a standout attacking talent, having racked up 12 goals and five assists in 46 total appearances this campaign.

Jamie Gittens imagining move to Arsenal over Chelsea

Chelsea are widely believed to be attempting a move for Gittens ahead of the summer, but Arsenal have now burst into the race for Dortmund’s forward sensation.

As per Ruhr Nachrichten, via GFNG, Gittens “can very well imagine” a move to Arsenal, and the north Londoners have an edge in the race for his services. Dortmund could also find a minimum offer of around £42 million pretty tempting, with Arsenal now thought to be in pole position to secure a move.

Arteta’s side have apparently pushed harder than Chelsea so far, and there appears to be a race taking shape between the two sides for Gittens, who appears likely to leave Dortmund when the window reopens.

The 20-year-old’s exploits have earned him a growing reputation abroad as one of Europe’s most exciting young final third players, with ex-Dortmund boss Nuri Şahin branding Gittens an “incredible” one-v-one specialist.

“He’s a very important player for us,” said Sahin.

“Jamie himself wants to take the next step, and we want him to take that step. Now he’s scoring goals and playing more mature football. It’s not news to me that he’s incredible one-on-one and is a very good finisher.”

Meanwhile, Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken has heaped praise on the youngster’s impressive output.

“Jamie is doing an outstanding job,” said Ricken.

“He was a standout, including in the way he helped Ramy (Bensebaini, Dortmund’s left-back) in defence. He has developed into a real difference maker with his goals and assists.”

Chelsea have now submitted a £1.4m bid for an attacking midfielder following a recent scouting mission, according to a report.

Blues plotting youth recruitment drive

Under the helm of BlueCo, Chelsea have maintained a heavy focus on bringing in talented young players, with Sporting CP’s Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo becoming the latest additions to the squad last month.

As we approach the summer transfer window, it appears as though the Blues are set to continue stockpiling young players, with Real Madrid striker Endrick becoming the latest subject of interest, having submitted a £59m offer for the 18-year-old striker.

In terms of central midfield options, 21-year-old Barcelona ace Marc Casado is on the shortlist, with Todd Boehly plotting a £33m bid for the Spaniard, while breakout AFC Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen remains a target at centre-back.

The aforementioned targets all have experience in a major European league, but there have now been suggestions the west Londoners could also be willing to take a risk on more of an unproven quantity.

According to a report from Africa Foot (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have now submitted a €1.6m (£1.4m) bid for Malian wonderkid Seydou Dembele, who is currently playing in Qatar.

Scouts from a number of Europe’s top clubs have been watching the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, and Dembele has seemingly stood out above the rest, having impressed the Blues, Barcelona and Red Bull Salzburg.

Chelsea now interested in signing £43m Inter Milan star alongside Thuram

The Blues have identified a new target ahead of the summer transfer window…

ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

As the starlet is just 16-years-old, he will not be able to move to Stamford Bridge until he turns 18, should Boehly’s bid prove to be successful.

However, there are signs that it could be worth the wait, given that the youngster has been performing very well for Mali U17s, and he has earned the nickname of “Messi” from his friends.

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Ipswich Town (h)

April 13th

Fulham (a)

April 20th

Everton (h)

April 26th

Liverpool (h)

May 4th

Newcastle United (a)

May 10th

"Real talent" Dembele is one for the future

With the Malian unable to sign for Chelsea until he is 18, we won’t see him in a blue shirt anytime soon, but his displays for his country indicate he could go on to be a top player, with the report stating he has twice received Man of the Match awards at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.

Not only that, but scout Felix Johnston has also given the attacking midfielder very high praise, describing him as a “real talent”, while also detailing that he is a “really nifty” left-footed number 10.

Understandably, the news may once again call into question the fact that Chelsea are stockpiling a huge number of young players, with Enzo Maresca’s squad at risk of becoming very bloated again in the future.

However, the move for Dembele is relatively low risk at just £1.4m, and he is showing very promising signs for his country.

Recovering from a slow start on a slow pitch, his fourth T20I century was a reminder that he could access any quadrant of the field

Deivarayan Muthu15-Dec-2023The genius of Suryakumar Yadav lies in how he premeditates and creates angles to play his trick shots behind square. His patented is arguably the most outrageous shot in T20 cricket.It was expected that a quick Wanderers pitch and the rarefied air of the Highveld would be perfect for Suryakumar’s . Before the series decider between South Africa and India in Johannesburg, the last T20I at this venue had produced an aggregate of 433 runs. But Thursday was a bit different. The track was slower and drier than usual, with seamers taking pace off the ball even in the powerplay. Suryakumar didn’t get the away, but still found other ways to get on top of the conditions and on top of South Africa’s attack.Suryakumar (100) ended up outscoring South Africa (95), with 55 of his runs coming in front of square at a strike rate of nearly 200. He was on 27 off 25 balls at one point. When Andile Phehlukwayo tried to bowl slower balls into the pitch in the 13th over, Suryakumar ditched his premeditation and delayed his shots before whacking them in the arc between deep midwicket and wide long-on. He held his shape for long enough and waited for the ball to come to him because he knew that is when his power could have the most impact in these conditions.Related

• Suryakumar hundred, Kuldeep five-for demolish South Africa

That over, Suryakumar went 6, 4, 6, 6 against Phehlukwayo, and just like that, recovered from a slow start on a slow pitch.Then, even when debutant Nandre Burger tried to hide the ball outside off, Suryakumar got inside the line and shovelled the left-arm fast bowler between deep midwicket and wide long-on with his powerful bottom hand. This was another reminder that he can access any quadrant of the field.Nobody has more T20I hundreds than Suryakumar – he is joint-highest on four with two others – and they have all come in different conditions: Nottingham, Rajkot, Mount Maunganui and now Johannesburg. He had fallen 17 short of another hundred in a must-win match for India last August in the West Indies, which will host next year’s T20 World Cup along with the USA. So Suryakumar knows that he has the game to succeed in all conditions.”It’s important to know your game really well – what you can do for your team – and I’ve thought the same thing,” he said after winning both the Player-of-the-Match and the Player-of-the-Series awards. “Whatever the situation is, I just go out there and enjoy myself. If it’s my day or if it’s not my day… that balance is very important in life and I really enjoyed it.”Later, Suryakumar was writhing in pain after having seemingly rolled his ankle while fielding, which kept him off the field for the most part of India’s successful defence, with Ravindra Jadeja taking over as captain. The smile, though, was back on his face after India sealed victory and squared the series 1-1.”I’m good, and it [the ankle] is not looking that bad,” Suryakumar said. “I’m walking, so it’s all good. It’s always a good feeling to get to a triple-figure [score] in a T20 game. When it comes in a winning cause for the team, I’m more than happy doing that.”What are the challenges of bowling to Suryakumar?”He’s a special player, and it was a really, really good knock tonight,” David Miller said at his post-match press conference. “The guys executed more often than not, and he came out and still managed to hit those fours and sixes. I think he just manages to hit all around the ground. It was difficult to kind of set a field to him. So you kind of try to double-bluff at times and go outside of a normal plan, and so I think anyone that can lap, scoop, play straight, and hit you over cow corner and over cover is difficult to bowl to.”In a three-match series where the opening game was washed out without a ball bowled and the second game was interrupted by rain, India couldn’t glean much. With India having only three more T20Is before the World Cup – and the IPL, of course – there are still some uncertainties surrounding their build-up to the tournament, but one thing is dead certain: Suryakumar is the gold standard of T20 batting.

And what’s the highest score by a No. 11 in ODIs and T20Is?

Steven Lynch16-Nov-2021What’s the most runs scored by a country in the last four overs to win a T20I? Did New Zealand come close to the record against England? asked Derek Sanderson from England

New Zealand needed 57 with four overs to go in their semi-final against England in Dubai last week – and got them, with no fewer than six balls to spare. That wasn’t just close to the top, it was the most runs ever successfully chased down in the last four overs of a T20I, according to ESPNcricinfo’s database (which is missing some matches involving lesser teams).There had been two previous T20Is in which a team scored 56 inside the last four overs to win. Australia did it against Pakistan in the semi-final of the 2010 World T20 in St Lucia – mainly thanks to Michael Hussey, who thrashed 60 not out off 24 balls from No. 7 – and they were followed by Zimbabwe against Scotland in Edinburgh in September 2021. (Note that Australia actually scored 61 runs, and Scotland 58 – but the target from the last four overs was only 56, whereas New Zealand needed 57.)In all, the database throws up 148 T20Is in which the side batting second needed to score between 50 and 60 from the last four overs. On only 14 occasions has such a target been reached; the other semi-final of this T20 World Cup, between Australia and Pakistan in Dubai the day after New Zealand’s heist, was the last of those instances.KL Rahul took seven catches against England at Trent Bridge in 2018. Was this a record for a Test match? asked Sharif Ahmed from India

KL Rahul’s haul against England at Trent Bridge in 2018 made him the sixth outfielder to take seven catches in a single Test, following Greg Chappell (Australia) in 1974-75, Yajurvindra Singh (on debut for India in 1976-77), Hashan Tillakaratne (Sri Lanka) in 1992-93, Stephen Fleming (New Zealand) in 1997-98, and Matthew Hayden (Australia) in 2003-04.But the overall record is held by Rahul’s India team-mate Ajinkya Rahane, who held on to eight catches in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2015.Akshay Karnewar of Vidarbha did not concede a single run in his four overs in a recent domestic T20 match in India. Has anyone else ever done this? asked Baskar Raghavan from India
The Vidarbha spinner Akshay Karnewar became the first man ever to bowl four overs in a senior T20 match without conceding a run against Manipur in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match in Mangalagiri on November 8, finishing with 4-4-0-2. But he was joined just yesterday by Canada’s slow left-armer Saeed Bin Zafar, who sent down four maidens in a World Cup qualifier against Panama in Coolidge in Antigua.The record was previously held by the lofty Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Irfan, with 4-3-1-2 for Barbados Tridents against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League in Bridgetown in August 2018.Before Zafar’s runless spell yesterday, the record for T20Is was three runs (and two wickets) by Mohammed Aslam, for Kuwait against Saudi Arabia in Al Amerat in February 2020; Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath took 5 for 3 in 3.3 overs against New Zealand in the World T20 in Chittagong (now Chattogram) in March 2014. For the list of the most economical spells in T20 matches, click here.Two women have bowled four overs for no runs in T20Is: Blessing Etim also took four wickets for Nigeria against Cameroon in Gaborone in September 2021, while Perice Kamunya had figures of 4-4-0-0 for Tanzania against Mali in Kigali in June 2019.Mohammad Amir’s 28-ball 58 from No. 11 made only a small dent in Pakistan’s chase of 445 against England in 2016•Getty ImagesWhat’s the highest score by a No. 11 in ODIs and T20Is? asked Christopher Thompson from England

The only half-century by a No. 11 in one-day internationals is Mohammad Amir’s 58 for Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2016. It only narrowed the margin of defeat to 169 runs, as England had earlier amassed 444 for 3, the record ODI total at the time. Next comes Shoaib Akhtar’s 43, also for Pakistan vs England, in Cape Town during the 2003 World Cup.The highest by a No. 11 in T20Is is 31 not out, by Khalid Ahmadi of Belgium against Malta in Marsa in July 2021. His innings helped Belgium recover from 74 for 9 to 128, which looked enough when Malta were bowled out for 125 – but they then received five penalty runs following a disciplinary breach by Belgium’s captain, which meant they won the match. There have been three other scores of 20 by No. 11s in T20Is.I was amazed by the scorecard in the match mentioned in one of last week’s questions, in which the Maldives women’s team was bowled out for 8, with only one run off the bat and nine ducks. Is that the lowest total in internationals? asked Kelvin Marshall from Australia

There have been two lower totals than that Maldives innings, which was against Nepal in Pokhara in the South Asian Games in December 2019. Two days previously, in the same competition in Pokhara, Maldives had managed only 6 – three of their batters got off the mark, though – against Bangladesh, after that team ran up 255 for 2. That equalled Mali’s total of 6, against Rwanda in Kigali in June 2019.The lowest in men’s T20Is is Turkey’s 21 in Ilfov County in Romania in August 2019. That came against the Czech Republic, who had earlier equalled the record T20I total of 278.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

It has been a rough few days when it comes to sports fans acting normally when gifted a souvenir from an athlete.

At the U.S. Open, a man was spotted snatching the hat of Kamil Majchrzak out of the hands of a child. While Majchrzak made things right the next day, it was still an odd moment to behold.

On Friday night at LoanDepot Park, that awkward moment got its sequel. After Phillies centerfielder Harrison Bader hit a solo shot to put his team up 5–1 over the Marlins, a mini fracas broke out in the stands.

One Phillies fan hustled to retrieve the ball, nabbed it after a brief moment on the ground, and went back to his seat to give the ball to the young fan he was sitting with, presumably his son. But another fan, whose seat was closer to the initial landing spot of the ball, took issue with the move, and went over to give the fan that got the ball the business. Eventually, the fan who got the ball appeared to say, “fine, okay, whatever sheesh” and gave the ball back.

You can watch the scene unfold below.

On the one hand, we cannot see the moment that the ball was initially possessed, so it is possible that there were some dastardly moves done behind the seats that would offer more clarity to the scene. On the other hand, once a kid has the home run ball, it’s usually best policy to let the kid keep the home run ball.

Thankfully, the Marlins’ stadium staff went out of their way to make things right, hooking up the fan who was briefly without the home run ball with a new ball and a prize pack.

After the game, the Phillies made sure to give the fan an unforgettable moment as well, with Bader coming out to meet the family and offer up a signed bat.

A great gesture by the Phillies, but really a huge shoutout to the Marlins staff for acting in the moment to make sure everyone left the stadium with a happy memory instead of an awkward one. Seeing one team make such a gesture for opposing fans is just a nice reminder that a love of baseball can transcend a particular fandom or rooting interest.

All of that said, please, if you or a loved one happens to be in the stands when a home run ball is hit, or a player offers a fan their hat, or anything of the sort occurs and puts you in a position to possibly nab a souvenir, please just be normal about it.

That will open up fresh possibilities for Sri Lankan cricket with day-night Tests becoming more viable in the country

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Nov-2025The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo will get floodlights and other upgrades in preparation for the Men’s T20 World Cup, which Sri Lanka co-hosts with India in February and March next year. Although the SSC has occasionally hosted daytime limited-overs internationals – especially women’s games – Colombo’s day-night games have all been played at Khettarama (R Premadasa Stadium), which in any case is the highest-capacity stadium in the country.SSC’s first match that will require lights will be the T20 World Cup Group B game between Oman and Zimbabwe, scheduled to start at 3pm local time on February 9. It is one of five matches the SSC is due to host at this World Cup. The first of those – between Netherlands and Pakistan on February 7 – will begin at 11am local time whereas the third fixture – between Pakistan and USA on February 10 – is the only match there to start at 7pm local time. Khettarama is set to host at least eight matches, and possibly the first semi-final and the final if Pakistan make it that far. Pallekele, the only Sri Lanka World Cup venue not in Colombo, will host seven games.Building floodlights at the SSC will open up fresh possibilities for Sri Lankan cricket with day-night Tests becoming more viable in the country. Although Khettarama is the preferred limited-overs venue in Colombo, the SSC and the P Sara Oval are still preferred for Tests, owing partly to their reputation for being boutique Test venues.Related

2026 T20 World Cup: Packed run-in for India, no games for Bangladesh

SL consider moving on from Asalanka as T20I captain

T20 World Cup: SL and Australia in Group B

Sri Lanka has never hosted a day-night Test, but Sri Lanka’s Test captains have also asked their board to arrange such a fixture, over the years.SLC confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that floodlights construction were already under way at the SSC.The ICC announced the schedule for the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, with the tournament set to run from February 7 to March 8 across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras, atual bicampeão brasileiro, ainda não demonstrou toda sua força neste início de Brasileirão. É verdade que o time comandado por Abel Ferreira já encarou “pedreiras” nas primeiras rodadas, mas agora, diante do Cuiabá neste domingo (5), às 18h30, na Arena Pantanal, tem a chance de fazer valer seu bom retrospecto no local para começar a embalar na busca pelo tri.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

+ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Os números do Verdão na casa do adversário são favoráveis, assim como o momento em que vive o Dourado no Nacional. O Cuiabá é o lanterna e ainda não pontuou no campeonato. Além disso, em três confrontos na Arena Pantanal, o time paulista venceu dois e empatou um, ou seja, está invicto. Foram também seis gols marcados e apenas dois sofridos.

+ Acredita que o Verdão vai fazer mais de 2,5 gols no Cuiabá? Se liga na odd para apostar: 2.49!

O lateral-esquerdo Caio Paulista acredita que o Palmeiras tem grandes chances de buscar a vitória após dois empates consecutivos no Brasileirão.

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– São muitos jogos, mas a virada de chave é necessária. Temos de buscar os três pontos fora de casa. Sabemos que jogar lá contra o Cuiabá é muito difícil, até pelo clima, e é uma grande equipe. Mas nós estamos bem preparados e capacitados para chegar lá, fazer um grande jogo e conseguir os três pontos.

O duelo entre as equipes aconteceu apenas seis vezes até o momento, todos pelo Brasileirão, e os números são favoráveis ao Palmeiras. O Verdão venceu quatro jogos, perdeu um e empatou outro. Na última vez em que os times se enfrentaram, no Nacional do ano passado, vitória do time paulista por 2 a 0, fora de casa.

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O Palmeiras não faz um grande início de Brasileirão. Em 12º lugar na tabela, o atual bicampeão da competição tem uma vitória, uma derrota e dois empates, e precisa voltar a vencer para saltar na pontuação, já que tem apenas cinco pontos.

Tudo sobre

Arena PantanalBrasileirãoFutebol NacionalPalmeiras

Kai Rooney is being tipped to emulate the achievements of his record-breaking father Wayne by making a major impact at Manchester United. Former Red Devils striker Fraizer Campbell has told GOAL, during an exclusive interview, that it would be “fantastic for the club” to see another Rooney leading the line at some point in the not too distant future.

• Yamal & Dowman prove to Rooney that anything is possible

  Rooney junior is only 15 years of age, but the hottest of prospects have been making senior breakthroughs at that stage of their respective careers. Lamine Yamal earned his big break at Barcelona while in his mid-teens, while Max Dowman has done likewise at Arsenal.

  There is no suggestion that Kai is knocking on Ruben Amorim’s door at Old Trafford just yet, but he continues to make positive progress down that path. He has been promoted through the age groups in United’s academy system, allowing him to prove his worth to club bosses.

  Big pressure is being lumped onto his young shoulders, with Wayne Rooney still United’s all-time leading scorer with 253 efforts to his name. He won Premier League and Champions League titles with the Red Devils.

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  Will Kai Rooney follow Wayne into the Man Utd team?

  Kai is eager to follow in illustrious footsteps, and has been catching the eye in a fabled academy. Many are suggesting that he is capable of matching his famous father by becoming a talismanic forward for Premier League heavyweights.

  Quizzed on whether that could happen, ex-United star Campbell – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “That would be fantastic. He’s played up for the 18s and the 23s this season, I think. He’s doing really, really well. If he’s anything like his dad, it would be fantastic for the club because Rooney was unbelievable in his playing days – still now, he played in the legends game and he’s still got the technique, that drive and hunger. It would be great for Wayne, Coleen and the family to see another Rooney pulling on the Man United shirt. It would be great for the fans as well.”

• Hot prospect: Kai Rooney exciting those at Old Trafford

  Campbell is not the first former United player to back Kai Rooney for senior opportunities. Wes Brown has previously told GOAL of that family name earning further recognition in Manchester: “I’m pretty sure if you played for a club and your son comes through, and he’s at a stage now where he’s like YTS, going to training everyday, then at any point you could be picked by the manager and told ‘you’re training with us’ or ‘you’re in a game’. It will be a great experience.

  “Kai, knowing the lad he is, he’ll just work very hard. He will have his head down. Obviously, his dad has legendary status, but it’s all about Kai. He will have to work and do everything himself, make sure he puts the graft in and keeps on learning.

  “All you can hope for, even when I was a kid, is getting an opportunity. If you do, can you take it? He’s done really well to get where he is at the moment because I’m guessing at some point, it will have been difficult for him.”

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• Getty Images
  

  Wayne & Coleen helping to keep Kai grounded

  Wayne has tended to stay away from Kai’s matches, in order to avoid becoming a distraction, while mother Coleen is doing her best to ensure that a future away from professional football is also being taken into account.

  A source has told of that process: “All the boys are obsessed with football, so Coleen’s had no choice but to embrace it. She wasn’t sure how good they would be, but there’s no denying that Kai has his dad’s talents, and has the potential to make it big.

  “Kai is very good, and Coleen and Wayne have always drummed into him that he has to train hard and dedicate himself to it if he wants to make it. But Coleen is determined that he’ll stay grounded, whatever happens. She also knows she’ll have to prepare him for the disappointment if it doesn’t work out. The Rooney name will only get him so far.”

  It remains to be seen whether Kai Rooney – who has scored plenty of goals for United at youth level while helping them to trophy wins – will earn first-team opportunities. His dad will always be on hand to offer advice if it is required, with Wayne earning wonderkid status himself when making a senior breakthrough with Everton at the age of 16.

Daniel Farke – already relegated from the Premier League in the past – was under intense pressure heading into the new season at Leeds United due to his prior top-flight record, although this time was going to be different. Right?

While the 2025/26 campaign is only 11 games old, the worry will be that the German coach is slipping back into old habits, with the Elland Road side currently just two points above the drop zone.

That position is perhaps to be expected for a newly-promoted outfit, although with the Whites currently on a run of four losses from their last five league outings, the mood is unsurprisingly beginning to sour.

Nothing drastic is expected to happen over the next few weeks, even with the international break providing the perfect time to separate, although there is a sense that the ex-Norwich City man is now on borrowed time.

With Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool all visiting Elland Road across the next five fixtures, with trips to Manchester City and Brentford to come, it is crunch time for those in Yorkshire.

Will Farke survive the test? If not, just who could replace him?

Daniel Farke's overall Premier League record

It may not be too bold to suggest that the 49-year-old has been a dead man walking since the summer, with reports emerging that the 49ers’ ownership were considering replacing the promotion-winning coach, even despite the success of guiding Leeds back into the top-flight at the second attempt.

A year prior, for comparison, rivals Manchester United had almost publicly sought out a replacement for Erik ten Hag, albeit while ultimately deciding to back the Dutchman following his FA Cup heroics. Just two months into the new season, however, the former Ajax boss was relieved of his post.

The doubts over Farke following last term no doubt stemmed from his dire previous record in the Premier League, with his first taste of England’s top tier ending in Norwich finishing rock-bottom in 2019/20.

Having stayed on to oversee the attempt to swiftly bounce back, he was then sacked just 11 games into the 2021/22 campaign, having failed to win any of the first ten league games of the season.

At the time of his dismissal from Carrow Road, Farke’s record in the Premier League stood at 49 games played, eight draws, six wins and a remarkable 35 losses, having shipped 101 goals in that time with a points per game ratio of just 0.53.

Games

60

Wins

9

Draws

10

Losses

41

Goals scored

41

Goals conceded

121

Points

37

Points per game

0.62

With three wins, two draws and six losses in the first 11 games of 2025/26, there is little to suggest that the one-time Borussia Monchengladbach boss is faring much better, with Leeds facing a very real threat of a swift return to the second tier.

Rightly or wrongly, Farke was given the chance to prove himself again in the Premier League, although that show of faith may well have backfired.

Does a successor need to be found?

How Leeds can swiftly upgrade on Farke

Appointing a new manager, particularly mid-season, is such a delicate act to get right, with notable names such as Carlos Corberan and Ange Postecoglou among those who could potentially come back onto the 49ers’ radar.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Prior speculation has also suggested that Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior could also be in the equation, if Leeds are to make a change, with the ex-Hull City manager currently doing a fine job in France.

Described as “one of the best coaches ever” by pundit Clinton Morrison, Rosenior has taken the BlueCo-owned side to new heights in 2025/26 thus far, with the Ligue 1 outfit currently fourth in the table and just five points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Unlike Farke’s dismal record so far this term, the Englishman’s 12 league games have yielded seven wins, four losses and a solitary draw, following on from a season in which his side finished seventh in 2024/25 to claim a Conference League spot.

What makes that progression even more remarkable is that the average age of Rosenior’s squad at Strasbourg is just 22.6, as per Transfermarkt, albeit with his starting lineup regularly dipping even below that average.

Of course, Ligue 1 provides a different test to the Premier League, although the one-time Brighton man’s attack-minded, progressive style of play is bearing fruit, with his side scoring 24 times already from their 12 league games this term.

For contrast, Farke’s struggling squad have scored just ten times in their 11 Premier League outings – the joint-second worst record in the division.

A man who once lauded Leeds hero Marcelo Bielsa as a “genius” amid his fine work at Elland Road, Rosenior could be another wildcard option to try and follow in the Argentine’s footsteps.

Leeds must sell £90k-per-week flop who Bielsa hailed as a "big influence"

Daniel Farke must finally offload this Leeds United flop, who was once praised by Marcelo Bielsa.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 13, 2025

خاض فريق نادي الزمالك، تدريباته مساء اليوم السبت، على استاد الكلية الحربية، في إطار الاستعداد لمباراة زيسكو الزامبي، في بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة زيسكو في الجولة الأولى لمباريات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، في التاسعة مساء يوم الأحد الموافق 23 نوفمبر الجاري على ستاد القاهرة الدولي.

وحرص الجهاز الفني بقيادة أحمد عبد الرؤوف على رفع الحمل البدني للاعبين لتجهيزهم بعد العودة من الراحة السلبية.

طالع | حكم مباراة الزمالك وزيسكو يونايتد في الكونفدرالية

وخصص الجهاز الفني فقرة خططية خلال المران، تم خلالها تنفيذ بعض الجوانب الفنية قبل خوض تقسيمة مصغرة في نهاية المران.

ويغيب عن التدريبات كل من محمد صبحي وحسام عبد المجيد ومحمد إسماعيل وأحمد فتوح ومحمد شحاتة ونبيل عماد دونجا، للتواجد في صفوف المنتخب الأول، ومحمد عواد ومحمود حمدي “الونش” للتواجد في منتخب مصر المشارك في كأس العرب.

كما يغيب الفلسطيني عدي الدباغ للانتظام في معسكر منتخب بلاده والأنجولي شيكو بانزا المتواجد في معسكر منتخب أنجولا، والتونسي سيف الجزيري المنضم لمعسكر نسور قرطاج، والمغربي محمود بنتايج المتواجد في معسكر منتخب المغرب لكأس العرب.

يذكر، أن الزمالك يتواجد في المجموعة الرابعة من منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية، مع المصري وزيسكو الزامبي وكايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي.