The medal matches will be played on July 20 and 29, with all games to be held at the Fairgrounds Stadium
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2025Cricket’s return to the LA Olympics 2028 will begin on July 12, with the medal matches scheduled to be played on July 20 and 29. All the matches will be held at the Fairgrounds Stadium, a temporary, purpose-built venue in the city of Pomona, about 50km from Los Angeles.Six teams each in the men’s and women’s sections, and a total of 180 players, will compete in the T20 format. Each team can name a 15-member squad for the competition.Most match days will be double-headers, while there are no matches slotted on July 14 and 21. The matches will begin at 9am and 6.30pm local time. It will be the same for the medal matches as well.Related
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The Fairgrounds Stadium, officially known as Fairplex, is a nearly 500-acre complex that has hosted the LA County Fair since 1922 and regularly serves as a venue for concerts, trade shows, sporting events, and cultural gatherings.”When the world comes here for these Games, we will highlight every neighbourhood as we host a Games for all and work to ensure it leaves a monumental legacy,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “We are already delivering that legacy as we announce there have been more than one million enrollments in PlayLA.”I want to thank LA28 and the International Olympic Committee for making these programs possible and for their continued work to host the greatest Games yet.”This is the first time that cricket will feature in the Olympics since 1900. Then, only two teams, Great Britain and France, had competed in a two-day match, with Great Britain winning the gold medal.Cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics further propels the growing stature of the sport. Women’s cricket made its CWG debut in Birmingham in 2022, while both the men’s and women’s games have been part of the Asian Games in 2010, 2014 and 2023. Recently, Grand Prairie, Lauderhill, and New York hosted a number of matches at the 2024 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies.
Leeds United bolstered their options in the centre-forward position in the summer transfer window by swooping to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer.
The former England international was available after his Everton contract ran out at the end of June, and the Whites moved to add some Premier League experience to their squad.
Calvert-Lewin scored three goals and missed 16 ‘big chances’ in the top-flight for the Toffees in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which means that he was a risky signing for Leeds after such a dismal year in front of goal.
So far, the English striker has scored one goal and missed four ‘big chances’ in five appearances in the Premier League for the Whites this term, which suggests that he is on course for similar struggles in the final third.
Daniel Farke will be hoping that the experienced number nine can turn his form around and start to finish the high-quality chances that will come his way.
Leeds may need a reliable and consistent Premier League striker to fire them to safety this season, which is why it remains a source of regret that the club were unable to sign Erling Haaland many years ago.
The story of how Leeds United almost signed Erling Haaland
When the Norway international, who is now a superstar at Manchester City, was 17 years old and playing for Moldes, Leeds came incredibly close to bringing him to Elland Road.
Agent Hayden Evans once revealed that he offered Haaland to Victor Orta, the sporting director of the Whites at the time, and brought the young striker and his family over to Thorp Arch.
He added: “They were in the middle of a first-team session and [Thomas] Christiansen at the time stopped the session and came over to Erling, hugged him and talked about football – that went really well – and Christiansen was impressive, frankly.”
Evans also revealed that Orta had a Leeds shirt with Haaland’s name on the back, and that the teenage forward was keen to make the move because he was a Leeds supporter at the time, having been born in the city.
However, the agent claimed that the deal broke down because Molde wanted £4m for the Norwegian talent and the Whites were unable to commit to that amount of money in the Championship, whilst Orta’s idea for Juventus to sign and then loan him to West Yorkshire did not go through either.
Since then, Haaland has scored 94 goals in 104 Premier League matches and 52 goals in 50 appearances in the Champions League in his career, per Transfermarkt, to become one of the best attackers in world football.
What Leeds would give to have a player of his quality in their bid to avoid relegation from the top-flight this season. Although, if they had signed him at the age of 17 and he progressed as he did with Molde, RB Salzburg, and Borussia Dortmund, the Whites may not have had him on their books for long.
The West Yorkshire outfit, however, produced an incredibly valuable young talent who was then compared to the brutish centre-forward from their academy in Archie Gray.
Leeds hit the jackpot with Archie Gray
Leeds hit the jackpot with the English youngster after he rose through the ranks at Thorp Arch before emerging as a key player under Farke in the 2023/24 campaign.
The Whites did not have to deal with a selling club wanting millions of pounds for Gray, as Molde did with Haaland, because he spent his entire academy career with the club, which meant that the versatile star did not cost them a penny.
He made 11 appearances for the U18s and 26 appearances for the U21s before Farke decided to make him a permanent member of the first-team squad at the age of 17, the same age that Haaland was when he came close to a move to West Yorkshire.
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Along with making a breakthrough in first-team football at a similar age, the English starlet was also compared to the Manchester City star by journalist Phil Hay.
Ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, the reporter said: “Archie Gray, he just seems to come from the genetically modified school of Erling Haaland. Every time you see him he gets taller and bigger. He looks like he’s about 25 when he’s actually 17. He’s just physically amazing and also technically very good.”
Farke clearly saw the same things that Hay saw from the teenage prospect, because the 2023/24 campaign was Gray’s breakthrough season in the first-team.
The 17-year-old wonderkid started 40 of his 44 appearances in the Championship that term, whilst he has also started all three of the club’s play-off games, including the final against Southampton at Wembley.
23/24 Championship
Archie Gray
Appearances
44
Starts
40
Assists
2
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.8
Ball recoveries per game
4.5
Duel success rate
55%
Dribble success rate
57%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Gray held his own from a physical perspective, winning 55% of his duels, which backs up Hay’s comments about his physique.
The Whites hit the jackpot with the England U21 international, who came through their academy system, because Farke was willing to put his faith in the youngster to start week-in-week-out at right-back as a 17 and 18-year-old.
As a result of the platform that the manager provided him with, Gray’s performances in the Championship at such a young age led to him sealing a big-money move away from Elland Road in the summer of 2024.
Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur swooped in to sign the English youngster for a fee of £30m, which meant that Leeds made a £30m profit on a player they did not have to pay a fee to sign at academy level.
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Therefore, the Whites struck gold with Gray because they developed a £30m talent from their academy system in an era where homegrown players can sometimes have their pathways blocked by expensive signings from other clubs.
يلاقي فريق برشلونة نظيره إلتشي، مساء اليوم الأحد، في مواجهة بإطار مباريات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2025-2026.
ويحل إلتشي ضيفًا على برشلونة بملعب “مونتجويك” ضمن مواجهات الجولة الحادية عشر لبطولة الدوري الإسباني “الليجا” للموسم الجاري.
ويدخل برشلونة اللقاء بعد هزيمة الكلاسيكو أمام ريال مدريد، ويسعى الفريق بقيادة مدربه هانز فليك للعودة لسكة الانتصارات من أجل المنافسة على اللقب.
ولا يزال لاعبون أساسيون مثل رافينها وخوان جارسيا غائبين عن برشلونة للإصابة، كما يغيب بيدري لمدة تصل إلى شهرين بسبب إصابة في أوتار الركبة. تشكيل برشلونة المتوقع أمام إلتشي
حراسة المرمى: تشيزني.
خط الدفاع: جول كوندي، رونالد أراوخو، باو كوبارسي، أليخاندرو بالدي.
خط الوسط: مارك كاسادو، فرينكي دي يونج، فيرمين لوبيز.
خط الهجوم: لامين يامال، ماركوس راشفورد، فيران توريس.
ويمكنك متابعة مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من خلال مركز المباريات من هنا.
Prasidh Krishna is at the top of the Purple Cap table with 19 wickets from ten games
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Martin: Improved SRH performance came too late
Orange Cap tableRoyal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Virat Kohli leads the list with 505 runs from 11 innings, and Gujarat Titans’ (GT) B Sai Sudharsan is second, just one run behind from one fewer innings. Mumbai Indians’ (MI) Suryakumar Yadav is at No. 3 with 475 runs.Just two runs behind Suryakumar Yadav is Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. He has 473 runs from 12 innings. GT’s Jos Buttler (470) and Shubman Gill (465) are fifth and sixth on this table, respectively.Purple Cap tableGT’s Prasidh Krishna continues to lead the table with 19 wickets from ten games, while RCB’s Josh Hazlewood is second with 18 wickets, also from ten outings.Arshdeep Singh is third on the list after his three-for against Lucknow Super Giants in Dharamsala. He has 16 wickets in 11 matches. There are two other players on 16 wickets along with Arshdeep – Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) Noor Ahmad and MI’s Trent Boult. But Arshdeep remains above them because of his superior economy rate.You can also take a look at what the ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like at this stage.Here are some other IPL 2025 tables.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match
أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” عن قائمة الأندية المرشحة لجائزة نادي العام في القارة الإفريقية، والتي شهدت حضورًا قويًا لـ بيراميدز، بعد سلسلة من الإنجازات غير المسبوقة التي حققها الفريق خلال عام 2025.
ويأتي ترشيح بيراميدز تتويجًا لعام استثنائي في تاريخ النادي، حيث نجح الفريق في حصد ثلاثة ألقاب قارية كبرى خلال موسم واحد، في إنجاز تاريخي كبير.
وبدأ بيراميدز موسمه القاري بالتتويج بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا لأول مرة في تاريخه، بعد فوزه على ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي بنتيجة 3-2 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب، ليكتب اسمه بين كبار القارة بعد سنوات من العمل المتواصل والاستثمارات الكبيرة في الفريق.
ولم يكتفِ الفريق بذلك، بل واصل تألقه بحصد كأس القارات الثلاث، ثم توج باللقب الثالث هذا العام بعد تغلبه على نهضة بركان المغربي بهدف دون رد في مباراة كأس السوبر الإفريقي، ليؤكد هيمنته على الساحة الإفريقية.
طالع أيضًا | رسميًا | بيراميدز يتلقى خبرًا سارًا من كاف بشأن دوري أبطال إفريقيا قائمة الأندية المرشحة لجائزة أفضل نادي في إفريقيا
1- بيراميدز.
2- شباب بلوزداد الجزائري.
3- شباب قسنطينة من الجزائري.
4- أسيك ميموزا من كوت ديفوار.
5- نهضة بركان من المغربي.
6- ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي.
7- أورلاندو بايرتس الجنوب إفريقي.
8- ستيلينبوش الجنوب إفريقي.
9- الهلال السوداني.
10- سيمبا التنزاني.
ومن المنتظر أن يُعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي عن الفائز بالجائزة خلال الحفل السنوي لتوزيع جوائز “كاف”، والذي سيُقام في وقت لاحق هذا العام في إحدى الدول الإفريقية الكبرى.
كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية تطورات جديدة بشأن الحارس الألماني الدولي مارك تير شتيجن وتعافيه من الإصابة حيث يواصل تدريباته حالياً.
ووفقاً لصحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية فإن شتيجن والذي خضع لعملية جراحية لآلام أسفل الظهر في يوليو، بدأ التدريب في صالة الألعاب الرياضية حيث يمارس تمارين ركوب الدراجات لتقوية ركبته اليمنى.
ويعيش حارس مرمى وقائد برشلونة كابوساً كبيراً منذ تعرضه لإصابة قوية ضد فياريال في سبتمبر 2024 والتي أبعدته عن الملاعب طوال الموسم تقريباً.
ولم يتمكن تير شتيجن سوى من اللعب في مباراتين ضد بلد الوليد وفياريال بعد تعافيه من الإصابة الأولى، وتمكن من اللحاق بمباريات منتخب بلاده في نصف النهائي ومباراة تحديد المركزين الثالث والرابع في دوري الأمم الأوروبية.
أقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب برشلونة مدافعًا عن دي يونج: ما يقال عنه “كذب”.. وفاجأني في التدريبات
ورغم اختفاء آلام الركبة فإن مارك تير شتيجن يواصل أداء التمارين البدنية في صالة الألعاب الرياضية لتقوية نفسه بعد فترة طويلة من الانقطاع وعدم قيامه بأنشطة.
ولا يزال مستقبل شتيجن في برشلونة غامضاً ومن المرجح أن تجبره الإصابات وتعاقد البلوجرانا مع خوان جارسيا على جلوسه على دكة البدلاء بعد تعافيه.
ومع ذلك لن يستسلم تير شتيجن ويريد البقاء في النادي والقتال لاستعادة المركز الذي سيضمن له مكاناً كحارس مرمى لمنتخب ألمانيا في كأس العالم 2026.
ويحظى تير شتيجن بثقة مدرب منتخب ألمانيا جوليان ناجيلسمان حيث قال: “إذا كان شتيجن يتمتع بصحة جيدة فإنه سيكون الحارس الأول لدينا”.
Look, Liverpool would love to win the Premier League again this season, and perhaps they will.
But FSG and Arne Slot are a match made in heaven, and it’s because steering away from the myopic target of single-season success is something that is expertly juggled with the wider vision of a sustained period of success over many years.
So while the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz and the rest have been signed because of their potential to lead the Reds toward trophy-winning exploits this year, the reasoning behind these bumper deals lies more with the grander scale of Slot’s plans.
Florian Wirtz in action for Liverpool
To put it another way, Liverpool have dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s when conducting their transfer business, ensuring everything is just so as they look to stay on top for many years to come.
Though many would consider Wirtz to be the cream of the summer crop, it’s Ekitike who has made a barnstorming start to life on Merseyside, rubber-stamping FSG’s decision to fork out big money for his signature.
Why Liverpool signed Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool signed Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal rising to £79m, and his early exploits in a Red shirt suggest that he could not only prove an upgrade on Nunez, but potentially a defining number nine for the Anfield side.
With two goals and an assist from two matches as a Liverpool player, Ekitike has a base from which to build on, and while there are many trials ahead of the 23-year-old, there’s a collective sense among the fanbase that Slot has welcomed a special player to his squad.
Against Bournemouth last Friday, he showcased not only an aptitude for scoring but a skill in the build-up, linking with his teammates and displaying his combative side too, winning five duels.
Whether Ekitike turns out to be a superstar signing like Mohamed Salah or, stretching further back, a talisman like Luis Suarez, remains to be seen, but he’s certainly started off with strong strides.
However, the Frenchman may yet face a fight for his place across the coming term.
Liverpool prepare late offer to sign Ekitike rival
According to reports in Spanish, Liverpool have not been deterred by the many obstacles in their pursuit of signing Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, and they are ‘preparing a powerful new offer.’
It’s stated that Liverpool are ‘willing to take a giant step’, now ready to launch an offer of around €160m (£138m) to convince Newcastle.
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Isak’s incendiary statement pertaining to his desire to leave St. James’ Park and his belief that promises have been broken by the Magpies hierarchy was met with a refusal on PIF’s part to grant the 25-year-old striker his wish.
Will he play in a Liverpool shirt in two weeks? Isak is desperate to sign for the Merseysiders, who have already seen an initial £110m approach rejected.
But encouragement is needed from the Toon camp, and none appears to be forthcoming.
Why Liverpool still want to sign Isak
It’s probably worth stressing that the final stretch of the summer transfer window is bound to be a frenetic thing, and Liverpool’s chances of landing Isak would increase dramatically if Newcastle pull off their deal for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and then remain in the market for another striker.
Such a stance would denote their acceptance that Isak needs replacing and selling this month. Hardly a given, though.
Liverpool could do with a striker of Isak’s ilk, even with Ekitike hitting the ground running. The Sweden international’s goalscoring and athletic skill has seen him emerge as one of the finest marksmen around, with Newcastle legend Alan Shearer hailing his “world-class” talent (whether the pundit would sh such praise right now is another question).
Last season alone, Isak scored 27 goals and supplied six assists as United reclaimed a place in the Champions League and won the Carabao Cup, scoring against Liverpool at Wembley. If Liverpool succeed, there’s no doubt that he has the potential to rival the finest to do it at number nine on Merseyside.
Perhaps he’d be in the mould of Suarez, that all-consuming forward of old. What a player, his predatory instincts in the final third, his movements and his intelligence, all coming together to leave him hailed as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history.
Suarez is, of course, one of the greats of the modern English game, almost single-handedly dragging Brendan Rodgers’ side to a maiden Premier League title in 2013/14, scoring 31 goals from only 33 matches in the top flight.
Remembered as one of the most unstoppable strikers of his generation, it’s curious to look at how Isak’s Premier League career compares to the Uruguayan’s, with some exciting facts to be noted.
Games
109
133
Goals
62
82
Goal rate
0.57
0.62
Assists
11
32
Assist rate
0.10
0.24
G/A rate
0.67
0.86
No doubt, Suarez had more about him from a creative standpoint, but that’s hardly a fact that is to the £120k-per-week Isak’s detriment; the Scandinavian is one of the most complete strikers in the game, after all.
Considering that data-driven platform FBref have revealed through statistical analysis that Isak is comparable to Ekitike, Slot could find he has something of a hybrid on his hands, who has been hailed as a “machine” in front of goal by Fabrizio Romano.
The fact that Isak only trails Suarez’s goals-per-game rate at Liverpool across his three years as a Magpie is remarkable, and he’s also a mobile and creative player in the same vein as Liverpool’s new man in the middle, Ekitike.
FBref record that Isak, while principally a devastating goalscorer, ranks among the top 18% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.
He’s the real deal, all right, and while Ekitike is a thrilling talent, Liverpool would land someone more complete and more refined in Isak, capable of rivalling the France talent while also offering shades of Suarez in Slot’s high-flying squad.
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SL scored 156 in rain-reduced game, with WI’s target revised to 195, and Sherfane Rutherford smashed 50* off 26 deliveries
Madushka Balasuriya26-Oct-2024(23 overs) After a series in which they consistently failed to get the rub of the green, the stars finally aligned for West Indies as they ended their tour of Sri Lanka with a morale-boosting win. Evin Lewis, playing his first ODI since 2021, struck an unbeaten 102 off 61 balls, as West Indies chased down a DLS-adjusted target of 195 in a rain-reduced game of 23 overs with eight wickets to spare. In fact, they got the required runs with an over to spare. It was their first ODI win in Sri Lanka following ten straight defeats, and their first win on this tour since the first T20I.Sri Lanka, for their part, had put up a valiant effort after their innings had been cut into less than half. The first 17.2 overs had come prior to the rain intervention, and upon resumption, they were given just a further 5.4 overs to set a competitive total.Enter Kusal Mendis, who bludgeoned an unbeaten 56 off 22 deliveries – he got the half-century off 19 balls – as Sri Lanka themselves struck 75 runs in those final 5.4 overs to end on 156 for 3, and gave themselves a fighting chance. In the end, though, a combination of a wet outfield, wet ball and a laser-focused Lewis proved too much to overcome.Brandon King (18 off 19 balls) and Shai Hope (22 off 27) had kept Lewis company for most of the chase, but it wasn’t until Sherfane Rutherford joined him in the middle that West Indies truly took control of proceedings.Rutherford’s brisk cameo saw him plunder 50 off just 26 deliveries, including four fours and three sixes, with his partnership with Lewis amounting to an unbeaten 88 from just 45 deliveries. It was a pivotal stand in the context of the game, as it came just as Sri Lanka might have been harbouring thoughts of a late heist.Kusal Mendis blasted a 19-ball fifty•AFP/Getty ImagesWith the required run rate at roughly 8.5 an over from the outset, West Indies had done well to just about keep up with it over the opening ten overs – there was at least one boundary in seven of the first 11 overs. But in such a short chase, even a couple of quiet overs can heighten the pressure – and so it proved to be.Between the 11th and 17th overs, Sri Lanka gave away just 40 runs as the required rate rose to above 11.50 runs an over. Skipper Charith Asalanka had done well in this period by shuffling his pack to sneak in some cheap overs from himself and Kamindu Mendis – both of whom made up the fifth-bowler quota after Wanindu Hasaranga had struggled with controlling a wet ball.Where Asalanka erred was in bowling himself for one over too many, which allowed Rutherford and Lewis to go after him. That 14-run over set the tone, after which the pair never looked back. The miserly Maheesh Theekshana was rinsed for 18 in the next over, while even the excellent Asitha Fernando was hounded for 26 off his final two. Dilshan Madushanka, playing his first ODI since March, went for 50 in five.Sri Lanka, though, will have positives to take away from this game, particularly in how aggressively they approached the post-rain period, knowing that they didn’t have much time to scrounge up a competitive total. The opening 17.2 overs had seen Sri Lanka stitch together a measured start, with openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando putting on 81.That, though, owed much to West Indies dropping three chances – two of Nissanka and one of Avishka – inside the opening ten overs. This poor catching did not get much better after the five-hour rain delay, with Kusal also dropped twice on the way to becoming the third-quickest Sri Lanka batter to 4000 ODI runs.Sherfane Rutherford hit four fours and three sixes•Associated PressIt all began with the four balls left in Roston Chase’s second over, as Kusal proceeded to clatter each of them for boundaries – two precise pulls, one stunning straight drive, and finally a fortunate inside edge down to fine leg. In all, Sri Lanka struck 12 boundaries in the final 34 deliveries they faced.The shortened game also had some knock-on effects on West Indies’ bowling plans, as the new provisos meant three bowlers were given a quota of five overs each, while two others were handed four apiece. Once Chase’s over, in which Kusal had struck four consecutive boundaries, was belatedly completed, and with Sri Lanka in raucous mood, West Indies were suddenly faced with the proposition of figuring out how Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, and Alzarri Joseph – who had bowled four, four and three overs, respectively – would split the remains.And with the economical Matthew Forde already having bowled five overs prior to the rain break, it meant only two more bowlers could bowl five; so they needed to find one more over from somewhere.With Chase having been dispatched upon the resumption of play, it was left to Rutherford to roll his arm over, and he was duly taken for 17 runs courtesy two fours and a six. And as Kusal’s carefree innings continued in earnest, Sri Lanka eventually managed to muster up a competitive total – though it proved to be just not good enough on the day.
Everton are now reportedly closing in on a double deal to welcome two teenage talents to their academy.
Everton continuing summer business after Thierno Barry
Having already kicked off their summer business by welcoming Thierno Barry from Villarreal, Everton are reportedly set to continue their pursuit of incomings by signing Bournemouth’s Mark Travers. The shot-stopper looks set to arrive to provide Jordan Pickford with some much-needed backup following the departures of Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia.
The goalkeeper’s arrival will hand Everton their third signing of the summer after Moyes was left delighted by the signing of Barry last week to follow up the arrival of Carlos Alcaraz on a permanent deal earlier in the window.
The Everton boss told reporters: “We are delighted to have brought Thierno to the Club. We see lots of potential and we are hoping for good things from him.
“We will give him plenty of time to settle in and we are looking forward to getting started working with him as soon as possible. I’m hoping to make more additions in the coming weeks.”
Villarreal's Thierno Barry
It’s no surprise that the Toffees have turned towards Travers as well as the talented forward, either. Following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s decision to leave the club as a free agent, Moyes desperately needed a fresh goalscorer and Barry will provide exactly that.
It’s not just current gems that the veteran manager is thinking about, however, with reports now suggesting that Everton are closing in on signing two future stars this summer.
Everton closing in on Dodds and Gokah swoop
As reported by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, Everton are now closing in on deals to sign John Dodds and Reuben Gokah from Hearts and Charlton Athletic respectively. The double swoop follows Friedkin’s decision to add significant investment into improving their academy and adding former Manchester United chief Nick Cox to their ranks as a result.
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Ben Gray
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While Dodds and Gokah won’t steal the same headlines as Barry or Travers, they may prove to be just as important in years to come. Both defenders, the teenage duo will feature for Everton’s academy before potentially breaking into Moyes’ first-team when the time is right for all parties.
Given the path that Jarrad Branthwaite has taken since arriving in Merseyside as a youngster, there should be no concern over whether there will be an opportunity for Dodds and Gokah to thrive if they impress enough at youth level.
With the teenage duo and Travers, Everton will be taking their list of incomings up to five for the summer in what has so far been a productive transfer window.
Leeds United have now “fully approved” the signing of an “explosive” attacking player this summer, according to a key update from journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
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The Whites are still working hard on potential incoming transfer business, with the opening weekend of the new Premier League season edging closer all the time.
Feyenoord forward Igor Paixao has emerged as a priority target in the past month or so, with Leeds said to have submitted an enquiry regarding the signing of the 25-year-old. Talks have now also taken place over a summer switch to Elland Road for the £34m-rated ace.
Elsewhere, Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens has been linked with a move to the Whites this summer, being seen as an alternative option to Lucas Perri, as they look to bring in an upgrade on the mistake-prone Illan Meslier.
Former Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff has already completed his move to Leeds, and Hoffenheim’s Anton Stach has been backed to join him in the middle of the park, too.
Leeds have "fully approved" Paixao signing
Now, according to Tavolieri on X, Leeds are closer to completing the signing of Paixao than ever, with his switch to Elland Road now “fully approved” by 49ers Enterprises.
At this point, it would be a big surprise if Paixao wasn’t a Whites player come the beginning of the 2025/26 season, with significant progress made with this latest update.
The Brazilian has the ability to be such an influential signing for Leeds, bringing quality and threat in the final third, having bagged 26 goal contributions (16 goals and 10 assists) in 34 Eredivisie appearances last season.
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While at his best on the left wing, Paixao is also a strong option on the right flank and in a central attacking role, making him a versatile option, and scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him as an “explosive” talent, likening him to a younger Raheem Sterling.
Paixao is at the perfect point in his career to hit the ground running at Leeds, possessing plenty of experience but also being young enough to improve further.
If he can take his Eredivisie form with him to the Premier League, it would go a long way to helping the Whites avoid relegation back to the Championship.