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Arsenal, led by new sporting director Andrea Berta, are set to move for an “underrated” marquee player this summer, according to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Andrea Berta's rumoured transfer plans for Arsenal

Berta signed as Arsenal’s director three weeks ago, and since the Italian’s appointment to replace Edu Gaspar, Mikel Arteta’s side have been tipped for an exciting summer transfer window.

Arsenal hold early talks to sign £50m striker likened to Neymar and Mbappe

He’s compared to two of world football’s most iconic superstars of recent years.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 28, 2025

Berta could apparently have a £300 million transfer warchest to spend on up to seven new signings at the Emirates Stadium, according to GiveMeSport, with Arsenal potentially planning to bring in a new backup ‘keeper, a full-back, two central midfielders, a left-winger, an alternative to Bukayo Saka and a striker.

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A fresh centre-forward will be particularly crucial, as Arsenal have long yearned for a prolific vocal point up front as the last missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw. Long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus, who could even be out until 2026, and Kai Havertz have also further highlighted the need for a number nine.

According to some media sources, Berta is even gaining a head start on the summer window, with Arsenal opening preliminary talks over Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitiké, but the Frenchman isn’t their only attacking target.

Arteta’s “dream” striker target, as per various reports, is Newcastle United star Alexander Isak.

The Swede has been in sensational form under Eddie Howe yet again this season with 23 goals from 33 appearances in all competitions, but Newcastle are not planning to let him go easily despite the rumoured interest from elite sides.

£125 million is actually one of the cheaper figures to have been mooted by some sections of the press, but even that would require Arsenal to smash their transfer record.

Arsenal will make "important proposal" to sign Alexander Isak

As per Romano, his marquee valuation hasn’t deterred Berta.

Indeed, the respected reporter claims that Arsenal will make an “important proposal” to sign Isak this summer, with Romano sharing an update on his situation for GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast.

“We have to see what happens when Arsenal and Liverpool, because I expect these two clubs to arrive with important proposals in the summer,” Romano said.

“And at that stage, we have to see what the player decides to do and also what kind of conversation he will have with Newcastle. But on club side, they keep saying that they will try till the end to extend this contract, to keep the player and to make the face of their project also for the future. So I think it’s going to be a big fight in the summer for this fantastic striker.”

Both Isak and Anthony Gordon have been labelled the Premier League’s “most exciting” and perhaps “most underrated” forward duo by ex-Nigeria international Sunday Oliseh, but it is clear that Arsenal are fully aware of the former’s star quality after repeated links.

The 25-year-old is set to be one of the biggest stories of this summer transfer window, and there is no doubt he’d be a truly transformative signing for Arteta’s side.

Having joined Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, Aston Villa have now reportedly joined the Spanish giants in pursuit of a 17-year-old midfielder who’s already featured on Europe’s biggest stage.

Aston Villa set to battle Real Madrid for teenage midfielder

It wasn’t too long ago that goal-line technology was playing a part in Aston Villa’s Premier League survival. Five years on from that controversial moment, however, they’re no longer simply maintaining their top flight status, they’re also keeping hold of their place in the Champions League after thrashing Club Brugge in the last 16.

Setting up a mouth-watering tie, the Villans will now square off against one of Unai Emery’s former clubs in Paris Saint-Germain, before facing Arsenal or Real Madrid if they defy the odds by defeating the French champions.

Away from the action, meanwhile, those in the Midlands are also set to do battle against some of Europe’s best. According to The Boot Room, Aston Villa are now racing Real Madrid to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from LOSC Lille this summer.

Aston Villa's "world-class" star is already becoming Emery's new Duran

Aston Villa may have already found their next Duran with this “world-class” ace

1 ByConnor Holden Mar 14, 2025

The central midfielder is still just 17 years old, but was handed a start against Borussia Dortmund in Lille’s last 16 second-leg. Ultimately, the teenager found himself on the losing side, but the fact that he was given the nod at such a young age highlights just how talented he is.

That talent was always going to attract the likes of Madrid and Aston Villa though, potentially leaving Bouaddi with a decision to make this summer. Whether that ends in a trip to the Midlands remains to be seen, however.

"Immense" Bouaddi would be an upgrade on McGinn

At just 17 years old, Bouaddi is one of Europe’s most promising stars and could emerge to already offer Emery an upgrade on John McGinn. Off the ball, the young Frenchman is particularly impressive, using his 6’1 frame to his advantage whilst also showing off his technical ability in possession – something Villa would have seen for themselves after sending their scouts.

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Whilst it’s difficult to upgrade on the energy McGinn provides Villa, Bouaddi can do exactly that, winning more duels and tackles at a higher success rate, and should only get even stronger as edges closer and closer to the peak of his powers.

Described as a “superb” player and one with “immense physical potential” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Aston Villa should sign Bouaddi before his price skyrockets beyond their range.

Up against Real Madrid in the race to sign the French sensation, those in the Midlands can use the lure of the Premier League and Emery’s project in an attempt to land an impressive coup this summer.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betsson： O Botafogo voltará a passar por um julgamento no TJD-RJ. Apóso órgão bater o martelo sobre a confusão no clássico diante do Flamengo, a 6ª Comissão Disciplinar vai analisar na próxima terça-feira (14) a denúncia da Procuradoria sobre objetos atirados por torcedores do Alvinegro no empate em 0 a 0 com o Nova Iguaçu, pela quinta rodada da Taça Guanabara.

O clube foi denuciado foi no artigo 213, inciso III do Código Brasileiro de Justiça Desportiva, que define “deixar de tomar providências capazes de prevenir e reprimir o lançamento de objetos no campo”. A pena prevista de multa de R$ 100 a R$ 100 mil.

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da roleta： O árbitro Rafael Martins de Sá relatou na súmula que, ao encerrar a partida, “no momento em que a equipe de arbitragem se dirigia para o vestiário de arbitragem, foram arremessados copos contendo líquido amarelo e uma lata de refrigerante, vinda da parte da arquibancada destinada à equipe do Botafogo”.

Na segunda-feira (6), Alvinegro perdeu dois mandos de campo e foi multado por R$ 20 mil pelo TJD-RJ em meio aos incidentes na derrota por 1 a 0 para o Rubro-Negro. O clube entrará com pedido de efeito suspensivo.

MatériaMais Notícias

da apostaganha： Foi uma noite de alegria no Morumbi. Mesmo com 14 desfalques, o São Paulo não tomou conhecimento da Inter da Limeira e atropelou a rival interiorana por 5 a 1, pelo Campeonato Paulista. Na entrevista após a partida, o técnico Rogério Ceni apontou que o resultado tem muito que ser festejado, já que com um Departamento Médico tão cheio, poucos apostavam em um resultado tão expressivo.

– Eu acho que chama a atenção o numero de gols e de oportunidades criadas. Apesar de não ser um clássico, onde você tem uma avaliação melhor pelo jogo ser mais parelho, acho que pelo número de desfalques, temos que valorizar.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalLéo Fernandes comenta índice de desarmes no Carioca pelo Nova Iguaçu: ‘Passei a aprimorar’Futebol Nacional16/02/2023São PauloVÍDEO: Caio fala de titularidade no São Paulo e compara função de lateral sob comando de Diniz e Rogério CeniSão Paulo16/02/2023São PauloVÍDEO: Pablo Maia explica golaço em vitória do São Paulo e destaca confiançaSão Paulo16/02/2023

da realbet：
> ATUAÇÕES: Galoppo brilha, e São Paulo dá show em vitória com golaços no Morumbi

Um dos pontos mais valorizados pelo comandante, por exemplo, foi a utilização de jogadores jovens. Nada menos que seis ‘crias de Cotia’ estavam em campo (Nathan, Beraldo, Pablo Maia, Luan, Nestor e Talles Costa).

– Mostra que o clube, através de Cotia (SP), consegue fornecer material humano. Mesmo na ausências dos nossos grandes jogadores, tem que valorizar esses garotos que entraram hoje (quarta).

Sobre a partida, Ceni fez uma análise fria do que pensou sobre o primeiro tempo. Mas minimizou possíveis falhas do Tricolor. Não poderia ser diferente com um resultado tão expressivo.

– No primeiro tempo nós fomos um pouco lento, tivemos problemas de ajustes, posicionamento. O Galoppo saiu muito da área e testamos o (Gabriel) Neves de segundo volante, saindo mais para o jogo. Mas foi um dia bem proveitoso, jogamos com muitos jogadores atrás da linha de nove na defesa deles. Quando conseguimos enfiar mais jogadores nessa zona do campo, criamos mais oportunidades. É um dia bacana para se comemorar.

> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

Butt’s appointment, his first position at the PCB since being banned for spot-fixing, came in for heavy criticism

Danyal Rasool02-Dec-2023

Salman Butt was appointed along with Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum only on Friday•AFP via Getty Images

Salman Butt has withdrawn as the consultant to chief selector Wahab Riaz a day after he was appointed to the position. Pakistan chief selector Wahab called a press conference to say Butt’s name was being withdrawn from the consultancy panel with immediate effect.Wahab accused the media of looking to besmirch the PCB’s name following Butt’s nomination to the advisory panel. He said he had been accused of giving Butt, known to be a close friend of Wahab, preferential treatment, and that he wanted to shield himself against those allegations. Saying his top priority was maintaining the reputation of the PCB and his own integrity, he confirmed Butt would now not be involved with team selection “in any capacity”.On Friday, Butt was appointed as a consultant member alongside Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum “with immediate effect”, and they would be advising Wahab in selecting Pakistan’s team for the five-match series against New Zealand. The selection came in for heavy criticism for a number of reasons, including the provincial composition of the panel. All three members are from Punjab, historically the most influential and dominant region in Pakistan cricket. With Wahab also currently holding a government ministry in the Punjab government, the board instantly came in for allegations of favouritism.But it was Butt’s appointment that caused the greatest uproar. It was the first time Butt was handed a position at the PCB in any capacity since being banned for spot-fixing in 2010. He played domestic cricket and the PSL after returning from his ban, and has taken up a role as an analyst for various media outlets.Related

Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar to assist chief selector Wahab Riaz

But ESPNcricinfo understands Butt’s appointment was met with fierce internal resistance within the PCB too, with at least one employee said to be uncomfortable with it to the extent they threatened to resign. With criticism mounting across the board, Wahab convened a hastily arranged press conference on Saturday evening, withdrawing Butt’s name from the panel.Wahab said a replacement would be announced shortly, pointedly saying he would be from Karachi. Wahab also said Asad Shafiq is likely to be appointed to that position in due course.While Butt was the most high-profile appointment, he was not the only member of that panel to be wholly free from controversy. While Butt was banned and has served time for his role in the 2010 scandal, both Wahab and Akmal were questioned in and around that same episode. Akmal was sent a notice by the ICC after the T20 World Cup in 2010 – much before the spot-fixing incident broke out that year – though he was later cleared to be selected by Pakistan. Akmal did not play another Test after the episode at Lord’s, though he did feature in Pakistan’s white-ball sides.Wahab was also questioned by Scotland Yard in the immediate aftermath of the Lord’s Test that year, but was never charged with any offence. He was appointed the new chief selector of the senior men’s team two weeks back after Inzamam-ul-Haq had stepped down from his position in the wake of conflict-of-interest allegations.

Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, Arsenal have come on leaps and bounds.

The Gunners have been transformed from a team languishing in midtable mediocrity to one not only qualifying for the Champions League at a canter but consistently challenging for the Premier League title.

Such a dramatic transformation has been possible thanks to the manager’s leadership and the transfers made under his watch, both the incomings and outgoings.

However, while the majority of departures over the last few years have ultimately helped the team, a strong argument could be made that Granit Xhaka’s exit in 2023 was a mistake, although the good news is the club may finally have someone who could replace him in the starting lineup.

How Granit Xhaka's Arsenal career unfolded

Xhaka completed his move to Arsenal from Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2016 for around £30m.

The Swiss international’s first couple of campaigns in red and white were not poor per se, but he joined the Gunners at a time in which they were regressing under former manager Arsène Wenger, and, unfortunately, his arrival did little to stop that slide.

Moreover, on top of not contributing much to the attack due to his position on the pitch, the tenacious midfielder began to build a reputation as a bit of a hothead, which, while not necessarily untrue at the time, most certainly became a defining part of his character to many fans and pundits alike.

Everything came to a head in the infamous game against Crystal Palace in November 2019, when frustration with the team, then-manager Unai Emery and a dismal performance led fans to boo when the midfielder was substituted.

In response, the former Mönchengladbach star swore at the fans and threw his shirt and the captain’s armband to the floor, which he was subsequently stripped of – understandably so.

It looked for intents and purposes that the Basel-born firebrand’s time in North London was up.

Still, somehow, Arteta convinced him to stay and fight for his place, which he certainly did, as, over the next few years, he went from outcast to essential cog in the Spaniard’s ever-improving side.

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The 32-year-old’s best campaign at the club was undoubtedly his last, as he was able to combine his fiery nature and leadership with his ability to maraud up and down the left-hand side and, thanks to his wand of a left foot, he ended the season with nine goals and seven assists to his name.

Since then, the 135-capped international moved to Leverkusen for around £21.4m, helped them to their first league title ever, and while they don’t look like they’ll get over the line this year, are once again in a title race, so when some fans suggest the club shouldn’t have sold him in 2023, it’s easy to see where they are coming from.

The good news is that Hale End might have just handed Arteta his new Xhaka.

Arsenal's new Granit Xhaka is making an impact

Since his departure, there have been a few players that Arsenal fans have looked upon as potential ‘Xhaka replacements’, from Declan Rice last season to Mikel Merino this year.

However, in reality, the former plays the left-eight role in an entirely different manner to the Swiss ace, and the latter has simply not performed well enough or consistently enough to be compared to him this year.

Instead, the true heir to the former Gooner could come from the academy in the shape of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Now, it’s true that the youngster has primarily played at left-back this season, but there are a few reasons he could be the 32-year-old’s true successor, and the first is the fact he’s not really a full-back.

Instead, the Islington-born gem is a midfielder, and across his senior and junior career, that is the position he’s played more than any other, with left-back being a close second thanks to his emergence in the first team this season.

On top of that, the 17-year-old, whom former wonderkid and U18 coach Jack Wilshere described as “unplayable,” also has a sensational left foot on him, which we’ve already seen several times this season, such as when he helped to set up the opening goal against AS Monaco in December. Like the former Arsenal skipper, he’s evidently capable of playing balls between the lines and playing in a progressive manner.

Finally, on top of everything else, the incredible prospect, who Hale End expert and podcaster Will Balsam dubbed a “different beast,” has shown he has a fiery side to him.

He notably mocked Erling Haaland following his superb strike against Manchester City earlier this month and then, in a negative sense, when he picked up a straight red card for his foul on Mohammed Kudus last weekend.

Ultimately, Xhaka was a brilliant player for Arsenal, and while it might still be early days, it looks like they may have finally found his true successor in Lewis-Skelly.

Better than Odegaard: Arsenal must rue selling Ballon d'Or nominee for £21m

The incredible former Arsenal star has become a Ballon d’Or nominee after exiting the Emirates Stadium.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 26, 2025

Wicketkeeper had held club captaincy since 2018 but endured tough summer with bat

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2023Sam Billings has stepped down as Kent men’s captain after almost six years in the role.Billings, who is contracted with Kent until the end of 2025, had already relinquished the captaincy in red-ball cricket after averaging 9.20 during a difficult summer, and will now hand over responsibility for the T20 side as well.Following his appointment in 2018 as the successor to Sam Northeast, Billings led Kent to promotion from Division Two in his first season in charge. He also oversaw success in the 2021 Vitality Blast, although the last two T20 campaigns have seen Kent fail to qualify from the group stage.Related

• Daniel Bell-Drummond appointed Kent club captain

• Billings steps down as Kent's red-ball captain

• Cook named Kent's new director of cricket

• Kent stay up after day of drama at Canterbury and beyond

“It has been an incredible honour to captain this great club,” Billings said. “To follow in the footsteps of so many wonderful captains over the years has been truly special. Hopefully I’ve left the club in a better place and taken the cap forward.”Special thanks must go to Paul Downton for the unwavering support and advice he has offered throughout. Alongside Paul and Matt Walker we set out with three clear aims that we wanted to try and achieve: to produce England players, win trophies and play Division One cricket. The environment that has been created behind the scenes has achieved all three aims consistently, which I’m incredibly proud of. It has been an amazing project to be a part of.”Finals Day at Edgbaston in 2021, lifting the Vitality Blast trophy, will always go down as one of my personal highlights of my career.”It is time for someone else to take the club forward alongside a fresh energy from the new director of cricket, Simon Cook. As always, I’ll give everything to support that individual and continue to drive the team on for further success. I’m looking forward to focusing in on my own game, to get back to the levels that I aspire to perform at, more consistently for the team.”Thank you to all the members, staff and most importantly the players for all of the support throughout. I’ll see you all back at the Spitfire Ground in 2024.”Billings, who has played three Tests and 65 limited-overs matches for England, opted out of playing in the 2023 IPL in order to focus on the start of the LV= Insurance County Championship season with Kent. But after making 92 runs in 10 innings, he dropped himself from the playing XI, before deciding to stand aside as captain.With Jack Leaning taking charge, Kent managed to retain their Division One status in the final round of the summer, finishing just seven points above Middlesex in the second relegation spot.Cook, who recently took over from Downton as Kent’s new director of cricket, described Billings as “an outstanding leader” who had given his all to the role.”What people haven’t seen is the work that he has put in over the years behind the scenes – constantly pushing for us to improve and raise standards in all aspects of the club, as well as playing a personal role in attracting players to play for Kent under his leadership.”He’ll forever be known as our 2021 T20-winning captain, and that is a legacy that he fully deserves.”I’d like to thank Sam for his service as captain, and I look forward to working with him in the coming seasons as a Kent cricketer.”Although Billings endured a tough season at Canterbury, his captaincy did help secure silverware for Oval Invincibles in the third season of the men’s Hundred.Kent have also announced the signing of George Garrett from Warwickshire. Garrett, the 23-year-old seamer, joins on a two-year contract, having come through the age-groups at Edgbaston to make 17 senior appearances across five seasons.”We’re extremely pleased to bring George in for 2024 and beyond,” Cook said. “He’s an exciting young bowler that has taken wickets in all three formats, and will hopefully continue to improve his skillset as a Kent cricketer.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da supremo： O São Paulo anunciou, nesta quarta-feira, a contratação do atacante Marcos Paulo para a próxima temporada. Aos 21 anos, o jogador chega por empréstimo do Atlético de Madrid, da Espanha, até 31 de dezembro de 2023, com condições de compra pré-estipuladas.

Natural de Niterói, no Rio de Janeiro, o atacante começou a carreira nas categorias de base do Fluminense e despontou como uma das revelações do clube carioca. Além disso, acumulou convocações para a Seleção Brasileira de base, naturalizou-se e também defendeu equipes de base em Portugal.

RelacionadasSão PauloVÍDEO: Em evento, Raí comenta futuro da Seleção, analisa momento do São Paulo e comenta ‘resgate da idolatria’São Paulo21/12/2022São PauloVÍDEO: Zetti comenta sobre pressão em cima de goleiros do São Paulo e projeta jovem da base na CopinhaSão Paulo21/12/2022São PauloCom presença de ídolos, São Paulo lança no Morumbi livro que celebra 30 anos de 1992São Paulo21/12/2022

da bet vitoria： Na temporada de 2019, disputou o Torneio de Toulon, na França, e deixou a sua marca na vitória sobre a Inglaterra por 3 a 2 e foi campeão do Torneio Internacional do Porto Sub-18, sendo decisivo com gols.

Com a camisa do Fluminense, balançou as redes seis vezes e deu cinco assistências em 35 jogos. No ano seguinte, foram oito gols e seis assistências em 42 partidas. Em 2021, despediu-se da equipe carioca e foi contratado pelo Atlético de Madrid, da Espanha. Em sua chegada, foi indicado ao prêmio Golden Boy, organizado pelo jornal Tuttosport, da Itália, e integrou a lista com os 100 melhores jovens jogadores sub-21 que atuam na Europa.

+ Acompanhe a movimentação dos jogadores entres os clubes nacionais e internacionais, janela de transferências e todas as informações dos jogadores.

Ao longo da experiência no Velho Continente, foi emprestado ao Famalicão, de Portugal, e depois seguiu para o Mirandés, da Espanha, onde anotou quatro gols e deu quatro assistências em 2022 antes de chegar ao Tricolor.

– O trabalho segue para a montagem do elenco de 2023. Estamos confiantes na capacidade do Marcos Paulo, jogador promissor e que já estava nos nossos planos – afirmou o Presidente Julio Casares.

– O Marcos Paulo é um atleta jovem que reúne características importantes para fortalecer nosso elenco e tem diversas convocações para seleções de base, tanto do Brasil quanto de Portugal. Chega demonstrando o desejo de escrever uma história bonita conosco e será muito bem recebido – acrescentou o diretor de futebol Carlos Belmonte.

– Estou muito feliz de estar aqui. A torcida pode esperar muita dedicação, porque darei a vida pelo time. Não vejo a hora de jogar com o Morumbi lotado – disse Marcos Paulo.

Ficha Técnica do reforço

MARCOS PAULO

Nome completo: Marcos Paulo Costa do Nascimento
Data de nascimento: 01/02/2001 (21 anos)
Local de nascimento: Niterói (RJ)
Altura: 1m86
Peso: 80kg

Clubes: Fluminense (2011-2021), Atlético de Madrid (2021), Famalicão (2021-2022), Mirandes (2022) e São Paulo (desde 2023)

Títulos: Campeonato Carioca Sub-17 (2018), Torneio Internacional do Porto Sub-18 (2019) e Taça Rio (2020)

Seleção: Seleção Brasileira Sub-15, Sub-16, Sub-17, Sub-18, Seleção Portuguesa Sub-18, Sub-19 e Sub-23

“Faf has lent on him quite a lot and we’re pretty sure that Rajat will be leaning on him too,” RCB’s director of cricket says

Ashish Pant13-Feb-20252:25

Why did RCB overlook Kohli as captain?

Virat Kohli might not be the new Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain, with the franchise opting for Rajat Patidar, but for Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket, Kohli does not need a “captaincy title” to be a leader in the team.”Of course, Virat was an option and that goes without saying and I know that the fans would’ve probably lent towards Virat in the first instance, but we’ve seen a lot of love for Rajat too,” Bobat said in an event in Bengaluru where Patidar was unveiled as the captain for IPL 2025. “Look, my point on Virat would be that Virat doesn’t need a captaincy title to lead. I think leadership, as we’ve all seen, is one of his strongest instincts. I think it just comes naturally to him. He leads regardless.”Kohli led the RCB franchise from 2013 to 2021 before he stepped down from the role. He led the team for three matches in 2023 when regular captain Faf du Plessis was injured and played as an Impact Player.Related

• RCB hope 18 is the charm as hunt for IPL glory continues

• Rajat Patidar appointed new RCB captain for IPL 2025

Bobat was confident that despite Kohli not being the designated captain, Patidar would lean on him like his predecessor du Plessis did.”Everybody in the country and everyone in the world knows that Virat’s a leader in every sense of the word,” Bobat said. “Andy [Flower, head coach] and I lean on him quite a lot. Faf has lent on him quite a lot and we’re pretty sure that Rajat will be leaning on him too.”Even last year with Faf as captain, we saw every bit of that. He leads as an example with the bat, the volume of runs and the strike rate that he scored at last year was so impressive and so important for us. He set the tone, he leads in the field. I can think of two or three specific instances where he’s actually created run-out chances and wickets from nothing. Everyone in the field knows that they’ve got to be up to their standards because of him. He sets the tone with his energy. Everyone has seen how much he likes a fight and a scrap and how much he wants to be the person getting us over the line.””His experience and ideas will definitely help me in my leadership role,” Patidar said of Kohli•BCCI

Bobat also said that Kohli was actively involved in discussions surrounding Patidar being named captain.”Andy and I spent some time with Virat earlier this week actually in Ahmedabad and it was really nice getting some time with him and talking things through with him [about captaincy],” Bobat said. “And what was so obvious was he had so much energy and excitement for this decision and this appointment. He’s so pleased for Rajat, like us. He knows how deserving Rajat is of this opportunity and is right behind him.”Kohli was front and centre of RCB turning their season around in IPL 2024. Having won just one out of their first eight games, RCB won six on the bounce to make a miraculous entry into the playoffs. While they went down in the eliminator, Kohli, with 741 runs in 15 innings, won the purple cap.
“I think Virat’s energy and motivation and drive is really something special to behold in a 36-year-old cricketer that’s done everything in the game,” Flower said. “I really respect him for it and it’s great role modelling for the younger players and younger overseas players to come and work with him as well. It was nice to watch it from within the same dressing room last year.”My experience with him, particularly in the first half of the last season when we were struggling and he was a huge part of turning that season around for us, in the way that he carried himself in his role modelling of how he works at the day and thinks about the day, that experience with him only made my respect for him grow. And I would say the same thing about our discussions over the captaincy of RCB coming season.”Patidar also said that having had plenty of good partnerships with Kohli over the years, he does not mind leaning on him for suggestions and that it would help him in his leadership role.”It’s a great opportunity for me to learn from one of the best,” Patidar said. “I have had a lot of partnerships with him, so I think I know him very well. So yeah, his experience and his ideas will definitely help me in my leadership role.”

Leeds United have now identified a “world-class” goalkeeper as a prime target to replace Illan Meslier, with Daniel Farke now open to sanctioning the Frenchman’s departure, according to a report.

Leeds planning to replace error-prone Meslier

Speaking back in February, former Leeds man Paul Robinson praised Farke for the way in which he had dealt with Meslier, saying: “He’s a confidence goalkeeper and the manager has been excellent with him. That’s one thing you can ask for as a goalkeeper.”

However, the 48-year-old ultimately lost faith in his goalkeeper, with Karl Darlow being given the nod between the sticks during the promotion run-in, and the manager’s lack of trust in the shot-stopper may have damaged his confidence.

With Meslier’s blunders costing Farke’s side 10 points last season, it would be a huge risk for the manager to persist with the 25-year-old as his number one, and a report from TEAMtalk has revealed the German is now open to a sale this summer.

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By
Dominic Lund

Jun 11, 2025

It is also detailed that Leeds have now identified Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic as a prime target to replace Meslier, with the Blues making the decision to place the Serbian on their transfer list, and they are open to offers of around £25m.

The Whites have registered their interest in Petrovic, but there is widespread interest in the goalkeeper’s signature, with the likes of Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brenford also keen, alongside some top clubs from across Europe.

The Championship title-winners are seemingly very keen to get a deal done, despite potentially having to do battle with Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen, with the report stating they are now ready to step up their pursuit of the goalkeeper.

"World-class" Petrovic could be ideal Meslier replacement

It is no surprise that Farke is willing to cash-in on Meslier this summer, and there are plenty of indications the Chelsea shot-stopper could be an ideal replacement, with his performances on loan at Strasbourg last season deemed to be at a very high level.

Indeed, manager Liam Rosenior was left enamoured by the Serbia international’s development, saying: “We have seen huge progress from Petro.

“He is a world-class goalkeeper. We see it every day and it is still paying off today.”

It is a bold claim to put the former New England Revolution man in the world-class category, but to a certain extent Rosenior’s assessment is backed up by the underlying data, as his save percentage over the past year has been very impressive.

Statistic	Average per 90
Save %	78.9% (98th percentile)
Clean sheet %	32.3% (76th percentile)
Crosses stopped %	8.4% (82nd percentile)

As such, it could perhaps be considered a little unusual that Chelsea are willing to part ways with Petrovic this summer, but their loss could be Leeds’ gain.