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Sanjay Bangar is hoping Vaibhav Suryavanshi can handle “all the hype and the hoopla that will surround him” after his smashing debut in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-20253:08

Chopra: Suryavanshi has already shown maturity

Rajasthan Royals’ campaign never really took off in IPL 2025, where they won just four out of 14 games and finished second last on the table. But one of the brightest sparks of this season – across teams – came from the RR camp: Vaibhav Suryavanshi.On Tuesday, Suryavanshi signed off with 57 off 33 balls against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In the seven matches he played this season, 14-year-old Suryavanshi accumulated 252 runs at an impressive strike rate of 206.55. This included his hundred off just 35 balls in his third IPL game.”Initially when you saw him – and I’ve seen a lot of his clips and the clips that you end up seeing before the guy actually plays the IPL – [the videos] were all of him hitting sixes, just standing and just delivering, fast bowlers, spinners alike,” Aakash Chopra said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “And then you start thinking maybe he’s a bit of a slogger, who just sees the ball and hits the ball and he’s got no other gear. He has scored a lot of runs, but again, let’s say it’s [age] group cricket and all of that.Related

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“And then he scored that century, takes centre stage and in that century also, he was just hitting. But now when you see him waiting patiently at the non-striker’s end and that’s exactly what happened today. When Yashasvi Jaiswal was hitting every ball for a four, he was patiently at the other end. He was, okay, 37-run partnership where he contributed only one. And then he waited and then he batted and he’s happy to now rotate strike as well.”Even in the previous game, when Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh were bowling to him, he had a clear-cut plan that ‘if the ball is slightly short, I’m going to play it safely; but if it comes into my range, then it does not matter whether your name is Marco Jansen or Arshdeep Singh, you’re getting deposited into the stands’. So, there is some amount of maturity already for us.”

“The real challenge for him would be to deal with matters, non-cricketing matters. At this stage, how can he stay away from all the hype and the hoopla that will surround him. So, that is a major challenge”Sanjay Bangar

Now that Suryavanshi is done with RR for the IPL season, Sanjay Bangar wants him to focus fully on the cricket and not the external hype.”The real challenge for him would be to deal with matters, non-cricketing matters,” Bangar said. “At this stage, how can he stay away from all the hype and the hoopla that will surround him. So, that is a major challenge.”Apart from that, can he maintain the same sort of game plan? Because this is something which is god-gifted. Or maybe he’s worked very hard but there is apparent talent there. And he has to stay true to it. Because there will be whispers that, ‘okay, bat a little bit differently, understand the game, understand the situations’. But all those things will come with time. And I think if he continues in this fashion, you have a guy who can dominate both space and spin.”And what I loved about this particular innings is that we saw a lot of off-side shots as well. We saw a couple of shots over covers. We saw some off-side cover drives, copybook style. So, it means that it’s not just on-sided here, which came to the fore when they played against GT [Gujarat Titans]. But here you had a greater range of shots. And I think he has to stay true to his game and stick to the game that works well.”

Sir Kenny Dalglish stole headline after headline during his playing days, so it is no surprise his managerial career featured several world-class stars who did the exact same. As a legendary goalscorer himself, it only seemed right that he worked with the likes of Luis Suarez and Alan Shearer from the technical area – even winning the Premier League title with the latter at Blackburn.

The same can be said for Steven Gerrard. The former Liverpool midfielder would have caught a glimpse of Dalglish’s incredible Anfield legacy as a young boy and if you told that same young boy that he’d one day captain the Scot’s Reds, then it would have sounded more like a fantasy world. In reality, however, the Gerrard and Dalglish link-up did happen and even featured a trophy.

Gerrard’s not the only Liverpool icon that featured during Dalglish’s second reign, however. In fact, King Kenny was partly responsible for welcoming Suarez to Anfield in 2011.

After losing Fernando Torres, the Reds swiftly reacted by splashing out £22m to welcome Suarez on deadline day. And soon enough, Dalglish was pictured standing next to both the South American and fellow new arrival Andy Carroll. Of course, what makes that picture all the more iconic is the fact that Carroll cost Liverpool £15m more than Suarez.

Suarez under Dalglish	Stats
Appearances	52
Goals	21
Assists	9

The 30-goal involvements in 52 games was just a preview of what was to come from Suarez at Liverpool. The former Ajax man soon reached a new level entirely under Brendan Rodgers, but not many will forget that it was Dalglish who introduced him to the Premier League for the first time.

As good as Suarez and Gerrard were, however, Dalglish snubbed both of them when asked to name the best player that he managed.

Dalglish names "brilliant" Lucas Leiva as best player he coached

Not Suarez, not Gerrard, not Shearer, but Lucas Leiva was the name mentioned by Dalglish when asked to name the best player that he worked with. The Brazilian midfielder clearly had a fan in the Liverpool legend and the Scot made sure to hand him the highest possible praise when speaking to reporters.

Leiva, to his credit, is still a cult hero at Anfield for the many years of service he gave to Liverpool during some of their most frustrating times in the Premier League.

Ultimately, injuries prevented him from truly realising his potential at the club, but there’s a very good reason why the midfielder kept his place for 10 years on Merseyside and remains a popular figure to this day.

New South Wales (NSW) have given themselves an outside chance in their match in Tasmania as they try to pull off a massive run chase and reach the Sheffield Shield final. With NSW needing 529 to win, Test opener Sam Konstas and Blake Nikitaras reached 71 for 0 at stumps on day three at Bellerive.If NSW win it would be the second-highest score this Shield season, behind South Australia’s 614 for 7 dec. in their current match against Queensland.Related

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While NSW require a mammoth 458 on the last day for victory, in their favour is that the Bellerive pitch yielded 373 for 3 on Monday in the pink-ball game, so the Tasmanian attack will likely have to work hard for wickets. Konstas (34) and Nikitaras (31) have given them the perfect springboard for the day-four run chase.In setting the target, opener Jake Weatherald top-scored for the home side with 145 and Caleb Jewell made 100 not out before Tasmania declared at 383 for 4.Jordan Silk backed up his first-innings ton with 65 and Tim Ward contributed 52, while Tanveer Singha took 2 for 106 from 30 overs.The NSW attack lost Jack Edwards to a knee problem in the second innings, but he will bat on Tuesday if needed.

Liverpool have now reportedly reached an agreement over the signing of a player who has been hailed as an “absolute gem”, and he is set to join alongside Alexander Isak.

Liverpool to complete Alexander Isak signing

Isak has been the Reds’ biggest transfer target since they brought in Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and he is now joining the Premier League champions after undergoing a medical.

It is another huge moment in Liverpool’s summer, with the Swede breaking the British transfer record that was only set by Wirtz recently, with many feeling that he could be another game-changing addition for Arne Slot’s side.

Isak is arguably among the best strikers in the world currently, having scored 62 goals in 109 appearances for the Magpies, and he has the ability to turn the Reds into an even greater force than they already are.

Now, it’s a case of Liverpool sealing the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace and a massive update has emerged regarding their pursuit of him.

Marc Guehi undergoing Liverpool medical in London

According to Paul Gorst, Liverpool have now reached an agreement with the Eagles over the signing of Guehi, in their second significant piece of business of the day, with the player already undergoing a medical.

David Ornstein has since added the deal is worth £35m with a five-year contract already agreed.

This has been a deadline day to treasure for Liverpool, with Guehi and Isak strengthening Slot’s squad significantly, at a point when they are already sitting top of the Premier League table. The 25-year-old is arguably one of the best central defenders in the division, becoming a leader for Palace and also pushing to be the first defender on England’s team sheet heading into the 2026 World Cup next summer.

Guehi is a calm figure who combines technical ability and a strong reading of the game, with former Liverpool coach Michael Beale once heaping praise on him.

“He shows a huge amount of confidence to play on the left side and his technical upbringing from Chelsea means he can use his left foot, albeit he is dominant on his right foot. When you see the teams line up, he’s not the biggest centre-back but he has a huge leap. “Quietly people are realising we have an absolute gem in him.”

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Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were in need of sterner competition for the rest of this season, following the departure of Jarell Quansah to Leverkusen, and Guehi can push for a regular starting berth from the off.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has revealed that he is sweating on the fitness of Ao Tanaka after the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal at The Emirates on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, the German head coach explained: “After a tackle in the first half, he had problems with his MCL.

“He kept going and I hope it’s not too bad. I hope the assessment is not too bad. There are a few concerns that it would be an injury but it’s normally positive that he could play further on. But we will have to assess him and we will see how long it takes to get him fit and back to full fitness.”

Farke says that he hopes that it is not a bad injury for Tanaka, and that feeling may be compounded by a similar injury to club captain Ethan Ampadu last week.

The Wales international is due to be out until after the international break, at least, with an MCL injury that was sustained against Everton on the opening day.

That injury to the skipper allowed Ilia Gruev to test himself at Premier League level against the Gunners on Saturday, but he was unable to impress with his showing in midfield.

Why Ilia Gruev may not be the answer for Leeds

Speaking ahead of the clash with Arsenal, Farke revealed that Sean Longstaff is more suited to playing as a number eight instead of as a replacement for Ampadu in the number six role, which is why Gruev was then selected against Arsenal.

Unfortunately, though, the Bulgaria international failed to show the defensive strength and quality that was needed to protect the back four, in what turned out to be a hammering by Mikel Arteta’s side.

The left-footed maestro only started 20 times in the Championship last season, per Sofascore, and won 52% of his duels in the second tier as Leeds largely dominated games with the ball.

Gruev’s lack of physicality meant that there was always going to be a question mark over his head going into the Premier League season, and his performances in the first two games have not changed that.

Ilia Gruev

Vs Everton

Vs Arsenal

Minutes

13

90

Pass accuracy

80%

92%

Key passes

0

0

Tackles

0

1

Interceptions

0

1

Duels won

0/1

1/3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Werder Bremen star has only won one of his four duels in 103 minutes of action in the top-flight to date.

His lack of physicality was on display in the 5-0 defeat to Arsenal as he only won one duel in 90 minutes against a side that was constantly attacking his half of the pitch, which shows that he was not offering enough protection in front of the back four.

The Championship champions are now reportedly keen on bringing in another option in that area of the pitch who could come in as an upgrade on Gruev.

Leeds eyeing move for Bundesliga midfielder

According to Monday’s edition of Bild, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are one of the teams in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach defensive midfielder Julian Weigl.

The report claims that the Premier League side and Al-Shabab FC are both contenders to land a deal for the Germany international before the end of the summer transfer window.

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It states that the Bundesliga outfit are set to allow him to move on before the deadline after the player requested to be allowed to explore a move elsewhere.

Sport Witness relay quotes from Gladbach director Roland Virkus explaining the situation: “The important thing was: He asked us to release him for talks. We are also in talks. That’s the way it is. That doesn’t mean he won’t return to the squad if they fail. That’s open. It was important for Julian to be able to hold talks with the clubs.”

It is said that Weigl is available for a fee of around £5m, amid interest from Leeds and Al-Shabab, and it is now down to the 49ers to get a deal done for the German star.

Why Leeds should sign Julian Weigl

Off the back of the injuries to Ampadu and Tanaka, securing a cut-price deal to sign Weigl from Gladbach as an upgrade on Gruev in the number six position could be a shrewd move by the club.

The 29-year-old star is a natural number six who could slot into that role at the base of the midfield when Ampadu is unavailable, or off the bench when needed.

Speaking about Weigl’s style of play, defender Marc Bartra once said: “He is very similar to Busquets. He dictates play from midfield and helps us a lot when we lose the ball, it looks like he always has everything under control. He really reminds me of Busquets a lot, even if there is obviously still some distance between the two of them.”

As someone who played alongside Busquets at Barcelona and Weigl at Borussia Dortmund, Barta is possibly the best-placed person to make such a connection, and it speaks to the profile of player that Leeds would be signing.

The German ace could be Farke’s own Busquets at the base of the midfield as an upgrade on Gruev who can offer more to the team out of possession in what is set to be a scrap to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

24/25 Bundesliga

Julian Weigl per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Tackles + interceptions

3.16

Top 37%

Clearances

2.69

Top 20%

Shots blocked

0.84

Top 2%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

60.9%

Top 13%

Blocks

1.69

Top 28%

Challenges lost

0.56

Top 13%

Aerial duel success rate

67.2%

Top 2%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Weigl ranked highly among his positional peers in the Bundesliga last season in a host of defensive metrics, including his success rate in duels on the deck and in the air.

These statistics show that he can be a dominant defensive force against opposition players at the top level, whilst Gruev was not outstanding physically in the Championship and has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League so far.

Weigl, who started 33 games in the Bundesliga last season, per Sofascore, is an experienced campaigner who has played for Farke in the past and has proven himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

This is why he could come in as a fantastic bargain signing for £5m as an upgrade on Gruev due to the defensive and physical qualities that he can bring to the number six position as a Busquets-esque figure.

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This is why Farke should be pushing the club to get this deal done before the deadline because he could be an experienced alternative to Ampadu at the base of the midfield, as a strong and dependable option who can be relied upon as a defensive force.

It’s hard to imagine this summer getting any better for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s men demolished the Champions League champions in the final of the Club World Cup last week and look like they’ll be a serious threat in the Premier League next season.

Off the pitch, the West Londoners have been just as effective, securing the likes of Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, while also making a massive profit on Noni Madueke.

Moreover, they aren’t done there, as the Blues have also been linked with the brilliant Eberechi Eze this week, although if reports are to be believed, they are also looking at another international who’s even better.

Chelsea target Eze upgrade

Earlier this week, mere days after becoming world champions, Chelsea were reported as being interested in Crystal Palace’s Eze.

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The stories claimed that alongside their London rivals Arsenal, the Blues have made the England international a key target for the rest of the summer, and that while no club-to-club contact has been made, they have spoken to his camp.

It wouldn’t be a cheap deal to get done due to the 27-year-old’s well-published £68m release clause, but it’s not hard to see why they might be keen to bring the Premier League-proven ace to Stamford Bridge.

With that said, it now appears that the West Londoners have identified another option, someone who has also proven themselves in the league and would be a better addition: Morgan Rogers.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Ben Jacobs, the Pensioners are very much interested in signing the Aston Villa star this summer.

Unfortunately, Jacobs reveals that the Claret and Blue consider their dynamic star to be “untouchable.”

However, everyone has their price, and according to The Sun, they value him at £80m, amid their claims on Thursday that he is now the Blues’ number one target for the remainder of the window.

It’d be an extremely costly and complicated transfer to complete, but given Rogers’ immense ability and potential, it’d be one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a better signing than Eze.

Why Rogers would be a better signing than Eze

While Chelsea will want Rogers for his overall play and impact on the team, they’d also want some serious output from him for his reported price tag, and that is the first advantage he has over Eze.

In 37 league appearances last season, the Villa dynamo managed to score eight goals and provide 11 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.

In contrast, the former QPR gem scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 34 appearances, which comes out as a still good, but less impressive, average of 2.12 goal involvements per game.

Rogers vs Eze PL 24/25
Players	Rogers	Eze
Appearances	37	34
Goals	8	8
Assists	11	8
Goal Involvements per Game	0.51	0.47
Points per Game	1.70	1.50
All Stats via Transfermarkt

On top of that, the Claret and Blue’s output “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, is more versatile than the former QPR gem.

For example, he has proven himself capable of delivering top performances in the ten, on both wings, and has even played up top on more than a few occasions, which would give Maresca numerous tactical options.

In contrast, the Eagles star is still versatile, but he’s only really comfortable in the ten or off the left, and even then, he spent almost all of last season in the former.

Finally, and this is an important one, the former Middlesbrough ace is five years younger.

This is important because it means he’ll align with the club’s ethos of buying younger talents, and he should develop and reach his peak alongside the likes of Cole Palmer, which, according to research carried out by The Athletic, typically occurs around 26 years old for attacking midfielders.

Ultimately, Eze is an excellent footballer who would certainly bring something to Chelsea this summer, but from their output in the league last season to their upside a few years down the line, Rogers would be the far better signing.

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Bartlett’s tour appears to be over after suffering a side strain in his fourth over in Southampton with Dwarshuis flying to the UK but not officially added to the ODI squad

Andrew McGlashan11-Sep-2024Australia are facing the prospect of losing another pace bowler from their UK tour after Xavier Bartlett pulled up with a side strain in the first T20I against England in Southampton.He had overcome a no-ball from his first delivery, which saw Phil Salt taken at mid-off by captain Mitchell Marsh who had not heard the call and started to celebrate, to claim the wicket of Jordan Cox later in the powerplay. In a rare sight of a quick operating unchanged in a T20, Bartlett was given his four overs off the reel by Marsh as he extracted swing on a cold night but aborted his attempt to complete his last two deliveries.If, as seems likely, Bartlett’s tour is over it would add to the loss of Spencer Johnson (side) and Nathan Ellis (hamstring) from the trip. Riley Meredith, who had been called up for the Scotland series after Josh Hazlewood’s calf injury, was retained for the England T20 matches after Ellis was ruled out with an injury initially sustained in the Hundred.Related

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Bartlett’s injury opens up the prospect of Meredith coming into the side for the second T20I in Cardiff on Friday. Allrounders Aaron Hardie and Cooper Connolly are the other options.Ben Dwarshuis is heading to England to provide cover for the injury-riddled Australian ODI squad•BCCIThe selectors had not confirmed who would come into the one-day squad which Ellis was set to be part of. New South Wales left-armer Ben Dwarshuis will fly in ahead of the ODIs although currently he is there to provide cover and has not officially been added to the squad. Dwarshuis is uncapped in ODIs but has played three T20Is.Bartlett had not been due to be part of the ODI leg despite bursting onto the scene with consecutive four-wicket hauls against West Indies earlier this year. A side injury would likely put him in doubt for the start of the domestic season with Queensland with the Marsh Cup beginning later this month before the Sheffield Shield starts in early October.Hazlewood made an impressive return to action in Southampton with 2 for 32 from his four overs which included the key wicket of Liam Livingstone who had threatened to bring England back into the contest. He and Mitchell Starc will be part of the one-day series but Pat Cummins is missing the whole tour to work on strength and condition ahead of the home summer.

Tourists suffer setback in only warm-up match ahead of first Test at Old Trafford

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2024England Lions 324 and 122 for 3 (Yates 57*) beat Sri Lanka 139 and 306 (Madushka 77, Dhananjaya 66, Mathews 51) by seven wicketsRob Yates anchored England Lions with a 68-ball half-century, as Sri Lanka’s tourists slipped to a seven-wicket defeat in their first-class warm-up at Worcester.Chasing a modest 122 for victory after bowling Sri Lanka out for 309 on the third afternoon, the Lions had resumed with victory in sight on 47 for 2 overnight, and needed just 19.5 overs to seal the deal on the final morning.Yates, who had reached the close on 17 not out, added 40 more runs at the top of the order, with Sri Lanka’s only success in the curtailed day’s play coming when Hamza Shaikh, England’s Under-19 captain, was pinned lbw for 16 by Milan Rathnayake.However, James Rew, another recent mainstay of the Under-19 set-up, joined Yates in an unbroken 53-run stand for the fourth wicket, finishing on 23 not out from 41 balls as he picked off the winning single off Dhananjaya de Silva.Sri Lanka now head to Emirates Old Trafford, where the first Test against England gets underway on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is publicly on the hunt for a new manager to replace Ange Postecoglou following the controversial decision to sack him, which was officially confirmed on Friday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou sacked after two years at Tottenham

Exactly two years to the day since Levy announced their decision to replace Antonio Conte with the Australian, Tottenham released a statement that Postecoglou would not be at the helm next term, despite having ended their 17-year wait for a piece of major silverware.

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A lot of fierce debate has since surrounded the 59-year-old’s departure, with Spurs in a very healthy position after winning the Europa League and booking their place in next season’s Champions League draw.

On the flipside, Postecoglou led them to a record-breaking 22 Premier League defeats, finishing just one place above the relegation zone. The club suggested in their announcement that the whole picture must be considered, and Spurs cannot operate on raw emotion after a triumphant night in Bilbao against Man United.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

“We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club,” read the official statement on Postecoglou’s sacking.

“Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

“However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.

“At times there were extenuating circumstances – injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.”

Postecoglou was a charismatic and popular figure among the players in particular. Since his dismissal, credible media sources have reported that members of the Spurs squad are infuriated by Levy’s decision to part company, just over two weeks they won the Europa League final (Matt Law).

Whoever steps into Postecoglou’s shoes will be inheriting a difficult atmosphere, with £4.5 million-per-year Brentford boss Thomas Frank currently one of the lead contenders.

Daniel Levy "impressed" by Thomas Frank during Tottenham talks

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the “class” tactician has already personally spoken to Levy about becoming the Lilywhites’ new head coach.

What’s more, Levy is said to be “impressed” by Frank after holding Tottenham managerial talks, with all signs pointing towards the Dane entering pole position to succeed Postecoglou.

“I can confirm that talks have been ongoing with potential replacements for weeks,” said Bailey.

“And our information is that Brentford’s Thomas Frank has emerged as the leading contender in the last couple of weeks. Daniel Levy has been impressed with Frank during conversations.”

The 51-year-old Dane can operate on both a shoe-string budget and work within a data-driven model of recruitment like Tottenham’s, as he’s displayed through years of excellent squad management at Brentford.

He could be tailor-made for Spurs, but Levy must take time and weigh up their next move carefully.

A “world-class” star is now pushing to seal a move to Manchester City quickly, but it will take a huge offer to secure his signature, according to a report.

Man City set to spend big despite lack of 115 charges verdict

Having endured a rare trophyless season in the 2024-25 campaign, Man City are set to spend big to rebuild their squad this summer, despite the fact they are yet to receive a verdict in their case against the Premier League.

Gary Neville has been particularly critical about the lack of a conclusion to the ongoing saga, saying: “That Manchester City case is a disgrace; it’s an absolute stain to the game.

“It has just been dragging on for years and years, it’s an absolute joke. Yes, City have been defending themselves, but they’ve been pushing it so far into the long grass that you end up losing the will to live on it and you forget about it. It just needs to be dealt with.”

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The lack of a verdict seemingly isn’t dissuading players from moving to the Etihad Stadium, however, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rayan Ait-Nouri expected to join Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, while Lyon’s Rayan Cherki has also said “yes” to a move.

Cherki isn’t the only midfielder of interest to the Blues, however, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders, with a report from Italy (via Sport Witness) revealing the midfielder is pushing to seal a move to the Etihad Stadium quickly.

City have already made an offer of €60m (£51m) for Reijnders, but Milan are set to hold out for a fee of over €70m (£59m), so the two clubs may still be a little way apart in their valuation of the 26-year-old.

"World-class" Reijnders could be statement signing for City

Erling Haaland’s willingness to sign a ten-year contract may have allayed some fears that City will receive a harsh punishment from the Premier League, when the verdict is finally reached, and signing the AC Milan star would also be a statement of intent.

The Dutchman enjoyed a very impressive 2024-25 campaign with the Italian giants, picking up 20 goal contributions in 54 outings, during which time he also received very high praise from CBS’ Matteo Bonetti.

An outlay of around £60m would be justifiable for Man City, given Reijnders’ ability, and the fact he is pushing to seal a move to the Etihad should give them an edge in negotiations with Milan.