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Looking ahead towards the summer transfer window, Aston Villa have now reportedly launched a mega move to sign a Ligue 1 midfielder who could become the perfect partner for Youri Tielemans.

Tielemans receives Team of the Year recognition

Having struggled to nail down a starting place at Villa Park in the early days under Unai Emery, Youri Tielemans was in danger of becoming a nearly man, having been touted for incredible things when he departed Belgium to join Leicester back in 2019. The season of 2024/25 has been the year of the Belgian at the heart of Villa’s midfield, however, and he is now undeniably crucial to Emery’s side.

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Aston Villa may have to replace Rashford this summer.

ByJoe Nuttall May 21, 2025

The 28-year-old has finally reached the potential that many tipped him to reach many moons ago, and even earned his way into Jamie Carragher’s Team of the Season to recognise that on Monday Night Football.

Emery is well aware of Tielemans’ importance these days too, having told reporters in April: “He’s a guy who can pick up balls and make the team play, but also break up play just as easily. It’s a joy to play with him—and very easy.”

Finding the perfect partner for the former Leicester man hasn’t been quite as easy, though. Amadou Onana initially got off to an impressive start, but injury setbacks remain a concern even though he is undeniably a potential world class player at his best.

Boubacar Kamara has also faced spells on the sidelines throughout his time in the Midlands. The fact is that Tielemans has been the consistent face at the heart of Villa’s side, as they have continued to fight for a place in the Champions League. And they must hand the Belgian a partner with similar consistency.

Aston Villa launch mega Diarra move

One target who could be perfect for that role comes in Ligue 1. According to reporter Mohamed Toubache-Ter, as relayed by Get French Football News, Aston Villa have now launched a mega move to sign Habib Diarra from Strasbourg, who will allow their captain to leave if the right offer arrives this summer.

The 21-year-old, like the majority of his teammates, has enjoyed an impressive season under Liam Rosenior and could now be on the move as a result. Already a leader despite his tender age, Diarra ticks a number of crucial boxes needed to partner Tielemans at the centre of Emery’s strongest side.

Starts

30

35

Progressive Passes

4.44

7.03

Progressive Carries

2.34

1.17

Ball Recoveries

3.45

4.35

Whilst the numbers show just how impressive Tielemans has been in possession this season, they also highlight that Diarra could complete the ball-carrying in Villa’s midfield. Both players, looking at their strengths, would complement each other almost perfectly to hide any clear weaknesses in their respective games.

Analyst Ben Mattinson shared similar praise for the Strasbourg captain, dubbing the Aston Villa target a “strong ball carrier” and a “very complete midfielder” earlier this season.

Manchester City have the opportunity to reach a third successive FA Cup final when they take on Nottingham Forest this afternoon at Wembley.

Pep Guardiola has won this competition twice, but will still be stinging from the defeat to Manchester United in the 2024 final.

Forest defeated City in the Premier League last month, but the Spaniard may have learned from this loss, and his side could reach another final.

They warmed up for the clash with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, but a few players weren’t quite at their best. İlkay Gündoğan was one, and he could return to the bench this afternoon.

Why Man City must drop İlkay Gündoğan

Guardiola operated with a 4-1-4-1 system against Villa, and Gundogan was one of the four midfielders tasked with providing opportunities for Kevin De Bruyne.

Despite playing for the full 90 minutes, the midfielder failed to register a single shot on goal, while he failed with his only dribble attempt.

Gundogan also lost possession seven times against the Midlands side and won just one of his three aerial duels.

For the semi-final clash against Forest, Guardiola must revert to a 4-2-3-1. Mateo Kovacic will reprise his role at the heart of the midfield, but for this game, winter signing Nico Gonzalez must be brought into the starting XI.

Why Nico Gonzalez must start for Man City

Gonzalez may have cost the club around £50m back in January, but he is already looking like a potential long-term heir to Rodri.

The midfielder has already featured 12 times for City in all competitions, even scoring against Real Madrid in the Champions League, although it wasn’t enough to see his club make it to the next round.

Across his eight Premier League matches for the club, the 23-year-old has averaged a 93% pass success rate, along with making 1.9 tackles, two clearances, and recovering 3.9 balls per game in the top flight.

Furthermore, the Spaniard wins 1.9 aerial duels per game – a success rate of 59% – while averaging 81.9 touches each match for City. These statistics show just how dependable he is at the heart of the pitch, because he rarely gives the ball away and is strong in his physical duels.

He was praised by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in July 2024, who said: “Nico González – 4 goals in FC Porto’s four friendly games this preseason. Simply superb in the second half of the 23/24. Technique, football IQ, and pure elegance.”

Passes attempted

77.9

Pass completion percentage

92.9%

Aerial duels won

2.09

Passes into the final third

6.68

Touches

88.33

The move to Manchester hasn’t fazed him, and he now looks like an excellent signing. Settling in throughout the second half of the 2024/25 season appears to be a smart move by Guardiola, as Gonzalez will hit the ground running in August.

Moving back to a 4-2-3-1 system for the FA Cup semi-final could go a long way to seeing City reach yet another final. With Gonzalez and Kovacic at the base of the midfield, the attacking quartet will be given free rein to cause plenty of destruction.

Man City have struck gold on "exceptional" gem worth more than Kerkez

City have hit the jackpot on a current academy graduate who is starring under Guardiola.

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 26, 2025

Chelsea legend and former England star John Terry revealed why he turned down a big-money move to the Blues' Premier League title rivals during his playing days. A bona fide Stamford Bridge legend, Terry was associated with the Blues for 19 years from his academy days in 1998 up until 2017. In his senior professional career, Terry has won multiple honours, including five Premier League titles.

Terry had the opportunity to join Chelsea's title rivals

It was back in 2009 when Chelsea went three consecutive seasons without the Premier League title after winning it in 2004-05 and 2005-06 back-to-back campaigns. They finished among the top three teams in each of those seasons but were struggling to get over the line.

At that point, another mid-table Premier League side, who were slowly growing in stature, were Manchester City after their high-profile takeover. City were signing big names like Robinho to strengthen and were reportedly also keen on bringing Terry to Etihad Stadium. However, the ex-England defender turned down their offer to prove his loyalty to the Blues. 

AdvertisementGetty'Committed rest of my career to Chelsea'

Speaking to , Terry said: "I know Man City made a 29 million pound bid for me back in 2009/10 when Ancelotti was the manager. And as soon as Chelsea spoke to me about it, I was like, 'I don’t want to leave. I do not want to leave this football club. And if you want to sell me, then we have to have a different discussion because I don’t want to be here if you don’t want me.'

"And Roman was like, 'We want you. We want you to stay.' And I was like, ‘Well, 100% I want to stay, so let’s do a new contract.' And I signed a new contract, committed the rest of my career really to Chelsea and signed a five-year contract at the age of 29, which was the best decision ever."

Terry giving up on his dream to manager Chelsea

Quoted by the , Terry recently revealed his dream is to manage Chelsea, but he accepted that he may well have to admit defeat on that fantasy. He said: "I'm not sure it ever happens, to be honest. It's my one last dream I have at the football club. I've done everything at Chelsea. And for me now, the one thing that is missing is being the manager of the football club. That's why I went into coaching when I finished playing. My idea and dream was to learn my trade a bit. As a player, you retire after 22 years… Listen, 100 per cent, you learn enough to go into management. The level I played at and the managers I played under. But it doesn't give you the right you go into management at a certain level. You still have to learn and understand what it takes. 

"There's a lot more that goes into the coaching side of it. So I went away and learnt my trade, I had some unbelievable times at Villa, I left Villa to be a number one, I thought I was ready. I think I'd be a really good number one, I enjoyed the coaching side of it. I want people around me that are better coaches than me. Then I could lead the dressing room and the team like I did [as a player]. That's what I did for 22 years at the club. I know I'd be good at it. Will I ever get the chance? I'm not sure, without doing the other bits. But when people tell you you've not got the experience, it's difficult to fathom."

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Getty Images SportTerry planning to take up League One job

Terry further claimed in the interaction that he could consider taking charge of a third-tier club in England as he added: "When I went into Villa I got great experience under Dean Smith and we got promotion, which was incredible. As an assistant coach in the Premier League and the experience I've had as a player and an individual captain in both Chelsea and England, I thought that would be enough to get me a job. I'm not saying a job in the Premier League or the Championship – but a job at League One level."

Benjamin Sesko’s agent has delivered an update on the injured Manchester United striker, as he prepares to rejoin the fold at Old Trafford, while backing Ruben Amorim to deliver a Premier League title challenge. The Red Devils remain a work in progress for now, but £74 million ($99m) frontman Sesko forms part of ambitious short and long-term plans.

• Sesko injury: When Man Utd striker was ruled out

  United invested heavily in Slovenia international Sesko when prising him away from RB Leipzig during the summer of 2025. Various alternative options were also considered, but the 22-year-old forward is now charged with the task of filling what has been a problematic No.9 role for Premier League heavyweights.

  Sesko has registered two goals for United through 12 appearances – in back-to-back outings against Brentford and Sunderland – but has been stuck on the sidelined since limping out of a 2-2 draw with Tottenham on November 8.

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• Getty
  

  When will Sesko be available to Man Utd again?

  He is closing in on a return to action, as the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad prepare to head off on Africa Cup of Nations duty, with representative Elvis Basanovic saying to Slovenian broadcaster : “Benjamin feels very good, his rehabilitation is going according to plan. He can’t wait to get back on the pitch. He’s missing matches, he’s a little impatient and we hope that he will return soon, to be where he feels best again.

  “It’s hard to say exactly [when he will return], it will ultimately be decided by the medical service and the coach. I think we will see him on the pitch very soon. Maybe sooner than it seems at the moment.”

  Basanovic added on Sesko adjusting to life at Old Trafford, with more minutes required alongside his fellow attackers in order for telepathic understandings to form: “I must say he (Amorim) received Benjamin excellently. I think Ruben is first of all, an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing.

  “I believe he’s in a difficult situation. It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and amount of time. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time.

  “But I think every team being built needs time. Just look at [Matheus] Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko: they have played very few matches together. And I think that they especially need games and they need to develop certain automatisms because then it’s much easier. When you have these automatisms, you don’t need to think where a player is or runs but that you start automatically. Then the results come and everything looks much better.”

• Title challenge: Amorim backed to deliver Premier League crown

  Sesko has seen United rise to sixth in the table without him, with the plan being to climb much higher than that. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stated a desire to see the Premier League title captured again by the time the club’s 150th anniversary is celebrated in 2028.

  Basanovic can see that happening, adding: “What it’s extremely difficult to explain in such a big club – because nobody wants to give you time at Manchester United and similar clubs – because everyone wants immediate results. But I simply think that this team and Ruben deserve time. We already saw progress.

  “I know that every player, every fan wants United to be champions right away but we see progress compared to last year. I believe this year will be significantly better than last year. I believe next year will be even better and then maybe in the third year we can realistically expect to challenge for the Premier League title. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect that this season. He simply needs to be given time.”

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  Man Utd fixtures: Next up for the Red Devils

  United are back in the hunt for Champions League qualification, having missed out on European competition entirely last term, and will return to domestic action on November 15 when playing host to a Bournemouth side that have gone six games without a win.

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Representado pelo diretor de futebol, Anderson Barros, o Palmeiras se posicionou neste domingo (12) sobre a paralisação do Campeonato Brasileiro por causa das enchentes que assolam o Rio Grande do Sul e dificultam demais o trabalho dos cluibes gaúchos que jogam a Série A do Brasileiro.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

Na zona mista da Arena Barueri, Barros falou sobre ser contra a paralisação do Brasileirão, mas disse que o clube fará todos os esforços para ajudar os clubes do sul do país.

– Será que pararmos o futebol será a solução para todos esses problemas. A melhor forma de ajudar o RS é parando o futebol? Somente o trabalho fará com que a gente supere essa situação, como qualquer tragédia. A Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras entende que não deve se parar o Campeonato Brasileiro, que devemos continuar, que devemos encontrar soluções, como nós estamos fazendo até agora pra suprir, pra afagar e pra abraçar todos os nossos companheiros do Rio Grande do Sul – disse Anderson Barros.

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Apesar de se mostrar contra a paralisação do Brasileiro, o Palmeiras segue somando esforços para ajudar as vítimas da tragédia no Sul do país.

A renda do jogo de hoje será toda destinada para o Rio Grande do Sul, o Allianz Parque está sendo ponto de coleta de doações e a presidente Leila Pereira disponibilizou seu avião para levar cinco toneladas de alimentos para as regiões afetadas pelas chuvas no RS.

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Yordan Alvarez exited the Houston Astros' game Monday night after suffering an apparent injury while scoring a run at home plate.

Alvarez was sprinting from third base and opted against sliding into home. He touched home plate with his left foot and appeared to roll his ankle after scoring. Alvarez could barely walk off the field under his own power, and was removed from the game as a result of the injury.

Later in the game, the Astros provided an update on his status, declaring that Alvarez had suffered a left ankle sprain.

Alvarez has spent more time on the IL this season than off it, and Monday's ankle injury is the latest blow in what's been a difficult season for the 28-year-old. It's unclear if he'll return to the IL, but with the Astros embroiled in a tight playoff race, sitting just two games ahead of the Rangers who they are currently playing against, the injury could not come at a worse time.

Across 47 games this season, Alvarez owns a .794 OPS with six home runs and 27 RBIs.

A former West Ham employee has shared some “clear” boardroom issues he saw during his time at the club, amid the ongoing protests surrounding Karren Brady and David Sullivan’s leadership.

West Ham fans have been increasingly vocal in their opposition to the club’s ownership under Brady and Sullivan, with discontent reaching new heights.

Supporter groups are so frustrated that they’re planning protests at every Saturday home game this season, aiming to make their voices heard loud and clear.

The root of the protest lies in fans’ growing frustration over what they see as mismanagement and broken promises by Brady and Sullivan. Many supporters feel the duo have prioritised profit over the club’s long-term success, failing to reinvest adequately in the squad and infrastructure.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

Despite some initial optimism when they took over, the lack of consistent on-field progress, underwhelming recruitment strategy and no clear plan moving forward has undoubtedly escalated tensions to boiling point.

Just two years after West Ham won their first major trophy in decades, with David Moyes’ Hammers lifting the Conference League in 2023, the east Londoners find themselves battling relegation after conceding more goals than any other Premier League side.

Since Moyes’ departure, a host of managers in Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter and now Nuno Espirito Santo have failed to transform their fortunes, with things looking very bleak at the London Stadium.

While reports suggest that West Ham are ready to spend in January as they look to save their season, the club’s precarious position can be majorly put down to some questionable decisions by Sullivan, Brady and co.

Former West Ham scout reveals "clear" boardroom issues he saw during his time at the club

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-West Ham senior scout Mick Brown, didn’t hold back in his criticism of the boardroom — saying their problems go all the way back to when he was employed by the Irons.

Given this is coming from someone who once worked for West Ham, it is evident that fans’ frustrations are entirely justified.

Now, Nuno is the latest under-fire boss to be tasked with getting the best out of this uninspired West Ham side, who’ve looked as poor of an outfit as we’ve seen this season.

January represents a major lifeline for the club as they reportedly target a new defender, midfielder and forward, but questions will be asked as to why they didn’t address these three positions properly in the summer.

Come the winter, it could even be a case of too little, too late.

Insider shares more "bad news" for West Ham as Nuno dealt "another injury blow"

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A partida contra o Talleres é válida pela fase de grupos da Libertadores, mas Luis Zubeldía e o São Paulo tratam o jogo no Morumbis como uma final de campeonato.

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➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

Já classificado ao mata-mata, uma vitória simples diante dos argentinos coloca o São Paulo em primeiro lugar da chave. Desta forma, a equipe de Zubeldía evitaria cruzar com Palmeiras, Atlético-MG, River Plate e Flamengo nas oitavas de final, e decidiria o primeiro confronto eliminatório em casa.

O duelo também é importante para Zubeldía, que ainda não sabe o que é perder no comando do São Paulo. São seis vitórias e dois empates, com 83,3% de aproveitamento, 15 gols marcados e quatro sofridos. 

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➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

O desempenho já é melhor do que Dorival Júnior teve em seus primeiros duelos pelo Tricolor. Com o ex-comandante, o São Paulo teve vitórias e quatro empates, com 66,6% de aproveitamento.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

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LibertadoresLuis ZubeldíaSão PauloStar +STARPLUS

Fans in attendance at Wednesday's Pirates-Dodgers game in Pittsburgh will have the chance to see Shohei Ohtani, but the three-time MVP will only take part in one facet of the game for Los Angeles.

Ohtani was in line to make his 12th start on the mound for the Dodgers on Wednesday, but has instead been scratched in favor of Emmet Sheehan, per L.A.'s lineup announcement. Ohtani will instead serve as designated hitter and bat first in the Dodgers' lineup.

Ohtani made his pitching debut for the Dodgers in June, after missing nearly two seasons on the mound following an elbow injury suffered late in the 2023 season with the Angels. Because he has been an everyday part of L.A.'s lineup, he hasn't had the chance to ramp back up on the mound in the minor leagues, as is traditional, and has instead done so at the big league level, leading to some shaky outings. His last start, on Aug. 27 against the Reds, was his best of the year so far—Ohtani went five innings allowing a single run on two hits, with a pair of walks and nine strikeouts.

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Says Shohei Ohtani Is 'Under the Weather'

A few hours after news broke that Ohtani would not make his scheduled start Wednesday, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts updated the star's status, saying that he has been feeling a bit "under the weather" since Tuesday, per 's Fabian Ardaya. Ohtani is feeling well enough to hit, but was uncomfortable throwing during a recent side session, leading to the decision.

The fact that Ohtani will still appear at the plate—and the Dodgers' understandable conservatism around his return to two-way status—certainly makes this scratch less concerning than it could be.

First pitch between the Dodgers and Pirates—and Ohtani's first at-bat of the game—will take place at 6:40 p.m. ET.

حقق برشلونة انتصاره الأخير يوم الثلاثاء الماضي ضد أتلتيكو مدريد على ملعب الكامب نو في الدوري الاسباني، ولم تكن سعادة جماهيره قد اقتصرت على هذه النتيجة المهمة فقط.

واستعاد برشلونة خدمات نجمه البرازيلي رافينها الذي قدم أداءً رائعاً منذ دخوله بديلًا ضد تشيلسي، وكان من أبرز اللاعبين في فوز البلوجرانا على أتلتيكو مدريد.

وعثر برشلونة على إيقاعه بفضل عودة رافينها لصفوفه، ومع ذلك فقد انتشرت تكهنات حول مستقبل الجناح البرازيلي في ملعب الكامب نو.

وبحسب “راديو كتالونيا” فقد تلقى نجم برشلونة والمنتخب البرازيلي رافينها عروضاً من المملكة العربية السعودية.

اقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب فرنسا السابق: برشلونة يبالغ في الاعتماد على يامال .. وفوزه بدوري الأبطال “مستحيل”

وتسعى المملكة العربية السعودية للحصول على خدمات رافينها وقدمت له عروضًا مغرية ومبالغ مالية طائلة، وترغب بتحويله لأحد أبرز لاعبي دوري روشن.

وعلى الرغم من أن رافينها لا يفكر في مغادرة برشلونة إلا أن هذا العرض المغري كفيل بإثارة إعجاب أي لاعب، بعد أن اتبعت المملكة العربية السعودية نفس التكتيك مع مواطنه فينيسيوس جونيور في ريال مدريد ولكنهم لم يقنعوه بعد بالانتقال.

وفي الوقت الذي لا ينوي فيه رافينها مغادرة برشلونة في المستقبل القريب، فإن النجم البرازيلي لن يتخذ قراره النهائي إلا بعد نهاية كأس العالم 2026.

وينتهي عقد رافينها مع برشلونة في عام 2028، ومع ذلك فإن النادي أمامه متسع من الوقت لتمديد بقائه في ملعب الكامب نو وتوقيع عقد جديد طويل الأمد.