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Arsenal have a brimming pipeline of exciting young talent and could be set to add prodigious Montpellier gem Laciné Megnan-Pavé to their ranks if they can fight off competition for his services.

Fighting on all fronts, the Gunners have began to call on the strength of their squad in recent times, evidenced in the fact that Andre Harriman-Annous starred in their victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek.

Clearly, there is room for developing talent to feature under Mikel Arteta should youngsters impress at underage level. With his side top of the Premier League and seeking to go deep into multiple competitions, domestic matches outwith the top-flight may be the breeding ground to blood more of their academy.

However, chances for Hale End prodigies may dry up amid positive injury updates on Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz. Strength in depth is key for the Gunners, and supporters will be delighted that the Spaniard will soon have added flexibility ahead of the festive fixture list.

Adding context, he added: “I see them work every single day, how desperate they are to be part of the team, the huge boost that is going to be for the squad to have those players available again after such a long time. I’m really happy that I think it’s going to be very soon.”

His happiness may be about to multiply, given Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta already appears to have one eye on the next youngster to enter the conveyor belt of bristiling talent at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal fighting Barcelona for Montpellier sensation Laciné Megnan-Pavé

According to Sport.fr, Arsenal are looking to sign Montpellier youngster Laciné Megnan-Pavé and sporting director Berta will look to beat the might of Barcelona to land the services of the exciting goalscorer.

At just 15 years of age, he is already captain of France’s Under-16 squad and has shown a demonstrable track record of hitting the target after notching 15 goals and 12 assists in 24 games last season.

Now under observation due to his ‘explosive’ profile, murmurs insist that Montpellier will offer him a three-year professional contract once he turns 16, albeit the notion of making your name at an elite club like Arsenal may be difficult to turn down.

Physically, he stands at 6ft 1in and is more than a match for defenders despite still having plenty of years to grow, adding another layer of intrigue as the Gunners look to secure his services.

This marks an increase of almost four times the money awarded in the 2022 World Cup, which had an overall pool of USD 3.5 million

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2025The upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup will have a prize pool of USD 13.88 million. This marks almost a fourfold rise from the previous ODI World Cup, held in New Zealand in 2022, which had an overall pool of USD 3.5 million, and also marks a significant increase from the USD 10 million pool for the Men’s ODI World Cup in India two years ago.This World Cup, the 13th edition, will have the highest prize money for the winners of a women’s global tournament: USD 4.48 million, a 239 percent increase from the USD 1.32 million awarded to Australia in 2022. The runners-up will receive USD 2.24 million – an increase of 273 percent in comparison to the USD 600,000 England won three years ago. The losing semi-finalists will receive USD 1.12 million each – up from USD 300,000 in 2022 – while the group-stage participants are guaranteed to earn USD 250,000.For each group-stage win, teams will earn a further USD 34,314. At the end of the group stage, the teams that finish fifth and sixth will be awarded USD 700,000 each, while those who finish seventh and eighth will earn USD 280,000.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Our message is simple, women cricketers must know they will be treated on par with men if they choose this sport professionally,” Jay Shah, the ICC chair, said in a statement. “The uplift [in prize money] underscores our ambition to deliver a world-class ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and to inspire the next generation of players and fans. Women’s cricket is on a remarkable upward trajectory, and with this step we are confident the momentum will accelerate.”This edition of the World Cup will take place in India and Sri Lanka from September 30. Though the opening match of the tournament, between India and Sri Lanka, is less than a month away, tickets are yet to go on sale. However, the ICC has said that tickets are expected to go on sale online this week.The tickets for the 2022 World Cup were available six months ahead of the tournament.

Ruben Amorim reportedly "canvassed opinion" on Tyrell Malacia's reintegration from several Manchester United first-team players after the Dutch full-back became the only player from the club's 'bomb squad' who failed to secure a move away from Old Trafford during the summer transfer window. Other outcasts like Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony were shipped off as Amorim overhauled the squad.

Lone 'bomb squad' survivor

The last time Malacia played for United was back in January 2025, when he featured in Amorim's starting lineup in a Europa League clash against FCSB, but the defender played only the first half. In February, the Dutchman was shipped off on loan to PSV, where he appeared in eight Eredivisie matches. Malacia, along with other loanees like Sancho, Rashford and Antony returned to Old Trafford in the summer, but those players, along with Garnacho, were then informed that they were no longer needed in the team. While the other four players successfully secured moves away from the Premier League club before the transfer window closed, Malacia failed to do so, and his future seemed uncertain.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim took player poll on Malacia

After deadline day, Amorim "canvassed opinion" on Malacia's reintegration and several players spoke in the Dutch defender's favour, according to . The report adds that the Portuguese coach heeded the feedback and slowly allowed the 26-year-old to return to the squad. He was an unused substitute when United beat Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford on October 25.

Fitness remains a concern for Malacia

Malacia’s journey in England has been far from smooth. The Dutchman was Erik ten Hag’s first signing at Old Trafford in 2022, as he arrived from Feyenoord for a £13 million ($16m) fee with €2m in add-ons. His debut season at Red Devils was promising as he made 39 appearances across all competitions. However, disaster soon struck as a brutal knee meniscus injury halted his progress in the Premier League and kept him sidelined for a staggering 550 days. He only re-emerged last season, but was nowhere close to the player he used to be and soon fell out of favour under Amorim. 

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AFPHow are other 'bomb squad' members faring?

Antony and Rashford have taken La Liga by storm as they have cemented their places in the starting lineups of Real Betis and Barcelona, respectively, although the latter is only on loan at Camp Nou. Garnacho, meanwhile, has registered four goal contributions in his first 10 games for Chelsea. Sancho is the only former United bomb squad member still struggling in new surroundings, with the winger finding regular minutes hard to come by on loan at Aston Villa.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series on Wednesday night, beating the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to clinch the franchise's eighth championship. After recording the final out, the Dodgers all poured onto the field to celebrate. Eventually they moved to the locker room to cover the visitor's clubhouse in beer and champagne.

Sometime in between those two traditional baseball celebration moments, the public address system at Yankee Stadium played Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," a song usually played after victories by the home team. Here's video of impending free agent Juan Soto watching the Dodgers while the song plays in the background.

Unsurprisingly, this shocked or bothered some people.

The thing is, who cares? The Yankees play the song after losses, too. At this point it's apparently just used as a way to drive people towards the gates so they no longer have to hear a song so old it was released back in the '70s when the Yankees used to actually win World Series. The only people who should have been bothered by "New York, New York" playing was the Dodgers, because it was a reminder that they had a six-hour flight ahead of them.

Chelsea have now joined the race to sign a “hugely impressive” £70m forward, who recently broke a Champions League record.

Blues' winning streak ended by Sunderland

After winning four games on the spin in all competitions, Chelsea fans could be forgiven for expecting a comfortable victory at home against newly-promoted Sunderland, but their winning streak was brought to an abrupt end.

Chemsdine Talbi’s stoppage-time winner secured all three points for the visitors, with the Blues hardly laying a glove on their opponents, recording an xG of just 0.90 throughout the match, which will no doubt be a concern for Enzo Maresca.

It was a very poor performance from the hosts, and perhaps the only slight positive was Alejandro Garnacho’s performance, with the summer signing scoring his first goal since arriving from Manchester United.

It is still early days, but Garnacho will now be hoping he can kick on and silence the doubters, with journalist Ollie Holt not convinced the winger’s move to Stamford Bridge will pan out.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have also joined the race for another young forward, having sent scouts to watch Bayern Munich forward Lennart Karl in action, but a deal is expected to be on the expensive side.

Indeed, Bayern value their break-out youngster at around €70m – €80m (£61m – £70m), which means the west Londoners may need to shell out a huge fee to tempt the German club into a sale.

Having recently smashed the previous record to become Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer, a number of top clubs have joined the race for Karl, with Arsenal and Manchester City also named as potential suitors.

"Hugely impressive" Karl could be future star

It is a very promising sign that the 17-year-old has managed to force his way into Vincent Kompany’s plans at such a young age, featuring six times in the Bundesliga this season, during which time he has chipped in with two goal contributions.

Having also gotten off the mark in the Champions League, the teenager has proven he could be a future star, but there are doubts over whether he is the type of signing that Chelsea need at this stage.

Worse than João Pedro: Maresca must drop Chelsea flop who lost 100% duels

Chelsea were ignominiously beaten 2-1 by Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and Enzo Maresca must drop a flop who lost 100% of his duels.

ByBen Gray Oct 26, 2025

The Blues added Jamie Gittens and Garnacho to their ranks this summer, so it is questionable whether they need to bring in another young winger, with Paul Merson recently emphasizing that a lack of experience is a real issue.

Merson said: “The team is too young. The oldest player there is 23, 24? When you get a young team, you’re up and down, they have wingers who are very inconsistent.”

As such, rather than signing Karl, who has been described as “hugely impressive” by scout Ben Mattinson, Chelsea could do with bringing in players with more experience, instead of being so hell-bent on only signing young players.

Premier League legend Rory Delap has revealed that his son Liam was reduced to tears as a child as overzealous parents accused him of "ruining the game" with his long throws. The 49-year-old was the long throw-in king during his playing days, and as a result, his offspring appear to find it hard not to be tarred with that same brush. And when Liam was at primary school, one incident stung the Delap family.

Delap a throw-in legend

The 49-year-old became synonymous with long throws during his days at Stoke City, as defences quivered in fear at his javelin-like delivery into opposition boxes. While Delap senior became a cult figure for his howitzer set pieces in the 2000s, there appeared to be a negative knock-on effect for his son. Rory recalled how he agreed to stand in for Liam's coach for one game when he was at primary school – and it left a lasting impression. 

Talking to the Derbyshire FA/DerbyUniFootyJournos podcast On The Grass, Delap recalled: "The coach wasn’t able to be there and the game would have been postponed, so he asked me to take it for him. Unfortunately, in the game, the team was losing. And then there was 30 seconds left or something. Liam took two long throws, I’m talking aged seven or eight. We scored from them. Their parents are going berserk: ‘You’re ruining the game!’ So Liam was in tears even though they’ve won. That’s probably the last time he took a throw in. And that was the end of my grassroots coaching career.”

AdvertisementAFPDelap 'proud' of his son Liam

The 22-year-old has had a bright start to his career, graduating from Manchester City's academy to their first-team, securing a move to Ipswich Town, where he impressed in the Premier League, and then sealing a £30 million ($39.5m) summer move to Chelsea. Naturally, the former Southampton and Derby County man is very proud of what the striker has accomplished thus far.

"I’m immensely proud of Liam, of all three of my sons and my daughter," he said. "People think Liam’s had an easy route, and it’s anything but. He’s had his ups, his downs, but he’s always stayed focused that he could make it. He had to leave home, make a decision to leave home at 16, go to Manchester not knowing really what the situation was, but he’s always backed himself. I’ve always said, ‘if you work as hard as possible so there’s no excuse, you never know where it’s going to get you – treat people with respect, see where it takes you’. He’s not there yet. He’s had a big move in the summer to Chelsea, a big opportunity for him. Liam’s been unfortunate with the (hamstring) injury, he started well in America and then the start of the season, but he’s got a lot to do to force his way into the team now."

Success of long throws a consequence of Guardiola's style

Among many talking points this season, the return of long throw-ins has been a big one. Arsenal, Brentford, and Sunderland have utilised the tactic well as teams look to find other ways to unlock defences. And according to Delap, this trend is partly in response to Pep Guardiola's tactics being so effective in the past 15 years or so.

He added: "If you look over the last 10 years, Pep’s had a big influence on how teams, not just in the Premier League play, but across the board. Pep’s always had the best players in the world to work with, which makes things a lot easier. You can go down to the non-league divisions and see it there as well – where teams are trying to play their way out. It’s the same with academies, the majority of the teams will look to play out and they want technical players. The consequence of that is you end up with the defenders that can’t defend and head the football. That’s become prevalent, that people are putting more long balls in because the lads that have come through the academies don’t understand how to defend that type of situation. So you’re seeing the longer balls, throw-ins, set plays. There’s a correlation in a lot of teams having set play coaches, but it’s a bit disrespectful to say that’s a new thing, because it’s not. It was just that before it was the coach’s or the manager’s job to do it as part of the plan, the programme. So it’s no less or no more important today than it was. Teams are doing it because they’re getting success."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Delap, who has just returned from a hamstring injury, is not on long throw-in duty for Chelsea. However, he will hope to be very effective for Enzo Maresca's team when they host Premier League basement side Wolves on Saturday.

All you need to know about how balls land up in the ball library, and how they are selected for replacement

Sidharth Monga16-Jul-20255:19

Kumble: There can’t be so many ball changes in a Test match

A common theme during the England-India Test series has been the frequently replaced balls because the original ones are losing shape. Ever wondered where the replacement balls come from, how they are sorted and selected? Here is all you need to know.Where do the replacement balls come from?Two or three days before the Test, the host association provides used balls from first-class matches played in its venue. If it is Old Trafford, for example, Lancashire provides these balls to the fourth umpire, New South Wales for SCG, Mumbai Cricket Association for Wankhede, and so on.The fourth umpire then inspects the balls putting them through the gauge. If it goes through one and not through the other, it is considered eligible to go into the “ball library”, which is the box you see coming out when a ball is changed during a Test match. Any ball that goes through both the rings is ineligible to start playing with in the first place. So if it goes through both, it is too small to be in use. If it goes through neither, it is too big. If it goes through one and not the other, it is the right size. The number of these potential replacements depends on venues. Tests in India, England and Australia generally tend to have about 20 replacement balls, but in some countries the number can be as low as 12.Related

India unhappy with replacement ball

Why teams need big nuts for the Test series

If the fourth umpire sees an issue with most of the balls or doesn’t see enough eligible balls, they bring it up with the rest of the officiating team – on-field umpires, third umpire and match referee – and then they collectively ask the association to provide for more. The same process is followed for new balls. Every new ball is put through the rings before the Test.The endeavour is to have the largest possible range available from semi-new to old, but they are not batched according to age. A ball that has been used for 60 overs on a lush outfield could well be a replacement for one used in a Test on a drier outfield for just 30 overs.The umpire puts the ball through the ring•Getty ImagesSo are we covered for all contingencies?No, it is not possible to bring an exact like-for-like replacement. The best they can hope to do is get a replacement ball that is nearest to the original ball in wear and tear. It could be older or it could be newer.This is why the umpires are reluctant to change the ball unless it has gone completely out of shape. To maintain the integrity of the competition, the rule of the thumb is to change it only when there is no other way to continue with the existing ball. The teams of course want a ball that suits them; any change is liable to leave one of them unsatisfied.Also remember that the laws doesn’t provide for a ball change for softness. The ball is changed if there is clear damage, wetness or loss of shape. Even with the shape, nowhere do the laws mention the ball has to be round. The only shape criterion for a ball change is that if it goes through neither or both of the rings on the gauge. If it goes through one and not through the other, and if its seam is in place and the ball is dry, you have no option but to continue with it no matter how soft it feels.Are local first-class matches the only source for replacement balls?No, the match officials have to act on their feet sometimes. If they feel they are running out of replacement balls rapidly, they can ask the teams to provide used balls from their nets. They are run through the same tests before they are sent into the ball library.Another source is match balls from earlier in the series. If an innings in an earlier Test in the series has lasted 45 overs, that ball can sent into the library provided it passes the quality checks and no bowler wants to keep it as a souvenir for a five-for.Umpire Paul Reiffel looks for a replacement from the ball library•Getty ImagesThere have also been cases where the match balls have gone out of shape rapidly and the match referee has had to send for more from the neighbouring county or state association.Hang on, so a good swinging ball that inflicted damage earlier on in the series can come back into play later?Yes, but nobody knows which ball is which. There is no marking done on the ball, and once the balls go into the library it is near impossible to tell them apart.Can umpires change the ball without the involvement of the bowling team?Yes they can, but they do it only when they suspect ball tampering or if they ball is damaged to the extent that just tidying up with a pair of scissors is not enough.The thing with ball tampering is that since it is an accusation of cheating, it needs visual evidence. The umpires avoid making such explicit charges, but do quietly change the ball if they see something is off.Umpire-led changes of the ball are, however, rare. The ball goes to them for a check at every dismissal, during drinks break, if it has hit an LED board or been in the crowd, and during longer intervals. They don’t check it between overs or during overs.5:34

How the Dukes ball is made and why it’s going out of shape

So, the ball change on the second morning at Lord’s – when the ball was clearly out of shape but was also doing a lot for India – would not have eventuated had India not asked for it. As it turned out, the replacement ball did nothing for them and went out of shape in eight overs.Is balls losing shape an issue with a specific brand?Test cricket uses three brands of balls: SG in India, Dukes in England and the West Indies, and Kookaburra elsewhere. Balls losing shape is not limited to any particular brand.There was a time in the late 2010s when SG used to lose shape often, and the Indian players used to bring it to notice despite being sponsored by SG. Kookaburra has often being criticised for the least prominent seam of all three, but its manufacturing process has reinforced the seam in recent years. Dukes just happens to be in the eye of the storm now with frequent complaints from both sides. Even in the concurrent series in the West Indies, especially in the first Test, the players didn’t quite like the ball.However, a lot of it is also gamesmanship. You usually see complaints only when the wickets are not falling. On the last day of Lord’s, when it was in England’s interest to bowl with a softer ball to deny Ravindra Jadeja striking opportunities, the shape of the ball was never brought into question. Often, bowling sides just take a punt when nothing is happening for them in the hope that the library doesn’t have a ball that will be any worse than the one than they have in hand.Dukes has an advantage over the others when it comes to being replaced. The ball has a stamp, the equivalent of a batch number, to identify the year of manufacture. So it is not possible to be playing in 2025 with a Dukes ball that was, say, last used in 2023 or was part of another production batch. SG and Kookaburra don’t have such identification markers.

Vishwa Fernando replaces him in the squad, Dunith Wellalage also makes the cut

Madushka Balasuriya23-Jun-2025Milan Rathnayake has been ruled out of the second Test against Bangladesh in Colombo, which will start on June 25, with a side strain. Left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando has been named as his replacement.Spin-bowling allrounder Dunith Wellalage was also drafted into Sri Lanka’s squad. The 22-year-old is set to take the spot of Angelo Mathews, who had retired from Test cricket after the first Test.Milan had briefly exited the field on the second morning in Galle, but had returned later to end the first innings with three wickets – he finished with four across the Test. He had been miserly with his economy rate, and his burst in the final session of day two ensured Bangladesh’s first-innings total remained within Sri Lanka’s reach. Then with the bat, he was part of a crucial 84-run seventh-wicket stand with Kamindu Mendis, in which the allrounder contributed with 39 off 83.If Sri Lanka seek to replace him in the XI with another allrounder, another seam-bowling allrounder isn’t available in the squad. Wellalage and Sonal Dinusha are both useful with their left-arm spin, but with SSC pitch not as conducive to spin as Galle – which itself was unusually batter-friendly – Sri Lanka will likely want to go with extra seam-bowling option. If either were to get picked, Tharindu Rathnayake might be the odd man out. Vishwa, Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha and the uncapped Isitha Wijesundara make up the pace contingent.As for Mathews’ replacement in the XI, it’s more likely to come from one of Pasindu Sooriyabandara or Pavan Rathnayake, both of whom have impressed domestically and with Sri Lanka A recently. Oshada Fernando is also a potential pick, having returned to the national fold following an impressive stint with Sri Lanka A towards the end of 2024.After the second match against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka will not play another Test until next year.Sri Lanka squad for second Test: Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Dunith Wellalage Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Pavan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Tharindu Rathnayake, Akila Dananjaya, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Isitha Wijesundara

Sheffield United will have to break their playoff hoodoo in the Championship if they want to triumphantly return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Staggeringly, the Blades have lost all eight of the previous playoff campaigns they’ve found themselves in, but if there’s one man who is capable of going against the grain in this regard, it’s Chris Wilder when you look at his two promotions already with his beloved hometown club.

To get over the line, Wilder will need every single one of his Blades players to be firing on all cylinders, including top scorer Tyrese Campbell.

Campbell's goalscoring form for United

The Blades haven’t quite blown teams away with their attacking arsenal this campaign, with the South Yorkshire outfit boasting just 62 strikes next to an already promoted Leeds United side who have amassed a hefty 89.

But, there have still been forward players that have stood out even if the displays haven’t always been the most free-flowing, with Campbell definitely in this conversation.

The former Stoke City man arrived through the door on a free transfer with a lot to prove, considering the end of his time with the Potters was largely injury-hit, but Campbell has managed to let his football do the majority of the talking this season to date with ten Championship strikes tallied up.

Unfortunately, across United’s recent wretched run of four defeats from five league clashes, the goals had dried up for the 25-year-old, but Wilder will still feel his number 23 has lots to offer when the nitty gritty of the playoffs gets officially underway.

Whilst he will back Campbell, Wilder would love to have an ultra-reliable head back among his promotion-chasing group if he could.

Sheffield United legend is now outscoring Campbell

Wilder has had many interesting characters to fall back on as United have challenged for promotions over the years, with the likes of John Fleck picking up a bumper 12 goal contributions the last time the manager successfully guided the Blades up to the top-flight.

In that same memorable group, Billy Sharp loved playing alongside the constantly creative Scotsman, with the explosive veteran going on to bag 23 strikes of his own during the 2018/19 campaign to further seal his team’s progression to the big time.

Sharp hasn’t lost this goalscoring expertise whatsoever playing for current side Doncaster Rovers, with the 39-year-old picking up a glittering sixth career promotion just this weekend when Grant McCann’s men beat Bradford City 2-1.

Of course, the Sheffield-born goal machine – who has previously been hailed as a “legend of the EFL” by BBC 5 Live Sport Presenter Steve Crossman – couldn’t help but get in on the goalscoring action for Donny, with his late winning strike against the Bantams taking him up to an impressive 12 goals for the season despite only starting 19 clashes in the lower reaches of the EFL.

League Two

42

9

1

FA Cup

4

2

0

EFL Trophy

2

0

0

EFL Cup

2

1

0

Amazingly, the 39-year-old’s stellar output so late into his playing days for Doncaster actually betters Campbell’s ten-goal haul back at Bramall Lane, with Wilder not turning his nose up at the hypothetical scenario of Sharp being back in Blades red and white right now to try and secure another promotion success for his team.

It will, of course, be hard for United to get over their near miss of the top two positions, but jinxes such as their ongoing playoff misery are there to be broken, with Campbell hopeful he can immortalise himself in his new club’s hall-of-fame by being a hero across the tense clashes to come.

Sheffield United are brewing their next Jagielka in "outstanding" star

Sheffield United will hope this centre-back sticks it out at Bramall Lane past this season.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 20, 2025

A player who was described as the “best midfielder in the world” earlier this season is now reportedly keen on sealing a move to Manchester City this summer.

Guardiola eyeing Man City summer signings

The Premier League champions have been linked with plenty of potential new signings in recent weeks, with Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz said to be in talks over a summer move.

The Germany international may be considered a natural replacement for Kevin De Bruyne at the Etihad, with the legendary midfielder confirming that he is leaving City at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is believed to be willing to pay £60m for the signing of Tottenham midfielder James Maddison, as he looks for more creativity in his squad. The Spurs ace has nine goals and six assists to his name in the Premier League this season.

At the other end of the pitch, Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has been sounded out as a new option between the sticks, possibly even being seen as an eventual replacement for Ederson.

World-renowned star keen on joining Man City

According to Manchester Evening News‘ Daily Briefly, Wirtz is now interested in joining Manchester City this summer, but Leverkusen will demand £129m for his services.

Real Madrid are also in the mix to sign the 21-year-old, and if Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso ends up replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu then they could arguably become the favourites to snap him up, but City are “very tempting” to the player.

Wirtz is an outstanding footballer who has already achieved so much in his career, winning the Bundesliga title last season and earning 29 caps for Germany. The attacking midfielder can also thrive out wide, so his versatility could appeal to Guardiola, who loves to have attacking players who are fluent in the final third.

Meanwhile, former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes paid him huge praise earlier this season: “I was in the stadium for the Champions League match against Salzburg. What Florian Wirtz can do is absolutely exceptional for me. Probably the best midfielder in the world. I think that Wirtz has something different that Jamal Musiala isn’t quite ready for yet. I think Wirtz will simply move on in the summer. He has left huge shoes to fill in Leverkusen. With the way he plays football, he is an absolute hero there, the best player in the squad.”

Pep's "genius" is like a modern-day Aguero at Man City & it's not Marmoush

Man City could have one star following in the footsteps of Aguero

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 17, 2025

If City managed to sign Wirtz, albeit for huge money, it could be a wonderful piece of business, with the German arguably already a world-class player at the age of just 21.

Appearances

26

Starts

20

Minutes played

1915

Goals

9

Assists

10

Dribbles per game

2.8

Shots per game

2.5

Key passes per game

1.9

Hugely mature both in and out of possession, his end product is highlighted by a tally of 56 goals and 63 assists for Leverkusen, coming in a total of 192 matches, and he could fill the void left by De Bruyne.