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Newcastle United may be active in the January transfer market, with a number of areas in need of work.

After winning the Carabao Cup last season and securing Champions League qualification for the second time in three seasons, Eddie Howe has struggled to get a tune out of his Magpie squad, who languish in 14th place in the Premier League.

Struggles on the road have been well documented in recent weeks, but Newcastle have a wider crisis of creativity that must be fixed.

Premier League 25/26 – xG Leaders
#	Club	xG Total
1.	Chelsea	20.4
2.	Man City	19.3
3.	Crystal Palace	19.0
4.	Arsenal	18.8
5.	Man United	18.2
12.	Newcastle	12.8
Data via FBref

Nick Woltemade has been the shining light at number nine, so exciting and promising in Alexander Isak’s former berth, but he can only do so much as United struggle to fashion chances with the regularity that is required to compete at the top of the table.

Latest on Newcastle's transfer search

While Newcastle have dynamic wingers and a robust and compact central midfield, there’s no question that more is needed, and with Joelinton under fire for his performances this season, there’s a vacancy emerging for a hungry new playmaker.

Newcastle did sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa for a fee in excess of £40m this summer, but the 24-year-old has yet to hit a rich vein of form on Tyneside. A new solution may be needed here.

Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, Newcastle could land the help that they need in the form of Kees Smit, having learned that they will have to make the 19-year-old AZ Alkmaar’s club-record sale if they wish to prise him away from the Netherlands in 2026.

The Eredivisie outfit would be looking for a £22m payment if they are to relinquish control of their prized prospect, and with Barcelona and Real Madrid lurking, Newcastle will need to act speedily.

Why Newcastle want Kees Smit

Smit might be a teenager, but he’s already welcomed a few onto the hype train, with analyst Ben Mattinson marvelling at the “duel monster” and his all-encompassing midfield qualities.

Effortlessly calm in tight spaces, Smit is fostering an exciting and creative skillset, with FBref recording that he ranks among the top 6% of similar midfielders over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for through balls, and the top 10% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

He thrived against Crystal Palace in their recent Conference League clash, grabbing an assist, completing three dribbles and winning six duels.

There’s a maturity about this creator that suggests he could be tailor-made for a career in the Premier League, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 3.5 duels, 1.2 tackles and six ball recoveries per Eredivisie match too. He’s the complete package.

19 years old. We might even be talking about a bigger talent here than Woltemade, a dominant athlete whose technical understanding has seen him become one of AZ’s most important cogs at this fledgling phase.

Woltemade has been one of Newcastle’s star players this season, and he will continue to improve, but Smit’s playmaking may elevate the German to another level entirely down the line.

Smit or Woltemade? Who’s the bigger talent? Perhaps we’re splitting hairs. United just need to get the deal over the line, thus combining two brilliant footballers and reenergising Howe’s attack.

He'd revive Gordon: Newcastle could hire Howe 2.0 in "the best coach in PL"

Recent form has made Newcastle consider the unthinkable possibility of Howe moving on at some stage.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 15, 2025

Carlos Mendoza was not happy with umpire John Bacon and he let him know about it.

The New York Mets manager was thrown out in the bottom of the ninth inning of his team's 6–4 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday. Mendoza took exception to Bacon's calls during Luis Torrens's at bat against Devin Williams in the final frame.

Bacon made consecutive terrible strike calls to ring up Torrens, and Mendoza yelled at him from the dugout before running onto the field to confront him. The veteran umpire then threw the Mets' manager out of the game, which led to an epic meltdown.

Mendoza started by kicking dirt on the plate, which is a fantastic, old school move dripping with disrespect. Then he proceeded to get in Bacon's face and scream at him for a while, before pointing out exactly where Bacon had missed the calls.

Video is below.

An excellent ejection. Mendoza got his money's worth.

Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Leeds United have received a response after making contact to sign an “outstanding” attacker in the past few days.

Leeds showing fight in battle for survival

Heading into a tricky three-game run against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, Daniel Farke would’ve been fearing the worst, given the widespread speculation about his future, but his side have managed to amass a very respectable four points.

Even in the 3-2 loss at the Etihad Stadium, the Whites showed heart, fighting back from 2-0 down, which will be very encouraging for Farke, and the 2024-25 Championship title-winners remain outside the relegation zone for the time being.

That said, it is still very close near the bottom of the Premier League table, with both Nottingham Forest and West Ham United starting to pick up better results since hiring new managers.

Consequently, it is little wonder Leeds have started looking at new signings ahead of the January transfer window, recently making an approach for Tromso star Jens Hjerto-Dahl, and they have now set their sights on £21m summer Como signing Martin Baturina.

That is according to Romano (via Leeds United News), who said: “Baturina is a player Como still wants to focus on, they’re not thinking about a January exit. I’ll tell you the behind-the-scenes story. In the last few days, Leeds has been in touch, the teams are starting to move.

“Leeds has proposed opening talks with Como and the player’s agents about a possible transfer, even a permanent one. Leeds would have practically repaid Baturina to Como,”

“The response I understand from both Como and the player was ‘No, thanks’. Baturina wants to stay at Como, he believes in the project Como is happy with Baturina, with how he trains, the potential he has.

“Baturina continues to work hard, but the door has been closed for Leeds. In short, it also marks some clarity regarding the rumours that have been circulating about the future of the Croatian midfielder.”

Leeds scouts now spotted watching "fantastic" European standout alongside Man Utd

He’s one to watch.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 5, 2025

"Outstanding" Baturina could have bright future ahead

Leeds will be frustrated they didn’t receive the ideal response after making a move for the 22-year-old, given just how impressive he was at Dinamo Zagreb, registering 22 goals and 39 assists in 165 outings, while he has also now scored his first goal for Croatia.

Scout Ben Mattinson has also waxed lyrical about the attacking midfielder, saying a little over a year ago: “His vision and weight of pass is outstanding.”

However, the former Dinamo Zagreb man hasn’t exactly hit the ground running since moving to Italy, being benched for the majority of Como’s Serie A matches this season, having recorded just one goal contribution in his first seven outings.

As such, Baturina clearly isn’t the finished article just yet, so it is not majorly disappointing that Leeds appear to have missed out.

Former MLB infielder Jean Segura announced his retirement on Wednesday, putting an official end to his esteemed 12-year career.

Segura hasn't played in MLB since 2023, when he was with the Miami Marlins. Prior to his one-year stint in Miami, Segura had spent four seasons with both the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies, and played two seasons for the Seattle Mariners. He also spent time with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels throughout his career in the bigs.

Segura's agency, CAA Sports, made an announcement on its Instagram page, congratulating the 35-year-old on his career and highlighting some of his biggest accomplishments in MLB.

Segura made two All-Star teams in his MLB career, one in 2013 with the Brewers and the other in 2018 with the Mariners. He led the National League with 203 hits in 2016 with the Diamondbacks, a season in which he boasted a career-high 6.6 WAR.

Despite playing 12 seasons in the league, Segura made the postseason just one time. His lone postseason experience came in 2022 with the Phillies, who were defeated by the Houston Astros in the World Series.

Segura ends his career with a .281 batting average, an OPS of .729, 110 home runs, 513 RBIs, 211 stolen bases and a WAR of 26.3.

Celtic are finally closing in on the appointment of their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers, after four matches with Martin O’Neill in interim charge of the team.

The Northern Irish boss resigned from his role at the club last month after a 3-1 defeat to Hearts, departing Parkhead for the second time after a stint that lasted just over two years.

Celtic’s next head coach will have to build on the success that the former Leicester boss achieved in his second spell in the dugout, with two Scottish Premiership titles and two domestic cup victories in his two full seasons.

The Daily Record reports that Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is poised to come through the door as Rodgers’ replacement, and that they want to get a deal over the line before Friday.

He has been in discussions with the Scottish giants since last Friday and the Hoops will have to thrash out a compensation package with the MLS side once they have an agreement with the Frenchman.

Whilst there will be a focus on instant results and implementing his style of play as quickly as possible, there will also be one eye on the January transfer window and what the board can do to bolster his squad in the January transfer window.

The positions Celtic need to target in January

The most obvious position that Celtic need to target when the transfer window opens for business is a centre-forward, as they had to resort to signing Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer in the summer after they failed to land any other options before the deadline.

The Nigeria international is currently out of action with a hamstring injury, leaving Johnny Kenny leading the line, and the Hoops may look to bring in an experienced number nine ahead of the second half of the campaign.

A right-winger should also be one of the club’s priorities in January after right-sided attacker Nicolas Kuhn left in the summer and two left wingers, Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha, were brought in off the back of that.

25/26 Premiership

Hyun-jun Yang

James Forrest

Appearances

5

10

Goals

0

0

Big chances missed

2

1

Big chances created

1

1

Key passes per game

0.4

0.6

Assists

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Celtic’s two natural right wingers, Hyun-jun Yang and James Forrest, have both failed to deliver much in the way of quality in the Premiership this season.

On top of a striker and a right winger, a right-sided centre-back could be on the cards after Cameron Carter-Vickers suffered a long-term injury at the end of October.

Whilst a striker, a right winger, and a centre-back should all be priorities for January, the Hoops are also reportedly looking at a central midfielder with a view to a longer-term move.

Celtic have SPFL midfield star on their radar

According to 67HailHail, Celtic have Kilmarnock central midfielder David Watson on their radar ahead of a potential swoop to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

The 20-year-old star’s contract with the Premiership side is due to expire at the end of the season, which has thrown doubt around his future heading into the January window, as it may be Kilmarnock’s last chance to cash in on him.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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67HailHail reports, though, that the Hoops are not certain to make a move for him in the January transfer window, amid competition from league leaders Hearts.

The Premiership champions could, instead, wait until the end of the season to snap him up on a free transfer, rather than looking to pay a fee to land the midfield star six months early.

Whether a deal happens in January or next summer, Watson could be an excellent addition to the side as Nancy’s own version of Scott Brown in midfield.

Why Watson would be Nancy's own Brown for Celtic

Back in the summer of 2007, Celtic paid £4.4m to sign Scott Brown from Premiership rivals Hibernian, which was a record fee between two Scottish clubs at that time.

Watson, as his contract is due to expire next summer, would not arrive at Parkhead with any kind of record transfer fee, but he would be another talented and young Scottish central midfielder who could have an incredibly bright future in Glasgow.

Brown had 134 appearances for Hibernian at first-team level under his belt, per Transfermarkt, as a 21-year-old, whilst the Kilmarnock star has played 118 matches and does not turn 21 until February of this season.

The former Hibs ace, of course, went on to captain Celtic and make 618 appearances in all competitions, winning ten Premiership titles, as a combative midfield star, who also chipped in with 46 goals and 63 assists, per Transfermarkt.

Watson’s performances for Kilmarnock in the top-flight so far this season suggest that he can offer the same sort of box-to-box presence that Brown did during his time at Parkhead.

25/26 Premiership

Watson

Rank vs CMs

Goals

3

Top 8%

Assists

1

Top 41%

Successful dribbles

11

Top 6%

Fouls won

27

Top 3%

Tackles won

24

Top 12%

Duels won

72

Top 5%

Interceptions

13

Top 11%

Blocks

6

Top 1%

Stats via Sofascore

Described by Scottish scout and analyst Kai Watson as a “box-crashing, goalscoring midfielder that works hard on both ends”, it’s clear the 20-year-old excels offensively and defensively among his positional peers in the Premiership, which illustrates the kind of quality that he would bring to Celtic as a box-to-box midfielder.

Watson, who Kilmarnock commentator Andrew Milligan claimed has “no ceiling”, has shown the Hoops what he can do offensively, scoring against them in the clash between the two sides in September.

On top of his evident quality on the pitch as a Premiership midfielder, the Celtic target is also the current captain of Scotland’s U21s at international level, per Transfermarkt, which suggests that he has the potential to be a future Hoops captain, as he is viewed as a leader for that team.

Therefore, Watson could be Nancy’s own version of the Scott Brown signing from 2007, as he could come in next summer as another 21-year-old proven Premiership midfielder who could captain the club moving forward.

Related Nancy could turn "world-class" Celtic star into the new Matt O'Riley

Celtic have a “world-class” star who could explode under Wilfried Nancy at Parkhead.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 16, 2025

Bangladesh took the series 2-0 after rain ended the third T20I with only 18.2 overs played

S Sudarshanan03-Sep-2025Match abandoned Scott Edwards finally won the toss and wanted Netherlands’ bowlers to, for once, bowl without dew around. But rain that fell as early as the fifth over ensured they had to contend with wet conditions anyway. They had bowled second in the first two T20Is of the three-match series and had lost both times.Netherlands fared better on Wednesday and managed to rein Bangladesh in after the first rain stoppage. But rain returned about two hours later to have the final say.Bangladesh posted 164 for 4 in 18.2 overs, in an innings replete with stoppages. Their captain Litton Das got off to a rapid start. There was a lull in the middle, before Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan injected momentum at the death. Netherlands quick Kyle Klein travelled the distance, going for 53 in his four overs, but also picked up three wickets. None of that mattered in the end, and the no-result meant Bangladesh took the series 2-0, Netherlands’ consolation coming from avoiding a clean sweep.A Litton knock of two moodsWith the series already sealed, Bangladesh looked at the opportunity to rotate their players ahead of next week’s Men’s T20 Asia Cup. They rested both their openers, Pervez Hossain Emon and Tanzid Hasan, among the five changes to their XI, and Litton walked out to open. He made his intentions clear with a clinical assault against Daniel Doram’s left-arm spin in the third over. Litton launched a four over mid-off before ending the over with 4, 4, 6 – the second of them coming off an outside edge that evaded the keeper.The first stoppage came during the next over, after Litton deposited Klein over deep midwicket. One of the floodlights at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium had malfunctioned, and play was suspended for 11 minutes. Once play resumed, Litton hit two more fours, one each off Klein and offspinner Aryan Dutt, before rain arrived. He was on 42 off 16 then but couldn’t find his touch when play resumed 37 minutes later. When he was dismissed in the 15th over, he had scored only 31 off his last 30 balls.One of the characteristics of Litton’s 46-ball 73 was how well he held his shape while hitting big shots. Netherlands may have seen a lot less of this had Shariz Ahmad held on to a chance at deep midwicket in the fourth over when Litton was on 37. He was dropped again on 68 by Tim Pringle, but that did not cost Netherlands much.Litton Das scored 42 off his first 16 balls, and only 31 off his last 30•AFP/Getty ImagesA glimmer of hope in Netherlands’ bowlingThe Shariz drop came in Klein’s second over. It might have given him an inkling of how his evening would turn out. He bowled his heart out but struggled for consistency. Even with a dry ball, he slipped in a beamer in the fourth over of the game. By the end of that over, he had gone for 26 in two, and Bangladesh were 56 for 1.But Netherlands managed to pull things back after the rain break.Dutt and Pringle managed to extract purchase from the surface and kept even a set Litton in check. Towhid Hridoy’s patience ran out after he had scored just nine off his first 13 balls, and he holed out to long-on in an attempt to charge at Pringle. In the first 35 balls after the rain interval, Netherlands gave away just 28 runs and picked up a wicket.Bangladesh found the boundary in just four of the ten overs after their powerplay, and lost three wickets in that period. Then Nurul, playing his first T20I since the T20 World Cup of 2022, and Jaker joined forces to take 22 off the 18th over, bowled by Klein. They added 42 off just 23 balls before heavens opened again.

Sheffield Wednesday’s joint administrator has confirmed there are “already four or five interested parties that look like the real deal” as the club head toward new ownership.

The Owls, bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, went into administration on Friday and have been handed a 12-point deduction by the English Football League.

The EFL is also currently investigating further breaches of its financial regulations and has not ruled out another points deduction this season, the PA news agency understands.

Sheffield Wednesday administrator reveals buyers and criteria

Kris Wigfield, joint administrator with insolvency firm Begbies Traynor, told BBC Five Live’s Wake Up to Money programme that new owners could be in place by the end of the year.

Wigfield said: “As always, you get a lot of interested parties that probably aren’t going to meet the criteria, but within the numerous inquiries we’ve had, we certainly think that there are already four or five interested parties that look like the real deal.

“There are two criteria that new owners basically need to satisfy to then open dialogue and there to be an opportunity where they can make an offer.

“The first thing is they need to show the administrators that they could make the football club viable. So they’ve got to show that they’ve got sufficient funds to be able to fund it for the next few years.

“And secondly, we have to be satisfied that they will pass the EFL fit and proper persons test, and if they can satisfy both of those, then we’ll start talking to them seriously.”

Wigfield, a Wednesday season ticket holder since 1984, said that under EFL rules the club have to stay on the market for 28 days, adding: “I’m hopeful that by the end of November, if things go well, we might know who’s going to buy the football club.”

Wednesday’s financial problems under former owner Dejphon Chansiri, who bought the club in 2015, reached crisis point in the summer and they were placed under various embargoes amid tax debts and failing to pay players and staff on time.

The club were bottom of the Sky Bet Championship even before going into administration, with just one league win this season, and are now on minus six points, 16 from safety.

A tough battle to avoid relegation now appears to be nigh on impossible but it is understood the EFL does not think a possible further points sanction would deter potential new owners as it would also be applied this season.

PA also understands that the government’s new Independent Football Regulator, due to formally take office this autumn, is shadowing the EFL throughout Wednesday’s administration process.

Glasgow Rangers are in a difficult position after an incredibly disappointing start to the 2025/26 campaign in the Scottish Premiership and in Europe.

The Light Blues failed to qualify for the Champions League, losing 9-1 on aggregate in their play-off clash, and have lost their first two games in the league phase of the Europa League.

As you can see in the graphic above, Rangers have only won five of their 17 matches in all competitions this season, conceding 24 goals in the process.

That led the club to dismiss their head coach heading into the October international break, as they sit eighth in the Premiership with one win in seven league matches.

The club’s incredibly poor start to the season on paper makes it hard to argue that the sacking of Russell Martin was unjustified, as he did not pick up enough results to buy patience from supporters or the board.

It is now down to the Ibrox chiefs, though, to find a new manager or head coach who can step in and do a better job than the former Scotland international did in Glasgow.

The latest on the Rangers manager search at Ibrox

Former professional scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider that Steven Gerrard is “in the box seat” to be the next Rangers manager during the international break.

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Brown told Football Insider: “Right now, it probably does seem like it’s Gerrard’s job to lose, really. He’s been the outstanding candidate.

“We’ll see how things develop over the next few days, but Gerrard is in the box seat right now. If those talks are successful, it could mean something pretty quickly happening with Gerrard returning to Ibrox.”

Meanwhile, the Daily Record claims that the English head coach is due to hold talks with the club in London this week to discuss a possible return to Ibrox.

That report adds, though, that Gerrard’s camp has made it clear that they are exploratory talks, and that nothing is advanced or close to being agreed at this moment in time.

Gerrard’s last 50 Premiership games at Rangers

Stat

20/21

21/22

Matches

38

12

Wins

32

8

Draws

6

3

Defeats

0

1

Points

102

27

Points per game

2.68

2.25

League position

1st (Champions)

1st

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the manager’s last 50 league games in charge of the club during his first spell were almost immaculate, with 40 wins and only one loss.

His return to Ibrox would surely be met with excitement, given that he won the title in the 2020/21 campaign, and it could get the stadium rocking again if they are able to agree a deal with the former Aston Villa boss.

Gerrard, though, is not walking into a favourable environment, as evidenced by one win in seven league games, and he could have some big decisions to make in his first few weeks at the club, and then in the January transfer window.

Rangers made a host of changes to their squad during the summer transfer window, as shown in the graphic below, but not many of their new signings have hit the ground running.

In fact, two signings who may become two of the first victims of the change in manager at Ibrox could be Joe Rothwell and Max Aarons, who may find themselves disposable by January.

Why Rangers must ditch this Ibrox duo

Former Rangers centre-forward Kris Boyd heaped criticism on both Rothwell and Aarons, as well as the recruitment in general, in August because they both came from English clubs.

Boyd said: “He (Martin) has brought a few players in, but I think he needs to be very, very careful. He keeps going back to the English market as well, inflated, overrated for me, especially when you go down the leagues.

“There is a long list of Rangers players who have arrived from the Championship or below who have failed here. And I am afraid to say, at this moment in time, Max Aarons and Joe Rothwell seem to be falling more towards the Kieran Dowell, Ben Davies, Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence category than what they do with the likes of Connor Goldson and James Tavernier.”

As Boyd outlined in his comments, Rangers have had plenty of failures arrive at Ibrox from the English market, including Tom Lawrence, who signed for Perth Glory this week after moving on from Glasgow on a free transfer in the summer.

Tom Lawrence (Premiership)

23/24

24/25

Appearances

23

18

Goals

2

4

Assists

3

2

Dribbles completed per game

0.6

0.5

Ground duel success rate

48%

46%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

15%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Wales international did not provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch as an attacking midfielder in his last two seasons at Ibrox.

Aarons and Rothwell, as Boyd explained, are on course to follow in Lawrence’s footsteps because they have both endured underwhelming starts to their careers at Ibrox.

The Bournemouth loanee, who was sent off against Club Brugge in the Champions League, did score the winning goal against Livingston last month in the Premiership.

However, he has also been an unused substitute in four of the last six games and the appointment of Gerrard is unlikely to change his fortunes, given that James Tavernier, the captain, played 168 times for the manager in his first spell at Ibrox, per Transfermarkt.

Rothwell, meanwhile, could suffer the same fate as Aarons, despite signing on a permanent deal from Bournemouth in the summer, because he has failed to impress thus far.

Gerrard liked to have mobility in his midfield with the likes of Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo in the 2020/21 title-winning season, and Rothwell does not fit into that midfield mould, as he has won just 1.4 ground duels per game, per Sofascore, which shows that he rarely gets across the pitch to compete in duels.

This means that the central midfielder could find himself further down the pecking order and considering his future at the club when the January transfer window opens, whilst Aarons may have to consider whether or not the loan is worth completing if he is behind Tavernier.

Related New Rangers manager could lose Ibrox star as soon as January window opens

Another potential blow for the Gers.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Oct 10, 2025

Therefore, Aarons and Rothwell could be the first Ibrox victims of a change in manager if Gerrard walks through the door, because they have started poorly at Rangers and both may not be frontline options in the English tactician’s 4-3-3 set-up, due to his preferences in his first spell.

Manchester City are enjoying their return after the international break, but could be set to allow a Pep Guardiola signing to leave the club despite the player in question only joining mere months ago.

Manchester City summer signings make instant impact

The transfer window has been and gone, leaving Manchester City hopeful they can start to build momentum as they look to reclaim the Premier League title from Liverpool.

Last weekend’s resounding victory over Manchester United will have restored belief after back-to-back top-flight defeats, and the introduction of Gianluigi Donnarumma to the fold has certainly provided an elevated level of assurance within the Citizens’ backline.

Impressing with his gigantic figure between the sticks, Peter Schmeichel admitted to Premier League Productions that he even tried to convince the Manchester City stopper to move to Old Trafford before his transfer to the blue side of the city materialised.

He said, detailing a previous encounter when he was at Paris Saint-Germain: “I asked my first question and he started to answer in Italian, and I had no clue! Over the last season I kept saying to him, ‘We want you at Man United.

“I did. So I went to him, ‘What are you doing here? You should be in the other goal (for United),’ but he said, ‘I’m very, very happy here.’ He showed it, he gave it to the team today, didn’t he.”

Man City plan offer to sign £87m star who Pep thinks can be key with Foden

The Citizens are looking to make a statement in the January window.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 12, 2025

Little did Schmeichel know that Donnarumma would immediately be installed as Guardiola’s number one, but there are always ramifications that come with new signings being made.

Now, the Citizens could be willing to offload one of their summer additions in a surprise move that will shock many supporters.

James Trafford could make Man City loan exit

According to TBR, Man City could allow James Trafford to leave on loan in January to help keep his hopes of making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad alive, given Donnarumma has become Guardiola’s preferred stopper.

The £50,000 per week earner has fallen down the pecking order, something that is further complicated by Stefan Ortega remaining at the club, and he could be permitted a temporary exit after joining for £27 million from Burnley.

Trafford, who himself is open to a loan move away, has started three of Manchester City’s opening four Premier League matches, keeping a clean sheet against Wolverhampton Wanderers, followed by less convincing performances against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Nevertheless, he is a fine talent who also courted attention from Newcastle United during the summer before settling on a move back to the club where it all started.

Now, he needs minutes to keep his hopes of being under contention with England alive, and he is unlikely to be short of suitors once the January window opens.

The ICC’s support plan for exiled female cricketers from Afghanistan will be funded by contributions from the ICC, BCCI, ECB and CA and will not include any money from the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) annual disbursements. An ICC spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the initiative to assist the country’s displaced women cricketers, which will include coaching and mentorship, “will be constituted through a dedicated fund,” and the ACB will continue to receive its full amount from the ICC.Last year, the prospect of ring-fencing an amount for women’s cricket from the ACB’s portion of the ICC’s revenue distributions was discussed but that plan did not come to fruition. The ACB is the only Full Member board that does not field a women’s team, and is not able to because of the severe restrictions on women’s rights after the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.The ICC’s latest plan, announced after their board meeting in Zimbabwe last weekend, is the first attempt by the game’s global governing body to engage with Afghanistan’s female cricketers in four years. It neither amounts to official recognition nor does it clear the path for Afghanistan to field a women’s team, as such a team can only be ratified by the ACB. Instead, the ICC hopes to work with Afghanistan’s female cricketers to provide them with both access to the game and funding for further education.Related

• Afghanistan women's players soak up World Cup experience

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• ICC to formally support Afghan women cricketers

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• 'A real beacon of hope' – CA sees Afghanistan women's match as first step

“The ICC does not select a team for Afghanistan. Rather, we are committed to addressing the complexities of the issue and finding a solution that fits within the ICC’s legal and constitutional framework,” the spokesperson said.It was also confirmed that the ICC’s initiative will not be limited to the 19 Afghan cricketers resident in Australia but, “the plan is to include all displaced Afghan women cricketers regardless of their location.”The exiled Afghanistan Women in Australia played a T20 against the charity Cricket Without Borders•Martin Keep/AFP/Getty Images

Some of the 25 players originally contracted by the ACB In 2020, prior to the Taliban takeover, live in Canada and the United Kingdom. As reported by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, the organisation Pitch Our Future, which was set up earlier this year for the 19 Afghan cricketers resident in Australia, will provide the ICC with the names of all the formerly contracted players who will then go through “an accreditation process administered in collaboration with the ICC member boards,” in order to access the benefits of the initiative.The details of training camps and exhibition matches will be fleshed out in the coming weeks once the ICC has appointed a task force to head up the support program. Pitch Our Future, who have already staged a match between an Afghan Women’s XI and the charity Cricket Without Borders on January 30 in Melbourne, hope to work with the ICC and already have a three-year budget and plans for activities including a trip to the Women’s World Cup 2025 to give Afghanistan’s female cricketers exposure to the game they love.CA have already played a role in assisting the Afghan cricketers through their support for Pitch Our Future but will now, along with the ECB and BCCI, also make a financial contribution. Between them, these three boards earn more than 51% of the ICC’s annual revenue, with the BCCI accounting for 38.5%.