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Derby County have already shown they mean business this summer and are closing in on another signing to strengthen ahead of the Championship season, according to John Percy.

Derby County back themselves to make Championship statement

With six new arrivals through the door and John Eustace restoring the feel-good factor at Pride Park, there is every reason for Rams’ supporters to feel optimistic heading into the new campaign.

Captain Ebou Adams shares the sentiment that Derby County can make a ‘statement’ in the second-tier, claiming his side will allow themselves to dare to ‘dream’ as he feels the fans, manager and players are united in their vision to thrive.

Owen Beck has arrived from Liverpool on loan and Derby aren’t keen to stop there after lining up Coventry City’s Jake Bidwell as their latest target, with the Sky Blues open to selling the 32-year-old this summer.

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Posts ByBrett Worthington Jul 23, 2025

The Rams also saw a £1 million bid turned down for Bristol City’s Zak Vyner. It remains to be seen whether his future at Ashton Gate is resolved, but their attempt to land his services illustrates that Derby are targeting reinforcements across all areas of their squad.

Now, a familiar face could be set to link up with Eustace again at Pride Park as their recruitment drive accelerates ahead of the competitive kick-off.

Derby County set to re-sign David Ozoh

Taking to social media platform X, reliable reporter Percy of The Telegraph has confirmed that Derby County are set to re-sign midfielder David Ozoh on loan from Crystal Palace, with confirmation expected later this week.

The 20-year-old made 12 appearances during a loan spell last term, but a hamstring injury alongside muscular problems limited his chances of earning further minutes.

Nevertheless, Eustace has previously labelled Ozoh a “fantastic player” back in February, signalling that he will have every chance to shine under his stewardship despite his stint being cut short last time out due to fitness issues.

All parties now appear to be close to a deal and his parent club seem to be happy with the arrangement, which will enable the Valencia-born man to develop away from the spotlight of Premier League football.

More importantly, Derby will inherit a talented youngster determined to prove a point while also shoring up their midfield at little financial cost.

نجح منتخب مصر للشباب تحت 20 عامًا، في تحقيق الفوز على فريق سان لويس التشيلي، بخماسية دون رد، في المباراة الودية التي جمعتهما خلال معسكر الإعداد المغلق في مدينة كوينتيرو.

والتقى منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا، فريق سان لويس، ضمن استعداداته لخوض منافسات كأس العالم من 27 سبتمبر الجاري إلى 19 أكتوبر المقبل.

لعب المنتخب كل شوط بتشكيل مختلف وشارك جميع اللاعبين، حيث ضم التشكيل في الشوط الأول كل من: أحمد وهب – أحمد عابدين – عبد الله بوستنجي – مهاب سامي – سيف سفاجا – أحمد خالد “كاباكا” – سليم طلب – تيبو جابريال – محمد عبد الله – حامد عبد الله – محمد هيثم.

طالع أيضاً.. حسام حسن يتواصل مع جهاز منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا قبل المشاركة في كأس العالم للشباب

وفى الشوط الثاني تم الدفع بكل من: أحمد منشاوي – أحمد نائل – معتز محمد – مؤمن شريف – سيف سفاجا – عمر خضر – محمد السيد – أحمد وحيد – عمر معوض – أحمد شرف – عمر “بيبو”، وشارك ياسين عاطف بدلا من عمر معوض الذي تعرض لإصابة بكدمة في الظهر وهو بحالة جيدة ولكن الجهاز الفني استبدله للحفاظ عليه.

وسيطر الفراعنة على مجريات اللعب أداء ونتيجة وانتهي الشوط الأول بتقدمهم بأربعة أهداف أحرزها المتألق أحمد خالد “كاباكا” (هدفين) وحامد عبد الله ومحمد هيثم، وفي الشوط الثاني أحرز البديل محمد السيد الهدف الخامس.

وحضر المباراة حمادة الشربيني عضو المجلس ورئيس بعثة مصر، وأشاد أسامة نبيه المدير الفني للمنتخب بالتجربة لاطمئنانه على بعض المراكز وتطبيق بعض الجمل الفنية قبل خوض البروفة النهائية للمونديال أمام منتخب نيو كاليدونيا، الإثنين الموافق 22 سبتمبر الجاري.

ويشارك منتخب مصر للشباب في بطولة كأس العالم التي تستضيفها تشيلي، حيث أوقعته القرعة في المجموعة الأولى بجوار تشيلي ونيوزيلندا واليابان.

La Liga giants Real Madrid have started their brand-new era under Xabi Alonso, and following their disappointment of a 2024/2025 season, Los Blancos are apparently setting their sights on a Tottenham star to help with the rebuild.

Spurs are expected to undergo somewhat of a rebuild themselves, with the Europa League champions ushering in their fifth new manager since 2019.

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Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 2, 2025

Thomas Frank arrives in N17 with the goal of building upon his new side’s triumph in Bilbao against Man United, a result which also gifted them a place in next season’s Champions League draw.

A major thorn in the cap of his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, was the plethora of injuries his squad sustained last term. The Australian was forced to cope without many key players for extended periods throughout 24/25, and Frank will be keen to avoid a similar scenario as he braces for an equally congested fixture calendar.

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

They’ve already moved to reinforce the squad with a permanent deal for Mathys Tel and a £5 million move for Japanese sensation Kota Takai, with Tottenham also widely reported to be in talks for West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus.

However, Spurs do face the prospect of losing some key big names before deadline day as well.

Son Heung-min is a reliably claimed target for the Saudi Pro League (The Telegraph), and there is a serious belief that last season could’ve been his final campaign at Spurs – 10 years after he joined from Bayer Leverkusen.

“Son could very well have played his last game for Tottenham, and well, if it was the Europa League final, it would be fitting,” journalist Graeme Bailey told TBR Football last month.

“I am told he still believes he is more than capable of recapturing his best form – but Spurs are ready to make moves this summer and Son leaving could materialise.”

Alongside Son, it is believed star £165,000-per-week defender Cristian Romero is attracting serious interest from Spain.

While reports that Tottenham have reached an “agreement in principle” to sell Romero look wide of the mark, Atlético boss Diego Simeone has publicly confirmed the club’s admiration for him.

Real Madrid expected to make "concrete" move for Cristian Romero

Now, as per CaughtOffside, Atlético are joined by their cross-town rivals in pursuit of the “sensational” Argentine.

Real are “now expected” to make a “concrete” approach to sign Romero from Tottenham, but chairman Daniel Levy won’t be letting him go on the cheap, even if last season’s Europa League Player of the Year has just two years left on his current contract.

Spurs want a minimum £60 million to consider letting him leave, with both Real and Atlético viewing this price tag as excessive for the time being.

The former are boosted by Romero’s openness to joining Real, as is mostly the case when Alonso’s side come knocking, but Tottenham won’t be bullied aside in potential negotiations and are determined to keep hold of him.

Manchester United are now considering a move to sign an “incredible” Bayern Munich midfielder for just £25 million, according to a recent report.

Bruno Fernandes set to stay at Man Utd after Nations League triumph

International duty has taken centre stage in the last week or so, and like nearly every Premier League team, United have players all over the globe representing their countries.

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Posts ByDan Emery Jun 8, 2025

But not many will have had a better time with their country than Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, who were part of the Portugal squad that won the Nations League. Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties on Sunday following a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes.

Fernandes played the entire 120 minutes and even netted in the penalty shootout win, while Dalot was an unused substitute, as he was in the semi-final win over Germany.

This is Fernandes’ second trophy with his country, and after the game, the Red Devils skipper revealed “winning with Portugal is different”.

“I’m going to celebrate with my teammates and my family. It’s a special moment for everyone. Winning for Portugal is different. It’s for our family, for our people, for the country, for our people.

“Once again, the wave of red that I saw so much on social media was there and made us feel like we were playing at home. Thank you very much for all the support; it was excellent. We felt it, from start to finish, from the moment we got to the end.

“Everything we did during the game helped us win. We knew we were going up against a great team, and at the same time, we knew we were a team of the same level. We knew Spain’s qualities; we were very aggressive when losing the ball, which was very important.”

Man Utd considering move to sign "incredible" £25m Bayern Munich ace

As Fernandes continues celebrating, the Red Devils now have their eye on one of his international teammates. According to Mirror Football, relayed by Simply Utd on X, Man United are weighing up a move to sign Joao Palhinha.

The 29-year-old only joined Bayern Munich from Fulham last summer, but it was a very underwhelming first campaign for the Portuguese enforcer – he only played 17 games in the Bundesliga, as his season was hampered by injuries and competition in the midfield area.

It’s been reported that Palhinha, who has been dubbed “incredible” in the past, may leave Munich this summer, given his struggles, but it is unlikely they are going to get near the £44 million they paid Fulham in 2024. In fact, this report states that United could sign the midfielder for just £25 million.

Joao Palhinha’s 24/25 league stats compared to Casemiro

Palhinha

Casemiro

Apps

17

24

Starts

6

18

Progressive passes

32

84

Progressive carries

3

4

Passes attempted

552

990

Passes completed

510

780

Tackles (won)

20 (14)

83 (50)

Interceptions

4

14

Blocks

13

39

Clearances

9

51

His arrival at Old Trafford could see him be the man to replace Casemiro, who, while he performed very well towards the end of the season, could be a player who is allowed to leave, given his hefty wages. Talk of an exit has gone quiet in recent months, but Amorim will want to trim his squad down given no European football, and given Casemiro’s age, he could be one that is on the chopping block.

Enzo Maresca is already eyeing signings for Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window, despite a couple of matches to go before the end of the season.

Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is the latest centre-back to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. The Blues missed out on Dean Huijsen, therefore, they are moving on to other targets.

While, defensively, the club can improve next term, their need for another centre-forward has seen them linked with a few names. Hugo Ekitiké has been someone on the club’s radar of late amid excellent form at Eintract Frankfurt.

Benjamin Sesko is another striker Maresca is keeping an eye on. Could this be the striker the Blues need?

The latest on Chelsea's pursuit of Benjamin Sesko

The Blues are reportedly showing plenty of interest in signing Sesko this summer, especially with his vast potential and wonderful goalscoring record.

A fee of £84m might be required if the Premier League side are serious about bringing him to England, however. Much of this will depend on whether the Blues can secure Champions League qualification or not.

The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting young forwards in the game and his form in Germany demonstrates why.

Indeed, the Slovenia international has scored 21 goals in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig throughout 2024/25 and judging by that, Sesko could be the answer to Maresca’s problems.

Goals

13

Assists

5

Shots per game

2.1

Goal conversion percentage

19%

Scoring frequency (minutes)

185

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

Via Sofascore

It’s safe to say that the offence is one of the big reasons Chelsea still have a battle on their hands to secure a top five place with Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Brentford all scoring more than their 63-goal haul this term.

Nicolas Jackson, sent off against Eddie Howe’s side a few weeks ago, certainly hasn’t helped their cause in recent weeks.

What Sesko's arrival would mean for Jackson

Following an impressive season at Villarreal in 2022/23, one which saw the player net 13 goals and grab five assists in all competitions, Chelsea signed Jackson for more than £30m.

Jacek Kulig described Jackson as “extraordinary” for his exploits during that campaign, but his spell at Chelsea, however, hasn’t quite been as good.

17 goals during his first season was more than respectable, but this tally has dropped to 12 during the 2024/25 campaign with pundit Tim Sherwood famously remarking that “at times he looks like someone playing in Soccer Aid who’s not a footballer.”

Should Chelsea qualify for the Champions League next season, it is evident they will need someone more influential in front of goal, as Jackson simply isn’t the answer.

He currently earns £100k-per-week, more than Sesko’s £91k-per-week, and it’s safe to say that money would be better spent on the Slovenian instead.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, Jackson fails to rank in the top 40% for no-penalty goals (0.41) per 90, while also failing to break through the top 40% with regard to successful take-ons (0.73) and touches in the attacking third (14.64) per 90.

Those are hardly the statistics of a player who can fire Chelsea to glory, that’s for sure. If Maresca is serious about improving this summer, bringing in Sesko for Jackson would certainly please a vast portion of the support.

The transfer window this summer could turn out to be interesting indeed.

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Arsenal have been handed a boost in the race to sign a player who’s been described as “perfect” for them, with Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta’s target keen on a move to the Emirates after holding talks.

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Following their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League, all eyes are now on Arsenal’s blockbuster Champions League semi-final first leg at home to PSG next week.

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No other domestic games await the Gunners this weekend, meaning Arteta can put all of his focus into overcoming Luis Enrique’s side, who are enjoying a sensational unbeaten Ligue 1 campaign and pose a very tough test.

Arsenal will go into the contest with plenty of confidence after dismantling 15-time European champions Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the last round. However, Arteta did send a subtle warning to his players after they couldn’t get past Palace on Wednesday, criticising their poor performance.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

“I’m disappointed with the result and the performance as well,” said Arteta after Arsenal’s draw with Palace.

“I think we never got the consistency in many areas to completely dominate the game – we always had the feeling that we had the ball, we had possession, we went in front twice, but the game wasn’t grabbed, it wasn’t dominated and controlled the way that we normally do because we were below the standards in some areas. When you are not at your best, but you are two times ahead, you have to be able to see the game off, and we weren’t able to do it, especially with what happened in the second half.”

Arteta will demand a much higher level when Arsenal face one of Europe’s most in-form teams, and in a match which has the potential to make or break their whole campaign.

Arsenal handed Dean Huijsen transfer boost after update

Away from the pitch, Arsenal and sporting director Andrea Berta are planning for the summer window, with Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen reliably believed to be a serious target for them.

The 20-year-old’s active £50 million release clause has piqued interest from a host of elite Premier League clubs, including Arteta’s side, and it is believed that Huijsen has already held talks with Arsenal over a move.

This is backed up by talkSPORT and journalist Alex Crook, who also reports that Huijsen favours a move to Arsenal over the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham. Anfield is another preferred destination of the Spaniard’s, so Liverpool are in the race, but Crook says Huijsen has his eyes on a potential switch to Arsenal as well.

Following his move to Bournemouth from Juventus, Huijsen has proved a bargain buy after signing for just £16 million, but it now appears that it is inevitable he’ll depart the Vitality as a plethora of huge sides get ready to battle for his signature.

Football Analyst Ben Mattinson has called him the “perfect” option to rotate with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, while it is hard to argue after his excellent 2024/2025 campaign on the south coast.

Despite flat-track preferences, this was a victory that displayed skill and nous

Cameron Ponsonby20-Oct-2025When the going’s good, this England team is great.The common critique of Harry Brook’s team, and Jos Buttler’s before him, is that they are flat-track bullies. The best in the world when the odds are in their favour but one-dimensional when they are not.The opening T20I at Christchurch hinted towards that. They slipped to 81 for 5 on a wicket that was lively, only to be bailed out by Sam Curran and New Zealand’s lasagne hands. A total of 153 may look under par, but at the lowest scoring ground in the country, where the average run rate is 7.8 (aka, a final score of 156), it was a step in the right direction for a team aiming to add brains to their brawn.Cut to 48 hours later and, while the match was on the same wicket, it was a different pitch. Less live grass plus two days of sun had both captains scratching their heads at what to do. Mitchell Santner said bowl, but wasn’t sure.”We’ll see if there’s anything there,” Santner said at the toss. “And if there’s not it might be more of a challenge.”It was more of a challenge.England’s 236 for 4 blitzed the previous highest score at Hagley Oval by over 30 runs. In the history of international T20 cricket at the venue there had only ever been four scores above 170. All things considered, this was an anomalous performance. And a close-to-perfect one at that.”The boundaries are way back,” Curran said after the first match. “A couple of balls you smack and it goes nowhere.”But while England did pack their biceps, striking ten sixes, they also packed their running shoes, scampering 16 twos across the innings. Brook and Phil Salt’s partnership cruised along in fifth gear but took different forms. The boundary may be big, but that means the outfield is too.”He’s very good at playing the field,” Santner explained after the match. “Both him and Salt were very smart using the wind and were able to run hard and hit the pockets on the big side. I think they had 20-something twos (16) and when it’s tough to find dots, when you go two, then four, you’re leaking.”Despite unfurling his ramp once more, Brook’s strengths came down the ground•AFP/Getty ImagesBrook had spoken about this innings before he played it. Ahead of the series he explained his “disappointment” at his white-ball returns. For all the glamour of his roly-poly ramp shots in the Hundred, they weren’t where he believed his strengths lied. He wanted to stand there. And hit straight.”That’s one goal for me this series,” he said, one day out from the first match. “Just to try and play on instinct as much as possible.”All five of Brook’s sixes came from the City End, where the leg-side was to the shorter boundary and had the wind in assistance. Two landed in the stands, one dropped onto the roof, and two went over it.Related

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Salt had been on 39 off 21 when Brook arrived at the crease. But when it became clear Brook was the man of the moment his strike-rate slowed as he focused on getting his captain back on strike. From his next 35 balls he made just 46 runs but England continued to motor.Salt is on four T20I centuries. Only Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma have five, a stat of which Salt is aware, but one he put to one side.”The difference between me going on and getting that score or not was getting Brooky on strike,” he said afterwards. “And, 100 times over, I’d like to be at the other end watching that again.”That’s batting, isn’t it? You have to take the ego out of it.”This was as complete a performance as England could have hoped for. A coach’s dream, in which all parties played their role. Two batters batted big, and those that didn’t, did so quickly. All of Jacob Bethell (24), Tom Banton (29*) and Sam Curran (8*) struck at above 200.”It’s warming to be able to say ‘lads, you go do your thing’,” was Brook’s conclusion at the close.Rashid and Dawson benefitted from England’s willingness to attack their catches in the deep•Joe Allison/Getty ImagesEngland’s perfect day extended to ball in hand as well. Brydon Carse took two up top, before the spin duo of Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid killed the game in the middle. Dawson bowled four through the middle, counterintuitively bowling to New Zealand’s left-hand-heavy middle order to the shorter side, but keeping his line wide. Until Santner got a hold of him in his final over, it worked. After 3.4 overs his figures were 2 for 18. Somehow, his final two legal deliveries conceded 20 runs. We’ll brush over that bit.”Dawson bowling to the short side,” Santner said afterwards. “I thought that was very smart, keeping it off the batsman.”Even Rashid’s four-fer, all of which were caught in the deep, came with thought attached, as those on the large square boundaries were instructed to settle five or ten metres in from the rope.”That’s something we spoke about,” Brook said of his fielders roaming around. “There’s a lot of balls plinked into the outfield and if our fielders were on the rope they’re probably not carrying. So that’s another positive move about taking wickets.”So much of T20 cricket comes down to volatility. One player executing on the day and wrenching the match in one direction or the other. England’s joy this evening will be their success at the bits that are repeatable. Plans were made. And plans were executed.”That’s part of being a team,” Salt concluded. “You have to take the ego out of it. Everything is team first and team orientated. And long may that continue.”

Alan Gardner, Andrew McGlashan and Vithushan Ehantharajah get together to discuss England’s victory at Headingley to keep the Ashes alive

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2023England pulled one back in the Ashes with a tense three-wicket win at Headingley, keeping their chances of reclaiming the urn alive with two to play. Mark Wood was Player of the Match and man of the moment, while Chris Woakes hit the winning runs on his comeback to prevent Australia taking an unassailable lead. On this week’s Switch, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew McGlashan and Vithushan Ehantharajah to discuss Wood’s rockets, an unexpected Mitchell Marsh hundred, whether England’s allrounders can bring a better balance and which team has more issues going to Manchester.