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As exit rumours continue to surround Emiliano Martinez, Aston Villa have reportedly opened talks to sign one of Monchi’s top targets who could be an instant upgrade on the Argentine shot-stopper.

Atletico Madrid & Man Utd targeting Martinez

Aston Villa have been stuck between a rock and a hard place this summer with that rock being PSR rules. Whilst in an ideal world they keep hold of Martinez this summer and continue to enjoy the World Cup winner’s talents, his sale would go a long way towards easing their PSR concerns.

The goalkeeper isn’t exactly short on interest, either. Manchester United and Atletico Madrid are both reportedly chasing Martinez’s signature this summer as Aston Villa continue to deliberate over a potential sale.

Of course, the worst-case scenario for Villa this summer would be Martinez joining a direct rival in Manchester United, but they may have little choice in the matter amid reports that he would now prefer a switch to Old Trafford if he is to depart.

It creates a tough choice for Villa once again. Either sell a 32-year-old player who has become a leader under Unai Emery or cash in for the sake of their off-pitch troubles and welcome a fresh option. Aston Villa must pick their poison this summer and hope that the remedy is an unexpected upgrade between the sticks.

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To that end, it seems as though those in the Midlands are at least preparing for the worst case and have reportedly opened talks to sign what would be an excellent replacement for Martinez.

Aston Villa open talks to sign Chevalier

As reported by TeamTalk, Aston Villa have now opened talks to sign Lucas Chevalier from LOSC Lille this summer and are converging on a deal for the Frenchman’s signature. With a formal offer now the next step in any negotiation too, Monchi has reportedly already mooted a £40m bid to the Ligue 1 club in pursuit of their goalkeeper.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Lucas Chevalier

Emiliano Martinez

Starts

34

37

Clean Sheets

11

8

Saves per 90

2.68

2.70

Save Percentage

74.4%

69%

At 23 years old, Chevalier enjoyed an impressive campaign as part of a Lille side that defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League table phase and reached the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition.

If the Villans have the option to solve their PSR problems by selling Martinez and signing Chevalier to replace him then it is a move they should prioritise this summer. The Lille star is too good to miss out on if they’re on the hunt for a new No.1.

Described as “excellent” by scout Jacek Kulig, Villa would be signing one of the best young goalkeepers around if they managed to lure Chevalier to the Midlands this summer.

When looking over their 2024/25 campaign in detail, Newcastle United will very much jot it down as an overwhelming success.

After all, the Magpies would end up lifting some much-needed silverware in the EFL Cup final to end a major trophy drought, whilst Eddie Howe’s Toon would also just about qualify for the Champions League once again when finishing inside the top five spots in the Premier League.

But, that doesn’t stop there being a slight bad taste in the mouth concerning Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat to Everton on the final day, with a number of players showing to Howe they might well struggle competing in Europe’s elite competition again.

Newcastle's key underperformers vs Everton

Thankfully, Aston Villa also lost on their travels to Manchester United, meaning the Magpies luckily secured that final coveted fifth position by one slender point.

Still, Howe won’t just completely disregard the defeat, with certain individuals having a poor day at the office to end their respective seasons on a whimper.

Anthony Gordon would only see out one half of football for the Magpies, and for good reason, with nothing working out for the ex-Toffees man whatsoever down the left flank when failing to register a single on-target shot at Jordan Pickford’s goal.

Moreover, Alexander Isak looked tired and lethargic as Newcastle’s main man up top, seen in his lack of drive and energy when completing zero successful dribbles, alongside further fluffing his lines when three efforts went astray.

Jacob Murphy also looked wasteful on the ball when giving up possession a hefty 13 times, but there was one poor display that will have irked Howe the most and made him now contemplate whether this figure will be able to cut in when Champions League nights return to Tyneside.

The 5/10 star not good enough for the Champions League

Newcastle fans will obviously be over the moon that their team clinched Champions League football, irrespective of this final-day slip-up.

But, the Magpies masses won’t feel too confident moving forward that Harvey Barnes can do the business on some grand stages in Europe next season, based on his lacklustre performance against David Moyes’ well-drilled visitors.

The former Leicester City man can boast an impressive tally of nine strikes and four assists across 40 overall games, but he did struggle to get going against the Toffees, with May in general seeing a worrying dip in form.

Much like Gordon down the opposing left wing, Barnes would also fail to register a single on-target shot to try and catch the formidable Pickford cold, alongside also displaying signs of Murphy’s rashness on the ball when completing zero accurate crosses or long balls.

Barnes’ poor performances all across May

Stat

Brighton

Chelsea

Arsenal

Everton

Minutes played

90

90

76

88

Final result

1-1 D

2-0 W

1-0 L

1-0 L

Goals scored

0

0

0

0

Assists

0

0

0

0

Touches

38

51

23

34

Accurate passes

17/21 (81%)

21/29 (72%)

13/14 (93%)

15/21 (71%)

Key passes

2

2

0

1

Accurate crosses

0/4

1/3

0/1

0/2

Accurate long balls

0

1/2

1/1

0/2

Shots

3

4

3

1

Successful dribbles

1/2

2/5

0

0/1

Total duels won

3/10

3/11

1/4

1/3

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, it’s even more clear that it’s been a rocky month for Barnes in general, as seen in the 27-year-old frustratingly ending the campaign with no goals or assists next to his name in May.

Consequently, the 5 foot 9 attacker nearly cost his team dear in their pursuit of Champions League action, with only 33 touches coming his way against Everton – actually a worse record overall than Toon goalkeeper Pope, who managed 38.

As a result, he would receive a dour 5/10 post-match rating from Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, who stated simply that Barnes ‘didn’t deliver his best form’ against the Toffees.

Newcastle just can’t have these out-of-sorts performances popping up if they stand a chance at progressing far in the tricky competition, meaning Barnes could be warming the substitutes bench next season when fiercely contested mid-week ties are back on the Toon calendar.

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Even after they were crowned Premier League champions on Sunday, Liverpool look destined to lose one particular star this summer with his agent already reportedly working on an exit.

Slot credits Klopp after Liverpool title win

Not even the most optimistic Liverpool fan could have predicted a debut title for Arne Slot. The Dutchman had an impossible act to follow in the great Jurgen Klopp, but waltzed in without welcoming any significant arrivals before completing a task only five other Premier League managers have achieved in history. Slot, like Klopp, has now become an instant part of Anfield history.

For the first time this season Slot was no longer the stern, focused tactician at Anfield when the final whistle sounded on Sunday. Instead, like his Liverpool squad, he was seen donning the champions shirt and swaying along to You’ll Never Walk Alone in front of the Kop.

The Liverpool boss took time to express the joy of becoming a Premier League champion whilst also handing credit to Klopp, telling reporters: “I am 99.9% sure that if I pick up my phone there will be a message from Jurgen.

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“So many moments in the season the two of us have had contact. I think he showed last season what a wonderful human being he is by introducing me. But what mattered most is the team he left behind that was able to win the trophy. The work Jurgen and Pep [Lijnders] did – the culture, work-rate, quality – was outstanding.”

That Premier League crown is unlikely to stand in the way of a busy summer, however, with one forward seemingly destined to head for the exit door.

Darwin Nunez set to leave Liverpool

According to reports in Spain, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has handpicked Darwin Nunez to sign this summer and the Uruguayan’s agent is already working on a Liverpool exit. The forward’s third season at the club looks set to be his last as Slot gets ruthless and Liverpool look to move on after winning the Premier League title.

It has been his third season that Nunez has arguably looked the most out of place in Liverpool’s squad, which has moved on from Klopp’s heavy-metal approach towards a more controlled style under Slot.

2022/23

42

15

4

2023/24

54

18

15

2024/25

43

7

7

This season’s numbers highlight how Nunez has struggled under Slot compared to the improvements he was making under Klopp and it’s become clearer than ever that he must move on to find his best form.

Once described as “outstanding” by his Klopp, Nunez looks destined to depart Anfield as a case of what might have been rather than the player they believed they had signed in 2022. Whether that means that Atletico Madrid beckons for the £140,000-a-week forward remains to be seen, however.

As they look to deal their Premier League rivals a major blow and land a key reinforcement in the process, Aston Villa are now reportedly prepared to complete Unai Emery’s transfer request to hijack a major star from Tottenham.

Aston Villa ready to grant Emery's wish

Having dragged them from the depths of relegation battles all the way to a Champions League quarter-final and a place in the last four of the FA Cup, to say that Emery is well-placed to make his own transfer requests at Villa Park would be an understatement. Together with sporting director Monchi, the Spaniard has earned the backing of those in the Midlands.

To Villa’s credit too, they’re often just as ambitious as their manager in the transfer market – welcoming both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan during the January window. And that ambition is only likely to increase if they qualify for the Champions League for a second-consecutive season – perhaps resulting in moves for the likes of Dusan Vlahovic.

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The Villans are reportedly leading the race to sign the out-of-favour Juventus striker and could land a deal for as little as £33m this summer. It’s not just the Serbian forward on their radar, however.

According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa are now preparing to grant Emery’s request and sign Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur this summer. The Argentina defender is reportedly ready to move on from North London and will cost as much as £55m, with Villa ‘willing to offer Romero a five-year contract’.

A World Cup-winner and Champions League-level defender, Emery’s interest in Romero should come as little surprise. It represents how far Spurs have fallen at the same time as Villa’s rise that the two clubs have almost swapped in positions both on and off the pitch. It wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that, in 2025, a move to Villa Park is bigger than heading to Spurs.

"Strong" Romero would be impressive coup

Luring one of the most influential players at one of the so-called top six clubs to the Midlands would not only validate Villa’s place in the battle for European places, it would also send a damning statement of intent. Emery already knows all about Romero’s quality and whilst there may be some concerns over his recent injury history, there’s no doubt that he would instantly hand Aston Villa a defensive leader.

Ollie Watkins also knows all about the defender’s quality. As Spurs thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 earlier this season, the England international was limited to just three touches in the opposition box and lost as many as nine duels. Romero, meanwhile, made four interceptions and won four out of seven ground duels whilst maintaining a pass accuracy of 95%.

If that was his Aston Villa audition, then the Argentine passed with flying colours. It’s those types of performances that have seen Romero praised by the likes of teammate Micky van de Ven, who told reporters last season: “Amazing player, unbelievable player. Defensively so strong, with the ball so strong, keeps talking, for me an amazing player.”

Simon Harmer’s 17 wickets during South Africa’s recent tour of India were the latest in a line of crucial contributions by visiting spinners

Omkar Mankame27-Nov-2025

Simon Harmer

Harmer outbowled India’s spinners by a distance on a tour that redeemed him after his difficult 2015 visit, which had pushed him into a seven-year Test exile. No bowler has taken more wickets at a better average in a Test series in India than his 17 scalps at 8.94. On a raging turner in Kolkata, he sliced through the middle order to prevent India from chasing 124. In Guwahati, he extracted sharp turn and bounce to secure his first five-for in India.

Mitchell Santner

In his only Test of the series, Santner engineered one of the most stunning results in modern Test cricket – winning a Test series in India. Brought in after New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in Bengaluru, the left-arm spinner claimed 13 wickets, including his maiden Test five-for, in the historic triumph. His method relied on subtle changes of pace, often dipping below 87kph to extract greater grip and purchase than India’s own spinners.Related

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Ajaz Patel

With Santner absent, Ajaz Patel – having an ordinary series thus far – rediscovered his 2021 magic to seal a 3-0 whitewash in the city of his birth. After lunch on day two, he found his rhythm, bowling a teasing length that forced India’s batters forward without letting them reach the ball adequately. In the second innings, he led New Zealand’s defence of 147 with figures of 6 for 57, including the crucial dismissal of Rishabh Pant, who had threatened to take the game away.

Tom Hartley

Hartley’s Test career began in chaos – two sixes in his first over and bruising figures of 2 for 131 off 25 overs in the first innings. However, he used his high release point to prodigious effect in the second innings: he constantly unsettled seasoned Indian batters and collected 7 for 62, rounding off England’s remarkable comeback win after conceding a 190-run lead.Tom Hartley’s selection was vindicated when he delivered a seven-for against India’s experienced line-up•BCCI

Steve O’Keefe

India hadn’t lost a home Test since 2012, but a three-day defeat in Pune ended that streak. O’Keefe’s twin hauls of 6 for 35 skittled India for 105 and 107, their lowest totals in a home Test defeat. In the first innings, three of his wickets came via outside edges, and one through a stumping. In the second, five of his six dismissals came from attacking the stumps, resulting in bowled or lbws. Australia won by 333 runs.

Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann

After a nine-wicket loss in Ahmedabad, England brought Panesar back in the XI. He responded with a memorable ten-wicket haul in Mumbai, including the twin scalps of Sachin Tendulkar. Panesar and Swann combined for 37 wickets at 25.70, outbowling R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, who took 34 at 39.82. Backed by a strong batting effort, the spinners were crucial to England securing their first series win in India in 28 years.

Nicky Boje

Playing just his second Test, the left-arm spinner delivered a match-shaping all-round performance to seal South Africa’s maiden Test series win in India. Sent in as a nightwatcher, he frustrated India with a gritty 85. His confidence carried into the bowling innings, where he removed India’s top three and added two more lower-order wickets to complete a decisive five-for.

Saqlain Mushtaq

At the peak of his powers, Saqlain dominated this unforgettable two-Test series. In Chennai, he won the decisive battle against Sachin Tendulkar, as India fell 12 runs short. In Delhi, he took his second ten-wicket match haul in the running, though Kumble’s iconic 10 for 74 overshadowed it. Across four successive five-fors, Saqlain’s doosra repeatedly deceived the likes of Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly – some of the finest batters against spin.

After scoring a hundred for India A in South Africa, he’s gearing up to impress against England Lions and in the Ranji Trophy

Deivarayan Muthu11-Jan-2024He was tipped to be the next big batter from Tamil Nadu, even before B Sai Sudharsan emerged on the scene. After scoring hundreds for a giggle in age-group cricket, he made a serene half-century on Ranji Trophy debut against Delhi in Chennai in 2019. But then Covid-19 hit and put his career on pause.Four years on, Pradosh Ranjan Paul’s career is in fast-forward. After his first full Ranji Trophy season in 2022-23, where he was Tamil Nadu’s highest run-getter with 631 runs in nine innings at an average just under 55, he broke into the India A sides in first-class and List A cricket. On India A debut in Potchefstroom, the 23-year-old scored 163 off 209 balls against a South Africa A attack that included Dolphins swing bowler Eathan Bosch and Lions allrounder Evan Jones.Paul had a skittish start with Siya Plaatjie hitting the outside edge near shoulder of the bat, but he responded with crisp back-foot punches and drives. He is particularly strong at driving and flicking on the front foot, but on a bouncy Senwes Park pitch, he adapted to the conditions and scored on the back foot. Even during the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, which preceded India A’s tour of South Africa, Paul had trained with the red ball to fine-tune his back-foot game.Related

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“I knew that there would be lots of bounce on the South Africa wickets compared to Indian pitches,” Paul told ESPNcricinfo. “I was prepared and understood that there would be scoring options on the back foot – and not much on the front foot.”I actually feel preparing with the red ball also helps my white-ball game. It was more or less the mindset shift for playing in South Africa. It’s about choosing what shots you want to play and what not to play.”The left-handed Paul lined up Bryce Parson’s left-arm fingerspin, jumping out of his crease and sweeping him flat and hard over the leg side. Paul’s century gave India A the first-innings advantage after South Africa A had scored 319. During the tour, Paul also realised his dream of taking a picture with his idol Virat Kohli, who was with the senior team in South Africa.”From my childhood, he [Kohli] has been my inspiration and I was lucky enough to talk to him and get some ideas from him,” Paul said. “It was the first time I clicked a picture with him. I’ve always dreamt about it. I’ve had opportunities during NCA camps in Bangalore, but in my mind, I was always adamant that the first time I click a picture with him will be when I become his team-mate. So, it was emotional when I clicked that picture and spent time with him.”

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