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Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi lost his cool at a Luis Enrique question after his team's "unfair" Champions League elimination.

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PSG knocked out of UCL by DortmundAl-Khelaifi backs Enrique despite eliminationBelieves his team were better but unluckyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Parisians endured a bitter Champions League exit as Borussia Dortmund clinched a 2-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final to seal their ticket to Wembley. And after the defeat speculation surrounding Enrique's future started to swirl, which were quickly quelled by the PSG supremo.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT NASSER SAID

When asked if Enrique would continue as the manager for next season, Al-Khelaifi snapped back: "What is this question honestly? Honestly, do you know and understand some football? We are building a long-term project with the youngest squad in Europe, the future will be bright. We will keep going.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite registering 44 attempts over both legs, PSG's endeavours were thwarted by a resolute Dortmund defence, with six shots striking the woodwork. Al-Khelaifi acknowledged Dortmund's resilience but maintained that PSG deserved better fortune as he believes that his troops were the more dominant side over the 180 minutes.

While speaking to Al-Khelaifi said: "We are very disappointed and sad about the result. I think we deserved better. In total, we hit the post on four occasions tonight and twice last week – the ball didn’t want to go in. It’s difficult.

“We wanted to win but congratulations to Dortmund. We really thought we could get to the final. We were the better team. I am proud of our team, the youngest in Europe. It’s the third time in five years that we’ve made the semi-finals. Of course, this wasn’t our objective, but it’s football – sometimes it isn’t fair.”

GettyWHAT NEXT?

As Dortmund prepare for the final showdown in London on June 1, PSG face a period of reflection and regrouping. The club's aspirations for Champions League glory remain intact, with Al-Khelaifi and the PSG hierarchy committed to building a formidable team capable of conquering Europe with Enrique at the helm. They will return to action against Toulouse on Sunday evening in a Ligue 1 fixture.

New Zealand captain impressed with Bangladesh’s counter-attack against the short-ball barrage, expects tough scrap in the second Test

Mohammad Isam in Hamilton03-Mar-20192:09

‘We were just trying to stick with our plans’ – Williamson

New Zealand faced their first challenge since Bangladesh’s arrival on their shores about three weeks ago in the Hamilton Test. They still won by an innings and 52 runs with a day to spare, but the fact that the visitors pushed back for much of the fourth day was a sign their celebrated bowling attack can be challenged.New Zealand are No. 2 in the Test rankings, but were put under pressure in their own backyard while employing their tried-and-tested tactics at Seddon Park. Although Trent Boult finished with a five-for in the second innings, he would be a little peeved at conceding runs at 4.39 over 28 overs. Tim Southee was similarly treated by the Bangladesh batsmen, while Neil Wagner’s bouncer barrage didn’t reap the expected rewards.Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah batted well for long periods in Bangladesh’s second innings, particularly the latter two, whose fifth-wicket stand lasted 54.3 overs in which they scored at a clip of 4.31 per over.New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who was adjudged Man of the Match for the second double-century of his Test career, agreed that the visitors had done quite well against their short-ball plan, mainly from Neil Wagner who at times went overboard with his intensity when unable to pick a wicket.

Coming back today with Bangladesh having more freshness, we knew it was going to be a big workload for the bowlersKANE WILLIAMSON

“I think it was a massive challenge for all the bowlers today,” Williamson said. “We were hopeful of wickets late in the evening yesterday, which was nice. But coming back today with Bangladesh having more freshness, we knew it was going to be a big workload for the bowlers. They were just trying to stick with plans for a long period, and perhaps force an error.”[Wagner] is a little bit freakish with his engine because he can bowl for long periods of time. I don’t think any plan is sustainable forever. Bangladesh were brilliant [with] how they adapted with that tactic. It didn’t work very well for us today so we did had to go back to stop their quick scoring.”As for their lone frontline spinner, Todd Astle, he went wicketless in his 20 overs in the game. Williamson said that given the limited opportunity he got, Astle hadn’t done badly, as he looked to threaten the left-handers when pitching the ball in the rough.”He had limited opportunity in this game but when he did come on to bowl, I thought he was threatening particularly out of the rough to the left-handers,” Williamson said.”We were not far away from the second new ball, which was important for the seamers. He was always next in line to roll his arm over whenever we got a breakthrough. He is a great team man and played a role with the ball today as well.”Williamson said that he expected to have it tougher in the next contest in Wellington, seeing how Bangladesh fought back in the second innings in Hamilton. “I thought the fight today was as tough as Test cricket gets,” he said. “Yes, it was nice to be a long way ahead of the game but today was really tough Test cricket. It is what we expect and we know Wellington is going to be another tough match.”

Reeza Hendricks cracked the maiden century of the Mzansi Super League as Jozi Stars buried Durban Heat under a mountain of runs to climb to the third place. Asked to bat on a belter in Johannesburg, Stars’ batsmen pulverised the opposition, one after the other, in a savage assault. It gave them a cushion of 230 runs – 21 clear of the previous highest total of the tournament, which also belonged to Stars – a good 146 of which came from fours and sixes.What started out as a lesson in the art of preserving wickets and pacing a T20 innings, wound up being an exhibition of death-overs batting. By the time the Stars innings ended, Heat had no idea what had hit them. Specifically, the overs between 14 and 20 were a haze, as Stars pillaged 114 runs in that period.As it is Johannesburg is a treat to bat on – this is the venue of AB de Villiers hundred, remember? – owing to the ground’s natural topography. The high altitude means the ball flies off the bat, and the hardness of the surface gives batsmen the ideal pace they need off it. Add to that small boundaries, and you either have to be a genius who can conjure magic at will, or be extremely adroit with your variations. If you’re unable to tick either of those boxes, you simply close your eyes and pray for the best.It was the last of those that was on display on Friday. Heat’s bowlers offered up an assortment of poor deliveries. They bowled too full. They fed the arc of the batsmen, giving them the ideal amount of room. Changes in pace were sussed out early, and tighter lines were dealt with by smart movements around the crease.Hendricks and Ryan Rickelton took minimal time to get down to business. Barring three, every over in the first ten contained at least one boundary. As one would expect with such striking, Stars’ progression wasn’t without some slice of luck. Hendricks, in particular, walked a slippery path early, his first three fours arriving via a powerful whip over midwicket, an inside edge to fine leg, and a leading edge through backward point.But the streaky strokes soon made way for more meaty ones. A full-blooded shovel over midwicket by Hendricks brought up the fifty of the opening stand, in the last over of the Powerplay. With Rickelton too finding frequent boundaries at the other end – three fours and two sixes in 33 balls – Stars were closing in on the 100-run mark at the start of the 11th over when respite finally arrived. And it took a tremendous catch – Hashim Amla falling to his right at point to snare a Rickelton cut – to end a start so good.However, the worst was yet to come. Rassie van der Dussen provided the first glimpse of that when he cracked four successive sixes off Tladi Bokako in the 14th over, and ended it with a powerful drive through extra cover, making it 30 from the over. Hendricks kept the punishment going with three sixes and a four in the 16th over, off Vernon Philander.Once van der Dussen departed, Heat were in for an even ruder shock as Daniel Christian unleashed a boundary barrage of his own. The manner of Christian’s progression meant that Hendricks had to wait until the last over to get to the hundred despite having moved into the 90s in the 17th over.Heat put up a brave effort in their response, especially considering they lost three wickets to Kagiso Rabada in the very first over. Everything Heat’s bowlers couldn’t discover in the first innings, Stars’ did: pace, bounce, and movement off the deck. Even so, with Johannesburg’s reputation for putting up thrilling chases, nothing could be ruled out. Morne van Wyk kept the fight alive with another six-heavy attack, but with Heat unable to plug the fall of wickets at the other end, it was a lost battle. Through the first half, Heat maintained a run rate of over ten, but had lost six wickets. In all, Heat managed four overs of 17 runs each, and struck 17 fours and nine sixes in their innings. It made for an entertaining viewing, but was nowhere close to enough as they crumbled under the magnitude of the task in front.

Manny Machado got straight to business during the San Diego Padres' spring training opener on Friday.

Machado took the first pitch he saw deep over the center field wall for a two-run homer off Seattle Mariners left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Díaz.

Machado was pulled after his second at bat Friday. The first-inning home run was his only hit of the day, but it got the Padres' offense started in their first Cactus League game this spring.

The home run ball flew 428 feet, deep beyond the center-field wall at Peoria Stadium in Peoria, Ariz. Machado's next opportunity to enter the lineup comes Saturday when the Padres play at home against the Athletics. The Padres open the regular season at home March 27 against the Atlanta Braves.

Last season, Machado slashed .275/.325/.472 with 29 homers and 105 RBIs. In the postseason, the Padres lost to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in the National League Division Series. The Dodgers held Machado hitless in the last two games of the series, where L.A. blanked San Diego in both games to advance.

Now, if the start to spring training is any indicator, Machado seems to be out for a vengeance.

They may not force their way in this season against England but opportunity could come next year

Andrew McGlashan19-Nov-2021

Henry Hunt

The South Australia opener has made a big impression over the last two seasons to vault himself into national consideration at the age of 24. He scored his maiden century in his fourth first-class match in 2019 and this season he has made two hundreds, including a superb 134 against Tasmania in bowler-dominated conditions out of a total of 220. It matches the two he made last summer when he was the standout performer in another poor season for South Australia and the four centuries have come in his last 13 first-class innings.”I think Henry’s form over the last couple of weeks has been fantastic, but in many respects it’s backed up what we’ve been seeing from him,” national selector George Bailey said. “He’s well organised, his game’s in really good order, he’s got a lot of fight in the way he goes about it, he’s determined and he’s a gun fielder.Related

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Bryce Street

The left hander has made a name for himself at the top of Queensland’s order with his stickability at the crease but this season he has also worked on expanding his stroke range as witness during his century against Tasmania which included the first sixes of his first-class career. Three of his four hundreds have come from more than 300 deliveries while the other took 281. He also stood up to New South Wales’ Test-strength attack in last season’s Sheffield Shield final with 46 off 203 deliveries which allowed Marnus Labuschagne to take charge. In recent weeks his form has tailed a little – a top score of 23 in his last five innings – but Street’s qualities remain sought-after in this era.”For a young guy, Streety is bloody difficult to dismiss and that’s a great trait as an opening batsman,” Bailey said. “And the flow-on benefits of how hard it is to get him out is that his teammates are often the beneficiaries of his hard work, so we love the determination, we love the grit he brings.”Which of Nic Maddinson, Bryce Street, Matt Renshaw and Henry Hunt could break into the Test side?•Getty Images

Matt Renshaw

Renshaw made a terrific start to his Test career including a big century against Pakistan at the SCG in 2017, but has not played since being hastily called into the Johannesburg Test in early 2018 following the fallout from the ball-tampering scandal. He was in line to play against Pakistan in the UAE but suffered a concussion. A difficult couple of seasons followed and he was dropped from the Queensland side then took a break from the game. He has returned and reinvented himself into a middle-order batter with considerable success averaging 55.92 since the start of last season. The selectors have an eye on his skill against spin with the subcontinent tours scheduled for next year.”I think he’s worked his way really nicely into the start of this season, he looks really at home in that number five role and he’s an excellent player of spin,” Bailey said.However, speaking this week, former captain Steve Waugh said he thought Renshaw should return as an opening batter. “I don’t know why he is batting in the lower order because he did a great job for Australia opening He’s got a good technique but for some reason he is not the flavour of the day. But I thought he made an amazing Test debut under lights in Adelaide in difficult conditions. He scored slowly but survived. He hasn’t got the credits he deserves while playing. I wouldn’t rule him out.”

Nic Maddinson

Maddinson’s career has been rejuvenated by his move to Victoria where he has averaged 63.41 to put himself firmly in the frame for a Test recall having struggled during his first opportunity in 2016 (he made his debut in the same match as Renshaw). He was the closest of the Australia A group of batters to earning a place in the main squad. Chris Rogers, the Victoria coach, has spoken of the maturity Maddinson has brought to his game on and off the field, something further emphasised by his recent promotion to captain of Melbourne Renegades in the BBL. His innings of 87 against New South Wales earlier this season came in for significant acclaim in a match where few other batters could score as freely and he followed that with a century at the MCG. He has been troubled by the short ball during his career but has worked on that aspect of his game.”It’s one of those things, you get to the second half of your career and you start to probably look at things differently,” Rogers said this week. “You think more about your game, how you’re structuring your innings, all those kind of things. You probably balance your personal life out a bit as well. He just seems really calm, that’s the thing that stands out for me. From the innings I’ve seen this year he’s been completely calm from ball one, and he’s looked like a senior player, an old pro, and that doesn’t come easily.”

Crystal Palace have made an approach to sign a “powerful” £20m star alongside their talks for Ousmane Diomande, according to a recent report.

Crystal Palace receive Europa League boost as John Textor sells stake

Since Palace won the FA Cup back in May, there has been lots of talk about whether the Eagles would be able to play in the Europa League or not next season, given John Textor was a shareholder at Selhurst Park as well as at Lyon, who are also participating in the same competition next season.

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Oliver Glasner has reportedly “approved” the signing.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 20, 2025

Palace’s chances of being in the competition have just received a major boost, as Textor has now sold his shares in Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. Textor had a 43 percent stake, but he has now sold all of that to Johnson in a deal worth more than £109 million.

Textor’s sale to Johnson needs the Premier League’s approval, but if all goes well, Palace supporters could now find themselves following their team in Europe next season. As well as being owner of the New York Jets, Johnson was also a former US ambassador to the UK, and his interest in the Premier League is not new, as he’s tried to buy a football club before now, holding interests in West Ham and Chelsea.

As Palace could now be set for a season in the Europa League, they can now turn their focus to summer transfers, and while they work on a deal for Diomande, they have another player on their radar.

Crystal Palace make approach to sign Andy Diouf

According to Alan Nixon, relayed by TBR Football, Crystal Palace have approached RC Lens over a deal to sign Andy Diouf, who they see as their next signing if they can wrap up a deal for Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande.

The report states that the Eagles are aware they could potentially lose midfielder Adam Wharton this summer, given his impressive performances last season in the Premier League, and they are now putting plans in place to have a replacement for the Englishman. It is stated that Lens are willing to sell Diouf this summer, as long as they receive a bid worth £20 million.

Diouf, who has been described as a “powerful ball-carrier” in the past, played 34 times in Ligue 1 last season, scoring one goal in the process. Diouf’s versatility will make him a very useful addition at Selhurst Park, as he can operate anywhere through the spine of midfield, as a number six, eight or ten.

Apps

67

Goals

2

Assists

2

A concrete move for Diouf will likely come once the Eagles have completed the transfer of Diomande. It’s been reported that Palace are in negotiations with Sporting CP over a deal to sign the defender, as he is seen as a replacement for Marc Guehi. It could cost Palace as much as £40 million to get a deal over the line for the Ivory Coast international.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened talks with another target, as technical director Johan Lange begins work on their potential third summer signing after Mathys Tel and Kota Takai.

Frank holds Tottenham talks over signing £300k-p/w ace who's open to joining

The Spurs boss has been discussing him with Lilywhites hierarchy.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 18, 2025

Spurs look ready to back new manager Thomas Frank with fresh squad upgrades ahead of his first full season in charge, and Tel’s £30 million permanent switch from Bayern Munich was reportedly approved by the Dane himself.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Frank will also soon welcome J League sensation Takai after chairman Daniel Levy green-lit a £5 million deal to sign the 20-year-old defender from Kawasaki Frontale, which stands as a record fee for any Japanese player from that division.

Tottenham signed Takai to compete as a first-team player, hoping that he’s set to follow a similar trajectory to the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr (Alasdair Gold), so supporters can expect to see him in and around the senior matchday squads next term.

Frank has a proven track record of developing young players into major talents, and the 51-year-old is excited to work with his “very talented” new roster.

“It’s a very talented squad, a very good squad and I’m very excited to start working with them,” said Frank in his first interview with the club.

“Of course, when you follow the Premier League, you see the other teams, you see Tottenham – you’ve seen some fantastic performances from the team over the last years. So, I think there’s big potential.

“But, of course, I’m looking from the outside, so I’m looking forward to getting to know them, to be around them, to feel them, understand them, work with them on the training pitch. That’s where you really get the big understanding, understand the relationships between players and how you can get the best out of them.

“I’ve got an idea already, my head is spinning [with] how can we play, how do I put them together, but I’m looking forward to that.”

Tottenham in talks with Kyle Walker-Peters

In the last week, Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a swoop for ex-defender Kyle Walker-Peters, who’s now officially leaving Southampton as a free agent at the end of this month.

The 28-year-old has made over 200 appearances for Southampton since leaving Spurs for St. Mary’s in 2020, and he’d bring some much-needed experience to Frank’s otherwise very youthful squad.

Tottenham also need more club-trained players to fill their Champions League quota, and Walker-Peters fits the bill considering he came through the Hotspur Way academy.

Now, as per Graeme Bailey in a piece for TBR Football, Lange has personally “started work” on bringing the Englishman back to N17.

It is believed Tottenham have opened talks with Walker-Peters over re-joining on a free, with the full-back keen on potentially making a return to his boyhood club as he looks to secure a move back to the Premier League, following his relegation on the south coast last season.

Interestingly, Walker-Peters employs the same agency as a host of current Spurs players – including James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Richarlison, Son Heung-min, Djed Spence and Sarr – so this could perhaps help to facilitate a deal given CAA Base’s already-productive relationship with the Lilywhites.

MatériaMais Notícias

da aposte e ganhe： Sem jogos durante a semana, São Paulo se prepara para o jogo de sábado (7), contra o Vasco, no Rio de Janeiro. Entretanto, mesmo embalado pela conquista da Copa do Brasil e com duas vitórias seguidas no Brasileiro, Dorival Júnior pode ter alguns problemas para escalar a equipe.

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da betsul： Isso porque não contará com três jogadores titulares: Rafinha, Calleri e Beraldo. Contra o Corinthians, os três receberam seu terceiro cartão amarelo. Desta forma, terão que cumprir suspensão e não viajarão para o Rio de Janeiro. Assim, o time deve ter algumas alterações.

Na vaga de Calleri, uma das principais opções para substituir é Juan, tendo em vista que Erison ainda segue no departamento médico, embora esteja treinando com parte do elenco. Beraldo deve dar espaço para Alan Franco. No lugar de Rafinha, Nathan é o favorito, embora Raí Ramos também esteja disponível.

Porém, no ataque, existe a chance de outro cenário. Ao invés de Juan, Luciano pode voltar a ser titular e reforçar o ataque. O camisa 10 está sendo bastante utilizado como uma opção para entrar no decorrer da partida, como visto nos últimos jogos – inclusive, na final da Copa do Brasil. Sem Calleri, pode voltar a ser titular.

Um possível São Paulo para enfrentar o Vasco é composto por Rafael, Nathan (Raí Ramos, Diego Costa, Alan Franco e Caio Paulista; Pablo Maia, Alisson, Rodrigo Nestor (Gabriel Neves) e Wellington Rato; Lucas e Luciano (Juan).

Bangladesh escaped the frying pan with four quick wickets to bowl India out early on the second morning, but jumped straight into the fire of the relentless Indian bowling attack, getting bowled out in just 47.1 overs. India chose to bat on despite a lead of 227, and led by 308 with seven second-innings wickets in hand by stumps on day two.Even though India bowled in considerably less helpful conditions than day one, there was no respite for the Bangladesh batters. Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj took eight between them when there was assistance for the pacers, while Ravindra Jadeja broke Bangladesh’s biggest partnership when conditions eased off.The day started on a positive note for Bangladesh. Taskin Ahmed used the second new ball much better than the first for three wickets, Hasan Mahmud completed Bangladesh’s first five-for in India, and they let India add only 37 to their overnight score. However, a quick reminder followed that their bowlers had committed too many errors on day one already. India’s fast bowlers were on the money immediately, bowling testing spell after testing spell, drawing an error once every three balls to reduce Bangladesh to 40 for 5.Shadman Islam was cleaned up by Jasprit Bumrah•BCCI

Bumrah began over the wicket to the left-hand openers, moving the ball away consistently, but went around for the last ball of the first over. Shadman Islam left him, probably because all the previous five balls had moved away, but this one seamed back in to hit the top of off. Zakir Hasan survived an lbw call that both the umpire and the India captain misjudged, but Deep proved to be too good for him and Mominul Haque.The first over from Deep, immediately around the wicket, wasn’t the greatest, but in his second he got the ball to seam in from a good length just outside off. Zakir was beaten completely while Mominul managed to get his pad in line only for the ball to ricochet into the wicket. He would have been lbw anyway. Mushfiqur Rahim edged the hat-trick ball towards gully but it fell short.Post lunch, India went back to their top two bowlers, who had only bowled short spells before the interval. Siraj, who had lost out on Zakir’s wicket earlier, was the most accurate of the three. Najmul Hossain tried to walk at him to counter the movement, but still managed to only edge to second slip as a wobble-seam ball seamed away from him.Akash Deep’s two-in-two rattled Bangladesh before lunch•BCCI

Bumrah kept testing Mushfiqur before he bowled a rare delivery that swung after pitching. You can’t mean to do that but it sometimes happens – mostly when the seam is upright – that the ball starts to swing after going past the batter. This one started to go even before it went past Mushfiqur, who had the angle covered otherwise. It took the edge, went quickly to second slip, and began to swerve away from KL Rahul at the last moment. Rahul’s upper body turned with the ball, and his soft hands meant the catch was taken.By now the movement began to settle down, and Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan put together a quick stand of 51 with some good-looking drives. Then India’s spin twins came on and gave away nothing despite little assistance for them from the pitch. In trying to dominate them, Litton ended up playing a slog-sweep much squarer than he would have liked, offering a catch to deep square leg. Shakib unfortunately reverse-swept Ravindra Jadeja straight into his boot for a lob to Rishabh Pant.Just before tea, India brought back the threat of Siraj and Bumrah. Siraj found the edge immediately but it didn’t carry, but with what proved to be the last ball before tea, Bumrah got the better of Mahmud. Bangladesh were still 65 short of avoiding the follow-on. The last two Bangladesh wickets hung around for three quarters of an hour, including a boundary off Bumrah that clearly set something off. Bumrah softened Taskin Ahmed up with short balls, hitting him on the helmet and the glove, before cleaning him up with a pinpoint yorker.After a first-innings duck, Shubman Gill got going in the second•BCCI

The tall Nahid Rana didn’t quite fancy getting behind the line of Bumrah either but managed to somehow deny him the five-for, also hitting him for two boundaries. Eventually, he played Siraj on as he slogged at one, giving him his second wicket. India had more than an hour and a half to bat before stumps on day two.So far ahead in the game were they, India came out swinging. Yashasvi Jaiswal took 10 runs off the first over, Rohit Sharma flicked the first ball he faced for four, but they soon discovered the pitch was still not flat enough to be toying around with the bowling. Their wickets made it the most – 16 – in a single day’s play at Chepauk. Shubman gill and Virat Kohli then batted to the merit of the bowling, but a rare dismissal – a right-hand batter getting out lbw to an offspinner playing forward – made it 17 wickets in the day. It was Kohli, who did not review it, and Ultra Edge then suggested an inside edge. By stumps, India were more than 300 ahead.

da betobet： After agreeing a deal to sign Zepiqueno Redmond on a free transfer, Aston Villa have now reportedly made an offer to sign a Serie A champion who is tempted to complete a move to the Midlands.

Aston Villa set to sign Redmond

da blaze casino： Kicking off their summer business as early as possible, the Villans are reportedly set to sign Redmond from Feyenoord when his current contract comes to an end at the end of the month. At just 18 years old, the Dutchman very much reflects the future of Aston Villa’s frontline and could provide Unai Emery with a replacement for Jhon Duran that he has needed at times.

When it comes to first-team experience, the young forward has already received a taste of Eredivisie action at Feyenoord and even featured in the Champions League last season. Now, Redmond will be keen to add some Premier League experience to a portfolio that only looks likely to grow more and more impressive as the years go on.

Despite their PSR concerns, Redmond could yet be the first of a few fresh faces in the Midlands if reports are anything to go by. Recent rumours have mentioned names such as Jack Grealish in recent weeks and there’s no doubt that his return would cause quite the stir.

Having been shown the door at Manchester City, Grealish could yet complete a sensational Villa comeback and one that would need to see him get fans back onside as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, away from Grealish, the Villans have also reportedly submitted an offer to sign a Serie A champion this summer.

Aston Villa submit offer to sign Rrahmani

According to Il Mattino, as relayed by CalcioNapoli, Aston Villa have now submitted an offer to sign Amir Rrahmani from Napoli this summer and whilst he is not desperate to leave the Italian club, he is reportedly tempted by the offer from the Midlands.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Jun 10, 2025

Villa aren’t alone in their pursuit, however, with Tottenham Hotspur also reportedly chasing a deal to sign the experienced centre-back. And that interest should come as no surprise. The 31-year-old enjoyed an excellent campaign as part of Napoli’s Serie A-winning side, starting in all 38 games, and has done more than enough to attract impressive admirers.

League stats per 90 24/25 (via FBref)

Amir Rrahmani

Pau Torres

Starts

38

23

Progressive Passes

4.97

4.33

Tackles Won

0.82

0.67

Ball Recoveries

3.57

2.77

Given how highly those in the Midlands rate Pau Torres, the fact that Rrahmani outperformed the Spaniard in several areas proves just how impressive an addition he would be.

A deal may be easier said than done, however, especially if Antonio Conte has his say. The Napoli boss was full of praise for his defender last season, describing him as “hardworking” and like a “solider” in his title-winning side.