A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways

S Sudarshanan18-Feb-2025Who’s playingDelhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz
Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, 7:30pm ISTWhat to expect: Battle of middle-ordersThat Capitals have the most successful opening combination in the WPL meant that the middle order has escaped scrutiny. But not anymore, after they almost lost their opening fixture this season and then went down heavily to RCB. Capitals’ middle-order batters (Nos. 4 to 7) average 21.97, which is the lowest in the WPL. Jess Jonassen (13), Marizanne Kapp (12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12) have batted the most innings in these positions for them.In stark contrast, UP Warriorz have the best average for these positions (28.44), with Deepti Sharma (14), Grace Harris (14) and Tahlia McGrath (9) being the regulars. This could partly be attributed to the fact that they have used five opening pairs across the three seasons.Related

Athapaththu to leave WPL early to play for Sri Lanka

A stronger show in the middle order could end up having a say in which way the contest sways. Warriorz are yet to get off the mark, having lost their opening game to Gujarat Giants.Team news and likely XIsCapitals played their full-strength XI in the last outing against RCB. Expect them to go in with a similar structure that allows them batters till No. 11.Delhi Capitals (possible): 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Annabel Sutherland, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Sarah Bryce (wk), 8 Shikha Pandey, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Arundhati Reddy, 11 Minnu ManiWarriorz could think of getting in Poonam Khemnar to shore up the lower middle-order firepower. There could also be a case to play Anjali Sarvani for the left-arm seam angle.UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Kiran Navgire, 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Uma Chetry (wk), 4 Deepti Sharma (capt), 5 Tahlia McGrath, 6 Grace Harris, 7 Shweta Sehrawat/Poonam Khemnar, 8 Alana King, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Kranti GoudPlayers to watch: Shikha Pandey and Kiran NavgireOverlooked from the Indian side after the T20 World Cup 2023, Shikha Pandey continues to grab the spotlight with performances in T20 competitions around the world. After the WPL last year, she played in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, Women’s Big Bash League and Women’s Super Smash, picking up 25 wickets across them. She’s begun WPL 2025 on the right note – keeping MI in check in the opening game and conceding runs at 6.75 runs per over against RCB even when the scoring rate was close to nine. She has been the third-most economical bowler in WPL 2025 so far.Kiran Navgire opened the batting with Vrinda Dinesh for UP Warriorz•BCCIIn the WPL, Kiran Navgire takes a liking to spin. She has a strike rate of 156.84 against spin (95 balls faced) as opposed to 106.50 against pace (123 balls) in the competition. She has been dismissed 22 times by pace and only five times by spin in the WPL. When she hit 125 not out against Arunachal Pradesh in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy earlier this season, four of her five sixes came against the spin duo of Shivi Yadav and Reetika Agarwal. Is there a case for Warriorz to bat Navgire in the middle order? Or for her to see off fast bowling and wait for spin, in case she continues to open?Key statsDeepti Sharma is one of only four players in the WPL with over 400 runs and 15-plus wickets.Meg Lanning, the leading run-scorer of the WPL, has been in a slightly lean patch in T20 cricket. She has only three half-centuries (one of them in the Hundred) and averages 21.34 since the last WPL.Since her ODI best of 3 for 62 against Australia, Saima Thakor has picked up just one wicket in nine outings across formats. She went wicketless in Warriorz’s first match.

It’s incredible how quickly the mood can change in football, and West Ham United are a great example.

Following their third defeat in as many games at the start of the week, it felt like the club were destined for a dreadful season, but now, after a few brilliant signings, there is a sense of renewed optimism in some areas of the fanbase.

Now, there is still a lot of work for Graham Potter and Co to do before fans can get ahead of themselves, but the additions of Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa certainly help.

Moreover, if reports are to be believed, the club are in the market for more signings, including an international compared to Jude Bellingham.

West Ham target Bellingham-esque star

Even though the transfer window comes to a close on Monday evening, West Ham continue to be linked with a host of talented players.

Transfer Focus

For example, Feyenoord’s captain Quintien Timber could be available for just £25m and would add some steel to the middle of the park, and Conor Gallagher is now being touted for a return to the capital.

However, neither one of these brilliant players has been compared to the world-class Bellingham, unlike another international the Hammers are keen to sign.

At least that is according to a recent report from German publication BILD, which claims West Ham are very interested in Patrick Wimmer.

In exciting news, the report has revealed that the East Londoners are now expected to bid for the Wolfsburg player before the window closes.

It would certainly be a surprise move, but the £33k-per-week dynamo would be an excellent addition to Potter’s squad, especially as he’s been compared to Bellingham.

How Wimmer compares to Bellingham

Before exploring some of the other reasons West Ham should sign Wimmer this summer, it’s essential to examine this remarkable comparison to Bellingham and where it comes from.

In this instance, the analysis stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League, and the Europa League.

In this case, FBref has concluded that the Real Madrid star is the second most similar midfielder to the Wolfsburg ace.

Progressive Carries

2.34

2.68

Shots

2.08

2.17

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.17

1.12

Expected Assists

0.17

0.16

Key Passes

1.22

1.52

Shot-Creating Actions

3.61

3.80

Goal-Creating Actions

0.61

0.47

Successful Take-On %

53.6%

54.7%

The best way to understand how that conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely.

These include metrics such as progressive carries, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-on percentage, key passes and more, all per 90.

These numbers paint the picture of an all-action player who can be a goal threat in his own right, but is also an effective creator for his team.

In addition to this incredibly encouraging comparison to one of the best players in the world, the “wonderful” Austrian international, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is also an entertainer.

This is evident when watching his highlights, and while output is always going to be the most important thing, having a player in the side who can get the stadium on its feet is also hugely important.

Ultimately, it would be a surprise deal, but West Ham should do all they can to sign Wimmer before Monday evening, as he could provide the side with that bit more x-factor.

Fernandes upgrade: West Ham to submit bid for another big-money midfielder

The experienced international would be an excellent signing for Graham Potter and West Ham.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 29, 2025

Axar finished with 2 for 43, and Jaker Ali, the beneficiary of the drop, went on to score 68

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2025

Axar Patel got back-to-back wickets when he sent back Mushfiqur Rahim•ICC/Getty Images

India captain Rohit Sharma rued putting down an “easy” catch at slip to deny Axar Patel a hat-trick in his side’s win against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy.”That was an easy catch, I should have taken that,” Rohit said at the presentation. “The standard I’ve set for myself for standing in the slips… That was a little disappointing, but these things happen, I do understand that. But again, the way these guys bowled that set the game for us.”I know they were 36 [35] for 5 and then they got a big partnership and these things are bound to happen. There will be odd partnerships, credit to [Towhid] Hridoy and Jaker Ali, they played brilliantly to stitch that big partnership. And then with the bat I thought we were very clinical.”Related

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Gill ton helps India ace tricky chase after Shami five-for

Rohit joked he would take Axar to dinner on Friday night to make it up to him. Axar had sent back Tanzid Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim on consecutive deliveries in the ninth over, and then Jaker edged his first ball behind only to see Rohit shell the chance. Rohit slapped the ground repeatedly in disappointment, while Axar turned back slowly to his mark with his hands on his head.”I was going to celebrate but then I turned around since it didn’t happen,” Axar had said during the innings break, on missing out on the hat-trick. “These things happen, it’s part of the game.”Jaker went on to score 68 in a century partnership with Hridoy, who in turn got to his maiden ODI century. The duo rescued Bangladesh from 35 for 5 to 189 for 6.Axar finished with 2 for 43 from his 10 overs.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fortaleza conseguiu uma vitória de ouro nesta quarta-feira. No Mineirão, o Leão do Pici derrotou o Cruzeiro por 1 a 0, pela 11ª rodada do Brasileirão. Lucero anotou o gol do triunfo. O Fortaleza é o 8º, com 17 pontos, enquanto que a Raposa é o 10º, com 14. Veja os melhores momentos no player acima.

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+ Confira a tabela de classificação do Brasileirão e os próximos jogos

We are just one week into the Premier League season, and Arsenal already have a significant injury setback.

News broke yesterday afternoon that, after only just recovering from his hamstring injury that ruled him out of half of last season, Kai Havertz is out with a knee problem.

It’s not clear what the specific injury is, but it looks like the German will be out of action for some time, which is not what Mikel Arteta needs with a trip to Liverpool coming up.

However, there is some good news for the Arsenal faithful, as the club are being linked with an international star who could be the manager’s next Havertz.

Arsenal target their next Havertz

It has been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year, as just a few weeks ago, following Viktor Gyokeres’ arrival, spirits were high.

Transfer Focus

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

However, the sentiment in the fanbase took a nosedive this morning, mainly down to the news that Eberechi Eze looked almost certain to be heading to rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Unsurprisingly, this mood was not helped by the Havertz update, although Arsenal have acted quickly to give supporters something to look forward to with the Gunners incredibly hijacking Spurs’ bid to sign Eze, now agreeing a move themselves.

Eze hasn’t been the only Premier League attacker on the club’s radar. According to a recent report from the Sun, which has claimed Arsenal are still very interested in Morgan Rogers.

The report has revealed that the Gunners are now ‘weighing up a dramatic swoop’ for the Aston Villa star, who is valued at around £80m.

It goes on to claim that while the North Londoners were already keeping tabs on the Englishman, the injury to Havertz has only ‘increased the likelihood’ that the club will go back into the market.

It’s a lot of money to spend on one player, but Rogers is an outrageously talented player and would be more than worth it, especially as he could be Arteta’s new Havertz.

How Rogers would be Arteta's new Havertz

So, the first thing to say is that, yes, Rogers and Havertz have not played in the same position over the last couple of seasons.

However, while that is not the primary basis of this comparison, there are a few other similarities that suggest the Englishman could be Arteta’s new version of the German.

For example, while we are on the topic of positions, they both share the trait of being versatile and playing where their managers want them to.

In the case of the Villa star, he’s spent much of his time at the club moving between attacking midfield and both wings and has even spent a little bit of time up top, which might come in handy at the moment.

The former Chelsea ace, on the other hand, has primarily spent time leading the line, but was originally a left eight when he arrived in North London, and even spent some time on the right last season.

The other key similarity is that, if this transfer goes through at the price reported, it would be another massive signing from a fellow Premier League side, and one that is challenging the European places.

Finally, both players are now full internationals, and while the former Bayer Leverkusen player has far more senior caps to his name, that would be expected given the age gap.

With all that said, there is another massive reason why Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign the former Middlesbrough gem: his output.

For example, in his 54 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 4496 minutes, the Halesowen-born “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob, scored 14 goals and provided 16 assists.

Appearances

54

Minutes

4496′

Goals

14

Assists

16

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.86′

That means the often “unstoppable” midfielder, as dubbed by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher, was able to average a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 149.86 minutes.

Having that sort of output in this team could be the difference between another second-place finish and glory.

Ultimately, even before the injury to Havertz, Arsenal should have gone all out to sign Rogers, but now we know the German will be out for some time, the club should be solely focused on bringing the Villa star to the Emirates.

Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal could move for "interesting" target in £43m star

The Gunners have a potential late-window opportunity.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 20, 2025

خطف منتخب قطر فوزًا هامًا من منافسه الإمارات بهدفين مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ضمن لقاءات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وأقيمت مباراة قطر والإمارات على أرضية ملعب جاسم بن حمد، في إطار الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة التصفيات الختامية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.

وتقدم منتخب قطر بالهدف الأول في الدقيقة 49، من كرة عرضية لعبها أكرم عفيف من ضربة حرة، حولها بوعلام خوخي برأسية في المرمى.

وأضاف بيدرو ميجيل الهدف الثاني من رأسية أخرى لعبها أكرم عفيف، لتتحول الكرة في الشباك في الدقيقة 74 من عمر اللقاء.

بينما أحرز سلطان عادل هدف الإمارات الوحيد من تصويبة قوية داخل منطقة الجزاء، بعد استلام كرة عرضية، في الدقيقة التاسعة من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الثاني. أهداف فوز قطر على الإمارات في تصفيات كأس العالم

وبهذه النتيجة وصل رصيد منتخب قطر إلى 4 نقاط في المجموعة الأولى، ويحجز بطاقة التأهل المباشر إلى كأس العالم في المكسيك وكندا والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتأهل منتخب قطر إلى نهائيات كأس العالم للمرة الثانية في تاريخه، بعد استضافته للنسخة الأخيرة خلال عام 2022.

خاص | المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026

وكانت 6 منتخبات حسمت التأهل بشكل رسمي إلى نهائيات كأس العالم، من المرحلة الثالثة، وهي إيران وأوزبكستان وكوريا الجنوبية والأردن واليابان وأستراليا.

ومن خلال المرحلة الرابعة التي تم تقسيمها إلى مجموعتين من 6 منتخبات، كل مجموعة تضم 3 منتخبات، سوف يتأهل المتصدر من كل مجموعة لاكتمال عدد المنتخبات من قارة آسيا.

Chelsea fans will be very encouraged by the start their side has made to the brand new Premier League season.

Enzo Maresca’s Blues were in speculative conversations last campaign about a surprise title push, but that did unfortunately fall to the wayside. However, with two wins and a draw from their opening three contests this time around, the West London outfit is one of the early pace-setters.

New signing up top in Joao Pedro has already set the league alight donning Chelsea blue, with five goals from his first six outings.

Yet, Liam Delap doesn’t continue the good news here when it comes to exciting attacking additions, with a nasty injury now keeping him sidelined after the 2-0 victory over near neighbours Fulham.

This could well trigger Chelsea into being active yet again in the striker department, as a £69m ace comes onto their radar.

Chelsea enter late race for £69m striker

The former Manchester City attacker could well be out for a prolonged period of time, with a fear he might be out for even more than the early estimate of six to eight weeks.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

As a result, Nicolas Jackson – who was due to sign for Bayern Munich on loan – has been told to return from Germany and not undergo a medical. Yet, he is understandably hesitant to return to Stamford Bridge as a back-up option. Consequently, Maresca and Co. could now have to try and strike up an extremely late deal for a rising star.

Indeed, as per an update from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the unbeaten Blues have now made an approach to sign Sporting youngster Conrad Harder, with Chelsea on the hunt for a Jackson replacement, to then allow for that choppy move to finally occur.

RB Leipzig are also in the hunt for Harder; however, who has a whopping £69m release clause next to his name.

How Harder can become Maresca's own Gyokeres

If Chelsea can get a late move over the line, it might culminate in the West London outfit winning their very own Viktor Gyokeres, as another clinical Sporting attacker is gifted the grand opportunity to impress in the Premier League.

Gyokeres might well have struggled on his debut versus Manchester United, but he is now up and running in Arsenal red and white after bagging two strikes versus Leeds United, resulting in his trademark celebration coming out for all to see at the Emirates.

It felt like only a matter of time before the explosive Swede was going to grace the pitches of the English top-flight, having fired home a ridiculous 97 strikes for the Portuguese titans from just 102 clashes, after waving goodbye to Coventry City after a goal-laden stint in the EFL.

Of course, it’s ludicrous to insinuate that a far younger and rawer Harder will become this lethal overnight.

But, there is a method to the madness here, considering the 20-year-old Dane has already been heralded as the “next Gyokeres” by Scouted Football, on top of also being lauded as a “complete forward” by scout Jacek Kulig.

Harder’s league numbers (24/25)

Stat

Harder

Games played

28

Games started

6

Minutes averaged

28

Goals scored

5

Assists

5

Goal scoring frequency

159 mins

Big chances created

6

Stats by Sofascore

Amazingly, despite only starting six Liga Portugal clashes last season, the lively Scandinavian had a mightily impressive five goals to shout about, meaning he notched up a league goal for the Lisbon-based giants every 159 minutes.

But, even more impressively, despite only averaging 3.8 accurate passes per substitute cameo, Harder also tallied up five assists, with Gyokeres further known for this unselfish side to his varied game, having closed out his own time in Portugal last season with 11 assists in all competitions.

In the wake of Delap’s untimely injury, on top of Jackson’s future being up in the air, Harder might well finally be gifted the platform to be a leading man for a top side, with more goals and assists perhaps ready to come to the surface to elevate him even more to Gyokeres’ insane level.

Having once been dubbed “aggressive” by ex-Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, it remains to be seen whether the 20-year-old can be a success in such a demanding league.

It feels like a risk worth taking for Maresca and Co., though, as Harder and Gyokeres potentially go head-to-head to fire their respective sides to domestic glory.

Related Chelsea now in talks to sign £35m "1v1 specialist" forward alongside Lopez

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Posts ByDominic Lund Aug 31, 2025

If Australia and South Africa win

Australia and South Africa will qualify with five points each. The top spot in the group will be decided by the win margins, with South Africa favourites to finish first, given their comprehensive win over Afghanistan. Assuming a one-run win for South Africa after scoring 300, Australia need to win by 87 runs (with the same first-innings total) to go past South Africa’s NRR.

If Australia and England win

Australia will top the group with five points, while South Africa will still finish second on three.

If Afghanistan and South Africa win

South Africa will top with five points, while Afghanistan, with four points, will finish second ahead of Australia.

If Afghanistan and England win

Afghanistan will finish on top with four points. The second place will then go to either Australia or South Africa, who will both finish on three points. South Africa are well ahead on NRR currently, which means they will have to suffer a big loss to England for Australia to move ahead on NRR. So, if Australia lose by just one run after Afghanistan score 300, South Africa will have lose by 87 chasing the same target for their NRR to slip below Australia’s.

If Afghanistan vs Australia is washed out

There’s a possibility of showers in Lahore on Friday. If points are shared in that game, Australia will go up to four points and will be assured of qualification.If South Africa beat England, they will top the group with five points, but if England win, then South Africa and Afghanistan will finish on three points each, which will bring NRR into the equation. Afghanistan (NRR -0.99) will almost certainly be eliminated then, as they need South Africa to lose by at least 207 runs (chasing 301) to move up to second place and qualify.

It is starting to feel like it’s now or never for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta has done a brilliant job taking the Gunners from mid-table mediocrity to perennial challengers over the last five years. Still, after three successive second-placed finishes in the Premier League, some are starting to lose patience.

Fortunately, the board and new Sporting Director Andrea Berta and Co are backing him this summer, and have already made several exciting signings, most notably Viktor Gyokeres.

However, with Alexander Isak looking like he might be going to reigning champions Liverpool, the North Londoners might need to find some more firepower from somewhere.

Interestingly, the club have already been linked with just the player this summer, someone who’d improve the team overall and even help Gyokeres reach the output levels of Isak.

Transfer Focus

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

Gyokeres' potential impact at Arsenal

After what felt like months of back and forth with Sporting CP, Arsenal finally got their hands on Gyokeres for around £63.5m including add-ons late last month, and while that is undoubtedly a lot of money, it’s not hard to understand why the club think he’ll be worth it.

For example, in just 52 appearances last season, the Swedish “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a staggering 54 goals and provided 13 assists to boot.

In other words, the 27-year-old international averaged 1.28 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.40 minutes, which is nothing short of miraculous.

However, two potential problems could stifle his output in England.

The first is the simple fact that Portugal’s top-flight is far more forgiving than the Premier League, with it being ranked as just the eighth toughest in the world by Opta Analyst, coming in behind the Championship and Belgian top-flight.

The second problem is that, unlike the right-hand side, where Bukayo Saka will provide a constant stream of top-quality chances, the Gunners’ left-wing options haven’t been as effective as they needed to be over the last few years.

This is even more of a problem with the former Coventry City star, as when you look at his heat map from last season, it’s evident that, at times, he floats out to the left to interchange and collect the ball from his teammates.

However, the good news is that Arsenal could solve this problem if they go back into the market and sign an international player they were linked with earlier in the window: Morgan Rogers.

Why Rogers could help Gyokeres reach Isak level numbers

While there haven’t been any concrete links to Rogers in recent weeks, he was touted for a move to Arsenal earlier in the summer, although with a potential price tag of up to £100m.

Ignoring the potential cost of the deal for now, it would be fair to say that adding Rogers to Arteta’s current side would make them even more dangerous this season, and in particular, he could help Gyokeres reach Isak’s level of numbers.

We say this as even though he was playing for an Aston Villa side that eventually missed out on Champions League qualification last season, he was still an absolute output “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob.

For example, in 54 appearances last season, totalling 4496 minutes, the Halesowen-born superstar scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists, which means he was able to average a goal involvement every 1.86 games, or every 155.03 minutes.

On top of being a reliable source of goals and assists, the second reason the Claret and Blue star could be the player to help supercharge Gyokeres this season is his positional versatility.

While the 23-year-old dynamo is more than comfortable playing in the midfield, as a somewhat traditional number ten, he’s just as, if not more comfortable playing off the left, which, as we’ve already mentioned, is an area of weakness for Arteta and Co.

Just imagine a winger pairing of Saka on the right and Rogers on the left; there is no way Gyokeres won’t hit the same numbers Isak did last season playing between those two.

Ultimately, it would be a costly and extremely complicated transfer to get over the line, but if Arsenal want to ensure their new number nine can match the man who may be going to Liverpool, they should do all they can to sign the Villa star.

A new Bergkamp: Arteta has spoken to £100k-p/w star about joining Arsenal

The incredible international could be a game-changer for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 13, 2025

Tottenham remain in the market for key additions before deadline day on September 1, with the clock against Daniel Levy who has just five days to make three major signings for Spurs.

Thomas Frank has made an excellent start to life in his first ever job managing one of the Premier League big six, overseeing impressive wins against Burnley and Man City with a hamstrung squad.

However, the new manager bounce is unlikely to continue indefinitely, and it is inevitable that Spurs will suffer new injuries amid their task of competing on four different fronts.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are two big attacking absentees for Frank, and it was made worse by club legend Son Heung-min’s departure to the MLS. Radu Dragusin also won’t be back for a while, meaning Tottenham would ideally like to sign a new centre-back, number 10 and winger in the next few days (Sky Sports).

Of course, with time against the Lilywhites, this could change, and their main priority right now is bringing in a playmaker.

This has resulted in Tottenham now making a last-gasp attempt to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, and they could hijack Chelsea in the process after their lengthy talks for the Dutchman.

Credible reports suggest that Simons is open to joining Tottenham, despite reportedly agreeing personal terms with Chelsea, so a north London leapfrog in the race for his signature is very much alive.

The former PSR sensation is in London right now amid Spurs and Chelsea’s race to sign him, with talks ongoing behind-the-scenes as a late battle ensues.

In terms of their wide targets, a player they’ve been struggling to land thus far is Man City winger Savinho.

The Brazil international was subject to a £42 million bid from Spurs, which was rejected out of hand, and Frank’s side were reportedly prepared to make another bid closer to the £60 million mark.

However, City are clear – Savinho is not for sale.

This has resulted in Tottenham being forced to go back to square one in pursuit of a Son replacement, but Savinho himself hasn’t exactly thrown the towel in.

Savinho "really" wants to join Tottenham and hopes for Man City deal

According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, the 21-year-old “really” wants to join Tottenham and is still hoping that a deal can be struck before September 1’s deadline – even if it is unlikely.

The former La Liga forward, who City value at £69m, was a key member of the Girona side that surprisingly challenged for a 23/24 title, with Savinho also registering 13 assists in all competitions for City last season.

He hasn’t been able to feature so far this term due to injury, but Pep Guardiola believes he is an extraordinary player.