Abdellah Ouazane’s move to Real Madrid collapsed after a failed medical, with Manchester United now expected to step up their interest.
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers have turned their attention towards the summer window and now have a versatile star on their radar that could be available for a modest fee, according to a report.
Vitor Pereira deserves immense credit for preserving Wolves’ top-flight status since arriving at Molineux. However, the 56-year-old will be the first to admit that their successful survival mission wouldn’t have been possible without Matheus Cunha.
The Brazil international netted 15 goals in 33 Premier League appearances, all from open play, which will heighten the importance of finding a replacement for the classy forward amid his £62.5 million move to Manchester United.
In the midst of their hunt for reinforcements, Wolves are considering bringing former Al Shabab sporting director Domenico Teti to Molineux as part of a shake-up in their recruitment department.
Matt Hobbs has left the club and talks are underway to secure the 48-year-old as their new technical director. He has also occupied roles at Verona, Sampdoria, Lugano and Apoel Nicosia and would arrive with a vast knowledge of European and Asian markets.
Old Gold full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri appears set for a move to Manchester City, leading Wolves to pursue Brondby youngster Clement Bischoff as a direct successor due to his versatility across the left flank.
Romano: Wolves make approach to sign "highly rated" gem wanted in Europe
The Old Gold are making moves for the future…
By
Sean Markus Clifford
May 30, 2025
Despite avoiding the drop, the summer window will be one of change for Pereira’s men. Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss is also on their radar; nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the landscape lies when it comes to new faces in the West Midlands.
Now, another exciting figure who could help replace Cunha’s end product has come to the attention of the Wolves hierarchy, per recent reports.
According to reports in Spain via Sport Witness, Wolves are in a three-way battle to sign Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche, who can also feature as a second striker or centre-forward.
Leeds United and Brentford are also keen on the Nigeria international – he has a release clause in his current deal at the La Liga side that can be triggered for £21 million this summer.
|
Christantus Uche’s statistics at Getafe – La Liga (Sofascore) |
|
|
Shots per game |
1.5 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.1 |
|
Goalscoring frequency |
625 minutes |
|
Big chances created |
7 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.9 |
Dubbed “fabulous” by boss Jose Bordelas, the 22-year-old registered four goals and seven assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this term.
Earning international recognition for the first time this year, Uche is clearly a rising star and has previously been tracked by Chelsea due to his progress.
Cunha’s departure may mean that more than one solution is required to replicate his influence at Molinuex, but Wolves supporters can take solace from the fact that they are already scoping out the market for quality reinforcements.
Liverpool are still keeping tabs on Alexander Isak despite signing Hugo Ekitike, with the Newcastle United striker keen to leave St James’ Park. The Reds remain interested in a potential £130 million ($176m) move, but will only act if the Magpies soften their stance and Luis Diaz departs. Despite reports, it is now reported that Isak is not currently in talks with Al-Hilal.
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Ellyse Perry, who recently suffered a hip injury, could be a doubtful starter for RCB
S Sudarshanan13-Feb-20254:05
Mandhana: WPL has taught me a lot, not just captaincy
Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, February 14, 2025, 7.30pm IST
No bowler has dismissed Smriti Mandhana more often than Ashleigh Gardner in Women’s T20s or in ODIs. With Gardner assuming the captaincy of Giants, she could look to bring herself on early against the RCB captain. With Mandhana in sublime form, it could be an interesting contest.Two of Giants’ four wins across two seasons of the WPL have come against RCB, including their first-ever victory.Related
RCB's title defence hit by player unavailability, injuries
Can new captain Gardner change Giants' fortunes?
How the WPL is changing life for young Indian women
Vastrakar, Sobhana ruled out of WPL with injuries
The choice of Beth Mooney’s opening partner could pose a headache for Giants. Given Deandra Dottin commands a place in the XI, only one of Laura Wolvaardt and Phoebe Litchfield might find a place in the XI.Gujarat Giants (probable): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Laura Wolvaardt, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Deandra Dottin, 5 Dayalan Hemalatha, 6 Ashleigh Gardner (capt), 7 Simran Shaikh, 8 Sayali Satghare, 8 Meghna Singh, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Kashvee Gautam, 11 Shabnam Shakil/Mannat Kashyap.Ellyse Perry is heading into WPL 2025 on the back of suffering a hip injury during the Women’s Ashes Test in Melbourne. She could take the No. 4 spot in the absence of Sophie Devine. If Perry does not pull up well for the opening game, RCB could go with Georgia Wareham at No. 4 and play Charlie Dean as well. The injury to Asha Sobhana, a sure-starter who has been ruled out of the tournament, adds to the selection complications for them.1:43
Gardner: We have fantastic youth in our set-up
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 S Meghana, 4 Ellyse Perry, 5 Richa Ghosh, 6 Raghvi Bist, 7 Kanika Ahuja, 8 Georgia Wareham, 9 Jagravi Pawar, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Renuka Singh.
With their acrimonious equation from WPL 2023 behind them, Deandra Dottin could be key to Giants’ success. She made a successful return to internationals just ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup last year, where she was West Indies’ leading run-scorer while picking up five wickets at an economy rate of 5.42. In the home T20Is against Bangladesh, Dottin scored 110 in three games at a strike rate of 203.70. Having played ODIs against India at the Kotambi Stadium, Dottin would have an idea of what to expect, and Giants would want her to step up with the ball too, especially at the death.4:32
RCB will have it tough against well-rounded Giants
Very few Indian players in the WPL can do what Richa Ghosh can – finish matches as a power-hitter. With RCB battling player-unavailability and fitness issues, Ghosh will be a vital cog in that middle order. She showed good hitting form in the home season against West Indies and Ireland. RCB relied on her prowess last year to win the title. She is third in the list of most sixes in the WPL; expect her to move up as the season progresses. How she does could well decide how the defending champions start their campaign.
Everton manager David Moyes desperately wants to bring a “special” Premier League player to the club this summer, according to a new transfer update.
The Blues have been linked with lots of players since the 2024/25 season reached its conclusion, but few rumoured signings have caught the eye more than Ben Doak. The Liverpool teenager is reportedly the subject of interest from several top flight clubs, as the Blues look to seal the first direct senior signing between the two Merseyside rivals since 2002, when Abel Xavier traded Goodison Park for Anfield.
The Reds have a big decision to make with Doak, who spent the season on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough, as they weigh up whether they think he is good enough to make the grade in the years to come, or cash in on him for a healthy amount of money this summer.
Plenty of clubs are hovering if they do decide to sell the 19-year-old, and for Everton supporters, the idea of snapping up a bright Liverpool talent will be a mouthwatering prospect. Now, there has been a fresh development in the saga, as Moyes looks to work his magic.
According to TEAMtalk, Doak is now a “leading target” for Everton to sign this summer, as their interest in the Liverpool youngster shows no sign of going away. It is claimed that Moyes is a “huge admirer” of the £30m-rated Scottish wide man, as they look to complete a memorable piece of business.
This has to be considered an encouraging update regarding Everton’s pursuit of Doak, not least the fact that Moyes would seemingly love him at the club.
The Scotland international is exactly what the Blues are crying out for on the flank, with the Liverpool man possessing blistering pace, an ability to both cut inside and hit the byline, and also an enormous amount of long-term potential.
Doak is admired by so many, including former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who has said of him: “Special boy. Really confident, has something nobody else delivers really, this kind of dribbling, this kind of straight-forward bravery, all these kind of things.”
The biggest downside to this whole situation is that the Reds may be unwilling to sell to Everton, given the risk of one of their own players becoming a star for their local rivals, which could put paid to a move.
Mourinho loves him: Everton readying offer to sign "intelligent" forward
Everton have identified a player who they believe will strengthen a key position in their team.
By
Brett Worthington
Jun 5, 2025
If the Scot likes the idea of playing for the Blues, though, not least as it would mean not having to move away, Moyes and those high up at the club must pounce while they have the chance.
“There’s so much competition and that’s why I need to keep getting better and better”
Deivarayan Muthu19-Aug-2021After starting out as a wicketkeeper-batter in lower division cricket in Chennai, switching to medium-pace, and taking a crack at Tamil cinema, Varun Chakravarthy eventually found his true calling: mystery spin. The unique skill put him in the IPL spotlight and most recently in India’s T20I side in Sri Lanka, “a dream come true”.Chakravarthy revealed that he had a sleepless night before making his international debut, but he said that the nerves eased once he was thrown into the action at the R Premadasa Stadium. “Paras Mhambrey [bowling coach] gave me the cap and it was a very emotional moment for me,” almost-30 Chakravarthy told ESPNcricinfo. “It felt like it was a dream come true and it was what I’ve been wanting for a long time. Obviously, there was responsibility, but I wasn’t blinded by all those emotions and just kept myself in the present.Related
Brendon McCullum: 'We were being paralysed a little bit by fear' at the start of IPL 2021
India's T20 World Cup squad: Why Rahul Chahar and not Chahal? How did Ashwin make the cut?
India's T20 World Cup selection questions: Five spots up for intense debate
RCB rope in Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera for IPL 2021
Kohli says 'no space for compromise' on fitness levels
“I had nerves at the start because it was my first match. I had a sleepless night before the match, but everything settled down once I got into the game.”Chakravarthy said that he had reached out to Dinesh Karthik, his mentor at Kolkata Knight Riders and at Tamil Nadu, before making his international debut. “I called him the day before the match and asked him because he was commentating on the England-Sri Lanka series also. He did give me a few inputs. He shared his observations on where to bowl and how to bowl and how the Sri Lankan players play and those kinds of things.”Charith Asalanka, who was also making his T20I debut in that game, initially went after Chakravarthy, pasting him for two sixes over midwicket. Chakravarthy, however, struck back with his carrom ball to have Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka stumped. Sure, Chakravarthy hasn’t been spotted celebrating too animatedly after picking up wickets in the Tamil Nadu Premier League and the IPL, but was the maiden international wicket somewhat special?”A wicket and a six are both results and not the process,” he said. “So, even if it’s a six off a good ball, I generally won’t react and even if it’s a wicket off a bad ball also, I won’t react. Anything can happen. As I said, I don’t see the wicket as how you told – I was happy that the ball I bowled landed in the perfect place and it turned out properly. Normally, if you see me also, I generally don’t react.”
“There’s so much competition [for the spin spots for the T20 World Cup] and that’s why I need to keep getting better and better. It’s not in a negative way; the competition is positive and healthy”Varun Chakravarthy
Like he often does for Knight Riders in the IPL, Chakravarthy fronted up to bowl in the powerplay as well as at the death on his first international tour. Having bowled the tough overs across two IPLs and the TNPL, Chakravarthy said he was prepared to bowl during any phase in T20s. “In professional cricket, you can’t say that I won’t bowl at powerplay or death. I’m now used to bowling in the powerplay and death,” he said. “I’m comfortable anywhere I get to bowl; it’s just about executing properly. It’s not about where you are bowling. If you execute properly, you will do well, that’s what I feel.”The preparation changes when I bowl at the death, obviously. The way the batsmen approach at the death will be different from the middle overs. So, in the middle, the field will be there to save the single and in the death, obviously, there will be some protection at the boundary line and you bowl accordingly. I focus on bowling more fuller and yorker balls in the death.”When Chakravarthy darted in a similarly full ball in the first leg of the IPL against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai, a red-hot Glenn Maxwell made that delivery look bad by ruthlessly reverse-swatting it over cover-point. Chakravarthy went on to concede 17 runs in that over, but said that he wasn’t perturbed by Maxwell’s inventive hitting. “I didn’t worry because it was a good ball and it was a good shot. Just because it went for six, you can’t worry about it. How much can you control? You can’t control much.”Chakravarthy said one of the key takeaways from his first international series was that there was no margin for error at the top level and that the “execution has to be perfect” at all times.”The World Cup is there on the back of my mind, but I’m not thinking too much about it”•BCCI”Obviously, in international cricket, the learning is to keep getting better with every game I play,” he said. “Another learning is you have to take full responsibility of what you are going to bowl. In the international level, every ball matters, so you have to take full responsibility for it and the execution has to be perfect. I just stick to my process – it’s a very cliched thing – but sticking to the process has become my process. That’s the only thing I think about a lot.”After returning from Sri Lanka, Chakravarthy, who has had issues with fitness in the past, went to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. “I’m at the NCA after the Sri Lanka tour. For the past one year, I’ve been training here at the NCA,” he said. “It’s going good and I’m working more on it [fitness] and I’m working on it in a holistic way. Let’s see how that shapes up.”He is due to return soon to the UAE, where he emerged as Knight Riders’ highest wicket-taker in 2020, with 17 strikes at an economy rate of 6.84. Is the T20 World Cup on the back of his mind?”The goal will be for KKR to qualify [for the playoffs] and I’m just focusing on that,” Chakravarthy said. “If I have to be picked in the World Cup, let that happen. If it has to happen, it will happen. The World Cup is there on the back of my mind, but I’m not thinking too much about it.”There’s so much competition [for the spin spots for the T20 World Cup] and that’s why I need to keep getting better and better. It’s not in a negative way; the competition is positive and healthy.”In the UAE, Chakravarthy will reunite with Sunil Narine, who recently reached 400 T20 wickets, in the Hundred competition – Chakravarthy had first worked with Narine when he was picked as a net bowler for the Knight Riders in the lead-up to IPL 2019.”Right now, I know whatever he does and he knows whatever I do,” Chakravarthy said of Narine. “So, there is not much brainstorming. In the first season itself, we had our discussions. Now, we just look at each other and we know what to do. If I do some mistake, he himself will walk up to me and tell me where I’m going wrong and it’s [our relationship] at that level. He is still the best and he’s a mentor to me.”Chakravarthy also revealed that he would unleash his new variation – something that he has been working on for a while, according to Knight Riders spin-bowling coach Carl Crowe – in the second leg of IPL 2021. A strong performance there could potentially push Chakravarthy into India’s squad for the T20 World Cup, which will also be held in the UAE – and Oman – though, as he himself pointed out, the competition for a limited number of spots has been fierce.