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The centre-forward position at Celtic has been a tricky one for Brendan Rodgers to deal with for a long time now, possibly stretching back to January 2024.

Adam Idah was brought in to compete with Kyogo Furuhashi in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, before they battled it out again in the 2024/25 season.

Both Idah and Kyogo left the club this year, the latter in the summer and the former in January, and Kelechi Iheanacho is currently the first-choice number nine at Parkhead.

Why Celtic may sign another striker in January

Iheanacho has scored three goals in six matches for the Hoops in all competitions since his move to the club on a free transfer from Sevilla, but two of those three goals came from the penalty spot, per Transfermarkt. One goal from open play in six matches is not an ideal return for the Nigeria international.

Celtic bid £10m to sign Kasper Dolberg from Anderlecht on deadline day, only to miss out on his signature to Ajax, which suggests that there is cash in the bank to spend on a striker when the January window rolls around.

This means that the Hoops may dip back into the market to sign a striker in the hope of bringing in a reliable goalscorer who Rodgers can trust to deliver consistent quality.

The arrival of a new centre-forward at Parkhead in January could spell the end of Johnny Kenny’s time at Celtic, as he has not kicked on in Glasgow this year.

Why Johnny Kenny is on borrowed time at Celtic

The Irish number nine returned to the club in January after a loan spell with Shamrock Rovers to play a supporting role in the second half of last season.

Kenny scored one goal in eight appearances in the Scottish Premiership as a back-up to Idah and was only handed one start by Rodgers. This did not suggest that he was likely to kick on and become a regular in the 2025/26 campaign.

English League One side Bolton Wanderers had a bid of £500k turned down by the Hoops during the summer transfer window, as they decided to keep him as part of their squad for the first half of this season.

Johnny Kenny (Premiership)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

8

3

Starts

1

0

Unused substitute

6x

2x

Goals

1

1

Big chances missed

2

3

Big chances created

1

0

Assists

1

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kenny has only made three appearances as a substitute in the Premiership so far this term, which shows that Rodgers does not trust him to play regular minutes.

At the end of last season, former Fulham and Leeds star Ross McCormack suggested that he needed to go to League One or the Championship in England.

McCormack said: “I would imagine you’re probably looking at maybe a loan down south somewhere, bottom end of League One or top end of the Championship and see how he goes.”

Bolton are currently ninth in League One in England, so not quite the bottom end of League One. They were willing to pay £500k to sign the Irishman from the Hoops in the summer, and that would have given him an opportunity to go away and play regular minutes to develop as a player.

Instead, Kenny is rarely getting on the pitch for Celtic. His development is stalling by not gaining experience in a competitive environment, which is why he should be looking to move on in the next window to take the next step in his career.

Related Rodgers must sell Celtic flop who's now worth even less than Adam Idah

Celtic must sell this flop whose value has dropped millions and is now worth less than Adam Idah.

Posts ByDan Emery Oct 14, 2025

When you take that and the idea that Celtic may want to enter the market to sign another striker in January, the Irishman may be on borrowed time at Parkhead, as moving away from the club could be the best for all parties involved.

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and put faith in his “powerhouse” batting line-up by choosing to set a total. There were some changes to that XI that’s been putting up those big runs with Marcus Stoinis and Josh Inglis still to return to the IPL. In their absence, BBL winner, with a century in the final this season, Mitchell Owen, and fast bowler Xavier Bartlett get a go.The break allowed Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson time to recover from his abdomen injury earlier this season and he seemed happy with the way the toss went, saying he wanted to bowl anyway. Samson based that on the way the pitch had behaved during the last match played on it, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, when it was a bit slow to start off.Samson confirmed that RR will continue opening with 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi and it will be him shifting down the order to accommodate the youngster after his record-breaking century at the top of the order. Nitish Rana made way. The other change – along expected lines – was South Africa’s Kwena Maphaka coming in for Jofra Archer who did not rejoin the team for the IPL’s resumption.Rajasthan Royals bowl-first XI: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Kwena Maphaka, 9 Tushar Deshpande, 10 Akash Madhwal, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
Impact Subs: Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Ashok Sharma, Kunal RathorePBKS bat-first XI: 1 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 2 Priyansh Arya, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Mitchell Owen, 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Azmatullah Omarzai, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Subs: Harpreet Brar, Pravin Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Musheer Khan

Following reports that Nicholas Kirton, the Canada men’s captain, had been taken into police custody in Barbados, Cricket Canada has said it is “actively monitoring the situation”.”Cricket Canada has been made aware of the recent allegations and detainment involving national team player Nicholas Kirton,” the board said in a statement. “We are actively monitoring the situation and closely following developments as they unfold. Cricket Canada is committed to ensuring transparency and will provide updates as more details become available.”We take this matter seriously and remain steadfast in upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the sport. While this situation is being addressed, we would like to assure the public that our national men’s team is fully focused on their preparations for the upcoming North America Cup, set to begin on April 18th in the Cayman Islands.”Cricket Canada remains dedicated to supporting the team as they continue to represent our country with pride and professionalism.”The inaugural North Americas Cup will be held in April, pitting Canada against Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and USA.A report in the said Kirton, a Barbadian, “was taken into police custody on Sunday”.Kirton has played 21 ODIs for Canada, scoring 514 runs, and 28 T20Is, scoring 627 runs. In 2020, he played three CPL games for Jamaica Tallawahs.Before migrating to Canada, he played for West Indies Under-19 and Barbados.

Arsenal have enjoyed a phenomenal first summer transfer window under new sporting director Andrea Berta, but with deadline day early next week, there is still no sign of Mikel Arteta’s side throwing the towel in.

The Gunners have spent well north of £250 million on seven new recruits, with Kepa, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze all joining Arteta’s star-studded squad.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

While many of these arrivals were pre-planned amid weeks/months of talks, Berta showed that he can fast and under pressure by hijacking Tottenham’s deal for Eze.

Following Kai Havertz’s injury, having previously backed off from Eze due to their desire for Ethan Nwaneri to get more game time this season (talkSPORT), Arsenal U-turned over signing the 27-year-old and swiftly agreed a deal for him – breaking Spurs hearts in the process.

Arsenal targeting "extraordinary" Ajax attacker amid Piero Hincapie talks

Mikel Arteta’s side are looking at more signings before the deadline.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 28, 2025

It was one of the most sensational transfer hijacks in recent memory, with Arteta praising Arsenal for their “unexpected” move.

Given their seismic summer expenditure, and the fact Arsenal have reinforced nearly every area of their squad, you’d think Berta would be done there.

However, that actually isn’t the case.

Arsenal are in talks to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen, according to multiple media sources, and the Ecuador international has already agreed personal terms as Berta chases a potential loan with an obligation to buy in 2026.

Signing the centre-back would allow Jakub Kiwior to join FC Porto, and this potential transfer domino is making all the headlines around N5 right now.

Piero Hincapie pushing to join Arsenal for £43 million

As per Ben Jacobs, an instant permanent transfer for Hincapie cannot be ruled out either, even if an obligation next year is the most likely scenario.

Hincapie himself is apparently pushing to join Arsenal for a fee close to £43m, with the club hoping to strike a deal below his £52m release clause.

In another update, Jacobs adds that today is seen as “key”, with negotiations at an advanced stage as Arsenal push to agree a deal before the weekend.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has been hit with some frustrating injury blows in the early weeks of the season, as Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka have both been ruled out for several weeks.

The German boss has had to go with Ilia Gruev in the number six position in the last two Premier League games because of those injuries, and the Whites failed to score in a 6-0 loss to Arsenal and a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United.

Whilst a point from those two matches, for a newly-promoted side, is far from the end of the world, Leeds may still want more from their midfield defensively and offensively.

Gruev has won two duels a game in the top-flight, whilst he has not scored a goal since the play-offs in 2024, per Sofascore, and that may be why the club are reportedly looking to bring in another midfielder.

Leeds eyeing late move for midfield star

The Championship champions have until 7 pm on Monday to finalise their squad for the first half of the campaign, with a new midfield monster on the agenda.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to journalist Jose Palacio, via El Larguero, Leeds United are one of the teams in the race to seal a deal for Getafe star Christantus Uche.

The reporter claims that the Whites are knocking on the door to sign the Nigeria international from the Spanish side in a last-gasp swoop for his services.

He adds, though, that Crystal Palace are also ready to join the bidding for the 22-year-old star, whom he claims has turned down a move to Wolves, who were pushing to finalise a £17m deal.

It is now down to Leeds to convince Uche to make the move to Elland Road before the deadline, as he could arrive as a big upgrade on Ilia Gruev.

Why Leeds should sign Christantus Uche

The Getafe whiz is an incredibly interesting transfer target for the club because of the versatility that he would provide, as Jose Bordalas has utilised him as a centre-forward and as a central midfielder in LaLiga.

U23 scout Antonio Mango once claimed that he could be developed into a “midfield monster”, in the same way that Joelinton was for Newcastle, and Farke could do that to make him an upgrade on Gruev.

The Nigerian brute has the physical attributes and experience in a major league in Spain to suggest that he could offer way more physicality to the team in front of the defence than the Bulgaria international.

Uche’s outings as a striker also mean that he has the potential to provide more of a goal threat from midfield than Gruev, as the clip above shows that he can score goals at the top level.

24/25 season

Uche (LaLiga)

Gruev (Championship)

Appearances

33

23

Goals

4

0

Assists

6

2

Ground duels won per game

4.1

2.3

Aerial duels won per game

2.8

0.8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Getafe’s versatile titan offered more in front of goal and more to his team in duels than Gruev did for Leeds at a lower level in the 2024/25 campaign, which means that he could impact games at both ends of the pitch more frequently.

Uche has also started the current season by scoring one goal, providing one assist, and winning eight duels per match in his three outings in LaLiga, whilst the Bulgaria international has only won two duels per game for the Whites, per Sofascore.

Related Leeds open new talks to sign "fantastic" target after Buonanotte collapse

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Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham Aug 30, 2025

These statistics suggest that Leeds would be signing an upgrade on Gruev, as well as a versatile star who can be utilised in other roles, as a midfield monster who can protect the back four to greater effect with his impressive physicality.

Manchester City are now “leading” the chase for a “special striker”, who is keen on a move to the Etihad Stadium, according to transfer expert Graeme Bailey.

Guardiola looking to trim squad ahead of new campaign

The new Premier League campaign is a matter of days away, with Man City set to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home this Saturday, and Pep Guardiola will travel to Molineux with a new-look squad.

City have not been afraid to splash the cash this summer, bringing in new options in attacking midfield and between the sticks, given that Kevin De Bruyne left upon the expiration of his contract, while Ederson is also expected to depart.

New signing

Transfer fee

Position

Tijjani Reijnders

£46.5m

CM

Rayan Ait-Nouri

£36.3m

LB

Rayan Cherki

£34m

AM

James Trafford

£31m

GK

Sverre Nypan

£12.5m

CM

Marcus Bettinelli

Undisclosed

GK

To make way for the new arrivals, there have also been plenty of departures, with Jack Grealish becoming the latest player to leave, joining Everton on a season-long loan deal.

Guardiola has also suggested he is looking to trim the squad even further, saying: “A lot of players should leave. New players, I don’t think so. We need a little bit less. I don’t like (lots) of players. One reason we sent Vitor Reis to Girona is for that.”

However, there may be room for Man City to make one last statement signing, having recently entered talks over a deal for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, which could amount to around £86m.

He's like Rodrygo: Man City make approach to sign "exceptional" £61m talent

As Manchester City target a move to sign Rodrygo, have they also entered the race, up against a rival, to sign a “fascinating” talent valued at £60m?

ByBen Gray Aug 12, 2025

Speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey has now revealed that Man City are “leading” the chase for the Madrid star, alongside Arsenal, with the reporter adding: “Both clubs really appeal to him – they are both Champions League contenders and look like a good fit.”

Bailey also suggests the Spanish side are willing to part ways with the Brazilian, adding: “Rodrygo has been told the situation – Real love him but they are ready to move on, and the player is in full agreement with them, he also believes that the situation needs resolving.”

Rodrygo could be "special" signing for City

It would be difficult for any centre-forward to compete for Erling Haaland’s starting spot, but Carlo Ancelotti has waxed lyrical about the Brazil international in the past, saying: “He is a special striker, he can play in all positions. He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes.”

However, the former Santos man has predominantly featured on the wing throughout his career to date, indicating that he could be brought in as a direct replacement for Grealish.

Given his exploits in a Madrid shirt, there is every indication the 24-year-old would be an upgrade on Grealish too, chipping in with 68 goals and 51 assists in 270 appearances for the Spanish club.

Guardiola seems hesitant to make more additions to his squad, but he should make room for Rodrygo, as the Brazilian could take his forward line to the next level.

Florian Wirtz says there were many voices giving him advice before he stepped up to score his decisive free-kick as Germany beat Northern Ireland.

Wirtz scores free-kick against Northern IrelandDismissed opinions from the sidelinesSays it was simply goodFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Under immense pressure following their disastrous performance against Slovakia, the German national team desperately needed a win from Sunday's World Cup qualifying clash. With his side 2-1 up in the second half, Wirtz had the chance to put the game beyond doubt when he stepped up for a free-kick outside the visitors' box. The Liverpool player was met with a chorus of advice from his team-mates, but their words fell on deaf ears as he had already decided on the perfect approach.

AdvertisementWHAT WIRTZ & NAGELSMANN SAID

Asked what captain Joshua Kimmich and his team-mates were telling him before his effort, Wirtz said to : "Honestly, I don't know. There were too many comments from the sidelines – various ideas. I knew I wanted to try it because the position was simply good. So I did it."

AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Germany took an early lead through Nick Woltemade, but were pinned back later in the first half when their opponents pulled level. In desperate need of a win, coach Julian Nagelsmann was relieved to see Wirtz wrap up the three points.

"He practices it often enough," he told . "He felt good – actually, even against Slovakia. He didn't shoot then. Unfortunately, he won't always score like that, but it was a superb goal—a good topspin free kick."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GERMANY?

Germany are level on points with Northern Ireland but remain three behind Slovakia, who beat Luxembourg 1-0. Germany will be in action again in October against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.

Kyle Abbott and Liam Dawson claimed four wickets each as Hampshire boosted their bid for runners-up spot in the Vitality County Championship by skittling nearest rivals Somerset for 136 on the opening day of the final Division One match at Taunton.Seamer Abbott returned 4 for 37 and left-arm spinner Dawson 4 for 28. Only Tom Kohler-Cadmore, with 63, offered much resistance after the hosts had won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry surface, expected to take spin.By the close of a rain-interrupted day, Hampshire had struggled to 62 for 5 in reply, Toby Albert unbeaten on 38 and Jack Leach taking 3 for 9. But, having failed to claim any batting points, Somerset now have to win the game to overtake their opponents and finish second behind champions Surrey.The home side’s batting problems began with the fourth ball of the second over when Tom Lammonby, promoted from No. 3 to open with Archie Vaughan, fell lbw to Abbott without scoring. Soon it was 4 for 2 as Andy Umeed was caught by wicketkeeper Ben Brown off the same bowler for a second-ball duck.Tom Abell, on 5, survived a confident appeal for a catch behind off Mohammad Abbas, who then bowled him through the gate for 10 with the total on 29. Kohler-Cadmore’s response was to launch his innings with four boundaries in the space of five balls.Vaughan had recovered from an uncertain start and was unbeaten on 19 when rain interrupted play with Somerset 52 for 3 from 14 overs. An early lunch was taken at 12.15pm and the action resumed at shortly after 1.20pm, with ten overs lost.Hampshire immediately introduced Dawson to the attack and he quickly found some turn to pin Vaughan leg before for 29 with his sixth delivery to make it 63 for 4. With only a single added, James Rew edged Abbas to second slip where Albert snapped up a low two-handed catch. Kasey Aldridge went 22 balls without scoring before trying to sweep successive deliveries from Dawson, the second of which saw him fall lbw.Lewis Gregory helped an increasingly restrained Kohler-Cadmore add 27 for the seventh wicket before being struck on the back pad by a delivery from Dawson and departing to another leg before decision for 16.At 98 for 7, Somerset were in disarray. But Kohler-Cadmore stood firm to record his first Championship half-century of a red-ball season heavily curtailed by participation in the IPL. He had faced 85 balls and struck five fours and a six over midwicket off James Fuller.Leach looked to be lending decent support when caught at slip for 9 aiming a big hit off Dawson. When tea was taken at 3.30pm, the scoreboard read 128 for 8.Kohler-Cadmore did his best to farm the strike at the start of the final session and the scoreboard ticked slowly to 136 before he was caught behind driving at a ball from Abbott. Last man Shoaib Bashir, who had survived being bowled first ball because of the distraction of Abbott’s towel flying to the ground as he released the delivery, quickly became the fifth lbw victim of a sorry batting display lasting just 53.5 overs.Alfie Ogborne had battled away for 24 balls to score 1 not out and the young left-arm seamer lifted Somerset spirits by having Fletcha Middleton caught at second slip off the eighth ball of Hampshire’s reply. It would have been 0 for 2 had Aldridge not spilled a routine slip catch offered by Albert off Gregory in the third over.With the total on 13, Nick Gubbins edged Gregory to first slip where Abell took a good catch low to his right. Somerset were back in the game when James Vince, having hit Vaughan for six over deep square, aimed another big hit at Leach and skied a catch off a leading edge to Abell at backward point.Leach struck again when Tom Prest drove a catch to extra cover and then bowled Dawson between bat and pad. For the first time in a Championship match, Somerset had picked both Leach and Bashir, bowling the two England spinners in tandem towards the end of the day.

The BBL will begin on December 15, the second day of the third Test, with the final on January 27

Andrew McGlashan11-Jul-2024BBL officials remain hopeful that Australia’s Test players will be able to feature in the latter stages of the regular season in January although availability will come down to workloads after the five-Test series against India.With Australia due to tour Sri Lanka for two Tests from late January, players involved in that squad won’t be available for the BBL finals which run from January 21-27. The India series finishes on January 7 in Sydney with a window of approximately the final ten days of the BBL home-and-away stage where Tests stars could feature, but it appears unlikely that will include the fast bowlers.Related

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The BBL fixtures were confirmed on Friday with the season starting on December 15 – the second day of the Brisbane Test – and the final played on January 27 which is a public holiday the day after Australia Day.”We’ve seen the last couple of seasons the impact those local heroes have when they come back into the BBL,” Alistair Dobson, the head of the BBL, told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve given ourselves a really good opportunity this year from a scheduling perspective with the window post the SCG Test before our team head off to Sri Lanka for players to play a number of games.”We’ve given ourselves every shot. That said a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is probably the toughest Test series our players will play in and that’s where their focus is. We’ll work with them as that series goes through to understand what they can do and whether they can play some BBL games. We know they want to and we are optimistic we’ll see a number of them back again.”Last season, some of Australia’s Test players made a brief appearance between the Pakistan and West Indies series.The BBL brought in a new mechanism which allows clubs to sign Australia contracted players outside of their 18-player squad with the ability to bring them in if they became available. Pat Cummins (Sydney Thunder) and Mitchell Starc (Sydney Sixers) took up this option but did not play for their clubs. It has been a decade since Starc last played BBL in 2014, while Cummins last featured in 2019.Last season Steven Smith played twice for Sydney Sixers, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne twice for Brisbane Heat and Alex Carey once for Adelaide Strikers. Travis Head had been set to play for Strikers but was rested by Cricket Australia while Nathan Lyon did not feature for his new team Melbourne Renegades.The overseas player draft is expected to take place in early September with clubs now able to sign player before the draft on a multi-year deal.Perth Scorchers will play on opening night•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesScorchers to launch seasonPerth Scorchers will host the opening match of the 2024-25 season when they face Melbourne Stars at Optus Stadium. Once the BBL starts there will only be two nights during the regular season – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – when matches won’t be played. With the Perth Test followed by the day/night game in Adelaide, which are broadcast into the primetime east coast market, being the first two in the series against India, it means the BBL then gets a clear run for the evening timeslot once it begins.Strikers will host their traditional fixture at Adelaide Oval on New Year’s Eve (against Scorchers) while Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars are the New Year’s Day fixtures. Defending champions Heat begin their campaign with an away fixture against Stars on December 18.A Boxing Day double header will follow the opening day of the MCG Test with Sixers playing Stars followed by Scorchers against Heat and there will be another double header after the first day of the SCG Test on January 3.Geelong gets another chanceOne of the major controversies last season was the abandoned game in Geelong between Renegades and Scorchers when a damp pitch was deemed to be dangerous. But there has been a show of faith for GMHBA Stadium which will host Renegades’ first home game against Hurricanes on December 19. Renegades other four home fixtures will be at Marvel Stadium.BBL fixtures 2024-25December 15:Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars, Optus Stadium (4.15pm)
December 16:Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades, SCG (7.15pm)
December 17: Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers, Manuka Oval (7.15pm)
December 18: Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat, MCG (7.15pm)
December 19: Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes, GMHBA Stadium (7.15pm)
December 20: Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
December 21: Hobart Hurricanes vs Perth Scorchers, Blundstone Arena (4.00pm)
December 21: Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
December 22: Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers, Gabba (6.15pm)
December 23: Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
December 26: Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars, SCG (6.05pm)
December 26: Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat, Optus Stadium (6.15pm)
December 27: Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
December 28: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, Manuka Oval (7.15pm)
December 29: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers, Gabba (6.15pm)
December 30: Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
December 31: Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
January 1: Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers, Blundstone Arena (4.00pm)
January 1: Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars, Gabba (6.15pm)
January 2: Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
January 3: Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat, Coffs Harbour (6.05pm)
January 3: Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder ,Optus Stadium (6.15pm)
January 4: Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades, MCG (7.15pm)
January 5: Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers, Blundstone Arena (7.15pm)
January 6: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder, Gabba(6.15pm)
January 7: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades, Optus Stadium (4.15pm)
January 8: Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
January 9: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers, MCG (7.15pm)
January 10: Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder, Blundstone Arena (7.15pm)
January 11: Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers, SCG (4.45pm)
January 11: Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval (7.30pm)
January 12: Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
January 13: Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers, ENGIE Stadium (7.30pm)
January 14: Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades, Blundstone Arena(7.30pm)
January 15: Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Oval (7.00pm)
January 16: Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes, Gabba (6.30pm)
January 17: Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder, SCG (7.15pm)
January 18: Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat, Marvel Stadium (5.00pm)
January 18: Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers, Optus Stadium (5.15pm)
January 19: Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, MCG (7.15pm)
January 21: The Qualifier (1 vs 2)
January 22: The Knockout (3 vs 4)
January 24: The Challenger (loser of Qualifier vs winner of Knockout)
January 27: The Final (Reserve Day, January 28)

Aston Villa are now willing to meet the price tag to sign an “explosive” new attacking talent this summer, according to a new report.

Several ins and outs expected at Villa with PSR deadline looming

The Villans have until the end of this month to balance their books with PSR’s hammer looming, so before any incomings can happen, there needs to be some movement in the exit department. That may not be far away now, as it appears there are already two players on their way out of Villa Park, as Emiliano Martínez and Lucas Digne look to seal permanent moves away.

Upgrade on Mings: Aston Villa could land bargain for £17m "cheat code"

Unai Emery has his sights set on bringing a Barcelona defender to the Premier League

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jun 21, 2025

Martinez has attracted strong interest from Manchester United in the last week or so, as the Argentine is said to favour a move to Old Trafford over joining FC Barcelona, who are also interested in a transfer.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Digne is in talks with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid over a move to Spain, as they look to bolster their options in that area of the team. The Frenchman is in the final 12 months of his contract at Villa, and it now seems he is free to leave the Premier League side, after being in and out of the team last season.

These potential exits could allow Villa to enter the market and bring in players who they believe can improve Unai Emery’s options. According to ex-Villa chief scout Mick Brown, Aston Villa could look to make a move for Manchester United’s Mason Mount, with Emery a fan of the midfielder.

Aston Villa willing to pay £27m+ transfer demand for Paixao

The Villans don’t just have their eyes on Mount as a new attacking option; according to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now keen on signing Igor Paixão from Feyenoord.

Feyenoord have already received record sales from the departures of Santiago Giménez and Mats Wieffer in recent times, but the Dutch side are now open to selling Paixao, as long as they receive a larger transfer fee. The report states that Feyenoord are looking to get more than €32 million for the winger, which is roughly £27 million.

This fee has done nothing to put Villa off, as the report adds that the Premier League side are willing to pay this transfer fee, although as things stand a transfer is still a “long way off at the moment”.

The 24-year-old, who can operate on both flanks, has emerged on Villa’s radar after scoring 16 goals in 34 Eredivisie games last season, and a further two in the Champions League.

Apps

129

Goals

39

Assists

29

Paixao, who has been dubbed “explosive” by scout Jacek Kulig, recently spoke in an interview with Globo Esporte and revealed he “dreams of playing for a big club”.

Paixao said, as quoted by Sport Witness: “Showing my football, being recognised by the big clubs, is gratifying. I dream of getting to a big team; it is the fruit of my work. If it is meant to happen, it will happen.”