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Bournemouth’s stunning rise this season could have taken a very different turn if they had accepted blockbuster bids for in-form star Antoine Semenyo. It has been reported that the Cherries rejected £50 million ($66.5m) offers from both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for Semenyo in January — a bold call that has since proven to be one of the club’s best decisions in recent memory.

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Telegraph Sport has revealed that Bournemouth turned down £50 million bids from Manchester United and Tottenham at the start of the January transfer window for Semenyo. Both Premier League giants made formal approaches for the Ghanaian forward, only to be rebuffed almost immediately by the south-coast club. The decision was driven by Bournemouth’s firm stance that Semenyo was a key part of their long-term plans under head coach Andoni Iraola.

The Cherries were not tempted to engage in negotiations despite the financial incentive. Having already identified who they were willing to sell earlier in the window, Bournemouth made it clear that their attacking talisman was “off limits.” In hindsight, their conviction has been rewarded, as Semenyo’s continued rise has become a cornerstone of their best-ever Premier League start.

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The Semenyo saga was emblematic of Bournemouth’s strategic and disciplined approach to the transfer market. Despite selling over £200 million worth of players in the summer — including their goalkeeper and most of their defensive core — the club’s hierarchy operated with a clear plan. They prioritised stability and continuity in key positions, ensuring that any departures were offset by smart recruitment and internal development.

This deliberate structure has been crucial to their rise under Iraola. The Spaniard’s high-energy, transition-based system relies heavily on wide forwards like Semenyo to stretch defences and dictate tempo and the result has been remarkable.

After eight games of the new season, Bournemouth sit fifth in the Premier League table with 15 points — their strongest ever start at this level. Far from the relegation battle many predicted, Iraola’s men have emerged as one of the league’s most cohesive and tactically disciplined sides.

Semenyo's development

Semenyo’s form this season has justified every ounce of Bournemouth’s faith in him. The 25-year-old winger has been the best player in the Premier League alongside Erling Haaland, scoring six goals and providing three assists in just eight matches. His pace, power, and increasingly refined end product have made him indispensable to Iraola’s setup — and have turned him into one of the most sought-after players outside England’s traditional “big six.”

The former Bristol City forward enjoyed a strong 2024–25 campaign, scoring 13 goals and registering seven assists across 42 appearances across all competitions. But this year, he has elevated his game to another level, becoming the focal point of Bournemouth’s attack and a constant threat to opposing defences. His performances even earned him the PFA Premier League Fans’ Player of the Month award for September 2025.

Unsurprisingly, that form has reignited transfer interest from some of Europe’s top clubs. Reports suggest Bournemouth would now demand upwards of £75 million ($100m) to even consider a sale, with Chelsea, Liverpool, and several continental heavyweights monitoring his progress. For now, though, the Cherries are determined to hold on to their star forward at least until next summer.

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 For Bournemouth, the challenge is to build on their early-season momentum while resisting renewed January approaches for their top performers. The club’s hierarchy has made its stance clear: Semenyo will not be sold midway through the campaign, and their focus remains firmly on securing a top-half finish or even challenging for European football.

Iraola’s side will continue to rely on the Ghanaian’s influence in the final third, where his dynamism and direct play have been instrumental to their high-tempo identity. Meanwhile, Bournemouth’s success story — blending strategic transfer decisions with on-field consistency — continues to serve as a model for sustainable growth in the Premier League.

Speaking about Semenyo, Iraola said: “I think Antoine is someone who accepts well our criticisms. If, you know, we always tell him, you need to improve this. You need to improve. You cannot stop here. Not focus in your numbers. Try to help us in other ways. Even in set pieces.

“The other day, Eli Junior Kroupi scored, but he's the first one. I don't know if he touches the ball, but the first one to flick it or to arrive to those positions. He's adding aerial power to his game.

“That is always nice. Defensively, he's honest and disciplined and this improves a lot the package. It's not just what people see on the highlights, it's a lot more. I hope he can continue building like this.

“I think he can get better. Yes. I think there are areas that he knows he has to improve and he's improving and I think all the players can get better. But Antoine, yes, definitely.”

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele has named two England legends among his favourite players of all-time.

Dembele announced as 2025 Ballon d'Or winner in Paris

PSG won their maiden Champions League crown in 2025, and Dembele was paramount to their success, picking up eight goals and six assists across 15 matches in the competition, while also amassing 29 goal contributions in Ligue 1.

As such, the Frenchman had been the favourite for the 2025 Ballon d’Or for quite some time, and he was crowned the winner at the ceremony in Paris on Monday evening, with Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, Mohamed Salah and Raphinha making up the top five.

Having failed to deliver at Barcelona, the 28-year-old’s career has undergone a major transformation since he returned to his home country, and the PSG talisman delivered an emotional speech after being confirmed as the 2025 winner.

Courtesy of scooping up the award, the winger joins a prestigious list of just ten players to have won the Ballon d’Or, Champions League and World Cup, having been part of the France squad that went all the way at Russia 2018.

Lionel Messi is one of the other players on that acclaimed list, and it will come as no surprise that Dembele once named the Argentina star as one of his favourite players of all time, but two England legends also make up the top three.

Sir Alex Ferguson named Liverpool star as the best player in England and as good as Keane

This could settle the debate once and for all…

3 ByBen Goodwin May 17, 2025

Gerrard named as England's "greatest ever" player by Messi

It is a bit of a surprise to see the Liverpool fan pick Beckham over Gerrard, as Messi himself once claimed the Liverpool legend is the best player England have produced, saying: “Personally, I think Steven Gerrard is England’s greatest ever player. I wish him a happy retirement.”

The 45-year-old was arguably one of the only reasons Liverpool were successful during his era, with the former captain instigating the dramatic comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League, and scoring some incredible long-range goals.

Beckham was also fantastic at striking the ball from distance, having scored the most goals from direct free kicks in the history of the Premier League.

David Beckham

18

James Ward-Prowse

17

Thierry Henry

12

Gianfranco Zola

12

Cristiano Ronaldo

12

Consequently, both Gerrard and Beckham make their way onto the 20 best midfielders in Premier League history, alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Roy Keane and more.

The former Liverpool and Man United stars are undoubtedly legends of the game, but Dembele has also now cemented his place in the history books, courtesy of his 2025 Ballon d’Or triumph.

Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed that "there is no problem" between him and his Napoli head coach Antonio Conte. The former Manchester City midfielder expressed his anger after being taken off in the 72nd minute of Napoli's 2-1 loss to AC Milan over the weekend, prompting Conte to fire a warning and stating that "if he was upset about something else he's got the wrong person."

• De Bruyne's midfield masterclass in the Champions League

  Just days after being on the losing side in a 2-1 result against AC Milan, De Bruyne took matters into his own hands from midfield and teed up Rasmus Hojlund twice to help Napoli beat Sporting CP 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Belgian became only the sixth player in the competition's history – after Angel Di Maria, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane – to deliver two or more assists on at least five separate occasions.

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  Conte in no mood for tantrums

  De Bruyne was substituted once again on Wednesday on the 81st minute mark. Over the weekend, the former Manchester City midfielder was brought off in the 72nd minute, much to his disappointment as he angrily gesticulated and expressed his disapproval of Conte's decision to take him off. 

  After the game, Conte delivered a strong message, emphasising that De Bruyne will need to accept his decisions moving forward. "I hope he was upset about the result because if he was upset about something else he's got the wrong person," said the Italian boss, even clarifying later by adding that "certain behaviours should be adopted" and that "those who don't know me make mistakes but it's up to me to correct the situation."

• De Bruyne responds to Conte's warning

  Speaking to after the win over Sporting, De Bruyne addressed rumours of a rift between him and the manager. "There's never been any problem with Conte. I'm a winner, I want to make a difference on the pitch," said the 34-year-old. "A lot has been said in recent days, but the truth is that there's no problem: I just want to play and have fun." 

  Conte, too, cleared the air from his side shortly afterward. "I have nothing to say to Kevin; he's a serious guy who works hard," said the former Chelsea and Juventus manager. "I understand that everyone wants to play, but I also want to win, and if I make a substitution, it's not to make things worse, but to bring home victories. Then again, I repeat, I want to win first; the team must work as a whole, no one excluded."

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  When does De Bruyne play next?

  De Bruyne will be keen on adding to his tally of three goals and two assists this season when Napoli welcome Genoa on Sunday. It's a crucial game for Conte's troops as they wouldn't ideally want to head into the international break without maximum points.

The franchise did not retain Faf du Plessis, who had led the team in IPL 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2025Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to announce their captain for IPL 2025 on Thursday in Bengaluru.The name of the new captain could not be confirmed, but the frontrunner for the position is likely to be Virat Kohli, who had led the franchise from 2013 to 2021 before stepping down from the role. He had also stood in as captain for three matches in IPL 2023.Another option is middle-order batter Rajat Patidar, who has been with RCB since 2021 and was one of their three retained players ahead of the mega auction in November. Patidar, 31, was captain of his state team Madhya Pradesh in the 2024-25 seasons of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.RCB need a new captain after not retaining Faf du Plessis, who led them for three years from 2022 to 2024. They did not bid for du Plessis, 40, at the auction and he was sold to Delhi Capitals at base price.Du Plessis in turn had taken over the captaincy from Kohli, who ended his nine-season stint as RCB captain in 2021. To date, Kohli has led RCB in 143 matches in the IPL, the second highest for a captain after MS Dhoni. His record stands at 68 wins and 71 losses with four no-results. While RCB are yet to win the IPL, Kohli led them to the final in 2016, a season in which he scored a record 973 runs. He was the top-scorer in IPL 2024 too; his 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.69 playing an important role in RCB’s late dash into the playoffs where they lost the Eliminator.Apart from RCB, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals are the other teams yet to name their captains for the upcoming season. Shreyas Iyer, KKR’s captain last year, will lead Punjab Kings this year, while the former DC captain Rishabh Pant is now leading Lucknow Super Giants.

New Hundred role will run concurrently with existing duties at Derbyshire

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2025

Mickey Arthur will remain with Derbyshire during the Metro Bank One-Day Cup•Getty Images

Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, is set to combine his duties at the club with a new role as director of cricket at Northern Superchargers.Derbyshire finished rock-bottom of the County Championship in 2024, with one win in 14 matches in Division Two, and failed to reach the knock-outs in either the T20 Blast or the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.However, Arthur’s managerial experience, which includes a recent stint as Pakistan’s team director, has proven attractive to Superchargers, where he will work alongside the men’s and women’s head coaches, Andrew Flintoff and Lisa Keightley.He will advise the Hundred teams on recruitment and offer support to the head coaches, but Derbyshire insist his role at Superchargers will be “largely hands-off”. He will remain with the county during the Metro Bank One-Day Cup which runs concurrently to the Hundred.”Derbyshire remains my primary focus and I’m committed to achieving our goals of bringing success to the club,” Arthur said. “We encourage all of our players and coaches to develop their skills in new environments and this is another example of that.”As a club, our personnel are in demand and that’s a testament to the work being done behind the scenes, and we are confident results will soon come on-field.”Ryan Duckett, Derbyshire’s chief executive, added: “Mickey remains fully committed to Derbyshire, he lives and breathes the club and we hope that he can use this opportunity to showcase the quality Derbyshire has.”It’s been a positive winter, with Mickey, Wayne [Madsen] and Zak [Chappell] lifting silverware overseas, while Harry Moore and Pat Brown have represented us within the England setup recently.”Our squad has been working hard over the winter, and this will ramp up even further over the next couple of months to give us the best possible chance of success in 2025, with an exciting summer ahead.”

أعلن المدير الفني لمنتخب البرتغال، روبرتو مارتينيز، قائمة اللاعبين المستدعاة لخوض مباراتي في فترة التوقف الدولي المرتقب لشهر أكتوبر الحالي، لعام 2025.

ويخوض منتخب البرتغال مباراتين ضد كل من أيرلندا والمجر، وذلك في خضم منافسات تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم، نسخة 2026 في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. الكشف عن رسالة رونالدو إلى سوبوسلاي بعد مباراة البرتغال والمجر

ويمتلك منتخب البرتغال 6 نقاط بعدما خاض مباراتين في تصفيات كأس العالم، المجموعة السادسة. قائمة منتخب البرتغال لمباراتي أيرلندا والمجر في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

حراسة المرمى: ديوجو كوستا (بورتو)، خوسيه سا (ولفرهامبتون واندررز)، روي سيلفا (سبورتنج لشبونة).

خط الدفاع: ديوجو دالوت (مانشستر يونايتد)، نيلسون سيميدو (فناربخشة)، نونو مينديز (باريس سان جيرمان)، روبن دياز (مانشستر سيتي)، جونزالو إيناسيو (سبورتنج لشبونة)، أنطونيو سيلفا (بنفيكا)، ريناتو فيجا (فياريال).

خط الوسط: جواو بالينيا (توتنهام)، روبن نيفيز (الهلال)، جواو نيفيز (باريس سان جيرمان)، ماتيوس نونيز (مانشستر سيتي)، فيتينها (باريس سان جيرمان)، برونو فرنانديز (مانشستر يونايتد)، بيدرو جونسالفيس (سبورتينغ لشبونة)، برناردو سيلفا (مانشستر سيتي).

خط الهجوم : جواو فيليكس (النصر)، فرانسيسكو ترينكاو (سبورتنج لشبونة)، فرانسيسكو كونسيساو (يوفنتوس)، بيدرو نيتو (تشيلسي)، رافائيل لياو (ميلان)، جونزالو راموس (باريس سان جيرمان)، كريستيانو رونالدو (النصر).

If we just forget about yesterday afternoon’s rather underwhelming North London Derby – it was just a friendly after all – it would be fair to say this has been a largely positive summer for Arsenal.

Aside from yesterday’s minor blip, Mikel Arteta’s side have looked good on the pitch, and the board have been hard at work in the transfer market off of it.

The North Londoners have made six permanent first-team additions thus far, and while the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke are certainly exciting additions, the most significant is undoubtedly Viktor Gyokeres, who finally completed his £63.5m transfer from Sporting CP last week.

However, even then, the club continue to be linked with a host of talented players, including the superb Rodrygo, although they may be wise to opt for another, cheaper international they’ve been linked with, someone who could be described as another Gyokeres.

Arsenal's pursuit of Rodrygo

There is no doubt that one of the most exciting transfer links for Arsenal fans this summer has been to Rodrygo, as the Brazilian international has been at the heart of so much of Real Madrid’s domestic and continental success over the last six years or so.

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However, over the last two and a bit seasons, he has been playing out of his favoured left-wing position, and that, combined with an absurd amount of talent at the Bernabeu, has supposedly seen him become available this summer.

There have been a host of top clubs linked with the 24-year-old so far this summer, and according to reports from earlier in the window, the Gunners are very much interested.

It’s not hard to see why Arteta and Co would be keen to bring him to London, as even when not in his best position, the former Santos gem is still effective.

For example, in 54 appearances last season, totalling 3452 minutes, he was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.16 games, or every 138.08 minutes.

However, with a price tag of up to £86m, according to some reports, Arsenal may want to look elsewhere for an attacker they’ve previously linked with, one who could be described as Gyokeres-esque: Ademola Lookman

Arsenal could sign Lookman instead

Now, it is undoubtedly the case that for much of the last couple of weeks it’s looked like Lookman would be heading to Inter Milan, but as things stand, that move appears to have stalled.

So, with Arsenal already being linked with him several times this window, there is no reason they couldn’t hijack the move.

With that said, three reasons make the Nigerian international a Gyokeres-esque signing, with the first reason being his senior journey.

Like the Swedish international, the former Everton ace spent some time in English football but was never really able to establish himself in the Premier League, as in total, he has a record of just 11 goals and six assists in 96 games across spells with the Toffees, Leicester City and Fulham.

Then, instead of accepting a bit-part role in England, the London-born dynamo decided to move to Europe, joined Atalanta in Serie A and has been a lean, mean goalscoring machine ever since.

Lookman’s recent form

Season

22/23

23/24

24/25

Appearances

33

45

40

Minutes

1858′

2809′

2871′

Goals

15

17

20

Assists

8

10

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

0.60

0.67

Minutes per Goal Involvement

80.78′

104.03′

106.33

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In fact, in the three seasons he’s spent in Bergamo, the “world-class” star, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, has an incredible record of 52 goals and 25 assists in 118 appearances, totalling 7538 minutes.

In other words, the 29-capped international has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes since joining the Serie A side, which is probably reason enough for the Gunners to consider him over Rodrygo.

Finally, at 27 years old, the Europa League winner is the same age as Gyokeres and should be ready to have an instant impact at the Emirates in a season in which the North Londoners have to win something.

Ultimately, Rodrygo would be a great signing, but at potentially just £43m and with the incredible record he has, Lookman might just be the better option.

Related Ian Wright 2.0: Arsenal in talks for PL "magician" who's their "top target"

The international game-changer would be an unreal signing for Arsenal.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 31, 2025

She joins spinners Priyadharshani, Kumari and Dilhari, who may all play a role throughout the campaign

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Sep-2024Left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, 38, has been named in Sri Lanka’s women’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, with 21-year-old seamer Kawya Kavindi making way. Ranaweera had been left out of the squad for the women’s Asia Cup, which Sri Lanka won, in July. She had also been omitted from Sri Lanka’s squads to Ireland, more recently.But with the T20 World Cup likely to be played on pitches that favour spin in the UAE, the experienced Ranaweera has been recalled. Although her bowling has not been especially penetrative in the shortest format this year, she does have 91 T20I wickets from 82 appearances for Sri Lanka, with an economy rate of 5.86.Kavindi’s omission, however, means Sri Lanka have just three main seam-bowling options in their World Cup squad: Udeshika Prabodhani, Achini Kulasuriya, and Ama Kanchana.Related

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Their spin cupboard is fuller. Ranaweera joins Inoshi Priyadharshani, Sugandika Kumari, and Kavisha Dilhari, who may all play a role throughout the campaign. There is also always the offspin of captain Chamari Athapaththu.On the batting front, a Sri Lanka squad has never looked stronger. In addition to their talisman Athapaththu, the likes of Harshitha Samarawickrama, and 18-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne have also been among the runs in the last few months. Their triumph in the Asia Cup will give them confidence that they can push for a place in the final four of the T20 World Cup.The World Cup is scheduled to begin on October 3. Sri Lanka are in Group A for the first round, alongside Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, and India.Sri Lanka squad for T20 World Cup 2024Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshi de Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika KumariTravelling reserve: Kaushini Nuthyangana

Thomas Frank will be entering the biggest season of his managerial career in 2025/26, as he looks to take Tottenham Hotspur to the next level after his appointment this summer.

The Dane spent seven years in charge of Brentford across the capital, but he’s now been tasked with the challenge of leading the Lilywhites back to the top end of the Premier League.

Whilst he’s constantly thrived during his stint with the Bees, the expectations of the fanbase of Spurs will bring added pressure to him in his quest for success in North London.

The Europa League success back in May will only heighten the need for added trophies in the years ahead, with the fanbase wanting to reach the next level under Frank’s guidance.

Undoubtedly, he will want to make his own mark on the side, needing funds to make additions to land the players he craves, with numerous players already on their radar.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Attackers have been the main focus for Frank in recent weeks, with numerous forwards already touted with a move to join Spurs during the current window.

Antoine Semenyo, Rodrygo and Xavi Simons have all been touted with big-money moves to join the Lilywhites, as the hierarchy look to back the Dane in his quest for success.

However, none of the aforementioned stars have been close to a move, but the same can’t be said for West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus, who’s emerged as a key target.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that positive talks have commenced over a deal to sign the 24-year-old winger this summer, with the player himself wanting a move to join the club.

However, any deal could prove to be an expensive one, with the Ghanaian currently having a £85m release clause within his contract at the London Stadium.

Why Kudus would be a better signing than Eze for Spurs

In their quest for added attacking reinforcements, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has been strongly linked with a move to join Spurs this summer, but not for the first time in his career.

He’s been a player firmly on their radar over the past couple of years, but no deal has ever been agreed for his services, however, that could change this summer.

The 27-year-old currently has a £68m release clause in his contract, a deal which could be a bargain given his tally of 14 goals and 12 assists across all competitions last season.

However, it appears as though they will face stiff competition from North London rivals Arsenal, after they made contact with his representatives over a move to the Emirates.

The Spurs fanbase shouldn’t worry, with a move for Kudus being a better addition, having the tools to become a key player in Frank’s ambitions of taking the side to the next level.

When comparing the player’s respective stats from the 2024/25 campaign, the West Ham star has managed to outperform him in numerous key areas, highlighting the talent he possesses.

Kudus, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by journalist Joel Bortey, has registered a higher shot on target rate, demonstrating his accuracy within the final third.

Games played

32

34

Goals & assists

8

16

Shot on target accuracy

28%

27%

Pass accuracy

84%

74%

Take-ons completed

3.2

2.3

Carries into final third

2.1

1.6

Carries into opposition box

1.5

0.7

Fouls won

2.2

1.7

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90, along with more carries into the opposition penalty areas, showcasing his desire to get the ball forward at any given opportunity.

The Ghanaian has also won more fouls per 90 and completed more of the passes he’s attempted, offering a real nuisance to the opposition’s backline – something which has been desperately missing in North London.

It’s unclear if Spurs will negotiate a deal for the winger this summer, but it’s evident that he could provide Frank with the tools to thrive in his first season in charge.

Eze will remain as a key target no doubt, but it’s clear that Kudus is a better option in attacking areas, with the hierarchy desperately needing to pursue a move for his signature.

More exciting than Semenyo: Spurs in talks to sign "generational" £85m star

The brilliant attacker could be just what Spurs need.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 1, 2025

Whilst Daniel Farke will want to keep the main ingredients of his Leeds United camp together, which just sealed a fantastic Championship title success, he will be very aware that some stars from that promotion journey might not be able to cut it in the intense environment of the Premier League.

After all, despite Ipswich Town cruising to automatic promotion alongside Leicester City during the 2023/24 campaign, both of those previously high-flying outfits have now been hit over the head with the reality of relegation, alongside an equally dire Southampton side.

Therefore, if there is an upgrade available to Farke, he should bring them into the building with open arms.

Leeds could consider loan swoop for Aaronson upgrade

As per a report from journalist Alan Nixon, Leeds have been ‘looking at’ signing long-term target £15m-rated Emiliano Buendia, with Aston Villa preparing to loan him out again this summer.

The report states that Unai Emery’s Villans are seeking out a fresh loan destination for Farke’s former Norwich City wizard, and this availability will surely pique the interest of the German situated in the Whites dug-out after promotion.

Nixon further elaborates that the Whites will wait it out, however, considering they are only allowed two Premier League loan arrivals. But, the silky South American has starred under Farke before, so the temptation will surely be palpable for a reunion.

Adding Buendia will also gift the former Canaries boss more freedom in the number ten spot in his starting lineups to come, with a worry that Brenden Aaronson just isn’t well-equipped to be a dangerous attacking midfield force up a level, having struggled in the elite league before.

How Buendia could be a huge upgrade on Aaronson

When Buendia has been injury-free at Villa Park, he has more than shown off his suitable nature for the testing division.

Indeed, minus picking up eight goal contributions for Norwich during his debut season at that level under Farke, a further 17 of the Argentine attacker’s goal and assist tally in the Premier League have come about when donning Villa claret and blue.

Unfortunately for Aaronson, away from just helping Leeds seal the title with a respectable nine goals and two assists, he can only boast one goal and three assists next to his name in the deep-end of the Premier League, with his spell so dismal that he was chucked out on loan to Union Berlin.

Therefore, if there is an opportunity to bring in one of Farke’s former Carrow Road favourites, Leeds should persist, with Buendia not just comfortable playing in a number ten spot to potentially usurp Aaronson, meaning he could also offer the Whites plenty of versatility ahead of the gruelling 38-game marathon to come.

RW

129

25

43

AM

88

13

10

LW

44

9

7

RM

8

0

1

SS

4

0

0

CF

3

0

0

RB

3

0

0

LM

2

1

0

CM

1

0

0

Judging by the numbers, Buendia is actually more adept playing as a right winger than an out-and-out number ten.

As a result, the “outstanding” South American – as Farke once waxed called him – could give the likes of Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto a run for their money, away from stealing the American’s starting space.

Having also played in the Champions League last season with Bayer Leverkusen, this could be just one temporary signing, alongside other new recruits entering Elland Road, that allows Leeds to compete in the big time, knowing he has what it takes to dazzle some tough defenders.

Whilst Aaronson didn’t miss a single game in the Championship last season, the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether, as plans begin to be put in place to ensure Leeds upgrade all over the park.

Big upgrade on Piroe: Leeds in the race to sign £34m "monster"

Leeds United would land themselves a Joel Piroe upgrade if they successfully signed this goalscoring monster.

1 ByKelan Sarson Jun 1, 2025