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Aston Villa are ready to bolster their attacking options in the January transfer window, with new reports linking the Villans to one of the most in form forwards in world football.

Unai Emery’s side have made an astonishingly strong start to the 2023/24 campaign, sitting just one point outside the Premier League’s top four as Villa Park reinstates itself as a fortress.

Villa are unbeaten in 12 home games in the league, highlighting their progression under Emery, however it’s been suggested in the media that there are further squad improvements to be made.

In the summer, the Spaniard was joined by president of football operations, Monchi, with the task of recruiting the next wave of quality acquisitions to be part of his project in the Midlands.

Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet arrived during the transfer window, with additional resources now being scanned for the remainder of the campaign.

Aston Villa transfer targets

While the summer arrivals have mostly settled into life at Villa Park well, none of the captures can be identified as a centre-forward, which seems to be an area that Emery is plotting to expand in the winter.

One player said to be of interest to the Villans is a name already well-loved in the Midlands, with news in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, naming Tammy Abraham as a potential target in January.

The report claims that Villa are 'in the picture' for the Roma striker, who could be offloaded by Jose Mourinho’s side in the near future.

Abraham spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Villa under Dean Smith, with his 26 goals in the Championship being integral to the Villans earning promotion to the Premier League that year.

While the Englishman has a stellar reputation in the Midlands, he isn’t the most prolific striker that Villa have been linked to ahead of the January window.

Another forward that Emery’s side have been quoted with having an interest in is Stuttgart talisman Serhou Guirassy, who has been one of the most in-form strikers in Europe this season.

A report from TEAMtalk late last month referenced Villa’s interest along with that of Fulham, Spurs and Everton, as the hunt for the 27-year-old heats up in the Premier League.

Astonishingly, the accomplished forward is reported to have a mere release clause of just €20m (£17m), meaning he could be available for an extremely low fee in January.

Getting a player for cheap in the current state of the market is one strength, but just how good is Guirassy, and how could he fit in at Villa?

Serhou Guirassy’s playing style

Described as a player that is 'devouring Bundesliga defences' by scouting site The Analyst, the forward has found sanctuary playing under Sebastian Hoeness at Stuttgart.

Standing at 6 foot 2, the towering striker has a lot of skills in his locker, with his ability to hold the ball up and link with those around him being one of the most notable assets of his dominating frame.

Fellow scouting site Breaking the Lines lauded the 27-year-old’s 'ability to create goals out of nothing' as one of his strongest points, dubbing that element of his game as one that 'emphasises his genius'.

While pace is not his strongest point, Guirassy tends to find sanctuary in linking with the forwards without him, suggesting that he could be the ideal fit for Villa, who have no interest in replacing their talisman to welcome a new forward.

The stats that show Serhou Guirassy would be a good signing for Aston Villa

Comparable to the likes of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland for his scoring proficiency by FBref, the Guinea international has been the most efficient goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.

Averaging a mammoth 1.01 non-penalty goals per 90, the 27-year-old ranks in the top 1% in Europe over the past 365 days in that regard, telling of his clinical nature in front of goal.

Once lauded as “insane” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Guirassy is an undoubted presence in the final third, supported by his average of 3.34 shots on goal per 90.

In the Bundesliga, the forward has already improved his total of 11 goals last season this term, having netted a monstrous 14 goals in eight league games for the Bavarians already.

The Stuttgart ace could offer a host of benefits to Villa, particularly in Emery’s rotated formation of 4-4-2, which could see him fully utilise the duo leading the line by pairing Ollie Watkins with the £17m man.

How Serhou Guirassy could fit in with Ollie Watkins

Back in April, Emery told The Athletic of his “idea” to “add another striker” to play alongside Watkins in the summer.

While no identifiable centre-forward was acquired in the window, the Spaniard has found joy in unleashing club-record capture Moussa Diaby as the second part of the duo selected to lead the line.

In playing a 4-4-2, Emery could easily rotate his squad to accommodate Guirassy to play alongside Watkins, in a move that could not only benefit the front line, but Diaby too, who could once again assume his favoured position on the flanks.

Like Watkins, Guirassy enjoys linking with those around him to utilise his presence on the pitch and in the Englishman, he could find the perfect partner to join forces with.

Ollie Watkins

Serhou Guirassy

10

8

5

14

172 minutes

46 minutes

1.4

2.3

16%

44%

1.9

1.9

As highlighted in the table above, both players are reliable scorers for their teams, boasting the ability to not only put the ball in the net, but to link play also through their creative strengths.

The duo’s shared average of 1.9 key passes per game tells an interesting story of their capability to act as the playmaker, rather than just the hitman.

That element alone could see Emery extend his side’s productivity in the final third, by cloning Watkins to add more firepower in the form of Guirassy, whose goal-scoring presence could fuse with the tactical know-how of Villa’s star man.

The options are endless for the Spaniard with reference to how he could best utilise the duo, however with only Jhon Duran as the other recognisable centre-forward in the squad at present, welcoming additional reinforcements to that area could only bolster the front line going forward.

In signing one of the most in-form strikers in Europe, Emery could take his team to the next level, by expanding the squad and boosting the potential for goals at Villa Park.

Manchester United could undergo a significant structural change as Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly wants a head coach rather than a traditional manager.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Ratcliffe looking to make structural changes at Man Utd
• Might do away with the post of a 'manager'
• Ten Hag's future still hangs in the air

• (C)GettyImages
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , this proposed shift in leadership dynamics is part of Ratcliffe's broader vision to modernize and revamp the club's operations, regardless of the fate of current manager Erik ten Hag.

  Ratcliffe aims to depart from the conventional model, reminiscent of Sir Alex Ferguson's era, where a single manager oversees various aspects of the club. Instead, under the envisioned new model, the head coach would primarily focus on matchday and training duties at Carrington, while recruitment responsibilities would be entrusted to incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada once they assume their roles at United.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ten Hag's active involvement in player acquisitions has led United to shell out hefty amounts for securing signings like Antony, Casemiro, and Mason Mount. These players have failed to live up to expectations and hence his position has come under scrutiny. However, Ratcliffe's proposed restructuring is not related to Ten Hag's future at Old Trafford as a decision is yet to be taken by the board.

• WHAT RATCLIFFE SAID

  In a recent appearance on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, Ratcliffe emphasized the importance of establishing the right organizational framework and highlighted the distinction between the traditional managerial role and the evolving role of a head coach.

  “It’s where you start. You need the right organisation and structure. In the old days of Sir Alex Ferguson he was the manager,” said Ratcliffe.

  “Well, we don’t have managers today, we have a coach. And a coach would normally report to a sporting director and a sporting director would report to the chief executive. Where do you put recruitment? Strategy? All that kind of stuff. You need to get your organisation right and then need to populate it with the people who are best in class.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Historically, Manchester United's comprehensive football operations were overseen by figures like Ferguson where managers wielded significant influence over transfer decisions. However, Ratcliffe's proposed model aligns with modern trends in football management, where clubs increasingly opt for a separation of sporting and coaching responsibilities, enabling the head coach to focus on on-field performance while specialized executives handle strategic decisions.

West Ham United have been far better in the early stages of the current campaign compared to the 2022/23 Premier League season, with the summer transfer activity breeding sustained success once again.

Last season's Europa Conference League winners have thus qualified for this term's Europa League, finishing on an immense high after toiling for much of the domestic campaign and finishing 14th after successive top seven seasons.

Among the new recruits, David Moyes will be particularly delighted with the impact of James Ward-Prowse, whose creativity and composure has been integral in mounting an early push for European qualification.

How good has James Ward-Prowse been for West Ham?

Last season, Ward-Prowse captained Southampton to relegation from the top flight, but make no mistake, the 28-year-old was not culpable for their demise, scoring 11 goals and receiving praise for his "world-class" qualities from former manager Nathan Jones.

This season, the midfielder has already scored twice and provided six assists for the Hammers since joining for £30m in August, very much the "outstanding” component, as he has been hailed by journalist Josh Bunting.

In the Premier League alone, the £115k-per-week machine has recorded an average match rating of 7.69 – as per Sofascore – completing 91% of his passes, making 2.1 key passes, 1.4 tackles and 5.9 ball recoveries per game and winning 59% of his ground duels.

To emphasise his all-encompassing skills, he ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, and the top 17% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

While Ward-Prowse has probably been the pick of the bunch regarding the new arrivals, there has arguably been an unsung hero proving to be just as important this year, with right-back Vladimir Coufal in one of his richest veins of form since joining the Irons.

How is Vladimir Coufal playing this season?

Coufal joined the fold in east London for just over £5m in 2020, and has since cemented himself as a regular presence on the pitch for Moyes' side, hailed for his "brilliant" displays by pundit Jamie Carragher.

The 38-cap Czech Republic international is not usually the most striking of full-backs on English shores, but he conducts his business diligently and with confidence, ranking among the top 14% of positional peers for tackles, the top 20% for interceptions, the top 6% for clearances and the top 11% for aerial wins per 90.

Moreover, he works expertly in tandem with Jarrod Bowen down the right flank, offering both stability and supplementing the clinical England international, who has scored five goals from eight Premier League appearances this season.

The 31-year-old has recently unlocked his creative flair, registering an assist across his past four outings in the top flight, with two such passes providing Bowen with a goal.

But furthermore, he has averaged 2.4 tackles and 2,8 clearances per game, as per Sofascore, which highlights the defensive assurance that slots him into West Ham's system potently.

Having provided just one assist from 27 outings last year, there is clear evidence of a developing understanding down that right side, which is already proving instrumental in the pursuit of a fourth consecutive year on the continental scene.

Defensively solid, offensively improving and praised for his "incredible" start to the season by journalist Jack Elderton, Coufal really is one of the unsung heroes of this thriving Hammers squad, and his work down the right is charging the fine form that has kickstarted the current campaign.

Celtic have seemingly been hit with another injury blow, with a “special player” appearing to suffering a new issue.

Celtic injury news; Abada, Nawrocki, Tilio, McCarthy and Welsh

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers have enjoyed a solid start to the Scottish Premiership campaign, signing off prior to the international break with a 3-1 victory over Kilmarnock to ensure their lead at the top of the table was seven points.

They were boosted with the return of Cameron Carter-Vickers, however, Liel Abada, Maik Nawrocki, Marco Tilio, James McCarthy and Stephen Welsh all missed out once again as they remain sidelined. Tilio is still yet to make his debut after making the move to Celtic in the summer, whereas Abada has a thigh issue, McCarthy and Nawrocki muscle problems and Welsh an ankle injury.

It looks as if the quintet could be joined by another player on the treatment table, with a Celtic injury update emerging on Daizen Maeda. The forward played 89 minutes of the Parkhead victory on Saturday, but journalist Dan Orlowitz has shared ‘the word’ from the Japanese FA, saying Maeda needed to be withdrawn due to injury and has been replaced by Hayao Kawabe.

How many goals has Daizen Maeda scored for Celtic?

Maeda made the move to Celtic Park back in 2022 and helped the club win a domestic treble last season under former manager Ange Postecoglou. The 25-year-old, who can play in a variety of attacking roles, has contributed to 34 goals in 82 Hoops appearances, scoring 20 and providing 14 assists. He is highly rated at Parkhead as well, with Alistair Johnston recently describing Maeda as a “special player”.

“Playing with Daizen in front of me is so good. As the gaffer said before, he counts for two players with how much running he does. Daizen’s just rapid and is constantly a threat. He’s so effective. He’s quite a special player to have in front of you. As a full-back, he makes your life much easier.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers praised the attacker’s work rate and ‘unbelievable mentality’.

“I think when you have Daizen Maeda in your team, you don’t really have 10 men. He puts in the work rate of two players – an unbelievable mentality. He gets his reward at the end. Overall, it was a real collective effort from the boys, and they showed outstanding resilience.”

Therefore, Celtic will be hoping that Maeda’s injury isn’t too serious after withdrawing from international duty, and that he can recover in quick time with the Hoops having three games in the final 10 days of the month when domestic action returns, facing Hearts, Atletico Madrid and Hibernian.

West Ham United boss David Moyes may opt to rest one of his key men against SC Freiburg on Thursday after he sustained a knock in the Hammers' victory over Sheffield United last weekend, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving West Ham United?

Hammers full-back Vladimir Coufal has backed his teammates Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse to be selected for England duty by Gareth Southgate for matches against Italy and Australia in light of their early season form, as per The Evening Standard.

Coufal stated: "I was really surprised they weren’t there last time. I hope for both of them. They absolutely deserve it. The manager sees it but obviously reaching the squad is very difficult because of the number of players with amazing ability. But these two deserve to be there."

West Ham saw off a stiff test against Sheffield United at the London Stadium last weekend in the Premier League, running out 2-0 winners courtesy of strikes from England international Bowen and midfielder Tomas Soucek.

Speaking after the match, West Ham playmaker Ward-Prowse expressed his delight at the Hammers' ability to secure victory against the Blades, saying: "We’re really pleased with the performance. It was a tough game on Saturday – every game in the Premier League is tough – but especially coming up against a team who had a difficult week last week."

He then added: "We knew it was going to be a tough game, but the two early goals helped us and I think we’re a little bit disappointed that we couldn’t build on that [with more goals] in the second half."

Irons starlet Dan Rigge is also set to sign a new long-term deal at the London Stadium despite interest from elsewhere in England and from La Liga.

Is Jarrod Bowen now injured?

According to popular West Ham reporter Sean Whetstone, Bowen is carrying a slight injury after being substituted late on in their victory against Sheffield United.

Taking to social media platform X, Whetstone issued an update on the permutations of Bowen's injury, stating: "Hammer Jarrod Bowen was carrying a slight limp as he was subbed on the 93rd minute at the weekend. His slight knock is not expected to be a problem, but he could be rested for the Europa League to be fresh for the London Stadium game against Newcastle United."

The chances are that Bowen may have been rested for the tie regardless of his match fitness, though Hammers fans will be relieved to hear that the 26-year-old will only be temporarily unavailable.

In 2023/24, Bowen has made an excellent start to life in the Premier League, registering five goals and one assist in his opening seven appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

As cited by FBRef, the former Hull City attacker, who was labelled "unbelievable" by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp last year, has also been able to fashion plenty of chances for his teammates this term, successfully carrying out 20 shot-creating actions in the English top-flight.

Despite Moyes encountering an injury concern regarding Bowen, it looks as though he will be it and firing by the time Newcastle United make the long trip down to London this weekend.

Manchester United are thought to be eyeing up a possible 2024 move for a teenage midfielder, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Man Utd transfer news…

The Red Devils haven’t had the best of starts to the new season under Erik ten Hag despite bringing in eight new players over the summer. Four defeats from eight in the Premier League alongside back-to-back losses in the Champions League have seen pressure building on the manager. However, in recent updates on Ten Hag’s future at Man Utd, the Red Devils aren’t yet considering parting ways with the Dutchman following a successful first year at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, the Man Utd takeover saga looks set to come to an end soon, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to invest in the club after Sheikh Jassim withdrew his offer over the weekend. Ratcliffe and INEOS are on course to pay £1.3bn for a 25% stake in the club and are expected to run the football operations as part of the deal.

Therefore, they look set to be in control of signings in the New Year, with one possible addition being Benfica’s Joao Neves. The midfielder, who has a £100m+ release clause, has recently been linked with a move to Old Trafford, and a Man Utd transfer update has been shared by Sky Sports’ Plettenberg, who said:

“João Neves is a potential transfer target for Man Utd! Not in winter, but for summer – confirmed. The 19 y/o midfielder is on the list of MUFC for a long time. More top clubs are monitoring the top talent from SL Benfica!”

Joao Neves profiled

Neves could well be a possible signing next summer then, by which time he will be approaching his 20th birthday. He can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder and has enjoyed a brilliant rise over the past 12 months, with Neves’ transfer value going from €400,000 to €20m, as per Transfermarkt.

Already a Portugal international, Neves has been labelled as a “warrior” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and has progressed through Benfica’s youth system, making 31 senior appearances in all competitions. (Joao Neves stats – Transfermarkt)

Former trainer Luis Castro has also praised Neves recently, describing him as a “complete” player who could shine in the Premier League, should a move materialise.

“(He can) play in any championship in the world. (He’s) a complete and very intelligent player. The Premier League is the best league in the world, and not only would he be able to adapt, but he would also play and shine.

“Knowing João, I think he is not worried about the next step but about the next game. He had good training at Benfica, but at family level he also had a lot of support. He is very focused. I believe that if and when he takes the leap he will be prepared. He started training with the A team around the time of the World Cup because they needed him, and I told my technical team that we probably wouldn’t see him again. I knew his quality and his way of working.”

Therefore, it looks as if a move will be one to keep an eye on over the next six months or so, where United may be hoping to be in a good position to get a deal over the line.

With the recent transfer window having come and gone, Tottenham Hotspur can reflect on what was a rather mixed summer of business, in truth, with the Lilywhites suffering the blow of losing club record goalscorer, Harry Kane, albeit while making a raft of astute dealings.

The £40m addition of James Maddison – who already has four goals and assists from just four Premier League outings this season – already looks to be something of a bargain, while towering Dutchman Micky van de Ven has also been "really impressive" thus far, as per talkSPORT's Danny Murphy, as a sign of the smart acquisitions that have been made.

That's not to suggest that new boss Ange Postecoglou was able to totally revamp his first-team squad, however, with the former Celtic tactician having notably been unable to wrap up a deal for Chelsea's midfield machine, Conor Gallagher.

Why didn't Tottenham sign Conor Gallagher?

Reports had indicated last month that the England international was among the list of targets that Spurs were considering to potentially replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the centre of the park, with the latter man having been heavily linked with a move to La Liga giants, Atletico Madrid.

Speculation was particularly rampant amid a frantic end to deadline day – with claims made that the north Londoners were readying a move for the 23-year-old – although transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that no bid was ever sent by Daniel Levy and co, as the club proved unable to shift Hojbjerg.

That has left Postecoglou's midfield options looking rather limited, in truth, with a hefty reliance likely to be placed on the current starting trio of Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Maddison over the coming months – particularly with Rodrigo Bentancur still sidelined.

Missing out on a player like Gallagher could then appear to be a significant setback for those at N17, although the club may well already have their own version of the former Crystal Palace loanee in the form of 20-year-old sensation, Nile John.

Who is Nile John?

It had appeared that the promising Englishman was set to be among a raft of youth assets who were heading for the exit door at the end of last season amid his expiring contract, although the playmaker ultimately committed his future to the club back in July, after signing a new extension until the summer of 2025.

A player with just two senior appearances to his name to date – having made his debut in the Europa League against Wolfsberger back in February 2021 – the £1.9k-per-week maestro has yet to truly show his worth at first-team level, despite sparkling in the youth ranks.

The versatile gem – who can feature in central midfield, attacking midfield or on the flanks – notably boasts a promising record of 11 goals and four assists in 56 games for Tottenham's U21 side, showcasing that he can mirror the attacking threat that Gallagher memorably illustrated at Palace, after netting eight goals and providing three assists in the league during the 2021/22 season.

In his three EFL Trophy appearances last term, John also demonstrated that he can help to chip in defensively when required after averaging a solid 1.7 tackles per game while winning back possession once per game on average, with that not too far away from what his Blues counterpart has achieved so far this term, after averaging three tackles per game and winning possession 1.3 times per game in the Premier League.

While far less experienced than his compatriot, John is also said to be a player who can show "real quality", as hailed by journalist Alasdair Gold, ensuring that the youngster could well help to supplement the likes of Sarr and Bentancur, both this season and beyond.

With £40m having been mooted as a possible asking price for Gallagher, Postecoglou could well have saved the club millions if he is to unleash the academy starlet instead in the near future.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAustralia suffocated England with the ball and hammered them with the bat to register three Twenty20 wins from three games and secure a place in the triangular series final as the series moves to New Zealand after the match at the MCG on Saturday night.In front of a crowd of 42,691 for the closing fixture of the international summer, the Australians galloped to their target with 33 balls to spare, as Chris Lynn, D’Arcy Short and Glenn Maxwell all contributed. The fit-again Aaron Finch then put an exclamation mark on the result with a pair of mighty sixes off the bowling of David Willey, after he had been demoted to No. 5 to allow the younger Short to continue his impressive audition alongside the stand-in captain David Warner.Another low score for Warner was just about the only trouble spot for the Australians, with Billy Stanlake, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, AJ Tye and Ashton Agar all bowling exemplary spells with the ball. They were well and truly backed up in the field, epitomised by Warner’s quicksilver running throw to beat Dawid Malan and Agar’s athletic running take to dismiss Jos Buttler at the end of a halting England innings.Buttler had been the only England batsman to make a substantial score, but even he was at less than his best, a rare occasion when he scored below a run a ball. All of the visiting bowlers suffered for the fact they had few runs to defend, while also lacking the advice of their captain Eoin Morgan, ruled out with a muscle strain before play.Though he has led the team expertly and energetically in the field, Warner has found himself mired in a rut with the bat, and Willey’s early away swing proved too much for his minimal footwork, resulting in a thin edge behind in the very first over of the chase. Lynn was once again beaten by the ball moving back into him first up, but this time saw the ball squirt away towards the off side rather than thudding into the stumps.Duly reprieved, Lynn set about clobbering some trademark blows, cutting short balls over the off side field, swinging a leg-side delivery over the rope behind square leg, then arrowing a boundary to wide long-on. His stay was eventful but brief, ending with a top edge from the bowling of Chris Jordan that settled comfortably into the gloves of Buttler.A career opener for Australia, the returned Aaron Finch found himself shuffled down as far as No. 5 with Maxwell coming in at the fall of Lynn’s wicket, and quickly reprising his effective Hobart stand with Short. The pair found the boundary consistently in bringing down the target, taking a particularly heavy toll on Liam Dawson’s flat left-arm spin. Tom Curran was also expensive, while Adil Rashid was unable to claim the rush of wickets England desperately needed to be a chance.Maxwell’s third substantial contribution of the series ended with 22 runs still required, as he swung presumptuously at a slower bouncer from Jordan and skied another catch for Buttler, but this at least afforded Finch the chance to bat for the first time since he was injured last month. He duly accompanied Short to the finish, leaving Australia’s players with three T20 wins from three in this series and a spring in their step ahead of the Allan Border Medal awards ceremony in Melbourne on Monday night.The visitors were shorn of the services of Morgan due to a right groin strain suffered at training on Friday, Dawson and James Vince coming into the team and Buttler standing in as leader. Mark Wood was dropped. In the final international match of the Australian summer, Finch returned for the hosts following a hamstring strain that he suffered during the preceding ODI series, but significantly Short was retained at the top of the order and Travis Head left out of the team that won in Hobart.Stanlake had been harshly dealt with by England’s batsmen in that match, but this time he was able to get into the game early when Alex Hales skied one in the first over and Finch made decent ground running with the flight of the ball towards the boundary from mid-on to hold a juggling catch. Jason Roy’s quiet series continued when he tried to run Richardson towards third man but succeeded only in snicking to Alex Carey – a very 1990s ODI dismissal – and Malan could last only 10 balls for as many runs when he was brilliantly thrown out by Warner from mid-on, the captain picking up and throwing in virtually the same motion.These early blows caused England to pull back on their customary aggression, but the fall of regular wickets meant this policy did not work particularly well either. The recalled Vince was fooled and yorked by a terrific slower ball from Tye, before Sam Billings’ useful union with Buttler was ended by a mistimed swing and a catch for Warner at mid-off. Billings had been fired out earlier for a deflection behind off the bowling of Stoinis, but his use of England’s lone review showed the ball had struck trouser rather than glove.Willey seldom needs an excuse to swing hard, and first ball of the final over he found the boundary with a miscue over Carey’s head, before another top edge skewed into the off side and allowed Warner to claim another catch. The excellent Richardson was to claim his third wicket when Buttler tried to clear the fence from the final ball of the innings, but could not quite reach the sight screen, where Agar, who had also been economical with the ball, made a running chance look far less difficult than it was. Australia’s T20 fortunes have taken a decided turn for the better; Warner and company will hope they stay that way after the flight to New Zealand.

Manchester City have added a new face to their portfolio of young talent in a move with historical context at the Etihad Stadium, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester City?

In typical fashion, Manchester City have started the campaign in flawless fashion, winning their first two league fixtures against Burnley and Newcastle United without conceding a goal and triumphing in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, as per Sky Sports.

Preferring a quality over quantity approach in the market has benefited Pep Guardiola so far and he has managed to secure the additions of Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, respectively.

Veering into the latter stages of the window, Manchester City have started to liven up as they look to bolster their squad to challenge for both domestic and European glory once again in 2023/24.

Rennes winger Jeremy Doku is putting the 'finishing touches' to his £55 million move to the Etihad and is expected to be announced imminently following the collapse of advances to acquire Crystal Palace playmaker Michael Olise, as per The Daily Mail.

Next in line looks to be Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes and Manchester City have submitted an opening bid worth over €50 million (£42.7 million) to try and sign the Portugal international, according to The Guardian.

Telegraph Sport indicate that Manchester City actually proposed a fee of around £47 million for Nunes, which Wolves have since rejected; however, Guardiola is expected to return with another offer for the 24-year-old.

Kevin De Bruyne has been sidelined with a hamstring problem and could be set to miss the next four months of action, prompting Manchester City to enter the market for an extra option in the engine room.

Personal terms have been agreed between Nunes and Manchester City and Bernardo Silva has signed a new contract at the Premier League champions until the summer of 2026.

Who have Manchester City signed?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that RB Salzburg youngster Leon Lalic has joined Manchester City's conglomerate, the City Football Group, and will be loaned out to satellite club Lommel SK for the rest of the season, stating on X:

"RB Salzburg talent Leon Lalić joins Man City/City Group, here we go. It’s first deal ever from RB Salzburg to City Group — historical for 2006-born midfielder. Lalić will initially join Lommel. David Fernandez’s team followed Lalić for more than 2 years."

16-year-old Lalic has predominantly featured as a winger during his time in RB Salzburg's youth system and caught the eye last campaign, registering three goals across 13 appearances in the OFB Jugendliga U18, as per Transfermarkt.

The City Football Group is comprised of clubs from all over the world with the aim of helping Manchester City to establish their brand worldwide and build an elite pool of developing talent and they either own or have extensive involvement in sides such as New York City, Melbourne City, Yokohama F. Marinos, Girona, Montevideo City Torque, Troyes, Lommel, Sichuan Jiuniu, Palermo, Bahia and partner club Club Bolivar.

Lalic looks to be the latest in a long line of talented youngsters to link up with the organisation and will hope to break through into the Manchester City first-team in the coming years.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou "wants another centre-back" this summer as the club close in on the signing of Wolfsbug defender Micky van de Ven, claims Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

It has been an interesting transfer window for Spurs, to say the least, this summer, as while they have certainly improved the squad and first team with the additions of James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Guglielmo Vicario, they have also had to contend with Bayern Munich's attempts to sign their star striker Harry Kane.

That said, the club have pressed on with their recruitment and look set to announce the signing of Netherlands under-21 star Van de Ven in the coming days, after they agreed to a £43m deal with the Bundesliga side to bring him to N17, per the Evening Standard.

And while the signing of the Dutch defender is undoubtedly exciting and represents a good investment from Daniel Levy and Co, the team surely need more defensive reinforcements, and they need them as soon as possible.

Read the latest Tottenham Hotspur transfer news HERE…

Last year was a disaster for the Lilywhites, with their eighth-placed finish seeing them miss out on any European football for the first time since the 2009/10 season, and their abysmal defensive record is one of the primary culprits as to why they had such a poor campaign.

Over the course of their 38 league games last season, Spurs conceded a massive 63 goals, a record better than only five teams, including the three relegated sides.

With a record like that, it becomes much easier to understand why Postecoglou would want another first-choice centre-back through the door this month, per Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

He explained the situation on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), saying:

"Ange Postecoglou wants another centre-back coming in as well. And they have also bought in Ashley Phillips from Blackburn this week. He'll be training with the first-team squad, but I think he's one more for the future.

"So Micky Van De Ven in and probably another centre-back as well."

Who else have Tottenham Hotspur been linked to?

Two defensive names above everyone else have been heavily touted for a move to the White side of north London this summer. One of those has been van de Ven; the other is Bayer Leverkusen's dynamic defender Edmond Tapsoba.

Well, it's good news for Spurs fans, as according to Football Insider, the club will now 'accelerate' their push to sign the Bukino Faso international in the coming weeks following their agreement to bring in van de Ven.

The only problem for Postcoglou's side is that the Bundesliga outfit have set a price tag of around £50m for their star defender.

However, with the sale of Davinson Sanchez a possibility for Tottenham and the exit of Kane also being possible, the Lilywhites should have enough in their budget to make a convincing enough offer for the player, per Football Insider.

Despite the high price of a potential deal, signing Tapsoba would represent fantastic business for the club.

He has been outstanding over recent seasons, never dipping below an average rating of 6.64 over the previous three campaigns per WhoScored.

If Levy can end the transfer window with both Tapsoba and van de Ven this year, then he would have done a great job, and Postecoglou should have enough quality at his disposal to make a good go of challenging for European football once again.