كشف مصدر مسؤول داخل الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، حقيقة ما تردد في بعض التقارير المغربية حول إقامة مباراة ودية بين منتخبي مصر والمغرب قبل انطلاق منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.
وأوضح المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لموقع بطولات، أن اتحاد الكرة المصري لم يتقدم بأي طلب رسمي لمواجهة منتخب المغرب وديًا، كما أن المدير الفني للفراعنة حسام حسن لم يطلب خوض هذه المباراة ضمن تحضيرات المنتخب للبطولة.
وأضاف المصدر أن بعض شركات التسويق الرياضي كانت قد عرضت بالفعل فكرة تنظيم لقاء ودي بين المنتخبين، مؤكدًا أن الجانب المصري رحّب بالفكرة من حيث المبدأ نظرًا لقوة المنتخب المغربي وقيمة المواجهة الفنية، إلا أن الرفض جاء من الجانب المغربي.
طالع أيضًا | خاص | منتخب مصر الثاني يخوض وديتين قويتين قبل كأس العرب
وأشار إلى أن منتخب المغرب كان قد حدّد مسبقًا برنامج مبارياته الودية قبل كأس الأمم، سواء خلال فترة نوفمبر المقبل أو معسكر ما قبل البطولة، وذلك بناءً على رؤية الجهاز الفني لأسود الأطلس، بالإضافة إلى وجود اتفاق مالي يربط المغرب بإحدى المباريات الودية التي سيخوضها ضمن استعداداته الرسمية.
ومن المقرر أن تستضيف المغرب بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025، والتي ستنطلق يوم الأحد الموافق 21 ديسمبر وتستمر حتى الأحد الموافق 18 يناير 2026.
Max Holden and Emilio Gay also did their bit as Lions ended day two 320 behind but only two wickets down
Nagraj Gollapudi31-May-2025
Karun Nair celebrates after recording his fourth first-class double-century•PA Images via Getty Images
England Lions 237 for 2 (Haines 103*, Holden 64*, Gay 46, Kamboj 1-24) trail India A 557 (Nair 204, Jurel 94, Sarfaraz 92, Hull 3-72, Akhter 3-73, Jack 2-75) by 320 runsIf you put up a total over 550, you think you are in command. Yet, India A were made to work hard for a lot of the second day as Sussex top-order batter Tom Haines led England Lions’ fightback with a resolute century in response to the imposing 557 in Canterbury.It was a contrasting start and end to the day for the visiting side. In the first hour, Karun Nair celebrated his fourth first-class double-century. Nair, who last year played county cricket for Northampton, joined an exclusive club of Indian batters to score multiple double-centuries in England in the process. His seven-plus-hour vigil came to an end as Zaman Akhter forced an inside edge that went into the gloves of James Rew behind the wickets.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Nair had shown patience, composure and solid defensive technique during his 435-minute stay that lasted 281 balls as the runs came at a decent clip. His 204 included 26 fours and a six. As he walked back with the Lions players rushing to congratulate him, and the 1700-plus crowd giving him a standing ovation, Nair would think he had put himself in pole position to stake a claim for a slot in the India batting order for the first Test against England in Leeds, starting June 20.India A finished after 125.1 overs, and the focus was now on the bowlers after the Lions began their second innings just over an hour after lunch. The new ball was shared by Mukesh Kumar and Anshul Kamboj. While Mukesh struggled to find his lines and rhythm, Kamboj was disciplined.Related
Why India picked Nair and Arshdeep and left out Sarfaraz and Shami
Tour blog – Mhatre, Malhotra shine as second Youth Test ends in draw
A strong unit, broad-shouldered, just about six-feet tall, Kamboj can bang the hard lengths and move the ball off the seam. Unlike Mukesh, Kamboj offered no width and forced the batters to play every ball as he attacked the top of off stump. Ben McKinney, the tall Durham opener with a high backlift, had been beaten by one such delivery, the first of Kamboj’s third over (the sixth of the innings). Next ball, delivering from close to the stumps, Kamboj pitched on the top band of good length and managed to shape the ball from middle to off while sneaking past McKinney’s outside edge to uproot the off stump.Kamboj should have had his second wicket soon after: Emilio Gay nicked a delivery, but wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel put down the sitter. Soon after, Shardul Thakur, early in his first spell, should have had Haines. Then on 11, Haines poked at a fifth-stump delivery, but Sarfaraz Khan, at second slip, failed to latch on to a low attempt to his left. Annoyed, Thakur momentarily stood in teapot stance.The sloppy fielding became a cause for annoyance for India A. There were several misfields, including another life to Haines when, on 83, he slashed hard at a wide delivery outside off from Harshit Rana, which flew to point fielder Abhimanyu Easwaran. The India A captain threw himself to his right to attempt a double-handed catch but the ball burst through.Tom Haines ended the second day unbeaten on 103•PA Images via Getty Images
Haines would soon celebrate his 15th first-class century, and his third so far this summer, having started the season with two centuries in April for Sussex. Haines, who is among the leading run-makers in the County Championship, showed why he is rated among the best top-order batters around as he did not let go of any scoring opportunities. The Indian bowlers helped his cause by spraying the ball wide and short, or going too straight.He was also fluent against Harsh Dubey, who was a late entrant into the India A squad. Haines was comfortable reading the left-arm spinner, especially utilising the sweep and reverse sweep to good effect while also playing it late and being mindful of the arm ball Dubey used frequently.The pitch, though, had flattened and become slower, making batting easier. Haines said after the day’s play that the bowlers had to “really smash the pitch to get something out of it”. Still, the Indians would have liked to control the scoring tempo, which was over four runs an over through the afternoon.Two bowlers the Indian team management would want to look at during the two four-day games are Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy. While both went wicketless, Thakur showed more control, conceding 37 runs in his ten overs, including a maiden. Reddy, whose inclusion as an allrounder for the England tour has become a talking point considering he had barely bowled in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, was brought in about half-an-hour before the close of play. He went for 27 runs in three overs and was quickly replaced.
كشف أحد لاعبي مانشستر سيتي أن مسيرته كانت من الممكن أن تسلك طريقا آخر تماماً في بداية مراهقته قبل أن ينضم لفريقه الإنجليزي الحالي.
وبرز جوسكو جفارديول المدافع الكرواتي الدولي كواحد من أكثر المدافعين تكاملاً في أوروبا بعد أن انتقل بمبلغ قياسي إلى ملعب الاتحاد، على الرغم من أن صعوده في عالم كرة القدم لم يكن سهلاً.
وكانت سنوات مراهقة جفارديول قد اتسمت بفترة من الشك والرغبة في السعادة بعيداً عن ضغوط رياضة الشباب.
وقال جفارديول في تصريحات نشرتها “سيتي إكسترا” :”كنت أفكر في الاعتزال لأنني أحب كرة السلة أيضاً، لم أعد متأكداً من نفسي في كرة القدم، عندما تصل لملعب التدريبات لا تشعر بالسعادة كما تعلم”.
أقرأ أيضاً.. مرموش: أريد إظهار أن مصر لديها لاعبون عظماء للعالم
وأضاف :”كنت أحاول البحث عن حلول أخرى، والشعور بسعادة أكبر مما هو قبل ذلك لأن جميع أصدقائي كانوا يلعبون كرة السلة، كان حلمي أن أصبح لاعب كرة قدم محترفا لكنني لم أكن أعلم أنني سأصل لهذا الحد”.
وواصل :”لو عدت خمس سنوات وسألتني، هل ترى نفسك في مانشستر سيتي في 2023 أو 2024 أو 2025، كنت سأقول لا، مستحيل حقاً”.
وكان جفارديول قد جذب اهتمام أندية أوروبا الكبرى بمشاركاته في الدوري الألماني ومستوياته، وانتقل لمانشستر سيتي مقابل 77 مليون جنيه إسترليني في صيف 2023.
Sandeep Sharma went for a costly final over which included four sides and a no ball
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2025
Axar Patel went after Rajasthan Royals’ spinners•BCCI
Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs gave late impetus to a floundering Delhi Capitals innings on Wednesday night; they finished with 188 for 5 after being put into bat by Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in IPL 2025. This was the first sub-200 score by a team batting first in the last nine T20 innings at this ground.Axar injected momentum in the death with a takedown of Wanindu Hasaranga, hitting 34 off 14 in all. Stubbs, dropped on 12 off 8 by Riyan Parag off Hasaranga, batted through to also finish 34 not out off 18 balls as the last three overs went for 42 runs.This included a 19-run final over off Sandeep Sharma, who until then had sensational figures of 3-0-14-0. Sandeep bowled four wides, and a no-ball in what proved to be a 11-ball over that ended with Maheesh Theekshana dropping a sitter at point off Stubbs.The tone was set up top by Abishek Porel, who picked 23 off Tushar Deshpande’s first over – the second of the innings – by Jake Fraser-McGurk and Karun Nair fell early. McGurk began by lofting Jofra Archer for consecutive boundaries in the first over, but holed out to mid-off trying to loft a hard-length delivery.Nair, coming off his IPL best of 89 on debut, then survived three rocket deliveries from Archer. Two of those were bouncers that whizzed past his ear and had him mistime a pull that nearly carried to square leg. Then he was run out at the non-striker’s end following a mix-up with Porel as he walked back for a duck.KL Rahul was cautious to begin with, the slowness of the surface proving challenging to score, especially when deliveries were dug into the pitch on a length. At one stage he was on 17 off 18, but couldn’t quite push on – eventually falling for a 32-ball 38 when he pulled Archer to deep midwicket.This is when DC had Axar to thank as he immediately took down spin to inject momentum that Stubbs carried forward to give them a total to bowl at.
Celtic supporters have been lucky enough to enjoy plenty of top-quality centre-forwards in recent years.
Henrik Larsson will forever remain the gold standard, given that he scored 242 goals in 313 appearances for the club between 1997 and 2004, winning eight major honours, firing them to the UEFA Cup Final of 2003 and picking up the European Golden Shoe in 2001.
In more recent times, Odsonne Édouard, Moussa Dembélé and Kyōgo Furuhashi have all racked up plenty of goals and trophies as Celtic’s centre-forward.
Supporters may argue they do not have a striker of the requisite quality right now, although that opinion could soon be changing, while a player you’ve probably completely forgotten ever played for Celtic is tearing it up in one of the world’s strongest leagues.
Kelechi Iheanacho's start to life at Celtic
Fair to say, not a lot was expected of Kelechi Iheanacho when he arrived at Celtic, considering he joined after the transfer window had closed as an archetypal panic buy.
Well, so far, the Nigerian international is proving the doubters wrong, converting a stoppage time penalty to snatch victory at Kilmarnock on debut, before breaking the deadlock during Wednesday night’s Europa League draw with Crvena zvezda in Belgrade.
During his time at Leicester City, Iheanacho was known as a “deadly finisher”, his best campaign coming in 2020/21, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, four of which came in the FA Cup, a key figure as the Foxes won that competition for the first time ever.
Since then though, he’s not managed more than eight goals in a single campaign, scoring zero times in La Liga during his brief time at Sevilla, hence why los Nervionenses jumped at the chance to cut ties with him.
Nevertheless, reunited with Brendan Rodgers, his manager in the East Midlands of course, Iheanacho looks revitalised and reinvigorated, back to his clinical best in front of goal.
Nevertheless, there is a forward, who made almost no impact at all at Celtic, who actually has more goals to his name at this early stage of the season.
Forgotten Celtic flop on fire in the Bundesliga
We all have that one player who, when they first burst onto the scene, you are certain they’re going to be a future Ballon d’Or winner one day.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Well, for many in Scotland, that player was Oliver Burke.
Back in 2016, having made just 31 appearances for Nottingham Forest, Burke was sold to recently promoted RB Leipzig for £13m, a then-record for a Scottish player, but fair to say he never lived up to this hype.
The table below documents the still only 28-year-old’s manic career so far.
Burke career record
Club
Games
Goals
Bradford City
2
Zero
Nottingham Forest
31
6
RB Leipzig
26
1
West Bromwich Albion
24
1
Celtic
19
4
Deportivo Alavés
32
1
Sheffield United
36
2
Millwall
31
4
Werder Bremen
46
8
Birmingham City
23
Zero
Union Berlin
5
3
Stats via Transfermarkt
As the table outlines, Burke has played for 12 different clubs in four different countries, yet to score double figures in terms of goals for any of them, which is honestly mind-blowing, with the four he managed during a six-month loan spell at Celtic Park from West Brom in 2019 among his higher tallies.
In hoops, he bagged a brace during his Premiership debut against St Mirren, before also netting during home wins over Hibernian and Motherwell, often deployed as a centre-forward by Neil Lennon, who succeeded Rodgers during this period.
This summer, having previously played for RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen, Burke returned to Germany, joining Union Berlin, and perhaps he could finally fulfil his potential at Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
On Sunday, during die Eisernen’s crazy 4-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at Waldstadion, Burke scored a 24-minute hat-trick, becoming the first Scotsman to ever bag a treble in the Bundesliga – and bettering Iheanacho’s own 2025/26 tally in the process.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Andy Brassell labelled them “ice-cold finishes”, noting that Union Berlin are playing to Burke’s strengths, which is utilising his pace in-behind, given that he has always been lightning quick.
Burke has remained such an enigma throughout his career; his raw and physical attributes are seemingly what ensures that clubs keep signing him, but as far back as his Leipzig days there were concerns over his tactical awareness, with then manager Ralph Hasenhüttl comparing him to an “empty hard drive” who had a lot to learn.
The most recent of Burke’s 13 Scotland caps came against Israel in Netanya back in November 2020 but, if he continues to score Bundesliga hat-tricks, Steve Clarke will have to pay attention.
Who knows, he could have been an even better emergency centre-forward option for Celtic than Iheanacho will prove to be.
100% dribbles: "Fearless" Celtic star was even better than Iheanacho
Celtic drew 1-1 with Crvena zvezda in the Europa League, Kelechi Iheanacho scoring in Belgrade, but a “fearless” attacker was even more impressive.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta personally wants the Gunners to seal a statement signing before summer deadline day on September 1, and they’ve been alerted to the marquee costs of a potential deal.
£150k-per-week Premier League star in London after agreeing Arsenal move
Arsenal are about to make a signing.
2 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 25, 2025
It is absolutely imperative that the new sporting director, Andrea Berta, starts making progress soon when it comes to the club’s key forward targets, and in an ideal world, Arteta would be able to work with them for pre-season.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
According to some reports, Arteta personally wants Arsenal to bring in their desired new striker in time for their tour of Asia late next month, with the Spaniard seemingly keen to assess his squad in detail ahead of another Premier League title race.
Alongside their chase for a new number nine, links are also seriously re-emerging in regard to a potential swoop for Real Madrid star Rodrygo.
Arsenal held some talks over signing the Brazil international last month, and between “all parties”, meaning both club officials and the player’s representatives were involved in discussions over a switch to the Premier League.
Rodrygo has bagged 14 goals and 11 assists throughout 2024/2025, including their Club World Cup campaign, and teammate Jude Bellingham is convinced that the 24-year-old is Real’s most underrated player.
“Rodrygo, so underrated,” Bellingham said to CBS Sports.
“For me he’s probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad. The things he can do with the football — we’ll be messing around and he’ll flick the ball up somehow, and you’re like, ‘How do you do that?’. I’m trying to do it, twisting up my ankles and everything like that. He’s a pleasure to play with.”
Mikel Arteta personally wants Arsenal to sign Rodrygo
According to CaughtOffside and journalist Mark Brus, though, Los Blancos ideally want around £94 million for their top talent – even if there is a theory behind-the-scenes that they could accept closer to £72 million.
This, combined with Rodrygo’s £205,000-per-week wages, would surely make him one of the most expensive signings of the summer in terms of overall cost – but it is an option now under serious consideration by Arsenal due to Nico Williams’ pending switch to Barcelona.
Arteta personally wants Arsenal to strike a deal for Rodrygo over the coming months, and he is believed to be a big fan of the South American who Xabi Alonso would ideally like to keep at the Bernabeu.
Man United and Chelsea are named as other suitors for the ex-Santos star, so this could potentially drive the price up even more.
Sunderland are on the hunt for Premier League-level reinforcements and have entered the race for a prolific striker from one of Europe’s top five leagues, according to a report.
Sunderland set out stall to consolidate in the Premier League
Beating the drop will be the immediate priority for Regis Le Bris on Wearside, who will have to plan for life without duo Tommy Watson and Jobe Bellingham following their moves to Brighton & Hove Albion and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.
Despite receiving criticism, Kristjaan Speakman has explained that playoff final hero Watson’s departure being public was to promote transparency with supporters following the club’s decision to speak openly about his move to the South Coast.
Why is this relevant? Well, it could be a sign of things to come moving forward, which will hopefully lead to news surrounding incomings sooner rather than later.
Sunderland now want "exceptional" £37k-p/w star who could cost £30 million
The Black Cats are probing on the market.
BySean Markus Clifford Jun 13, 2025
Ishe Samuels-Smith is said to be on the Black Cats’ radar following his rise to prominence in Chelsea’s youth ranks. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers star Tommy Doyle could also pitch up in the North East, circumstances permitting.
Millwall defender Japhet Tanganga has a £1.2 million release clause Sunderland are keen to take up. Nevertheless, recent reports suggest Le Bris may be looking to add to his pool of offensive options rather than prioritising a move for a defender.
Sunderland eyeing move for Sassuolo star Armand Lauriente
According to AS Roma Live, Sunderland are in the race to sign Sassuolo striker Armand Lauriente, and it would cost around £17 million to bring the 26-year-old to Tyneside.
Roma, Bologna, Fiorentina and Marseille are also interested in the former France Under-21 international, who will find himself playing Serie A football once again next season after his side claimed the Serie B title.
Armand Lauriente in 2024/25 – Serie B (Fotmob)
Shots
81
Shots on target
43
Successful dribbles
31
Chances created
37
Touches in opposition box
152
Labelled “amazing” by Jacek Kulig, Lauriente registered 19 goals and six assists in 34 appearances across all competitions and is now regarded as a hot property across Europe.
Intriguingly, the versatile forward has previously worked with Le Bris at Lorient, which may explain why the Black Cats have come to the table despite stiff competition from elsewhere.
The Premier League is the toughest in the world to crack, especially as a newly-promoted side, so it is interesting to see Sunderland set the bar high in their search for attacking potency.
Now, it remains to be seen whether they can tempt Lauriente with the prospect of starring for a returning force in the top-flight.
Manchester United have now held talks with the agent of a “sensational” player, who is among the main contenders for the Ballon d’Or, according to a report.
Man Utd's pulling power called into question
The Europa League loss against Tottenham Hotspur means, of course, that Champions League football has once again eluded Man United, and Roy Keane has suggested his former club no longer have the pulling power to attract top players.
However, Old Trafford clearly remains an attractive destination, even though European football will not be on offer next season, with it recently being revealed that Bryan Mbeumo would still prefer to join United ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.
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He’s won 20 trophies in his career so far.
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There have also been suggestions that Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres remains interested in a move, despite the highly sought-after striker attracting the attention of some other top clubs, suggesting the Red Devils clearly still have pulling power.
As such, Man United have now stepped up their pursuit of the highly-regarded Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, making contact with his agent, Enzo Raiola, in order to discuss a potential summer move.
Donnarumma’s PSG contract is set to expire next June, meaning he could be on the move this summer, despite expressing a willingness to remain at the French club, saying: “My priority is to stay at PSG. I don’t think there will be problems in the negotiations.”
Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in an upgrade on Andre Onana, but it could be difficult to tempt the goalkeeper into a move, considering his desire to remain in Paris, and Champions League finalists Inter Milan could provide competition for his signature.
"Sensational" Donnarumma emerges as Ballon d'Or contender
With just one year left on his deal, the Italian could be available for just £34m this summer, which could be a bargain fee for a player vying to win the Ballon d’Or, currently ranked fourth in the 2025 Power Rankings.
In recent times, a player from the Champions League winners has often scooped up the prestigious award, and the 26-year-old kept a clean sheet in PSG’s 5-0 demolition of Inter in the final, although Desire Doue was arguably the star of the show.
Not only did the PSG shot-stopper impress in Munich, but he also caught the eye of Joe Prince-Wright in the semi-final against Arsenal, with the reporter suggesting the Italy international was one of the main reasons his side progressed past the Gunners.
Evidently, Donnarumma could be a fantastic signing for Man United, but it seems unlikely that he would be willing to leave the European champions to move to Old Trafford.
Leeds United have now opened talks with the entourage of an “incredible” player with 10 England caps to his name, according to a report.
Leeds looking to avoid drop by building experienced squad
Upon their return to the Premier League, Leeds’ main aim next season will be to avoid an instant return to the Championship, and it looks as though Daniel Farke is planning to avoid the drop by building a squad with a wealth of top-flight experience.
Indeed, the Whites have been linked with players in a range of different positions, many of whom have proven themselves over a number of years in the Premier League.
Target
Current club
Position
PL appearances
Yves Bissouma
Tottenham Hotspur
CM
191
Aaron Cresswell
West Ham United
LB
312
Jamie Vardy
Leicester City
ST
342
Callum Wilson
Newcastle United
ST
239
Aaron Ramsdale
Southampton
GK
183
The interest in Ramsdale comes about amid doubts over Illan Meslier, who was dropped for Karl Darlow during the promotion run-in, but the Southampton shot-stopper, who is available for £25m following the Saints’ relegation, is not the only English goalkeeper on the shortlist.
According to a report from Leeds United News, Leeds have now approached the entourage of Newcastle United’s Nick Pope, who has emerged as a top target for Farke now that Caoimhin Kelleher has decided to make the move to Brentford.
Transfer expert Graeme Bailey also dropped a further update on Pope’s St. James’ Park future, saying: “Pope, he’s on a very good contract there and age is not on his side. It depends where Leeds want to go with it as well.
“Do they go experience or young? I think they are assessing all options. He’s a very solid option.
“Clearly he’s going to be on the radar, but I don’t think they have 100% decided which way they’re going to go just yet.”
"Incredible" Pope could be exactly what Leeds need
Meslier simply cannot be trusted, with the 25-year-old costing Farke’s side 10 points in the Championship last season, and there is every indication the Newcastle goalkeeper would be a more reliable option between the sticks.
The England international, who has 10 caps to his name, has proven himself in the top flight across spells with Burnley and Newcastle, making a total of 221 Premier League appearances, while also catching the eye in the Champions League.
Leeds expected to submit bid for "incredible" £10m ace "in the coming days"
The Whites are set to make a move for a defender in the very near future…
3 ByDominic Lund Jun 4, 2025
Journalist Liam Kennedy was left particularly impressed by the £60k-a-week goalkeeper’s performance in a 0-0 draw against AC Milan in September 2023, claiming the Magpies “wouldn’t have got a point without his incredible performance in goal”.
There is clearly a strategy to bring in proven Premier League players this summer, and Pope certainly ticks that box, while his Champions League and international experience indicates he could be a real upgrade on Meslier, who has been far too error-prone.
Manchester City have opened talks over a deal for an “incredible” defender, who is now high up their list of targets, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Man City set sights on new full-backs
Pep Guardiola’s rebuild got underway during the January transfer window, with Kyle Walker being shipped out on loan to AC Milan to make way for Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes, while Nico O’Reilly has come into the fold on the opposite side of the defence.
It was an impressive debut campaign on a personal level for O’Reilly, who rotated with Josko Gvardiol at left-back, with the Englishman picking up five goals and two assists in all competitions, and Guardiola has praised Nunes for his defensive performances.
However, there have been suggestions the manager is now looking to upgrade his options at full-back, having identified Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento as a priority target for the summer.
Man City could now sign "exceptional" £100m star who Pep loves in swap deal
City may have an opportunity to sign an attacker in a stunning swap deal, with Pep Guardiola known to be an admirer.
ByDominic Lund May 26, 2025
Livramento is not the only Premier League defender of interest to Man City either, with Romano recently taking to X to reveal they have now opened talks over a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Ait-Nouri is now believed to be “high” on City’s list of targets at left-back, and having now submitted an enquiry, talks are expected to continue as we approach the summer transfer window.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' RayanAit-Nouriin action
There may be competition for the defender’s signature, however, with Liverpool also being named as potential suitors earlier this month, at which point it was revealed that Wolves could look to hold out for a fee of £51m.
"Incredible" Ait Nouri impressing at Wolves
The Algerian was one of Wolves’ most consistent performers in the Premier League throughout the 2024-25 campaign, averaging a 6.95 WhoScored match rating, the second-highest in the squad, proving himself to be both solid defensively and a threat going forward.
Indeed, the 23-year-old is impressive at both ends of the pitch, as showcased by the fact he has regularly chipped in with goals over the past year, while also ranking highly for tackles per 90, when compared to other full-backs.
Statistic
Average per 90
Non-penalty goals
0.12 (88th percentile)
Assists
0.20 (84th percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.82 (97th percentile)
Tackles
2.58 (82nd percentile)
As such, the France-born defender is able to play in a number of different positions, according to former manager Gary O’Neil, who said: “I’m enjoying working with Rayan, I think he’s an incredible talent, a great guy and he brings a real enthusiasm and life to the place. We can use him anywhere so, unfortunately, at the moment we have to because we don’t have many others.
“But he is talented enough when we roll him in and play him in midfield a few times and we played him as a right 10 in the second half today.”
Guardiola will no doubt be pleased by O’Reilly’s emergence as a first-team regular, but should the manager decide to sign another left-back, Ait-Nouri has proven he could be a brilliant option.