After submitting an opening offer in pursuit of a key defensive reinforcement, Celtic have now reportedly received an instant response from a Serie A club.

Simpson-Pusey "over the moon" to join Celtic

Of course, it’s not just the one defensive reinforcement that the Bhoys are looking to welcome this month. They’ve already signed Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on loan from Manchester City. The 19-year-old centre-back impressed when called upon by Pep Guardiola last season and now has the chance to improve even further with more game time at Celtic.

After putting pen to paper, the Man City loanee told Celtic’s official website: “I had a long conversation with the manager and I liked what he was saying to me about the club.

“He told me how much he appreciates the club and how much Glasgow appreciates the club. I wanted to go somewhere where, if I’m playing, I’ll be appreciated, so I felt like this was the best option for me.

“This is a big opportunity. I want to come here and show my talent and my levels. It’ll be good for me to come and hopefully help the team to win the league again and do well in Europe. I’m over the moon really. I just want to come in here and get some wins.”

Simpson-Pusey represents Celtic’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window as they look to defend their Scottish Premiership title once again this season.

Celtic could unlock Idah's full potential with swoop for "exciting" £5m gem

Celtic could help to unlock Adam Idah’s full potential by signing this reported transfer target.

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On that front, Brendan Rodgers’ side enjoyed a dramatic, but solid start against St.Mirren. In a game that required Luke McCowan to emerge from the bench and find an 87th-minute winner, the Bhoys instantly took advantage of Rangers’ earlier draw to get their campaign off to a bright start.

It wasn’t a game without alarm bells, however, and it looks to have sent Rodgers and co. back to the transfer market for another defenisve addition this month.

Celtic receive response after Obert offer

According to CagliariNews24, as relayed by Sport Witness, Celtic have now seen their offer to sign Adam Obert rejected by Cagliari, who are looking for a significant offer to sell their 22-year-old centre-back this summer.

There is belief within Cagliari that Obert’s valuation will increase this season following an impressive campaign last time out. It is, therefore, a waiting game for Celtic, who may only be able to land the Slovakian international at a hiked price this summer.

Celtic’s interest in the young defender should come as no surprise. Having already featured in Italy’s top flight, Obert would form an impressive partnership with fellow youngster Simpson-Pusey. What both players lack in experience, they more than make up in potential and quality.

That said, after Cagliari instantly rejected their opening offer, it remains to be seen whether the Scottish champions will come back in with a second bid this month.

Looking to continue their summer spending, PIF and Newcastle United are now reportedly readying a £61m raid to sign a Real Madrid attacker in a shock move.

Newcastle pushing to sign Hugo Ekitike

For the first time in over a year, PIF are in a position to spend at Newcastle and they’re wasting no time as a result. With Anthony Elanga already signed and delivered, those at St James’ Park have instantly turned their focus towards Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike. Fabrizio Romano has even gone as far as to report that Newcastle have launched a bid worth over £60m as they push to sign the forward in another headline deal.

Jumping ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to sign the Frenchman, Newcastle could be about to make quite the statement this summer. Contrary to some belief too, Ekitike would be arriving to partner Alexander Isak rather than replace the Swede in what could see Eddie Howe form one of the deadliest duos in the Premier League.

After securing their Champions League return last season, Newcastle are now pushing on in pursuit of keeping hold of their European status. They have already found out the hard way what a lack of squad depth can do to a side when competing on all fronts in the past, and it’s not a mistake that they’re about to make twice.

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As Newcastle United look to bolster their midfield options, the Mapgies are reportedly set to see a £50 million bid accepted to sig a great “leader”.

Jul 15, 2025

Even if it’s not Ekitike who eventually arrives, the plan seems to be to welcome another attacking addition no matter what, amid reports that the Magpies already have their sights set on a potential alternative.

Newcastle readying shock Endrick move

According to reports in Spain, PIF are now readying a fresh raid to sign Endrick for Newcastle in a move worth as much as €70m (£61m) this summer. The young Brazilian remains one of Europe’s top prospects, but may struggle to break into Xabi Alonso’s side next season to leave the door ajar for the Magpies to make their move.

At 18 years old, Endrick would be less ready for a starting role than Ekitike, but his potential may eventually make up for that. The young winger was showered with praise by former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti last season, who told reporters he is “spectacular”.

“He has these amazing characteristics he has shown whenever he has a chance. His accuracy is off the charts, he’s quick and he still has a lot to improve with the ball.

“But, wow, his dribbling, his runs… the shot he has… he could even score a second goal easily with that great strike off the post… He is just spectacular. Very young, but a very fast learner.”

At £61m, Endrick’s arrival would be another statement by Newcastle and their biggest yet this summer. Although, as things stand, Ekitike remains their top target.

The revised central contracts for the Pakistan men’s cricket team have been announced, nearly four months after they were due.Shan Masood, who captained Pakistan’s Test side to their first series win since July 2023 this week, keeps his spot in Category B. Whether he lasts the full year in that position, though, is uncertain, with a media release from the PCB stating his retention in the category was “subject to captaincy”. There has been fevered speculation over how long he would keep the Test reins when Pakistan lost his first six Tests in charge. But the PCB going public in spelling out the contingency in his central contract a day after Pakistan’s comeback series win over England is unlikely to have a stabilising effect.Babar Azam retains his position in the highest category despite missing the last two Test matches against England after a run of poor form, while Shaheen Afridi drops down to the second tier, leaving Mohammad Rizwan as the only other A category player.Fakhar Zaman, meanwhile, misses out on a central contract for the first time in eight years. There were reported to be concerns over his fitness, though his relationship with the PCB has deteriorated of late.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The board issued him a show-cause notice after a tweet he put out two weeks ago where he criticised the decision to drop Babar Azam. The post remains up, and Fakhar has not apologised, with the matter understood to be with his legal team. Last month, when chairman Mohsin Naqvi organised a “connection camp” to speak to get senior players to air their views, Fakhar was among the most outspoken, singling out a senior official for particularly trenchant criticism.His long-time ODI opening partner Imam-ul-Haq also misses out on a central contract while there’s been category deflation across the board. Just five players of 25 are in the A or B categories as opposed to 11 last year. Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, who didn’t feature last year, have made a comeback off the back of their recent heroics against England, both placed in the C category, with Noman’s inclusion subject to fitness. Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Usman Khan and Irfan Khan have all been given their maiden central contracts, all finding a spot in the D category.Last year the PCB agreed landmark three-year deals on central contracts, giving players their highest pay raises in history, and, more notably, a fixed share of revenue from the PCB’s earnings at the ICC. The board has stuck to the same arrangement this time, only tweaking which categories particular players are placed in, as was previously agreed. The contracts will be backdated to cover the period starting July 1, 2024, running for another 12 months before a revision can be made.Category A (2): Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan
Category B (3): Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood
Category C (9): Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan
Category D (11): Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Hurraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Usman Khan

Roberto Martinez's side kicked-off their World Cup qualifying campaign in style on an emotional evening

Cristiano Ronaldo led the way as Portugal swept aside Armenia in a 5-0 World Cup qualifying victory on Saturday. The 40-year-old icon struck once in either half and was too much for the Armenian defence to handle as the Selecao registered a convincing victory in their first match since the untimely passing of Diogo Jota.

It was Ronaldo's new Al-Nassr team-mate Joao Felix who opened the scoring in the 10th minute from a Joao Cancelo cross, heading home to set Roberto Martinez's side on their way. Eleven minutes later it was two, as Ronaldo diverted home an in-swinging Pedro Neto delivery with one touch of his prolific right boot. With the result already inevitable, Cancelo then turned goal-scorer as the Al-Hilal full-back powered home from the centre of the penalty area.

Just 45 seconds into the second half, Portugal had a fourth and it was Ronaldo again, this time with the best goal of the lot. After a defender turned aside Joao Neves' through ball, Ronaldo struck a sweet half-volley from 25 yards which flew past goalkeeper Henri Avagyan and high into the net. Despite coming close to netting a hat-trick on a couple of occasions and laying on the ball for Neves to strike the post, the ex-Real Madrid was then withdrawn in the 57th minute. Instead it was left to Felix to round out the scoring with an audacious scorpion flick.

GOAL rates Portugal's players from Hanrapetakan Stadium…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Diogo Costa (7/10):

Kept a clean sheet but in truth had little to do on the day.

Joao Cancelo (8/10):

Registered a goal and an assist and was a constant thorn in Armenia's side with his creativity and quality on the ball. Had less to do from a defensive standpoint, but the 31-year-old was solid at both ends of the pitch.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

Similarly to his goalkeeper, Dias was solid at the back without needing to make many game-changing contributions.

Goncalo Inacio (6/10):

Making his 17th international appearance, the Sporting CP centre-back had a comfortable afternoon at the back alongside Dias.

Nuno Mendes (6/10):

A steady if not spectacular performance from arguably the world's best left-back in 2025.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Joao Neves (7/10):

Worked hard as ever in midfield, breaking forward at will as Portugal mounted attack after attack. Could – and possibly should – have scored after Ronaldo laid the ball on a plate for him in the second half.

Vitinha (7/10):

Controlled the ball in the midfield in a confident performance.

Bruno Fernandes (6/10):

Not quite a game-changing display from the Manchester United captain, but it didn't need to be. Tried to get himself into the box to cause a threat for the Armenian defence and was inches away from a tap-in on a couple of occasions.

AFPAttack

Pedro Neto (5/10):

Did little to impose himself on the game and was withdrawn at half-time to be replaced by Trincao.

Cristiano Ronaldo (9/10):

The Portugal icon scored twice, showing two different sides of his finishing ability with a poacher's goal and a long-range piledriver. Could have had a hat-trick on another day.

Joao Felix (8/10):

Linked up well with new club team-mate Ronaldo and scored twice to bookend the game.

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Francisco Trincao (5/10):

Came on at the break and made slightly more of an impact than Neto as Portugal eased through much of the second period with the game already won.

Nuno Tavares (6/10):

Came on for Mendes and played in a couple of dangerous crosses as Portugal continued to create opportunities late on.

Goncalo Ramos (6/10):

Got himself into goal-scoring positions after his introduction for Ronaldo.

Pedro Goncalves (6/10):

Replaced Felix and had some nice touches in and around the penalty area as Portugal looked to cause more havoc. Was presented with what appeared a simple chance to score after a poor back-pass, but Avagyan made an improbable save.

Joao Palhinha (N/A):

Came on with just over 10 minutes to play to shore up the midfield.

Roberto Martinez (8/10):

Started with a strong side and that proved a smart choice, as the game was won very quickly in the first half. Martinez withdrew key men such as Ronaldo in the second half and utilised his squad well.

Chelsea are poised to register yet another summer sale, which could take BlueCo’s total summer transfer income to the near £180 million mark.

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Most recently, young defender Ishe Samuels-Smith completed a reported £6.5 million move to sister club Strasbourg, where he will link up with Chelsea loanees Mamadou Sarr, Mike Penders and Kendry Paez in Ligue 1.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea also sold Mathis Amougou to Strasbourg for around £12.5 million, with Enzo Maresca’s side using BlueCo’s multi-club ownership model to their serious advantage.

Alongside both Amougou and Samuels-Smith, Chelsea agreed permanent exit deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic and João Félix, which have contributed to bringing in an estimated £158 million to the Stamford Bridge coffers.

This series of sales helps to balance out Chelsea’s £230 million spend on recruitment this summer, with their £87.5m windfall from winning the Club World Cup and £80 million earnings from Champions League qualification putting them in a solid financial position.

It could even help Chelsea make more new signings, with journalist Simon Phillips reporting that they remain in the market for a new goalkeeper, centre-back and potentially a striker to replace Nicolas Jackson.

In the meantime, departures remain a crucial theme of Chelsea’s current transfer activity.

Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, Tosin Adarabioyo, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Alfie Gilchrist and Jackson stand out as players who could still leave Chelsea before deadline day, with striker Armando Broja now closing in on a move to Turf Moor.

The Albanian has been one to watch for a while, and Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg reported all the way back in June that he was receiving several approaches from Bundesliga clubs.

However, it is now Burnley who appear poised to sign the out-of-favour striker, with BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella sharing an update on the situation.

Chelsea poised for near-£180m boost as Armando Broja nears Burnley move

Fabrizio Romano has already given the ‘here we go’ to this transfer, but Kinsella reports it is not as advanced as that.

Chelsea and Burnley have reached a broad agreement over Broja, amounting to around £20 million, and they’re in advanced talks, but the player and Clarets are yet to find a compromise on personal terms with discussions ongoing.

As Burnley wait for the 23-year-old’s green-light to complete a deal, BlueCo will be praying for this move to go through.

If it does, barring a late disaster, Chelsea will take their transfer total through players sold to around £178 million – gifting Maresca’s side a near-£180 million boost with more players still expected to leave.

Chelsea’s expertise as a selling club is often underrated by critics, and for those who ask why they can consistently spend serious cash in the transfer market, their outgoing activity is a key component.

واصل نجم فريق مانشستر سيتي، إيرلينج هالاند، تألقه في الموسم الحالي من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بعدما سجل هدفين في المباراة الجارية حاليًا ضد بيرنلي.

واستضاف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبيرنلي، في الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإنجليزي.

وسجل إيرلينج هالاند هدفًا لصالح مانشستر سيتي في الدقيقة 90 من عمر المباراة أمام بيرنلي، قبل أن يضيف الثاني له والخامس للفريق في الدقيقة 93.

وفشل نجم ليفربول محمد صلاح في التسجيل خلال الجولة نفسها أمام كريستال بالاس، حيث فاز الأخير بهدفين لهدف. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي

1. إيرلينج هالاند، مانشستر سيتي، 8 أهداف.

2. أنطوان سيمينو، بورنموث، 4 أهداف.

3. أنتوني، بيرنلي، 4 أهداف.

4. تياجو، برينتفورد، 4 أهداف.

5. هوجو إيكتيكي، ليفربول، 3 أهداف.

6. ريتشارليسون، توتنهام، 3 أهداف.

7. فيكتور جيوكيريس، آرسنال، 3 أهداف.

8. ويلسون إيزيدور، سندرلاند، 3 أهداف.

9. إسماعيلا سار، كريستال بالاس، 3 أهداف.

10. إنزو فرنانديز، تشيلسي، 3 أهداف.

11. محمد صلاح، هدفان.

ويمكن متابعة ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

Former England star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be in line to make a shock move to Birmingham City.

• Oxlade-Chamberlain linked with move to Birmingham
• Blues face competition from Leeds
• Former England international without a club

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder is currently without a club after leaving Besiktas and has emerged as a target for the Tom Brady-backed Championship club. Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has seven goals in 35 England caps, would prove quite the coup for the high-spending Blues. According to , both Birmingham and Leeds could make a move for the out-of-contract player.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Oxlade-Chamberlain departed Besiktas this summer after just one season in Turkey. The Englishman played under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but struggled to make too much of a lasting impact at the club. Now on the hunt for a new home, he could make a switch to the ambitious Birmingham who brought in the likes of Demarai Gray, Kyogo Furuhashi and Patrick Roberts over the summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Oxlade-Chamberlain may be keen to return to England with his pop star girlfriend Perrie Edwards pregnant with their second child. The A-list pair announced the news over the weekend and the midfielder may fancy being closer to home when the child is born.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BIRMINGHAM?

  The Blues have made an okay start to life back in the Championship with two wins, one draw and a solitary defeat. They travel to Stoke in their next fixture, but may have one eye on a move for Oxlade-Chamberlain in the meantime.

With Alexander Isak pushing for the exit door, Newcastle United are now reportedly in “active talks” to sign a replacement who was once dubbed better than Erling Haaland.

If you asked Eddie Howe at the start of the summer when Newcastle’s business was likely to reach completion, then his answer would have been as soon as possible. As things stand, however, the start of the Premier League campaign is just two weeks away and the Magpies have ticked just one major incoming off the list in the form of Anthony Elanga.

It has been a miserable summer for all involved, who have watched James Trafford, Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro head elsewhere, before Isak compiled their misery with a transfer request of his own. Simply put, everything that could have gone wrong has done so far on Tyneside.

Howe recently admitted his frustration about how things have gone in the market, telling reporters: “I wish I could give you clarity, and some kind of guarantee that this or that is going to happen, but I can’t,” said the Newcastle boss. “My wish was for us to do our business early, and we certainly tried, but it wasn’t to be.

“We’ve had a frustrating time in terms of losing targets to other clubs. I’ll be very open on that – that’s happened on several occasions. But you just have to accept it.”

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For all their misery, however, Newcastle’s search for a striker has continued. Next on a growing list of targets to that end seems to be Ollie Watkins, Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz and a player who was once believed to be better than Haaland.

Newcastle in "active talks" to sign Sesko

According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle are now in “active talks” to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig this summer. The forward is reportedly valued at more than £65m, but money should be no problem for the Magpies given their lack of spending so far this summer and the potential record sale of Isak.

That said, it could yet be a familiar story for those at St James’ Park. Despite the fact that Manchester United missed out on European football last season and finished as low as 15th in the Premier League, reports are indicating that Sesko prefers a move to Old Trafford rather than Newcastle in the coming month.

A player who former Red Bull Salzburg coach Rene Aufhauser believed was better than Haaland at 19 years old, there’s no doubt that missing out on Sesko would be another major blow for Newcastle.

Aufhauser told reporters at the time when comparing the two star strikers: “Benjamin is maybe the better football player, better to play with the team, technically maybe better at the same age.”

A firing lower middle order almost took India to 300 before Bishnoi and Co completed 133-run thumping

Sidharth Monga12-Oct-20240:56

Seven records India smashed against Bangladesh

India handed out one final shellacking to Bangladesh on their final night of the tour, but this was one for the ages. The second-highest T20I score, three short of 300; Sanju Samson’s silken 40-ball century, Suryakumar Yadav’s improvisation and power; and then the finish by the powerful lower middle order.There was no respite for Bangladesh: 22 sixes (joint-highest for a Test-playing side) and 25 fours combined for the most runs in boundaries in a T20 innings, a record 18 overs went for ten runs or more, one of them went for five sixes, and three bowlers conceded 50 or more. Two of the 26 dot balls turned out to be no-balls, a catch went down, and a run-out was missed.Samson, Suryakumar stun BangladeshWhen Tanzim Hasan got Abhishek Sharma out with a bouncer first ball, little would have Bangladesh known that would be their last moment of joy for the evening. Samson had already messed around with Taskin Ahmed’s lines by backing away and hitting four successive fours in the second over. The new batter, Suryakumar, took only one ball before hitting his first six.Related

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Samson wasn’t to be left behind. He backed away and got the better of Mustafizur Rahman too with a six and a four. Suryakumar then capped off the powerplay with shots that should be considered audacious but are the norm for him, managing to pull balls well behind square when most batters would be happy going just behind. The last of those was a pull over midwicket, taking India to their joint-highest powerplay score, 82.Suryakumar was to unfurl a carved six over backward point that he had no right sending there, but the most memorable shots came from Samson. Some of his eight sixes were audacious but they were not muscled. His control percentage for a strike-rate of 236.17 was a high 81.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe most incredible of Samson’s sixes was when he almost stepped on the stumps to create a short length on a Mustafizur slower ball, and drove it off the back foot over extra cover. Legspinner Rishad Hossain, who went for 55 last match, was just shot. He kept erring in length, starting the first over with a short ball, but in his second he kept letting Samson hit him for sixes down the ground without having to use his feet. Some of it was the pitch, but a lot of it was his lengths: too full. In the end, Rishad’s two overs went for 46 runs.The innings was a monkey off the back for Samson, whose talent had yet to translate into numbers in international T20s. It showed in his extravagant celebrations on reaching both the fifty and the hundred, India’s second-quickest. For a change, Suryakumar had to be content with being the support act in the 173-run second-wicket stand.Punishment continuesUsually you expect a bit of relief when you break such a long stand, but Riyan Parag and Hardik Pandya had other ideas. Parag took three balls to hit his boundary, Pandya the same. Between them they scored 81 off 31 balls, hitting four sixes apiece. Pandya managed to outdo the Samson back-foot six over extra cover when he made his off Tanzim even bigger. Again a good slower short ball with no room, but it still sailed over extra cover.Two wickets in the final over made sure India didn’t get to 300, but that was hardly any consolation for Bangladesh.Final ritesIt could still get worse and it did for Bangladesh. The chase began with a brute of a bouncer from Mayank Yadav for a golden duck for Parvez Hossain. Mahmudullah’s last outing in T20 international at 8 off 9 to go with bowling figures of 2-0-26-1. Ravi Bishnoi, playing his first match of the series, showed off India’s spin riches with three wickets. Towhid Hridoy’s half-century, at a strike rate of 150 with three fours and five sixes, did manage to prevent the biggest T20I defeat for a Test-playing team bug it was Bangladesh’s biggest loss in terms of runs.

Leeds United had a problem between the posts last season. First-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier had an inconsistent campaign, despite keeping 21 clean sheets and conceding just 27 goals in 39 Championship games. As per Sofascore, he had a save percentage of 70.1%.

However, he made constant errors throughout the season. One of those came against Sunderland, where he failed to catch a ball slowly bouncing towards him in the penalty box, allowing the ball to shoot through his hands and into the back of the net. Former Leeds player Aidy White told BBC Radio Leeds that his old club have “got to drop” the Frenchman.

So, it might not come as a surprise that Daniel Farke’s side are after a new goalkeeper this summer, with a couple of names seemingly on their shortlist.

Leeds target new goalkeeper

So, it seems the Whites are definitely in the market for a new shot stopper this summer. After some poor mistakes from Meslier last term, Farke appears to want a new number one. According to a recent report from TEAMTalk, Yahia Fofana of Ligue 1 side Angers is an option.

However, he is not the only goalkeeper from the French top flight that Leeds are targeting. The same report suggests that the Yorkshire side’s number one target is Lyon’s Brazilian shot-stopper Lucas Perri. He has been described as a ‘prime target’ for the Whites.

TEAMTalk clarify that ‘contact has been made’ with the Brazilian’s camp already, having ‘caught the attention of Leeds’ recruitment team’ after impressing for Lyon. A fee of around £20m could be enough to secure his services this summer.

Why Perri would be a good signing

27-year-old Perri got a big move to Europe back in 2024, after impressing in the Brazilian top flight, most recently with Botafogo. He has since gone on to perform well in a Lyon shirt, which seems to have certainly piqued Leeds’ interest.

Last term for Les Gones, Perri, who was born in Valinhos, just outside of Sao Paulo, made 45 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25. In that time, he conceded 60 goals and kept 13 clean sheets.

Looking at Ligue 1 specifically, his numbers are impressive. He played 33 top-flight games, conceding 44 times and keeping ten clean sheets. Football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “one of the best” in his position when he was at Botafogo, and it is not hard to see why, looking at those numbers.

Of course, Leeds have a good history when it comes to buying Brazilian talents from Ligue 1. Former winger Raphinha, who is now tearing things up in La Liga with Barcelona, is “ahead” in the race for the Ballon d’Or, according to the legendary Thierry Henry.

Leeds fans will never forget the contributions he put in at Elland Road before his move to Barca. In two seasons at the club, he scored 17 goals and grabbed 12 assists.

That included one last vital goal, a penalty away to Brentford in his final game for the club, which helped Leeds stay in the Premier League.

The Elland Road faithful would surely love to find the second coming of Raphinha in Perri. The track record of newly-promoted clubs staying in the top flight is not good recently, with all six sides going straight back down in the last two years.

However, the stats from Squawka suggest he is a goalkeeper who can help keep them in the Premier League. Perri had a 72.5% save percentage, higher than Meslier’s last season, and averaged 3.6 saves per 90 minutes in 2024/25.

Perrin key stats in 2024/25 Ligue 1 season
Stat	Total	Per 90 mins
Save percentage	72.5%	72.5%
Clean sheets	10	0.4
Long passes completed	122	3.7
Goals conceded	44	1.4
Saves made	116	3.6
Stats from Squawka

Raphinha was the hero for Leeds at one end of the pitch during his spell at the club. If Farke’s side can secure the services of another Brazilian star from Ligue 1 in Perri, perhaps he could have the same impact as his countryman at the other end.

For just £20m, this could be a fantastic addition for Leeds. The “undervalued” talent – as described by Mattinson – would represent an upgrade on Meslier and could be a key part in their survival.

Kalvin Phillips 2.0: Leeds have held talks to sign "incredible" £17m star

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a star who would be their next Kalvin Phillips.

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