We’re only in January, and Tottenham Hotspur’s season already depends on the cup competitions.

Ange Postecoglou’s side has been absolutely devastated by injuries this year, and while the Australian can certainly end the campaign with a trophy, that feels very unlikely indeed.

However, while there has not been much for Spurs fans to cheer about, one undeniable positive has been the development of Dejan Kulusevski.

The former Juventus ace has always been an important player for the North Londoners, but he has come on leaps and bounds this year, and based on recent reports, the club are looking to bring in an England international who could help him get even better.

Tottenham target England ace

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham have ‘ramped up their own bid’ to sign LOSC Lille star Angel Gomes.

Transfer Focus

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

The report has revealed that the North Londoners have entered the race to sign the England international and could now beat fellow Premier League side West Ham United to the midfielder’s signature.

The good news is that the Lilywhites should be able to sign the former Manchester United prospect for free due to his £11k-per-week contract expiring in the summer, but the bad news is that he won’t be able to officially join until then either.

It could still be a complicated transfer to get over the line if the Irons step up their pursuit of other teams entering the fray, but given Gomes’ ability, Spurs should be doing all they can to secure this deal as soon as possible, especially as he’d be an ideal teammate for Kulusevski.

Why Gomes would be a dream teammate for Kulusevski

Okay, so if Kulusevski’s long-term role at Spurs is going to be that of one of the more attacking midfielders in the team, then there are a couple of reasons why Gomes would be an excellent teammate for him.

The first is that, as the Englishman is adept at playing in central and attacking midfield himself, he’ll be the player who can adjust his starting role to platform and allow the Swede to further hone his skills in that more offensive role in the middle of the park.

Moreover, due to his ability to play deeper, the “top quality” talent, as dubbed by former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson, is no stranger to defensive duties, as shown by the fact FBref places him in the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shots blocked in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League per 90.

Pass Completion

86.6%

Top 1%

Successful Take-On %

57.9%

Top 1%

Carries

45.40

Top 3%

Passes into the Final Third

4.86

Top 4%

Shots Blocked

0.23

Top 5%

Progressive Passes

6.69

Top 6%

Switches

0.61

Top 6%

However, he’s not just there to do the mopping up.

He is more than capable of dictating play, firing off dangerous passes and taking on opponents, as shown by FBref placing him in the top 1% for pass completion and successful take-on percentage, the top 3% for carries, the top4% for passes into the final third, the top 6% for progressive passes, switches and more, all per 90.

Not only do these statistics suggest that the Edmonton-born star would be able to play intricate passes into Kulusevski when he’s in dangerous positions, but it would also make him a player that opposing defenders would have to mark more proactively, thus naturally opening up more space for his future teammates.

Finally, the 24-year-old has already shown that he has a tough mentality, as he made the bold decision to leave Old Trafford in 2020 and back himself to earn a move from Portugal to a top-five league and now potentially back to the Premier League, all while breaking into the England setup, which is just the sort of player who’d improve the dressing room at Spurs.

Ultimately, signing Gomes this year feels like a total no-brainer for Tottenham, as his skill set and ability would undoubtedly improve the entire team, let alone Kulusevski.

He's a bit like Kulusevski: Spurs in the hunt to sign £30m "superstar"

The experienced winner might be just what Spurs need.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 22, 2025

أوضح محمود حمدي “الونش”، مدافع نادي الزمالك، حقيقة إصابة المدرب السويسري كريستيان جروس، بمرض الزهايمر عند عودته لتدريب الفريق في ولايته الثانية.

وكان جروس تولي تدريب الزمالك، في شهر ديسمير من عام 2024، لم يستمر إلا شهرين فقط، تعرض للإقالة بعد سلسلة من النتائج السلبية.

وقال الونش خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر” لبرنامج “كلام الناس”: “جروس لم يكن يعاني من الزهايمر كما تردد، عندما شاهدني قال لي أنت مثلما كنت تقفز على الكرة، كان يتذكر كل شيء”.

وأردف: “ممدوح عباس يحب الزمالك ويدعم النادي، لكن موضوع إنه يدير النادي لا أعرف ولا أتوقع ذلك إطلاقًا، لكنه يحب النادي ويدعم الفريق، لا أعلم إذا كان هو من دفع قيمة تجديد عقدي أم لا، أنا جلست مع عمرو الجنايني وأحمد فؤاد الوطن واتفقنا على العقد”.

وبسؤاله إذ لم تجدد للزمالك هل تنتقل لـ الأهلي، أوضح: “عندما الزمالك يقول إنه ليس في حاجة لي، وقتها سأفكر في المكان الذي سأرتاح له، من وجهة نظري إن ما حققته في الزمالك مستحيل أن أضيعه بسهولة بالانتقال للنادي المنافس”.

طالع | الونش: أخبرت رئيس الزمالك بعرض الأهلي.. والشراكة مع دونجا “تجربة سيئة جدًا”

ومن جانب آخر، تحدث عن مدرب منتخب مصر، حسام حسن: “لا أستطيع التحدث عنه لأني لم أتدرب تحت قيادته، لكن كمشجع أرى أنه يمتلك جرينتا ليست موجودة عند المدربين الأجانب، دائمًا هناك حماس في الملعب كبير، وخاصة أنه مصري، لكن لم أتشرف بالتدريب معه”.

وعن مباراة الأهلي والزمالك، في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا 2020: “نهائي القرن، لحظة حزينة، لم ألعب المباراة بسبب كورونا رغم أنني كنت في أفضل مستوى لي، (كنت هتجنن) لأني كنت لم أشعر بأي شيء وأريد اللعب، إلا أن نتيجة التحاليل هي من أثبتت أنني أعاني من كورونا، قمت بعمل التحاليل مرة أخرى، وظهرت النتيجة إيجابية أيضًا”.

وأكمل: “الزمالك كان مسيطرًا على المباراة، وكنا أقرب للمكسب، باستثناء كرة حسين الشحات، لكن هذه كرة القدم”.

وأتم: “محمد صلاح قائد منتخب مصر، نجم كبير ومحترم جدًا، وكان يطمئن علي أثناء إصابتي، ولم يتواصل معي أثناء التجديد”.

Opener Nick Welch hit 127 not out from 125 balls and Wiaan Mulder cruised to an unbeaten 71 as Leicestershire kicked off their Royal London Cup Group A campaign with a comfortable seven-wicket victory against a youthful Surrey team at Guildford.Welch and Mulder’s unbroken fourth wicket stand of 141 was a Leicestershire record against Surrey in List A cricket and the win came with a full ten overs to spare. There was a six and 16 fours in 24-year-old Welch’s career-best one-day innings, while Mulder clubbed two sixes and eight fours in his 65-ball knock.A crowd of almost 3000 packed into Woodbridge Road saw Ben Geddes hit 73, Josh Blake 44 and Nico Reifer a responsible 45 not out, but Surrey’s 50-over total of 246 for 8 was never likely to be enough on such a fast-scoring ground.Left-arm quick Beuran Hendricks, the game’s outstanding bowler, took 4 for 39 and nipped out both Ryan Patel and Cameron Steel in a five-over new ball burst of 2 for 14 before also claiming the wickets of Nick Kimber and Amar Virdi in the closing overs.Leicestershire lost Rishi Patel for nought at the end of the second over, caught at point driving at a Tom Lawes outswinger, and Leicestershire were 107 for 3 Welch was joined by Mulder in their match-clinching stand.Yousef Majid, an 18-year-old Cranleigh School pupil on his senior debut, took a wicket with his fifth ball and impressed throughout a seven-over spell costing 19 runs.But an entirely uncapped Surrey side – seamer Matt Dunn, at 30, and 26-year-old Steel were the only two players over the age of 24 in their line-up – was outgunned with both bat and ball after the Foxes had won the toss and opted to bowl.Surrey, who have lost 13 players to the Hundred – the most of any county – gave List A debuts to four players – 19-year old Lawes, Majid, left-hander Blake and off spinner Virdi.Offspinner Nathan Bowley, in contrast, was Leicestershire’s only List A debutant and they have only four players representing Hundred teams this month.Patel’s dismissal for a second-ball duck, leg-before to Hendricks, was a significant early blow to Surrey but 21-year old Geddes, skippering the county for the first time, was then joined in a spirited third-wicket stand of 105 by Blake.Arron Lilley had Blake leg-before, sweeping, in the 28th over and Geddes – who earlier pulled medium pacer Tom Scriven for six – had just hit the returning Chris Wright imperiously through extra cover for four, his ninth, when he attempted to pull the next ball and skied a catch to long-on.Lawes made 21 before edging Scriven behind and Kimber’s 23-ball 27 helped to accelerate the scoring rate until Hendricks bowled him. Reifer’s 48-ball effort contained only three fours, but the 21-year old at least gave his team something to bowl at.Louis Kimber’s 22 steadied Leicestershire’s reply, after Patel’s departure, while Welch moved serenely to a 47-ball half-century with a mixture of powerful strokes – such as an uppercut six wide of third man off Lawes – and careful accumulation.Kimber fell to Conor McKerr and Lewis Hill also kept Welch company for a while before Majid bowled him for 17 through an attempted sweep. Mulder, however, never looked in any trouble against seam or spin and, after scoring his first fifty or so runs at a run a ball, he slog-swept Steel’s legspin out of the ground for six as victory beckoned.Welch and Mulder’s partnership beat the 49-year-old mark of 93 put on by John Steele and Barry Dudleston in a John Player League match at Grace Road in 1973.Hill, Leicestershire’s captain, said before the tournament: “Our aim is to win this competition and I believe we’ve got a serious chance of doing just that.” They have, at least, made an emphatic start to that ambition.

After a dismal run of form in the Premier League over the last couple of months, it’s no surprise to see Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola delving into the market to try and strengthen his squad.

The Citizens went on a run of just one win in their last 13 games before winning three in a row over the last week, as they look to salvage anything they can from the 2024/25 campaign.

They currently occupy sixth place in the Premier League, six points off second place Arsenal, with Champions League qualification possibly still on the cards despite the poor recent form.

With 18 league outings remaining between now and the end of the campaign, anything is possible for Guardiola’s men – but it looks as though they may have to concede the league title to Liverpool given the 12-point game and a game in hand.

However, new additions could inject a fresh impetus into the side, whilst also opening the door for numerous players to depart the Etihad for a new challenge.

The latest on Manchester City's transfer activity

Following the 8-0 FA Cup thrashing of League Two Salford City on Saturday night, Guardiola confirmed that full-back Kyle Walker missed the clash after handing in a transfer request a couple of days prior.

The 34-year-old is undoubtedly coming to the back end of his professional career, possibly having one more final pay day in him, with AC Milan one of the sides reportedly exploring a move for the England international.

Since his switch in 2017, he’s been a fantastic servant to City, making over 300 appearances and winning countless trophies – but it looks as though his time at the club is now coming to an end.

As for incomings, journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that a deal was edging closer for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush after personal terms were agreed with the Egyptian forward.

The 25-year-old, who has scored 14 Bundesliga goals in 16 games, has an €80m (£67m) price tag on his head, but Romano confirmed that positive talks were held between the two clubs, with a deal expected to be done next week.

However, Marmoush may not be the last deal completed by the board in January, with rumours murmuring over a potential deal for another star in the coming weeks.

Transfer Focus

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

Manchester City's dream Kevin De Bruyne upgrade

Belgium international Kevin De Bruyne will finish his career as one of the best midfielders to ever grace England’s top flight with his stupendous passing range allowing for countless goals during his spell in Manchester.

He joined City in a £55m deal from Wolfsburg back in the summer of 2015, subsequently going on to make over 400 appearances during his near decade as a player at the Etihad.

De Bruyne has registered 165 assists – an average of one every 2.4 games he’s featured in over a 10-year period – a staggering feat, but like Walker, the 33-year-old is entering his final years as a professional with injuries starting to frequently creep in.

As a result, rumours linking Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala over a move to the Etihad have persisted, with the latest coming last week from German outlet BILD.

His current deal with the German giants expires in the summer of 2026, opening the door to a potential switch to the Premier League to join up with Guardiola’s side either this window or in the near future.

When comparing his stats to current star De Bruyne, the 21-year-old has massively outperformed the experienced ace, potentially being the perfect player to replace the fan-favourite in the North West.

Musiala, who’s previously been dubbed “one of the best players in the world” by Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer, has registered more combined goals and assists in 2024/25, offering the likes of Erling Haaland and potentially Marmoush more opportunities to boost their already goal tallies.

How Musiala compares to De Bruyne in 2024/25 so far
Statistics (per 90)	Musiala	De Bruyne
Games played	13	13
Goals & assists	11	5
Progressive carries	3.6	2.6
Shot-on-target accuracy	48%	29%
Pass accuracy	82%	77%
Take-ons completed	3.3	0.9
Take-on success	51%	47%
Stats via FBref

The German has also completed more progressive carries per 90, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, having the quick feet and speed to glide past the opposition, something which De Bruyne may struggle to do towards the back end of his career.

It’s a real shame to be talking about the potential end for such a fan-favourite given all of his achievements since moving to the club, but it’s vital the hierarchy work quickly to identify replacements for such players as their career winds down.

Musiala – who initially came through the academy at Chelsea – has showcased in recent years he has all of the tools to be a success at the very top level for years to come, with the 21-year-old having bags of time to develop further and cement himself as an elite attacking midfielder.

It’s unclear how much a deal for the Bayern star would cost in the current window, but it would be worth testing their resolve given his contract scenario – enabling Pep to land the perfect upgrade on the Belgian superstar.

After Marmoush: Man City chase £70m ace who's "very similar to Bellingham"

After Omar Marmoush, Manchester City are looking to further raid Eintracht Frankfurt for a highly-rated midfielder compared to Jude Bellingham.

By
Ben Gray

Jan 10, 2025

Everything you need to know about Donyell Malen's salary at Aston Villa

Dutch forward Donyell Malen recently made his move to the Premier League with Aston Villa, having previously spent four seasons in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.

Malen arrived at Villa during the 2025 winter transfer window for an undisclosed fee, adding flair to Villa's attack and helping create a formidable frontline alongside players like Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Ollie Watkins.

He has signed a three-year contract with the club, keeping him at Villa Park until 2028, along with a substantial salary that ranks him among the top earners in the squad. But exactly how much does he earn?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

*

Donyell Malen's wages at Aston Villa in numbers

Under Malen's current three-year contract at Villa, he receives a weekly salary of £140,000 ($184,980), ranking him as the fifth-highest paid at Villa Park.

His annual salary amounts to £7.2 million ($9.6m).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Donyell Malen

Dutch

  £140,000

$184,980

£7,280,000

$9,618,937

AdvertisementAFPTop earners at Aston Villa

At Villa Park, Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford currently commands the highest wages, significantly outpacing his peers. Trailing Rashford are Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, and Emiliano Martinez, who all share the same salary tier. Completing the top earners list is Donyell Malen in fifth place.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Marcus Rashford

English

£225,000

$297,289

£11,700,000

$15,459,005

Boubacar Kamara

French

£150,000

$198,192

£7,800,000

$10,306,044

Youri Tielemans

Belgian

£150,000

$198,192

£7,800,000

$10,306,044

Emiliano Martinez

Argentine

£150,000

$198,192

£7,800,000

$10,306,044

Donyell Malen

Dutch

£140,000

$184,980

£7,280,000

$9,618,937

Top 5 earners in the Premier League

Aston Villa players earn high salaries, but these are modest compared to the top earners in the Premier League. The list is led by well-known players in the league.

Erling Haaland of Manchester City is at the top after signing a nine-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2034. Kevin De Bruyne, also from City, is second, followed by Mohamed Salah in third place.

Casemiro is fourth as Manchester United's only representative, while Liverpool's captain Virgil Van Dijk is fifth.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Erling Haaland

Norwegian

£525,000

$693,673

£27,300,000

$36,071,012

Kevin De Bruyne

Belgian

£400,000

$528,513

£20,800,000

$27,482,676

Mohamed Salah

Egyptian

£400,000

$528,513

£20,800,000

$27,482,676

Casemiro

Brazilian

£350,000

$462,449

£18,200,000

$24,047,342

Virgil Van Dijk

Dutch

£300,000

$462,449

£18,200,000

$24,047,342

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Getty Images SportHighest paid players in the world

Despite the substantial salaries in the Premier League, neither player ranks among the top earners in global football.

Leading the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer in the Champions League, currently playing for Al Nassr. He is closely followed by his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema.

Ex-Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez holds the third position, while Senegalese players Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly complete the list in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,224,935

$4,166,513

£167,696,622

$215,658,680

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,612,468

$2,083,257

£83,848,311

$108,329,340

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£1,003,846

$1,087,460

£43,768,818

$56,547,915

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£644,987

$833,033

£33,539,324

$43,331,736

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£559,526

$722,890

£29,095,364

$37,590,281

Glasgow Rangers are running out of time to make further additions to their playing squad before the January transfer window officially slams shut on Monday.

The Gers have been linked with several players ahead of deadline day, including Nottingham Forest forward Emmanuel Dennis and Dundee central midfielder Lyall Cameron.

However, their move for Cameron is one that looks set to take place in the summer when his contract with the Scottish Premiership side expires.

There is one star who Rangers are reportedly looking to snap up a new central defender in a last-gasp swoop to improve Philippe Clement’s options at the back.

Rangers eyeing new centre-back

According to The Scottish Sun, the Light Blues are chasing a late move to sign Chelsea centre-back Aaron Anselmino before the transfer window slams shut.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are eyeing a deal to sign the Argentine youngster on loan for the second half of the season, as the Premier League side want him to go out and play regularly until the summer.

It states that Clement wants further additions to his playing squad and that he could offer Anselmino a chance to play in the knock-out stages of the Europa League.

The Scottish Sun adds that Sheffield Wednesday and Ligue 1 giants Marseille are also interested in the central defender, which suggests that there could be strong competition for his services in the next 36 hours or so.

Why Rangers should sign Anselmino

Nils Koppen and Clement should push to win the race for his signature because he could come in as an excellent short-term addition in a position where the team is currently lacking.

James Tavernier was deployed at centre-back against USG on Thursday because of the injury issues in that position, and Anselmino could come in as a terrific option in that area.

In fact, the Chelsea youngster, who was once described as a “complete & dominant” player by scout Jacek Kulig, could come in as an upgrade on Robin Propper, based on his form for Boca Juniors.

Anselmino spent the second half of the 2024 campaign on loan at the Argentine side, having been bought from there by Chelsea last summer, and caught the eye with his performances at the heart of the defence.

Appearances

12

18

Pass accuracy in own half

94%

94%

Possession lost per game

7.7x

9.6x

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.8

2.8

Error led to shot/goal

0

0

Duels won per game

3.1

2.9

As you can see in the table above, both centre-backs are reliable with the ball at their feet as they rarely cede possession and complete a high percentage of their passes in their own half.

However, Anselmino could come in to offer a more aggressive presence in the centre-back position for Clement by winning more duels and making more tackles and interceptions per game, whilst not making any major errors, if he can translate his form over to the Premiership.

These statistics suggest that Rangers could improve their team by bringing the 19-year-old starlet, who still has room to improve throughout his loan at Ibrox, to play ahead of the experienced Propper, who does not step in to cut out opposition attacks as frequently as the Chelsea youngster does.

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Therefore, Koppen should push to get this deal over the line because Anselmino can provide a similar presence in possession whilst improving the team’s defensive work in the second half of the season.

في ليلة الاحتفال باللقب، سقط فريق برشلونة في فخ الهزيمة أمام خصمه فياريال بنتيجة 3/2، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”.

وواجه برشلونة نظيره فياريال، ضمن منافسات الجولة 37 من الدوري الإسباني، على ملعب “مونتجويك الأولمبي”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني بعد هدف مبابي في مباراة ريال مدريد وإشبيلية

في الشوط الأول وعند الدقيقة الرابعة، أحرز أيوزي بيريز هدف فياريال الأول، مستغلاً تمريرة حاسمة من نيكولاس بيبي.

وبطريقة رائعة، تمكن لامين يامال من تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح برشلونة بحلول الدقيقة 38، بتسديدة قوية من خارج منطقة جزاء فياريال.

وعند الدقيقة الخامسة من الوقت المحتسب بدلًا من ضائع عن نهاية الشوط الأول، وقع فيرمين لوبيز على ثاني أهداف برشلونة بتسديدة يسارية رائعة.

في الشوط الثاني ومع الدقيقة 50، نجح كوميسانا في تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح فياريال بعدما نجح في وضع الكرة من فوق حارس برشلونة تير شتيجن، بطريقة رائعة.

وتمكن تاجون بوكانان من تسجيل ثالث أهدف فياريال بحلول الدقيقة 80، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من جيرارد مورينو.

هذا، وسيحتفل برشلونة بكأس الدوري الإسباني بشكل رسمي اليوم أمام جماهيره، كونها المباراة الأخيرة على ملعبه هذا الموسم.

وبهذه النتيجة، تجمد رصيد برشلونة عند النقطة 85 في المركز الأول بترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بينما ارتفع رصيد فياريال إلى النقطة 67 في المركز الخامس. اهداف مباراة برشلونة وفياريال (3-2) الدوري الاسباني

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Chivas will face Atlas this Saturday in a must-win match for a spot in the Clausura 2025 Play-In.

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• currently sits in 11th place with 20 points, just outside the top 10, which is the cutoff for qualification
• Chivas have lost their last two matches against Atlas
• are already eliminated from contention

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chivas icon Ramón Morales has voiced his worries regarding the performance and direction of Guadalajara – a team he once captained and helped lead to glory.

  Morales, known for his leadership and deep connection with the club, hopes to see – currently managed by Gerardo Espinoza, though it's unlikely he'll remain in charge next season – return to the top tier of Mexican football.

  “Because of its history and everything it represents, Chivas should always be competing, fighting for the top spots,” Morales told TUDN. “Being in the Liguilla. The fact that the team is now fighting just to get into a Play-In – that’s not what the fans want. It leaves them sad, angry, or disappointed.”

  Chivas sit just outside the top 10 with one match left to play in the Clausura 2025 regular season – a high-stakes showdown against Atlas, a team that has beaten them in their last two encounters. The outcome will decide whether Chivas sneaks into the postseason or faces another year of questions and frustration.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Matchday 17 of the Clausura 2025 still carries major implications. While Toluca has already secured the top seed, several clubs are aiming to either solidify their place in the Final Phase or improve their seeding.

  Nine of the 10 postseason spots have been secured. The final one will be decided this weekend between Chivas and Pumas.

  Chivas will face Atlas at Estadio Jalisco, but their fate isn’t in their control – they’ll need Pumas to drop points when they visit Tigres.

  Both matches will be played simultaneously on Saturday, with the final playoff spot hanging in the balance.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The longest-standing rivalry in Mexican football features two proud institutions from Jalisco: Chivas and Atlas.

  , which began in 1916, has built over a century of rich history. In the overall head-to-head, Club Deportivo Guadalajara has set the pace in this fierce rivalry.

  Across 293 official matches, Chivas has recorded 110 victories, while Atlas has won 95 times, with 88 draws between them.

  In 172 league matches, Chivas holds the advantage with 63 wins, compared to 52 for Atlas, and 57 draws. During the regular season alone, Guadalajara has won 60 times, and in the Liguilla (playoffs), they’ve celebrated three wins in 12 encounters.

  The only previous Play-In clash between these two rivals was won by Atlas, giving a rare edge in that particular stage.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHIVAS?

  Gerardo Espinoza’s squad will fight for their play-in ticket this Saturday when they visit Atlas at Estadio Jalisco. The last two editions of the have both ended in victories for the

Kent batter flies to Pakistan ready to become first man born in 2000s to represent England

Matt Roller14-Sep-2022

Jordan Cox impressed for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

England will arrive in Karachi early on Thursday morning for their first tour of Pakistan in 17 years, a historic visit that will see them play seven T20 internationals while under presidential-level security conditions.The length of their absence is illustrated by the fact that their 20-man squad had made a single professional appearance between them when England played their last international in this country back in 2005: Moeen Ali, who will deputise as captain in the early stages of this tour, playing for Warwickshire against Cambridge UCCE as a 17-year-old.The youngest member of the touring party, Jordan Cox, had just celebrated his fifth birthday when an England team last landed in Pakistan. One of five uncapped players in the squad and one of six who will not travel on to Australia for the T20 World Cup, Cox is set to become the first player born in the 2000s to represent England men at some stage during the series.His call-up came as a surprise to him, despite two impressive seasons in the T20 Blast for Kent and one in the Hundred for Oval Invincibles. “I haven’t really been picked up in any leagues,” he told ESPNcricinfo before leaving for Pakistan, “so I thought I must be slipping under the radar, just doing my thing without anyone really noticing. Then, next thing I know, I’m being picked on a tour.”Related

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His phone rang at 8.20am the morning after Invincibles were knocked out of the Hundred and, not recognising Matthew Mott’s number, he rolled over in bed in his Manchester hotel room and ignored it. A follow-up text prompted him to ask his team-mate Jack Haynes where he knew Mott’s name from over breakfast – “I’m the worst person in the world with names” – and his pancakes went cold as he tried to take the news in.”I still can’t really believe it now,” he said. “Obviously it’s an absolute honour to represent your country, especially at 21. When I was a kid, I really wanted to play cricket but I didn’t realise this [an England call-up] was going to happen as quickly as it has. It must mean they think I’m a good player, which means a lot.”Cox made a name for himself at senior level with a double-hundred for Kent in the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy – he was bizarrely forced to self-isolate immediately afterwards after posing for a photo with some fans – but while his first-class record (three hundreds, and an average of 37.82) is solid, it is in the shorter formats that he has starred.He played a key role in Kent’s Blast title in 2021, coming in at No. 5 and balancing boundary-hitting with strike rotation, before impressing at No. 3 this season and adapting to a number of different positions in Invincibles’ batting line-up in the Hundred.”They’ve seen me bat everywhere in the order. It’s not all about hitting sixes for me: I start my innings by being busy, getting ones and twos by hitting the bigger pockets and looking to play strong shots for four, then kicking on from there. Hopefully I can fill the gap that they needed.”Cox grew up as a wicketkeeper – he is one of four on this trip, along with Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Ben Duckett – but has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best boundary-riders in county cricket, most obviously for his role in a stunning relay catch with Matt Milnes in the Blast final last season.