Both teams have five wins each from nine games but they seem to be heading in opposite directions

Hemant Brar26-Apr-20252:08

Is Mumbai’s second-half charge underway?

Big picture: Same, same but differentIt’s not important where you are right now; what matters is the direction you are headed in. This aphorism applies to all walks of life, including IPL 2025. Just past the halfway stage, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) find themselves at the same junction but heading in opposite directions.Both teams are in the middle of the points table with five wins each from nine games. In those five wins, five different players from each team have won the Player-of-the-Match award. For MI, it has been Ashwani Kumar, Karn Sharma, Will Jacks, Rohit Sharma and Trent Boult. For LSG, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Rathi, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram and Avesh Khan.Let’s talk about the differences now. MI had a typical slow start to their campaign, losing four of their first five games. But with four successive wins since then, things are looking up for them. Rohit has returned to form with two successive 70s, Boult is living up to the expectations at the death, and Jasprit Bumrah, after missing the first four games, is back to his usual business.Related

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Pant goes the other way – what's the rationale?

“I’ve always felt that once everyone starts clicking in this team, it is going to be complete domination,” their captain Hardik Pandya said after the win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. With that confidence, and momentum, they enter Sunday afternoon’s game.LSG, on the other hand, have faced two defeats in their last three games. They did win three in a row after a shaky start but things are not looking good for them at the moment. Rishabh Pant and David Miller are yet to fire, making their middle order one of the weakest in the league. After a blistering start to the season, Pooran has had scores of 8, 11 and 9 in his last three innings, which has exposed their middle order further.What’s in LSG’s favour is their 6-1 head-to-head record against MI. It includes their win from earlier this season, when MI retired out Tilak Varma in their unsuccessful chase of 204. But this time MI will be playing at home, where they have three wins in four outings so far.Form guideMumbai Indians WWWL (last five matches, most recent first)
Lucknow Super Giants LWLWWMayank Yadav is yet to play this season•BCCITeam news and likely XIIs: Where is Mayank Yadav?It’s unlikely that MI will tinker with their winning combination.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit Bumrah, 12 Vignesh PuthurIn their last two games, LSG brought in Ayush Badoni as Impact Player in the first innings of the match itself, which meant Mayank Yadav stayed on the bench. One also wonders if Mayank’s fitness has something to do with his not being named in the XI in the first place.Lucknow Super Giants (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Digvesh Rathi, 11 Avesh Khan, 12 Prince YadavIn the spotlight: Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh PantBefore this IPL started, there were whispers about Suryakumar Yadav’s form. In February, against England, he had managed only 28 runs in five T20Is at a strike rate of 116.66. Since then, he has played nine innings in the IPL and has scored at least 25 in each of them. Overall, he is the leading run-getter for MI with 373 at a strike rate of 166.51. The only thing missing is his trademark, jaw-dropping knock.2:49

Pant coming in at No. 7 was ‘bizarre and horrendous’

This being the last IPL before the 2026 T20 World Cup makes it an audition for the global tournament, and Rishabh Pant seems to have flunked it. He has just 106 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 96.36. Five times he has been dismissed in singles-figures. His coming in at No. 7 against Delhi Capitals after an animated chat with team mentor Zaheer Khan did not paint a good picture either.The big questionWith Pant struggling and Miller not getting enough balls to face at times, should LSG have Miller at No. 4 and Pant down the order?Key stats: Bumrah vs Pant and Pooran Bumrah has a favourable match-up against Pant in the IPL: 46 balls, 55 runs, seven dismissals. He has also dismissed Pooran twice in 18 balls while conceding only 13 runs. Mitchell Santner is one of the rare left-arm spinners to have some success against Pooran in T20 cricket. He has dismissed him twice in 20 balls while giving away just 25 runs. Hardik has fallen to Avesh three times in 37 balls while scoring only 32 runs in this tournament. Rohit scored 76 not out and 70 in his last two innings. This is the first time since 2016 that he has scored back-to-back fifties in the IPL. Among those who have bowled at least five overs in the death, Rathi (7.66) has the best economy, followed by Bumrah (7.75). Hardik is at the bottom of the list with 16.20.Pitch and conditionsThe Wankhede Stadium has hosted four games so far this season, all night games. MI won the toss every time and opted to field. They won three of them, when they restricted the opposition to a below-par total. Sunday’s match, though, will be played in the hot and humid afternoon and could force a change in strategy.Quotes”It’s an afternoon game, we think bowlers will get some help as well. It’s all batters’ game as you’ve seen. So hope that bowlers also get something in tomorrow’s afternoon game, maybe it will be a little dry or something like that.”

Bruno Fernandes continues to see a move to the Saudi Pro League speculated on, but the Manchester United captain reportedly has “no interest” in completing such a switch at this stage of his career. That will be music to the ears of those at Old Trafford, with the Portuguese playmaker a talismanic presence for the Red Devils while continuing to fill their armband.

Fernandes contract: When Man Utd deal expires

Fernandes remains under contract in Manchester through to the summer of 2027, with those terms including the option for a further 12-month extension. He is 31 years of age, but continues to deliver at a high standard for the Red Devils – who have been infuriatingly inconsistent as a collective across several seasons.

Losing their skipper would represent a serious blow to United, with Ruben Amorim looking to build around his fellow countryman. Nobody comes close to matching the mercurial midfielder’s output when looking at end product – with 100 goals being reached for the Red Devils through 297 appearances in all competitions.

Fernandes’ value to any given cause is clear for all to see, which has led to admiring glances being shot in his direction from the Middle East. It is claimed that lucrative offers from Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad were knocked back over the summer as formal approaches were made.

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There has been talk of more of those being readied, with the experienced Portugal international being given the chance to tread a similar career path to Cristiano Ronaldo – who linked up with Al-Nassr after seeing his second spell on United’s books come to a close.

According to , Fernandes has no intention of heading down that route. They claim that “sources close to the United skipper have completely rejected recent suggestions he is ready to quit Old Trafford after the World Cup next summer and accept a Saudi offer”. Said report goes on to claim that Fernandes is “only interested in playing in major European leagues”.

Fernandes is said to be “fully committed to United”, with there confidence on his part that long-term plans being pieced together by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and club co-owners INEOS will deliver an upturn in fortune. BBC Sport state that “Fernandes is determined to put everything into helping United towards a better future, while also believing it is possible to secure a top-five finish that could earn a place in next season's Champions League”.

Fernandes asking price: Man Utd eager to avoid sale

There have been reports to suggest that United would demand more than £60 million ($80m) from any deal involving Fernandes, with there understandable reluctance on their part to see a prized asset move on. The hope is that such an asking price will deter any potential suitors. Big-spending sides in the Saudi Pro League do, however, boast deep pockets.

Amorim has spoken of his desire to see Fernandes stay put, with there an important role for him to play with United heading forward. The Red Devils’ under-fire coach has said of his captain: “He deserves all the praise. That guy deserves to be in the history of our club, not just for what he does but for what his team conquers.”

United have looked to use Fernandes in a deeper playmaking berth this season, rather than pushing him forward as an archetypal No.10. Amorim believes that he can be more effective in that role as he sees more of the ball and can dictate proceedings from the middle of the pitch.

That could be considered to impact his attacking threat somewhat, with positions being taken up further away from the opposition goal, but United need players of his ilk to be involved as often as possible in an ongoing bid to make Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 system work.

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GettyFernandes happy: Next up for Man Utd

With Fernandes seemingly happy in his current surroundings for now, United – who have picked up 10 points from seven games this season to sit 10th in the Premier League table – will be back in action after the latest international break when heading to Anfield for a meeting with old adversaries Liverpool on October 19.

Four draws from four in the Premiership, amid a dismal Champions League exit, has ensured that the jury is still out on Rangers boss Russell Martin, with the former Scotland international facing an uphill task to win over the Ibrox faithful.

That said, regardless of whether or not the under-fire coach is the right man for the job, the Gers are evidently in need of further reinforcements before the window slams shut, with the centre-forward berth a particular area of concern.

Indeed, the Light Blues have seen Hamza Igamane already catch fire at new club Lille, amid a stunning brace on debut in Ligue 1, while Martin admitted that Cyriel Dessers has likely played his last game for the Glasgow giants.

With Danilo also continuing to underwhelm, amid his return of 13 goals in 58 games in Scotland, the pressure is on new man Bojan Miovski to hit the ground running. To ease that burden, however, a new addition now looks to be imminent.

Latest on Rangers' deadline day dealings

There is much to be done and little time to do it in, with reports emerging on Sunday evening that Rangers are in the race for Crystal Palace starlet Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, having been linked with the 22-year-old throughout the summer window.

Elsewhere, meanwhile, Portuguese journalist Sebastião Sousa-Pinto has revealed that Everton striker Youssef Chermiti is heading to Scotland amid his impending Ibrox switch, with the final touches being made on that deal.

As per Sousa-Pinto, that switch – which previously had looked set to be an initial loan – will be a permanent deal for a fee in the region of €15m (£12.7m), eclipsing the £12m previously dished out on Tore Andre Flo.

Transfer Focus

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

Such a hefty price tag would heap instant expectation on the former Sporting CP man to perform, with there perhaps concerns that the 21-year-old could head in a similar direction as that of Adam Idah at rivals Celtic.

Why Rangers could be targeting their own Adam Idah

In one of the more surprising moves of the window so far, Swansea City have pounced to take Idah back to the Championship on a £7m deal, thus ending his turbulent 18-month stint at Parkhead.

Signed on an initial loan deal in January 2024, the Republic of Ireland international was an instant hit in Scottish football, having scored nine goals in just 19 games during that temporary spell, including the winner in the Scottish Cup final.

While 20 goals followed in all competitions last term, following a £9m permanent switch, the 24-year-old divided opinion among those of a Hoops persuasion, having since failed to score in the early weeks of the new campaign.

Despite his early hot streak, the ex-Norwich City man has perhaps returned to his former levels, having arrived in Glasgow after registering just 17 goals in 116 senior games at Carrow Road, as per Transfermarkt.

There could well be fears of Chermiti enduring similar struggles at Ibrox, with Martin and co gambling on a player who has also yet to prove himself at first-team level, after failing to score at all in 24 games for the Toffees.

Games

4

Starts

0

Goals

0

Big chances missed

0

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes*

0

Total duels won*

50%

Aerial duels won*

67%

Successful dribbles*

0.3

While the young marksman did net three times in 22 first-team outings in Lisbon, there remains little evidence that he can thrive at the elite level, with analyst Kai Watson even suggesting that he could be “[Umar] Sadiq 2.0”.

A player believed to have been “inspired by [Alexander] Isak”, as per The Athletic, Chermiti is yet to showcase that he can get anywhere close to the levels of the Liverpool-bound £130m sensation.

Of course, much like Idah in his early Celtic days, the Portuguese giant could surprise a few if he makes an immediate impact under Martin, although he will have to go a long way to repay his hefty transfer fee.

As was the case with Idah, the pressure on a young, marquee striker can be overpowering – time will tell to see whether the same applies for Chermiti.

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Delhi Capitals, who began the season with four wins on the trot, are now out of contention

Ekanth21-May-20253:05

Rapid Fire: What will be DC’s biggest regret this season?

Mumbai Indians (MI) secured the last remaining IPL 2025 playoffs spot thanks to a late onslaught from Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir followed by crafty three-fors from Mitchell Santner and Jasprit Bumrah. Delhi Capitals, led by Faf du Plessis with regular captain Axar Patel ruled out by flu, were knocked out of contention. Having won each of their first four matches of the season, they have won just two of their next nine.Related

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Du Plessis: MI's counterpunch cost us in last two overs

Put in to bat on a spin-friendly Wankhede Stadium pitch with rain on the cards, MI were in some trouble at 132 for 5 but Suryakumar and Dhir smacked 48 runs off the last two overs to lift them to 180.DC’s chase never got going with Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul falling cheaply. A comeback seemed to be on the cards, with Sameer Rizvi and Ashutosh Sharma putting on 38 as a drizzle began, but Santner ensured that it wasn’t to be.1:49

Moody: ‘DC bowlers should have used the surface more’

MI start steadily on a tricky pitchMI’s innings started with Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton punishing full balls in the first two overs before Mustafizur Rahman’s angle away from Rohit’s bat found the edge when he tried to drive him.Vipraj Nigam, brought on in the fourth over, found turn but was pulled for two fours by Will Jacks when he dropped short. Jacks hit a four and a six in the next over, off Mustafizur, before Mukesh Kumar undid him by going pace-off in the sixth over, and Nigam completed the job with a good catch running back. MI finished the powerplay 54 for 2.Kuldeep and Nigam apply the brakesSuryakumar survived a top-edged sweep that landed safely behind short fine leg but Rickelton was less fortunate next ball as he toed his slog-sweep to deep backward square leg to hand Kuldeep Yadav his 100th IPL wicket.Nigam mixed up his lengths and created two near-chances in the tenth over while Kuldeep bowled consistently and kept the batters quiet. DC gave away just 26 runs in the first four post-powerplay overs, leaving MI 80 for 3 at the halfway mark.The return of pace helped MI release some pressure, with Tilak Varma lapping Dushmantha Chameera for six in the 11th over and Suryakumar stepping out to drive Mustafizur over mid-off for another maximum in the 14th. In between, though, Nigam and Kuldeep conceded just nine in two overs.Suryakumar pulled Mukesh for four to start the 15th over, but Tilak fell four balls later, too early into a pull off a slower ball. When Hardik sliced a lofted drive to short third off Chameera in the 17th, MI were 123 for 5.2:17

Aaron: Bowlers’ Plan B is Suryakumar’s Plan A

Dhir, Suryakumar break freeSuryakumar brought up a 36-ball fifty at the start of the 19th over, launching Mukesh over the covers for six. Then Dhir let loose, going 4, 6, 6, 4 to end a 27-run over, as Mukesh, suffering from cramps, missed three yorkers and then offered room when he went into the pitch.The onslaught continued in the final over where Suryakumar dined on Chameera’s pace-on offerings. This time, he farmed the strike and whacked two sixes over deep midwicket and two fours through the off side to finish on a high. A highlight was a dab off a near-perfect yorker that rolled wide of the keeper for four. Suryakumar scored 28 off the last eight balls of his innings, while Dhir walked off unbeaten on 24 off eight.Suryakumar’s unbeaten 73, meanwhile, was his 13th successive 25-plus score in T20s, a joint record alongside Temba Bavuma.DC lose big guns earlyKL Rahul and du Plessis, DC’s most experienced batters, made their intent clear by putting away the first balls they faced to the boundary. But their attack was shortlived as du Plessis holed out to long-on off a slower ball from Deepak Chahar and Rahul – who charged early and made too much room – was caught behind off Trent Boult.Will Jacks spun his first ball square and then got one to go straight, beating Abishek Porel to have him stumped, a close call that went in the bowler’s favour. Jacks then bowled a no-ball, which allowed the promoted Nigam to get off the mark with a six over cover.Nigam hit three more fours in his next four balls, but with DC 49 for 3 at the end of the powerplay with all four of Bumrah’s overs remaining, MI were well ahead.1:51

Moody: Santner a nightmare on pitches like this

Wily Santner wrecks middle orderSantner capitalised on MI’s start and the conditions, ripping the ball away from Nigam’s bat before firing the next one in quicker to have him caught and bowled. Bumrah then got an offcutter to beat Tristan Stubbs’ inside edge to reduce DC to 65 for 5 in the tenth over.DC seemed all but done when a drizzle began and eased things up a bit. Ashutosh whacked loopy deliveres from Karn Sharma for a four and a six in the 11th over, and Rizvi picked up another four in between when Jacks ran too in too far from long-off and overran the ball.Santner then beat Ashutosh and almost had Rizvi caught and bowled but the batters survived, and DC kept chipping away, going past 100 in the 14th over. Their task was still steep, though: 78 off the last six overs.With the drizzle in the background, Santner darted a full ball at Rizvi before slowing the pace down to 77kph to beat his sweep and hit middle stump. The game was effectively over three balls later when Santner had Ashutosh stumped. It was a juicy length ball angling in towards the stumps that spun away a mile and beat the inside-out drive.Santner’s three-for came at the cost of just 11 runs in four overs, the joint-fewest conceded by a spinner in an IPL match at Wankhede. Bumrah and Karn then cleaned up the tail, helping MI qualify for the playoffs for the 11th time in 18 seasons.

It was yet another busy summer for Arsenal, who focused on adding quality depth to improve their squad ahead of the new season. For the last few years, the Gunners have finished second in the Premier League, twice to Manchester City and once, most recently, to Liverpool.

Another busy summer was had at the Emirates Stadium, in an effort to break the cycle of second-place finishes they find themselves in. Eight major signings were made, although Mikel Arteta’s side have not started the season well, but not flawlessly. They sit in second place on 10 points, five behind Liverpool.

However, the new signings have hit the ground running, with Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze two of the most impressive.

Madueke and Eze’s start to life at Arsenal

England international Madueke joined the Gunners from Chelsea back in July. He cost Arteta’s side £48.5m, and has made a strong start to life at the Emirates Stadium. Although he’s yet to register a goal involvement, the winger creates an average of 2.3 chances per game in the Premier League.

The good form on show at the start of his Arsenal career from the England international has left many people impressed. One of those is BBC Sport’s tactics correspondent Umir Irfan, who said the winger has been “sensational” for the Gunners so far.

It is not just Madueke who has shone in an Arsenal shirt already. Eze, too, has been impressive. The England international completed a dream move to North London after previously playing for the club’s academy in his youth.

In seven appearances and 470 minutes for the Gunners so far, the former Crystal Palace star has one goal and two assists. That includes a sensational pass for Gabriel Martinelli to set up a crucial equaliser against Man City last weekend.

Both Madueke and Eze have performed well for the Gunners this season and are already key parts of Arteta’s squad. There is another key player who has also performed well, and is valued even higher than the England duo.

The Arsenal star worth more than Madueke and Eze

Arsenal’s summer signings have certainly enhanced an already talented squad, which can hopefully push them over the line for the Premier League title. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are two examples of that.

Well, another man who could be considered in that same bracket is talented defender Jurrien Timber, who signed for the club from Ajax for £38m in 2023. The Dutchman, described as a “diamond” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has cemented himself as Arteta’s first-choice right-back this season.

The former Ajax star has played 90 minutes in the last three of Arsenal’s Premier League matches and in their Champions League win over Athletic Club. His 64-minute performance against Leeds United saw him score twice and assist once, too.

Despite being in his third year as a Gunner, the 24-year-old missed almost all of his first season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Last season, he also missed a few games due to fitness issues.

But Timber has fully recovered now. The defender has shown this season just how good he is, which the stats back up. For example, per 90 minutes this season, he’s averaged 5.4 tackles and interceptions and 1.5 key passes.

Minutes

72.2

433

Key passes

1.5

7

Passes completed

36.8

177

Tackles and interceptions

5.4

26

Expected goal involvements

0.35xGI

1.67

With form like that in mind, it may not come as a shock that Timber is worth even more than both Madueke and Eze, according to Football Transfers. The Dutch star is valued at £57m, which certainly reflects his excellent performances.

In comparison, Arsenal’s new attacking duo are not worth quite as much. Former Palace star Eze is closer, with Football Transfers valuing him at £53.6m. As for ex-Chelsea winger Madueke, he’s said to be worth just shy of £45m.

Given just how key Timber is to Arsenal’s side, due to his quality on the ball and tenacity without it, there might not be much surprise to learn he has such a high value, but it does show that Arteta hit the jackpot on him because his value has soared from £38m to £57m within the space of two years.

Madueke and Eze are key members of the Arsenal squad, but Timber’s quality and importance to Arteta mean he is worth even more than the attacking pair.

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Looking to follow up their recent deal to sign Emanuel Emegha in 2026, Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign a teenage gem ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Chelsea agree deal to sign Emegha

Once again using BlueCo’s connection to Strasbourg – another club that they own – Chelsea have officially announced a deal to sign Emegha. The talented striker will join the club in 2026 after one more season in France and represents the fifth player to move to either Chelsea or Strasbourg in the last 12 months.

Emegha’s pending arrival will lead to questions about Nicolas Jackson’s future once again. The forward is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, but even though that deal has an obligation to buy if certain conditions are met, Bayern chief Uli Hoeneß recently made it clear that it is unlikely that he reaches those conditions.

He told reporters: “It’s not a €16.5m loan fee, because the player and his agent are contributing €3m, so that leaves €13.5m. And there will definitely not be a permanent contract. That only happens if he plays 40 games from the start. He will never do that.”

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If that proves to be the case, Chelsea will have as many as four strikers at their disposal in 2026 with Jackson’s sale still on their list of priorities. That’s not to say their spending is about to end, however.

The Blues have now reportedly turned their focus towards Enzo Maresca’s midfield, joining the race to sign a teenage sensation ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Chelsea racing to sign Jorthy Mokio

According to TeamTalk, Chelsea are now racing to sign Jorthy Mokio from Ajax after sending scouts to watch the 17-year-old midfielder. Compared to Declan Rice and former Stamford Bridge star N’Golo Kante, the Belgian is certainly one to watch in the next 12 months. As ever, Ajax have helped develop an incredibly impressive talent after securing his signature from KAA Gent last summer.

Compared to Kante by TeamTalk thanks to his exceptional recovery ability and positioning during transitions, Mokio could yet follow Jorrel Hato’s path by swapping Ajax for Chelsea as a rising star.

Described as “quick & agile” as well as “intelligent” by U23 scout Antonio Mango last May, Mokio has only improved ever since. Now, as several Premier League sides chase his signature, the midfielder, who can also play centre-back, has a decision to make.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras venceu o Cuiabá por 2 a 0 na noite deste sábado (19), na Arena Pantanal, pela 20ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Raphael Veiga abriu o placar para o Verdão aos 31′ do primeiro tempo, e Richard Ríos sacramentou a vitória alviverde aos 20′ da etapa final, marcando um belíssimo gol de fora da área. Após a partida, o técnico Abel Ferreira fala sobre o desempenho de sua equipe em entrevista coletiva. Confira no vídeo acima:

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasApós quase deixar o Palmeiras, Luan ganha nova chance como titular com Abel FerreiraPalmeiras19/08/2023PalmeirasEm momento raro de lesão, Dudu tem seu Brasileirão com menor percentual de jogos no PalmeirasPalmeiras19/08/2023BrasileirãoEm sequência como titular após retorno, Clayson projeta duelo do Cuiabá diante do PalmeirasBrasileirão18/08/2023

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Lamine Yamal has broken into the top 10 of the world's highest paid players. Forbes estimates that the teenage Barcelona star will earn enough this year to break the threshold for the first time in his career. High-profile sponsorship deals with the likes of Adidas, Visa and Konami have helped boost Yamal's earnings as a familiar face retains top spot in this rundown.

Getty Images SportYamal enters the top 10

American financial magazine Forbes estimates that Yamal will crack the top 10 for the first time. They predict that the 18-year-old with earn $43m (£32m) this season, with $10m (£7.4m) coming from commercial income.

Yamal is the notable inclusion in the top 10 list with the Spain international enjoying a whirlwind career to date. Having broken onto the scene in the 2023/24 season, Yamal is now considered one of the finest attacking talents in Europe.

The Spaniard recently put pen to paper on a new blockbuster six-year deal with Barcelona, and was handed the iconic number 10 shirt, which is synonymous with Argentina international Lionel Messi.

One of Yamal's biggest commercial contracts is with sports brand adidas, where he is one of the brand's key ambassadors and has his own signature boots. 

AdvertisementRonaldo retains top spot

Yamal's earnings for the season may be impressive for a teenager and he just makes the top 10, which is again headed by Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, who celebrated his 40th birthday back in February, signed a bumper new contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr over the summer.

He's estimated to earn a whopping $280m this season, far and away the most of all footballers in the coming campaign. Messi remains in second place with $130m, though his off-field earnings of $70m trumps that of Ronaldo ($50m).

It's the old guard that dominates the top 10 with Benzema ($104m) rounding off the top three. However, the younger stars are starting to make up ground of those above them on the leaderboard.

Kylian Mbappe ($95m), Erling Haaland ($80m) and Vinicius Junior ($60m) feature fourth, fifth and sixth, and it's surely only a matter of time before they leapfrog the likes of Benzema and Messi above them in the top 10.

Getty Images SportNeymar and De Bruyne drop out

Mohamed Salah ($55m), Sadio Mane ($54m), Jude Bellingham ($44m) and Yamal ($43m) round off the top 10, but their rise up the Forbes rankings has seen experienced stars Neymar and Kevin Bruyne drop down.

Neymar saw a lucrative contract with Saudi side Al-Hilal terminated back in January and re-joined Brazilian side Santos, which impacted his earnings, while De Bruyne left Manchester City for Napoli at the end of the 2024/25 season, thus seeing his earnings drop as a result.

Top 10 in full according to Forbes:

Cristiano Ronaldo – $280mLionel Messi – $130mKarim Benzema – $104mKylian Mbappe – $95mErling Haaland – $80mVinicius Junior – $60mMohamed Salah – $55mSadio Mane – $54mJude Bellingham – $44mLamine Yamal – $43mENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Yamal set for Barcelona return

Yamal is expected to return for Barcelona when they take on Girona in La Liga this weekend. Yamal has only made two appearances since the September international break due to injury, coming off the bench in a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad before playing the full 90 in a 2-1 home loss to European champions PSG.

And having missed the 4-1 loss to Sevilla and Spain's wins over Georgia and Bulgaria earlier this month, Hansi Flick expects the teenage winger to feature for the Blaugrana this weekend. Barcelona's surprise reverse to the Seville side leaves them two points behind league leaders Real Madrid, who make the short trip across the capital to face Getafe on Sunday.

Yamal has been in fine form for club and country this season having scored two goals and provided six assists across seven appearances in La Liga, Champions League and World Cup qualification action. Barcelona fans are hopeful that Yamal's return to fitness can inspire the club to return to winning ways having fallen to back-to-back defeats, losing ground in both league and European competition in the process.

Barcelona have a number of concerns for their welcome of Girona with goalkeepers Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Joan Garcia both absent, meaning Wojciech Szczesny is set to start between the sticks on Saturday. In attack, meanwhile, Dani Olmo, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski all sit out for the Spanish giants, while midfielder Gavi continues to miss out for the La Liga title contenders.

One Newcastle United player has found the experience of playing in England “bad” and now wants to leave the club, in a significant new update.

Howe demands more quality from Newcastle

The Magpies have suffered some demoralising home defeats already this season, including against Liverpool and Barcelona, and Arsenal inflicted a last-gasp loss on them on Sunday afternoon.

While Eddie Howe could find positives from Newcastle’s performance, he has also made it clear that he needs to see the same level of quality as he does commitment from his players.

“I think harsh words are sometimes needed. Whether that is to the team or to indviduals, I will usually look to do it on an individual basis. What I look for is effort, commitment, desire and organisation.

“There are so many things that go into a performance. I am seeing the effort there, but the quality was lacking. So I have to be very careful. You don’t want to make the morale or the mood worse, I will be very reflective tonight and figure out a way forward tomorrow.”

This is still a strong Newcastle squad that Howe has at his disposal, but it looks increasingly as though one player doesn’t have a long-term future at St James’ Park, following a fresh update.

Newcastle player wants permanent St James' exit

According to a new update from Estadio Deportivo [via Sport Witness], Newcastle goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos wants to leave the club permanently, despite only joining last year.

The 31-year-old is currently out on loan at Sevilla, keeping a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano over the weekend, and he wants to stay there permanently, following a “bad experience” living in England. He is valued at £4.3m by Transfermarkt and hopes to be sold for an “affordable price” by Newcastle.

The January transfer window feels like the right time for Newcastle to sell Vlachodimos for good, considering Howe doesn’t appear to have any plans for him at the club moving forward.

This is despite Jurgen Klopp speaking glowingly about him after an impressive performance for Benfica against Liverpool back in 2022.

“We should have scored much more. I think, mainly because of their goalkeeper, credit to him. Their goalkeeper was probably the game’s best player. We played well, but he made a couple of really good saves.”

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Sometimes, a move simply doesn’t work out for various reasons, which appears to be the case for Vlachodimos at Newcastle, and it’s now a case of them trying to get as much money as possible for his signature.

While they have yet to win anything, Arsenal now have arguably the best squad in the Premier League.

Whether it’s the outrageously stacked defence, the midfield or up top, Mikel Arteta has an abundance of talent to pick from every week, and his second-string side would probably give some teams a good game.

Yet, even with the embarrassment of riches at his disposal, most fans and pundits alike would agree that his best and most important player remains Bukayo Saka.

Yet, even so, the manager should be looking to take the Englishman out of the lineup for the Champions League game against Olympiacos.

Why Saka should be dropped

Now, there is, of course, a compelling argument that Arsenal should field their best players in a European game like this.

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However, even though that’s a totally valid point of view, and one that most might hold, there are a few reasons why Saka should be dropped.

First and foremost, Arteta needs to protect the Hale End superstar from being overplayed and picking up any more injuries.

After all, he missed almost four months of action due to hamstring surgery last season, and then missed a few weeks earlier this year due to an injury to his other hamstring.

Moreover, since returning from his recent setback, the 24-year-old “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already made three appearances, including two starts in the last two games.

In other words, he’s already had the chance to regain a significant amount of match sharpness and therefore doesn’t need to start a third game in seven days.

Second, if the North Londoners were playing a title rival or one of the real big boys in Europe, then there would be an argument to risk another start given his importance to the team.

However, without being disrespectful, Olympiacos are one of the easier opponents the Gunners will face this season, with UEFA ranking them 37th in their coefficients, behind the likes of Bodo/Glimt, PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge.

Finally, there is also no need to play Saka, as Arteta already has the perfect option to start in his stead, and no, it’s not Max Dowman.

The Arsenal star who should start ahead of Saka

There will be plenty of fans who want to see Dowman come in from the start against Olympiacos, and while there is undoubtedly an argument to throw him in the deep end, it might be a little too much too soon.

Especially when Arteta already has the perfect option to start in Saka and the 15-year-old’s place: Ethan Nwaneri.

Speaking about him during the early stages of Nwaneri’s development, Mikel Arteta noted that the teenager is “a little bit like Jack Wilshere,” and that may suggest why he’s been getting more game time in the middle of the park recently.

That looks likely to be his long-term position, but it would make perfect sense to start the Hale Ender off the right against the Greek outfit.

The most significant argument for doing so is that the 18-year-old dynamo already has a decent amount of experience playing out there and put up some good numbers when doing so last season.

For example, in 37 appearances, totalling just 1378 minutes, the dynamic gem scored nine goals and provided two assists, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or every 125.27 minutes.

Nwaneri in 24/25

Appearances

37

Minutes

1378′

Goals

9

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.27′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the manager can rest assured that starting the “phenomenal” talent, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, would not be detrimental to the side’s attacking output.

Another reason the Spaniard should be playing academy product is that, now that he has been tied down to a long-term contract, he needs to be given ample opportunities to play first-team football and continue his impressive development.

So, while a start against Newcastle United, for example, might be too risky, the same cannot really be said about a European fixture in which the Gunners are big favourites.

Ultimately, Saka needs to be rested and protected to ensure he does not suffer another injury, and though Dowman should feature against Olympiacos, it should be Nwaneri who starts the game off the right.

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