Set to return for his second spell behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur, Fabio Paratici has reportedly set his sights on signing a Premier League-winning defender this summer.

Tottenham eyeing back-to-back wins

After defeating Bodo/Glimt to take one step into the Europa League final in midweek, Tottenham now have the chance to secure back-to-back victories in all competitions for the first time since beating Manchester United and then Ipswich Town at the end of February. In a London derby no less, Ange Postecoglou has the opportunity to keep his side in the winning habit ahead of a vital second leg in the Europa League next week.

Tottenham in contact with "quick" target as Paratici plots first move back

Paratici has reportedly reached an agreement to return.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 3, 2025

The Australian spoke about Tottenham’s visit to the London Stadium in his pre-match press conference whilst confirming a number of injury doubts, telling reporters: “Dom is not too bad. He is still a bit sore from last night, but we don’t think it’s anything serious. Obviously, [Solanke is] a doubt for weekend. Madders, we’re a bit more concerned about.

“He was heading for a scan [on Friday]. We’re just wait to hear that outcome. Sonny is working hard. He’s out on the grass every day. We’ll see how he’s going by [next] Thursday.”

With next week’s Europa League trip in mind, it seems unlikely that any risks will be taken by Spurs even as a London derby awaits. Aside from bragging rights over their rivals, the North London club have nothing to play for as they head into their final four Premier League games in a season to forget domestically.

It’s become clearer every weeks that Spurs must welcome a number of reinforcements this summer if they are to turn thing around under Postecoglou and the return of Paratici should certainly help on that front. If reports are anything to go by too, the sporting director is wasting no time before setting his sights on key targets.

Tottenham chasing Eric Garcia deal

According to reports in Spain, Spurs now wants to sign Eric Garcia in what could be a cut-price deal given Barcelona’s financial struggles and also Paratici’s first capture back in the helm.

The former Manchester City defender has endured a mixed spell back in Spain, which included a loan spell at Girona, and could now be on his way back to the Premier League. Spurs aren’t the only side interested, however. They reportedly face competition from Girona, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Como ahead of the summer transfer window – potentially leaving Garcia with a decision to make.

Of course, the Spaniard already knows exactly what it takes to perform at the highest level in England’s top flight after he became a Premier League champion at Manchester City. And although the Tottenham challenge would throw up different obstacles, that experience would likely go a long way in North London.

It was during his time at The Etihad that Garcia earned impressive praise from manager Pep Guardiola, who told reporters: “Incredibly clear guy, and he’s able to lead the line. He’s so clever. Played incredible attention of that and played well. He’s going to play a lot of minutes,”

If Ashwin is fully fit for Sydney, and if the pitch demands only one spinner, India might have an interesting decision to make

Sidharth Monga in Melbourne29-Dec-20182:30

Laxman: Tired Lyon couldn’t put as much body into his action as Jadeja

Let’s say all goes to plan. India win the Melbourne Test, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy stays with them, they travel to Sydney to try to preserve their lead, and R Ashwin is fit. Who will India pick then? Ravindra Jadeja, who has bowled 57 overs for 127 runs and five wickets in Melbourne, or Ashwin, who bowled 86.5 overs for 149 runs and six wickets in Adelaide?Of course, the conditions will decide whether they can play both of them. If the Sydney pitch is true to character, and there has not been much rain in the lead-up, there’s a good chance both of them might play if they are fit, with Hardik Pandya possibly slotting in as the third seamer. But there will be a big decision to make if either the pitch is not dry or Pandya, coming off a back injury, is not ready for Test cricket yet. This is where some of Jadeja’s history comes in first.Between Southampton 2014 and Melbourne this year, he didn’t play a single live rubber as the lone spinner. When India went in with two at Lord’s, Kuldeep Yadav was picked ahead of Jadeja. Unless there have been other fitness issues, which were not disclosed as with the time in Perth, there has been clear lack of faith in him.One of the reasons for that lack of trust could be the number of left-hand batsmen India have played against. England and Australia both have a good amount of them, which makes Jadeja a less potent threat, according to conventional wisdom. But as he showed in this Test, when Jadeja can latch on to a spot of rough, that conventional wisdom doesn’t always hold true. This is also what happens when India’s right-hand batsmen find themselves in the headlights with opposition offspinners. And with sides bowling more right-arm seamers, in theory left-hand batsmen should have more rough to contend with than the right-hand ones.4:03

B Arun reveals the secret to Bumrah’s pace

The one problem with that is left-hand batsmen grow up facing this all the time, so they are more adept at handling a left-arm spinner hammering that rough than offspinners landing it in the rough outside a right-hand batsman’s off stump. Moreover, the rough created by a left-arm fast bowler is more prominent and pronounced than the one created by various right-arm quicks. A conflict exists in theory as does on the field. In pockets, Jadeja seemed unplayable to left-hand batsmen, drawing short-leg catches from Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris. And yet, in this Test, he averaged 42 against left-hand batsmen and 15 against the right-hand ones, also maintaining a better economy rate against the right-hand batsmen.By no means can Jadeja’s contribution to what should be a memorable win be understated. He has bowled a major share of the overs, keeping the run-rate down, making sure the fast bowlers remained fresh, and has himself contributed five wickets, more than 25% of those fallen.”Jadeja has matured a lot over the years,” India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun said. “What he has done in the last one-two years, he has gained a lot of confidence and the way he has progressed today and also the way he did in England at The Oval, we can be quite confident that Jadeja can lead the spin attack.”I would say that a spinner maturing is about him understanding and discovering himself. And how he does it is he tries various angles with which he can bowl and variations in position of wrists. In the last couple of years, Jadeja has learnt quite a lot and that has helped him evolve from what he was earlier.”Getty ImagesJadeja’s fielding might give him an edge over Ashwin, but he loses it right back when it comes to batting on bouncier tracks. This is where Ashwin’s other quality comes in. If Jadeja is good at hitting the rough over and over again, Ashwin has the subtleties to beat batsmen in the air, those small changes in pace and trajectory that Harris acknowledged in Adelaide. It is when nothing was happening for him that Jadeja began to fire the ball in on the fourth day. Tim Paine’s wicket was a bonus when Jadeja went over the wicket and the batsman went to cut. Who can draw a genuine error when nothing is happening is a question India’s think tank will ponder. Kuldeep Yadav remains unlikely to play if it is deemed only one spinner is required; playing him as a lone spinner is a big risk because he can go for runs and you can’t afford one of the four bowlers to be unusable.If India go to Sydney with a series lead in hand – which should be a mere formality – it could come down to their lead spinner to preserve that lead, which will make this selection between Jadeja and Ashwin important. However, with his performance in Melbourne, Jadeja has done enough to earn the team management’s trust should Ashwin not recover in time.

Whilst Birmingham City’s unbelievable attacking arsenal undoubtedly helped them to stroll to the League One title with 81 goals being scored, the defenders also more than played their part in the Blues’ title-winning success when shutting out some dangerous third-tier attackers.

Chris Davies’ men would boast the sternest defence in the division come the end of their near flawless 46-game campaign, with only 31 strikes being shipped in total courtesy of Christoph Klarer at the back showing off their imposing nature.

Still, the reawakened giants won’t be resting on their laurels moving back up to the Championship, with signings all over the pitch rumoured to join the impressive St Andrew’s ranks.

Birmingham's growing list of transfer targets

Davies’ side won’t be content with simply making up the numbers next season after promotion, knowing full well that chairman Tom Wagner will again give the Blues adequate funds to spend on some top buys.

Birmingham have already been linked with major moves for former star Che Adams alongside League One superstar Kwame Poku to enhance their potent forward areas. Further, a move for Irish shot-stopper Mark Travers has also been rumoured.

But, the ever-growing list of statement targets doesn’t stop there, with journalist Alan Nixon now reporting that the newly promoted side could go back in for the much-admired Harry Darling who Birmingham have previously had on their shopping list.

Davies and Co might well be able to land the experienced Swansea City centre-back for nothing, considering his deal with the Welsh side expires very soon, but fellow promoted outfit Wrexham are also allegedly sniffing around for the 25-year-old.

Amazingly, if a deal was to get over the line, Birmingham would be able to land an instant upgrade on Hannover 96 powerhouse Phil Neumann who is also set to join the Blues this summer from the Bundesliga, meaning competition for places in the heart of defence would be extremely fierce.

How Darling would be an upgrade on Neumann

Winning both Neumann and Darling in quick succession would make sense, with the likes of Grant Hanley exiting St. Andrew’s at the expiry of his contract, alongside Dion Sanderson’s future at the club being up in the air after a loan stint at Blackburn Rovers.

But, if it was a toss-up between the two new potential centre-backs as to who would partner a formidable Klarer moving forward, Darling could well get the nod over the 6 foot 3 German when picking apart their impressive 2024/25 numbers below.

Games played

39

32

43

Goals scored

5

2

1

Assists

3

1

3

Touches*

74.5

64.4

91.8

Accurate passes*

53.9 (88%)

38.9 (83%)

68.4 (88%)

Ball recoveries*

3.9

4.3

3.5

Clearances*

5.0

5.2

5.6

Total duels won*

4.9

4.3

7.5

Clean sheets

12

10

18

Straight off the bat, Darling already possesses a lot of experience of the English game to his advantage, with 108 career games under his belt in the difficult Championship.

On top of that, the soon-to-be free agent has also averaged a better pass accuracy per league clash this season in the second tier than Neumann has managed in the German top-flight, alongside also bettering the Hannover number five when it comes to winning duels.

Klarer has shown in abundance for Birmingham that he can be equal parts classy yet attritional too, meaning the “heroic” Swans centre-back – as he was once labelled by former manager Luke Williams – and the Austrian enforcer could soon be a match made in heaven in the heart of the Blues defence.

Of course, Neumann would still be pushing for a starting spot here, but if Birmingham can win such a distinguished performer at the level on a free transfer, it’s a move they simply must pursue.

He'd be amazing with Adams: Birmingham make move for "unplayable" EFL star

Birmingham City would scare Championship defences stiff if they picked up this top EFL talent alongside Che Adams.

ByKelan Sarson May 8, 2025

Defending champions will start T20 World Cup against Scotland on strip used for Namibia’s low-scoring shoot-out against Oman

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2024England will begin their defence of the T20 World Cup against Scotland on the same Kensington Oval surface which threw up a 218-run shoot-out between Namibia and Oman on Sunday night. They are heavy favourites against their British rivals but were beaten when the teams last met, in a 2018 ODI, and this slow, low surface could make life difficult for their batters.Jos Buttler, England’s captain, said on Monday that he will encourage his players to adapt and judge conditions for themselves and react accordingly, rather than heading into Tuesday’s match with “too many preconceived ideas”. But the evidence from Sunday’s match is that there could be variable bounce on a sticky surface on which wickets fell in clusters.Related

It's time for Jofra Archer's homecoming

Matthew Cross: 'We've got four games, and we've got to win four games'

Superhero Wiese aces Super Over for Namibia in thriller

Buttler: 'Bairstow has the experience and game to play at No. 4'

Bairstow: 'It doesn't really matter to me where I bat'

Namibia emerged as winners, but needed a Super Over to do so after reaching 109 for 6 in pursuit of 110. Their fingerspinners, Bernard Scholtz and Gerhard Erasmus, both trapped batters lbw with balls which kept low, while Oman seamer Mehran Khan bowled Jan Frylinck in the final over with a grubber which deflected off his pad.David Wiese, Namibia’s match-winner in the Super Over, said the pitch was “a difficult wicket to start on the whole time… once you got wickets, you got wickets in clusters.” Zeeshan Maqsood, Oman’s ex-captain, suggested that Saturday’s rain in Barbados had impacted the pitch: “There was a little bit of stopping and coming, because a little wetness was there.”England and Scotland will use the same surface that Namibia and Oman did on Sunday•Getty ImagesButtler said he saw “bits and pieces” of Sunday’s match, but suggested that England should be accustomed to conditions in Barbados. They played a five-match T20I series held entirely at Kensington Oval in early 2022, and also played an ODI and a T20I there when they toured the Caribbean in December last year.”We’ve played some games here, so we know what conditions can be like,” Buttler said. “But it’s important not to have too many preconceived ideas and assume the pitch will play in a certain way. We’ve got to be prepared. That’s where communication and assessing conditions quickly – with bat or ball – will be key to the game.”He told the BBC: “We are trying not to play the game before the game has been played. It’s good to be here and get a feel for conditions, but on each day, you have to be ready to adapt… it is not in the batters’ favour all of the time in T20 cricket. We need to be able to adapt and communicate well as a team, and work out what will be a winning score.”

“He knows everything about the Caribbean, and he’s got that winner’s mindset. I think that’s something that we’re really tapping into.”Jos Buttler on Kieron Pollard’s influence

England have been joined in Barbados by Kieron Pollard, who has been enlisted as a consultant coach for this World Cup and has spoken to the players about the impact that stiff crosswinds can have in the Caribbean. “That’s part of selection discussions and team discussions, being aware of the wind and right-hand/left-hand combinations,” Buttler said.”[Pollard] has fitted in really well. Some of the guys have played with him, or played lots of cricket against him, so have a nice relationship to start from. Obviously, he’s got a wealth of T20 knowledge and everyone should have been tapping into that, sponging up any really good information that he’s got for us.”And obviously, [he knows about] local conditions. He knows everything about the Caribbean, and he’s got that winner’s mindset. I think that’s something that we’re really tapping into. He’s won a lot of competitions around the world… it’s great to have guys like that around the group.”Kieron Pollard will assist Matthew Mott during the T20 World Cup•Gareth Copley/GettyEngland come into the World Cup after beating Pakistan 2-0 in a rain-affected series, and Buttler said there is “a really good vibe” around their squad. “We had some good performances there, but we’re fully focused on the game tomorrow. We need to make sure we bring 100% intensity to that, first of all.”He acknowledged that England will be expected to beat Scotland comfortably, but said: “It’s a great game: our first of the World Cup. We’re all excited for that and we expect a tough challenge. They’ve come here to try and win games, and they want to beat us; we want to beat them. It’s pretty straightforward.”Buttler also declined to give any clues as to England’s XI for the opening match, saying: “I think we’ve got lots of really good options, from No. 1 to 15. We picked a squad with a lot of different options, and we’ve got to work out what we feel is the best combination for the first game.”

The two County Championship games will serve as good prep for the Duleep Trophy, which begins on September 5

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2024

India and Tamil Nadu batter B Sai Sudharsan has returned to Surrey for their County Championship matches against Lancashire and Nottinghamshire.Sudharsan had earlier turned out for Surrey in their previous County Championship match, against Essex at the Kia Oval in June, before making his T20I debut for India in Harare the following month.The two County Championship games will serve as good prep for Sudharsan ahead of the Duleep Trophy, which begins on September 5 in Bengaluru and Anantapur. Sudharsan is part of Team C, which will be captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad. His county stint will end on September 1 after the away game at Trent Bridge.Sudharsan is not part of the two Tamil Nadu teams that are currently in action in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament in Coimbatore and Salem.He had also featured twice for Surrey in September 2023, when he won the County Championship Division One title in what was his maiden stint for the team. He continued his rise with Gujarat Titans, emerging as their highest run-getter in IPL 2024, with 527 runs in 12 innings at an average of 47.90 and strike rate of 141.28.Surrey are currently top of the Division One table and are looking to win their third County Championship title in a row.

Shafali Verma’s career-best 81 and a disciplined bowling effort propelled India into the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 with an 82-run win over Nepal. With three wins from three games, India topped Group A. Pakistan, who defeated UAE earlier in the afternoon, were the second team to advance to the knockouts, with two wins out of three.Opting to bat first, the Smriti Mandhana-led India posted 178 for 3 thanks to Shafali’s breezy knock and a solid opening stand with D Hemalatha. It was an uphill task for Nepal, who don’t play under lights and, against an in-form bowling attack, they could only manage 96 for 9 in 20 overs.

Shafali blazes away but Hemalatha scratchy

With the semi-final spot almost in the bag, India rested their regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur and allrounder Pooja Vastrakar and gave some game time to S Sajana and Arundhati Reddy. There was also a change at the top of the order, with India promoting Hemalatha to open with Shafali. The openers took their time to assess the conditions and several loose deliveries went unpunished early on. But soon enough Shafali found her feet and accelerated. The same cannot be said of her opening partner on the day.D Hemalatha scored her T20I best of 47 in a 122-run opening stand with Shafali Verma•Getty Images

After an unbeaten 41 against Bangladesh in April in her comeback game, Hemalatha had crossed 30 only once in the next eight innings across ODIs and T20Is before Tuesday. This however was a golden opportunity for Hemalatha to cement her spot in the XI, batting against an Associate team on a slow surface. She did get a few good shots away thanks to a strong bottom hand, but in general struggled to find her timing in a 42-ball 47.Shafali, on the other hand, capitalised on the Nepal bowlers’ struggle to find the right line and length. She used her feet and wrist well to flick, hit straight drives down the ground, slog sweep to deep midwicket and, overall, played with good intent. India finished the powerplay on 50 for 0 and Shafali brought up her tenth T20I fifty in the eighth over, off just 26 balls. At the halfway stage, India were 91 for 0 and looked set to breach the 200-run mark again.

India finish strong despite a brief stutter

However, Nepal’s experienced left-arm spinner Sita Rana Magar pulled things back and removed Hemalatha and Shafali in the 14th and 16th over respectively. Shafali ended her knock with 12 fours and a six, and the duo’s 122-run partnership was the highest opening stand across editions of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the second-highest for any wicket.Sita Rana Magar was the pick of the Nepal bowlers•Getty Images

India’s scoring rate slowed down when the new batters came in but Jemimah Rodrigues’ clever batting, which fetched her five fours in her 15-ball 28 not out, helped India get close to 180. Sajana, like Hemalatha, also struggled in her 12-ball stay. Whether India persist with Hemalatha or give more opportunities to Sajana at No. 3 is something to keep an eye on, leading up to the T20 World Cup in October.

Reddy grabs her opportunity

An injury to Titas Sadhu opened the door for Reddy to get back with the Indian squad, following impressive performances in domestic cricket and the WPL. In the limited opportunities she has got since her comeback against South Africa last month, Reddy has stepped up to the challenge. Against Nepal, she delivered again, picking up 2 for 28 in her four overs. Having worked on her variations and the ability to swing the ball both ways in the last 12 to 15 months, Reddy struck off her fourth delivery, bowling opener Samjhana Khadka. She went for 11 runs in her second over, but fought back to dismiss Magar for a 22-ball 18 with a delivery that seamed back in to hit the middle stump.Nepal were rocked early in the chase, and never really recovered.

Real Madrid have apparently reached a decision on the immediate future of Endrick, who is yet to feature under new head coach Xabi Alonso.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Madrid reach Endrick transfer decision
• Brazilian on the fringes since arriving last summer
• Yet to feature under new boss Alonso

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from , Madrid believe it would be in Endrick's best interests if he were to go on loan for the 2025-26 season, despite the player's desire to stay in the Spanish capital.

Advertisement

• Getty Images/Goal
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Madrid are of the opinion that Endrick, who turns 19 this month, will remain on the periphery under Alonso, much like he was under previous manager Carlo Ancelotti. The Brazilian had to miss the first couple weeks of the Club World Cup in the United States as he was recovering from an injury. In his absence, academy starlet Gonzalo Garcia has started every single game and has been the find of the tournament, scoring joint-most four goals and an assist in five games. With Garcia, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuono, who is yet to join the club, Madrid believe that Endrick will remain at the lower end of Alonso's pecking order next season. In such circumstances, the 15-time European champions are planning to send the teenage striker on loan.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The report revealed that clubs from Germany and France, who had previously shown interest in taking Endrick on loan, have once again reignited their pursuit of the former Palmeiras sensation's signature.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK?

  According to reports from Spain, Endrick held a meeting with Madrid chief Jose Angel Sanchez in the USA to discuss his future. As per journalist Jorge Picon, after a few training sessions, Alonso has decided to use the Brazilian international as a right winger next season. It is expected that a decision on his future will be revealed in the coming weeks.

علق حسن ناظر لاعب منتخب المغرب الأسبق، على فرص بلاده ومنتخب مصر في النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، والمقرر انطلاقها في ديسمبر من العام الجاري.

وقال حسن ناظر في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة أون سبورت: “كأس أمم إفريقيا القادمة ستكون مميزة جدًا من جميع الجوانب، فالملاعب مجهزة على أعلى مستوى، وكل منتخب سيكون لديه ملعب خاص للتدريبات، وهي ميزة لم تكن متوفرة من قبل، المغرب يمتلك كل المقومات لتنظيم مثالي يليق باسم القارة”.

طالع | منتخب مصر في اختبار سهل أمام جيبوتي لحسم بطاقة التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026

وأضاف: “منتخب المغرب عليه ضغط كبير لأنه يلعب على أرضه وأمام جماهيره، والجميع يريد أن يرى الكأس تبقى هنا في المغرب، خاصة بعد المستوى المميز الذي وصل إليه المنتخب خلال السنوات الأخيرة”.

وواصل: “عندما نتحدث عن تاريخ كأس الأمم الإفريقية، لا يمكن ألا نذكر منتخب مصر، فهو صاحب الرقم القياسي في عدد الألقاب بسبع بطولات، ودائمًا من أبرز المرشحين للفوز، حتى إن لم تكن بدايته قوية في البطولة، إلا أنه غالبًا ما يصل إلى المربع الذهبي أو النهائي، وأحيانًا يخطف اللقب”.

وأتم: “من المنطقي أن يكون منتخب المغرب المرشح الأول بحكم عاملي الأرض والجمهور، لكن منتخب مصر يبقى منافسًا قويًا لا يمكن تجاهله، الضغط موجود على المغرب، لكن لدينا الإمكانيات والطموح لتحقيق اللقب هذه المرة”.

Sunderland supporters have been seriously put through the wringer by their side in recent memory, with League One football even on the menu back in 2019.

But, all that agony and woe surrounding the Black Cats has been finally lifted courtesy of Regis Le Bris’ heroics from the dug-out, as the Frenchman proudly brings Premier League football action back to the Stadium of Light.

The hope will be that Sunderland’s emotional 2-1 win over Sheffield United will keep Jobe Bellingham around for a little while longer, amidst interest from elite sides such as Borussia Dortmund.

But if that is to be Bellingham’s swansong moment, he delivered yet another classy display for his top-flight-bound side from the middle of the park, alongside a whole host of other standout performers.

Sunderland's best performers vs the Blades

Before looking at the other heroes in Le Bris’ camp, Bellingham stood out once again as a key part of the young and promising Sunderland side.

The in-demand number seven would only misplace six of his 55 passes when offering the Black Cats calm through the middle on such a tense stage, whilst also winning six duels to display more grit and fight than an underperforming Sydie Peck for the Blades.

Bellingham wasn’t the only star who managed to show up for the big occasion, however, as Daniel Ballard put in another imperious display defensively when winning his own sizeable duels count of 11, whilst Eliezer Mayenda also shone when levelling the proceedings as a pacey option up top.

But, the main talking point afterwards was Tommy Watson’s last-minute winner, with the homegrown Wearside product capitalising on a lax pass by Kieffer Moore to fire home a stunning effort to seal Sunderland’s progression back up to the big time.

That was one hell of a parting gift from the 19-year-old hotshot, who is set to join Brighton and Hove Albion this summer for £10m.

Indeed, Watson is perhaps the club’s next Jordan Henderson as he goes on to potentially affirm himself as a Premier League regular with the Seagulls.

Why Watson could be Sunderland's next Henderson

Amazingly, Henderson was only one year older than Watson when his big move to Liverpool occurred.

He never looked back after waving goodbye to his boyhood club either, leading to the now Ajax man going on to make 492 appearances for the Reds, alongside winning 83 England caps.

Therefore, Watson will be aiming to follow in Henderson’s footsteps as an equally talented and promising starlet through the middle – albeit one who unfortunately does their best work away from the Stadium of Light.

After all, from only 24 first-team games to date, the 19-year-old is up to three strikes with the best left till last when breaking Blades hearts. To add context, Henderson would only power home two more efforts himself donning Sunderland red and white, even from 55 more outings.

U18s

40

18

7

U21s

31

13

11

First team

24

3

0

The attacker’s blistering numbers for the Black Cats at both an U18 and U21 level also show off a prodigy ready for the bright lights of the Premier League, albeit now without his hometown side.

Still, everyone associated with Sunderland will be overjoyed that it was one of their own that got them back up to the promised land regardless of his next onward route, with Roker Report writer Andy Tomlinson handing out an 8/10 post-match rating to Watson subsequently.

There will be a concern that Watson is only getting started and will be taken to new heights on the South Coast, much like Henderson managed at Anfield.

But, whatever does happen across Watson’s lengthy career to come, he will always have this moment of magic on his resume that took his boyhood employers back up to the Premier League.

Jobe Bellingham holds positive talks to leave Sunderland before play-off final

The Black Cats are desperate to keep hold of him.

1 ByHenry Jackson May 23, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da 888casino： Com a eliminação do Palmeiras na Copa do Brasil para o São Paulo na noite desta quinta-feira (13), a torcida do Verdão protestou contra a diretoria, puxando cantos de cobrança. A equipe de Abel Ferreira perdeu, de virada, por 2 a 1 para o rival em pleno Allianz Parque e se despediu da competição, o que gerou muita insatisfação por parte dos palmeirenses.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoEx-jogadores provocam Palmeiras após eliminação: ‘Estão com raiva? Morde as costas’Fora de Campo13/07/2023Humor EsportivoZoações com o Palmeiras bombam após eliminação para o São Paulo; veja os memesHumor Esportivo13/07/2023Fora de CampoEliminação ‘cai na conta’ de Leila Pereira, e torcida do Palmeiras protesta: ‘Levando o clube para o buraco’Fora de Campo13/07/2023

da dobrowin： + Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil-2023 clicando aqui

Os gritos de protesto foram direcionados especialmente à presidente Leila Pereira. As atuais decisões da dirigente, incluindo também suas prioridades, como a compra de um avião, estão sendo muito contestadas pela torcida. Inclusive, muitos consideram esta a maior crise desde o início de sua gestão. 

Mais de 41 mil pessoas estavam presentes na eliminação do Palmeiras nesta noite, e os cânticos foram: “Vergonha, vergonha, diretoria sem vergonha”, “Não é mole não, Libertadores não é mais que obrigação”, “Ô Leila, incompetente, pegou o Palmeiras para brincar de presidente” e “Ô Leila, faz um favor, pega o avião e contrata jogador”.

continua após a publicidade

Há duas semanas, a maior organizada do Verdão protestou em frente à Crefisa, empresa de Leila, exigindo reforços, visto que o clube já conta com algumas saídas certas, como Bruno Tabata, Rafael Navarro, Giovani e Vinicius Silvestre, mas ainda não trouxe peças para repor.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Piquerez marca, mas defensores vão mal em eliminação do Palmeiras na Copa do Brasil

Agora, só resta ao Palmeiras a Libertadores e o Campeonato Brasileiro. Na competição continental, vai enfrentar o Atlético-MG nas oitavas de final, enquanto no Brasileirão é o quinto colocado com 24 pontos, 12 a menos que o líder Botafogo.

continua após a publicidade