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Leeds United are keen to keep progressing in the Premier League and may now be privy to the situation of a gem who could be made available for a loan move in January.

Leeds keen to keep competing in the Premier League

The Whites have made an admirable fist of life in the top-flight so far, and it is fair to say that Daniel Farke is proving some of his detractors wrong as his side continue to build at Elland Road.

Even with Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling to hit the target, Leeds are finding ways to put the ball in the back of the net and look considerably better than strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United at this moment in time.

Of course, the Whites’ victory over the Hammers on Friday painted a stark difference between both sides, and Joe Rodon made it clear on Sky Sports that his side worked tirelessly to recover from a disappointing defeat against Burnley on matchday eight.

He said: “It was important to show a reaction after last weekend. It was important to come out the traps early, and I’m delighted with the three points. I think every team is difficult in this league. I’m a bit frustrated to concede at the end, but overall delighted with the three points. It was important to keep that momentum and make it difficult for teams to come here.”

Now, a period of preparation on the training field will ensue before the Whites head to Brighton & Hove Albion, looking to make inroads towards the middle of the Premier League table.

Undoubtedly, a long season lies ahead, and Farke knows his side will need reinforcements in January, and they may now be in a position to land one of their reported targets.

Leeds send scouts to watch Man Utd youngster Shea Lacey

According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, Leeds sent scouts to watch Manchester United youngster Shea Lacey in action against Barnsley during the week, and the journalist has made it clear that he could be allowed to leave on loan in January.

Claiming an assist on the night to add to his tally of two goals and two assists from seven matches this term, the 18-year-old winger has also been scouted by Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, Hull City, and Derby County among others.

Labelled someone who could be ‘elite’ in the future by Phil Jevons, he is seen as a potential first-teamer by Ruben Amorim, albeit a loan may be the next step to maximise his development potential.

Leeds and Manchester United endure a frosty relationship at the best of times, though there may be a mutually agreeable deal to be had by all parties to benefit one of England’s rising stars.

Whether they are both able to put their difference aside remains to be seen. Either way, Lacey seems to be someone that is definitely on Leeds’ radar.

Leeds plot double January deal for exciting forward and 'new Busquets'

He would add great depth in the middle of the park.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 25, 2025

Leicestershire 193 for 8 (Kimber 51, Raine 5-23) beat Durham 187 for 7 (Aldridge 44, Kimber 2-14) by six runsLeicestershire Foxes picked up a third Vitality Blast win in four matches to keep their place among the front-runners in the North Group, defeating Durham by six runs in a tight finish at the Uptonsteel County Ground.Ben Raine took 5 for 23 against his former team-mates, with four wickets in his final two overs, but the Foxes still posted 193 for 8, their highest Blast score against Durham after skipper Louis Kimber made 51 off 27 balls and Lewis Hill 47 off 30.Graham Clark’s 29 from 12 balls in the powerplay suggested Durham would make a fight of it but after collapsing from 65 for one to 94 for 6 they looked out of the game, Tom Scriven taking 2 for 25.Yet Kasey Aldridge (44 not out) and Will Rhodes (43) shared a 91-run partnership that took Durham into the last over needing 13 to win before ex-Durham bowled Matt Salisbury kept his nerve to concede just sixSol Budinger followed his stunning 15-ball half-century in the Foxes’ season-opener here last month with a first-ball duck as Zak Foulkes nipped one back to take off stump. Yet the home side, having been put in, recovered to be 65 for two in the powerplay, Jimmy Neesham conceding 17 and Aldridge 23 off their respective opening overs.Rishi Patel, dropped on 30, fell for 36 (18 balls), caught at mid-off as Foulkes struck again with a slower ball, the Kiwi coming out of the powerplay with 2 for 19 from three overs.Patel’s tally of two sixes was doubled by Kimber, whose muscular 27-ball 51 ended with a miscued pull to long-on to leave Leicestershire 98 for 3 in the 10th, before Shan Masood hit Raine straight to mid-off.Leicestershire had their eyes on 200-plus as Hill led a 50-run partnership in 34 balls with Ben Cox but fell short thanks to two superb ‘death’ overs from Raine, the former Foxes all-rounder taking the pace off to claim two wickets in each at a cost of just 13 runs as Hill, Cox and Logan Van Beek failed to clear fielders before Scriven was stumped.Durham’s batting powerplay almost mirrored the Foxes’ at 66 for two but lost two batters who looked in good touch as Graham Clark (29 from 13) and former Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackermann (18 from 11) fell to well-judged catches at mid-wicket and mid-off, the former having lofted Roman Walker for consecutive sixes.The home bowlers then pinned their opponents down, going five overs without conceding a boundary, which may have played a part in Alex Lees and Ollie Robinson both finding fielders as Scriven and Kimber picked up wickets, with Durham’s woes quickly compounded as Raine mistimed Scriven to mid-on and Neesham’s reverse sweep looped straight to cover, 65 for 1 having turned to 94 for 6.But Aldridge and Rhodes were able not only to staunch the flow of wickets but build a partnership that almost threatened to pull off an unlikely victory after Van Beek had conceded two sixes in a final over costing 20. Yet Salisbury came up with what was required by his skipper in the last over, Durham’s last hope disappearing when Rhodes was run out with three balls remaining.

Roy Keane has claimed Mikel Arteta will “have to change” one thing if Arsenal are to win the Premier League title, following the 1-1 draw against Manchester City.

Arteta criticised after Man City draw

Arteta has faced widespread criticism for having a defensive mindset in the early stages of the season, with the manager opting to start Mikel Merino in the 1-0 defeat against Liverpool, rather than a more creative player.

Merino was once again given the nod against Man City on Sunday, before being replaced at half-time, with Arteta choosing to bring on Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze at half-time, which was perhaps an admission he got his starting XI wrong.

The Gunners put in a much-improved performance in the second half, having eight shots on goal and dominating possession, and they got their reward, with Gabriel Martinelli firing home a late equaliser to ensure the spoils were shared.

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While Arteta will be pleased his side didn’t go home empty-handed, the manager is likely to be disappointed they couldn’t take more from the game, given that they are now five points behind Liverpool at such an early stage of the campaign.

Speaking after the game, Keane criticised Arsenal for what he perceives to be a lack of belief that they can take on the top teams, saying: “They have to change that mindset, where, again particularly at the start of the game today, ‘let’s go at them’. As if they were waiting for something to happen.

“They’ve got the quality, they’ve got the strength in depth. What are they waiting for? Have they got that belief? I said that before the match, do Arsenal have the belief they can go and take City on?”

Arsenal must beat title rivals if they're to win the Premier League

The Gunners have rightfully faced criticism for being too willing to accept a point in big matches in the past, with fans celebrating a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium during the 2023-24 season.

City went on to win the Premier League title by just two points, underlining just how important it is for teams to beat their direct rivals if they have serious title ambitions, and it was the same old problem for the Gunners on Saturday.

Man City have shown vulnerability at the start of the season, suffering defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion, which suggests they could’ve been there for the taking on Sunday if Arteta had more of an attacking mindset.

However, the Gunners struggled to create many good opportunities throughout the match, with Gary Neville adding: “I like them, and they’re a good side. I like watching them play, but they’ve got to take the handbrake off.”

In fairness, it has been a tough start to the campaign for Arsenal, taking on both Liverpool and Man City, and their next match is also likely to pose a major challenge, travelling to St. James’ Park to take on Newcastle United next Sunday.

أصدر الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بيانًا رسميًا نفى فيه ما تم تداوله مؤخرًا بشأن رفض منح لاعبي منتخب مصر مكافآت مالية بمناسبة التأهل إلى كأس العالم، مؤكدًا أن هذه الأنباء عارية تمامًا من الصحة.

وأوضح الاتحاد في بيانه أنه لم يصدر أي قرارات تتعلق بتعيينات جديدة داخل المنتخبات الوطنية أو بصرف مكافآت مالية في الوقت الحالي، مشيرًا إلى أن هناك تنسيقًا كاملًا ومستمرًا مع وزارة الشباب والرياضة في جميع الملفات الخاصة بالمنتخبات الوطنية.

ودعا الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم وسائل الإعلام المختلفة إلى تحري الدقة في نشر الأخبار، وعدم الانسياق وراء معلومات مغلوطة أو شائعات لم تصدر عن الاتحاد بصفة رسمية، مؤكدًا أن البيانات الرسمية فقط هي المصدر الموثوق لأي مستجدات تخص المنتخبات الوطنية.

طالع أيضًا | وزارة الرياضة تصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن واقعة عمر عصر ونجل رئيس اتحاد تنس الطاولة

يذكر، أن منتخب مصر حسم تأهله إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، المقبل، بعد تصدره المجموعة الأولى في التصفيات برصيد 26 نقطة من الفوز في 8 مباريات والتعادل في مواجهتين.

ومن المنتظر أن يخوض منتخب مصر معسكرًا خلال فترة التوقف الدولي، نوفمبر المقبل، من أجل الاستعداد لخوض منافسات كأس الأمم الإفريقية في شهر ديسمبر المقبل، في دولة المغرب.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر، في المجموعة الثانية من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، مع منتخبات زيمبابوي، أنجولا وجنوب إفريقيا.

Rangers are preparing for the second leg of the Champions League qualification clash with Club Brugge. Russell Martin’s team are currently 3-1 down to the Belgian side following a catastrophic opening 20 minutes in the first leg.

Ahead of the tie, Russell Martin spoke about how Rangers still have hope of progressing in the competition: “This game is very much alive, and the tie is very much alive in our eyes.

“The guys ran more in the last game against Brugge than they have done for pretty much two years at this football club. They’re willing to run for us, they’re willing to work for us. At the minute, we have a little bit of inconsistency in selection, trying to find a rhythm, trying to find a way, but things will settle down very soon.”

Martin’s side needs to score at least two goals, but they will be without one of last season’s top three goal-scorers as a Ligue 1 side have triggered the player’s release clause.

Lille bid for Igamane accepted

Rangers have accepted a bid from French side Lille for Moroccan forward Hamza Igamane. The French side have placed a bid worth £10.5 million, which is equal to the release clause in his contract.

Igamane looked set to leave after he claimed to be unable to come off the bench in the Scottish Premiership match against St Mirren due to an injury. The 22-year-old joined Rangers last summer for just under £3 million and has registered 19 goal involvements in 49 appearances for the club.

The 49ers have brought in a number of attacking players this summer, such as Oliver Antman and Thelo Aasgaard, but have yet to sign a new striker. However, the club does still have Cyriel Dessers and Danilo available to play up front.

Last season, Igamane was praised by talent scouts for his impressive skills, with Ben Mattinson describing him as, “completely unpredictable, tonnes of flair and trickery. The type of player to try outrageous moves/shots just because”.

However, his stock among Rangers fans has drastically fallen over the summer transfer window as the player has made it clear he wants out.

Where it went wrong for Martin and Igamane

Earlier in the window, Igamane was linked with a move to Everton, who were looking to increase their attacking firepower, but that move did not materialise. Due to this, the forward appears to have taken drastic measures to force a move out of the club.

During Sunday’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren, Igamane was called off the bench but refused, claiming to have an injury. If this injury was known prior to the match, he almost certainly would not have been selected for the squad, leading many to believe that it was a stunt to push through a move away from the club.

Speaking ahead of the Champions League fixture, Martin was more open about the topic, saying that Igamane “got what he wanted”.

The situation between Igamane and Rangers clearly became un-salvageable following the strikers’ actions, and the test for the 49ers and Martin will be if they can use their newfound funds before the transfer window closes.

Global cricket needs to move away from “random and inconsistent,” outbursts of support for Afghanistan’s exiled women’s cricketers and towards a “systematic global approach.” That’s the view of the global player body, the World Cricketers Association (WCA) whose CEO Tom Moffat has called the exclusion of women’s players in any country “unacceptable.”In the same week that an Afghan Women’s XI will come together for the first time to play against a Cricket Without Borders team at the Junction Oval in Australia, Moffat spoke to ESPNcricinfo about possible collective action which he says “doesn’t necessarily mean boycotts,” but should include both the ICC and individual boards.”The ICC and national governing bodies run and regulate the game and their tournaments, and have a responsibility to exercise leverage to ensure that the rights of players in our sport, including Afghanistan women’s players, are protected and respected,” Moffat said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean boycotts, there are a number of ways to exercise leverage, but to date the random and inconsistent manner of dealing with it, and of even having the conversation around the world, highlights the need for cricket’s governing bodies to implement a more systematic global approach to protecting basic player rights, along with just about every other aspect of the sport.”Related

• Pressure mounts on ICC amid Afghanistan women's fundraising drive

• Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI

• Afghanistan women's match a big step on a path unknown

• Keir Starmer calls on ICC to 'deliver own rules' amid Afghanistan boycott row

• South Africa sports minister: Afghanistan at Champions Trophy is 'hypocritical and immoral'

Afghanistan, who have been a Full Member since 2017, does not have a women’s team but was developing one before the Taliban takeover in 2021. In 2020, the ACB contracted 25 women’s players but they never played an international. Under the Taliban regime, women have been banned from participating in sport and there have been increasing restrictions on them in all aspects of public life including education and access to healthcare.The crackdown on women’s rights has drawn criticism from several international organisations including Amnesty International and the United Nations, and though there are asset freezes on some Taliban officials, there are no sporting bans in place. Afghanistan remain members of FIFA and the ICC, to name two global bodies and sent a team of three men and three women, who were living in exile and were not recognised by the Taliban government, to last year’s Paris Olympics.Currently, Australia are the only country who have cancelled bilateral engagements against Afghanistan while England have said they will do the same. Both countries continue to play Afghanistan in ICC events, even as calls to boycott those games grow.In England, a cross-party parliamentary group >wrote to the ECB strongly urging the men’s team and officials to, “speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan,” and to consider not playing Afghanistan in their Champions Trophy fixture on February 26. In response, the ECB CEO Richard Gould called for “a coordinated, ICC-wide approach,” which is similar to Moffat’s stance.Similarly, South Africa, who are also grouped with Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, have received backlash from their sports minister Gayton McKenzie, who compared the Taliban’s treatment of women to Apartheid.Cricket South Africa have actively sought out fixtures against Afghanistan and played them in an ODI series in Sharjah last September and maintain that shunning the men’s team will not have a material impact on the situation facing women in Afghanistan. South Africa’s stance is important because they have first-hand experience of being banned from the 1970s to 1990s and sporting isolation (along with economic sanctions) was a significant contributor to the fall of Apartheid. However, CSA is of the opinion that it will take more than a cricket boycott to force the Taliban to recognise women’s rights.