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Chamari Athapaththu also played a key all-round role as Thunder bounced back from their previous defeat to the same opposition

AAP31-Oct-2024Impressive innings from imports Heather Knight and Chamari Athapaththu and savvy bowling from Hannah Darlington have helped Sydney Thunder avenge an early season WBBL loss to Hobart Hurricanes.Three days after Hurricanes won by 31 runs in Hobart, Thunder scored a 33-run victory in a match reduced to 17 overs a side after rain delayed the start at North Sydney Oval by 30 minutes on Thursday.Related

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Athapaththu (38 off 29) and Knight (48 off 28) helped the Thunder amass 146 for 5. Hurricanes smashed 18 off their first seven balls, but lost 5 for 13 in the last few overs.Darlington claimed the big wickets of Lizelle Lee and Heather Graham and Athapaththu completed a good all-round effort by taking 1 for 11 off three overs of tidy spin, dismissing England star Danni Wyatt-Hodge.England captain Knight, who missed the first game between the two teams, played some handsome shots and added momentum in the second half of the innings.She struck 14 off the last three balls of the one power surge over bowled by Molly Strano, lofting the first over long off and adding two fours in the same area. “It was really nice when you start a competition to hit the ground running and I thought ‘Atta’ was brilliant as well,” Knight told . “We managed to get in a bit of a partnership there and it set up things at the end.”Athapaththu, who was out for a first-ball duck on Sunday, was dropped at deep midwicket on 5. Her innings included sixes over deep midwicket and long off before she fell to a remarkable one-handed low diving return catch by Strano off a fierce drive.”I didn’t have much time to think about it, it was a tracer bullet, so pretty happy it just stuck,” Strano said.In reply, Lee clubbed boundaries off the first two balls of Hurricanes’ chase and three in the over then Wyatt-Hodge belted a six over backward point off the first ball of the second over.Thunder struck back with Athapaththu having Wyatt-Hodge caught at backward point. Nicola Carey, who scored a 50 in last weekend’s game, then chopped a delivery from Shabnim Ismail onto her stumps, a ball after the South African quick struck her on the helmet.Lee couldn’t maintain her early impetus and was adjudged lbw the first ball after the mid-innings break, though if she had used DRS, she would have been reprieved.A brisk fourth-wicket stand of 43 between Graham and Elyse Villani gave Hurricanes hope before they were dismissed in successive overs to trigger a decisive collapse.

Chelsea chiefs hold a private belief that one “sensational” player will make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer, following the club’s decision to offer him a tempting contract.

Chelsea suffer damaging 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United

The race for Champions League qualification is the tightest and most enthralling we’ve seen in years, with six teams involved in a narrow top-five battle which could see any one of them drop out in the final two Premier League games of the season.

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The Blues are ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.

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Chelsea acquired some breathing room between themselves and sixth place after their excellent win over champions Liverpool, but immediately followed up that result with a damaging 2-0 loss to Newcastle at St. James’ Park over the weekend.

Sandro Tonali opened the scoring inside two minutes, kickstarting the uphill contest awaiting Enzo Maresca’s men, with striker Nicolas Jackson then compounding Chelsea’s misery by receiving a red card on 36 minutes.

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

They remained in the game until the dying seconds, with midfielder Bruno Guimaraes sealing a precious three points for Newcastle. Chelsea remain in the top five on goal difference alone, making their final matches against Man United and Nottingham Forest absolute must-wins.

The race for Europe is absolutely vital in more ways than one, with their success set to have an influence over their transfer plans for the summer as well.

Beyond this season, Chelsea are competing in the Club World Cup and reportedly want to bolster their squad before the tournament kicks off.

According to widespread reports from reliable media sources, Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen is a very serious target for Maresca’s side as they seek to reinforce their central defensive options.

Chelsea have already held talks with Huijsen’s representatives, and some reports claim they’re moving in with an attractive proposal for the 20-year-old, one which he personally likes (Simon Phillips).

Huijsen’s £50 million release clause has piqued interest from a host of English rivals and beyond, but it appears BlueCo are making real moves for the ex-Serie A defender, and want a deal done “by the end of May” (Fabrizio Romano).

Chelsea convinced Huijsen will join with "lucrative" contract offer

Now, TEAMtalk have backed up previous reports that Chelsea are ready to tempt Huijsen with an offer, providing further background on this evolving story.

The outlet reports that Chelsea’s offer to Huijsen will be a “lucrative” seven-year contract, and he’s responding “positively” to their eagerness. Those within Stamford Bridge are also convinced that he’ll choose to join them over rival clubs.

While they haven’t won the race for his signature just yet, with Real Madrid described as a threat in particular, Chelsea view themselves as serious frontrunners to sign the Bournemouth sensation after his impressive debut campaign in England.

Dubbed a “sensational” centre-back prospect by members of the media (Ben Mattinson), the intense race for his services is a clear indicator that elite club insiders see Huijsen as a potentially world-class addition, both for now and the long-term.

What could have been a bleak summer transfer window now looks like it could be an incredible one for Tottenham Hotspur.

Thanks to their heroic efforts in the Europa League final last week, Ange Postecoglou’s side have a Champions League campaign to look forward to next season.

Moreover, competing at the top table of European football should allow them to attract more exciting players to bolster the squad.

In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, the club are already eyeing up a forward who’s an ideal upgrade on Mathys Tel or replacement, should the Frenchman not be signed on a permanent deal this summer.

Spurs transfer news

The last few weeks have seen Spurs linked with a multitude of brilliant attacking players, such as Jamie Gittens and Daizen Maeda.

Transfer Focus

The former is supposedly available for around £59m and has enjoyed a relatively successful season with Borussia Dortmund this year, scoring 12 goals and providing five assists in 48 games.

Maeda has been even more effective north of the border, scoring 33 goals and providing 12 assists in 51 games for Celtic, and could be available for just £25m.

However, it looks like Daniel Levy and Co could be shopping closer to home for a new attacker this summer.

According to a recent report from Spain, Spurs are now incredibly interested in Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku.

The report claims that the Frenchman’s departure from Stamford Bridge is ‘virtually assured’ and that the North Londoners are now prepared to negotiate a loan deal with an option to buy at €45m, which is just £38m.

It might not be the most popular transfer right away, but Nkunku was a force of nature at RB Leipzig, and if he were able to recreate some of that form in N17, he could be a perfect upgrade or replacement for Tel depending on where his future lies.

How Nkunku compares to Tel

So, the first thing to say is that, like Tel, the Chelsea ace is someone who can and often does play all across the frontline, so should Levy and Co not sign the Bayern loanee on a permanent deal this summer, he could come in to fulfil the same role, or compete with him if he does join.

With that said, which attacker comes out on top when we compare their output from this season?

Well, this is an area in which the former RB Leipzig star comes out miles ahead, as in 42 appearances, totalling 2039 minutes, he has scored 14 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.21 games, or every 107.31 minutes.

In contrast, the Sarcelles-born Lilywhites ace has scored just three goals and provided two assists in 34 appearances, totalling 1714 minutes, across both his teams this season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 6.8 games, or every 342.8 minutes.

What about their underlying numbers, then? Who comes out looking better when we take a look under the hood?

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.66

0.44

Non-Penalty G+As

0.69

0.21

Progressive Passes

3.18

2.52

Progressive Carries

1.97

2.76

Shots

2.53

2.57

Shots on Target

1.33

0.84

Passing Accuracy

88.6%

75.5%

Key Passes

1.27

1.17

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.21

1.41

Passes into the Final Third

2.49

1.17

Shot-Creating Actions

3.24

2.33

Goal-Creating Actions

0.58

0.25

Unfortunately for Postecoglou’s January addition, it’s the Blues’ “unstoppable” dynamo, as dubbed by European football expert Zach Lowy, who once again emerges victorious.

For example, he comes out on top in the majority of relevant metrics, including but not limited to expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, shots on target, shot and goal-creating actions, passes into the final third, key passes and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Tel is still a talented footballer, but Nkunku has the better raw output and underlying numbers while being just as versatile, so should Levy and Co regardless of whether they decide to activate the option in the 20-year-old’s loan deal; they should also be looking to bring the Chelsea ace to N17.

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Worcestershire’s appearance at their first Finals Day is a success for quintessential rural England at a time of great change

David Hopps12-Sep-2018No county better represents the England of the imagination than Worcestershire. So said Matthew Engel in , an elegiac tour around the historic counties; a journey into the half-lost, often forgotten, rural England that is part of the psyche of the cricketing nation.What could be more timely therefore than Worcestershire’s appearance on Saturday at their first Twenty20 Finals Day – only Derbyshire now needed to complete the full set – at a time when trial matches are underway for The Hundred, which is not so much a competition as a deliberately superficial marketing exercise which seeks to reject cricket’s traditions and reinvent it as a clamorous, simple game of the big city?Worcester was The Faithful City in the English Civil War, loyal to King Charles I to the end and suffering the consequences, and nearly 400 years later the cricket club is as compliant as any when promised £1.3m a year from England’s impending short-form competition, buying the view that a collapse in the numbers of recreational cricketers has arisen from the faltering popularity of the game rather than an absence from free-to-air TV and a change in cultural habits which is affecting all team sport.County cricket has long been held to be dying, bringing to mind Engel’s description of Malvern, a pretty Worcestershire town, which he suggests feels as “far removed from surrounding reality” as any in the land. An old schoolmaster tells the author: “People come to Malvern to die and then they don’t.” But Worcestershire, come here for winter training, too and, far from dying, they are committing their future to youth.Worcestershire might not be the biggest county cricket club in the land, and their faith that the ground is still one of the most beautiful in the world does not bear scrutiny – the view to the cathedral is best observed through blinkers so as not to catch sight of the ugly modern architecture that now scars the ground – but the desire have the most reputable academy in English cricket is a sizeable and noble ambition.A fast-maturing young side can now parade its worth on Finals Day. The maturing of Joe Clarke can one day delight England, Ben Cox’s wicketkeeping skills would have attracted greater attention in a different era, Ed Barnard is an athletic all-rounder and Josh Tongue and Dillon Pennington – the latter who has made his breakthrough this season – are two of the most talented young pace bowlers in the country. Not to forget Pat Brown, who came from nowhere this season to be the leading wicket-taker in the competition.Disturbingly for Worcestershire, though, Callum Ferguson, the Australian who has underpinned their season, is now back with South Australia. Moeen Ali is expected to return from England duties to skipper the side but without Ferguson in the top three his task will be much more difficult.Moeen Ali in deliberations with Wayne Parnell during Worcestershire’s win in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals•Getty ImagesAnd disturbingly for Worcestershire, too, they must prepare for Finals Day with a home Championship match against the champions-elect Surrey when they lie in bottom place in Division One, 17 points from safety, with three matches remaining. It is difficult to imagine a more challenging scenario – although at least Edgbaston, venue for Finals Day, is only an hour up the road.Worcestershire’s progress to Finals Day has been overseen by two players with strong county links. Alex Gidman is a former all-rounder at the county, and if you believe his Twitter feed bread-maker extraordinaire; his white cob loaf seemed to rise OK last week so perhaps Worcestershire can do the same. Alongside him, Alan Richardson enjoyed a wonderful late career at New Road, even becoming one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year at 37. Richardson’s involvement with Brown’s debut season has been crucial.Underpinning it all, however, is Kevin Sharp, the head coach, who is the first to recognise their contribution – ” it was a no-brainer for me to hand a lot of the responsibility to them for the white-ball cricket: they pretty much run the show” – but who also deserves enormous credit for the way he has protected the quintessence of the county following the enforced departure of Steve Rhodes after a power struggle within the club’s hierarchy.Rhodes’ reclamation has come as Bangladesh coach, leaving Sharp, who he first appointed on a temporary contract five years earlier, and who is five years his senior at 59, to assume command.Sharp and Rhodes have links as Yorkshire players during the civil war over the contentious figure of Geoffrey Boycott. For both, the damage they did not just observe, but had to withstand, as players, has translated more than 30 years later into their desire to build harmonious dressing rooms and to create trusting atmospheres in which young players can perform.”I don’t think there’s any doubt that my experiences at Yorkshire have stood me in good stead as a coach,” Sharp agrees. “It was quite a ruthless environment if you felt lacking in confidence and belief.”There weren’t too many shoulders to lean on or people to talk to. It was very much a sink or swim environment. There were times when I probably needed some psychological support but it wasn’t the done thing in those days: even in the Yorkshire club now there will be guys to do that. I feel as though one of my greatest strengths is that relationship building and trust. It takes time to build that.”Sharp was one of several victims of a wholesale clearout of Yorkshire’s coaching staff in 2011 – some heavy-handed grandstanding by the then Yorkshire chairman, Colin Graves, now in the same role at the ECB – which meant that he was unable to enjoy the fruits of his labours as 2nd X1 coach.”When I left Yorkshire six years ago it was tough because I had lads like Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, , Gary Ballance, Adam Lyth, highly talented young men who were just about to knock the door down at the next level and I had to leave and that hurt and it was difficult. The bond is still there. That’s good and that’s healthy and that tells you that you had some good relationships. But I’ve moved on. Steve Rhodes gave me the opportunity to help out initially and that developed into a fulltime job.”A view of the County Ground in Worcester•PA Images via Getty ImagesNow he gazes down from his office onto the backdrop of Worcester cathedral on a ground where he once made an unbeaten 260 against the West Indies U19: the predicted international career never arrived. Duncan Fearnley, a former Worcestershire chairman and bat maker, became his first bat sponsor at 15. His wife was born in the county. Sacked by Yorkshire, he wrote down his list of favourite counties: Worcestershire were No 1.Sharp is a natural healer. “I feel I’ve been very fortunate to experience two very different clubs,” he said. “I had my issues when I was younger, lost confidence at times. That’s probably just growing up really and finding out about life. But I’ve come here to Worcestershire and it’s a very different club with a different feel. We generally get on well with each other and the lads are quite close. It’s been nice to sample two different environments.”He faces a tough week. While Worcestershire strive to save their Division One status, in the face of the Surrey strut, he admits: “When a few of our batsmen are not involved in the contest they will be slipping off to the nets to practice some white-ball stuff. It’s not easy, but it’s county cricket and you just have to get on with it.”

Liverpool are edging ever closer to being crowned Premier League champions, but they could now have an intriguing proposal on the table from one of their elite competitors on the continent, per reports.

Liverpool prepare for Premier League title party and summer window

The champagne remains on ice for Liverpool as they need three points and an Arsenal loss at Ipswich Town to officially claim the top-flight crown at Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.

Arne Slot has done a magnificent job at Anfield and has been the subject of adulation from all quarters across the season, though the Dutchman has admitted he doesn’t care where the Reds win the title as their campaign reaches a sweet conclusion.

Undoubtedly, sealing a second Premier League of the modern era will fuel the appetite for more silverware on the red half of Merseyside. With rivals set to come back stronger next term, a positive summer window is a must to ward off any potential threat.

Tapping into that mindset, Liverpool are willing to break their transfer record to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle after preparing an offer of roughly £130 million for the Sweden international.

Planning for the future, the Reds are also interested in Sheffield United youngster Ryan One, and there may be scope for a push to sign the Scotland Under-21 international to continue his path on an upward trajectory.

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Presumably, the likes of Diogo Jota or Darwin Nunez could make way for new arrivals. However, plenty of movement is expected in both directions as Slot shapes his squad for the coming years.

Nevertheless, the Liverpool boss may now have to make a decision regarding a surprise swap proposal involving one of their key men and a global star.

Liverpool offered Arda Guler in surprise Alexis Mac Allister swap proposal

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are set to be offered Arda Guler plus a significant fee for Alexis Mac Allister in a surprise swap deal involving Slot’s side and European competitors Real Madrid.

The outlet claim Carlo Ancelotti and company have been won over by the Argentina international’s attributes, creating a scenario where they are willing to include players in exchange to seal an agreement.

Alexis Mac Allister vs Arda Guler – how do both players compare this season?
Alexis Mac Allister – Premier League statistics
Goals	4
Assists	4
Chances created	38
Successful dribbles	15
Duels won	156
Arda Guler – La Liga statistics
Goals	1
Assists	3
Chances created	23
Successful dribbles	12
Duels won	64

Labelled “exceptional” by Jose Mourinho, Guler’s tally of three goals and seven assists in 35 appearances across all competitions is a fairer reflection of his contribution in the Spanish capital.

Valued at £35 million, per various outlets, his scope to develop into one of the world’s finest playmakers is clear for all to stay. That said, should his arrival come at the price of losing Mac Allister? Only time will tell on that front.

Juventus general manager Damien Commoli is set to meet Flamengo at the Club World Cup to open talks for Brazilian right-back Wesley.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Juventus are interested in full-back Wesley
• Will negotiate with Flamengo at the Club World Cup
• Brazilian side set asking price of €20m

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Juventus have been long term admirers of Wesley and are set to meet his club Flamengo when the two clubs will play at the Club World Cup, according to Italian newspaper .

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Recently confirmed as coach for the 2025-26 season, Igor Tudor has employed a 3-4-2-1 formation and Commoli feels Wesley would be a suitable addition to play as a wing-back in their system. The Brazilian defender, who has played twice for the national team, appears an affordable option as Flamengo have set his asking price at €20 million (£17m/$23m).

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Flamengo are in Philadelphia for their first two games of the Club World Cup. After beating Esperance de Tunis in their opening game, they meet Chelsea on June 20. Comolli will be in Philadelphia this week as Juventus play their second game, against Wydad, on June 22 at Lincoln Financial Field.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WESLEY AND JUVENTUS ?

  Juventus are set to play their first match in the Club World Cup when they take on Al Ain on June 19, a day before Flamengo's clash with Chelsea.

Leeds United have their eyes on a new centre-back signing and one who could come in to replace Pascal Struijk.

Leeds return to top of Championship with win over Middlesbrough

The Whites and Daniel Farke managed to get back to winning ways in the week after a run of just one victory in their previous six Championship games with a 1-0 triumph over Middlesbrough.

Dan James’ early goal proved to be the winner, although Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford both had goals wrongly ruled out for offside.

Leeds’ win, coupled with both Burnley and Sheffield United dropping points, ensured that they’d return to the top of the table with just five games remaining.

Talking after the game, Farke said: “I’m proud of my boys. It was a tough game, overall an excellent advert for the Championship. Both sides had periods, but in the end we found a way to win this game and it was crucial today to return to our clean sheet behaviour.

“We had to dig in, had to deal with a couple of injuries and had one day less in between games, and Middlesbrough were in red-hot form. “We had to dig in and show steel and togetherness and spirit to bring this over the line in a hard-fought game and a well-deserved win.”

Leeds (85 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (85 pts)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Leeds won at the Riverside without Pascal Struijk, with the left-footed centre-back suffering an injury against Luton Town. There is a concern that Struijk may have a fracture in his foot and could be out for the season, which resulted in Ethan Ampadu filling in at centre-back.

Now, a transfer target has emerged on the Elland Road radar who could prove to be a replacement for Struijk.

Leeds keen on signing Modibo Sagnan

According to reports in France, relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds and the 49ers are interested in signing Montpellier HSC centre-back Modibo Sagnan.

Like Struijk, Sagnan is a left-footed defender and could be on the move this summer with Montpellier bottom of Ligue 1. Leeds could take advantage of their potential relegation with a move for the Mali international.

Sagnan, 25, can also turn out as a left-back as well as a centre-back and has played for the likes of Real Sociedad, Lens and FC Utrecht before joining Montpellier.

Over the last 12 months, Sagnan has ranked in the top 10 percentiles when compared to centre-backs in the big five European leagues for both goals and take ons – he has scored five times in 39 games for his current employers.

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Struijk also has an eye for goal with Leeds, but by the looks of things, should Leeds win promotion, a move for Sagnan could be one to watch.

The Kings XI opener’s unbeaten 99 followed an old-fashioned ODI template, featuring a distinct middle-overs slowdown

Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Apr-2019Chris Gayle has hit six centuries in the IPL. The slowest of them, in terms of strike rate, was his unbeaten 104 off 63 balls last year, for Kings XI Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad.Today, at the same ground, he finished one run short of scoring an even slower hundred. He was far from his most fluent during his unbeaten 99 off 64, and his hitting – which on his best days isn’t fettered by who is bowling or at what stage of the game – was extremely selective. The innings followed an old-fashioned ODI template, featuring a distinct middle-overs slowdown.By the end of the Powerplay, thanks largely to a 24-run sixth over from Mohammed Siraj, Gayle had run away to 48 off 23 balls, with six fours and three sixes. From there until the end of the 16th over, he hit only one more boundary – a leg glance off Yuzvendra Chahal – while adding 20 off 27 balls to his score.A notable feature of his batting in this phase was his caution against the spinners, Chahal and Moeen Ali, whom he was happy to push for strolled singles to the deep fielders. Apart from that one four off Chahal, all his runs against spin came in singles (11) and a solitary two.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the last four overs, he picked up the pace again, even though he didn’t look at his most fluent – Mayank Agarwal later told the commentators that the pitch slowed down considerably through the innings. In the last four overs, Gayle hit 31 off 14 balls, with two sixes and three fours.Overall, the bulk of Gayle’s runs came off two bowlers, Siraj and Umesh Yadav, off whom he hit 70 off 30 balls. Of the other three Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers, he only made 29 off 34.

The 15-year-old became the second-youngest player in Premier League history this past season, putting some of Europe's big hitters on notice

England's prolific conveyor belt of attacking talent is showing no signs of slowing down production, with Leicester City prodigy Jeremy Monga the latest youngster primed to shine on the biggest stage – either on home soil or abroad. Just , the winger has seemingly nailed down a place in the Foxes' first-team squad, and now the sky is the limit.

A fearless, mesmeric and technical dribbler with the end product to match, Monga's exploits across his budding career to date belie his young years – and some of Europe's big hitters are already sitting up and taking notice as his contract ticks down, including Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Leicester have a fight on their hands to keep hold of one of the gems of their academy, but it's one they might just win in the short-term. Here's everything you need to know about England's latest wonderkid…

GettyWhere it all began

Still only 15 years old, suffice to say Monga's rise has been rapid. Born in Coventry in July 2009, he began his football journey at his hometown club before being poached by local rivals Leicester City aged just eight.

Clearly earmarked for his elite potential from a very young age, at 14 Monga was already getting minutes with the Foxes' Under-18s in the 2023-24 season and was part of the team that triumphed in the U16 Premier League Cup at Man City's expense.

Running his peers ragged, a fast start to 2024-25 – including four goal involvements in three games – propelled the teenager into the U21s and subsequently consideration for the first team. His strike against Aston Villa's development squad in early November 2024 saw him become the youngest goal-scorer in the history of the Premier League 2.

AdvertisementAFPThe big break

Ruud van Nistelrooy's appointment later the same month set Monga on course for a first-team debut. "The first thing I did [when I arrived] here was look at the Under-21s, at the Under-18s, getting them into first-team training and seeing them," the Dutchman said previously. "When players are good enough the age doesn't matter to me, and they can help the team."

Although the teenager had only been able to train once or twice a week as he continued to attend school in preparation for his GCSEs, he was included in Leicester's squad for the FA Cup fourth-round defeat to Manchester United in February before being handed his Premier League debut two months later – emerging off the bench against Newcastle aged 15 years and 271 days to become the second-youngest player in the competition's history after Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri.

Such is his youth, he wasn't even allowed to wear the club's gambling sponsor on his shirt per league rules. Despite his side already being 3-0 down, Monga was greeted by a huge roar – a reflection of the excitement his emergence at the East Midlands club has generated.

"Today, we felt it was the moment to bring him on, to let him have his debut," Van Nistelrooy said afterwards. "You could see glimpses of his great qualities. He's a great winger and has speed. He's a fantastic talent, a great boy."

Reflecting on that moment in a club interview, Monga said: "It was crazy. It was a crazy experience. At first, obviously I was nervous and then when I got onto the pitch all the nerves went away. I just had to switch on. I feel like I done alright, could have done better. Obviously, always room for improvement."

Getty Images SportHow it's going

True to his word, Van Nistelrooy continued to afford the young winger minutes in the remainder of the season, with Monga's thrilling cameos a thin silver lining after Leicester's relegation was confirmed by a defeat to Liverpool later in April.

The 15-year-old featured in each of the Foxes' final six games of their doomed Premier League campaign, suggesting he will be a firm part of the first-team picture going forward despite the uncertainty surrounding the current head coach's future, after the former Manchester United striker failed to arrest a long slide towards the Championship trapdoor.

Monga almost bagged a dream first senior goal in the form of a late winner in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in May, but his curling long-range strike was just about palmed away by Matz Sels.

With the season now over, though, Monga's mind will now be on the classroom rather than the football pitch as he attempts to focus on his GCSEs against he backdrop of his career really taking off. At international level, the teen is actually still playing in his age grade, but with seven goal contributions in nine games since his England U16 debut in August, it feels like a matter of time before he is bumped up.

Getty Images SportBiggest strengths

Monga's most significant attribute is undoubtedly his dribbling ability. The winger combines lightning-quick feet and intelligent decision-making with upper-body strength that belies his tender age to leave defenders in his wake.

At just 15, YouTube is already littered with clips of the precocious youngster breezing past his marker and turning full-backs inside-out with footwork and body feints. Monga is also two-footed, meaning he's versatile enough to play on either flank or as a No.10 behind the striker if required.

But he isn't just an elite ball-carrier – he boasts end product, too. The teenager has already demonstrated in his budding career that he can produce in the final third, ending 2024-25 with 10 goal involvements in 28 appearances at club level, not counting the seven he racked up for his country.

Beyond that, he is clearly grounded. After his Premier League bow, his deputy head teacher at Ratcliffe College in Leicester, James Rainer, said: "Jeremy’s debut is an incredibly proud moment for all of us at Ratcliffe. Jeremy’s humility makes this achievement all the more deserved."

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is now “working” on a deal to sign an “unbelievable” player permanently, as he is a perfect fit for the club, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Villa making plans for the summer

Villa were active in the January transfer window, bringing in the likes of Marcus Rashford, Donyell Malen and Marco Asensio to strengthen in attacking areas, amid the departure of Jhon Duran, who joined Al-Nassr for £65m.

However, Emery remains keen on bringing in a new forward in the summer, with widespread reports suggesting Rashford could still be eyeing a move to Barcelona at the end of the season.

Samuel Chukwueze is of interest to the Villans, and there are suggestions the AC Milan winger could be keen on a reunion with Emery, given that he has previously described his former manager as “amazing”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Matheus Cunha is also on the shortlist, with reliable reporter Ben Jacobs revealing a deal is “there to be had” in the summer, regardless of whether the Old Gold retain their Premier League status.

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While Rashford’s future remains up in the air, there are now suggestions Villa could already be trying to secure the signing of Asensio on a permanent basis, with Brown telling Football Insider: “On the evidence of what I’ve seen in his couple of appearances, he looks perfect for Villa.

“I think Emery and his staff will have been impressed as well, and they’ll already have started working behind the scenes to see if they can make the move permanent.

“A lot will depend on the role he plays while on loan, but at the moment I’d say that’s where they’re leaning.

“PSG want to move him on, he’s keen to leave, and Villa will be better off if they can keep him beyond the end of the season and will be working to make that happen.”

Asensio still yet to prove himself

The Spaniard arrived at Villa Park with a good pedigree, having played for European giants Real Madrid and PSG, however it is too early to say whether he should be signed on a permanent basis.

The former Real Madrid man was lauded as “unbelievable” during his time in La Liga, but he has made just two cameo appearances since arriving at Villa on loan, coming on as a second-half substitute against Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town.

Having amassed 61 goals and 32 assists in 286 games for Madrid, there are clear signs the 29-year-old could go on to be an important player for Villa as we enter the business end of the season.

However, the jury is still out at the moment, and the £116k-per-week attacking midfielder will be hoping he is given the opportunity to prove himself with a start against Liverpool in the Premier League this evening.