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O Palmeiras pode se orgulhar não só dos títulos que vem conquistando nos últimos anos, mas também principalmente do uso excessivo da categoria de base no seu elenco profissional nas últimas cinco temporadas.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasVitória em Cuiabá faz Palmeiras pular de pior ataque para melhor defesa do BrasileirãoPalmeiras06/05/2024PalmeirasAbel Ferreira afirma que é impossível segurar joia do Palmeiras: ‘Desfrutem’Palmeiras05/05/2024PalmeirasAssista aos melhores momentos de Cuiabá 0x2 Palmeiras, pelo BrasileirãoPalmeiras05/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

O Verdão colhe os frutos de uma reestruturação que começou há mais de dez anos, e que hoje capitaneada por João Paulo Sampaio, não para de render frutos ao atual bicampeão brasileiro.

Tanto que somente com Endrick e Estevão, o clube deve faturar algo na casa dos mais de 750 milhões de reais, fora que Luís Guilherme corre por fora como outro Sub-18 com alto potencial de venda em um futuro próximo.

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Além do retorno financeiro, as crias também dão retorno esportivo dentro de campo, uma vez que em todos os títulos de Abel Ferreira, tínhamos pelo menos uma Cria da Academia como titular dentro de campo.

Nos últimos quatro jogos, o Palmeiras foi às redes sete vezes. Destes gols, foram nove participações de jogadores sub-23, seja com finalização ou passe.

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A filosofia do clube de apostar não só em jovens revelados na sua canteira, mas também em jovens de outros clubes também parece estar dando resultado.

Richard Rios, Rômulo e Flaco López são alguns dos exemplos de como o clube prefere investir muito mais em peças ainda em formação do que medalhões prontos.

+ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

É fato que por tudo que conquistou nos últimos anos e também pelo o que está revelando para o futebol brasileiro e mundial, o Verdão hoje possui o melhor trabalho de categoria de base do nosso país.

Playing South Africa for the first time, and playing at the new Namibia Cricket Ground for the first time, the hosts won a last-ball thriller

Firdose Moonda11-Oct-2025Namibia made history in more ways than one in the one-off T20I as they inaugurated the new Namibia Cricket ground, played their neighbours South Africa for the first time in any international format, and then beat them in a thriller for good measure.The upset came against a patchwork South Africa side, with most of the first-choice T20I players currently in Pakistan, where they will play a Test starting tomorrow. But Namibia won’t care what kind of South Africa team they earned their first win against. They celebrated in front of a 4000-capacity crowd at the NCG (you read that right), complete with a lap of honour. South Africa are the fourth Full Member to be defeated by Namibia, after Zimbabwe, Ireland and Sri Lanka.On a slow surface and sluggish outfield, batting was tricky for both sides and Namibia had South Africa in trouble at 82 for 6 in the 13th over thanks largely to good catching. South Africa left it late to string partnerships together and their most profitable stand was 37 off 35 balls for the seventh wicket between Jason Smith and Bjorn Fortuin. Smith was the highest scorer with 31.Similarly, Namibia’s innings started badly and they were 84 for 5 in the 13th over. In what was close to an exact mirroring of South Africa’s batting, their seventh-wicket pair put on 37 but off just 21 balls. Zane Green’s unbeaten 30 off 23 balls on his birthday sealed the win.De Kock’s short-lived comebackThe stage was set for one of the most highly anticipated returns in the global game when Donovan Ferreira won the toss and chose to bat with Quinton de Kock carded at No. 1. But his return was short lived. Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus opened the bowling and de Kock brought out the pull first up. He got a single to midwicket, then missed one that went down leg, and then tried to smash it over square leg but miscued to Ruben Trumpelmann, who took a simple catch to end de Kock’s stay at the crease in the opening over. De Kock also returned behind the stumps and took the only chance he had, but it was off a no-ball in the first over of the Namibian chase.Jason Smith top-scored for South Africa with 31•Cricket NamibiaNamibia hold on to everything… until they don’tTrumpelmann’s catch didn’t require much more than being in the right place, but he created more difficult opportunities that his team-mates took. In his first over, Reeza Hendricks tried to hit him over deep square but Malan Kruger sprinted in from the rope to take a tumbling catch and remove Hendricks for 7. By his second over, Rubin Hermann, who looked in good touch for his 23, was rushed by extra bounce as he tried to hit Trumpelmann over deep midwicket. Ben Shikongo claimed a good low catch to give Trumpelmann a second.Debutant Max Heingo had Lhuan-dre Pretorius caught behind off the glove and Ferreira at midwicket before Shikongo was rewarded by smart bowling and smarter hands. He followed Andile Simelane as he backed away to clear mid-off and sent the ball high. Erasmus got the skates on again and took a stunning catch to his left to leave South Africa 82 for 6.Smith and Fortuin steadied things but with only one boundary in 30 balls between the 13th and 18th overs, had to try and force things. Smith tried to hit Heingo over long-on and should have been caught by Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton but he put it down. In the next over, Smith tried to clear him at long-off but again, didn’t have the distance, and JJ Smit took a simple catch.Later in the over, Fortuin offered Smit a similar chance but he shelled it. Namibia finished things off with another catch as Gerald Coetzee tried to go big but found Louren Steenkamp at deep third.Coetzee’s nightmare over ends in injuryCoetzee was brought on first change and made an early impact. He started off too straight and was flicked for four but quickly adjusted his length to Lourens Steenkamp and even surprised him with a bouncer before bowling him. Namibia were 28 for 2 after three overs.But then things started to go wrong for Coetzee. He started his second over with a wide down leg, then got hit for four by Erasmus, and then bowled three more wides. He had his hands on his hips in frustration and the next ball whizzed past Erasmus but avoided the edge.Whatever extra effort Coetzee put into that ball seemed to do some damage and he left the field with three balls remaining in the over. Ferreira completed it and in the end it cost 12 runs. A CSA update said the injury was likely of the pectoral muscle.A fitting finale Namibia stayed in the hunt with contributions from Erasmus (a run-a-ball 21) and Kruger (18 off 21 balls) but South Africa’s attack didn’t let any of them get too far away to set up the perfect finish.Namibia needed 32 runs off the last three overs with four wickets in hand. They took nine runs off the 18th over, with Trumpelmann getting four off an inside edge, and 12 runs off the 19th, as Green started with a lofted cover drive and then ran hard with three twos in the over.That left 11 to get off the final over and Simelane was tasked with defending it. His first ball was short, Green got underneath it and sent it over fine leg for six and then took a single. Trumpelmann ran hard for two and then drew scores level. Green sent the last ball – a low full toss – over midwicket for four to complete the win.

Manchester City have now moved into pole position in the race for an “incredible” star, with Pep Guardiola captivated by him.

Man City's January transfer plans taking shape

It is clear that Man City could do with bringing in some additional attacking firepower this January, given that Erling Haaland has scored more than half of their 27 Premier League goals this season, although Phil Foden is showing signs he could be getting back to his best.

City survived a scare to defeat Leeds United 3-2 on Saturday, with their academy graduate bagging a brace, scoring the all-important third goal in stoppage time.

However, with Haaland perhaps still in need of additional support in attack, the Blues are looking to sign a new forward, and they are now exploring a move for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo is not the only target though, with Guardiola’s side setting their sights on a new midfielder, amid Rodri being unable to overcome his injury woes, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

According to a report from Spain, Man City are now the clear favourites to sign Anderson, but they will have to shell out one of the highest transfer fees in their history to get a deal done, with a €100m (£88m) asking price being touted.

Guardiola has been left captivated by the midfielder, who has attracted interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Manchester United and Liverpool, but City have now moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

The Blues’ financial resources should also give them the edge, and there is every indication he would be a fantastic addition to Guardiola’s squad…

"Incredible" Anderson has earned move to top club

The central midfielder has been nothing short of a revelation for both club and country this season, most recently putting in a top performance against Brighton & Hove Albion, despite Forest losing 2-0, winning more duels and completing more dribbles than any other player.

Elliot Anderson’s key statistics

Number completed

Dribbles

6

Duels (won)

17 (12)

Accurate passes

62/71 (87%)

Crosses (accurate)

13 (6)

Lauded as “incredible” by journalist Konstantinos Lianos, the Forest star has also received high praise from England manager Thomas Tuchel, who said: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

There has been a new update on City’s pursuit of a new forward, who Pep Guardiola has dubbed “extraordinary”.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

With Rodri still struggling on the injury front, it would be ideal to bring in a new midfielder who could help keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race, and Anderson has proven himself as a top player this season.

There has been some understandable concern from some sections of the Leeds United fan base over the club’s recent run of results in the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

The Whites have lost their last three matches in the division, to Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, despite taking the lead in the last two games.

This run of results has left the West Yorkshire outfit in the relegation zone, albeit only on goal difference, with a daunting run of fixtures on the horizon in the Premier League.

Leeds travel to The Etihad to face Manchester City this weekend before a clash with Chelsea at Elland Road in midweek and a game against reigning champions Liverpool next weekend.

Unless the Whites pull off a surprise result in one of those matches, which is not impossible when you consider that Farke did beat City with Norwich in 2019, they could find themselves adrift in the relegation zone.

If Leeds lose all three of those games, it would be six defeats on the spin and a spot in the bottom three for the club. That is a hard position for any manager to keep their job in.

The case for Leeds to stick with Daniel Farke

Farke’s Premier League record will, naturally, come into question after his dismal time in the top-flight across two seasons with Norwich and the Whites’ form this term.

The German boss has lost 42 of his 61 games in the league, averaging 0.61 points per game, per Transfermarkt, with the Canaries and Leeds combined, which is a concerning statistic for any supporter looking to the manager and hoping that he can keep the team in the division.

However, it is worth adding some context. Norwich spent money on one permanent signing, Sam Byram for £750k, in the 2019/20 campaign and they had to play their last nine games behind closed doors. Before the second season, Farke’s best player, Emi Buendia, was sold to Aston Villa just weeks after they earned promotion from the Championship.

Then, of course, Farke wanted Leeds to strengthen their attacking options in the summer transfer window, but the club were unable to get a deal done for Harry Wilson on deadline day, which has left the manager short of options in the final third.

xG

14.3

13th

Goals

11

19th

xGA

16.1

12th

Goals conceded

22

17th

xGD

-1.8

12th

GD

-11

19th

As you can see in the table above, Leeds should be in midtable based on their performances, but the players have not taken their chances and their goalkeepers have conceded more than expected.

Whilst all of this mitigation is a case to save Farke’s job, a fresh report suggests that the club may be making a change in the dugout in the coming weeks.

The latest on Daniel Farke's future at Leeds

According to Football Insider, the owners are ‘preparing’ to part ways with the German boss if he is unable to oversee an improvement in the team’s results in the next week or so.

The report claims that the club are planning to sack Farke if he does not pick up any points from the matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, as harsh as that may seem given the level of opposition.

Manager Focus

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It adds that the Whites are already looking at possible options to come in and replace the German manager in the dugout if they do have a decision to make in the next seven days.

Football Insider reveals that Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan is one of the names in the frame to possibly replace Farke, stating that he has moved ahead in the race to move to the Premier League.

If Leeds are able to convince their former U21s boss to return to Elland Road, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke and the club’s new Marcelo Bielsa.

Why Leeds should appoint Carlos Corberan

Whilst, as aforementioned, there is plenty of mitigation that suggests that Farke would be somewhat unfortunate to lose his job, this latest update clearly shows that Leeds are preparing for a change.

With this in mind, the focus should be on getting the best possible manager in to take the job, and there may not be many better and realistic options than Corberan, due to his history with Leeds and his managerial career to date.

The Spanish boss, who has played a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 in LaLiga this season, was a first-team coach under Bielsa at Elland Road before taking his first senior posting outside of Cyprus with Huddersfield in 2020.

Since then, he has managed Olympiacos, West Bromwich Albion, and Valencia, gaining vital experience, and has had his coaching style compared to that of Bielsa’s, as shown in the post below.

This suggests that the Whites would be signing a more pragmatic manager than Farke, and one who may be able to implement more subtle tactics within matches to secure results.

That is backed up by his record in LaLiga with Valencia since he made the decision to move on from West Brom to make the move to Spain midway through the 2024/25 campaign.

Matches managed

61

34

Wins

9

12

Draws

10

11

Losses

42

11

Points

37

47

Points per game

0.61

1.38

As you can see in the table above, the ex-Leeds U21s manager has a far better record in a major European league than Farke has, with ten more points from almost half as many games.

Of course, there is the aforementioned mitigation to take into account for Farke, but the Valencia boss is now a proven operator at that level of management, whilst the German is still yet to prove that he can successfully keep a team up.

Corberan was once hailed as “elite” by scout Petar Petrov for getting more out of his group of players than expected, which is exactly what the Whites need in the position that they are currently in.

Therefore, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke, due to his proven ability to get the most out of his players at the top level in Europe, whilst also being Bielsa 2.0 with his pragmatism and willingness to adapt, which is why the club should move for him if they sack Farke.

Leeds have a "laughable" signing who's a bigger waste of time than Perri

Leeds United fans must now be scratching their heads as to why their beloved side ever signed this dud.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 28, 2025

Sheffield Wednesday have reportedly responded to the chance to merge with Sheffield United by their most unexpected takeover candidates yet.

Kris Wigfield sends fresh Sheffield Wednesday warning

The Owls have set a soft deadline of December 5 and have received proof of funds from several candidates as they look to narrow their list down to those ready to launch worthwhile bids.

The gravity of their situation was slammed home by their defeat in the Steel City derby last weekend, with Sheffield United brushing them to one side in dominant fashion. Destined for League One after their points deduction, Sheffield Wednesday desperately need their takeover to go to plan.

Co-administrator Kris Wigfield admitted after that defeat that there may be more difficult news on the way, too. He told the club’s social media accounts: “It will not be like this forever.

“At the same time, I have to be honest: there may be more difficult news coming, including the possibility of a further points deduction. I want to be upfront about that because our supporters deserve transparency. But I also want to be clear: the period between now and January should be as tough as it gets.”

Reports have already mentioned a number of names among the takeover candidates, including former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley. The former Magpies chief is seemingly looking to get back into English football and could restore his reputation at Hillsborough. But he’s not the only candidate.

John McEvoy has also been mentioned since Sheffield Wednesday entered administration and it will be interesting to see if he’s among the final names. What is for sure is that he’s unlikely to be joined on the final list of names by those at Bramall Lane who reportedly offered a shock merger.

Owls respond to Sheffield United offer

As reported by the Telegraph, Sheffield United’s American owners were among the Sheffield Wednesday takeover candidates and were planning to merge the two clubs if their approach was successful. To no surprise, the Owls quickly shut that down and have been fortunate enough to have plenty of interest from elsewhere.

Not many at Hillsborough believed it could get worse than Dejphon Chansiri, but a merger with Sheffield United would be their nightmare scenario.

It would take their club from administration to the very end. It would end a historic rivalry and change the landscape of football in Sheffield. The Owls, thankfully, saw sense and shut down any idea of a merger or takeover by the Blades’ American owners.

Sheffield Wednesday now braced for imminent "concrete" takeover bid

Things are looking up for the Owls.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

Instead of seeing Barry Bannan in Sheffield United colours, Wednesday fans will be looking ahead to December 5 when they’re likely to find out much-needed information on their next owners.

Former India women captain Shantha Rangaswamy has been elected president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), and former Delhi men opener Venkat Sundaram named secretary.Sundaram had served as the ICA’s president since December 2024, when he was elected unopposed following the death of the former president Aunshuman Gaekwad.Deepak Jain is the treasurer, while the member representatives are Jyoti Thatte and Santhosh Subramoniam.The ICA board has nominated former India women captains Sudha Shah and Shubhangi Kulkarni as its representatives in the BCCI’s Apex Council and the IPL Governing Council.The male representative to the BCCI Apex Council is V Chamundeswara Nath from the Hyderabad Cricket Association.”This election marks a notable moment for the ICA, with two women now serving on the ICA Board, and for the first time, a female president and a female nominee to the IPL Governing Council – reflecting the Association’s commitment to inclusive representation and progressive leadership,” a release stated.

Batter set to link up with Dubai Capitals in December but hopes to impress during Ashes warm-up fixture

Matt Roller13-Oct-2025

Jordan Cox was named PCA Men’s Player of the Year at their awards night last week•Luke Walker/Getty Images for PCA

Jordan Cox, the newly-crowned PCA men’s player of the year, will leave England Lions’ tour to Australia early to take up a lucrative contract with Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.Cox missed out on selection for England’s 16-man Ashes squad after they deemed Ollie Pope to be sufficient wicketkeeping cover for Jamie Smith. He will have a chance to impress Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes first-hand when playing for the Lions in England’s only warm-up fixture but, barring an injury, will arrive in Dubai before the ILT20 starts on December 2.”We have got an agreement,” Cox said at last week’s Toyota PCA Awards. “I won’t be at the Lions as long as people think. I will be there for the first game, maybe the second. It’s mainly to help the England boys get ready for the Test matches, which is the most important thing. When they don’t need me, they will flick me off to Dubai.”The Capitals signed Cox as a replacement player before the ILT20’s recent auction and he is understood to be one of the league’s highest earners, with a contract worth around US$250,000. His exact itinerary is yet to be confirmed, but he is expected to leave the Lions tour before they play Australia A in Brisbane on December 5.After missing out on a Test debut there last winter with an ill-timed thumb injury, Cox is back in New Zealand with England’s T20I squad ahead of the start of the series on Saturday. He capped an excellent summer for Essex and Oval Invincibles with a maiden international half-century in Ireland last month, and is anticipating a busy winter.Brydon Carse hopes his injury problems are behind him, going into the Ashes•Getty Images

“There is some England stuff I’d love to be a part of,” he said, “but if not, there’s a few franchise competitions and I’ll have some fun. My aim is to play Test cricket, but I wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone. If I get a chance, it would be awesome.”It will be nice to show Stokes, Baz and Keysy [Rob Key]. They haven’t watched me live much in red-ball [cricket]. They have come to Hundred or T20 games, but I don’t imagine they are coming to much four-day cricket. Maybe they will see something different that they like – or not – and I’d like to show them [what I can do] in the flesh. That would be really good.”I was close to a Test call-up but hopefully I will get closer. It will be nice to be on the Lions and try to score a few runs against the England bowlers to show them I’m capable… You always notice more outside of the nets: do they mingle well with the group? Are they polite, well-mannered? All that sort of stuff you need to be if you want to be an England player.”Related

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Meanwhile, Brydon Carse – who, like Cox, has arrived in New Zealand ahead of Saturday’s first T20I – has revealed that he has stockpiled specially modified bowling boots ahead of this winter’s tours. Carse struggled with an infected toe last winter and churned through pairs of spikes this summer as he tried to avoid cutting it back open.Carse said he had “absolutely no problems” with his toe this summer, and said that his sponsors have been an “unbelievable” help. “They’ve kitted me out with enough pairs of boots to go away,” he said. “They’ve started cutting holes into my boot for me, specifically made for me, which has been a massive help.”I’ve got a little hole in the second toe [area of the boot]… During that India Test series, I struggled in the first couple of games. I probably went through five or six pairs during the first two Tests. New Balance have been really supportive with me. As long as they keep churning out pairs of boots, I’ll be happy.”Carse spent two weeks training at Loughborough before travelling and said that Stokes and Mark Wood are progressing well in their recovery from injuries: “Ben is looking near enough 100% fit, and so is Mark. It’s exciting to see where they have got to after their setbacks during the summer. They will be raring to go come Australia time.”

Harry Kane has urged his Bayern Munich team-mates to defend set pieces better against dead-ball specialists Arsenal. The ex-Tottenham striker is all set to take the field against his old north London rivals as Bayern face the Premier League leaders in a huge Champions League clash at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, and has admitted to being afraid of the Gunners' deliveries.

• Arsenal's set-piece prowess

  Arsenal have earned the 'set-piece kings' tag since the 2024-25 campaign for their amazing goal-scoring prowess from dead-ball situations. In the current season, 12 out of the Gunners' 39 goals across all competitions have come from set-pieces as they have maintained a 30.77 per cent conversion rate.

  However, in their last Premier League fixture, which saw Mikel Arteta's side clash against rivals Tottenham, the league leaders did not need a single dead-ball situation to register a dominating 4-1 win over Thomas Frank's side. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kane sends warning to Bayern colleagues

  Bayern and England's star forward Kane has admitted that he is wary of Arsenal's set-piece skills ahead of their Champions League fixture, as he told reporters: "Of course I follow the Premier League. Arsenal have done well so far in that department. We've prepared for Arsenal as usual. The best thing will be to not give them any set pieces, to control the game – and we need to defend better than we have recently when we do concede set pieces."

• Arteta loves scoring from set-pieces

  While Arsenal comfortably overcame the derby hurdle against Spurs without requiring a single dead-ball situation, Arteta later admitted that he loves watching his team score goals from set-pieces. "I am upset we didn’t score with a set piece. I want to score with a set piece as well," Arteta told reporters after the match. 

  Bayern have dominated the 2025-26 Bundesliga race so far, but have conceded six goals from dead-ball situations, and will need to heed Kane's warning in order to conquer the Gunners.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  How are Arsenal planning to stop fiery Kane?

  Kane has displayed terrific form once again in the 2025-26 campaign as he has already scored 24 goals in 18 matches across all competitions. When Arsenal star Jurrien Timber was asked about their plans to silence the England captain, he said: "That is not going to be easy, of course. I think he is an amazing striker, everyone knows that. He has so many qualities. He has been doing it for such a long time already, and now at Bayern Munich he has been one of the best players in the world. So, it is going to be a nice challenge for us as a team, as defenders, to stop him tomorrow. I think when you face an opposition with Harry Kane as the striker, he is a topic and you discuss him as defenders, because he is one of the dangerous players. It is the same with any other game, we discuss their players and the way they play. For tomorrow, it is the same."

Despite winning his third MVP award last season and securing his first World Series win, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has still yet to pitch in a game for the blue and white. Following elbow reconstruction surgery in the fall of 2023, the two-way phenom didn't take the mound in '24—and has continued his rehab through the beginning of '25.

Ohtani's return to the bump seems to be nearing, however. On Sunday afternoon, the 30-year-old threw a 22-pitch live batting practice session to his teammates at Citi Field ahead of their contest vs. the New York Mets.

As he played around with his repertoire, cameras caught Ohtani hurling a ridiculous offspeed pitch with some significant movement—one that struck out the batter with ease. Check it out:

He went on to celebrate the K with a pretty aggressive fist pump:

What can't Ohtani do?

The Dodgers have split their three-game series with the Mets thus far. Sunday night's rubber match is set for 7 p.m. EST.

Aston Villa have now made contact to sign a “wonderful” midfielder, who is set to leave his current club on a free transfer next summer.

Villa looking to strengthen options in midfield

Villa’s recent resurgence has seen them rise to fourth in the Premier League table, and they have their midfielders to thank for the 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, with both Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans impressing.

Tielemans received a SofaScore match rating of 8.4, the highest of any player, after winning seven duels and making four tackles, while Kamara scored what proved to be the match-winning goal, and received high praise for his display from Troy Deeney.

The former striker said: “If he can be fully fit and stay fit, Villa have a real chance of pushing for Europe again. I think he is that good. He broke up play really well, dominated in midfield and capped it off with a goal.”

Despite being well-stocked in the middle of the park, with Ross Barkley, Lamare Bogarde and Amadou Onana also at Unai Emery’s disposal, the Villans are now looking to make another addition in central midfield.

That is according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states Aston Villa have now made contact over the signing of Rangers midfielder Bailey Rice, who is set to leave the Scottish club upon the expiration of his contract next summer.

Rice has been unable to agree a new deal, which has opened the door for a departure, and Villa have now made checks, alongside Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City, with a free transfer on the cards.

In fact, the two Championship clubs are willing to make a pre-contract offer next month, such is their level of interest, but it is unclear whether the Villans will be prepared to do the same.

Aston Villa now preparing January offer for "seriously impressive" £30m maestro

The Villans are planning to hold talks over a deal for a midfielder, who has impressed scouts from across Europe.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 30, 2025

"Wonderful" Rice shouldn't be priority signing for Villa

At just 19-years-old, the teenager is yet to become one of Rangers’ star players, but he does have 16 first-team appearances to his name, and has caught the eye at times, being lauded as “wonderful” by Rio Ferdinand after impressing against Manchester United.

That said, given a lack of senior experience, the Scot may still be some way off being able to displace the likes of Tielemans and Kamara in the starting XI, however, and Aston Villa’s number one priority should be to bring in a new striker, amid Ollie Watkins’ poor form.

After failing to score against Wolves last time out, the England international’s record now stands at one goal in 19 matches in all competitions this season, which should be a major concern for Emery.

If there isn’t a major improvement in the next month, Villa should look to sign a new striker in January, and a Premier League star is now among the targets…