Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris has explained why he has thrown his support behind Manchester City in their battle with the Premier League.

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Man City battling Premier League over APT rulesAston Villa to vote with CityzensClub owner explains why in statementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City are embroiled in a legal battle with the Premier League over proposed changes to Associated Party Transactions (APT) rules. The Cityzens have written to the other 19 Premier League clubs to express their concerns about amendments that have been proposed to the rules governing commercial deals and have found support at Aston Villa.

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Clubs are to vote on Friday over changes to financial rules, with the Premier League needing 14 of the 20 clubs to vote in favour for the changes to pass. Sawiris has spoken out ahead of Friday's crucial summit and explained why he will be voting with Manchester City and against the Premier League.

WHAT ASTON VILLA SAID

Sawiris said in a statement to : "We will be voting against the proposed APT rules. In our view, a vote in 90 days on amended terms taking into consideration the tribunal’s findings will have a significantly greater chance of securing the unanimous support of all 20 Premier League clubs.

"Crucially, a unanimous vote will present a fresh start for an embattled Premier League that began with the failed attempt to launch a Super League in 2021. With the imminent arrival of the Government’s independent football regulator, it is more important than ever that the Premier League can present itself to the regulator with a united front. In our view, this will be far more easily achieved if the APT vote is held in February and supported unanimously by all clubs.

"It is noteworthy that legal bills to date on this matter have already reached astronomical amounts; further challenges and escalation of these fees could be avoided through reaching consensus. Ultimately, a unanimous vote will showcase the emergence of a new era of clubs who can compete vigorously on the pitch but work together to strengthen the Premier League and its global appeal.”

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Villa also issued a separate letter to the Premier League, calling for Friday's vote to be postponed. The club wrote: "It is now abundantly clear that any vote (if passed) will result in immediate further litigation by Manchester City FC and an associated defence by the EPL [English Premier League], incurring material further costs and unnecessary distraction and devotion of time to this issue. It is highly likely that the tribunal will conclude within the coming three months, and that an APT rule that takes into consideration the tribunal’s verdict will be supported by all clubs and cannot be contested."

Last season saw Arsenal take another step forward, as while they failed to take the Premier League title from Manchester City, they did push them to the final day of the campaign.

Improvements were evident across the board from Mikel Arteta's men, be it the best-in-class defence, Martin Odegaard's leadership qualities, or Bukayo Saka registering an outrageously impressive 34 goals and assist in 47 appearances across all competitions.

However, Gabriel Martinelli was one of the few players who seemingly took a step backwards.

The good news for him is that the latest star touted for a move to the Emirates this summer could turn his fortunes around and revive his attacking output.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from The Daily Briefing via Caught Offside, Arsenal have reignited their interest in Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer and are now ready to make an offer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that cross-city rivals Chelsea are the team most keen to land the Swedish goal machine, while Atlético Madrid have also shown some interest.

The report has revealed that once the North Londoners have sold Eddie Nketiah, they will test their luck with an offer in the region of £55m to £60m. While that is substantially less than his £86m release clause, other reports this week claiming the striker is keen to return to England could help move things along.

Overall, Arsenal will have to spend a lot of money to sign Gyokeres this summer, but given his incredible form last season and the impact that could have on a player like Martinelli, he's worth the money.

How Gyokeres could improve Martinelli

Now, there are likely a plethora of ways in which Gyokeres could help Martinelli get back to his best next season, from acting as a role model off the pitch to helping him practice his finishing on the training pitch, but the main reason the Swedish international would be so useful for the Brazilian is his raw output.

In just 50 games last season, the 6 foot 2 "powerhouse", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a whopping 43 goals and provided 15 assists to boot, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 0.86 games, or in other words, provided 1.16 in every match.

This frankly outrageous rate of return completely exceeds Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus' averages of 0.41 and 0.44 per match, respectively.

Appearances

50

51

36

Goals

43

14

8

Assists

15

7

8

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

0.41

0.44

If the former Ituano gem was playing alongside a number nine as clinical as the Sporting Ace, then it seems only logical that the number of assists he registers every season would significantly increase, especially as Understat have concluded that he underperformed his expected assists figure by 1.32 in the league last season and by a whopping 4.35 the season prior.

However, it wouldn't be just the 23-year-old's assists that would likely increase, but his goalscoring as well.

With 15 assists to his name last season and 12 the year before that, the former Coventry City ace is clearly more than just a poacher. He could, in fact, become a provider for the Gunners' other attackers, akin to Harry Kane's creative contribution to Tottenham Hotspur over the years.

Ultimately, while it would be incredible to sign Gyokeres for less than his asking price in the coming weeks, he's such a gifted striker that even paying the full amount would likely be worth it in the long run, especially if he can help revive Martinelli next season.

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Therefore, if they have the chance, Edu Gaspar and Co should absolutely bring the Swedish goal machine to the Emirates this summer.

أعرب أمير عزمي مجاهد، المدرب العام للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، عن سعادته بعد الفوز على إنيمبا النيجيري في الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

وحقق الزمالك الفوز على إنيمبا النيجيري، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الختامية من المجموعة الرابعة بثلاثية مقابل هدف.

طالع.. المنافسون المحتملون لـ الزمالك في دور الـ8 من الكونفدرالية وقال أمير عزمي مجاهد بعد المباراة: “الحمد لله على الفوز، وسعيد بمشاركة بعض اللاعبين مثل محمد عاطف وعودة محمد السيد بعد الإصابة، من الجيد أن الخيارات أصبحت أكثر تنوعًا أمام الجهاز الفني”.

وتابع: “من الطبيعي أن يفوز الزمالك، فهو فريق كبير لعبنا بأريحية، بعد أن حسمنا التأهل قبل اللقاء، ننافس على عدة بطولات، سواء الكونفدرالية أو الدوري أو الكأس، ونسير بخطى ثابتة في جميع البطولات”.

وواصل: “جروس تحدث مع اللاعبين، قبل اللقاء، مؤكدًا أننا تأهلنا بالفعل، لكن من الضروري الحفاظ على صورة النادي، رغم وجود غيابات، دفع جروس بلاعبين قدموا أداءً جيدًا”.

وأتم: “الزمالك فريق كبير يمتلك ثقافة الفوز، والفريق سيبدأ في الاكتمال خلال الفترة المقبلة مع عودة المصابين، الزمالك يوجه رسالة قوية لجميع المنافسين بأنه جاء ليحافظ على اللقب” 

Cristiano Ronaldo admits that he may not be able to hit his ambitious 1,000-goal target, with the Portuguese no longer able to “think long term”.

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• All-time great approaching 40th birthday
• Has no plans to retire any time soon
• Still has targets that he intends to hit

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is still going strong for Portugal and Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr, but will turn 40 in February 2025. Most players have hung up their boots long before reaching that point, and retirement is no longer a distant thought for CR7.

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  WHAT RONALDO SAID

  He is eager to play on for as long as possible, with admissions being made when it comes to historic goal targets, but Ronaldo does now have to take each day and game as it comes. He has said: “I now face my life as living in the moment. I can't think long term anymore.

  “I said publicly that I wanted to reach 1,000 goals, but it seems that now everything is easy, just last month I reached 900. It's about living in the moment, seeing how my legs will respond in the next few years. If I reach 1,000 goals, that's fine, but if I don't, I'm already the player with the most goals in history.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo was speaking at a glitzy awards ceremony that saw him presented with the highest honour available to Portuguese players. Fernando Gomes, president of the FPF, said when handing out that prize: “The most prestigious trophy is the Platinum Quinas, and if there is an ambassador for Portugal who deserves it, it is undoubtedly Cristiano Ronaldo.

  “He has served the Portuguese national team for over 20 years. If there is someone who has demonstrated love for representing the Portuguese team, it is Cristiano Ronaldo. An outstanding ambassador who feels the jersey and feels Portugal.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ronaldo has earned 216 caps for his country, scoring 133 goals. There has been talk of him extending a record-breaking career through to the 2026 World Cup finals, but he will need to maintain form and fitness in order to make that possible.

تقدم فريق ريال مدريد بهدف أول في مباراته أمام بلد الوليد، بمنافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على بلد الوليد مساء اليوم السبت، ضمن مباريات الجولة الحادية والعشرين للدوري الإسباني.

وسجل الفرنسي كيليان مبابي هدف ريال مدريد الأول خلال اللقاء، وذلك بالدقيقة 30 من عمر المباراة.

وجاء الهدف بعد تمريرات متبادلة بين لاعبي ريال مدريد قبل أن تنتهي بتمريرة من جانب جود بيلينجهام إلى مبابي الذي سددها بمهارة في مرمى بلد الوليد.

ويمكنك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة ريال مدريد وبلد الوليد لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط. هدف مبابي في مباراة ريال مدريد وبلد الوليد اليوم

Buttler has remodelled his thinking after watching other players

Matt Roller09-Mar-2021What should be at the forefront of a batsman’s mind during a T20 run chase?Conventional wisdom would suggest that the answer is the required run-rate, but for the world’s best players, that might not be the case anymore. Instead, batsmen are now thinking in terms of the boundary equation: how many balls do I have left, and how many boundaries do I need to hit off them?It was a method embraced by the West Indies side that won World T20 titles in 2012 and 2016: while their opponents fretted over minimising dot balls and their speed between the wickets, West Indies focused on clearing the ropes, recognising that the risk was merited by the pay-off. Across the three tournaments between 2012 and 2016, West Indies hit 121 sixes; no other team managed 90.And while West Indies’ own focus on six-hitting has continued, epitomised by Kieron Pollard’s six sixes in an over off Akila Dananjaya last week, other teams and players have wised up. Jos Buttler, renowned as one of the world’s best batsmen in limited-overs chases, revealed his own mindset shift during England’s T20I series in South Africa last year.”I’ve almost changed the way I look at T20 batting a bit from the last IPL, watching the West Indian guys who back their six-hitting a lot,” Buttler said. “So if I’m getting a bit stuck, [I’m now] looking at my score and thinking if I hit the next two balls for six, suddenly I’ll jump into a different position.”Related

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Three days out from England’s T20I series in India – which he sees as a “vital” chance to take on a team who are favourites for a T20 World Cup in their own conditions – Buttler elaborated on his approach, explaining that the shift in his mentality was about “continuously learning: looking at other players and how they set up their own innings chasing targets down”.”For me, I’ve always wanted to operate around a run-rate and try to make sure I’m up with the rate [when I’m] chasing,” he said. “I would feel like I would force the issue sometimes and sit in the dressing room and think I’ve tried maybe to force it a bit earlier [than I needed to].”Having watched other players in the IPL and in other international games, they seem to maintain a calm look on it and see chasing as ‘we need to hit seven sixes in the remaining five overs’. I’ve never really myself thought of it like that before.”[I’m] actually just trying to bring that a bit more into my game and into my mathematics of chasing scores down – not looking at runs per ball or runs an over that’s required, actually saying if we hit X sixes, that will win us the game. It’s just a change of mindset and [a case of] continually learning.”Jos Buttler has changed his way of thinking about run chases after watching other players•Getty Images

The change may seem subtle, but it typifies the improvements that top batsmen are making to their T20 method as they look to minimise risk while maximising opportunities to score. Increasingly, that involves targeting favourable match-ups and shorter boundaries, meaning that players like Buttler are comfortable going through brief lulls in the knowledge that they will be able to hit several boundaries in a single over when the situation suits them.The shift has been apparent in a number of Buttler’s recent innings. In the English summer, he nudged his way to 25 off 24 balls in a chase of 158 against Australia before adding 52 off his next 30, targeting the spinners as the game wore on. In the IPL, he was happy to soak up pressure when facing Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians’ spinners during run chases and instead took down Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya, who he saw as the bowlers to take down as the game wore on.It was particularly clear in England’s most recent T20I, against South Africa in Cape Town.At the start of the 11th over, England were 85 for 1 with Buttler on 23 off 24 balls, and 107 runs required off the final 10 overs. With the inexperienced Lutho Sipamla bowling to a short leg-side boundary, Buttler thrashed consecutive sixes over long-on, and added another four for good measure to take the required rate below the current one in the space of an over. It was a calculated assault: he was watchful against Lungi Ngidi and George Linde, the bowlers he saw as a threat, but brutal against the perceived weak link.”There are a number of guys who seem to look at the game like that – I’m probably a bit embarrassed that I hadn’t picked up on that sooner to be honest,” Buttler said. “I’ve always been someone who, when chasing, likes to be in and around the rate, but there’s other guys who seem to allow that rate to get larger but backing their six-hitting. It’s more about me backing my six-hitting availability and feeling that I can rely on it if I need it.”The result has been a rich vein of form in T20 run chases. Since the start of 2020, Buttler averages 47.09 in run chases, with a strike rate of 153.25, all while navigating a shift into the middle order for Rajasthan Royals and shifting back up to open for England.If he can maintain that sort of record over the next 12 months, England will fancy their chances of becoming the first men’s team to hold both World Cup trophies simultaneously.

Sussex are considering switching the venue for their first County Championship fixture of the season against Lancashire from Hove to Old Trafford due to a bug infestation.The teams are due to meet twice within the first four rounds of the season, with Sussex’s home game scheduled from April 8-11 at Hove and the return fixture at Old Trafford from April 29-May 2. But the clubs have been discussing the possibility of reversing the venues while the Hove groundstaff deal with a plague of larvae that has damaged the outfield.It is understood that the bugs in question are leatherjackets, the larvae of European crane flies (more commonly known as daddy long-legs). They lay their eggs in soil, which then hatch out and feed on the roots of plants – in this case, the grass on the outfield. The square, however, has not been damaged.Related

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The insecticide that was commonly used to treat the issue has been banned in the UK since 2016, but Sussex are hopeful that it will only be a short-term problem, and remain confident that their home fixture against Yorkshire on April 22 will be able to go ahead as planned. A firm decision on the venue for the season opener will be made at the end of next week.A Sussex spokesperson said: “We’re making good progress on getting the outfield ready for the start of the season and remain hopeful of hosting Lancashire at The 1st Central County Ground as planned. We will assess the conditions at the end of next week and the two clubs will then make a decision on where the fixture will be played.”Because both the LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures between Sussex and Lancashire will be played behind closed doors, if the home and away matches are switched, spectators would not be affected. Our thanks go to Lancashire for their understanding and cooperation in this matter.”Lancashire were contacted for comment.

Everton suffered a calamitous 3-0 defeat at home against Brighton & Hove Albion to kickstart the new season in the most disastrous way possible. The Toffees are entering their final campaign at Goodison Park, but will be hoping performances can pick up after this defeat so they can give their stadium the send-off it deserves.

Kaoru Mitoma opened the scoring for the Seagulls on the 25-minute mark, a well-worked team goal after Everton lost possession of the ball on the edge of the visitors' box. The Japan international got on the end of a good cross from Yankuba Minteh on debut to give his side the lead.

Fabian Hurzeler, managing his first competitive Brighton game, saw his side double their lead in the 56th minute thanks to a goal from Danny Welbeck. It was another assist for a summer signing, with Mats Wieffer intercepting a loose ball from the Toffees and finding Welbeck, who converged on Everton’s box and slotted home.

Simon Adingra killed the game off in the 86th minute, receiving the ball from Welbeck again and cutting inside on his left foot, finding the bottom-left corner. A VAR intervention cancelled a fourth Seagulls goal from Yasin Ayari after he was deemed offside.

Everton’s defensive stats

It was a poor defensive showing from Everton, who conceded three goals in a single game for the first time since a 6-0 defeat to Chelsea in April. Sean Dyche will no doubt be very disappointed to have put in such a frustrating defensive showing.

As per Sofascore, they conceded ten shots throughout the game, and whilst that is not too many – they had nine themselves – five of those were on target and all but one were inside the box.

Hurzeler’s side also had a far superior expected-goals tally, with the Seagulls posting an xG total of 1.56, compared to just 0.4 for the Toffees, showing the quality of chances created was better from the visitors, too.

Stat

Everton

Brighton

Shots

9

10

Shots on target

1

5

Shots inside the box

6

9

Expected goals (xG)

0.4

1.56

Touches in the opposition penalty box

18

28

Of course, the Toffees were not helped by the experienced Ashley Young getting sent off in the 66th minute for a professional foul at 2-0 down. However, the damage was already done, and it was a long way back for them at that stage.

It was not just a tough day at the office for Everton’s defenders, with their attackers also struggling to get involved in the game, particularly Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin’s match stats vs. Brighton

The experienced Everton forward simply could not get into the game on Saturday and incredibly had fewer touches than Toffees goalkeeper Pickford. Everton’s striker touched the ball just 20 times, compared to 50 for the England No 1.

Outside of that, the 27-year-old won just three out of seven aerial duels against the Seagulls and did not manage to get a shot off at all. It was certainly a frustrating day that was made even more disappointing after having a penalty decision overruled after Calvert-Lewin was judged not to have been fouled by Lewis Dunk.

The Everton No 9 was given a 5/10 for his performance against Brighton by LiverpoolWorld journalist Will Rooney. The journalist explained he ‘battled away in the first half’, but struggled for any service of note from his teammates and could not get into the game.

With the likes of Beto and Iliman Ndiaye options for Dyche to play up front, it remains to be seen whether Calvert-Lewin will keep his place in the side for next week’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur. One thing is for sure, he will be hoping for more service in north London if he continues to get the nod.

With just a week to go until the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Chelsea have ramped up their efforts in the transfer market to give boss Enzo Maresca the best chance of achieving success in his first campaign at the helm.

Deals for Samuel Omorodion and Pedro Neto seem to be edging ever closer to completion, with the pair expected to cost the club £34.5m and £54m, respectively.

It’s evident that the Blues are targeting reinforcements in attacking areas, with the duo undoubtedly providing the added quality needed to push for a top-four finish this season.

However, despite the recent flurry of activity at Stamford Bridge, it appears that Maresca’s side show no signs of slowing down, targeting yet more players to try and change the club’s recent poor fortunes in the league.

Chelsea targeting £49m talent despite Neto deal

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are still pursuing a move to sign Athletic Bilbao’s winger Nico Williams in an attempt to bolster their forward line.

They aren’t alone in the hunt for his signature, with fellow Premier League side Arsenal also in the running for the 22-year-old who has a £49m release clause in his current deal with the LaLiga outfit.

The youngster managed 16 goal contributions in the league last season, before registering two goals and one assist at the Euros for Spain, helping his nation win a fourth European Championship.

A move for Williams may come as a surprise given the recent news on Neto’s proposed move to West London, but it is a signing that would add even more quality to Maresca’s squad – allowing the Blues to have one of the most potent frontlines in the division.

It could spell bad news for one Chelsea player who only joined the club back in the January transfer window in 2023.

Why Williams would be an upgrade on Mudryk

23-year-old Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk arrived in West London with high hopes after his £89m move from Shakhtar Donetsk, but it’s safe to say his time at Stamford Bridge hasn’t gone to plan.

He’s made 58 appearances for the Blues since his move, only scoring on seven occasions – failing to nail down a regular starting role 18 months on from his big-money transfer.

If Williams were to arrive through the door he could then represent a sizeable upgrade, with the Spaniard also deemed to be the most similar player to Neto, according to FBref – potentially allowing the youngster to be a right-footed version of the Portuguese international on the opposite flank.

How Williams compares per 90 to Mudryk & Neto in 2023/24

Statistics

Williams

Mudryk

Neto

Games played

31

31

20

Goals + assists

16

7

11

Shots on target

0.8

0.7

0.7

Shot-creating actions

4.8

3.4

4.5

Take-ons completed

3.4

2.2

2.2

Aerials won

47%

35%

18%

Stats via FBref

When comparing the trio’s stats from the 2023/24 campaign, “pace-demon” Williams, as described by podcaster Adam Keys, comes out on top in various key areas – showcasing what an excellent addition he would be for Maresca.

He registered more goals and assists than Mudryk and Neto, whilst also creating more shot-creating actions for himself and his teammates – allowing the likes of Cole Palmer to further increase his tally as well as his own.

The Spaniard also completed more take-ons whilst also averaging more shots-on-target per 90, demonstrating the quality that he possesses in the final third.

Although a deal for Neto seems to be edging closer to completion, a move for Williams could still be on the cards, with the youngster having a lot of quality to star within the Chelsea side.

It might set them back another hefty sum of money, but given his age and quality, he has the ability to star at Stamford Bridge immediately, but also for at least the next decade.

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Unai Emery is ramping up Aston Villa’s preparations for the new season, already making a total of eight summer signings so far.

With a few weeks left of the transfer window, the Spaniard will be aiming to make a couple more as he builds a side which can cope with the demands of both the Premier League and Champions League next term.

Amadou Onana has been the biggest coup of the window, but it now looks as though Emery is chasing another midfielder, this time from Italy…

Aston Villa showing interest in AS Roma midfielder

According to reports in Italy, Villa have apparently made an offer of €20m (£17m) + bonuses for Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante in a bid to improve their squad.

Having lost Douglas Luiz to Juventus a few weeks ago, Emery has been keen on adding another few players to this area, despite signing Onana for £50m from Everton.

A move for the Italian, especially for the fee quoted, would be a wonderful bargain for Monchi, adding some depth to the first-team squad.

Nicolo Zaniolo

Galatasaray

39

Pierluigi Gollini

Hellas Verona

20

Benny Carbone

Sheffield Wednesday

30

Fabio Ferraresi

N/A

1

Not only that, but he could be an ideal partner for Onana as Villa look set to feature in Europe’s premier club competition.

Bryan Cristante’s 2023/24 season in numbers

The 29-year-old played 52 matches for Roma in all competitions last term, missing just two matches all season, which were due to suspension.

He even registered nine goal contributions for the club – four goals and five assists – despite operating from either the centre of the midfield or slightly deeper.

Among his teammates, Cristante ranked in the top five for accurate passes per game (48), accurate long balls per game (2.9), tackles per game (1.9) and big chances created (five), impressing on a wide range of metrics in Serie A.

Adding someone of this quality would be perfect for Onana, who could focus heavily on the defensive aspects of the game, allowing Cristante the freedom to push forward slightly in a no.8 role.

Onana, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, ranks in the top 8% for tackles per 90 (3.06) and in the top 6% for aerial duels won per 90 (2.24), clearly demonstrating how effective he is in these metrics. As a result, he could thrive as the deeper of the two central midfielders.

Cristante clearly boasts an impressive set of skills and he is thought of highly in Italy, notably by national coach Luciano Spalletti following his appointment last year, who said: “Cristante has that physicality that can help you unlock a match. He can be very helpful to his teammates in the midfield. Now physicality has become a fundamental aspect of football.”

He may be 29, but the midfielder could add some steel to the midfield plus a plethora of experience at the top level, having made nearly 300 appearances in the Italian top flight, while also earning 43 caps for his country, winning Euro 2021 in the process.

Cristante would be a perfect partner for Onana, and it could help Villa replicate their fourth-place finish in the Premier League from last season.

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