The New Zealand allrounder is closing in on 20 years of international cricket, but is yet to represent her country in the longest format

Vishal Dikshit04-Sep-20251:33

Bates: Will be ‘over the moon’ to play a Test match

Closing in on 20 years in international cricket, New Zealand allrounder Suzie Bates is still keeping her dreams alive of playing a Test match before she retires. Bates has represented New Zealand in 171 ODIs and 177 T20Is, captained them full-time from 2012 to 2018, has featured in nine T20 World Cups and is ready to play her fifth ODI World Cup starting later this month.But she remains without a Test cap as New Zealand last played one 21 years ago, against England at Scarborough. Bates made her international debut 19 months later and has gone on to become the top run-scorer in T20Is and sits third on the list in ODIs, behind Mithali Raj and Charlotte Edwards.New Zealand are not scheduled to play a women’s Test as per the current FTP that runs until April 2029, but Bates keeps her hopes alive while watching the other women’s teams play Test cricket, as was the case even 10 years ago, when she had said she “felt cheated”.Related

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“The feeling [of not having played a Test] is just like I’m envious,” Bates told ESPNcricinfo. “Like I think I’ve said this in another interview when I watch the [women’s] Ashes and even when I watch men’s Test cricket and they talk about it being the toughest game, it tests your skills, it tests you mentally, it tests you physically as an athlete and a sportsperson I want to be tested. So you sort of watch when there are women’s Test matches on and you’re like, ‘oh I wonder what I’d do in this situation or how I’d go about it’, and to not have that opportunity when others are playing it, you do want to experience it.”But I understand the decisions and the politics of it at times but just as a player I’m like, ‘I’d love to have a taste of how I would handle that mentally and physically’. If it happens and I’m still playing I will be over the moon. I do just think for the future of the game – I think Virat Kohli’s talked about it saying that is still where you learn the most about the game and where you are tested and if young players, if a young New Zealand player gets to go over and play a four or five-day Test match in India in those conditions with the ball turning, the amount of learning that you do and that compared to a 20-over game is you just can’t compare. So yeah, I think there’s space for it, but those decisions aren’t up to me.”171 ODIs, 177 T20Is, and nearly 20 years of international cricket, but Suzie Bates is yet to play a Test•ICC/Getty ImagesEven if Test matches aren’t scheduled for New Zealand Women in the current FTP, extra bilateral matches can be added to the schedule if there is an agreement between two boards. Bates will be 38 later this month before the World Cup starts, but was willing to work further on her fitness, tempted by the possibility of playing a Test match, if the chance came in the next year or so.”Yes, it would motivate me but there is a long time between now and then and I am just focused on contributing at this 50-over World Cup and then we will see what happens after that.”New Zealand begin their World Cup campaign against defending champions Australia on October 2 in Indore before taking on South Africa (October 6, Indore) and Bangladesh (October 10, Guwahati). They will then fly to Colombo to face Sri Lanka (October 14) and Pakistan (October 18), before returning to India for their final two league games in Navi Mumbai, against India on October 23 and England on October 26.

Rahul made a composed half-century after India skittled West Indies for 162 on the opening day

Alagappan Muthu02-Oct-20251:45

Chopra tries to make sense of WI’s decision to bat first

If there was any anxiety about India’s performance this home season, the first day’s play went some way to allaying them. Weakened they might be with the retirements of three legends, wounded they might be after losing the last series here 0-3, there is still plenty of fire. West Indies came under it and couldn’t really muster up a response. After choosing to bat, they were bowled out for 162 with time to spare for the tea break. At stumps, they were clinging on to a lead of 41.Mohammed Siraj picked up where he left off after his Iron Man efforts in England. He focused on pitching the ball up. He targeted the top of the stumps. He didn’t give the batter any easy reprieves and that was enough for him to pick up four of the first five wickets to fall. He thought he had a fifth – which would’ve been a landmark moment because he doesn’t have a five-for at home – but DRS took it away. Jasprit Bumrah, his new-ball partner, offered him a pat on the back when replays showed the lbw shout against Justin Greaves being struck down but didn’t seem to be so sympathetic when he started ripping out the tail with his yorkers. Eventually Siraj had to settle for figures of 4 for 40.A comfortable day’s play offered opportunity for India to make further gains, particularly their new man at No. 3. But Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal for 7 off 19 only served as a reminder that this team is still transitioning and that without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Aswhin and Rishabh Pant, who is only injured, there are vulnerabilities. KL Rahul papered over them with a no-nonsense half-century. It feels like he knows how to match his output with his ability now. Something West Indies are struggling with.Their XI has nine centuries in it. Two of their top three have yet to contribute to that count. The other one has a double, but he was coming back to international cricket after a 20-month break. Tagenarine Chanderpaul would be sorely disappointed with his return – out for a duck, caught down the leg side. But there were others who had reasons to feel more guilty. Brandon King left a straight ball to knock down his middle stump.KL Rahul led India’s reply with a composed half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Alick Athanaze looked steady, especially after he got through a nervous first few deliveries where it seemed like he was too keen to feel bat on ball. The West Indian No. 3 was just starting to gain confidence in his defence when Siraj decided to prey on his inexperience. He had seen the batter settling in nicely and decided to tease him with a fuller delivery. Had the length been shorter, Athanaze might have been more circumspect with his shot. The fact that it was pitched up had his juices flowing. He went for a big booming drive and was caught at slip.Roston Chase and Shai Hope offered some resistance. Theirs was the longest partnership of the innings – 70 balls – and it pushed India to produce the two best balls of the day. Kuldeep Yadav, who had spent a five-match tour of England on the sidelines, struck with his eighth delivery back, creating gap between Hope’s bat and pad with his drift and surging through it with his dip and turn. It is ridiculous how often wristspinners make the stumps look like an easy target.Chase was the victim of Siraj’s a wobble-seam variation, although the real genius of the wicket lay in the steep angle that the fast bowler created into the right-hander. The West Indies captain was suckered into closing the face of his bat so early that he was caught by the wicketkeeper off the leading edge.India’s bowling wasn’t at its threatening best – there were seven fours in the first 10 overs – but they were better at the basics than their opposition. Bumrah did have one bit of the spectacular in him. At the Asia Cup, he was partly bowling his team to victory and partly testing his fitness out for these Test matches. Early indications were that his rhythm is on point. He spotted Greaves’ tendency to bat with a huge backlift, which also curved to the off side, and knew it would be vulnerable to his yorker and it proved so the very first time he tried.Bumrah now has 50 Test wickets in India and he got there in record time, a full 521 balls quicker than the previous mark set by Mohammed Shami.

Shohei Ohtani wasn't able to get a win on the mound in Game 4 of the World Series as the Dodgers lost at home to the Blue Jays, 6-2, but he has still had an epic run in the postseason and remains two wins away from winning his second title with Los Angeles.

Ohtani's stardom has only grown since he joined the Dodgers in December of 2023 and another championship would add to his legendary status in a sports city that has grown used to seeing its various teams winning on the biggest stages.

Magic Johnson knows all about that as he led the Lakers to five NBA championships during his Hall of Fame career. The now part-owner of the Dodgers was on Fox's pregame show on Tuesday night where he was asked by Derek Jeter how "Ohtani mania" compares to previous sports stars that played in Los Angeles.

"You’ve been here, you’ve seen stars," Jeter said. "L.A. makes stars, stars come to L.A. You’ve been here yourself. Kobe, Shaq, Gretzky came to LA. How does Ohtani mania compare to those other guys?"

"It’s the same other than they didn’t own a country," Magic said with a laugh. "See, because he owns Japan. The same impact—the fans love him. I think it’s more like Kobe and the type of impact he’s made on the field and off the field. He’s a humble young man and he’s serious about becoming the baseball player we’ve ever seen."

Here's that pregame segment:

That's some pretty high praise from Magic, as Bryant is one of the most beloved athletes to ever play in Los Angeles.

Ohtani was huge in the marathon Game 3 win on Monday night, hitting two home runs and two doubles before being intentionally walked three times in his final at-bats.

He then got the start on the mound in Game 4 and while he wasn't able to get the win he showed everyone just how special he is and how much of a competitor he is by throwing six solid innings just hours after playing in one of the best games in World Series history.

Game 5 is back at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, which means Ohtani will have one last chance to make some more magic in front of his home fans.

If Los Angeles is able to beat the Blue Jays two more times, Ohtani mania in Los Angeles will hit another level.

نجح فيران توريس في قلب تأخر برشلونة أمام ريال بيتيس، خلال اللقاء الذي يجمع بين الفريقين ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة عشر من الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

ويجرى اللقاء بين الفريقين على ملعب لاكارتوخا، ويحتل برشلونة صدارة ترتيب الدوري الاسباني ب37 نقطة، ويحتل ريال بيتيس المركز الخامس بـ24 نقطة.

وافتتح ريال بيتيس التسجيل عن طريق أنتوني بعد ان أستغل خطأ من دفاع برشلونة في الدقيقة السادسة، ولم يكن في وضعية تسلل.

اقرأ أيضاً.. مارك جويهي يحسم رغبته بشأن وجهته القادمة بين بايرن ميونخ وقطبي إسبانيا

وبعد مرور خمس دقائق فقط، تعادل فيران توريس لصالح برشلونة في الدقيقة 11 من صناعة كوندي.

وأضاف فيران توريس الهدف الثاني له وللبلوجرانا في الدقيقة الثالثة عشر، ليتقدم برشلونة بهدفين لهدف، في ثنائية خلال 112 ثانية هي الأسرع لأي لاعب من برشلونة في مباراة بالدوري الإسباني منذ ثنائية أنسو فاتي خلال 103 ثوان ضد ليفانتي في فبراير 2020.

وكان هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة قد دخل اللقاء بتشكيل مكون من: جارسيا، بالدي، جيرارد مارتن، كوبارسي، كوندي، بيدري، جارسيا، يامال، باردجي، راشفورد، فيران توريس.

The Blue Jays are signing starting pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old Cease was one of the most sought-after arms on the market this winter. Just two years after striking out on a frontline starter in Shohei Ohtani, the Blue Jays have struck big time with Cease.

Last season, Cease went just 8–12 with a 4.55 ERA in 168.0 innings pitched. However, Toronto is banking on the former Cy Young runner-up returning to form to help solidify the starting rotation.

The Blue Jays went 94–68 last season and lost to the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. Toronto is expected to be in the mix in the American League pennant race once again in 2026 with Cease figuring to be a major part of the rotation.

MatériaMais Notícias

Personagem mais falado nos bastidores do Cruzeiro nesta semana, Gabigol não jogou a toalha na semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Após a derrota para o Corinthians no primeiro jogo da semifinal, o camisa 9 usou suas redes sociais para mandar um recado aos torcedores celestes.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCruzeiroLucas Silva diz que Cruzeiro entrou com ‘rotação baixa’ contra o CorinthiansCruzeiro11/12/2025CruzeiroLeonardo Jardim analisa falhas do Cruzeiro, mas vê superioridade no segundo tempo contra o CorinthiansCruzeiro11/12/2025CruzeiroLucas Romero está suspenso para Corinthians x CruzeiroCruzeiro10/12/2025

O atacante entrou em campo aos 26 minutos da segunda etapa, no lugar de Arroyo, que foi o principal personagem na escalação de Leonardo Jardim.

Instantes depois do final da partida entre Cruzeiro e Corinthians, Gabigol publicou uma foto no X com a legenda ‘Faltam 90 minutos’, fazendo referência ao jogo de volta na Neo Química Arena.

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As equipes voltam a se enfrentar no próximo domingo (14), às 18h (de Brasília), em São Paulo. Para se classificar para a decisão, a Raposa precisa de uma vitória por dois gols ou mais, ou por um gol para levar a disputa para os pênaltis.

Estatísticas de Gabigol em Cruzeiro x CorinthiansMinutos em campo: 18Chutes: 2 (0)Passes: 7 (86%)Passes longos: 4 (75%)Ações com a bola: 12Perda da posse de bola: 2Contribuições defensivas: 1Faltas: 1Duelos no chão: 4 (50%)

➡️Tudo sobre o Cabuloso agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Cruzeiro

Leonardo Jardim viu superioridade do Cruzeiro no segundo tempo

Em entrevista coletiva, o treinador Leonardo Jardim analisou que a Raposa não esteve bem no primeiro tempo, mas dominou a segunda etapa.

– Em relação ao jogo, até o gol do Corinthians, não estivemos bem, em agressividade na marcação, nos passes. Mas aos poucos melhoramos, e no segundo tempo melhoramos muito. Nos passes, no gesto técnico. O volume de jogo foi baixo. Jogamos 45 minutos, jogo muito parado. O adversário parava o jogo, deitava no chão, isso atrapalhou muito. Jogamos menos de um tempo. No intervalo disse aos jogadores que muita gente dizia que seria fácil. Eu avisei que semifinal de Copa, com duas equipes grandes, não tem jogo fácil. Agora vem as críticas. Esta equipe, ganhou muitos jogos fora de casa, podemos fazer agora também e nos classificar. É importante focar para fazer um jogo digno de Cruzeiro – disse o treinador.

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The England opener said that Ben Stokes had been training like a “beast” since arriving in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-20257:23

Will Joe Root finally score his first hundred in Australia?

Ben Duckett believes England will start the Ashes series without much “baggage” and said that the team’s aggressive approach to Test cricket is evolving beyond what has sometimes been perceived as reckless.Duckett is one of 11 players in England’s squad who have yet to play Test cricket in Australia while the average age is 28 compared to the home side’s 33. The players have been greeted in Perth by a series of comical headlines from the local newspaper but Duckett said they have been warmly welcomed.Related

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“This group we’ve got, I actually saw the other day I’m the fourth oldest, which was tough to see,” Duckett told the podcast. “So we’ve got quite a fresh group coming here where there’s not a lot of baggage, which I think will help us.”Since his Test recall in 2022, Duckett is the leading run-scorer among openers. In the 2023 Ashes he made 321 runs at 35.66. “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “You know how tough it is for touring sides coming over here. I’m not expecting or setting myself any targets. I know I’m opening the batting against probably the best bowling attack in the world in their home conditions.”For the first Test, at least, that attack will be missing Pat Cummins as he continues to recover from a lumbar stress injury. There remains hope he will be available for the second Test and went through another solid workout at the SCG on Tuesday.Ben Duckett will have a vital role to play at the top of the order•Getty Images

“You want to play against the best and you don’t want to have guys like that missing out in series like this,” Duckett said. “But on the flip side, I’m an opening batter and he’s probably one of the best bowlers in the world. So yeah, quietly, I hope it’s not too bad but obviously any game where he’s not playing is an advantage for us.”Much of the pre-series narrative is around how Bazball will go in Australian conditions, but Duckett said that both individually and collectively their approach was becoming more nuanced.”I think now it’s definitely about reading moments,” he said. “[Brendon McCullum] will come up to me and say, now you’re a better player than just getting 40 off 30 and getting us off to a good start.”There’s moments as an opening batsman, for example, it could be at Perth in a few weeks where we’ve got five overs to see at the end of the day. And I did it against India last summer where actually just get through it. I don’t care how many runs you’ve got, just be there in the morning.”I think that’s where we’re trying to go as a team now, it’s not just being this entertaining, reckless at times, side. And it’s something that I’ve got frustrated with myself in the past, where I might have got 80 off 60 and it looks great and stuff, but they’re going to put my side in a good position. So it’s realising moments and doing that and then kicking on and getting a big score. And I think that’s where we’re really wanting to go as a side now.”Duckett termed captain Ben Stokes “probably the most important man” in the team and had been taken aback by the intensity of his training. “I can only say we’ve been out here for a few days and he’s been in beast mode,” he said. “He has been running, bowling two spells, batting for two hours. The way he trains and stuff these days is something that I’ve never seen before.”He’s obviously probably the most important man in this side when he’s bowling. So hopefully he stays fit for all five tests and he’s bowling in all of them because he’s crucial for us.”

Pasi’s 114 was the joint-highest individual score by a T20 debutant; Punjab seal Super League spot

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2025Debutant Pasi’s 114 propels BarodaBaroda’s wicketkeeper-batter Amit Pasi scored 114 off 55 balls against Services in Hyderabad to equal Bilal Asif’s record for the highest score on T20 debut. Pasi’s knock, featuring ten fours and nine sixes, propelled Baroda to 220 for 5. However, it was not enough for Baroda to progress to the Super League as they finished on 16 points. Services gave a tough fight but fell short by 13 .Opening the innings, Pasi reached his fifty off 24 balls, and his hundred off 44. He and Vishnu Solanki (25 off 12) added 75 in 5.2 overs for the fourth wicket. Bhanu Pania also contributed 28 not out off 15 towards the end.Kunwar Pathak and Ravi Chauhan gave Services a start of 84 in 8.2 overs, with both openers scoring 51 each. Captain Mohit Ahlawat’s 41 off 22 kept the chase going, but apart from Nakul Sharma, he didn’t find much support. Services finished on 207 for 8, their sixth loss in seven games. For Baroda, Raj Limbani was the most successful bowler, picking up 3 for 37.File photo: Ajinkya Rahane is now Mumbai’s highest run-getter in T20s•AFP/Getty ImagesSai Sudharsan’s hundred helps TN beat SaurashtraTamil Nadu and Saurashtra were well out of the race for the next stage, but B Sai Sudharsan single-handedly lifted TN from bottom place to fourth spot with an unbeaten 55-ball century for a tense three-wicket win. Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya had reduced TN to 29 for 3 in the chase of 183, and Sai Sudharsan was running out of partners after Rithik Easwaran’s 29 off 17 balls. But he kept hammering from one end, racing to a 28-ball fifty as he smashed the ball all around the park with his flicks, pulls, aerial cuts and drives.The seventh-wicket stand of 37 runs in just 13 balls between Sai Sudharsan and Sunny Sandhu pretty much sealed the game for TN as it brought the equation down to six to win from 12 balls. Sai Sudharsan was on 97, and TN needed three to win when he drove the ball elegantly and over the bowler’s head for his century and a boundary. Unadkat valiantly finished with 3 for 30.MP lose to J&K but qualify for Super LeagueMadhya Pradesh narrowly lost to Jammu & Kashmir by 13 runs in their final game, but managed to finish on second spot in Group B for their Super League qualification along with table-toppers Hyderabad. Batting first, J&K stumbled to 150 for 9, with Abdul Samad (27 off 24 balls) and Auqib Nabi (32 off 21) making the major contributions.MP’s only partnership of promise was between opener Harsh Gawali (33 from 32 deliveries) and No. 4 Harpreet Singh Bhatia (32 off 29) worth 68 off 51 balls. But they soon went off track after the stand was broken, and the experienced Rajat Patidar (2) and Venkatesh Iyer (23) could not contribute much. Three wickets each for Nabi and Sumit Kumar soon bowled MP out for 137.File photo: Naman Dhir hit 61, with four fours and three sixes•BCCIDhir, Harpreet help Punjab seal Super League spotNaman Dhir’s rapid 61 off 36 and Harpreet Brar’s all-round show propelled Punjab to a competitive total of 188 for 8 to seal their 75-run win over Gujarat and earn them a Super League berth. Dhir blasted four fours and three sixes at No. 4, followed by cameos from Salil Arora (30 off 19) and Sanvir Singh (30 off 17) before Harpreet smashed 24 off just eight balls at No. 9.Harpreet was particularly belligerent in taking apart Harshal Patel for 24 runs from his six balls, as the pacer leaked 57 runs from his four overs. Ravi Bishnoi was also expensive, conceding 36 runs from his four. Gujarat crumbled to 113 in 16.1 overs in reply, with opener Urvil Patel bagging a duck, and only one of their top nine crossing 15. Ashwani Kumar, Ramandeep Singh, Harpreet, Sanvir and Gaurav Chaudhary took two wickets apiece.Haryana knock Bengal outHaryana were the other team to progress from Group C, as their top-four batters led them to 191 for 9 against a Bengal attack led by Mohammed Shami, Akash Deep and Shahbaz Ahmed. Bengal fell short by 24 runs, and were knocked out. Haryana captain Ankit Kumar (46 off 30), Nishant Sindhu (48 off 31) and Yashvardhan Dalal (31 off 22) led the charge with the bat to see off Shami’s spell of 4-0-30-4 while Akash Deep went for 4-0-32-2. Haryana scored 99 runs in the second half of the innings, which proved to be pivotal as Bengal’s lower order floundered after Abhishek Porel’s 47 off 24 at the top and Writtick Chatterjee’s 44 off 33 at No. 4. Only one Bengal batter went into double-digits after their top five.File photo: Virat Singh scored 69 off 36 balls•PTI Rahane 95* leads Mumbai to big win against OdishaMumbai, who had qualified earlier from Group A, along with Andhra, finished the league stage on a high by chasing down 168 against Odisha, as Ajinkya Rahane’s unbeaten 95 off 56 balls led them to the win. Medium-pacer Suryansh Shedge picked 3 for 46 to keep Odisha to 167 for 7.In reply, Rahane and Sarfaraz Khan smashed 74 runs in the powerplay in the absence of regular opener Ayush Mhatre. Angkrish Raghuvanshi then joined Rahane to finish unbeaten on 38 off 26 deliveries for a nine-wicket win with four overs to spare. Rahane became the top-scorer for Mumbai in T20s with 1727 runs, going past Suryakumar Yadav’s tally of 1717.Virat, Kushagra and Minz help Jharkhand beat RajasthanRajasthan and Jharkhand had already made it to the Super League from Group D, and they faced-off in a top-of-the-table clash in Ahmedabad. Jharkhand’s batting might, led by Virat Singh (69 off 36 balls), captain Kumar Kushagra (55 from 37), and Robin Minz (58 off 27) charged them to 215 for 5, which proved to be too much for Rajasthan, who were all out for 179, with three wickets each for left-arm spinner Anukul Roy and left-arm quick Sushant Mishra.

Legspinner suffered muscle strain during England’s Ashes warm-up fixture at Lilac Hill

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2025

Rehan Ahmed has been ruled out of any further participation on the England Lions tour of Australia after suffering a right lower leg strain during the Ashes warm-up match against England in Perth.Legspinner Rehan batted at No. 5 for the Lions, making 16 off 41 balls on day one before becoming one of six wickets for England captain, Ben Stokes. He played no part with the ball, or in the Lions’ second innings, with the ECB announcing afterwards that he would return home to begin his recovery.Related

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Anderson says 'weak' Australia are still Ashes favourites

Rehan had signed up to play for Hobart Hurricanes in the 2025-26 BBL, but the BBC reported that the injury was not expected to impact his involvement in the competition, which starts in a month’s time.England Lions are scheduled to play another four-day match at Lilac Hill, against a Cricket Australia XI, next week, before a one-off unofficial Test against Australia A in December. The Lions are also expected to be involved in a pink-ball tour game between England and the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra between the first and second Ashes Tests.It had been speculated that Rehan, who missed out on selection as the second spinner in the main Ashes squad to Will Jacks, could stay on with England after the Lions programme concluded.

Manchester City are now willing to make a £70m January bid for an “absolutely incredible” Real Madrid star, with Pep Guardiola personally a fan.

Man City looking to boost title push by signing new forward

Man City have bounced back from their 2-1 loss at Newcastle United by winning their last two Premier League games on the spin, but they haven’t made easy work of it, scraping past Leeds United 3-2 courtesy of a late Phil Foden winner.

City then travelled to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham and raced into a 5-1 lead, but they only just managed to get over the line, with the hosts fighting back to 5-4, which will be a worrying sign for Guardiola.

Conceding six goals in the last two matches, against two of the weaker sides in the Premier League, suggests the Blues could do with strengthening their defence in January, and a new right-back is of interest, with Newcastle’s Tino Livramento being identified as a target.

However, Guardiola is also eager to upgrade his attacking options, with a report from Spain revealing Real Madrid star Rodrygo is one of the Man City manager’s top targets for the January transfer window.

City are determined to make a move for the Brazilian, with it being revealed they are willing to make a €80m (£70m) offer for his services, and Guardiola believes the forward would be a perfect fit in his system.

The 24-year-old’s agents have been working to secure their client a move away from the Spanish club this winter, offering him to a number of top Premier League clubs, but the Blues are making the most decisive moves to get a deal done.

"Absolutely incredible" Rodrygo may need fresh start

The Brazil international has been a fantastic servant to Real Madrid, with journalist Bence Bocsak praising him for the impact he’s made in the Champions League.

However, the former Santos man, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, may be in need of a fresh start, given that he has now gone 31 games without a goal for the La Liga side, which is the worst streak ever for a Real Madrid attacker.

That’s not to say the Osasco-born forward wouldn’t make an impact at the Etihad Stadium, however, as he has previously shown a keen eye for goal, chipping in with 68 goals and 53 assists in 286 matches for the Spanish side.

Man City now favourites to sign "incredible" £88m star, Pep's captivated by him

City have taken the lead in the race for a Premier League star, with Pep Guardiola a big fan.

ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025

£70m would be a huge fee to pay for a player in such poor form though, and Man City should test the waters with a lower offer to begin with.