Freiburg were firmly in control at the break against Borussia Mönchengladbach after first-half goals from Yannik Engelhardt and Igor Matanovic.
Matanovic caused Gladbach problems almost immediately, dispossessing Ko Itakura, before having an opportunity to release Yuito Suzuki inside the opening minutes, only to struggle to get the ball out of his feet.
The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 23rd minute, when Derry Scherhant's corner found Engelhardt, whose looping header caught Moritz Nicolas in no man's land and dropped into the net.
Six minutes later, Freiburg doubled their advantage, with Matthias Ginter firing a sharp pass towards Matanovic on the edge of the penalty area and, with plenty of pace already on the ball, the striker simply guided it beyond Nicolas and in off the post.
At that point, Gladbach were in danger of being overwhelmed as Freiburg threatened to turn an already commanding first half into a rout.

#freiburg #engelhardt #nicolas

Aston Villa will welcome Nottingham Forest at Villa Park this Saturday as they look to secure a win at home in the Premier League. The Villans managed to earn a hard-fought 3-2 win away at Club Brugge recently, which should keep them in good spirits going into this game.
Unai Emery will set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make some changes to his first team for this clash. Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings could both play from the start of this game.
Zion Suzuki will operate in between the sticks for the Villans after he conceded two goals in his last appearance. Tyrone Mings will continue to function alongside Victor Lindelof at the heart of the Aston Villa backline as they look to keep a good shape on the defensive end of the field.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka will try to catch the eye as the right-back, while Ian Maatsen hopes to prove his worth on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get the freedom to go forward and express themselves inside the opponent's half.
Pau Torres will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

#villa

NEW DELHI: India and ****** an are set to share a historic cricketing moment when their men's sides meet in a T20 International at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture on September 22, 2026, as part of celebrations leading into the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Suzuki Cup will mark the first senior-level international cricket match between India and ****** an and is being positioned as a significant milestone in the expansion of the sport in ****** an. The fixture will also launch "Sport 75", an initiative aimed at promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between India and ****** an through sport. ****** an and India will formally mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.
The initiative stems from an agreement reached during a summit between ****** anese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also takes into account India's ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.

For ****** an, the occasion represents an opportunity to showcase the sport to a wider domestic audience, while India's participation could provide a major boost to cricket's profile in the country and across East Asia.

BCCI honorary secretary Devajit Saikia described the fixture as a "historic occasion" and said the board was delighted to be part of an event that would take Indian cricket into "new territory".

"This is a significant moment for cricket, as it takes the Indian team to new territory and provides an opportunity to introduce the sport to a wider audience in ****** an and East Asia," Saikia said.

He also underlined the broader significance of the partnership, saying, "India and ****** an share a strong and longstanding relationship and friendship, and we are pleased that cricket will be part of the celebrations marking 75 years of bilateral relations between the two countries."

Saikia added that the BCCI recognised its responsibility to help cricket expand beyond its traditional territories.

"The BCCI believes that the growth of cricket must extend beyond its traditional territories, and as the world's largest cricket board, we recognise our responsibility to contribute to that growth," he said.
Japan Cricket ****** ociation CEO Naoki Miyaji said hosting India, the reigning world champions, represented a landmark occasion for the ****** ociation.

"To be able to invite the reigning World Champions to the home of cricket in ****** an is a landmark moment for our ****** ociation," Miyaji said.

He thanked the BCCI for helping make the fixture possible and said the JCA was looking forward to the response from Indian supporters.

"We greatly look forward to welcoming the passion of Indian cricket fans, and we actively encourage any local ****** anese people curious about cricket to come and cheer on our team in what will be a truly memorable occasion," Miyaji said.

The match in Sano is expected to serve not only as

Aston Villa host **** nal at Villa Park on Monday looking to respond after a 4-0 opening-weekend defeat at Brighton, a result that left Unai Emery's side without a point or a shot on target.
The visit of the champions arrives amid significant summer turnover at Villa Park, with several new signings in line to feature for the first time.
Leon Bailey, Amadou Onana (knee), Johan Manzambi (knee) and Brian Madjo (ankle/foot) are all unavailable, and Joao Gomes is suspended. Tammy Abraham is a doubt with a groin/hip issue. Ollie Watkins departed the club this summer, adding to the selection questions facing Emery in attack.
Zion Suzuki, a £30 million signing from Parma, is expected to make his Villa debut in goal after Marco Bizot started the defeat at Brighton. Leon Goretzka, who joined the club on Thursday, is set to come straight into midfield in place of the suspended Gomes, partnering Boubacar Kamara. Nicolas Jackson is also in line for his first involvement, leading the line in Watkins' absence, with John McGinn, Emiliano Buendía and George Hemmings providing support behind him.
Aston Villa possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Cash, Lindelöf, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Goretzka; McGinn, Buendía, Hemmings; Jackson

#villa #line #park #leon

Alonso sprang a surprise by naming Martinez in the starting line-up - less than four hours after his £7.5m move was confirmed by the club.
It is a lifeline for Martinez, who turns 34 next week and fell out of favour at Aston Villa following a failed move to Juventus and the arrival of **** an's Zion Suzuki as Unai Emery's first-choice keeper.
The World Cup winner's every catch was cheered on by the Stamford Bridge faithful during an **** ured display in goal, though he was unlucky to concede two of Brighton's three goals, his save landing on the feet of Yalcouye for the opener and then getting undone by Joao Pedro's own goal.
His best moment came just before Brighton's second when he made a sharp diving save from Diego Gomez and he also denied Olivier Boscagli and Brighton a third, which would have levelled the score.
Chelsea have spent heavily across the pitch under their new ownership, but for many, a reliable goalkeeper was the missing piece.

#move #villa

The Bundesliga is back! On Matchday 1, Freiburg host Werder Bremen in an exciting opening fixture for both sides. Goalkeeper Mio Backhaus (and potentially Eren **** çi as well) will face his former club, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the matchup.
Julian Schuster's side will be looking to improve on last season and push for a return to the European places, with a Europa League spot potentially within reach. Bremen, meanwhile, have one primary objective: survival. After a shaky 2025/26 campaign that saw them finish 15th, Werder will be hoping to take a step forward this season - with Niclas Füllkrug expected to play a key role in their ambitions.
Who will come out on top in this match? With just about an hour to go until kickoff, here are the confirmed lineups for both sides:
SC Freiburg (4-2-3-1): Backhaus - Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo - Eggestein, Engelhardt - Beste, Suzuki, Scherhant - Matanović
Werder Bremen (4-3-3): Hein - Schmetgens, Pieper, Friedl, Deman - Chuky, Reis, Lynen - Njinmah, Füllkrug, Grüll

#werder #freiburg #sides

The Cubs celebrated 150 years since becoming a National League franchise before Sunday's game, with many of the team's icons present.
Then the current Cubs put on an offensive show, with its newest potential franchise player, Pete Crow-Armstrong, solidifying his claim on this year's National League MVP award. PCA hit three home runs, also singled, and had a chance at a fourth homer in the eighth inning. He got a standing ovation after grounding out against a Reds position player in that at-bat, and how often do you see that?
Alex Bregman, Carson Kelly and Seiya Suzuki also homered for the Cubs and all of that helped the team to a 17-5 blowout of the Reds.
The fun started in the first inning, after Kevin Gausman set the Reds down in order in the top of the frame.
PCA hit the second pitch of the bottom of the first for his 34th home run [VIDEO].

#inning

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
David Ornstein and Simon Johnson report for The Athletic that Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Emi Martinez from Aston Villa, with the Blues to pay £7.5m for the goalkeeper.
Martinez will sign a two-year deal with Chelsea, with the option to extend by an additional 12 months.
Villa had opted to replace Martinez with Zion Suzuki this summer, and the goalkeeper has reportedly been training alone ever since. A transfer was clearly the preferred option for all parties.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

#julian #finney #villa

Chelsea have made contact over a move for Emiliano Martinez, according to BBC Sport, and that tells you plenty about where the club are with the goalkeeper position. When a side starts exploring a deal for a 33-year-old World Cup winner, it usually means concern has moved beyond background noise and into active planning.
Martinez is considered available after Aston Villa signed Zion Suzuki from Parma for about £30m. Villa and Chelsea already know each other's numbers. These clubs have done enough business in recent windows for ****** ody to pretend this would be complicated in principle. Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea for a club-record £117m, Alejandro Garnacho went the other way on an initial loan, and Nicolas Jackson, valued at around £65m, has also been mentioned as a possible Villa target.
Then there is the wider pattern. The clubs were part of the arrangement described as a "PSR swap", with Ian Maatsen joining Villa and Omari Kellyman, now at Strasbourg, moving to Chelsea. So if Chelsea want to test Villa's appetite for another deal, they know the route.
The timing matters. Robert Sanchez remains Chelsea's current number one, but the scrutiny is obvious. He was beaten at his near post by Josh King in the 3-2 win over Fulham and later spilled another effort, allowing Gonzalo Garcia to score. Those moments are exactly why transfer stories like this gather pace. Clubs can talk about trust all they like, but mistakes shape recruitment.
Photo: IMAGO

#martinez #like #sport

I have a confession to make. This whole season, I have been waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop for Eduardo Rodriguez. I had a difficult time believing the same pitcher who had posted consecutive seasons with ERAs north of five could somehow transform himself into a legitimate Cy Young candidate. There were some legitimate reasons for that doubt too between his whiff percentage, strikeout rate, and chase rate all leave something to be desired – to say nothing of expected stats that paint an even worse picture. But at some point, you have to throw out all the other pieces of evidence and recognize that however he's doing it, Rodriguez is putting together one of the best pitching seasons in franchise history. And at a time in the season where every win is crucial, he delivered once more with an absolute gem against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. In seven innings of scoreless work, Rodriguez racked up nine strikeouts and allowed just five baserunners all game, inducing a whopping 18 swings and misses along the way.
It was a fairly dominant performance for the veteran lefty, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. In the visiting half of the sixth, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who was mostly contained in the series, stroked a leadoff double down the line and then moved over to third on Seiya Suzuki's groundout. After a shallow flyout from Alex Bregman wasn't deep enough for PCA to score, he decided to take matters into his own hands and bluffed a straight steal of home by sprinting halfway down the third base line. That move unsettled Rodriguez enough for him to shuffle off the pitching rubber before delivering to James McCann behind the plate. The entire Cubs dugout clamored for a balk call, but after a quick umpire consultation, it was declared not a balk – much to PCA's chagrin as he charged directly at the third base umpire and had to be held back by his coaches. After a few replays of the incident, I do think (as does Bob Brenly) that it probably was a balk. E-Rod clearly takes his left foot off the rubber before coming home with the ball, which would be very deceiving to a baserunner and which has always been the intent behind the balk rule. The play also highlighted the fact that every play should be reviewable as other angles show enough that the Cubs at least had an argument and when the margin is so thin, the call should be correct. It's worth watching the whole sequence for yourself to see where you fall on the decision:
View Link
For what it's worth, Chicago starter Matthew Boyd nearly matched Rodriguez zero for zero as the veteran journeyman allowed the same number of baserunners (five) in six innings of work and continued the excellent starting pitching the Cubs had in the series. His only mistake was a hanging changeup that Jordan Lawlar just lifted over the right field fence for the only run allowed by a Cubs starting pitcher. The D-Backs added an insurance run in the eighth when consecutive leadoff singles from McCann and La

it might be fragment time. we just watched baseball until 1:15 AM.
in the early innings of Tuesday night's game, the Guardians loaded the bases with no outs and didn't score any runs from it, and Gavin Williams got shelled.
game over, right?
NO!
Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez responded by running the bases for 3 consecutive hours and Kurt Suzuki got to sit in the dugout and watch Jose thrive. His least favorite activity.

#williams #kwan

A record number of ***** anese players are in the Premier League this season, with clubs attracted by their proven quality, value for money and the "very little risk" involved in signing them.
Ten players from ***** an were registered with top-tier English teams when the campaign kicked off last weekend and more are potentially on the way before the transfer window closes.
Zion Suzuki was the highest-profile arrival with his switch to Aston Villa, with former ***** nal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu returning to London with Crystal Palace, midfielder Hidemasa Morita joining Hull City and Daizen Maeda swapping Celtic for Ipswich Town.
They join an established group of ***** anese players already in the Premier League, including Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma, Liverpool's Wataru Endo and Palace's Daichi Kamada.
FIFA-registered agent Joel Pannick of CAA Base told AFP that English clubs have "increased confidence that signing a ***** anese player is a good move to make".

#zion

[Getty Images]
We asked you to predict what will happen between now and the end of the transfer window at Aston Villa and how the 2026-27 season will pan out for Unai Emery's side.
Here are some of your comments:
Peter: For me, there has been too much upheaval. With players leaving this summer and the core of the squad being ripped out, I feel Villa will be a bit disjointed while all of the new signings bed in. Therefore, I predict an uncertain start to the season, and possibly an uncertain campaign as a whole.
Keith: I have no problem with any of the sales individually. Rogers is good money, Konsa is good money, Digne is a good deal for an ageing player. Martinez has a great replacement in Zion Suzuki. Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi are fantastic additions. My worry is the sheer amount of upheaval. Hopefully we can retain a good core of last season's players while gradually integrating the new players and youngsters. Keeping Emery is key, his system and passion is our greatest ****** et.

#money

Aston Villa's European heroes are already part of history.
They ended a 30-year wait for a trophy by lifting the Europa League in May against Freiburg but the club could have sold six of the starting XI by the end of the transfer window.
Ezri Konsa's imminent £51m departure to ****** nal is the latest high-profile exit at Villa Park this summer as Unai Emery's squad undergoes drastic change.
Istanbul goalscorers Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers left last month, Rogers' £117m move to Chelsea a record for an English player.
Lucas Digne was sold to Paris St-Germain and Villa must also find a solution for goalkeeper Emi Martinez after his failed move to Juventus and the signing of his replacement - Zion Suzuki.

#move #aston #europa #league

Atlético de Madrid and Aston Villa have officially confirmed the signing of Matteo Ruggeri.
The left-back leaves the red-and-white side just one season after arriving in the Spanish capital.
The Italian leaves around €20 million at Atleti, a fee close to what they paid to sign him from Atalanta.
Grimaldo's arrival had reduced the 'azzurro's' chances, and the club had been looking for an exit for him.
He will now embark on a new adventure in the Premier League under Unai Emery. Zion Suzuki, the goalkeeper arriving from Parma, will follow the same path.

#madrid

Aston Villa have started Wednesday by announcing a double deal for Zion Suzuki and Matteo Ruggeri.
The ****** an international goalkeeper joins from Parma in a deal worth €30m which has the potential to rise by a further €5m in add-ons and has signed a five-year contract.
He is set to take over from Emiliano Martínez as the club's new number one, although the Argentine remains in limbo after a potential move to Juventus fell through.
Meanwhile, Ruggeri has signed for a fee of €20m and leaves Atlético de Madrid just one season after arriving from Atalanta.
The full-back made 45 appearances in his only season in the Spanish capital and provided seven ****** ists.

#villa #wednesday

CHICAGO — Pete Crow-Armstrong's walk-off home run in the opener of the City Series was still the talk of the town heading into Game 2 Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable's decision to pitch to Crow-Armstrong in the 10th inning was debated ad nauseam on talk radio and the internet, and Venable reiterated Tuesday that he was at peace with the move.
"PCA's a really special player, and yeah, he's scary, but so is (Seiya) Suzuki, you know what I mean?" he said.
Meanwhile, Cubs fans and the media debated whether the epic night sealed the National League Most Valuable Player award for PCA in his duel with Los Angeles Dodgers unicorn Shohei Ohtani.
"That's for you guys," Crow-Armstrong said. "When you play a game like we did tonight, that's all the fun I need in my life ever."

#Chicago #debated #pete

The Crosstown Classic started with a soul-crushing extra-inning heartbreak for the White Sox with a Cubs walk-off. Despite the game staying close and competitive, poor challenges and sloppy defense doomed the South Siders. The Sox fell 7-5 in the opener.
The game got off to an ugly start after the White Sox went down in order and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki answered with back-to-back homers. With two outs, the Cubs threatened again with back-to-back singles, but Pedro Ramírez sent a ball right to Brenton Doyle, ending the first.
After wasting an ABS challenge to start the third, Sam Antonacci reached anyway when he was plunked. But that wouldn't yield any good results, as Shōta Imanaga shut down the next three White Sox batters. Luis Castillo seemed to have settled in by the bottom of the third, and the guys behind him helped strand the only baserunner in the frame.
The first hit for the White Sox came in the fourth via Miguel Vargas, right after a walk to Munetaka Murakami. Then, with one swing of the bat, Randal Grichuk gave the Good Guys the lead with a three-run homer.
Your browser does not support the video tag. Download the video.

#back #good #walk

Zion Suzuki has had to overcome costly mistakes and racist abuse on the way to becoming the most expensive ***** anese goalkeeper in history.
The 23-year-old will be the first ***** anese goalkeeper in Premier League history when he seals his move to Aston Villa from Italian team Parma for up to 35 million euros ($40 million).
Suzuki, who was previously linked with Manchester United, was born in New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and ***** anese mother and moved to ***** an at a young age.
After coming through ***** anese football he moved to Belgium then Italy and has already won 28 caps for his country.
Suzuki, who appeared set to join Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain before Villa came calling, believes he has the tools to make it in the Premier League.

#history #million #zion

It's a new week here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We're so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in out of the heat. There's no cover charge. We validate parking. We've got a few tables still available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last week, I asked you who the Cubs second-most valuable player was. The vote wasn't close as 60 percent of you said it was Seiya Suzuki.
Here's the part with the music and the movies. You can do with that what you want.
Saturday was the 101st anniversary of the birth of the great Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson. So to honor Peterson, we have him performing the bossa nova classic "Wave" with guitarist Joe Pass and bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (NHØP) in Italy in 1985.

#dark #else #come #we 've

Emi Martinez is facing an uncertain future after his proposed move to Juventus collapsed.
The 33-year-old Argentine has become a World Cup winner while playing for Aston Villa, and has twice been voted the world's best goalkeeper.
Yet as Villa prepare to start the new Premier League season at Brighton on Sunday, Martinez finds himself in limbo again, with his replacement about to arrive.
Zion Suzuki is due to join from Parma for about £30m to become Villa's new No 1, despite Martinez's move to Juventus collapsing.
Juve turned their attention to Tottenham's Guglielmo Vicario, who is moving on loan with a non-mandatory £8.6m option to purchase.

#villa

Tottenham have accepted a loan offer from Juventus for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, which includes an option to buy.
The Italy international, 29, is set to travel to Turin to complete a move back to Serie A, with a non-mandatory £8.6m purchase option included in the deal.
It follows Juventus' attempts to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, which has collapsed as Villa close in on signing Parma's Zion Suzuki.
Martinez was known to have an injured finger and is currently unavailable for selection.
Vicario, meanwhile, lost his place in the Spurs side under manager Roberto de Zerbi, who promoted understudy Antonin Kinsky to the role last season.

#vicario #option

Tottenham have reached an agreement to allow goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to sign for Juventus on a season-long loan, the Press ****** ociation understands.
Vicario had been in limbo all summer after he asked Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi to leave and return to his homeland following three years in north London.
Juventus emerged as Vicario's favoured option, but they first targeted a move for Emiliano Martinez and then Parma youngster Zion Suzuki.
However, after developments across the weekend, the Serie A club opened talks with Tottenham on Sunday and have wrapped up a season-long loan move with the option to buy the Italy international, PA understands.
De Zerbi gave the green light for Vicario to leave after Antonin Kinsky stepped up to guide the club away from relegation with a string of fine displays in the final seven matches of last season.

#vicario #season #juventus #long

Tottenham have accepted a loan offer from Juventus for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, which includes an option to buy.
The Italy international, 29, is set to travel to Turin to complete a move back to Serie A, with a non-mandatory £8.6m purchase option included in the deal.
It follows Juventus' attempts to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, which collapsed as the Italian club stepped up talks to sign Parma's Zion Suzuki.
Martinez was known to have an injured finger and is currently unavailable for selection.
Vicario, meanwhile, lost his place in the Spurs side under manager Roberto de Zerbi, who promoted understudy Antonin Kinsky to the role last season.

#italy #turin

Juventus resumed pursuing Emiliano Martinez after Aston Villa came to terms with Parma for Zion Suzuki, but the deal quickly collapsed, and then they reached an agreement for Guglielmo Vicario instead, Fabrizio Romano reports (via SOSFanta).
The Birmingham-based club had shown interest in the **** anese international earlier in the summer. They returned after PSG gave up the chase due to late issues with the commissions. The Premier League club quickly offered Parma the same amount of money.
Juventus tried to take advantage of the turn of events to sign Martinez, who was higher on their shortlist than Vicario. However, Aston Villa didn't reduce their demands, around €15M, despite securing a new goalie. Moreover, the Argentinian star is dealing with a lingering finger injury that might require surgery at some point.
The Bianconeri were always willing to offer at most €6/7M plus add-ons for the veteran. Upon further reflection, they moved on again and formally opened talks with Tottenham. The Italian international wanted to leave, as he's the third-stringer now. The Spurs didn't insist on an obligation to buy, so he's joining on loan with a €10M option. He's returning to Serie A after his performances at Empoli earned him a move to London.
It was worth a shot given the Suzuki U-turn. The fact that Aston Villa are spending big at the position raises more than a few eyebrows about the latter's conditions, and the terms were tough to stomach, given his age. Surely the Spurs outcast doesn't arrive under the best circumstances, as they probed several options while he was just sitting there, but he's still better than Michele Di Gregorio in a perennial funk.

#martinez #suzuki

St. Louis Cardinals rookie Joshua Baez made some baseball history on Saturday night in Chicago.
Baez, making his big-league debut, smacked the very first pitch he saw out of the park for a home run.
It was already a dream come true for the young slugger — everything you could wish and more out of your first time stepping up to the plate in the majors. Then he homered two more times.
With each successive home run, the excitement in the voice of Cardinals announcer Chip Caray rose, and by his third at-bat of the night, he was in just as much awe as the rest of us watching along at home.
"SWING, DRIVE, WELL HIT, RIGHT," said Caray as Baez lifted his third ball over the fence. "SUZUKI BACK. IT IS GONE! IT IS GONE! IT IS GONE! THREE HOMERS FOR BAEZ! MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY AT WRIGLEY FIELD!"

#baez

Aston Villa are moving with purpose in the goalkeeper market, with talkSPORT reporting that Zion Suzuki is now in advanced talks over a switch from Parma. The 23-year-old ***** an international has emerged as a serious target at Villa Park, at a time when fresh questions continue to surround Emi Martinez and his long-term future.
The timing is significant. Villa's interest in Suzuki has accelerated as Juventus revive their pursuit of Martinez, a goalkeeper who remains central to the club on paper, but whose situation appears more complicated behind the scenes. According to the report, Martinez had already informed Villa before the World Cup that he wanted to join Juventus, a development that naturally sharpens the focus on succession planning.
Suzuki had looked set for Paris Saint-Germain after the French side agreed a fee of around £29m with Parma. That move has now broken down. The reason, as reported, is that "a change in commissions surrounding the deal prompted PSG to withdraw." That collapse has opened the door for Villa, who are now pushing to take advantage.
Photo IMAGO
There is clear logic to the pursuit. Suzuki has built an impressive reputation since joining Parma in July 2024 and is widely viewed as one of the game's most promising young goalkeepers. Villa are effectively positioning themselves early for a player whose value and profile could rise further if he continues on this trajectory.

#villa #suzuki #juventus #zion

Aston Villa are in negotiations with Parma over a move for ***** an goalkeeper Zion Suzuki after his proposed transfer to Paris Saint-Germain fell through.
Villa have stepped up their pursuit of the 23-year-old, who had been close to joining the European champions in a deal worth around £29 million before the move collapsed on Saturday.
PSG and Parma had reportedly reached an agreement, but the French club withdrew after a dispute over transfer commissions. Suzuki is therefore now available again, with Villa emerging as a potential destination.
Suzuki has been at Parma since moving to Italy in July 2024 and has established himself as one of the country's most highly regarded young goalkeepers. His performances have also made him a regular for ***** an.
Villa's interest comes amid continued uncertainty surrounding Emiliano Martinez. Juventus have revived their interest in the Argentina international, who is understood to have wanted a move to Turin before the World Cup.

#aston

Aston Villa have made an approach to sign Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki after his failed move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Athletic claims that Villa are prepared to pay a fee in the region of £25 million for the 23-year-old ******* anese international.
PSG reportedly had an agreement with Parma, but the transfer fell through.
Villa have Suzuki on a list of targets which also includes RC Lens star Robin Risser. They potentially need a replacement for Emiliano Martinez, who wants to leave the club this summer.
Talks have resumed with Serie A giants Juventus for the transfer of the Argentina international, necessitating the move for Suzuki.

#villa #transfer #zion

Juventus are desperate to sign a new goalkeeper during this transfer window, and the Bianconeri have been working to ensure that happens as soon as possible. Their search has already taken several unexpected turns, leaving the club with limited options as the new season approaches.
When last season ended, Juventus quickly tried to sign Alisson Becker from Liverpool. They then turned their attention to Emi Martinez when it became clear that Alisson would not be allowed to leave Liverpool.
Aston Villa also refused to sell Martinez, forcing the Bianconeri to consider other options. Their attention then turned towards Zion Suzuki, whom they were also unable to sign directly from Parma.
Juventus wanted to bring Suzuki in on loan after he completed his move to PSG, but even that plan is now in doubt. The club have therefore turned their attention towards Guglielmo Vicario, whom they want to sign on loan from Tottenham.
Spurs would reportedly prefer to sell Vicario rather than loan him out, meaning that move also appears complicated from the outset. That is particularly concerning for Juventus, with the new season due to get underway in just a few days.

#sign #season #attention #martinez