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Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, amid a new update on his future at the San Siro.

Villa’s interest in a new forward comes amid doubts over both Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, with the former failing to hit the ground running since arriving on loan in the summer, being unable to register a goal or assist in his opening eight matches in all competitions.

Elliott, on the other hand, hasn’t received any game time in the Premier League since the end of September, with transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealing the attacking midfielder could be set to return to Anfield, saying: “Aston Villa does seem to be having second thoughts on potentially making that long deal permanent as well.

“There’s a possibility he returns to Anfield in the January window if he’s not going to figure in Unai Emery’s plans going forward.”

As such, if the Villans are to remain in the hunt for the European places, Emery may want to bolster his attacking options this winter, and a new target has now been identified…

Aston Villa now fighting Man Utd for Christian Pulisic

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of Pulisic, and view the American as an ideal addition to the squad, given that they are looking to bring in a versatile forward.

The 27-year-old is able to play both through the middle and out wide, which is what has alerted Villa, but there is a possibility he remains at the San Siro, with it being revealed that AC Milan have already opened talks over a new contract.

The Milan star’s agent is already ‘handling offers’ and awaiting a decision about where he would like to play next, with a move to Villa Park potentially attractive, given that he would be likely to receive regular first-team football.

The former Chelsea man has managed to establish himself as an important player for AC Milan, and his performances over the past year have been very impressive, placing in the 86th percentile for non-penalty goals and assists per 90, when compared to his positional peers.

Although Milan underperformed last season, finishing eighth in Serie A, the USA international remained a reliable source of goals and assists in all competitions.

Christian Pulisic’s output in 2024-25

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

34

22

Champions League

9

5

Italian Super Cup

2

2

The versatile forward, who has scored 32 goals for the USA, has also been lauded by journalist Jacob Schneider, who described him as “sensational” on X.

Pulisic has clearly taken his game to the next level in the Serie A, so he could be a real statement signing for Aston Villa, but the competition from Man United could pose a problem.

Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP after making offer

The Villans have made an approach for a new forward, but there could be major competition from their Premier League rivals.

ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2024Update: This poll has ended. VVS Laxman’s performance goes into the quarter-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdVVS Laxman’s maiden Test ton was the first of many special innings against Australia•AFP via Getty Images

VVS Laxman – 167 in Sydney, 2000

Australia win by an innings and 141 runs, and won the series 3-0After heavy defeats in Adelaide and Melbourne, India were running on fumes by the time the final Test began at the SCG. VVS Laxman wasn’t meant to open in Australia but the lack of viable options meant he had to perform a role he didn’t particularly enjoy.Up until Sydney, Sachin Tendulkar was the only Indian batter to have shown fight on the tour, but after India capitulated once again in the first innings, Laxman let rip. A blow to the helmet from Glenn McGrath was the trigger that made him play like he had nothing to lose.A maiden Test hundred off just 114 balls, full of gloriously languid drives and flicks that rivalled the watching Mark Waugh’s repertoire, grew into an innings of 167 with 27 boundaries. As he walked off the field to applause from the Australians on the field and in the stands, it was just the start of Laxman’s very, very special love affair with Australia.By Shashank KishoreWatch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from October 25 onwards.Ajinkya Rahane led India’s turnaround from the front in Melbourne•Darrian Traynor/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Ajinkya Rahane – 112 in Melbourne, 2020

India win by 8 wickets to level the series 1-1India would come to wear 36 all out like a badge, but imagine the scene of the immediate aftermath. They had collapsed to their lowest-ever total and let a promising position slip in the first Test of a tour already complicated by Covid-19 restrictions and injuries to key players. Now their captain Virat Kohli was going home too on paternal leave. In his place, India would be led by Ajinkya Rahane, a man under a bit of pressure, having contributed significantly to Kohli’s first-innings run-out, one of the turning points in Adelaide.India turned it around spectacularly at the MCG, and Rahane was a central figure. His captaincy was a key ingredient – he was part of a leadership group that decided India would strengthen their bowling rather than their batting in Kohli’s absence – but his most decisive contribution came with the bat.After India had dismissed Australia for 195 on Boxing Day, Rahane walked in at 61 for 2, which quickly became 64 for 3. His technique was under question after a second-innings duck in Adelaide, but he showed immense trust in his methods while soaking up early pressure, scoring just four off his first 30 balls, before his confidence and rhythm began to shine through. The bowling and the conditions were never less than challenging, but a shot of startling crispness – none crisper than the square-cut off Pat Cummins that brought up his century – would ever so often interrupt long periods of soft-hands defence. With Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja building defiant partnerships with him, Rahane went on to score a series-turning 112 that helped India take a decisive 131-run lead in the first innings of a famous victory.By Karthik Krishnaswamy

Having retired hurt on the first day, Pant came out on the second morning, hit Archer for a six, completed his fifty and helped India cross 350

Sidharth Monga24-Jul-2025

Rishabh Pant scored 17 runs batting with a fractured foot•Associated Press

Rishabh Pant shocked everyone by coming out to bat with a broken foot and extending his overnight retired-hurt score of 37 to 54.During this unexpected extension of his innings, he hit his 90th six in Test cricket to go level with Virender Sehwag, India’s highest six-hitter in Test cricket. It took Sehwag 103 Tests to do so; this was Pant’s only 47th Test. Pant went on to get to his fifty with a block with no follow-through that raced along the floor to the cover boundary.Pant injured his right foot during the final session of the first day when, while trying to reverse-sweep Chris Woakes, he ended up playing the full toss onto his boot. He went down in seemingly unbearable pain immediately, and when he removed his sock, it revealed an egg-sized lump.Pant had to be carted off the field in a golf-style buggy, and he went straight for scans. The BCCI is yet to confirm the results of the scans, but ESPNcricinfo understands that he has a fracture and that he is out of the final Test.Related

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Pant suffers foot fracture, set to miss remainder of series

Dhruv Jurel will keep wicket for the rest of the Manchester Test, but it was anticipated that Pant would bat only if India needed him desperately.However, Pant was seen in his whites as Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar added 48 for the sixth wicket. Just before lunch on day two, with the score 314 for 6 in conditions where 350 is being seen as above par, Pant walked out to a big applause. He was still in pain, couldn’t do much more than hobble through for his runs, but he hung around for long enough to have 35 runs added while he was at the wicket.During his extended innings, Pant was involved in the running 14 of singles. Once he lost Washington, Pant picked up a slower ball from Jofra Archer and smacked a pull for six before bringing up his fifty. Archer had to produce the unplayable ball – angling in from round the wicket, seaming away, hitting top of off – to get rid of Pant.

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