All posts by h716a5.icu

Setting their sights on weakening their top four rivals ahead of next season, Aston Villa are now reportedly seriously interested in signing an attacking star who has already scored at Villa Park before.

Aston Villa still reeling from UCL disappointment

11 days on from their defeat against Manchester United which cost them Champions League qualification, Aston Villa will still be collecting themselves and wondering what might have been. Their first reaction, of course, was anger directed at PGMOL and referee Thomas Bramall. Those in the Midlands took aim at the decision to use the 35-year-old in such an important game after Morgan Rodgers’ effort was controversially ruled out.

The Villans released a statement on the matter not long after their fate was confirmed at Old Trafford, which read in part: “Aston Villa can confirm the club has written to the PGMOL to raise concerns over the selection process of match officials following today’s game with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Aston Villa now ready to offer major deal to sign £50m Mozambique winger

He could replace Marcus Rashford.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 4, 2025

“With such high stakes surrounding today’s fixture, the club believe a more experienced referee should have been appointed. Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League today, Mr. Bramall was the second least experienced.

“The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers’ goal, which would have given the club a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the match, was a major contributing factor to the club not qualifying for the Champions League.”

11 days on, that anger may have turned into major disappointment, but Villa must simply move on and turn their focus towards the transfer market. Already, their sporting director, Monchi, has reportedly set his sights on the likes of Lucas Chevalier and even a Premier League rival in a bid to improve Unai Emery’s side and weaken another.

Aston Villa seriously interested in Jackson

According to Simon Phillips, Aston Villa are now seriously interested in signing Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea this summer and face competition from the likes of Atletico Madrid in pursuit of the forward’s signature.

Having lost Jhon Duran in the January transfer window, the Villans have been without a natural backup for Ollie Watkins for the last six months but could finally solve that problem when the summer arrives. Villa Park have already had a glimpse of Jackson’s goalscoring prowess too, given that he scored at Villa Park in Chelsea’s 3-1 FA Cup win in the 2023/24 campaign.

The Senegal international has shown signs of his quality since then in the 2024/25 season, in which he scored 13 goals in all competitions and earned impressive praise from Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.

The Italian told reporters in November: “He is doing very well with us. Since we started, he has been open minded in what we ask him, and sometimes we require different things from him.

“He’s has an open mind and wants to learn and he’s doing very well, not just in goals and assists, but also the way he works off the ball. The way he presses, he is always aggressive and we are very happy.”

Liverpool are showing “concrete interest” in signing a hugely talented young player in the summer transfer window as FSG kick their summer plans into overdrive.

Fabrizio Romano: Liverpool "on fire" in summer transfer window

With Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez expected to join the Reds imminently, from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively, attention may now turn to a new striker, amid exit claims surrounding Darwin Nunez.

Liverpool have reportedly made an approach for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, seeing him as an alternative option to Eintracht Frankfurt marksman Hugo Ekitike. The Slovenian is also seen as a leading target for Arsenal, so the Premier League champions could be looking to swoop in ahead of them.

Another fresh face in the Reds’ midfield also wouldn’t go amiss before next season gets underway and Crystal Palace youngster Adam Wharton has been backed to move to Anfield. The England international is a hugely exciting player who also possesses so much maturity, and he could be perfect as a squad option to begin with.

Luis Diaz continues to be linked with a move away, with Barcelona mentioned plenty in recent weeks, and Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has been mentioned as a possible replacement.

Indeed, Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday evening that Liverpool are “on fire” and “busy” in the market, and it seems they’ve now turned their attentions to a youngster with massive potential.

"Here we go is coming" – Romano says Liverpool will sign two stars imminently

He is perfect for the Reds.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 16, 2025 Liverpool interested in signing £51m star

According to a fresh claim from Caught Offside, Liverpool have “concrete interest” in Southampton teenager Tyler Dibling this summer.

The 19-year-old is expected to leave Saints before the end of the window, following their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, and the Reds are one of many clubs keen on him. Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Manchester City all get a mention in the report, and he is valued above £50m.

Dibling looks like an outstanding prospect, having stood out as a rare positive in a dreadful 2024/25 season for Southampton, scoring four goals and registering two assists in all competitions.

An aesthetically-pleasing player to watch, the Englishman has a lovely ability to glide across the turf and create with his left foot, with Danny Murphy not holding back in his praise for him last December.

“It is difficult to get too over the top with these young players, because he has just come on to the scene, but he is going to be something special. It is great for him getting all these minutes at Southampton. They are giving him the freedom to play and giving him time to learn the game. He is just enjoying himself and he is playing with a real belief in himself. He is just instrumental in this team.”

Better than Ekitike: Liverpool make approach to sign "the new Haaland"

Liverpool could be about to forget about Hugo Ekitike with a move for another talisman.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 16, 2025

Granted, Dibling wouldn’t be a cheap signing, and he would have to bide his time before becoming a regular, but he has the tools to grow into an elite footballer, proving to be adept at shining in his preferred right-sided role or as a No.10.

The season may have only come to an end a few weeks ago, but silly season is in full effect, and it looks set to be a big one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side ended up finishing second in the Premier League for the third campaign on the bounce this year, and that failure to become champions appears to have motivated the club to get busy in the market.

For example, after much confusion over a supposed hijack from Real Madrid, David Ornstein reaffirmed Martin Zubimendi’s imminent move to North London, and after missing out on Joan Garcia, Andrea Berta and Co appear to have secured the services of Kepa Arrizabalaga for just £5m – which is undeniably great business for a second choice goalkeeper.

However, what most Arsenal fans want more than anything else this summer is a new striker, and the most likely candidate at the moment is Benjamin Sesko, although if he does join the club, he’ll have a valuation substantially lower than one of his competitors for game time.

Why Arsenal want Sesko

So, based on reports from the last few weeks, it appears that the price Arsenal will have to pay for Sesko will be around £67m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The question is, then, is he worth such an outlay? Yes, yes, he is.

The first reason why is that, as he’s only just turned 22 years old, there is still so much room for him to further develop, and under Arteta’s tutelage, there is no reason he couldn’t get better and better.

Secondly, the former Salzburg gem is the perfect combination of physical and technical attributes for a modern striker.

For example, he’s 6 foot 5 and able to hit speeds of 35.69 km/h while also being great with the ball at his feet, with FBref placing him in the top 8% of forwards in the Bundesliga for percentage of successful take-ons and the top 11% for outright successful take-ons, all per 90.

Finally, on top of that, the Radeče-born poacher is already producing a decent number of goal involvements, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 games across all competitions this season.

In all, Sesko looks like he’ll be more than worth the fee being reported, and yet even then, his valuation is far lower than that of one of his potential new teammates at Arsenal.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Sesko

While they are yet to get over the line in any competition, this Arsenal team is stacked with brilliant players, from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka to William Saliba and Martin Odegaard.

However, in this case, the player worth millions more than Sesko is someone who can sometimes divide opinion among fans and pundits alike: Kai Havertz.

Yes, whatever you may think of the German international, he was valued at an astounding €130m by the CIES Football Observatory earlier this year, which converts to around £110m, or about £43m more than the reported price of Sesko.

Appearances

36

45

Goals

15

21

Assists

5

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.55

0.60

Now, that might seem a little unfair on the Slovenian ace, especially as he has a marginally better average of 0.60 goal involvements per game to Havertz’s 0.55, but in defence of the Gunners’ ace, he is playing in statistically the toughest league in world football and did miss most of the second half of the season through injury.

Moreover, when we take a look under the hood and at their respective underlying numbers from this season, we see that the former Chelsea ace comes out on top.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.57

0.40

Progressive Passes

2.93

1.74

Progressive Passes Received

5.43

5.34

Progressive Carries

1.68

1.78

Shots

2.54

2.50

Shots on Target

1.01

1.10

Passing Accuracy

78.4%

67.6%

Key Passes

0.82

0.72

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.43

0.34

Passes into the Final Third

1.30

0.95

Shot-Creating Actions

2.02

1.93

Goal-Creating Actions

0.14

0.34

For example, the “magnificent” dynamo, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, does far better in most relevant metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, shot-creating actions, passing accuracy, key passes and more, all per 90.

Finally, it’s also worth noting that the Aachen-born international has spent some time in midfield and will likely play many more games there next season should the Leipzig star arrive.

Ultimately, Sesko would be a fantastic signing, and it looks like he has the raw materials to be truly special, but Arsenal fans shouldn’t forget that they’ve already got a brilliant attacker in Havertz.

He's like Mbappe: Arsenal submit offer to sign £68m "powerhouse"

The prolific international would be a sensational and game-changing signing for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 11, 2025

While Bangladesh have assembled an attack of enviable depth and variety, their batters have rarely given them any sort of cushion

Shashank Kishore21-Jun-20241:21

Kumble: India unlikely to change Kohli-Rohit partnership

Big picture – India reap benefits of Hardik’s balancing actBangladesh will fight to stay alive in the T20 World Cup 2024 when they take on India in their second Super Eight clash in Antigua. The turnaround time from their loss on Thursday night to Australia is short, but at least they wouldn’t have had to hop islands, like India, who arrived hours after convincingly beating Afghanistan in Barbados.Twice in two games now, India have relied on Suryakumar Yadav to steer them out of a wobble. There’s growing pressure, even if not entirely from within the team, on Shivam Dube to come good as the spin enforcer. And against a quality spin attack, Saturday will possibly be another stern test.Related

SKY shows no limit with response to Afghanistan assignment

Diffident Bangladesh's night of horrors in Antigua

For long, Bangladesh have relied on their plethora of left-arm spinners to do the job on slow and low wickets. Now they have an attack with variety, and two trump cards in Mustafizur Rahman and the legspinner Rishad Hossain. Yet, they will be the first to admit the batters haven’t given their magicians enough of a cushion so far in the tournament.That task may get that much tougher against India as they’ll come up against Jasprit Bumrah and an in-form Arshdeep Singh. India are also deriving the joys of having a fully-fit Hardik Pandya giving them the flexibility needed to play either a third seamer or a third spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. So Bangladesh’s batters have their task cut out.Beyond the match-ups, there’s always the extra edge this rivalry has gained in recent times. It all began at the 2015 World Cup with a debatable no-ball call that had all of Bangladesh up in arms. Then Mustafizur-Dhoni happened. The drama spilled over into the 2016 T20 World Cup in Bengaluru and peaked during the Nidahas Trophy in 2018.1:08

Kumble: India would like Dube to take down Rishad

Since then, every meeting has had something riding on it, and as much as the players may say they’re insulated from the “noise”, the passionate fans from both sides have ensured this rivalry has assumed massive significance.Saturday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium will be no different.Form guideIndia WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWLWIn the spotlight – Jadeja and TanzidThe most Ravindra Jadeja has bowled in a single game so far at this World Cup is three overs against Afghanistan – when he took his only wicket of the tournament so far – and he wasn’t needed with the ball altogether in one of India’s four completed games. And he’s batted twice, for scores of 0 and 7 in his two outings. While there’s no imminent threat to his place, Jadeja will like one complete performance heading into the business end of the tournament.Since he struck an unbeaten 58 to help Bangladesh prevent a 3-0 whitewash against USA late last month, Tanzid Hasan has got into double digits just twice in six innings, and made ducks in his two most recent innings. Bangladesh’s top-order wobbles have often led them into wicket-preservation mode going into the death overs, reducing their potential for big totals. Can he come good against a gun attack?Team news – Soumya Sarkar an option for BangladeshIndia had an optional session on Friday morning. There’s little reason to tweak their combination, which includes three spinners. Mohammed Siraj is likely to remain on the bench.India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rishabh Pant (wk), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Jasprit Bumrah3:38

Tamim – Shakib is Bangladesh’s best player, should bat at No. 3 or 4

Tanzid Hasan’s form is a concern, but Bangladesh’s only other batting option is Soumya Sarkar, whose form hasn’t been promising either.Bangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanzim Hasan, 11 Mustafizur RahmanStats and trivia – Rohit vs Mustafizur in focus Rohit Sharma has been dismissed nine times by left-arm quicks in all T20s in 2024. All his three dismissals at this T20 World Cup have come against this variety of bowler. Bangladesh could look to exploit that weakness through Mustafizur, but Rohit has a good record against him: 122 runs in 72 balls in all T20s at a strike rate of 169.44, while being dismissed three times. Shakib is one wicket away from becoming the first player to pick up 50 in T20 World Cups. He also needs just two more to become the second player, after Tim Southee, to reach 150 T20I wickets. Despite playing just 10 games at the T20 World Cup, Arshdeep Singh is already India’s joint-third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament behind R Ashwin and Jadeja and alongside Hardik, with 20 wickets at a strike rate of 10.8. Quotes”I don’t think anyone talks much about Bumrah’s bowling. He has an idea of what to do and what not to do.”
“It is said to everyone that they should play with freedom. But they are trying to play according to their own plans. Why is it not happening? As I said earlier, I don’t know this personally. But if we play like this then it’s difficult for the bowlers to defend it.”

Manchester United’s transfer activity this summer could define Ruben Amorim’s tenure in charge at Old Trafford, subsequently needing to make a quick start to the 2025/26 campaign.

The 40-year-old is set to have a bumper budget to spend to improve his squad this window, with the hierarchy set to back him in his quest to take them back to their former glory.

It’s evident after the Red Devils’ 15th-placed Premier League finish this season that an overhaul is needed, with key work already commencing during the transfer window.

The departures of Jonny Evans, Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof have all been confirmed, freeing up needed money on the wage bill to allow for new investments.

It remains to be seen how much money Amorim will have at his disposal, but it appears as though he’s set to spend big in his hunt for success at the Theatre of Dreams.

The latest on United’s hunt for new signings this window

Work has rapidly been done within United’s attacking department, with PSG’s Gonçalo Ramos being a name mentioned over a move to join the Red Devils, with the French side open to his departure.

They’ve also made progress on a deal for Juventus star Dušan Vlahović, with talks being held with the Serie A outfit over a potential deal for the Serbian international.

However, despite the work being conducted elsewhere, the club appear to be extremely close to landing a deal for Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook.

He’s reported that Amorim’s side are on the verge of signing the 25-year-old attacker after they made their latest bid in the region of £60m earlier this week.

Crook also confirms that talks are progressing nicely between the two clubs, with only minor details needing to be ironed out before a deal is agreed.

Why Mbeumo would be a better signing than Cunha for United

Earlier this summer, Matheus Cunha completed his move to join United after being firmly on their radar for many months after his success at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian joined in a £62.5m deal after registering 15 goals and six assists for Vitor Pereira’s side in the Premier League throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

His versatility, being able to operate in an attacking midfield role or centre forward role, makes him an excellent fit for Amorim’s system, hopefully being a player who can catapult them to future success.

Cunha’s experience in England could prove to be vital in their ambitions next campaign, but he will need added reinforcements within the final third if the Red Devils are to take a step in the right direction.

However, he could be about to land just that in a move for Mbeumo in the coming days, with the Cameroonian showcasing his talents in England’s top-flight this season.

When comparing the pair’s respective figures from this season, the Brentford star has massively outperformed Cunha in various key areas – highlighting why he would be a better addition.

Mbeumo, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, has registered more goals and achieved a better shot on target accuracy rate, demonstrating his clinical ability within the final third.

Games played

38

33

Goals & assists

27

21

Shot on target accuracy

43%

40%

Goal per shot on target

0.4

0.3

Take-on success

47%

44%

Carries into final third

2

1.4

Crosses completed

5.3

4.9

Aerials won

32%

31%

He’s also completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted, whilst posting more carries into the box per 90, showcasing the direct nature he possesses with the ball at his feet.

The Cameroonian’s dominance doesn’t end there, completing more crosses and winning more aerials per 90, handing Amorim an all-round dangerous option in attacking areas.

Should the deal be completed in the coming days, it would certainly improve the options currently at the manager’s disposal, something which he’s greatly craved as of late.

The prospect of Mbeumo and Cunha linking up together is certainly an exciting one, handing the club the platform to build on ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

He's perfect for Mbeumo: Wilcox opens talks to sign £35m star for Man Utd

Manchester United could be about to make a move for another young gem this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 25, 2025

It would be fair to say that the transfer window is shaping up to be one of Arsenal’s most dramatic for some time.

After weeks of little to no noticeable progress on the recruitment front, the Gunners burst into life a couple of weeks ago and have now announced the signing of backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and midfield metronome Martin Zubimendi.

Moreover, the links to Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo refuse to go away, and the club have reportedly been in talks with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

However, perhaps the most exciting development of all concerns the saga surrounding Viktor Gyokeres, although it also appears that Arsenal are keen to land an international ace with whom the Swede would love to play.

Arsenal moving to sign brilliant Gyokeres partner

Following yet another campaign in which they came close but failed to win a trophy, it was clear that a new centre-forward had to be one of Arsenal’s primary targets this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For a long time, it looked like RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko was going to be that forward, but with the German outfit reportedly demanding at least €90m, which is about £78m, the Gunners turned to another of their options: Gyokeres.

It now looks like a deal for the Swedish goal machine is a matter of time, as personal terms have already been agreed, and the Sporting CP star has even agreed to forgo €2m of his salary to help move things along.

As if that wasn’t enough to get excited about, it now looks like the North Londoners are also making progress towards another attacking signing, an international who Gyokeres will surely love playing with: Noni Madueke.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are incredibly interested in the Chelsea ace.

The Italian journalist reaffirms claims that the Gunners have an “agreement” with the Englishman, and that even though there is a difference in valuation between the two clubs, they’re now “set to make the first bid” for him “at any moment.”

In terms of price, it appears that the Blues value the former PSV Eindhoven gem at around £50m.

While it might not be the transfer some fans were hoping for, Madueke has the ability and potential to become something special for Arsenal, and a brilliant teammate for Gyokeres at that.

Why Gyokeres will love playing with Madueke

There are really two reasons why Gyokeres would love playing in a team with Madueke, and the most important is his style of play.

From looking at his heatmap for Sporting last season, and the areas in which he scores his goals, we can see that, at his best, the free-scoring Swede really is the archetypal penalty box poacher.

Therefore, if the Gunners are going to get the most out of him next season, they will need to get the ball to him when he’s in dangerous situations, and there are two ways of doing so in open play: passing it up the pitch and carrying it there.

While Martin Odegaard will be tasked with doing the former, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Chelsea star is truly world-class at the latter.

Don’t just take our word for it, though, as FBref ranked him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, while also ranking him in the top 7% for total progressive carrying distance, all per 90.

Progressive Carries

6.82

Top 1%

Carries into Penalty Area

4.12

Top 1%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.04

Top 4%

Touches (Att Pen)

8.15

Top 4%

Non-Penalty xG

0.43

Top 6%

Shots Total

3.54

Top 7%

Progressive Carrying Distance

154.28

Top 7%

Shots on Target

1.33

Top 8%

In other words, the tricky Englishman is a simply outrageous carrying “monster,” as dubbed by personal coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, and could therefore be a key cog in the machine that feeds the former Coventry star chance after chance.

Moreover, the second reason the Swede could love playing with the “fearless” winger, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is that his output wasn’t too bad at all last season.

Excluding the Club World Cup, the seven-capped international played 2449 minutes of football across all competitions, in which he scored 11 goals and provided five assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 153.06 minutes, and suggests that in a better team, alongside a more effective striker, he could do much better.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to overhaul their attack this summer, and bringing in Gyokeres and Madueke is a fantastic way to start.

Talks open: Arsenal submit offer to sign "standout" 17 y/o after Zubimendi

The midfielder is the Gunners’ second summer signing.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 7, 2025

Game against Worcestershire in the balance heading into day two

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2024Ben Stokes top-scored with his first half-century of the season as 23 wickets fell on a day full of drama in the Vitality County Championship match between Durham and Worcestershire at Seat Unique Riverside.Stokes made 56 in a welcome return to form for the home side in their innings of 190, but Nathan Smith impressed for the visitors by claiming figures of 4 for 36, while Ben Allison and Matthew Waite notched three and two wickets apiece.Worcestershire looked to be making steady inroads in their reply at 71 for 2 but lost their final eight wickets for 41 runs as Matthew Potts claimed 4 for 29 to bolster his credentials for selection in the first Test of the summer.Durham entered their second innings with a 78-run lead, but lost three quick wickets, only extending their lead to 111 at the close.Worcestershire made the most out of advantageous conditions after winning the toss at a gloomy Chester-le-Street. Smith found his line and length immediately to pin Durham captain Scott Borthwick lbw with the fifth ball of the innings. Tom Taylor followed suit with a full length to find Colin Ackermann’s outside edge as Gareth Roderick claimed a fine diving catch in front of first slip.Division One’s form player David Bedingham responded with a flurry of crunching boundaries, highlighting his pristine touch at the crease. The South Africa international reached 21 before making a rare lapse of judgement, leaving a hooping Ben Allison delivery that crashed into his off-stump. Alex Lees took the attack to Matthew Waite’s first over, scoring two boundaries, but the bowler won the duel as the Durham opener became the fourth wicket of the session.Ollie Robinson and Stokes stemmed the tide of wickets with a stand worth 46. After being overlooked for the England Test squad, Robinson produced another classy innings, finding the off-side boundary with ease. He made his way to 35 and looked well set to add another score of fifty-plus to his tally, only to fall to a cracking inswinger from the returning Smith before lunch.Stokes upped the ante after lunch, chancing his arm with booming drives down the wicket. The England skipper did have the odd element of fortune, but still worked his way to a timely half-century from 73 balls ahead of the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. However, Allison returned with a short ball that Stokes’ gloved behind on an attempted hook to fall for 56.Durham’s innings unravelled after his departure courtesy of Smith and Allison to dismiss the hosts 10 shy of 200.Potts made early inroads into the Worcestershire line-up by removing Roderick for nine, but the visitors made quick runs against the new ball to put Durham’s bowlers under pressure.Borthwick turned to Stokes for inspiration and his introduction into the attack should have brought a wicket from his first ball, but Libby was dropped by Bas de Leede at point. Undeterred Stokes found Libby’s outside edge from the following delivery and Lees claimed a routine catch at third slip.Kashif Ali defied Stokes and Peter Siddle in difficult conditions as the bad light halted play for 30 minutes. The break favoured the home side as the Worcestershire batting ranks collapsed from 71 for 2 to 112 all out.Siddle started the rout by dismissing Rob Jones and Adam Hose before Ben Raine pinned Ethan Brookes lbw. Potts then took centre stage in his second spell, tearing through the lower order, including Taylor and Smith in successive deliveries.Amir Virdi survived the hat-trick ball and his resistance allowed Kashif Ali to bring up his fifty with six over the leg-side boundary before the he was final wicket to fall to Raine.Batting didn’t get any easier in the sunny twilight as Lees, Borthwick and Clark all fell for the hosts with Smith and Taylor amongst the wickets once more with the game very much in the balance heading into day two.

Chelsea are the champions of the world. Before the final against Paris Saint-Germain, rivals all across England and beyond laughed at the thought of Enzo Maresca beating this unbeatable super-team.

But beat them Chelsea did, in fact dismantling the Parisians 3-0 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. PSG, having won the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, were firm favourites, but they were brushed aside by an incisive and energetic Blues side.

Not a bad maiden campaign, all told, for Maresca, whose side will now rest ahead of a new term which promises so much.

Who was it, then, who inspired the Londoners to victory? Who else?

Cole Palmer, once again on the biggest stage, stood up when his team needed a talisman.

Cole Palmer's show-stopping performance vs PSG

Crowned the Player of the Tournament after notching three goals and two assists across six matches – all of which came in the knockout stage – Palmer has proved that class is permanent with some stunning showings.

His first-half brace against Luis Enrique’s side was dispatched in typically cool fashion, with all that was could running through the Three Lions superstar.

Palmer, 23, is unquestionably Chelsea’s main man, also assisting Chelsea’s conclusive strike.

We’ve seen many times Palmer’s ability to channel some level of performance possible only through the boots of a select few geniuses across the globe, but there’s another who has the potential to become something special for the Stamford Bridge side, and he showed as much against PSG.

In fact, he’s demonstrating the properties which suggest he could be Maresca’s own version of one Didier Drogba.

Maresca has found Chelsea's new Drogba

Chelsea signed a certain Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £60m deal a few weeks ago, and it’s been quite the whirlwind start to this new chapter of his career.

Aged 23, Pedro is one of the most talented developing forwards in Europe, and Chelsea must feel they have hit the jackpot already, with his confident efforts in the United States certainly emitting a Drogba-esque sense.

He collected and converted Palmer’s pass with a deft dink to put the scoreline beyond PSG’s reach, a goal that Drogba in his pomp would have been proud of. It was audacious, just as the Ivorian was throughout much of his time in west London.

As a result of his efforts in the final, The London Standard awarded him with an 8/10 match rating, praising his tenacity and intelligent running to outfox the opposing backline.

Minutes played

36′

60′

67′

Goals

0

2

1

Assists

0

0

0

Touches

23

25

35

Shots (on target)

2 (1)

3 (2)

1 (1)

Accurate passes

11/13 (85%)

7/12 (58%)

12/18 (67%)

Key passes

2

0

1

Dribbles

2/2

0/1

1/5

Tackles + interceptions

0

1

2

Duels won

3/6

3/9

3/12

Clinical, energetic and willing to get stuck in, Pedro has already showcased his blend of artful quality, his sharp technicality, and indeed a focus on the defensive side of the game that is reminiscent of Drogba in his Chelsea prime.

Luiz Felipe Scolari once called the Ivorian striker “one of the best in the world” during his time at Chelsea, owing to his big-game ability, work rate and robust passing game.

Pedro’s got a long way to go before he establishes a reputation of similar proportions as a Blue, but he’s off to a flyer, embodying many of those aforementioned virtues across the past week or so.

Chelsea have earned themselves a well-deserved rest ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. Maresca, indeed, has bagged two pieces of silverware and a spot in next year’s Champions League proper.

We’ve had a taste of Pedro’s quality in the final third, and though big-money strikers haven’t always made it work in Blue, this combative and complete Brazilian might just prove to be a reincarnation of Drogba.

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Sussex spinner takes nine in the match but hosts get over the line to close gap at top of Division Two

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Yorkshire dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s on a four-wicket Vitality County Championship victory over Division Two pacesetters Sussex at Scarborough during the fourth morning to boost their hopes of promotion.Resuming on 28 for 2 from 10 overs in pursuit of 103, the home side clinched a 21-point haul in exactly an hour’s play despite losing four wickets to offspinner Jack Carson.Opener Adam Lyth top-scored with 40 as Yorkshire claimed their third successive Championship victory dating back to June, consigning the league leaders to only a second defeat in 10 matches this season. The excellent Carson claimed his four consolatory wickets to finish with a career-best 9 for 120 in the match.Yorkshire started this fixture in third, 27 points behind Sussex, but are now only nine adrift with four rounds remaining.The White Rose county have won three Championship matches in a row for the first time since the early stages of 2021 when they beat Kent and Sussex away and Northamptonshire at Headingley.Upon clinching victory, Yorkshire moved to second in the in-play Division Two table – but dropped back to third after Middlesex beat Northamptonshire at Merchant Taylors’ School.Yorkshire and Middlesex face each other at Headingley from Thursday. Sussex, meanwhile, host Derbyshire at Hove next as they look to bounce back from a first defeat since May.Lyth set the tone in the day’s third over when he took back-to-back boundaries off Jaydev Unadkat’s left-arm seam – one flicked to fine-leg and the other cut through backward point.He then pulled Carson over midwicket and cut Ollie Robinson over backward point for sixes in the following two overs, taking the score to 59 for 2. The writing was on the wall for Sussex.They actually started the day minus three on the over rate, with counties deducted a point for each over they are behind the rate.So it was no surprise to see Carson employed early by captain John Simpson in a bid to speed things up. Realistically, improving that was their main target for the day, and they achieved it.Although Lyth led the way, he was importantly helped out by nightwatcher Dan Moriarty, who contributed 17 to a third-wicket partnership of 51. They came together at 18 for 2 late on day three and extinguished Sussex’s slim hopes of a turnaround.Moriarty, Yorkshire’s regular No. 11, was lbw to Carson – 69 for 3 – before the same bowler had Lyth caught behind down leg at the second attempt by Simpson with a further seven runs added to the total.Carson also trapped James Wharton lbw to bring Jonny Bairstow to the crease with only eight to win, and he holed out to deep midwicket for a two-ball duck. Yorkshire captain Jonny Tattersall hit the winning runs.

Liverpool haven’t pulled their punches in the transfer market this summer, and Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are still planning to throw a few more haymakers before the window slams shut.

Having won the Premier League with ease last summer, some might have felt the Reds should have kept their title-winning squad together, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold now playing for Real Madrid and Luis Diaz on the cusp of signing for Bayern Munich, a £65.5m deal agreed, change is afoot.

And the Merseysiders have, of course, been busy with incomings. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong make a new wide duo; Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will redefine Liverpool’s frontline.

Giorgi Mamardashvili’s red gloves are on, one year after a £29m package was agreed with Valencia for their fast-rising shot-stopper.

However, despite Wirtz, 22, signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m fee, Liverpool are primed to smash the record which they set only one month ago, with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak in FSG’s sights.

Why Liverpool want to sign Alexander Isak

The potential for Isak to complete the attacking set remains. It would be quite a thing, and has left many of Liverpool’s rivals incredulous. But the finances are there and if Darwin Nunez is sold, this dream could become a reality.

Napoli pulled out of their bid for the Uruguayan due to financial differences between the two clubs, but he still has suitors over in the Saudi Pro League and is open to getting on the flight to the Gulf nation.

Isak, it goes without saying, would stand as a significant upgrade. After all, due to his 27-goal campaign with the Magpies, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher declared him to be “the best striker in the Premier League right now.”

While Isak is ostensibly Diaz’s replacement, the Colombian is typically a high-speed wide player, only used by Slot last year as a makeshift striker due to the likes of Nunez flattering to deceive.

With this in mind, Liverpool might need another left-sided forward too.

Liverpool in for new winger

According to Spanish reports, Liverpool are preparing a mammoth bid for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who is anticipated to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after falling down in Xabi Alonso’s estimation, only starting one Club World Cup match.

Rodrygo, 24, would cost around €120m (£104m) to sign, but Los Blancos are indeed open to selling. Liverpool are putting a formal proposal together but Arsenal are also keen on the Brazilian.

Liverpool have also had Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon on their shortlist, but it’s highly unlikely Eddie Howe would grant his departure along with Isak, having priced the Three Lions star at £100m.

Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo

Rodrygo is quite the player, and he ticks a lot of boxes for Slot’s Liverpool side. The Reds head coach demands fluidity and dynamism from his forwards, and he wants them to work hard too.

Rodrygo, hailed for his work-rate and selflessness by pundit Thierry Henry last season, would fit right in, especially as he yearns for more football on the left flank, as opposed to the right-hand side he has so often been deployed on under Carlo Ancelotti’s wing.

The right-footed has a wide span of skills to inflict damage on defenders, but his sharp goalscoring ability is an admirable thing, having been described by journalist Sam Tighe for having a “terrifyingly good” eye for the back of the net.

Playing him on the side which he favours, naturally, would elevate his performances. Slot will know this.

Right winger

29

7

4

Left winger

12

6

6

Centre-forward

8

0

0

Slot will also know that Rodrygo could be deadly alongside Isak at number nine, with his dangerous goalscoring ability only one string to his bow, ranked as he was last season among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 21% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

Even coming off a ‘bad’ year, Rodrygo shone as one of the game’s finest forwards, certainly proving himself to be the “world-class superstar” that former teammate Luka Modric has said he is.

His big-game mentality attests to that, and in this way, he could help settle Isak by being his next Gordon, who shall remain at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle signed Gordon from Everton for £45m in January 2023, and he’s made the steady progress toward renown as one of the Premier League’s most talented wide forwards, with Bruno Guimaraes hailing his “unbelievable” ability to bring all the aspects of his game together.

Though Cody Gakpo is a fine player for Liverpool, Gordon plays the out-and-out role of a winger, and that’s something that Rodrygo can do too, even though he’s an excellent goalscorer.

In this way, Rodrygo could prove to be Isak’s dream partner, maximising Slot’s chances of winning the biggest prizes next year.

Gordon has even said that the Sweden striker is “the best in Europe”, when asked about what it is like to combine with him.

The English talent has become quite the player over the past several years, and he would be a credit to Slot’s side.

Across his two full campaigns at Newcastle, the 24-year-old has scored 22 goals and supplied 17 assists across all competitions. Quite an interesting balance of output.

Well, Rodrygo can match that, and actually eclipse both modes of direct involvement. Liverpool could do far worse than sign the Real Madrid mainstay this summer, who would effectively replace Diaz while bearing the specific qualities to create a wonderful partnership with Isak.

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The Reds could lose a key man.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 26, 2025