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da dobrowin： Thomas Frank has a huge task on his hands next season if he is to transform the situation at Tottenham Hotspur after the club’s form in England’s top flight.

da poker： The Lilywhites finished the season in 17th place in the Premier League last time around, losing 22 times in the process – leading to Ange Postecoglou’s subsequent dismissal in North London.

However, the side’s Europa League triumph against Manchester United in Bilbao is evidence of the levels they can reach, needing to use such an achievement as a springboard into 2025/26.

Frank will need to be backed by the hierarchy in his quest, needing to make key changes to his squad he desires to push them back towards a top five finish in the near future.

The Dane has showcased at Brentford he’s able to thrive in the Premier League, hoping to do so again across the capital as he wastes no time in making moves in the market.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new attackers this summer

Wingers have been high up on their list in recent weeks, with Spurs strongly linked with a move to land Bryan Mbeumo, securing a return between the player and the manager.

However, he looks set to make a move to Manchester United this window, leading to West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus also emerging as a potential option.

Whilst the aforementioned duo have been on their radar, progress appears to have been made on a deal to land Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, according to one Spanish outlet.

Their report claims that Frank’s side are set to make a £65m bid to land the 25-year-old this window after 11 goals and five assists in the league this campaign.

It also confirms that the Cherries aren’t prepared to lose another one of their star players, but the Lilywhites are confident they can secure a move for his signature this window.

Why Semenyo would be Frank’s next Solanke

Striker Dominic Solanke joined in a £65m deal from the same club last summer, with the English international seen as the heir to Harry Kane after his departure 12 months prior.

The 27-year-old managed to score 16 times in his 45 appearances across all competitions, with five of his efforts coming in Europe and helping the side end their 17-year trophy wait.

Like many players in the current first team squad, he’s had his own injury issues this campaign, restricting him from having the dream first year in North London.

However, he’s still managed to showcase his talents within the final third, ending the year as the club’s second-highest goalscorer in the division for 2024/25.

Frank could be about to land his next version of Solanke this window, with Semenyo following in his footsteps and moving to Spurs to rekindle their impressive partnership.

Whilst the fee touted appears to be an expensive one, the Ghanaian international has showcased his skillset this season, adding a new dimension to Frank’s forward line should he complete a move.

Semenyo, who’s been labelled “incredible” by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, registered 16 combined goals and assists, a figure that would’ve made him the joint-highest contributor in the current squad.

Antoine Semenyo’s stats for Bournemouth in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

37

Goals & assists

16

Shots on target

1.2

Successful dribbles

1.9

Chances created

1.3

Touches in opposition box

5.9

Aerials won

1.9

Stats via FotMob

His underlying stats are just as impressive, registering 1.2 shots on target per 90, along with 1.9 successful dribbles – highlighting the threat he poses in attacking areas.

The 25-year-old has also created 1.3 chances per 90, whilst also notching 5.9 touches in the opposition box per 90, having the tools to star alone or even provide players around him in North London.

If he can transfer his skillset over to the Lilywhites next season, it would be a superb deal at £65m, having the potential to improve further with further quality players around him in Frank’s side.

Such a transfer could provide the added cutting edge needed for success, handing the manager the best possible chance of impressing during his first year at the helm.

Related Big Johnson upgrade: Spurs open initial talks to sign £70m "monster"

Tottenham are hoping to sign a right-sided forward this summer.

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 21, 2025

تُقام في الوقت الحالي مباراة بين برشلونة وجيرونا في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26، بعد عودة الحياة إلى الدوريات المحلية عقب انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة برشلونة وجيرونا في خضم منافسات الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإسباني لذلك الموسم.

والتزم لاعبو جيرونا بقرار رابطة لاعبي كرة القدم الإسبانية، والذي كُشف عنه في بيان رسمي أمس، كنوع من الاحتجاج على قرار إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في ميامي.

ووافق الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، يويفا، على إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في الجولة العشرين من الدوري الإسباني في ميامي الأمريكية.

ونال ذلك القرار اعتراضًا واسعًا من جانب رابطة لاعبي كرة القدم الإسبانية، حيث أصدرت بيانًا رسميًا أمس وأعلنت خلاله احتجاجها على الأمر عن طريق التوقف عن لمس الكرة لمدة 15 ثانية في بداية المباريات بدءًا من الجولة الحالية.

ونفذ لاعبو جيرونا قرار الرابطة حسبما ذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، حيث لم يلمسوا الكرة لمدة 15 ثانية في بداية مباراتهم ضد برشلونة.

وكشفت الصحيفة عن موقف لاعبي برشلونة تجاه الأمر حيث احترموا تصرف جيرونا ولم يتحركوا أو يلمسوا الكرة في انتظار إنهاء الخصم لحركتهم الاعتراضية.

وقرر البث التلفزيوني لرابطة الدوري الإسباني عدم نقل التصرف الاعتراضي للفرق في المباريات، حيث يبدأ النقل بمجرد بدء اللعب الفوري.

Glasgow Rangers are still yet to appoint their permanent successor to Philippe Clement in the dugout at Ibrox, four months on from his exit from the club.

The Belgian manager was relieved of his duties in February and replaced in the short term by interim boss Barry Ferguson, who left his post at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that former Scotland international Russell Martin is set to be named as the new head coach to finally replace Clement.

The reporter claims that the ex-Southampton manager has agreed to join the Ibrox giants to start a new chapter in his career, as the first manager of the new ownership era in Glasgow.

Martin did win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs with Southampton in the 2023/24 season, which shows that he has some demonstrable skills.

If the Scottish head coach now lands the job, as reported, then he will have to deal with potential exits from Ibrox, including midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

Why losing Nicolas Raskin would be a blow

The Belgium international is reportedly valued at a fee of at least £20m by the Scottish giants, amid interest from Premier League sides Aston Villa and Leeds United.

At least two teams from the English top-flight being keen on a move for the former Standard Liege central midfielder suggests that there could be a fight on for the Gers to keep hold of him through to the end of the summer transfer window.

It would be a big blow for the Light Blues to lose the Belgian talent ahead of the 2025/26 campaign because of his impressive performances for the club this season.

Raskin caught the eye with his sublime showings in possession in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers, despite their failure to win the title, with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

33

Touches per game

68.4

Goals

4

Big chances created

9

Assists

10

Pass accuracy

87%

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

Dribble success rate

68%

As you can see in the table above, the Gers number 43 provided plenty of quality in the final third with 14 goals and assists combined from a midfield position.

Raskin, however, also showcased his quality out of possession for the Scottish giants by averaging 5.0 tackles and interceptions per match in the Europa League across 12 outings in the competition this term.

It would, therefore, be a big blow to lose Raskin from the squad this summer because he is an important player who can contribute at both ends of the pitch as a central midfielder, thanks to his attributes on and off the ball.

However, the Belgian star may not be the only talent that the next Rangers manager will have to be wary about losing, as teams are circling around another central midfielder.

Premier League teams eyeing Rangers midfielder

According to TEAMtalk, Light Blues central midfielder Mohamed Diomande is attracting interest from several clubs in the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that there are six Premier League sides eyeing up a potential move to sign the Ivorian dynamo from the Scottish giants ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Transfer Focus

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

It reveals that Everton are the frontrunners to land the Rangers star’s signature at this moment in time, as they have been keeping tabs on the former Danish league star’s progress at Ibrox.

David Moyes is looking to sign the left-footed star because of the versatility that he could provide the Toffees, due to his ability to play as a holding midfielder, as a box-to-box number eight, or as an attacking midfielder.

TEAMtalk adds that Rangers would want a significant profit on the £4.3m that they paid for him at the start of last year, although no exact figure is mentioned.

Irrespective of how much money the Gers could get back for the 23-year-old sensation, losing Diomande would be as big a blow as selling Raskin would be.

Why selling Mohamed Diomande would be a big blow for Rangers

As is also the case with the Belgian midfielder, the left-footed star has attracted interest from clubs down south because of his fantastic displays in the middle of the park for the Glasgow giants.

Just like Raskin, the Ivorian talent has proven that he has the quality to make a big impact in matches in the Premiership, including in matches against Celtic that could be pivotal in title races in the future.

Diomande has scored two goals and provided one assist in eight matches against the Hoops to date, including one goal and one assist in his last two clashes with the club’s Glasgow rivals – the strike shown in the clip above.

The Everton target’s general form in possession in the Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign also shows that he is as influential as Raskin, if not potentially more so, when it comes to making things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

36

33

Goals

4

4

Big chances created

11

9

Assists

7

10

Ground duel success rate

57%

57%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

56%

As you can see in the table above, Diomande produced 15 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined, compared to Raskin’s 13, but did not get as much luck when it came to assists as his teammates failed to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that he created.

The Belgian star may be better than him in the air, but the Ivorian ace is equally as efficient at winning duels on the ground, and showed promise defensively in the Europa League, making 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game.

Rangers eye manager who Arne Slot said creates top build-up and pressure

Is he the perfect man for the job?

ByHenry Jackson Jun 2, 2025

These statistics show that selling Diomande to a Premier League side this summer would be just as bad as selling Raskin would be for Martin, because they are almost equally as influential in the middle of the park and both of them would leave a massive hole for Thelwell to fill.

أعلن نادي إيجل نوار البوروندي، موعد مباراته ضد النادي الأهلي، التي تقام ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا للموسم الحالي 2025-2026.

ومن المقرر أن يحل النادي الأهلي ضيفًا على فريق إيجل نوار البوروندي، في إطار مواجهات ذهاب دور الـ 32 من منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وكان النادي الأهلي، قد أعُفي من خوض مباريات الدور التمهيدي وتاهل مباشرة إلى دور الـ 32 بسبب تصنيفه المتقدم بالقارة الإفريقية، حيث يتصدر ترتيب الأندية.

بينما فريق إيجل نوار، خاض مباراة الدور التمهيدي ضد نادي أساس جيبوتي تيليكوم الجيبوتي، واستطاع التأهل بعد التعادل سلبيًا في الذهاب وإيجابياً بهدف لكل فريق إيابًا.

طالع | وليد صلاح الدين: حزنت على رحيل ثنائي الأهلي السابق.. وهذا أكثر لاعب أخشاه موعد مباراة الأهلي وإيجل نوار البوروندي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

كشف نادي إيجل نوار البوروندي عبر صفحته الرسمية على “فيس بوك”، أن موعد المباراة أمام الأهلي، يوم السبت 18 أكتوبر، تقام في تمام الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر و3 بتوقيت بوروندي.

يذكر، أن مباراة العودة بين الفريقين، تقام يوم السبت الموافق 25 أكتوبر، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

Chelsea will make contact over signing an England star, following internal talks behind-the-scenes at Stamford Bridge “this week”, with Enzo Maresca’s side mapping out their plans for the looming transfer window.

Chelsea have "big" recruitment plans this summer

As per reliable journalist Simon Phillips, BlueCo have “big” plans for the summer, and are aiming to take full advantage of the special edition early window ahead of their Club World Cup campaign.

Chelsea have held talks with £70m rival forward who allegedly wants to join

The west Londoners could go for him this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini May 14, 2025

From June 1 to June 10, Chelsea have a limited opportunity to register and officially sign new players before the CWC kicks off, and it is believed that Maresca’s side want a couple of their top targets through the door in that timeframe.

“Chelsea have some big plans that they are working on, and a number of players that they are looking to sign,” said Phillips in a recent Substack update.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Man City

65

5. Chelsea

63

6. Aston Villa

63

7. Nottingham Forest

62

“There will also be more significant outgoing deals done, but the decision makers at the top of the club will have a lot of work to do and some huge decisions to make.

“First of all, we’ve heard that the club want to get a couple of their new signings in the door before the competition [CWC] starts so that they can get them in and ready for preseason.”

Unfortunately for Maresca, Chelsea appear resigned to missing out on Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, with Real Madrid steaming ahead in the race and already agreeing a deal with the Cherries to pay his £50 million release clause (Fabrizio Romano).

Chelsea were confident of signing Huijsen and reportedly ready to make him a seven-year contract offer, but the Spain starlet’s representatives are now in Madrid as they negotiate terms with Los Blancos.

This story highlights how quickly the transfer market can evolve, not to mention the magnitude of competition facing Chelsea when it comes to signing their top targets.

Chelsea set for Eberechi Eze approach after internal talks this week

Back at the drawing board, those within Chelsea are believed to hold a serious admiration for Crystal Palace star and England international Eberechi Eze.

The attacking midfielder has a £68 million release clause in his contract, and Chelsea had him on their shortlist as far back as last summer. That is according to Phillips once again, who also writes that Chelsea are set to make an approach for Eze following internal discussions “this week”.

The former QPR sensation could win his first ever major trophy before potentially departing this summer after years of being linked with a move away, as Palace take on Man City in the looming FA Cup final.

Following a haul of 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, Eze has showcased exactly why he’s been coveted for so long, with Fulham boss Marco Silva also lavishing him as a joy to watch.

“Everyone who loves football should enjoy seeing Eze on the pitch,” said Silva. “He is a top, top young player and has so much quality with everything he does on the pitch.”

Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli have an awesome record but aside from that trio there remain question marks over India’s batting line-up not least around Suresh Raina

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's14-Jul-2018Virat Kohli’s biggest fear was exposed at Lord’s. He mentioned recently that the one area India need to work out before the World Cup is the middle order. He was right. On Saturday, India’s venerable batting order unravelled, leaving Kohli chewing his nails watching the horror show from the vantage point of the dressing room balcony.Tongues wagged in the morning after Eoin Morgan elected to bat on a what turned out to be a slow pitch. Kohli said at the toss he would have chased anyway. Those were words spoken more from confidence than arrogance.It has not just been their form, but one the main reason India have been such a dominant force in ODI cricket in the last couple of years has been the success of their top order comprising Kohli, who follows the openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.In the last three years, in successful chases, Rohit, Dhawan and Kohli have together scored 59% of the runs for India. In the last eight matches, one of those three has scored a century. Here Rohit failed, having notched a match-winning century at Trent Bridge. Dhawan set the momentum with a powerful start, but once again could not convert. Kohli showed promise, but stuttered and was eventually defeated by a good ball.It was a golden opportunity for the likes of KL Rahul, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni to step up. Rahul, who has shown fluent touch so far in the tour, fell for a duck. Raina had cobbled together an 80-run partnership with Kohli. When Kohli left the stage was his.The second-most experienced player at Lord’s (after Dhoni), Raina once again disappointed. Raina was not actually meant to be part of the ODI squad. That he has earned a chance was courtesy of Ambati Rayudu failing the mandatory yo-yo fitness test. Raina’s last ODI appearance before this series was in 2015.He was not needed at Trent Bridge on Thursday. However, at Lord’s as soon as he walked in he started playing as if every ball was a short delivery. Off one such delivery, the 19th he faced, Ben Stokes pitched a short one on Raina’s fourth stump. Raina did not need to play it. But he had already decided to move outside the off stump to awkwardly fend off the short delivery. The ball flew off the shoulder of his bat towards the empty short midwicket area as Stokes attempted to pouch it on his follow through.Raina was dropped on 28 by Jos Butler behind the stumps and then in the covers by Jason Roy. What might come as disheartening for him was the fact that the conditions were not unfriendly. And while both Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid were imparting impressive revolutions on their deliveries while pitching it up, Raina is known to be a good player of spin.Usually Raina knows when to take the risks, but England bowled a disciplined line and length allowing hardly any loose deliveries. By the time Raina departed, failing to read a wrong ‘un from Rashid, India needed 169 in 19 overs with just Hardik Pandya left to support Dhoni. One of the most respected finishers in cricket faltered badly in choreographing the chase.Unlike England, who are blessed with a deep batting line-up owing to many allrounders, India’s batting order ends with Pandya at No. 7. With Kohli sticking to No. 3, the onus is always going to be on the middle order in case he and the openers fail to make an impact as was the case today.One would argue why India want to field Raina while benching Dinesh Karthik, who offers them flexibility with his versatility as a batsman. That, the India think tank will tell you, is because they want a sixth bowling option, someone who can bowl part-time to ease the pressure or hold an end – something Raina did in the first two ODIs where he bowler a total of five overs.However, Raina could find it hard to be a long-term option especially once Kedar Jadhav is fit and ready. Jadhav could fill up the No. 7 spot while bowling his off breaks.Whatever the personnel, they need to be capable of balancing risk with opportunity. And they ought to do it quickly.India learned a few lessons on Saturday. They thought they could master any chase. That still remains the case subject to one of their top order batsman scoring big. They thought their batsmen are relatively better players of good spin bowling. But they are equally vulnerable as Moeen and Rashid showed them. India need to make adjustments quickly.It is 365 days to go before the World Cup final. The venue will be Lord’s again. India are considered favourites to reach that final. If they really want to be the favourites, they have 364 days now to sort the middle order.

In-form Hampshire bowled out for 298 but claim two wickets in reply

ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2024 Warwickshire 51 for 2 trail Hampshire 298 (Middleton 74, Dawson 46, Gubbins 44, Hannon-Dalby 3-35) by 247 runs In-form Hampshire produced a patchy performance with the bat against Warwickshire on the opening day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.James Vince’s side arrived in Birmingham seeking a third successive championship win but, having chosen to bat on a good pitch, were bowled out for 298. Only Fletcha Middleton (74 from 135 balls) passed 50 against a seam attack which extracted every ounce of assistance available from the conditions.Olly Hannon-Dalby was the pick of the bowlers. His first wicket was his 350th in first class cricket and he built pressure in every spell on his way to 16-5-35-3. The Yorkshireman was well-supported by Ed Barnard (three for 61) and Craig Miles (three for 71).In 12 overs before the close, Warwickshire replied with 51 for two, Kyle Abbott removing both openers in four balls in the penultimate over.Chris Woakes returned to Warwickshire’s team for the first time this season but looked rusty in his new ball spell. It was Hannon-Dalby who delivered the breakthrough with a peach of an outswinger which Toby Albert edged to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess.That apart, Hampshire advanced solidly through the morning. Middleton raised the 50 with a slashed six over third off Miles, posted his own half-century from 79 balls and then passed 1,000 first-class runs with his next scoring stroke. A frustrating morning for Warwickshire peaked when Nick Gubbins, on 28, cut Will Rhodes through the hands of Sam Hain at second slip.Middleton and Gubbins added 102 in 30 overs but were uprooted during an aggressive post-lunch spell by Barnard, who was capped before the start of play. Gubbins edged to first slip and Middleton played back to one that kept low and lost his off-stump. When James Vince edged Hannon-Dalby to third slip, a serene 119 for one had become an uneasy 148 for four.Ben Brown (32, 51) and Liam Dawson (46, 66) stopped the slide with a stand of 61 before Miles struck twice in an over. Brown leg-glanced too fine and was caught by the wicketkeeper and James Fuller lifted carelessly to backward point.On the first hot day of the championship season, Warwickshire’s bowler persisted well, not least Hannon-Dalby who struck for a third time when Dawson played on. Keith Barker (40, 74) batted comfortably against his former team-mates but Barnard’s third wicket followed when an outswinger took the edge to end Felix Organ’s punchy 26-ball 23.Woakes, on his 100th first class appearance for Warwickshire, returned to the attack to take the new ball and quickly secured his 365th wicket in those games when Abbott leading-edged to gully. When Barker top-edged a swipe at Miles to fine leg, Hampshire had fallen two short of a third batting point.Will Rhodes edged the second and third balls of Warwickshire’s reply, from Barker, for streaky fours but thereafter the openers were little troubled until they both fell in the dying embers of the day. Rhodes lifted Abbott to cover and three balls later Alex Davies fell to a stunning return catch as the visitors ended a largely trying day with a smile.

da brwin： Wolverhampton Wanderers’ stunning 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Premier League was the first time they have done the double over the Red Devils since the 1970s.

da dobrowin： It was a win that proves how good this Wolves squad is, and next season they should be aiming for a top-half finish without a shadow of a doubt.

Vitor Pereira has worked miracles at Molineux since taking over towards the end of 2024, and if he is backed in the summer transfer window, he can take the club to the next level.

One burning question is, will Matheus Cunha be in the starting XI for the first Premier League fixture of the 2025/26 season?

Matheus Cunha’s future at Wolves is uncertain

The Brazilian may have enjoyed a wonderful season on the pitch, scoring 16 goals and grabbing four assists, but his behaviour in recent months suggests he could be sold this summer.

Cunha has clashed with supporters on social media following a post he put up on his Instagram. He even confessed that he wishes to leave in order to challenge for trophies, and if a big offer comes in, the forward may depart.

The former Atlético Madrid star only signed a new contract back in February, tying him down for another four years. A £62.5m release clause has been inserted into the deal, so whoever wants to sign him this summer will need to stump up the cash.

While losing him would be a big blow, the club sold a player in the summer of 2022 who is now worth £40m more than the Brazilian and is also starring in the Premier League.

Matheus Cunha’s stats in the PL for Wolves

Goals

14

Assists

4

Big chances created

12

Key passes per game

1.7

Shots per game

3.2

Goal conversion percentage

16%

Via Sofascore

Wolves must regret selling £100m-rated star

While Cunha has been stealing the limelight in Wolverhampton, a player not so far away in Nottingham has also very swiftly become one of the leading Premier League players; Morgan Gibbs-White.

Selling the playmaker for a fee in the region of £42.5m was seen as excellent business by the Old Gold initially. Indeed, he’d registered a total of just three goals and one assist in 88 matches for the club was hardly an impressive return, but the move has backfired spectacularly.

Since moving to Nottingham Forest, the Englishman has racked up 111 appearances for the club, registering 43 goal contributions – 16 goals and 27 assists – in the process.

It is no wonder he has been dubbed “sensational” by certain sections of the media for his displays and according to journalist Graeme Bailey, the attacking midfielder is now being valued at around £100m by Forest amid interest from Manchester City.

This is nearly £40m more than Cunha, and the statistics back up his high valuation. In the top flight this term, he has created eight big chances, averaged 1.6 key passes and succeeded with one dribble per game.

Furthermore, he ranks in the top 11% for goal-creating actions (0.63) and in the top 5% for passes into the final third (4.33) per 90 when compared to his positional peers this season in the top flight.

Wolves perhaps made the correct decision at the time by selling the 25-year-old, but boy, must they be rueing that decision now.

Related The next Ait-Nouri: Pereira plotting summer Wolves move for "revelation"

Wolves are showing interest in a Ligue 1 defender…

Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Apr 19, 2025

Chelsea are now planning to sign a Premier League forward who Enzo Maresca described as “fantastic” earlier this season, having identified him as a key target, according to a report.

Chelsea stepping up pursuit of new forwards after Arsenal defeat

The Blues’ toothless attacking performance at the Emirates Stadium yesterday underlined the need for Maresca to strengthen his attacking options this summer, and they have been stepping up their pursuit of new forwards over the past week.

The west Londoners came out of nowhere to beat Manchester United to the signature of winger Geovany Quenda, but with the Portuguese starlet not set to join until 2026, they could also enter the market for different attacking talent this summer.

Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap appears to be a key target, with a pre-summer £60m bid being prepared for the Englishman, while Maresca’s side are also known to be huge admirers of AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

Chelsea also enquire over "monster" rival star alongside Mainoo interest

Enzo Maresca is plotting an ambitious swoop…

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Mar 16, 2025

There had been reports Jadon Sancho could be in line for a surprise return to Manchester United this summer, rather than completing a permanent move to Stamford Bridge, but the transfer saga has now taken another twist.

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are planning to steal Sancho from Man Utd for a fee of £25m, having identified him as a key target.

BlueCo have made the decision to keep the winger permanently, and the board have now started work on a deal, making it clear they have no desire to let him return to his parent club at the end of the season.

It appears as though a deal should be simple enough to conclude, given that there is a mandatory £25m buyout clause included in the 24-year-old’s loan deal.

"Fantastic" Sancho has impressed at times this season

The London-born winger made a flying start to the campaign, picking up assists in each of his first three Premier League outings, while also receiving praise from Maresca for the work he has been putting in on the training ground.

That said, it is probably wise to be skeptical about the latest report, which suggests Chelsea are determined to keep hold of the Man Utd loanee, considering his form has dropped off considerably in recent times.

The former Borussia Dortmund man is now without a single goal contribution in his last nine Premier League outings, and he is starting to look like the player he was for large parts of his Old Trafford career.

It seems like Chelsea are set to sign Sancho this summer, so Maresca will be hoping the winger can rekindle his form from the start of the season after the upcoming international break.

Ben Stokes confident Rehan Ahmed will be available despite visa issues

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Feb-2024

Mark Wood will come into consideration for the third Test•Gareth Copley / Getty

England have whittled their team for the third Test down to 12, with Mark Wood in line to regain his place in the XI on a green-tinged Rajkot pitch.The tourists have played just one seamer in each of the first two Tests, with Wood getting the nod in the first match in Hyderabad before being replaced by James Anderson in the second at Visakhapatnam. Should England decide the conditions will be more amenable to seam, they will go in with two quicks for the first time this series, with one of the three spinners from the second Test making way.That is likely to be offspinner Shoaib Bashir, who debuted in Vizag, meaning Rehan Ahmed would retain his place after becoming the latest England player affected by visa issues.Unlike Bashir’s issue, in which his visa was granted late and subsequently missed the first Test, Rehan was held at Rajkot airport after England arrived back in India from their mid-series break in Abu Dhabi because he only possessed a single entry visa. Both Bashir and Rehan were born in the UK and have Pakistani heritage.Related

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A short-term solution was sorted by local authorities, with the ECB hopeful its oversight will be rectified in the next 24 hours, which would allow Rehan to play in Rajkot. He and the rest of the travelling squad trained for the first time at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Tuesday morning. Speaking afterwards, Ben Stokes firmly suggested the matter would not affect preparations for the third Test, which begins on Thursday.”It’s not a concern,” Stokes said. “The guys who dealt with it at the airport did a really good job, given where we found ourselves. I’m confident that will be sorted tonight or tomorrow.”Though no decision has been made over which of the three spinners could miss out, Bashir seems the most likely. Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley is the team’s leading wicket-taker with 14, seven of which came in the second innings of England’s victory in the first Test. He has also provided 114 handy runs down the order.Rehan’s legspin has also been an important factor against India’s batting line-up, with eight dismissals at 36.37. Like Hartley, he turns the ball away from their plethora of right-handers, and offers something with the bat.With Joe Root able to provide the offspin, Stokes will have a variety of options at his disposal, along with Wood’s extra pace. Though the he went wicketless in the first Test, Wood had his moments, and Stokes believes he could have more of an impact with Anderson alongside him.”The reasons why we would look at Jimmy and Woody would be I just like to have a point of difference,” he said. “And India is never a three-seamer option.”Obviously having Woody’s high pace, and if we were to go with two seamers again, it would give a bit more rest to Woody as he was that sole seamer in the first Test. So managing his workload. If we were to go with two seamers, we might be able to get a bit more versatility and use Woody how we want to use him out here and not worry he’s the only seamer.”A final call on the XI will be made on Wednesday, with England training in the afternoon after India have had one last look at the surface. England are also giving some consideration to how flat the pitch was when they were last here in 2016.Stokes was a centurion in the drawn Rajkot Test in 2016•Associated Press

Stokes was one of six centurions eight years ago, in a first Test that ended in a bore draw as India blocked out the final day six down in the fourth innings. Virat Kohli’s side were set 310 in a minimum of 49 overs – an equation far too conservative for this England side. The hosts went on to win the series convincingly.”I remember coming off [at the end of the match] thinking we’ve got them,” Stokes recalled. “And then we lost four-nil.”In those situations you’ve got to risk something if you want to get something because you never know. We’ll never go to the grave not knowing if we could have done something a bit different.”With the series all square ahead of the series recommencing, Stokes, on the eve of his 100th Test cap, was excited by what his players could achieve not just over the next four weeks, but in 2024 as a whole.”I think one-one sets up for a good series. I think one thing I said early on is we’ve got a hell of a lot more cricket coming up after this series, so try and take every game as it comes and not solely try and focus on each series. Just keep on trying to drive everything forward.”If we play cricket to the best of our ability or close to, then we know the results will look after themselves. I think that’s the most important thing for us over the next, certainly this year, because we’ve got a lot of games coming up.”