Tottenham tracking "unreal" Leeds starlet Archie Gray

da pinnacle: Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in talks with Genoa over a deal for centre-back Radu Dragusin. It's not a foregone conclusion that Spurs get Dragusin, with Napoli and Bayern Munich, champions in Italy and Germany respectively, also showing interest, but talks over a move to North London are progressing well.

da pinup bet: As Ange Postecoglou tries to get Spurs into next year's Champions League, the here and now isn't his only focus however, and he could turn his attention to a versatile defender who would become an exciting long-term addition.

Gray on Spurs radar

The Daily Mail's Simon Jones has the latest Spurs transfer news, and he reveals that the Lilywhites have been "checking on" Leeds United youngster Archie Gray with a view to a potential transfer.

He's not the only target mentioned, with Tottenham also looking at two more experienced options in Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite.

Archie Gray for Leeds United against Millwall.

Leeds were, of course, relegated last season, but they'll be hopeful of a swift return to the Premier League through the play-off route. While they're seven points off the automatic promotion places, they're also nine points ahead of the side in seventh, and with so much to play for, you'd think they may be reluctant to sell a key player in January.

Gray in Bellingham territory

17-year-old Gray, a graduate of the Leeds academy, came through as a midfielder but has actually played the majority of his football as a right-back this season. Manager Daniel Farke handed him his first-team debut on the opening day of the Championship season against Cardiff City, and he made a big impression from the outset to tie down a fairly secure place in the team.

Gray has started 22 of Leeds' 26 second-tier matches so far, and appeared 27 times in all competitions. He ranks fourth in Farke's squad for minutes played (1,998), and has been on the pitch more than any other teenager in the Championship.

To emphasise just how big a talent he is, across the last decade, only six players have logged 1,000 minutes in a Championship season before their 18th birthday, a list that includes Jude Bellingham (now at Real Madrid) and Liverpool stars Harvey Elliott and Joe Gomez.

Gray will double that tally on his next meaningful appearance, and he doesn't even turn 18 until March. It's not as if he's playing for a team near the bottom of the league or fighting for nothing either – he's already a significant figure for promotion chasers.

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Gray, hailed as "unreal" by Leeds presenter Joe Wainman, has already won the endorsement of one Spurs player and on-loan Leeds defender in Joe Rodon, who described him as a "starboy" on Instagram. It woudn't be a surprise if the club sought the opinion of their loanee before launching a fully-fledged move.

Inevitably, Spurs won't be the only team in the equation. Borussia Dortmund have already been linked, while scouts from Premier League rivals Liverpool have apparently been watching him too. A transfer battle between numerous elite clubs looms.

Gareth Southgate's successor?! Mauricio Pochettino agrees £10m payoff with Chelsea amid England links as Three Lions struggle at Euro 2024

Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to a £10m ($13m) payoff with Chelsea amid speculation that he could become England manager after Gareth Southgate.

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Pochettino agrees on compensation package with ChelseaSouthgate might be shown the door after EurosPochettino being lined up as a replacementWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the agreement with Chelsea stipulates no restrictions preventing Pochettino from taking another job, making him a prime candidate for the national team role. The Argentine manager wants to continue his career in England but with no top Premier League managerial positions currently vacant, succeeding Southgate may be his most viable option.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Football Association (FA) is yet to make a shortlist for the next Three Lions head coach. However, Pochettino's extensive experience in English football and his proven track record of developing young players make him a strong contender. During his tenure at Chelsea, he was instrumental in the growth of talents such as Cole Palmer, further bolstering his credentials for the England job.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea's agreement with Pochettino brings their expenditure on managerial changes to nearly £67 million ($85m) over the past two years under the club's new ownership. Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter both received over £13 million ($16m) in compensation after their dismissals. Additionally, Brighton received £21 million ($26m) in compensation from Chelsea for Potter's move to West London, and Leicester City was paid £10 million ($13m) to secure new coach Enzo Maresca.

Pochettino's departure also involves compensation for his coaching team. Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez, and Sebastiano Pochettino, who were all under contract at Stamford Bridge until next summer, will receive pay-offs.

(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT?

As the FA deliberates on the next England manager, Pochettino's availability and qualifications make him a compelling option. His recent experiences and willingness to stay in England align well with the national team's future needs.

Everton advancing in deal to sign "generational talent" for Moyes

In search of completing a 10-man overhaul at the club this summer, Everton are now reportedly progressing towards a deal to sign an impressive talent.

Moyes confirms Everton need "9 or 10 players"

Having so far welcomed just three players in Thierno Barry, Carlos Alcaraz and Mark Travers, Everton boss David Moyes revealed at a recent Men in Blazers event in New York that Everton still need “9 or 10 players” before next season gets underway.

With that being the case, The Friedkin Group could be in for a busy month or so away from the action on the pitch as Everton get their pre-season underway.

The big question on Everton fans’ lips will be who those nine or 10 players could be this summer.

Already, the Toffees have reportedly submitted an opening offer to sign Juventus’ Douglas Luiz, with finding a replacement for Abdoulaye Doucoure one of their main priorities in the next few weeks, while James McAtee also remains a top target.

Earlier reports indicated that Friedkin are in a position to spend around £150m this summer if they see fit and that makes Moyes’ desire to welcome a much-needed overhaul all the more realistic.

Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.

Luiz’s arrival would particularly make a statement. The former Aston Villa man may have endured a nightmare spell at Juventus, but Premier League fans will still remember the quality that he had when leading the Villans to Champions League qualification.

Signing players from some of Europe’s best seems to be Everton’s chosen plan too, with those at the Hill Dickinson Stadium now turning their focus towards a Bayern Munich sensation.

Everton progressing towards Adam Aznou deal

As reported by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, Everton are now progressing in their deal to sign Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich this summer.

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Still just 19 years old, Everton could land quite the coup if they manage to welcome Aznou. The teenage left-back endured a difficult loan spell at Real Valladolid last season, as the La Liga side finished bottom of Spain’s top flight, but will now be hoping for better fortunes if he completes a summer switch to Merseyside.

Minutes

893

3,082

Assists

0

2

Tackles Won P90

2.12

1.11

Ball Recoveries P90

5.76

2.57

Although his work going forward needs improving, there’s no denying that Aznou would provide Everton with a high-energy player out of possession and that could eventually see Vitaliy Mykolenko replaced.

Dubbed a “generational talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Bayern starlet is one to watch wherever he plays his football next season. And if it is to be at the Hill Dickinson, then Everton fans could be in for a treat.

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano suggests that the deal for Aznou is actually further along, even giving his famous ‘were we go’ tagline, but a deal is never done until the player signs on the dotted line.

Could never have dreamt of playing so many World Cups – Chris Gayle

When Chris Gayle returned to the West Indies squad in September 2017, it was just in time, with the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in sight. Since then, with qualification sealed, he’s had a sensational year of ODI batting, the peak coming during the home performances against England – two hundreds and two fifties in four matches – earlier this year.He now has the IPL out of the way, and is set to play in what would be his fifth World Cup. That’s every World Cup held since his ODI debut in September 1999.”Honestly [I do it for] the fans, I am not going to lie. Maybe a couple of years ago the thought did cross [that I have had enough],” he said to . Then the fans came out and said ‘don’t go’. They actually drive me to go on. I know nothing lasts forever and hopefully, I can give them a few more games and it also pushes you to win the World Cup.” Gayle’s making the team in his 20th year at this level is a remarkable feat, made doubly impressive by the fact that he had 30 months of no ODI cricket after West Indies’ quarter-final exit in the 2015 World Cup.”Never really considered thinking about it but time does fly quickly,” Gayle said. “I could never dream of playing so many World Cups but it has happened. It shows consistency in the career. That keeps you going and earn a lot of praise. Hard work in the last couple of has years paid off. People want to see you more and you are trying to deliver as much as possible.”Among the challenges – and a direct reason for that 30-month hiatus after 2015 – was the well-documented stand-off between players and board in the West Indies, an issue that continues to make several elite players from the region stay freelancers. A robust change has taken place recently, however, with the appointment of Ricky Skerritt as Cricket West Indies president. And with increasing success on the field under the captaincy of Jason Holder, there seems to be a decided step to move on from all parties involved. Gayle is optimistic about the progress.”We have seen changes [in the cricket board] in the last couple of months,” he said. “Hopefully, the new team gets it right, gets the structure in place. Cricket is the most important thing for the Caribbean. Hope they take the game to where it is supposed to be.”It will take time, of course. Lot of things need to be rebuilt. On the field, we had a good series against England, now the World Cup is coming up and that is another opportunity for us to turn things around.”

Namibia claim Division 2 title with maiden ODI victory

PNG beat USA in third-place playoff, while Canada put it across Hong Kong

Peter Della Penna in Windhoek27-Apr-2019In a tournament where home-field advantage has often played a huge role in gaining promotion, Namibia was one of the few nations with a relatively modest record playing at home in the World Cricket League. But they corrected that in their final opportunity, walking away with the WCL Division Two title on Saturday afternoon with a thumping win over Oman at Wanderers Sports Club.In the process, Namibia also created history by winning an ODI for the first time, having gone 0 for 6 at the 2003 World Cup. Another historic achievement on the day was made by Australian Claire Polosak, who became the first female umpire to stand in a men’s ODI for the tournament final.Karl Birkenstock, who had batted as low as No. 9 earlier in the tournament, was sent in to open the batting and proved his worth by top-scoring with 61 off 108 balls. Oman took wickets at regular intervals though, as Birkenstock struggled to find a partner before he fell to Zeeshan Maqsood at the end of the 35th over.After adding an unbroken 103-run stand on Friday against Hong Kong, the duo of JJ Smit and Zane Green produced Namibia’s biggest partnership of the day, adding 57 for the sixth wicket at a time when the match was evenly balanced to help boost Namibia toward 200.Jan Frylinck decimated Oman with his left-arm medium pace early in the chase, claiming three wickets in the Powerplay as Oman sunk to 26 for 4 by the end of the eighth over. Christi Viljoen then struck twice in the space of three balls in the 16th over to break into the Oman tail, sending them on their way to a double-digit total for the second match in a row, after having dominated the first four days of action.Frylinck returned to claim Suraj Kumar for a top score of 27 before Fayyaz Butt was caught behind to complete his maiden List A five-wicket haul. After having claimed opening batsman Jatinder Singh for a second-ball duck with the new ball, JJ Smit wiped out the rest of the tail to finish with three wickets. It helped Smit cement Man of the Tournament honours as he finished the week tied for fourth overall with 13 wickets at 14.53, while also ending up third overall with 221 runs at 55.25.After being steamrolled by USA in a 10-wicket mauling during the round-robin stage, Papua New Guinea showed they truly earned back their ODI status with a thrilling last day win over Oman by exacting revenge on the Americans in a resounding five-wicket victory at Affies Park in the third place match.Sending USA in at the toss, PNG’s medium pace attack exploited variable bounce throughout the morning. Nosaina Pokana and Norman Vanua wrecked USA’s top order with four wickets inside the first eight overs. Man of the Match Vanua was on a hat-trick after claiming Aaron Jones caught behind for 2 followed by Jaskaran Malhotra dragging onto his stumps for a golden duck on ODI debut.Norman Vanua bowled Jaskaran Malhotra for a golden duck to put himself on a hat-trick•Peter Della Penna

Hayden Walsh Jr worked hard to revive the innings for USA, making 27 in a 43-run stand with Monank Patel, but USA’s innings began to flounder once more after Walsh chipped a catch to midwicket off Assad Vala to make it 78 for 5. Monank had grafted hard for his 39 after opening the batting, but walked too far across his stumps to legspinner Charles Amini and was given lbw. Karima Gore was then suckered into an attempt to clear mid-on hitting against the spin, resulting in a top-edge taken by Chad Soper to leave USA struggling at 105 for 7.Timil Patel fought valiantly to prop up USA’s tail, eventually ending up with USA’s maiden ODI fifty. But Vanua returned to help wipe out the tail with Pokana as USA were bowled out for 164 in just 43.4 overs.USA looked to be in with a chance of rallying to their first ODI win after Saurabh Netravalkar had Tony Ura caught behind in the sixth over, before Ali Khan bowled Vala shouldering arms to an inswinger in the following over to make it 25 for 2. Amini was caught behind edging a back of a length ball off Jessy Singh as PNG continued to teeter before Lega Siaka steadied the chase with his first 50-plus score in ODIs since making a century in his second ODI all the way back in November 2014 against Hong Kong.Siaka was especially strong on the sweep, punishing Timil’s legspin for a series of boundaries. Vanua than completed his Man of the Match performance by slugging three sixes straight down the ground off Karima Gore in the 33rd over as part of a 23-run frame that ended the match with 17 overs to spare.Canada bounced back from the heartbreak of narrowly missing out on ODI status by four runs on net run rate, to end with their third win of the tournament, dispatching Hong Kong with ease at United Cricket Club.Cecil Pervez claimed the big scalps of Anshy Rath and Kinchit Shah in the Powerplay before the Canadian ploy to open with spin at the other end paid off in the 11th over as Hiral Patel nabbed Jamie Atkinson and Ahsan Abbasi on consecutive balls. Babar Hayat added 53 with Scott McKechnie for the fifth wicket, but left-arm spinner Saad bin Zafar had Babar stumped for 32 to spark a rapid slide as Hong Kong lost their last six wickets for 30 runs, with four of them going to Saad.Hiral wrapped up Man of the Match honours by following his two wickets with a half-century at the start of Canada’s chase. Ravinderpal Singh took over the bulk of the scoring after Hiral fell in the 13th, smashing three sixes in a 23-ball 41 that took Canada over the line in just 16.5 overs.

Jos Buttler's 150 leads England to victory and 2-1 series lead

There were hundreds for Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan and Chris Gayle, and a record 46 sixes, as England just about managed to defend 418

The Report by Valkerie Baynes27-Feb-2019

Jos Buttler brought up his seventh ODI hundred•AFP

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAs Jos Buttler laid down an innings of sheer brutality to lead England to a towering total of 418 for six, it was as though he was calling out to any West Indies batsman who dared, “catch us if you can”.So who should step into the ring? None other than their great batting heavyweight Chris Gayle. And, for a good while, he was up to the challenge.While Eoin Morgan punched his way brilliantly to 103 off 86 deliveries, Man of the Match Buttler pummeled West Indies into apparent submission with 150, his highest ODI score, off just 77 balls. Their 204-run stand for the fourth wicket off just 124 deliveries looked like being the knockout blow for West Indies, who would need to produce the second-highest successful chase in ODI history to go 2-1 up.Then came Gayle, whose 162 off 97 balls gave the home side hope, particularly while the 176-run partnership he shared with Darren Bravo for the third wicket kept West Indies’ score ticking over at a highly competitive clip. But with Bravo gone and West Indies’ run rate dipping, Ben Stokes hit back after being flogged for 21 runs by Gayle in his first over to finally remove the danger man with a full, fast ball that shredded Gayle’s stumps.It appeared West Indies’ chances, too, were in tatters until Carlos Brathwaite, who scored a maiden ODI fifty, and Ashley Nurse combined for an eighth-wicket stand of 88 to reignite the home fans’ excitement. However, Adil Rashid swept in to claim four wickets in five balls, finishing with a five-for, to clean up the West Indies tail just as a close finish loomed.Mark Wood also put in a strong showing with the ball for England, his 4 for 60 including the first four wickets to fall. Having struck twice in his opening spell, he came back to remove Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer in the space of three balls – though Gayle remained England’s main obstacle.While Buttler reached his 100 off just 60 balls, Gayle hit the mark off 55. While 12 of England’s world record 24 sixes came off Buttler’s bat, Gayle picked off 14 of West Indies’ 22. In doing so, Gayle passed 300 ODI sixes for himself and the 500-mark for sixes across all formats. Gayle also reached 10,000 ODI runs in the process, joining some illustrious names.Amid the Buttler-Gayle bout, there were a number of other notable performances, especially on the England side.Chris Gayle launches one down the ground•Associated Press

Openers Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales set England up well, both scoring fifties and putting on a 100-run partnership as the undercard to Morgan and Buttler’s main event.Morgan copped a body blow when Buttler smacked a Jason Holder delivery straight back into his batting partner’s ribs. Morgan limped through for a single before receiving treatment and then shrugging off the obvious discomfort to thump the next ball for six. He meted out more punishment in Holder’s next over, carting him for 21 runs, and then Buttler hit 22 off Brathwaite in the next as the pair snatched 58 runs off 15 balls.After taking a break from the slog-fest to bring up his ton with a two, Buttler could have been out a short time later when he smashed a Holder full toss to Sheldon Cottrell at third man but the delivery was a high no-ball and he was free to continue his onslaught.Morgan brought up his century with a six off Holder, another full toss, which Morgan middled sweetly over long-on after dropping to one knee. Morgan passed 6000 runs for England during his innings, which was over when he holed out to Holder at long-off from a Cottrell slower ball.Buttler brought up his 150 by hitting England’s world record-breaking six and was out on the next ball, bowled by Brathwaite.Bairstow’s 56 off 43 balls and Hales’ 82 off 73 were timely innings for both batsmen. Before this knock, Bairstow had not scored a half-century in ODIs since last June, against Australia at Chester-le-Street. During this tour of the Caribbean, he had only passed 30 twice previously, with 34 in the first ODI in Bridgetown and 52 in the first innings of the second Test in Antigua.Hales, trying to force his way into World Cup reckoning, made the most of his chance to open in place of Jason Roy, who was ruled out of the match with a hamstring injury, before he skied a Nurse delivery down the ground and Hetmyer sprinted from long-on to long-off to pull down the catch at full stretch.

Atif Mashal resigns as Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman

He has left his post with three-and-a-half years of his five-year term still remaining, and will be replaced by Aziz Ullah Fazale, the former vice-chairman and adviser

Umar Farooq19-Sep-2018Atif Mashal has resigned as chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), with three-and-a-half years of his five-year term still remaining. Mashal took over the job in January 2017. He has confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the Afghanistan government is assigning him another mission, which he will begin shortly.Aziz Ullah Fazale, the former ACB vice-chairman and adviser, will replace Mashal. Fazale has been associated with Afghanistan cricket for 16 years and was among the earlier lot of players who established the game in the country. In recent years he has been involved in running the country’s domestic and regional set-up.Mashal has enjoyed a largely smooth term, its highlight coming in June 2017 when the ICC conferred Afghanistan Test status alongside Ireland. Afghanistan played their inaugural Test match in Bengaluru in June 2018.During Mashal’s stint as chairman, Afghanistan saw considerable progress in terms of upgraded cricket infrastructure within the country, the development of a domestic structure, and, most impressively, the rapid progress of the national team – they are currently No. 8 on the ICC’s T20I rankings – above Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe – and No. 10 in ODIs.In his opening spell as ACB chairman, Mashal met with the PCB to revive broken ties by playing two friendly matches. The PCB agreed to provide Afghanistan with venues for training and conditioning camps, and the possibility of reciprocal tours between the youth and senior teams. But the détente between both boards broke barely a week after it had begun. In the wake of a bomb blast in Kabul that killed over 80 people, the ACB cancelled the friendly T20 matches it had scheduled with Pakistan in July and August 2017, in Kabul and Lahore.The ACB tweeted that it was cancelling the “agreed terms of mutual cricketing relationship” with its Pakistan counterpart. The issue escalated when the ACB, in an expanded statement, blamed Pakistan for the attack, saying that no agreement could be “valid in a country where terrorists are housed and provided a safe haven”.The PCB reacted strongly and asked for an apology from the ACB. While extending its sympathies to the victims of the attack, the PCB hit back at the “baseless” allegations.Mashal’s term also witnessed a cull of employees within the ACB, with the board axing or shuffling over 30 employees, including a number of top officials, as part of extensive reforms after obtaining Full Membership at the ICC. The aggrieved employees alleged that the leadership was mismanaging cricket affairs and misusing funds sanctioned for the development of the game. As many as 25 managers across various departments were released, a step taken, according to Mashal, for the sake of reform and restructuring. Some of the staff had their contracts terminated outright, while others were given a month’s notice. Allegedly, a few members of the staff were also either demoted or moved to positions outside their areas of expertise.

Who could replace Robert Sanchez at Chelsea? 7 GK options for Enzo Maresca

Chelsea’s dire need for a new first-choice goalkeeper became even more apparent at the weekend when Robert Sanchez made yet another howler against Manchester City.

In an attempt to collect a long pass to Erling Haaland from City ‘keeper Ederson, the Spaniard found himself in no man’s land, allowing Haaland to turn and lob the ball over him into an empty net.

The error was his fifth leading directly to a goal this season – the joint-highest total in the Premier League.

Speaking after the City game, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insisted that despite Sanchez’s propensity for errors, he trusts the 27-year-old between the sticks.

“We trust Robert for sure,” Maresca said. “He is completely aware he is making mistakes in this moment. We trust Robert. We have one entire week and we will see the reaction for the next game.

“Robert, for sure, is completely aware he has to do better,” he added. “He knows perfectly. In this moment it is like this. The good thing is he is the first one knowing, aware that he has to do better.”

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Interestingly, before the game, Maresca said that while he does trust Sanchez, he may not need to for too much longer.

Asked whether Sanchez can be Chelsea’s No 1 for many years to come, Maresca said: “For this season? No doubt. But then in the future, we don’t know. It is not only about Robert. It is not even about me, you know? I’m focused on this moment, this season.”

So come the end of the season, who could Chelsea bring in to replace Sanchez? Here, we’ve outlined seven possible replacements for the Spaniard.

1 Gregor Kobel Borussia Dortmund

Gregor Kobel

Gregor Kobel has been one of German football’s standout goalkeepers since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2021, keeping 46 clean sheets in 142 games for BVB, including 7 in 27 Bundesliga matches last season.

Though he’s struggled a little more this term, it seems to be more a reflection of Dortmund’s poor form as a team – leading to the sacking of Nuri Sahin – than his individual performances.

Kobel’s impressive stats and lack of errors last season make him an ideal candidate for Chelsea. His experience in European competitions would also be a significant asset.

2 Djordje Petrovic Strasbourg (on loan from Chelsea)

Djordje Petrovic was Chelsea’s first-choice ‘keeper for much of last season under Mauricio Pochettino, but was deemed surplus to requirements when Maresca took over in the summer.

Now on loan with sister club Strasbourg, it would be easy for Chelsea to bring him back into the fold if they so desire, and it would certainly be a quick fix to a problem position.

The 25-year-old has impressed in Ligue 1 and was recently described as “world-class” by Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior.

“We have seen huge progress from Petro,” Rosenior said of the Serb. “He is a world-class goalkeeper. We see it every day and it is still paying off today.”

3 Diogo Costa Porto

Diogo Costa has been one of the steadiest hands in Europe over the past few years, keeping 77 clean sheets in 181 games for Porto, including 11 in 19 league games this season.

However, it was his remarkable performance at last summer’s European Championship that truly captured global attention. In Portugal’s last-16 clash against Slovenia, Costa made history by saving all three of the opposition’s penalties in the shootout – a feat never before accomplished in the tournament’s 66-year history.

Following that heroic display, Chelsea reportedly approached Costa during the summer transfer window, but the 25-year-old ultimately stayed at Porto. In late 2024, CaughtOffside reported that the Blues remained interested in Costa, but that Porto are expected to demand a hefty £59 million fee for their star goalkeeper.

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ByCharlie Smith Oct 8, 2025 4 Mads Hermansen Leicester City

According to reports, Maresca wanted to sign Leicester City shot-stopper Mads Hermansen in the summer, but instead ended up signing Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal.

Hermansen was the Italian’s first-choice ‘keeper during his promotion-winning season at the King Power Stadium, keeping 13 clean sheets in 44 games.

Maresca is understood to be an admirer of the Dane’s ability to play out from the back, which is something Sanchez has struggled to do this term.

TeamTALK reported in November that Leicester would want £35m for their current No 1.

5 Kepa Arrizabalaga Bournemouth (on loan from Chelsea)

Kepa Arrizabalaga remains on Chelsea’s books, but the world’s most expensive goalkeeper is currently on loan at Bournemouth, where he’s played a key role for Andoni Iraola’s side this term.

The Spaniard has started 16 of the Cherries’ 23 Premier League games this season, keeping five clean sheets and saving 76.3% of the shots he’s faced (as per FBref) – which is the second-best record in the division, ironically level with Sanchez.

Though a return to Stamford Bridge for Kepa (which he supposedly wants) would make sense on paper, his record in west London makes for poor reading.

In his second season with Chelsea in 2019/20, the former Athletic Bilbao star recorded the worst save percentage of any goalkeeper in the Premier League, stopping just 54.5% of the shots he faced.

If Chelsea can get the Bournemouth version of Kepa back, great. If they get their old version back, less so.

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2 ByStephan Georgiou Aug 23, 2024 6 Filip Jorgensen Chelsea

Signed by Chelsea from Villarreal in the summer, Filip Jorgensen has yet to make a significant impact in the Premier League, but has shown promise in cup competitions, keeping five clean sheets in 11 games.

He also boasts a mightily impressive save percentage, having stopped 80% of the shots he’s faced in the Premier League, while he’s saved 83.9% in the Conference League, as per FBref.

At just 22 years old, Jorgensen could offer a long-term solution for Chelsea in goal, and clearly has the potential to grow into a top-tier goalkeeper.

However, to do that, Maresca needs to give him more of a chance in the league rather than stick with Sanchez despite his continuous errors. Doing so will no doubt be frustrating the youngster and potentially putting a dent in his confidence.

7 Caoimhin Kelleher Liverpool

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Earlier this year, Liverpool’s Caiomhin Kelleher expressed his desire to leave Anfield, stating he wants to “go and be a number one and play week in, week out”.

Though he’s impressed when called upon, the 26-year-old has never been able to displace Alisson as Liverpool’s regular No 1. In August, the Reds also completed the £30 million signing of Valencia ‘keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will move to Merseyside next year.

Kelleher has kept seven clean sheets in 14 games for Liverpool this season and looks at home at a top Premier League side.

Triple Dutch

Five great World T20 performances by Associate teams (Netherlands mainly)

Peter Della Penna27-Feb-2016Nepal defeat Hong Kong by 80 runs (2014)
Underpinned by a pair of 40s from the captain, Paras Khadka, and vice-captain Gyanendra Malla, Nepal made 149 for 8 after being sent in on a steamy night in Chittagong. In the end, it was Hong Kong’s line-up that wilted in the heat. The talismanic Khadka struck on the first ball of the chase before the left-arm spin tandem of Shakti Gauchan and Basant Regmi shredded the middle order for five wickets in the space of 13 balls to help secure a famous win for cricket-mad Nepal on World T20 debut.Netherlands defeat England by 45 runs (2014)
After putting a major scare into South Africa before falling short by six runs, the Dutch would not be denied a Full Member scalp in their final match of the tournament. After a typically fiery start from Stephan Myburgh and Wesley Barresi, a middle-order stumble resulted in a modest total of 133. England stuttered in reply after Mudassar Bukhari struck twice in the Powerplay, and a suffocating fielding display produced two run-outs, including a fittingly comical mix-up to end the match.Ireland defeat Bangladesh by six wickets (2009)
Niall O’Brien, who led Ireland’s thrilling chase over Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, took centre stage here in pursuit of Bangladesh’s 137 at Trent Bridge with 40 off 25 balls. After he fell in the tenth over at 61 for 2, little big brother Kevin gave a preview of the career-defining century he would produce against England two years later, smashing an unbeaten 39 off 17 balls, including a pair of big sixes against Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan, as Ireland cantered across the line with ten balls to spare.Netherlands defeat England by four wickets (2009)
Despite a roaring start, England failed to hit a boundary off the final 17 balls, ending on 162 to leave the door ajar in the tournament curtain-raiser, at Lord’s. Tom de Grooth pried it open further with an adventurous 49 off 30, and in the end, two were needed off the final delivery to win. Stuart Broad had a chance to deny them after a diving stop in his follow-through, but a hurried shy on his knees from eight yards away summed up a sloppy England fielding display, as the final pair scampered the winning run on an overthrow.Netherlands defeat Ireland by six wickets (2014)

Following their win over Zimbabwe, Ireland’s march into the ten-team main draw seemed assured when they made 189. For Netherlands to qualify ahead of Ireland on net-run-rate tiebreaker, they needed to get to the target in 14.2 overs, an idea so preposterous that Ireland captain William Porterfield wasn’t informed about it until the ambush was nearly complete. Peter Borren promoted himself to open the chase and, along with Stephan Myburgh, initiated a fearless charge, nailing the win with three balls of breathing room.

قرار جديد من يانيك فيريرا بشأن مران الزمالك

اتخذ الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك بقيادة البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، قرارا جديدا بشأن تدريبات الفريق غداً الأربعاء، خلال المعسكر الحالي المقامة بالعاصمة الإدارية، استعداداً للموسم الجديد.

وقرر الجهاز الفني خوض التدريبات على فترتين، ستقتصر الفترة الصباحية على خوض تدريبات في صالة الجيمانيزيوم لتجهيز اللاعبين بدنياً للمرحلة المقبلة، في حين ستشهد الفترة المسائية التركيز على الجوانب الفنية.

طالع| مران الزمالك | يانيك فيريرا يتوجه بطلب للاعبين وتدريبات بدنية لرفع معدلات اللياقة

وكان فريق الزمالك انتظم في معسكر مغلق بالعاصمة الإدارية، ظهر اليوم الثلاثاء، في إطار المرحلة الثانية من فترة الإعداد للموسم الجديد.

ومن المقرر أن يستمر المعسكر حتى يوم 27 يوليو الجاري، على أن يتخلله خوض عدد من المباريات الودية، لتجهيز اللاعبين للموسم الجديد.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن الزمالك أتم التعاقد مع 4 صفقات جديدة في الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي، وهم عمرو ناصر من فاركو والحارس المهدي سليمان والأنجولي شيكو بانزا، وأحمد شريف.  

 

 

 

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