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da bwin： Chelsea could swoop for one marquee striker “at any moment”, according to a reliable journalist, with Enzo Maresca’s side firmly on the hunt for a new number nine before January deadline day on February 3rd.

Chelsea shortlist new striker options amid Nkunku uncertainty

da dobrowin： It was rumoured that Chelsea’s plan to bring in a centre-forward was more for the summer window than January, but amid the uncertainty surrounding Christopher Nkunku’s future, it is widely reported that the west Londoners are keen on one right now.

Related Chelsea offered loan deal for £135k-per-week Brazilian who Man City want

Enzo Maresca wants to bolster a key area of the squad.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jan 22, 2025

Nkunku is said to have agreed terms with Bayern Munich, and if Chelsea can agree a deal to sell him this month, then Maresca would lose an impactful back-up star who’s netted 13 goals across all competitions so far this term.

Bearing this in mind, Chelsea are targeting a host of potential centre-forward options who could come in to potentially replace the Frenchman. RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich Town star Liam Delap, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović, Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran and Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez are thought to be on their shortlist (Simon Phillips), so the search is well and truly on for Maresca’s perfect man.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Man City (away)

January 25

West Ham (away)

February 3

Brighton (away)

February 14

Aston Villa (away)

February 22

Southampton (home)

February 25

Chelsea have reached out to the representatives of Vlahovic, according to reports in Italy. Maresca’s side have also made multiple approaches to Delap’s agent in the last few weeks, according to respected Stamford Bridge reporter Simon Phillips.

As per the same media source, Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is now a serious potential incoming.

Chelsea could move for Matheus Cunha "at any moment"

The versatile Molineux forward, who has starred in an array of attacking positions under both Gary O’Neil and Vitor Pereira this season, is attracting very real interest from Chelsea as they pursue a proven new striking option to complement Nicolas Jackson.

Cunha has been in the midst of a contract debacle, and reportedly agreed the financial aspects of a new deal, but both the Brazil international and his club hit a roadblock in talks when discussing the possibility of a relegation clause (Dean Jones).

Ben Jacobs writes that Wolves will demand around £80 million to sell him in this window, but that hasn’t stopped Maresca’s side from potentially rivaling Arsenal in the race for his signature.

Phillips, writing via his Substack, says Chelsea could move for Cunha “at any moment”, and he is “definitely one to watch” heading into the final stretch of January.

“My top source has said Matheus Cunha ‘is definitely one to watch’,” wrote the reporter.

“With Cunha, more and more noise is building that he will leave this month, and our source has said that Chelsea are in and around this situation and could move for Cunha at any moment. Although the same source believes that it’s most likely at the moment that he ends up at Arsenal, because they are the club trying and pushing the most right now.”

The 25-year-old has bagged 10 goals and four assists in all competitions for Wolves this season, and there is little denying he could be an excellent alternative to Jackson as Chelsea aim to qualify for the Champions League.

A furious Jose Mourinho grabbed the nose of Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk after his Fenerbahce side were eliminated from the Turkish Cup in ugly scenes.

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• Fenerbahce lost to Galatasaray
• Mourinho's first game back since ban
• Appears to grab Buruk's nose after full-time

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mourinho made his return to the dugout after a four-game touchline ban was meted out after his comments about referees, once again after a match against Galatasaray. During the fallout of that game, Mourinho was accused of making racist comments, something which was never proved and which the ex-Chelsea boss continues to deny. Now, though, there have been further ugly scenes between the two sides, with the Portuguese grabbing the nose of his opposite number after full-time.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gala won the game 2-1 thanks to a brace from Victor Osimhen, but the game ended in acrimony as both benches engaged in a mass brawl, with the end result being three red cards. Substitute Kerim Demirbay was sent off for Gala, while Mert Hakan Yandas and Baris Alper Yilmaz were dismissed for Fener. Yilmaz was the only one of the trio to play, but he had been substituted at the time of his sending off.

• WHAT NEXT?

  Mourinho may well be facing up to a fresh ban after his conduct following the final whistle. Fenerbahce face Trabzonspor on Sunday.

Crystal Palace have struggled to score goals this campaign, scoring 25 goals in 22 games so far this season, making them the joint fifth-lowest goalscorers in the Premier League.

This is despite taking 13.9 shots per game (10th most in the division) with their average xG per shot being 0.12.

With their striker options being Jean Philippe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah -who was a big-money signing in the summer – the Eagles could instead look to add goals to their squad behind the striker, aiming to replace the output of Michael Olise who left in the summer window.

Crystal Palace looking at new forwards

According to reports from Italian outlet Firenze Viola in recent days, Crystal Palace have emerged as potential suitors for Botafogo winger, Luiz Henrique.

Transfer Focus

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

Other interested clubs include Fiorentina, who made an offer of around €20m (£16.8m) to Botafogo, but the Brazilian side have not been convinced by this bid.

The reports suggest a fee of around €30m (£25m) would be needed to prise the 24-year-old winger away from the club in the January window. However, it is unknown whether Palace would be willing to meet such an asking price.

Henrique has made 55 appearances since joining Botafogo in 2024, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists.

How Henrique compares to Romain Esse

On Saturday it was confirmed by the Eagles that they had officially signed Romain Esse from Championship side Millwall.

He has made 26 appearances so far this season, scoring five goals, providing one assist and totaling 2,165 minutes played.

Esse is, of course, five years younger than Henrique, and would demand a lower fee, but you would also be gambling on him making the jump from Championship to Premier League football seamlessly. That being said, Henrique has played in LaLiga and the Brazilian Serie A, so he would also be making a change and could potentially struggle with the physicality to begin with.

Goals

0.30

0.21

Assists

0.14

0.04

xG

0.29

0.10

xAG

0.13

0.20

Progressive Carries

2.94

1.65

Progressive Passes

2.66

3.26

Shots Total

2.14

1.38

Key Passes

1.21

1.21

Shot-Creating Actions

3.52

3.13

Successful Take-Ons

2.91

2.28

When comparing the two wide player’s metrics this season, Henrique has much better output, both with goals and assists. However, Esse has shown his ability to create chances for his team, with a higher xAG (expected assisted goals) which could lead to his assist numbers being higher when surrounded by better finishers.

Henrique and Esse both average 1.21 key passes per 90, as well as over three shot-creating actions per 90, showing their ability to create chances. The 24-year-old (Henrique) does offer more potency and goal threat though, having a higher shot-volume to go alongside his higher goals per 90.

The Brazilian was labeled an “absolute sensation” by scout Jacek Kulig, when playing for Brazil in the World Cup qualifiers. The quality of Henrique is clearly huge, but the biggest challenge would be settling into one of/if not the most physical league in the world.

The aim for either one of these players if they both arrived this January would be to replace some of the assets that Palace lost in the summer, specially when one of their jewels in the crown, Michael Olise, left the club. Both players have elements to their game, adding attacking spark, but whether they can provide enough output straight away remains to be seen.

Crystal Palace could land 'the Reading version of Olise' in EFL sensation

Crystal Palace can finally land their Olise replacement with EFL star

ByConnor Holden Jan 16, 2025

Manchester City players and staff do not deserve a bonus for their 2024-25 campaign, in the view of manager Pep Guardiola.

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• Man City set to lose PL title to Liverpool
• English champions also out of CL
• Guardiola dismisses 'bonuses' even if they win CWC

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Having broken records in 2024 by becoming the first side in English history to win the league four years running, City are set to lose their Premier League crown this season. They sit fifth in the standings and are a whopping 22 points off of leaders Liverpool, while they were dumped out of the Champions League before the last-16 stage by Real Madrid last month.

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  City can still end the season with silverware as they are going strong in the FA Cup and will play in the revamped FIFA Club World Cup this summer. The club will receive around £20 million (€24m/$25.9m) simply for qualifying, though they could max out earnings at £96.5m (€115.8m/$125m) if they win the tournament. Nevertheless, Guardiola does not believe he, his staff and players would deserve a single penny of that prize pot.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  At a press conference on Friday, Guardiola was asked about receiving a bonus if City won the Club World Cup, to which he replied: "We don't deserve it this season. We don't deserve a bonus this season. I don't know how much if we win but it's for the club. The manager, backroom staff, players, we don't deserve it. Not even a watch."

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  City have been drawn alongside Italian giants Juventus, Moroccan outfit Wydad AC and Al Ain of the UAE for the group stage of the Club World Cup. The only other English participants at the tournament will be Chelsea.

Plays of the day from the World T20 game between South Africa and Afghanistan in Mumbai

Firdose Moonda20-Mar-2016The one-handed maximumSouth Africa dazzled with an array of boundaries in the first six overs but the most eye-catching one came when Faf du Plessis took on Mohammad Nabi. The offspinner dropped one short, du Plessis gave himself room by stepping outside leg stump, went deep into his crease, took his top hand off the handle of his bat and carved the ball over cover using just one hand.The mix-up Quinton de Kock knew Faf du Plessis had his dancing shoes on, so when du Plessis jabbed Amir Hamza into the covers, de Kock thought a quick run was on. Then de Kock saw Mohammad Nabi swooping in and realised it was too risky so he turned back. At the other end, du Plessis had already responded but soon saw it was wiser to turn back. He was late to undo his steps and Nabi’s throw came in quickly for Mohammad Shahzad to catch the South African captain short of his ground.The drop AB de Villiers had just started to threaten when he offered Afghanistan a chance. He sent a Samiullah Shenwari delivery straight back to him. Shenwari had to react quickly in his follow through and got his hands up in time but then it all became too much. He could not hold on as the ball burst through his hands and de Villiers got his 27th run. He would go on to score 37 more.The placementHis ability to hit the ball anywhere he wants had already been on display but to further emphasise the point, AB de Villiers bisected the gap between the stands in the middle of his assault on Rashid Khan. After hitting him through midwicket twice and straight down the ground, de Villiers smeared a short ball straight into the daylight that peeped through a gap in the stand at midwicket. That also brought up fifty for him, off 24 balls.The poser Mohammad Shahzad probably knows he is not model material but that did not stop him from striking a pose after a perfect lofted drive. As the Kyle Abbott delivery was sent cleanly over long-on, Shahzad held his stance: head down, bat straight, elbows high. And there he stood.The misfield Faf du Plessis had specifically asked for discipline from his attack but he may need to extend that to include his fielders. Mohammad Nabi sliced David Wiese to short third man, where Imran Tahir was stationed. Tahir failed to move quickly enough to his left and by the time he got there, the bounce had the better of him. Tahir could not even get a hand to the ball as it disappeared past his legs and onto the boundary. Wiese’s figures were already mangled, but that didn’t help.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani is potentially set to go head to head with the incumbent Greg Barclay in the ICC chairman election scheduled for next weekend. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mukuhlani, who has been on the ICC board for a long time as the ZC representative, has declared his intention to enter the contest – subject to his getting enough support from the smaller Full Member countries as well as the Associates.ESPNcricinfo recently reported that Imran Khwaja, the ICC deputy chair, was going to stand, but he is believed to have withdrawn. Khwaja suffered a fractious defeat in the 2020 elections against Barclay. Back then, Barclay secured influential support from the BCCI which paved the way for the New Zealander to win by 11 votes to five, in what turned out to be a two-round contest.In July this year, after the ICC annual general meeting, Barclay declared he was ready to contest for a second two-year term. Barclay is believed to be bullish about his prospects, especially as election rules have been tweaked with the winner to be decided on the basis of a simple majority. In 2020 the winning candidate needed a two-third majority from the 16-strong ballot. The 16 votes are from the ICC board of 12 Full Members, one independent director (Indra Nooyi) and three Associate directors which includes Khwaja.Khwaja had received six votes in the first round two years ago, but Cricket South Africa’s vote in the second round tipped the contest in Barclay’s direction. Once beaten, twice shy, Khwaja, one of the most experienced directors on the board, weighed his options and eventually decided not to contest this time, despite having got the mandatory one vote to get nominated.While it could not be confirmed on October 20, the nomination deadline day, Mukuhlani, too, had been proposed by one of the ICC directors. And now he has the second vote, enough to support a nomination. While he is keen to fight the elections, Mukuhlani will likely take a final call in the next week once he senses the kind of support he could expect.Greg Barclay is the current ICC chairman and is looking for another term•Kai Schwoerer/ICC/Getty Images

Mukuhlani is part of the ICC’s Audit Committee and chair of the Membership Committee. He is also part of the global body’s Olympics working group, which is tasked with pushing for cricket’s entry in the Summer Games. Popularly known as ‘Doc’ in ICC circles, Mukuhlani believes he has the experience to take over the leadership and become a voice for smaller members and Associates. He is hedging his chances mainly on getting support from a majority of Asian countries except for the BCCI. At the moment, it is believed that the BCCI vote is leaning towards Barclay, but options remain open till election date. The election is planned to take place during the ICC meetings, scheduled on November 12-13 in Melbourne.Mukuhlani’s manifesto revolves around striving for equity among members and advocating for governance changes. It aligns with the vision Khwaja has had for several years and was to an extent able to put into effect during the four years Shashank Manohar was ICC chairman (2016-20). Both men worked closely to dismantle the Big Three power structure and put in place a fresh financial model where smaller countries received an enhanced share from the ICC revenue pool.That pot has now grown much bigger after Disney Star* bought ICC broadcast rights for men’s and women’s events between 2024-27. The deal, to broadcast in the India market only, is reportedly worth over US$3 billion, considerably more than what the ICC got in the previous rights cycle (which was for eight years, and globally). Barclay, too, is drumming up support and is believed to have put a re-look at the financial distribution model as well as modifying the governance model at the forefront of his strategic plan for a second term. Other than looking at enhancing individual countries’ share of the pie, Barclay wants to invest money in strategic funds as well has promotion of women’s cricket.

Hopes are high for a resurgence from Renegades with the help of new overseas players including Andre Russell, Martin Guptill, Akeal Hosein and Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Alex Malcolm14-Dec-2022Captain Nic Maddinson

Coach David SakerSquad Nic Maddinson, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Martin Guptill (New Zealand), Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Ruwantha Kellapotha (Sri Lanka), Shaun Marsh, David Moody, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Andre Russell (West Indies), Will Sutherland, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan), Jon WellsIn Martin Guptill, Peter Handscomb, Akeal Hosein, Ruwantha Kellapotha, David Moody, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Andre Russell, Mujeed Ur Rahman

Out Unmukt Chand, Jono Merlo, James Seymour, Mohammad Nabi, James Pattinson, Cameron Boyce, Josh Lalor, Zahir Khan, Reece Topley

What happened in the draft

Renegades had an excellent draft on the night but their best-laid plans were thrown in chaos when Liam Livingstone, the No. 1 platinum pick and most sought-after man in the draft, was picked in England’s Test squad and decided to withdraw from the BBL. Renegades’ two other draft picks, Akeal Hosein and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are still coming to the BBL and could form a destructive spin duo, especially at Docklands Stadium and Kardinya Park in Geelong. But both will leave the tournament in early January to head to the ILT20 in the UAE. Renegades have been able to secure some very good replacements for Livingstone at least with Andre Russell available to play the first four games of the season while Martin Guptill is available for the next 10 after that, giving Renegades some real international quality in their batting department.Related

• Guptill joins Renegades in BBL following release from NZ contract

• Melbourne Renegades sign Andre Russell in short-term BBL deal

• Liam Livingstone withdraws from BBL in major blow to the tournament

Last season: Eighth

Despite a change of coach and a stronger looking attack Renegades maintained their stranglehold on the BBL wooden spoon last season, finishing last for the third tournament in a row. They had aimed to build a game plan around a strong well-rounded attack but injuries cruelled them with only Zahir Khan managing to play the entire season. Their batters struggled again with not one single player capable of striking at more than 132 and availability was also an issue with Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh also battling injuries. They only managed three wins for the season, with one coming against a Covid-depleted Melbourne Stars side. Even in the last game of the season, they failed to get over the line against Sydney Thunder despite legspinner Cameron Boyce bagging four wickets in four balls and Finch making 82.

International impact

Marcus Harris is currently away with Australia’s Test squad but there is a possibility he could be released to play in the BBL at various stages where it suits. They had already lost Livingstone to England duty. Russell is playing the first four games but that will be offset by Guptill’s arrival. They will also lose Hosein and Mujeeb to the ILT20 after the January 7 game against Hobart Hurricanes but they are available for the first nine games of the season.

Key player

Nic Maddinson has flattered to deceive in T20 cricket. He has all the tools to be an outstanding T20 player. He has the power, the 360-degree capabilities and the experience having played for Australia, in the IPL, CPL and the Blast. But since moving from Sydney to Melbourne for a fresh start with Victoria, he has really struggled in the BBL despite flourishing at first-class level. He has averaged 14.44 struck at just 104 in his last 39 T20 innings. Renegades made him captain last year in his first season after moving from Melbourne Stars but he struggled in the difficult middle-order roles. He is set to go back to the top where he made his name for Sydney Sixers in the past. Fast starts and big runs from Maddinson will help set Renegades up for success given they have added more middle-order experience in Jon Wells.

Young player to watch

It’s hard to call Sam Harper a young player given he is 26 and in his seventh season as a professional cricketer, but his batting looks in the best shape it has done for quite some time at Sheffield Shield level having posted a century and a half-century this season. He has shown glimpses in BBL’s past, including some excellent contributions in Renegades’ lone title in 2018-19. However, he has struggled to bed down a defined role since, but this might be the season where he could string together some consistency. He will be given the chance to play with some freedom given there are likely to be more experienced players around him than there has been in the recent past.

His tenure might not have ended in the best way possible, but Mauricio Pochettino turned Tottenham Hotspur into a sensational side during his five years at the club.

The Argentine took charge in 2014, turned a mediocre team into genuine title contenders, and even led the club to their first Champions League final.

This was achieved through a combination of brilliant tactics and astute recruitment, with players like Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli all joining the club under the 52-year-old’s watch.

However, for all the incredible players he brought to N17, Pochettino was also responsible for his fair share of dud signings, including one who proved to be a massive mistake and earned as much as star attacker Brennan Johnson does today.

Pochettino's worst signings

Before we get to the offender in question, let’s look at some of the other poor signings made under Pochettino’s reign, starting with a striker who couldn’t score: Vincent Janssen.

Yes, the Dutch centre-forward joined the North Londoners for £17m in the summer of 2016 following a sublime season with AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, in which he scored 32 goals and provided seven assists in 49 appearances.

Unfortunately, the Heesch-born poacher seemed like a totally different player in England and after a few years which saw him go out on loan to Fenerbahçe for a season, the 30-year-old left N17 for just £6m, with six goals and four assists in 42 appearances to his name.

Another striker who failed to live up to expectations under Pochettino was Clinton N’Jie, who joined the club for £12m in August 2015, following a promising campaign with Lyon in which he scored eight goals and provided nine assists.

However, as with Janssen, the Cameroonian marksman seemingly lost the ability to score following his move and would eventually leave the club two years later following a loan move back to France, with no goals and just one assist to his name in 14 appearances for the Lilywhites.

That said, while N’Jie was a bad transfer, he didn’t cost the club anywhere near as much as the following transfer.

Pochettino's costly mistake

The player in question is former Spurs full-back Serge Aurier.

The North Londoners opted to pay Paris Saint-Germain £23m for the Ivorian defender in August 2017, and while the move raised a few eyebrows at the time due to him receiving a suspended sentence for assaulting a police officer a year earlier, his performances on the pitch were deemed good enough.

For example, in 32 appearances for the French giants in the 16/17 campaign, he produced a reasonable tally of five assists, including one against North London rivals Arsenal in the Champions League.

Unfortunately, instead of getting a reliable and effective attacking right-back, the Lilywhites got an unreliable and “erratic” liability, as dubbed by former icon Teddy Sheringham, who managed to get himself sent off on his first Premier League start for the club.

The Ouragahio-born enigma would get himself sent off for a second time just a couple of years later in a league game against Southampton, and when he gave away a pointless foul in the 2021 League Cup final that led to Manchester City’s winner, Jamie Carragher blasted him.

Truth be told, the criticism was incredibly scathing with the Sky Sports pundit labelling him as “one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football” and the kind of player who would “put you off management with the amount of crazy decision he makes.”

It was in the aftermath of the defeat that his contract, which saw him earn £80k-per-week in his first season at the club and £70k-per-week for the next three, was finally terminated by mutual consent, with him having scored eight goals and provided 17 assists in 110 appearances.

So, when combined, the former PSG ace earned a whopping £15m in wages from the Lilywhites, meaning his total cost to the club, including his fee, was an enormous £38m, which does not seem like fair value considering the performances he put in.

Transfer Fee

£23m

Total Wages

£15m

Appearances

110

Cost per Appearance

£345k

Goals

8

Cost per Goal

£4.7m

Assists

17

Cost per Assist

£2.2m

Goal Involvements

25

Cost per Goal Involvement

£1.5m

When broken down, that comes to £345k-per-appearance, £4.7m-per-goal, £2.2m-per-assist and £1.5m-per-goal-involvement.

Ultimately, while he was able to put in some good performances here and there, the poor discipline, huge costs, and disastrous foul in the League Cup Final make it hard to look at Aurier’s transfer as anything other than a massive failure, especially when he earned as much as Johnson is today.

Incredible Spurs star sold by Mourinho is now outscoring Maddison & Son

The sensational international has been on a journey since leaving Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 19, 2024

da imperador bet： Tottenham are now reportedly ready to make a splash in the January transfer market as they look to bolster Ange Postecoglou’s options in defence following a tough start to the Premier League season.

Tottenham consistently inconsistent

da wazamba： Heading into the November international break, Tottenham continue to blow hot and cold under Ange Postecoglou. Currently 10th in the Premier League, they have recorded impressive wins over Manchester United and Manchester City (in the Carabao Cup), but have also given first wins of the season to Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town, losing to the Tractor Boys 2-1 at home in their most recent outing.

The upshot of that is that they have lost five of their first 11 games, winning another five and drawing just once, a run of form that leaves them three points outside the top six as things stand.

Related Spurs join race to sign £30,000-p/w Marmoush teammate Kulusevski knows well

He could be just what Ange Postecoglou’s side need to add to their ranks.

Posts ByBen Browning Nov 11, 2024

As was the case across the 2023/24 campaign, issues in north London are particularly obvious when first choice defenders Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven are sidelined, and Radu Dragusin has not made the desired impact in the 12 months since arriving from Genoa, with the Romanian defender yet to challenge either for a first team spot when everyone is fit.

Elsewhere, Ben Davies continues to flatter to deceive when asked to step into the breach, and with reported interest from Real Madrid in Romero and persistent injuries to Van de Ven, the Spurs defence is facing a pivotal few months. Now, they are ready to bolster it with a new addition in January.

Spurs ready move for "monster" defender

That comes as a report from Italy claims that Spurs are ready to offer up to 30m euros (£25m) for Inter defender Yann Bisseck in January.

The Cameroonian defender has started just four Serie A games this season for the Nerazzurri, but impressed in the Champions League against Arsenal as he helped Simone Inzaghi’s side to a 1-0 win over Tottenham’s north London rivals.

He was hailed as a “monster” by football analyst Pythagoras in Boots on X, who praised his “good athleticism complemented some good positioning” in the victory. Though right-footed, he is comfortable playing on either side of defence as part of either a back three or back four, and is under contract until 2028 at San Siro.

It has been claimed that he is set to sign a one year extension to that deal, but Inter.Live claim that Tottenham are ready to try and lure him out of Milan as soon as January.

Yann Bisseck 2024/25

Appearances

11

Goals

0

Assists

0

Yellow Cards

1

Pass Accuracy

89.3%

Tackles and interceptions per 90

1.78

It is claimed that Tottenham would be willing to shell out £25m, a fee that would see Inter make a massive profit on the £7m they shelled out to bring Bisseck to Italy.

Should he arrive in north London, Bisseck would be able to provide some much-needed cover and competition for both sides of Postecoglou’s defence, and would also leave Spurs less vulnerable should Real Madrid opt to pursue their early interest in Cristian Romero.

While Bangladesh are down on confidence, West Indies are bursting with it and coach Phil Simmons now wants his team to continue this progress for the rest of the World Test Championship cycle.The captain Kraigg Brathwaite has been a significant factor in West Indies’ rise in the last 18 months. He made the highest score (94) across all four innings in the Antigua Test against Bangladesh and, according to his coach, is constantly getting better as both a player and a leader.”Everyone has seen [Brathwaite’s] determination,” Simmons said. “His unique style. He doesn’t have a problem doing his job for five days. It is unique because a lot of batsmen nowadays like to play shots and be done with it.”From his point of view, he wants to be there for the team. That rolls into the captaincy. He is not loud but the players know what he wants. He makes them understand in his unique way. He seems to be growing in the role.”With their victory on Sunday, West Indies have now won three of their eight WTC matches and are unbeaten in their last four Tests.”We started 2021 in the same way,” Simmons said. “We won two in Bangladesh, and drew two against Sri Lanka. It is about how we go forward from here. I want to be unbeaten in all five Tests in this year. That would be good for me. Guys are getting confident in what they are doing. It makes your job and role easier the more confidence you have. It has happened especially after winning the series against England not too long ago. The confidence showed.”Kemar Roach too contributed heavily in the Antigua win, after nearly missing the game. The 33-year old fast bowler had to clear a last-minute fitness test to make himself available for selection, and once he did, he terrorised the Bangladesh batting line-up, finishing with match figures of 7 for 74 and equalling Michael Holding’s tally of 249 Test wickets.”[Roach] has taken things to the next level,” Simmons said. “He has been excellent. He is now tied with Mikey [Holding], but in the dressing room he is always leading the youngsters. He has played 70 Tests, so he educates them. It is great to have him in the dressing room.”There were other boxes ticked off as well. John Campbell made his first Test fifty in 15 innings, an innings which helped them recover from 9 for 3 and see off a chase of 84. “I think it was really important,” Simmons said. “He has had good starts in most of the games but failed to get past that 30-40 mark. The unbeaten fifty must give him some kind of confidence to get that big score, hopefully in the next Test match.”West Indies’ slip catching too was impressive in this Test match. They took 13 catches behind the wicket, dropping just the one. Six of those 13 catches were taken at slip, while wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva gobbled up the other seven. Simmons was asked to explain this and he said, “it is a matter of practice. I think the guys are enjoying the fact that the balls are coming to them. It is after a long time I am seeing the ball going to first slip in the Caribbean. It is nice to see.”There’s also the fact that Jason Holder might come back into the team later in the year so nobody wants to be put out of there. They know that he will walk right back into the slips. That could be a motivation too.”