All posts by h716a5.icu

An update has emerged on Leeds United and their attempts to strengthen the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

According to The Telegraph's Mike McGrath, the Whites are set to land Tottenham Hotspur central defender Joe Rodon on a season-long loan.

The reporter has stated that the west Yorkshire outfit have agreed on a deal with the Premier League side to secure the Wales international's services on a temporary basis.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

"Tottenham have agreed a deal for Wales centre-back Joe Rodon to join Leeds on a season-long loan. Formalities of deal to follow in coming days," he tweeted.

If the deal gets complete this week, it could see him available for the trip to face Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon.

How good is Joe Rodon?

The 25-year-old titan is a proven Championship performer who also has top-level experience and would come in as a far better option than Robin Koch, who has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the season, for Daniel Farke.

Rodon spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Rennes in France and averaged a solid Sofascore rating of 6.88 across 16 Ligue 1 outings as he won 61% of his duels and completed 90% of his attempted passes.

Koch, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.63 over 36 Premier League matches for Leeds, which placed him 17th within the squad. The Germany international came out on top in 57% of his duels and finished the season with a pass completion rate of just 77%.

Both players were plying their trade in major European leagues and Rodon stood out above the former Freiburg man with his average performance level, quality in possession, and his strength in physical contests.

The Tottenham outcast's score for Rennes was also higher than any Whites defender managed last term as Max Wober led the way with a rating of 6.84, which means that the possible new signing could be the best central defensive option for the head coach this season.

This suggests that the 6 foot 4 colossus would be better for Leeds than Koch was for the club last term due to his ability on and off the ball at the heart of the defence.

Rodon would also come in with Championship experience from his time with Swansea earlier in his career.

During the 2019/20 campaign, the £24k-per-week gem averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 21 appearances.

No Leeds player with at least five appearances averaged a Sofascore rating higher than 6.98 for the club last term and this suggests that the Spurs talent has the potential to be an outstanding performer for Farke.

Rodon, who was once hailed as "perfect" by ex-manager Jose Mourinho, would come in as a defender who can hit the ground running as he already knows the country and league, rather than coming in from a foreign club with no experience of English football.

This could allow him to make an immediate impact on the pitch as a way better option than Koch, and potentially the rest of Farke's centre-backs, which is why this signing could improve the squad and, therefore, the club's chances of earning promotion straight back to the Premier League over the next nine months.

Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis set the agenda as West Indies withstood a chilly autumnal evening, and a spirited England fightback, to seal victory by 21 runs at Chester-le-Street

The Report by Andrew Miller16-Sep-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Gayle set the agenda with a traditionally six-laden cameo, while his heir apparent, Evin Lewis, lived up to his lofty billing with 51 from 28 balls, as West Indies withstood a chilly autumnal evening, and a spirited England fightback with the ball, to seal victory by 21 runs in the one-off T20 at Chester-le-Street.On a night that could not have been further removed from the balmy, barmy circumstances of their previous T20 encounter, in the World T20 final in Kolkata 18 months ago, West Indies choked England’s ambitions, first through the spin twins of Sunil Narine and Ashley Nurse, and then through a canny spell of pace-off-the-ball from Kieron Pollard, Kesrick Williams and Carlos Brathwaite, at precisely the moment when it seemed their own resolve was about to crack in the inhospitable conditions.After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, West Indies served up the definitive innings of two halves. At the halfway mark they had rampaged to 106 for 1, with Gayle and Lewis crunching seven sixes between them in a freewheeling partnership, but they were restricted to 70 for 8 thereafter, as Liam Plunkett’s deck-hitting aggression, allied to another wily spell of legspin from Adil Rashid, looked to have kept their target well within manageable proportions.With the weather beginning to deteriorate as quickly as the temperature, the contest seemed to have swung decisively in England’s favour – the first-ball dismissal of Jason Roy notwithstanding – when Alex Hales smashed 43 from 17 balls to launch their pursuit in a fusillade of boundaries. But when, in the sixth over, Hales missed a loose drive to be bowled by a gleeful Brathwaite, England’s usually power-packed middle order could produce no adequate substitute for his sublime ball-striking.Joe Root, often so adept at working the gaps to allow his team-mates to clear the ropes, this time turned in a stodgy innings of 17 from 19 balls that came to an end with a low catch at short cover as Nurse struck with his third delivery. And spin continued to apply a tourniquet to England’s run-rate, as Eoin Morgan ducked and dived against Narine to no avail. After three consecutive dot-balls, Morgan reversed his hands for flick through backward point, but picked out the fielder to depart for 2 – his seventh consecutive single-figure score in all T20 innings.Eoin Morgan picked up another low score•Getty ImagesThe conditions were never easy for West Indies’ fielders – the cold and damp combined to create a funereal over-rate as well as regular protests about the slippery out-field. But with the umpires adamant that the show must go on – and the hardy Durham crowd certainly never lost the faith in that regard – West Indies found a second wind as England’s innings dribbled through the middle overs.If anyone was going to reignite the run-chase, it was Jos Buttler, whose mere presence was a reminder that nothing could be taken for granted. But with little pace to work with, he was unable to risk his habitual dinks over the keeper’s head for fear of holing out behind square, and he had been limited to two boundaries in a 27-ball stay when a Williams short ball induced a spliced pull to Rovman Powell at deep midwicket.Williams – who had borne the brunt of Hales’ earlier onslaught, when pace on the ball had equalled pace off the bat – then made it two in the over as a skittish Rashid gloved an attempted ramp to the keeper. Narine returned for his final over, that included the stumping off David Willey for 1, before Jonny Bairstow – England’s final, final hope – capped a collapse of 4 for 11 in 14 balls when he shovelled a Brathwaite slower ball to backward square leg.Fittingly, it was the captain Brathwaite – remember that name? – who put the seal on the victory as Plunkett missed a slog across the line with three balls of the innings remaining. England were all out for 155, done in by some canny bowling and a classy outfit who proved, as if it needed reiterating, that their World T20 triumph was no fluke.In the final analysis, however, it was West Indies’ flying start with the bat that proved the decisive difference between the sides. And fittingly, given that what little hype in the build-up to this contest had centred around the master and the apprentice at the top of West Indies’ order, it was Gayle and Lewis who shared top billing.Gayle, who got off the mark first-ball with an edged four through third man, soaked up a handful of sighters with that exaggerated caution that has so often been a feature of his game, before crunching from first gear to overdrive in the waft of a bat. His seventh ball, from Willey, was spanked over midwicket to bring up the 100th six of his T20 international career, and he celebrated that landmark in emphatic style one ball later, an arcing flog down the ground and over the sightscreen as Willey was once again punished for feeding Gayle’s strengths on a full length outside off.At the other end, Lewis – whose last act in West Indies’ colours had been a matchwinning 125 not out from 62 balls against India – slipstreamed his senior partner with poise and maturity. He avoided falling for the ego-trap that had done for Gayle (and his predecessor as opener, Johnson Charles) in the World T20 final, when Root was tossed the ball for the second over of the Powerplay for tidy over of darting offbreaks, and instead saved his change-up for the introduction of Tom Curran, whom he cracked for four, six, four, six from the first four balls he faced.West Indies finished the Powerplay on a daunting 72 for 0, but England – to their credit – found a means to claw back into the contest. The catalyst came with the introduction of Plunkett in the seventh over, as Gayle was pushed onto the back foot by a lifter outside off, and was slow to set off as Roy’s shy from backward point was sharply gathered by the bowler to pull off a tight run-out.Lewis’s half-century then came to an end as he smashed a Plunkett slower ball into the midriff of Root at mid-off, and when Plunkett followed up with two more major scalps – Marlon Samuels, caught at midwicket off a cramped pull for 10, and Pollard – expertly plucked at fine leg by a stretching Curran – England had found a means to restore their foothold in the game.Rashid, who’d been teasing out a tidy line and length in his mid-innings holding role, then dragged one down for Chadwick Walton to flog a top-edged pull out to Willey at deep midwicket, then did for Brathwaite and Narine in quick succession as an untimely rain interruption – with seven balls remaining – further disrupted West Indies’ flow. But, just as had been the case on that famous night in Kolkata, West Indies would not be denied. The prize on this occasion was rather more low-key, but with their big names back on parade after a low-key Test leg of their tour, it was a notable return to the colours nonetheless.

Sheffield Wednesday have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Anthony Musaba from AS Monaco.

What’s the latest Sheffield Wednesday transfer news?

It has been a dramatic few months for The Owls both on and off the pitch which began in the League One playoffs. Darren Moore was the man in charge and helped turn around a 4-0 semi-final first-leg deficit against Peterborough United, with the club then sealing their place in the Championship with a last-minute final winner at Wembley against Barnsley.

However, since then, Moore has left Hillsborough after chairman Dejphon Chansiri claimed he wanted a new contract four times bigger than his existing one, with the club eventually bringing in Xisco Munoz as the new manager.

Five new players have been brought in ahead of the 2023/24 campaign which gets underway this weekend. Reece James, Di'Shon Bernard, Juan Delgado, Ashley Fletcher and Pol Valentin have all made the move to Wednesday, and it looks as if the club are closing in on another piece of business ahead of the opening weekend clash with Southampton on Friday.

The Star shared a transfer update from Sheffield Wednesday earlier this morning, claiming that the club are closing in on another signing.

Musaba was named as a target earlier in the week and it is believed ‘that a deal has been agreed between the involved parties as the move draws closer’. The player is reportedly expected to touch down in the UK imminently, and it is claimed that a loan deal is likely with Musaba still having time left on his Monaco contract.

Who is Anthony Musaba?

Musaba is 22 years of age and spent time in the academies of NEC Nijmegen and Vitesse Arnhem before moving to Monaco back in 2020 in a deal which was worth €2.5m.

Since then, he has been sent out on loan to Belgium with Cercle Brugge, the Netherlands with Heerenveen and France with FC Metz. The Dutch U21 international also returned to NEC Nijmegen on loan back in January for the second half of the previous campaign.

Primarily a right-winger, Musaba can turn out on the left or as a centre-forward and has made over 100 senior appearances during his career so far, although only one has come for his parent club Monaco.

The Adidas-sponsored attacker has scored 19 goals at senior level and provided 10 assists, so should be able to bring an exciting and versatile attacking option to Hillsborough.

Munoz has been looking to add a bit of pace and flair to his side ahead of the new season, so Musaba may well be just the player he has been after. Wednesday currently have just one right-winger on the books in Malik Wilks, as per Transfermarkt, with a number of central options available to Munoz, meaning Musaba could be utilised on the flank, aiming to make a name for himself in the second tier.

It appears as if a deal is extremely close to being completed, and it’ll be interesting to see where the Owls decide to strengthen next with Musaba on course to become the sixth player through the door this summer.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that he can get his team firing straight from the word go as the Premier League season looms ever closer.

The Dutchman lost his opening two league games last season, and it could have threatened his tenure before it even began, yet the club bounced back and secured Champions League football via a third-place finish while even winning the League Cup.

Andre Onana and Mason Mount have joined the Old Trafford side and now the onus is on Ten Hag to improve his squad for the challenges ahead.

Could Manchester United sign Joshua Kimmich?

According to reports in Spain, the Red Devils are keen on signing the German international from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

With two years left on his current contract, Thomas Tuchel may feel that this is the last big chance to secure a major transfer fee for the 28-year-old, thus allowing United to potentially swoop in for him.

He currently earns £322k-per-week at the Bundesliga giants and this type of wage would certainly put him among the top bracket of earners should he join United.

How good is Joshua Kimmich?

Having joined the club in 2015, Kimmich has since gone on to make close to 350 appearances for the Bavarian side, winning eight Bundesliga crowns while lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020 and there is a reason why he is being courted by United.

Kimmich has become an integral part of the Bayern juggernaut over the years, and he is also statistically similar to Toni Kroos, suggesting he could be a wonderful addition at Old Trafford.

According to FBref, the Real Madrid star is the first-most similar player to Kimmich across Europe’s top five leagues in terms of statistical profile, and considering how revered Kroos is due to his longevity and success at the highest level, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

The previous 365 days have seen the two midfielders register similar statistics when it comes to pass completion percentage (90.9% to 84.3%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.3 to 4.55) and progressive passes (319 to 315), demonstrating just how effective they are at constantly circulating the ball, and they try and create plenty of chances for others to score.

Kimmich ranks in the top 1% compared to positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (9.87), while Kroos also ranks in the top 1% for the same metric, achieving 12.22 progressive passes per minute and the similarities don’t end there.

WhoScored states that Kimmich and Kroos both list passing and key passes as major strengths, while they both exude similar styles of play in that they enjoy shooting from a distance, also playing long balls often during matches.

Legendary manager Jose Mourinho once lauded him for his positional versatility, saying:

"I think he looks to me, very intelligent related to football, very intelligent, understands the moments of the games and understands the difference between positions and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there.”

If Ten Hag manages to get this move done before the end of the transfer window, it could turn into a resounding success, especially with the similarities to Kroos, who has been one of the finest midfielders in Europe over the previous decade.

South Africa battled back valiantly on an increasingly capricious pitch to give themselves a fleeting chance of chasing a sub-300-run target, only for Moeen Ali to put the destiny of the series beyond any reasonable doubt

The Report by Andrew Miller06-Aug-20174:02

#PoliteEnquiries: Is Moeen the greatest?

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball commentarySouth Africa battled back valiantly on an increasingly capricious pitch to give themselves a fleeting chance of chasing a sub-300-run target, only for Moeen Ali to throw caution to the wind, and sixes into the stands, in a blistering counterattack that has surely put the destiny of the series beyond any reasonable doubt.By the time a long-threatened rain shower forced an early close, Moeen had overcome a circumspect beginning to clobber his way to 67 not out from 59 balls. It was a remarkable knock in an innings where only Joe Root, with 49, had looked anything approaching fluent, and it had taken England’s overall lead to 360 runs – far beyond anything ever chased on this ground before – with two wickets still standing.However, the early stages of Moeen’s innings had not been entirely promising, in keeping with England’s overall performance in their second innings, which – Root’s effort aside – had showcased all too many of the weaknesses that have prevented them from attaining any real consistency in their Test cricket over the past 18 months. Much of the debate centred around the continued shortcomings of Dawid Malan and, especially, Keaton Jennings, whose latest failure has left his place in the side all but untenable.With 110 runs in his first seven innings of the series, including a highest score of 48, Jennings knew he needed to make an impression to prevent the chorus of doubters from becoming deafening. And hard though he battled in England’s second innings – even with the cushion of a 136-run lead to assuage the pressure a touch – he rarely looked settled at any stage of his 63-ball stay. He was dropped on 0 before he had scored, Dean Elgar leaping to his left at third slip but failing to cling on, and though he found a degree of fluency in reaching 17 not out at lunch, the manner of his dismissal was limp in the extreme.Facing up to the energetic Kagiso Rabada, Jennings lined up the cut as the bowler dropped short, but misjudged the line to catastrophic effect. Hashim Amla accepted a simple looping edge at first slip as if standing in the outfield for catching practice, and Jennings departed with the look of a man who knew that the bailiffs were circling to call in his borrowed time.Moeen Ali struck three sixes as he reached 67 not out before the rain arrived•Getty ImagesMalan scarcely made much more of a telling impression. As the newer selection, he may yet have more time on his side, but his tally after four Test innings stands at a ropey 35 runs, and today’s innings of 6 from 15 balls never convinced. Half of those runs came from a horribly miscued pull against Rabada that could have been caught by a diving Temba Bavuma at backward point, and two balls later, he fell victim to an impressive spell from the left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, who found some sharp turn out of the rough to take the glove, onto the knee-roll and into the hands of short leg.England, by that stage, were 72 for 4, having lost the Essex pairing of Alastair Cook and Tom Westley before lunch, both of them caught in the gully as they aimed loose drives at the hostile Morne Morkel, who finally earned his just desserts after a luckless spell in the first innings.Root, inevitably, made the going look simpler than most, as he chivvied the singles and negated the threat of Maharaj in particular, who found less purchase off the pitch when bowling the straighter line to the right-hander, and was comfortably thwarted by some judicious slog-sweeps when he opted to go round the wicket later in his spell. But, having marched to the brink of his second fifty of the match, Root pushed loosely at Duanne Olivier, and was bowled for 49 via an inside edge.Ben Stokes battled valiantly, channelling his success on the subcontinent to ride out the threat that Maharaj in particular was posing on a pitch with variable bounce. But he led a charmed life in his 23, including a stinging drop from a diving Heino Kuhn at short midwicket and a curious non-appeal from Morkel when he appeared to feather an edge to the keeper on 5. However, with tea approaching, Olivier was rewarded with a second scalp, as Stokes pushed too hard outside off, and was well snaffled by du Plessis at third slip.Enter Moeen, though not the Turbo-charged version of the final hour. He all but chopped onto his stumps first ball, and after tea, England scarcely looked like changing the pattern of their innings. Jonny Bairstow lacked the fluency of his first-innings masterclass, taking 25 balls to get off the mark before holing out to his 30th, well caught at fine leg by Rabada to give Olivier his third wicket of a fine and aggressive spell, and before the new batsman, Toby Roland-Jones had faced a ball, Moeen had survived another near-miss – dropped at slip by Elgar, whose elbows jolted the ball out of his grasp as he dived to his left off Maharaj.But that reprieve appeared to flick a switch in Moeen’s mindset, and his attitude to Maharaj thereafter was one of selective disdain. While mindful of the threat he still posed out of the rough, Moeen trusted his eye and his long levers, sweeping with intent – conventional and reverse – and drilling high and hard with the spin for three vast sixes, the second of which was caught on the player’s balcony by a gleeful Bairstow as he brought up his fifty from 49 balls.Roland-Jones, who has showcased a keen eye in his brief career to date, kept him company in a 58-run stand for the eighth wicket before Rabada induced a top-edged pull to a diving Maharaj at deep midwicket. But Moeen was by now motoring, bashing Rabada back over his head for four off what would prove to be the day’s penultimate delivery. He would have backed himself to keep cracking on, much as he had done in similar circumstances in the first Test at Lord’s, but – with two days to come and South Africa’s heads beginning to droop – his intercession has surely been decisive.

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2017
Scorecard</aGloucestershire's players run out at Cheltenham College•Getty ImagesGloucestershire maintained their unbeaten start to the NatWest t20 Blast season with a six wicket victory over Kent at Cheltenham College.Having tied with Middlesex in a thrilling game last Friday, Michael Klinger's side went one better thanks to four wickets for 29 runs from Benny Howell and useful knocks from Phil Mustard, Ian Cockbain and Cameron Bancroft.Kent made a decent start after being put in to bat thanks to Joe Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond. However, when that pair were parted at 45 for 1 in the sixth over, it was Gloucestershire who took the game by the scruff of the neck.Denley followed Bell-Drummond back to the pavilion 11 runs later when he was well caught by Tom Smith on the deep square leg boundary.From 56 for 2, Kent slipped unceremoniously to 87 for 5 in the 12th over with Sam Northeast holing out to Smith, again on the deep square leg boundary. James Neesham edged Chris Liddle to wicket keeper Mustard and when Alex Blake handed Smith a third catch, Kent were struggling.They appeared to be limping towards a rather modest total but Sam Billings and sixth wicket partner Darren Stevens had a different idea. Although Gloucestershire continued to bowl and field well, they progressed at 10 an over until Matt Taylor took a fine catch at backward squareoff the bowling of Howell to send back Billings for 36.Howell, who had already taken the wickets of Northeast and Denly, added his fourth scalp before the end of the 17th over when Matt Coles holed out to Jack Taylor at long on for a first ball duck.Benny Howell wrecked Kent's top order•Getty ImagesFrom that juncture, Kent limped to 152 for 8, leaving Gloucestershire a total that was always well within their grasp.Openers Klinger and Mustard provided the perfect platform on which the hosts could build. The pair kept the board moving in the opening overs, with Mustard punishing anything up to the bat. They were eventually separated when James Tredwell bowled Klinger for 13 in the sixth overCockbain and Mustard added 41 for the second wicket before the latter carelessly drove T20 debutant Imran Qayyum to midwicket where Northeast took a smart catch.Although Coles took an even better catch – one handed – to dismiss Cockbain for 31 at 108 for 3, Gloucestershire had already batted themselves within sight of victory.Qayyum and Coles did their bit to claw Kent back into the game and the former bowled particularly well from the Chapel End, however, Bancroft once again proved his worth and with Howell batting as well as he bowled, the result was never really in doubt.The pair added 40 for the fourth wicket and helped Gloucestershire to victory with six wickets and five balls in hand.

Newcastle United are reportedly targeting a move for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Jesper Lindstrom this summer, with the Bundesliga club expecting his departure in the current window.

The midfielder would join Sandro Tonali as another fresh face in the middle of the park for the Magpies.

What's the latest on Jesper Lindstrom to Newcastle United?

Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Lindstrom, who would cost €30-35m (£26-30m) this summer, according to Frankfurter Rundschau, via Sport Witness.

The Magpies are reportedly leading the way as the most interested party with their move for the midfielder, but aren't alone in their pursuit, with Arsenal and Juventus also interested in making a move for the 23-year-old.

Eintracht Frankfurt expect Lindstrom to leave this summer amid interest from across Europe, which could see Newcastle complete a move in the coming weeks, as we get closer to the start of the Premier League season.

Their interest comes as a slight surprise, given that they have already welcomed a midfielder in the form of Tonali this summer, but with Champions League football to contend with next season, added depth won't go amiss for Eddie Howe's side. It's certainly a deal to keep an eye on as the summer transfer window ticks by.

Who is Jesper Lindstrom?

Still only 23, Lindstrom could get even better with his next move, whether that is at Newcastle or not. Last season, he enjoyed yet another impressive season for Frankfurt, scoring nine goals and assisting a further four from a range of positions.

Primarily a midfielder, the Dane can also play on the wing or in more advanced positions up alongside or tucked in behind the striker. With plenty to play for next season, Howe would undoubtedly appreciate a player who can play a range of positions. All it takes is one look at his work with Joelinton to really highlight how the manager gets the best out of versatile players.

Lindstrom has impressed many in the Bundesliga too, with Kevin Trapp saying, via HITC: “Jesper is still very young but is a huge talent.

“He shows it now more often. He’s (playing at) a high level, he’s on top form. The goal he scored last week against Leverkusen was beautiful and I guess he has a lot of confidence right now.”

Statistically speaking, the Frankfurt man has the look of a player who could step into a Howe side. According to FBref, Lindstrom actually outplayed Joelinton in some areas, making more progressive carries and attempting more take-ons than the current Newcastle midfielder.

The 23-year-old would only push on further at St James' Park, too, resulting in the development of an excellent option in a range of positions for Newcastle. For a fairly low fee, too, Lindstrom would be a risk-free deal in many ways, perhaps making it a no-brainer for the Magpies.

As they gear up to do even better than last season, taking on the Champions League, in the process, Newcastle will hope to add more reinforcements before the end of the window. If they get the right players in this summer, then they'll be right up there in the Premier League once again.

Chelsea has kickstarted their multi-club project by purchasing a majority stake in Strasbourg.

Todd Boehly said this move is a method to make sure “we can show pathways for our young superstars to get onto the Chelsea pitch while getting them real game time”.

As well as the Blues’ gloriously talented academy, the purchase of another club can act as another developmental agency, where products can be guaranteed regular game-time away from the English capital.

This practice follows the vastly successful model that has been deployed by Manchester City’s parent company, the City Football Group, and Brighton, who also own Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise, where the wonderful Kaoru Mitoma enjoyed a successful loan spell.

With Chelsea now able to use the same tactic, one of the first beneficiaries could be Elye Wahi.

What’s the latest on Elye Wahi to Chelsea?

According to RMC Sport, Chelsea is set to make an offer of around €32m (£28m) including bonuses for the Montepellier livewire.

If successful, the 2021 Champions League winners would send the 20-year-old to Strasbourg on loan for the upcoming season.

Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are also interested in Wahi but are yet to initiate any formal contact.

Mauricio Pochettino already possesses Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, and Armando Broja so trying to squeeze Wahi into a squad that isn’t playing European football would be illogical.

Another year of regular minutes in a league to which he is accustomed is a logical plan and could Chelsea in a devilish position next summer.

Is Elye Wahi a good signing for Chelsea?

The Frenchman has just enjoyed the most productive year of his career to date, netting 19 times in 33 Ligue 1 outings at a rate of 0.68 goals per 90.

His impressive campaign included a spell-binding performance against Lyon back in May. In a 5-4 loss, the forward netted four goals from 1.31 xG (expected goals).

This commendable goal-scoring record places the youngster within the best 7% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, and he has forged an esteemed reputation throughout his homeland.

Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo has described Wahi as “powerful” and “athletic”, with a “range of dribbling skills.”

This summer, it seems that Chelsea is making a habit of targeting Ligue 1’s most talented prodigies, with the English Giant also chasing Lyon’s Rayan Cherki.

The playmaker could cost the Blues around £34m, but he’s already been earmarked as one of the world’s most exciting assets.

Since he made his debut, the dazzling technician has consistently broken records.

In the last few years, he has become: the youngest scorer in Lyon history (aged 16 years and 140 days versus Bourg-en-Bresse Peronnas in the Coupe de France in 2020), the youngest player to play in a Champions League semi-final (aged 17 years and 3 days in the 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich in 2020), and the second-youngest Ligue 1 scorer for Lyon (aged 17 years and 258 days against Monaco in May 2021).

However, last term was his most productive and influential as he notched ten goal involvements in 21 Ligue 1 starts.

As well as this ruthless efficiency, he was just one of nine players and the only U23, to record more than 100 progressive passes and 100 progressive carries.

As Chelsea pursues its relentless quest to source the globe’s best young players, Wahi and Cherki would be a phenomenal way to continue this trend.

Durham are hoping to complete the signing of Imad Wasim as an overseas player in the NatWest T20 Blast

George Dobell14-Jul-2017Durham are hoping to complete the signing of Imad Wasim as an overseas player in the NatWest T20 Blast. Imad, who is currently rated as the best T20 bowler in international cricket, will join for five matches before departing for the Caribbean Premier League.Imad, who was born in Swansea, made his international debut in 2015 and was recently a member of the Pakistan team that won the Champions Trophy, playing in every game at the tournament.He has impressed with his left-arm spin in the Pakistan Super League, as well as during stints at the CPL, and will bring something extra to a thin Durham squad, who have lost two from two in the competition so far. Tom Latham, their main overseas signing, is currently out of action with a foot injury.Imad’s signing is subject to him receiving a work permit.

James Anderson was enjoying a productive Roses new-ball spell against Yorkshire – and then local rivalries gave way to England concerns as he limped off injured

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford19-May-2017
Scorecard1:22

County Championship round-up: Lancashire sweat over Anderson injury

James Anderson is occasionally seen as one of England’s grumpier cricketers but he can hardly have failed to be content with life as he began his sixth over on the first morning of this 270th Roses match. Having already caught Adam Lyth at third slip off Tom Bailey and bowled Alex Lees playing no stroke for nought, Anderson was probably looking forward to interrogating the techniques of Gary Ballance, the country’s most in-form batsman, and Peter Handscomb, an Australian with whom he will hope to renew hostilities in the winter.But that is where the tidings of joy ended for Lancashire, England and the bowler himself. As he was about to bowl his 34th ball of the day Anderson pulled up in his delivery stride and immediately collapsed on his back in the middle of the pitch clutching the right side of his groin. Umpire Nick Cook quickly summoned Lancashire physio, Sam Byrne, with whom Anderson left the field. Thus a match which takes pride in its insularities acquired national significance within an hour of it beginningGlen Chapple, the first team coach at Old Trafford, confirmed that Anderson had suffered a tight groin and would be assessed again on Saturday morning to see if he needs a scan. Chapple’s counterpart, Andrew Gale, was in admirably generous mood, saying that “for the sake of the country’s cricket, no one wants to see Jimmy go down,” but Gale’s magnanimity did not, of course, prevent Yorkshire’s batsmen looking to make hay on a day when the sun rarely shone at Emirates Old Trafford.Those efforts were led, predictably enough, by Gary Ballance, for whom this spring has been a season of greater than green abundance. Yet by the close, Yorkshire cause’s was being advanced by Jack Leaning and Andrew Hodd, whose unbroken 73-run partnership for the seventh wicket had probably justified their captain’s decision to bat first, even if that decision was prompted by a fear of batting last.Indeed, this first day at Emirates Old Trafford was notable for a scoring rate and a measure of justified caution which would have been familiar to the watching Richard Hutton, Yorkshire’s newly-appointed president. Hutton’s own era was notable for its Verdunesque sieges against the White Rose’s closest rivals, albeit that such rivalry also concealed warm friendships and a common approach to the incomparable game.To a degree Yorkshire and Lancashire need and deserve each other and this was grittily apparent as the visitors proceeded carefully to 71 for two at lunch with Peter Handscomb and Ryan McLaren, both of whom were playing in their first four-day Roses match, tussling for advantage. McLaren, who looks a better signing with every day’s cricket he plays for Lancashire, won that battle when he had Handscomb lbw for 29 in the sixth over of the afternoon.Yet as they pondered a score of 90 for 3, Yorkshire supporters could be encouraged by the way their captain was batting and especially his neat and accurate footwork. Last summer Ballance scored 780 Championship runs despite often appearing moored to the crease; this year he has three centuries and two fifties to his credit and his movements are altogether more fluid and purposeful. Perhaps he has watched his Yorkshire and England colleague, Joe Root, in action and adapted the injunction of the popular songster, Robbie Williams, to the effect that “if you can’t get a run and your best friend can, it’s time to move your body”. More likely, of course, Ballance has tweaked his technique to good purpose in the manner of fine batsmen. As a result, he leads his county in more ways than one.All of which only increased the mild shock caused when Ballance was dismissed for 74 by a wide ball of no menace from Bailey, the wicket-taking capability of the delivery only being revealed when the batsman slapped it carelessly to Stephen Parry at mid-off. That wicket was the prelude to Lancashire’s best period of the day since Anderson had conjured one back off the seam to trim Alex Lees’ off stump. Tim Bresnan hit Simon Kerrigan for a straight six but was bowled for 13 by one from McLaren which kept slightly low. Azeem Rafiq had managed only 16 when he pulled an unusually short ball from Parry straight to Steven Croft at midwicket. That left Yorkshire on 178 for 6 but Leaning and Hodd’s shot selection was the best of the day and they looked in little trouble as they shepherded their side to a slight superiority at the close.Yet the relative gentleness of the evening session and the sense in which it took its place in a long tradition did not expunge the equally pleasant memories of the early morning when Anderson had run in under full sail and the cricket had been watched by 4000 schoolchildren, all of them attending the Lancashire Foundation’s Schools Open Day. The children were given Lancashire Lightning flags and nearly all were flourished as Croft led his players out for the morning session. Not since Pyongyang displayed its latest batch of missiles have thousands of red flags been waved with so much zeal; certainly such enthusiasm was a contrast to the seething silence which once characterised the first mornings of Roses matches. God knows what Emmott Robinson would have made of it.