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Chelsea have done some fantastic business in the transfer window this summer.

The likes of Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap all look like they could be future superstars under Enzo Maresca.

However, the Conference League champions’ best signing so far has been Joao Pedro, who looked spectacular in pre-season and was outstanding against West Ham United last week.

The Brazilian forward looks ready to explode at Chelsea this season, and in even more good news, the club are now close to signing another star who will be unreal alongside him.

Chelsea agree deal to sign brilliant teammate for Pedro

Even though the transfer window is set to close on Monday evening, Chelsea appear intent on making a few more signings.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, despite supposedly holding talks with Tottenham Hotspur, the Blues continue to be linked with Xavi Simons.

Meanwhile, while Aston Villa are reluctant to sell, Morgan Rogers has once again been linked with the West Londoners.

Yet, there is another Premier League star who has been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge perhaps more than any other in recent weeks – a player who now looks set to finally make the move and will be unreal alongside Pedro.

At least that is according to a recent report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who has delivered a massive update on the club’s pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho.

The respected journalist has revealed that Chelsea and Manchester United have agreed to a deal worth a fixed £40m plus a 10% sell-on fee.

The young Argentine is scheduled to undergo his medical in London later today, and should that go well, will put pen to paper on a contract until 2032.

It is undoubtedly a significant amount of money to spend on someone so young, but Garnacho is undeniably talented and could be exceptional in this Chelsea side, especially alongside Pedro.

Why Garnacho would be unreal with Pedro

One of the primary reasons Garnacho could be so effective alongside Pedro this season is due to their respective output.

For example, the “superstar” in the making, as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 58 appearances last season, totalling 3568 minutes.

That means he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes, which is really quite impressive considering he was playing in a historically terrible United side and is still just 21.

For his efforts, when you include his performances at the Club World Cup, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2299 minutes, last season.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.65 games, or every 114.95 minutes.

Appearances

58

33

Minutes

3568′

2299′

Goals

11

13

Assists

10

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

0.60

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

114.95′

When we examine these numbers, it’s clear that, in addition to being effective in front of goal, both players are more than adept at creating chances for their teammates.

In other words, they could form a devastating and unpredictable partnership in which opposition sides will never be too sure who’s going to play provider or finisher at any given moment.

Moreover, with both players being more than comfortable in a few different positions, they’d almost certainly have more opportunities to play together, gain a better understanding of one another’s game, and interchange more effectively over time.

Finally, as both players are still in their early 20s, they will be able to grow and develop together, which should only strengthen their partnership over the coming seasons.

Ultimately, Garnacho is an exciting signing in his own right, but his potential at Chelsea is even higher with Pedro in the team.

Enzo Maresca calling £60m star with Chelsea ready to triple his salary

The Blues boss is personally contacting him.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 28, 2025

Australia T20 captain Mitchell Marsh has been cleared to play in the IPL for his new team Lucknow Super Giants as a batter-only and is set to travel early next week despite missing the Champions Trophy with a back injury.Marsh, 33, was ruled out of the ODI tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy on January 31 due to “lower back pain and dysfunction”, which put an end to his domestic season. It was understood to be related to a disc problem that he had been managing since the limited overs tour of the UK in September 2024.Marsh saw a back specialist in early February and underwent a period of rest to try and settle the problem. He has returned to batting in recent weeks and has been cleared to play in the IPL for LSG as a batter-only and looks set to play a role as an impact player at the top of the order for his new franchise after he was bought for $US400,000 at the IPL Auction last year. Marsh is expected to join LSG’s squad on March 18 and will link up with his former Australia, Western Australia and Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer who is entering his second season as LSG coach.Related

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Marsh has not played a game since playing in the BBL for Perth Scorchers on January 7. He rested from Scorchers’ final two matches of the BBL season thereafter. That match was his only appearance after being omitted from Australia’s Test team ahead of the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. Prior to that BBL appearance, his last white-ball matches were during the September T20I and ODI tour of the UK.Marsh has played for Delhi Capitals in the last three IPL seasons but has had some significant injury issues. He damaged his hamstring in last year’s IPL after just four games and had to return home to rehab before leading Australia in the T20 World Cup. He has previously played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rising Pune Supergiants, Pune Warriors and Deccan Chargers.Meanwhile, Marsh’s Australia teammates Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are all expected to be fit for the IPL after also missing the Champions Trophy with various issues.Cummins told ESPNCricinfo last month that his ankle was strong after it had flared up following the Border-Gavaskar series and is set to lead SRH again.Starc also suffered an ankle niggle during the two-Test series against Sri Lanka but is set to play in the IPL after missing the Champions Trophy. Starc will join Delhi Capitals this season, having been bought at the auction for $US1.4 million, after he was player of the match in last year’s final for Kolkata Knight Riders.Hazlewood attracted the highest price of any Australian at the auction after missing last season when he was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $US1.49 million. Hazlewood has been the least durable of the three coming off side and calf injuries this summer with the latter turning in a hip issue that forced him to miss the Champions Trophy.All of Australia’s other IPL players are set to prioritise the tournament over the Sheffield Shield despite five states still being in contention to make the Shield final. Last season Matthew Wade opted to play the Shield final for Tasmania and missed the start of Gujurat Titans’ campaign. But South Australians Travis Head (Sunrisers), Jake Fraser-McGurk (Capitals) and Spencer Johnson (KKR) are all headed to the IPL despite SA already qualifying for the Shield final that is currently scheduled to begin on March 26. Xavier Bartlett, Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie are heading to Punjab Kings to play under Ricky Ponting and will not play for their respective states Queensland or Western Australia in either the last Shield round, which begins on Saturday, or the final if their team qualifies.

India chased down their target of 305 with 33 balls to spare as Rohit and Shubman Gill reuinited at the top of the order with a 136-run stand

Andrew Miller09-Feb-2025

Rohit Sharma brought up his hundred off just 76 balls•MB Media/Getty Images

Rohit Sharma silenced the doubters and showed his readiness to lead India into the Champions Trophy, as he powered through to his 32nd ODI century to set his side up for an unassailable 2-0 series lead in the second ODI against England at Cuttack.With India set a stiff but far from daunting 305 to win, after a piecemeal England performance featuring seven double-figure scores but nothing more imposing than Joe Root’s 69 from 72 balls, Rohit demonstrated the blend of power and endurance that the black-soil conditions required, as he broke the back of the chase with 119 from 90 balls, including 12 fours and seven sixes.Related

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He reached his landmark from 76 balls with the last of those sixes, a glorious lofted drive over wide long-off off Adil Rashid, and had he not scuffed a Liam Livingstone full-toss to midwicket with 85 runs still needed, the margin of victory could have been crushing. Instead, India injected a few late jitters into their chase, losing three wickets in five overs after Shreyas Iyer was needlessly run out for 44, and it required Axar Patel’s calm 41 not out from 43 balls to guard against embarrassment.Realistically though, England had been chasing shadows long before Ravindra Jadeja, their chief tormenter with the ball, had driven the winning boundary with 33 balls to spare. Those shadows had been literal ones at one stage, when a floodlight failure in the seventh over caused a tedious 40-minute delay.Despite his well-documented struggles in Australia this winter, and notwithstanding his unconvincing 2 from seven balls in Nagpur on Thursday, Rohit has played too few ODIs of late to be considered out of form in the format. This was only his fifth 50-over innings since the World Cup final in November 2023, where his haul of 597 runs at 54.27 had been instrumental in his team’s march to the final. Since then, he had added two more fifties in three innings in Sri Lanka in August. Even with his 38th birthday looming in April, and with 11,000 career ODI runs beckoning in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, he’s looking good for a few more yet.As in Nagpur, Rohit’s first seven balls were the least convincing of his innings, although this time they weren’t also his last seven. His first boundary was a streaky four through deep third off Gus Atkinson, but when he found his range one ball later, it was as if a switch had been flicked in his game-brain. Out came a sublime pick-up off the pads which flew over deep midwicket for six – arguably the best shot he had played all winter – and suddenly his timing was attuned to the surface. Saqib Mahmood, who had troubled him in a tight first over, was blazed for two more sixes in overs three and five, over extra cover and long-off, and the chase was on.Fifties from Joe Root and Ben Duckett put England in a strong position before they collapsed•Associated PressRohit had eased along to 29 off 18 when the floodlight failure kicked in, and the frustration could have been all the more acute when Mark Wood entered the attack after the resumption and struck him on the knee-roll with his third ball. However, England’s review was deemed by ball-tracking to have only been clipping leg, and Rohit’s response was to slam his front foot to the pitch of his next ball, and lift Wood clean over long-off for his fourth six in eight overs – as many as England managed in their entire innings.Rashid, so often England’s trump card, was unable to stem the tide. Rohit clubbed him for two more fours in his first over, to march through to a 30-ball fifty, before Shubman Gill – hitherto the silent partner – showed he wasn’t about to waste his solid start with a wondrous slog-sweep for his solitary six.Another pull for four from Gill brought up the hundred partnership in the 14th over, and one over later, he had his own fifty – from 45 balls – and the 21st time in 49 ODI innings that he had got there, at an average that briefly nudged above 60. England’s lack of variety was exposed when Atkinson – still smarting from his brutal treatment in the opening T20I – returned to the attack to be hoisted for two more pulled boundaries by Rohit, including a rank half-tracker that was dumped behind square for his fifth six.The breakthrough, when it arrived, came somewhat out of the blue. Jamie Overton had been pumped for two fours in four balls by Gill when he hit back with a superb yorker that plucked out the off stump at 141kph. The momentary silence around Cuttack, however, was almost immediately replaced by a roar of acclaim, as Virat Kohli – back in the team after his knee niggle in Nagpur – walked out with the stage set at 136 for 1.It would not prove to be a lengthy stay. One smartly driven four off Atkinson got the crowd purring, but Kohli had faced just eight deliveries when Rashid turned a legbreak past another forceful drive, and Phil Salt’s excellent take was rewarded when England’s review showed a feathered edge. Having been recalled to the XI in place of India’s rising star, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kohli’s failure was as acute as Rohit’s success, although he might argue – rather like his captain – that it wasn’t that many ODIs ago that he was Player of the Tournament for his 765 runs at the 2023 World Cup.Shubman Gill sent Harry Brook on his way with this stunning catch•MB Media/Getty ImagesAs for England, their problems are rather more significant. Not unlike their low-wattage batting displays at the World Cup, this was another performance that promised far more than it delivered. After winning the toss, they were given another flying start by Ben Duckett and Phil Salt, whose opening stand of 81 in 65 balls was their third fifty-plus partnership in consecutive matches on this tour. And while Root and Jos Buttler were easing through the gears in a fourth-wicket stand of 51, England had had designs on a 330-plus total.Instead, both set batters fell in the space of four overs to trigger another dramatic collapse: England lost their last seven wickets for 85, including three run-outs, as they were dismissed for 304 with one ball left unused. India’s spinners, inevitably, were the catalysts, in particular Jadeja, who proved too wily for some one-dimensional shot selection as he returned the outstanding figures of 3 for 35.Foremost among these was Overton, whom England seem convinced can be their death-overs answer to Andre Russell. His inclusion at No. 7 was confirmed after Jacob Bethell had been ruled out with a worrying hamstring injury, but his innings of 6 from 10 balls was further evidence that, in spin-friendly conditions, his long-levered approach is doomed to failure.Livingstone at least got the memo with a powerful late knock of 41 from 32 balls, including two big sixes off Harshit Rana, as did Rashid, who struck three fours in a row off Mohammed Shami in reaching 14 from 5 balls, only to run himself out just when his eye was in.Worryingly for England, though, India had plenty of chances to close the innings out for even fewer runs. They missed two clear chances in the deep, including the most casually awful drop from Axar at deep third when Salt had made just 6 from 12 balls, while Rohit was left wincing at the big screen when Root was shown to have been plumb lbw to Axar for 16, with India having chosen not to review.Harry Brook, whose technique against spin has been under particular scrutiny on this trip, made 31, but might have been removed for a five-ball duck had umpire Chris Brown upheld an lbw appeal from his nemesis, Varun Chakravarthy, that ball-tracking suggested would clip leg. At the age of 33, Varun earned his ODI debut on the strength of 14 wickets at 9.85 in the T20Is. He needed just 11 deliveries to make his mark, ending Salt’s stay to trigger a familiar middle-overs squeeze that India would not ultimately relinquish.

Late heroics from Daniel Sams and a dazzling BBL debut from Sam Konstas ensured David Warner started his Sydney Thunder captaincy reign with a remarkable victory over Adelaide Strikers in Canberra.Chasing 183 in good batting conditions at Manuka Oval, Thunder appeared on track when Konstas smashed 56 off 27 balls at the top of the order. The 19-year-old became the youngest player in BBL history to hit a half-century and also made the fastest 50 in Thunder history.But Thunder fell away after Konstas’ dismissal and needed an unlikely 33 runs off the last two overs before Sams bludgeoned legspinner Lloyd Pope in a 19th over yielding 31 runs.Sams finished the game on the fourth ball of the last over with a boundary off allrounder Jamie Overton as Thunder ended a five-game losing streak to Strikers in stunning fashion.It was a heartbreaking result for new Strikers coach Tim Paine, who has replaced Jason Gillespie in the role.Related

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Konstas stars, Sams turns the matchAll eyes were on Thunder’s opening pair fusing an Australian cricket great and the country’s next big batting hope.In a sign of things to come, Konstas started with a boundary before Warner followed by reverse sweeping the spin of Matt Short. But Warner didn’t last long after a leading edge off seamer Henry Thornton was caught at extra cover.Thunder fans in the terraces collectively groaned before their spirits were soon raised when Konstas underlined why he’s such an exciting prospect. He executed a variety of audacious shots, including several scoops and a bludgeon over cover. His biggest blow was a huge strike off Thornton over deep midwicket that sailed into the crowd.Konstas, who received his Thunder cap from Warner, entered the record books when he reached his half-century before falling lbw to Fabian Allen.Thunder failed to regain the momentum and appeared to be petering out to a defeat. Sams had struggled initially and survived a caught behind appeal from Thornton with the not out decision upheld on review.Sams then rediscovered his big-hitting prowess in the nick of time with an assault on Pope, which included three sixes and three boundaries. He finished with 42 off 18 balls to snatch an improbable win for Thunder.Allen’s injury proves costly for Strikers West Indies’ Allen was recruited by Strikers to add to their allround depth. After he missed out with the bat, Allen’s left-arm spin proved invaluable when he dismissed Konstas.Allen bowled accurately in his two overs, conceding just 10 runs. But his BBL debut was soured when he injured his right hamstring after diving near the ropes down the ground in an effort to stop a boundary from Sam Billings.He limped off the field to leave Strikers’ attack shorthanded and his absence proved crucial. Allen probably would have bowled at the death with Short having to resort to Pope in a decision that backfired.Chris Green struck in each of his first three overs•Getty Images

Successful Ferguson debut; spin twins shineThere was a lot of excitement over pace recruit Lockie Ferguson, who made his BBL debut after rejecting a central contract with New Zealand Cricket. He bowled with trademark fire to finish with 3 for 24 from four overs, with all of his wicket-taking deliveries rattling the stumps. He was clearly the pick of the Thunder quicks.Chris Green and Tanveer Sangha also performed well and helped put Thunder in a strong position with a combined 5 for 54 from eight overs.Having given the leadership reins to Warner, Green can better focus on his offspin and he started the season superbly with the wickets of top-order batters Jake Weatherald, Chris Lynn and Harry Nielsen.Not a prodigious turner of the ball, Green cleverly slid the ball on and forced batters into errors, while legspinner Sangha dismissed Allen and Alex Ross as he mixed up his speeds to good effect.Weatherald justifies the faithWeatherald opened and he was preferred ahead of D’Arcy Short, who was at the top of Strikers’ order last season.Weatherald initially took a back seat to his captain Short, who smashed quick Nathan McAndrew through the covers for a first ball boundary. After struggling through the white-ball series against Pakistan, Short hoped to rediscover his form in a tournament where he won last season’s best player award.But Short’s desire to whack every delivery backfired when he was bowled in the second over by a sharp in-swinger from Ferguson in a rare BBL failure for him.Weatherald wasn’t rattled as he unfurled a counterattack with two sixes in three deliveries off McAndrew to ignite his innings. Entering the BBL after a strong start to the Sheffield Shield season, Weatherald’s confidence was evident with clean striking marked by a sweet sound that was music to his ears.His power and placement was impeccable as he raced to 40 but on his 19th delivery he holed out after miss-timing a slog sweep off Green as Strikers fell away.They slumped to 101 for 6 in the 13th over and appeared to be falling well short of a competitive total. But their innings flipped with the power surge, as Oveton and James Bazley whacked 33 runs across the 15th and 16th overs.Bazley entered with a career strike-rate in the BBL of 122 but he more than doubled that with a whirlwind 31 runs off 12 balls. Overton is relied upon to be Strikers’ finisher and he didn’t let the team down with four sixes.

Masood on Babar, his working relationship with the new selection committee, and his awkward post-match interview with Ramiz Raja

Danyal Rasool02-Nov-2024Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood said Babar Azam’s “break” from the Test squad will end up benefitting rather than harming him. Babar was omitted from the Pakistan squad for the last two Tests against England, which Pakistan won to claim the series 2-1, after a prolonged lean patch.”I think he’s one of the best batsmen in the world. I’m nobody to [say he doesn’t have] a future,” Masood told the radio programme. “He has every quality to be one of the greatest batsmen in Test cricket. He’s always there or thereabouts in the rankings. Sometimes, people need a break.”Pakistan have been swift to indicate Babar has not entered a period of international wilderness, calling him up for Pakistan’s twin white-ball series against Australia. It starts with a three-match ODI series – Pakistan’s first since their disappointing World Cup campaign that saw Babar reluctantly quit as captain. Pakistan have gone so long without playing a 50-over international that in the time since, Babar was reappointed white-ball leader and quit once more, all without having led the side in the format.Related

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But, in the clearest signal yet that Babar’s absence from Pakistan’s Test side will be temporary, Masood said he expected him to “come back a stronger player”. Babar has not scored a half-century in Test cricket in 18 innings stretching back to late 2022, Pakistan’s next Test series is in South Africa, an opposition he has had some happy Test memories against. South Africa were Pakistan’s first opposition when Babar became Test captain as he led his side to a 2-0 series victory. In 2018, his assault on Dale Steyn in a blistering counterattacking innings at SuperSport Park was widely seen as Babar’s Test coming-of-age.”I think this break will do him a great deal of benefit and he’ll come back a stronger player,” Masood said. “There’s no harm in being pulled out at times and having a breather. He’s played a lot of cricket and gone through a lot, and he’ll always be one of the main batsmen to play for Pakistan.”Masood was less willing to be drawn in on the specifics of what his role entails. After the PCB appointed a new selection committee following a chastening innings defeat in the first Test against England, the captain – as well as the head coach Jason Gillespie – were removed from the selection panel. Gillespie called himself a “matchday strategist” in the press conference that followed, and said it “wasn’t what I’d originally signed up for”. The change also applied to white-ball coach Gary Kirsten, who resigned earlier this week.Masood said he had a good relationship with the incoming selectors, insisting he wanted to focus on the team instead of focusing on where individual credit should be apportioned. “People in Pakistan are quick to give success to individuals,” he said. “To make one person a hero. I think it’s always going to be a collective thing. I’d rather pass credit onto everyone else; it was a collective decision. When we sat down together in our first meeting, we were on the same page. We said ‘we need to take 20 wickets, how do we take 20 wickets?'”We thought playing on a used pitch, playing three spinners – that, we thought, would benefit us greatly. I’ve worked with three different setups in my tenure so far. My first series in Australia was different, the Bangladesh series was different, and then we’ve had this group of people that were involved in selection and leadership. I’ve been on the same page with them so far. At the end of the day, it’s about Pakistan cricket, and we’re very fortunate that the entire collective came together.”There were less consequential, if more combustible, issues at hand, too. Moments after the Pakistan captain struck the winning six, he sat down for an interview with the host broadcaster, which involved a few awkward exchanges with commentator Ramiz Raja, with Raja querying Masood clumsily about how he had led the side to six consecutive defeats. A trimmed version of the exchange went viral, with much criticism for Raja, who later posted a video clarifying the intent behind his questions.”There are no hard feelings from my side,” Masood laughed. “I’ve always been an open book in front of the media and tried to conduct myself in the best possible way. People have every right to ask questions however they want. I want to give the best account of myself and for my character to be reflected the way I am. I’m good at taking constructive criticism and I’m also good at filtering stuff out.”

Rishabh Pant brought up an emotional sixth Test century, Shubman Gill a serene fifth, and the Indian bowlers and fielders responded well to demanding conditions by taking four second-innings wicket on day three in Chennai. Bangladesh were 357 adrift of the 515 target set them by an aggressive declaration with two-and-a-half days left in the Test.With the pitch not yet breaking up and the average seam movement dying down from 1.3 degrees on day one to 0.4 degrees on day three, these were the best batting conditions of the match. Despite India’s attacking approach to set up the declaration, they only played 16 false shots in 41 overs on day three, while scoring 206 runs. The conditions remained flat when Bangladesh batted, but a marathon spell from R Ashwin maintained India’s ascendency in the match. The bowlers had the fielders to thank for three low catches of varying difficulty.Related

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Given the conditions, Gill and Pant, both aggressive batters given to counterattacking, acknowledged that only they could get themselves out, and put their heads down for big knocks. They kept respecting good balls, and once in they jumped out of the crease to hit sixes. Gill hit Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who bowled 25 out of India’s 64 second-innings overs, for four of them to reach 28 sixes in his 26th Test. Pant fancied the left-arm spin of Shakib Al Hasan and hit four sixes of his own to go up to 59, the seventh-highest for India, in just 34 Tests. India have now hit 85 sixes in 2024, which leaves them only five short of breaking the record for most sixes by a team in a calendar year.What the duo did outside the sixes was more impressive. Unlike Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma, who on the second evening just tried to impose themselves on the bowling, these two began the day respecting the bowling and they were content to defend for a while without worrying about edges and close-in fielders. Only in the seventh over of the day did someone try to force the issue, and Gill did that beautifully with the two sixes over wide long-on.Pant, extra conscious to not give it away after a soft dismissal in the first innings, took even more time before he went manufacturing shots – none better than the ramp-sweep off Hasan Mahmud for a six over fine leg ten minutes before lunch. Gill joined in the acceleration before lunch, suggesting the declaration might come sooner rather than later. With that push for quicker runs came a skier from Pant seven minutes before the break, but captain Najmul Hossain Shanto put it down. Pant still hit two fours in the final over before the break, throwing down the gauntlet for the race to the hundred.1:49

Manjrekar: Mushfiqur could bat up in left-hand heavy line-up

Post lunch, Pant brought out his trademark flick behind square both off the quicks and the spinners to get to his hundred in just 118 balls. Gill went there more calmly, in 161 balls, and KL Rahul played a few classy inside-out drives before the declaration left Bangladesh an hour to bat till tea.Zakir Hasan came out full of intent, driving both off the front and the back foot and also dismissing Mohammed Siraj for a flicked six. With the ball not doing much, he and Shadman Islam stayed on the lookout for runs, punishing every error in length.Once Ashwin came on, though, he started to create some mischief, hitting the sticker of the bat here, taking the inside edge there. Post tea, he and Jasprit Bumrah created three tight overs. In the fourth, Zakar played an ambitious drive to a ball not nearly full enough, and Jaiswal ended his innings with a sensational catch low to his left and behind him at gully.The conditions made Ashwin work hard for his wickets. He was even taken for four sixes; the most he has ever conceded in an innings is five. He kept plugging away, though, often slowing his pace down to draw assistance from the surface. His first wicket didn’t come as he would have envisaged as Shadman went back looking to play a length ball behind square. It wasn’t short enough, and it took his leading edge for a low catch for Gill at short midwicket.Ashwin then produced a beauty to get rid of Mominul Haque, who never looked at home. The drift made him play the line, and the turn was just enough to miss the edge but not the off stump. Mushfiqur Rahim was a cat on a hit tin roof, slog-sweeping Ashwin for a six before hitting one low to Rahul at mid-on. Shakib Al Hasan was even less settled, but was rescued by bad light that ended the play early. Amid all this, captain Najmul batted calmly yet quickly to end the day batting on 51 off 60.

Dwayne Bravo, the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, has announced that he will retire from the CPL after the ongoing season. Bravo, who will turn 41 in October, made the announcement public hours before Trinbago Knight Riders’ opening game of CPL 2024, against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in Basseterre.”It’s been a great journey. This season will be my last one and I’m looking forward to a playing my final professional tournament in front of my Caribbean ppl,” Bravo posted on Instagram. “TKR is the place where everything started for me and will end with my team.”Related

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Bravo is also the highest wicket-taker in the CPL currently, with 128 strikes in 103 games at an average of 22.40 and economy rate of 8.69.Bravo’s CPL retirement comes almost three years after he ended his T20I career following West Indies’ early exit at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Then in 2023, Bravo retired from the IPL, and has served as Chennai Super Kings’ bowling coach since in the league.At the CPL, Bravo is the most decorated player, having won five titles in all, including three with TKR alone. Bravo is hoping to end his CPL career with his fourth title with them.He had led TKR to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 before captaining Patriots to their first title in 2021.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In 2020, Bravo was part of the TKR title-winning side as a player. During that season, he became the first player to 500 T20 wickets as TKR enjoyed an unbeaten run to the title amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Ahead of CPL 2021, Bravo moved to Patriots for a new challenge and ended up winning his first – and only – CPL title for a non-Trinidad franchise. It was a comprehensive turnaround from 2020, when Patriots had finished at the bottom.Pete Russell, CEO of the CPL, paid tribute to Bravo. “We are so grateful that Dwayne has been a part of our tournament since its inception in 2013 and his contribution to making the league what it is today is immeasurable,” he said in a statement. “The CPL has become known around the world as the biggest party in sport and Dwayne’s enthusiasm and amazing personality has done as much as anyone to bring that to life. We are certain that ‘Sir Champion’ will continue to play a massive role in T20 cricket going forward and we wish him all the best in the next chapter.”In a number of T20 leagues around the world, especially at the CPL, Bravo has been harnessing his experience to nurture youngsters, settling into a role like MS Dhoni has been fulfilling for Chennai Super Kings for a while. During CPL 2021, for example, he took allrounder Dominic Drakes under his wing and helped transform him into a match-winner. Drakes came away with the Player-of-the-Match award in the CPL 2021 final and continued to work with Bravo in other leagues, including IPL (Chennai Super Kings) and T10 (Delhi Bulls).Bravo has also worked closely with Ali Khan, the USA fast bowler, who also often fronts up to bowl at the death for TKR. Bravo had first spotted Khan in the US Open T20 tournament and signed him on for the Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada, before recommending him to TKR.At the CPL, Dwayne Bravo performs a mentorship role that MS Dhoni has been doing for CSK•BCCI

Coach Simon Helmot, who was earlier part of the leadership group at both Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel and Patriots, delivered a glowing appraisal of Bravo’s captaincy during an interview with ESPNcricinfo in 2021.”In 2021 [at St Kitts & Nevis Patriots], I saw a difference again from 2014-16. He wasn’t just the captain, he was the ultimate leader,” Helmot had said at the time. “He’s invested in our staff and players, he’s invested in our ownership and the entire organisation. Maybe that’s with him being involved with CSK and their strong organisation. But I’ve seen this guy grow around 15 years now from being a quality captain, player, and now the whole gamut.”Game intelligence and game starts in T20 cricket is crucial. Yes, T20 can be known as a young person’s game, but it’s also for the person of experience – one who can problem-solve and work out situations, not just for themselves but also for team-mates around.”Then, ahead of CPL 2023, Bravo returned to TKR and formed a fearsome core along with his good friend Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran. They progressed to the final where they lost to Imran Tahir’s Guyana Amazon Warriors.While CPL 2024 will be his last tournament on home soil, Bravo will be in action in other franchise competitions around the world. He is currently contracted to MI Emirates, who have retained him ahead of the third season of ILT20 in the UAE. He is set to reunite with Pollard and Pooran in the Emirates. Last month, Bravo had also turned out for Texas Super Kings in the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.

Arsenal want to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s squad across the board, not just up front, with sporting director Andrea Berta now setting his sights on a Chelsea high-earner.

Arsenal transfer plans beyond talks for Benjamin Sesko

As things stand, when it comes to their striker search, the Gunners appear to be prioritising a deal for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

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Arsenal are advancing in talks with the Slovenian over personal terms, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, even if his price tag is proving complex due to a variable release clause, and there is even a possibility that Berta could end up having to pay around £84 million for him.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

That being said, while the 22-year-old appears to be one of Berta’s main items on the to-do list this summer, Arsenal will have to tread carefully with regard to how much they end up splashing out on Sesko.

Alongside the Leipzig sensation, Arsenal are attempting to finally wrap up a £51 million deal for Martin Zubimendi, which is proving far more complicated than initially thought this time last week.

Despite reliable reports of a medical (BBC), and even Fabrizio Romano’s famous ‘here we go’ to the deal, Zubimendi himself has attempted to pour cold water over the transfer’s advancement with confusing quotes.

“My future? It will be a long summer. I don’t know how it will end,” said Zubimendi to Radio Nacional.

“If Xabi Alonso calls me to join Real Madrid? I’ve always said Xabi is my idol, and it was a privilege to have him as my coach at La Real B. If he called me now? I don’t want to talk about that hypothesis, I’d rather talk about the present. It would be disrespectful to talk about that while I’m on national team duty. I posted pics on a Spanish beach while rumors said I’m in London doing medical exams for Arsenal? Yes, I did that to make it clear those rumors were not true.”

As well as a new midfielder, which supporters are hopeful will be Zubimendi, Arsenal are in the market for a second-choice keeper.

Arsenal hold explorative talks over deal for Kepa Arrizabalaga

After missing out on Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia to Barcelona, £150,000-per-week Chelsea outcast Kepa Arrizabalaga has emerged as an alternative.

Berta could actually snap up a proven understudy to David Raya for just £5 million, due to a release clause in his contract, which must have been written in when Kepa signed a one-year extension last year.

Sky Sports reporter Luca Bendoni now claims that Arsenal have held explorative talks over a deal for Kepa as they pursue another keeper, and due to his meagre exit clause, you can argue that this would be a snip.

The Spaniard, called “amazing” for some of his performances on loan at Bournemouth last season, would arguably need to take a pay-cut, but this is a move certainly worth considering from Berta’s perspective.

Liverpool have won the Premier League less than one year after Jurgen Klopp bowed out, almost nine years of leadership, leading the larger-than-life German to intimate his decision to call it a day.

He built Anfield back up from the disrepair it had slumped into. Klopp’s Liverpool wasn’t built in a day but it will stand strong for many years to come, with Arne Slot proving that by taking the blueprint and winning the Premier League in his first season at the helm.

The Dutch tactician is a genius, but he’s dovetailed into Klopp’s hothouse and has taken this special team to another level, Liverpool now crowned top-flight champions for a record-equalling 20th time, perching alongside Manchester United.

One of Klopp’s final and most significant hurrahs was the success in repackaging a flagging midfield and turning it back into a robust machine.

They’ve all played important roles, but who can say that Alexis Mac Allister hasn’t been the pick of the bunch? He was the centrepiece as Tottenham Hotspur were defeated on Sunday evening, for sure.

Alexis Mac Allister's performance vs Spurs

Dominic Solanke powered a header past Alisson after just 12 minutes, silencing Anfield’s raucous atmosphere and threatening to spoil the party.

But Liverpool returned like a tidal wave, scoring three goals before the break and two more after the hour mark. Mac Allister’s was the pick of the bunch, thundering home to restore his team’s lead after Luis Diaz had restored parity eight minutes earlier.

The Argentine put in a performance for the ages, underscored his trophy-winning credentials and status as one of the finest midfielders in the world.

Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore

Blending combativeness with a cultured foot, Spurs simply didn’t have the answer and were overwhelmed in the centre, something which proved fatal as Mohamed Salah and co were then able to swarm and pick at the shaky backline.

Alexis Mac Allister’s Performance vs Tottenham
Match Stats	#
Minutes played	83′
Goals	1
Assists	0
Shots (on target)	3 (2)
Accurate passes	35/40 (88%)
Key passes	2
Tackles + interceptions	7
Clearances	1
Duels won	7/11
Stats via Sofascore

The former Brighton man has earned his flowers, no doubt about that. However, he wasn’t the only one to produce the goods when Liverpool needed it, with Cody Gakpo’s display confirming, were it not known already, that he is undroppable over on the left flank.

Cody Gakpo is now undroppable after title win

Gakpo has been frustrated by injury over the past few months, but he’s come on leaps and bounds under the wing of Slot this season and effectively sealed the title-winning victory over Tottenham when making it 3-1 before half-time.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

BBC Sport’s Pat Nevin hailed Gakpo for his “twinkle toes,” collecting from the corner and moving into a pocket with fleet feet, capitalising on some shoddy defending before unleashing a pinpoint finish to Guglielmo Vicario’s right.

The 25-year-old’s cool finish was emblematic of his campaign, an icy figure down the left flank whose goalscoring knack and industrious approach to his football suggests he has nailed down the berth and should not be moved.

There’s a case to be made that Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez should both be sold this summer, with Diaz working so seamlessly as a roving focal frontman.

It allows Salah to maximise his output and it has paid dividends for Gakpo, whose positional readjustment this season, almost exclusively playing off the left, having been dotted all about last year, has seen him clinch 17 goals and six assists in all competitions this season.

The Dutchman isn’t just a poacher either. His goals come in various forms, and he gets stuck in defensively too, having won six of his eight duels against Tottenham while chipping in with two tackles and two interceptions apiece, as per Sofascore. As a result, he was awarded with an 8/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo.

Plenty has been made of Liverpool’s projected transfer plans, and while fans would like a new wideman to enrich these formidable ranks, Gakpo, a Premier League champion, has proved that he’s a fixed feature in Slot’s starting line-up.

Klopp sold Liverpool ace for just £9.5m, now he's outperforming Isak

He was once a clutch presence in Jurgen Klopp’s title-winning Liverpool outfit.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 24, 2025

Everton are on the verge of entering a new era and could be closing in on one of their first signings to grace the turf of Bramley Moore Dock, according to reports in the player’s homeland.

Everton gear up for an exciting summer under David Moyes

Everton’s spirits weren’t dampened too much despite surrendering a two-goal lead to Ipswich Town in their penultimate fixture at Goodison Park. Evidently, there is still a fragility that remains within David Moyes’ group of players, but there is plenty of optimism that the Scot can rectify any lingering problems in the summer transfer window.

Internally, Carlos Alcaraz is poised to sign for Everton permanently following his loan spell from Flamengo. Evaluating their situation, he will be far from the only one recruited to bolster squad depth.

Moyes has identified Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer as a priority target to add another dimension in midfield, with implementing a greater level of creativity set to be one of his main aims moving forward.

Traditionally, Everton are a hard-working outfit who have the steel needed for the cut and thrust of the Premier League. Still, a little stardust could help them reach a higher level.

He may be better than Branthwaite: Everton chasing deal for £47m "diamond"

Everton are looking to sign defenders in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 3, 2025

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy may also join the Toffees on a free transfer if they can find a way to meet his wage demands amid his current pay packet every week sitting at £140,000.

Finding solutions across several positions is likely to be on their agenda, and Everton could now swoop for a long-term successor to right-back duo Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young if reports are to be believed.

Everton in advanced talks to sign Georgios Vagiannidis

According to Greek show Athletic Sunday, Everton are in advanced talks to sign Panathinaikos right-back Georgios Vagiannidis after putting forward their opening proposal to sign the 23-year-old. Veteran pair Coleman and Young are out of contract at the club, while Nathan Patterson has been far from a mainstay this season, amplifying the need for a replacement.

Georgios Vagiannidis’ statistics in 2024/25 – Greek Super League

Chances created

21

Successful dribbles

33

Successful crosses

11

Tackles won

24

Recoveries

100

Aerial duels won

36

Enjoying a fine campaign, Vagiannidis has registered one goal and three assists in 38 appearances this campaign as Panathanaikos look to secure continental qualification.

Labelled “complete” by scout/writer Jacek Kulig, who also likened the Greece international to Kyle Walker, he is also attracting interest from Brighton & Hove Albion as competition for his signature begins to heat up.

Jake O’Brien has been a major asset for Everton since taking a step to the right, but it is clear that more help is needed to provide adequate depth on that side of the defence.

Crucially, the Toffees should have the funds to do so courtesy of The Friedkin Group, making for an exciting few months once deals begin to be pushed over the line.