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Chelsea are now reportedly weighing up a move to sign a new midfielder as soon as January as they look to put the finishing touches to Enzo Maresca’s squad.

Chelsea facing midfield dilemma

Chelsea’s midfield has been one of the best in the Premier League this season, with Moises Caicedo beginning to justify his massive price tag 12 months on from his arrival, while Enzo Fernández has been rejuvenated in his more advanced role under Maresca.

Roméo Lavia has also emerged as a key figure, and Maresca rotates the trio based on his needs in each game, explaining last month: “Roméo Lavia and Caicedo give us physicality, strength in the middle. When we play with Enzo, it has to be Enzo and one between Moi and Roméo. When Enzo moves we struggle in the middle with physicality. In this moment, Moi and Roméo give us this”.

But beyond this trio, there are concerns brewing. Both Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei have been strongly linked with exits in January, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has also seen limited action since arriving over the summer, and has been tipped to seek out first team football elsewhere.

Appearances

Total minutes

Moises Caicedo

17

1507

Roméo Lavia

9

481

Enzo Fernández

16

1151

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

5

55

Cesare Casadei

0

0

Carney Chukwuemeka

0

0

This could leave the Blues light in the middle of the park with fixtures coming thick and fast, which could in turn force them back into the transfer market to find more cover for Caicedo and Lavia. Now, they have been tipped to attempt an audacious swoop next month.

Chelsea want to sign France international

That comes according to reports in Spain, which claim that the Blues are ready to offer almost £50m to sign AC Milan and France midfielder Youssouf Fofana in the January transfer window.

Fofana only arrived at San Siro over the summer, with the Rossoneri taking advantage of his contract situation at Monaco to snap him up cheaply. Since his arrival, he has been a key player for Paulo Fonseca, starting 14 of his side’s 16 Serie A games.

The Frenchman, dubbed a “technically brilliant” midfielder by Football Analyst Ben Mattinson on X, is still just 25 years old and now has been tipped to make a swift exit from Milan despite still having three and a half years left to run on his £88,000 a week deal.

As per the report, Chelsea “have set their sights on Fofana” and are “willing to shell out 60 million euros [£49.7m] to secure the Frenchman’s services”, a fee that would treble Milan’s initial investment.

5/10 Chelsea star just proved why Boehly needs to spend more money

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It is added that though Fofana has just arrived, “the 60 million on the table could be enough for Milan to agree to negotiate” for his services, with the club also believed to be fielding interest for fellow midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who is also enjoying a fine season in red and black.

With midfield minutes a serious problem at Stamford Bridge, adding another big signing to the mix seems highly unlikely in January, especially one that has spent just months at his current side, with Maresca’s side more likely to target defensive upgrades and perhaps a new striker before turning their attentions to midfield.

But with as many as three fringe midfielders perhaps pushing for an exit in search of first team football, they could face something of a shortage in the middle of the park.

Ben Sanderson served notice Northamptonshire are ready to defy the odds on a rain-affected first day of the LV= Insurance County Championship season against Gloucestershire at Wantage Road.Sanderson backed up new skipper Ricardo Vasconcelos’s decision to bowl in seamer-friendly conditions to return 4 for 38 as the visitors struggled to 164 for 8 in between the rain squalls. That total would have been even lower but for the obduracy of England hopeful James Bracey, who defied conditions to top score with an unbeaten 77 before bad light ended play.Northamptonshire have been immediately relegated on each of the four previous occasions they’ve reached Division One and pundits have wasted no time in predicting they would struggle again. Whether new head coach John Sadler used such musings as motivation in his pre-match pep-talk, following a 50-minute delay to the start of play because of rain, the hosts wasted no time attempting to tear up the script.Gareth Berg, now 41-years young, made the initial thrust, picking up former Gloucestershire skipper Chris Dent for a duck, Emilio Gay diving across in front of second slip to snaffle a sharp catch, one of two on the day for the young opener.The first stoppage for rain soon followed, but once play resumed it wasn’t long before Sanderson, whose 23 previous wickets against Gloucestershire had come at a shade over 16, took centre stage. As usual there was no great pace, but his full length and nagging line in dreary light, which necessitated the switching on of the floodlights, gave no respite and opener Ben Charlesworth saw his off stump plucked out before rain drove the players off for an early lunch at 10 for 2.Only another 22 balls were bowled after another delayed start before the rain returned once more and the stop-start nature of the cricket meant Sanderson was able to keep bowling every time play resumed and he trapped skipper Graeme van Buuren lbw just before a further squall sent the players scurrying for cover again.All this time, Bracey was defying both Sanderson and the conditions, producing an innings which wasn’t fluent, but eye-catching nevertheless given England’s batting travails in the Ashes and their subsequent tour to the West Indies in the winter.The wicketkeeper-batter endured two horror Tests last summer against New Zealand which yielded just eight runs, but his rehabilitation began with 113 for England Lions against Australia A, Scott Boland included, prior to the Ashes series.He needed the odd slice of luck, missing one Sanderson leg-cutter and surviving a confident shout for lbw at the hands of the seamer, but he left the ball well, looked tidy and organised and showed tremendous concentration to re-start his knock no less than eight times around the interruptions.Partners came and went, Miles Hammond perishing to a super slip catch from Gay, while Sanderson returned to end Ryan Higgins’s brief attempt at a counter-attack, before producing the ball of the day to have Tom Lace caught behind – a first catch in Northamptonshire colours for debutant on-loan wicketkeeper Lewis McManus.Left with the tail, Bracey changed gear, three boundaries in quick succession taking him to his half-century and more followed as he skilfully farmed the strike to nurse Pakistan seamer Naseem Shah, on Gloucestershire debut, through to the close.

تحدث رود فان نيستلروي المدير الفني لفريق ليستر سيتي، عن مواجهة فريقه أمام ليفربول وإمكانية الهزيمة وبالتالي يحسم الأخير لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وعلّق على مستوى محمد صلاح.

ويلتقي ليفربول وليستر سيتي يوم الأحد في إطار مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وحال حقق ليفربول الفوز، وفي الوقت نفسه تعرض آرسنال لهزيمة أمام إيبسويتش تاون، سيتوج الريدز باللقب.

وقال نيستلروي في مؤتمره الصحفي:”المستوى العام للفريق متوازن للغاية، كان أداء محمد صلاح عاملاً أساسياً في تحقيقهم لأهدافهم”.

اقرأ أيضًا | أرتيتا: لا أريد المساهمة في فوز ليفربول بـ لقب الدوري الإنجليزي أمام ليستر سيتي

وأضاف: “كما أن آرني سلوت ومساعديه قاموا بعمل رائع في موسمهم الأول في هذا المركز ليتمكنوا من الفوز باللقب”.

وعو وضع ليستر سيتي وإمكانية الهبوط، أشار: “لقد كنا في هذه الظروف (في المراكز الثلاثة الأخيرة) لفترة طويلة، الأمر لا يتعلق بحسم الأمر حسابيًا أم لا، بل يتعلق بإظهار أنفسنا بكل طريقة ممكنة في كل دقيقة نلعبها في هذا الدوري، هذا لا يؤثر على ذلك”.

وأتم: “الأمر أهم هنا، نحاول بناء مستقبلنا هنا، وهذه الأسابيع حيوية لكل لاعب، هذا ما يدفعنا للاستمرار”.

The ECB have cut eight women’s matches from the Hundred’s fixture list for 2022 in order to accommodate a clash with the Commonwealth Games (CWG).The 100-ball competition will be staged between August 3 and September 3, a slightly later window in the English summer than in its first summer, with the women’s T20 tournament at the CWG due to run from July 29 until August 7, played exclusively at Edgbaston.The first eight matchdays of the Hundred will be standalone men’s fixtures, starting with a round of designated local derbies. Southern Brave, the defending men’s champions, will play Welsh Fire at the Ageas Bowl in the opening game on August 3.Men’s teams will play eight fixtures – twice against their local rival, and once against every other team – but women’s teams will play six, meaning each team will have one side that they do not play against in the group stages.

Superchargers interviewing for Lehmann replacement

Northern Superchargers have been interviewing candidates for their vacant role as men’s head coach after Darren Lehmann stepped down from his position.
Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, was recently appointed as the Superchargers’ head of cricket and has been charged with leading the search for a replacement.
Lehmann stepped down citing “uncertainty around Covid-19” though the reported this week that the second year of his contract had been paid in full by the ECB and that “sensitivity over his ban for racist language while playing for Australia” was a factor.

The women’s competition will start on August 11, when the inaugural winners Oval Invincibles are due to host Northern Superchargers. That matchday will be the only one in which the most common double-header model is inverted: the men’s match will take place at 3pm, followed by the women’s at 6.30pm.The group stage ends with two double-headers – Northern Superchargers vs Southern Brave and Manchester Originals vs Oval Invincibles – on August 31, with the knockout stages to follow in early September.The eliminators, played between the sides finishing second and third in the group stages, will be held at the Ageas Bowl on September 2, with the winners playing the first-placed teams in the finals at Lord’s the following day.Some England men’s Test players are expected to be made available for the first two or three rounds of fixtures before their series against South Africa, which starts on August 17, and could be released for the knockouts, which take place in the break between the second and third Tests. White-ball specialists will be available for the duration.The Hundred will run alongside the Royal London Cup, which starts on August 2, and some England players may be involved in a First-Class Counties Select XI fixture against South Africa from August 9 as red-ball preparation ahead of the Test series.Defending men’s champions Southern Brave will play the opening game•Getty Images

In 2021, several multi-format players including Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler played the first two games of the Hundred before being pulled out for the start of the Test series against India, while others including Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson were given dispensation to miss the competition by the ECB.Teams have been negotiating with men’s players who were contracted in 2021 across the past two months, with the retention window due to close in mid-February. Each team can retain up to 10 men’s players, and the draft will be staged towards the end of March so they can fill their squads.Australia and New Zealand players are expected to prove popular at the draft due to a break in their schedule, though some Australians may be required for a one-day series against Zimbabwe pencilled in for the end of August.Related

• Championship gets midsummer boost as 2022 fixtures are announced

• England Women in line for first Lord's fixture since World Cup victory

• Morgan: 'Laughable' to blame Hundred for England's Ashes drubbing

• Lehmann resigns as Northern Superchargers men's head coach

• ECB doubles Women's Hundred salaries for 2022 edition

Teams have been allowed to retain a maximum of two centrally-contracted England women’s players and unlimited other players from their 2021 squads, with their retention window due to shut next week. That will be followed by an open-market system in which teams can negotiate with other players in order to fill the rest of their squads.Salaries have been increased in both competitions for 2022. Men’s salary bands have been increased by 25%, while women’s have been more than doubled after the success of the competition’s first season.Tickets will go on general sale in April, with earlier windows for those who attended games last year or registered their interest in the competition.

يواجه نادي ليفربول حالة من الغموض بشأن مستقبل ثلاثة من أبرز نجومه، محمد صلاح، فيرجيل فان دايك، وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، حيث لم يتم التوصل إلى اتفاق رسمي بشأن تمديد عقودهم حتى الآن.

وتنتهي عقود الثلاثي داخل قلعة “أنفيلد” بنهاية الموسم الحالي تحديدًا في 30 يونيو المقبل، وبالتالي، سيرحلون بالمجان.

اقرأ أيضًا | فابيو كابيلو: ما فعله سلوت مع ليفربول لا يُصدق.. وهناك شيء مشترك بيننا

وقال ستيفان بورسون أحد الخبراء بموقع “Football Insider”: “كل العوامل ستكون في الحسبان، لكن في النهاية، أعتقد أن الأمر يتعلق بالرواتب، المفاوضات لا تزال بعيدة عن الحسم رغم اقتراب نهاية عقود اللاعبين”.

وأضاف: “من المذهل أن الثلاثة لم يعلنوا عن أي اتفاق حتى الآن مع ليفربول، وفقًا لما يُقال، فإن الأمور ليست قريبة من الحسم في الكواليس”.

وفيما يخص قائد الفريق فان دايك: “حتى في نهاية الأسبوع الماضي، صرّح فيرجيل بأنه لا يعرف ما الذي سيحدث، وهذا أمر لا يصدق بالنسبة لي”.

وأرنولد: “كنت أشك بشأن انتقال ألكسندر أرنولد إلى ريال مدريد، لكن يبدو أن هذا الانتقال سيحدث بالفعل، ويبدو أنه سيكون صفقة رائعة للفريق الإسباني”.

وأضاف: “اللاعب على الأرجح يبحث عن تحدٍ جديد طالما أنه لا يزال شابًا، لذا أعتقد أن هذا الأمر قد يتم بالفعل”.

أما عن محمد صلاح: “مندهش للغاية، لم أكن لأتصور أن ليفربول سينتظر كل هذه الفترة دون التوقيع معه على عقد جديد”.

واختتم حديثه قائلاً: “أتوقع أن يتم التجديد سواء مع محمد صلاح أو فان دايك على الأقل، لكنني لا أفهم حقًا سبب ترك الأمور معلقة حتى الآن”.

Whilst eyebrows will have undoubtedly been raised for the magnitude of the investment since the arrival of Todd Boehly at Chelsea, there’s little doubt about the impact of the additions in recent weeks.

The American may have spent upwards of £1bn on new talent since taking the reins at Stamford Bridge, but numerous players have thrived since their respective moves to aid the Blues’ Premier League ambitions.

Nicolas Jackson was a player who was often in the firing line for criticism last season for his wastefulness in front of goal, missing various big chances in key moments.

However, in the 2024/25 campaign, the Senegalese has been a revelation, scoring six times in his first 11 appearances, also notching three assists in the process.

Despite Jackson’s turn in form within the final third, he’s still been unable to get the better of one teammate who has started the new season as he finished the last.

Cole Palmer’s time at Chelsea

Winger Cole Palmer has enjoyed another unbelievable few weeks at Chelsea, going from strength to strength in the new season, picking up exactly where he left off last campaign.

The 22-year-old has already registered a total of 12 combined goals and assists in as many games, producing some phenomenal moments of magic including his long-range free-kick against Brighton at the Bridge.

As a result of his recent displays under Enzo Maresca, he was named in the top 30 of the Ballon d’Or, finishing ahead of the likes of Declan Rice and Mats Hummels.

However, he could be missing for the next couple of weeks after suffering a knee injury in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United, leaving Maresca sweating over his potential fitness.

The boss and the supporters will be hoping that he will be fit enough to face London rivals Arsenal at the home on Sunday afternoon, looking to build on his sensational start to the new season.

He will undoubtedly play a huge part in any potential success that the Blues endure this season, with sides now starting to pay closer attention to the former Manchester City star to prevent him from running them ragged.

However, despite his recent form, he could’ve been aided in his attempts had the club kept hold of one star who came through the Cobham academy setup.

A player who Chelsea sold too soon

Right-back Ola Aina came through the club’s academy setup, making six senior appearances for the Chelsea first-team during the 2016/17 season.

However, the Nigeria international would be sent on various different loan spells to the likes of Hull City and Torino, before permanently joining the Serie A side in 2019.

Fast-forward to the current day and the 28-year-old is currently plying his trade for Nottingham Forest after joining the Reds on a free transfer during the summer of 2023.

Aina has cemented himself as a first-team regular under current boss Nuno Espírito Santo this season, starting all ten Premier League matches in the process.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

The “sensational” full-back, as described by journalist Louis Wheeldon, scored just his second goal for the club last weekend in the 3-0 victory over West Ham United, helping Forest climb to third in the Premier League.

However, he’s also produced some magnificent stats across the board, many of which would’ve allowed current Blues star Palmer to reach the next level during his time in West London.

Aina has won 14 tackles and 46 duels in his opening ten games during the ongoing Premier League campaign, providing that defensive solidity, and allowing Palmer to stay in advanced areas and focus on that aspect of his game.

Games played

10

Goals scored

1

Pass accuracy

81%

Tackles won

14

Duels won

46

Big chances created

5

Successful dribbles

10

He’s also completed ten dribbles and created five chances in the final third, potentially providing the English international with the added ammunition to further improve on his impressive tallies.

Whilst Reece James and Malo Gusto remain two important defensive options for Maresca, there’s no denying Aina’s quality, potentially offering a more experienced option.

At the time it may have seen the right call to part ways with the Nigerian, but it’s a decision that looks to have been a mistake given his recent form in England’s top flight.

Boehly must permanently axe Chelsea flop who earns even more than Palmer

Chelsea need to sell a player who’s earning even more than Cole Palmer.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 5, 2024

يخوض فريق الأهلي السعودي مباراة قوية أمام منافسه الريان، اليوم الثلاثاء في اللقاء الذي يجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال آسيا.

وتقام المباراة بين الأهلي والريان، على أرضية استاد الجوهرة المشعة، وذلك في إطار لقاءات مرحلة الإياب من دور الـ16 في دوري أبطال آسيا.

ويسعى الأهلي السعودي لاستغلال عامل الأرض والجمهور للفوز بمباراته أمام الريان القطري، الذي يضم بين صفوفه الدولي المصري محمود حسن تريزيجيه.

واستطاع الأهلي الفوز في مباراة الذهاب على حساب الريان بنتيجة 3-1، وذلك باللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب استاد أحمد بن علي في دولة قطر.

وكان الأهلي قد تأهل لدور الـ16 بعد احتلاله المركز الثاني في جدول مجموعة غرب من مرحلة الدوري باقتناصه 22 نقطة من لعب ثماني مباريات.

طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الهلال وباختاكور اليوم في دوري أبطال آسيا.. والمعلقون

وحقق الأهلي في مرحلة الدوري سبع انتصارات وتعادل وحيد فيما لم ينل أي خسارة، وسجل 21 هدفًا واستقبلت شباكه ثمانية أهداف.

أما الريان فقد احتل المركز السابع، وهو قبل الأخير في مراكز الصعود من أصل 12 ناديًا، بعد أن فاز في مبارتين وتعادل في مثلهما وخسر 4 مواجهات، حاصدًا 8 نقاط. موعد مباراة الأهلي والريان في دوري أبطال آسيا

وتنطلق المباراة بين الأهلي والريان، اليوم الثلاثاء 11 مارس، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والحادية عشر مساءً بتوقيت السعودية وقطر. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والريان اليوم في دوري أبطال آسيا

تُنقل المباراة بين الهلال ونظيره باختاكور، عبر قناة  SSC HD1 Extra، كما تُذاع على فضائية  beIN Sports AFC HD، وقناة أبو ظبي الرياضية آسيا 1، وقناة الكأس 9. معلقو مباراة الأهلي والريان اليوم

– SSC HD1 Extra كل من فهد العتيبي وخالد المديفر

– beIN Sports AFC 1 HD حسن العيدروس.

-ويتولى محمد الشامسي مهمة التعليق على المباراة عبر قناة أبو ظبي الرياضية آسيا 2.

-قناة الكأس 10 سيتواجد خليل البلوشي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

حقق فريق بيراميدز فوزًا غاليًا على منافسه سيراميكا كليوباترا في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وأقميت مباراة بيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا، في إطار الجولة 17 والأخيرة من عمر مباريات المرحلة الأولى من بطولة الدوري المصري، وذلك على ملعب استاد الدفاع الجوي.

طالع.. خالد مرتجي: أفضل ضم لاعب آخر لـ الأهلي عن زيزو.. وبيراميدز لن يكون منافسنا الرئيسي

وسجل مصطفى فتحي، هدف بيراميدز الأول من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 39 من عمر المباراة، بينما جاء هدف تعادل سيراميكا كليوباترا عن طريق أحمد بلحاج في الدقيقة 53.

وأحرز محمد الشيبي هدف بيراميدز الثاني بالدقيقة 71 من عمر المباراة، لتصبح النتيجة 2-1.

ويحتل بيراميدز المركز الأول في جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري، برصيد 42 نقطة وذلك بعد خوض 16 مباراة، حقق الفوز في 12 وتعادل في 3 وتلقى هزيمة واحدة.

بينما يتواجد سيراميكا كليوباترا، في المركز السادس من ترتيب الدوري، برصيد 24 نقطة، فاز في 6 وتعادل مثلها وخسر 5. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا اليوم

England bowlers allow India to add only 88 to their overnight 276 for 3

Varun Shetty13-Aug-20213:08

Harmison: Anderson phenomenal even on a placid pitch

It was more ebb and flow and less one-sided on day two as England counter-punched throughout to significantly limit India’s chances of running away with an early advantage in the second Test. Spearheading the bowling effort once again was James Anderson, who became the oldest man in 70 years to take a Test five-for; he was aided much better on the day by the rest of the line-up, and together they made sure that India added only 88 to their overnight score of 276 for 3.By stumps, England were 246 behind with Joe Root looking solid, after he had put up an encouraging stand with Rory Burns that came just in time as a potent spell from Mohammed Siraj threatened to put India on top once again.The day couldn’t have begun any better for England. Overnight centurion KL Rahul miscued a drive straight to extra cover off Ollie Robinson, second ball of the day, and Anderson had Ajinkya Rahane caught behind off the first ball next over to put an end to a 23-ball effort for India’s vice-captain that yielded a single run. At 282 for 5, India were suddenly in danger of a rapid end to their innings as England made use of the overcast conditions far better than they had on the first day.Related

James Anderson, the lord of Lord's when India come calling

Stats – Anderson the oldest pacer with a Test five-for in 70 years

The last recognised pair – Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja – did come good at that point, even if briefly in a 49-run stand. Pant played with typical panache, stepping out to slash over the bowlers, to pummel through the covers, and on one instance even stepping out and leaving a ball outside off. He was dismissed by Mark Wood, who would eventually go on to get Jadeja as well. India’s last four wickets added 33, a laboured effort that took 16.1 overs of batting around an atypically subdued Jadeja, who was the last man out. That total of 364 signalled a move towards some parity in the game for England.Burns and Dom Sibley looked resolute as they took England to tea, but India would punch back immediately after. They did that via Siraj, and with the use of a strategy they had developed earlier in the year on their Australia tour: the leg trap, a move that involved consistently slanting the ball into batters with packed leg-side fields that eventually proved to be a viable attacking as well as defensive strategy.Siraj was the man entrusted to pull it off, attacking Sibley’s middle and leg stumps until he induced a leg-side strangle that has become endemic for England’s opener in a short career; he had chipped to midwicket at Trent Bridge, and he did it again on Friday after enduring 44 balls for 11. Next ball, India had three catchers in various orientations around midwicket, and that was enough to push the returning Haseeb Hameed to play down a middle stump line to a full delivery that rattled the base of off.It became crucial at this juncture for England that Root would get through Siraj’s spell unscathed, and the bowler didn’t make it easy. He consistently challenged Root’s inside edge with a sustained attack at the stumps. On two occasions he came close to trapping him lbw; on both, Virat Kohli made reluctant reviews that showed the ball was sliding down leg side and India burned two reviews quickly. With the second one, he was visibly distressed with wicketkeeper Pant, seemingly for being too late in telling him that the review wasn’t on.Funnily enough, it was a Siraj over that did eventually release the pressure off England. The 27th over went for three fours, all of them from Burns, who drove neatly past mid-off and followed it up with consecutive pulls to the midwicket boundary to jump from 19 off 78 to 31 off 84. It also managed to take Siraj out of the attack, and began a series of fours, including two from Root at the start of Ishant Sharma’s next over. From 42 for 2 at the end of 26 overs, England swiftly jumped to 73 for 2 at the end of the 30th.The pattern from there was much like that of India’s in the last session of day one, with the sun peeking through the clouds and scoring getting easier. Soon enough, Kohli was forced to turn to Jadeja to tighten up one end in a bid to get to stumps without too much damage.India did pull one back at the end, though: Mohammed Shami going around the wicket for a third wicket that involved the ball coming in at the stumps. Completely against the run of play, Burns was trapped on the back foot, the ball keeping a touch low as he looked to swish it into the leg side. He made it clear he wasn’t pleased with that decision and it ended up costing England a review. But on the balance, at least from the point of view that India didn’t make any massive strides after day one, England will have been the happier team at stumps.

Chelsea are aiming to take the Premier League by storm under Enzo Maresca this season, putting the misery of recent years firmly to bed.

The 6-2 thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux one week ago shone a light on Stamford Bridge's colourful attacking talent, with Cole Palmer scoring and supplying all three goals for Noni Madueke's emphatic hat-trick.

Summer signing Joao Felix scored on his second Blues debut, with Pedro Neto claiming the assist at his former stomping ground.

Nicolas Jackson also bagged his first of the season, but transfer activity would suggest that Maresca wants an upgrade at no. 9.

Chelsea's late hunt for a new striker

Chelsea have been interested in signing Victor Osimhen this summer and, as per Fabrizio Romano, remain hopeful of winning the battle against Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia for the Napoli centre-forward.

Al Ahli are in theory willing to pay Osimhen £480k per week, or thereabouts. As such, Chelsea are considering alternatives at this late stage, with Football Insider reporting that Brentford's Ivan Toney is still on the radar.

Valued at about £40m, the 28-year-old is also being pursued by Arsenal and Manchester United, so Chelsea might want to make their move quickly, stealing ahead and strengthening further ahead of a pivotal campaign.

What Ivan Toney would bring to Chelsea

Goals and assists – oh, and a physical presence that would strike a frisson of fear through Chelsea's adversaries. Toney has actually been said to be "kind of like Harry Kane" by England teammate Declan Rice for his rounded skillset.

The 28-year-old is a proven Premier League star and would be significantly more affordable than Osimhen. Moreover, Toney would be more inclined to allow Jackson into the fray at times, whereas Osimhen's superstar standing and salary demands make a telling comment on where he believes he should be in the club's pecking order.

Hailed as a "monster" of a striker by Thomas Frank, Toney has missed Brentford's opening fixtures this season as a resolution is sought out, and while his 2023/24 season was hampered by a long-term suspension, he thrived the year before.

As per FBref, he ranked among the top 11% of forwards in the top flight that year for goals scored and the top 9% for assists per 90, emphasising the kind of focal role he would play under Maresca.

Just imagine him and Palmer, who is something of an elite-level goalscorer himself but boasts one of the finest creative games in the business – over two league fixtures thus far in 2024/25, the 22-year-old has indeed claimed three assists and placed a whopping six key passes, as per Sofascore.

Palmer is one of Europe's eminent talents following his emergence last term, scoring 25 goals and adding 15 assists across 45 matches.

Madueke, after claiming the match ball last weekend, revealed that the England international has "got the ability to play the right pass at the right time", something Toney would no doubt relish at club level.

Chelsea need to shift a few pieces but there's definitely room to sign a player of Toney's calibre. After all, he might prove to light up the Premier League alongside Palmer, forming a new partnership for the ages.

Their next Lampard & Drogba: Chelsea in talks for late "monster" signing

This would ice the cake sweetly at Stamford Bridge…

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 26, 2024