All posts by h716a5.icu

Real Madrid are believed to be interested in making a move for Chelsea right-back Reece James this summer, according to a new report.

How is James performing this season?

The 23-year-old has already developed into arguably one of the best right-backs in world football, having come through the Blues' academy to become a star. He is undoubtedly one of his side's most important players already and it can be no coincidence that the side has struggled without him amid the defender's injury troubles.

James has been limited to just 14 starts in the Premier League in 2022/23 to date, with fitness issues constantly holding him back and also robbing him of the chance to represent England at the 2022 World Cup last year.

The defender is now back fit again, however, and could be a key figure in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid as they look to overturn a 2-0 deficit.

With their meeting at Stamford Bridge next week fast approaching, a transfer rumour has emerged that may be of concern for Blues supporters.

Is Reece James leaving Chelsea?

According to Marca (via Sport Witness), James' departure at Chelsea "could take place" for around €50m (£44m) this summer, with Madrid potentially in the mix to sign him.

That's despite what the report claims was a poor performance from him in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening, in which he had "a lot of work" to do up against the dangerous Vinicius Jr and earned a "one star" rating for his display on the night.

The idea of Chelsea losing James at this stage of his career doesn't even bear thinking about, with the right-back someone who could be the poster boy at Stamford Bridge for many years to come. He is already arguably a world-class player, with Ian Wright recently claiming that he is a "fantastic" talent and the "best in the world" in his position currently, along with Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi.

While the Blues need to balance the books this summer and get rid of some deadwood this summer, we think James should be the last player they consider getting rid of, with his long-term potential through the roof and his combination of defensive fight and attacking brilliance such a weapon down the right flank, having averaged two tackles and 1.4 key passes per game in the Premier League this season.

Indeed, among Chelsea's regular defenders, only Marc Cucurella can boast more tackles per top-flight game, while the lesser-spotted N'Golo Kante remains the sole Blues player with a higher rate of key passes.

All things considered, we think it is clear that James is one of the stars of the team and should not be available for sale at any price.

Chelsea currently occupy 11th spot in the Premier League table following a season which has seen them win just ten matches in the top flight, scoring only 30 goals in the process, while they are on their fourth manager of the campaign.

It’s remarkable really considering just how much they have spent since last summer that the club find themselves in the position they’re in, facing the prospect of no European football next term as Todd Boehly continues his search for a new manager.

The Stamford Bridge outfit have splashed the cash in recent transfer windows, although this hasn’t exactly generated instant success on the field, with the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Wesley Fofana clearly needing to improve in order to take Chelsea back to the top four.

Under Thomas Tuchel, the Blues perhaps sold a few players slightly too hastily, with Fikayo Tomori and Timo Werner prime examples as the duo are shining for their respective sides, but the decision to sell Tammy Abraham to AS Roma in 2021 for £34m was arguably one of his worst, particularly with his current value soaring.

How much is Tammy Abraham worth now?

The striker made his debut for Chelsea in 2016 under Guus Hiddink before enjoying various loan spells at Bristol City, Swansea City and Aston Villa, scoring 60 goals in three seasons which prompted new Chelsea manager Frank Lampard to unleash him in the first team for the 2019/20 campaign.

The Englishman settled into Premier League action with ease, scoring 15 times in the top flight, and he was even praised by Rio Ferdinand, who stated that Abraham’s performance against Lille in 2019 was “Drogba-esque” and this was high praise indeed considering how much of an impact the Ivorian had during his spell with the club.

Although the goals dried up under Tuchel, he still managed to play a part in the team that won the Champions League in 2021, yet he was soon on the move to Serie A.

However, it appears that Chelsea have had a nightmare by selling the 25-year-old as he has netted 35 goals in 96 matches for the Italian side while Football Transfers now value the player at €60.5m (£53m), a sparkling rise on the £34m they sold him for just two years ago.

Tuchel made a blunder by selling him for a fee that low when he knew the striker was only going to get better. His recent success in Serie A proves that Abraham is a wonderful forward and should have been given more of a chance at the club.

A key feature of Liverpool's recruitment of recent years has been their ability to recoup sizeable fees when moving players on, having repeatedly hit the jackpot when it comes to selling first-team assets.

Be it the £142m brought in for Philippe Coutinho back in 2018, or more recently the £35m departure of Sadio Mane – who had just a year to run on his existing deal at the time – the Anfield outfit appear to have maximised their profits wherever possible.

One such transfer tale which can be looked upon favourably is the sale of Mamadou Sakho to Crystal Palace in 2017, with the Merseysiders having no doubt struck gold by being able to rake in £26m with the centre-back's exit.

Where is Mamadou Sakho now?

The Premier League giants had appeared to have landed something of a coup with the £16m signing of the Frenchman back in 2013, with the defender having previously caught the eye after taking on the captain's armband at former club Paris Saint-Germain at the age of just 17, while also winning the Young Player of the Year award in France during the 2010/11 campaign.

Lauded as an "important, marquee signing" by former managing director, Ian Ayre at the time of his arrival in England, the 6 foot 2 brute would go on to play 18 Premier League games during his debut campaign, as Brendan Rodgers' side launched their bid for the title.

The Paris native would, however, fail to truly establish himself in the side over the next few years, with club legend Jamie Carragher writing in 2014 that Sakho 'doesn't fill you with confidence when you watch him'.

The polarising "monster" – as hailed by Rodgers – would notably fall down the pecking order following Jurgen Klopp's arrival at the club, having been sent home from the club's pre-season tour in 2016 due to concerns over his attitude.

Having been deemed surplus to requirements during the following campaign, Sakho was ultimately allowed to join Palace on loan in January 2017 for a fee of £2m, going on to make a strong impression in his temporary home despite only featuring eight times due to a season-ending knee injury.

After being nominated for the Eagles' Player of the Year by supporters despite that limited involvement, the Selhurst Park outfit made the decision to splash out £26m to tie him down on a permanent deal, offering Liverpool a rather hefty sum for a player who appeared to have no future under Klopp.

That sale looked even more astute as Sakho went on to make just 75 appearances across all fronts over the next few years, eventually leaving the London side on a free transfer in 2021.

Now at Montpellier, the 33-year-old is now said to be worth as little as £2m – according to Football Transfers – with that a further indication of just what a perfect deal it was for the Reds to move the centre-back on just under six years ago.

Liverpool will look to clinch their fifth successive victory in the Premier League this evening as they welcome Fulham to Anfield amid the pursuit of a late surge towards Champions League contention, having fallen by the wayside earlier this term.

The club's woes have resulted in a plummet from prominence and a forced acknowledgement of the unthinkable reality of missing out on Champions League football next season after challenging for a historic quadruple last term, top-four surely the barest of minimums for such a talented and proven squad.

With fourth-placed Manchester United seven points ahead of the Reds and with a game in hand, attempts to issue a late sprint could well be deemed forlorn, but should the Red Devils and Newcastle United cede territory in the coming weeks, Klopp will be waiting to pounce like a cheetah biding its time in a lengthy hunt.

Four wins on the trot certainly quilt the seasonal misfortune with a late layer of optimism, but the recent 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, enthralling though it was, illuminated the issues that have plagued the Anfield contingency this season.

Diogo Jota incredibly found a winner in the dying embers after Spurs climbed back from three goals down, but the chaotic nature of Liverpool's season was on stark display during those tumultuous 94 minutes, and stalwart Andy Robertson was among the culprits for Spurs' rousing attempted fightback.

Should Klopp start Tsimikas against Fulham?

Recording a poor Sofascore rating of 6.4, Robertson flattered to deceive despite his outfit's remarkable win, making two calamitous errors and being branded with a chastening 5/10 match rating by Goal's Neil Jones, who criticised his inexplicable lack of awareness.

After such a "horrific" day at the office – as per writer Dave Hendrick – Klopp might be wise to offer a rare league start to Kostas Tsimikas, who has impressed with his creativity when called upon since signing from Greek giants Olympiakos for roughly £11m in 2020.

One of the better back-ups down the defensive left-back in English football, the 26-year-old has made 57 appearances for his club and won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup – while he hasn't found the back of the net himself, Tsimikas has registered 12 assists at a rate of 0.21 per outing.

Fulham have been impressive this season after clinching promotion from the second tier and perch in tenth place after 33 outings, five points above shambolic Chelsea with a game in hand.

And while recent form has left the Cottagers with just two victories from nine Premier League fixtures, the danger they imposed upon Manchester City during the recent 2-1 defeat illustrates the threat that could break Liverpool's resolve.

Completing eight of his ten long balls and succeeding with half of his six crosses, Tsimikas, who has made six assists this season despite his limited game time and succeeds with an average of 68% of his long balls, could wreak havoc on the opposition defence, also hailed as "fantastic” by Ian Doyle.

The £50k-per-week man could also play a big part in nullifying former Liverpool winger Harry Wilson, who has scored two goals and served one assist across his past three starting appearances in the English top-flight.

With the 26-cap Greek marauder ranking among the top 1% of full-backs for rate of assists, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for attempted passes and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, Wilson will likely have his work cut out to stop the ace from finding fruit down the left flank, thus negating his ability to stamp his authority on the game from an offensive standpoint.

With maintaining recent momentum simply paramount to the outfit's slim chances of retaining their position in the Champions League, a slip-up against Fulham is simply inconceivable, and freshening up the starting 11 with Tsimikas' inclusion could just be key to unlocking a sturdy defence and taking another stride towards pulling off a monumental late push for top-four.

Manchester United would need to pay a Serie A record sale fee if they want to land Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest on Osimhen?

The Nigerian forward has been sensational this season, helping fire Napoli to a historic Serie A title for the first time in over thirty years, with 28 goals in 35 matches across all competitions this season.

The 24-year-old has been linked with United, who need a new centre-forward to finally replace Cristiano Ronaldo, but it would take a huge fee to convince Napoli to part ways with their hero.

Speaking on The United Stand, Romano revealed that any deal for Osimhen would have to eclipse the near £100m fee Chelsea paid Inter for Romelu Lukaku in 2021, which would make him the most expensive Serie A sale in history.

"it's still unclear how much is needed to sign Osimhen, and it means that May and June is not going to be the right time to make this deal happen. I think is going to be something for July, maybe could be beginning of August," he stated.

"So they're ready to wait for Victor Osimhen in any case, but what I feel, speaking to other sources, is that Napoli would only let him go if they can do the biggest sale, the record sale in the history of Serie A, which is more than the 120 million Euros Romelu Lukaku moved to Chelsea for, so I think they want more than this."

Should Osimhen choose Man United?

Whilst Osimhen could be a superb signing for Erik ten Hag's side this summer, as a level-raiser in front of goal, it remains to be seen if Old Trafford would be the best destination for the forward.

Osimhen has become a legend in Naples for his efforts this season, and can build on his hero status if he stays at the club and helps fire them to more glory in the next few seasons.

If the £93k-p/w star, who was once described as "very complete," continues his excellent form, then a move to one of the world's biggest clubs will still likely be possible further down the line, and he may be better off delaying any departure.

Although United have made good progress under Ten Hag, Champions League qualification is still not secure yet, and if they end up losing out on a top four spot, then there is no question that Osimhen would be better off playing in the Champions League with Napoli.

Derbyshire suffered their first complete wash-out in the County Championship in 35 years after no play was possible for the third day running against Northamptonshire at Chesterfield

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2016Derbyshire v Northamptonshire – match abandoned without a ball being bowled
There wasn’t too much danger of flying balls at Chesterfield on another washed out day•Getty ImagesDerbyshire suffered their first complete wash-out in the County Championship in 35 years after no play was possible for the third day running against Northamptonshire at Chesterfield.Play was abandoned after umpires Neil Mallender and Ian Blackwell decided the bowler’s run-ups were still unsafe and the match was officially called off in mid-afternoon following an inspection by umpires, captain and coaches.Although no rain has fallen during the hours of play in recent days, the Queen’s Park ground is still saturated from heavy rainfall through June.Northamptonshire captain Alex Wakely said: “It’s one of the most bizarre games of cricket I’ve ever been involved in.”It’s a great ground and great place to play cricket but unfortunately the weather had taken its toll from the previous week with the heavy rain completely saturating the run-ups and they’re still unstable.”I think if you bowled on them for four or five overs you would be churning up mud. We got bowlers to run in but they didn’t feel confident and with our injury issues we had to be pretty careful.”But it wasn’t our decision, the umpires deemed it unfit and although it’s frustrating, there’s nothing we can do about it.”The washout is a major setback for the Chesterfield festival, which has also lost the chance to host Sunday’s NatWest T20 Blast fixture against Yorkshire after the club made the decision to shift the fixture to Derby.Chief Executive, Simon Storey said: “Chesterfield is a special venue and everyone puts a huge amount of time, planning and preparation into delivering a successful festival each year.”Unfortunately, following the recent bad weather over the last few weeks, the outfield has taken on a huge amount of water and is still saturated despite the recent sunshine. In the interest of player safety, no play has been possible.”It’s clearly very disappointing that the weather has beaten us this year but we remain committed to bringing county cricket to Queen’s Park.”The Festival is so much more than just cricket and helps put Chesterfield on the map. Since county cricket returned to Chesterfield in 2006, we have been able to build strong partnerships with Chesterfield Cricket Club and Chesterfield Borough Council.”

Newcastle United have made their first move to sign AS Roma defender Roger Ibanez this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Ibanez's future?

The Telegraph have reported that Eddie Howe is targeting a new centre-back during the upcoming window, and despite his contract not expiring for another two years, the 24-year-old has been identified as a potential candidate having impressed in Serie A this season, where he is Jose Mourinho's second best-performing defensive player.

The Brazilian international has been a regular feature of his first-team this campaign, making 30 top flight appearances from a total of 34 matches, but it's not the first time that he's been on the radar at St. James' Park.

Back in March, Italian outlet Forza Roma claimed that the Magpies failed in an attempt to secure the defender's services last year but were still monitoring him should they decide to make a second attempt, and it sounds like they have already once again taken the opening step towards bringing him to the Premier League.

According to Giallorossi.net (via Sport Witness), Newcastle, alongside top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur, are both "in the picture" to sign Ibanez ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Magpies, the Lilywhites and even Atletico Madrid are already "making concrete moves" to get a deal over the line, with the northeast outfit having sent scouts to watch him live in action last weekend. AS Roma have set a €30m (£26m) price tag for their prized asset, with this being the required fee needed in order to sanction a sale in the months ahead.

Do Newcastle have any chance of signing Ibanez?

Newcastle are set to face stiff competition from Spurs and Atletico in the race for Ibanez, but with the defender sharing the same agent as Bruno Guimaraes, PIF's existing representative connection to the player should stand them in good stead come the summer.

The Europa Conference League winner ranks in the 96th percentile for interceptions and has won 32 of his tackles from a total of 65 players challenged since the start of the term, which is the second-highest success rate throughout the whole of his squad, as per FBRef.

The Canela native is also capable of contributing to his team's efforts in the final third with 11 goal involvements (nine goals and two assists) to his name in 143 Roma outings, which has seen him hailed a "danger" in the opposition box by journalist Josh Bunting, so when considering this alongside the fact that he has the versatility to operate anywhere across the backline, he's a real no-brainer to go for.

Seventeen wickets fell on the first day of the Specsavers’ County Championship game between Somerset and Durham

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2016
ScorecardMark Wood picked up three wickets in his comeback spell•Getty ImagesMark Wood struck in the first over of his first-class comeback on day of contrasts at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, as 17 wickets fell on the first day of the Specsavers’ County Championship game between Somerset and Durham.Having chosen to bat first, Somerset were bowled out for 184 with Durham’s four-man seam attack taking all 10 wickets inside 42 overs. When Durham took to the crease, it was the Somerset spinners Roelof van der Merwe and Jack Leach who did the damage. The pair took six of the seven wickets to fall as Durham finished the day on 154 for 7.Somerset found themselves in early trouble with the bat, as Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions grabbed a wicket apiece to remove openers Tom Abell (0) and veteran Marcus Trescothick (6).Captain Chris Rogers and James Hildreth did stem the tide with a 55-run stand for the third wicket. However, when Rogers drove a Paul Coughlin delivery to point, Somerset were 61 for 3 after 13 overs.Enter Wood, who hadn’t featured in a first-class contest since the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai last October. After undergoing ankle surgery earlier in the summer, he struck with his sixth delivery when Hildreth was bowled for 34, and followed that up five balls later when van der Merwe edged to Borthwick for a duck. Wood later added the scalp of Peter Trego, bowled for 16, to finish with the impressive figures of 3 for 24 in seven overs.Thankfully, for Somerset, Craig Overton pitched in with a useful 42 off 51 balls, with eight fours, and Ryan Davies 31. The wicketkeeper struck two fours and as many sixes before he departed at 166 for 8.Overton was next to go and when Tim Groenewald became Chris Rushworth’s third victim off the first ball of the 42nd over, Somerset were all out for 184.Durham, in reply, looked in little or no bother as Mark Stoneman (35) and Keaton Jennings put on 38 for the first wicket, off one ball short of 11 overs. However, for the visitors, it was the calm before the storm.Stoneman was dismissed by Leach at 38 for 1 and with Somerset holding their catches, the visitors capitulated, either side of tea. Scott Borthwick (16) and Jennings (14) played one or two decent shots, but with the ball turning off a length, they became van der Merwe’s first two victims of the day, at 58 and 65 respectively.Michael Richardson fell to Leach, four runs later, for 0 and after van der Merwe had sent back Stuart Poynter (7) at 73 for 5, Gordon Muchall (13), who had travelled down from Durham during the morning as a replacement for the injured Paul Collingwood, was trapped lbw by Leach.Coughlin, who bowled so well during the morning and early afternoon, batted well too. He helped himself to 30 and with Adam Hickey, added 39 for the seventh wicket before being bowled by Overton at 141 for 7.

Leeds United may still be completely unsure of the division they'll find themselves in next season but that hasn't stopped reports linking them with big-money new signings ahead of the summer window.

One man who has been linked with a move to Elland Road recently is Barcelona winger Abde Ezzalzouli, and the 21-year-old could prove to be a dream successor to Wilfried Gnonto, should he move on to bigger things.

Could Leeds sign Abde Ezzalzouli this summer?

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, Leeds would be willing to pay €40m (£35m) to sign the Morocco international this summer as Barcelona look to cash in on some of their young talents in order to balance the financial books.

The Yorkshire outfit have been linked with him in the past, with reports claiming that Leeds held talks with his agent in April, which suggests that he is certainly on their shortlist of potential signings ahead of the summer.

The prospect of spending so much with an impending relegation seems unlikely but if Leeds were able to retain their Premier League status this season, perhaps they could invest some money in Ezzalzouli, in the hope that he could reach his potential at Elland Road.

Should he arrive at Leeds, he could prove to be a replacement for Gnonto, who looks increasingly likely to depart after catching the eye in his debut campaign in England, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea all linked with his signing.

Would Ezzalzouli be a good replacement for Gnonto?

While Gnonto has endured an up-and-down season with Leeds that started so promisingly before he was inexplicably benched by Javi Gracia, he does boast two goals and four assists in just 22 appearances so far this term.

An exciting dribbler who likes to cut inside, the Italy international has consistently gotten Leeds fans off their seats in another disappointing campaign, and it would be frustrating for fans to lose him after just one season in Yorkshire.

However, Ezzalzouli – also known as Ez Abde – could be a similarly exciting prospect for the Elland Road outfit given that he has already made 12 appearances for Barcelona's first team, and has contributed six goals and two assists in a loan spell with Osasuna this term, with Barca boss Xavi singing his praises last season.

"Extraordinary Abde, Gavi and Nico. They are supporting the team in difficult moments. The effort is extraordinary. Young people make a difference and that is difficult to digest. It is positive and negative because they will not always perform excellently because they are young," he said.

"Abde’s game is spectacular, and also Nico and Gavi’s. Abde is a differential player. He can make a difference, it is not because of the goal. He is a dagger. A marvel."

Like Gnonto, the Moroccan's most dangerous attribute is arguably his dribbling as WhoScored suggests that he is very strong at it, so the youngster could be a dream replacement in this Leeds side, should they fail to keep hold of their Italian teenage wonderkid this summer.

Sam Billings treated his home county crowd to the third spectacular century for England Lions in as many matches as they wrapped up the Tri-Series

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2016
ScorecardSam Billings raced to a 97-ball century•Getty ImagesSam Billings treated his home county crowd to the third spectacular century for England Lions in as many matches as they wrapped up the Tri-Series with a 56-run victory over Pakistan A in Canterbury.The Kent wicketkeeper-batsman hit a career-best 175 from only 139 balls with 21 fours and two sixes, an innings that was all the more impressive and important after the Lions had been reduced to 49 for 4 by Bilawal Bhatti’s excellent new-ball spell.They ended up posting 324 for 8, and despite a fine century in reply from Pakistan’s opener Jaahid Ali, three more wickets for Mark Wood ensured the Lions would maintain their 100% record and seal the series before their last game against Sri Lanka A on Monday, also at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.Billings’s innings meant three of the top four List A scores for the Lions or the England A team that preceded them have been recorded in consecutive matches, following Ben Duckett’s unbeaten 163 in the previous match against Pakistan A in Cheltenham last Tuesday, and Dawid Malan’s new record of 185 not out against Sri Lanka A in Northampton on Thursday.”It’s all about trying to put performances in when it matters, to really show the selectors you have the ability when push comes to shove to soak up the pressure and deliver,” Billings said. “For the older guys in the squad like myself, we’ve got to dominate this cricket, and really put performances in the hat.””It was a good crowd for a Lions game, and nice to walk out to bat and get a decent cheer from a home crowd, that does make a difference and make you feel good. It’s a special place, a different feel from the other grounds around the country. I’ve been at the club since I was seven, so to get my first Lions 100 here was really nice.”Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone provided excellent support in a restorative fifth-wicket partnership of 135 in only 20 overs, cracking 64 from 60 balls with five fours and two sixes into the building site on one side of the ground.But the local hero continued to entertain an appreciative crowd until he was finally dismissed in the last over of the Lions innings, playing a range of increasingly audacious shots – with one of his sixes pulled over midwicket from a left-handed stance.Tom Curran opened the bowling for the Lions with his younger brother Sam, one of three debutants as Brett D’Oliveira replaced his injured Worcestershire team-mate Joe Clarke, and Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood was handed his first appearance of the series – even though like Sam Curran, he still qualifies for the Under-19s.The Curran brothers each took an early wicket to reduce Pakistan to 30 for 2, but Jaahid was then joined by his captain Babar Azam to add 97 for the third wicket.Liam Dawson had Babar caught by Tom Curran at long-on for 55, but Jaahid had Pakistan on course at 208 for three in the 36th over. Then the elder Curran brother claimed his second wicket, and Mahmood his first for the Lions, before Wood ripped out Jaahid’s off stump – and had Bhatti caught behind off his next delivery.Billings took a steepling catch running back towards the pavilion to give Wood his third wicket of the match, and his eighth of the series, before Sam Curran and Dawson polished things off.