Chelsea are in conversation with the representatives of a defender as midfielder Moises Caicedo offers his opinion on the potential transfer, according to a new report.

Chelsea play Bournemouth after Leeds United blow

Chelsea travel to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon desperately seeking a response to their shock midweek defeat at Leeds, with Enzo Maresca’s title credentials under scrutiny after a damaging loss that left them nine points adrift of Arsenal.

The Blues suffered a humiliating 3-1 loss at Elland Road on Wednesday, falling two goals behind by halftime before Pedro Neto’s second-half strike proved insufficient.

The defeat represented their second loss to newly-promoted opposition this season, raising fresh doubts about their ability to maintain consistency and challenge Mikel Arteta for the Premier League.

Bournemouth present a challenge despite their own recent struggles.

The Cherries have endured a miserable November without a single victory, collecting just one point from four games while conceding 12 goals.

Tuesday’s narrow 1-0 home defeat to Everton extended their winless streak to five matches and marked their first loss at the Vitality Stadium all campaign.

Andoni Iraola’s side have plummeted from second to 14th during this barren spell, though they remain only five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with significant room for optimism.

The hosts have collected 14 of their 19 Premier League points on home soil this season, establishing the Vitality as a fortress until Everton’s breakthrough.

Chelsea arrive as clear favourites based on superior stats and historical dominance, having won 15 of 23 meetings between the two clubs.

However, the visitors face selection headaches, with Caicedo still serving his suspension after picking up five yellow cards.

The Ecuadorian’s absence is a significant blow given his pivotal role protecting the defence, and Caicedo’s presence was sorely missed against Leeds.

Related Fabrizio Romano says 24-year-old has now played his last game for Chelsea

He doesn’t have a future in west London.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Dec 4, 2025

Chelsea boast the division’s best away attacking record with 15 goals in seven games, averaging over two goals per match. Yet, their vulnerability without Caicedo was exposed ruthlessly by Leeds, with the midfield lacking its usual protection.

While the £150,000-per-week star continues to sit out, he’s at least making himself useful in other ways.

Chelsea hold talks with Joel Ordonez as Moises Caicedo offers opinion

That is according to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, who report on Chelsea’s serious interest in Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez.

Chelsea have renewed contact with Ordonez’s representatives in recent weeks as they intensify their pursuit of the 21-year-old, with Caicedo also offering behind-the-scenes ‘thoughts’ about his former Independiente del Valle teammate.

The west Londoners are said to have tracked him since before his 2023 move to Belgium, maintaining long-standing interest in the player.

Caicedo and Ordonez developed their friendship during their time together at Independiente’s famed South American academy, and have remained close through international duty.

The Chelsea midfielder now appears to be playing agent, giving his verdict on Ordonez to the club’s hierarchy.

Liverpool represent significant competition for Ordonez’s signature, though.

Arne Slot’s side have monitored him closely over the past year as they desperately seek solutions to their defensive crisis. The Reds initially prioritised Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, but understand he will not depart Selhurst Park during January, forcing them to explore alternative options.

Crucially, both Club Brugge and Ordonez himself are open to a winter transfer, with England emerging as the most likely destination.

Fresh discussions between the player’s camp and Chelsea have taken place recently, building on months of established communication channels, but Man City and Tottenham are also keen.

City and Spurs have shown admiration for Ordonez, closely assessing him in recent weeks as they evaluate their own defensive requirements.

However, Chelsea and Liverpool currently lead the race after laying more groundwork, and perhaps Caicedo’s presence could prove key here in the race for Ordonez’s signature.

Thomas Frank is clearly a clever man. The Tottenham Hotspur manager is a bona fide tactician, and he has credentials in the Premier League after lifting Brentford into the top flight and keeping them there with a flourish.

But the Danish coach’s skills haven’t yet translated to Tottenham, not in the same manner, not with the same snap and grace.

Tottenham are 11th in the league standings, and they have two points from their past five matches. Home ground misery has spilt from last season into the new campaign, and this is forming the crux of a general air of frustration that may threaten Frank’s tenure if he does not find a solution quickly.

Much has been made of the north Londoners’ creative problems this season, but Frank’s resilient and organised defensive structure is also leaving something to be desired, prompting Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici to start searching for reinforcements.

Spurs searching for a defender

Frank’s well-ordered system lends itself to stability in the Premier League. He is not known as an attack-centric coach, but the rises of Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa bear testament to his man-management skills and tactical expertise across the board.

But it’s clear that Tottenham need more high-quality depth at the rear, with questionable recruitment in recent years leading to a lopsided outfit that quite simply doesn’t boast the wider quality to challenge at the very top of the division.

Burnley

28

28.8

West Ham

28

23.1

Nott’m Forest

22

21.3

Leeds

26

19.7

Tottenham

18

19.5

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are talented centre-halves, but the pool is shallow beneath them, and that’s why Tottenham are gearing up for a winter raid on a Premier League rival.

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are preparing an ambitious £40m bid for Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke, who has been among the standouts for Fabian Hurzeler this season.

The Dutchman is physical and technically dynamic, and given that he is contracted to the AMEX until 2027, now represents the perfect time to strike.

What Van Hecke would offer Spurs

Van Hecke, 25 years old, has been at Brighton since signing from NAC Breda in 2022, spending his first two years out on loan and since featuring 107 times across all competitions. He was immense last term, earning praise for his “unbelievable season” from his manager.

You may have seen Van Hecke’s name crop up in recent days. He netted a brace during Brighton’s frantic 4-3 defeat to winning machine Aston Villa, emulating both Romero and Van de Ven in that regard.

Standing at 6 foot 2 and with a limber frame, the Netherlands native is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and athletic centre-backs in the Premier League, ranking among the top 5% of positional peers in the division this season for goals scored, the top 21% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive passes and the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

This underscores both his athleticism and proactivity on the ball. In this, he shares traits with Romero, who has scored three times but also assisted two goals across all competitions this year.

But the central point here is that Van Hecke is good enough to start; he would not move to the capital and play under Frank only to languish on the fringes.

Romero is the captain and a real talismanic force for a squad in need of guidance, but given Van Hecke’s enterprising passing and willingness to run, might he threaten countryman Van de Ven’s place in the starting line-up?

Matches (starts)

13 (13)

14 (14)

Goals

3

3

Assists

0

0

Touches*

69.2

86.4

Accurate passes*

53.2 (91%)

62.6 (87%)

Dribbles*

0.3

0.1

Ball recoveries*

3.7

3.1

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

2.5

Clearances*

3.5

5.1

Duels (won)*

3.4 (51%)

5.6 (60%)

Errors

2

1

Van de Ven simply isn’t winning enough duels this season. He is an elite athletic profile and a force to be reckoned with, but there is gas in the tank he is not burning right now, and a true challenger for his starting spot could jumpstart him into action.

Then again, Van Hecke does have the quality to nail down a berth, with former striker Pierre van Hooijdonk actually describing him as a “positively crazy” defender, something that can work in your favour as a centre-back, if harnessed effectively.

This Romero-esque player could prove a jackpot signing for Tottenham if signed, not only deepening Frank’s options but also enriching the quality of a team that has more to give.

Spurs star is becoming Frank's own version of Kane & he's not even a forward

This Tottenham star is becoming a talismanic force for Frank’s side.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 5, 2025

New Zealand is finally set to enter the world of privately owned T20 leagues, with plans afoot to start NZ20, a tournament comprising six privately owned franchises in January 2027. The league’s operating model would be similar to that of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with the tournament receiving the license from New Zealand Cricket (NZC), but managed independently.Plans don’t currently have NZC approval, but if they do secure that, NZ20 will replace the Super Smash, the current six-team competition. That tournament is now two decades old and is played by the local cricket associations in New Zealand: Auckland, Northern Districts, Wellington, Central Districts, Canterbury and Otago. It is managed by NZC, whereas NZ20 will have teams with private owners.According to Don MacKinnon, who heads the NZ20 Establishment Committee, the concept for the league originated from former New Zeeland greats including Stephen Fleming who then engaged with the New Zealand Players Association (NZPA} to gauge whether the time had come for a franchise-based league. MacKinnon, a professional lawyer who heads the country’s Sports Integrity Commission, and has served as a director on the NZC Board, was approached about three months ago to see if the concept was feasible.In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, MacKinnon said NZ20 was an “extremely viable” project and it was the “ideal” time to launch.”The concept is a pretty simple one really. It’s to see if New Zealand cricket could provide us with a clean window, which in our mind is absolutely essential for a very short privately owned competition, ideally in the peak of summer in New Zealand,” MacKinnon said. “So ideally for a men’s competition in the month of January at potentially a lot of our holiday venues, some of our beautiful grassbanks ground and a short fan-centric, fun type competition, but one played by the very best players in New Zealand and hopefully some internationals.”

‘Super Smash not working’

The absence of a New Zealand T20 league until now has been notable, especially as its players and coaches have been popular in leagues across the globe. But MacKinnon said collective belief among former players was that the time was ripe for New Zealand to create its own domestic brand.Back in 2014 the NZC Board had turned down the idea of such a league because it did not believe it could create a successful product and would “struggle” to compete with the likes of the IPL and BBL. MacKinnon agreed with that decision but pointed out the time now was right to “develop our own unique competition.” He said that NZ20 would not be aping the IPL or BBL.”We are looking at something very boutique, very New Zealand centric, a unique experience for players who come here, as I said, small grounds, a great lifestyle, something that we think players would love to be involved in.”Finn Allen is among the New Zealand players who play overseas in the January league period•Sarah Reed – CA / Getty Images

MacKinnon said the Super Smash was “not really working with the fans” and has become more of a “development” competition for players. NZ20, MacKinnon believes, has the potential to “reenergise domestic cricket” in New Zealand. “What’s different about it? Well, it’s partly driven out of private investment and so you get the ability to be very innovative. You have the ability to have greater capital, to invest in better fan experience both at the ground but also whether you are watching on television or online. We also think that if we get this right, we will attract the very best New Zealand players back into our domestic competitions.”MacKinnon did not disclose whether IPL franchise owners were looking to invest, but said there was strong interest both from India as well as other investors globally. “We’ve also looked really closely at some of the models around the world and particularly the CPL where the league owners and the team seem to have done a great job in moving that competition not only into a point of profitability but also has really engaged fan interest. So that’s one of the models we’re looking at very closely. But by no means the only one.”

NZ players ‘would desperately love’ to play NZ20

The current plan involves starting the men’s tournament in January 2027 followed by the launch of the women’s league in December 2027. The biggest challenge remains finding a clear window with the BBL, SA20 and ILT20 running simultaneously in January. Those tournaments generally involve the participation of several New Zealand international.MacKinnon acknowledged that hurdle, but believed current New Zealand players were keen to participate. “We appreciate we won’t be able to attract everybody that we’d like to have, but the feedback from current New Zealand players is they would desperately love for this tournament to go ahead and would do everything to participate in it.There would be plans to launch a women’s edition later in 2027•Getty Images

“So that’s the first goal. We are designing this competition very much along the lines that we want the Lockie Fergusons and the Finn Allens of this world and the Kane Williamsons playing in it. So that’s the most important goal because at the moment a lot of those players aren’t playing in our Super Smash.”MacKinnon is confident NZ20 can attract “marquee players” if they get the right owners. MacKinnon also highlighted one of its USPs would be to allow players to own a stake in the league. “We also are looking at a model where the players may well have an ownership share of the league,” he said. “And we are doing that because we want an extremely high level of access to player intellectual property. We want to be able to open our players up to the wealth. And to do that, that intellectual property needs to be very readily available.”

NZC approval</h2.NZC approval will have to come swiftly if NZ20 is to take off by January 2027. MacKinnon emphasised that his committee wanted to work with NZC. In fact, the NZ20 committee comprises two members from NZC's board along with representatives from NZPA and members associations.MacKinnon said that NZC had told the NZ20 Committee they were looking at various options. "We have been in constant discussions with the New Zealand Cricket Board over the last two to three months. They have been excellent to deal with. They have been very clear to us that while they're excited by this project, they have other options they're looking at including quite clearly whether they wish to consider trying to get a team into the Big Bash."MacKinnon said he would obviously like NZC to pick NZ20 as the "preferred option" but admitted ideally he would want the final decision to be made as soon as possible. "At the same time we are proceeding on the basis that we believe we will get a license and we are continuing to talk to investors and making progress in that regard. We would love to be in a position by the end of January [2026] to have some real certainty about whether we can make the competition start in January 2027 and that's our timeframe."

Sadaqat picked up two wickets before hitting a 47-ball 79 not out to help defeat India A

Shashank Kishore16-Nov-2025

Maaz Sadaqat, 20, has probably never been searched or spoken about as much as he was on Sunday night.Under the glare of a primetime audience in a high-stakes clash against India A, the youngster from Peshawar delivered two decisive punches. His tidy left-arm spin removed Jitesh Sharma and Nehal Wadhera in quick succession, sparking a collapse that saw India A lose 8 for 45 and crumble for 136 all out with an over left.And as if that wasn’t enough, Sadaqat then opened the chase with a sparkling statement of intent, hitting a robust 31-ball half-century in an exhilarating display of batsmanship, guiding Pakistan A to a commanding eight-wicket win with plenty to spare in their second game at the Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup.This was Pakistan A’s second straight win in the competition, which assured them of a semi-final berth.Suryavanshi fires early salvoIndia A were once again propelled by the precocious brilliance of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the wunderkind who had lit up the tournament with a breathtaking 144 against UAE just two nights ago.On a crumbly surface offering grip and turn, he wasted no time in taking on fast bowler Ubaid Shah, younger brother of Naseem, to give India A the early momentum. His intent helped the team wade through the early loss of Priyansh Arya, who top-edged a pull to mid-on. What stood out was Suryavanshi’s game awareness: he quickly sensed that this pitch wouldn’t suit premeditation, and adjusted accordingly.Vaibhav Suryavanshi did not take much time to tee off•Asian Cricket Council

By holding his shape and trusting his hands, he produced an array of eye-catching strokes: like the crisp inside-out punch over cover, a clean swing over deep midwicket, and a series of razor-sharp pick-ups against spin.His 49-run stand with Naman Dhir ensured India A found a boundary almost every over until the tenth, setting a brisk, early tempo despite the tricky conditions. Suryavanshi even took on left-arm spinner Sufyan Muqeem, before an attempt to launch him over the ropes had him fall for a 28-ball 45.Sadaqat’s Act-IAfter Suryavanshi’s dismissal, India A went 29 balls without finding the boundary. That lull coincided with the introduction of Sadaqat, whose thrifty left-arm spin tightened the screws almost immediately. Using his angles cleverly, he coaxed the ball to drift, grip and occasionally rear up, while subtle changes of pace denied the batters any rhythm.Jitesh, coming off a blistering 32-ball 83 not out against UAE, miscued a lofted attempt to long-off, and Wadhera was stumped after being lured out by one that drifted away late. Between those two blows, Ashutosh Sharma was unfortunate to be given lbw to a delivery that skidded on but appeared to strike him outside the line.Sadaqat finished with figures of 3-1-12-2, setting the stage for right-arm seamer Shahid Aziz to return and wipe out the lower order. From looking set to score 180, India A collapsed to 136 all out.The Irfan Khan-led Pakistan A struck regularly in the second half•Asian Cricket Council

Sadaqat’s Act-IIOn a surface where run-making seemed progressively difficult as India A found out, Sadaqat had clean plans: of taking the attack to the bowlers with the new ball inside the powerplay. And on Sunday, nothing was going to stop him.Reprieved second ball when Wadhera put down a tough chance at backward point, Sadaqat took the attack to left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh in his first over. Then with spin introduced in the fourth, he laid into leg spinner Suyash Sharma, hitting him for back-to-back boundaries.Jitesh persisted with Gurjapneet for a third straight over inside the powerplay, but Sadaqat snuffed out any fight from India A by clobbering him for 18 – including a flat-bat six over long-on as Pakistan A brought up their 50 inside five overs. This turbocharge meant Pakistan A didn’t lose momentum even with the loss of Mohammad Naeem.As good as Sadaqat was in front of square, there was so much more to his batting. He welcomed the offspin of Dhir by reverse-sweeping him for a six, racing to a half-century off just 31 balls.On 54, he top-edged Suyash, only to be dropped by Suryavanshi at point. Then on 56, he swung one over long-on, only for Wadhera to sensationally intercept the ball and throw it back into the field of play for Dhir to take the relay. However, the third umpire ruled it in favour of Pakistan. Strangely though, he did not rule it a six and it was given as a dot ball instead.Those two chances aside, there were hardly moments on the field where India A had any semblance of control. Sadaqat remained unbeaten on 79 off 47 as Pakistan A cruised home in style.

Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Spencer Johnson are also being released by the franchise

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Nov-2025Venkatesh Iyer, who made a name for himself and was elevated to the national team following a strong IPL debut season in 2021 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is among the players being released by the three-time champions.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Iyer, who was bought for a record INR 23.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction by KKR, who used a right-to-match card to get him, is part of a lengthy list of high-profile names who are not being retained by the franchise.The other high-profile players being let go are the South African duo of Anrich Nortje (bought for INR 6.5 crore) and Quinton de Kock (INR 3.6 crore), Australian quick Spencer Johnson (INR 2.8 crore), Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz (INR 2 crore) and England allrounder Moeen Ali (INR 2 crore).Related

RR trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

The uncapped Indian pair of Luvnith Sisodia and Chetan Sakariya, who had replaced the injured Umran Malik last season, are also being released.After making a big impression in his debut IPL season – which came after he had starred for Madhya Pradesh in the domestic limited-overs tournaments in 2020-21 – Iyer had a quiet IPL 2022, but was again a star for KKR in IPL 2023, when he scored 404 runs, including a century, to average 28.86 at a strike rate of 145.85 for the season.A key part of the team, he has even led the side on occasion and, last year, was talked about as a possible captain before Ajinkya Rahane was handed the reins. As it happened, Iyer scored just 142 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 139.22.KKR, who won the IPL in 2024, finished near the bottom of the table the following season. Among the players to perform poorly was de Kock (152 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 129.91), while the likes of Nortje, Johnson, Gurbaz and Moeen didn’t get too many opportunities for one reason or another and weren’t too impressive when fielded.