Despite losing their final game in the Champions League group stage against PSV 3-2, Liverpool still managed to finish top in the group phase, automatically qualifying them for the round of 16. The Reds won seven of their eight games played, earning 21 points and finishing with 12 goal difference.

One man in particular who took his chance against PSV, was Harvey Elliott, who has struggled for minutes under Arne Slot so far, but managed to score in their final Champions League group game, also managing 70 touches, enjoying 100% dribble success and winning 100% of his ground duels.

After his performance in Holland, Elliott could have shown his manager that attacking reinforcement isn’t needed, with recent links to Lyon attacking midfielder, Rayan Cherki, proving he can provide that creative spark needed, whether it’s from the bench or a starting position.

Liverpool's very own Cherki

Elliott has made 14 appearances for Liverpool this campaign, scoring three goals, providing one assist and totalling 404 minutes played so far.

Market Movers

The 21-year-old did miss the start of the season with a broken foot, but since returning, Slot has been easing him back, with substitute appearances in the Premier League and starts in cup competitions.

The youngster joined from Fulham back in the 2019/20 season, being an extremely highly rated teenager at the time. His value quickly skyrocketed, going from a €4.00m (£3.3m) player to a €22.00m (£18.4m) player in the span of two years, spending time with Blackburn on loan – as per Transfermarkt.

According to Transfermarkt, Elliott is now worth €35m (£29.2m), having stagnated at this value since September 2022, having a brief dip in December 2023, before returning to the same value.

This £29.2m valuation is higher than the French attacking midfielder being linked to the club, begging the question of whether Liverpool really need him.

Cherki vs Elliot comparison

Cherki has made 24 appearances so far this season, scoring five goals, providing eight assists and totalling 1,501 minutes played. His current value is €30m (£25m), which is less than Elliott’s as previously stated.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Cherki

Elliot

Goals

0.30

0.13

Assists

0.48

0.35

Progressive Carries

4.77

3.00

Progressive Passes

10.1

7.85

Progressive Passes Received

8.08

7.55

Shots Total

2.41

2.96

Passes into Final Third

4.77

5.11

Passes into Pen Area

3.97

2.75

Key Passes

4.11

2.19

Shot-Creating Actions

7.68

4.72

When comparing the two players’ metrics – having used Cherki’s from this season and Elliott’s from last season due to minutes played – you can see Cherki outperforms Elliot in all but two areas, the Englishman having a higher shot volume and completing more passes into the final third, thus showing his willingness to drop deep and link play.

Elliott was labelled “elite” for a performance against Newcastle back in 2022 by Statman Dave on X, with a midfield performance orchestrating play, completing long passes, making ball recoveries and completing dribbles in the final third.

Whilst Cherki has perhaps shown a higher level thus far, Elliott has shown his potential already playing in the Premier League, and given more trust and responsibility, Elliott could go to the next level, taking the creative burden as a playmaker in this Liverpool side, which would see his underlying numbers spike.

Liverpool hold concrete interest in "exceptional" £50m Salah replacement

The Reds now hold concrete interest in a forward who has been in impressive form this season, as a potential heir to the Egyptian.

ByDominic Lund Jan 30, 2025

Chelsea are beginning to change their minds about signing a prolific striker, after previously deciding not to in 2024, with the addition of a new centre-forward standing out among the club’s top transfer priorities this summer.

Chelsea make summer striker plan after inactive January

Enzo Maresca’s side elected not to acquire a number nine in January, a decision which has been met with fierce criticism ever since, especially following long-term injuries to Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson.

Enzo Maresca sack claim made by ex-club chief as Chelsea pressure grows

The Italian is facing scrutiny right now.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 20, 2025

Guiu and Jackson’s absences means that Christopher Nkunku is Maresca’s only real striking option right now, dealing Chelsea a real obstacle to overcome in their chase for Champions League qualification.

While Nkunku has scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, the Frenchman is arguably not suited to being a natural striker, and a fresh vocal point has long been tipped as a real missing piece for Chelsea.

Aston Villa (away)

February 22nd

Southampton (home)

February 25th

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Victor Osimhen was the subject of serious late summer interest from Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea were involved in a high-profile race alongside Al-Ahli for the Nigerian’s signature, before neither side could manage a deal for the eventual-Galatasaray marksman.

Attention now turns to the next summer transfer window, as Chelsea shortlist striker targets ahead of the 2025/2026 campaign.

Ipswich Town sensation Liam Delap and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko are both thought to be on their agenda, as per reliable Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips and other media sources, while Sporting Lisbon superstar Viktor Gyokeres has also been linked.

The Sweden international has bagged a pretty incredible 34 goals across 36 appearances in all competitions this season, following up his equally electric 23/24 season in the Primeira Liga, and it is surely only a matter of time before elite clubs become tempted to take him off Sporting’s hands.

Chelsea performing U-turn over signing Viktor Gyokeres

As per reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, writing for GiveMeSport, Chelsea decided not to pursue a move for the 26-year-old in January 2024.

However, Chelsea are now giving fresh consideration over signing Gyokeres, with the Blues seemingly performing a U-turn over their previous stance. This is also fuelled by the notion that Sporting could now sell for around £58 million, which is a £25 million drop from his actual £83 million release clause.

Given the former Coventry City star’s exceptional record in front of goal, this could prove to be a bargain, but agents fees and wages could still make it a fairly costly operation.

“He joined Coventry on loan and then signed for them permanently. All the lads have said when he came back in the summer after signing permanently, he was a different animal,” said former teammate Jake Bidwell.

“With the way he plays as well, with his aggression, the two (qualities) go hand in hand with how well he has done. He all of a sudden realised how quick and strong he was and had the confidence to use it and mixed with the aggression, it’s made him pretty unstoppable.”

Liverpool now hold concrete interest in signing an “exceptional” £50m winger to replace Mohamed Salah this summer, with a report dropping a new update on the Egyptian’s future at Anfield.

Reds assessing options to replace Salah

Of course, every Liverpool fan will be hoping Salah extends his stay at Anfield beyond the end of the season, but it is by no means a guarantee, amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, meaning Arne Slot has started to assess potential replacements.

At one stage, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo was deemed the player most likely to replace the 32-year-old, with the Merseyside club said to be willing to make an offer of £42m to get a deal over the line.

Earlier in the January transfer window, the Reds also made an approach to sign AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, offering the Cherries a player plus-cash deal involving Ben Doak.

Semenyo is not the only Premier League forward Slot is considering as a potential replacement for Salah, however, with TEAMtalk revealing there is concrete interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo in light of the forward’s impressive performances this season.

There may be competition for Mbeumo’s signature, however, with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also very keen, and Liverpool’s interest is said to be intertwined with the situation surrounding Salah’s long-term future at Anfield.

If the forward decides to extend his stay on Merseyside, the Reds may choose to wait at least another window or two before pursuing a new right-winger, but if he chooses to move on this summer, they could step up their pursuit of the Brentford star.

With Neymar leaving Al-Hilal to sign for Santos, the Saudi Pro League side could push to sign Salah this summer, having identified him as their top target, as they want to replace the Brazilian with another big-name player.

Liverpool make enquiry over "outrageous" £20m star who's wanted by Man Utd

The midfielder’s agents are keen to secure him a move to a new club.

By
Dominic Lund

Jan 29, 2025

Mbeumo improving year-on-year

The Cameroon international played a key role for the Bees in their rise from the Championship to the top flight, scoring 23 goals across two seasons in the second tier, and he has since gone on to prove himself as a top player in the Premier League.

This season has been the France-born winger’s most impressive by some way, having amassed 17 goal contributions in the Premier League, most recently finding the back of the net in Brentford’s 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace.

That said, the £50m-valued forward, who has been described as “exceptional” by members of the media, is yet to prove himself at the very highest level, and it would be a risk to bring him in to replace Salah.

All being well, the Liverpool talisman will commit to a new contract to secure his long-term future before the end of the season, as truth be told, it is extremely unlikely the Reds will be able to find any player capable of replicating his attacking numbers.

MatériaMais Notícias

Se por um lado o São Paulo vive dias complicados para o técnico Rogério Ceni escalar a equipe por conta dos oito desfalques por contusão, por outro a formação de uma base sólida na próxima temporada promete ser um desafio à diretoria. Isso porque o vínculo de nada menos que 11 atletas do atual plantel se encerra no final do ano.

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Pior do que isso, o Tricolor passou nesta semana a conviver com o fantasma das propostas para que esses atletas deixem o Morumbi ao fim de seus atuais vínculos.

O primeiro a entrar na lista dos sondados é o volante Gabriel Neves. O uruguaio, emprestado pelo Nacional-URU até 31 de dezembro recebeu sondagem do San Lorenzo, da Argentina, segundo revelou o portal TyC Sports.

Livre para assinar com quem quiser em julho, Neves, de 24 anos, pode acertar sua ida ao clube do Nuevo Gasómetro sem que haja compensação financeira ao Tricolor.

Segundo o LANCE! apurou, de todos os atletas nessa condição de fim de contrato, a diretoria tricolor iniciou as conversas para renovar com Thiago Couto, atual goleiro reserva imediato de Jandrei no elenco, com 23 anos. O acerto deve ser oficializado nos próximos dias.

Outras quatro opções também devem iniciar em breve as conversas pela renovação: o lateral-direito Igor Vinícius, o lateral-esquerdo Reinaldo, o zagueiro Walce e o maior ídolo do atual plantel, o atacante Jonathan Calleri. Todos eles têm sua permanência tida como prioritária. E assim como Neves, poderão assinar pré-acordos com outros clubes em julho.

Atendendo pedido de Ceni e do restante da cúpula do futebol, o Tricolor vai esperar para analisar as condições do volante Andrés Colorado e dos atacantes Jonas Toró e Éder. Os dois primeiros ainda carregam o sentimento de que precisam mostrar mais trabalho, enquanto o último, com salários beirando os R$ 700 mil mensais, é considerado caro.

Fecham a lista os veteranos Rafinha e Miranda, que o clube espera para ver o que pensam para a carreira na próxima temporada. O zagueiro fala abertamente em encerrar sua trajetória como jogador, enquanto o lateral-direito ainda não conversou com diretoria e comissão técnica sobre o assunto.

TABELA
> Confira jogos, classificação e simule resultados do Brasileirão-22
> Confira os jogos e resultados da Copa do Brasil-22
> Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who’s been named batting coach, will take charge of the team in the lead-up to the 2023 T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2022Ramesh Powar’s tenure as head coach of the India women’s team has ended, a little over two months out from the next T20 World Cup in South Africa. India will be without a head coach for the upcoming five-match T20I series at home against Australia.For now, the team’s support staff group will be headed by former India allrounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who has formally been handed the position of batting coach. Kanitkar, who was most-recently in charge of a second-string Indian men’s team in similar capacity during their limited-overs tour of New Zealand, has linked up with the women’s squad in Mumbai ahead of the Australia series beginning on December 9.Powar, meanwhile, is set to return to his role as spin-bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). In a media release, the BCCI termed Powar’s switch to men’s cricket as part of a “restructuring module”. It’s a position he had previously held at the NCA between 2019 and 2020, before taking over as head coach of the Mumbai men’s team, who he guided to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title in March 2021.For Kanitkar, the role is a step up from his present role as a batting consultant at the NCA. Earlier this year, he was head coach of India’s victorious batch of Under-19s, who became world champions in the Caribbean. His NCA stint aside, Kanitkar has also coached Tamil Nadu, apart from being player-mentor at Rajasthan towards the end of his career. Like Powar, Kanitkar has been an active part of NCA’s redevelopment under former India captain and current India men’s head coach Rahul Dravid. He was with the Indian women’s team as the batting consultant during the tour of Sri Lanka and then the victorious Asia Cup campaign.Powar has had two stints with the women’s team, the most recent of which was a mixed one. Having taken over in May 2021, he oversaw the team’s lead-up to the 2022 World Cup (50-overs), where they crashed out in the group stage with three wins in seven. More recently, though, the team finished silver medalists behind Australia in the Commonwealth Games, before recording their first-ever white-ball series win in England, when they blanked the hosts 3-0 in the ODIs in September. His final series with the team was a victorious one, India storming to their seventh Asia Cup title in October.”I have had an enriching experience in my stint as head coach of the senior women’s team,” Powar was quoted as saying in a BCCI release. “Over the years I have worked closely with some of the stalwarts of the game and upcoming talents of the country.”With my new role at the NCA, I will be looking [to use] my experience [from] over the years to help build talent for the future. I look forward to working in tandem with [NCA head coach] VVS Laxman for the further development of the game and bench strength.”For Kanitkar, the five-match series against Australia will be followed by a tri-series in South Africa, also involving West Indies, in the lead-up to the World Cup.”I see tremendous prospects in this team, and we have a good mix of youth and experience,” Kanitkar said, looking ahead to his new role. “I believe this team is ready for the challenge ahead. We have a few marquee events coming up and it is going to be exciting for the team and myself as batting coach.”

Everton have turned a proverbial page since Christmas, with new owners, The Friedkin Group, dismissing Sean Dyche after the resilient manager conceded that he had taken the Toffees as far as he could.

Then came David Moyes. The Scottish tactician had won the Conference League with West Ham United – in the second of three successive European campaigns – but left at the end of the 2023/24 season. He took a sabbatical of sorts, but the pull of Goodison Park at its swansong was too much to resist.

Moyes had already led Everton across 11 seasons and 518 matches before taking the plunge as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Old Trafford in 2013.

Everton have turned a page, ending Farhad Moshiri’s dysfunctional ownership. It had been a long time coming, with Everton languishing beneath their pedigree for so many years. Plenty went wrong on the transfer front, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom.

The better sales under Farhad Moshiri

Moshiri’s reign was branded with the frustration of numerous botched incomings, the likes of Cenk Tosun, Moise Kean and Yerry Mina (among more) arriving on big fees but failing to provide.

However, looking at it from the other end of the lens, the Blues did bank some large fees for players that have since proved overpayment from the suitors in question.

Richarlison, for example, thrived on Merseyside and earned a whopping £60m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in 2022. It’s been tough for the forward since, struggles for form and fitness inhibiting his career.

Selling Idrissa Gueye to Paris Saint-Germain for £30m before re-signing the combative midfielder in a £2m deal was also a shrewd piece of business, albeit one that came as a result of Jean-Philippe Gbamin falling by the wayside.

Another departure that perhaps flies under the radar is the package put together for Nikola Vlasic’s sale. Somehow, Moshiri turned a profit on the Croatian winger.

Everton struck gold selling this flop

In September 2017, Everton signed Vlasic from Hajduk Split for about £8m, with the 19-year-old forward touted for big things.

Vlasic’s ball-carrying ability and skilful style suggested that he could have been a divisional star, but he only played 12 top-flight fixtures under Ronald Koeman, with both his goals for Everton coming against Cypriot side Apollon Limassol in the Europa League.

He didn’t settle in Liverpool, for the young star moved to Russian side CSKA Moskow on loan for the 2018/19 season before the move was made permanent in 2019 for a reported £14m fee. The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland had said that it was “baffling” that Vlasic couldn’t even make the first-team bench at times, but his swift exit spoke clearly of an unhappy marriage in new surroundings.

The fact that Everton turned a £6m profit on a player who offered very little is a testament to Moshiri and former sporting director Marcel Brand’s negotiating powers, however, the sheer number of failures does suggest that this and the few other deals mentioned above were outliers in the grand scheme.

That said, Vlasic’s career hasn’t exactly taken off since. While the 27-year-old has enjoyed comparative success in Italy with Torino, he’s only notched 23 goal contributions across all competitions. Looking at that alongside his overall career prolificness, you’d have to say that Everton cashed in at the perfect time.

Hajduk Split

120

13

20

CSKA Moscow

108

33

21

Torino

90

10

13

West Ham

31

1

2

Everton

19

2

1

Oh, he returned to the Premier League with West Ham – who, curiously, were led by Moyes at the time – for a £26m fee, but he failed to inspire in England once more and left with his tail between his legs.

Still in the thick of his supposedly prime years, Transfermarkt record Vlasic to bear a £6m market value, which is even lower than the 32-year-old Abdoulaye Doucoure (about £7m), who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

Doucoure, a hot topic at present after his part in igniting the denouement of the Merseyside derby, is a seasoned Premier League star, sure, but this only goes to show that Vlasic’s natural ability wasn’t able to translate to success within the rigorous Premier League.

Everton did well cashing in when they did, but such a deal sits on the fringe of a detrimental period in the club’s history that, finally, has been put to bed.

Ndiaye upgrade: Everton wanted £67m Liverpool star but Rafa refused

He’s one of the Premier League’s best forwards.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 14, 2025

Ajay Ratra, Amay Khurasiya and S Sharath are among a number of former players who have been interviewed for a spot on India’s next senior men’s selection panel, ESPNcricinfo can confirm.They, along with two members of the incumbent panel, Chetan Sharma and Harvinder Singh, were interviewed on Tuesday by the BCCI-appointed Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). All the shortlisted candidates are understood to have made presentations to the panel, which is expected to submit its recommendations to the board this week. The other candidate in the fray from east zone is SS Das, the former India opener.Sharath, the former Tamil Nadu batter, has emerged as a strong contender to replace Sunil Joshi, who chose against re-applying, from South Zone. If Sharath gets the job, it will be an elevation from his current role as chairman of the junior men’s panel. Sharath’s committee picked the India squad that went on to win the Under-19 World Cup in February last year.From the east, it’s likely Das will replace his former India and Odisha team-mate Debasis Mohanty. Das played 23 Tests and four ODIs between 2000 and 2002, and 180 first-class games in all.The need for a new selector from East Zone would have come about even if the BCCI hadn’t invited applications for a new panel following India’s T20 World Cup campaign, since Mohanty has completed the maximum-stipulated cumulative five-year term across various cricket committees, having been part of both junior and senior panels.Similarly, the board would’ve had to anyway appoint a new selector from West Zone as the Chetan Sharma-led selection panel was reduced to four members in late 2021 after Abey Kuruvilla, the former Mumbai and India fast bowler, completed the maximum tenure of five years. While Kuruvilla moved on to the role of BCCI general manager (cricket development), the board did not appoint a replacement on the selection panel.On Monday, in perhaps the biggest hint yet that there may not be a new chairman after all, Chetan Sharma was part of the BCCI’s review meeting along with head coach Rahul Dravid, captain Rohit Sharma, NCA chief VVS Laxman and the board’s top-brass to discuss the roadmap to the home 50-over World Cup scheduled for later this year.However, the incumbent panel hasn’t been asked to report to various venues for the fourth round of Ranji Trophy matches, which started today. It had initially been handed an extension until the end of the year to pick the squads for the T20Is and ODIs against Sri Lanka, apart from being asked to track the third round of Ranji Trophy matches from December 27-30.The CAC conducting the interviews for the selection panel consists of former players Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape and Sulakshana Naik.

Meanwhile, Mark Chapman has earned his maiden New Zealand Cricket contract

Deivarayan Muthu18-Dec-2022

Canterbury’s Henry Shipley took a hat-trick in the first game of the Ford Trophy this season•Getty Images

Canterbury allrounder Henry Shipley has earned his maiden call-up to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming ODIs tours to Pakistan and India. Kane Williamson will lead the side in Pakistan, but will not be part of the following ODI series in India.Head coach Gary Stead, bowling coach Shane Jurgensen and newly appointed Test captain Tim Southee will return home after the Pakistan tour along with Williamson to prepare for the home Test series against England in February 2023.Mark Chapman earns maiden NZC contract

Mark Chapman has earned his maiden New Zealand Cricket central contract. He will be filling the vacancy left by Martin Guptill, who was released from the contract in November.
Chapman made his debut for New Zealand in 2018 having played for Hong Kong before. He has played 22 T20Is and five ODIs for New Zealand so far, making 381 runs and 111 runs in the formats respectively. He was also part of the last two T20 World Cup campaigns. He has played 128 games for Auckland in the domestic circuit.
“We’re delighted to have Mark join the central contract list after being there or thereabouts for a while,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “He’s a fine player and we like the versatility and innovation he brings to his batting. “He’s a guy with a lot of talent and we see him being a big part of future BlackCaps squads.”

In the absence of Williamson and Stead, Tom Latham and current batting coach Luke Ronchi will take charge of the ODI squad in India. Ronchi will also act as the head coach for the T20I series in India and will be assisted by Bob Carter, the former New Zealand Women coach, and Paul Wiseman, the former New Zealand spinner who was also recently part of the coaching group of the New Zealand A side that had visited India earlier this year.Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, though, continues to be unavailable for selection, as he works his way back from a back injury. Jamieson has not played for New Zealand since the Nottingham Test in June earlier this year.Batting allrounder Mark Chapman and seamer Jacob Duffy have been included in the squad for only the India tour as New Zealand continue to manage the workloads of their players and staff.Legspinner Ish Sodhi and Henry Nicholls, who had been omitted for the squad for the home ODI series against India, have both been recalled for the ODIs tours of Pakistan and India. Sodhi will work with Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips in the spin attack.Shipley, 26, is the only new face in the squad. The pace-bowling allrounder can hit the deck with the ball and hit boundaries with the bat lower down the order. His towering frame (1.96 metre) could potentially give New Zealand’s attack a point of difference in the subcontinent.In November at home, Shipley took career-best List A figures of 6 for 40,including a hat-trick in the Ford Trophy opener for Canterbury against Wellington. It was the the first hat-trick for Canterbury and only fourth overall in 52 years of the tournament.Shipley continued his strong form in the Ford Trophy and is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 12 strikes in five games at an economy rate of 4.20. Earlier in last season’s 20-over Super Smash, he had emerged as the top wicket-taker, with 18 scalps in 11 games at an economy rate of 7.25 in Canterbury’s run to the final, where they lost to Northern Districts.”Henry’s an exciting talent who we’ve had our eye on for a while,” New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “He’s taken his game to another level in the past 12 months, and we’re delighted to see his progression given how valuable genuine all-rounders are in any cricket team.”It’s encouraging to see players putting their hands up in our domestic competitions and their performances being rewarded with selection for the national team.”After bagging that Ford Trophy hat-trick, Shipley attributed his recent success to his greater self-confidence. “Probably a bit of confidence over the last couple of years. Been working reasonably hard on a few different things, especially my bowling,” he had said. “Trying to be a bit more effective and I guess and take wickets. And on batting – I’ve always had the self-belief but it’s just biding your time and earning the right to get into the allrounder’s position.”The three-match ODI series in Pakistan begins on January 10 and will run up to January 14. The India tour begins four days later with the first ODI in Hyderabad and will run up to February 1. The squad for the three-match T20I series will be named in January after the opening rounds of the Super Smash.Squad: Kane Williamson (capt – only for Pakistan ODIs), Tom Latham (capt – India ODIs), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman (India ODIs only), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy (India ODIs only), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (Pakistan ODIs only).

غادرت بعثة منتخب مصر الأولمبي لكرة السلة، إلى الصين اليوم السبت، للمشاركة في بطولة الصين الدولية، التي تحتضنها مدينة تشنجدو خلال الفترة من 7 يونيو الجاري إلى 17 من الشهر ذاته.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه الفراعنة في بطولة الصين منتخبات الناشئين في دول، ألمانيا والصين والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وتضم قائمة اللاعبين 14 لاعبًا وهم، بهاء الدين رمضان، يوسف الغايش، إبراهيم زهران، ياسين شيخو، محمد ياسر، ميدو إبراهيم، مؤمن طارق خيري، محمد وائل بدر، محمد أشرف، محمد أيمن، عمر عماد محيي، إبراهيم محرم، علي عسران، يوسف الحلواني.

طالع.. رسميًا | منتخب مصر يتأهل لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا لكرة السلة

يرأس بعثة المنتخب، المستشار محمد محرم، ويقود المنتخب الأولمبي لكرة السلة فنيًا الكابتن أحمد مرعي، وإمام عبدالبديع مدربًا، الدكتور محمود علاء والدكتور رائف وصفي علاج طبيعي، وليد الخراط إداريًا، محمد عيسى مدلك.

Chelsea have seen a huge turnover of players since the arrival of Todd Boehly back in May 2022, with the American investing a small fortune into the playing squad.

The 51-year-old has spent over £1.2b on new additions in his near three-year spell at the helm, handing the likes of Enzo Maresca the funds to improve the first-team squad.

Whilst on the face of it, the money spent seems like a huge amount, the signings have been split between immediate first-team additions and investments for the future, potentially setting the club up for success down the line.

The Italian has subsequently built a settled side since his appointment in the summer, aiming to lead the Blues back to Champions League football ahead of 2025/26.

He and the supporters must wish they had one player to help lead them to such a feat after his own impact during his time as a player at Stamford Bridge.

N’Golo Kante’s time at Chelsea

Back in the summer of 2016, Chelsea forked out £30m for the signing of French midfielder N’Golo Kante from Leicester City – straight off the back of the Foxes’ remarkable Premier League triumph.

It would be a move that would allow the now 33-year-old to take his career to the next level, featuring over 250 times for the Blues over a seven-year period.

Kante won everything but a Carabao Cup during his time in West London, catching the eye with his relentless running and ball-winning ability, helping the side win the Champions League back in 2020/21.

However, injuries would get the better of him during his final years at the Bridge, restricting him to just nine appearances in his final year at the club before departing on a free transfer and joining Saudi side Al Ittihad in 2023.

Even though the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández both signed for over £100m, neither capsulate the ability of Kante, with the Blues already offloading the player who was tipped to fill the void.

The player who could’ve been Chelsea’s Kante 2.0

Many players have tried to emulate Kante in the holding midfield role, with his pace, ball-winning ability and small frame, but none have quite been able to match the levels he produced in England.

However, at one stage, it appeared as though the Blues had unearthed a player to follow in his footsteps in the form of Scottish youngster Billy Gilmour.

The midfielder joined the club from Rangers as a 16-year-old back in 2017, originally linking up with the under-18 side before making the jump into the senior squad.

He would make his breakthrough during the 2019/20 season, featuring 11 times across all competitions, before posting the same number of appearances in the following campaign – impressing with increased opportunities – leading to former Blue Patrick van Aanholt comparing him to Kante.

However, he would move to Norwich City on loan in 2021/22, but wouldn’t return to the first team in West London, joining Brighton and Hove Albion the following year for just £9m.

The Scottish international, who’s previously been dubbed “world-class” Frank Lampard, registered 60 appearances for the Seagulls before moving yet again this summer, joining Italian side Napoli, but despite the transfer, he’s valued less than goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

2022/23

Brighton

17

0

2

2023/24

Brighton

41

0

2

2024/25

Brighton

2

0

0

2024/25

Napoli

16

0

0

Total:

76

0

4

The Dane has struggled for Premier League minutes, producing a howler against Aston Villa that cost the Blues a point, but he’s still valued at £16.5m by Transfermarkt, a figure higher than Gilmour, who’s now worth just £13.2m.

The 23-year-old has since made 14 Serie A appearances since his move to Naples, having bags of time to develop further, showcasing the Blues the mistake they made in allowing him to depart.

It’s a shame that his time at the Bridge didn’t go to plan, especially after the early praise he received after his emergence in the side, subsequently having to move elsewhere to achieve his full potential.

However, it goes to show how impressive Kante was during his time at the club, with no player yet to match his success in London, undoubtedly going down as one of their best-ever midfielders given the success and impact he provided.

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