علّق نادي مانشستر سيتي على الإصابة التي تعرض لها نجم الفريق عمر مرموش، في مباراة منتخب مصر يوم الثلاثاء ضد نظيره منتخب بوركينا فاسو، في إطار تصفيات قارة إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.

وحل منتخب مصر ضيفًا على بوركينا فاسو، في الجولة الثامنة من التصفيات المؤهلة إلى المونديال، حيث تعادلا سلبيًا بدون أهداف.

ولم يتمكن عمر مرموش من استكمال المباراة، حيث تواجد في التشكيل الأساسي، ولكنه تعرض لإصابة مبكرة أجبرته على الخروج.

وقال مانشستر سيتي، عبر موقعه الرسمي: “أُجبر عمر مرموش على مغادرة الملعب مبكرًا بعد تعرضه لإصابة في ساقه، خلال تعادل مصر وبوركينا فاسو في تصفيات كأس العالم في المجموعة الأولى”.

وأضاف: “تعرض مهاجم مانشستر سيتي، الذي قاد هجوم الفراعنة خلال المباراة التي أقيمت على ملعب 4 أغسطس في واجادوجو، للإصابة بعد تدخل قوي في الدقيقة الرابعة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ردود أفعال جماهير مانشستر سيتي على إصابة عمر مرموش أمام بوركينا فاسو: ما يحدث جنون

وواصل: “وبعد تلقيه العلاج على أرض الملعب، لعب عمر مرموش في البداية، لكنه اسُتبدل لاحقًا بعد مرور 10 دقائق، وفي غيابه تعادلت مصر، متصدرة المجموعة، مع بوركينا فاسو، صاحبة المركز الثاني في لقاء اتسم بالتوتر الشديد وقلة الفرص الواضحة”.

وأردف: “مع تبقي مباراتين في المجموعة، تظل مصر بعد هذه النتيجة في صدارة المجموعة الأولى برصيد 20 نقطة من ثماني مباريات، وعلى بعد خطوات قليلة من التأهل لنهائيات كأس العالم للمرة الرابعة”.

واستكمل: “فوز منتخب مصر على جيوبتي في مباراتهما المقبلة في شهر أكتوبر، سيحسم تأهله إلى كأس العالم، مع العلم أن متصدر المجموعة هو من يتأهل مباشرة إلى البطولة الصيف المقبل”.

 

Allrounder top scores then concedes just three runs from final five balls as Invincibles go top of table

ECB Media06-Aug-2024Sam Curran held his nerve to again be Oval Invincibles’ match-winner in a last-ball thriller against Manchester Originals at Emirates Old Trafford.The England allrounder conceded just three runs from the final five balls of the game as Invincibles snatched victory by just three runs to go top of the table.Curran is the form man of the men’s competition, after claiming a hat-trick and hitting a half-century last time out against London Spirit, and was at it again in Manchester clearing the ropes on six occasions on his way to 68 from 38 balls before his heroics with the ball.Defeat ends the hopes of the Originals, finalists in the past two years, of reaching the knockout stage.Young Originals opener Matthew Hurst struck 50 from 29 balls, two days after his first half-century in the men’s competition, to initially put the hosts on course to chase down 164 for 8. The 20-year-old shared an 89-run opening stand from 54 balls with skipper Phil Salt.Salt has made his name as England’s hard-hitting opener and while he made a fast start, it was Hurst who stole the limelight with an array of stunning strokes to get the home crowd roaring.But when both fell in quick succession, Hurst succumbing to some clever bowling from Will Jacks, the Originals started to show signs they were ready to throw away another winning position.Paul Walter unleashed a couple of big hits but Wayne Madsen was retired not out and replacement Sikandar Raza was immediately caught in the deep.Jamie Overton blasted a six, but then edged Curran behind, as Curran got to work on closing out the match.Usama Mir missed a slower ball and, with four needed from the final delivery, he could only pick out Tom Lammonby 10 yards inside the leg-side rope.Curran said: “I thought with the ball it felt like we bowled really well. I think our success at the moment is just the self belief.”Everyone is able to step up and it can always be someone different. The Hundred format is good because you can always feel in the game. You can squeeze the new batter with those 10 balls from one end. We’re winning close games and really pleased.”

After already welcoming both Emmanuel Fernandez and Joe Rothwell this week, Glasgow Rangers are now reportedly keen to sign a Premier League gem this summer.

Rangers sign Fernandez and Rothwell

The Gers have well and truly got their summer business underway and now that things have started, they don’t look likely to slow down anytime soon. After welcoming both Fernandez and Rothwell, Russell Martin has taken his incomings count to as many as five since arriving with the likes of Conor Coady also on Rangers’ radar as they look to add to that number.

The latest to arrive, Fernandez told Rangers’ official website after putting pen to paper: “I am honoured, it is a huge club with a great fanbase and I think I can kickstart my career and have a good journey here.

“I was shocked when I heard about Rangers because it is such a big club but it was the place I wanted to be. I haven’t played at this level, there will be a lot of life changes for me, but it is something I want to be part of and I can’t wait to get started.”

Meanwhile, equally delighted to be joining up with those at Ibrox, Rothwell said: “My first reaction? A yes straight away, obviously then with the manager coming in as well it made that decision a little bit easier for me.

Ibrox's dream Igamane replacement: Rangers working to sign £5m striker

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ByDan Emery Jul 3, 2025

“Working with him and knowing what type of guy he is and how he wants to do things that was an even bigger pull for me, but the club speaks for itself really.”

It’s been the most important week of the summer so far for Rangers, who have now set their sights on welcoming another impressive Premier League talent for Martin.

Rangers keen to sign Owen Beck

According to The Daily Record, Rangers are now keen to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool but will need to sell Ridvan Yilmaz if they are to make their move to sign the left-back on a permanent deal. Recent reports have suggested that the Premier League champions would accept a loan offer for their youngster, although there would need to be guarantees over his game time.

It should come as little shock that Beck has found himself on Rangers’ radar. The 22-year-old enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Blackburn Rovers last season and following Milos Kerkez’s Anfield arrival, is likely to need either another loan move or a permanent exit to earn further game time.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Beck features in Scotland either, given that he also spent time on loan at Dundee. It was then that their technical director and former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan told reporters: “With Owen Beck, you can take all the data away from the player and it will tell you this: he gets forward, his engine’s good, it’s all good.

“What it won’t tell you is that Owen is a great kid with wonderful personality. He has a great team ethic, and he can’t do enough for the people around him. His first thought is always the team, and I like that in younger players. He’s made himself into a better footballer. He’s clever.”

Leeds United are in the market to make further additions to their first-team squad to bolster their options across the park ahead of their Premier League campaign.

The Whites made their first signing of the off-season earlier this month when they completed a free transfer for Germany international Lukas Nmecha, who will officially join when his contract with Wolfsburg expires at the end of this month.

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the 26-year-old centre-forward has scored five goals in 24 appearances for Wolfsburg in all competitions, including three goals in 19 Bundesliga games this season.

The new Whites striker could be competing with Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford, and Mateo Joseph for a place in the starting XI, along with any other number nines the club opt to bring in.

Nmecha is not going to be the only player signed by the Championship champions before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

Leeds have been linked with plenty of different attacking players, from the domestic market and abroad, and Brighton & Hove Albion playmaker Facundo Buonanotte is one name that has been mentioned as a target.

Why Leeds may want to sign Buonanotte

It was reported earlier this month that Leeds were confident of closing a £30m deal to sign the attacking midfielder, but there has not been an update on that situation since the initial report.

Buonanotte spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Leicester City in the Premier League and caught the eye with some promising performances, despite their relegation back down to the Championship.

Appearances

31

36

Starts

14

28

xG

3.93

3.86

Goals

5

1

Big chances created

7

5

Assists

2

3

As you can see in the table above, he was more impressive than Brenden Aaronson was in his season in the Premier League with Leeds, which suggests that he could provide an upgrade on what Daniel Farke currently has in the number ten position.

That came after the left-footed magician scored three goals and provided one assist in 27 appearances in the division in the previous season, which shows that he improved during his time at the King Power Stadium.

Leeds may, therefore, want to sign the 20-year-old starlet because he has already showcased his qualities, as both a scorer and a creator in the Premier League, and could improve Farke’s options in the middle of the park.

However, the Whites are now reportedly eyeing up another couple of attacking midfield options, and one of them, in particular, could be even better than Buonanotte.

Leeds weighing up moves for attacking midfielders

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Leeds are keen on signing one of Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to Leeds United News, Bailey said: “What we’re seeing in the no.10 role is that Leeds are able to be picky. There’s no need to jump in with both feet on a Hamer or a Buendia.

Transfer Focus

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

“They are weighing up options but I firmly believe Leeds will sign a no.10 and I also believe the front-runners are those two. It will be one of those and we know Farke likes both of them.”

The Whites are weighing up whether to go for Buendia or Hamer to bolster their options in the attacking midfield position, and CaughtOffside recently reported that the former is valued at £20m by Aston Villa.

With all of this information in mind, Farke should push for the West Yorkshire outfit to snap up the Villans outcast because he would be an even better option than Buonanotte.

Why Leeds should sign Emiliano Buendia

Buendia is a proven Premier League performer who is experienced but also has plenty of years left ahead of him to give the Whites many years of quality performances.

The 28-year-old playmaker has produced ten goals and 15 assists, and created 25 ‘big chances’, in 121 appearances in the English top-flight for Norwich City and Aston Villa combined, which shows that he knows how to provide goals and assists at that level.

He has also played 121 times for Farke during their time together at Norwich, playing every game for the Canaries with him in charge, and delivered 24 goals and 41 assists.

His best season in a Yellows shirt came in the 2020/21 Championship campaign under the German head coach, as he racked up 15 goals and 16 assists, along with 18 ‘big chances’ created in the second tier.

The Argentina international, who was once lauded as “magical” by analyst Liam Henshaw, knows how to play in Farke’s system, with his style of play, and has shown that he can be incredibly effective at the top end of the pitch.

Non-penalty goals

0.38

Top 7%

Assists

0.41

Top 2%

xAG

0.36

Top 1%

npxG + xAG

0.65

Top 1%

Shot-creating actions

6.46

Top 1%

Progressive passes

7.82

Top 1%

Passes into the final third

5.81

Top 1%

Passes into the penalty area

2.17

Top 1%

As you can see in the table above, Buendia was hugely influential in possession in virtually every way possible, in scoring goals, creating chances, assisting goals, progressing play with passes, getting the ball into the final third, and getting the ball into the penalty area.

This suggests that he could be a far more effective option for Leeds in the final third than Buonanotte, who has failed to deliver more than six goals or three assists in a single season in his career to date.

Buendia, who scored two goals and created two ‘big chances’ in 11 Bundesliga appearances on loan at Bayer Leverkusen this season, could hit the ground running as an attacking midfielder who knows the Premier League and Farke.

Whereas, Buonanotte has not worked with the Leeds head coach in the past and could need time to adapt to the system and way of working, which is why the Villa attacker could be a much better option for the Whites as they look to start strong in their bid to avoid relegation.

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At the age of 35, Chris Woakes is all of a sudden the senior statesman in England’s bowling attack.In consecutive home Tests, at The Oval in 2023 and Lord’s this week, he’s watched Stuart Broad and now James Anderson take their final bow, and so heads to Trent Bridge for next week’s second Test against West Indies knowing he is now the wise old head for a new generation of England seamers seeking to step into their sizeable shoes.”It makes me feel incredibly old,” Woakes said at Lord’s, as Anderson’s farewell was kicking into action. “But it’s a lovely occasion. This week, it’s just been really nice to be a part of Jimmy’s last game. I’ve been very lucky to have played for a long period of time with him, and the lessons and little nuggets that I’ve learned from him across the years have certainly made me a better player. I feel very fortunate to have bowled with England’s best ever.”He’s always been there at mid-off, giving little words of advice,” Woakes added. “He assesses conditions and pitches better than anyone I’ve seen. The way he talks about what deliveries are working on the surface so early on is just incredible, really. It’s very easy to think that that’s just a given and you just pick it up, but actually he is the best at doing that. I didn’t bowl a wobble-ball until Jimmy started talking to me about it. So that’s been huge.”Perhaps the most tangible perk of seniority will come when he gets to mark out his run-up at Trent Bridge, for what – fittingly enough – will be his 50th Test. For arguably the first time in his career, certainly on home soil, Woakes can look forward to having first-choice of ends, not that it especially mattered to him in the Lord’s Test just gone.”I’ve not even thought about that!” he joked. “Maybe … that’d be nice. But it worked out all right this game because Jimmy prefers this [Pavilion] end and I actually do prefer the other end [Nursery]!”Woakes has spent his entire Test career learning from Anderson•Getty Images

In terms of his on-field demeanour, however, Woakes insisted he would not seek to change the way he goes about his game, but acknowledged there might be some subtle shifts in how he operates.”Naturally, you’re going to see a lot more new players being given opportunities to move [England] forward,” he said. “But I’ll try and give 100%, and try and do my role as well as I can for the team.”Obviously, it’ll be slightly different if I was given the new ball,” he added. “The majority of my career I’ve come on first-change so that’s something that I’ll maybe need to get my head around moving forward. Other than that, you try and deliver your skills and, whenever there is a new guy coming into the team, you still try and pass on a little bit of knowledge.”I’ve been around for long enough to be able to hopefully do that. Maybe I need to do that a little bit more now that Stu and Jim have finished – particularly on the field more so than off it. That’s probably the only big thing.”Off the field, of course, there won’t be quite so much change around the dressing-room. Anderson is staying on in a bowling mentor role for the rest of the West Indies series, with a view to it becoming a more permanent position should he feel it is a suitable fit for the next step of his career.”I’m looking forward to not getting a spray when I dive over one,” Woakes joked. “Obviously, it’ll be different, but I think it will also be very, very good. He obviously won’t have that emotion that he has when he’s out there playing and being a primary bowler for the team. So I think he’ll be very good in that role as well, for not just the summer but hopefully moving forwards.”Woakes was at the ILT20 during England’s tour of India•ILT20

Whether Woakes himself is part of the team’s long-term plans remains to be seen. His prowess in home conditions is undeniable, not least in last summer’s Ashes, in which he claimed the Compton-Miller Medal after helping to turn the series on its head after 19 wickets in the final three Tests.However, he was not considered for this year’s tour of India having embraced the fact that his overseas bowling record (36 wickets at 51.88) is distinctly less impactful than his home figures (114 at 22.04). Ben Stokes is explicitly targeting the 2025-26 Ashes as his team’s next goal, and Woakes is phlegmatic about where he stands in the pecking order, with a career record of 16 wickets at 51.68 in Australia.”I just don’t rule anything out,” he said. “Throughout my England career, I’ve just looked at the very next game, the very next series, and tried to be in the best shape possible. As soon as you start looking too far ahead, you get you get caught off-guard, and all of a sudden, that’s a million miles away and you forget what you need to do in that in that present moment in time.”It’d be hard for me to stand here and say I’ll be the opening bowler in that Ashes,” he conceded. “Obviously my away record probably isn’t as good as my home. But at the same time, I’ve looked at Stu and Jimmy evolve as they’ve got older, and I still hope that I can potentially do the same. But for now, I’m looking at Trent Bridge, and it’s as far as I can look really.”Related

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Woakes’ return to the England set-up has come after a tough few months. He flew home early from the IPL following the death of his father in May, then took a short break from Warwickshire duties in the aftermath having been left out of England’s T20 World Cup squad.”It was one of those things in life that you probably never really think’s going to happen until it does,” he said. “Trying to get back into cricket, it has been quite hard to focus on the day job but once you get back out there and particularly putting on the England whites, it reminds you how lucky we are to do what we do.”Seeing Jimmy this week, you know it doesn’t last forever and you have to try and enjoy every moment that you’re a part of this team. My approach at the minute is to put things in perspective, and just be happy to be here and try and give 110%.”

افتتحت اليوم الجمعة، منافسات الجولة الثانية من بطولة الدوري السعودي موسم 2025-2026، بثلاث مواجهات قوية.

ونجح فريق الاتحاد في تحقيق فوز كبير على الفتح بنتيجة 4-2، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي.

والتقى الاتحاد مع الفتح على أرضية استاد مدينة الملك عبد اللة الرياضية، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثانية من مسابقة دوري روشن السعودي.

طالع أيضاً.. ساعات قليلة تفصل النصر عن صفقة قوية

وفي مواجهة أخرى فرض التعادل السلبي كلمته على مباراة الأهلي والاتفاق، وسط محاولات عديدة من كلا الفريقين لتسجيل هدف وهز الشباك، إلا أن الحالة الدفاعية حالت دون ذلك.

كما شهدت الجولة ذاتها مواجهة بين فريقا الحزم والشباب، واستطاع الأخير تحقيق الفوز بهدف دون رد. 

وتستأنف مواجهات الجولة غداً بعدة مواجهات أيضاً، حيث سيلاقي الهلال نظيره الاتفاق، والأخدود ضد التعاون.

ويتصدر الاتحاد جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 6 نقاط، يليه الاتفاق في المركز الثاني ولديه 4 نقاط، ويأتي الأهلي في المركز الثالث، وفي جعبته 4 نقاط. جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي

1- الاتحاد – 6 نقاط

2- الاتفاق – 4 نقاط

3- الأهلي – 3 نقاط

4- النصر – 3 نقاط

5- الخليج – 3 نقاط

6- القادسية – 3 نقاط

7- الهلال – 3 نقاط

8- الفيحاء – 3 نقاط

9- الشباب – 3 نقاط

10- ضمك – نقطة

11- الحزم – نقطة

12- الخلود – بدون نقاط

13- نيوم – بدون نقاط

14- النجمة – بدون نقاط

15- الرياض – بدون نقاط

16- الفتح – بدون نقاط

17- الأخدود – بدون نقاط

18- التعاون – بدون نقاط

يمكنكم متابعة ترتيب الدوري السعودي، بشكل محدث وباستمرار من هنا

Chelsea are through to the last 16 of the Club World Cup and remain in contention to win the tournament, but off the field, BlueCo are making plans to reinforce Enzo Maresca’s squad further ahead of his second season in charge.

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ByEmilio Galantini Jun 24, 2025

New signing Liam Delap scored his first goal for the club during their 3-0 win over ES Tunis this morning, with their opponents failing to register a single shot on target as Tosin Adarabioyo and Tyrique George also rounded off a routine victory for the Blues.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea will now face Portuguese heavyweights Benfica in the first knockout round, and there is every possibility that Maresca’s side can go on to lift the trophy whilst securing a massive £97 million financial windfall for the club.

“The performance, for me, was good,” said Maresca after Chelsea’s win over ES Tunis.

“It was not easy and until we scored the first goal, it was difficult to break their defensive line down. We were quite patient, and when we scored the first goal, the game became a little more open and a little easier for us.

“It’s impossible not to rotate players because playing every three days in these conditions means it’s not possible for them to play every game. The ones that played were good, and we’ve given some rest to Moi, Trev, Levi, Cucu, Cole, Pedro, many players. It’s important to recover the energy and try to win the next game.”

Chelsea have been plying their trade in near unplayable weather conditions, with the American heat causing major issues for Maresca’s side and other teams competing at the CWC.

To help lighten the load, Chelsea could take advantage of a unique player registration period. From June 27 to July 3, Chelsea are allowed to add players to their CWV roster, including new signings, on the condition they haven’t already featured for another team at the tournament.

This would rule out Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, who is reliably believed to be closing in on a move to Chelsea, but Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande could link up with the squad if they advance on a deal for the Ivorian.

Chelsea looking to negotiate cut-price Ousmane Diomande move

TEAMtalk reported in the last few days that Maresca is a “huge fan” of Diomande and has him near the top of Chelsea’s target list for defenders.

The 21-year-old’s contract includes a £68 million release clause too, but according to an update from CaughtOffside, the west Londoners don’t fancy paying this fee.

Indeed, it is believed that Chelsea are “looking to negotiate” a lower fee with Sporting to sign Diomande, and they reiterate how convinced Maresca is by the African defender’s quality.

They’re said to be “very” keen on signing the Primeira Liga starlet, and Sporting are open to considering a bid slightly beneath his clause. However, amid interest from Newcastle United and Real Madrid, Maresca faces stiff competition for one of his top targets.

This summer has to be one of Chelsea’s best in a very long time.

On the pitch, Enzo Maresca has led his men to Club World Cup glory, and off the pitch, they’ve been incredibly active in the transfer market.

The likes of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens have all joined and improved the side, and yet the Blues continue to be linked with some of the most exciting players in the world, like Hugo Ekitiké.

In fact, one of the West Londoners’ current players is being linked with an exit, an exit that could free up space to sign the £85m Frenchman, although with Newcastle United and Liverpool both reportedly keen, they will have to move quickly.

Why so many teams want Ekitike

It was earlier this week that news of Newcastle’s interest in Ekitike began to gather pace, and then yesterday afternoon, more reports emerged claiming Liverpool were also looking at him as an alternative to an even more ambitious deal for Alexander Isak.

So are three of the biggest clubs in the Premier League all interested in signing the Eintracht Frankfurt forward this summer?

Well, simply put, he proved himself to be a lean, mean output machine in Germany last season and the sort of player who could help all three sides achieve their goals next season.

For example, in 48 appearances last season, totalling 3644 minutes, the prolific Reims-born forward scored a whopping 22 goals and provided 12 assists to boot.

That means the former Paris Saint-Germain prospect averaged a goal involvement every 1.41 games, or every 107.17 minutes – talk about world-class.

Moreover, that level of output would be incredible for a striker at the very peak of his career, but the Frenchman is nowhere near the peak, as he is still just 23 years old, and according to research carried out by The Athletic, he has another four years before he reaches it.

In other words, with the right coaching and the right team, we can expect his numbers to continue improving for some time, which is a scary yet exciting thought.

With all that said, due to his massive price tag and the hefty wages he’d probably demand, Chelsea would likely need to sell a player before moving for him, which, based on reports, they could do, and to a Premier League rival no less.

The star Chelsea could sell

With Delap and Pedro joining the side this summer and already impressing at the Club World Cup, it would make sense for Chelsea to consider selling a striker to facilitate room for Ekitike.

Transfer Focus

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

Therefore, the player in question who could well depart Stamford Bridge this summer is none other than Nicolas Jackson, who, according to Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, is being monitored by several top sides, including Manchester United and Aston Villa.

In terms of the potential fee the Senegalese star could generate for the Blues, reports vary.

On Saturday morning, the Sun revealed that the club had placed a whopping £100m price tag on his head, but then later that same day, French journalist Nabil Djellit claimed that the West Londoners would be willing to let the player leave for around €70m, which converts to £61m.

Whatever the final price ends up being, it appears that Chelsea will make a sizable profit on the £32m they paid for the “unbelievable” forward, as dubbed by Peter Crouch, two years ago.

Moreover, it’d free up more funds to sign Ekitike, who would be a massive upgrade.

Jackson scored 13 goals and provided six assists in 37 appearances, totalling 2535 minutes last season, which comes out to an average of 1.94 goal involvements per match or one every 133.42 minutes.

Appearances

48

37

Minutes

3644′

2535′

Goals

22

13

Assists

12

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

107.17

133.42′

That is not a bad rate of return by any means, but it does pale in comparison to what the Frankfurt star was able to produce last season.

Ultimately, Jackson is a good player, but if selling him this summer allows the club to sign Ekitike, then Chelsea should be doing all they can to drum up even more interest, even if the fee ends up closer to £60m than £100m.

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Bangladesh will play in Gwalior not Dharamsala, while Chennai and Kolkata have swapped T20Is during the England tour

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2024The BCCI has made two changes to India’s home season schedule, moving the first T20I against Bangladesh on October 6 from Dharamsala to Gwalior, and swapping the venues of the first and second T20Is against England, which will now be played in Kolkata and Chennai respectively, in January 2025.The change in venue for the first T20I against Bangladesh from Dharamsala to Gwalior was necessitated because of “upgrades and renovation work being carried out by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in the dressing rooms,” according to a BCCI statement. This is the second international fixture moved out of Dharamsala in the last two years. In February 2023, a late decision was made to move the third Test between India and Australia to Indore because the outfield in Dharamsala was not ready for play.The first T20I against Bangladesh will be the inaugural international fixture at the new Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, and the first in the city since 2010, when Sachin Tendulkar scored a maiden double-century in men’s ODIs.ESPNcricinfo LtdFor England’s tour of India in 2025, Chennai was originally scheduled to host the first T20I on January 22 and Kolkata the second on January 25, but those venues have now been swapped. “The venue change was necessitated following a request from Kolkata Police to the Cricket Association of Bengal regarding their prior Republic Day commitments and obligations,” the BCCI said.India’s 2024-25 home international season begins with two Tests and three T20Is against Bangladesh from September 19 to October 12, after which New Zealand visit for three Test matches from October 16 to November 5.India then tour Australia for five Test matches from November 22 to January 7, after which they return home to host England for five T20Is and three ODIs from January 22 to February 12. The ODIs against England are India’s only scheduled 50-over games before the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

It’s been a jam-packed summer for Chelsea so far this year.

On top of making it through to the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup, the Blues have already been very active in the transfer window.

Enzo Maresca’s side have bought in a number of young talents to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, with perhaps the most exciting so far being Liam Delap.

However, in exciting news, the club appear close to securing the services of another young star who could be an even bigger talent than the former Ipswich Town star.

Chelsea target young talents

So far this summer, Chelsea seem to be continuing their habit of targeting young, up-and-coming talents, with names like Nico Williams and Alejandro Garnacho linked with them over the last few weeks.

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However, with the former now looking set to join Barcelona and the latter not exactly the most popular candidate, thanks to how things appear to have ended at Manchester United, the Blues have also looked at a host of other youngsters.

Fortunately, the West Londoners now appear to be closing in on one of those prospects, someone who’s arguably a bigger talent than Delap: Jamie Gittens.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing the Borussia Dortmund star.

In fact, the Italian journalist has revealed that an “agreement is getting closer” as the two sides continue their talks over the player in the US.

A price is not mentioned in the update, but according to other reports from this week, it looks increasingly likely that the Englishman will cost around £55m.

It might be a lot of money for a 20-year-old, but based on his ability and potential, it could be worth it, especially as he might be a bigger talent than Delap.

How Gittens compares to Delap

So, the first thing to say is that both youngsters look destined for brilliant careers at the very top of the game, but if we had to come down on who we think is just about the bigger talent, it would be Gittens, and there are a few reasons why.

The first is that, while the former Ipswich Town gem was honing his skills in the Championship last season, the Dortmund prospect was making a name for himself in the Bundesliga and even made seven appearances in the Champions League, despite being just 19 years old.

Moreover, this season, when both players were competing in one of Europe’s top five leagues alongside other competitions, the 20-year-old prospect was, in fact, more effective for the German outfit than the 22-year-old was for the Tractor Boys.

For example, the “explosive” Reading-born winger, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 49 appearances, totalling 2,803 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 164.88 minutes.

In contrast, the Winchester-born poacher scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2,670 minutes, for the Suffolk side this year, which comes out to a goal involvement every 190.71 minutes.

Finally, when we examine their underlying numbers, it becomes impossible to ignore just how much better the talented winger fares than his potential new teammate.

For example, not only does he do better in the most critical attacking metrics, like non-penalty goals plus assists and key passes, but also tackles, blocks and interceptions, so he can be trusted to contribute to the dirty work while also impacting play at the sharp end of the pitch.

Gittens vs Delap
Statistics	Gittens	Delap
Non-Penalty G+As	0.56	0.42
Progressive Passes	2.13	1.04
Progressive Carries	5.74	2.12
Shots	2.64	2.29
Shots on Target	1.22	1.01
Expected Assists	0.21	0.05
Passing Accuracy	76.5%	61.3%
Key Passes	1.07	0.73
Passes into the Penalty Area	1.22	0.21
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.20	0.00
Shot-Creating Actions	3.70	2.15
Goal-Creating Actions	0.51	0.24
Tackles	1.57	0.38
Tackles Won	0.96	0.28
Blocks	0.81	0.28
Interceptions	0.51	0.07
Clearances	0.20	0.97
Successful Take-Ons	3.91	1.39
Carries into the Final Third	2.84	1.60
Carries into the Penalty Area	3.20	1.04
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

Ultimately, both Delap and Gittens will be excellent players for Chelsea, but as things stand, the latter appears to be a more promising talent than the 22-year-old striker.

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