TKR recently signed India’s Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey for this year
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2024
Jhulan Goswami and Jemimah Rodrigues will reunite at Trinbago Knight Riders in WCPL 2024•BCCI
Former India fast bowler Jhulan Goswami has joined Trinbago Knight Riders as a mentor for Women’s Caribbean Premier League 2024.”It’s an honour to join such a quality franchise,” Goswami said in a statement shared by Knight Riders. “Knight Riders have done so well in India and around the world, and to join TKR Women at the WCPL is a pleasure. Thanks to KKR management for thinking about me as a mentor and I’m really looking forward to this tournament.”Goswami retired from all forms of cricket in 2022 as India’s leading wicket-taker in women’s internationals. She is currently the bowling coach and mentor of Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League. This will be her first stint in an overseas T20 league.Related
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Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey sign up for Women's Caribbean Premier League
TKR are led by former West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin. They recently added India’s Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey, and Australia’s Meg Lanning and Jess Jonassen – all four play for Delhi Capitals in the WPL – to their roster.”The conversation about me joining TKR started with Mr. Venky Mysore [CEO of Knight Riders group],” Goswami said. “As a management head, the way he takes care of everyone is amazing. I felt really honoured by the way both Shah Rukh Khan and Venky sir welcomed me and spoke to me when we met in Kolkata during the IPL.”Speaking about the signing, Mysore said, “Jhulan Goswami is an absolute legend of the game, and we are very happy to have her on board as the mentor of the TKR Women’s team. We strongly believe that under Jhulan’s mentorship, the team will reach greater heights. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the youngsters to pick Jhulan’s brains and learn from her experiences to become better cricketers themselves. We would like to wish her all the best, and look forward to seeing her in the TKR setup soon.”WCPL 2024 will run from August 21 to 29. The tournament comprises three teams – TKR, defending champions Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors – and seven matches, all to be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
يشهد اليوم الإثنين 8-9-2025، أجندة كروية قوية على الصعيدين الإفريقي والأوروبي، ضمن التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم 2026، إضافة إلى مجموعة من اللقاءات الودية.
البداية ستكون من القارة الإفريقية، حيث يخوض منتخب تونس مواجهة صعبة خارج أرضه أمام غينيا الاستوائية، في لقاء يسعى خلاله “نسور قرطاج” لتعزيز موقعهم في صدارة المجموعة الثامنة والاقتراب أكثر من حلم المونديال.
وفي نفس التوقيت، يواجه منتخب المغرب نظيره الزامبي في لوساكا، أما المنتخب الجزائري، فسيكون على موعد مع مواجهة قوية أمام منتخب غينيا، حيث يدخل محاربو الصحراء اللقاء بهدف حسم النقاط الثلاث والاستمرار في الصدارة.
كذلك، يترقب الجمهور العربي مباراة منتخب ليبيا ضد إيسواتيني على ملعب بنغازي، وهي مواجهة لا تحتمل التفريط بعد تعثرات سابقة، في المقابل، تخوض غانا اختبارًا مثيرًا أمام مالي في قمة كروية إفريقية منتظرة مساء اليوم.
وعلى الصعيد الأوروبي، تتواصل الإثارة في التصفيات المؤهلة لكأس العالم، حيث يواجه منتخب اليونان نظيره الدنمارك، ومواجهة أخرى قوية تجمع كرواتيا والجبل الأسود، بينما يلتقي منتخب السويد مع كوسوفو في مواجهة متوازنة.
أما على صعيد المباريات الودية، فيبرز اللقاء العربي بين الكويت وسوريا ظهر اليوم، قبل أن يلتقي منتخب فلسطين مع ماليزيا ومنتخب لبنان مع إندونيسيا عصرًا.
وفي مواجهة خليجية مرتقبة، يواجه المنتخب الإماراتي نظيره البحريني في أبوظبي، بينما يلتقي المنتخب السعودي مع جمهورية التشيك في مواجهة قوية ضمن استعداداته للمنافسات القادمة.
طالع أيضًا | دي لا فوينتي بعد السداسية ضد تركيا: لدينا لاعب عبقري.. وإصابة ويليامز مؤسفة مواعيد مباريات اليوم الإثنين 8-9-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم اليوم
غينيا الاستوائية ضد تونس، الساعة 4:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC 2”.
موزمبيق ضد بوتسوانا، الساعة 4:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC 3”.
زامبيا ضد المغرب، الساعة 4:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Arryadia TNT”.
مالاوي ضد ليبيريا، الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC 2”.
أوغندا ضد الصومال، الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC Extra 1”.
غينيا ضد الجزائر، الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC 1”.
غينيا بيساو ضد جيبوتي، الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
مدغشقر ضد تشاد، الساعة 7:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
ليبيا ضد إسواتيني، الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
غانا ضد مالي، الساعة 10:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “SSC 2”. مواعيد مباريات تصفيات أوروبا لكأس العالم
كوسوفو ضد السويد، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sport 6”.
سويسرا ضد سلوفينيا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 6”.
اليونان ضد الدنمارك، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 4”.
بيلاروسيا ضد إسكتلندا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 3”.
كرواتيا ضد الجبل الأسود، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 2”.
جبل طارق ضد جزر الفارو، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 7”.
الكيان الصهيوني ضد إيطاليا، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports XTRA 3”. مواعيد المباريات الودية اليوم
الكويت ضد سوريا، الساعة 1:00 ظهرًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
ماليزيا ضد فلسطين، الساعة 4:00 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
إندونيسيا ضد لبنان، الساعة 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
الإمارات ضد البحرين، الساعة 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “Abu Dhabi Sports 1”.
جمهورية التشيك ضد السعودية، الساعة 8:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “STC”.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــا
Tottenham Hotspur are looking to build on winning the Europa League last term and could turn to a recognisable face in their hunt to strengthen their defensive line.
Tottenham look to bring in more reinforcements after Mathys Tel
Spurs fans will be heading into the new week with a spring in their step after the club announced Mathys Tel on a long-term deal that will run until the summer of 2031 following his loan spell.
Kevin Danso has also completed his move to North London from Lens, signaling that Thomas Frank is keen to stockpile high-pedigree stars to max out squad depth to cope with a heavy fixture schedule to come.
Speaking after selling Tel to Tottenham permanently, Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl said: “Mathys Tel came to FC Bayern as a very young player and took his first steps into top-level international football here.
“He was a popular figure in our team, always giving his all for the club and the team. It has become clear that the move to Tottenham was the right one for his development.”
Looking to strike while the iron is hot, Tottenham are preparing a surprise bid for Brentford captain Christian Norgaard as Frank looks to reunite with an old flame in North London.
Tottenham star very close to Spurs exit after receiving £195k-p/w proposal
Spurs could be set to let an iconic figure depart…
1 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 15, 2025
Despite his familiarity with the man in charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it may prove to be a difficult deal to pull off as the Bees hold out to retain their captain.
Frank is ready to put his own stamp on Spurs once he fully gets his feet under the table, and what better way to do that than raid his former club for a number of stars?
Tottenham Hotspur enter race to sign Nathan Collins
According to TBR, Tottenham have entered the race to sign Nathan Collins from Brentford in another swoop that could see Frank link up with one of his former men in North London.
Arsenal are also said to be keen admirers of the Republic of Ireland international, as are Liverpool, though Spurs see the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man as a potential replacement for Cristian Romero if the Argentina international departs this summer.
Nathan Collins in the Premier League – 2024/25 (Fotmob)
Duels won
194
Aerial duels won
119
Pass completion rate
86.3%
Recoveries
162
Interceptions
34
Commended for his “fantastic” work ethic by former Ireland Under-21 boss Jin Crawford, Collins registered an impressive two goals and five assists last term under Frank across all competitions.
Admittedly, the battle for his signature may become heated, but the advantage Spurs hold in the dugout could well be enough to tip the scales in their direction if Brentford are willing to come to the table.
Now, it remains to be seen if the Dane can force a deal over the line to bring the Irishman to N17, which would be a statement early into his reign at Tottenham.
James Anderson signalled his readiness for next week’s Test farewell at Lord’s by claiming a remarkable seven-wicket haul in his first Championship appearance of the summer, as Lancashire seized control against Nottinghamshire at Southport.Anderson’s haul of 7 for 35 included an opening burst of 6 for 19 in ten overs, as Lancashire were able to enforce the follow-on after three days of the Vitality County Championship match at Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club.Anderson, whose last competitive match was the fifth Test against India at Dharamsala in March, warmed up for his final Test next week as if he had never been away with the best figures in this season’s Championship, as Nottinghamshire were skittled for 126 in reply to Lancashire’s first innings 353 for nine declared.Nathan Lyon took his 800th first-class wicket when the visitors followed-on 227 runs behind and they had reached 84 for two in their second innings by the close needing a further 143 runs to avoid an innings defeat.”To do what he did this morning was pretty amazing to witness,” Lyon said of Anderson’s performance. “Obviously I’ve seen it when I’ve been on the other side, when I’m not standing there saying ‘come on Jimmy’ so that was amazing to watch and amazing to be a part of.”That’s the beauty of county cricket I guess, to come over here and play with arguably the greatest fast bowler to play the game has been pretty special. No disrespect to the other bowler’s playing in this game, the class of what Jimmy brings to the table, the extra zip off the wicket, the extra bounce he gets – and that’s not even mentioning his skills set – that ability to go both ways and also bowl the wobble seam.”It was pretty cool being at mid off and actually have him tell me what he was actually doing, it was good fun.”Keaton Jennings declared once Lancashire had scored the six runs needed for a third batting point and then watched from second slip as Anderson unleashed an astonishing ten-over spell of six for 19 from the Harrod Drive End to destroy the Notts top and middle order line up.If there was a shade of good fortune about his first wicket when Haseeb Hameed via a bottom edge deflected the ball just enough to clip the bails, the rest were the result of Anderson repeatedly hitting a perfect line and length on a good wicket but one that also offered some slight assistance.Will Young was the next to depart when edging behind to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst followed by Joe Clarke caught at second slip for 0, while both Jack Haynes and Lyndon James fell caught fending off rib-high deliveries, the former at short leg and the latter via a glove to fourth slip.Anderson took all six wickets to fall before lunch after Liam Patterson-White edged to give fourth slip another catch, and suitably refreshed the England bowler returned to have Dillon Pennington caught behind in the fifth over of the afternoon, for his 55th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket and 22nd for Lancashire.By then Tom Bailey had nipped in to take two wickets in two balls, ending a 41-run partnership between Ben Slater and Calvin Harrison when the latter edged behind, and having Olly Stone caught at second slip.Last pair Slater and Dane Paterson, who hammered two massive sixes, hit out to add 42 runs for the last wicket – the biggest partnership of the innings – before a direct hit by Lyon ended the innings with Paterson (19) short of his ground, leaving Slater stranded having carried his bat for a valiant 64.The left-handed batter was less fortunate when Notts followed-on, trapped lbw for 17 by Lyon to give the Australian his landmark wicket shortly after the tea interval.And Lyon also broke a determined 31-run partnership off 103 balls between Hameed and Young when he had the Notts captain caught behind for 41.With Lancashire camped around the bat and the batters intent on survival above all else, Young (11 not out) and Clarke (11 not out) safely negotiated their way through to the close and the visitors will have to show similar resolve tomorrow if they are to stave off defeat.
This summer could, and should, be a seismic one for Arsenal.
Andrea Berta and Co have already added some impressive depth to the side in Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga – not to mention the incoming Martin Zubimendi – but the area of the team that desperately needs reinforcements is the attack.
Moreover, while a new striker is a necessity, it’s just as essential that Mikel Arteta is handed one, or maybe even two, new wingers as well.
Arsenal manager MikelArteta
Fortunately, the club seem to be on the same wavelength, as recent reports have linked them to a player who has been compared to Bukayo Saka on more than a few occasions.
Arsenal's winger search
Given Arsenal’s comparative lack of cutting-edge wide options, it’s not been a massive surprise to see them linked with several exciting options in recent weeks, such as Antonio Nusa and Anthony Elanga.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former is reportedly available for close to £38m this summer and amassed a tally of 13 goal involvements in 40 games last season.
Elanga, on the other hand, could cost as much as £60m, but was that bit more effective for Nottingham Forest last season, scoring six goals and providing 12 assists in 43 games.
However, while there is clear upside in both of these wide talents, neither one has been or could really be compared to Saka, which isn’t the case for Noni Madueke.
Yes, according to David Ornstein, Arsenal are in fact very interested in the Chelsea winger.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Athletic podcast, the respected journalist revealed that the Gunners like the Englishman and are “working” on a deal, which, according to other reports, could cost around £50m.
It might not be the transfer some Arsenal fans would be hoping for, but Madueke has the ability and potential to be something special in North London, and the fact he’s been compared to Saka can only be a good thing.
How Madueke compares to Saka
Now, it should be noted that there are numerous surface-level comparisons that can be made between Saka and Madueke.
These include the fact that they’re both full England internationals, they both play for a ‘big six’ side in London, they’re primarily right-sided wingers, and they both came out of the academy of a North London team.
However, the comparisons do go deeper than that.
In fact, respected analyst EBL was bold enough to argue for the Chelsea ace’s similarity to the Gunners’ star as far back as March 2023, claiming that, he is indeed “very similar to Saka”.
They pointed out that, like the Hale Ender, the former PSV Eindhoven star is particularly adept at lulling an opposition defender into a “false sense of security” by first slowing down with the ball at his feet and then shifiting “the ball to either side” and making the most of his impressive “ball-striking.”
However, that’s not his only avenue for beating opposing defenders, as EBL also highlights his “explosive shift”, which is just a way of describing how he gets around players with a burst of energy when dribbling.
Interestingly, we can see how similar this is to Saka in the numbers, as, according to FBref, the North Londoners’ talisman completed 1.99 successful take-ons per 90 when playing in Europe’s top five leagues or the Champions League, which is the exact same number as the Blues star.
1
Savio
2
Salah
3
Diaz
4
Son
5
Madueke
However, that is not all, as when we look at just the Premier League last season, FBref ranks the “incredible” talent, as dubbed by content creator Matisse Armani, as the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Ealing-born superstar.
Ultimately, while Madueke hasn’t quite reached the levels of Saka, there are some undeniable stylistic and statistical similarities between the pair.
Therefore, if a deal can be struck at a reasonable price, then Arsenal should go ahead and bring the exciting winger to the Emirates this summer.
Saka will love him: £68m "superstar" is now "desperate" to sign for Arsenal
Arsenal could sign Bukayo Saka’s dream teammate this summer.
He says he feels amazing leading ‘such phenomenal talented players’
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-20241:40
Gill: Coming back from 1-0 down was remarkable
Shubman Gill believes that captaincy brings the “best out of him” because it brings out a side of him where he really enjoys being out on the field.”It is something that I definitely enjoy,” Gill said about captaincy after leading India to a 4-1 T20I series win over Zimbabwe in Harare. “I think it brings out the best in me when I am out there because I look to be involved in the game. It is something that really brings out the side of me which I enjoy being on the field.”With most of the senior players rested, Gill was asked to lead the Indian side for the first time in his career. His stint started on a tough note with India going down in the opening game of the series, but he quickly found his stride as the visitors posted comfortable wins in the next four games.Related
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Gill admitted there was pressure but the satisfaction of overcoming that and helping India finish on the right side of the results was “immense”.”There was pressure, I wouldn’t say extra pressure but obviously even when you are playing just as a batsman when you don’t perform there is a certain kind of pressure that comes along with it,” he said. “But I think that’s the fun part of it. You kind of feel so many different emotions. Pressure is one of them. And when you get out of that, the satisfaction that you feel is immense.”India had gone with a relatively inexperienced squad to Zimbabwe with a lot of the players still very new to international cricket. Gill himself was just 14 T20Is old coming into the series but said the chance to lead a young side with “such phenomenal talented players” was amazing.”To be able to lead such phenomenal talented players who I have had the pleasure to play with or against at some stage in age-group cricket or Under-19 or at the India level, it just feels very amazing.”When you have played against or with so many of the players… I think almost with everyone I have played against or with at some age-group level, it definitely makes my job easier because I understand them at a player level and I understand them as a person as well.”So many talented players, so many players coming up and it is really fun to be able to play alongside them when I am at the non-striker’s end,” Gill said.But what went wrong in the first T20I where India chasing 116 were bundled out for 102 in 19.5 overs? Gill said that India “failed to assess the conditions” properly in that game.”I think that is the mistake we did in the first T20, the score wasn’t that big but I think we didn’t assess the conditions as early and we lost too many wickets in the powerplay and then once you are under pressure, then you are always behind in the game,” he said.Gill did not single out one particular captain that he idolises in international cricket but said that Rohit Sharma was someone he really looked up to.”You can take qualities from Rohit or even Mahi (MS Dhoni) , Virat (Kohli) , Hardik (Pandya) , all of them,” he said. “All of them have great qualities. I have played the most under Rohit , so he is someone who I look up to and really enjoy playing under.”
Newcastle United look set to wrap up a move for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga.
Despite their first bid being rejected, Eddie Howe upped the offer to £55m and this looks like it could be enough to seal a deal for the Swedish star.
Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga
It would be a strong signing indeed, one that could prove to be the catalyst for Howe to bring on more new arrivals over the next few weeks.
One area that needs to be sorted is the defence. With Champions League football on the agenda next term, building as strong a squad as possible is the onus now for Howe.
Could he be keen to wrap up a deal for a Serie A talent sooner rather than later?
Newcastle’s search for a defender
AC Milan centre-back Malick Thiaw has been linked with a move, while Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande is also of interest to the Magpies, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Howe won’t be able to sign them all, of course, but it appears as though he is keen on sealing a deal for Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini in the coming days.
That’s according to the Northern Echo, with journalist Scott Wilson claiming that the Magpies will spend the weekend in negotiations with the Serie A side for Scalvini’s signature.
Howe is aware of interest from other clubs, hence the desire to get a deal done quickly for the player, who is valued at £40m.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the manager has raided Serie A for a player. Could Scalvini become Sandro Tonali 2.0 for the club?
Why Newcastle must sign Girogio Scalvini
Tonali joined the Toon in the summer of 2023 and, aside from an eight-month ban due to gambling-related offences, he has been excellent for the club.
He missed just two league games last term, going on to register six goal involvements, while also succeeding with 59% of his dribbles, winning 55% of his ground duels and averaging 1.4 tackles per game in the top flight.
His impact saw the club secure a top-five finish, thus securing a place in the Champions League group stages.
If Scalvini joins, there is no doubt he could have the same sort of impact. He did miss the majority of last term due to injury, but throughout the 2023/24 season, he was excellent.
Hailed as a “top talent” by none other than Fabrizio Romano back in 2022, Scalvini ranked highly across a range of metrics in Serie A that season.
Accurate passes
37.8
Tackles
1.6
Interceptions
1.8
Clearances
2
Total duels won
4.8
Balls recovered
4.9
Compared to his peers, he ranked in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, along with ranking in the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 4% for interceptions and in the top 16% for aerials won per 90.
This proves just how good he was before his injury and now that he is back to full fitness, Howe is desperate to secure his signature.
Should he go on to have the same impact as his compatriot Tonali, Howe will have hit the jackpot once again.
Worth more than Elanga: Newcastle have struck gold on Howe’s "nightmare"
Newcastle are closing in on the signing of Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga.
Arne Slot gave himself to the cause of putting Liverpool back on their perch after being anointed as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Anfield, and he has succeeded.
Many doubted him, but Slot proved that very little is known before that opening whistle sings on matchday one, and Liverpool indeed maintained remarkable consistency across the campaign to clinch the Premier League title, their second in its modern format, and their record-equalling 20th overall.
1.
Man United
20
1=
Liverpool
20
3.
Arsenal
13
4.
Man City
10
5.
Everton
9
Who’s ready to go again? Slot, certainly, will feel confident that he can follow last term’s success with an even richer adventure in 2025/26, Liverpool stocking up as they are with high-level players, nice and early, ready for pre-season.
Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have secured the defensive flanks, and a central defender may yet arrive through the Anfield gates.
But who could deny that Florian Wirtz is the cream of this thrilling transfer window?
Why Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz
When Liverpool lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, they didn’t just swallow the bitter pill of one of their own up and leaving on a free, but one of their leading architects, instrumental through the illustrious sweep of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Alexander-Arnold, now, somehow, a divisive figure on Merseyside, faded into the background until we meet again, has taken with him some pretty peerless playmaking qualities. Pretty peerless, but for a select few creatives who stand at the top of a vast pyramid.
Enter Wirtz. Praised as a “genius” by Xabi Alonso, once his but now Trent’s mentor, the 22-year-old signed for Liverpool in a deal worth £116m last month and will be expected to take the Premier League by storm.
Across 197 senior appearances with Bayer Leverkusen, Wirtz scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists, bringing an artistic flair that will enrich his teammates. Vision, passing, dribbling, he’s got the lot.
It’s clear why Liverpool signed him, and it will now be exciting to see him build a rapport with Slot’s existing squad.
Florian Wirtz
And indeed the forwards who may yet sign for the Premier League champions this summer.
Liverpool targeting more forwards
Most would point toward the central striker’s position as being Liverpool’s priority area (and they’d be right, especially if Darwin Nunez is sold to Napoli as expected).
However, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo have both been linked with moves away, and Federico Chiesa is also expected to leave after a disappointing year.
Liverpool's Arne Slot and Luis Diaz
That’s why transfer insider Matt Thielen believes the Merseysiders could move for West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus this summer, with the Reds informed by the winger’s agent that his client has signalled his intention to join Liverpool, now willing to accept a reduced salary to join Slot’s squad this summer.
And that’s despite interest from Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. Kudus is expected to leave the Hammers this summer, and despite his struggles across 2024/25, there are no shortage of suitors.
This follows earlier claims that the Reds had lodged an official enquiry for the Ghanaian star, who has an £85m release clause in his contract but is expected to be available for a more affordable fee.
Why Liverpool should consider Mohammed Kudus
Kudus has endured something of a Jekyll and Hyde Premier League career so far, rip-roaring and rampant under David Moyes’ wing but decidedly out of sorts last season, albeit along with the rest of the West Ham team.
West Ham's Mohammed Kudus
His end product certainly leaves something to be desired, having only posted 19 goals and 13 assists across 80 matches for the Irons. However, Kudus’ athleticism and energy would be a dream for any maestro, and especially so in Wirtz’s case.
Indeed, Wirtz’s ‘genius’ on the ball, his ability to place surgical passes through the lines, practically seems like a purpose-built quality for Kudus to latch onto.
The intensity of his dribbling stretches beyond what, say, Diaz brings to the table. Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku was the only man to exceed his dribble count in the Premier League last season, and he ranked among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90 (3.20), as per FBref.
And moreover, the 24-year-old’s versatility could see Slot utilise his powers from a range of areas, curving in from the left or pulling defenders away down the right.
Right winger
53
21
10
Centre-forward
52
16
3
Attacking midfield
49
11
6
Central midfield
46
11
3
Left winger
21
6
3
Described as a “generational talent” by journalist Gary Al-Smith, Kudus has immense potential that perhaps hasn’t been realised yet.
Look at Ryan Gravenberch, look at Gakpo. These are rising talents who have hit new levels under Slot’s wing at Liverpool, and who is to say that the United winger won’t undergo the same exciting transformation?
He won 6.4 duels and averaged 4.3 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League last year, as per Sofascore, also completing 90% of his passes.
This is a player with staggering potential and a robust physicality to suggest he has what it takes to play an important role at Liverpool.
Given that he’d be playing alongside a one-of-a-kind sensation in Wirtz and Liverpool could snap him up for a cut-price fee, what’s not to like?
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Chelsea has experienced a very bumpy Club World Campaign to date, as an opening victory against LAFC was then rudely met by a shock 3-1 defeat at the hands of Flamengo.
It was far from the most convincing or eye-catching win against LAFC, but it was a win nonetheless for Enzo Maresca’s men to get up and running in the tournament.
However, from a Blues point of view, any slight grievances that were kept under wraps after the underwhelming victory in Atlanta have now come to the surface, with Maresca worrying already that his current squad might not be cut out for a higher finish than fourth position next time out in the Premier League.
Indeed, a sprinkling of upgrades is now desperately needed all across the pitch, with Robert Sanchez alarmingly conceding three goals to Filipe Luis’ men.
Moreover, Nicolas Jackson would only find himself battling in the Philadelphia heat for a matter of minutes before he was sent off, with it being well known that Chelsea are chasing after the services of Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike this summer.
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Jackson certainly didn’t boost his chances of a long-term Blues future by getting involved in this moment of madness, as the ex-Villarreal man begins to stare the exit door more and more in the face after a challenging few seasons in the English game.
Chelsea are no strangers to high-profile flops taking place in the striker department; however, with Romelu Lukaku failing to ever settle in West London himself over two mostly unmemorable stints.
romelu-lukaku-premier-league-chelsea-transfers
What went wrong for Lukaku at Chelsea
In total, the Belgian – who was purchased for a mighty £97.5m to begin his second spell – would only go on to score just a slim 15 total goals for Chelsea from 59 games.
There was a lot of notable fanfare surrounding Lukaku on his return to England in 2021, with that mammoth price tag not helping matters whatsoever, on top of his then bumper 64-goal tally for Inter Milan meaning the world was anticipated of him.
Instead, only eight more strikes were added to his already weak Blues back catalogue, with the 6-foot-3 flop also not helping matters on his end when publicly declaring a desire to return back to Inter just a matter of months into his cursed Chelsea stay.
Their patience wore very thin, therefore, with it being a big relief at Stamford Bridge when the long-standing Belgian international moved back to Italy after years of inconsistent form and that infamous interview.
Chelsea's new Lukaku
Lukaku isn’t the only notable striker flop at Stamford Bridge or the last, with recent years seeing the Blues buy Timo Werner and Fernando Torres, among other costly slip-ups.
However, in the case of Jackson, there are certainly some similarities here. The 24-year-old does actually boast seven more strikes than the wasteful Werner at a respectable 30, with the Senegalese attacker only 15 shy of Torres’ total, too.
Incredibly, Jackson has even doubled Lukaku’s slim amount too, despite receiving notable pelters for his off-performances.
He’s not quite tainted his Chelsea stay in a similar fashion just yet – minus his recent dismissal irking Blues fans – but it’s clear that the ex-Villarreal man might be on borrowed time himself and could be put out of his misery shortly, much like Lukaku last summer.
After all, when Jackson entered Stamford Bridge back in the summer of 2023 for £30m, there would have been the same buzz in the air that was around when Lukaku first relocated to West London from Anderlecht.
Indeed, he had just moved to England off the back of bagging a promising 12 La Liga strikes for Villarreal. But, for as much as he has gone on to score that aforementioned tally of 30 goals for the Blues, other numbers away from just this output alone are worrying to read.
Games played
35
30
Goals scored
14
10
Assists
5
5
Big chances missed
24
19
Big chances created
8
6
Looking at the numbers above, Jackson has staggeringly spurned 43 big chances over his two Chelsea seasons, meaning his goal tally could well be even heftier now if he possessed more accuracy.
He could well be more suited to hone his craft where the spotlight isn’t so intensely focused on him, with Chelsea maybe having another Lukaku on their hands in terms of a striker being able to set other European leagues alight, whilst never being able to fully settle in West London, frustratingly.
After all, it has now been reported that Jackson could follow Lukaku’s footsteps very closely by moving out to Italy.
Indeed, a report from Sky Italia – which has been relayed by Sky Sports – indicates that Jackson might be on the move in the coming weeks or months.
Sky Italia alleges that both Juventus and Napoli are intrigued by the prospect of landing the hit-and-miss 24-year-old at some point this summer, although his wages and transfer fee might well be a problem to cough up.
On the contrary, opposing information coming out of Stamford Bridge itself seems to indicate that Chelsea do want to keep their £100k-per-week hotshot around, even as suitors from Saudi Arabia and the Premier League circle.
If Jackson does up and leave – for as much as he has irritated and irked Chelsea supporters over his hot-and-cold stint to date – he could go on to be a rip-roaring success elsewhere like the much-talked-about Belgian.
After all, it’s not as if Jackson isn’t getting into worthwhile goalscoring positions for Chelsea, with the 24-year-old’s barrage of missed chances coming off the back of him being able to find space.
Lukaku also spurned many a big chance when failing to get going in the Premier League, as seen in his tally of 15 big chances being missed during the 2018/19 season.
Therefore, in an environment that isn’t so intense, Jackson could go on to find his goalscoring groove even more, much like Lukaku has managed when plying his trade in Italy.
24/25
38
14
11
23/24
47
21
4
22/23
37
14
7
Lukaku has certainly lived up to the “world-class” billing thrust his way by England manager Thomas Tuchel playing for Napoli, AS Roma, and Inter Milan since his disastrous Blues goodbye, with 49 goals powered home by the long-standing Belgian international across 122 clashes.
Jackson would hope for similar rich veins of form if he soon swapped West London for either Juventus or Napoli, with the 6-foot-2 striker also praised in a glowing manner to Lukaku in the past, having been heralded as “special” by football analyst Rahman Osman when previously shining at Stamford Bridge.
It would be a sad ending for Jackson if he were to shortly head to a new club, with his reckless red card against Flamengo stealing all the headlines, over his prior goalscoring exploits in West London.
But, as has been shown in Lukaku’s own up-and-down story, a move out to Europe could be his best possible next step if he is to depart.
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