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Real Madrid’s superiority was challenged in the early 2000s as Valencia disrupted La Liga’s natural order, and Galácticos legend Zinedine Zidane has revealed he requested the signing of an England legend to put Madrid back on their perch.

Zidane and Real’s path to the 2001/02 Champions League final was one of the great knockout runs in club football history, beating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and arch-rivals Barcelona in the last four, before besting an elite Bayer Leverkusen team led by Michael Ballack in the final.

The French football legend scored perhaps his most famous goal in that final, volleying home Roberto Carlos’ looped cross from the edge of the box to win the match 2-1.

However, that triumph was the start of somewhat of a trophy drought by Madrid’s own lofty standards. They won the La Liga title the following year, but did not win another top flight title until 2007 and had to wait until 2011 before their next cup win, which was the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona accompanied English and Italian sides in dominating Europe’s elite competition, as Real president Florentino Perez adopted a policy of superstar signings to regain their status as Kings of the continent.

Luis Figo

2000

€60m

Barcelona

Zinedine Zidane

2001

€73.5m

Juventus

Ronaldo Nazario

2002

€45m

Inter

David Beckham

2003

€37.5m

Man Utd

Michael Owen

2004

€9m

Liverpool

Robinho

2005

€24m

Santos

Sergio Ramos

2005

€27m

Sevilla

Fabio Cannavaro

2006

€10m

Juventus

Ruud van Nistelrooy

2006

€14m

Man Utd

Kaka

2009

€67m

Milan

Karim Benzema

2009

€30m

Lyon

Cristiano Ronaldo

2009

€94m

Man Utd

Xabi Alonso

2009

€35.5m

Liverpool

Perez made a habit of luring the Premier League’s top talents to the Spanish capital, with Xabi Alonso revealing how Real tempted him: “I was really happy with the team (Liverpool) and my team-mates and felt that we could do great things.

“I was happy on that side but within a club you have to see the big picture and another season would have been too much for me. It was very difficult to take that decision (to leave) but it was probably for the best for me because if I had stayed another season it would have been uncomfortable for me.”

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However, not everyone caved to the temptation, with Zidane revealing he specifically asked Perez to sign Steven Gerrard, only for the Liverpool captain to refuse the move.

Zidane named Gerrard the 'best player in the world'

Indeed, Real Madrid tried to sign Gerrard once in 2005 and again in 2009, potentially making him one of their biggest signings of the Galácticos era, and Zidane claims it was him who pushed Perez to make the move, as he believed the Reds star was the number one player in world football.

Gerrard is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history despite never winning a league title with Liverpool, while his best finish on the Ballon d’Or podium was third in 2005, placing behind Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard.

There’s no doubt the Liverpool superstar was let down by his teammates in the quest to add team trophies to his individual accolades, and one has to wonder how his status in the game would be viewed if he had joined Madrid at Zidane’s request.

England struggle to combat vagaries of Antigua wicket, but battling half-centuries give them something to play with

George Dobell at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium01-Feb-2019It was, for sure, a bruising day for England.By the end of it, five of their batsmen had suffered blows while batting and their chances of clawing their way back into the series had receded sharply. Sides who score 187 in the first innings don’t win many games.But maybe a glance at the scorecard doesn’t tell the whole story. It doesn’t tell us what a par score might have been in this first innings – Kemar Roach reckoned 250 – and it doesn’t reflect how difficult batting was at the start of the day, in particular.First-class cricket tends to be at its most entertaining when ball holds a slight advantage over bat. Nothing is more likely to drive spectators away than games where 600 is followed by 700, and we have seen, in previous Antigua Test matches, several very slow, flat wickets which have encouraged horribly attritional cricket. So we have to be careful when criticising surfaces that try to redress that balance.But you want to retain meritocracy. And here, as some balls leapt from a length, you wondered if that was still the case. Nobody was seriously suggesting the Test be abandoned – it wasn’t anywhere near that bad – but it wasn’t especially safe and it wasn’t especially good. There really wasn’t a great deal Joe Root could have done to avoid the ball that reared and struck him on the gloves on its way to the slip cordon. It’s probably reasonable to expect a bit better than that.Both sides are on the same pitch, though. And while you suspect winning the toss was quite an advantage – the pitch seemed slightly damp on a length at the start – England have to accept it is not so long ago that they won eight tosses in a row. Rough with the smooth, and all that. This was not unfair.And maybe England failed to harness the conditions in quite the same way when they bowled, anyway. Only two deliveries in the first eight overs of West Indies’ reply would have hit the stumps and one of those was a leg-stump half-volley. Clearly that is a very rough guide for measuring the quality of bowling, but it does underline the impression that England failed to make the batsmen play as often as they might. Root confirmed he, too, would have inserted had he won the toss, but would his bowlers have taken advantage?It will be fascinating to see how this pitch plays on day two. One theory is that it will have dried out and eased a little. But the manner in which Stuart Broad gained lift and Sam Curran gained swing suggested there was still plenty of life in the evening session and England felt the extra grass and slight ridge in the surface would prove relevant throughout. West Indies may yet regret not using the heavy roller ahead of their innings: had they done so, the indentations created in the first innings might have been rolled out. As it is, they may now have been baked into the pitch for the rest of the game.But evidence from the England innings suggested the ball became a bit softer – and as a consequence, a bit easier to bat against – after about 40 overs. West Indies’ openers have done a fine job in seeing them to stumps without loss.Moeen Ali dug in for a vital innings•Getty ImagesThat England remain in the game is largely due to counter-attacking half-centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. If Bairstow’s was little surprise – he seems to be at his best when doubted or under pressure – Moeen was a most unlikely hero.This was only his second half-century since the start of the Ashes in November 2017, after all. In the 12 Tests – and 24 innings – since, he had averaged just 17.56 and suffered five ducks including a ‘pair’ in Barbados. Since the start of England’s winter tours, the downturn had become even more pronounced: he came into this Test averaging 9.75 from four Tests.And, sure enough, the first few balls of his innings promised little. Clearly wary of the short ball, he was reluctant to get forward. And when the short ball did come, his attempt to hook seemed just a little hurried. His first three balls from Shannon Gabriel, who really has developed into a fine strike bowler, saw him snatch a hook just short of two fielders out for the stroke before being struck on the helmet.But he got back in line every time and he battled through. And when, at last, Roach and Gabriel gave way to Roston Chase and Jason Holder – offering just a little respite – his policy of calculated aggression was perfectly reasonable. Twenty-eight of his runs came against the pair, while he scored just three against Gabriel.Yes, the end looked ugly – he spooned a catch to mid-on – but that variable bounce probably made the stroke look worse than it was. This was a welcome return to form from Moeen and a reminder of his value. He may never be reliable and he may sometimes infuriate, but his seventh-wicket stand of 85 with the admirable Ben Foakes is, at present, the only partnership in the game worth more than 30.Bairstow’s innings felt more secure. He appears to be adapting to the demands on the No. 3 position – notably playing and leaving the moving ball – very well. In particular, he is waiting for the ball to come to him a little more and resisting the urge to push for it. While the percentage of boundaries in his innings was eye-catching – 42 of his first 50 came from such shots – it was his judgement in leaving the ball outside off stump that allowed him to attack anything he felt was over-pitched or short. By the time he made his half-century, he had scored 51 of England’s total of 71 for 4 and he was the only man in the top six to reach 15.You suspect he did not much mind donning the keeping gloves again, either. Foakes sustained a blow to the right hand in the process of being dismissed: an attempted pull resulting only in an awkward deflection off his gloves on to the stumps”I’m chuffed with the way I played,” Bairstow said later. “There’s not a tougher day-one pitch I’ve batted on that springs to mind, though there are different types of tough. But seeing as I’ve only played three Tests batting at No.3, it was an innings that was definitely up there. I was pleased with how my defence is improving. I’ve been working on that.”Several of his colleagues could learn from his approach. While nearly all of them received fine deliveries, nearly all might feel they could have done a little better. Jos Buttler edged a prod, for example, while Rory Burns edged one that bounced a little. Both might have been better served leaving the ball.But these were tough conditions, expertly harnessed by West Indies’ relentless four-man seam attack. While Ben Stokes, too, might reflect he could have left the ball that dismissed him, it was delivered from very wide on the crease, around the wicket from Gabriel. Angled in sharply to the batsman, it drew a stroke before leaving him off the pitch. It was, by any standards, a fine piece of bowling and desperately tough to negate for a batsman.It is for that reason England are, just about, still in this game. If conditions remain the same, they have the opportunity to use them in the same manner on day two. It promises to be a key day in this series.

انتقد خالد الغندور، كابتن الزمالك السابق، أحد لاعبي الفريق الحاليين، خلال مواجهة طلائع الجيش، التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وفاز الزمالك على طلائع الجيش، بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، في اللقاء الذي أقيم ضمن مواجهات الجولة 13 لبطولة الدوري المصري، سجل للفارس الأبيض ناصر ماهر “هدفين” وعدي الدباغ هدف، بينما أحرز محمد عاطف هدف الجيش.

وقال الغندور خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “الزمالك قدم أداء جيدًا، لأن طلائع الجيش يقدم موسمًا ضعيفًا، الجيش من الفرق التي ستصارع من أجل البقاء”.

طالع.. فيديو | بعد رحيل فيريرا.. الزمالك يعود لطريق الانتصارات في الدوري بثلاثية أمام طلائع الجيش

وأضاف: “الزمالك تحكم في اللقاء تمامًا بعد الهدف الثالث، لكن بعد ذلك تم تسجيل هدف في مرماه وتراجع الأداء والجماهير شعرت أن طلائع الجيش يُمكنه العودة في النتيجة، وهذه مشكلة الزمالك، ليست أول مرة أن فريق يتحكم ويستحوذ في الشوط الثاني أمام الزمالك، وبالتالي هناك مشكلة في تباعد الخطوط”.

وأتم: “أنا عندي مشكلة مع عدي الدباغ مهاجم الزمالك، يُهدر انفرادات سهلة، المهاجم المفترض أن يطور نفسه، لكنه اليوم اتخذ 3 قرارات خاطئة في 3 انفرادات”.

وبفوز الزمالك، اليوم ارتقى إلى المركز الثاني في ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 22 نقطة.

“It has definitely helped me to get better, be more instinctive, be on my toes, and think correctly at the right moment”

Deivarayan Muthu24-Jan-20252:51

Varun excited for first home game in Chennai: ‘Important day for me’

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has given a ringing endorsement of the country’s domestic system, more specifically the 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, saying it is “almost on par” with the IPL and international cricket.”The level of cricket in the domestic [circuit] is extremely high,” Varun said on the eve of the second T20I against England in Chennai. “I would say [it is] almost on par with IPL and the other international matches we play. I would really suggest everyone to go and play the Syed Mushtaq Ali because we play on small grounds. It is very challenging [for bowlers].”Related

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Varun himself has benefitted from regular game-time in domestic white-ball cricket over the past two seasons. In the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2023-24, his first List A tournament in five years, Varun came away as the joint-highest wicket-taker, with 19 strikes at an average of 13.05. In the most recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker, with 18 strikes in six innings at 12.16. In this season’s 20-overs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was put under pressure on the easy-paced, bash-through-the-line pitches on a small ground in Indore. For instance, in Tamil Nadu’s opening game of the tournament, he was taken for 49 runs by Tripura in four overs.”I find it very tough playing SMAT,” Varun said. “It has definitely helped me to get better, be more instinctive, be on my toes, and think correctly at the right moment.”Over the past two years, Varun has also been active in other T20 tournaments like the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and the DY Patil tournament in Mumbai.Varun Chakravarthy took a match-winning three-wicket haul in the first T20I in Kolkata•BCCI

On Friday, he returned to Chepauk, the scene of his emergence as an international player. His family and friends will turn up at the venue on Saturday to watch him in action in his first international at home. Even before he had featured in TNPL 2018, which first put him on the T20 map, Varun bowled at the Chepauk nets to the Chennai Super Kings batters. It was his first professional stint in top-flight cricket after he had transformed himself from a medium-pacer in tennis-ball cricket to a mystery spinner. Having worked as an architect and made a cameo appearance in a Tamil movie back in 2014, Varun is eager to reintroduce himself as an international cricketer at his home ground.”Definitely [special],” Varun said of his homecoming. “Back to Chennai and in the blues is very important for me. I see it as a very important day for me. I’m coming back to Chennai after a long time. Playing for the country in front of my parents and the home crowd. Yeah, it is very special for me.”At his press conference, Varun was also asked about stepping into the shoes of the recently retired R Ashwin, his former India team-mate and current captain at Dindigul Dragons, under whom he won TNPL 2024.”It’s a big deal for me that you’re making this comparison,” Varun said. “Ashwin has played all three formats. I’m only just coming back into the team, and I’ve not yet done enough to merit this comparison. But still, everyone wants to get into the Indian team, and I’ve been doing my processes, and I’ll go wherever that takes me. I can’t think about filling the shoes of someone like Ashwin – he’s played so many matches, taken 500 [Test] wickets, big shoes to fill, I’m not even close yet.”R Ashwin, Varun’s captain at Dindigul Dragons, has encouraged him to bat up the order•TNPL/TNCA

During TNPL 2024, Ashwin had encouraged Varun to bat up the order and, in one of the games, he even batted above at Ashwin at No.7. Varun said he has also been working on his batting with Abhishek Nayar, the former assistant coach at Kolkata Knight Riders who is now with the India team in a similar capacity.”I have been working on batting for the last six-seven months,” Varun said. “I started my preparation in KKR only with Abhishek Nayar. That kind of helped me. There is still a lot of work to do.”In the first T20I against England, Varun took 3 for 23, including the big wickets of Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone in the same over. With England’s Bazballers gearing up for a backlash, Varun might have to do more work with the ball on a fresh Chepauk pitch, where the ball is expected to slide onto the bat, and he’s prepared for it.”Even when you see Eden [Gardens], it’s a small ground,” Varun said. “Bowlers have the challenge of bowling [with smaller boundaries]. We do plan for that also. If they [England] are looking to have an aggressive approach, that is how T20 is. I cannot complain or be shocked by their approach. I am expecting that. I also have certain plans for that.”

علق أيمن علي حسن رئيس اتحاد الدراجات على إصابة ابتسام زايد لاعبة منتخب مصر خلال مشاركتها في بطولة العالم.

وقال أيمن في مداخلة على ملعب “أون” عن إصابة ابتسام زايد في بطولة العالم: “لاعبة منتخب مصر كانت تشارك في بطولة العالم في تشيلي، وسافروا يوم 18، وبدأوا اللعب يوم 22”.

وتابع: “بدأت يوم 22 سباق النقاط وحصدت المركز الـ15 عالميًا، ثم كان لدينا يوم 24 سباق اسمه الإقصاء بمشاركة 24 لاعبة بعد التصفيات، وكل لفتين بهما سبرينت، واللاعبة الأخيرة تودع المنافسة”.

طالع.. صورة | الاصابة تحرم ابتسام زايد من استكمال بطولة العالم للدراجات

وكشف: “طبعًا في اللفة الثامنة خرج خمسة، وابتسام كانت في موقع ممتاز يؤهلها للمنافسة على الصدارة، لكن حصل تصادم بينها وبين أربع لاعبات، فوقعت، وتعرضت لإغماء مؤقت، وانتقلت على الفور إلى المستشفى”.

وواصل: “عندما استفاقت أخذت حوالي 12 غرزة فوق حاجبها الأيسر، طبعًا حادثة كبيرة جدًا، فالحمد لله اتنقلت على المستشفى، وعملوا لها الإجراءات اللازمة، والحمد لله لا كسور، كلها كدمات والخياطة فوق الحاجب”.

واختتم: “عادت الحمد لله إلى الفندق، وكشف عليها رئيس اللجنة الطبية في الاتحاد الدولي، وقال إن أحسن شيء أن تحصل على راحة أسبوع، وفي التقرير الطبي مكتوب إنها راحة أسبوع، ولا تخوض السباق القادم (الأومنيوم)، وكان سيلعب يوم 26”.

New Zealand tend not to do especially well in Galle. Of their five Test defeats from as many games at the ground, one has been by an innings, another by ten wickets, and one more by 202 runs. Their latest Test at the venue, which ended in a 63-run defeat to Sri Lanka on Monday, when they went into the fifth morning with an outside shot of victory – 68 more runs to win, with two wickets remaining – represents their closest result here.But two players, in particular, stuck out. In his first outing in steaming conditions, and on a dry deck, seamer Will O’Rourke was frequently menacing – often touching 140kph – while sending down short deliveries on a pitch not especially conducive to short bowling. Vitally, for a bowler in his third Test, there were also no hugely loose spells. His takings were 8 for 104. Six of those dismissals were of top- or middle-order batters. Captain Tim Southee was suitably impressed by the 23-year-old.”Will’s had a very short Test career so far, and he’s certainly announced himself,” Southee said after the match. “We saw in New Zealand how dangerous he can be. He’s got the skills to have a very good Test career. For him to come to his first Test in the subcontinent and walk away with a very impressive eight wickets for the match is nothing short of special. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, and he’s a big guy. So there’s a lot to like about Will O’Rourke.”Related

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• Asia specialist Ajaz says limited opportunities have made him hungrier

On the batting front, 24-year-old Rachin Ravindra produced his second-highest Test score – a characterful 92 on a treacherous fourth-innings pitch – as New Zealand pursued a tall 275. Ravindra is not quite so new to internationals, of course, having lit up last year’s ODI World Cup in India. But he remains a batter still finding his feet at the top level, and the clear-headed approach he took on day four – pouncing almost unnerringly on errors of length, while endeavouring to keep the score ticking – was especially impressive in his third Test in Asia.”Rachin kept us in the hunt with that chase,” Southee said. “We knew it was [a] tough ask, and that it was going to take something special, with the wicket taking a lot of turn in these last couple of days. It was a great knock in those conditions.”It’s not easy to bat – the ball was spinning, and doing all sorts [of things]. For a young guy without a lot of experience in this part of the world to go out and get 90-odd was great signs for him as well. He’s another one that’s an exceptional talent, and he’s had a little taste of international cricket as well, and done exceptionally well. He’s a great young kid with a good head on his shoulders.”Tim Southee called Rachin Ravindra an “exceptional talent” after the Galle Test•AP

For Southee, it was New Zealand’s batting collapse on the third morning that was the definitive portion of the match. They had been 255 for 4 in their first innings overnight, only 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s total. But they then lost six wickets for 71 runs, as the middle and lower orders succumbed to finger spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis. In the end, their lead was only 35, when it had threatened to be much more.”I guess the position where we got ourselves in, in the first innings, was good. But the last four or five fell for not many, and there was an opportunity to get a bigger first-innings lead,” he said. “We knew that that second new ball was going to be tough given the nature of the wicket and the quality of the Sri Lankan spin bowlers.”If you look at those moments, if we were able to press on and get more of a lead, things could have been different. It was still a good Test match. There’s plenty of good things we can take into the next couple of days.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da poker： Após ficar mais de dois meses sem balançar as redes, Raphael Veiga voltou a ser o cara do Palmeiras de Abel Ferreira em um momento muito importante da temporada. O camisa 23 mais uma vez surge como uma das grandes esperanças de gol do Palmeiras diante do  Atlético-MG, no duelo decisivo desta quarta-feira (9), no Allianz Parque.

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da doce： + Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Autor do belo gol no Mineirão no confronto de ida das oitavas de final da Libertadores 2023, o meia já balançou as redes do Galo no Allianz Parque, e foi justamente no dia em que Abel Ferreira desembarcou no Brasil pela primeira vez.

Ainda comandado pelo interino Andrey Lopes, o Palmeiras atropelou o Atlético-MG de Sampaoli pelo Brasileirão de 2020 por 3 a 0, e Raphael Veiga, de cabeça, abriu o placar, enquanto Rony e Wesley definiram o placar.

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Na manhã daquele 2 de novembro de 2020, Abel Ferreira e sua comissão técnica havia desembarcado no terminal 3 do Aeroporto de Guarulhos e já assistiu a boa vitória alviverde de um dos camarotes do Allianz Parque.

Logo de cara, Abel Ferreira se apaixonou por Raphael Veiga e não foi à toa que o camisa 23 foi o craque do título da Copa do Brasil de 2020 e já protagonista do campeão da Libertadores de 2020.

continua após a publicidade

Em noites de Copa, Raphael Veiga só aumentou o seu protagonismo na temporada seguinte, e com gol até na grande final da Libertadores 2021, foi peça importante com gols nas oitavas, diante da Universidad Católica e também balançando as redes diante do São Paulo, nas quartas.

Já consagrado como um dos maiores meias da história do clube, o Verdão conta com o brilho de Veiga para eliminar o Atlético-MG de Luiz Felipe Scolari nesta quarta-feira (9), no Allianz Parque.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

A um gol de igualar o ídolo Alex, Veiga já é o segundo maior artilheiro do Palmeiras neste Século XXI, com 77 gols e após 246 jogos, já levantou nove taças pelo time que torce desde criança.

Chelsea are pressing ahead with a move to sign one marquee player after they reached an agreement for the signing of Liam Delap, with Enzo Maresca’s side showing no hesitation in attacking the market after ending 2024/2025 on a major high.

Chelsea begin busy summer window with Liam Delap signing

Cole Palmer’s magical second-half attacking display helped spare Maresca’s blushes in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday evening, with Chelsea coming back from behind to smash Real Betis 4-1 in Poland.

Chelsea submit bid to sign £42m Serie A star who's admitted he could leave

The west Londoners are in good spirits after their Conference League triumph.

1 ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2025

Manuel Pellegrini’s side threatened to end Chelsea’s season on a sour note, but strikes from Enzo Fernández, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo in the final 25 minutes of the 90 sealed Maresca’s first piece of major silverware since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino last summer.

Chelsea’s top five finish and subsequent qualification for the Champions League, coupled with their win at the Stadion Miejski, means Maresca’s debut season in the dugout can be deemed a real success.

Despite their damp patch midway through 2024/2025, Chelsea roared to the finish line and displayed serious intent during the latter stages of this campaign, winning six of their final nine league games and losing just one as performances took a positive turn.

Now, attention fully turns to the transfer market, with Chelsea expected to be very busy yet again this summer.

They’ll also have a mini-transfer window – open from June 1 to June 10 – to sign new recruits ahead of their Club World Cup campaign. With £97 million worth of prize money on offer if they win the tournament, Chelsea are expected to take it seriously, and it is believed they ideally want two or three of their new signings through the door before the CWC kicks off next month (Simon Phillips).

One target they’ve been seriously pursuing in the last fortnight, Ipswich Town star Delap, also had a host of other offers on the table from Man United, Newcastle and Everton – so competition was rife for his signature.

However, reports this week began emerging that Chelsea’s Champions League status put them in pole position for the Englishman, who bagged 12 league goals for Ipswich last season (talkSPORT).

Now, Chelsea are expected to seal an imminent deal for Delap, as confirmed by trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

However, Delap’s arrival at Stamford Bridge may not be the end of their striker search. Chelsea could in fact sign two centre-forwards this summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips, and this is now being echoed by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

Chelsea "pushing" to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike

According to Plettenberg, “underrated” Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike remains a top target for BlueCo, regardless of their agreement with Delap.

The 22-year-old is fresh off the back of an incredible full debut season at Eintracht, having signed permanently from PSG last summer. Ekitike scored 22 goals and racked up 12 assists in 48 appearances across 24/25, leaving little wonder the Bundesliga side will demand a high asking price.

Eintracht want as much as £84 million to sell Ekitike this summer, and if Chelsea are serious about him, they’ll need to splash the cash.

Low jeopardy with Nottinghamshire safe from relegation as batter ends campaign on a high

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2024With all potential relegation permutations happily off the agenda at last, Warwickshire calmly settled down to avoiding defeat against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on the final day of the 2024 Vitality County Championship. Saving the follow-on with five wickets down effectively saved the game.The draw, for which the pitch was probably intended from the start, thus duly arrived with ease, Notts taking 14 points to the visitors’ 13. Sam Hain signed off the season with an unbeaten 153 and his overnight partner Ed Barnard made 81 before Michael Burgess struck 56 from 71 balls in an eventual 373 for 7 after the resumption on 143 for 4.It was not until the 13th ball after lunch in fact that the fifth-wicket partners were finally separated after adding exactly 150. The wunderkind off-spinner Farhan Ahmed switched to bowling over the wicket for the first time in the day and Barnard, who had passed 5000 first-class runs on the way, immediately top-edged a sweep to the deep.The catch was well judged by the 21-year old substitute Sam King, yet to gain a first-class debut, with Brett Hutton briefly off the field. But only 84 more runs were then needed to avoid the follow-on, reduced to 58 by the time Hutton returned to take the new ball five overs later.In a challenging summer during which personal reasons and concussion had seen him miss six games, Hain had completed a heartening second hundred of the season from 202 balls just before lunch. As Ahmed shared the new ball, he remained the anchor while Burgess proved typically combative.The follow-on target of 333 was passed with 43 overs remaining but the match, bonus points aside, long since academic as certain to be drawn. Burgess entertained with four sixes in all until he swiped at Lyndon James 21 runs later and failed to clear mid-on. Ahmed came off next over with three for 93 from 33 overs, good figures on this pitch.A second substitute, James Hayes, also without first-class experience, then took a gentle catch at cover off Rob Lord as a loose cut undid Danny Briggs without score. After tea taken at 361 for 7, however, just four bonus-point overs remained, neither side adding to their tally. Notts brought Ahmed back on but he found no further success and bad light conveniently ended play at 3.50.Warwickshire could reflect on a season of just one win but the boon of no fewer than 33 batting points, a total bettered only by Surrey and Essex in Division One. Added to the reinstated increased reward of eight points for each of their nine draws, it served them very well.Nottinghamshire too benefited from eight draws and Lancashire would no doubt rue the fact that they arguably had a marginally better playing record than both their rivals but could muster just 15 batting points along with their four draws. They ended with three wins and six losses, compared to Notts’ two wins, four losses and Warwickshire’s one win also with four losses.

Questions have been asked about Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca during his spell in charge after being appointed as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor last summer.

The Italian led Leicester City back to the Premier League, but jumped ship to take over at Stamford Bridge, with many wondering whether he would be the right man for the job.

However, nearly 12 months on from his appointment, he’s exceeded all expectations, showcasing he’s the right man for the job based on his success to date.

The 45-year-old has secured the Blues a place in the Champions League for next season, whilst also claiming Europa Conference League glory against Real Betis on Wednesday night.

It’s been a campaign to remember for Maresca, but if he wants to continue his progress in the role, he will need added funds provided by the hierarchy to help him in his quest.

The latest on Chelsea’s hunt for new signings this summer

Over the last couple of hours, Chelsea have made huge strides in a deal to sign Liam Delap, with the 22-year-old agreeing to a move to join the Blues this summer.

It was confirmed that he has rejected offers from multiple other Premier League sides, leaving Maresca’s side to trigger his release clause and complete the formalities before announcing his move to West London.

However, despite the progress made on a deal for the Ipswich Town star, another name in the form of Viktor Gyokeres has once again entered the mix, according to Record Portugal.

The report claims that the Blues have made an enquiry to sign the 26-year-old this summer, after his stupendous record of 54 goals in just 52 matches across all competitions.

It also states that they face stern competition from Juventus for the Swedish international’s signature, with Sporting CP demanding a fee in the region of £60m to part ways with the talisman this window.

Why Chelsea’s £60m target would be a better signing than Delap

With Delap’s move appearing to be moving closer to completion, Maresca could finally be about to land the new striker that he’s been craving in recent months.

Nicolas Jackson has been his main talisman since his arrival, with the Senegalese international scoring 10 times in the Premier League during the Italian’s first year in charge.

Such a record is respectable, but if the side are to reach the next level under his guidance, they will need that proven goalscorer to fire them towards the top end of the table.

Delap has shown he’s capable of doing just that, scoring 12 times in the Premier League for the Tractor Boys, with such a record being an impressive one given their relegation this season.

However, when comparing his stats to those of Gyokeres, the Swede has showcased that his performance levels are night and day – proving that he would be a far better addition than the Englishman.

The Swede, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has massively outscored him in 2024/25, whilst also posting a higher shot on target rate – showcasing the clinical nature he possesses.

He’s also managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst also registering more progressive carries per 90 – having the skillset to hand other players around him the best chance of improving their own tallies.

Games played

33

37

Goals & assists

46

14

Shot-on-target accuracy

52%

43%

Pass accuracy

72%

61%

Progressive carries

4.3

2.1

Take-ons completed

1.9

1.3

Aerials won

51%

42%

Fouls won

2.5

1.7

Gyokeres has also won more of the aerials he’s entered and draws more fouls, offering Maresca that focal point he’s craved, something which Delap may struggle to provide.

Given the progress on the deal for the Ipswich talisman, the hierarchy will have to act quickly to complete a deal for Gyokeres, or they could potentially miss out on his signature.

Nothing suggests that the club may not target both talents in the coming months, handing the Blues an added dimension in forward areas that could bolster their title charge in 2025/26.

As bad as Gusto: Chelsea's 4/10 flop must never play for the club again

Chelsea secured the Europa Conference League last night, but multiple players failed to deliver.

ByEthan Lamb May 29, 2025