Wrexham are gearing up for the 'transformative' impact of their Championship promotion, with the Welsh side stepping into a £100 million 'ecosystem'.

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Wrexham secured third straight promotionNew revenue streams to open up for clubAchievement will be 'transformative'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons achieved an incredible third consecutive promotion on Saturday when they beat Charlton, ensuring they will finish second in League One and move up to the second tier of English football next season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Hollywood co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds will see a massive jump in their revenue as a result of the jump up the divisions, financial expert Dr Rob Wilson his highlighted, with a whole new universe of financial streams available for Wrexham.

WHAT DR WILSON SAID

"Significant. Transformative. Fantasy," he told when asked of the financial impact the achievement will have. "Championship status will place Wrexham in a £100m+ broadcast ecosystem, elevate match day and sponsorship revenues, and further globalise their brand, particularly in North America, where the underdog-to-elite storyline resonates powerfully. We should also remember that English football, while having a base in the US, is still finding its feet, and this will further drive engagement.

"It also enables Wrexham to dictate, to some extent, their own future. While they will rightly still leverage their owners Hollywood status, it does give the club more pedigree to earn its own revenues."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham have skyrocketed to worldwide fame thanks to the presence of their film star owners. Their award-winning documentary series Welcome to Wrexham is still running on Disney+ and they have attracted sponsorships from the likes of TikTok and HP in recent years. It seems many more opportunities await the club in the coming months.

حسم التعادل الإيجابي مواجهة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس بهدف مقابل هدف، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لموسم 2024/2025.

وواجه ليفربول نظيره كريستال بالاس، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ38 والأخيرة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز على ملعب “أنفيلد”.

وحسم ليفربول لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم 2024/25، بعد أن فاز على توتنهام بنتيجة 5/1، في اللقاء الذي أقيم ضمن منافسات الجولة 34 من البريميرليج.

اقرأ ايضاً.. الفرق المتأهلة من الدوري الإنجليزي إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025/26

أحرز إسماعيلا سار هدف كريستال بالاس الأول بحلول الدقيقة التاسعة، بصناعة من تيريك ميتشل.

وكاد لويس دياز أن يحرز هدف التعادل مع الدقيقة 25، لكن تسديدته مرت بجوار مرمى كريستال بالاس.

وألغي هدف ثان لصالح كريستال بالاس بداعي التسلل عن طريق فيليب ماتيتا، فيما أهدر لويس دياز فرصة ثمينة لتسجيل هدف التعادل بعدما تلقى تمريرة رائعة من محمد صلاح.

مع بداية الشوط الثاني، شارك ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد بديلاً عن كونور برادلي، مسجلاً الظهور الأخير له مع الريدز قبل رحيله إلى ريال مدريد في الموسم المقبل.

وبحلول الدقيقة 65، أهدر داروين نونيز فرصة ثمينة لتسجيل هدف التعادل بعدما تلقى تمريرة رائعة من أرنولد.

وتلقى ريان جرافنبيرخ البطاقة الحمراء عند الدقيقة 67، بعد إعاقة كامادا، ليكمل ليفربول اللقاء منقوصين عددياً.

وحرم القائم تسديدة ديوجو جوتا، والتي كادت أن تعلن عن هدف التعادل لصالح الريدز بحلول الدقيقة 75.

ونجح محمد صلاح في تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح ليفربول بحلول الدقيقة 85، بتسديدة رائعة اصطدمت بـ مدافع كريستال بالاس لتهز شباك الضيوف.

هذا، وسيحتفل ليفربول بكأس الدوري الإنجليزي بشكل رسمي اليوم أمام جماهيره، كونها المباراة الأخيرة على ملعبه هذا الموسم.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ليفربول إلى النقطة 84 في المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي، بينما ارتقى رصيد كريستال بالاس عند النقطة 53 في المركز الثاني عشر. اهداف مباراة ليفربول وكريستال بالاس (1-1) في الدوري الانجليزي 

MatériaMais Notícias

Na Arena Condá, em Chapecó, em partida válida pela 12ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série B, o Criciúma venceu de virada a Chapecoense pelo placar de 3 a 2 e quebrou um jejum de 14 anos sem vencer na casa do Verdão do Oeste. A Chape começou a partida de forma avassaladora e fez dois gols em menos de 15 minutos: gols de Léo e Ryan marcou contra. Ainda na etapa inicial, Claudinho diminuiu. A virada veio no segundo tempo com o gol contra do goleiro Vagner, da Chapecoense, e gol de Marquinhos Gabriel.Com o resultado, o Tigre soma agora 16 pontos e subiu para a 6ª colocação. Com 12 pontos, a Chape fica no 16º lugar e correndo risco de entrar na Zona de Rebaixamento.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

Na próxima rodada, a Chapecoense enfrenta o Bahia, na Arena Condá, em Chapecó, dia 14 de junho. Já o Criciúma pega o Brusque, no Heriberto Hülse, na cidade de Criciúma, no dia 17 de junho.

PRIMEIRO TEMPO
COMEÇO AVASSALADOR DA CHAPECOENSE
Jogando em casa, a Chapecoense fez valer o mando de campo e em menos de 15 minutos já vencia pelo placar de 2 a 0. O primeiro gol saiu aos 7 minutos, com o zagueiro Léo, que, após bola levantada na área, aproveitou o desvio e completou de cabeça para abrir o marcador. O segundo gol contra do zagueiro Ryan, do Criciúma.

CRICIÚMA DIMINUI O PREJUÍZO
A superioridade da Chapecoense prevaleceu até os 20 minutos. Aos 21 minutos, o Criciúma diminuiu o prejuízo e tudo começou a mudar na partida. O gol foi de Claudinho, que aproveitou passe de Arilson e soltou uma bomba de fora da área: 1 a 2.

CRICIÚMA MELHORA, DOMINA E POR POUCO NÃO EMPATA
O gol virou completamente o panorama da partida. A Chapecoense caiu de rendimento, enquanto o Criciúma ganhou terreno e dominou completamente as ações durante todo o restante da primeira etapa.

Só Rafael Bilu teve duas grandes oportunidades, aos 28 e 29 minutos, mas ele não conseguiu colocar a bola para dentro. Nos acréscimos, o mesmo Rafael Bilu chegou a dar o passe para Caio Dantas marcar, mas o VAR viu impedimento na jogada.

SEGUNDO TEMPO
CRICIÚMA EMPATA COM GOL CONTRA BIZARRO
O início da etapa complementar foi permanência do que foi boa parte do primeiro tempo. O Tigre pressionou até que o gol saiu. O lateral-esquerdo Marcelo Hermes recebeu lançamento e avançou em profundidade. Ele cruzou, a bola desviou em Léo, bateu na cabeça do goleiro Vagner, da Chapecoense, e acabou entrando. Azar do goleiro da Chape, sorte do Criciúma: 2 a 2, aos 9 minutos.

CRICIÚMA VIRA A PARTIDA
O Tigre aproveitou o embalo do gol de empate, foi para o abafa e conseguiu a virada. Aos 15 minutos, Marquinhos Gabriel faz a jogada, perde a bola, mas consegue roubá-la novamente. Ele conseguiu se adiantar ao zagueiro e finalizar para marcar: 3 a 2 para o Criciúma.

QUASE O QUARTO GOL
Aos 18 minutos, Rafael Bilu recebeu belo de Marquinhos Gabriel, ajeitou o corpo e finalizou com muita qualidade. Mas o goleiro Vagner estava muito bem colocado e conseguiu se esticar todo para fazer uma grande defesa e evitar o 4º gol.

CHAPE TENTOU BUSCAR O EMPATE, MAS O TIGRE SEGUROU A PRESSÃO E VENCEU
O Verdão do Oeste foi com tudo nos últimos 20 minutos de partida em busca do empate. Mas o Tigre conseguiu bravamente segurar a pressão dos donos da casa e garantir uma espetacular vitória fora de casa e quebrar o jejum de 14 anos sem vencer a Chape na Arena Condá.

CHAPECOENSE 2 X 3 CRICIÚMA – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO SÉRIE B
Local: Arena Condá, em Chapecó (SC)
Data/horário: 10 de junho de 2022, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR)
Assistentes: Fabricio Vilarinho da Silva (GO) e Ivan Carlos Bohn (PR)
VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (SP)
Cartões amarelos: Kevin, Matheus Bianqui e Tiago Real (CHA); Rodrigo (CRI)
Cartões vermelhos: –
GOLS: Léo, 7’/1ºT (1-0) (CHA); Rayan (contra), 14’/1ºT (2-0) (CHA); Claudinho, 21’/1ºT (2-1) (CRI); Vagner (contra) 9’/2ºT (2-2) (CRI) e Marquinhos Gabriel 15’/2ºT (2-3) (CRI).

CHAPECOENSE (Técnico: Gilson Kleina)
Vagner; Pablo (Ryan, aos 21’/2ºT), Léo, Victor Ramos e Kevin; Marcelo Freitas (Lima, aos 21’/2ºT), Betinho (Matheus Bianqui, no intervalo) e Tiago Real; Derek (Maranhão, aos 7’/2ºT), Perotti e Chystian (Rodrigo Silva, aos 30’/2ºT).

CRICIÚMA (Técnico: Cláudio Tencati)
Gustavo; Claudinho (Cristovam, aos 26’/2ºT), Rodrigo, Rayan e Marcelo Hermes; Léo Costa, Rômulo (Marcos Serrato, aos 42’/2ºT) e Arilson; Rafael Bilu (Hygor, aos 47’/2ºT), Caio Dantas (Thiago Alagoano, aos 26’/2ºT) e Marquinhos Gabriel (Renan Bressan, aos 42’/2ºT).

Everton have been enjoying life under David Moyes, but all of a Toffees persuasion know that the week ahead is one of significance.

While three successive Premier League victories have created a sizeable buffer between Goodison Park and the relegation zone, fans will no doubt clamour for a victory over Bournemouth in the FA Cup this afternoon, especially now that Moyes has been reinstated to the helm.

Moyes led Everton through the noughties and is a revered figure for his work at the club, but Everton’s trophyless run stretches way back to 1995 when they won the FA Cup and subsequent Community Shield.

The Cherries have been in fine fettle under Andoni Iraola this term and have done the double over Everton in the Premier League. Now, it’s time for revenge, with Moyes playing host to one of England’s in-form outfits.

Everton team news

Everton will need to be on their a-game to defeat a slick and stylish Bournemouth team. They were beaten by Liverpool at the Vitality last weekend but had previously gone 11 league matches undefeated.

The dearth of fit forwards means that Beto will reprise his role at number nine, buoyed by netting a brace in the 4-0 victory over Leicester City last time out.

However, next Wednesday’s Merseyside derby means that Moyes could make a few rotations where possible, albeit picking a team that is capable of sending the South Coast side packing.

James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam could play a part after recovering from respective issues last week. Dwight McNeil is still injured, so January recruit Charly Alcaraz could make his debut for the club in a forward-thrust midfield role.

Everton have lost seven of their past nine meetings with Bournemouth across all competitions, and so will need to be on the ball, so to speak.

Defensive resilience will be crucial against such a coherent offensive force, but Moyes will want to ensure his team packs a punch too, and Iliman Ndiaye could hold the key.

How Iliman Ndiaye can hurt Bournemouth

Everton signed Ndiaye from French club Marseille for a £15m fee last summer, a deal that looks shrewder and shrewder by the week.

Beto scored twice last time out but hasn’t been clinical or assertive enough throughout the lion’s share of his Everton career, joining from Udinese for an eye-catching £26m fee in August 2023.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Armando Broja both injured, Ndiaye will need to step up to the plate and provide his outfit with a goal threat from wide, especially with Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom exacerbating the situation from the right, both wingers without a single goal contribution this year.

Though Sean Dyche was dismissed from his duties in January after failing to provide Everton with any meaningful attacking flair, Ndiaye still managed to showcase his exciting quality, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp hailing the Senegal international’s “dynamite” talent.

It’s all the more impressive that he’s gone from strength to strength this Moyes’ appointment last month, scoring in all three of the Scottish manager’s recent victories in the Premier League.

This incisiveness will be crucial. Understat record that Bournemouth have outperformed their expected goals against (xGA) by 6.81 this season, effectively suggesting that the Cherries are solid and effective in the defensive third, even though they’ve cultivated something of a – deserved – reputation for being an attacking spectacle under their Spanish boss.

BBC Sport’s Oluwashina Okeleji has described “Everton’s standout performer this season” and it’s clear to see why. He’s scored six goals from 23 Premier League matches this season, missing only two big chances, but has also averaged 2.5 dribbles and 6.3 successful duels per outing, owing to his energy and combativeness.

He’s going to be a real thorn, with his complete skill set perfect to hit the attack-minded visitors on the counter.

Of course, Everton will have to deal with Bournemouth’s own fleet-footed wideman: Justin Kluivert. The Dutch winger has been immense this season, scoring 11 goals and adding four assists across 23 Premier League matches.

Goals scored

0.29

0.65

Non-penalty goals

0.24

0.28

Assists

0.00

0.24

Shots taken

1.17

2.53

Shot-creating actions

2.53

3.65

Pass completion

80.7%

71.8%

Progressive passes

1.85

3.76

Progressive carries

3.45

2.76

Successful take-ons

2.82

1.18

Ball recoveries

6.95

3.24

Tackles + interceptions

2.91

1.65

While Bournemouth’s star leads the way when it comes to contributions in front of goal, the electric Ndiaye caught the eye with his underlying metrics, bespeaking his quality and the importance of his involvement for Everton, aiding his team across attacking and defensive phases.

It’s also worth pointing out that Ndiaye has been playing in a far more restrictive attacking unit, evidenced by his low shots total. Even so, the Senegalese has bagged a respectable number of non-penalty goals, whereas six of Kluivert’s top-flight goals this term have come from the spot.

He’s also far more persistent with his successful take-ons, driving at defenders and adding a dimension that few teams are able to replicate with such vim and vigour.

One can only imagine how Ndiaye would be getting on within Iraola’s brood. Perhaps it would be he, and not Kluivert, claiming the Premier League Player of the Month award for January.

After all, Ndiaye has scored in each of Moyes’ recent victories, warming up at the perfect time as the Merseysiders look to score a seat-raising win over Bournemouth and advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup for only the third time in nine seasons.

To be sure, Ndiaye has played a lot of football this season. However, his crackling movements up and down the left flank, partnered with his ever-improving sharpness in front of goal, suggests that he could be the difference-maker in a tight affair.

Kluivert will be highlighted in the Everton defensive meeting, but Ndiaye, Moyes’ own version, might just be the one to emerge on top.

Worth 2x more than Ndiaye: Everton must regret selling "frightening" star

Everton have reached an exciting new era but must rue having lost this high-class talent.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 6, 2025

Former India captain feels Ashwin was picked over Chahal to strengthen the batting

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2022India picked Mohammed Shami over Harshal Patel for their T20 World Cup campaign opener against Pakistan at the MCG and former captain Anil Kumble feels the biggest reason for that decision is to get early wickets with the new ball.”I think most importantly, the reason that Shami is ahead of Harshal Patel is to get wickets up front,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “That’s what Rohit will be hoping for. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami to get a couple of wickets early on.”Shami, who had not played a single T20I since the World Cup last year, was brought into India’s squad after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out with injury and he bowled just one over in their warm-up game against Australia. That over was the 20th over of Australia’s chase, and Shami made an immediate impact with three wickets.India also picked offspinner R Ashwin ahead of legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Kumble said the reason for that could be to ensure more batting depth.”If you look at Harshal not being part of the team, then the batting would have stopped at No.7 with Chahal in. India thought we need a deep batting order, because the way they have gone about constructing their T20 innings now with the batting has been a bit more positive, a bit more intent, and if you have to have that kind of approach you need to have the longer batting order,” Kumble said. “So that’s one of the reasons why they have gone with Ashwin. And experience as well.”He also laid out what would potentially be India’s combination in the death overs. “At the death, Arshdeep two, Bhuvi one and Shami one, those will be your last four overs.”India are opening their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan in front of a full house at the MCG. They are in Group 2 of the Super 12s, along with Bangladesh, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Netherlands.

Manchester City’s spending spree continued.

On deadline day, the four-in-a-row Premier League champions brought in midfielder Nico González from Porto, paying his reported £50m release clause.

This takes the Sky Blues’ January spending to £178m, following on from the signings of Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush and Juma Bah which, as Philip Buckingham of the Athletic notes, means they spent more than all 19 other Premier League clubs combined in this window, as well as four times more than the next highest-spenders, namely Wolves.

Thus, it is clear that the Citizens are seeking to refresh their squad, so could one of the club’s greatest-ever players fall by the wayside after the arrival of Gonzalez?

Manchester City's next big signing

Deadline day signing González joined Barcelona’s fabled La Masia as an 11-year-old, making 37 appearances for Barça’s first team, before being sold to Porto for €8.5m in the summer of 2023.

Still only 23-years-old, the Spaniard has come in for rave reviews, with Anantaajith Raghuraman of the Athletic stating that he “reads space well and dictates the tempo of games”, expecting him to “slot immediately into Man City’s midfield” where there is currently a “gaping hole”.

Meanwhile, Ali Tweedale for the Premier League adds that Nico’s “ball-carrying ability” stands out given that “he regularly drives through midfield with the ball”, while Nick Wright of Sky Sports describes him as a “box-to-box midfielder”, believing he can certainly play alongside compatriot Rodri, once he returns from injury.

In 131 senior appearances, the January arrival has only racked up 12 goals and 12 assists to date, but seven of these goals, as well as six assists, came during the first half of this season, most recently bagging the winner in the Europa League against Maccabi Tel Aviv to keep Porto in the competition.

This shows he has taken a gigantic leap forward in his development, suggesting he is more than ready to perform at a higher level and, potentially, fill the void of one of City’s greatest ever players.

Manchester City to move on from all-time great

As reported by Jeff Rueter of the Athletic, MLS expansion club San Diego FC are “interested” in signing Kevin De Bruyne this summer, with Tom Bogert, also of the Athletic, claiming the Belgian is considering the move stateside.

De Bruyne, who will celebrate his 34th birthday in June, is out of contract in the summer, and his importance at Man City has been on the decline.

During Sunday’s 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal, statistically, the midfielder’s favourite opponents, having scored against them eight times, he only came on for the final 18 minutes, accumulating just 1,326 minutes so far, which equates to 41% of Man City’s total minutes.

So, let’s examine De Bruyne’s statistics from across the last five seasons.

Appearances

40

45

49

26

24

Minutes

3,043

3,338

3,685

1,750

1,326

Goals

10

19

10

6

2

Assists

18

15

29

18

6

Goals – xG

-2.1

+9.5

+2.2

+2.4

-1.3

Pass completion %

75.9%

75.4%

72.2%

74.6%

76%

Shot-creating actions

178

197

218

111

93

Touches per 90

58

63

52

67

68

As outlined in the table, in his pomp in 2021/22 and 2022/23, De Bruyne’s numbers were off the scale, with former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp amongst those labelling him the “Premier League’s best midfielder ever”.

However, what’s clear now, is that the midfielder is declining, with all of his attacking metrics significantly down this season, although pass completion percentage and touches per-90 are up, suggesting he’s operating a lot further away from goal.

Thus, with De Bruyne seemingly on the way out, he may appear irreplaceable, but have Man City just signed a ready-made superstar ready to fill this enormous void? The box-to-box Gonzalez will certainly hope so.

Forget Gonzalez: Man City must regret letting their next Rodri leave for £0

It could have saved them a fortune on the Gonzalez deal

1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 4, 2025

Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over Chelsea, there has been plenty of investment into all areas of the squad, with significant funds being allocated to the midfield area.

The likes of Enzo Fernández, Moises Caicedo and Roméo Lavia have all been signed for around £250m combined, as the ownership looked to replace the aging midfield trio of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante.

But despite spending hundreds of millions on midfield signings, it could be one of their other investments that prove to be the heir to Kante’s throne, and the Blues could really do with him this season.

N'Golo Kante's time at Chelsea

Kante left the club in the 2023 summer window, with his contract expiring, therefore allowing the Frenchman to leave on a free.

That may not have been a colossal blow at the time given his age but he was a stalwart of Stamford Bridge nonetheless. The 33-year-old made 269 appearances for Chelsea in his seven years at the club, scoring 13 goals, providing 16 assists and totaling 20,742 minutes played.

Throughout his time at the club,the great Frenchman won the Premier League once, the UEFA Champions League once, the FIFA Club World Cup once, the UEFA Super Cup once, the UEFA Europa League once and the FA Cup once.

His ability to cover ground, win duels and protect the team in transition were the special qualities that made him one of the best midfielders in world football, and the Blues could have their next Kante-like figure already in the pipeline.

Chelsea's new Kante

Chelsea signed a certain Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama for around £13m in the January 2023 window, before loaning him back to Brazil for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. Since then he’s only gone from strength to strength.

The Brazilian was taken on the pre-season tour in2023/24, before being loaned to Nottingham Forest, where he only made two appearances.

Due to his lack of game time at Forest, Santos was recalled from loan in January 2024, and sent to Strasbourg (Chelsea’s sister club) where he played the second half of the campaign.

Chelsea decided one more loan move in the 2024/25 season would be the best route for Santos and his development, so he is yet again spending the year in Ligue 1, where he has been been simply phenomenal.

Santos vs Kante comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Santos (24/25)

Kante (20/21)

Goals + Assists

0.49

0.10

Progressive Carries

1.02

1.95

Progressive Passes

4.87

5.31

Passes Attempted

48.6

61.7

Pass Completion %

87.2%

85.8%

Key Passes

0.91

0.97

Passes into Final Third

3.96

3.99

Tackles

3.74

2.80

Interceptions

0.92

2.37

Ball Recoveries

6.42

8.40

Stats taken from FBref

When comparing the underlying metrics of Santos so far this season to the UCL winning season of Kante, you can see how closely they rank in certain metrics, both loving to get stuck in to recover the ball for their team, contributing with progressive passes and even adding extra output from midfield areas.

The 20-year-old’s Strasbourg manager, Liam Rosenior, has waxed lyrical about the Brazilian midfielder, stating he is set for a “magnificent” career, who already plays years beyond his age, stating “Andrey plays like he’s 32”.

That’s certainly seen in the stats. A box to box machine, Santos has made 21 appearances for Strasbourg so far this season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists. Meanwhile, only three players in Europe’s top five leagues this term have won more tackles than the Brazilian (47).

His all round quality, leadership – which has even been shown by captaining the French outfit at just 20-years-old – and solidity could make him Chelsea’s next Kante.

Related He lost the ball 21 times: 4/10 Chelsea dud was as bad as Nkunku v Brighton

Chelsea were poor in the FA Cup fourth round as they slumped to defeat against the Seagulls.

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 9, 2025

As they look to fine-tune an Enzo Maresca side which still has its problems, Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on signing a Premier League defender who’s enjoying an excellent season.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues were brought back down to reality by champions Manchester City last time out, as Pep Guardiola’s struggling side came from behind to throw Chelsea’s top-four aspirations into doubt. It was once again a game in which the London club struggled in their defensive third with another Robert Sanchez mistake stealing all the wrong headlines not for the first time this season.

Not just Sanchez: Maresca must now drop 4/10 Chelsea star who got 'bullied'

Chelsea were poor defensively against Man City

ByJoe Nuttall Jan 25, 2025

The rest of the Blues’ backline didn’t exactly enjoy standout displays, however, with Trevoh Chalobah spun by Erling Haaland before the City star lobbed the out-of-position Sanchez and then Levi Colwill was also overpowered by the Norwegian on his way to setting up Phil Foden for City’s third and final goal of the afternoon.

Two avoidable goals to put City out of reach, Chelsea have been left to ask questions of their centre-back partnership and seemingly left to turn their head towards the transfer market for further options.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are now eyeing a move to sign Dean Huijsen who reportedly has a release clause in his current Bournemouth contract. The defender has enjoyed an excellent debut season in the Premier League after leaving Juventus in the summer and is now reportedly highly appreciated by those at Stamford Bridge.

Still just 19 years old, the Spaniard has been a revelation for the Cherries who have enjoyed quite the campaign under Andoni Iraola so far.

"Complete" Huijsen is destined for the top

With every passing week, Juventus’ decision to show Huijsen the door remains more and more bizarre. This is a young central defender who showed plenty of potential during a loan spell at AS Roma and one that could have thrived under Thiago Motta. What was Juventus’ trash has since been Bournemouth’s treasure and the Italian club’s regret, however.

Now, Chelsea could take advantage when the summer arrives. If there are any concerns that he’ll struggle to adapt at a top club again too, then those should have been put to bed when he kept Blues target Alexander Isak quiet in a stunning 4-1 victory for Bournemouth over Newcastle United earlier this month. Limiting the in-form Swede to just one shot and 0.06 expected goals.

Described as a “complete package” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Huijsen could quickly emerge to become the latest young defender tasked with solving Chelsea’s defensive problems.

When the summer transfer window arrives, the central defender looks set to be one to keep an eye on alongside a number of impressive Bournemouth stars.

It’s been about a year and a half since Tottenham Hotspur appointed Ange Postecoglou as their head coach.

Since then, the Australian has overseen three transfer windows – including this one – and it would be fair to say that while he’s had a few misses, he’s also had a few big hits.

The likes of Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison have significantly impacted the club since arriving, as has club record signing Dominic Solanke.

The Englishman has been one of the team’s better players this season but is now set to miss a “few weeks” through injury, and when he gets back, he may face fresh competition, as recent reports have touted an even more dangerous number nine with a move to N17.

Tottenham target Champions League striker

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are one of several top teams interested in Feyenoord’s star striker, Santiago Gimenez.

Transfer Focus

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

Alongside the Lilywhites, Bailey claims that West Ham United have launched their first moves, having made contact with the Dutch side over a potential deal for the free-scoring forward this month.

However, the bad news for Spurs and the Irons is that, as things stand, it would appear as if Italian giants AC Milan will be the ones to secure his services, as they are confident of closing a £34m deal.

With that said, until all parties have signed on the dotted line, there is still a chance for the North Londoners to hijack the transfer, and given Gimenez’s incredible ability and the price being mooted, that is what they should be doing, especially as the Mexican international could be even more dangerous than Solanke.

How Gimenez compares to Solanke

So, if Spurs were to show their financial muscle this week and fight their way to the front of the queue for Gimenez, then in the immediate future, he’d be the perfect cover for the injured Solanke.

However, who’d end up as Postecoglou’s first choice once the Englishman returns from said injury? Well, based on the last few seasons, we reckon the former Bournemouth star will have a more challenging time of things than perhaps people expect.

For example, in just 18 appearances, totalling 1186 minutes, this season, the Mexican goal “machine,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has found the back of the net on 15 occasions and provided three assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every game, or every 65.88 minutes.

In contrast, the Lilywhites’ new number nine has scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 29 appearances, totalling 2248 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games, or every 132.23 minutes.

Now, there is obviously something to be said about the quality of the Premier League compared to the quality of the Eredivisie, but the counter to that is how well the two strikers have done in Europe this season.

For example, in four appearances in the Champions League for Feyenoord, the former Cruz Azul star has scored four goals – including a brace against Bayern Munich – and provided an assist for good measure.

In contrast, the Basingstoke-born poacher has a tally of two goals and two assists in six Europa League games, which isn’t poor but is notably less impressive than his potential rival’s European record.

Ultimately, Spurs are in need of attacking reinforcements anyway, so with Gimenez clearly available this month, they should be going all out to sign him, and then we’ll be able to find out if he really is more dangerous than Solanke, as he appears to be.

Amazing Kulusevski repeat: Spurs in contact to sign lethal £55m "monster"

The incredible goalscorer is just what Spurs need this season.

5

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 23, 2025

Roman Abramovich has opened up on the forced sale of Chelsea in 2022 in a book that is set to be released.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Abramovich opens up on Chelsea sale
• Book to be published this summer
• Sold club after Russia's invasion of Ukraine

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Abramovich, who purchased Chelsea in 2003, sold the club to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022 after the Russian oligarch was sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine due to his ties with president Vladimir Putin.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 58-year-old has not spoken publicly since before the sale, but reports that a new two-part interview is to be published in the upcoming book titled 'Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC'. Abramovich gave the first part of the interview in Istanbul last year, followed by another in Abu Dhabi in January.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea won five Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns under Abramovich's ownership, but they have struggled in the years following the takeover by the American consortium. The previous owner has not received any of the £2.5 billion ($3.3bn) Boehly and Co. agreed to pay for the club, with the funds remaining in a frozen bank account despite the assertion they would be used for humanitarian causes related to Ukraine.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Details of Chelsea's 2022 sale will be revealed when the book comes out this summer, while Enzo Maresca's Blues will attempt to boost their hopes of a return to next season's Champions League when they host Everton in the Premier League this weekend.