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Rashid Khan and Nicholas Pooran set to move teams to align with other global franchise ties

Matt Roller19-Feb-2025The Hundred’s incoming investors are already wielding their influence on the tournament, with several teams using a revamped recruitment system to sign players who represent their new partners’ other overseas franchises.The new ‘direct signing’ model allows each team to sign two players – one men’s, one women’s – among their retentions before next month’s draft. New joint-venture agreements are still being thrashed out but ESPNcricinfo has learned that several teams are already leaning on their partners’ global networks to recruit talent for the Hundred’s ‘transitional’ 2025 season.Rashid Khan has agreed a deal with double-defending champions Oval Invincibles, having played for their new co-owners Reliance’s teams in the ILT20, SA20 and MLC. Manchester Originals have been discussing a short-term deal for Nicholas Pooran, who plays for their new joint-venture partners RPSG Group’s IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants.Southern Brave, where the GMR Group are taking over, are working on a deal to bring in Faf du Plessis, who they signed in November for the IPL franchise they co-own, Delhi Capitals. Elsewhere, Welsh Fire are in talks with Steven Smith – who plays for new partners Washington Freedom in MLC – and hope to finalise his signing before Sunday’s deadline.Steven Smith is in talks with Welsh Fire•Major League CricketRashid and Pooran’s deals are particularly notable because they played for other Hundred teams last year: Trent Rockets and Northern Superchargers respectively. Rashid was the first pick at the Hundred’s inaugural draft back in 2019 and has been retained ever since, but is instead moving to The Oval.”The point of the direct signings was to attract high-end, better-quality overseas stars and I can only see it as a positive,” Daryl Mitchell, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) told ESPNcricinfo. “There will be regulations in place, but there are always going to be relationships in cricket – long-standing ones in some cases.”Mitchell said it was “par for the course” for players to extend their links with global franchises, though he encouraged the ECB to pay close attention. “The way that players move has been going on in cricket for a long time. There are always relationships that are already established between directors of cricket, list managers or coaches with certain agents and certain players.”Related

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The ECB has raised top men’s salaries from £125,000 to £200,000 for 2025 to ensure that the Hundred can compete with MLC and the CPL (which overlaps) for talent. The PCA criticised incremental increases to lower salary as showing a “lack of respect” for domestic players in December and are pushing for further increases when new owners are fully ensconced in 2026.The moves represent the latest step in a gradual shift towards a global contracting network in the T20 franchise world, though others will play against teams affiliated to their own IPL franchise. Trent Boult, who has played for several Reliance teams, has signed for Birmingham Phoenix, while David Miller, Pooran’s LSG team-mate, is set to join Northern Superchargers.The same dynamic is not yet affecting English players, who cannot move directly from one team to another without relying on the uncertainty of the draft. But the ECB have previously told prospective investors that they may be able to lock in England players on multi-year contracts in future years, meaning some could move teams based on their associations with IPL franchises.

“There is an obvious opportunity for collaboration.”Manchester Originals chair James Sheridan on their new partnership with Lucknow Super Giants

Players have represented franchises across multiple leagues ever since Kolkata Knight Riders made the unprecedented move to buy the Trinidad and Tobago CPL team a decade ago. But the trend has accelerated in recent years, especially after the 2023 launches of both the ILT20 and SA20, where IPL owners are heavily represented.”If you take a very long-term worldview, maybe, at some point, it wouldn’t be crazy to see some kind of roll-up of these teams and a combination of these tournaments,” James Sheridan, who chairs Manchester Originals, said last week. “That would need tectonic plates to shift quite a lot. But it wouldn’t surprise me if, in 10 years’ time, we are looking at something like that.”Sheridan suggested that the Originals, the Super Giants and Lancashire will create “joint development activities” in the years to come, but cautioned: “Contracting isn’t as straightforward as people might think in franchise cricket. You’ve got auctions, you’ve got drafts… But there is an obvious opportunity for collaboration.”Insiders believe that the Hundred teams whose new owners do not have links to other franchises overseas will face challenges when recruiting in future as a result. This applies particularly to Rockets – who have signed Marcus Stoinis after losing Rashid – and Phoenix, with the pull of Lord’s playing in London Spirit’s favour under their new Silicon Valley co-owners.The Hundred’s eight franchises are valued at nearly £1 billion between them•Getty Images for ECBKane Williamson was announced as the Spirit’s new men’s captain this week, and his deal also covers a stint with Middlesex, who are MCC’s tenants at Lord’s. Some host counties are keen for closer alignment in personnel with their Hundred teams, both in domestic and overseas players, which Mitchell believes has already started to happen.”The reality is that over the last four or five years, there are probably elements of county players aligning with Hundred teams,” Mitchell said. Is that likely to continue? I’d have thought so. The host counties are potentially going to be in control of the budgets of both the county and the Hundred teams as well.”Mitchell said the PCA’s priority is to ensure that players retain confidence that Hundred squads will be picked on merit. “Over the next 12-18 months, it’s about making sure there are guard-rails in place to make sure players are picked on performance and that everyone’s got a fair shot of getting an opportunity.”The ECB will retain overall control of the Hundred but is forming a new committee with representation from each franchise, which will discuss issues like recruitment. There is a growing expectation that the draft could be tweaked or revamped after this season, with an open-market system and an auction both raised as potential alternatives.The influence of new owners in recruitment has largely been confirmed to the men’s Hundred so far, with the women’s franchise circuit still in a nascent phase. Amelia Kerr (Manchester Originals) and Laura Wolvaardt (Southern Brave) were both confirmed as direct signings last month, with the Originals also retaining Beth Mooney.

Tottenham players have been assigned small three-digit numbers, which are printed on the back of their shirts. The numbers are unique to each player and they have been sporting them since 2023. After finishing 17th in the Premier League in a dismal 2024-25 campaign, Spurs have made a strong start to the new season, sitting third in the table after five matches.

Spurs players wearing unique three-digit numbers

Every Spurs player has been given a unique three-digit number, which is printed just below the collar on the back of their shirts (except summer signing Kota Takai, who has yet to be assigned one). The players have been carrying those numbers on their shirts since their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in 2023.

AdvertisementAFPWhy Tottenham stars have small numbers on their back

The small three-digit numbers on the back of the players' shirts are called "legacy numbers". The numbers are assigned once they make their competitive debuts for the Premier League side. Tottenham started the initiative to commemorate the contributions of every player who has represented the club. 

Simons & Kolo Muani latest to be assigned legacy numbers

New signings Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani were the latest Spurs stars to be assigned the "legacy numbers". While Simons was given 898 on his debut in their recent win over West Ham, Kolo Muani got 899 when making his bow in their Champions League clash against Villarreal.

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Getty Images SportUp next for Spurs: Doncaster then Wolves

After a thrilling 2-2 draw against Brighton at the weekend, Thomas Frank's Spurs side will now turn their attention to a clash with Doncaster in the Carabao Cup third round. Tottenham are due back in Premier League action at home to Wolves three days later.

A new update has emerged regarding an “exceptional” Everton transfer target this summer, with just shy of £22m needed if the Blues want to snap him up.

Moyes provides transfer update at Everton

The start of the 2025/26 Premier League season is now just a couple of weeks away, with Everton beginning their campaign with a trip to Leeds United on August 18th.

It has been a frustrating summer transfer window for the Blues, however, in terms of the volume of players signed, with David Moyes admitting that his side don’t feel fully ready going into the new campaign.

“We’ve got huge priorities as far as where we would like to try and buy the players if we could do. But also, we’ve got a numbers situation as well, we’re short in numbers, so there’s a bit of both. We’re trying to get the pieces we really want first, and that’s what we’ve been fighting to do. So hopefully we can, hopefully things will fall into place.

“But we’re just beginning to think, my goodness, we’re just not getting enough over the line. Because we are actively working to try [and] it’s not as if we’re a club who are saying [that] we’re waiting to sell a player before we can bring one in. But it’s not really the situation. We’ve got money to spend, and we’ll have to try and spend it wisely.”

Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz has been mentioned as a summer option as Everton look to upgrade in midfield, but it’s Benfica’s Florentino Luis who was the subject of a Toffees approach this week, and now a fresh update has dropped regarding the latter.

Everton find out asking price for "exceptional" ace

According to Record [via Sport Witness], Everton will need to pay €25m (around £21.7m) to have a chance of signing Luis this summer, with fellow Premier League clubs Burnley and Leeds United also in the race to bring him in.

No official bid has been tabled yet, with the aforementioned enquiry the most progress made, and it remains to be seen if the Blues will push forward in their efforts.

A midfielder is paramount for Everton in the coming weeks, in terms of quality and depth in the middle of the park, especially after the exit of Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Luis looks like an ideal option to bring in, with the 25-year-old racking up 176 appearances for Benfica and winning two Primeira Liga titles with Benfica, as well as being lauded by former manager Rui Vitoria.

“Florentino Luis is an exceptional talent. He has the qualities that every coach would want in a midfielder: tenacity, intelligence, and technique.”

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Luis is at a point in his career where a move to the Premier League could appeal, allowing him to test himself abroad, and he has the defensive quality and technical ability to shine there, having averaged 4.2 tackles per game and enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate in the Champions League last season.

Manchester United fans may be feeling a sense of disappointment after it was confirmed that Viktor Gyokeres would be joining Arsenal over a move to Old Trafford.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that a deal had been reached between the Gunners and the 27-year-old for a fee in the region of £63.8m including add-ons.

Ruben Amorim will undoubtedly have wanted to secure a reunion between himself and the forward after enjoying a successful stint together at Sporting CP.

However, his loss is Mikel Arteta’s gain, with the Red Devils’ hierarchy needing to identify other targets to help strengthen the club’s frontline ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Numerous players have previously been mentioned as possible targets, potentially needing to re-enter negotiations with multiple talents after missing out on Gyokeres’ signature.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

During the current transfer window, United have been touted with moves for a whole host of attacking stars who could change the club’s fortunes in front of goal.

The likes of Dušan Vlahović, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ollie Watkins have all been discussed as possible targets, but as of yet, no deals have been agreed for any of the aforementioned trio.

However, moves have been made elsewhere, including a deal for Benjamin Sesko after progress was made for his signature, according to TEAMtalk.

They claim that the Red Devils have already made contact with RB Leipzig over a move for the 22-year-old, who netted 21 goals for the German side across all competitions last season.

It also states that United’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, has pushed a move for the Slovenian international, who’s available for £67m, after missing out on a deal for Gyokeres’ signature.

Why United’s £67m target would be Amorim’s next Gyokeres

Given Gyokeres’ tally of 54 goals in his 52 appearances last season, it’s no surprise to see the Swede being a man in demand this window, having the tools to inject quality into any frontline.

Having previously featured under Amorim before, a move to Old Trafford would’ve made sense for all parties, but ultimately, the club’s lack of Champions League football has cost them in their pursuit.

The prospect of facing the 27-year-old in the Premier League is certainly a frightening one for the Red Devils, undoubtedly highlighting the talisman they missed out on this summer.

However, the hierarchy shouldn’t be disheartened, desperately needing to back Amorim in his quest for success and pushing for other alternatives before the end of the window.

Sesko could prove to be the perfect alternative, being a younger option than Gyokeres, but also a just as effective striker given the stats produced by both last campaign.

When comparing their respective figures, the Leipzig talent managed to outperform him in various departments, handing the manager his next version of the impressive talisman.

Sesko, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by analyst Antonio Mango, may have been outscored, but did post the same goal per shot on target rate – highlighting he’s just as clinical with the opportunities that fall his way.

Games played

33

33

Goals & assists

18

46

Goals per shot on target

0.4

0.4

Key passes made

1.1

0.5

Take-ons completed

52%

45%

Carries into final third

1.4

1.3

Aerials won

2.7

1.2

Aerial success rate

59%

50%

He also registered more key passes per 90 and completed more of the take-ons he attempted, subsequently able to get the ball into attacking areas and finish chances himself or provide others with the opportunities to improve their own tallies.

The Slovenian’s dominance doesn’t end there, winning more aerials and more of the battles he contested – handing Amorim the focal point he craves at Old Trafford.

£67m may appear to be a steep fee for a player who’s never played in England, but it would be a shrewd investment given the stats produced and the potential he holds.

Missing out on Gyokeres would’ve been a bitter blow, but ultimately it could be a blessing in disguise if Sesko can build on his impressive form from the 2024/25 campaign.

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In another world, Blast matchwinner would be lining up for Oval Test; instead he’s off to Finals Day

Matt Roller04-Sep-2024It is not hard to imagine a world in which Ollie Robinson spent Wednesday preparing to lead England’s attack against Sri Lanka at The Oval. Instead, with weeks left to run on his central contract, he spearheaded Sussex’s charge into T20 Blast Finals Day at a sold-out Hove – first with the ball, and then in the field with a bullseye run-out of Liam Livingstone.It was a performance that left Sussex’s captain, Tymal Mills, pushing Robinson’s credentials on the franchise circuit. “Hopefully, he picks up some more T20 gigs off the back of it,” Mills said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with him England-wise in red-ball cricket, but he’s shown he’s a very skilful new-ball bowler.”Even with Jos Buttler missing, Lancashire fielded seven internationals to Sussex’s five but were totally outplayed, with Robinson instrumental. On a fresh, grassy pitch, he struck with the first ball of the match, bowling Phil Salt – returning to his old club – via his pad with an in-ducker, then yorked Keaton Jennings in the seventh over after being swung over mid-on for a pair of sixes.Jennings’ dismissal for 37 sparked a slow-motion collapse of 5 for 14 in four overs, before Livingstone took charge of the game: he twice crunched Mills over square leg, and launched Jofra Archer over long-off. But on 43, after steering to short third, he was sent back by Luke Wood, sprawled at full stretch to make his ground, and was beaten by Robinson’s direct hit.When Archer, playing his first game in the Blast since 2021, rearranged Saqib Mahmood’s stumps, Lancashire had been bowled out for just 114, the lowest first-innings score at Hove in eight years. Brad Currie struck twice with his inswingers, while spinners James Coles and Jack Carson kept the brakes on through the middle – but Robinson was the star.”I didn’t expect to have him much at all in the Blast,” Mills said. “But once it looked like he was getting left out of the England team, he was with us from the start and has been fantastic. He’s been thinking about the game, helping me out in the field, and I can’t speak highly enough of him. It’s been a huge boost to have him.”Robinson is not renowned as the most athletic fielder but was quick to point out on Sky Sports that his direct hit was his second of the season. “He’s in excellent shape,” Mills said. “He’s clearly enjoying his cricket. He’s really committed down here — he’s signed a contract extension for next year — and is in a really good place at the moment.”When Stuart Broad retired at the end of last summer’s Ashes series, Robinson looked like the obvious replacement. Instead, he has played a single Test since, bowling 13 wicketless overs in Ranchi while struggling with a back issue. Even with James Anderson following Broad into retirement and Mark Wood injured, Robinson is nowhere to be seen.There is little doubt about Robinson’s ability – he still has an exceptional Test record, with 76 wickets at 22.92 – but he has often faced questions about his fitness and his desire. It was only last week that Luke Wright, England’s national selector, challenged him to “show that he’s robust enough to be able to stand up to the rigours of Test cricket.”Jofra Archer and Tymal Mills were also in action for Sussex•Getty ImagesIt remains to be seen if Robinson can shake the perception that he has blown one chance too many at Test level. Brendon McCullum, England’s new supremo, has often been informed by his mantra: ‘If you can’t change a man, change the man.’ The implication of Robinson’s non-selection throughout the summer is that the change has been made for good.Either way, this was a promising showing: on an admittedly helpful pitch, Robinson bowled with decent pace, nipped the new ball around and showed his skills to york Jennings. He has 18 Blast wickets at 20.38 this season to supplement 30 at 28.16 in the Championship, and will relish the chance to perform on the big stage at Finals Day next Saturday.This was an exceptional night for Sussex, and the mood at Hove has changed considerably. Only two years ago, they finished second-last in the County Championship with a single win in the season, and won four T20 games out of 14. Now, they are three games away from clinching promotion in the Championship and two away from the Blast title.The County Ground was sold out, and the crowd welcomed Salt and Luke Wells back with pantomime boos as their names were announced on the tannoy. Sussex will not have Archer available at Edgbaston on account of England’s T20I series against Australia – but after this 10th T20 win of the season, they have reason to believe they can break a 15-year wait for this trophy.

Bangladesh’s Player of the Match against Netherlands credits the bowling unit for the crucial win

Mohammad Isam13-Jun-20241:42

Maharoof: Shakib was prepared for Netherlands’ short-ball tactics

Shakib Al Hasan walks out for Bangladesh’s warm-up session ahead of the match against Netherlands in Kingstown wearing a neck brace. Has he hurt himself? But then he does his batting drills with the brace on. What’s this about? Turns out he is fine, he was just trying to keep his head in place while having a hit.It has been an issue for him since the 2023 ODI World Cup. He sported the neck brace at the nets then too. And then during the BPL, emphasising just how important a still head position is to him.Coming into the Netherlands game, Shakib had scored 8 against Sri Lanka and 3 against South Africa in his two innings, out to a bouncer both times, and the form of Bangladesh’s top-order batters had also been a worry. On the day, it was 23 for 2 in 3.1 overs when he walked out. He stood tall at the crease with a high back-lift – possibly for the first time in his career.Related

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Shakib, Rishad, Mustafizur take Bangladesh closer to Super Eight

At the other end, Tanzid Hasan was striking the ball well, and Shakib got going with a cover drive off Paul van Meekeren, before going after Logan van Beek in the sixth over, hammering short wide balls for two fours before pulling one over short fine-leg. He finished the over with a slice through backward point. It was a 19-run over, and Shakib had got to 25 in a T20I for the first time this year.Then came a straight-bat shot through midwicket, off Tim Pringle. It is an unfamiliar Shakib shot, given that he has mostly resorted to hacks and slogs in the last couple of years in T20Is. This shot in particular drove home the point that he was not going to throw it away in the middle overs. Beating Netherlands was important for Bangladesh, but also, it was important for Shakib to score runs, and he knew it.Later in the innings, he allowed Mahmudullah to go for the big hits, as the experienced duo kept Bangladesh on course for a strong total. Shakib reached his fifty, his first in T20Is since October 2022. It was also his first fifty in a T20 World Cup since 2016. Shakib and Jaker Ali then ensured Bangladesh had a strong finish, as they added 54.They had also scored 54 (for 2) in the powerplay. These are significant numbers. This was the first time since coming to this part of the world in mid-May that Bangladesh had scored 50-plus in the first six and the last five overs. All of it, and key wickets from Rishad Hossain (3 for 33) and Mustafizur Rahman (1-12), gave Bangladesh a 25-run win and a great shot at making the Super Eight.Shakib Al Hasan walked out to warm up with a neck brace on•ICC/Getty Images”I thought we assessed the wicket brilliantly. It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on at the start,” Shakib said in the press conference afterwards. “Scoring became easier once the ball got older. I think the wicket got easier in the second half but our bowlers did a tremendous job. Rishad and the Fizz changed the momentum with their later overs.”

****

Shakib felt that it was the bowling attack that got Bangladesh the victory in the end. Netherlands went from 111 for 3 to 134 for 8 in the last 32 balls.”It was a challenging total, so we had to bowl well. The match was 50-50 till the 12th over. Credit to Mustafizur and Rishad. They bowled really well at that stage,” he said. “Our bowling unit is doing well consistently for a while now, especially pace bowlers. Rishad’s addition has also worked for me.”I think [Rishad] showed great character. The full bowling unit did well. Everyone did their job responsibly. Mustafizur, Taskin [Ahmed] and Tanzim [Hasan] have all bowled well, so it helps the rest of the attack too.”1:06

Aaron: ‘Rishad bowled with flight and guile, was fearless’

Shakib finished unbeaten on 68 off 46 balls. It was the sort of innings that would have been out of place at, say, IPL 2024, but is gold dust at this T20 World Cup where batters have generally struggled.He wasn’t making runs before this game. He had a weakness against the short ball. He could have thrown away his wicket. He has done so well over the years that a blip may not have registered much. “I have never taken personal goals seriously. I would have batted differently if I was playing for personal goals. I batted for the team. I got runs. It is the most important thing.”Shakib had faced a lot of criticism over the last couple of weeks back home, particularly for his dismissals against Sri Lanka and South Africa. He is also still without a wicket.”A player doesn’t come to give answers. He has to contribute for the team. He has to bat well. If he is lucky, he can get wickets. His job is to save runs and take catches. There’s nothing more to say,” he said in response to a question on the subject. “I think it is important for a current player that he is contributing to the team. If he doesn’t, there will be talk, but I also don’t think it’s a bad thing.”

Leeds United are tooling up for a return to the Premier League and could now be closer to making their first signing of the summer window, according to reports.

Leeds United look towards Premier League comeback

Following playoff heartbreak against Southampton, Daniel Farke finally led his side to the Championship title this time around and will now focus on navigating the challenges top-flight football has to offer.

The Whites could have a transfer budget of over £100 million to play with this summer, which may go a long way to securing the survival that the 48-year-old craves in charge at Elland Road.

Ipswich Town act as an example that capital spent doesn’t necessarily guarantee a sustained place among England’s footballing elite, but there are valuable lessons to learn from promoted sides’ ill-fortune over the past few years.

Looking to buck that trend, Leeds are eyeing a statement move for former star Kalvin Phillips and have held internal talks to hatch a plan that could tempt him back to Yorkshire from Manchester City.

Evan Ferguson is another potential Whites signing with Premier League credentials that could thrive in the correct surroundings. Admittedly, he has stalled since his injury troubles, though his age may work in his favour if a deal were to be agreed.

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Callum Wilson and Jamie Vardy have been mentioned as free agent options to bolster Farke’s frontline. Again, any possibility of a swoop would depend on whether they would fit the wage bracket at Elland Road.

Focusing on the foil behind the main men, Leeds and the 49ers have now stepped up their pursuit of a talented attacking midfielder to support their pool of centre-forward options.

Leeds United hold talks over Emiliano Buendia move

According to TBR’s Graeme Bailey, Leeds have now held talks to sign Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia. Having spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, the former Norwich City man is “open” to a move to Yorkshire and is someone who Farke trusts as his side look to retain their Premier League status.

Five most similar players to Emiliano Buendia (FBRef)

Eliesse Ben Seghir

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RB Leipzig

Labelled “delightful” by Dean Smith, Buendia registered five goals in 34 appearances across all competitions at his parent club and in Germany, though it is clear he needs to find a platform to gain regular minutes after a series of injury troubles.

Now, it remains to be seen if Leeds can pull off what would be regarded as a bit of a coup should they come to an agreement on a deal with the 28-year-old.

Buendia was regarded as one of the Premier League’s most talented stars outside the ‘Big Six’ not too long ago, so there is every chance Farke could reignite the Mar del Plata-born man.

Earlier this week, the Whites were said to be preparing a £16.8 million offer for the man in question, indicating there could be something in the water.

Ahead of what could be another busy summer at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have now reportedly held direct talks with one European club chief over signing a £42m defender.

Chelsea making summer transfer plans

As ever, the Blues will be ones to watch this summer. Even as their Champions League qualification remains unconfirmed, those at Stamford Bridge are likely to be in a position to splash the cash in an attempt to finally put a side together capable of taking Chelsea back into the Premier League title picture.

With the summer transfer window fast-approaching too, the rumours have already been coming thick and fast. Names such as Ollie Watkins and Dean Huijsen have particularly been mentioned among the headlines in recent weeks and there’s no denying that both would hand Enzo Maresca key upgrades at opposite ends of his strongest side.

Watkins would be a particularly interesting arrival thanks to his place at Aston Villa – a direct rival for Champions League qualification. A proven goalscorer in the Premier League, the England international could finally be the answer to the Blues’ striker problems if he decides to swap the Midlands for the London club this summer.

In pursuit of a rival star, to say that Champions League qualification would go a long way towards luring such players to Stamford Bridge would be a major understatement – especially if it means that Aston Villa miss out on a place.

Whilst it’s easy for the Blues to get ahead of themselves, however, Maresca chose to remain fairly grounded when quizzed on the frantic top five battle – telling reporters: “The mood is good and I’ve said for a few weeks now that it’s a matter of how we manage emotions until the end [of the season],’ the Blues head coach explained.

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“When we win games, we are happy and when we don’t win, we’re not happy. But it’ll be a race until the end and we need to manage the emotions. In this moment, the main thing is to watch ourselves and be focused on ourselves. This is the main point. For sure, there are more clubs involved [in the top-five race] but for us, it’s important to stay focused on ourselves.”

Chelsea step up move to sign Hato

Away from the action on the pitch, meanwhile, BlueCo have reportedly been busy. According to Dutch journalist Mike Verweij on De Telegraaf’s Kick Off podcast, Chelsea have now held direct talks with Ajax chief Alex Kroes over signing Jorrel Hato this summer.

The teenage full-back has enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Netherlands and BlueCo are now reportedly set to step up their chase for his signature in a deal worth £42m this summer. Adding competition for Marc Cucurella in the process, Hato would go a long way towards handing Maresca a complete squad.

Praised for an “excellent” season by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Hato looks likely to be one to watch as Chelsea push to welcome yet another young talent this summer.

Today is the day that Leeds United could officially secure their promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking in the Championship.

The Whites play host to Stoke City at Elland Road in a 3 pm kick-off this afternoon, knowing that if they win and Sheffield United fail to beat Burnley in their 5:30 pm kick-off, they will be promoted.

Despite beating Oxford United 1-0 last time out in the Championship, Daniel Farke could look to make some changes to his starting line-up to keep the team fresh, after only two days of recovery, and Dan James is a star who should come back in.

Why Dan James should start for Leeds

The Wales international missed the 2-1 win over Preston North End with an injury and returned to play a part off the bench in the clash with Oxford on Friday.

After his cameo at the Kassam, James should now be put back into the starting line-up against Stoke this afternoon, just days after he was named as one of the finalists in the race to win the Championship Player of the Season award.

The former Manchester United winger has scored 12 goals, created 16 ‘big chances’, and delivered nine assists in 30 starts in the second tier this term, which shows that he has made a big impact in the final third on a regular basis.

Leeds know that today could be the day that they seal promotion, if they beat Stoke, and they need their best players on the pitch in order to have the best chance of success.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With this in mind, Farke must bring the influential star back into the team by ruthlessly ditching Brenden Aaronson from the side that started on Friday.

Why Brenden Aaronson should be dropped

The USA international played 89 minutes against Oxford and failed to offer much in front of goal, as he missed one ‘big chance’, lost possession 15 times, and failed to create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

Aaronson was described as “anonymous” by reporter James Marshment back in February, and that assessment still rings true, as it was his 12th game without a goal or an assist in his last 13 appearances in all competitions.

The £45k-per-week flop has produced two goals and zero assists in 19 matches in 2025, with one of those goals coming in the 7-0 win over Cardiff, which illustrates how ineffective he has been in the final third.

Appearances (starts)

43 (40)

40 (23)

xG

10.24

5.50

Goals

9

6

Minutes per goal

368

345

Big chances created

8

9

Assists

2

5

As you can see in the table above, Wilfried Gnonto has been more effective as a finisher whilst also providing more creativity despite starting 17 fewer games than the American dud.

This suggests that Farke should keep the Italy U21 international in the team, moving him into the number ten role, and drop Aaronson from the side in order to start James on the right wing.

Imagine him & Ampadu: Leeds chase star with more PL goals than Raphinha

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing a midfielder from the Premier League.

ByDan Emery Apr 17, 2025

This would mean that Leeds would have an attacking midfield trident of James, Gnonto, and Manor Solomon behind either Joel Piroe or Patrick Bamford in the centre-forward position.

All the stats highlights from West Indies’ dominating win over Afghanistan in the final group game

Sampath Bandarupalli18-Jun-2024218 for 5 – West Indies’ total against Afghanistan in Gros Islet is their highest at the men’s T20 World Cup. Their previous highest was 205 for 6 against South Africa in 2007 and 205 for 5 against Australia in 2012. It is also the highest by any team in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 and the joint-fourth across all editions.West Indies posted their highest team total at a men’s T20 World Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – The 218 by West Indies is now the highest total against Afghanistan in T20Is since they became a Full Member nation in 2017 and the second-highest ever, behind the 225 for 7 by Ireland in 2013.92 for 1 – West Indies’ total in the powerplay against Afghanistan is the highest by any team in the first six overs at the men’s T20 World Cup, bettering the 91 for 1 by Netherlands in the 2014 edition against Ireland.36 – Runs scored by West Indies in the fourth over bowled by Azmatullah Omarzai are the joint-most in an over in men’s T20Is. As many as 36 runs were scored by Yuvraj Singh (off Stuart Broad in 2007), Kieron Pollard (off Akila Dananjaya in 2021) and Dipendra Singh Airee (in 2024 off Kamran Khan) when they hit six sixes in an over, while India also scored 36 in an over against Afghanistan earlier this year, which included a no-ball and five sixes.152 – Runs scored by West Indies across the powerplay (1-6) and death overs (17-20) against Afghanistan. It is the highest any team aggregated across the powerplay and death overs in a men’s T20I (where ball-by-ball data is available). The previous highest was 151 runs by Nepal against Mongolia at the Asian Games last year.104 – Margin of West Indies’ win by runs in Gros Islet is their second-biggest in men’s T20Is, behind the 134-run win against Uganda earlier in the tournament.It is also the second-biggest losing margin for Afghanistan in T20Is, behind the 116-run defeat against England in the 2012 T20 World Cup.Nicholas Pooran stands at No. 1 among West Indies’ six hitters in men’s T20I cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd296.3 – Nicholas Pooran’s strike rate across the powerplay and death overs during his knock of 98 off 53. He scored 80 runs in the 27 balls faced in those two phases, hitting six fours and eight sixes. Pooran scored only 18 runs off 26 balls in the middle overs without hitting a boundary.37 – Runs scored by Pooran off Rashid Khan, in 16 balls. No batter has taken more runs off him in a T20I. In fact, in all T20s, only once has Rashid leaked more runs to a batter in a game, when Chris Gayle hammered 42 off 16 in a 2018 IPL match. Manan Vohra scored 37 off 14 against him in IPL 2017.4 – Batters to be run out in the nineties in a men’s T20I, including Pooran against Afghanistan. Only one of the previous three instances came at the T20 World Cup – Chris Gayle, who also scored 98 before being run out in the 2010 edition, against India.2012 – Runs by Pooran in his T20I career, making him the first man to cross the 2000-mark for West Indies in this format. Pooran is now the leading six-hitter for West Indies in T20Is, with 128 sixes, surpassing Gayle’s 124.