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Both players declined contract offers but will be available for T20 Finals Day

George Dobell27-Aug-2021Chris Jordan and Phil Salt are to leave Sussex for Surrey and Lancashire respectively at the end of the season.Jordan, who remains a key part of England’s T20 World Cup plans, returns to the club he represented between 2007 and 2012 and will captain the side in T20 cricket. His deal runs until the end of 2024.Salt, who made a good impression in his first taste of international cricket earlier in the season, is seen as a like-for-like replacement for Alex Davies at Old Trafford, who has signed for Warwickshire. He is understood to have been a boyhood Lancashire supporter who once asked for an autograph of the club’s head coach, Glen Chapple, while the club were on pre-season tour in Barbados, where Salt lived.Both Salt, who is 24, and Jordan, who is 32, declined new contract offers at Sussex. Both will, however, be available for the club on T20 Finals Day this year.Related

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“I am extremely pleased to be returning to the place where it all started for me at the age of 17,” Jordan said. “I return having evolved not only as a cricketer but a person and I’m looking forward continuing that evolution.”I am honoured to be entrusted with leading the T20 team over the next few years and playing a part in helping the club win trophies. There is an enormous amount of talent in the dressing room and I can’t wait to get started.”Surrey hope that Jordan’s arrival will improve their T20 form, in particular. They club finished fifth in the South Group in 2021, but their director of cricket, Alec Stewart, believes the arrival of “one of the finest death bowlers in the world” will revive their fortunes.”I first saw him when he was at Dulwich College as a 16-year-old and his obvious talent was there to see then therefore I’m delighted to welcome CJ back to Surrey, his first home in county cricket,” Stewart said. “He has worked tirelessly at his game to get himself to the point now where he is regarded as one of the finest death bowlers in the world.”His skill and work ethic, coupled with vast experience at the international and franchise level means I’m very confident he will contribute in a big way both on and off the field.”Phil Salt has been a key part of Sussex’s T20 side•Getty ImagesSalt’s signing is something of a coup for Lancashire. As he showed in his three ODIs against Pakistan, he is a powerful, aggressive top-order player who might well, in a different era, be in England’s white-ball sides. But with the country currently progressing remarkable depth in top-order batting, Lancashire can expect him to be available most of the time. He is young, though, with the scope for improvement and could well force his way into contention for more international cricket. It is understood that Sussex made a concerted effort to retain him.While the move of both men has created some concern around the counties – it is understood the issue of Hundred-hosting clubs gaining a financial advantage over other clubs has been raised with the ECB – it might also hint of a deeper issue at Sussex. While the club have qualified for T20 Finals Day, they finished seventh in Group One of the Royal London One-Day Cup and bottom of Group Three of the County Championship. Rumours of discontent are growing.”To be saying goodbye to everyone at Sussex has to be one of the toughest things I’ve had to do to date,” Salt said. “In my time at the club I have realised my dream of playing international cricket and I have formed lifetime relationships.”This has not been an easy decision to make. Sussex is a special place to play cricket and I will be forever grateful to the club for giving me an opportunity back in 2013.”I now feel it’s time for me to take on a new challenge. I am very proud to have represented such a great club. I want to thank the entire back room staff and my teammates who have been a part of the journey but most importantly the fans and supporters who have made the entire experience extremely special.”

“The longer you go without contributing a significant score, the closer you are to actually contributing. And that’s coming from experience”

Sidharth Monga03-Oct-20212:50

Dasgupta: Varun will be my first-choice specialist spinner at T20 WC

Being an overseas captain of an IPL team is not an easy job. The moment you start to struggle, debates start if it is tenable to have an overseas captain because you are occupying one of the four key positions. The underlying implication is that it is okay if you take up one of the seven Indian spots and struggle, but those four positions need to be maximised.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Also if you are considered for the captaincy job in the IPL, chances are, you are already captaining your national side and perhaps another team in another league. Not everyone wants that extra pressure of leading another team, especially in the toughest T20 competition in the world.Dinesh Karthik told the podcast that Eoin Morgan was reluctant to take up the Kolkata Knight Riders captaincy mid-season last year when Karthik was himself struggling for runs and didn’t want to block one spot in the team. It’s the darnedest thing. Morgan is struggling even more for runs.In this year’s IPL, Morgan has played 11 innings of any length, but only two of them have gone past single digits. He is lucky Knight Riders are still in the tournament. After the win against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which Morgan scored two unbeaten runs, they need to beat Rajasthan Royals in their last match to make it through to the playoffs. There are also other permutations for them to go through should they not win their last match.That still has not taken focus away from Morgan’s form although his experience tells him he is not far off from contributing. “Absolutely,” Morgan said when asked if it was a concern. “I am short of runs in this phase of the tournament, the whole tournament in general. I am very lucky to be in a position where I have been through stages like this in my career. I think the longer you go without contributing a significant score, the closer you are to actually contributing. And that’s coming from experience.”Eoin Morgan gets a feel of the conditions•BCCIMoving to the UAE with a team built for Indian conditions hasn’t helped them at all. The pitches have been difficult to play the brand of cricket Morgan’s England team does in limited-overs cricket. And the conditions have varied more than they usually do: Knight Riders’ last match two nights ago in Dubai was on a quickish pitch where 165 was chased down successfully; this one was slow and spongy, making 116 a scrap. However, Morgan said you just have to adjust to the pitches and play good cricket.”We were here two nights ago and the ball seemed to come onto the bat,” Morgan said. “Yes it swings early in the Powerplay and a little bit of nip, which is expected here in Dubai, but today was a little bit sluggish. Obviously the wicket is one thing, you need to adapt to conditions, bowl well, field well, and we did that incredibly well.”Morgan was asked if these conditions are good for T20 cricket. “The purpose of T20 cricket is to be our most entertaining format,” he said. “It is very appealing to the wider audience of sorts fans around the world. I think an element of pure cricket was in the wicket today. If bowlers bowled in the right area, they got their due reward. The batsmen had to work a little bit harder. I think sometimes in T20 it is nice to have that element to give an insight into the real game of cricket as opposed to the ball flying everywhere and everything in the batsmen’s favour.”Knight Riders have also had to deal with injuries to key players. Andre Russell and Lockie Feguson continue to sit out. Morgan said Ferguson did make the trip the ground, and started to do some run-throughs, which is a positive sign. Russell continues to rehab in the hotel.

West Bromwich Albion fans are strapped in for another promotion-chasing season at the Hawthorns, as the well-respected Carlos Corberan aims to steer the Baggies to another finish near the top of the Championship table.

The West Midlands side clinched a playoff spot last season, but would ultimately come unstuck at the semi-final stage to eventual winners Southampton, with the aim now to avenge this disappointment and finally return to the Premier League at the end of this long and gruelling campaign.

It will be a tough ask, with the Baggies showing some chinks in their armour already with two Championship losses next to their name, but the passionate Spaniard on the sidelines will know he can rely on the likes of Kyle Bartley and Josh Maja to help his team in their ongoing promotion push.

Bartley and Maja's importance to West Brom

Whilst many of the West Brom old guard departed the club this summer for pastures new, Kyle Bartley stuck by his Championship employers and remains one of the first names on his manager’s team sheet for good reason.

Yet to miss a minute of action this season so far, the former Arsenal youth product turned accomplished second-tier defender is crucial to the dogged Baggies back four, having picked up five clean sheets from nine league games played as a titan-like presence.

Even when West Brom aren’t at the races, the determined 33-year-old still shines, with an impressive eight duels won away at Sheffield Wednesday as his team fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat.

Whilst Bartley tries to make Corberan’s men as staunch as possible defensively, Josh Maja has the opposite to do in attack, in trying to be the bright spark that clinches wins with goals finding the back of the net.

He has been just that for the West Midlands side so far this season, starting as he meant to go on with a hat-trick on the opening day against Queens Park Rangers, with a ridiculous seven strikes then picked up from seven before firing some unexpected blanks against Middlesbrough.

Both players will be key for Corberan’s men going forward as they strive to go one better than last season and shoot up to the Premier League, but find that their wages are actually lesser than one Baggies player currently, who has struggled for game-time in contrast.

Diangana's wage at West Brom

According to Capology, West Brom winger Grady Diangana rakes in a hefty £20.3k-per-week wage for the 2024/25 campaign, which sees him earn more than both Bartley and Maja consequently.

The centre-back and the striker only take home a lesser £15k-per-week and £17k-per-week respectively, when weighed up next to Diangana’s healthier pay packet, despite being picked week in week out by their manager.

Stat

Diangana

Games played

6

Games started

1

Minutes averaged

32 mins

Goals

0

Assists

0

Going the other way, it’s been an extremely stop-start campaign so far for the Congolese forward, who is only averaging 32 minutes of action per league clash so far this season as his injury issues begin to pile up.

With the emergence of Karlan Grant down the left wing too, who has a goal next to his name this season as a resurgent presence, on top of the fact Mikey Johnston is also back at the Hawthorns, Diangana could find his minutes are infrequent even when he is back up to full speed.

The “unbelievable” West Brom number 11 – as he was once labelled as by Baggies teammate Jed Wallace – is capable of terrorising second-tier defences on his day, with 21 second-tier strikes on his career CV.

But, it does feel as if his powers are waning in the here and now, with Diangana now worth just £1.3m according to Football Transfers, when he once cost the West Midlands side an eye-watering £18m.

When back at full sharpness, he will be a useful body to have around the building for a promotion charge, but with his contract up next summer, his time with the Baggies could come to an end soon.

West Brom could axe star who earns more than Maja & Johnston combined

Carlos Corberan could look to move on this forgotten West Bromwich Albion man soon.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 23, 2024

MLS newcomer San Diego FC has added U.S. men's national team midfielder Luca de la Torre on loan with a future purchase option

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De la Torre joins SDFC on loanUSMNT midfielder is a 2022 World Cup veteranHad been with Celta Vigo since 2022Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Ahead of the club's first MLS season, San Diego FC has signed USMNT veteran Luca de la Torre on an initial loan from Celta Vigo, where he has played since 2022.

The 26-year-old American made 67 appearances for the Spanish side since joining from Heracles in the Netherlands but has made just one La Liga appearance this season after missing time with an injury early in the season.

De la Torre has 24 caps with the USMNT and was part of the 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar. Recently, he played four times for the national team in 2024 but hasn't featured since September under then-interim coach Mikey Varas, who will be his new coach with San Diego.

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De la Torre, who was born and raised in San Diego, will be a key figure for the expansion side, who continue to fill out their squad ahead of their first season. He joins star winger Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano as a key piece of Varas' puzzle. In addition to Lozano, the club has also signed MLS veterans Andres Reyes, Anibal Godoy, and Emmanuel Boateng, Nottingham Forest product Alex Mighten, and longtime Middlesbrough defender Paddy McNair.

“We’re thrilled to bring Luca home to San Diego,” said SDFC Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. “Luca’s journey – competing in some of the world’s top leagues and representing the USMNT – speaks volumes about his dedication and talent. But what makes this moment truly special is that he’s coming home to represent the city that shaped him. We’re excited for him to connect with our fans and community in a meaningful way and play an important role in our historic inaugural season.”

The 26-year-old midfielder could wind up being a centerpiece for years to come if the club ends up taking up the purchase option included in the loan deal.

Pete NortonDID YOU KNOW?

De la Torre played for local youth side San Diego Surf during his childhood before moving to England to join the Fulham academy in 2013. The move will be a full-circle moment for the 26-year-old, who returns home.

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San Diego FCWHAT NEXT FOR SAN DIEGO?

San Diego FC will open their first MLS season on Feb. 23, when they visit the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy. After that, they'll host St. Louis City SC in their first home match on March 1.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made a host of changes to his first-team squad during the summer transfer window by making a number of signings.

The Hoops moved to sign Arne Engels, Adam Idah, Alex Valle, Paulo Bernardo, Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Luke McCowan, and Auston Trusty to bolster the group.

Academy players can sometimes make the breakthrough to alleviate the need for new additions but, for Celtic, they ended up losing two prospects in Daniel Kelly and Rocco Vata, who joined Millwall and Watford respectively.

They are hardly the first Hoops prospects to move on from Parkhead after showing initial promise at academy level, as the Scottish giants once had a starlet who was compared to Lionel Messi.

The Celtic starlet compared to Lionel Messi

Coach David Feeney worked with this particular young talent in his teenage days and claimed that the forward was “very similar to Lionel Messi” and that “the sky is the limit” for him.

As a slight, left-footed, midfielder who can play out wide on the right or centrally, the comparison to Messi made sense from a stylistic perspective.

The coach added that he was left “astounded” by the “fantastic” youngster and that he was convinced that the player would go all the way to the top in his career.

That player, you may have guessed it, was former Celtic academy starlet Karamoko Dembele, who had just made his U20 debut at the age of just 13.

The young whiz, who had joined the academy in 2013, eventually went on to make his debut for the club, as shown in the clip below, at the age of 16 against Ross County in the 2018/19 campaign.

He went on to score one goal in ten appearances in all competitions for Celtic, as the youngster failed to establish himself as a regular under Neil Lennon or Ange Postecoglou, before being released for nothing by the Hoops in the summer of 2022.

Where Karamoko Dembele is now

The winger was snapped up by Reims on a free transfer ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and he failed to provide a single goal or assist in 15 Ligue 1 games that season.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

He was then sent out on loan to Blackpool in League One in England and enjoyed a breakout season at senior level in the third tier down south, with a return of eight goals and 13 assists in 39 appearances.

Dembele was not given a second chance at performing in Ligue 1 by Reims, though, as he was sent out on another loan for the 2024/25 campaign, to Queens Park Rangers in the Championship.

Appearances

9

Goals

1

Big chances created

2

Assists

3

Key passes per game

2.2

As you can see in the table above, the now-21-year-old forward has had a solid start to the season, with four direct goal contributions in nine appearances.

However, Dembele is some way away from nearing Messi’s return of 743 goals and 356 assists at club level in his career, so it is doubtful that he will ever live up to that comparison, just as the youngster – unfortunately – never lived up to his potential during his time at Parkhead.

75% duels lost, 4/10 rating: The Celtic forward who was worse than Trusty

The Celtic attacker endured a frustrating afternoon against Aberdeen this weekend.

ByDan Emery Oct 20, 2024

Manchester City were left stunned after Jamie Donley's 40-yard drive – that ricocheted off Stefan Ortega – gave Leyton Orient a shock FA Cup lead.

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Leyton Orient host Man City in FA CupSpurs loanee Donley strikes from 40 yardsGoes in off City goalkeeper OrtegaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tottenham loanee Donley looked up, saw Ortega was off his line and tried his luck from just inside the City half. The effort flew over the keeper, hit the crossbar, bounced down and then the unsuspecting Ortega turned it into his own net to give Orient a 16th-minute lead in round four of the FA Cup on Saturday.

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To make matters worse for City, they lost £50 million ($62m) January transfer window signing Nico Gonzalez on his club debut to injury inside the opening 25 minutes of the contest. Not much is going right for City at present.

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Getty ImagesWHAT IS NEXT?

Things don't get much easier for Pep Guardiola's City in the coming days as they host Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

It went down to the final over but Hurricanes’ top-order problems against cost them

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2021Sydney Sixers made rather heavy weather of closing things out, but Shafali Verma’s battling half-century ensured they were able to make it two wins from two at the start of their WBBL campaign.Shafali’s innings was rarely convincing – she survived a marginal lbw shout early on, regularly just managed to evade the fielders and was striking under 100 at 16 overs – but she took on Tayla Vlaeminck in the 18th over which began with Sixers needing 24 off 18 deliveries.She scooped Vlaeminck for a boundary to reach fifty off 45 deliveries then clubbed her through the leg side with one of the most authoritative shots of the innings. With Nicole Bolton also finding the rope, the over cost 15 and all-but decided the contest.However, Shafali couldn’t quite see Sixers home when she was caught at long-on to give Molly Strano her third wicket and it was briefly nervy when Angela Reakes fell to the first ball of the last over, but Maitlan Brown kept her cool.Sixers had restricted Hobart Hurricanes to 125 but stumbled at the start of the chase. Alyssa Healy was beaten for pace by Vlaeminck as she played across the line and Ashleigh Gardner charged at Strano to leave them 2 for 14.Shafali and Ellyse Perry steadied the innings with a stand of 63 in 10 overs then, after Perry was stumped, Shafali continued to ride her luck.Hurricanes’ batting again struggled – they have a bowling attack to make an impact this season but desperately need top-order runs – and were 3 for 26 after the Powerplay. Perry claimed two wickets and Brown one, the latter courtesy of a terrific catch at point by Radha Yadav to remove Mignon du Preez.Gardner’s four overs, which included 12 dot balls, continued to keep a lid on the scoring and it was largely in the hands of Richa Ghosh to hold things together. Ghosh hit three sixes before falling to her India team-mate Yadav as Hurricanes limped to the 20-over mark.

Mitchell Marsh hit 53 as Australia aced a chase of 158 – which eventually proved enough to put them in the semis

Sidharth Monga06-Nov-20211:10

Moody: If Australia make it, they will head into the semis with a lot of confidence

As the sun set on the T20 empire of West Indies, a team full of T20 greats, one all-time great in the opposition, David Warner, played a memorable knock to make a potentially tricky target look easy. That eventually proved to be enough to put Australia in the semi-finals, with South Africa not doing enough against England later in the night.* West Indies, already eliminated from the tournament, will now be asked to play the first round of the next World Cup to reach the Super 12s stage; only the top-eight teams in the rankings on November 15 will get automatic entry into the Super 12s, and West Indies and Sri Lanka don’t make it.It was a wistful day with Dwayne Bravo definitely and Chris Gayle possibly playing their last match for West Indies. It was also a reminder of passing time that Australia’s bowlers kept getting the better of them. Josh Hazlewood led with three wickets with almost Test-match-like bowling. It took hard work from Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell to take West Indies to 157.Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of Australia vs West Indies is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

Warner responded with his highest World Cup score, 89* off 56 balls, while Mitchell Marsh lent an impressive hand with the bat to go with his tight bowling, scoring his first World Cup half-century. That they finished it off in the 17th over took their net run rate up to 1.216, leaving South Africa needing a 61-run win should they score 160 to deny Australia the semi-final spot.Fearless start, interrupted
West Indies with nothing to lose can be a scary proposition. Evin Lewis and Gayle gave them a taste of it, taking 19 runs in Hazlewood’s first over. A trademark six over long-on, never mind a short-of-a-length slower ball, off Pat Cummins followed, but Gayle ended up playing on the next ball. Out for 15 off 9 deliveries, he raised his bat as he walked off and was hugged by team-mates just across the rope.In the next over, Hazlewood made a comeback as he bashed a good length, drawing a slice to cover from Nicholas Pooran, and then dislodging the top of off, going past Roston Chase’s defence. Three wickets lost for five runs, and West Indies were now forced to rebuild at 35 for 3 in the fourth over.Middle-overs choke
With two left-hand batters in the middle, Glenn Maxwell got an over in before Marsh and Adam Zampa applied the choke hold. Marsh gave nothing away in terms of pace or room, while Zampa continued with his quick legbreaks and variations. With the fourth-wicket partnership reading 35 off 35 and time running out, Lewis had to take his risks, and the Zampa wrong ‘un was ready to collect the wicket in the tenth over.Hazlewood then came back in the 13th to bowl a mean bouncer at Shimron Hetmyer’s armpit, who just couldn’t get out of the day, making it 91 for 5.Pollard, Russell fight
Australia were spot on with their plans and execution against the West Indies batters, giving nothing away to Bravo, but Pollard and Russell showed flashes of what made them T20 greats. Pollard ended with 44 off 31, and Russell finished the innings with successive sixes, his first of the tournament, which gave them 48 off the last four overs, and some hope.Josh Hazlewood picked up four wickets•ICC via GettyHosein stifles openers
That hope looked like it might amount to something, as Akeal Hosein tied Australia up with his arm balls, getting Aaron Finch out bowled in his second over. His figures at the end of his two overs read 2-0-7-1.Warner attacks at the other end
At the other end, though, Warner kept attacking, hitting Chase and Jason Holder in the powerplay. When he finally managed to get the better of Hosein in the sixth over, Australia were well on their way at 53 for 1 in eight overs. Warner has had an underwhelming few months, with his IPL team moving on from him and a slow start for him at the World Cup. However, at the business end of the tournament, he finally seems to have found the timing back. He picked the balls to attack perfectly, and executed them just as well.Marsh supports
Once the powerplay ended, Australia needed runs to flow from each end, and Marsh did it for them. He began with a reverse-sweep off Hayden Walsh Jr, who had had a great series against Australia a few months back, and then added a six down the ground off Hosein. Once Marsh took six, four and four off Russell in the tenth over, Australia needed just a run a ball.A jovial end
The last two complete overs of the match went to Bravo and Gayle. Warner switch-hit Bravo for four before pulling him for six. Gayle then bowled with his hat and sunglasses on, indulging in banter with Warner. With possibly his last ball in international cricket, Gayle had Marsh caught at mid-off. He followed the returning Marsh and jumped on him for a hug from behind to celebrate the wicket. There were smiles and grins all around to mark much-celebrated careers.*

Manchester United are hoping to sell Casemiro in the final days of the January transfer window to help usher in a new era.

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Casemiro up for saleMan Utd want rid of veteranAgents roped in to find buyerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils are reported by the to be using the services of "several" agents in an attempt to idenity a potential buyer for Casemiro, with the transfer deadline fallling on Monday night at 11pm (GMT).

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Casemiro is one of United's top earners but is effectively now bottom of the central midfield pecking list, behind Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Christian Eriksen and Toby Collyer, the latter starting ahead of the Brazilian against FCSB on Thursday night. The five-time Champions League winner was formerly a favourite with Erik ten Hag, but has found Ruben Amorim looking in other directions. Casemiro has been an unused substitute in eight of the club's last ten Premier League games. He is yet to complete 90 minutes under Amorim in any competition and has started just two of the 18 matches the Portuguese tactician has been in charge of. It feels like a waste of limited resources to keep him when the money being spent on wages could be reinvested.

WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

Recently explaining his preference for other players over Casemiro, Amorim said: "I have to choose the player with characteristics that I see [for] the game. It's just that."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

To sell Casemiro before Monday night's transfer deadline, United need a willing buyer, and the apparent lack of one is a major problem, even with months of speculation about the Saudi Pro League. Time is quickly running out.

Chelsea fell to defeat in the Premier League for the first time since the opening day of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

The Blues had not lost since they were beaten by Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in their first league game of the campaign, and had not lost a game in any competition since their 2-1 loss to Servette in the Europa Conference League play-off in August.

Goals from Mo Salah and Curtis Jones either side of half-time were enough to secure all three points for the home side in the clash on Merseyside, as Enzo Maresca’s team failed to offer enough in front of goal.

Nicolas Jackson struck his side level just after the break with a composed finish after being sent through on goal by Moises Caicedo, and he hit the post with his only other effort.

The Senegal international has now scored five goals in eight Premier League matches for the Blues this season, after a return of 14 goals in 35 outings in the division during the 2023/24 campaign.

Despite his strong start in the top-flight this term, Chelsea are reportedly looking to potentially bring in another centre-forward to compete with him.

Chelsea's interest in Serie A star

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are interested in Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as they eye up targets ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Blues have already made contact with the Old Lady to ensure that they are kept informed about his situation heading into the new year.

It states, however, that Premier League rivals Arsenal are also keen on the Serbia international and that they have also been in touch with the Serie A side to keep tabs on the attacker.

The outlet reveals that Juventus are in talks over a new contract with the striker but that they would be open to cashing in on him in 2025 if they cannot reach an agreement to extend his deal, which is currently due to expire in the summer of 2026.

CaughtOffside recently claimed that there is a feeling that Juve could be tempted to sell him for around €60m (£50m) if he does not put pen to paper on an extension.

Transfer Focus

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

However, it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea or Arsenal are willing to put that kind of money on the table to secure his signature when the January transfer window opens for business, or at the end of the campaign.

Why Chelsea should sign Dusan Vlahovic

Maresca should push for the club to secure a deal for Vlahovic because he is a proven goalscorer who has been a lethal finisher in Europe in recent years.

Since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the Serbian marksman has scored 82 Serie A goals from an xG tally of 81.16, for Fiorentina and Juventus combined, which shows that he has been efficient in front of goal given the quality of chances created for him.

Whereas, Jackson has scored 34 goals from an xG tally of 34.94 in LaLiga and the Premier League for Villarreal and Chelsea combined, which shows that he has not made the most of the opportunities that have come his way.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the Senegal international only scored 14 goals from 19.86 xG – underperforming his expected tally by almost six goals.

Vlahovic, therefore, could come in and offer more efficiency in the final third, due to his superb all-round finishing quality that has been on show in Italy in recent years.

Starts

27

Goals

16

Free-kicks scored

2/7

Left foot goals

8

Right foot goals

5

Headers scored

3

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old star scored a wide range of goals in the Serie A last term, with two free-kicks, three headers, five weak foot goals, and eight on his strong foot.

Teammate Teun Koopmeiners claimed that Vlahovic “lives for goals” and his impressive record in front of goal, and the versatility with which he scores goals, backs up that claim.

With this in mind, the Juventus sensation could arrive at Stamford Bridge as a dream signing for current Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer, due to his creative genius.

Why Dusan Vlahovic would be a dream for Cole Palmer

As shown by his statistics for Fiorentina and Juventus, Vlahovic is a lethal and versatile scorer who can consistently find the back of the net in a variety of ways.

That makes him a dream for a creative midfielder or winger because they know that they can provide him with service in a multitude of ways and know that he can make the most of it, rather than needing a specific type of chance – a cross to his head, a through ball, or a cut-back – to score.

Palmer is a sensational creative threat who can consistently provide his teammates with high-quality chances to find the back of the net, which means that he could give Vlahovic plenty of opportunities to score.

Appearances

34

Goals

22

Assists

11

Big chances created

17

Key passes per game

2.1

As you can see in the table above, the England international only registered 11 assists from 17 ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League last season, as his teammates did not make the most of his creativity.

He ranked within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.38) and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.57).

This season, Palmer, who has created nine ‘big chances’ in eight games, ranks within the top 2% of his positional peers in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.51) and the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.65), which shows that he has upped his creative quality slightly on current form.

Not just Sanchez: Maresca must drop 5/10 Chelsea ace who lost 100% duels

The Chelsea man was given an opportunity to impress and did not grasp his chance.

ByDan Emery Oct 21, 2024

These statistics suggest that Vlahovic and Palmer could combine to make a lethal pairing at the top end of the pitch for Chelsea, which is why the £50m-rated striker could be a terrific signing for the Blues in January.