Sridhar comes with the experience of a long stint as India’s fielding coach
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2024The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has signed up R Sridhar as assistant coach for Afghanistan’s upcoming series against New Zealand and South Africa. Sridhar had served as India’s fielding coach from 2014-21, working as a part of Ravi Shastri’s support staff.Afghanistan, coached by former England batter Jonathan Trott, have a one-off Test against New Zealand in Noida from September 9, followed by three ODIs against South Africa in Sharjah from September 18.Related
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Sridhar, 54, is a former left-arm spinner who played for Hyderabad in the Indian domestic circuit in the 1990s. He began his coaching career in 2001, and went on to work at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, with the India Under-19s at the 2014 World Cup, and with Kings XI Punjab at the IPL, leading up to his long stint with India’s senior side. Sridhar is a Level-3 certified coach.The ACB said in a statement that Sridhar’s role with Afghanistan comes with the possibility of a longer-term contract in the future.
Webster posted his fifth century in his last 22 Shield innings to put his name up in lights
Alex Malcolm10-Oct-2024The Sheffield Shield’s leading allrounder Beau Webster has produced a timely century while Brad Hope posted his second Shield ton as Tasmania batted the entire third day against Victoria at the Junction Oval.Tasmania piled up 527 for 9 on a turgid surface to take a 99-run lead into the final day with Jordan Silk making 84 and No. 9 Kieran Elliott also making his highest first-class score of 63. But the surface is offering very little for the bowlers and it will be difficult for either side to produce a result.On a day when news emerged that Australia’s Test allrounder Cameron Green is facing a grim diagnosis on his injured back, Webster put his name up in lights scoring 113 to start the new Shield season as he finished the last. It was his 12th first-class century and his fifth in his last 22 Shield innings. He has averaged 69.94 in that time and made six other half-centuries including an unbeaten 97. Last summer he became only the second player behind Garry Sobers to score more than 900 runs and take more than 30 wickets in a single Shield season.But these runs came in a game where both sides have piled up more than 428 in their first innings and only 18 wickets have fallen in three days. Webster wasn’t getting too carried away given how placid the pitch is.”It’s a nice one to cash in on,” Webster said post play. “I’m batting well. I feel like I’ve been batting really well for 18 months now, and I’ve got a routine down pat. Whatever the conditions offer, I feel like I’ve got a game plan that can have some success.”He did note, however, that the media speculation surrounding Green was hard to shut out.”It’s hard to ignore,” Webster said. “It sits everywhere, all through the media, whether he’s going to bowl or not, or bat or not, or surgery and things like that. But there’s a lot of other good allrounders around the country, and lot of allrounders that have had good performances in the last 12 months. Hopefully I can just keep doing what I’m doing and if they see something they like, and I get an opportunity, I’ll jump at it and grab it with both hands hopefully. But not reading too much into it though.”Silk played with typical class and composure in a 149-run stand with Webster before Hope then cashed in.Hope made an unbeaten century as Victoria tried everything to find a wicket. Having removed Silk and Webster with two excellent deliveries from Sam Elliott and Fergus O’Neill respectively there was precious little support from the surface otherwise. At one stage late in the day, O’Neill bowled with the keeper up and eight catchers in front of square on either side of the pitch with a sole fine leg.Hope and Tasmania No. 9 Kieran Elliott shared a 127-run stand in the afternoon to take the score beyond 500 as Victoria took a third new ball. The partnership was finally broken by the new ball as Hope edged behind for 111. Elliott fell shortly after for 63.
Chelsea’s busy summer, both on and off the field, continues.
It’s now a fortnight since the Blues were crowned champions of the world, surprisingly demolishing Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup Final, thanks to Cole Palmer’s double at MetLife Stadium.
Chelsea's Cole Palmer
Meantime, in the transfer market, the Blues have already made eight signings, costing in excess of £225m, notably adding João Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Estêvão Willian and others to Enzo Maresca’s squad, which is already jam-packed full of talent.
Nevertheless, they are far from done just yet, closing in on one ultra-talented attacker, but have they also had a bid rejected for someone who is, potentially, even better?
Chelsea seeking to sign all the forwards
As has been widely reported, including by James Olley of ESPN, Chelsea are close to signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for around £44m, with the Dutchman pushing to leave the Bundesliga side, after they failed to qualify for any European competition.
Simons is certainly a highly-rated player, with Sultan Babajide of Breaking the Lines documenting his ‘stellar performances’ for both club and country, but are Chelsea now eyeing up a move for an even bigger talent?
Well, according to reports in Spain, Chelsea have seen a €70m (around £61m) bid rejected by Juventus for winger Kenan Yıldız.
They add that la Vecchia Signora have reiterated that the Türkiye international is ‘not for sale’ as he is an ‘essential part’ of their plans for the forthcoming campaign, but the player could push for a move.
So, could he soon become the first ever Turkish player to make a senior appearance for Chelsea? Leicester legend Muzzy İzzet was in the Blues’ academy, but never featured at senior level.
What Kenan Yıldız would bring to Chelsea
Despite the fact Juventus only reached the round of 16, comprehensively beaten by both Manchester City and Real Madrid, Yıldız was one of the stars of the Club World Cup.
He was on target against Al Ain at Audi Field, before bagging a brace when I Bianconeri smashed Wydad Casablanca in Philadelphia, cruelly denied a hat-trick by FIFA’s equivalent of the dubious goals panel.
Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him both “special” as well as a “magnificent” talent, while former teammate Wojciech Szczęsny asserted back in 2024 that he “will be nominated for the Ballon d’Or within 5 years.”
Meantime, featuring in the Guardian’s Next Generation of 2022, Michael Yokhin praised his ‘magnificent technique and close control’ adding that he also possesses a ‘keen eye for goal’, forecasting that the then teenager ‘has a bright future ahead’.
Well, he was certainly proved right because, last season, Yıldız scored 12 goals and registered nine assists across all competitions, racking up impressive statistics in Serie A.
Minutes
2,402
96th
Goals
7
29th
Assists
4
26th
Goals – xG
+2.7
16th
Shots
60th
20th
Progressive carries
115
7th
Progressive passes received
223
8th
Shot-creating actions
130
3rd
Touches in attacking 3rd
752
4th
Average SofaScore rating
7.25
9th
As the table documents, Yıldız ranked highly for pretty much every attacking metric in Serie A last season, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he was a teenager and was plying his trade for a generally dismal Juventus team who were the division’s eighth-highest scorers.
But the key question still remains: is he a bigger talent than Simons? Let’s compare the duo.
Appearances
52
33
Minutes
3,521
2,763
Goals
12
11
Assists
9
8
All statistics below are on a per-90 basis:
Shots
1.5
1.4
Chances created
2.2
2.1
Take-ons completed
2.3
1.4
Dribble success %
54.6%
37.1%
% of touches in the box
7%
5%
Average Sofascore rating
7.30
7.35
As the table documents, Yıldız comes out on top for all the attacking metrics included, most notably pure goals and assists, but also shots, chances created and dribbling.
Juventus' KenanYildizcelebrates
This very much underlines the Turkish international’s talent and potential, so could he be the next youngster to call Stamford Bridge home?
Maresca and Co will certainly hope so.
Chelsea in talks with "real deal" Man United player alongside Xavi Simons
Having claimed full batting points, Essex now need to bowl out Surrey twice to finish third, ahead of Somerset
ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024Essex batters Dean Elgar, Tom Westley and Matt Critchley filled their boots with a century apiece as Vitality County champions Surrey suffered a post-title-winning hangover at Chelmsford.The former South African captain, batting ostensibly on one leg, led the way by posting 182, the highest of his four centuries for Essex this season during a stay at the crease that began on Thursday morning and ended 102 overs later on Saturday evening – five sessions having been wiped out by the weather on days one and two.Elgar and Westley put on a record 253 in 59 overs to eclipse the 95-year-old best of 206 for the second wicket against Surrey. Elgar then piled on further agony by adding 168 for the third wicket with Critchley, who played freely for his 112 from 171 balls before Essex declared on 508 for 8. Earlier, Westley had been in such explosive form that 106 of his 135 runs came in boundaries (25 fours, one six).Essex require 17 points from the game to finish ahead of Somerset in third place on games won. They have already pocketed the maximum five for batting and now need to bowl Surrey out twice on the final day of the season. Surrey finished the penultimate day on 30 for the loss of captain Rory Burns, caught at point off Simon Harmer.Under sunny skies, in contrast to the rain of the first two days, the third morning was only nine balls old when Elgar tweaked his left calf and required four minutes’ worth of treatment. He hobbled on manfully, picking the right moment to amble through for easy singles and the odd two but not contemplating anything too sharp.With Elgar largely incapacitated, Westley farmed the bowling in the lead-up to his century, hitting eight boundaries to every part of Chelmsford against James Taylor and Yousef Majid in a ferocious 21-ball blitz. He raced through the nineties and on to three-figures from 141 deliveries with three fours in five balls off Taylor, including one off the backfoot that rocketed past point.Westley twice waltzed down the wicket in three balls to deposit former Essex team-mate Dan Lawrence over his head for a one-bounce four followed by a maximum. Elgar watched the Westley show before finally driving Majid through the covers for a boundary of his own and then reaching his century from 169 balls, 28 slower than his partner.Westley was finally out just after the partnership went past 250 when he picked out Tom Lawes on the long-leg boundary to give Yousef Majid a maiden first-class wicket. The 21-year-old spinner did not celebrate the milestone, however, echoing the subdued mood within the fielding ranks. That feeling of after the Lord Mayor’s Show continued into the afternoon with a series of misfields as Critchley was the latest batsmen to tuck into some ordinary fare served up by a below-par Surrey attack.Nowhere did the Elgar limp look more noticeable than the quick single to reach his 150 from 234 balls. He took Essex to 400 with his 19th four, an audacious uppercut off Lawes to the boundary backward of point, but fell when chipping Ryan Patel to short extra cover to spark a middle-order collapse.Patel claimed three wickets in seven balls – and finished with 3 for 41 from 12 overs – when Luc Benkenstein played all around a slower ball and Paul Walter scooped to mid-on as Essex slipped from 425 for 2 to 433 for 5. Majid claimed his second wicket on debut when he had Adam Rossington lbw, but not before Essex had claimed all five batting points.Critchley became the third centurion of the day when he pulled Ollie Sykes to square leg, but was the first of two late wickets for Taylor, holing out in the covers. Shane Snater was then bowled to bring about the declaration.
After being handed the encouragement they so desperately craved to pursue Alexander Isak, Liverpool could now reportedly see their big-money raid funded by one player’s departure – and it’s not Luis Diaz.
Alexander Isak asks to leave Newcastle
The line all summer long has been that if Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes believe there is a chance, they will go for Isak. In recent months, however, it looked as though that chance would not arrive. The Reds instead welcomed Hugo Ekitike, stealing Newcastle’s top target in the process, and had seemingly solved their striker problem.
Since the Frenchman’s arrival though, there’s been an almighty twist. In a matter of days, Isak’s thigh injury quickly transformed into a desire to leave Newcastle this summer as the real reason why he didn’t join the Magpies on their Asia tour became clear. Now, the ball is in Liverpool’s court as they look to fund another big-money move and take their spending beyond the £300m-mark this summer.
There will be question marks over how Liverpool would play both Ekitike and Isak, but those are questions that Arne Slot would rather see answered in reality rather than in mere fantasy teams.
On paper, Florian Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong represent Liverpool’s greatest-ever transfer window. On the pitch, meanwhile, it could yet take the Reds to a second-consecutive Premier League title.
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Slot could have an unbelievable side at his disposal next season…
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There’s still a long way to go before Isak is a Liverpool player, however. Before then, those at Anfield must work their magic in the transfer window and fund what would be the deal of the summer.
Saudi giants now discussing Nunez move
One way they could fund their move is by selling a player who’s looked likely to depart all summer long. According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, Al Hilal are now holding internal talks about signing Darwin Nunez at the request of manager Simone Inzaghi. The struggling forward is likely to cost the Saudi side more €70m (£61m) after Liverpool turned down such a fee to sell Nunez back in January.
As reported by The Athletic, the Isak package could cost as much as £250m with agent fees and other add-ons, which should make the sale of Nunez a top priority for Liverpool.
The forward endured greater struggles than ever at Anfield last season and now finds himself even further down the pecking order after Ekitike’s arrival. As such, it goes without saying that if Liverpool sign Isak, it would be the nail in the coffin for Nunez’s time in Merseyside.
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana could be set for a move away from Old Trafford, with Turkish side Trabzonspor pushing to complete a loan deal before their window closes. However, the move is not yet guaranteed, as the Cameroon international is waiting to review the contract terms before making a final decision and Onana’s future is still uncertain.
Trabzonspor pushing for Onana loan before September 12 deadlineMove depends on goalkeeper’s approval after contract reviewUnited’s £47.9m signing has slipped down pecking order under AmorimFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Talks between Manchester United and Trabzonspor are ongoing over a season-long loan for Onana, with no fee or option to buy included in the deal. The 29-year-old has not featured in the Premier League this season and is open to a move after slipping down the pecking order. Trabzonspor are eager to register him in time for their September 14 clash with Fenerbahce, but the move still depends on the goalkeeper’s approval, as per .
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Onana has endured a difficult spell at Old Trafford since arriving from Inter Milan in July 2023 for a deal worth up to £48 million ($65m). A hamstring injury, coupled with poor form, has seen him lose his place as Manchester United moved for younger options like Senne Lammens. With Ruben Amorim planning for the long term, Onana’s situation has deteriorated and he is no longer the undisputed No. 1.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Cameroon international has only made one appearance this season, starting in the Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby, where he made costly errors in normal time but saved a penalty in the shootout. His omission from Premier League action led his representatives to ask the club about exit options, though United insisted he was still part of their plans.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?
The Turkish transfer window remains open until September 12, giving Trabzonspor a few more days to finalise an agreement. Onana will now review the contract terms before deciding whether to make the switch. If a deal does not materialise, he could remain at Old Trafford until January, but his first-team chances look slim under Amorim.
Wicketkeeper says he had originally planned to retire before the start of this season
Shashank Kishore06-Nov-2024Wriddhiman Saha had already made up his mind to retire from cricket when he casually went to the Eden Gardens this June. But after he returned from a meeting meant to amicably resolve differences with certain factions within the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which had led to his departure to Tripura for two seasons, Saha had a change of mind.The reason: Sourav Ganguly. The former India captain had convinced Saha to stay on so that he could end his career with Bengal. And so, Saha, who has had plenty of taping around his fingers and strapping around his hamstring and pain-relief patches on his back, decided to continue with the team’s physio on speed dial to be able to help him fight through another season.”You can say it was because of emotional attachment,” he says as he sits down for a chat on the opening day of Bengal’s fourth-round Ranji fixture against Karnataka in Bengaluru. “I wasn’t going to play this year but Sourav Ganguly and my wife pushed me to play and finish with Bengal after two seasons with Tripura.”When he gave his nod to play, Saha made it clear he won’t be available for the white-ball leg of the domestic season. He knew he wouldn’t last the rigours of another full season. It was also partly influenced by his desire to have his spot taken by someone else, because he’d already informed his previous IPL franchise, Gujarat Titans, he wasn’t going to play in the tournament anymore.As it turns out, one of the direct beneficiaries of Saha’s exit (from when he moved to Tripura) has been Abishek Porel, who has flourished so much over the past year across formats that Delhi Capitals considered him worthy of being retained. For Saha, a mentor to the young group of wicketkeepers across the country, there couldn’t have been a better validation.”I’ve been pushing myself for the last year. But because of my body condition and injuries, I won’t be able to play for the full season,” he says. “That’s why I chose the most vital format – Ranji Trophy. It will be tough [to carry on] but I will play and hopefully we qualify. If we do, I will play till the end of the season, else I’ll finish off at Eden Gardens.”Related
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Saha laughs when asked if the decision to contemplate retirement was tough. “It was very easy,” he replies spontaneously. “I was already prepared that I won’t play this year. But when my wife and Sourav Ganguly pushed me, I couldn’t refuse.”Still considered among the best wicketkeepers in India, perhaps even around the world, Saha seems at peace with his decision. He’s fully happy with the way his career has panned out, even though his career coincided at different times with two mavericks: MS Dhoni in the early years and Rishabh Pant in the later. Has he ever considered himself unlucky?”No, I don’t think so,” he says. “There are so many of them who didn’t play despite toiling so hard. Amol Muzumdar, Padmakar Shivalkar sir. I feel fortunate and proud to have played 40 Tests for India.”Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps: acrobatic and safe•BCCIAs he looks ahead, Saha is open to opportunities in coaching and mentoring. He’s clear the first rights will be with Bengal. “Not yet [thought of the immediate future], but if I get an offer from another state or Bengal, I will think about it,” he laughs. “If not, family life (laughs). I have been playing cricket since childhood. I haven’t done anything else. I want to share as much knowledge as I have in cricket. I’ve already started doing that at a couple of academies back home.”Saha ended his Test career with 1353 runs in 56 innings at an average of 29.41, with three centuries and six half-centuries. Arguably, his finest moment on home turf when he hit unbeaten half-centuries in both innings to help India beat New Zealand in 2016. Saha admits “maybe I could’ve done more” with the bat, but insists his career graph was largely a reflection of his emphasis on being a wicketkeeper first and a batter next.”When I started, I was a wicketkeeper. I knew I could never be as good as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Virat Kohli,” he says. “I wanted to earn a name in what I did from childhood – that’s why I put more emphasis on wicketkeeping.”He grew up working with Kiran More, Saba Karim and Deep Dasgupta. Chats with Dhoni over the years, and occasional interactions with Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy fueled his pursuits of being his best version. As a seasoned professional, Saha says he’s happy to chat with young keepers and help them.”I’ve spoken to keepers from the women’s team, we keep talking to each other,” he says. “Last IPL, Dhruv Jurel spoke to me. Rishabh [Pant] has done it all along when we played together. The understanding was good, he used to share his experiences, I used to give him as much input as possible.”As Saha reflects on his career, he’s happy he continued to play for three more years despite being told in late 2021 by then coach Rahul Dravid that the Indian team were moving on from him.”That door got closed, but I knew domestic, and IPL was still there,” he says. “It wasn’t like I got demoralised because of that. I’ve played now for three-four years since that. Why did I start playing? Because I like it. Last year, I’d stopped liking the game and planned to leave. After this season, I’m moving on.”Hopefully we can make the final. If not, I’ll finish off at Eden Gardens.”
Newcastle United look to have beaten Tottenham to the signing of a talented young gem, having reportedly reached an agreement with him.
The latest on Newcastle's attacking situation
Alexander Isak’s Magpies future has continued to dominate the headlines in recent days, with Liverpool seeing a £110m offer for the Swede rejected on Friday.
Newcastle will now be bracing themselves for a second bid for Isak’s signature from the Premier League champions, but they are unlikely to budge until a replacement is sorted, rather than risking getting themselves into a mess.
That could potentially be RB Leipzig marksman Benjamin Sesko, with one report even claiming that the Magpies have beaten Manchester United to his signature.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann
Brentford attacker Yoane Wissa is another strong target, while Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson have also been mentioned as options.
At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, with a new defender hugely important for Eddie Howe this summer.
Newcastle reach agreement with young English ace
According to NUFC Blog, Newcastle have reached an agreement with West Brom teenager Muawiya Gjhanem, pipping Tottenham and others to his signature in the process. The Magpies have actually beaten several ‘big six’ clubs.
The midfielder will “soon arrive on Tyneside” to complete the transfer, with the Magpies continuing to “bolster their academy ranks” with top young English talent.
Not a lot is understandably known about Ghanem, given his age and vast lack of experience, but signing top emerging talent has to be seen as a priority for Newcastle, allowing them to build into the future.
The 15-year-old predominantly operates as a No.8 in midfield, and he could learn so much from afar if he was at the same club as the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.
The report states that Ghanem has “been invited to England’s talent ID camps, showing he is very much on the Young Lions’ radar”, and it looks like the only way is up for him currently.
Better than Sesko: Newcastle eyeing £40m striker who's "turning heads"
Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing a star who could be even better than Benjamin Sesko.
ByDan Emery Aug 3, 2025
The fact that Newcastle have seemingly pipped a number of big clubs to the Englishman’s signature speaks volumes about the strides they have made as a club in recent years, with young stars seeing them as an exciting place to move to.
Chelsea fans will be optimistic heading into the new Premier League season after watching their side lift the Club World Cup during an eventful summer.
Already, new signing Joao Pedro has stuck out by hammering home three goals from three games in the summer tournament, with the same excitement levels in the air regarding what Jamie Gittens could be capable of in the English game moving forward after his bumper £48.5m switch from Borussia Dortmund.
With the might of Arne Slot’s Liverpool in the way, it will be viewed as a tall order to expect Enzo Maresca’s men to be title-challengers.
However, Maresca and Co. could send ripples through the Premier League still by landing this in-demand talent who is touted to be available for an eye-watering £104m.
Chelsea in race to sign £104m star
Only the aforementioned title-winning Reds have splashed the cash more this off-season, with Liverpool spending a whopping £295.5m, which is £45m less than Chelsea’s own high amount of £250m.
Expect that spending to increase before September’s cut-off point, too, with £35m potentially forked out to snap up rising Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman amid Levi Colwill’s horrific ACL injury.
That is nothing when contrasted with Chelsea’s chase for coveted Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, however, with that weighty £104m expected to be enough to tempt the 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge.
It won’t be that straightforward, though, with Caught Offside now reporting that the intense race for Baleba’s services also involves not just Chelsea, but Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Whilst it is further stated that a move for Baleba to join Chelsea this summer is unlikely, it would be quite the statement move to make if it were to suddenly accelerate into motion.
Why Baleba is a better signing than Simons
Snapping up the £104m-rated midfielder would surely be seen as a better signing than Xavi Simons joining the building, with Baleba already well-versed in what it takes to be a success in the Premier League, among other standout reasons.
RB Leipzig'sXaviSimonsreacts after the match
That isn’t to say Simons wouldn’t make an instant impact if he were to swap RB Leipzig for the Premier League imminently.
After all, he hasn’t just amassed a hefty 77 goal contributions by fluke for both Leipzig and PSV Eindhoven, with his adaptability to play down the left flank – as well as through the middle as a number ten or down the right – gifting Maresca multiple options in the attacking positions.
However, there is no guarantee that Simons would be able to gain a spot in the Italian’s starting XI straight away, particularly if he was trying to usurp Cole Palmer, who managed to collect five more goals and assists last season than his Dutch counterpart.
Whereas, Baleba could stand more of a chance at making a name for himself in the holding midfield positions at Stamford Bridge immediately.
After all, the Cameroonian possesses a fierce effort such as the one above in his back pocket, which varies his game away from just being known as a solid midfield presence.
Moreover, he has also matched and even bettered the likes of Blues stalwarts Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez all across last campaign when assessing their respective numbers, lending credence to analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he is “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.”
Total shots
1.49
0.54
1.62
Shot-creating actions
2.23
2.63
4.49
Attempted passes
44.44
58.93
58.03
Pass completion %
87.4%
89.7%
79.9%
Progressive passes
3.99
5.77
6.47
Progressive carries
1.45
1.15
1.83
Successful take-ons
1.12
0.78
0.79
Tackles
2.67
3.06
1.99
Interceptions
1.56
1.32
0.40
Blocks
1.59
1.32
1.31
Amazingly, despite being well-known for their anchor roles in the Chelsea set-up, over the last year, Baleba has actually trumped both Caicedo and Fernandez when it comes to interceptions and blocks registered per 90 minutes.
Boasting the highest number of successful take-ons when weighed up head-to-head, too, landing the 21-year-old might just gift the Blues some youthful exuberance in the middle, with Mattinson further labelling Baleba as “exceptional” for his well-rounded approach centrally.
Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba
Winning his services against all the odds really feels as if it would be a summer pick-up that would send shockwaves through the division as Chelsea aim to be bombshell title hopefuls.
On the contrary, with Gittens already in through the door from the Bundesliga, and with Palmer fresh off a goal-and-assist laden Club World Cup, Simons might be an unnecessary splurge of money, as the Blues roll ever closer to the window slamming shut.
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The Blues are prepared to sanction a cut-price deal.
The India fast bowler has not played for India since November last year
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-20245:06
Rohit: Have to be very careful with Shami
Rohit Sharma has said the “door is very much open” for Mohammed Shami to join India’s Test squad in Australia, but reiterated caution over his fitness.Speaking after India’s ten-wicket loss in the second Test in Adelaide, Rohit said: “We are just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali, he got some swelling in his knee, which hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match. We want to be very careful, we don’t want to bring him here, he pulls up sore or something happens.”We want to be more than 100% sure with him because it has been a long time. We don’t want to put pressure on him to come here and do the job for the team. There are some professionals monitoring, we will take a call based on what those guys feel. They are the ones watching him every game, how he pulls up after the game, after bowling four overs, standing for 20 overs. But the door is open for him to come and play anytime.”Shami has not played for India since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November last year, after which he had surgery in February for an ankle injury. After suffering a few setbacks during his recovery process, Shami finally returned to action in November this year, taking seven wickets for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh.Since then Shami has played seven games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking eight wickets in 27.3 overs. While there has been no official confirmation that he has been given the go-ahead to fly to Australia, it is expected that he will join the squad at some stage if there are no further setbacks.