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Arsenal are making serious moves behind-the-scenes as new sporting director Andrea Berta looks to make a real impression on English shores, with the 53-year-old thought to be closing in on another target.

Related Arsenal in advanced talks for player with 5-year deal "already agreed"

The north Londoners have made a significant transfer stride.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 3, 2025

The Gunners confirmed Kepa Arrizabalaga’s arrival in N5 earlier this week.

The now-ex-Chelsea goalkeeper comes in as Berta’s first official signing since he replaced Edu in late March, but Kepa is widely expected to be followed by Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who could even be announced as a new Arsenal player on Thursday (Team News and Ticks).

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£5m

After agreeing a deal for Brentford captain Christian Norgaard recently, which could reach up to £15 million, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano now says that all the necessary paperwork has been exchanged for his transfer to the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta and co will ideally welcome the signing of Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera as well, as talks remain ongoing with the La Liga side in an attempt to strike their fourth deal of the window. Valencia did attempt to offer the 21-year-old a new contract to ward Arsenal off, but he’s apparently determined to join Arteta’s side.

“Cristhian Mosquera’s plan remains clear: he wants to join Arsenal project despite new contract proposal from Valencia,” said Romano on X.

“Full focus on negotiations with #AFC as personal terms are agreed, and new bid will be needed after opening one for €14m, rejected.”

Berta has many plates spinning right now, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze also firmly on their radar.

Arsenal talks with Eberechi Eze "well advanced"

Earlier this week, it was reported that Arsenal held “positive” talks with Eze’s representatives last weekend, and like Mosquera, he’s pretty keen on the idea of joining.

Now, according to French newspaper L’Equipe, Arsenal’s negotiations with Eze are “well advanced”, and all that is really left to do is trigger the England international’s release clause to strike a full agreement.

This comes after “further moves” in “recent hours”, as the outlet reported on Wednesday afternoon, so it appears Berta and co have upped the ante in their pursuit since their weekend discussions.

It is worth noting that Palace have no intention of accepting an offer lower than Eze’s £68m clause, with Arsenal told the exact price needed to make the 27-year-old their next major signing.

It is currently unclear what the ex-QPR star is demanding in terms of salary, with Eze on a reported £100,000-per-week in south London right now, but it could end up being quite a costly operation overall.

However, after his best-ever season at Palace with 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, there is little denying he’d seriously upgrade Arteta’s squad.

“His journey has been unique,” said pundit Rio Ferdinand on TNT Sports.

“He’s had disappointments in his academy life, released from clubs, found a new journey and a different pathway for himself. He’s got to this level and now he’s an England international.

“This kid, no disrespect to Palace, could go on and play for one of the top teams. He’s got that individual brilliance; he’s got the awareness when he’s dribbling to keep his head up and bring others into play. I speak to other players that play against him, and they say he’s such an elusive player, unpredictable in the way that he carries the ball, but also [his strength].”

Chelsea have just hours to register more new signings in time for the Club World Cup, which kicks off this weekend, and Stamford Bridge officials are attempting to finalise some behind-the-scenes captures.

Chelsea working on deal for Jamie Gittens with Mike Maignan move off

After sealing their £30 million deal for Liam Delap, who will be travelling with Enzo Maresca’s squad to the CWC rather than competing in the Euros with England Under-21s, BlueCo have been trying to get two more players through the door before the 7pm deadline this evening.

Ipswich Town 2-0 Chelsea

8.08

Bournemouth 1-2 Ipswich Town

8.05

Ipswich Town 2-2 Aston Villa

8.04

Ipswich Town 1-2 Southampton

7.83

Fulham 2-2 Ipswich Town

7.55

via WhoScored

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract and Chelsea have been in talks with the Rossoneri over a cut-price deal, but Milan value their captain at around £25 million – a figure which Maresca’s side are not keen to pay.

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Chelsea would have preferred to fork out £10 million for Maignan, but while there was some hope that a compromise could be reached at £15 million (Dom Smith), the deal is now off according to Romano.

Meanwhile, despite time running out fast, Chelsea have also been working to finalise a high-profile deal for Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens.

Chelsea had an opening bid of around £30 million rejected for Gittens, but they’re expected to go in with another offer as Maresca’s side scrap to agree a deal and bring him to the CWC.

It is believed that Chelsea have already agreed personal terms with Gittens, though Dortmund are demanding up to £51 million to sell, so this is another story to keep a close eye on today.

Luckily for Maresca, even if Chelsea miss the deadline to sign Gittens tonight, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has shared that there will be a unique registration period midway through the CWC – from June 27 to July 3 – which allows Chelsea to introduce new signings to their tournament squad right after the group stage finishes.

Chelsea make contact with Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers via representatives

So, taking this into account, Chelsea are in fact able to strengthen their team midway through the CWC – so failing to complete a deal for Gittens or Maignan by 7pm may not actually be the end of the world when it comes to their prospects of winning the competition.

Chelsea are looking to bring in a versatile attacking midfielder alongside a new left-winger in the form of Gittens, according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, and they’ve started to lay some groundwork over a potential deal for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.

As per Phillips, via his SPTC Substack, Chelsea have made contact with Rogers’ agents, and are seriously weighing up adding to their contingent of ex-Man City academy gems with a summer move for the forward – who is expected to cost around £80 million.

Chelsea would apparently “love” to sign the England international, if they consider it a realistic opportunity, and it’s not hard to see why.

Rogers is fresh off the back of a phenomenal campaign with Villa, racking up 14 goals and 15 assists in all competitions. While it is claimed that the 22-year-old wouldn’t push to leave the Midlands, he’s also likely to be at least open to the prospect of a switch, according to Phillips.

Liverpool are now seriously keen on a second defensive signing alongside their widely reported move for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong.

Liverpool closing in on Frimpong deal – Ornstein

The Reds have wasted no time seeking out a replacement for the outgoing Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong being identified as a key target, after it emerged the Dutchman was keen on a move to Anfield last week.

Such is their level of interest, Slot’s side are looking to wrap up a move for the full-back quickly, and it appears as though a move for the 24-year-old is edging close to completion. David Ornstein reporting on Thursday morning that Liverpool are advancing to sign Frimpong and there is “increasing confidence” from the player’s camp that a roughly £30m deal will be struck.

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However, a report from The Mail reveals he is not the only Dutch defender on Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes’ shortlist – Liverpool may also look at bringing in RB Leipzig defender Lutsharel Geertruida. In fact, signing Geertruida is considered a serious possibility, despite the interest in Frimpong, particularly considering Slot knows the former Feyenoord man very well from the time the successful period they spent together at the Eredivisie club.

The Reds have a good relationship with RB Leipzig, which could potentially make a deal more likely to transpire, with signing the Dutchman deemed an attractive proposition, given his versatility, having proven himself in central defence and even midfield.

Liverpool's right side sorted for years to come?

U23 Football Scout Antonio Mango is clearly a big fan of the Leipzig defender, having described him as “monumental” in the past, while also lauding the Netherlands international for his technical ability. His ableness to play multiple positions makes signing both players a real possibility, adding depth up and down the right flank as well as at centre-back in two quick swoops.

While Frimpong has caught the eye going forward, there are concerns that his explosive dribbling style isn’t suitable for Slot’s system, with the Liverpool manager preferring more conventional full-backs, so the Leverkusen man could even be used further up as cover for Mohamed Salah.

The £77k-a-week Leipzig defender meanwhile could be an ideal fit in a traditional back four, given that he is also able to slot in at centre-back when required, featuring in the middle of the defence only slightly less than as a right-back throughout his career to date.

Another added bonus is the fact that Slot knows he can rely on Geertruida, given the success they enjoyed together at Feyenoord, with a Dutch journalist previously describing the 24-year-old as an “Arne Slot favourite”, underlining the manager’s admiration for his former player.

West Ham have found themselves limping through this Premier League campaign, now sitting 17th in the table having only scored 37 goals and conceded 55 times.

Graham Potter, coming in halfway through the season, has struggled to get all of his ideas across, focusing more on defensive stability to gain some results and ensure the club’s safety, which could be confirmed this weekend.

Last season, with David Moyes in charge, the Hammers scored 60 goals, conceding 74 times. Therefore, despite West Ham’s poor start under Julen Lopetegui, Potter is likely to guide his side to a better defensive year.

So the focus next season will be back on the attack, looking to bridge the gap and get back towards that 60-goal mark, especially with talent such as Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Kudus in attack.

Sadly, Kudus might not be at the London Stadium for too much longer.

The latest on Kudus' future at West Ham

According to reports from The Guardian, Kudus could be set to leave the club in the summer, with West Ham accepting a sale of their Ghanaian forward could be the best way to ‘boost their transfer budget’.

One interested club is Saudi Pro League side, Al-Nassr, where the 24-year-old could team up with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Saudi club are reportedly preparing to “up the ante” in their attempts to lure Kudus away from London, with an offer of around £85m expected. West Ham signed Kudus for around £38m back in 2023 from Ajax, and a big sale just two years on could be good for their books.

Kudus has made 75 appearances for the Hammers so far, scoring 17 goals, providing 12 assists and totaling 5,883 minutes played.

Whilst the 24-year-old has struggled to find the same form this season as his debut campaign, it won’t be easy for the club to replace him, already forming a strong connection with Bowen at the top of the pitch.

How West Ham could replace Kudus internally

Luckily for West Ham, they already signed a young superstar winger back in the summer, with Luis Guilherme joining the Hammers from Palmeiras for a fee of around £25.5m.

Since his arrival, the 19-year-old has only made 12 appearances for the club, struggling for first-team opportunities in his first season in England.

When Guilherme was signed in the summer, Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall from Analytics United provided analysis on the Brazilian winger, labeling him “an impressively potent offensive asset”. This talent is something that has not dissipated, but is perhaps being protected whilst he acclimatises to the Premier League and the conditions of English football.

Luis Guilherme vs Mohammed Kudus comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Guilherme

Kudus

Goals

0.00

0.11

Assists

0.00

0.11

xG

0.20

0.25

xAG

0.07

0.09

Progressive Carries

2.00

3.49

Progressive Passes

2.00

2.85

Shots Total

1.88

2.60

Key Passes

2.00

1.08

Shot-Creating Actions

6.67

3.78

Successful Take-Ons

3.33

3.09

Stats taken from FBref

When comparing Guilherme’s underlying numbers with Kudus’ underlying numbers, it is important to include the context of the Brazilian’s minutes, only managing 133 minutes this season, which contributes largely to his per 90 metrics.

Chalkboard

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

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However, you can begin to analyse the styles of each player, both being direct with the ball at their feet, looking to make things happen in the attacking third and create for themselves and their teammates.

Guilherme, in his minimal chances, has shown his creativity, producing shot-creating actions and key passes at a good rate.

Kudus may have a higher athletic ceiling than the Brazilian, being a nightmare to stop once he hits top speed and hurting teams in transition, but Guilherme is no slouch, described as an “electric” player with an “explosive first step” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Giving the young Brazilian a proper chance next season to fill Kudus’ shoes could be a much cheaper alternative, allowing them to spend those funds acquired wisely in other positions such as midfield.

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Kuldeep, Jadeja, Axar and Varun don’t so much spin a web as represent a 4D threat to India’s opponents

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Mar-20251:31

Kumble: ‘Kuldeep doesn’t look for the surface to help him’

There is no relent. With two you could maybe manage. With three it was already a minefield (ask Bangladesh, or Pakistan). Four? Hah! On this worn square? Yah, good luck.Eke out your little singles here, squeeze out an edged four there, you can hit out and maybe nail one to the boundary, but you know you’ve taken a risk, and how long are you really going to be that brave for? And anyway, there are bowling changes that can be rung, new fields that can be employed, a whole new set of problems for you to solve next over.Two of India’s spinners have stock balls that turn away from the right-hand batter. Two of them are difficult to pick. Two of them can bowl in the powerplay. Two are effective at the death. In each of those four considerations, a different combination is represented.Related

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Stats – Four drops, a spin strangle, and 15 tosses lost in a row

Try to graphically represent the cricketing skills of Ravindra Jadeja (turns ball away from right-hand batter), Axar Patel (can bowl in powerplay/turns the ball away from right-hand batter), Kuldeep Yadav (difficult to pick/effective at the death), and Varun Chakravarthy (difficult to pick/can bowl in powerplay/effective at the death), try to chart their synergies, permutations, and versatility, and what you end up with is less Venn diagram, more three-dimensional quadruple-helix. Like intertwined DNA strands as imagined by a surrealist (MC Escher more than Picasso).It’s often said of spinners that they string up batting orders in their webs. This is like a web, intersecting with another web, layered on to two more webs.Against New Zealand, Jadeja, the most conventional of India’s spinners, delivered the most conventional overs, almost by rote – a factory worker on a production line. He punched in at the start of the 19th, bowled nine unchanged through the middle period, trapped a batter sweeping, rushed through his deliveries to get India’s over rate up, fired in some rocket throws from the outfield in between that New Zealand’s batters dared not take on, and finished with figures of 1 for 30. In the break room of this factory, beneath rows of framed photographs of Jadeja, the little metal straps read “Employee of the Month”. It was he who hit the winning runs, his presence all the way down at No. 8 empowering the batters above him to play more aggressively right through the tournament.ESPNcricinfo LtdBut others had laid the groundwork for Jadeja’s middle-overs shift. Kuldeep, a bamboozler at the top of the innings, a pragmatist at the tail, had ripped a googly first ball to end Rachin Ravindra’s little rampage. Next over, he beat Kane Williamson in the air, which few spinners can ever claim to have done, and took a simple return catch – the ball also perhaps having stopped on the pitch. In his first seven balls, Kuldeep had removed New Zealand’s semi-final centurions. There is arguably no more definitive phase of the match than this.That India have barely missed Jasprit Bumrah in this tournament at the death is also partly down to Kuldeep. In this match, he bowled four overs between the 39th and 47th of the innings. Those cost him only 15 runs – one boundary conceded across 24 balls.Varun was once an aspiring architect, but now in his own telling, bowls one delivery that “goes left” one that “goes right” and another that “goes straight”. The difficulty for a batter is figuring out which is which. Like a Bangalore tech start-up that has devised a hugely profitable algorithm, Varun guards his USP hawkishly, Rohit Sharma stating at the start of this tournament that he rarely ever bowls his variations to the India batters in the nets (there’s an IPL to think about). In this match, Rohit used him in bursts, three overs in the powerplay, four overs in the middle, three overs in the late middle/early death.A legbreak in the powerplay got Will Young, but the crucial strike was against Glenn Phillips in the 38th over, when Phillips was threatening to give serious energy to New Zealand’s final burst. That googly was 92kph. Phillips rolled the dice on which direction it would turn, and picked wrong. It turned in to him, and took out his stumps.Varun Chakravarthy kept New Zealand guessing with his variations•Associated PressAxar, long-legged, wingspan of an albatross, has sniped around the edges of the other three this tournament, picking up five wickets. Crucially, he has also presented the challenge of extra bounce to batters, given his high release point. He and Jadeja were the co-squeezers, his economy rate of 3.62 in the final substantially better even than his tournament economy rate of 4.35 on a track which, in the first innings, took only mild turn. For Axar alone of the quartet, bowling is increasingly secondary. Against New Zealand, India’s only worthy opposition, he produced a 42 in the group match, and an important 29 off 40 in the final.No portion of India’s campaign has wriggled with as much life as Varun’s nine wickets, from just three matches. Of India’s 47 total Champions Trophy wickets, 26 have belonged to their spinners. In the final, they took five of the seven to go down, and had a combined economy rate of 3.79 across their 38 overs. Their total effect has been extraordinary.There is an obvious comparison to make here, to that legendary 1960s and 1970s quartet of Bishan Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, BS Chandrasekar and S Venkataraghavan. As with most legends, some of the history is imagined – those four spinners only played a single Test together.These four now have three entries on the ODI ledger, and have written their names across a major tournament, imbuing India’s knockouts performances with dynamism, high skill, consistency, and barely relenting control. Virat Kohli may have led chases, Shreyas Iyer might have brought heft to the middle order, and Rohit’s scintillating start was vital in the title match. But if you’re looking for India’s Champions Trophy engine room, it is their two left-arm spinners, their left-arm wristspinner, and their mystery bowler. Cricket has never seen anything like them.

RCB batter abandons his safety-first approach to instead go hell for leather, resulting in a “quite special knock”

Shashank Kishore19-May-20231:48

Moody: ‘The way Kohli batted, he reminded me of the 2016 season’

The discourse around Virat Kohli the T20 batter for much of IPL 2023, or perhaps a little longer, has been about his intent in the powerplay or the lack of it. Much of this has stemmed from poor returns of the Royal Challengers Bangalore batters apart from himself, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell.This safety-first approach has worked wonders as much as it has also backfired. But it is one that Kohli has backed himself to execute successfully more often than not.Against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday evening, Kohli decided he’d had enough; he wasn’t going to bat the way he’d been batting all along. There was a purpose that perhaps stemmed from RCB having one eye on net run rate and a mindset of outright domination from get-go. Of the kind that made you wonder whether Kohli had been angered by something or someone; and there have been a few occasions this IPL where he has been testy.Related

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The first ball of the innings laid down the marker. Bhuvneshwer Kumar’s late swing was met with one of the most purposeful forward strides and head right over the ball as he creamed one through the covers. Kohli was up and running.It was a tall chase, even if not one that needed him to go all out. Kohli, though, did just that. Off the second ball, he anticipated Bhuvneshwar shortening his length and stood tall to slap it over backward point. He was one up on Bhuvneshwar, whom he has played with for over a decade. He knew what was coming and reacted instinctively. No holds barred.It was Abhishek Sharma’s turn next. Kohli vs spin in the powerplay has rarely set pulses racing: his strike rate against left-arm orthodox was 116. Abhishek has several variations – a traditional off break, a back-of-the-hand delivery, and a seam-up that swerves in. Here, he fired one down leg, perhaps anticipating Kohli would give him the charge. But Kohli went outside leg to get underneath the length and shovelled it back over the top. Two balls later, he backed away again to slap a length ball back past the bowler.It wasn’t until his stand-and-deliver boundary through extra cover off Kartik Tyagi – one that made such sweet connection that you wondered if he’d hit one that clean this season – that Kohli got into top gear. Batters often tell you there’s one particular stroke that helps them flick a switch. This, seemingly, was that stroke that pumped Kohli up. The 17 runs he made off his first 10 balls were the second most he’s hit in this phase this season.But it wasn’t just about the big hits. The moment Mayank Dagar came on and slowed it down nicely to extract square turn, Kohli switched gears and treaded with caution. The powerplay – RCB were 64 for 0 after six – gave him leeway to do so, too. With Dagar exercising control, you wondered if Sunrisers had erred by not picking another frontline spinner in Mayank Markande. They had handed a debut to seamer Nitish Reddy, and he was under the pump straightaway.One moment, Kohli was batting calmly, andthe next he was allowing adrenaline to kick in and his wrists and forearm power to take over. Kohli simply short-arm jabbed a perfectly acceptable length delivery into the body for a 103-metre six and stood there following the trajectory of the ball, holding the pose for the camera. That was just one of several eye-catching shots he played. The no-look sweep to a full, in-drifter from Dagar was full swag. It left du Plessis astounded.Virat Kohli started RCB’s chase with two boundaries, and did not stop there•BCCIKohli said later that batting with du Plessis brought him as much pleasure as batting with AB de Villiers. Kohli and du Plessis are different in the shots they play or areas they can access. Du Plessis is bottom-handed, while Kohli is the epitome of elegance that he mixes with a more-than-capable power game.”I think it’s the tattoos,” Kohli said with a laugh when asked about his success with du Plessis. The two have racked up the most runs by an opening pair in a single IPL season. “We call each other the ink boys. We almost have 900 runs together this season. It’s been amazing to bat with him. Another guy, very similar to how I used to feel when AB and me batted together.”There was just an understanding of where the game is going and what needs to be done. We pump each other, we read the conditions, we give each other feedback for how we can play certain bowlers. Having an experienced guy who’s captained at the international level, he’s handled troops as well, it’s just been a beautiful transition for us coming together for RCB at the top and making an impact, which is so important.”For much of the innings, Kohli and du Plessis were neck-and-neck with their score. And then suddenly Kohli gave himself a power boost against Bhuvneshwar. If you thought he couldn’t have topped the first two shots to open the innings, you were wrong.Kohli on his ton – “It was a quite special knock considering where we’re placed in the points table and the magnitude of the game”•BCCIA regal drive on the up, a chip over cover and mid-off that nearly carried all the way, a one-handed hit over his head off a low full-toss and a ferocious cut – all in Bhuvneshwar’s third over – shaved nearly 10% off their target. From 55 off 36, it was down to 37 off 30. Bhuvneshwar’s final over, the 18th, was the one in which Kohli reached his hundred, off 62 balls.”Yeah, quite special knock considering where we’re placed in the points table and the magnitude of the game,” Kohli said. “I thought Hyderabad got a really good score. If you saw, the ball was gripping in between overs as well, so it’s quite special, knowing that we wanted a good start, solid start.”We didn’t expect to be 172 without loss, but that’s how well Faf and me have played this season. Faf’s been on a different level, but, you know, I’ve had a quiet couple of games in the last few games. I just felt like the way I was hitting the ball in the nets, it wasn’t quite transitioning into the game in the last two or three games, so I wanted to make an impact, and my intent from ball one was to go after the bowlers. It’s something that I’ve done through the season – there was a little bit of a dip, but I wanted to pick my game up at the right time, so considering all those factors I’m just happy that it all came together nicely.”

Our virtual cricket assistant reluctantly weighs in on this whole Test series business

Alan Gardner03-Feb-2021Hey Srini! What’s happening?
Good day. Would you like to set your preferences?Yes, that’s a good idea. I like Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Test matches.
You have selected: Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes and the IPL.Hmmm, still seems a bit glitchy. Let’s start with a simple one. Hey Srini, what’s going on in the cricket?
Cricket is a game that exists in order to make money. It is played in a bubble and broadcast on television 365 days of the year. Would you like to discuss investment opportunities?Umm, not right now. But there does seem to be a lot of it on, even during a pandemic. What are the big events I should look out for?
IPL 2020 concluded on November 10, 2020. It was won by Mumbai Indians. IPL 2021 auction is scheduled for February 18 – would you like to set a calendar reminder? IPL 2021 begins in two months and…Okay, Srini, thanks. Lots of IPL, that’s good. But isn’t there a big tour about to happen? India’s first home games in over a year?
Team India is scheduled to play the following fixtures: Friday, February 5, 2021 vs Team England, day one, 1st Paytm Test, Anthony de Mello Trophy, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai; Saturday, February 6, 2021 vs Team England, day two, 1st Paytm Test, Anthony de Mello Trophy, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Sunday, February 7, 2021 vs Team Engla…Man, this could take a while
() … Sunday, March 28, 2021 vs Team England, 3rd Paytm ODI, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. Would you like to hear more?No, no, no, we’re good. Wow, that’s a long old tour. Definitely stick all those dates in my calendar. So who are some of the big names on the England team?
India vs England 2020-21, ones to watch: Sam Curran, allrounder, value INR 5.5 crore; Mark Wood, fast bowler, INR 1.5 crore…About turn: let’s hope the spinners have done their homework•Getty ImagesHang on, didn’t I read that those two had been rested for the first part of the tour?
…Sam Billings, wicketkeeper-batsman, INR 1 croreWait a minute, he’s not in the Test squad! Srini, are you just listing English CSK players…?
David Willey, allroun… () Chennai Super Kings are the IPL franchise with the greatest fan following, indomitable serial champions and known for the “knowledgeable crowd” at their Chepauk home. Would you like to hear more about “Yellow Army”?No, I’m not interested in the IPL right now. I want to hear about the Tests
()Hey Srini! Come on… Look, the tour starts in Chennai, right? I’m sure you’ve got something to say about that
() Chepauk is one of the strongholds of India cricket, a ground where they have a win/loss ratio of 2.33. Since the year 2000, India have won five Tests in Chennai and drawn three. Their last defeat came in [file not found]. It is also the venue where India made their highest Test total – 759 for 7 declared, against England in 2016.Oof, so England know what to expect then!
England’s total of 477 in that game was the highest score in Test history to end in an innings defeat. Related YouTube content: Cricket’s Most Epic Fails.Bookmark that for later. So back-to-back Tests in Chennai, with India practically at full strength and riding a wave of emotion following the historic events at the Gabba a couple of weeks ago, eager to seal a 13th consecutive home series win and confirm their World Test Championship final spot. It really will be sink or swim for the tourists, won’t it?
You might say they’re likely to have the buoyancy of a bag of wet cement.Burn! Nice one, Srini… But don’t forget there’s a day-night Test to come in Ahmedabad. Who knows what may happen there?
() Gurunath Meiyappan did not have any role within the team, he was just an enthusiast. Let the commission look into it. Mike Hussey doesn’t know what he’s talking about…Torrid heat, fanatical crowds, fortress Chepauk – what’s to worry about?•Gaurav Sundararaman() We really need to work out what keeps triggering that…
Sorry, did it happen again?Don’t worry, you’re doing really well. Can you just sum up the challenge for England over the next few weeks as succinctly as possible?
No question they’ll be up against it. Big first-innings runs are a must, but with an inexperienced top order much of the burden will fall on Joe Root. If he cracks, India’s attack is likely to go through the rest quicker than those Chinese prawns that did for Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting in Chennai 28 years ago. There’ll be long, hot days in the field, so stay patient and hang in there – particularly the spinners. India’s batsmen will assume you can’t turn a door knob, but that might just mean they leave it ajar. Hope that someone – Ben Stokes? Jofra Archer? – can produce a bit of KP magic (or even the Shaun Udal variety might do). Do your homework in advance, or it may well come back to bite you.Homework, eh? Any recommended reading?
A quick check of the latest booksellers’ charts tells me the No. 1 title in Sports > Indian cricket is . According to my algorithms, that’s going to be a hard one to dislodge.This is all great advice. And at least England won’t have to deal with fanatical Indian crowds, what with the whole bio-bubble thing…
Ah yes, about that. Tamil Nadu Cricket Association will be letting people in for the second Test.Crumbs. Anything else?
Yeah, get a theme song. “Ring of Fire” works. “Highway to Hell” might turn out to be more appropriate.Can’t help noticing you’ve not mentioned Sam Curran…
He’s definitely one to watch in IPL 2021.Srini, show me an extended comedic device that has overstayed its welcome.
Done.

Sitting at 48-45 with just over three weeks to go until the MLB trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox have some decisions to make—one of which is whether or not to extend third baseman Alex Bregman.

Despite missing the last month-plus with a strained right quad, the 31-year-old—who signed with Boston in February—has been a leader in the clubhouse for young prospects Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, and was named an All-Star this past weekend for the first time since 2019. Needless to say, he's worthy of an extension.

If the two sides can't come to an agreement on a new deal by the July 31st trade deadline, however, Jim Bowden says the Red Sox may opt to trade him. In a recent mailbag column, the insider also floated three possible landing spots for Bregman.

"The Red Sox would like to extend Bregman before the trade deadline," Bowden wrote on Wednesday. "But it won’t be easy with Scott Boras as his agent. And, I’m hearing, in my conversations throughout the league, if he’s not extended, they could end up trading him to Seattle, Detroit or Milwaukee."

Bregman, who has been out since late May but could return to Boston's lineup as early as this week, has tallied 11 home runs and 31 RBI this season while slashing .299/.385/.553. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have won their last five games and currently sit one game out of the American League's third Wild Card spot.

The Miami Marlins entered Friday night's action in the cellar of the National League East with a 12-18 record. But let no one suggest, even for a minute, that the roster is not laying it all on the line and sacrificing what is most dear to them in the quest for victory. Even by accident.

Already down 6-0 to the Athletics in the top of the fifth inning, first baseman Matt Mervis attempted to scoop a low throw from shortstop Xavier Edwards. Which he did. But not in the way he would have preferred.

For his heroic work, Mervis was rewarded for going viral and having his pain reduced to a movie line from the early-aughts comedy classic g story. It's a cruel world.

Let this be a reminder to always wear the necessary protection while stepping between those white lines.

حسم مانويل نوير حارس مرمى بايرن ميونخ الجدل حول إمكانية تراجعه عن الاعتزال لحراسة مرمى المانشافت في نهائيات كأس العالم 2026.

وكانت تقارير صحفية قد ترددت خلال الفترة الماضية أن نوير قد يعود من الاعتزال في ظل الدعوات والمطالبات بذلك، بالإضافة إلى الشكوك حول مستوى تير شتيجن ومشاركته مع برشلونة حيث يستعد للعودة للتدريبات خلال الأسبوعين القادمين.

وأكد مانويل نوير في تصريحات نشرتها “سكاي ألمانيا” أنه أغلق الباب أمام العودة لمنتخب ألمانيا: “لقد اعتزلت اللعب عن قصد”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. سبب مفاجئ وراء رحيل سيرجيو راموس عن مونتيري المكسيكي

وسئل نوير عن مستقبله مع بايرن ميونخ، فأجاب: “المهم هو ما أشعر به في النصف الثاني من الموسم، وخلال فترة التوقف الدولي، سأفكر في كيفية سير الأمور، أنا أيضاً أشعر بالفضول”.

يذكر أن مانويل نوير قد أعلن اعتزاله اللعب الدولي بشكل نهائي في العام الماضي، وأكد أنه لن يعود مرة أخرى، بينما ينتهي عقده مع بايرن ميونخ في يونيو 2026.