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When it comes to picking the best Chelsea player of the last 20 years or so, fans are spoilt for choice.

Some will immediately think of Didier Drogba for his Champions League-winning goal, while others might point to Frank Lampard for his absurd record from the middle of the park.

You might even have some who lean towards John Terry for how he led the club through their greatest period ever.

However, for many, when it comes to pure skill and technique, it’s hard to look past Eden Hazard, and so fans should be excited about reports linking the club with a player who has shades of the Belgian about him.

Chelsea target ace with shades of Hazard

This summer has undoubtedly been one of Chelsea’s most positive in some time, as the club has not only achieved success on the pitch but also been busy and effective in the transfer market.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, the additions of Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap will make them far more dangerous going forward, and Jorrel Hato should make them more solid at the back.

And yet, even with all of these players in, and Xavi Simons likely to join them, the West Londoners are looking to do even more business and are targeting a player with Hazard-esque qualities.

At least that is according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, who has reaffirmed Chelsea’s intense interest in Alejandro Garnacho.

Baliey goes a step further, though, revealing that while other teams are interested in the Manchester United ace, the Blues have done the most work and are currently leading the race for his signature.

A price is not mentioned in the story, but other reports from this summer indicate that the final fee could reach around £40m, which might not be a bad price for someone as talented as Garnacho, especially not when he has shades of Hazard about him.

Garnacho's Hazard-esque qualities

Now, the first thing to stress here is that we are not claiming that Ganracho is as good as Hazard was during his time at Chelsea, nor would we even suggest he’s all that close at the moment.

However, there are some similarities between the pair, and it’s important to remember that the United ace is still only 21 years old, and therefore has at least five or six years until he should be hitting his peak.

With that said, one of the similarities that’s hard to ignore is how effective the Argentine is with the ball at his feet, which was most certainly one of the Belgian’s strengths – just look at a few of his highlights.

For example, according to FBref, the Madrid-born gem was in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last seaosn for carries into the final third, the top 7% for progressive carries, the top 10 % for carries into the penalty area and the top 12% for progressive carrying distance, all per 90.

In other words, while the dynamic attacker can get the ball into dangerous areas with a pass, he’s even more effective at doing so with the ball at his feet and dribbling up the pitch.

Touches (Att Pen)

7.20

Top 6%

Carries into Final Third

2.95

Top 6%

Progressive Carries

5.77

Top 7%

Shots Total

3.44

Top 7%

Progressive Passes Rec

11.87

Top 8%

Total Carrying Distance

260.50

Top 8%

Shots on Target

1.19

Top 10%

Carries into Penalty Area

2.74

Top 10%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.53

Top 11%

Progressive Carrying Distance

132.81

Top 12%

On top of this key similarity, we have already seen that the eight-capped international “superstar,” as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, is capable of the spectacular, much like the Blues ace was before him – that goal against Tottenham Hotspur always springs to mind.

The best example of the youngster doing something truly out of the ordinary was when he scored that sensational Puskas-winning goal against Everton at Goodison Park, in what might be the best bicycle kick we’ve ever seen, at least from a technique standpoint.

Finally, with a goal in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City, we also know that the incredibly talented ace can thrive on the biggest of stages, just like Hazard did before him.

Ultimately, Garnacho has no match for the level the Belgian did before him, but he has shades of him in his game, and therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to bring him to Stamford Bridge this summer.

"Real puzzle" – Chelsea given Xavi Simons warning amid fascinating issue

The Dutchman could be Enzo Maresca’s next major signing this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 6, 2025

Rahul Dravid is set to return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach ahead of the 2025 IPL season, following the culmination of his tenure as India coach after the 2024 T20 World Cup win in June this year.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Dravid recently signed a deal with the franchise and has had initial conversations on player retentions ahead of the upcoming mega auction. He has a long-standing working relationship with the RR captain Sanju Samson, who came through the under-19 ranks on Dravid’s watch.Dravid has history with RR. He was their captain in IPL 2012 and 2013, and served as team director and mentor in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2016, Dravid moved to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) until he became the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru in 2019. In 2021, he was appointed head coach of the India men’s team and ended his three-year stint with their first ICC title in 11 years.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

RR are also likely to sign former India batter Vikram Rathour as one of Dravid’s assistant coaches. Rathour, a former India selector, was part of Dravid’s coaching staff at NCA before he became India’s batting coach in 2019.It is understood that while Dravid will take charge of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Kumar Sangakkara, who has been their director of cricket since 2021, will continue with their franchise and look after their teams in other leagues – Paarl Royals in the SA20 and Barbados Royals in the CPL.RR have not won the IPL title since the inaugural season in 2008; their next best finish was in 2022 when they came runners-up to Gujarat Titans. They failed to make the playoffs in 2023, finishing fifth in the league despite a terrific start to the season, but did so in 2024 and were knocked out in Qualifier 2.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta’s most imperative task of the summer window is finally ending the club’s long wait for a prolific natural striker, and it’s been widely reported that two names are at the top of his shortlist.

Fabrizio Romano: "Magnificent" player wants "perfect" move to Arsenal

He thinks they’re the best club for his career.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 28, 2025

The men in question, of course, are Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Over the last few weeks, many reliable media sources have shared that Berta is simultaneously working on deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres – before deciding which move would be best suited to Arsenal’s needs.

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

However, given the sheer size of these transfers, talks are proving complex and don’t appear likely to be done any time soon.

Gyokeres is very keen on joining Arsenal and prioritising a move to the Emirates, according to Fabrizio Romano, but his situation at Sporting has grown toxic recently amid a public fallout with their club president, Frederico Varandas.

Sesko, meanwhile, is also eager to link-up with Mikel Arteta, as per recent reports, but there are discrepancies surrounding the cost of a potential deal – with Sky Germany even reporting he could be priced up to £85 million despite the presence of a release clause.

Given the deals for Sesko and Gyokeres are miles from straightforward, it is wise for Berta to have alternatives, with journalist Duncan Castles sharing a left-field striker who’s also on Arsenal’s radar.

Arsenal eyeing "surprise" Nicolas Jackson move

Speaking on The Transfers Podcast, Castles reports that the man is Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegal international enjoyed an excellent start to 2024/2025, scoring nine goals in his first 15 Premier League games, but has tailed off since the turn of the year, partly due to injury.

Jackson was also sent off in Chelsea’s 3-1 Club World Cup defeat to Flamengo recently, just minutes after replacing Liam Delap, and the consensus is that he could be sold this summer.

Chelsea will demand up to £51 million to sell him (Fabrizio Romano), though, so he won’t be a cheap option.

In any case, Arsenal have identified Jackson as a “surprise” striker target, with Castles explaining exactly why.

“There’s one more name that I’ve become aware of this week, which may come as a surprise, which is Nicolas Jackson, the striker who’s had an interesting time in his two years at Chelsea,” Castles revealed, when discussing Arsenal’s striker plans.

“Chelsea have always been looking for either adding someone else in that position or replacing him totally. Chelsea say they’re not actively looking to sell Jackson in this window, but he’s not one of the untouchable figures within their squad.

“The guidance I have on where Arsenal are on this is that this broad range of options is deliberate. They want to ensure that they get a centre-forward for Arteta in this window and don’t feel like they did last summer.

“They will do one of these deals. They’re telling the representatives of the players involved that what it will come down to is the deal that they believe makes the best sense to the club.”

Despite reaching a hefty 90 points in the Championship last season, Sheffield United are now resigned to another campaign in the second t ier

Both Burnley and Leeds United soared into the top two spots in the division at their expense with a mammoth 100 points each, leaving Chris Wilder’s men to fight it out in the cruel lottery of the playoffs.

To make matters worse, the Blades headed into their playoff showdown at Wembley versus Sunderland having never been promoted via this nail-biting route, with that unlucky streak unfortunately continuing against the Black Cats.

It was Tommy Watson who broke United hearts with a last-gasp finish, but the chance would never have fallen to the feet of the new Brighton and Hove Albion youngster kindly if it wasn’t for an inexplicable moment of madness from Welshman Kieffer Moore.

His head-in-hands back-pass could be his last ever cursed moment donning Blades red and white, with Wilder and Co. perhaps tempted to move on the injury-prone striker, having blown hot and cold throughout last season.

Indeed, the experienced EFL attacker would miss 17 games in total due to injury, meaning these three strikers on the potential United shopping list could be viewed as upgrades on the often missing 32-year-old.

1 Emil Riis Jakobsen

Emil Riis Jakobsen would certainly come in and be a similar striker to Moore, considering the Dane boasts a towering 6 foot 3 frame when contrasted wit the ex-Cardiff City man’s imposing 6 foot 5 build.

The soon-to-be free agent has been on Wilder’s radar before according to reports, and with his Preston North End contract confirmed as not being renewed, now could be the perfect time to finally add him to his Blades roster as a back-up attacking body.

After all, Jakobsen did manage to better Moore’s six-goal haul just this season gone with 12 league strikes in total, with the likes of Tyrese Campbell presumably keen to bounce off such an experienced EFL head as promotion is sought after once more.

2 Oli McBurnie

Wilder could also look to the past when recruiting a possible Moore replacement, meaning a deal might soon be on the table for Oli McBurnie to spectacularly return to Bramall Lane.

This wouldn’t be an unusual deal for Wilder to sign off on, considering United were reportedly keen on adding the £2m-rated Scotsman back to their camp in January.

Moreover, with 29 strikes already in his back pocket for the Blades, he wouldn’t need a long time you imagine to get back up to speed with proceedings, having also chipped in with a respectable five strikes for current La Liga employers Las Palmas across the 2024/25 campaign.

It would all rest on whether the Yorkshire-born attacker would fancy swapping Spain for the challenges of the EFL again, but it could be an inspired switch if it clicks into gear.

3 Charlie Kelman

Away from going after seasoned Championship veterans, the Blades could look to Queens Park Rangers hotshot Charlie Kelman as an alternative up top after an explosive loan spell at Leyton Orient.

United have been recently linked with a move for the slick 23-year-old, and after years of not being handed that many meaningful first-team opportunities at Loftus Road, he might well fancy a switch to Wilder’s men to become an exciting reserve option.

Games played

46

Games started

37

Goals scored

21

Assists

5

Shots*

2.4

Shots on target*

1.1

Goal conversion %

19%

Big chances missed

20

Kelman would instantly burst into life leading the line for Richie Wellens’ promotion-chasers, as seen in his 21 strikes and five assists helping the O’s reach the League One playoff final, only to then fall at the vital finishing hurdle to Charlton Athletic.

Wilder and Co. tasted similar agony, but will hope landing promising new strikers such as Kelman can get them over the line this campaign to come.

Sheffield United expected to make swoop to sign "important" player for £0

They’re set to go again in pursuit of promotion.

ByTom Cunningham May 27, 2025

Leeds United have an incredibly difficult task ahead of them following their 100-point Championship season that earned them promotion to the Premier League.

The last six teams that have been promoted to the top-flight have been instantly relegated back down to the second tier, including Southampton, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Luton Town, Sheffield United, and Burnley.

Daniel Farke has first-hand experience of how hard it is to keep a team in the Premier League after promotion. He suffered relegation with Norwich City after his first title at Carrow Road, before being sacked during the Canaries’ second relegation straight after promotion.

The German head coach has to be backed by the 49ers in the summer transfer window to ensure that he has a squad that is capable of competing week-in-week-out in the top-flight.

There are some players in the current squad who may not be able to make the step up in quality, which is evidenced by the last six teams failing to stay up, and Dan James is one of those whose suitability for next season is up for debate.

Why Leeds have a Dan James dilemma this summer

The Wales international played a pivotal role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League with his attacking contributions from the right wing, and was nominated for the Championship Player of the Season award.

James also caught the eye with his performances in the second tier during the 2023/24 campaign, only for Leeds to fall short in the play-off final against Southampton.

The former Manchester United forward scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in the Championship this term, after a return of 13 goals and seven assists last term, which shows that he provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

There is, therefore, no doubt that James is a star at that level because he has proven himself in a Leeds shirt over the past two seasons, but that does not mean that he is guaranteed to be a key figure in the Premier League for the Whites.

Appearances

33

15

34

24

Goals

3

3

4

2

Conversion rate

7%

18%

7%

12%

Key passes per game

0.8

0.7

0.8

0.4

Big chances created

6

2

5

3

Assists

6

1

4

1

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old attacker has already played four seasons of Premier League football in his career, for Manchester United, Leeds, and Fulham, and is yet to score more than four goals in one campaign.

He also failed to create at least one chance per game for his teammates in any of those four seasons, which shows that he did not provide regular quality as a scorer or a creator.

This is why Leeds have a dilemma with James this summer because it remains to be seen if he can finally be a success in the top-flight, but the 49ers could improve his chances of being a success by landing the club’s latest reported target.

Leeds eyeing bargain swoop for Premier League ace

According to talkSPORT, Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign West Ham United right-back Vladimir Coufal in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that the 49ers are looking for more top-flight experience in their squad and have identified the Czechia international as a target ahead of their Premier League campaign.

Transfer Focus

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

It also reveals that Coufal, who wants to stay in the Premier League, was told by the Hammers that they would not be extending his current contract at the London Stadium, which means that he will become a free agent, and a bargain signing for his next club, at the end of June.

TalkSPORT adds that David Moyes, who managed the right-back during his tenure at West Ham, is also interested in signing the experienced defender for Everton.

The 49ers must push to win the race to sign the 32-year-old full-back because he could be the perfect addition to help Dan James thrive in the top-flight.

Why Vladimir Coufal could be perfect for Dan James

Whilst current Leeds right-back Jayden Bogle enjoyed a fine season in the Championship, scoring six goals and providing four assists, there are still question marks over his defensive abilities in the Premier League.

He started 32 matches for a Sheffield United team that conceded a record 104 goals in 38 games last term, and started 12 times in the Blades team that finished bottom on 23 points with 63 goals conceded in the 2020/21 campaign.

Whereas West Ham have conceded fewer than 60 goals in four of Coufal’s five Premier League seasons with the Hammers, since his move from Sparta Prague in the summer of 2020.

The 32-year-old star has played a key role in many of those seasons, thanks to the defensive stability that he provides at right-back as a solid operator in a back four.

Appearances

20

36

27

28

34

Dribbled past per game

0.6x

1.0x

0.5x

0.6x

1.1x

Ground duel success rate

47%

50%

54%

52%

57%

Aerial duel success rate

60%

52%

65%

49%

56%

Error led to shot

1

0

0

1

1

Error led to goal

0

0

0

0

0

As you can see in the table above, Coufal has not made a single error that has directly led to a goal in his Premier League career, and he has only been dribbled past more than once per match on average in one of those five seasons.

Bogle was dribbled past 53 times in 46 top-flight games for Sheffield United, which suggests that attacking players find it easier to get past the English defender, and that is why Leeds signing Coufal could be perfect for Dan James.

Having a right-back who has proven that he can be defensive solid at Premier League level could allow Farke to keep the Welsh forward high and wide on the right flank, giving the team an outlet to hit on the counter attack by using his pace to push teams back and get in behind in counter-attacking situations.

Coufal, once dubbed “outstanding” by Declan Rice, may not need as much support as the defensively susceptible Bogle, on the right, which would free up James to stay further up the pitch when Leeds are defending.

As shown by his famous goal for Swansea in the clip above, the Wales international has electric pace on the counter attack and the Whites could utilise that effectively by ensuring that they have a defensively solid right-back who does not need constant support out of possession.

This is why Coufal, particularly on a free transfer, could be a perfect signing to come in and compete with Bogle for a spot in the team next season.

Their answer to Hamer: 49ers lining up Leeds swoop for "special" £25m star

Leeds could land their own version of Gustavo Hamer in a move for this £25m star.

ByDan Emery May 12, 2025

The Manchester City squad rebuild is firmly underway.

Last week, Kevin De Bruyne confirmed he will be leaving the club this summer, following the expiration of his contract.

He’ll follow fellow sky blue stalwart Kyle Walker out the exit door while, as outlined by Philip Buckingham of the Athletic, Man City spent around £180m in January. That’s more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined, recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico González, Vitor Reis, and Juma Bah.

Now, as Pep Guardiola attempts to fill the gigantic void that De Bruyne will leave behind, does he have his eyes on one of the Premier League’s very best midfielders?

The latest on Man City interest in PL star

According to UOL Esporte, via a report from Spain, Guardiola ‘has identified’ Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães as his ‘ideal candidate’ to replace De Bruyne this summer.

The Belgian is on his way out of The Etihad and the Cityzens have now set their sights on the Premier League midfielder to bolster their options in the middle of the park ahead of next season.

However, it remains to be seen how much money it will take for the Magpies to consider parting ways with their brilliant Brazilian in the upcoming transfer window.

The 27-year-old joined Newcastle back in January 2022 from Olympique Lyonnais for a reported £40m, making 146 appearances for the Magpies to date, scoring 20 goals, a key figure in the side that won last month’s EFL Cup, the first major domestic trophy the club have hoisted aloft for 70 years.

His manager Eddie Howe described Guimarães as “world class”, with Chris Waugh of the Athletic believing that, when the Brazilian is deployed with more attacking freedom, there’s few better in the Premier League.

Thus, his signing would obviously be a major coup for Man City, but any potential deal will be far from straight-forward.

Why Guimares would be the perfect de Bruyne replacement

Instinctively, it does not feel as though Guimarães would be the perfect stylistic fit to replace De Bruyne.

The Belgian is known as the pass master, with Sam Lee of the Athletic outlining that a whipped ball to the back post is very much his ‘trademark’ assist.

As noted by Opta, since De Bruyne’s debut for Manchester City, no player has registered more assists (117) or created more chances (827) than him across Europe’s top five leagues.

Meantime, Guimarães is more well known for his ‘tenacity’ and leadership qualities, as documented by Jack Lang and Maurício Alencar of the Athletic, registering just 24 assists in 146 appearances for Newcastle to date.

But, let’s now take a deeper dive into the numbers.

Kevin De Bruyne vs Bruno Guimarães (24/25 PL comparison)

Statistics

De Bruyne

Guimarães

Appearances

21

30

Minutes

1,192

2,590

Goals

2

3

Assists

6

6

Expected assists

6.1

5.3

Progressive passes

116

212

Chances created

39

38

Shot-creating actions

81

97

Through-balls

8

21

Pass completion %

76.7%

82%

Ball recoveries

44

144

Touches per 90

77

67

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and Squawka

As the table outlines, despite having played less than half the number of minutes that Guimarães has, De Bruyne’s assists, expected assists, and chances created numbers are still comparable, emphasizing his qualities in that regard.

Nevertheless, the Brazilian has registered more progressive passes, shot-creating actions, and through-balls, while accumulating exponentially more ball recoveries, underlining that he is more of a useful asset out of possession.

This suggests that he would be a perfect replacement for de Bruyne in the sense that he could arrive with more depth to his game, due to his qualities out of possession and in deep build-up, which means that he could offer more to the all-round team performance than the Belgian veteran.

Thus, even though this would not be a like-for-like replacement, Guimarães would surely slot into Man City’s team perfectly, making this a transfer they should absolutely complete, if at all possible.

He has made himself impossible to drop, pushing India towards the rare move of picking him as a non-keeping middle-order batter

Karthik Krishnaswamy11-Nov-2025It was clear even in January 2020 that Dhruv Jurel had big ambitions.Watch this video, produced during that year’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. “I just want to be a successful cricketer,” he says. “I want to play 200 Test match[es] for my India.”He seems to say these words with no thought of how outlandish they must sound coming from anyone, let alone someone who had played no senior cricket at that point. Or with no thought given to the hurdles in front of him, including Rishabh Pant, older than Jurel by only three-and-a-half years and by then already looking set for a long and extraordinary career.A year-and-a-half into his international career now, Jurel has played seven Tests, and all but one of them has come in the forced absence of Pant. This, typically, is life for the wicketkeeping understudy. Keeping is a specialist job, and for much of cricket’s history it was unusual for regular keepers to be good enough with the bat to play Test matches consistently as pure batters.Related

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• Dhruv Jurel makes case for India Test spot with twin hundreds against South Africa A

It’s become a lot more common in recent times, of course, and Test teams now routinely line up with one keeper who keeps and one or even two who don’t. On Friday, South Africa are likely to line up at Eden Gardens with a keeping keeper in Kyle Verreynne and a non-keeping keeper in Ryan Rickelton.India, however, haven’t had much of a history of non-keeping Test keepers. Of the 13 India players who have kept wicket in 10 or more Tests (this weeds out specialist batters who have occasionally done the job, like Vijay Manjrekar and KL Rahul), only two have played as specialist batters in non-emergency situations (such as the crises of unavailability that led to Wriddhiman Saha’s debut and Jurel’s appearance in Perth last year): Budhi Kunderan (in three Tests, with Farokh Engineer keeping) and Dinesh Karthik (in seven, with MS Dhoni keeping).And both Kunderan and Karthik opened the batting when they played alongside another keeper. Stopgap or otherwise, and with or without the big gloves, keeper as opener is certainly an authentic Indian-cricket tradition.All this to say, then, that Jurel, against South Africa on Friday, could go where no India Test keeper with a career of any real length (sorry, Madhav Mantri and Chandrakant Pandit) has gone before: starting a Test series as a non-keeping middle-order batter, ahead of specialist contenders within the squad. And if it happens, it will happen because Jurel has made himself near-impossible to leave out.On September 15, before India A’s first unofficial Test against Australia A, Jurel had one century in 25 first-class games, and an average of 47.34. It was a record befitting his status as a keeper-batter of immense potential, but even if he had shown signs of an uncommonly good eye, technique and temperament, there was, as yet, not a lot of evidence to force India to pick him ahead of B Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal or Sarfaraz Khan or a host of other candidates in a specialist middle-order role.Since then, Jurel has rattled off 140, 1, 56, 125, 44, 6*, 132* and 127* in five first-class games — two Tests against West Indies (in the first of which he scored that 125) sandwiched between India A matches against Australia A and South Africa A. His first-class average has jumped to 58.00.Gloves or no gloves, Dhruv Jurel has proved himself to be handy in the field•PTI How do you leave out someone with that record, in this form, who has already shown multiple times that he looks entirely at home in Test cricket? This is someone with a match-turning, Player-of-the-Match performance on a tricky, low-bounce pitch in just his second Test. Someone who, in his most recent match, scored a day-one century on a greentop against South Africa A when no other India A player — their XI included Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Padikkal and Pant — went past 24. Someone who had done the same sort of thing for India A — twin half-centuries when none of his team-mates scored one in either innings — at the MCG last year.India must have come very, very close to the conclusion that you don’t leave out such a player, in fact, and that you find any possible way to pick him. And they probably don’t have to think too long or hard about how they can do this, because there is a fairly obvious way, and a fairly obvious player to leave out.During the Tests against West Indies, Nitish Kumar Reddy looked like a luxury player India picked because they could afford to pick him — not so much for his utility for the immediate task at hand but for helping him grow into the game-changing player they believe he can become. India could afford, in that series, to pick an allrounder who is, at his present stage of development, a sixth bowler and, for all his batting promise, a No. 8 behind Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar who are far more accomplished with the bat at present.Jurel, except in one innings when India promoted Reddy to give him batting time, batted above all three allrounders during the West Indies series, and looked a natural fit in that position. Now, even with Pant back in their XI, there is every chance India will want the batting edge Jurel gives them over this current, work-in-progress version of Reddy, because South Africa’s attack is nothing like the severely depleted West Indies bowling they just faced.Kagiso Rabada is an elite fast bowler with the experience of two previous India Test tours. Keshav Maharaj is one of the world’s best fingerspinners and Simon Harmer a hugely experienced one, and both arrive with more subcontinent know-how than they did in 2019-20 and 2015-16 respectively. Senuran Muthusamy was a debutant and far more of a batter than a bowler when he last toured India, but now he’s fresh off a Player-of-the-Series performance in Pakistan.Jurel could be starting the Test series as a non-keeping middle-order batter, ahead of specialist contenders•Getty ImagesWho would you pick between Jurel and Reddy, against that attack, when you already have five bowlers?The question, however, isn’t quite as simple as that, because there’s a specialist batter in India’s squad, and that batter, Devdutt Padikkal, has been in pretty good form too, notwithstanding two lean games against South Africa A.Since his return from a hamstring injury suffered during the IPL, Padikkal has scored a 150 against Australia A and a 96 for Karnataka against Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy, and if an average of 38.40 across six first-class games in this period doesn’t look flash, there’s one mitigating factor in that he batted at No. 3 or No. 4 in all his innings, and typically faced a newer ball than Jurel had to.And if you put aside the question of current form, there’s the fact that the selectors and team management have long viewed Padikkal as the next batter in line for a middle-order role. Does a run of inspired form from another candidate change that view? And does that question become more awkward if that candidate is the reserve wicketkeeper?

“To select him now as a specialist batter in a Test XI that also includes Pant is another leap of faith, but it can’t be a particularly difficult one to make”

The answer, in normal circumstances, would be yes, it would be terribly awkward. But present circumstances are far from normal. Jurel isn’t on a random burst of inspired form; he’s showing India the run-scoring ceiling that everyone who has tracked him since his junior days has believed him capable of.Right through his career, people with a deep understanding of the game have looked at Jurel and seen a talent worth fast-tracking. Rajasthan Royals picked him in their XIs, or as an Impact Player, when they already had two keeper-batters as good as Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler, and did this when he had only played three previous T20 games.When he was first picked for India A, Jurel had only played 12 first-class games, and scored just one century. Three first-class matches later, he was in India’s Test squad. Then he spent two Tests on the bench before India gave him his cap and left out KS Bharat, who had been in and around the squad as reserve keeper for close to five years.So many leaps of faith, and so far, Jurel hasn’t once given the wise heads who have made them any reason to doubt their judgment. To select him now as a specialist batter in a Test XI that also includes Pant is another leap of faith, but it can’t be a particularly difficult one to make.

Stats highlights from a run-fest in Bengaluru, which went Pakistan’s way after rain intervened

Sampath Bandarupalli04-Nov-202363 – Balls needed for Fakhar Zaman to complete his century, the fastest by a Pakistan batter at the men’s ODI World Cup. The previous fastest was by Saleem Malik, who scored a 95-ball 100 against Sri Lanka in 1987.11 – Sixes by Fakhar during his unbeaten 81-ball 126 are the joint-most in an ODI innings for Pakistan, levelling Shahid Afridi’s 11 against Sri Lanka in 1996. He is also only the fourth batter to hit ten or more sixes in a men’s ODI World Cup innings.194* – Partnership between Fakhar and Babar Azam for the second wicket, the highest for Pakistan in men’s ODI World Cups. Saeed Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti also had a 194-run opening partnership against New Zealand in the 1999 semi-final.401 for 6 – New Zealand’s total in Bengaluru is their second-highest in men’s ODIs, behind the 402 for 2 they scored against Ireland in 2006. It is also their highest total at the men’s ODI World Cup, bettering the 393 for 6 they scored against West Indies in 2015.1 – Previous instance of Pakistan conceding a 400-plus total in men’s ODIs – 444 for 3 by England in the 2016 Trent Bridge ODI. The 401 by New Zealand is also the highest for any team against Pakistan in the men’s ODI World Cup, comfortably ahead of the 367 for 9 by Australia earlier in this tournament, also in Bengaluru.ESPNcricinfo Ltd46 – The number of fours hit by the New Zealand batters against Pakistan are the most in a men’s ODI World Cup innings, surpassing the 45 by South Africa against Sri Lanka in Delhi earlier in the tournament. The 46 fours are the most that New Zealand have ever hit in a men’s ODI innings and the most conceded by Pakistan.3 – Hundreds by Rachin Ravindra in this World Cup. He is the first batter to have scored three hundreds in their first men’s ODI World Cup.1 – Ravindra also became the first player to score three centuries for New Zealand in men’s ODI World Cups. Six batters have had two World Cup centuries for New Zealand, including Kane Williamson, who fell five runs short of his third in this match.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – Ravindra’s three hundreds are also the most for any batter before turning 25 in the men’s ODI World Cup, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s two. The two batters are currently level on 523 for most runs scored before turning 25 in an edition of the World Cup.3 – Pakistan bowlers to have conceded 80-plus runs on Saturday – Shaheen Shah Afridi (90), Hasan Ali (82) and Haris Rauf (85). It is only the sixth instance of three or more bowlers conceding 80-plus runs in a men’s ODI innings. The runs conceded by Afridi and Rauf in this game are the top-two most-expensive figures for Pakistan in the men’s ODI World Cup.ESPNcricinfo Ltd16 – Sixes conceded by Rauf in this World Cup across eight matches. These are the most sixes conceded by a bowler in an edition of the men’s ODI World Cup (since 1999). The previous highest was 15 by Tinashe Panyangara in the 2015 edition in six games.180 – The partnership between Ravindra and Williamson is the second-highest for New Zealand in the men’s ODI World Cup, behind the unbeaten 273 involving Ravindra and Devon Conway against England in the tournament opener. The 180 stand is also the second-highest partnership against Pakistan in World Cups, behind the 259-run opening stand by Mitchell Marsh and David Warner earlier in the tournament.2 – New Zealand’s 401 for 6 is the second-highest first-innings total in ODIs to end in a defeat. Australia’s 434 for 4 against South Africa during the 2006 Johannesburg ODI is the highest.4 – Consecutive losses for New Zealand. They lost to India, Australia and South Africa in their previous three games. It is the first instance of New Zealand suffering four successive defeats in an edition of the men’s ODI World Cup.

All the stats from Bangladesh’s first-ever T20I win over Australia

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Aug-20211 – Bangladesh registered their maiden T20I win against Australia, after losing each of their previous four meetings in the format. Tuesday’s game was also the first instance of the two teams clashing in a T20I outside the World T20s. Across all the three formats, Bangladesh have beaten Australia only twice previously; in an ODI at Cardiff and in a Test match at Mirpur.131 for 7 – Bangladesh’s total in the first T20I, the lowest they have successfully defended in this format, eclipsing their previous lowest of 133 against UAE at the Asia Cup in 2016.1 – Only once have Australia failed to chase down a target below 140 in a full 20-over game. The previous lowest target they could not chase in a T20I was 143 against New Zealand during the 2016 World T20 game in Dharamsala.108 – Australia’s total during the first T20I against Bangladesh is their lowest 20-over total in this format. Their previous lowest was 117 for 7 against Pakistan during the 2012 World T20 game in Colombo.2 – Number of T20I totals against Bangladesh that are lower than Australia’s 108. Afghanistan were bundled out for 72 in the 2014 World T20 game while UAE were skittled for 82 in the 2016 Asia Cup.4 for 19 – Nasum Ahmed’s bowling figures are the best for Bangladesh in T20Is while opening the bowling. Mohammad Saifuddin’s 4 for 33 against Afghanistan in 2019 is the only previous instance of a Bangladeshi opening bowler claiming a four-wicket haul in T20Is.50 – Wickets for Mitchell Starc in T20I cricket. He became the first player to complete 50 wickets in Men’s T20Is for Australia with two scalps he picked up during the first game.

يمتلك محمد صلاح عقدًا مع ليفربول حتى عام 2027، وقد أثارت الأحداث الأخيرة الشكوك حول مستقبل النجم المصري.

وكان آرني سلوت استبعد محمد صلاح من قائمة ليفربول أمام إنتر ميلان، بعد المقابلة التي أجراها عقب التعادل مع ليدز يونايتد بثلاث اهداف لكل فريق.

وجلس محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء لثلاث مباريات متتالية مع ليفربول، ويبدو أنه أصبح مستاء من دوره الجديد تحت قيادة آرني سلوت ولا يزال يجذب اهتماماً.

وأكد مسؤول في الدوري السعودي للمحترفين أن صلاح لا يزال هدفاً رئيسياً للانضمام إلى هناك، ولا يستطيع برشلونة التعاقد مع المصري في الوقت الحالي.

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ويعتقد أن رامي عباس، وكيل محمد صلاح قد تواصل مع أندية إيطالية، وكشف الصحفي “رومان مولينا” عبر قناته على يوتيوب: “نعم وكيله يتواصل مع أندية إيطالية”.

وأضاف: “هذه الأندية لا تملك المال الكافي، هل تعتقدون أنه سيوافق على تخفيض راتبه إلى النصف للانتقال لإيطاليا؟ وهناك السعودية التي رفضها صلاح وليفربول أيضاً وستكون الصفقة ضخمة”.

واختتم: “أعتقد ان العرض كان 150 مليون قبل عامين وما إلى ذلك ليصبح واحدًا من أعلى اللاعبين أجراً في العالم وفي التاريخ، وقد رفض صلاح وليفربول العرض في النهاية”.