Setting their sights on reinforcements with or without promotion to the Premier League, Sheffield United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a defensive reinforcement whose quality they know all about.
Sheffield United set for key play-off battle
With Burnley and Leeds United already promoted and left to battle it out for the Championship title, Sheffield United must turn towards the play-offs and Wembley success if they are to take their place in the Premier League for next season. That is, of course, easier said than done though. The play-offs are rarely routine and have the chance to throw up the kind of shocks that the Blades will be desperate to avoid.
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder reacted to the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion recently, telling reporters: “Congratulations to Daniel (Farke) and Scott (Parker) and their two teams, for those clubs to have the ability to reach 100 points shows you what the division is like, and we’ve finished up the third best team in the division.
Sheffield United eyeing Wilfred Ndidi as £9m relegation release fee emerges
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“The season went to the 44th game and I thought we had a right go, created some chance, but the goals have killed us, it was two poor goals, and the penalty hands the initiative back to them, despite us always carrying a threat.
“We’ve had to learn on the job and the season doesn’t end here, we’d have had to get 95+ points, so it is an insane season. The players will learn from this because we’ve fallen short.”
After officially finishing third, Wilder’s side will now square off against sixth place in the Championship play-offs, which will be Coventry City if nothing changes on the final day this weekend. With Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough all forming the chasing pack, however, Sheffield United will only know their fate at the end of this weekend’s fixtures.
Sheffield United join Ciaron Brown race
Away from the action, the Blades have seemingly commenced their summer plans even without knowing their fate. According to Graeme Bailey for EFL Analysis, Sheffield United are now racing to sign Ciaron Brown from Oxford United this summer but face competition from both Norwich City and Middlesbrough for his signature.
Those at Bramall Lane will be hoping that their place as promotion hopefuls this season and hopefully a top flight club in the coming weeks will tempt the versatile defender.
Ciaron Brown for Northern Ireland.
Brown is a versatile centre-back that Sheffield United know all about too, having witnessed him pocket the talented Ben Brereton Diaz in Oxford’s stunning 1-0 victory over Wilder’s side last month.
As per Fotmob, Brereton Diaz was hooked after 59 minutes, having created just one chance and taken just two touches in the Oxford box. Brown, meanwhile, enjoyed an excellent game and ended the afternoon without being dribbled past once and with 15 clearances to his name as his side kept an impressive clean sheet.
Praised for his “fantastic attitude” by former Oxford boss Liam Manning last season, Brown may now have done enough to earn a big move this summer.
The Premier League champions have defied pre-season predictions to take gold medals this season. However, Arne Slot’s Liverpool have their work cut out this summer.
It’s curious that a title-winning team with such depth and balance in attack have found repeated calls in recent months for upgrades in the final third.
Liverpool, after all, have outscored their divisional rivals and then some this season. Moreover, Mohamed Salah is surely going to complete a clean sweep of individual accolades after his incredible campaign.
Highest-scoring Premier League Clubs (24/25)
Rank
Club
Position
Goals
1.
Liverpool
1st
80
2.
Man City
4th
66
3.
Newcastle
3rd
65
4.
Arsenal
2nd
63
5.
Tottenham
16th
62
Data via Premier League
But several stars haven’t lived up to the billing, with Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota’s woes accentuating the need for an out-and-out striker.
Credit to Luis Diaz, whose versatility and tireless efforts have been crucial in Slot setting his name alongside the illustrious list of Premier League-winning managers; however, he’s not a true number nine and he’s gone stretches of the campaign without finding the back of the net.
Liverpool need to sign a centre-forward, but they shouldn’t sign Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak. Big claim, but here’s why.
Why Liverpool shouldn't sign Isak
If we’re going purely off suitability within Slot’s system and the level of quality Liverpool want to augment their ranks with, Isak would be the perfect summer signing.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsak
However, FSG simply won’t authorise a package in excess of £150m to bring him to Merseyside, which is what Newcastle are likely to demand if they qualify for the Champions League.
And given that the Magpies are third in the Premier League with four games to go, they have a real chance to claim a seat back at Europe’s elite table.
Hark back two years. In April 2023, Liverpool pulled out of the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, concerned about the finances involved in striking a deal and Real Madrid’s vested interest.
Real Madrid'sJudeBellinghamcelebrates
This was met with derision from rivals, but FSG knew what they were doing. A range of signings were needed to refurnish the midfield, and who can say the decision was a poor one? Now, Liverpool are champions, having lifted the Carabao Cup last year.
The same outlook must be applied to Isak’s situation. The Sweden star has been “the best striker in the Premier League” this season, in the view of Jamie Carragher, but he’s not the only goalscorer available, and bagging him would likely come at the expense of much-needed investment across other areas.
Luckily, Liverpool are not so blinkered as to place all eggs in one basket.
Liverpool scouting exciting striker
As per The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe, Liverpool may well turn their attention to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike as they (potentially) close the door on Newcastle’s star striker.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, FSG’s chiefs are understood to have internal reservations about forking out a figure which could stand at £80m for a raw talent whose qualities have not yet been solidified at the highest level over a proven number of years.
The frustrations behind the failed shot at Nunez still live in the club’s mind, but Liverpool have doubled down on their data-driven approach since Klopp’s departure and Ekitike ticks a lot of boxes.
He ticks a lot of boxes for multiple high-level suitors, though, with Arsenal and Manchester United both also reportedly keen on striking a deal.
What Hugo Ekitike would bring to Anfield
Frankfurt signed the 22-year-old Ekitike from Paris Saint-Germain on loan for the second half of the 2023/24 season before his deal was made permanent for a reported €35m (£30m) fee last summer.
Hugo Ekitike for Frankfurt.
Always well regarded for his gifted skills on the ball, his multi-faceted attacking approach, Ekitike has gone from strength to strength since moving to Germany, thriving as the main man after languishing on the periphery of PSG’s swollen ranks.
According to analyst Ben Mattinson, Ekitike is “one of the best strikers out there” right now, scoring 22 goals and supplying ten more assists across 45 matches in all competitions. He’s certainly making waves, with journalist Graeme Bailey citing a few years ago the fact that many in France feel he could be “the next Mbappe.”
He netted a fantastic goal in the first leg of Frankfurt’s Europa League quarter-final tie against Tottenham Hotspur, though failed to advance to the penultimate stage.
Liverpool are interested not just because he has the trappings of a first-class goalscorer, but boasts a dynamic range of qualities. As per FBref, the Les Bleus star ranks among the top 4% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.
What an interesting profile. Direct but smooth in his darts into the danger area, Ekitike is an artful dribbler and intelligent in his decision-making under pressure, hailed for his “incredible” quality by teammate Rasmus Kristensen.
These qualities have actually led the data-driven site to record Isak as Ekitike’s most statistically similar player. The plot very much thickens, then. You can see why Liverpool are so keen to snap this young talent up, replacing Nunez with an exciting new striker.
Ekitike isn’t Isak Lite, per se, but he’s definitely not on the level of the 25-year-old, whose completeness is truly a thing to behold. Of course, goalscoring is Isak’s bread and butter, scoring 22 Premier League goals this season (his one-term record) and missing just 18 big chances, as per Sofascore.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their second goal
Such a conversion rate is impressive, for sure, but Ekitike’s showcasing his own brand of ball-striking potential in the Bundesliga, with 15 goals put away and only 13 big chances missed.
Similarities there, but Isak also ranks among the top 14% of strikers for both assists and shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90 (also FBref).
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Isak’s the dream, but dreams are so often rooted in unreality, and Ekitike would be a more pragmatic signing who could still turn into a world-class player under the wing of Slot.
All the while ensuring there is ample room to make important improvements across the park.
Liverpool willing to table £51m to make West Ham star Bowen marquee signing
He has scored 3 times against the Reds in the past.
Kagiso Rabada’s performance at Lord’s was exactly what is expected of a big player in a big match
Firdose Moonda11-Jun-20251:11
Steyn: Why Rabada proved key to Australia’s collapse
Kagiso Rabada insisted he would not be “Mr I Apologise too much” after his recreational drug ban and showed he has nothing to be sorry about when it comes to his bowling. His performance at Lord’s was exactly what is expected of a big player in a big match: intimidating, incisive, and laced with unplayable deliveries that cut through the opposition.In the immediate aftermath of day one of the WTC final, you may read that line and think it’s more suited to the Australia attack given the way things ended, but save some headspace for a nod on how it started.Rabada set the tone with the very first ball. It jagged away from Usman Khawaja and beat his outside edge. For the next three overs, Khawaja did not even attempt to score a run as Rabada tested him with “pace, bounce and movement”, the three things the man himself says are his best attributes. The trick is not simply having them, it’s “doing those things consistently”, as Rabada put it in the post-match press conference.Related
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He didn’t concede a run until his 20th ball when Marnus Labuschagne managed to tuck him away to square leg. Next ball, Rabada squared Khawaja up, drew his edge, and David Bedingham took a fine catch at first slip. Rabada was away. Three balls later, Cameron Green went the same way and South Africa, through Rabada, were bossing the early exchanges.The wickets are what will get him on the honours board but it was some of the deliveries in between that really wowed. In the second over of his second spell, Rabada bisected Beau Webster with a ball that hit the seam, snuck through his bat-pad gap, and passed just over the top of the middle stump. Then there was the wicket which should have been. Full and fast, Rabada hit Webster, on 4, on the back pad and half-appealed with no support.South Africa must have heard a hard sound, as Webster hit his own pad, and thought it was an inside edge. They didn’t push the issue but replays showed it was plumb.Rabada found out moments later. “Corbin Bosch came down to fine leg and he said it was out and I was like, ‘oh man’. It is a bit annoying,” Rabada said. “He didn’t start off too well there. It looked like he was going to get out any ball, but his positive intent got him through. Cricket’s a funny game.”1:45
‘Pretty cool to have it in the home changeroom’ – Rabada on his 5-fer
In the next over, Rabada beat Webster’s inside and outside edges and he’s right in saying it looked as though a nick-off was imminent. It came, but only much later. That Webster survived that spell from Rabada makes his 72 even more deserving and asks questions of whether the change bowlers in South Africa’s attack, especially Lungi Ngidi, backed up their new-ball pair well enough.Ngidi’s eight overs cost 45 runs and he looked rusty. That South Africa picked him over Dane Paterson, who came off an excellent home summer and has 180 wickets at an average of 23 for Nottinghamshire, remains questionable but Rabada was never going to be the one to answer for that. Asked if he’d have any advice for Ngidi, he said he would, “just tell him to have a good night’s sleep, have a nice steak and a nice milkshake, watch a movie and come back tomorrow”.Rabada didn’t say it, but he and Ngidi will hope they don’t have too much to do on the second day. If they do, they will want to do it more like Rabada did.ESPNcricinfo LtdHis final riposte was to run through the Australia tail with precision. He got one to straighten on Pat Cummins, who exposed his off stump and was bowled, removed Webster, and bowled Mitchell Starc to complete his second successive five-for at Lord’s.Rabada was received by former captain Graeme Smith, who is working as a commentator, on the boundary edge and was hugged before he was interviewed. The emotion was obvious. Rabada described his achievement as “really special” and quickly deflected the attention off himself and on to the bigger picture. “It means a lot for me to play for South Africa, I give my all each and every time.”Does it mean more than equalling Allan Donald on South Africa’s Test wicket-takers’ list? Though Rabada called Donald “a legend” when speaking to Smith and said afterwards that he was “inspired by those who’ve come before”, there is a distinct sense that this will mean a lot less if South Africa don’t walk away with something from this game. Especially as they got themselves off to an excellent start and sent hope soaring in what felt like a home crowd.Kagiso Rabada acknowledges the crowd’s support after his five-for•ICC via Getty ImagesWith South Africans filling the stands, Rabada received applause and his own version of the Seven Nation Army chant. Ninety minutes later, there was silence as Wiaan Mulder and Temba Bavuma barely scored a run. That swing in South Africa’s fortunes has already made this Test gripping.”In Test cricket there’s always nerves,” Rabada said. “Dealing with it is about understanding what the bottom line is, and the bottom line is if you’re a bowler, try to bowl a good line and length; as a batter, it’s about keeping the good ball out and scoring off it or scoring off balls that are not quite there and missed executions from the bowler. That’s the bottom line. So everything else is just noise.”South Africa’s bottom line at the end of day one is that even after Rabada did Rabada things, they were 169 runs behind and four of their top five have been dismissed. The captain and the lower-middle order have a massive task on their hands on a surface that is doing a lot, and seemed to do more once the clouds had cleared. All Rabada can do now is look for reasons that might change, for his batters’ sake.”The ball was nipping quite a bit and at times moving off the slope quite a lot, but I still felt like batters could get in,” he said. “If you just bowled well and got more balls in the right area for a long period of time, then that’s when you could create chances. But with this ball getting older, hopefully we can score some runs.”
Nicholas Pooran continues his impeccable form, Carlos Brathwaite’s all-round efforts get Chennai Braves on the board
Aadam Patel26-Nov-2022After eight games in season 6 of Abu Dhabi T10, no side is yet to chase down a target but Friday night saw the first tie of this year’s tournament.It was Tim David’s night on Thursday for Delhi Bulls, and it was very nearly his team-mate Imad Wasim’s night on Friday against Team Abu Dhabi.Related
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Set a target of 121, Bulls tied the match thanks to a late cameo from Imad who smashed 21 runs off 9 balls to ensure his side’s unbeaten record stayed alive.The dismissal of Jordan Cox by Andrew Tye signalled the arrival of Imad with 41 still needed off 16 for Bulls to win. He smashed Tye for a four and six at the end of the eighth over and when Keemo Paul launched Amad Butt for two maximums at the start of the ninth over, the equation came down to 17 off 10 and the Bulls were in the driving seat. Butt pulled it back a touch and with 13 required off the last over, Imad and skipper Dwayne Bravo could only manage 12 off the bowling of Naveen-ul-Haq.Bulls needed three off the final ball and Imad hit it straight down the ground. It hit the stumps at the other end and went to long-on.After winning the toss, an unbeaten third-wicket 101-run stand between James Vince (26* off 20) and Brandon King (64* off 27) had earlier helped Abu Dhabi post 120 for 2, but the difference in complexion of the Bulls innings showcased the advancing nature of the shorter formats of the game.It is as much about strike rates as it is about average in T10 cricket and though no batter scored more than 21 for Bulls, no dismissed batter scored less than 16 and the rapid nature of all those knocks meant that Bulls were always in the game.This is a format where strike rates are everything and Tom Banton (19 off 10), Rilee Rossouw (18 off 9), Cox (18 off 12), David (20 off 12) and Paul (16 off 7) all made small but important contributions.And post-match, Imad emphasised the need for Pakistan and other teams to approach the game with less fear about their wicket. “How teams like England play white-ball cricket, they’ve won both World Cups and we should learn from how they play. Our bowling line-up is one of the best in the world but our batting approach is a bit timid.”There’s no need to change the personnel,” Imad added, “But the intensity is what we should look at and seek to play fearless cricket. It’s more a question of intent and freedom. We need to go out there and enjoy the game. It’s all about the mindset. A group of us seniors have got to come together and make the teams play in a way that even if they fail 60 percent of the time, that 40 percent of the time they are successful, they can take it on from there.”I know our media bashes us if we lose a series playing in a different way but a lot of the Asian teams play in a safe way and we only have to look at teams like England and Australia.”Imad’s last game for Pakistan was the T20 World Cup semi-final in Dubai last year and he wants to add to the 55 ODI and 58 T20I caps he has for his country but isn’t letting that dictate the way he lives his life.”The opportunity is still there for me,” Imad said. “I just need to play well so I’ll keep on doing that. Yes, playing for your country is a big thing but if I don’t get selected, it’s not the end of the world.”In the first game of Friday’s triple-header, Nicholas Pooran carried on from his unbeaten 77 on the opening night and hit 80 off 32 deliveries to catapult Deccan Gladiators to 138 for 3 – the highest score of the tournament so far. Despite a half-century from Adam Lyth, Northern Warriors struggled to get close and finished 24 runs short. Rovman Powell’s side remains without a win after two games.But Chennai Braves got on the board with a win over Bangla Tigers. Carlos Brathwaite’s 44* off 19 balls saw them post 126 for 6 and with the ball, the West Indian picked up two wickets in two deliveries in his first over. He returned in the last over to pick up two more and finish with figures of 4 for 3 as Tigers stuttered to 93 and their second defeat in as many nights.
While Pujara, Rahane and Saha displayed some grit, the team is yet to fully adapt to long-form mode
Sidharth Monga08-Dec-2020How well did India’s preparation for the upcoming Test series go?The visiting Indians, who had at least six players in their XI who will start in Adelaide, came close to – well, within one quick wicket of – potentially losing a three-day first-class match against Australia A who lost a bowler mid-match. They were effectively 84 for 9 in the third innings with a potential 30 overs remaining in the match. There were circumstances at play. Not having released any Test players from the T20I side, India chose to play an under-strength side against a strong Australia A. They could spare just the five specialist batsmen, and they declared in the first innings so that their bowlers could have a go.They will be pleased with a show of resistance from Wriddhiman Saha and Kartik Tyagi, who stayed unseparated for more than 13 overs to even allow Ajinkya Rahane to declare the innings and let the bowlers have one final workout, an aggressive move that gave the hosts something to worry about through yet another failure for Joe Burns and a blow to the head for Will Pucovski. A possible headline-grabbing defeat avoided, Indians will go into the pink-ball warm-up match aware of the importance of these games.The recent trend in cricket has been to look down upon these tour games, not least because the hosts hardly ever provide decent opposition or pitches. This one here had both: Test captain and aspirants alike hustling a touring side on a sporting pitch that had some life throughout the three days. You would think this is more a consequence of lack of match practice for the hosts because of the pandemic rather than some generosity, but it did serve a purpose.Prithvi Shaw started his Australia tour with a duck•Getty ImagesIt provided Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara quality time in the middle against a solid attack in the first innings. It meant Umesh Yadav could show improvement in his batting followed by his tussle with Mohammed Siraj for the third seamer’s slot. It showed Saha could fight through a crisis to save his side some blushes.However, what underlined the importance more was how some of the batsmen got out. You are not going to become better batsmen overnight in these tour games, but the purpose of these matches is mainly to switch into long-form mode and get used to the bounce in a new country. A majority of the dismissals for Indians were a consequence of one of these.Shubhman Gill, who got only one ball in the first innings, looked like he was still playing white-ball cricket in the second innings. He scored 29 off 23 balls before cutting in the air and getting caught at point. Two things bring about such innings: you are either not switched on or your hand speed is still in limited-overs mode. Prithvi Shaw had a couple of familiar weaknesses creep up: lack of foot movement in the first innings, and extra bounce bringing about a catch in the second.The extra bounce did trouble all three certainties for Adelaide: Pujara, Rahane and Hanuma Vihari. That two of them adjusted well enough to score handy runs shows you the importance of facing as much of this beforehand as possible. Vihari will be disappointed he fell after two starts, facing 51 and 67 balls. While he did seem to get a rough lbw call in the first innings, the dismissal in the second will bring concern: a defensive push outside off, and the extra bounce taking the edge to slip.It might have helped to have at least one or two of Mayank Agarwal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini over at Drummoyne Oval, but evidently India didn’t want to take any chances should there be any last-minute injuries over at the SCG where the T20I series was being played.Two days off, and India will get another chance to acquaint themselves with these challenges even though it is unlikely the pink-ball tour game will be played against a side this strong. On evidence of the cricket played for the last three days, it will be an important match for the others to leave limited-overs cricket behind and get used to the extra bounce.
Tottenham have a few decisions to make on the futures of first-team players, with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, star defender Cristian Romero and other highly-rated prospects tied down to new contracts.
Tottenham extend deals of highly-rated stars in boost for Thomas Frank
Luca Williams-Barnett, Tynan Thompson, Dante Cassanova, George Abbott, Yusuf Akhamrich and Callum Olusesi are on the long list of exciting talents who’ve committed their futures to Spurs this year, while more senior players have joined them.
Mikey Moore, Djed Spence and Cristian Romero have also put to paper on fresh terms recently, and the latter comes as a particularly welcome boost for Thomas Frank after the Argentine attracted summer interest from Atlético and Real Madrid.
Most recently, midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, whose deal was due to expire next summer, agreed to extend his stay in North London as well, coming amid his stellar partnership with summer signing Joao Palhinha in the engine room.
The Uruguay international, who’s made over 120 senior appearances since his move from Juventus, has been a key player for Frank so far, and the Dane is thrilled by Bentancur’s prolonged involvement at N17.
Reports suggest that Tottenham are also prepared to double Micky van de Ven’s wages in an effort to convince the Dutchman to sign a new deal of his own, coming as both Real Madrid and Chelsea express an interest.
Micky van de Ven’s best games for Tottenham in the Premier League so far this season
Match Rating
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
8.08/10
Tottenham 3-0 Burnley
7.44/10
Man City 0-2 Tottenham
6.76/10
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
6.72/10
Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth
6.58/10
via WhoScored
However, despite their contracts expiring in under two years, the future is far more uncertain for both Yves Bissouma and Richarlison.
The former was left out of both Tottenham’s Super Cup squad and 22-man Champions League list, with Bissouma tipped to leave either in January or next summer once his terms run out at the end of the season.
Richarlison, meanwhile, has attracted some criticism for his inconsistent displays, with MLS side Orlando City already flying to London and holding talks over a potential transfer next year, even if he’s a “key player” for Spurs right now (Fabrizio Romano).
Richarlison has "already" held talks over Tottenham exit next year
This is backed up by former Tottenham employee and scout Mick Brown, who told Football Insider that Richarlison’s exit past the new year is a real possibility.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a major purple patch midway through Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge, but his 2024/2025 campaign was marred by injuries.
Richarlison also bagged a brace against Burnley on the opening Premier League weekend, including a phenomenal overhead kick, which was an early contender for goal of the season.
Before the Brazilian eventually departs, with all signs pointing towards a 2026 exit, he could still have a significant role to play, and certain sections of the media believe he’s actually quite “underrated”, as Micah Richards claimed in 2022.
After beating Barcelona and drawing with Arsenal, Chelsea’s good week of results came grinding to a halt away to Leeds United.
Enzo Maresca’s side were defeated 3-1 at Elland Road, with two strikes in the first half and a late goal enough to sink them.
They did, of course, get on the scoresheet themselves. Pedro Neto was the man who found the back of the net, converting a Jamie Gittens cross at the back post just after half-time.
However, it proved to be too little, with Chelsea putting in a lacklustre performance overall.
It was a night to forget for the West Londoners, and in particular, Tosin Adarabioyo.
Tosin’s struggles vs. Leeds
At 2-1 down with 15 minutes or so to go, Chelsea were still in the game. However, it was an error from Tosin which gifted the home side the chance to score their third and seal an impressive victory.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the man who tapped home from two yards out. It came after Tosin played a risky backpass to Robert Sanchez, putting the Spaniard under immediate pressure in his six-yard box.
Leeds pounced, won the ball back, and it was a simple tap-in for their number nine.
The former Manchester City academy player has been a bit-part player under Maresca this term. Tosin has only played 13 games across all competitions, amassing 872 minutes. That is the equivalent of just nine full 90-minute games.
It will be interesting to see what his role is going forward after an error like that. Former Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel said in the summer that Tosin is “not a Chelsea standard defender.”
Well, after an error like that, it is easy to see why Mikel is of that opinion.
There is a defender waiting in the wings who Maresca could unleash to effectively end Tosin’s time at Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea star ready to overtake Tosin
Chelsea’s depth at centre-back took a hit in August when Levi Colwill suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The full extent of Maresca’s squad at centre-back has been tested this season, including Tosin.
One man who has impressed and could leapfrog the 28-year-old in the pecking order is academy graduate Josh Acheampong. At 19 years of age, he has been described as the “future of Chelsea” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Acheampong has certainly had his minutes managed by the Italian. He’s played nine times, but has impressed on each of those occasions, playing more than an hour four times in the Premier League.
He even got his first senior goal away to Nottingham Forest in the 3-0 win at the City Ground in October.
One of the standout attributes in Acheampong’s game is his ability on the ball. Kulig noted that he has “excellent technical capacity and range of passing,” which would serve him well in a Chelsea side that likes to dominate the ball.
In the Premier League this season, they average 58.7% possession, the third highest in the top flight.
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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Indeed, his underlying numbers reinforce the fact that Acheampong is such a good ball-playing defender.
The England under-21 star ranks in the top 9% of centre-backs in Europe for average passes completed per game, with 67.34.
Acheampong vs European centre-backs
Stat (per 90)
Record
Percentile
Passes completed
67.34
91st
Pass accuracy
90.8%
80th
Carries
61.91
99th
Tackles won
1.09
76th
Interceptions
1.24
71st
Stats from FBref
Chelsea’s whole club philosophy at the moment is about investing in youth and looking towards the future.
Being a Cobham graduate, Acheampong certainly puts a big tick in that box and has already shown his quality at first-team level.
Tosin’s bad form could well be enough for Maresca to ditch him from the starting lineup. With injuries being an issue and such a need to rotate the squad, it might provide Acheampong with the perfect opportunity to stake his claim and lock down a permanent starting spot.
As bad as Tosin: Maresca's 4/10 flop must never start for Chelsea again
Chelsea’s title hopes seemingly went up in smoke away at Leeds United.
As revealed by former manager Philippe Clement, Rangers “tried” to sign Kenny McLean during his time at the club only to miss out on the Norwich City midfielder.
It’s a case of what might have been for those at Ibrox, who have endured a tumultuous time since not only missing out on their target, but also sacking Clement. After hiring Russell Martin to replace the Belgian, the Gers were forced to make another decision less than three months into the season – giving Martin his marching orders.
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Now, with Danny Rohl in charge, Rangers have already won more points in the Scottish Premiership than they did in the entirety of Martin’s rein. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be hoping that the German’s arrival has at least made up for a disappointing summer of decisions.
He told reporters during the international break: “Yeah, I still feel very confident. The situation is clearly that we felt that we weren’t going in the right direction previously and so unfortunately we had to make that change.
“We’ve changed for an individual who’s got very good experience despite his young years and I think he’s proven that with some of the things that we’re seeing on pitch. I think there’s a clear difference in terms of the way in which we’re playing at the moment and fundamentally that’s leading to getting some good results.”
With Livingston up next, Rohl has the chance to make it four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership and potentially move up to third if results go Rangers’ way. As January approaches and targets such as Kilmarnock’s David Watson reportedly emerge, there’s no doubt that a change in fortunes on the pitch will be doing the Gers a world of good.
As Clement found out not so long ago, however, Rohl may not get the chance to welcome every top target.
Clement reveals Rangers wanted Kenny McLean
As revealed by Clement, Rangers tried to sign McLean during his time at the club, but missed out after the midfielder decided to stay put at Norwich City. Now, the former Ibrox boss has finally received the chance to work with the Scot after taking the vacant role at Carrow Road and revealed his long-term admiration for his talents.
If Rangers did secure McLean’s signature then they would, of course, have a World Cup midfielder in their ranks these days. The 33-year-old recently played his part as Scotland secured World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion against Denmark, scoring a stunning half-way line goal.
Given how much talent they welcomed from the Championship last summer that hasn’t worked out, losing out on a player of McLean’s quality should be seen as a real blow at Ibrox.
Dubbed “great” by former Norwich player Iwan Roberts, the 33-year-old will always have his part in Scottish football history after his goal against Denmark to secure a World Cup place.
£5m Rangers flop is bigger waste of money than Miovski and Chermiti
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O Atlético-MG terminou a temporada de 2023 melhor do que começou. O Galo chegou ao fim do Campeonato Brasileiro na terceira posição e com vaga garantida na Libertadores.
Entre as nove contratações feitas, alguns nomes se destacaram mais do que outros ao longo da temporada. Já Patrick, Bruno Fuchs e Edenílson não apresentaram bom desempenho dentro de campo.
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PATRICK:
O meia chegou ao Galo após uma temporada atuando pelo São Paulo. Patrick não atendeu às expectativas do clube, e atuou como titular em apenas 15 dos 42 jogos que entrou em campo. O jogador marcou um gol e deu duas assistências com a camisa alvinegra.
BRUNO FUCHS:
Apesar da titularidade, Bruno Fuchs teve uma lesão no músculo posterior da coxa direita, que o afastou dos gramados. O zagueiro atuou em apenas 23 jogos pelo Galo desde que chegou do CSKA Moscou, da Rússia.
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EDENÍLSON:
O meio-campista oscilou muito durante o ano, e não entregou o futebol esperado. Porém, com a chegada de Felipão, Edenílson mostrou uma melhora de desempenho. O jogador atuou em 47 partidas pelo Atlético-MG sem nenhum gol marcado.
However, international cricket gets a respite and sees a reduction in its GST rate from 28% to 18%
Sidharth Monga04-Sep-2025
IPL tickets are now in India’s highest GST bracket•Associated Press
Watching the IPL from the ground has become costlier, after the government of India increased the goods and services tax (GST) on IPL tickets from 28% to 40%. The final price of a ticket whose base price is INR 1000 will now go up from INR 1280 to INR 1400. This increase puts the IPL in India’s highest GST bracket, alongside casinos, race clubs, or any place that has casinos or race clubs.However, there seems to be respite in store for those going to international cricket matches in the country. The GST levied for tickets to those matches was the same as IPL tickets, at 28%, but this slab has been abolished. The Press Information Bureau’s latest circular, informing of the changes in tax rate, only talks about “sporting events like the IPL”. Finance and business publications have interpreted this to mean that other cricket matches might now fall under other “recognised sporting events”.As of now, other recognised sporting events attract 18% GST for tickets priced over INR 500. Tickets priced under INR 500 are exempt from GST. So, tickets for international matches and other state-run leagues could become cheaper in the near future. Currently, if the base price of the ticket to an international cricket match is INR 1000, it costs INR 1280 after the inclusion of taxes. With this new change, the same price will come down to INR 1180.The changes will be effective from September 22, which is a week before the start of the Women’s World Cup, the next international cricket event to be played in India. The tickets for the event have yet to go on sale. On August 30, exactly a month before the tournament opener, the ICC asked fans to “register your interest” to “ensure you are the first to receive the latest news and ticketing information straight to your inbox”.