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With the summer transfer window approaching, Aston Villa now reportedly lead the race to sign a Champions League striker who would cost them just over £33m in the coming months.

Aston Villa set to finally replace Duran

If those in the Midland believed that Unai Emery’s attacking options were too good to be true at the start of the season then they were quickly proven right in the January transfer window. The Villans were spoilt for choice with both Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran – both of whom were in excellent form in the opening stages of the season – but it was not a luxury that the latter appreciated.

Aston Villa in contact to sign "magnificent" France U21 rising star

They could land an absolute bargain…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 1, 2025

Often forced to perform in cameo roles as Emery’s super sub, Duran headed for the exit door in January, swapping the Midlands for Saudi Arabia and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side. And whilst since then Marco Asensio has joined Marcus Rashford to add more firepower to their frontline, Villa need a permanent solution away from their loan deals.

With money still to burn from Duran’s sale, a fresh attacking option could be on the cards given recent links to previous target Joao Felix and now another Serie A star.

According to TeamTalk, Aston Villa are now leading the race to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus this summer ahead of their Premier League rivals. The Serbian striker has gradually fallen down the pecking order in Turn and new manager Igor Tudor has now reportedly been told to hand him game time in an attempt to maximise his value.

As things stand, Vlahovic is worth just €40m (£33.5m) in what would hand Villa the chance to land an undeniable bargain. Emery has already helped both Asensio and Rashford rediscover their best form and could now take a gamble on Vlahovic before doing the same next season.

"Amazing" Vlahovic needs Aston Villa move

Villa Park is the place to be for struggling stars to rediscover their golden touch and that may not be any different for Vlahovic. It’s worth noting that, even amid criticism as Juventus, the Serbia international has still scored 14 goals in all competitions in a record that could only improve given that he’s just 25 years old.

It wasn’t so long ago that the forward found himself at the centre of praise either, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig describing the Juventus man as “simply an amazing centre-forward when fully fit” midway through last season.

Juventus already made one mistake by letting Dean Huijsen leave for the Premier League last summer, before watching the defender thrive at Bournemouth. Now, a year on, Villa could take full advantage of their exit door swinging open once again as Vlahovic desperately seeks the chance to get back to his best.

Offspinner has found her place as a vital cog in England’s four-pronged attack

Valkerie Baynes12-Oct-2024From questioning whether she belonged in an England shirt to being part of one of the coolest girl gangs around, Charlie Dean has found her place.Boss of the off-spin department in England’s four-pronged spin attack at the T20 World Cup, Dean says she is at ease with her role in the team, no longer feeling like she has to fight for position or fear failure.”I’m certainly more self-assured now,” Dean told ESPNcricinfo in Dubai. “I probably doubted why I was even in the squad or even on the pitch to begin with. I felt like I was there on potential and I felt like every game I played was a trial almost, I had to impress otherwise that was it, it was all going to be over.”I’ve really matured into my role, into how I approach my cricket, because I love cricket but I always felt like if I did something wrong that was it. I really feel like I’ve grown as a person and as a player in terms of that self-confidence.”Related

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Lorna Jack-Brown, Scotland cricketer and crime fighter

So far at the World Cup, 23-year-old Dean has taken three wickets at an average of 15.66 and economy rate of 5.87. That includes 2 for 22 against Bangladesh in England’s first match of the tournament, where left-arm spinner Linsey Smith marked her return to World Cup cricket after nearly six years with 2 for 11.Sophie Ecclestone, another left-armer and the long-time leader of England’s spin attack was wicketless in that game but took 2 for 15 against South Africa. Legspinner Sarah Glenn has taken two wickets across both matches, which England have won to remain the only unbeaten side in Group B.

“Although competitive sport is about that competition for places, it’s really lovely to be able to work together.”Charlie Dean

Helping the spinners is the fact that Enlgand’s first three games, including Sunday’s clash with Scotland, have been scheduled in Sharjah, where a low, slow pitch has played into their hands. Glenn, Ecclestone and Dean combined through the middle section of South Africa’s innings last Monday to take three wickets for 18 runs in the space of 3.4 overs after Smith had removed opener Tazmin Brits inside the powerplay.And Dean has learned, after working with England Women’s assistant coach Gareth Breese early in her international career and overcoming the disappointment of being overlooked for last year’s Ashes Test in England, that selection based on conditions is a positive, not a threat.”It’s really exciting to be in a place where you feel a bit more comfortable in a team, you know that you’ve got a role and it’s quite nice to feel relied on a little bit or to have that responsibility,” Dean said.”Glenny and I, a lot of the time early on, we were competing for the same place, but to be able to be in the team with her is really exciting because although competitive sport is about that competition for places, it’s really lovely to be able to work together.”Four out and out spinners is quite rare, but it’s a formula that’s working really well for us, especially out here with the lower bounce and the more pace you have on the ball, the quicker it goes away. We’re all really different spinners, and that adds another string to our bow.”Dean made her debut in the first of five ODIs against New Zealand during the English summer of 2021. In the second, she picked up 4 for 36 as the hosts won a rain-hit fixture in Worcester.Four months later, she made her T20I debut in another rain-affected game, the second match in that leg of the Women’s Ashes, where England reached 25 without loss before play was abandoned.It would be nearly a year before she played another match in the format, on the tour of West Indies in December 2022, and she took 4 for 19 in the second of five games, which remain her career-best figures in 31 T20Is to date. She has also played 34 ODIs and two Tests.”I’m just cherishing every moment,” Dean said. “We’re out here in Dubai and I’ve never been here before and playing for England, it’s really special and it’s something that I don’t want to lose.”But actually I realised, ‘okay, I’m not going to if I continue to do the right things and enjoy it in the way I am’. I’m excited now as to where I can get to, which feels like a bit of a flip of mindset. It is just experience, growing up. People come into their prime in their late 20s, in their 30s even, so a bit of perspective and having those conversations and being aware of your vulnerabilities, of your self-consciousness.”I’m being a bit more open about it and then people can be like, ‘you’re being ridiculous,’ they can check you and make sure that you’re going in the right direction. That’s really helpful and time is the biggest builder of confidence. I’m lucky that I’ve been able to grow on that journey rather than maybe falling off before I managed to. I’m certainly a different person and I’m so excited for where this England journey could go.”Charlie Dean celebrates a wicket with team-mates•ICC/Getty ImagesSpeaking on the eve of England’s match against Scotland, captain Heather Knight agreed that her team’s spin formula was a big plus.”Against South Africa, left-arm spin was a really good matchup,” Knight said. “The pitch we’re going to play on tomorrow is the pitch we played against South Africa. What having a broad squad does give us is the opportunity to chop and change based on match-ups, based on conditions, and we feel like whoever we do bring in can do a really good job.”Seam has still played a pretty big part in this tournament. That’s been pretty hard for us to get away and particularly in the middle overs seam’s been really tricky. It’s a little bit of a balance of working out what our best attack is or what the best attack to win a certain game in certain conditions is. There is an option to change it, but that four spinners has worked quite well for us.”

Less than a year after Australia won it for the first time, we’re all set for another edition of the tournament. We’ve put together some FAQs for you

Himanshu Agrawal15-Oct-2022So, another T20 tournament, eh?
Yes, but this is the big one. Sure, the BBL-IPL-PSL-CPL-BPL-Hundred (we must be forgetting a couple) are big deals too (some bigger than others, admittedly), and soon there will be at least two more – the SAT20 and the ILT20 – to add to the list. Don’t forget the Asia Cup as well. But this is the cup that counts for more than all the others.Okay, I’m hooked – tell me more …
It’s the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup. The first one was back in 2007 in South Africa, and it was India’s victory there that gave birth to today’s franchise cricket phenomenon. A few players from that tournament – Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma, Shakib Al Hasan and Sean Williams – are part of this one too, 15 years later. India haven’t got their hands on the trophy since 2007, and it’s been passed on from Pakistan (2009) to England (2010), West Indies (2012 and 2016), Sri Lanka (2014), and now the current champions Australia (2021).Has the T20 World Cup been held in Australia before?
No, the ODI World Cup has been held in Australia in 1992 and 2015, but this is the first time they are hosting the T20 World Cup. It was supposed to be held there in 2020, but then the Covid-19 pandemic happened. So it’s happening two years later and Australia have the chance to defend their title at home.Dates and venue details, please?
It starts on October 16 in Geelong in the state of Victoria, with the final in Melbourne on November 13. The other host cities are Hobart, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide – the who’s who of Australian venues.Okay, what’s the format?
It’s the same as last year. The meaty part of the T20 World Cup is called the Super 12, comprising 12 teams – like it says on the tin. Eight of the 12 have qualified directly for this round – Australia, England, New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group 1; and Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and South Africa in Group 2. The Super 12 stage begins on October 22, with last year’s finalists Australia and New Zealand squaring off in Sydney.That’s eight of the Super 12 spoken for, what about the other four?
Before the Super 12 begins, there’s a first round that starts on October 16 and runs until the 21st. Netherlands, Sri Lanka, UAE and Namibia comprise Group A of round one, while Ireland, West Indies, Scotland and Zimbabwe form Group B. The top two teams from each group progress to the Super 12 stage.Last year’s finalists kick off the Super 12 stage on October 22•ICC via GettyThere was one last year? Aren’t World Cups usually played a few years apart?
A fair question. The T20 World Cup has been happening every two years since 2010, but then there was a five year gap after the 2016 tournament …Why?!
The ICC gave it a miss in 2018 because the calendar was just too crowded with bilateral cricket. There was a thought of conducting it in South Africa that year, but the government had banned Cricket South Africa from hosting any major events for not meeting transformation targets.Okay, go on …
There was an ODI World Cup in 2019, and so the plan was to stage the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia and the 2021 Champions Trophy in India. But then the Champions Trophy was scrapped and replaced by another T20 World Cup – so there were T20 World Cups scheduled back to back for 2020 and 2021. But then the pandemic ensured the 2020 edition didn’t happen, and because India wanted to keep their 2021 T20 World Cup (which ended up happening in the UAE), Australia’s tournament moved to 2022.So Australia’s reign as T20 champs could be the shortest?
Umm, this has happened before. Pakistan won the 2009 T20 World Cup in England, and England won the 2010 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. So Pakistan’s joy was pretty short-lived. Again, it was held in consecutive years because of some issues around the Champions Trophy … but shall we get back to the present?The MCG is the arena for the match between India and Pakistan on October 23•Darrian Traynor/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesOkay, regale us with some tales of the past World Cups …
Let’s start with Chris Gayle and the first match of the first T20 World Cup. He gave the tournament the perfect start by smashing the first hundred in T20 internationals. And then Yuvraj Singh went 6,6,6,6,6,6 in one over from Stuart Broad in Durban 2007. Nine years later, Carlos Brathwaite went 6, 6, 6, 6 in the final over of the 2016 T20 World Cup final, to leave Ben Stokes and England shellshocked. There’s lots more … but shall we talk about the big one?You mean India …
… versus Pakistan, yes. They are playing each other on October 23 in what should be a full house – more than 90,000 fans – at the MCG. It will be quite the spectacle. It’s the opening game of their campaigns, just like last year. Back then, it was Pakistan who ended decades of pain by beating India for the first time in any World Cup, and pushed them towards a group-stage exit from the tournament.So, what’s new at this World Cup?
There are some rules. This is the first tournament that will implement the new playing conditions that came into effect on October 1 this year. The most significant among them is that teams will be slapped with a fielding penalty if they are slow with their over rate.

Most CSK squad members congregated in Chennai, but the highlight was just one man

Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai02-Mar-2020After being beaten by a rocket throw from Martin Guptill by inches on July 10 afternoon in Manchester last year in the World Cup semi-finals, MS Dhoni first took to the cricket field once again for proper training only on Monday, at his beloved Chepauk. It was the first training session of the 2019 IPL runners-up Chennai Super Kings, and Dhoni led a small group of players including Ambati Rayudu, M Vijay, Karn Sharma, and new recruit Piyush Chawla.And like with all “first day, first shows” in the movie-and-cricket crazy Chennai, a few thousand fans witnessed Dhoni and his team-mates sweating it out on a balmy Monday evening. Three stands were thrown open to spectators, and Chennai welcomed back its with rousing chants of “Dhoni !Dhoni! Dhoni!”The cheers swelled to a crescendo when Dhoni walked out to the middle of the practice pitch with a pair of bats and tapped the middle of the pitch with one. Dhoni tossed away the other bat, took a leg-stump guard and then faced up against the left-arm fingerspin of Super Kings’ new recruit R Sai Kishore. Dhoni and Rayudu took turns at the main net, feeling their way back after taking breaks from competitive cricket.

A grand waltz to take guard! #StartTheWhistles #SuperTraining pic.twitter.com/tQbDqqnmT2

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 2, 2020

It was a significant moment in Indian cricket, considering Dhoni and his future have been hotly debated since the World Cup semi-finals. After that tournament Dhoni took a voluntary break, spending a few weeks with the Indian Army. But since then his name has not featured in any of the limited-overs squads with MSK Prasad, the selection committee chairman, saying his panel had moved past Dhoni.However, India’s head coach Ravi Shastri reiterated that Dhoni was still a contender for spot in the squad for the T20 World Cup, scheduled for this October, if he had a good IPL.As far as Dhoni’s IPL future goes, there are barely any doubts, at least for Super Kings’ fans. Recently N Srinivasan, the former BCCI president and head of India Cements, which owns the Super Kings franchise had said that Dhoni would be retained for the 2021 season, ahead of the mega auction that will see all teams rebuild their squads from the scratch.The importance of the moment was not lost upon the leading sports broadcaster Star, which did not mind interrupting the post-match analysis of India’s 2-0 Test series defeat in New Zealand on Monday morning, to switch to footage of Dhoni making his way out of the Chennai airport.On the way to the ground the Super Kings’ bus was surrounded by honking motorists, scrambling for pictures of Dhoni. The man himself presented a blank, God-like stare.Unlike last year, though, when Chepauk was packed to the rafters to welcome Dhoni in the lead-up to IPL 2019, this time the fanfare was somewhat low-key to begin with. However, soon, a crowd of about 1000 turned up and Dhoni rewarded them when he dashed down the track and launched Kishore over his head.MS Dhoni stretches out on return to proper training•PTI Rayudu, too, took some trips down the pitch to deal with the new Super Kings spinners – Kishore and Chawla. Rayudu was in action in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but had pulled out of the following four-day Ranji Trophy.
Both Rayudu and Suresh Raina, who is returning to action from knee injury, had also trained in Chennai in January under Super Kings trainer Greg King. Vijay, who had hurt his ankle earlier during the domestic season, had also been part of that January camp.The 35-year-old opener had an hour-long stint at the nets on Monday evening, tackling the spinners and KM Asif, the reserve quick in the squad. Raina and head coach Stephen Fleming, though, are yet to join the pre-season camp. It is understood that Raina will link up with the squad on Monday night, while Fleming will take charge of the side soon.King, Rajiv Kumar the fielding coach, Narasimhan V the throwdown specialist, and L Balaji the bowling coach, put the players through their paces during their three-hour training session.

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#thala #darshan.. On the way to the ground for the first practice session.. #csk2020 #cskfans #ipl #csk

A post shared by Madhu Thottappillil (@drmadhut) on Mar 2, 2020 at 4:02am PST

It is understood that the training camp will go on until March 19 with Dhoni and some of the other big names heading for a short break before reassembling for the tournament opener on March 29, when Super Kings will clash with defending champions Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. It is also likely that the three closed stands – I, J and K – at Chepauk will be opened in time for Super Kings’ first home game against Rajasthan Royals on April 2.

Kumar Sangakkara will perform the dual role of head coach and director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026, with Vikram Rathour, batting coach last season, elevated to assistant coach.As reported by ESPNcricinfo in September, in Sangakkara’s case, the change in designation is a formality, even as Rahul Dravid, who was head coach during IPL 2025, and the franchise, parted ways in August.Sangakkara had previously served as the team’s head coach from 2021 to 2024, “a period that marked a clear rise in the team’s performance and consistency,” an RR statement said. While Sangakkara was in charge, RR reached the IPL final in 2022 and made the playoffs in IPL 2024.Related

• Royals boss Badale: Samson was 'drained of emotional capital'

• IPL 2026: How the squads stack up ahead of the auction

“We are delighted to have Kumar return as head coach,” Manoj Badale, the franchise’s lead owner, said. “As we looked at what the team needed at this stage, we felt that his familiarity within the squad, his leadership and his deep understanding of the Royals culture would bring the right balance of continuity and stability.”Kumar has always had our complete trust as a leader. His clarity, calmness and cricketing intelligence will play an important role in guiding the squad into this next phase.”Along with Rathour’s promotion, the franchise also announced that Shane Bond would continue as the bowling coach, while Trevor Penney and Sid Lahiri will remain assistant coach and performance coach respectively.

“I’m honoured to return as head coach and continue working with this talented group,” Sangakkara said. “I’m also pleased to have a strong coaching team alongside me. Vikram, Trevor, Shane and Sid each bring valuable experience in their areas, and together we are focused on preparing the players in the best possible way.”We have a clear understanding of where we want to go as a group, and our aim is to build a team that plays with clarity, resilience, and purpose.”The team management group will, however, have a new captain to work with after RR released Sanju Samson in a trade deal with Chennai Super Kings, where they acquired Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, ahead of the next auction.They have also released or traded out Nitish Rana, Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore, Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. And, along with Jadeja and Curran, have also traded in Donovan Ferreira from Delhi Capitals.At the upcoming auction, they will have a purse of INR 16.05 crore and have nine slots, including one overseas, to fill.

Lizelle Lee kept Hobart Hurricanes rolling, and Brisbane Heat winless thanks to a power-packed knock in their rain-impacted 16-run WBBL win in Sydney on Saturday.Lee hit an unbeaten 59 off 45 balls, striking six fours and three sixes either side of a rain delay on Saturday. Hurricanes were flying before their innings was reduced to 12 overs and they purred to 114 for 1, with Heat’s target increased to 125 based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.Jess Jonassen (1 for 12 from three overs) and Lucy Hamilton (0 for 26 off three) were the only Heat bowlers to escape punishment.Danni Wyatt-Hodge (44 in 26 balls) combined with Lee in a 106-run opening stand, which only ended in the final over.Grace Harris (28 in 21) hung in as Heat lost regular wickets attempting to maintain the scoring rate and finished at 108 for 9 thanks to a last-ball six from Sianna Ginger.Molly Strano (2 for 17), Heather Graham (2 for 25) and Nicola Carey (2 for 10) proved too clever for the Heat batters.The loss was Heat’s third straight to begin the season while Hurricanes sit on top of the table with three wins.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has just shared some ‘very positive’ team news from his press conference ahead of their mouth-watering North London derby clash with Arsenal this Sunday.

The Dane is gearing up for his first ever derby clash as Spurs boss, but the Dane has a mountainous task on his hands.

The numbers make for pretty grim reading, with Tottenham having lost seven of their last nine Premier League games against Arsenal, winning just once in their last 32 away league derbies at the Emirates (The Analyst).

That solitary victory a 3-2 comeback triumph in November 2010, and Arsenal have won five of their last six league meetings between the sides, including the last three consecutively, marking their longest winning streak against Spurs since the late 1980s (The Analyst).

Even more ominously, Arsenal have scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Tottenham, netting at least twice in the last eight encounters (The Analyst).

The Gunners’ dominance at home against their fierce rivals appears unshakable, with Opta’s supercomputer assigning Spurs just a 13.7 per cent chance of victory — their lowest win probability in any Premier League game this season.

The odds aren’t exactly in Spurs’ favour, and they’ve had a host of injury doubts to contend with in the build up to their trip across London.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

However, according to Frank, there’s been some real encouragement on that front.

Thomas Frank shares 'very positive' Tottenham injury update ahead of Arsenal

Speaking to the media, via reliable journalist Alasdair Gold, Frank confirmed that Pape Sarr will be available to play Arsenal after his injury scare for Senegal on international duty, and the same can be said for midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who’s been out for the last two games serving concussion protocol.

Randal Kolo Muani can also play despite fracturing his jaw against Man United, with the Frenchman set to wear a protective mask.

As well as this, Frank states that Ben Davies, Kota Takai and Archie Gray all trained at Hotspur Way this morning, as did star winger Mohammed Kudus, with Frank potentially in line for a seven-player in-swing as they battle to be ready for one of Spurs’ biggest games of the season.

Kudus’ potential return would be a major boost for Frank especially.

The Ghanaian, who missed Spurs’ 4-0 rout of FC Copenhagen and 2-2 draw with Man United last time out, has been their most pivotal attacking player so far this season. Kudus declined international duty with Ghana to focus on his recovery, and that decision now appears to be paying dividends for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham hold preliminary talks to sign unsettled striker who Frank thinks is 'clinical'

Spurs are prioritising a number nine this January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2025

Bergvall and Sarr’s returns will provide Frank with different midfield options, bar the one-dimensional defensive pivot of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur, which comes as yet more good news.

Against an Arsenal side top of the pile and seemingly impenetrable 90 per cent of the time, Spurs need all the help they can get, so this update comes as a very positive one indeed.

Chelsea could now hijack some ‘very advanced’ talks for a Real Madrid sensation who’s destined to be on the move in January, according to a new report.

With persistent injury concerns in key positions this season, Enzo Maresca’s squad may require strategic reinforcement across three critical areas as the Blues navigate a challenging campaign.

Maresca has repeatedly found himself short, especially in defence, with Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong all missing at some point through injury or suspension.

Despite spending close to £300 million in the summer, it is also believed that Maresca still isn’t entirely happy with his Chelsea squad, coming after he publicly requested a centre-back in the summer.

Rank

Club

Gross Spend

Sales

Net Spend

20.

Bournemouth

£136.7m

£202.5m

+£65.8m

19.

Brighton

£67.7m

£127.5m

+£59.8m

18.

Brentford

£92.8m

£152m

+£59.2m

17.

Wolves

£105.6m

£126.5m

+£20.9m

16.

Chelsea

£296.5m

£314.4m

+£17.9m

Chelsea are reportedly exploring goalkeeping options, with uncertainty surrounding Robert Sanchez, whose inconsistent performances divided the fanbase last season.

The club are extremely keen on AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, whose contract expires in 2026, and could move to offer the France number one a pre-contract in January. Chelsea had passed up the opportunity to sign Maignan in the summer as they weren’t prepared to meet Milan’s asking price, as per multiple reports, but a move is now back on the cards.

Chelsea also want a new centre-back in January, following reports that the club view it as a priority position, and there are claims that the west Londoners could even bring in another number nine.

BlueCo have reportedly been offered Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović, whose contract is winding down, meaning they could sign the Serbian for a bargain fee this winter.

Liam Delap has returned from a hamstring injury which kept him out for the majority of Chelsea’s early-season, and Joao Pedro is currently in excellent form as well. However, as we’ve already seen this term, Maresca’s bad luck with injuries and suspensions could well push them back into the market.

Chelsea are reportedly planning to raid Real Madrid for talent as we approach January, with star winger Rodrygo available for a cut-price fee as Maresca’s side closely monitor the situation (TEAMtalk).

However, Rodrygo isn’t the only Real star on their radar, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

Chelsea ready to hijack 'very advanced' Lyon talks for Endrick

Lyon are in ‘very advanced’ talks over a loan deal for Endrick and an agreement is believed to be imminent, but Bailey reports that Chelsea could still swoop for the Brazilian striker.

As per the reporter, Chelsea are ready to offer Endrick game time in England ahead of next year’s World Cup, and he could ‘very well arrive’ at Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old, who’s still considered one of Brazil’s brightest young talents, hasn’t found room to feature for Xabi Alonso – playing just 11 minutes all season.

Endrick did fire Real to a Copa del Rey final last term, scoring five goals in the competition before their loss to Barcelona, but minutes in La Liga and Europe were much harder to come by.

The South American is now vying for an exit as he aims to get more game time and work his way into Ancelotti’s Brazil squad, with the prospect of a Premier League move potentially enough to make him change his mind about joining Lyon.

Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have had numerous opportunities to witness numerous elite-level forwards in their first-team squad in North London.

Harry Kane will undoubtedly be the first that springs to mind, after the Englishman netted a total of 280 goals during his decade-long spell as a regular starter.

His tally is the highest in the Lilywhites’ history, but he will no doubt have to hand a huge amount of credit to the direction of former teammate Heung-min Son.

The South Korean often featured alongside Kane in the final third, which saw the duo register 47 goals in the Premier League for one another – a tally making them the best pair in the division’s history.

However, Thomas Frank has been unable to call upon either of the aforementioned talents, with the Dane currently facing a struggle with the options at the top end of the pitch.

Spurs number nine struggles under Thomas Frank

Before a single ball was kicked in 2025/26, many of the Spurs supporters would have anticipated Dominic Solanke to be the club’s starting centre-forward under Frank.

However, it’s been a season to forget for the Englishman to date, with the 28-year-old massively struggling with an ankle issue – even going under the knife to fix the issue.

As a result, he’s been restricted to a total of just 31 league minutes to date, with his last senior appearances for the Lilywhites coming back in August.

Due to the injury issues of Solanke, Richarlison has been handed the responsibility of leading the line in recent months, with the Brazilian making a phenomenal start to the season.

He netted a double in the opening day victory over Burnley in North London, but he’s since only found the net twice in the following ten outings in England’s top-flight.

Prior to netting against Manchester United, the 28-year-old was on a run of ten games without a goal in all competitions, with his previous effort coming way back in the 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in September.

His lack of form has allowed Randal Kolo Muani to have the opportunity to stake his claim at the top end of the pitch, with the PSG loanee starting in all of the last three outings, including in the meeting with United.

However, he’s also struggled to make the desired impact, with the Frenchman yet to find the back of the net in any of the eight games he’s played in under Frank.

Frank clearly needs to address the issue in such an area of the pitch, but elite-level talismen certainly don’t come cheap in the current climate – with the boss potentially wishing he had his own version of one other Premier League forward.

The Spurs star who is becoming their very own Haaland

Erling Haaland is a player who has constantly tormented countless backlines in the Premier League, often leaving supporters wishing they had a player of his calibre in their side.

The Norwegian international has registered a staggering record of 142 goals in his 160 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men – cementing himself as one of Europe’s deadliest talismen.

He’s scored four goals in his seven appearances against the Lilywhites, often coming up with the goods and getting one over Spurs since his move to England.

This season alone, the 25-year-old has taken his goalscoring prowess to the next level, already finding the net on 21 occasions in just 18 appearances for the Citizens.

Should Spurs want to land their own version of Haaland, it would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with very few players able to replicate such levels.

However, Frank may already have a similar player in his ranks in the form of centre-back Micky van de Ven – a claim that may come as a surprise given the difference in position.

The Dutch international has been a key member of the Dane’s squad in 2025/26, featuring in every single Premier League and Champions League outing to date.

However, despite his defensive role, he’s thrived in attacking areas, as seen by his tally of six goals in 15 appearances – a tally which has made him the club’s top-goalscorer.

His latest strike came against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday night, with the 24-year-old running the entire length of the pitch before firing home expertly – just as Haaland would do at the Etihad.

Van de Ven’s performance led to one analyst dubbing him the “Haaland of centre-backs”, something which is surprisingly accurate given the Dutchman’s freakish pace and power.

The defender, who’s been labelled “world-class” by another analyst, clocked the fastest speed of any player in the division – which is similar to the Norwegian, with the forward having bags of pace despite his huge frame.

Games played

16

Goals scored

6

Pass accuracy

92%

Chances created

0.6

Tackles won

1.1

Aerials won

1.3

Dribble success

50%

Recoveries made

3.6

His aerial ability has also made him a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the pitch, with his tally of 1.3 aerials won per 90 helping him score a double against Everton earlier this season.

Players like Van de Ven don’t come around very often, with the Lilywhites hierarchy conducting phenomenal business, landing the centre-back for just £40m.

His comparisons to Haaland in 2025/26 are there for all to see, with the Spurs star the closest thing Frank currently has to the Premier League’s leading goalscorer.

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Newcastle United can now boast three wins on the trot in all competitions at their beloved home patch of St James’ Park, having left it very late to secure a Premier League win yesterday against Marco Silva’s Fulham.

The Magpies brushed aside Jose Mourinho’s Benfica with ease 3-0 in the Champions League in mid-week, but on their return to the bread and butter of top-flight action, it would take a crucial strike by club captain Bruno Guimaraes right at the death to clinch a slim 2-1 win over the determined visitors from West London.

Having also been the hero who secured the Toon a 2-0 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest earlier in the month, it’s clear that the number 39 is now an undroppable part of Howe’s first-team set-up.

Why Bruno Guimaraes is undroppable

With Sandro Tonali sitting out another game, Howe would have known that he was relying on Guimaraes to be a bright spark from the centre of the park once more.

The energetic Brazilian was just that for the Tyneside giants, with his third Premier League goal of the season already seeing him pounce on a spill by Bernd Leno to send the majority of St James’ Park into raptures.

Away from the Brazilian coming up clutch again, the ever-reliable Toon captain also amassed four key passes as he attempted to get the teammates around him onto the scoresheet as well, with eight duels also won, showing off the 27-year-old’s tenacious approach in battling away for his side.

Having not missed a single Premier League game last season, and with this electric start to this campaign already under his belt, it’s surely obvious now that Guimaraes is a deserved staple of Howe’s lineups.

Guimaraes isn’t alone, arguably, in being an untouchable member of his manager’s XI, though, with this consistent top performer now making a compelling argument to be considered in the same conversations as the much-loved midfielder.

The Newcastle star who is as undroppable as Guimaraes

As was stated above, Newcastle didn’t have the smoothest ride out there against Silva’s away side.

Thankfully, Guimaraes bailed the Toon out with that vital 89th-minute effort, but if it wasn’t for Jacob Murphy’s sharp accuracy in front of goal after just 18 minutes, as well, a win could have easily slipped out of Howe and Co.’s grasp.

While Guimaraes would go on to steal all the plaudits in the second 45 minutes, his 30-year-old teammate also made sure Fulham knew he wasn’t messing about in the first half, with three shots on target in total, nearly seeing Murphy pick up more than one goal to put the contest beyond doubt.

The Toon veteran would be substituted off on the 61st minute mark as he visibly tired, but his electric first-half display alone surely means he’s a shoo-in for a start again when the Tyneside outfit travel to a troubled West Ham United side at the start of November in Premier League, having also been branded as a player that “every squad needs” by journalist Andy Sixsmith for his unwavering commitment to the club during the 2-1 win.

Murphy’s numbers vs Benfica & Fulham

Stat

Murphy (Benfica)

Murphy (Fulham)

Minutes played

63

61

Goals scored

0

1

Assists

1

0

Touches

31

37

Accurate passes

10/15 (67%)

14/18 (78%)

Key passes

1

0

Big chances created

1

0

Successful dribbles

0

1/2

Total duels won

0/1

3/5

Stats by Sofascore

The table above backs up Sixsmith’s glowing words, with Murphy content at being given limited minutes, knowing he can create an opening or thunder home a goal at a moment’s notice, with just 68 touches accumulated over Newcastle’s last two games, resulting in an assist and a goal falling into his lap.

Rivals for his spot in the team in the form of Anthony Elanga don’t have the same sort of blistering numbers to hand, with the out-of-sorts Swede still yet to get off the mark for his new side after a mammoth £55m summer move.

With the dependable winger noted as being deep in the “form of his life” at the final whistle by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne, alongside the Athletic’s Chris Waugh stating that he keeps “producing big moments”, there looks to be little wriggle room in the main XI for the likes of Elanga and Harvey Barnes, as Murphy now appears to be one of Howe’s main men next to the assured South American.

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