All posts by n8rngtd.top

Rub of the green, invisible heroes, plants in rival teams… is it too early to say ?

Sidharth Monga26-May-2022Forget the role clarity. Never mind the death bowling of Harshal Patel and death batting of Dinesh Karthik. Leave aside Wanindu Hasaranga in the middle overs. If you are a Royal Challengers Bangalore fan and believe in signs, you are probably already playing “” at wedding celebrations. For it looks destined right now that this is Royal Challengers’ year. You probably know more signs than us, but here are a few that are staring us right in the face.If you haven’t noticed these, you either don’t follow IPL or are just trying to be a hipster by following only teams that have no connect with the geographical units they claim to represent: Rajasthan Royals or Punjab Kings or whatever their name was last week or Delhi Capitals.

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Watch live coverage of Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi

DRSYou probably get nightmares of the marginal calls gone against your team or that erroneous short run that you believe ended up costing you a playoffs spot, but this year the rub of the green has been on Royal Challengers’ side. Remember the second ball Karthik faced in the Eliminator? Looked gone for a duck. Not given. Saved by an umpire’s call on the review.Who will forget Rishabh Pant, so trigger happy on most days with DRS requests, being conservative in a match that Royal Challengers desperately needed Mumbai Indians to win against Capitals?All these marginal calls are going against Royal Challengers’ rivals elsewhere. Capitals’ Rovman Powell not getting the no-ball, for example. Gujarat Titans’ Matthew Wade hitting the leather off the ball only for Ultra Edge to not show a sound signature. With some luck, we might even have a year when Royal Challengers don’t demand for an aspect of decision-making to be taken away from the umpires.Related

• The thing that makes Sanju Samson special

• Manjrekar: KL Rahul needs to bat 'quicker rather than longer'

• du Plessis on Harshal: 'Every time I feel the pressure, I go to him'

• Patidar, Rahul and their different high-wire acts

• Stats: Patidar's big-match hundred

They are dropping your match-winnersBoth Rajat Patidar and Karthik were dropped when the partnership was hardly past 10: in the end they end up with 92 in 41 balls.Also before we let Pant go, he dropped Karthik on five in the league game against Royal Challengers only for Karthik to score 66 off 34 that buried Capitals.Speaking of match-winnersShouldn’t they be Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli? Between them, Maxwell and Kohli have played three innings of 40 or more at a strike rate above 140. du Plessis last had such a big impact on May 8. It’s the others who have been carrying them. You would think with two matches remaining the big three are due according to the law of averages.He’s won it with Mumbai. He’s won it with SRH. He’s won it with CSK. This year, Karn Sharma is with RCB. Should we say more?•BCCIWhat are the odds?Patidar was supposed to be getting married during this IPL. It was only an injury to young Luvnith Sisodia – an event so unremarkable that the IPL release doesn’t even mention what injury – that brought Patidar in as replacement after Royal Challengers had let him go. He spent more than 20 days on the bench, and came in only when others played them out of contention. Now he won you the Eliminator with his first century in T20 cricket.Plants in rival teamsIf Patidar is an example of a lost soul finding its way back, another lost soul helped them from the outside. Tim David was part of Royal Challengers last year but they made not a single bid for him at the auction table this year. Only for David to score 34 off 11 in Mumbai’s final league match to make sure Capitals finished below Royal Challengers.The invisible heroStarting 2016, only Mumbai have been able win the IPL without Karn Sharma in their squad even though Karn has played only four matches in the playoffs. That’s four titles in four playoff matches, one with Sunrisers Hyderabad, one with Mumbai, two with Chennai Super Kings. In one of the title runs, he didn’t play a single game.If you think all of Royal Challengers’ calls at the auction table have worked only in a circuitous way, you have another thing coming. They managed themselves a steal deal this year: Karn Sharma at the base price of INR 50 lakh.The captainThe last time a team won the IPL from outside the top two, it was an overseas captain leading them. du Plessis is the only overseas captain in the playoffs this year. Okay now we are taking it too far but you get the drift.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be targeting the loan signing of a forward from Barcelona, with under-pressure Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou still on the hunt for his first outfield transfer as we approach the business end of January.

Spurs eye new attacker after failed Randal Kolo Muani deal

The Lilywhites were involved in a high-profile race with Juventus for Randal Kolo Muani’s signature recently, but they eventually lost out to the Old Lady.

Tottenham now in pole position to sign "super" £30m Premier League forward

Spurs are the “biggest competitor”.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 22, 2025

Tottenham held discussions with PSG over Kolo Muani, after the France international was deemed surplus to requirements by Luis Enrique and allowed to depart the Parc des Princes before February 3rd.

The 26-year-old, who bagged a sensational 15 goals and 14 assists in all competitions during his best season at Eintracht Frankfurt, was deemed one of the best versatile forwards available on the market (David Ornstein), so Spurs officials will have been very disappointed to miss out on his services.

Now, Postecoglou’s side have re-entered the market for another wide player, as they look to back their manager who’s been forced to cope with a serious injury crisis at N17 throughout the campaign.

Tottenham are believed to be the main contenders to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, but his English colleague Lyall Thomas has since reported that the 18-year-old will command a hefty £55 million transfer fee.

The price quoted for Dibling could be too much for Tottenham mid-season, but there is another potential loan option in the form of Barcelona forward Ansu Fati.

The Spain international spent 2023/2024 on loan at Brighton, where he scored four goals and bagged one assist in 30 total appearances, since returning to the Camp Nou and enduring a very mixed season.

Fati has suffered from a few injury problems this term, which have largely kept him out of Hansi Flick’s first-team, and he’s failed to make any real impact when available.

Tottenham make proposal to sign Ansu Fati on loan

As per one Spanish media source, Tottenham could offer the £227,000-per-week attacker a route back to the Premier League.

Indeed, it is believed that Spurs have made a proposal to sign Fati on loan from Barcelona, which would include an option to buy. The Catalans could be tempted by this offer, as they actively seek to find the 22-year-old a new club.

However, Tottenham would need to take on a hefty portion of his wages, and Fati is apparently more in favour of remaining at his current club despite his squad status.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou’s men have apparently “set their sights” on signing Fati before the deadline.

With the Champions Trophy only eight months away, India’s ODI selections from here on will have to be geared towards the larger picture

Arun Venugopal15-Oct-2016When Jayant Yadav turned up to bat during India’s net session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday, he had a distinguished pair of non-regular bowlers bowling to him. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, bowling offbreaks, were amusing themselves by servicing a group of lower-order batsmen that included Amit Mishra and Umesh Yadav. There was some good-natured teasing of Jayant’s batting as Dhoni and Kohli bantered with the rookie.Jayant is one of the newbies picked for the first three ODIs with the established bowlers rested. Ajinkya Rahane said the arrival of these players was “energising”. Jayant is the only member in the squad without any international experience; he is not one of the 31 players who have played ODIs for India since the 2015 World Cup. He is, in fact, the only player who returned from the Zimbabwe tour in June without featuring in a single game.But Jayant’s is not a one-off situation. Only seven players have featured in 12 or more of the 19 ODIs India have played since April 2015. More than 10 players on the fringes have played at different points, particularly during the two limited-overs tours to Zimbabwe in 2015 and 2016 when many senior players sat out. The likes of Kedar Jadhav and Faiz Fazal would invariably make way for the bigger names once a more high-profile series began. There have also been injuries at different points, a reason for the high turnover of personnel. These patterns point to a larger issue; India’s ODI game has been in limbo for some time now, something that is easy to overlook because of their recent golden run in Test matches.India have lost nine of their last 19 ODIs since April 2015. While these numbers may not tell you much, consider this: India have lost three of their last five ODI series – against Bangladesh, South Africa and Australia – with their only wins coming against Zimbabwe. That they start the five-ODI series against New Zealand on almost equal footing despite playing at home and having swept the Tests tells you the story. India have only eight ODIs from now till the Champions Trophy – while New Zealand will play almost three times as many matches – to resolve some longstanding problems. With Dhoni almost certain to lead the team into the Champions Trophy, these ODIs present a timely opportunity to sort out the kinks.Take the case of his seemingly unending search for the seam-bowling allrounder. After trying Stuart Binny and Rishi Dhawan with varying degrees of success in recent times, Dhoni seemed to have found in Hardik Pandya a third seamer who could biff the ball in the lower order. But with Pandya’s form tapering off in the IPL, the selectors overlooked him for the Zimbabwe series. Now, despite not stacking up attractive numbers in India A’s tour of Australia, the selectors have reverted to taking a punt on Pandya in recognition of the pressing need for a seam-bowling allrounder, particularly in English conditions for the Champions Trophy.Another factor that would have bothered Dhoni is Suresh Raina’s slipping form since the 2015 World Cup. When Raina was at the top of his game, Dhoni could not only turn to him for middle-order insurance, but also use him as the fifth or sixth bowler. While Raina has been recalled without many runs to show in recent times, should he click, it will offer Dhoni the comfort of returning to a proven success formula.One of the more successful auditions in recent times has been that of Manish Pandey; he has not done much wrong since his hundred in Sydney. He has none of Raina’s bowling abilities, but with his attacking batting and fielding skills, he makes a good case for a middle-order spot. There is also Axar Patel, who is a much improved lower-order striker apart from being a niggardly bowler, as he demonstrated for India A against Australia recently. In Ravindra Jadeja’s absence, he has another opportunity to show why he can mimic the Saurashtra spinner’s role.Crucially for Dhoni, he now has Anil Kumble – who is into his first ODI series as coach – to lean on for tactical advice. With Kumble known to be a keen-eyed strategist, there could be a departure, even if just slightly, from the more gut-driven methods Dhoni had adopted in the past. No matter what Rahane or his team-mates say, India cannot afford to look at this series only for what it is. With bigger stakes looming in the form of the Champions Trophy, selection of personnel cannot be a one-off, and will have to be geared towards a larger and a more concrete game plan.

The Bangladesh opener has often shown a tendency to get fired up and deliver with the bat when he or his team is being talked about. He did it again at Basin Reserve

Mohammad Isam at Basin Reserve12-Jan-2017Tamim Iqbal regularly follows the news and what’s going on on social media. That habit nearly derailed his career during the 2015 World Cup, when he felt that discussion about his poor form was being taken too far on social media. But, most times it seems to work for him; when there’s a lot of talk going around on a particular match situation, conditions or opponent, it’s hard to miss the fire in his belly when he comes out to bat. He has often delivered impressively soon after such talk surfaces.A few cases in point: when Bangladesh were said to be not good enough for Lord’s in 2010, Tamim responded with a breathtaking century. When the BCB president had questioned his fitness in 2012, he responded with four fifties in a row. Ten weeks ago, with everyone crumbling to spin around him, Tamim struck 104 on the first day of the Dhaka Test against England, one of his best efforts given the situation. He did it again in Wellington today.Leading up to this Test, doubts about Bangladesh’s ability to deal with a green Basin Reserve pitch swirled all around. The whispers grew in volume especially after someone posted a photo of what looked like a pitch made of AstroTurf. Bangladesh’s batting inconsistencies during the preceding limited-overs games, and the many collapses in 2016, added to the sense of unease. How did Tamim respond? Fifty-six off 50 balls, his fourth 50-plus score at a 100-plus strike rate in Tests.The pitch wasn’t as green on the first morning but the unease would have only got deeper when Kane Williamson put Bangladesh in to bat. Tamim responded with boundaries. He squeezed some through the slips but also cut and drove whenever he was offered width. He struck five fours in the first five overs. He could not convert the quick start into something more, but, by the time he was finally dismissed in the 15th over, nerves would have been eased in the dressing room.After the day’s play, Tamim said a positive dressing-room atmosphere is natural after someone bats like he did. “It might have given them confidence, though I wouldn’t say anyone got relaxed seeing me bat,” he said. “I think even I would have gained some confidence seeing someone bat comfortably. Before the first ball of this game, there was a question mark. But after seeing how someone like Mominul [and I] played, it became clear that scoring and surviving were both possible.”Mahmadullah’s brain-freeze gave New Zealand an opening•Getty ImagesTamim said all-out attack was not his plan; he just wanted to punish the bad balls. “I knew that I had to choose one way of batting in these conditions. I didn’t want to miss out on bad balls. Good balls are a given here, so I had to use the boundary balls properly to keep the scoreboard going and give me more confidence. I utilized the scoring opportunities. This was my plan. I didn’t go out there thinking of attacking every ball. I just didn’t want to miss out on scoring balls. I connected most of the deliveries that I went after, which was good.”New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner said Tamim’s aggression caught the hosts off guard, giving Bangladesh the early edge in the game. “I think today was Bangladesh’s day. I think we didn’t bowl well in partnerships for a long period today, and we got hurt. I think Tamim batted really well. They showed a lot of intent, coming out positively to put the bad ball away. It obviously put us on the back foot. We never really settled into a rhythm and into an area because of the way they batted.”Making life easier for the batsmen that follow, of course, is the opener’s duty. Stories abound about one former Bangladesh opener who used to make everyone nervous by always maintaining that ball was moving around like a snake off the pitch, particularly when they were playing abroad. Tamim, by contrast, is known as a very upbeat figure in the dressing-room, and his application in picking the right balls to hit must have been noted by Mominul Haque, who was getting his first bat on the tour. He started off quietly before finding boundaries regularly and ending the truncated day on 64 not out. Mahmudullah left most deliveries outside off quite well until a brain-freeze had him chasing a very wide one and getting out after getting set.When rain came down for the third time to end the day, Bangladesh were 154 for 3. Tamim admitted it would have been a better day for the visitors had Mahmudullah survived. “I think if you see how the others batted, it was different [to my innings] but they batted to their strengths. If [Mahmudullah] Riyad was at the crease till the end, it would have been a superb day for us.”Depending on how day two pans out – Bangladesh could yet collapse – Tamim’s 56 could well be soon forgotten, but, even so, it has to be appreciated for its immediate impact. He effectively scythed through the nonsense with his bat in the hope that the rest will follow suit.

Newcastle United still have just one win to their name in the early Premier League standings.

Yet, that doesn’t tell the full tale of the Magpies’ wobbly start to the season, with Eddie Howe’s men also only losing one game, as the Toon had to settle for another draw on the road against AFC Bournemouth.

In truth, with just four shots registered on the South Coast, the visitors to the South Coast were somewhat lucky to come away from the drab affair with a 0-0 draw still intact, as several of Howe’s first team struggled to get going against the Cherries.

The main Newcastle underperformers vs Bournemouth

While Arsenal and Manchester City would offer up plenty of entertainment on Sunday, it’s fair to say the encounter between Bournemouth and Newcastle was a little lacking on the action front, on the contrary.

Indeed, Nick Woltemade didn’t exactly boost the Toon as they attempted to play on the front foot, with the 6-foot-6 attacker failing to register a single on-target effort at the home side’s goal, before he was hauled off the Vitality Stadium turf with just six minutes remaining.

Another of Newcastle’s new signings, Malick Thiaw, also failed to put in a convincing display, as seen in the German centre-back winning just 50% of his duels, alongside being a very fortunate individual that he wasn’t dismissed with ten minutes left on the clock when clashing with a Cherries shirt, after already picking up a yellow card.

Lewis Miley also failed to grasp his first-team opportunity as Howe made many changes from Newcastle’s Thursday night defeat to Barcelona, but one of Miley’s teammates in the middle put in an even more uninspiring display than the promising 19-year-old, to now find himself on borrowed time under his manager.

The Newcastle flop who is on borrowed time

At least with both Miley and Thiaw, they should have plenty more to give to the Newcastle cause going forward, with the teenage sensation previously showing he belongs in the senior picture, while Thiaw did register four interceptions (per Sofascore) against Andoni Iraola’s men when not finding himself tangled in contentious moments on the pitch.

The same level of patience won’t be extended to Joe Willock, however, with the 26-year-old’s below-par showing on Sunday only strengthening why Howe hasn’t been picking him for some time now.

Last season saw the forgotten ex-Arsenal midfielder only make 11 Premier League starts, with Willock drafted into the XI against Bournemouth owing to some rusty legs after Champions League action.

Based on his passive display, though, Willock will be lucky to reach the same amount of starts he was afforded last season across the remainder of this campaign, with the one-time breath of fresh air at St James’ Park – who once managed eight league goals in just one season – struggling to even trump Nick Pope in terms of touches of the ball.

Indeed, Willock would only go on to amass a lacklustre 32 touches of the ball next to Pope’s weightier 42 (per Sofascore), while also only being able to accurately complete 12 passes all afternoon. In stark contrast, Sandro Tonali, who is a guaranteed starter week in week out centrally, would trudge off the pitch at the end with 49 accurate passes in tow.

It’s a no-brainer, therefore, for Howe to just reinstate both Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes to their usual positions next to Tonali when Arsenal come to town next in league action, with Willock no doubt looking out of his depth if he were handed a surprise second consecutive start against his former employers.

With Howe stating at the final whistle that his team were somewhat careless on the ball, it’s clear that the declining 26-year-old needs to be replaced instantly for the test of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, having also been handed a low 4/10 rating post-match by journalist Lee Ryder, who noted that Willock looked “miles off it.”

There will be a tinge of sadness at the end of the Magpies right now, considering Willock does have a hefty 18 goals and eight assists up his sleeve on Tyneside from 148 total clashes.

But, it does appear as if the number 28 is staring the end of his Newcastle career straight in the face now, with Howe certainly less keen to hand him significant minutes moving forward after his no-show on the South Coast.

Newcastle now make early approach to sign £40m+ Real Madrid player on loan

The striker is of a similar profile to Wissa.

By
Callum Kemp

Sep 21, 2025

24-Aug-2016Tillakaratne Dilshan exposed his leg stump inadvertently and allowed a Nathan Lyon delivery to bowl him off his thigh pad•Associated PressSri Lanka, however, fought back through Kusal Mendis, who struck a run-a-ball 69•AFPDinesh Chandimal kept Mendis company for 21 overs and they added 125 for the third wicket•Associated PressThe stand was broken when Chandimal perished attempting to play against the turn and was trapped lbw by Adam Zampa•AFPZampa struck two more times, removing Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva to help Australia regain control•Associated PressBut Kusal Perera provided the innings with a late thrust during his half-century•Associated PressHe was supported by Angelo Mathews who scored 57 off 60 balls. They added 103 for the sixth wicket in 94 balls•Associated PressSri Lanka’s hopes of a strong finish were thwarted by James Faulkner’s hat-trick. They were bowled out for 288 with seven deliveries remaining•AFPThisara Perera struck first ball, shaping on away from David Warner who nicked to the wicketkeeper•Associated PressAaron Finch inside-edged a slog to his stumps in the bowler’s next over as Australia were reduced to 16 for 2•Associated PressSteven Smith tried to get the innings back on track, but gave a simple catch to mid-on. When he fell, he had scored 30 out of his team’s total of 41•Associated PressGeorge Bailey struggled to get going and plonked around for 46 balls for his 27•Associated PressWhen Moises Henriques was stumped off Seekkuge Prasanna, Australia were struggling at 118 for 5•AFPWade, however, held firm and struck a gritty half-century. He added 64 for the sixth wicket with Travis Head before sweeping a full toss to the hands of deep mid wicket•Associated PressSri Lanka, however, surged closer to a win as Wade and Head fell in successive overs, the latter dismissed by Mathews•AFPAmila Aponso quickly wrapped up Australia’s last two wickets to finish with returns of 4 for 18 in only his second ODI, sealing Sri Lanka’s 82-run win•AFP

Today’s countdown features a lone, all-powerful machine at the top, followed by nine outrageously powerful humans

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-201710. Kieron Pollard, 125 sixes in 97 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 38%There are not too many grounds in world cricket which Kieron Pollard cannot clear with his powerful forearms, and it is no surprise that he features on this list despite playing far fewer innings than most of the others. Pollard’s sixes are among the biggest in the tournament, and his match-winning contributions with both bat and ball have arguably made him Mumbai Indians’ most valuable player over the years.9. Yuvraj Singh, 133 sixes in 105 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 34%One of the cleanest hitters of his generation, Yuvraj has made it a habit of depositing cricket balls onto rooftops of stadia. Yuvraj’s ball-striking abilities, combined with a six-hitting map that extends across the entire wagon wheel, have produced some of IPL’s finest batting displays over the years.8. David Warner, 134 sixes in 100 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 24%‘Warner has repeatedly spoken about his philosophy of defending balls in his weak zone, and his ability to do so has been among the biggest changes in his game since he started off in the IPL. Earlier, his blistering starts would end with a rash shot while trying to accelerate. His ability to desist has coincided with some of his best six-hitting seasons, culminating in 31 sixes in 2016, when he led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first IPL title.MS Dhoni and sixes go hand in hand•BCCI7. MS Dhoni, 140 sixes in 128 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 26%The hitter of the most famous six in Indian cricket history has, over nine seasons, built a reputation of taking games deep into the death overs and pulling the trigger right in the nick of time. While his strike rate has dipped over the past few seasons, he remains among the most reliable finishers in the format, with a knack of muscling the most effortless sixes across the park.6. Yusuf Pathan, 140 sixes in 122 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 30%Yusuf’s big-hitting abilities for Baroda earned him a spot in India’s squad for the inaugural World T20 in 2007. Since the beginning of the IPL, his career has come a full circle – first the realisation of his all-too-known potential, followed by a lengthy lull where he has failed to put together innings of note in the tournament. What has not changed, though, is his place as one of Indian cricket’s most merciless hitters of the ball, a fact reflected in his strike rate of 146.78, despite going through multiple middling seasons.5. AB de Villiers, 141 sixes in 109 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 26%De Villiers has excelled in multiple roles over nine seasons in the IPL – as a finisher first, followed by a deserved shift up the order, where he continues to plunder bowling attacks for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Among the most consistent conjurers of outrageous shots that come with a please-don’t-try-this-at-home warning, his six-hitting history – from 13 sixes in 21 games in 2008-09 to 37 only in the 2016 season – goes some way to explaining his rise as one of modern cricket’s most destructive batsmen.You can fill trucks with sixes when these two bat together•BCCI4. Virat Kohli, 148 sixes in 131 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 22%Warner once spoke about Kohli being a “conventional player, who knows he cannot be like Gayle or de Villiers”. The reference was in a positive context, with Warner praising Kohli’s ability to score across the field with proper cricketing shots, without needing to clear the boundary all the time. While this remains true – Kohli gets 35% of his runs from fours – Kohli’s record-breaking 2016 season meant he has now leapfrogged a number of ‘traditional’ six-hitters.3. Suresh Raina, 160 sixes in 143 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 23%When he hangs up his boots some day, one of the most lasting sights from Raina’s career would be him in a yellow jersey, playing one of his powerful flicks over midwicket, or lofting a barely believable six over the cover boundary. Raina has been among the IPL’s most consistent performers over the years, and this reflects in his place as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer of all time.2. Rohit Sharma, 163 sixes in 138 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 25%At one point, during the first few seasons of the IPL, Rohit Sharma was known as the man who could pull off late-innings heists with feisty displays of six-hitting during tight chases. Since his move to Mumbai Indians, he has metamorphosed into a consistent opener, the position where T20s’ most impactful batsmen bat.1. Chris Gayle, 251 sixes in 91 inningsPercentage of IPL runs in sixes – 44%The title of Gayle’s autobiography, , apart from being a cheeky innuendo, is explained by jaw-dropping numbers in the game’s shortest format. An astounding 44% of his runs come from sixes, and despite having played 47 fewer innings, he has hit 54% more sixes than his nearest competitor on this list. All this despite suffering a dip in form during the 2014 season.

Chelsea are believed to be targeting another Man United star alongside their interest in Kobbie Mainoo, with two players in Enzo Maresca’s squad heading towards the exit door.

Chelsea approach Kobbie Mainoo's agents over transfer

In the last week, credible media sources revealed Chelsea’s serious interest in signing Mainoo, who is currently in the midst of a contract debacle, as the England international sets his sights on improved terms.

Chelsea "in talks" for first 2025 signing in versatile £30 million forward

The west Londoners have entered negotiations.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 17, 2025

The 19-year-old rising star is on just £20,000-per-week at United, which hardly reflects his status as a Three Lions midfielder and crucial player to Ruben Amorim, but rumoured PSR concerns are stalling an agreement over a new contract for Mainoo.

As a result of this, it is reliably believed that Chelsea have approached Mainoo’s agents in an attempt to lure him, as reported by journalist and Stamford Bridge insider Simon Phillips on his Substack.

“Chelsea also still want to bring in a new midfielder this window on request of Enzo Maresca,” wrote Phillips earlier this week.

“However, that does not need to be a new midfielder, and there are still chances that either Lesley Ugochukwu or Andrey Santos could be recalled, SPTC sources have heard again yesterday.

“There’s a chance Santos is recalled too by the way, something that we were not expecting to happen at all, until now, potentially.

“Chelsea have tried to turn the head of Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United by approaching his agents, and this one is still potentially one that could happen this month, if the player decides he is keen on the move.”

While this is far from advanced, it appears Chelsea are seriously pursuing Mainoo, but he isn’t the only Red Devils sensation on their radar.

Chelsea target Alejandro Garnacho with Disasi and Nkunku set to leave

According to French newspaper L’Equipe, exciting United winger Alejandro Garnacho has emerged as a target for Maresca.

The Argentine is attracting reported interest from Antonio Conte’s Napoli, who appear to have set their sights on him as a potential replacement for the PSG-bound Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

However, Conte now faces competition from his former club. Chelsea are targeting Garnacho and have “launched” an operation over his potential signing, according to L’Équipe, who also provided an update on the futures of Christopher Nkunku and Axel Disasi.

The £275,000-per-week duo are apparently set to depart west London before deadline day on February 3, with Maresca’s squad facing a serious overhaul in the latter stage of this transfer window.

Going back to Garnacho, the 20-year-old has bagged eight goals and five assists in 31 appearances so far this campaign, putting in some exceptional displays, and he fits the mould of a young, exciting player that BlueCo has repeatedly targeted since Chelsea’s takeover.

Garnacho is also highly versatile, capable of playing anywhere across the attack – including the left-hand side, right-hand side, through the middle as a central attacking midfielder and even as a second striker. However, he won’t come cheap, as some reports suggest the South American could cost £70 million.

Several chances have been spilled in the field by Bangladesh on the New Zealand tour, especially in the slip cordon, compounding their batting and bowling woes

Mohammad Isam at Hagley Oval23-Jan-2017Mashrafe Mortaza had sounded an early warning when he talked about the body-language problem with Bangladesh’s fielders during the first ODI of this tour in Christchurch. Seeing how they have dropped catches so regularly through the rest of the tour, though, that warning seems to have gone unheeded.The 20 dropped catches on tour have affected Bangladesh adversely both in that particular moment and over the larger passage of play. This sloppiness in the field has compounded their woes, which have included batting collapses, the lack of big runs from senior batsmen and the inexperience of the Test pace attack.Mashrafe had tagged Bangladesh’s fielders “lethargic” after the ODI in Christchurch, where they allowed 27 twos and 111 singles. Back at the same venue for the second Test, their last game on tour, Bangladesh dropped seven genuine chances.In the fourth over of New Zealand’s first innings, Mahmudullah didn’t stay down for long enough when a Jeet Raval catch came his way at second slip off Mehedi Hasan. A little while later, his dive to his left at square leg couldn’t intercept a Ross Taylor flick. In between, Sabbir Rahman dropped a sitter at second slip offering Raval another life. Later Kamrul Islam Rabbi dropped Taylor at deep midwicket, and then Mehedi Hasan put Southee down at second slip. Nazmul Hossain Shanto also dropped a straightforward chance at gully; he had already shown poor technique at silly mid-off when Henry Nicholls had struck him on the body twice in the 44th over. Both would count as chances – albeit very tough ones – as it hit him on the full, but the bigger point was why was Nazmul ducking into the ball instead of jumping over it, as close-in fielding technique would demand in such cases.What was also confusing was the choice of slip cordon, where most of their catches have gone down. Mehedi Hasan continued to be there despite dropping two in Wellington Test as well. Sabbir dropped a catch in the first Test at third slip too, but continued in the same position in Christchurch where he dropped that sitter off Taskin Ahmed.Slip catching is considered a specialist’s job and Bangladesh haven’t really found their specialists. The reason for posting Sabbir and Mehedi Hasan in the slips was the absence of the injured Imrul Kayes, a recent regular in the spot. But he too had dropped one, that too one of the easiest chances on the tour, when Neil Broom had edged-behind in the third ODI in Nelson.That is not to say that catches have not been dropped elsewhere during both the ODIs and Tests. Some of these catches going down could be explained as a matter of pure luck – as Tamim Iqbal said after the loss in Christchurch, “it just happens”.* But several of these missed opportunities have translated into New Zealand batsmen going on to make a big score.Clearly, given the despair the matter has caused to some of the bowlers, it has been discussed in team meetings, and efforts must be underway to eliminate the problem. Tamim agreed that specialists need to be found. “We can definitely work on our catching, especially in our slip cordon. We will have more chances going to slips now that we will play more overseas. We have to look for specialists in that position.”The home side dropped catches too, and the issue has been brought up with their players in media conferences. Bangladesh’s extensive catalogue of problems on tour, though, has meant that their dropped catches have not really been questioned much. When he was asked about it, Tamim said the team just could not afford to fluff chances in conditions overseas. “We can somehow manage this thing at home. Conditions are such that chances are created quite regularly,” he said. “Here they [New Zealand] can drop five catches but we cannot afford to.”It takes a lot of effort for our bowlers to create one chance. I think our pace bowlers did very well here. But these things make a difference. It would have been so much better had we taken even 70% of the catches.”The easiest way to react to drops is to blame the fielder first, and then the fielding coach. But that is too simplistic a view. Fielding is about involvement and enjoyment out in the middle. If that’s missing when Bangladesh goes out to field, it might suggest deeper issues to look into. The faster the problem is pinpointed and sorted out, the better it will be for the team.*10.15 GMT, January 23: Tamim Iqbal’s quotes were added to this article at the end of day four of the Christchurch Test.

Wrexham are considering a move for former Liverpool and Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward, who will become a free agent at the end of June.

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• Wrexham plotting Ward move
• Red Dragons targeting Premier League experience
• 31-year-old came through their academy

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham are in talks with Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward over a free transfer this summer, according to . The 31-year-old will be a free agent once his contract with Leicester expires at the end of June and he is said to be in early negotiations with the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned club.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ward played a reserve role for Leicester as they were relegated back to the Championship, with Mads Hermansen playing in 27 of their Premier League fixtures and Jakub Stolarczyk also favoured. The former Liverpool stopper came through the youth ranks at Wrexham but didn't make a first-team appearance before signing for the Reds in 2012.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wrexham want Premier League experience and quality as they prepare to play in the Championship after three successive promotions. The likes of Ben Davies, Danny Ings and Tom Cairney have all been linked with moves to the Racecourse Ground in recent weeks, but no new players have arrived in north-east Wales yet.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham will continue plotting summer additions to their squad and are still hopeful of signing Tottenham defender Davies, despite the Welshman having a 12-month contract extension option triggered by the north London side.