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India out-muscled South Africa then Australia and now Pakistan in every department

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Jun-20191:40

Effortless Rohit making this his World Cup

Pakistan were reeling at 146 for 5. MS Dhoni pointed to the third man fielder, asking him to come fine. Kedar Jadhav, the fielder, didn’t acknowledge because he was not watching Dhoni. Dhoni carried on waving. With every passing second the wave became stronger and faster till Dhoni nearly folded both his hands to plead Jadhav to listen to him. Finally, Jadhav noticed the senior glovesman’s signal and quickly shuffled to the desired position.

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar had walked out of the ground having just bowled 16 deliveries. It was the fifth over of the Pakistan innings, but already Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar had built intense pressure by tying up the opposition openers with tight lines and lengths. As soon as Bhuvnewshar handed the ball to the umpire and walked out, Virat Kohli turned to Vijay Shankar. He might have been nervous for certain, but he swung the ball into Imam-ul-Haq’s pads to become only the third man to fetch a wicket off the first ball on World Cup debut.

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Kohli was fielding in the inner circle. Pakistan were in disarray after Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya had broken their back in the middle overs. Kohli picked up an innocuous tap from one of the batsman and threw it back lamely towards Dhoni. The throw went high over the wicketkeeper, making him stretch and could have resulted in unnecessary overthrow. Kohli quickly owned up to his mistake to Dhoni by raising his hands at the end of the over.

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These examples only go on to illustrate why Kohli’s India are being called favorites this World Cup. In all three departments of the game, Indian players have shown the presence of mind, the patience, the smarts, the hunger and the ability to snatch and own the situation at all points of time in a match.In their tournament opener, in difficult conditions in Southampton, against South Africa, Rohit Sharma played the “best” innings of his life according to his captain. Then he hit a quiet half-century even as his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan distracted the Australians. Unfortunately, Dhawan picked up a hairline fracture in that match, forcing the think tank to figure out a solution. KL Rahul, who was chosen as a third opener, who had become the accidental No. 4 on the eve of the tournament, was promoted.Rahul admitted he was nervous on Sunday. He left alone more balls (11) than all other batsmen put together from both sides. Yet he walked back with a vital half-century, having stitched a century partnership with Rohit, despite both men opening for the first time together. Rahul might have been quiet in the first Powerplay, but in the company of Rohit, he ran more singles in the last year for an Indian opening pair.Adaptability and flexibility are terms Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri have repeatedly used in the last two years. Even on Saturday, Kohli said India did not believe in rigidity. The best example of that approach was to send Pandya in as No. 4 in the game against Australia and on Sunday. In a matter of a dozen balls Pandya, using those snappy wrists of his, can crack the opposition bowling without breaking any sweat. Ask Australia.Virat Kohli speaks to the team before the restart•Getty ImagesThe reason that Hardik, Rahul and MS Dhoni can bat with freedom and no pressure is only because the top order comprising Rohit, Dhawan and Kohli has been solid. Rohit has two centuries in three matches and a 50, Kohli has scored crucial half centuries in the last two matches and Dhawan demolished Australia with a matchwinning century. India has worked out a strategy where at least one player in the top order needs to bat deep to alleviate the pressures on the middle order and the lower order can face with not much time to settle in. And to make that plan work, the pace of the innings at the start, even if it can tend to be slow, doesn’t matter.Not that that is a rule of thumb, though. As Rohit proved today scoring his fastest half century while India recorded one of the quickest starts in the last year – not only did they snatch the momentum straight away, but also deflated Pakistan’s well-stacked plans.Complementing that were the Indian fast bowlers. Take the first Powerplay. As per ESPNcricinfo logs, Indian new-ball bowlers pitched 36 balls on length and short-of-good-length (15 +21) conceding 22 runs; there were 20 fuller-length deliveries going for 12 runs and just one full toss along with three short deliveries.In contrast, Pakistan’s new ball bowling unit comprising Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz bowled 28 short-of-length deliveries at nearly a run a ball (30 runs) and three short balls (5 runs). There were just 16 length and 13 full-length deliveries of which Indian openers scored 17 runs. If Bumrah and co bowled tight lines with discipline, pitching accurate lengths, Pakistan’s experienced bowling unit sprayed it wide and short on a pitch where the margin for error was minimal.Overall, India’s bowling unit has been the most disciplined in the tournament. India have bowled more deliveries on line-lengths that have gone for fewer runs. As per the logs if you restrict to just length and short-of-good-length balls outside off, India have pitched 62 deliveries in this zone, conceding only 20 runs. In comparison, Australian bowlers have pitched full and on length leaking runs at a 5-plus run rate.So far this World Cup, India’s new-ball bowlers have conceded a boundary every 11.25 balls in the first Powerplay, which is the joint least along with West Indies.Another area where India outscored Pakistan was the fielding. While Indian batsmen stole a single or two at will, daring the arm of every opposition fielder, Pakistan batsmen could not afford the same indulgence because of the intensity and athleticism of the Indian fielders. Even at end of the day, when the teams returned for a few overs, KL Rahul dropped a catch in the deep. Kohli was furious and snapped his hands to express his dissatisfaction. Pakistan bowlers were furious, too, but at the lethargic approach toward fielding by some of their team-mates.If you take all these things into account, you can see how far India have come since the 2017 Champions Trophy final they lost to Pakistan. It was that loss that prompted India to recalibrate their approach to the limited overs game. And they have not been shy to take bold decisions.Pakistan should not feel bad. Only for the fact that they were beaten by a very good team. Kohli’s India is not just consistent, not just brave, not just smart. It out-muscled South Africa then Australia and now Pakistan in every department. It has become a scary machine.

How did Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins bowl together for the first time on the most important day of the 2019 Ashes series?

Daniel Brettig in Leeds23-Aug-2019How did Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins bowl together for the first time on the most important day of the 2019 Ashes series? How did they put together the collection of spells that razed England for 67 and in doing so put one Australian hand on the urn in this part of the world for the first time in 18 years?Hazlewood debuted for Australia first, in June 2010. It was an ODI against England in Southampton, and the home side won. ESPNcricinfo’s commentary recorded the moment: “Ah, time for a bowling change and it’s Australia’s new Glenn McGrath, apparently – Josh Hazlewood.” His first over drew two boundaries, but he soon had a first international wicket, Craig Kieswetter. In a manner that will not surprise anyone who saw him at Headingley nine year later, it came through a tight line, a bit of seam movement and a gap between bat and pad.Pattinson debuted for Australia next, in April 2011. He had already toured once, to India the previous year, and was to be called in as part of the bowling attack for an ODI tour of Bangladesh that served as the start of Michael Clarke’s captaincy. Fast and straight, he had a similar start to Hazlewood, bowling seven overs and claiming one wicket. In a manner that will not surprise anyone who saw him at Headingley eight years later, it came with speed, bounce, a full length tempting a drive, and an edge behind the stumps.Cummins debuted for Australia last, in October 2011. Only 18 at the time, he had been rushed in on the strength of half a season of Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales and the undeniable speed and intelligence of his bowling even as a teenager. Unlike the other two, Cummins was thrust straight into a Test match on his first tour, and rewarded the selectors by proving the match-winner against South Africa at the Wanderers. In a manner that will not surprise anyone who saw him at Headingley eight years later, it came through speed, bounce and an edge into the Australian slips cordon.Back then, it did not seem as though much time would pass until all three of Hazlewood, Pattinson and Cummins would bowl together for Australia. Injuries would happen, sure, and so would the whims of selectors, coaches and national captains, but they looked young, strong and keen. In fact, the aforementioned injuries, and Cricket Australia’s attempts to manage them, would serve to keep the trio away from each other right up until the selection of this Ashes squad.Pat Cummins is mobbed by his team-mates after taking his maiden Test wicket•Getty ImagesEven then, their selection together was delayed until Leeds by the sort of careful management of resources that has characterised this Ashes campaign. All had to go through plenty of individual battles to get their bodies ready for the rigours of Test matches, and playing more than a couple of them at a time between major back, side or foot injuries.Hazlewood waited nearly five years between his international debut in 2010 and his first Test in 2014. Pattinson played four in a row in 2011-12 but then suffered a litany of back problems in particular that very nearly ended his career. Certainly the New Zealand surgeon Grahame Inglis, who had worked wonders for the likes of Shane Bond and Matt Henry with spinal surgery, initially thought Pattinson’s back was too far gone for his remedial work. As for Cummins, he spent six years between his first Test and his second, at times leaving his Johannesburg debut to feel more mythical than real.”It is the first time Cummins, Pattinson and myself have played in the same team so it was pretty exciting in the morning,” Hazlewood said. “It’s been in the pipeline for quite a while but never actually happened. That added an element to it this morning as well and we all did our roles. It’s quite a good mix.”We have played against each other at certain times, but Patty is a bit younger. I have played against Patto Under-17s Under-19s but that was the first time. The way Cummins is bowling is pretty special at the moment. He is taking wickets with the new and old ball, doesn’t matter about the wicket. He is doing his business up front or later in the innings. Jimmy is always at the batsmen, he can take wickets in clumps, he is awesome to have in your team, and brings that energy to the team. I felt pretty happy with them bowling up the other end.”So much has happened in the time it took for the three to play a Test together. Australia has had Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Steven Smith and Tim Paine as Test captains, major reviews of team performance and Cricket Australia’s culture, major scandals in India and South Africa, the shattering loss of Phillip Hughes in November 2014, a World Cup win at home, and three barren Ashes series in 2010-11, 2013 and 2015 in between home triumphs in 2013-14 and 2017-18.But there was always a hope, and a plan, for them to be united in England for the Ashes this year. Ever since a stronger Australian side got their plans and attitudes hopelessly wrong in 2015 to lose 3-2, the intention was to bring a group of bowlers together with the methods and the physical stamina to do rather better. Hazlewood had been part of that campaign on the field and so knew what needed to change. Namely, he had to concentrate on seam and accuracy, not swing out of the hand on a floating length, while also being in the peak of physical condition.

A blueprint devised to succeed overseas had its culmination in conditions so oddly familiar

Cummins had been running drinks on that tour, having been called in as a replacement for the injury-enforced retirement of Ryan Harris. He was duly given a glimpse of Ashes combat in England, and was typically attentive to its lessons. When Cummins did return to Tests in India and Bangladesh in 2017, he quickly demonstrated the fact he had added physical maturity and unstinting accuracy to his natural pace and trajectory. He was no longer, in the words of one of his many handlers, a “Ferrari engine in a Toyota chassis”.Pattinson toured England as far back as 2012 and 2013, taking from these experiences plenty of knowledge about his own body as much as the prevailing conditions. Ever eager to play for Australia at every opportunity back then, he gradually grew a sense of understanding and self-knowledge that gave him the strength to not only decline that 2017 tour of India that Cummins went on, but also to speak firmly with the coach Justin Langer on this tour about needing to be carefully managed. In doing so, he brought Victorian independence of mind, not infrequently a source of annoyance for CA centralists, to timely use.That, of course, is the other part of the story. The time that Hazlewood, Pattinson and Cummins took to bowl together in a Test match was also the time of CA’s endless debate about fast-bowler management. Whatever the whys and wherefores, this conversation helped to bring Australia’s leading cricketers to a point where the careful consideration of physical condition and bowling combinations could be more advanced than simply, “are you in our best four bowlers and are you fit to play?”Paine has spoken of this as a process of selling the concept to the bowlers, not least Mitchell Starc, who is as much a part of this bowling crop as Cummins, Pattinson and Hazlewood but has found himself restricted to net bowling because of the prevailing conditions. It’s the same conversation that brought one final, fleeting delay to the union seen at Headingley, as Hazlewood missed the first Test because he was still building up his workload and then Pattinson the second because he was still a little stiff and sore from Edgbaston.James Pattinson was fired up after dismissing Ben Stokes•Getty ImagesAt the end of day one, England having pushed past the Australians for 179 thanks to more of the singular brilliance of Jofra Archer, this whole long saga looked momentarily as though it might have come to nought. One of history’s many lessons is that nothing is ever guaranteed, no matter how much effort has gone into the planning. But in the course of 27.5 overs, 26.5 of them bowled by Hazlewood, Pattinson and Cummins, the fruits of near enough to a decade were seen in vivid definition.The precision of Hazlewood, drawing edges out of Jason Roy, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. The hostility of Cummins, hitting Rory Burns on the body and then bouncing him out, then doing similar to Chris Woakes and Archer. And the speed and aggression of Pattinson – has any team ever boasted a better third seamer? – provoking edges from Ben Stokes and Joe Denly after they had been probed and tested by the other members of the trio. It was brutal, it was gripping, it was far, far too much for England.There was some happenstance about it all, namely in the state of the Headingley pitch. Having worked so hard to groove their games and adapt to English seaming conditions, the Australians were delighted to find bounce and carry that was more Queensland than Kirkstall. Nothing underlined this more than David Warner’s four catches, excellent takes in which he got far better sight of the ball than he had done when dropping them at Lord’s. Not unlike Nagpur in 2004, a blueprint devised to succeed overseas had its culmination in conditions so oddly familiar.How did Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins bowl together for the first time on the most important day of the 2019 Ashes series? Not quite by intelligent design, but not completely by natural selection either.

It may not be enough to set up victory, but England can take heart from their captain’s tone-setting return to form

George Dobell in Hamilton02-Dec-2019It probably won’t be reflected in the result but, as England stretched their first innings past 150 overs, it started to feel like progress.Let’s be clear: this England team have several serious issues. They lack, on flat surfaces anyway, penetration with the ball and patience with the bat. They have questions to answer in both playing and delivering spin bowling and they will have to improve their catching if they are to seize key moments.But, as Joe Root returned to form, as Ollie Pope showed he could tailor his game to the demands of the circumstances, as England registered their biggest Test innings since 2017 and their longest since 2015, it felt as if some of the management’s messages were starting to sink in. The surface, the good quality New Zealand batting and the weather – rain is due around lunchtime on day five – will surely combine to thwart England’s attempts to square this series but in the grand scheme of things, perhaps the result matters less than the process.ALSO READ: NZ dig deep after Root 226 gives England a shotLet’s look at Root’s contribution first. During the course of this epic innings – at 441 deliveries, the longest of his career in terms of balls received – he moved into the top ten run-scorers in England’s Test history. None of those above him have as high an average and only three England batsmen (Wally Hammond, Alastair Cook and Len Hutton) have scored more than his three Test double-centuries. This was also the highest Test score at Seddon Park and the highest by a visiting captain in New Zealand.All this and Root is just 28 years old. Given just a little bit of luck with form and fitness, he may well move into the top two run-scorers for England before he is 31. Yes, he has endured a modest year by his standards and yes, his conversion rate of turning fifties into hundreds is modest by comparison with other top batsmen, but these statistics provide a reminder of what an outstanding career he has already enjoyed.He was, he said, “hungry for it”. And you can understand why. Before this innings, he averaged 27.40 in 2019, and he was given a lesson by BJ Watling in how to bat in such conditions in the previous game. He wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away. He gave no chances – well, none that didn’t involve run-outs – and only fell when trying to set-up a declaration. It was, in many ways, a masterclass in denial, patience and playing within the limitations dictated by the conditions. It was admirably ruthless.He said he hadn’t been especially worried by his form. Frustrated, yes. But worried, no. For he has generally felt good at the crease and trusted in his talent to come through in time. Equally, he will know this innings doesn’t answer all the queries. It buys him time, certainly, but he will probably need to average someway above 40 in 2020 if England are to prosper and if those questions about the captaincy are to be silenced.”I’ve always felt like it’s close,” he said. “It’s been more of a frustration that it’s not really happened rather than a worry.”I felt like I got a couple of really good starts and 50s in the Ashes and just didn’t manage to go on. I found some peculiar ways to get out, I got some good deliveries and you chuck a couple of noughts in there – I got some good balls early on – and all of a sudden it feels like a while since you’ve scored a really big one. But I always felt it was close.”I had the bit between my teeth and wanted to make it a really big one and try to get us in a position where we could force a result in this game.”

He realised it was a slow pitch and showed a lot maturity in the way he went about it. He knew it was a crucial partnership and that we needed to set the game upJoe Root on Ollie Pope’s innings

Could England have pushed on earlier here? Certainly Root acknowledged he would have liked his side to have scored “another 40 runs and declared at tea”. That way, New Zealand would have resumed on day five with a deficit still preying on their minds. But on this sluggish surface, any attempt to accelerate is prone to risk and nobody has achieved it.Sometimes these things are much easier said than done and there didn’t seem any way other than “the scenic Root”, if you will. England’s final run rate was almost identical to New Zealand’s.It would be easy to overlook an innings of 75 in such circumstances but Pope’s contribution was also encouraging. By reaching this stage of his career with a first-class batting average of 57, he has given notice of his outstanding talent. But whereas he may be able to dominate in county cricket, he will be required to add some sophistication to his game if he is to prosper at Test level. In facing 202 balls here, with a strike-rate of 37.12, he suggested he could complement his talent with determination and patience. It was a point seized upon with some joy by Root.”You look at the way Ollie plays for Surrey and he’s very free-flowing,” Root said. “He scores quite quickly and likes to put pressure on bowlers. But here he realised it was a slow pitch and showed a lot maturity in the way he went about it. He knew that it was a crucial partnership between me and him and that we needed to make sure that we set the game up. He read the situation really well and showed great maturity.”It must be acknowledged, this is a deathly docile pitch that ekes its entertainment out so begrudgingly the thought occurred that this style of Test cricket is anachronistic in this day and age. It seems churlish to complain about anything in a nation that is so welcoming and gracious in both victory and defeat and yes, recent Tests in New Zealand have a fine record of producing victories for one side or another. But, were the England spectators not present at Hamilton, there may have been a couple at the ground at most. It might not be wise to ignore that.England have played on flat pitches before, of course. They haven’t always responded with a performance to match. So to bat for this long and to score this many was encouraging. The last time they scored this many they were playing on an awful surface in Melbourne, while the last time they batted this long was in Abu Dhabi. On both occasions, Cook made double-centuries.To see an opening batsman register a century, to see a 21-year-old resist for more than four hours, to see the captain return to form… None of this will have India or Australia quaking in fear just yet. But it all felt like progress from England.

Chelsea, BlueCo and chairman Todd Boehly want to sign three high-profile players for Enzo Maresca this summer, and the trio could end up costing the Stamford Bridge side around £200 million.

Chelsea "ready to spend big again" in the transfer market

According to reliable Blues journalist Simon Phillips this week, Chelsea are “ready to spend big again” in the next transfer market, with Champions League football potentially on the line, not to mention their participation in the Club World Cup.

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The west Londoners will also have from June 1st to June 10th to sign players before the CWC, an opportunity Chelsea could well seize considering Maresca’s side stand a chance of winning £100 million in prize money from the tournament.

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 10th

Qualification for the Champions League will be crucial in determining who they’ll get over the line this summer (Simon Phillips), with Chelsea looking to reinforce many areas throughout Maresca’s squad before his second full season in charge.

Chelsea are targeting a new striker this summer, and it is rumoured that they have their eyes on Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. Meanwhile, it is also believed that Maresca has asked Chelsea to sign a new goalkeeper, with concerns surrounding both Filip Jorgensen and Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea are also in the market for a new centre-back, while there is believed to be BlueCo interest in Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado as a potential partner for Moises Caicedo in the midfield.

With Kepa Arrizabalaga, Alfie Gilchrist, Armando Broja, Raheem Sterling, David Datro Fofana, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi all likely to leave the club this summer as well, once they return from their loan spells, Chelsea appear set for yet another busy summer indeed.

Chelsea want Huijsen, Gyokeres and Rodrygo in £200m triple summer deal

Now, a major claim has surfaced from Europe on the club’s plans to bolster Maresca’s squad – with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, Real Madrid starlet Rodrygo and Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen all on the agenda.

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea want to sign Gyokeres, Rodrygo and Huijsen this summer, who could all set the club back around £200 million in total.

They’re apparently planning to trigger Huijsen’s £50 million release clause, while Chelsea have allegedly “already” made an offer of around £65m for Gyokeres.

Chelsea also want to “tempt” Rodrygo to the English capital with a promise of regular football, but he’s said to be valued at around £86m. Maresca’s side are hatching this “ambitious plan” to bring all three of the aforementioned players to Chelsea, a triple signing which would “revolutionise” their project.

Huijsen has stood out as one of the Premier League’s most promising young defenders after his excellent season at Bournemouth, while Gyokeres is enjoying another incredibly prolific campaign in Portugal with 44 goals and 11 assists from 44 appearances in all competitions.

Rodrygo has predominantly showcased his best on the right wing for Real this season, enjoying a real purple patch of form midway through the campaign, and his quality is evident for all to see despite tailing off a bit lately with no goals or assists in La Liga since January.

Nottingham Forest are now racing some of Europe’s top clubs for a “fantastic” Brazilian forward, who could come in despite the interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha, according to a report.

Forest set to strengthen in attack

Forest are stepping up their pursuit of a new striker ahead of the summer transfer window, with Nuno clearly of the belief he needs to reinforce his frontline ahead of a potential Champions League campaign next season, despite Chris Wood’s fantastic form.

The Tricky Trees are said to have submitted a £50m bid for Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, with the Uruguayan no longer in Arne Slot’s plans for next season, while they are also working on a deal for Brentford star Yoane Wissa.

Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is among the main targets for the summer window, with talks over a deal for the Brazilian currently ongoing, and Nuno’s side are now ready to push hard to secure his signature.

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Cunha is not the only Brazilian forward Forest have their eye on, however, with a report from Foot Mercato revealing they are now in the race to sign Marseille’s Luis Henrique, who is attracting the attention of some top clubs ahead of the summer window.

Newcastle United, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Inter Milan are also interested in signing Henrique, which means Marseille could now be in a position to demand a transfer fee of over €30m (£25m).

The Tricky Trees are said to appreciate the former Botafogo man, but they are yet to make any contact with his representatives, and it remains to be seen whether they formalise their interest.

Nottingham Forest’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (a)

April 5th

Everton (h)

April 12th

Tottenham Hotspur (a)

April 21st

Crystal Palace (a)

May 5th

Leicester City (h)

May 10th

"Fantastic" Henrique impressing in Ligue 1

The 23-year-old has been in impressive form for Marseille this season, so much so that he has been singled out for praise by manager Roberto De Zerbi, who said: “He is having a fantastic season. He shows us that he is a complete player, with or without the ball.

“In terms of finishing, he scores goals. He is young and has to be determined to keep improving. He is one of the most important players for OM.”

The winger has nine goals and seven assists to his name in 29 matches in all competitions, indicating that he could be a great option for Forest next season, at which point they are likely to need more depth in attack.

Should Nuno’s side qualify for the Champions League, the manager will need to rotate his squad more often, and there is every indication Henrique would be able to push Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi for a starting spot.

The summer transfer window is only a couple of months away from officially opening up for business and Chelsea have already begun work on bolstering their squad.

It was recently reported that the Blues have made contact with Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen’s representatives ahead of a summer deal for the Spain international.

Chelsea are one of a number of teams interested in signing the 20-year-old enforcer, who reportedly has a release clause worth £50m in his current contract at the Vitality Stadium.

The London giants, however, are now reportedly preparing a bid for another centre-back who would be even better than Huijsen at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea plot bid for Premier League defender

According to the Mirror, Chelsea are prepared to bid for Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Blues want to sign the England international and are ‘ready’ to offer £50m and Trevoh Chalobah in exchange for the Eagles colossus.

It reveals that Palace would be willing to take Chalobah, who they had on loan in the first half of the season, as part of a deal for Guehi and that they value their star defender at £70m, making £50m and the current Chelsea centre-back a tempting offer.

Transfer Focus

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

If a deal can be ironed out for the English ace, Enzo Maresca could have an even better signing than Huijsen on his hands in that area of the pitch.

Why Marc Guehi would be an even better signing than Dean Huijsen

Guehi is a Chelsea academy graduate who already knows the club and has come up through the ranks, with players like Reece James, and that could help him to settle in quicker than the Bournemouth ace.

He is also a homegrown talent who would help towards the quota of English academy stars needed for Premier League and European competitions.

The 24-year-old star’s performances in the Premier League in comparison to Huijsen’s this season also suggest that he could be an even better signing in the immediate future.

Guehi’s out-and-out defending as a centre-back in the top-flight is impressive and could make him an excellent addition to the Chelsea squad, as a proven defender at that level.

Appearances

29

25

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.7

3.0

Ball recoveries per game

4.4

3.5

Duels won per game

5.2

4.0

Duel success rate

62%

57%

Error led to goal

0

1

As you can see in the table above, the Palace skipper has outperformed Huijsen in a host of key defensive metrics, without making as many big errors.

This suggests that the former Blues academy graduate could be more effective at preventing opposition teams from creating chances against the team, by making more recoveries and clearances, whilst also winning a higher percentage of his individual duels.

When you couple this with the fact that Guehi, once dubbed “incredible” by reporter Stuart James, could hit the ground running by returning to the club he has already played for, Maresca could be better off signing the Eagles star instead of splashing £50m on the Spanish titan.

Maresca must drop 5/10 Chelsea flop who's a bigger problem than Palmer

Maresca must axe Chelsea’s 5/10 flop after yet another poor performance

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Therefore, this £50m-plus-Chalobah deal for the English titan could be a terrific piece of business by the Blues if they can get a deal over the line in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Manchester United need to conduct shrewd business this summer if they are to make amends for the dismal season they’ve endured throughout 2024/25.

Ruben Amorim faces a make-or-break window to try and change the club’s fortunes, desperately needing the funds and to make the changes he desires to his squad.

He’s only had one window to make transfers, signing Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven back in January, but the Red Devils are set for an action-packed summer.

Dorgu

All areas of the pitch are in drastic need of investment to push them back towards the top end of the Premier League, arguably where they belong given their previous success.

With just a couple of weeks until the window, the hierarchy has already wasted no time in making moves in the transfer market as they look to back the manager in the coming months.

An update on Man Utd’s hunt for new signings

Over the last couple of days, huge progress has been made in the club’s attempts to land Wolves star Matheus Cunha, with both parties already in talks over a switch to Old Trafford.

The Brazilian international has a £62.5m release clause within his current deal at Molineux, with the forward open to a move to join the Red Devils in the coming months.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that talks were underway for the 25-year-old’s signature, with United’s potential lack of European football not an issue in any deal this summer.

However, Cunha could also be joined at Old Trafford by James McAtee, after it emerged that Amorim was planning a shock move for the Manchester City star.

According to The Guardian, the Red Devils are plotting a summer deal for the 22-year-old attacker, who could depart the Etihad for more regular minutes in the upcoming window.

Why Man Utd could land their next McTominay with a PL star

Back in August last year, United decided to sell midfielder Scott McTominay to Italian side Napoli, leaving the side after seven years in the first-team and recruiting a £25m fee in the process.

The Scottish international made over 250 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring on 29 occasions, catching the eye with his box-crashing ability, often producing numerous key goals.

However, less than a year after departing the club, there’s already been rumours of a potential return for the 28-year-old, with it unclear if he or his current side would entertain a deal.

They could avoid a return for McTominay by pursuing a deal for McAtee, with the English youngster able to be the Red Devils’ next version of the former fan favourite.

The similarities are there for all to see with their goalscoring ability from a midfield role, whilst also both coming through the academy setup of a club in Manchester.

When comparing their respective figures from the current campaign, the City star has managed to outperform the Scotsman in numerous key areas – undoubtedly offering an improvement on the options at Amorim’s disposal.

McAtee, who’s been labelled “special” by current boss Pep Guardiola, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has notched a higher goal per-shot-on-target rate – showcasing his clinical nature in attacking areas.

Games played

13

31

Goals & assists

3

11

Progressive carries

2.2

1.6

Shot-on-target accuracy

1.2

0.9

Goals per shot-on-target

0.8

0.3

Blocks made

2.4

0.6

Carries into final third

1.5

1.2

He’s also managed to complete more progressive carries and more carries into the final third per 90, handing the likes of Cunha the added chances he needs to thrive should he move with him.

It’s unclear whether City would entertain selling the youngster to one of their local rivals, but the United hierarchy must work tirelessly to steal him from their grasp, given his impressive form in 2024/25.

His tender age gives him a huge chance to develop further with increased minutes at Old Trafford, potentially handing the club a key player to lead their revival in the upcoming seasons.

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Liverpool are already set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, and they may have to brace for the departure of another key player, with the Spanish side lining up another move.

Trent set to join Real Madrid

The Reds will be delighted to have managed to tie down Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to new contracts, but Trent has now confirmed his decision to leave on a free transfer this summer, with the right-back expected to join Real Madrid.

There have been widespread reports suggesting the Spanish side could even look to get a deal done early by paying around £850k, as they are eager to have the right-back available in time for this summer’s Club World Cup, which is set to start on June 14th.

With the 26-year-old set to move on this summer, Arne Slot’s side have now stepped up their pursuit of a replacement, and they are set to make an offer for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, who could be available for the relatively low fee of just £30m – £34m.

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However, Alexander-Arnold is not the only Liverpool defender Madrid are keen on, with a report from Spain suggesting the La Liga side are now looking at snapping up Ibrahima Konate, whose contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026.

Madrid are not planning to make a move anytime soon, but they will look to make an approach closer to Konate’s contract expiry date, with the Reds at risk of losing yet another defender on a free transfer to the Spanish heavyweights.

Arsenal’s William Saliba and AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen are also named as targets for Madrid, however, so Slot will be hoping they choose to pursue a different centre-back this summer, rather than waiting for the 25-year-old to become available.

"Incredible" Konate would be huge loss for Slot

Slot has done a fantastic job to secure the Premier League title in his first season, and the French defender has been one of the players integral to Liverpool’s success, making 39 appearances in all competitions, having continued his fantastic partnership with Van Dijk.

The Frenchman has been a consistent performer for the Reds, even managing to average more tackles and blocks per game than Van Dijk in the Premier League, so it will be a worry that Madrid have now expressed an interest.

However, the Spanish side have a number of options on the shortlist, and Liverpool still have time to tie the £70k-a-week defender down to a new contract, with Madrid not planning to make an approach in the near future.

Celtic made a bold decision in the January transfer window at the start of this year when they opted to sell Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes for a reported fee of £10m.

The Japan international scored 85 goals in 165 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants during his time at Parkhead, including 34 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.

Despite losing the prolific goalscorer midway through the campaign, the Hoops opted against dipping into the market to sign a replacement for him, although they were linked with an interest in Danish forward Mathias Kvistgaarden.

What Mathias Kvistgaarden could bring to Celtic

The Scottish Premiership champions reportedly made an approach to sign the Brondby striker in January, but failed to get a deal over the line for him, and are reportedly looking at him once again ahead of the summer.

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If the Hoops do decide to go through with a swoop for him ahead of next season, Kvistgaarden could be an exciting addition to the squad, considering his impressive record in Denmark.

The 23-year-old striker has scored 16 goals, and missed 14 ‘big chances’, in 24 starts in the Danish Superliga, and scored 22 goals in all competitions for Brondby, which suggests that he could arrive as a big goalscoring threat at an age where he still has time left to develop and improve.

His form has led to Transfermarkt valuing the forward at £6.7m at the time of writing (20/05/2025), which is even lower than the player Celtic essentially replaced Kyogo with, Daizen Maeda.

Rodgers has hit the jackpot with Daizen Maeda

The Japan international has played on the wing for the majority of his Celtic career, but Kyogo’s move to Rennes in January provided him with an opportunity to play more games as a striker.

He had only played two matches as a centre-forward in all competitions before the turn of the year, and has since played eight times in that role, splitting number nine duties with Adam Idah.

Left wing

35

16

8

Centre-forward

10

14

4

Right wing

1

2

0

As you can see in the table above, that change in position has been a masterstroke by Brendan Rodgers, who has hit the jackpot with the forward, because he has been directly involved in 18 goals in just ten games as a striker.

His market value has also soared as a result of that change. Maeda was valued at £6.7m, as much as Kvistgaarden, in December 2024, and is now valued at £9.3m by Transfermarkt at the time of writing, which shows that the versatile star is now worth even more than the Celtic transfer target.

The Japanese whiz, who was described as “unbelievable” by Rodgers, has thrived due to the positional change that the manager opted to make after Kyogo left, and has proven himself to be more than capable of being a starting centre-forward for Celtic.

Therefore, the Hoops have hit the jackpot with the 27-year-old star, who may have just alleviated the need to splash the cash on Kvistgaarden this summer, as the club now have him and Idah available to lead the line heading into next season.

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There may be a European final to play next week, but that hasn’t stopped a mountain of players being linked with moves to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

One of the most exciting links to come out this week has been to Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who could reportedly be available for as little as £19m.

The young Frenchman has been on fire for Lyon this year, racking up an impressive haul of eight goals and ten assists in 29 league appearances alone.

However, he’s not the only wide player touted for a move to Spurs, and if recent reports are to be believed, Daniel Levy and Co may be planning to go with an incredible alternative.

Tottenham transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of other wingers linked with Spurs, such as Daizen Maeda and Jamie Gittens.

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The former could be available for just £25m this summer, which might end up being an incredible deal, as in just 49 appearances for Celtic this season, he’s scored a staggering 33 goals and provided 12 assists.

Gittens hasn’t been quite as prolific, but the fact he’s managed to rack up an impressive tally of 12 goals and five assists in 47 games at just 20 years old suggests he’d be worth the £59m he’d reportedly cost.

Yet, if Spurs really want to ensure they take a step forward in attack next season, they’d do well to act on their interest in Eberechi Eze.

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Spurs are planning to launch a bid to sign the Crystal Palace star this summer.

Interestingly, while the Englishman has a £68m release clause in his current deal, the North Londoners plan to make an offer lower than that.

It could be a complicated deal to get done, but given Eze’s incredible ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a dream Cherki alternative.

Why Eze would be a great Cherki alternative

So, in an ideal world, Spurs would go out and sign both players, but if they can only get one, or Cherki is signed by another team, why would Eze be a perfect alternative, if not the better option overall?

Well, first and foremost, the Palace star is a known quantity with an abundance of experience in English football and, most importantly, the Premier League, making 144 appearances in the competition thus far.

This is important, as while the Frenchman could be something really special, we already know the Englishman is a sensational player and someone who can thrive in arguably world football’s toughest league.

Furthermore, he’d be joining the North Londoners off the back of another stellar campaign with the Eagles.

For example, in 40 appearances, totalling 3142 minutes, the 26-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, has scored 12 goals and provided 11 assists.

Appearances

40

Minutes

3142

Goals

12

Assosts

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

Minutes per Goal Involvement

136.60

That means the former Queens Park Ranges gem is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 136.60 minutes.

Finally, on top of being able to play off the left and in attacking midfield, the full England international has shown he can thrive in the big moments, as it was his sensational strike from outside the area that opened the scoring in Palace’s FA Cup Semi-Final triumph over Aston Villa last month.

Ultimately, Eze is an undeniably incredible footballer, and if Spurs have the chance to sign him this summer, they have to take it, regardless of what happens with Cherki.

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