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A London-based club have now approached Chelsea over signing one of their most expensive players in what could be a potentially “transformative deal”.

Players tipped to leave Chelsea in 2025

There are a few near-certain exits from Stamford Bridge which are expected to take place after the turn of the year.

Maresca personally eyeing "astonishingly" good Euro 2024 star for Chelsea

He’s in excellent form for his club.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 14, 2024

The two most likely players to depart Enzo Maresca’s side, as per reports in the last few weeks, are left-back Ben Chilwell and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka – who have both been deemed surplus to requirements by the Italian.

Chilwell and Chukwuemeka have both played under an hour in total across all competitions, with Chelsea ready to cut their losses on the pair as January looms.

Leicester City (home)

November 23

Aston Villa (home)

December 1

Southampton (away)

December 4

Tottenham (home)

December 8

Brentford (home)

December 15

Chelsea are encouraging teams to move for Chilwell, who is attracting interest from the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, while reliable journalist Simon Phillips reported this week that Ipswich Town have made an enquiry over signing Chukwuemeka in January.

“Ipswich Town are showing a keen interest in signing Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka,” wrote Phillips.

“In fact, we have heard that they have already made an enquiry about the player’s availability for January. Chukwuemeka wants to play football, so he will listen to any approaches now. He had approaches in the summer but ideally wanted to stay in England, and again, ideally in London.

Carney Chukwuemeka

“AC Milan and Barcelona have also both expressed an interest in the Blues midfielder. Chelsea will sell him for the right price, and they might even consider a loan to buy deal in January that will see the player leave in the summer.

“Sources are unsure at this point the nature of the enquiry from Ipswich, whether it is a loan or a permanent approach, because it is just an initial enquiry to see if the player is available in January, which he will be. But I’d suspect it would be some sort of loan to buy deal for now. Chelsea will listen.”

Other players linked with the exit door including Christopher Nkunku. The Frenchman is attracting rumoured interest from Man United, and it is believed Nkunku is tempted by the possibility of making an Old Trafford move (Football Insider).

Palace approach Chelsea over signing Mykhailo Mudryk

Despite his use in cup competitions and some impressive showings as of late, reports continue to link Mykhailo Mudryk with a January exit as well.

The Ukranian, signed for an initial £62 million, has failed to justify that price tag so far and faces stiff competition for a consistent place in Chelsea’s attacking line-up.

Football Transfers write Palace have approached Chelsea over signing Mudryk on loan in the winter, which could be a potentially “transformative deal” for Glasner’s side as they look to climb up the Premier League table.

The 23-year-old dazzled at Shakhtar Donetsk before making the switch to Stamford Bridge, and has displayed his ability on the odd occasion, but BlueCo will be very keen for him to kick on and perhaps a temporary move elsewhere could be best for him.

Batters cash in again as Glamorgan face uphill battle to salvage draw

ECB Reporters Network21-Jul-2022Glamorgan face an uphill battle to emerge with even a draw after Leicestershire built their highest total on this ground since 2004 on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship match.No Foxes side has prospered to the same degree since a Brad Hodge double century helped them pile on 634 against Durham 18 years ago. Wiaan Mulder added only nine to his overnight 147 but Ben Mike’s 91 and a debut half-century from former Glamorgan bowler Roman Walker turned the screw before Callum Parkinson’s side were dismissed for 584, just a week after their record-breaking 756 for four against Sussex in Hove.A good pitch and a fast outfield meant Glamorgan’s bowlers had little margin for error, their mood not helped by some poor fielding that saw as many as seven catching chances go begging. Offspinner Andrew Salter’s four wickets cost 158 runs, albeit from 42 overs.After losing both openers before they had reached double figures in their reply, Glamorgan had recovered to 111 for 2 when bad light brought an early close, with Sam Northeast on 50, but needed to reach 435 just to avoid the follow-on.The day had begun with Leicestershire adding only a single to their overnight score before Harry Swindells was caught at second slip from a ball that climbed on him more than he expected, giving Michael Hogan a third wicket.Related

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The Mulder-Swindells partnership had added 138. Leicestershire notched a fifth batting bonus point for only the second time this season as Mike arrived full of intent, the allrounder hammering three fours in an over to end Hogan’s first spell of the day.Michael Neser ended Mulder’s fine if not faultless innings moments after he had gone past 150 as the South African, perhaps weary from his exertions of the day before, was bowled between bat and pad. The breakthrough gave Glamorgan an opportunity to stem the damage. In the event, Mike inflicted more, albeit with a few slices of luck before he was out for 91.Spared on 43 after Hogan and Eddie Byrom left it to one another to take the catch when he top-edged James Harris, he survived a half-chance back to the bowler against Kiran Carlson’s offspin on 56 and was carelessly spilled by Harris himself at mid-on off Hogan on 70.Mike regained his momentum after a period of circumspection, yet missed out on a maiden first-class century for the second time this season. Left stranded on 99 not out when he ran out of partners against Middlesex at Lord’s in April, he moved into the 90s with four boundaries in as many overs here only to take one liberty too many with Salter, falling to a catch at long-on with the prize there for the taking.The eighth wicket added 115, and though Parkinson was soon back in the pavilion as ninth man out after David Lloyd took a stunning catch at slip off Salter, there was time for Walker – making his first-class debut a year after moving to Grace Road from Glamorgan – to complete a 79-ball maiden fifty and benefit from another error in the field as Billy Root dropped him on 52 at deep midwicket, and for Chris Wright to survive a simple caught-and-bowled chance to Colin Ingram on 14 as the last wicket added another 45.Lloyd, who survived beyond the first ball of Glamorgan’s reply only because Wright’s overstepping invalidated Louis Kimber’s brilliant catch at third slip, departed 18 balls later when Kimber reprised the moment to give Walker his maiden first-class wicket. Byrom was taken low down at second slip off Wright but Ingram and Northeast played positively, adding 102 before play was called off with 12 overs left of the day’s schedule.

Plays of the Day from the fourth day of the first Test between India and Australia in Chennai

Brydon Coverdale25-Feb-2013The return of the opener
Shane Watson has made no secret of his desire to return to the opening position at some point and he got his wish in the second innings. David Warner was suffering from a bout of gastro, so Watson accompanied Ed Cowan to the middle to face the new ball when Australia’s innings began. Watson prefers facing pace than spin, which is one of the reasons he enjoys opening, but unfortunately for him the pitch was so devoid of assistance for the fast men that India opened with spin from both ends. Watson put away a couple of boundaries – a six and a four – but perished on the last ball before lunch when he pushed forward at a ball that dropped on him and his edge lobbed to slip.The second spinner
Whether Australia choose to alter the balance of their attack for the second Test in Hyderabad remains to be seen. The second specialist spinner in the squad, Xavier Doherty, was out in the middle of the MA Chidambaram Stadium at lunch, bowling at a single stump in the ground on one of the pitches on the edge of the wicket square. At one point, Doherty hit the one stump with five consecutive deliveries. Of course, it’s much easier when MS Dhoni isn’t there to belt the ball out of the ground, but all the same it was an impressive party trick.The nastiest ball
For a while it looked like Phillip Hughes had been on the end of the trickiest delivery of the day, a spitting Ravindra Jadeja ball that bounced sharply and caught his edge. But that was surpassed later by the R Ashwin delivery that got rid of Michael Clarke, a ripping offbreak that pitched in the rough well outside off and kept fiendishly low. Clarke was rocking back to attempt a cut, but the turn and lack of bounce was so severe that his bat got nowhere near the ball, and he was struck in line and ruled lbw.The blow
Australia didn’t inflict many blows on India on the fourth day but Matthew Wade briefly landed one. He launched a big sweep off the bowling of Jadeja and it struck the short leg fielder Cheteshwar Pujara flush on the helmet. But they make helmets strong these days and Pujara showed no signs of pain and quickly resumed his position for the next ball. With so many fielders hovering around the bat throughout the innings, it was bound to happen at some point.

Since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, Manchester United have struggled to find a striker who can guarantee them goals. There were plenty of deadly marksmen under the legendary Scot, but since his retirement in 2013, the Red Devils have not managed to find someone who can hit the back of the net consistently.

However, that is not for lack of trying to find a replacement. They have had many centre-forwards over the years, some have had more success than others. Radamel Falcao struggled to make an impact in red and scored just four times during his one-year loan stint at Old Trafford in 2014/15.

The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Edinson Cavani also represented the club, two of the 21st century’s biggest names. Lukaku’s numbers were not bad, with 42 goals in 96 games, and Cavani was excellent, but sadly injury-prone. The Uruguayan scored 19 goals in 59 outings for the Red Devils.

Of course, the biggest of these names is Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary Portugal striker scored 27 goals across 54 appearances during his second spell at the club but fell out with Erik ten Hag and left the club.

United are still looking to find the perfect striker to consistently find the back of the net. With the transfer window now open, they have been linked with one man who could be their main man up front.

Man Utd target Premier League striker

The player in question here is Everton and England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 27-year-old has been consistently linked with a move away from Goodison Park this summer, with United offering a potential destination for the striker.

At least, that is according to a report from The Athletic who report that 'talks have taken place' amongst the new hierarchy at Old Trafford for a potential deal with Calvert-Lewin, with Brentford striker Ivan Toney also under consideration.

According to the report, Everton are 'open to selling' their talismanic striker this summer, due to their current financial issues, as opposed to letting him leave for free once his contract expires next summer.

A deal for the Englishman would cost around £30m and may well represent an alternative to Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman is said to be closing in on a move to Old Trafford according to some reports.

Why Calvert-Lewin would be a good signing

The Everton striker played 32 times in the Premier League last season, scoring seven goals and registering two assists along the way. However, his best season in the top flight came in 2020/21, when Calvert-Lewin bagged 16 times in 33 appearances.

2016/17

11

1

0

2017/18

32

4

5

2018/19

35

6

2

2019/20

36

13

1

2020/21

33

16

1

2021/22

17

5

2

2022/23

17

2

1

2023/24

32

7

2

That season, the Englishman played under one of the all-time great managers, Carlo Ancelotti. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called the striker a “pure poacher”, explaining that the Italian turned Calvert-Lewin into “a monster” of a centre-forward. He may not be so prolific anymore but he still has some exciting attributes that help him live up to Ancelotti's billing of a few years ago.

Indeed, in terms of his profile, the Englishman uses his height to his advantage and is widely renowned as one of the best strikers in the air in the Premier League, with Richarlison once suggesting that he has a "leap on him like Cristiano Ronaldo".

He is also excellent in the penalty box and can sniff out a chance with great instinct like any top striker, hence why Kulig called him a “poacher”.

One of the things to be cautious about when it comes to Calvert-Lewin is his injury record. Whilst, last season, his fitness issues were not as bad as previous campaigns, the Englishman has missed a lot of football in recent times. In 2021/22, he missed 34 matches with injury, and 2022/23 was not much better. The Everton number nine missed 29 games sidelined with an injury.

He is a different profile to Rasmus Hojlund, who likes to run the channels rather than hold the ball up. This is something which was pointed out by football analyst Adam Bate in an article with Sky Sports, who explained that the young Dane “would prefer to be running channels, finding space with his movement” rather than act as the hold-up striker Ten Hag used him as last season.

According to Fbref, last season in the Premier League, Calvert-Lewin averaged 5.68 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 3% of strikers in the division. This gave him a win rate of 48.8%, placing him in the top 13% of strikers.

His instinct in front of goal is also backed up by the stats from Fbref. Calvert-Lewin’s expected goals per game last season in the top flight was 0.53xG, ranking him in the top 17% of centre forwards. He also averaged 0.12 shots per game which then led to a goal-scoring shot, which placed him in the top 7%.

He has had previous successes against Manchester United for the Toffees. The England international grabbed a goal and an assist in a memorable 3-3 draw at Old Trafford during 2020/21, against a Red Devils defence that included Harry Maguire and David de Gea. His 95th-minute equaliser broke United hearts at the death having dominated the club's defence.

Should the Red Devils look to sign Calvert-Lewin this summer, he could become the centre-forward United have lacked in the years since Ferguson left the club. Although he has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, he is a quality penalty box striker with an eye for goal and offers something completely different to Rasmus Hojlund. For £30m, it could be an excellent deal for United.

Man Utd hit gold on exceptional star who's worth way more than Zirkzee

The talented youngster’s valuation is sky-high.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 9, 2024

Batter comes into contact with Covid-19 carrier, but not while on England duty

Matt Roller16-Jun-2021Ollie Pope will miss Surrey’s next four T20 Blast fixtures after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.Pope, the middle-order batter, had been due to link up with his county this week following England’s Test series defeat against New Zealand, but has been forced into self-isolation in line with track-and-trace protocols.He will miss home games against Sussex, Hampshire, Essex and Somerset, but is expected to be available for the London derby against Middlesex on June 25. Surrey are currently unbeaten in their Blast campaign, having won each of their opening three fixtures.”Ollie Pope will not be available to play cricket until June 24 having had contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19,” a Surrey statement said. “He will now have to self-isolate until that time.Related

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“Pope did not come into contact with the individual during his time with England in the recent LV= Insurance Test series against New Zealand and he has not had any contact with any Surrey CCC players or staff.”A handful of county cricketers have missed games this season due to Covid-related issues. Ben Duckett missed Nottinghamshire’s win against Northamptonshire on Sunday as a precaution, while Tom Helm, the Middlesex seamer, has been self-isolating after testing positive, ruling him out of the early rounds of the Blast.The rest of England’s Test squad have either returned to their counties already or are due to shortly, though Rory Burns has been given a short break by Surrey and will return next week.Chris Woakes – who has bowled 18 overs in the last nine months – has been rested for Birmingham Bears’ fixture against Leicestershire on Wednesday night in order to manage his workload after a long break. Ben Stokes is due to return for Durham imminently following his hand injury, though has not been named in their squad to play Lancashire on Friday.

Stump Out Sexism campaign wants universities to accommodate women’s fixture

George Dobell16-May-2021The Stump Out Sexism (SOS) campaign has called upon Marylebone Cricket Club to revoke its traditional invitation to Oxford and Cambridge universities to play the men’s Varsity match at Lord’s, unless a women’s game is also included.Replying to a request from the campaign to “step in” to find an “equitable solution” to a disagreement about gender parity in university cricket, the MCC chief executive, Guy Lavender, wrote in a letter on Friday that Lord’s would be “very happy to accommodate a men’s and women’s T20 double header on the same day next year” in response.But he also suggested the dispute was “primarily a matter for [the] respective universities” and stopped short of committing to intervene to ensure the match came to fruition.While that response has encouraged the organisers of the SOS campaign, who have noted they won more commitment from MCC in two days than they had from the universities’ cricket clubs in two-and-a-half years, they describe themselves as “not completely satisfied”.They argue that MCC could go further and use their power as hosts to insist on gender parity. The men’s varsity match has been played (in various formats) at Lord’s for almost 200 years. The women’s match has never made it beyond the Nursery Ground and this year, with Lord’s undergoing a redevelopment, has not even made it that far.Now, while expressing their appreciation for the MCC offer, the SOS campaign have called for a “further commitment to ensuring the Varsity fixture is equitable”.Related

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The men’s Varsity match, a 50-overs a side affair, is scheduled to be played on May 23. Despite previous requests from figures involved in the SOS campaign (notably the former Oxford University captain, Vanessa Picker) to share the day with the women’s teams (meaning the men’s match would become a T20), the universities’ cricket clubs have been reluctant to do so. While SOS were delighted to gain such a swift reply from MCC, they have now called upon them to go a step further and compel the clubs to comply.”We do not accept that, as their letter states, this is primarily a matter for the universities,” SOS said in a statement. “The MCC have control over their own calendar and thus have the power to influence the parameters of fixture invitations and to raise the bar further.”We, therefore, ask the MCC to specify that the offer of next year’s Oxbridge Varsity match being played on the main ground is entirely conditional upon both the men’s and the women’s teams being involved equally. If the clubs continue to insist that any date should be exclusively for the men, the invitation must be revoked.”A tentative offer of a double-header T20 Varsity event in a future season (which is still contingent on the clubs agreeing to do this) does not make up for years of exclusion.”While acknowledging that “it may indeed be too short notice” to convert this year’s Varsity fixture at Lord’s into a T20 double-header – not least because is being used as a test event to enable MCC to gain a license to host the first Test against New Zealand 10 days later – the campaigners have requested a “women’s match to be scheduled for later this season.”Their statement continues: “We request that the MCC utilise one of the days currently unallocated on the 2021 fixture list (of which there are still 95) to schedule at least a 100-ball format match for the women.”It is perhaps worth noting that, among those taking to Twitter to express their support for the SOS campaign was Beth Barrett-Wild, the Head of The Hundred Women’s Competition and Female Engagement at the ECB. She played in three Varsity matches – all on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s – and also previously worked in the MCC communications department. She is, therefore, not without influence.In the longer term, though, the disagreement could compromise the future of Varsity cricket at Lord’s. The MCC executive is already acutely sensitive to the club’s reputation towards inclusivity – a reputation they feel is out-dated – and may have little tolerance for being dragged into what they see as someone else’s fight. Their attitude might be summed up with a phrase uttered by many a frustrated parent: if you can’t share nicely, you won’t get to play at all.MCC have, over the last couple of decades, pumped millions of pounds in university cricket (as sponsors of the MCCU scheme), funded numerous leagues and coaching schemes in the community, started to recognise the achievements in women’s internationals on the ground on honours boards and recently announced the appointment of their first female president (former England captain Clare Connor starts the role in October). As a result, they are more than a little peeved at any suggestion they may be the villains of the piece.At the same time, the disagreement may also draw attention to the somewhat antiquated tradition of hosting Varsity matches at Lord’s at all. There are many other organisations (not least other universities) with equal claims on the basis of cricketing merit and Oxbridge’s connotations with privilege and entitlement may not be helpful to the modern MCC.SOS campaigners have also confirmed they will be approaching the cricket clubs at both universities to request “confirmation that they will respond favourably to the MCC’s invitation for a men’s and women’s T20 double-header”. They are also asking “that an apology be made by the clubs for failing to address this issue sooner despite repeated requests”.ESPNcricinfo contacted MCC and officials at both university cricket clubs for comment. MCC declined; officials from the cricket clubs had not, at the time of publication, responded

Ian Wright issued a hilarious X-rated response to Alan Shearer after Arsenal suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Newcastle at St James' Park.

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Newcastle edged out ArsenalIsak scored winner against GunnersWright & Shearer had a hilarious face-off after the gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Magpies emerged triumphant thanks to a first-half goal from Alexander Isak, which was a major blow to the title ambitions of the Gunners as they slipped to fourth place in the Premier League standings. Manchester City also went down to Bournemouth which allowed Liverpool to seize the top spot after their own comeback victory over Brighton.

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Former Newcastle striker Shearer was quick to capitalise on the win by poking fun at Wright, an Arsenal legend and a staunch supporter of the Gunners. Known for their history together on punditry, Shearer and Wright have a longstanding friendship that often spills over into good-natured banter, especially when their teams clash.

WATCH THE CLIPWHAT WRIGHT & SHEARER SAID

This weekend, it was Shearer’s turn to boast after his former club triumphed over Arsenal. Recovering from a recent knee replacement surgery, Wright is currently using a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop him from giving Shearer a feisty response as he spotted the former striker filming a video with a mischievous grin.

Wright, clearly unfazed, quipped "F*** off," as he chuckled, while Shearer, undeterred, replied, "It was only 1-0." Unamused by the continued taunting, Wright shot back, "F***ing shut your mouth," with a death stare at the ex-striker.

The bowling combination and the identity of their reserve batters are in focus at the start of the home season

Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Sep-20251:48

Chopra: Don’t see Bumrah playing the first Test

On Wednesday, India will pick a 15-member squad for the two-Test home series against West Indies, which begins on October 2 in Ahmedabad. It’s a deceptively tricky selection, with India about to feel the full force of R Ashwin’s retirement for the first time (he didn’t miss even one of India’s 65 home Tests during his career), with Jasprit Bumrah’s workload still needing to be managed, and with questions still lingering from the unexpected, unprecedented 3-0 defeat to New Zealand last year. Here are five that Ajit Agarkar’s selection panel will need to answer.Pick Bumrah or rest him?The first Test in Ahmedabad begins four days after the final of the Asia Cup, which India have an excellent chance of featuring in. Four members of their Asia Cup squad – Test captain Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah – would ordinarily be certainties in a Test squad for a home series, but the circumstances around one of them are far from ordinary.Bumrah only played three out of five matches in India’s last Test series, in England, and that ratio of participation looks set to continue into the foreseeable future given his history of serious back injuries. So do India pick Bumrah for both Tests against West Indies, or just one of them? Or do they rest him for the entire series?In a similar situation a year or two ago, India may not have found it especially difficult to rest Bumrah. But their bowling resources at the moment aren’t quite what they’re used to having in home conditions. There’s the absence of Ashwin, for one, though you would expect a spin attack of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep, Washington Sundar and Axar to cope with it.Jasprit Bumrah in action•Getty ImagesLast year’s defeat to New Zealand may have led India to ponder the kind of pitches they want to play their home Tests on, and potentially prompt a shift away from square turners to flatter surfaces that produce bigger first-innings totals. Any such shift, however, will also mean a bigger role for the fast bowlers. And India could have issues on that front if Bumrah isn’t around.India haven’t felt the overt impact of phasing out Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav – for so long their go-to quicks in home Tests – but it’s not hard to imagine a situation in the near future where they feel a desperate need for a bit of experience and know-how with an old ball on a bare surface. Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep have only played 19 home Tests between them, and Prasidh Krishna is yet to play one.Related

Rishabh Pant to miss home Tests against West Indies

India would dearly love to have Bumrah in this scenario, but against this desire they will have to weigh the demands of a packed schedule. After this series India have a white-ball tour of Australia in October-November followed by an all-format home series against South Africa, and then a white-ball series against New Zealand in early 2026 in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in February-March.Is there room for Nitish Kumar Reddy?Over his first seven Tests in Australia and England, Nitish Kumar Reddy gave India a glimpse of the high-ceiling seam-bowling allrounder he could become in the future. He’s an exceedingly useful player even in the present when India travel away from Asia, but do they need him in home conditions?In Jadeja, Washington and Axar, India have three high-quality spin-bowling allrounders for Indian pitches. A fourth allrounder who might not bowl all that much could be hard to fit into a squad of 15. But given the push for batting depth that’s defined Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach so far, India may still try hard to find a place for Reddy.This could mean picking either one fewer middle-order batter in the squad, or one fewer frontline seamer.2:05

Is there a role for Nitish Kumar Reddy in home Tests?

What happens to Abhimanyu Easwaran?Abhimanyu Easwaran has played 31 first-class games for India A, captained them eight times, and been part of five Test squads, but he’s yet to get his hands on the Test cap. Now it seems likely that he won’t be part of the squad for the West Indies series, because there may not be room for a specialist reserve opener.With Rishabh Pant ruled out with the foot injury he sustained in England, Dhruv Jurel looks set to be India’s first-choice keeper in Ahmedabad, with N Jagadeesan – who joined the team in England after Pant was sidelined – as his understudy.Jagadeesan can also open the batting, and he’s been in terrific form doing that. His last two first-class games, at the time of writing, have brought him 197 and 52* for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy and 64 for India A against Australia A, in a match where he alternated keeping duties with Jurel.Abhimanyu opened with Jagadeesan in that India A game, and made 44. When KL Rahul came into the India A side in the second unofficial Test against Australia A, he replaced Abhimanyu rather than Jagadeesan. A clear sign of things to come?Devdutt Padikkal has been in good form since recovering from a hamstring injury•PTI Who are the reserve batters?If they’re all fit, six of India’s top seven pick themselves: Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gill, Jurel, Jadeja and Washington. That leaves the No. 3 slot, for which the incumbent B Sai Sudharsan appears the frontrunner, having firmed up his credentials with a 73 in the first unofficial Test against Australia A.If India also pick Reddy in their squad, it leaves either no space for another middle-order batter, or just one spot, depending on how many fast bowlers they pick.That one spot, if it exists, could go to Devdutt Padikkal, who was ruled out of the England tour after injuring his hamstring during the IPL. Padikkal, who made his Test debut against England last year in Dharamsala, also played the first Test of the 2024-25 Australia tour in Perth – he wasn’t part of India’s original squad there, but was added to it following impressive performances on the shadow India A tour.Padikkal has been among the runs since recovering from the hamstring injury, scoring 57 for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy and 150 for India A in the first unofficial Test against Australia A.If Padikkal is picked, it would be at the expense of his Karnataka team-mate Karun Nair, who played four of the five Tests in England but was ruled out of contention for the India A squad by a finger injury. Nair had a strange tour of England, getting to 20 in five of his eight innings but only managing a top score of 57. There were periods of pristine strokeplay, but also uncertain moments against the rising ball, and India may have expected better returns overall from a 33-year-old making a comeback in good batting conditions.Sarfaraz Khan could have been in contention for this middle-order role too, but the Mumbai batter has been out of action since May, and has been recuperating from an injury – quadriceps, according to reports – at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.Sourav Ganguly presented Akash Deep with an award for his performance in England•Garima AgarwalHow many fast bowlers, and who?Given that West Indies’ biggest strength is their fast bowling, it is unlikely that conditions in either Ahmedabad or Delhi will have too much help for the quicks. Given this, India are unlikely to play more than two seamers in their XI, which means their squad is likely to contain no more than four frontline quicks – potentially just three plus Reddy.Whether Bumrah is one of them remains to be seen. Siraj, Prasidh and Akash Deep, the other three frontline quicks who played at least three Tests each in England, would be the main names in contention now, but one of them has struggled with fitness issues over recent months.Akash Deep was less than fully fit during two of the three Tests he played in England, and has been out of action since his return. He was originally part of the East Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy but missed the tournament after being advised rest – he later told that he was dealing with an “impact” injury that he suffered in England and not a fresh one. There is a chance that his lack of recent match time – he isn’t part of the India A squad either – could count against his selection, at least for the first Test.Siraj and Prasidh, the heroes of India’s series-levelling win at The Oval, are playing the unofficial Tests against Australia A, and have no known fitness issues.If India don’t pick Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who were part of India’s squad in England and are currently at the Asia Cup, could come into the picture. Punjab’s towering Gurnoor Brar, whom India called up as a net bowler ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh last year, and who is currently playing for India A, is a possible left-field selection.Possible India squad for two-Test series against West IndiesShubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah (possibly for one Test only), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Devdutt Padikkal, N Jagadeesan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy/Akash Deep/Arshdeep Singh.

Looking to land their first arrival of the summer transfer window, Arsenal are reportedly preparing to make an offer to sign an in-demand Euro 2024 ace for Mikel Arteta and his side.

Arsenal transfer news

It's a big summer for the Gunners and Edu Gaspar as they look to make it third-time lucky in the Premier League title race next season. Arteta's side suffered heartbreak for a second consecutive campaign last time out, as Manchester City's ruthless winning machine led by Pep Guardiola eventually prevailed for a fourth time on the bounce. Starting with Wolverhampton Wanderers on 17 August, however, the North London giants must go again in pursuit of glory.

Before that first game though, Arteta could welcome some fresh faces, with the likes of Nico Williams already linked to The Emirates this summer. The Athletic Club winger has enjoyed an excellent Euro 2024 campaign so far and could be on his way to North London alongside a fellow tournament ace.

According to reports in Spain, Arsenal are preparing a first offer to sign Lutsharel Geertruida from Feyenoord this summer. The right-back, who can also play centre-back and defensive midfield, is into the final 12 months of his current contract at the Dutch club, where he earns a reported £41,000-a-week, and looks destined for a big move.

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He's already played his part at the Euros too, having featured for the Netherlands in their 0-0 draw against France recently. Now, Geertruida will hope to go further in the competition, before potentially handing Arteta further versatility and cover across three different positions in the Premier League next season.

"Hero" Geertruida can replace Partey and cover White

With Thomas Partey reportedly among those likely to leave Arsenal this summer, Geertruida could quickly become an important option for Arteta if he completes a move in the coming months.

What's more, whilst replacing Partey, the Dutchman can also provide cover for Ben White at right-back following the injury struggles of Takehiro Tomiyasu in that back-up role. Killing two birds with one stone, Geertruida could be a smart acquisition for the Gunners.

The right-back scored nine goals last season and has earned plenty of fans during his time at Feyenoord, including Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who went as far as dubbing Geertruida a De Klassieker "hero" last year.

Still just 23 years old too, Geertruida has plenty more to show, be that at Feyenoord or, indeed, at Arsenal next season. As Arteta looks to make up the small margins between his side and a dominant Manchester City machine, versatile stars with such high potential could quickly prove to be invaluable at The Emirates not just next season, but for years to come in North London.

Federico Chiesa might return to the Serie A in the upcoming transfer window amid his struggles at Liverpool.

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Chiesa could leave LiverpoolPlayed only three matches for the RedsNapoli keen to sign Italian wingerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chiesa, who joined the Reds from Juventus this summer, has failed to adjust to life in the Premier League and has appeared in just three matches for the club. He has also struggled with fitness due to persistent niggles which has worsened the situation for the winger.

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It is clear that the Italian currently does not feature in manager Arne Slot's plans and this could lead to an early exit for the player from Anfield with Napoli reportedly keen on bringing him back to his homeland in the January transfer window, according to Calciomercato. it. The Gli Azzurri, however, will face competition from fellow Serie A sides AC Milan, AS Roma and Inter who have also shown interest in the 27-year-old.

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Chiesa saw a major dip in form since joining the English giants from Juventus. His lack of game time under Slot has also led to his ouster from the national team as he has yet to appear for Italy since taking part in the European Championship.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR FEDERICO CHIESA?

Slot has already confirmed that the Italian star will not play a part in the Merseyside club's upcoming Premier League fixture against Arsenal on Sunday as he is yet to resume training following his latest injury.