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Nottingham Forest are now making enquiries over a summer deal for an “underrated” forward, who is expected to have an asking price of around £20m, according to a report.

Nottingham Forest gearing up for European adventure

Having managed to qualify for a European competition for the first time since 1996, Forest may need to improve their squad depth in the upcoming transfer window, and they have now started to identify potential targets in a range of different positions.

Despite missing out on Champions League due to the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on the final day, the Tricky Trees may still be in a strong position to attract quality players from some top clubs, courtesy of securing qualification for the Europa Conference League.

Target

Current club

Position

Taty Castellanos

Lazio

Striker

Jarell Quansah

Liverpool

Centre-back

Martin Baturina

Dinamo Zagreb

Attacking midfield

Luis Henrique

Marseille

Winger

Adrien Truffert

Rennes

Left-back

With Morgan Gibbs-White being heavily linked with a move away from the City Ground, however, it may be particularly important to bring in new attacking options, who are capable of providing goals and assists on a regular basis.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Nottingham Forest have a new target in mind who could fit the bill in that regard, having now started to make enquiries about a potential summer deal for SC Freiburg forward Ritsu Doan.

Forest are now stepping up their pursuit of Doan, but there could be competition for his signature from Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, with the Bundesliga sides known to be admirers.

Frankfurt are currently preparing an offer for the Freiburg star, so the Tricky Trees may have to move quickly if they are to secure his signature, with an offer in the region of £20m likely to be deemed acceptable by the forward’s current employers.

"Underrated" Doan impressing in the Bundesliga

The Japanese winger enjoyed an impressive 2024-25 campaign in Germany, picking up a combined 19 goals and assists in 36 matches in all competitions, during which time he also received praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Not only that, but the 26-year-old is also willing and able to pitch in defensively, ranking in the 92nd percentile for tackles per 90, and the 95th percentile for clearances over the past year, when compared to other wingers and attacking midfielders.

Nottingham Forest now "want to do" deal for "amazing" £50m Liverpool player

The Tricky Trees are eager to sign a Premier League gem, as they prepare for a European campaign next season.

ByDominic Lund May 26, 2025

As such, Doan could be a bargain signing for Nottingham Forest at just £20m this summer, at which point Nuno Espirito Santo may have to bring in at least one new winger, amid recent reports that Manchester United are now considering a move for Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Already planning ahead to the summer transfer window, Everton have reportedly added a Player of the Year winner to their shortlist, which includes three other midfield targets.

Everton's midfield plans explained

With Abdoulaye Doucoure on course to depart as a free agent at the end of the current campaign, the Toffees have reportedly set their sights on a number of potential replacements. The Frenchman has enjoyed an impressive campaign and finding someone who will have the same influence on David Moyes’ side will no doubt prove to be a difficult, but crucial task.

As things stand, names such as Wilfred Ndidi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Sunderland captain Dan Neil have all been mentioned as targets, with The Friedkin Group willing to shop in the Championship market this summer.

Dewsbury-Hall, out of those three options, is the most interesting name on that list of targets. The former Leicester City star has struggled to break into Enzo Maresca’s Premier League side at Chelsea and has often found himself relegated to Europa Conference League responsibilities. Now, a year on from arriving at Stamford Bridge, he looks destined to depart.

Meanwhile, Ndidi would likely be the cheapest option of the lot, given that he reportedly has a relegation release clause worth just £9m at Leicester City. For a player with such invaluable experience, a price tag below the £10m mark should be considered an undeniable steal.

A massive Beto upgrade: Everton enter talks to sign "phenomenal" star

Everton are making moves to land a new striker for David Moyes ahead of the summer.

ByEthan Lamb May 1, 2025

Whether Everton decide to push on and land Dewsbury-Hall, Neil or Ndidi this summer remains to be seen, however. Instead, Friedkin could turn towards a player who has just picked up a Player of the Year award.

Everton add Gustavo Hamer to shortlist

According to TeamTalk, Everton have now added Gustavo Hamer to their midfield shortlist, which now reportedly sits at four names ahead of the summer transfer window. The Sheffield United star enjoyed a standout season even as the Blades missed out on automatic promotion in the Championship and could yet find himself on the move as a result.

Earning plenty of praise after picking up the Player of the Season award, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told reporters when asked about Hamer’s quality: “When Gus speaks, everybody listens. And rightly so, there should have been interest in him in the summer, because of how outstanding he was in an incredibly disappointing campaign for us. He cleaned up in the Player of the Year awards, so there was always going to be interest in him.”

With nine goals and seven assists in all competitions, the midfield star will be looking to perform one or two more moments of magic to seal promotion through the play-offs for Sheffield United, before potentially earning the big move that he deserves this summer.

Jordan has joined the squad, and will take part in Wednesday’s training session

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2024Fast bowler Jeremiah Louis has been ruled out of the final Test between West Indies and England due to a hamstring injury, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced in a statement. The visitors have opted for a like-for-like replacement, bringing Akeem Jordan into the squad.Louis, who did not feature in the first two Tests, picked up the injury during the second Test at Trent Bridge. He will remain with the squad for further treatment. Jordan, who was playing cricket in the UK at the time of his call-up, has already joined the squad and will take part in Wednesday’s training session at Edgbaston.Jordan is yet to make his Test debut but has featured in 19 first-class games, taking 67 wickets since 2022 at an average of 24.10. His performances include two five-wicket hauls with a best innings haul of 5 for 44.Apart from Jordan, West Indies already have Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales and allrounder Jason Holder as their seam-bowling options in the squad. The visitors are 2-0 down in the series, having conceded the Richards-Botham Trophy with one game still to go, after losing at Lord’s by an innings and 114 runs and then at Trent Bridge by 241 runs last week. The third Test gets underway on Friday, July 26.

It seems that three players are guaranteed to leave Manchester United in the summer.

Various reports have suggested experienced trio of Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans, and Tom Heaton will all depart the club upon the expiration of their current deal at the end of the campaign. Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News said that the latter two could even be likely to retire at the end of the campaign.

As for Eriksen, he stated in an interview in the middle of March that he could exit, revealing that he hasn’t “heard anything from the club, and therefore I assume that the collaboration will stop” at the end of June.

So, there are three outgoings that seem inevitable at Old Trafford. There could be several more, including Casemiro.

What does Casemiro's future hold?

It will certainly be intriguing to see what the future holds for United’s number 18. The experienced Brazilian has played fairly infrequently under Ruben Amoirm across his tenure so far, playing 16 games out of a possible 28, but has enjoyed a rejuvenation in recent games.

The experienced Brazilian has performed excellently in United’s last two Europa League games against Real Soceidad, in the Premier League against Arsenal and the FA Cup against Fulham. Against the Gunners, Statman Dave described his efforts as an “unreal shift” in midfield.

Yet, his future is still up in the air. Casemiro, who earns £350k per week, more than any of his teammates, is reportedly one of the players United are willing to sell over the summer, as reported by TEAMtalk last month. However, they claim that ‘no club has shown any concrete interest’ in signing him.

At the start of March, he said that it is “too soon to talk about next season”, hinting that his future is still unsolved. However, it might well be in United’s interest to sell him to cut down on the weekly wage expenditure.

The same thing could also be said for another of United’s more experienced campaigners, who could still depart in the summer.

Not just Casemiro: High-earning Man United star could leave

It has been a season of rejuvenation for Harry Maguire. The former United captain was once out of favour and seemed destined to leave, but he has turned things around in the famous Red shirt and has since become an important player this term.

The Englishman has featured in 28 games for the 13-time Premier League champions this season. He has also overcome a few injury issues to play 19 times under Ruben Amorim so far, scoring twice, both winning goals against Leicester City in the FA Cup and Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

Although his contract was set to expire at the end of the season, the England international had his year contract extension activated by the club at the start of January. That stopped clubs outside of Europe from signing him on a free transfer.

Indeed, as per a report from The Athletic at the end of December, several clubs were interested in signing the centre-back on a free which included Italian giants Napoli, where Scott McTominay now plays, and Turkish side Galatasaray.

Maguire’s rejuvenation has been exceptional but perhaps a sale should be considered from United. He is the fifth highest earner at the club while Amorim now has a number of young options coming through the ranks, most notably Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven who feel like the future centre-back pairing.

On top of that, Maguire’s total yearly salary at United is a sizeable amount. Including this season, he will have earned £59m as per Capology. Assuming he stays another season, that will rise to nearly £70m.

Selling Maguire will not be an easy decision for United to make. Described as a “monstrous” defender by United fan and journalist Alex Turk, his commitment and ability are unquestionable. However, the money that United could save is astronomical.

The Red Devils are somewhat short of cash at the moment, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe explaining in an interview that “there’s no money left” at the club. As much of a shame as it would be to see the defender leave, it might be one of the easiest ways for the Red Devils to save money.

Dream Gyokeres alternative: Amorim pushing Man Utd to sign £84m "monster"

Man Utd boss Amorim is pushing for the signing

By
Joe Nuttall

Mar 31, 2025

A new club have emerged in the race to sign an “excellent” Wolves player permanently in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh claim.

Wolves exit rumours emerge

Wanderers will be looking for plenty of incoming transfer business at the end of the season, but doubts surround the futures of several current players.

Matheus Cunha is the most high-profile Wolves hero who looks the most likely to move on this summer, with the Brazilian far from without suitors. A number of top clubs are keen on snapping him up, and Vitor Pereira will know that he has a battle on his hands to keep hold of him.

Elsewhere, Tommy Doyle has also been linked with leaving Molineux before next season gets underway, with journalist Graeme Bailey explaining the situation: “It seems Doyle is increasingly likely to go. There’s a lot of Championship interest in him, we’re going to see a fair few Championship players go, so there’s plenty of opportunities for quite a few teams [to sign him]. He’ll find a club, he’ll be alright, it’s just he’s not particularly suited to Vitor Pereira’s system, that’s just how it is.”

Fabio Silva is currently out on loan at Las Palmas and seemingly doesn’t have a long-term future, with prevuous suggeston they were ready to sell for £25m. Now, a new update has dropped regarding the Portuguese attacker, having reportedly held talks with Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this week.

"Excellent" £17m Wolves ace in talks to join new club

According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg on X, VfL Wolfsburg have now held talks to sign Silva from Wolves this summer, providing competition for Frankfurt. Interestingly, Wolves’ asking price has dropped from £25m to £17m.

This summer definitely feels like the right time for Wolves to sell Silva, even though Stuart McCall hailed him during a loan stint at Scottish Premiership giants Rangers, saying:

“The one thing Silva has done well today, because he’s not been on the ball much, is his movement. It has been excellent. Lovely ball, really nice finish.”

As mentioned, the 22-year-old has been a huge disappointment for Wolves overall, scoring just five goals and registering only six assists in 72 appearances for Wanderers. Given the money they spent on him, that is a dismal return, and while he is still a young player, it is hard to see him ever being good enough for the Premier League.

Ivory Coast star likely to move in summer amid Everton and Wolves interest

Both sides are interested in bringing him to the Premier League.

BySean Markus Clifford Apr 19, 2025

If Wolves could get the £17m that they crave for Silva’s signature this summer, it could end up being seen as good business, even if it is a loss on what they paid Porto for him initially back in 2020.

da esport bet： In the wake of Liverpool’s leave-it-late victory over West Ham United to move within touching distance of claiming the Premier League, both Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk have alluded to a big summer of investment.

da bet7： The runaway leaders have surprised everyone in ending Manchester City’s four-peat and leapfrogging Arsenal, who look set to complete their third second-place finish on the trot.

However, Liverpool definitely haven’t been perfect, with several first-team regulars struggling to prove themselves under new management and seemingly heading toward a summer exit.

From an attacking sense, Darwin Nunez is the most likely name to be drawn to mind, but he’s not the only one, oh no, Diogo Jota has also flattered to deceive for months and could be sold this summer.

Why Liverpool should sell Diogo Jota

Nunez has been consigned to the margins all season – the Uruguayan wasn’t even a part of Liverpool’s matchday squad against West Ham – but Jota has been utilised in a more important manner.

However, injuries have managed to scupper Jota’s hopes of a standout season. The 28-year-old has only started 13 Premier League matches all year, with the goals drying up since overcoming setbacks across winter and before.

Indeed, the Portugal international has only scored twice across his past 13 fixtures in all competitions, with the combination of injuries and goalscoring impotence highlighting the need for a new centre-forward.

Diogo Jota – Liverpool Stats by Season (all comps)

Season

Apps (starts)

Goals

Assists

24/25

32 (21)

9

4

23/24

32 (19)

15

5

22/23

28 (15)

7

8

21/22

55 (39)

21

6

20/21

30 (19)

13

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

Liverpool need to aim for the stars. Some reports claim that Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak is very much the dream target this summer, but at around €150m (£130m), the Reds might need to part ways with more than just Nunez.

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Luckily, Slot knows that he has an up-and-coming star who could take Jota’s place and save Liverpool a whole load of money.

Liverpool already have a perfect Jota heir

Who knows how Liverpool’s transfer window will pan out. In fairness, though, there’s every chance that the Reds could launch a stunning move for a player of Isak’s ilk.

Finances are good at Anfield, but those working away in the offices will always look for a shrewd solution if one presents itself, and promoting Jayden Danns through fire sales of Nunez and Jota could be the perfect, resourceful way to take Liverpool forward next season.

Danns, 19, has suffered with a few unfortunate injuries over the past year, ending his January agreement to move on loan to Championship promotion hopefuls Sunderland before he had even kicked a ball.

But there’s no mistaking the teenage striker is one to watch, with analyst Ben Mattinson already pronouncing him to be “a better finisher than Nunez.”

Based on the evidence of the past three years, this isn’t all that hard, but it does highlight the natural ball-striking prowess that Danns can develop over the coming years, having already scored three times for Liverpool across just nine professional appearances.

Serving as Isak’s understudy, for example, Danns could save Liverpool millions and allow them to stock up the war chest through sales of Liverpool’s existing – and struggling – number nines.

With attention needed across various other areas of the park, this might just be the perfect way to keep Slot’s side firing while strengthening across key areas too.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Apr 14, 2025

Upul Tharanga, the former Sri Lankan opener, has been appointed as the new chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) selection committee, the board has confirmed. He will head a five-member committee which includes Ajantha Mendis, Indika de Saram, Tharanga Paranavitana and Dilruwan Perera.The move comes in the wake of Sri Lanka’s underwhelming 2023 World Cup campaign, which had them win only two out of nine games and subsequently miss out on qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy.Their first assignment will be picking the squad for Sri Lanka’s home series against Zimbabwe in January, which will be followed by a series against Afghanistan. In the medium term they will be keeping a keen eye on the T20 World Cup in June.The new committee, which will be in place for a two-year term, is among the youngest ever appointed to such a post at SLC. While de Saram at 50 is the oldest of the lot, Paranavitana and Dilruwan are both 41, with Tharanga and Mendis younger still at 38.Tharanga, Dilruwan and de Saram also turned out to play first-class cricket as recently as this year. Paranavitana meanwhile last played domestically in 2020, having retired from international cricket that same year, while Mendis has followed up his 2019 retirement by frequenting the legends circuit.The decision over the new committee was taken after SLC had nominated a list of names to Sri Lanka’s newly appointed sports minister Harin Fernando. Under Sri Lanka’s sports law, the sports minister is solely vested with the power to appoint selection committees. It is understood that SLC was in favour of the outgoing committee, headed by Pramodya Wickramasinghe, carrying on in the lead up to next year’s T20 World Cup, however Fernando decided fresh faces were in order.During his tenure, Wickramasinghe had overseen a youth-driven overhaul with several senior players eschewed in favour of a core of younger players. Results of the move were mixed, with Sri Lanka unexpectedly lifting the 2022 T20 Asia Cup, to go alongside home series wins against Australia, South Africa and India. But this was juxtaposed by abject showings in the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup.As such, much of the discourse surrounding Sri Lanka’s recent form has been striking the right balance between youth and experience, and so this will likely be among the foremost areas set to be addressed by the new committee in picking their first squad.

Ireland, who haven’t played a Test since the summer of 2023, are yet to register a win in the format

Danyal Rasool27-Feb-2024

Big picture – A rare Test for Afghanistan and IrelandSix-and-a-half years ago, these two sides were awarded Full Member status, but aside from the financial perks that brings, that promotion for Ireland and Afghanistan has seemed little more than theoretical. Neither side is part of the World Test Championship; none of them have even played a three-match Test series. The two have combined for 15 Tests, nearly all of them stand-alone, one-off games tacked on like afterthoughts to a white-ball series.The Test these two play in Abu Dhabi this week is no different, one five-day game followed by three ODIs and three T20Is. Afghanistan are coming off a Test in Colombo that Sri Lanka won at a canter, but at least that means they have some red-ball experience they can leverage. Much of the squad is similar to the one they picked for that game, and while Rashid Khan moves closer to a return, Afghanistan remain without him for now.Related

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Khalil Gurbaz in Afghanistan squad for one-off Test against Ireland

Matthew Foster in line for debut as Ireland name squads for Afghanistan series

Ireland, meanwhile, last played a Test in the summer of 2023, though they did play four Tests that year, a number Afghanistan would have to go back to 2021 to equal. Unlike the three Tests Afghanistan have won, though, Ireland are yet to break their duck, finishing second best in all seven. That is mitigated by the relatively tougher opposition they have played, and the one match these sides played against each other before was also officially a “home” Test for Afghanistan, played in Dehradun. Afghanistan would ease to a seven-wicket win.Form guideAfghanistan LLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland LLLLLIn the spotlight – Gurbaz and TuckerWicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz is one of Afghanistan’s brightest stars for his prowess with the bat and behind the stumps in the white-ball game, but is yet to make his Test debut. That looks almost certain to change with his inclusion to this squad. While data on his red-ball style of play is difficult to reliably source, the 12 first-class games he’s played have seen him average almost 50 with a strike rate over 72. There is little reason why his obvious talent should not translate to the longest format, and if he hits his stride, it will be as watchable as it is effective.Vice-captain Lorcan Tucker is one of Ireland’s nailed-on starters, though much of the past three months have seen him warm substitute benches in South Africa and Pakistan. He was with the Paarl Royals in the SA20, but wouldn’t end up getting a game, and played as wicketkeeper for Lahore Qalandars in their opening fixture before being benched for the next two. But Ireland require him to hit the ground running in Abu Dhabi, and relied on him for his contributions in the middle order in all four Tests in 2023. He was their leading Test run-scorer for the year, his 351 runs coming at 43.87, an average none of his countrymen matched.The first one – the Afghanistan players celebrate their maiden Test win after beating Ireland in Dehradun, in 2019•AFP

Team newsAfghanistan’s biggest challenge concerns papering over Rashid’s absence. Left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan is back in the squad after missing out against Sri Lanka, and uncapped legspinner Khalil Gurbaz has also been drafted in.Afghanistan: 1 Ibrahim Zadran 2 Noor Ali Zadran 3 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk) 4 Rahmat Shah 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt) 6 Ikram Alikhil 7 Nasir Jamal 8 Zia ur Rehman 9 Nijat Masood 10 Naveed Zadram 11 Zahir KhanLeft-arm spinner Theo van Woerkom, who switched allegiances from New Zealand to Ireland and made his white-ball debut last year, looks set to play his first Test in a line-up that otherwise looks similar to Ireland’s recent Test starting XIs.Ireland: 1 James McCollom 2 Peter Moor 3 Andrew Balbirnie (capt) 4 Harry Tector 5 Paul Stirling 6 Curtis Campher 7 Lorcan Tucker (wk) 8 Mark Adair 9 Andy McBrine 10 Theo van Woerkom 11 Craig YoungPitch and conditionsThere was a late change of venue for this Test match. Originally scheduled for the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, the game will now be played at the Tolerance Oval adjacent to the bigger ground. A press release later confirmed that the change was because the Sheikh Zayed Stadium will instead be hosting the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Championship, between March 1 and 3.Ireland, who selected their initial squad on the assumption the Sheikh Zayed Stadium doesn’t take too much red-ball turn, only learned of the change after arriving in the UAE. With this being the first Test at the Oval, conditions are a bit of a mystery, though weather is not expected to play spoilsport.Stats and trivia The Tolerance Oval will be the 122nd venue to host Test match cricket. Afghanistan’s dependence on Rashid reflects in the wickets charts. The legspinner has taken 34 in five matches, 16 clear of his closest compatriot, Amir Hamza, who has 18. Should Ireland register a win in either of their next three Tests, they will pip Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand in the number of matches taken to register their first Test win

Alex Hales, Tom Curran and Jason Roy among those believed to be keen on securing involvement

Matt Roller18-Dec-2023English players are considering missing up to half of the T20 Blast group stages in 2024 in order to feature in the second season of Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States.MLC announced last week that the 2024 season will start on July 4 and will conclude “by early August”, with fixtures due to be released early next year. The Blast starts on May 30, running concurrently with the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States, and the group stages end on July 19.The ECB did not permit players with central contracts to feature in MLC last year and the board’s stance is not likely to change ahead of this season. Jason Roy was the only England player to feature in MLC’s inaugural season, representing Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR), and he arrived late after staying in the UK for T20 Blast Finals Day.Related

• Alex Hales to miss Notts Blast fixtures after signing LPL deal

• Roy agrees termination of ECB incremental contract to play in MLC

• MLC wants more England cricketers, but not to 'start a war with anyone'

• Hales hopeful of featuring in MLC amid NOC doubts

• ECB defends 'Super September' as 2024 county fixtures put season climax in spotlight

In 2023, MLC lasted two-and-a-half weeks and slotted into the gap between the end of the Blast – Finals Day apart – and the start of the Hundred. This year, the dates do not align as neatly, and an expanded MLC season is likely to run into the first week of the Hundred, which is due to start in late July.MLC is in the process of finalising its rules around retention for 2024. Last year, the tournament’s director Justin Geale told ESPNcricinfo that there had been “an awful lot of interest from English players” and it is understood that a number of England players are weighing up the possibility of being involved next year.Alex Hales, who played in the Global T20 Canada last year after talks with MLC franchises fell through, is in the final stages of negotiations with his county Nottinghamshire over a new contract for 2024. Hales will feature for them in the Blast in some capacity next year but could miss up to six group games if he receives a lucrative MLC offer.In theory, Notts could attempt to block Hales from playing in MLC by refusing to release him, but ESPNcricinfo understands that they would not try to do so. He has played for the club throughout his career and, in the event of a clash in his schedule in July, would then return for the knockout stages in September.The top-paid players at MLC in 2023 earned US$175,000 (£140,000) to play a minimum of five games, salaries that even the wealthiest counties would struggle to compete with across the Blast’s seven-week group stage.Roy, who was retained by Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2024, is also expected to play for LAKR again next summer. The reported last week that he and Tom Curran have both agreed new contracts with Surrey which will give them scope to play in MLC, though the club declined to comment.County directors of cricket are also worried that the Blast’s clash with the T20 World Cup will make it difficult to secure overseas players for the competition next year until squads have been named. Holding on to any big names for the duration of the Blast will prove even harder, with the knockout stages due to be staged six weeks after the end of the group stage.

Chelsea have been urged not to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for the Club World Cup, with Premier League icon Chris Waddle aiming a dig at the Al-Nassr star.

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• Chelsea told not to sign Ronaldo
• Ex-PL star took a dig at Portugal legend
• Blues play first Club World Cup game on June 16

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea are all set to compete in the expanded version of the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. next month. They have been drawn in Group D alongside Flamengo and ES Tunis and will play their first match of the tournament on June 16 against the winner of the playoffs clash between Club America and LAFC.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There has been speculation over Ronaldo returning to England in the summer to sign for a club that is competing in the Club World Cup. With Manchester City and Chelsea representing the Premier League, there are rumours about the Al-Nassr star joining one of the two clubs. Former Premier League star Chris Waddle, however, feels that the 40-year-old returning to European football would only be a "gimmick" and has discouraged the Blues from making such a move.

• WHAT CHRIS WADDLE SAID

  Speaking to , the former Tottenham and England star said: "Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Chelsea, it would be great publicity for the football club, but no. I've seen him play for Al-Nassr, watched him play with Jhon Duran up front. He doesn't really run around a lot. We know he's got ability when he gets the ball to his feet, but this tournament would be a lot harder than what he's playing week in, week out in Saudi Arabia.

  "Let him rest there and have his holiday. He'll go again next season. But I think it would be all sort of a publicity stunt. Of course, he wants to play in some tournament where it's another goal, another tick. But listen, if it means resting players for the Premier League, then I'm all for it, but it’d seem like a gimmick to me."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Enzo Maresca's Chelsea side will be next seen in action on Thursday as they take on Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final, having won the first leg 4-1 away from home.