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Chelsea have added another promising player to their books, continuing BlueCo’s policy of signing world football’s most exciting young talents.

Chelsea plan offer for "world-class" new target in bid to hijack AC Milan

The west Londoners are not done this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 1, 2025

Enzo Maresca already has a squad filled with youth, so much so, that there is a real case to be made for the club to prioritise more experience.

Most recently, Chelsea agreed a deal with Ajax worth over £35 million for teenage starlet Jorrel Hato, who joins Liam Delap (22), Jamie Gittens (20) and Joao Pedro (23) as their latest incomings of the window.

Despite his age, Hato already boasts over a century of senior appearances from his time at Ajax, including some noteworthy Europa League performances.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Hato underwent his medical yesterday, according to Fabrizio Romano, with Chelsea adding yet another starlet to their ranks ahead of the new season.

Todd Boehly and the board haven’t been shy when it comes to splashing the cash on these prestigious talents, having spent nearly £270 million this window alone, and Chelsea are yet to make any signings over the age of 23 in the build up to deadline day.

Chelsea also fielded the youngest ever starting eleven in Premier League history last year (OptaJoe), and amid their talks for RB Leipzig starlet Xavi Simons, not to mention an expected bid for Alejandro Garnacho, their average age isn’t likely to go up any time soon.

Chelsea confirm signing of Jesse Derry from Crystal Palace

The club are very much still prioritising players with huge sell-on value and potential, with Chelsea recently agreeing a deal for young Crystal Palace attacker Jesse Derry too.

The 18-year-old “sensation” was on the verge of a move to Germany, before Maresca’s side hijacked the transfer to keep him in London. Derry was a man in-demand, attracting interest from eight European clubs, but it was Chelsea who ultimately won the race for his signature (Fabrizio Romano).

Now, almost a week later, Chelsea have confirmed Derry’s arrival, with the Englishman putting pen to paper on a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

The teenage forward represented England at this summer’s Under-19 European championships, coming after he racked up 20 goals and five assists in just 27 outings for Palace’s Under-18s during his time at Selhurst Park.

Derry made the step up to Under-21s football at Palace last season too, but he’ll now attempt to battle his way into Maresca’s set up over the coming years.

The England opener has opened up a controversial episode in his career saying it was ‘a really, really tough time’

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2024Ben Duckett has lifted the lid on the incident that saw him sent home from Australia during the 2017-18 Ashes after pouring a drink over James Anderson, revealing Anderson threw a drink over him first before feeling bad and encouraging Duckett to return the favour.Duckett was part of the Lions tour at the time, desperate to add to four Test caps picked up from tours of Bangladesh and India at the end of 2016. The indiscretion ended up setting him back as he was sent home with a fine and suspension from the ECB. He eventually returned to the Lions set-up at the end of 2018.The incident took place before the third Test against Australia, at Perth’s Avenue Bar, with England 2-0 down and subject to intense scrutiny of their off-field behaviour. The venue had already gained notoriety on the tour after Jonny Bairstow “greeted” Cameron Bancroft at the bar by butting heads ahead of the series, a story that emerged with falsely malicious undertones during the culmination of England’s loss at the Gabba in the first Test.Related

Duckett 'poured drink over' Anderson

Bairstow 'headbutt' allegations 'blown out of proportion' – Strauss

Dynamic Duckett gives England a puncher's chance on turning deck

The ECB was already on high alert heading to Australia after Ben Stokes was charged with affray in September of that year, before being found not guilty in 2018. Duckett’s misdemeanour ended up being the final straw, prompting a midnight curfew instilled following the Bairstow-Bancroft episode to be made permanent, though it has been relaxed intermittently since.At the time, head coach Trevor Bayliss could not contain his anger, telling reporters: “It’s a fairly trivial incident but, in the current climate, it’s just not acceptable”. Anderson used his column in the to downplay what he regarded as “a pretty silly incident”.Both Bayliss and managing director Andrew Strauss – who had to insist England players were not “thugs” after losing the first Test in the wake of the Bairstow’s “headbutt” – put their foot down as allegations of a booze culture prevailed. England ended up succumbing to a 4-0 series defeat. By then, Duckett had already returned home as part of the collateral.Seven years on, Duckett is an established international, and with Anderson now retired – though he remains part of the Test set-up as a bowling consultant – he is comfortable clarifying that he was not the instigator on that fateful night in Perth, and that he feared his England career was over.”Jimmy actually threw a drink on me, but no one knows about that,” Duckett told podcast. “And then said, ‘oh, we’re just messing around. You can just lob one on my head. That’s fine.’ Genuinely. So then I just poured one on his head and the security guard saw me from the ECB, who looks after us, and it filtered back.”That was kind of basically the story. We carried on the rest of the night together, getting on well. That’s the story that’s got blown up. Then obviously when things start getting out in the media and everyone’s saying all this stuff, then everyone believes that like that. And as soon as a story or a headline’s out there, ‘well that’s what happened then’.”But then you can’t really come out and say what I’ve just said, because I’m a young lad trying to break into the England team. It’s one of the best ever England players, you know? And people didn’t really want to hear me.The 2017-18 Ashes tour was largely a miserable one for England•Getty Images”It was actually a really, really tough time. People look back and it’s probably funny and stuff like that. But when you’re in Australia and you’re kind of being told you can’t go to training, you can’t play – it’s a lonely place for a 22-year-old.”And being in Australia, you’re not getting much sympathy from any anyone out there, are you? But yeah, it was one of those things where… it feels like your world’s ending. The time difference, you’re not speaking to family much. The lads around me in that group at the time were amazing.”Duckett’s subsequent emergence as an England regular across has allowed him to put a positive spin on that period of his career. Only Joe Root (2250) has more than Duckett’s 1980 runs since returning to the Test side as an opener at the end of 2022, at a strike rate of 88.55, with four centuries.The left-hander was one of just three batters to average over 50 in the recent 2-1 series defeat to Pakistan. He is also set to be a vital cog in the rejuvenation of the limited overs set-up, led by Test head coach Brendon McCullum who will assume control of England’s white-ball sides in the new year.While Duckett feared for his future after that 2017-18 winter, he believes the resolve it bred has been integral to developing as a mainstay across all three formats.”It’s not that moment that was the issue. It was, you know, for the next 12 months, it was, ‘you’re basically on hold now for a little while’. Which for a 23 [year-old]… that’s kind of a bad time to basically get told you’ve got no chance here.”It does make you grow up a little bit faster and stuff and dealing with what I had to deal with probably made me a little bit more resilient as a person and probably a bit tougher.”All these things now, in a really weird way, I wouldn’t change much of it because, where I am right now, when I play for England, it’s like I don’t want to give that shirt to anyone else.”I’ve probably not made things easy at times. I’m not a saint and an angel, and I probably was an easy target at the time. That would be the only thing I’ll say – whether it was dealt right or wrong, that’s for people to make their own mind up.”

Beth Mead has made WSL history after becoming the first-ever player to reach 50 assists in the competition as Arsenal won 4-1 on the opening day.

Mead first player to reach 50 WSL assistsArsenal beat London City Lionesses 4-1WSL season underway this weekendFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mead created history after laying on two goals for her team-mates in their convincing victory over London City Lionesses. Despite only coming on as a substitute in the 76th minute in place of Chloe Kelly, Mead set up quick-fire 83rd and 84th minute goals to secure a 4-1 victory and her own name in the history books. As reported by Opta, she's the first player to hit a half-century of assists in the competition.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mead played a key role as England's Lionesses won the European Championship for the second consecutive time this summer. The theme of substitutes sealing victory during the tournament was replicated in Arsenal's opening-day WSL victory, as Mead laid on two goals for fellow substitutes Stina Blackstenius and Frida Maanum in the closing stages.

DID YOU KNOW?

It has been an incredible few months for Mead, who also tasted Champions League glory with the Gunners over Barcelona in May. The 2022 BBC Sports Personality of he Year winner has had a career laden with success and this latest record of 51 WSL assists only adds to an ever-growing legacy for the 30-year-old. Interestingly, newly-promoted London City Lionesses reportedly attempted to sign her in the summer before Mead inflicted opening-day misery on the club.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MEAD?

The WSL title will be the overriding goal for Arsenal and Mead this season. Mead has only won the division once before with the Gunners, back in 2018/19. Usurping Chelsea's recent monopoly over the title will be a difficult goal, but one Renée Slegers and her side will aim for alongside looking to retain their Champions League crown.

Erik ten Hag has been approached regarding a shock return to one of his former clubs. The ex-Manchester United boss finds himself out of work again after seeing his spell at Bayer Leverkusen cut brutally short. The Dutch tactician is mulling over what to do next, with one invitation having already been received that would have taken him back to his homeland.

How long did Ten Hag last in charge of Leverkusen?

Ten Hag, who was appointed as successor to Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso over the summer, was given just two Bundesliga games at the helm of Leverkusen. They saw enough during that short tenure to suggest that the agreement was the wrong option for all concerned.

AdvertisementGettyWhat did Ten Hag achieve in English football?

Ten Hag had previously been relieved of his duties at Old Trafford in October 2024, with the Red Devils parting with his services despite enjoying FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs under the one-time Ajax coach.

Ten Hag boasts emotional connection to Twente

It has now been revealed that Ten Hag was approached by FC Twente after hitting the market once more, with the 55-year-old having taken in three spells with the Eredivisie outfit in his playing days.

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Getty ImagesWho has been linked with Twente job?

Twente have parted company with Joseph Oosting, leaving them with a void to fill in their dugout. Technical director Jan Streuer has said of the search for a new boss: “I’ve only made inquiries. I haven’t had a proper conversation with anyone yet.

“I’ve made a few phone calls to inquire about the situation of certain managers. [Mark] van Bommel and Ten Hag were among them, along with a few others. Some are still committed to a club, while others are free.

“It might seem like we’ve already sat down with Van Bommel, but it was just a phone call. He wanted to bring four of his own people. Some coaches work that way, and I can understand that, that you want to work with people you know well. But we also have confidence in our own people. And we’re not going to fire three or four people just to appoint a new coach.”

Liverpool’s Premier League title defence kicked off with three points. Bournemouth were valiant and impressive at Anfield, but the Reds dug in and showcased their quality as they rallied in the final stretch of the curtain-raising game.

While the Reds showcased a remarkable array of attacking talent against the hard-fighting Cherries, they lacked something in defence, with Arne Slot’s side squandering a two-goal lead in the second half.

Antoine Semenyo had a field day against a discordant Reds backline, who must find balance and coherence in the weeks ahead if they wish to rebuff the danger that is bound to spring from title rivals who are expected to improve after last year.

And Ibrahima Konate, in particular, suffered from a rusty performance at the back. It was a display that, perhaps, new recruit Giovanni Leoni and top transfer target Marc Guehi would have taken heed of.

Ibrahima Konate's performance vs Bournemouth

Semenyo’s second-half double proved a blow to Liverpool’s start to their title defence, but the impressive right winger deserved both of his goals and will have felt be got the better of the hosts’ unfluent backline.

Konate was at the epicentre of the struggles, with Jamie Carragher remarking on Sky Sports co-comms that the France international was “all over the place” for Slot’s side, making seven clearances throughout the evening but lacking the control nor composure to ensrue the home side moved toward three points in a smooth fashion to start their campaign.

Completely exposed for Bournemouth’s second and suffering across numerous offensive pushes from the lively south coasters, Konate, 26, will be frustrated with his performance, not least because noise rumbles in the background regarding a potentially forthcoming move for Crystal Palace’s Guehi.

While Konate struggled to produce anything close to his finest form, he wasn’t the only one to have flattered to deceive, with Florian Wirtz leaving plenty to be desired on his Premier League debut.

Florian Wirtz left plenty to be desired

Wirtz joined Liverpool in a club-record £100m move in June, and that may yet rise to a £116m fee with add-ons that would see him eclipse Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo as the record-breaking signing in British history.

But he struggled to produce a befitting performance against a well-oiled Bournemouth side, enjoying some high-level touches and neat layoffs but struggling to lay down his marker as he would have hoped.

Without a doubt, these first two outings have left something to be desired, but they’ve also demonstrated the German international’s first-class quality on the ball, invariably creative and finding openings for his teammates.

Minutes played

84′

82′

Goals

0

0

Assists

1

0

Touches

74

69

Shots (on target)

1 (0)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

50/57 (88%)

37/48 (77%)

Key passes

4

3

Dribbles

0/2

0/0

Tackles

2

2

Duels won

3/9

3/9

After the Bournemouth clash, The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle handed the 22-year-old a 6/10 match rating acknowledging his playmaking ability but struggle to influence proceedings as would have been desired. Indeed, he would depart after losing the ball on average every 3.6 touches, having lost possession 19 times in all.

He will need to muscle up over the coming weeks, adapting to the rigorous nature of the Premier League, but there’s no doubt that Wirtz is a top talent.

However, as with Konate, he left plenty of room for improvement against Andoni Iraola’s side, and his performance will be under greater scrutiny against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park next week.

He'd get Isak & Wirtz firing: Liverpool could sign "one of the best LWs"

Liverpool may yet sign a few more forwards in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 15, 2025

Ben Stokes says Durham quick has “a massive engine on him”

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Dec-2024Matthew Potts will earn his 10th Test cap as England make one change for their final Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park. Chris Woakes, who played the first two Tests, will be the one to miss out.Potts has taken 31 wickets at 29.22 since making his debut in the summer of 2022, playing the first five matches of Ben Stokes’ tenure as captain. The first three were against New Zealand, with Potts excelling with 14 wickets.However, after being left out for the returning Ollie Robinson for the second Test of the South Africa series that summer, the Durham quick has found his opportunities limited.Related

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Southee's long farewell the subplot as New Zealand seek series consolation

The 26-year-old played just one Test in 2023 (against Ireland at Lord’s), and, after playing the first two Tests against Sri Lanka this summer, was left out for the third as England opted to have a look at Leicestershire left-arm seamer Josh Hull. A solitary appearance on the Pakistan tour came for the second Test in Multan, on a surface tailored towards the home spinners though Potts took respectable match figures of 3 for 85 in 31.2 overs.With England 2-0 up and the series secure heading into Hamilton, Stokes has decided to give give Potts an outing in the team’s 17th and final Test of 2024. He is likely to take the new ball in Woakes’ abscence.”It’s another opportunity to look at one of the fast bowlers that we see playing a big role going forward,” said Stokes on Potts’ selection. “Two-nil up, you obviously put yourself in an easier position to make the change.”Pottsy’s got a massive engine on him. He can go all day, bowl a lot of overs, but not just that, he’s a very skilful bowler, which he’s got better at by being here, working with Jimmy [Anderson] on a few things here and there. He’s someone who is another versatile bowler, you can use him with the new ball, the short-ball plan that we go to because he’s so fit. He can bowl you 20 overs one day, then rock up again and bowl you another 20.”Stokes also praised Woakes’ output on this tour. The 35-year-old has taken six wickets at 29.16 with the Kookaburra ball as the leader of the attack. That has included Kane Williamson twice.An overseas average of 51 coming into the winter has been reduced slightly to 48.93. And though there is uncertainty as to whether Woakes makes the trip to Australia next winter for the 2025-26 Ashes, Stokes believes the Warwickshire veteran has shown his class.”Chris Woakes came into the winter tours with a bit of scrutiny behind his away record but I think what he has done over the winter has proved a lot of people wrong,” said Stokes. “He’s been fantastic, he was great in Pakistan and pretty influential over here.”

Manchester City are now one step away from completing a deal for a “phenomenal” star, as his club have recently dropped their asking price.

Man City targeting new signings after Tottenham defeat

After such a promising start to the campaign, winning 4-0 away at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Man City were brought right back down to earth on Saturday afternoon, with Tottenham Hotspur once again getting the better of them at the Etihad Stadium.

James Trafford was culpable for the second goal, with Joao Palhinha capitalising after the new City goalkeeper made a stray pass in his own area, although Pep Guardiola defended his decision to select the 22-year-old.

Pep said: “He made a good first game and I decided to continue. When I take decisions in the first part of the season – for all the players you play one or two [games] – everyone thinks: ‘OK, this is the starting lineup.’ It was just today I decided that.”

However, behind-the-scenes, there may be some doubts emerging about Trafford, given that the former Burnley man remains relatively inexperienced, and a report has revealed the Blues are closing in on a more proven goalkeeper.

According to The Mirror, Man City are now one step away from signing Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, with Guardiola’s side ready to get a deal done, as long as they can sell Ederson to Galatasaray.

Crucially, PSG have now slashed their asking price significantly, with the Italian now being allowed to leave for as little as £26m, given that he has just one year remaining on his contract with the French club.

Man City set to fight PSG for skyrocketing winger amid Donnarumma talks

The Citizens are ready to swat aside the Champions League holders…

1 BySean Markus Clifford Aug 26, 2025

City are expecting Galatasaray to submit a new offer for Ederson, and if a suitable fee can be agreed, they will move swiftly to finalise a deal for Donnarumma, who is keen on a move to the Etihad Stadium.

"Phenomenal" Donnarumma could be instant Trafford upgrade

While Trafford impressed in the Championship last season, keeping a whopping 29 clean sheets, the PSG goalkeeper could be an instant upgrade on the Englishman, given that he is vastly more experienced at the top level.

The 26-year-old, who has been lauded as “phenomenal” by Walid Acherchour of RMC Sport, was a lynchpin of the PSG side that won the Champions League last season, with journalist Carlo Garganese highlighting him as the star against Arsenal across both semi-final legs.

That said, the Italy international isn’t the most adept with the ball at his feet, with Trafford vastly outperforming him in touches per 90 over the past year, and a number of other key metrics.

Average per 90

James Trafford

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Save %

85.6%

67.8%

Touches

39.88

29.97

Clean sheet %

67.4%

25%

Donnarumma may not be a Guardiola-style goalkeeper, but he is proven at the highest level, and a £26m transfer fee would be a bargain.

Coach says India “don’t want to fear losing a game of cricket” after batters go all out to finish off 4-1 series result against England

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2025

Abhishek Sharma exemplified India’s attacking approach•Getty Images

India’s coach Gautam Gambhir has lauded his players for embracing a high-risk approach, which fetched them high reward in the form of a 4-1 T20I series win over England.The approach especially came to the fore during the last two T20Is. Despite losing three wickets to fast bowler Saqib Mahmood in the second over in Pune, India’s batters kept attacking and put up 181 for 9, which proved 16 too many for England. In the final T20I in Mumbai on Sunday, India went bigger, shattering records and the England attack on their way to 247 for 9, their fourth-highest T20I total.”That’s the kind of T20 cricket we want to play. We don’t want to fear losing a game of cricket,” Gambhir told the host broadcaster. “We want to play high-risk, high-reward cricket. And these guys have adopted that ideology, that policy really well. And I think the ideology of this T20 team is based on selflessness and fearlessness. And I think in the last six months, these guys have done it day in, day out.Related

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“We want to try and get to 250-260 regularly. And in trying to do that, there’ll be games where we’ll get bundled out for 120-130. And that is what T20 cricket is all about. And unless and until you don’t play that high-risk cricket, you won’t get those big rewards as well. Most importantly, I think we’re on the right track. Come those big tournaments, we want to still continue playing this way and we don’t want to fear losing anything.”India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav echoed his coach’s comments, saying they will not veer away from their ultra-aggressive style of play.”I mean, this is what we’ve sat down and spoken about, what brand of cricket we want to play and we’re just sticking to it irrespective of what’s going to happen,” Suryakumar said at the post-match presentation. “And it is a high-risk, high-reward game. But at the end of the day, what’s working for us, we’ll be doing that.”Gambhir delivered a glowing appraisal of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who ended the series with a chart-topping 14 wickets at an average of 9.85 and economy rate of 7.66.”I think his transformation from IPL to international T20 cricket has been phenomenal,” Gambhir said of Varun. “And this series was probably the benchmark as well because England is a high-quality side. They’ve got some really quality cricketers and the kind of surfaces we’ve played on – I think they were fantastic batting wickets and the way he’s bowled those tough overs has been phenomenal.”Varun Chakravarthy has become Suryakumar Yadav’s go-to bowler in T20Is•AFP/Getty ImagesSuryakumar was also impressed with Varun’s fielding. In Mumbai, he took two catches, including a tumbling grab running in from deep square leg to send back Harry Brook for two off four balls.”I mean, he’s one guy who’s been relentlessly working hard with our fielding coach [T] Dilip sir,” Suryakumar said. “And anywhere he gets an opportunity, he uses that time on the field during practice sessions. And it was good to see him putting his hand up and telling that ‘I want to field in the outfield today’. And you saw the results. That’s amazing.”Another major talking point in this series was India leaning heavily on spin and picking just one frontline fast bowler in each of the five T20Is. Gambhir explained that the team management wanted to pair Varun up with Ravi Bishnoi, to give themselves a stronger chance of striking in the middle overs, without compromising on batting depth.”I think having Bishnoi and Varun bowling in tandem was very important, especially in the middle phase,” Gambhir said. “We always knew that the kind of batting line-up England has, they will always come hard at us in the first six overs. But it’s that phase between seven and 15. Can we have those two wicket-taking options in the middle?”More importantly, we always wanted to have that No. 8 batter, even if he doesn’t face too many balls, just because of the kind of cricket we are playing. We want to try and go as hard as possible. Sometimes that cushion of having that No. 8 [batter] allows the top seven to go out there and play even more freely.”

Manchester United outcast Andre Onana grabbed a delightful assist as Trabzonspor came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Gaziantep in a Turkish Super Lig clash on Saturday. Onana's maiden appearance for the Turkish club came last week where he impressed after making eight saves, although his new club went on to lose 1-0 to Fenerbahce.

Onana's Turkish delight as keeper plays part in goal

The United loanee marauded way outside of his penalty area as he looked to take matters into his own hands, eventually sending a pinpoint pass for Paul Onuachu behind the opponent's defence. The former Southampton striker held off several defenders before slotting beyond the onrushing goalkeeper as Trabzonspor came back from behind to snatch a point against Gaziantep.

AdvertisementWatch the video of Onana's assistAFPMan Utd flop continues to impress on loan

The Cameroonian goalkeeper has, at least temporarily, ended his nightmare spell at Old Trafford after completing a season-long loan move to the Turkish Super Lig towards the end of the summer transfer window. Before the move, Onana had appeared in just one game for United this season, their Carabao Cup second-round exit against fourth-tier side Grimsby Town, where he made several mistakes and conceded 11 times in the penalty shootout.

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When will Onana play next?

The 29-year-old will be back in action for Trabzonspor on September 27 as they host Fatih Karagumruk in a Super Lig clash.

Eric Dier admits that memories of breaking his trophy duck, while helping Harry Kane to lift his silverware curse, still gives him goosebumps. The versatile England international became a title winner alongside his close friend and fellow former Tottenham star when helping Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga crown in 2024-25. Memories of that success will live with Dier forever.

GettyTrophy curse lifted in Bundesliga title triumph

Like Kane, Dier headed to Germany having experienced a number of near misses on the trophy front. He formed part of Spurs squads that finished as runners-up in two League Cup finals and a Champions League showpiece in 2019 – when domestic rivals Liverpool dashed continental dreams in Madrid. He also finished third with England in the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League.

A few eyebrows were raised when Dier followed Kane to the Allianz Arena, but he made 28 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign. Said season finished with Bayern getting their hands on the Bundesliga title – much to the relief of Dier and Kane.

AdvertisementDier left Kane when swapping Munich for Monaco

Kane was the first person that Dier turned to when that coronation was confirmed and he has told of emotional celebrations: "It’s giving me goosebumps even now. It was literally a second after we won it. It was one of the best moments of my life."

Dier was on the move again over the summer, as he swapped Munich for Monaco. He has previously spent time with Sporting in Lisbon and Tottenham in London. Stepping out of a professional comfort zone is nothing new for the combative centre-half. He said of his travels: "It would be impossible to sit down and map it all out perfectly, to decide when and where you want to go. For me, it’s like one of those pinball machines: the ball just drops and drops, you don’t know which way, all the way to the bottom. You never know what your journey is going to look like.

"I don’t really find moving difficult. The hardest thing is just the logistics, that’s a pain in the arse, the furniture, all that boring stuff. But for me, it’s always very enjoyable to come to a new country and to feel a new culture around football and life. To see how people work in different countries. All that stuff has always been just fun for me."

Getty ImagesWorld Cup dream: Dier targets England recall

Dier is now 31 years of age, but claims to feel better than ever. He added: "I really believe I’m in the best footballing shape I’ve ever been in. Physically, I feel fantastic. And with experience, you feel better and better as a player and I’ve improved massively over the last two or three years. I feel at my best as a player right now."

He went on to say of chasing a World Cup dream with England in 2026: "I definitely still have hope, I really want to be back in the England squad. And it’s for other people to judge, but I think in the last year at Bayern and now here I’ve been playing my best football, so it’s frustrating not to be in the squad when you feel that about yourself and you already have a lot of caps. It’s a huge motivation for me, but I also know it’s about Monaco playing well and the rest will be a result of that."

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Bid for 50th England cap: Tuchel knows Dier well

Dier is one appearance short of reaching a half-century for England, having made his senior international bow back in 2015. He has not represented his country since 2022, but the Three Lions are not blessed with an abundance of in-form options at the heart of their defence.

That could bring Dier back into contention, especially as England are now working under a coach that knows all about his many qualities. Thomas Tuchel was the man that took Dier to Bayern Munich, with the German tactician clearly a fan of what he has to offer – with plenty of time having also been spent operating in a holding midfield role over the course of his career.