Real Madrid are now in advanced contract talks with a star player to try and fend off Manchester United’s recent approach, according to a new report.

Balancing incomings and outgoings the order of the day at Old Trafford

As of now, it has been a rather quiet start to the transfer window for the Red Devils, as they have just completed one bit of transfer business, and that was the signing of Matheus Cunha. More arrivals are expected however, with Bryan Mbeumo heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, and now United are said to be confident in beating Tottenham to his signature.

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United are also being linked with players who can improve them in other aspects of the team. They are seriously interested in signing Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt and have now added Marco Carnesecchi to their list of options to replace Andre Onana in goal. However, these purchases may have to be put on hold until the club moves some players out the door.

Alejandro Garnacho is one whose time at the club appears to be up, as United are now prepared to sell the Argentine. The Red Devils are looking to get at least £50 million for the attacker this summer. Chelsea were linked with a move for Garnacho back in January, and they are believed to be still interested in a deal now. Meanwhile, Aston Villa have also joined the race to sign Garnacho, as he may be seen as a replacement for Marcus Rashford, who has now returned to Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen have also been linked with a move for the United man, and while their interest is genuine, it is a deal that is unlikely given finances and the fact that Garnacho’s preference is to remain in the Premier League.

Man Utd make approach for Brahim Diaz

Given the Red Devils are willing to sell Garnacho, they have been on the lookout for replacements, and according to a report from Spain, Man United have made an approach to sign Brahim Diaz from Real Madrid.

However, Fabrizio Romano has since revealed Real Madrid are now in advanced contract talks with the forward to fend off the interest from United and others. Indeed, Arsenal also joined the Red Devils in making an enquiry, but it seems the playmaker has made his mind up and will stay put for the forseeable future.

Diaz, who has been dubbed an “astonishing” talent by journalist Mina Rzouki, has been at Real Madrid since January 2019, when he joined the club from United’s arch-rivals Manchester City. The Morocco international has had two separate spells on loan at AC Milan since moving to Spain, but in the last two seasons he has become an important member of the Real Madrid squad.

Apps

117

Goals

20

Assists

19

Last season, Diaz played 31 times in La Liga, as well as 11 times in the Champions League. The Red Devils would have seen Diaz as a perfect player who could play in the wide number 10 role, a position Amorim is trying to improve in before pre-season gets underway.

Liverpool have put paid to any notion of second-season syndrome under Arne Slot’s wing by attacking the transfer market with vicious intent.

The Reds surpassed expectations by winning the Premier League last term, and they did without a proper focal frontman. Sure, Luis Diaz filled in nicely as a false nine, but Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota both flattered to deceive, and the former is at risk of being sold.

If and when that happens, Liverpool will need to sign a new centre-forward, and though Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak appears to be off the market after securing a route back into the Champions League.

A whole host of names have been linked with a move to Anfield, and one of the most recent belongs to Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, having reportedly made contact with the Swedish goalscorer in May.

Manchester United currently lead the race, and maybe that hints the 27-year-old might not be the best option on the market for the Merseysiders.

Still, Liverpool desperately need a new number nine.

Why Liverpool need a striker

Last season, Mohamed Salah led Liverpool to the Premier League title. Football is a team sport, and the sum of a brilliant team is greater than its individual parts, but the Egyptian King proved an exception to that rule.

Across 52 matches in all competitions, Salah scored 34 goals and supplied his teammates with 23 assists. He leapt his way into the upper level of the all-time Premier League scoring charts, now fifth with 186 goals, one strike behind Andy Cole and two ahead of the retired Sergio Aguero.

His talismanic campaign, making good on a promise, has crowned him a two-time English league winner, picking up the sweeping gamut of individual accolades too.

Why does this matter? We were going to discuss Liverpool’s interest in a new striker, after all. Well, Liverpool’s main man turns 33 in just a few days, and though he’s extended his record-breaking contract by two years, he cannot be expected to heave the bulk of his attacking peers in the same way.

Liverpool need someone more reliable than Nunez, who only scored seven goals last term. The likes of Gyokeres have been touted, sure, but Liverpool might have found an even better option.

Liverpool hold talks for new striker

According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are still interested in Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward Hugo Ekitike, despite Chelsea making all the noise in recent weeks.

In fact, the reporter claims Liverpool have “held concrete talks with the player’s camp”, perhaps just awaiting clarity on the futures of their expendable forwards.

The major sticking point is that Frankfurt want €100m (£84m) for their rising star, but given that he’s yet to fully grow into his skin, this perhaps skates beyond the line of plausibility.

Why Liverpool should sign Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike only scored four goals across 33 senior outings for Paris Saint-Germain, thus choosing to make his name away from the bloated Parisian superpower.

He hasn’t looked back. After finishing the 2023/24 campaign in good form, Ekitike stepped into his first full term on strong footing, wrapping things up with 22 goals and 12 assists across 48 fixtures.

Once hailed as “the next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, it’s easy to see why he’s held in such high regard, fostering a keen-edged offensive style and marrying it with his rounded underlying qualities.

Sporting’s Gyokeres might be among the hottest commodities on the market, but Liverpool’s data-driven system would be sure to reveal Ekitike as the more desirable pick.

Matches (starts)

33 (31)

Goals

15

Assists

7

Shots (on target)*

3.5 (1.5)

Big chances missed

16

Pass completion

76%

Big chances created

12

Key passes*

1.3

Dribbles*

1.6

Duels won*

4.2

The key thing is he’s finding his feet in front of goal and boasts a combative and creative underlying skill set. For sure, Gyokeres has proven to be a more clinical goalscorer in Portugal, but Ekitike’s multi-faceted game suggests his ceiling his higher, having already been hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson as “one of the best centre-forwards out there.”

Further to that point, Nunez was as prolific as they come for Benfica before Liverpool paid the big bucks to bring him over to England, scoring 34 goals across 41 games in 2021/22.

Ekitike, however, bespeaks completeness through his data. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 10% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last year for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 19% for ball recoveries per 90.

Athletic and dynamic, the archetype for greatness is right there, especially when considering he’s five years Gyokeres’ junior too.

Journalist Bence Bocsak recently discussed Anfield’s interest in the “unique talent”, going on to say, “For the right price, Ekitike would be the perfect forward at Liverpool under Arne Slot.”

Finances will, of course, hold sway in the decision-making, and Liverpool (like Chelsea) aren’t likely to fork out something in the ballpark of £84m for a raw centre-forward, his potential untapped.

Ekitike truly is the perfect profile to unify Liverpool’s frontline over the coming years. Would Gyokeres bring a consistent supply of goals? Yes, he would. But is he the perfect man for the job?

In Ekitike, Slot can fashion a superstar, and that’s the Liverpool way.

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Liverpool have held back in recent transfer markets, opting against springing into the scramble for new players and instead relying on their existing stars.

It’s paid off, and handsomely at that. Aside from Federico Chiesa, who joined from Juventus for £12.5m last summer but only started once in the Premier League and is being touted for a move back to Italy, no first-teamers have arrived since August 2023, when Jurgen Klopp applied the finishing strokes to his midfield remodel.

Well, that was the case, at least, until FSG activated Jeremie Frimpong’s £29.5m release clause last month, and welcomed the right-sider from Bayer Leverkusen.

Frimpong, electric-paced and positionally flexible, replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold. Elsewhere, Milos Kerkez is in talks to leave Bournemouth and shore up the left flank, while Florian Wirtz is on the verge of following Frimpong from the BayArena to Anfield.

Negotiations have maybe been a tad protracted, but this is a potential British-record signing, and still, his announcement is but a formality at this stage (famous last words).

Fans got a chance to see their potential new superstar in action last night. Germany might have lost in their Nations League semi-final tie to Portugal, but the 22-year-old proved his talent.

Florian Wirtz's performance vs Portugal

Beady-eyed detractors watched on in hopes of Wirtz struggling to make an impression on the international stage, but he scored the opener and was firmly involved in much of the contest.

Clever shimmies, well-worked one-twos and indeed a desire to get at the heart of the affair, on both sides of the field, all highlighted the calibre of player Liverpool could welcome into their fold, even if he trudged home as one of the defeated.

It wasn’t a display that left nothing to be desired, however. Pitted against opposite counterparts Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, the Werkself icon was always going to be up against it.

Florian Wirtz – Stats vs Germany
Stats	#
Minutes played	90′
Goals	1
Assists	0
Shots (on target)	2 (2)
Accurate passes	32/42 (76%)
Key passes	0
Dribbles	3/5
Tackles	3
Duels won	9/16
Stats via Sofascore

Still, he scored, showcased his technical range and indeed a defensive persistence that will serve him well under Slot’s wing. The Liverpool head coach, remember, withdrew Jarell Quansah at half-time on his debut last season following concerns over his side’s success in the duel (or, more correctly, lack thereof).

Wirtz could almost complete the puzzle, ensure Slot has the means to win more gold next year. However, Liverpool also need a striker, and may well be planning a hijack for a new nine.

Liverpool plan hijack for new Striker

RB Leipzig failed to qualify for Europe this year, and thus are resigned to selling Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons, their two most profitable players.

And according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Liverpool could be ready to compete with Arsenal for centre-forward Sesko, potentially seeking to hijack Mikel Arteta’s move.

“The biggest question mark will be over the number nine and if they can genuinely go for Alexander Isak,” Jacobs said.

“Will they drop the £100m that Frankfurt are asking for Hugo Ekitike, they could even enter the race for Benjamin Sesko even though it feels like Arsenal are more advanced on that one at the moment.”

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The Gunners are “more advanced” in their pursuit, but the striker market is rather slim and Sesko, 22, has a €80m (about £67m) release clause.

That’s more affordable than the likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool would strike gold with Benjamin Sesko

Liverpool are undergoing a series of changes this summer, and Darwin Nunez is expected to be a part of the exodus, making way for a new striker.

Sesko’s a raw talent, his potential yet untapped, but he’s undoubtedly a star in the making, having scored 39 goals and laid on eight assists across 87 appearances for Leipzig.

The Slovenia international has even been declared “the new Erling Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with his incredible power, rangy frame and pace (he’s “one of the fastest players on the planet”) aligning with the Manchester City superstar, who has scored 121 goals from 142 appearances in Pep Guardiola’s team, notably winning the treble. There’s the exemplar, right there.

It would be a fool’s notion to expect a similar pathway for Sesko, but then there’s no denying he’s got all the pieces to become a top talent in the Premier League, especially so if he’s been sourced by a creative phenom in Wirtz.

Wirtz, indeed, will depart Leverkusen having won the 2023/24 Bundesliga as an invincible, winning the Player of the Season. In total, he’s notched 122 goal contributions from 197 total matches for the Werkself.

Taking a closer look at the German playmaker’s extraordinary skill set, we see his passing and line-breaking qualities could serve chance upon chance on a silver platter for Sesko.

As per FBref, Wirtz ranked among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers this season for goal contributions, shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 2% for passes attempted and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

When not threading surgical passes through to Sesko, Wirtz would be charging forward himself, left skip, right, left, right. His slaloming style, expertly weaving past hopeless opponents, would take the heat off the central striker, allow him to get into space.

Then, the pass is played, and Liverpool are ahead once again.

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Arsenal have been told exactly what it will take for Benjamin Sesko to leave RB Leipzig this summer, as his agent speaks out about reports linking his client with a move away from the Red Bull Arena.

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Sesko has just finished a career-best Bundesliga campaign, bagging 21 goals in all competitions, but he couldn’t quite guide Leipzig to a European spot – with the Germans missing out on a place in the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

It is the first time Leipzig haven’t qualified for Europe since their top-flight arrival in 2016, and this will surely get Sesko thinking about his immediate future as Arsenal reportedly circle to offer him a route out.

The Slovenia international is a top target for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, who’s been chasing his signature for 12 months.

Arsenal had a proposal rejected for Sesko last summer, who instead put pen to paper on a contract extension to remain at Leipzig and further his development, with the north Londoners also having an attempt rebuffed in January (Ben Jacobs).

They’re now trying to make it ‘third-time-lucky’ with another move for Sesko, and “concrete talks” have been taking place since late May (Florian Plettenberg). However, as things stand, Sky Germany are reporting that Arsenal are unwilling to match Leipzig’s financial demands for the centre-forward.

With plenty of work still to do, the 22-year-old’s own representative, Elvis Basanovic, has now provided an update on his client’s future in an interview with GiveMeSport this week.

Arsenal told key transfer condition by Benjamin Sesko's agent

Speaking to GMS, Basanovic has revealed the key condition for Sesko to depart Leipzig before summer deadline day on September 1.

The agent claims he’ll only leave Leipzig for a “special” new destination, refusing to clarify whether Arsenal fall into this category. When asked if the plan for Sesko is to find a new club, Basanovic said: “Well, his numbers at his age compared to some strikers with already great careers at his age are confirming my words.

“He will move from RB Leipzig only when we recognise a special club, a special project with a special coach.”

More worryingly for Arteta, the intermediary even suggested that Sesko could stay at Leipzig for years if they deem it the right call.

“It can be next week, or next year, or in 3 years,” Basanovic continued.

“Even if there may be – or will be – a strong desire of the player to move to a certain club, we will never force or blackmail RB Leipzig. I believe this is not the right way, because the way you actually exit from the club shows your values. Values that you are bringing into a new club.

“I can understand in very big transfers, there are a lot of different interests, but no matter what, I believe in the football world ‘there’ should be more respect. So that’s why we do things in the right way, or we don’t do them. It’s very simple, even maybe in the media it looks very complicated.”

West Ham United could sell Mohammed Kudus this summer and are already making strides in the hunt for his replacement.

West Ham and Mohammed Kudus could go their seperate ways

The Hammers expect plenty of movement in both directions over the next few months and could be set to part ways with one of their best players if reports are to be believed.

Recently, Chelsea have made contact over a potential move for Kudus, and he is also said to be on the radar of Premier League rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United.

Intriguingly, the Ghana international has a release clause of £85 million that is open to top-flight clubs in England across the first ten days of July. However, it remains to be seen whether a saga involving the former Ajax man will develop at the London Stadium.

In the case of Newcastle, former scout Mick Brown believes they would try and land Kudus at a fee below his exit clause due to the premium involved in a prospective transfer.

“At £85million or whatever his release clause is, there’s no way Newcastle would do that deal. They’ll consider it if they can cut down that price tag, but they’re not sure about him. They’ve got other targets as well, so I think they’re more likely to go for them before Kudus.”

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If Kudus were to depart, the Hammers would need to act decisively on the market to secure an appropriate replacement, and they could well now be closing in on a smart acquisition if that turn of events were to occur.

West Ham 'well positioned' to sign Nicolas Gonzalez

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, West Ham are ‘well positioned’ to sign Juventus winger Nicolas Gonzalez and the Argentina international is likely to be on the move for £22 million this summer.

Seen as an ideal replacement for Kudus, the 23-year-old registered five goals and four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions last season. While he was not part of his country’s World Cup winning squad he is highly decorated at international level, winning two Copa Americas.

Capable of playing on either flank, as an attacking midfielder or through the middle, he is a versatile presence that could help to allieviate the burden on the likes of Jarrod Bowen when it comes to chance creation.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether Kudus will need to leave first in order for a move to go through or if the finance would be available already in terms of being able to meet both his transfer fee and wages.

Either way, West Ham appear to be stepping up their hunt for attacking reinforcements and there will be plenty of excitement in East London if this one materialises.

Nepal and UAE will kickstart the tournament in the afternoon game on July 19 while India and Pakistan will play in the evening

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2024

India are the defending champions of the women’s Asia Cup•Asian Cricket Council

The Asian Cricket Council [ACC] has tweaked the schedule of the women’s Asia Cup 2024, and defending champions India will play Pakistan on July 19, the opening day of the tournament. Nepal and UAE will start the tournament off in the afternoon that day, with the India vs Pakistan game in the evening.Those two games were originally slotted for July 21. In that schedule, Nepal and Pakistan were scheduled to play the opening game with India vs UAE in the second game. Those matches will now be held on July 21. The rest of the schedule remains the same.The tournament will run from July 19 to 28 with all matches in Dambulla. It will be an eight-team affair this time, featuring one additional team from the previous year.Unlike the last edition, where the teams played each other once before the semi-finals, this year they are split into two groups, A and B. Group A has India, Nepal, Pakistan and UAE, while Group B has hosts Sri Lanka along with Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, to be played on July 26. The final will be played on July 28.The last edition of the women’s Asia Cup was held in 2022 in Sylhet, where India defeated Sri Lanka in the final by a comfortable eight-wicket margin. India, with seven titles, are the most successful team in the tournament. After playing Pakistan and UAE on July 19 and 21, they will face Nepal on July 23. The only day game they play in the group stage of the tournament will be against UAE on July 21.Like the last edition, the tournament this year will also feature an all-female team of umpires and match officials. The Asia Cup will be followed by the women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh from October 3 to October 20.Women’s Asia Cup 2024 updated scheduleJul 19: Nepal vs UAE (2pm); India vs Pakistan (7pm)
Jul 20: Malaysia vs Thailand (2pm), Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (7pm)
Jul 21: India vs UAE (2pm), Pakistan vs Nepal (7pm)
Jul 22: Sri Lanka vs Malaysia (2pm), Bangladesh vs Thailand (7pm)
Jul 23: Pakistan vs UAE (2pm), India vs Nepal (7pm)
Jul 24: Bangladesh vs Malaysia (2pm), Sri Lanka vs Thailand (7pm)
Jul 26: Semi-final 1 (2pm), Semi-final 2 (7pm)
Jul 28: Final (7pm)

Chelsea have managed to pull off some impressive business this summer and could now be about to repeat the trick as they look to bolster their forward line, according to a report.

Chelsea continue their pursuit of a striker after Delap deal

Liam Delap will be left to lead the line in Chelsea’s bid for the Club World Cup up until the semi-final, providing they manage to get there, after Nicolas Jackson’s straight red card against Flamengo on matchday two of the group stage.

Losing control at a crucial time, his reckless lunge has prompted some to question whether he has the discipline to feature as Enzo Maresca’s starting striker long-term or whether further intervention in the transfer market is needed at Stamford Bridge.

Former referee Keith Hackett has gone to the extreme of claiming Jackson should be banned for five matches at a minimum amid recent events stateside.

He stated: “There is no place in football for this type of challenge the reaction and speed of the issuing of a red card was a terrific piece of officiating. The referee’s prompt showing of the red card ensured that it reduced any possibility of a mass confrontation. This unacceptable action by the offender should result in a minimum five-match ban.”

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has been on Chelsea’s radar and is joined by Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani, who is enjoying an impressive spell on loan at Juventus.

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Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the West London-based giants have the financial capacity to power on with either pursuit without the need for any bargaining chips along the way.

Speaking of which, Chelsea could have an intriguing plan up their sleeve to land one of the Premier League’s most exciting marksmen.

Chelsea could use makeweight in pursuit of Joao Pedro

According to Si Phillips, Chelsea could offer Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in exchange for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Joao Pedro and there is a ‘strong chance’ BlueCo may use this mode of operation to try and acquire the Brazil international.

Despite only joining the club last summer, the £80,000 per week earner was predominantly used in the Europa Conference League, though he did manage 31 outings across all competitions, scoring four times and laying on three assists.

On the other hand, Pedro, who has previously been labelled “amazing” by Slaven Bilic, managed a respectable ten strikes and seven assists in 30 outings.

The opportunity to trade with the Seagulls may be edged along due to the likes of ex-Brighton employee Paul Winstanley. Former Watford man Pedro is also wanted by Newcastle, albeit they may opt to pivot towards Liverpool’s Diogo Jota in their own search for a number nine.

Chelsea would love a clear run at signing the forward, though it should be taken into account that their attempt to perform a part-exchange means Brighton aren’t willing to let him leave on the cheap and more work on this front may be required.

Birmingham romp home in chase after spinners strangle Derbyshire batting effort

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2024Birmingham Bears picked up a second win in three days to keep their place among the North Group contenders with a seven-wicket Vitality Blast victory over Derbyshire Falcons at the Incora County Ground.On a used pitch that yielded runs only reluctantly, the visitors restricted Derbyshire to 133 for 7, left-arm spinner Danny Briggs taking 2 for 23 with David Lloyd scoring 50 and Brooke Guest an unbeaten 38. Richard Gleeson took two wickets in the powerplay but it was the Bears spinners largely responsible for tying down Falcons.Derbyshire’s spinners threatened to do a similar job but Dan Mousley and Sam Hain (43) showed considerable patience and eventually reaped the rewards, their 93-run partnership across 13.3 overs effectively winning the match, Mousley closing it out with his seventh four with seven balls to spare.Having opted to bat first, Derbyshire suffered a setback when the in-form Aneurin Donald fell for just 2 but seemed to be heading for a satisfactory start until Gleeson removed Cam Fletcher and Wayne Madsen in the space of three balls in the last over of the powerplay to give Bears an early advantage.A boundary apiece from Guest and Lloyd off Jake Lintott’s opening over hinted at acceleration but Falcons’ progress was unspectacular at 65 for 3 from 10. Lloyd drove a soaring straight six off Lintott and repeated the blow against Briggs to complete a 36-ball half-century but was then caught aiming to clear the midwicket boundary.Samit Patel perished cheaply, pouched at backward point when he skied one from Briggs as the competition’s all-time leading wicket-taker on 229 dismissed his closest rival. At 103 for 5 from 16, Derbyshire had been properly strangled by Bears’ spinners. Mousley’s offspin was wicketless but conceded only 16 in his allocation.Ross Whiteley lifted Chris Woakes into the car park on the leg side but once the ball had been found Woakes promptly bowled him with a full delivery off an inside edge. The over cost 13 runs but was one of only three across the innings to yield a tally in double figures and, after Zak Chappell was run out in the last over, 133 looked too little.Daryn Dupavillon, the South African quick, angled one in to bowl Rob Yates with his fourth delivery. Mousley picked up three quick boundaries but Alex Davies, having uppercut Dupavillon for four and lifted Pat Brown for an audacious six on the leg side was caught at midwicket as Brown exacted instant revenge. Mousley slog-swept Madsen for six and the Bears were 50 for 2 from six.Patel and fellow spinner Mitch Wagstaff applied the brakes, conceding just 29 in six overs bowling in tandem, but with 55 needed after 12 overs, and eight wickets in hand, the Bears were still favourites, more so after Mousley and Hain plundered 21 from the next two before Mousley swept Patel to go to fifty from 42 balls.The requirement was down to six from 17 balls by the time Brown bowled Hain after a 42-ball innings containing only one boundary. Mousley cut Chappell for his seventh four to complete the win.

Watching rain fall doesn’t sound like a nail-biting pastime but for England the hours waiting to start their final group match of this T20 World Cup, against Namibia, were gripping. England’s eventual victory, by 41 runs in a match reduced to 10 overs per side in Antigua on Saturday, was pure relief for the defending champions.No result other than a win would have kept England in contention for the Super Eight phase but they had to get on the park for that. After the toss was delayed by three hours – won by Namibia, who chose to bowl first – they finally had the chance to control their own destiny, to a point. The equation was simple. England had to beat Namibia and then wait to see whether Australia defeated Scotland – which they duly did, though not without a struggle – to ensure England joined the Australians in progressing from Group B.Showers before the scheduled start returned to Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in the form of a torrential downpour just as it looked like the covers would be lifted. England had to hold onto hope of a reduced-overs match despite the rain appearing to have set in. Eventually, play began at 4pm local time, reduced to 11 overs per side, which became 10 when rain intervened once more, albeit briefly, with England 82 for 3 after eight overs.Harry Brook’s unbeaten 47 off 20 balls and Jonny Bairstow’s 31 off 18 steadied them from a perilous 13 for 2, the pair sharing a 56-run stand for the third wicket to help lift their side to 122 for 5. With Namibia chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 126, England’s bowlers didn’t allow them to score fast enough and secured a comfortable victory, after a torturous wait.

Namibia’s dream, England’s nightmare

David Wiese conceded just a solitary run from the first over on an understandably tacky wicket, testing England openers Jos Buttler and Phil Salt by varying his lines and lengths. Then Ruben Trumpelmann removed Buttler for a four-ball duck with a wonderful inswinger that crashed into leg stump with the second ball of the next over in a dream start for Namibia. It wasn’t until 10 balls into the match that England scored their first boundary, which became two when Salt lofted wider deliveries from Trumpelmann for four down the ground and over deep third. When Wiese returned for a second over on the trot, he had Salt caught behind off an excellent knuckle ball, delivered slow outside off stump and finding a thick edge to put England in trouble at 13 for 2 inside three overs.

Bairstow unleashed

Left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz came into the attack in the fourth over and in for some Bairstow treatment, reverse-swept for four and muscled over long-on for six next ball. Bairstow skied Gerhard Erasmus’s third ball back over his head and, to England’s relief, the ball plugged in a gap between an advancing long-off, long-on and the bowler running back. He crashed the next through the leg side for four. Brook chimed in with a powerful six over deep midwicket off Jack Brassell and sent the next through point for four to bring up England’s fifty off 34 balls. When Erasmus returned, Bairstow immediately nailed a six over midwicket.Bairstow survived a run-out chance on 31 and hadn’t added to his score when he top-edged an attempted cut off Scholtz towards short cover, where keeper Zane Green collected. Bairstow’s 18-ball knock was his first foray into double figures in three innings at this tournament and his highest score at a T20 World Cup, setting a solid platform after England’s shaky start before more rain arrived to halt play.

Brook in on the act

After such a long wait to learn whether they would get to play again, England’s innings was further reduced to 10 overs when rain caused another 10-minute stoppage, by which time Brook and Moeen Ali were left with twelve balls to set an imposing target. They took 19 runs off Brassell in the penultimate over, 18 of them to Brook, who finished with 4,6,4 to take England past the 100 mark. Moeen fell for 16 off six balls but Liam Livingstone blasted the first two balls he faced from Trumpelmann for six before he was run out on the last ball of the innings and left the field clutching his side in some discomfort. Ben Duckett’s appearance as substitute fielder in his place raised further concerns over Livingstone’s fitness.

Davin makes way for Wiese

Reece Topley conceded only two runs off the opening over of Namibia’s pursuit, one of them a front-foot no-ball on the first delivery of the innings. England’s bowlers were keeping a lid on Namibia’s scoring and, needing 83 more off the last four overs, Nikolaas Davin retired out on 18 off 16, the first player to do so at an ICC event, making way for the vastly experienced Wiese. He clubbed the first ball he faced – off Sam Curran, making his first appearance at this World Cup – for four through backward point. Wiese proceeded to smash back-to-back sixes off Adil Rashid over long-off and deep midwicket then pierced the covers for four.But they needed 55 off the last two overs and Michael van Lingen holed out to Brook off Chris Jordan, brought into the side for Mark Wood on the strength of his death bowling, on the final ball of the ninth. When Jofra Archer removed Wiese, again via a Brook catch in the deep in the final over, the 39-year-old walked off amid handshakes from several England players, a fitting international farewell in his last game for Namibia, the nation he transferred his allegiance to in 2021 after 26 matches for South Africa.

Chelsea have already made a couple of signings during the 2025 summer transfer window, and have confirmed the addition of midfielder Dario Essugo from Sporting CP. The most recent of those signings was Mamadou Sarr, the young French centre-back who joined from sister club Strasbourg of Ligue 1.

The other addition was Liam Delap, who made the move to Stamford Bridge from now relegated Ipswich Town. He cost the Blues £30m, the price of his relegation release clause at Portman Road, although BBC Sport say he will cost Chelsea £20m up front.

Delap, a European champion with England under-21 back in 2023, might not be the only player from that successful side to join the Blues this summer.

Chelsea chasing another English talent

Delap joins his fellow under-21 European Championship winner, Cole Palmer, in the Chelsea squad. It certainly fits the transfer policy we have seen from the Blues under Todd Boehly, to sign young talents who will have an impact now and in the future.

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The man who could join his former England teammates at Stamford Bridge is James Trafford. According to a report from The Telegraph, Chelsea could ‘enter the race’ for the Burnley goalkeeper, having kept a close eye on him ‘for more than a year’.

Indeed, the West London club do not go into the race for Trafford as favourites. Rather, they could end up hijacking the move, with fears at Newcastle United, who are ‘negotiating over the asking price’ with Clarets, that Chelsea could poach the goalkeeper.

Burnley have asked for £30m or more for the goalkeeper, a fee Chelsea would need to match to pull off the hijack.

Why Trafford would be a good signing

If Chelsea were to sign Trafford this summer, and poach him right from underneath Newcastle’s nose, he would join the club with a great reputation. It was a sensational 2024/25 campaign for the Burnley shotstopper, with football scout Antonio Mango calling him the “future England No1” based on those efforts.

Indeed, it was a magical season for Trafford, helping his Burnley side to promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. In 45 Championship games, he conceded just 16 goals and kept 29 clean sheets.

Those numbers are ridiculous. It was a team effort, of course, with a strong defence in front of him, but certainly a large part of the defensive success was down to Trafford between the posts. He conceded an average of 0.36 goals per game across the season, as per FBref.

That is one of the many metrics in which Trafford ranked first amongst Championship goalkeepers last season. Another impressive stat is his save percentage, which was 84.5% last season.

FBref stats show that he stacks up well against Premier League goalkeepers, too. In 2024/25, Trafford conceded the least number of goals compared to top-flight shot stoppers who played at least 50% of games, kept double the amount of clean sheets and had the highest save percentage.

Goals conceded

16

1st

1st

Goals conceded per game

0.36

1st

1st

Saves

85

14th

=13th

Save percentage

84.5%

1st

1st

Clean sheets

29

1st

1st

Equally too, there are a number of similarities between Trafford and Chelsea’s new number nine, Delap. Not only have they played alongside each other for England under-21s, but the pair also represented Manchester City’s academy alongside each other.

In all, they have played 21 games together, and it is certainly interesting that the pair have had such a similar career. After plenty of loans across the EFL, they each left City – joining Burnley and Ipswich for £19m and £20m, respectively – forged their own paths and made a real name for themselves, before potentially reconvening at Chelsea. It is quite the story.

On top of that, the Blues also pipped Newcastle to the signing of Delap. Back in May, it was reported by TEAMTalk that they had ‘showdown talks’ with the striker. However, Chelsea won the race to sign him, and they could well be set to repeat the feat with Trafford.

Paying £30m for a goalkeeper with the quality of Trafford seems like an easy decision for the West Londoners to make. This could be one of the sagas of the window, and one Chelsea will be hoping they can win.

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