The half-centuries from Kamindu and Asalanka ended up as mere footnotes in the game as WI won with five balls to spare

Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Oct-2024West Indies 180 for 5 (King 63, Lewis 50, Pathirana 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 179 for 7 (Asalanka 59, Kamindu 51, Shepherd 2-39) by five wicketsBrandon King and Evin Lewis crashed 107 off 55 balls at the top of the order, to set West Indies beautifully on course to their target of 180, in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. Although the hosts’ middle-overs bowlers slowed West Indies’ progress, they were never in serious trouble.They had plenty of batting to see the chase through, and Sherfane Rutherford finished it off with a four off the first ball of the final over.Shamar Joseph was the most economical of West Indies’ bowlers, conceding only 27 from his four overs. Though King and Lewis later outshone them, Sri Lanka had two half-centurions too, in Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka, whose 82-run stand was the most substantial of the innings.King, Lewis blast the powerplayLewis struck the first boundaries, launching Chamindu Wickramasinghe for a six and four at the end of the first over, but it was King who made the greatest impression while the fielding restrictions were in play. King’s standard move was to run at the bowlers and blast them down the ground. So good was his hand-eye coordination, that he did it twice against seamer Asitha Fernando in the second over, before taking aim at the spin of Maheesh Theekshana in the third over.By the end of the powerplay, King had eight fours (some of them edged, to be fair), and 39 runs off 20 balls. Lewis, who had blasted boundaries off Wickramasinghe almost exclusively, had 31 off 16 balls. And West Indies had 74 off the first six.They kept swinging, and by the end, Lewis made 50 off 28, and King 63 off 33. The requirement was fairly simple after their onslaught.Shamar Springer celebrates his maiden T20I wicket•AP Photo/Viraj KothalawalaWI quicks strike earlyBy contrast, Sri Lanka’s top order had failed to prosper on a helpful surface, thanks in part to sharp bowling from West Indies’ quicks. Romario Shepherd caught the edge of Pathum Nissanka’s bat three times, conceded fours behind the wicket and then had him caught by the keeper on the third occasion, to make West Indies’ first breakthrough. Kusal Perera was then bowled by Shamar Joseph early in the following over.When Kusal Mendis was also bowled by an excellent quicker delivery from Gudakesh Motie, leaving Sri Lanka at 58 for 3, it felt as if West Indies were about to carve open the game.Kamindu may be good at cricketBut then perhaps it’s time to admit that Kamindu appears to know what he is doing on a cricket field. Having recently become the fastest batter since 1950 to 1000 Test runs, he produced 50 off 41 here in the shortest format, outdone in his team only by Asalanka who clubbed 59 off 35, Kamindu would also bowl two overs for 14, switching arms when necessary. He took the wicket of the opposition’s top scorer, King, with his left-arm spin, and collected figures of 1 for 14.

The tournament could bring with it the unique prospect of players from India and Pakistan being team-mates

Firdose Moonda05-Nov-2024

The competition could turn Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Rizwan into team-mates•CREIMAS

The revival of the Afro-Asia Cup – a series of white-ball matches played between an Asian XI and an African XI – is on the cards according to the Africa Cricket Association (ACA). The continental body held its AGM on Saturday, where it appointed a six-person interim committee to restructure the ACA and increase the number of competitive opportunities for players on the continent.One of its aims is to reach out to other organisations, such as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and explore cross-continental opportunities such as the Afro-Asia Cup. The tournament was only played twice before, in 2005 in South Africa and 2007 in India. A third edition, scheduled for 2009 in Kenya, never took place but almost two decades later, it may happen after all. Should the tournament take place again, it presents a unique opportunity for players from both India and Pakistan – who do not play bilateral cricket against each other currently – to be part of the same Asia XI team.”The Afro-Asia Cup, apart from the cricket, brings the much-needed financial input to the organisation, and the appetite is huge from both ends,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, interim chair of the ACA, who is also the Zimbabwe Cricket Chair, said at a press conference. “We have had conversations with our counterparts within the Asia Cricket Council, and obviously our African contingents, they want the Afro-Asia Cup to be revived.”While ACC representatives did not respond to ESPNcricinfo at the time of publication about the return of the Afro-Asia Cup, it is learned that no formal request has been made to the ACC, neither has any discussion around this taken place at the body’s recent meeting in Malaysia. In 2005, the three-match ODI series was shared 1-1 after a rained-out final game, and in 2007, the Asia XI won all three matches.The 2005 Asia squad was captained by Inzamam-ul-Haq and included Rahul Dravid, Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble while the 2007 Asia XI squad included MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar alongside Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Yousuf and Shoaib Akhtar. At the time, relations between India and Pakistan were warm on and off the cricket field, and the two countries played regular bilateral cricket. The 2008 Mumbai attacks changed that equation, however, and the sides have played one white-ball bilateral series since, in 2012-13. They have only played in ICC events otherwise, with Pakistan traveling to India on a couple of occasions: India have not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.The ACA is also planning to launch a “mini version of the IPL,” according to CEO Cassim Suliman, called the Africa Premier League, though it remains in the planning phase. “We are planning to, after board approval, bring the Africa Premier League. That’s what we’re busy with at the moment on the sponsorship. Once that comes together, we will go to the board, the board will okay it, and then we will take it from there,” he said. “It’s the mini vision of the IPL. So we’re taking that concept of the IPL and driving that concept to ensure that everybody benefits in that aspect. As far as where we’re going to play, the board will decide. We’re going to look at facilities that are going to warrant spectator viewership. It’s still at the initial stage. Obviously, we want to do things right the first time to make sure we get the ball rolling on it. But the board will decide exactly who’s hosting and from there, we’ll take it to them from there. It’s going to be like the IPL format, but with a lower status and then we’ll grow it from there.”There is currently only one franchise tournament in Africa, South Africa’s SA20, but Mukuhlani was hopeful that a South African franchise could be involved in the Africa Premier League and committed Zimbabwean players to the proposed tournament. “The participation of South Africa and Zimbabwe gives context to the competition, and there is also the experience that the upcoming teams get from playing alongside players from South Africa and Zimbabwe,” he said. “So yes, we will participate.”

تفاعلت جماهير فريق ليفربول مع تفاصيل التصويت للنجم المصري محمد صلاح في سباق المنافسة على جائزة الكرة الذهبية لعام 2025، والتي تم الكشف عنها يوم الجمعة بعد أيام قليلة من إعلان تتويج عثمان ديمبلي بها.

كانت مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” الشهيرة قد أقامت الحفل السنوي، بالتعاون مع يويفا، يوم الإثنين الماضي حيث تم الإعلان عن فوز عثمان ديمبلي بالكرة الذهبية لأول مرة في مسيرته.

وتواجد محمد صلاح في المركز الرابع في جائزة الكرة الذهبية لعام 2025، خلف كل من عثمان ديمبلي، لامين يامال وفيتينها.

وكشفت صحيفة “ليكيب” الفرنسية، اليوم الجمعة، عدد النقاط للمرشحين في الكرة الذهبية لذلك العام ومن ضمنهم محمد صلاح (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة من هنا).

وأوضحت الصحيفة نفسها أن محمد صلاح لم يحصد سوى 4 أصوات فقط في اختياره في المركز الأول في الكرة الذهبية.

وانفعلت جماهير ليفربول على ذلك الأمر حيث ترى أن محمد صلاح يستحق أفضل من كل هذا، بالنظر إلى ما حققه من أرقام فردية مذهلة رفقة الفريق الموسم الماضي، حيث جاءت ردود فعلهم على النحو التالي:

“هذا قليل للغاية، جائزة الكرة الذهبية مُسيسة، من هم الصحفيون؟ ولماذا يجب أن يكونوا هم من يصوتون؟!”.

That’s too low. Balon d’or is politicize. Who are the journalists and why must it be journalist who vote? — COLLINS LFC🇳🇬🇨🇦 (@Gr8tful_Bushman) September 26, 2025

“تخيلوا نشر هذا للسخرية منه، ولكننا نرى 96 أحمقًا و4 صحفيين طبيعيين”.

Imagine releasing this to mock him, but we see 96 fools and 4 normal journalists — ʚîɞ (@kikiana_lfc) September 26, 2025

“لماذا يُسمح للصحفيين بالتصويت على مثل هذه الجائزة المرموقة، حيث يجب أن يكون 90% من اللاعبين والمدربين والباقي من الصحفيين؟”.

Why do journalists get to vote on such a prestigious award it should be 90%players and coaches and rest journalists — Sauce (@ZaidShaikh2478) September 26, 2025

“لا أعرف من هم هؤلاء الصحفيون وكيف يتأهلون للتصويت لهذه الجائزة، هذا الأمر لا أفهمه!”.

Idk who these journalists are and how they are qualified to vote for this trophy is beyond me! — Sam’s Sports Corner (@samsportscorner) September 26, 2025

“هل باقي الصحفيين لم يشاهدوا كرة القدم في الموسم الماضي؟”.

Did the rest of them not watch Football last season? — Slots Baldy Head (@ScouseRed0151) September 26, 2025

“حسنًا، هذا الأمر يعني أن 4 صحفيين فقط شاهدوا الدوري الإنجليزي الموسم الماضي!”.

So, there were only four journalists that watched premier league. Got it. — Jeremy Ray Caruthers (@JeremyCaruthers) September 26, 2025

“يا لها من مزحة”.

What a joke — ☪️ 🇵🇸Muhammed (@Muhammed2755643) September 26, 2025

“هذا يظهر فقط مدى بؤس الجائزة”.

Just shows how pathetic the award has become — Shawnoxo (@shawnoxley1971) September 26, 2025

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.

Everton are looking to strike on the market and could now have moved ahead of their rivals in the race to sign a midfielder with Premier League experience, according to a report.

Everton ready to bring in new recruits

The Toffees have added Carlos Alcaraz and Thierno Barry to their ranks as they begin to step up their hunt for reinforcements, and they could now look to fight Manchester United for the signing of Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi in a bargain £9 million deal off-set by his relegation release clause.

Shedding some light on the situation, Pete O’Rourke stated: “I think he will leave Leicester this summer. Obviously, this release clause in there makes it easier for clubs to try and sign Ndidi.

“I think it could be one of the bargains of the transfer window due to that £9million release clause. I’m not surprised Everton have been having a look at him. There’s also interest from Crystal Palace, Fulham and Manchester United as well. There will also be interest from abroad, as Juventus are very much interested in the midfielder.”

In recent weeks, Everton have also made an enquiry to sign Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, though they were rebuffed in their approach despite being willing to pay £30 million for the Scotland international.

Abdoulaye Doucoure and Orel Mangala have left vacancies to be filled within David Moyes’ engine room, and the Friedkin Group have their sights on premium arrivals to replicate their impact at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton’s first five Premier League fixtures

Leeds United (A)

Elland Road

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Molineux

Aston Villa (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Liverpool (A)

Anfield

With that in mind, the Toffees could now burst ahead of their rivals to bring in a midfielder who has already enjoyed plenty of success in the Premier League.

Everton in active negotiations to sign Douglas Luiz

According to TEAMtalk, Everton are in active negotiations to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz, and they could now leap ahead of several rival suitors in the race for the Brazil international.

Moyes views the former Aston Villa man as an ideal addition to solidify his engine room due to his top-flight experience and quality in possession, and he may be available for a bargain fee of £21.6 million after a disappointing campaign in Turin.

Everton now want to sign new Premier League 26 y/o with Moyes a "big fan"

The Toffees are in the market for reinforcements.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 9, 2025

After a return of 27 appearances across all competitions, Olympic gold medallist Luiz is also being tracked by Fulham, Manchester United and Aston Villa. Still, Everton appear to be the ‘most active’ club when it comes to pursuing a transfer with the Toffees ‘serious about making a move’.

Now, it is expected that they will up their bid to bring him to Merseyside in the coming weeks and hope to convince the Rio De Janeiro-born star that his future lies under the guise of Moyes.

Previously, Luiz has been labelled “amazing” by Roy Keane and clearly has a lot left to give at the elite level and a change of clubs could be the perfect tonic to reignite his career.

What started as a rather miserable summer with the sacking of Ange Postecoglou has turned into what could be a brilliant one for Tottenham Hotspur.

Thomas Frank has a massive task ahead of him both domestically and on the continent next season, but Daniel Levy and Co appear intent on giving him what he needs.

After making the required signing of another young prospect in Japanese defender Kota Takai, the North Londoners made the massive £55m purchase of Mohammed Kudus.

The former West Ham United star is undoubtedly going to add something special to Frank’s attack, and now the club appear likely to land another Premier League star who’d be his dream ten.

Tottenham Hotspur target Premier League stars

In an understandable bid to improve their terrible domestic form ahead of next season, Spurs have seemingly made a concrete effort to target players who did exceptionally well in the Premier League last season.

Transfer Focus

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

One of those is Yoane Wissa, who, according to reports, could be available for around £50m.

That might sound like a lot for a 28-year-old Brentford player, but with 20 goals and five assists to his name in 39 appearances last season, he’d be more than worth the outlay.

That said, being a centre-forward, he is obviously not the target who could be Kudus’ dream ten; that tag goes to Morgan Gibbs-White.

Yes, in what is now turning into the latest transfer saga involving the North Londoners, a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Spurs have maintained their desire to sign the Nottingham Forest star.

The Italian journalist has claimed that, despite the Tricky Trees threatening legal action following the Lilywhites’ activation of the Englishman’s £60m release clause, the club remain confident that they will get their man.

That’s undoubtedly due to the player’s desire to make a move happen, with journalist Graeme Bailey also reporting that Gibbs-White has told Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis that he wishes to sign for Spurs. That’s despite interest from Manchester City.

Indeed, earlier in the window, it was reported that the Citizens have been working on a deal to sign the creative midfielder this summer and had allegedly already agreed on personal terms. Yet, they have preferred other options up to this point, namely new signing Rayan Cherki.

This deal would represent a serious financial commitment from the Europa League champions, but given Gibbs-White’s form last season, it’d be one worth making, especially as he’d be a dream ten for Kudus.

Why Gibbs-White would be a dream ten for Kudus

While there are several reasons why Gibbs-White would be a dream number ten for Kudus, one of the most crucial is simply his output.

For example, in just 34 appearances last season, totalling 2824 minutes, the “exceptional” midfielder, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, scored seven goals and provided ten assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every other game, or one every 166.11 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Forest only scored 58 goals in the league.

Gibbs-White’s 24/25 in the PL
Appearances	34
Minutes	2824
Goals	7
Assists	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.5
Minutes per Goal Involvement	166.11′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Just imagine then how many goals and assists the former Irons star could amass playing alongside someone that creative and effective.

Moreover, when we take a look at the 25-year-old’s underlying numbers, we can see some of the ways in which he could get the ball up to his potential future teammate.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers for passes into the final third in the Premier League last season, and the top 9% for through balls, per 90, demonstrating exactly why some analysts believe that he is a “monster” in transitional phases of play.

Finally, it’s easy to overlook the simple fact that the Stafford-born ace is already proven in the league, so there should be little need for a bedding-in period, and therefore, he could start providing chances for the Ghanaian international from day one.

Ultimately, it will be an expensive deal, but Spurs look to be onto a winner with Gibbs-White, especially in tandem with Kudus.

Gibbs-White will love him: Spurs huge admirers of £80m Premier League star

Tottenham Hotspur’s huge transfer window has shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 14, 2025

Yash Dayal, who was in the squad for Bangladesh series, misses out

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-20242:16

Bangar: If Shami is unfit for Aus tour, there could be space for Mayank

India will go into the home Test series against New Zealand with pretty much the same squad that took on Bangladesh in September – that means Mohammed Shami hasn’t recovered in time for what will be India’s last red-ball action ahead of the five-Test series in Australia to close out this year. Yash Dayal, who had received his maiden Test call-up for the Bangladesh series, also missed out.Jasprit Bumrah has been named vice-captain for the three Tests against New Zealand. With Rohit Sharma in doubt for the first Test against Australia, which begins in Perth on November 22, there is now more focus on India’s vice-captain.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India did not have a designated vice-captain for their most recent Test series against Bangladesh but Bumrah has performed the role for India in the past when he was the vice-captain in the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. Later, he served in the position in the two-Test tour of South Africa in 2023-24 and then in the five-Test series earlier this year against England.Bumrah has also led India once in the one-off Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was forced to sit out after having tested positive for Covid-19.Related

Rohit wants to expand India's fast-bowling bench strength

Rohit: Shami had a 'recent setback', don't want him 'undercooked' in Australia

'If you play only one way, you don't grow' – for Gambhir, it's adaptability above all else

As for Shami, he is working his way back from an ankle injury for which he required surgery. He last played a competitive match in November 2023 – the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. It was hoped he would return to full match fitness during India’s ongoing home season, ahead of the marquee series in Australia.Tearaway Mayank Yadav, who made his T20I debut for India earlier this month against Bangladesh, will join the squad as a travelling reserve along with Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy.India play three Tests against New Zealand, the first of which begins on October 16 in Bengaluru. That’s followed by Tests in Pune and Mumbai. New Zealand have a major injury concern going into the series, with Kane Williamson picking up a groin issue.India are currently on top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, with 74.24 percentage points from 11 Test matches. Wins in each of their remaining eight Tests (three against New Zealand at home and five away against Australia) will take them to 85.09%, but the more realistic aim for them will be to make sure that they get enough points to seal their place in the WTC final regardless of other results.India Test squad for the New Zealand seriesRohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt)Travelling reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna

نجح برشلونة في العودة في نتيجة المباراة ضد مضيفه ريال أوفييدو بتسجيل هدف التعادل، خلال اللقاء الذي يجري حالياً بين الفريقين ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفاً على ريال أوفييدو في ملعب “كارلوس تارتيري” ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وكان الشوط الأول قد انتهى بتقدم ريال أوفييدو عن طريق رينا في الدقيقة 32، وفي الدقيقة 55 عاد برشلونة عن طريق إريك جارسيا بعد ان ارتدت الكرة من يد حارس ريال أوفييدو من تسديدة فيران توريس.

ويحتل برشلونة المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 13 نقطة بينما يأتي ريال أوفييدو في المركز ال18 بثلاث نقاط فقط.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | بخطأ جارسيا.. رينا يسجل هدف ريال أوفييدو الأول أمام برشلونة

وكان هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة قد دخل لقاء اليوم بتشكيل مكون من: خوان جارسيا، أراوخو، باو كوبارسي، جارسيا، جيرارد مارتن، بيدري، كاسادو، داني اولمو، رافينها، ماركوس راشفورد، فيران توريس.

ويجلس على مقاعد بدلاء برشلونة كلًا من: فرينكي دي يونج، روني بردجي، أندرياس كريستنسن، فويتشيك تشيزني، دييجو كوشين، جول كوندي، جوفري تورنتس، توني فيرنانديز، مارك بيرنال.

It’s no secret that Chelsea have spent a lot of money on a lot of seriously talented players over the last few years.

However, arguably one of the most exciting signings the club have made in recent years was when they spent £29m on then-17-year-old Estevao Willian, who is finally set to join up with Enzo Maresca’s squad ahead of next season.

The teenage Brazilian, nicknamed Messinho, is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football and, with 42 goal involvements in 83 senior club games already, it’s easy to see why analyst Ben Mattinson describes him as a “future Ballon d’Or winner.”

So, Chelsea fans should be delighted with reports linking the club to another incredible gem who could be as big a talent as Estevao.

Chelsea target brilliant wonderkid

It would be fair to say that this summer has been a largely positive one for Chelsea so far, as, on top of their exploits on the pitch, the club have conducted some brilliant business off of it.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

For example, they made a tidy profit on Noni Madueke and managed to finally offload Kepa Arrizabalaga, with both making the increasingly common move from Stamford Bridge to the Emirates.

Then, in terms of incomings, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro are all surely going to improve Maresca’s attack, and it looks like they are closing in on RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons as well.

However, the Blues don’t appear to be done there, as it also looks like they will be getting their hands on an even younger prospect, someone who could be as big a talent as Estevao.

At least that’s according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, who has reaffirmed Chelsea’s intense interest in Jorrel Hato.

The Italian journalist goes a step further, revealing that a deal to sign the Ajax ace is “now very close” as negotiations between the two clubs are at the “final stages.”

A price is not mentioned in Romano’s report, but stories from earlier this month claimed that a fee of around £40m would be enough to get this deal over the line.

While that might seem like a lot of money, it might end up being fair value if Hato can fulfil the potential so many believe him to have, similarly to Estevao.

Why Hato is as big a talent as Estevao

So, the first thing to point out is that, with Estevao primarily playing as a right-winger and being tasked with scoring and creating goals, he is almost always going to receive more attention and more plaudits than someone who plays in defence, like Hato.

However, that does not mean the Dutchman does not possess the same level of talent as the Brazilian, nor the potential to be a genuinely great player one day – you only need to look at his record to see that.

Since making his debut back in February 2023, at just 16 years old, the “exceptional athlete,” as dubbed by Mattinson, has become an integral part of Ajax’s first team.

Hato’s senior Ajax record

Appearances

111

Starts

102

Minutes

9121′

Goals

4

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.11

Minutes per Goal Involvement

701.61′

Points per Game

1.86

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The Rotterdam-born monster has already amassed a staggering 111 appearances for the Dutch giants, of which 102 have been starts, and even though he primarily played at left-back, he has also been able to amass a reasonable tally in which he’s scored four goals and provided nine assists.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you that the 19-year-old wonderkid was something genuinely special, then perhaps the fact he’s already captained the Amsterdam outfit on multiple occasions will.

Finally, he’s not just seen as the next big thing by his club.

For example, the “immense” prospect, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has also already won six senior caps for the Netherlands, in which he’s provided one assist, since making his debut in November 2023, at just 17 years old.

Ultimately, Estevao will always generate more excitement as he’s someone who could be a massive source of goals and assists in the future.

Still, from everything we’ve seen over the last few years and what those in the know are saying, there is every chance Hato could be as immense a talent, and therefore, someone Chelsea fans should be very excited about.

Related Even better than Hato: Chelsea preparing bid to sign "aggressive" £51m star

As Chelsea close in on the signing of Jorrel Hato from Ajax for around £35m, they’re also preparing an offer for an even better “aggressive” defender.

Posts ByBen Gray Jul 29, 2025

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

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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.”