All posts by h716a5.icu

Saurashtra stutter to 58 for 5 in their second innings, still 148 runs away from the target

The Report by Shamya Dasgupta06-Feb-2019Last ball of the ninth over of the Saurashtra second innings. Cheteshwar Pujara leans forward to defend a flighted delivery from Aditya Sarwate on off and middle. He plays for the turn from the left-arm spinner, but there isn’t any, and he is trapped plumb in front for a five-ball duck.Sarwate sets off, his team-mates in hot pursuit while also high-fiving each other, before he stops and lets out a roar. It is, after all, the big moment, and Sarwate has done it two times in two innings.He has done much more than that, actually. After picking up five wickets in the Saurashtra first innings, Sarwate winkled out three top Saurashtra batsmen inside nine overs, leaving them 22 for three in a chase of 206. First-innings centurion Snell Patel – check. Harvik Desai – check. And Pujara, the big fish – check. Not ideal from Saurashtra’s point of view as they looked to avoid making it three final losses in seven seasons, but perfect for Vidarbha, the defending champions.It got worse for Saurashtra as Arpit Vasavada was done in by Umesh Yadav’s pace, sending a regulation catch behind the stumps. Then Sheldon Jackson, very early in his innings, stepped out to Akshay Wakhare and attempted to send the ball out of Jamtha. The ball kept low, and snaked it to hit the stumps.Vishvaraj Jadeja, composed but not overly cautious so far in his innings, went to stumps unbeaten on 23, and had for company Kamlesh Makvana on two.Dharmendrasinh Jadeja completed a six-wicket haul•PTI Earlier, after they started on 55 for two, Vidarbha batted two sessions, added 145 runs, and lost their eight remaining wickets, four of them to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who completed a six-for in the process.Ganesh Satish and Wasim Jaffer were in the middle when proceedings began, but Dharmendrasinh found Jaffer’s edge in the eighth over of the morning with one that didn’t bounce much, and substitute wicketkeeper Avi Barot pouched the catch.The scoreboard read 71 for three at that stage, and it was 73 for five in almost no time as Dharmendrasinh trapped Satish in front for 35 and Jaydev Unadkat got a full-pitched delivery to straighten and go past Akshay Wadkar’s defensive prod and hit timber.Vidarbha needed a fightback, and they got a bit of it from Mohit Kale and Akshay Karnewar, the two adding 32 runs before Makvana caught Karnewar’s edge on the drive and Desai clung on at slip.Kale battled on to make a valuable 38 on a pitch that was turning big by that stage, but the big contribution came from Sarwate, who top-scored in the innings with 49 before becoming the last wicket to fall, having given himself and his bowling mates more to bowl at than looked likely at one stage.Umesh also chipped in with a 12-ball 15 as the last three Vidarbha wickets added 66 runs – it has been a trend in the game, the last three wickets had put up 116 in Vidarbha’s first dig and 123 in Saurashtra’s reply. Saurashtra will hope Vishvaraj and Makvana, and next-man Prerak Mankad, don’t leave the tail with too much to do, but it might well be the case if Sarwate & Co. have it their way on the fifth morning.

Ravi Thodge, a retired lieutenant general, joins Rai and Edulji, while Justice DK Jain takes over as board’s final adjudicating authority

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2019The Committee of Administrators (CoA), which is currently overseeing the functioning of the BCCI, has a new third member: Ravi Thodge, a retired lieutenant general of the Indian army. The Supreme Court made the appointment on Thursday, during a hearing of various issues related to the Justice Lodha Committee’s recommendations.Thodge’s appointment comes after months of heated and public disagreement over several issues between the two existing members of the CoA: Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and Diana Edulji, the former India women captain.During the hearing, Justice SA Bobde expressed his displeasure at Rai and Edulji airing their differences in public, and asked the amicus curiae PS Narasimha to instruct them not to do so. Narasimha suggested that reconstituting the CoA to an odd number could help solve potential deadlocks, and Bobde wondered aloud if there should be five members. In the end, the court settled on three, making its decision in chambers.It is not yet known if Thodge will be part of the BCCI meeting on Friday, where top-level officials including Rai and Edulji are set to discuss – among other issues – whether to send the ICC a draft letter asking for Pakistan to be banned from the upcoming World Cup.The court has also appointed Justice DK Jain, a retired Supreme Court judge, as the BCCI’s ombudsman, the board’s final adjudicating authority under its new constitution.The post had been vacant since Justice AP Shah finished his term in late 2016 and the Committee of Administrators (CoA) had been asking the court for directions on a new appointment since Justice Shah’s departure.One of the first issues Justice Jain is likely to deal with is the recent suspension of Indian players Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul. The pair had been suspended pending an inquiry into their offensive comments on an television chat show, which the CoA concluded had violated the Code of Conduct. The players were eventually allowed to continue playing, subject to the case reaching its conclusion upon the appointment and adjudication of an ombudsman.When Justice Bodbe asked the amicus what the hurry was to appoint an ombudsman, Narasimha replied that the ombudsman was the dispute resolution mechanism, and there were quite a few issues where he could help. When the judge asked for an example, the amicus pointed to the alleged misconduct of the CEO Rahul Johri, an issue that was settled after an independent panel cleared him of sexual harassment allegations by 2-1 majority.It was a contentious verdict, with Edulji and two of the three BCCI office bearers disagreeing with it. It is likely that Justice Jain would need to study the final report of the independent panel before taking any fresh step.

Tottenham Hotspur did more than just end their interminable trophy drought when defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final last season; Ange Postecoglou opened up a road to the Champions League.

Given that Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, this was quite the saving grace at the end of a campaign that left so much to be desired, and it ensured the Londoners could make a compelling case to potential signings like Xavi Simons.

While Tottenham supporters were overjoyed when signing the Dutch playmaker from RB Leipzig for £51m, after intense interest from Chelsea earlier in the summer, there’s no denying that the 21-year-old has yet to perform on English shores.

Given his big-money profile and the expectation upon his arrival, there’s a concern that Simons is echoing the likes of Tanguy Ndombele before him.

Simons' start to life at Spurs

Thomas Frank hasn’t yet established his vision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his side struggling for form in the final third. Simons has been a part of the problem, but it’s important to remember this is a young talent who has entered a team lacking offensive coherence.

In just two years in Germany, Simons scored 22 goals and supplied 24 assists across 78 matches. He was the difference-maker, and many Premier League clubs were keen.

Spurs won the race, and credit to them, but Simons has yet to prove he has what it takes to raise his game to the next level, thus prompting concerns that he might mimic Frenchman Ndombele, who became the Londoners’ club-record signing when joining from Lyon in a £54m deal in 2019.

Ndombele’s temperament and commitment were among the cruxes of his demise in English football, and Simons cannot be blamed for a lack of effort, but it’s a concern all the same, and one Frank will need to rectify quickly to get his side operating at full creative capacity.

The jury is still out for the Netherlands international, who is young and talented and settling into an outfit that lacks creative direction right now.

There’s actually another Lilywhites man with far more experience who might be deteriorating into Ndombele 2.0.

Spurs' new version of Ndombele

Frank has spoken of his players’ frustrations following their recent run of form, and this was clear to see last weekend when Fulham condemned Tottenham to yet another home defeat.

Pedro Porro was incensed, but the Portugal international might want to direct that anger inwards, given his spate of shambolic displays this year.

The 26-year-old has been in the English capital for almost three years now, and while he is among the most technically gifted players in the ranks, his awareness and accuracy in defensive phases could see him become a disappointment in a similar way to Ndombele, especially when considering he had such a furore about his signature in 2023 that Manchester City came sniffing around last year.

Porro is rudderless. Sofascore record that he has made five errors already in the Premier League this season, and he is among the most dribbled-past defenders in the division thus far.

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Mats Wieffer

19

2.

Neco Williams

18

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Pedro Porro

17

4.

Hugo Bueno

16

5.

Matty Cash

16

In fairness, Porro sits among the top 16% of Premier League full-backs this season for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, but his defensive work has been well below the desired standard.

But his lack of focus and misuse of his own athleticism led one Tottenham podcast host to brand him “an absolute liability” last season, and that’s only been underscored since then, with Frank now facing his own Ndombele-like conundrum in working out what to do with this talented but toiling star.

Porro has enjoyed some high points across his Tottenham career, but he’s been culpable for too many poor performances over the past couple of years, and in this, it is he and not the young Simons who is shaping into the London side’s new version of Ndombele.

Just like Romero: Spurs prepare £40m bid for "crazy" Van de Ven upgrade

Tottenham are in the market for more defensive depth ahead of the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair 7 days ago

Christian Pulisic has revealed the secret weapon behind his awesome debut season at AC Milan: team-mate Rafael Leao.

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Pulisic has enjoyed excellent seasonStar reflects on his 'secret' weaponWill compete at Copa America with USMNTWHAT HAPPENED?

Pulisic scored a career-best 12 league goals and registered seven assists to help Milan secure a second-place finish in Serie A, while he also scored three and set up one more in European competition. The United States international has received much praise for his performances since joining the Rossoneri from Chelsea last summer, with coach Stefano Pioli expressing his admiration on more than one occasion.

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USMNT supporters will be hoping that the ex-Borussia Dortmund star can bring his excellent form back home when Gregg Berhalter's team host the Copa America this summer. Sadly, however, Pulisic will be without the one factor that he says has helped inspire his improvement – Portuguese sensation Leao.

WHAT PULISIC SAID

"The truth is that I’ve become accustomed to playing on the right, and I’ve been scoring goals thanks to a little secret: it’s called Rafael Leao," he told . "I’ve studied and understood how he moves. Usually, he attracts two or three opponents, so the defense is not so covered on the opposite side. Therefore, I can move towards the middle of the box and I am sure I will receive a perfectly timed pass."

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?

Pulisic will hope to add more goal contributions to his tally when he and his Milan team-mates come up against Serie A's bottom side Salernitana in their last game of the season on Saturday. Afterwards, he will head back to his homeland to start preparing for the Copa America.

After lower-order runs scrambled a lead of 90, England made early inroads before Australia wiped off the deficit

Report by Andrew McGlashan03-Aug-2019Ben Stokes claimed the breakthrough wicket of Usman Khawaja•Getty ImagesAt the end of the third day of a pulsating Test, it felt like the fortunes of both sides rested on one man: Steven Smith. He was unbeaten on 46 at the close, again batting in a different league to his team-mates, having taken Australia into a narrow lead with seven wickets in hand on a surface where a target around 200 would likely be tough.England had scrambled to an advantage of 90 having started well placed for much more, but were eventually grateful for what they had following a middle-order collapse in which they lost 4 for 16. It took Australia three wickets to erase the deficit but by the close Smith and Travis Head had added 49 in 12 overs to offer hope of giving their attack, particularly Nathan Lyon, enough runs to work with in the fourth innings.There was one moment of unease for Smith, on 41, when he was hit on the helmet by a Ben Stokes bouncer. New concussion protocols or not (he was cleared by the team doctor), being forcibly removed from the field looked like the only way he would depart. And when it comes to a like-for-like replacement, well there isn’t one.Team Doctor Richard Saw later said: “After Steve was struck on the grille he underwent a head impact assessment both on the field of play and later off the field at the end of the day’s play. Steve showed no signs of concussion and is therefore free to continue to play. However, we will continue to monitor him on an ongoing basis as per our usual protocols.”Stokes had struck with his second delivery, ending a fluent innings from Usman Khawaja – who had been dropped on 11 at second slip by Jos Buttler off Moeen Ali – when he found an inside edge through to the keeper. At that point Australia were still 15 behind, and Stokes looked in the mood as he challenged Head but couldn’t find a way through again before bad light ended the day.In the field, England were again without James Anderson who had batted for half an hour with his injured calf but not moved well between the wickets. However, Stuart Broad gave them the ideal start when he completed a double over David Warner for the match, finding the edge as Warner tried to withdraw his bat. Joel Wilson gave it not out on field and again it was left for the DRS to earn its keep. Moeen, who was brought on in the eighth over, struck in his second when Cameron Bancroft inside-edged to short leg meaning Australia’s openers had contributed just 25 runs for the game.Moeen was close to having a second wicket four balls later but Buttler, who had moved from short leg to second slip, couldn’t stay low enough to take the edge. Runs then came as freely as they have at any time in the game as Joe Root regularly tinkered with his field. If there was a criticism it was that Khawaja – and later Head – were given comfortable options to get off strike with men on the boundary. Whatever Smith was faced with made no difference, and his speed between the wickets meant it was often difficult to keep him to a single. However, this game has not yet taken its decisive swing.England resumed on 267 for 4, hopeful of a total well in excess of 400 given the nature of the surface. Initially progress was slow but solid for the first half an hour before Stokes, having just reached a very classy fifty, edged a cut off Pat Cummins which exposed the out-of-form part of the middle order.Because Australia hadn’t let the scoring rate get away, they had stayed in the game even when wickets were tough to find. Now came the rewards, especially for Lyon. Firstly, Rory Burns was finally extracted after 312 balls when he edged a terrific delivery that spun and bounced. The catch from Tim Paine was equally good, if not better.Five balls later Lyon resumed his dominance over Moeen, dismissing him for the eighth time in Tests with one that went straight on and Moeen didn’t offer a shot. Moeen has admitted in his newspaper column that his batting confidence is low and, while he has asked to be judged on his bowling, it is a problem for England because Jonny Bairstow – one spot above – has also struggled in Test cricket over the last 18 months.He fell in the over after Moeen, slashing at Peter Siddle, to leave him with 47 runs in his last nine innings at home and an overall return of 521 runs at 23.68 since the beginning of the last English season. England had lost 3 for 4 in 11 balls and the lead was threatening to be barely worthwhile given they have to bat last.However, through a mixture of nudges, deflections, scampering and occasionally more powerful strokes, Broad and Chris Woakes added 65 priceless runs for the ninth wicket while also putting more miles in the legs of the fast bowlers. It was a surprise that Australia did not attack Broad early with the short delivery, seeing as it was eventually how he fell, flicking a delivery to fine leg having done what he loves to do: annoy Australia.Anderson, who had bowled before play and again during the lunch interval to test out his injured calf, shuffled between the wickets before top edging Lyon. How Root would have dearly wanted him with the ball. There is a chance that his 19-ball innings could be his last act in Ashes cricket.

Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.

Chelsea sign GarnachoWinger joins Blues for £40mGarnacho had been exiled by AmorimFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old has become Chelsea’s latest new arrival following the earlier signings of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato, while Estevao, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez all joined following pre-existing agreements.

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Garnacho had been linked with Chelsea for some time after being told – alongside Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia – that he was not part of United manager Ruben Amorim’s plans for the 2025-26 season.

WHAT GARNACHO SAID

Speaking to Chelsea's official club website, Garnacho said of his move: "It’s an incredible moment for my family and I to join this great club. I can’t wait to get started. 

"I watched the Club World Cup and to join the world champions is special – we’re the best team in the world! It’s amazing to be here and I’m very happy."

DID YOU KNOW?

Emerging through United’s youth academy, Garnacho made his senior debut for the club in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League in April 2022. He then became a regular in the United first team, helping the Red Devils win the Carabao Cup in 2022-23 and the FA Cup in 2023-24 under Erik ten Hag’s stewardship. However Garnacho endured a difficult relationship with current United boss Amorim, with the winger being omitted – alongside Rashford – from the matchday squad which faced rivals Manchester City in the derby in December 2024. And Garnacho would later express his frustration at only being used as a 71st-minute substitute in United's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in May.

A European giant has now made an early move to try and sign a Manchester United star in January, with Ruben Amorim yet to be impressed by him, according to a fresh report.

Amorim takes first Manchester United game

Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Ipswich Town on Amorim’s Premier League debut after he took charge in the November international break.

A new-look Red Devils side trialed a 3-4-3 system that saw Noussair Mazraoui form part of the back three, with Amad Diallo stationed at right wing-back and Diogo Dalot on the opposite flank.

They did not look comfortable for much of the game, and Amorim’s changes did little to inspire improvement, with the new Man Utd boss singling out summer signing Joshua Zirkzee as someone who needed to improve to continue getting game time under his management.

“I think that [decision-making] is a concern, you don’t need to coach them at this level,” Amorim said.

“You have to keep the ball and know the momentum to put the ball in front. Sometimes you feel that you can’t keep the ball and you [have to] put the ball in front.

Appearances

18

Starts

7

Goals

1

Assists

2

Minutes per goal/assist

240.3

“Then you have like we are in the end of the game, we were around the box with two strikers. Josh [Zirkzee] has to understand that he has to go to the box to have the crosses. So we are doing some things that were not at the right moment, so that is something we have to address.

“Sometimes people talk about the 3-4-3, that is not the concern, the system is the system but the understanding of the game is what we have to improve a lot in this area.”

Already under pressure after a poor start to his Old Trafford career, Zirkzee has been linked with a move away and now those comments have caught the eye of a European giant.

Motta wants Zirkzee reunion at Juventus

That comes as reports in Italy claim that Juventus are keen to sign the Dutch striker should Manchester United decide to cut their losses.

The Turin side are now coached by Thiago Motta, who worked with Zirkzee at Bologna last season, a campaign which saw the forward net 12 times in all competitions.

And now, it is claimed that he is eyeing a reunion, and “first contact has now been made between Juve and Motta’s former striker”, as they look to bring his Old Trafford nightmare to an end.

Man Utd ready to offer Serie A star £33m+ Old Trafford deal to join Amorim

He would be a massive statement of intent from the new Manchester United boss.

ByBen Browning Nov 27, 2024

It is added that “Juventus are in the front row” to sign the 23-year-old, who arrived for £36.5m just months ago and is on £105,000-a-week, though there is no suggestion that Manchester United have changed their stance on the youngster.

Nonetheless, with the Red Devils linked to several new forwards and Rasmus Hojlund already at the club, Zirkzee may only likely see his game time decrease in the months and years ahead, suggesting that perhaps a move away from Old Trafford is the best move for all parties.

Henry's last match was the 4-0 thrashing of Chivas in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Clásico Nacional, played on March 12

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Martín is suffering from tendonitis in his Achilles tendon.

He will miss the matches against Tigres, Cruz Azul, and Pachuca.

The forward is doubtful for the return leg against Cruz Azul in the Champions Cup.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

América captain Henry Martín will be sidelined for at least four weeks due to a lingering Achilles injury. The forward has been dealing with the issue for months and hasn’t been at full strength since the start of the year. His absence means he will miss Liga MX matches against Tigres and Pachuca, as well as the first leg of the Champions Cup quarterfinals against Cruz Azul.

It is unlikely that Martín will recover in time for the second leg on April 8, and his availability for América’s Liga MX match against Cruz Azul on April 12 (Matchday 15) remains uncertain. Manager André Jardine will have to wait and see if his captain can return in time.

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A few weeks ago, the forward consulted a specialist in Guadalajara, who recommended that he stop and undergo a month of rehabilitation to return fully recovered.

Martín currently has his leg immobilized with an orthopedic boot, and although he is receiving daily rehabilitation at Coapa, for now, he cannot engage in any football-related activities.

Getty Images SportWHAT VÍCTOR DÁVILA SAID

"A shame, we hope to have all our teammates available for the end of the tournament, but we're calm because the coach has handled it well. We've had rotations, and we have a wide enough squad to cover every position," Davila said of Martin's injury. "Each player has contributed good things in the attack, and André Jardine has managed the pieces well and distributed each player accordingly. What we expect is that Henry can recover properly, and it will be up to us to do our part and cover for his absence."

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Injuries have impacted Martin's performance this season. The forward has only been able to play nine matches this year between Liga MX and the Champions Cup, where he has scored just once and registered three assists. Martín has a total of 115 goals in matches with América and is currently in fourth place on the list of the club's all-time top scorers.

Visitors plod their way to total control in relegation battle with Warwickshire

ECB Reporters Network14-Sep-2022Somerset’s greatest display of aggression came before the start of the third day at Edgbaston when they issued a media release stating that the ECB’s current cricket schedule was “unacceptable” and that the south west needed “the highest standard” of men’s and women’s cricket to be able to sustain the game in the region.”The current domestic playing programme, which resulted in only four one-day matches being played in Taunton over 43 days in the height of summer this year, with 17 Somerset players unavailable, is unacceptable to the club, its members and the South West’s cricketing public,” Somerset said as the debate continued over the future structure of the English game.Their point made, on the field they plodded their way into total control against Warwickshire on the third day of their LV=Insurance County Championship Division One relegation battle at Edgbaston. They closed the third day on 277 for 4 – 300 ahead – to virtually insure themselves against defeat heading into the last day of this crucial game.On a pitch which remained slow but lost its menace, Somerset, led by captain Tom Abell’s obdurate 87 from 173 balls, batted through the day for 264 runs in 101 overs. Supported by Tom Lammonby (40 in 170 minutes) and George Bartlett (91 not out, 209 balls), the skipper lifted his team into a position whereby they have it in their power to simply bat Warwickshire out of the game.It was another tough day for the home side, who took just two wickets in three sessions. They must now lift themselves to bat well enough on the final day to avoid a defeat which would severely damage their prospects of survival.After resuming on 13 for 2, Somerset settled straight into the slow lane, Lammonby and Abell adding 55 runs in 36 overs in the morning session. At one stage, one run arrived in seven overs while Lammonby went 11 overs without scoring.It was gritty stuff, not easy on the eye but a totally understandable approach in the match situation. Warwickshire’s hopes of an early clatter induced by India internationals Mohammed Siraj or Jayant Yadav were thwarted as the pitch blunted the pace of the former and offered only very slow turn to the latter.The second-wicket pair added 79 in 41 overs before Lammonby edged Olly Hannon-Dalby to Rob Yates at slip. Bartlett seamlessly took up the cudgels of caution and settled in alongside his captain while Warwickshire skipper Will Rhodes shuffled a bowling attack that plugged away nobly to ensure that runs at least never came quickly. The fourth-wicket stand was worth 72 in 25 overs when Abell’s 246-minute vigil ended when Danny Briggs turned a beauty onto his off stump.Again, home hopes of one wicket bringing two were in vain as Lewis Goldsworthy added his application to the collective diligence. Bartlett and Goldsworthy put up a century stand in 202 balls and were still there together to resume in the morning having so far added 121.

Chelsea have held discussions with intermediaries in the last few days over a potential forward signing, as those agents attempt to find their player a new home in January and reach out to Stamford Bridge officials.

Chelsea scour January market for new attackers in January

Enzo Maresca’s side are believed to be targeting a fresh attacking option before deadline day on February 3rd, leading to their widely reported interest in the likes of Bayern Munich starlet Mathys Tel, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho.

Chelsea make "formal" bid to sign "exciting" £65m forward for Maresca

The Italian could witness a busy end to their transfer window.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 24, 2025

The Telegraph’s Matt Law wrote earlier this week that Chelsea are considering Tel, Garnacho and Gittens to bolster Maresca’s forward line, while other reports from South America claim a “formal” offer has already gone in for the Man Utd man.

Man City (away)

January 25

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February 3

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February 14

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February 22

Southampton (home)

February 25

Garnacho’s exit from Old Trafford is looking more and more like a realistic possibility, given United’s PSR concerns, and it is believed that Chelsea could look to take full advantage of this situation to snap up the Argentine.

The forward’s rumoured price tag has varied, but it has gone as high as £65 million according to some media sources, making him an expensive potential acquisition mid-season.

Taking this into account, BlueCo may also be wise to keep their eyes on further alternatives to Garnacho, and Lyon star Rayan Cherki could be a very prudent option.

The Frenchman is widely regarded as a very exciting prospect, and Lyon’s provisional relegation to Ligue 2, as a result of their financial situation, means Cherki could go on the cheap.

His price tag has dropped to as low as £19 million, as per Fabrizio Romano, which could be too good of an opportunity for elite sides to pass up.

Chelsea hold talks with intermediaries over Rayan Cherki

According to The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, agents have spoken to Chelsea “in recent days” over Cherki and his availability, as they scour the market to find their client a new club this month.

The Blues are keen on him, as are Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United, Newcastle, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and West Ham, who’ve also held discussions with Cherki’s camp.

That being said, all these sides, including Chelsea, have concerns over Cherki’s attitude to fulfilling his potential. However, if the 21-year-old does begin to perform at the level he can, journalist Dean Jones suggests he’d be an excellent signing.

“He’s just different, this player,” said Jones on the Ranks FC Ultras podcast recently.

“If you haven’t seen Cherki play, then just either stop the pod and go and watch him on YouTube for 10 minutes and then come back or just go watch him while we’re talking right now. Because his skill level is outrageous. He feels like he could become one of the best players in the world.”