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The 39-year-old stitched three strong partnerships to stretch Vidarbha’s lead, while Ishan Porel’s five-for helped Bengal climb to the second spot on the Group D table

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2017Ishan Porel’s 5 for 32 helped Bengal inflict an innings defeat on Punjab, who were bundled out for 213 in their second innings, in Amritsar. The bonus-point win took Bengal to second place in Group D.Abhishek Raman resumed batting for Bengal, with him racing to his second 150-plus score of the season early on the day. Following Shreevats Goswami’s dismissal in the 100th over, a collapse was triggered by Siddarth Kaul, as three more wickets fell within the next five overs, leaving Bengal at 316 for 6. The lower order chipped in with 50 more runs, as Bengal declared on 379 shortly before lunch.Although Punjab were off to a decent start in their second innings, seamer Porel prompted a top-order collapse as they lost three wickets in three successive overs. Anmolpreet Singh and Gurkeerat Singh sparked the resistance for Punjab with their 90-run fourth-wicket stand, taking them to 129 for 3 in the next 17 overs. However, Bengal bowlers struck back-to-back, reducing the hosts to 189 for 8, before Porel came back to clear the tail and helped Bengal complete the big win.Diwesh Pathania’s seven-for handed Chhattisgarh an innings defeat as the hosts slipped from 79 for 2 to 133 all out on the penultimate day in Raipur, as Services brought up their first win of the season.Chhattisgarh lost Siddharth Chandrakar and Ashutosh Singh early on the day, following which Abhimanyu Chauhan and Manoj Singh shared a 41-run partnership for the second-wicket. Pathania triggered Chhattisgarh’s first collapse as he dismissed four batsmen within the next eight overs. Rishabh Tiwary, who had retired hurt on the second day, came back to strike a 36-run stand with Sumit Ruikar. The second collapse followed – it was Bahadur’s turn this time, as he picked three wickets in a span of three overs. Pathania returned in the next over and dismissed Prateek Sinha, to finish with match figures of 11 for 86.Wasim Jaffer’s unbeaten 158 underpinned Vidarbha’s dominance as they declared on 427 against Goa on the penultimate day in Porvorim. Following a 117-run partnership with Sanjay Ramaswamy, Jaffer went on to strike an 87-run stand with Shalabh Shrivastava (116-ball 45), taking Vidarbha to a first-innings lead. Ganesh Satish joined Jaffer at the crease for the fourth-wicket, as the pair went on to add 171 runs more before the declaration. In their second innings, Goa lost Sumiran Amonkar and Prathmesh Gawas within the first six overs and were 19 for 2 at stumps, trailing by 169 runs.

Newcastle United are still interested in Southampton right-back Tino Livramento after seeing an initial advance rebuffed, and could re-enter formal negotiations in the coming days.

What's the latest on Tino Livramento to Newcastle?

That's according to i news, who claim that the Magpies remain in transfer talks for the 20-year-old Englishman after a £30m transfer offer was rejected by Saints earlier this month, with his team demanding £50m.

It is said that there is still a gulf in respective valuations of the player, with Eddie Howe's club likely needing to raise their offer to £40m to see the south coast side part with their precocious talent following relegation from the Premier League this year.

The report underscores Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth's emphasis on squad improvement this summer by landing two further incomings to consolidate the return to Champions League football, with the Toon finishing fourth in the English top-flight last term.

Is Tino Livramento a good player?

Kieran Trippier has proved a remarkable signing for Howe's Newcastle project since arriving from Atletico Madrid in a £12m deal in January 2022, earning praise as a "revelation" by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan and recording a remarkable average Sofascore rating of 7.61 in the league last season.

However, the England international will be 33-years-old in two months' time and Howe is working aptly in identifying an heir.

Livramento, who was restricted to just two Premier League appearances across the 2022/23 campaign following his recovery from a long-term injury, is now hoping to return to full fitness and could find his comeback well-suited to the role as Trippier's understudy, making the increments to both fitness and form as he ascends to the upper echelon of full-backs in English football, already praised as "excellent" by England manager Gareth Southgate.

Once hailed for his semblance to Premier League legend Gareth Bale by former teammate Theo Walcott, Livramento looks to hold the qualities requisite for success at the zenith of the game, and why not continue his burgeoning rise at a team enjoying their own rise to the fore in Newcastle?

Walcott said:

"Do you know what, he reminds me a little bit of Gareth Bale when he came through as a full-back. That's a big statement of course to compare him to someone like that but just feel like his presence and the way he drives and the pace and the power and it's no surprise that you know what he's going to do."

By utilising his pace, power and surging nature down the right flank, he could effectively contribute to both offensive and defensive sequences, which would aid winger Jacob Murphy in his efforts to succeed next season.

Murphy was a figure shrouded in shadow for much of his time on Tyneside after signing from Norwich City in a £12m move 2017 but played 36 times in the Premier League last season as Howe found good use of his industrious nature and "relentless" work rate – as was dubbed by Chris Waugh – and he now looks an indispensable member of a thriving outfit.

The £35k-per-week gem also ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 16% for touches in the attacking box and the top 17% for progressive passes received, as per FBref.

Effectively, this means that he would be well-placed to thrive with someone such as Livramento behind him, constantly pressing the player further up the pitch and allowing him to drift into promising openings in the danger areas, and Newcastle must now swoop.

Hendy Springer will take over from Vasbert Drakes as head coach in an interim capacity, with Gus Logie named his assistant

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2017Cricket West Indies (CWI) have announced the removal of the women’s management – coach Vasbert Drakes and his assistants Ezra Moseley and Stuart Williams – that oversaw a poor World Cup campaign in England, where they finished sixth among eight teams.CWI hopes to set up a new management support structure ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka starting on October 4. In the interim, former West Indies A coach Hendy Springer will take over the role with former batsman Gus Logie set to assist him.”The process will start with the search for a new head coach and an interim management team will be in place for the short term,” a CWI release stated.West Indies only managed wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, sides that finished below them, at the World Cup. West Indies also slumped to their second-lowest total in women’s ODIs, when they were bowled out for 48 against South Africa.An 18-member squad will be selected for a conditioning camp from September 25 to October 4, after which the squad for the home series will be picked.

Fulham star Joao Palhinha has denied that he is thinking about a possible move to Bayern Munich in the January transfer window.

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• Palhinha almost joined Bayern in summer
• Midfielder says his focus is on Fulham
• Bayern said to be cooling interest in him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Palhinha came close to joining Bayern in the summer transfer window and is even reported to have travelled to Munich for a medical, only for the deal to fall through. Despite signing a new contract with Fulham, he has been linked with a possible January switch and Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund admitted the midfielder is still being monitored by the club.

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  WHAT PALHINHA SAID

  The Portugal international was asked if he is still considering a switch to Bayern, but he insists his focus is on finishing off the month of December with Fulham. He said to (via ): "It's not messing with my head, I'm calm. I'm not thinking much about what will come next. I'm thinking about the seven games we have ahead of us in December, they are complicated games, there is Boxing Day, it all comes together. It's an important month for Fulham and for me too. And that's where my focus is. Whatever has to happen in January will happen."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite their efforts to sign him in the summer, Bayern are not lining up a new bid for him in the next transfer window, reports. Despite this, Fulham are preparing for the possibility of him leaving next month and are eyeing Brazil and Fluminense midfielder Andre as a possible replacement, according to

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• WHAT NEXT FOR PALHINHA?

  Palhinha, who has scored twice in the Premier League this season, has six more games to play in December with Fulham before the January transfer window opens. The Craven Cottage club are up against West Ham at home on Sunday.

Newcastle United are on the 'tracks' of Villarreal attacker Samuel Chukwueze this summer as Eddie Howe prepares his side for Champions League football this term, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest transfer news involving Samuel Chukwueze and Newcastle?

As per Estadio Deportivo via Sport Witness, Newcastle United are keen on signing Chukwueze this summer and view him as a possible replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin.

The report states that the 24-year-old is out of contract at the Yellow Submarine in 2024 and he has no intention to extend his stay, with a path for an exit becoming 'more and more clear’ either this window or next off-season, where he could depart Villarreal on a free transfer.

One outlet in Spain claim that Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and the Magpies are all fighting to sign the Nigeria international, who has a clause of around €80 million (£68.6 million) inserted into his current terms at Villarreal, according to GOAL journalist Ruben Uria.

Calciomercato via Football Italia claim that AC Milan have already reached a verbal agreement on personal terms with Chukwueze, though they may fall below his valuation. Villarreal want around €30 million before considering selling the attacker, while AC Milan are planning a bid of around €20 million with add-ons.

Newcastle United have already added Sandro Tonali to the ranks from AC Milan in a transfer worth £55 million as Magpies' boss Howe kicks his transfer proactivity up a notch as the window progresses.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti has revealed that Newcastle United are indeed one interested party in signing Chukwueze this summer.

Galetti stated: "Chukwueze is on the radar of some Premier League clubs. Also, in Serie A, AC Milan are really interested in him. But, the price tag, which is set at around €30m (£26m), is considered a little high for the Italian club.

"Coming back to England – Arsenal, Liverpool, and Newcastle United are on his tracks."

Would Samuel Chukwueze be a good addition for Newcastle United?

Capable of plying his trade on either flank or in central areas, Chukwueze is someone who has an exciting profile and could be a versatile addition to Howe's squad as they prepare to juggle both Premier League and Champions League football this term.

Last season, the 24-year-old enjoyed a productive time of things, registering 13 goals and 11 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Chukwueze, who has been hailed as a "beast", is something of an entertainer and managed to beat his marker with regularity in 2022/23, averaging around 2.3 successful dribbles per match in La Liga, as per WhoScored.

Providing opportunities for his teammates is a key strength of Chukwueze, evidenced by the fact that he completed 132 shot-creating actions combining his involvement in La Liga and Europa Conference League action, as shown on FBRef.

Newcastle United boss Howe will be intent on bolstering his wide options with the addition of Chukwueze; however, competition from the English top-flight and the continent will make any pursuit tough.

Nevertheless, the lure of playing in Europe's premier competition alongside potentially becoming a key part of the Magpies' project may be enough to entice him to St James' Park.

Mauricio Pochettino's side came from behind to record a 4-1 win at Turf Moor for their second successive victory on the road

It wasn't a pretty showing from Chelsea against Burnley on Saturday, but a dominant second hal showed what Mauricio Pochettino's squad is capable of. Winger Raheem Sterling stole the show, forcing an own-goal to open the scoring for Chelsea, scoring his own and then delivering a blistering assist late in the match.

Burnley opened the scoring just 15 minutes in through 18-year-old winger Wilson Odobert, and the young Frenchman caused havoc all match, with Marc Cucurella likely to have nightmares about their 1v1 duels. With the opening goal in their hands, it looked as though the match was Burnley's to lose, but Sterling's forced own-goal just before the halftime whistle gave the Blues a lifeline, and sparked the comeback.

Cole Palmer doubled Chelsea's lead from the spot six minutes into the second-half, and Sterling added a third in the 61st minute. The England international, who again missed out on the Three Lions squad for their upcoming matches with Australia and Italy, didn't stop there, though, as the 28-year-old delivered a brilliant assist for Nicolas Jackson with 15 minutes to spare. The result marked three-straight victories for Chelsea, and they might – just might – be back to their winning ways,

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Turf Moor..

Goalkeeper & Defence

Robert Sanchez (6/10):

Made a few crucial saves, but struggled commanding his box and defense throughout the first-half.

Levi Colwill (6/10):

Playing in a left-back role, Colwill has adapted well but didn't bring much to the attack Saturday.

Thiago Silva (7/10):

A dominant showing centrally, closed of any threat in the air in their box.

Axel Disasi (7/10):

Was a brick wall for the Blues, didn't allow much through.

Marc Cucurella (4/10):

Committed a defensive error for Burnley's opening goal and followed it with a wicked lash out on the leg of Wilson Odobert, earning a yellow card.

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Moises Caicedo (6/10):

Struggled a bit with his positioning early, but overall adapted well and closed down passing lanes.

Enzo Fernandez (8/10):

A brilliant midfield performance, Fernandez orchestrated the match from the middle of the pitch.

Conor Gallagher (7/10):

Assisted Sterling's goal and helped launch the forward momentum over the final 45 minutes.

Attack

Cole Palmer (7/10):

Scored the penalty to give the Blues the go-ahead goal in the 51st minute, and linked up well over the final 45 minutes.

Armando Broja (5/10):

Struggled to find any footing in the match, removed at half-time.

Raheem Sterling (8/10):

Scored the third goal of the match, caused chaos in the box throughout and forced the own-goal to open the scoring for Chelsea.

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Subs & Manager

Nicolas Jackson (7/10):

Scored the fourth goal of the match, and looked to take advantage of his cameo off the bench after serving a one-match suspension.

Mykhailo Mudryk (N/A):

Subbed on with less than 10 minutes to spare, but quality minutes for the winger who left Wednesday's match early due to injury.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

Frankly, it was an awful first 45 minutes from the Blues boss as they were outclassed in almost every sense. However, whatever he said at the half-time break, it worked as we may have seen the best version of his Chelsea yet.

After India’s capitulation in Pune, Virat Kohli said that he had not asked for such a pitch but saw nothing wrong with the track

Sidharth Monga in Pune25-Feb-2017Lowest match total for two all-out innings in India. Quickest end to two all-out innings in India. India’s fourth-lowest match total. The third-quickest they have taken to be bowled out. If India asked for this pitch, they have been hoisted by their own petard. India’s captain Virat Kohli, though, insisted that he had not asked for this pitch, saw nothing wrong with the pitch, and pulled himself and his fellow batsmen up for capitulating for a total of 212 runs in 74 overs.Asked if he or his team had asked for this pitch at a ground with a reputation for flat hard surfaces, Kohli said: “I don’t know. I didn’t speak to anyone.”About the pitch itself Kohli said: “I don’t think it was any different from the turners that we played on in the past. We just didn’t play good cricket. You can ask me any sort of question or any perception about the loss. We know exactly what happened, the mistakes that we made. External perceptions don’t matter to us, they have never mattered to us.”We played good cricket, that’s why we won. We played bad cricket, and that’s why we lost. That’s how simply we look at this defeat. We just want to take the learnings forward, improve and come back stronger in the next game. I can assure you that we are going to come back with more intent for sure, and put Australia under pressure straight from ball one.”Once the pitch was laid out, India had the option of strengthening the batting like they did on a similar pitch in Nagpur against South Africa. Kohli defended the selection. “We wanted to pick up 20 wickets, we did manage to do that,” Kohli said. “I mean, not in time. I would say we did make breakthroughs but we could’ve done it quicker and if you don’t grab your chances in the second innings, if you drop five chances of one batsman, then you certainly don’t deserve to win. If you get bowled out within 11 runs and lose seven wickets, you don’t deserve to win a Test match.”You can speak about combinations… I’m sure you wouldn’t have asked this question had we won the game. The question changes drastically when you win or lose. A lot of things are result-oriented, but not with our team. We focus on what we can do right, and what we need to do right on field, and we don’t drift away from that. Our mindset doesn’t change with the results.”Kohli said Indian saw the defeat as “no big deal”. “It’s fine,” Kohli said of the mood in the dressing room. “It’s just another international game. It’s no big deal. It’s how you should stay calm and composed when you win, how you shouldn’t get overexcited. The same way you react when you lose, something that you take on the chin. We take failures and losses as an opportunity to learn.”The defeat ended India’s 19-Test unbeaten streak, and Kohli looked back to their previous defeat for inspiration. “The last time we had a performance like this [in Galle, against Sri Lanka], we had the most outstanding run after that,” Kohli said. “I would say that we needed something like this for us to get a reality check and understand what are the things we need to work on and keep persisting with it. Not take anything for granted at any stage, especially at the Test-match level.”Kohli blamed his batsmen for not applying themselves, but defended his bowlers, who were outdone by Australia who had little experience of bowling in such conditions. “The way we batted in the first innings, I think we put ourselves under a lot of pressure to be honest,” Kohli said. “Conceding a 160-run lead on that kind of wicket is criminal actually. If we were close enough to their first-innings total, the bowlers’ mindset is different in the second innings. The moment you give away 50-60 runs, the game is drifting away already.”It’s very difficult to pull things back from there, even a single run hurts from thereon. And I would say our batsmen put us in that position where it was very difficult for us to come back into the game. Am not blaming the bowlers at all, they tried their level best, someone like Umesh [Yadav] bowling well in the first innings was great to see on a slowish wicket. They bowled in good areas, they put Australia under pressure, they were going well in the first innings and we pulled things back nicely. A few things we can take away from this game but [only] from bowling aspect. Our batting wasn’t up to standard, and that’s certainly how we shouldn’t bat from here onwards.’When asked what the Australia spinners did right in comparison to India’s, Kohli found no flaw with his unit. “I think our spinners bowled really well as well,” he said. “I wouldn’t say what they did better. As I said, if you don’t apply yourself, any bowling attack can look dangerous. It’s as simple as that. Even a part-timer can get four wickets if you don’t apply yourself. And I certainly would like to think that that was the case with our batting line-up in this game. It rarely happens that four-five batsmen make errors in judgement in both the innings, especially with the way we batted in the last few months. I would say this was our worst batting performance and we need to accept that.”One of the errors was Kohli’s, when he shouldered arms to become one of Steve O’Keefe’s 12 wickets in the match. This image was the most symbolic of all. Ravindra Jadeja had done this to Steven Smith in Delhi in 2012-13, and to Hashim Amla in Mohali in 2015-16. Now Kohli watched in horror as his off stump was laid flat. Kohli was forthcoming about his mistake.”It was a judgement error from my side,” he said. “I left the ball too early. I should have waited for the ball a little more. You can’t say which ball is going to turn or which isn’t. You’ve got to play the line, and I certainly didn’t do that. It was my fault.”

Ish Sodhi, who played three games, found dip, drift and turn to pick up nine wickets, including the second-best figures in the competition’s history, and the best since 2012

Will Macpherson in Sydney18-Jan-2017Ish Sodhi, the New Zealand legspinner, said his career-best 6 for 11 in T20s that knocked defending BBL champions Sydney Thunder out of contention has rejuvenated his love for the game.Sodhi who played three games for Adelaide Strikers found dip, drift and turn to pick up nine wickets, including the second-best figures in the competition’s history, and the best since 2012. He admitted, however, just a few weeks ago, he had “faced a few setbacks at home” and “wasn’t in the form I wanted to be in”.”The boys have rejuvenated my love for the game,” he said. “On the field and off it, just the conversations I had with guys like Brad Hodge. Today I got to meet one of my heroes growing up, Stuart McGill, and you can’t put a price on that. I will take some great experiences back home with me and hopefully I can impact some of my team-mates.”I had faced a few setbacks at home, and I wasn’t in the form I wanted to be in. I got it back in the T20s for New Zealand and I’m glad that I have transferred it to performances in the BBL. I don’t know if I’ll be back next year – it’s quite unfortunate that our seasons clash so heavily. I love it here though – if I get the chance again, if it is next year or five years time, I’ll be happy.”After a mixed showing for Northern Districts in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, he was recalled for the final two T20Is against Bangladesh this month. He picked up five wickets before joining Strikers as an overseas replacement for England’s injured Chris Jordan.He eventually filled the role vacated by Adil Rashid, who has been on international duty. Rashid’s absence has been a major factor in Strikers being the first side to fall out of finals contention this season. Despite his best performance in the shortest format till date, Sodhi was critical of his first over because he went wicketless.”If I’m really harsh on myself, I probably took a little time to adjust to the conditions. In the first over, I bowled like I was at the MCG or Adelaide Oval – a little flatter and into the deck so I could spin it on,” he said. “But there was more in the surface for me – I should have used it from ball one. I got going in the second over and it worked out really well for me.”Of his meeting with MacGill, he said: “He spoke a lot about repetition. Growing up, if you liked legspin, you loved watching MacGill bowl, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, those guys. Just to sit down with him was inspiring. He didn’t have to say much – he did tell me a lot, which was great – but just being in his presence was amazing.”He’s a guy who gave me something to look up to when I was younger and something to look forward to. He taught me a lot and hopefully I can continue to make him proud.”

Ryan Reynolds is one of the most famous actors on the planet and his decision to purchase Wrexham caused a stir back in 2021.

Film-lovers have been aware of Ryan Reynolds' work for some time. However, his purchase of Wrexham, alongside star Rob McElhenney, made football fans sit up and take notice too.

The Hollywood pair have not been shy in splashing the cash since taking over in north Wales, signing a host of top players from the leagues above as well as investing heavily in the club's infrastructure.

Now that National League promotion has been secured, next on the agenda is revamping the tired Kop stand, as well as strengthening the squad ahead of their return to the Football League.

You may be wondering how Reynolds can afford all of this investment. Below, GOAL takes a look at his net worth, streams of income and highest grossing films.

• What is Ryan Reynolds' net worth?

  Net worth:	£282 million ($350m)
  Source of wealth:	Film & television contracts, other business ventures
  Date of birth:	October 23, 1976
  Country of birth:	Canada

  As of 2023, Reynolds' net worth is reported to be around the £282 million ($350m) mark. This figure should be taken with a pinch of salt, though, as Reynolds has not publicised all of his income.

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  How much does Ryan Reynolds get paid per film?

  The amount that Reynolds gets paid for each of his films varies wildly. When he first started out as an actor he only earned a few hundred dollars for each episode of However, for both Deadpool films he received a great deal more.

  For the first movie in the franchise he was paid $2 million (£1.6m) – but this increased by around tenfold as Reynolds pocketed a portion of the box-office receipts. For Deadpool 2 he was reported to have been paid around $22 million (£17.7m).

• What are Ryan Reynolds' highest-grossing films?

  The 2016 film Deadpool was Ryan Reynolds' highest-grossing film, with takings of $800 million at the box office, closely followed by the sequel, Deadpool 2 in 2018.

  As reported by Money Inc, below are Reynolds' highest grossing films of all time:

  Film	Box office takings
  Deadpool (2016)	$800m
  Deadpool 2 (2018)	$786m
  The Croods (2012)	$573m
  Detective Pikachu (2019)	$430m
  X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)	$375m
  The Proposal (2009)	$315m
  Green Lantern (2011)	$219m
  Safe House (2012)	$208m
  The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)	$172m

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  What businesses does Ryan Reynolds have?

  Aside from owning Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds has several other business ventures. His first foray into this world came in 2018 when he became a shareholder in Aviation American Gin. Just two years later, the company was sold to drinks giant Diageo for a staggering $610 million (£491.5m).

  This clearly gave Reynolds a taste for the business world as he would then set up creative agency Maximum Effort alongside friend George Dewey. That venture has since expanded incredibly and it is now based at a huge premises in Ontario, Canada.

  Reynolds is also a board member at Match Group, which owns dating services Tinder, Match.com and Hinge. He also appears in advertisements for a host of other companies, including 1Password.

  Reynolds' biggest win in the business world came in 2023, when he sold his stake in low-cost telecommunications provider Mint Mobile to T-Mobile – which pocketed him a cool $300 million (£241.5m).

  In 2023, Reynolds and Wrexham co-owner McElhenney made another venture into the world of sports, taking a 24% stake in the Alpine Racing Formula 1 team.

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing a sensational summer swoop for Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar in the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the latest on Neymar to Chelsea?

According to recent reports from France, the Brazilian is looking increasingly likely to leave Paris at the end of the season.

The Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has been described as 'extremely keen' on bringing a star-studded talent to Stamford Bridge and he could find his man in Neymar.

Speculation surrounding the 31-year-old’s departure has been fuelled by his deteriorating relationship with the Parisian fanbase. Supporters recently gathered outside the star’s house and began chanting 'Neymar get lost' as in over five years at the club, he has been unable to deliver a first coveted European title.

As well as Chelsea's interest, Manchester United are also rumoured to be preparing a move for the attacker, but the Red Devils would prefer a loan move.

However, a move to the capital has gained momentum due to the impending appointment of former PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, which would lead to a reunion between the pair for a potential price tag of €60m (£52m).

Should Chelsea sign Neymar?

The playmaker hasn’t featured since February after having to undergo ankle surgery, but his statistics still translate into extremely impressive reading – registering 35 goal contributions in 29 outings in all competitions to underline his status as one of the world’s most scintillating players.

His current manager Christophe Galtier has labelled Brazil’s joint-record scorer as an "artist" and he could definitely bring an injection of creativity, trickery, and dynamism into an underperforming Chelsea frontline.

The Blues’ attack has only mustered 36 goals in as many games and has desperately lacked potency and invention for months.

Therefore, the former Barcelona man could be the answer to all their woes, perhaps proving to be Boehly's most stunning signing yet given Neymar's calibre in the game.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola has previously lauded his magisterial elegance and said: “I remember watching clips of Neymar there and then thinking this is the king of Santos.

“If Neymar had stayed at Barcelona, they would have won two or three Champions League more. Him, Messi and Suarez were the best up front. I am an admirer. He makes football a pleasure.”

A player of his personality, calibre, and character would certainly add to the soap-opera feeling in west London and who knows how it will affect the already disrupted cohesion in the dressing room.

But, what is undeniable is Neymar’s extraordinary gift, and when we look back at his glittering legacy when upon his eventual retirement, we would most likely ridicule any club that would pass up the unmissable opportunity to have this magician in their ranks.