Pep Guardiola showed his displeasure with the Premier League for giving Manchester City less time to prepare for their vital game against Bournemouth.

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• Coach furious with PL organisers
• He wanted more time to prepare
• City face Cherries three days after final

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Guardiola believes the match at home to Bournemouth, which will have huge ramifications for his side's bid to finish in the Premier League's top five and qualify for next season's Champions League, should have been rescheduled for Wednesday rather than Tuesday to give his side more time to recover from Saturday's FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City were due to play Bournemouth on Saturday but the game had to be moved due to their participation in the cup final. Guardiola contrasted City being given such a short turnaround time between their games with Tottenham's match at Aston Villa being moved to this Friday to give Spurs more time to prepare for the Europa League final against Manchester United.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Guardiola told a press conference: "Tottenham play against Villa on Friday [because of] the Europa League final. Good decision, [I'm not being] ironic or sarcastic. The Premier League made a good decision. We play all the time quarter-finals, semi finals, Wednesday away and then play semi-finals on Saturday. This season we played [the semi-final against Nottingham Forest] on Sunday [when] we didn't need the extra day. People say broadcasters and more fans, I would prefer to play Wednesday definitely."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Guardiola believes City's concerns are never taken seriously by competition organisers. Last year he lashed out at Gary Lineker after the ordered City to play their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea three days after their Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid – which went into extra-time – when they could have played a day later. He explained: "We have been nine years fighting against this situation every single season. We are going to play Tuesday night, against an intense, physical, powerful team, Bournemouth, who are playing for the Europa league and we have to deal with that."

Liverpool have gone from strength to strength under Arne Slot, with the fight for the Premier League title beginning to look like a procession.

13 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal, the Reds are no doubt loving life with the Dutchman at the helm, but this is a team assembled by Jurgen Klopp, and FSG need to get it right in the transfer market this summer to maintain their current level of dominance.

That’s not to say Slot is riding on his predecessor’s coattails; he’s an elite-minded tactician who has defied expectations in establishing Liverpool as Europe’s team to beat in 2024/25.

Alas, signings will be needed during the off-season, for Liverpool are expected to part with several first-team stars.

Liverpool's most expensive sales of all time

Some great players have departed Anfield for huge money.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 9, 2025 The players who might be leaving Liverpool

It’s March. Liverpool are flying high. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk still haven’t extended their contracts on Merseyside, and are out of a job in just four months.

Transfer guru David Ornstein revealed recently that the industry consensus is that Salah and Van Dijk will stay. However, Trent’s future is far more worrying given Real Madrid have a vested interest in bringing him to La Liga.

Other Redmen could be on the move. Most prominently among them is Darwin Nunez. The Uruguay striker simply isn’t kicking on. It’s a shame, he’s affable and entertaining, but 6 goals from 36 games this season isn’t good enough for an £85m club-record striker.

However, he’s not the only one, with Joe Gomez potentially on the move after a prospective switch to Newcastle United broke down last year.

While Gomez hasn’t enjoyed the most productive of seasons under Slot’s wing, his sale would make signing a new centre-back imperative this summer, for Jarell Quansah would be the only recognised option at the club outside of regular starters Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Elsewhere, Liverpool will need to figure out what to do with Luis Diaz, a valued and impactful member of the team but perhaps part of that crew of sellable stars.

Why Liverpool should sell Luis Diaz

Only Salah (30) and Cody Gakpo (16) have scored more goals for Liverpool this season than Diaz, who has equalled last season’s tally of 13 having played over 1,000 fewer minutes.

It’s a measure of Slot’s tactical brilliance, and how he has effectively insinuated himself and his teachings into this talented Liverpool squad.

Diaz, 28, has been at Liverpool since January 2022, leaving Porto for an initial £37m to join Klopp’s cause, and he’s had his ups and downs, but there’s no question he’s one of the most valuable members of the outfit, crucial as the title charge continues.

However, he’s about to step into the penultimate year of his £55k-per-week deal and it may be more practical to cash in while his stock is raised, especially since Barcelona retain a long-standing interest.

Were Liverpool to sell both of Diaz and Nunez, FSG would bank quite the pretty penny. For sure, both players would need replacing with first-class forwards, but Anfield has become one of the leading platforms for a player’s career growth over the past decade, and this is something transfer targets will consider with disc-like eyes upon receiving the call.

By the time Diaz’s current contract expires in 2027, he will be 30 years old. There’s no doubting his ability, having been hailed as “one of the best wingers in the world” by Liverpool U21 star Luca Stephenson.

But is he indispensable? For a forward of Diaz’s talent, his numbers leave something to be desired, especially from a creative standpoint. He’s a “livewire” – as dubbed by journalist Peter Hall – but there are yawning holes to his game.

2024/25

38 (28)

13

4

0.45

2023/24

51 (42)

13

5

0.35

2022/23

21 (15)

5

3

0.38

2021/22

19 (14)

4

4

0.42

As a reference point, Diaz’s ostensible predecessor, Sadio Mane, scored 120 goals and supplied 39 assists from 269 appearances for Liverpool, equating to a rate of 0.61 goal involvements per game.

His goals this season have been crucial to Liverpool’s success. Indeed, Diaz has selflessly played in an unconventional focal striker’s role for the good of Slot’s side, but now decisions must be made pertaining to his long-term future.

According to CIES Football Observatory, the world’s leading football statisticians, the Colombian is currently worth about £60m in the modern market – a figure that FSG would surely consider were it lodged during transfer season.

Should Barcelona be willing to act on their intrigue and bring him to Camp Nou, it would be Liverpool’s biggest sale since allowing Philippe Coutinho to head off for pastures new.

In fact, perhaps it could have a similar effect. After all, Liverpool would be selling a silky South American player to the Spanish giants for a hefty sum – with the banked funds then directed toward new impactful signings.

It’s unlikely Liverpool will claim the same sort of money as they did when La Blaugrana last came calling, with a £142m proposal presented to the Anfield side for their Brazilian playmaker, who left just as Klopp’s dynasty was taking off.

The money collected was redirected to Van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker, making a telling comment on Liverpool’s ability to recognise an opportunity and act on it.

Though Coutinho was the bright spark during that backwater period between the gripping 2013/14 campaign and Klopp’s arrival, it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t expendable, for Liverpool went on to lift all the biggest honours with a complete and rounded team.

With 28-year-old Diaz heading into the penultimate year of his contract, some important conversations must be held.

Maybe Liverpool won’t want to sever too large a chunk from their frontline with Nunez seemingly headed for the exit, too. However, if the right opportunity comes along, this would be the perfect time to cash in for a lucrative figure, with Diaz then able to leave as a proud Premier League champion.

Sold for £15m: Klopp’s Liverpool star is playing like a £100m Salah heir

This former Liverpool star could have been a valuable asset in Arne Slot’s system.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 28, 2025

da 888： With their sights set on promotion, Leeds United are set to be handed the boost of a returning player when they square off against Queens Park Rangers this weekend.

Leeds recieve fresh injury boost

da realbet： There may have been a sigh of relief around Elland Road when Leeds overcame Millwall to win 2-0 and instantly got back to winning ways after suffering shock defeat against Portsmouth just days before. Back on track, Daniel Farke’s side now sit two points above second placed Sheffield United and four clear of Burnley in third with just nine games left to play in the Championship.

Those in Yorkshire will be more aware than most that it’s not done until their place in the Premier League is confirmed and, as ever, they face a nervous final stretch towards potential promotion.

With nine finals remaining, Farke will need to use the quality of his squad more than ever. It is a side full of talent, from the likes of Manor Solomon – who has rediscovered his best form – to important midfielder Ao Tanaka. Now, that side must simply hold their nerve.

What will undoubtedly help them do just that is the boost of recent injury news. As revealed by Farke, Isaac Schmidt is now set to make his return against QPR after returning to training. The defender missed the victory over Millwall through illness but has seemingly since recovered in time for this weekend.

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Speaking to reporters about his side’s injury status, Farke said: “As it stands I hope I have that whole group plus Isaac Schmidt to pick from for the travelling squad.

“In terms of the starting line-up and who has recovered, we’ll make some late decisions. This turnaround is a bit more tricky. We had more or less 80 hours to recover for Millwall, this time around just over 60 hours. It will be a bit more tricky. Travelling is involved of course.”

Every player counts for Leeds in vital run

Whilst Schmidt hasn’t been one to steal the headlines throughout the current campaign, often watching on from the bench, he could be thrust into Farke’s side at any given moment and he, like others, must help the Whites in their push for promotion.

Having arrived in the summer, Schmidt has found himself at the centre of Farke’s praise even whilst playing a cameo role. The former Norwich City boss told reporters earlier this season: “Great guy, a bit like I mention also about all our new signings.

“I think still at a really good age because he is more likely still on his way up the hill in his career. Great mentality, also desperate to play for the shirt, desperate to play for us, great character, so really nice guy and really nice team-mate.”

Now back from a brief absence, Schmidt will no doubt have his sights set on putting every minute that he does receive to good use as he aims to leave his mark on Leeds’ promotion push.

Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer find themselves on an England curfew, as Club World Cup stars will not be released early.

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Three Lions set to face Andorra & SenegalFIFA event gets underway on June 14Tuchel will not allow stars to leave earlyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Thomas Tuchel has made his latest Three Lions selection for a World Cup qualifier against Andorra and an international friendly date with Senegal. While there are some notable omissions within that selection – including Manchester City playmaker Phil Foden – a strong squad has been named.

Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream nowAdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Kane, fresh from breaking his trophy curse at Bayern Munich, will captain his country again, while Real Madrid superstar Bellingham continues to delay surgery on a problematic shoulder complaint. Chelsea talisman Palmer has been recalled after missing the start of Tuchel’s England reign through injury.

DID YOU KNOW?

That trio are all due to grace the FIFA Club World Cup this summer, which gets underway on June 14 – four days after the Three Lions take on Senegal at the City Ground in Nottingham. Kane, Bellingham and Palmer will not be allowed to link up with their club sides before a full international camp has been completed.

Getty Images SportWHAT THOMAS TUCHEL SAID

Tuchel has said: "We start the camp with 26 and finish the camp with 26. I could see the value in letting the players leave earlier with Club World Cup players – we discussed not having Club World Cup players, but we understood it is important as one of only five camps that we need to cherish it."

Man United boss Ruben Amorim has already shared Sporting CP starlet Geovany Quenda’s one major weakness, with Chelsea now putting pen to paper on a £42 million deal for the winger.

Chelsea reach agreement to sign Geovany Quenda for 2026

News broke early this morning that Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Quenda from Sporting, but he is set to remain in the Primeira Liga next season before eventually making the switch to Stamford Bridge in 2026.

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The Portuguese is also expected to sign a seven-year deal at Chelsea as BlueCo add yet another very promising youngster to their books (Kaveh Solhekol), and one who has even drawn comparisons with Arsenal superstar Bukayo Saka.

“Geo is so demanding with himself in the defensive moments,” said former Sporting academy coach, Fabio Roque, to Sky Sports.

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Brentford (away)

April 5th

Ipswich Town (home)

April 12th

Fulham (away)

April 19th

“To close, to recover fast, to win the defensive duels for his teammates. It reminds me of Bukayo Saka at the beginning of his career when he played as a full-back.

“There is only one Geovany Quenda. He is different from any other player I trained. He can create a mark on football that is totally different. We are talking about, with Lamine Yamal and Estevao Willian, probably the best players in that generation born in 2007.”

This is high praise indeed for the 17-year-old, who’s been a mainstay for his side throughout 2024/2025 with an impressive 43 appearances in all competitions, despite being at such a young age.

In that time, Quenda’s racked up 10 goal contributions (two goals, eight assists), and he was given the starting nod in almost all of Sporting’s Champions League games before they were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea also hijacked Man United’s expected deal for Quenda, with the Red Devils missing out on his signature to their English rivals.

What Ruben Amorim thinks about new Chelsea signing Quenda

However, he is by no means the finished product, and Amorim has already shared the one main weakness in Quenda’s game.

Speaking in an interview with O Jogo late last year, Sporting’s ex-head coach explained that the teenager really needs to work on his end product, as he has a very real tendency to shoot over the crossbar.

“I’ve already said everything I had to say about Quenda,” said Amorim. “He’s a very talented kid, very strong physically, very focused, with his feet firmly on the ground. That’s very important for a young player.

“I didn’t know he was the youngest ever to score. Congratulations. I think he has to improve a lot in his finishing. The amount of times he comes inside and shoots over the bar. He doesn’t put the ball in the goal well, that’s a detail he has to improve.

“He showed up well there. But that’s what I said at the beginning of the season. He had the opportunity and there was no chance to take him away, to have doubts, nothing. I think he’s going to be a great player, but let’s give it time.”

The Portugal Under-21 international can play on both wings and is seen by many as the “biggest wonderkid” in his country right now (Joao Paiva), but this bad habit of blazing the ball over will need to be worked on if he is to be successful in the Premier League.

MatériaMais Notícias

da esport bet： Renato Augusto é um dos jogadores mais técnicos e importantes para o elenco do Corinthians, mas o camisa 8 não costuma embalar longas sequências no time titular em razão do seu histórico de lesões e condicionamento físico.

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da casino： + Renato Augusto e Roger Guedes são essenciais para a vitória do Corinthians

Desde que retornou ao Timão para sua segunda passagem no clube, o atleta de 34 anos faz um cronograma específico de trabalhos físicos no CT, em conjunto com o fisioterapeuta Bruno Mazziotti, para não voltar a sofrer com os problemas musculares que o assombraram na carreira.

+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!

Mesmo assim, Renato sofreu uma lesão na panturrilha na temporada passada que o afastou por cerca de um mês e meio, e o atleta não só perdeu jogos importantes pelo clube no último ano, como também demorou para retomar seu melhor condicionamento.

Com mais tempo de descanso e uma longa pré-temporada, o camisa 8 conseguiu deixar as lesões para trás e vem em uma sequência de três jogos com muitos minutos em campo. Ele foi titular nas últimas três partidas do Corinthians, tendo disputado 249 minutos dos 270 minutos possíveis.

A última vez que Renato Augusto foi titular em três compromissos seguidos do Timão foi no final de setembro, quando iniciou as partidas contra Atlético-GO, Cuiabá e Juventude, pelo Brasileirão.

+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Campeonato Paulista

Em 2022, o camisa 8 embalou uma sequência de pelo menos três jogos seguidos na equipe titular corintiana apenas quatro vezes na temporada.

Visando a totalidade da temporada e a condição física de Renato Augusto, não está descartada a possibilidade do meia ser poupado nesta quinta-feira (9), contra o São Bernardo. O atleta de 34 anos já era cotado para ser reserva na vitória sobre o Botafogo-SP, mas acabou sendo titular. Em cinco jogos disputados no ano, ele soma duas assistências.

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The board launched a plan to boost participation and attendance among multicultural communities

Andrew McGlashan22-Dec-2023Cricket Australia has set a target of nearly doubling the number of players from South Asian backgrounds in the professional game by 2027 as part of an overall plan to boost participation and attendance among multicultural communities.The aim is to have 8% South Asian representation at first-class, state and W/BBL level by 2027, up from the current figure of 4.2%. They have also set the goals of doubling the number of people from South Asian backgrounds who attend matches in Australia each year from 100,000 to 200,000 and increasing the number of those registered to play from 70,000 to 100,000 by 2027.Last year’s men’s T20 World Cup, which saw more than 90,000 attend the India vs Pakistan match at the MCG, highlighted the opportunity for Cricket Australia to grow the game.Related

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However, one of the big challenges has been converting a large following into a pathway for player talent, as well as broader representation in the running of the sport.Usman Khawaja, Alana King and Lisa Sthalekar have been key figures in putting the new Multicultural Action Plan together, which was launched at the MCG on Friday. While there has been specific focus on South Asian growth, the plan – and the funding that comes with it – covers all multicultural communities.”I was out of the Australian team and thought what can I do about this, what legacy do I want to leave, what can I actually do to make this game to be in a batter place,” Khawaja said. “The first thing I said is we have such great participation of South Asian communities and multicultural communities in Australia but we never see that reflected in the Australian cricket team, both male and female, especially the male team over the last 100 years.”For me, personally, I felt we needed to do things a little differently. Cricket Australia has always been great supporters of multiculturalism in Australia… but it hasn’t equated to more participation at the highest levels.”He drew on an example of when he was asked by someone how they could become a coach. “I said I wasn’t exactly sure, because unless you were a past player or had been in the system before it’s so hard to crack this system. The issue is that for a long time Cricket Australia has been a very white-dominated sport.”Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan before moving to Australia aged five, said that when he was growing up, he would struggle to relate to his team-mates and that coaches did not have an understanding of some of his experiences. But he stressed that sport had helped bring down barriers for him. He added that it was vital to have multicultural representation in all facets of the game including board level and CA staff.Usman Khawaja spoke about how having broader representation can alleviate stereotypes•Getty Images

“We couldn’t be stronger that we want to make every single cricket environment, whether that’s clubs, playing, coaching, administering, just the most inclusive places we possibly can,” CA chief executive Nick Hockley said. “The metrics [show] that we are not yet representative of the community we serve.”Khawaja further explained that having broader representation in the sport can help alleviate stereotypes, again talking from personal experience of when he was observing Ramadan during his time with New South Wales.”I was told I was lazy growing up,” he said. “There was a stereotype that subcontinent cricketers didn’t try hard enough. There wasn’t a way to break that down. All my coaches were white Australian, selectors were white Australian, they didn’t really understand me or my culture.”Doing Ramadan as a Muslim, at New South Wales no one had any idea what I was doing. From the naked eye, you think ‘Uzzie isn’t training hard enough, he’s not working hard enough’. It’s 6.30 in the arvo [afternoon] and I haven’t eaten or drunk all day and I’m cooked. But we are doing a fitness session and I’m still out there. Yes, I’m lagging behind but I’m still doing the work. So it’s those little things that you can break down if you have someone from subcontinental background.”

نشر الحساب الرسمي لنادي ليفربول لكرة القدم، عبر موقع إكس، مقطع فيديو لنجمي الفريق محمد صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك، خلال خضعوعهما لمسابقة معلومات سريعة.

وبدأ ليفربول مشواره في الموسم الجديد من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، 2025/26، يوم الجمعة الماضي حيث فاز على بورنموث بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

ويستعد ليفربول لخوض مباراته الثانية في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، يوم الإثنين المقبل على ملعب “سانت جيمس بارك” وذلك ضد نظيره نيوكاسل يونايتد.

وسُئل محمد صلاح وفان دايك عمن قدم للآخر أسيستات أكثر من الثاني، حيث يُعد المصري الأكثر بعدما صنع للآخر 3 أهداف، في حين صنع الهولندي للنجم صاحب الـ33 عامًا، مرتين.

فيما كان السؤال الثاني عمن خاض دقائق أكثر من الآخر، خلال الموسم الماضي من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ورد فان دايك أنه لم يخض مباراة ليفربول وبرايتون الموسم الماضي في الدوري الإنجليزي، وهو الأمر الذي منح الأفضلية لـ محمد صلاح، الذي رد مازحًا بأن المدرب آرني سلوت استبدله في اللقاء نفسه (في الدقيقة 91).

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد تحقيق إنجاز لاعب العام.. محمد صلاح يكشف عن مكان غريب لجوائزه الفردية

وكانت الإجابة الصحيحة هي محمد صلاح، الذي خاض 3380 دقيقة في موسم الدوري الإنجليزي الماضي، مقابل 3330 دقيقة لـ فان دايك، ورد المصري ضاحكًا: “شكرًا أيها المدرب”.

أما عن اللاعب الذي ظهر أكثر في الدوري الإنجليزي، مقارنة بالثاني، بشكل عام، حيث تساوى محمد صلاح وفان دايك بواقع 302 مباراة لكل منهما.

وفيما يخص أكثر من لديه منشورات عبر موقع إنستجرام في 2025، حيث تساوى الاثنين كذلك بواقع 56 منشورًا، رغم أن محمد صلاح كان يلجأ إلى نشر صور سيلفي كثيرًا بعد الفوز بالمباريات.

وعن اللاعب الأكثر تواجدًا في تشكيل الموسم من جانب رابطة اللاعبين المحترفين، كان فان دايك بواقع 5 مرات، مقابل 4 مرات لـ محمد صلاح.

وعلى صعيد المقارنة بين اللاعب الأكثر صناعة للأهداف والذي حافظ على نظافة شباكه، في الموسم الماضي من الدوري الإنجليزي، كانت الأفضلية لـ محمد صلاح بواقع 18 أسيست، في حين أن فان دايك كانت لديه 14 مرة حفاظًا على الشباك.

أما اللاعب الذي مثّل عدد أندية أكثر من الآخر، فهو محمد صلاح بواقع 6 فرق (المقاولون، بازل، تشيلسي، فيورنتينا، روما وليفربول)، مقابل 4 لـ فان دايك.

Salah 🆚 VVD

The Egyptian King and the skipper go head-to-head in our quiz 🤔💭 pic.twitter.com/mZPjXFMrse — Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 22, 2025

Things might not be going too well for Ipswich Town at the moment, but their journey over the last few years has been nothing short of incredible.

Kieran McKenna has taken the Tractor Boys from a middling League One side back up to the Premier League for the first time in over two decades, and while it’s slight, there’s still a chance the club could be in the top flight this time next year.

Moreover, while the board have backed him considerably across the last two transfer windows, the Northern Irishman is still relying on some of the players who helped the team out of the third tier.

One of those stars is the brilliant Leif Davis, and while the full-back remains an essential part of the team, Ipswich made just as good a signing in the summer.

Leif Davis' Ipswich career

Ipswich paid Leeds United just £1m for Davis’ services in the summer of 2022, and with how well he’s played in the years since, it might just be one of the club’s best-ever purchases.

In his first campaign with the Tractor Boys, the Englishman made 46 appearances across all competitions, in which he mostly played at left-back and managed to rack up a sensational haul of three goals and 14 assists, was named in the PFA Team of the Year and helped the club win promotion to the Championship.

Despite the big jump in quality, the following season saw the former Leeds ace do even better.

For example, in 44 appearances, which all came at left-back this time, the 25-year-old “animal”, as former manager Scott Parker dubbed him, scored two goals, provided 21 assists, was nominated for the PFA Championship Player of the Year and won the club’s own Men’s Players’ Player of the Year award.

Understandably, this season has been a little more challenging for the Newcastle-born maestro, and in 28 Premier League games, he has been able to amass a reasonable enough tally of one goal and three assists.

Appearances

46

44

28

Goals

3

2

1

Assists

14

21

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

0.52

0.14

Moreover, thanks to his impressive form in prior campaigns and the fact he’s managed to hold his own in the top-flight, Davis’ valuation has risen to €25m according to Transfermarkt, which works out to about £21m.

In all, the unreal full-back has to be considered one of Ipswich’s best signings in recent history, which could be said about another star McKenna recruited in the summer.

Ipswich's best signing since Davis

While Ipswich have picked up a number of very talented players in the years since signing Davis, when it comes down to their best acquisition, it can only be one man: Liam Delap.

The Tractor Boys paid Manchester City around £20m for the Englishman last summer, and while there were some questions over how he’d fare leading the line for a Premier League side, he quickly showed he’s got what it takes to be a star.

For example, while it took him a few games to get up and running, the 22-year-old now has a brilliant tally of ten goals and two assists in just 28 league games this season, totalling 2196 minutes.

Appearances

28

Starts

27

Minutes

2196

Goals

10

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

Minutes per Goal Involvement

183′

That means the tremendously exciting “wrecking ball,” as dubbed by Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones, has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or every 183 minutes, in the toughest league in world football for a team that are more than likely going to get relegated.

Moreover, it’s not just the former City prospect’s output that makes him such a useful player in the starting lineup, but also how he holds up the ball for others and occupies opposing defenders to free up more space for his teammates.

Finally, if the Suffolk side are relegated at the end of this season, then there are two possibilities for Delap’s future.

The first is that he remains with the club and takes the Championship by storm next year, in turn helping McKenna and Co come back up, hopefully at the first time of asking.

Or, the other possibility is that he does leave in the summer but, in doing so, brings in a massive fee, with some reports from earlier this year claiming he could go for as much as £40m.

Ultimately, both Davis and Delap have to be considered among Ipswich’s best signings in recent years, and if the team do beat the drop come May, then they’ll have certainly played their part.

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One of the major criticisms at Chelsea over the past several years has been the perceived over-focus on youth.

While the Blues have invested heavily, spending over £1billion on transfers since Clearlake arrived, there’s no doubting the need for a streamlined focus.

That said, while Chelsea do need established superstars to lead the line and between the sticks, a youthful crop, replete with talent, can be cherry-picked by head coach Enzo Maresca as he looks to bring it all together over the coming months and years.

There’s an up-and-coming talent in particular who will be eyeing first-team involvement sooner rather than later, but before we take a look at him, let’s visit Levi Colwill, whose campaign hasn’t quite gone to plan.

Levi Colwill's season in numbers

Colwill, 22, has been a central part of Chelsea’s senior set-up since the beginning of last season, having previously completed a promising loan spell with Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022/23.

Brighton wanted his services for good, with Liverpool also willing to table a bid before being rebuffed by Todd Boehly’s £100m demands. Though he’s got a lot about him, Colwill’s error-streaked campaign has cast a layer of doubt over his skillset.

Such concerns came to a head in a woeful effort at the AMEX last month.

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville surprised the world in agreeing Colwill’s defending on the South Coast was damning, while Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley chipped in to brand him “inexcusable” in seeking a foul when there was defending to be done. The Seagulls then scored.

Though Maresca’s fashioned him into a more structured central defender, Colwill has been less accurate in the duel while also making a catalogue of mistakes to detract from his progress.

Matches (starts)

23 (20)

26 (26)

Goals

1

1

Assists

1

1

Clean sheets

4

6

Touches*

62.5

88.0

Pass completion

83%

90%

Tackles + interceptions*

3.2

2.3

Clearances*

2.8

3.1

Ground duels (won)*

3.0 (63%)

2.0 (55%)

Aerial battles (won)*

1.9 (69%)

2.5 (62%)

Errors made

0

4

With Wesley Fofana now returned from injury, Colwill’s struggles have indeed heightened. The England international knows he is a top-class talent with a high-quality passing game – ostensibly perfect for Maresca’s tactical style – but his defending leaves something to be desired.

While Chelsea may have overloaded their Cobham halls with rising prospects, there are inevitably a few who look destined for the very top, with Colwill no doubt looking over his shoulder at a defender offering certain shades of one David Luiz.

Chelsea's new defensive star

The hybrid defender can be a priceless thing in football. For those capable of moving into holding midfield positions, tactical innovators such as Maresca can adopt fluid styles depending on the situation. In other words, it promotes interchangeability.

Luiz embodied this, playing 248 times for Chelsea across two spells, lifting the Premier League, Champions League and the Europa League and FA Cup twice.

Though he’s principally a centre-back, the Brazilian, now 37, was often situated as the third man in a three-back defence that saw English football conquered under Antonio Conte. Moreover, he’s played 36 matches across his career as a recognised midfielder, emphasising his athleticism and ball-playing ability.

Well, Chelsea may just have their next version in another South American: the up-and-coming Aaron Anselmino.

Signed from Boca Juniors last summer for about £15m (see him above celebrating a goal with Edinson Cavani) Anselmino has penned a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge and arrives having been labelled an “elite talent” by one football analyst on X (Twitter).

The 19-year-old was permitted to remain in his homeland after Chelsea completed his signing to further his development ahead of the big leap toward Europe. However, he was recalled in January and has since been getting to grips with life in west London.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Described as a “complete and dominant” defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the teenager carries that gritty combativeness that Luiz once showcased so well, actually praised for his “thoroughness” and “aggression” by former manager Laurent Blanc while at Paris Saint-Germain, when he knocked the Blues out of the Champions League before returning the following year.

Regarding Anselmino, the signs are promising. The Athletic’s Simon Johnson confirmed Chelsea opted to keep their rising talent at the club rather than loan him back out during the winter transfer window, with plenty of sides across the continent and in England keen on doing a deal.

Moreover, Johnson revealed the Argentina youth international has graduated to regular first-team training, but why is this?

Well, according to Sofascore’s data, the dynamic defender played 12 times in the Liga Profesional de Futbal – Argentina’s top flight – in 2024, impressing through his crispness, smoothness, and natural-born creative sense.

Not only did Anselmino complete 86% of his passes, create four big chances and register three assists, but he also averaged 2.2 tackles and three clearances while winning 4.4 duels per game, only picking up one yellow card.

It’s promising stuff, but the most compelling part of all has to be the centre-half’s success in avoiding a single error across his matches. Contrast that with Colwill, who has made four in the Premier League this term, and you can see why he might find a pathway to prominence under Maresca’s wing.

The two-footer’s technical skill and dynamism, irregularly playing in midfield across his maiden years as a professional, has seen him skyrocket toward the forefront of the game. He’s not quite there yet, but all the pointers lead toward a successful future at Chelsea.

Should he leap over this final hurdle of youth, Anselmino may well replace Colwill as Maresca’s starting option alongside Fofana. It’s pleasing to see that Chelsea have such strength in depth, but it’s bad news for Colwill all the same.

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