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It wouldn’t be a summer transfer window if Chelsea were not extremely busy, would it?

This summer, the Blues splashed over £300m on nine new senior recruits, six of whom are attackers.

Well, the recent 5-1 demolition of West Ham emphasised the attacking potential that Enzo Maresca’s side possesses, but do they have a slight issue at centre-forward, one that a Cobham graduate sold for £34m could’ve fixed had he stayed?

Chelsea's striker conundrum

During Chelsea’s controversial 2-0 West London derby victory over Fulham last weekend, Liam Delap hobbled off in the 14th minute due to a hamstring injury, and this had quite the ripple effect.

At the same time, Nicolas Jackson was in Bavaria finalising a move to Bayern Munich, only for Chelsea to pull the plug on the move, despite having frozen out the Senegalese international since the Club World Cup, saying that they could not let him go.

Jackson’s agent, Ali Barat, released an angry statement and, in the end, he did complete his move to Bayern, with the Bundesliga champions paying an extortionate £14m loan fee, with a £56.2m obligation to buy having been agreed.

Instead, the Blues decided to recall Marc Guiu from his loan at Sunderland, the Spaniard having seen just 103 minutes of action for the Black Cats, scoring against Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup, with Chelsea having to pay a penalty fee, cutting short one of the shortest loan spells in Premier League history.

It remains to be seen how long Delap will actually be sidelined for, while the returning Guiu is far from guaranteed minutes, given that Maresca has João Pedro, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Estêvão Willian, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens, Tyrique George and others from which to choose.

Nevertheless, this whole chaotic and messy situation could’ve been avoided had Chelsea kept hold of a Cobham academy graduate once compared to the club’s greatest-ever centre-forward.

Chelsea's ideal Liam Delap back-up was sold in 2021

Tammy Abraham joined Chelsea at the age of seven, but certainly had to work hard for his place in the first team at Stamford Bridge.

Following loan spells at Bristol City, Swansea City and Aston Villa, scoring 48 goals in 78 EFL Championship appearances, his breakthrough came once Frank Lampard was appointed manager in 2019.

Abraham was Chelsea’s top scorer in 2019/20 with 18 goals, including 15 in the Premier League, before bagging 12 the following campaign, part of Thomas Tuchel’s team that won the Champions League against Manchester City at Estádio do Dragão.

That summer though, the England international was sold to Roma for £42m which makes him the fourth most expensive Chelsea academy sale of modern times, behind Mason Mount, Ian Maatsen and Conor Gallagher.

He then netted 27 goals during his first season with the Giallorossi, winning the inaugural Conference League, before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament rupture on the final day of the season against Torino, which rather hampered his progress.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Now 27, he spent last season on loan at AC Milan, scoring ten times for the Rossoneri, two of which came against Roma in the Coppa Italia, before joining Beşiktaş on loan back in July.

Well, Abraham has made a bright start to life in İstanbul, scoring six goals in eight appearances for the Black Eagles, averaging a goal every 108 minutes, including a hat-trick against St Patrick’s Athletic in a Conference League qualifier in Dublin.

At his best, speaking after a Champions League victory over Lille, Rio Ferdinand compared Abraham to Chelsea’s greatest-ever striker, asserting that much of what he produced was “Didier Drogba-esque”, praising his “hold-up play” while highlighting his “magnificent touch” and beautiful finish for his goal at Stade Pierre Mauroy.

But how do his statistics compare to those of Delap? Let’s find out.

2025/26

6

0

2024/25

10

13

2023/24

1

8

2022/23

9

4

2021/22

27

0

2020/21

12

0

2019/20

18

N/A

2018/19

26

N/A

As the table documents, given that Delap is only 22 years old, he has only ever scored 25 senior goals, yet to prove himself as a regular goalscorer, even if bagging 12 in the Premier League for a very poor Ipswich side is a noteworthy achievement.

Abraham on the other hand, aside from campaigns massively blighted by injury, has been consistent in front of goal, reaching double figures in five of the last seven full seasons, including surpassing 25 goals for both Aston Villa and Roma, making a blistering start to his Beşiktaş career last month too.

So, while Delap, who is five years younger, clearly has greater potential, Abraham would certainly have proved to be a capable deputy, given their stylistic similarities too, both physical penalty box presences who like to stay within the width of the area.

Thus, for however long Delap is on the sidelines, Abraham would’ve offered the perfect cover.

Not Palmer: Chelsea hit gold on sensation who's worth way more than Simons

The international ace has been brilliant for Chelsea and Enzo Maresca.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 5, 2025

Following a humbling defeat to bring them crashing back down to reality against Burnley, Sunderland have reportedly made contact to sign a La Liga midfielder for Regis Le Bris.

Le Bris: Sunderland must "learn" from Burnley defeat

Just one week ago, Sunderland were in dreamland when they swept past West Ham United to win 3-0 on the opening day. Since then, however, that bubble has been burst courtesy of fellow newly-promoted side Burnley. The Clarets handed Sunderland a disappointing defeat in an early relegation six-pointer, with Le Bris admitting it’s one that his side must “learn” from.

Le Bris also touched on the fact that this Sunderland side are still very much finding their feet together following a summer overhaul. In total, as many as 12 fresh players have arrived as the Black Cats aim to survive at the first time of asking in the Premier League.

Whilst 13 may be unlucky for some, reports are now suggesting that Sunderland have set their sights on yet another arrival before the end of the month.

Sunderland make approach to sign Christantus Uche

As reported by AS and relayed by Sport Witness, Sunderland have made contact to sign Christantus Uche alongside Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers this month. The Getafe midfielder has emerged onto the radar of Premier League clubs following an excellent rise in Spain and amid Getafe’s financial difficulties.

The Spanish club’s president Jose Bordalas even recently admitted that they need to sell players this month, telling reporters: “We’ll have to release some so we can register all or almost all of them. I wouldn’t like Uche or anyone to leave, but we have to accept the offers we have, and there are several.”

As a result of those financial problems, Sunderland could reportedly have the chance to land Uche’s signature for just €15m (£13m) this month, despite rumours that his release clause is worth as much as €25m (£22m).

Described as a “dominant midfielder” by U23 scout Antonio Mango last year, Uche now looks destined for the Premier League before the deadline arrives.

.KL Rahul: “I don’t think I can say this on camera, but I was s****ing myself at the end. But we still had a couple of batters to come, so I was confident that we could get over the line.”But in moments like this and big games, it’s more about holding your composure, which we all know about. It’s not easy, but I’m happy to win this and happy to get over the line this time. I think I’ve batted in times like this in three out of the five games. And one of the games I didn’t get to bat at all, against Pakistan.”The game’s given me good time in the middle and good time to prepare for a big moment like this. It’s hard to put in words, but it’s just pure skill and the way we’ve all played our cricket growing up. We’ve had to face a lot of challenges. We’ve had to face pressure from the time we held the bat and from the time we decided to be professional cricketers. I think it’s just the first-class cricket, BCCI, how they’ve groomed every player, every talented player that comes around. They’re giving us opportunities and platforms to showcase our skills and to put ourselves under pressure and keep challenging ourselves and getting better.”Related

• Rohit time is right on time for India – and it's not over yet

• India's spin quartet pulls the strings in dominant display

• Rohit, Gill, Iyer and Shami spill chances in Champions Trophy final

• Stats – Four drops, a spin strangle, and 15 tosses lost in a row

• Kohli: India ready to take on the world for the next eight years

Hardik Pandya: “It’s always amazing to win an ICC event, and especially the Champions Trophy. I remember 2017 very closely to my heart. We could not finish the job that time. But very, very pleased with the way we have played throughout the tournament. And, at the same time, how everyone contributed. That was fantastic.”Oh, brilliant. You know, that was calm, composed [from KL Rahul]. He took his chances at the right point of time. I think this is what KL Rahul is. KL Rahul has immense talent, and I don’t think anyone can hit the ball the way he can. I think that was the exhibition of how he did today.”Varun Chakravarthy: “Yeah, so I was a sudden inclusion, and I didn’t expect it to turn out like this, and it’s a dream come true. Yeah, it was good, because [in] the first innings the spin was less, and we had to be very disciplined and stick to the stumps.”Shreyas Iyer: “Feeling ecstatic, to be honest. It’s ineffable. And hard to say it in words, to be honest. It’s my first ICC trophy, and I’m kind of overwhelmed. Looking at each and everyone in the dressing room, the way we’ve turned up towards this tournament, and the way we’ve progressed, it was simply magnificent.”To be honest, I love to be under pressure whenever there’s a challenge. I feel I thrive under pressure, and I love such moments. It’s just that I’ve been getting amazing starts in the tournament, and not able to get a big one, but at the end of the day, if I’m able to contribute to a team victory, that is immensely satisfying, and I’m truly happy.”Shubman Gill: “Felt amazing. For the most part, I was sitting back and enjoying Rohit ‘s batting but we kept talking to each other and the [opening] partnership was important for us. Definitely very satisfying, we missed out on the last one that we played in 2023 [World Cup], and it’s a surreal feeling to be able to win this one, starting with the ODI series in England, winning eight ODIs back-to-back, amazing feeling.”Watching him [Virat Kohli] on the TV when I was a kid, and then playing with him, and seeing the intensity at which he plays, it’s just phenomenal to watch. And I think it tells us what the game is all about, giving his everything, and that’s the only thing that he talks about, even off the field as well – give your everything when you’re playing on the field. For him to be able to back his words like that, is just phenomenal.”Ravindra Jadeja: “My batting number is such that I’m either a hero or a zero [on finishing India’s matches often]. Hardik and KL had a good partnership in the last ten overs because the wicket was not so easy for new batsmen but the partnership they had changed the momentum of the game.”This means a lot to India. You’re a part of such a team, and there will be regrets if you’re not able to win tournaments after playing for so many years. But luckily in these two years we’ve won the T20 World Cup and now the Champions Trophy, so it’s great for team India.”Kuldeep Yadav: “Luckily [I didn’t have to bat]. Credit goes to KL and Jaddu to finish the game. There are certainly a lot of expectations when you’re playing well over the years, and you enter the tournaments as favourites, although I don’t believe in the favourites’ tag. We’ve played good cricket over the last few years, and I dedicate this win to the fans, they have a lot of expectations from us. It’s been terrific how we played this tournament.”It’s very difficult to manage four spinners on the field and the way Rohit managed was great and outstanding because you have to read the batsmen and who will bat in what situation, so whom to bowl at what time. The planning was there for the last few days according to their batting line-up and what to bowl when. It was terrific.”A big party is due, and entire India will party today.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Róger Guedes foi o artilheiro do Corinthians em 2022 e caminha a passos largos para repetir o feito nesta temporada. Além da artilharia, o camisa 10 vem se consolidando como uma das lideranças dentro do elenco corintiano.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasMinutoCoudet evita falar de desfalques do Atlético-MG no clássico com o Cruzeiro para focar no CorinthiansMinuto29/05/2023CorinthiansTitulares fazem regenerativo, e Corinthians inicia preparação para encarar o Atlético-MG com ‘invasão’ da baseCorinthians29/05/2023Atlético MineiroCoudet pede Atlético-MG ‘protagonista’ contra o Corinthians pela Copa do BrasilAtlético Mineiro29/05/2023

+ Cássio se destaca, e Róger Guedes comanda primeira vitória de Luxemburgo no Corinthians; veja notas

Desde a queda de Fernando Lázaro, passando pelo rápido período de Cuca no Timão até o fim da sequência de jogos sem vencer com Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Guedes não se escondeu e sempre foi bastante vocal sobre o momento turbulento vivido pelo clube, seja apontando problemas, pedindo confiança ou explicando o que acreditava ser certo. Dessa forma, ele vem ganhando ainda mais a confiança de seus companheiros e moral com a torcida.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe os jogos do Timão

Atrelado à postura de líder está sua veia artilheira. O camisa 10 é responsável por metade dos gols do Corinthians na temporada. Com o “doblete” anotado diante do Fluminense, ele chegou aos 17 gols na temporada, e o clube possui 34. No ano passado, o atleta terminou o ano com 15 gols.

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Além disso, chama atenção o poder de decisão do atacante na Neo Química Arena. Contra o Fluminense, ele ultrapassou Romero e se tornou o vice-artilheiro de Itaquera, com 28 gols. Jô lidera a artilharia com 30 gols. Dos 17 gols de Róger Guedes no ano, 13 foram no estádio corintiano, e o atacante deixou claro o desejo em superar Jô e se consolidar dando títulos aos torcedores corintianos.

+ Timão avança na Copa do Brasil? Veja horários e todos os confrontos das oitavas de final

– Muito feliz pelo momento. Feliz de sempre estar marcando gols aqui dentro da Arena, me sinto em casa realmente quando estou aqui. Espero sim (ultrapassar Jô), é uma meta pessoal, acho que todo atacante quer bater metas pessoais e coletivas também. Tenho certeza que é com título que a gente se torna ídolo, fica na história do clube, espero continuar assim, marcar muitos gols na Arena e fora de casa também – disse Guedes após a vitória sobre o Fluminense.

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Agora, Róger Guedes tem a missão de liderar uma virada sobre o Atlético-MG, seu ex-clube, na Copa do Brasil. O Galo venceu o primeiro confronto das oitavas de final por 2 a 0, e o Timão precisar de uma vitória por pelo menos dois gols de diferença para levar a decisão aos pênaltis. A bola rola nesta quarta-feira (31), às 21h30, na Neo Química Arena.

Tudo sobre

Corinthians

Granit Xhaka has no qualms about Switzerland team-mate Ardon Jashari returning back stronger after his AC Milan career started off with an injury.

• Xhaka not worried about Jashari's injury
• Lauds the youngster's mental toughness
• Has no doubts he'll return stronger

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Switzerland captain Xhaka is not too concerned about the injury suffered by his national team-mate Jashari, with the Sunderland star backing the Milan midfielder to bounce back stronger from the setback and shine for both club and country.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Just days after making his Serie A debut in a shock 2-1 defeat against Cremonese, the €39 million (£34m/$46m) signing collided with team-mate Santiago Gimenez during a training session. Upon further examination, Milan confirmed that the 23-year-old had sustained a compound fracture on the right fibula, with expected recovery and rehab timelines set for around two months. 

• WHAT GRANIT XHAKA SAID

  Speaking to reporters on Friday, Xhaka said: "I told him: 'Your time will come.' Ardon has a great future ahead of him, and with his move to Milan, he's shown he can play for a great team. It's a shame about the injury, but he's quite strong mentally and will definitely come back even stronger."

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ARDON JASHARI?

  It is expected that Jashari will be cleared to return to light training somewhere around early November. He will be a huge miss for head coach Massimiliano Allegri, as the Rossoneri are set to face tough fixtures against Bologna, Napoli, Juventus, Atalanta and perhaps Roma in the youngster's absence.

The 21-year-old quick became the 12th Queenslander to take a five-wicket haul on debut and first since 1986-87

AAP21-Oct-2024Young quick Tom Whitney wrote himself in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield record books, before helping bat the Bulls back into their match against South Australia.Whitney created history on Monday, becoming the first Queenslander in 38 years to claim a five-wicket haul on debut with his 5 for 60.Related

Hunt shines with century but debutant Whitney aids Queensland fightback

Live – Sheffield Shield, day two

And after the visitors were all out for 314 early on day two in Brisbane, Whitney produced a late cameo with the bat to help Queensland to 308 in reply.South Australia then lost first-innings century maker Henry Hunt caught behind first ball of their second innings to Michael Neser.But it was a day for Whitney, as Queensland also benefitted from Jimmy Peirson’s counter-punching 94 with the bat at Allan Border Oval.Arriving at the crease at 271 for 9 late in the day, Whitney blasted five boundaries on his way to an unbeaten 24 from 11 balls to help Queensland reach close to parity.After taking three wickets on Sunday, Whitney had both Nathan McAndrew and Wes Agar caught early on Monday morning.The wickets made the 21-year-old just the 12th Queenslander in history to take a five-wicket haul on debut, and the first since former police officer Mick Polzin in 1986-87.Jimmy Peirson led Queensland’s fightback•Getty ImagesNeser also finished with 3 for 61, getting the key wicket of Hunt on 136 as the opener fell just short of carrying his bat.In reply, Queensland’s big names struggled. Test opener Usman Khawaja was lbw to McAndrew for a duck, as Queensland fell to 16 for 3 early with the ball swinging around.Matt Renshaw was also lbw to Jordan Buckingham for 2, denting his slim chances of joining Khawaja at the top of the order for the first Test in Perth.Marnus Labuschagne also failed to make any real impact, caught at forward square-leg flicking a ball off his toes.But from 80 for 5, Queensland were able to launch something of a counteract. Ben McDermott hit 52, while Neser and Peirson combined for a 97-run seventh-wicket partnership.Still Peirson pushed through, hitting 14 boundaries in his knock and driving with ease whenever South Australia’s quicks went too full.The wicketkeeper-batter looked set for his century, before he hesitated in coming back for a second with Mitchell Swepson and being run out by Jake Lehmann.

This summer has felt like a whirlwind for Arsenal.

During the first few weeks of the transfer window, it looked like the club were standing still and allowing their rivals to get further ahead of them, but over the last few weeks, everything has changed.

For example, the club have already announced the signings of Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, and Noni Madueke, and it’s just a matter of time until they announce the arrival of Cristhian Mosquera.

Add to that the imminent arrival of goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres and the persistent links to Eberechi Eze and Mikel Arteta’s side could be competing on all fronts next year.

Yet, there is another international ace heavily linked with a move to the Emirates, someone who’d be a more exciting signing than the Crystal Palace star.

Arsenal target international star

Eze has long been on Arsenal’s radar, with stories touting his return to the club emerging as far back as last summer.

Transfer Focus

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

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Those stories have returned in a big way this summer, with the current state of play seeming to be that club have spoken to the player, want to bring him to the Emirates, but do not want to pay his entire £68m release clause.

The 27-year-old star would be a great addition to the squad, but the Gunners might need to get a move on if they really want him, as London rivals Chelsea have also been credited with concrete interest in him.

With that said, Arteta and Co might have gone cold on the whole deal, as it now looks like the club are looking towards another, more exciting winger.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Arsenal are still incredibly interested in Rodrygo.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the North Londoners are now preparing to test the waters with an offer of around €80m, which is about £69m.

However, while Real Madrid are willing to let the Brazilian leave this summer, they would only do so for a fee of around €100m, which is about £87m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Rodrygo would be worth it, and a more exciting signing than Eze at that.

Why Rodrygo would be more exciting than Eze

The first thing to note is that both players are incredibly talented and would make for truly exciting signings this summer.

However, in Arsenal’s case, there are a few reasons why Rodrygo would be that bit more appealing.

Firstly, while Eze has Premier League experience and played a key role in Palace’s FA Cup triumph last season, the Brazilian has significantly more experience playing at the very top of the game, in the Champions League.

For example, in his 64 appearances in the competition, totalling 3883 minutes, the former “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists.

Rodrygo’s UCL record

Appearances

64

Starts

43

Minutes

3883

Goals

25

Assists

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

Minutes per Goal Involvement

99.56′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That comes out to a goal involvement every 1.64 games, or every 99.56 minutes in the most prestigious competition in club football.

Moreover, he hasn’t just been statpadding in meaningless games either, as of his 25 goals, eight have been game-winning and eight have come in the knockout rounds.

In other words, he is just the sort of player this Arsenal team need to really get over the final hurdle and win the major honours, and we can’t say for certain that the Eagles ace could be the same.

Add to all of that the fact he’s three years younger than the former QPR star, and it’s scary, or exciting, to think about how good he could be when he hits his peak a few years from now.

Finally, there is also the superficial, but unavoidable, argument that signing a star from Real Madrid is simply always going to be more exciting than signing one from Palace.

Ultimately, if Arsenal can get both players, they should, but if they cannot, then it makes more sense to splash the cash on the younger but more experienced top-level international in Rodrygo, who’d be a far more exciting addition.

Related Madueke upgrade: Arsenal set to start talks to sign "world-class" £43m star

Arsenal could sign an upgrade on Noni Madueke.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 17, 2025

One team had Jasprit Bumrah. The other didn’t. And that was that. That was the difference. His legend is littered with incredible displays. But this will feel sweeter, not merely for the fact that it came in a T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, but for the fact that without his intervention this game would have almost certainly had a different ending. India defended 119. Pakistan lost after being 80 for 3. The finalists of the 2022 tournament are in serious danger of an early exit.

Boom in Blue

Pakistan need 40 runs off the last 36 balls with seven wickets in hand. ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster gave them a 93% chance of victory then. Poor thing. It’s been left on the fritz. Bumrah’s discipline, his calmness under pressure, his extraordinary skill, not just in delivering the right ball but in understanding what the right ball is, confounded man and machine alike In New York.Ironically, all this happened because Bumrah refused to go searching for wickets. He just bowled what he thought would be unhittable – which was the back of a length delivery – and by doing it consistently he made Pakistan desperate. He forced them into a corner, which to be fair is their happy place in World Cups, but that wasn’t the case here. Here, there was only panic.Related

• Kirsten's warning to Pakistan's senior pros: evolve or get left behind

• Rohit, Bumrah and the art of defending

• Old debate, simple answer: Pakistan's batting just not very good

• Rohit on Bumrah: 'He's a genius with the ball'

• Babar: 'We were not up to the mark'

Mohammad Rizwan was made to believe that a full length ball was there to play a cross-bat shot. His stumps paid the price. Soon after knocking it back, Bumrah spread his arms wide and broke into a smile. That’s his usual celebration. But he didn’t stop there. He roared. And over 30,000 people at the ground roared with him. He punched the air. Millions joined him. This was the opening that India could build on. This was the crack that would cause the collapse. Rizwan, the set batter, fell for 31 off 44. Bumrah, who had accounted for Babar Azam earlier, also took out Pakistan’s final hope, Iftikhar Ahmed, in the 19th over. Of his 24 balls, 15 were dots. Somehow, even his full tosses proved game-changing.Bumrah’s mastery carved out a piece of history: 119 is the joint-lowest total ever defended in men’s T20 World Cups.

The support act

India waited until the third over to deploy their super weapon. Then they had to wait until the 15th to bring him back. In between, they relied on others to keep the pressure up and two people in particular did that with aplomb. Hardik Pandya and his short-of-a-length offerings were always going to be a threat on this New York pitch with uneven bounce. He stopped Fakhar Zaman before he could play the kind of cameo that would kill chases like these. And then he took out Shadab Khan. Both times the batters were surprised by how high the ball was when they made contact with it. Hardik wasn’t. He just shrugged, as if to say, yeah, I do that. No big deal.Axar Patel was the other unsung hero, bowling the first of the death overs and somehow keeping it to just two runs even though he was up against a left-hand batter with the short boundary on the leg side. Imad Wasim was never allowed to win the match-up as he was fed a diet of non-spinning deliveries that were angled across him and kept bouncing over his cut shots. Bumrah produced the biggest swing in momentum towards India according to Forecaster, 44% at the end of the 19th over. Axar produced the second-biggest swing, his defensive skills earning a 13% bump.Rishabh Pant used his luck and played some creative shots•Getty Images

Pant doing Pant things

This was the best pitch to bat on in New York so far. But even that had its perils. Largely in the form of the ball not coming on, and occasionally with uneven bounce. Rizwan and Arshdeep Singh took blows to the hand.A bit of luck is required in these conditions. Pant got that when he survived three catching opportunities in three balls and later survived an inside edge that could have gone onto the stumps. A bit of bravery helps. Pant showed that when he smashed Haris Rauf over extra cover. A bit of imagination doesn’t go amiss either. Pant epitomised that with a flick shot that he played while falling to the floor because that was the only way he knew how to get under a good length ball and put in the gap at fine leg. Later, to Imad’s highly accurate left-arm spin, he brought out the standing reverse sweep.It was tough to bat out there. Pant’s unorthodox methods made him successful; made him stand out. He made 42 off 31 at a strike rate of 135. The rest of India made 70 off 84 at a strike rate of 83.It’s all blue in New York•Getty Images

The footnotes

In the game against USA, Mohammad Amir was all over the place. In this one, he was spot on. Eight of the first 12 deliveries he bowled produced false shots. Early on with the new ball, he beat the bat three times in a row. Later on, with the old one, he was on a hat-trick. Pakistan demoted him to first-change and by the time he came on, India had already lost their two best batters, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli caught off balls that stuck in the pitch, a theme that would continue for the rest of the innings. Amir had a soft entry but he made the absolute most of it. His best work coincided with the best phase of the game for Pakistan, when they strung four overs together between the 12th and the 15th where only eight runs were scored and four wickets were taken. India went from 89 for 3 to 96 for 7. At the halfway stage, Pakistan were ahead. Twenty overs later, they were facing elimination, in part because they weren’t the team with Jasprit Bumrah.

The transfer window might have only officially opened a few days ago, but Premier League clubs are moving fast, and Arsenal need to keep up.

For example, while the signing of Martin Zubimendi feels imminent, Liverpool have already picked up Jeremie Frimpong and look set to land Florian Wirtz at some point.

Even Manchester United, who endured one of their worst seasons ever, are making moves, with Matheus Cunha already secured and Bryan Mbeumo making it clear he wants to join them.

The Brentford star has previously been linked with the Gunners, but while missing out on him is far from ideal, recent reports suggest the North Londoners are progressing with another attacker who’d be their answer to the Cameroonian.

Arsenal transfer news

Arsenal might not have secured any offensive signings just yet, but it feels more like a matter of when and not if, as over the last few weeks, the club have been linked with more than their fair share of exciting options, like Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could cost around £68m this summer, and while that might be a lot to pay for a 22-year-old, he has proven himself to be a reliable attacking outlet, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 games this season.

On the other hand, Pedro might cost up to a staggering £70m, and while he’s undoubtedly a talented player, we aren’t entirely sure his haul of ten goals and seven assists this season quite justifies that price tag.

Fortunately, another free-scoring phenom is high on the Gunners’ shortlist this summer: Viktor Gyokeres.

According to a recent report from Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, Arsenal are among several teams incredibly interested in the Sporting CP star.

The report claims that the Gunners, Manchester United and Napoli are among the frontrunners to land the Swedish international but to do so, they’ll have to pay up to €70m, which is around £59m.

It could be a complicated and costly deal to get over the line, but Gyokeres would certainly be worth pushing the boat out for, especially as he could be the North Londoners’ answer to Mbeumo.

Why Gyokeres could be Arsenal's answer to Mbeumo

Now, while Mbeumo is primarily a winger and Gyokeres is an out-and-out striker, there are several similarities between the pair that could make the latter Arsenal’s answer to United signing the former.

Firstly, both players honed their craft in the EFL, with the Cameroon international joining Brentford from Troyes in the summer of 2019 at just 19 years old and making 86 appearances in the Championship, in which he scored 23 goals and provided 18 assists.

Likewise, following a couple of middling loans, the Sporting star joined Coventry City on a short-term deal in January 2021 and then on a permanent deal that summer.

During his two-and-a-half seasons with the Sky Blues, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace made 110 second-tier appearances, in which he scored 41 goals and provided 15 assists, which was enough to earn him his move to Portugal.

This brings us to the second reason he’d be the North Londoners’ answer to the Red Devils’ question, which is that, like the Bees ace, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, would be their own game-changing attacking signing.

Appearances

52

42

Minutes

4248′

3577′

Goals

54

20

Assists

13

9

Goal Involvements per Match

1.28

0.69

Minutes per Goal Involvement

63.40′

123.34′

For example, there can be no doubt that Reuben Amorim’s side will be more dangerous next season with a player who racked up 29 goal involvements this season.

In the Gunners’ case, the addition of a striker who managed to score 54 goals and provide 13 assists in 52 games this season could be utterly transformational and turn them from an almost side to one who could win it all next year.

Ultimately, while they aren’t exactly the same sort of player, there is no doubt that signing Gyorkeres would be the perfect response from Arsenal to United signing Mbeumo.

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Chelsea’s defensive numbers this season, Enzo Maresca’s first campaign in charge at Stamford Bridge, certainly catch the eye for the right reasons.

According to FBref, they have been one of the outstanding sides at the back, conceding just 43 goals across the entire campaign.

That was bettered by three sides, namely Manchester City, newly-crowned champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal. The West Londoners are also one of eight sides who have kept double-figure clean sheets this term, with ten to their name.

Yet, they are still not at the level they need to be in order to challenge for the title, highlighted by the fact that the top two in the league have conceded fewer goals. Thus, it may not be a surprise to learn the Blues are targeting a new defender this summer.

Chelsea’s new defensive target

If there is one defender who has been consistently linked with a move away from his current club, it is Dean Huijsen. However, with the Bournemouth centre-back heading in the direction of Real Madrid, they need to source an alternative.

That alternative could be Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite. With the rumour mill continuously in motion for 12 months or so, he could finally be on his way out of the club this summer.

Transfer Focus

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According to a report from former chief scout of Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers, Mick Brown, talking with Football Insider, the Blues have ‘been looking at’ a deal to bring Branwthaite to Stamford Bridge this summer.

However, the defender, who has played for England as recently as last summer, will not come cheap.

The report suggests that Everton will ask for as much as £100m for their star centre-back, which is money they could reinvest into the squad as a new era dawns on the Blue half of Merseyside.

Why Branthwaite could be Chelsea's new John Terry

Should the West London outfit convince Branthwaite to swap the Blue of Everton for the Blue of Chelsea, he could become their new John Terry. The former Blues skipper is an all-time great, described by Jamie Redknapp as “the best Premier League defender” he’s ever seen.

The 44-year-old is a five-time English top-flight champion and also won one Champions League title for Chelsea.

He made an incredible 717 appearances for his boyhood club and was the club captain for 13 years.

There are certainly similarities between the two. Not only are they both England internationals, with plenty of potential, as the numbers behind Branthwaite’s season have shown, but they are leaders, too.

Of course, Terry was a huge leadership figure for Chelsea for over a decade, but Branthwaite has already captained England U21s as recently as March. He also has the potential to captain Chelsea one day, if his early forays into leadership are anything to go by. His performances on the pitch also do a lot of the talking.

Indeed, it has been yet another strong campaign for Branthwaite, helping to keep the Toffees in the Premier League after what was a poor start to the season. He has been a key player under both Sean Dyche and David Moyes.

This season, the 22-year-old, who was born in Carlisle, has played 33 games for Everton. 30 of those appearances have come in the Premier League, helping to keep nine clean sheets in the top flight so far.

Not only is he a “colossal” presence at the back, according to Statman Dave, but Branthwaite also offers a threat in the opposition box. Although he has gone without a goal this season, he has bagged four times across his short Everton career so far.

The numbers via Sofascore from Branthwaite’s last two seasons in the top flight show just how well he has performed in an Everton shirt. For example, this season, he has made 63 tackles and interceptions, although last term was even higher, with an impressive 116 tackles and interceptions.

Passes completed

981 (35)

1098 (31.7)

Long balls completed

73 (2.1)

85 (3)

Long ball accuracy

40.1%

45.2%

Tackles and interceptions

116 (3.3)

63 (2.3)

Aerial duels won

95 (2.7)

62 (2.2)

On the ball, the defender has an eye for a pass, which again is highlighted by the numbers. In the 2023/25 campaign, he has played 85 long balls at 45.2% accuracy, an improvement on last season’s 73 long balls with a 40.1% pass accuracy.

£100m is a huge price tag, but the West London side could finally replace Terry, something they have struggled, and ultimately failed, to do for a number of years now.

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