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Liverpool are set for some big changes this summer and are now making pre-window advances to bring in a talented defender to bolster the ranks at Anfield.

Liverpool could be set for landscape to change under Arne Slot

Arne Slot has become a heroic figure on the red half of Merseyside since arriving from Feyenoord last summer and did his reputation no harm during the week as Liverpool saw off rivals Everton to maintain their 12-point advantage at the Premier League summit.

Despite the euphoric scenes at Anfield, some supporters are trepidatious heading into the summer due to heavy rumours that Trent Alexander-Arnold is on his way to Real Madrid.

The Reds academy graduate isn’t the only one with an uncertain future at the club. Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have yet to commit to fresh terms despite being on the cusp of claiming a Premier League medal.

Sending the transfer mill into overdrive, Liverpool are now said to be eyeing a move for Lyon’s Rayan Cherki and hold out hope the French playmaker could join on a cheap deal following news he has agreed to leave for around £25 million.

On the same token, Freiburg right-back Kiliann Sildillia has been lined up as a potential Alexander-Arnold replacement, albeit Manchester City, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion want to sign the Bundesliga star this summer.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Apr 3, 2025

Whatever circumstances fall Liverpool’s way over the next few months, Slot doesn’t appear to have much time to waste. He has now reportedly set his sights on an alternative defensive target to add some solidity to his backline.

Liverpool make advances to sign Rayo Vallecano's Andrei Ratiu

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have identified Rayo Vallecano’s Andrei Ratiu as a target to replace Alexander-Arnold, and club chiefs have already initiated pre-summer moves to bring the Romania international to Anfield.

Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen are also in hot pursuit of the 26-year-old, who has registered two goals and three assists in 28 appearances across all competitions this season.

Andrei Ratiu’s La Liga statistics in 2024/25

Chances created

24

Tackles won

34

Duels won

144

Successful crosses

6

Recoveries

138

Possessing a release clause of around £21 million, Ratiu could be on the market for a relatively cheap price as Liverpool scour the market for contingencies should Alexander-Arnold complete a free transfer to Real Madrid.

Conor Bradley is another exciting alternative in reserve, though his injury status in recent times shows the need for reliable cover on the right-hand side of defence. Importantly, Slot sees Ratiu as a ‘perfect fit’ for his high-octane system, indicating he has done his homework on the Aiud-born man ahead of the window.

Until Alexander-Arnold’s departure is officially ratified, supporters will hold out hope that a fairytale u-turn from the Three Lions international could be on the cards.

Laxman playing the last-action hero in Mohali, or a stunning New Zealand fightback in Abu Dhabi? Pick between two thrillers as we begin to identify The Greatest Test of the 21st century

Alagappan Muthu02-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2010 Mohali Test moves into the round of 16.

India’s one-wicket epic vs Australia – Mohali, 2010

Test cricket moves men. Even stoic ones like VVS Laxman, who once withstood the world’s best team for a full day’s play, but here lost his cool with just about seconds on the clock. A victory that had seemed so unlikely – India were eight down with 92 runs still to get – one that required him to strain so hard he hurt his back and needed a runner – was within their grasp. Laxman had added 81 with the No. 10 Ishant Sharma before Ben Hilfenhaus struck, leaving Australia one wicket from a 1-0 lead in the series. Then the No. 11 Pragyan Ojha randomly wandered out of his crease, opening himself up to being run out. Laxman was driven to a curse word. For the entire fourth innings, he had denied Australia. Strong, firm, unmoved, and yet scoring at an extremely brisk pace. Here he broke. India could have lost this game by five runs and it still would have been a classic. In the end, they won it by one wicket and Australia’s nemesis was unbeaten on 73 off 79 balls.

NZ’s four-run heist vs Pakistan – Abu Dhabi, 2018

No one knew when they were eating lunch on the fourth day in Abu Dhabi that the first domino had fallen. Pakistan went in 130 for 4 chasing 176 to win. They wouldn’t get there. They wouldn’t get there because a debutant left-arm spinner from New Zealand would bring them down like a house of cards.Ajaz Patel has spent his career doing unimaginable things – he’s picked up 10 wickets in an innings, he’s helped New Zealand beat India in India 3-0 – but this was where it all started. At 171 for 9, and with Azhar Ali still out there, Pakistan had hope. Then Kane Williamson remembered that he had a left-arm spinner in his ranks and that left-arm spinners have always troubled Azhar. It was a gamble – the kind that will get better with each retelling – because it worked. New Zealand began this Test in a way that made sense. Getting all out for 153 on a spinning pitch and giving up a first-innings lead of 74. Everything they did from that point on, however, made people wonder if what happened could even be real.

The England fast bowler played only 11 matches across the SA20 and the IPL this year

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-20234:31

Explaining Jofra Archer’s sudden exit from the IPL

February 1, 2022 – Enters IPL mega-auction
Archer’s name is a surprise inclusion on the longlist for the mega-auction, given he was due to miss IPL 2022 with an elbow injury. Hemang Amin, the IPL’s COO, tells franchises: “The ECB has registered Jofra Archer for the auction with a view to potential participation in 2023 and 2024, as due to his current injury it is unlikely that he can participate in IPL 2022.”February 13, 2022 – Signed by Mumbai Indians
Despite his unavailability, Archer’s lot prompts a bidding war between his old franchise Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai at the auction, with Mumbai eventually securing his services at INR 8 crore (£800,000 approx). The franchise’s owner, Akash Ambani, says: “When he is fit and available we believe he will make a formidable partnership with [Jasprit] Bumrah.”May 19, 2022 – Back stress fracture
Archer is diagnosed with a lower-back stress fracture, preventing his planned return in the T20 Blast for Sussex and ruling him out of the English summer. The ECB say in a statement: “No timeframe has been set for his return.”November 23, 2022 – England Lions return
Bowling in England match kit for the first time since March 2021, Archer hits Zak Crawley on the helmet with a sharp bouncer, playing for England Lions against the full Test squad in a warm-up match in Abu Dhabi. “A small day but still a big day,” he says.January 10, 2023 – MI Cape Town debut
Signed as a ‘wildcard’ for MI Cape Town – Mumbai Indians’ franchise in the inaugural SA20 – Archer bowls the third over of the new tournament, and strikes with his third ball. He plays six times for them in total, taking 10 wickets.January 27, 2023 – Full international comeback
Archer plays his first game for England since March 2021, taking 1 for 81 in the first ODI in South Africa. Five days later, he takes 6 for 40 to seal a consolation win as England lose the series 2-1.March 14, 2023 – Back in Bangladesh
Archer finishes England’s white-ball tour to Bangladesh with another five international appearances under his belt, taking five wickets in his two ODIs and four in his three T20Is.April 2, 2023 – Mumbai debut
Mumbai start IPL 2023 with a heavy defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Archer takes 0 for 33 in his four overs, dropping a difficult caught-and-bowled chance offered by Virat Kohli off his first ball.April 8, 2023 – Misses El Clasico
After experiencing discomfort in his right elbow on debut, Archer misses Mumbai’s first home game against Chennai Super Kings with what Mark Boucher, their head coach, describes as “a little niggle”. Boucher adds: “We’ve got a fantastic medical team that are looking after him. He’s obviously a massive player for us, so hopefully they can pass him fit sometime soon.”April 22, 2023 – Returns vs Punjab Kings
Having missed four matches in a row, Archer takes his first wicket for Mumbai – Sam Curran, caught and bowled – in a defeat to Punjab Kings at the Wankhede.April 25, 2023 – Belgium trip emerges
The reports that Archer travelled to Belgium during his lay-off to visit Roger van Riet, his elbow specialist, for a “minor procedure”. The ECB confirms that Archer travelled to Belgium, but do not comment on whether he underwent surgery. Archer responds furiously via Twitter, saying: “Putting out an article without knowing the facts and without my consent is crazy.”April 27, 2023 – All-format ambitions
Archer confirms in an interview with ESPNcricinfo that he retains hope of making a return to Test cricket. “I still want to play as much red-ball [cricket] as possible,” he says. “I’ve never really had a thought of trying to give up on any of the formats as yet.”April 29, 2023 – Boucher confirms surgery
Asked about Archer’s situation at a pre-match press conference, Boucher confirms that he travelled to Belgium. “Yes, he did,” he said. “I believe it was a minor surgery.” Meanwhile, Archer’s close friend and Sussex and England team-mate Chris Jordan is spotted training with the franchise.May 9, 2023 – Leaves IPL 2023
Mumbai announce that Archer has been replaced by Jordan for the remainder of the tournament, after consecutive wicketless appearances against Kings and Super Kings. “Jofra will return home to focus on his rehabilitation,” the franchise said.The ECB confirmed that he has been “recovering from right elbow surgery”, adding: “Pushing through the discomfort whilst recently playing, hoping it will settle, has proven challenging. Therefore, it has been agreed for him to return to the UK for a period of rest and rehabilitation to give him the best opportunity for a full recovery.”May 16, 2023 – Ruled out of English summer
England’s squad announcement for the Ireland Test contains the news that Archer has been ruled out of action for the home season by the recurrence of his elbow stress fracture. “He was making good progress until a recurrence of the elbow injury, which kept him out for an extended period previously,” says Rob Key, England men’s managing director. “We wish him the best of luck with his recovery.”

A caution-first mindset, a lack of long-term vision, and an overreliance on overseas stars at the BPL are among the reasons for this muddle

Mohammad Isam09-Apr-2021If you followed Bangladesh’s recent results in New Zealand, you wouldn’t wonder why more of their cricketers aren’t making it big in T20 cricket. It can be assumed that teams that get bowled out in 9.3 overs – the third-shortest completed innings of all time – don’t have great T20 players. And that’s true of Bangladesh. There’s the IPL on as we speak, and all of two Bangladeshis are a part of it – Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, the only two to have played with any regularity in the competition over the years, Shakib much more than Rahman.It comes down to a lack of T20 skills. There is a genuine lack of big hitters in the batting line-up, which has left a huge gap in Bangladesh’s overall white-ball performances. They don’t have legspinners or other unorthodox bowlers of any prominence in the domestic circuit. Orthodox bowlers, be it pace or spin, don’t have much mystery about them. Bangladesh’s T20I cricket often feels like a watered-down version of their ODI cricket. The personnel are not too different, and they follow ODI-like plans and patterns.

“A franchise doesn’t have the opportunity, nor do they even try, to develop a player. Suddenly a foreign coach comes, we take a few selfies with him, and that’s it.”
Senior Bangladesh coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim

No surprise then that Bangladesh are tenth in the ICC T20I team rankings. They are also at the bottom of T20I teams in terms of win-loss ratio in the last five years.Over the years, BPL franchises have been heavily reliant on their overseas stars•BPL‘We ‘don’t have the culture’To Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, the senior Bangladeshi coach best known for mentoring Shakib over the years, the show in New Zealand suggested that the Bangladesh players had lost the plot in their heads even before taking the field.”We played against a quality opposition in conditions that weren’t suited to our cricket, but I think the perception that we don’t play well in T20s has got into everyone’s head,” Fahim tells ESPNcricinfo. “This may contribute to the mentality that we can afford to lose and play badly; there’s not much expectation. We could have been a bit more positive. It was always going to be hard to beat New Zealand in their own conditions, but we should have played better.”Fahim, who has worked in the BCB as an Under-19 coach and as national development manager for many years, feels the New Zealand tour was another example of the lack of boldness in Bangladesh’s approach – a precondition in T20s.”We don’t have the culture that allows the positive and fearless cricket so needed in T20s,” he says. “We worry a lot about consequences when playing cricket at any level, be it club or national team. We don’t have the physical build and neither do we play a lot of T20s. But, on top of that, if we can’t even play 100% fearless cricket, it becomes a huge hindrance in T20s.”It’s almost an echo of what Mahmudullah had to say after Bangladesh lost a T20I series 2-1 in India in late 2019, the last match – the decider – by 30 runs after they collapsed from 110 for 2 to 144 all out chasing 175.”Honestly, we have a long way to go in T20s. We are a team dependent on skilled hitting, not big hitters. If we can be consistent with our game sense and mentality, we can improve in this format,” he had said. “It is important to back players in T20Is where it is hard to be consistent. As a team and the management, we should back players who are going through a rough time.”As for the missing fearlessness, Neil McKenzie, who worked with the national team as batting coach for two years between 2018 and 2020, had tried to analyse the problem early last year, after Bangladesh lost the T20I series in Pakistan.”There’s no doubt that Bangladesh is full of very talented cricketers, but we need a little bit more consistency,” he had said. “I want someone to be selfish in terms of winning games for the side. Not selfish for their own right. Selfish for not giving it away. If I have an 80, why can’t I follow it up with a hundred, 140 or 200?”A little bit more hunger for that consistency. A lot of the time, the guys are happy to play the next game. If you get a 40 or 60. It is the wrong mentality. I want the guys to try to be the best in the world, or be the best Bangladesh batsman. I think that’s what we are trying to instill. We are making progress. But it has been a little bit frustrating.”Shakib has been the only Bangladeshi regular in the IPL over the years•BCCIWhy has the BPL not helped?During the seven seasons of the BPL’s franchise-based model, the teams have depended mainly on overseas players to take charge of all the important phases in the games, especially the powerplay and the death overs, whether with bat or ball.”We give all the important positions to the overseas players during the BPL. We let them handle all the crisis moments, which means our players can never gather that experience,” Fahim says. “What’s glaring is that these overseas players end up adapting to our conditions better. Afghanistan won here quite easily (in 2019) because this is not a foreign land to them anymore.”A franchise doesn’t have the opportunity, nor do they even try, to develop a player. Practice is only for three or four days before the tournament. Suddenly a foreign coach comes, we take a few selfies with him, and that’s it.”Nafees Iqbal , the former Bangladesh opener who has managed the Khulna Titans for the last five years, agrees that the BPL model hasn’t done much for the country’s T20 cricket.”It is very true that we pick overseas players who will make an impact in the powerplay and death overs, and it honestly does make it difficult to provide opportunities to local players,” Nafees says. “But you can’t really blame the BPL franchises. Winning the trophy is their only motivation, since they don’t earn revenue like IPL franchises do.”So, by and large, Bangladeshi players don’t get to – or manage to – impress much in their own T20 league. What chance do they have in overseas competitions?Mustafizur Rahman played a key role for Sunrisers in his debut season (2016)•BCCIThe occasional splashOnly Shakib and Rahman are playing in this season’s IPL.Shakib has been around since 2011, winning two titles with the Kolkata Knight Riders, for whom he is back this season. He is among T20’s glitterati, currently the sixth-highest wicket-taker in all T20s and is among only two players to have scored 5000 runs and taken 350 wickets in the format. He is a major drawcard, having played in all the major T20 tournaments.Rahman won the 2016 IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which he also won the award for the best emerging player. The Rajasthan Royals, his team this year, is his third IPL team in five years.Both took the international route to the IPL. The Knight Riders picked Shakib in 2011 after he emerged as a match-winner for Bangladesh and became the No. 1 allrounder in the ICC ODI rankings. He didn’t have a T20 record worth talking about at the time, but had established himself as a dependable allrounder. Rahman shot to the limelight after picking up 11 wickets in his first two ODIs against India in 2015.But beyond them, there’s little. Abdur Razzak (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mohammad Ashraful (Mumbai Indians) and Mashrafe Mortaza (Knight Riders) have played one match each in the IPL over the years, while Tamim Iqbal was in the Pune Warriors rolls in 2012, but didn’t get a game.What about other T20 leagues?Tamim is a regular at the PSL, and has played in the CPL and in domestic T20 tournaments in England and New Zealand. Mahmudullah has played a couple of seasons in the CPL and PSL too, while Mushfiqur Rahim played three matches for the Karachi Kings in the PSL in 2016. In the Abu Dhabi T10 last year, eight Bangladeshi cricketers – including Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Sohag Gazi and Nasir Hossain – took part, but none of them did anything of note.Nafees, who also worked as Rahman’s translator in the 2018 IPL, while he was with the Mumbai Indians, pointed to two factors – fairly straightforward reasons – that are holding back Bangladeshi players, especially when it comes to the IPL.”Firstly, India is considered the factory of producing batsmen, so usually the IPL franchises are only interested in batsmen who have the X-factor, like AB de Villiers or Andre Russell,” Nafees says. “They are more interested in overseas allrounders and bowlers. Most of Bangladesh’s top players are batsmen, which limits their opportunities in the IPL. Mustafiz is an exceptional bowler while Shakib mainly plays as a bowler.”Secondly, our T20 team’s track record isn’t great. It is not like our one-day team. I think it is important to have an impact in your (country’s) team, before you can be considered anywhere else. Someone like [Kieron] Pollard obviously played well for West Indies first. The moment a player does well for his country, he will attract attention, and then he will get picked in tournaments.”Shoriful Islam impressed at the Bangabandhu T20 Cup•Raton Gomes/BCBLight at the end of the tunnel?The picture isn’t pretty. An absence of specialist T20 skills is a primary reason for the continued lack of big performances. Bangladesh claim they have skilled hitters but not power hitters. That’s true. Scoring patterns from domestic T20 tournaments clearly show that very few Bangladeshi batsmen can be dominant in the way we are used to seeing the top T20 batsmen be. Junaid Siddique is the only Bangladeshi in the top ten for powerplay strike rates, while there is no one in the top ten for strike rates in the last five overs.As for bowlers, there’s no legspinner or unorthodox spinner breaking the door down. The rare 140kph quick or orthodox offspinners or left-arm spinners haven’t shown any remarkable ability in T20s. It is a well-known fact that unique skills have a better chance of producing the spectacular in T20s.Although Bangladesh’s cricketers play many T20 tournaments at the amateur or informal level, the BPL hasn’t quite become what it could have, and not just for the reasons mentioned earlier. Corruption, unpaid wages, and impulsive rule changes have all affected the tournament, and the BCB eventually fell out with the original franchises in 2019 and ran the tournament on its own.”The BPL could have given us a lot, had we tried to take something out of it,” Fahim says. “The board considers the number of foreign players, media coverage and earning money as success. But that’s not it. The BPL should be used to strengthen our players.”In a bid to keep cricketers busy during the pandemic, the BCB organised the Bangabandhu T20 Cup last year. The tournament didn’t feature overseas players, so Bangladesh’s best cricketers got a chance to have more of a say in critical moments in T20s. That could help.”I think tournaments like Bangabandhu T20 will produce players,” Nafees says. “If we have seen domestic players tackle difficult situations in this competition, we will consider him for a similar role in the next BPL.”There weren’t many groundbreaking performances in the Bangabandhu T20s, though, but newcomers like Parvez Hossain Emon, a part of the Under-19 World Cup-winning side, and rookies like Anisul Islam, Mukidul Islam and Shoriful Islam showed they could hold their own in tough moments.It could be a starting point. In a country where talented T20 cricketers are not falling over each other to be noticed, a bit more desperation might help – desperation on the part of the BCB and other stakeholders. There are two T20 World Cups in the next two years, and there are several spots up for grabs. It’s up to the players to make those positions theirs.

West Ham chiefs are already working to try and save Nuno Espírito Santo when the January window opens for business, with Brazil international defender Alexsandro now a key winter target.

According to recent reports, and amid the Hammers’ dire start to 2025/2026, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the board are ready to back Nuno to the hilt with new additions mid-season.

Sky Sports reported last week that Nuno has got confirmation funds will be available to spend in January, and West Ham are actively targeting a new defender, midfielder and forward.

Much has been made of their glaring need for a new striker, with Real Madrid sensation Endrick rumoured to be on West Ham’s January shortlist as the east Londoners ponder a loan deal.

However, long-term injuries to Konstantinos Mavropanos and Ollie Scarles have left West Ham desperately short at the back too.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham

Mavropanos is expected to be out for up to six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Brentford, while Scarles was forced to undergo surgery on his collarbone and could be missing until 2026 (ExWHUemployee).

If West Ham’s desire for a star new defender to shore up their leaky backline wasn’t already there, it definitely is now.

So far, West Ham have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League, and it is crystal clear that Nuno needs to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Bearing this in mind, Nuno has now got his eyes on Alexsandro.

The 26-year-old has been a mainstay for Lille and his impressive performances in France even attracted attention from Premier League title frontrunners Arsenal in the summer.

Before Mikel Arteta’s side eventually signed Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera as their central defensive additions, credible South American news outlet UOL reported that Arsenal held initial talks over Alexsandro, which eventually went nowhere.

This is good news for West Ham, as Nuno is believed to be extremely keen.

Alexsandro makes key demand to join West Ham in January

According to Hammers News, the Irons boss wants him in the first week of January after identifying Alexsandro as the club’s priority defender signing this winter.

A deal is described by one transfer source as having a “good” chance of happening, and early talks have already been held over the centre-back’s potential arrival.

However, Alexsandro has apparently set out a key condition to join West Ham.

It is believed the Ligue 1 star wants “assurances” that there will be a route out of the London Stadium if West Ham enter the doomsday scenario of relegation, so it appears he’s looking for a safety net before committing.

While Alexsandro has been excellent for Lille overall, as evident by the Gunners’ reported interest earlier this year, he has real disciplinary issues.

Last season, the player was handed a seismic 13 bookings in all competitions, picking up three yellow card suspensions in the French top flight alone.

Nuno would need to try and work this out of Alexsandro’s game if the defender moves to Rush Green at the start of next year, but according to ESPN, he could be available for just £26 million.

West Ham have also held talks to sign two more players from the same club

Tottenham Hotspur now hold serious interest in signing a “relentless” Premier League star, who has been outscoring Richarlison.

Spurs keen on new striker despite Richarlison's resurgence

Richarlison has received plenty of criticism during his time at Tottenham, but the Brazilian has been impressive in front of goal so far this season, scoring seven goals in 25 matches across all competitions.

Thomas Frank has been left impressed by the striker, saying after the 3-0 victory against Burnley: “He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes.”

That said, the 28-year-old hasn’t exactly been prolific during his time in north London, scoring 27 goals in 114 outings for Spurs, while Dominic Solanke has struggled injury-wise, being limited to just two Premier League appearances this season.

With that in mind, it could make sense to bring in a new striker in January, and Tottenham now hold serious interest in signing Brentford star Igor Thiago, but there could be competition for his signature, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United also keen.

Thiago has a price tag of around £70m, so Spurs may have to shell out a club-record fee to get a deal over the line, and Brentford are reluctant to sanction a January move, which could be an obstacle.

As such, a winter departure is unlikely to be on the cards for the Brazilian, but strong offers are expected next summer, and a move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium could be tempting.

Frank is an admirer of "relentless" Thiago

Frank spent time working with the centre-forward during his time with the Bees, and the Dane made it clear he is a big admirer, saying: “Thiago is a very exciting striker who fits the role in our team. He is hard working and a very good pressing player. He is also a physical presence, very good in the box and can link the play.”

Since then, the 24-year-old has really kicked on, scoring 12 goals in 16 matches across all competitions this season, vastly outscoring Richarlison, and he received high praise from Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, who described the Brentford star as “relentless in his work rate.”

That work rate has been on display regularly over the past year, with the Gama-born striker exhibiting a real willingness to pitch in defensively.

Igor Thiago’s defensive statistics	Average per 90 (past year)
Tackles	1.35 (93rd percentile)
Blocks	1.0 (94th percentile)
Clearances	2.21 (98th percentile)

Thiago has been fantastic so far this season, and Tottenham should monitor his performances between now and the end of the season, given Brentford’s reluctance to sanction a January move.

In the history of baseball, 40 pitchers have struck out 2,500 batters—from Hall of Fame icons like Walter Johnson to very good compilers like A.J. Burnett.

No one has ever joined that club faster than Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale.

Sale punched out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Eduardo Sosa swinging with two outs in the sixth inning Thursday evening to register the 2,500th strikeout of his career. He did so in just 2,026 innings—the fewest needed to reach 2,500 strikeouts in the history of baseball.

A plausible candidate to one day reach the Hall of Fame, Sale ranks second only to Blake Snell on the all-time strikeouts per nine innings leaderboard.

The Lakeland, Fla. native was one of the best pitchers of the 2010s, stringing together seven straight All-Star appearances in that decade for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox from 2012 to '18.

In 2024, he made a thrilling, out-of-nowhere return to form with the Braves. He won the Triple Crown with 18 wins, 225 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA—and finally won an elusive Cy Young award.

This year, Sale is 2-3 with a 3.36 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings pitched.

While it’s not been smooth sailing, Chelsea are not doing too badly so far this season.

They are currently third in the Premier League and should still qualify for the next round of the Champions League.

Moreover, Enzo Maresca’s side have had to make do without Cole Palmer for most of the campaign so far.

The Englishman is undoubtedly Chelsea’s best player, and so fans should be excited about reports linking them with an incredible talent who could be another Palmer-like addition to the team.

Chelsea target Palmer-like star

Since making his Chelsea debut, Palmer has been one of the very best players in the Premier League, if not in European football at large.

For example, even though he had a few barren runs last season, the former Manchester City prospect has amassed a staggering tally of 74 goal involvements in 101 appearances for the Blues.

The 23-year-old is a truly special player, and while Maresca and Co are never going to find someone just like him, they are clearly looking to sign players who could develop in a similar way.

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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At least that is according to a recent report from journalist Simon Phillips, who claims Chelsea are interested in and have reopened contact with Kenan Yıldız.

The report has revealed that, alongside the Blues, Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on signing the Juventus gem, who is currently in talks over a new deal with the club that is not going all that well.

This situation has opened the door to interested parties, though, according to other reports, if West Londoners do want to sign the Turkish wonderkid, they’ll have to stump up around £88m.

It could therefore be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s immense ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should be fighting for, especially as he could be another Palmer.

Why Yıldız would be a Palmer-like signing for Chelsea

So to be considered a ‘Palmer-like’ signing, the player in question has to be someone capable of arriving at Chelsea and, within a relatively short space of time, establishing themselves as one of the best players in the squad and a true game-changer.

Now, while it might still be early in Yıldız’s career, he certainly seems like the sort of player who could fit that description perfectly.

For example, despite being just 19 years old last season, the Regensburg-born maestro scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in 52 appearances, totalling just 3520 minutes.

That comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down this season.

In fact, his tally of three goals and four assists in 14 appearances, totalling 1155 minutes, comes out to an even better average of a goal involvement every other game, or every 165 minutes, which lends more credence to one analyst’s claim that he’s “one of the best wingers in the world.”

Yıldız’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

3.22

Top 3%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.11

Top 3%

Shot-Creating Actions

4.87

Top 4%

SCA (Shot)

0.45

Top 5%

Passes into Penalty Area

1.95

Top 6%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

0.97

Top 6%

Successful Take-Ons

2.21

Top 6%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.56

Top 7%

Touches

55.64

Top 7%

Touches (Live-Ball)

55.64

Top 7%

Touches (Att 3rd)

28.18

Top 9%

Carries

36.12

Top 9%

Passes Received

41.82

Top 9%

Passes Completed (Short)

19.41

Top 11%

Key Passes

2.14

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

4.53

Top 12%

Goals – xG

+0.10

Top 12%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.10

Top 12%

Passes Attempted (Short)

21.69

Top 12%

Live-ball Passes

38.97

Top 12%

SCA (Take-On)

0.49

Top 12%

GCA (Take-On)

0.07

Top 12%

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Serie A Season

In addition to the youngster’s impressive output, his underlying numbers from last season make for some spectacular reading.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Serie A for shot-creating actions from live passes, the top 4% for outright shot-creating actions, the top 6% for passes into the penalty area and successful take-ons, the top 9% for carries and more, all per 90.

In other words, even when he’s not directly scoring or assisting a goal, the superstar in the making is heavily involved in the team’s attacks.

Ultimately, while it is still early in his career, there is no denying that Yıldız is one of the most exciting talents in European football, and therefore, Chelsea should sign him, as he could have a Palmer-like impact on the team.

Related Bye-bye Tosin & Chalobah: Chelsea submit bid to re-sign "the world's best CB"

The iconic defender would be excellent for Chelsea, but bad news for Tosin and Chalobah.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

Celtic are in the hunt for a permanent manager and that will take their focus over the international break, albeit they appear to be prioritising new arrivals regardless of who the new man in the dugout will be.

Martin O’Neill has presided over the Parkhead hotseat since Brendan Rodgers’ acrimonious departure from the Scottish Premiership champions, and there is still plenty of speculation over who could replace the Irishman on a full-time basis.

Since coming into the club after a 20-year hiatus, the former has delivered a morale-boosting victory over Falkirk and led the Bhoys to the Premier Sports Cup final in an enthralling triumph over Rangers, leading some reports to claim O’Neill could take the role permanently.

Nevertheless, there is a long list of candidates, something that refuses to narrow ahead of the international break. Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen is also a Celtic managerial candidate amid a glorious spell in Norway.

On the flipside, the main drawback of any approach to hiring the 57-year-old is that he would like to finish their Champions League campaign before committing to life in Scotland.

Wilfried Nancy, Robbie Keane and Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna are also on the Bhoys’ radar. Either way, this feels like a pursuit that may go on for time to come as majority shareholder Dermot Desmond carefully considers his options.

Away from the managerial hunt, Celtic are considering a bid for Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson, who is available to sign a pre-contract in January and is also wanted by rivals Rangers.

Recruitment is ongoing as the reigning champions look to bolster amid Heart of Midlothian’s push for the title, and they may now look to an untapped market to land a shining star.

Celtic bid to sign Under-20 World Cup winner Hossam Essadak

According to AfricaFoot, Celtic have submitted an offer for Moroccan attacking midfielder Hossam Essadak, who is currently on the books of Union Touarga Sport.

Recently, he featured in the Under-20 World Cup with his nation, captaining them to glory after they defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final to record a historic triumph.

Hossam Essadak’s senior career

Appearances

35

Goals

4

Assists

4

Not short of suitors, Sunderland have also made an official bid to try and sign the blossoming talent, and European clubs are said to be at the front of the race for his signature despite further interest from Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane in his homeland.

Per Fotmob, Essadak created four chances, completed four dribbles and won six duels during Morocco’s World Cup heroics, and he could well be the latest star Celtic look to sign from North Africa after their summer capture of Sebastian Tounekti.

Celtic are also plotting an emotional move for a Premier League icon

Admittedly, the Bhoys are well-stocked in midfield, and departures may be needed before new arrivals can integrate themselves at Lennoxtown, though it does seem as if work is ongoing to bolster the ranks with talented stars with potential to develop.

Parvez Hossain Emon doesn’t like throwing his wicket away after a good start, but he will not step back from his natural instincts in the third ODI against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Parvez made a rapid 67 in the second game, which Bangladesh won by 16 runs. It kept them in contention going into Tuesday’s match, and also broke their eight-match losing streak.Parvez rued getting out after making 67 off 69 balls, when Wanindu Hasaranga beat him with a subtle googly.”I didn’t bat long in the last match,” Parvez said on the eve of the third ODI. “I was feeling guilty after getting out because I was set and the wicket was beautiful. I could have scored a hundred that day, and I felt bad about it. [Towhid] Hridoy was unfortunate; he got run-out. We have been talking about it. If we get set, we need to play long innings. We have to be consistent. If we score runs early and consistently, it will be easier for the team to do well.”Related

• Rain in the way as Bangladesh look for first ODI series win in SL

• Tanvir: Mehidy kept telling us we could defend 248

Batting first in the second ODI, Bangladesh were bowled out for 248 with Parvez and Towhid Hridoy getting fifties. The visitors have shown a tendency to play a high-risk shot much before getting to a decent score in this ODI series.Parvez said that he is hopeful of getting a good start in the third ODI at the Pallekele International Stadium, a ground which is regarded as one of the better batting wickets in Sri Lanka. Parvez himself has looked in good form, particularly after his breakthrough century against UAE in the T20I series in May.”I try to assess the situation, and play accordingly, and I try to play my natural game,” he said. “I don’t have any set target. I spoke to the guys who have played here earlier, and everyone is saying this wicket will be good for batting. I will try to play a big innings if I get a start.”Parvez also talked about his dismissal in the second ODI, when Hasaranga beat him with a lovely delivery. He said that he missed the line of the ball, but generally felt comfortable playing the Sri Lanka legspinner.”He is a good bowler, but he didn’t give me much trouble,” Parvez said. “I just missed the line on that delivery. Legspinners are important in world cricket, and Rishad [Hossain] is also doing well for us. I am sure if he gets a chance, he will do well.”Bangladesh’s players have a bit of their confidence back after Saturday’s win in Colombo. Parvez said that they are eager to grab the opportunity for the series win.”This is a big chance for us. If we win the match tomorrow, it will be a great series win,” he said. “Everyone is feeling confident. After the win in the last match, the confidence has been building among us, so we will try our best to win tomorrow.”