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Ange Postecoglou has been in the Tottenham Hotspur hot seat for about a year and a half.

Since taking the job, he’s made the team one of the most entertaining to watch in the Premier League, but while he enjoyed an incredible run at the start of last season, it’s not been so easy since.

For example, he has overseen more losses than wins in the league this year, although now that some of his stars are returning to the team, the results are also starting to improve.

Moreover, while not every signing has been a hit, many have been, including one player who’s been in fine form this term and has won comparisons to a star worth an enormous sum of money.

Postecoglou's most impactful Spurs signings

While not every addition made by Postecoglou has been a hit at Spurs, he has made more than his fair share of brilliant signings since the summer of 2023, and one of the very best has undoubtedly been Micky van de Ven.

The Dutch international joined the North Londoners from VfL Wolfsburg for around £43m in August 2023, and while he has had several injury problems since, he’s been a revelation when fit.

In all, he’s made 41 appearances for the club, in which he’s scored three goals, provided two assists, set the Premier League sprint record – 37.38km/h – and completed a clean sweep of the Lilywhites’ Player of the Season awards last term.

Appearances

41

Minutes

3462′

Goals

3

Assosts

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.17

Minutes per Goal Involvement

489.42′

Another star addition from the same summer has been James Maddison, as while he’s certainly someone who can blow hot and cold at times, he’s managed to rack up a rather impressive haul of 14 goals and 16 assists in 63 games since his £40m move from Leicester City, and thanks to his recent uptick in form, there are now talks about his potential return to the national team squad.

Lastly, while there are other names, one of the stand-out recruits from the summer just gone has been Dominic Solanke, who, in just 29 appearances this season, has scored 11 goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.7 games.

With all that said, there’s another signing made under the Australian’s tenure who is having the season of his life and has since won comparisons to an incredibly valuable player.

The Spurs gem who's a £70m star in the making

While Solanke was doing brilliantly prior to his injury and climbing up the club’s top scorer list for this season, he was still behind one of Postecoglou’s other signings: Brennan Johnson.

In fact, the Welshman, who joined the club for around £47.5m from Nottingham Forest in September 2023, has only further extended his lead atop the club’s goalscoring chart recently.

His brace against Ipswich Town on the weekend takes him to 14 goals in 34 appearances, totalling 2211 minutes, across all competitions this season.

When you add his three assists to that tally, it comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every other game or every 130.05 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, such a great return so far has seen the former Forest ace win comparisons to some of the most exciting players around, including Liverpool’s Luis Diaz.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.63

0.59

Shots

2.73

2.63

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.36

1.45

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.23

0.16

Passes Blocked

0.80

0.75

Aerial Duels Won

0.40

0.48

The comparison primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Premier League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Colombian is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Spurs star.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty goals plus assists, shots, passes and crosses into the penalty area, passes blocked, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

While being likened to a winger who’s part of a team that looks set to win the Premier League is already great in and of itself, this comparison also bodes well for the 23-year-old’s future price tag.

For example, Football Transfers value the Liverpool star at up to €86.4m, which comes to about £72m, and if Johnson is so statistically similar to the Colombian, who is to say that he too won’t be worth that much should he keep up his current scoring form?

Ultimately, not everything has worked out for Postecoglou since he joined the club, but one thing the Australian has done is bring in more talented players, with the former Nottingham Forest gem chief among them.

Spurs must look at selling £40m Conte signing who's now on borrowed time

Djed Spence has enjoyed a fine revival at Spurs but it could mean the end of the road for one teammate.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 25, 2025

Gregor Kobel is one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. Two financially strong clubs from England are now said to be interested in signing him.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Chelsea, Newcastle eyeing Kobel
• Swiss GK wants to leave BVB for Champions League football
• Dortmund currently not within the Bundesliga top four

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report by , Premier League giants Chelsea and Newcastle United have set their sights on Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who reportedly wishes to leave Signal Iduna Park and play for a club that would play Champions League football next season. The 27-year-old's agent is travelling to London next week to meet with representatives from both clubs for talks.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kobel's contract in Dortmund runs until 2028. According to BILD, Chelsea are reportedly willing to pay €70 million (£60m) for the Swiss international. The Blues are known to be looking for a new keeper, as they are reportedly unhappy with their current number one, Robert Sanchez.

  Meanwhile, Newcastle are said to be open to selling their current first-choice goalkeeper, Nick Pope, in the summer, who has just one year left on his contract. Earlier this season, Championship side Leeds United were linked with Pope.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea and Newcastle aren't the only Premier League teams that have been rumoured to be keeping tabs on the Dortmund custodian, with Manchester United also reportedly monitoring Kobel's situation.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT'S NEXT?

  Dortmund must win the remaining four Bundesliga matches of the season if they are to secure a place in the Champions League. Their next match is away to TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday, April 26. Currently seventh in the table, they are four points behind the Champions League places. Missing out on Europe's premier club competition would make Kobel's departure more likely.

من المعروف عن أندية القمة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، أنها تتنافس دائمًا على ضم أفضل اللاعبين، بجانب تنافسها على الفوز بالمباريات والألقاب 

وقد أكد نادي تشيلسي، تعيين ديف فالوز مدير التعاقدات السابق في نادي ليفربول، ليكون مديراً رياضياً لتطوير كرة القدم في النادي اللندني.

وغادر فالوز ليفربول في أكتوبر 2024 بعد 12 عاماً قضاها في النادي، وقد ترأس فريق التعاقدات وكان له دور محوري في التعاقد مع لاعبين مثل محمد صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك وساديو ماني.

ونشرت “ليفربول دوت كوم” ان فالوز انضم إلى تشيلسي بعقد مدته ست سنوات وسيقود فريقاً يضم خمس أعضاء في النادي ويشمل عدة أسماء.

اقرأ أيضاً.. دروجبا: أنا معجب بالملك المصري محمد صلاح

وكان فالوز قد شكل عاملاً محورياً في نجاح ليفربول خلال فترة تدريب يورجن كلوب للنادي وقد استخدم تحليلات وبيانات في سياسات الانتقالات، وهو نهج إبداعي غير مسبوق.

وكان فالوز قد أجل رحيله عن ليفربول ليساعد الفريق في مرحلته الانتقالية من يورجن كلوب إلى عهد آرني سلوت، وسبق له العمل مع مانشستر سيتي ونيوكاسل وبولتون.

وقال فالوز في بيانه: “يسعدني الانضمام إلى تشيلسي والعمل بشكل وثيق مع شخصيات مثل بول ولورانس وجو وسام وغيرهم من الشخصيات الموهوبة في فرق تشيلسي رجال وسيدات وشباب”.

وأضاف :”لقد أعجبت كثيراً بالعمل المبذول في استراتيجية تطوير وجذب اللاعبين على جميع المستويات وأتطلع للمساهمة في تعزيز الأسس التي أرساها النادي مع الفرق الموهوبة التي طورها الملاك”.

The ice of Pujara and Rahane could be as big a test for Australia as the India captain’s fire

Daniel Brettig19-Nov-2020Eighty-five years ago an Australian team toured South Africa with Vic Richardson as captain while Sir Donald Bradman remained at home.Officially this was to continue his long recovery from illness suffered on the 1934 tour of England, but also to captain South Australia to the Sheffield Shield. Seldom since then can be found any sort of parallel with the news that Virat Kohli will be missing all but one of this summer’s Test matches between Australia and India due to the impending birth of his first child.Then, as now, the player in question is not just the pre-eminent batsman in the game, but also the biggest box-office draw of his or many other eras. Bradman was the unrivalled star of a much smaller cricket universe than the one that Kohli dominates now. Television broadcasting was still more than 20 years away in Australia when Bradman missed that tour, but it’s hard to think of another player who would have got the watermark treatment, his smiling face tattooed onto the top right corner of the television screen, as Kohli has been on Fox Cricket this week.That bit of branding, alongside plenty in News Corp’s newspapers, has a lot to do with the fact that the limited-overs portion of the tour, which Kohli is not missing, is exclusive to the pay TV service, leaving the free-to-air Seven Network with just one Test match from which to extract its pound of Kohli-hype. As far as the broadcasters are concerned, the early exit of India’s megastar captain is tantamount to losing Bradman, and Fox are taking every opportunity to ram home the discrepancy.What should also be remembered about the 1935-36 tour, however, is that in Bradman’s absence and after the retirement of the long-time captain Bill Woodfull, the Australians gelled impressively under the tactically astute and socially outgoing Richardson, winning the series 4-0 while playing an enterprising brand of cricket. The South Africans, though not having to face the batting giant of the age, were attacked from all sides.One advantage India have by comparison to the 1935-36 Australians is that they know far better the capabilities of their likely stand-in captain: Ajinkya Rahane. Through many matches for India A and a handful of occasions with the senior side, Rahane has shown himself to be a sharp and aggressive leader, even if in bearing and outward countenance he and Kohli could not be more different as personalities. In this, he provides some parallels with Kohli’s greatest top-order batting asset, Cheteshwar Pujara, who in 2018-19 simply bored the hosts into defeat.Virat Kohli is pumped up after India’s MCG Test win in 2018•Getty ImagesWhere Kohli brings instant theatre, combative moments and the drama of an elite athlete operating on the edge, Rahane as a captain and Pujara as a batsman offer an almost preternatural calm at times, and much less of an Alpha “contest” for the Australians to get into. For all of Kohli’s pre-eminence as a batsman, recent evidence suggests that Australia quite like locking horns with him, not only for the scope of the challenge but also for the fact they come out on top as often as not.In 2017 in India, Kohli made 46 runs in three Tests before Rahane took over for the deciding match in Dharamsala; two years later, Kohli produced arguably the innings of the summer on a fiery Perth pitch, but was otherwise more or less tamed while averaging 40.28 for the series. Certainly, the energy created by his arrival at the crease has focused the Australians more than it has detracted from their bowling and fielding. Pujara, meanwhile, has stretched Australian patience far more often.”Every batter’s a little bit different, but they’re probably polar opposites,” Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said. “For me it’s about not really seeing the batsman down the other end, it’s just about seeing the wickets and seeing where I want to pitch the ball and taking the batter out of the equation, whether that’s Virat or Pujara.”That’s the way I go about it, I know everyone’s different and they like to get in the fight with Virat and they think that brings out the best in them as a bowler, but I think it’s just about treating every batsman the same, whether they have a lot of energy or not, that’s the way I go about things.”Most intriguing on the batting front will be the fact that Pujara will be able to focus exclusively on his preparedness to bat for long periods, while Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc must adjust their focus after the suite of white-ball games that will also feature Kohli. All the quicks plus Nathan Lyon are seasoned enough to know that shifting gears from white ball to red requires a greater application of patience, but equally will realise that is easier said than done without the requisite match practice.”Patience is probably the big thing for me, moving from white ball to red ball,” Hazlewood said. “You’ve got 10 overs in a white-ball game ad you’re probably not always looking for wickets, but you know you’ve only got 10 overs and you’ve got to try and make an impact, so when we head back to that red ball it’ll be patience as the key for me and sticking those right areas all day. That’s probably the one thing I set my mind to in that change of format.”When we got [Pujara] at Perth he didn’t hurt us on a bit quicker, bouncier track, so his game’s obviously set up, he’s played the majority of his cricket in India on slower, lower wickets, and he’s hard work on those tracks to find a chink in the armour. The more pace and bounce we can get at a few of the grounds will be helpful, but I think it’s a patience game with him and it’s just about outlasting him and knowing he’s going to face a lot of balls, and not going away from our plan we’ve talked about. Keeping to that as best we can.”Josh Hazlewood on Cheteshwar Pujara: ‘It’s just about outlasting him and knowing he’s going to face a lot of balls’•Getty ImagesAs for Rahane, the likes of Cummins, Lyon, Steven Smith and David Warner will recall how he marshalled India brilliantly in that deciding 2017 Test, particularly in how the Australians were placed under pressure in the third innings when starting only 32 runs behind. Mentally tired at the end of a long and often spiteful series, they cracked for 137, leaving Rahane to help run down a modest fourth innings target and then gracefully allow Kohli the opportunity to lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Nonetheless, Rahane is nowhere near as transcendent a batting talent as Kohli, and the Australians will have the chance to corner him over successive matches on bouncier surfaces than those commonly produced in India. This applies both ways of course: Rather than a one-off with Kohli in the dressing room, Rahane will get three matches in which to assert himself as a leader.”India is very, very lucky to have a stand-in captain like Rahane,” Ian Chappell told ESPNcricinfo in 2017. “I thought he did a fantastic job and it’s not easy to do the job as a fill-in, because you know the full-time captain has got a certain style. What do I do, do I try and copy that style, do I try and captain the same way as him, or do I just be myself, and Rahane did the right thing – he captained in his own way and I thought he did a terrific job. Aggressive in his own quiet way.”You don’t have to be a gung-ho captain to have the whole team behind you, you just need to do a good job, and have the guys having faith in what you’re doing. If you’re making the right moves and the aggressive field-placing moves that Rahane was making, then that creates a belief in the team. The team are looking at your captain and they’re thinking ‘well, the captain thinks we’ve got a real chance here in this game, he thinks we’ve got a chance of getting a wicket’, so that brings the team behind the captain.”So yes, Kohli is a loss to the series, but his absence will not necessarily make Australia’s task an easier one. Well acquainted with Kohli’s fire, Tim Paine’s team will need to find better ways to cope with the ice of Pujara and Rahane.

da winzada777： Glasgow Rangers have officially made their first signing of the 2025 summer transfer window.

da blaze casino： Right-back Max Aarons joins on a season-long loan deal, and the dynamic Englishman will certainly add some competition for James Tavernier.

The Ibrox faithful will be hoping that Russell Martin has several more announcements to make over the coming weeks, especially with the Champions League second round qualifying matches against Panathinaikos just weeks away.

Building a team capable of making it through to the next stage is Martin’s priority, especially with the financial rewards on offer if the Gers qualify for the lucrative group stages.

Buying new players could well depend on the club’s ability to sell a few of their prized assets this summer.

Indeed, Hamza Igamane potentially looks like he could be on the move. According to the Daily Mail, the striker has reportedly agreed personal terms with Ligue 1 side Lille, although no offer has been made.

The Light Blues only signed the player last summer, but it now looks as though Martin is aiming to rake in a solid profit, as Rangers could hold out for a fee in the region of £15m.

He isn’t the only centre-forward who looks set to leave. Cyriel Dessers might well be on his way this summer also. The Nigerian international has been a polarising figure during his two years in Glasgow, but will the club miss him?

Cyriel Dessers’ Rangers record

Just a few weeks ago, it looked as though Greek side AEK Athens were set to secure a move for Dessers. After days of negotiating over a transfer fee, however, this move looks like it could perhaps be in jeopardy.

Cyriel Dessers’ Premiership stats for Rangers

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

16

18

Assists

4

2

Big chances created

8

2

Big chances missed

27

21

Goal conversion percentage

16%

22%

Via Sofascore

Now it appears that Feyenoord are looking to hijack a move for the Gers frontman after they failed to land a couple of their main targets.

Much will depend on whether the Dutch side can offer a fee that the Glasgow outfit are happy with, as this is why the deal with AEK Athens has broken down.

Dessers cost the club around £4.5m in the summer of 2023 and Martin is looking to recoup the majority, if not all, of that outlay.

Across his two seasons in Scotland, the 30-year-old has netted a more than respectable tally of 51 goals across 109 games. This works out as a goal every 2.1 games.

Despite this stellar record in front of goal, Dessers often takes two or three chances to eventually find the back of the net in matches.

Indeed, during the 2023/24 Premiership campaign, the former Feyenoord striker missed a staggering 27 big chances across his 35 matches.

Last season, this figure dropped to missing 21 big chances, but having someone who is far more clinical in the opposition penalty area, as well as being able to link up well with those behind him, is Martin’s priority.

Moving on Dessers could be a smart piece of business by the new manager, especially considering who he is lining up as his potential replacement…

Latest on Rangers' search for a new striker

With Igamane looking likely to depart Ibrox, alongside Dessers, it is evident that the club need another centre-forward or two ahead of the Champions League qualifiers.

Israeli player Dor Turgeman has been on the club’s wish list for a while, but it remains to be seen whether Martin makes his move for the striker.

According to TEAMtalk, the Light Blues are now exploring a move for Croatian striker Matija Frigan, who is keen to make the move to Scotland, as per the report.

Martin will have to spend around £6.5m to sign the Westerlo player this summer, but if he can move on Igamane and Dessers for roughly £20m, he will have money to spend.

The club will be hoping a deal can be sealed before the crucial games against Panathinaikos, especially if Martin is lacking in firepower before then.

Frigan has the potential to be an excellent signing for the Gers. There is no doubt about that.

Why Rangers must sign Matija Frigan

The 22-year-old is yet to hit his peak and a move to Rangers would give him the platform to get even better, especially by playing European football.

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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Across 41 games for the Belgian side last term, Frigan scored 14 goals and grabbed four assists in all competitions.

In the Belgian Pro League, the 22-year-old recorded 2.2 shots per game, while also creating six big chances and finishing the season with a goal conversion percentage of 14% for Westerlo.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded the Croatian as a “complete forward” two years ago, even stating that he was similar in style to Ciro Immobile.

As such, signing a player with his talent is surely a key priority for the manager, especially considering he has plenty of room to grow.

Although Dessers may have scored more goals last season, the fact that Frigan is eight years younger, meaning he is a crucial long-term prospect.

Last term, Frigan missed just 12 big chances, compared to Dessers’ 21, while he averaged more touches (22 vs 18.8) and successful dribbles (0.7 vs 0.3) per game in their respective domestic leagues.

If Martin is able to sell the Nigerian player for the same price which Rangers bought him for, then it would be a wonderful piece of business by the new boss.

Frigan – who was also hailed as an “interesting youngster” by Jacek Kulig – has the potential to go from strength to strength by making a move to Glasgow.

Funds shouldn’t be an issue, as the report states the Light Blues may be willing to structure a deal so they will pay a lower fee initially, adding on potential add-ons to make the move more attractive.

With Aarons arriving in Glasgow, the supporters will be looking forward to more arrivals over the coming weeks.

Could Frigan be the next big summer signing? Only time will tell.

Related Rangers' top 15 goalscorers of all time

Rangers have had plenty of natural goalscorers at Ibrox over the last 150 years.

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Dec 26, 2024

Liam Dawson returned 50 wickets in a Vitality County Championship season for the first time after scoring an eighth fifty of the season as Hampshire closed in on victory over Worcestershire.Spinning all-rounder Dawson reached a half-century of scalps by adding Kashif Ali and Adam Hose to his tally – in doing so beating the 49 wickets he claimed last season – with no spinner in the country taking more this year.Along with his bowling exploits, no one has passed 50 more times than Dawson in Division One in 2024, as he moved to 907 runs with a 51 which set Worcestershire 394 runs to win.The visitors ended the day five wickets down, still 277 runs short of victory – but with Jake Libby still undefeated on 55.Both sides are now only playing for positions after Hampshire’s improbable title challenge ended with Surrey’s victory over Durham, and Worcestershire’s survival already secured.Having elected against enforcing the follow-on the previous evening, Hampshire’s second innings was ramshackle and lacking in fluency, but still ended up at in the vicinity of the destination they would have aimed.The inability to score runs quickly was largely due to Joe Leach’s expertise with a nipping ball, taking three for 17, with six pressure-building maidens, across his first two spells.The 33-year-old is retiring after next week’s fixture against Lancashire, but proved he was still as skilful as ever to pick up Hampshire’s top three – although none of the wickets were classic dismissals.Toby Albert fell in the second over of the morning when he was strangled down leg and was caught behind, Fletcha Middleton lasted a further four overs before he was caught and bowled while playing across one, and first innings double centurion Nick Gubbins was caught at slip after the ball had looped off the wicketkeeper’s glove.Ben Brown quickly followed when Amar Virdi straightened one to pin him, but James Vince was keeping the scoreboard progressing with an often sketchy, sometimes glorious 44.Vince dragged Virdi onto his own stumps while sweeping but after lunch Tom Prest and Dawson returned with a lucidly attacking game plan to whip up a 72-run partnership at a whisker under a run-a-ball.Dawson followed his first innings century and five-wicket haul with a 63-ball fifty but fell soon after when Logan van Beek destroyed his stumps.Things turned frenetic again as James Fuller swished behind, Prest was leg before when stuck on the crease to Virdi, Kyle Abbott was bowled on the swing and Felix Organ was run out after a strike confusion with Mo Abbas – which prevented Virdi from a second career 10-wicket haul.With an imposing, but not impossible target, Gareth Roderick failed to show the resolve of the first innings by getting bowled by Abbott in the sixth over.Kashif Ali played for turn that didn’t come from Dawson to fall lbw in the 14th over before two fine slip catches from Vince accounted for Rob Jones and Adam Hose – the latter was Dawson’s 50th wicket of the season.Jake Libby had staunchly battled to 49, but when initially trying to reach the milestone, he ran out his partner Brett D’Oliveira, before eventually getting to a 47th first-class fifty with a less risky ambled single off 106 balls.Libby remained unbeaten at close, with Ethan Brookes hanging on alongside him.

Dominance of legspinner in the powerplay establishes agenda in comfortable England win

Matt Roller16-Mar-20211:53

Gambhir: Buttler one of the best T20 batters in the world

Close your eyes and think of Jos Buttler batting in a T20 game. Which shot is he playing: shuffling across to the off side and scooping over fine leg? Or creaming a reverse-sweep through backward point?Based on his innings in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night, it should be skipping down the pitch and crashing a legspinner over long-on. While Buttler is best known for his unorthodoxy in limited-overs cricket, it was his dominance while playing conventional shots that put England ahead of the game in their run-chase, and kept them there throughout their cruise to an eight-wicket win.Buttler’s record against Yuzvendra Chahal has been a mixed bag across his T20 career. He has struggled to score fluently against him in the IPL in particular, scoring at less than a run a ball, and in the first match of the series, Chahal trapped him lbw with the second ball he bowled to him.In that light, it was no surprise to see Virat Kohli bring his legspinner into the attack early, with England 16 for 0 after three overs and India searching for an early wicket to help defend a middling target of 157. Perhaps the expectation was that Buttler would look to get off-strike by nudging him around, knowing he had never taken him down in the past, but he saw things very differently.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I felt it was a great opportunity to try and attack him,” Buttler explained. “The ball had swung a little bit for the seamers and was standing up so I felt like spin was going to be the best time to attack in the powerplay. With the fact that he’s had success against me before, he might not have expected me to attack him, so it felt like the right thing to do and I was confident to take him on.”Chahal’s first ball pitched on a good length, seemingly looking to draw an edge to slip from a defensive steer. Buttler shimmied down the pitch, turning it into a half-volley, and dumped him over long-on with disdain, as though he was range-hitting against a net bowler.Four balls later, after Jason Roy had been caught reverse-sweeping, he repeated the trick: Chahal went a fraction fuller and wider outside off, but Buttler backed his hand-eye coordination, again skipping down to clout him over the sightscreen. As he lifted his back leg in the mould of Kevin Pietersen, Buttler’s ability to innovate seemed irrelevant: this was a clinic in T20 hitting.After he was beaten by a sharply-spun legbreak off the final ball of Chahal’s over, Buttler reasoned that he ought to keep attacking. So as Shardul Thakur strayed down the leg side, he used a low, stable base to flick him off his pads for four, before pulling him for four more off a slower ball and repeating the same shot with more power to clear square leg two balls later.Related

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Shift in Buttler's approach shows evolution of T20 batting

Buttler, Wood deliver another win while chasing for 2-1 England lead

In Chahal’s second over, Buttler decided it was time to unfurl his unorthodoxy: Chahal fired one in at 63mph/101kph on his pads, spotting his premeditation, but Buttler dragged the ball through point regardless, reverse-sweeping with strong wrists. Off the final ball of the powerplay, as Chahal dropped too short, Buttler rocked back and carved him through the leg side. In the space of three overs, he had added 36 runs to his own score while facing 11 balls, and had broken the back of the chase single-handedly.”You always want to get off to good starts, chasing any target,” he said. “Chasing 160 can be one of those in-between scores where if you start slow the rate can creep up and you create pressure on your own team and others that you may not necessarily need to.”If you look at the two powerplays today, as a bowling unit we bowled fantastically well and kept them well under par in the powerplay. And then we got off to a nice start, which really set us up to allow us not to have to take too many risks as the game went on, and get home pretty comfortably in the end.”Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler walk off after sealing England’s victory•Getty ImagesAs Buttler suggested, the main contrast between the two innings was the six-over scores: India were 24 for 3 at that stage after a superb new-ball burst from Mark Wood in particular, while England were 57 for 1. Having pummelled 43 off 17 balls in the powerplay, Buttler simply milked the ball around from that point on, scoring 40 off his next 35 as India bowled defensively to him, looking to contain rather than attack.When Washington Sundar eventually tossed one up, hoping to draw a big shot, Buttler calculated that a full offbreak in his arc was exactly the sort of ball he should take on: he promptly swung him over the fielder at long-on, and into the lower tier. He did have a late let-off when Virat Kohli spilled another reverse-sweep off Chahal’s final ball, but by then he had 76 to his name and the rate was down to a run a ball.Buttler’s innings provided yet another reminder as to why England have chosen him as an opener in 16 successive games in this format. After his unbeaten innings of 83 – his highest score in the format for England – he averages 51.23 with a strike rate of 153.10 opening in T20Is; just as importantly, England have won 13 out of the 17 games they have played with him in that role. Nobody doubts the ability Buttler has to change games from the middle of the batting order, but when he is at the top, he has the opportunity to dominate them.”People seem to quite enjoy talking about it and I certainly sometimes feel the pressure of that,” he said. “There’s obviously loads of us who can open the batting in this team, but I’ve got the full backing from Morgs to go and do that and that gives me a lot of confidence. I really enjoy the role. It is my preference in T20 cricket – it’s the best place to bat. I know Morgs is keen for me to open, and I’ll do that with his backing.”

da esport bet： Preparing for a summer without Paul Mitchell following the sporting director’s recent departure, Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing the chance to sign an attacking star who’s worth as much as £59m.

Paul Mitchell to leave Newcastle

da bet7k： After less than 12 months at the club, Mitchell’s time at Newcastle has come to an end by mutual consent. The sporting director endured a difficult summer transfer window last year as the Magpies attempted to comply with PSR rules and limit their spending and will now step away at the end of June having never truly received the chance to make his mark on the incomings front.

Releasing a statement on his departure, Mitchell said: “I’d like to thank everyone at Newcastle United for their support over the last year.

“I’m leaving at a time that is right for me and the club, particularly with Darren Eales – someone who I have worked so closely with in my career – moving on soon. The club is in great hands on and off the pitch, and is in a fantastic position to continue building.”

Paul Mitchell’s Newcastle incomings

Paul Mitchell’s major Newcastle sales (via Transfermarkt)

Odysseas Vlachodimos (£20m)

Elliott Anderson (£35m)

William Osula (£10m)

Yankuba Minteh (£30m)

Lloyd Kelly (Free)

Miguel Almiron (£8m)

John Ruddy (Free)

Lloyd Kelly (Loan fee £3m)

Total Spend = £30m

Total made = £76m

Whilst Newcastle never really set the world alight in the transfer window under Mitchell, he did well to navigate his way through any PSR problems last summer even if it meant overpaying for Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Now in search of a new sporting director and ready to spend again, Newcastle must get the forthcoming transfer window right. On that front, they’re reportedly in pole position to sign Matteo Guendouzi and another impressive Frenchman has also since emerged as a potential summer target.

Newcastle eyeing £59m Akliouche chance

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now keeping a close eye on the chance to sign Maghnes Akliouche from AS Monaco this summer in a deal worth around €70m (£59m). The Magpies face competition from Premier League champions Liverpool, but could yet flex PIF’s financial power to land the impressive 23-year-old right-winger.

A player with a “magnificent skillset” according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2024, Akliouche has since enjoyed an excellent season for Monaco – scoring seven goals and assisting another 12 in all competitions.

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As Newcastle look to add further star power to the right-hand side of their front three, Akliouche could emerge as an ideal option. Still just 23 years old and yet to reach his best, the Frenchman ticks the box for Champions League experience and the potential to become a world-beater at St James’ Park.

Enzo Maresca is already eyeing signings for Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window, despite a couple of matches to go before the end of the season.

Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is the latest centre-back to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. The Blues missed out on Dean Huijsen, therefore, they are moving on to other targets.

While, defensively, the club can improve next term, their need for another centre-forward has seen them linked with a few names. Hugo Ekitiké has been someone on the club’s radar of late amid excellent form at Eintract Frankfurt.

Benjamin Sesko is another striker Maresca is keeping an eye on. Could this be the striker the Blues need?

The latest on Chelsea's pursuit of Benjamin Sesko

The Blues are reportedly showing plenty of interest in signing Sesko this summer, especially with his vast potential and wonderful goalscoring record.

A fee of £84m might be required if the Premier League side are serious about bringing him to England, however. Much of this will depend on whether the Blues can secure Champions League qualification or not.

The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting young forwards in the game and his form in Germany demonstrates why.

Indeed, the Slovenia international has scored 21 goals in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig throughout 2024/25 and judging by that, Sesko could be the answer to Maresca’s problems.

Goals

13

Assists

5

Shots per game

2.1

Goal conversion percentage

19%

Scoring frequency (minutes)

185

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

Via Sofascore

It’s safe to say that the offence is one of the big reasons Chelsea still have a battle on their hands to secure a top five place with Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Brentford all scoring more than their 63-goal haul this term.

Nicolas Jackson, sent off against Eddie Howe’s side a few weeks ago, certainly hasn’t helped their cause in recent weeks.

What Sesko's arrival would mean for Jackson

Following an impressive season at Villarreal in 2022/23, one which saw the player net 13 goals and grab five assists in all competitions, Chelsea signed Jackson for more than £30m.

Jacek Kulig described Jackson as “extraordinary” for his exploits during that campaign, but his spell at Chelsea, however, hasn’t quite been as good.

17 goals during his first season was more than respectable, but this tally has dropped to 12 during the 2024/25 campaign with pundit Tim Sherwood famously remarking that “at times he looks like someone playing in Soccer Aid who’s not a footballer.”

Should Chelsea qualify for the Champions League next season, it is evident they will need someone more influential in front of goal, as Jackson simply isn’t the answer.

He currently earns £100k-per-week, more than Sesko’s £91k-per-week, and it’s safe to say that money would be better spent on the Slovenian instead.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, Jackson fails to rank in the top 40% for no-penalty goals (0.41) per 90, while also failing to break through the top 40% with regard to successful take-ons (0.73) and touches in the attacking third (14.64) per 90.

Those are hardly the statistics of a player who can fire Chelsea to glory, that’s for sure. If Maresca is serious about improving this summer, bringing in Sesko for Jackson would certainly please a vast portion of the support.

The transfer window this summer could turn out to be interesting indeed.

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da dobrowin： Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta is personally keen on a high-earning centre-forward, who’d now reportedly jump at the chance to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal two-man striker target list with Andrea Berta holding talks

da marjack bet： According to recent reports, two players currently stand out as Arsenal’s most desired striker targets – Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

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Going by the on-field and off-field numbers, it is clear to see why this is the case.

Gyokeres, who’s racked up a phenomenal 53 goals in all competitions for Sporting this season, could also depart the Primeira Liga side for a fee of up to £60 million, according to Fabrizio Romano, so he’d be an arguable bargain when factoring in the 26-year-old’s record.

Viktor Gyokeres – stats by club

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Sporting CP

101

96

28

Coventry City

116

43

17

Brommapojkarna

67

25

9

FC St. Pauli

28

7

4

Swansea City

12

1

0

Brighton

8

1

1

via Transfermarkt

Meanwhile, Sesko’s current release clause stands at £67 million, and the Slovenia international actually bettered his goalscoring tally from last season (18) with 21 goals across all competitions.

While some reports in Portugal earlier this week stated that Arsenal have agreed a £59m fee to sign Gyokeres from Sporting (O Jogo), this claim appears to have jumped the gun, as Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg stated on Friday that Berta is holding serious talks over a move for Sesko.

Arsenal’s pursuit of a top goalscorer remains very much open, as Berta identifies targets who he believes would be best-suited to Arteta.

Interestingly, as per journalist Simon Phillips last week, Arteta would personally prefer Sesko, while Berta is believed to be more of a fan of Gyokeres.

What’s clear, though, is Arsenal’s glaring need for another striker. Arteta has been forced to utilise midfielder Mikel Merino as an emergency striker for most of this calendar year, following injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

While the latter has since returned to action, it is imperative that Arsenal don’t wait any longer to sign a 25-plus-goals-per-season forward, as they look to mount a successful Premier League title challenge.

Dušan Vlahović would "immediately" join Arsenal this summer

According to some reports, there are other centre-forwards on Berta’s shopping list, albeit further down the pecking order when compared to Sesko and Gyokeres.

Journalist Daniele Longo, writing a piece for Calciomercato, shares that Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is one of them.

The Serbia international is entering the final 12 months of his £359,000-per-week contract at Juve, and with no sign of a renewal, it would appear that the Old Lady must be more inclined to sell him this summer, rather than lose Vlahovic for nothing in 2026.

Longo states that Vlahovic “would immediately pack his bags” and join Arsenal if given the opportunity, and Berta personally wants the ex-Fiorentina star, even if he’s less of a transfer priority.

The “starting” price of any negotiations for Vlahovic comes at around £42 million, which could be seen by some as good value, considering the “machine” has scored at least 14 total goals per season since 2020/21.

If Berta were to seriously pursue him, Arsenal’s major obstacle would undoubtedly be Vlahovic’s extortionate wages.