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It is fair to say that for Chelsea this season, there has been a distinct lack of individual reliability in front of goal.

The Blues have seen their goals spread out fairly thin across the pitch, and whilst it is good to see a range of players finding the back of the net, it could also be seen as cause for concern.

As the stats show, the Blues have only had two players his double-figure Premier League goals. One of them is Cole Palmer, who has scored 15 times, and Nicolas Jackson the other, with ten goals.

With the summer transfer window almost upon us, it seems likely that the Blues will look to sign an attacker capable of hitting double figures, too.

Chelsea's latest attacking target

There does not seem to be a shortage of forwards Chelsea are linked with this summer, as BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella explained recently. He listed the likes of Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, and Victor Osimhen as targets.

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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However, a new report has broken from The Telegraph journalist Sam Dean, suggesting the Blues could move for Joao Pedro of Brighton and Hove Albion.

They are thought to be ‘showing interest’ in the Seagulls attacker and are one of the clubs ‘among the Brazilian’s admirers’.

The key phrase there is one of, because Chelsea will face competition for his signature. Dean reported that Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested in a move for Pedro. TEAMtalk recently noted that those interested in signing Pedro could have to pay £100m.

Why Pedro could be Chelsea's answer to Morgan Rogers

After a strong debut season down on the South Coast for Brighton, it has been another impressive campaign for Pedro. He has helped his side put themselves in contention for a European spot, with the season drawing to a close.

This term, the 23-year-old, who joined the Seagulls from Championship side Watford, has managed ten goals and six assists in 27 Premier League games so far. His minutes per goal involvement ratio is excellent, too.

He’s featured for 1,953 minutes, and averages a goal or assist every 122 minutes. As football scout Antonio Mango has previously described him, the Brazilian is “top class”.

The attacker has put in several significant performances this season and has scored against some of the biggest clubs in the top flight. He bagged a late winner against Manchester United at the start of the season, scored away to Arsenal and grabbed a goal and assist in a 2-1 win over Manchester City.

As such, Pedro could make the perfect alternative signing to another Chelsea target, Morgan Rogers. According to a report from GIVEMESPORT last week, they are ‘set to make contact’ with Aston Villa over a potential £90m move for the England star.

Well, just like Pedro, the former Man City academy man largely plays as a second striker and has impressed greatly this season in a Villa shirt. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 52 games this term in all competitions, which included a Champions League hat-trick over Celtic in the group stage.

Rogers may well be unattainable for the West Londoners this season. Given his importance to Villa, it remains to be seen if there is scope for him to depart the Midlands. If they sign Pedro as an alternative, he could surely be considered Chelsea’s own Rogers.

FBref suggest that the pair are both similar players and the numbers prove that. Indeed, having both registered eye-catching seasons for their respective clubs, Pedro averages 3.32 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, with Rogers slightly lower at 3.12 each game. As you can see, they are pretty neck and neck in other key attacking metrics.

Pedro vs. Roges key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Pedro

Rogers

Goals and assists

0.74

0.52

Goals per shot on target

0.33

0.42

Key passes

1.39

1.50

Shot-creating actions

3.32

3.12

Progressive carries

3.06

3.30

Stats from FBref

If Rogers does not make the move to Chelsea and they instead sign Pedro this summer, it would still be a fantastic addition. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and could add more threat from a creative standpoint, too.

There is no doubt that £100m is a hefty investment, but Pedro certainly has the quality to live up to that price tag and help take Chelsea back to the top.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall May 15, 2025

It has been a long and rather dismal campaign for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have once again failed to claim the Premier League title, although instead of just losing out to Manchester City, they have fallen miles short of Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

Going into the final game of the season, the North Londoners are 12 points off the Reds and, perhaps even more worryingly, have scored 18 fewer goals.

This evident weakness in the Gunners’ attack is something the board are clearly aiming to deal with in the summer, as reports have linked them to a whole host of incredibly talented players, including Nico Williams.

However, even with his lofty price tag, one of Arsenal’s own stars is worth millions more.

Why Arsenal want to sign Williams Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

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Arsenal have been credited with an intense interest in Williams for the best part of a year now, and according to reports from earlier this month, he remains a ‘top priority’ ahead of the summer transfer window.

The story confirms that the North Londoners will need to activate the release clause in his contract to bring him to the club, which stands at a cool £48m.

With that said, then, what is it about the young winger that has made him such a firm target for the Premier League runners-up?

First and foremost, he’s a direct left-winger who can both score and create goals with relative ease.

For example, in 37 appearances for the Athletic Bilbao last season, the Pamplona-born dynamo scored eight goals and provided 18 assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games.

He’s not been quite as sensationally effective this season, but he’s still been a useful outlet, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 44 games, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.44 games.

On top of his raw output, he has also shown an ability to deal with the biggest games.

He opened the scoring for Spain in their European Championships Final triumph against England last summer and also provided an assist in the final of last season’s Copa de Rey, which Bilbao won.

In all, it would be fair to say that Williams more than justifies the price tag Arsenal would have to pay for him, although if he does join the club, he’d have to hit the ground running to see his valuation match that of one of his new teammates.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Williams

To tell the truth, there are actually several players who are worth more than Williams in the Arsenal squad, but in this case, we are talking about one of the club’s breakout stars from this season: Ethan Nwaneri.

Yes, even though this year has been the teenager’s first proper taste of regular first-team football, he’s been so impressive that his valuation has skyrocketed.

For example, Football Transfers now value the 18-year-old at a whopping €74.3, which is about £63m, or around £15m more than the fee the Gunners have to pay to sign Williams.

Now, this might all sound rather absurd to some of you, but there are some reasons for this, chief among them being the fact that the often “unplayable” gem, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, has already scored nine goals and provided two assists in 36 appearances, totalling 1303 minutes this season.

In other words, the Hale Ender is currently averaging a goal involvement every 3.27 games, or more importantly, every 118.45 minutes, which is undeniably brilliant.

Moreover, given how he’s adapted to senior football so seemingly, there is no telling what his ceiling may be.

With that said, how does he stack up with the Bilbao gem when we compare their underlying numbers from this season?

Nwaneri vs Williams

Statistics

Nwaneri

Williams

Non-Penalty G+As

0.66

0.47

Progressive Passes

3.30

3.19

Progressive Carries

4.84

5.31

Goals per Shot

0.18

0.10

Goals per Shot on Target

0.50

0.26

Passing Accuracy

80.2%

70.7%

Key Passes

1.32

1.83

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.43

1.31

Passes into the Final Third

1.76

1.08

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.66

0.38

Shot-Creating Actions

2.41

5.12

Successful Take-Ons

3.52

2.96

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season

Well, it might surprise some people to find out that overall, it’s the youngster who comes out on top, as in the majority of relevant metrics, he does better.

The metrics include, but are not limited to, non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, goals per shot and shot on target, passes into the penalty area and final third, crosses into the penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Williams this summer, as he looks like he could add some much-needed dynamism to their left-hand side.

Still, in Nwaneri, the club already have another young talent who could further establish himself in the first-team next season.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 21, 2025

Getting one over on their rivals and putting their Champions League place to good use, Newcastle United could now reportedly beat Aston Villa to one Ligue 1 defender this summer.

UCL qualification key for Newcastle this summer

From easing their PSR concerns to helping to keep hold of key players and attracting just as important upgrades, to say that Champions League qualification will prove to be vital for Newcastle this summer would be an understatement. The Magpies didn’t do it the easy way, but their place among Europe’s elite was secured on the final day of the Premier League season nonetheless.

Final Premier League standings

Points

Goal Difference

Liverpool (C)

84

45

Arsenal

74

35

Man City

71

28

Chelsea

69

21

Newcastle

66

21

Aston Villa

66

7

Nottingham Forest

65

12

Edging past Aston Villa on goal difference despite losing to Everton on the final day, the feeling around St James’ Park at full-time last weekend would have been major relief combined with the job of what awaits next season.

Eddie Howe had his say on the impact that Champions League qualification is likely to make on Newcastle’s summer transfer window, telling reporters: “Difficult to say on numbers, but I do think it’s a window that we have to be active in and I’m sure we will be.

“We haven’t recruited strongly in three windows and I think eventually, that can catch up with you in the end if you continue not to change because change is an important part of the squad dynamic.

“I think we feel that and I think we potentially felt that last summer as well, so I think that’s why the players have done so well to carry the success through. Yes, it is going to be a big transfer window.”

When Newcastle’s recruitment will get underway with that said remains to be seen, but reports have already been coming thick and fast as to who could arrive this summer.

Newcastle could hijack Aston Villa's Murillo move

According to El Marcador’s José Miguel Domínguez, as relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle could now hijack Aston Villa’s attempts to sign Amir Murillo from Marseille with an offer of their own, using their Champions League qualification as a major advantage, a competition Murillo wants to play in next season.

The Villans have already reportedly seen offers rejected for the right-back, which could allow the Magpies to come swooping in and match Marseille’s reported €25m (£21m) valuation.

The journalist said that the defender is keen to remain at Marseille due to Champions League football being on offer, but that is something that Newcastle can also provide and are expected to make a bid.

“The player’s desire, as of today, is to continue at Marseille because he plays in the Champions League. However, a siren call and a formal offer from Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who were very close to playing in the Champions League and will be playing in the Europa League. Another team, Newcastle, is expected to submit a formal offer for him in the coming days. Be careful, because they do play in the Champions League.”

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair May 30, 2025

It is a valuation that Marseille are in a strong position to demand too, after Murillo put pen to paper on a new which could keep him at the club until 2028 back in March. It was then that manager Roberto De Zerbi was full of praise for his defender, telling reporters whilst also acknowledging Murillo’s injury: “Yes, first of all, I am very happy about the extension of his contract, because he has earned it.

“You have to recognise the work of people who do good things. At the moment, he is having a very good season, and we are all really happy for him. But yes, it is a problem, because Murillo has unique characteristics.”

A former Manchester United player was once dubbed the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’, but went against Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice in a move that may well have ruined his career.

Man Utd wonderkids who flopped after leaving

The Red Devils are famous for their academy, with numerous first-team stars being made in Carrington. From the Class of 92 to more recent graduates such as Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, Man Utd regularly have one of their own in a matchday squad.

Ferguson was influential to the success of many Man Utd youngsters making the grade at Old Trafford and once described how to get the best out of them.

However, some youngsters who had been tipped for greatness didn’t hit the heights at Old Trafford.

Man Utd youngsters who didn’t live up to expectations

Player

Man Utd appearances

Adnan Januzaj

63

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

14

Ravel Morrison

3

Timothy Fosu-Mensah

30

Nick Powell

9

Scott Wootton

4

Ryan Tunnicliffe

2

Tyler Blackett

12

James Wilson

20

Not every Man Utd academy graduate to make a first-team appearance has gone on to enjoy the career of a Gary Neville, David Beckham or a Ryan Giggs, with many still playing at a lower level, and perhaps none fit the flop category better than Federico Macheda.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jan 24, 2025 Macheda the 'next Ronaldo' who went against Ferguson at Man Utd

There were high hopes for Macheda at Old Trafford, especially after he burst onto the scene with a late winner against Aston Villa in the Premier League in 2009.

In fact, Macheda was called ‘the next Ronaldo’ in Manchester, but that goal against Villa would be as good as it got for the Italian under Ferguson.

Now coming into the twilight years of his career, Macheda left England in 2016 and has been playing his football in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

Federico Macheda’s career in pictures

Talking back in 2017, Macheda recalled when he decided to go against Ferguson by moving to Sampdoria on loan instead of remaining in the Premier League, something he now regrets.

In 2025, Macheda is currently playing his football in Greece with Asteras Tripolis and would make just 19 Premier League appearances in total for Man Utd, a figure which could have been more if he had listened to Ferguson.

Tottenham Hotspur have commenced their fifth new managerial era since 2019 with the appointment of Thomas Frank, and he could be about to wave goodbye to one player already.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 17, 2025

On Sunday morning, Spurs confirmed that Mathys Tel wouldn’t be going anywhere, announcing a permanent deal for the Frenchman who joins them indefinitely for a reported fee of around £30 million.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Bayern sporting director Max Eberl stated in an interview with Abendzeitung München last week that talks were ongoing with Spurs over Tel’s future, and those negotiations reached a swift resolution over the weekend as Frank secures his first ever Tottenham signing.

While Tel is set to be a Spurs player for the foreseeable, the same cannot be said for star defender Cristian Romero, who’s a top target for Diego Simeone and Atlético Madrid this summer.

Romero has reportedly informed chairman Daniel Levy that he’d like to leave the club before September 1 (Marca), regardless of their place in the Champions League next season, and Son Heung-min could even draw the curtain on his 10-year-long stay in N17 amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Alejo Veliz spotted at Rosario Central amid talks to leave Tottenham

According to Argentine news outlet Via Pais, young striker Alejo Veliz is yet another player who could soon leave Tottenham.

His former club, Rosario Central, recently had a loan bid rejected by the Lilywhites, but talks remain ongoing over his potential departure. Frank’s side are clear – they want to sell the 21-year-old permanently and won’t accept a temporary deal.

Interestingly, Veliz has been pictured at Rosario’s training ground in the last few days, with the club’s official account sharing images of the forward’s reunion on X.

His presence there is apparently due to an emotional connection with his former side, but it is surely no coincidence that Rosario are currently trying to negotiate Veliz’s return.

The towering forward, standing at 6 foot 2, caught Tottenham’s attention with his impressive performances in Argentina’s Primera Division. He then joined Spurs on a six-year contract in August 2023 for a fee believed to be around £13 million, but Veliz has found an opportunity to fully break into the first team.

A succession of loan spells at Sevilla and Espanyol followed, but the Argentine managed just one La Liga goal over both spells combined.

The end appears to be nigh for Veliz and his time in north London, despite some bold predictions from Spanish football experts when Spurs first signed him.

“He has a certain something that means that occasionally he’ll try things, and you’re like ‘no’, I think he could be a 16 or 17-goal [striker] this season,” said Graham Hunter to Premier Sports TV.

“Which is a big ask, I know I might be wrong, but what I see in him are the special elements about judgement, about movement, about being able to hold players off.

“Raw, raw as a farm boy – partially because he is a country boy, but they have an exciting footballer.”

Says the focus is now on the short turnaround between England defeat and upcoming fixture against USA

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-20243:17

Rapid fire: Should WI bring in McCoy or Shamar?

Daren Sammy told his West Indies team to put their eight-wicket loss to England “in the garbage” and insisted that they can still win an unprecedented third men’s T20 World Cup.West Indies set England 181 to win in St Lucia – at the ground bearing Sammy’s name – but only took two wickets as the defending champions cruised home with 15 balls to spare, thanks primarily to Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow’s unbroken 97-run partnership for the third wicket. Sammy said that only on a flat pitch, his team were “about 25 runs short” of a winning total.”It’s part of the game,” Sammy said. “This loss will not dampen our spirits. We still believe we’ve got a team that could win this World Cup, and that’s what I’ll tell the guys inside when I speak to them: park this game, put it in the garbage. And we move forward to Barbados where we win against the USA, and then we have South Africa in Antigua on Sunday.”No-one said it was going to be easy. There are good teams in the tournament. Today, we came up against the defending champions and they got the better of us. But that doesn’t mean our tournament is over. Our destiny is in our own hands, and I feel I’ve got the 15, the group of men, that we believe that this tournament, we could win.”Related

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West Indies made two changes to the side that thrashed Afghanistan on Monday, reverting to the XI that beat New Zealand in Trinidad. Roston Chase and Romario Shepherd – who missed Monday’s game on paternity leave – replaced Shai Hope and Obed McCoy, who took 3 for 14 against Afghanistan and was unfortunate to miss out.”We could talk about it now in hindsight, but I’ve said it from day one: we have 15 potential match-winners,” Sammy said. “Obed did bowl well [against Afghanistan] but if you look at what Shepherd has done for us over the last year in T20 cricket, what he brings to the team, we thought going against them, especially the potential line-up England could have and the dual rule that he brings [was the right option].”West Indies are bottom of the nascent points table in Group 2 of the Super Eight and will almost certainly require wins against both USA and South Africa to qualify for next week’s semi-finals. “We did not execute our plans well enough – a couple of chances here and there – but in a tournament, there’s a game where the opposition will get the better of you,” Sammy said.”But that doesn’t mean we’re out of it. Now, in order to win, we’ve got to win all our matches and that’s what we’ll focus on. We’ll leave this game right here in St Lucia. It’s a short turnaround: we go to Barbados tomorrow and on Friday we have a game against the USA. We’ll meet as a selection group and see how best we could further improve our team based on the conditions.”

With Thomas Frank looking to make his mark from the off, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly battling Manchester United in another transfer race to sign a £20m gem.

Tottenham open summer business with Tel arrival

Although there are likely to be plenty of others who steal the headlines this summer, Mathys Tel has his place in history as the first signing of the Frank era in North London. The young forward has arrived on a permanent deal following a short loan spell in the second-half of last season. Still just 20 years old, the former Bayern Munich man represents the type of talent that could thrive under Frank’s guidance.

The Lilywhites are unlikely to be done there with attacking additions, however, amid recent reports that suggest they’ve opened talks sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

With Bryan Mbeumo still leaning towards a summer switch to Manchester United, Frank and Tottenham’s attention has seemingly turned towards the Cherries and sealing the arrival of a player who has been on the rise in the South Coast for the last two seasons.

Of course, there will be plenty of frustration if they miss out on Mbeumo – especially given how Frank got the best out of the Brentford star during their time together in West London – but Semenyo very much represents an ideal alternative.

The Mbeumo saga may not be the last time that Spurs and Manchester United do battle in the transfer window, either. Reports are now suggesting that both clubs are interested in the same midfield gem.

Tottenham battling Man Utd to sign £20m Agoume

According to reports in Spain, Tottenham are now battling Man Utd to sign Lucien Agoume from Sevilla this summer. The young midfielder is reportedly available for just £20m amid Sevilla’s financial troubles and could be destined for the Premier League one way or another in the coming months.

It’s easy to see why two of the Premier League’s so-called big six teams are interested in Agoume this summer. U23 scout Antonio Mango was full of praise for the 23-year-old in his assessment, going on to describe him as “combative” and “extremely well-rounded”.

If they lose out on Mbeumo to Manchester United, then Tottenham should look to exact instant revenge by signing Agoume ahead of the Red Devils this summer. What could reportedly help their battle to do exactly that is the fact that they have Champions League football to offer, whilst Manchester United, of course, do not.

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It would be quite the moment if Spurs’ Europa League victory over the Red Devils saw them hand those at Old Trafford another defeat away from the pitch in the coming months.

Ben Duckett had set things off with a 59-ball 71 as West Indies rue missed chances

Valkerie Baynes18-Jul-2024

Ollie Pope celebrates his hundred with Ben Stokes, who made 69•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Ollie Pope’s century combined with fifties from Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes led England to a strong position on the opening day of the second Test as West Indies were left to regret squandered opportunities at Trent Bridge.Pope built on a blistering start by Duckett, who peppered the boundary on his way to 71 off just 59 balls. The duo shared a 105-run stand for the second wicket after Zak Crawley fell to the third ball of the match, lined up by Alzarri Joseph with a back-of-a-length delivery which drew a chunky edge and flew to Alick Athanaze at third slip.Pope went on to reach 121 off 167 balls, his sixth Test century and second this year after his 196 against India in January. Stokes made 69 before he sent Kavem Hodge’s 14th ball straight to deep midwicket with England 342 for 6. Left-arm spinner Hodge had entered the attack in the 68th over and ended up with 2 for 44 off 10 overs with a hand in two more dismissals, catching both Pope and Gus Atkinson in the slips.Stokes, Jamie Smith and Atkinson fell for 28 runs in the space of 7.2 overs but by the close, the hosts were all out for 416, soft dismissals taking some of the shine off their innings.West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite said upon winning the toss and sending England in on a welcoming batting surface under clear skies that he wanted more discipline from his bowlers following a heavy innings defeat in the first Test at Lord’s. At times, they put England’s batters under pressure but West Indies gave away too many chances with the ball and in the field.Pope rode his luck after being dropped on 46 in the final over before lunch when he struck a Jayden Seales delivery hard towards wide gully where Athanaze failed to hold on. The tourists gave him another life on 54 when he slashed Shamar Joseph to second slip, Jason Holder the culprit this time.West Indies’ day was marred by a succession of missed chances in the field•Getty Images

Harry Brook punished some wayward line and length from Alzarri Joseph with three consecutive fours before being dropped on 24 at gully.Brook had arrived at 142 for 3 when Joe Root fell shortly after lunch to a fluffed pull which flew straight to mid-on. Seales’ heart was in his mouth as Alzarri Joseph juggled the ball twice before grabbing it for good.Brook moved to 30 with an effortless six over deep point off Alzarri Joseph and up to then, he and Pope had added 10 further fours within the first hour of the afternoon session.But Brook fell attempting to paddle Kevin Sinclair – a late inclusion after Gudakesh Motie woke up feeling unwell – and succeeded only in sending a toe-end high towards midwicket, where Kirk McKenzie swallowed the catch.Pope brought up his century with four off Seales over square leg then, adding to West Indies woes, Shamar Joseph hobbled off the field midway through his 12th over – the last before tea – clutching a cramping left leg. The tourists could take some comfort from Pope’s dismissal, however, driving at Alzarri Joseph and the ball ballooning to Hodge.Smith had put on 61 runs with Stokes, smashing Hodge for six beyond deep midwicket in the process before thumping another down the ground, but Hodge responded next ball when Smith attempted a similar shot and picked out Holder in the deep, continuing the trend of soft dismissals for England.After surviving a missed stumping, Mark Wood was dropped by Mikyle Louis diving forwards at point off Sinclair, continuing that other unwanted theme for West Indies.The visitors took the second new ball after 86 overs and Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph used it to prise out the last two wickets, Chris Woakes for 37 and Shoaib Bashir for 5.Despite the imminent arrival of his first child, Duckett had been supremely focused in the middle. He found the boundary four times in a row off Seales in the second over, two glorious extra cover drives bookending a cut in front of point and a clip through midwicket. He helped himself to two more in Seales’ next over and another, off Alzarri Joseph, brought up England’s fifty in just 26 balls, the fastest for any team in Tests.Holder conceded just one run when he was brought on in the sixth over but was soon dispatched over extra cover by Duckett, who brought up his fifty off just 32 balls guiding Holder for four through deep third.It was Sinclair and Shamar Joseph who found some control for West Indies after the first drinks break, but Duckett threatened to break free when he lunged forward to sweep a full delivery from Sinclair for four to bring up England’s hundred and punished a wide one from Shamar Joseph through the covers. Shamar Joseph finally broke through when he drew an outside edge from Duckett and Holder held on at second slip.

West Bromwich Albion’s Championship season derailed at a worryingly quick pace last campaign.

Heading into Christmas last year, the Baggies were just about holding onto a playoff spot in sixth position, but right after Carlos Corberan’s exit to Valencia was confirmed, West Brom’s promotion push fell off a cliff.

Their woes on the pitch weren’t helped whatsoever by their demoralising striker situation, as the majority of 2025 in the second tier for the Baggies had to be endured without 12-goal menace Josh Maja leading the line owing to injury.

He will be back and raring to go under Ryan Mason’s guidance, but more strength in depth is desperately needed up top just in case Maja suffers from another season-ending setback, with Leyton Orient goalscoring sensation Charlie Kelman now reportedly on the shopping list.

West Brom's ongoing pursuit of Kelman

With Daryl Dike also prone to a long-standing issue in the Hawthorns treatment room, it’s no shock to see West Brom are attempting to be proactive in adding more stars to their often depleted centre-forward department.

Journalist Darren Witcoop first revealed at the tail-end of June that West Brom were keen on adding the Queens Park Rangers outcast to their squad this summer after an explosive loan stint with Richie Wellens’ O’s.

Even though Orient would come up short in their bid to win promotion to the Championship, Kelman would still manage to come out on top as the division’s top goalscorer, with a lethal 26 strikes coming his way in all competitions.

Yet, the 23-year-old has seriously struggled in the second tier previously – with no goals next to his name from 23 appearances in the unforgiving league – meaning other targets might well be sought after by Mason and Co, with one loanee also on the Baggies’ radar potentially even more exciting than the golden boot recipient joining the club.

The "phenomenal" attacker who is more exciting than Kelman

One bonus of having Mason in the dug-out is his connections to the Premier League, with the 33-year-old perhaps able to raid ex-club Tottenham Hotspur for some of their top, young assets.

Will Lankshear is certainly one up-and-coming talent that could tick many of West Brom’s boxes in their search for a deadly, new striker, with reports recently suggesting a move for the 20-year-old to return to the Hawthorns on a loan basis is on the cards.

Of course, there may be some hesitancy on West Brom’s end about diving back in to land the promising striker – considering he netted zero times last season during a brief loan stint – but it’s clear he has more to give away from these struggles, having already bagged a senior strike for Spurs.

Indeed, Lankshear was arguably shoved into the deep-end last campaign at the height of West Brom’s problems on the pitch, with his unbelievable goal record at youth level in North London potentially ready to come to the surface in men’s football now, especially as a familiar face in Mason – who worked closely beside him at Spurs in youth circles – would be by his side.

Lankshear’s career record vs Kelman’s

Stat

Lankshear

Kelman

Games played

61

209

Age

20

23

Goals scored

32

47

Assists

5

11

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Staggeringly, despite playing 148 games less than Kelman, the four-time England U20 international is only 15 goals off matching the ex-Orient loanee’s entire career goal tally, albeit from primarily playing Premier League 2 football.

Still, with Kelman only managing a meagre 13 goals from 101 clashes away from his celebrated O’s spell, the “phenomenal” youngster – as he was once labelled by football journalist John Wenham – could well be deemed as the better option.

After all, the QPR reserve attacker would also cost a significant fee to win, which makes the move even riskier when assessing his patchy goalscoring record away from East London.

Whereas, Lankshear would be picked up temporarily, with the 20-year-old no doubt eager to right his earlier West Brom wrongs if he were to join as the Baggies gun for promotion glory.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2025

وجه أسطورة نادي مانشستر سيتي، التحية إلى حارس المرمى إيدرسون مورايس، وذلك عقب رحيل الأخير عن صفوف النادي الإنجليزي خلال صيف العام الحالي.

إيدرسون انتهت رحلته مع نادي مانشستر سيتي، وذلك عقب ما يقرب العشر سنوات والتي أمضاها الدولي البرازيلي مع الفريق السماوي في رحلة أكثر من ناجحة.

ووقع إيدرسون مع نادي فناربخشة في عقد يمتد لثلاث مواسم مقابل أكثر من عشرة ملايين يورو دفعها النادي التركي إلى مانشستر سيتي.

ويرى نيكي ويفر، لاعب مانشستر سيتي السابق، أن إيدرسون غير تمامًا مفهوم دور حارس المرمى في كرة القدم.

أقرأ أيضًا .. بـ3 غرز.. هالاند يتعرض لحادث قوي قبل مباراة النرويج ومولدوفا

وقال ويفر في تصريحات إلى صحيفة مانشستر إيفننج نيوز: “لقد كاد إيدرسون أن يغير تعريف دور حراسة المرمى، كان من أوائل حراس المرمى الذين خاطروا بالكرة حقًا، أعتقد أنه كان حارسًا استثنائيًا، والأكثر نجاحًا في تاريخ النادي، ما حققه وما فاز به مع الفريق لا يضاهي”.

وأضاف: “يبدو الأمر أشبه بحراسة مرمى بمخاطرة كبيرة، من خلال موقعه الأساسي وطريقة استقباله للكرة، من أهم ما أراه فيه ليس ثقته بنفسه، بل ثقة الجميع به لأنهم سيمررون له الكرة تقريبًا وهو تحت ضغط، وهذا ليس مشكلة على الإطلاق بالنسبة له”.

وأوضح: ”سيجد دائمًا التمريرة المناسبة وعدد المرات التي فقد فيها الكرة في مواقع خطرة خلال ثماني سنوات تعد على أصابع اليد الواحدة، تتميز تمريراته القصيرة بدقة متناهية، كما رأيناه في مناسبات عديدة يلعب الكرات الطويلة بشكل صحيح”.

واختتم ويفر: “يمكنه بسهولة تمرير كرة قطرية من مسافة 70 ياردة مباشرة فوق الظهير إلى الجناح، أو تمريرها مباشرة إلى لاعبين مثل هالاند أو أجويرو، لا أعتقد أنني رأيت حارس مرمى بمثل هذه القدرات بقدميه”.

وعوض مانشستر سيتي رحيل إيدرسون بالتعاقد مع جيانلويجي دوناروما في اليوم الأخير من الميركاتو الصيفي، وذلك قادمًا من صفوف باريس سان جيرمان مقابل 30 مليون يورو.