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Sunderland marked their return to the Premier League with a statement 3-0 win over West Ham. While some of the new signings, like Granit Xhaka, put in excellent performances, it was the players who got promoted that won them the game.

Following goals from Eliezer Mayenda, Daniel Ballard and Wilson Isidor, manager Regis Le Bris spoke about their significance to the team: “It’s really important for two reasons at least, the first one they showed they can step up today. We’ll see later, but today it was the case. At the same time, they are really important because they keep the identity of the club and the way we worked last season.”

One of the ways Sunderland were most impressive against West Ham was defensively, with the London side only managing shots that valued a total of 0.56 xG.

However, Le Bris is looking to strengthen his defensive unit even further as the club readies a second bid for their top centre-back target.

Sunderland is not giving up on signing Lucumí

Sunderland are planning to put in a second bid for Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumí. Le Bris’s side previously placed a bid worth just over £24 million for the Colombian, which the Italian side rejected.

The bid that Sunderland placed was equal in value to the release clause that Lucumí’s contract previously held. This clause expired in mid-July, and the Black Cats are now expected to place a bid of higher value, according to Italian reports, via Sports Witness.

Bologna have already sold Lucumí’s centre-back partner, Sam Beukema, to Napoli this summer, and there are reports that because of this, the club see Lucumí as unsellable. The report goes on to say that Bologna are hoping to extend the defender’s contract, but as a “contract renewal appears complicated”, the Serie A side may be willing to let Lucumí go for a high enough bid.

On the personal side of the deal, Lucumí is reportedly “keen” on the move, and Sunderland already has a history with Lucumí’s agency, as he is with Wasserman, who also represent three current Sunderland players – Simon Moore, Dennis Cirkin and Dan Neil.

Why Sunderland might make Lucumí their club-record signing

Six of Sunderland’s top ten most expensive transfers have come in this window, and if they sign Lucumí, that number will rise to seven. The first bid they placed for the Colombian would have made him the club’s second most expensive player, and depending on the increase in value of the second bid, he could become the club’s record signing.

Last season, Lucumí stood out in Serie A as a ball-playing centre-back who excelled at stopping opposition counter-attacks. For Serie A centre-backs, he ranked in the top 9% for passes completed per 90 and accurate long balls per 90. Additionally, Lucumí averaged just over six ball recoveries per 90, which was in the top 4% of centre-backs. This means that when his side lost possession, he was often there to rectify the situation.

After the opening match, West Ham boss Graham Potter spoke about Sunderland’s performance and somewhat dismissively said, “It wasn’t a result – with the greatest respect – of Sunderland pushing us back and playing well. It was an action, a cross from 30 or 40 metres we should be happy to defend.”

While Sunderland didn’t dominate possession, only having 37% of it, they got the result from well-executed moments and hitting West Ham on the break.

Lucumí’s skill set will allow them to pull off this kind of result more often, as he is both accurate and progressive with the ball, allowing his team to counter quickly, and he specializes in stopping opposition counter-attacks, which will allow his team to exploit them in the transition of play.

أبدى البرتغالي المخضرم جوزيه مورينيو، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بنفيكا، استياءه من القرارت التحكيمية التي لحقت بفريقه خلال المباراة التي جمعته أمام رايو آفي، ضمن منافسات الدوري البرتغالي.

وتعادل بنفيكا بقيادة جوزيه مورينيو في مباراته الثانية أمام ريو آفي، بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل منهما، ضمن منافسات الدوري البرتغالي.

وقال مورينيو، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” عن إهدار الوقت: “بالنسبة لي هناك عدة أشخاص مسؤولين، أكرر هذا ليس انتقادًا، لكن ريو آفي مسؤول عن الاستراتيجية المستخدمة وخاصةً على المستوى العاطفي، الاستراتيجية المستخدمة لإيقاف المباراة وإبطائها، الحكم مسؤول وقد قلت ذلك بين الشوطين”.

وأضاف: “لا أريد الحديث عن القرارات الفنية ولكن لماذا لا يُشهر الحكم بطاقة صفراء لحارس المرمى في الدقيقة 15 أو 20؟ لماذا؟ لأنه إذا حدث ذلك، ستختلف المباراة تمامًا”.

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وأكمل مورينيو: “على الحكام أيضًا مسؤوليات مثلنا فيما يتعلق بجودة المباريات، عليهم الدفاع عن كرة القدم وهذا يعني مكافحة هذه الاستراتيجيات”.

كما وجه مورينيو بعض النقد لنفسه: “في مواجهة دفاع بخمسة لاعبين، من الصعب جدًا إجراء تغييرات جذرية في اتجاه اللعب، لم نلعب كثيرًا في منطقة الجزاء، كنا نستعيد الكرات وبدلًا من اللعب، كنا نتراجع فورًا، لم تتحرك الكرة بالسرعة الكافية رغم أن أرضية الملعب كانت مثالية للعب السريع”.

وأتم: “في الشوط الثاني بدأنا نسرع المباراة، انتشرنا أكثر، وكان لدينا عدد كبير من اللاعبين في مراكز التسجيل، لسنا فريقًا يتمتع بحضور قوي داخل منطقة الجزاء لكنني راض جدًا عن الشوط الثاني، لو تمكنت من تسجيل هدف لكنت سعيدًا جدًا”.

India’s spinners finish the job, with miserly and incisive spells

Sidharth Monga09-Oct-20242:36

Takeaways: Reddy arrives on the scene, Rinku repeats heroics

India pounced on poor bowling from the Bangladesh spinners to get out of jail on a Delhi surface that started off as tacky but kept on improving for batting as the night progressed. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh took India from 41 for 3 in the sixth over to 221, with a finishing kick provided by Hardik Pandya. In better batting conditions, the India bowling still proved too good for Bangladesh, sealing the series win.The Bangladesh spinners suffered on both comparisons. Their fast bowlers bowled 12 overs for 102 runs, but the spinners conceded 116 in their eight. And then the India spinners rubbed it in for them with nine overs for just 49 runs and five wickets.India struggle at the startAfter a toss that didn’t seem to matter – Bangladesh said they wanted to use the dew coming in later to their advantage and chase, India said they wanted to bat first to test their bowlers in dew – Bangladesh opened the bowling with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, whose arm balls were either too full or short and taken apart by Sanju Samson. On a tacky surface, the fast bowlers managed to draw misbehaviour though. Samson and Suryakumar Yadav fell to checked shots because of the slowness of the pitch, and Abhishek Sharma played on trying to slog Tanzim Hasan.Tanzim Hasan Sakib had Abhishek Sharma chopping on•BCCIReddy enjoys some luckRinku was the only one able to play smoothly from the start. Reddy got away twice in the early phase of his innings. When Litton Das dropped him down the leg side of Tanzim, Reddy moved to 6 off 4, and he was 19 off 14 when he survived an extremely close lbw – umpire’s call on impact on a reverse-sweep. That 19 included a six off a free-hit thanks to a no-ball by Mahmudullah.Flood gates openRishad Hossain is a legspinner full of promise, especially in T20 cricket. However, against a Rinku intent on all kinds of sweeps, he bowled his fifth ball too full and was slog-swept for six. And then Mahmudulllah offered the free-hit. In his second over, Rishad erred on length on both sides. Reddy took him for two sixes down the ground before Rinku pulled him for one. That 24-run over took India past 100 in 10 overs.After that, only Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman managed an over without a boundary. Mehidy suffered the worst punishment as he couldn’t get Reddy off strike and kept bowling in his wheelhouse for 26 runs in the 13th over. A hundred in just his second match looked on but a slower ball from Mustafizur got the better of him to dismiss him for 74 off 34.Rinku Singh celebrated his third T20I fifty•BCCIThis was the right time for Bangladesh to squeeze in an over of spin but Hardik Pandya offered no concessions to Rishad’s errors in length. Rinku might have looked like the silent partner in the carnage but he got to his fifty at almost two a ball.As India kept losing wickets looking for quick runs, Rishad managed some respite and got to bowl the last over for just eight runs. Bangladesh were still being asked to score their highest T20I total to stay alive in the series.A bridge too farThere’s a reason Bangladesh have never scored more than 215 in T20Is: their batters don’t seem to have the game for it. Looking for the unprecedented, the batters took too many risks and got off to a quick start but it was a matter of time before the risks caught up with them. Parvez Hossain played Arshdeep on, Washington Sundar got Najmul Hossain Shanto twice in two games, Litton Das was all at sea against Varun Chakravarthy, Towhid Hridoy was done in by an Abhishek Sharma arm ball, and the game was all but done at 46 for 4 in the seventh over.The rest was mere formalities, which involved a wicket for Riyan Parag, a stunning catch by Pandya, and a wicket at least for each of the seven bowlers India tried.

Arsenal have emerged as the leading contenders to sign a “rising star” for Mikel Arteta this summer, amid their plethora of other potential deals, with sporting director Andrea Berta showing no sign of slowing down.

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The north Londoners have already signed goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, midfielder Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, with the latter completing his medical earlier this week (David Ornstein).

Arsenal are now attempting to bolster a host of different areas in attack after this trio of transfers, and supporters are anticipating the end of their long search for a prolific number nine, as their club close in on a deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Chelsea’s Noni Madueke could join the Sweden international, having agreed personal terms, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze also holding “positive” talks to join Arsenal in a separate deal (ESPN).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£65m

Sky Sports back that Arsenal could sign both a left-winger and Eze this summer, in what is a very exciting prospect for fans, but it plunges the futures of both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli into serious doubt.

Eze would come in to complement Gunners captain Martin Odegaard, as per Sky this week, and his versatility means Arteta could also utilise the 27-year-old as an alternative to Bukayo Saka when required.

Saka spent months out injured midway through 2024/2025, which undoubtedly hampered Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge, so it would be useful for Arteta to have different quality options on that side.

With Berta working on multiple attacking signings already, and a move for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo also still on the cards, it does beg the question: where does FC Porto sensation Rodrigo Mora fit in?

Arsenal in pole position to sign FC Porto starlet Rodrigo Mora

The 18-year-old was a member of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League-winning squad and displayed real flashes of brilliance during FC Porto’s Club World Cup campaign – scoring a brilliant solo goal in their 4-4 draw with Al-Ahly.

Arsenal sent scouts to run the rule over Mora during his CWC outings, with the teenager emerging as “one of the most highly-rated youngsters in world football”.

That is according to Football Transfers, who state that Arsenal are now the current favourites to sign Mora, ahead of both Man City and Man United, having expressed the most significant interest so far.

The Portuguese’s contract includes a £60 million release clause, but given Berta’s pursuit of other illustrious forwards, it would be quite a move if he managed to get a transfer done this window.

Perhaps the versatile attacking midfielder could come as an alternative to Eze, following his impressive 2024/2025 haul of 12 goals and four assists in all competitions.

He’s also already a record-breaker, having become the youngest debutant in Portuguese football history two years ago.

“We now have Rodrigo Mora, who just turned 18. He’s a brilliant footballer, another rising star,” said Porto president André Villas-Boas.

“We love the game, and I believe that passion fuels the talent we see right now. Technically gifted, for sure.”

Leeds United will be looking to buck the recent trend and remain in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship.

To do that, the 49ers Enterprises and Daniel Farke may need to sign plenty of new players, while also shipping some out who they feel aren’t good enough to make an impact in the top flight.

The transfer activity at Elland Road is already underway, and it promises to be a frantic few months away from the pitch. Grok, the AI tool on X, has already predicted signings Leeds could make this summer.

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To maintain a solid position with PSR, though, the Whites may also look to cash in on a number of players before the deadline, some of which played a regular role in their promotion from the Championship. Now, Grok has also predicted Leeds’ summer sales.

AI predicts 6 players Leeds United will sell this summer 1 Illan Meslier (£20m)

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier struggled last season in the second tier, making a number of errors that cost Leeds points.

The Frenchman was dropped by Farke for the run-in, and Leeds are expected to sign a new first choice keeper to replace the 25-year-old.

Grok says Meslier’s ‘Premier League experience and age make him valuable’, estimating a fee in the region of £20m which would represent a big profit for the Whites.

2 Brenden Aaronson (£15m)

Another player who struggled to set the Championship alight was Brenden Aaronson, with left-back Junior Firpo recording more goal contributions in the second tier.

Leeds’ only out-and-out attacking midfielder, the chances of an Aaronson exit are described as moderate, with a £15m fee mooted.

It is added that ‘interest from European clubs could prompt a sale, but Farke may give him a chance to prove himself in the Premier League’.

3 Jack Harrison (£12m)

One transfer that won’t surprise many Leeds fans would be if Jack Harrison completed a permanent Elland Road exit.

After spending the last two seasons on loan at Everton, the winger won’t be moving to the Toffees on a permanent basis.

Games

206

Goals

34

Assists

32

Minutes played

15,734

Grok have a departure worth £12m down as a high possibility, saying his ‘prolonged absence and Farke’s focus on new wingers make a permanent exit likely’.

4 Mateo Joseph (£10m)

Mateo Joseph’s potential exit could help Leeds from a PSR standpoint, and he has been heavily linked with a move to Real Betis this summer.

The Spaniard failed to score on a regular basis after beginning the previous campaign as first choice.

AI states ‘Leeds are reluctant to sell young talents, but a lucrative offer from Betis could sway them’ and have placed a £10m fee on any possible deal.

5 Max Wober (£8m)

Defender Max Wober has already admitted that Leeds are planning to sell him this summer, so it comes as no surprise that he is on Grok’s list.

The Austrian, like Aaronson, returned from a loan spell in Germany to help the Whites to promotion, although he wasn’t a regular under Farke.

Signed for around £10m in 2023, Leeds could still bring in £8m for the centre-back, according to Grok.

6 Joe Gelhardt (£5m)

The last player on AI’s predicted exit list is Joe Gelhardt, who again looks surplus to requirements at Elland Road.

The forward was loaned out to Hull City for the second half of the 24/25 season and helped the Tigers stay up, and he still has two years left on his Whites contract.

Leeds are open to offers for Gelhardt, though, and Grok says a £5m exit could be on the cards.

Leeds United are now very hopeful they will be able to lure “one of the most underrated defenders in Europe” to the Premier League this summer, according to a report.

Leeds looking to improve their defence

Leeds will know all too well the importance of having a strong defence in the Premier League, having suffered relegation to the Championship after shipping the most goals in the top flight in the 2022-23 campaign, and they have now set out to bolster their options at the back.

Indeed, the Whites have identified a number of defensive targets, while they have also set out to bring in a new goalkeeper, given that Illan Meslier infamously made a number of high-profile errors last season.

Target

Current club

Position

Yahia Fofana

Angers

GK

Nick Pope

Newcastle United

GK

Dara O’Shea

Ipswich Town

CB

Japhet Tanganga

Millwall

CB

Anthony Caci

Mainz 05

LB

The likes of Pope, O’Shea and Tanganga have experience in the Premier League, which could be of key significance when it comes to avoiding the drop next season, but Daniel Farke has also set his sights on adding a Serie A defender to his ranks.

That is according to a report from The Yorkshire Evening Post, which states Leeds are now very hopeful of signing Udinese centre-back Jaka Bijol, given that Premier League football is set to be on offer at Elland Road.

Farke already has a number of options at centre-back, but departures are said to be inevitable, with Max Wober deemed the most likely to leave, although cashing in on Pascal Struijk could be an attractive proposition from a PSR point of view.

Previous reports have revealed Udinese would be looking to receive a fee of around £17m for Bijol, which should be affordable for a club that is now back in the Premier League.

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It would be fair to say journalist Bence Bocsak doesn’t believe the Udinese defender gets the respect he deserves, given his talent, having described the Leeds target as “one of the most underrated defenders in Europe” after impressing at Euro 2024.

The Slovenian is aerially dominant, placing in the 93rd percentile for aerials won per 90 over the past year, when compared to other centre-backs, while he has previously proven himself to be a threat in the opposition area on occasion.

The 6-foot-3 colossus could be a solid signing for Leeds this summer, and £17m feels like a fair fee, given that Bijol has impressed at international level, while also remaining a key player for Udinese throughout the 2024-25 campaign, making 37 appearances in all competitions.

It all comes down to this. The penultimate game of a largely forgettable season could be a defining one for Manchester United. A defining one for Ruben Amorim. A defining one for the INEOS regime.

A wretched Premier League campaign could well be salvaged by the club’s Europa League exploits, with the Red Devils capturing the spirit of days gone by to embark on a rollercoaster ride on the continent. This is no team of ’68, ’99, or ’08, but right them off at your peril.

From the outset, this has been an enthralling surge to the showpiece, be it the dramatic last-gasp equaliser from Harry Maguire to snatch a point against Porto, or Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage-time strike to see off Rangers.

In the knockout phase, in particular, the Old Trafford side have sparked a sea change in emotions, from a penalty-ridden triumph over Real Sociedad, to a surprisingly serene victory over Athletic Club in the last four.

Sandwiched in between was arguably one of the great nights that the Theatre of Dreams has witnessed, with Kobbie Mainoo and Maguire coming up trumps at the death to see off ten-man Lyon. Only United can conjure up moments like that.

For such a win to ultimately prove in vain would be deeply disappointing, with Amorim now tasked with picking a side capable of seeing off fellow top-flight bottom dwellers, Tottenham Hotspur, at San Mames.

The latest Man Utd team news

As journalist Samuel Luckhurst noted, this is the first time this season that the former Sporting CP boss named more than the typical 21 players in his travelling squad, with there perhaps a sense of cup final kidology in place with the Portuguese coach keeping his cards closely to his chest.

With the aforementioned Fernandes and Maguire taking on pre-match media duties alongside Amorim, the experienced pair look almost certain to start later today, with that central spine likely to be added to by Andre Onana and Casemiro.

The positions surrounding that quartet are likely to be up for grabs, however, with the 40-year-old’s options potentially enhanced amid the surprise return of Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee to training this week.

The latter duo had looked set to miss the rest of the campaign through injury, although they could now play their part in Bilbao, even if Amorim hinted that their minutes would be limited.

One man who was absent from proceedings was Matthijs de Ligt, thus throwing into doubt his involvement against Ange Postecoglou’s side, with fellow former Ajax man Lisandro Martinez also still a long-term absentee.

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Excluding that pairing, Amorim appears to have a wealth of options at his disposal, leaving something of a selection headache to ponder – not least over who should start in the two number ten berths.

Who should start at number ten for Man Utd vs Spurs

There is an argument to be made that the centre-forward position could be set for change, with it perhaps time to contemplate dropping the misfiring Rasmus Hojlund to the bench, in favour of a false nine experiment.

That tweak could see Fernandes take on that role, while the 30-year-old could also drop into a deeper berth as part of a midfield two, with Amorim needing to decide whether he needs the defensive duo of Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro against an injury-hit Spurs midfield.

If Fernandes is to be needed elsewhere, then the number ten roles will be a straight fight between Mainoo, Mason Mount, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, with the middle duo having been given the nod against Chelsea on Friday night.

That may have been with the final in mind, although with United having again failed to fire at Stamford Bridge, Amorim may need to think again, with Mount seemingly needing to give way for the lively Garnacho.

With Amad – who came closest to scoring against the Blues – almost a nailed-on starter off the right, it would be an exciting prospect to unleash the Argentine on the opposite side, the pair notably netting in the 4-3 defeat to Brentford earlier this month.

GK

Andre Onana

RCB

Leny Yoro

CB

Harry Maguire

LCB

Luke Shaw

RWB

Noussair Mazraoui

CM

Casemiro

CM

Bruno Fernandes

LWB

Patrick Dorgu

RAM

Amad Diallo

LAM

Mason Mount

ST

Rasmus Hojlund

Mount, to his credit, has enjoyed a resurgence of late after also scoring against the Bees, followed by his brace against Athletic Club, although those latter strikes did come off the bench, with it still yet to be seen if he can last the full game.

The Englishman does boast the experience of starting in this 3-4-3 formation in the Champions League final and European Championship final back in 2021, although he has rarely looked like that player for United, having scored just four goals in 44 games since his arrival in 2023.

Garnacho, meanwhile, has regularly delivered the goods in recent years despite his at times erratic finishing. Indeed, while still yet to turn 21, the wing wizard has scored 11 goals and provided ten assists in all competitions this term.

So often United’s “game-changer” – as per Luckhurst – the former Atletico Madrid starlet is such a relentless, direct threat for Amorim in the final third, having chipped in with four assists and one goal in the Europa League in 2024/25.

Yes, he has missed 20 ‘big chances’ in Europe and the top-flight combined, although the 20-year-old is a player who makes things happen in the final third, be it from the start or from the bench.

Starting Mount in his place still feels a real risk considering his injury woes and relatively recent return to action, while a partnership of Garnacho and Amad could have Spurs on the back foot from the off.

In any case, Amorim does appear to finally have attacking options to select from, with now the time for bravery, rather than pragmatism.

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Chelsea are leading the race for a £67m “monster”, and they are now pushing hard to get a deal over the line, according to reports.

Blues set sights on another striker after Delap

The Blues are looking to make improvements to their squad prior to the Club World Cup later this month, and they now appear to be closing in on an early deal for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with the signing set to be announced imminently.

However, perhaps given that Delap is still relatively inexperienced, the Blues remain keen on bringing in another striker this summer, and they continue to battle it out for the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

RB Leipzig centre-forward Benamin Sesko is another name to have regularly been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, and a report from Caught Offside has now revealed that Chelsea are leading the race for the Slovenian, alongside competition from Arsenal.

Leipzig are set to hold out for a fee of €80m (£67m) for Sesko, with the Blues among the frontrunners, having identified the 22-year-old as the perfect fit for BlueCo’s long-term project, given his eye for goal and raw power.

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The Gunners could provide competition for the striker’s signature, however, with Mikel Arteta believed to be a fan, and sporting director Andrea Berta has already held direct talks with the German club over a potential deal.

"Monster" Sesko could be fantastic signing for Chelsea

The deal for Delap may well be edging closer to completion, but it would not be a bad idea to bring in another top striker this summer, and the Blues are now believed to be pushing hard to get a deal for the Leipzig star over the line.

With Enzo Maresca’s side set to return to the Champions League next season, the manager could do with greater strength in depth, and the Slovenia international is held in high regard by scout Ben Mattinson, who described him as a “monster”.

The 6-foot-5 forward also maintained a solid record in front of goal throughout the 2024-25 campaign, regularly finding the back of the net in all the competitions he featured in for Leipzig.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Bundesliga

33

13

5

Champions League

8

4

0

DFB-Pokal

4

4

1

As such, Sesko could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, as they look to build on the 2024-25 campaign and start competing for major trophies once again.

Chelsea lost 2-0 to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in the Premier League on Sunday, but they could still have a successful end to the 2024/25 campaign.

The Blues are fifth in the league, on course to qualify for the Champions League, and are in the final of the Conference League after their semi-final success over Djurgarden.

Enzo Maresca and the board, however, already have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window, as the club have reportedly held talks to sign a LaLiga star.

Chelsea at the front of the queue to sign LaLiga star

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are one of the teams eyeing up a deal to sign Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, and they have already held talks with his representatives over a move to Stamford Bridge.

Transfer Focus

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The report claims that the Blues have had meetings with the player’s camp to convince him to make the move to England, but he is unwilling to make a final decision until the end of the season.

It also reveals that Arsenal and Chelsea are the two teams at the ‘front of the queue’ to land the Spain international, who is also of interest to Newcastle United, Manchester City, and Liverpool.

Possessing a reported release clause of £48m, it’s not a move that would totally break the bank, which is certainly good news.

If Williams does decide to move on from Athletic Club this summer, Maresca’s side appear to be well-positioned to swoop in, which should come as great news for Cole Palmer.

Why Nico Williams would be amazing with Cole Palmer

The Chelsea superstar would surely love it if the club signed the Spanish winger because they could be amazing together at the top end of the pitch next season and beyond.

Palmer, as evidenced by the 38 ‘big chances’ he has created in the Premier League since the start of last season, is an attacking midfielder who is constantly looking for a defence-splitting pass to create chances for his teammates.

Williams is a winger who has shown that he can finish chances effectively in LaLiga and in the Europa League this term, which suggests that he could make the most of the high-quality opportunities that the England international consistently creates.

Starts

21

12

xG

3.84

2.85

Goals

5

5

Big chances missed

2

2

Assists

5

2

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish sensation has outperformed his xG in both competitions, whilst only missing four ‘big chances’ in 33 matches.

These statistics suggest that he has the finishing quality to find the back of the net on a consistent basis if provided with the constant stream of ‘big chances’ that Palmer has proven he can create at Premier League level.

Williams, who was dubbed a “relentless” dribbler by analyst Ben Mattinson, would also come in as another young talent with room to improve at the age of 22, which means that the Spaniard and Palmer, 23, could be an exciting pairing for Chelsea for many, many, more year to come.

It is now down to the Blues to win the race for his signature in the summer transfer window because his electric pace and lethal finishing could make him an amazing partner for their creative maestro in the Premier League next season.

Bigger talent than George: Chelsea in talks to sign £42m "wonderkid"

Chelsea could be edging closer to signing a Bundesliga starlet

ByRoss Kilvington May 11, 2025

England crashed out of the Champions Trophy and Jos Buttler quit the captaincy. Alan Gardner, Matt Roller and Vish Ehantharajah pick through it all

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2025England were dumped out of the Champions Trophy at the group stage, losing three from three to bring an inglorious end to Jos Buttler’s captaincy. On this week’s Switch Hit, Alan Gardner was joined by Matt Roller and Vish Ehantharajah to discuss the fallout. Who should succeed Buttler? Can England find a better balance between formats? And where will the next generation of ODI players come from?