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Since Thibaut Courtois left Chelsea in 2018, joining Real Madrid for around £35m, the Blues have struggled to find a permanent number one between the sticks to replace him. Courtois made 154 appearances for Chelsea, conceding just 152 goals and keeping 58 clean sheets.

Chelsea signed Kepa Arrizabalaga in 2018, in an attempt to replace Courtois, for a whopping £71.6m, making him the most expensive goalkeeper of all time. Kepa made 163 appearances for the Blues, conceding 175 times and keeping 59 clean sheets.

The closest Chelsea have come to effectively replacing Courtois, is Edouard Mendy, who signed for the Blues from Rennes for around £22m in 2020. The Senegal international kept 49 clean sheets in just 105 games for the club, playing a massive hand in their Champions League triumph in 2021.

However, in the modern game, goalkeepers are required to do so much more than just stop shots. Their ability on the ball, to join in during the build-up, play out from the back, and even pick direct passes to the forwards is extremely important, which could see Chelsea dip into the transfer market yet again.

Chelsea's search for a goalkeeper

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Chelsea remain interested in Porto goalkeeper, Diogo Costa. However, the Blues could face competition for the 25-year-old shot-stopper, as Bayern Munich also appear to be interested in Costa, to replace Manuel Neuer who is considering his retirement at the end of this season.

Costa has made 167 appearances for Porto, conceding just 142 goals, whilst keeping 71 clean sheets and totaling 15,111 minutes played. He is also the Portugal number one, already having 31 caps for his country.

The in-demand talent would cost around £58m according to the reports, but he could prove to be the long-term answer Chelsea have been looking for since losing Courtois in 2018, providing a mixture of elite shot-stopping, and comfortable on-ball traits.

Robert Sanchez vs Diogo Costa comparison

Sanchez was signed by Chelsea in 2023, joining from Brighton for around £25m. He was quickly replaced as the number one last season, with Mauricio Pochettino preferring Djordje Petrovic between the sticks, after Sanchez made multiple errors leading to goals early in the campaign.

However, with Enzo Maresca’s appointment, Sanchez has found himself reinstated as the Chelsea number one, with the Italian manager wanting composure on the ball from his goalkeeper, and a willingness to play out from the back, sticking to the gameplan, and not panicking on the ball.

Costa, who has been described as “superman” by Jacek Kulig, has a higher clean sheet rate, fewer goals against, and a better pass completion percentage than Chelsea’s Sanchez. The Spanish goalkeeper is making more saves per 90, but this is also due to the 5.22 shots being conceded per 90, compared to the 2.81 against Costa per 90.

One positive Sanchez does have over Costa, is his ability to prevent crosses, and provide the team with high claims/punches, due to his 6 foot 5 frame. Costa, on the other hand, is just 6 foot 1, opting to stay on his line more often, and trust his reactions with shots from crosses.

Whilst he may not have the height of Sanchez or Courtois, Costa could be exactly what Chelsea need, in order to aid the build-up from the back, whilst also providing the defenders with the assurance and protection if shots do make it on goal.

The goalkeeping department has been a problem position for a number of years now at Stamford Bridge, yet the Porto titan could represent the long-awaited solution.

Chelsea eye £160k-per-week Jackson partner who once "really wanted" to join

The Senegalese has been in electric form this season.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 30, 2024

Of Wellington’s three venues, only one will see World Cup action. But the other two are worth a look-see as well

Alex Braae02-Jan-2015Wellington has not one but three venues capable of hosting first-class cricket. Two of those – Karori Park and the Basin Reserve – will not be used for the World Cup, but they provide a unique cricket watching experience nonetheless.Karori Park
Only the truly committed will be here on game day. Under grey skies, bitter winds sweep over the Makara hills, bringing chilly damp air to the fields of Karori Park. Deprived of shelter from trees or grandstands, they can count only on the walls of a small café and a raincoat on the back. Grim, wind-hardened faces squint out at the players, going through the motions of their cricketing purgatory. Pity the players – they who have no choice but to be here – but do not pity the spectators. Watching cricket in Wellington can be an endurance sport on its own, made possible in awful weather conditions by the simple act of deciding to be there.They wear battered raincoats, carry a thermos of tea, and ham and cheese sandwiches wrapped in thin plastic. They sink slowly into the few park benches with a view of the field, impassive through the slow progress of the day. An exchange of a word or two with whoever sits down next to them to mark a wicket or a particularly classy cover drive, then back to slow fossilisation.The seasons change daily in Wellington, and the second day of the match brings bright sunshine and a gentle breeze. Fair-weather fans begin to congregate around the outfield, forming small clumps around picnic baskets and blankets. With no security guards or fences, bottles of wine are slipped out of paper bags. Karori Park is vast and flat, with an expanse of field that stretches away from the main game. Matches are set up on the unused pitches: backyard cricket on a grand scale. The players play on, oblivious to the enjoyment of summer around them.Sleeping bags are optional, though useful•Getty ImagesA young father slowly pushes a baby in a pram around the outfield, taking care to pull the shade away to give the young one an uninterrupted view of the game, pointing out this detail and that, explaining the tactics and strategies, his audience giggling at the sounds and shouts. When the lunch break takes effect, he crosses the boundary line, walking the pram up to the edge of the square, to the thin wire that rings the pitch. He picks up the baby, holding him so he can see the wickets, introducing him to the obsession that the father hopes will one day take hold.Basin Reserve
He got here at 10 on the dot. The ticket said play in the Test match starts at 10.30, but he got here at 10. No matter, a good chance to beat the queues that will strain the entrances at each end when the first over approaches. Walking in at the Adelaide Road end, he turns left after having his bag checked by security. Nothing to see in there: a small radio, a newspaper, and some warm clothing for if the wind picks up. He settles into a spot on the brick terraces, watching the groundsmen finish their final preparations. Taking out a broad copy of the Dominion Post, he turns immediately to the back page, where the teams are laid out. Meticulously, he reads every article about the game, noting the contests that await. The players jog out, and he folds the paper away, taking out the radio and putting the earphones in. Bryan Waddle’s cheerful, jovial voice fills his head, describing the sight on the field. Now the cricket season, so abstract before it was laid out before all his senses, has truly begun.If you don’t want to shell out to keep warm, bring your own picnic hamper•PA PhotosThe kids get bored easily. Holding miniature cricket bats and tennis balls, the play on the field quickly becomes secondary to the main event: pick-up games using the long straight alleyways that run into the bowels of the stands. One hand one bounce, the oldest has to bat left-handed, hit the ball on the field and you’re out – all the house rules are debated and tested. Batsmen and bowlers rotate quickly, wickets tumbling every few minutes. The fielders slowly drift away, with so few positions except short leg and long off to fill, their interest taken by the boundary riders. When the game finally winds down, the one who owns the miniature bat takes it over to the picket fence and holds it out to the fine-leg fielder. “Can I have your autograph?”As the afternoon drifts on, the sunlight and the crowds shift to the grassy banks. Here they lounge on the slopes, sipping beer from plastic cups. They marinate in sun and watery beer. When the day is almost over, the gates are opened to the public for cut- price admission. The Basin Reserve becomes a thoroughfare for those leaving work in the CBD, taking the opportunity to see the last few overs of the day on their way home. A man in a suit is spotted by a particularly rowdy group of supporters, who snigger at his formal outfit. A chant starts up: “Take your tie off, take your tie off!” The besuited man hears, looks around, and realises he is the subject. For a second he looks almost affronted, before relaxing and grinning up at the chanters. “Take your tie off, take your tie off.” He loosens the knot and slips it over his head, which earns a small cheer. The man in the suit holds it aloft and theatrically swings it around his head, causing the bank to erupt with applause. He sits down for the last over of the day. The Basin Reserve banks have won over another convert.Westpac Stadium
Everyone walks the causeway to get to Westpac Stadium. A trickle at midday, then a stream, then a river, then a flood of fans, walking purposefully to catch the first ball. They pile out of trains that shuttle regularly into the station underneath the stadium, thousands coming into town from the northern suburbs. Buses from the south, the east, the western suburbs, all full. There isn’t a spare car park in sight for miles. Still they come, huge groups of revellers walking in from the city, stopping at the pubs along the way for just one more quick one before the stadium. If the Basin Reserve is the temple of cricket in Wellington, the Westpac Stadium is the modern mega-church. A congregation of the casual and the committed: come one, come all.Bubbling with excitement: come the World Cup, the Cake Tin will be a sweet place to be•Hamish Blair/Getty ImagesHalf the ground loses the sun early and wraps up against the chilly breeze. The other half bakes. Soaking in watery beer, pounding pop songs and the dry Wellington sun, the punters get louder. They are part of the game here, not just spectators. The Cake Tin, as the stadium is affectionately known, becomes a cauldron when it is full. The Kiwi quick is pulled to the crease each ball by a steady rise in noise, reaching a crescendo when the ball is let loose.The crunch of bat on ball echoes, picked up by stump microphones, and bouncing around the concrete walls. It flies high in the air, hanging at eye level with those sitting at the very top. The noise changes, yearning, pleading for the fielder to get underneath it. Nobody prays silently here; thousands of voices urge the fielder on. Get there. Get there.Running at full tilt, the man on the boundary reaches up with both hands. Mere metres away, hundreds of hands stretch out, pointing at the ball. It’s right there! The fielder leaps, fingers grasping at the air. The ball hits a hand, smacking into the palm and bouncing up. Trying a second time, the hand swipes, misses, the ball falls on the ground and stops, just over the boundary. The fielder ruefully picks it up and throws it back in, wondering how he managed to miss it. A group of young men in the front row howl with laughter, at their friend with the bruised hand, and the even more bruised ego. But then the replay comes up on the big screen, and he raises his arms in mock triumph. He may not have made the catch but at least he was part of the game.

Ange Postecoglou says assists are the "most useless statistic in world football" in a bizarre rant ahead of Tottenham's clash with Manchester City.

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• Tottenham host Man City in Premier League
• Postecoglou asked about Scarlett
• Goes on bizarre rant about assists

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Australian was asked about Spurs forward Dane Scarlett's recent contribution for the first-team, where he has scored a goal and bagged two assists in all competitions. Postecoglou praised the 20-year-old's perseverance after some difficult loan spells at Portsmouth, Ipswich Town, and Oxford United; but then greatly downplayed the importance of assist-making.

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  WHAT ANGE POSTECOGLOU SAID

  He told reporters: "Dane, like you said, he's had a couple of difficult loans and that's part of the process as well for him. We were just talking about Djed [Spence], who had three difficult loans, so some of it is just perseverance and keep working hard and waiting for your opportunity. He has done well for us. I said when he came back, he wasn't in the greatest physical condition and he's working hard on that and hopefully he gets more opportunities. As an aside, I've got to say the assist is the most useless statistic in world football. Seriously, it could come off your backside, fall to somebody on the halfway line he scores, and it's an assist. So it doesn't impress me, but Dane's assist at the weekend was a good one."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aside from Scarlett and the importance of assists as a statistic, Tottenham are aiming to win a fourth-straight Premier League game as they try to close the gap on the top 10. They host a City side who will be smarting from their 2-0 loss to Liverpool last time out. Postecoglou is seemingly one bad result from being under pressure so he will hope for another win this time out.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Tottenham, who sit 12th in the division, host fourth-placed City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night. It remains to be seen if Scarlett will feature.

Half centuries from Josh Philippe and Cameron Bancroft helped Western Australia to a tense, three-wicket win over Victoria

AAP22-Oct-2022A whirlwind innings from Josh Philippe has set up Western Australia’s win over Victoria and allowed the holders to leapfrog Tasmania into top spot on the Marsh Cup table.In a tense finale at the Junction Oval on Saturday, WA reached 247 for 7 to pass Victoria’s 244 for 6 with just four balls to spare in a match shortened to 36 overs each following morning rain in Melbourne.Philippe set the victory platform at the top of the order with a whirlwind 81 that featured five towering sixes. By the time Philippe was out, WA had advanced to 114 from just 12.3 overs.Philippe displayed a wide variety of shots in his 50-ball innings, including three massive sixes in a single Jono Merlo over. That over added 27 runs, with the medium pacer’s two overs costing 40 runs.The ever-reliable Scott Boland was, almost inevitably, the bowler to put the shackles on Philippe, forcing the opener to spoon a mishit pull shot and offer a simple catch at midwicket. Philippe had scored a century against the Victoria in their last Marsh Cup meeting four weeks ago.Fellow dangerman D’Arcy Short soon followed his opening partner back to the pavilion with 33 off as many balls, but the damage had been done. The steadying hand of Cameron Bancroft helped steer WA home with the former Test opener hitting the winning runs to end unbeaten on 78.WA needed six from the final six deliveries after Will Sutherland delivered a superb penultimate over which yielded a wicket and just one run.Earlier, makeshift opener Matthew Short cracked a rapid-fire 75 as Victoria set their opponents a challenging target after being sent into bat. Promoted from the middle-order, Short justified the move by leading the home side with a 59-ball knock that included two sixes.Short, though, had little support from teammates and a host of batters were unable to build an innings after making a start. Test aspirant Marcus Harris came in at No.3 and posted 24, while opener Mackenzie Harvey contributed 28.Andrew Tye made the most of the conditions to knock over three frontline opponents including Harris and in-form Victorian skipper Peter Handscomb who looked dangerous before his 26-ball innings ended on 30.

Manny Machado got straight to business during the San Diego Padres' spring training opener on Friday.

Machado took the first pitch he saw deep over the center field wall for a two-run homer off Seattle Mariners left-handed pitcher Jhonathan Díaz.

Machado was pulled after his second at bat Friday. The first-inning home run was his only hit of the day, but it got the Padres' offense started in their first Cactus League game this spring.

The home run ball flew 428 feet, deep beyond the center-field wall at Peoria Stadium in Peoria, Ariz. Machado's next opportunity to enter the lineup comes Saturday when the Padres play at home against the Athletics. The Padres open the regular season at home March 27 against the Atlanta Braves.

Last season, Machado slashed .275/.325/.472 with 29 homers and 105 RBIs. In the postseason, the Padres lost to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in the National League Division Series. The Dodgers held Machado hitless in the last two games of the series, where L.A. blanked San Diego in both games to advance.

Now, if the start to spring training is any indicator, Machado seems to be out for a vengeance.

James Anderson has become the bowler to take Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket most times in Tests. Here we plot Anderson’s career by looking back at Sachin’s nine lives

George Dobell in Nagpur14-Dec-2012One of the great fallacies of cricket is that each wicket is given the same worth in the record books. But while the dismissal of Chris Martin may rate the same as that of Don Bradman at first glance, players will always take more satisfaction in performing well against the best opposition.James Anderson has now dismissed Sachin Tendulkar, the leading run-scorer in the history of the game, nine times in Test cricket. Nobody has taken his wicket more and India have never won a Test in which Anderson has dismissed Tendulkar. Perhaps Anderson’s record is somewhat misleading, as Tendulkar had been a highly successful international player for nearly 20 years before he came up against Anderson and may already have been in decline. He remained a fine player, though, and a prized wicket for any bowler.”I know I have a decent record getting Sachin out,” Anderson says in his recently published autobiography, , “but the funny thing is I really do not like bowling at him.”Here we tell the story of Anderson’s career through the wickets of Tendulkar.Dismissal 1: Mumbai, March 2006
Anderson had the best of the encounter when the two first met in Test cricket. Tendulkar, driving away from his body, edged to Geraint Jones behind the stumps for just 1 in India’s first innings and England went on to win the match – their first Test win in India since 1985 – by 212 runs. It was Anderson’s first Test in more than a year. While he had made an excellent impression as a 20-year-old in 2003 – he took a five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe on debut and another against South Africa later in the summer – he had lost his way amid efforts by England’s bowling coach Troy Cooley to remodel his action. He did not play another Test until November, either, as the attempt to bowl with an action he found unnatural resulted in him being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back.Dismissal 2: Lord’s, July 2007
The resignation of Duncan Fletcher as England coach in April 2007 left England in the hands of Peter Moores and the captain, Michael Vaughan. Anderson had abandoned attempts to remodel his action and was grooving his old one in county cricket. He returned at Lord’s against India and the wicket of Tendulkar, playing slightly across a full, inswinging delivery, was one of five victims in the first innings as he swung the ball both ways at a lively pace. It was quite a comeback – he learned later it was the first time that a bowler had dismissed Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly in the same innings. But it could not help England win the Test, as rain helped India cling on with nine wickets down nearly 100 short of their target,Dismissals 3 and 4: The Oval, August 2007
Anderson dismissed Tendulkar in both innings, but it was not enough to prevent a drawn game which saw India clinch the series 1-0. In the first innings Tendulkar, batting beautifully on 82, was caught at first slip as he pushed at one outside off stump. In the second innings he was bowled by one that nipped back and took his inside edge on its way on to the stumps. By now Anderson, given greater responsibility by Moores, was given the new ball and choice of ends and was developing into the leader of the England attack. Anderson writes in his autobiography: “Some people claimed that Tendulkar’s eyes had gone but that was absolute nonsense.”Dismissal 5: Mohali, December 2008
England’s Test series against India was briefly delayed, and almost cancelled after terrorist attacks on Mumbai but it went ahead under heavy security. “On game days we would set off at ridiculous o’clock from our hotel in Chandigarh and during that hour-long trek we would not be able to see ten yards in front of our faces, it was that foggy,” Anderson records in his autobiography. In New Zealand at the start of the year, he had been preferred to the likes of Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison as Moores made it clear he was the man he saw as the future of England’s Test bowling attack. He dismissed Tendulkar, caught at gully, in the drawn Test. But India won the two-match series 1-0, with Tendulkar having produced a vintage century at Chennai to help his side chase down 387 to win. A few days later, the rebellion of Kevin Pietersen, then England’s captain, against Moores was household news, leading to both men losing their jobs.Anderson celebrates his dismissal of Tendulkar in his last Test innings at Lord’s•Getty ImagesDismissal 6: Lord’s, July 2011
With Anderson having played a key part in England winning the Ashes at home and abroad, he was now established as one of the world’s leading swing bowlers. Here he dismissed Tendulkar in the second innings for 12 with another that nipped back and beat a tentative forward prod as part of a five-wicket haul that helped England take a lead in the four-match series they would go on to win 4-0. This dismissal may remain particularly painful to Tendulkar. It was his last innings at Lord’s and ended his hopes of ever getting on to the honours board at the ground. Anderson rose to No. 2 on the official ICC rankings of Test bowlers after the game, behind only Dale Steyn. It is Anderson’s highest position to date.Dismissal 7: Trent Bridge, August 2011
Tendulkar, batting with great determination on 56 and holding together the increasingly desperate India innings, was beaten by yet another delivery that nipped back sharply and, leaving the ball, was dismissed lbw. England ended the series as the No. 1-ranked Test side with Anderson gaining increasing recognition for his ability to swing the ball both ways at will, either with conventional swing or with reverse. His ability to hide the ball, learned from watching Zaheer Khan in action in India in 2008, rendered it an even more potent weapon with Tendulkar, now a player in decline, among those to struggle to read which way the ball would swing.Dismissal 8: December 2012, Kolkata
Anderson produced one of his most accomplished performances in a memorable England win, generating substantial reverse swing and claiming six wickets in the match on a surface offering little. Tendulkar, having battled to 76 – his highest score in 11 months and 10 Test innings – prodded at a good one and was caught at the wicket. 2012 had not been a great year for Anderson. He had suffered far more than his share of dropped catches as England struggled in the slips and had seen his batting colleagues squander excellent bowling performances, in the UAE in particular. Perhaps there were times, at The Oval against South Africa and in Ahmedabad, where Anderson appeared to have lost a little bit of pace, but he never lost his control and remained as consistent and skilful as ever.Dismissal 9: December 2012, Nagpur
This may have been the wicket that convinced Tendulkar it was time to retire. The ball, keeping low on the slow, uneven surface, cut back sharply and took Tendulkar’s bat on the way into the stumps. It was another fine spell of bowling on a dead pitch offering him little and gave England an excellent chance of sealing a first series win in India since 1984-85. It is surely no coincidence that, since Anderson was elevated to the role of ‘attack leader’ England have broken long winless spells in Australia, risen – albeit briefly – to No. 1 in the Test rankings and have produced their best performance in a series in India in almost three decades. Anderson has been present throughout and, aged 30, currently has the fitness, the skill and the experience to pose problems to any batsman on any surface.

Jose Mourinho has hit back at Pep Guardiola after the Manchester City boss said he's won twice as many Premier League titles as the Portuguese.

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• Guardiola won six Premier League titles
• Points out he's won three more than Mourinho
• Fenerbahce boss hits back at Spaniard

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After City's 2-0 loss to Liverpool last weekend, Reds fans chanted Guardiola should be "sacked in the morning", prompting the smiling Spaniard to repeatedly raise six fingers to the crowd to signify the amount of Premier League titles he has won over at the Etihad Stadium. When it was put to the ex-Barcelona boss that he could suffer a similar fate to former Manchester United manager Mourinho, who called for "respect" after winning three English top-flight titles, Guardiola made reference to his superior record. Now, Fenerbahce boss Mourinho says he won "fairly and cleanly", in reference to City facing 115 charges for alleged financial fair play breaches.

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  WHAT GUARDIOLA AND MOURINHO SAID

  When asked about the Mourinho comparison, Guardiola told reporters: "I hope not in my case… He won three, I won six.. but we are the same like that. We are together in the those situations. To make our fans know that we are much, much better than the people that sing that [Liverpool fans singing sacked in the morning]. It [the gesture] was just to make our fans feel that what we have done is extraordinary. I want to prove that we are an incredible football club. Sooner or later it’s going to be the end but I will try to extend as much as possible for the best of my club."

  Mourinho has since responded: "Guardiola said something to me yesterday. He won six trophies and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly. If I lost, I want to congratulate my opponent because he was better than me. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 lawsuits."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mourinho and Guardiola will go down as two of the greatest managers in football history, but the latter does hold the edge in terms of titles won in England. However, if City are found guilty of breaking the rules, an asterisk may be put against Guardiola's legacy.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While City await the verdict of their court case, Guardiola's side are away at lowly Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League whereas Mourinho's Fenerbahce travel to Besiktas on the same day in Super Lig action.

As campaigns go, last season was one full of ups and downs for Tottenham Hotspur as new boss Ange Postecoglou got to grips with life in the Premier League.

The Australian had his side playing incredible football at times, but a mixture of injuries and a collapse in form towards the back end saw the Lilywhites slip from a nailed-on Champions League place to the Europa League.

To make sure the same thing doesn't happen again this year, Daniel Levy and Co must bring in some quality additions to the squad over the coming weeks who could come in when players start to dip or even start games at times.

The good news is that, based on recent reports, it appears they are doing just that, as the latest player heavily touted for a move to N17 would be the ideal Son Heung-min rival and, interestingly, has been compared to Gabriel Martinelli in the past.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Italian journalist Gianni Balzarini, Tottenham are incredibly keen on signing Juventus star Federico Chiesa this summer.

Balzarini claims that the Lilywhites are ready to make an offer in the region of €30m – £25m – for the dynamic winger, a fee that would more than please the Old Lady.

It wouldn't be a cheap transfer, but in the modern market, it does feel like a reasonable fee for a full international.

Moreover, as the intention may well be to use him as competition or Son, Levy and Co should definitely get over the line on this transfer – his comparison to Martinelli is just a nice bonus.

How Chiesa compares to Son and Martinelli

The first thing to look at here is this comparison to Arsenal's Martinelli. While he might not be the most popular of characters on the white side of North London, he is a talented player.

For example, even with a slightly down campaign last year, he scored eight goals and provided five assists in 44 games for the Premier League runners-up.

So, while the pair's most apparent similarity is that they play on the wing, this comparison, in particular, stems from FBref.

They examined players in similar positions in the 2022/23 Europa League, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each position, and concluded that the Brazilian was the eighth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Chiesa.

This conclusion was reached by looking at how closely the pair ranked in several underlying metrics, including assists, progressive carries, shots, short passing accuracy, shot and goal-creating actions and carries, all per 90.

With all that said, how well does the Genova-born "wizard", as dubbed by football media personality Roger Bennett, stack up to the player he'll be tasked with rivaling?

Well, unsurprisingly, the Lilywhites' captain does come out on top when it comes to output, but that isn't to say the Juve ace is an unproductive player.

In 36 appearances last season, the South Korean superstar scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, whereas the Italian scored ten goals and provided three assists in 37 games, which would've been enough to make him the joint-fourth most effective attacking player at Spurs last season.

Ultimately, for the reported fee, signing Chiesa to provide some more competition for Son feels like a no-brainer, and while the Spurs faithful don't particularly like, the comparison to Martinelli is a positive sign.

Deadline set: Spurs race to land "sensational" £40m ace who's like Havertz

The impressive talent could be a serious boon to Postecoglou’s squad.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 25, 2024

Multan 2003, all out for 62, and other peaks and valleys in Bangladesh’s 12 years in Test cricket

Mohammad Isam10-Nov-2012THE HIGHS
The first, the longest Aminul Islam’s 145 in Bangladesh’s first Test lasted 535 minutes, still the longest innings by a Bangladesh batsman in Test cricket, and took 380 balls. In terms of highest score in a country’s debut Test, he is second only to Charles Bannerman’s 165 not out for Australia.The heartbreak The third Test of the 2003 series in Pakistan will forever be remembered by Bangladesh fans, despite its disappointing end. Pakistan had had to fight for their 2-0 lead in the series, and Bangladesh’s substantial first-innings lead in Multan ensured a tight finish. Inzamam-ul-Haq played the innings of his life, but the toil of Mohammad Rafique stood out as well, especially after he graciously chose not to run out a straying Umar Gul his run-up.Ashraful’s second coming Everyone lauds Mohammad Ashraful’s debut hundred, especially because he was a little more than a boy when he made it. But his 2004 special, 158 against India in Chittagong, was timely for him and his side. The calls to withdraw Bangladesh’s Test status were at their loudest at the time, and Ashraful hadn’t scored a century after his debut effort either. The respite was only temporary, as the boy wonder of Bangladesh cricket never did go on to properly cash in on his talent.Courtesy Enamul, Shakib Bangladesh’s first Test win was more than five years in the making. It had several contributors – Habibul Bashar, Rajin Saleh, Rafique and Mashrafe Mortaza – but it would be Enamul Haque Jr’s six-wicket haul that would finish the job, as Zimbabwe were bowled out swiftly in the second innings.Bangladesh’s first wins abroad came in the West Indies, but there was assistance from the home side, who were heavily depleted after a pay dispute resulted in the frontline West Indies players boycotting the series. Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah made the difference in the second innings of the first Test, with a hundred and a five-for respectively, and Shakib Al Hasan took eight wickets and scored a match-winning unbeaten 96 in the second game.Tamim shines The story goes that Tamim asked a Lord’s dressing-room attendant to put up his name on the honours board after he scored 55 in the first innings there in 2010 but was told that only a hundred would get him a place. Tamim then went about carving one out in grand manner, taking on an England attack rated the best in the world at the time, gesturing frantically to the attendant when he reached the milestone. THE LOWSSeven wickets in 19 balls Bangladesh had conceded a 397-run lead in the first innings of their maiden Test against West Indies. Then it got worse. When Bashar fell in the 27th over of the second innings, the score was 80 for 4. Jermaine Lawson then took three wickets in an over with dipping inswingers: 81 for 7. Naimur Rahman played out two overs from Pedro Collins before Lawson removed Enamul Haque, Tapash Baisya and Talha Jubair in seven deliveries – Bangladesh bowled out for 87 runs for their biggest defeat, by an innings and 310 runs.Mashrafe Mortaza: perma-injured•Associated PressThe outrageous double It was the second Test in the Bangladesh-Australia series of 2006, the one after Fatullah, where the No. 1 team in the world had stared at defeat a number of times before finally pulling through. Australia bowled Bangladesh out for 197 runs in the first innings in Chittagong. Matthew Hayden didn’t last long and as it was getting towards the end of the first day, Jason Gillespie was sent in as a nightwatchman. Gillespie went on to bat for nine and a half hours, in which he faced 425 balls and scored a double-hundred. He added 320 runs with Michael Hussey and Bangladesh lost by an innings and 80 runs.Demolition at the P Sara Reeling from an innings-and-234-run loss in the first Test, Bangladesh were asked to bat first in the second Test of their 2007 series against Sri Lanka. Saleh apart, none of the batsmen got to double figures, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 62 runs in little over two hours. Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan took four each, and although Bangladesh fought back in the second innings with a century from the captain, Ashraful, it was still an innings defeat – one of three in the series.Long day in March Bangladesh had South Africa under pressure in the first Test of the 2008 series, but the visitors wriggled out of a jam with a five-wicket win eventually. On a flatter, more even wicket in Chittagong, Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie got their teeth in. They batted out the first day, and when they got to 414, they broke the 52-year-old record for an opening stand in Tests. Bangladesh sank to an innings defeat and conceded the series meekly.The big sit-out Mashrafe Mortaza has now missed 32 out of the 68 Tests played since his debut, all owing to leg injuries of various types. He played his last Test in 2009, when, after bowling six overs, he took a tumble on the wicket, in Kingstown, and damaged his right knee. It was not the first time he was injured but this would cost Bangladesh the most, as he was leading a young attack at the time. Bangladesh have since conceded a few good positions due to a lack of experience at the top in the pace bowling department.

One of the Premier League’s best players during the 2023/24 season was Manchester City academy graduate Cole Palmer. The 22-year-old joined Chelsea from their top-flight rivals on the blue half of Manchester for a fee of £42.5m.

It is fair to say that his first season at Stamford Bridge exceeded expectations. The England international, who scored in the final of Euro 2024, scored 25 goals and grabbed 15 assists for the Blues in just 45 appearances last season. That included 22 goals and 11 assists in 33 top-flight games for Chelsea.

His 33 combined goal involvement were more than any other Premier League player last season. Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins were the only two players to register more than 30 in the English top flight, with 32 apiece.

However, perhaps even more impressively, there were only two players with more combined goals and assists last season in Europe’s big five leagues. They were Palmer’s England teammate Harry Kane, who registered 44 goals and assists, and Kylian Mbappe, who scored and assisted 34 times in Ligue 1.

It was perhaps a poor judgement on Pep Guardiola's account to let Palmer leave, given his obvious talent, which was also on show for City just weeks before he departed the Etihad Stadium for west London. He scored in the Community Shield against Arsenal and the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla.

With the transfer window once again here, City could well be in danger of repeating their mistake of selling Palmer, by letting another academy graduate leave the club in search of regular first-team football.

Man City transfer news

The Cityzens could be in line to lose some of their stars this summer, with the likes of Ederson and Kevin De Bruyne both linked with moves away from the club. Both are wanted by Saudi Arabian sides, with the Brazilian goalkeeper likely to leave, but the legendary Belgian midfielder is seemingly set to stay at the Etihad Stadium this summer.

However, one of the more frustrating outgoings for City this summer could see starlet Oscar Bobb depart the club, in a repeat of the Palmer sale. According to a report from Danny Rust and Dean Jones of GIVEMESPORT, Bobb 'has gained interest' from Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund.

The two clubs are thought to be interested in doing a deal for Bobb on either a loan or a permanent basis. There is a strong interest in the player coming in, particularly from St James’ Park.

Should a permanent deal be struck, a potential price is yet to be named for Bobb. However, the young attacking midfielder is valued at £9.4m by Football Transfers, and given the money City got from selling Palmer, it can be inferred that a deal could be struck anywhere between the £10m and £40m mark.

Oscar Bobb’s City career so far

The 21-year-old Norweigan has struggled to nail down a spot for City so far in his short career but has impressed when he has played. He played 26 times in the first team last season, including 14 games in the Premier League. Frustratingly, he started just two games, and averaged 22 minutes each appearance, playing 295 minutes in total.

He grabbed one goal, which, ironically, came against the Magpies at St James’ Park. That goal was crucial for City; a stoppage-time winner, assisted by the ever-classy De Bruyne, ensured the Cityzens completed an impressive comeback in a game they were losing 2-1 after 37 minutes.

Bobb also registered an assist in the Premier League, during a 6-1 thrashing of Bournemouth, and got himself a goal in the Champions League away to Red Star and an assist in the FA Cup against Huddersfield.

It is not easy to get into that side, ahead of the plethora of talent Guardiola has at his disposal in the attacking midfield role. Bobb is competing against the likes of De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden for a spot in the starting eleven.

Even if he were to move out wide, Bobb's competition would include the likes of Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish. City's side is not at all easy to break into, hence Palmer's departure last summer.

However, he is a talented youngster, an enterprising midfielder who is a real creative force. Last season according to FBref, he averaged 5.37 progressive passes and 4.33 passes into the penalty box per 90 minutes. The latter of those stats ranked him in the top 1%. It is worth remembering that is from a smaller sample size given his lack of minutes.

Bobb is a highly talented young player, so to get such a lack of minutes naturally could hamper his development. As the footballing world saw with Palmer, he exploded when he left the club and had the chance to get regular game time. This is certainly something that could happen to the 21-year-old.

Under 23 scout Antonio Mango called Bobb an “electrifying” attacking midfielder, and it seems like a waste of his talent to merely sit on the bench for City. Be it a loan or a permanent move away, it could be the most ideal thing for the Norwegian attacking midfielder at this stage of his career.

For Guardiola, however, letting the in-demand talent depart could well come back to bite him once again.

Man City could land Grealish upgrade in swoop for £85m "artist"

The Cityzens have been linked with a swoop to sign the attacking midfielder this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 23, 2024