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After being out with an injury that has left doctors and surgeons “mindblown”, Johnson picked up four wickets against Perth Scorchers

Tristan Lavalette27-Dec-2024Spencer Johnson’s toe injury – which he has called “bizarre” – has left several sports physicians and surgeons baffled.He snapped a tendon in the middle toe of his right foot during South Australia’s Sheffield Shield game against Western Australia last month. Johnson, 29, bowled 45 overs in the match, just the sixth first-class appearance of his career, on the back of playing four white-ball games against Pakistan in the span of eight days.It had kept him on the sidelines for a month and he missed defending BBL champions Brisbane Heat’s opening two games of the season. He, however, showed no visible signs of discomfort in an outstanding return on Boxing Day, where he claimed career-best BBL figures of 4 for 20 in Heat’s 33-run loss to Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium.”To be honest, we still don’t really know how it’s happened or why it’s happened,” Johnson told reporters after the match. “I think four surgeons have looked at it, four sports doctors have looked at it, and they are all mindblown.”I think we just manage it and look after it and hopefully it will be all good.”

“It’s such a bizarre injury, I could wake up tomorrow and it could be all right. We’re looking after it, we’ll manage it”Spencer Johnson

The pain is not constant but strapping is required, which is unusual for a toe and involves a rather complicated process. “It’s pretty hectic,” Johnson said of the strapping. “It really only hurts when I curl over or claw over. We’ve sort of stopped it from curling over [with the strapping] and that seems to work.”We’ve come up with a decent method to strap it and hopefully that will be all right for the rest of the season. It’s such a bizarre injury, I could wake up tomorrow and it could be all right. We’re looking after it, we’ll manage it.”Given the situation, Johnson’s comeback against Scorchers was made even more impressive. He relished bowling on Optus Stadium’s hard and fast surface, unleashing a hostile spell with the new ball where he dismissed opener Finn Allen for a duck.In what has become a trademark, Johnson consistently hurried the batters on a back of a length. He claimed the wickets of Cooper Connolly, Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar with short deliveries in the backend of Scorchers’ innings. Johnson, importantly in white-ball cricket, is also adept at being a defensive bowler with his accurate full-pitched deliveries hard to score off.The 5 for 26 against Pakistan in Sydney last month was Spencer Johnson’s best day out in Australia’s colours•Cricket Australia via Getty Images”It was nice being back in the Brisbane Heat shirt,” Johnson said. “It [toe] felt good out there.”Having starred in the BBL over the past couple of years, including a match-winning 4 for 26 in last season’s final against Sydney Sixers, Johnson is on the fringes of Australia’s white-ball teams – he has played ten white-ball internationals since debuting in South Africa in August 2023. Johnson produced his best international performance when he claimed 5 for 26 against Pakistan in the second T20I at the SCG – the best figures by an Australian quick in the format.”Five wickets for Australia… sounds a bit weird,” grinned Johnson. “Doing it at the level above helps [build confidence].”After a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign this year, an ageing Australia might go through a transition ahead of the format’s next showpiece event in early 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. If his troublesome toe doesn’t flare up, and he can stay fit, Johnson should be an appealing option.”I think for me, just staying on the park and keeping my body healthy is the main thing,” he said. “Hopefully the performances will keep coming.”

Scott Borthwick has stepped as Durham captain but will remain an integral figure at the club after signing a two-year player-coach contract.Borthwick, 34, came through the Durham academy and played a key role in their 2013 County Championship title win. He left for Surrey in 2016, winning another Championship down south, before returning to Chester-le-Street as captain in 2021 and overseeing the club’s return to Division One.Borthwick averaged 19.77 in the Championship last season, with two fifties, but scored a maiden one-day hundred. He will continue to be available to play across formats, while taking on coaching responsibilities with the academy, pathway teams and both men’s and women’s professional squads.”I’m delighted to be taking on this new role as player-coach,” Borthwick said. “I’ve been fortunate to achieve so much as a player with this club, from an 11-year-old in the academy to being club captain – so there is nowhere I would rather start my coaching journey than with Durham.”I’m grateful to Marcus [North], Ryan [Campbell] and the coaching staff for providing me with this opportunity and I’m looking forward to learning from the talented coaches and staff we have across our teams, whilst training hard and remaining available to play and be the best possible player still.”Durham has given me so much in my career so far and I can’t wait to get started on this new chapter.”Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “Scott has been an integral part of Durham Cricket for many years and his love for the club remains as high as it ever has been. After conversations following the 2024 season, and looking ahead to the future, Scott will now move into the next stage of his career with a player-coach role, something which we see as the perfect fit as a club and for Scott.”His leadership qualities and knowledge of the game will benefit the wider club which is exciting for the players he will be working with, albeit he will remain available to play for the first team.”Scott will add real value to our support staff throughout our professional teams and pathways for both the men and women alongside his playing contributions. We look forward to playing a part in his coaching career over the next few years.”Scott’s return to club as captain back in 2021 was a critical factor in us achieving promotion back to Division One. I would like to thank him on behalf of Durham Cricket for his tremendous contribution during his four years as captain.”

The ex-Manchester City star came up trumps late on, while Portugal's captain and Manchester United's skipper put in contrasting displays in a thriller

Joao Cancelo's cracking late goal secured Portugal a topsy-turvy 3-2 World Cup qualifying win over Hungary on Tuesday as Roberto Maetinez's side to made it two wins from two on their road to 2026 in North America.

Hungary took the lead against the run of play in the 21st minute when Barnabas Varga guided in a terrific header from Adam Nagy's floated cross. Debutant Balazs Toth then made two stunning saves to deny Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Neves, but he was powerless to stop Bernardo Silva lashing the ball past him from eight yards nine minutes before half-time.

Portugal took the lead in rather fortuitous fashion after the break as Loic Nego handled in the box from Ronaldo's shot, and the 40-year-old, who now has three goals in two games in his country's qualifiers, perfectly placed his spot-kick into the corner in the 58th minute.

The home fans went wild six minutes from time when Varga scored another brilliant header past the helpless Diogo Costa, but their joy turned into despair less than two minutes later as Cancelo curled in a clinical strike from 20 yards.

GOAL rates Portugal's players from Puskas Stadium…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Diogo Costa (6/10):

Hungary scored from their one shot on target in the first half as Varga's inch-perfect header went in off the post. Nothing he could do about Varga's second, either.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

The centre-back looked very assured at the back as Hungary were mostly restricted to counter-attacks. Popped up with some timely interceptions, too.

Ruben Neves (7/10):

The Al-Hilal man was a surprise pick at centre-back, given he is a midfielder, but his ball-winning abilities still came in handy.

Nuno Mendes (7/10):

Played on the left of a back three, so didn't get forward as much as usual. Did still pose a threat going in attack as well as being solid in defence.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Joao Neves (6/10):

The dinking and darting midfielder tested the keeper on a couple of occasions. Left gaps in midfield on the transition, though.

Vitinha (6/10):

The Paris Saint-Germain star picked out beautiful pass after beautiful pass but did allow Varga a bit too much room for his wonderful opener. His midfield was a bit too open at times, too.

Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

A lot of the things he was trying just didn't stick in the first half, especially with misplaced passes. Came off shortly after the hour mark in what was an underwhelming display.

Joao Cancelo (8/10):

He may not have known too much about it as he stuck out a leg to try and control the loose ball, but the Al-Hilal man's touch set up Silva for Portugal's equaliser. Then scored a centre-forward-like goal to secure all three points.

AFPAttack

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

Took his goal in emphatic fashion to level proceedings. Other than that, did a few nice tricks and flicks and retained the ball well.

Cristiano Ronaldo (7/10):

Was brilliantly denied by Hungary's keeper and strayed offside on quite a few occasions, but won his side a penalty, which he converted with aplomb. A solid if unspectacular outing.

Pedro Neto (6/10):

Whipped in a number of decent-looking crosses but didn't take on his opponent nearly enough.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Francisco Trincao (7/10):

Added a bit of spark off the bench, which was needed as Hungary sensed an equaliser in the final quarter of the game.

Joao Palhinha (6/10):

The Tottenham loanee was brought on to add a bit more control, but it is debatable whether he achieved that.

Joao Felix (6/10):

Dawdled a bit in possession but nearly scored a goal in the game's dying embers.

Antonio Silva (N/A):

No real time to have an impact.

Goncalo Ramos (N/A):

Came on at the death.

Roberto Martinez (7/10):

Even though his team went behind, they didn't panic, continued playing the same way, and got themselves out of a hole. His substitutes had a mixed impact, but a win is a win.

India lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Chennai by 280 runs

Hemant Brar26-Sep-20242:23

Manjrekar: I will play Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test

Big picture: Another stern test awaits BangladeshBangladesh came into this series riding on the high of winning 2-0 in Pakistan. It peaked when they had India 144 for 6 in the first innings in Chennai. But then India once again showed why they are arguably the strongest home side in Test history and went on to steamroll Bangladesh by 280 runs.It was a show of India’s depth in both batting and bowling. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli managed only 34 runs between them across four innings, but India had three centurions and two half-centurions. When it came to bowling, their seamers shared eight wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings and the spinners nine during the second.Things will not get easier for Bangladesh in Kanpur, where New Zealand’s tail had held on to secure a draw the last time a Test was played here. There is also some uncertainty about the pitch. The ground staff were preparing two surfaces and, as of noon on the eve of the match, it was not clear which one would be used.Related

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Shakib 'eligible for selection' for Kanpur Test against India

Ravindra Jadeja, the quick and the deadly

Kanpur generally offers good Test-match pitches that help fast bowlers on the first morning before flattening out and assisting spinners on the last two days. However, the weather could be an issue this time, with rain forecast on the first three days. That could impact not just the pitch but also the toss decision and team compositions.But all is not bleak for Bangladesh. In their second innings in Chennai, their openers gave them a solid start, followed by Najmul Hossain Shanto’s return to form with 82. In their first innings, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz all got starts. But to be competitive against this Indian team at home, you have to be at your best for much longer periods. Can Bangladesh do that?Form guideIndia WWWWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWLL0:48

Manjrekar: Bangladesh attack lacks quality and experience

In the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Shakib Al HasanShubman Gill knows his ceiling. Even after scoring 452 runs with two hundreds in the home series against England earlier this year, he recently said he was yet to fulfil his expectations as a Test player. Gill got out for a duck in the first innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh but scored a stroke-filled unbeaten 119 in the second. Given India are to face tougher opponents in the coming months – New Zealand and Australia – Gill would be keen to fine-tune his game at No. 3.When is Shakib Al Hasan not in the spotlight? While batting in Chennai, he was seen biting a black strap, wrapped around his neck, to keep his head from falling over. When it was time to bowl, there were murmurs about his workload, ineffectiveness and discomfort with the spinning finger. And after Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe confirmed Shakib’s availability for the second Test, he dropped a bombshell about his future on the eve of the match.Team news: Wait and watch?There was no indication from the Indian camp whether they would play three spinners. Even if they do, it may not be a straightforward choice. If the pitch is too slow, Axar Patel could be handy with his pace and attacking the stumps. But India already have a similar spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. In Kuldeep Yadav’s favour, this is his home ground. So he is a tempting option, too. If India play one of Axar or Kuldeep, Akash Deep could be the one to miss out.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 KL Rahul, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Axar Patel, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajIf Bangladesh go with three spinners, Taijul Islam could replace Nahid Rana. That could also help with Shakib’s workload, if required.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Litton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Taskin AhmedGautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar inspect one of two pitches in consideration for the Kanpur Test•AFP/Getty ImagesPitch and conditions: Slow and low bounce?The red-soil pitch in Chennai had decent bounce for both seamers and spinners in the first Test. Kanpur will be different. The two pitches being considered for the match are black-soil surfaces. They are likely to be flatter, with lower bounce, and are expected to become slower as the Test progresses. All that could change if it rains as forecasted, and bad light could become a factor too towards the end of each day.Stats and trivia: Jadeja double on the cards For the first time in their Test history, India have more wins (179) than losses (178). Jadeja is one short of becoming the seventh Indian to take 300 Test wickets. When Jadeja gets there, he will also complete the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets. If he does it in Kanpur, in his 74th Test, he will be the second fastest to do so after Ian Botham (72). Virat Kohli is 129 short of 9000 Test runs. Taijul is five short of 200 Test wickets. Only Shakib (242) has more Test wickets for Bangladesh. Quotes”We don’t particularly pattern bad pitches. But we try to make sure the conditions are tough enough so that the players are challenged. A lot of these guys have played for so many years. Only if they’re challenged are they going to get better. So sometimes the thought process is just to challenge them differently so that your game and you, organically and mentally, grow.”

Epic innings surpasses List A previous best of 161, and backs up Championship hundred in May

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2024Warwickshire 328 for 3 (Barnard 173) beat Essex 324 for 7 (Browne 75, Hannon-Dalby 3-69) by seven wicketsEd Barnard continued his summer love affair with the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, by hammering his highest score in List A cricket.Warwickshire’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup captain followed up his personal-best 165 in the Vitality Championship reverse in May by carrying his bat with a 140-ball 173 to underpin a seven-wicket victory over Essex. Barnard, whose previous best was 161, was ably assisted in match-defining stands by Rob Yates, Will Rhodes and Michael Burgess as last year’s semi-finalists eased home with 14 balls to spare.Essex, who won just one game in the 2023 campaign, were again on the receiving end after being put in a green-tinged wicket in front of a crowd of 2,462. And that despite Nick Browne claiming his fourth List A career half-century with seven fours, one of them all run, in an innings of 75 from 90 balls.The left-handed opener shared stands of 51 with Feroze Khushi, 71 with Robin Das and 55 with Charlie Allison, who went on to contribute a 72-ball 69 and engage in a swashbuckling partnership of 70 with Luc Benkenstein. Olly Hannon-Dalby, meanwhile, chipped in with three wickets in nine balls to finish with 3 for 69.Chasing a target of six and a half an over to record their highest successful List A run chase, Warwickshire had 97 on the board inside 16 overs when Yates played across one from Tom Westley and was lbw for 42. Both he and Barnard clubbed Noah Thain for sixes with Barnard pulling Ben Allison for another over square leg.Barnard reached fifty from 39 balls, three figures from a further 50 and 120 balls in t4otla for his 150. He was not finished there, adding a third maximum over long-off against the luckless Thain, and then bringing up the century partnership with Will Rhodes in a further 16 overs. A fourth six marked his 150.The stand had moved on to 107 when Rhodes, on 41, skied one from Jamal Richards so high that three players converged before debutant wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes put his name to the catch.Hamza Shaikh did not trouble the scorers, but Burgess was quickly into the groove by sweeping the wicket-taker Benkenstein for six in an over that eventually went for 18 runs. He repeated the dose with an enormous drive off Aaron Beard over long-on and another from a Ben Allison free-hit to bring up the century partnership for the fourth wicket. His own half-century took just 34 balls as he finished on 59 not out from 42 balls.Earlier in the day, Khushi had bought up Essex’s opening fifty by pulling Barnard for four and six off successive balls before he fell next ball to one that nipped back and bowled him.Barnard had a second when Tom Westley was beaten by a slower delivery and went lbw. Das hung around for 14 overs until he tried to swing Rhodes over midwicket for what would have been only a third four in his 52-ball 35 and was bowled.Browne reached his half-century from 60 balls and celebrated by executing an uncharacteristic reverse sweep for four. He was finally fourth man out with the score on 199 when he picked out midwicket halfway back to the boundary to give Rhodes a second wicket.Of the young guns who took over in the middle, Allison was particularly strong through extra cover where the majority of his seven fours came, while Benkenstein launched sixes over extra cover and long-off.Benkenstein had reached 44 from 27 balls when he wafted at Hannon-Dalby and didn’t wait for the umpire before turning on his heels and walking off. That was the first of the Warwickshire pace bowler’s quickfire treble with Thain and Allison perishing in the deep.

Celtic have an abundance of talent that could attract interest from elsewhere this summer, but Brendan Rodgers won’t let his star players leave on the cheap if recent developments are to be taken as an indication.

Celtic set to field interest in star players this summer

The Bhoys enjoyed another successful season and came out the other side with a domestic double, enjoying plenty of highs along the way including progression in the Champions League.

In a tale as old as time, proving yourself in Glasgow under the pressure of playing for Celtic usually attracts watchful eyes from elsewhere, so it will come as no surprise to hear that Nicolas Kuhn is of interest to Premier League outfit Brentford.

Following a campaign where he registered 36 goal contributions, the former Germany Under-20 international has emerged as a candidate to replace Bryan Mbeumo at the Gtech Community Stadium should the latter complete a £60 million switch to Manchester United.

Greg Taylor is set to become a free agent and has a two-year deal on the table from PAOK. It is still unclear if he plans to stay at Parkhead or move on to new pastures at this point in time.

Either way, Brendan Rodgers could be set to ring the changes at Celtic this summer. The Bhoys endured a moderate level of inconsistency towards the end of the campaign, indicating that freshness is needed to prop up their quest for a fifth Scottish Premiership title on the trot.

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Retaining their star players will be a central part of that mission, though there have now been further developments regarding another high-level operator who is wanted by two of Europe’s giants.

The state of play on Daizen Maeda's Celtic future

According to Sozcu vis Sport Witness, Fenerbache could step up their pursuit of Celtic forward Daizen Maeda after their initial plan to bid £8.5 million for the Japan international was deemed ‘laughable’ by the Scottish champions.

Now, it is said that the Bhoys want to recoup at least £21 million if he is sold, while Tottenham Hotspur have also entered the race for his signature off the back of claiming the Europa League title and could hijack Fener with a higher number.

Daizen Maeda’s excellent season at Celtic – all competitions

Appearances

51

Goals

33

Assists

12

Maeda is contracted to Celtic for another two years and has a new agreement on the table in Glasgow. There has been no news regarding whether he plans to accept an extension, making transfer interest a natural consequence now the window is here.

Despite the Hoops’ penchant to sell for profit, Maeda is a unique case and is arguably their most important player at the moment.

Keeping the 27-year-old around for the immediate future is imperative, though if one of Fenerbache or Tottenham Hotspur meet Celtic’s demands, it may become difficult to retain his services.

In hindsight, Jurgen Klopp was right.

When he stepped down from his Liverpool post, almost nine years into his tenure, the iconic manager’s decision was met with dismay from the fanbase, whose success over the past decade had been engineered by the German’s brilliance.

But Klopp was right. He was tired, you see, and knew that without that burning ball of energy within, his infectious personality wouldn’t feed into his team, into his tactics, into the club’s far-reaching community.

It was hard to accept – some, perhaps, still haven’t – but Klopp was right, because Arne Slot has taken his place and has taken Liverpool to a higher level, winning the Premier League in his maiden term at a canter.

Such has been the Reds’ dominance that they are currently lapping up the Gulf sunshine, on holiday in Dubai to celebrate triumphs and say farewell to Trent Alexander-Arnold as his expected transfer to Real Madrid looms large.

In his place, Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes seem set on signing Jeremie Frimpong to replace the vice-captain, strengthening the firm Dutch contingent.

Liverpool's growing Dutch contingent

Liverpool are fortunate to have welcomed Conor Bradley to the first team over the past two seasons, thus easing the onerous task of finding a Trent replacement.

Still, Bradley’s young and injury-prone besides. Frimpong would be a brilliant addition to shore up the right flank and add a new taste of attacking flair. Correspondents have clearly been briefed by the dozen, with numerous reports emerging that Liverpool are in advanced talks to seal the Dutchman’s signature.

Frimpong certainly wouldn’t be short of pals on Merseyside. Slot is a big admirer of the versatile right-sider, a compatriot who has played a defining role in Xabi Alonso’s trophy-filled Leverkusen era.

The boss’ compatriot would find plenty of teammates in the ranks, of course, with Virgil van Dijk both Liverpool and Netherlands captain and Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo good friends with the speedy flanker on the international scene.

The cohesion at Anfield has been a strong thing this term, Liverpool going from strength to strength under Slot’s wing. Gravenberch, especially, has bloomed into a high-class midfielder this season after sitting largely on the periphery last year.

He perhaps doesn’t get the same credit, but Gakpo has also taken bounding strides in his development, with Slot truly having hit the jackpot on his prolific left winger.

Slot has hit the jackpot on Cody Gakpo

When Gakpo reached the end of his first season at Liverpool, having joined at the midpoint, he probably felt a fair measure of frustration that he hadn’t reached the heights surely anticipated when FSG came calling.

The Netherlands international had just put his name on the map at the Qatar World Cup and was terrorising Eredivisie defences with PSV Eindhoven, so when Liverpool moved to hijack Manchester United’s deal and bring Gakpo to Anfield for a £35m base fee in late December 2022, there was plenty of excitement.

He certainly wasn’t poor, but Gakpo entered Liverpool with Klopp’s side in the throes of a collapse, the midfield malfunctioning and experienced heads looking at a dizzying loss.

He still managed to record ten goal involvements across 26 matches, but Gakpo looks a different player at this stage of his career, dovetailing perfectly into Slot’s system. Pundits Joe Cole and Peter Crouch agreed that he has “gone up a level” under new management this year.

The secret in the sauce hasn’t been anything complex, at least on the surface level. Gakpo was ferried about the starting line-up to no end, with Klopp determined to make good use of his player’s obvious technical ability.

Gakpo’s dynamism lent itself to multi-positionality, but this frustrated his prolific senses and left him itching for a more structured role. To be sure, this was a fundamental part of Gakpo’s development, something he stressed himself during Liverpool’s title celebrations, but it’s hard to argue against his new role being one of greater reward for club and player.

That’s why Slot has left him on the left flank, with 40 of his 47 outings this season coming from the wide channel.

That £35m fee now looks to be an absolute bargain. Indeed, as per Transfermarkt, the Dutch forward has seen his market value shoot up to £59m after his exploits across the season, marking an increase of £24m on the investment made just two-and-a-half years ago. Frimpong, for instance, is said to be worth £42m.

Journalist Jacob Schneider claimed Gakpo was “downright ridiculous” before making the move to Liverpool, and that’s now been corroborated and then some.

This is quite the feat for a player who was brushed off by many rival fans after his stop-start beginning on Merseyside. While Gravenberch has taken most of the plaudits for his stunning season, Gakpo has been every bit as brilliant, and it would take quite a feat to eclipse the player.

That is to say, Frimpong might be joining Liverpool with the confidence from Slot and the powers that be that he can make a marked effect on the project, but he’s not going to knock Gakpo off his high perch without some special and sustained performances in red next year.

In any case, it hardly matters for those of a Liverpool persuasion. What matters is that Slot knows what he’s doing and has already showcased his ability to get the very best out of his countrymen.

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?

There’s no doubt the coach has hit the jackpot on Gakpo and Gravenberch, but he might just have the same impact on Frimpong too next season.

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Liverpool are ready to begin their summer shopping spree.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 13, 2025

Chelsea are now eager to sign a £40k-a-week full-back who’s “one of the best” in Europe, but there is set to be fierce competition from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Pressure building on Maresca

Fans are starting to lose patience with Enzo Maresca, given that performances have fallen way short of expectations in recent weeks, drawing 2-2 at home to Ipswich Town before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge.

However, the manager is likely to have bought himself some more time with the 2-1 victory at Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with Tyrique George and Pedro Neto striking late to secure a comeback victory at Craven Cottage.

By and large, the Blues’ backline has not been the issue this season, retaining the joint-fourth best defensive record in the league, and Maresca is likely to be far more concerned by the performances of his strikers.

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By
Dominic Lund

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After once again drawing a blank on Sunday afternoon, Nicolas Jackson is without a goal in his last 12 Premier League games, while Christopher Nkunku has just three league goals to his name all season.

As such, bringing in a new striker may be a priority for Chelsea this summer, but they are also keen to strengthen in defence, according to a report from Caught Offside, which has revealed they are now eager to sign Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina.

Aina’s performances this season have attracted serious interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs, with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur also keen, and the latter two clubs are set to open agent talks soon.

Forest are eager to tie the full-back down to a new contract, which could see his £40k-a-week wages increased, but a free transfer is possible, should an agreement not be reached, with the 28-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer.

Aina enjoying impressive campaign at Forest

The Nigerian has been an indispensable member of the starting XI for Forest this season, making 30 Premier League appearances prior to recently sustaining a calf injury, and his side have gone on to lose both of the games he’s missed.

Having performed very well for the Tricky Trees, the London-born defender received high praise from Zach Lowy last month, with the journalist saying: “Ola Aina has genuinely been one of the best fullbacks in Europe this season. So effective going forward but above all, rarely drops anything less than a 7/10. Forest are lucky to have him.”

Not only has the former Chelsea man impressed on the front foot, but his ability to win back possession has also been on display regularly throughout the campaign.

That said, Chelsea are already well-stocked at right-back, with Reece James and Malo Gusto on the books, so Aina may not be a necessary signing unless one of Maresca’s current options moves on this summer.

With batting records being broken regularly in IPL 2024, bowlers need a little something to make it a slightly more even contest

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Apr-20243:07

How has Impact Player rule affected bowlers?

The sympathy for bowlers in the IPL has never been as strong as in this season, where batters have pulped everything thrown at them and broken records with scary frequency. We will know soon, at the T20 World Cup in June, if international teams will deploy a similarly aggressive approach to their batting, but the need to equip bowlers with something that can help them counter the battering has never felt more urgent.ESPNcricinfo asked three of the sharpest minds in the game – Ricky Ponting, Ian Bishop and Tom Moody – if allowing one bowler an extra over in addition to the regular quota of four is a feasible option.You can also have your say via the poll below.