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Chelsea have not been afraid to make a signing or two since the takeover of Todd Boehly in May 2022, as they have splashed the cash on a host of new additions.

The new Blues owner has spent over £1bn on transfers as they aim to close the gap to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to fight for a first Premier League title since the 2016/2017 season.

Players such as Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo have both joined the Blues for fees, breaking the English transfer record – with the latter joining for £115m from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2023.

It would be harsh to question Boehly's ambition with his spending since the takeover. However, one thing that can be questioned is the erratic nature of the spending – with many players failing to match up with the hefty fees spent on them.

Mykhalio Mudryk and Roméo Lavia both joined the club for fees combining nearly £150m, with the pair unable to yet to properly showcase their talent with limited minutes and injuries affecting their start to life at Stamford Bridge.

Despite Mudryk and Lavia's unsuccessful time at the club so far, another player has failed to live up to expectations after his big-money move to Stamford Bridge back in 2022.

Wesley Fofana's record at Chelsea

During his nearly two-year stint at Stamford Bridge, 23-year-old centre-back Wesley Fofana has only made 20 appearances for the club, after multiple injury struggles.

He made his debut in the 2-1 win against West Ham United back in September 2022, before suffering a knee injury in his second outing against Crystal Palace.

The Frenchman was out until February, with Fofana making his return during the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton. He enjoyed a good run in the Blues side before the end of the 2022/23 campaign, before another injury setback during pre-season back in August.

He didn't travel with the squad for the pre-season tour in the USA, as he underwent surgery on his ruptured ACL.

Fofana hasn't featured at all this campaign, with the defender still recovering from his latest injury setback. Boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that the 23-year-old won't feature between now and the end of the season, with the former Leicester City defender working to return ahead of the start of the 2024/25 season in August.

How much Wesley Fofana has cost Chelsea

The club brought Fofana from Leicester for a fee in the region of £75m back in August 2022 – with Fofana penning a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

23-year-old Fofana currently earns £200k-per-week – a figure that is £25k-per-week more than Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer combined, with the defender the third-highest-paid player in the Chelsea squad and his wages contributing to a whopping 6.8% of the club's total wage bill.

Fofana's weekly wage of £200k-p/w, sees him take home £10.4m every season, with the Frenchman set to earn another £62.4m should he finish the remaining six years on his current deal, and that is £50k more per week than Caicedo (£150k-per-week) earns.

Although he joined the club with real potential, the centre-back, unfortunately, hasn't hit the levels expected due to injury, with the 23-year-old's market value taking a huge hit, with Fofana now only valued at £30m – a decrease of 60% on the figure the club paid for him less than two years ago.

Whilst you could argue that it is harsh to blame Chelsea for his injury issues, Fofana missed a staggering 72 matches through injury during his time with Leicester, which shows that the warning signs were there.

Therefore, Boehly and the Blues had a shocker with the signing of the injury-prone defender, who has been far from value for money – given that he earns £50k more per week than Caicedo, who has already played 34 games for the club – 14 more than Fofana in 12 fewer months.

Jaffer finished fifth on the list of most first-class runs among Indians, behind Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2020Domestic cricket giant Wasim Jaffer, the former India, Mumbai and Vidarbha opener, has retired at the age of 42. Jaffer made his first-class debut in 1996-97 season to play domestic cricket for over 20 years and finished as the most-capped player in the Ranji Trophy.His rich legacy of Ranji Trophy records includes the most caps (156), the most runs (12,038), the most centuries (40), the most catches (200), along with being the highest run-scorer in the Duleep Trophy (2545) and the Irani Cup (1294). He was also the only batsman to have breached the 1000-runs per Ranji season twice, in 2008-09 and 2018-19).Jaffer also played 31 Tests and two ODIs for India. He finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer in Indian first-class cricket along with 10 Ranji Trophy titles and numerous other records.Despite having played his last Test in 2008, against South Africa in Kanpur, Jaffer, a technically sound right-hand batsman, brought the same passion to the domestic circuit with which he played at the international level. Virtually every domestic season, Jaffer held some sort of record and soon he established himself as a stalwart. Even in Tests, Jaffer left a strong impression as he opened against some of the best bowling attacks around the world. His 116 in Cape Town is the only instance of an India opener scoring a century in South Africa; Jaffer is also part of a small set of Indian Test openers to have recorded multiple double-centuries: he scored 212 against West Indies in Antigua in 2006 and then two years later came his 202 against Pakistan in Kolkata.Those two knocks meant Jaffer is only one of five Indians – Virender Sehwag (six), Sunil Gavaskar (three), Mayank Agarwal, Vinoo Mankad the others – to achieve that feat. At the beginning of the 2019-20 Ranji season, Jaffer needed 853 runs to reach 20,000 first-class runs. However, he finished with 19,410 runs, which meant he is now fifth in the all-time list of highest run-scorers in Indian first-class cricket behind Gavaskar (25,834), Sachin Tendulkar (25,396), Rahul Dravid (23,794) and VVS Laxman (19,730).‘There was not much to play for’At the outset of this season, Jaffer was aware of the record and was further motivated by the challenge of Vidarbha achieving the treble: winning three successive Ranji titles. But a recurring injury to his left knee bothered him throughout the season eventually forcing him to call stumps on his career.Known for his insatiable appetite for big runs, Jaffer failed to get a century in seven matches this Ranji season for Vidarbha. “I decided actually midway through the season because I was getting a lot of trouble with my knee,” Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo. “I was actually not enjoying a long time in the field because of my knee pain. I had problems with my knee for long but this time it was troubling me more. But there was not much to play for, to be honest. I only played this season because this was the hat-trick year for Vidarbha. Me and Chandrakant Pandit (Vidarbha coach) actually thought to get to the hattrick if possible, let’s try for that. Once the season finished and I thought this it So I thought, you know, my time under the sun is over, so let’s move on.”Jaffer agreed it was a very difficult decision to arrive at after having played for nearly 25 years. “I was fortunate enough to have played this long. The passion to just play more than anything even though I was dropped from the Indian side, but the passion to just play, to get better, improve my batting (kept me going). Even though a lot of people actually give up when they don’t play for India, but I had the passion and I enjoyed playing. I even enjoyed playing in Ranji Trophy and helping the youngsters and that kept me going.””One moment just in cricket is obviously getting the India cap. My father, my brother, my family, and I, we work so hard. Coming from such humble background and then getting to play for India, getting the Test cap, you work so hard for that moment. And there are not many cricketers in India that have been able to achieve that, so I feel I was fortunate enough to get that Test cap. That will always remain special no matter what.”‘Winning Ranji Trophy against Karnataka as captain was one of the best‘Jaffer won the Ranji Trophy eight times for Mumbai including twice as captain, followed by two more Ranji titles for Vidarbha where he had moved as professional from 2015-16 season. Which crown was the most memorable?Jaffer readily said the 106-run victory against hosts Karnataka in Mysore the 2010 Ranji Trophy which hung in balance till the very last minute was the one. Jaffer lifted the trophy for Mumbai though he had single-digit contributions with the bat in both innings. “Winning that Ranji Trophy final by five (six) runs against Karnataka when I was captain, that was probably one of the best finals that I played.”At Vidarbha, Jaffer joined ranks with is former Mumbai captain and coach Pandit. He was hired as a mentor and Jaffer instilled the winners’ mentality at Vidarbha, who won their first Ranji Trophy in their maiden final, against Delhi, in the 2017-18 season. Jaffer counted that title as a special one, too.”That was a rollercoaster ride, I don’t think anybody, including myself, thought Vidarbha would win the Ranji Trophy. They never had played semi-final before. When I moved to Vidarbha I never thought I did get a chance to play another Ranji title. And (then) we went on to win Ranji and Irani twice. The first season created history for Vidarbha.”He once said: “I don’t know anything other than playing cricket.” He will be in close touch with the sport even after his retirement: he has been hired as the assistant coach at Kings XI Punjab in the IPL where former India captain Anil Kumble is the team director and head coach.Even as he looks forward to honing the techniques and mindsets of the players half his age, Jaffer will look back at his proud achievements with a smile. “Getting a double hundred in West Indies, getting a double hundred against Pakistan in a Test match, getting a hundred against South Africa in South Africa, I think no Indian opener has achieved that (in Tests). So that is always going to remain special.”

Federico Chiesa joined the Liverpool Under-21s squad as the £12.5m ($16.5m) summer signing aims to build up his fitness ahead of his Anfield debut.

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• Chiesa joined the Merseyside club in the summer
• Working on his fitness level during the international break
• Can make his debut against Forest on Sep 14

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite interest from several top clubs, including Barcelona, Liverpool managed to secure Chiesa in a cut-price deal after he fell out of favour with Juventus. During his time in Serie A, Chiesa showed immense potential, but his career has been disrupted by a string of injuries.

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  One of the most significant setbacks came in 2022, when a cruciate ligament tear sidelined him for nine months, limiting his minutes on the pitch with the Bianconeri. However, after a challenging few years, Chiesa is looking forward to a fresh start with Liverpool and aims to regain the form that made him one of Europe’s brightest prospects.

• WHAT BARRY LEWTAS SAID

  Chiesa has been focusing on an individual training programme in Liverpool during the international break so that he can be match-fit once club football resumes, shaking off any lingering injury concerns. The Italian joined the U21 squad at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday, participating in a session and his involvement received massive praise from U21s coach Barry Lewtas.

  "Obviously you can see from the quality of his career so far, this is why he's at one of the best clubs in the world. His professionalism and his quality were really good," he told

  "It obviously just gives our boys a little bit of a chance to play against someone of that quality [and] it's a really good learning opportunity for them. I think any time when we come around to the first-team side, which we do a lot, is always really good. It's a change of scenery but also more importantly gets us around first-team players and first-team staff, which is important for the boys."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHIESA?

  Chiesa’s first appearance for Liverpool could come as soon as September 14, when the Reds face Nottingham Forest at Anfield. The Kop will be eager to hand him a warm welcome with the hope that the Italian will become a key player for Arne Slot this season.

It's been another rollercoaster of a Premier League season for Chelsea fans this year.

Mauricio Pochettino's men have looked both scintillating and disastrous at points this campaign, with some outstanding results – notably away to Manchester City – and some dreadful ones in equal measure.

However, the Blues have a chance to make it a season worth remembering on Sunday when they take on Liverpool in the League Cup Final. It's a game that will define their campaign, and they'll need their leading men firing on all cylinders, including Conor Gallagher.

The stand-in skipper is one of the few first-teamers who looks set to end the season with his stock higher than it was in August, but he might have to start looking over his shoulder in the future, as the club have a tremendously talented youngster coming through who could be gunning for his place in the XI.

Conor Gallagher this season

Gallagher's role in the team has grown tremendously this year, as while he made 45 appearances for the Blues across all competitions last season, he played just 2022 minutes of first-team football – in which he scored three goals and provided one assist.

In comparison, the 24-year-old has already played 2600 minutes of football in 2023/24 from just 33 appearances.

The Epsom-born dynamo's importance to the team is certainly apparent through this increase in minutes, but it is perhaps more evident in the fact that he has captained the side on 16 occasions this term, stepping in for the injured Reece James and Ben Chilwell.

He has also been more productive this term, scoring three goals, providing six assists in all competitions, and swapping back and forth between attacking and central midfield roles depending on the make-up of the rest of the team.

With how integral he has shown himself to be in Pochettino's transitioning Chelsea side, it seems farcical that he was almost sold in the summer and again in January.

Still, perhaps the reason for that is the emergence of a youth gem who's starred for the junior sides and has been out on loan this season.

Why fans should be excited about Cesare Casadei

The youngster in question is Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei, who joined the club from Inter Milan in August 2022 for a fee of around £12.6m with £4.2m of potential add-ons.

Described as an "exciting emerging talent" by Chelsea's then-head of youth development, Neil Bath, the teenager went straight into the Pensioners' U21 squad, where he scored five goals and provided one assist in just 13 appearances from central and attacking midfield.

With his impressive displays for the U21s and his record of 41 goals and eight assists in 105 games of youth football in Italy, he was sent out on loan to Reading in January 2023, where he netted once in 15 games and made an impact on the then-Royals boss Paul Ince, who said "sometimes you look and wish he was our player" in late February.

The "remarkable" talent, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, was then sent on loan to Leicester City at the start of this season.

He scored three goals and provided two assists in 1111 minutes of action for the Foxes but was recalled in January to join the Blues' first team and help cover for injuries and has made two Premier League cameos since.

Ultimately, he's unlikely to get a significant amount of minutes this season.

The "outrageous" Chelsea ace who left for £0 & is now outscoring Mudryk

The quality veteran has still got it.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Feb 23, 2024

Still, with his impressive record at the youth level, glowing endorsements from scouts and those who have worked with him, and the fact that he plays in the same positions as Gallagher, he could well be duking it out with the Englishman for a place in the team next season.

Tom Brady's Birmingham City side have made a record-breaking bid of around £10m ($13m) for Fulham striker Jay Stansfield.

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• Tom Brady-backed club make huge bid
• Would become a League One record signing
• Current record stands at £4m ($5m)

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per BBC Sport, Fulham have rejected a £10m bid for Stansfield from Birmingham. The 21-year-old was on loan at St Andrews last season and scored 13 goals, leading the club to make a huge offer to bring him back. Had the bid been accepted, Stansfield would have become the division's all-time record signing, eclipsing the £4m Birmingham spent on Christoph Klarer and Willum Willumsson earlier this summer.

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  Birmingham were relegated from the Championship last season but have invested heavily as they aim to bounce back at the first time of asking. They have already spent £14m ($18m) this summer, adding Emil Hansson, Sagan Tosu, Ayumu Yokoyama, Alex Cochrane and Lyndon Dykes to Klarer and Willumsson.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Stansfield is an England U21 international with three caps to his name. During his time at Fulham, he has made 10 first-team appearances, scoring twice. He also scored nine goals for Exeter City during a loan spell at the club.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Birmingham play Wigan Athletic on Saturday as they look to build on an impressive start to the season. They have won two and drawn one of their three fixtures thus far.

Ahead of his 100th Test, Taylor talks about his top knocks, the sacrifices he made and the support he got from his family

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-20202:58

Happy with what I’ve achieved to date – Ross Taylor

The Wellington Test against India, which begins on February 21, is set to be Ross Taylor’s 100th. Only three other New Zealanders – Daniel Vettori, Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum – have reached that landmark. And when he does reach that hundred, Taylor will become the first cricketer from anywhere to have got to the milestone in all three international formats. A week before the landmark Test, Taylor spoke to the media at Seddon Park (with Virat Kohli batting in the nets a few meters away) and looked back at his long and fulfilling career.100 Tests, 100 internationals in all formats. Did you expect to get there?
No. I think after my first Test series against South Africa, I didn’t know if I would play Test cricket again. Probably lucky with the timing of things, Twenty20 cricket came along in 2005, and I made my debut in 2006. So it’s probably a timing issue to be able to get there but it’s nice, hopefully to be the first player to do it, and hopefully with time, there’s going to be a lot more players around the world… I’m sure the guy behind me [Kohli batting in the nets] is going to be there and he could play 200 of all of them. We will just have to wait and see.When did you start believing you can have a long Test career?
It was probably here [in Hamilton]. So I played that first series against South Africa, got dropped for Bangladesh, two Tests at home, and then I played my first Test at home against England and I got a hundred in that first Test. That’s probably the first time I think I believed that I could play at this level. Probably fortunate throughout my whole career – that was my third Test, to get a hundred. And then in my one-day career, I was able to get a hundred in my third game as well. To get those milestones early on definitely helped to believe that I belong and that I’m good enough to play at this level.What does it tell you about yourself, playing 100 Tests?
Probably getting older! But no, I think I’ve been happy with what I have achieved to date. Test cricket and cricket in general as a batter, you go through a lot of ups and downs and that’s definitely what I’ve been through, and as a team as well. But Wellington holds a special place in my heart and I’m sure, having a lot of family and friends there, it will be something that I’ll be proud of and look back on at the end of my career with fond memories.Might emotions play a distracting role?
I guess at the end of the day, it’s another game of cricket and you want to try and contribute in any way that’s possible. But at the same time, you’ve got to enjoy it for what it is, and I’m sure once you get into the game, you can enjoy it and just play cricket like you want to. Wellington can do a little bit early on, so I’m sure, batting or bowling, it’s going to be an interesting contest.Ross Taylor looks skywards after going past Martin Crowe’s tally of Test hundreds•Getty Images

We saw your family sitting on the grass banks in one of the T20Is or one-dayers. Playing so long, how influential has the support of your family been?
Having three beautiful kids and a wife to look after them, you spend a lot of time on the road, so having their support – it’s not easy on my wife Victoria to raise three kids for as long as she has. We play a lot but that’s probably why when you do play at home, it’s nice to be a dad and it’s nice for them – Jonty and Mackenzie – to be old enough to sort of understand what dad does. Jonty was falling asleep; he is the master of dragging out the bedtime and wanting extra stories. So obviously that game was a bit later than what he’s used to but no, they’ve definitely been a help and just balancing out cricket can be tough at times, as I said before, but to know that you have your family there, regardless of whether you score runs or not, they give dad a hug whether he’s scored a hundred or a duck as well. They put everything into perspective and hopefully when they’re bit older than they are now, they will be proud of what I’ve achieved as a cricketer for them.Any particular moment when you’ve come back home after a bad day, and told yourself, I’m glad I’ve got this, and cricket’s always there?
I think there’s been a lot of moments where, with all of them, Mackenzie and Jonty I can remember both, they were born and I left four or five days later to go on a tour or go on a Test, that was quite tough. But in saying that, if you ask all the players who are parents and the wives, it is tough and we all deal with it in different ways. But I think anytime, when you go and pick them up from school in between games or something and they run across to you and give you a big hug, that’s pretty special in itself and brings you back to what really cricket is. It’s just a game and sometimes we probably make more out of it that it is.You had a pretty serious eye condition, and you went through a rough patch of form, but since having surgery and coming back you’ve almost had a second wind. Have you been enjoying your cricket a lot more?

I’ve always enjoyed cricket. It was probably two or three years, such a gradual process that it deteriorated and I didn’t know what it really was. Once I had the operation, you could see the ball clearer than what you used to, you start wondering whether you should have got the eye operation a lot earlier and whatnot. Definitely I think the runs that I’ve scored since then have shown that I probably should have got it a lot earlier. But things happen for a reason and I’ve been happy with my form and things ever since.Anyone who has had such a long career must have made a lot of sacrifices. Do you look at it like that?
I think I’m doing something that I’ve always wanted to do. I wanted to play for New Zealand and be as great a player as I could be. If anything, I think the family has probably sacrificed a little bit more than I have. To not have dad home as often as maybe someone else. But at the same time, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing for my country and representing them to the best of my ability. Whenever I do retire, then hopefully I can make up for all the lost time over there. But at the same time, my kids have been able to travel to some amazing places, my daughter raves on about going to India four or five times in her life. You learn a lot in the classroom but you also learn a lot about life, by being able to travel and experience different cultures. I’m sure my son and daughters will be better people for the experiences we’ve been able to give them over the years.Of all the innings you’ve played in Tests, can you name your top three?
Can I say four? I think one of my best hundreds was at Manchester, I think 158 [154 not out]? We ended up losing that Test, but I think [it was one of my better innings]. 140 and 70 [142 and 74] when we won the game in Colombo, after the captaincy issue, that would have to be right up there. 290 at Perth, once again it was a draw, but it’s not often you get to 200 and your job’s not done, to try and save a match or get us into a winning position. Probably one of my favourite but underrated innings was a hundred at Dubai, I think we were about to – we probably would have lost the Test – but I came out and we got ourselves in a position to win the Test. We didn’t win it, but that would definitely be up there with one of my best hundreds.

When Wolverhampton Wanderers sold Morgan Gibbs-White during the summer transfer window in 2022 for a fee that could rise to £42.5m to fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest, it looked as though the Old Gold had gotten the better end of the deal.

Fast-forward 18 months, and it looks as though it may have been a big mistake, as the Englishman is starring for Forest.

Wolves may regret selling Morgan Gibbs-White

On the surface, receiving such an extravagant fee for a player who had made just 88 appearances for the club seemed like a no-brainer, yet the 24-year-old has gone on to impress at Forest.

In 66 appearances, Gibbs-White has scored eight goals and grabbed 12 assists, 16 more goal contributions than during his spell at Molineux.

In the Premier League this term, the Englishman currently ranks second among the squad for shots per game (1.9), along with ranking second for big chances created (six) and first for key passes per game (1.7), clearly indicating that he has been well worth the money, especially as Forest could retain their top-flight status this season.

Following the success of Gibbs-White, do Wolves currently have another talented youngster who could make waves in the Premier League?

In Luke Cundle, Gary O’Neil could well unearth his successor to the former Old Gold starlet.

Luke Cundle’s career statistics

The 21-year-old played nearly 100 games for the U18 and U21 sides at the Molineux club, registering 31 goal contributions, and he made his senior bow during the 2019/20 season.

Last season, he earned a loan move to Championship side Swansea City and performed fairly well, making 34 appearances in all competitions in what was his first full season in senior football.

Journalist Josh Bunting said that Cundle was a player who showed “real promise” when he scored against Hull City during the start of that season, and he has displayed it this term.

Another loan to the second tier, this time with Plymouth Argyle, during the opening half of the current season has given Cundle a platform to showcase his abilities, and he hasn't disappointed.

He scored five times and registered six assists in just 27 matches across all competitions and is clearly showing why he could be the next big thing after Gibbs-White, despite playing in a slightly deeper midfield role.

When compared to fellow positional peers in the men’s next 14 competitions in the previous 365 days, Cundle currently ranks in the top 10% for assists (0.25), non-penalty goals (0.18), touches in the opposition penalty area (2.54) and progressive passes received (4.96) per 90.

These statistics certainly prove that the youngster can be an efficient attacking threat from the heart of the midfield and the fact that he has played in an attacking midfield role on 40 occasions throughout his career could be another bonus for O’Neil.

If he enjoys a solid stint at Stoke City between now and May, then he could well find himself a part of the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, which is something the midfielder has to aim for if he wishes to succeed.

Fast bowler praises impact of bowling coach Charl Langeveldt after death-overs prowess seals thriller

Firdose Moonda12-Feb-2020Lungi Ngidi knows a thing or two about making a comeback. In his short international career, which has just turned two years old, he has already had to recover from a stress fracture, a side strain and a slew of hamstring niggles, the latest of which kept him out of this summer’s Test series against England. He returned for the white-ball matches and he has now shown an ability to come back, on the field.On Sunday, in the Pink ODI at the Wanderers, he dragged South Africa from a certain defeat to tense one with a final spell of 3 for 11 in four overs, after his first five overs had cost 52 runs. On Wednesday, in the first T20I at Buffalo Park, he turned England’s chase from flying to floundering with a death-bowling spell off 3 for 10 in two overs, after an opening spell of 0 for 20, and has proven his ability to play the big moments.”I guess it’s a mental thing, to be able to finish off well in situations that require you to,” Ngidi said afterwards “It takes a lot out of your mental side. Physically, obviously I am trying as best as I can to get back to the pace that I was at and to hit the areas that I am known for hitting. But at the moment, it’s just trying to keep that confidence going of doing my job at the back end and closing out very well.”Though Ngidi made his name for bowling fast, he demonstrated a different quality at the death in East London. On a slow pitch, Ngidi’s offcutter foxed Ben Stokes into fetching a wide ball and slapping it to long-on in the 18th over, with England 26 runs away from victory and 14 balls remaining. Top-scorer Jason Roy had been dismissed by a Beuran Hendricks slower ball three overs before that, while Dale Steyn, playing for the national side for the first time in 11 months, had also taken pace off the ball earlier to demonstrate the value of skill, rather than speed, in the shortest format.The South African attack’s attention to developing the more nuanced areas of their game has been notable under the coaching of Charl Langeveldt, who was with the team under Russell Domingo and was headhunted from his role in Bangladesh to return in the Mark Boucher era. Ngidi credited Langeveldt with giving him the belief to bowl a variety of different deliveries and trust that the results can be effective.”He has had a massive impact in terms of the mental side,” Ngidi said. “Having watched him and the way he used to bowl, he has given me a lot of confidence as a young player, knowing someone like that is now on my journey. He has made sure I back the skills that I am good at. Something like that on the back end, where maybe someone would say maybe a change of ball was needed or maybe a yorker, stick to what’s working and it worked out just well.”ALSO READ: ‘Experiences like this are so valuable’ – Eoin MorganThe yorker did make an appearance in Ngidi’s final over, when he bowled Moeen Ali with the penultimate ball of the match, with England still needing three runs for victory. That wicket, and the run-out off the last delivery meant that Ngidi successfully defended seven off the final over, which is not often heard of in T20 cricket. But in East London, Ngidi knew it was possible. “The game speeds up a lot at the back end here so even 10 runs can seem like a lot,” he said.So can 178, a score that would be considered gettable in most T20 matches. While Ngidi will receive the bulk of the plaudits for restricting England to less than that, South Africa’s attack as a whole will be thrilled with the collapse they forced on an opposition that bats deep. England lost 7 for 44 in 5.4 overs as Tabraiz Shamsi, who went wicketless and Hendricks, who was only brought on to bowl in the 15th over, started the squeeze before Ngidi finished off.With Andile Phehlukwayo and Steyn also among the wickets, Kagiso Rabada resting from this series and Sisanda Magala waiting in the wings, pending fitness, all that leaves South Africa with some healthy competition in the pace department, and Ngidi wants to make sure he stays ahead of the chasing pack. “We know that there are a lot of fast bowlers fighting for a spot so you’ve got to be on your A game,” he said. “If you’re not quite there, someone else is going to come in and do the job you’re supposed to be doing. I don’t plan on letting anyone take my spot so I am just going to keep playing as best as I can.”

On Tuesday night, reigning European champions Manchester City continue the defence of their crown with the first leg of a round of 16 tie away to Copenhagen. Pep Guardiola's men arrive in Denmark as overwhelming favourites, with Opta giving them an enormous 93.9% chance of progressing to the quarterfinals.

However, Guardiola will remind his players that Premier League rivals Manchester United lost 4-3 at the Parken Stadium, while Bayern Munich required a late winner after falling behind. They still can't afford any complacency.

City have recently been boosted by multiple injury comebacks, with record-breaking Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland starting his first Premier League game of 2024 against Brentford last week. Haaland would then get back on the scoresheet by netting a late double against Everton at the weekend.

Kevin de Bruyne is fully fit again too, and John Stones and Manuel Akanji have returned to strengthen the defence. But just when Guardiola thought he was operating with a clean bill of health, he's been hit by a couple of setbacks elsewhere.

Gvardiol misses training before Copenhagen

Writing on X/Twitter, journalist Tyrone Marshall said he's taken a "look at the footage" from City's training session before Copenhagen and spotted that Josko Gvardiol was absent.

It's since been confirmed by the club that Gvardiol isn't part of the travelling party heading to Copenhagen, and the same is true of compatriot Mateo Kovacic, who plays in midfield.

How many games will "incredible" Gvardiol miss?

City paid £77m to sign Gvardiol from RB Leipzig during last summer's transfer window, making him the second-most expensive defender in football history behind £80m Man Utd man Harry Maguire.

He's since made 27 appearances for the club, starting three of their six Champions League group games and 16 of their 23 Premier League matches, including nine in a row before he dropped to the bench against Everton last weekend. Perhaps fitness concerns played a part in that decision.

Man City readying big-money bid to sign “really, really good” player

He is open to a move to the Etihad this summer.

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The stats suggest that Gvardiol is one of the most impactful players in both the City squad and the league as a whole – he's averaged the sixth-highest points per appearance, and the third-highest at the Etihad Stadium behind Rodri and Nathan Ake.

"We knew he was an incredible person," Guardiola said in November. "That is what I look for first. He can play centre back, We decided to play him in a back four and play at full-back offensively and defensively. He is incredibly open minded to see what we want to do. At every training session he is an incredible professional."

Given their aforementioned margin of superiority, City should be able to cope without Gvardiol on Tuesday, but the bigger concern may be whether he's available for upcoming Premier League games in the heat of the title race. City host Chelsea at the weekend before playing their game in hand against Brentford the following midweek.

Manchester City have been linked with a little known Copenhagen striker in the final days of the summer transfer window.

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• Man City considered Alvarez replacements
• Copenhagen talent among them
• Formal approach not expected

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Orri Oskarsson has featured "high on the list" of targets that City have been exploring to beef up their options up front. The Premier League champions are considered "firm admirers" of the 19-year-old Iceland international.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Oskarsson played against City in a Champions league game last season and has already netted seven times in 11 appearances for Copenhagen so far in 2024-25. However, while City have seemingly shown interest in Oskarsson and he is expected to move before the upcoming transfer deadline, the same report from suggests the Premier League champions won't now mount a formal approach. Other English sides, as well Porto and Real Sociedad could benefit from that, with Oskarsson valued at €20 million (£17m; $22m) plus add-ons.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Having sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for big money, City have been reluctant to jump into the transfer market for an expensive replacement. Instead, Pep Guardiola has talked up James McAtee and Oscar Bobb as they primarily seek to replace the Argentine from within, although the latter will spend the next few months on the sidelines with a fractured leg.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

  Ilkay Gundogan has been an unexpected bonus in the final stages of the transfer window to boost depth in midfield with a proven and experienced star. But City appear happy with what they have as the transfer deadline approaches.