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The January transfer window is still a number of months away from opening for business but Celtic have already been linked with a potential swoop for one of their former players.

It was recently reported that Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney has made securing a return to Parkhead a priority ahead of the second half of the season.

The outlet revealed that the Hoops are considering a move for the Scotland international, whilst the Gunners are prepared to allow him to leave on loan to secure a switch back to Glasgow.

Tierney left Celtic to sign for the Premier League giants for a fee of £25m in the summer of 2019 having enjoyed a wonderful career at the club.

Across a whopping 170 appearances, he won everything Scotland had to offer, including an impressive five Scottish Premiership titles.

The Bhoys had already signed Boli Bolingoli as his replacement, but as we all know by now, it didn’t go quite according to plan…

How much Celtic spent on Boli Bolingoli

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the Belgian defender for a reported fee of £3m on a £780k-per-season salary from Austrian side Rapid Vienna to take over from the academy graduate in the 2019/20 campaign.

He had produced two goals and two assists in 25 matches in the Bundesliga during the previous season, but had also lost 53% of his duels in the division.

Despite his struggles on the physical side of the game, Celtic decided to splash out a fee of £3m on the full-back, who stated that he wanted to “emulate” Tierney’s success at left-back for the Scottish Premiership side.

He made 28 appearances in all competitions during his first season at Parkhead and only played 14 times in the Premiership, providing two assists in the top flight, as a knee injury limited his involvement.

Unfortunately, Bolingoli was never able to kick on after his first season with the Scottish giants, after falling behind Greg Taylor in the pecking order, and that was thanks in no small part to a major error he made in 2020.

What happened to Boli Bolingoli

The £3m flop travelled to Spain prior to a clash with Kilmarnock at the start of the 2020/21 campaign and, due to quarantine rules at the time, should have resulted in him spending 14 days in isolation.

Instead, he kept his trip quiet and played in the game, after training with his teammates throughout the week, and Celtic had their subsequent two matches suspended after the truth came out.

Neil Lennon, the manager at the time, stated that he and the club were “bitterly” let down by the “selfish” full-back and that the Hoops were left “livid” by the situation.

The dud was then sent out on loan to Basaksehir in Turkey a month later, where he played 18 games, and later returned to play two matches under Ange Postecoglou in the 2021/22 campaign, before joining UFA on loan.

Bolingoli then signed for KV Mechelen for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2022, after his Transfermarkt value had already dropped by more than £2m, and he currently plays for Standard Liege at the age of 29 – valued at just £418k.

He was, ultimately, unable to emulate Tierney’s success at Celtic and let the team down with his behaviour in the summer of 2020, which is why the £3m fee and the £780k he earned in wages during his first year in Scotland was wasted.

More valuable than Engels: Celtic hit gold with star who's now worth £25m

Celtic hit the jackpot when they swooped to sign the forward under Ange Postecoglou.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 16, 2024

Excluding their recent 4-0 victory over Romanian club FCSB in the Champions League, Rangers have been struggling for goals this season.

Philippe Clement’s side, who currently sit third in the Scottish Premiership, have scored just 15 goals in 10 top flight games, which is almost half as many as league leaders Celtic have scored and five less than second-placed Aberdeen.

That lack of goals can be partly put down to injuries – Brazilian striker Danilo has been out with a knee injury since mid-September, while winger Rabbi Matondo has also missed the Gers’ last six Premiership games with a hamstring injury.

Those that are fit, however, have also been struggling for form – Cyriel Dessers, who scored 16 top flight goals last term, has just three in 10 games this season and none in his last seven. Meanwhile, club captain James Tavernier, who was Rangers’ top scorer last season with 24 goals in all competitions, has scored just once this campaign.

Findlay Curtis now training with first team

Amid his side’s goal crisis, Clement has now promoted one of Ranger’s most promising young forward talents, Findlay Curtis, to first-team training.

Clement was on hand to watch the 18-year-old winger score twice in a Rangers B team game against Stenhousemuir in the Scottish Challenge Cup last month, and, according to reports, the youngster is now training regularly with the first team.

Rangers' Philippe Clement watched 18 y/o starlet score two goals this week

Rangers are seriously struggling this season.

ByBarney Lane Oct 23, 2024

Curtis, who has scored over 50 goals since the start of the 2022/2023 season, is also understood to have traveled with Rangers on their pre-season tour of Holland earlier this year.

“Definitely on the radar of the first team,” Four Lads Had A Dream wrote of Curtis on X this week.

Curtis bags hat-trick against Partick Thistle

This week, Curtis was again among the goals for Rangers B, netting a ten-minute hat-trick in a 5-0 Glasgow Cup win over Partick Thistle. He scored his first shortly after Ianis Hagi had given the Gers the lead, rounding the Partick keeper and slotting home into the empty net. He added his second just moments later, before completing his hat-trick in the 88th minute with a neat finish.

Speaking with Rangers TV after the game, Curtis, who joined Rangers when he was just six years old, said he was “delighted”.

“We were ruthless in the final third and I’m buzzing off the hat-trick,” he said. “I want to keep on scoring goals and getting my numbers up this year. I burst into the penalty box to get that third and fortunately it went in.”

Curtis added that he hoped Clement was watching and taking note: “I’ve scored 12 goals and got two assists in my last 15 or so games. It’s good and it’s just about getting my numbers up.

“The manager at first-team level always talks about his wingers getting in-behind, getting to the back post, and scoring goals. That’s what I’m trying to do and hopefully he recognises that.”

Victor Boniface has reportedly had his Bayer Leverkusen contract extended but a summer sale could still happen for the Manchester United target.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Boniface linked with Man Utd
• Signs Leverkusen contract extension
• Summer exit still a possibility

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , the 24-year-old's contract has been extended by another year to 2029, with the striker set for a bumper salary. The report adds, however, that a sale is also possible after this new deal following links with United.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report adds the former Royale Union Saint-Gilloise star would cost at least €50 million (£42m/$52m), which is understandable considering his age profile and the fact he has scored 29 goals and bagged 11 assists in 49 games in all competitions for Leverkusen.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Boniface swapped Royale Union Saint-Gilloise for Leverkusen in 2023. In his only season at the Belgian top-flight side, he scored 17 goals and contributed 12 assists in 51 appearances.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Aside from transfer speculation, Boniface's Leverkusen take on RB Leipzig in a crunch clash near the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Cricket has picked itself up and carried on in the weeks since Phillip Hughes’ death, but its emotional impact has never been far from the surface

Brydon Coverdale23-Dec-20141:05

Under the Southern Cross #408

It’s Christmas Day on Thursday. December 25. One month to the day since Phillip Hughes was struck by a bouncer at the SCG. Cricket has continued, life has gone on for his team-mates. Bouncers are bowled, hook shots are played. There is a guise of normality. But the emotions are never far from the surface. The shock has eased, will lessen further. It will never go away. For now, the pain of his death is still raw.When Shane Watson was hit by a bouncer in the MCG nets on Tuesday, the collective reaction said it all. Watson and the bowler James Pattinson were both visibly shaken. They left the nets soon after. Watson was not really hurt. But he was very rattled. Watson was one of the New South Wales players who was first on the scene when Hughes was felled in the Sheffield Shield game.When the first bouncer was bowled by Varun Aaron in the Adelaide Test, it felt like a milestone moment. Cricket could carry on. Fast bowlers from both teams went on bowling bumpers throughout the first two Tests. Short balls were ducked, hooked, fended, took wickets. But there have been flashbacks to the tragedy.As much as the players want to play their normal way, it is always there, that little doubt. Mitchell Johnson was fearsome in the home Ashes last summer. England’s batsmen were, at times, obviously frightened of him. But after Hughes’ death, Johnson initially had trouble convincing himself to bowl bouncers again. Especially to his team-mates.”I had been [reluctant] in training,” Johnson said on Tuesday. “I definitely wasn’t too keen on bowling it in training. But I’ve been able to move on from that and play the way I wanted to play. I’ve bowled a couple [at training, now].”Johnson’s comments came before Watson was struck by Pattinson. It is little wonder Pattinson was shaken by the experience in the nets; Johnson too had been visibly worried when his bouncer hit Virat Kohli on the helmet during the Adelaide Test. Johnson was the first to check on Kohli’s well-being; most of his team-mates were quickly on the scene as well. Emotions ran high.Mitchell Johnson was visibly shaken after he struck Virat Kohli on the helmet during the Adelaide Test•Getty Images”I did hear somewhere that we all over-reacted and carried on,” Johnson said. “But that was just a normal reaction. That was just how I felt. It was just an emotional sort of feeling. It was the first time that I’d struck someone in the helmet [since Hughes died] and that was just a normal reaction by me.”I was able to move on from that – not straight away. But as the Test series has gone on we’ve seen that aggression come back into the game and that’s what works best for me, bowling aggressive and getting up their guys.”It is not just batsmen and bowlers who have had the death of Hughes in the back of their minds. Chris Rogers was clearly unsettled by an incident on the first day at the Gabba, when he was fielding at short leg while Nathan Lyon was bowling. Rohit Sharma pulled, Rogers spun around to protect himself and was hit in the back of the helmet.The 20-year-old Marnus Labuschagne fielded at short leg for most of the rest of the match, on as a substitute for the injured Mitchell Marsh. Labuschagne is a short-leg specialist. Asked at the MCG on Tuesday whether he would expect to field in close again or might encourage the debutant Joe Burns to take the job, Rogers was initially a little jokey.”I’ll be pushing for the young fellow to get in there,” Rogers said. “As you saw from my technique I’m probably not the bravest in there. But it’s one of those necessary rules. You have to get in there but preferably I don’t want to be in there if I don’t have to.”When it happened, nothing could hide the fact that Rogers was genuinely rattled. The team doctor Peter Brukner ran on to the field to check on Rogers, who kept turning his back on the doctor, unwilling to look him in the eye.It was as if Rogers thought denial was his best mental defence, pretending it hadn’t happened, pretending he wasn’t in fear of his life, pretending that he wasn’t flashing back to his former Test team-mate Hughes. But such thoughts were precisely what went through Rogers’ mind. He was, in a word, upset.”You get hit in the head and with everything that has happened recently it’s probably two inches from where Phil got hit,” Rogers said. “A lot of things go through your mind. At 37 fielding at short leg you’re thinking ‘what the hell am I doing here?'”It was interesting times. The team asks you to get in there so you do. And then when you take a knock like that it’s a little bit confronting. I was a little bit upset at the time and didn’t really want to speak to anyone, as you might have seen.”Of course, anyone would be upset in a similar situation. Pattinson was in the nets on Tuesday. Watson was shaken. Johnson’s raw emotions kicked in when he struck Kohli. Every such blow now has the “what-if” factor about it. What if it was two inches that way? What if he turned his head in the other direction?Training continued in the nets after Watson was hit. The cricket will continue on Boxing Day. Australia are 2-0 up over India. They have come together bravely over the past month, carried on as normally as they could. But, naturally, Australian cricket remains in a state of latent shock. For this group of Hughes’ friends and team-mates, the what-ifs will never really go away.

The batter sustained the injury during Bangladesh’s practice match against CWI President’s XI

Mohammad Isam14-Jun-2022A back injury has ruled Yasir Ali out of Bangladesh’s two-Test series in the Caribbean, which begins later this week in North Sound. The 26-year-old batter is suffering from discogenic back pain on the lumber spine, according to the team’s physio Bayjedul Islam.”Recovery from such injuries take about two to three weeks’ time. Therefore, he will not be available for the Test series,” Islam said.Yasir had sustained the injury during the first day of Bangladesh’s three-day practice match against the CWI President’s XI on June 10.Related

• Fit-again Kemar Roach added to West Indies squad for first Test against Bangladesh

• Bangladesh look to abandon horrors of 2018 against buoyant West Indies

• Shakib back as Bangladesh Test captain

• Mominul steps down as Bangladesh Test captain

Yasir has played five Tests so far, scoring 196 runs at an average of 24.50. Filling in for Shakib Al Hasan, Yasir did an impressive job in New Zealand and South Africa earlier this year, but then Shakib’s return against Sri Lanka kept him out of the team.The absence of Mushfiqur Rahim, though, could’ve opened up a spot for Yasir had he been fit. The Bangladesh selectors have not named a replacement for Yasir, which has depleted their batting line-up even further.Only Nurul Hasan, who returned to the Test side on the back of heavy scoring in the domestic competition, looks like a viable option at No 5. Mosaddek Hossain, who also returned to all three squads for the West Indies, however, hasn’t shown much form during his appearances against Sri Lanka last month.The first Test against West Indies starts in North Sound on 16 June while the second Test begins on 24 June in St Lucia.Bangladesh Test squad: Mominul Haque, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das (wk), Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Ebadot Hossain, Shohidul Islam, Rezaur Rahman Raja

da heads bet： Considering Chelsea have shown this season they are looking to dominate possession (averaging 56.6% per game), the Blues showed they have different ways of winning games in their 3-0 demolition of West Ham United last weekend.

da bet vitoria： Despite only holding 47% of the ball, Chelsea created five big chances, generating 2.19 xG, and, of course, scoring three goals against the Hammers.

Enzo Maresca’s side made it three away wins on the bounce in the Premier League, with their only loss this season coming against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

The Italian could make ten changes from the side that beat Barrow 5-0 in the EFL Cup midweek, as Chelsea host Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League later today…

1 GK – Robert Sanchez

Robert Sanchez has made the number one shirt his so far this season, keeping two clean sheets in a row, making seven saves against West Ham, as well as three high claims.

Sanchez will start between the sticks for the Blues, in an attempt to secure his third successive clean sheet.

2 RB – Malo Gusto

Returning from injury, Malo Gusto comes back into the side to face Brighton, after playing the first 45 minutes against Barrow in midweek. The £45k-per-week right-back chalked up nine assists last season and continues to be excellent cover for the injured Reece James.

3 CB – Wesley Fofana

Maresca has even said how much he “loves” Wesley Fofana this week, and he is expected to return to his more nominal right-sided centre-back role against Brighton. He and Levi Colwill are forming a strong central defensive bond this season, and will look to continue that this afternoon.

4 CB – Levi Colwill

As previously mentioned, Colwill is forming a great bond in central defence with Fofana, and will continue in his left centre-back role. The 21-year-old is currently averaging 4.20 passes into the final third per 90, and has a 92% passing accuracy, showing his importance to the team both on and off the ball.

5 LB – Marc Cucurella

The tenacious Marc Cucurella starts at left-back yet again against his former club, keeping stability in that back four. This would be the fourth Premier League game already this season that Chelsea line up with this back four (five including Sanchez), starting to build familiarity at the back.

6 DM – Moises Caicedo

Moises Caicedo starts as the defensive midfielder, and it goes without saying. The Ecuadorian would have been man of the match against West Ham if not for Jackson’s three goals and assists. Caicedo won 10/12 ground duels, making eight tackles in the game, and also grabbed an assist, an all-round performance from the midfielder, and he will be starting against Brighton in the six.

7 CM – Enzo Fernández

Captaining the side in the absence of James, Enzo Fernández starts in the midfield alongside Caicedo. Always offering to get on the ball, help progress play through the lines with that expansive passing range, and still getting stuck into his duels, Fernandez will need to show this against Brighton to win the midfield battle.

8 CM – Cole Palmer

Playing as the number eight/ten hybrid in midfield, Cole Palmer has taken much of the playmaking responsibilities for Maresca’s side this season, already providing four assists in his five Premier League games. He is expected to start in this same role against Brighton.

9 RW – Noni Madueke

Noni Madueke retains his spot on the right, still doing exactly what Maresca wants from his widemen. Getting into those 1v1 isolations, threatening with runs in behind, holding the width, and doing his job out of possession too, winning those duels.

10 LW – Jadon Sancho

Jadon Sancho picked up another assist against West Ham on the weekend, making it two in two appearances for the Blues. As such, the Englishman starts on the left, looking to make it three goal contributions in three games, and continue to add that creative spark from out wide.

Kagiso Rabada, meanwhile, was pleased with the extra pace and bounce on offer at the Wanderers

Mohammad Isam20-Mar-2022South Africa bowled well with the new ball in both the Centurion ODI on Friday, and at the Wanderers on Sunday. But where Bangladesh’s openers weathered their initial spells and put on 95 in Centurion, South Africa’s fast bowlers ripped through the top order on Sunday. Kagiso Rabada, who picked up 5 for 39, his best figures in a home ODI, suggested that the extra pace and bounce at the Wanderers was behind the fast bowlers’ greater success here.”I guess the Wanderers was good to us,” Rabada said. “There was a bit more with the new ball in this game. There’s generally more bounce at the Wanderers. I think the cracks came into play initially. Once the ball gets older, it is better to bat.”I thought we bowled very well in the first ten overs of the previous game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a breakthrough. Playing at the Highveld, you are almost guaranteed to speed up. You score quicker once you are in.”Tamim Iqbal was the first wicket to fall followed by four more within the first 13 overs. Tamim felt that the big difference between the first two ODIs was the uneven bounce on Sunday, but he still backed his decision to bat first after winning the toss, as he based his decision on the big-scoring history of sides batting first at the Wanderers. Tamim was himself a victim of uneven bounce, with Lungi Ngidi finding extra bounce to have the Bangladesh captain caught off his thumb.”We knew there would be pace and bounce on South African pitches, but there was uneven bounce today if you look at my wicket,” Tamim said. “There was uneven bounce in the second innings too. It is hard to predict if there’s going to be uneven bounce. I think this was my second game here in 15 years. We also have to rely on the statistics. If you look at the numbers, teams have batted first and scored big in this ground.”Rabada said Bangladesh’s unfamiliarity with these conditions made their batters’ life harder.”You generally want to use the extra bounce and extra pace at the Wanderers.” he said. “I don’t know if I should be surprised [at how they got out]. You are not going to rock up and just expect to bounce out teams. You will use that tactic to the best of your ability.”I guess the talk is that subcontinent teams wouldn’t be able to deal with the extra bounce as well as we would. We have grown up and played here. Vice versa, if you go to the subcontinent, they are well-prepared to play in their conditions. That’s the beauty of cricket when you consider conditions. It plays a huge role. At home, we will try to exploit what we know we can exploit. I am glad to say that it worked. Players generally play multiple conditions rather well but conditions will always favour for the home side.”Kagiso Rabada suggested ‘the cracks came into play initially’ at the Wanderers on Sunday•AFP/Getty Images

Tamim said Bangladesh could have still reached a total of around 240 or 250 if the likes of Yasir Ali and Mushfiqur Rahim had held on for a little longer.”I thought 240-250 would have been a good total. The wicket was turning from one end, from where [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz and [Tabraiz] Shamsi bowled most of their overs. I thought [Yasir] Rabbi’s wicket was costly as it would have been the last ball of Rabada’s [first] spell. He bowled another over.”Small things make a big difference. If we could have taken our innings a bit deeper with that [Yasir-Mushfiqur] partnership, we could have made 240-250. The way Afif [Hossain] and Miraz batted, it showed there was room to score plenty of runs against their bowling in the middle overs. We knew that they would come hard at us with the new ball. We did it very well in the first innings by not giving away anything. That’s why we capitalised in the middle overs. Today, the situation was different: we lost too many wickets up front. There weren’t enough batsmen to capitalise in the middle.”One of the concerns for Bangladesh is Mahmudullah’s form over his last three ODI series, in which he has made 152 runs at an average of 25.33 and a strike-rate of 66.67. Tamim said he still believes Mahmudullah is the right man at No. 6, and wants Afif, who has made two fifties in his last five games, to remain at No 7.”I think Riyad is a very important part of this ODI team,” Tamim said. “Neither me, the team management nor selectors are thinking about [dropping] him.”Afif is batting really well at No 7. If I bring him up to No 6, then we will be asked who will bat at No 7. We took a long time to find a good No 7 who will finish games and score runs in the end overs. I think Afif is the right guy [at No 7]. The sort of batting he does, the day he scores runs it will take us to a winning position.”

The work on the India quicks’ legs finally began to show, but their fate in this series now depends on how their batsmen fare on a challenging final day

Sidharth Monga in Durban 29-Dec-20130:00

Persisted with old ball for reverse swing – Trevor Penney

India can’t have gone into the fourth day thinking of a win. Their plan would have been to delay South Africa’s attainment of a sizeable lead as much as possible. The Ravindra Jadeja threat in South Africa’s minds would have helped India. It had showed in how the hosts didn’t push for quick runs towards the end of the third day. However, there were two ways of going about it.The first was to actively try to take wickets. The second was to bowl with an old and soft ball for as long as they could because it would be hard to score off on a slow and slightly two-paced pitch. There was no right or wrong decision; it was a matter of having a feel of the conditions, the fitness and the intensity of the quicker bowlers, who would have to bowl with the new ball, and how much threat the possibility quick runs posed.As it turned out, India bowled with the old ball until they were literally not allowed to use it anymore. It was an extreme step, but MS Dhoni must have felt that was the way to go. For 146 overs, India went on with a scuffed-up ball that did almost nothing for the bowlers, except not travelling off the bat.You wonder if India thought they should have done otherwise when they saw Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander do things with the new ball, but you also wonder how much the workload of the fast bowlers at the Wanderers played in this decision. They came into this Test having had only three days’ recovery, saw India bat first and weather delay their turn a bit, but the intensity – especially from Zaheer Khan, from whom you could not snatch the ball at Wanderers – was visibly lower.When Graeme Smith was asked before the second Test whether South Africa would look to bat first to put the India bowlers back on the field as soon as possible, he didn’t sound too desperate to do that because he expected the tired legs to show up at some point in the Test. “I think that workload will be in their legs somewhere in the Test match,” Smith said. “I think especially if we can get a good partnership somewhere in our top order.”With the fast bowlers fatigued, Ravindra Jadeja did most of the bowling for India•Associated PressThe three India quicks bowled 86 overs at Kingsmead for 315 runs and three wickets, two of which were lower-order batsmen who had already done the damage. It wasn’t easy. Durban has been hot and humid when it isn’t raining, and the wicket is not as helpful as the one at Wanderers, but it still has something in it, especially as it deteriorates.Most of India’s work was done by the unwavering Jadeja. He bowled 58.2 overs, a rarity for a spinner in South Africa. No spinner has bowled more than 50 in an innings here in the last seven years. Jadeja was difficult to get away even when South Africa showed more intent on the fourth day. As the ball grew older, though, Jadeja got less and less bite from the pitch. The big debate around the new ball was whether India should have taken it as soon as a wicket fell, to not allow the new batsman time to settle in.Robin Peterson, who teed off for 61 off 52, said the old ball was much more difficult to get away, and that all the new ball did was give the quicks some extra bounce, but not much in terms of sideways movement. It probably didn’t make too much of a difference to India. Had they taken the new ball as soon as Faf du Plessis came in, they might have taken a wicket or two and slowed South Africa down. The new ball might also have flown to all parts, and they might have been looking at a deficit of 200 as opposed to the eventual 166.The difference, though, was in how the South Africa quicks bowled with the new ball. They were clearly fitter and more intense. The two wickets taken before stumps would have buoyed South Africa, and India now need a good third innings, after their hard work on both their previous tours was undone by ordinary third innings’ efforts. They would hate to lose the series after having done so well in Johannesburg and having got a pitch in Durban that arguably suited them more than the hosts.It will be a tough examination on the final day should rain not intervene. It is not just about batting time, even runs will come into the picture if they come close to wiping off the deficit. Their two best batsmen are at the wicket. It won’t be a bad call to promote Ajinkya Rahane, who can bat time, ahead of Rohit Sharma, who must be low on confidence and has shown previously his ability to bat with the tail. The tail, though, is almost non-existent on the evidence of the first innings. It will be a test of character for this young team should there be a full day’s play on Monday.

da pinup bet： Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Chelsea have submitted an "official bid" to sign one £60 million star, as the Blues chase up another deadline day deal.

Chelsea set for busy deadline day with multiple talks ongoing

da prosport bet： According to reports, Enzo Maresca's side could be set for a very busy end to the transfer window today, as it is believed that BlueCo are in talks over multiple deals.

Related Chelsea join race to sign new 22-year-old as Todd Boehly readies £34m bid

The Blues could strengthen another key area.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Aug 29, 2024

Indeed, Chelsea are still in negotiations with Man United over Jadon Sancho, which is apparently a separate move to that which would take Raheem Sterling to Old Trafford (Sky Sports).

A possible swap deal involving Sancho and Sterling has been mooted at Chelsea in recent days, but while that is unlikely as of now, a move to sign the former is still very much a possibility on summer transfer deadline day.

While that is happening, there is also a very real chance that Chelsea will sign a striker. In the last few days, Maresca's side have been linked with moves for both Brentford striker Ivan Toney and Napoli star Victor Osimhen, with the club looking to seal the addition of a prolific number nine.

Osimhen's Premier League Statistics 2023/24

Appearances

25

Goals

15

Assists

3

Shots Per 90

3.86

Key Passes Per 90

1.05

Successful Take-Ons Per 90

0.73

"Napoli under the impression a permanent bid from Chelsea will arrive for Victor Osimhen following fresh meetings," said journalist Ben Jacobs earlier this week.

"Italian club believe their drop in asking price has persuaded Chelsea to pursue a non-temporary formula. #CFC will only proceed on strict terms and are in a stronger position since PSG, who Osimhen has agreed terms with, have not restarted talks to date. Osimhen can become one of the top earners at Chelsea, but has to accept the incentive-driven wage structure. Otherwise Chelsea will move on to other targets. Chelsea are currently in active talks having discussed a loan earlier in the month."

Now, as per Romano, it appears that bid for Osimhen has arrived – following this drop in asking price which TEAMtalk claim is set at around £60 million.

Chelsea submit official bid to sign Victor Osimhen in deadline day deal

Taking to X, the respected journalist says Chelsea have submitted an official bid to sign Osimhen, as they chase a deadline day deal and look to beat Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli to his signature.

"Chelsea have approached Napoli tonight to submit an official bid for Victor Osimhen," said Romano.

"Loan with OBLIGATION to buy. Meanwhile, Chelsea discuss salary terms with Victor. Al Ahli are at final stages of talks with Napoli! But deal ONLY happens if Chelsea talks collapse."

The race to seal a late deal for the 25-year-old appears to be heating up, and he looks likely to be the most headline-grabbing name this afternoon.

“He’s very calm [and] he has the respect of the guys,” England captain insists

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2022

Joe Root has publicly backed Chris Silverwood to keep his job as England coach despite their heavy Ashes series defeat, suggesting that he had been let down by his players.Silverwood has maintained since his promotion from bowling coach to head coach in October 2019 that his top priority was ensuring England had the tools to compete in the 2021-22 Ashes, and the manner of their defeat – going 3-0 down in the series inside 12 days’ cricket – means that his job is under pressure.He has re-joined the squad ahead of Friday’s fifth Test in Hobart after a positive Covid-19 test forced him to self-isolate during the draw in Sydney, and Root said that he believed this week’s match should not be Silverwood’s last in charge.Related

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Tom Harrison: Ashes defeat a 'brilliant opportunity' for England to 'reset' importance of red-ball cricket

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Miller: England stop the rot, but relief could be temporary

Giles apologises for England's heavy Ashes defeat

“Yes I would,” Root said, when asked if he would like Silverwood to remain in charge. “It was a difficult week for the group of players with him not being around and it must have been very difficult for him.”But I think the performances we put in during the first three games, I feel we’ve let him and the coaches down to a degree. We’ve not played anywhere near the level we’re capable of. It’s a chance to do that this week.”Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, and Ashley Giles, the managing director of men’s cricket, are both in Australia to determine how England will move forward from the defeat, and with their next Test series due to start on March 8 against West Indies, Silverwood’s future needs to be decided imminently.Root suggested that Silverwood’s tenure as head coach had to be judged within the context of England’s busy fixture list and the challenges created by Covid protocols and bubbles, and that results had suffered as a result.”I think he’s very calm, he has the respect of the guys and he’s got a desperation to see everyone do well or up-skill the players as best he can,” Root said. “He’s had a very difficult time of it with the environments we’ve been living in, trying to manage winning matches with bubble environments away from home, and multi-format players trying to prepare for an Ashes and a World Cup. It’s very difficult.”For a long time we’ve not been able to put our best teams out because we’ve been constantly trying to make sure from a mental wellbeing point of view everyone is looked after properly, because of the schedule we’ve dealt with over two years.”