England Lions keeper-batter will replace Dan Lawrence in middle order at new club

Matt Roller28-Jul-2023

Kent are “disappointed” that Jordan Cox, the wicketkeeper-batter who toured Pakistan with England’s T20I squad last year, has turned down the offer of a contract extension in order to join Essex.Cox informed the club on Monday of his desire to leave at the end of this season and has signed a three-year deal with Essex where he is seen as a long-term replacement for Dan Lawrence, who is leaving for Surrey.Cox went to school in Essex – at Felsted, 10 miles north of Chelmsford – where he worked closely with Jason Gallian. Gallian became chair of Essex’s cricket committee earlier this year and the pair have maintained a good relationship.Cox’s departure is a major blow for Kent, the county where he has played since the age of 10. He played a significant role in the club’s Blast win two years ago, scoring 58 not out in the final before setting up a remarkable relay catch during Somerset’s run chase with sensational athleticism on the boundary rope.Related

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Air Jordan finds the hang-time as Cox serves up a night to remember

Robinson agrees switch from Kent to Durham

'I thought I'd slipped under the radar – next thing I know I'm on a tour'

“We’re disappointed that Jordan has decided to move on from Kent next year,” Paul Downton, Kent’s director of cricket, said in a terse club statement. “He has made a name for himself as a Kent cricketer and has been extremely well supported by the club.”Downton, who is leaving his role at the end of the season, added: “That said, we would like to thank Jordan for his contributions to Kent Cricket and wish him well with his cricket in the future.”He is the second keeper-batter academy graduate to leave Kent in the last 12 months, after Ollie Robinson joined Durham at the end of last year. Robinson has thrived since moving north, scoring three Championship hundreds this season and finishing the Blast as Durham’s top run-scorer.There has been a logjam of wicketkeeper-batters at the county, with club captain Sam Billings generally taking the gloves when he has been available – though Cox had kept wicket in Kent’s last six Championship games with Billings taking a break from first-class cricket after a lean run of form.Billings tweeted on Friday night that he was “disappointed” to see Cox leave the club, but added: “As a club I don’t think we could have supported his journey any more & at times prioritised his development over others.He added: “Opportunities for young players now are endless. Good advice & support networks are paramount to navigate through a career especially in the early (most important) stages of development.”Essex have used three different wicketkeepers this year – Adam Rossington, Michael Pepper and Will Buttleman – but none has scored heavily in the Championship. Cox has not been given any guarantees around keeping wicket, but is likely to have opportunities with the gloves at some stage.Cox said it was “a real honour” to sign for Essex•Getty Images

Anthony McGrath, their head coach, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to secure the signing of Jordan, who is a young, hungry cricketer looking to impress in all formats.”He will add real depth and quality to our batting line-up, as well as strengthening our wicket-keeping ranks too, and we are all very much looking forward to working with him.”Cox said it was “a real honour” to sign for Essex, adding: “The team is full of talent, they are going places, and I can only see the group getting better over the coming seasons. I’m excited to join them and contribute to what I hope will be a successful future.”I’d like to thank everyone at Kent for everything they have done for me to get me where I am today. I’ll miss my team-mates, coaches and the staff at Kent but I feel that now is the time for me to move on.”The club will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will always look back on my time here fondly. I will continue to give my all for Kent during the rest of my time here.”

One area West Ham United have struggled in this season, even with the improvements made under Graham Potter, has been the construction of their midfield and lack of mobility in central areas.

Adjustments such as the pressing scheme and triggers under Potter have helped to cover those deficiencies, but this is clearly an area they should be prioritising in the summer.

Current midfield options include Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Carlos Soler, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse.

Since Ward-Prowse returned from his Nottingham Forest loan, Potter has favoured starting him alongside either Alvarez or Soucek, bringing more quality on the ball in those deeper areas for progression.

However, his return has not helped add mobility in the middle of the park, something they have lacked since Declan Rice was sold to Arsenal back in the 2023/24 summer transfer window, for a whopping £105m.

Declan Rice's record at West Ham

Rice made 245 appearances for the Hammers first team in his ten years at the club, scoring 15 goals, providing 13 assists and totaling 20,580 minutes.

He also captained the side to their first European trophy since 1965 under David Moyes, winning the UEFA Conference League in the 2022/23 season, a campaign that would prove to be his last year with the club.

Towards the back end of his time at West Ham, Rice was lauded as a “monster on the pitch” by teammate Mark Noble, with the big-money move coming as no real shock.

Since Rice joined Arsenal, the club have been looking to replace his attributes in the middle of the park, signing a multitude of players, all of whom can offer different attributes, but all of whom have failed so far to replicate anything close to the performances Rice was delivering week after week.

Perhaps, the Hammers could well be regretting letting Rice 2.0 leave for a bargain price…

West Ham have already sold Rice 2.0

Moyes and co sold midfielder Josh Cullen to Anderlecht in 2020, for a fee of just £500k. The then 24-year-old became a key figure for the Belgian outfit, working under Vincent Kompany, who he then went on to work with once more at Burnley years later.

When comparing Cullen’s underlying metrics from this season against Rice’s underlying numbers from his last West Ham campaign, you can clearly see Rice ranks much higher in many metrics.

But the tenacity in midfield shown by ball recoveries, aerial duels won and tackles and interceptions is still there, and he would have eased the loss of Rice’s on-ball progressive impact, as Cullen also thrives in this department.

Kompany described Cullen as the “ultimate player” praising his effort and labeling him as a shining example for his fellow professionals.

This is the exact sort of character West Ham could have used after losing Rice, not only replacing many attributes they lost when he walked out the door, but also bringing that sense of calm and leadership to the team.

Whilst it’s hard to compare Cullen and Rice on talent alone, the hard-working culture they share in their respective midfield roles does draw comparisons, both willing to do the hard yards for their side, which is exactly what West Ham have been missing since Rice left the club.

Mark Noble discussing cheap West Ham transfer to sign "sensational" forward

West Ham could finalise a bargain deal ahead of next season.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Mar 21, 2025

A yellow warning for rain in Dublin could dampen the spirits of India’s fringe players as they look to push their case for regular selection

Sruthi Ravindranath17-Aug-20232:54

‘No baggage or pressure of expectation’ for Bumrah on return

Big Picture – Will India hand Rinku a debut?
Think twice before you call it a low-key, out-of-place series. Jasprit Bumrah, returning to international cricket for the first time in 11 months, is the obvious headline-grabber, but this series will also give several India players the chance to push themselves into the reckoning for next year’s T20 World Cup. For Ireland, it will be a chance to gauge where they stand in the format and make use of the game-time before the big tournament.India will also want to start ironing out the issues that surfaced during their T20I series loss to West Indies. India coach Rahul Dravid had recognised batting depth as a challenge during that series, and India will need to identify a No. 8 in addition to back-ups for various other roles.Related

Bumrah returns to lead India for T20Is in Ireland

Delany, Hand back in Ireland squad for India T20Is

Prasidh: 'As fast bowlers, you sign up for injuries and long days.'

Rahul, Iyer in match simulation training ahead of Asia Cup selection

As for Bumrah’s return, several key questions remain: will he be able to bowl with the same consistency as before? He looked comfortable in the nets on Wednesday, in a sneak-peek video that included him bowling a toe-crusher and a searing bouncer, which are encouraging signs. Can he remain fit and injury-free for the upcoming Asia Cup and World Cup? His last two attempted comebacks didn’t go too well for him, remember. And how will he fare as captain?Another positive for India heading into the series is Prasidh Krishna returning after a lengthy injury layoff. The series will also serve as an audition for IPL stars Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh, who could play key roles in India’s middle order. It’s also a chance for one of Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube to stake their claim for an allrounder slot.The hosts, meanwhile, are coming into the series having sealed their place in the 2024 T20 World Cup after finishing in the top two in the Europe Qualifier. They have run India close in the past, but haven’t managed a win in five meetings so far. Will this be their best chance to put a W in their column?Weather permitting, we’ll have some answers soon.Form guide
Ireland LWWWW (Last five completed T20Is; most recent first)
India LWWLLIn the spotlight – Mark Adair and Prasidh Krishna
Mark Adair is the third-highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year, with 23 wickets in 11 games. The seam-bowling allrounder also finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier, with 12 wickets in five games, in addition to scoring a 72 off 36 balls in a losing cause against Scotland in the last game of the tournament. Ireland will bank on Adair and their other pace options to threaten India’s second-string batting line-up.2:01

Stirling: ‘Probably the start of our adventure to the T20 World Cup’

Prasidh Krishna was a big part of India’s ODI plans a year ago, having traveled to England, the West Indies and Zimbabwe before a lower-back injury took him out of the game for a year. His performance and fitness on his international comeback will be monitored closely by the selectors ahead of the Asia Cup. He featured in the Maharaja T20 on Sunday, finishing with 1 for 13 in two overs in Mysuru Warriors’ defeat to Hubli Tigers.Team news – Samson or Jitesh?
With Neil Rock left out of the squad, Ireland could change their balance and select an extra seamer.Ireland possible XI: 1 Paul Stirling (capt), 2 Andrew Balbirnie, 3 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 4 Harry Tector, 5 Curtis Campher, 6 George Dockrell, 7 Mark Adair, 8 Barry McCarthy, 9 Fionn Hand/Craig Young, 10 Josh Little, 11 Ben White.Will India continue with Sanju Samson behind the stumps, or will they bring in Jitesh, who showcased his ability as a finisher in the IPL this year?India possible XI: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Rinku Singh, 5 Sanju Samson/Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Washington Sundar/Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Arshdeep Singh, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Jasprit Bumrah (capt), 11 Prasidh Krishna.Stats and triviaBumrah will be India’s 11th captain in T20Is. Only South Africa (15) and West Indies (13) have had more. Sri Lanka and Australia have also had 11 captains each. Adair needs three more wickets to become the first Ireland bowler to take 100 T20I wicketsPitch and conditions
There’s a yellow warning for rainfall starting 4pm on Friday in Dublin. It is expected to be breezy, with periods of rain forecast in the evening. The average score batting first at Malahide is 167.Quotes
“I’m coming back after a long time, I just want to enjoy. I’ve never stayed away from the game from this long. I’m not thinking ‘I’ll do this, I’ll do that,’ or ‘I have to contribute a lot.’ I have come here to enjoy it because I like cricket. Expectations, I’m not keeping too much of it.”
“We only have a limited time between now and the end of the 2023 domestic season, so it’s also crucial that we use what opportunities we have to provide exposure and experience to a pool of players who we believe are in contention for making that World Cup squad. I would expect that all of the 15 players named in the India series squad will feature at some point.”

New Barcelona signing Joan Garcia has had to change his phone number after receiving threats from Espanyol fans over his controversial switch.

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Joan Garcia's number leaked by Espanyol fansRecieves threats after controversial Barca moveChanges phone number and limits social presenceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Garcia, who became Barcelona’s new goalkeeper signing from Espanyol, has reportedly received threatening messages and calls since completing his transfer across the city. The situation escalated so quickly that Garcia was forced to change his phone number and limit public appearances for safety reasons.

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Garcia’s move from Espanyol to city rivals Barcelona has not sat well with some fans of Los Pericos. While close friends at his former club have quietly supported his decision, some others at Espanyol have reacted harshly, per SPORT. The 24-year-old skipped a close friend’s birthday last week and has largely stayed home during his holiday to avoid further incidents.

TELL ME MORE…

Despite the heat, Garcia has shown maturity in handling the situation, focusing on his professional future. His early days at Barcelona may be turbulent, but the club hopes he can soon settle in and shift the attention to his performances on the pitch.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GARCIA?

Barcelona are expected to ease Garcia’s transition with internal support. With pre-season approaching, all eyes will be on how the young keeper responds once training begins and the spotlight returns to football. He is expected to be Hansi Flick's starting goalkeeper, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen being forced out of the team and Wojciech Szczesny expected to take up a back-up role.

It has been some week for Spencer Johnson. On Sunday, he was playing in the final of the Global T20 Canada. On Monday, he was called up by Australia for their T20I series in South Africa later this month. And on Wednesday night, he finished his debut for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred with ludicrous figures of 3 for 1 from 20 balls.At the age of 27, Johnson had never set foot in the UK until Monday morning, when his flight landed. He trained once with the Invincibles, a brief indoor session on Tuesday morning, before taking the field against Manchester Originals, taking the new ball with Phil Salt and Jos Buttler at the other end. “It was a little bit intimidating,” Johnson said with a smile.Invincibles picked him as a last-minute replacement when Ihsanullah, the Pakistani tearaway, suffered an elbow injury shortly before he was due to travel to the UK. He arrived late because of his commitments in Canada, which came straight after a stint with the Los Angeles Knight Riders in the inaugural Major League Cricket season.Tom Moody, Invincibles’ coach, gave Johnson some simple advice about bowling at The Oval before he arrived. “Moods said when he rang and asked if I was keen to come over, ‘You’re going to love it here – it’s similar to the Gabba,'” Johnson recalled. That was the venue where he became a breakout star of last year’s Big Bash, bowling with good pace for Brisbane Heat.Related

• Tall, left-arm and fast: Spencer Johnson grasps his second chance

• Mitchell Marsh named Australia's T20 captain for South Africa; uncapped trio earn call-ups

• Hardie, Sangha and more – four new names in Australian cricket

• Klaasen's belligerent 60 leads Invincibles to record win over Originals

His gameplan was simple enough: to hammer away at a hard length, using the pace and bounce that tends to be evident at The Oval. “That six-to-seven-metre length is what I bowl. That’s my natural length, so I didn’t have to think too much,” he said. “It was cool!”Johnson’s first five balls cost one leg bye, and included one prolonged appeal for lbw against Buttler. His second set of five included the solitary run he conceded off the bat – Buttler tucked him out to deep square leg – and included two plays-and-misses from Salt, who looked totally out of sorts in his 11-ball 2.By the time he returned, the game was over as a contest: Originals were 58 for 6 after 60 balls, in theoretical pursuit of 187. But his final 10 balls, delivered in a row from the Pavilion End, were still remarkable: Usama Mir spooned to mid-off, while Tom Hartley and Josh Little were done for pace and had their stumps flattened.He broke various records: most obviously the cheapest spell in the Hundred’s brief history, but also the fifth-most economical spell in T20 cricket worldwide and the second-most in any major league. As Heinrich Klaasen collected the match award for his 27-ball 60, he said: “Credit must go to Spence – I don’t know why he’s not standing here.”Johnson is still jet-lagged after his flight and struggled for words in a post-match interview with Sky Sports. “It’s an absolute blur at the minute,” he said. “To be here in front of these awesome fans, playing at The Oval, it’s awesome. I’m pinching myself, really.”His pace – in combination with Gus Atkinson, who was clocked at 95mph on Wednesday night – along with the trickery of the Curran brothers, and the spin of Sunil Narine and Nathan Sowter, makes the Invincibles attack one of the strongest in the competition, and they are top of the table three games into the season.If they do reach the knockout stages for the first time, they will have to do without Johnson, given his Australia call-up. “I didn’t officially get told until the back end of last week. It’s obviously pretty cool to, hopefully, be debuting for my country. It’s a little bit tough to take in.”He has spent much of his adult life battling injuries, explaining why as a 90mph, left-arm fast bowler, he has barely played any professional cricket in his career. But nobody who saw him play on Invincibles debut would be surprised by Australia’s interest in him.”From where I was to now, I’ve just taken everything in my stride,” Johnson said. “I keep saying the term ‘ride the wave’, and that’s what I try to do.” It is working well enough for him so far.

Leicestershire recover from slow start but still slip to first defeat of Metro Bank Cup

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2023Josh Hull, Leicestershire’s beanpole teenage left-arm quick, bagged the first four-wicket haul of his senior career but it was not enough to prevent a first defeat for the Foxes in this year’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup, with Nottinghamshire Outlaws prevailing by four wickets at Grace Road.Chasing a revised target of 206 after rain reduced the contest to 44 overs per side, the visitors crossed the line with 12 balls to spare after Lyndon James had top-scored with 82, backed up by Matt Montgomery’s 35 and wicketkeeper Dane Schadendorf’s punchy 29 not out. Hull finished with 4 for 43 from his nine overs.Earlier, Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten 84, his third half-century in as many matches in the competition so far, led a Foxes recovery from 78 for 6 to 214 for 9 after former Yorkshire seamer Tom Loten, with a career-best 3 for 26, and Brett Hutton (3 for 42) had threatened to make it a shortened day.After winning their opening Group A matches so emphatically, Leicestershire found the going much tougher against their East Midlands neighbours, whose seam attack carried on where they had left off in dismissing Essex for 69 at Chelmsford last week.The Foxes slipped from 27 without loss after five overs to 41 for 3 in the ninth, Rishi Patel chipping to cover off Hutton, who also drew Sol Budinger into nicking a ball outside off stump. Loten then uprooted skipper Lewis Hill’s off stump with his first delivery.Hutton, who took 7 for 26 here in this fixture last season, picked up a third wicket with a ball that squeezed between bat and front pad to trap Colin Ackermann leg-before, leaving the Foxes 52 for 4.Although there was clearly some help for the bowlers under an overcast sky, Peter Handscomb settled himself with three early boundaries and with two half-centuries to his name already in the competition looked in the form to lead a rebuilding job. Yet just as rain began to fall, the Australian was run out at the non-striker’s end when Dane Paterson deflected a Mulder drive into the stumps.Two brief stoppages followed, in between which Louis Kimber, who had smashed 89 off 62 balls as the Foxes pulled off a record run-chase to beat Surrey at The Oval, perished for a six-ball duck, paying for lack of footwork as he was leg before to Loten.The fightback, instead, was led by Mulder, with assistance from a lower order in which Tom Scriven’s 25 helped the seventh wicket add 62 before Roman Walker, Chris Wright and Hull stuck around long enough for Mulder to inflict some punishing blows, clearing the rope off Calvin Harrison, Hutton and Liam Patterson-White, who also conceded six to Walker.File photo: Lyndon James anchored the chase•Getty ImagesLoten’s third wicket came when Scriven drove him in the air to mid-off, Walker was caught at long-off trying to attack Harrison’s legspin and Paterson had Wright well caught at extra cover by Haseeb Hameed.Needing to score at slightly more than four-and-a-half an over, the Outlaws lost opener Ben Slater in the second over when he was bowled off an inside edge but were comfortably placed at 60 for one after 12 when the introduction of Hull dealt them a double setback.The 6ft 7ins left-armer, still only 18, angled one in to bowl the left-handed Ben Martindale between bat and pad, ending a second-wicket stand of 51 with James. Two overs later, he dismissed the right-handed Hameed with a full length delivery, the ball cannoning into middle stump as the Outlaws skipper played across its line.James, who had looked assured enough to that point, completed a seven-four half-century from 60 balls but was dropped on 51 – a chance to keeper Handscomb down the leg side as Mulder took over from Hull at the Bennett End, the bowler having been unlucky a couple of balls earlier when Montgomery edged just out of Handscomb’s reach on the off side.Unfazed, James found the boundary twice on the leg side in Mulder’s next over to leave Nottinghamshire needing 90 from 18 overs, which looked well within their compass with seven wickets in hand, only to be thrown back into the balance when James aimed a big swing at Wright and was caught behind, throwing his wicket away somewhat, more so when Montgomery was undone by some extra bounce from Hull and was comfortably taken by Handscomb.But then back-to-back sixes, one swatted away by new man Schadendorf off Mulder, the next an uppercut by Liam Patterson-White to a short ball by Hull, lifted the pressure off the Outlaws, who lost the latter when he was bowled making room to cut Hull. But Schadendorf hit two boundaries each off Scriven and then Hull in the next two overs to effectively finish the job.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após ser expulso na vitória do Palmeiras sobre o Santos pelo Brasileirão, no último domingo, Danilo usou as redes sociais para se desculpar com os colegas de elenco e torcedores do time. O volante aproveitou para falar sobre seu perfil como atleta e os dois cartões vermelhos recebidos recentemente.

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GALERIA

>Quem ganharia um All-Star Game Rio x SP? LANCE! vota jogador por jogador

Primeiro, o camisa 28 saiu de campo mais cedo por ter dado uma entrada dura em Zaracho, do Atlético-MG, no segundo jogo das quartas de final da Libertadores, quando o Verdão se classificou nos pênaltis.

> Clique e confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão!

Agora, frente ao Peixe, Danilo errou um passe e tentou fazer a recuperação da bola, mas acabou parando o atacante Soteldo com falta e levou o vermelho direto.

– Cometi a falta para evitar um provável gol, errei, e não tenho nenhum problema em assumir minha responsabilidade. Preferi a falta do que o risco do gol e exagerei, me desculpo com meus colegas de trabalho e com os torcedores que sempre apoiaram nos bons momentos – disse o jogador em uma rede social.

+ LANCE! transmite ao vivo e de graça jogos da Bundesliga. Confira todas as informações sobre o torneio e transmissão

No próximo jogo, que só acontece no dia 28 de setembro, o Palmeiras entrará em campo contra o Atlético-MG sem Danilo, pela 28ª rodada do Brasileirão. A bola rola às 21h45, no Mineirão.

continua após a publicidade

Confira, na íntegra, a postagem de Danilo:

“A vida de um atleta é muito doida mesmo, talvez alguns de vocês nem façam ideia, é feita de altos e baixos e no caso do futebol ainda mais maluca. Profissionalmente já estive em momentos melhores no clube e acreditem, meus últimos jogos também não me deixaram feliz!

Então de cabeça erguida seguirei trabalhando pois temos objetivos a alcançar e como disse, sei da minha importância para este objetivo!
Continuo o mesmo, sigo bem e confiante no meu potencial pois sei que é na adversidade que nos tornamos ainda maiores!
Avanti Palestra!”

عقدت إدارة نادي برشلونة مساء الأربعاء اجتماعًا مهمًا مع وكيل الأعمال الشهير خورخي مينديز، لمناقشة عدد من الملفات المرتبطة بسوق الانتقالات الصيفي، في أعقاب تجديد عقد لاعب الفريق لامين يامال.

وبحسب صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، فإن الاجتماع جاء بعد مراسم تجديد عقد لامين يامال، الذي يمثّله مينديز أيضًا، لكن اللاعب لم يحضر اللقاء، حيث فضّل الراحة استعدادًا لتدريبات الخميس.

وشهد الاجتماع حضور عدد من مسؤولي برشلونة، أبرزهم خوان لابورتا رئيس النادي، ديكو المدير الرياضي، بويان كركيتش منسق الفريق الأول، وأليخاندرو إتشيفاريا (مستشار إداري مقرب من لابورتا)

فيما رافق مينديز مساعده سيرجيو ألفيس، الذي لعب دورًا كبيرًا في صفقات جواو فيليكس وجواو كانسيلو في صيف 2023.

ويُعد دينزل دومفريس، أحد أبرز الأسماء المرتبطة ببرشلونة هذا الصيف، في ظل بحث النادي عن تدعيم الجبهة اليمنى، مع اقتراب اللاعب من الرحيل عن إنتر ميلان خلال فترة الانتقالات الجارية، وهو من ضمن اللاعبين الذين يمثّلهم خورخي مينديز.

اقرأ أيضًا | يامال: ميسي أفضل ما رأيت في حياتي.. وهذا ما قاله لي فليك بعد ارتدائي رقم 10

ويُعرف مينديز بقدرته على حسم صفقات معقدة في توقيتات حاسمة، مما يجعل شراكته المستمرة مع برشلونة ذات أهمية خاصة في ظل الأوضاع المالية الدقيقة التي يمر بها النادي الكتالوني.

وعقب انتهاء الاجتماع، غادر خورخي مينديز برشلونة متوجهًا إلى جزيرة إيبيزا عبر طائرة خاصة، حيث يتواجد هناك عدد كبير من وكلاء اللاعبين ونجوم كرة القدم خلال فترة الصيف.

وتأتي هذه الخطوة ضمن أجندة عمل مزدحمة لوكيل الأعمال البرتغالي، الذي يواصل تحركاته النشطة لإغلاق صفقات محتملة قبل انطلاق الموسم الجديد.

Ilkay Gundogan could bid farewell to the Etihad once and for all, with Turkish giants Galatasaray interested in acquiring the midfielder's services.

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• Man City to allow Gundogan leave this summer
• German has another year on his City contract
• Galatasaray interested in signing the midfielder

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester City are open to letting Gundogan leave this summer, with reporting that Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray are planning a summer swoop for the former German international.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite the one-year extension on Gundogan's City contract being triggered due to the midfielder meeting the criteria of playing a certain number of minutes, he is expected to be on the periphery under head coach Pep Guardiola next season. Indeed, City have been on a spending spree to rebuild the squad after a rather underwhelming 2024-25 season. The Cityzens have already completed the signings of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki this summer, having already bought Nico Gonzalez at the end of the winter transfer window earlier this year. With Mateo Kovacic also expected to return to fitness after suffering from an Achilles problem and Rodri completing his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered last September, Gundogan will see a significant reduction in his minutes at the Etihad next season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Gundogan, who is of Turkish descent as his parents were born in Turkey, is believed to be tempted by the opportunity to play in the Super Lig. Galatasaray are said to be considering a move for the 34-year-old in recent weeks, aiming to build on a highly successful domestic season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ILKAY GUNDOGAN?

  Even though Gundogan has a year on his contract, he will be allowed to leave City for free. A move to Galatasaray is not yet in advanced stages, with Gundogan still featuring for Man City in the ongoing Club World Cup. He will next be seen in action against Al-Ain on Monday, June 23. It is likely that a decision on his future will not be made until after the Club World Cup ends.

At one stage of the season, Chelsea looked like they could challenge for the Premier League title.

Enzo Maresca managed to get his side playing well, with Cole Palmer contributing 12 goals and six assists up until the start of 2025.

Since then, however, their form has dropped off a cliff. Indeed, Maresca’s side have won just four Premier League matches in the calendar year thus far.

It appears as though the manager is already planning for next season and beyond, as Chelsea have completed the signings of Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo, spending £62.4m in the process.

Once the transfer window opens on June 1, Maresca will be keen on adding to his squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The centre-forward department is one that will be bolstered during the transfer window, as doubts remain over Nicolas Jackson, while Christopher Nkunku has attracted interest from elsewhere.

Reports claim that Chelsea are a club who are leading the chase for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, with Arsenal also showing some interest.

The 21-year-old is one of the most coveted young talents on the continent, and it is looking increasingly likely that he will depart the German side this summer.

Maresca isn’t just showing admiration for the Slovenian forward, however, as another youngster has caught his attention in recent times…

Chelsea's search for a striker

According to a one recent report, Chelsea are stepping up their interest in Colombian forward Neyser Villarreal.

The club sent a chief scout to monitor his performance for Millonarios during their clash against Santa Fe earlier this week, a game in which the player was shown a yellow card for standing on the ball.

Inter Miami, Porto and Watford are the other interested parties, according to the report, although the Blues must be seen as the frontrunners, especially as they could be playing Champions League football next season.

The 19-year-old is out of contract at the end of 2025, which could encourage the Blues to make an offer sooner rather than later in order to lure him to the Premier League.

The Stamford Bridge side have a plethora of South American stars already at the club, including Oscar Perea and Kendry Paez, with Estevao recently linking up with the squad.

Why Chelsea are interested in signing Neyser Villarreal

The teenager is capable of playing anywhere across the front three, showing impressive positional flexibility, despite playing only 13 games for his club side during his embryonic career.

In just two league games this season, Villarreal has already notched up a single assist, while averaging 3.5 shots per game in the Colombian Apertura. The youngster has also averaged 0.5 key passes per game and succeeded with 0.5 dribbles each game for his club side.

Amid that fine form, he has been likened to England star, Marcus Rashford, by talent scout Jacek Kulig, due to his ability to operate on either flank or in a central role.

Rashford – who has scored six career goals against the Blues to date – also burst onto the scene at Manchester United as a teenage striker, with Villarreal seemingly looking to follow in his footsteps.

Respected analyst Ben Mattinson praised the Colombian teen in February following an impressive showing in the South American U20 Championship, where he scored a hat trick against Paraguay.

“I love how quickly he gets off shots in the box, proper poacher. So clinical. Get it to him on either side and he’ll unleash a powerful strike towards goal,” said Mattinson.

His displays in the competition have arguably been the reason why the Blues sent a scout to monitor his performance during midweek.

How Neyser Villarreal performed at the South American U20 Championship

Colombia played nine games during the competition, which was held between January and February this year, losing only twice, to Brazil and Argentina.

Across those games, Villarreal scored an impressive tally of eight goals, while recording four assists in what was a stunning display of consistency for his country.

He scored once every 95 minutes while averaging 1.4 shots on target per game, and the 19-year-old could have scored even more, having missed four big chances during the tournament.

Goals

8

Assists

4

Big chances created

4

Key passes per game

2.1

Scoring frequency (minutes)

95

Shots per game

2.8

Via Sofascore

Elsewhere, Villarreal also created four big chances, averaged 2.1 key passes per game and succeeded with one dribble each match, showcasing a multitude of skills throughout the competition.

These displays have clearly attracted plenty of interest from afar, but is he ready for a move to Europe right now? Perhaps spending another season in South America would allow him to continue his development.

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With the Blues eyeing up other strikers ahead of the summer transfer window, Sesko included, could Villarreal turn out to be a better long-term signing?

How Villarreal compares to Sesko

Sesko has shone since making the move from RB Salzburg to Leipzig in the summer of 2023. The 21-year-old has scored 35 goals across 78 games, which is a better record than the one he achieved in Austria.

The young centre-forward is certainly making waves in the Bundesliga, scoring a goal once every 189 minutes, although he has missed big chances to add to his tally of ten league goals so far this season.

Sesko isn’t shy about creating chances for others either, creating five big chances in the Bundesliga this term, proving that he isn’t strictly all for scoring goals.

It appears as though he is ready to make the move to a bigger club, with his signature being highly contested during the summer transfer window.

Villarreal might just have a bigger ceiling, however. While Chelsea are doing their best to harvest every promising South American talent that is going, the Millonarios youngster could turn out to be the best of the lot.

The best thing is, that he would cost significantly less than Sesko, especially with his contract expiring at the end of 2025.

Leipzig will be keen to get as much as they can for the Slovenian international, no doubt about that.

Turning to the next Rashford in Villarreal could well be the better long-term strategy for the Blues.

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