Chelsea have now made contact with the agents of an “amazing” Premier League star, who is open to a move to Stamford Bridge this summer, journalist Simon Phillips has revealed.

Maresca looking to bolster his backline

Enzo Maresca is proud of the strides his side have taken since last summer, having recently been crowned Club World Cup champions, with the manager saying: “For me, the biggest achievement this season is that exactly one year ago, no one was talking about Chelsea for football (reasons), but talking about the big squad, big money.

“Now, no one is talking about this, but they are talking about the way we play, and the way we win games. This is personally the biggest achievement of this season.”

The Blues silenced a lot of critics with their shock 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, but their squad arguably still needs to be trimmed down, with Nicolas Jackson now unhappy about potentially being behind Liam Delap and Joao Pedro in the pecking order.

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At the opposite end of the pitch, however, Maresca may still need some new recruits, given that Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah or Benoit Badiashile could be used as part of a swap deal for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers.

As such, according to Phillips, Chelsea have now made fresh contact with the agents of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who is expected to cost around £40m, as he has now entered the final year of his contract and doesn’t plan to renew.

The journalist also added: “Guehi has a lot of interest and not just from Chelsea, and he is expected to depart his club this summer.

“Guehi is believed to be open to making a move back to Chelsea this summer but is also aware of other interest from big clubs in the Premier League.”

Guehi could be "amazing" signing for Chelsea

It could be difficult for the Palace defender to immediately force his way into Maresca’s starting XI, given that the Blues’ backline impressed considerably at the Club World Cup, keeping four clean sheets, including one against PSG in the final.

However, having proven himself in the Premier League over a number of years, the 25-year-old clearly has the talent to be a success at Stamford Bridge, with international teammate Harry Maguire even dubbing him as “amazing”.

The England international made 44 appearances in all competitions last season, displaying his leadership abilities by captaining the Eagles, while also impressing manager Oliver Glasner.

Guehi could be a fantastic signing at just £40m, and Chelsea should have the funds to make a deal, considering their recent Club World Cup triumph.

Interim head coach Marcus Trescothick has defended his young ODI squad after their crushing eight-wicket defeat to the West Indies, saying the result is not reflective of English white-ball cricket.England’s loss to the West Indies was a twelfth ODI defeat in 18 matches since the start of the 2023 World Cup and gave a brutal reality check to a new-look eleven that included four debutants.On a tacky surface, England were bowled out for 209, before putting on an encouraging, but ultimately fruitless display with the ball as Windies opener Evin Lewis let loose for 94 off 69 balls.”I think it’s certainly not where England cricket is at,” Trescothick said after the game. “Because for a long period of time now you’ve not had our main team in white-ball games. You don’t really know where white-ball cricket is.”I think with the system that we’ve had and the volume of cricket that we’ve been trying to play and still look after the players, I think you could put a team together tomorrow for a World Cup, and it would probably look different to what you had this series and some of the series that we played against Australia.”So I don’t think you can judge it to say, look where white-ball cricket is at the moment. It’s been a tough period of time, there’s no doubt about it, but that’s been challenges from numerous different things.”The current series is missing several players due to the tour being sandwiched by England’s Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand. But the squad picked for the Australia series was close to full strength, with Joe Root and Gus Atkinson rested but other absences such as Jos Buttler and Mark Wood missing through injury. The same could be said of the previous group to tour the Caribbean last year, when the squad picked was meant to signal a new age, while the World Cup squad was certainly first string. All this alongside uncertainty over Ben Stokes’ white-ball future.The nature of the defeat has called into question England’s absolute policy on prioritising youth, with Jordan Cox, in just his fifth List A match, walking out on debut for England at No.3, with the 21-year-old Jacob Bethell at No.4. Of the top six, only Phil Salt and Will Jacks had batted in those positions for England more than once in their careersJohn Turner, Jordan Cox, Dan Mousley and Jamie Overton made their ODI debuts in Antigua•Getty Images

“It’s probably a better question for the selectors more than anything else. It’s not my decision who comes in,” Trescothick said.”But I think you can see from the plan of the England team in the last year, probably, and maybe a little bit further back, how much we want to invest in the next generation.”Playing people who have played before would probably be going against the mantra of what we’re trying to do at the moment.”England’s innings saw five of the top six caught in the 30-yard-circle, as the balance between defence and attack eluded them to be bowled out in 45.1 overs.”We’ve got to try and bat 50 overs first and foremost,” said Trescothick. “The real skill in white-ball cricket in particular is the tempo and the balance between aggression and batting for long periods of time.”We will always be a team that is going to try and be aggressive, the pitch made it quite tricky to do that.”This is Trescothick’s last tour at the helm of the white-ball team before Brendon McCullum takes over the job in January. Placed in charge of an exceptionally inexperienced group, one of the biggest challenges, according to Trescothick, has been finding the balance between emphasising the opportunity is a ‘free hit’ to England’s youngsters, while also instilling a win-first mentality.”I am trying to get the priority right at the moment. I want to win every game and we dictate that in the dressing room. But we also want to see a few players in the environment before the structure changes and Brendon takes over. So, why not give them the opportunity to thrive in this environment?”That’s very much how we’re framing it. The opportunities are there for the guys to come in. We’ve seen four debutants in this match, we’ve got a couple other young guys in the squad who may make their debut across the next two weeks. [With the opportunity] you’re going to be further up the ladder than you were six days ago. So go out there and show what you can do.”Trescothick’s own role in the white-ball set up beyond January is undecided.”I don’t know just yet,” he said. “We’ve got a bit of a plan behind the scenes, but nothing has been confirmed as such.”I am not going to say which way it’s all going to sit, because it would probably give it away too much, but obviously Brendon’s going to come in and take control of the full show and then he will dictate what and where we are going to be and how that’s going to look.”

Tottenham are gearing up for two first-team friendlies in one day this Saturday, and away from the pitch, Thomas Frank’s busy Lilywhites continue their summer recruitment plans.

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Spurs announced that they will be taking on both Wycombe Wanderers in a behind-closed-doors encounter at 11am tomorrow before their trip to Kenilworth Road, with their later clash against Luton Town kicking off just four hours later.

The two matches will give a number of first-team players much-needed match action, with the squad set to be split into two groups. Earlier this week, Frank explained this decision in an official statement which confirmed their additional game against Wycombe.

“We wanted an extra game in our schedule to give as many players as many match minutes as possible, in order to put them in the best position, physically,” said Frank.

“We will play two even, strong teams, and they will play between 60 and 75 minutes, maybe more. By the end of Saturday, 22 players will have played a lot of match minutes, and they will be in a very good place before we go on tour.”

As Tottenham gear up for two 90-minute contests in quick succession, chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange maintain the club’s pursuit of new signings before deadline day on September 1.

Reliable media sources claim that Brentford striker Yoane Wissa remains a target for Spurs, and they’re in ongoing talks for the Congolese who scored 20 goals in all competitions under Frank last campaign.

However, Newcastle United are also in talks for Wissa, and they’re poised to submit a new bid in an attempt to win the race for Frank’s former star (Sky Sports).

While Frank faces stiff competition for the 28-year-old, as things stand, it looks as if Spurs are the only team competing for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White.

Morgan Gibbs-White agrees "in principle" to join Tottenham

The 25-year-old was on the verge of a move to north London a fortnight ago, with Spurs even scheduling a medical for Gibbs-White on July 11 as they prepared to pay his £60 million release clause (BBC).

However, Forest then unceremoniously blocked the transfer – threatening both Tottenham and the player’s agent with a letter of legal action against them (Sky Sports). Nuno Espirito Santo’s side objected to how Spurs found out about Gibbs-White’s ‘confidential’ clause whilst accusing them of ‘tapping up’ the player too, and this tense stalemate remains ongoing with Levy hoping for a breakthrough (Fabrizio Romano).

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, sharing an update on the situation for TBR Football, Gibbs-White has agreed “in principle” to join Tottenham, and Forest appear resigned to eventually losing the England international.

This is because Evangelos Marinakis and his recruitment team are actively pursuing replacements, with talks ongoing over a deal for Man City’s James McAtee.

Spurs are not giving up on signing Gibbs-White and the attacking midfielder remains their absolute priority. Forest were also hoping that City would come back in for Gibbs-White to spark a potential bidding war, but Pep Guardiola and co have “moved on” – giving Frank a clear run.

If the former Wolves star wishes to push through a move to N17, Sky Sports have claimed that Gibbs-White has the option of threatening Forest with legal action of his own for breach of contract.

Alternatively, Tottenham could offer to pay a larger fee to Forest in an attempt to loosen their stranglehold on Gibbs-White and finally seal the deal.

It’s been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far.

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side have left a lot to be desired with wins over AC Milan and Newcastle United, but losses against Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal.

However, off the pitch, it would be fair to say that Andrea Berta and his team have exceeded expectations so far with smart depth additions and a couple of big-money deals for Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi.

Moreover, the North Londoners look primed to do more business, with both Eberechi Eze and Ademola Lookman touted for moves to the Emirates.

Why Arsenal want to sign Eze & Lookman

As things stand, Arsenal continue to be linked with both Eze and Lookman, with the former having a release clause worth £68m in his current contract that’ll expire in a week, and the latter reportedly being available for a fee of around £43m.

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While it seems unlikely that the Gunners would sign both internationals, it’s easy to see why they are interested in them.

For example, despite playing in a mid-table team at best, the Englishman managed to rack up a brilliant haul of 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes, last season.

That means the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

On top of that, he also scored in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final of the FA Cup, leading the Eagles to the first major trophy in their existence.

On the other hand, the Nigerian star has been a lean, mean goalscoring machine for several years now.

For example, since moving to the Bergamo outfit in August 2022, the “world-class” attacker, as dubbed by the BBC’s John Bennett, has scored 52 goals and provided 25 assists in 118 appearances, totalling 7538 minutes.

In other words, the former RB Leipzig star has averaged a goal involvement every 1.53 games or every 97.89 minutes over the last three seasons, which is a level of output that could fire the Gunners to glory next year.

In all, it’s easy to see why Arteta and Co would want to splash the cash on one of these stars, although whoever they decide on will have to smash all expectations to see their valuation even approach that of another Arsenal star.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Eze & Lookman

While they’re yet to win anything with them, Arsenal are a club blessed with an abundance of incredibly talented stars in their squad, although it’s still really quite easy to pinpoint their most important player: Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End icon has developed from an exciting academy graduate into a fully-fledged superstar and the poster boy of Arteta’s project over the last few years, and his valuation reflects that.

Transfermarkt, for example, now prices the 23-year-old game-changer at a staggering €150m, which converts to about £130m, or at least £19m more than Lookman and Eze combined.

While some might question such a valuation, we reckon it’s pretty spot-on, and the first reason why is down to his output.

For example, despite missing almost four months of action with a hamstring injury last season, the Gunners’ “future legend,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was still able to rack up a sensational haul of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances, totalling just 2619 minutes.

Appearances

37

43

40

Minutes

2619′

3303′

2871′

Goals

12

14

20

Assists

14

11

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

0.58

0.67

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

132.12′

106.33

Not only did that make him the most effective player in the North Londoners’ squad, but the dynamic winger maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or 100.73 minutes, which is not only world-class, but better than Eze and Lookman.

On top of that, the Ealing-born monster has also established himself as an essential member of the national team, earning 44 senior caps, in which he’s produced 20 goal involvements, and winning back-to-back Player of the Year awards.

Ultimately, while Lookman and Eze are brilliant players who’d make excellent signings for Arsenal, we don’t think their valuations will ever be able to reach Saka’s.

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The international would be a game-changer for the Gunners.

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Arsenal know that they will sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer and he will lead the line for Mikel Arteta next season and beyond. A total agreement with Sporting Lisbon has been reached.

Gyokeres might be 27, and thus is not someone who will be starring at number nine for the Emirates side in ten years, but he’s complete and accomplished, in the prime of his career and ready to tackle a top division such as the Premier League.

He did, after all, score 97 goals and supply 28 assists across 102 matches, winning the Liga Portugal in each of his two terms in the Iberian country.

However, Gyokeres might need some support as he enters the Emirates fray. Indeed, Arteta plans to pair him up with a playmaker.

Arsenal targeting a creative midfielder

Martin Odegaard left plenty to be desired last season, but he’s still Arsenal’s captain and one of the best midfielders in the world besides.

However, Arteta seeks a new playmaker who can drift between central and wide attacking berths. Someone like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer would be great.

There have been rumours that RB Leipzig talent Xavi Simons, 22, would be the man for the job, but Arsenal have fallen behind Chelsea in the race for the diminutive Dutchman.

This might feel like a blow, but when you consider the reason why the north Londoners have taken a step back, it becomes quite a bit less crippling.

Indeed, Arsenal are targeting one of the Premier League’s finest stars.

Arsenal in talks to sign PL star

According to GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal are currently holding internal talks as they weigh up a formal offer for Eberechi Eze, who scored the winning goal as Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final.

Eze, 27, has a £60m release clause and has also been targeted by teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, but it is the Gunners who are leading the race as technical director Andrea Berta looks to seal a summer spending spree.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed earlier this week that Arsenal have held discussions with Eze’s camp as they look to put the pieces together.

Why Arsenal must sign Eberechi Eze

Crystal Palace signed Eze from Queens Park Rangers in the Championship for a £20m fee. It was 2020, and he was regarded as one of England’s brightest up-and-coming talents.

Five years on, Eze has immortalised himself as a Palace great, and now wants to make a big move to one of the finest teams on the continent while in the prime of his career.

The England international has been described as a “superstar” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and his vicious blend of powerful athleticism, fleet-footedness and always-improving potency in the final third makes him the perfect fit for Arteta’s project, having proven himself positionally versatile too.

Attacking midfield

74

25

11

Left winger

52

9

7

Central midfield

25

6

3

Right winger

3

0

0

As per FBref, the £100k-per-week star’s efforts last term left him ranked among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for shots taken, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for ball recoveries per 90.

This complete sweep of attributes led the data-driven site to draw his countryman Palmer as one of his most statistically similar players, with the 22-year-old hailed as “the best player in the Premier League” by Jamie Carragher at the start of the 2024/25 season.

Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City in a deal worth £42m in September 2023, and he has since become the face of English football, with his extraordinary debut campaign yielding 25 goals and 15 assists across 45 matches in all competitions for the Blues.

Though Eze is not quite so clinical as his world-class positional peer, he is a unique and tricky opponent, so skilful and dynamic in his movements.

As per Sofascore, the Palace talent actually finished the recent league season having averaged two dribbles, 1.7 key passes and 4.6 ground duels (of which he won a respectable 53%) per game, further highlighting his roundedness.

And, of course, it’s not as if Eze isn’t clinical in his own right, having raised his game in that regard under Oliver Glasner’s wing, posting 34 direct goal involvements across 54 games since the Austrian manager arrived in the English capital.

Now, just imagine the improvements that could be made in Arteta’s system. The Spaniard is renowned as one of the best tacticians in football, with new Gunners recruit Martin Zubimendi even hailing him as “one of the best coaches in Europe”.

Given that Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli may both be sold this summer, Eze would be a fantastic addition – perhaps even a necessary addition – with his high-speed dribbling perfect for the left flank, should he not be deployed centrally to take on defenders, create space and spark playmaking for his side.

Dubbed a “magician” of a midfielder by pundit Micah Richards in the past, signing Eze really is a no-brainer. While he may not be Chelsea’s Palmer, he does possess a certain tactical likeness that has already worked so well at Stamford Bridge, and would be sure to elevate Arteta’s project as trophies are targeted across various competitions next year.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

A new season beckons, and if the summer transfer window is anything to go by, Arsenal are going to be right their at the front of the pack once again. Maybe the likes of Eze and Gyokeres could help them take that final step toward glory.

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And possibly no overs from the top-order batter – “I’d say more likely turn to the fast bowlers a bit more,” Cummins says

Andrew McGlashan05-Dec-20245:13

Cummins on pink-ball Tests: ‘Not a huge shift from red-ball cricket’

Pat Cummins expects to see a more proactive Marnus Labuschagne at the crease in Adelaide as Australia’s No. 3 searches for a revival of fortunes, but it appears less likely he will be used extensively as a medium-pace bowler despite question marks over how many overs Mitchell Marsh has in him.Labuschagne has come in for significant scrutiny after his first innings in Perth where he made 2 off 52 balls, which was followed by shouldering arms to Jasprit Bumrah in the second and being lbw for 3. However, analysis has shown it was a wicked delivery from Bumrah that skidded through low and Labuschagne was within his rights to believe it would have missed the stumps.Still, his form has been troublesome for a while with 90 of the 123 runs he has made in his last ten Tests coming from one innings in Christchurch. During his net sessions in Adelaide, there has been a noticeable urgency to his strokeplay and indications he is looking for ways to rotate the strike. Labuschagne has an impressive record at Adelaide Oval with an average of 71.75 and three centuries.Related

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“He’s training well like he always does, hitting millions of balls,” Cummins said. “It’s pretty impossible to kind of dismiss or ignore some of the commentary about perhaps being a little bit more proactive, so I think you’ve seen that side of it in the nets. The challenge is always going out there and making sure you have that mindset. But he’s been great like he always is. Always working on things, trying to plan how he’s going to score his hundred this Test.”While accepting that Australia were not up to the mark in Perth, Cummins was hopeful that the batters would be better for having faced the India attack, most significantly Jasprit Bumrah, even though it did not go well.”I hope there’s some lessons learnt,” he said. “The good thing is, batting and bowling we’ve now had a look at them, they’ve had a look at us as well, but you get a look at some of the bowling plans that you want to implement. The same with the batters, they know how they are going to be attacked first up. I’m sure – well, I really hope – everyone’s kind of learnt a bit and come back here slightly better prepared having had a look at what they are going to throw at us.”Marsh, meanwhile, was locked in Australia’s XI 24 hours out from the Test – the only change being Scott Boland replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood – and Cummins, who confirmed Marsh had been battling back stiffness since the white-ball tour of the UK, was confident the allrounder would be able to be part of the attack despite not doing any bowling in the lead-up.

“I’d say more likely turn to the fast bowlers a bit more. In Perth, Joshy was getting a little bit sore as well there towards the end, so there’s a bit of preservation there. Whereas this Test everyone’s fit and firing”Pat Cummins on Marnus Labuschagne’s role as a bowler in Adelaide

“[We] made the call with the medical staff over the last couple of days to give him a couple of days off bowling, but expect him to warm up and if required [he] will bowl,” Cummins said. “Guessing he would be required at some point… prioritise his overs for the games rather than kind of using up some of them in the nets.”In Perth, Labuschagne was used as a bouncer bowler until reverting to legspin late in India’s second innings but Cummins indicated that any extra overs required in this match would likely be soaked up by the four main bowlers if Marsh was limited in his output.”I’d say more likely turn to the fast bowlers a bit more,” Cummins said. “In Perth, Joshy was getting a little bit sore as well there towards the end, so there’s a bit of preservation there. Whereas this Test everyone’s fit and firing so if that remains the case as a general rule you try and rely on your four main guys.”1:42

McGlashan: Crucial few days in Adelaide for Australia

Significantly, Cummins made mention of Boland’s ability to bowl long spells as he returns to the Test side for the first time since last year’s Ashes.”All last summer he was geared up to go and no one fell over,” Cummins said. “Feels like it’s been quite a while [since he’s played]. As a captain, it’s pretty awesome to have someone like Scotty come straight in, you know he can bowl a huge amount of overs if you need. He’s super consistent, he’s performed at this level and looks ready to go.”However, there is increasing confidence that Hazlewood could be ready to return for the third Test in Brisbane after he bowled during training on Wednesday. Cummins explained that Hazlewood had initially continued to bowl after first feeling the side issue in Perth before the decision was taken not to push him through the problem.”That’s probably the right call in hindsight,” he said. “I think in previous years where he’s kept bowling, it’s probably turned that one week injury into a three or four or five week injury whereas this year seems a little bit different and he’s really confident.”

Aston Villa’s Premier League campaign gets underway on Saturday lunchtime, as they host Newcastle United at Villa Park. Unai Emery will be hoping for a positive start to the season against a side who have become a big rival in recent seasons, with the Magpies pipping the Villans to a Champions League spot.

It seems like just one new signing is all Villa will take into the game. Evann Guessand made the move to the West Midlands from OGC Nice for £30m, and aside from a backup goalkeeper and young centre-back Yasin Ozcan – who has since moved out on loan – they have been largely inactive this summer.

Yet, new rumours are swirling about more signings, and whilst they won’t be complete before the weekend, Emery will surely want them through the door soon.

Villa’s next targets

One of the names the Villans are linked with is Marco Asensio. The Spaniard, who was on loan at Villa Park last term, could return to the club in a deal worth just £13m this summer. However, it is not necessarily at an advanced stage.

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According to a report from Football Transfers, the Villans ‘have held talks’ with Premier League rivals Arsenal over the signing of versatile attacker Leandro Trossard. ‘Initial discussions’ took place earlier this week, with the power in Tossard’s hands ahead of a decision on his future.

Interestingly, Villa were keen on a move for the player in January, and whilst he was not for sale then, there is now a possibility of a move several months on.

As for a price for the forward, Arsenal could demand as much as £18m to sell him to their top-flight rivals.

Why Trossard would be a good signing

There is no doubt that adding an experienced player such as Trossard to the Villa squad would be a benefit to Emery. The Belgian is an established Premier League star who has had a huge impact in European football, too.

Last season, the 30-year-old had another important role to play for the Gunners, featuring 56 times across all competitions. He bagged ten goals and registered ten assists, with 16 of those goal involvements coming in the Premier League.

One of the standout features of Trossard’s game is his versatility. The Belgian forward can play right across the frontline, which Mikel Arteta relied on last term. He played on both flanks, as a number nine and as a second striker just off the centre-forward.

Even if Villa miss out on signing Asensio this summer, Emery might well find his new version of the Spaniard in Trossard. The former Real Madrid star played 21 times for the Villans last season, scoring eight times and assisting once.

One of the main similarities between him and Trossard is the versatility they offer. Last term, Asensio played on the right flank and as a number 10 for the Villans. He has also played on the left wing and even led the line at times in his career.

Their European pedigree is also impressive. Trossard has played far less in the Champions League than the four-time winner Asensio, with 23 appearances to his 73. However, with eight goal involvements and an average of one every 2.8 games, it is better than Asensio’s goal or assist every 3.6 games. The Spaniard has 20 in total to his name.

The stats from last season’s Champions League campaign further highlight just how deadly the players are in Europe. For example, Trossard created 1.1 chances and completed 18.7 passes in the opposition half last each game last season, compared to Asensio’s 0.7 chances created and 19.4 passes in the opposition half per 90 minutes.

Trossard vs Asensio – 24/25 UCL stats

Stat (per 90)

Trossard

Asensio

Goals and assists

0.6

1.1

Chances created

1.1

0.7

Passes completed (oppo half)

18.7

19.4

Take-ons completed

1.4

0.4

Duels won

3.2

2.8

Ball recoveries

2.9

1.4

Stats via Squawka

Described as an attacking “wizard” by journalist Charlie Haffenden, Trossard would bring cutting-edge, versatility and European pedigree to the Villa team.

In that sense, he is certainly similar to Asensio, who may not return to Villa Park. He could well become Emery’s new version of the PSG star.

For just £18m, this could be a bargain for Villa as they look to add to the quality of their squad next season.

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Nesta quinta-feira (4), o São Paulo comunicou o afastamento de oito jogadoras da equipe feminina Sub-20. Segundo o comunicado oficial publicado pelo clube, as atletas estariam afastadas por ‘indisciplina’.

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Ao que tudo indica, embora não tenha sido informado pelo clube de forma oficial, o motivo desta punição seria a participação das jovens atletas em um campeonato amador, de ‘várzea’, sem a autorização prévia do Tricolor.

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Confira os jogos e classificação resultados do Campeonato Brasileiro na tabela do LANCE!

Além disso, elas teriam pedido para não participar de um treinamento – com justificando com questões físicas -, mas, na verdade, era para participar deste jogo ‘a parte’. Os nomes das envolvidas não foram divulgados, mas elas já não estiveram relacionadas para o confronto que aconteceu nesta quinta-feira (4), contra o Atlético-MG, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

Em nota, divulgada antes desta partida, o São Paulo afirmou que além da punição, as jogadoras foram multadas, e reiterou que ‘a diretoria de futebol feminino de base não tolerará o descumprimento de regras e tomará as medidas cabíveis se assim for necessário’.

O LANCE! entrou em contato com a assessoria da categoria, que afirmou que ‘não se pronunciaria além do comunicado divulgado’, destacando que a questão seria ‘resolvida de forma interna’.

Veja a nota oficial divulgada pelo São Paulo sobre o caso:

O São Paulo Futebol Clube comunica, através do seu departamento de futebol feminino de base, que oito atletas pertencentes ao elenco sub-20 não foram relacionadas para a partida desta tarde, em virtude de falha no cumprimento de regras estipuladas em contrato. Pelo atos de indisciplina, as jogadoras foram afastadas e multadas. A diretoria de futebol feminino de base reforça que não tolerará o descumprimento de regras e tomará as medidas cabíveis se assim for necessário.

Liverpool will not start record-signing Alexander Isak when they return to Premier League action against Burnley on Sunday, according to Joe Cole.

Cole predicts Isak won't start against BurnleyIsak joined Liverpool in British record transferStriker returned to action for Sweden on MondayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

All eyes will be on Turf Moor this weekend with Isak, 25, in line to make his eagerly-anticipated debut for the Reds. The striker put an end to the summer-long saga surrounding his future as he moved to Anfield from Newcastle United for a British transfer record fee of £125 million (€144.5m/$169m) on deadline day.

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However former Liverpool midfielder Cole is expecting Isak to only emerge from the bench against Burnley, citing the Sweden international's lack of fitness after refusing to feature in Newcastle's opening three Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa, Liverpool and Leeds United.

WHAT COLE SAID

In quotes carried by the London Evening Standard, Cole told Paddy Power: "I don't expect him [Isak] to go into the team straight away.

"I think they've got to be smart with him. And you've got to expect Liverpool to do that with all of their players – they've been blooded in. They are playing well. Ekitike’s scoring goals, there's no need to rush him.

"I think it's a smart thing to do, just to feed him in, let him come off the bench, let all the hoo-ha die down, and just let him figure out how to become a Liverpool player. There's no rush. It's not like they've lost two of the first three and they need him right at it. You know, come on with 20 minutes, half an hour to go, and see how he goes."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Isak earned his first minutes of the 2025-26 season when he came off the bench in Sweden's World Cup qualifier against Kosovo on Monday. The former Real Sociedad forward made an 18-minute cameo as his side slipped to a 2-0 defeat on the road.

Harry Brook’s 171 in the first innings of England’s win over New Zealand in Christchurch has taken him up two spots to No. 2 on the ICC Test batters’ table, and with No. 1 Joe Root scoring 0 and 23 not out in the same game, the gap between the two has come down to just 41 rating points.With Brook emerging as Root’s closest challenger, and the Australia vs India Border-Gavaskar Trophy series taking a long break between Tests one and two, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had risen to No. 2 after his 161 in India’s Perth Test win, has dropped to No. 4, Brook’s earlier position. Kane Williamson stays in third spot after scoring 93 and 61 in Christchurch.Over in Durban, South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 233 runs in the first Test – after bowling them out for 42 in the first innings – and the heroes of that win have made gains within the top ten.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Temba Bavuma scored 70 and 113 in that Test, and that gave him a 14-spot boost and a place in the top ten at No. 10. Marco Jansen was the Player of the Match in Durban for his returns of 7 for 13 and 4 for 73, and that made him move up 19 positions on the bowlers’ table to ninth, and also took him up to second place – behind Ravindra Jadeja – on the allrounders’ table.

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For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs, who scored 122 in the second innings against Sri Lanka, also rose 29 spots to No. 42 among batters.It wasn’t all bad for Sri Lanka, with Kamindu Mendis moving up two spots among batters despite a poor show in Durban. He scored 13 in the first innings (the only Sri Lanka batter to get into double-digits) and 10 in the second, but it was still enough for him to jump past Steven Smith and Saud Shakeel to seventh place. Dinesh Chandimal, meanwhile, rose two places to 17th as a result of his second-innings 83.