While they haven’t gone quite as big as they have in windows prior, it’s been a good summer of business for Chelsea so far this year.

The Blues have made a massive amount of money selling players deemed no longer good enough and replaced them with a host of exciting talents like Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jorrel Hato.

However, it would probably be fair to say that some fans were left a little disappointed by the club not signing Xavi Simons last week, and instead opting for Alejandro Garnacho.

However, those supporters might soon forget all about the new Tottenham Hotspur star, as Chelsea appear to be closing in on someone who’d be a significant upgrade.

Chelsea target Simons upgrade

According to a recent report from Si Phillips, as relayed by Caught Offside, Chelsea remain incredibly keen to sign Fermin Lopez before the window shuts.

Transfer Focus

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

More than that, though, Phillips has revealed that, in recent hours, the Blues have received encouragement from the player’s camp, which indicates he may well inform Barcelona that he wants to leave.

While that would undoubtedly help grease the wheels of any potential deal, the deal would still be a costly one, with other reports from today claiming that the Catalan giants would want a fee of up to €90m to sell, which is approximately £78m.

While that is an enormous sum of money, Lopez is an extraordinary talent and may well be worth it, especially as he’s an upgrade on Simons.

How Lopez compares to Simons

Simons and Lopez are both relatively young attacking talents who can play and thrive either on the wing or in attacking midfield, which makes comparing them a pretty straightforward affair.

If we start with their output, it quickly becomes very apparent that the young Spaniard is the more dangerous player.

In 46 appearances, totalling just 2039 minutes, the “creative” star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored eight goals and provided ten assists.

That means he managed to average a goal involvement every 2.55 games, or every 113.27 minutes, which is undeniably impressive for someone his age.

On the other hand, the Flying Dutchman scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, for Leipzig.

Now, that does result in a better average of goal involvement every 1.73 games, but that was largely due to him making fewer appearances than the Barcelona star.

When you look at minutes played, his average shoots up to a far less impressive figure of a goal involvement every 145.42 minutes.

Things do not get much better for the Lilywhites’ new star when we examine their underlying numbers either.

Here, the “spectacular” Spaniard, as dubbed by former manager Xavi, comes out ahead in most relevant metrics such as expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots and shots on target, crosses into the penalty area, goal-creating actions, tackles won and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.71

0.47

Non-Penalty G+As

0.75

0.57

Progressive Passes

5.05

5.80

Progressive Passes Received

7.90

7.61

Progressive Carries

2.26

3.51

Shots

2.81

2.26

Shots on Target

1.14

0.92

Passing Accuracy

82.2%

78.1%

Key Passes

1.88

2.10

Passes into the Final Third

4.19

3.26

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.32

0.22

Goal-Creating Actions

0.54

0.51

Tackles Won

1.32

0.83

Blocks

1.02

0.87

Successful Take-Ons

1.72

1.45

Carries into the Penalty Area

0.97

0.80

In other words, the El Campillo-born maestro appears to be the more dangerous and creative outlet, while also being more willing and able to contribute to the defensive side of things.

Ultimately, Simons is certainly a talented player, but Lopez appears to be better in almost all metrics; therefore, Chelsea should do everything possible to sign him before the window closes.

Their own Gyokeres: Chelsea make late move to sign "aggressive" £69m star

Chelsea could snap up their very own Viktor Gyokeres with this late £69m swoop.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 1, 2025

Racking up frequent flyer miles no excuse for South Africa, captain Temba Bavuma says

Danyal Rasool04-Mar-20253:30

Bavuma: ‘A good show between the two bowling attacks on offer’

It begins with a bit of football. The players stand in a circle keeping the ball up, excitement building as the rally lengthens. Then, a slightly wayward tee-up from one of the players puts Tabraiz Shamsi in a tricky spot. The eye test suggests he’s one of the less technically gifted football players; the rally is destined to end there. Soon after, the group disbands, and the South Africans begin to get into position for a conventional cricket training session.With a quick turnaround and a flight back from Dubai, New Zealand did not put their bowlers through much of a workload, Mitchell Santner saying New Zealand just needed to make sure they were ready. South Africa captain Temba Bavuma sees the bowling battle between the two sides as pivotal.”New Zealand’s bowling is formidable. Quite a disciplined bowling attack,” Bavuma said. “Up front, the guys with the new ball don’t give you much to score from. You’ve got to be decisive as an opening batter. And then in the middle, you’ve got guys again who are able to squeeze the game and force you to make mistakes. We know as batters we’re going to have to work hard. We’re going to have to bat ourselves into a position where we can make the play against them.”Related

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Mitchell Santner goes from supporting role to main actor, to NZ's benefit

Bavuma’s respect is borne out by the numbers. Aside from India, who played their games at the less scoring-friendly Dubai, no team has sent down more dot balls this tournament than New Zealand, and none of them boasts a tighter economy rate. For games played in Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, three of the top four bowlers to have produced dot balls are from New Zealand – Michael Bracewell, Will O’Rourke and Mitchell Santner.Bavuma, though, rates his own bowlers highly, too. “We’re also quite confident in our bowling. It’ll be a good show on offer between the two bowling attacks. I don’t think there’s a lot between them.”Unlike New Zealand’s bowlers, though, South Africa’s went through a full workload, training later than usual, between 7pm and 10pm on the eve of the game.1:41

Santner: Our bowling combination won’t change too much for semi-final

Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder went through extended periods of bowling. Kagiso Rabada’s workload was lighter as he largely confined himself to fielding drills and the odd spurt. South Africa, after all, flew from Karachi to Dubai on Sunday in case they needed to play the first semi-final, only to fly right back to Lahore on Monday when it emerged they would play the second semi-final.Bavuma said it couldn’t be an excuse for his side, though. “Logistically, things could have been more efficient,” he said. “Having said that, the boys did enjoy the time to gallivant in Dubai. Some of the boys played some golf, some went sightseeing. So it was a bit enjoyable, some of them used the time to recover. Guys made use of it as best as they could.”Three weeks ago, these two sides played a game in Lahore that could not be further removed in terms of importance. It was the second game of the tri-series, a day game starting on a cold February morning. It was a flat surface, with a second-string South Africa side posting 304 before an unbeaten century from Kane Williamson, who has “always been a thorn”, guided New Zealand to a comfortable win.2:26

Kumble: South Africa have a slight edge over New Zealand

Bavuma said the differing stakes and circumstances of that game did not mean there was nothing to pick up from it. “It gave us a look at that New Zealand team,” he said. “That team we played against – I don’t think it’ll be too far to what they’ll put out tomorrow. We have different members, obviously. I guess there’s a difference there. When we played, it was a good wicket, but the last game here, between Australia and Afghanistan, the ball swung quite a bit.”Rabada and Mulder stand for catching practice under the lights, sharing a joke and a laugh. Ryan Rickelton whips Jansen into the on side; he looks the best batter in the practice session, the sound of the middle of his bat hypnotically echoing into the void of the empty stadium.Dale Steyn, in Lahore as a broadcast commentator, briefly goes to the practice pitches and has a chat with a couple of players. It is, as Jansen says, “just another game”, and South Africa are trying their best to treat it as just another training session.These two sides, full of golden talents but achingly missing silverware, know better than most that yearning for glory does not guarantee it. So Rabada takes a sharp catch, Rickelton creams one back down the ground, and Jansen bowls at full pelt. And then they do it all over again. As South Africa and New Zealand always do.

Fixtures

Jammu & Kashmir vs Kerala in Pune, from 9.30am IST
Vidarbha vs Tamil Nadu in Nagpur, from 9.30am IST
Haryana vs Mumbai in Kolkata, from 9am IST
Saurashtra vs Gujarat in Rajkot, from 9.30am IST

Jammu & Kashmir vs Kerala

How they got here: J&K topped Elite Group A with five wins in seven games, including one over Mumbai, the 42-time and defending champions. Kerala, meanwhile, finished second behind Haryana – by just a point, but a vastly superior net run-rate – in Elite Group C.Top performers
J&K
Shubham Khajuria – 663 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.25 with a top score of 255
Auqib Nabi – 38 wickets in 13 innings at an average of 13.44 with a best of 6 for 54Kerala
Salman Nizar – 399 runs in eight innings at an average of 66.50 with a top score of 150
Jalaj Saxena – 33 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 14.81 with a best of 6 for 41Keep an eye on… The three J&K quicks, Auqib Nabi, Yudhvir Singh and Umar NazirRelated

• J&K look at new frontiers, with a bit of luck and a lot of planning

• How Saurashtra rewired their game to turn their season around

Vidarbha vs Tamil Nadu

How they got here: Vidarbha was the standout team in the group stage, scoring 40 points – five clear of the next best, J&K – with six wins in seven games in Elite Group B. The one that got away was Gujarat, but that too could have gone their way with a bit more time. Tamil Nadu have the bonus points system to thank for their place in the knockouts. They won three of their seven games in Elite Group D, the same as group-toppers Saurashtra, but third-placed Chandigarh actually won four games. That said, Tamil Nadu lost just one game, while Chandigarh lost three.Top performers
Vidarbha
Yash Rathod – 603 runs in 12 innings at an average of 50.25 with a top score of 135
Akshay Wadkar – 556 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.60 with a top score of 139
Harsh Dubey – 55 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 14.50 with a best of 6 for 36 (he is the top wicket-taker in the competition so far, 17 ahead of second-placed Nabi)Tamil Nadu
N Jagadeesan – 634 runs in 11 innings at an average of 63.40 with a top score of 118 not out
C Andre Siddarth – 532 runs in ten innings at an average of 76.00 with a top score of 106
Vijay Shankar – 449 runs in nine innings at an average of 64.14 with a top score of 150 not out
S Ajith Ram – 31 wickets in nine innings at an average of 17.12 with a best of 5 for 34Keep an eye on… The batters from either side – there’s a lot of firepower there – and Dubey, the 22-year-old left-arm spinner is clearly special. Not to forget Karun Nair, who has had a sensational List A season with Vidarbha and hasn’t been too shabby in the Ranji Trophy either.

Haryana vs Mumbai

How they got here: Haryana did just about enough to top Elite Group C, with 29 points to second-placed Kerala’s 28, both teams winning three and drawing four. Mumbai, for a while, looked like they might not make the knockouts, but they had a party against Meghalaya in their final game, winning by an innings and 456 runs, to get past Baroda, who lost their last game to J&K.Top performers
Haryana
Himanshu Rana – 424 runs from 11 innings at an average of 42.40 with a top score of 114
Ankit Kumar – 427 runs from 12 innings at an average of 38.81 with a top score of 118
Anshul Kamboj – 29 wickets in ten innings at an average of 11.75 with a best of 10 for 49Mumbai
Siddhesh Lad – 518 runs from eight innings at an average of 86.33 with a top score of 169 not out
Ayush Mhatre – 413 runs from ten innings at an average of 41.30 with a top score of 176; Shardul Thakur – 381 runs from eight innings at an average of 47.62 with a top score of 119 and 24 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 23.95 with a best of 4 for 43
Shams Mulani – 34 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 23.00 with a best of 6 for 115Keep an eye on… Shardul Thakur – he could well be in the fray when India play Test cricket next, in England in June

Saurashtra vs Gujarat

How they got here: Saurashtra topped Elite Group D narrowly after the top three – Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh – were tied on points, while Gujarat finished a distant second to Vidarbha in Elite Group B after winning four and drawing three.Top performers
Saurashtra
Harvik Desai – 511 runs in ten innings at an average of 56.77 with a top score of 155
Chirag Jani – 486 runs in ten innings at an average of 54.00 with a top score of 198
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja – 35 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 20.40 with a best of 6 for 51Gujarat
Manan Hingrajia – 487 runs in 11 innings at an average of 44.27 with a top score of 181
Siddharth Desai – 33 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 23.06 with a best of 9. For 36Keep an eye on… If Cheteshwar Pujara is playing, it has to be him. But there’s a lot talent scattered across these two line-ups demanding attention

How to follow

All the four games are going to be streamed on JioCinema. You can get all the latest updates on ESPNcricinfo as usual, too. But if you are in Pune, Nagpur, Kolkata or Rajkot, why not hop across and watch it live, at least over the weekend?

It is over between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak. The Sweden international will reportedly move to Liverpool in the final hours of the window, getting the move he has desired the whole summer.

It leaves the Magpies in need of a new centre-forward, and the likes of Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers star Jorgen Strand Larsen are two of their options.

However, in the final throes of the window, Eddie Howe’s side could target another option.

Newcastle’s latest centre-forward target

Despite moves for Jackson and Strand Larsen being a possibility, TBR Football reports that the Magpies have ‘had discussions’ to sign Paris Saint-Germain and France international striker Randal Kolo Muani.

Transfer Focus

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

The French champions want a loan deal with an obligation to buy the player at this late stage. It was reported that a fee of £50m could be the fee Luis Enrique’s side ask for.

Newcastle’s top-flight rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, are also linked.

Why Kolo Muani would be a good signing

Despite struggling for regular minutes at PSG last term, Kolo Muani impressed on a loan spell at Juventus. His form for the Old Lady helped to raise his stock again after a tough time in Paris, after once being described as a “diamond” by football scout Antonio Mango.

Last term, the Frenchman, who is from Bondy, the same area as Kylian Mbappe, shone for the Serie A giants. In 22 appearances for the club, he found the back of the net ten times and assisted three goals. He also scored twice for PSG in minimal game time.

Kolo Muani shot to world fame after a successful 2022 World Cup campaign for France. Of course, Les Bleus fell just short of retaining their title after losing to Argentina in the final, but the striker, who donned the number 12 shirt for that competition, scored in the semi-final against Morocco and assisted in the final.

Well, there is certainly a case to be made that the Frenchman would be a better addition than both Strand Larsen and Jackson. The Wolves striker did outscore him last season, with 13 goals, but played almost double the number of games.

As for Chelsea striker Jackson, who saw a late loan move to Bayern Munich called off, he had similar success to Kolo Muani.

The Senegal star bagged 13 goals and assisted six for the Blues, but again, played far more than the 2022 World Cup star.

In terms of their minutes per goal ratio last season, Jackson averaged a goal every 224 minutes in the Premier League for Chelsea.

As for Strand Larsen, he scored one goal every 186 minutes on average in the English top flight. Both are higher than Kolo Muani’s tally of 151 minutes per goal, for both Juve and PSG.

Other underlying numbers suggest that Newcastle should prioritise the signing of Kolo Muani. For example, he is a better chance creator, averaging 1.3 key passes each game compared to 0.73 for Strand Larsen and 1.13 for Jackson per 90 minutes.

Goals

0.59

0.49

0.4

Goals per shot on target

0.42

0.42

0.29

Key passes

1.3

0.73

1.13

Take-ons completed

1.48

0.28

0.73

Ball recoveries

2.43

1.46

1.94

This is not a deal that would harm Newcastle financially this summer, given it would be a loan move with an obligation to buy next summer. Given Kolo Muani’s clinical nature in front of goal and how he brings others into the game, it is easy to see why this would be the best option for the Magpies.

More prolific than Woltemade: Newcastle trying to sign £65m star on Monday

Newcastle are hoping to complete some final bits of business before the transfer window shuts.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 1, 2025

On another WACA surface that offered bowlers help, the visitors were able to defend 208 against struggling Western Australia

Tristan Lavalette13-Feb-2025

South Australia’s attack worked as a unit to dismiss Western Australia•Getty Images

Four days after the shortest outright result in Sheffield Shield history, considerable pace and bounce was still evident at the WACA ground as South Australia continued their stranglehold over Western Australia with a pivotal One-Day Cup victory.South Australia, who have not won the title since 2011-12, moved to the top of the table with one match to play before the final after dismissing last-placed WA for 164 in the 39th over with quick Liam Scott taking 3 for 16.Related

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The pitch used for this match had limited grass coverage and contrasted with the nearby green-tinged surface, which had just 763 deliveries bowled on it during South Australia’s six-wicket victory in the Shield.But the quicks still relished the conditions with 19-year-old WA paceman Mahli Beardman bowling with rapid pace to finish with 4 for 46 in his second List A match as South Australia reached a seemingly modest total.Tall offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli also enjoyed the bounce and finished with 2 for 38 off 10 overs in his List A debut. It was a tonic for him after missing out on the tour of Sri Lanka.”The wicket was fine, don’t think you can read [the low scores] too much into it…just one of those weeks,” said Rocchiccioli, who also said he’s eyeing playing in the UK during the off-season.Chasing 209 was never going to be easy for WA, who had five of their top six batters looking to make amends after being part of the side that capitulated for 120 and 66 in the Shield.Opener Sam Fanning did not have nightmares with his 49 in their first innings being the top score of that match. And his form continued as he drove well and attacked short-pitched bowling to dominate an opening stand of 40 with Jayden Goodwin.But Fanning was cut short on 34 after Jason Sangha took a brilliant one-handed catch above his head in the slips to trigger a collapse of 4 for 4. Skipper Ashton Turner has rescued his side plenty of times over the years and appeared to be on a mission with D’Arcy Short as they combined for a 77-run stand.But Turner almost out of nowhere on 43 was clean bowled by Scott in a misjudgement after he decided to let the ball go. WA’s slim hopes rested on Short, who notched the first half-century between the teams across the Shield-One-Day Cup double.The task proved too difficult with Short holing out on 55 to effectively ice the match for South Australia.Earlier, openers Henry Hunt and Mackenzie Harvey scored quickly against the new ball after the visitors were sent in to bat. There wasn’t the tennis ball bounce and prodigious sideways movement that was evident throughout the five sessions of the Shield.But speedster Lance Morris bent his back and Hunt was late on a short ball to hook straight to fine leg. Beardman entered the attack and almost matched Morris’ pace as he reached speeds of around 140kph. He got through the defences of Daniel Drew and hit the top of off-stump in a sign of things to come.South Australia slumped to 51 for 3 when Harvey fell to Rocchiccioli. With left-arm spinner Ashton Agar sidelined with a calf injury sustained in the ILT20, Rocchiccioli finally got his opportunity having been WA’s frontline spinner in the Shield in recent seasons.South Australia recovered with captain Nathan McSweeney, on his return from the Sri Lanka tour, and Sangha playing with relative ease in a 54-run partnership.Sangha had been the standout batter during the Shield match with 45 and 24 not out as his technique and application thwarted the minefield. He raced to 38 before throwing his wicket away out of nowhere after hitting a short and wide delivery from Morris straight down third man’s throat.McSweeney had toiled to 28 before uncharacteristically losing patience and being stumped after missing a straighter Rocchiccioli delivery. South Australia appeared in danger of a score of under 150, but Scott held the backend together with 47 as they batted through the 50 overs.South Australia, however, didn’t have a late flourish with Beardman completing an eye-catching performance with a further three wickets, including clean bowling Scott and Harry Matthias with piercing yorkers.But they had more than enough on the board as their quicks went about once again tormenting WA’s beleaguered batters.

MatériaMais Notícias

A maneira como o Fluminense atuou no empate em 2 a 2 diante do Goiás no último domingo (11), no Estádio da Serrinha, deixou nítido o quanto a pausa da Data Fifa se tornou urgente para os comandados de Fernando Diniz. Por mais que os tricolores tenham engrenado em campo, o forte cansaço, aliado à sucessão de desfalques voltaram a ficar evidentes nos pés dos jogadores.

O confronto válido pela décima rodada do Brasileirão deu a Diniz um panorama do potencial do Tricolor das Laranjeiras e do que precisará ajustar neste período de descanso.

FIM DE SECA E MOMENTOS DE PODERIO OFENSIVO

Depois de um mês de idas e vindas, o setor ofensivo trouxe momentos promissores. Germán Cano voltou a marcar, encerrando um jejum de sete jogos. Lançado como titular, Lelê não se omitiu do jogo, ao tentar jogadas com Arias ou apostar em investidas com Cano.

A dupla entre Arias e Lelê também teve bons momentos em investidas por via aérea, em especial no primeiro tempo. O colombiano também mostrou abnegação em momentos desafiadores dos tricolores no segundo tempo.

IMPROVISOS E SACRIFÍCIOS

Dos seis desfalques que o Fluminense teve no Serrinha, ficou mais nítido o problema da lateral esquerda. Além dos laterais de ofício Marcelo e Jorge, o técnico Fernando Diniz teve a baixa de Alexsander, meia deslocado com frequência para o setor.

Outro jogador deslocado para este lado, Guga teve de retornar à sua posição de origem, pois o lateral-direito Samuel Xavier estava improvisado. O meia Gabriel Pirani atuou improvisado e, por mais que tenha se empenhado para ir à frente, sofreu com as investidas do Goiás na reta final de cada tempo. A trapalhada de Martinelli no fim da etapa inicial deu margem para a finalização de Morelli e, na sobra da defesa de Fábio, Pirani cometeu pênalti sobre Apodi. Matheus Peixoto converteu a cobrança.

No segundo tempo, o meia-atacante Alexandre Jesus também ocupou o setor e teve de se desdobrar. Além do jovem Esquerdinha ser opção, o Fluminense tem Diogo Barbosa na mira para a sequência do ano.

BONS MOMENTOS SE ESVAEM

Os tricolores se mostraram aguerridos ao tentarem propor o jogo e viram a dedicação da equipe culminar no gol de Lima no início do segundo tempo. O camisa 45 assumiu bem o desafio de substituir Paulo Henrique Ganso e ainda deixou o seu no dia do seu aniversário.

No entanto, a série de desfalques do Tricolor das Laranjeiras foi pesando à medida que o jogo transcorreu. Com as substituições, o Fluminense não manteve sua força e viu o Goiás ganhar força principalmente na reta final. Sinal de que o elenco curto começa a causar problemas para a equipe.

NOVA DOR DE CABEÇA?

Outro reflexo da sequência de jogos do Tricolor das Laranjeiras aconteceu aos 21 minutos do segundo tempo. Nino caiu no gramado chorando e se queixando de dores no músculo adutor da coxa direita. O zagueiro deixou o campo, foi substituído e sua situação pode custar a convocação para os amistosos da Seleção Brasileira.

Enquanto isso, na Serrinha, a equipe de Fernando Diniz se ressentia ainda mais de entrosamento. Por mais que David Braz lutasse, seu entrosamento com Manoel não funcionava e a equipe corria riscos.

PERDA DE FÔLEGO DIANTE DO GOIÁS

Nos dois tempos, o Tricolor das Laranjeiras viu o desgaste acarretar em gols sofridos. A situação ficou ainda mais nítida nos últimos minutos do confronto. O Goiás avançou com perigo com frequência em contra-ataques, obrigando os defensores a correrem além da conta para evitarem investidas.

Além disso, não faltaram chances em jogadas aéreas, nas quais Fábio se desdobrou para evitar. Até que Alesson aproveitou um momento de hesitação e definiu o empate na Serrinha. O momento não é só de se recuperar na classificação do Brasileiro e da Libertadores, mas de repor as forças de seus jogadores e comprovar que o grupo tem forças para se impor.

New Napoli signing Sam Beukema heaped praise on team-mate Kevin De Bruyne as the defender claimed that he was left "surprised" by the Manchester City legend's humility. De Bruyne, who left City after 10 years this summer to join Napoli on a free transfer, has made a bright start to his life in Italy as he has already scored two goals in five appearances for his club, across all competitions.

• Beukema surprised by De Bruyne's humility

  Like De Bruyne, Beukema switched to Napoli during the summer transfer window from Bologna on a five-year deal. The Dutch centre-back is loving his life in Naples and has already made some close friends in Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and De Bruyne. The 26-year-old spoke highly of the two senior players' character, while claiming he was surprised by their "humility".  

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  "They surprised me a bit"

  In an interview with , Beukema said: "They are two high-level players. They surprised me a bit, because they are very humble. We have joked many times together, and they’ve helped me settle into the group. Lukaku has been here for one year already. I’m so happy to be here with them and face them in training sessions. I can’t wait to continue with them." 

• De Bruyne backed to guide Napoli to back-to-back Serie A titles

  Former Italy international Paolo Di Canio has backed De Bruyne and Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund to shine for Napoli and help Antonio Conte's side win their second consecutive Serie A title in the 2025-26 campaign. Di Canio also praised the club for their impressive transfer activities during the summer.    

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  Busy schedule awaits Conte's side

  Conte's side are currently in action against AC Milan in the Serie A. They will next host Sporting CP in a Champions League clash on Wednesday, before taking on Genoa in the Serie A again on October 5.   

Marseille's historic 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week came at a cost, as head coach Roberto De Zerbi was sent off towards the end of the game. His actions have been swiftly punished by France's Disciplinary Committee. Reflecting on the red card shown to him, which has resulted in his ban for the game against Strasbourg, De Zerbi expressed his unhappiness while apologising for his mistakes.

De Zerbi red overshadows Marseille's historic win over PSG

On Monday, while Ousmane Dembele lifted the Ballon d'Or in a ceremony in Paris, Marseille recorded a historic win over Paris Saint-Germain in a Ligue 1 encounter that was rescheduled due to adverse weather conditions. But while Marseille weathered the storm and registered their first home win over PSG in 14 years, De Zerbi was sent off by the referee in the 90th minute.

AdvertisementAFPDisciplinary Committee show no mercy to De Zerbi

In the aftermath of the game, France's LFP Disciplinary Committee reprimanded De Zerbi with a one-game ban as well as a one-game suspension. The statement read: "One match suspension and one match suspended from the bench, referees' locker room and all official duties." 

He will miss Friday's clash against Strasbourg, as well as next weekend's meeting with Metz. The ex-Brighton coach will, however, be present on the sidelines during midweek's Champions League clash against Ajax.

De Zerbi's mea culpa after red card against PSG

When questioned about the red card, De Zerbi admitted to making a mistake in a press conference on Thursday. "I'm very unhappy about it. I made a mistake, not in what I said because I didn't offend anyone. But in my body language," an apologetic De Zerbi acknowledged. 

"I still had [Real] Madrid on my mind. I saw [Achraf] Hakimi's foul and even though he got the ball, I still think it was a foul. I made a mistake because I always tell the players to behave properly and not get booked. It's my first red card, I've lowered my average in France compared to abroad. Tomorrow, no one will replace me, I have complete confidence in my assistant. The players will be more relaxed, they won't have me in their ears."

The Italian therefore admits personal responsibility but refutes any insults towards the referee.

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Getty ImagesObjective: first place in Ligue 1

De Zerbi is well aware of what is at stake, as a win on Friday over Strasbourg could see his team go top of the Ligue 1 table, even if only temporarily.

Tomorrow will be more important than the Ajax match. I don't think Ajax is easier or less important, but Strasbourg is a really difficult match, and if we win, we'll be top of the table. It's always nice to see yourself so high in the standings. There's no better way to prepare for Ajax than to focus on tomorrow's match," said the coach.

It feels like it could be a long old season for West Ham United this year.

The East Londoners may have beaten Nottingham Forest last time out, but with three defeats before that, it feels like Graham Potter is already on borrowed time.

It’s not just the defeats that have been worrying, but the manner of them, losing 3-0 to newly promoted Sunderland, being thrashed 5-1 by London rivals Chelsea, and blowing a lead away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Unsurprisingly, the Irons have been linked with a host of potential replacements in recent weeks, including former player Frank Lampard.

Frank Lampard could replace Graham Potter

With just six wins in 23 games, it’s not hard to imagine any number of managers doing a better job than Potter in East London, including Lampard.

The Hammers have reportedly already been in contact with the former player, and it’s easy to see why they might consider him a worthwhile gamble.

Since taking charge of Coventry City, the 47-year-old has won 20 games, drawn seven and lost 12, which isn’t too bad at all considering the hyper-competitive nature of the Championship.

Moreover, since the season began, the Sky Blues have been absolutely flying, scoring 14 goals, conceding just six and taking eight points from a possible 12.

Moreover, while the former Chelsea legend didn’t exactly blow anyone away the last time he managed in the Premier League, he was still able to keep Everton from going down and averaged 1.75 points per game during his first stint in the Stamford Bridge dugout.

In all, Lampard looks to have further developed as a manager and could be the answer to West Ham’s Potter-shaped problems.

However, there is another manager on the market who we think would do an even better job at the London Stadium and help the likes of Jarrod Bowen reach another level.

The manager West Ham should hire over Lampard

Now, although we think Lampard would do a better job managing West Ham than Potter, an even better option than him might be Marco Rose.

Manager Focus

Granted, the German manager hasn’t actually been linked with the club yet, but since leaving RB Leipzig in March of this year, he has been without a club.

So, why would the East Londoners want to hire the 48-year-old?

Well, one of the most significant reasons is that he’s a manager who tends to get the very best out of his attacking talent, and as a result, plays some exhilarating football.

For example, in the 20/21 season, Borussia Dortmund scored 75 goals in the Bundesliga, but then by the end of the following season, when Rose was in charge, they’d moved up a place in the table and scored 85 goals.

Mönchengladbach

88

47%

0

Dortmund

55

59%

0

RB Leipzig

128

56%

3

The same happened at Borrussia Mönchengladbach, as they finished the 18/19 season having scored 55 goals, which increased to 66 the following campaign and 64 the year after that.

Moreover, while the effectiveness of Leipzig’s attack did vary a bit more during his tenure, the former RB Salzburg boss led them to a DFB Pokal triumph.

So, just imagine what the “outstanding” tactician, as dubbed by Dortmund legend Marco Reus, could do with players like Jarrod Bowen, who, even in this system, continues to be a real goalscoring threat.

Finally, even if you ignore the argument that he’ll bring a more entertaining brand of football to the club, you can just look at his overall managerial record.

Games

458

235

463

Wins

274

103

191

Draws

84

47

123

Losses

100

85

149

Points per Game

1.98

1.51

1.50

In 458 matches, he has managed to maintain an average of 1.98 points per game – and win two league titles in Austria – whereas Lampard has averaged 1.51 points per game and Potter an even less impressive 1.50.

Ultimately, even though he hasn’t been linked with the club, West Ham should do what they can to hire Rose, and not only would he be an upgrade on Potter, but his attacking style could get even more out of Bowen.

West Ham make contact with ex-Everton manager to replace Graham Potter

Potter’s job is far from secure at the London Stadium…

1 ByTom Cunningham Sep 6, 2025

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has named a “technically brilliant” central midfielder as his toughest-ever opponent, ahead of both Patrick Vieira and Steven Gerrard.

Keane names most difficult opponent

Keane came up against a number of tough opponents during his Man United career, but perhaps the most iconic rivalry was with former Arsenal man Patrick Vieira, with the midfielders famously clashing in the Highbury tunnel back in February 2005.

The Irishman also had regular battles with Steven Gerrard, and he has since claimed the ex-Liverpool captain was at a higher level than he ever was, saying: “When you compare me to players – people talk about Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard – these guys were way better than me.”

There can be no debate over which player had the more successful career, however, with the Cork-born midfielder winning seven league titles, four FA Cups and the 1998-99 Champions League during his time with the Red Devils.

Having led United to so many trophies as captain, the central midfielder was clearly a force to be reckoned with, but he was playing in an era where there were a number of top central midfielders, including the likes of Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes.

However, despite regularly facing off against Gerrard, Vieira and Lampard, Keane has named Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane as his most difficult opponent, saying:

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Sep 14, 2025 Zidane clearly among the greatest-ever midfielders

It should come as no surprise that Keane named the Frenchman as his toughest opponent, considering everything he achieved during his career, winning the Champions League, World Cup and Ballon d’Or.

The 108-time France international also scored one of the most iconic goals in Champions League history, finding the back of the net with a remarkable volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 final.

Not only that, but the 53-year-old also maintained a solid record against Man United throughout his career, picking up one goal and five assists in eight matches against Keane’s former club.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side did manage to get the better of the Italian club across two legs in the 1999 Champions League semi-finals, but even then, Zidane was responsible for the ex-Ireland international being suspended for the final, being brought down after cleverly earning a foul in midfield.

Both Keane and Scholes have expressed their disappointment at missing the famous final against Bayern Munich, with the latter saying: “Obviously I was really pleased that we won the game and completed the treble but, as Roy said, you didn’t feel like you’d won it. You didn’t feel like the medal was yours.”