Chelsea are already planning to move for a marquee player in 2026 as one of their prime targets, and he has a special connection with the club’s director of professional football and scouting, Joe Shields.
Enzo Maresca’s side enjoyed a productive transfer window, even making a £3 million profit despite spending £285 million on new signings.
Joao Pedro
Noni Madueke
Jamie Gittens
João Félix
Jorrel Hato
Djordje Petrovic
Liam Delap
Lesley Ugochukwu
Dario Essugo
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Mamadou Sarr
Renato Veiga
Estevao
Armando Broja
Kendry Paez
Carney Chukwuemeka
Alejandro Garnacho
Mathis Amougou
Basir Humphreys
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Marcus Bettinelli
Christopher Nkunku
Nicolas Jackson (obligation to buy)
Alfie Gilchrist
Lucas Bergstrom
Ben Chilwell
Chelsea’s seismic £288 million income just from player sales has seriously contributed towards navigating the Premier League’s PSR loss threshold, which stipulates that clubs are permitted a loss of £105 million over a rolling three-year period.
With the transfer windows in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Portugal and Mexico still open, according to FIFA, there is also still time for Chelsea to offload the likes of Raheem Sterling, who’s on a reported £325,000-per-week, and defender Axel Disasi.
Saudi side Neom SC are said to have made a £17 million bid for Disasi, but it is unclear whether Chelsea will accept this low-ball proposal or if the Frenchman himself would reconsider leaving Europe.
Offloading the likes of Disasi and Sterling may well be crucial to partly fund what would be a marquee 2026 move for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.
The England international, who is valued at around £80 million right now by Unai Emery’s side, was Villa’s standout star of 2024/2025 with 14 goals and 16 assists — including contributions in big games against the likes of PSG, Tottenham and Man City.
A deal for the 23-year-old will be extremely difficult, and despite some contact from Spurs before the deadline on Monday, Villa were in absolutely no rush to sell their prized asset during the last window.
Chelsea "just waiting" to sign Morgan Rogers amid Joe Shields connection
According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea have their eyes on Rogers ahead of a potential move next year, and they have a secret weapon in the form of Shields.
The former Middlesbrough sensation is likely to be one of the next biggest Premier League names to leave their clubs in 2026, especially considering Villa’s well documented issues when it comes to navigating PSR.
If Chelsea is his next port of call, there is no denying Rogers would be a stellar signing.
Pakistan captain scored just 46 runs off 77 balls during a middle-overs slowdown which cost his side
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-20251:31
Urooj Mumtaz: Rizwan chewed up too many dot deliveries
The loss to India has all but pushed Pakistan out of their home Champions Trophy, and it had a lot to do with a middle-overs slowdown. They ended the first ten overs at 52 for 2, but the next 14 overs netted them just 42 runs. Urooj Mumtaz lay the blame squarely on captain Mohammad Rizwan, who, she said, had played too many dot balls in that period.”Rizwan, time and again, is at fault of chewing up too many dot deliveries. Then there is one release shot that comes out,” she said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “He was on 40-odd from something like 70 deliveries at the point where he looked like taking another release shot. He was 30 off 68 [24 off 53] at one point when he hit that one four. Saud [Shakeel], on the other hand, is not the normal aggressor; it is Rizwan who is normally the aggressor when he does get going and does get set.”During the period in question [overs 11 to 24], Rizwan faced 45 deliveries, and 29 of those were dots. He didn’t hit a single boundary, and got only 16 singles. Eventually, Rizwan struggled his way to 46 off 77 balls. He fell when he skipped down the pitch to try and loft Axar Patel, but missed and was bowled.Related
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Rizwan had slog-swept Kuldeep Yadav for four off the first ball he had faced. His next boundary only came on the 49th delivery he faced off Ravindra Jadeja in the 25th over. Another – the third and last – came off Jadeja in the 27th. When he was dismissed by Axar in the 34th over, Rizwan’s partnership with Shakeel was worth 104, but it had taken 144 balls.”I think Rizwan, in his 46 off 77 – strike rate of 59 – just wasn’t good enough because we’re talking about a team where the best batter in the team [Babar Azam] is obviously out of form, hasn’t been churning out those big runs… and he got out early,” Mumtaz said.”Imam [had] that unfortunate run-out. So it was down to Rizwan as captain to put his hand up and show that brave attitude. Maybe even not just trying to botch everything down, but maybe just better strike rotation, [the lack of] which I thought was a massive fault, and probably applied a little bit more pressure on Saud as well.”
Arne Slot singled out one Liverpool star for blame as the Reds went down 2-1 against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League. The loss at Selhurst Park also ended Liverpool's perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign as they suffered their maiden defeat of the season. Slot was understandably unhappy after the game as he dissected his team's performance.
Liverpool's first defeat of the season
After making a perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign as they won their first seven matches across all competitions, including five wins in a row in the Premier League, Liverpool tasted defeat for the first time on Saturday. Crystal Palace were the more dominant side at the start of the game and rightfully took the lead through Ismaila Sarr's goal in the ninth minute. Federico Chiesa then scored the equaliser three minutes before the regulation time ended but Eddie Nketiah netted the winner from a long throw-in as Oliver Glasner's side had the last laugh.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot indirectly blamed Frimpong for Nketiah's goal
While dissecting his team's performance after the match, Slot told reporters: "We can only blame ourselves for defending the way we did. One of our players ran out because he wanted to play a counter-attack, which was of no use because time was up, so it was only about defending. One player was too offensively minded in that moment, which led to them scoring the winner and us losing the game."
Slot's comments appeared to be directed at Frimpong as the summer signing stepped away from Nketiah who went on to bag the winner.
"It was a disappointing first half and disappointing end to game. Credit to Palace – with the Community Shield it’s not the first time we’ve lost to them. They deserved to be two or three up in the first half," he added. "The second half was much better from us, we created chances that not many teams do here. It took us a while to score a goal – and when we did, to concede another set-piece goal is just as disappointing as the first half. If one team deserved to win today it was Palace."
Liverpool's set-piece woes
Slot also admitted that the Reds have been struggling to tackle opponents' set-piece moves as he added: "If you want to compete and want to be right up there you need a very positive balance in set pieces. That is what I always say, for years, and in this league that is probably even more the situation. That was one of our biggest strengths last season. We hardly conceded a set piece. Now against Newcastle we conceded two and today we conceded two so that is something we need to do better. But this league is more and more about set pieces.
"We had to defend a lot of them as well and the margins are small. One of our players in the last minute runs forward to maybe try to counter attack for a second goal but in that area the ball falls for a Crystal Palace player who scores."
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Getty Images SportTough week of football awaits Liverpool
The English champions will now prepare to face Turkish giants Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, before they make their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on October 4.
If you’re trying to identify the reason for Pakistan crashing out of their home Champions Trophy, look no further than this one: personnel. Specifically, the inexperience of that personnel. This was the main thrust of white-ball head coach Aaqib Javed’s post-mortem.Pakistan have one more match to play, of course, against Bangladesh, who are also already out of contention for the semi-finals. That match in Rawalpindi on Thursday is also under serious threat from rain, and perhaps a sodden outfield, with this having been a wet week in the city.Aaqib spoke at length about the various permutations and combinations in selection that could have improved the team’s output this tournament. But, clearly still hurting from the loss to India on Sunday, he made the point that India’s XI had a far greater body of work on their resume than Pakistan’s.Related
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“When Pakistan and India are playing, it’s not only cricket – it’s more than that. You need a lot of experience,” Aaqib said. “This Indian team was the most experienced – they have almost 1500 games together. And Pakistan is on the bottom, with less than 400 games together. If you look at players like Babar Azam, [he] is the only one who has played more than 100 games. Then there’s Mohammad Rizwan [88 ODIs] and then Shaheen Afridi [64 ODIs].”The rest of them have less than 30 matches. Tayyab Tahir has played like eight games. Imam-ul-Haq [73 ODIs] was coming back in the team. The main thing is, when nothing works, and when you are talking about more than a game, then the experience counts. There is no doubt.”Part of this lack of experience was also down to having lost Fakhar Zaman, one of their most aggressive batters and one of the stars of the 2017 Champions Trophy triumph, in the first game of the tournament. They were also without Saim Ayub, who had hit 235 runs and taken two wickets in Pakistan’s 3-0 ODI series in South Africa in December. Ayub had been ruled out of this tournament with an ankle injury.”Similarly, we had to bring in Khushdil Shah because Saim was unfit. The reason is that in one-day cricket, you cannot go with five bowlers. You have to make a combination of seven batsmen and four bowlers.1:31
Urooj Mumtaz: Rizwan chewed up too many dot deliveries
“When Saim was there, he used to bat at the top and he used to bowl five to seven overs. When he was not there – we saw that if you do a little research – even with the terrific performances that Khushdil Shah has given in one-and-a-half years of cricket, his wickets… there’s no comparison. It was not even a close case or anything. But our job in the selection committee was to give the best replacement option.”In the absence of these players, it was down to the big five: Babar, Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Afridi to step up, Aaqib said. But match-winning performances from these players never came.The five of them have come under particular fire in Pakistan since the team’s exit.”A common person who doesn’t play and is not part of the team management wants reasons and the names of people because of whom this team is losing,” Aaqib said. “As far as Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Naseem and Haris are concerned, our plan was to make the best possible XI or XV. There is no doubt that Shaheen, Naseem and Haris are excellent bowlers. If you compare them with the bowling attack of any team, they are one of the best fast-bowling options.”And if you look at Babar – apart from him, what other options do you have? We always say that if the team loses, change the team. This is the most inexperienced team already.”
After opening day humiliation at the hands of newly-promoted Sunderland, West Ham United have reportedly launched their first approach to sign a Barcelona midfielder.
Potter: West Ham have to "improve" after Sunderland defeat
West Ham know all too well that the Premier League is a slippery slope towards shock relegation when teams get off to a disastrous start and must ensure that their defeat at Sunderland is a turning point in Graham Potter’s reign. Picking up where they left off last season, the Hammers were blunt going forward and vulnerable going the other way in what has been the trend of Potter’s tenure.
Having his say on a disappointing afternoon, Potter told reporters: “In the first half, I thought we were good. I thought we did lots well in terms of quieting the crowd down and creating some opportunities. We could have scored, I thought, but nevertheless, we felt OK.
“We started a bit slow in the second half, and from out of nowhere, a goal goes in and it becomes difficult. It was a game where probably the first goal, especially here with the environment, was going to be challenging for us. But we tried to push.
“But in trying to push, we opened ourselves up. The second goal’s a poor one – a mistake leads to a cheap set-piece, and then we didn’t do the basics well enough in the second phase. We haven’t done the basics well enough – it’s as simple as that, and we have to improve that.”
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That defeat may have been the wake-up call that those at the London Stadium needed both on the pitch and in the transfer window, however, with reports now indicating that they’ve made their first move for a Barcelona talent.
West Ham launch first Casado enquiry
As reported by Mundo Deportivo and relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham have now launched their first enquiry to sign Marc Casado from Barcelona. The Spanish giants reportedly value their midfielder at just €30m (£26m), which has sparked a race between the Hammers and Wolverhampton Wanderers to secure a bargain deal this month.
Minutes
1,611
2,380
Key Passes
0.50
1.36
Progressive Passes
5.98
5.87
Ball Recoveries
5.03
5.64
When compared to Lucas Paqueta last season, Casado’s quality becomes clear. Whilst he struggled to match the Brazilian when it came to key passes, the 21-year-old progressed play at an excellent standard, whilst also impressing when recovering possession.
Dubbed a “genius” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Barcelona ace still has plenty of room for improvement and plenty of years ahead of him to realise an ever-increasing potential.
Marc Casado celebrates scoring for Barcelona.
For just £26m, West Ham would be landing an undeniable bargain and a player who would slot straight in as one of Potter’s most effective players this season.
تغلب منتخب إيطاليا على إستونيا بثلاثية لهدف خلال المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء اليوم السبت، بالتصفيات المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.
واستضاف ملعب “آ.لي كوك آرينا” مباراة إيطاليا وإستونيا، في تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم الصيف المقبل.
المنتخب الإيطالي افتتح التسجيل مبكرًا بهدف عن طريق مويس كين في الدقيقة الرابعة من المباراة بعد تمريرة من فيدريكو ديماركو. هدف إيطاليا الأول أمام إستونيا
المنتخب الإيطالي يتقدم عبر مويس كين#الطريق_إلى_كأس_العالم2026 | #تصفيات_كأس_العالم#FIFAWorldCup2026 | #EuropeanQualifiers pic.twitter.com/wbb3dxiBKK — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) September 5, 2025
واضطر جينارو جاتوزو مدرب إيطاليا لاستبدال مويس كين للإصابة في الدقيقة 15 وحل فرانشيسكو ايسبوسيتو بديلاً له.
وأهدر ماتيو ريتيجي ضربة جزاء لإيطاليا في الدقيقة 30، لكنه عاد وسجل هدفًا للآزوري في الدقيقة 38.
في شوط المباراة الثاني، عزز ايسبوسيتو التقدم لإيطاليا بهدف ثالث سجله في الدقيقة 74 من عمر اللقاء.
وتمكنت إستونيا من تسجيل هدف وحيد في الدقيقة 76 عن طريق رونو سبينان بعد خطأ من حارس المرمى دوناروما. هدف إستونيا أمام إيطاليا
انتهت المباراة بفوز إيطاليا بنتيجة 3-1، لترفع رصيدها للنقطة 12 في المركز الثاني، خلف النرويج صاحبة الصدارة بـ 18 نقطة، وتأتي إستونيا في المركز الرابع بـ 3 نقاط.
Leeds United will host Everton on Monday night as they return to the Premier League for the first time after a two-year absence. Daniel Farke’s side will be looking to get the campaign off to a dream start after a busy summer, where they have made several new additions to their squad.
The Whites have looked to strengthen right across the pitch. They have brought in a new goalkeeper in Lucas Perri, three new defenders, including Jaka Bijol, two midfielders, with one of those Newcastle United academy graduate, Sean Longstaff, and a new centre-forward, Lukas Nmecha, on a free transfer.
Newcastle United's SeanLongstaffarrives at the stadium before the match
However, the Yorkshire side don’t seem to be done there, and are focusing on bringing in more attackers before the window slams shut.
Leeds’ next attacking targets
It was reported on Wednesday that England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin will imminently move to Elland Road on a free transfer. He is set to have a medical after leaving Everton in the summer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Calvert-Lewin is not the only new attacker who could be on his way to Leeds. According to Beren Cross of The Athletic, they are said to be ‘showing interest’ in signing AC Milan forward Noah Okafor.
There is yet to be an official approach from Leeds for Okafor, according to Cross, but he is a player ‘Leeds are looking at in the final weeks of the window’, and a late move could be on the cards.
It wouldn’t be a deal that breaks the bank, either. Earlier in the window, Milan were reportedly asking for just £13m for the Switzerland international.
Why Okafor would be a good signing
The 2024/25 campaign was not necessarily an easy one for Okafor. He struggled to break into the Milan team, with injuries disrupting his campaign, and a January loan move to eventual Scudetto winners Napoli was even less fruitful for him.
GNK Dinamo Zagreb's Kevin Theophile-Catherine in action with AC Milan'sNoahOkafor
In total, the 25-year-old made just 21 appearances across all competitions, four in a Napoli shirt and the rest for the Rossoneri.
In that time, he bagged just one goal, an opening-day equaliser in the 95th minute against Torino.
Yet, the forward has shown great promise earlier in his career. He played four seasons for RB Salzburg in Austria before moving to Milan. In 110 appearances, he scored 34 goals and assisted 23.
Two of those seasons, 2021/22 and 2022/23, saw him register double-figure goal involvements, and the underlying numbers stand out. For example, he created 2.3 chances and 2.1 chances, respectively. That is why football talent scout Jacek Kulig called him an “electric” attacker.
Okafor’s final 2 seasons at Salzburg
Stat (per 90)
21/22
22/23
Goals and assists
1.3
0.7
Shots on target
1.6
1.1
Key passes
2.3
2.1
Dribbles completed
1.6
1.7
Tackles and interceptions
1.2
0.7
Stats from Sofascore
If Okafor does move to Elland Road, he could be the second coming of Wilfried Gnonto. The Italian attacker has had a similar career path to Okafor and offers similar versatility to the Swiss forward.
Gnonto’s numbers across his Leeds career are impressive. The 21-year-old has already racked up over a century of appearances for the club, with 118 to his name. In that time, he’s found the back of the net 22 times and assisted 13 further goals.
The pair have certainly followed a relatively similar career path so far. Like Okafor representing Milan, Gnonto has also been on the books of a Serie A giant from the same city, although he played for Inter’s youth sides.
On top of that, they’ve each played in the Swiss top flight, with the potential new Leeds addition representing FC Basel and Gnonto playing for Zurich. Now, their paths could cross at the same time if the Milan attacker joins Leeds.
AC Milan's NoahOkaforcelebrates scoring their second goal
Aside from their similar career moves, the players are both versatile attackers. They are able to play on both wings, lead the line as a striker or play in behind another centre-forward, as a number ten or a second striker.
Oh, how Leeds fans would surely love to have the second coming of Gnonto at Elland Road. The Whites’ number 29 has been a key player over the years, so if Okafor can rediscover his best form and replicate Gnonto, it would be a huge bonus.
A dream for Calvert-Lewin: Leeds offer contract terms to sign £24.5m star
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Now that the dust is settled, we can look back at Newcastle United’s summer transfer window with optimism. It didn’t all go Eddie Howe’s way, but the manager has the tools to tackle the campaign ahead and build on last year’s success.
This has been the story of the English tactician’s tenure at St. James’ Park, having been handed the keys to new riches under PIF ownership, but, more importantly, often making the right pick, signing the right players.
And so while Newcastle were rocked this summer by their talisman Alexander Isak’s decision to force his way out and sign for Premier League champions Liverpool in a record-breaking deal, they have compensated with some exciting additions to strengthen the frontline.
In Yoane Wissa, the Magpies have signed a striker who knows the English game well and arrives having scored 19 goals for Brentford last season.
And in Nick Woltemade, who takes Isak’s place as United’s club-record signing after joining from Stuttgart for £69m, Howe could fashion his latest superstar.
After all, he’s done it time and time again across nearly four years at the helm.
Howe's transfer success with Newcastle
Newcastle might have one of the richest owners in football, but they have spent thriftily in comparison to some of their rivals, moreover, impeded by restrictions imposed by PSR.
Bruno Guimaraes, for example, has perhaps been the defining player of the Howe era at Newcastle, joining from Lyon in France in January 2022 for a £40m fee. Now 27, the skipper bleeds black and white, as was clear after his passionate performance against Liverpool last month.
Howe has grown him, organically, into a superstar, with recent interest from the Saudi Pro League revealing him to have been priced at a jaw-dropping £121m, only marginally off Isak’s record £125m move to Merseyside.
The list goes on. Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento have both risen in market value since landing on Tyneside, and the likes of Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier have been among the shrewdest signings made in recent Premier League history.
However, sometimes it takes a bit of time before one of Howe’s buys clicks into gear, and that is very much the truth when considering Sandro Tonali, who over the past year has bloomed into one of the Premier League’s finest maestros.
Newcastle struck gold on Sandro Tonali
When Newcastle completed the signing of AC Milan’s Tonali in July 2023, they felt they had won the race for one of Europe’s most talented players, a player who Gordon would describe as “one of the best midfielders in the world”.
However, while Howe has created something of a hothouse for tactical growth, not everyone will hit the ground running from the start.
And Tonali was evidence of that, having perhaps struggled to adapt in the first few months before being hit with a damaging betting breaches charge from the Italian Football Federation, banned for ten months.
Podcast host Andrew Musgrove has even gone as far as to describe the Italy international as being one of Newcastle’s “standout” players, with the decision to field him deeper last season giving rise to Guimaraes’ athleticism and multi-facetedness in the middle of the park.
This was one of the main reasons behind United finding form before Christmas last season, constructing a winning run that led to Champions League qualification and triumph in the Carabao Cup, beating Liverpool in the final.
Tonali – PL Stats
Stats (*per game)
23/24
24/25
Matches (starts)
8 (5)
36 (28)
Goals
1
4
Assists
0
2
Touches*
39.8
53.4
Pass completion
88%
86%
Key passes*
1.0
0.8
Dribbles*
0.4
0.6
Ball recoveries*
2.5
4.9
Tackles + interceptions*
1.2
2.3
Total duels (won)*
2.1 (47%)
3.7 (54%)
Stats via Sofascore
The 25-year-old’s deeper berth on the field and immense ground-covering role have seen him go from strength to strength, indeed earning recognition as one of the best in the business.
Though his market value hasn’t risen exponentially across his time on Tyneside, Tonali still boasts an expected price tag of £58m, as per Football Transfers, which places him among the best in Howe’s brood.
Tonali hasn’t quite reached the same financial ballpark as players such as Guimaraes and Isak, but there are many of a Toon persuasion who would argue that he is on that same level.
He’s undoubtedly one of the creams of this team, and while Newcastle have landed talents such as Wissa – who joined from Brentford for the same fee as Tonali: £55m – it’s perhaps true that the DR Congo international is limited in terms of scope, and 28 years old besides.
In fact, Tonali has drawn comparisons with his legendary compatriot Andrea Pirlo, with Howe amusingly commenting that it’s “not just the hair”, which further underscores the kind of player that he is, very much one of the best that Newcastle are likely to see any time soon.
There’s also little question that Tonali’s financial development was hindered by his betting ban, and that if he can reclaim the kind of form that led Newcastle to glory last season, he may well leave behind one of the biggest legacies of this Howe era, chock-full of knockout signings.
Wissa also has a chance to provide goals for the Toon outfit over the next few years, but he perhaps doesn’t have the same scope as someone like Tonali, who now has the chance to lead his team to more glory and create an iron-firm midfield capable of unlocking the capacities of players such as Wissa.
Newcastle sold a homegrown Isak for just £500k, now he's a £50m "monster"
Newcastle have had to accept the sale of talisman Alexander Isak in a record-breaking D-day move.
A Chelsea legend has warned his old team to be "careful" with how they treat 'bomb squad' players Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi. The duo are training away from the Blues first-team after failing to secure summer exits. Amid talks with the Professional Footballers Association, Pat Nevin believes Chelsea need to watch how they treat Sterling and Disasi as it could damage the dressing room.
Maresca downplays concerns over Chelsea 'bomb squad'
The PFA have reportedly been in talks with Chelsea over how they are treating exiled duo Sterling and Disasi but last week, head coach Maresca suggested these players don't have it that bad compared to other professions. But former Blues star Nevin, who played for the club between 1983 and 1988, thinks this is a matter that needs to be delicately handled, else it could backfire.
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Chelsea told to be 'careful' with 'popular' Sterling
He told BetIdeas.com: "The PFA is not the main problem. The main problem is bigger than that. Your main problem is if you treat two players like that and the rest of the team sees it, which they will, because it's their mates – and I know players can be selfish and are selfish and have to be selfish – they all know that's what I'm going to get. Now, management doesn't always think along these terms because it's short term. There's a big danger there. And it is a warning. Being on just about every side of the game and seeing it, it can damage spirit. Players are selfish and they take care of themselves. But Raheem Sterling is liked, he's popular within that dressing room. You certainly don't just blank your mates. So Chelsea need to be careful because in the end if they have got these players that are in six, seven, eight year contracts. Nicholas Jackson was the main man. He's great. And then suddenly he's in the bomb squad. And then he's not, ‘We want you back in’. So be careful because everybody now knows that's what happens. I promise you that's dangerous. When you treat workers like that, the other workers know this. Just be careful."
Blues duo had summer options
While many have sympathised with Chelsea's outcasts, winger Sterling reportedly had a chance to join Fulham on loan, as well as other offers abroad. Defender Disasi is said to have snubbed interest from Bournemouth and West Ham, but both are unlikely to play again until January at the earliest.
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Chelsea aim to bounce back from Man Utd loss
The Blues slipped to a hugely disappointing 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League last weekend, so they will want to put that right on Tuesday night when they host League One promotion-chasers Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup.
A Seleção Brasileira goleou Guiné por 4 a 1, no sábado (17), em Barcelona-ESP. mas não terá muito tempo até o próximo compromisso, que será nesta terça-feira (20), em Lisboa-POR, diante de Senegal. Ramon Menezes terá apenas um treino para preparar o time para mais um amistoso da Data Fifa. O técnico interino já deu indícios de que deve tentar oferecer oportunidades a todos os jogadores, inclusive respeitando a questão da recuperação de cada um deles. Sendo assim, é bem possível que o Brasil entre em campo com novidades.
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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui
Quem deve ficar fora novamente é o goleiro Alisson, que sofreu um pequeno trauma no dedo mindinho da mão esquerda. Ederson acabou sendo o titular contra Guiné, assim como Weverton foi contra Marrocos. Caso o arqueiro do Liverpool não tenha mesmo condições de jogar, a tendência é que o paredão do Palmeiras ganhe uma nova chances como titular.
Entre os jogadores de linha que estiveram no banco de reservas no sábado (17), quatro não tiveram oportunidade de entrar em campo: os zagueiros Ibañez e Robert Renan, o lateral-esquerdo Alex Telles e o volante André. Desses, quem tem boa chance de começar jogando é Telles, que iniciou a semana treinando entre os titulares e acabou perdendo a posição para Ayrton Lucas. Como se trata de um posição que não tem um nome absoluto, testes podem ocorrer.
Na zaga, Éder Militão e Marquinhos só devem sair se houver alguma questão física. Na lateral direita, Danilo parece ser o titular, mas como é outra posição que precisa de renovação, Vanderson pode ganhar uma oportunidade desde o início, uma vez que entrou em campo nos acréscimos contra Guiné. No meio-campo, Casemiro é outro que sai do time apenas se houver risco de lesão. Já Joelinton, que foi uma das boas novidades do último amistoso, pode ceder seu lugar a Bruno Guimarães em outra posição que não tem um titular absoluto.
+ Enquanto aguarda Ancelotti, Brasil pode ficar sem técnico por mais oito jogos
Um pouco mais frente, na meia, temos Lucas Paquetá, que chegou a revezar com Raphael Veiga durante os treinamentos na semana em Barcelona, mas acabou sendo confirmado como titular. Com a boa entrada do palmeirense diante de Guiné, é possível que Ramon abra uma brecha para testar aquele que é um dos melhores jogadores em atividade no futebol brasileiro nas últimas temporadas.
O ataque, por sua vez, é outro setor que dificilmente terá uma mudança. Vini Jr. e Rodrygo parecem incontestáveis e apenas sairiam em caso de necessidade. Richarlison, que vive uma fase não muito boa, até poderia deixar o time para testes com Rony ou Pedro. No entanto, como são três atletas bem diferentes um do outro, deve prevalecer a característica do “Pombo” no comando ofensivo.
Um provável Brasil para enfrentar Senegal deve ser: Ederson (Weverton); Danilo (Vanderson), Éder Militão, Marquinhos e Ayrton Lucas (Alex Telles); Casemiro. Joelinton (Bruno Guimarães) e Lucas Paquetá (Raphael Veiga); Rodrygo, Vini Jr. e Richarlison.
+ CBF tem conversas avançadas com Ancelotti e marca pronunciamento
A Seleção Brasileira treina nesta terça-feira (19), em Lisboa, no Estádio José Alvalade, ás 13h30 (horário de Brasília), na única atividade que Ramon Menezes terá para trabalhar com o grupo entre os dois amistosos. Depois disso, o grupo volta a se reunir apenas em setembro, quando terá início a disputa das Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo de 2026.