Worcestershire’s 263 was knocked off with 33 balls to spare in professional fashion by group leaders

ECB Reporters Network09-Aug-2024Lewis Goldsworthy led the way with 95 as Somerset boosted their chances of reaching the knock-out stage of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a convincing five-wicket win over Worcestershire at Taunton.The Rapids were bowled out for 263 in 47.3 overs after losing the toss, Tom Taylor lifting a limp batting display with 73, off 65 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. Ben Green claimed 3 for 58In reply, Somerset reached 267 for 5 with 5.3 overs to spare, Goldsworthy hitting his runs off 108 deliveries, with nine fours and a six, while James Rew contributed 70 and Andy Umeed 44. Left-arm spinner Fateh Singh returned career-best List A figures of 4 for 52.Worcestershire openers Ed Pollock and Gareth Roderick set about Somerset’s opening attack with gusto, taking the score to 55 in the eighth over before Pollock lofted a catch to deep square off Ned Leonard and departed for 30.Roderick looked in good touch, moving to 35 off 41 balls but then carelessly helped a ball from Ogborne around the corner to be caught at fine leg. At 68 for 2 in the 13th over, Worcestershire needed to rebuild.Hopes that Jake Libby and Rob Jones could do the job ended with poor shots by both off Green, Jones, on 14, mistiming a catch to mid-wicket and Libby, having progressed comfortably to 24, guiding a short ball straight to Goldsworthy at point.Another soft dismissal saw Rehaan Edavalath offer a simple return catch to Jack Leach and at 117 for 5 the Rapids were in a hole. Ethan Brookes followed the pattern, having struck four fours, when he advanced down the pitch to Goldsworthy and lofted to Leach at mid-off.The same over saw Singh, on four, dropped by Umeed at short extra cover. Singh profited to hit a six off Goldsworthy before being bowled for 14 making room to cut off-spinner Archie Vaughan’s third ball of the game.Taylor cleared the ropes off Kasey Aldridge and Goldsworthy and Tom Hinley followed suit off successive short balls from Aldridge as the pair launched a spirited counter attack. Hinley’s 32 came off just 18 balls before he skyed Green to Ogborne a long-on.Tommy Sturgess was run out in a mix-up over a second run with Taylor, who went to an impressive half-century off 53 balls before being last man out.Somerset’s reply got off to the worst possible start when George Thomas shouldered arms to the first delivery from Taylor, an inswinger that clipped the stumps. But Goldsworthy and Umeed soon settled in to put the outcome beyond much doubt.They had added 96 for the second wicket in 18.4 overs when Umeed was caught at deep square for 44 attempting to slog-sweep Singh in his first over. Goldsworthy went to a 63-ball fifty soon afterwards, having struck six fours.Rew hit two glorious drives through extra cover and then straight and Goldsworthy cleared the ropes at mid-wicket off Hinley to bring up a half-century partnership in ten overs.Rew then smacked fours of three successive Hinley deliveries in the 31st over in reaching fifty off 43 balls. It was young wicketkeeper’s fourth half-century in seven Group A matches and contributed to the stand with Goldsworthy that reached three figures off 88 balls.Rew fell to a catch at cover off Singh trying a reverse sweep and the bowler followed up by dismissing Goldsworthy, bowled by a full ball, and Sean Dickson, caught at slip, with successive deliveries in the 39th over.But by then Somerset only needed 45 and 18-year-old Vaughan’s rapid unbeaten 31 off 24 balls sealed a comfortable success.

A lot of the noise surrounding Chelsea right now is centered on who could leave Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks, as BlueCo look to balance the books by selling certain players.

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The La Liga champions have cast their eyes towards Stamford Bridge.

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The club landed a seismic financial windfall by reaching the Club World Cup final, where they will face off against European champions PSG in a hotly-contested clash at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday, thanks to a stunning brace from new signing Joao Pedro in their semi-final against Fluminense.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

That 2-0 win over the Brazilian minnows means Chelsea have banked around £80 million worth of prize money en route to the final, having won five of their six games so far, on top of their participation fee. If they win the whole thing, and somehow beat an imperious PSG side this weekend, Enzo Maresca’s side will bank close to £88 million.

This cash will undoubtedly ease some pressure with regard to PSR, but after being slapped with a recent UEFA fine for breaking FFP rules, Chelsea will also want to ship a plethora of unwanted players off their considerable books.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Djordje Petrovic are just some of the Chelsea players who could reportedly leave before deadline day on September 1, while previous mainstay striker Nicolas Jackson faces an uncertain future after the arrivals of Pedro and Liam Delap.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys and Marcus Bettinelli have already been sold for around £19 million worth of transfer fees in total, but the Chelsea hierarchy will be very keen to increase this total while drastically reducing their wage bill.

Sterling and Chilwell, who were both frozen out by Maresca last summer, are among the club’s highest earners, while Chukwuemeka is believed to be on as much as £100,000-per-week.

As well as the need to offload senior players, there are a plethora of youngsters who could help to raise cash, and one of them is young left-back Ishe Samuels-Smith.

The 19-year-old joined Chelsea from Everton in 2023 for around £4 million, and Samuels-Smith recently put pen to paper on a new contract running until 2031 – meaning the west Londoners can demand a fairly substantial fee.

Ishe Samuels-Smith in talks to join Strasbourg from Chelsea

According to L’Equipe, Chelsea’s sister club, Strasbourg, could offer them a chance to recuperate some money off the teenager.

The newspaper states that Samuels-Smith was at Strasbourg’s training facilities on Wednesday ahead of a potential move, and the Ligue 1 side are currently in talks with his representatives as Chelsea consider selling him for £5 million.

The defender is yet to make his senior debut for the club since transferring from Goodison Park, and it now appears that Chelsea are preparing to cash in on Samuels-Smith with a £1 million profit.

He captained the Under-21s side on numerous occasions last season and was a mainstay of Filipe Coelho’s backline last season, but this seemingly hasn’t been enough to convince Chelsea that he could emerge as a first-team player.

Chandika Hathurusinghe is a hard taskmaster. He doesn’t mince his words, not to players, board officials or journalists. It is the sort of outlook that can sometimes rub people the wrong way. On Monday, in Rawalpindi however, the Bangladesh coach showed a different side of himself.After three routine questions, Hathurusinghe was asked about his feelings having been in Dhaka, a city shaken up by political unrest. He had arrived on the evening of August 2 when there was still a curfew and the country was tense. The following three days saw more violence as what began as student protests in July spilled over into something more tumultuous. Hathurusinghe stayed at the Amari hotel in Dhaka’s Gulshan area. It is usually a quiet area but during the protests, every inch of Dhaka, including the posh ones, was in upheaval.Hathurusinghe tried to answer the question with his usual straight-faced calm but was soon overwhelmed. He started to choke on his words and needed a few moments to gather himself. When asked what made him so emotional, he touched upon the losses sustained by the Bangladesh people.Related

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“I mean, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of those who lost their loved ones,” Hathurusinghe said. “It was really hard… I think, I hope the students’ questions will be answered. It was an unprecedented event. I hope that the country will come to normalcy soon. It was very difficult.”It is rare that Bangladesh cricketers and coaches engage in public with subjects outside of the game. They often keep their cards close to the chest. But the unrest back home has been significant. Indeed, Hathurusinghe said that he hopes that the Bangladesh team can bring some good news to a nation battered by political turmoil. “We know that sport has a real power to unite and give hope to the people,” he said.Hathurusinghe also said that he would be keen to continue as Bangladesh’s head coach but would accept the BCB’s decision if they ended his contract. He was appointed in February 2023 and is reportedly set to stay on until the end of the 2025 Champions Trophy. The BCB president Nazmul Hassan, who hasn’t been seen or heard from for the last two weeks, was Hathurusinghe’s biggest backer.”I don’t know what’s happening back home,” he said. “I have signed a contract till whatever the date. I am looking forward to serve the term. If the board changes, and the new people want to make a change, I am okay with that. If they want to continue with me, I am happy to continue.”Bangladesh have five pacers in their squad but Taskin Ahmed will only be available for the second Test•PCB

Hathurusinghe couldn’t join training in Dhaka, which is why the BCB accepted the PCB’s invitation for three extra days of training in Lahore ahead of the Test series. He said that they have brought a good, all-round team but it does look spin-heavy, especially when compared to the Pakistan side who have opted to go in with all-pace.Hathurusinghe said that Bangladesh have enough depth in the pace department to make use of the conditions they will be getting when the first Test begins on Wednesday. “The Rawalpindi pitch looks more favourable for fast bowling and batting,” he said. “They also didn’t pick any spinners. Lately, we have developed a lot of good fast bowlers in our ranks as well. If the condition favours, they will do well. Shakib Al Hasan and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz are two world-class allrounders. We have all our bases covered for whatever they throw at us.”Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Khaled Ahmed and Taskin Ahmed are the pacers in Bangladesh’s squad, although Taskin will be available only for the second Test.”The fast bowlers did well in the [T20] World Cup where they had favourable conditions. It hasn’t happened overnight. It developed in the last two years. They have not played 20 Tests altogether, so they are young fast bowlers compared to the Pakistan attack. I am really excited to see how they continue,” Hathurusinghe said.Bangladesh’s main concern is their batting, which has lost its way in the last 12 months. Their latest failure was at the T20 World Cup, in June, but Hathurusinghe believes that Pakistan’s pitches could bring out the best in them.”Batting has been a concern for a while, but not for one reason,” he said. “We play in result-oriented wickets back home. Sometimes 250 is a winning score in those pitches. Obviously when you play on these pitches, the batters have a tough time. I hope the pitches in Pakistan generally favour batting. It is a good contest between bat and ball. We will show better result on these pitches.”

After reaching an agreement to sign Anthony Elanga, Newcastle United could reportedly turn their focus towards signing another Premier League star following internal talks.

Newcastle set to sign Anthony Elanga

It’s been a frustrating few weeks for Newcastle, who watched on as their targets headed elsewhere. But that frustration is finally over thanks to Elanga. The Nottingham Forest star is reportedly set to join the Magpies after an agreement was reached with the Trick Trees over a deal worth as much as £55m this summer.

Even after Callum Wilson’s decision to leave the club this summer, Newcastle’s frontline will be in better shape than ever once Elanga is up and running under Eddie Howe.

With the Swede, the Magpies will have Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Alexander Isak, William Osula and Elanga all at their disposal – forming one of the most dangerous attacks in the Premier League.

Isak

2,756

23

6

Barnes

1,755

9

4

Gordon

2,434

6

5

Elanga

2,501

6

11

Osula

134

1

0

Having scored 45 goals between them last season, Newcastle’s new-look attack will be hoping to improve on those numbers when working together at St James’ Park in the coming campaign.

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, PIF and Newcastle still have unfinished business in the transfer window. Names such as Giorgio Scalvini have threatened to steal the headlines as of late and the Magpies could yet land an impressive defensive reinforcement.

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What’s more, another Premier League star has reportedly entered their radar in another move to improve what is already a stacked frontline.

Newcastle hold internal talks about signing £50m Wissa

According to The Daily Mail, a new name has entered the frame for the Magpies. Newcastle and PIF have held internal discussions about signing Yoane Wissa this summer.

With Brentford teammate Bryan Mbeumo reportedly heading towards Manchester United rather than Newcastle, the Magpies have reportedly spoken about signing his striker partner instead.

Like Mbeumo, however, Wissa won’t come cheap this summer. According to reports, any club who want to sign the talented striker will have to pay as much as £50m to secure his signature. After already splashing out to sign Elanga this summer, there will be question marks over Newcastle’s ability to match that price within PSR rules.

If PSR proves to be no problem, though, then those at St James’ Park should jump at the chance to sign Wissa before the end of August. If Elanga’s season looked impressive, then Wissa’s should be seen as an entirely different level.

The forward scored 19 Premier League goals – just four fewer than Isak – and was described as “fantastic” by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank last time out.

For £50m, Newcastle could round off their attack in statement-making fashion and put any of their early summer misery behind them once and for all.

Chelsea have already seemingly struck gold when it comes to some of their early summer additions to Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, Joao Pedro couldn’t have wished for a better introduction to life in Chelsea blue after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion out at the Club World Cup, powering home a clinical three strikes from three games, with fellow new attacking recruit Liam Delap also chipping in with a promising assist.

Enzo Maresca will be delighted with how quickly his fresh recruits have got up to speed with the pace of their new side, with more signings now surely in the pipeline.

Chelsea eyeing cut-price deal for new defender

Chelsea have a reputation for a reason when it comes to splashing the big bucks, with £90m already denting the bank account off the back of Delap and Pedro entering the building in quick succession.

An even steeper £78m expense might soon be signed off on, too, with Morgan Rogers deemed a top priority move by the powers that be at West London, on top of other exciting playmakers appearing on their shopping list in the form of Dutch superstar Xavi Simons.

However, not every summer pick-up Chelsea go after has to be the flashiest or the most daring capture, with Footbal.London now reporting that a cut-price deal for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato could be on the table.

Football.London speculates that the Blues are considering a move for the young Dutchman and will try to snap up the services of the 19-year-old gem for a cut-price £40m – even as his Eredivisie employers state they want £60m to part ways.

Chelsea are particularly keen on the defender owing to Renato Veiga potentially heading out the door.

How Hato could be a Palmer repeat at Chelsea

Coincidentally, Cole Palmer cost around the same £40m region when he left Manchester City behind as a wide-eyed youngster attempting to make a name for himself.

It’s fair to say he’s certainly done that – as his glorious solo effort helped his side lift the Club World Cup. They may not be positionally similar but Hato could potentially go on to be Chelsea’s next Palmer; another emerging talent that explodes into life at Stamford Bridge.

Before exploring Hato’s rise in Amsterdam, it’s only right to further analyse how much of a wild ascent Palmer has been on since ditching the Etihad for pastures new in West London.

On the senior books of the Citizens, Palmer only mustered up a meagre eight goal contributions from 41 appearances, making Chelsea’s splurge of £40m on the 23-year-old attacker two years ago look like a rash shot in the dark.

Now, however, he has a mammoth 43 goals and 29 assists next to his name from 97 Chelsea appearances and counting, resulting in his transfer value sitting at a pretty £104m, according to Transfermarkt.

Hato will be dreaming of being the next star to undergo this sharp trajectory; therefore, with the 19-year-old already making significant waves back in his native Netherlands to suggest he has an extremely bright future in the game.

Games played

11

33

31

Goals scored

0

1

2

Assists

0

2

6

Touches*

57.4

94.8

67.2

Accurate passes*

42.6 (91%)

72.8 (93%)

45.2 (90%)

Total duels won*

3.1

5.5

4.1

Clean sheets

1

5

11

If anything, Hato is actually ahead of Palmer’s development now, when the 23-year-old was still situated at City, with three standout seasons already under his belt in the Dutch top-flight.

In a similar manner to Palmer then, the teenage sensation will hope he can arrive in West London and instantly battle it out for starting spot in Maresca’s main side, with the “immense” talent – as he’s been heralded by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – a capable performer both in the heart of defence or as a left-back option.

Further lauded as being “very mature” by ex-Ajax teammate Jordan Henderson, don’t be surprised if Hato becomes a key first-teamer from the get-go if he does spread his wings to England, as another Palmer-like steal excites spectators at Stamford Bridge.

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The international ace would be unreal for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 18, 2025

After a record-breaking League One title-winning campaign last time out, Birmingham City will be looking to carry that momentum into the 2025/26 Championship season under Chris Davies.

Co-owners Tom Wagner and Tom Brady have big plans at St Andrew’s, and the Blues will be looking to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2011 as soon as possible.

Birmingham City’s first 5 Championship fixtures	Date
Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town	August 8
Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City	August 16
Birmingham City vs Oxford United	August 23
Leicester City vs Birmingham City	August 30
Stoke City vs Birmingham City	September 13

To do that, new signings to help them in the second tier could be key, and the club have already made a start on their summer transfer business.

But who will start against Ipswich Town on August 8? Well, Grok, the AI tool on X, has forecasted Birmingham’s 25/26 line-up, with five new faces in the XI.

AI predicts Birmingham’s 2025/26 line-up

1

GK: James Beadle

After helping England to U21 European Championship glory this summer, goalkeeper James Beadle will be playing for Birmingham this season.

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3

By
Kelan Sarson

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Signed on a season-long loan from Brighton, Beadle already has second tier experience after his time with Sheffield Wednesday in 24/25.

2

RB: Ethan Laird

A key member of the League One title-winning side, Ethan Laird has been predicted to keep his place in the Birmingham side.

His ‘pace and attacking contributions make him a mainstay’ under Davies, and Grok adds that Laird’s ‘enthusiasm and Championship experience will be vital’.

3

CB: Krystian Bielik

Club captain Krystian Bielik is also backed to retain his place in the XI, being described as a ‘cornerstone of the defence’.

Bielik’s Birmingham stats
Games	125
Goals	2
Yellow cards	32
Red cards§	2

The Poland international is still under contract until 2027 and Bielik’s ‘leadership and ability to play in midfield or defence ensure his place’.

4

CB: Phil Neumann

Alongside Bielik is new arrival Phil Neumann, who signed on a free transfer from Hannover 96 earlier this summer.

The German actually penned a pre-contract agreement at the beginning of 2025 and has been backed to go straight into Davies’ XI.

5

LB: Lee Buchanan

With Laird keeping his place at right-back, Lee Buchanan has been predicted to make his return from a serious knee to start at left-back.

Buchanan ‘is expected to hold down the left side with his defensive solidity and attacking overlaps’.

6

CM: Hayden Hackney

Backed to cost £10m from Middlesbrough this summer is Hayden Hackney, with AI-driven predictions suggesting Birmingham could target the 22-year-old versatile midfielder.

Grok says Hackney’s ‘ability to play multiple midfield roles would add dynamism’ to the Blues side.

7

CM: Paik Seung-ho

Partnering Hackney is Paik Seung-ho, who was a regular in 24/25, making 50 appearances in all competitions.

The South Korea international is likely to play a key role once more, and Grok says his ‘composure and work rate make him a certain starter in the Championship’.

8

CAM: Kanya Fujimoto

The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for Japanese attacking midfielder Kanya Fujimoto this summer, with his contract at Gil Vicente set to expire.

Still just 26 years of age, Fujimoto’s ‘creativity and flair would suit Davies’ attacking philosophy’.

9

RW: Demarai Gray

Returning to St Andrew’s this summer is academy graduate Demarai Gray, nine years on after leaving Birmingham for Leicester City.

Gray’s ‘Premier League experience and pace would be a major coup’ for the Blues, according to Grok.

10

ST: Jay Stansfield

Birmingham’s record signing Jay Stansfield was always going to keep his place in the XI after a successful first season as a permanent Blues player.

The striker already has ‘proven Championship quality which makes him the focal point of the attack’.

Northants secure return for Matthew Breetzke in Championship and Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2024Lancashire have signed Australia allrounder Chris Green as one of their overseas players in the Vitality T20 Blast for the next two seasons.Green, 31, was Lancashire’s leading wicket-taker in the Blast this summer with 14, helping the club to qualify for the knockouts – although, due to the lengthy gap after the group stage, he had moved on to the CPL and was unavailable for their quarter-final defeat against Sussex.His contract again includes the provision to play in the County Championship and One-Day Cup, subject to availability. Green, who also turned out for Trent Rockets in the Hundred, made six One-Day Cup games appearances – scoring his maiden hundred – and one in the Championship for Lancashire in 2024.”I absolutely loved my first year with the club and I am even more excited to be coming back for the next two seasons – I can’t wait to join up with the team again next summer,” Green said. “It is a really special group of players at Lancashire. I know that there are big things to come, and I am looking forward to playing my part in that during 2025 and 2026.”I really felt the support from all of the Red Rose Members and supporters this summer and I can’t wait to see you all again next season at Emirates Old Trafford.”Lancahisre’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said: “One of our key priorities heading into the winter was to secure Chris’ services so we are really pleased to get this deal done early and to have his commitment to playing for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast for the next two years.”Chris made a huge impact for us on the field and had a number of options and offers to play around the world, but we are delighted that he has committed to being here at Emirates Old Trafford. Not only did Chris’ performances with bat and ball stand out this season but he also really impressed us with his leadership and his personality had a huge influence on the dressing room. We are all looking forward to welcoming him back to the club next summer.”Breetzke back at NorthantsNorthamptonshire, meanwhile, have re-signed South Africa top-order batter Matthew Breetzke for the first half of the 2025 summer. Breetzke will be available for Northants’ first eight games in the County Championship, as well as the whole of the Blast group stage.The 25-year-old finished as Northants’ leading run-scorer in the 2024 Blast, with 460 at a strike rate of 153.84, helping the club to reach the quarter-finals.”I’m delighted to sign with Northamptonshire for the 2025 season,” Breetzke said. “I really enjoyed my time at the club this year. I think the team has a lot of potential to push for promotion as well as go a few steps further in the Blast and win it. I’m looking forward to helping the team and hopefully achieving many more victories along the way.”

Sunderland’s wild ambition in the summer transfer window to date indicates that they’re searching for more than just survival when leaping up to the Premier League.

Instead, the Black Cats are dreaming of taking the top-flight by storm, with signings in through the door such as Habib Diarra for a whopping £30m chomping at the bit to become a star at the top level.

That is easier said than done with no Premier League experience next to your name, but he will hope he can settle in swiftly to his pressurised environment when linking up with potential new teammate Granit Xhaka, who has been done there and done that in the unforgiving league previously.

Why Sunderland are chasing after Xhaka

Indeed, Xhaka looks to be edging ever closer to a return to England, with Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg going as far as to reveal that the Black Cats have agreed personal terms with the Swiss.

There is a sticking point still when it comes to his £17m valuation – and Erik ten Hag’s desire to keep hold of him – but when compared to Sunderland’s other excessive summer spending, this doesn’t feel like an inflated price to pay for a midfield enforcer who is well-versed in what it takes to be a success story in the Premier League.

Whilst he wasn’t always in the Arsenal good books across his lengthy 297-game stay in North London, owing to his full-blooded displays sometimes going overboard, he would be a welcome addition to Le Bris’ camp all the same, especially as they try to gain more top-flight experience in their camp.

After all, Xhaka would impressively notch up 17 goals and 24 assists across 225 league outings for the Gunners before seeking out pastures new with Bayer Leverkusen, on top of launching himself into 1001 duels in total as a combative presence well-suited to a potential relegation tussle.

Yet, even at 32 years of age, Xhaka will hope he can get even more out of his varied game on his reentry to the lively level, with another new signing on Sunderland’s agenda potentially going on to be a dream teammate for the left-footed battler to work alongside.

Sensational Sunderland target could be a dream for Xhaka

Xhaka bowed out of the Emirates in 2023 after arguably experiencing one of his finest seasons in Arsenal red, with his output of seven goals and seven assists very much sticking out.

Across his two previous seasons before bowing out in style, Xhaka would only collect six goals and assists in total, as those at the Stadium of Light now hope this magic in terms of offering goals and assists – away from his known image of being attritional – comes to the forefront on Wearside to help survival be reached at a minimum.

He could well shine even brighter in this regard if Bilal El Khannouss seals a switch to the Black Cats shortly, with the creative Leicester City machine potentially set to make a move to Sunderland for around the £22.5m mark, amid interest also coming from Aston Villa.

Amazingly, despite the Foxes succumbing to relegation last season, the Moroccan would stand out as an entertaining playmaker all campaign long when putting in many a memorable display for his doomed outfit.

El Khannouss’ league numbers for Leicester (24/25)

Stat (* = per game)

El Khannouss

Games played

32

Goals scored

2

Assists

3

Touches*

42.5

Accurate passes*

24.0 (80%)

Key passes*

1.3

Big chances created

8

Total duels won*

3.6

Stats by Sofascore

An encouraging two goals and three assists would come El Khannouss’ way from 32 league clashes, with Xhaka perhaps ready to score even more of his trademark strikes from outside of the box when being teed up by the £22.5m star, off the back of him creating eight big chances at the foot of the Premier League.

The relationship will, no doubt, be reciprocal, too, as El Khannouss becomes even more clued up about the challenges of the daunting division, knowing he’s partnered next to an individual who knows how to battle and succeed in such a brutal terrain.

Adding Xhaka is a jaw-dropping move for Sunderland to make, but throwing the “sensational” Moroccan – as he’s been labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – into the mix, too, would be yet another sublime move that catches the eye.

In the end, the midfield duo could well become a devastating force together that ultimately helps the Black Cats become a surprise Premier League package.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 23, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are still riding on the euphoria of winning the Europa League, salvaging something from a wretched 2024/25 campaign that led to a 17th-place Premier League finish and Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal from his post.

It was a contentious call, to be sure, but Spurs’ triumph could not and did not detract from the abject domestic form that highlighted so many flaws in the squad, injury-hit though it was.

With Thomas Frank now at the helm, there are plenty of reasons for the Lilywhite faithful to be excited, especially since the success on the continent, beating Manchester United in the final, has rolled out the carpet into next term’s Champions League proper.

While Frank and the club’s fanbase are hoping to see some exciting new forwards welcomed to the fold, Tottenham also need to address their defensive deficiencies.

Incomings are needed, with the potential sale of one of the outfit’s superstars playing into that.

The latest on Spurs' defensive situation

It’s clear that Tottenham need to strengthen at the back, especially as Cristian Romero is at the top of Atletico Madrid’s summer shopping list and could be sold in the next few months.

Despite finalising a deal for Kevin Danso, it’s clear that the Londoners need some added quality in defence; too often last season (and in 2023/24), the club’s fragilities were heightened when Romero and Micky van de Ven were absent – and setbacks have been commonplace for the imperious centre-half pairing.

According to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Tottenham have joined Inter Milan in lodging an official enquiry for Genoa defender Koni De Winter.

While the suitors have yet to place official offers on the table, discussions are ongoing and Genoa would be willing to do business for a fee in a region of €25m (£21m).

What Koni De Winter would bring to Spurs

Joining Genoa from Juventus in a deal worth €10m (roughly £8m) in 2024, De Winter has enjoyed a standout season for Genoa, featuring 25 times and scoring three goals. He would have featured more prominently, but for a hamstring injury sustained in October, keeping him out for two months.

Having previously played at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium on loan the term before, the Belgium international has enjoyed steady progress in Italy and could now be ready for a move to the Premier League, emulating his countryman Jan Vertonghen in playing for Tottenham.

As per FBref, the 23-year-old ranked among the top 3% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goals scored, the top 9% for touches in the attacking box, the top 10% for aerial duels won and the top 14% for ball recoveries per 90.

De Winter’s flair for the attacking side of the game further suggests that he could be Vertonghen’s heir down N17 in more than just nationality, with journalist Antonio Mango even saying “his in-game intelligence is unreal”.

Matches (starts)

25 (23)

Goals

3

Assists

0

Touches*

63.6

Pass completion

87%

Ball recoveries*

4.6

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

Clearances*

4.5

Aerial duels (won)*

3.0 (69%)

Moreover, De Winter’s versatility and athleticism lend themselves to a wider berth, having featured five times as a right-back for Genoa. The left-footed Vertonghen was dispatched on the left numerous times across his long Spurs career for similar reasons.

Vertonghen, now 38 years old, played 313 times for Tottenham after signing from Ajax for just £10m in 2012, with his career in the Premier League leaving him regarded among the finest defenders of his generation, partnered mainly with countryman Toby Alderweireld.

Big boots to fill, but De Winter has the versatility and technical confidence to forge a successful career for himself in the English capital, emulating his Belgian icon.

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