Wrexham spent big in the summer of 2025, but former Red Dragons boss Dean Saunders has told GOAL why Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac will likely make more funds available in the January transfer window. The ambitious Welsh outfit are looking competitive in the Championship, with collective sights locked on winning promotion to the Premier League.
Record-breaking rise: Three successive promotions
Hollywood co-owners have never shied away from that ultimate goal, with Mac stating that dream in public while Wrexham were climbing out of the lower leagues. Three successive promotions have lifted them out of the National League and into the second tier of English football.
Just one more step up the ladder is required in order to rub shoulders with the elite. Reynolds and Mac have helped to fund a meteoric rise, while opening up a window to the world with the award-winning ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series.
Life in the Championship was never going to be easy, with a record-shattering outlay of more than £30 million ($40m) required in order to get Phil Parkinson’s squad ready for the most testing of divisions.
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Spend to compete: How Wrexham have fared in the Championship
Assessing the Red Dragons’ efforts so far, Saunders – speaking in association with – told GOAL: "They have not won that many games, they have had nine draws, which is remarkable. They have drawn loads but that’s alright, it’s a marathon not a sprint – as long as you keep picking points up.
"The loss at Hull gives the manager a chance to go and – maybe there were cracks they were getting away with – he can go in and say it and go ‘right, that run has come to an end, onto the next run’.
"They spent £10m on Nathan Broadhead. Josh Windass and Kieffer Moore can get goals in the Championship, they can play at that level. It’s about getting success at that level. That’s why there are five leagues – players try and climb up the leagues and they stop at the point where they can’t beat the full-backs. In League One, they used to beat the League Two full-backs but now in League One they are finding it hard to make an impact in the game, so they get left out.
"The Championship is another level. You have got players coming down from the Premier League and players who can do a job at that level, and you have also got Championship players who turn up Sat-Tues, Sat-Tues and know what to do and how to prepare in the Championship, because it’s week in, week out.
"You have got to be careful what players you sign. Some Premier League players will be like ‘what is this, we are playing again on Tuesday, Millwall away when it’s raining and it’s a scrap?’ You have got to get players who are prepared to put their foot forward."
Spend again! Reynolds & Mac finding transfer funds
Quizzed on whether it will take another £30m to get Wrexham over the line and into the top-flight, Saunders added – with another window of opportunity set to swing open in the new year: "What can you say to the owners of Wrexham? They have put enough money in, they have enough sponsorship money.
"I never thought they would pay £10m for a footballer, Wrexham. I never paid a penny for a player! My biggest earner was probably Andy Mangan on £1,500-a-week – that was the wage I could go to. Some of them now are on 30 times that.
"They are doing great. If we had asked at the start of the season where do you think Wrexham will finish? You wouldn’t know how to answer it – they might do alright because of the momentum, they might struggle at this level. They are about touching distance from the play-offs. I’m sure they will add some players in January. These lads are determined to get to the Premier League."
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Where will Wrexham finish in the 2025-26 campaign?
Reynolds and Mac always knew that they could not complete Wrexham’s ascent by themselves, with huge sums of money required in order to reach the top of the pyramid. They have sold minority stakes and will continue to speak with any potential investors.
For now the Red Dragons sit 14th in the Championship table, with a nine-game unbeaten run brought to a close last time out at Hull City, but are only four points adrift of the play-off places and a shot at earning the ultimate promotion.
Xabi Alonso has insisted that he's unfazed by reports of friction between him and Vinicius Junior as pressure ramps up on the Real Madrid manager amid the team's three-match winless run. The streak started with a loss at Liverpool in the Champions League, followed by back-to-back draws in La Liga against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, which allowed Barcelona to cut the gap at the top of La Liga to just one point.
Vini Jr's fallout with Alonso
Vinicius Junior has had problems with new manager Alonso over his game time since the start of the season. It all escalated during El Clásico, when the 25-year-old was seen ranting after being taken off by the boss in the second half of the match. He subsequently issued a public apology for his behaviour but raised more eyebrows by neglecting to mention his manager in his statement.
The Selecao star's current contract runs out in 2027 and he has yet to reach an agreement with Madrid to extend his stay. According to , Vinicius Jr. has informed Los Blancos he will not renew his current deal "while his relationship with head coach Alonso remains so strained".
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Alonso unperturbed by mutiny
Addressing Vinicius Jr's supposed mutiny and managing big egos in the Madrid dressing room, Alonso said: "It’s just as important as the footballing philosophy, the tactical and physical work, managing personalities… and it’s a process with different phases that you have to know how to navigate. At Real Madrid, it’s fundamental. I didn’t realise it had been six months, but it’s turning out to be exactly what I expected. A very demanding job with good moments and moments where you need that concentration and connection. We’re in one where we have to show a reaction. I’m enjoying the whole package, everything it entails. I said it on the first day and I’ll say it again."
When asked to comment on the topic of players getting managers sacked, Alonso added: "It’s demanding, but I’m certainly not the first manager to have to deal with these situations. I think a lot about what Carlo [Ancelotti], [Jose] Mourinho, or [Manuel] Pellegrini, the managers I’ve had, would have done in their time. These aren’t new situations; we have to know how to deal with them, we have the necessary standards and self-criticism. We know where we want to go… and putting all of this together, I’m enjoying it.
"We have to have a lot of respect for the players and the teams and how they prepare. I don’t want to and I’m not going to talk about that. I know what a dressing room is, I know the moments you have to go through, and you have to deal with the external noise. It shouldn’t make us lose focus on what’s important for us. We have to know how to get through these moments; we know the consequences of bad results, but they shouldn’t derail us from the path we want to take."
Does Alonso have Madrid's backing?
Asked if he has got the club's backing in this situation, Alonso said: "I’m guessing it is not the first time you’ve asked that question. We know the moment we’re in, in La Liga and the Champions League. I’m not focused on that, I’m focused on the players, on what we can control, and what happens at Valdebebas.
"Not of support, because it’s not necessary, but we have the usual day-to-day communication with the president, I spoke this morning with him, and I also speak with Jose Angel [Sanchez, general manager] every day or two, the usual."
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Nadal's advice for Vinicius Jr
Die-hard Real Madrid fan and tennis legend Rafael Nadal has sided with Alonso in the tussle, telling: "I think it can be resolved through dialogue, with everyone on the same page. I believe Vini needs to understand who is in charge and respect that authority, and also the club, given what it means to be a Real Madrid player. But I think he's doing his best, and those things that come out of him, which sometimes aren't well-received, can be corrected through dialogue and an awareness that things can be improved. The first person who needs to want to explore that path of improvement has to be him. When I hear him speak in interviews, saying that he wants to improve in every aspect, I think he needs to find strong allies, and I'm convinced that Real Madrid will have the right people, and he will be there to advise him.
"The basic principle is wanting to do it. And Real Madrid has in Vinicius an asset that they can't devalue and that they have to protect, regardless of any performances that might not be to everyone's liking. As a player, he's a club asset; it's a situation that Real Madrid, being the immense club it is, knows how to manage, and I think they've done it well. The proof is that Vinicius' performance is now better than it was before. Football has a problem that is also a great strength; ultimately, many stories are written every week, and that magnifies things, but footballers are people, and that's how things are resolved, as human beings, by talking, understanding each other, and trying to project an image – one that is truly genuine – of unity, respect, and everyone pulling in the same direction."
Karun Nair left out of the 15-man squad while Pant remains injured
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-20253:28
What does the squad for the WI Tests tell us?
Ravindra Jadeja has been named the vice-captain of the India Test squad for the two West Indies matches next month – it’s his first time in the position, though he has been vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is in the past.Shubman Gill will lead in his second Test series after debuting in the position in England earlier this year, but the injured Rishabh Pant, who was the vice-captain on the tour of England, hasn’t recovered sufficiently to make the squad. Pant, who had fractured his foot while batting in the fourth Test in England, is currently recovering at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan are the two specialist wicketkeepers in the squad, with Jurel expected to be the first choice to stand behind the stumps.Jasprit Bumrah is also part of the squad, although there is only three day’s gap between the Asia Cup final, on September 28 in Dubai, and the start of the first Test against West Indies from October 2 in Ahmedabad.ESPNcricinfo LtdFrom the expanded squad that toured England, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh and Shardul Thakur have missed out, along with Pant. Abhimanyu, Akash Deep and Kamboj have been included in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup, which will be played against Vidarbha from October 1 in Nagpur. Of them, Akash Deep had reported to the CoE recently to recover from a niggle he had picked up in England, which kept him out of the Duleep Trophy and recent India A matches.Coming in are Axar Patel, Devdutt Padikkal and Jagadeesan, who had been flown in for the final Test after Pant picked up his injury.On the exclusion of Nair, who had scored 205 runs in eight innings in England with a best of 57, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said at a press conference in Dubai while announcing the squad: “We expected more from Karun. Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. Wish we could give everyone 15-20 Tests, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Padikkal was in the Test squad in Australia, played against England in Dharamsala, got a fifty there. He’s shown some decent form. Frankly, we expected a bit more from Karun.”Related
Agarkar: We don't want a repeat of New Zealand Test series
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BCCI okays Iyer's request for break from red-ball cricket
Pant to miss home Tests against West Indies
Meanwhile, one of Nair’s likely replacements, Sarfaraz Khan, is currently recovering from an injury.The rest of the squad wears a familiar look, and with spin expected to play a bigger part at home than pace, India have named Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar as the three spin-bowling allrounders, as well as Kuldeep Yadav. Nitish Kumar Reddy is the fast-bowling allrounder, with Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna the frontline quicks.On Bumrah’s availability – it had been confirmed before the five-Test tour of England that he would play only three Tests to manage his workload – Agarkar said, “This team has been picked for both the Tests, so he’s available for both Tests. We’ve had a fair break after England. He didn’t play the fifth Test [at The Oval] either. So there’s been a five-week break. Even this tournament [Asia Cup] has been fairly spaced out till the last week. So no, he’s ready and keen to play both Test matches.”India’s two Tests against West Indies, starting on October 2 in Ahmedabad and October 10 in Delhi, is their second of six series in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. Their cycle began with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series in England, where India drew the five-Test series 2-2.Having earned 28 out of the maximum of 60 available points for five Tests, India are third in the WTC points table, with 46.67 percentage points. Australia and Sri Lanka are above them with 100 and 66.67 percentage points respectively. West Indies have zero percentage points, having lost three Tests to Australia in June-July.India’s squad for West Indies TestsShubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-capt), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, N Jagadeesan (wk)
Rangers could finally be closing in on a new manager and the 49ers have now reportedly set a new timeline in their pursuit of Shanghai Port boss Kevin Muscat.
Rohl drops out of Rangers manager race
It’s been a chaotic international break for those at Ibrox. They’ve watched on as the likes of Kevin Thelwell and the rest of the board have attempted to replace Russell Martin, who they made the shortest-serving manager in the club’s history after sacking him just 123 days in.
It looked as though it could be Steven Gerrard – he was certainly their leading candidate – before the Liverpool legend handed them the most frustrating rejection. And he’s not been the only one to withdraw from contention. As reported by Ben Jacobs, former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has also dropped out of the race to become the next Rangers manager.
It’s the second time that the 36-year-old has been up for the Ibrox job and the second time that the 49ers will be looking elsewhere. Whether they’ll regret not pushing for his signature will be the big question in the coming weeks.
Rohl’s decision has very much left the door wide open for other candidates. The likes of Graham Potter and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been mentioned in the last week, for example, and may yet receive their chance.
That said, the current favourite to take the job remains Muscat and with the Gers set to return to action this weekend, the Gers have reportedly taken a key step towards his arrival.
Rangers set Muscat timeline
According to Football Insider, the 49ers now want to strike an agreement with Muscat in the next 48 hours. There is reportedly growing confidence at Rangers that the 52-year-old will be the next man to take the reins and talks are advancing, even though it will mean convincing him to take a pay cut.
However, it remains to be seen just when Muscat will take charge. As things stand, he’s still got four Chinese Super League games to play at Shanghai Port, who sit top of the tree and two points clear.
"Brilliant" former assistant to Hansi Flick wants to be Rangers manager – report
He’s eager to get going…
ByTom Cunningham Oct 15, 2025
On course to win silverware and end an era in style, the Rangers manager candidate may not be keen to take the reins until the current Chinese season ends in mid-November.
If that does prove to be the case, then Rangers will have to appoint an interim until Muscat is available next month, with Neil McCann thought to be the likely option. Given where they find themselves in the Scottish Premiership – 11 points behind shock leaders Hearts – more disruption is the last thing that the Gers need.
Nonetheless, Muscat remains the favourite and most likely to take the job now that Rohl has removed himself from contention. After failing to get the job ahead of Philippe Clement in 2023, the former Rangers player could now finally get his chance to step into the Ibrox dugout.
Celtic are on the lookout for a new manager this week after Brendan Rodgers officially resigned from his role with the Scottish Premiership champions on Monday night.
Martin O’Neill will take interim charge of the Hoops and will be in the dugout for their league clash with Falkirk at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
Football Insider have already reported that the club are planning to make contact with out-of-work former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou about a potential return to the club.
However, the Hoops are now reportedly looking at another potential replacement for Brendan Rodgers who could be their next version of Postecoglou.
Celtic eyeing move for Championship manager
Following Rodgers’ resignation on Monday night, the board will be compiling a list of possible managers before finalising a shortlist and deciding who they want as their next head coach.
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According to The Scotsman, Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is one of the people on the club’s list of potential targets to replace Rodgers in the coming days and weeks.
The report claims that the Hoops are considering a swoop to bring the Tractor Boys head coach to Parkhead, and that he is one of the early names under consideration at this moment in time.
It states that he has fans inside the boardroom at Celtic, hence the interest in his services, but it remains to be seen whether or not he would be interested in taking the job.
Why Kieran McKenna would be Celtic's next Ange Postecoglou
The Northern Irish coach, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, would be Postecoglou 2.0 for Celtic because he is another excellent coach whose teams play beautiful football.
Gary Neville described Postecoglou’s style of play as “breathtaking” in the Premier League, whilst Hoops supporters saw how exciting it was to watch as their team won five trophies in two seasons with him in charge, per Transfermarkt.
McKenna has earned similar praise for the way that his Ipswich team has played in recent years. Former Barnsley boss Danny Wilson claimed that the Tractor Boys play “sublime football” under the ex-Manchester United coach.
The goal in the clip above provides a taste of the kind of football McKenna’s team can play, with brilliant combination play and movement off the ball to create chances whilst playing through the opposition.
25/26 Championship (11)
16
TBC
24/25 Premier League (38)
22
19th
23/24 Championship (46)
96
2nd
22/23 Championship (46)
98
2nd
21/22 League One(23)
41
11th
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic target took Ipswich from midtable in the Championship all the way to the Premier League, and they are now in the Championship again with an opportunity to get promoted back to the top-flight.
He has improved the Tractor Boys, clearly, during his time there and has been incredibly unlucky not to win two league titles, with 98 and 96 points somehow not being enough for a single title over two seasons.
In the view of his former skipper, Sam Morsy, McKenna’s “one of the best managers around”.
Like Postecoglou, he has a demonstrable style of play that could be exciting for Celtic supporters to watch week-in-week-out, and it is one that has proven to be successful, given the incredible points returns in his two promotion-winning seasons.
Of course, the concern may be that he has not won a league title or done anything of note in a top-flight, but that was also true of Rodgers, who had been sacked by Liverpool, when they first appointed him.
Sutton demands Celtic appoint title winning manager who "hates losing"
Celtic’s managerial hunt is underway.
ByTom Cunningham Oct 28, 2025
Therefore, McKenna could be an interesting appointment for the Scottish giants and one that could get fans excited at Parkhead because of his lovely style of play, as Postecoglou did during his time at the club.
The Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians are set to begin a three-game series between two division-leading teams. The Guardians, who have been one of the most surprising teams in 2024, hold a 5.0 game lead in the AL Central while the Mariners have a commanding 9.0 game lead on the AL West.
In this article, I'm going to dive into everything you need to know to bet on today's series opener.
Mariners vs. Guardians Odds, Run Line, and Total
Run Line:
Mariners -1.5 (+168)
Guardians +1.5 (-205)
Moneyline:
Mariners +106
Guardians -124
Total:
8.5 (Over -104/Under -115)
Mariners vs. Guardians Probable Pitchers
Seattle: Bryce Miller (5-5, 3.48 ERA)
Cleveland: Triston McKenzie (3-3, 4.10 ERA)
Mariners vs. Guardians How to Watch
Date: Tuesday, June 18
Time: 6:40 p.m. EST
Venue: Progressive Field
How to watch (TV): ROOTNW, Bally Sports Great Lakes
Mariners record: 43-31
Guardians record: 44-25
Mariners vs. Guardians Key Players to Watch
Seattle Mariners
Cal Raleigh: The Mariners' catcher may not have a great batting average at .202, but the guy knows how to hit dingers. He leads the team in both home runs (12) and RBIs (43), while ranking third in WAR (1.5). He may be the most underrated part of the Mariners success this season.
Cleveland Guardians
Jose Ramirez: The Guardians' third baseman leads the team in virtually every single stat including batting average (.269), home runs (18), RBIs (62), on base percentage (.330), and hits (71). You're going to want to pay attention when he steps into the batters box.
Mariners vs. Guardians Prediction and Pick
I believe regression is coming for the Mariners this season. Their offensive numbers haven't been good enough to support their record. For example, they're just 25th in the Majors in OPS this season at .667. The Guardians have been batting at a far more sustainable rate, clocking in at .717 which ranks 12th.
The starting pitching matchup in this game is largely a wash, but Cleveland has a significant advantage when it comes to the bullpen.
The Guardians have the best bullpen in the Majors, especially of late, sporting a bullpen ERA of 1.94 over the last 30 days. The Mariners' bullpen sits 16th in that time frame at 4.06, so even if Cleveland gets down early, they'll never be out of it.
I'll back the Guardians to get the job done at home.
O Barcelona também tem interesse na contratação do volante Gabriel Moscardo, do Corinthians. A equipe catalã entrará na disputa com o Chelsea, da Inglaterra, pela contratação do jogador. A informação foi publicada inicialmente pelo ‘Diario Sport’, da Espanha, e confirmada pelo Lance!.
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Conforme antecipado pela reportagem no último dia 5 de setembro, a diretoria corintiana definiu em 30 milhões de euros (R$ 159,7 mi, na cotação atual) o valor para liberar o meio-campista, que está com a seleção brasileira pré-olímpica para a disputa de dois amistosos contra o Marrocos. O valor da multa rescisória do atleta para o exterior é de 100 milhões de euros.
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Mesmo com o Barça na jogada, a tendência é que Moscardo seja negociado com o Chelsea ainda nesta temporada. A boa relação entre a direção do clube inglês e o estafe do jogador é fundamental para isso.
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Na semana passada, os Blues fizeram uma proposta de 21 milhões de euros (R$) pelo atleta. O valor poderia chegar a 25 milhões de euros (R$) em caso de premiações por desempenho, mas, mesmo assim, a investida foi recusada pela direção corintiana. De toda forma, os londrinos não desistiram e seguem conversando com os representantes do jogador e pretendem enviar uma nova oferta em breve.
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A intenção do Chelsea em sair na frente pela contratação de Gabriel Moscardo tem a ver justamente com a concorrência que a equipe sabia que teria em relação a esse jogador, que é monitorado desde cedo por diversos clubes da Europa, inclusive o Barcelona.
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No elenco profissional corintiano há pouco mais de dois meses somente, o camisa 44 é tido como joia pelo Corinthians desde as categorias inferiores, quando já era observado por equipes importantes do exterior, como Arsenal e Manchester City. Após a ascensão meteórica à equipe principal, as sondagens e monitoramentos pelo volante aumentaram.
A ideia no Timão é negociar o jogador ainda neste ano, para ajudar no fechamento das contas, recebendo a maior parte possível do pagamento à vista. O clube alvinegro tem 80% dos direitos econômicos do atleta, que é dono do percentual restante.
Zak Crawley hits fifty after being dropped on nought before unbroken stand condemns Middlesex
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Apr-2025
Ben Compton and Tawanda Muyeye put on a matchwinning stand•Ian Scammell
Tawanda Muyeye and Ben Compton both hit centuries as Kent coasted to an eight-wicket run win over Middlesex in the Rothesay County Championship at Canterbury on Sunday.Muyeye made a fluent unbeaten 125 and Compton a stylish 124 not out in a record-breaking partnership worth 225, after England’s Zak Crawley showed a glimpse of form with 58, having being dropped on nought.Earlier Middlesex were all out for 311, setting Kent what looked like a stiff target of 316 to win. Ben Geddes made 75 and Zafar Gohar contributed 57 down the order, but Gohar was the only visiting bowler to enjoy any success, claiming two wickets in two balls to reduce Kent to 91 for 2. That, however, was as good as it got for the visitors and Compton hit the winning single with 5.4 overs of day three remaining.Middlesex began the day in a strong position on 222 for 6 and with a 226-run lead in the bank, but they lost Geddes early when he pulled Jack Leaning to the backward square leg boundary and was caught by a tumbling Joey Evison, having added just two to his overnight score.Blake Cullen made a useful 22 and saw off eight overs of the new ball before he edged Grant Stewart to Daniel Bell-Drummond at first slip.Stewart then got Toby Roland-Jones lbw for a fifth-ball duck but the last wicket duo of Gohar and Henry Brookes milked the bowlers for 39 runs.Gohar pulled Gilchrist for a huge six to take the lead past 300 and only perished when he cut the same bowler to Jas Singh on the backward point boundary.There was an eerie silence when Crawley, on nought in the first over, edged Roland-Jones to Geddes, who dropped him at third slip. He then drove Roland-Jones for successive fours, edged one through gully, clipped a six over midwicket and looked largely unmolested on his way to the fifty he reached by sweeping Gohar to third man for four.Gohar, however, undid him in his next over, with a ball that pitched near middle and spun back to hit his off stump. Bell-Drummond went to the very next ball, bowled by a delivery that pitched outside and hit off. Yet Muyeye blocked the hat-trick ball and at tea Kent looked favourites on 164 for 2.A pitch that looked so demonic on day one seemed to have been exorcised. Gohar switched ends and switched back again. Muyeye creamed Brookes for a six over square leg that ended up in the car park and drove Gafar through mid-off to reach his hundred.Bowling at Compton’s head proved futile and he cut Gohar through point for four to reach three figures, by which stage Middlesex seemed drained of hope.Muyeye seemed in a hurry to get it done in three days, dumping Gohar into the upper deck of the Cowdrey stand for a huge six.It was the highest ever third-wicket partnership for Kent v Middlesex, eclipsing the 196 made by both Bob Wilson and Colin Cowdrey in 1954 and David Fulton and Matt Walker in 2004.Compton staked his claim for a place in Kent’s Blast side by hitting the same bowler for a maximum over long-on, for only the sixth six of his career and he had the honour of hitting the winning run when he nudged Nathan Fernandes through mid-off.
While they didn’t exactly kick off their Premier League campaign in style, Chelsea got back on track with their thumping win away to West Ham United on Friday night.
The fans will be expecting Enzo Maresca’s side to do even better than last season this year, and rightly so, as the board have more than done their part over the last few months by significantly strengthening the side.
The likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato and more all look like great buys, and with a week to go until the window slams shut, the West Londoners seem intent on bringing in more talent.
One of the players who now seems almost sure to join the club is Alejandro Garnacho, although if reports are to be believed, the Blues could be set to sign another international ace who’d keep him out of the team.
Chelsea target Garnacho upgrade
Chelsea’s interest in Garnacho has been a longstanding one, with reports touting him for a move to the club back in the winter window.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Things have significantly progressed this summer, though, with the Manchester United ace reportedly rejecting other clubs to join the Blues, so long as a deal can be worked out between the two sides.
The Madrid-born gem would undoubtedly add dynamism and more of a goal threat to Maresca’s squad, but it now looks like the West Londoners are closing in on another attacker, someone who’d surely keep him out of the team.
At least that is according to a recent report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, which has reaffirmed Chelsea’s interest in Xavi Simons.
More than that, though, the report has claimed that, on top of already having an agreement with the player, the player will try to secure his move to the Bridge before deadline day.
In other words, the West Londoners are trying to bring the RB Leipzig star to Stamford Bridge this week, and while no price is mentioned in the story, reports from earlier this summer claim that an offer of £61m should be enough to seal the deal.
That is certainly a lot of money to spend on one player, but given Simons’ ability and potential, he’d be worth it, even if he’d keep Garnacho out of the team.
Why Simons would keep Garnacho out of the team
Unfortunately for Garnacho, while he is a versatile player who can thrive in attacking midfield and off the left, so can Simons.
RB Leipzig'sXaviSimonsreacts after the match
In fact, the Flying Dutchman has shown himself to be even more versatile than the Argentine, as on top of playing in the middle and off the left, he has spent time off the right and up top.
In other words, the United ace would almost certainly be in competition for game time with the Leipzig star, and based on the last season or so, we’d pick the latter every time.
For example, when it comes down to their raw output, there is just no competition.
In his 33 appearances for the German outfit last year, totalling 2763 minutes, the unreal “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.
That means he was able to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.
In contrast, the 21-year-old Red Devils ace scored 11 goals and provided ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes, last term.
That comes out to a notably worse average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or every 169.90 minutes.
The comparison is just as, if not more, one-sided when we take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers.
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.67
0.33
Progressive Passes
5.86
2.30
Progressive Carries
3.56
5.78
Key Passes
2.13
1.52
Passes into the Final Third
3.31
0.90
Passes into the Penalty Area
2.51
1.02
Shot-Creating Actions
4.52
3.40
Goal-Creating Actions
0.50
0.25
Tackles Won
0.88
0.74
Blocks
0.79
0.78
Clearances
0.79
0.45
Successful Take-Ons
1.38
1.07
Here, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem comes out comfortably ahead in most relevant metrics, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, from their output to their underlying numbers, there is nothing that suggests Garnacho is even on the same level as Simons.
Therefore, as they play in the same positions on the pitch, it seems almost certain that the latter will keep the former out of the Chelsea team this season.
He's their next Palmer: Chelsea ace has held talks over leaving the Bridge
Chelsea really are having a summer clearout as this rising star looks set to be the next to leave.
أثنى نبيل معلول المدير الفني لـ فريق القادسية الكويتي، على أداء ومستوى اللاعب المصري محمود كهربا منذ انضمامه إلى صفوف النادي خلال الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية.
وقال نبيل معلول في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة الأهلي: “اخترنا لاعبين أجانب منهم محمود كهربا، أحب أسلوب المهاجم الذي يكون محطة ويصنع أهدافا كثيرة، كنت أتابع كهربا منذ فترة طويلة سواء عندما كان في مصر بالأهلي أو عندما احترف في الخارج”.
وأكمل: “كهربا من اليوم له في القاسية تأقلم بشكل سريع ودخل في أجواء الفريق، وهو منضبط جدًا في التدريبات ويأتي مبكرًا ويرحل آخر لاعب”.
وواصل: “أنا شخصيًا تفاجأت بانضباطه وروحه الجديدة المتواجدة منذ بداية الموسم، هو يكتشف نفسه ولديه اصرار منذ بداية التحضير للموسم لكي يعود لمستواه كما هو في الأهلي وهو لاعب كبير”.
طالع.. فيديو | بهدف وأسيست.. كهربا يشارك في فوز القادسية على الفحيحيل بخماسية بـ الدوري الكويتي
وتابع: “عندما كان محمد علي بن رمضان متواجدا في الترجي التونسي نصحته بالانتقال للأهلي قبل ما يحترف في أوروبا، الأهلي أفضل من فرق عديدة في أوروبا”.
وزاد: “تدريب الأهلي ليس صعبا، يكون سهلا إذا كانت لديك خبرة وعزيمة كبيرة وقدرة أنك تتحمل على الضغط، طالما اخترت تدرب فريق الأهلي فكل مباراة كأنها نهائي كأس، أنت كمدرب للأهلي يجب أن تفوز بكل المباريات”.
وأردف: “الإدارة برئاسة محمود الخطيب تعمل في أشياء كبيرة جدًا وتتعاقد مع صفقات قوية جدًا”.
وأشار: “كانت هناك مفاوضات من القادسية للتعاقد مع أحمد عبد القادر وكان قاب قوسين أو أدنى لضمه وكانت توجد مفاوضات متقدمة، وأنا شخصيًا تحدثت معه، لكن هو كان يريد الاستمرار في الأهلي ولديه طموح المشاركة مع الأحمر”.
وأتم: “الأهلي يعطيك مكاسب أخرى كروية ويجعلك تلعب في الصدارة وعلى البطولات، ودائمًا متواجد في كأس العالم للأندية وجميع الأنظار كلها في العالم العربي نحو الأهلي مثل ما حدث مع علي معلول، بن رمضان ما زال أمامه الوقت ومسيرة كروية كبيرة”.