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This season is shaping up to be one of Arsenal’s best in a very, very long time.

Now, there is still a lot of football to be played, but going into the third international break of the campaign, Mikel Arteta has his side top of the Premier League and with four wins from four in the Champions League.

What makes it all the more impressive is the fact that, aside from the defence, there is a real sense that the team aren’t even operating at their best.

Moreover, the club have a significant number of injured players set to return in the coming weeks, which will massively bolster the squad, although it might also make it clear that a certain player appreciated by Thierry Henry needs to be moved on.

Arsenal's injury crisis

Now, Arsenal supporters will be the first to admit that the team just weren’t good enough to win the league last season.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

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However, a significant reason why the side was lacklustre on the domestic front was the absurd number of injuries Arteta has to deal with.

Understandably, the club sought to avoid a similar situation this year by signing eight first-team quality players in the summer, rather than spending record sums on individual players.

Arsenal’s Summer Signings

Player

From

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea

Eberechi Eze

Palace

Viktor Gyokeres

Sporting

Piero Hincapie

Leverkusen

Noni Madueke

Chelsea

Cristhian Mosquera

Valencia

Christian Norgaard

Brentford

Martin Zubimendi

Sociedad

It’s an approach that has already paid off multiple times this season, as even though it hasn’t been discussed as much, the squad has once again dealt with a barrage of injuries this season.

Noni Madueke was able to cover for Bukayo Saka; Cristhian Mosquera covered for Gabriel Mahgaelese; Eberechi Eze stood in for Martin Odegaard, and Viktor Gyokeres was thrown into the deep end in place of the injured Kai Havertz.

However, the dam can only hold out for so long, and over the last few weeks, the injury list has grown too significant, with Mikel Merino once again starting up top for two matches in a row.

In all, Arsenal were without six first-team players for the draw against Sunderland, and all six of them were attacking players, which helps explain why the bench looked so short on options and why the manager brought on only Mosquera.

The good news is that most of them will be back in contention after the international break, and all should be available to play by the new year.

However, that means the squad could become quite bloated in attack, and so it might be time to sell someone Henry was once very complimentary about.

The Arsenal star who should be sold

With Gyokeres and Madueke being summer signings and Havertz clearly a firm favourite of Arteta, it feels like, of all the injured players, it’s £45m man, Gabriel Jesus, who should be moved on.

Now, that is no indictment of the player himself, as at his best, the former Manchester City star was almost unplayable and capable of things that no other Arsenal attacker could even think of doing.

That’s not hyperbole either, as following a particularly impressive showing against Seville, the legendary Henry said he “would have loved to play with him” due to his close control and ability to create for others.

However, that was over two years ago, and it’s been over three years since he was at his utterly incredible best.

Since then, there have been flashes of that sensational ability, but every time he seems to build up any steam, he goes down with another injury.

Since the start of his Arsenal career in the 22/23 season, the Brazilian international has been injured seven times, which has seen him spend a grand total of 559 days on the sidelines and miss 90 games for club and country.

It doesn’t really matter how talented a player is; if they are that unreliable, then they are not an asset to a club.

Jesus’ injury record

Season

Days out

Games missed

24/25

370 days

56

23/24

89 days

17

22/23

100 days

17

20/21

60 days

14

19/20

34 days

5

18/19

26 days

6

17/18

76 days

13

16/17

68 days

15

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, it’s not like the 28-year-old is on a modest wage; he’s currently earning a whopping £265k-per-week, which makes him the second-highest earner at the club.

Ultimately, Jesus is undeniably an excellent footballer, but he’s just never available when the club need him and considering he has such an enormous wage, it might be time to sell him in the winter, or at the end of the season.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 12, 2025

Harry Kane has admitted he wants to win the Ballon d'Or and compared himself to Manchester City hitman Erling Haaland as the strikers battle for glory. Kane is one goal off matching Pele's international haul and will hope to match or better the Brazilian when England face Albania in their final World Cup qualifier on Sunday night as the Three Lions look to maintain their 100% record.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kane expected to start against Albania

  England have won all seven 2026 World Cup qualifiers following their 2-0 victory over Serbia on Thursday night. Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze netted either side of half time to wrap up another three points at Wembley, as the Three Lions eased to next summer's showpiece.

  Thomas Tuchel's men have scored 20 goals in qualifying, of which Kane has netted six, and have the chance to make it eight wins from eight when they face off against Albania on Sunday evening. And with no other out-and-out striker in the squad, the 32-year-old has a great opportunity to add to that haul and go level with Pele for international goals.

  Pele scored 77 times for Brazil during a legendary career, while Kane sits on 76 for the Three Lions. The England skipper netted in the reverse fixture, a 2-0 win at Wembley back in March, and will feel confident about his chances of scoring against the Red and Blacks, who are guaranteed a play-off spot following their 1-0 victory at Andorra on Thursday.

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• 'To be around a name like Pele speaks for itself'

  Kane has confessed that he relishes reaching such milestones, stating: "To be around a name like Pele speaks for itself. Sometimes when you're in it, it's hard to process some of the names you're around or the things you're achieving. You just want to go onto the next one.

  "Hopefully to score tomorrow and go level with Pele, who had such an inspirational international career, just shows how far I've come through my career."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kane makes Ballon d'Or claim with '100 goals' warning

  Kane doesn't just have Pele's international goal record in his sights, but the Ballon d'Or, too. Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 accolade, pipping Barcelona star Lamine Yamal to the award after the Frenchman's role in PSG's Champions League triumph over Inter last season.

  The Bayern forward, who is England's leading marksman in history, insists he won't win the individual accolade, even if he scores '100 goals this season'. "I could score 100 goals this season but if I don't win the Champions League or the World Cup, you're probably not going to win the Ballon d'Or," Kane said.

  "It's the same with Erling Haaland, it's the same with any player. You have to be winning those major trophies. With the way the season is going as a team with Bayern Munich, it looks like we're in great shape.

  "It looks like we're one of the favourites for the Champions League, for sure. So that maybe makes the odds a little bit more in my favour. Same with England. I think we're going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites.

  "Whenever you are going into a year, like a World Cup year, there is a lot of excitement, a lot of talk, a lot of noise around everything. You have to try and stay focused on the now.

  "From my point of view, I've got six more weeks before I get a nice break. I am feeling good. And that break will help for us but hopefully if things go my way for club and country then I'm definitely going to be in the conversation for a trophy like the Ballon d'Or."

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• Haaland instrumental in Norway's qualifying campaign

  Haaland himself has been in sensational scoring form for both club and country this season. The 25-year-old has scored in all but two games for Manchester City and Norway in the 2025-26 campaign, failing to net in defeats to Tottenham and Aston Villa.

  The City star has been rampant for Stale Solbakken's side in qualifying having scored 14 goals with Norway on the cusp of reaching their first World Cup since 1998.

  Norway have won all seven matches so far and face Italy in their final round of qualifiers on Sunday night. The Azzurri have won six of their seven games, but would need to win 9-0 in Milan to pip Norway to top spot in Group I.

Wednesday, June 26 is a massive sports day with the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, but there is also plenty of afternoon baseball to dive into, starting with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays at 12:10 p.m. EST. 

Every day at SI Betting, we break down our favorite props, best bets, straight up picks and home run picks in Major League Baseball. 

With a loaded Wednesday slate, I’ve narrowed down two plays – one prop and one side – for June 26. 

MLB Best Bets Today

• New York Yankees Moneyline (-148) vs. New York Mets
• Brady Singer UNDER 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-160)

New York Yankees Moneyline (-148) vs. New York Mets

The New York Yankees have been struggling as of late, losing Tuesday’s matchup with the New York Mets to fall to just 3-7 in their last 10 games. 

However, New York is in a prime bounce-back spot with rookie Luis Gil on the mound on Wednesday. 

Gil has a 2.77 ERA on the season, and while he was rocked in his last outing against the Baltimore Orioles, he has led the Yanks to a 12-3 record in 15 starts. Plus, the youngster has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 13 of his 15 outings.

The Mets are countering with Sean Manaea (4-3, 4.16 ERA), but I’m concerned about him as of late. The lefty has a 6.75 ERA in June, with the Mets going just 1-3 in his four starts. His season-long ERA has jumped from 3.63 to 4.16 in the process.

The Yankees are still one of the better offensive teams in baseball, and they scored seven runs in Tuesday’s loss. Don’t be shocked if they ride a Gil start to a win on Wednesday. 

Brady Singer UNDER 2.5 Earned Runs Allowed (-160)

Kansas City Royals righty Brady Singer has pitched well in 2024, posting a 3.29 ERA across 15 starts. 

He’s in a prime spot to build on that on Wednesday, as the Royals take on the Miami Marlins, who rank 29th in the league in OPS and runs scored this season. 

Singer has just four starts all season where he’s allowed more than two earned runs, and since a rough outing on June 11 against the Yankees, he’s rebounded to allow just four runs over 11 innings of work against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers.

Miami is easily the best matchup Singer has had this month, and I expect him to find his early season form where he posted a 2.63 ERA through the first two months.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Ministério Público do Rio de Janeiro pediu punição para duas torcidas organizadas do Flamengo e uma do Botafogo após as brigas que realizadas no sábado, dia 2 de setembro, dia do clássico entre as equipes. Segundo o órgão, as ocorrências foram registradas nos bairros da Taquara e Penha.

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+ Copa do Brasil: Procon-RJ notifica Flamengo sobre preço dos ingressos da final contra o São Paulo

O Ministério Público pede uma punição de cinco anos de afastamento da Raça Rubro-Negra, Torcida Jovem do Flamengo e Fúria Jovem do Botafogo, a partir da data da ocorrência. Após as brigas, 12 pessoas foram presas e três ficaram feridas.

+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades

+ Flamengo e Bruno Henrique têm interesse mútuo em renovação

VEJA A NOTA DO MINISTÉRIO PÚBLICO:

“A 4ª Promotoria de Justiça de Tutela Coletiva de Defesa do Consumidor e do Contribuinte da Capital peticiou nesta terça-feira (05/09), junto ao Juizado Especial e dos Grandes Eventos, para que duas torcidas organizadas do Clube de Regatas do Flamengo e uma do Botafogo Futebol e Regatas sejam punidas, após a ocorrência de episódios de violência antes da partida entre as duas equipes, realizada no último dia 02/09. Na ocasião, torcedores se enfrentaram nas ruas dos bairros da Penha e Taquara, descumprindo Termo de Ajustamento de Conduta assinado junto ao Ministério Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ).

A petição requer que o prazo para que as torcidas Raça Rubro-Negro, Jovem do Flamengo e Fúria Jovem do Botafogo retornem aos estádios, de cinco anos, seja contado a parti do dia 02/09, e não mais a partir da data da sentença, uma vez que houve descumprimento do disposto na cláusula sexta do Termo celebrado com as torcidas organizadas.

De acordo como a cláusula sexta do documento, “na hipótese de a torcida organizada se envolver em quaisquer atos de violência, como brigas, tumultos, ou em atos que, de qualquer maneira, coloquem em risco a ordem pública, bem como proceda à realização de concentração de seus membros em violação ao acordado na cláusula anterior, independentemente de na data houver realização de evento esportivo, serão aplicadas as medidas educativas de advertência ou suspensão de comparecimento aos estádios que sediem eventos esportivos de futebol”.

A petição foi formulada após o Batalhão Especializado de Policiamento em Estádios (Bepe) encaminhar um ofício à Promotoria de Justiça, dando notícia do descumprimento do TAC. O MPRJ também solicitou ao Juízo o afastamento individual dos torcedores envolvidos nas ocorrências e identificados pelo órgão policial”.

Rain delays and stubborn batting combine to deny Essex on final day

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-May-2025

Jamie Porter took a five-for but Essex couldn’t force victory•Getty Images

Sam Curran added 77 to a first-innings 70, in his first red-ball appearance since last September, as Surrey saw out a rain-hit final day on 289 for 7 to secure a draw against Essex at the Kia Oval.Curran’s 121-ball effort held Surrey’s batting together as seamer Jamie Porter and offspinner Simon Harmer threatened to bowl Essex to a second Rothesay County Championship win of the season.Six separate rain interruptions during Monday – all of them short, but lopping 20 overs in all from the final day’s allocation – did not help Essex’s cause. In the end, a 51-run stand between Jamie Overton and Jordan Clark proved decisive.Overton stayed just over two hours for his 47 from 102 balls, edging Porter to third slip just before 6pm from what became the last ball of the game. Clark finished 23 not out.Porter finished with 5 for 88 from 27 overs and Harmer 2 for 94 from 34 with Essex taking 11 points from the draw and Surrey, who stay second in the Division One table, 12.After the fifth rain delay Essex thought they had 14 overs – including seven with a second new ball – in which to take the last four Surrey wickets, but after eight balls yet another heavy shower ultimately reduced that equation by four more overs.Surrey had started the day on 32 without loss, having been set an unlikely 418 in the fourth innings after Essex, led by centuries from Paul Walter and 20-year-old Charlie Allison on days two and three, had reached 479 in their own second innings.Rory Burns and Dom Sibley, Surrey’s openers, were fluent early on against Essex’s seamers and took their stand to 76 before Harmer made the breakthrough with the first ball of his third over of the morning.Left-hander Burns, on 39, jumped out to drive but was beaten by appreciable spin and bounce out of the bowlers’ footmarks and superbly stumped by Michael Pepper, who had to bring the ball down from almost shoulder height.Sibley, having reached 40 with some excellent strokes down the ground, was similarly deceived by Harmer. The South Africa Test spinner, seeing Sibley advance from his crease, tossed the ball a bit wider to leave the former England man groping for it and Pepper to complete a far simpler stumping.At lunch, with only one over at that stage lost to a sharp mid-session shower, Surrey had stabilised the innings at 142 for 2 through Australian left-hander Kurtis Patterson and Curran, who got off the mark in spectacular style by hooking Porter for six over deep square leg.Another shower delayed the restart by ten minutes and, in the afternoon’s second over Patterson was beaten by a break-back from Porter, operating from around the wicket, and bowled off a thin inside edge for 40.Curran square cut Porter for four and also punched Harmer through mid-on for another boundary but Surrey’s faint hopes of chasing down their distant win target fell away when Porter removed Ben Foakes and Jason Roy in the space of three balls to leave the home side 167 for 5.Nibbling the ball away from the right-handers, at just on and outside off stump, Porter first had Foakes caught behind for 7 before Roy was superbly held, low and left-handed, by a diving Harmer at second slip. It completed an unhappy pair for former England one-day opener Roy.In between further showers, Curran and Overton steadied Surrey once again in a sixth-wicket partnership that eventually realised 77 in 24 overs.Curran, on 76, survived an impassioned appeal for a low leg-side catch behind the wicket off Porter that may not have carried. But, later in an eventful over and one ball after Overton had looked fortunate not to be given leg-before as he moved across his stumps, Allison flung himself to his left at point to clutch a Curran square drive and give Essex renewed hope with Surrey now 244 for 6.Only eight more balls were possible, however, before more rain arrived and after another subsequent delay the final mini-session of play saw Essex crowding the bat in vain while Surrey’s seventh-wicket pair kept out Porter and Harmer – until Overton fell with the draw assured.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has provided an injury update on one of his key players after the EFL Cup defeat at the hands of Brentford.

Villa's poor start continues against the Bees

Villa finally found the back of the net on Tuesday night, after failing to score in their opening four Premier League games, but Harvey Elliott’s first goal for the club didn’t count for much, with Brentford ultimately progressing in the EFL Cup.

After a 1-1 draw in normal time, the Bees progressed on penalties, with John McGinn and Matty Cash both missing from the spot, meaning Emery’s side are still searching for their first victory of the campaign.

Emery has been forced to make do without a number of his key players already this season, with the likes of Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans spending time on the sidelines, but there has now been a promising new update on the latter player.

Reporter Jacob Tanswell subsequently confirmed that Emery is also optimistic that Tielemans could return before the next international break, with the Villa boss stating the central midfielder is likely to be out for one or two more weeks.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Sep 16, 2025 Tielemans' return will be boost for Aston Villa

With the Belgian ruled out against Brentford, Lamare Bogarde was given the nod in central midfield, but the 21-year-old was unable to impact the game in the way he would’ve liked, being shown a yellow card before being replaced by Kamara in the 74th minute.

Tielemans, on the other hand, has been a vitally important player for the Villans over the course of the past two seasons, playing a major role in Emery’s side qualifying for the Champions League and Europa League by regularly providing goals and assists in the Premier League.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

32

9

2024-25

36

10

The 28-year-old was also arguably Villa’s most consistent player in the Premier League last season, averaging a 7.38 SofaScore match rating across the campaign, which was by far the highest of any player in the squad.

Emery is under no illusions as to just how important the Belgium international is to his side either, saying last season: “He is really doing fantastic work. He is very, very professional. The mentality he has, really I appreciate in the highest level we can achieve.”

As such, it is promising news that Tielemans is set to return within the next two weeks, but it appears as though Aston Villa will have to do without the £150k-a-week midfielder when they take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this Sunday.

Chelsea’s brilliance in selling surplus players yielded them a seismic near-£300 million before the summer window shut on September 1, but Raheem Sterling and his £325,000-per-week wages remain on the club’s books.

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, Renato Veiga, Alfie Gilchrist, Carney Chukwuemeka, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson are the most noteworthy of BlueCo’s former names to be axed, with the latter expected to bring in £70 million once his move to Bayern Munich becomes permanent next year.

Chelsea’s summer transfers (permanent only)

Incoming

Outgoing

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

These exits have allowed Chelsea to register a £3 million profit for the summer, despite spending £285 million on incoming transfers (BBC), but Sterling, who is out of Enzo Maresca’s long-term plans, remains in limbo.

The 30-year-old’s preference was always to remain in London, but rumoured interest from Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham eventually amounted to nothing. The windows in Turkey and Saudi Arabia are still open, though Sterling apparently has little desire to move abroad amid a determination to battle his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

As things stand, Sterling will seriously struggle to do that without regular first-team football, even if he somehow hits the stride of his life over the second half of 2025/2026 after a potential move elsewhere in the winter.

Time is running out for the ex-Man City winger to reestablish himself as an England international after failing to impress on loan at Arsenal last season, with ex-Man United chief scout Mick Brown now sharing the drastic action Chelsea could take to free Sterling of his Stamford Bridge shackles.

Chelsea could take drastic Raheem Sterling action

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown, who remains very well-connected within the beautiful game, has suggested that Chelsea could terminate Sterling’s contract to get him off the books, which comes an almighty boost for the likes of West Ham and Fulham beyond the window.

Losing out on any future transfer fee and taking a seismic loss on Sterling would be regrettable, but in the short-term, it would save Chelsea millions in terms of salary and allow the forward to ressurect his now-faltering career.

Left-arm seamer will be available for three first-class matches in April

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2025

Vishwa Fernando impressed for Yorkshire in the 2024 county season, and has also played for Durham•PA Photos/Getty Images

Vishwa Fernando, the Sri Lanka left-arm seamer, has signed for Warwickshire for the start of their County Championship campaign this season.Fernando has taken 79 Test wickets, including four in his last outing in South Africa in December, and will be available for Warwickshire’s Division One games in April.He impressed last summer in a three-match stint with Yorkshire, taking 17 wickets including nine in the match against Derbyshire, and went on to feature in Sri Lanka’s Test tour of England, including a key role in their victory at the Kia Oval in the third Test.He could make his Warwickshire debut in their season opener against Sussex, starting on April 4, and will also be available to play against another former club, Durham, and in Warwickshire’s home fixture against Nottinghamshire from April 18.”I am thrilled to be joining Warwickshire for the early stages of the season,” Fernando said. “Playing county cricket has been hugely enjoyable for me over the last two years.”The county have some very good cricketers and I am looking forward to playing with Alex Davies, Ed Barnard and all the boys.”When I step on to the field for any team I always give 100 percent and the loyal Bears fans will get my absolute heart and soul in every day I am there.”I am grateful to Cricket Sri Lanka for allowing me this opportunity and thankful to Mark Robinson for believing in my ability.”Fernando’s signing follows the confirmation that Pakistan’s Hasan Ali will return to Edgbaston for a third successive year, while Australia’s allrounder Beau Webster, New Zealand’s Test captain Tom Latham, and former Middlesex pacer Ethan Bamber have also joined over the winter.”We are delighted to have secured Vishwa for the first three rounds of the County Championship,” Robinson, Warwickshire’s first-team coach, said. “He’s a proven international bowler and, a left-armer, who will offer us great variation to complement our attack.”He did well for Yorkshire last season in a brief stay, took plenty of wickets, and we hope he can help us get off to a strong start this campaign.”

Fixtures announced for fifth season of competition as ECB brace for equity sale in coming days

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2025The fixtures for the fifth season of the Hundred have been announced by the ECB, with the tournament set to open with a double-header between London rivals London Spirit and Oval Invincibles at Lord’s on August 5.Invincibles, the defending men’s champions, and Spirit, the defending women’s champions, are also expected to be the most sought-after franchises in the Hundred equity sale, which gets underway on Thursday, when Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix are the first teams to go under the hammer.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, this year’s tournament avoids a clash with Major League Cricket, the US-based tournament that will be entering its own third season in 2025. The Hundred final is set to take place on August 31, also at Lord’s, with the Eliminator slated for The Oval on August 30.For the first time this season, direct signings have been permitted in both the men’s and women’s competitions, with Laura Wolvaardt and Amelia Kerr the first to have been recruited in that fashion, as they join Southern Brave and Manchester Originals respectively.Charlie Dean, who has been retained by London Spirit after her role in last year’s title win, said: “August is fast becoming one of the best months of the summer. The Hundred has developed into an excellent competition, we play in front of fantastic crowds and even from the middle you get a sense of how the crowd is so full of families and young people.”The cricket itself is high quality, the format is accessible and quick, and we’re all really looking forward to getting back to it and hopefully defending our title.”Oval Invincibles’ captain, Sam Billings, who is also seeking to defend the title, added: “It will be great to kick off The Hundred with a sold-out derby at Lord’s. From our point of view, we’re looking to start strongly as we have done the last couple of years to set the tone for another positive year. No doubt it will be a brilliant atmosphere at Lord’s.”It was another fantastic tournament last year, we’ve worked hard at the Invincibles to build a really strong core and there’s no reason why we can’t have another great year. The Kia Oval is undoubtedly one of the best places in world cricket to play, our home support is special. We all hope we can build on the last couple of years and keep the trophy in South London.”Season tickets for previous holders will be on sale from today, while an exclusive window for previous attendees will be open from March 4-18. Priority sales will be from April 1-15, before tickets go on general release from April 17.Click here for Men’s Hundred fixtures
Click here for Women’s Hundred fixtures

While they might not have spent the truly vast sums of money they have in windows past, Chelsea have still been busy in the market this summer.

As things stand, the Conference League champions’ standout signings are Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens, and they are set to secure the highly rated Jorrel Hato any day now.

However, for all the brilliant deals they’ve been able to get over the line, they had to watch Liverpool get their hands on the free-scoring Hugo Ekitiké, who was touted for a move to Stamford Bridge earlier in the window.

Fortunately, if reports are to be believed, the West Londoners could be closing in on a player who could be their own version of the French attacker.

Chelsea target their own Ekitike

Now, while plenty has already happened this summer, and it is often hard to keep track of every deal and rumour, it’s true that Chelsea were linked with Ekitike at several points towards the start of the window.

Transfer Focus

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

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However, with the Blues clearly focusing on other, more pressing targets, and likely not being quite as interested as some stories suggested they were, Liverpool stole a march on them and secured the Frenchman’s services for a fee of around £69m.

Interestingly, while the former Eintracht Frankfurt star is now obviously no longer available, the West Londoners do appear like they are closing in on another attacking gem who could be their version of him.

At least that is according to a recent report from German outlet Bild, which reaffirms Chelsea’s intense interest in the talented Xavi Simons.

The report goes a step further, revealing that the Blues have now reached a broad agreement on terms with the player himself, and while they’ve not made an official offer to RB Leipzig just yet, it’s believed the German outfit are holding out for a fee of €70m, which is about £61m.

It would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, but given Simons’ ability and potential, it would be worth it, especially as he could be their own Ekitike.

Why Simons could be Chelsea's own Ekitike

Now, the first thing to say is that while Simons is an incredibly versatile player and someone who has made a few appearances up top, he is not a centre-forward like Ekitike, but there are still several reasons the former could be Chelsea’s version of the latter.

Firstly, the young Dutchman would also be making his way to a ‘big six’ side in the Premier League from a Bundesliga side outside the traditional big two in Leipzig, similarly to how the Frenchman’s moving to Merseyside from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Second, both players are making their moves at similar ages, with the midfield maestro being just 22 and the exciting centre-forward just turning 23 years old.

The last somewhat surface-level similarity is the fact that both of them spent time playing for Paris Saint-Germain.

Simons joined the French side’s youth system in 2019 and then left and rejoined over the following years until his move to Leipzig was made permanent this January, while the new Liverpool star joined the Parisians in July 2022, and then left for Germany on a permanent deal two years later.

Finally, while the former PSV Eindhoven dynamo is unlikely to match the 22 goals in 48 games Ekitike scored last season at Stamford Bridge due to the position he tends to play in, he still has the ability to be an attacking tour de force, and could help flip games on their head for Maresca and Co.

For example, in just 33 appearances last season, totalling 2763 minutes, the Amsterdam-born “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.

Simons in 24/25

Appearances

33

Minutes

2763′

Goals

11

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

Minutes per Goal Involvements

144′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the sensational talent, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” managed to average a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 144 minutes.

Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Chelsea should be doing what they can to bring Simons to West London this summer, as he could add some real quality to their attack and be an answer to Ekitike.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 1, 2025