Australia’s captain will likely have a role to play against India later in the year but for now is taking things easy

Matt Roller10-Sep-20241:02

Marsh: Australia vs England always a fierce battle

Mitchell Marsh has hinted that his five-month absence from the bowling crease is unlikely to come to an end during Australia’s T20I series. Marsh has not bowled in a competitive match since tearing his hamstring during the IPL, including in last week’s 3-0 clean sweep up in Scotland.Australia have an abundance of allrounders in their T20 set-up, with Jake Fraser-McGurk the only man in their squad who neither keeps wicket nor bowls. With Marsh keen to give Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie opportunities with the ball, his own medium pace is unlikely to be required.Related

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“I’m sort of just building,” Marsh said. “I don’t tend to bowl myself too much, is the honest answer, and we’re lucky that we’ve got plenty of bowling options within our team, so we’ll see how we go… my bowling’s on line: whether or not I bowl, we’ll wait and see. We’ve got heaps of options. I’m always building something.”Australia will hope to have Marsh fully fit to bowl during their five-match Test series against India, which starts in Perth on November 22 – which he described as feeling “like a long time away”. Their management will carefully manage players workloads before that series, with Pat Cummins missing the whole England tour to give him a break from bowling.”A lot of our priorities will be geared around that,” Andrew McDonald, Australia’s coach, told on Tuesday morning. “You’ll see that unfold with the management of our players. We’ll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match.”Australia play Pakistan in three ODIs and three T20Is in November, and it is expected that anyone included in the Test squad won’t feature in the T20Is. “We may have to give up a little bit in terms of that Pakistan white-ball series with certain players, to make sure that we are firmly prepared,” McDonald said. “We’re really keen for India to arrive.”This UK tour is Australia’s first men’s cricket since their Super Eight exit in June’s T20 World Cup, which saw them win their first five matches before back-to-back defeats against Afghanistan and India saw them crash out. Marsh has retained the T20 captaincy – and will also step in for Cummins in the five ODIs against England – but was coy on his long-term ambitions.”It feels like a lifetime ago now, that T20 World Cup,” Marsh said. “It was just disappointment: we went there with the hope of winning it, like every other team did, and unfortunately, we didn’t play our best cricket at the right time. In tournament play, that’s what you rely on…there’s a lot of cricket to be played between now and the next World Cup [in 2026] but hopefully I’m there.”McDonald isolated Australia’s fielding as the primary reason for their failure to reach the semi-finals, most notably dropping five catches in the defeat to Afghanistan. “We’ve got a few things that we need to work through, but clearly the key area for us that was disappointing was our fielding… that makes it really difficult for the captain and the team to function.”There was some discussion around Mitch Marsh and his captaincy, but if creating opportunities for the team with your bowling changes and your field positions is the way that we’re going to critique a captain, I thought he did a fantastic job. We just weren’t able to execute in those moments, and that really played out in the Afghanistan game.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola now wants to sign an “ice cool” player, amid concerns over the performances of a current starter, according to a report.

On paper, Man City should have been no match for Al-Hilal, and they certainly had the better of their opponents, creating more chances and having over double the amount of shots on target throughout the match.

However, the Blues ultimately ended up crashing out of the Club World Cup after a shock 4-3 defeat, with Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou putting in a phenomenal performance, making eight saves from inside the box to keep Guardiola’s side at bay.

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The City boss refused to be too critical of his players in the wake of the result, while also singling out Bounou for praise, saying:“It is a pity. We have been on incredible journey together and were in a good place. The vibe was really good. I cannot thank the players enough for training and playing how they have been.

“But it was a difficult game. The margins were minimal. We created a lot and (Yassine) Bounou made incredible saves but we were so open.”

However, behind-the-scenes, Guardiola is still planning to make some changes to his squad, with a report from Spain revealing the Man City manager has made it clear that he wants to sign Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

With Ederson not the player he once was, having lost consistency in his performances, there is a desire to bring in a new goalkeeper, and Guardiola believes Ter Stegen could be an ideal fit, believing that he has the qualities to succeed in the Premier League.

Barca would be willing to sanction a departure if a good offer comes their way, as the La Liga side are looking to reduce their wage bill, and the German rakes in a sizeable £105k-a-week.

"Ice cool" Ter Stegen has track record of success

The 33-year-old has won 20 major honours throughout a glittering career, having been an important player for Barcelona over a number of years, making a total of 422 appearances for the Spanish side.

That experience at the top level could be very useful for a Man City side which needs to start winning again, having endured a rare trophyless season during the 2024-25 campaign.

The “ice cool” goalkeeper is also comfortable in possession of the ball, which could make him a good fit in a Guardiola system, with counterpart Thibaut Courtois describing the Barca shot-stopper as the “best in the game” with his feet.

Ter Stegen could be a fantastic signing for Man City, but there may be some concerns over the fact the goalkeeper is already 33-years-old, making him two years older than Ederson, which indicates he is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for the Brazilian.

Everton are in new hands under the Friedkin Group and have made contact over a potential new arrival that could pitch up at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, according to reports.

Everton circling for more new signings

Thierno Barry, Carlos Alcaraz and Mark Travers have kicked off what is expected to be a summer of change at Everton. However, David Moyes still has plenty of work to do before his side are capable of pushing on in the Premier League.

Over the weekend, a surprise defeat to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park wasn’t a satisfactory outcome for anyone concerned with the club, but pre-season is nothing more than laying the groundwork to make sure fitness is up to scratch once the competitive campaign kicks off in earnest.

Reports suggest Manchester City duo Jack Grealish and James McAtee are on Everton’s shortlist to beef up their creative options centrally and out wide, even if both players will attract a plethora of interest this summer from several different clubs.

Delivering his slant on their need for inventiveness, Paul Robinson believes the Toffees could win the race to sign Tom Fellows from West Bromwich Albion despite Leeds United’s admiration due to the fact Moyes was keen to bring him to Merseyside in January.

He stated: “Leeds have bolstered their defence, so I’m hoping they’re building from the floor upwards. Tom Fellows would fit that bill, he’d be a great signing, but Everton are ahead because of where they were in January with him.

Everton’s first five fixtures of the Premier League season

Leeds United (A)

Elland Road

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Molineux

Aston Villa (H)

Hill Dickinson Stadium

Liverpool (A)

Anfield

“I do think he’ll go in this window because of the length of his contract. This is where West Brom are going to get a big fee for him.”

However, Moyes will also be keen to strengthen his defensive line, and he may be making progress towards achieving that feat if reports are to be believed.

Everton make contact for Atletico Mineiro defender Lyanco

According to Globo, Everton have made contact over Atletico Mineiro defender Lyanco to ask for information about his situation at the Brazilian giants.

His current employers have set up a meeting with his camp to discuss his current predicament, and the outlet claim Olympiacos and Al Duhail are also monitoring the state of play with keen interest.

Lyanco vs Everton in 2023 – how did he get on against Dominic Calvert-Lewin?

Everton 1-2 Southampton – Saturday 14th January, 2023

Accurate passes

31/39

Ground duels won

4/9

Aerial duels won

4/4

Tackles won

100% success rate

All statistics courtesy of Fotmob

Most remember Lyanco for his time at Southampton, and he previously shone against Everton in a 2-1 win for the Saints at Goodison Park, where Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to score or provide an assist.

Labelled a “fantastic character” by Ralph Hasenhuttl, he would arrive with the carrot of Premier League experience and is coming off the back of a positive Club World Cup, which is said to have alerted suitors.

Lyanco has scored four times in 27 appearances this season, but it remains to be seen whether he would be an ideal fit for an Everton squad in need of upgrades on existing personnel.

Arsenal are believed to be intensifying their plans to sign another target after sealing deals for both Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres and Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, according to a new report.

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Mosquera jetted out to Singapore earlier this week to link up with the Arsenal squad for their pre-season tour of Asia, and reports suggest that the centre-back will soon be joined on the journey by Gyokeres.

The prolific striker, who racked up an incredible 97 goals in 102 appearances during his time at Sporting, scored 54 of them last season and played a pivotal role as the Primeira Liga champions secured their first domestic double in around two decades.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£140m

Gyokeres is arguably the proven goalscoring centre-forward who Mikel Arteta has been crying out for, and he could be a truly season-defining capture following Arsenal’s struggles against the low-block last term.

The Gunners drew more Premier League matches than any other side in the top 10 by the end of 2024/2025, scoring just 69 goals, which pales in comparison to their 91 and 88-goal hauls in the two previous seasons.

Arsenal are set to sign Gyokeres to help fix this problem, with the north Londoners fully agreeing a deal worth up to £64 million for the 27-year-old, including add-ons (Fabrizio Romano).

“[Signing Gyokeres] would be the icing on the cake for Arsenal,” said club legend Alan Smith.

“The missing piece of the jigsaw. This is the signing every Arsenal fan has been craving. An out-and-out number 9 and someone who can get Arsenal over the line for the title.

“You saw last season when Arsenal had a striker crisis, that they struggled to score goals and dropped well behind Liverpool. Gyokeres, if he signs, will mean Arsenal can play a different style at times and get the ball forward quickly, rather than the build-up they have been doing.”

According to recent reports, sporting director Andrea Berta isn’t finished after completing the Gyokeres deal. Indeed, Arsenal’s next order of business is the potential signing of a central attacking midfielder to complement Martin Odegaard (Ben Jacobs).

Right now, Chelsea are making serious progress in the race for Xavi Simons, who’s also a rumoured target for Berta, so perhaps Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is the more likely option.

Arsenal "accelerating plans" to sign Eberechi Eze after Viktor Gyokeres

The England international has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium for weeks, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has now told Football Insider that Arsenal are “accelerating plans” to sign Eze after finally sealing Gyokeres.

Berta apparently has “more than enough funds available” to bring in another major attacking signing, and Eze could well be that man.

The 27-year-old, who scored 14 goals and bagged a further 11 assists in all competitions last term, could leave Selhurst Park if someone triggers his estimated £60 million release clause, which could rise to £68m if all bonuses are achieved (Sky Sports).

Arsenal will need the player buy-in first, and according to some reports, Eze has loosely agreed broad personal terms already. Among his many admirers is Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, who heaped praise on the attacker during his time as Palace boss.

“Ebs is a fantastic player,” said Vieira.

“He creates chances and scores goals – things happen with him on the field.”

England have withdrawn Gus Atkinson from their 50-over squad to face Australia later this month, as they look to manage his workload after a summer in which he put himself in the first rank of quick bowlers for the Test side.Atkinson made his debut in July, taking 12 wickets in the match against West Indies at Lord’s, on the way to a haul of 34 wickets in six Tests. He and Chris Woakes were the ever present seamers through series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, which both consisted of back-to-back-to-back Tests.There were signs during the latter stages of the Sri Lanka series that Atkinson’s pace had dropped off through the course of the summer, and he spent time off the field on day three at The Oval with a tight quad – although he was deemed fit enough to bowl 11 overs in the fourth innings, taking one of the two Sri Lanka wickets to fall.The England management have now opted to rest him for their five ODIs against Australia, with Olly Stone joining the squad in his place.Related

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England are due to travel to Pakistan at the end of the September, ahead of a three-Test tour, and then go to New Zealand in November for three-more Tests. They will already be without Mark Wood, who was ruled out for the rest of the year by an elbow injury, and have been working to reshape the seam attack this summer after the retirements of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.”I think he’s okay,” England’s stand-in Test captain, Ollie Pope, said of Atkinson. “He’s obviously got a couple weeks off now just to refresh and move forward. He’s able to put his feet up now, but I think the way he bowled today and just chatting to him, he actually feels like it feels better today than it did when he first felt it so that’s a positive for us. Fingers crossed he’s all good.”The short turnaround until England begin their winter touring commitments in Pakistan, as well as a schedule that will see them play six more Tests before Christmas – with a white-ball trip to the Caribbean sandwiched in between – means player management will be at the forefront of the ECB’s thinking. Aside from Stone, five players who were involved against Sri Lanka are also in the ODI squad: Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Matt Potts and Jamie Smith.Pope was confident there would be no issues motivating the side for Pakistan, where Ben Stokes is hoping to be fit enough to resume duties as captain.”Obviously from a batting point of view it’s different to the fast bowlers, but I think they’ll have a couple weeks off just to refresh and get right for that,” Pope said. “And I think pulling an England shirt on is the greatest honour, so I don’t think there needs to be much more motivation.”We love touring as a team and everything’s a new, exciting challenge. So I think from that point of view, that’s fine. I know it’s a short turnaround, but I think us as a team, we love every bit in an England shirt whenever we get the opportunity to pull it on. So that won’t be an issue getting up for that. There’ll be a lot of excitement come the time ago to Pakistan.”England ODI squad to play Australia: Jos Buttler (capt), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, John Turner

Jaiswal and Jayasuriya were the other big movers up the Test tables, while Gurbaz and Rashid rose on the ODI tables

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2024Rishabh Pant has re-entered the ICC Test batting rankings at No. 6, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Prabath Jayasuriya were the other big movers up that table – while Rohit Sharma has slid down – following the Test matches in Chennai and Galle. Afghanistan’s white-ball stars, meanwhile, have moved up quite dramatically on the ODI tables, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rashid Khan making waves. Travis Head, too, has made a jump up the table.Pant, playing Test cricket after a gap of close to two years – the first time since a car crash threatened to end his career – struck 39 and 109 (off just 128 balls) in India’s 280-run win over Bangladesh in their first Test in Chennai. That put Pant straight back into sixth place with 731 rating points. Jaiswal, who was in sixth place prior to the latest update, moved up to fifth courtesy his 56 in India’s first innings, which gave him 751 points.Joe Root is well ahead of the pack on that list, with 899 points, with Kane Williamson, who scored 55 and 30 in New Zealand’s 63-run loss in the first Test in Galle, in second place with 852 points. Daryl Mitchell (760 points) and Steven Smith (757 points) held on to their spots above Jaiswal.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

But Rohit, who returned 6 and 5 in Chennai, falling to pace in both innings, moved down quite sharply, going from No. 5 to No. 10, just four rating points above Babar Azam at No. 11.Virat Kohli also went down five spots, to No. 12, following scores of 6 and 17, while Shubman Gill, who scored 119 not out in the second innings against Bangladesh, moved up five places to 14th.The big mover in the bowling rankings was Jayasuriya, whose 4 for 136 and 5 for 68 earned him the Player-of-the-Match award in Galle. Jayasuriya climbed five positions to No. 8.Australians and Indians dominate that table. R Ashwin (0 for 29 and 6 for 88 in Chennai) is No. 1, followed by Jasprit Bumrah (4 for 50 and 1 for 24) at No. 2. After Bumrah, there’s Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada before another Indian, Ravindra Jadeja (2 for 19 and 3 for 58) slots in at sixth, with Nathan Lyon at No. 7.Kamindu Mendis’ 114 in the first innings against New Zealand, meanwhile, took him up three spots to 16th on the batters’ list.ESPNcricinfo LtdGurbaz and Head move up ODI batters’ ladderGurbaz fell for a duck in the first ODI against South Africa in Sharjah, but struck back, hitting 105 in 110 balls and 89 in 94 balls in the next two games as Afghanistan won the series 2-1. That made him the first from his country to get into the top ten among ODI batters, putting him in eighth place – a rise of ten spots.Head smashed 154 not out in 129 balls in the first ODI against England – in a match where he also returned 2 for 34 with the ball – to go up seven spots to No. 9.In that Afghanistan vs South Africa series, Rashid was the other big contributor for his team. He picked up seven wickets across Afghanistan’s two wins over South Africa, going up a whopping eight spots on the bowlers’ table to No. 3, only behind Keshav Maharaj and Adam Zampa.

A new year of Fantasy Premier League football is just around the corner, with the database now open for managers to select their 15-man squads for the 2025/26 season.

Prices have been revealed for the upcoming campaign and there have also been some changes in regards to the rules of FPL, such as how assists will be recorded.

However, before you can get started with building your squad, a team name is required, which is arguably one of the most important points of FPL. Whether it be a play on past or present footballers, having a name that stands out can always get an extra laugh out of mates and work colleagues.

Ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, we’ve taken a look at 100 of the best FPL names around today in a variety of different categories.

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Posts ByBen Goodwin Jul 5, 2025 100 of the best FPL names for 2025/26

Current Premier League players

Ait Nouri Geller

Baby Reijnders

Back of the Neto

Beef Cherki

Bowen 747

Brennan Jerry’s

Cheesy Garnachos

Dunk and Disorderly

Eze Come, Eze Go

Haalandaise Sauce

Hakuna Mateta

Kai Me a River

Kinder Mbeumo

Livin’ Saliba Loca

Luke Kyle Walker

Major League Saka

Net Flekken Chill

Palmer Violets

Pro Evolution Saka

Shiver Me Timbers

Club based names

AC/DC United

Ajax Trees Down

Bayer Neverlosin’

Bayern Bru

Bayern Maiden

Bilbao Baggins

Borussia Teeth

Cameroon Diaz

ChampagneSuperRovers

Cry Me A River Plate

Expected Toulouse

Fiorentina Turner

Imaginary Madrid

IsYourMotherwell

One Night In Palace

Pathetico Madrid

Spartak Costco

Sub-standard Liege

SucculentChineseLille

The Molde Peaches

Former players

Absolutely Fabregas

Benteke Fried Chicken

Blink 1-Eto’o

Cleverley named

Crouch Potato

Delph & Safety

Diego Costa Coffee

Hakuna Juan Mata

Ibe Gotta Feeling

Kings of Leon Osman

Krul and the Gang

Lady Yaya

Ninja Skrtels

Men Behaving Chadli

Moves Like Agger

Pepe Pig

Pjanic at the Isco

The Wizard of Ozil

Tinchy Sneijder

Two’s Kompany

Classics

50ShadesOfAndyGray

ABCDE FC

Alisson Blunderland

Backstreet Moyes

Ctrl + Alt + De Ligt

DropItLikeIt’sSlot

Flying Without Ings

Game Of Throw-Ins

Gangsters Allardyce

Giroud Awakening

Khedira Pin Drop

Klopps and Robbers

Löw Island

MurderOnZidanesFloor

Neville Wears Prada

Norfolk n’ Good

Obi 1 Kenobi 0

Sound of the Lloris

TAA Very Much

The Cesc Pistols

Who Ate All Depays?

Underrated

Areola Grande

ABCDE FC

Charli xGx

Farke The Bus

Gavi Barlow

Gross Misconduct

Hotel? Thiago

How Dalot Can You Go

I Baleba Can Fly

Isak Newton

Just 1 Cornet 0

Lallanas in Pyjamas

MacAwoniyi Cheese

Rubber Digne Rapids

Rutter Woke Nonsense

Snoop Udogie Dogg

Stone Cole Steve Palmer

Tea & Busquets

Thomas The Frank Engine

Turkish De Ligt

You’re a Wissa Harry

كشفت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية سبب عدم تتويج محمد صلاح، نجم الفريق الأول لكرة القم بنادي ليفربول بالكرة الذهبية، بعدما خسر السباق لصالح عثمان ديمبلي.

وأعلنت مجلة فرانس فوتبول هوية الفائز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية “بالون دور” للعام 2025، مساء أمس، الإثنين، في الحفل الذي أقيم بمدينة باريس عاصمة فرنسا.

وحصد الفرنسي عثمان ديمبلي المركز الأول في سباق الفوز بالبالون دور، فيما جاء لامين يامال، نجم منتخب إسبانيا وبرشلونة في المركز الثاني وفيتينا البرتغالي جاء بالمركز الثالث بعدما توج مع باريس سان جيرمان ببطولات مميزة بجانب فوزه بدوري الأمم الأوروبية مع البرتغال.

وخاض ديمبلي 53 مباراة مع باريس سان جيرمان في موسم 2024-2025 بجميع المسابقات، وسجل 35 هدفًا وساهم بـ 16 تمريرة حاسمة.

فيما تواجد النجم المصري محمد صلاح، جناح فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، في المركز الرابع بين المرشحين، ويسبقه في الترتيب، فيتينيا لاعب باريس سان جيرمان الذي حل ثالثًا، ولامين يامال لاعب برشلونة وقد تواجد ثانيًا.

وأفادت “آس” الإسبانية أنه لو كانت جائزة الكرة الذهبية تعتمد على مجموع الإنجازات في المواسم الأخيرة، حينها لن يستطيع أحد حرمان محمد صلاح منها.

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وذكرت أن النجم المصري افتقر دائمًا إلى ميزة إضافية ليقدم عامًا مثاليًا ويتوج بجائزة الكرة الذهبية كأفضل لاعب في العالم.

وعللت ذلك أنه في العام الماضي كان عامًا رائعًا لكن الخروج أمام باريس سان جيرمان من دور الـ16 لدوري أبطال أوروبا حطم آماله في التتويج بالجائزة.

أما عن جائزة الموسم المقبل، فذكرت “آس” أن مشكلة صلاح هي نفسها مع النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند، لأن جائزة العام المقبل سيكون كأس العالم عاملًا حاسمًا لها، وبالتالي منتخب مصر مثل نظيره النرويجي يعتبر أقل شأنًا واحتمالية التتويج بالبطولة قليلة.

لكن في نفس الوقت هذه ليست مشكلة كبيرة لأن كأس أمم إفريقيا ستكون حاسمة أيضًا ويستطيع صلاح التتويج بها مع منتخب مصر وبالتالي ستزداد فرصه في التتويج بالجائزة مع تقديم موسم فردي وجماعي مع ليفربول.

It’s hard to think of anything that has gone wrong for Chelsea this summer.

Enzo Maresca’s side were near enough perfect at the Club World Cup, and so far, the board have been very busy in the transfer window.

The Blues have shifted a number of unwanted players, like Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga, while also bringing in several seriously exciting ones, like Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens.

On top of that, the West Londoners seem close to finally getting their hands on Xavi Simons, and if reports are to be believed, they’re also targeting another attacker who’d be a dream teammate for the Dutchman.

Chelsea target dream signing for Simons

While it feels like the Simons saga has been dragging on for months now, the first concrete links between Chelsea and the player only really began to pop up around the middle of June, when he was also being touted for a move to cross-London rivals Arsenal.

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Quite a bit has happened since then, and the Blues appear to have progressed quite significantly with their interest in the Dutchman, so much so that reports from earlier this week claimed that talks with RB Leipzig have reached an “advanced” stage, and that a fee of around £61m will be enough to get the deal over the line.

Interestingly, the Conference League champions still seem keen on doing more business and are looking at someone who’d be a dream signing for Simons.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Chelsea are very interested in Fermin Lopez.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Blues are now ‘preparing a bid in the region of €60m’ for the Barcelona midfielder, which would work out to around £52m.

The report makes clear that while the player is not desperate to leave the Catalan club, their poor financial situation means that an exit for him is on the cards, and that is good news for the West Londoners as he’s incredibly talented and would be a dream teammate for Simons.

Why Lopez would be a dream signing for Simons

There are three reasons why Lopez could end up being a dream signing for Simons, and the first is, rather unsurprisingly, down to his output.

For example, in 46 appearances last season, totalling just 2039 minutes, the potentially “world-class” gem, as one analyst dubbed him, was able to score eight goals and provide ten assists.

That means the young Spaniard maintained an impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.55 games, or more crucially, every 113.27 minutes.

Lopez’s 24/25

Appearances

46

Starts

19

Minutes

2039′

Goals

8

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

113.27′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, it seems like the twice-capped international would be a brilliant source of chances for the Dutchman, as well as someone who could finish the chances created for him.

Second, as the El Campillo-born gem is capable of playing in midfield and outwide, he’d have both more opportunities to play alongside and then form an understanding with the Leipzig star, while also being able to come in and cover for him when he needs to be rested.

Finally, one of the reasons the former Paris Saint-Germain prospect wants to come to Stamford Bridge this summer is the opportunity to win things in the future, and that is something the Barça ace already has experience with.

Despite still being just 22 years old, the versatile midfielder already has quite the trophy cabinet, which includes a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, an Olympic Gold Medal and a European Championship medal to boot.

Therefore, it’s unlikely he’d be fazed when playing in the biggest games for the Blues, which in turn should make him a more reliable teammate in those tense moments.

Ultimately, Lopez won’t come cheap, but he’s already proven his talent, and at 22, he could develop into something truly special and the perfect teammate for Simons to boot.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Na primeira partida após a demissão de Vítor Pereira, o Flamengo não deu sinais de evolução. Pelo contrário, na estreia da Copa do Brasil, o time comandado interinamente por Mario Jorge teve mais um desempenho ruim e perdeu por 2 a 0 para o Maringá, no Estádio Willie Davids, nesta quinta-feira. Os paranaenses terminaram o jogo colocando o Rubro-Negro na roda, com direito a “olé” da torcida.

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A partida de volta entre Flamengo e Maringá, no Maracanã, é no dia 26. O time paranaense tem a vantagem e poderá perder o jogo por até um gol de diferença que ainda avançará às oitavas de final. Para não depender dos pênaltis, o Rubro-Negro precisará vencer por três ou mais gols de diferença.Pressionado por mais um resultado frustrante e desempenho ruim, o Flamengo estreia no Campeonato Brasileiro neste domingo. O compromisso é contra o Coritiba, às 18h, no Maracanã.

+ Confira o chaveamento e todos os confrontos da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil!

FLAMENGO AINDA LONGE DO ESPERADO

As opções feitas por Mario Jorge foram óbvias, devolvendo o time ao sistema utilizado antes da passagem por Vítor Pereira e jogando a responsabilidade para os “medalhões”. De novo uma dupla, Pedro e Gabigol tiveram os apoios de Everton Ribeiro e Cebolinha, mas o volume ofensivo não foi bom. Foram apenas dois chutes certos – ambos de Gabigol, mas Dheimison não teve dificuldades.

Sem a sintonia fina de outros momentos,a bola aérea foi uma alternativa para o Flamengo, mas sem sucesso igualmente. Por outro lado, o Maringá era mais vertical, chegando com mais velocidade até a área adversária. As chances reais também foram raras até os 35 minutos da primeira etapa, mas o goleiro Santos foi obrigado a fazer duas defesas em chutes de fora da área.

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MARINGÁ ESPERA, MAS COMEMORA!

O time da casa chegou ao gol aos 37 minutos em lance que estava desenhado. Raphinha foi acionado pelo lado esquerdo e avançou até a entrada da área. O cruzamento foi na medida para Bianqui, aproveitando o espaço nas costas de David Luiz, para finalizar sozinho. O zagueiro do Flamengo ainda tentou tirar, mas tocou contra a própria meta: 1 a 0 e festa no Estádio Willie Davids!

A comemoração do time da casa, contudo, foi adiada pela revisão do VAR. Foram quase cinco minutos de paralisação para verificar posição de impedimento. Após muita demora, gol confirmado.

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MAIS ESPAÇOS DO FLA, MAIS UM GOL DO MARINGÁ

Os times voltaram do intervalo da mesma forma e, com 12 minutos, o Maringá aproveitou mais uma vez os espaços dados pelo Flamengo. Desta vez, foi pelo lado direito que Bianqui recebeu em profundidade, mais uma vez no buraco entre David Luiz e Ayrton Lucas, e partiu para a linha de fundo. O cruzamento para trás achou Serginho livre na área. A finalização do meia foi precisa: 2 a 0!

MARIO JORGE MUDA, MAS JOGO TERMINA EM ‘OLÉ’

Em desvantagem, o interino Mario Jorge começou a mudar o time. Primeiro, acionou Wesley e Matheus França nos lugares Varela e Cebolinha. Aos 31, Gabi deixou o campo para a entrada do jovem Matheus Gonçalves. Com os minutos passando e o Maringá no controle do jogo, sem sofrer qualquer perigo, a última cartada do Rubro-Negro foi a substituição de Everton Ribeiro por Marinho.

A impressão era de que o Flamengo não seria capaz de descontar o placar mesmo se o árbitro desse mais do que os sete minutos de acréscimos. Com o apito final, o Maringá celebrou a vitória. A equipe paranaense, da Série D do Brasileirão, pode sonhar com a classificação na Copa do Brasil.

FICHA TÉCNICA
MARINGÁ-PR 2X0 FLAMENGO

Estádio: Willie Davids, em Maringá (PR)
Data e hora: 13 de abril, às 20h
Árbitro: Flávio Rodrigues de Souza (Fifa/SP)
Assistentes: Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (Fifa/SP) e Leandro Matos Feitosa (SP)
Árbitro de vídeo: Adriano de Assis Miranda (SP)
Renda/Público: N/D.

Gols: Bianqui (1-0, 37’/1ºT) e Serginho (2-0, 12’/2ºT)

Cartão amarelo: Bianqui, Erick Varão e Matheus (MAR)
Cartão vermelho: Não houve.

MARINGÁ (Técnico: Jorge Castilho)

Dheimison; Marcos Vinicius, Vilar, Wesley e Raphinha (Caíque, 25’/2ºT); Erick Varão, Serginho (Matheus Moraes, 35’/2ºT), Bianqui (Romarinho, 37’/2ºT) e Iago (Matheus, 25’/2ºT); Robertinho e Luiz Tiago (Bruno Lopes, 15’/2ºT).

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Mario Jorge)

Santos; Varela (Wesley, 13’/2ºt), Fabrício Bruno, David Luiz e Ayrton Lucas; Thiago Maia, Gerson, Everton Ribeiro (Marinho, 40’/2ºT) e Everton Cebolinha (Matheus França, 13’/2ºT); Gabi (Matheus Gonçalves, 31’/2ºT) e Pedro.