Paul Pogba may be preparing for his football comeback but he is clearly diversifying his interests after launching a new clothing brand in what could be seen as a major career switch. The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder is currently on the books at Monaco but has not yet made his debut for the Ligue 1 club.
John Turner led an outstanding Hampshire Hawks bowling performance to set up a third straight victory to start their Men’s Vitality Blast campaign.Turner picked up three wickets before Chris Wood, Scott Currie and Benny Howell all snaffled two at under five runs an over to hold defending champions Gloucestershire to 119. Opener Toby Albert, on the back of 54 and 28 not out, dominated the chase with a personal best 73 as Hawks strode to the winning line with 30 balls to spare.Not since 2017 have Hampshire won their first three matches in a Blast season, while Gloucestershire have still never won a T20 match at Utilita Bowl.On the same pitch which produced over 700 runs in the double-header last week, Gloucestershire chose to set a target but never got to grips with the conditions. Plays and misses were more regular than seeing the ball come off the middle of the bat, especially in the powerplay – which returned just 37 runs and saw Turner dismiss Miles Hammond and Cam Bancroft, the latter to a stunning catch at short fine by James Fuller.Ollie Price was the only batter to pass 20, albeit scratchily, as the allrounder struggled to find anyone to form a partnership in his 42.For the visitor’s batting woes, the Hawks were sublime with the ball. They allowed just nine fours and a single six in the entire innings and applied constant pressure.Turner added one to his powerplay tally to return 3 for 28, Currie was unhittable for a second night in a row for his 2 for 19, while wily duo Wood and Howell were also cheap for their two scalps. The fielding was also exemplary. All 10 wickets were caught; four by Howell in the covers, which was Hampshire’s joint highest in the Blast.Chasing 119, Albert scooped Ajeet Singh Dale over the ropes in the second over. He copied and pasted the shot in the fifth over as Hawks found more successful ways to get out of moments of slow scoring.The second of the sixes came in a 20-run over, which eliminated any nerves in the chase.Albert had a third six split over the ropes on 29 before also being put down at mid-off next ball. But Jack Taylor didn’t make the same mistake when he held on to James Vince at extra cover.Tom Prest didn’t make the most of getting a life dropped at extra cover, hammering the ball to deep square. But Albert refused to allow things to wobble controllably. He reached his fifth T20 half-century with his fourth maximum, and even though Joe Weatherley edged behind, Albert strode past his previous T20 high of 66.There was still time for a huge Dewald Brevis six before Albert closed the game out with a pulled four.
Leeds United have now reportedly made the decision to allow an “impressive” player to leave the club when the January transfer window arrives.
Farke provides Leeds injury updates before Bournemouth
The Whites face a tough assignment in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, hosting a Bournemouth side who have impressed greatly so far this season.
Speaking ahead of the game, Leeds manager Daniel Farke provided a “mixed” injury update, with Jayden Bogle’s return to full training a clear positive.
“Overall in terms of injuries, some mixed news. So with Jayden [Bogle] good news, he is back in team training. It was nothing too serious, just a bruise was a bit sore and painful in the first few days. But since yesterday [he is] back in team training so he will be available if nothing major happens.
“Some good news with Daniel James, so progress with his rehab. Yesterday was the first time he joined us in team training and he has a chance to be involved depending on how his body reacts right now to the load of training, so we will take a late decision with him.
“Some bad news with Willy Gnonto, he won’t make it. So still some problems with his calf, he is not back in team training so he will definitely also miss the match. I hope to have him back in team training next week.”
Farke will likely know his starting lineup for Saturday’s match, but it looks like one squad player may not be at the club for too much longer.
Leeds expected to sell Meslier in January
According to a new update from TEAMtalk, Leeds will look to sell goalkeeper Illan Meslier in January, having fallen out of favour between the sticks under Farke. Serie A giants Inter Milan are said to be “leading the race” to snap him up.
It is claimed that the Whites “would accept a modest fee, potentially just covering the remainder of his contract, to avoid losing him for free next summer”.
Selling Meslier, who was once worth £50m, in January makes perfect sense, considering he has dropped down the pecking order at Leeds, clearly no longer being seen as a key man, following too many errors last season.
It feels like the right time for a new challenge for all parties, even though the Frenchman is a talented player who is still young for a ‘keeper, with Farke praising him earlier this year.
“He is focused every day, pretty settled and concentrated. It’s what you have to do in a side that dominate many games. Sometimes he has to be there with a first save after 60 minutes, pretty switched on. Compliments to his good work, played a major part, many clean sheets, number of clean sheets, pretty impressive.”
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Meslier can still go on to enjoy a good career, but his aforementioned mistakes last season have seen Leeds supporters lose faith in him, and his time at Elland Road has simply reached its natural conclusion.
Harry Kane returning to the Premier League "isn't even a question" at the moment, claims ex-Bayern Munich star Dietmar Hamann, but "things can change quickly" when it comes to movement in the transfer market. Prolific former Tottenham striker Kane is said to have a release clause in his contract at the Allianz Arena that can be triggered during the summer of 2026.
Kane clause: What is the transfer trigger in Bayern contract?
Teams around the world have been made aware that Kane could be prised away from the reigning Bundesliga champions for around £54 million ($72m). He will turn 33 in July 2026, with inevitable questions being asked of whether such a sizeable sum represents value for money to any of Kane’s many suitors.
He has, however, been able to maintain remarkable individual standards in Germany, registering 105 goals for Bayern through 108 appearances in all competitions. With there no sign of him slowing down, as the longevity of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is emulated, teams in the Premier League and La Liga have been credited with interest.
AdvertisementGettyTrophy focus: Why Kane is giving no thought to transfers
Kane has offered no indication that he is considering a move, with it suggested that he could retrace steps to Spurs or take on a new challenge in Spain with Barcelona or Real Madrid. Hamann can appreciate why no thought is being given to a change of scenery in a season that has Bayern chasing down more domestic and continental honours.
He told when asked about the Kane rumours: "He has a clause which means he can leave Bayern in January or the summer, but whether anyone pays the £54 million in his contract, I don't know. Obviously, a lot will depend on how he plays in the World Cup.
"However, he's very settled and happy, at the moment, returning to the Premier League isn't even a question. Then again, things can change pretty quickly in football, but right now, he seems like a very happy chap to me. I think leaving Munich in the summer is probably one of the last things on his mind."
Premier League temptation: Will Kane head home?
Hamann has previously told GOAL of Kane potentially heading back to England and chasing down Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League goals record: "Well, he’s got two years left, and obviously Bayern were very, very keen on Nick Woltemade this summer, which in the end they didn’t get.
"A lot of people have been saying that Kane might leave, or will probably leave, after the World Cup. I don’t know whether people know more than I do, I’ve not heard anything, but a lot of people suggested it.
"It’s obviously the last year of his contract that Bayern Munich can get a fee for him. But then people said he might want to go back to England and play in the Premier League for one or two more seasons. It’s certainly something I can see.
"Obviously, Bayern haven’t got a replacement now because Woltemade didn’t come, [Nicolas] Jackson is only there on loan. It’s a long way away; you need to see what happens in the World Cup. But I think there’s a possibility that he might leave after the World Cup."
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GettyEngland's GOAT: Will Kane grace another Euros?
Hamann is of the opinion that Kane has plenty of football left in him at the very highest level, with it possible that next summer’s World Cup will not be the last major international tournament that the fearsome No.9 graces.
Ex-Germany midfielder Hamann added: "There might be an outside chance he could play in the next Euros. However, I can't see him playing in four years' time because he'll be 36 or 37.
"Forward players tend to have shorter careers than midfielders or defenders. There aren't many offensive players past 35 because, as I said, even though he doesn't rely on his pace, as he's never been the quickest, I think once you go past 33 or 34, it becomes very hard to compete at the top level."
Kane has reached 76 goals for England, meaning that a century of strikes for his country is a realistic target. He is also closing in on Peter Shilton’s record of 125 caps – having acquired 110 of his own – and is considered to be staking a claim to GOAT status with the Three Lions.
Warwickshire ended their first innings on 415 after their last three wickets added a further 43 runs
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jun-2025
Daniel Hughes made his first hundred of the season•PA Photos/Getty Images
Sussex 278 for 3 (Hughes 151, Coles 56*) trail Warwickshire 415 (Yates 93, Hain 87, Barnard 66, Crocombe 3-82) by 137 runsDaniel Hughes made a season’s best 151 before departing to the last ball of the second day as Sussex made a strong response to Warwickshire’s 415 in the Rothesay County Championship.The 36-year-old Australian left-hander was lbw to off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli off the penultimate delivery of the last over as Sussex reached 278 for 3.Hughes had shared an opening partnership of 98 with Tom Haines and then added 142 with James Coles as the combination of a flat pitch, a Kookaburra ball doing little off the straight and the pitiless Hove heat made it a tough day for Warwickshire’s attack.Rocchiccioli toiled away manfully, bowling unchanged for two sessions apart from a solitary over, from the sea end to pick up all three Sussex wickets for 94 from 35 overs.Both Hughes and Coles’ scoring options were limited after tea when Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies employed as many as eight leg-side fielders as he rotated his seamers while Rocchiccioli wheeled away at the other end. It looked like being a fruitless session for the Bears until Rocchiccioli, armed with the new ball, skidded a quicker delivery onto Hughes’ pads for a belated but deserved reward. Hughes’ 151 came off 260 deliveries with 26 fours.Hughes had only previously passed fifty three times this season, although 60 against Durham last week hinted at a return to form. Here, the majority of his boundaries came through his strong areas between extra cover and mid-off. It was an impressive physical effort too, given the scorching temperatures.Warwickshire wicketkeeper Kai Smith was convinced Haines had edged a ball from Rocchiccioli in his fourth over but the umpire was unmoved and in his next over Haines lofted Rocchiccioli for six, necessitating a ball change. It did the trick as Rocchiccioli got enough grip to knock back Haines’ off stump and end an opening stand of 98 in 22 overs.Rocchiccioli had a second wicket in the 32nd over when the out of form Tom Clark, who’d faced 28 balls for his five, was held low down at slip pushing forward by Tom Latham. Clark made 140 when the teams met at Edgbaston in April but his last 11 Championship innings have yielded a meagre 79 runs.Sussex scored 140 in the afternoon session with Hughes reaching his tenth first-class hundred by taking two boundaries in three balls off Ethan Bamber.The runs dried up after tea, though, as Warwickshire went on the defensive and Rocchiccioli plugged away trying to force a mistake. Even Coles, who likes to get on with it, was becalmed for long spells as 78 were scored in the final session. Coles was still there at the close, though, having passed fifty for the fifth time this season just before stumps.Earlier, Warwickshire’s last three wickets added a further 43 runs in just under an hour.Ollie Robinson struck in the second over of the day when he found Smith’s inside edge and Gurinder Sandhu also claimed his third wicket of the innings when he had Chris Rushworth caught behind. Jack Carson trapped Bamber in front with a ball which kept a shade low to end the innings.
How Thomas Frank would love to have a striker of Harry Kane’s quality in his current Tottenham Hotspur team, just over two years on from the striker’s move to Bayern Munich.
Richarlison is currently the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with three goals in seven appearances, but two of those goals came against Burnley on the opening day.
This means that the Brazil international has only scored one goal in his last six appearances in the top-flight for the Lilywhites since that brace against the newly-promoted side.
Dominic Solanke, Frank’s alternative in the striker position, has been out injured since August. However, when he did play regularly, last season, the English forward only scored nine goals from 10.97 xG, per Sofascore.
These statistics suggest that Frank does not have a reliable and consistent number nine whom he can rely upon to deliver quality in front of goal week-in-week-out in the Premier League.
Spurs would love to have Kane back in their ranks because he provided another reminder of his quality, not that anyone needed one, with two goals against Latvia on Tuesday night.
Where Harry Kane ranks among Tottenham's all-time England stars
It is hard to argue against the prolific forward being the best-ever Spurs player who has played for England, given what he has achieved at club and international level.
Kane is, of course, the club’s all-time top scorer with 280 goals in 435 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, before his move to Bayern Munich in 2023.
This means that you could make a case for the experienced striker being one of the best players in Tottenham history, rather than just one of their best English players of all time. However, some may point to the fact that he did not win a trophy with the club.
That is also the case with England. He has yet to win a major trophy with England, losing two European Championship finals, but he does boast the most impressive goal return in the country’s history, by some margin.
Harry Kane
110
76
Wayne Rooney
120
53
Sir Bobby Charlton
106
49
Gary Lineker
80
48
Jimmy Greaves
57
44
Michael Owen
89
40
Sir Tom Finney
76
30
Nat Lofthouse
33
30
Alan Shearer
63
30
Frank Lampard
106
29
As you can see in the table above, Kane has scored 76 goals in 110 matches for England, having burst onto the scene as a young player at Spurs and established himself in the Three Lions set-up.
Gary Lineker and Jimmy Greaves also make the top five on that list as former Spurs players, but the Bayern Munich forward has scored more goals for both Spurs and England than they did, as great as they were in their own right.
Therefore, there is a fair argument to suggest that Kane is the best Tottenham player to ever play for England, and he still has plenty of time left to further his cause.
Meanwhile, Spurs may be brewing their next Kane-type player in North London, as they have a star who could emerge as a regular starter for the Three Lions for many more years to come.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Djed Spence has taken the long way round to establishing himself as a key player for Tottenham, but he looks to have found his feet at both club and international level.
Why Djed Spence could be a Harry Kane-type player for Spurs
The 25-year-old star, dubbed “incredible” by Alan Hutton, joined the club from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022, and spent time on loan at Rennes, Genoa, and Leeds United in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.
Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou did not immediately have him in their plans before the latter eventually brought him into the side last season.
Spence made 35 appearances in all competitions for the Lilywhites, in what was a breakthrough campaign for the young defender, and he has already emerged as a key performer for Frank, starting five of his six Premier League appearances, per Sofascore.
Pass accuracy
83.9%
Top 21%
Progressive passes
5.10
Top 15%
Passes into the final third
4.11
Top 19%
Through balls
0.11
Top 28%
Progressive carries
3.28
Top 10%
Successful take-ons
1.75
Top 4%
Shot-creating actions through take-ons
0.18
Top 10%
As you can see in the table above, the versatile full-back, who can play on the left or the right, has caught the eye with how progressive his play has been in possession, as he consistently attempts to make things happen with passes and dribbles.
On top of being impressive with the ball at his feet, Spence also prides himself on being reliable and hard to get past defensively, which is why he may nail down a place in the England team moving forward.
As you can see in the graphic above, the Spurs star put in a fantastic performance against Latvia for England on Tuesday, without being dribbled past a single time.
Spence, who Neil Warnock claimed “could run all day”, also started the 3-0 win over Wales last week and was not dribbled past a single time, per Sofascore, whilst winning 100% of his attempted tackles in that match.
Sometimes, players come into the England team after impressing at club level and do not quite look like they are at the level required for international football, or look like they need time to brush off the nerves and settle in.
Sometimes, though, players enter the set-up and never leave because they are at home right away. That was the case for Kane, who is now England’s captain and a certified legend, and it already looks like the case for Spence.
Thomas Tuchel started the 25-year-old full-back in both matches, at left-back against Wales and at right-back against Latvia, and he was brilliant in both games, as aforementioned. He did not look fazed by the occasion and showed that he has the quality to be a regular England starter.
Both full-back positions are up for grabs for England ahead of the World Cup next summer, and Spence could easily become a key player for Tuchel and his country, as Kane has over the years, if he continues in the same way that he has started his international career.
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Therefore, Tottenham may be brewing their next Kane-type player in Spence, because he has the potential to be an England regular for many more years to come.
Forceful batting followed by frugal five-wicket haul in 78-run win over Glamorgan
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Jun-2025Sussex Sharks made it three wins out of four in the Vitality Blast when they outplayed Glamorgan at Hove, winning by 78 runs with 4.4 overs to spare.First James Coles led the way with the bat, with an unbeaten 75, before Nathan McAndrew took over with the ball, with figures of five for 19 from his four overs. At one point Glamorgan, who had also won two out of three before this fixture, were 49 for seven and appeared to be heading for an even heavier defeat.They needed a challenging 196 at 9.8 runs an over and made a bright start but then, in the fourth over, their captain Kiran Carson hit Ollie Robinson tamely to Coles at midwicket.In the next over Ben Kellaway was caught on the deep midwicket boundary by Tom Clark off McAndrew and the Australian put himself on a hat-trick when Colin Ingram gloved his next delivery to the keeper.That made it 40 for three in the fifth over. And worse was to come for the visiting side. In the seventh over Will Smale, attempting to swing a low full toss from Coles to the boundary, lost his off stump instead. Then McAndrew had Chris Cooke caught behind and placed himself on another hat-rick when he dismissed Dan Douthwaite (bowled middle stump) and Timm van der Gugten (caught at backward-point). Again, McAndrew missed out on his hat-trick but he had taken five wickets for seven runs in two overs and Glamorgan, at 49 for seven after eight overs, were in disarray.Asa Tribe gave their innings a measure of respectability with a 21-ball 34, with a four and three sixes, before he was brilliantly caught by the running and diving Daniel Hughes at short third man and Tymal Mills wrapped it up with two in two.Sussex, who chose to bat first, were again indebted to the in-form Coles, who powered his way to his 75 from just 43 deliveries, with seven fours and three sixes. It was his second fifty of the campaign, and his fourth in the Vitality Blast. But Tom Alsop was a close second best, with 50 from 27, with five sixes, as the pair struck 90 runs from nine overs for the fourth wicket, with 52 runs coming from the last three overs.Glamorgan had hoped for something better after dismissing the dangerous Hughes for just a single in the second over. Harrison Ward, after a quiet three matches, made his first meaningful contribution of the season, with a bludgeoning 38, with four fours and two sixes, as he added fifty for the second wicket with the dangerous John Simpson (26) from 28 balls.But it was Coles who provided the vital acceleration, raising the hundred in the 13th over as he lofted Mason Crane over extra-cove for four before lifting his next delivery into the pavilion for six.Glamorgan fielded six bowlers but Douthwaite, whose first two overs went for 32, was surprisingly given a third and that went for 16 as Coles drove him straight for six before Alsop hit him over long-on for another maximum.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is currently busy trying to lock down a host of key players to new contracts, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t got one eye on the January transfer window.
Arsenal eye new Saka, Timber, Odegaard and Rice deals
After securing star defender William Saliba until 2030, in what was a major boost for Mikel Arteta, Berta is now working to tie down the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and club captain Martin Odegaard.
Goalkeeper David Raya, much like Leandro Trossard, was also awarded improved contract terms without an official club announcement, which sees him earn a deserved pay rise after establishing himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe.
Top 15 goalkeepers in the world
Rank
Player
Age
Club
Nation
1
Gianluigi Donnarumma
26
Man City
Italy
2
Alisson
33
Liverpool
Brazil
3
David Raya
30
Arsenal
Spain
4
Jan Oblak
32
Atletico Madrid
Slovenia
5
Diogo Costa
25
FC Porto
Portugal
Click here to see the rest…
Back-to-back Golden Glove awards sum up Raya’s exceptional displays between the sticks, and he’s throughly deserving of his reported pay rise.
As a matter of more urgency, considering his current deal expires in 2027, it is imperative that Arsenal agree an extension with Saka next. The 24-year-old is their arguable star player, and this isn’t lost on Berta.
The Italian could even make Saka the club’s first £300,000-per-week player in an attempt to lock him down, and he’s also held talks with both Odegaard and Rice over potential fresh terms.
Other reports claim that Arsenal are optimistic Saka will sign a new contract before Christmas, but while the England international’s discussions go on, Berta is also reportedly making some mid-season transfer plans.
Arsenal were among the Premier League’s biggest spenders last summer, investing north of £250 million on eight major signings.
However, they could attack the market again to provide competition for Martin Zubimendi in midfield.
Arsenal preparing January move for Barcelona star Marc Casado
That is according to reports from Spain, as it is believed that the North Londoners are very keen on Barcelona’s Marc Casado.
The 22-year-old has featured regularly under Hansi Flick this season, but is struggling overall to establish himself as a mainstay starter amid the fierce competition for places.
Arsenal are apparently preparing to make a January move for Casado, who is valued at around £26 million, and Berta could make a “reasonable offer” for the Spaniard mid-season in a bid to challenge Zubimendi and provide astute back-up.
Christian Norgaard was signed from Brentford as a utility player, but the Dane has already admitted that he’ll likely leave Arsenal in the next two to three years as he eyes a future return to Brondby.
With Norgaard’s long-term future away from N5, Casado’s could be brought in to bolster Arteta’s midfield for years to come, and it is worth noting that he’s very highly-rated by his La Liga peers.
Newcastle United might have faced inferior opponents, but their comfortable passage through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup underlined the strength of Eddie Howe’s side.
It felt at times during the summer transfer window that the Magpies would teeter and fall, so intense was the noise around Alexander Isak’s future at St. James’ Park, so glum was the mood.
But in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, Newcastle have welcomed talented and contrasting strikers equipped to deal with the pressures of leading the line on Tyneside and into the Champions League, United having lost their opener against Barcelona and now in need of results.
However, they also have William Osula, who has gone from strength to strength under Howe’s wing and bagged himself a brace against Bradford City on Wednesday evening.
Osula came within a whisker of leaving Newcastle this summer, with Eintracht Frankfurt over in Germany actually tabling a formal £30m offer for the Danish forward.
Sources such as Sky Sports’ Keith Downie have confirmed that the bid had been slapped on the table and then withdrawn on deadline day. Some within the Toon hierarchy may be kicking themselves for not having accepted the offer sooner, but Howe may well be content with the 22-year-old Dane having stayed put, with three goals scored already in 2025/26.
It wasn’t a perfect display against Bradford in the Carabao Cup, but Osula certainly demonstrated a degree of improvement after languishing on the periphery last year, also netting off the bench in the Premier League during the 3-2 defeat by Liverpool in August.
Praised for his complete performance and for “slowly but surely” making the necessary improvements to his game, Osula is a valuable asset as United look to challenge across multiple fronts this term.
However, he wasn’t the only one to catch the eye on Wednesday, with Malick Thiaw putting in another statement showing after his summer transfer. The centre-back has some thick internal competition, but there might come a point when Howe marks him as one of the first names on the team sheet.
Newcastle welcome Arsenal to St. James’ Park in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, and that’s going to be a tough test indeed for Howe’s side.
It was a bold call to field so many of his finest players, though that is a declaration of the manager’s respect for the Carabao Cup and his desire to successfully defend the crown that was so emphatically claimed last season.
Thiaw helped carry Newcastle through, and he may well have underscored his claim for another starting berth at the weekend, with fans taking to online circles after the win and voicing their excitement at a future Thiaw and Sven Botman partnership.
As per FBref, the German defender, who joined from AC Milan for £35m in August, ranks among the top 7% of defenders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 16% for progressive passes per 90.
He is not only crisp in possession, but eager to make things happen and progress the play upfield.
And, against Bradford, the 24-year-old proved himself worthy of a place in Howe’s starting line-up for the biggest occasions, energetic and secure in the defensive phases and crisp and creative on the ball.
|
Malick Thiaw vs Bradford |
|
|---|---|
|
Match Stats |
# |
|
Minutes played |
90′ |
|
Touches |
82 |
|
Accurate passes |
67/70 (96%) |
|
Chances created |
0 |
|
Long balls |
5/6 |
|
Tackles |
1 |
|
Interceptions |
3 |
|
Clearances |
4 |
|
Ground duels |
1/2 |
|
Aerial duels |
2/2 |
|
Data via Sofascore |
|
There’s a certain no-nonsense style to the right-footed defender, who also carries a technical command that stretches above the capacity of most other positional peers competing in the Premier League and across Europe.
Thiaw, while still integrating into Howe’s squad and indeed the Premier League,
He’s been hailed as a “monster in the air” by journalist Martino Puccio for his efforts in Italy with AC Milan, but also “one of the most talented centre-backs in Germany” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
While Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have been pillars of strength for Newcastle over the past several Howe-led years, it’s clear that in Botman and Thiaw, the tactician has a more dynamic and stable central partnership, and that’s something which could bear dividends in the long run as Newcastle look to build on their recent successes and reach even loftier heights in the coming years.
It would be premature to label Thiaw as undroppable already, but he’s certainly on his way to nailing down a starting spot on the big occasion, and it’s unlikely that many of a Toon persuasion would be dismayed if he were to be named in the rearguard when Arsenal come calling at the weekend.
Reared in Germany and then developed in Serie A, Thiaw has only started once in the top flight thus far, playing most of the recent goalless draw against Bournemouth and receiving a 7/10 match rating from the Chronicle Live after winning four duels, making six clearances and four interceptions, data sourced via Sofascore.
It might have been an even more generous rating, but for a yellow card which prompted Howe to make a change in the dying embers.
In any case, Thiaw is the real deal, and fans can start to get excited about his potential in the Premier League.
Osula did himself no harm in his quest for success at Newcastle, scoring twice against Bradford, but Thiaw’s display was more telling: this is a player tailor-made for a star role in Howe’s team.
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Enzo Maresca returned silverware to Stamford Bridge last season, two loads of it. Chelsea also finished fourth in the Premier League to unlock the doorway into the Champions League.
It’s been an up-and-down start to the 2025/26 campaign, but there’s little sense that Chelsea have been hit with a case of second-season syndrome, instead finding their footing after a summer of change.
There is enough on show for the fans to remain confident in the project. Before the international break, the Londoners beat Liverpool, and it was Estevao Willian who wheeled away in celebration after that last-gasp strike against the champions, Chelsea making their pressure and optimism count and keeping pace on the fringes of the early title pack.
However, if the Maresca era is to reach new heights, the Blues will need a ready-made superstar to lead the way toward glory. Someone, perhaps, in the vein of Eden Hazard.
Hazard's Chelsea legacy
Hazard is one of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League. He might have retired relatively early, but the Belgian maverick gave everything across seven seasons for Chelsea, and his record-breaking departure to Real Madrid in 2019 led Joe Cole to hail him as “the greatest player the club has ever had.”
The 34-year-old played 352 matches for Chelsea, scoring 110 goals and supplying 88 assists. No player in Premier League history has completed more take-ons in a single campaign than him (180), as per Squawka.
Quite simply, his dribbling and directness left nothing to be desired; what more could be demanded from one of the greatest to do it?
The two-time league champion also won two Europa League titles among further domestic honours. Four times he was named Chelsea’s Player of the Year, and he was crowned the Premier League Player of the Season in 2014/15 after guiding his side to the trophy.
In some ways, Estevao may be a new incarnation of the fleet-footed winger, but Hazard was a talisman who transcended his positional role, and there’s another within Maresca’s squad who is shaping up to be the next version.
Chelsea's new version of Eden Hazard
While Estevao has the world at his feet, it’s important not to overburden the 18-year-old. That said, Cole Palmer is already settled into his talismanic berth at Stamford Bridge, and he has the quality and experience to lift Chelsea to new heights and emulate Hazard.
Palmer, 23, joined the Blues from Manchester City just over two years ago, penning a long-term contract off the back of a £42.5m fee.
Ice-cold from the start, the England international’s maiden campaign in the capital was the stuff of legend, fast-tracking himself to the overhanging posters across the Premier League advertising boards. He was, in other words, instantly among the most talented and marketable players in the country.
Given that Palmer is still so young, hailed by Sky Sports’ Nick Wright as being ‘Chelsea’s new leader’, the rangy playmaker might not have Hazard’s same blistering speed, but he’s got the skills and potency in the final third to guide Chelsea toward heights more illustrious than have been reached already under Maresca’s wing.
Indeed, it’s curious to note that Palmer has actually outperformed Hazard across his opening two terms at the outfit, when comparing the superstars’ respective starts to life in London.
Games
111
97
Goals
30
43
Assists
31
29
G/A Rate
0.55
0.74
Trophies
2x
2x
Maybe this underscores just how impressive a start to life at Chelsea Palmer has made. There was a reason that Jamie Carragher described the Three Lions star as “the best player in the Premier League” one year ago, after all.
Having struggled with injury across the opening months of the new campaign, Palmer has only featured four times across all competitions, with two goals scored. Despite his limited showing thus far, Palmer has been praised by Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp for a “world-class” performance against Bayern Munich in September.
But he’s a hero for the club, alright, and could leave a legacy that ends up rivalling and maybe even surpassing that of Hazard.
Chelsea's "young Hudson-Odoi" is now on borrowed time because of Estevao
Estevao’s stunning ascent at Chelsea could now mean this other exciting starlet is on borrowed time at Stamford Bridge.
ByKelan Sarson Oct 15, 2025