UAE have replaced USA in the list of 16 women’s teams with ICC ODI status for the 2025-29 cycle, which will come into effect on May 12. The 16 teams include five Associate members: Thailand, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and Scotland, who have all retained their status, apart from UAE.Thailand and Scotland made sure of their ODI status after getting to the women’s ODI World Cup qualifier, held recently, while PNG and Netherlands retained their status based on their T20I rankings. PNG are at 13th and Netherlands 15th on the T20I rankings. Thailand and Scotland are at 11th and 12th place on the same rankings respectively.At the World Cup qualifiers held in Pakistan earlier this month, Scotland beat West Indies and Thailand to finish fourth out of six teams, with Thailand placed bottom after losing all their five games. Pakistan and Bangladesh made the cut for the World Cup, to be hosted later this year by India, from the tournament, though Pakistan are expected to not travel to India and will play their matches elsewhere.UAE confirmed their ODI status as the next-highest-ranked Associate team – at No. 16 on the T20I table – at the time of the annual rankings update. Teams with ODI status are required to play at least eight ODIs over a three-to-four-year period to achieve or maintain a ranking.Australia maintained their stronghold on the No.1 ranking with 299 rating points and even extended their lead over second-placed England (279) from 18 points to 20 after the update.USA are currently playing a bilateral series against Zimbabwe, where they lost the T20I series 2-1 and won the first ODI by seven wickets on Thursday. The second and final ODI will be played on Saturday. UAE, meanwhile, are currently in Bangkok, taking part in a quadrangular T20I series also involving hosts Thailand, Hong Kong and Kuwait.
For a free-flowing team that confidently strolled to the Championship title last season, Daniel Farke’s Leeds United have unfortunately misplaced their shooting boots in the Premier League so far.
Indeed, the entertaining Whites fired home a devastating 95 strikes in total last campaign, as 100 points were also tallied up.
Now, from their opening three games up a division, they have just a paltry single goal to shout about, with a mixed bag of four points next to their name.
Farke will just be praying it’s early-season nerves holding his wasteful team back, with lots more expected of Dominic Calvert-Lewin as he acclimatises to his new environment at Elland Road, after becoming synonymous with ex-employers Everton.
Calvert-Lewin's early Leeds struggles
After lining up for the Toffees 273 times across nine seasons, Calvert-Lewin walked away from Merseyside this summer for a fresh opportunity in West Yorkshire.
Everton did try to tempt the ex-Sheffield United striker to stay with a new, extended deal, but Farke and Co proved to be a more enticing next step, as the 11-time England international now attempts to recapture his best form in front of goal after an injury-ravaged few campaigns at Goodison Park.
Leeds will hope they can move past these recurring niggles and reawaken a clinical monster, with journalist Patrick Boyland once labelling the attacker as “outstanding” when he was scoring goals for fun at the Toffees.
In total, an impressive 71 goals would come Calvert-Lewin’s way at Everton, with 16 of those coming during just one Premier League season.
Yet, the early signs at the moment suggest that the Sheffield-born forward is bereft of confidence in front of goal, having endured a nightmare day at the office against Sheffield Wednesday recently.
Staring down the barrel of an embarrassing exit in the EFL Cup to Sheffield Wednesday, Farke would throw on Calvert-Lewin for the final 30 minutes of action, hopeful that he could be the difference-maker on his debut run-out.
Instead, he depressingly fluffed his lines whenever the pressure was ramped up, with four big chances spurned, before he also missed a penalty kick to hand the Owls a shock Cup win.
Farke could well feel it’s necessary to keep Calvert-Lewin on his toes now, knowing he’s still a little rusty, with a rising starlet perhaps pushed up for more first-team chances.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
The Leeds prospect who could compete with Calvert-Lewin
Farke was the manager at the Elland Road helm who brought Archie Gray into the senior spotlight.
Gray would then go on to be a £40m sale to Tottenham Hotspur after seriously impressing throughout Leeds’ promotion-near miss.
Amazingly, the majority of his family members will be hoping for a similar rise for brother Harry Gray, who has already made waves in the first team picture.
With promotion all but wrapped up last season, the former Norwich City boss threw the 16-year-old sensation into the first-team mix, with a memorable eight-minute cameo handed to him against Stoke City in April.
It wasn’t just purely sentiment that gifted Gray a chance to strut his stuff with the likes of Manor Solomon and the other promotion heroes, however, with the teenager already tipped to have an immensely bright future in the game by analyst Ben Mattinson.
Indeed, he boldly stated that he is “one of England’s best prospects in his generation” after briefly lining up against the Potters.
Gray’s numbers at Leeds
Season
Games
Goals
25/26
3
4
24/25
8
3
23/24
11
8
Sourced by Transfermarkt
The table above proves that Mattinson’s words aren’t just hyperbole either, with the 16-year-old already up to seven goals from ten games for the U21s at Premier League 2 level, away from collecting a lethal 15 strikes overall at youth level.
Calvert-Lewin could only dream of being in such a rich vein of goalscoring form himself, with a weak three strikes next to his name in the main Premier League last season.
Of course, just for his experience alone, Leeds will continue to try and get a tune out of their new marksman.
But, in the long run, do not rule out Gray making strides in the senior picture, having also been previously branded an “unbelievable” talent by former Leeds favourite Dominic Matteo.
Leeds now want international star who ripped Real Madrid defender to shreds
The Whites have sat up and taken notice of his performance.
There will be a player draft as well as a round of pre-draft signings ahead of the tournament
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2025
St Lucia Kings are the defending CPL champions•CPL T20 via Getty Images
The 13th edition of the men’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will be held from August 14 to September 21 this year, Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the CPL announced on Friday. “Once again there will be no clash with West Indies international matches,” a CPL statement said.”We are pleased to have once again worked with Cricket West Indies to find a window that allows the very best players from across the region to take part in the CPL,” Pete Russell, the CPL chief executive, said. “The 2024 season was our most successful to date and we are looking forward to building on that success in 2025.”As has been the case since 2022, there will be 30 league-stage matches featuring the six teams, followed by four playoffs – the eliminator, two qualifiers, and the final. St Lucia Kings are the defending champions, and the tournament will feature losing 2024 finalists Guyana Amazon Warriors, Barbados Royals, Trinbago Knight Riders, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, who replaced Jamaica Tallawahs before the 2024 edition.Lynford Inverary, acting chief executive and chief operating officer of CWI, said, “While CWI continues to take a leading role in shaping our overall cricket calendar, the CPL remains a key part of our cricketing ecosystem, playing an important role in the development and promotion of the game throughout the Caribbean.”Specifics in terms of venues, fixtures, etc will be announced later. There will be a draft as well as a round of pre-draft signings for the teams to get their squads in place.
NSW veteran Kurtis Patterson has scored an unbeaten 167 to lift his side to 463 for 9, leading by 252 against WA
AAP08-Dec-2024
Kurtis Patterson celebrates a drought-breaking century•Getty Images
Sam Konstas has missed out on another century but teammate Kurtis Patterson managed to break a long drought to give New South Wales a chance of pulling off victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the SCG.The Blues went to stumps on day three at 463 for 9 in their first innings, with a lead of 252 after WA were rolled for 211. Heavy rain washed out most of day two, but NSW made up for that lost time by piling on the runs on Sunday.Konstas (88) resumed on his overnight score of 80, but his hopes of scoring his fourth century of the summer were dashed when he edged Lance Morris to second slip.Patterson picked up where Konstas left off, scoring an unbeaten 167 off 255 balls to lift the home side to a big first-innings lead. It marked a big turnaround for Patterson, who was dropped last season amidst a form slump.He now has 527 runs this season at an astounding average of 105.40, thrusting his name back into the national selection puzzle to add to his two Tests.Patterson yelled out in joy upon reaching his century – his first ton in 769 days. The previous highest first-class total by Patterson was 157 on debut as an 18-year-old, but he surged past that late on day three.The 31-year-old struck 15 fours and three sixes during his glittering knock, while Chris Green (35) and Jack Edwards (30) added some handy runs lower down the order.WA paceman Brody Couch finished with 3 for 66, while Morris (2 for 69) and Cameron Gannon (2 for 99) also chipped in.Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who is trying to earn a spot on Australia’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka, returned figures of 1 for 87 off 27 overs.For WA, the final day will be all about survival given there’s no hope the defending champions can win the match. NSW sit second last on the table, and desperately need to win in order to revive their finals hopes.WA, winners of the past three titles, entered the match second on the ladder.
Manchester United loanee Andre Onana's Trabzonspor debut got off to the worst possible start after the Cameroonian produced yet another howler to hand Fenerbahce the opening goal. While the goalkeeper was able to impress through the game, his mistake allowed Youssef En-Nesyri's goal to stand as the match winner, handing Trabzonspor their first loss of the season.
Onana makes his debut for Trabzonspor
Onana moved to Trabzonspor from Manchester United last week in a straight loan deal with no options to make the transfer permanent next summer. The Cameroonian made his official debut for the Turkish side against Ederson's Fenerbahce on Sunday. While he had a wonderful game, the Red Devils loanee reminded everyone that even when he performs well, he has an error in his back pocket, as he handed Fenerbahce a win on the night.
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Onana's howler costs Trabzonspor the game
Trabzonspor had a tough task at their hand when they went down to 10 men after Okay Yokuslu was sent off in the 20th minute of the clash for 'violent conduct'. Onana had managed to keep all Fenerbahce attempts away; however, in the 45th minute, he spilt a rather tame long shot from his former teammate Fred into the path of Sebastian Szymanski. The Cameroon international managed to save the shot from the Pole, but the ball fell to En-Nesyri, who tapped the ball into an open net.
Onana wins Man of the Match despite his error
Apart from the mistake, Onana showed everyone exactly why he was so highly rated at Inter Milan. The Manchester United loanee made a total of eight saves in the game, as he prevented 1.76 Expected Goals (xG) in the process. Onana ended up being awarded the Man of the Match award, however, ultimately, it was his mistake that handed Trabzonspor their first loss of the season.
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Onana will now look forward to his home debut
Trabzonspor are set to take on Gaziantep in their next league fixture in what will be Onana's home debut at Akyazi Stadium. The Cameroon international will hope not to be as involved in that clash, but will know that he needs to bring the errors out of his game if he wants to succeed with his side this season.
August is now very much on the horizon for Sunderland as a brand new Premier League campaign grows ever closer.
There will be concerns over the Black Cats’ last friendly contest amid all the excitement, however, as Regis Le Bris’ men were humbled 3-0 by Hearts on their last outing to Tynecastle.
Sunderland are already six signings down across the hectic transfer window.
Still, plenty more new faces will surely arrive through the door soon before West Ham United travel to the Stadium of Light to kick off the hotly anticipated Premier League season.
Sunderland make approach to sign Premier League star
Of course, Sunderland’s main target continues to be ex-Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The ongoing saga involving the Switzerland international had taken a new, unexpected turn when Xhaka featured for Bayer Leverkusen during the German side’s last friendly match, despite past talk centring on the fact that the 32-year-old had reached a verbal agreement over a move to Wearside.
However, that now looks likely to be his final ever appearance for Leverkusen, with a breaking development coming to light on Monday that a fee of £15m has been agreed that will see him move back to England.
On top of that news, as per a report by Mackem News, Sunderland have also approached back-up Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to try and strike up a deal, with the 32-year-old eager to stay put in England if he walks away from the Etihad shortly.
The £7m-rated City star is likely to depart the Etihad Stadium this summer owing to England goalkeeper James Trafford re-signing for the Citizens.
Ortega can immediately usurp Anthony Patterson on his arrival, with his top-flight know-how making him a standout signing for a Sunderland side attempting to instantly stay afloat in the top division.
Why Ortega could be a better signing than Xhaka
Winning the £90k-per-week stopper’s signature could even be a more important signing than Xhaka finally joining Le Bris’ camp, particularly if the two-time Premier League title winner goes on to play a pivotal role in securing safety for his new side.
Whilst Ortega has often been placed on the periphery at the Etihad next to Ederson stealing the limelight, the ex-Arminia Bielefeld man has shone in spurts for City when chucked into the first-team spotlight by Pep Guardiola, as seen in his vital, season-altering save against Tottenham Hotspur towards the back-end of the 23/24 campaign.
In total, the “exceptional” Ortega – as he’s been labelled previously by the City boss – has kept a promising six clean sheets in Premier League action from just 26 appearances in Manchester, with a high 67 saves also amassed in some clutch moments for the top-flight outfit.
Ortega’s PL numbers for City
Stat
Ortega
Games played
25
Games started
5
Goals conceded
26
Pass completion %
796 (80%)
Saves made
67
Clean sheets
6
Stats by the Premier League
Amazingly, those six clean sheets have also come about despite Ortega only making five Premier League starts in total for City, meaning he should come into his own even more if he suddenly becomes one of Le Bris’ main starters at the Stadium of Light.
Patterson has never experienced a Premier League outing, on the contrary, so it would be a major risk to shove Sunderland’s number one shot-stopper from the EFL straight into a top-flight contest and expect him to immediately perform, which is where Ortega could come to the rescue.
Xhaka does also have lots of Premier League experience under his belt – with a mammoth 225 appearances in the tough division with Arsenal. He’s also now a Bundesliga winner after a remarkable 2023/24 campaign.
However, Sunderland have been very busy in the middle of the park this summer, upgrading their options already, with a club-record £30m already splashed on Habib Diarra, away from Noah Sadiki also joining Le Bris’ growing ranks.
Between the midfield duo, a bumper 162 appearances have been tallied up in both Ligue 1 and the Jupiler Pro League, with the Premier League not the most daunting next step subsequently.
Therefore, it might not actually be the most pressing move to finally sign Xhaka.
Rather, Sunderland will no doubt welcome Ortega even more, with the arrival of a Premier League-proven goalkeeper simply a necessity this year. It could be the difference between relegation and staying up.
He'd be amazing with Xhaka: Sunderland pursuing "incredible" Isak-esque gem
Sunderland is now pursuing a move for this incredible star who could shine alongside Granit Xhaka.
Arsenal are poised to complete the signing of a Premier League star imminently, with the player now undergoing his medicals ahead of his proposed move to N5.
Arsenal trying to convince £55m ace to join, Arteta is speaking to him
The Gunners boss is getting involved.
ByEmilio Galantini Jul 4, 2025
Andrea Berta’s appointment is starting to pay dividends, as Mikel Arteta prepares to welcome a host of new signings to the Emirates Stadium.
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
£5m
Arsenal have already acquired Kepa Arrizabalaga, who officially became Berta’s first signing in a £5 million move from Chelsea earlier this week, with the Gunners also finally sealing a deal for Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
The Premier League title hopefuls are actively trying to sign an attacker too. Arsenal are reported to be in “advanced” talks with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze over terms (L’Equipe), but this won’t have an impact on their efforts for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, as it is believed both players could join them in separate deals (Fabrizio Romano).
All of this comes amid Berta’s pursuit of a new striker as well – likely to be one of Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres or RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko – with the director having worked extensively on deals for both men simultaneously before deciding which move would be best for the club (BBC).
However, one man who looks certain to land before the likes of Eze, Madueke, Sesko or Gyokeres is Brentford captain Christian Norgaard.
Arsenal recently agreed a deal which could reach £15 million for Norgaard, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano confirming that the necessary paperwork has been exchanged ahead of his switch.
The 31-year-old Bees figurehead is an adept and Premier League-proven player, with reliable journalist Ben Jacobs sharing when supporters can expect him to be announced as a new Arsenal player.
Arsenal expected to complete Christian Norgaard signing next week
Speaking on talkSPORT, Jacobs reports that Norgaard is undergoing medical tests at Arsenal, and has completed the first half of his physical assessments. The Denmark international is expected to fully complete his move next week, so it won’t be long until supporters can officially welcome him.
“It’s Eze plus a left winger, and then you have a number nine as well,” said Jacobs on the club’s transfer plans.
“Add in Norgaard, who has done the first part of his medical, and is expected to complete his move next week.
“On top of that factor in the €60m or so outlay for Martin Zubimendi and Arsenal are getting going. Mosquera is another one they’re very optimistic on.”
Arsenal’s signing of Norgaard has been praised by critics, like former Tottenham director Frank Arnesen, who recently told Danish news outlet Tipsbladest that he’s the full package.
“Christian is a fantastic guy,” said Arnsen.
“I have nothing but good things to say about him. You meet players many times in your life, but I always hoped this one would have a fantastic career. He has got that. He has become captain of Brentford and has done incredible.
“Mikel Arteta was fantastic as a player, I think, and as a coach he has done absolutely superbly, both as an assistant at Manchester City and afterwards at Arsenal with the way he plays football.
“He doesn’t just take a player in without knowing exactly what he’s going to use him for. Maybe he won’t play 50 games, you don’t know, maybe it’ll only be 30, but it’s about the whole package. He gets the whole package with Christian.”
Chelsea’s transfer activity has been leaked consistently over the last few days, with one club director now lifting the lid on a recent phone call as the Blues pursued another deal.
Chelsea targeting new attackers for Maresca after failed deadline deals
Enzo Maresca couldn’t quite get AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan or Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens through the door in time for their looming Club World Cup campaign (Sky Sports), with the pre-CWC deadline passing at 7pm on Tuesday.
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The west Londoners have plenty of players to get off the books.
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Chelsea also didn’t have enough time to strike what is a complex deal for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, but Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg insists that he is still one to watch, and the west Londoners remain in talks.
In the meantime, it is reported that Chelsea are prioritising a new attacker over the coming weeks, namely a left-winger, versatile attacking midfielder and second striker after Liam Delap (Simon Phillips).
Chelsea also haven’t given up hope of signing Gittens, and he could well be one they revisit later on in the window.
Jamie Gittens
“The hype and briefings of bids being sent and rejected for Gittens yesterday afternoon was just all blown up and also, very delayed,” said journalist Simon Phillips in a recent Substack update.
“Chelsea walked from this way before lunchtime and the biggest offer we sent in was a £45m base fee and £10m add-ons. This was rejected and Chelsea walked. It is likely to come up again because Chelsea do rate Gittens, and it’s likely to still be a genuine pursuit for Chelsea still this summer.”
This is now being echoed by Dortmund sporting director Sebastien Kehl, who lifted the lid on their discussions with Chelsea in an interview with Tage Spiegel this week.
Sebastien Kehl reveals Chelsea phone call over signing Jamie Gittens
The Bundesliga chief shared details behind their negotiations, with Kehl also tipping Chelsea talks for Gittens to reopen.
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittensin action with Lille's Bafode Diakite
“We spoke on the phone, in the end we did not agree, because we have different ideas about the current value of the player,” he said.
“Jamie definitely makes our team better. We are glad that he is there. We are in a good exchange and see how things are shaping in the future.
“Of course, at some point, if you take a player with it, you also have to sell. I assume that his market value will not fall. We will see to what extent we can keep it until the end of the tournament. There will be talks again.”
Borussia Dortmund'sJamieBynoe-Gittensin action with GNK Dinamo Zagreb's Kevin Theophile-Catherine
Dortmund and Kehl are rumoured to want as much as £55 million for Gittens, which is a steep price considering he played less of a crucial role for them towards the back end of 2024/2025.
Just three of the 20-year-old’s 12 goals last season came in this calendar year, with Gittens also registering zero assists since the turn of 2025.
While Chelsea chiefs are believed to rate him, BlueCo also must not pay over the odds for him either, even if he’s Dortmund’s most sellable asset, and they’re likely to carry on charging top dollar.
This summer is huge for Leeds United in their attempts to recruit well and bridge the gap that has been created between the Championship and the Premier League.
No promoted team in each of the last two seasons has managed to survive the drop, with Daniel Farke’s side the latest to try their luck in England’s top-flight.
The Whites have previously demonstrated that it is possible, finishing ninth under Marcelo Bielsa during their previous effort after securing promotion ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
However, the gap has arguably been widened, making such a task for Farke even harder in 2025/26, with his future already coming into question in recent weeks.
If he is to keep the side in the top-flight, he will need backing from the hierarchy, with numerous key additions needed in various areas of the pitch at Elland Road.
The latest Leeds’ pursuit of new additions this summer
Over recent weeks, Leeds have been in the market for a new talisman, even making contact with Newcastle United over a potential deal for striker Callum Wilson.
The 33-year-old’s deal is set to expire at St James’ Park this summer, with the Whites looking to take advantage and land the star, who’s registered 49 goals in 130 appearances for the Magpies.
Newcastle United'sCallumWilsonsalutes their fans after the match
However, he’s not the only attacker on their list during the current transfer window, with Hamburg star Davie Selke already on their list, according to ExpressSport.
The report claims that Farke’s side have already been in direct contact with the 30-year-old’s representatives after he netted 22 goals in 31 Bundesliga 2 outings this season.
It also states that his deal expires on the 30th of June, with no new contract on the horizon, leading to a battle between the Whites, RB Leipzig and West Ham United this summer.
Why Leeds’ latest target could be the next Tanaka
Midfielder Ao Tanaka has starred beyond all imagination at Leeds over the last 12 months, cementing his place within the heart of the side after his switch from Fortuna Düsseldorf.
The 26-year-old featured in 43 outings during the title-winning campaign, scoring five times and registering two assists – a superb return for a central midfielder.
The Japanese international will likely be a key member of the squad in the Premier League, looking to build on the success endured during his debut year in Yorkshire.
He was named in the EFL’s Team of the Season as a result, highlighting the excellent business conducted by the hierarchy – something which needs to be replicated this summer.
Selke could follow in his footsteps by joining Farke’s side from a German club, before making himself a key member of the squad and contributing to their success.
Hamburger SV's DavieSelkescores their third goal
The striker’s stats from the 2024/25 campaign are nothing short of remarkable, certainly adding a new dimension to the club’s attack with his impressive skillset.
The Hamburg talisman, who’s been labelled a “monster” by Sky Germany’s Phillipp Hinze, finished as the top scorer in the German second tier, registering two shots on target per 90 – showcasing his threat in attacking areas.
Games played
31
Goals & assists
22
Shots on target per 90
2
Touches in opposition box
6.2
Aerials won
4.8
Aerial success rate
65%
Dribble success
47%
He’s also registered 6.2 touches per 90 in the opposition’s penalty area this season, offering Farke a fox-in-the-box type forward that he’s missed since taking the reins.
Selke has been a huge threat in the air this season, winning a staggering 4.8 aerials per 90, offering the side a needed focal point to play off, and handing other talents around him the opportunity to improve their own tallies.
Given the interest in his signature this summer, the hierarchy will have to act quickly to avoid missing out on the German’s signature, with his ability certainly offering Farke a different option in front of goal.
Should he complete the move, if he gets anywhere close to the levels produced by Tanaka, it would be a superb piece of business, especially considering he could be available on a free transfer.
A better signing than Phillips: Leeds eye move for "phenomenal" £10m star
Leeds United should prioritise this phenomenal signing over attempting to bring back Kalvin Phillips to Elland Road.
Chelsea are now preparing a £60m swoop for an “insane” forward, who has put in some very impressive performances in the Champions League this season, according to a report.
Blues set sights on new striker
With Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku struggling in front of goal since the turn of the year, it has become apparent that Enzo Maresca will need to bring in a new striker in the summer transfer window, and a number of targets have been identified.
Talks have been opened over a deal for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, and there is a feeling the Blues could be willing to fork out a fee of £65m for the Sweden international, although they will face competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United.
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Given Gyokeres’ huge price tag, however, it could be wise to consider alternative options, and it has recently emerged that Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is set to be available for just £30m this summer, should his side be relegated from the Premier League.
Delap has been extremely impressive in front of goal in the Premier League this season, but according to a report from Spain, Chelsea have now set their sights on one of this season’s Champions League revelations, namely Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy.
The west Londoners are preparing a €70m (£60m) offer for Guirassy’s services, given that the striker has shone in the Champions League this season, most recently scoring a hat-trick against FC Barcelona in the quarter-final.
Serie A giants Juventus and Napoli are also interested in signing the Borussia Dortmund star, but Stamford Bridge is said to be his most likely destination this summer, with Maresca looking to bring in a striker who guarantees goals, amid concerns over Jackson.
"Insane" Guirassy could be huge upgrade on Jackson
Despite some promising signs near the start of the season, Jackson has been largely ineffective in front of goal this season, while Guirassy has been extremely impressive in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League throughout the campaign.
The Guinea international has amassed a remarkable 36 goal contributions in 40 appearances in all competitions, having been particularly prolific in front of goal in Europe, prior to his side’s exit at the hands of Barcelona earlier this week.
Competition
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Bundesliga
25
15
3
Champions League
14
13
5
U23 football scout Antonio Mango has lauded the France-born striker as “insane” in the past, and his performances this season suggest he deserves to be playing in the Champions League next season, which is now extremely unlikely to be the case at Dortmund.
As such, it seems likely that a move to Stamford Bridge could appeal to Guirassy this summer, should the Blues manage to qualify for the Champions League, which underlines the importance of Chelsea having a strong end to the campaign.