O técnico Bruno Lage deve ter uma novidade à sua disposição para o confronto do Botafogo diante do Flamengo. O centroavante Tiquinho Soares entrou em reta final de recuperação de sua lesão.
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Nesta quinta-feira (31), o camisa 9 conseguiu treinar com a equipe sub-20 do Alvinegro e os jogadores que não foram relacionados para a partida contra o Defensa Y Justicia, na Argentina. No decorrer da atividade, o atleta sinalizou que está recuperado do estiramento no ligamento colateral medial do joelho esquerdo.
+ Próximos jogos do Botafogo: veja calendário com datas e adversários
O camisa 9 deve estar no treinamento da sexta-feira (1), data na qual o elenco se reapresenta de olho no clássico diante do Flamengo, pela 22ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A expectativa é de que Tiquinho fique à disposição de Bruno Lage, podendo ficar no banco de reservas, dependendo do número de minutos que seu estafe entenda que o atacante possa jogar.
Tiquinho Soares não atua desde 6 de agosto, quando sofreu uma lesão durante o empate em 0 a 0 com o Cruzeiro, pelo Brasileirão. A previsão de sua recuperação era de até cinco semanas.
+ Marçal critica postura do Botafogo na partida contra o Defensa Y Justicia
Após um período de recuperação intensiva,com três sessões de fisioterapia por dia, o atacante conseguiu ter condições de retornar ao gramado. Tiquinho Soares tem 13 gols em 17 partidas no Brasileirão e é um dos principais artilheiros do futebol brasileiro em 2023, com 25 feitos marcados em 38 jogos.
O Botafogo é líder do Brasileirão, com 51 pontos, 11 a mais que o Palmeiras.
World Cup-winning opener last featured in the format in Bob Willis Trophy in 2020
ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2025
Jason Roy hasn’t featured in red-ball cricket since 2020•Getty Images
Jason Roy, England’s World Cup-winning opener, has made a surprise comeback to red-ball cricket, after being named in Surrey’s XI to take on Warwickshire in the County Championship at Edgbaston*.Roy, 34, averages 36.46 in 87 previous red-ball matches in the course of his career, with nine centuries including a best of 143 against Lancashire in 2015. However, he has not played the format since making scores of 4 and 14 in a one-off Bob Willis Trophy appearance for Surrey against Hampshire in the Covid-hit summer of 2020.That, in turn, was Roy’s first and last outing since his short-lived England Test career in the summer of 2019. Fresh from his starring role in that summer’s World Cup victory, Roy was picked to open the batting in five Tests against Ireland and Australia. However, his hard-handed technique was found out by Australia’s seamers in particular, and despite moving into the middle-order for his final appearance at Old Trafford, he was dropped ahead of the series decider after averaging 13.75 in eight innings.His return to the format comes with Surrey looking to fill the gap created by the absence of the club’s ECB-contracted batters, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith, who are rested for this fixture alongside Gus Atkinson ahead of the impending Test against Zimbabwe later this month.Roy’s availability also reflects his declining stock on the global T20 circuit. Despite being one of the pivotal figures of England’s white-ball revolution from 2015 onwards, Roy was the notable omission from the team’s World Cup defence in India in 2023, and was overlooked for this year’s IPL after withdrawing for personal reasons on three occasions in 2020, 2022 and 2024. With his final 50-over match for England coming in Bangladesh in March 2023, it is now more than two years since he played anything longer than a 20-over innings.Surrey, the three-times County Champions, are currently third in the Division One table – one place behind Warwickshire and ten points adrift of table-topping Nottinghamshire. However, they found their form in the last round with a three-day victory over Somerset at the Kia Oval. Their prospects have been boosted by the arrival of their overseas players Nathan Smith and Kurtis Patterson, while Tom Lawes also returns for the first time this season.May 9, 11am GMT – This story was updated with confirmation of Surrey’s XI
حسمت 8 أندية تأهلها بشكل رسمي، إلى دور ربع النهائي (دور الـ 8) من بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين، للموسم الحالي 2025-2026.
وأقيمت مواجهات دور الـ 16 على مدار يومين مساء الإثنين واليوم الثلاثاء، واستطاعت 8 أندية التأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي، أبرزها ثلاثي القمة الهلال والاتحاد والأهلي، بينما ودع منافسات البطولة نادي النصر.
وتأهل النادي الأهلي بالفوز بثلاثية على الباطن، بينما الهلال انتصر على الأخدود بهدف دون رد، والاتحاد حسم الكلاسيكو أمام النصر بنتيجة 2-1.
طالع.. فيديو | الاتحاد يفوز على النصر بثنائية ويتأهل إلى ربع نهائي كأس خادم الحرمين الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور الـ 8 من كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين
It’s advantage Arsenal in the Premier League title race after Liverpool’s recent slips and former player Jack Wilshere believes that one player will be the “key” for Mikel Arteta.
Arteta provides latest Odegaard injury update
On a day that saw the Gunners go top of the Premier League, it wasn’t an afternoon without one frustrating moment.
Yet again, captain Martin Odegaard was forced to depart in the first-half after picking up another injury concern. The Norwegian has already had a stop-start opening to the current campaign and could now be set for another spell on the sidelines.
Providing an update on Odegaard’s injury, Arteta told reporters in his post-match reaction: “With Martin it was a clash knee to knee. It’s not looking very positive at the moment.”
The Spaniard was also forced to provide an update on Declan Rice, who asked to come off after discomfort in his back. The Arsenal boss said: “With Declan he was struggling with back pain and he asked me to come off. Let’s see what the doctor says now and what is best for him.”
Unlucky Arsenal star is very quickly becoming the new Jack Wilshere
The new Jack Wilshere may have emerged for Arsenal.
ByMatt Dawson Oct 5, 2025
In truth, despite sitting top of the Premier League and in excellent form, the international break comes at a good time for the Gunners. It provides them with the perfect opportunity to ensure that Rice is fully fit and Odegaard finally recovers from recent injury woes.
Alas, even if they’re left with no choice but to go on without those two, Wilshere believes that it’s another player who’s going to be “key” to Arsenal’s title hopes.
Wilshere: Timber the "key" for Arsenal
For all of Bukayo Saka’s excellent work and the solid partnership between Gabriel and William Saliba, it is another star who stands out for Wilshere. According to the former midfielder, Jurrien Timber is the “key” to Arsenal’s title hopes after making such an impressive start to the current campaign.
Wilshere’s praise is certainly justified, too. Timber has been a revelation ever since returning from injury at Arsenal and the West Ham game was no different. The Dutchman had six touches in the West Ham box, wasn’t dispossessed once and made six tackles in another complete performance from the versatile fullback.
As time goes on, the £90,000-a-week star looks more and more important for Arteta and Arsenal as they look to build on their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Com um golaço no jogo de ida e outro na partida de volta, Samuel Xavier foi o principal nome do Fluminense nas oitavas de final da Libertadores. Nesta terça-feira, o Tricolor venceu o Argentinos Juniors no Maracanã por 2 a 0 e avançou de fase na competição sul-americana. Autor de um dos gols, o camisa 2 vive, aos 33 anos de idade, o seu momento mais artilheiro da carreira.
Desde que chegou às Laranjeiras, no início de 2021, Samuel já estufou as redes adversárias seis vezes. Em 2023, já são quatro tentos anotados em somente 37 jogos disputados. Com uma média superior a um gol a cada 10 partidas, Xavier supera os números alcançados em 2014, pelo Ceará, quando também marcou em quatro oportunidades. Naquele ano, porém, o jogador entrou em campo 62 vezes, 25 a mais do que na atual temporada.
A mudança ocorreu principalmente após a chegada de Fernando Diniz ao clube, em 2022. Em seu primeiro ano de Fluminense, sem o treinador, Samuel Xavier disputou 45 jogos, não marcou nenhuma vez e deu somente uma assistência. Já com Diniz, são 77 atuações, seis gols marcados e cinco passes para seus companheiros anotarem, tendo uma média de uma participação direta em gol a cada 11 confrontos disputados.
SAMUEL XAVIER EM 2023
37 jogos 3170 minutos em campo 4 gols 3 assistências 7 cartões amarelos 1 cartão vermelho
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Celtic supporters may not have been very pleased with how the summer transfer window ended, but there was plenty of promising work done by the club up to when they signed Kelechi Iheanacho.
Some fans decided to boycott the opening 12 minutes of the 2-1 win over Kilmarnock last weekend. Podcaster John Dykes claimed that it was partly down to the lack of quality recruitment work and the club’s failure to qualify for the league phase of the Champions League.
Despite the concerns of the fanbase, Celtic were still able to muster up three points in their Scottish Premiership clash, thanks to a 96th-minute penalty from one of their new signings, Iheanacho.
The Nigeria international, who joined on a free transfer the day after the summer window officially slammed shut, was the 11th first-team signing made after the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Brendan Rodgers and the recruitment team will be hoping that supporters will look at the window a little more favourably by the end of the season, if the players brought in kick on and deliver high-quality performances.
The concern, though, will be if they fail to really kick on and prove their worth on a consistent basis, as has been the case for winger Hyun-jun Yang.
Why Hyun-jun Yang is in an awkward position at Celtic
The South Korea international was signed from Gangwon FC for a fee of £2m in the summer of 2023 to bolster Rodgers’ options on both flanks in his first season back in Scotland.
Unfortunately, Yang has been unable to establish himself as a regular starter for the Scottish giants on the wing. He currently finds himself in an awkward position where he does not seem to be fully trusted by the manager.
In fact, the forward was reportedly close to a move to English Championship side Birmingham City on deadline day, only for the Blues to pull out of a deal because they were unwilling to wait for Celtic to finalise their own move for Sebastian Tounekti.
The Hoops, of course, signed Tounekti from Hammarby late on deadline day, but the timing of that move meant that they brought the Tunisia international in and Yang had to remain at Parkhead.
This has left the 23-year-old winger in a position where he knows that the club and Rodgers were willing to let him move on in the summer, yet he now has to stay until at least January.
25/26 Premiership
Hyun-jun Yang
Appearances
3
Starts
2
Unused substitute
2
Goals
0
Key passes per game
0.3
Big chances created
1
Assists
0
Dribbles completed per game
0.3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Yang has already been an unused substitute in two of the opening five Premiership matches, failing to provide a goal or an assist in the three games he has featured in.
Ultimately, the South Korean attacker has never shown real consistency in his end product in the final third, with seven goals and nine assists in 71 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
Yang has shown signs of improvement during his time at the club, progressing from one league goal in the 2023/24 campaign to five league goals last season. However, it has not been enough for him to establish himself as a star in Glasgow.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
It is incredibly early on in his Parkhead career, but summer signing Michel-Ange Balikwisha needs to ensure that he does not end up becoming the next Yang for Celtic on the wing.
Why Balikwisha could be the next Yang for Celtic
The Hoops swooped to sign the Belgian forward from Royal Antwerp for a fee of £5m during the summer transfer window to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
Balikwisha, like Yang, is a versatile winger who can play on the left or the right flank. He also showed some promise in the final third with his performances for his former club.
The 24-year-old flanker scored four goals and created seven ‘big chances’ in 12 starts in the Pro League for Royal Antwerp in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he offered quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in Belgium.
This is why Balikwisha, as Yang was when he arrived from Gangwon, is an exciting addition to the squad. However, he has yet to show any real drive at the top end of the pitch after two flat performances in the Premiership.
The right-footed winger has been thrown in at the deep end with starts against Rangers and Kilmarnock, playing on the left wing in the former and on the right in the latter, but failed to impress in either outing.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha
Vs Rangers
Vs Kilmarnock
Minutes
65
58
Shots
0
0
Key passes
0
1
Big chances created
0
0
Dribbles completed
0/0
0/1
Crosses completed
0/1
1/2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha did not register a single shot on goal and only attempted one dribble, which he failed to complete, in over two hours of football in his first two appearances for the Scottish giants.
Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday has been unimpressed with the winger. The experienced Premiership player said: “I think Balikwisha has started really, really slowly. I’ve never seen a winger turn down one versus one opportunities so much.
“It was exactly what I seen against Rangers and I thought it was the exact same at Kilmarnock at the weekend. I think he’s too passive in terms of getting the ball in one v one situations, turning and passing it back.”
You could put it down to the fact that he is settling into life at Celtic and may have been nervous to really attack those two games, but fellow new signing Tounekti stepped in for his debut against Kilmarnock and delivered four chances created and five dribbles completed, per Sofascore.
As Halliday put it, Balikwisha was too passive in both games and that is a worrying sign because that has been one of Yang’s biggest problems during his time at Celtic, averaging just 0.7 completed dribbles and 0.4 shots on target per game in the Premiership last season, per Sofascore.
The South Korea international’s Parkhead career reached a point where the club were willing to let him join Birmingham, in part because he has failed to asert himself on the pitch to be a consistent performer in the final third.
Worth more than Tounekti: Celtic are brewing the new Reo Hatate at Parkhead
Celtic have a brilliant midfield star who could be the club’s next Reo Hatate in the middle of the park.
ByDan Emery Sep 16, 2025
Hopefully, Balikwisha’s first two appearances for the Hoops are not a sign of things to come, because he will need to offer far more at the top end of the pitch week-in-week-out to avoid becoming the next Yang in Glasgow.
Josh Hazlewood sat the RCB vs CSK game out, and missed a chance to earn the Purple Cap back from Prasidh Krishna
ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-20253:50
Why have spinners been better than fast bowlers this season?
Orange Cap tableIt didn’t take Virat Kohli long. After B Sai Sudharsan, the Gujarat Titans (GT) opener, won it back from Kohli on Friday, Kohli snatched it right back when he scored 62 in 33 balls for RCB against CSK at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Not much between them, though, Kohli is on 505 runs from 11 innings, while Sai Sudharsan is one run behind, from one fewer innings.The line-up below them remains unchanged: Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians, 475 runs), Jos Buttler (GT, 470 runs), Shubman Gill (GT, 465 runs), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals, 439 runs) and Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants, 404 runs).Now, while Kohli is the top run-getter, RCB’s next most prolific run-scorer is Devdutt Padikkal with just 247 runs, down at No. 26.Purple Cap tableJosh Hazlewood didn’t play the game against CSK, and that means he remains one wicket behind table-topper Prasidh Krishna of GT. Prasidh has 19 wickets from ten games, while Hazlewood has 18 from ten.Khaleel Ahmed’s wicketless – and very expensive – outing meant he remained at 14 wickets for the season, but his team-mate Noor Ahmad got back on level terms with MI’s Trent Boult at 16 wickets to be joint-third. Krunal Pandya picked up one wicket for RCB against CSK, and that took him to 14, the same as Khaleel as well as GT’s Mohammed Siraj and Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc.You can also take a look at what ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like at this stage.Here are some other IPL 2025 tables.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match
Baartman successfully defended seven runs in the 20th over to give SA a stirring come-from-behind win
Madushka Balasuriya14-Jun-20243:06
Morkel: Nepal’s bowling made life difficult for SA
It was heartbreak for Nepal and their fans in Kingstown, as they fell short by only one run against South Africa in a nail-biting encounter.Fans and players alike were in tears since the result also eliminated Nepal from Super Eight contention at the T20 World Cup 2024. South Africa made a clean sweep of the group stage with four wins in four, riding on Tabraiz Shamsi’s 4 for 19 that dragged them back with a stunning 18th over.But for so very long, the game seemed Nepal’s to lose. Their spinners had spun a web to limit South Africa to a subpar 115 for 7 – even on a difficult, turning track – and then with the bat had brought the equation down to 25 needed off 30 balls, with seven wickets in hand.Related
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Shamsi though, in for Keshav Maharaj, turned the game with a double-wicket 18th over, including that of the set Aasif Sheikh (42 off 49). The dots that followed raised the required rate, but two powerful late strikes from Sompal Kami and 18-year-old Gulsan Jha took the game down to two off two balls. But Ottneil Baartman bowled two dots as Nepal failed to get bat on the ball both times, and a desperate attempt at a last-gasp run left them inches short in the end.SA’s overly cautious startPossibly scarred by their earlier outings in the tournament, South Africa began the game a touch too cautiously, and in the process batted conservatively when conditions for batting were at their best.While their 38 for 1 in the powerplay was their best of the tournament, South Africa were guilty of waiting for loose deliveries instead of putting the bowlers off their lines early on. Nepal for their part, rarely strayed in their lines and lengths and once the spinners took hold, they never looked back.Nepal spinners make SA crumbleSandeep Lamichhane’s first delivery spat 6.2 degrees as it gripped and turned past Reeza Hendricks’ defence, and that set the tone as South Africa rarely looked comfortable against the turning ball from that point on. While Lamichhane would end wicketless, his probing spell went for just 18 runs in his first outing of the tournament in Nepal’s first game outside the USA. But in Dipendra Singh Airee (3 for 21) and Kushal Bhurtel (4 for 19), Nepal had enough overs of spin to exploit the conditions, with the pair accounting for all seven South African wickets.2:32
Morkel: South Africa need to have more intensity with bat
South Africa did their best to negotiate the conditions with a steady approach, but despite run-a-ball stands of 22 and 46 for the first two wickets, they struggled to up their gears. Only Tristan Stubbs, who scored 27 in 18 balls from No. 8, scored at a strike rate of over 100.In all, Nepal bowled spin for 14 overs, including the final over of the innings. There Bhurtel grabbed two wickets for nine runs, and Nepal had conceded only 58 runs in the back end for six wickets, after conceding only 57 in the first ten.Sah, Aasif steady the chaseNepal were provided an early reprieve when Kagiso Rabada dropped a catch. After that, Nepal opted for risk-free cricket as they lumbered to 32 at the end of the powerplay without losing a wicket. With spin playing such a pivotal role though, Shamsi’s introduction was always going to prove critical in the game and so it proved.In just his first over he disturbed the stumps of both Bhurtel and Rohit Paudel to bring South Africa roaring back into the game. After seeing out Shamsi’s next over, both Aasif and Anil Sah sought to rebuild. Sah was the first to raise the ante as a pair of boundaries off Anrich Nortje boosted their rate, before a six off Shamsi brought about genuine belief of a win. Sheikh joined in an over later taking Rabada for six and four, with the pair reaching their fifty partnership off just 36 deliveries.Shamsi’s 18th-over heistWith just one frontline spinner in the XI, South Africa knew they’d have to time Shamsi’s reintroduction perfectly. Aiden Markram, with his part-time offbreaks, had ended the Sah-Sheikh stand, but Airee was determined to stick in with the set Sheikh.But enter Shamsi. His third delivery of the 18th turned down the leg side, but Airee’s attempted pull got a feather touch to Quinton de Kock. So light was the touch that Airee reviewed thinking he hadn’t touched it. Shamsi then grabbed the big fish off his final delivery, ripping one through Aasif’s bat and pad to clatter into the stumps. By the time he was done, Nepal needed 16 off 12.Baartman holds his nerveShamsi’s over was backed up by Nortje, who bowled four consecutive dots to start the penultimate over – including one which took off the top of Kushal Malla’s middle stump. That left Nepal needing 16 off eight, with them needing at least one big hit before it got too late.Kami then unleashed a monstrous 105-metre pull that sent the ball sailing out of the stands to bring the equation down to eight off the final over. When the teenager Jha found a boundary over cover to make it four runs off three balls, the Nepal fans stood up, with their phones out, to capture a potentially historic moment.A hard-run two off the next delivery showed that Nepal understood the brief precisely, but a pair of expertly executed slower bouncers by Baartman off the final two deliveries proved too good to get away.A desperate run off a bye off the final ball might have led to a Super Over, but as the ball deflected off Jha, it was picked up by Heinrich Klaasen lurking near the stumps and he flicked to the non-striker’s end. Jha was short and Nepal were out.
Chelsea’s second signing of the summer is through the door. Last week, the Blues completed a deal for Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, activating his relegation release clause and bringing him to Stamford Bridge, beating the likes of Manchester United in the race for his signature.
Now, signing number two is also in the building for Enzo Maresca and his squad. Centre-back Mamadou Sarr has made the move to West London from their sister club, Strasbourg, who were one of the standout clubs in Ligue 1 last summer. The defender has signed with the club for eight years and could be in line to play in the Club World Cup.
Sarr might not be the only defender Chelsea sign this summer. They are already linked with another centre-back.
Chelsea’s next centre-back target
So, it seems clear that Maresca is intent on strengthening at the back this summer. After the addition of Sarr, the Blues seem likely to pursue another defender, although they might not be in before the pre-Club World Cup deadline on Tuesday.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are set to make a move for Ajax and Netherlands international Jorrel Hato. They have reportedly ‘had contacts with Ajax in the last few days’ regarding a potential move for the Dutch talent.
Despite the contact and willingness to get a deal done, they will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals. Hato has ‘long been on the radars of both Arsenal and Liverpool’, with Newcastle United also showing interest.
Ajax Amsterdam's JorrelHatocelebrates after the match
They have all ‘asked for information on the player’ ahead of a potential summer move, which could cost as much as £42.3m.
Why Hato would be a good signing
Football scout Antonio Mango summed up just how good Hato is by describing him as “one of the best young talents in football”. Indeed, that is the kind of impression the 19-year-old has made during his short career so far.
Last season was a strong campaign by the talented young defender. He amassed 50 appearances for Ajax in all competitions, mainly playing as a left-back, but also slotting in at centre-back, a position in which he equally excels. He managed three goals and six assists in total.
To put into perspective the kind of player Chelsea are looking to sign, Hato was Ajax’s youngest ever captain back in November 2023, at the age of just 17. He has now skippered his boyhood club three times, showing incredible leadership at such a young age.
Hato might even be a better signing for Chelsea than their new defender Sarr. The 19-year-old France under-20 international is certainly an exciting addition, and impressed for Strasbourg under Liam Rosenior last season.
The youngster played 28 games in all competitions, with all but one of those appearances coming in Ligue 1. It was certainly a successful season for the new Blues defender, who helped keep ten clean sheets in the top flight of France as his side qualified for the Conference League.
However, Hato managed to keep more clean sheets in an Ajax shirt than Sarr managed for Strasbourg under Rosenior. The Dutchman played his part in 14 clean sheets in the Eredivisie last term.
When looking at the underlying data on FBref from Hato and Sarr’s campaigns in 2024/25, there are further numbers which suggest the Ajax star is a better player than the new Chelsea man. For example, Hato averaged 2.78 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to 2.39 each game for Sarr.
Hato and Sarr – key stats in 2024/25 compared
Stat (per 90)
Hato
Sarr
Progressive passes
4.17
1.98
Tackles and interceptions
2.78
2.36
Blocks
1.22
0.99
Ball recoveries
4.51
3.73
Aerial duels won
1.77
1.14
Stats from FBref
It seems as though, for a talent perhaps better than Sarr, £42.3m is a steal for Hato. He has all the tools needed to make it to the very top, and the fact that he has already captained Ajax at such a young age is even more of a reason to sign him.
With the Blues looking to bolster at the back, this is a fantastic option for Maresca’s side, which can definitely add quality and potential to their defensive options.
Chelsea contact £80m ex-Man City starlet who'd join with Jamie Gittens
The west Londoners are looking to sign multiple attackers.
As you might expect, it has been a busy summer transfer window already for Chelsea. Liam Delap’s move to Stamford Bridge is all but confirmed.
The West London outfit have agreed a deal with now-relegated Ipswich Town for the transfer of Delap, and ‘he can be considered’ a Chelsea player, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The England U21 international is not the only player Chelsea are hoping to sign in the coming days, before the Club World Cup. AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan is also a target, although Romano reported in a separate post that the two clubs are not close in valuation for the shotstopper.
AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Chelsea are also closing in on another transfer target before their Club World Cup campaign begins.
Chelsea's new transfer target
Over the past few summers under Todd Boehly, Chelsea have become a club notorious for spending big money on some of the most exciting young talents in Europe; Delap would be a prime example of that transfer policy.
Another player who fits that trend is Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens. According to a report from Caught Offside, the 20-year-old is reportedly subject to a £55m bid from the West London side, who are ‘in talks to try to get a deal done’ sooner rather than later.
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittensin action with Lille's Bafode Diakite
The reason they are in such a hurry to get this one over the line is that they face competition from other English clubs.
Newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool, London rivals Arsenal and Manchester City, who Gittens represented as an academy player, as well as Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, are also interested. Hence, Chelsea have placed a bid.
Why Gittens would be more exciting than Delap
It was a shockingly poor season for Borussia Dortmund, who just snuck into a Champions League qualification spot on the final day of the league season. For Gittens, however, it was a campaign of success from an individual point of view.
The England youth international was a key aspect of Dortmund’s side in the 2024/25 campaign. He featured in 48 games across all competitions, finding the back of the net 12 times and registering five assists.
The winger, who was born in London, has a knack for scoring goals in big games. Last term, one of his eight Bundesliga goals came against 2023/24 champions Bayer Leverkusen and the side who snatched their title off them, Bayern.
However, they were not the biggest goals that Gittens scored last term. The former Man City academy star bagged away against Real Madrid in the Champions League, giving Dortmund a 2-0 lead and becoming the youngest English player ever to score against Los Blancos in the process.
In fact, it is something like that means you can argue that the “world-class” Gittens, as Dougie Critchley called him, is a more exciting signing than Delap. Of course, the Tractor Boys attacker is a brilliant piece of business from Chelsea, for just £30m, but Gittens is perhaps a better deal.
It has been a strong season overall from Delap. The Ipswich forward star scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances.
However, he was not incredibly consistent, and actually failed to score in the last seven top-flight games last season.
Not only has Gittens shown how dangerous he can be at such a high level, against one of Europe’s biggest teams, but his underlying numbers are exciting.
In particular, the Dortmund winger’s dribbling stats on FBref show just how deadly he can be. For example, he averaged 3.57 successful take-ons per game last season, ranking him in the top 1% of wingers in Europe.
Gittens dribbling stats in last 365 days
Stat (per 90)
Number
Percentile
Take-ons attempted
7.97
98th
Take-ons completed
3.57
99th
Progressive carries
5.53
91st
Carries into final third
2.95
88th
Carries into penalty box
3.06
93rd
Stats from FBref
Signing the Dortmund attacker would certainly be a captivating addition for Chelsea. There is no doubt about that. There is certainly a strong case to be made for the fact that he is an even more exciting signing than Delap, given the European pedigree he brings and his ability in one-vs-one scenarios.
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in action
For £55m, this seems like an excellent deal for the Blues, and one that can elevate them to new heights this term.
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