Chelsea chiefs need to orchestrate more player exit deals before deadline day on September 1, and there are a plethora of squad members who could be sold.

Chelsea in "fast" advancing talks for £192k-a-week star, deal "very close"

Enzo Maresca means business this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 24, 2025

Enzo Maresca faces the prospect of being unable to register new signings in his Champions League squad next season if Chelsea don’t balance their books by trimming the squad.

This is due to a settlement with UEFA after they were fined for breaking FFP rules (Kaveh Solhekol), even if they’re in good financial stead right now when it comes to the Premier League’s separate PSR laws.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea banked a seismic £87.5 million for winning the Club World Cup and have made around £100 million in player sales already, following the departures of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Djordje Petrovic and Mathis Amougou.

However, pressure from UEFA lingers, and a host of unwanted players remain on the Chelsea books with just weeks to go before deadline day.

Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Renato Veiga, Tosin Adarabioyo, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, João Félix and Alfie Gilchrist have all been linked with the exit door this window, with progress now being made on shipping out a couple of them.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Felix is in talks over a return to boyhood club Benfica, while RB Leipzig have opened negotiations for Chukwuemeka as Chelsea try to sign their playmaker, Xavi Simons, in a separate deal (Florian Plettenberg).

According to journalist Simon Phillips, striker Nicolas Jackson is another realistic, high-profile sacrifice, as the Senegalese makes a push to leave behind-the-scenes.

Nicolas Jackson tells agents to seal Chelsea exit this summer

As per the reporter, via his Substack, Jackson has instructed his agents to find him a new club.

“Jackson became frustrated and unhappy at Chelsea last season initially due to the abuse and what he felt was over criticism from some of the fan base,” wrote Phillips.

“Jackson is concerned about his game time and would ideally want to move on from the club this summer.

“It is true that he would also be content to stay if there are no chances to leave, but it is his preference to leave the club, and as our man Danny Windsor has reported on his new platform The Blues Feed, Jackson has his agents working on moves to get him out of Chelsea this summer by offering him around to clubs.

“He is keen on a move to Manchester United but so far it’s only been agent talks and United have not yet indicated that they will make a move to sign him. They are interested though but have other targets ahead of him for now.

“Jackson knows that Chelsea have a high valuation on his head, and he is not exactly actively asking to leave. But his preference is to move on.”

The former Villarreal star bagged 13 goals and six assists in all competitions last term, with pundit Joe Cole even calling him one of Chelsea’s “most important” players.

However, Jackson is now set to compete with both Joao Pedro and Liam Delap for a place in Maresca’s starting line-up, and he didn’t exactly have the best end to 2024/2025.

The 24-year-old scored just one Premier League goal after the turn of 2025, and despite getting on the scoresheet in their Conference League final win over Real Betis, Jackson was sent off at the Club World Cup – playing just 30 minutes of the competition thereafter.

It could be time for a new chapter, and Man United seem like the ideal landing spot with their big-name status, not to mention Ruben Amorim’s glaring need for a striker.

However, the price for Jackson is a minimum £80 million (Sky Sports), so it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will pay it.

Derby County are making progress on bringing new recruits to Pride Park and could now be set to up their pursuit of another centre-forward, according to a report.

Derby County closing in on new arrivals

John Eustace has wasted no time in recruiting new faces as his side tool up for another season in the EFL Championship, with Carlton Morris, Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O’Donnell and Patrick Agyemang walking through the front entrance.

However, Derby are now set to snap up Liverpool left-back Owen Beck on loan from the Premier League champions, with only the finer details remaining before his move becomes official.

Jonathan Percy stated on his situation: “#dcfc are close to signing Liverpool left-back Owen Beck on loan for the season. Deal agreed and Wales u21 international expected to undergo medical later this week. Beck was signed by John Eustace at Blackburn last year and was v keen to play under him again #lfc.”

Intriguingly, the Eustace factor appears to have had a critical impact in being able to secure targets, and he could work his magic once again after the Rams brokered a deal to sign Callum Brittain from Blackburn Rovers for £3 million.

Deal agreed: Derby County set to sign "fantastic" player who loves Eustace

What a great addition this could be for the Rams.

ByHenry Jackson Jul 22, 2025

While that isn’t finalised yet, all the signs are there for Derby to enjoy a productive season after narrowly avoiding the drop last term. The English second-tier is more competitive than ever, and a few fine margins going their way could open up endless possibilities.

Either way, quality reinforcements are required to step up their bid for a better campaign, so it will come as no surprise to hear that Eustace is now pursuing another clinical attacking option.

Derby County look to sign Timothe Nkada

According to The Sun’s Charlie Wyett, Derby are competing with Blackburn Rovers and QPR to sign Rodez forward Timothe Nkada after he turned in 17 goals and five assists in 35 appearances last season across all competitions.

Finishing as the joint-second top scorer in Ligue 2, the 26-year-old is a former product of Rennes’ youth system and is said to be available for £2.2 million this summer.

Timothe Nkada’s key Ligue 2 statistics – 2024/25 (Fotmob)

Shots

77

Shots on target

39

Chances created

30

Fouls won

14

Successful passes

225

Competition for his signature is fierce, but Eustace has proved that he has a pull that can prove hard to resist when targeting players he believes can make a difference at Pride Park.

With two years left on his deal, Rodez may have a decision to make over whether it would make sense to sell him now or face losing Nkada next year at a fraction of his reported value.

Ultimately, shopping in markets where you can get bang for your buck is the name of the game in the Championship, and it appears that Derby could be preparing to strike while the iron is hot after his excellent campaign at Stade Paul-Lignon.

Victoria quick took the second-best figures in Australian domestic 50-over history of 7 for 12 and then made 19 not out in a nervy chase to guide his side home

Alex Malcolm23-Sep-2024Victoria quick Sam Elliott claimed the second-best figures in the history of Australian One-Day domestic cricket and hit the winning runs in a critical half-century stand with skipper Will Sutherland to almost singlehandedly guide Victoria to a four-wicket win against Tasmania in Melbourne.On a very green pitch at the Junction Oval, under overcast skies, Elliott ran through Tasmania’s line-up to take 7 for 12 in just his 11th List A game. Former South Australia speedster Shaun Tait is the only man with better figures in the competition’s history with 8 for 43.”I don’t know how to describe it,” Elliott said. “It was just one of those days when everything sort of clicked, it felt very good.”[They are my] best figures ever [at any level]. It was a pretty nice day to do it – first One-Day Cup game of the year.”Elliott then starred with the bat alongside Sutherland to save Victoria from disaster after they had slumped to 72 for 6 in response. The pair added an unbeaten 56 for the seventh wicket to guide their side home with 23.1 overs spare. The right-handed Elliott unfurled a couple of cracking pull shots in his 19 not out that looked like the mirror image of those his left-handed father Matthew Elliott played during his 21 Tests for Australia.”I think [Dad] might have me covered on those ones,” Elliott said. “I went to Darwin [in the winter] to work on my batting.”It was really nice to get a little partnership in the end with Chief [Sutherland]. It was nice to come out with a bit of pressure and do that.”Sutherland produced a classy and composed knock to finish 36 not out. Sam Harper had earlier made a vital 43 opening the batting, the highest score of the match, after claiming five catches behind the stumps.Sam Elliott celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesTasmania were under pressure right from the start of the day even before Elliott entered the attack. Having been sent into bat in perfect bowling conditions, they lost Mitch Owen and Caleb Jewell inside the first eight overs to leave the visitors 31 for 2. Elliott was then brought on and bowled eight overs unchanged as he made a mess of Tasmania’s middle order with his extra bounce and late seam movement. He claimed Jordan Silk with his first ball and then had Jake Weatherald caught behind in the same over after the left-hander had raced to 31 from 31 with six boundaries. Four of Elliott’s seven victims were caught behind while three others holed out in the ring trying to hit him off his consistent lengths.At one stage he had figures of 7 for 8 with two maidens as Tasmania slumped to 92 for 9 when Brad Hope fell. He conceded five singles in his final two overs before Sutherland gave him a breather.Elliott revealed he had made an adjustment to his release in the warm-up.”I actually changed something at the start of the game with my wrist,” Elliott said. “It was a bit inconsistent but it felt like the good balls were really good. I think the most exciting thing is I can probably go back to training and work on a few things consistency wise. It’s good it paid off in the moment.”He also revealed he had worked on increasing his run-up speed during the pre-season with Victoria bowling coach Adam Griffith, and had got a lot stronger in the gym in order to sustain it in games.”In Darwin for our pre-season thing I wasn’t quite bowling the way I wanted to,” Elliott said. “And then we came back, had a look at some numbers, and we just decided that that was going to be a real focus point leading into our pre-season games in Sydney. And then coming into now.”Tasmania’s final pair, Matthew Kuhnemann and Gabe Bell, put on 34 for the tenth wicket to at least ensure Victoria were chasing more than 120.There was a stage where it looked like 126 might be defendable as Beau Webster and Tasmania’s Tom Rogers followed Elliott’s blueprint and tore through Victoria’s top-order.Victoria opened with new recruit Josh Brown instead of Thomas Rogers who had scored 196 when opening in his last One-Day Cup match for Victoria against New South Wales last summer. Rogers instead batted at No. 5 but failed to get going.Harper’s ability to pounce on anything loose ensured the scoreboard kept moving, but when he fell the home side were deep in the mire before Sutherland and Elliott pulled them out.

India aim to get back to winning ways, Scotland look to notch up their first T20 World Cup win in just their second outing

Sruthi Ravindranath05-Oct-20241:25

Are India in danger of a group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup?

India vs PakistanDubai, 2pm local timeIndia squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, S SajanaPakistan squad: Fatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba HassanTournament form guide: On the back of a stunning bowling effort, Pakistan opened the tournament with a 31-run win against Sri Lanka in Sharjah. India, meanwhile, suffered a 58-run loss to New Zealand amid high drama in Dubai.Related

Harmanpreet & Co left fuming after Amelia Kerr run-out-that-wasn't drama

Injuries to Zaida James and Stafanie Taylor make bad day worse for West Indies

Rodrigues challenges India to bounce back from shock New Zealand loss

News brief: In the match against Sri Lanka, medium pacer Diana Baig only bowled one ball before she pulled up with what looked like a calf injury. It is understood that Baig did not train on the eve of the match and that she would be assessed on Sunday ahead of the game. India-Pakistan contests have rather been one-sided in favour of India. India have won five out of the seven matches they’ve played against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, with Pakistan last winning in the 2016 tournament. India have also dominated against them in T20s overall, having won 12 out of 15 games. Regardless, the encounter is expected to draw huge crowds, with over 10,000 tickets reportedly being sold for the game on Sunday.Players to watch: Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal is having her best year in T20Is. Among all players at the T20 World Cup, she has taken the most wickets in 2024, with 24 wickets in 15 games. She was impressive in the opener against Sri Lanka as well, taking three middle-order wickets, including that of the top-scorer Nilakshika Silva. She finished with figures of 3 for 17.West Indies will look to bounce back after the big loss to South Africa•ICC/Getty Images

Scotland vs West IndiesDubai, 6pm local timeScotland squad: Kathryn Bryce (capt), Chloe Abel, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Olivia Bell, Sarah Bryce (wk), Darcey Carter, Priyanaz Chatterji, Katherine Fraser, Saskia Horley, Lorna Jack, Ailsa Lister, Abtaha Maqsood, Megan McColl, Hannah Rainey, Rachel SlaterWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonTournament guide: In their maiden World Cup appearance, Scotland lost to Bangladesh by 16 runs. West Indies, too, are coming into the match on the back of a big loss, having gone down to South Africa by 10 wickets in Dubai.News brief: West Indies are waiting on injury updates for a couple of key players. Bowler Zaida James suffered a blow to the jaw while fielding off her own bowling, but captain Hayley Matthews said after the game that “she hopefully will be able to be back up for the next match”. Senior allrounder Stafanie Taylor also looked in some discomfort during her knock of 44 not out. It was revealed that she had been troubled by soreness in her knee and that she would undergo an assessment before training on Saturday.Player to watch: Scotland will surely want to use the offspin of Saskia Horley more. Bowling two overs in the match against Bangladesh, she picked up three wickets for just 13 runs having only been brought into the attack in the 18th over. She had quite an impressive run with the bat in the Netherlands ODI tri-series in August and in the match against PNG, she took 4 for 24, bowling her full quota.

Arsenal are planning to hold talks with a club chairman about signing another forward, after their £50 million deal for Noni Madueke, with sporting director Andrea Berta making serious statements in the transfer market.

Eze's dream CF: Arsenal in talks to sign £69m "monster" & it's not Gyokeres

Arsenal could still change their mind on Viktor Gyokeres.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 10, 2025

Madueke is poised to make the switch to north London and will become the latest in a long line of deals between both Chelsea and Arsenal. The England international specifically comes as the seventh player to move from Cobham to London Colney in the past six years, not to mention the second in this window alone, following Kepa Arrizabalaga.

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

£75m

After opening formal club-to-club talks earlier this week, Arsenal reached a swift agreement for Madueke, worth over £50 million including add-ons. The 23-year-old agreed personal terms over this move a while ago, but Berta has now managed to convince Chelsea to sell their winger too.

Madueke joins Kepa, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard as Arsenal’s fourth signing in total this summer, and takes the club’s expenditure to around £125 million.

Arsenal are also in advanced talks to sign striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP, with there being no sign of this deal collapsing just yet as Berta looks to end their long wait to bring in a prolific goalscorer

The Gunners could yet another attacking midfielder after Madueke too, as links still surround Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

The 27-year-old would join Mikel Arteta’s side in a separate deal to his international teammate (Fabrizio Romano), following another electric campaign at Selhurst Park, where he racked up 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Eze’s FA Cup-final-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Man City at Wembley ended the club’s history-long wait for a major trophy, but Palace face the very real prospect of losing their star man before deadline day on September 1.

Arsenal plan to contact Steve Parish over Eberechi Eze deal

The attacking midfielder joined Palace in a deal worth around £20 million from QPR in 2020, and he’s since justified that price tag time and time again.

His value has now more than tripled, with the Eagles holding steadfast in their demands for his full £68 million release clause to be paid.

That is according to The Guardian and journalist Ed Aarons, who also report that Arsenal are planning to contact Palace chairman Steve Parish directly about signing Eze, and he is unlikely to accept any proposal below the clause.

Reports suggest that Arsenal have held productive talks with Eze’s camp already, but formal negotiations are yet to open with the south London club, so this could be one to watch in the coming weeks.

Called a “sensational” footballer by members of the press, Sky Sports state that Arsenal are targeting their ex-academy ace to complement club captain Martin Odegaard in an attacking midfield, rather than out wide.

ينتظر متابعو وجماهير كرة القدم العالمية، معرفة الفائز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية من خلال حفل توزيع جوائز فرانس فوتبول غداً الإثنين في مسرح شاتليه في باريس.

وكانت مجلة فرانس فوتبول الفرنسية، مؤسسة جائزة الكرة الذهبية قد أجرت تغييراً جذرياً على إجراءاتها في عام 2024.

وقد كانت المجلة الفرنسية تجري مقابلات مع الفائز في السنوات السابقة قبل إعلان اسمه على المسرح، ولكن في محاولة لتجنب التسريبات المتكررة والحفاظ على السرية لأطول فترة ممكنة، توقفت عن الكشف عن هذه المعلومات الثمينة.

اقرأ أيضاً.. بعد تأجيلها.. تحديد موعد “مفاجئ” لـ مباراة باريس سان جيرمان ومارسيليا بالدوري الفرنسي

وقال فينسنت جارسيا رئيس تحرير فرانس فوتبول في تلميح لموقع “تيليفوت” الفرنسية عن الفائز بالكرة الذهبية: “أنا الوحيد الذي يعرف الفائز بالكرة الذهبية”.

وأضاف :”معايير الفوز واضحة، تألق فردي وأداء حاسم لا ينسى، ألقاب جماعية، بجانب اللعب النظيف والسلوك داخل الملعب وخارجه”.

وتابع جارسيا عن اسم الفائز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية: “سأحتفظ بالسر حتى لو أدى ذلك لخلاف مع البعض، سأحتفظ بالسر حتى النهاية”.

ويعد عثمان ديمبلي مهاجم باريس سان جيرمان المرشح الأبرز للفوز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية وهي أعرق جائزة فردية في كرة القدم بعد موسم 2024-2025، وسجل 35 هدفا وصنع 16 في جميع المسابقات، كذلك ينافسه كل من لامين يامال ورافينها من برشلونة.

 

West Bromwich Albion have already displayed an outside-the-box approach with their transfer activity this summer.

Whilst Nathaniel Phillips is a well-known name to most Championship fans, Aune Heggebo is definitely more of an unknown entity to the average supporter. Yet, West Brom have gambled on the former Brann goal machine to come good on English shores, having spent £4.7m on the Nordic striker.

It remains to be seen whether Heggebo will go on to be a rip-roaring success in England, but his blistering goal record in his native Norway is definitely encouraging to look at.

Why Heggebo could be a success at West Brom

After all, Erling Haaland infamously hails from the same nation, with the lofty attacker now one of the most feared strikers in world football after beginning his career in Scandinavia.

Of course, nobody will be anticipating Heggebo to storm into his new environment and be as instantly clinical as the Manchester City powerhouse, but the signs are there that he could be a lethal finisher at the Hawthorns if he can manage to navigate the step-up well.

In total, for Brann, the £4.7m forward would power home a potent 51 goals from 146 games, with the Eliteserien outfit no doubt putting up a valiant fight to try and keep their star asset around for longer.

Unfortunately, whilst £4.7m is a steep amount to splash in go, West Brom’s lavish spending has been overshadowed somewhat by near neighbours Birmingham City routinely flexing their muscles.

Across the Midlands, the £10m forked out on ex-Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi around the same time has certainly sent a message to the division’s best clubs.

However, the Baggies could shoot back into the limelight if they manage to get another left-field piece of business over the line, with a new target perhaps going down as Ryan Mason’s very own Kyogo if all clicks into place.

West Brom's answer to Kyogo

Before being renowned as a venomous goal threat with 85 strikes next to his name at Celtic, Kyogo would have been viewed as a bold pick-up by the Hoops, considering the Japanese gem had only ever played in the comforts of the J League, before Glasgow came calling.

West Brom might well look to tap into the Asian markets themselves with their next summer buy, with reports from earlier in the month suggesting that the Championship side had bid £1.1m for Jeonbuk Hyundai attacker Jeon Jin-Woo.

Jin-Woo’s numbers in South Korea vs Kyogo in Japan

Stat

Jin-Woo

Kyogo

Games played

163

182

Goals scored

32

66

Assists

20

36

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Jin-Woo might well follow in Kyogo’s footsteps in establishing himself as a menace up top when making the same daunting geographical leap, having amassed an electric 52 goal contributions plying his trade in Korea for both Jeonbuk and ex-employers Suwon Bluewings.

The brand-new Birmingham buy was able to devastatingly reach double Jin-Woo’s goal tally when starring for the likes of Vissel Kobe, but the two-time South Korea international will surely feel less nervous about taking that next step to the Baggies, knowing others have moved to the United Kingdom and thrived in some challenging environments.

To help the 25-year-old even more, Mason will also have Heggebo available for selection in attack, who will be equally eager to hit the ground running in his fresh location.

It does remain up in the air how well West Brom will do next season, with Mason also being a rookie manager away from their daring summer business, but Jin-Woo could become a firm fan’s favourite at the Hawthorns if he manages to excel in the English game to the same lofty heights Kyogo managed in Scotland.

Related Dream Johnston upgrade: West Brom submit surprise offer for £1.1m star

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Posts 2 ByKelan Sarson Jul 16, 2025

Manchester United are once again keen on signing a £51 million star who the Red Devils contacted when Erik ten Hag was in charge, according to a recent report.

The Red Devils announced over the weekend that young defender Diego Leon had completed his transfer to the club after agreeing a deal to sign the player back in January. But the Premier League side are hoping that isn’t the last of the new arrivals in this transfer window.

Man Utd: INEOS make approach to sign "very underrated" £138k-p/w Brazilian

The Red Devils are beginning to make moves…

1

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jul 7, 2025

The current focus at United is trying to wrap up a deal for Bryan Mbeumo, as the club have already seen two bids rejected for the Cameroon international, who is keen on the move to Old Trafford. But as club chiefs look to get that deal completed this week, they have already identified their next potential target.

Midfielder Douglas Luiz has been linked with a move to United for a few months now and has even been mentioned as a possible makeweight in a deal that would see Juventus sign Jadon Sancho. United have taken matters into their own hands now and have submitted an enquiry regarding Luiz’s availability.

The Brazilian struggled for regular game time in Turin last season, and heading into the new campaign, he continues to be down the pecking order. Therefore, Juventus have made Luiz available for a transfer and have deemed him surplus to requirements.

It is unclear if the Red Devils want Luiz on a permanent basis or are looking to do a loan deal, but either way they face competition from Everton and Fulham, who are also chasing a potential deal.

Man Utd keen on signing "accomplished" Italy international

As the Red Devils eye midfield reinforcements, the club are also on the lookout for how to improve their defence and have now identified a new target. According to Caught Offside, Man United are interested in signing Giorgio Scalvini from Atalanta.

United have yet to make any contact with the player or club, but it is claimed that could change very soon.

The report states that while the 21-year-old is considered an important player by the Serie A side, the fact they have placed a €60 million value on his head, which is roughly £51 million, has now alerted several top European clubs.

As well as United, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also showing interest in the player, while they all face competition from Italy’s big sides. It’s currently Newcastle in the driver’s seat, having made the youngster their top target to reinforce their defence.

Scalvini, who has been dubbed “accomplished” at such a young age by Whoscored writer Yash Shah, is apparently “one of the most sought-after young talents in the game” and “one of the new stars of this generation of Italian football”.

Giorgio Scalvini’s Atalanta stats
Apps	107
Goals	5
Assists	5

United’s interest in Scalvini is not new either, as it was reported back in February 2024 they had submitted an enquiry to Atalanta over signing the defender for then-manager Erik ten Hag. He appears to be a player they have kept their eye on, and now his potential arrival at Old Trafford would see him slot into Ruben Amorim’s back three instead.

Ashleigh Gardner made a successful return from a concussion scare to claim three wickets and help Australia claim an untidy and unconvincing series win over New Zealand after a stunning collapse with the bat in the second T20I in Mackay.Australia lost 7 for 28 to be bowled out for 142 having won the toss and elected to bat. New Zealand legspinner Amelia Kerr put the world champions in a spin, claiming a career-best 4 for 20 as the home side relinquished a commanding position that had been set up by captain Alyssa Healy to be bowled out for just the second time in their last 55 T20Is.Healy made 38 off 25, which was the standout innings of the match on a surface that batters found difficult despite it looking like it would offer plenty of runs. Ellyse Perry compiled a scratchy 34 from 33 that would prove important but her dismissal to a bizarre run-out started Australia’s slide.New Zealand’s chase began cautiously and they paid the price as Australia’s bowlers squeezed. Suzie Bates made another start, scoring a run-a-ball 34, but could not kick on after guiding her side to 34 without loss in the powerplay. Gardner and Annabel Sutherland went to work taking 4 for 34 between them off eight overs in the middle and death phases to close out the game despite some shoddy fielding from Australia.Amelia Kerr returned her T20I best figures of 4 for 20•Getty Images

Healy’s hot start

On a surface where only five batters managed to strike at a rate of above 120, Healy stood head and shoulders above the pack. Molly Penfold had been the biggest threat in the first T20I and Healy took her out of the game in the first over. She thumped her down the ground on the up and then unfurled a stunning front-foot pull shot over midwicket off the next ball as Australia took 12 from the first over. She then carved Lea Tahuhu over point before lap-sweeping Eden Carson fine.She saved her best for Kerr, reverse-sweeping her from middle stump through cover point as Australia reached 48 for 1 in the powerplay. But while Healy was running hot, Perry was ice-cold. After the early loss off Beth Mooney – playing her 100th T20I – bowled by Fran Jonas trying to pull, Perry struggled for timing. She faced eight dot balls in her first 16 and was 13 off 18 at one point. She struggled to even feed Healy the strike. Healy fell trying to keep the foot down against Carson, holing out for 38 from 25. But it would prove an invaluable contribution.

Kerr puts Australia in a spin cycle

Just as Perry started to find some rhythm, her dismissal started Australia’s downfall and was emblematic of what was to follow. She tried to sweep Kerr and was hit on the pad. The ball bounced off her pad high above her head. Perry was confused as to where it had gone and oddly took off for a run. By the time she realised it had landed behind her, wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze had whipped off the bails to run her out for 34 off 33. Shortly after, Australia suffered a cataclysmic collapse, the likes of which has never happened to this all-conquering team.They were bowled out inside 20 overs for just the second time since the T20 World Cup 2020. It started with Phoebe Litchfield charging at Brooke Halliday’s wrong-footed medium pacers and losing her leg stump. Then Kerr whirled her way through the order. Two superb wrong’uns undid Gardner and Tahlia McGrath through the gate. Sophie Molineux was beaten in flight and stumped by a mile before Megan Schutt was done all ends up by a quicker delivery. Kerr finished with 4 for 20 from four overs. Australia looked vulnerable defending just 143.Darcie Brown and Phoebe Litchfield combined to dismiss Suzie Bates•Getty Images

Australia’s bowlers squeeze

Early wickets are always the desired way to put pressure on when defending a small total. The next best thing is to apply run-rate pressure. And that’s exactly what Australia did in the powerplay. They did not concede a boundary in the first four overs with Bates and Georgia Plimmer struggling for rhythm. Bates finally broke free against Schutt and Darcie Brown, finding the rope three times. But New Zealand only managed to score 34 runs in the powerplay despite not losing a wicket. When Plimmer dragged an attempted sweep onto her stumps off Georgia Wareham, the required rate had climbed above eight per over. It soon went over nine when Gardner got her revenge on Kerr, pinning her lbw with a subtle change of pace when she tried to sweep. Litchfield then clung onto an athletic catch at cover to remove the well-set Bates for a run-a-ball 34.Sophie Devine fell two overs later for a tortured 4 off 10 balls, which included being dropped by Brown at short third. Australia were able to close the game out from there despite more untidy fielding. New Zealand’s equation reached 54 off 18 before Maddy Green and Gaze briefly threatened to pull off a miracle. But that was only possible because of some sloppy fielding. Schutt dropped a sitter off Green at cover-point and then watched three of the next five balls reach the rope. Green then should have been run-out by Gardner attempting to steal a second but Healy fumbled the throw, which was a little wider than it could have been. But Sutherland held her nerve in the deep at long-on off Gardner to finally end Green’s rearguard.

It seems as though Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Nelson Semedo will not stay at the club this summer. The Portugal international did not sign a new contract at Molineux, with The Athletic explaining that ‘no one at the club expects the 31-year-old to return’ now that his contract is up.

That is not through lack of trying on Wolves’ count. The former Barcelona star was offered a new four-year deal recently, according to the same report, but it does not seem like he will sign. So ends his five-season stint with the Old Gold, which saw him make 182 appearances.

Now, it means Vitor Pereira’s side are in the market for a new right-back. They may well have someone lined up.

Wolves’ new right-back target

It is certainly a blow for the Old Gold to lose Semedo this season, given his importance on the side. Not only is he the club captain, but a key part of the squad with four assists from right-back last season.

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However, it seems that the West Midlands club have identified the man who will replace him. According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Wolves are ‘pushing in talks’ to sign Almeria and Spain under-21 full-back, Marc Pubill.

They are not the only side in the race, with Romano reporting that the Old Gold are looking to ‘anticipate Italian clubs’ who might be interested, too.

Reports from Spain back in March also named Barcelona as an interested club. They said that a £17m fee would be enough to tempt Almeria into selling their young star.

Why Pubill would be a good signing

Given the stature of clubs interested in 22-year-old Pubill this summer, there is no doubt that this would be an astronomical coup from Pereira’s Wolves side. He certainly comes with a high reputation, and impressed for Almeria last term.

Playing in the second tier of Spain last season, Pubill made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring once in the league and grabbing five assists. Four of those games, as well as one assist against CD Leganes, came in the Copa Del Rey.

The Almeria number 18 is also an Olympic Gold medalist, having won the tournament with Spain in Paris in 2024. He was a key member of his country’s under-21 side at the recent European Championship, too.

Playing four games and scoring the first goal of the tournament against hosts Slovakia, the defender was described as “one of the best two right-backs” in the competition by football analyst Ben Mattinson.

Indeed, some of the numbers Pubill was putting up in his most recent La Liga season, 2023/24, will surely impress Wolves fans. The numbers, which come via Squawka, show how defensively solid he is, winning an average of 6.7 duels per game.

A progressive player, Pubill also averaged 13 forward passes each game, too.

Chances created

20

1

Crosses completed

10

0.5

Forward passes

271

13

Take-ons completed

33

1.6

Duels won

139

6.7

Ball recoveries

93

4.5

The “powerful” full-back, as Mattinson called him, could prove to form an excellent partnership with another potential new incoming at Molineux, Jhon Arias. The winger, who plays for Fluminense, is set to move to the West Midlands for £15m, according to The Guardian.

The 27-year-old Colombian winger has four goals and 13 assists to his name for the Brazilian giants this season.

A skilful attacker, Arias is a fantastic combination player and likes to work in tandem with his full-back, which this assist from the Club World Cup showcases perfectly.

It is safe to assume that, if Pubill joins Wolves after Arias’ move has gone through, the pair could form a devastating partnership. They both excel in the final third, and could piece together some exciting combination play down that right flank.

The competition to sign Pubill is tough, which, if anything, just confirms this is a strong move from Wolves. £17m is not too much of an investment, and he could link up in a superb way with Arias, too.

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