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Chelsea are likely to sell Kai Havertz this summer amid interest from Real Madrid, according to the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg.

Is Kai Havertz leaving Chelsea?

As per reports, with Madrid interested in the forward, Havertz is looking likely to leave Chelsea this summer, bringing to an end three years in which the German never really showed his best form.

If Havertz does leave the Blues this summer, he will at least keep his place in the Chelsea history books after scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

During three seasons at Stamford Bridge, the former Bayer Leverkusen man has scored 32 goals and assisted a further 15 in 139 appearances.

Still only 23, it could be argued that Havertz still has plenty of time to succeed at Chelsea. Yet, as reported by Steinberg, those at the London club are ‘likely’ to sell the forward this summer.

Meanwhile, he won't be the only current first-team star to leave Stamford Bridge, with N'Golo Kante seemingly enticed by the money that Saudi Arabia has to offer. The long-serving Frenchman is poised to accept a £86m-per-year deal from PIF-backed Al-Ittihad, where Karim Benzema has also just landed, according to Fabrizio Romano in the Guardian.

How much will Chelsea earn from selling Havertz?

According to Steinberg, Chelsea have placed a hefty £75m price tag on Havertz this summer, as Real Madrid set their sights on the German forward in an attempt to replace the departing Karim Benzema.

The large fee would leave the Blues in profit after initially spending £71m on Havertz to Bayer Leverkusen back in the summer of 2020.

Considering the forward’s struggles since arriving at Stamford Bridge, however, the price tag comes as a slight surprise.

Havertz, who Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan once lauded as "exceptional", scored just seven Premier League goals, as Chelsea collapsed to a 12th-placed finish.

Having spent over £500 million throughout the season, though, Todd Boehly may be looking to recoup some of the cash splashed on players who simply failed to deliver.

Martyn Ziegler of The Times recently reported that Chelsea need to offload some players in order to meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations too, leaving Havertz on the list of potential departures in the coming months.

If Havertz does leave the club, then he will be making room for reported incoming signing Christopher Nkunku, who has just won the Golden Boot in the Bundesliga, scoring 16 goals.

According to Romano again, the RB Leipzig forward is set to be announced as a Chelsea player soon, having completed his medical all the way back in September, before signing a deal in December.

With Nkunku's imminent arrival, Havertz’s exit would come as little surprise, especially if Madrid continue to pursue a deal for the German forward.

Legspinner Rumana Ahmed’s hat-trick – the first in international cricket by a Bangladesh Women’s cricketer – helped her side defend a small total of 106 and beat Ireland Women by 10 runs in the third ODI to claim the series 1-0

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Rumana Ahmed dismissed Kim Garth, Clare Shillington and Mary Waldron for her hat-trick•IDI/Getty ImagesLegspinner Rumana Ahmed’s hat-trick – the first in international cricket by a Bangladesh Women’s cricketer – helped her side defend a small total of 106 and beat Ireland Women by 10 runs in the third ODI to claim the series 1-0.Ireland had begun their chase of 107 well, with the openers Meg Kendal and Cecelia Joyce adding 52. Offspinner Khadija Tul Kubra dismissed Kendal and No. 3 Shauna Kavanagh quickly but the big setback to Ireland’s innings came when Cecelia was run out for 35. Having lost Isobel Joyce for 2, Ireland’s chase was starting to look shaky at 84 for 4 when Rumana struck. She dismissed Kim Garth, Clare Shillington and Mary Waldron off successive balls to leave Ireland’s chase in tatters. Laura Delany, Ireland’s captain, pushed the score along to 96 before she too was dismissed and Bangladesh wrapped up the win in the 38th over.Bangladesh’s spinners split up all eight bowler dismissals in Ireland’s innings. Apart from Rumana’s 3 for 20, Tul Kubra and legspinner Fahima Khatun took two wickets each, while left-arm spinner Nahida Akter had returns of 1 for 18. Khatun’s 2 for 13 was her best in ODIs.Earlier, medium-pacer Amy Kenealy wrecked Bangladesh’s top order, leaving them tottering at 25 for 5 after they had opted to bat first. Her career-best 4 for 32 accounted for four of Bangladesh’s top six. Opener Sanjida Islam top-scored with 33 and led a brief fightback, adding 44 for the sixth wicket with Ritu Moni. Jahanara Alam and Akter shared another useful partnership of 32 runs for the eighth wicket, lifting the score past 100. The failure of the middle order, however, meant that Bangladesh could only muster a total of 106. Twenty-six extras, including 23 wides, were the second-biggest contribution in Bangladesh’s total.The third ODI was not originally scheduled in the series but was added after the first ODI was abandoned without a ball bowled. The second match, which was curtailed to 47-overs-a-side, then saw only 18 overs of play before being abandoned. Bangladesh had earlier lost the T20I series 0-1.

Liverpool are now unlikely to move for Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka, journalist Dean Jones has revealed.

What's going on with Ndicka?

The centre-back is out of contract at the end of the season, and is set to leave Frankfurt. At 23, he could be a player that interests a lot of clubs, as a left-footed central defender.

Liverpool were previously linked with a move for the Frenchman, but it now seems that he is set to move elsewhere.

Ndicka has been described as "exciting," and with wages of £20k-per-week, it could have been a fairly cheap deal to pull off.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones revealed that Ndicka could join Napoli, and that he is unlikely to move to Anfield this summer.

"Liverpool have been linked with Evan Ndicka as a potential solution to helping their defensive depth for next season, but it seems Napoli is a more likely destination" he stated.

"It’s an interesting one because the profile of the player seems a good fit, but over the past couple of weeks I have struggled to find anyone that believes it is going to be a deal Liverpool push for.

"And now in Italy, there seems to be confidence that Napoli are looking at him and are putting themselves in a good position to make a proposal. So it feels like we can probably scratch him off the list."

Do Liverpool need a centre-back?

Despite an impressive recent run of form, Liverpool have suffered a large drop-off from last season, and reinforcements are needed across the pitch.

Virgil van Dijk has come in for criticism over his form this season, as the once flawless Dutchman has started to look vulnerable, and extra cover for the 31-year-old could be useful this summer.

Ndicka could have been the long-term successor for Van Dijk as a left-sided defender, and he could have formed a partnership with fellow Frenchman Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool could still look at a defender, as Joe Gomez has also come in for criticism, and Joel Matip is ageing. A younger option who could rotate, and perhaps eventually start next to Konate could help pad the squad.

Klopp's side still have a shot at Champions League qualification, but may be forced to settle for a Europa League spot, and a large squad will be needed regardless of which competition they qualify for.

The BCCI’s cricket advisory committee, appointed to pick the India coach, has carried out interviews with six to seven candidates on Tuesday in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2016

The BCCI’s cricket advisory committee, appointed to pick the India coach, carried out interviews with six to seven candidates on Tuesday in Kolkata. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who is one of the three members on the committee along with Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, said that the panel was likely to pick its final choice by the end of the day and forward it to BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke by Wednesday.While Ganguly had told reporters early in the day that ten candidates were to be interviewed, he later said that the panel had met with six to seven candidates. He added that he could not divulge any other details and would want the BCCI to announce all further information.Anil Kumble and Ravi Shastri were the most high-profile candidates who made their presentations on Tuesday. While Kumble appeared in person for the interview, Shastri spoke with the panel through Skype as he was overseas.The other candidates who were interviewed were Tom Moody, Stuart Law, Lalchand Rajput, Pravin Amre and Andy Moles. Amre told ESPNcricinfo that he had laid out his vision for the Indian side and told the panel that one of his main aims as head coach would be to help the team perform well consistently overseas.”It was also a good learning experience for me as the panel wanted to know exactly how I would achieve the objective of [helping] India become the No. 1 team in all forms,” Amre said. “We went in detail on each criterion listed in the job application.”Sandeep Patil, the chairman of selectors, once again confirmed on Tuesday that he had “not been invited for an interview.”The hunt for a new coach began after Shastri’s contract as team director expired at the end of the World T20 in April. The application process started on June 1, with an advertisement on the BCCI website, and the board set a deadline of June 10. It received 57 applications, and the list of candidates was trimmed to 21 last week.Among the important qualifications listed in the advertisement included coaching experience at the international or first-class level. The BCCI had also stated that candidates who were qualified with a certification/assessment programme conducted by any of the Full Member nations and currently hold such certification, would be preferred.

Arsenal were crushed 4-1 last time out by Manchester City, in a match that essentially ended their title charge as Pep Guardiola returned to the driving seat on course for the Premier League title.

Journalist Charles Watts had plenty to say throughout but drew one concluding remark with today's game against Chelsea on the horizon: "Trossard has to start against Chelsea. For all the talk around the impact of Saliba's injury and Holding's inclusion, Arsenal have not won a game since Trossard dropped out of the starting XI. They are a better team when he is on the pitch."

With Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka having all gone missing in such a crucial clash, Mikel Arteta could feasibly hook all of that front three given the lack of impact; given the former boasted the best Sofascore rating out of them all at 6.6, this stands as a miserable indication of the lack of creativity and potency.

However, that midweek loss was a culmination of three poor results that preceded it, as draws to Liverpool, West Ham United and Southampton surrendered six key points.

It is no surprise that the Belgian trickster did not start in any of them, despite having recorded five assists in the three wins running up to them. This decision-making from the Spanish boss has cost them dearly, and he could recognise his mistake tonight by unleashing him in place of Gabriel Jesus.

How has Leandro Trossard played this season?

Moving to the Emirates in January, the 27-year-old has fast become a creative leader for the Gunners despite making just six starts.

Eight assists during this period sit him in second for most assists behind only Bukayo Saka, adding onto his ten goal contributions earned with Brighton and Hove Albion during the first half of the campaign.

The £45k-per-week "wizard", as branded by journalist Charlie Haffenden, has had the instant impact since that north London move that fellow writer Charlie Gordon predicted. He wrote: "Trossard would be a great signing for Arsenal. Far better value than just about every other winger on the market. Perfect calibre of player to slot in as third choice."

Given the offensive issues felt by the Stamford Bridge outfit, who have scored just 30 times this season, such a decisive forward could help propel Arteta's side in front. Especially given how profligate Jesus has been in recent weeks, particularly in their 3-3 draw with Southampton, where the Brazilian accumulated an expected goals tally of 1.14 without scoring.

Against Frank Lampard's struggling outfit, clinical finishing could be key to taking out their frustrations on their London rivals. Trossard's inclusion will almost ensure this, as his delivery has proven to often be imperative in Arsenal's success.

Crystal Palace has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence under Roy Hodgson since his return to the Selhurst Park helm until the end of the season.

Prior to the 75-year-old’s appointment, the Eagles were winless in their previous 12 league games under Patrick Vieira and were perilously lurking above the drop zone. But Hodgson has won his first three games in charge by an aggregate score of 9-2 against fellow relegation candidates Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton.

A key figure of this tremendous upturn in form has been the indomitable Michael Olise, who has recorded ten goal contributions in 24 Premier League starts.

Since signing for the South London outfit from Reading for £8m in the summer of 2021, the 21-year-old has established himself as one of Palace’s most influential, creative, and penetrating forces.

How much is Michael Olise worth now?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently spoke to Football FanCast regarding the winger and how he could be valued at over £50m, saying:

“You're probably thinking that for a young midfielder, a goalscoring midfielder, who can provide goals. He's got everything Michael Olise, he’s a top performer and can do wonderful things on the ball.

“If anybody was to come knocking at Crystal Palace’s door they could demand big money for him and £50m doesn't get you a lot these days when you think about the transfer market so I'm sure Palace probably would be starting the bidding at that price.”

Former Eagles boss Vieira described the prodigy as a “special talent” and is now valued at around £24m by Transfermarkt, but this is an extremely modest fee for a player brimming with limitless potential.

In a recent league fixture with Leeds on 9 April, the London-born forward registered a monstrous 9.7 rating, courtesy of three assists, five successful dribbles, six key passes, and the creation of three big chances, as per Sofascore.

It was a wondrous display by a player who possesses an uncoachable brilliance and when in full motion, can glide past opponents with incredible ease.

His pace, agility, and quick thinking are showcased by the fact he ranks in the top 21% among his positional peers for successful take-ons per 90.

Judging by O’Rourke’s prediction and Olise’s spell-binding mastery on the ball, the £45k-per-week ace could make Palace an extraordinary profit in the summer.

Arsenal’s Europa League defeat to Sporting CP in midweek ends their chances of winning their second major European trophy, yet the penalty shootout loss could potentially end up being a blessing in disguise.

Mikel Arteta is focused on securing the Gunners their first Premier League title since 2003/2004 and the extra continental matches may have been more of a hindrance than anything else in their bid to hold off Manchester City.

The Spaniard had to rotate his squad against the Portuguese side, giving players such as Takehiro Tomiyasu, Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira starts, although they didn’t exactly take their chance, with Vieira performing extremely poorly.

The 22-year-old was filling in for Martin Odegaard, who Arteta was clearly resting for the Premier League tie this weekend, yet he failed to take his opportunity.

Will Fabio Vieira start for Arsenal vs Crystal Palace?

The former Porto man didn’t do much against Sporting, in truth, averaging a woeful Sofascore rating of 5.9/10, comfortably the worst on the pitch and across his 101-minute spell on the pitch, he managed just 47 touches and 25 passes – figures nowhere near good enough for Arteta.

He also won just one duel, succeeded with zero dribble attempts and lost possession 13 times during the tie and he “didn’t cover himself in glory” according to popular Arsenal blog the Short Fuse.

He was also dubbed “utterly terrible” by one source during the match and his performance will give Arteta the licence to ditch him for the tie against Palace this afternoon.

This wasn’t a one-off by the 5 foot 7 midfielder either, as he has failed to demonstrate to the Emirates faithful during his short spell why the club splashed out £34m to sign him last summer.

He has made just two Premier League starts this term (17 appearances in total), scoring once and registering two assists, yet his average Sofascore rating of 6.74/10 ranks him as only the Gunners' 15th-best performer this season.

Of course, adapting to a new league and culture is extremely difficult, but the midfielder has struggled to take the limited opportunities presented to him by Arteta.

Starting in the last 16 of a major European competition was the ideal chance for him to showcase his abilities and lead the club through to the quarter-finals, however his abject performance will surely give the manager more questions than answers.

With the manager-less Eagles to come this afternoon, the former Porto man will likely return his usual watching brief.

Newcastle United are ‘considering’ submitting an offer for Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun this summer, according to journalist Steve Kay.

The Lowdown: Premier League interest

The Gunners forward is currently out on a season-long loan at Reims in Ligue 1, with his performances having caught the eye as a result of him being their top-performing offensive player.

CaughtOffside reported last week that there was Premier League interest in the 21-year-old ahead of the upcoming window, but it wasn’t revealed where it was coming from, and it now very much looks like it was Eddie Howe at St. James’ Park.

The Latest: Newcastle weighing up bid

Taking to Twitter, Kay revealed that Newcastle are pondering whether to table an official offer for Balogun later in the summer. He wrote:

“Newcastle United are considering making a bid for Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun this summer.

“The Gunners forward who is currently on loan at Reims, has scored 15 goals in 25 games in #Ligue1UberEats this season.”

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The Verdict: Massive coup

Balogun has been excelling out on loan at Reims and whilst his price tag is unknown, it would be a massive coup for Newcastle should they be able to successfully secure his services.

The Adidas-sponsored ace has clocked up an outstanding 120 goal contributions (96 goals and 24 assists) in just 161 appearances throughout his career at youth and senior level, and he’s currently averaging three shots per league game so the numbers should be sustainable.

The New York-born talent also ranks in the 86th percentile for progressive passes received, showing that he is consistently able to get himself in the best positions in the final third.

Balogun has been likened to Napoli striker Victor Osimhen by talent scout Jacek Kulig and when you consider what he’s already achieved at just 21, he’s sure to have an extremely bright future ahead of him.

TalkSPORT’s Mark Goldbridge believes he’s been left disappointed by the recent form of Liverpool duo Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk.

The Lowdown: Liverpool aren’t the same as they once were

After a stunning few years under Jurgen Klopp which has seen Liverpool win a whole load of trophies including the Champions League, Premier League and Carabao Cup it now could be unravelling quite quickly.

The Reds currently find themselves nine points off the top four and even five points off Newcastle United in fifth with their latest 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace being another sign that things aren’t all rosy at Anfield.

Back-to-back league wins against Everton and Newcastle have swiftly been forgotten following a Champions League thumping against Real Madrid and then the draw at Palace but despite their third league clean sheet in a row, the defence has been impressing everyone.

The Latest: Van Dijk and Matip being exposed

Gold bridge believes that this season has shown Van Dijk and Matip for the defenders they may actually be and has insisted on Ben Foster’s YouTube channel that the pair have gone down in his estimations.

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He said: (38:20) “I’ve always rated Van Dijk but I must admit, he’s had a midfield in front of him for his whole career and now he doesn’t – you can’t pick all the midfield runners up – but I think those centre backs, Matip and Van Dijk, are probably not as good as I thought they were this season.”

The Verdict: Klopp must find the perfect balance

Liverpool are indeed likely going to have to write this season off in terms of the top-four race and winning the Champions League given where they currently stand in both of those competitions, although they may still fancy their chances in the FA Cup.

However, if they are to lift a piece of unlikely silverware then Liverpool need to find consistency as this season they’ve never won three league games in a row with woes at both ends of the pitch letting them down.

Klopp will know that standards from most players have dropped this season and perhaps this poor campaign is what is needed to shock everyone back into life and make them realise that the last few good years aren’t guaranteed to repeat themselves in the future so all players must now step up, or risk being replaced.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has a number of significant decisions to make heading into the summer transfer window as a collection of players are set to be out of contract.

The Gers have a host of first-team squad members whose deals expire at the end of the season and the Light Blues boss, working alongside Ross Wilson, needs to decide who he does, and does not, want to keep.

One player who could be worthy of an extension is Scotland international midfielder Ryan Jack, who has been heavily involved so far this season.

The 30-year-old has played 17 times, starting 11 of those matches, in the Premiership this term and has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88 in that time.

Jack, who started nine games in the run to the Europa League final in 2021/22, has been a reliable performer for Beale in the middle of the park and it could be worth handing him an extra couple of years, given that he only turns 31 this year.

However, Beale must also start to think about what life may look like at Ibrox after the Scottish battler departs and that is where B Team gem Bailey Rice comes into play.

The Light Blues head coach could find the long-term successor to Jack by developing the young academy talent to a point where he can take the experienced technician’s place in a few seasons’ time.

Extending the current first-team star’s contract for another two or three campaigns would allow the club to work with Rice to ensure that the youngster is fully ready to make the step up to first-team football.

The 16-year-old, who was dubbed a “prospect” by journalist Mark Hendry, joined the club from Motherwell in January of last year and has been a regular for the youth side this season.

Despite only turning 16 in October of 2022, the enforcer has played 14 matches for the B team, alongside some players who are three or four years older than him, and six times for the U19s.

The midfielder, who has scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 Lowland League outings, is seemingly showing maturity and quality beyond his years to be regularly selected for the B Team at his age, which is a promising sign for the future.

Premier League champions Manchester City were also interested in signing the gem last year, which shows how highly his performances in Motherwell’s youth set-up were rated, and Rice has also been capped 15 times by Scotland at youth level.

His accomplishments and the transfer interest he garnered before the age of 17 suggest that the gem, who has vowed to “keep improving”, has immense potential and could be a future star of the Gers first team if he can continue to develop and grow as a player.

Therefore, Rice could be the long-term successor to Jack in the middle of the park and extending the latter’s contract to coincide with when the B Team star will be nearing his 20s could be a smart move by the club.