Even after Chelsea sealed the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for around £30 million, Enzo Maresca and co are still in the market for another centre-forward.

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Delap made his debut for the Blues against Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup, assisting Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea’s second goal of the game in a 2-0 win, with Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo heaping praise on the exciting striker signing after their match in Atlanta.

“I’ve known Liam for a long time now, and I’ve played against him loads of times. Growing up, you know what sort of players are going to make it and he was always one of those,” said Colwill, via the BBC.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

“To have him in our team, to train against him, to see him score goals – which I know he will – I’m very excited.”

Tosin also drew attention to Delap’s aggression and intensity, with plenty of expectation now on the former Man City starlet’s shoulders after he took the number 9 shirt.

“He’s settled in very well. He’s a good young lad, and we know what qualities he brings,” said Tosin.

“He’s aggressive [when] pressing and an aggressive striker, making sure he’s always there, setting the intensity. Hopefully he scores many goals for us.”

While some doubts surround Delap’s readiness to lead the line, considering he’s still raw and very young, Chelsea are believed to be targeting a second frontman after the 22-year-old’s arrival.

Chelsea have held talks over Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, who scored 22 goals in all competitions last season, and tried to secure the Frenchman’s signature in time for the Club World Cup, only for talks to collapse.

However, he remains “one to watch” for the coming weeks and talks are apparently ongoing.

As well as Ekitike, Chelsea are being linked with Brighton star Joao Pedro.

Newcastle United fear Chelsea will hijack Joao Pedro deal

The Brazil international is a wanted man following his impressive stint down south, with Chelsea identifying Pedro as one of their next striker targets before deadline day on September 1.

Now, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has shared an update on the situation.

Crook states that Newcastle are fearful that Chelsea will hijack their deal for Pedro, who Brighton are demanding £70 million for, as they look to reinforce Eddie Howe’s squad for a campaign back in the Champions League next season.

Given the Magpies’ internal concerns, this could be an indicator that Chelsea are still seriously in for Pedro, and the South American certainly falls in line with BlueCo’s recent transfer policy of signing world football’s most exciting talents.

Pedro can also play up front or across any of the attacking midfield positions, but given the already-young average age of Chelsea’s squad and their arguably dire need for more experienced squad members, Stamford Bridge chiefs will certainly be keen to whittle down the 23-year-old’s hefty asking price.

Liverpool’s expeditious start to the summer transfer window has seen the double signing of Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz wrapped up before the end of June, and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is set to follow.

And there’s more yet to come. With a deal agreed for the transfer of Jarell Quansah to the BayArena, Liverpool have upped their interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who is entering the final year of his contract.

Of course, the Reds still need a striker too.

Liverpool chasing Premier League star

Darwin Nunez’s proposed transfer to Serie A champions Napoli could see efforts on that front doubled over the coming weeks.

Saying that, though, Liverpool love a market opportunity, and are monitoring a right-sided Premier League forward as Federico Chiesa expects to leave Anfield as well this summer.

As per French reporter Sébastien Vidal, in a bid to possibly replace Chiesa, Liverpool are interested in signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, though they face stiff competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

The Cherries have valued the Ghanaian at £70m, a figure none of his suitors are willing to meet, but if that figure can be whittled down, Mohamed Salah would have the perfect understudy to cover him on the right.

This isn’t a priority for Liverpool, but the versatile Semenyo has the perfect profile for Slot’s system and could become the latest jackpot signing from the south coast.

Why Liverpool want Antoine Semenyo

Liverpool have raided a rising Premier League winger from the south coast before. Indeed, Sadio Mane is one of the club’s most iconic modern players, starring under Jurgen Klopp’s wing for many years after joining from Southampton for £35m in 2016.

Semenyo carries certain similarities to the prolific Senegalese, who was a deadly goalscorer but also a fierce advocate of his manager’s vision, working like a machine, covering numerous positions. Klopp once called Mane a “complete” and “world-class” player, and who would argue against him?

Hailed as a “workhorse” and a “duel monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Semenyo has been instrumental for Andoni Iraola’s system at the Vitality Stadium, scoring 13 goals and assisting seven more across all competitions last season.

Mane, let’s not forget, wrapped up his Saints career with 15 goals and seven assists across 43 matches in 2015/16, so, like Semenyo, he wasn’t the finished product and needed that move to a club on a higher rung of the ladder.

Right winger

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13

3

Left winger

29

7

5

Centre-forward

6

1

0

As per FBref, the versatile forward also ranked among the top 20% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the English top flight last season for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shots taken per 90, underlining his prowess as a pressure-applying force in front of goal but also a player who can drive play into the danger area himself.

All told, Semenyo is a talented and proven Premier League star who would not only cover Salah but also use his dynamism to cover on the left flank too.

To reach Mane’s level would be difficult indeed, but he’s certainly underrated, and a move to Merseyside could help put his name on the map.

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Liverpool’s pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz looks to finally be coming to a close, as BILD have confirmed a date for the playmaker’s Reds debut, with his contract expected to be signed in the coming days.

The Reds have been pushing to sign the 22-year-old in recent weeks, in what has to be considered one of their most exciting pieces of business in the past decade.

Wirtz has been voted the best player in the Bundesliga in both of the past two seasons by his peers, and he is considered among the most talented attacking players in Europe. Leverkusen have been stubborn in letting their star player leave, however, with Liverpool already seeing a £113m bid for his services rejected.

That said, the player himself wants to move to the Premier League champions, rather than stay put or join Bayern Munich, and there has been continued confidence that a deal will be agreed sooner rather than later.

With Wirtz’s international commitments with Germany now done for this month, the hope is that the transfer moves quickly now, and a fresh claim certainly suggests that that is the case.

Wirtz set to make Liverpool debut against Preston on July 13

Now, according to BILD in Germany, Liverpool are closer than ever to completing the signing of Wirtz from Leverkusen, as he is set to sign his contract before heading on holiday.

It is claimed that the Reds will offer €140m (£118m) for the German, with a “package consisting of a fixed transfer fee and realistic additional payments, possibly with additional bonus payments”, with the overriding feeling now that the two clubs are close to an agreement.

They even report he will make his debut in the pre-season opener against Preston, with the trip to Deepdale on July 13 pencilled in after joining his colleagues in training from July 7.

This is the news that so many Liverpool fans will have been hoping to hear, considering Wirtz could be a game-changing signing in their attack, having been lauded as the “best” in the world in his position by Patrick Helmes.

There will clearly be huge pressure on Wirtz to excel for Liverpool, considering he will shatter their club-record fee, but he has all the tools to be a sensation, from creative genius in the No.10 role – he has 57 goals and 65 assists for Leverkusen – to a strong work ethic out of possession.

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It’s now a case of getting the deal completely over the line, with the Germany international linking up with Jeremie Frimpong again at Anfield, and hopefully Milos Kerkez and an elite new striker to follow, especially if Darwin Nunez leaves Anfield in the coming days.

A busy summer awaits for Rangers.

Now that Russell Martin has officially been unveiled as the new Rangers manager, he has plenty of work to do if his team are going to be ready for the start of Champions League qualifying on 22/23 July, with Panathinaikos, Servette or Brann their potential opponents; the draw takes place next Tuesday.

With pivotal European ties just around the corner, Martin is eager to get his transfer business done early, so could it be all change in the striker department?

Rangers seeking a new striker

According to a report by Scott McDermott and Anthony Evans of the Daily Record, Rangers remain in talks with Maccabi Tel Aviv over the signing of striker Dor Turgeman, who they claim is valued at £4m.

Liav Nachmani of Israel Hayom previously documented that Turgeman has ‘expressed a willingness’ to join the Scottish giants, who have ‘been monitoring him for several months’, although the Israeli champions do not want to let him leave easily.

Born in Ashdod, Turgeman joined the Yellows as a 15 year old, making 109 senior appearances since his senior debut five years ago, scoring 32 goals.

This season, he was the third-highest scorer in Ligat HaAl with 16 goals, also on target four times in the Europa League, netting against Panevėžys and then TSC Bačka Topola twice as Maccabi Tel Aviv made it through qualifying, before also getting on the scoresheet against Real Sociedad in October.

Turgeman has international experience too, a key figure in the Israel side that reached the U21 Euros semi-finals two summers ago, earning eight senior caps to date, scoring against Norway in a World Cup qualifier in Debrecen back in March.

So now, could the 21 year old swap the Israeli Mediterranean coastline for Glasgow’s west end?

How Turgeman compares to Dessers

According to a report by Andrew Newport of the Daily Record, Greek side AEK Athens ‘are willing to spend big’ to sign Cyriel Dessers this summer, adding that the Nigerian striker is valued at £5m.

On top of this, Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos of SporTime claims that the Yellow-Blacks are “in talks” with Rangers, so is now the right time to cash in?

Let’s assess Dessers’ statistics for the club since he arrived from Cremonese for a reported £4.5m two summers ago.

As the table outlines, Dessers’ scoring record at Rangers has been impressive, on target every 134 minutes on average, but the fact he has missed 58 big chances across the Scottish Premiership and Europa League goes a long way to explaining why Alan Pattullo of the Scotsman describes him as a complex ‘enigma’.

So, would Turgeman be an upgrade? Let’s try and find out.

As the table outlines, while Dessers did score more goals this season, Turgeman’s underlying statistics are broadly more impressive, missing 27 fewer big chances, creating eight more big chances and registering a greater number of touches per 90.

Writer Kai Watson describes the Israeli international as a strong ball carrier and “lethal inside the box”, while Nene Afadzinu of Football Talent Scout praises his ‘excellent first touch’, hold-up play and close-control, adding that he is capable of being deployed as a team’s ‘focal point’ considering he ‘relishes a duel’ and ‘presses intensely’.

Meantime, Rui Martins of Total Football Analysis outlines how Turgeman’s physical attributes give him a ‘significant competitive advantage’, believing he ‘is ready to be tested at a higher level’.

Thus, if Rangers are able to sell 30 year old Dessers and sign 21-year-old Turgeman for a lower fee, this would appear a no-brainer of an upgrade.

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Leeds United aren’t messing about getting their business done early during the chaotic summer transfer window.

Already, Daniel Farke’s Whites are two signings down with plenty more activity expected at Elland Road, with Lukas Nmecha starting proceedings when joining from Wolfsburg, before Leeds dipped their toes in once more to land Jaka Bijol for a bumper £15m.

Of course, there will be the worry of exits still to come – as faces such as Junior Firpo slowly edge away from their West Yorkshire home – but the general feeling in the air at the newly promoted side will be one of optimism, especially as Leeds are usually notoriously slow out of the traps to seal signings.

Nikola Krstovic could be the next notable pick-up through the door, but the Whites might be able to land an even better signing than the potent Montenegrin if they succeed with this other pursuit.

Leeds join the race for £9m star

As per a new report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Leeds are now in the race to snap up promising Borussia Mönchengladbach left-back Lukas Ullrich this summer.

Bailey states that the Bundesliga giants are looking to tie the Germany U21 international down to a new deal. However, significant interest from the Premier League – away from just Leeds being keen – could potentially jeopardise those talks.

Indeed, it’s stated that Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Everton, Brighton, and Nottingham Forest are all also chasing the £9m-rated defender, as per Football Transfers, meaning Leeds will have their work cut out to advance to the front of the queue for Ullrich’s services.

Still, Leeds might well deem it more of a necessary and worthwhile venture chasing after the Berlin-born starlet than continuing to pursue Krstovic, with the newly promoted side desperately short on numbers down the left.

Why Ullrich could be a better signing than Krstovic

Leeds already possess the likes of Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford in attack, even if the Lecce striker didn’t move on to England, with the Dutchman just fresh off a 19-goal season in the Championship.

Moreover, Bamford – away from his recurring injury problems – is also a Premier League-experienced head that could still offer Farke a worthwhile option if needed, as seen in his respectable 24-goal tally at the intimidating level.

Therefore, it would be safe to assume that the Whites are well-stocked in this department for the time being, with it also being a risk to splash around the £30m mark on Krstovic, considering Georginio Rutter is their most expensive capture ever at just £5.5m more.

Whereas, for £7m, Leeds would be able to win a star in Ullrich, who should only get better with time, and a purchase that is needed far more urgently than another centre-forward joining the building. After all, if you remove Firpo from Leeds’ ever-changing squad, only an ageing Sam Byram is available in the left-back spot.

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Touches

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Accurate passes

20/28 (71%)

Successful dribbles

1/1

Clearances

4

Tackles

6

Total duels won

7/10

The in-demand 21-year-old has already shown he can do it on the big occasion for club and country too, as seen in his one goal and two assists last season as an attack-oriented full-back for Gladbach, on top of his recent heroics for his nation at the U21 Euros when his early assist got Germany up and running against the youthful Three Lions.

On the night, the “high intensity” defender – as described by Germany U19 manager Guido Streichsbier – showed he can tussle with the likes of Harvey Elliott and Ethan Nwaneri and come out on top, meaning he might well be ready for the challenge of the Premier League to follow.

He isn’t quite at Firpo’s level just yet, considering the ex-Barcelona defender picked up a hefty ten assists last campaign.

But, having been noted as making “huge strides” already by manager Gerardo Seoane, the Premier League might well just be the next big step he has to adjust to, with Farke also known to get the maximum out of up-and-coming youngsters under his wing.

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First-wicket pair put on 99 inside eight overs, including Hughes’ 32 off six balls

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2024

Sussex 181 for 2 (Ward 68, Hughes 47, Simpson 45*) beat Essex 178 for 9 (Elgar 54, Pepper 51, McAndrew 3-33) by eight wicketsA masterful exhibition of stunning hitting from openers Harrison Ward and Daniel Hughes gave Sussex the platform to an eight-wicket victory with 26 balls to spare against an Essex team who had axed their Vitality Blast captain Simon Harmer.The first-wicket pair put on 99 inside eight overs – including 32 from a Daniel Sams over – as 10 sixes rained down all around the Chelmsford ground. The Australian Hughes claimed four of them in his 18-ball 47, and Ward chipped in with three in his 68 from 36.However, it was left to John Simpson to hit Luc Benkenstein for 10 off two balls in the 16th over to complete Sussex’s fourth success in five Blast matches this season.In turn, Essex, put in, failed to post the sort of score that might have been expected after Dean Elgar anchored two fifty-run stands with stand-in captain Adam Rossington and Michael Pepper. However, when Pepper was dismissed for a 26-ball 51, it precipitated a clatter of eight Essex wickets for 54 runs in 43 balls. They finished on a decidedly below-par 178 for 9.Ward and Hughes went off like trains as they hammered eight fours in 11 balls from Shane Snater and Aaron Beard. It did not stop there. After Ben Allison arrested the onslaught with just five conceded off the fourth over, Sams was dumped for 644666 in an incredible over of power hitting from Hughes. At one stage the pair had hit 50 from nine balls.Hughes had raced to 47 when he swept Matt Critchley into deep square-leg’s hands. By the halfway point, Sussex required just 50 runs more for a facile win, but they lost Ward, caught behind off Allison, the one bright spark with the ball on a dismal evening for the home team.However, the pre-match news that Harmer – who would have been playing his 100th T20 game for Essex – had been omitted from the team, rested or dropped depending on who you asked, was almost as seismic as the on-field carnage if not totally surprising: he had not taken a wicket in Essex’s first five Blast games and contributed just 17 runs with the bat.Rossington helped Elgar put on 50 for the first wicket inside six overs, though the captain’s contribution was 16 from 11 balls before he got an inside edge as he attempted to swipe Ollie Robinson out of the ground.Elgar had survived a drop at slip by Tom Alsop on nought, but while he outscored Rossington, he was comprehensively outgunned by Pepper for the second fifty stand of the innings. Pepper hammered 40 of those runs, including four sixes to different parts of the ground off the Sussex spin pair, Danny Lamb and James Coles.Pepper reached his half-century from 24 but two balls later he lofted Nathan McAndrew to backward square leg to precipitate the collapse. McAndrew struck again when his next delivery had a bemused Jordan Cox bowled.Paul Walter became a third wicket in five balls as he advanced down the wicket against Jack Carson and was stumped. Elgar reached his fifty with a straight six, but again fell almost immediately, lobbing Coles tamely to mid-on.The earlier onslaught became a distant memory as Matt Critchley swished at Coles and was bowled, Sams departed to a catch at deep square leg, giving McAndrew another wicket, and Benkenstein attempted a reverse sweep and lost his off-stump the ball after hitting Robinson for six over midwicket. Carson took a third catch in the match, dismissing Snater at deep mid-on.

A video doing the rounds on social media shows Rauf confronting a group of people

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2024Haris Rauf, the Pakistan quick bowler, has responded to a video of a confrontation between him and some unidentified men, which has done the rounds on social media, saying he was open to “feedback from the public” but that he will “respond accordingly” if the feedback turned to abuse and his family was targeted.The video in question shows Rauf, with his wife, talking to a few people, and Rauf, not long after, rushing across a hedge towards the group, even as one of the men tries to stop him. There is some pushing and shoving, and some raised voices, before Rauf is taken back across the hedge to where his wife is. The finger-pointing and shouting isn’t quite over when the video ends.In a social-media post, Rauf wrote: “As public figures, we are open to receiving all kinds of feedback from the public. They are entitled to support or criticize us. Nevertheless, when it comes to my parent and my family, I will not hesitate to respond accordingly. It is important to show respect towards people and their families, irrespective of their professions.”

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— Haris Rauf (@HarisRauf14) June 18, 2024