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RCB get Mandhana, Perry; Mumbai pick Harmanpreet; Deepti goes to UP Warriorz

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2023

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Number of players bought: 18
Money spent: INR 11.9 crore
Key players: They love building their brand around certain key players. Think Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle with the men’s team. Similarly at the WPL, they’ve lined up a fearsome trio of Smriti Mandhana, four-time T20 World Cup winner Ellyse Perry and South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk, a value pick at INR 30 lakh.Related

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Strengths: Their overseas contingent is star-studded and full of multi-skilled cricketers. Perry, Sophie Devine, van Niekerk, Heather Knight – all of them can bat and bowl. The team management may have to rack their brains on whom to leave out and that isn’t a bad place to be in, given the quality they have. Throw in the firepower of Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Renuka Singh, all high-profile India internationals, and they’ve got all the makings of a tournament-winning squad.Weaknesses: The absence of a quality Indian wristspinner on red-soil surfaces of Mumbai, which will aid bounce, may be a bit of a miss.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mumbai Indians

Number of players bought: 17
Money spent: INR 12 crore (entire purse)
Key players: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Pooja Vastrakar will undoubtedly be among the first names on the scorecard. It was in Mumbai where Harmanpreet announced herself with a maiden World Cup hundred in 2013, and it’s here that she will begin a new era in Indian women’s cricket, possibly as captain of the Mumbai Indians. Sciver-Brunt’s batting versatility against pace and spin, as well as her quality medium pace, and Vastrakar’s X-factor as a big hitter lower down, in addition to being able to bowl a heavy ball in the middle overs make them vital cogs.Strengths: Back-ups for every position is something Mumbai pride themselves on having thanks to a robust scouting network. And they’ve managed to create just that. They have also built a decent pool of India Under-19s, whom they would hope to nurture over time.Weakness: The absence of a back-up wicketkeeper to Yastika Bhatia could be a bit of a hindrance. Beyond Vastrakar, they’re also thin on Indian seam bowling options.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Gujarat Giants

No of players bought: 18
Money spent: INR 11.5 crore
Key players: Given Sneh Rana’s vast experience in the domestic circuit, she could be a potent force for Giants in the inaugural WPL. She has reunited with Nooshin Al Khadeer, who, as the head coach of Railways, has had a massive influence in the second coming of Rana in the national set-up. Given that two venues will host all 22 games, her flight and dip with the ball could come into play.Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner became the joint-most expensive overseas buy in the auction at INR 3.2 crore (USD 390,000 approx), just days after after she picked up her career-best bowling figures in T20Is. Gardner had spoken about how the surfaces at DY Patil Stadium as well as the Brabourne Stadium were conducive to good strokeplay – something that would benefit her as a hitter – and how they gripped and turned too. Expect her to make an impact with the ball too.Strengths: Specialists overseas options to choose from plus a couple of bankable seam-bowling allrounders in Deandra Dottin and Annabel Sutherland.Weaknesses: A bit thin on Indian experience. Save for Harleen Deol, S Meghana and D Hemalatha, they don’t have a back-up local batter who can be relied upon in crunch situation or some unforeseen injury issues.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

UP Warriorz

Number of players bought: 16, including six overseas
Money spent: INR 12 crore
Key players: Alyssa Healy will be a vital cog in Warriorz’s top order and in the squad, bringing with her vast international experience. One of the most destructive batters in the world, the Australian strikes at 128.26 in T20Is and can single-handedly steer her team to victory.Deepti Sharma was the second-most expensive Indian player at INR 2.6 crore, behind Smriti Mandhana. Her talent with both ball – especially in spin-friendly conditions in Mumbai – and bat makes her a crucial figure in the line-up.Strengths: Warriorz seem to have a balanced squad, well stocked with allrounders in Deepti, Devika Vaidya, Parshavi Chopra, Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris, who can change the momentum of the game with the bat and ball. With Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti forming the core spin trio, the inclusion of Shabnim Ismail and Anjali Sarvani lend the perfect balance in the pace department. They also have a solid top order in Healy, the Under-19 India opener Shweta Sehrawat and McGrath.Weaknesses: Kiran Navgire and the lesser-known Laxmi Yadav are the only specialist batters in the middle order. They do not have many players who can play the anchor role if a few wickets fall early in the innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Delhi Capitals

No. of players bought: 18, including 6 overseas
Money spent: INR 11.65 crore
Key players:: In Meg Lanning, they have a multiple World Cup-winning captain from Australia. Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Marizanne Kapp’s form, and experience, will also be key for the team’s campaign in the inaugural edition.Strengths: Shafali, Rodrigues and Lanning form a strong top order for Capitals. The core of their bowling group also has good international experience in Poonam Yadav, Jess Jonassen, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy and Marizanne Kapp.Weaknesses: No perceived weakness on paper as such, but both their wicketkeepers, Taniya Bhatia and Aparna Mondal, not being attacking batters might slow things down in the lower-middle order.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The possible return of David Warner should provide the batsmen with an ideal exemplar of proactive Test-match batting

Daniel Brettig06-Jan-2021As a Test-match debutant with an exhaustively documented history of struggle against short-pitched bowling, Will Pucovski’s problem this week will be a more acute version of the difficulty facing Australia’s entire top six, after their collective failure to fire in either Adelaide or Melbourne against India’s precision. The batsmen concerned will more or less know what is coming, having dealt with it previously and shown enough evidence of susceptibility. The Indian bowlers will have plenty of reason to take the same tack once more.In the instances of Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith and Matthew Wade, the successful corralling of scoring zones, whether they be boundaries or singles, has reaped rich rewards for an Indian team that knew before the tour that the traditional fifth-stump lines of attack had been proven faulty against Australia’s Nos. 3 and 4 in particular.The scenario, rightly pointed out by Ricky Ponting, has become one where the Australians are simply trying to survive after having their usual strike rotation zones blocked off. Against good enough bowling on a sporting enough pitch, this has primarily served to make them, in Ponting’s carefully chosen words, “sitting ducks”. The captain, Tim Paine, was of similar mind on match eve as he pondered how to escape India’s stranglehold.Related

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“We’ve just spoken about mindset. We think we’ve actually got some decent plans, it’s just a matter of going out and having the courage to execute them,” Paine said. “So if you’re a guy who wants to take them on and hit over the top, or if you’re a guy or wants to sweep or reverse-sweep the spinners when they’re bowling – then we’ve just been encouraging guys to do that. To have the courage to take the game on and play the way you want to play.”At times, we’ve just let them dictate to us a little bit, let them build pressure. Then, with pressure, you get wickets at times. It’s about being really clear in your plans and now having the courage to execute it and do it in your way.”Being clear was missing when Pucovski plonked forward to Kartik Tyagi during the Indians’ tour game at Drummoyne Oval a month ago, and seemed to be both ducking and trying to play the bouncer that dented his helmet and caused the latest in a series of concussions. It was clearly also somewhat elusive until Pucovski received a second expert neurological opinion about the potential for his concussions to have long-term effects: the verdict, if not completely cut and dried, was favourable enough to have him in line to play.Will Pucovski stayed down after ducking into a short ball from Kartik Tyagi in the tour game•Getty ImagesWhat Pucovski will be seeking to remind himself, as undoubtedly the coaches and team-mates around him will too, is that on days when he has a clear mind and a focused approach – making early decisions on whether to evade or hit the short ball – he plays it as well as most. His state coach, Chris Rogers, was at Drummoyne and contrasted that incident with what he had seen before and during Pucovski’s two double-centuries in the Sheffield Shield to begin the season.”When I first turned up as coach of Victoria, him and Sammy Harper, they do a lot of work with tennis balls, getting in really close with a tennis racquet and firing them in at each other. Will’s done a heap of work where he wants to stand up and roll the ball down to fine leg. You’ll see that shot from him quite a bit,” Rogers told RSN Radio. “Then it came to the matches and we played SA early on and Wes Agar came on first change and went straight to bouncers at Will, and he pretty much ducked them for the whole first session.”Then after lunch he played one of these rolling pull shots and from there he never looked back. They targeted him with the short ball for prettymuch the whole game and then WA did it from about the ninth over onwards as well. He would have faced a heap of short balls and he looked comfortable doing it and the way he stood up and played it, he made it look easy. So when that happened on day three at Drummoyne, it was an awkward situation where there was nothing to gain and he probably just got caught in two minds, so hopefully he’ll learn from that.”

“It’s not like he doesn’t practice this, he does a heap of work. So they will bowl short at him, and hopefully he’ll be prepared”Chris Rogers on Will Pucovski

Paine, himself no stranger to being targeted by short stuff in the wake of the serious finger injuries and subsequent mental hurdles that threatened to prematurely end his cricket career, noted that in Test cricket, Pucovski needed to be capable of dealing with spells like the one hurled down by Mitchell Starc at the Indian tail at the MCG, where 24 of 30 deliveries were short. As much as the Australians have Pucovski’s welfare at heart, they also know that Test matches are played more uncompromisingly than any other form of the game.”Playing Test cricket is difficult and playing the short ball at that pace is uncomfortable,” Paine said. “I think if you’re someone who is perceived to have a weakness in that area, or even if you’re not, it’s part of the game. It’s how teams test your mettle, test what you’re made of, until you show otherwise. I think the short ball is a great option and it’s going to continue to happen. It’s a tactic that we’ve used so we expect to get plenty back as well.”I think it’s a tactic we use pretty consistently, particularly to the lower order. I think lower order batsmen are getting better and better as well so the fast bowlers’ pact of not bowling bouncers to each other is well and truly dead by the looks of it. They love peppering each other these days. I think it’s a tactic that’s already in the minds of batsmen when they come to Australia to play against our attack. We don’t have to show it in the first game. They know it’s coming; we know it’s coming and we know it’s going to come back so we’re also planning and thinking about it.”David Warner’s presence should help the other batsmen•Getty ImagesLike tailenders waiting for the short ball without total confidence as to how they might play it, Pucovski will need to put any thoughts about concussions and his unfortunate history to the back of his mind once he walks out to bat if given the opportunity as seems likely. A clear mind and an instinctive response to the ball coming down tend to work in symbiosis, with any hesitation at such high speeds likely to result in a wicket, an injury or both.”The worry is I think with him, when he does get hit, the effects linger for a bit longer than perhaps other people,” Rogers said. “It’s never nice, you just worry about him, but he’s the one who gets to make the decisions. He’s gone and sought expert advice, and good on him for doing that.”You just hope if it does happen again he’ll be fine, but that’s his choice and it’s up to him and if he does get this opportunity hopefully he can play well and get out of the way of them. The other thing about it is he’s done a lot of work on this as well. It’s not like he doesn’t practice this, he does a heap of work. So they will bowl short at him, and hopefully he’ll be prepared.”As for Smith, Labuschagne and the rest, the return of David Warner from a groin injury should provide them with an ideal exemplar of proactive Test-match batting, where no bowler is given the chance to settle entirely, even if the left-handed opener is judicious about which balls to attack. Success at the crease often depends upon how a player’s natural game can best be married to the challenges being presented by a particular opponent and the set of conditions in which they meet one another, and Warner has mastered this balance more often than most in Australia.”We want to be batting for long periods of time but how you do that is very much on the player,” Paine said. “Davey is known as a dashing opening batter, but if he goes out tomorrow and they bowl to him well then he’ll respect that and get through it.”He likes to be aggressive, no doubt about that, but he’ll play the ball as it comes and he’s got great hand-eye and great skill so he can often score a bit quicker than others, but I don’t think he goes out there with the intent of just taking it down. He goes out and plays what comes at him, and if they bowl well then he’ll respect that.”

The Automatic Ball and Strike System (ABS) will be in use for the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, and could potentially serve as a preview for the new technology to make its way to MLB as soon as next season.

ABS has been in use in the minor leagues for several seasons and was recently brought to spring training. It will now be used in the All-Star Game as MLB continues to test the technology before bringing it to the majors. Ahead of Tuesday's game, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred even indicated that the All-Star Game will serve as a major test for whether the ABS system is officially implemented next season.

There are varying opinions across MLB on the ABS technology getting implemented to the majors. Star New York Yankees outfielder and two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge is one player that appreciates the human element an umpire brings.

"I think it's just new," Judge said on . "Anything that's new, people are gonna have their opinions, gonna hate on a little bit. I still love the human element of the game. That's kind of been my thing growing up. I don't know if it's old school or not, but I just love having the umpire back there, the human feel. I know it's coming in the next couple years, so we just gotta get used to it."

Though Judge seems to prefer umpires, he is cognizant that he and other players will simply have to get used to the new system.

Manfred did say that even with the ABS, the role of umpires will be "preserved" in the game. Regardless, their roles won't be the same with the new technology in use, and the shift will be a major change for the league's players over the coming seasons.

The Seattle Mariners will retire franchise legend Randy Johnson's No. 51 jersey during the 2026 season, the team announced on Monday.

In a moment that is long overdue, Johnson will become the sixth number retired in Mariners franchise history. The announcement was made on Monday as a way to commemorate the 35-year anniversary of throwing the team's first no-hitter.

"Randy is both one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history, and one of the most important figures in our organization’s history,” Mariners chairman John Stanton said in a release.. “During the 1995 season that changed the future of this franchise, his 18-2 record (in a 145-game season) was properly recognized with his first Cy Young Award.

"More importantly, and somewhat lost to history, the Mariners were an amazing 27-3 in his 30 starts that season, an incredible 24 games over .500, compared to a record of 52-63 when any other starter took to the hill for the club. His domination that year carried the Mariners to our first-ever postseason, which led directly to the construction of T-Mobile Park and the Mariners remaining safely in Seattle forever."

Johnson recorded a 130-74 record with the Mariners, posting a 3.42 ERA, 51 complete games and 2,162 strikeouts. Johnson's '95 season ended with a Cy Young award after going 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts.

Johnson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 as a first-ballot selection, garnering 97.3% of the vote.

Aston Villa have now made contact to sign Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, but there could be competition from a plethora of rival Premier League clubs.

Villa’s interest in signing Garcia is nothing new, with claims they had even submitted an offer and wanted to get a deal over the line as quickly as possible, amid a lack of game time for the forward at Real Madrid.

The 21-year-old has appeared for just 96 minutes in La Liga this season, which will be a concern, given that he is now at an age where receiving consistent game time is important, otherwise his development could be hampered.

The Villans’ interest in signing a new forward also comes amid Evann Guessand making a slow start to life in the Premier League, having failed to register a goal or an assist, meaning Unai Emery may need a fresh injection of quality this winter if his side are going to push for the European places.

Aston Villa make contact to sign Gonzalo Garcia on loan

According to a report from Football Insider, Aston Villa have now made contact to sign Real Madrid forward Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, having registered their interest, but the Spanish heavyweights are yet to come to a final decision on his future.

Xabi Alonso’s side have concerns about a lack of depth in attack, meaning it could be worth keeping the Madrid-born starlet as a back-up option, especially considering Endrick is also set to go out on loan this winter.

Should the La Liga side sanction a departure, there may be stiff competition for the youngster’s signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers also being named as potential suitors by journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Although the young Spaniard has been unable to force his way into Alonso’s plans in La Liga, he certainly made a name for himself at the Club World Cup in the summer, receiving high praise from scout Jacek Kulig.

Not only that, but the centre-forward has also impressed at international level for Spain U21s, scoring in each of his last three matches, while also captaining his side during two of his five international caps.

With Ollie Watkins arguably not the player he once was, having scored just one Premier League goal this term, Aston Villa could do with bringing in a young striker with high potential, and Garcia has proven he could be a future star.

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By
Dominic Lund

Nov 19, 2025

Leeds United are interested in signing of AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott in January, following his stunning performance for the Republic of Ireland.

Parrott wrote his name into Ireland folklore on Sunday afternoon, scoring a hat-trick in his country’s 3-2 win away to Hungary and booking a place in the 2026 World Cup playoffs in the process.

The 23-year-old netted the winner deep into stoppage time, leading to scenes of unrivalled joy among the visiting players, staff and supporters, and even Roy Keane had words of praise for both the Alkmaar ace and Ireland.

“Fantastic, amazing. When you think the way they started the campaign, a draw and a defeat. To win today on the back of the Portugal result, fantastic.

“Great boost for the country and the team. The manager was heavily criticised but they’ve bounced back and got some momentum now. Parrott got a hat-trick. There was always talk about Parrott over the last few years, but he has stepped up in the last few days. Great achievement. Fingers crossed now for when they go to the play-offs.”

In terms of Leeds, they are on the lookout for a new attacker to bolster their firepower, and it looks as though Parrott could be a contender to come in.

Leeds eyeing move for Troy Parrott

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are among the clubs who are “interested” in signing Parrott in January, having pursued him during the summer transfer window.

The Whites and the 49ers Enterprises want to bring in a new striker when the winter window rolls around, with transfer insider Dean Jones claiming as much to TEAMtalk recently.

“It sounds to me like the club know they have let him down a bit by leaving him short of goal power. Leeds have been competitive in most games but it has been clear they lack a cutting edge and they know they should have signed another forward. It is something they need to do in January and they just hope they can reach that stage of the season and still be in a relatively good position to stay in the division.”

Parrott would be a strong addition for Leeds, with his stock never higher than it is currently, following his heroics for Ireland over the weekend.

He has impressed with Alkmaar in the Netherlands, scoring 33 goals in just 61 appearances, and he could add that extra bit of quality that Daniel Farke craves, as the Whites look to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

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Parrott has two appearances in the English top flight from his time at Tottenham, and the fact that he has been on Leeds’ radar for a while suggests they really like him, rather than it being a knee-jerk decision after his Ireland brilliance.

Leeds have an amazing Okafor rival who once scored 10 goals in 1 game

Trent Rockets 113 for 4 (Scrivens 34, Wellington 1-15, Capsey 1-16) beat Oval Invincibles 109 for 7 (Lanning 45, Gardner 2-10, Gordon 2-21) by six wicketsTrent Rockets won a must-win game against Oval Invincibles at The Kia Oval to keep alive their slim qualification hopes in The Hundred.Both teams were coming into the match off the back of defeats and a loss would have spelled the end of Rockets’ campaign but, having won the toss and elected to bowl first, they’d have been delighted at the break to have limited the hosts to just 109 for 7.It was a curious innings for the home team who seemed to struggle to adapt to the surface, never able to kick on in terms of run-rate and kept in check throughout by the Rockets’ spin trio of Kirstie Gordon, Alana King and Ash Gardner.Meg Lanning top-scored with a 35-ball 45, and she put on 47 for the second wicket with Alice Capsey (15), but Rockets would have been the happier of the two teams between innings.They got off to a strong start in their run chase with Bryony Smith and the recalled Grace Scrivens putting on 51 for the opening wicket, and despite a few blips – losing Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Gardner – they were comfortable enough in hauling in Invincibles’ total with 16 balls to spare – Jodi Grewock and Heather Graham adding a late flourish to finish the game in a hurry.Rockets’ next game is at bottom-placed Welsh Fire, a huge chance to keep their qualification hopes alive, while for Oval Invincibles they’ll need to reverse their slump at Headingley on Saturday to keep themselves in the fight.Meerkat Match Hero Scrivens said: “I’m happy to get the win. I was really glad to be back in the team and to help contribute. Obviously, I would have liked to have finished it off, but I’m happy.”I think Bry played her [Marizanne Kapp] really well. She obviously sat deep, used the bounce and the wicket and the square, so I thought it was a really good option for her. I thought it was a really good pitch, I thought they were under-par, and I was happy when we chased them.”

Celtic are reportedly preparing to make their first contact with Wales manager Craig Bellamy, who has become the latest of a number of coaches to be linked with the vacant managerial role.

There’s been a major shake-up in the Scottish Premiership so far this season. It’s not champions Celtic who lead. It’s not their Old Firm rivals Rangers. Instead, it’s surprise champions-elect Hearts who have taken an eight-point lead at the top whilst those in Glasgow have descended into chaos.

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The Bhoys are looking for their next manager.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 28, 2025

The Russell Martin experiment proved disastrous at Ibrox and a chaotic managerial hunt then followed before they landed on Danny Rohl. Now, Celtic are set to follow suit following Brendan Rodgers’ decision to leave the club – bringing an end to his second spell in charge of the club.

Those at Celtic Park will be hoping that their managerial search ends far quicker than Rangers’ did, given that their rivals were rejected by their top two choices.

As a result, work is instantly underway in search of a replacement for Rodgers. Names such as Ange Postecoglou, Edin Terzic and even Kevin Muscat, who rejected Rangers, have all threatened to steal the headlines so far, but it remains to be seen if any of the three emerge as priority choices.

Muscat would of course be an interesting choice after he rejected Rangers. Whether he’s the right choice should be the question asked by Celtic, however. The 52-year-old is yet to have any managerial success in European football and has enjoyed much of his career in Australia, China and Japan.

If Muscat is ruled out then the Bhoys could turn towards Bellamy, who has also emerged as a key option.

Celtic preparing first Craig Bellamy contact

According to Sky Sports, Celtic are now preparing to sound out Craig Bellamy among others about their vacant managerial role in the coming week.

The Wales manager has impressed on the international stage and has admirers at Celtic Park, despite losing both games in the last break, a friendly against England and World Cup qualifier defeat to Belgium. Alas, it remains to be seen whether he’d leave his post at Wales in the middle of that qualifying campaign.

Games

14

Wins

6

Draws

4

Defeats

4

As things stand, Wales sit third in their qualifying group and still have hope of reaching the 2026 World Cup. Luring Bellamy away from that may prove all too difficult for Celtic.

There’s no denying that he would be an excellent choice, though. Speaking to Sky Sports when Bellamy was appointed in his current role, former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw said: “It’s an excellent appointment.

“When I was thinking, ‘who could take Wales forward?’ He was one of the first names I thought about. He’s got a very sharp mind, a great passion for the game and they’ve made the right choice.”

The latest on Celtic's manager search

Chelsea have now registered their interest in a surprise move for a “fantastic” Juventus star, who is being targeted by a number of Premier League clubs.

Blues join race for sought-after midfielder

The Blues’ 3-1 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion perhaps underlined that they’re not quite ready to mount a Premier League title push, despite their heavy spending, with Jamie Carragher making it clear that Enzo Maresca’s squad lacks experience.

The Sky Sports pundit said: “How long will the rebuild after Abramovich last? At what point will they realize the need to buy ready-made, established stars who can take the team from fourth place to first, combining youth with experience?”

Maresca’s squad has the youngest average age in the Premier League, at just 23.4, with a gap of 0.8 between them and second-placed Sunderland, and Raheem Sterling, who is part of the ‘bomb squad’ is the only player not in his twenties.

As bad as Chalobah: 4/10 Chelsea gem showed he’s not ready for PL start yet

Chelsea suffered a 3-1 loss at home to Brighton and this player failed to step up.

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 27, 2025

As pointed out by Carragher, the west Londoners need to bring in players with experience of winning major honours if they are going to become serious title contenders, and they have now joined the race to sign a new midfielder.

Indeed, according to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now registered their interest in signing Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, which would be a surprising move, given that he does not align with their recent transfer policy.

At 27-years-old, the Italian is a lot more experienced than most players who make the move to Stamford Bridge, and there are signs that a deal could be possible, with any bids of €40m (£35m) deemed to be ‘unrejectable’.

With Romeo Lavia struggling on the injury front, a move for Locatelli would make sense, but there is set to be fierce competition for his signature, as Newcastle United, Aston Villa, West Ham United and Bayer Leverkusen have also expressed interest.

"Fantastic" Locatelli has the talent to succeed at Stamford Bridge

Hailed as “fantastic” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Italy international is very impressive in possession of the ball, and has displayed his tackling ability on a regular basis over the past year, suggesting he is a well-rounded midfielder.

Statistic	Average per 90
Passes attempted	74.48 (93rd percentile)
Progressive passes	9.31 (97th percentile)
Tackles	2.78 (84th percentile)

With Maresca keen on a central midfielder capable of progressing the ball up the pitch, the Juventus maestro could be an ideal option, and he also has a keen eye for goal, once scoring with a remarkable shot from distance for Italy.

At 27, Locatelli is by no means old, but his experience could be of great use to Chelsea, given that they have the youngest squad in the Premier League, and they should test the waters with an offer this winter.