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Hosts finish day three 207 ahead, after Joshua Da Silva’s 82* gave visitors a 41-run first-innings lead

Valkerie Baynes20-Jul-2024Half-centuries to three of their top five allowed England to wrest back control of the second Test after West Indies’ spirited lower-order resistance had given the tourists a narrow first-innings lead on an enthralling third day at Trent Bridge.Twin fifties from Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope – the biggest contributors in England’s first innings – steadied the hosts after the loss of Zak Crawley just ten balls into their second innings, a 119-run partnership for the second wicket overhauling West Indies’ 41-run lead and pulling them 86 ahead.Then fifty to Harry Brook during another century stand for England – worth 108 so far with Joe Root – left West Indies frustrated. At stumps on day three, Brook was unbeaten on 71 and Root was 37 not out.Crawley, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, managed 3 in the second before his freak run-out at the non-striker’s end. Duckett drove heartily back towards the bowler Jayden Seales, who thrust out a hand on his follow through and the ball deflected off his fingers as Crawley was backing up, his bat still in the air when the stumps were broken.Duckett raised his second fifty of the match in 55 balls with a trio of sweeps off consecutive deliveries in front of square off Kevin Sinclair, top-edged through fine leg and then behind square to add to his quick-fire 71 in the first innings.Ben Duckett hit his second fifty of the match•Getty ImagesThe day’s overcast conditions grew heavier at tea with a very light rain shower sweeping through around the scheduled resumption. Pope, England’s top-scorer in the first innings with 121, brought up his fifty soon after the interval with a single off Alzarri Joseph, but immediately after the misshapen ball was replaced, the same bowler lured Pope into a drive, the outside edge sailing to Sinclair at gully.Alzarri Joseph then pinned Duckett lbw with a toe-crusher of an inswinging yorker, the batter failing to overturn a straightforward dismissal on DRS, and England went from 127 for 1 to 140 for 3.Brook and Root steadied things again, though. Brook was hit in the midriff by one that nipped back from Alzarri Joseph, but pulled the next for four through midwicket to move within one boundary of his half-century; and he got there punching the first ball of Alzarri Joseph’s next over to the boundary through wide long-off.Brook raised the century partnership with back-to-back fours through the cordon off Seales, who was clearly fuming at the end of the over. When Brook and Root strode off the field after the next over, they had every reason to look pleased.Earlier, Joshua Da Silva’s resolute half-century, and Shamar Joseph’s big-hitting cameo from No. 11 took West Indies into the lead. Da Silva remained unbeaten on 82, having added fifty runs to his overnight score, when Shamar Joseph fell on the final ball of an extended first session for 33 off 27 balls, the pair putting on 71 runs off 78 for the tenth wicket.Joshua Da Silva and Shamar Joseph added 71 off 78 balls for the tenth wicket•AFP/Getty ImagesChris Woakes found plenty of swing to lead the bowling for England with three wickets for the day, including two in as many balls, to finish with 4 for 84.West Indies would have been thrilled with an improved batting performance, led by a century for Kavem Hodge, and Alick Athanaze’s 82 on the second day, which gave them some hope of levelling the series after an innings defeat at Lord’s. But after further encouragement with Crawley’s dismissal, they may be disappointed with their failure to capitalise.England bowled just one over with the second new ball on Friday evening, but under far cloudier skies, it took just 15 deliveries on Saturday morning for Woakes to break through, Jason Holder prodding at one outside off stump and getting caught behind. Sinclair survived a run-out chance when Pope’s shy at the stumps from short cover went wide, but he was gone soon after, thanks to Brook’s lightning reflexes at gully, off Gus Atkinson.Alzarri Joseph was put down by Ben Stokes, running in from cover, on 7, off the bowling of Atkinson, but Woakes claimed two wickets in as many balls when he had Alzarri Joseph chasing a wide one outside off stump and feathering behind to Jamie Smith, and then bowled Seales for a first-ball duck.Joshua Da Silva smashed Joe Root for 4, 4, 4, 6 in one over•PA Images via Getty ImagesShamar Joseph survived the hat-trick ball to support Da Silva, who had taken it slowly through the first 90 minutes of the day but brought up his fifty in emphatic style, using Mark Wood’s pace to guide the ball over the fence at deep extra cover.Da Silva took another six off Wood over deep third to move West Indies past the 400-mark, then Shamar Joseph drew his side level with England’s first-innings 416 by thrashing Atkinson for six in front of square. He sent broken roof tiles raining on to spectators sitting in the stands below at backward square leg next, and threaded four through fine leg to take 16 off the over.Da Silva amassed 18 runs off one Joe Root over with three consecutive fours followed by a heave over long-on for six, his third maximum of the innings.Wood, who had left the field late on day two suffering cramp after a lightning fast four-over spell in the morning followed by ten more overs of hard, fast graft, snared the wicket that had eluded him when Shamar Joseph sent a leading edge high to mid-on, Atkinson snaffling the catch.

As Bayern Munich step up their pursuit of Luis Diaz, Liverpool are now at risk of losing another star man amid reports that one European club are now readying an improved offer for his signature.

Bayern Munich submit opening offer to sign Diaz

With just two years remaining on his current deal, Diaz’s immediate Anfield future has been thrown into doubt courtesy of interest from Bayern Munich. The German giants have reportedly submitted an offer worth just £45m to sign the South American and have unsurprisingly been told that the winger is not for sale, especially at that price.

Given that Diaz, himself, is reportedly keen on the move though, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Liverpool’s stance changes in the coming weeks. If it does, then the Reds could reportedly demand around €80m (£69m) to sanction the Colombian’s exit ahead of next season.

It’s a transfer saga which could force Liverpool back to the market for incomings in unexpected fashion. Just who they would turn to as a replacement for Diaz is the unanswered question, however.

Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon reportedly remains a target following long-standing interest and the Magpies’ decision to sign Anthony Elanga may at least leave the door ajar for the Reds to make their move for the Liverpool-born winger.

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Meanwhile, as interest in Diaz begins to steal the headlines, the exit door could also be about to open for another Anfield star in the coming weeks.

Napoli readying fresh £48m Nunez bid

According to Caught Offside, Napoli are now readying a fresh offer to sign Darwin Nunez from Liverpool this summer. The Italian giants have already reportedly agreed personal terms with the Uruguay international and are now preparing a bid worth more than €55m (£48m) to secure his arrival ahead of next season.

Like Diaz, however, Liverpool value Nunez at more than £48m this summer. In fact, reports are suggesting that the Premier League champions could demand as much as €70m (£61m) to sanction the South American’s exit. Whether Napoli agree with that hefty valuation remains to be seen.

Whilst there’s no denying that Nunez’s Anfield spell hasn’t gone the way anyone would have wanted, the forward has still had some important moments, with late goals against Brentford and Nottingham Forest particularly standing out.

Ultimately, however, a departure is best for all parties as the Red continue to chase a deal for Hugo Ekitike and, therefore, an instant upgrade on their struggling forward.

Appearances

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Once dubbed “wonderful” by former manager Jurgen Klopp, Nunez now seems destined to leave Liverpool after just three seasons at the club.

Inglis and Stoinis stepped away against the unusual deliveries and they were declared ‘dead balls’

Andrew McGlashan05-Sep-2024Towards the end of the opening T20I between Australia and Scotland in Edinburgh, talk switched from Travis Head’s pyrotechnics to the ‘long ball’ tactics of left-arm spinner Mark Watt and the grey areas of the Law that his innovation approach challenges.The ball after having Mitchell Marsh taken on the rope, Watt delivered one of his 25-yard deliveries to Josh Inglis who made the very late decision to step away with it taking the leg bail. The umpire called ‘dead ball’, although he did appear to speak to Inglis. It happened again a short while later when Marcus Stoinis stepped away having started to face up, although on this occasion the ball missed the stumps.”It’s just trying to rush [the batters],” Watt has previously explained. “By the time I’ve let it go, the batsman looks up and the ball’s halfway down the wicket.”The wording of the relevant Law, 20.4.2.5, showed the umpire had made the correct call. “Either umpire shall call and signal Dead ball when…the striker is not ready for the delivery of the ball and, if the ball is delivered, makes no attempt to play it. Provided the umpire is satisfied that the striker had adequate reason for not being ready, the ball shall not count as one of the over.”However, the “adequate reason” for the batter to pull away is left for the umpire’s discretion and Watt clearly felt Inglis had been ready to face. Freeze frames of the moment Watt started his run up did appear to suggest that Inglis was still looking down when tapping his bat, although he was looking towards the bowler before the ball was delivered.On commentary, the former Scotland captain Preston Mommsen suggested Inglis had been fortunate. “The unexpected nature of the delivery coming from 23, 24 yards. He’s a very lucky man to still be there,” he said.There wouldn’t have been an impact on the result, but it’s not the first time the debate has been sparked as to whether Watt was denied a wicket. The same situation occurred in the T20 World Cup earlier this year when Oman batter Khalid Kail was ‘bowled’ after stepping away and umpire Chris Brown called dead ball. On that occasion Watt and captain Richie Berrington spoke to the umpire but on Wednesday, apart from a few gesticulations the game went on, although there were boos from the crowd after the second dead-ball call.During the World Cup example, Tom Moody, who was commentating for the game, believed Kail was ready and ball shouldn’t have been dead. “The batter’s looking up. He’s ready. To me, that is a legitimate ball,” Moody had said. “The ball is live. As soon as the batter has placed his bat down and faces up, looks up to the bowler, he’s ready to go.”Australia were on alert for the tactic when they faced Scotland in the T20 World Cup in St Lucia, where Inglis was a member of the squad and Stoinis was in the XI.

Arsenal supporters have watched new sporting director Andrea Berta get to work on a flurry of statement transfer deals this summer, with Noni Madueke joining from Chelsea for around £52 million and defender Cristhian Mosquera travelling to London for a medical most recently (Standard Sport).

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The duo have joined Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard among Mikel Arteta’s crop of brand-new players ahead of what will be an all-important Premier League campaign, with Arsenal seeking to end their 21-year wait for a league title.

Madueke’s arrival, after he put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Arsenal on Wednesday (Fabrizio Romano), has raised eyebrows among supporters – but journalist Charles Watts says that Arteta was really pushing to make the deal happen.

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“I know Arsenal are very happy with the price they have paid,” Watts said to CaughtOffside.

“They believe it matches up well to what other players of Madueke’s profile have moved for this summer and are adamant that in a couple of years time people will look on it as an excellent piece of business.

“Mikel Arteta has really been pushing this deal, he believes Madueke can thrive in an environment like Arsenal’s and does not view him as a back-up. He is bringing him in to play a lot of games, whether that be on the right or on the left.”

Now, attention has fully turned to finalising a move for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres after weeks of talks.

Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle to sign the Sweden international, who will put pen to paper on a five-year contract (The Athletic), but there’s a final round of negotiations happening right now over the add-ons and bonuses involved (The Guardian).

Gyokeres’ agent agreed to waive his fee to help make the transfer happen, and Berta is currently attempting to get him through the door in time for Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the Far East, which begins on Wednesday against AC Milan in Singapore.

Viktor Gyokeres wants to join Arsenal by Wednesday

That is according to Football Transfers, who also report that Arsenal are expecting a breakthrough in the discussions surrounding bonuses soon – which could take the transfer cost up to £69 million.

Gyokeres and Arsenal want him to join up with Arteta’s squad in time for their clash with Milan, and a medical is apparently scheduled to take place for him over the weekend, so all parties appear pretty confident this transfer will be completely finalised in imminent fashion.

The 27-year-old’s arrival would mark the end of Arsenal’s long search for a prolific number nine, and Gyokeres could well be a crucial factor in bridging the gap between Arsenal and English champions Liverpool.

The former Coventry City star is on the verge of returning to England after two years free-scoring in Portugal, with Gyokeres netting an outstanding 97 goals in 102 appearances.

The former allrounder had worked with the team over the last 12 months

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2024Jacob Oram has been appointed the bowling coach for New Zealand Men, filling the role vacated by Shane Jurgensen.He had previously worked with the side as bowling coach during last year’s Test tour of Bangladesh, the T20I series against Australia and the T20 World Cup earlier this year.”I’m really excited to have the opportunity to be involved with the Blackcaps again,” Oram said. “To be back involved with a team that means so much to me and has been a big part of my life is a real honour.”The recent opportunities I’ve had have been a great insight into where this team is going and I’m excited to continue that work in the coming seasons.”There’s a fresh new wave of talent coming through in the Blackcaps bowling ranks and I hope that I can share my knowledge and experience to help best prepare them for the challenges of international cricket.”Oram will work with a New Zealand attack that includes some newer faces, including exciting pace duo Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke.He began his coaching career in 2014 with New Zealand A then worked with New Zealand Women as bowling coach from 2018. He was named head coach of Central Hinds last summer with the team reaching the Super Smash final. Oram has also been an assistant coach in the Abu Dhabi T10 and bowling coach of MI Cape Town in the SA20.”Jake’s a great operator,” said head coach Gary Stead said. “His career as a player and his experiences as a coach speak for themselves. He brings a deep understanding of the international game, but also experience in franchise cricket which will be worthwhile in understanding the modern player and the changing landscape of the modern game.”Oram will begin his role on October 7, shortly before the start of New Zealand’s three-Test series in India.

Nathan Sowter joins Amazon Warriors as a temporary replacement for Tahir

Deivarayan Muthu17-Sep-2024Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have been bolstered by the return of Chris Jordan, ahead of their CPL 2024 home leg, which kicks off on September 18. The Barbados-born England international had played five matches for TKR in 2019, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.05 in their run to the knockouts, where they had lost to eventual champions Barbados in qualifier 2.Jordan, 35, will replace USA fast bowler Ali Khan, who has been sidelined from the entire CPL 2024 with injury.In June earlier this year in Barbados, Jordan enjoyed a happy homecoming, becoming the first England men’s player to take a T20I hat-trick, in a T20 World Cup game against USA.As for Dwayne Bravo, he will play in front of his home crowd for the last time in the CPL. Bravo, who will turn 41 in October, will retire from the CPL after the ongoing season, but will continue to feature in other franchise T20 leagues.Related

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Injured Tahir out for ten days Defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors have suffered a major blow, with their captain Imran Tahir ruled out for around ten days with injury. Tahir, the oldest player in the CPL at 45, had also missed Amazon Warriors’ last game against Barbados Royals with injury. Shai Hope, who stood in as captain in that game in Bridgetown, will continue to lead the side in Tahir’s absence.Big-hitting allrounder Romario Shepherd is also working his way back from injury, having hurt his toe while training. Shepherd, who had played a key role in Amazon Warriors’ run to their maiden CPL title last season, has featured in just one game so far this season in North Sound, where he slammed 32 off 16 balls.Nathan Sowter has also featured in the ILT20 in the UAE•ILT20Amazon Warriors have brought in Nathan Sowter, the Australia-born English wristspinner, as a temporary replacement for Tahir. Born in Penrith, Sowter represented New South Wales at Under-23 level before joining Middlesex. Sowter rose to prominence in franchise cricket after winning back-to-back titles under Tom Moody at Oval Invincibles. Sowter also worked with Moody at Desert Vipers at the ILT20 2024, which was his first overseas T20 gig. Moody was so impressed with his agility in the field that he christened him ‘Racing Snake’.After their defeat to Royals, Hope admitted that they were missing Tahir, but backed the others to step up.”We’ve got to find ways to penetrate in the middle,” Hope said after the game. “I think we need to find ways to get wickets. Obviously, Imran Tahir is a big loss for us – he was one of our trump cards in the middle overs – but can’t look at that. We have got to work with what we have and find ways to get wickets. We understand the opposition [TKR] that we’re playing next and it’s important that we finish well in the death overs and take care of the batting after.”

Turning their attention towards a future star, West Ham United are now reportedly racing Manchester United to sign an 18-year-old forward this summer.

West Ham launch Callum Wilson offer

Whether it’s young talent like Daniel Cummings or those more experienced, the Hammers are seemingly looking to reinforce their frontline this summer. The latest target would certainly be an ideal addition too. According to recent reports, West Ham have submitted an opening offer to Callum Wilson, who is currently a free agent after leaving Newcastle United.

Whether the experienced forward accepts the offer, which includes a minimal salary with a goal and appearance bonus, remains the big question. Wilson reportedly rejected a similar offer from Newcastle, so it does seem unlikely that he would change his demands for West Ham this summer.

Of course, the free agent market is one that West Ham have already dipped into this summer to welcome Kyle Walker-Peters. The right-back recently arrived to become their third signing following Cummings and El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The former Southampton man instantly expressed his delight after putting pen to paper, saying: “I’m really excited. It feels like it has been a long-time coming – I’ve been linked with a move to the Club in the past – and I’m just happy to be here now.

“I spoke to Graham Potter and he was a big, big part of me making the decision. I’ve always liked his style as a coach, and I think it will suit me well. He spoke about the family feel at the Club, and that’s what I’m all about. I’d like to think I’m going to be a good fit for West Ham United.

Now, however, it seems as though those at the London Stadium are ready to spend again in pursuit of adding another attacking addition to Graham Potter’s side.

West Ham racing to sign Idrissa Gueye

According to L’Equipe, West Ham are now racing to sign Idrissa Gueye ahead of Manchester United this summer. Not to be confused with his Everton namesake, the 18-year-old striker is attracting plenty of attention, with a battle forming between West Ham, Man United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Italian side Parma for his signature.

It won’t come cheap, however. Ligue 1 side Metz reportedly value their young striker at as much as €20m (£17m) ahead of their return to France’s top flight and it remains to be seen whether West Ham and others will be willing to match that price.

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Mentioned in an “exciting crop of talent” at Senegal by analyst Ben Mattinson, Gueye is unlikely to make an instant impact given his tender age, but he is one for the future.

Having shown glimpses of his quality at Metz last season – scoring five Ligue 2 goals – the teenager could now be on his way to the Premier League.

McCullum defends Smith after key drop, praises Carse for wholehearted bowling

Andrew Miller18-Oct-2024Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said he had apologised to his players for his show of frustration on the third evening in Multan, at the point that the second Test against Pakistan began to slip out of his team’s control in a spate of dropped catches and fielding lapses.Stokes, back in the side for the first time in nine weeks after a hamstring tear had ruled him out of their home series against Sri Lanka as well as last week’s first Test, told Sky Sports that he had behaved like a “tired and grumpy old man” when bawling out his players at a critical juncture of Pakistan’s second innings.The flashpoint came in the midst of a wholehearted spell of reverse-swing bowling from Brydon Carse, who had just dismissed Mohammad Rizwan for the third time in the series to raise England’s hopes of restricting Pakistan to a sub-150 second-innings total.Two overs later, however, with Salman Agha in his sights, Carse suffered two drops in the space of three balls – first as Jamie Smith spilled a regulation nick behind the stumps with Salman on 4, and then again on 6 when Joe Root, standing unusually close at first slip, couldn’t close his hands around a fenced edge off the back foot. Salman would go on to make an innings-defining 63 from 89 balls.Then, when Jack Leach fumbled at point to give away an unnecessary single in Carse’s subsequent over, Stokes let out a roar of exasperation – which, while understandable in the circumstances, was out of character for a captain who has extolled a blame-free environment in the course of his two-and-a-half year reign.Related

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“I actually apologised to the group up there last night,” Stokes said afterwards. “It’s the first time in my captaincy that I’ve let my emotions show in my body language, with how I was feeling as the game was unfolding. I owned up to that, and I’m very annoyed at myself for letting that out.”It’s something that I don’t want to do, or be seen to be doing,” he added. “No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are out in these subcontinent conditions, because they don’t come along that often. So I apologised to the group and said that was poor of me. I was a tired and grumpy old man last night. You won’t see that happen again.”Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, admitted he had been surprised that Stokes had felt it necessary to speak out on the matter, but put his annoyance down to the passion that epitomises his character. Without it, he said, Stokes could not have driven himself back to full fitness so soon after suffering a serious hamstring tear.”I was a bit surprised, but we all know how passionate Ben is, and how much it means to him to play for England,” McCullum told Sky Sports. “We’ve seen that through his bloody-mindedness to get back from the injury, which was significant, and to do so in a nine-week timeframe, and in extreme conditions of 40 degrees.”I think maybe that’s where some of that frustration led to, certainly it wasn’t directed at any of the players,” he added. “It was more about trying to assess the rhythm of the game and to impact on it. But look, he’ll be better for the run. And I thought in the second innings [where he made 37 from 36 balls] he looked like he had that method where he could put pressure on the opposition. He’s at his best when he’s doing that.”Stokes himself acknowledged that the challenge of getting back to match fitness had been a tough one, having played no competitive cricket since tearing his hamstring while batting in the Hundred in August.”I’ve worked so, so hard to get fit for this Test match, but nothing can prepare you for standing out on the field in hot weather,” he said. “Training doesn’t do that, so it was great to be able to get through this Test match, it fills me up nicely going into next week, and it was nice to get some overs under the belt as well. That was the one thing which I felt like I was lacking. But obviously, when you get into the game, and you feel like it’s on the line, nothing can stop me from doing that.”In a match dominated by spinners, with Pakistan’s Sajid Khan and Noman Ali becoming the first bowling pair to share all 20 wickets since 1972, both Stokes and McCullum agreed that Carse’s luckless display had been one of the outstanding aspects of the contest. He finished with match figures of 5 for 79 across 29 overs, bowling with heart, pace and skill throughout, while also contributing a spirited innings of 27 from 32 balls on the final morning.”He’s been fantastic,” Stokes said. “He’s shown in these two games why we picked him in all formats, not just Test cricket, going forward. He just keeps charging in, ball after ball, spell after spell. Obviously, when the ball starts reverse-swinging, he comes into the game even more. Having his batting ability down the order again is massive for us. He’s been really good, and he’s going to raise his stock even higher than what it was already.”Ben Stokes disappointed after being stumped for 37•Getty ImagesMcCullum agreed Carse had been the “standout” of England’s attack. “I wouldn’t say he surprised me, because he came with the reputation of someone that could bowl good pace with a big heart, to keep charging in with some steepling bounce,” he said. “To be able to do it in England is one thing, to do it on a surface which didn’t offer a whole lot for fast bowlers is simply outstanding. We’re trying to build a battery of fast bowlers, and Carse has certainly put his name into that.”As a former Test wicketkeeper, McCullum also defended Smith’s display in the wake of his costly lapse on the third evening. After three sharp takes in the first innings, it was a rare blemish in what has been a fine start to Smith’s England career, while his twin scores of 21 and 6 amounted to his smallest contribution with the bat in course of eight Tests.”You will not get a tougher set of conditions to keep wicket on,” McCullum said. “Jamie’s very disappointed about dropping that catch. But you take that out, I thought his keeping was as good as I’ve seen in these conditions, particularly from a foreign wicketkeeper.”He’s just continuing to impress, and obviously in both innings, he’s trying to put pressure on the opposition on that surface, which is very difficult, but that’s his natural game. He’s turning into a really big player for us.”But that’s where you got to have the ability to turn the page pretty quickly as well, because if you ever let your mistakes dictate your attitude and your confidence, then you’re in for a hell of a time. Mistakes in this game are going to be part of it, but 99% of what Jamie has done in this Test match has been absolutely outstanding. And that’ll be the message to him.”

A Chelsea player has revealed why he rejected a Saudi Pro League transfer, with Arsenal also reportedly keeping tabs on the midfielder.

Chelsea man rejects Saudi transferArsenal also linked with midfielderWants Blues stay ahead of World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea man Andrey Santos has revealed that his goal to play for Brazil in the 2026 World Cup was a big factor in why he snubbed a Stamford Bridge exit this summer. Reports suggested that Arsenal were also interested in the 21-year-old but he was happy to stay with Enzo Maresca's side, rather than head to the Middle East.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT SANTOS SAID

He told Trivela, via The Mirror: "The offer [from Saudi] did arrive, but I immediately declined because of my dream and main goal, which is the World Cup. I know that being at Chelsea and in the Premier League gives me better chances than in Saudi Arabia. That was the main factor in my response to them.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Santos joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama in January 2023 but it was not until this summer's Club World Cup that he finally made a first-team appearance for them. He has since made three appearances for the Blues this season, with the youngster finally having lift off at the west London outfit.

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Santos, who has two caps for Brazil, will hope to ramp up his game time at Chelsea for the season ahead. After a tough spell on loan at Nottingham Forest, before shining on loan at Strasbourg, it seems the Brazilian is keen to kick on this term.

Chelsea have been one of the busiest Premier League sides this summer, and that’s been the case in pretty much every summer window since Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club in 2022.

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Only this time, the west Londoners head into next season looking like genuine title contenders.

Chelsea are fresh off the back of a very promising last few months, winning both the UEFA Conference League and the inaugural new edition of the Club World Cup, not to mention qualifying for the 2025/2026 Champions League.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

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via WhoScored

BlueCo have therefore sought to back manager Enzo Maresca with a complete revamp of the squad, with Chelsea being extremely active in terms of both incomings and outgoings.

In the last 72 hours, a host of surplus players in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Lesley Ugochukwu and Armando Broja have sealed permanent exits from Stamford Bridge – with the trio’s departures poised to yield around £65 million (The Mail).

After being fined for breaching FFP rules by UEFA last month, player sales are absolutely key, as Chelsea must produce a “positive transfer balance” or face not being able to register new signings for their Champions League squad next season (Nizaar Kinsella).

The Blues are intent on spending even more money before deadline day too, adding to their already-impressive collection of new signings in Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro and left-back Jorrel Hato.

Chelsea have been in talks for RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons for some time, but a potential deal for the Dutchman apparently won’t impact their long-standing interest in Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho.

Reliable media sources indicate that Chelsea are expected to bid for Garnacho before the window shuts as they pursue another left-winger after Gittens. Now, Sky Sports have shared an update on this.

Chelsea in talks to sign Alejandro Garnacho and Xavi Simons

The broadcast giant reports that Chelsea are in ongoing talks to sign both Garnacho and Simons right now, and Maresca’s side are “pushing” to make the duo their next signings of the summer.

Simons is apparently valued at around £60 million, according to talkSPORT, while The Mirror recently claimed that United have slashed Garnacho’s asking price to around £40 million with the clock ticking to strike a deal.

The latter is on Ruben Amorim’s ‘for sale list’ after his Old Trafford fallout, while Simons has apparently made it clear that he’d like to leave Leipzig this summer, with manager Ole Werner leaving him out of their Saturday squad for a friendly defeat to Atalanta.

This potential £100 million double-signing would be a real statement of intent from Chelsea.

Garnacho and Simons bagged a combined 22 goals and 20 assists in all competitions last term, and depending on their role in the squad, the promising young attackers could be major assets as Maresca looks to compete with Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City at the very top.