Chelsea are looking to bolster their squad heading into the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, having finished sixth last season, five points away from a top-four finish, which would have seen them qualify for Champions League football.

New manager Enzo Maresca has already been equipped with reinforcements, such as Leicester City POTY Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Caleb Wiley, Renato Veiga, and Omari Kellyman.

But Chelsea could still have further changes to their squad, with links circulating of adding another striker and potentially a left-winger to the mix, as well as some potential outgoings.

Chelsea transfer news

According to reports from Football Insider earlier this month, Chelsea are among the clubs keeping tabs on Crystal Palace star, Eberechi Eze, who is also attracting attention from Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United.

The reports state Eze has a £60m release clause in his contract at Palace, but it does include some 'complications' such as a clause dependent on whether the buying club is in the Champions League or not.

Eze made 31 appearances for Crystal Palace last season in all competitions, scoring 11 goals, providing six assists, and totalling 2,285 minutes of football.

Why Eze could thrive with Osimhen

By adding the creativity of Eze to the clinical finishing of Victor Osimhen – who could be on his way to west London this summer – you could have a recipe for success.

Osimhen made 32 appearances for Napoli last season, scoring 17 goals and providing four assists. The season prior, he managed 31 goals and five assists, showing his reliability at putting the ball in the back of the net.

A massive factor in Osimhen's success at Napoli, was playmaker and partner in crime, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgia international managed nine assists in the 2023/24 season, and 17 in the 2022/23 season, showing his importance for chance creation.

It is then noteworthy that Eze is viewed as a similar player to Kvaratskhelia, according to FBref, thus ensuring that the Englishman could be Osimhen's new dream partner at Stamford Bridge.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Eze

Kvaratskhelia

Assists

0.18

0.19

Shot-Creating Actions

4.82

5.21

Progressive Passes

4.07

3.22

Key Passes

2.37

2.17

Passes into Penalty Area

1.97

1.30

Successful Take-Ons

3.02

3.44

Described as "mesmerising" by Palace teammate Joel Ward, Eze is highly praised for his ability on the ball, and the way he "glides over the pitch". His 3.02 successful take-ons per 90 highlight his ability to carry the ball, mixed with his 2.37 key passes per 90 – showing his end product doesn't lack.

Although Eze ranks marginally below Kvaratskhelia for assists per 90, averaging 0.18, to the Georgian's 0.19, the creative numbers such as progressive passes, key passes and passes into the penalty area all rank higher, showing the potential to strike a similar dynamic for the lethal Osimhen.

Pairing the creative passing and chance creation of Eze, with the 3.73 shots per 90, and 0.52 Non-Penalty goals per 90 of Osimhen, could be a recipe for plenty of goals in Chelsea blue.

Pairing Eze with Osimhen could also unlock even more for the 26-year-old Palace star, with extra attention being paid to the Nigerian striker, it would give Eze even more space to operate, and perhaps even unlock further his goal threat.

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ByConnor Holden Jul 30, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Com uma lesão detectada no joelho direito, o atacante Pedro, do Flamengo, passará por uma cirurgia nesta segunda-feira. A notícia teve repercussão na torcida e também entre ex-atletas do clube. O ex-zagueiro Dener, revelado no Ninho e aposentado precocemente por conta de “cirurgias malsucedidas”, voltou a fazer críticas ao departamento médico do clube da Gávea nas redes.

RelacionadasFlamengoFlamengo inicia semana decisiva por títulos, futuro de Renato e recuperação de titularesFlamengo24/10/2021FlamengoFlamengo confirma lesão no joelho de Pedro, que passará por cirurgia na segunda-feiraFlamengo24/10/2021FlamengoEsqueceu de alguém? Lembre os jogadores do Flamengo contra o Athletico-PR na final da Copa do Brasil 2013Flamengo25/10/2021

-E o DM do Flamengo novamente põe em risco a integridade de um atleta, isso não é brincadeira gente, imagina se o atleta não procura o médico de confiança… Com certeza a dor seria psicológica ou algo do tipo como era a minha (segundo eles)! E como era a do Ederson também! – publicou Dener.

> Esqueceu de alguém? Lembre os jogadores do Flamengo contra o Athletico-PR na final da Copa do Brasil 2013

Além de Dener, que foi campeão da Copinha pelo Flamengo em 2016 e, no início de 2021, se aposentou, Ederson também se manifestou, à época, com críticas ao departamento médico do Flamengo. Quem falou a respeito, em defesa do clube, foi o VP geral e jurídico Rodrigo Dunshee. Relembre aqui!

A cirurgia de Pedro será nesta segunda-feira, às 19h. O procedimento será realizado peloDr. Luiz Antônio Vieira, médico particular com o qual Pedro se consultou. O Dr. Márcio Tannure, chefe do DM do Flamengo, o acompanhará.

O departamento de futebol do Flamengo não informou prazo para recuperação, mas, em casos como o do centroavante (artroscopia para corrigir lesão no menisco medial) costuma ter a recuperação estimada em até um mês.

.No horizonte de Pedro está a decisão da Libertadores. No dia 27 de novembro, o Flamengo enfrenta o Palmeiras, no Estádio Centenario, em Montevidéu.

Manchester United are once again stepping up their transfer plans ahead of the upcoming Premier League season and have reportedly begun discussing personal terms with one of their targets.

Man Utd facing left-back dilemma

Erik ten Hag's side are facing something of a dilemma at fullback heading into the new campaign. First choice Luke Shaw missed much of last season through injury, forcing the Manchester United boss to opt for makeshift options in the role, a position that Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof and even Sofyan Amrabat were asked to fill at various points.

Meanwhile, second choice option Tyrell Malacia missed the entire campaign with an injury of his own, leading to speculation that a left-back might be signed this summer.

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But Shaw's return quietened those rumours, and the latest comments from Ten Hag appear to suggest that Malacia could be back in the coming weeks too.

"Tyrell is now in a good place," Ten Hag told Man Utd.com. "But he is not here because I only took players who could play games or be available for team training.

"He is not that far [off], but he is now in a progress situation. At a relatively short notice, he can again return into team training and then into team performance in games. I think it would be possible [to be available again] in two months."

However, with both players injury prone, the club could do with someone versatile and able to fill in at full back and across the pitch when required. Now, they seem to have found that player.

Manchester United chase "special" talent

That comes amid reports that the Red Devils are eyeing up a potential move for Fenerbahce defender Ferdi Kadioglu. The Turkish defender has been linked with Brighton and Southampton this summer as he heads into the final two years of his £47,000 a week deal in Turkey, and Manchester United are the latest to join the hunt.

That is according to Turkish reporter Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, who took to X to reveal that talks have been held between the Red Devils and Kadioglu's camp over a potential move to Old Trafford.

"Manchester United met with Ferdi Kadıoğlu's representative and asked about the contract terms he would demand from them in case of an agreement with Fenerbahce."

Former teammate Ole Romeny, who played with him at NEC Nijmegen, described him as a "special" talent: "The absolute top. He is also special as a left-back, there is no one with those footballing qualities."

Though listed as a left-sided player, Kadioglu is one of the most versatile players in Europe, having played across midfield and in both fullback positions so far in his career.

Ferdi Kadioglu's appearances by position (min 10 appearances, via transfermarkt)

Right Back

37

Attacking Midfield

56

Left Back

67

Right Winger

44

Right Midfield

19

Left Winger

24

Left Midfield

20

Central Midfield

15

That versatility could prove a massive bonus at Manchester United, with the Red Devils still looking light in the centre of the pitch as well as at left-back, meaning that Kadioglu could see plenty of action were he to make the move.

It is thought that his current side are holding out for around £30m to part ways with the defender, with a host of clubs pushing for a move, which may well mean Ten Hag and co. will have to speed up negotiations should they truly want to land the 24-year-old.

It's less than three weeks until the Premier League is back on our screens, and while every team has something to play for over the next ten months or so, it feels like Arsenal have the eyes of the world on them.

After challenging Manchester City for two seasons running, it's starting to feel like it could be third time lucky for Mikel Arteta and his side's quest to end their two-decade title drought.

However, to ensure that happens, Edu Gaspar and Co have to sign the right players over the next few weeks, and while they were able to land Riccardo Calafiori, it looks like they may miss out on Nico Williams.

The Athletic Bilbao winger has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates over the last month or so, and not securing his services would be disappointing. However, recent reports have linked the club to another winger who could be an even better signing – and no, it's not Federico Chiesa.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent update from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané.

Plettenberg has claimed that while the £323k-per-week ace is looking to stay in Germany, progress has not been made in terms of a possible contract extension. This has put the Gunners on alert due to Arteta's strong relationship with the winger.

No price is mentioned in the update, but according to a report earlier this month from Football Transfers, Bayern would be open to negotiations should an offer of around £40m be made.

It wouldn't be a cheap transfer, and the player's desire to remain in Bavaria could complicate it, but if Arteta can work his magic and convince Sane to move to North London this summer, he could be the ideal Williams replacement.

How Sane compares to Williams

So, if Sane really is going to be the winger Arsenal sign instead of Williams, how does he stack up against the youngster?

Unfortunately, when it comes to pure output, as good as he was for Bayern last season, the Spaniard was unreal for Bilbao, racking up 27 goals and assists in 37 games compared to the German's 23 in 42 games.

However, when comparing the pair's underlying numbers from their respective league campaigns last season, things start to look much better for the former Manchester City star.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.92

0.46

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.80

0.64

Progressive Passes

4.77

2.63

Progressive Carries

5.11

5.70

Shots

3.07

2.23

Shots on Target

1.18

0.76

Passing Accuracy

80.0%

69.9%

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.98

1.91

Key Passes

3.04

1.87

Shot-Creating Actions

6.02

4.81

Goal-Creating Actions

0.76

0.95

Successful Take-Ons

3.92

3.43

For example, while the 22-year-old dynamo wins out in metrics such as goal-creating actions and progressive carries, that is pretty much it.

In contrast, the Essen-born "machine," as former manager Thomas Tuchel dubbed him, comes out ahead in many areas and by quite some way in a few, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, key passes, passes into the penalty area, shot-creating actions, and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Moreover, in addition to having vastly superior underlying numbers, the 28-year-old has the added advantage of a pre-existing relationship with Arteta and a brilliant one at that.

Ahead of the Gunners' Champions League clash with Bayern last season, the winger said of the Spaniard, "I made huge improvements under him, he gave that to me. I still keep that in my mind and put that in my game – positioning, how to behave in certain positions. I’m thankful."

This respect and understanding he already has with the manager would surely see him integrate into the team faster and get up to speed with what is asked of him with fewer hiccups along the way.

Ultimately, while Williams is the exciting youngster and is seen by many as the next big thing, Sane is still an incredibly talented winger. His genuinely impressive underlying numbers, combined with his positive relationship with Arteta, would make him an excellent alternative to the Spanish winger, and who knows, he might even be the better signing outright.

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India Women’s head coach WV Raman has pointed out that the team “lacked game time” and were “short” in terms of “mental stamina and cricketing fitness” that led to their 4-1 ODI series loss to South Africa Women in Lucknow. Already down 3-1 in the series, India were unable to defend a low score of 188 in the final game on Wednesday which the visitors crossed with five wickets and 10 balls remaining.India’s women team was playing an ODI series after nearly 15 months, and international cricket after a year since losing the T20 World Cup final at the MCG in March 2020, whereas South Africa were coming on the back of a 2-1 T20I series win and a 3-0 blanking of Pakistan Women at home in January-February this year. It showed in India’s performance in almost all aspects – batting first, they were bowled out for under 200 twice out of four times, on the other two occasions their bowling couldn’t defend totals of 248 and 266, and they also dropped more catches and missed at least two stumpings.”In terms of what transpired in this series, it’s very simple: the girls lacked the game time and they are obviously short in terms of the mental stamina and cricketing fitness,” Raman said at the post-match press conference. “By that, I mean it’s not easy to come back after 15 months and play a one-day series and retain the focus and the intensity that is required to put the opposition under pressure.”Yes, these things do happen; it happens to the best of players and the best of teams, and I am sure the girls would have realised what was not really happening, and they will work on it. I have seen them do it in the past and I have no doubts they will do it in the future as well.”Raman said the bowlers would find their rhythm as they got more game time.”…The bowlers didn’t get into the groove, as they play more and get more game time. The fact that Rajeshwari (Gayakwad, 10-4-3-13) has managed to do that coming into this game is a positive. That’s what I meant earlier when I said the bowlers need to get into their groove as far as bowling is concerned. That’ll only happen as they play more and more.”Yes, this is definitely something the girls will work on, quite a lot of activities going forward which will also help them to achieve that. I’m sure it won’t be too long before all of them get into their rhythm and perform as well as they can. The other fact is that we also wanted to play on flat tracks because that is something that might come up when we go abroad. So it’s all a part of having to adapt and adjust to conditions that they may get when they go abroad.”WV Raman: “What probably didn’t go in our favour was that the bowlers could not be consistent”•BCCI

India’s spinners flattered to deceive this series until Gayakwad’s stifling figures on Wednesday. Legspinner Poonam Yadav went wicketless in her 35 overs from four games, offspinner Deepti Sharma got just one scalp from her 28 overs, and left-arm spinner Radha Yadav leaked 68 runs in her 9.4 overs in the fourth ODI, the only game she played. Overall, India could take more than five South Africa wickets only once, in the second ODI when the visitors were bowled out for 157.India’s batting was also no match for South Africa’s. The runs mainly came from Punam Raut (one century and two half-centuries) and Mithali Raj (two fifties) who ended the series with strike rates of 71.66 and 67.74 respectively. The visitors, meanwhile, saw consistency from Lizelle Lee (a century and two half-centuries), Mignon du Preez (two fifties) and Laura Wolvaardt (two fifties) of which Lee and du Preez struck at 86.22 and 75.11 respectively in the series.Raman said it wasn’t easy to just look at the opposition and “imitate” them even if they were doing much better in the same conditions.”…The batting unit is getting into its groove, it’s gotten into its groove – despite the fact that not all of them got big scores, we managed scores in excess of 250 or around 250,” he said. “What probably didn’t go in our favour was that the bowlers could not be consistent. But there is no blaming them at all, because it was expected.”The other part is that you cannot really think of something that is done well by the other sides and try to imitate them. We need to try and get into the groove and then see how the entire unit is in terms of form, and then see what we need to do. And then we have to assess and see at what times we need to try and step on the pedal.”It (setting targets) depends on the conditions, it depends on the kind of attacks that we bat against. It’s very difficult to set a target mentally… see, it’s very easy to lose a game in the first 15 overs. You may not win it. But in trying to be greedy and posting a huge score, you might suddenly lose a few early wickets and start looking down the barrel too early in the game. So you’ve got to take this particular thing as it unfolds out on the field, and maybe take stock of the situation after two-thirds of the 50-overs quota of the innings is finished, and then see what needs to be done.”The two teams will now play three T20Is on March 20, 21 and 23 at the same ground in Lucknow.

تمكن منتخب مصر من الفوز على نظيره سلوفينيا بنتيجة 26-25، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم لكرة اليد.

وانطلقت بطولة كأس العالم لكرة اليد، في الفترة من 14 يناير الجاري وتستمر حتى 2 فبراير المقبل، وذلك في دول كرواتيا والدنمارك والنرويج.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الرابعة من مرحلة الدور الرئيسي لبطولة العالم رفقة آيسلندا وسلوفينيا والرأس الأخضر والأرجنتين وكرواتيا.

ويتكون الدور الرئيسي من بطولة كأس العالم لكرة اليد، من 4 مجموعات بمشاركة 6 منتخبات في كل مجموعة المتأهلة من دور المجموعات الأول. وفي المجموعة ذاتها حقق منتخب الأرجنتين فوزًا كبيرًا على الرأس الأخصر بنتيجة 30-25.، بينما فازت كرواتيا على آيسلندا بنتيجة 31-25. (محدث) ترتيب مجموعة مصر في كأس العالم لكرة اليد بعد فوز مصر على الرأس الأخضرترتيب مجموعة مصر في كأس العالم لكرة اليد

1 – كرواتيا 6 نقاط

2- مصر 6 نقاط

3- آيسلندا 6 نقاط

4 – سلوفينينا 4 نقاط

5- الأرجنتين نقطتين

6- الرأس الأخضر بدون نقاط

Criticism centers around the board saying he ‘doesn’t want to play Tests’

Mohammad Isam21-Mar-2021

Shakib Al Hasan has hit out at criticism of his decision not to play Sri Lanka Tests•BCB

Shakib Al Hasan has said that he was misrepresented by the BCB about his decision to skip the Test series against Sri Lanka.Shakib said that the two matches, which are part of the World Test Championship, aren’t of much value as Bangladesh are at the bottom of the competition’s points table. He said that playing in the IPL would rather help him prepare better for the T20 World Cup, to be held in India in October.”These two Tests are our last matches in the World Test Championship so it is not as if we are going to play the final,” Shakib told . “We are at the very bottom of the points table. I don’t think it makes much of a difference. The other major reason is that the World Cup T20 is in India later this year. It is a very important tournament where we have much to achieve. There isn’t much to achieve in these two Tests. I think it is a better option that I prepare myself for something bigger.”Related

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Shakib said that his letter to the BCB was focused on his plan to prepare for the T20 World Cup, but Akram Khan, the BCB’s cricket operations chairman, said that Shakib doesn’t want to play the two Tests against Sri Lanka, to be held from April 21 to May 3.”Those who keep saying that I don’t want to play Tests, I am sure they didn’t read my letter. I didn’t mention anywhere in my letter to the BCB that I don’t want to play Tests. I wrote that I want to play the IPL to prepare myself for the World Cup,” Shakib said.”Akram especially has repeatedly said that I don’t want to play Tests. I think he said it again in an interview yesterday. I guess he never read the letter. People should have a clear idea that I wanted to play the IPL even if ODIs were scheduled during this time.”I want to take advantage of playing in the same grounds and against the same players who I will face in the World Cup T20 four months later. I can share the same experience with my Bangladesh team-mates.”He said that the BCB president Nazmul Hassan’s decision to allow him to play in the IPL is laudable. “I want to thank (Nazmul Hassan) Papon bhai for taking the right decision. A player must have the freedom, and his confidence goes up when the board president backs him in this manner. The player becomes more responsible when playing for the national team,” he said.’I will let you in on a brutal truth. When overseas players come to Bangladesh, we call most of them ‘sir’ or ‘hujur’, but we do not see our experienced cricketers the same way’ – Shakib Al Hasan•Raton Gomes/BCB

Shakib criticised the BCB’s decision to hold the Test series during the IPL. They will also be playing an ODI series against Sri Lanka, possibly from May 20, which will also clash with Shakib’s IPL commitment. Shakib said that by doing so, BCB had again given less value to its own cricketers.”No other cricket board holds international matches during the IPL,” he said. “Only we are playing against Sri Lanka. Do you ever see any Afghanistan cricketer playing for their country during the IPL? Their board makes sure the players are free to play in the IPL. If we don’t value our own players, how can you expect us to perform well when playing for Bangladesh?”I will let you in on a brutal truth. When overseas players come to Bangladesh, we call most of them ‘sir’ or ”, but we do not see our experienced cricketers the same way. If the people, board and players do not respect you, you can’t expect them to respect you.”Shakib also criticised the BCB’s long-term planning, questioning the role of the High Performance unit, and suggested that some of the BCB directors who have played for Bangladesh in the past haven’t done much to progress the game.”Not having back-up players is really disappointing. I don’t know how many players have come from the High Performance squad. We have a number of people in the cricket board who have played for Bangladesh, but apart from (Khaled Mahmud) Sujon bhai, they are not too involved. Sujon and Papon must be credited for the 2020 Under-19 World Cup win.”But I can’t find any more people from the board to give credit. I don’t think they think much about cricket (laughs). We hardly talk about these things. Even our journalists are focused on small things. They don’t look at the big picture, like how many players we produced in the last five years.”

It wouldn't have come as a great shock to Derby County fans when Ebou Adams was unveiled as their latest signing recently, with the now former Cardiff City midfielder clamouring for a return ever since an impactful loan spell ended last season, which saw him become a firm fan's favourite at Pride Park in no time at all.

The no-nonsense defensive midfielder only needed 17 games to instantly become engrained into many a Derby supporter's heart, winning a mightily impressive 7.9 duels per League One clash when donning a Rams strip, as Paul Warne's men got over the line in their quest to win automatic promotion.

Everyone connected to Derby will be thrilled to have Adams back in amongst the ranks permanently, therefore, for the challenge of Championship football this season to come.

But, this other key first-teamer could be even more important to the Rams cause this coming season away from Adams' jubilant return, having starred at the level before as an experienced head.

Curtis Nelson's time at Derby

Curtis Nelson joining the ranks before a ball was kicked last campaign on a free transfer has proven to be a masterstroke of a signing, as the defensive titan performing valiantly for the Rams across the entirety of their promotion-winning season, with just 37 goals leaked thanks to their determined warrior.

That was a league-best for last season in the third tier, as the likes of Nelson and former Luton Town man Sonny Bradley routinely shut out many League One attackers from the heart of defence, to finally lift Derby back up to the promised land of the Championship.

Nelson's experience and nous of the level Derby are leaping up to will be paramount next campaign, especially if Warne's men initially struggle with the demands of the higher-up division, with the ex-Cardiff gem amassing 134 games in the second-tier over the years.

Across his last full campaign in this league, Derby's number 35 did only manage to tally up five clean sheets from 25 games playing for a relegation-threatened outfit in Blackpool, but – with the added grit of Adams next to him – he should be able to shut out attackers competently on the way to the Rams hopefully excelling and not sinking under new pressures.

Nelson – who was hailed as "colossal" by Warne last season – is also worth more than Adams, when casting an eye over their respective transfer values, despite the battling centre-back being very much deep into his twilight years at 31 years of age, compared to Adams being 28 years of age.

Nelson's transfer value for Derby

According to Football Transfers' estimation, Nelson is worth in the region of £1m to Warne and Co currently, showing off how vital he was to Derby's promotion success story, after joining just year as a free agent with plenty to prove.

In contrast, Adams' initial reported fee of £500k to rejoin the Pride Park ranks – as per Wales Online – means he is way off Nelson's most recent price tag, despite the deal taking an age to get over the line and his own importance to the Rams securing a return to the second tier not going unnoticed.

Nelson's numbers for Derby (23/24) vs Adams' (23/24)
Value/Stat – per 90 mins*	Nelson	Adams
Value	£1m	£500k
Games played	46	17
Goals scored	2	1
Assists	0	0
Tackles*	1.5	2.8
Ball recoveries*	3.9	5.1
Total duels won*	6.5	7.9
Stats by Sofascore

Yet, across a full season to come, Adams could well end up becoming more of a valued asset than Nelson, with WalesOnline also reporting that there are many clauses in place that could see the deal rise to the £1m zone.

The former Forest Green man's value could even rise above that if he shines in the Championship regularly like he did briefly in League One, as the Rams aim to be as tough to break down against even better-quality opponents.

Derby County submit an offer to sign 21 y/o gem with "magic in his feet"

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Tom Coates

Jul 17, 2024

With the series in the bag, the only dampener for the hosts in the third and final T20I in Auckland could be rain

Mohammad Isam31-Mar-2021Big PictureNew Zealand are about to end their all-win home summer that has stretched seven series. They have hosted 21 international matches, the most by any country since the Covid-19 pandemic. It is regarded as an administrative success, particularly given their country’s stringent quarantine protocols. The only dampener is likely to be the rain in the forecast in Auckland for the season finale, the third T20I against Bangladesh.A major strength for New Zealand has been their newcomers turning in superb contributions even after they have been put under pressure. In the second T20I in Napier, it was Glenn Phillips whose unbeaten half-century got them out of trouble and into a total that proved too much for Bangladesh amid confusion over the DLS-determined target. Daryl Mitchell helped Phillips in an unbroken 62-run sixth-wicket stand that came off just 27 balls.In the first match, it was Devon Conway and debutant Will Young who got them into a position of strength. New Zealand will also be pleased with how Ish Sodhi has continued his good form throughout the summer despite playing only T20Is. During the ongoing T20I series in particular, Tim Southee’s captaincy has also stood out.Come the third and final T20I on Thursday, they wouldn’t mind Martin Guptill getting a big score as he has been in threatening form since the ODI series against Bangladesh with his quick starts. Finn Allen, too, would be eyeing a sizeable score having made just 17 across two innings so far in this series. There’s going to be an opportunity to see who among Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Hamish Bennett get to pair up in Auckland.Related

'Almost felt like my debut' – Milne relishes NZ comeback

DLS drama: Confusion over target reigns as Bangladesh begin chase

Bangladesh have had a few positives during this tour but their players have been somewhat inconsistent. Nasum Ahmed bowled well in both T20Is, particularly opening the bowling, although he has only two wickets to show for so far. Soumya Sarkar’s half-century in the second T20I should help him get out of a trough.Mohammad Naim has shown glimpses of his impressive strokeplay in both games, albeit without a big score. Afif Hossain made 45 in a losing cause in the first game, in Hamilton, while Shoriful bounced back with an economical spell in Napier after a disastrous debut in the series opener.Mohammad Saifuddin has been expensive with the ball in both games, Liton Das has scored only 50 runs on this tour while Mohammad Mithun and Mahedi Hasan haven’t converted their promise from the ODI series.Form guide(last five completed matches)
New Zealand WWWLL
Bangladesh LLWWLIn the spotlightGlenn Phillips has been unbeaten in his last three international matches, with all three being pivotal to New Zealand wins. In the second T20I, his 58 came off 31 balls, his big-hitting prowess on show as much as his diligence in building partnerships during a tricky passage of play.It’s hard to predict which Soumya Sarkar might turn up in Auckland. He averaged 9.5 on the tour until his quickfire 51 in Napier. It contained an array of special shots but his dismissal sparked a batting collapse. Perhaps getting back to form is important but for a batsman with 129 international matches under his belt getting the team to winning positions is his main job.Team newsOnly Todd Astle is yet to get a game in this series while the pace combination of Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne may also come to fruition.New Zealand (probable) 1 Finn Allen, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Devon Conway (wk), 4 Will Young, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Mark Chapman, 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10, Adam Milne, 11 Hamish BennettBangladesh may not want to tweak the starting XI that to some degree tested New Zealand in the previous game unless Mushfiqur Rahim is fit.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Liton Das (wk), 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mohammad Mithun, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Nasum Ahmed, 11 Taskin AhmedPitch and conditionsThe series-ender will be the first day-night T20I at the Eden Park in five years. Short boundaries and an expected flat pitch hint at a high-scoring game in the offing. There’s rain in the forecast, though.Stats and trivia Martin Guptil’s 582 runs at Eden Park makes him the only player to score 500-plus T20I runs in a single venue. Mahmudullah is set to play his 55th consecutive T20I for Bangladesh, currently the fourth longest in the all-time list. Essentially, he hasn’t missed a T20I since November 2015.Quotes”I have been ridden with injuries in the last three years, so I want to be injury-free, firstly. I am just going to try to keep my body in the park and play consistent cricket.””We haven’t done well in all three departments in one particular game. We have bowled well and batted well in separate matches. We need to bring it all together to win a game.”

Hoping to land their ninth signing of the summer, Aston Villa are now reportedly closing in on a deal to sign a Manchester City academy star in a long-term deal for Unai Emery's side.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have dominated the headlines this summer, welcoming the likes of Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen in big-money moves. They'll undoubtedly be one of the sides to watch on the opening day, as they square off against fellow transfer window winners West Ham United to kick off their Premier League campaign.

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Even as the start of the season approaches, however, those in the Midlands are not done with arrivals. Villa have still got two weeks to secure further reinforcements and look to be wasting no time, with recent reports linking them to the likes of Samu Omorodion and future star Yeimar Mosquera. The former, of course, recently saw a move to Chelsea break down, opening the door for Villa to potentially make their move.

Before their pursuit of the Atletico Madrid man, however, the Midlands club look set to land a Manchester City gem. According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa are closing in on a deal to sign Kane Taylor from the Cityzens in a long term move for the 19-year-old midfielder.

Rising through the ranks at City, Taylor can play in central midfield, left-back, defensive midfield, centre-back and attacking midfield in what should prove to be invaluable versatility as his career progresses. As Villa search for the squad depth needed to compete in the Champions League, such a player will be vital for years to come.

Taylor set for Villa return

Whilst Taylor has risen through the ranks at Manchester City, he initially found himself at Aston Villa before completing a move to The Etihad at 14 years old. Now five years later, the midfielder is set to complete a return to his boyhood club in a full circle moment. Of course, the last time that Villa signed a midfielder from the Sky Blues, it was Douglas Luiz, and it's fair to say that went fairly well.

Those in the Midlands will desperately be hoping to see their former youngster return and hit the ground running to become a Luiz repeat. Whether he steps straight into Emery's squad remains to be seen, however, given his lack of senior minutes. Instead, Taylor will likely find himself back in the academy with an eye on cup competitions for opportunities.

He's picking the right moment to make a return, that's for sure. When Taylor headed for City a few years ago, Aston Villa were not even a Premier League side. Years later, however, the midfielder is set to return to a club in the Champions League and on their way to further success under Emery.