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Wolverhampton Wanderers fans have seen a whole host of top attacking stars grace the Molineux pitch in recent years, with the likes of Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez immediately sticking out.

Between them, the potent pair managed to tally up 101 goals when donning an Old Gold strip, leading to both players still being held in high regard in the West Midlands.

Vitor Pereira and Co will be hopeful that any new strikers that enter the building this summer can be as memorable as both Jota and Jimenez were, with Wolves now being linked to a load of fresh centre-forwards.

Wolves' pursuit of a new striker

The in-form Premier League side might well be keeping their options wide open just in case Matheus Cunha does decide to jump ship, considering the spellbinding Brazilian is being linked incessantly with a switch to Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United.

Already, the Old Gold have been tipped to make moves for breakout Holstein Kiel striker Phil Harres, alongside Leicester City veteran Jamie Vardy, but now they have allegedly thrown their hat into the ring to land deadly Irish marksman Troy Parrott.

As per journalist Ben Jacobs when recently appearing on the Wolfpack podcast, Pereira’s men are keen on snapping up the lethal AZ Alkmaar attacker when the transfer window reopens, with Parrott presumably up for a move back to English shores himself after a testing time with former side Tottenham Hotspur.

If Wolves were successful in their pursuit, the Old Gold could be about to land their next iteration of Kevin Doyle, with Doyle also coincidentally a striker that hails from Ireland who knew how to excite the masses with electric attacking displays.

Why Parrott could be Wolves' next Doyle

Minus the geographical similarities, Parrott has proven himself across many a season now in the Netherlands that he possesses the same goalscoring prowess as the ex-Wolves number 29.

Doyle, across 179 appearances at Molineux, would chip in with a respectable tally of 34 goals and 22 assists. Parrott, for his current employers, already boasts 20 strikes from 45 games, which is a hefty total that follows from his 17-goal heroics when starring for Excelsior elsewhere in the Eredivisie.

He’s even managed to excel on the international stage for the Republic of Ireland, much like Doyle before him, with five goals picked up from 28 caps for his nation – again bolstering his reputation as a feared goal machine.

Amazingly, his 20-goal return for AZ this season actually betters Cunha’s unbelievable rich vein of form for Pereira’s men, with a hope in the air that signings such as Parrott’s getting over the line softens the potential blow of the 25-year-old departing for Old Trafford.

Games played

45

32

Goals scored

20

17

Assists

5

6

Games

28

29

Goals

14

15

Goal frequency

157min

156min

Assists

2

6

Big chances missed

18

2

Big chances created

4

12

Key passes

1.1

1.8

Indeed, the table above shows off Parrott’s impressive goalscoring numbers even more, with Cunha falling short of his Irish counterpart’s output by three goals in all competitions, albeit from 13 fewer clashes.

Lauded as “phenomenal” by ex-manager Ryan Lowe when the duo were together at Preston North End, it’s clear that the former Spurs youngster is ready for a taste of the Premier League again to put his goalless stint in the men’s team in North London firmly behind him.

Wolves might well give him that platform to strut his stuff soon, with the potential there for the Dublin-born striker to be the club’s next Doyle if everything goes swimmingly.

The next Jimenez: Wolves eyeing up "remarkable" £8.5m CF alongside Vardy

Wolverhampton Wanderers could soon land their next Raul Jimenez with this striker purchase.

ByKelan Sarson May 1, 2025

With the clock ticking down towards the final ten minutes at Craven Cottage, it looked as if Chelsea were hurtling towards a grim 1-0 defeat to near neighbours Fulham.

However, the Champions League chasing outfit managed to conjure up a dramatic fightback instead to win the tight Premier League clash 2-1, which has now sent Enzo Maresca’s Blues up to fifth in the ever-changing league standings.

With the likes of Nicolas Jackson suffering from an off-day, Maresca and Co had to rely on the heroics of faces such as Pedro Neto over the misfiring striker to secure the golden win, with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers winger scoring the game-clinching strike right at the death.

Neto's performance in numbers

Indeed, Neto stepped up to the mark valiantly when other Chelsea forwards decided to duck away from the spotlight, with Jackson only managing one meagre effort on goal before he was hooked off on the 73rd-minute mark.

Away from the Chelsea number 15’s uninspired showing, however, the Portuguese attacker would send the away masses packed into Craven Cottage into delirium when his fierce effort was smashed home past a startled Bernd Leno.

Away from this last-gasp moment of quality, the Blues number seven was constantly involved in play in a positive manner, with the 25-year-old firing two other efforts at the German’s net away from his 93rd-minute winner, alongside winning four ground duels when attempting to launch attack after attack.

Having also looked likely in the Ipswich Town draw in the league before this win on the road – with five key passes tallied up against Kieran McKenna’s challengers – Neto will pray he can nail down a starting spot down Chelsea’s left flank off the back of his further standout display against Marco Silva’s hosts.

He isn’t the only figure who could now be deemed as undroppable in the eyes of Maresca, considering one of Neto’s attacking teammates was equally as energetic and impactful in steering the Blues to their 16th league win of the entertaining campaign.

8/10 Chelsea star now as undroppable as Neto

Maresca will still feel irked that it took his team until the 83rd minute to turn the tie around with a number of his key first team personnel letting him down.

But, a major plus for the ex-Leicester City boss to cling onto will be the energy and drive shown by Tyrique George when he entered into the contest, with the homegrown Chelsea product only needing to amass four touches before he left a lasting impact on proceedings.

Fresh off scoring his first ever senior goal for his boyhood employers in the Europa Conference League, George would get his fading team back on level terms versus the Cottagers with a confident and assured finish trickling in after the ball was flicked it into the teenager’s path.

With Jackson’s wastefulness in front of goal well documented, alongside the ongoing struggles of Christopher Nkunku in West London, the answer for Maresca up top between now and the close of the season could be persisting with the Camden-born starlet.

Minutes played

75

12

Goals scored

1

1

Assists

0

0

Touches

46

4

Accurate passes

31/35

2/2

Shots

1

1

Showing off his ability to be a livewire from the start when bagging one of Chelsea’s three goals in Poland in mid-April, George does look ready for more first-team opportunites moving forward, with his cameo against Fulham – which saw him complete 100% of his passes – resulting in a high 8/10 post-match rating being awarded to him by The Express’ Fraser Watson.

Bold calls such as these might see Chelsea sprint ahead to secure Champions League football, with Maresca needing everyone in his camp to be playing at their optimum to get over the line.

Jackson upgrade: Chelsea to make £59m bid for "one of the best strikers"

Chelsea are gearing up to sign a new centre-forward in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 19, 2025

After a number of years of drought, the promise of renewal has arrived with four centurions on this tour of Bangladesh

Firdose Moonda30-Oct-2024If it feels like it’s taken a long time for South Africa’s batting line-up to find some solidity, that’s because it has. Since May 2018, of teams in the World Test Championship, only West Indies have a lower average runs-per-wicket figure, and South Africa’s batters have scored the fewest hundreds. Over the last two weeks, that seems to be changing.In the Chattogram Test, South Africa have posted their highest away total in 12 years, with three of their batters scoring their maiden Test centuries. Numbers aside, they also appear to have found an opening partner for Aiden Markram who can balance batting time and scoring runs, a No.3 who fits the role, a middle order that does not melt at the sight of spin, and a lower-order allrounder. This seeming overnight success has been about a year in the making.Related

South Africa's batting close to finding the 'sweet spot' again

'Big, strong, strapping' Stubbs to be South Africa's new Test No. 3

Sweeping success – Stubbs takes the cue from de Zorzi

Rabada's strikes, Mulder's century pile on the pain for Bangladesh

Stats – Three first-time Test centurions in South Africa's batting feast

“It probably started with Shukri [Conrad, South Africa’s Test coach] against India [in the 2023-24 home summer]. That was a tough series against a really good side, and there was a young team as well, and guys put their hands up in different situations. So, I think it’s just been building on that,” Tony de Zorzi, whose career-best 177 is South Africa’s highest individual score away from home since Graeme Smith’s 234 in Dubai in 2013, said after day two in Chattogram.”There’s a few young guys but a lot of them play around the world so guys are coming in with different types of experiences. It might not necessarily be in age, but they’re all pretty mature and clever about how they go about things. And even though we haven’t been playing for a while and we’re maybe not 30 or 40 years old, we have our own experiences which allow us to perform.”Tony de Zorzi’s 177 demonstrated his ability to weather an intense physical toll over a long period•AFP/Getty ImagesLet’s start with de Zorzi’s example. He made a promising start to his career for the then-second-tier Pretoria-based side Northerns in the 2016-17 season but then dropped off the radar once he graduated to their senior side, the Titans, and moved provinces to the Western Cape. There, he flourished with an average of 49.42 in the 2021-22 domestic four-day competition and 101.40 in the 2022-23 season to earn a Test call-up. By then he had also played four first-class games for South Africa A.Then he had to start all over again, but his experience through the domestic system meant his development at the highest level has come quicker. He scored a promising 85 in his second Test, an important half-century in his fifth, and now, in his eighth Test, a daddy hundred that showed what he can offer long-term.Technically, de Zorzi’s ability to adjust to conditions, especially the amount of spin being bowled, stood out. Mentally, his capacity to stay at the crease, even when battling cramps in his hand, forearm, side and legs on the first day, and for a total of seven hours and 12 minutes, was impressive. This can be developed with the practice of time in the middle and de Zorzi has some marathon domestic innings – including a triple-hundred two seasons ago – to draw on. “Once you get in, it becomes pretty much just [about] your decision-making and your ability to stay focused. It’s definitely mental but you also have to be physically fit enough to be able to do it and be able to concentrate for long periods of time; be able to switch on and switch off,” he said. “I’d say to do it for a long time, you’ve got to be 100% present as much as you can and focused.”Wiaan Mulder has had a similar experience in biding his time. He made his Test debut in February 2019, a year-and-a-half after getting his ODI cap. Batting at No. 7 behind the likes of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock, and bowling second change after Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Duanne Olivier may have made it tough for Mulder to fully carve out a role for himself. He didn’t play another Test until that December and then only made sporadic appearances until being recalled for the West Indies tour this winter, as a levelled-up batter in particular.Tristan Stubbs has vindicated Shukri Conrad’s move to promote him to No. 3 after just one Test match•AFP/Getty ImagesIn 2022, Mulder played for Leicestershire, batted at No.6, and made 689 runs at 49.21, scoring two hundreds including a career-best 235 not out. Last summer, he was promoted to No.5 for his South African domestic team, the Lions, and in six matches scored two hundreds and two fifties to average 54.90. The results of the work he has put into his batting over the last two years all showed in his innings today, which was well-paced and purposeful, with plenty of powerful shots. The twin sixes he hit off Mahmudul Hasan to bring up South Africa’s 500 and push himself towards 70 were highlights. “This is the pinnacle for me,” he said afterwards. “That’s why I get up in the morning – to try and score a hundred in a Test match.”Tristan Stubbs, whose century was sandwiched between those of de Zorzi and Mulder, had the same feeling. He called his innings his “favourite hundred”. Before this he had one in ODIs and eight in domestic cricket, including one at first-class level, and he has repaid the faith Conrad showed in him. Conrad gave him a Test debut when he had only played 15 first-class games, and announced he would promote Stubbs to No.3 after one Test. Whatever Conrad saw has come to fruition and the results that are showing in the batting is as much a credit to Stubbs’ work as it is to his selection and the knowledge of the 66-Test-capped Ashwell Prince, who is the batting coach. It helps that Prince also has recent experience of coaching in Bangladesh.It may be premature to suggest South Africa’s batting blues are behind them but the numbers from this series are a move in the right direction. Their 575 in Chattogram is their highest away total since they scored 637 for 2 at The Oval in 2012, where they were on a journey to win the Test mace. The closest they have come to that trophy since then is now. South Africa are four wins away from the WTC final, and while there is still much cricket to be played between now and then, their fate is in their own hands.With de Zorzi, Stubbs and Mulder adding to Kyle Verreynne’s 114 from the first Test in Dhaka, South Africa have, for the first time since 2018, four different centurions in a series. The last time they had more than two hundreds in an away series was in Australia in 2016. Both the 2012 and 2016 teams were built on big stars and enjoyed strong success. South Africa will hope, as Mulder said, that the “stars are aligned,” for the same to happen again.

England’s go-to man defines another World Cup with a pair of innings under immense pressure

Andrew McGlashan13-Nov-20222:44

Stokes is ‘a big presence, a big personality, a big winner’

“We all know what he’s capable of, and not just match-winning innings, but match-winning innings under serious amounts of pressure. I know well that if it comes down to the crunch that you want a man like Ben Stokes walking out.”That was assistant coach Paul Collingwood speaking before England’s game against New Zealand, where their tournament stood on a knife-edge after the defeat to Ireland and washout against Australia. It took Stokes one more game after that, but he defined another World Cup with a pair of innings under immense pressure against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. England had to win four matches in a row to take the trophy; Stokes starred in two of them.There is a wider redemption arc that fits with Stokes’ performance at the MCG after what happened in the 2016 tournament when Carlos Brathwaite took him for four sixes to win the game for West Indies. However, in the intervening years, which have also involved a major off-field controversy and a lengthy spell away to manage his mental health, he had more than delivered when England needed him most, not least that memorable 2019 summer with the ODI World Cup and Headingley Ashes Test double, but also more recently as he took on rejuvenating the Test side alongside Brendon McCullum.Related

• 'England have created a new set of rules in white-ball cricket'

• 'Hurt' Babar rues Shaheen injury, admits Pakistan '20 runs short with the bat'

• Stokes hails England's new legacy under Buttler: 'We've lived up to all challenges thrown at us'

• Sam Curran, England's unassuming superstar, delivers at the death in style

• Sam Curran and Stokes the heroes of the final as England break Pakistan hearts

“It’s an amazing story,” Jos Buttler said. “It’s been an amazing journey, all his big moments… he’s never let that 2016 final push him back and the things he’s gone on to achieve since then are just amazing.”Still, leading into the tournament, and during the early matches, there was debate about Stokes’ position in England’s T20 side, even if you sensed he was the type of player who would find a way. He had never previously had a clear role, particularly with regards his batting and where he slotted into the power-packed order. His numbers were unconvincing, albeit partly reflecting the haphazard tasks he had been given.Neither of his vital innings over the last 10 days have come when faced with huge run-rate pressure – although things were getting dicey when 49 were needed off 35 balls against Pakistan – but there’s the intangible factor, which can’t be measured purely by numbers, of being able to deliver in the biggest games.Eoin Morgan, whose presence has still been felt during this tournament and a name often referenced by the current team, spoke on of how Stokes recognises and wants to be in the clutch moments.This was not a free-flowing Stokes innings – it came towards the end of a year when he often took a T20 approach to Tests during the home season – and Buttler joked afterwards that if he’d played that way in a Test match he would have dropped himself. He was given a working over from Naseem Shah, who sent down one of the best none-fors that was possible, beating Stokes with three consecutive deliveries in the 12th over.But Stokes knew what was on the line. Having battled to 24 off 34 balls, he pierced the off side with a back-foot drive against Haris Rauf who was also outstanding with the ball. Then he seized on the moment when Shaheen Shah Afridi’s brave effort to return from a knee injury was halted after one delivery, crunching Iftikhar Ahmed’s offspin through the covers then launching him over long-off for six. Briefly there were flashbacks to the Trent Boult parried six at Lord’s in 2019.All of a sudden it was 28 needed off 24 balls. Three boundaries from Moeen Ali in the next over and the job was almost done.Ben Stokes roars after hitting the winning run•Getty Images”He always stands up in the biggest moments,” Buttler said. “He’s a man who can take a lot of pressure on his shoulders and perform and absolutely with him in the middle you know you’ve got a good chance. Just so proud of him, pleased for him that he’s stood up and done it again.”He’s a true match winner, and he’s been there in those scenarios time and time again. He just has a lot of know-how. It certainly wasn’t his most fluent innings or probably didn’t time the ball as well as he can, but you knew he was never going to go down without a fight and stand up and be there at the end. We were immensely lucky to have him, and he’s one of the great players of English cricket.”There is another part of the Stokes career story where this performance could sit. He missed the squad for the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia which became (another) nadir for England’s white-ball cricket, but the catalyst as to what was to follow under Morgan and now Buttler. Since that omission, which raised the question of whether a superb talent would be squandered, Stokes has dominated the world game, navigating personal and professional challenges along the way.Test success came first on his return, followed by the evolution of his ODI game – his retirement from 50-over cricket means as he won’t have the chance to star in India next year, although it may be unwise to completely rule out a change of heart – but in T20Is there had not been the crowning moment.It didn’t come in a blaze of fours and sixes, which in many ways fitted the way the tournament played out, but he was there when it mattered. As he let out a roar on hitting the winning runs and dropped his bat on the MCG turf, another chapter of an extraordinary career had been written.

He is leading the run-charts for Saurashtra for the second straight season

Hemant Brar in Rajkot29-Feb-2020″You scored 700-800 runs last season…””Eight hundred and fifty-six [854].””This season also…””Approaching 750.””So, what do you think is lacking for an India A selection?””I guess you should ask that to the selectors whenever you meet them next.”This was Saurashtra’s Sheldon Jackson after a measured 69 not out on the first day of the semi-final against Gujarat in Rajkot.The day had started with Gujarat opting to bowl and Chintan Gaja putting the Saurashtra openers in trouble by consistently taking the ball away from a fourth-stump line. Twice Gaja was unlucky not to have Kishan Parmar’s wicket; the first time he overstepped when the batsman was caught in the slips, and then later Roosh Kalaria dropped a simple chance at long leg.Despite that, Gujarat managed to reduce the hosts to 102 for 3, with two wickets in back-to-back overs. With his side in a precarious situation, Jackson walked in. While the new-ball threat was over, Axar Patel was not only bowling miserly but also looking increasingly threatening, and had figures of 16-10-12-2 at one stage.It was a typical Axar spell, attacking the stumps and hurrying the batsmen with his pace. Jackson had a tricky task at hand. He not only had to avert the Axar threat but also stabilise his team. And how did he do that? In typical Jackson style, smashing two sixes in the spinner’s next two overs.Parthiv Patel brought Gaja back from the other end, and the seamer once again got purchase from the pitch. Jackson, though, showed great restraint against him, by either defending or shouldering arms. At one point, he had played ten dots in a row against Gaja.Playing at No. 4, Vishvaraj Jadeja supported Jackson well and the two took Saurashtra to 162 to 3 with their 60-run stand. But Arzan Nagwaswalla’s two wickets in two balls left Jackson with another rescue task.This time he found an ally in Chirag Jani. The duo faced a slew of dot balls during their unbroken stand of 55 but Jackson kept finding the odd boundary to keep the scoreboard moving. In the process, he brought up his half-century as well, and took the side to 217 for 5 at stumps.On a day, when an otherwise batting-friendly Rajkot pitch assisted seamers, Jackson’s knock kept the hosts in the contest. But with the second new ball only six overs old, even he knows the job is half done. But what he doesn’t know is why he hasn’t been selected for India A despite a good last season.He was the leading run-scorer for Saurashtra with a tally of 854 runs at an average of 47.44. In fact, no Saurashtra player made the cut for India A despite the side reaching the finals, and that led to an outburst on Twitter. This time, he is currently on 749 runs at an even better average of 57.61.”Because I don’t know [why I don’t get selected for India A] and I don’t want to get into all that, but next time, whenever you meet them [selectors], do ask them and if they give an answer, tell me as well.”But did he ask the selectors himself?”No, not formally, not even informally. I haven’t asked anyone why I am not getting picked.”Perhaps it’s the competition?”How many players score 700-800 runs consistently every year, can you give me a record of that,” Jackson argues. “How many such players are there in India? Not even a handful. You see Jaydev [Unadkat], [on a] flat wicket he takes five, seaming wicket he takes five, turning track he takes five. We are doing our bit. Getting picked, not getting picked is not in our hands.”Talking about the ongoing match, Jackson said with the top order not sticking around for long, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja unavailable, he had to shelve his aggressive game.”You see we get Chintu [Pujara] and Ravindra very on and off. When they are there, I can play my game and express myself more. When they are not there, I have to play these kind of innings where I have to construct and have to carry certain players with me because the more I bat, the more I make others bat, the more the team benefits.”But is he happy with his team’s position?”I will say 20-30 more runs would have made the total look decent. Had it been 240-245, we would have been happier. Let’s see how it pans out from here.”

On Friday, the rumors became official: Wrigley Field will play host for the MLB All-Star Game in the near future.

After a few months' worth of reports connecting the famous ivy wall to All-Star festivities, commissioner Rob Manfred announced at the ballpark that the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field would host the 2027 All-Star game. It is an exciting time for the city and especially the fans who will get to enjoy Wrigleyville throughout the All-Star week.

The social media account for the ballpark released a video celebrating the occasion shortly after Manfred's announcement.

The 2027 game will mark the fourth All-Star Game the Cubs have hosted, with the three previous occasions coming in 1947, 1962 and 1990. Chicago's game will come on the heels of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia hosting the 2026 All-Star Game.

Fans and players both have much to look forward to in 2027, as one of MLB's most historic ballparks plays host to All-Star festivities.

Enzo Maresca is currently enduring a tricky period as Chelsea boss, with his side suffering somewhat of a decline in form over the last couple of weeks across all competitions.

The Blues are currently enduring a run of four games without a win, with three of which coming in the Premier League – resulting in a drop in the current standings.

After the last three matches, the Italian’s side have now dropped from second in England’s top-flight, down to fifth and now sit eight points off leaders Arsenal.

However, Maresca will have the chance to strengthen his squad in the upcoming January transfer window, potentially kickstarting any chance of securing the title.

Even though the window is a few weeks away, the hierarchy have already wasted no time in targeting numerous players to try and strengthen the squad in key areas.

Chelsea’s transfer targets ahead of the January window

Over the last couple of weeks, Chelsea have been just one of the Premier League clubs touted with a potential winter move to land RB Leipzig Castello Lukeba.

It’s been reported that the Frenchman could be available for a fee in the region of £52m this winter, but the Bundesliga side are currently unwilling to offload the youngster.

The 22-year-old is a left-footed centre-back, something which is a huge selling point to the hierarchy amid the absence of Levi Colwill this season.

However, he’s not the only target currently on their radar, with Barcelona central midfielder Marc Casado another option being considered by the Blues board.

According to one Spanish outlet, Maresca’s men have already made contact with the LaLiga outfit over a potential move this winter, but it’s unclear if they would sanction a move.

It also states that the Spaniard is seen as one of the club’s targets for the upcoming window, with the youngster seen as an excellent option to bolster the options in midfield.

Why Chelsea’s latest target would be Caicedo 2.0

Spending big money on a midfielder isn’t alien to Chelsea, with the club previously spending a then English-record transfer fee on the signature of Moises Caicedo.

The Ecuadorian international cost a reported £115m from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2023, with the 24-year-old making himself a fan-favourite in the process.

He’s already racked up 117 appearances for the Blues to date, starring at both ends of the pitch – as seen by his tally of seven goals including a screamer against Liverpool this season.

However, his disciplinary record has held him back at times, as seen against Arsenal last month, when he received a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Mikel Merino.

There’s no denying that Caicedo remains as one of Maresca’s most important players, but the club could be about to land their next version of the midfielder this January with a move for Casado.

The 22-year-old has made 11 appearances in LaLiga so far this campaign, subsequently producing numerous incredible figures and leading one analyst labelling him “world-class”.

When comparing his stats to those of Caicedo in the last few months, the Barca star has managed to outperform him in multiple key areas – subsequently showcasing his incredible talents.

Casado has dominated the Blues star in possession so far this campaign, as seen by his better pass completion far and more passes completed into the final third per 90.

Such numbers could make him yet another ball-playing option for the manager, which could help them get out of the current slump they find themselves in.

Games played

11

12

Minutes played

534

982

Passes completed

92%

90%

Key passes

1.4

0.5

Passes into final third

6.1

5.4

Blocks made

2.1

1.1

Clearances made

1.8

1.1

Progressive carries

1.2

0.8

Take-on success

50%

31%

Aerials won

60%

38%

His talent with the ball at his feet is further reflected in his tally of more take-ons completed, whilst also completing more progressive carries per 90, which could help the Blues create more chances.

However, with the ball, Casado has been just as impressive, subsequently achieving more blocks and clearances per 90 than the £115m man in 2025/26.

It’s currently unclear if the Barca star would want to make the move to England, but it’s evident he would offer Chelsea a top-level player in their hunt for added success.

The prospect of the Spaniard operating alongside Caicedo is one for the fans to get excited about, with such a partnership potentially operating together for many years to come.

Chelsea's next star: BlueCo have signed a talent who's like Estevao & Caicedo

The hugely exciting wonderkid has been compared to two of Chelsea’s best players.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Though we’re weeks past Memorial Day, a holiday often referred to as an unofficial first checkpoint in baseball’s marathon season, there are obviously still so many big-picture MLB storylines that have yet to resolve.

Has the clock already struck midnight on the playoff hopes for the underachieving Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox? It’s a long season but the deck is stacked against both clubs. Were we treated to a World Series preview last weekend? Let’s tackle that notion and a few other topics in this week’s “Fact or Fiction.” 

The Braves and Red Sox will both miss the playoffs

Verdict: Fact

The Braves, owners of seven straight postseason appearances, and the Red Sox, who seemed to make the most impactful upgrades this offseason (Garret Crochet, Alex Bregman), entered the season projected to be among the best teams in their respective leagues. Things haven’t exactly played out that way.

Atlanta started off 0–7 and just endured another seven-game losing streak. Its seemingly strong lineup has slumped its way to the bottom half of baseball’s rankings in terms of runs scored. 

Boston, meanwhile, has a championship-caliber offense but one of the worst starting rotations in baseball. What would they do without Crochet? 

The Red Sox and, especially, the Braves, who went from under .500 for half of the season to a championship in 2021, can look to success stories of teams that endured similar struggles and turned things around en route to the postseason. Plus, both teams have star power and World Series-winning managers in their dugouts.

But they both may have dug themselves in a hole that’s too deep to crawl out of. Baseball Reference gives the Red Sox a 16% chance to make the playoffs. Atlanta checks in at 9.2%. FanGraphs is more optimistic for both (Braves 26.9%, Red Sox 18.3%), but the odds are stacked against both clubs no matter where you look.

A lot has been said in recent weeks about Liverpool offloading Luis Diaz this summer.

With hindsight on side, Arne Slot and Co would now have kept a tighter grip on their Colombian attacker, with the South American winger already up to 11 goals and six assists donning a new shade of red at Bayern Munich.

Back at Anfield, both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak remain goalless in Premier League action, on the contrary.

Still, he isn’t the only sale this summer that will be plaguing the stuttering reigning champions with Jarell Quansah now in the good books of England manager Thomas Tuchel, after leaving Merseyside behind for his own German challenge.

Why letting go of Quansah was a mistake

The bumper summer transfer window also saw Trent Alexander-Arnold leave Liverpool behind for a major move to Real Madrid, with the Reds suffering in the right-back department ever since.

At the time of writing, Conor Bradley is the only fit and available natural right-back option for Slot, with the Northern Irishman arguably struggling last time out against Manchester City, as Jeremy Doku stole the show with a masterclass down Bradley’s right flank, with a mammoth seven successful dribbles completed.

To further add to the underperforming outfit’s woes, Jeremie Frimpong has failed to settle in properly with injuries galore. If Liverpool could turn back time, therefore, they would surely look to keep Quansah around for longer to boost their depleted numbers, even if he was largely a bit-part player when still situated in England.

He has seized his chance at Bayer Leverkusen, though, despite making just 55 senior appearances for the Reds over several years, with a calm and collected 90% pass accuracy averaged across eight Bundesliga games to date, on top of two goals being put away in all competitions.

This drastic upward trajectory has even resulted in the aforementioned Tuchel stating that he is a “tiny bit ahead” of Trent in the England senior set-up, with a first Three Lions cap coming his way earlier in the month versus Albania.

It remains to be seen what role Quansah has in the upcoming World Cup, but he isn’t the only former Liverpool starlet shining bright away from their once-boyhood club, with Slot and Co very much dropping the ball, again, when ditching a homegrown version of Ryan Gravenberch for just £15m.

Liverpool lost a homegrown Gravenberch for just £15m

While Liverpool has fallen off the horse multiple times this season, the Dutchman has largely been consistent with his classy displays from the middle of the park.

Indeed, the former Ajax boy wonder turned guaranteed Liverpool starter has even been labelled as “one of the best” in the world in his position by Reds-based writer DAVEOCKOP this season, with four goal contributions next to his name in Premier League action, also coupled with an eagerness to get stuck in, as seen in 4.9 duels being won on average.

In stark contrast, a waning Alexis Mac Allister has no goals to shout about, winning just a weak 2.5 duels per game as Gravenberch has often had to do double the work this season to make up for his below-par teammate.

If only the short on confidence side had Tyler Morton to fall back on in the holding midfield positions to partner their star-man, instead of having to rely on the lethargic number ten.

The former Anfield prodigy is now living up to his billing of being a “complete midfielder” on the books of Lyon – as he was once labelled by Como scout Ben Mattinson – to be viewed in the same light as Gravenberch.

Morton vs Gravenberch – last 365 days

Stat – per 90 mins

Morton

Gravenberch

Attempted passes

57.02

53.84

Pass completion %

82.7%

88.9%

Progressive passes

4.90

5.10

Progressive carries

1.79

1.92

Shot-creating actions

2.33

2.34

Tackles

1.79

1.97

Interceptions

0.70

1.64

Blocks

0.70

0.75

Clearances

1.56

1.52

Stats by FBref

FBref even suggests that the midfield pairing are alike, and the numbers above do not lie, with Morton even surpassing his counterpart over the last year in terms of attempted passes made per 90 minutes, as an assured presence centrally.

He isn’t a million miles off the heavily lauded Gravenberch either when looking at the head-to-head defensive numbers, with the 23-year-old managing to stand out in such a way, even as his Ligue 1 employers loiter in seventh spot in the current league standings, to further ramp up their similarities.

Further hailed as a “beautiful” talent to watch with this sublime assist in November by journalist Bence Bocsak, it must be a sickening pill to swallow on Liverpool’s end that they let a Gravenberch-type asset go for only £15m.

At least with Quansah, they managed to drain Leverkusen of £35m, but in the case of Morton, they sold up way too prematurely and way too cheaply, as the 23-year-old now aims to mature into a consistent Gravenberch-style midfielder in France.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025

India’s Test captain Shubman Gill will lead North Zone in the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, which will kick off the domestic season in Bengaluru later this month.Seamers Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh, who were recently part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, were also named in the North Zone squad. Harshit Rana, who made his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, will add more depth to North Zone’s seam attack.However, if Gill, Arshdeep or Harshit get picked in India’s squad for the Asia Cup, Shubham Rohilla, Gurnoor Brar and Anuj Thakral will replace them for the Duleep Trophy. The Asia Cup, which will run from September 9 to September 28 will overlap with the Duleep Trophy, which will start on August 28, with the final scheduled between September 11 and 15.Ankit Kumar, who was the top scorer for Haryana with 574 runs in 14 innings at an average of nearly 59 in the previous Ranji Trophy season, was appointed North Zone’s vice-captain. His Haryana team-mate Nishant Sindhu, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, also found a place in the squad.Apart from Harshit Rana, Yash Dhull, the former India Under-19 World Cup-winning captain, and Ayush Badoni are the only Delhi players in the squad. The trio is currently in action in the second season of the Delhi Premier League T20 tournament.Related

• Kuldeep, Khaleel in Jurel-led Central Zone squad for Duleep Trophy

• Tilak Varma to lead South Zone

• Iyer, Sarfaraz in West Zone squad

• Mohammed Shami in East Zone squad

Five players from Jammu & Kashmir made the cut for the Duleep Trophy, including opener Shubham Khajuria and seamer Auqib Nabi, who was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, with 44 wickets in eight matches at an outstanding average of 13.93.Services’ Ravi Chauhan and Chandigarh’s Nishunk Birla are among the stand-bys.The Duleep Trophy has reverted to its traditional format of a zonal contest after a season where four teams – A, B, C and D – comprising players in the Test fray were picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior men’s selection committee. Teams for this year’s tournament will be picked by zonal selection committees, comprising one member from each of the state sides from the zone.North Zone will play the domestic season’s opening game against East Zone from August 28 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

North Zone squad

Shubman Gill (capt), Shubham Khajuria, Ankit Kumar (vice-capt), Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Ankit Kalsi, Nishant Sindhu, Sahil Lotra, Mayank Dagar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk)Replacements: Shubham Rohilla to replace Gill, Gurnoor Brar to replace Arshdeep and Anuj Thakral to replace Harshit in case of any India commitments during the tournament.Stand-bys: Shubham Arora, Jaskaranvir Singh Paul, Ravi Chauhan, Abid Mushtaq, Nishunk Birla, Umar Nazir, Divesh Sharma