It would be fair to say that, so far, Chelsea have had a great transfer window this summer.

The club have made plenty of money selling the likes of Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, and Djordje Petrovic, while seriously improving the squad with exciting additions like Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, and Jamie Gittens.

Moreover, it looks like the Blues’ owners, BlueCo group, are in the process of securing the services of the promising Julio Enciso.

However, while the young Paraguayan could be an excellent addition to the squad, the Blues are also closing in on someone who’d be an even better signing.

Chelsea chase better signing than Enciso

Even though they’ve already completed more signings than most teams would in a summer, Chelsea are still on the lookout for more talent, and while someone like Xavi Simons has been consistently touted for a move to the club in recent weeks, Enciso is set to be the latest addition.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

In fact, the Brighton & Hove Albion gem’s move to the West Londoners has already been given the ‘here we go’ treatment, but instead of heading straight to Stamford Bridge, the plan is that he’ll be spending a year in France with Strasbourg.

The 21-year-old is undoubtedly an exciting signing, but it appears that the Pensioners are now moving to complete a move for someone who’d be an even better signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has reaffirmed Chelsea’s intense interest in Alejandro Garnacho.

Moreover, the report has now revealed that the Blues are preparing an offer for the Manchester United ace that’ll be worth around £25m.

It seems likely that the Red Devils will reject such a bid, but given the player’s open desire to make the move, a compromise of some kind feels like the likely outcome.

It could therefore still be something of a complicated and costly transfer for Chelsea, but given Garnacho’s ability and potential, he’d be worth the effort, especially as he’d be a better signing than Enciso.

Why Garnacho would be a better signing than Enciso

Now, it should be said that both players are incredibly talented and look like they have bright futures in the game ahead of them.

However, there are a few reasons why we believe Garnacho would be a better signing for Chelsea than Enciso, and the first is their output last season.

For example, between his spells with the Seagulls and Ipswich Town last season, the Caaguazú-born gem was only able to score three goals and provide four assists in 29 appearances, totalling 1458 minutes.

Appearances

58

29

Minutes

3568′

1458′

Goals

11

3

Assists

10

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

0.24

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

208.28′

That means that he maintained a middling average of a goal involvement every 4.14 games, or every 208.28 minutes, which isn’t terrible, but it’s also not particularly noteworthy.

In contrast, the Madrid-born “superstar” in the making, as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, was able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes.

In other words, the Argentine international was able to average a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes for a historically terrible United side.

The second reason the “electric” United ace, as dubbed by Statman Dave, would be a better signing is down to his experience.

While both players are still just 21 years old, the Red Devils gem has made 36 more appearances in the Premier League, has played in the Champions League, and has experience of not just playing in finals, but scoring hugely important goals in them that secure his side silverware.

Ultimately, Enciso is an undeniably talented footballer, but he lacks the numbers and extraordinary moments Garnacho has at the same age.

Therefore, we reckon the Argentine international would be the far better signing for the club this summer.

Chelsea receive £250m windfall as Fabrizio Romano confirms another sale

The Blues have been made serious cash this summer.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 21, 2025

It’s been an interesting summer for Arsenal so far this year.

Andrea Berta and Co have been very active in the transfer market, bringing in six new faces for Mikel Arteta so far.

Undoubtedly, the most exciting addition has to be Viktor Gyokeres, who was a lean, mean goalscoring machine for Sporting CP last season, and looked good in the club’s final pre-season game.

However, while he was part of the team that picked up three points away to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, he didn’t look anything like the goal threat we saw last season.

While he’ll likely only get better as he gets used to the Premier League, Arsenal could help speed things along by signing another international ace they’ve been linked with this summer, an international who could potentially help Gyokeres hit Erling Haaland-esque numbers.

Gyokeres' underwhelming debut

While Gyokeres looked impressive against Athletic Bilbao in the Emirates Cup, scoring a header and coming incredibly close to getting another, he didn’t make a great impression on his Premier League debut on Sunday.

Granted, it was a bad day at the office for most of the side, apart from David Raya and some of the defence, but with the eyes of the league watching him to see if he could translate his sensational goalscoring form from Portugal to England, the Swedish marksman failed.

For example, in his 60 minutes of action, the Stockholm-born international failed to take a single shot – the first time that has happened in a competitive game since his days at Coventry City – was unable to complete a single dribble, played no key passes, lost ten duels and took just 22 touches, which was 25 fewer than Raya between the sticks.

Now, in his defence, there were a couple of occasions when he drove out wide before firing a ball back towards the centre in reasonably dangerous positions only for nobody to get on the end of it, but by and large, it was a debut to forget.

However, given his form over the last few years, Gyokeres will surely find his shooting boots sooner or later, and for their part, Arsenal could bring in a particular player who might be able to help him reach Haaland-esque numbers: Rodrygo.

Why Rodrygo could help Gyokeres explode

Among all the attacking players Arsenal have been linked with this summer, Rodrygo has arguably been the most exciting, and while he is now being touted for a move to Manchester City, there is supposedly still a chance the Gunners can secure his services for around £78m.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

Now, on top of being an exceptional signing in his own right, why would the Real Madrid star be able to help Gyokeres’ goalscoring numbers explode this season?

Well, the first reason is that he’s already proven himself to be a reliable source of goals and assists with the Spanish giants over the last couple of years.

​​​​

For example, across the 23/24 to 24/25 seasons, the “world-class superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

In other words, the often “unstoppable” dynamo, as dubbed by Madrid columist Kiyan Sobhani, was averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes in that period, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he was playing everywhere but his preferred position of left-wing.

Rodrygo’s recent record

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

51

54

Minutes

3707′

3452′

Goals

17

14

Assists

9

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

0.46

Minutes per Goal Involvement

142.57′

138.08′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Just imagine the numbers the Swedish goal-machine would be able to put up with the 24-year-old to his left, instead of Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka to his right – they could be Haaland-esque if things click.

Moreover, when we take a look at the former Santos gem’s underlying numbers, it quickly becomes clear that he is elite at getting the ball into dangerous areas through carrying, which for a traditional number nine like Gyokeres could be perfect.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in La Liga last season for carries into the final third, the top 3% for touches in the attacking third, the top 6% for total carrying distance, the top 10% for carries and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with his record from the last two years being what it is, we know Gyokeres can score goals at a rate few can match, and to help him get close to those numbers again, Arsenal need to bring in a world-class left-winger like Rodrygo.

Related Arteta must axe 4/10 Arsenal star who was worse than Gyokeres vs Man Utd

Arsenal may have secured victory at Old Trafford but there were some negatives.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Aug 18, 2025

Pep Guardiola has crushed talk that Abdukodir Khusanov could be Manchester City’s permanent right-back solution, despite the youngster’s heroic display in Sunday’s derby demolition of Manchester United. The Catalan manager admitted the Uzbekistan international has the tools to cover the role, but warned the brutal intensity of City’s fixture calendar makes it impossible for the 21-year-old to handle the job on a full-time basis.

Man City continue with makeshift defence

Guardiola’s comments reignite the long-running debate about the vacancy on City’s right flank, a position that has never truly been filled since Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker both departed the Etihad over the past two seasons. In the wake of those exits, Guardiola has been forced into endless tinkering. He’s tried Matheus Nunes as an emergency defender, shifted Rico Lewis into the slot despite lingering doubts about his readiness, and rotated midfielders in to plug the gap.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGuardiola puts his foot down

Khusanov was the latest to be thrown into the fire, impressing with his pace, aerial strength and fearless tackling during the 3-0 mauling of United. Fans were quick to sing his praises, demanding Guardiola make the experiment permanent. But for the manager, one shining performance doesn’t erase the physical toll the position demands.

"We have to play every three days; no human being can do that," Guardiola explained. "I know for his physicality, he’s so fast and closed that [right] side really well. [He didn’t] lose too many balls, sometimes his energy makes him make not the right decision. [Patrick] Dorgu is so fast and he has incredible speed. Today [Khusanov] was really good."

January shopping spree looms

Guardiola’s refusal to lock Khusanov into the role suggests City could dip into the market in January or next summer. A new specialist full-back is almost certain to be on the recruitment agenda for 2026. Inter’s Denzel Dumfries has already been linked with a move to Manchester, while Newcastle’s Tino Livramento is also admired. Both would provide the athleticism and defensive quality Guardiola craves, without the risks of asking an untested youngster to fill one of the Premier League’s most demanding roles.

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Getty Images SportPressure builds on Pep

For all their dominance in the derby, City know defensive cracks could haunt them deeper into the season. Khusanov’s energy and youthful exuberance thrilled the supporters, but Pep’s reality check highlighted the brutal demands of playing week in and out in an unnatural position in the Premier League. City may have brushed United aside with ease, but unless Guardiola gets the right man through the door, the right-hand side of his defence will remain a nagging weak spot for the Cityzens.

حسم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، مصير منصب المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة اليد بالقلعة البيضاء خلال بطولة إفريقيا.

وكان الزمالك قد أعلن توجيه الشكر إلى المدرب الفرنسي فرانك موريس المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة اليد، مع التمنيات له بالتوفيق في مسيرته المقبلة بعد الخسارة أمام برشلونة في كأس العالم.

طالع..الزمالك يتعادل مع الشارقة ويحصد المركز الخامس في كأس العالم لأندية اليد

وتولى محمد عبد السلام ريشة، تدريب الفريق بشكل مؤقت، لاستكمال البطولة، حيث حقق المركز الخامس على حساب الشارقة الإماراتي.

وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة، أن الزمالك استقر على استمرار محمد عبد السلام ريشة في منصب المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة اليد خلال بطولة إفريقيا.

وجاء القرار بعد عدم التوصل لأي اتفاق مع مدرب جديد وضيق الوقت قبل موعد انطلاق بطولة إفريقيا.

وتنطلق بطولة إفريقيا لكرة اليد في المغرب، خلال الفترة من 11 إلى 20 أكتوبر الجاري.

Sri Lanka began with a huge win against Malaysia before India brushed West Indies aside in the evening game

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2025

Defending champions India started their Under-19 Women’s World Cup campaign with a bang, routing West Indies for just 44 before scripting a nine-wicket win. This came just hours after Sri Lanka had skittled Malaysia for 23 earlier on Sunday.In the second game of the day, India’s bowlers cashed in on their decision to bowl first by troubling West Indies with swing and spin. Fast bowler VJ Joshitha handed them a double-blow when she trapped Samara Ramnath in front and on the next ball had Naijanni Cumberbatch caught at slip to a superb diving catch from Sanika Chalke.When left-arm spinners Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia struck in consecutive overs to remove Jahzara Claxton and Brianna Harricharan respectively for ducks, West Indies were 17 for 4 after 5.1 overs. Three run outs in as many overs added to their woes, and 39 for 7 soon became 44 all out as Shukla and Sisodia wrapped things up. Sisodia finished with 3 for 7 while Joshitha and Shukla picked up two each.India lost only Gongadi Trisha, for 4, in the modest chase as G Kamalini and Chalke finished things off in 4.2 overs.Dahami Sanethma top scored for Sri Lanka with 55•ICC via Getty Images

Hosts Malaysia were shot out for just 23 in their maiden Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup appearance by Sri Lanka, who completed a 139-run win in the first of the two games on Sunday, in Kuala Lumpur.Put in to bat, Sri Lanka rode on quick knocks from opener Sanjana Kavindi (30 off 13) and No. 3 Dahami Sanethma (55 off 52) to score 52 in the powerplay before Sanethma led the innings even as wickets fell at the other end, including two in the 17th over. Cameos from Hiruni Hansika (28 off 21) and Shashini Gimhani (13 off 7) powered them to 162.In reply, Malaysia lasted 14.1 overs as left-arm spinner Chamodi Praboda struck twice in the second over to reduce the hosts to 2 for 3. Manudi Nanayakkara and Limansa Thilakarathna took two wickets each as no Malaysia batter reached double-figures and six were dismissed for ducks. Praboda finished with figures of 4-2-5-3.

Glasgow Rangers and Russell Martin made a move to sign an “immaculate” £2m player for nothing, as per Sky Sports.

Martin delighted with Rangers after 3-0 win vs Viktoria Plzen

The Gers took another step in the right direction towards Champions League qualification on Tuesday evening, beating Viktoria Plzen 3-0 at Ibrox in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie.

Martin, who was left fuming with his Rangers side after a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw with Motherwell, rung the changes and left out captain James Tavernier and star midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

However, two goals from summer signing Djeidi Gassama and one from Cyriel Dessers puts the Gers in a strong position to progress to the next round. Talking after the Ibrox victory, Martin said via PA:

“I really enjoyed it. I’m proud of the guys. We had a really difficult evening on Saturday, just because there was not enough running in behind, aggression, intensity with the ball. We were not just ranting and raving, we showed a lot of clips and we tried to do a lot of learning in the meeting room and on the pitch in the last couple of days and they took it on brilliantly.

“The guys that came in the team were fantastic. We’re going to need everyone. You don’t get dropped from this team, people come in and out quite a lot because we need to be fresh.”

So far, 10 new additions have been made by Martin and the 49ers Enterprises, with more still potentially on the way before the September 1 deadline.

However, one player Rangers missed out on was Conor Coady, who swapped Leicester City for Wrexham in a £2m transfer.

Rangers moved to sign Coady for £0 – Sky Sports

As per Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett, Rangers tried to sign Coady on a free transfer from Leicester, with the defender believing that he would be able to walk away from the King Power for nothing.

Instead, Leicester managed to secure a fee for the “immaculate” England international, who signed a two-year deal in Wales.

Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga have been the centre-back additions so far, rivalling John Souttar, Clinton Nsiala, Leon King and Ben Davies, but with the latter linked with Birmingham City, another defensive arrival shouldn’t be ruled out.

Harry Kane is chasing down a goal-scoring record set by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland as he continues to make more history with Bayern Munich. The England captain was in fine form on Saturday as he scored a hat-trick in the Bavarian side's 4-1 win over Hoffenheim. This was Kane's ninth hat-trick since moving to Germany in 2023.

• Kane rewrites Bundesliga history with latest goals

  With a hat-trick against Hoffenheim on Saturday, Kane reached 70 goals in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich in just 67 appearances, which is the quickest any footballer has reached the 70-goal mark in the league's history.

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• Getty
  

  Kane aiming to break Ronaldo & Haaland's record

  Kane has now scored 98 goals for Bayern in 103 appearances across all competitions. He will be the quickest player to reach the 100-goal mark in a top-five European League if he nets a brace against Werder Bremen next Friday. Right now, that record is jointly held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland, who achieved the feat in 105 matches for Real Madrid and Manchester City respectively.

• German media offer apology to Kane

  The English forward has received an apology from a German journalist, who had questioned Bayern's decision to pay €100m to Tottenham for a striker entering his thirties. The journalist took back his words and praised Kane's strict discipline and work ethic.

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• AFP
  

  Neymar's Champions League record also in sight

  After facing Werder Bremen on Friday, Vincent Kompany's side will travel to Cyprus for their Champions League fixture against Pafos. If he scores a brace there, Kane will overtake Neymar's Champions League goals tally of 43.

West Ham United are now in “ongoing negotiations” over a dealt to sign a new centre-back, who Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich once described as a “beast”.

West Ham keen on new defender despite impressive Forest victory

West Ham finally got their first win of the new season under their belts on Sunday afternoon, securing a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest courtesy of late goals from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson.

Graham Potter will undoubtedly be pleased the three attackers were able to get on the scoresheet, but his side also looked far more solid from a defensive point of view, picking up a first clean sheet, after conceding eight goals in the previous two Premier League games.

Max Kilman was particularly impressive, winning all four of the duels he contested, with Konstantinos Mavropanos also catching the eye in his first league outing this season, making six clearances throughout the match to keep the home side at bay.

Related West Ham in talks to hijack Crystal Palace for £15m "animal" to replace Aguerd

The Hammers are “exploring a move” for a new centre-back.

Posts ByDominic Lund Sep 1, 2025

However, it is clear that Potter wants to add more defenders to his ranks before the 7pm deadline, with talks ongoing over a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Igor Julio, alongside Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell.

According to an update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, West Ham are also in “ongoing negotiations” over a deal for S.C. Braga defender Bright Arrey-Mbi, and they are exploring a deadline day deal for the 22-year-old.

It is unclear whether the move for Arrey-Mbi will go through today, but there is clearly firm interest on the Hammers’ behalf, with talks over a deal being opened days ago.

A potential transfer fee is not discussed by Plettenberg, but Braga spending €6m (£5m) to sign the defender from Hannover 96 last summer provides a reference point.

"Beast" Arrey-Mbi could be solid long-term addition for West Ham

The Braga defender, who represents Germany U21s internationally, has been hailed by former teammate Joshua Kimmich in the past, with the Bayern Munich man saying: “Bright is already a beast. You can tell that he uses every muscle on his body. It surprised me in training that he’s not shy at all. He really goes into challenges and has a certain calmness on the ball.”

Since then, the Cameroon-born defender hasn’t exactly kicked on, but he has managed to get a lot more first-team experience under his belt over the previous two seasons, making a combined 47 league appearances across spells with Hannover 96 and Braga.

Given that Arrey-Mbi is yet to prove himself in a major European league, it would make sense to bring in Igor or Cresswell alongside the young defender, but having caught Kimmich’s eye at a young age, he could have what it takes to be a long-term success at the London Stadium.

A former team-mate of the late Billy Vigar has revealed that Chichester City have been left "traumatised" by the fatal accident that killed the former Arsenal youth player. Vigar suffered a horrific head injury during an Isthmian League Premier Division game against Wingate and Finchley, which tragically took the footballer's life.

Vigar tragically killed in horror accident

Vigar was in action for Chichester City in an Isthmian League Premier Division clash against Wingate and Finchley on September 20, when he crashed into a concrete wall. The tragedy happened just 13 minutes into the match as Vigar tried to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line. Multiple ambulances and an air ambulance arrived at the venue and he was immediately taken to a hospital. The 21-year-old was placed into an induced coma and underwent surgery but unfortunately, his life could not be saved as he passed away.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesVigar's accident has left Chicchester 'traumatised'

Speaking to the , Vigar's team-mate and goalkeeper Kieran Magee described the incident, saying: "It’s still very raw as to what we saw. An absolute freak accident, he’s collided with the concrete wall around the perimeter of the pitch. It was past the goal-line so at the end of the pitch. For the whole team that were playing at the time, not just us but the Wingate and Finchley players as well, it’s a traumatic memory for us. 

"There were a few guys that stayed with him, and the physios from both clubs. There were a couple members of the crowd who were medically trained and came over, too. The paramedics turned up extremely quickly and took over from there. ‘We were with him until we couldn’t be. We knew it was serious very quickly. ‘It’s going to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind for a long, long time going forward."

The stopper added: "The kind of character he was, it felt like he had been here forever. His old team-mates feel exactly the same wherever he has been before. He was a really humble young lad. He’s had a lot of knockbacks in his career, he was really coming out of his shell and bonding with everyone. He was the most kind, normal bloke you could meet. He was just enjoying his football. He was a full-blooded player. He gave everything to every ball, never stopped running. You could see he was enjoying it."

Chichester set up fundraiser

The non-league club have set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to support Vigar's grief-stricken family. The GoFundMe campaign statement read: "Please give what you can and show the strength of the football community when we come together for one of our own. Rest in peace, Billy. You will never be forgotten."

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Getty Images SportArsenal paid tribute to Vigar

Arsenal paid tribute to their former academy players as Gunners stars wore a black armband as a mark of respect during their Premier League clash against Newcastle United on Sunday at St James' Park.

Cooper Connolly, 21, was playing the Champions Trophy semi-final against India in Dubai because of the injury to regular opener Matthew Short. Opening the innings with Travis Head, he faced nine balls from Mohammed Shami, making contact with only two of his first eight balls before edging behind for a duck. Here’s how the third over of the game played out:2.1 Shami to Connolly: wide outside off, Connolly drives over the top of it…142kph2.2 Shami to Connolly: plays and misses again! Connolly looking to drive, beaten on the inside edge this time as it angles back2.3 Shami to Connolly: 1 wide 140kph, short and wide, Connolly slashes and misses with a square cut but gets the wide call2.3 Shami to Connolly: four in a row! Connolly struggling. This one was nicely bowled, fuller outside off, feet not going anywhere as he pokes at it2.4 Shami to Connolly: make that five! Aims for a square drive on the up, slides past the edge2.5 Shami to Connolly: beaten again, six out of six…drives over the top of it as he targets square through the off side2.6 Shami to Connolly: OUT has he edged it this time?! India are very convinced. Wide outside off, Connolly playing a square drive, was it an under edge? Yes, it’s taken the toe end. They are just checking the ball has carried to KL Rahul. It’s cleanAustralia had chosen to bat after winning the toss in the first semi-final against India. They made two changes to their XI, bringing in Connolly and legspinner Tanveer Sangha for Short and fast bowler Spencer Johnson. India named the same XI that won their last group game against New Zealand, fielding a four-spinner attack.