Chelsea are pushing on with their efforts to sign Diogo Costa this summer it seems, with A Bola, via The Daily Express reporting that the Blues have recruited Jorge Mendes to help them sign the shot-stopper.

What is the latest Chelsea transfer news?

Mauricio Pochettino has had a big task on his hands this summer to sort out his Chelsea squad, with the Premier League side dropping out of the top ten in the top flight during the 2022/23 season. It means there is plenty of work to be done to turn their fortunes around during this transfer window and he has already made himself busy in his role as their new boss.

He has plenty of players on his transfer radar it seems, and has recently been eyeing a midfielder based on the names linked with moves to London in the last few days – Federico Valverde appears to be on their wishlist, with Pochettino a real fan of the Real Madrid star.

It appears as though he is desperate to try and bring him to Stamford Bridge and wants the club to stump up the cash to get a deal done. In addition, the Blues have also registered their interest in Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, but no official offer or bid has been made for him yet either, so fans will have to remain patient.

Are Chelsea signing Diogo Costa?

At the other end of the field, it's become apparent that Chelsea want to try and add another goalkeeper. It appears that Diogo Costa could be the man they want inbetween the sticks and a fresh report today suggests the club may be about to step up their pursuit of the 6 foot 2 Porto star.

According to A Bola, via the Daily Express, the Premier League side have now recruited super agent Mendes to their cause to try and help them get a transfer deal done with the Portuguese outfit.

The club may be prepared to sell, and it appears as though Chelsea are ready to really put their interest into full effect by using the agent to try and help them complete a deal for the player, with the Blues hierarchy now preparing to "formalise their interest".

He won't be cheap though, with the Blues potentially having to stump up a fee of 75 million Euros (or £64m). However, Pochettino appears to want more options in goal at Stamford Bridge and it looks as though Costa is who he wants to bring in at that position. Having played 109 times for Porto already despite being just 23-years-old, and keeping 47 clean sheets in those games, it comes as no surprise.

Despite his age, Costa has also already been praised for his impressive displays for both club and country. Football journalist Josh Bunting stated that the goalkeeper is "superb" during a display for Porto last season and added that it showed why he is Portugal's number one.

It's clear then that the shot-stopper is already highly regarded and at the top of his game in his position – and Chelsea could capitalise and bring him in to strengthen themselves inbetween the sticks.

Everton sits in dangerous territory. The Toffees survived on the final day last season thanks to a thunderous half-volley from Abdoulaye Doucouré, which secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Bournemouth.

Whilst discontent swirls around the continued ineptitude of the board and ownership – whose leadership has overseen two nervy relegation battles in the last couple of years – the club must attempt to mold a more reliable squad.

Last season, Everton’s most damaging issue was a lack of potency and goals. In the division, Sean Dyche’s men managed the 12th-most shots (429) and missed the 10th-most big chances (47), whilst only netting 35 goals, which was the second-lowest.

No clinical edge or a consistently-scoring focal point nearly sealed an unwanted fate. A new frontman must be targeted to avoid similar troubles for the upcoming campaign. Leeds United’s Rodrigo has been tipped to solve this problem.

What’s the latest on Rodrigo to Everton?

According to the Daily Express’ Ryan Taylor, Everton are interested in a quartet of Leeds players, which includes Rodrigo.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said:

"There's a lot of interest from Everton, in particular, in a lot of their players. Gnonto, Rodrigo, there's Jack Harrison. There's one more as well, Crysencio Summerville.”

This follows a previous report by TUTTOmercatoWEB, who claimed that the Merseyside outfit is chasing Rodrigo to bolster their attacking options.

Who can Rodrigo replace at Everton?

Recently, Everton’s frontline has been weakened dramatically. Richarlison and Anthony Gordon have sought new challenges away from Goodison Park, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s abysmal injury record is very worrying.

The Englishman has missed 26 of the last 76 Premier League games through injury, to leave Dyche vastly depleted in forward areas.

The former Burnley manager is on a desperate hunt for a proven, reliable and experienced goalscorer for a reasonable price so Everton can dodge any FFP complications. Rodrigo is a man who emphatically fits this bill.

The 32-year-old was a shining light in a hugely troubled Leeds United as he netted 13 league goals in 23 starts. To put this commendable record into perspective, Everton’s top-scorer was Dwight McNeil with just seven. The injection of this “class above” asset – as once lauded by BBC Sport's Pat Nevin – could provide much-needed relief for a nervous fanbase.

The £100k-per-week ace ranks impressively across the continent as he sits within the best 12% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90.

These numbers hugely differ from Everton’s Neil Maupay, who appears hideously off the pace. In 29 appearances, the Frenchman has scored just once and is devoid of any threat.

He also dismally resides within the lowest 17% for touches in the attacking penalty area, shot-creating actions, progressive passes, and non-penalty goals, all per 90.

This awful reading has prompted GIVEMESPORT’s Paul Brown to label Maupay as a “total disaster” and “absolutely woeful.”

In the past, Calvert Lewin has demonstrated he is a worthy striking option, but with his patchy fitness record and the dreadful reality of relying upon Maupay, it is logical and necessary for Everton to pursue a deal for Rodrigo.

Shahid Afridi has joined Karachi Kings as “president”, according to the franchise

Umar Farooq07-Apr-2017

Shahid Afridi has joined Karachi Kings as “president”, according to the franchise. He is likely to feature for the team as a player, too, in the third edition of Pakistan Super League in 2018, though this is yet to be confirmed; the PSL’s trading window ahead of the next edition is yet to open. Last month Afridi had announced on Twitter that he had left Peshawar Zalmi after two years with the franchise.ESPNcricinfo understands that Afridi is likely to be traded between Peshawar and Karachi as part of the formalities later this year. For now, Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Afridi had joined his franchise as president.Afridi had tweeted on March 25 that he was “announcing my end of service as president & player of Peshawar Zalmi Team due to my personal reasons”. He said it was “time for another” team. Following his tweets, Peshawar’s owner, Javed Afridi, told ESPNcricinfo that he was “clueless” in the matter. Later, it was learnt that Afridi had parted ways from the franchise over disagreements with the owner.”There are things that I don’t want to bring in media but Javed’s vision has changed with the time,” Afridi said on a TV show on Geo News. “I don’t want to become a hindrance to Javed’s goal and vision, because I have my own foundation and a lot of other things. So I can not fullfil his commitments and want to focus on my things as well. I wanted to announce it after the PSL final, but I had couple of commitments with Zalmi, so I waited for the right time.”Afridi, who is based in Karachi but was born in Khyber Agency, had talked about the importance of Peshawar Zalmi to his local region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a day before his Twitter announcment. “We have not created the Peshawar Zalmi team to play just a month’s cricket in the PSL and then sit at home,” Afridi had said. “Our work goes beyond the cricket field and we want to change the lives of the underprivileged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”Peshawar Zalmi won the PSL title in 2017, defeating Quetta Gladiators in the final held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Afridi had missed the final with a finger injury that he picked up during the playoffs in the UAE. In all, in ten matches in PSL 2017, he had scored 177 runs at 25.28 with a strike rate of 173.52, and taken two wickets with an economy rate of 6.75. He had captained the franchise in the inaugural edition of the tournament, before handing over to Darren Sammy this year.

West Ham United have missed out on the chance to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij as he has now agreed a new two-year deal at the Serie A giants, according to reports.

What's the latest West Ham United transfer news?

West Ham United have been linked with several players this summer as David Moyes looks to build on his side's Europa Conference League triumph last term.

However, he will have to prepare for 2023/24 without club captain Declan Rice, who is set to complete a move to Arsenal imminently for an initial fee of £100 million with £5 million in add-ons, as per Sky Sports.

Searching for his replacement will likely be a major talking point at the London Stadium in the next few weeks. Candidates to succeed the England international already look to have been identified, with The Evening Standard claiming that the Hammers are considering a swoop for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria on a loan deal with an option to buy.

The Guardian report that West Ham United are monitoring a host of midfielders as prospective alternatives to Rice, including the likes of Zakaria, Scott McTominay, James Ward-Prowse, Amadou Onana, Alex Scott, Edson Alvarez and Joao Palhinha.

Moyes is also keen to add depth in other positions across the field and the left flank could be an area where the Scot chooses to invest. According to 90min, Leicester City star Harvey Barnes is one of the Irons' main targets this window, though they face competition for his signature from Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Defence is another area that Moyes will surely be open to bringing in some reinforcements; nevertheless, Inter Milan stalwart De Vrij won't be swapping Serie A for the Premier League this off-season, in light of recent developments.

Football Insider have revealed that De Vrij has been targeted by West Ham United and they made their interest known by getting in contact over a potential deal for the out-of-contract defender.

Despite this, the £115k-a-week ace has agreed terms on a new two-year idea with European giants Inter and will now stay at San Siro, giving manager Simone Inzaghi a major boost as he prepares his side for the new season commencing.

Antonio Conte is a big admirer of the Netherlands international and 'pushed hard' to try and bring him to Tottenham Hotspur when he held the managerial post in N17 before his controversial departure.

Would Stefan De Vrij have been a good fit for West Ham United?

De Vrij carries a wealth of high-level experience and would've been a really intelligent acquisition on a free transfer from Moyes; however, it looks like he won't be pulling on the claret and blue shirt of West Ham United any time soon.

Last term, the experienced Dutchman amassed 38 appearances in all competitions, registering a solitary goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

As per WhoScored, De Vrij was a solid presence at the heart of the Inter backline and showed plenty of composure, winning 3.1 aerial duels per match and retaining a pass success rate of 89.5% in Serie A.

Earning an average match rating of 6.96/10 in the Italian top-flight, as per Sofascore, De Vrij would've been a crafty signing for the Hammers, who will now turn their attention toward securing alternative targets in defence.

India women’s captain Mithali Raj has made it clear that female cricketers should hold their own and not be compared to their male counterparts

Firdose Moonda22-Jun-2017India women’s captain Mithali Raj has made it clear that female cricketers should hold their own and not be compared to their male counterparts.On the eve of the Women’s World Cup, Raj, who was attending the opening dinner and media roundtable event, was asked who her favourite men’s cricketer was between India and Pakistan, and had a snappy response.”Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer? Do you ask them who their favourite female cricketer is?” she said to the journalist in question. “I have always been asked who’s your favourite cricketer but you should ask them who their favourite female cricketer is.”Though Raj plays for what is the most popular and well-supported cricketing nation in the world, she was equally quick to point out that the Indian women do not receive the same amount of publicity as their superstar men.”There’s a lot of difference because we are not a regular on television. Now the BCCI has made an effort that the last two home series have been televised and social media has improved a lot of it but there is a still a lot of catch-up to do in terms of recognition,” she said.Mithali Raj and coach Tushar Arothe have a chat during a preparatory camp•PTI Despite that, she conceded to needing to lean on the expertise of the men’s game, especially in the coaching department. Earlier this year, Tushar Arothe replaced Purnima Rau as the Indian women’s coach and Raj admitted the team has benefitted under his guidance.”Men’s cricket sets the bar. We are always trying to reach where they set the standard. All of us follow men’s cricket because we want at some point that women’s cricket would be up there,” she said. “All of us at some point have been coached by a male cricketer. I strongly believe that they get a lot of intensity into the training sessions. They are very hard taskmasters.”I believe that if you are representing your country, your country should get the best of the best. It’s nothing to do with women coaches [who] don’t have the ability, they do. but if you really want to push the team to the highest level, you need to have somebody who is a tough taskmaster so that the girls really put in the intensity in their training sessions and they carry that into the main tournaments.”

The West Indies bowling caoch has urged his bowlers to take more responsibility for bowling with discipline, after the side lost two wicket-taking chances due to no-balls

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-20172:02

We were sloppy between lunch and tea – Estwick

Twice during the second session in Bridgetown on Monday, West Indies were denied the wicket of Ahmed Shehzad on account of a bowler overstepping. In the first instance, Shannon Gabriel struck Shehzad plumb in front of the stumps, only for a review to show it was a no-ball. Shehzad was on 21 at the time and that delivery was Gabriel’s sixth no-ball of the innings. A few overs later, Roston Chase, bowling off spin, would have had Shehzad out stumped for 32 had he not overstepped. Overall, West Indies conceded nine runs in no-balls in Pakistan’s innings on the second day, eight from Gabriel.It was the kind of performance that West Indies’ bowling coach Roddy Estwick said was a sign of “ill-discipline”, and prompted him to suggest some sort of penalty so that bowlers would start taking responsibility for these mistakes on the field.”We have to make sure there is some kind of action starting from the nets, people have to be penalized for it,” Estwick said. “Because you can’t continue at the international level to be bowling no-balls. For me, it’s ill-disciplined because you can go through ODIs and T20Is and not bowl no-balls, and then you come into Test matches and you are bowling a cluster of them. To make it even worse, the spinners are bowling no-balls and that is not acceptable at all.”They could be fines, they could be any punishments – for every no-ball that you bowl, you have to do 10 sprints, whatever. But there must be some way that people will take accountability for what’s happening. You have to accept the responsibility, it’s you bowling no-balls. I can only help you prepare but when you go out in the middle you have to be as disciplined as possible.”Just like, if a person plays a bad shot, there is nothing a batting coach can do about it. If someone drops a catch, they blame the fielding coach but I think it’s all down to discipline, everybody making sure that on the field of play he is as disciplined as possible. I will try and correct it in the nets but it is up to the players to take ownership when they walk out on the field.”The no-ball issue isn’t a new one facing the side. In the first Test in Jamaica, West Indies gave away 12 runs in no-balls in Pakistan’s first innings, six from Gabriel. Although there were no wicket-taking chances squandered because of overstepping in that innings, West Indies still ended up conceding 27 runs in extras in Pakistan’s total of 407.West Indies did fight back in the final session in Bridgetown on Monday, taking three wickets in a space of five overs, but Estwick said the team would have to lift their game considerably given the lack of assistance for seamers on the track and Pakistan’s score of 172 for 3 at the end of the day, 140 runs behind West Indies’ first-innings total of 312. Estwick stressed they couldn’t allow Pakistan to run away with a big first-innings lead.”We were very sloppy between lunch and tea,” he said. “That’s the area that we have got to improve. We dropped one or two catches. We got wickets off no-balls. That’s the focus we have to try and improve on because you can’t afford, on an unresponsive pitch like this for seam bowlers, to make the kind of mistakes we did during lunch and tea. We came back nicely between tea and close of play but before tea it was disheartening to see the performance.”We have to correct it and correct it quickly because we can’t allow Pakistan to get a lead. Because once they get a lead, going into day three or four, that is going to be very, very difficult.”

West Ham United have seemingly made bringing in a central midfielder or two their top priority in the remainder of the transfer window after sanctioning Declan Rice's £100m-plus move to Arsenal.

The Europa Conference League winners have been slow off the mark so far in terms of incoming activity, but David Moyes looks set to replenish his squad in the coming weeks.

Who could replace Declan Rice?

It is no coincidence that West Ham have been linked with a number of central midfielders over the past month or so, including the likes of Joao Palhinha, James Ward-Prowse and Denis Zakaria.

United have made an approach for Ajax ace Edson Alvarez, according to The Athletic, while The Independent reports that the east London side are now ready to step up their interest in Manchester United's Scott McTominay.

West Ham have plenty of money to spend following Rice's exit – although that will not necessarily be a good thing when it comes to negotiating with other clubs – but it will take a fee in the region of £50m to prise McTominay away from Old Trafford.

What kind of player is Scott McTominay?

McTominay has spent six seasons as a first-team regular for Man United and featured 39 times in all competitions last season, albeit starting just 16 of those matches.

The Scotland international's stock has fallen somewhat, with last season the first time since 2019-20 he made fewer than 30 appearances in the Premier League.

However, McTominay still showed what he is capable of when called upon, especially in terms of the defensive aspects of the game. The 26-year-old averaged 3.12 clearances per 90 and won 2.84 aerials per 90, as per FBref, which ranks him among the top 1% and 2% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues respectively.

The 6 foot 4 brute also added goals to his game in the second half of the season, scoring six times in his final 11 outings for club and country, though all but one of those goals came for Scotland.

The Lancaster native was given more of a licence to get forward by Scotland boss Steve Clarke, which may also be the case under his compatriot, Moyes at the London Stadium.

Should the Irons also get a deal over the line for Alvarez, it could provide United with a dream central-midfield partnership. Alvarez himself thrives in the defensive side of the game, but he is also capable of keeping things ticking over.

Indeed, the Mexico international ranked ninth in the whole of Eredivisie last season for passes completed per 90 (74.5) and fifth for pass-completion percentage (88.7).

Assuming Moyes sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation favoured throughout last season, Alvarez and McTominay could sit in front of the back four, with the latter given a little more freedom to carry the ball forward.

For while McTominay's stock has fallen over the past season or so, it was less than three years ago he was being described as a "physical monster" by then-United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Should West Ham follow up their initial interest in McTominay, they will have the opportunity to unleash the 'monster' in what could be an exciting new-look midfield this coming season.

Manchester United haven’t quite been as active during the summer transfer window as many of the supporters would have wished, making just one signing so far, that of Mason Mount from Chelsea.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana does appear to be on his way to Old Trafford in a deal which will see him become the new number one at Old Trafford and perhaps Erik ten Hag is just going about his business in a strategic way, as opposed to making unnecessary signings.

Improving the defence must surely be one of his main priorities and having stripped Harry Maguire of the captaincy recently while West Ham United show interest, he could be heading out of the club.

Ten Hag could also ditch Victor Lindelof this summer, especially with United being linked with Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard of late according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

How much will Benjamin Pavard cost Manchester United?

According to FootballTransfers, Bayern may allow the Frenchman to depart for a fee of just €30m (£26m) this summer and this could turn into a shrewd investment by Ten Hag should he go ahead with any potential swoop.

Manchester City and Juventus will offer some stiff competition for the World Cup winner however and this transfer battle may go on for quite a few weeks yet.

What could Benjamin Pavard offer Manchester United?

First things first, he could offer some defensive versatility, as the 27-year-old not only operates as a right back (his favoured position) but is also more than able to perform as a centre-back, like he's done for the Bundesliga giants recently.

Secondly, he could offer United an upgrade on Lindelof and with Champions League football gracing the Old Trafford pitch for the first time since 2021/22, some added quality will be vital.

Indeed, Pavard made more tackles per 90 (2.44 to 1.48), more progressive passes per 90 (7.59 to 3.43) and more progressive carries (1.31 to 0.52) than the current United defender over the previous 365 days.

These statistics even ranked Pavard in the top 6%, top 1% and top 9% across Europe’s top five leagues respectively, suggesting that even though he played primarily in a position that isn’t his strongest, he still outperformed the Swede, who didn’t rank in the top 40% for any of the metrics.

The former Stuttgart defender even provided an unlikely goal threat, scoring seven times across all competitions, including twice in the Champions League while the entirety of the United defence scored just four goals between them and this could give Ten Hag a solid threat from the back next term.

Thomas Tuchel even heralded him as “underrated” and given just how impressive he has been over the previous 12 months; perhaps greater things should be said about him.

Ten Hag would likely slot him into centre-back, especially with the inevitable departure of Maguire and due to how much of an upgrade he is over Lindelof, yet if a chance arose at right-back, there is no doubt he would sparkle just as well there.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino sees young centre-back Levi Colwill as a potential regular next season, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.

Where does Levi Colwill's future lie?

The 20-year-old is arguably one of the most highly-rated young players in the country at the moment, being viewed as a future England regular by some.

Last season, Colwill was loaned out to Brighton for the entirety of the campaign, in order to get more minutes under his belt, and while he didn't always manage to oust Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster, he still started 13 times in the Premier League and looked the part.

Now back at Chelsea, there has been a huge amount of talking regarding the centre-back's future, with Liverpool seemingly interested in making a move for him this summer. The Reds see him as a special prospect who they are willing to break the bank for, but the Blues are understandably reluctant to let him leave.

Colwill's current Chelsea deal expires in the summer of 2025, and while that still gives the club some leeway over an extension, time is slowly running out and the player's head could be turned by a move to Anfield.

Will Levi Colwill be a regular at Chelsea?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Pochettino could make Colwill a regular starter for Chelsea in 2023/24, potentially alleviating fears over his exit:

"I think that he's certainly a player that is expected to be embraced by Pochettino. The noises that I'm hearing from people that cover Chelsea closely are that Colwill could genuinely come into the thinking for a starting role."

This is hugely encouraging news from a Chelsea perspective, with Colwill someone they simply must keep hold of this summer, especially having already lost another homegrown player in Mason Mount, who has completed his move to Manchester United.

At 20, there is so much time for Colwill to mature into one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and given Pochettino's preference for blooding youth, it would be so refreshing to see him show trust in him from the off next season, starting him at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend.

The centre-back is in the final of the Under-21 European Championship on Saturday evening, as England take on Spain, and success in that competition would only further enhance his ever-growing legend.

Should Colwill become a key starter for Chelsea from this point on, he could even take Harry Maguire's place in England's team at Euro 2024 next summer, should his rise continue to be as meteoric as it currently is. He has all the tools to become a massive player for the Blues, enjoying an 88.6% pass completion rate for Brighton last season and also 2.2 clearances per game, showing he can be a class act in possession and also muck in defensively, when required.

The thought of losing him to a rival in Liverpool doesn't bear thinking about, and while Chelsea can't promise him European football next term, the hope is that he is made to feel wanted by Pochettino and plays a big part in the rebuild at Stamford Bridge.

تحدث كريم الدبيس لاعب فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي، عن مشاركته في مباراة زد التي أقيمت مساء اليوم الخميس.

وحقق الأهلي فوزًا صعبًا على زد بهدف دون رد في المباراة المؤجلة من الجولة الثامنة من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”.

وقال الدبيس في تصريحات عبر الموقع الرسمي للنادي الأهلي: “مباراة كانت صعبة أمام زد لا يوجد مواجهة سهلة، نلعب لآخر دقيقة هذه روح الفانلة الحمراء، وأتمنى حضور الجماهير بالكامل لأنها دائمًا تعطي لنا دافع للأمام”.

وأضاف: “نخوض كل يومين مباراة ولكن كل لاعبي الأهلي يعتادون على ذلك، ونكون جاهزين لأي مواجهة، ونعطي لأي فريق احترامه، لأننا كل لقاء نريد الحصول على الثلاثة نقاط”.

وسام أبو علي يكشف ما طلبه منه كولر قبل مشاركته أمام زد.. ويتحدث عن مواجهة الزمالك

وتابع: “أما عن مواجهة القمة أمام الزمالك، فنحن نأخذ كل مباراة على حدى، أمامنا مباراة كبيرة جدًا ومهمة جدًا مع الزمالك”.

واستكمل: “ننتظر حضور جماهير الأهلي أكثر في المباريات، وبالأخص هم أعظم جماهير في إفريقيا”.

واستطرد: “سواء شاركت أمام الزمالك أو علي معلول، فجميعنا واحد أهم شيء الفوز”.

وأضاف الدبيس عبر “أون تايم سبورتس: “تعليمات كولر لي٫ تحدث معي وطلب مني اللعب بطبيعتي وشخصيتي وأشكره على ثقته في وأعد جماهير الأهلي ببطولة الدوري، ونحصل على بطولة إفريقيا”.

وأتم: “مباراة القمة كبيرة وجميع اللاعبين ينتظرونها، وكل مباراة نخوضها هدفنا تحقيق المكسب، عندما نواجه أي فريق في الدوري نحترمه”.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض الأهلي مواجهة مرتقبة أمام الزمالك يوم الاثنين المقبل ضمن مؤجلات الدوري المصري الممتاز.