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We are only in June, but Chelsea are wasting no time at all when it comes to the transfer window.

For example, even though the likes of Liam Delap, Mamadou Sarr and Dario Essugo are already through the doors at Stamford Bridge, the Conference League Champions are still looking to make more significant additions.

That said, with the Champions League and more expectations in the Premier League to come next season, it’s not hard to understand why the West Londoners want to make sure Enzo Maresca has everything he needs.

One of the names most heavily touted for a move to Chelsea is Jamie Gittens, but interestingly, another international has now been linked with the club, someone who’d arguably be an even better signing.

Chelsea target Premier League star

Since wrapping up their prior transfer dealings, the most significant saga Chelsea have been in has been about Gittens.

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Interestingly, the club were first linked with him back in October and then again during the winter window, but it would be fair to say that the links have seriously heated up in the last few weeks.

In fact, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed yesterday afternoon that the deal was close to being completed, while stories from late last week claimed that a fee of around £55m would be enough for Borussia Dortmund to sell.

However, while the young Englishman is undoubtedly very talented and will be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad, it now looks like the club are moving after someone from the Premier League who’d be an even better signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which has revealed that Chelsea are very interested in Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

The report goes a step further, revealing that the Blues have already made contact with the Tricky Trees to find out more information about the player.

Unfortunately, one potential sticking point for a deal for the Brazilian is that Forest reportedly value him at more than €80m, which comes out to around £68m.

While that is an enormous amount of money, this might be a deal worth fighting for as Murillo has proven himself in the Premier League and could end up being a better signing than Gittens for Chelsea.

Why Murillo would be a better signing than Gittens for Chelsea

Now, the first thing to say is that both players would be good additions to Chelsea’s squad.

After all, it’s never a bad thing to sign an exciting and dynamic young winger, who’d not only scored at the Bernabeu but also managed to rack up a tally of 17 goal involvements in 49 games for a top European side at just 20 years old.

However, in the context of what the Blues actually need this summer, there are two significant reasons why Murillo would be a better signing than Gittens, the first of which relates to the club’s abundance of wingers in the squad.

As things stand, Maresca will be able to choose from ten players who are capable of playing on the wing next season – not including Mykhaylo Mudryk – so signing the Dortmund star will make it 11, which for any team is unnecessary.

That also leads us to the second reason: due to the number of attacking options at the Bridge, the Forest ace is likely to have a greater impact if he were to join.

After all, only one centre-back made 40 appearances across all competitions this season, Levi Colwill, while Tosin Adarabioyo made 38.

Moreover, when we compare the relevant underlying metrics between the former Fulham ace and the Tricky Trees star, like tackles, block interceptions and more, it becomes obvious that the “monstrous” Brazilian, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor, would be a noticeable upgrade.

Murillo vs Adarabioyo

Statistics per 90

Murillo

Adarabioyo

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.07

0.07

Progressive Passes

3.25

2.68

Progressive Carries

0.62

0.32

Passing Accuracy

78.5%

91.1%

Key Passes

0.37

0.06

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.37

0.06

Shot-Creating Actions

1.24

0.96

Tackles

1.50

1.08

Blocks

1.95

0.57

Interceptions

1.02

0.70

Clearances

7.03

5.10

Ball Recoveries

4.01

2.61

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

Ultimately, Chelsea would be smart to sign both Gittens and Murillo this summer, but when it comes to who will likely have more of an impact next year and, therefore, be the better signing, we’d have to lean heavily towards the latter.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 24, 2025

Dravid sent a touching message to his successor wishing him luck which featured advice and some humour

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2024

Gautam Gambhir on taking over from Rahul Dravid: “It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill”•AFP/Getty Images

“Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people.”Outgoing India head coach Rahul Dravid did what many consider the unthinkable – he made Gautam Gambhir smile with the above message. Dravid sent out a touching message to the new head coach, who takes over with the T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday. In a video posted by the BCCI on social media, Gambhir was made to sit in front of a laptop to play the message which he didn’t know came from Dravid.”As your team-mate, I saw you giving it your all on the field,” Dravid said to Gambhir. “As your batting partner and fellow fielder, I saw your resilience and refusal to surrender. Across many IPL seasons, I noted your desire to win, your assistance to younger players and your drive to extract the best out of your team on the field.”I know how dedicated and passionate you are about Indian cricket and I am sure you will bring all these qualities into the new job.Related

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“As you know, the expectations will be high and the scrutiny will be intense. But even in the worst of times you will never be alone. You will have the support of the players, your support staff, the leaders of the past, the management and never forget for whom you play – for fans who are very demanding but will always be behind the team.”Soon after winning the T20 World Cup final last month in Barbados, Dravid had mentioned the role of “luck” that had helped his team lift the trophy and he hoped the same would help Gambhir too.”I also wish you a little bit of luck, as you know that all of us coaches need to make us look that little bit wiser and smarter than we actually are,” he said.Dravid’s dry humour also gave an appearance to elicit a smile from Gambhir. “Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people,” he said.”From one Indian cricket coach to another, one last thing. In the most heated of times, exhale, take a step back. I wish you the very best, Gautam. I am sure you will take the Indian team to even greater heights.”Reacting to Dravid’s message which made him “emotional,” Gambhir said there was a lot to learn from his predecessor not just for him but for the entire generation.”I don’t know how to react because this message means so much to me,” Gambhir said. “The reason is not because it comes from the person who I have succeeded but from a person who I have always looked up to when I was playing.”I have always felt that and I said it in a lot of my interviews – I think the most selfless cricketer I have actually ever played with. Rahul has done anything and everything Indian cricket needed.”I think there is so much to learn from, not only for me but for the next generation and the current generation as well. That’s how important Indian cricket is, not me, not individuals.”I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.”It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill. Hopefully, I can do that with absolute honesty, transparency and hopefully, I can make the entire nation and more importantly, the person I have always looked up to – Rahul – proud,” he said.

كشف ياسين الطاهري وكيل المهاجم الفلسطيني أسد الحملاوي لاعب فريق كاريوفا الروماني، حقيقة اهتمام الأهلي بضم اللاعب، خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية القادمة، كما أوضح حقيقة وجود عرض من الزمالك.

وقال ياسين الطاهري في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “كما نعرف جميعاً أسد التحق باللعب في ناد روماني، وكان اللاعب الأول، وبالتالي نحن نركز في أن يقدم أفضل ما لديه بصرف النظر عن اهتمام أي ناد آخر، أنا لا أرى أي ضغوط في هذا التوقيت، هناك اهتمام بتركيز اللاعب مع فريقه”.

وتابع: “فيما يخص الأهلي أو الزمالك، لم يكن هناك أي تواصل رسمي على مستوى الناديين، الأمر لا يتعلق بالأهلي أو فريق بعينه، لكن في الوقت الحالي ليس هذا الوقت المناسب لنتفاوض”.

وأردف: “نحن نلعب كرة القدم طوال الوقت ونشارك في البطولة برومانيا ونركز على حصد البطولات وتسجيل الأهداف، وهذا ليس توقيت الحديث عن أي أمور أخرى”.

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وبسؤاله هل كان هناك اهتمام سابق من الزمالك والأهلي؟ أجاب: “نعم كان هناك اهتمام بالتعاقد مع أسد الحملاوي، وتمت بعض المفاوضات بشكل مباشر وغير مباشر”.

واختتم: “لكن في الوقت الحالي لدينا الكثير من الأسباب تجعلنا نتجنب الحديث عن أي أمور أخرى، هناك الكثير من الأندية الكبرى مهتمة بالتعاقد مع اللاعب، لكن نحن اخترنا التركيز على المشروع الحالي للاعب وهذا كان خيارنا”.

Everton have made contact with another Premier League club over the signing of a £25m-rated youngster, according to a new transfer update.

Everton targeting attacking reinforcements

A new era is on the horizon for the Blues, with life at their new Bramley Moore Dock stadium beginning next month, hopefully heralding the beginning of a more positive period in the club’s great history.

New signings are vital if David Moyes’ Everton side are to kick on in 2025/26, however, and plenty of players are being linked with moves, including Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson. It is claimed that he would love the chance to remain in the Premier League, following his relegation to the Championship back in May.

The Blues are also believed to have held talks with Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz over a summer switch to Merseyside, which could be a fantastic piece of business. The Brazilian was a huge hit at Aston Villa, so Moyes doesn’t have to worry about him adjusting to the pace and power of the Premier League.

It is clear that extra attacking quality is needed at Everton, especially following the departure of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and now a hugely talented young player has been revealed as a target.

Everton make contact for McAtee signing

According to a new report from The i Paper, there “has been dialogue” between Everton and Manchester City over a summer move for James McAtee.

The Englishman is valued at £25m and Moyes is said to be a “big admirer”, with the attacking midfielder fresh off the back of European Championship glory with England’s Under-21s.

This feels like it could be a perfect move for everyone concerned, allowing McAtee to be a regular starter away from City, and getting him off their wage bill in the process.

The 22-year-old is too talented to be warming the substitutes’ bench most weeks, and he showed his quality at the aforementioned recent Euros, scoring once and helping Lee Carsley’s side go all the way in the tournament.

Meanwhile, former Sheffeld United striker Carl Asaba has even compared him to Arsenal star Martin Odegaard, saying: “He’s a bonus player in that he plays midfield and you have an extra number in there but then he can just attack. He’s like Odegaard. You play him in midfield so he’s defending for you, he’s another body for them to try and navigate away from but he likes the ball 30 yards out because he can go past you like you’re not there.”

There are few negatives to Everton signing McAtee, with his price tag far from extortionate, and the fact that Moyes rates him highly can also only be a good thing.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jul 8, 2025

The City youngster would add much-needed guile in the No.10 role, scoring and creating at will, and he could grow into an elite footballer as the years pass.

Fourth-wicket partnership of 127 seals 20-run win over Central Sparks

ECB Reporters Network04-Sep-2024

Kira Chathli shared a 127-run stand with Alice Davidson-Richards•Getty Images

South East Stars advanced to the brink of a place in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy semi-finals by beating Central Sparks by 20 runs in a fluctuating encounter at Moseley.Put in, Stars totalled 270 all out from 49.5 overs, an imposing score built around a fourth-wicket partnership of 127 in 20 overs between Kira Chathli (80) and Alice Davidson-Richards (70). Katie George took 4 for 47 for Sparks and Charis Pavely 3 for 37.Sparks’ chase of the demanding target was then set back by the loss of early wickets and though they recovered boldly through Davina Perrin (50), Chloe Brewer (54) and Bethan Ellis (57), they fell short at 250 for 9.The victory means Stars will qualify for the semis if they win their last game, away to Northern Diamonds at Chester-le-Street on Saturday. Defeat there could still see them edged out of the top four if Sunrisers record a bonus-point win over Southern Vipers at Southampton.Asked to bat first, Stars lost a wicket to the 12th ball of the innings when George bowled Cloe Hill through an airy waft. Alexa Stonehouse and Phoebe Franklin added 70 in 14 overs but then fell in quick succession. Franklin, in pursuit of her seventh four, lifted Ellis to extra cover. Four balls later, Stonehouse was beaten in the flight and bowled by Pavely.Chathli and Davidson-Richards rebuilt first carefully then stylishly. The latter hit two straight sixes and the pair shared 14 fours to put their side in command before George slowed the Stars’ momentum with three quick wickets. The left-armer had Davidson-Richards caught at mid-wicket from a full toss then struck twice in four balls when Aylish Cranstone fell lbw and Emma Jones diverted an attempted pull on to her middle stump. Chathli’s polished innings ended when she hoisted Grace Potts to deep mid-wicket but Priyanaz Chatterji provided a useful late cameo of 17 off 18 balls.Sparks’ top order, without captain Eve Jones, who has joined Thunder on loan for the rest of the season, lost four wickets in the first 13 overs. Seventeen-year-old slow left-armer Tilly Corteen-Coleman dismissed openers Ami Campbell and Meg Austin, caught in the deep, in an opening spell of 5-0-14-2. Abi Freeborn edged a wide ball from Franklin to wicketkeeper Chathli. George chipped Chatterji to midwicket.Perrin reached a run-a-ball half-century but perished next ball when she lifted a shot ball from Danielle Gregory to deep midwicket. That was 104 for 5 but Brewer and Ellis rebuilt to send their side into the last ten overs needing 75 with five wickets still intact.Brewer reached her maiden half-century for Sparks from 75 balls and, after she top-edged Stonehouse to deep mid-wicket, Pavely lent Ellis further good support so that they needed 32 from the last three overs. But Paveley was run out by calm work from Chathli and when Ellis gave Stonehouse the charge and was bowled, Sparks’ gallant chase was over.

Everton are one of the clubs in the mix to sign a “brilliant” former Premier League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Everton left-back signs new deal

The Blues may be looking at signing experienced players this summer, but retaining the services of their most exciting players is also of the utmost importance.

One big positive has emerged in that respect, with Everton left-back Josh van Schoor signing his first professional contract at the club, keeping him on Merseyside until the summer of 2027.

The 18-year-old is clearly delighted to have committed his future to the Blues, speaking about the new deal and calling it a “really special” moment for him.

“It’s a really special moment for me and my family. It’s something you work towards your whole life, and as a little lad you dream about it, so to sign is a very proud moment. When you’re working hard towards things, and then again over the past few years when you’re so close, to finally achieve it is a very good moment. Last season was good, I think I really found a good bit of form and captained the side a few times as well, which was really good for me.”

Everton keeping tabs on "brilliant" free agent

According to a fresh report from Caught Offside, Everton are also “keeping close tabs” on former Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Spurs last month, having been on loan at Manchester United.

Bournemouth and West Ham are also mentioned in the update, with the Hammers mentioned as the “most enthusiastic” among the three Premier League clubs.

Reguilon could be an astute addition for Everton between now and the beginning of the new Premier League season, possessing lots of experience at a high level and no doubt wanting to get his career back on track, following a nomadic spell of late.

The 28-year-old has tasted victory against the Blues before, scoring in a 5-0 win for Spurs back in 2021/22, and Noel Whelan once called him “brilliant”, also saying:

“I’ve been an admirer of Reguilon for some time. He really stamped his authority on the game and grabbed the winner to show what a quality player he is.”

At 28, Reguilon is far from an ageing player, so he should be able to be a good player for Everton for the next four or five years, and the fact that he has Premier League experience is an added bonus.

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The Spaniard could come in and provide stiff competition for Vitalii Mykolenko at left-back, giving the Blues two great options in that position.

أجرى هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة مؤتمراً صحفياً للحديث عن آخر استعدادات فريقه لمواجهة فالنسيا مساء الغد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وقال فليك خلال مؤتمر صحفي نشرته صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “لقد قدم كوربيران أداء رائعا العام الماضي وساهم في استقرار الفريق، إنه مدرب يتكيف مع خصومه، لديهم لاعبين مميزين وفريق رائع”.

وأضاف عن لامين يامال الذي غاب عن المشاركة في تدريبات برشلونة اليوم وتعامل لويس دي لا فوينتي معه: “لا، لن يكون متاحاً للمباراة، إنه لأمر مؤسف، ذهب للمنتخب وهو يتألم ولعب وحصل على مسكنات للألم ليواصل اللعب، لعب 79 دقيقة و73 دقيقة، وهذا لا يمثل رعاية للاعبين، إسبانيا لديها أفضل اللاعبين في كل مركز، من الأفضل رعاية اللاعبين الشباب، أنا حزين لهذا الوضع”.

وواصل عن العودة للعب في الكامب نو: “نعلم الوضع في الملعب والنادي، تحدثت مع الرئيس وشرح لي كل شئ، أثق به ولن يتأثر الفريق، نحن نركز على أنفسنا وليس لدينا أعذار، علينا الفوز، لم نتوقع أن تكون الأمور هكذا، الأهم العقلية والسلوك في الملعب، قد يستغرق الأمر وقتًا أطول للعودة لكني أهتم بالفريق، أحب العمل لهذا النادي والعيش في هذه المدينة، لا شئ يتغير، سيكون هذا الموسم أصعب من الماضي وسنبذل قصارى جهدنا وسنقاتل حتى النهاية للفوز بالنقاط الثلاث”.

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وسئل فليك عن لامين يامال مع المنتخب الإسباني: “لم أتحدث معه، تلقيت رسالة نصية وبصعوبة أتحدث الإسبانية وهو لا يتحدث الإنجليزية، كان من الممكن أن يكون التواصل أفضل، مررت بنفس الموقف مع المنتخب وقبل ذلك كانت العلاقات جيدة دائماً، لا أعرف كيف أشرح ما يعاني له، يعاني من مجرد انزعاج بسيط في عظم العانة، لذا مشاركته ضد نيوكاسل أيضاً محل شك أما مشكلة الظهر فهي غير صحيحة”.

وحسم فليك موقف دي يونج و بيرنال والذي حصل على التصريح الطبي من المشاركة غداً: “لن يكون فرينكي حاضراً غداً ولن يلعب، لكن مارك سيجلس على دكة البدلاء، إنها الخطوة القادمة في رحلة عودته، نحن سعداء جداً بجودته في الفريق، غداً كل هذا الحماس للعودة لمقاعد البدلاء وعلينا أن نديره ونعتني به”.

وقال فليك عن حالة جافي: “بإمكانه أن يكون قلب هذا الفريق بفضل عقليته، هو يبذل قصارى جهده من أجل الفريق والنادي، كنت خائفاً من هذا الوضع بعد إصابته الخطيرة، بالنسبة لي، ما عليه فعله هو العمل والاجتهاد لنرى كيف سيتطور، لا نريد أن نضغط عليه في هذا الوضع، عليه ان يعود بصحة جيدة وواثقاً بجسده وركبته”.

وحول عودة تياجو ألكانتارا للجهاز الفني لبرشلونة ذكر فليك: “أنا سعيد جداً بعودته وكذلك جميع أعضاء الجهاز الفني، لم يكن من السهل إقناعه لكنه سيساعدنا كثيراً، بالنسبة لي هو يمتلك خبرة كبيرة وقادر على نقل خبرته للاعبين، أرى كيف يستمعون له ويمكنه أن يكون جزء أساسي من نجاحنا”.

وأكد فليك جاهزية رافينها لمباراة فالنسيا، قائلًا: “إنه بخير ومتاح، لقد تدرب جيداً مع أنه عاد مؤخراً”.

وأتم فليك عن اللعب في ملعب يوهان كرويف: “تحدثت مع اللاعبين ومع القائد وأخبروني أن الأمر لن يؤثر عليهم، اللعب هنا يختلف، لكن لا ينبغي أن يؤثر علينا، لقد فعلنا ذلك بالفعل ضد كومو”.

وختم توضيحاً لتصريحه بأن الغرور يقتل النجاح: “هناك أمور تحدث في الملعب أو غرفة الملابس ووظيفتي حلها، أريد من الجميع التركيز على الفريق ومعرفة ما يجب فعله، الفرق بين اللاعبين الجيدين والمتميزين هو أنهم يعرفون كيفية حل الأخطاء وأن يكونوا في المكان المناسب، إذا فكرت في اليوم، ربما لعبنا بنسبة 50% إلى 60%، هذا ما أريد غرسه في اللاعبين، الجميع يستحق 100%، لهذا السبب حققنا انتصارات وألقاب الموسم الماضي وعلينا العودة لذلك”.

Batter praises six-wicket bowling display as Pakistan crumble in wake of mammoth innings

Andrew Miller10-Oct-2024

Brydon Carse struck with his first ball as England surged in the final session•Getty Images

After a historic day of batting records in Multan, Joe Root said that the motivation behind his England-record fourth-wicket stand of 454 with Harry Brook had been to drive their team into a winning position on another unforgiving Pakistan deck. And by the close of the fourth day, that goal was almost close enough to touch, as their opponents crumbled to 152 for 6 in their second innings, still needing 115 more runs to avoid an innings defeat.Regardless of the final result, it has already been an extraordinary turnaround from England, who were made to toil in the Multan heat and dust for 149 overs across the first two days of the match, as Pakistan racked up an imposing 556, with Shan Masood’s 151 the most imposing of his side’s three centuries.In reply, however, England batted for just one over longer, but by the time Ollie Pope declared at the end of the 150th over, they had amassed 267 more runs – their eventual 823 for 7 being the fourth-highest total in all of Test history. By batting once and going huge, England had bought themselves enough time to turn the screw across a possible 127 overs in Pakistan’s second innings, and as soon as Chris Woakes bowled Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of their reply, the full impact of that time in the field was brought to bear on the hosts.”That last session there, the way that we bowled was fantastic,” Root told Sky Sports at the close of play. “You’ve obviously got to play on the fact that they’ve been out there for long periods of time, the mental disintegration that you can sometimes go through when you’ve been waiting to bat for so long. It feels so flat, and then you see one scoot low first ball of the innings, and all of a sudden, it looks like a very different pitch, and a very different game.”After Woakes’ early incision, Gus Atkinson struck twice to dislodge the key pair of Masood and Babar Azam, whose desperate form now extends to 18 innings without a half-century, before Brydon Carse continued his quietly impressive Test debut with two more breakthroughs, including a hard length to bowl the dangerous Mohammad Rizwan for 10. Jack Leach then capped a superb evening session for England by extracting a fluent Saud Shakeel for 29.”It’d be a hell of an achievement [to win this Test],” Root added. “We worked really hard to get into this position and, tonight, I thought that was equally as phenomenal as the way that we played with the bat.”You’ve got to try and play on that and understand that, as a bowling group, if you hit the right areas and you create those opportunities, then you could really cause some havoc. And for us to be here now six-down is brilliant going into the last day.Highest team scores in men’s Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“To exploit the little that was there on offer for us, to get ahead of [the game] and get their bowling allrounders out there batting, is a great achievement for us. With another day’s wear into the wicket, I’m sure we’re going to create some opportunities tomorrow. If we can open the door early, things will hopefully fall in our favour, and we can enjoy what’s been a really good week.”The manner of England’s batting hardly needed vindication, but Root in particular has played in enough Tests in the subcontinent – including a not-dissimilar contest against India in Chennai in 2016, when Karun Nair’s triple-century made England’s first-innings 477 look inadequate – to know quite how quickly teams can crumble when the pressure is unrelenting.”When you’ve got that position of strength in these conditions, you know things can happen quickly, late on in the game. But you’ve got to really work hard to earn the right to do that, and to have that chance of winning. So it’s all about trying to get to that position where you can put your foot down and dictate terms a little bit.”As a consequence, Root and Brook were able to resume at the start of day four knowing that they not only had licence to turn their then-imposing stand of 243 into something truly historic, but that the higher and harder they went, the better their team’s match situation would be.”It was all about getting a position where we can have a real shot at trying to do something special,” Root said. “It was challenging, obviously it was very hot and quite tiring, but that’s part of the fun of it. When you’re sore and tired, you just remember what it feels like being on the other end of it, fielding out there. You know that things are in your favour, so you just got to try and make the most of it.”Related

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Though he eventually fell for a career-best 262, Root did have one huge life on 186, when Babar spilled a sitter at midwicket. It wasn’t a moment he was about to dwell on, however.”You know what it’s like in this game,” he added. “There are periods where you’re really struggling, and every little mistake [gets you out], and all of a sudden you’re not in good nick. And you get days out today, where you’re dropped at midwicket in the first half an hour of the game. You’ve got to make the most of it. It’s that mentality that Goochy [Graham Gooch] used to say to us when he was batting coach, ‘you’ve never got enough’.”Brook, whose career-best 317 was just the sixth triple-hundred in England’s Test history, and the first since Gooch’s 333 in 1990, said that Root’s presence and stature at the other end of the pitch had kept him hungry for more throughout their huge stand.”He’s obviously one of the best players, and England’s greatest-ever batter,” Brook told Sky Sports. “What comforts you the most when you’re out there is watching how easy makes it look, and how hard it is for the bowlers to get him out. He’s playing the ball so late, you bowl your best ball, and he’s scoring runs off it.”It feels pretty good,” he said of his record knock. “We had a lot of fun out there. we didn’t say much to each other, but we had a lot of fun. It was hot and it was hard work, but we enjoyed it. I’m just glad that the team’s in a strong position now to win the game tomorrow.”

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed on Saturday that central defender Robin Propper has moved on from Ibrox after just one year at the club.

The Dutch centre-back has returned to FC Twente just 12 months after he joined the Light Blues from the Eredivisie side, as it did not quite work out for him in Scotland.

Propper found the physicality too tough to deal with, as he lost 55% of his ground duels and 56% of his aerial duels in the Europa League last term, and it was the right call to cash in on him this summer.

Despite scoring against Celtic, Propper did not do enough to show that he was ready to deliver quality performances in Scotland, as he was dribbled past 11 times in 22 starts in the Scottish Premiership.

The 31-year-old dud is far from the only Rangers flop to have struggled with the physicality of Scottish football, though, and another one of those flops is closing in on an exit from Ibrox.

Rangers full-back edging closer to transfer

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Turkey international Ridvan Yilmaz is “edging closer” to a move away from the Premiership giants this summer.

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The reporter claims that the left-footed dud is not a part of Russell Martin’s plans, as evidenced by his exclusion from the Champions League squad list, and that the club are now preparing for life without him.

Vidal adds that the 24-year-old flop is ready to secure a return to Besiktas, three years on from leaving the Turkish giants to sign for Rangers for a reported fee of £5m.

All parties should now be pushing for a transfer to go through sooner rather than later because Yilmaz is not part of the club’s plans, and he was as bad as Propper last season.

Why Rangers must sell Ridvan Yilmaz

The £5m-rated flop should be sold this summer because he was as bad as Propper in the 2024/25 campaign in the sense that he also struggled with the physicality of the game.

Yilmaz, who has been a bit-part player for three years at Ibrox, only started 11 of the club’s 38 matches in the Scottish Premiership last term, coming off the bench a further six times.

In those games, the Turkish full-back failed to deliver well-rounded performances in or out of possession to show the club that he deserves a long-term future in Glasgow.

24/25 Premiership

Ridvan Yilmaz

Appearances

17

Starts

11

Goals

0

Assists

2

Error led to shot

2

Ground duel success rate

60%

Aerial duel success rate

0%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Yilmaz made as many errors that led to shots for the opposition as he provided goal contributions at the other end of the pitch.

Staggeringly, the Rangers flop also lost 100% of his aerial battles, which means that he did not win a single contest in the air in 17 appearances in the league.

Martin has clearly decided that Yilmaz will not be a part of his plans for the upcoming season, with his squad selections, and the lack of physicality from the full-back may have played a part in that.

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Therefore, Rangers should be pushing for the defender to return to Besiktas in the coming days because he was as bad as Propper in Scotland and should be moved on as soon as possible.

وجه الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، رسالة قوية إلى آدم وطني وكيل أعمال إمام عاشور لاعب الأهلي، بسبب التصريحات التي أطلقها بشأن وجود عروض احتراف لـ اللاعب، وعلاقته مع القلعة الحمراء.

وأطلق آدم وطني تصريحات قوية أمس، بشأن وجود عروض احتراف لـ إمام عاشور، وطالب إدارة النادي الأهلي بتقدير اللاعب واحترامه بشكل أكثر.

طالع | وكيله: على الأهلي معاملة إمام عاشور باحترام.. لديه عروض وجلبت 650 مليونًا للنادي

وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير اون سبورت اف ام: “أمس ظهر آدم وطني، وكيل اللاعب إمام عاشور، وتحدث وأثار جدلًا ونقاشًا غير ضروري، مما تسبب في أزمة لا داعي لها، وإمام عاشور لا يزال لديه عامين ونصف في عقده، فالأولى أن نتمنى له الشفاء العاجل، ولا أفهم حقًا، ألا يجب أن يكون الوكيل أكثر حكمة؟”.

وواصل: “كيف يتحدث عن لاعبه وهو مريض ومُقيم في المستشفى، وإمام عاشور محجوز منذ يوم مباراة الأهلي وإنبي، واللاعب يعاني من المرض ويتألم”.

وزاد: “ليس هذا وقت الحديث عن العقود أو الانتقالات هنا أو هناك، ويؤدِي الوكيل عمله كما يشاء، لكن اختيار التوقيت أمر مهم جدًا، وهذا التوقيت غير مناسب على الإطلاق، بل هو غريب جدًا لهذا الحديث، سواء كان التوقيت مناسبًا لي أم لا، وسواء كان يتعلق بالاحتراف أو أي أمر آخر”.

وأردف: “إمام عاشور مريض وفي المستشفى، والحمد لله الأمور تحت السيطرة، وحالته تتحسن يومًا بعد يوم بفضل الله، وقد أعلن الأهلي أنه أغلق هذا الملف بالفعل”.

واستطرد: “الأولوية أن ينتظر حتى يتعافى اللاعب ويخرج من المستشفى، وإمام على الأقل سيحتاج إلى شهر حتى يعود إلى الملعب، ومع ذلك هناك نقاش الآن عن فرصته في بطولة أمم إفريقيا، لأنه سيعود للتدريب وسيكون الأمر صعبًا للغاية، وعندما يعود سيبدأ من جديد، وإمام أصلاً ليس قويًا جسمانيًا بشكل كبير”.

وأتم: “يا سيدي الفاضل، وكيل إمام عاشور، هل يمكن (تسكت شوية) حتى نطمئن على اللاعب ويصبح في حالة جيدة تمامًا، ويعود للعب بكامل لياقته؟ وبعد ذلك تحدث كما تشاء، اختيار التوقيت المناسب أمر مهم جدًا عند إثارة مثل هذه المواضيع”.