With Habib Diarra signed and Reinildo also on his way, Sunderland are now reportedly battling against Paris Saint-Germain to secure their third arrival of the summer.

Sunderland set to sign Diarra and Reinildo

Just when Leeds United believed they were in the driving seat, Sunderland came bustling in to steal Diarra from under their noses. Outbidding the 49ers, those at the Stadium of Light are reportedly set to secure the midfielder’s signature for a club-record fee of £30m. But they are not done there – far from it, in fact.

After Diarra, the Black Cats have turned towards La Liga and Atletico Madrid to agree a deal for Reinildo Mandava. The left-back is set to become a free agent at the end of next month, allowing Sunderland to swoop in and secure his signature.

Both incoming arrivals signal Sunderland’s intent. None of the last six promoted teams have survived at the first time of asking in the Premier League, but the playoff winners are spending as though they’re in the mood to finally put an end to that trend.

Diarra particularly stands out between the two. The former Strasbourg midfielder gave English football a glimpse of his talents against the Three Lions earlier this month when he scored Sengal’s second goal in a 3-1 win. Now, 20 days on, he’s set to become a permanent feature in the Premier League.

There’s still plenty of time remaining in the summer transfer window, however, and the Black Cats could yet reportedly turn back towards La Liga for yet another reinforcement.

Sunderland racing to sign Gasiorowski

Having already agreed a deal to sign Reinildo from Atletico Madrid, those in Wearside have seemingly returned to La Liga for another talent. According to reports in Spain, Sunderland are now racing PSG to sign Yarek Gasiorowski from Valencia, who are willing to let their centre-back leave below his huge €60m (£51m) release clause.

Related Sunderland set to make £17m bid for 21 y/o likened to Real Madrid legend Raul

The Black Cats could pull off an ambitious move.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jun 29, 2025

Up against PSG and Brighton & Hove Albion, Valencia’s willingness to sell the 20-year-old for around €25m (£21m) rather than demanding his £51m release clause should hand Sunderland a major boost, but would still take their spending upwards of £50m for the summer.

A player with “immense potential” according to scout Jacek Kulig, Gasiorowski would slot straight into Sunderland’s plan to mix players who are on the rise and those who are more established – joining Reinildo and Diarra.

Whether the Black Cats can fend off interest from PSG and Brighton remains to be seen, however, in what would be another impressive signing.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and his ‘scattergun’ approach to the transfer window continues, with a fresh report claiming that discussions are now being held over a marquee Serie A star.

Arsenal told key Benjamin Sesko transfer condition as agent makes statement

He’s expressed what it will take for the Slovenian to leave Leipzig this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 19, 2025

Berta operates a different transfer strategy to his predecessor, Edu. Rather than identifying one key target to seriously pursue, the Italian is known to work on numerous deals simultaneously before landing on the best one for a key position.

“The best way of describing it is that Andrea Berta’s approach is different to Edu. If he was going to a party, he would lay out three or four outfits, try them all on and finally decide what to wear,” said reliable journalist Ben Jacobs on talkSPORT recently.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

“With this race for a number nine, what’s happening is that both deals, for Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, are being advanced or ‘tried on’ before a bid is made. Andrea Berta is out in the market, effectively lining up both deals, whereas Edu tended to pick one and be very meticulous, and then discreetly try and get it over the line, often with a series of bids.

“It was either a very smart tactic because Arsenal had confidence that they would get that man, or it dragged on, and we got more summer sagas. We won’t see that with Andrea Berta.”

This was echoed by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg last month, who revealed that Berta held talks over “numerous” transfer targets for the wide area.

Recent reports from Turkey state that one of the many wingers on Berta’s Arsenal radar is Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz.

Yildiz was said to have emerged as a “prime” Arsenal target recently, and a further update has now come to light on their interest.

Arsenal in discussions with Juventus over signing Kenan Yildiz

As per news outlet Juve FC, the Turkey international commands a valuation of around £85 million, following an excellent 2024/2025 campaign where he finished the Serie A campaign as the Old Lady’s best-performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored.

It’s also reported that Arsenal have entered discussions with Juventus over signing Yildiz, despite their unwillingness to sell the 20-year-old, as they also try to tie him down with a new deal which could run until 2031.

Juve view Yildiz as a future star and cornerstone of Igor Tudor’s team, while the player himself isn’t exactly chomping at the bit to leave either, despite some contact made with his “close” circle.

The Turk is currently starring at the Club World Cup for Juve, scoring in their 5-0 win over Al Ain, and with £97 million worth of prize money on offer to the victors, Tudor won’t want to lose one of his star men before the tournament ends.

Seamer takes Thunder’s last four wickets in eight balls to secure 30-run win at Chelmsford

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2024

Sophie Munro claimed three wickets in an over•Harry Trump/Getty Images

Sophie Munro produced a stunning spell on her Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy debut for Sunrisers to keep them in the top two with a tense win over Lancashire Thunder at Chelmsford.Seamer Munro, on loan from The Blaze, captured three wickets in four balls – including the key scalp of ex-Sunrisers batter Naomi Dattani – as she wrapped up her side’s first victory over Thunder in any format with figures of 5 for 25.Dattani’s knock of 36 seemed likely to steer Thunder past the home side’s total of 253, which might have been higher but for a middle-order collapse after skipper Grace Scrivens (51 from 54 balls) and Jo Gardner (63 from 78) had shared an opening stand of 94.Sunrisers then lost six wickets for 52, with left-arm spinner Hannah Jones returning four for 50 to become the tournament’s joint highest wicket-taker with 14.Even with drizzle and dark clouds hovering above the ground, Scrivens chose to bat after winning the toss and, despite some early swing for left-armer Tara Norris, the home side built steadily. They reached 48 in the 10th over before the drizzle developed into heavier rain and, once the players returned after almost an hour’s delay, the contest was reduced to 48 overs a side.Scrivens looked nicely set, taking successive fours off former team-mate Dattani as she advanced to her 50 only to be bamboozled soon afterwards by Fi Morris, with Ellie Threlkeld completing a stumping.Gardner might have gone the same way when she misjudged a ball from Sophie Morris, who bowled consistently to finish with 2 for 38, but the opener survived to post her first half-century of the tournament.Having pumped Fi Morris for two leg-side sixes, Gardner’s pursuit of a third proved costly as Katie Mack clasped the catch just inside the rope to trigger Thunder’s fightback. Fi Morris was also the architect of Jodi Grewcock’s downfall, deflecting Cordelia Griffith’s full-blooded drive onto the stumps to run her out and Jones then weighed in by having Flo Miller and Amara Carr leg before sweeping in the same over.Clean hitting by Mady Villiers took her to 35 from 26 with back-to-back boundaries off Jones but, when she was clean bowled by the next delivery, that appeared to signal an end to Sunrisers’ hopes of posting 250. However, the visitors surprisingly returned to Dattani and Phoebe Graham’s expensive medium pace and last pair Munro and Kate Coppack took advantage, adding a valuable 32 to set a slightly adjusted target of 255.Thunder openers Emma Lamb and Seren Smale looked comfortable at the start of the chase, working the ball around with ease and ticking along at above five an over in their stand of 63 from 69. Grewcock finally broke the partnership when Villiers’ diving catch at midwicket accounted for Smale and the spinner also collected the scalp of Lamb, caught top-edging a paddle two short of a deserved half-century.Mack – who registered a hundred in Thunder’s win over Sunrisers earlier in the tournament – looked on course for another match-winning knock with 33 from 42 until Eva Gray trapped her in front.With Threlkeld and Danni Collins both run out after mix-ups, the burden fell on Dattani’s shoulders – and she survived a couple of close calls against Scrivens, with a pull fumbled at midwicket and a stumping chance going begging.But Munro’s sixth over proved decisive as she dismissed Norris and Graham in successive balls and had Dattani caught behind before Jones holed out to long-off to round off the win with 16 deliveries to spare.

Left-arm spinner’s 6 for 26 to skittle Durham for 108 in pursuit of 242

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2024England might not need Jack Leach but Somerset certainly do. The England slow left-armer took 6 for 26 to lead his county to a 133-run victory over Durham in Wednesday’s Metro-Bank One-Day Cup victory at the Riverside.No one played Leach with any comfort on a pitch that was receptive to spin throughout the match, and his bowling ensured that Somerset defended 241 in some comfort to collect their second win in this season’s competition.It also threw into sharp relief the value of Lewis Goldsworthy’s 93 in the visitors’ innings. Durham were eventually dismissed for 108 with Scott Borthwick’s 35 providing home spectators with scant comfort.Somerset’s innings began poorly when Andy Umeed was caught behind off Bas de Leede for nought in the second over and things would have been worse had Paul Coughlin not overstepped when he had George Thomas caught at slip for seven.But Thomas and Lewis Goldsworthy then brought some stability to the innings and then began to milk the home bowling very efficiently. Indeed, the second-wicket pair had put on 119 in 27 overs when Colin Ackermann struck twice in two balls.The off-spinner bowled Thomas for 48 when the 21-year-old attempted an uncharacteristically inelegant hoick to leg and he then bowled James Rew with a magnificent delivery that drifted in before straightening sharply to hit the left-hander’s off stump.Ackermann completed his ten-over spell with figures of 2 for 35, meaning that he and George Drissell had delivered their twenty overs of spin for only 79 runs. However, Sean Dickson joined Goldsworthy in a 65-run stand in a shade above 12 overs before Coughlin became the second home bowler to take wickets with successive deliveries.Having made 37, Dickson chopped the ball onto his stumps, and then Josh Thomas’s waft outside the off stump gave Mustard his second catch. Two overs later Coughlin took his third wicket when Goldsworthy pulled the seamer to Jonathan Bushnell at deep midwicket and the last six overs of the innings saw the usual trading of quick runs for wickets.Kacey Aldridge and Jack Davey both made twenties and Bushnell picked up two cheap wickets in the final over. Coughlin finished with 3 for 47, de Leede took 2 for 53 and Daniel Hogg bowled five overs for 19 runs on debut.Durham’s pursuit of 242 for victory began well when Alex Lees and Ben McKinney put on 40 in under eight overs but the loss of four wickets for eight runs ruined the good work. Having made 17, McKinney lofted Alfie Ogborne to Jack Leach at mid-on and a few moments later Lees was lbw to Davey for 18.Then Leach struck twice in his first over, first by having Ackermann caught behind for four and then bowling Michael Jones for a fourth-ball duck. A score of 48 for 4 allowed Dickson to give Charlie Cassell his first bowl for Somerset and the debutant sent down three tidy overs for nine runs before giving way to Goldsworthy’s left-arm spinners.Next over, the wheels finally became detached from Durham’s innings when de Leede was bowled by Leach for 12 and Bushnell was lbw for nought. At that stage, Leach’s figures were four for 11 from 3.3 overs and Durham were 70 for 6.The home side’s last realistic hope of victory disappeared with the score on a hundred when Borthwick smacked a short ball from the leg-spinner Umeed straight to Leach at midwicket and departed for 35. Leach completed his five-wicket haul when he had Coughlin caught by Rew for a single and took his sixth wicket when Haydon Mustard was dismissed for 12 in similar fashion.The game ended in the next over when Drissell was caught behind off Goldsworthy for a single.

The last few seasons have seen Chelsea completely overhaul their squad.

While there have been a few mistakes along the way, it would be fair to say the club look like they now have a team full of incredibly talented players.

Arguably, the most exhilarating of the lot has been Cole Palmer, who, since his arrival from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, has been nothing short of world-class for the Blues.

So, fans should be tremendously excited about recent reports linking the West Londoners to another talent who has won comparisons to the game-changing Englishman.

Chelsea target Premier League signings

Chelsea have already made a few signings from outside England this summer, but, if reports are to be believed, the club are also looking at several stars from the Premier League, such as Joao Pedro and Murillo.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could reportedly cost up to £60m, and while that is a significant amount of money, he was fairly effective in limited minutes this season, scoring ten goals and providing seven assists in 30 appearances, totalling 2,136 minutes.

Murillo, on the other hand, could cost the Blues up to £80m, but given his incredible performances at the back for Nottingham Forest this year, that once again may well be a fee worth paying.

However, as transformational as these two players could be for Maresca’s side, neither one can really be compared to Palmer, unlike Harvey Elliott.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a number of teams interested in the Liverpool gem this summer.

Alongside the Blues, the report claims that Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, and Borussia Dortmund are all keen on the 22-year-old talent.

However, alongside the intense competition for his services, the West Londoners will have to pay a substantial sum of money to secure their man, with the report claiming that the Reds want at least £50m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Elliott’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he’s won comparisons to Palmer.

How Elliott compares to Palmer

In this instance, the primary comparison to Palmer originates from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and came to the conclusion that the Chelsea gem has been the eighth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Elliott over the last 365 days.

Elliott & Palmer
Statistics per 90	Elliott	Palmer
Non-Penalty Expected G+As	0.69	0.68
Goals per Shot	0.06	0.09
Goals per Shot on Target	0.25	0.25
Key Passes	2.44	2.45
Interceptions	0.24	0.31
Successful Take-On %	44.4%	45.1%
Carries into the Penalty Area	1.22	1.15
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season

The best way to understand how this conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked incredibly closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, goals per shot and shot on target, interceptions, carries into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

However, the similarities extend beyond the statistics, as the young Liverpool gem, like the Blues star, has demonstrated an ability to play in multiple positions, with attacking midfield and right-wing his most played.

Moreover, should this transfer go through, then it would be another example of the West Londoners bringing in a younger talent from one of their rivals who’s just not getting the game time he deserves at the moment.

On top of that, even though he’s had to play a bit-part role at Anfield this season, the 22-year-old “machine,” as dubbed by journalist Sam McGuire, has still got some seriously impressive underlying numbers, which suggests that were he given more regular game time, he could seriously explode.

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals, the top 2% for progressive passes and passes attempted, the top 8% for non-penalty expected goals, and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, there would undoubtedly be some risk in signing Elliott this summer, but there was also plenty of risk in signing an unproven Palmer in 2023, and thanks to their similarities, this feels like a risk Chelsea should take.

Chelsea ready to offer six-year deal to £45m player, talks "now advancing"

The west Londoners could make their next signing soon.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 27, 2025

Adelaide, meanwhile, has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2024

More Australia-England Test cricket…what’s not to love•Getty Images

Australia and England will play a one-off Test at the MCG in March 2027 to mark 150 years of the format. The confirmation of the anniversary fixture in Melbourne came as Cricket Australia [CA] and state governments announced that the MCG, SCG and Adelaide Oval had locked in seven-year staging agreements for their regular Tests.The Test in 2027 will replicate the Centenary Test of 1977 which Australia won by 45 runs, matching the margin of the first Test played in 1877. In 1977, Rod Marsh and Derek Randall struck centuries while Dennis Lillee claimed 11 wickets.The annual Boxing Day (Melbourne) and New Year’s Tests (Sydney) have been guaranteed in until 2030-31 while Adelaide has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test after the South Australia government made a pitch for the New Year’s Test.Although the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) is only inked up to early 2027, England and India have confirmed tours in the four years after that.Related

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Ashes 2025-26: CA schedules Brisbane day-night Test after Perth opener

Is this the end for the Gabba?

Meanwhile, Optus Stadium in Perth will host the opening Test of the season for the next three seasons. Mike Baird, the Cricket Australia chair, said that it was the Western Australian government’s decision not to seek a longer deal. That means next year’s Ashes will start in the west rather than the traditional Gabba in Brisbane. They will then host New Zealand at the start of the 2026-27 season.The future of Gabba has been left clouded amid uncertainty over the redevelopment plans for the stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics and only the next two seasons – matches against India and England – have been confirmed with a chance the Gabba doesn’t host a Test for a considerable time after that. The 2026-27 season will be the first time in 50 years that the Gabba won’t host a Test.”In Brisbane it is harder [to plan] because of the infrastructure,” Baird said. “There is just uncertainty, so we’re not sure of the long-term solution. What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution.”We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Adelaide is the traditional home of day-night Test cricket having hosted seven of the 12 matches held in Australia although the new agreement does not guarantee that all future Tests there will be pink-ball encounters and the 2025-26 Ashes Test will be a red-ball game with Brisbane hosting the day-nighter. Adelaide Oval will also host a New Year’s Eve BBL game for the next seven years.England will tour for a five-match Ashes series in 2025-26 and New Zealand will be the visitors in 2026-27. The latter series will be extended to four Tests from the original three on the FTP and be played in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Australia are then due to tour India for five Tests in January and February 2027.With the additional anniversary Test, there is a potential squeeze on the calendar in March 2027 with Australia due to host Bangladesh in two matches which are part of the World Test Championship. There is a chance those games will be moved although under the current WTC structure would need to be played ahead of the June 2027 final.Although rival states made attempts to take the marquee Christmas and New Year Tests off Melbourne and Sydney it was always an unlikely outcome. Beyond 2026-27 there could be an opportunity for other venues to compete for a Test should the Gabba be unavailable which would bring Hobart and Canberra into the mix. Tasmania has ambitions to host indoor Test cricket at their proposed new multipurpose stadium although that won’t be available until at least 2028.The staging agreements confirmed on Sunday are one of the final big projects completed by outgoing CA CEO Nick Hockley who announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down next March.A future schedule for women’s internationals will be confirmed in the coming months when the next FTP is complete but Adelaide has been guaranteed an ODI or T20I every season.Cricket Australia match allocationsNew South WalesSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s New Year’s Test each summerQueenslandTwo seasons (2024/25 & 2025/26)
Confirmed matches: 1 Men’s Test to be played prior to 30 December each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summerSouth AustraliaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Day/Night Test vs India (2024/25), Men’s Christmas Test (2025/26 to 2030/31), 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer, 1 Women’s T20/ODI each summer and BBL match on New Year’s Eve each summerVictoriaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Boxing Day Test each summer, Women’s 90th Anniversary Day/Night Test vs England in 2024/25 and Men’s 150th Anniversary Test vs England in 2026/27Western AustraliaThree seasons (2024/25 to 2026/27)
Confirmed matches: First Men’s Test each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer

Keshav Maharaj bowled 28 overs unchanged from the Media Centre End, albeit with weather-related interruptions, as South Africa frustrated West Indies on the third day of a rain-affected Test. The squeeze only brought four wickets, and with 90 minutes lost in the day and more rain on the way, the chances of victory for either side seems slim, but South Africa will consider themselves as having the upper hand.West Indies are 212 runs behind on a slow, dry pitch, and runs continue to be hard to come by. South Africa only added 13 runs to their overnight score but managed their highest first innings total in nine away Tests since Christchurch 2022 but needed quick wickets to make it count. They were blunted by the West Indies’ line-up and committed a few lapses in the field on a surface unsuited to urgency.Batting has been laboured so far and the early signs on the third morning were that it would become even more difficult. The second ball, from Jayden Seales, kept low and Wiaan Mulder was fortunate that it did not seam back in enough to take out off stump.Still, South Africa seemed to have a clear directive to score quickly and Kagiso Rabada led the charge. He flicked Seales through backward square leg and then attempted a drive but edged wide of second slip in a productive over. His intent did not last long. Rabada faced five more balls before Jomel Warrican found the edge and Joshua Da Silva did the rest. Seales finished off when he bowled Lungi Ngidi six balls later to end South Africa’s innings 20 minutes into the session. They added just 13 runs to their overnight score.West Indies were in the field for 117.4 overs and would have had enough time to know that batting would be tough especially against South Africa’s best. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi shared the new ball and had different but equally testing questions for the openers. Rabada kept it full, Ngidi was more back of a length, and West Indies managed only 23 runs in their first ten overs. Mulder, playing as the third seamer, replaced Ngidi but when Rabada’s spell ended, South Africa were forced to turn to spin early.Maharaj was given the ball in the 13th over and came close to an early breakthrough. In his second over, Maharaj drew Kraigg Brathwaite forward and induced the edge, which lobbed low but carried to Aiden Markram at slip. However, he could not hold on. Brathwaite was on 7 off 43 balls at the time. Brathwaite went on to cut Maharaj through point for his first four but, much like South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma on day two, was content to spend time at the crease and let the runs come from the other end.Mikyle Louis was more proactive, particularly through the covers, with four of his five boundaries coming in that region. He hit the single that took West Indies to fifty which was also the fourth half-century opening stand between him and Brathwaite in three Tests and helped West Indies nearly get through the session unscathed. But, the ball before lunch, Louis played for turn to a Maharaj arm ball and was bowled.Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty put on 60 for the second wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Play was delayed for 55 minutes after the scheduled second-session restart, but one over later, rain forced another 20-minute break. The interruptions had no effect on Brathwaite’s concentration as he hit Maharaj for six three overs into the second session, but left it to Keacy Carty to do most of the attacking. On debut, Carty impressed with his assuredness and played the shot of the day when he got up on his toes to punch Rabada behind point for four.With their options limited to four frontline bowlers, South Africa had to keep Maharaj at one end – and he kept Brathwaite quiet for a period in which the West Indian captain scored just 6 runs off 37 balls from him – and rotate through the three seamers and matters became pedestrian. None of them looked like taking a wicket but a chance came in the field when Carty, on 28, defended a Mulder ball to point and took off a run but had Ryan Rickelton to contend with. Carty turned back and if Rickelton’s throw was accurate he would have been caught short of his ground but the ball went wide and Carty batted on. Three overs later, Carty was on 32 and hit Maharaj aerially to cover. Tristan Stubbs ran back to take the catch over his shoulder but misjudged and spilled it.Just when South Africa may have become disheartened, a sedate Brathwaite hit Ngidi to Mulder at mid-on and ran for the single but a direct hit found him on the line and out on the stroke of tea. Brathwaite’s 35 runs took 131 balls, and he maintains the lowest strike rate among batters who have scored 5,000 Test runs since 2001. With the interval, came the rain and there was a further 35 minute delay before the start of the last session.Seven balls into the evening, a Maharaj ball ended Carty’s debut innings as it skidded and struck him on the front pad. Aiden Markam, operating as South Africa’s second spinner, could have had another five overs later when Kavem Hodge, on 3, edged but Kyle Verreynne did not react quickly enough to hold on. Instead, Markram was the fielder when Maharaj struck again in the next over. Alick Athanaze edged an arm ball to Markam at slip. Markram and Maharaj bowled out most of the rest of the session, apart from a final late burst by Rabada, who could not remove either Hodge or Jason Holder.

The first of two camps will be at the NCA in Bengaluru later this week while the second would be in early September

Shashank Kishore11-Aug-2024A large squad of India probables, minus those featuring in the Women’s Hundred or Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), will assemble in Bengaluru this week for a fitness and conditioning camp at the National Cricket Academy, as part of their preparation for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 slated to be held between October 3 to 20.The Indian team doesn’t have any international cricket between now and the start of the World Cup, even as the India A team is in Australia for a multi-format series. Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh won’t feature in the first of two camps as they’re away in England for the Hundred, while Jemimah Rodrigues is set for her maiden stint in the WCPL 2024 with Trinbago Knight Riders.Related

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ESPNcricinfo understands the camp is expected to focus largely on fielding and fitness over the first week, before moving into specifics such as spot bowling and range hitting. The BCCI has also engaged a sports psychologist to conduct sessions for the team, in line with a request the captain Harmanpreet Kaur has made repeatedly, to help players open up on their challenges and work with to combat pressure and mental fatigue.The squad that will be picked for the World Cup will then reconvene early September for an intense skill-based camp as part of their final run into the tournament, which India will be attempting to win for the first time after having faltered on a number of occasions under pressure, most-notably against Australia in the final [2020] and semi-finals [2022].2:51

Women’s Asia Cup review: What can India do to strengthen their bowling unit?

Shreyanka Patil, who picked up a finger injury during the Women’s Asia Cup last month, is believed to be on track to make a full recovery before the tournament and will be part of this conditioning camp. There’s guarded optimism around Yastika Bhatia, who is expected to continue with her rehabilitation at the NCA for a posterior cruciate ligament injury in her left knee.Bhatia’s absence has led to the team management experimenting to find a stable No. 3. D Hemalatha and Uma Chetry, who made her debut at the Asia Cup, have been tried at that position. Bhatia last featured in a T20I on the tour of Bangladesh in April.The selectors are keen on a largely spin-based squad. But the uncertainty around the host venue, in the wake of security challenges in Bangladesh due to civil unrest, will also put the spotlight on the pace bowling group.Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar have been the regulars in recent times, with Arundhati Reddy pushing for a regular berth on the back of impressive performances in the domestic season for Kerala as well as for the Delhi Capitals in the WPL. Among other pacers in the fray are Meghna Singh, currently on tour in Australia, and Titas Sadhu.The fast-bowling group will be put through their paces by Troy Cooley, the former Australia fast bowler, who is one of the bowling consultants at the NCA. The group is also expected to play a few intra-squad games in September prior to their departure for the World Cup.

Arsenal are now in “very advanced” talks to sign a “magnificent” player, who could be set to join alongside Viktor Gyokeres, reporter David Ornstein has revealed.

Gunners closing in on Gyokeres

The Gunners have now made major progress in their pursuit of Gyokeres, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that positive talks took place on Sunday night.

The Sweden international has been determined to seal a move to the Emirates Stadium for quite some time, with Romano revealing the striker wouldn’t entertain signing for another club, and the deal is now edging closer to completion.

It will be a major relief to finally get a new centre-forward through the door, especially considering Gyokeres’ goal-scoring statistics from the 2024-25 campaign are seriously impressive.

However, Mikel Arteta is also keen to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch, given that Gabriel’s injury issues during the 2024-25 campaign left the manager a little light on options at centre-back, although Jakub Kiwior did a stellar job in the Brazilian’s absence.

As such, according to an update from Ornstein on X, Arsenal are now “working to complete” a deal to sign Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, with reports from elsewhere revealing the deal is likely to set them back £17m.

The Gunners are in “very advanced” talks to sign Mosquera, with personal terms already done, indicating the defender is keen on making the move to the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta views the centre-back as ideal cover for Gabriel and William Saliba, and the deal now appears to be very close to completion.

"Magnificent" Mosquera could be perfect signing for Arsenal

At 21 years of age, Mosquera still has plenty of time to develop, but the youngster has already established himself as a first-team regular for Valencia, making a combined 73 La Liga appearances over the course of the past two seasons.

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As such, the Spaniard could be ready to fill in for Gabriel and Saliba when required, with Arteta likely to rotate regularly next season, should he have ambitions of competing for both the Premier League and Champions League.

With Kiwior already on the books, Arsenal are starting to look very well-stocked in the centre-back department, ahead of a season in which nothing but winning a major trophy will be deemed good enough for Arteta’s side.

Chelsea are potentially closing in on their next summer signing for Enzo Maresca after an already-busy transfer window.

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It would be a boost for BlueCo.

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They’re expected to be one of the most active Premier League sides in terms of recruitment and player sales before deadline day on September 1, having already sealed a £30 million deal for Liam Delap whilst trying their hand at a host of other men.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea held talks with AC Milan over signing goalkeeper Mike Maignan before the pre-Club World Cup transfer deadline on June 10, but couldn’t quite find an agreement with the Rossoneri, prompting them to leave negotiations for now.

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike was also a top target for Maresca’s side recently, and they again held negotiations with the Bundesliga side in an effort to acquire him before June 10.

However, Eintracht’s lofty £85 million asking price appears to be a major roadblock as things stand, even if Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg recently insisted that he could still be one to watch for Chelsea as we head later into the window.

Chelsea tried to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens before the CWC deadline too, seeing three bids rejected for the 20-year-old, but talks have been ongoing ever since.

Reports suggest that talks have become much more positive between the clubs, and Chelsea are believed to be closer to signing Gittens despite their many failed offers earlier this month.

Chelsea ready six-year contract offer to Jamie Gittens

Now, as per TEAMtalk, Chelsea are ready to offer Gittens a six-year contract with the option of an additional season – and his signing could be done imminently.

The outlet reported yesterday afternoon that a deal may be struck in the ‘next 24 hours’, with Chelsea apparently “on the verge” of finally reaching an agreement for the Englishman, who’s bagged 12 goals and five assists in 49 appearances for Dortmund this season.

If Chelsea do get Gittens over the line, with talks “now advancing”, he won’t be able to feature for them at the CWC, even if Maresca can add new players to his squad thanks to a unique registration window open from today until July 3.

This is because Gittens has already featured for Dortmund at the tournament, so he’ll have to wait to make his Chelsea debut until after the CWC’s conclusion.

While the ex-Man City youngster is seen as a player with vast potential, there is an err of caution from critics surrounding this potential move, especially for a reported fee of around £45 million.

“I think it might be a slight worry given the [reported] fee that’s being discussed here, £45million,” said talkSPORT’s Olly Clink, when asked about Gittens falling down the pecking order at Dortmund recently.

“I know we live in inflated times, but I think you could argue with some of the transfers Chelsea have made in recent times that they have certainly overpaid. It will be another very long contract again as well for Gittens.

“With any player like this, there is potential that they have maybe a brief period where they’re fantastic, and it’s all very exciting, and they’ve got loads of potential, but we’ve already seen a few of those transfers go wrong for Chelsea already, and with these extremely long contracts it then becomes a little bit more difficult to get them off the books.”