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As they do every year, Chelsea made their fair share of signings in the summer.

Some of them have been hits, like Joao Pedro and Estevao – even if he was technically signed last year – but others have struggled, like Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap.

Then there are a few who sit somewhere in between, like Alejandro Garnacho, who hasn’t lit the world alight, but has popped up with goal involvements here and there.

Unfortunately for the Argentine, that might not be enough to save his place in the team, as reports are now linking Chelsea to someone who’d be a massive upgrade.

Chelsea target Garnacho upgrade

It might be around a month and a half until the transfer window officially opens, but that hasn’t stopped the reports linking Chelsea to a number of talented Premier League stars.

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For example, despite being well stacked in the middle of the park, the Blues have been linked with both Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton in recent days.

Now, both of them would undoubtedly improve Enzo Maresca’s squad, but they certainly cannot be described as Garnacho upgrades, unlike Antoine Semenyo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are interested in signing the Bournemouth star.

However, they are not the only ones, as the report also claims that the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool are also all vying for the Ghanaian’s signature.

Fortunately, even though the competition is far from ideal, another story from The Athletic has revealed that the Cherries star has a £65m release clause in his new contract, which will be active for part of January.

It will be a complicated transfer to get done, but given Semenyo’s immense game-changing ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he would be an upgrade on Garnacho.

How Semenyo compares to Garnacho

As Chelsea have lofty ambitions of challenging on all fronts in the coming season, the best place to start when comparing Garnacho to Semenyo is their ability to score or assist goals.

Unfortunately for the former Manchester United ace, doing this makes it quite clear that he is second best when it comes to output.

For example, so far this season, he has scored twice and provided two assists in ten appearances, which comes out to a goal involvement every 2.5 games.

The Bournemouth star, on the other hand, has scored six goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances, which translates to a far better average of a goal or assist every 1.33 games.

Even last season, the Ghanaian international came out ahead as, in 42 games, he scored 13 goals and provided seven assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.1 games.

In contrast, the Blues’ new winger produced 21 goal involvements in 58 appearances, which comes out to a less impressive average of one every 2.76.

The bad news for the Madrid-born ace is that he also comes out as a clear second best when you take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.28

0.22

Progressive Passes

3.55

1.32

Shots on Target

1.09

1.05

Passing Accuracy

69.4%

77.3%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.28

3.15

Goal-Creating Actions

0.64

0.79

Tackles

1.64

1.32

Successful Take-Ons

1.91

1.32

Ball Recoveries

5.27

2.89

Aerial Duels Won

2.36

0.26

For example, while he’s not ahead in every metric, he performs better in the majority of them, including some key ones, such as non-penalty expected goals, progressive passes, shots on target, successful take-ons, and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with all this in mind, it is clear that the Cherries ace is a better player than the West Londoners summer signing, and that Chris Waddle might not be too far off the mark with his claim that he’s currently “the best winger in the country.”

Therefore, while it won’t be easy, Chelsea should do all they can to sign Semenyo in January, as he’s an exceptional player and a clear upgrade on Garnacho.

Their next Caicedo: BlueCo have signed a "world-beater" for Chelsea

The sensational talent could become Chelsea’s next Moises Caicedo.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

Derbyshire 698 for 6 dec (Reece 211, Madsen 198, Andersson 85, Donald 55, Dal 52*) beat Kent 271 (Ekansh 71, Dawkins 61, Morley 5-99) and 198 (Compton 65, Evison 53, Reece 5-63) by an innings and 229 runsDerbyshire routed Kent by an innings and 229 runs in their final Rothesay County Championship match of the season at Canterbury.Luis Reece, who scored 211 in Derbyshire’s only innings, took 5 for 63, while Ben Aitchison and Zak Chappell both took two wickets apiece as the visitors sealed third place in Division Two. Ben Compton was Kent’s top scorer with 65 but the home side already knew they would finish bottom, regardless of the outcome.Kent began day four on 135 for 5 in their second innings, 291 behind, and their tissue-paper thin hopes of avoiding defeat faded when they lost Harry Finch in the fourth over of the morning, lbw to Aitchison for 14.Aitchison, whose sister Holly is in the England squad for today’s Rugby World Cup final with Canada, then got the key wicket of Compton, again lbw and although Corey Flintoff hung around for 35 balls, he eventually pulled Chappell straight to Aneurin Donald at square leg and was caught for 11.Grant Stewart gave a sparse crowd some entertainment, hooking Chappell for six, but the bowler than had Matt Parkinson caught by Donald at short leg for a six-ball duck.The visitors concluded a win that had looked inevitable for the best part of three days when Michael Cohen flashed at Reece and was caught by a diving Brooke Guest, also without scoring. The wicket meant Reece became only the 51st person worldwide to score a double-century and take five wickets in a first-class match.

Newcastle United could do with an injection of positivity after the November international break, having slumped their way down to 14th place in the Premier League after 11 matches.

Gone is the easy fluency of last season, and Eddie Howe has a task on his hands to rekindle the spark at the heart of his Tyneside squad.

While the impending return of Yoane Wissa from injury will add that extra dimension in attack, Howe will be concerned that this current international pause might inflict injury on one of his players in a similar fashion to when Wissa damaged his knee back in September, before he had even kicked a ball for the Toon.

No such bad news at the moment, though watching England defeat Serbia in their penultimate World Cup qualifier has issued a sombre reminder that PIF must do all that they can to bring Elliot Anderson back to St. James’ Park. How about that for an injection of positivity?

The latest on Newcastle's interest in Elliot Anderson

Anderson, 23, left Newcastle for Nottingham Forest in 2024, arriving at the City Ground after a fee in the region of £35m had been agreed.

How PIF must regret that PSR-influenced decision, with Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel recently hailing Anderson as being “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” before his latest performance alongside Declan Rice, impressing as England claimed a professional 2-0 win.

So combative, cultured and composed in the middle of the park, the Tyneside-born talent never managed to spread his wings for his boyhood club, but he has made such impressive progress since leaving and forging his own path.

Howe, it should go without saying, would love nothing more than to bring Anderson back home, having expressed last month how the sale “didn’t sit right with me”, and intimating his desire to strike a transfer down the line.

It won’t be easy, though; far from it. Anderson’s all-encompassing qualities in the engine room have been picked up by some of the Premier League’s finest, with Arsenal and Manchester United among those looking to complete a deal for the £100m-rated midfielder.

Whether Newcastle manage to bring him back is anyone’s guess, but they must not let the same thing happen again, especially when there’s a new Geordie talent looking to break into the first team.

The Newcastle talent who could be bigger than Anderson

Newcastle will look for ways to bring Anderson back to St. James’ Park, but sadly there is no certainty that they will win the race for his signature.

That’s why they must prove they have learned from their blunder and ensure Sean Neave has a clear pathway from the academy to the first team.

The 18-year-old has been prolific right from the get-go this season, and his mature, confident displays are beginning to see a level of noise rise around him, with Howe sure to be considering handing him a professional breakthrough before long, should the right opportunity arrive.

While Neave hasn’t featured for the senior side yet, he was involved in Newcastle’s pre-season preparations this summer and is clearly viewed as having the potential to wedge his way into the fray.

Moreover, he was this week awarded an award during the annual Sport Newcastle ceremony for ’embodying the Newcastle spirit’, with Dan Burn taking the cake for the men’s team.

Though it’s a big leap from the world of development football to the major stage, Neave is nothing if not clinical, with an ease and accuracy in the final third that should lend itself to success in the Premier League for the seniors, albeit with physicality and maturity further elements that must be woven into the youngster’s game.

But given that he’s only just entered adulthood, there is every reason for United fans to get excited by this one. Magpie Media have already described him as “the best Geordie striker prospect in a long, long time”, after all.

If Neave reaches even the rim of what his potential suggests is possible, there’s every chance that Newcastle could have an even bigger talent than Anderson on their hands, and one who must not be allowed to leave for new pastures before being handed a shot at the big time.

Newcastle have already paid for that mistake, and they may pay more still if they succeed in re-signing Anderson. That would be a rousing transfer for the club, but one which would come at what could have been an avoidable financial cost.

Lighting surely won’t strike twice. Neave’s goalscoring efforts for the development teams underscore his quality and the importance of easing him into the first-team action under Howe’s wing.

Newcastle U18

37

21 (7)

Newcastle U21

21

9 (4)

Newcastle YL

9

2 (1)

Newcastle

–

–

With a brace netted against Burnley last week, Neave is finding his feet for the U21s, and it’s surely only a matter of time until he is unleashed in the Premier League, just searching for that extra steel in his physicality to prove he’s every bit as talented as Anderson, maybe even more so.

One of "Newcastle's best signings" under Howe is now on borrowed time

Newcastle’s need for change has gone beyond making tactical tweaks.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 14, 2025

Arsenal are poised to hold talks with a marquee forward about joining Mikel Arteta’s side as the Gunners plan to be active in the January window, according to a new report.

Arsenal squad depth attracts praise after busy summer

Arsenal’s current campaign is increasingly defined by their excellent squad depth, arguably the best in the Premier League.

Despite consistent injuries in key areas, Arteta’s side have shown an ability not just to cope, but to thrive.

The summer’s heavy investment in new faces is already paying dividends, with Arsenal five points clear at the top of the table and on an unprecedented 18-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Brentford

Arsenal sealed a 2–0 win over Brentford on Wednesday, tightening their grip on the title race.

The routine win came courtesy of an early header from makeshift number nine Mikel Merino, who scored his 21st goal this calendar year, and a late strike from Bukayo Saka — despite Arteta enforcing an array of personnel changes.

What stands out is how Arsenal have seamlessly filled the gaps when injuries arise.

Arteta noted this week that this is one of the club’s “worst” injury spells in recent memory — and yet, the squad’s backup options have all stepped up to do their jobs.

Key defenders and attackers are still sidelined, and further absences could stretch the squad.

Gabriel Magalhaes is still weeks away from returning, and Arteta is waiting to discover the true extent of Cristhian Mosquera’s injury after he was hauled off against Brentford.

Kai Havertz also won’t be back for weeks after suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee problem.

£282k-a-week star expressing wish to join Arsenal as agents open talks

His exit is a real possibility.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 4, 2025

That being said, Arsenal look better equipped than ever before to handle a long, demanding season — and, crucially, to maintain their push towards a first league title in 22 years.

Arsenal to 'directly contact' Juventus star Kenan Yildiz about joining

Despite their plethora of options right now, a report from Turkish Football now claims that Berta and Arteta are planning for the January window, and one man attracting their serious attention is Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz.

The Serie A rising star is currently Juve’s top performer, bagging four goals and three assists in the Italian top flight already this season after finishing last campaign as their standout attacker as well (WhoScored).

The 20-year-old is a wanted man in the Premier League, with Fabrizio Romano stating that Chelsea are big fans of Yildiz.

However, a lot of reports centre around Arsenal’s interest.

Corriere dello Sport stated earlier this week that Arsenal have held ‘new’ talks with Yildiz’s entourage, and this is backed up by Turkish Football.

The Gunners have already made their interest known to the player’s agents, but it is now believed that Arsenal will also ‘directly contact’ Yildiz about joining them after speaking to his representatives.

Yildiz’s ability to perform on the wing or almost anywhere across the front line — combined with his recent performances for club and country — make him an attractive target, with Juve still unwilling to meet his contract demands.

The impetus for the approach appears twofold.

On one hand, Yildiz’s contract renewal talks at Juventus have stalled, opening the door for Berta. On the other, Arsenal’s management seems determined to boost attacking depth — even after a major summer recruitment drive — perhaps aiming to add more youthful creativity and unpredictability to their forward line.

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard are also out of contract in under two years, and Yildiz would be a stellar option to replace them.

The Old Lady are poised to demand an eye-watering fee, though, reportedly around £88 million for their prized asset who ex-Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri called a ‘special talent’.

Juve may not find a club willing to shell out that much on Yildiz, but what’s crystal clear is that English sides are taking note of his exploits.

Check out the growing list of male cricketers who have gone across borders to play more international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2025Former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor un-retiring to play for Samoa makes him the latest in a growing list of men who have turned out for more than one country.The first dual international was all the way back in 1881-82, when Billy Midwinter played for England in a three-Test series after having played two Tests for Australia against England. He went back to representing Australia and played six more Tests.In those early years Billy Murdoch, John Ferris, Sammy Woods, Frank Hearne, Albert Trott and Frank Mitchell did the same – playing Test cricket for Australia and England. Then there was the Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan, who played for England and India, and subsequently the instances of players who played for India and then Pakistan after the partition of the country in 1947.In the new millennium, among the players who have represented at least one Full Member team, only 18 male cricketers are recorded to have played for two countries in international cricket before Gavin Hamilton (Scotland and England) in 1999. Since then, excluding Hamilton, who went back to Scotland and played through the 2000s, there have been 25.T20 stars find new homesThe best known among these is Tim David, who played the last of his 14 T20Is for Singapore, where his father worked as an engineer, in 2020 before appearing for Australian against India in Mohali in September 2022.David Wiese had a stop-start career with South Africa as a bowling allrounder, playing six ODIs and 20 T20Is for them before shifting his loyalties to Namibia, for whom he has been a star player. Since the move in 2021, he has played nine ODIs and 34 T20Is for his new team and, like David, is popular in the franchise-league circuit.Tim David is one of the most in-demand players in the franchise T20 circuit•Getty ImagesAnother such cricketer is Hayden Walsh, who emerged as West Indies’ next big short-format spinner in November 2019, not long after playing for USA in Sandy’s Parish against Canada, Bermuda and Cayman Islands. But 25 ODIs and 39 T20Is (combined, for USA and West Indies) later, at 33, he appears to have fallen off the radar.Africans on the moveDaniel Jakiel played two T20Is for Zimbabwe in 2019 before moving to Malawi, for whom he has played 39 times, while Gregory Strydom played 12 ODIs for Zimbabwe, all in 2016, and then moved to Cayman Islands, where he has played six T20Is, all in 2019.Related

Former NZ international Tom Bruce switches to Scotland

Taylor comes out of retirement to play for Samoa

And then there are the more high-profile names, like Gary Ballance, who has played Test cricket for England and Zimbabwe – much like Kepler Wessels, who played Test cricket for Australia and South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s. Roelof van der Merwe, 40, is still going strong for Netherlands after switching from South Africa in 2015. He should be in action at the 2026 T20 World Cup too.Peter Moor moved from Zimbabwe to Ireland but retired as the 17th player to play Test cricket for two countries, without turning out for Ireland in ODIs or T20Is. Juan ‘Rusty’ Theron, who moved from South Africa in 2012 and became eligible to play for USA in 2019, hasn’t actually played international cricket since 2022. He was last seen in competitive cricket at the 2023 Major League Cricket before moving to the retired-cricketers circuit.Joe Burns, the new Italy captain•International Cricket CouncilThe Italian JobNews of an Italy team selection wouldn’t normally catch the attention of the rest of the cricket world but it did when Joe Burns, the former Australia Test opener, changed allegiance thanks to his mother’s heritage and was named Italy’s captain.Burns was not the first dual-international to play for Italy – that was former England fast bowler Jade Dernbach, who made the switch in 2019. He hasn’t played for Italy since October 2021 though.Eoin Morgan, the Ireland man in England, poses with the 2019 World Cup trophy•Getty ImagesThe England-Ireland switchEoin Morgan and fast bowler Boyd Rankin moved from Ireland to England well before Ireland became a Full Member nation, and Ed Joyce moved the other way after the step up for Ireland.Of them, Morgan was the biggest achiever, with the 2019 ODI World Cup win as captain the biggest highlight. Rankin retired in 2021 after having played most of his 13 years of international cricket for Ireland. He represented England in one Test, seven ODIs and two T20Is.Joyce played his only Test match for Ireland, but stood out for playing successive ODI World Cups for different countries. He helped Ireland qualify for the 2007 edition but played the tournament for England, and then switched back to Ireland in time for the 2011 tournament.Ross Taylor will become the latest in a long line of New Zealand cricketers to move to another country•Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTo New Zealand, from New ZealandTom Bruce became the latest to make the switch from New Zealand, to Scotland in August 2025, and is currently in action for his new team at the World Cup League 2 matches in Canada.He is not the first to make the journey, one way or the other.Corey Anderson might be the biggest name of the lot. His Test and ODI careers, from 2013 to 2017, were entirely for New Zealand – 13 and 49 matches in each formats respectively. His 42 T20Is have been more diverse: 31 for New Zealand, and the last 11 for USA.Mark Chapman went from Hong Kong to New Zealand. Now 31, Chapman was born in Hong Kong and played for them from 2014 to 2016 before moving full-time to New Zealand, for whom he has been a regular, especially in T20Is, for the past few years.Michael Rippon played all his nine ODIs for Netherlands but has played one T20I (out of 19) for New Zealand after making the switch in 2022.Luke Ronchi played for Australia in 2008-09 and then for New Zealand from 2013 to 2017. He became the first man to represent two Full Member countries in around two decades, Wessels having been the previous one. Ronchi played all his four Tests for New Zealand, four of his 85 ODIs for Australia and the rest for New Zealand, and three of his 33 T20Is for Australia and the rest for New Zealand.Geraint Jones, from Ashes-winning catch to Papua New Guinea•Getty ImagesDirk Nannes, Geraint Jones, and the restDirk Nannes played his only ODI for Australia, against Scotland, in 2009, not long after switching from Netherlands after having played two T20Is. He went on to play 15 T20Is for Australia but is better known for his exploits in franchise T20 cricket.Geraint Jones, best remembered for the catch that won England the Edgbaston Test in the 2005 Ashes, played 34 Tests and two T20Is for England, but played for both England and Papua New Guinea in ODIs – 49 for England, and two for PNG.Some of the other modern dual internationals are Izatullah Dawlatzai (Afghanistan and Germany), Amjad Khan (England and Denmark), Xavier Marshall (West Indies and USA) and Ryan Campbell (Australia and Hong Kong).

Wrexham are being advised to splash more cash in the January transfer window, despite seeing Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac oversee a record-breaking recruitment drive in the summer of 2025. Phil Parkinson has suggested that calls to spend again may be ignored, with the Red Dragons not expecting to be particularly busy in the new year.

Record spend: Wrexham invested £30m-plus in summer window

More than £30 million ($39m) was invested in fresh faces at SToK Racecourse ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. On the back of three successive promotions, another overhaul of Parkinson’s squad was required in order to have it ready for life in the second tier.

Not every deal done has been a resounding success, despite bringing plenty of Premier League pedigree to North Wales. It was, however, always going to be tricky bedding in 13 new arrivals and getting them to hit the ground running.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTransfer plans: What Wrexham have in store for January

With consistency having been an issue at times, there have been calls for Wrexham to strengthen again when another market opens for business on January 1. Parkinson, though, is now seeking stability and continuity.

Quizzed on his transfer plans, Wrexham’s manager told : “We'll monitor the injury situation, but we made a lot of changes in the summer and I feel we're only just getting a settled feel in the building. We won't be making too many changes in the January window. We want to continue to work with the players we've got. When you bring in 13 players, that's a big turnaround.”

EFL pundit tips Wrexham to splash the cash

Former EFL player turned pundit Don Goodman is among those to have advised Wrexham to ask Reynolds and Mac for more money early in 2026. He has told : “What you are seeing at the minute is loads of teams that are evenly matched and that gives a real opportunity. And it could be that Wrexham might not get a better opportunity. So, with that in mind, I think there probably will be money available in January, if necessary.

“If they go and spend money in January, I would expect it to be quality over quantity. I would expect maybe it would be a couple of players brought in that would go straight into the starting 11 and improve them rather than players brought in for the squad.

“When I look at that table, they are one of four teams, from 11th to 14th, on 21 points, which is four points off a play-off spot. I would expect them to have a real go, and spend some money in January. I don't know whether financial fair play will kick in and play a part so they'll have to really be careful and get some out before getting some in. But I would expect them to have a go.”

Parkinson is aware of what is being said by others, but that does not mean that he has to listen. He has done things his way at Wrexham since taking the reins in 2021 – enjoying a historic run of success in the process.

He added when asked again if he could look to heed Goodman’s advice and dip into the transfer market for quality over quantity: “I don't think we'll need a lot. We're always looking and, of course, you never rest on your laurels as a manager or as a group of staff, but equally, I don't want to disrupt the group too much.”

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Getty/GOALAnother promotion push? Next up for Wrexham

Reynolds and Mac have always been prepared to dig into their pockets if Parkinson feels the need to bolster his ranks. Record revenue has been generated by the Red Dragons, and that is helping to further enhance any recruitment budgets.

Wrexham are, however, in a relatively comfortable position at present. With Parkinson welcoming players back from injury and fresh faces feeling more settled in new surroundings, another promotion push cannot be ruled out. A return to Championship action after the November international break will be made when taking on Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday.

The defending champions are off to a flying start with their stand-in captain leading from the front

AAP11-Nov-2025

Melbourne Renegades 151 for 6 (Wareham 58*) beat Sydney Thunder 148 for 7Melbourne Renegades captain Georgia Wareham has claimed back-to-back player-of-the-match awards in a four-wicket win over Sydney Thunder.Filling in for the injured Sophie Molineux, Wareham smashed 58 off 32 deliveries in the run chase at Junction Oval after claiming 2 for 25 with her legspin.Wareham had starred just two days previously against Brisbane Heat with bat and ball and she backed that up.The heavens opened on several occasions during the match but the players pressed on through it. After the Thunder made 148 for 7 in their 20 overs the Renegades were in trouble at 73 for 5.Wareham and Nicole Faltum (37 off 26 deliveries) then combined in a match winning partnership that enabled the hosts to coast to victory with 11 balls to spare.Wareham’s placement was superb as she compiled her runs with minimal risk and plenty of nous in her fifth WBBL half-century .Earlier, Thunder had a solid start provided by Georgia Voll (26) and Tahlia Wilson (30). But from 60 without loss they slipped to 79 for four and that was largely due to the influence of Wareham.In her four accurate overs she dismissed the dangerous Thunder captain Phoebe Litchfield for just 12. Power hitting by Heather Knight and Anika Learoyd at the death gave the visitors a decent total but not enough to stop Wareham and Faltum.