Manchester United drew 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime. It took a late Matthijs de Ligt goal to secure a point, after being 1-0 up at half-time. Not only did United let the three points slip out of their grasp, but striker Benjamin Sesko picked up an injury.

The Slovenian didn’t start the game in North London, coming on in the second half. He suffered a knee problem late in the clash after a tackle by Mickey van de Ven prevented him from getting a shot off.

Ruben Amorim said after the game that he is “concerned” about the striker’s issue.

It is currently unclear how long the 22-year-old will be out injured for, but Amorim has three different options to replace him.

1 The logical option

There is only one other number 9 in the United squad: Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman is a superb technical player who is brilliant at bringing his teammates into the game with holdup play and silky footwork.

He ended his debut campaign at United strongly, with ten goals and assists, including a crucial header in the Europa League away from home against Lyon. However, he’s fallen out of favour under the Portuguese manager this term.

It certainly hasn’t been easy for the Dutchman in 2025/26. He’s only made five appearances across all competitions, playing 90 minutes in total and not starting a game. He hasn’t even had a chance to prove himself this term.

However, with his ability to link play together and facilitate the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, the 24-year-old could be a game-changer for United. He’s their only other senior number striker and has shown great promise when given a chance.

2 The wildcard option

The suggested wildcard shout is, ironically, something Amorim has done more often this season than the logical option. That consists of bringing Mason Mount into the starting lineup and playing a flexible front three consisting of the Englishman, Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Although he has been struck down with injury a lot for United, the 26-year-old clearly has an abundance of quality. When fit, he has been a trusted lieutenant under Amorim, playing 29 games for the Red Devils boss, scoring four times and assisting one.

In fact, those strikes certainly highlight the quality the number seven brings to United’s side. Look at his finish against Athletic Club in the Europa League last season, taking the ball on the half turn and curling his effort home. That is classic Mount.

This solution would offer Amorim lots of energy up front, with all three players excellent pressers. United fans would also witness fluid rotations in possession, although the lack of a natural number 9 might make them less of a threat in the box.

3 The academy option

Using players from the academy has always been a huge part of the DNA at Old Trafford. Well, in light of Sesko’s injury, Amorim could turn to 17-year-old Chido Obi to help fill the void left at centre-forward.

The former Arsenal youngster has played first-team football in the red of United since his move to Manchester last summer. He’s featured eight times under Amorim, even starting away to Brentford in the Premier League.

It is at academy level that the former Gunners star has made a real impression. Obi has scored six goals for United’s U21 side and has bagged 12 times in ten games for the U18s. It is no surprise that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta previously described him as a “massive goal threat.” Gunners podcaster Will Balsam once even described the prodigy as a “homegrown Osimhen”.

Obi has played against senior sides in the EFL Trophy this season and has made a real impression, grabbing three goal involvements in as many games. Against Barnsley, he got a goal and an assist, having two shots on target, creating one chance and winning three duels.

Touches

20

Shots

3

Shots on target

2

Ground duels won

3

Key passes

1

Goals

1

Assists

1

Picking the Denmark U20 striker to replace Sesko could be seen as a risk from Amorim. Yet, the Red Devils boss clearly trusts and rates the striker, having given him regular minutes in the top flight last season.

There are a few options for the United boss, and it will be fascinating to see which route he takes if Sesko is sidelined for a long period.

Forget Mbeumo: "Phenomenal" Man Utd star was the real player of the month

Bryan Mbeumo has won the Premier League Player of the Month, but one other Manchester United star may feel hard done by.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 7, 2025

امتدح الألماني هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة، لاعبه رافينها، عقب الفوز أمام أتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني، وأكد أن أداء الفريق كان مذهلاً وأن هذه المواجهة ستكون نقطة تحول.

وتغلب برشلونة على أتلتيكو مدريد بنتيجة 3-1، على ملعب “سبوتيفاي كامب نو” في إطار مواجهات الليجا (الدوري الإسباني) لموسم 2025-2026.

وقال فليك في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “أعتقد أن أداءنا كان على مستوى آخر، لعبنا ضد فريق رائع، كافحنا معًا، وهذا ما رأيته اليوم، كان رائعًا، بل مذهلًا”.

وأضاف: “أنا راضٍ جدًا، من المهم جدًا استعادة اللاعبين، هناك بعض اللاعبين ليسوا في كامل لياقتهم، لذلك اضطررنا لإجراء تغييرات، سيطرنا على المباراة بشكل أكبر، وخلقنا مساحات أكبر، كان الأمر إيجابيًا للغاية”.

وشدد: “رافينها لاعب مهم جدًا لنا، عودته رائعة للفريق، رأيناه اليوم، ورأيناه أيضًا في المباراة الأخيرة، عندما يكون في الملعب، يزيد من ديناميكية الفريق وكثافته، وهذا واضحٌ على أرض الملعب، لقد منحنا الكثير من الإيجابيات، أنا سعيد جدًا بالنتيجة وبالثلاث نقاط”.

اقرأ أيضًا | سيميوني بعد هزيمة أتلتيكو مدريد: لا أعرف كيف لم يفز لاعب برشلونة بالكرة الذهبية

وأوضح فليك حالة لاعبيه: “بيدري بخير، إنه متعب قليلًا، أولمو يعاني من مشكلة في الكتف، سنرى حالته غدًا”.

وعن بيدري، أشار: “إنه لاعب استثنائي، أنا سعيد لأنه لم يحتج إلى وقت ليستعيد مستواه السابق، لقد رأينا ذلك أمام ألافيس واليوم، لقد أتقن الربط بين الدفاع والهجوم بشكل رائع”.

وأردف المدرب الألماني: “من الجيد دائمًا اكتساب الثقة ضد فريق مثل أتلتيكو مدريد، سنرى إن كانت هذه نقطة تحول، أعتقد أنها كانت واحدة من أفضل مبارياتنا؛ لقد أعجبني حقًا ما شاهدته طوال التسعين دقيقة، نستحق النقاط الثلاث”.

وواصل: “كانت هذه هي الخطوة التي كنت أتطلع إليها، لعبنا بشكل رائع اليوم، وتحسن أداؤنا بشكل كبير في جميع الجوانب، سيطر أتلتيكو على أول ثلاث أو أربع أو خمس دقائق، ثم سيطرنا على مجريات اللعب، كان بإمكاننا تسجيل ركلة جزاء أيضًا، لكننا لم نستسلم، أنا فخور بما شاهدته”.

وأكد فليك: “لقد تقدمنا ​​خطوة للأمام، والآن علينا أن نلعب ضد بيتيس، وهو فريق رائع، علينا أن نسعى للفوز”.

Victor Robles has apologized for the weekend incident where he threw a bat at a minor league pitcher after he was hit by another pitch while on a rehab assignment with the Seattle Mariners' Triple A Tacoma Rainiers. Robles returned from the IL last week after missing four months because of a dislocated shoulder suffered while crashing into the fence making a catch back in April.

Robles was hit twice in his first game back and again in his second game. By the time a pitch came up and in during the sixth game of the series against the Las Vegas Aviators on Sunday, Robles had had enough.

Late last night he posted an apology on Instagram.

Robles was released by the Washington Nationals in June 2024 and signed with the Mariners and appeared in 77 games for Seattle last season. He had started the first 10 games of the season for Seattle this year before he was injured.

Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left his team's game Monday against the Pirates after he made an incredible stretch to get an out at first base.

Shortstop Bo Bichette made an off-balanced throw to first on a ground ball that forced Guerrero to stretch as far as he could to capture the ball before Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo could touch the bag. Guerrero did the splits as he caught the ball and kept his back foot on the base to record a miraculous final out to the third inning:

He may have gotten slightly injured on the play, however, as the Blue Jays pinch hit Ty France for Guerrero in the fifth inning, removing the star first baseman from the game. The team provided an official update that he was removed from the game with left hamstring tightness. He did come up a bit gingerly after the acrobatic play, but ran back to the dugout following the out. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Guerrero leads the Blue Jays with 21 home runs this season. He's slashing .300/.398/.500 and has added 68 RBIs in his seventh season with the team. He made a similar play last week to get an out.

MatériaMais Notícias

Criciúma e Juventude se enfrentam neste sábado (13) primeira rodada do Brasileirão 2024. A bola rola a partir das 18h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Heriberto Hülse, com transmissão do Premiere (pay-per-view). Ambas equipes retornam à primeira divisão do Campeonato Brasileiro após conseguirem o acesso no ano passado.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Criciúma e Juventude (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Criciúma x Juventude
1ª rodada – Brasileirão

Data e horário: sábado, 13 de abril de 2024, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Heriberto Hülse, em Criciúma (SC)
Onde assistir: Premiere
Árbitro: Bruno Pereira Vasconcelos (BA)
Assistentes: Luanderson Lima dos Santos (BA) e Paulo de Tarso Bregalda Gussen (BA)

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⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

CRICIÚMA (Técnico: Cláudio Tencati)
Alisson; Claudinho, Rodrigo, Walisson Maia e Marcelo Hermes (Trauco); Barreto, Meritão, Marquinhos Gabriel e Fellipe Mateus; Eder e Renato Kayzer.

JUVENTUDE (Técnico: Artur Jorge)
Gabriel, João Lucas, Danilo Boza, Zé Marcos, Gabriel Inocêncio; Jadson (Mandaca), Caíque, Jean Carlos, Lucas Barbosa, Gilberto, Edson Carioca (Erick Farias)

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Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoCampeonato BrasileiroCriciúmaJuventudeOnde assistir

Wicketkeeper-batter had returned to action with match-winning 90 for India A against South Africa A last week

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2025

Rishabh Pant led India A in the first four-day game against South Africa A•PTI

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has returned to India’s Test squad for the two-match series against South Africa beginning on November 14 in Kolkata.Pant replaced N Jagadeesan while Akash Deep took Prasidh Krishna’s spot in the squad that beat West Indies 2-0 in October. Pant had missed that series as he was recovering from the foot fracture he suffered during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July. Akash Deep was recovering from a back injury that had kept him out of the Duleep Trophy after his return from England; he has since played two rounds of the Ranji Trophy for Bengal. Mohammed Shami, who has played the first three rounds of the Ranji Trophy for Bengal and taken 15 wickets, was not picked.Pant proved his match fitness by captaining India A to victory in the first four-day game against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru last week. Pant made 90 in the second innings as India A chased down a target of 275.India’s Test captain Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are currently playing the T20I series in Australia, and will join the Test squad after the five-match series ends on November 8. Kuldeep Yadav was released from the T20I squad after the third match in Hobart so that he could prepare for the Test series by playing India A’s second four-day game against South Africa A starting on November 6.India play two Tests against South Africa from November 14 in Kolkata, and then from November 22 in Guwahati, a city that will be hosting Test cricket for the first time. India are currently third in the World Test Championship table with 61.90% points; South Africa, meanwhile, are fifth with 50% points, having most recently drawn a series 1-1 in Pakistan.India’s Test squad for South Africa seriesShubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash DeepIndia’s selectors also picked the A squad, led by Tilak Varma with Ruturaj Gaikwad his deputy, for the one-day series against South Africa A. The three matches are on November 13, 16 and 19 in Rajkot.India A’s squad for one-dayers vs South Africa ATilak Varma (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Prabhsimran Singh (wk)

Arsenal have been utterly sensational so far this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are flying in the Champions League, and look near enough unstoppable when it comes to the Premier League.

More impressively, the Gunners tore Tottenham Hotspur to shreds on Sunday afternoon without the man many would consider to have been their best player so far this year: Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian has been sensational in defence and attack, and so fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal with a star who could be looked at as another version of him.

Arsenal target another Gabriel

With the transfer window just over a month away from opening, it’s not been a surprise to see reports starting to link Arsenal with some brilliant players in recent weeks.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, while the Gunners are fairly well-stacked in the position, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson has been touted for a £120m switch to the Emirates.

Likewise, despite Leandro Trossard’s impressive form this year, Kenan Yıldız continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League title challengers.

However, while incredibly talented, neither of these players can really be compared to Gabriel, unlike Murillo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of a few clubs interested in the Brazilian defender.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Barcelona are keen to sign the talented centre-back, who Forest value at up to €90m, which is about £79m.

Therefore, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given his ability and similarities to Gabriel, one Arsenal should be pursuing.

Why Murillo would be another Gabriel

So to start with, there are the more superficial similarities between the pair, such as both being Brazilian centre-backs.

On top of that, there is the fact that when Arsenal signed Gabriel from LOSC Lille in the summer of 2020, he was 22 years old, and if they sign Murillo in the winter window, he’ll be just 23.

However, the comparison goes deeper than that, as, in addition to playing in the same position, the two defenders tend to play in a similar style as well.

For example, while he’s not quite as tall as the Gunners star, the “monstrous” Forest man, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor, is someone who makes the most of his physicality.

Whether it’s in the air or on the ground, the former Corinthians gem is more than happy to go in for a full-throated challenge, which, more often than not, he comes out better off from.

However, don’t let that fool you into thinking the Sao Paulo-born titan is just an old-fashioned defender who can’t compete when it comes to the technical side of the game, as that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Like his compatriot, the 23-year-old is far more accomplished on the ball than most who don’t watch him on a weekly basis would expect.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 5% of centre-backs in the league for successful take-ons, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for through balls and shot-creating actions from live-ball passes, the top 13% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.

% of Dribblers Tackled

100.0%

Top 2%

Blocks

1.83

Top 3%

Shots from Free Kicks

0.12

Top 5%

Interceptions

2.07

Top 5%

Successful Take-Ons

0.49

Top 5%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.12

Top 7%

Passes Blocked

0.85

Top 7%

Ball Recoveries

4.87

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.46

Top 9%

Tkl+Int

3.65

Top 9%

Goals/Shot

0.25

Top 11%

Goals – xG

+0.09

Top 11%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.09

Top 11%

Passes Attempted (Long)

9.99

Top 11%

Through Balls

0.24

Top 11%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

1.10

Top 11%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.12

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

4.87

Top 13%

SCA (Shot)

0.12

Top 13%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.24

Top 13%

Goals

0.12

Top 15%

When you consider those technical qualities alongside the fact that he helped Forest produce one of the defensive record in the country last season, it’s easy to see why one analyst made the bold claim that he’s “one of the best defenders in the Premier League.”

Ultimately, while he might not be on the exact same level as Gabriel – few defenders are – Murillo is clearly an exceptional player. Therefore, Arsenal would be wise to sign him before one of their rivals gets there first.

Arsenal have signed an "unpredictable" star who's the new Ian Wright

The incredible match-winner could be the difference for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 24, 2025

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).

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.

Transfer Focus

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

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

NZ fast bowler experienced side stiffness during training on Saturday

Alex Malcolm25-Oct-2025New Zealand quick Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against England with side stiffness.Jamieson, 30, experienced stiffness in his side during training at Bay Oval on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s series opener. Given Jamieson’s history with stress fractures, including one post back surgery, New Zealand made a precautionary decision to rule him out of the three-match series and is targeting a comeback against West Indies in November.”Kyle experienced some stiffness in his side after bowling today and we didn’t want to take any risks at this stage of the summer,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. “We felt it was best for him to sit out this one-day series and give himself the best chance of being ready for the West Indies tour which starts on November 5 in Auckland.”Related

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Jamieson will return home to Christchurch for further assessment. Walter said New Zealand would name a replacement following the completion of the opening round of the Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s domestic One-Day tournament, on Saturday.Jamieson told ESPNcricinfo last month that he was being meticulous in the way he was managing his body on his return to competitive cricket in 2025 after the stress fracture last year. His bowling program has been managed by high performance coaches Chelsea Lane and Matt Dallow who are not formally part of New Zealand Cricket.”They’ve done a huge amount of work in rebuilding athletes and biomechanics and just how to stack up your body properly,” Jamieson said. “They advise on everything, right from how my body’s moving, what my gym program looks like, what the [bowling] load numbers look like.”I have reflection and review processes with them after pretty much every day that I bowl, my sort of weekly, monthly calendar is mapped out with them, my total load tracking is done through them. So I’m pretty much fully through them at the moment, and then apply it into the different cricket environments that I end up in.”