The hosts chase down 232 with ease after solid performances from their top four
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2023
Gary Ballance top-scored with 64* for Zimbabwe•AFP via Getty Images
Wessly Madhevere and Gary Ballance notched up fifties, and Sean Williams hit 43 and took a three-wicket haul as Zimbabwe beat the Netherlands by seven wickets in the final ODI in Harare to clinch the series 2-1.Opting to bat first, Netherlands started off slowly with Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd putting on a 67-run partnership for the opening wicket. Once fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani removed O’Dowd for 38, Vikramjit also fell soon after, to the offspin of Sikandar Raza. Colin Ackermann and Musa Ahmed steadied the innings with a stand of 60 for the third wicket. However, Madhevere bowled Ahmed out for 29 in the 30th over to trigger the collapse. From 129 for 2, Netherlands lost their next five wickets for 63 runs.Captain Scott Edwards’ 41-ball 34 and contributions from the lower order lifted the visitors to 231 for 9. While Williams accounted for Wesley Barresi and Edwards, Raza added Teja Nidamanuru’s wicket to his bag.In reply, Zimbabwe were never in trouble with Madhevere and captain Craig Ervine stitching together a 96-run partnership in 18 overs for the first wicket. The stand was broken when Shariz Ahmad had Ervine caught six runs short of a half-century. In his next over, the legspinner removed Madhevere too, who scored a 61-ball 50 with the help of seven fours.But even before Netherlands could sense an opening, Ballance and Williams added 96 to blunt their attack. Ballance top-scored for Zimbabwe with an unbeaten 64 off 72 deliveries, while Williams made 43 before being bowled by Fred Klaassen in the 39th over. Raza then smashed an unbeaten nine-ball 18 to complete the formalities with 50 balls to spare.
“Stats definitely going out of the window,” Punjab Kings captain says after his team pulls off a world-record chase against KKR
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-20243:00
Jaffer on Bairstow’s ton: ‘It’s mind-boggling’
After Punjab Kings ripped up the record books by mowing down 262 with eight balls to spare, their captain Sam Curran was left wondering if cricket was turning into an entirely different sport.”Cricket is turning into baseball, isn’t it? It was absolutely incredible,” Curran mused at the post-match presentation. “Where do we [start]? Absolutely delighted with two points. Games like that are out of the world, but most importantly we’ve had a tough few weeks as a team [this was Kings’ first win in five games] but we’ve really hung in there. We’ve taken teams down to the wire and, I think, forget about the scores… I thought we actually deserved victory.”The way batters have raised the ceiling of their hitting, a total of 300 has looked like an increasingly realistic prospect at different points this season. Seven of the top-eight IPL totals have come this season, with PBKS slotting in at six there with their record chase at Eden Gardens. Friday’s fixture also produced the most sixes (42) in a T20 match. It surpassed the 38 hits by Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad last month, and by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and SRH in Bengaluru last week. Curran tried to make sense of the carnage.Related
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Forty-two sixes, 523 runs and a world-record T20 chase
“Yeah, I think loads of different things [have added up to this],” Curran said. “I think the way guys train is obviously huge and they can hit balls for a long period of time. I guess it’s the confidence, coaches and the way we’ve been training. Let’s be honest – small grounds with a bit of dew and the ball [gets wet] and sometimes you get a wide call. You think you’ve got a dot ball, you review it and then it’s wide. Then an extra ball. So, yeah, not saying it’s a batsman’s game but it’s showing… I’m sure everyone wants to keep seeing sixes. I think stats is definitely going out of the window. It’s all about winning those small moments.”Curran was also pleased with how destroyer-in-chief on the night Jonny Bairstow bounced back after a string of low scores, which had resulted in him being dropped from the team.Getty Images
Bairstow has also had a tough winter with England in India. He is the only England player who has been involved in the 50-over World Cup, the five-Test series earlier this year and the IPL, and has struggled to make an impact across the long stint in India. On Friday, though, Bairstow returned in place of Liam Livingstone and got cracking in the massive chase. He stayed unbeaten on 108 off 48 balls with eight fours and nine sixes.”Really pleased for Jonny. He’s obviously been on tour for a really long time,” Curran said. “A couple of games out of the side, he looked like he came back really eager to score runs for the team and showed what an amazing player that he is. So, I’m really pleased for him.”Curran was also impressed with Shashank Singh, who clattered an unbeaten 68 off 28 balls, in an unbroken 84-run stand for the third wicket off 37 balls.3:15
Which is the worst way to get out, according to Jonny Bairstow?
“We gave him that extra bit of responsibility to go in and No. 4 and he’s been the find of the season for us,” Curran said of Shashank. “Him and Ashutosh [Sharma] have been absolutely incredible and I’m just really pleased. Our group has been through a lot in the last couple of weeks and like I said, take two points and you’re going to enjoy those small wins. And it’s not a small win. It’s a really big win to come to Kolkata and beat that team. Proud of the team, proud of the coaches and proud of everyone.”What was Bairstow’s game plan when faced with a chase of 262 on his comeback? “Try to whack it as far as possible,” Bairstow said with a smile. “I’ve never actually been in a game where 260 has been scored. Look, if it’s in your area, you gotta’ go. If you actually have a couple of quiet overs, which we actually did against Sunil [Narine, who finished with figures of 4-0-24-1]… [That was] because we know how important he is in their side and losing fewer wickets against someone like that is imperative to a chase like that.”Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer wanted his players to respond strongly when they face Delhi Capitals next up to end a stretch of five home games on the trot.”To be honest, both the teams played tremendously and I personally feel that this is one of those games where you have to go back to the drawing board and see to it that you introspect on the areas where you went wrong,” Shreyas said. “Especially batting first and getting 260 on the board and then not being able to defend it hurts, but at the same time, it’s a great lesson for all the players, especially the bowlers. We’ve got one more game over here and it’s important we assess the conditions and come up with greater ideas.”
Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan turned the tide as GT picked 6 for 58 in the last 9.3 overs
ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2025
R Sai Kishore got rid of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya•AFP/Getty Images
The Gujarat Titans (GT) bowling that allows them to bat conventionally shone again to restrict Mumbai Indians (MI) to just 155 for 8 after they had been 97 for 2 at one point, thanks to three dropped catches. Rashid Khan bounced back from his analysis of 3-0-50-0 in the last match, with 4-0-21-1, and R Sai Kishore took the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. The last 9.3 overs brought GT 6 for 58 despite an 18-run final over.It wasn’t just the spinners, though. Mohammed Siraj removed Ryan Rickleton in the first over, Arshad Khan renewed Rohit Sharma’s troubles with left-arm seam, and Prasidh Krishna strengthened his grip on the purple cap, taking his 20th wicket. It was the three dropped catches – Will Jacks twice and Suryakumar once – that gave MI their only fruitful phase.Suryakumar went past 25 for a 12th straight time in men’s T20s – the record is 13 – and Jacks registered his first half-century for MI as the two added 71 in 7.1 overs. However, they were not always in charge of the spinners. Rashid came desperately close to getting Jacks out lbw on more than one occasion, drew five false shots out of him in nine balls, and eventually had him caught at deep square leg.Sai Kishore had to fight tougher odds as Suryakumar kept going inside-out against him. Eventually, he went over the wicket, cramped Suryakumar and drew a catch at long-off. GT welcomed Hardik with a slip and a short leg, and Sai Kishore responded to his captain’s aggressive fields with immaculate length and dip. Hardik tried to hit out, but only managed a top edge on the slog sweep.Prasidh and Gerald Coetzee drove home the advantage with hard lengths, taking the wickets of Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir in quick succession. Rashid underscored his return to form with an excellent 18th over for just four runs. Corbin Bosch took MI past 150 with two sixes off Prasidh in the last over.
An “unbelievable” forward “would be open” to signing for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, according to former scout Mick Brown.
Spurs' summer transfer plans taking shape
Son Heung-min has been one of the shining lights in a poor Tottenham side this season, picking up seven goals and 10 assists in the Premier League, but there are signs a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old could be brought in this summer.
Talks have been opened over a deal for Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane, with Spurs incredibly interested in signing the former Manchester City man, while they are also increasingly likely to make a move for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.
Semenyo is not the only Premier League player on the shortlist, however, with a report from earlier this week revealing the Lilywhites are leading the race for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who could be available for a fee of £60m this summer.
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There has now been a promising new update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Eze, with former scout Brown telling Football Insider he believes the winger would be interested in making a move across the capital this summer, despite Palace’s determination to keep hold of him.
Brown said: “They want to keep him and I don’t expect he’s the type of player to force through a move unless Palace’s asking price is met.
“Tottenham have been interested for a long time and he’s their type of player.
Eberechi Eze for Crystal Palace.
“If Eze has the opportunity to move to a team like Tottenham, I think he would be open to that, and it’s not slight on Palace and what they’ve done.
“So that move wouldn’t surprise me, but it will only be on Palace’s terms and they want to keep him.”
"Unbelievable" Eze could be fantastic signing for Tottenham
Tottenham’s summer transfer plans are likely to be heavily affected by whether Ange Postecoglou remains in his role as manager, but regardless of who is in charge, Eze could be a fantastic addition to the squad.
The Palace star has proven himself across a number of seasons in the Premier League, and he is enjoying another impressive season with the Eagles, having picked up six goals and 11 assists in all competitions.
Not only that, but the England international ranks highly across some key metrics for wingers over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
Statistic
Average per 90
Assists
0.34 (89th percentile)
Shot-creating actions
4.85 (81st percentile)
Successful take-ons
2.58 (88th percentile)
Having also been lauded as “unbelievable” by BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella earlier this season, there is every indication that Eze could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham this summer, so it is exciting news that he could be open to a move to north London.
Scottish champions Celtic closed in on yet another Premiership crown after recording a resounding 5-1 win over Kilmarnock on Saturday afternoon, with the Hoops responding in perfect fashion following last week’s disappointment at St Johnstone.
That 1-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park highlighted what has been a sticky spell for the Glasgow giants, with three defeats in six league outings, yet those woes were quickly forgotten this time around, as Brendan Rodgers’ men raced into a 4-0 lead inside 25 minutes.
Brendan Rodgers
Having put in a disappointing showing last week, Reo Hatate opened the scoring with a thunderous effort from range, before compatriot Daizen Maeda tapped home at the backpost for his 31st goal of the campaign.
Another stunning strike, this time from a surprise package in Cameron Carter-Vickers, was then followed by Hatate’s second of the day, with the Japanese playmaker calmly converting inside the penalty area.
Further gloss was then put on proceedings at the death – following a Killie consolation late in the first-half – as substitute Anthony Ralston lashed in from the angle to make it five. All eyes on Rangers now tomorrow…
Celtic's key performers vs Kilmarnock
It’s certainly worth giving another shout-out to that man Maeda, with the 27-year-old becoming the first player since Henrik Larsson to score in eight successive starts at Parkhead.
Daizen Maeda
That finish may rank among the simplest of 2024/25 thus far, although the same can’t be said of Hatate, with the diminutive midfielder bending home in expert fashion to open the scoring on the day.
The 25-year-old’s second was also further evidence of his class as he delightfully made space for himself inside the area, having also claimed an assist for Ralston’s strike with a delicate dink round the corner.
Elsewhere, it was another fine showing from young Arne Engels, who came close to scoring himself after rattling the crossbar, while Alistair Johnston was also a real outlet again at right-back, with the Canadian teeing up Hatate’s second, having earlier played the pass that led to Maeda’s tap-in.
The former Montreal man – who chalked up 109 touches and achieved a 94% pass accuracy – is among those in Rodgers’ ranks who are simply undroppable, even despite Ralston’s late heroics, with the same also true of another of his teammates.
The Celtic star who showed why he's undroppable
As the Old Firm side slipped to a narrow defeat in the derby, there was perhaps a clear reason for the limp nature of their first-half display, in particular – the absence of Callum McGregor.
It was perhaps no surprise that the league leaders endured an off day without their long-serving skipper in tow, with the academy graduate simply vital to everything that is good about Celtic.
As club legend Chris Sutton noted, the Hoops “missed his leadership” and “missed his quality” in that defeat to Rangers, with McGregor – who was replaced by Engels in that deep-lying role on the day – making “everything look so easy in that position”.
McGregor’s stats vs Kilmarnock
Stat
Record
Touches
155
Pass accuracy
97%
Key passes
2
Successful dribbles
2/2
Long balls
2/2
Possession lost
5x
Fouls won
1
Aerial duels
1/3
Ground duels
5/5
Dribbled past
0
Stats via Sofascore
Such class was again on show on Saturday afternoon, with the experienced Scotsman quietly pulling the strings in his usual serene style. He may not have stolen the headlines, but the 31-year-old was again the man making everything tick.
Indeed, the one-time Notts County loanee racked up a mammoth total of 155 touches and achieved a stunning 97% pass accuracy rate, having lost possession on just five occasions despite that heavy involvement.
Callum McGregor
That impact in the centre of the park also saw McGregor complete 100% of his attempted dribbles and register two key passes, having also won all five of his ground duels, thus showcasing the steel to match the silk.
In truth, such a showing was a captain’s performance in every sense of the word, with the question remaining as to how Rodgers will manage to replace his leading figure in the years to come, amid the current lack of genuine alternatives in that number six berth.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
That is a problem for another day, however, with all focus now on just when it will be that a record-equalling 55th league title can be secured.
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Celtic have the chance to win the domestic treble for the second time in the last three seasons when they face Aberdeen in the final of the SFA Cup.
Brendan Rodgers clinched his second Scottish Premiership title in as many seasons last weekend when his side swept Dundee United away with a 5-0 win.
The Hoops will want to continue their dominance for seasons to come, and have already swooped to make one high-profile signing in the form of Kieran Tierney.
Why Kieran Tierney is an impressive signing
The Scotland international will officially join Celtic on a free transfer when his contract at Arsenal expires at the end of June, returning to the club after six years in England.
As you can see in the graphic above, the academy graduate enjoyed a phenomenal first spell in Glasgow, winning five league titles and making 170 first-team appearances.
At the time of writing (01/05/2025), Transfermarkt currently values Tierney at £8.5m, which is a drop from the £25m he was sold for, but that still means that the club are signing an £8.5m-rated asset for £0. He is an impressive addition for the Hoops because he is a proven Premiership star and a valuable asset.
Celtic do, however, have numerous valuable assets at the club, in what is a very talented squad, and one of those who is worth even more than Tierney is Daizen Maeda.
Celtic have hit the jackpot with Daizen Maeda
The Hoops swooped to sign the Japan international, who was described as a “snip” by pundit Chris Sutton, for a fee of just £1.6m, in the summer of 2022 from Yokohama F. Marinos.
Maeda, who was recently hailed as “brilliant” by Rodgers, has soared in value over the past three years in Glasgow, and is currently enjoying his best season at the club.
The 27-year-old forward has plundered 33 goals and provided 11 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions, which is a tally of 44 goal contributions that beats his return of 14 and 18 in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, respectively.
Date
Market value
March 2025-present
£9.3m
December 2024
£6.8m
October 2024
£6.3m
May 2024
£5.9m
December 2023
£5.5m
June 2023
£5.1m
December 2022
£4.2m
June 2022
£2.9m
Valuations via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, Maeda’s value has skyrocketed as a result of his improved output at the top end of the pitch in the current season, going from £5.9m last summer to £9.3m at the time of writing.
His current market valuation of £9.3m also means that his value has soared by 481% from the £1.6m that Celtic paid for his services back in 2022, and that he is now worth even more than Tierney, who was once sold for £25m.
Daizen Maeda
This shows that the Scottish giants have hit the jackpot with Maeda because he has provided sensational performances on the pitch this term, and the Japan international is now an incredibly valuable asset who is worth even more than a big summer signing.
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Whilst the drama of the Premier League continues through May, Leeds United are already done and dusted with their triumphant 2024/25 campaign in the Championship.
Indeed, Daniel Farke’s Whites would close out the season as champions, having obtained a remarkable 100-point haul, which is the highest points total ever reached by the West Yorkshire giants.
With no football left to play on the pitch, Leeds’ main focus now rests on the hectic transfer window to follow, with plenty of rumours already coming out of Elland Road.
Leeds' attempts to strengthen up top
Farke won’t want to lose the identity of the squad that managed to leap up to the Premier League, but he will be aware of how punishing the top division can be if improvements are not sought after.
One area that Leeds look to be prioritising is in attack, with rumours already coming to the surface that the newly promoted side are keen on the likes of Richarlison and Troy Parrott as fresh centre-forward personnel.
But, there is another new face in this department that will really intrigue the Elland Road masses, with Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett revealing that the Whites could put a new £100m+ transfer kitty to good use by snapping up Everton star Beto, a player they have a vested interest in ahead of the summer.
Dorsett has further revealed that it’s unclear whether the Toffees would allow for this switch to take place, but if Farke and Co were successful in landing the towering 27-year-old, the German could have his next Teemu Pukki on his hands with the Finnish ace always a solid and robust option up top for Norwich City.
How Beto could be Farke's new Pukki
Obviously, the main standout moments of Pukki’s career at the Canaries under Farke came in the Championship.
The 129-time Finland international would collect 65 of his strikes in Norfolk in the bread and butter of the second tier, but the 5 foot 11 menace did manage to show off some flashes of his immense quality up a level too under his ex-manager.
Whilst Farke’s Canaries did immediately fall back down to the EFL at the end of the 2019/20 season, Pukki could at least exit that dismal campaign with his head raised high, having amassed a respectable 11 strikes from 36 contests.
Beto could well eclipse that total in the here and now for Moyes’ side with three league games left to go, with the German perhaps seeing a similar style player to his former great in the Portuguese forward, who could potentially offer the Whites a stable head in attack when navigating the step-up.
Pukki’s numbers in the PL (19/20) vs Beto’s (24/25)
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
Pukki
Beto
Games played
36
27
Goals scored
11
7
Assists
3
0
Touches*
24.0
18.5
Shots*
2.2
1.5
Big chances missed
11
9
Big chances created
4
1
Stats by Sofascore
Looking at the table above, Beto hasn’t blown anyone away this season at Goodison Park with seven strikes from 27 league games, but the £17m-rated forward does operate in a similar fashion to his 35-year-old counterpart, with both attackers in question content with limited touches of the ball before firing home an opportunity in the same bullish and dogged fashion.
Moreover, adding in the ex-Udinese man to the Leeds ranks would offer Farke something different to what he currently has at his disposal, with Beto previously praised for his “powerful” nature by former manager Sean Dyche, away from possessing some similar attributes to Pukki.
He could love life in West Yorkshire too lining up next to Dan James and Manor Solomon who twist and turn defences for fun, before then presenting the 27-year-old with some golden chances.
Of course, this could all just be speculative chat churned out of the rumour mill, but if Leeds do have an opportunity to land Beto, they should take it, with Farke ready to work his magic on the Lisbon-born forward like he did with Pukki.
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Manchester City have submitted a £55m offer for a “wonderful” midfielder, who has been identified as the heir to Kevin De Bruyne, according to a report.
Man City eyeing replacement for De Bruyne
De Bruyne is set to leave Man City at the end of the season, but rival Premier League clubs clearly seem to believe the Belgian has a lot left to give, with a number of sides recently expressing an interest.
Arsenal are now holding discussions over a shock deal for the 33-year-old, alongside Aston Villa, with club chiefs willing to back Unai Emery if he decides he wants to snap the City midfielder up on a free transfer this summer.
As such, Pep Guardiola will need to bring in a suitable heir, and although it will be a tall order to find any player capable of replicating what De Bruyne has done in a City shirt, a number of targets have now been identified.
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River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono is one player of interest, although, given his age, the 17-year-old Argentine may not be ready to go straight into the side, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz may be more of a ready-made replacement.
Man City are also looking at options from within the Premier League, and according to a report from Spain they have now submitted a €65m (£55m) offer for Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison.
Tottenham Hotspur'sJamesMaddisonreacts
Guardiola is known to be a huge fan of Maddison, and City have now made a concrete approach for his services, with the Englishman viewed as the ideal successor to De Bruyne in attacking midfield.
The 28-year-old is deemed to fit into Guardiola’s style of play perfectly, given his creativity and ability to connect with the attack, while his ability from set-pieces is also outlined as a major strength.
"Wonderful" Maddison impressing at Spurs
It has been an extremely disappointing season for Spurs in the Premier League, but the attacking midfielder has been one of their stand-out players, picking up 12 goals and 11 assists in 45 matches in all competitions.
As such, the former Leicester City man ranks highly across a range of key attacking metrics over the past year, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.
Statistic
Average per 90
Assists
0.39 (93rd percentile)
Progressive passes
8.14 (98th percentile)
Shot-creating actions
4.82 (85th percentile)
The England international has also been singled out for high praise by BBC Five Live’s Ben Haines in the past.
Maddison is clearly a quality player, but the Tottenham star is set to turn 29 in November, meaning he is unlikely to be a long-term heir to De Bruyne, and his attacking numbers suggest he is not at the same level as the City legend, so there should be some reservations about the move.
When it comes to brilliant players, Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with more than their fair share over the last ten years.
The likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were genuinely world-class for the Lilywhites and, as a result, formed one of the best attacking partnerships the Premier League has ever seen.
Likewise, Mousa Dembélé and Cristian Eriksen were sensational in midfield, but someone who arguably doesn’t get the credit he deserves anymore is Dele Alli.
While the Englishman is still struggling to find form in Italy at the moment, he was near enough unstoppable for several years at Tottenham, and based on reports from the last few weeks, Daniel Levy and Co could sign the club their next Dele.
Dele's Spurs career
In February 2015, Tottenham agreed to pay then-League One side MK Dons £5m for an incredibly exciting 18-year-old prospect by the name of Dele.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
While it usually takes youngsters a number of years to get up to speed in a top-flight team, the Milton Keynes-born gem took no time at all and, by the end of his first campaign in the capital, had racked up an astonishing tally of ten goals and ten assists in just 46 appearances.
Such an explosive start to life at the highest level saw him win the PFA Young Player of the Year award, and he did not stop there, as his sophomore season with the Lilywhites was even better and saw him score 22 goals and provide 12 assists in 50 appearances – enough to win a second successive Young Player of the Year award.
For a while, it looked like the youngster was going to become one of the very best players in the world, someone capable of playing in multiple positions at the highest standard.
However, as we know, that didn’t happen, and after a few seasons of increasingly disappointing performances, Dele moved to Everton in February 2020 – almost five years after signing for the North Londoners.
Dele’s Spurs record
Appearances
269
Minutes
19162′
Goals
67
Assists
58
Goal Involvements per Match
0.46
Minutes per Goal Involvement
153.29′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
The club haven’t had a player like the 37-capped international, but there is a chance they could do so soon.
Spurs' potential new Dele
The last few weeks have seen many talented players linked with moving to Spurs, but perhaps one of the most exciting names, and someone who could be the club’s new Dele, is Xavi Simons.
According to reports from late last week, the North Londoners are ‘favourites’ to land the incredibly talented international from RB Leipzig, although doing so would cost up to £67m.
Described as “one of the best 10s in the world” in the words of one analyst on social media, what is it about the Dutchman that means he could be the Lilywhites’ new Dele?
Firstly, he is incredibly versatile and can play on either wing, up top, as a second striker and in attacking and central midfield areas, so just like the Englishman, he could thrive just off the centre-forward or deeper if required.
Moreover, just like the former MK Dons gem in his early seasons in North London, the Amsterdam-born “superstar,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, is an output machine.
Simons recent form
23/24
Simons
Appearances
43
Goals
10
Assists
15
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
24/25
Simons
Appearances
33
Goals
11
Assists
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, in 43 appearances last season, he scored ten goals and provided 15 assists, and in 33 appearances this season, he scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, coming out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 and 1.83 games, respectively.
Finally, and this is rather difficult to prove with statistics, but just like the Englishman was, the former PSG gem is capable of some utterly sublime bits of skill and has scored more than his fair share of brilliant goals for Leipzig and PSV.
Ultimately, Spurs have been crying out for another young talent to come in and have the sort of effect Dele did when he first joined almost a decade ago, and while he’s a little older, Simons could be just that player.
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Jadon Sancho will not stay at Chelsea beyond this season. He had a fairytale end to his career at Stamford Bridge, scoring a goal in what turned out to be his final appearance for the club, the UEFA Conference League showpiece against Real Betis, which the Blues won 4-1.
His return to Manchester United was confirmed on Tuesday morning by David Ornstein. The journalist explained that an ‘agreement could not be reached over personal terms’, meaning he will leave the club at the end of the season. Chelsea will pay £5m to the Red Devils to cancel their obligatory buy clause.
So, with Sancho leaving, it means the Blues will almost certainly need to sign a new winger. There are some options that have been linked.
Chelsea’s options to replace Sancho
In a recent report from Sky Sports, a few options that Chelsea are reportedly interested in for their new winger have been named. One of those players is Jamie Gittens, Borussia Dortmund’s English winger, who has left a strong impression in the 2024/25 season.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, perhaps a better option than Gittens, also linked by Sky Sports, is Athletic Club winger Nico Williams. The 22-year-old seems available for transfer this summer, and the report suggests the Spaniard is ‘on their list’ to replace Sancho this season.
As for the price, that has been reliably reported by Ben Jacobs. He claims that Williams, who is also wanted by Arsenal this summer, is valued at £48.8m.
One stumbling block could be the fact that he is in talks for a new deal in Bilbao, although that does not rule out a move, but it could see an increase in the price.
Why Williams would be a good signing
Despite being just 22 years of age, Williams is a key player for Athletic Club. He helped his side reach the semi-final of the Europa League and finish third in La Liga, seeing them qualify for the 2025/26 Champions League.
Athletic Bilbao'sNicoWilliamscelebrates scoring their third goal
In 45 appearances in the 2024/25 season across all competitions, Williams found the back of the net 11 times and grabbed a further seven assists. Of those goal involvements, ten of them came in 29 games in La Liga.
One reason why Chelsea’s interest in Williams may be piqued is his contributions in European competition. The Spain international, who was part of their Euro 2024 winning side, managed seven goals and assists in 955 minutes in the Europa League. That is the equivalent of just ten games, showing excellent consistency.
It is fair to say that the “electric” winger, as Statman Dave once called him, had a better season than both Sancho and Gittens, when looking at the goals and assists numbers involved.
Man United star Sancho managed 15 goal involvements this season, including his strike in the final against Betis.
Gittens, who is just 20 years of age, had a better season than Sancho, but was still pipped by Williams when it comes to most goal involvements. He managed 17 across all competitions for Dortmund, one less than the Spain international’s tally in 2024/25.
Several stats on FBref suggest Williams would be as good as, if not a better, addition for Chelsea. For example, he averages 5.05 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, compared to 3.57 for Sancho and 3.7 for Gittens.
Williams key stats vs. Sancho and Gittens
Stat (per 90)
Williams
Sancho
Gittens
Goals and assists
0.45
0.36
0.56
Key passes
1.8
1.94
1.07
Shot-creating actions
5.05
3.57
3.7
Goal-creating actions
0.59
0.51
0.51
Progressive carries
5.32
5.2
5.74
Stats from FBref
So, there is certainly plenty of supporting evidence to suggest that Williams would be a better addition to the playing staff at Stamford Bridge than Gittens, and a better option than if they had kept Sancho.
The fee is not astronomical, although his new contract could well change that. Regardless, signing Williams could be an excellent piece of business for Chelsea this summer.
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