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Ruben Amorim says losing the Europa League final would be a big blow but not qualifying for the Champions League may be better for Manchester United.

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Man Utd in Europa League finalAmorim wants trophy winBut makes bold UCL admissionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The United head coach believes that if they qualify for Europe's elite competition, by winning the Europa League against Tottenham, it may stunt the club's development as they need more time to gel in training and find their feet.

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When asked if it would help his side in the long-term not to qualify for the Champions League, he said: "That is my feeling, we need more time with the team, we need to arrange a lot of things in Carrington, not thinking game by game by game. Then we have the squad. We proved this year that we need to be a better squad to win European games and then be a better team in the Premier League. [Not winning the final] is going to be really bad, I don’t want to use that as an excuse, and the patience of the fans and you guys next year if we don’t win it is going to be on the limit."

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Despite Amorim's comments, United desperately need to win this competition. One, it will bring them tens of millions in revenue – something they badly need – and two, it will allow them to attract a better calibre of player. Moreover, it will provide more security for Amorim at Old Trafford, with the Portuguese enduring a torrid Premier League season.

AFPWHAT NEXT?

Before United take on Tottenham in the Europa League final next week, Amorim's side are away to Chelsea on Friday in the Premier League.

While Najam Sethi does not disagree that India should get the largest share, he wants clarity about the workings of the model

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2023The PCB has become the first board to publicly express unhappiness with the proposed ICC revenue distribution model, as revealed by ESPNcricinfo last week. The model is yet to be finalised but is close to what may be a final version. It is supposed to be approved by June, before being formally adopted at the ICC’s AGM in Durban in July. But Najam Sethi, the current PCB head, has said his board will not approve the model, unless it is presented with more details of the workings behind it.In the proposed model, the BCCI is expected to receive 38.5% of an annual projected ICC earning of US$600 million, followed by the ECB with a 6.89% share, CA with 6.25% and the PCB with 5.75%. The remaining Full Member (FM) boards all receive an annual share of less than 5%. The shares for each board are the result of weightage given to four different criteria: an equal share for FM status, variable shares for cricket history and performance at ICC events for men and women, and a share for the commercial contribution each board makes to the game.The commercial contribution weightage is what sets the BCCI apart from other boards and though Sethi agreed that India should receive a larger share, he said there needs to be more clarity where the figures are coming from.”We are insisting that the ICC should tell us how these figures were arrived at,” Sethi told . “We are not happy with the situation as it stands. Come June, when the board is expected to approve the financial model, unless these details are provided to us, we are not going to approve it.”ICC proposed financial model – 2024 to 2027•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe PCB was one of the dissenters when the Big Three surprised the cricketing world by attempting to overhaul the game’s administrative and financial model in January 2014 – the new proposed financial model is based on similar principles of marking members for performance and commercial contributions. The model was voted in before Shashank Manohar took over as the ICC head in 2016 and rolled back the changes the Big Three had made. After some wrangling, the ICC and BCCI agreed to a new financial model in which the BCCI was scheduled to receive USD$405 million over the course of eight years.This time round, the PCB apart, no board has publicly gone on record to say anything about the proposed model. Sethi said that two other Test-playing countries had also asked for more details on the workings of this model.”In principle, India should get more, there is no doubt about that,” Sethi said, “but… how is this table being developed?”All FMs are due to receive considerably more income in this rights cycle than in the last, a result of the increased bounty for the ICC in this cycle. Part of that was down to how the ICC broke down and sold its broadcast rights; where the ICC historically sold broadcast rights to all its events as one property to one broadcaster globally, this time it broke up its rights across different territories, in four and eight-year packages as well as into linear TV rights or for digital streaming (or both). As a result, where the ICC received approximately USD$2.1 billion for eight years in the 2015-23 cycle, they will receive upwards of USD$3 billion for four years from the India market alone this time. That means that a number of boards could end up receiving more than double what they did in the previous cycle.

After Club Leon's CAS appeal was denied, a source confirmed LAFC will host Club America for CWC berth

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CAS rules against Club Leon for CWC spotFIFA says LAFC and Club America will play for tournament placeSource: Match will be in Los Angeles on May 31Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

After Club Leon's appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday, the court ruled that FIFA would thereby designate who would take the Liga MX side's spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. In March, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed talks of a one-game playoff between MLS side LAFC and Liga MX side Club America for a berth into the tournament. FIFA confirmed the two teams would feature head-to-head for the spot on Tuesday.

A source confirmed to GOAL that the playoff between the two clubs will be held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on May 31. reported it will effectively be a $10 million match. The victor of the match will earn a guaranteed entry fee of $9.55 million, plus an additional $2 million per group stage win, along with round-by-round prize money.

The winner will be placed in Group D of the tournament alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and ES Tunis.

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LAFC were selected because they finished as runners-up to Leon in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup, while America topped the CONCACAF coefficient ranks for the four-year cycle in question to qualify for the competition.

The 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 of the world's best teams, with eight groups of four competing in a group stage format followed by a World Cup-style knockout round bracket. The competition will be held in the USA one year ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 2025 tournament will be the largest version of the competition to date, with the expansion to 32 teams. The first game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium on June 14, when Inter Miami takes on Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

LAFC and Club America will be preparing for their May 31 showdown, with the winner securing a large sum of prize money, but more importantly, a coveted berth into the Club World Cup.

Visitors cash in after captain lays foundations to build 104-run first-innings lead

Paul Edwards05-May-2023
At its best, the batting of Cheteshwar Pujara reminds one of the building of cathedrals. There is a monumental patience about the business, an alliance of forbearance with time that makes any major achievement all the more admirable. There is purpose, too, and aggression where possible, and these qualities were apparent as Pujara made his third century of the season at New Road this afternoon. But above all there was method and a resolve to ride out the mettlesome duels with Worcestershire’s seamers in the morning session, thereby gaining increasing licence to attack them later in the day.The result of Pujara’s tough-minded devotion was plain in the evening session when he put on 117 in 20 overs with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who made 59, and a further 38 in six with Ollie Robinson, whose 21-ball 33 came straight from the McCullum-Stokes school of tactical thinking. Those partnerships gave Sussex a lead of 104, which was a fine effort given they had been 213 for 6 when Oli Carter had his off stump rumbled by a fine outswinger from Matthew Waite. Pujara eventually fell for 136 to the worst shot of his innings, a tired waft off Josh Tongue, but by then it was testing to recall the first session of the day when he and Steven Smith had worked hard for 75 minutes to put on 61, a partnership that did little but keep their side in the game after Worcestershire had taken two early wickets.Ah yes, Smith, I wondered when we would get to him. Once again, the interest of sports editors had been sufficiently piqued by the near certainty of the Australian batting to send their very best writers to New Road and perhaps Saturday will be another morning on which Smith will be the context for another international cricketer’s fine achievement. But Pujara made over a hundred runs more than his team mate in this innings and it must be a curious world in which one decides what is important about a day’s cricket before one discovers whether it has truly mattered very much.We only had to wait ten balls before we got our chance to assess Smith’s form, for the day had begun in grisly fashion for Sussex, who lost Tom Alsop leg before wicket to Joe Leach’s sixth delivery of the morning when succumbing to the virus of trying to work the ball just in front of square instead of playing it to mid-on. Next over, Ali Orr was dropped by Jack Haynes off Ben Gibbon and then caught by Gareth Roderick three balls later. Those dismissals more or less restored the game to parity and they also brought Smith out to join Pujara, thus uniting two of the best and most contrasting batters in the world.Pujara and Steven Smith bump fists during their partnership•Getty ImagesSmith’s innings of 30 off 57 balls was interesting but unexceptional, although that latter quality will have little to do with the number of column inches it commands on Saturday. This is an Australian summer, after all, and we should be grateful that still matters amid the slew of competitions that pay riches yet count for nowt. So Smith began with a characteristic light-sabre leave and followed it with a sinless forward defensive. There were five fours but they were balanced with about as many false shots, a lovely ease through midwicket off Tongue making up for a swish to an off-side bouncer off Gibbon. The most typical boundary was a pull off Tongue in which Smith’s whole body pivoted on the stroke and the bat made as if to follow the ball to the rope. The innings itself offered glimmers of unconventional greatness but they might have been apparent only to those who knew this batsman had made 30 Test centuries, some of which had defined Ashes series.Anyway, Smith had batted 88 minutes when he faced the final delivery of the innings’ 39th over, which was bowled by Tongue from the Diglis End. The ball seamed back and hit Smith just above the knee-roll of his pad in line with middle and leg stump at best. Peter Hartley’s decision to give the batsman out was therefore neither a near-formality nor a shocker. In a Test match, the batter would surely have reviewed the decision and the technology might well have suggested umpire’s call. There was, though, an equal chance that Smith would have got away with it.Tongue was untroubled by such speculation. He gave the dismissal a double salute with his clenched fists and was quickly mobbed by his delighted colleagues. Before lunch, James Coles’ ten-cent drive to a ball from Gibbon saw him caught behind for 14 and Worcestershire supporters’ enjoyment of their lunch might then have been enhanced by New Road’s gracious assumption of its May splendour. The horse chestnut in front of the corporate hospitality marquee has been giving it large on the catwalk for a couple of weeks but now the poplars, limes and beeches at the Diglis End and in front of the cathedral are also buying their new-season frocks.The ruthlessness of Pujara’s batting frequently punctures such blithe optimism. During his stand with Smith, he had already eased the ball backward of square off his legs and played a cover drive. Both strokes outshone his partner. Either side of a 45-minute break for rain, he now added back cuts and pulls that took the game away from Worcestershire, one or two of whose bowlers suffered under the strain of it all. Pujara has now reached fifty for Sussex eight times in two-and-a-bit seasons and on each occasion he has gone on to make a century. Nor were his delights quite over. Eight balls before bad light interrupted play deep into evensong, he moved himself to sixth slip and next ball he grabbed a thick-edged catch off Jake Libby, a cricketer whose adhesion is his trademark. Ed Pollock and Azhar Ali took their side safely to stumps, which were finally drawn past seven o’clock, but there is serious work ahead for Brett D’Oliveira’s top order this weekend.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool as a free agent has led to him being barred from a popular nightclub in the city.

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Home-grown star ready to leave AnfieldWalking away when contract expiresDecision has attracted some criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has, after several months of speculation, confirmed that he will be bidding farewell to Anfield this summer and breaking career-long ties with the newly-crowned Premier League champions.

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Alexander-Arnold has decided against following the lead of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk by signing a new contract. The Merseyside native is ready to step out of his comfort zone and embrace a fresh start.

THE GOSSIP

Not everybody is as excited about that as Alexander-Arnold, with a big career call attracting criticism from some. It has also been revealed that the 26-year-old full-back is no longer welcome at the Popworld nightspot in Liverpool as he is now “barred” from that venue.

WHAT NEXT FOR TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

It is expected that Alexander-Arnold will soon announce that he is linking up with Real Madrid. He will join Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at Santiago Bernabeu as he takes on a Spanish adventure.

Both teams have won their last two matches after starting with successive losses and are starting to get their combinations right

Sidharth Monga17-Apr-20232:54

Moody: ‘Mumbai Indians will have to outbat oppositions to win consistently’

Big picture: A winning streak will stopOne of these teams will have its winning momentum snapped, the other will take its winning streak to three matches when Sunrisers Hyderabad host Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad. They both made identical starts to the season with two successive defeats before bouncing back with two wins each.Sunrisers might well have made a pivotal move in Harry Brook’s T20 career by using him as an opener and getting a match-winning century out of him. Brook the opener and the return of Abhishek Sharma to help out Aiden Markram in the middle order have given Sunrisers the potency they seemed to lack at the start of the season.Mayank Markande as the legspinner replacement for Adil Rashid has allowed Sunrisers to play Marco Jansen, which gives the side a sharp edge. If Jofra Archer is not yet available for Mumbai, Marco might well go up against his twin Duan Jansen only for the second time in professional cricket.It is a danger sign for other teams that Mumbai have won two out of four without Jasprit Bumrah and Archer; Archer should become available at some point. Suryakumar Yadav showed signs of return to runs in their last match, which sets them up beautifully with the bat.IPL 2023 Form guideSunrisers Hyderabad WWLL
Chennai Super Kings WWLLTeam news: Spotlight on Archer againAll eyes are still on Archer, who is nursing an elbow niggle since he played the first match. If he is fit and ready, he should walk into the Mumbai XI, but they are not likely to take any risks with him.2:28

Moody: Brook is a sensational talent in all formats

Toss and Impact Player strategySunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers have no reason to change their combination except for using Washington Sundar more efficiently. If they bat first, they can start with Washington in the XI and have T Natarajan replace Brook in the innings break. If they field first, Brook can replace Natarajan in the innings break.Probable bat-first XI: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Harry Brook, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram (capt), 5 Abhishek Sharma, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Mayank Markande, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umran MalikProbable field-first XI: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Abhishek Sharma, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Mayank Markande, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T NatarajanMumbai Indians
Mumbai might want to continue with the combination they used in the last match even though they used Arjun Tendulkar for two overs only. One out of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar can sit out during the bowling innings.Possible bat-first XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Nehal Wadhera, 7 Tim David, 8 Hrithik Shokeen, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Duan Jansen/Jason BehrendoffPossible bowl-first XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Cameron Green, 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Tim David, 7 Hrithik Shokeen, 8 Arshad Khan/Arjun Tendulkar, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 11 Riley Meredith, 11 Duan Jansen/Jason BehrendorffStats that matter During his century, Brook scored 66 runs in 26 shots between cover-point and backward point. Out of these, eight balls were pretty straight but Brook managed to create room and take 29 runs off them. Mumbai will look to deny him any room. Since the start of the last IPL, Abhishek has been the fifth-quickest batter (minimum 150 runs) against spin. In just two matches, Marco Jansen has taken four wickets in the powerplay, the fourth-highest this IPL. Rohit and Ishan Kishan are the second-quickest opening combination (minimum two partnerships) this IPL. Piyush Chawla has been the revelation of the season, and has the best economy rate among bowlers who have bowled at least ten overs.

Alick Athanaze dropped in only change to squad that lost 2-1 in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2024Shimron Hetmyer has been handed a recall to West Indies’ ODI squad for the three-match series against England, which starts in Antigua on Thursday. Hetmyer replaces Alick Athanaze in the squad as the only change from the touring group that has just returned from Sri Lanka.Hetmyer last played ODIs in December 2023, when he was part of the team that beat England 2-1. He missed the Sri Lanka tour for personal reasons, having recently finished fifth on the run-scorers’ list at the CPL.Athanaze had been one of the incumbent openers, but lost his spot to Evin Lewis for the third ODI against Sri Lanka, in Pallekele. Lewis, making his first ODI appearance in more than three years, made an unbeaten 102 from 61 balls as West Indies finished the series with a consolation win on DLS.Shai Hope will captain the group, which also includes 17-year-old batting prodigy Jewel Andrew, who made his debut at the end of the Sri Lanka series.ESPNcricinfo LtdEngland have already arrived in the Caribbean for their third limited-overs tour since 2022. They will be led during the ODI leg by Liam Livingstone, with Jos Buttler continuing his rehab following a calf injury that has kept him out since July.”Playing against England always provides a new challenge and reignites a rivalry that the players and the people of the Caribbean are eager for,” Daren Sammy, West Indies head coach, said. “Somehow, we West Indies always find a way to raise our game when we face England.”This rivalry goes back for decades, and after defeating them last year at home for the first time in a long time in an ODI series, we’re ready to face the challenge of a strong England squad again. It’s always special to play at home, where the local support brings energy and passion to every match. With our sights set on qualifying for the ICC Men’s World Cup in 2027, we’ve selected a balanced squad that will no doubt push and compete with one of the best teams in the world.”Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium will host the first two ODIs, before the series moves on to Barbados. It will be followed by five T20Is, played at the Kensington Oval and the Daren Sammy National Stadium in St Lucia.West Indies ODI squad: Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham reign was within touching distance of its first piece of silverware, only for Paris Saint-Germain to rip it away in the final moments and twist the knife on penalties. The North Londoners were cruising with an 80-minute stranglehold over their star-laden French rivals in the Super Cup final, but a late implosion saw dreams turn to dust.

Spurs blew a two-goal lead against PSGFrank hailed a dominant 80-minute performanceBurnley clash comes just three days laterFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In Udine, Spurs looked like a side reborn under Frank. Micky van de Ven’s opener and Cristian Romero’s thumping header put them two clear and on course for a statement victory to kickstart the Dane's era. For almost the entire night, the Parisians, dripping with attacking firepower, were shackled. The plan was working to perfection: disciplined defending, aggressive pressing, and lethal set-pieces.

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However, in the final quarter, Tottenham succumbed. Lee Kang-in halved the deficit with ten minutes left, and Goncalo Ramos landed the sucker punch in the dying stages. From that moment, the psychological tide turned, and PSG were merciless in the shootout.

WHAT FRANK SAID

Frank, visibly pained yet proud, admitted they had the game in their grip before it all unravelled. 

"I think we played a very good game against one of the best teams in the world, maybe the best," Frank told "We had them exactly where we wanted them for 80-somethimg minutes until 2-1. Then it shifted the momentum but I'm so proud of the team, players, club and fans. We showed we can be adaptable and pragmatic. 

"We needed to be that against a team like PSG, with the way we wanted to defend with both high pressure and a low block. The first half was almost perfect and the set-pieces were very dangerous. In one game, I think we have shown we can play against any team in the world. I'm not in doubt about that and that's a positive to take away from this."

DID YOU KNOW?

Spurs’ attacking edge came from the training pitch. Frank had sent his players through an intense warm-up focusing almost entirely on dead-ball situations, and it paid off spectacularly with both goals. 

“It was a special operation,” he explained. “In medical terms, the operation succeeded but the patient died, so not that good in the end. But we worked on a game plan that was a little bit different and very close to succeeding.”

You might think West Indies are no match for India in their upcoming Test series, but that might not be the case at all

Alagappan Muthu09-Jul-2023West Indies may be back-sliding in limited-overs cricket, but their Test-match game is still on point. Especially at home. Since the last time India came for a visit in August 2019, West Indies have played five series and lost only one of them.They have been pushed to the limit, such as in the one-wicket win over Pakistan, and have pushed others to their limit, like against Bangladesh when they made 408 in the first innings and needed just 13 more to complete victory.India’s tour is likely to be defined by how well West Indies’ bowlers are able to hold India’s batters in check and with that in mind, here are five of their best – bowlers, batters, allrounders – who will be keen to step up and lift the gloom that has fallen over this once-great empire.Related

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WI recall Cornwall, Warrican for first India Test; McKenzie called-up

Brathwaite on India Tests: 'It will all come down to execution'

Kemar RoachHe just turned 35. And yet, over a quarter of the wickets he has ever taken at home have come over these past four years: 47 out of 180 at an average of 21.3 and strike rate of 45.4. There’s fine wine and then there’s the leader of this West Indies bowling attack. Roach’s ability to still find ways to be useful despite injuries taking his pace away is an inspiration to fast bowlers worldwide, and his bit – going wide of the crease to get the outside edge – never gets old.Jason HolderThe old-ball specialist. Everybody else gets a go when there’s better chance of taking wickets. But once that’s done and there’s no more help on offer, it’s time to bring in big Jase because he can maintain a line and length and keep the runs down. Holder has clocked 282.5 overs for West Indies in home Tests since September 2019, second only to Roach, and 252 of them have been as a change bowler. Even though he is at his most threatening when he gets movement off the pitch, and that typically happens when that red cherry is still nice and shiny. The only other people who make a living by getting put in such unpleasant situations so often are mothers, teachers and magician’s assistants.Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood: one old-school, the other quick-scoring•Getty ImagesAlzarri JosephSince the world is yet to catch up with the science in and human male footwear only lifts a person some two inches off the ground, when this guy goes for the bouncer, you better be wary. Joseph is the enforcer of this bowling attack. Since September 2019, he has bowled 1500 balls in home Tests, and almost half of them (739) of them have been short of a good length or just plain short. They’ve secured 14 of his 28 wickets in this period, and also enable the other strength he has: when he goes fuller, he gets movement off the pitch, and once he has softened his opponent up, the chances of getting an outside edge increase.Jermaine BlackwoodBack in 2016, he was averaging 40-plus while striking at 60-plus. It was as if his penchant for driving on the up did not come with any consequences. And then it did. His high-risk method led to some low-value shots, and he was left out of the team. “Being dropped helped me to go back and work on my game and my mental space,” he said in 2020 before adding he had found a new way forward. “To bat as long as possible.” Virat Kohli helped him out there apparently. “He just said, ‘What will you do when you score a century? How many deliveries did you face?’ I said I faced 212 balls. He said, ‘That’s it, once you can bat some balls, you’re going to score runs’. So I took a big thing from that.” Blackwood still scores pretty quickly – a career strike rate of nearly 55 – but it’s just one of his strengths now as opposed to being his only strength.Kraigg BrathwaiteHe is West Indies’ batting. He is the reason they work in Test cricket. Without his runs, without the time he spends in the middle, allowing others to do their thing, without his stubbornness, there is nothing. Brathwaite is quirky. He gets squared up. A lot. He gets beaten. A lot. He would sooner bite the cricket ball than drive it on the up. His best shot is the most unobtrusive one in the entire game. The flick. And yet, this hard-nosed, old-school opener stands on the shoulders of giants. He is No. 4 on the list of West Indians to have faced the most balls in Test cricket, well above Sir Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge and Chris Gayle. That batting crease out there, that’s his home.

Chelsea have made a proposal to sign an “insane” attacker who’s England’s “biggest talent”, and BlueCo have now received a response, it has been revealed.

Blues looking to reshuffle attacking options

The Blues have been very busy in the opening stages of the summer transfer window, having already confirmed the arrivals of the likes of Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro, which means they may need to offload some current players to create space in the squad.

Fabrizio Romano has now revealed the west Londoners may have the opportunity to sell one of their wingers to a rival club, with the transfer expert stating that Arsenal are making moves to secure Noni Madueke’s signature.

Having already agreed personal terms on a move across the capital, it is clear Madueke is keen on joining the Gunners, which means the last remaining hurdle is for the two clubs to agree a suitable fee.

HandofArsenal have now revealed that Chelsea have floated the idea of signing Max Dowman in preliminary talks over the deal to sell Madueke (via Sports Mole), but BlueCo did not receive the response they would’ve been hoping for.

The Blues’ proposal to sign Dowman has been knocked back by Arsenal, given that he is very highly regarded by the north Londoners, meaning the deal to offload Madueke will need to be of a different nature.

Bigger talent than Gittens: Chelsea expected to bid big for £85m superstar

Despite signing João Pedro and Jamie Gittens in the last week, Chelsea are now expected to bid £50m+ for a Premier League “superstar”.

ByBen Gray Jul 7, 2025

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed the winger is valued at around £52m by the Blues, meaning they could be in line to pocket a tidy fee for his services.

"Insane" Dowman could be England's "biggest talent"

Although he is still only 15-years-old, the teenager has been tipped to go on and have a very successful career, with Arsenal insider Will Balsam dubbing him the “biggest talent in England”.

Scout Ben Mattinson has also been left extremely impressed by the young attacking midfielder’s performances at youth level, claiming he could go on to make his Premier League debut in the near future.

As such, it is disappointing that Arsenal have no interest in letting Dowman leave this summer, but it is good news that Chelsea could be set to receive a big fee for Madueke, with Enzo Maresca well-stocked in attacking areas and definitely in a position to sanction the winger’s departure.