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Atletico Madrid are nearing a deal to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen, potentially ruling out Cristian Romero's transfer.

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Romero heavily linked with AtletiLa Liga giants near deal for HincapieArgentine defender's exit potentially blockedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Romero is determined to leave Tottenham this summer, with Atletico Madrid seemingly interested in acquiring his services. However, Romero's exit could be in jeopardy following the news that the Liga giants are nearing a deal to sign Piero Hincapie.

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According to Catalan outlet , Atletico have set their sights on signing Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Hincapie this summer, with Los Rojiblancos already establishing contacts with both the player and his entourage. They have also reciprocated Atleti's interest by showing a willingness to leave BayArena and arrive at the Metropolitano. Head coach Diego Simeone likes the player's versatility, as the Ecuadorian can operate both as a centre-back and a left-back. However, his signing could complicate the potential arrival of Romero.

DID YOU KNOW?

Romero has already stated that he "would love to play in La Liga". Spurs have placed a €70 million (£59m/$79m) price tag on the Argentine international, with Simeone reported to have already had talks with the player.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIAN ROMERO?

The 27-year-old is currently enjoying his vacation after helping Spurs win the Europa League last month. He will return to action for pre-season with Spurs next season, with his future clearly up in the air.

Mohali and Indore are among venues to get two games after missing out on World Cup hosting rights

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2023Mohali, Indore, Rajkot and Visakhapatnam will host two games each during India’s 2023-24 home season, which will feature series against Australia (three ODIs and five T20Is), Afghanistan (three T20Is) and England (five Tests). The BCCI may have awarded extra games to these four venues since they are missing out on the ODI World Cup in October-November.Among other venues that missed out on the World Cup, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Nagpur and Ranchi will also host matches during the 2023-24 bilateral season. Of the cities that are set to host World Cup games, only Hyderabad – where Australia will play one T20I and England one Test – Bengaluru and Dharamsala have been awarded bilateral games.With the bilateral calendar skewed away from the traditional venues, England will play none of their five Tests at India’s five biggest cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru). Instead, their tour will take them to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala. All five of these grounds have hosted five Tests or fewer.ESPNcricinfo LtdIndia’s first assignment in this home season is the ODI series against Australia, scheduled to run from September 22 to 27 in the immediate lead-up to the World Cup. The T20I series begins on November 23, four days after the World Cup final, and runs until December 3.After this, India are scheduled to tour South Africa for three T20Is (December 10 to 14), three ODIs (December 17 to 21) and two Tests (December 26-30 and January 3-7). They will get only a three-day break before the home T20I series against Afghanistan from January 11 to 17. This will be Afghanistan’s first-ever white-ball bilateral series against India. Their only previous match against India in India was their inaugural Test match in June 2018. India has, however, served as Afghanistan’s “home” venue in bilateral series against Ireland, Bangladesh and West Indies.It’s likely that a number of India’s Test players will get a break from the Afghanistan T20Is, allowing them to recuperate ahead of the first Test against England, which begins on January 25. That series is scheduled to run until March 11, with eight-day gaps between the second and third Tests and the fourth and fifth Tests.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City may be going through a dark time of it late, but they do still have a chance of winning the FA Cup after defeating fellow Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth last weekend.

With no top-flight title or Champions League in sight, there will likely be a changing of the guard at the Etihad this summer, with faces such as Kevin De Bruyne perhaps leaving the building for some fresh blood to then excite the City masses.

One position that is dire need of refreshing is the right-back spot with new reports suggesting that City have a target in mind to begin such a transformation.

Man City looking at signing new full-back

With Kyle Walker departing on loan to AC Milan in January and academy graduate Rico Lewis not preferred in recent times, signing a new right-back should be one of their top priorities this summer.

Well, according to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, plenty of top-flight clubs in England, including City are considering an approach for 22-year-old right-back Kiliann Sildillia, as current employers SC Freiburg brace for lots of activity involving their star-man.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion are all named as interested parties, but City will hope they can race to the front of the queue for Sildillia’s services shortly, with recent weeks suggesting that Guardiola and Co have been watching the defender’s matches in the Bundesliga intently.

How Sildillia can become Cancelo 2.0

The right-back position in Manchester is lacking in numbers, with Matheus Nunes notably struggling up against Andoni Iraola’s challenging Cherries.

Indeed, Simon Bajkowski, chief Man City writer for MEN, gave Nunes a 4/10 for his showings, stating that he was “abysmal” for the goal.

Therefore, the attack-oriented Sildillia could be the perfect choice in this problem area, with the Frenchman perhaps becoming the faltering team’s next Joao Cancelo down the line.

Cancelo was a beloved figure at the Etihad for many of his successful years donning sky blue, with the expansive Portuguese defender going on to notch up an impressive nine goals and 21 assists from 154 clashes.

Unfortunately, the end of his time in England turned sour, leaving City with a lack of personnel down both the left and right flanks, with Cancelo comfortable in both slots in Guardiola’s XI.

RB

60

3

3

CB

18

0

0

RM

17

0

0

RW

2

0

0

LM

1

0

0

CM

1

0

0

Looking at the table above, the new City target is also capable of being versatile for the cause like Cancelo, with Sildillia lining up all over the pitch for Freiburg from his 102 appearances and counting.

But, it’s clear his most comfortable position is in the right-back area, with six goal contributions coming the Frenchman’s way from 60 contests in this spot on the pitch.

Two of those contributions have come this very campaign in the Bundesliga, with Sildillia managing to solidify himself as a trusty first-team option in Germany for both his attacking prowess and his ability to resiliently defend.

From those 16 clashes, Sildillia has managed to tally up a promising six clean sheets, with 3.3 duels won on average per league outing also matching that of Nunes back in Manchester.

But, Guardiola might be hesitant to stick it out with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man, especially if the former FC Metz ace is available, knowing full well that adding in fresh, young bodies defensively can work wonders in the case of rising star Abdukodir Khusanov.

Likewise, Nunes’ natural position isn’t on the right flank, with the attacking energy of Sildillia also potentially gifting City their next “complete” star – as he has been labelled by scout Jacek Kulig – in a similar mould to Cancelo.

Better than Marmoush: Man City want to sign "one of the best CFs in Europe"

One of the world’s best young strikers is available on a free this summer, and Manchester City are reportedly “interested” in his signature.

ByBen Gray Apr 1, 2025

Omission from provisional squad shows strength of white-ball set-up, says England captain

Matt Roller25-Aug-2023Jos Buttler has hinted that Harry Brook could yet force his way into England’s final World Cup squad after his 41-ball century in the Hundred this week, but stressed that Ben Stokes’ return to ODI cricket as a specialist batter “changed the dynamic” for selection.Brook was a surprise omission from England’s 15-man squad last week and responded by hitting 105 not out from 42 balls for Northern Superchargers at Headingley on Tuesday night. He walked in at 10 for 3 after 20 balls, and the next-highest score was just 15.As things stand, he is likely to travel to India as a reserve but England are allowed to change their provisional 15-man World Cup squad until September 28. Four years ago, they made two late changes to their squad, with Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson replacing Joe Denly and David Willey.Brook is part of England’s squad for a four-match T20I series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday, and Buttler entertained the idea he could still force his way into the squad through performance alone. “There’s still a long time before everyone is meant to get on the plane, so we’ll wait and see what happens,” he said.Harry Brook hit a 41-ball century on Tuesday night•ECB/Getty Images”We all know Harry’s a fantastic player and we saw what he can do the other night,” Buttler added. “It’s not like it’s a surprise: we know what a brilliant player he is, he’s just the unfortunate one at the moment to not be in that squad at the moment.”Of course, Ben Stokes coming back and being available just as a batter sort of changes the dynamic a little bit. Ben’s a fantastic player to be able to welcome back, so it’s a really tough selection.”Several members of England’s provisional squad have had quiet tournaments in the Hundred – including Liam Livingstone, perhaps Brook’s nearest equivalent as a power-hitter – but there is no obvious like-for-like switch which would maintain the balance of the squad. Livingstone’s ability to bowl both off- and leg-spin could be crucial to England’s chances on India’s pitches.”There’s been [a lot of] players performing really well over a period of time,” Buttler said. “That’s where we’re at the minute.”Buttler, who will captain Manchester Originals in the knockout stages of the Hundred this weekend, said that the calibre of players England could afford to leave out should be framed as a positive: “We’re blessed with a lot of strength in depth, and talent.”[There are] excellent players not in that provisional squad at the moment. It’s been the nature of England squads in the white-ball teams over the last few years really, which is a great sign for us. They’re good problems to have.”Related

Harry Brook's fastest Hundred century in vain as Welsh Fire keep hopes burning

Could Sam Curran be England's next white-ball captain?

World Cup warm-ups: India begin against England; Pakistan take on NZ

Harry Brook's fall-guy status reflects rare richness of England white-ball talent

Buttler is the only batter in the tournament who has outscored Brook, leading the run-scoring charts with 298 in eight innings. He has scored at a strike rate of 143.26, occasionally playing within himself in order to negate the early swing that has been a feature of the tournament.”I’ve been feeling pretty good and enjoying my batting,” he said. “It’s certainly swung about a little bit more than sometimes it does, so I’ve been just trying to adapt. I’m a pretty experienced player now. You always want to get off to a fast start and take advantage of the Powerplay, but some days it might be that that’s the hardest time to bat.”Even in such a short game, there’s still time to do that. In a Test match, it might be [that you] soak it up for an hour or something, but in a T20 or the Hundred, it might be just three or four balls that you need – and that’s okay. Something I’ve learned over time is you can still have those little phases of getting in.”Buttler missed the end of the Hundred last season with a calf injury, but will play against Southern Brave in the eliminator on Saturday and is relishing the prospect of leading Originals into the knockout stages of a tournament he believes has gone “from strength to strength”.”These are the games that you want to be involved in: a chance to try and get into the final,” he said. “It’s going to be a great night at The Oval, sold out. We’ve played some really good cricket to earn the right to be in this position and now it’s about trusting that again to play with the same freedom, even though it’s an eliminator match.”

Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on Krasnodar captain Eduard Spertsyan but face competition in and outside the Premier League.

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Fernandes linked with Man Utd exitRed Devils linked with €25m starCompetition in England and EuropeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to L'Eco di Bergamo, via Tutto Atalanta, United are monitoring the 25-year-old but Brentford, Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, and Atalanta are also keeping tabs on him. The report adds, however, that Ajax have a 'concrete advantage' in signing him.

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Despite Bruno Fernandes reportedly turning down a Saudi Pro League move, speculation is still circling that he could leave United after they failed to secure European football next season. If he does go, finding a replacement for the Portugal international will not be easy, and if Spertsyan was signed for €25m (£21.5m), he would be under huge pressure to perform at Old Trafford.

DID YOU KNOW?

Armenia international Spertsyan scored 11 goals and bagged seven assists in 35 appearances for the Russian side, who secured the league title this season. Incidentally, the attacking midfielder has just over 12 months until his contract expires.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

All eyes will be on whether or not Fernandes stays put at Ruben Amorim's United next season. But if he does leave, Spertsyan, who can also play as a winger, could be a relatively low-risk transfer signing.

The U.S. survived a nervy, gritty shootout, with Damion Downs scoring winner to book their place in the semis

They say shootouts are a lottery, but, realistically, that isn't quite true. There's more to these types of moments than just luck – these are tests of mettle.

Matt Freese, turns out, has plenty of mettle. Heavy mettle, in fact. On Sunday, Freese was cold-blooded, establishing himself as the U.S. men's national team's hero – for one night, anyway – to power Mauricio Pochettino's side into the Gold Cup semifinals for a record 17th time.

Freese stopped three of Costa Rica's shootout attempts, leading the USMNT to victory following a 2-2 draw through 90. Freese, ultimately, was the biggest reason the U.S. advanced, as he stepped up in the face of adversity numerous times to make multiple saves the U.S. needed to survive.

Survive is, ultimately, the key word. After falling behind early after Max Arfsten conceded a penalty, the U.S. saw Malik Tillman miss a penalty of his own on the other side. Diego Luna's incredible equalizer sent the two teams into the half level, leaving it all to play for in the second half.

Once there, the U.S. took the lead early on Arfsten's redemptive goal, but the U.S. defender was carved up on a Costa Rica equalizer in the 71st minute. There was nothing to split the two teams from that point on.

Well, nothing except Freese.

In the shootout, the U.S. goalkeeper – who has started ahead of incumbent Matt Turner in all four Gold Cup games, all four wins – saved the second, fifth and sixth penalty kicks from Costa Rica, giving his side multiple chances to pull away.

Sebastian Berhalter and John Tolkin missed potential winning opportunities for the U.S. but, after yet another Freese save, second-half substitute Damion Downs didn't miss his, sending the U.S. to the semifinal on Wednesday against Guatemala, which had upset Canada earlier on Sunday.

It took every ounce of sweat – and some incredibly anxious moments – to get them there. But a little bit of ice in their goalkeeper's veins, in the biggest performance of his USMNT career, advanced the USMNT to the tournament's semifinals, yet again.

GOAL rates the USMNT's players from U.S. Bank Stadium.

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defense

Matt Freese (8/10):

Under more pressure than he had been in the group stage, but came up huge in the shootout. Nearly got to the initial penalty and bravely came out to claim a few long balls, generally handling his moments well. Made three mammoth stops in the shootout to earn his place in USMNT lore.

Max Arfsten (6/10):

Conceded the early penalty, but then bounced back, setting up the first goal before scoring the second. Then, with the U.S. seemingly cruising, he got absolutely cooked on Costa Rica's equalizing goal. A true rollercoaster of a performance.

Tim Ream (7/10):

Calm and steady on the ball. Did everything he had to do defensively, which really wasn't much.

Chris Richards (7/10):

Got close to his second goal of the tournament a few times, only to be thwarted by Navas once and headed wide on another. Had to toe the line a bit after earning a yellow in a first-half kerfuffle, but he held his composure.

Alex Freeman (6/10):

Had two chances fall to him in the first half, but couldn't make much of them. Had a few really good defensive moments, though, as he continues to grow that side of his game. Credit to him for stepping up and finishing in the shootout, too.

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Tyler Adams (6/10):

Definitely not a vintage, game-changing performance, but Adams was fine as he did the things he usually does in midfield. Buried the USMNT's first chance in the shootout to set the tone.

Sebastian Berhalter (6/10):

Was never shy when it came to getting into it with his Costa Rican counterparts. He quietly created a bunch of chances, too, putting in a very strong shift on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, he skied his penalty kick when the lights were bright.

Luca de la Torre (6/10):

A very useful outlet in midfield but, alongside Arfsten, was beaten on Costa Rica's second. Tough to overlook a moment that bad.

Getty ImagesAttack

Diego Luna (8/10):

Seemed a bit tentative at the start, but got his goal when the U.S. really needed it, once again showing how mentally tough he is in the face of adversity.

Malik Tillman (7/10):

Missed the penalty, yes, but then set up Arfsten's goal to atone for it. Was brave enough to step up and bury one in the shootout. Huge credit to him.

Patrick Agyemang (6/10):

Did a lot of the dirty work, not a lot of the glory. His hold-up play directly led to the USMNT's second goal but, ultimately, it's a striker's job to create for himself, too, and Agyemang never really did that.

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Damion Downs (5/10):

Had one very good run on goal, but didn't let it rip in the end. That was almost certainly the result of nerves from the inexperienced forward. But buried the final goal in penalties to seal it for the U.S.

John Tolkin (6/10):

Absolutely mauled a Costa Rica attacker a minute or two after coming on. Had a great cross to White in the dying moments, but saw his spot-kick saved by a diving Navas.

Jack McGlynn (N/A):

Only had a few touches after coming on late.

Brian White (N/A):

Brought on in stoppage time. Had a half-chance via a header, but put it wide.

Mauricio Pochettino (6/10):

Could have been a bit more aggressive with his subs to potentially avoid the shootout, but the U.S. inevitably got it done. The goal was to survive and advance, and – despite some nervy moments – Pochettino's side did just that, erasing a four-game losing streak entering the tournament with four straight Gold Cup wins.

The squad includes four specialist quick bowlers while Jimmy Neesham is also included

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2023Pace bowler Adam Milne and top-order batter Finn Allen have missed out on New Zealand’s provisional squad for the ODI World Cup with allrounder Rachin Ravindra earning a spot as an additional spin option.Kane Williamson’s inclusion was announced last week although it still remains uncertain whether he will be ready for the opening match against England on October 5 as he continues through the final stages of recovery from his ACL injury. Should Williamson not be available for certain games, Tom Latham would continue as captain.Williamson, along with Tim Southee, will be playing in their fourth ODI World Cup having featured in 2011, 2015 and 2019.Related

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Injured Milne ruled out of England series; New Zealand call up Lister

As was hinted by his omission for the first ODI against England, Allen does not make the cut. Allen did play in Southampton on Sunday in a rain-shortened game but picked up a second-ball duck. Devon Conway and Will Young are set to be New Zealand’s openers at the World Cup.”We had to make a decision, ultimately, for the opening batting position and it came down Finn and Will Young,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “And we just felt that when we looked through what the potential gameplan was looking like in India, looked at the grounds, and also looked at the form of the two players as well that Youngy was the right guy to go with.”We know the value Will brings and have been really pleased with the way he’s played in the last couple of games without going on to get a big one but it certainly looks encouraging.”Jimmy Neesham, who was at the crease for the Super Over in the 2019 final, is retained while Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry make up the specialist quicks. Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi are the frontline spinners supplemented by Ravindra who only made his ODI debut earlier this year.Rachin Ravindra has been included in New Zealand’s World Cup squad•PA Photos/Getty ImagesStead added that the ACL injury suffered by Michael Bracewell earlier this year and meant required a further assessment of the all-round options available which led the selectors to Neesham and Ravindra, while Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips could also play a role with the ball.Milne played at the 2015 World Cup and returned to the ODI side in 2022 after further battles with injury but has played just five matches in the format since 2017. He was ruled out of the ongoing England series with a hamstring injury.Kyle Jamieson, who has enjoyed the majority of his international success at Test level, also missed out having recently returned to action after a back injury.As with any squad named for an ICC tournament, there have been some tough calls and there will be some disappointed players,” Stead said. “The key for us was finding the right balance for the squad and making sure we had our bases covered for what is going to be a very competitive tournament.”Meanwhile, Sodhi, who has changed his run-up this year, said it almost “feels like a debut in a different way.””It [my style of action] was designed for Asian conditions,” he said. “I was trying to be a little bit quicker through the crease and potentially bowl a little bit faster as well. And I was fortunate to have some success in Pakistan. Just subcontinent conditions, but quite different to India.And it’s something that I’ve been learning over the last year or so and you know, having bowling experience since I was 12. But now learning to do it in a completely different way and having a different mindset, that’s pretty exciting for me.”New Zealand ODI World Cup squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young

The allrounder heard his hip “pop” and felt his tournament was over but is now all set to make a comeback as England look to bounce back

Matt Roller19-Oct-2023When Ben Stokes heard his left hip “pop” in the gym of the Radisson Blu hotel in Guwahati, he feared that his 2023 ODI World Cup was over before it had begun. Instead, he looks set to make his return from injury against South Africa on Saturday night, as England look to get their tournament back on track.Shortly after their arrival in India at the end of September, Stokes and Andy Mitchell, England’s strength and conditioning coach, were alarmed to hear a noise during a fitness session which turned out to be Stokes “ripping the fascia off my muscle”. Scans cleared him of a serious injury, but for around 36 hours, Stokes was convinced that he was out of the World Cup.”When I initially did it, I thought I was done,” Stokes revealed on Thursday, “because it’s not good hearing a pop. Thankfully, it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as what we initially thought… we got a programme in place straight away and it went really well. I’m here now, physically being available for selection, so it’s pretty good.”Related

Not panic stations yet but Mott hopes perspective can fire up England's World Cup campaign

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'Spiritual leader' Stokes on target to make England XI against South Africa

Stokes came through England’s first training session in Mumbai unscathed on Thursday night, range-hitting for around half an hour against sidearm throws. “It’s obviously been a frustrating little niggle to get before the tournament started, but I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am now… I’m pretty confident that everything will be good.”I’ve worked to get back to a position of fitness where I’m able to go out and not be a hindrance on the team. I’ve worked hard and got to a point where I feel like I can do as much as I possibly can without having to hide in the field, or not be able to do as much as I need to do, to be able to actually have a positive influence on the team.”Despite not playing, Stokes attempted to have a positive influence in Delhi on Sunday night, addressing his team-mates in the aftermath of their 69-run defeat to Afghanistan. He does not hold an official role in the white-ball set-up but was described by coach Matthew Mott as England’s “spiritual leader” and has been a confidant to captain Jos Buttler.”Jos and Motty have got a lot on their shoulders with it being a World Cup,” Stokes said. “I try and help out as much as I can without stepping on Jos and Motty’s toes in terms of how they want to lead this group. I know that people do listen when I talk. I don’t try and speak too much but I try and speak when I feel it’s the right time.”Ben Stokes is set to make this return to the England side•ICC/Getty ImagesStokes said that he had encouraged his team-mates to draw a line under the defeat: “You’ve just got to move on pretty quickly because at the end of the day, you’ve just lost a game of cricket at the World Cup and everyone’s going to lose a game – not take it to heart. We’ve still got plenty of games left in the group to hopefully get through to those semi-finals.”He also implored his team-mates to rediscover their attacking style. “I don’t care if we lose: I want us to go out there and play in the way we talk about. If we’re going to go down, let’s go down doing what we’re known for. Let’s not be timid, be restricted in what we want to do,” Stokes said.”We want to go out and show the opposition what England is and what we’ve been known for… it’s just reminding ourselves about what we do best as a group of players: to always be on top of the opposition, and always make the plays, and make them be the reactive team, as opposed to us.”

‘I’m not the Messiah. I’m one person in a team sport, one person who can add certain bits. It doesn’t all of a sudden mean you’re going to win a game because I’m just a very small part of a bigger entity.’Ben Stokes

England are likely to re-balance their XI to accommodate Stokes’ return, with Harry Brook set to retain his place after he top-scored with 66 off 61 against Afghanistan. Stokes will not bowl at the World Cup but appears likely to replace an allrounder in their side, a move which would leave Joe Root as their sixth bowling option.Wankhede stadium, which is hosting its first game of the tournament, is renowned as a high-scoring venue which generally offers pace and bounce for seamers, which Stokes believes should suit England. “There have been some pretty slow wickets, especially under the sun,” he said. “A fresh wicket at Wankhede might be completely different.”But Stokes also cautioned against any expectations that he would single-handedly transform England’s campaign. “I’m not the Messiah. I think Woody [Mark Wood] said that, which is true: I’m one person in a team sport, one person who can add certain bits. It doesn’t all of a sudden mean you’re going to win a game because I’m just a very small part of a bigger entity.”Everyone who walks onto that field for England is a match-winner in their own right. If two or three of us have a day out, we know we’ll be a hard team to beat. I don’t think anyone – in team sport – coming back in automatically means you’re going to win a game. All I can try and do is what I do every single time I wear an England shirt, and give my absolute all.”

Crystal Palace are hoping to sign Josh Acheampong on loan from Chelsea having had great success recruiting young Blues stars on temporary deals.

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Palace plot Acheampong loan dealHave signed promising Blues youngsters beforeDefender currently at Club World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Crystal Palace are hoping to strike gold again with another loan move for a Chelsea youngster, with defender Acheampong reportedly of interest. According to , the Eagles want to continue their successful partnership with the Blues from the last few years, having previously given crucial game time to the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah. Ben Chilwell also spent the second half of last season at Selhurst Park.

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Acheampong is highly rated at Stamford Bridge and is currently part of the squad Enzo Maresca took to the United States for the Club World Cup. He has made just one appearance, completing the whole game in the 3-0 victory over ES Tunis, and his versatility means he can operate both at right-back and in central defence. Coincidentally, the 19-year-old made his first Premier League start against Palace back in January, a few weeks after he had extended his contract until 2029.

DID YOU KNOW?

Acheampong was a regular feature during Chelsea's Conference League campaign, making seven appearances in the competition, though he was an unused substitute for the 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the final.

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Should Acheampong move to Palace, he would be joining a squad that is thriving under manager Oliver Glasner. The Croydon outfit may also be able to offer the teenager Europa League football, but they are still waiting for UEFA to decide whether they will be allowed to compete after qualifying for the competition through their historic victory in the FA Cup.

Australia offspinner says he wants to push for the 2027 Ashes and is also keen to make his BBL debut for Renegades before the Test summer

Alex Malcolm30-Oct-2023Nathan Lyon is poised to sign a deal to play a full County Championship season with Lancashire next year where he will team up with long-time rival Jimmy Anderson and has reiterated his desire to continue to play Test cricket until the 2027 Ashes series in England.Lyon is also aiming to play in the BBL for his new club Melbourne Renegades against his old side Sydney Sixers, who he said “basically sacked him”, ahead of his Test return against Pakistan in mid-December.Lyon, 35, made a successful return to Sheffield Shield cricket over the weekend in New South Wales’ loss to Victoria at the MCG. Lyon bowled 36 overs across two innings in the match and returned figures of 1 for 81 on a pitch that favoured the seam bowlers.Related

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Melbourne Renegades secure Lyon for three years starting BBL 13

Boland joins Durham for 2024

Australia’s greatest-ever Test offspinner had not played a first-class game since he tore his calf badly during the second Test of the Ashes series at Lord’s in late June. Australia have seven Tests this summer against Pakistan and West Indies at home and New Zealand away but do not have another series scheduled between mid-March 2024 and the following home summer where they will host India in a five-match series.It presents an opportunity for Australia’s Test specialists to play county cricket with Scott Boland already signed to play with Durham. Lyon confirmed he has a contract on the table from Lancashire, which was first reported by the UK’s , and he is likely to sign this week.”There’s an offer on the table,” Lyon said at a cricket clinic in Melbourne on Monday. “I really wanted to see how this week went. It all went really well. So that’s a conversation when I get home with my wife tomorrow night. [We’ll] have a chat about heading over there. It’s looking pretty good that I’ll head over to Lancs hopefully, we’ll dot all the i’s, cross all the t’s, get that signed and head over there to play with Jimmy Anderson which will be good.Nathan Lyon played four games for Worcestershire in 2017•Getty Images”At this stage, it’s a full season [contract] but there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge. But my intentions are to go over, play county cricket and go there and keep learning.”Lyon was set to do a stint in county cricket earlier this year ahead of the World Test Championship final and the Ashes but opted to remain at home. He played four matches with Worcestershire in 2017.His serious calf injury was a huge blow to Australia in the Ashes and he has admitted it took him to some dark places personally when he watched the remainder of the series from home in Sydney. But the injury has strengthened his resolve to continue playing Test cricket with the next away tours of India and England in 2027 clear targets in his mind.”It’s probably extended [my career], to be honest with you,” Lyon said. “I’ve always said I wanted to win in India and England. Haven’t been able to do that. So, it looks like we’ve got to go again.”Lyon is keen to play as much cricket as he can between now and then. He is scheduled to play two more Shield games for New South Wales against Western Australia and Tasmania before the Test summer begins, both at the SCG, but he will rest from the trip to Hobart to play Tasmania in between.He is also keen to make his BBL debut for Renegades on December 8 against Sixers at the SCG, just a day before the Test players are due to head to Perth to prepare for the first home Test of the summer against Pakistan at Perth Stadium starting on December 14.”That’s my plan,” Lyon said. “I haven’t spoken to Cricket Australia or the Renegades yet but my plan is to be available for selection. I’m looking forward to joining the Renegades. I feel like we’re getting all the old boys back together with Sids [Peter Siddle], and Sos [Shaun Marsh] and Finchy [Aaron Finch] and myself.Nathan Lyon has joined Melbourne Renegades in BBL after previously playing at Sydney Sixers•Getty Images”But having someone like Quinton de Kock, who I absolutely idolised playing against, I think he’s exceptional and you can see what he’s doing for South Africa. It’s pretty special. I’m looking forward to it.”Lyon has been watching the ODI World Cup but said he is following as a fan and is not waiting by the phone after volunteering his services to coach Andrew McDonald prior to the tournament when Ashton Agar was ruled out with injury.He took great delight in seeing England lose to India overnight.”Absolutely loved it,” Lyon said. “It’s international cricket. I respect them as people. I think they’re very nice people. But when it comes to cricket, what do you want me to say?”