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Chelsea attempted to complete the signing of a “composed” Premier League player in the January transfer window in a record deal, according to a fresh claim.

Chelsea beat West Ham as January window slams shut

The Blues picked up a much-needed 2-1 win at home to West Ham in the league on Monday evening, taking some pressure off manager Enzo Maresca after some patchy form of late.

Despite falling behind to Jarrod Bowen, Chelsea rallied in the second half and didn’t allow their heads to drop, with Pedro Neto equalising and Aaron Wan-Bissaka scoring an own goal, following typical good work from Cole Palmer. There were injury concerns for Nicolas Jackson and Mac Guiu, though, acting as a concern moving forward.

It was relatively quiet at Stamford Bridge in the January window, certainly by the Blues’ standards in recent years, with Maresca content with the squad he has, following a busy summer of business.

That’s not to say that Chelsea weren’t linked with an absolute host of players, however, with Sporting CP defensive midfielder Dario Essugo mentioned as a possible option late in the day. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding another reported target before deadline day reached its conclusion.

Chelsea given swift rejection over "composed" defender

According to a new report from The Telegraph, Chelsea attempted to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo in the January window. The Blues were swiftly and emphatically shut down in their efforts to sign the £80m-rated defender, who would be a record sale for Forest at that price.

Nuno Espirito Santo did not want to lose such an influential player midway through the season, and the Brazilian then signed a contract extension at the City Ground to further cement the strength of Forest’s resolve.

Murillo is enjoying a fantastic campaign for Forest, arguably standing out as one of the leading central defenders in the Premier League, so it is understandable why Chelsea were keen to snap him up. The 22-year-old has started 23 games in the league in 2024/25 to date, while former Steve Cooper heaped praise on him during their time together in 2023, calling him “composed”.

Jamie Redknapp has said of him: “From his touches today, you can just see the quality that he possesses. He’s going to be a real fan favourite. He possesses a lot of weapons in his armoury – he’s got a lovely left foot which I think gives you a massive advantage.”

Appearances

23

Starts

23

Minutes played

2030

Aerial duel wins per game

1.0

Pass completion rate

79.3%

Clearances per game

6.3

Tackles per game

1.7

Interceptions per game

1.0

That said, for all of Murillo’s quality this season, he has averaged only one aerial duel win per game in the league which is less than Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana, while on the ball he has also only completed 79.3% of his passes.

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For that reason, there would be a risk element in Chelsea going back in for him this summer, but if Maresca thinks he can suit his style of play, it could still make sense.

As those in the Midlands look to put an end to their leaky defence, Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly been offered the chance to sign a Barcelona defender this month.

Wolves transfer news

Wolves have, of course, already opened their January business by signing Emmanuel Agbadou, but it doesn’t seem as though the central defender will be the final name through the door this month. Desperately fighting to keep their Premier League status intact, Vitor Pereia’s side must also ensure that Matheus Cunha stays put this month.

The new manager far from shied away from criticising the Brazilian for his performance and attitude during Wolves’ recent 3-1 loss against Chelsea, which has since only sparked exit rumours.

Reports have even gone as far as suggesting that Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest are now willing to break their own transfer record to sign the Wolves star this month in what would be a Morgan Gibbs-White repeat.

In need of some good news amid growing concerns over Cunha’s future, those in the Midlands may yet get exactly that courtesy of Barcelona. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Wolves have now been contacted with the chance to open talks to sign Eric Garcia this month following the defender’s fall down the pecking order at the Nou Camp.

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Still a young player at just 24 years old, Garcia could return to the Premier League for the first time since swapping Manchester City for Barcelona almost four years ago.

"Wonderful" Garcia could partner Agbadou long into the future

Signing one defender was simply a must for Wolves this month, but signing a second would complete what should have been their main focus since the beginning of the transfer window. Ensuring that reinforcement is a Premier League winner too, wouldn’t exactly be unwise either.

Whilst it remains to be seen just how much Barcelona are demanding to sell their centre-back, reports that they’re offering his signature around the Premier League should give Wolves plenty of hope that he’ll be within their price range.

Despite his current Barcelona struggles, it wasn’t so long ago that the former Manchester City man found himself at the centre of praise when former manager Xavi told reporters following victory over Real Valladolid: “He had a great game, having him is wonderful; he’s competitive; he gets the ball out; he’s a hell of a professional. He could be captain at 21 years old.”

There’s no doubt that he’d be an excellent coup for Wolves, but the ball will be in Garcia’s court when it comes to selecting his next club this month which could deal those in the Midlands a frustrating blow.

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With the January transfer window just a matter of days away, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side are reportedly interested in dealing Aston Villa a frustrating blow by signing one of their attacking players on loan.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have endured a mixed season of fortunes and form, as summarised by their Premier League defeat to Newcastle United last time out.

Suffering a 3-0 defeat at St James’ Park just one week after defeating Manchester City with relative ease, Villa found themselves at the centre of controversy when Jhon Duran was given his marching orders in a decision that is still up for debate.

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Since failing with their appeal against the red card, those in the Midlands will now be without their in-form striker for the next three games, much to Unai Emery’s frustration.

Now sat as low as ninth in the Premier League standings, Villa could yet be dealt another blow when the January transfer window swings open next week.

According to TRT Spor (via Fotomac) in Turkey, Fenerbahce are now interested in signing Jaden Philogene on loan in the winter window, with the summer arrival struggling for game time at Villa Park in an all-too-familiar feeling.

Earning a reported £40,000 a week, Philogene returned to Aston Villa in the summer after a year away at Hull City, where he impressed to earn a move back to his former club.

However, six months later, the winger has started just twice in the Premier League and made 15 appearances across all competitions – failing to score in that time.

So a loan move away may not exactly be a bad idea, but whether Aston Villa agree with that notion remains to be seen.

"Ridiculous" Philogene needs time

The idea of a loan move away should concern Philogene. After all, the last thing he needs is to begin a repeated cycle of first-team struggles followed by aimless loan moves away.

It’s how his previous Aston Villa spell went, and it’s how his current spell must not end. Still just 22 years old, Philogene is still finding his feet in the Premier League and at Villa Park again. In the face of that, he needs patience and opportunity.

At his best, the winger can produce moments to savour, as former Hull manager Liam Rosenior described last season, telling reporters after Philogene scored a Puskas Award contender against Rotherham, as relayed by beIN Sports: “We should give him the goal, we need to appeal to the FA for the outrageous piece of skill.

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“He is trying to beg it in the dressing room that it’s his goal. I said to him that at least it’s an assist. That is Jaden’s goal, it’s what we pay money for. Ridiculous, it’s ridiculous, his ability is something we have missed for a long time. He is only going to get better the more games he plays.”

Manchester United’s forward line has massively struggled in recent months, lacking quality despite huge investment from the club’s hierarchy over the last few years.

Over the summer, former boss Erik ten Hag forked out £36.5m for the services of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna – with real expectations on the Dutchman to provide the goods in attacking areas.

However, the 23-year-old hasn’t made the impact he would have wanted, scoring just three times in 21 appearances, an average of once every seven matches.

As a result, it’s only seen the Red Devils score 19 times in 15 matches, with seven of the goals coming in the four games since Ruben Amorim’s appointment last month.

Such a worrying tally could see the new manager dip into the transfer market during January, with one player already on their radar and providing an upgrade on the current crop of options at Old Trafford.

Man United targeting move for £115m PL star

According to Football Insider, United could be planning a move for Newcastle United talisman Alexander Isak in the next few months to try and bolster their attacking unit.

The 25-year-old is just one option on a shortlist ahead of January that includes Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen, but the Toon ace would cost the club a pretty penny if they were to make a move for his services.

He was a man in demand over the summer, with Arsenal and Chelsea targeting the Swede, but were quoted a massive fee in the region of £115m to complete a deal.

The report claims that Amorim’s side will be targeting a new striker despite the addition of Zirkzee during the off-season, with Dušan Vlahović another name mentioned over a move.

There’s no denying Isak would be a huge addition and one that would improve the options currently on the books in the North West, including one player who’s desperately lacking confidence in recent months.

Why Isak would be an upgrade on Rashford for United

Marcus Rashford is a player who’s known to succeed when having bags of confidence, but when he doesn’t, the attacker often fails to impress.

His quality was evident in 2022/23, scoring 30 times in all competitions – the most of his career, but he’s since struggled to replicate such form over the last two years.

The 27-year-old has scored three times since Amorim’s arrival, but it might not be enough to secure his regular starting role at Old Trafford, with Isak providing an upgrade on the Englishman.

The Newcastle talisman outperformed him in the Champions League last season, a spell that saw him be compared to one of Europe’s leading talents in Kylian Mbappé by FBref.

When delving into their respective figures from the competition, it’s clear to see how much of a stellar addition he would be for the Red Devils, potentially becoming Amorim’s star man should he move.

Isak vs Mbappé & Rashford in the UCL (2023/24)
Statistics (per 90)	Isak	Mbappé	Rashford
Games played	5	12	4
Goals & assists	1	8	2
Shot-on-target accuracy	50%	48%	33%
Goals per shot on target	0.33	0.22	0
Pass accuracy	80%	80%	79%
Aerials won	0.9	0.3	0.9
Fouls won	1.4	1	0.3
Stats via FBref

Isak scored more goals than the United forward, also registering a higher shot-on-target rate than the Englishman and the current Real Madrid talisman.

Whilst £115m may be a huge fee, the striker’s talent is there for all to see, as demonstrated by his tally of 37 Premier League goals since joining the Magpies in 2022 – outscoring the current United star by five during the same time period.

Any deal would likely be a club record, but he would be worth every penny, giving the new manager every chance of being a success during his time at Old Trafford.

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Opener strikes unbeaten 56 from 46 balls to ensure Stars overhaul Sunrisers with 3.2 overs to spare

ECB Reporters Network14-May-2022

Aylish Cranstone of South East Stars scored her maiden CEC half-century•Getty Images

Aylish Cranstone struck her first Charlotte Edwards Cup half-century as South East Stars launched their defence of the trophy with a five- wicket win over Sunrisers at Chelmsford.The Stars opener, a key member of the side that claimed the inaugural title last September, hit an unbeaten 56 from 46 balls to ensure Stars chased down their target with 3.2 overs to spare.It was a solid rather than dazzling display from the champions, who performed well in the field to restrict Sunrisers to 122 for 6.But tight bowling by the home spinners meant Stars were dependent on Cranstone’s knock to get them across the line.Put in to bat, Sunrisers struggled to gain any traction as Freya Davies sent down three consecutive miserly overs, although Cordelia Griffith (26 from 28) did her best to raise the tempo with two crunching cover boundaries.But Griffith lost her wicket cheaply, sent back after she attempted an ambitious single off Dani Gregory and failed to beat Kirstie White’s throw to the keeper.Mady Villiers (20 from 13) threatened to guide Sunrisers towards a strong total, placing her shots with precision and drilling Gregory for the only six of the innings.However, when Villiers steered Emma Jones into the hands of point, the home side never recovered, suffering another run-out courtesy of Davies’ arrow throw from mid-off that took out middle stump and left Mia Rogers short.Scarlett Hughes became the third Sunrisers batter to be run out during the closing stages, with Jo Gardner at least ensuring Stars were set more than a run-a-ball.If that offered Sunrisers a glimmer of hope, it was swiftly countered by Cranstone, who struck Naomi Dattani for six and four in the opening over of the chase as she and Bryony Smith set about the bowling.The pair added a rapid 46 before Villiers tempted Smith into a misjudged sweep to deep midwicket – and Alice Capsey was fortunate to get away with a similar stroke later in the same over, with the ball falling just short of the fielder.When Capsey, who scored 14 from 10, fell to a smart return catch by Grace Scrivens, that triggered a mini-collapse, with Alice Davidson-Richards caught behind attempting to reverse-sweep Gardner and Jones run out by Flo Miller’s throw from the deep.Scrivens might also have accounted for Cranstone, but she spilled the chance this time and the Stars recovered their composure to clinch victory, with White dispatching Kelly Castle for the winning boundary.

With January just around the corner, Ruben Amorim will have his first opportunity to make changes to his Manchester United squad after his appointment back in November.

The 39-year-old will have numerous big calls to make over the futures of multiple first-team members, whilst also potentially wanting to bolster his ranks as they look to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Any player that does complete a move to Old Trafford will have to adapt to Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, which has worked wonders to date, helping them claim a 2-1 win over rivals Manchester City last weekend.

Such a switch has seen the likes of Alejandro Garnacho struggle to keep his place after the change of management, with the Argentine missing the trip to the Etihad after being completely left out of the squad.

However, he may find it even harder to regain his starting role should a deal be struck for one player who appears to be on the Red Devils’ radar if recent stories are to be believed.

Man Utd make bid for attacking sensation

According to one Spanish outlet, United have made a “formal bid” to sign Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams ahead of the January transfer window.

The Red Devils aren’t alone in their pursuit of the Spaniard, with PSG and Barcelona also monitoring a move for the 22-year-old who has a €58m (£47m) release clause in his current deal.

Despite the interest from the aforementioned clubs, the report states that United are currently leading the race for his signature as Amorim looks to secure his first addition in the coming weeks.

Williams caught the eye during the summer, scoring in the Euro 2024 final against England, breaking the hearts of an entire nation who have now gone 58 years without a major international trophy.

Any deal could spell the end of one player’s time at Old Trafford, potentially ending his long-term affiliation with the club given his own rumours about a potential transfer.

Why Williams would be an upgrade on Rashford

Marcus Rashford has been at United since he was a young boy, but seamlessly made the jump into the first team as a teenager back in 2016, scoring four times in his first two appearances.

He’s since made over 400 appearances at Old Trafford, featuring under various managers, but it appears that he may have no part to play under the new regime of Amorim after being left out of the trip to the Etihad alongside Garnacho.

It’s safe to say, the Englishman now needs a fresh start to reignite his once-promising career, but the club would be holding out for a fee in the region of £40m amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Such a figure would be a decent fee given his lack of form in recent months, but they would have themselves a readymade replacement should they sign Williams, given the recent reports.

When comparing their respective stats from the current campaign, it’s clear that the Spaniard would be an upgrade on the current first-team star, taking the forward line to the next level in the process.

Williams, who’s previously been dubbed “one of the best wingers” by analyst Ben Mattinson, may have registered fewer goals and assists to date, but has averaged more progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 – potentially forming an exciting partnership with Amad Diallo, who’s nailed down the right-sided role.

Games played

16

15

Goals & assists

4

5

Progressive carries

6.3

1.8

Progressive passes

3.2

1.9

Shot-creating actions

5.4

2.7

Take-ons completed

2.9

0.8

Take-on percentage

37%

23%

Aerials won

47%

42%

He’s also created more shot-creating actions and progressive passes offering that added creative threat that he desires in the final third to help achieve his goal of being a success at Old Trafford.

The £47m fee touted for his services would be an absolute bargain given his figures from this season, allowing the fanbase to forget about Rashford should he depart in the near future.

However, given the interest from elsewhere, United will have to act quickly to secure his services to avoid missing out on a talent who is only going to progress further given his youthful years.

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After a dreadful period before the international break that saw them slip down the Premier League table, Arsenal look back to their brilliant best.

Mikel Arteta’s side have scored 13 goals in their last three games while conceding just three, and there have been standout performers all over the pitch, from Bukayo Saka in attack to Gabriel Magalhaes in defence.

However, for all the excellent displays from players in the starting lineup to those on the bench, a few players remain on the periphery of the squad.

West Ham United (A)

5-2 (W)

Sporting CP (A)

5-1 (W)

Nottingham Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Chelsea (A)

1-1 (D)

Inter Milan (A)

1-0 (L)

Fortunately, if recent reports are to be believed, one of those players could be set to make the club a hefty profit next month, a player the manager once thought would become an important member of the team.

Arsenal's standout performers

Okay, before we get to the player who should be moved on next month, let’s examine a few of the stars who’ve reignited Arsenal’s title charge over the last week or so, starting with club poster boy Saka.

The Hale End icon was one of the few players in impressive form prior to the international break, racking up four goals and seven assists in 15 appearances, but has reached another level over the last three games, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

In all, the fan favourite “monster”, as dubbed by journalist Mark White, has established himself well and truly as the Gunners’ most important player this season.

1

Saka

7

11

18

2

Havertz

9

1

19

3

Martinelli

4

3

18

4

Trossard

4

2

18

5

Odegaard

1

3

8

=

Rice

1

3

18

=

Magalhaes

4

0

19

Still, it cannot be forgotten that his best form often comes when playing alongside another of the team’s best players, Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian returned to the team just before the international break, but it was against Forest that he looked back to his best, and since then, it’s become crystal clear that when he starts, the North Londoners are twice the team they are without him.

For example, the Drammen-born dynamo picked up an assist against the Tricky Trees and Sporting before scoring a penalty against the Irons on Saturday evening.

The former Real Madrid wonderkid’s haul for the season so far stands at four goal involvements in eight games, and now he’s fit again, we wouldn’t be surprised to see that number balloon in the coming weeks.

However, while the Gunners’ number seven is reaching new heights and their captain is getting back to his scintillating best, there are a few squad players who look even further from first-team action than before, including one who left Arteta excited when he first joined, but now must be sold for a hefty profit.

The Arsenal player who must be sold

In January 2023, Arsenal were in the midst of an entirely unexpected title race with Manchester City, and were actually leading Pep Guardiola’s league-winning juggernaut at that time, so the club opted to bring in some reinforcements.

Brighton & Hove Albion’s incredibly talented winger Leandro Trossard was signed for £27m, Italian international Jorginho made the increasingly uncontroversial move from Chelsea to the Emirates, and while both of those players have become incredibly useful members of the squad since, the same cannot really be said of the third signing made that month, Jakub Kiwior.

The Polish defender joined the team from Serie A side Spezia for around £20m.

While he was a surprise addition to most fans, Arteta was delighted about his arrival and seemed to see a bright future for him at the club, describing him as “a young versatile defender who has shown huge potential and qualities with Spezia in Serie A.”

Unfortunately for the Tychy-born ace, he was limited to just eight appearances in his first six months at the Emirates. Yet, in September of the following season, the manager once again reaffirmed his belief in him, claiming that the 24-year-old had the potential “to be great.”

Last season did see the versatile defender get more game time, as across the full campaign he made 30 first-team appearances, with the majority coming at left-back, but following a poor display against Bayern Munich in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final, he once again became more of a bench option.

This season has seen the 31-capped international make just ten appearances, totalling 374 minutes, as summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and even Myles Leiws-Skelly seem to be ahead of him in the pecking order, which makes a recent report touting him for an exit particularly interesting.

Appearances

8

30

10

Starts

6

18

2

Minutes

498′

1594′

374′

Goals

1

1

0

Assists

0

3

2

According to Caught Offside, there are ten clubs that are now interested in signing the former Spezia star, with Italian giants AC Milan and Napoli, as well as Sevilla already making contact over a potential deal.

The report claims that while the latter two have inquired over a loan move, the Gunners would prefer a permanent sale and would be tempted by offers in the region of €40m to €50m, which converts to about £33m to £41m.

In other words, if the club are able to sell the £58k-per-week ace for the higher sum, that would represent a profit of at least £21m, and for all the talent and potential he has, that seems like too good a deal to turn down, especially when Arteta already has a plethora of left-backs to choose from.

Ultimately, it would be fair to say that Kiwior’s move to Arsenal last January has not really worked out on the pitch, but should he move on for such a significant price in January, or even next summer, then his original transfer would have to be considered a success, at least from a financial perspective.

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Cricket Australia is toying with the idea of a hub in Melbourne to complete the BBL season as multiple clubs deal with Covid-19 infections

AAP03-Jan-2022Anxiety is running high across the BBL as multiple Covid-19 outbreaks leave a hub in Melbourne as a serious option to continue the tournament.In an unprecedented crisis for the BBL, Cricket Australia is trying to figure out how to complete the season and also keep players and staff safe. An announcement on the future of this season could be made as soon as Tuesday.Twelve Melbourne Stars players have contracted Covid-19, forcing them to call-up Victorian club cricketers just to field a team for their last two games.Stars allrounder Hilton Cartwright admitted it was tough to forget about the Covid-19 situation and prepare for Monday night’s clash with the Melbourne Renegades.The former Australia Test player had talks with the Stars’ wellbeing staff following opening batters Joe Clarke and Tom Rogers being forced out of the Melbourne derby at the MCG.Gun players such as Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa and Nathan Coulter-Nile were already in isolation due to COVID-19.”I’ve never felt more vulnerable to a virus in my entire life and I never realised how much it was going to affect my mental state,” Cartwright said.”I’ve always had form slumps and this ranks right up there with how I actually feel about going about my business day-to-day.”Myself and my wife have basically been locked up in our room, not sure if we should catch the lift in case someone in there might have caught (Covid-19).”Constantly it’s on your mind and then you’ve got to walk out there and perform one of the biggest pressure stages.”I was really battling that throughout the day but once it got to about 4pm, all I was doing was trying to focus on the game.”But I can’t see things getting worse than what it’s already been because the guys are meant to be coming out of their isolation period in the next couple of days.”Renegades quick Kane Richardson felt sorry for what the Stars have had to endure.”If we were in that position with 12 guys out, I don’t know how we would put a team out on the park, so hats off to them, but it doesn’t quite feel right,” Richardson said.”As players, we’re all a bit unsure at the moment, and we’re trying our best not to get the virus, but if we do, we don’t know what the go is.”It would just be nice to know (if the hub is going to happen), there’s obviously talk of it.”I think everyone would know that’s a good thing if it keeps the competition going.”