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Cole Palmer is at it again, and again and again. Once the Chelsea star found the net with his first goal of the game against Brighton on Saturday afternoon, few would have expected the floodgates to open in such a manner.

Palmer has surprised many throughout this time at Stamford Bridge but the way in which he scored his first two goals over the weekend was rather unremarkable.

He was in the right place at the right time to find the net from Nicolas Jackson’s cut-back and then stroked home a penalty, as he so often does.

What he did next was scintilating, it was staggering. Palmer racked up two more – one a simply ridiculous free-kick – to score four goals before the half-time whistle had even been blown.

By his standards, this had been a quiet opening to the season on the goalscoring front but he now has six goals in as many matches in the Premier League this term.

It’s safe to say he’s on his way to replicating some Chelsea greats of the past. Like Eden Hazard, he is Chelsea’s new talisman.

Eden Hazard's time at Chelsea

On his day, the Belgian was one of the best players in the Premier League. His ability to dribble past opponents with ease, his ability to unlock a defence and his ability to find the net was pretty much unmatched at the time of his peak.

Like Palmer, he could dazzle an opposition, leave them in his dust and to wonder what on earth had just happened.

Remember that goal against Arsenal? Of course you do. Hazard has received the ball close the half way line before dancing beyond Francis Coquelin, leaving Laurent Koscielny in his wake and then finding the back of the net.

Off went Hazard, gleeful and smug at what he had just done. Well, Palmer possesses a similar sort of look after he’s just scored. He’s got that cheeky grin, he’s got that famous celebration and he’s becoming every bit as important as that man Hazard was.

During his time at the Bridge, the winger was a marvel, scoring 110 goals and supplying 85 assists in 352 outings for the club. It’s not a bad record, is it?

Eden Hazard’s Chelsea career in numbers

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2012/13

62

13

21

2013/14

49

17

8

2014/15

52

19

12

2015/16

43

6

7

2016/17

43

17

7

2017/18

52

17

13

2018/19

52

21

17

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Chelsea may have finally found their new talisman in Palmer but they’ve also now stumbled upon a player who’s argubly rather more similar.

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Expand Collapse Chelsea's Hazard and Fabregas hybrid

Over the summer, Chelsea did plenty of business. Isn’t that a surprising turn of events? We jest, of course, but one of the most interesting names to arrive was Jadon Sancho.

During his days at Borussia Dortmund, he was “astonishing” in the words of Owen Hargreaves, amassing 53 goals and 67 assists in 158 games. There was a particularly remarkable campaign during 2019/20 where he scored 17 times and supplied an equal number of assists in Bundesliga action.

It was that red-hot season that led him to become one of the most sought-after players in Europe. It was that year and the subsequent term that led Manchester United to pay a whopping £73m for his services. Unfortunately, it never quite happened for him at Old Trafford.

Sancho joined Chelsea this summer on an initial loan deal having found the net on just 12 occasions in United red, and supplying six assists. Those are awful numbers for someone who was so prolific in that third of the pitch during his days in Germany.

Not enjoying the best of relationships with Erik ten Hag, the English winger had to get out and he duly did over the summer. Moving to west London, he is enjoying quite the start to life under Enzo Maresca, emulating a certain Hazard and another former Blue in Cesc Fabregas in the process.

Indeed, over the weekend Sancho became just the third Chelsea player to get an assist in each of his first three Premier League outings, joining Hazard (2012) and Fabregas (2014) in the process.

Interesingly enough, Sancho combines the best of those two players. Like the Belgian, he’s a wonderful dribbler of the ball, ranking in the best 3% of positionally similar players over the last year for succesful take-ons per 90 minutes with 3.76. Like Fabregas, he’s a tremendous creator, ranking among the top 18% of wingers for progressive passes.

Cast our mind back that dazzling 19/20 season and those creative numbers were sky-high, supplying 0.63 assists per 90, enough to rank him in the best 2% of wingers in the Bundesliga that term.

Fabregas ended his Premier League career with a staggering 118 assists in 350 games so the Englishman has some catching up to do. That said, you can clearly see where the parallels lie.

Some may have laughed when Chelsea signed Sancho on deadline day but he is quickly proving the doubters wrong. He already looks like a fine addition to the pack.

Related Chelsea's 8/10 star was just as unplayable as Palmer vs Brighton

He completed six dribbles and won 7 duels

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Sep 28, 2024

Following a difficult start to their Championship campaign, which has featured just one win in seven games, Queens Park Rangers are set to hand their fans some positive news on the contract front, according to reports.

QPR's difficult start

Whilst they should see their place outside of the relegation zone as a positive, QPR were left just two points shy of it following their lunchtime defeat to Blackburn Rovers, with their form providing manager Marti Cifuentes with plenty of concerns.

Having flirted with relegation last time season too, finishing just six points clear of the dreaded drop, a full season under the Spaniard ought to have brought some brighter days ahead.

Their latest defeat against high-flying Rovers continued a run of just one win in their last five games in all competitions, which came against fellow strugglers Luton Town at the end of August. Danny Batth’s strike to double Blackburn’s lead, alongside Jonathan Varane’s red card put the nail in the coffin in their latest attempt to get back to winning ways.

Among those disappointing results, though, those at Loftus Road are at least reportedly set for some good news. According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Jake Clarke-Salter is in advanced talks to sign a new contract at QPR, which should secure his long-term future at the west London club.

As things stand, the central defender’s current deal is set to expire in 2026, but any concerns over a potential exit now look set to be eased by a fresh deal at the club. Currently earning a reported £10,000 a week at QPR, it remains to be seen whether the Chelsea academy graduate will receive a significant pay rise with his new terms.

"Important" Clarke-Salter is key to QPR survival

If QPR do want to avoid relegation from the Championship once again, then Clarke-Salter will continue to be a key player under Cifuentes. The 27-year-old missed out as they suffered defeat against Blackburn, having helped his side earn a point against Millwall in the game prior, and QPR looked far more vulnerable within their backline.

Cifuentes has been well aware of his defender’s importance for some time too, telling reporters last season (via West London Sports): “I knew Jake already from his time (on loan) at Birmingham because Xavi Calm, my assistant, was working at Birmingham for a lot of his games.

“We knew of his quality so I am not surprised about the level of performances he has had over the last few games. But at the same time, we need to realise he came from a period when I first arrived where he was coming back from an injury.

“But we have a fantastic medical department and physios who have all contributed to give me a good picture on what are the risks and opportunities for each player on weeks like this.

“That all contributes to the puzzle because it’s about keeping the mood of the squad and my way of coaching is always to give people the opportunities to show and play in games. But there is no doubt he is a very important player for us and we want him to be fit and be in as many games as he can.”

Matt Quinn, the New Zealand-born seamer, has signed for Kent on a deal that runs to the end of the 2024 season after slipping down the pecking order at Essex.Quinn, 28, went on loan to Kent earlier this season after they suffered a seam-bowling injury crisis and took 12 wickets in four County Championship fixtures at an average of 19.33. He has signed for the club on loan for the rest of the season, and will be on a permanent, three-year contract from 2022 onwards.Quinn initially joined Essex in late 2015, playing 60 games for the club across formats. His opportunities were limited by injury, and by the depth of Essex’s seam-bowling stocks.”We’re delighted that Matt has chosen to join us on a long-term basis,” Paul Downton, Kent’s director of cricket, said. “He has already shown his ability in a Kent shirt this season and he fitted in really well in the dressing room during his loan spell. He brings something different to our seam attack as we continually look to improve the strength and depth of our squad.”Related

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Anthony McGrath, Essex’s head coach, said: “He has had to face long periods out of the game due to the back injury he sustained in 2017 but has worked hard to get back into first-team contention ever since. We are blessed with very talented bowlers at the club but unfortunately, Matt has sometimes found his opportunities limited as a result.”Meanwhile, Worcestershire have announced the signing of Jacques Banton – the younger brother of Somerset and England batter Tom – on a rookie contract for the rest of the summer. Banton, an allrounder who bowls left-arm spin, has been playing regularly for the club’s second XI, and could come into first-team contention in the T20 Blast when Moeen Ali links up with England’s white-ball squad on Saturday.Alex Gidman, the club’s head coach, described Banton as “a genuine allrounder” and confirmed he would come under consideration for selection. “He strikes the ball cleanly and has got quite a lot of nous about how he plays the game with both bat and ball,” he said.”He has the same skill set as his brother Tom in being a powerful batsman, and they are both allrounders but just in different ways. We are looking at bringing him on board to get him around the group, and it gives us another potential player for selection if needed.”

Celtic have less than a week to go to complete the remainder of their business before the summer transfer window officially slams shut on Friday night.

The Hoops have made four new signings to bolster their squad so far since the end of the 2023/24 campaign, as Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Paulo Bernardo, and Adam Idah have all arrived on permanent deals.

Idah and Bernardo spent time on loan in Glasgow last term and this means that the Scottish giants are yet to sign any outfield players who were not already at the club last season.

However, the Scottish Premiership champions are set to change that as they are closing in on a deal to sign Alex Valle on a season-long loan from Barcelona.

Fabrizio Romano claims that the Hoops are poised to bring the Spanish youngster in on a temporary basis, with a verbal agreement already in place between all parties, whilst the left-back has signed a new contract with the LaLiga giants.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports that Celtic will pay a loan fee of £1.3m to cover the defender's wages for the 2024/25 campaign.

Alongside their swoop for Valle, the Glasgow-based outfit are also reportedly looking to bolster Brendan Rodgers' options in the wide areas this week.

Celtic pursuing deal for Serie A forward

According to Corriere dello Sport (26/08/2024), as relayed by La Lazio Siamo Noi, the Hoops are interested in a deal to sign Lazio winger Gustav Isaksen before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are already in talks with the Serie A side to discuss a possible move for the forward ahead of Friday's deadline.

It states that the Hoops are preparing to make an offer to sign the 23-year-old star on a season-long loan with an obligation to make it permanent next summer.

However, the outlet does not reveal how much the Bhoys are prepared to pay to make it permanent at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, or how much Lazio would want for his services.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Anthony Joseph adds that Celtic have made an enquiry over the availability of Isaksen and states that Lazio are not looking to sell him this week.

It remains to be seen, though, whether or not they are open to allowing the Danish wizard to leave on loan amid this seemingly strong interest from the Hoops.

If Rodgers and his recruitment team do manage to get a deal over the line for the Serie A whiz before the deadline then they could land a big upgrade on Daizen Maeda out wide.

Why Celtic may want an upgrade on Daizen Maeda

The Japan international is a hard-working winger who puts a shift in for the team, with the manager once claiming that he has the work rate of "two players".

He presses hard for the side and never gives defenders a moment of peace with his relentless running in and out of possession for the Scottish giants.

However, Maeda's work in the final third when in possession of the ball lets him down at times and Celtic could improve their output as an attacking force by landing an upgrade on him this week.

The 26-year-old has produced one assist in two games in the Premiership so far this season, teeing up Reo Hatate with a knock-down header at the back post, but he has also missed two 'big chances' and failed to find the back of the net.

His finishing in front of goal was also an issue for him during the 2023/24 campaign in the Scottish top-flight, as Maeda only managed six goals in 28 outings.

Appearances

28

Goals

6

Big chances missed

12

Key passes per game

0.5

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the winger missed a whopping 12 'big chances' and failed to hit double figures for goals and assists combined.

The Japanese forward also failed to create at least one chance per match for his teammates, with 0.5 key passes per game, and these statistics show that he was unable to provide consistent quality as a scorer or a creator of goals for Celtic in the Premiership.

Why Celtic should sign Gustav Isaksen

The Hoops should now push to secure a deal to sign Isaksen from Lazio in the coming days because the Danish star has the potential to come in as an upgrade for the club.

He only produced three goals and one assist in 12 starts in the Serie A in his first season in Italy but his underlying numbers showed signs of promise. His three goals came from 1.59 xG and the forward created 2.03 xA worth of chances for his teammates, which suggests he was a ruthless finisher and unfortunate not to record more assists.

His form in limited minutes in Italy indicates that Isaksen could thrive in a Celtic team that provides him with more chances to find the back of the net, as shown by Maeda missing 12 'big chances' and still scoring six goals.

The 23-year-old wizard joined the Italian side from FC Midtjylland last summer and his form for the Danish side during the 2022/23 campaign backs up the theory that he could excel as a goalscorer in a dominant team.

Appearances

32

Goals

18

Big chances missed

4

Key passes per game

1.7

Assists

5

As you can see in the table above, Isaksen, whose form was hailed as "extraordinary" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, enjoyed a sublime goalscoring record as a winger with 18 strikes in 32 outings in the Superliga.

He only missed four 'big chances' in total, in comparison to Maeda's 12 'big chances' missed to score six last term, and this suggests that the Denmark international would come in as a huge upgrade for Celtic as a finisher on the flank.

Isaksen, who can operate on either wing, also created 1.7 chances per game for Midtjylland – more than three times as many per game as Maeda managed in the Premiership last season – and this indicates that he would also provide the Hoops with more creativity.

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Therefore, Rodgers could improve his team, certainly in possession in the final third, by swooping to sign the Serie A ace before Friday's deadline.

Dele Alli has been warned it will be “at least six months” before he is in a position to earn a new contract after suffering another injury setback.

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• Ex-England international is a free agent
• Has continued to train with the Toffees
• Needs to play before offer of fresh terms

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Tottenham midfielder saw his previous deal at Everton expire when the 2023-24 campaign came to a close. He has been a free agent since then, but has continued to train with the Toffees in the hope of landing fresh terms.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fitness issues continue to do Dele’s cause few favours, with the 28-year-old reported to have picked up another knock. Regular spells on the treatment table, having undergone another operation early in 2024, are preventing the ex-England international from staking any kind of a claim to contract talks.

• Getty
  

  WHAT FORMER EVERTON SCOUT SAID

  Former Everton scout Bryan King believes it could be next summer before Dele is in a position to resume his professional career, telling of the long-running saga: “The road is only getting longer for Alli. Decisions will be made when he can start playing again. He will need to be playing with the Under-21s for at least six months before the club can decide whether it is worth offering him a new contract. He has got a lot to prove if he wants to earn another contract. It is a shame because he was a very good footballer, and I’d imagine he still is if he can get back to full fitness.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Dele has not taken in a competitive appearance of any kind since February 2023, during a forgettable loan spell at Turkish side Besiktas. He figured on just 13 occasions for Everton, after joining them in January 2022, and has seen it suggested that he may have to step away from the Premier League spotlight in order to get himself back on track.

MatériaMais Notícias

O ex-lateral do Palmeiras e da Seleção Brasileira Roberto Carlos elogiou o trabalho de Abel Ferreira no Verdão em entrevista ao programa Nossa Área, da Rádio Bandeirantes. Além disso, o ex-jogador afirmou que não é justo comparar o técnico alviverde com Jorge Jesus, treinador conterrâneo de Abel que brilhou no comando do Flamengo em 2019.

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– Trabalhar como treinador no Brasil é muito difícil. Muitas vezes comparamos o Abel ao sistema que o Jesus fez no Flamengo. Não se pode comparar. Depende do clube, dos jogadores, do ego de cada treinador. O Abel já é um vencedor no Palmeiras e ficam o comparando ao Jesus. Acho isso injusto – explicou.

O ex-técnico do time carioca durou pouco mais de um ano no comando do time, período que Abel está próximo de completar no Palmeiras agora em novembro. Nessa temporada, o comandante sofreu com críticas de parte da torcida e da imprensa pelo desempenho do time, mas se manteve firme no cargo.

Roberto Carlos ponderou que a oscilação é normal devido à grande quantidade de jogos disputados pelo Verdão em 2021. Segundo ele, por causa disso, é preciso ter mais paciência com o treinador.

– O time oscila porque são muitos jogos seguidos. Não há tempo para trabalhar os jogadores. Que os torcedores e os dirigentes também entendam isso. É uma pressão muito grande que o Abel está sofrendo e peço que o torcedor tenha paciência. Não dá para jogar tantas competições e tantos jogos bem – declarou.

Depois de atravessar má fase no Brasileirão, o Alviverde chegou à terceira vitória seguida ao derrotar o Sport nesta última segunda-feira (25). Para dar sequência à série positiva, o time enfrenta o grêmio neste domingo (31) às 16h (horário de Brasília), em Porto Alegre, pelo campeonato nacional.

continua após a publicidade

Chelsea have now submitted a "concrete" bid for an "incredibly fast" player in their efforts to secure more signings before deadline day next month.

Chelsea undergo busy summer transfer window with nine deals agreed

The west Londoners, financed by Todd Boehly and BlueCo, have made nine new signings so far this summer as the club show yet again that they're not afraid to spend.

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There been intermediary talks behind-the-scenes.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 31, 2024

Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham), Omari Kellyman (Aston Villa), Renato Veiga (FC Basel), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City), Filip Jorgensen (Villarreal), Marc Guiu (Barcelona), Estevao Willian (Palmeiras), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United) and Aaron Anselmino (Boca Juniors) have all signed for Chelsea, but more could follow them.

Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri claimed this week that Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal for highly-rated young goalkeeper Mike Penders, who BlueCo believe could be the next Thibaut Courtois (X).

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

They're offering in excess of £17 million to sign the 19-year-old, who made his senior debut for Genk last weekend in their 0-0 draw at home to Standard Liege. Meanwhile, Chelsea have also opened talks with Napoli over Victor Osimhen, with Romelu Lukaku agreeing a three-year deal to head the other way (Ben Jacobs).

A new senior forward, whether that be a striker or winger, looks to be on the agenda at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea attempted to sign Michael Olise from Crystal Palace, before the 22-year-old joined Bayern Munich, with Maresca's side holding an interest in Nico Williams and others as alternatives.

In terms of a natural number nine, Osimhen is a name that will excite plenty of Chelsea supporters, given his stellar reputation and prolific goal-record since joining Napoli from Lille in 2020.

The Nigerian has scored 76 goals in 133 appearances across all competitions at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, but signing him could still be a costly operation, even if Lukaku could be used as a sweetener for the deal.

A cheaper alternative could be Hoffenheim striker Maximilian Beier, and it is believed Chelsea have wasted no time in testing the water in a potential move for the Germany international.

Chelsea submit concrete bid to sign Maximilian Beier from Hoffenheim

Indeed, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea have now submitted a "concrete" bid to sign Beier from Hoffenheim, and they're joined by Aston Villa in the race for his £25 million signature.

The 21-year-old, who scored 16 goals in all competitions for Hoffenheim last season, has also been called "incredibly fast" by Hoffenheim director Alexander Rosen.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Conmebol projeta mudanças para as decisões da Copa Libertadores e da Copa Sul-Americana. Em carta enviada à Fifa divulgada nesta quinta-feira (30), a entidade manifestou seu desejo de que o intervalo entre as etapas das duas decisões tenha um aumento de 15 para 25 minutos. O intuito é “oferecer um espetáculo artístico de alta qualidade” neste período, além de melhorar o período de descanso das equipes envolvidas. As partidas valeriam apenas para a final da Copa Sul-Americana, no dia 20 de novembro, e a da Copa Libertadores, no dia 27.

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O Flamengo encarará o Palmeiras na decisão da Libertadores, no dia 27. Já o RB Bragantino espera o vencedor de Peñarol e Athletico-PR para saber quem enfrentará no dia 20. Ambos os confrontos acontecerão no Estádio Centenário.

>>> E MAIS: Lembre a campanha invicta do Flamengo até a final da Libertadores!

A Conmebol destacou em nota que a decisão dos torneios ficaria mais atrativa:

>>>> A batalha final! Lembre os recentes duelos entre Palmeiras e Flamengo

“Neste documento, foi levantada a possibilidade de prolongar o intervalo para 25 minutos entre os dois tempos dos jogos finais do campeonato. Um intervalo ligeiramente mais longo permitiria proporcionar um espetáculo artístico de alta qualidade para os torcedores no estádio e para os telespectadores, tal como ocorre em outros esportes, com excelente receptividade. Isto tornaria mais atrativa a definição das competições”.

>>> Quem é mais valioso? Veja a disputa entre Flamengo e Palmeiras, posição por posição!

Além disto, a entidade evidenciou outros aspectos nos quais a Copa Sul-Americana e a Libertadores podem melhorar.

“Com esta modificação, os atletas teriam uma melhor recuperação física e os
treinadores teriam a oportunidade de dar instruções mais precisas, aumentando assim o nível de competitividade bem como a qualidade do jogo.

>>> Quais clubes brasileiros mais disputaram títulos continentais? Veja!

A entidade ainda falou sobre a situação extenuante pela qual passam os atletas.

“Cabe lembrar que estes jogos frequentemente chegam aos 120 minutos ou aos pênaltis, sendo que os jogadores ficam sujeitos a uma enorme exigência física e extrema tensão psicológica e emocional. É importante salientar, caro Presidente, que esta mudança se aplicaria exclusivamente para os jogos finais de campeonato”.

Leeds United are interested in signing a player whose market value has risen by 7,500% in the last couple of years, according to reports.

Leeds transfer rumours

Leeds United are once again preparing for another season in the Championship. The Whites spent a good chunk of 2023/24 in and around the automatic promotion places but their form at the end of the normal season saw the Yorkshire outfit slip down to 3rd in the table, with Ipswich Town taking their spot in the Premier League. Daniel Farke's side went on to reach the play-off final but fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton.

Leeds looking to cash in on £7.5k-p/w star Daniel Farke doesn't want

Leeds United are open to selling a fringe player this summer.

ByJosh Barker Jun 10, 2024

Leeds' failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League is expected to have some impact on their transfer business. On the outgoing front, Wilfried Gnonto is said to be pushing to leave Leeds and wants a transfer to the Serie A. Elsewhere, there has been heavy interest in Crysencio Summerville, who has been linked with Liverpool. Finally, midfielder Archie Gray is said to be of interest to German powerhouse, Bayern Munich.

As well as potentially losing some of their key stars, Leeds are unlikely to be able to target some players they were perhaps looking at earlier this year, including Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha. Instead, their focus has seemingly been on smaller names who would not cost as much.

Leeds are one of a number of clubs keen on a possible swoop to sign Stade Brestois attacker Karamoko Dembele. They are also believed to be interested in the services of Stuttgart winger Silas Katompa Mvumpa. Furthermore, The Whites are one of the clubs lining up a swoop to sign FC St. Pauli central defender Eric Smith as a potential replacement for Tottenham star Joe Rodon.

Leeds target player whose value has skyrocketed 7,500%

Now, another potential budget signing has been linked with a move to Elland Road. The player in question is Natan Girma, who is currently plying his trade in the Serie B with Reggiana.

Grima joined Reggiana on a free transfer from Sona in July of 2023. Despite only spending one season at his current club, the attacking midfielder has seen his market value rise 7,500% from €10,000 to €750,000. Grima made 26 league appearances across 2023/24, scoring five and assisting three as Reggiana secured an 11th-place finish.

Goals

5

xG

3.1

xA

0.9

Shot creating actions

50

Stats via FBREF

The 22-year-old remains under contract with his current side until 2027, with the option of a further year, but reports emerging in Italy suggest a move to England could be on the cards. It is stated that Reggiana do not want to part ways with the midfielder but they could be forced to do so if the right offer came in.

On this front, offers lower than £2.5m will reportedly not be looked at. However, given his staggering market value increase in just one year, £2.5m+ still seems a serious bargain for any potentially interested club. His current trajectory looks to be one of a player on the rise, so that fee could look like a bargain in a few years.

Italian side Monza are understood to be keen on Grima but the report from Italy also mentions Leeds and Watford have been in contact with the player's camp to ask for information.

Devon Conway, the South Africa-born batsman who qualified for New Zealand this August, is just “focusing on the task on hand” as he braces for a much-awaited international debut.Conway, 29, led the run-charts in the Plunket Shield, One Day Trophy and T20 Super Smash last season, and has been in fine form for Wellington this year too, scoring 157 against Auckland earlier this month. His exploits earned him a place in New Zealand’s T20I squad for the upcoming home series against West Indies, and he is looking forward to something “pretty special” over the next few weeks.”It’s all very exciting that it’s happening. I’m just looking forward to getting out there for a potential debut,” Conway said. “To be honest, I don’t listen too much about the expectations people have for me. I think about staying in the moment and to focus on the task at hand. Whatever else happens, happens. I try to get away from that sort of thing.”You never know when an opportunity is going to come, so you want to be ready and not look to far ahead. That’s how I look at it. It’s been pretty special – being with this group of players, and the environment and culture they have, getting to know them better. All that being said, I’m still waiting for the final XI for tomorrow to be announced.”Like most teams, New Zealand have not played an international game since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Conway doesn’t expect the players to be too rusty.”Most of the guys have been away with the CPL or IPL, so there won’t be any new stuff to get used to. They know about their roles and the game plans. Right now, the boys are just looking to get out of isolation and bring their different energies together. It’s all about being mentally ready. These guys are coming from the CPL, so they’ve already seen most of the bowlers and played against them. That’s an advantage for us. They’ve been working and training for a while, so preparation wise, it’s not a problem for us.”With the T20 World Cup coming up in 2021, it’s about working out all the positions and the best XI. And learning to execute your roles, be it in New Zealand conditions, Australian conditions or Indian conditions. It’s pretty cool looking into the stuff behind the scenes. There are opportunities to see various players come and right now New Zealand are just looking to build a pool of players who could make that T20 World Cup squad. It’s exciting times for New Zealand cricket.”Conway himself got some much-needed practice with the New Zealand A team in the past week, scoring an unbeaten 46 and 41 against the touring West Indians.”I definitely gained a lot of confidence,” he said. “Having the opportunity to play against some international bowlers was a big boost. Having the time out in the middle, I can take the confidence into the T20s as well, even though it’s a different format. I know that even international bowlers can miss sometimes, so you can’t let the pressure get to you.”Luckily with the shorter format, everything happens faster. It’s about calming the nerves, understanding the situation at present, and tackling it head on. In Tests and four-day matches, the pressure is with you longer. In T20s, you have to adapt as quickly as possible.”Conway also confirmed that he will be throwing his weight behind the Black Lives Matter movement on the field.”Unfortunately, we haven’t had the opportunity to meet together with the West Indies players. But Timmy (Tim Southee) and the management met with them, and they briefed us about the movement. It was awesome to hear about [how] we can support and get behind them tomorrow. It’s a really good initiative that is creating awareness worldwide. Now it’s all about backing that decision and supporting it anyway we can.”