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To say that Mykhailo Mudryk’s time at Chelsea is yet to meet expectations would be an understatement in the truest form. The Ukrainian was welcomed in January as the man to finally help kickstart the Blues’ season, before going on to endure a nightmare start to life at Stamford Bridge.Not helped by Chelsea’s dismal form in general, Mudryk ended the season with just two assists in the Premier League, and not a single goal to his name. Considering his reported hefty price tag of up to £89m, the pressure was on the 22-year-old to hit the ground running.In fairness to the winger, too, his first game against Liverpool, coming from the bench, showed plenty of promise, as he gave James Milner another reason why the curtains are perhaps closing on his illustrious career.With that, Mudryk had the excitement of the fans behind him. But, since then, he has failed to deliver.That hasn’t stopped him from backing himself on social media, however.

Mudryk hits back at fan

Fans love to have their say in football, with some even going as far to advise the professional players on what they should do, and how they should play. But, believe it or not, the player coached by football geniuses every week probably knows what they’re doing.

Criticising Mudryk, one fan took to social media to comment on the player’s Instagram post, saying: “Bro learn to make 360 turns with the ball it will help u change direction and be unpredictable. Running with the ball in one direction isn’t good enough. Clue.”

Talk about game-changing tactics…

Understandably, the Chelsea man couldn’t resist hitting back with a sarcastic comment, asking: “Didn’t win [the] Ballon d’Or yet?”

With that said, Mudryk will aim to finally prove himself on the pitch for Chelsea, likely opting not to take the advice of the supporter next season.

What is the market value of Mudryk?

Today’s transfer market is, of course, very different to how things used to be, given the incredible inflation in prices. That said, however, Chelsea massively overpaid for Mudryk, whose value is currently at just €50m (£42.61m). For context, the London club paid up to £89m for the Ukrainian back in January.

Even at the time of his arrival, as per Transfermarkt, Mudryk was only valued at the €40m (£34.09m) mark, which raises the question as to how Chelsea ended up paying almost triple that price for his signature.

The player they believed was arriving was someone who had been involved in 13 goals in 12 league appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk. What they got, though, was a player clearly not ready to save a sinking ship.

Under Mauricio Pochettino, things may get slightly easier. After all, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager has gotten the best out of young talents in the past such as Dele Alli. What’s more, the Argentine will almost certainly be an upgrade on Frank Lampard.

At the very least, he did show some glimpses of his mercurial talent while playing for Ukraine at the U21 European Championship this summer. Perhaps that is a sign of things to come.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen to revive their interest in Roma star, Paulo Dybala, with the World Cup-winning gem potentially in line for an exit from the Italian outfit this summer.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

According to Correire dello Sport – via Sports Witness – the Lilywhites, as well as both Chelsea and Manchester United, are believed to be following the 29-year-old 'with great attention', amid the uncertainty regarding his long-term future at the Stadio Olimpico.

As per the report, despite having only signed for the Serie A outfit on a free transfer from rivals Juventus last term, the 38-cap Argentina international could be on his way ahead of next season, with his current deal including a bargain €12m (£10m) release clause that can be triggered by foreign clubs.

That minimal fee has evidently caught the interest of the north Londoners who have long held an interest in the 5 foot 10 playmaker, having attempted to sign the one-time Palermo man back in the summer of 2019.

How good is Paulo Dybala?

Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho – who is now in charge of the Rome giants – will no doubt be ruing the presence of that buy-out clause in Dybala's contract, with the experienced ace having established himself as a leading figure for I Giallorossi during his debut season at the club last time out.

The left-footed dynamo did have his struggles with injury during the 2022/23 campaign, although was still able to rack up 18 goals and eight assists in 38 games in all competitions, leading the charge to the Europa League final with five goals in 11 games in that continental competition.

That standout form led Roma legend Francesco Totti to hail the marksman as "special" as well as describing him as a "phenomenon", with the club evidently keen to ensure that their prize asset does not seek to secure a swift exit over the coming weeks.

As for Spurs, the signing of Dybala could represent a perfect deal for manager Ange Postecoglou, with the £116k-per-week ace said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with the club's recent summer signing, James Maddison – according to FBref.

That likeness between the Argentine and Maddison – who contributed ten goals and nine assists in the Premier League last term – is apparent due to their creative brilliance, with Dybala ranking in the top 7% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, while the Englishman ranks in the top 13% in that regard.

In Serie A last term, Mourinho's main man notably created 12 big chances and averaged 2.1 key passes per game from his 25 league appearances as a sign of ability to provide quality service to the front line, with Maddison enjoying a remarkable similar record after also creating 12 big chances from his 30 league outings, while averaging 2.3 key passes per game.

Although Dybala has typically been deployed as a second striker of late, there may be a desire for Postecoglou to utilise his talents in an advanced midfield berth in his preferred 4-3-3 system, with the former Leicester City ace taking on that other playmaking role in the centre of the park.

To have two real dynamic weapons at his disposal would be a mouthwatering prospect for the ex-Celtic boss, with it seemingly hard to turn down the chance to land such a classy and experienced figure on the cheap.

علق طه إسماعيل لاعب الأهلي السابق، على خسارة الفريق أمام البنك الأهلي، خلال المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما أمس الثلاثاء ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي خسر أمام البنك الأهلي بنتيجة 4-3، في إطار مباريات الجولة الـ 15 من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

وقال إسماعيل خلال تصريحات عبر قناة أون تايم سبورت: “الأهلي تشعر أنه فريق “ملموم” لم يلعبوا مع بعض من قبل”.

طالع | خبير تحكيمي: الأهلي يستحق ركلة جزاء أمام البنك الأهلي وعدم احتسابها “فضيحة”

وأضاف: “كل المساحات استغلها فريق البنك الأهلي، أحيي طارق مصطفى، لأنه أظهر كل المواهب المتواجدة لديه بشكل كبير مع جراءة كبيرة وشجاعة في الهجوم، لدرجة أنه لعب بثلاثة مهاجمين”.

وأكمل: “أحيي طارق مصطفى لأنه قدم مباراة العمر، وفي المقابل الأهلي قدم مباراة هي الأسوأ تكتيكيًا، لقاء للنسيان للأهلي”.

South Africa remained firmly in control after day three in Hobart, where Australia went to stumps still needing 120 runs to make South Africa bat again, with eight wickets in hand

The Report by Brydon Coverdale14-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:50

Nicholas: Australia finally showed character

On the first day, this Test was on some sort of stimulant. On the second day, it swallowed a sedative. And on the third day, it took a mood-stabiliser, as a degree normality resumed. There was neither the chaos of Saturday’s 15 wickets, nor the dreariness of Sunday’s wash-out, but rather something in between: seven wickets, a couple of rain delays, a Quinton de Kock century, and a fightback of sorts from Australia’s batsmen. But still South Africa remained in control.The situation at stumps was this: Australia had reached 2 for 121 in their second innings, with Usman Khawaja on 56 and Steven Smith on 18. David Warner had made 45 and Joe Burns a duck, and each would consider themselves unfortunate in their modes of dismissal. South Africa’s fast men asked searching questions of Australia’s top-order batsmen, who at last had a few answers. But they were still a long way from climbing out of the hole they dug on day one.At the close of play Australia still needed 120 more runs to make South Africa bat again. That will be their first goal on day four. Only then can they consider building a target, and thus have any hope of salvaging a positive result from the Test. And although South Africa showed hints of frustration late on day three, as Vernon Philander convinced Faf du Plessis to chance a couple of fruitless reviews, there remained plenty in the pitch for Philander and his colleagues.After South Africa had been dismissed for 326, with a lead of 241 runs, Australia’s second innings started miserably as Burns fell for a duck in the first over when he tickled an attempted leg-glance off a wide Kyle Abbott delivery through to de Kock. It creates a precarious position for Burns, who was dropped in Sri Lanka, recalled for this Test to replace the injured Shaun Marsh, and will fly out of Hobart with 1 and 0 to his name.Warner and Khawaja were watchful during a 79-run partnership, though they were often tested by Philander, Abbott and Kagiso Rabada. Balls seamed and swung, whizzed past edges or narrowly missed the stumps. But for 21 overs the pair survived, even when Warner’s edge off Abbott flew towards third slip, where Dean Elgar ducked under the flying ball, perhaps having lost sight of it, to the astonishment of the rest of the cordon.Abbott eventually had his man when Warner was tucked up by a shortish delivery at his ribs, and tried to work it behind square on the leg side. The ball bounced off Warner’s hip and then ricocheted off his elbow and back into the stumps. But if Warner felt he was unlucky, Abbott had at least had reward for South Africa’s plan to tuck Warner up in that region.Khawaja, who was particularly strong through the cover and point regions, brought up his half-century from his 91st delivery and for the first time in the match, an Australian had reason to raise his bat. There had been a nervous moment early in Khawaja’s innings when Warner pushed to point and took off for a single, and Khawaja gave up on making his ground as Temba Bavuma threw – and missed.Earlier, Josh Hazlewood had completed the second six-wicket haul of his Test career as South Africa were bowled out for 326 shortly after lunch. De Kock and Bavuma were the key batsmen on the third day, compiling a 144-run sixth-wicket stand that added to Australia’s frustration after the entire second day was lost to Hobart’s rain.South Africa started the morning five down and added a further 117 runs to their total in the first session for the loss only of de Kock. And even that took until the fourth-last over before lunch, when on 104 de Kock played a tired-looking drive against Hazlewood and missed a ball that moved back in, and was bowled.Already de Kock had done more than enough damage. His fifth consecutive Test innings of fifty or more placed him in elite company: only Hashim Amla, Alan Melville, Hansie Cronje and Jacques Kallis (three times) among South Africans had achieved that feat before. He brought up his century from his 139th delivery with a single worked through square leg, and he was strong through the leg side right throughout his innings.De Kock’s poise during this series has been notable, as has Bavuma’s patience and ability to halt any momentum Australia’s bowlers might have thought they were getting. Here, Bavuma occupied the crease for 204 deliveries, more than the 197 balls that comprised Australia’s entire first innings. Bavuma was calm at the crease and struck eight fours on his way to 74, before extra bounce and a leading edge to the off side belatedly gave Joe Mennie his maiden Test wicket.Once Bavuma departed the end came relatively quickly. Hazlewood had Keshav Maharaj bowled for 1, Abbott lbw for 3, and then finished the innings with Philander caught behind for 32. South Africa had been dismissed for 326, a total that might not hint at domination of the match. But the story of this game was Australia’s 85 on the first day, and an enormous task remained ahead of them to undo the damage caused by that collapse.

Everton are plotting a surprise summer swoop to bring Burnley striker Wout Weghorst to Goodison Park, according to reports.

Is Wout Weghorst leaving Burnley?

The Netherlands international arrived at Turf Moor from Wolfsburg back in January 2022 but he’s always been out of favour and has spent most of his time away from Lancashire having carried out two loan spells, the first with Besiktas and most recently Premier League rivals Manchester United, during his time with his parent club.

The Clarets forward still has another two years remaining on his contract with Vincent Kompany’s side, though a future with them seems highly unlikely considering he’s never been given a real chance to prove himself, therefore meaning that he could be on the move during the upcoming window.

The Red Devils didn’t have the option to buy the 30-year-old included as part of their agreement, but when Erik Ten Hag was asked whether he could in his long-term plans, the manager replied “of course”, though an update has now emerged contrary to claims and one that appears to have alerted Sean Dyche at Goodison Park.

Are Everton signing Weghorst?

According to talkSPORT, Everton are "interested" in signing Weghorst ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Man United actually "do not plan" to make a permanent move for the striker following his disappointing loan spell so he is set to stage his return to Burnley, but it's worth noting that he has been identified as a potential target on Merseyside.

Should Everton make a bid for Weghorst?

Everton will know that they have to sign a new centre-forward this summer given the consistent injuries to Dominic Calvert-Lewin so Weghorst could have been an alternative, but having failed to make any kind of positive impact at Man United, Dyche should avoid this move at all costs.

The 6 foot 6 giant, who earns £35k-per-week, only managed to score two goals during his time at Old Trafford, none of which were in the top-flight, and according to journalist Josh Bunting, he “isn’t good enough” to be playing in the Premier League, while Dutch legend Ruud Gullit also shares that sentiment.

The World Cup participant was also only averaging 0.8 shots per league game under Ten Hag and ranked as the Dutchman’s 20th overall worst-performing player out of 25 squad members, via WhoScored, so whilst the club’s budget is expected to be limited, they should be aiming for a striker who's at a much higher level than Weghorst.

Everton are turning their eyes towards the summer transfer window, as the Blues have been linked with a Premier League starlet.

With survival confirmed, Sean Dyche can place his focus on improvements ahead of the 2023/24 campaign as the club must avoid a repeat of the previous two seasons.

In a year of struggle both on and off the field, Everton have had some shining lights, one being the performances of Amadou Onana, who could potentially remain at Goodison despite rumours suggesting his departure.

The latest transfer link could be an exciting one for Dyche should Onana remain a Toffee, as the Blues could swoop for an electrifying midfield partner for the Belgian.

What’s the latest on Shea Charles to Everton?

As reported by the Daily Mail, Everton are one of the clubs interested in Manchester City U21 midfielder Shea Charles.

The Northern Ireland international has gained interest from the Bundesliga, with RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund also rumoured to be “admirers” of the player.

The 19-year-old made his debut for City last weekend against Brentford as a substitute, and is contracted to the champions until 2027.

What could Shea Charles bring to Everton?

Pep Guardiola handed the teenager his first minutes for the first team last Sunday, as he played 27 minutes earning an impressive 7.0 Sofascore match rating in the process.

It was a difficult game for the champions who were defeated 1-0 away from home, however, the Spaniard was full of praise for the academy graduate after the fixture, hailing him as “so good” and “so composed” on the club’s official website.

It’s praise indeed from one of the greatest managers of all time, however, his compliments are supported by his impressive numbers, hinting that he has an exciting career ahead of him.

On his Premier League debut, the teen won 100% of his aerial duels, as well as four out of five of his ground duels in midfield, making four tackles and one interception in just under 30 minutes of play – as per Sofascore.

The Manchester-born ace, lauded as “terrific” by journalist Mark McIntosh, could be an exceptional future addition to Everton’s midfield, alongside the talents of Onana.

Goodison’s midfield gem has similar attributes to the City youngster, inspiring the thought that they could be a commanding duo in the middle of the park together.

The Belgian has averaged 2.60 tackles per 90 over the past year, as well as an average of 2.17 successful aerials per 90, placing him in the top 6% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues in terms of winning challenges in the air – as per FBref.

With Onana being just 21, and Charles only 19, Dyche could have a midfield pairing for years to come, in two players that are combative both in the air and on the ground, as supported by their numbers.

There are lots of indicators to suggest that Charles is ready to take the leap into senior football, not just through his performance on his debut, but his integral presence in City’s U21 side, starting in all 26 of his appearances in Premier League 2 – as per Transfermarkt.

Whether the player would be available to purchase permanently, or as a loan deal is yet to be discovered, however with such talent shown in his youth career, Dyche could unlock a generational talent in Everton’s midfield.

Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah have been rested for Pakistan’s second warm-up match against Sussex ahead of the opening Test against England at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016Mohammad Amir and legspinner Yasir Shah have been rested for Pakistan’s second warm-up match against Sussex ahead of the opening Test against England at Lord’s.Both bowlers impressed against Somerset at Taunton, Amir taking 3 for 36 in the first innings with some dangerous swing at good pace while Yasir enjoyed a lengthy bowl in the second innings as he finished with 4 for 107.Rahat Ali has also been left out as Pakistan bring in Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan and Zulfiqar Babar.The batting, though, remains unchanged which, barring injuries, confirms the top-order line-up for the opening Test. Most of the batsmen spent decent time in the middle against Somerset, although Mohammad Hafeez (20 and 10), captain Misbah-ul-Haq (0 and 19) and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed will hope for a more productive outing at Hove.”We had a pretty decent outing against Somerset. I would expect everyone shall maintain and improve on standards on display at Taunton in batting, bowling and fielding,” Mickey Arthur, the head coach, said. “We have to keep up with the benchmarks we have achieved so far, with the same intensity. Slacking off at any point would not be acceptable”.

Manchester United are now keeping a close eye on Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic for a summer transfer swoop, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

Which midfielders could Man United sign this summer?

Man United are on the lookout for a new central midfielder, with Fabrizio Romano recently claiming a new option in the engine room will be one of Erik ten Hag's priorities in the summer, and they are interested in signing West Ham captain Declan Rice.

However, the 24-year-old will not come cheap, with the same report claiming the Hammers are set to demand £120m, which means the Red Devils could look at other players, including Fulham's Joao Palhinha, as well as Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga.

According to a report from the Guardian, Chelsea are resigned to losing Kovacic this summer, with both Manchester clubs and Bayern Munich interested in his signature, and Football Insider have now provided a new update on United's pursuit.

Ten Hag is said to keeping a close eye on the £100k-per-week midfielder, with it now emerging that talks have broken down regarding a new contract at Stamford Bridge, despite the club's hierarchy being keen to tie him down to a new deal.

The Red Devils are following the situation, with the door now open for a move to Old Trafford, and they are keeping a close eye on whether a deal can be struck for the Croatian.

As the 29-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the Blues, his current club may be forced to reduce their asking price, to avoid losing him for free next summer.

Should Man United sign Mateo Kovacic?

The prospect of signing the Croatia international is unlikely to excite United fans as much as bringing in someone like Rice, but he has proven himself at Premier League level with Chelsea over a number of years, making 140 top flight appearances.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by members of the media, the maestro is a forward-thinking player, with a good eye for picking out his teammates, given that he ranks highly for progressive passes and passes attempted per 90 over the past year.

That said, the Austria-born midfielder is not the most prolific in front of goal, registering just three goal contributions in the league this season, while his defensive attributes also leave a lot to be desired.

Given that he is an experienced Premier League player, Kovacic could be a decent back-up option for Man United, but Ten Hag undoubtedly needs to bring in someone better to compete for a regular place in the starting XI.

Everton are “pushing hard” to sign Inter Milan forward Joaquin Correa this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Correa to Everton?

The Argentine still has another two years remaining on his contract at the San Siro Stadium, but having made just eight starts in the Serie A this season, is significantly low down in Simone Inzaghi’s pecking order and could therefore be looking to seal an exit this summer.

Italian outlet Inter Live credited the Toffees, alongside Premier League rivals West Ham United and Aston Villa, with an initial interest in the 28-year-old, and they have already taken their admiration one step further.

TuttoMercatoWeb journalist Niccolo Ceccarini has revealed that Sean Dyche and his Merseyside outfit have made contact to discover what it would take to complete a deal during the upcoming window and the board appear to be willing to do whatever it takes.

According to Inter Live once again (via Sport Witness), Everton are “pushing hard” to secure the services of Correa ahead of their fellow competitors. The £110k-per-week attacker is the “main suspect” to be sold from his squad at the end of the season as a result of him being viewed as a “dead weight” due to his poor physical state, so his club are “happy” to sanction his sale.

The Toffees or any other potential suitors are yet to submit an official offer, but they are the ones currently showing the most interest in getting a deal over the line. The Italian giants’ price tag “would not be very low” due to his contract situation, so whether Farhad Moshiri – or a potential new owner – would be able to meet their financial demands yet remains to be seen.

Should Everton cash out on Correa?

Everton will be aware that Correa won’t be fully up to speed having not received regular game time this season, but he’s got so much potential to give so we feel it would be worth splashing the cash and taking a chance on him this summer.

The Adidas-sponsored forward has posted 103 goal contributions (64 goals and 39 assists) in 353 career appearances, so can be prolific in the final third when afforded the opportunity, and is additionally strong in his link-up play with his fellow teammates, ranking in the 99th percentile for pass completion by forwards in the top European leagues.

The 6 foot 2 colossus, who’s been hailed a “sharp” finisher by journalist Josh Bunting, further has the flexibility to play in six various positions across the field, including up top and out wide on both flanks, so he would be an excellent acquisition should he sign on the dotted line at Goodison Park.

Chelsea will be looking for a positive start to life under Frank Lampard as they travel to Molineux to take on relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon.

The Blues sacked Graham Potter last weekend following the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa and it has been a whirlwind week at Stamford Bridge, with Bruno Saltor overseeing the disappointing stalemate against Liverpool in midweek.

Lampard was recently announced as the club's caretaker manager until the end of the season as Todd Boehly searches for a permanent successor, and while he has had just a couple of days of training with the squad, fans may well be expecting a reaction from their side ahead of the game against Julen Lopetegui's Wolves.

How should Chelsea line up against Wolves?

With three points a must if the west London side are going to salvage any hopes of a European finish this season, here is how Football FanCast expects Lampard to line his side up today upon his return to the Chelsea dugout, with three changes from the team that drew 0-0 on Tuesday.

(5-2-2-1) Kepa (GK); James (RWB), Fofana (CB), Koulibaly (CB), Badiashile (CB), Chilwell (LWB); Fernandez (CM), Kante (CM); Sterling (LW), Madueke (RW); Havertz (ST).

There was a ninth clean sheet of the season for Kepa Arrizabalaga against Liverpool, so he looks unlikely to lose his place in between the sticks in Lampard's first game.

The former Everton boss will perhaps find it difficult to make too many changes to a defence that kept Liverpool out at Stamford Bridge, but Benoit Badiashile is a far more natural centre-back than Marc Cucurella, so he should take the Spaniard's place alongside Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana.

Reece James and Ben Chilwell keep their spots in the wing-back positions, with both England internationals extremely dangerous from an attacking perspective when on top form.

After failing to score again against Liverpool, we think Lampard should select a bolder formation which sees an attacking player replace struggling midfielder Mateo Kovacic, so he should opt for a midfield duo of N'Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez at Molineux.

This allows Raheem Sterling to return to the side on the left wing, with Noni Madueke also earning a rare start on the right-hand side, as the 21-year-old – who was dubbed a "mentality monster" by former coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst – arguably deserves more first-team minutes after barely featuring under Potter.

Chelsea's fans may be surprised to see Joao Felix omitted but the Portugal international has just two goals and zero assists in nine Premier League appearances, while Kai Havertz has been the more consistent attacker of late, so he gets the nod to start up front.