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da roleta： A “key” Burnley player will be sold at the end of the season after the Clarets sealed promotion from the Championship, according to former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie.

Burnley seal return to the Premier League

da poker： The Clarets knew that a win at home to Sheffield United on Monday would ensure that they returned to the Premier League from the Championship, and they duly obliged at Turf Moor.

Josh Brownhill’s magnificent season continued with two goals to seal a 2-1 victory for the hosts, with Scott Parker speaking of his side pride at the final whistle: “It means everything. We set on a mission to get promoted and there were a lot of ups and down. It has been nothing short of incredible. So proud of the young group, who have committed and given everything. This one feels more special.”

It has been a fantastic effort by Parker and his players throughout the campaign, with Burnley incredibly conceding just 15 league goals, which will smash the league’s record by a mile barring a remarkable collapse in the final couple of games.

It’s now a case of putting the icing on the cake and pipping Leeds United to the Championship title in the remaining two matches, with the Whites ahead on goal difference currently. But while some players will be dreaming of playing in the top flight for the Clarets next season, one individual has been backed to move on.

Jonjo Shelvey set to leave Burnley this summer

Speaking to Football League World before the win over Sheffield United, Hendrie claimed that Jonjo Shelvey won’t be at Burnley next season.

“I’m not sure that they will secure a deal for him. To be quite honest, I think that going into the Premier League, I think that the squad has to be a lot stronger. Jonjo obviously hasn’t featured too much, so I don’t think that will be one that they’ll be looking to make permanent and keep him there again. With his contract expiring, I think he’ll move on.”

In truth, it makes complete sense for Burnley this summer, with the 33-year-old only joining in January on a short-term deal until the end of the season. The midfielder has struggled to make his mark, featuring for just 11 minutes in the Championship, even though Parker talked up his chances of being a “key” player.

“He’s still getting there. Obviously he’s only been in for three weeks or so and he’s getting there for sure. You see his quality now in terms of training and what he possesses. He’ll be key for us this year or for the remaining part of this season.”

Related Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

Posts ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

If Shelvey can’t pick up playing time in the second tier, then it’s hard to see him being an important figure in the Premier League, so cutting ties with him is a no-brainer for Burnley.

Chelsea’s Champions League push continues.

On Sunday, the Blues claimed a vital 3-1 victory over the newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge; Enzo Fernández broke the deadlock inside three minutes, a freak own goal doubled their advantage, before Cole Palmer ended his goal draught by converting a stoppage time penalty.

Having now won three Premier League games on the spin, Enzo Maresca’s side remain fifth, three points clear of both Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, desperately hoping to cling onto the final Champions League position.

Regardless of whether they remain in the top five places or not, Chelsea are set to spend big this summer, because that’s simply become their modus operandi under Todd Boehly’s ownership, so could they get their hands on a new centre-forward?

Chelsea seeking to sign a new striker

Some notable names have been linked with a move to the Bridge this summer with the likes of Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins reportedly on their radar.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Now, according to a report by journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea are “keeping close tabs” on RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, with Arsenal and Liverpool both described as ‘huge admirers’.

Sesko’s team are ‘in active talks’ with those three clubs as the German side aim to rake in a reported £70m for his signature.

It looked as though the Slovenian would be on the move last summer but signed a new contract in Leipzig, just as Chelsea and Arsenal were ‘ready to trigger’ his then £55m release clause, according to Ed Aarons of the Guardian.

Now though, Sesko appears to be ready to move on from the Bundesliga, so where would he fit in at Stamford Bridge?

Why Sesko would be an upgrade on Nkunku

As reported by Sky Sports Deutschland this weekend, Christopher Nkunku ‘has decided to leave Chelsea’ at the end of the season, with Fabrizio Romano adding that the Frenchman is ‘keen’ to depart the club.

Nkunku was not even a substitute for Sunday’s win over Liverpool, nor last Thursday’s victory over Djurgården in Stockholm, with manager Maresca later confirming he will be sidelined for a fortnight due to a “small problem”.

The 27-year-old, who himself arrived from RB Leipzig for £52m two summers ago, has never managed to establish himself as a key figure in West London, as the table below outlines.

Appearances

56

Minutes

2,555

Starts

24

PL appearances

38

PL starts

11

Matches missed injured

36

Matches an unused sub

7

Apps 15 minutes or less

15

Goals

17

PL goals

6

UECL goals

7

Assists

5

As the table emphasises, the French forward has never been a regular in Chelsea’s starting lineups, especially in the league.

He has scored 14 goals this season, but seven of these have come in the Conference League, while he was also on target against Morecambe in the FA Cup, having bagged a hat-trick against Barrow in the EFL Cup.

So, with bearing in mind he also played/plays for Leipzig, would Sesko avoid a similar fate?

Well, all available evidence suggests that, whoever gets their hands on the striker this summer, will have secured the services of an exceptional striker.

Analyst Ben Mattinson believes he possesses “electric pace”, impressed by his “two-footed ball-striking” ability, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout exclaims that he is “a superb centre-forward in the making”.

So, let’s take a look at the powerful forward’s Bundesliga statistics this season.

Goals

13

8th

35th

Assists

5

28th

117th

Shots

65

11th

162nd

Shots on target

29

11th

46th

Goals – xG

+3

11th

43rd

While his statistics may not leap off the page, Sesko’s screamer against Bayern Munich on Saturday took his tally to 21 for the season across all competitions, four of which came in the Champions League, to go with the 18 he managed last time round.

He also scored five times in this year’s UEFA Nations League, a tally only bettered by Viktor Gyökeres​​​​​​​, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo and Razvan Marin; pretty eclectic company to keep.

Alex Barker of Breaking the Lines believes the Slovenian striker to be a ‘generational’ talent, while Raphael Honigstein and Mark Carey of the Athletic forecast that he’ll continue to develop and get better, hence why Soham Mukherjee of Goal labels him ‘one of the hottest names in the European transfer market’.

Thus, Sesko would surely be an excellent signing for Chelsea, representing a clear upgrade on the wantaway Nkunku.

Best signing since Palmer: Chelsea could land a £60m Gyokeres alternative

Chelsea should sign a “clinical” Premier League striker instead of Viktor Gyökeres

ByBen Gray May 4, 2025

Everton are mired in controversy at the moment due to their recent 10-point deduction; however, Sean Dyche doesn't look to have been stopped in his quest for new arrivals and he is now believed to be keen on strengthening a key area at Goodison Park.

Everton's current storm…

Everyone connected with the footballing world will now be aware of Everton's 10-point deduction ruling after the Premier League side were found to have breached the English top-flight's financial rules, which the Blues plan to appeal in due course. Clubs in the top-flight are permitted to lose £105 million over a three-year period. Nevertheless, Everton recorded losses of £124.5 million in the 2021/22 campaign, which has led to the Toffees being docked 10 points and plunged into the relegation zone amid a whirlwind of opinions on the matter from fans and pundits alike.

Burnley, Leicester City and Leeds United have all reportedly laid out plans to sue Everton for a sum in the region of £300 million, with all three looking to bargain for a compensatory fee valued at around £100 million, which would cover the loss of earnings they believe they may be entitled to after being relegated to the Championship.

On the field, Everton now face the challenge of elevating themselves back up the table after being lowered from 14 points to four points, putting them 19th in the division, sandwiched between Burnley and Sheffield United. Everton face Manchester United next weekend at Goodison Park as they look to get back to some form of normality and they could go unbeaten in five if they secure a positive result from the affair.

Everton's last five results – all competitions

Competition

Opponent & result

Venue

Premier League

Crystal Palace 2-3 Everton

Selhurst Park

Premier League

Everton 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Goodison Park

EFL Cup

Everton 3-0 Burnley

Goodison Park

Premier League

West Ham United 0-1 Everton

London Stadium

Premier League

Liverpool 2-0 Everton

Anfield

In the transfer market, Dyche is now believed to be keen on strengthening an important area of his side once the market opens for business come the New Year.

Everton look to bring in a midfield addition…

According to Football Insider journalist Pete O'Rourke, Everton are plotting to sign a central midfielder in January as Dyche plans to use Abdoulaye Doucoure as an attacking midfielder at Goodison Park.

Amadou Onana and Andre Gomes could also leave the club in 2024, leaving Idrissa Gueye, James Garner, and Tyler Onyango as options in the engine room for Dyche. Nevertheless, Dyche is also believed to have designs on bringing two wingers to the club to bolster his assets on the flanks.

Mali international Doucoure has been in notably good form for Everton this term, registering four goals and one assist from 15 appearances across all competitions (Doucoure statistics – Transfermarkt).

With there being no sign of the 30-year-old being moved back into a deeper position, Dyche now looks as though he will turn to the market to ensure he has adequate cover in central midfield for the second portion of the campaign, making tis one to watch despite the ongoing saga in the boardroom.

As Sunderland set their sights on the play-off places once again in the Championship, the January transfer could quickly become the key to their success. Tony Mowbray's side used the summer window well to welcome the likes of Jobe Bellingham, and will be well aware of just how beneficial winter arrivals can be. So far this season, they've remained on course to battle it out for a spot in the all-important top six, sitting just one point adrift of Cardiff City, who currently hold the final place.

Amid the talk of promotion, however, the Black Cats are reportedly set to suffer a transfer blow when it comes to their pursuit of one particular target in a deal that would have undoubtedly been an incredible boost.

Sunderland transfer news

Sunderland aren't ones to spend an outrageous amount, but that's not to say they didn't splash out to welcome reinforcements during the summer. In the end, those at The Stadium of Light spent over £7m on arrivals such as Bellingham, Jenson Seelt and Nazariy Rusyn. The latter was their most expensive deal of the summer but has arguably been the most disappointing, failing to find the back of the net once in six Championship games.

Mowbray may have been looking to solve the forward's output problem with the arrival of a creative player. According to The Real EFL, though, Sunderland are set to miss out on Amad Diallo in January. Sunderland were reportedly keen on signing Diallo on loan for a second time after he impressed so much in his first spell at the club last season. United, however, reportedly want the winger to play at a higher level if he goes out on loan, making a Sunderland return unlikely.

"Dynamic" Amad Diallo would transform Sunderland

Sunderland will be understandably frustrated if they miss out on Diallo, which looks likely to be the case in January. Their former loanee took the Championship by storm last season and played a large part in the Black Cats' push for promotion. Diallo's stats by the end of his Sunderland spell reflected just how much of an impact he made, scoring 14 goals and assisting a further four.

Earning plenty of praise in the process, Mowbray said via the Metro when asked about the winger: "I think he got wrapped up in the game on Saturday (against Luton) emotionally and that was good to see. With his physical data, he was top in every aspect from distance covered to number of high-speed sprints, he was amazingly athletic as well as showing his talent.

"That bodes well for us and also accelerates him in my mind in terms of him being a starting player for us, beyond a young lad who I can bring off the bench. I’m hoping that over time that’s what happens with the other young lads, as well. At the moment they’re still feeling their way in, but with Amad – and maybe it’s because he’s had more game time – he’s in front and he looks to me like a first-team starter. They bring different qualities. Amad is dynamic and explosive."

Glasgow Rangers face a different sort of challenge this evening as Philippe Clement takes charge of the Ibrox side for the first time in European competition.

A trip to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague will prove to be a slightly more difficult task than what Hibernian offered at Ibrox on the weekend, as the Easter Road outfit slumped to a 4-0 defeat.

The early signs certainly look positive from the Belgian and another win this evening will buy him more credit with the supporters as a new era in Glasgow has well and truly begun.

The 49-year-old could perhaps likely make some changes from the starting XI that took on Hibs just a few days ago and rotation will be key to keep the players fresh.

What is the Rangers team news vs Sparta Prague?

One problem the former Club Brugge boss has is who will start at left-back. Borna Barisic was substituted off during the early stages of the Hibs clash with what appeared to be a thigh problem, and he was replaced by Ridvan Yilmaz.

Due to Michael Beale’s incompetence, Yilmaz is not included in the Europa League squad, leaving the Gers extremely light in this area and this could prompt Clement into a reshuffle at the back.

He could perhaps slot Ben Davies into the left side of defence, and this will probably be the logical thing to do ahead of the vital tie.

There could also be changes to the attacking setup and despite Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers enjoying solid performances against Hibs, will Clement start the duo or give opportunities to others who are keen to shine?

How has Sam Lammers performed for Rangers this season?

Although positive on the weekend, Lammers has failed to really convince the Ibrox faithful that his £3m transfer fee is fully justified.

Since joining from Atalanta in the summer under Beale, the Dutchman has found the back of the net only once across 17 matches, yet this was to be expected considering the forward scored just six goals since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

This isn’t due to a lack of trying as the forward currently ranks first for shots per game (3.2) across the whole squad in the Premiership, yet he ranks seventh for goals and assists (two) and third for big chances missed (three) during the opening nine games of the season.

This form suggests he has yet to make the desired impact at the Glasgow side and Sparta Prague will prove to be a much more difficult opponent to break down compared to Hibs, giving Clement the licence to ditch Lammers.

The question is, who could replace him in the starting XI? With Todd Cantwell returning from injury on the weekend, he could be ready for his first start since the Old Firm clash against Celtic at the start of September.

Could Todd Cantwell start against Sparta Prague?

After missing five matches due to a knee injury suffered against Celtic, Cantwell made his return on Saturday and his 32-minute cameo was an effective one.

The midfielder replaced Scott Wright with just over half an hour left and he not only grabbed an assist, but also made two key passes, took one shot on target, and completed 88% of his attempted passes.

2-1 win vs Servette

2-0 win vs Sparta Prague

2-0 win vs FC Shkupi

1-0 win vs Progres Niederkorn

1-0 defeat to Malmö

It was a profitable return for the former Norwich City gem, and it may have opened a door for him to be unleashed from the first whistle against the Czech side.

How much did Todd Cantwell cost Rangers?

During Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Light Blues, he managed to secure the signing of Cantwell from Norwich City for a fee believed to be around £1.5m and despite suffering a poor start to the season with the East Anglian side, it has proved to be a bargain so far for the Gers.

Gary Cockaday, his former youth coach, hailed him previously when discussing his talents as he made his way through to the first team at Norwich, saying: “At one point, two of them had Todd up against the line and you could see them thinking, ‘Gotcha!’

“Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

His first few months at Ibrox were a major success as he finished the 2022/23 season having scored six times while registering five assists and his displays were one of the few bright sparks in a relatively poor season for the club.

The 25-year-old has yet to score so far this term, but this could be down to Beale’s lack of a proper tactical system rather than Cantwell’s ability suddenly diminishing.

Indeed, across the squad for his league displays, he currently ranks fifth for shots per game (1.8) along with ranking in the top five for interceptions per game (1.2) and while he has yet to hit the heights of last term, he could thrive under Clement.

A tie against Sparta will provide a perfect challenge for Cantwell, and he could certainly stake a claim to be a regular starter by putting on a solid performance.

Lammers has looked out of sorts since arriving in Scotland and although the Hibs tie indicated he could still have some sort of role under the Belgian, a European tie represents an ideal chance for him to rest a few players.

Cantwell may not be fit enough to last the full 90 minutes, yet his inclusion from the start could only benefit the Gers as they go chasing their second group stage win of the current season.

Heavy overnight rain and a wet outfield forced the abandonment of the game in Bready, without a ball being bowled

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2018Heavy overnight rain and a wet outfield forced the abandonment of the third T20I between Ireland and Afghanistan in Bready, without a ball being bowled. The match referee called off the game at 15.45 local time, 15 minutes after the scheduled toss time.With Afghanistan already having sealed the series 2-0, Ireland were going into the game looking to salvage pride and end their seven-match losing streak in T20Is against the visitors. Afghanistan’s spin attack bowled them to victory in the first two games, building on Hazratullah Zazai’s solid batting displays on both occasions. Zazai was named Player of the Series for his two half-centuries.The action now heads to Stormont, which hosts the three-match ODI series between the two teams next week.

The Portland Timbers are in pursuit of Monterrey's superstar forward Germán Berterame.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Portland Timbers bid for Germán Berterame
• Argentine valued at $15m
• MLS side pushing for club-record deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Athletic reports that $15m rated Germán Berterame would be tied for the second-highest MLS transfer of all time, alongside Ezequiel Barco and Gonzalo Martinez – both formerly of Atlanta United. The Timbers have an open DP slot, and Phil Neville is looking to bolster his squad with a marquee signing.

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• @Rayados
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Timbers are in need of a goal-scoring striker, and it appears that they have honed in on their man. However, they do have a backup plan, with the same report sharing that they are a potential suitor for Club America's Jonathan Rodriguez.

  Berterame has 23 goals and nine assists in 61 appearances for Neville appears to believe that the Argentine can produce even better numbers in MLS and is ready to work with the Timbers to splash the cash if the two clubs can come to an agreement over the transfer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Five Stripes also own the most expensive incoming transfer in World Cup winner Thiago Almada, as well.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BERTERAME AND THE TIMBERS?

  Monterrey take on Pumas Sunday evening in Liga MX action, and with a win, they could move atop the league standings. Portland, meanwhile, takes on D.C. United late Saturday night.

The ICC said no evidence had been found of Salgaoncar “actually having been engaged in corruption”, but he has been penalised for for failing to report an approach

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2018Pandurang Salgaoncar, who was suspended from his role of curator by the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in October, has also been handed a suspension by the ICC for “failing to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct”. The issue had emerged ahead of the second ODI between India and New Zealand on October 25, following a sting operation by India Today TV; footage showed the curator telling undercover reporters that the pitch will be full of runs.However, the ICC said, no evidence had been found of Salgaoncar “actually having been engaged in corruption.”Alex Marshall, the ICC’s general manager, anti-corruption, said: “We have carried out an extensive investigation based on the allegations made by India Today and the material they shared with us. I am satisfied that Mr Salgaonkar has no case to answer on the broad allegations of corruption made by India Today.”However, as he is bound by the ICC Anti-Corruption Code as a participant of the sport, he has been charged with breaching section 2.4.4 of the Code for his failure to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct. Mr Salgaonkar has accepted that he has committed the offence and has received a six-month suspension.”The ICC’s suspension will be backdated to October 25, 2017 – the day he was suspended by the MCA – meaning he can return to work on April 24, 2018.India Today TV had said its reporters shot the video with Salgaoncar over two days (October 23 and 24) leading up to the New Zealand ODI, alleging corrupt activity on his part. In the video, Salgaoncar is seen telling the reporters: “It [the pitch] is very good. It will garner 337 runs. And 337 will be chaseable.” New Zealand made 230 in the match, and India chased down the target four overs to spare on a slowing track.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is so good at baseball that even his mistakes are impressive.

During the Dodgers' 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, Ohtani found himself in a bit of a pickle after reaching first base on a single in the bottom of the first inning.

The Dodgers star, who ranks second in the majors in stolen bases, took off for second just as Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo delivered a pickoff throw to first base, leaving Ohtani caught in a rundown.

But Ohtani managed to get out of the rundown and slid safely back into first base after outrunning the ball and evading the tag by Mariners first baseman Justin Turner.

Nine times out of 10, Ohtani would have had no way out of the rundown, but the Mariners gave him a bit of an opening and, like the great ones do, he seized his chance. The Dodgers slugger finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk.

da wazamba： Chelsea have just landed a seismic financial windfall after reaching the Club World Cup final, but the expectation remains that they’ll still need to sell a host of players.

da dobrowin： Enzo Maresca’s side knocked Thiago Silva’s Fluminense out in the semi-finals on Tuesday evening, courtesy of a stunning brace from new signing Joao Pedro, who put on a sublime display in their 2-0 victory against his former side.

Related "World-class" player reaches gentleman's agreement to leave Chelsea

He can depart for an obtainable fee.

Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

The win means that Chelsea are guaranteed to bank around £80 million from participating in the tournament, regardless of their next result, having reached the final with five wins from their total of six games played so far.

If Chelsea go on to win the whole thing, BlueCo will get a further £7.5 million – taking their total potential earnings closer to the £90 million mark.

“I am happy for the club,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s CWC prize money.

“But I don’t care, because when I prepare a game, I don’t prepare the game thinking if we win, we have more money. Because it is something for the club, it is not for us, unfortunately. We already have a clear idea about what we need to improve for next season. And hopefully we can have it.”

While Maresca pays no attention to matters like this off the field, it could still prove crucial to Chelsea’s balance sheet.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

The club were recently slapped with a UEFA fine for breaking FFP rules, and their estimated £140 million expenditure over the summer transfer window so far means that player sales are an absolute necessity, even if their CWC earnings could provide more breathing room.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Ben Chilwell, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke and Djordje Petrovic are all tipped to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, with uncertainty also surrounding Nicolas Jackson after Chelsea’s signings of Pedro and Liam Delap.

There is also the matter of £195,000-per-week forward Christopher Nkunku, who isn’t a key starter for Maresca, and he’s attracting notable interest from abroad.

Christopher Nkunku keen to make Germany return and leave Chelsea

According to talkSPORT, Nkunku is keen on a return to Germany with Bayern Munich, who were heavily linked in the January transfer window, and Chelsea are waiting for the Bundesliga champions to make a formal approach.

They won’t have to wait at all for an approach from Saudi Arabia, though, as it is believed that Al-Qadsiah have already made an enquiry to the Frenchman’s representatives.

Nkunku is understood to prefer remaining in Europe, so Bayern appear to be the lead contenders as things stand, but it is suggested that Chelsea could demand around £60 million as they actively seek to sell the 27-year-old.

The squad player is currently one of their highest-earners, so getting him off the books for a reasonable fee could be one of Chelsea’s most imperative exit deals of the summer.