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Over the years, Chelsea have unearthed a long list of stars from their academy who have gone on to establish themselves in the first-team picture.

It is a testament to the excellent facilities at Cobham that enable the Blues to continuously streamline talent into the senior setup year after year.

It is also remarkable that current first-team stars Levi Colwill, Reece James and Conor Gallagher don't scratch the surface of the obscene amount of quality that started crafting their legacy at Stamford Bridge.

Of course, the most famed world-beating talent known for beginning their careers in the underage groups at Chelsea are Jamal Musiala and Declan Rice; two players who would have perhaps helped the Premier League giants dominate for over a decade.

Those two are the biggest examples of ones that got away and while the Blues are prolific at unearthing more homegrown talent, they are also astute at poaching talent from lower league clubs in England – as has been the case with current academy sensation, Leo Castledine.

Leo Castledine's statistics at youth level

Chelsea poached the promising playmaker from AFC Wimbledon in 2020 after scouring the football league for the next potential star in the making.

'An attacking midfield player who has the ability to play box-to-box, he likes to create and score goals and is very tenacious in the tackle', as described by Chelsea's official website, Castledine's exceptional all-round attributes have seen him make a rapid rise through the underage groups at Stamford Bridge.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the 18-year-old showcased his versatility by operating in a number of positions, including as a deep-lying player, an attack-minded midfielder and even as a centre-back.

It is therefore impressive that the youngster managed 11 goals and two assists in 27 appearances after making the jump to under-21 level last term.

Dubbed a "huge talent" by journalist Felix Johnston, the teenager has continued making huge strides towards a first-team call-up this term by posting sensational numbers in Premier League 2.

In eight appearances, Castledine has chalked up an impressive four goals and six assists, including a glut of goals in victories over Blackburn Rovers and Fulham, with Mauricio Pochettino rewarding that form with a place on the bench in their 2-0 victory over Rovers in the Carabao Cup.

The above statistics also illuminate his prominence even further knowing he's currently supplying goals at a faster rate than first-team star Cole Palmer.

Cole Palmer's statistics this season

The 21-year-old starlet, who arrived from Manchester City in the summer, has become instrumental to the Blues creativity in the final third this term, much like Castledine.

With three goals and two assists in the Premier League, which means he's tied on five goal contributions with Nicolas Jackson, the Englishman has seamlessly slotted into various roles in Pochettino's system, namely cutting in from the right or floating in behind the Senegalese hitman.

The Argentine emboldened the above statement by offering huge adulation towards the youngster, praising him for how he's quickly adapted to life at Stamford Bridge.

He said: "He showed a great performance with character and personality,

"We are happy with the way he has arrived. He arrived on the last day of the transfer window but is playing like he’s been here ten years, showing his character and personality."

Palmer's close control and willingness to receive the ball in tight spaces have delighted the masses since he arrived at the club, with the youngster showing Pep Guardiola what he's missing out on.

Indeed, the £75k per-week whiz has now remarkably played more Premier League minutes for Chelsea than he did for Man City and while that's an impressive statistic on its own, the fact Castledine is outscoring such a talent is a testament to his boundless potential that Pochettino must unlock sooner rather than later.

Chelsea ace Cole Palmer has explained his decision to leave Manchester City last summer after leading the Blues to a 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday.

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Palmer scores and assists against NewcastleUp to 26 goal contributions already for ChelseaExplains decision to leave City in the summerGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Palmer scored one and assisted another as he ended up being the standout Chelsea performer yet again on Monday night. The English forward saw his goalward effort flicked home for the first before he struck an absolute piledriver to make it 2-1 in the second half. Substitute Mykhailo Mudryk got in on the action late on with a fine solo effort that ended up being the decider, but it was Palmer who earned himself Player of the Match for his efforts. Speaking after the game he explained his decision to join the Blues, as he remains optimistic over the club's project.

AdvertisementWHAT PALMER SAID

The 21-year-old told after the full-time whistle: "I thought I was ready to play football week in, week out and that's the reason [I joined Chelsea]. I just wanted to showcase my ability and thankfully it has paid off. It was a very difficult decision to leave City, I was there since six years old. I was ready to play football, had a chat with my family, had a chat with the club and moved to Chelsea."

On the long-term project at Stamfort Bridge, Palmer issued a warning to any doubters: "I think there’s so much talent at Chelsea, the fans don’t see it, you guys [media] don’t see it. It’s only gonna get better I’m sure, if not next season the season after it’s a project, everyone’s young. You will see it sooner or later.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Palmer's goal and assist on Monday takes him to 19 goal contributions in the Premier League and 26 across all competitions this term. His signing, alongside perhaps that of Malo Gusto, remains the standout piece of business from the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era, as time and again he has proven himself to be the difference maker for Chelsea. His displays have also given him an outside shot of an England call-up for Euro 2024. Those chances were dealt a significant boost on Monday as Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was at Stamford Bridge to watch his masterclass against Newcastle.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

The England youngster will no doubt form a crucial part of Mauricio Pochettino's attacking line when they face Leicester in their next match, which comes in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday. Chelsea, alongside Wolves, were the only Premier League side to avoid a top-flight opponent in the last-eight, meaning they have a real chance of returning to Wembley for the second time in two months if they reach the semi-finals.

The bowler revealed his disappointment at Yorkshire’s decision to drop him during the Royal London Cup and will talk to other counties with his deal expiring this year

Melinda Farrell15-Jun-20181:16

England looking for a complete performance – Plunkett

Liam Plunkett has revealed his disappointment at Yorkshire’s decision to drop him during the Royal London Cup, shortly after his return from the IPL, and indicated he is open to moving to another county when his current deal expires. The comments follow on from David Willey’s revelation that Yorkshire threatened to tear up his contract when he signed with the Chennai Super Kings.Plunkett, in the final year of his county contract, made seven IPL appearances for Delhi Daredevils but following his return from India he told he was dropped by Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, for the 50-over fixture against Northamptonshire after he took 1 for 76 from eight overs against Lancashire earlier this month. Speaking ahead of England’s second ODI against Australia in Cardiff, Plunkett said he disagreed with Yorkshire’s assessment that he was “undercooked”.”Yes, I was disappointed,” Plunkett said. “I’d played the previous games and felt I went all right. We won the previous game, so I felt in a good place – but I had one bad performance, and if they want to drop me on that … They said I wasn’t ready, that I looked undercooked.”In what might seem an unusual sequence of events, days after being dropped for a domestic fixture Plunkett was selected in England’s playing XI to face Scotland in the same format. Yorkshire and then-coach Jason Gillespie were given credit for helping Plunkett resurrect his international career after leaving Durham in 2012, but he now appears set to move on.”I just felt I was getting back into it,” Plunkett said. “That was the decision they took … I feel I was coming into a good place and I feel I can help win games for Yorkshire so obviously I was disappointed and I let them know on that.”It’s my last year and I went in for a chat with Martyn Moxon, and obviously as you get a little bit older you maybe think about your base salary coming down and you’re playing for incentives and stuff but I didn’t really get offered anything. They just said we’ll look into it in the next month or so but it gives me a right to speak to other counties and it gives me that option and I’m looking to do that.”Plunkett, along with the rest of the England attack, was hammered by Scotland’s batsmen at The Grange, where he took 2 for 85, but after making changes to his run up he felt his rhythm return at The Oval.”I think in the IPL I came a little bit wider and tried to angle the ball in a little bit and skid it on to the batters,” he said. “But I think my strength is to be on top of the ball, use my bounce and bowl that hard length. I think when I came in I was trying to angle it in a little bit and I was bowling a few wides down the leg side.Liam Plunkett could be leaving Yorkshire when his contract expires•Getty Images

“I played against Lancs and struggled coming off it. So I just looked at a bit of video footage and in the last couple of games – especially the last game – I felt a lot better, I felt my timing came back and my lengths were getting better.”Even if Plunkett bowls well for the rest of the summer, he will relinquish his place in the ODI side for at least two of England’s matches in Sri Lanka in October, when he will marry his partner, Emeleah Erb. The couple set the wedding date before England’s tour dates were finalised.”We planned because originally it was a Test series that was there and I didn’t think I’d be around the Test squad,” Plunkett said. “It’s been eleven years, it’s been long enough so I thought I’d better get married.”We did look at schedules and the best time to do it. There were flights booked from America and a lot of guests coming over and everything was booked, so it was so hard to change it then.”I’m really excited to get married but I am going to miss part of that series. All I can do is try and do well for England this summer and be a part of that team and [make them] think well, he might miss a few games, can we get him for the rest of that Sri Lanka series and keep me in mind going forward.””I’m so excited and can’t wait for the day that I’m not going to change and ruin everything for her.”

While the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 4–2, in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday, it did not come without a cost as Shohei Ohtani was forced to exit after suffering a subluxation of his left shoulder sliding into second base at the end of the seventh inning.

But after the game manager Dave Roberts said the team was "encouraged" by what tests revealed about Ohtani's injury and that he still expected the slugger to be able to suit up in the World Series.

On Sunday, Roberts made that official and told ESPN's Karl Ravech that Ohtani was a go for Game 3 in New York on Monday night.

This is great news for the Dodgers, who are loaded with talent but would miss Ohtani's presence at the plate and on the basepaths. It's also great news for everybody watching. Ohtani is a singular talent and the baseball world should hope he's able to play every inning of his first-ever appearance in the World Series. It will be history, no matter what happens.

Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees will commence on Monday at 8:08 p.m ET.

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.

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• 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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  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.