Category Uncategorized

South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been cleared to play the third Test Zealand after being a doubt due to a finger injury

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton24-Mar-2017

Quinton de Kock shows off his finger injury on the eve of the game•Cricket South Africa

While New Zealand have been ruling several injured players out of their XI, South Africa have found a way to include one of their wounded. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock will play the Hamilton Test after passing a fitness test to determine whether the tendon damage on his right index finger was severe enough to sideline him.De Kock, however, will need at least four weeks to recover from the injury and Cricket South Africa ruled him out of playing the 2017 IPL season for Delhi Daredevils in order to be available for the Champions Trophy and the England Tests that follow.Although in some pain on the eve of the Hamilton Test, de Kock was able to bat and catch with strapping and a finger splint, the brainchild of physiotherapist Brandon Jackson. When asked why South Africa were risking de Kock when they have a reserve gloveman in Heinrich Klaasen, Faf du Plessis explained the occasion was too important to leave de Kock out.”It’s a big game. Quinton is someone who you don’t just replace. From my side, I am trying to have Quinton in my team all the time,” du Plessis said. “He has had problems with his fingers for quite a while. It’s part of being a keeper. It’s never nice to catch balls on the fingertips all the time and it’s been painful for him for a while. Maybe the cold New Zealand conditions make it worse. It’s hurting for him a bit more now but because it’s a big game, resting him for someone else is not an option.”Du Plessis explained that if de Kock was carrying “three or four broken fingers then obviously he won’t play,” but because the issue could be kept at bay for a while, South Africa were willing to take their chances. More so, because three of the top six (Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy) were out of form and de Kock, who was one half of a match-winning partnership with Temba Bavuma in Wellington, was among the runs.The news that neither Tim Southee nor Trent Boult would be playing for New Zealand also did not influence South Africa’s team composition, as they aimed to assemble the strongest side they could in search for a 2-0 series win.”We are trying to put as much pressure as we can on New Zealand,” du Plessis said.At the start of the series, du Plessis admitted South Africa would target Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who they regarded as New Zealand’s keybatsmen, because they sensed vulnerability in the rest of the line-up.”It’s a huge blow (for New Zealand). I always take reference to our own team – if we lose guys like them in our side, it will be a huge loss. Seamers that have got experience and the numbers behind them – you don’t just replace that in Test cricket,” du Plessis said. “But we know whoever comes in can do a job for the day and we have to respect that and play at our best. If we do that, hopefully it will be easier but it’s never a guarantee.”

Adam Voges has indicated that his days as an international cricketer are over. A day before he is scheduled to lead the Prime Minister’s XI against the visiting Sri Lankans in Canberra, Voges said it would be his last game against an international team.”This will be it for me,” Voges said. “I’m certainly looking forward to getting out there and playing this game. I’ve had an amazing couple of years with Australia with the Test team and I’ve loved every minute of it.”I see this as a last opportunity to play against an international team and I’m certainly looking forward to that.”Voges, 37, has not played a Test match since suffering a concussion during Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in November. Having failed in the first two Tests against South Africa, this game served as a chance to score runs and keep himself in the reckoning for the third Test. Peter Handscomb took Voges’ spot at No. 5, scored a half-century on Test debut, and has established himself as a first-choice member of Australia’s line-up.Voges, who won his Baggy Green in 2015, aged 35, became the oldest debut centurion when he scored an unbeaten 130 against West Indies in Dominica. He struggled through the Ashes tour of England that followed but kept his place in the side and went on to enjoy a storming 2015-16 season that fetched him a century against New Zealand at the WACA, an unbeaten 269 against West Indies in Hobart and another double-hundred in Wellington.His batting average, after the tour of New Zealand, stood at 95.50 after 15 Tests. It fell to 61.87 after sub-par series against Sri Lanka away and South Africa at home, but he ends his career, nonetheless, with the second-highest average – behind only Don Bradman – among all batsmen with a minimum of 20 Tests.Voges’ stint in the Test side was the second half of a two-part international career. Between February 2007 and November 2013, he played 38 limited-overs games, scoring 870 ODI runs at 45.78 and 139 T20I runs at 46.33.

Durham have been relegated from the top flight of the County Championship, with Hampshire staying up in their place, after being hit with a penalty for receiving financial support from the ECB during the 2016 season

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2016Durham have been relegated from the top flight of the County Championship, with Hampshire staying up in their place, after being hit with a penalty for receiving financial support from the ECB during the 2016 season. They will begin 2017 in Division Two with a 48-point penalty in return for a £3.8m bailout.The club has accepted it will no longer be allowed to bid to host Test matches at Chester-le-Street, although they will be eligible for ODIs and T20 internationals. Durham will also start next season with -4 points in the NatWest T20 Blast and -2 points in the Royal London Cup; hand back non-player related ECB prize money for 2016; and be subject to a more closely controlled salary cap until 2020.The financial aid package, which has been agreed between the ECB and Durham’s board, is aimed at allowing the club to cover its operating costs, settle a proportion of outstanding debt and focus on restructuring.”We’ve been working with Durham County Cricket Club throughout the year on how best to address their financial issues; we welcome the club’s willingness to review its business model and management structures,” Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said.”There is no doubt that a strong, financially robust Durham has a vital role to play in developing England talent, enriching our domestic competitions and underpinning the wider growth of the game in the north east.”The financial package and associated conditions approved by the ECB Board reflect the unprecedented seriousness of Durham’s financial situation. To help them through these difficulties and continue as a first-class county, this had to be addressed with immediate, practical financial assistance. We also have a wider responsibility to the whole game and need strong deterrents in place to preserve the game’s integrity and financial stability.”Durham have made a strong contribution to the game as a first-class county, through domestic competitions, local participation and producing fine England players. We now look forward to working productively with the new Board of Directors in the restructured company and supporting a healthy future for Durham and the game in the north-east.”After enduring a troubled campaign on and off the field, Durham appeared to have secured their Division One status with back-to-back victories in their final two games of the season, over Surrey and Hampshire, who finished 45 points behind them in eighth place and were initially relegated alongside Nottinghamshire.However, to retain their viability, Durham had to call upon assistance from the ECB – including an accelerated annual fee payment of £1.3m, as well as the rescheduling of their £923,000 staging fee for the second Test against Sri Lanka in May – to help service debts to the local council, believed to be in the region of £5-6 million.The ECB spent the past week considering whether a sanction should be imposed. A points deduction was eventually deemed to be the only realistic option available to the board, given that a financial penalty would merely have exacerbated the club’s issues.”We are clearly disappointed at the position we are in and the sanctions we have accepted, particularly for the players and staff who have worked so hard to keep us in the first division,” David Harker, the club’s chief executive, said.”However, we continue as a first-class county, will host international cricket and have a platform to stabilise and develop Durham County Cricket Club. It is important that the club addresses its serious financial challenges and puts the business on a sustainable footing and therefore we have had to accept the conditions offered by ECB.”Other counties have faced serious financial challenges but have been able to find other solutions including private investors without this reliance on ECB. We will continue to work with the ECB to promote cricket in the North East and are committed to securing a successful sustainable future for Durham.”There is no suggestion of financial impropriety at Durham, and other Test-match grounds have accrued greater debts in the course of modernising their venues. However, the club’s remote location has made it harder to diversify and generate the sort of revenues that keep their rivals solvent.The club, which won the County Championship three times in six seasons between 2008 and 2013, has proven itself to be one of the most successful counties in terms of producing England players, with Ben Stokes and Mark Wood among the most recent examples. However, in a sign of potential struggles to come, they have lost two of their most influential batsmen of recent seasons, with Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman choosing to move to Surrey.In a statement, Hampshire said that the club “deeply regrets the situation that Durham finds itself in and sends its sincere sympathies to the club, its players, staff and of course its loyal supporters”.The club chairman, Rod Bransgrove, added: “I also fully endorse the support of ECB in helping one of its 18 first-class stakeholders to survive in the long-term and am satisfied that the sanctions imposed as a result of Durham’s circumstances are fair and have been well considered. Of course, the fact that Hampshire benefit from all of this is fortuitous for the club and will give us all a great boost as we plan for next summer.”Given the unprecedented list of injuries that we faced this year, I believe that we will not discredit the first division next season and I am very much looking forward to seeing what the 2017 campaign will bring with a full-strength and enhanced Hampshire squad.”

A washed out first day in Christchurch is unlikely to prompt wholesale changes in strategy, because there is still “plenty of time left in the game”, New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan said

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch17-Nov-2016

“Batsmen have to commit to the style and game plan that they want to follow through with and they have to make good decisions.”•Getty Images

A washed out first day in Christchurch is unlikely to prompt wholesale changes in strategy, because there is still “plenty of time left in the game”, New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan said. Not even the toss was possible on Thursday, which means neither team has yet named their XI.Play is now set to begin half an hour early, for the following four days, as long as weather permits. A minimum of 98 overs is scheduled for each of these days, when usually, only 90 are expected to be bowled.”There’s not a lot of overs lost even though we lost the whole day today,” McMillan said. “We haven’t named our XI, and there are probably discussions on that tonight, but I don’t think too much has changed.”Though a day of rain may make an already green Hagley Oval surface even more conducive to seam movement, McMillan hoped the recent proliferation of greentops in New Zealand will have equipped his batsmen with the means to cope.”I think it’s fair to say looking at that surface that the toss will be important,” he said. “I think with the pitch being under cover today with the rain about, that first session tomorrow (Friday) is certainly going to be challenging. Hopefully, though, there’s enough movement for a couple of days, so that the team that wins the toss doesn’t have so big an advantage. I think there’s going to be enough for both teams in the first innings.”These are conditions that we’ve been in quite a lot over the last few years. We’ve batted first on a number of pitches that looked very similar to the one out there, and we’ve done it well. It’s nothing new to us but we still know that we have to get things right against a very good Pakistan attack.”McMillan had been charged with helping New Zealand’s batsmen – who were battered in India – regain some confidence ahead of the long home season. He said the top order had prepared specifically for the Pakistan attack, with special attention given to combating the left-arm angle that Mohammad Amir, and perhaps Rahat Ali, will provide.”I want to see the batsmen commit to their own personal game plan,” McMillan said. “We’ve done some good work over the last two days in the nets. Both sets of fast bowlers are licking their lips and are pretty excited I think by what’s on offer. I think they have to commit to the style and game plan that they want to follow through with and they have to make good decisions. They have to be nice and precise the way they go about it. If they do that, there’s a reasonable chance they can come out with some success.”

Everton are interested in a deal to bring Inter Milan forward Joaquin Correa to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Correa to Everton?

The Toffees could be forced to sanction a mass exodus of some of their most prized assets should they suffer relegation, but with Dominic Calvert-Lewin being monitored by Arsenal and Neal Maupay wanted by Salernitana, Sean Dyche will need attacking reinforcements regardless of his side’s status.

The Argentinian international’s deal at the San Siro isn’t set to expire until 2025, but having made just seven starts in 30 Serie A games this season, has fallen significantly out of favour under Simone Inzaghi and could therefore be looking for a move elsewhere in the summer.

TuttoMercatoWeb journalist Niccolo Ceccarini recently claimed that the Goodison Park outfit have already “carried out some surveys” on the 28-year-old and they must have liked what they discovered because it appears that they are now weighing up an approach.

According to Italian outlet Inter Live (via Sport Witness), Everton, alongside top-flight rivals West Ham and Aston Villa are all “interested” in signing Correa ahead of the 2023/24 term.

The Merseysiders will “hopefully” be able to move and negotiate a deal for the striker, whose club are open to selling him should they receive a fee of €15m (£13m), a sum that Farhad Moshiri could meet “without problems”. Inter's attacker and his camp, however, believe that he is “worth less” which could have been said to force through an exit as quickly as possible.

Should Everton splash the cash on Correa?

Correa might have fallen down the pecking order at Inter but he would make a hugely positive impact at Everton so they should 100% dig deep to wrap up this absolute bargain of a deal in the summer.

The World Soccer Agency client has 102 goal contributions (63 goals and 39 assists) to his name since the start of his career and ranks in the 99th percentile for pass completion by strikers in Europe's top leagues, highlighting not only his prolific form in the final third but also his strong link-up play with his teammates.

The 6 foot 2 colossus would further add wonderful versatility to the squad having previously operated in six different positions, including anywhere across the frontline, and knows what it takes to be successful having won six trophies at both club and international level, alongside competing in both the Champions and Europa League.

Finally, Correa has been lauded a “formidable” player by his manager Simone Inzaghi and so it would be a massive coup for the board should they be able to get this deal over the line during the upcoming window.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may have just performed a U-turn over selling defender Kieran Tierney as a report shares some exit news out of the club.

Who could leave Arsenal this summer?

The Premier League title-chasers are flying high and currently on course to beat champions Man City to their first triumph in nearly 20 years. Owing to the incredible job Arteta has done in north London, their failed pursuit of a top-four finish last season now feels like a distant memory.

Indeed, the Gunners are currently eight points clear at the top of the table, and while City have a game in hand, Arteta's side are still firmly in the driving seat. However, as is inevitable, some fringe players have been unable to contribute as regularly as they'd like – prompting links with a move away from the club.

The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Rob Holding, for instance, have been mentioned as possible candidates for the chopping block – as well as the likes of Folarin Balogun and Nuno Tavares, who are both currently out on loan away from the Emirates.

Tierney was also thought of as a possible exit but it appears Arteta has changed his mind about the player.

Reliable reports have suggested recently that the Scotland international could leave and Arteta 'won't stand in his way' (Northern Echo), but a new claim has revealed that Tierney could now stay beyond this summer.

Football Transfers states Arteta is now 'reluctant to sell' the former Celtic star and 'would like to keep' him alongside Holding, Smith Rowe and Balogun. It's added that Tierney is 'important' to Arsenal's manager as there is a belief both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Tavares are not viable alternatives to Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back.

Should Arsenal keep Tierney?

Despite finding regular minutes hard to come by, thanks in part to injuries and the form of Zinchenko, we believe he could still play a role for years to come – with Sir Alex Ferguson even once calling Tierney 'phenomenal'.

The defender was actually a regular figure under Arteta last season, starting 22 league games and ranking among their top seven best-performing players by average match rating (WhoScored).

Tierney has chipped with three assists over the 21/22 domestic campaign, and while that might not seem like a mind-blowing number, it was actually the fifth-highest return in their squad (WhoScored).

Even as more of a rotational option, the player is a solid Zinchenko alternative to call upon, yet it remains to be seen whether Tierney would be satisfied with such a role personally.

New Zealand began with six wicket standing, but lasted only a little bit after lunch as Austrlia’s bowlers swung them out for an innings-and-52-run victory

The Report by Daniel Brettig14-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:38

Farrell: Test was decided on the first two days

Emphatic doesn’t quite do it justice. Unrelenting throughout, Australia put on another exhibition of high quality bowling to seal a vast victory over New Zealand and place one hand on the ICC Mace awarded to the world’s No. 1 Test team. A deflating result for the visitors in Brendon McCullum’s 100th Test was only a tail-end flurry short of New Zealand’s heaviest ever loss at home to Australia.Having set up the match with expert use of seaming early conditions on the first morning, Australia’s bowlers asked quite different questions on the fourth morning. Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird all used reverse swing to good effect, while Nathan Lyon homed in on a footmark outside the right-handers’ off stump to gain sharp spin. The absence of Peter Siddle, resting a back complaint, was well compensated for.Steven Smith will be a most contented captain, having overseen a performance in which many questions about this team have been answered. They chose the right XI for the conditions, they bowled impressively, and most importantly batted with command even after Joe Burns and David Warner were out cheaply with the ball still new on day one. New Zealand will be left to wonder over the significance of the “no-ball” that reprieved Adam Voges early.Henry Nicholls endured longest for the hosts, on the way to making the highest score by a New Zealand debutant batting at No. 4. But his dismissal on 59 by Bird left the tail exposed to the bounce and conventional swing of the second new ball. Southee and Trent Boult entertained another strong Basin Reserve crowd with a late flurry against Lyon, but it was merely a parting shot.Having lost McCullum from the last ball of day three, New Zealand’s chances of survival were slim, and they narrowed further when the 63-over old ball began bending in both directions. Corey Anderson struggled with the ball moving away from him around the wicket, but after a few play and misses Smith directed Marsh to go over the wicket and try to straighten one down the line.Two balls into the tactic, Marsh pitched one in line and swung it back to pin Anderson in front. Like McCullum he reviewed, but it was a futile gesture for a delivery crashing into middle and leg.BJ Watling arrived and his first ball from Lyon hit the aforementioned footmark and narrowly missed spinning back to strike the off stump with the batsman offering no shot. Lyon took note of this, and it was not long before he delivered a slightly flatter delivery on the same line that had Watling playing back, fatally. The turning ball was through him in an instant.Nicholls had absorbed all this pressure, but Bird’s decision to send one down at a full length made the difference, coaxing the batsman into a flick across the line. Again there was some swing, and the ball flicked off the pads into the stumps. At this, the Australians took the second new ball, and a Hazlewood lbw review against Doug Bracewell was declined due to a lack of conclusive evidence before the interval.Hazlewood had his due reward soon after resumption, when Bracewell was struck in front: this time there was no bat to confuse the issue. Southee’s blows dented Lyon’s figures somewhat, but the bowler was content to keep tossing it up in expectation of a miscue, which was exactly what happened.Mark Craig and Boult entertained for a time also, but in playing so freely they did nothing so much as underline how well the Australians had bowled to the batsmen. A match over in fewer than four days had taken place on a pitch that would still be good for batting on day five. In pursuit of Test cricket’s top perch, Smith’s men had played to a very high standard indeed.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has handed Manchester United a transfer blow as Frenkie de Jong is “happy” at Barcelona and has yet to say anything to suggest he wants to leave.

What’s the latest on Frenkie de Jong to Man United?

It’s no secret that the Red Devils were very keen on bringing the midfielder to the Premier League last summer but no deal ever came to pass.

Even so, it seems as though the club will go back in for De Jong once more at the end of the current season with The Guardian recently reporting about a renewed transfer interest.

What’s more, reports suggest that Barca may have to sell a number of players in the summer if they want to be active in the upcoming window amid their own financial difficulties.

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained: “We know how Erik ten Hag is a big fan of De Jong, he’s always been a big fan; this is not changing. Erik ten Hag would love to have Frenkie de Jong with him.

“But the reality as of today is that Frankie has not communicated to anyone, to Barcelona or to anyone, that he wants to leave and he wants to be on the market.

“Frenkie’s happy with Barcelona. He’s playing, he’s an important player for Xavi. So at the moment, the situation is under control.”

What do the De Jong links mean for MUFC?

In the past, it seemed as though De Jong was pretty happy to turn down any advances made by Man Utd in favour of staying put and proving himself in La Liga.

In fairness to him, it seems as though he’s done just that this term having played in all but two league games this season, starting 18, as Barca look set to win the title thanks to the nine-point lead they currently have over Real Madrid.

However, the midfielder does have a relationship with Erik ten Hag, having made 59 appearances for the coach when they were both at Ajax – so perhaps his arm could be twisted.

Still, it sounds as though De Jong has his mind firmly focused on Barcelona right now, so it’s probably not worth United fans getting their hopes up just yet.

For Sajeewa Weerakoon, the road to international recognition is still some distance away

Sa'adi Thawfeeq16-Sep-2005For Sajeewa Weerakoon, the road to international recognition is still some distance away despite the number of times he has produced match-winning performances for the Sri Lanka A team. The orthodox left-arm spinner from BRC has been knocking on the door and
sounding out the national selectors with a kind of consistency that no other cricketer in recent times has managed.There have been cricketers who have got into the national side with marginal performances compared to what Weerakoon has produced. But that is why they say you need an element of luck in cricket. What is blocking Weerakoon’s entry into the national side is the presence of spinners of his type who are already there and have established themselves.Left-armer Rangana Herath is one of them. He is a contracted player with Sri Lanka Cricket. Then there is also Sanath Jayasuriya, who is the third-highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in Test cricket with 92 wickets. Although currently hors de combat, he is expected to
resume bowling shortly. With two left-arm spinners already in the side to support the offspin of Muttiah Muralitharan and with legspinner Upul Chandana also available for selection, Weerakoon finds his entry into the national side blocked despite clamour from the cricketing public and certain sections of the media for his inclusion.Anura Tennekoon, the former Sri Lanka captain said: “Sajeewa has shown consistency in his bowling. You couldn’t ask for anything more than that from a bowler or a batsman. To me the hallmark of a good cricketer is consistency. It shows that he has some ability in him.”As manager of the A team, Tennekoon has watched Weerakoon in action at close quarters and his assessment of his bowling is interesting. “Compared to other spinners he is quite tall and he is able to make use of his height to get that extra bit of bounce. He bears close resemblance to another former Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Ajith de Silva who was also quite tall.”Sajeewa bowls a nagging line and length and uses the extra bounce. So far he has performed on pitches that has given him some kind of assistance. His real test will come when he bowls on flat surfaces. If a batsman or bowler performs consistently he should be given due recognition sooner or later.”Weerakoon, 27, a product of St. Aloysius College, Galle, shot into prominence when he picked up the best bowler’s award taking 50 wickets in the Premier trophy tournament last season. Prior to that, he had played in two matches for Sri Lanka A against Pakistan A in 2002 and taken seven wickets, before being overlooked until this year when he was included in the squad against the A sides of England and Pakistan. However, he was not
picked for any of the matches as spinners Malinga Bandara and Suraj Mohamed were preferred over him.With Bandara going away to represent English county Gloucestershire, Weerakoon once again came into prominence. He has not missed out on the opportunity given to him. In three unofficial tests against West Indies A, he captured 26 wickets at a cost of 14.07 to steer Sri Lanka A to a 2-1 series victory. He has extended this brilliant piece of bowling to
the ongoing series against South Africa A, where he took a match bag of 13 wickets for 106 to subject the tourists to a six-wicket defeat inside three days at the NCC grounds last week.Weerakoon picks the majority of his wickets by taking the ball away from the batsmen towards the slips. He also uses the arm ball for variation. Lalith Kaluperuma, the chairman of selectors, said: “Of all the A team players in the past year or so, Weerakoon has shown the most promise. He had done well and he is in our short list.”We can’t just rush him into the national team because only eleven can play. The team has got to have balance. An opportunity must come to include him. In the meantime, he must continue to perform. He has a good future and should make it to the side very soon.”With a tour to India coming up later this year, Weerakoon should keep his fingers crossed and performing, while hoping for the break that will launch him into international cricket.

Chelsea are set for a short pre-season after winning the Club World Cup final, with just five weeks separating their 3-0 win over PSG in New Jersey and their first Premier League game of 2025/2026 against Crystal Palace.

Chelsea hold talks with £100k-per-week England star this week

Enzo Maresca is prioritising one key area.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 17, 2025

They have scheduled just two pre-season matches as a result of their CWC triumph, needing to fit a holiday in for both players and staff after what was a successful but very long campaign.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Chelsea will take on both Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on August 8 and August 10 respectively, but as things stand, these are the only friendlies they’ll play before facing Palace in the top flight a week later.

It remains to be seen how Enzo Maresca’s side will fare given their minimal preparation, but the Italian did get a chance to try out new tactics during their CWC campaign in the US.

He also managed to give some of his major summer signings a run-out. Joao Pedro seriously impressed at the tournament in particular, scoring three goals in three CWC games, including a brace in their semi-final against Fluminense and a goal in the final against PSG.

Despite Chelsea’s need to sell players and balance out the squad due to a pact with UEFA (Kaveh Solhekol), Maresca could still add more fresh faces before their new season kicks off against Palace.

This will be dependent on departures (Simon Phillips), but perhaps Djordje Petrovic’s £25 million move to Bournemouth has freed up space for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan to come in.

The France number one was a serious target for Chelsea earlier in the window, and they tried to complete a deal for him before competing in the CWC. However, Milan and Chelsea failed to find an agreement, despite Maignan’s eagerness to join.

Despite reports to the contrary, Chelsea could go back in for Maignan before deadline day on September 1, with Robert Sanchez also told he’s free to find a new club away from Stamford Bridge (Graeme Bailey).

Mike Maignan very keen to join Chelsea, he's a top target

TEAMtalk have another update on the situation this week, claiming Maignan remains a top target for Chelsea.

The 30-year-old is also “enthusiastic” about joining Maresca’s side this summer, even if negotiations previously failed, with the main roadblock being Milan’s £22 million asking price – a figure deemed too high by Chelsea considering both his age and his contract situation.

However, given Maignan’s pedigree as one of world football’s most commanding shot-stoppers, £22 million is surely a price worth paying – especially if they sell Sanchez.

Every title-winning side in history have one thing in common – the presence of a world-class keeper. Maignan, who’s been lavished with praise by his fellow top-level players, arguably stands out as the best option by far this summer.

“He is physical, quick, he has clean technique. He is very strong. He is one of the best in the world,” said Liverpool keeper Alisson about Maignan’s quality.

“The quality of goalkeepers has really increased – Mike Maignan is within this elite.”