Everton could accept an offer in the region of £50m for a star player before 30th June.

Everton transfer rumours

Despite their points deduction, Everton were able to stave off relegation from the Premier League this past season, finishing 15th in the league and 14 points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town. Sean Dyche must now turn his attention to the summer transfer window, where he will no doubt be keen to improve his squad and take a step closer to returning the Toffees to their glory years.

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Recently, it was reported that Everton have made an approach to sign Davinson Sanchez from Galatasaray this summer in an attempt to bring the former Tottenham defender back to the Premier League just one year after he left the north London outfit. Elsewhere, the Blues are said to have made contact over the availability of Corinthians' Wesley Gassova.

The Toffees are also still interested in Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis, despite having a €30m (£25.5m) bid rejected for the 24-year-old in January, while Dyche has reportedly told Everton chiefs to sign Elijah Adebayo from Luton Town this summer, seeing him as a strong option to come in and bolster his attacking options.

Everton may accept bid to sell £50m star in coming weeks

However, while Everton fans will no doubt be pleased to see their side being linked with a number of new names this summer, it is expected that the Merseyside outfit will also have to move on some players in the coming weeks and months.

Football Insider reported on 21st May that Everton will need to sell at least one of their “big” stars before they submit their accounts at the end of June to help balance the books. And now, the outlet is claiming that the club could accept an offer for star midfielder Amadou Onana before 30th June as they see the Belgian as a sellable asset, which could be important with PSR regulations to stay on top of.

The report adds that at least five elite European clubs, including French champions PSG and German powerhouses Bayern Munich, are interested in the 22-year-old, who Everton are likely to accept bids of up to £50m for.

Losing Onana would be a major blow for Dyche and co. The midfielder has been a mainstay in the Everton XI since his transfer from Lille in 2022, notching 72 appearances and playing a key role in some major results for the club.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Tony Cascarino picked out Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure for particular praise after a victory over Arsenal last year.

"They were absolutely brilliant from start to finish, Everton yesterday. I can't give them enough credit. The two boys in midfield, Doucoure and Onana, terrific," he stated.

"Two huge midfielders, they covered loads of ground, they got in the faces of Arsenal, pressed Arsenal when they had the ball. Defensively as a team, their work rate was extraordinary and it got them a result, and a deserved one by the way."

Onana is also one of Everton's best passers, with only Idrissa Gueye bettering the Belgian's success rate of 84.9% in the Premier League last term, while he also won the most aerials duels per game in the Toffees midfield.

Getting a fee for him this summer would be one thing, but adequately replacing him would be a separate challenge for Dyche in the coming months.

يرى محسن صالح، عضو اللجنة الفنية السابق بالنادي الأهلي، أن الفريق يمر بمرحلة صعبة مع السويسري مارسيل كولر المدير الفني، مشيراً إلى أنه يجب التعاقد مع مهاجم جديد بجانب وسام أبو علي، ويروي تفاصيل انضمام أنتوني موديست.

ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة فريق شباب بلوزداد الجزائري يوم الأحد القادم في ثالث جولات دور المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وقال محسن صالح في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “إذا تعاقد الأهلي مع مهاجم يجب أن يكون أفضل من وسام أبو علي”.

طالع أيضاً.. سيف الجزيري: لاعب الأهلي أسطورة في إفريقيا.. ويختار نجم منتخب تونس للانضمام إلى الزمالك

وأوضح: “لم أكن مقتنعًا ببرامج مارسيل كولر التدريبية في النادي الأهلي، أبلغت كولر أن اللاعب المصري غير الأوروبي ولم يقتنع بذلك”.

وبسؤاله: “لو أنت المدير الفني هل كنت ستترك كهربا يسدد ركلة الجزاء أمام باتشوكا؟” أجاب: “لا طبعًا، لو أنا مكانه لن يسدد ركلة الجزاء، كهربا طمع في تسديد ركلة الجزاء، حالة كهربا الفنية لم تكن تسمح له بالمشاركة أمام باتشوكا”.

وأفاد: “الأهلي يمر بمرحلة صعبة جدًا مع عقلية كولر، ولا بد أن يغير علقيته ويكون هناك مرونة وعدالة مع اللاعبين”.

هل عندما كنت رئيس للجنة التخطيط كنت مقتنع برضا سليم؟ أجاب: “100% والمدرب أيضًا، يمتلك كل الإمكانيات والمميزة المطلوبة للنادي الأهلي، لكن في الأخر قرار المدير الفني في مشاركة اللاعب”.

كيف وافقت على موديست؟ أجاب: “انضم للأهلي قبل مباراة السوبر في السعودية، أنا شاهدته في المطار عندما كنا مسافرين، كان كولر أخذ قراره وأصر عليه والخطيب اضطر أن يوافق لأنه كان لا يوجد لدينا أحد، وسألت مين ده قالوه موديست وكولر هو الذي رشحه، فلجنة التخطيط لم تتنافش في موضوع موديست هذا كان قرار المدير الفني، واللجنة اتظلمت في هذا الملف وتحلمنا الكثير ونعمل في صمت”.

واستمر: “حتى أخر لحظة كولر كان غير موافق على رحيل موديست، لجنة التخطيط والخطيب وقفوا في موضوع مد الشهرين له، الخطيب كان مستاء جدًا من مستوى اللاعب”.

وأردف: “عندما وجدنا أنه خطر على الفريق وكان هناك قرار صارم من الخطيب جلس مع كولر وقال له بكره موديست يمشي وبالفعل حدث ذلك”.

وفيما يخص يوسف أيمن قال: “كولر كان مقتنع به وكان موافق على انضمامه، كل الصفقات التي أتت واتعرضت عليه في الأول وشاهد كل الفيديوهات أكثر من مرة، كل الأسماء المتواجدة حاليًا سواء الأساسي أو الأحتياطي وافق عليها”.

وأتم: “محمود الخطيب مؤمن بمبدأ أنه يجب أن تعطي الصلاحيات للمدرب لكي لا يأتي في النهاية ويقول أنت من اختارت، وأنا كرئيس لجنة تخطيط لا أستطيع أن أفرض رأيي على مدير فني، ممكن أقول له ملاحظة على لاعب لم يشارك أو مستواه تراجع ولكن لا املك أقول له الروشته، ومارسيل كولر مدرب عنيد ولا يتقبل النصحية”.

Leeds United owners 49ers Enterprises are reportedly standing firm with regards to one of Daniel Farke's key players, with a top-flight club now unable to afford him this summer.

Leeds United promotion hopes & transfer news

The Whites enjoyed a memorable evening on Thursday, producing a fantastic performance to beat Norwich City in the Championship playoff semi-final second leg with what looked like relative ease.

A blistering first half display saw Leeds 3-0 up at the interval, and Crysencio Summerville's goal after the break proved to be the icing on the cake, as they booked a place at Wembley for the playoff final on May 26th.

If the Whites do secure promotion back to the Premier League, it will immediately increase their chances of making exciting signings in the summer transfer window, with top-quality individuals far more keen to play in the top flight than the Championship.

One player who has been linked with a summer move to Leeds is Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove, with the 22-year-old unhappy at his current club. He has made 29 appearances in Serie A this season, but only 16 of those have been starts, so he may feel that being a regular starter elsewhere could be best for his development.

There are also plenty of current players who could leave Elland Road in the summer, from Summerville to Archie Gray, and one of the most recent reports has suggested that the Whites will also part ways with Brenden Aaronson, who is currently on loan at Union Berlin.

49ers holding firm with Leeds United star

According to a fresh claim from Record [via Sport Witness], Leeds star Junior Firpo is likely to be "too expensive" for Real Betis this summer, with Leeds chiefs refusing to budge on their price tag, which is not revealed in the report. The left-back only has one year remaining on his current Whites deal, but despite this, Leeds are refusing to let him leave on the cheap.

This has to be looked at as a boost for Leeds, considering Firpo has been an undoubted asset for the club this season, playing an important role in their Championship promotion charge.

The 27-year-old may not necessarily be one of the first names on Farke's team sheet, but he has still chipped in with eight assists in the league – only four had come his way before the start of the current campaign, suggesting that he has gone up a gear. He was described as "sensational" and "wonderful" by Sky Sports commentator Andy Hinchcliffe, following a key assist against Middlesbrough last month.

Leeds' 9/10 sensation outshone Summerville to become play-off hero

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By
Kelan Sarson

May 17, 2024

There was a time when the £60,000-a-week Firpo felt like an expendable figure, having failed to make an impact after joining from Barcelona, but he could now be considered an important player to keep hold of ahead of a second stint for him in the Premier League, making Real Betis' stance positive for Leeds.

He was due to captain their second XI, but it didn’t turn out that way

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2020Salman Butt has refused to play the National T20 Cup after he was demoted from the first XI of Central Punjab.Since his return from a five-year ban for spot-fixing in 2016, Butt averaged 51.28 in T20 cricket for Lahore Whites. He was picked up last year by Central Punjab but didn’t get a chance to make it to the playing XI. With Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal in top order for Central Punjab, Butt asked the PCB to put him in a different team but his request was denied and he was left on the bench.This year, Butt has been axed from the squad entirely after the PCB selectors brought in Abid Ali. Central Punjab needed reinforcement after Shehzad picked up an injury and Umar Akmal picked up a ban. Their head coach Shahid Anwar brought in two under-19 players – Abdullah Shafiq and Qasim Akram. ESPNcricinfo understands that Butt was moved into the second XI so that he can be captain but with his refusal Nauman Anwar, a 24-year-old Gujranwala born opener, will take up the role.A PCB statement said, “Salman Butt, 36, was not selected in the first XI after he failed to feature in any of his side’s matches in the National T20 Cup 2019-20. In the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020, he has played only one game to date for Lahore Qalandars. However, considering his experience, he was offered to lead the second XI side, which he declined.”Before Butt was banned, his T20 strike rate was 107.98. His overall domestic T20 strike rate is 112.98, and he has scored 2349 runs at an average of 35.05. Last year, he was chosen to play the PSL by Qalandars as a replacement for Mohammad Hafeez.Butt marked his comeback in January 2016 with a century in the National One-Day Cup, and went on to finish the tournament as its second-highest run-getter, with 536 runs at an average of 107.20. He then led his first-class team, Water and Power Development Authority, to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title, scoring twin hundreds in the final to finish the season with 741 runs at 49.40. He was also the second-highest run-getter in the National T20 Cup in 2018, with 350 runs at 70.00.The PCB named Azam to lead the Central Punjab first XI but he will only join the squad in the second round after fulfilling his commitments with Somerset in England’s T20 blast. Hasan Ali continues to miss out as he recovers from his back injury.The PCB is aiming to have a full domestic season with the National T20 cup starting from September 30 in Multan and Rawalpindi. With three ICC tournaments due to be played over the next two years, the PCB have doubled the number of white-ball games in their domestic structure. The National T20 Cup, ODI Cup and the Under-19 one-day tournament will now be played in a double round-robin league format.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos principais atacantes do São Paulo, Luciano comemora nesta sexta-feira (20), um ano de sua estreia com a camisa do São Paulo. Logo na primeira partida, marcou seu primeiro gol pelo clube, sendo um gol importante para a equipe são-paulina.

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CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

Luciano entrou em campo no Morumbi, quando o São Paulo perdia para o Bahia. O atacante marcou, em sua estreia, o gol de empate da partida, que foi válida pela quarta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2020.

– Fico muito feliz em completar esse primeiro ano aqui no São Paulo, um clube que me recebeu tão bem, junto com uma torcida maravilhosa que sempre me apoia. Sinto esse carinho diariamente, seja pessoalmente ou pelas redes sociais. Muito obrigado a todos por todo apoio. Pode ter certeza que vou continuar a defender essa camisa com muita raça e orgulho, dando sempre o melhor de mim, com muita dedicação e empenho – afirma Luciano.

De lá pra cá, Luciano tornou-se um dos principais jogadores do Tricolor paulista, virando um dos favoritos da torcida e crucial na boa campanha que o time fez no último Brasileirão.

Luciano, terminou o Brasileirão de 2020 como o artilheiro da competição nacional, com 18 gols, empatado com Claudinho, que jogou pelo Red Bull Bragantino. O São Paulo não tinha um artilheiro de Campeonato Brasileiro desde 2002, com Luís Fabiano, que marcou 19 gols. Luciano quebrou esse tabu.

Além da artilharia no Brasileirão, Luciano foi um dos dez principais goleadores do futebol brasileiro de 2020, e o jogador mais eficiente do São Paulo no Brasileirão, sendo o que precisou de menos tempo para balançar as redes.

Em suas redes sociais, o jogador deixou uma mensagem de carinho para a torcida e expressou sua gratidão ao clube.

Até o momento, o camisa 11 atuou em 58 jogos pelo São Paulo, balançando as redes em 27 oportunidades.

Desde o começo de 2021, porém, o atleta encarou alguns problemas com lesões, mas seguiu sendo importante no elenco, marcando o segundo gol da vitória da equipe diante do Palmeiras, na final do Paulistão, jogo que tirou o São Paulo da seca de títulos.

Atualmente em recuperação, Luciano já voltou a treinar com bola junto do restante do elenco e pode retornar aos gramados contra o Sport, no próximo domingo (23), às 20h30, na Ilha do Retiro, pela 17ª rodada do Brasileirão.

Leicester City will try to quickly move on from the Enzo Maresca saga that has plagued their off-season, with talk of the Italian's future clouding over the unbelievable Championship title win just secured for the Foxes.

Maresca has now officially relocated to Chelsea, in a move that was rumbling away for some time, and now all focus will now be on attempting to find a suitable heir to the successful if slightly hard-to-like 44-year-old, ahead of the East Midlands side returning back to the Premier League.

With the football at times slightly robotic, as the possession average for the season came in at a high 62.2% despite the goals not flooding in, the Foxes fans will want to be entertained more somewhat by his successor, even when moving up a division.

This potential replacement might not bring free-flowing football, but he could certainly get even more out of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall based on his approach elsewhere if given the reins.

Leicester talking to perfect Maresca successor

Journalist Sacha Tavolieri revealed on social media that current West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan is willing to quit his job post at the Hawthorns for the opportunity to take over at the King Power Stadium, blinded potentially by the allure of managing in the Premier League.

Talks have also now begun to take place between the two respective parties over a move, according to Tavolieri, with the Spaniard's stock obviously high after clinching a finish in the play-offs last term for the Baggies, with Burnley also reportedly keen on his services.

How Corberan could be perfect for Dewsbury-Hall

Once described as being "crazy" in his methods in an article by the Athletic by ex-Leeds United player Romario Vieira, with his obsessive nature making him an ideal right-hand man for Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds once upon a time to develop players, Corberan feels overdue a crack at managing in the elite division as a main boss, having failed twice to win promotion up to it.

This appointment could be music to the ears of Dewsbury-Hall potentially, who is fresh off a blistering campaign with the title-winners in central midfield, with the 4-2-3-1 formation Corberan regularly deploys enabling him to be played in two different positions even further forward or as a holding option, where he can excel in both freely.

It goes without saying that the homegrown Foxes man was integral for his side this season just gone on their way to title glory being sealed, finishing the season with 26 goal contributions which also saw him pick up a league-best 14 assists, after all the action had finished.

Playing all over the midfield areas this season, with seven appearances even seeing him take on a role as a holding midfielder where he shone with three assists and a goal tallied up, the current West Brom boss' preference of a 4-2-3-1 would suit him perfectly and would give him the freedom to be played wherever suits to get the most out of the blistering 25-year-old making the step back up.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Dewsbury-Hall

Mowatt

Games played

44

43

Goals scored

12

2

Assists

14

5

Touches*

62.3

65.2

Big chances created

20

4

Key passes*

2.5

1.4

Blowing away Alex Mowatt's numbers, who operates in a similar role back at Corberan's current club this season just gone, the Spaniard will also be overjoyed about potentially making the quick trip over to the East Midlands to work alongside the exceptional midfield talent, if Leicester can keep him around amidst previous interest in his services.

It could be a risky appointment, considering Corberan has only tasted the top-flight as an assistant manager, but a deserved jump-up would be coming his way if he is successful in being Maresca's heir.

Corberan will hope he can even get the better of Maresca when facing off against Chelsea, having lost both league clashes to his Foxes side last campaign along the way to play-off agony.

Leicester could make Fatawu even better by hiring "tremendous" manager

Leicester City could get even more out of Abdul Fatawu next season if this Enzo Maresca replacement is handed the reins.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 5, 2024

Bruno Fernandes claimed his tackle on James Maddison was "never a red card" after Manchester United's 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Bruno called out referee Chris Kavanagh
• Maintained that he did not deserve a red card
• United went down 3-0 at home against Spurs

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils talisman was given his marching orders just minutes before the half-time whistle for a reckless lunge on Maddison in the middle of the park. Referee Chris Kavanagh swiftly pulled out a red card and replays showed that Fernandes caught the Spurs midfielder with his high tackle, albeit after losing his footing. The captain's sending-off proved to be detrimental as a 10-man United went down 3-0 against Tottenham Hotspur at home.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After the humiliating defeat at Old Trafford, the Red Devils skipper came out to insist that Kavanagh's decision to send him off was completely wrong. He also claimed that even Maddison had agreed that the red card was too harsh a decision.

• WHAT BRUNO FERNANDES SAID

  Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, the 30-year-old said: "I just wanted to come and talk [do the interview] and be myself because my team-mates deserve that for what they have done in the game playing with one man less. Particularly as I was the man sent off, the one that let them down. The team showed a lot of character, a lot of resilience, a lot of fight. They tried. It wasn't easy."

  Fernandes added on his red card to Sky Sports: "I'm slipping. I don't take him as everyone wants to see it. I don't take him with my studs, I take him with my ankle. It's a clear foul but never a red card. That's my feeling and even Maddison when he gets up… he just said it's a foul but it's never a red card, that's what he said. In the eyes of everyone, you can see it's never a red card. If this is a red card, we have to look at many other incidents. I've had many incidents when I get kicked and I've never seen something so quick coming off as a red card. It's never a red card."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BRUNO FERNANDES?

  As a result of his straight red card, the former Sporting CP star will miss United's next three Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham. Fernandes will, however, be eligible to feature in the club's upcoming Europa League clash against FC Porto on Thursday night.

The gala – minus the fans – is about to get underway, and it starts with two teams with seven titles between them

Alagappan Muthu18-Sep-20204:52

The IPL 2020 season preview

Big pictureThere has been delay. There has been discussion. There has been a great deal of expense, across the board. There has been fear. At every turn, there has been a challenge and the IPL has come through it. While it may not look like any IPL we are used to, it might just help us forget how broken our world is right now, at least for three-four hours every evening (give or take a Super Over). And it all starts with “El Clasico”.In the news While Mumbai Indians have been based in Abu Dhabi all this while, Chennai Super Kings will only get their first taste of the conditions they face tomorrow… tomorrow. And that’s not good. Even coach Stephen Fleming said so to the CSK website: “I must admit, going to Abu Dhabi without seeing the wicket or assessing the conditions is going to be one of the big challenges to start with.” Despite picking up Chris Lynn, the big-hitting Australian opener, at the auction, Mumbai will continue with Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock at the top of the order The IPL made a breakthrough on Thursday when it negotiated varying quarantine periods for the players coming in after playing in the bio-secure bubble in England, which means, Josh Hazlewood, who was quite a handful in very different, fast-bowler friendly conditions, will be available for selection for Super Kings.Likely XIsChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2. Ambati Rayudu, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Imran TahirMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Jasprit BumrahMS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians will kick off IPL 2020•BCCI

Strategy punt He’s managed to recover from Covid-19, so what’s a little powerplay battle with one of the IPL’s greatest batsmen? Deepak Chahar has dismissed Rohit Sharma two times in six innings in the first six overs of a T20. Given away only 29 runs in 24 balls too. The only question is – can he somehow conjure some swing out in the desert? Mumbai are perhaps one of the few teams who wouldn’t be fretting the death overs, even when facing a giant like MS Dhoni. They have at least two bowlers who have been able to both keep him quiet and take him out. Jasprit Bumrah has dismissed the Super Kings captain three times in the slog overs (16 to 20) of a T20, while conceding only 39 runs in 33 balls. Nathan Coulter-Nile’s record is: 23 balls, 25 runs, two wickets.Stats that matter Totals in the UAE don’t usually turn out to be too big. The norm for the first innings of a T20 in Abu Dhabi over the last one-and-a-half years is less than 140. Mumbai have this thing with the opening game of a season – they haven’t won one of those since 2012. But that could change in a matter of hours given their outstanding record against Super Kings – eight wins in the last ten games. Mumbai’s spinners put together (Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav and Anukul Roy) have a total of 61 IPL wickets between them. Ravindra Jadeja alone has 108. CSK will sense a big opportunity here. Kieron Pollard was invincible in the CPL: 207 runs at an average of 51 and strike rate of 204. Given he played most of those games on slow pitches, it seems a safe bet he’ll be able to showcase those destructive tendencies for Mumbai as well. Super Kings could try to mitigate his threat by using Imran Tahir, who has a favourable head-to-head record against the West Indian powerhouse: four wickets in 16 T20 innings, with a dot-ball percentage of 50. Super Kings’ bowing attack relies heavily on early success. In fact, since 2018, they have picked up 56 wickets in the powerplay, the best among all teams. Chahar is responsible for 25 of them, again the best among all teams. Early wickets on slow pitches means Dhoni can control the game so much better with the spinners to follow. Question is, will that work against Mumbai, who have a hitter as dangerous as Hardik Pandya lurking as low as No. 6.

Chelsea could look to re-sign an ex-player who's been called the "strongest" in his position, as manager Enzo Maresca seeks to reinforce a key area of his squad.

The signings Maresca wants to make at Chelsea

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are looking at bringing in multiple defenders, a new goalkeeper and striker this window – with a potentially busy summer on the horizon after appointing Mauricio Pochettino's replacement.

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The Norwegian superstar is a public fan.

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In-between the sticks is actually quite an interesting position, as reports suggest Maresca is actually a big fan of current Chelsea 'keeper Robert Sanchez, and cannot wait to work with him.

However, that hasn't stopped Maresca from eyeing a new goalkeeper for Chelsea, as he looks to significantly reinforce that department with quality new additions. He's reportedly a fan of Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen, with the pair having worked together last season and helped to secure the Foxes automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

Interestingly, Chelsea could now also look to bring back one of their former players as a goalkeeping option – in OGC shot-stopper Marcin Bulka.

The 24-year-old enjoyed a fine season in France last campaign, starting 34 matches as their eventual undisputed number one, and this has alerted Stamford Bridge chiefs to a player they actually let go for free in 2019.

Chelsea now considering move to re-sign Bulka from Nice

According to newspaper L'Equipe, Chelsea are interested in re-signing Bulka to bolster Maresca's goalkeeping options. He has plenty of plus points as a transfer target, and was subject to a lot of praise for his form over 2023/2024.

“He impressed me at Nice. I trained with him every day and I think he’ll soon be playing for a top European club. He’s the strongest goalkeeper I’ve seen," said Algeria forward Andy Delort, who played with Bulka at Nice.

Meanwhile, the Pole's manager at club level last term, Franceso Farioli, called Bulka a "serious" and "hard-working" player – explaining his decision to drop Kasper Schmeichel for him during the campaign.

Marcin Bulka's best Ligue 1 matches last season

Match

Match Rating (via WhoScored)

Monaco 0-1 Nice

9.01

Nice 0-0 Clermont Foot

8.21

Nice 2-0 Rennes

7.75

Reims 0-0 Nice

7.41

Nice 2-0 Lens

7.33

"We had the talent of Marcin, but also the experience and quality of Kasper. With the staff, we reflected on what we would gain and lose with each option. We chose Marcin for his enthusiasm, his willingness to learn and his potential. He showed great things and I hope that will continue," said Farioli.

"In the space of four months, he went from a luxury substitute to one of the most-watched goalkeepers in international football. He knows the level that he has to stay at. He is a serious, hard-working boy who has his head well screwed on. He knows he has to continue to work with his hunger, for himself and for he team."

The Crew won their third ever MLS cup in Wilfried Nancy's first season at the helm, and are visiting the White House for the second time

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Introduced to President BidenHonored by second gentleman Douglas EmhoffCrew Coach Wilfried Nancy "really, really proud"WHAT HAPPENED?

The Columbus Crew got to celebrate their 2023 MLS Cup one more time, this time at the White House with President Joe Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

The Wilfried Nancy-led club were first formally introduced to President Biden prior to being celebrated in a reception by Second Gentleman Emhoff, who made brief remarks. It is American tradition that U.S. professional and first division college sports teams are celebrated by Presidents in a formal reception. Gotham FC became the first NWSL side to gain a White House reception earlier this week.

The Crew won their second MLS Cup in four years in the 2023 campaign, and tied a franchise record with 57 points over the course of the season. That appearance kicked off a run of three finals in last nine months – although the Crew went 1-2 in them, losing the Champions Cup Final, winning the Leagues Cup and then falling in Wednesday's Campeones Cup.

AdvertisementColumbus CrewTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Crew could end up making another visit in the White House next year as they are one of the favorites to win MLS Cup this season.

Nancy's side are third in the Eastern Conference, but boast the best defensive record in the league, having conceded 31 goals. Star player Cucho Hernandez is among MLS MVP contenders, with 15 goals and eight assists in 23 league appearances.

The Crew are one point away from eclipsing their franchise record in points from last year. The reigning champs are 4-1-1 since securing the Leagues Cup on Aug. 25.

IMAGNWHAT NANCY SAID

Nancy captured the moment during official remarks to reporters: “This is amazing. I’m really grateful, and it's an honor and a privilege, because when we came in the White House and we saw, we smell and we felt the history behind everything. Yes, we won a trophy. But again, this is part of the journey, and for me, this is the most important. I’m really, really proud, and I was emotional because, again, I’ve traveled a lot, and you know my background, and to be able to to be here at 47 years old in the White House, and because of the sport that we do every day, wow, this is nice. This is really nice.”

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IMAGNWHAT EMHOFF SAID

The second gentleman hailed the Crew for their efforts: "Through your work and dedication you have made the central Ohio community and our entire nation incredibly proud. Part of why I personally love sports so much is, sports brings us together, sports unifies us. And as we all know, we actually have way more in common than what divides us."