South Africa are on a roll, but Kapp wants bowlers to 'tighten up a little bit'

“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances,” Marizanne Kapp says after massive win over Pakistan

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Oct-20253:27

Review – South Africa are looking formidable

When South Africa began the World Cup by being blown away for 69 by England, it was natural to wonder whether they really were serious contenders for the title. But, since that catastrophic start, they have put on one hell of a campaign. They have now won five games in a row – four of those comfortably, only one match going into the final over.In the rain-affected match against Pakistan on Tuesday, South Africa’s batters put on their highest World Cup score ever, hitting 312 for 9. What’s more, they only had 40 overs in which to make those runs. The 312 is also the highest total at the Khettarama this World Cup by 54 runs.Senior allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who hit 68 not out off 43 balls, said afterwards that a host of players had stepped their game up to make this turnaround happen. “We were very disappointed with that performance against England,” she said. “Luckily, we turned it around very quickly. I think that’s down to the goals we’ve had and the hard work we’ve been putting in.Related

'Want to take it one step further' – Bosch on SA's push for maiden ODI World Cup final

Kapp-powered SA knock Pakistan out in wet Colombo

“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances.”And so it was on Tuesday, that to reach their highest World Cup total, South Africa had a range of important contributions. Captain Laura Wolvaardt led off with a 90 off 82 balls. Sune Luus made 61 off 59. Kapp hit three sixes and six fours in her innings. And, at the death, Nadine de Klerk thumped a staggering 41 off 16 balls. De Klerk had hit only two fifties from 43 previous innings before she bludgeoned a match-turning 84 not out off 54 balls in the game against India. She had then hit 37 not out off 29 against Bangladesh, before this explosive innings in Colombo.”We’ve always known Nadine’s very talented,” said Kapp. “I’ve always rated her. I’ve always said she’s a very good batting allrounder. In the last few years, I think it’s been about the bowling, but this year her batting is really clicking.”

“The batters have been very proactive. The intent is there, as well as the scoring shots”Marizanne Kapp

South Africa had booked a place in the semi-finals even before this game and are now certain to finish at least third on the table. They have one match in this stage to play – against the feared Australia side.Despite that embarrassing start, Kapp thinks the bowlers have more work to do than the batters to get South Africa in perfect shape for the knockouts.”The batters have been very proactive. The intent is there, as well as the scoring shots,” she said. “I think we can tighten up a little bit on the bowling side of things. Even though we’ve done well, we’ve bowled some loose deliveries.”But in general we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”

Luciano se posiciona sobre briga com Diniz em São Paulo x Fluminense: 'Acabou a amizade'

MatériaMais Notícias

Luciano teve forte discussão com Fernando Diniz, durante a vitória do São Paulo sobre o Fluminense nesta segunda-feira (13). De acordo com o meia-atacante, a amizade entre a dupla ficou estremecida.

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➡️As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

Luciano e Diniz trabalharam juntos justamente em Fluminense e São Paulo, entre 2019 e 2021. Sobre a discussão ocorrida no Morumbis, o atleta afirmou que tudo começou porque o técnico proferiu xingamentos a ele na beira do gramado.

– Diniz veio ali e, na hora que o Manoel saiu, ele me xingou. Do nada. Pedi para ele não me xingar, ele continuou xingando. Falou para mim que a amizade acabou, então para mim acabou. Porque eu jamais xingaria ele. Ele tem que ver que não é meu treinador mais, mas da equipe adversária – disse, em entrevista à “Globo” após a partida.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! São Paulo no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Tricolor

Autor do gol da vitória do São Paulo sobre o Fluminense, Arboleda também concedeu entrevista e buscou apaziguar a situação entre Luciano e Diniz, que teriam relação de “pai e filho”. O atleta encarou com bom humor e falou mais sobre o caso.

– Quando eu entro no campo não me importo quem é o adversário, vou brigar pelos meus companheiros e esse escudo. O que acontece no campo fica no campo. Vou para casa, conversar com minha esposa, ela vai brigar comigo – concluiu.

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O QUE ACONTECEU?

O zagueiro Manoel sentiu uma lesão na reta final do primeiro tempo e jogou a bola para lateral. Luciano tentou cobrar rápido, sem demonstrar atitude de “fair play”. Diniz se revoltou, discutiu e recebeu cartão vermelho. O jogador foi advertido com amarelo.

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Fernando DinizFluminenseLucianoSão Paulo

"Am I allowed to say that?" – Paul Scholes reveals INEOS treatment of Man Utd legends

Paul Scholes has shared details on how Manchester United have treated club legends at Old Trafford in what he described as a “very different” club under INEOS.

The Old Trafford legend retired in 2013 and has since watched on as both a pundit and fan as the Red Devils continue to struggle. Whilst his generation stole headline after headline by winning Premier League title after Premier League title, current stars are simply hoping to take United back into the top four.

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There’s no doubt that Ruben Amorim would love to have a player of Scholes’ calibre these days. Where there was a big occasion, there was so often a big moment from the legendary midfielder.

Legends don’t get much bigger than Scholes at Old Trafford, but as Nicky Butt revealed, the Red Devils haven’t always treated their former players well in recent years.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Butt revealed: “I’ve had an email saying ‘you’re having your ticket taken off you’. So I rang them up and said can I speak to somebody about this please? And they go ‘who am I speaking to please?’, and I go Nicky Butt and they go, ‘OK, well who’s that?’”

It’s not the first time that Man United have cut former players off, either. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS reportedly cut an annual £40,000 charity donation to the Association of Former Manchester United Players last December in a controversial decision.

INEOS then went and spent over £120m on reinforcements in the summer transfer window to add insult to injury for those former players.

Now, Scholes has shared a problem that he’s had with the club to follow on from Butt’s admission and INEOS’ decision to end United’s charity donation.

Scholes shares disappointment at "very different" Man Utd

Also speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Scholes admitted that he has to use ticket touts for some Man United games after running out of season tickets to use.

Some would argue that the midfielder’s goal against Barcelona should have been enough to ensure free entry for life, let alone his 11 Premier League titles and two Champions League wins, but his struggles beg a greater question.

If a club legend is struggling to attend games, then how much are the fans struggling? The last thing that INEOS need is to potentially shut their own fans out, and that includes the likes of Scholes and Butt.

Man Utd surge into race against Liverpool and Arsenal to sign £123m superstar

Dan James' dream replacement hasn't played for Leeds since October 2024

Saturday afternoon saw Leeds United suffer yet another defeat in the Premier League, condemning them to a spot in the relegation zone this week.

The Whites lost 3-2 away to Manchester City, after a late Phil Foden goal managed to secure the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side late on.

Despite the result, there were some positives to take from the game. Daniel Farke’s side defended with plenty of heart, with two of City’s goals coming inside the first minute and stoppage time. It was also good to see both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha on the scoresheet.

Yet, not all of their attackers shone. Daniel James did not put in his best performance, continuing his tough start to the season.

Dan James' season in numbers at Leeds

It was certainly a disappointing showing from James against Guardiola’s men. Normally such a direct presence in attack with his electric pace, the Welshman perhaps did not have the impact he or Farke may have hoped.

The former Manchester United star really struggled to get into the game, having just 12 touches of the ball, failing to create a chance and not having a shot. Journalist Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post gave him a 5/10 for his performance and said he did not “get to do too much” going forward.

Indeed, that has been the theme of this season for the former Manchester United winger who has not really managed to get a good run of games together. He’s featured ten times in the Premier League, but has only played 352 minutes, the equivalent of 3.9 full 90-minute games.

He is off the back of good form for Wales, too. In the November international break, he helped his country reach the World Cup playoffs, assisting against Liechtenstein and scoring against North Macedonia.

James’ future at Leeds is arguably up in the air, given his lack of game time this season and poor performance against City. Leeds have an attacker out on loan who could leapfrog him, too.

Leeds are brewing a Dan James replacement

This summer, the West Yorkshire side loaned out some good players, perhaps coinciding with their attacking additions of Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor. Largie Ramazani is one example of an attacker out on loan.

Another is currently plying his trade for Yorkshire rivals Hull City. It has been a superb season for a certain Joe Gelhardt, who has shone for the Tigers in the Championship. The versatile forward has played as a number 10 and on the right so far this term.

He’s done that to great success in the 2025/26 campaign. The Liverpool-born attacker has nine goals and two assists to his name in 18 second-tier appearances this term. The most recent one of those strikes was a winner away to Stoke City in the 90th minute this weekend.

Indeed, Gelhardt’s attacking numbers this season are impressive. He’s averaging 0.72 goals and assists and 0.53 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which rank him in the top 6% and 19% of Championship forwards, respectively. He is extremely efficient in the final third.

Gelhardt key stats in 25/26 Championship

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Goals and assists

0.72

94th

Shots on target

1.58

99th

Goal-creating actions

0.53

81st

Take-ons completed

1.9

81st

Ball recoveries

4.99

82nd

Stats from FBref

This sort of form is surely pleasing to see for Farke and Leeds. A player like James has struggled to have an impact in the first team this term, and with Gelhardt’s form and output, it is easy to see how he could leapfrog the Welshman.

The former Wigan Athletic star has played senior football at Elland Road. Whilst he only has 10 goals and assists in 57 games, the signs of his talent are there. Jamie Carragher has even described the 23-year-old as a “special” player in the past while long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt even said that Gelhardt caught the eye just as much as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney did when they were all 14 years of age.

Looking ahead to the future, it is easy to think that the forward could break into Leeds’ squad and have a real impact. James has underwhelmed this term, and it is quite conceivable that he could be overtaken by Gelhardt.

He’s not played a first-team game for the Whites since last October when he appeared as an eight minute substitute against Norwich in the Championship. It would be some turnaround if he could work his way back into Leeds’ plans.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road

The Whites are struggling for form in the Premier League and could now change tact in the dugout.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 28, 2025

Mike Maignan edging AC Milan exit amid Chelsea & Juventus free transfer rumours

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan looks set to leave the club at the end of the season as a free agent, with no new contract talks scheduled with the Serie A side. Juventus are closely monitoring the situation and are interested in bringing the Frenchman to Turin, while several Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, are also considering a move for the highly-rated keeper.

  • Maignan to leave Milan at the end of the season

    With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Maignan can begin negotiating with other clubs as early as January, raising the possibility of leaving Milan on a free transfer. Milan had reportedly offered an extension until 2028, increasing his salary from €2.8 million to €5.5m per year, but he has not been convinced to sign on the dotted line with reporting that no further talks are scheduled between the goalkeeper and club. Juventus have emerged as serious contenders for his signature, hoping to capitalise on the uncertainty and secure one of Europe’s top goalkeepers without a transfer fee.

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    Juventus facing competition from Chelsea

    Premier League clubs have also shown strong interest in Maignan, who has been a key player at Milan since he joined from Lille in 2021, with Chelsea emerging as the most serious contender. The London club are actively searching for a long-term replacement for Robert Sanchez and view Maignan as an ideal fit. Chelsea attempted to sign him in June but failed to reach an agreement with Milan. In fact, they were close to finalising a deal this summer before Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri intervened to block the transfer, partly influenced by the club’s ongoing efforts to sign Strasbourg right-back Guela Doue.

    Chelsea’s chances may now improve, especially as Juventus’ renewed interest in the 30-year-old comes at a difficult moment for the Italian side. UEFA has opened fresh proceedings into alleged financial irregularities between 2022 and 2025, raising the risk of further sanctions. This could weaken Juventus’ ability to compete financially for a top signing.

    With Maignan able to begin talks in January and Milan hesitant over his renewal due to concerns about his long-term fitness, the transfer race is increasingly favouring Premier League bidders – particularly Chelsea, who remain determined to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

  • Maignan's impact at Milan

    The France international made an immediate impact at San Siro after replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma, helping the Rossoneri to the Scudetto in the 2021-22 season while recording the most clean sheets in Serie A. His shot-stopping, leadership and calm presence quickly made him one of the league’s standout goalkeepers. However, the following two seasons were disrupted by injuries that affected his consistency and availability, leading to concerns within the club about his long-term reliability. Despite those setbacks, Maignan has returned strongly in the current campaign. He has kept four clean sheets in the league and delivered decisive moments in big matches, including saving penalties from Paulo Dybala and Hakan Calhanoglu in crucial wins over Roma and Inter, respectively. His resurgence has re-established him as a key figure for Milan while also attracting interest from major European clubs.

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    Can Milan extend Maignan's contract?

    Milan have reignited their Serie A title hopes under Allegri, highlighted by Sunday’s derby win over Inter thanks to a goal from Christian Pulisic. With no European commitments this season, Milan are serious title contenders, and the allure of silverware could be used to persuade Maignan to extend his contract. Juventus remain interested, viewing Maignan’s European experience as a valuable asset to rotate with Michele De Gregorio. Meanwhile, Chelsea are expected to reopen talks with his entourage, recalling their previous agreement with the goalkeeper. Enzo Maresca could push for the move, seeing Maignan as a potential final piece to strengthen Chelsea’s title ambitions. Maignan’s decision will be pivotal for Milan, with clubs across Europe keen to secure one of the continent’s top goalkeepers.

'Small details were what knocked us out' – USMNT’s Alejandro Zendejas and América crash out of Liga MX playoffs after last-minute heartbreak to Sergio Ramos' Monterrey

Apertura 2025 came to an end for André Jardine’s América, as not even an Alejandro Zendejas goal could save them from a 90th-minute strike by Germán Berterame that sealed a premature Liguilla exit for the azulcremas. It’s the first time Jardine has been eliminated before the semifinals since taking over the Americanista bench.

Getty Images SportAmérica fall 3-2 on aggregateIn a match that once seemed firmly in América’s control, with goals from Alejandro Zendejas and Raúl Zúñiga in the 30th and 59th minutes, it ultimately wasn’t enough to push the azulcremas into the next round. What looked like a routine victory unraveled into a nightmare for the club and for the fans who packed Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes.AdvertisementGetty Images SportDisallowed goal shifted momentum

In the 73rd minute, Zúñiga scored what would have been the goal to put América up 3-0 and effectively seal a place in the semifinals, but it was disallowed for offside. The outlook still seemed overwhelmingly favorable – especially after the sending off of Jesús Rodríguez in the 84th minute, which left Rayados with 10 men.

However, neither the numerical advantage nor the control América showed throughout the match could prevent the final blow. In stoppage time, the Mexican international’s goal ended América’s tournament. América won the match 2-1, but the aggregate score finished 3-2 in Monterrey’s favor.

Getty Images Sport'Small details' cost América

Jardine was sent off in the final minutes, leaving his assistant Paulo Víctor to address the media after the elimination.

“We believe we had a good game plan, but small details were what knocked us out. We had the match under control up to a certain point, but in these kinds of games, where the margins are very tight, we ended up being eliminated,” the assistant said. 

He added that they have full support from the América board to continue the project heading into the Clausura 2026.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

América are out, and Jardine has suffered the first major failure of his Liga MX tenure. Meanwhile, Rayados de Monterrey move on, with Sergio Ramos and Domenec Torrent’s team already in the next round.

'We just need to get that start and kick on' – Chase waits for change to come for WI

Away in the Caribbean, Cricket West Indies has got the best minds in the game in the region to chalk out a way out of the abyss – call it 27 all out if you will – the national team has fallen in, at a time when there is talk of the World Test Championship being split into two tiers. Roston Chase, the Test captain, is aware of all this and is hoping for ” that start and to then kick on from there” when they face India for the second and last time in the ongoing series in Delhi.”Obviously we are down right now but it has to change at some point, and the change can start from now,” Chase said a day away from the start of the second Test, where West Indies would be hoping to bounce back after an innings defeat in the first Test. “But it starts with the belief and the mindset of each and every player, and just keep motivating the guys that we can still play some positive cricket.”In Ahmedabad, in the first Test of the series, West Indies put up 162 and 146. They had two individual scores in the 30s – Justin Greaves in the first innings and Alick Athanaze in the second. Their best partnership was worth 46, in 87 balls, in the second innings between Greaves and Athanaze. Not good enough, especially when the opposition has three century-makers in their only innings and have declared on 448 for 5.Related

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“I don’t think the guys are lacking confidence. But it’s just to get that one score, to get that start and to then kick on from there,” Chase said. “It just takes one… get that good innings or that hundred or that big fifty, that then gives you the confidence to actually think ‘I can do it’.”I think everyone is confident, but when we get out there, we didn’t start well as a batting unit and the pressure is on, and it’s for us to soak up that pressure as batters, and still find a way to score, put pressure back on to the Indian bowlers. That is the biggest challenge for us. We just need to get that start and kick on. And we’ll be fine.”Chase’s own Test career has been an intriguing one. He has now played 53 Tests, but has an average of 25.57. To go with a bowling average of 46.25. He scored a century in just his second Test, against India in Kingston in July 2016, and then had two more centuries by his tenth Test. In the 43 since, he has scored just two more, and none at all in his last 24, where he has crossed 50 only four times.”I can’t really speak for anyone [else], but for myself, I just think it’s a matter of confidence and continuously playing quality first-class cricket and so on. Just that knowhow and facing good attacks for longer periods, and obviously, trying to improve on faults you may have picked up early on in your career,” Chase said. “Obviously, when you first start, no one really knows you, and then, obviously, [you] play a couple of games and people see your weaknesses and try to exploit them. So it’s for the players to just improve on those weaknesses from as early as possible. That’s it.Roston Chase hasn’t scored a century in his last 24 Tests•Associated Press

“It’s just digging deep for those four sessions and trying to stay in the now and not what has happened before in terms of the ball before or the over before. Just staying in the present is the biggest challenge for me right now. That’s something I have to go with.”Chase has played franchise T20 leagues in the past, in the ILT20, the Bangladesh Premier League, the Global T20 Canada, apart from the CPL, of course. While he is still a CPL player for St Lucia Kings, he wants to commit his future to West Indies, and to Test cricket.”It was always my dream to play for West Indies. I had a chance to play franchise cricket and I still have opportunities to play franchise cricket. But I have given that up,” he said. “So I cannot say that I am not hungry or not hungry, because this is what I wanted to do. I gave up my chance to play franchise cricket and I have taken up the captaincy role [in Tests], which is a big step.”So that just goes to show that I want to be here. I want to play for the Maroon. And I have always given my all for the Maroon.”

Bavuma to return as South Africa captain for India Tests

Bedingham makes way in the only batting change from South Africa’s squad that drew 1-1 in Pakistan

Firdose Moonda27-Oct-2025

Temba Bavuma last played international cricket in early September•PA Photos/Getty Images

Temba Bavuma will be back to lead South Africa’s Test side in their two-match series against India next month after recovering from a calf strain. Bavuma missed the start of their World Test Championship title defence against Pakistan after sustaining the injury in England in September.He will not play in any of the white-ball matches that start in Pakistan this week but will be in a South African A side to play India A in a first-class match in Bengaluru before joining the Test squad.Bavuma’s inclusion is the only batting change from South Africa’s squad that drew 1-1 in Pakistan and comes at the expense of middle-order batter David Bedingham, who did not play either of the matches.Related

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Bedingham has played 15 Tests for South Africa and scored one hundred and four fifties, but before his 82 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo he had gone 12 innings without a fifty. With Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis and Zubayr Hamza in the squad, there is no room for Bedingham.”The guys that did duty in Pakistan in the Test matches have shown what they’re capable of, and a case can be made for all of them to be re-selected. The reason why they got selected ahead of David was because I feel that in these conditions they’ll be more effective,” Shukri Conrad, South Africa head coach, said on Bedingham. “It doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the road for David. It wasn’t so long ago that he was one of our star performers at Lord’s so really horses-for-courses. For what we’re potentially going to face, I believe the guys that we got are ahead of David in that respect.”You leave a player out and it’s never easy, especially if they’ve done as well as they have done. But again, I’ve got to take the emotion out of all of it. We’ve made some tough decisions along the way so every time you make a decision like that, it’s particularly tough, but you’ve got to take the emotion out of it.”You basically look at the raw facts and say, ‘right, what do we believe is going to be effective on these surfaces? And who best to stack up against said opposition on those surfaces,’ you know? And look, in eight months’ time, however long, when we play a Test match back home again, I’m sure David will be in that line-up. But purely for Pakistan and India, what we’re expecting, the guys that we’ve selected, we believe, are better equipped.”On Hamza’s selection for the India Tests, Conrad said that he’s a “really good player of spin, it’s as simple as that.” Hamza had recently scored a century for South Africa A against New Zealand A in Potchefstroom last month.”He [Hamza] was close to playing in Pakistan when we considered balance of side and he is the next batter up,” Conrad said. “In these conditions, I must continually add that, in these conditions, we’ve always said that everything we do is conditions-based and condition-specific.”South Africa have stuck with three specialist spinners as all of Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer and Senuran Muthusamy performed well in Pakistan. Offspinner Prenelan Subrayen, who played in the first Test while Maharaj was recovering from a groin strain, has not been included.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kagiso Rabada, Corbin Bosch and Marco Jansen make up the pace pack, with Lungi Ngidi not included after also missing out on the Pakistan tour.The two-match series starts in Kolkata on November 14 before the second Test in Guwahati from November 22. South Africa will also play three ODIs and five T20Is on the tour.South Africa Squad for India Tests
Temba Bavuma (capt), Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne, Dewald Brevis, Zubayr Hamza, Tony de Zorzi, Corbin Bosch, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer.

Same agent as Gusto: Chelsea now bid £53m for "incredible" Champions League star

Chelsea have now submitted a £53m opening bid for an “incredible” Champions League star, with the same agent as Malo Gusto.

Blues make offer for Champions League star

Although the Blues were unable to hold on to all three points, they should take a lot of confidence from the performance against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, with Enzo Maresca’s side picking up a 1-1 draw despite having just 10 men for the majority of the game.

Maresca had to make do without Cole Palmer, who didn’t make it off the bench after recently recovering from a freak toe injury, while Jamie Gittens also remained unused, with Pedro Neto and Estevao getting the nod on the wings.

As such, the manager clearly has a lot of depth in attacking areas, with the Italian likely to be very impressed by Estevao’s performances in the Champions League this season, having netted three goals in his opening five games.

However, the west Londoners are still keen to get another attacker through the door, according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea have now submitted a huge bid of €60m (£53m) for Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes.

Manchester United have also tabled an offer of the same amount, so there could be fierce competition for his signature, with both Premier League clubs of the belief Barnes would be a perfect fit for their respective playing styles, meaning they are making aggressive pushes to get a deal done.

The Blues are looking to sign the Newcastle star in the January transfer window, and he welcomes the interest from two of England’s biggest clubs, despite remaining happy at St. James’ Park.

"Incredible" Barnes on fire in the Champions League

Lauded as “incredible” by Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, the 27-year-old has been particularly impressive in the Champions League this season, having netted four goals in his opening five games, while also picking up one assist.

The former Leicester City man has also caught the eye in the Premier League as of late, bagging a brace to fire the Magpies to a 2-1 victory against Manchester City earlier this month.

However, there are doubts over whether the Englishman, who is represented by the same agent as Gusto, would be a necessary signing, given that Chelsea already have Pedro Neto and Gittens to choose from at left-wing.

Chelsea now ready to trigger £44m release clause for "unstoppable" striker

The Blues are looking to sign a new centre-forward, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.

ByDominic Lund Nov 30, 2025

Instead, it may be better to invest the money into other areas of the squad, with bringing in a new centre-forward perhaps more important, given that Liam Delap and Joao Pedro haven’t exactly been prolific so far this season, netting five goals between them in all competitions.

بواتينج يعترف: صفقات برشلونة كانت لا تتم إلا بموافقة ميسي

عاد كيفن برينس بواتينج، نجم الكرة الغانية السابق، لتذكر كواليس انتقاله إلى صفوف برشلونة، موضحًا أن أحد اللاعبين كان بإمكانه إيقاف صفقة انضمامه إلى البلوجرانا.

برشلونة تعاقد مع بواتينج خلال شهر يناير من عام 2019، وذلك على سبيل الإعارة قادمًا من صفوف نادي ساسولو حتى نهاية الموسم، قبل أن تنتهي الإعارة ويعود اللاعب إلى النادي الإيطالي.

وكانت فترة بواتينج مع برشلونة فاشلة بكل المقاييس، حيث شارك الدولي الغاني السابق مع البلوجرانا في أربع مباريات فقط ولم يسجل أو يصنع أي هدف.

أقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | فليك يثير قلق جماهير برشلونة بسبب حالته بعد مباراة ألافيس

واعترف بواتينج في بودكاست ”Unscripted”، أن الأسطورة ليونيل ميسي كان بإمكانه منع انتقاله إلى برشلونة، موضحًا أن توقيعه مع البلوجرانا لم يتم إلا بعد موافقة الدولي الأرجنتيني.

وقال بواتينج: “في ذلك الوقت كان هناك مديران رياضيان في برشلونة، أحدهما كان إريك أبيدال وقال لي نعم نريدك، وقال المدير الرياضي الآخر نريدك”.

وأضاف: ”أرادني الرئيس بارتوميو والمدرب فالفيردي أيضًا، فقلت ممتاز، لنوقع غدًا، فأجابا لا، علينا التحدث إلى ليو أولًا، كان يمتلك تلك القوة، نمت على أمل أن يوافق ميسي على انضمامي، لو رفض لما وقعت لبرشلونة”.

ويمتلك بواتينج مسيرة مميزة في أوروبا لعب خلالها للعديد من الأندية، لكن التجربة الأبرز للاعب كانت اللعب في صفوف إي سي ميلان والذي قدم معه بواتينج مستويات كبيرة.

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