Tottenham have tabled a player-plus-cash bid, including out-of-favour midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, to sign one club's star – and they've received a reply to the approach.

Postecoglou looking for new midfielder as Spurs plan overhaul

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking earlier this year, was forthright in his opinion that the Lilywhites need to undergo a transformation over the next few windows.

Tottenham consider re-signing "fantastic" ex-forward for just £11 million

The north Londoners could seal a bargain discount.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2024

Postecoglou delivered a frank assessment of his current Spurs squad, claiming it will take multiple windows to get the club where he wants them to be.

"We've got a lot of work to do still on the squad and I don't think we're anywhere near where we want to be. It probably will take a little bit more than three windows to get there, for sure," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's evolution.

"Just in terms of the robustness, adaptability, and compatibility of the squad, I think there's still a fair bit of change we need to do. I certainly don't think we're one or two players away from getting to where I want us to be, nowhere near it. Some of that will be natural evolution. Some of it hopefully means we continue to get the improvement we've had this year from some of our players. If that happens over the next 12 months, then we'll be in a great position.

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.17

Pedro Porro

7.04

Cristian Romero

7.03

Dejan Kulusevski

6.96

"But you've got to remember, a lot of our group are in their first year of the Premier League. A good chunk of them have been ever-presents, we need them to keep improving at the rate they are. We've still got a lot of work to do with the squad. I think we're a long way away from having one or two players away from getting where we want to be."

The north Londoners have already sealed an extension on Timo Werner's loan deal, with the German coming as their first signing of the summer window, but there could be many more to come over the coming weeks and once Euro 2024 draws to a close.

Tottenham are believed to be targeting a new midfielder, especially with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg widely expected to depart.

Spurs make Lo Celso plus cash bid for Jacob Ramsey

Lo Celso doesn't appear to be in Postecoglou's long-term plans either, leading them to offer out the Argentine in a swap deal bid for Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey.

That is according to journalist Matt Maher, who broke news on X that Tottenham have made a Lo Celso plus £20 million offer for Ramsey. However, Unai Emery's side rejected it out of hand, as they see the 23-year-old as a key member of Villa's squad.

It appears Spurs may have to look elsewhere in pursuit of a new engine room man for their midfield, with reports still linking them to Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, who is more inclined to be sold due to his contract situation.

West Ham United will surely be frustrated that their momentum from the past two seasons did not materialise into anything further in the 2023/24 campaign. It was a season that ended trophyless and proved to be the final year in charge for David Moyes.

He will be replaced by Julen Lopetegui, with the Spaniard hoping to improve on West Ham’s ninth-place Premier League finish this campaign. They were some way off Europa Conference League qualification, eventually finishing 11 points behind sixth-place Chelsea.

In Europe, West Ham were eliminated by arguably the best team in European football this season, Bayer Leverkusen.

The Bundesliga winners were runners-up in the Europa League this season, their defeat to Atalanta in the final their only loss of the campaign in any competition. However, they did manage to beat West Ham on their way to the final, eventually overcoming the Hammers 3-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium.

With no European fixture congestion for Lopetegui to contend with, it means West Ham could climb the table and potentially go on a domestic cup run. However, there is no doubt they will need to strengthen the squad to help with their goals for next season, and they have already been linked with one transfer target.

West Ham’s winger shortlist

The player in question here is exciting 19-year-old Corinthians winger Wesley Gassova, who has had an impressive season in Brazil. He could be rewarded with a big move to Europe this summer as a result.

According to a report from The Standard, West Ham are targeting the 19-year-old and hope to make him their second signing of the summer. The first seems set to be Flamengo’s Fabricio Bruno – who looks likely to join the Hammers for around £15m in the coming days – albeit with new concerns emerging regarding a breakdown over personal terms.

Reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed West Ham’s interest in Gassova. He explained to CaughtOffisde that the winger is “attracting plenty of interest at the moment”, although West Ham are not thought to be the only club interested in acquiring his services.

Romano explained that “West Ham have been scouting him for sure, but there are like five or six clubs interested” in recruiting the winger.

Specifically, Romano name-dropped the Hammers’ Premier League rivals Liverpool as one club. A price for Gassova has not yet been named, and at this stage, it remains unclear as to how much the teenager would cost interested parties.

How Gassova compares to Jarrod Bowen

The young winger is highly thought of amongst fans of Brazilian football, and football analysts alike.

Football analyst Ben Mattinson described Gassova as “explosive” over on X, explaining that he can “play the goal as a creator or killer in front of goal”, highlighting his versatility. Mattinson also claimed that Gassova, along with hot prospect Lorran, are the two best youngsters in Brazil who have not signed for a major European club yet.

Should Gassova join West Ham next season, he will likely be playing on the left wing, with Jarrod Bowen claiming the other starting spot on the right flank. Bowen has been superb for the Hammers this season, scoring 16 goals and registering six assists in 34 games in the Premier League.

In contrast to that, Gassova’s numbers don’t quite stack up as well, but it is important to bear in mind he is just 19 years old and still very inexperienced. He has scored five goals and registered three assists in 25 games in all competitions in 2024 so far.

Gassova's 2024 by numbers
Competition	Games	Goals	Assists
Paulistão A1 – Primeira Fase	11	1	0
Série A	6	2	0
Copa Sudamericana	6	1	1
Copa do Brasil	4	1	2
Stats from Transfermarkt

Although Gassova’s goal involvement numbers do not seem impressive on the face of things, his Fbref stats speak volumes about the quality of dribbler he is. He is a fast, direct winger – much like Bowen – yet right-footed. He averages 9.63 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes, and 4.49 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, both of which rank him in the top 1% of wingers in similar leagues.

Gassova is also an explosive progressive carrier and does not just dribble for the sake of it, but with a purpose. To demonstrate this, his 4.56 carries into the final third per 90 minutes also places him in the top 1%.

A key thing to point out is Gassova’s crossing ability. It was already alluded to above by Mattinson, yet his stats also reflect how good he is at crossing. Gassova averages 0.65 crosses per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 9%.

This would pair well with Bowen, who is good in the air despite his short frame and likes to get on the end of balls into the box. As per Fbref, he averaged 0.43 goals per 90 minutes last season, which ranks him in the top 10% of wingers across Europe. He would certainly enjoy getting on the end of those crosses into the box from Gassova.

Bringing in a tricky, dynamic two-way winger for the left-hand side next season would help West Ham become an even better team. It certainly feels like one part of their side that leaves a little to be desired, and the Brazilian gem could add the missing piece to the Hammers’ puzzle next season, to help them strive for domestic cup success and a higher Premier League finish.

After their seventh placed finish in the Premier League saw them narrowly miss out on European football, Newcastle United's mission for this summer will be to assemble a team that can break into the top six and beyond next season.

St. James' Park braced for incomings this summer

Reinforcements in defence appear to be at the forefront of the Magies' plans for the transfer window. Newcastle had long courted a move for Fulham centre back Tosin Adarabioyo, however the 26-year-old now looks set to sign for Chelsea. After missing out on their main target, the Magpies are rumoured to be interested in a move for Swedish defender Dean Huijsen who spent last season on loan at Roma.

Newcastle could replace Guimaraes by signing £50m "Aldi Jude Bellingham"

He has 15 goals and assists in the Premier League this season…

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 1, 2024

Newcastle are also set to confirm the signing of Lloyd Kelly in the coming days. The English defender is available on a free transfer this summer after his deal with Bournemouth expired at the end of last season. There also reports suggesting that the Magpies are eager to bolster their attack with a move for Brentford's Bryan Mbuemo too.

With Newcastle clearly desperate to bring in new players all over the pitch, attention has now turned to a position that was a thorn in Eddie Howe's side for much of last season.

Newcastle submit bid for Valencia goalkeeper

As first reported by Sport Witness, the Spanish press are suggesting that Newcastle have submitted a bid for Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Magpies' interest in the Georgian shot stopper has long been known however, this latest development has seen a formal bid for the player confirmed.

The outlet suggests that Newcastle have submitted an offer of £35million for Mamardashvili's services with this fee likely enough to get the deal over the line, sitting just over their asking price.

Newcastle suffered something of a crisis between the sticks last season with first choice keeper Nick Pope limited to just fifteen appearances owing to a shoulder injury. Martin Dubravka stepped up in his absence, but it is clear that those at the top of the club want to sign a new number one this summer, or a challenger for Pope at the very least.

After starting in all but one game last season, Mamardashvili would offer the solidity in net that Newcastle spent much of last season crying out for. Not only would the 6 foot 5 Georgian be reliable, but he would also be a quality addition to the Magpies' side.

Since joining Valencia permanently in 2022, Mamardashvili has gone on to cement himself as the side's number one. Speaking to the press back in April, Valencia boss Ruben Baraja was full of praise for his goalkeeper: "You need a goalkeeper who earns you points, like Giorgi.

"I think he is an established goalkeeper, with a great career, who is at a high level. The data confirms it. We don't know his ceiling, he has continuous growth."

If Newcastle are to go one better next season and secure European football, signing a highly rated keeper like Mamardashvili would be a major step towards breaking into the top six again.

أوضحت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية موقف نادي ريال مدريد من صفقة ظهير أيسر بايرن ميونخ، ألفونسو ديفيز، في نهاية الموسم بعد اقترابه من ضم ظهير ليفربول، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد.

وينتهي عقد ديفيز مع بايرن ميونخ في 30 يونيو المقبل، ولم يصل لاتفاق بعد مع النادي الألماني على التمديد لسنوات أخرى وبالتالي فهو حر في التفاوض بداية من يناير القادم مع أي نادٍ.

وبحسب الصحيفة الشهيرة أن ريال مدريد لن يستسلم بشأن صفقة ديفيز ولكنها تحتاج إلى المزيد من الصبر والهدوء، فاللاعب الكندي لم يحسم قراره بعد.

أمام اللاعب فرصة إما الانتقال إلى ريال مدريد أو الاستمرار مع بايرن ميونخ الذي ظل طوال الأشهر الماضية يقدم في عروض مختلفة لمحاولة إقناع ديفيز بالاستمرار.

اقرأ أيضًا.. آس تكشف رد فعل ريال مدريد تجاه عرض الدوري السعودي لضم فينيسيوس في الصيف

لكن لا يزال هناك الكثير ليفعله ديفيز وفقًا للتقرير أهمها ما قام به كيليان مبابي قبل التوقيع معه، هذا ما طلبه ريال مدريد من الكندي.

كانت هناك اهتمامات قد ظهرت في الأشهر الماضية لضم ديفيز أهمها برشلونة ومانشستر يونايتد لكن الأول يعاني من أزمة مالية والثاني يعاني من مستوى سيئ ويحاول التعافي.

وبالتالي، فالأمر ما بين ريال مدريد وبايرن ميونخ ومع دخولنا إلى يناير قد يصبح الحسم قريبًا إذا نفذ ديفيز خطة الملكي سيوقع مع الكندي لأن النادي الإسباني لم يستسلم بشأن الصفقة.

من جهة كارلو أنشيلوتي هناك ترحيب بضم ديفيز، خاصة وأنه في أكثر من مباراة أبقى على فيرلاند ميندي وفران جارسيا على مقاعد البدلاء في حين أن الإيطالي يدفع بلاعب الوسط، إدواردو كامافينجا، بمركز الظهير الأيسر.

وبالتالي، فهناك انعدام ثقة كامل من قبل أنشيلوتي في خدمات الثنائي ميندي وجارسيا وسيكون التوقيع مع ديفيز أمرًا هامًا بالنسبة للجميع في ريال مدريد.

Liverpool's top transfer target for the 2023/24 summer transfer window is a £52m star, with the Reds hoping to seal a deal in the coming weeks.

Liverpool transfer rumours

Liverpool's new era begins this summer with Jurgen Klopp having been replaced in the Anfield dugout by Arne Slot. The Reds ended 2023/24 as League Cup winners, but their Premier League form at the back end of the campaign saw their title hopes fade away, with Manchester City and Arsenal the two most dominant sides in the division for a second successive season.

Liverpool enquire for "fantastic" player who Jurgen Klopp wanted to sign

Contact has reportedly been made with a rival Premier League team.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 15, 2024

Slot is now expected to have a busy summer on his hands as he looks to strengthen the Reds and put his own stamp on a squad that has been moulded in Klopp's vision for the last nine years. Liverpool have been credited with an active interest in Lille defender Leny Yoro, while links surrounding Benfica and Portugal midfield ace Joao Neves are also refusing to go away.

Elsewhere, recent reports have suggested that Newcastle United’s Yankuba Minteh, who spent last season on loan at Slot's Feyenoord, is a target for Liverpool, with the Magpies potentially needing to sell to keep in line with the PSR guidelines. The Meresysiders have also received a big boost in their long-time pursuit of Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopemeiners as they look to freshen up their midfield once more.

Liverpool's top summer transfer target revealed

Now, a fresh update has emerged on a defender previously linked with a move to Anfield. The player in question is Sporting CP and Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio. Liverpool's centre-back options are somewhat limited at the moment with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk both coming to the end of their time at the top of the game. The former is also out of contract at the end of June, leaving an immediate hole in the Reds' squad.

In turn, it is not surprising to see Liverpool being tipped to make a move for Inacio. CaughtOffside reports that the Premier League powerhouse have been trying to sign the centre-back since the back end of last year, and despite the change in management on Merseyside, those desires still remain. This comes with Arne Slot and co. said to have made the stopper Liverpool's main target for the 2024 summer transfer window.

The report cites inside knowledge of internal talks within Liverpool over their plans, while Inacio is thought to be ready for the challenge of a Premier League move, having decided to stay put last winter. Ahead of the previous window, reports in Spain had quoted his asking price at €60m (£51m), which was his release clause at the time.

Inacio previously received high praise from former Sporting coach José Lima, who labelled the defender as "quality".

"The psychological aspect is one of his greatest strengths, as he shows a lot of calmness in any situation, in addition to his technical skills," Lima said. "He manages to show that he is completely calm when playing and that is a great asset for him and the team. At the time, in training, he could play on the left side because his dominant foot is his left.

"Although at Sporting, he now plays on the right side, even though that is not his dominant foot. He has, therefore, evolved and has been more confident with it. As the games go by, he is an increasingly stronger player. He has always played with quality."

This past season, meanwhile, saw the £30,000-a-week star score four and assist one in 49 games across all competitions as Sporting ran out Portuguese champions.

Chelsea have agreed to pay £60 million for a "wonderful" player after holding talks with his agents, and they've moved ahead of Man Utd in the race to sign him this summer as a result.

Maresca set for busy summer as Chelsea hold negotiations for forwards

Fabrizio Romano has tipped Chelsea to have a busy summer transfer window, following their appointment of Enzo Maresca to replace the departed Mauricio Pochettino.

Related Chelsea chiefs identify new top target in £85 million Duran alternative

Todd Boehly and co look like they’re moving on from the Colombian.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jun 19, 2024

They've already put pen to paper on a deal for defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham, who will come in to help fill the void left by Thiago Silva's exit, but Chelsea are now turning their attention towards signing a forward or two.

Maresca's side, as widely reported, have been locked in talks to sign Jhon Duran from Aston Villa. Chelsea are in ongoing negotiations over a deal for Duran, but are believed to be stalling the move due to Villa's demands.

Jhon Duran's best league games for Aston Villa last season

Match Rating (WhoScored)

Aston Vila 3-3 Chelsea

8.36

Aston Villa 3-1 Crystal Palace

7.48

Aston Villa 4-0 Liverpool

7.38

Man City 4-1 Aston Villa

6.90

Aston Villa 3-2 Burnley

6.80

They could even walk away from the Colombian and pursue other targets, with RB Leipzig star Lois Openda emerging as an alternative to Duran for Chelsea. Amid their pursuit of a striker, whether it be Duran, Openda or another name, they're also reportedly pushing to sign Crystal Palace star Michael Olise.

The 22-year-old, upon returning from a season-delaying injury last term, racked up an impressive 10 goals and six assists in 19 Premier League appearances. Olise's top-flight pedigree has been highlighted on a consistent basis at Selhurst Park, with former manager Roy Hodgson calling the player an "enormous talent".

“In the first-half he was a figure on the right but he wasn’t creating chances or showing aggression in his play. In the second-half he got it all right in both defence and attack and he showed what a wonderful player he is," said Hodgson on Olise after a performance against Leeds in 2023.

“I have seen him for 10 days less than I have seen the others. What I make of him is that I think he is an enormous talent – he has got a great possibility to have a wonderful career and a wonderful future. We can only hope we at Crystal Palace can give him that platform.”

Chelsea agree to pay £60 million for Olise in warning to Man Utd

As per Foot Mercato, a very promising update has come to light on his potential move to Stamford Bridge. Indeed, Chelsea have been locked in talks with the player's representatives, but Man Utd are also in the picture and named as one of the "serious candidates" to sign him.

However, the Red Devils are now in real danger of missing out on him. Foot Mercato say that United don't want to pay the attacker's price tag, and this has put Maresca's side in pole position. By contrast, Chelsea have agreed to pay £60 million to sign Olise this summer – a figure which Erik ten Hag and co don't want to meet. The Blues appear to hold all the cards as things stand, and it will come as good news for their new manager.

Erling Haaland has gone into the history books after becoming Norway's all-time top scorer following his brace against Slovenia.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Haaland prolific for club and country
• Beats Norway's goalscoring record
• Gets on scoresheet against Slovenia

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester City striker scored in the seventh minute of Norway's Nations League clash with Slovenia on Thursday, as he notched his 33rd goal for his country. That puts the 24-year-old level with Norway legend Jørgen Juve. Haaland then went one better to take the record for himself with another goal just after the hour mark.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Haaland has been a goalscoring machine for many seasons now. He has bagged 34 goals in just 36 matches for Norway and in club football, he has scored 256 times in just 308 appearances. That is why he is arguably the best striker in the world and there is more to come from him.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Juve's Norway goalscoring record has stood since 1934, the last year he scored for his country. Former Borussia Dortmund star Haaland is almost certain to become Norway's all-time top goalscorer very, very soon.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT?

  After the Slovenia game, ex-Red Bull Salzburg ace Haaland could feature for his country away to Austria on Sunday night. They currently sit top of their Nations League group (League B, Group 3), which also includes winless Kazakhstan.

Mateo Kovacic talked up his chances of replacing injured-talisman Rodri in Manchester City's midfield after a star performance against Fulham.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Kovacic the star for Man City in Fulham winMan City struggle without Rodri in transitionKovacic confident he can plug gapFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Kovacic was the unlikely hero for Pep Guardiola during Manchester City's 3-2 win over Fulham on Saturday as the Croatian midfielder scored twice past Bernd Leno. The eight-time Premier League winners were far from their best on the night, as has been the case for the most part since they lost Rodri to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear last month.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Kovacic slotted into Rodri's position in a single pivot at the Etihad against Fulham, something which Guardiola had not trialled since the Spaniard's injury against Arsenal. The Premier League champions have gone with a double-pivot system since the injury, however, against the Cottagers, Kovacic was given the nod in a single-pivot system, and the former Real Madrid man believes he can replace the Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament for the rest of the season.

Getty Images SportWHAT KOVACIC SAID

Speaking to the media, Kovacic said: "I am playing there in the middle at the moment and of course, we need to cover for Rodri, we miss him a lot.

“I think any team would miss him, the player that he is, and we wish him a speedy recovery and hope he comes back as good shape as possible.

"For now we have to adapt and for sure the manager has a lot of options so we can rotate."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR KOVACIC?

The Croatian will now join his national team for their Nations League clashes against Scotland and Poland before returning to Manchester for City's Premier League match against Wolves on October 20.

Big picture

It’s quite clear what’s ailing the Chennai Super Kings this season. Their batting, especially the middle order, has been the major weak link in their four losses. They have scored at 7.6 runs per over in the powerplay this year- the second lowest among all teams – and they tend to slow down further in the middle overs. Their middle-overs run rate of 7.5 is the second worst among all teams this season and it has not worked well with their tradition of taking the games deep, especially given the fact that they’ve had to chase in all the six games this season. In the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, they didn’t play like a team that had chased down 178 with ten wickets to spare in their previous game against the Kings XI Punjab.The only team that has worse numbers than the Super Kings in the middle overs are the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Royal Challengers’ batting struggles cost them their last match against the Delhi Capitals. They lost three wickets within the powerplay, and with the asking rate soaring, their captain Virat Kohli couldn’t help much, with hardly any support from the other end, as they eventually lost by 59 runs. While both sides will want improvements from their middle orders, the Royal Challengers have also been struggling with their death bowling, which has been a long-standing issue for them. Their bowlers have conceded at 12.9 – the second-worst behind Kings XI Punjab – this season.ALSO READ: Can Jadhav ‘light the fuse’ to ignite CSK’s middle order?Kedar Jadhav in particular has come in for sharp criticism for his 7 off 12 balls against the Knight Riders, having arrived with 39 needed off 21 balls. Among all teams Jadhav has featured for in IPL, his performance for the Super Kings has been the worst – he has averaged 20.3 in 17 matches. He has the lowest strike rate (98) for a player batting in top seven (minumum 15 innings) since IPL 2018. The Super Kings have always been a team who’ve kept faith in their players, but will they make some big calls and tinker with their XI to put their campaign back on track?

In the news

The Royal Challengers’ captain Kohli said after the game on Monday that allrounder Chris Morris was “very close to playing”. If he’s fit, he could come in for Isuru Udana or Moeen Ali and help fix their death bowling.BCCI

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Kedar Jadhav, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Karn Sharma/Piyush ChawlaRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Devdutt Padikkal, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Washington Sundar,7 Shivam Dube, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Navdeep Saini, 10 Mohammad Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Strategy Punt

• The Royal Challengers could push Ali to No.4 as he has great numbers against left-arm spinners and legspinners, striking at 165 and 171 respectively. So, Ali could take on Ravindra Jadeja and Karn Sharma in the middle overs. This move will also push AB de Villiers down to No. 5 and allow him to take on the death overs, a phase where he strikes at 222.
• Bring in spin early against Aaron Finch? Finch has been dismissed twice inside the powerplay this season, both by spinners. While Finch has troubles with incoming deliveries against quicks, the Super Kings could also open with a spinner at the other end. He has been dismissed four times by spinners and his average of 14.8 is the worst among players to have scored 50-plus runs against spin this season.
• Getting de Villiers out inside the first 10 balls is key as he has been striking at a staggering 195 after facing 10-plus balls since IPL 2019. He has struggled to get going against spinners in the first 10 balls, losing his wicket four times and striking at just 97 against them.

Stats that matter

• Does MS Dhoni love playing against the Royal Challengers? The last time Royal Challengers got Dhoni out was way back in 2017 when he was part of the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant. Since IPL 2018, they are the only opponents against whom Dhoni has struck at over 170. Three of his five highest scores in the IPL have come against the Royal Challengers. While all other Super Kings batsmen have an average record against Yuzvendra Chahal, striking at less than 100 against him, Dhoni averages 75 and scores at 144 against the legspinner.
• In ten matches this IPL at Dubai, teams winning the toss have opted to bowl seven times and ended up losing the game on all occasions. Sunrisers Hyderabad are the only team to have opted to bat first and won the game. The side chasing has won just once, when the Super Kings beat Kings XI by 10 wickets, after Rahul opted to bat first.
• Kohli needs 31 runs to reach 6000 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
• Dhoni needs to clear the boundary once to reach 300 sixes in T20s.

Apart from 37 cricketers, men and women, coaches, physios, security personnel and others were tested by CAB

Press Trust of India30-Sep-2020

Mukesh Kumar played a big role in Bengal’s run to the Ranji Trophy final in 2019-20•PTI

Bengal fast bowler Mukesh Kumar and left-arm spinner Shreyan Chakraborty have tested positive for Covid-19, it emerged on Wednesday, after the state association conducted RT-PCR tests on 63 people, including 37 cricketers – male and female.”The Cricket Association of Bengal [CAB] today held a Covid-19 Test Camp where 63 persons, including 21 senior Bengal cricketers and 16 women cricketers, were tested maintaining strict Covid protocols,” a statement from the association said. “Incidentally Shreyan Chakraborty and Mukesh Kumar tested positive during the drive.”After obtaining no-objection certificates from all relevant departments of the government, the CAB on Wednesday conducted the camp following the approved SOPs, with CAB president Avishek Dalmiya explaining that the tests were done for people “who will be directly and indirectly involved as the association gets ready to begin its staggered gym sessions at the indoor facility within the Eden Gardens premises”.The process was conducted under the supervision of Naresh OJha, the CAB vice-president who has also been made chairperson of the Covid Task Force at the association. Ojha confirmed that those tested included, apart from the cricketers, “the coaching team, physios, housekeeping boys, security staff and Dr Ujjal Banerjee, who is also a grade one umpire, he has been appointed as a doctor for the camp”.