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Chelsea have reportedly thrown their full support behind Enzo Maresca's heavy rotation policy despite growing scrutiny following a 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League. Club executives insist the Italian is managing a young squad exactly as intended and believe his strategy will deliver long-term success despite short-term inconsistencies.

Blues boss continues to make changes

Per , Chelsea have publicly and privately backed Maresca’s approach to squad management following another heavily rotated lineup in midweek European action. The Italian made seven changes for the 2-2 draw with Qarabag, extending his streak to five consecutive matches with at least seven alterations to his starting XI. Despite surrendering points to the Azerbaijani side, who claimed their first-ever draw against English opposition, senior Chelsea figures remain convinced that Maresca’s methods are both necessary and effective for the long term.

The decision to shuffle personnel so frequently has been met with mixed results; Chelsea’s 4-3 win over Wolves and a 1-0 triumph at Tottenham showed the policy can yield results, but defeats like the 2-1 loss to Sunderland and the midweek stalemate have prompted external questions about rhythm and chemistry. Internally, however, there is little concern. Chelsea’s leadership view rotation as a key part of their strategic plan to protect the fitness of their young, evolving squad and to manage a demanding schedule across four competitions.

Wednesday’s draw in Baku again highlighted both the benefits and risks of such an approach. A rotated side, averaging just 23 years of age, struggled for cohesion early on, falling behind before Alejandro Garnacho salvaged a point.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportClub understand importance of building long-term cohesion

Chelsea’s hierarchy have made it clear that Maresca’s management style aligns with the club’s modern footballing strategy under co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. Their vision is centred around youth development, tactical adaptability, and minute management to avoid burnout across a gruelling schedule that includes the Champions League, Premier League, Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and all these commitments come after a summer of Club World Cup action.

The policy also serves a practical purpose. With a squad rebuilt around players aged 18 to 25, many of whom are in their first or second Premier League seasons, the coaching staff are deliberately pacing their development. Maresca’s willingness to rest stars like Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Reece James, even for high-profile fixtures, is viewed as responsible rather than reckless. The club’s analytics department has reportedly provided strong data in support of the approach, suggesting fewer long-term injuries and improved physical output among regular starters.

Chelsea continue to build-up fringe players' fitness

The Qarabag draw may have tested that belief, but the context provides insight into Chelsea’s thinking. The fixture came just three days after a draining Premier League win at Tottenham and required a 5,000-mile round trip to Baku, an intense turnaround that left several players nursing minor knocks.

Romeo Lavia’s early injury meant Caicedo entered after just eight minutes, while Fernandez was introduced at halftime to stabilise a shaky midfield. Still, there were flashes of Chelsea’s potential amid the chaos. 18-year-old Estevao, now the club’s top scorer this season, struck early, and Garnacho’s late equaliser salvaged a point in an otherwise uneven performance. Chelsea’s rotation-heavy approach has also yielded positives across the wider campaign, including increased game time for promising prospects like Tyrique George, Jorrel Hato, and Jamie Gittens, all of whom are expected to form part of the club’s long-term core.

Critically, Maresca’s relationship with Chelsea’s multi-director structure has been described as strong and communicative. He is said to meet weekly with the sporting leadership team to align on squad planning and player workloads, ensuring that decisions around selection are made collaboratively.

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AFPLikely to rotate against Wolves as well

Chelsea’s immediate focus turns back to domestic competition, where they face Wolves at Stamford Bridge this weekend. The club expects Maresca to continue with his rotation-heavy model, albeit with tweaks to ensure balance and stability as the team pursues Champions League qualification. The coaching staff believe that once key players regain fitness and younger stars find rhythm, results will begin to mirror performances more consistently.

Abhishek also picked up a 25% fine for his involvement in the incident

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2025Digvesh Rathi, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner, has breached the IPL’s Code of Conduct for a third time this season, leaving him suspended for one game alongside a 50% fine of his match fee. Rathi picked up the infraction in LSG’s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), following his dismissal of Abhishek Sharma.The incident happened in the eighth over of the chase after Rathi dismissed Abhishek. He gave the batter a send-off with a wave and an entry in his “notebook” which was followed by an exchange of words with the batter, needing the intervention of umpire Michael Gough. Rathi has now accumulated five demerit points for the season, due to which the suspension has kicked in. He will miss LSG’s next game against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday.Rathi’s five demerit points this season are all under Article 2.5 of the IPL Code of Conduct. According to the code, four demerit points add up to one suspension point, meaning players are forced to sit out one match when that mark is reached. Since the demerit points remain on an individual’s record for a period of 36 months, Rathi will have to be careful even in the upcoming seasons, since eight demerit points would result in a two-game suspension and 11 demerit points would result in a three-game suspension.Rathi had earlier picked up one demerit point for his celebration and charge towards Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) Priyansh Arya on April 1 and two demerit points for his celebration against Naman Dhir of Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 4, both involving his “notebook” send off. After his first offence against PBKS, Rathi was told by the match officials about why he was penalised. When Rathi was pulled up against MI three days later, he said that he was under the impression that the first time he was sanctioned for charging towards the batter.What is Article 2.5?

Article 2.5 includes any language, action or gesture used by a Player and directed towards a batter upon his/her dismissal which has the potential to provoke an aggressive reaction from the dismissed batter, whether or not any reaction results, or which could be considered to disparage or demean the dismissed batter, regardless of whether the batter him/herself feels disparaged or demeaned

Abhishek was also fined 25% of his match fee for his involvement in the incident. This was his first infraction of the season. Despite the heated moment between the game, the two players appeared to be in better spirits after the match. The two shook hands after the game and were seen joking around with each other as the teams caught up after the match which SRH won by six wickets and ten balls to spare.From the contest’s perspective, Rathi will be missed by LSG against table-toppers GT. He has been LSG’s highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps in a forgettable season for their bowlers. He will be available, though, for LSG’s final league game of the season on May 27 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by three wickets in an exciting finish on the fourth evening of the first Test in Sylhet to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. It was Zimbabwe’s fifth overseas Test victory, which came after they completed their highest successful chase in the fourth innings. It was also their first win in the last 11 Tests and each of their last three wins have come away from home.Blessing Muzarabani was the architect of the victory with a nine-wicket match haul, but it needed Wessly Madhevere and No. 9 Richard Ngarava to push Zimbabwe over the line after they collapsed when needing less than 50 runs in their chase. Mehidy Hasan Miraz orchestrated the collapse when he picked up his second five-wicket haul in the Test. He also took his 200th Test wicket on the way to a ten-for. Madhevere reverse-swept him to the boundary to get Zimbabwe to their 174-run target.Openers Brian Bennett and Ben Curran got Zimbabwe off to a rollicking start with a 95-run stand in just 21 overs. Curran, who struck seven fours in his 44 off 75 balls, was out to Mehidy, skying him to mid-off. No. 3 batter Nick Welch fell lbw to Taijul Islam for 10, before Sean Williams misread the bounce against Mehidy in the 31st over. He top-edged a simple catch to Najmul Hossain Shanto at cover for 9. That’s when trouble started, at 127 for 3.Mehidy Hasan Miraz sent jitters in the Zimbabwe camp with his second five-wicket haul in the Test•AFP/Getty Images

In the next over, Bennett was done in by Mehidy’s spin and was caught by Mushfiqur Rahim at deep mid-on. The big shot he attempted was a risky move in that situation as he was batting well on 54. He struck seven fours and a six in his 81-ball stay.Taijul next struck when he had Craig Ervine caught behind off a delivery that was sliding down the leg side. Mehidy convinced captain Shanto to take the review, Ultra-Edge showed a spike, and Ervine walked off for 10. Mehidy struck again first ball of his next over when he clean bowled Nyasha Mayavo for 1. Zimbabwe were now 145 for 6.Wellington Masakadza, however, settled Zimbabwe’s nerves with boundaries in consecutive overs from Taijul. He struck a big six down the ground soon after he arrived at the crease, before slamming him past mid-off for a four. But his innings was ended by a Mehidy beauty – pitching on a length around off stump from around the wicket and turning ever so slightly to bowl him for 12.After defending his first two balls, Ngarava smashed Mehidy for four over wide mid-on to reduce the target to nine runs. Madhevere hit Taijul for another four off the first ball of the next over. He repeated the dose against Mehidy before the win that will go into Zimbabwe cricket folklore was sealed.The Test win will, however, be most remembered for Muzarabani’s bowling excellence. He has now taken five-wicket hauls in his last three Tests, which has helped him equal Heath Streak’s record for the fastest to 50 Test wickets for Zimbabwe. His match figures of 9 for 122 is the best by a Zimbabwean in Bangladesh. Muzarabani also found great support at the other end, with fellow quicks Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi and left-arm spinner Masakadza taking the remaining four wickets in the second innings.Blessing Muzarabani shows off the match ball after his six-wicket haul•AFP/Getty Images

Rain gave Bangladesh a bit of reprieve as the fourth day began 75 minutes late. Zimbabwe, though, attacked from the get-go, taking three wickets in the first 5.3 overs of the morning session. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 255, having lost 6 for 62 on the day.Muzarabani struck with the second ball, dismissing Shanto on the pull. Nyauchi dived forward at fine leg to catch the top edge, ending Shanto’s innings at 60 off 105 balls. Mehidy followed his captain back to the pavilion soon after, edging Muzarabani to gully. Bennett took a simple catch as Muzarabani completed his five-for. Ngarava got into the act from the other end, removing Taijul in the next over.Hasan Mahmud’s rearguard action – 12 off 58 balls – stemmed the batting collapse. He added 35 runs for the eighth wicket with Jaker Ali, before holing out to mid-off where Muzarabani took an easy catch. Khaled Ahmed gave Ervine a catch next ball, as Masakadza again proved lethal for the Bangladesh tail.Muzarabani completed Zimbabwe’s dominant morning with Jaker’s wicket, when he top-edged a slog to deep midwicket. Jaker had been farming the strike for the previous hour, before opening up with just one wicket left. He had hit one six among his five boundaries and was eventually out for 58 off 111 balls.

Leeds United failed to deliver on what Daniel Farke wanted from the end of the summer transfer window, as he wanted further attacking reinforcements added to his squad.

The German head coach wanted the 49ers to bring in more quality to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch, to add to Noah Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lukas Nmecha.

Speaking ahead of the deadline, the manager said: “In defence and midfield, goalkeeper position and full-back position, we’ve done really good business. But we spoke quite open and honestly about it, we would need to add some more quality up front. We need to stay awake until the last hour of this window.”

Leeds were interested in a deal to sign Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, before Chelsea swooped in to sign him on loan to push the Whites out of the way.

The Argentine attacking midfielder reportedly earns £25k-per-week and could have been a shrewd and cost-effective signing for the Championship champions on loan.

Why Buoanotte would have been a value-for-money signing for Leeds

When you consider some of the wages that are being paid by Leeds within their current first-team squad, Buoanotte could have been a value-for-money addition to the group on a season-long loan.

Per Capology, for example, Jack Harrison is the top earner in the squad on a weekly wage of £90k, despite the fact that he scored one goal in the Premier League on loan at Everton last term and is not currently a starting XI player for Farke.

Whilst it is worth noting that Noah Okafor (£72.5k-per-week) is the only new signing whose wage is reported on Capology, Harrison does not appear to be providing value-for-money for the output that he offers on the pitch.

Particularly when you consider that Buonanotte scored five goals on loan at Leicester, per Sofascore, in the top-flight last season and only earns £25k-per-week, suggesting that he would offer more value for money than the English dud does.

Top 10 Leeds earners (excluding new signings)

Player

Weekly wage

Jack Harrison

£90k

Dan James

£70k

Pascal Struijk

£50k

Brenden Aaronson

£45k

Joe Rodon

£40k

Ethan Ampadu

£40k

Wilfried Gnonto

£30k

Illan Meslier

£30k

Jayden Bogle

£30k

Karl Darlow

£30k

Wages via Capology

As you can see in the table above, Brenden Aaronson, Karl Darlow, and Illan Meslier also feature within the top ten earners who were at the club at the start of the window, yet they have not started any games this season in the Premier League.

Aaronson, though, has at least come on as a substitute in all three of the team’s league matches so far, which shows that he is still part of Farke’s frontline plans.

The same cannot be said for Meslier, though, as the French goalkeeper has not made any of the matchday squads in any competition for the first-team this season.

He currently earns £5k more per week than Buonanotte does at Brighton/Chelsea, which emphasises how little the Whites are getting back for the wages they are paying him.

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The 49ers should be pushing to cash in on Meslier before the transfer windows in other countries around the globe slam shut, so that they can save roughly £1.5m-per-season on the shot-stopper.

Why Leeds should sell Illan Meslier

Leeds missing out on signing Buonanotte at £25k-per-week, when he scored five goals in the Premier League last season, puts into perspective how little the club are getting back from the wages that they are spending on some of their current squad.

As aforementioned, Meslier has not even made the bench for a match this season, with Lucas Perri and Darlow both ahead of him in the pecking order as it stands, yet he is earning even more than the promising Argentine playmaker.

This is why the 49ers should be pushing to sell him to any potentially interested clubs, whether that is in Turkey or elsewhere, in the coming weeks, if not then in the January transfer window.

Leeds United managing director Robbie Evans told The Athletic that there was some interest in Meslier before the English window slammed shut, but that it was not as strong as he expected for “a player of his calibre”.

Whilst the club are entitled to value the Frenchman as they wish, there has to be a degree of realism because the left-footed dud was unlikely to attract much high-level interest, in terms of clubs or possible transfer fees, after being dropped last season and demoted to third-choice at the start of the current campaign.

The 25-year-old dud made three errors that directly led to goals and conceded 2.73 more goals than expected in the Championship before being dropped for Darlow, per Sofascore, which speaks to how underwhelming his performances were.

Meslier’s struggles in the 2024/25 campaign were far from unpredictable, though, as he has rarely been an impressive or consistent shot-stopper in his career at Elland Road.

Illan Meslier’s shot-stopping form before 2024/25

Season

Goals conceded

Post-shot xG minus goals conceded

23/24 (Championship)

40

-3.1

22/23 (Premier League)

67

-12.4

21/22 (Premier League)

79

-16.2

20/21 (Premier League)

52

-3.4

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the French flop conceded a staggering 32 goals more than the post-shot xG expected him to in his three seasons in the Premier League.

This is why there needs to be some realism around a potential sale of Meslier because other teams will look at these performances, and the fact that he has dropped to third-choice this season, and wonder if it is worth spending millions to sign him for their club.

The left-footed goalkeeper, who was once dubbed a “massive liability” by journalist David Kent, has been too poor for too long between the sticks for Leeds, hence why he has found himself in this awkward position at the start of the season.

Therefore, the 49ers must finally try to work out a deal with any of the aforementioned interested teams that Robbie Evans mentioned, if their respective transfer windows are still open, in order to part ways with Meslier.

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It may have to wait until January when more teams are available to snap him up, but the lack of quality performances, or any performances at this moment in time, on the pitch shows that the club are not getting value for money out of his wages.

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O Fluminense está com suas atenções voltadas para o confronto com o São Paulo. Na manhã desta sexta-feira (30), os comandados de Fernando Diniz encerraram sua preparação de olho no confronto com o Tricolor paulista, válido pela décima-terceira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Na atividade, Diniz ganhou uma dor de cabeça. O meio-campista André sentiu dores no treino e não viajou com a delegação para São Paulo. Martinelli é o mais cotado para a vaga de titular, enquanto Thiago Santos é uma das opções.

+ Confira a classificação do Brasileirão

+ IMPERDÍVEL! Transmissão ao vivo dos jogos do Tricolor na Liberta por apenas R$1,00!

O Tricolor das Laranjeiras também passará por mudanças no setor defensivo. Como Nino está suspenso após ter sido expulso contra o Bahia, David Braz tenderia a ser seu substituo imediato. Porém, Braz também sentiu dores musculares e se tornou desfalque. Com isso, Felipe Andrade é o mais cotado para ser o titular no sábado.

A delegação tricolor viajou ainda nesta sexta para São Paulo. O confronto acontecerá no sábado (1), no Morumbi, às 16h. Como Fernando Diniz cumpre suspensão por expulsão, Eduardo Barros ficará na beira do campo.

B O M D I A ! pic.twitter.com/3qGVZz9RyJ

— Fluminense F.C. (@FluminenseFC) June 30, 2023

O Tricolor das Laranjeiras deve ir a campo com: Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Felipe Andrade (Luan Freitas, Felipe Melo e Marcelo; Martinelli (Thiago Santos), Lima e Ganso ; Arias, Cano e Keno.

Tottenham Hotspur have added some shrewd signings to Thomas Frank’s fledgling project this summer, Mohammed Kudus adding flair to the widths and Joao Palhinha bringing some steely mettle to the engine room.

However, Heung-min Son has completed a £20m transfer to LAFC in the United States, and James Maddison has ruptured his ACL and will be sidelined for the lion’s share of the season.

Spurs have issues in midfield and attack, but Daniel Levy might be convinced to add another signing to his team’s backline, even though Cristian Romero looks set to stay amid interest from Atletico Madrid.

Spurs eyeing Serie A raid

Tottenham have had a lot of success in raiding the Italain top flight for talented up-and-comers in recent years, with the likes of Romero and Destiny Udogie springing to mind.

However, Dejan Kulusevski might be the cream of that crop, having hit his stride last season and made good on praise from football scout Jacek Kulig that he is a “world-class talent”.

Now, Tottenham are ready to repeat their trick by raiding one of the Serie A superpowers for another elite player, with sights set on AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw.

According to Caught Offside, Spurs and Arsenal have joined the race for the German centre-back, with Newcastle United already displaying a vested interest this month.

Thiaw, 24, has been the subject of a new €40m (£34m) offer from Newcastle, and while negotiations are understood to be advancing quickly, the Magpies have failed to sign a litany of targets this summer, and Tottenham could be primed to complete a hijack.

Why Spurs want Malick Thiaw

Having joined Milan from Schalke three years ago, Thiaw has made 85 appearances for his Italian side, bringing a dynamic defensive skill set to the squad.

Both crisp and enterprising with his passing, Thiaw ranks among the top 6% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, and the top 14% for progressive passes played per 90, as per FBref.

He’s also been hailed as a “monster in the air” by journalist Martino Puccio, so would bring some substance to the team, ensuring some defensive solidity is found where such went lacking last year.

Given that Micky van de Ven and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate are considered two of his most comparable players, it feels like Frank could hit the jackpot with this one, emulating the deal for Kulusevski and allowing him to grow into one of the Premier League’s superstars.

Tottenham signed Kulusevski from Juventus on an initial loan in January 2022, wrapping a move up 18 months later for a shrewd £25m fee (a similar ballpark to Thiaw now).

24/25

50

10

11

23/24

39

8

3

22/23

37

2

8

21/22

19

5

8

Last season, the 25-year-old Kulusevski finally struck a balance between his output, with Ange Postecoglou shifting him into a central attacking midfield berth to an emphatic effect.

Not just a potent attacking threat, the Sweden international’s energy and tenacity fed the belief of his teammates, and he was often a shining light throughout a challenging, albeit ultimately rewarding, season.

He averaged 4.1 successful duels and 1.4 tackles per league match, as per Sofascore, and added much to the Ange system when it needed him most.

In Thiaw, Spurs could repeat the trick, signing a rising talent who has more than his position demands of him. It’s one that Tottenham need to get over the line as they head back onto the Champions League stage.

Frank's answer to Palmer: Spurs enter talks to sign "exceptional" £40m gem

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be about to make another huge move in the market to bolster Thomas Frank’s squad.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 9, 2025

Birmingham City spent their brief time in League One building a Championship-quality squad, but now that they have secured promotion, they are investing further to ensure they can look upwards rather than over their shoulder.

The club have spent big on Japan centre forward Kyōgo Furuhashi, who has arrived from Stade Rennais in a deal that could reach £10.3 million. This has made the former Celtic star the third most expensive player to ever join the club.

Due to these new signings, the Blues have had to shift a number of players, including Romelle Donovan, Ayumu Yokoyama and Alfie May, and they aren’t finished just yet.

Birmingham City make 50% profit as Bielik moves on

Football League World have reported that Birmingham City centre-back Krystian Bielik will complete a transfer to West Bromwich Albion “in the next 24 hours”. Bielik had served as club captain from last season, and manager Chris Davis had previously described him as “a really important player, a good captain and a good leader”.

Birmingham will make 50% profit on the transfer as they will receive upwards of £1 million for Bielik after only paying Derby County £500,000 in 2023. A number of clubs were reportedly interested in signing Bielik, including south-coast Championship side Portsmouth, but he is reportedly settled in the Midlands, and the less-than-7-mile swap from St Andrews to the Hawthorns was the easiest option.

Ryan Mason was eager to sign Bielik, given West Brom’s centre-back situation. Torbjørn Heggem is on the brink of completing a £10 million switch to Serie A side Bologna, and Kyle Bartley has called time on his career following 232 appearances for the Baggies.

The emotional challenges that come with Birmingham's ambition

Bielik was a favourite among fans and was praised for his loyalty in not only staying with the club following relegation to League One on the final day of the 2023/24 season but also taking over as captain and ensuring that they secured promotion back to the Championship.

The player was clearly settled at Birmingham as his new club seems to have been decided primarily over West Brom’s short distance to his current home. Fans have taken to social media to express their sadness at Bielik’s departure.

While it seems all parties are saddened by Bielik’s departure, it is a clear example of the cost of the club’s ambition. After a rocky first season under new ownership, Birmingham City now seem to be on an upward trajectory. They were promoted to the Championship after heavy investment, so much so that their gross transfer spend was higher than all of the other clubs in League One combined.

With figures like serial winner Tom Brady at the forefront of the new Birmingham leadership, the club clearly has Premier League ambitions, and the cost of that will be players like Bielik, who are well regarded among the fans and happy at the club, having to move on as the team outgrows them.

David and Victoria Beckham face competition from a new sporting power couple, with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tipped to "bury Posh and Becks".

David & Victoria set the standardNew 'marketing juggernaut' forgedSwift tipped to become a trillionaireFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

For a long time, the Beckhams have set the standard when it comes to A-list partnerships in world sport. The former England captain, who is now working with Lionel Messi as a co-owner at MLS side Inter Miami, married his Spice Girls star wife in 1999.

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Another pop icon in the form of global phenomenon Swift is now preparing to tie the knot with NFL superstar Kelce after they announced their engagement. They have already been dominating the American football scene, with it becoming clear early in their relationship that a “marketing juggernaut” was being forged.

It is now being suggested that Swift could go on to become the “first trillionaire”, with David and Victoria Beckham being left trailing in her wake as the art of maximising earning potential is taken to new heights.

WHAT SPORT FINANCE EXPERT SAID

Sport finance expert Professor Rob Wilson has told : “Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will bury Posh and Becks. There is a huge amount of money in the NFL. It’s a massive, massive market. Taylor Swift is Taylor Swift. They’re already a billion dollar pairing but the fact together they transcend culture is important here.

“They bring together sport and music so if you go to someone like Beyonce and Jay-Z, that's all music industry and entertainment. That's optimised but not in the same way as you can with a cross-market strategy. It certainly exceeds what the Beckham era did and allows Swift and Kelce to really exercise a lot of power in global markets.

“I wouldn't want to put any limits on what they could do or what they could earn. I think it is so unique and if their relationship is solid, and it is a genuine relationship that's deep rooted and they have this long history together, like Posh and Becks, I don't think you could really put a ceiling on what they potentially could earn. “It'll get to a point where they might say, OK, that's enough. Enough's enough. Or they'll become really philanthropic a bit like Bill Gates. It wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility that they move into owning a franchise or something like that, and then you're into lifestyle, fashion, wellness, it’s just marketing juggernaut in action.”

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Wilson added: “Could her marriage to Travis Kelce propel Taylor Swift beyond the likes of Elon Musk to be the first trillionaire? Yes, but the markets that they access are very different.

“The followings that they are each able to activate are very, very different, and this crossover enables the Swifties to start consuming a bit of NFL content and it just kind of just gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger from there.

“They'll be very, very well advised by some of the leading marketing technicians in the world because culturally it's geared up around profit maximization. It will be about extraction of cash at every single stage if they're being advised in that way. The potential is unreal.”

Lancashire have signed Australia allrounder Chris Green as one of their overseas players in the Vitality T20 Blast for the next two seasons.Green, 31, was Lancashire’s leading wicket-taker in the Blast this summer with 14, helping the club to qualify for the knockouts – although, due to the lengthy gap after the group stage, he had moved on to the CPL and was unavailable for their quarter-final defeat against Sussex.His contract again includes the provision to play in the County Championship and One-Day Cup, subject to availability. Green, who also turned out for Trent Rockets in the Hundred, made six One-Day Cup games appearances – scoring his maiden hundred – and one in the Championship for Lancashire in 2024.”I absolutely loved my first year with the club and I am even more excited to be coming back for the next two seasons – I can’t wait to join up with the team again next summer,” Green said. “It is a really special group of players at Lancashire. I know that there are big things to come, and I am looking forward to playing my part in that during 2025 and 2026.”I really felt the support from all of the Red Rose Members and supporters this summer and I can’t wait to see you all again next season at Emirates Old Trafford.”Lancahisre’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said: “One of our key priorities heading into the winter was to secure Chris’ services so we are really pleased to get this deal done early and to have his commitment to playing for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast for the next two years.”Chris made a huge impact for us on the field and had a number of options and offers to play around the world, but we are delighted that he has committed to being here at Emirates Old Trafford. Not only did Chris’ performances with bat and ball stand out this season but he also really impressed us with his leadership and his personality had a huge influence on the dressing room. We are all looking forward to welcoming him back to the club next summer.”

Breetzke back at Northants

Northamptonshire, meanwhile, have re-signed South Africa top-order batter Matthew Breetzke for the first half of the 2025 summer. Breetzke will be available for Northants’ first eight games in the County Championship, as well as the whole of the Blast group stage.The 25-year-old finished as Northants’ leading run-scorer in the 2024 Blast, with 460 at a strike rate of 153.84, helping the club to reach the quarter-finals.”I’m delighted to sign with Northamptonshire for the 2025 season,” Breetzke said. “I really enjoyed my time at the club this year. I think the team has a lot of potential to push for promotion as well as go a few steps further in the Blast and win it. I’m looking forward to helping the team and hopefully achieving many more victories along the way.”

Are Aston Villa now able to spend freely?

On Monday, completely coincidentally on the final day of their accounting year, the Villans sold their women’s team to themselves, thereby avoiding breaching the Premier League’s Profitability & Sustainability Rules.

So now, having avoided a potential points deduction, Unai Emery will be looking to bolster his squad, so could Villa land a new striker?

Aston Villa targeting attacking reinforcements

Jhon Durán has to go down as one of the best pieces of business in modern Premier League history, joining Aston Villa from Chicago Fire in January 2023 for a reported fee of around £13m, having made just 27 appearances for the Men in Red in Major League Soccer, scoring eight goals.

Well, two years later, following his scoring spree at the start of last season, Durán was sold to Al-Nassr for £71m last January, representing a near 600% return on investment, easing the Villans’ PSR concerns.

Well, the Colombian is back in the news again because, after a miserly 18 appearances in Saudi Arabia, scoring 12 goals, he is reportedly set to join José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, continuing one of the more unique and bizarre career arcs.

Transfer Focus

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Well, speaking of İstanbul-based giants, a report by TurkishFootball.com claims that Villa are in talks with Beşiktaş over the possibility of signing striker Semih Kılıçsoy, adding that he is valued at €15m (£13m).

Well, the Black Eagles themselves, who are managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjær these days, have just signed Tammy Abraham from AC Milan for the exact same amount, with the England international having been handed Kılıçsoy’s number nine shirt.

In response to this, journalist Fırat Günayer stated that he would be “surprised” if Kılıçsoy was still with Beşiktaş by the end of the transfer window, adding “there are a few offers… on the table”.

So, could the 19-year-old be set to swap the Bosphorus for Birmingham?

Why Semih Kılıçsoy could replicate Jhon Durán's success at Aston Villa

After joining Beşiktaş as an 11-year-old, Kılıçsoy made his Süper Lig debut against Antalyaspor in February 2023, before scoring his first goal for the Black Eagles during a Conference League qualifying victory over KF Tirana five months later.

In total, he has netted 16 times in 85 appearances for the Turkish giants, winning the Türkiye Kupası in 2024, his most notable goal coming against Malmö in the Europa League last November, this coming in a 2-1 victory at Tüpraş Stadyumu.

His performances have earned international recognition too, debuting for Türkiye against Italy at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara last June, subsequently included in Vincenzo Montella’s Euros squad.

Given his performances, analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed him a “very powerful” forward, while Luis Kircher of Total Football Analysis believes that he is known for his ‘lethal finishing capabilities’ and ‘versatility’, forecasting that he will become a ‘prolific’ goalscorer at the elite level in the coming years.

So, let’s see how Kılıçsoy compares to Durán, prior to his move to Villa from Illinois.

Appearances

85

75

Minutes

4,227

4,182

Goals

16

17

Assists

9

10

Senior international caps

4

3

As the table outlines, Durán, prior to joining Aston Villa, and Kılıçsoy right now boast similar levels of experience, with the Turkish striker actually having accumulated more senior appearances and minutes, scoring just one fewer goal. He also boasts that necessary “selfish” streak that the Colombian possesses, as Mattinson noted.

Also, Durán had played in Colombia’s Categoría Primera A and MLS which, according to Global Football Rankings, are the 32nd and ninth-strongest leagues in the world, with the Turkish Süper Lig somewhere in the middle at 18th.

Thus, it is clear that Kılıçsoy is a high-quality, high-potential player, one that is seemingly on the way out of Beşiktaş, suggesting he is available and more than talented enough to be a star at Villa Park.

Potentially arriving as a relative unknown teenager, in a similar vein to Duran, the promising marksman could be Emery’s next Villa success story.

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