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As Alexander Isak edges closer to the exit door, Newcastle United are beginning to map out life without their talismanic striker.

The Swede’s choice to skip Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Southeast Asia and instead train at former club Real Sociedad has only heightened speculation about his future.

While Liverpool lodged a bid to secure his signature, the Magpies are already working on contingency plans. In Benjamin Šeško, Newcastle believe they have identified an heir to Isak’s throne.

A towering presence at 1.94m, the 22-year-old is equally capable of leading the line with intelligence and intensity.

Despite the club’s willingness to meet RB Leipzig’s valuation, the Slovenian appears to prefer a move to Manchester United – even in the absence of European football.

This has left the door open for alternatives.

One name is emerging as a serious contender – a raw but high-ceilinged talent who combines power, pace and composure in front of goal.

Newcastle looking at Europe's next powerhouse forward

According to TEAMTalk, Newcastle and Aston Villa are among five Premier League clubs interested in Porto striker Samu Aghehowa.

The 21-year-old Spanish-Nigerian powerhouse has taken Europe by storm since joining Porto from Atlético Madrid for around £15m last summer.

Aghehowa has scored 27 goals in 45 games, including six in the Europa League and two against Manchester United, evidence of his ability to shine on the biggest stage.

As per the report, sources close to the player suggest he is keen on a move to the Premier League, drawn by its competitiveness and global appeal. However, Porto’s valuation, a steep £70 million, partly due to Atlético Madrid’s 50% sell-on clause, may complicate matters.

Nevertheless, it’s believed a lower fee could be negotiated, with £50m-£60m having been suggested.

Why Samu Aghehowa Might Be the Next Šeško — Or Better

Standing at 1.93m, Aghehowa fits the same physical profile as Šeško. Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson described Omorodion as an “absolute powerhouse”, while also noting that he is the “real deal”.

Crucially, he’s already proven capable of shouldering a club’s attacking burden, an attractive quality for both Newcastle and Villa, especially with the latter facing uncertainty over Ollie Watkins’ future.

Should Newcastle miss out on Šeško, Aghehowa represents a similarly ambitious gamble, albeit one with a potentially higher ceiling.

In truth, comparisons between the pair are as inevitable as both are towering, physically dominant forwards.

What’s more, both are under the age of 23 and represent the archetype of the modern target man: capable of bullying defenders whilst also possessing the technique to play in dynamic, high-tempo systems.

According to data from FBref, his non-penalty expected goals (npxG) stood at 8.4, with 11 goals scored in open play, and he averaged 2.5 shots per 90 minutes. But as promising as those numbers are, Aghehowa’s hold up well in comparison.

In the Liga Portugal, the Porto man scored 19 league goals and added three assists. Across all competitions, he notched 27.

The same data shows he ranks in the 75th percentile for non-penalty xG per 90 (0.43) and the 86th percentile for total shots per 90 (3.10).

In terms of pass completion, he’s even more efficient than Šeško, ranking in the 96th percentile (77.8%), demonstrating his ability to play quick link-up football.

Additionally, the former Atleti starlet is an active presence in the box.

He ranks in the 86th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area (5.45), and, surprisingly for a striker, in the 73rd percentile for interceptions – testament to his defensive work rate.

Šeško, for all his finishing prowess, has a more passive off-ball profile. With Isak increasingly detached, training independently at Real Sociedad and unlikely to return without resolution, Newcastle’s hierarchy must make a call.

Wait for a Šeško U-turn, or invest in the next rising star before the market catches up?

Aghehowa might not be a household name yet, but neither was Haaland before his Salzburg breakout, nor Šeško before Leipzig.

The traits are all there: size, speed, hunger, and a fearless eye for goal. In the end, signing him wouldn’t just be a response to Isak’s departure, it could be a defining statement of ambition for the years ahead.

Gordon's new Isak: Newcastle leading the race for £50m Sesko alternative

Newcastle are faced with the unenviable position of finding an Isak replacement this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 1, 2025

The start of Celtic’s competitive season is right around the corner.

A week on Sunday, the Hoops begin their Scottish Premiership title defence when they welcome St Mirren to Parkhead.

After that, they’ll travel to Pittodrie for a Scottish Cup Final rematch against Aberdeen, while there’s plenty more for supporters to get excited about throughout August, with an Old Firm derby at Ibrox and a Champions League play-off tie to come later in the month.

Thus, with the new season rapidly approaching, Brendan Rodgers is doubly eager to get his new recruits over the line.

Celtic's search for a new centre-forward

Ever since Kyōgo Furuhashi was sold to Stade Rennais for a reported fee of £10m in January, the Hoops have been in the market for a new striker.

Following last mid-week’s pre-season friendly victory over Stade Rennais, Rodgers stated that he wants “to add to our front line” having “lost a lot of goals” in recent months, given that Nicolas Kühn has also departed for Como for around £16.5m.

In terms of pure centre-forwards, Shin Yamada has arrived from Kawasaki Frontale for around £1.5m, so will challenge Adam Idah for the starting number nine spot, but Rodgers will still want more.

Mathias Kvistgaarden appeared to be their top target since January, but he has instead decided to join Norwich City from Brøndby for a reported fee of £6.9m, leaving the Scottish champions searching for an alternative.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Well, Rodgers does have previous when it comes to unearthing unknown strikers as Celtic manager, namely signing Moussa Dembélé nine years ago, so could he be about to do something similar?

Could Celtic sign a highly-rated young striker?

As Celtic scour far and wide for a new striker, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman claims they should go all in and sign Richard Kone from Wycombe Wanderers.

He believes, should he make the move to Glasgow, Kone “would thrive massively at that level” adding, given that Celtic “dominate games and create chances”, he would score plenty of goals.

Back in January, Luton Town had a £6m bid rejected by the Chairboys for Kone, according to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, likely to cost even more than that now.

To support this, a week ago, it was documented that Celtic have an interest in Kone, with the young marksman believed to be worth around £7m.

Speaking on CBS’ Morning Footy, Wycombe legend Adebayo Akinfenwa noted that “if Hollywood was going to have a script for a story, this would be it”, given that Kone arrived in England to represent Côte d’Ivoire at the Homeless World Cup in 2019.

He then represented Athletic Newham in the Essex Senior League, England’s ninth tier, for five years, before being scouted and signed by Wycombe in January 2024, following an extended trial.

Well, what a find this has proved to be, with the 22-year-old scoring 25 goals in 73 appearances for the Buckinghamshire-based EFL League One outfit, named both the division’s Player and Young Player of the Season, having netted 18 times in the league.

Let’s assess his statistics from League One last year to underline why he scooped up both accolades.

Goals

18

3rd

Shots

100

5th

Shots on target

40

5th

Shots per 90

3.28

3rd

Successful dribbles

44

16th

Big chances missed

16

6th

As the table notes, only two players, Charlie Kelman and Jay Stansfield, both of whom were playing for clubs who got promoted, scored more goals than Kone, while he ranked highly for every attacking metric included.

His performances certainly impressed writer Kai Watson, who labelled him a “mentality monster”, adding that “aggression, positioning and work rate” are amongst his strengths.

So why could he be a repeat of Dembélé’s arrival from 2016?

Well, before joining Celtic, the Frenchman had made just 64 senior appearances for Fulham, the vast majority of which had come at Championship level, so few could’ve forecast that he burst onto the scene as he did, scoring 32 goals during his first season at Celtic, five of which came in the Champions League.

Thus, there is certainly precedent for a young, inexperienced striker joining Celtic from the EFL and exploding into a top-class centre-forward.

If you’re not yet convinced by the déjà vu, listen to this; Kone’s non-league Athletic Newham are based on Atlético Madrid, they wear the same kit and their badge is nigh on identical, and with whom did Dembélé win La Liga? You guessed it!

Celtic now submit £1.5m bid to sign 17 G/A forward, they've had a response

The Hoops have made a formal approach for an attacker, who was regularly among the goals in the 2024-25 campaign.

ByDominic Lund Jul 23, 2025

Liverpool are in a ruthless mood this summer and after welcoming Florian Wirtz for a British-record fee, Richard Hughes is reportedly set for talks to sell one of Arne Slot’s star and has already contacted his potential replacement.

Liverpool not done after record Wirtz deal

Unlike in the past, Liverpool are not just sitting back and admiring their silverware. They’re gunning for more. Jeremie Frimpong arrived first to replace Trent Alexander-Anrold, but the biggest headlines were still to come as Wirtz followed his former Bayer Leverkusen teammate to Anfield in a British-record £116m deal.

The German is ready to take the Premier League by storm too, telling Liverpool’s official media channels: “I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.

“I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I spoke also with some players who played there and they told me that it’s perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I’m really looking forward to playing my first game.”

Even after Wirtz, however, Liverpool are not done there. It has been a summer full of business for Richard Hughes, who is making up for lost time following a quiet debut year in Merseyside. Up next looks set to be Milos Kerkez, whilst reported talks to sell one star man could lead to another big-money incoming.

Liverpool set to hold talks to sell Nunez

According to Fabrizio Romano, reporting on Saturday afternoon, Liverpool are set to hold talks with Napoli next week over the sale of Darwin Nunez. The Italian club reportedly see the forward as their dream target and are now looking to learn more about the details of a potential move.

The sale of the struggling forward could be good news for those in Merseyside, who have reportedly already contacted Hugo Ekitike over a deal to replace Nunez this summer.

Liverpool hold talks to sign "fantastic" star loved by Jordan Henderson

The Reds are making more moves on the market.

2 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 21, 2025

When speaking about the Frenchman, Romano recently told the Market Madness Podcast: “Well, I think for Ekitike this could be a possibility to go to Liverpool, because there were calls from Chelsea two weeks ago. Man United, in recent days, also made contact with the agents to understand the situation.

“But for Liverpool, this is also a possibility. Liverpool also spoke to the agents. Also, Liverpool considered Ekitike an interesting opportunity. And so that’s the name I would keep in their shortlist.”

Minutes

2,563

1,133

Goals

15

5

Assists

8

2

Expected Goals

21.6

5.8

As the numbers show, Liverpool would once again be landing an instant upgrade this summer to continue what is likely to go down as their best-ever transfer window, even if the Frenchman could cost £85m.

Will Chelsea spend big again this summer?

Since being taken over by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital three years ago, the Blues have signed over 35 senior first-team players for in excess of £1bn, but are showing no signs of slowing down.

The Blues have already completed the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich for £30m, meaning he will be eligible to feature at the Club World Cup, with Enzo Maresca’s side kicking off their campaign against LAFC next Monday.

Before that match in Atlanta, could Chelsea sign another young attacker?

Chelsea's search for a new wide-attacker

BlueCo are incredibly busy trying to improve the squad before the Club World Cup gets underway with Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan reportedly closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge.

Yet, he’s not the only player who could arrive before Chelsea’s American adventure.

According to a report by RMC Sport, Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens on a whopping seven-year contract.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This comes after David Ornstein of the Athletic reported that the Blues have submitted an official bid, although Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Deutschland claims that Chelsea’s initial bid of €29.5m was “rejected”, with die Schwarzgelben “demanding” closer to £51m.

Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian has previously documented that adding a ‘right-footed left-winger’ to their squad, having previously assessed Nico Williams and Alejandro Garnacho, but Gittens has emerged as the first-choice target.

So, it appears to be just a matter of time until this deal gets done, although they only have until 7pm (BST) on Tuesday to finalise the transfer, if Gittens is going to feature at the Club World Cup.

How Jamie Gittens could unleash Liam Delap

Neel Shelat of Total Football Analysis outlines how Delap has all the attributes to be a top-class penalty box poacher, so why would Gittens’ arrival be the dream signing for him?

Well, Felix Johnston describes the 20-year-old winger as “electric”, praising his “variation with crosses” and ability to make threatening “back post” runs.

Meantime, Lebohang Mwamuka of Breaking the Lines believes Gittens has the ability to become a ‘regular creator from wide areas’, given that he is “strong with both feet… dynamic” and possesses “remarkable dribbling’.

Jacek Kulig of Talent Football Scout agrees, believing Gittens’ ‘potential is extremely high’, noting that his primary strengths are dribbling, ‘decision-making and movement’.

So, let’s analyse Gittens’ statistics in the Bundesliga this season.

Minutes

1,776

149th

Goals

8

32nd

Assists

3

71st

Progressive carries

113

4th

Attempted take-ons

171

1st

Successful take-ons

77

2nd

Carries into penalty area

63

1st

As the table outlines, there are few better dribblers in the Bundesliga than Gittens, ranked first for attempted take-ons and carries into the opposition penalty area, behind only Liverpool-bound Florian Wirtz for successful take-ons.

In fact, across Europe’s big five leagues, the Englishman ranks seventh for attempted take-ons as well as seventh in the Champions League for the same metric. Thus, Gittens’ dribbling and creative abilities would surely get the best out of centre-forward Delap.

The duo have actually played together on nine occasions before, seven of which have been with England’s U21s, while they were briefly teammates in Manchester City’s academy too, with Delap assisting Gittens for a goal against Liverpool’s U18s in September 2019.

Thus, if the pair are reunited in West London later this summer, they could form quite the devastating attacking duo.

Talks ongoing: Chelsea mainstay could be forced out if they sign "elite" player

There is set to be real shake-ups at Stamford Bridge this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 8, 2025

17 defeats. That’s the dismal record Manchester United have been on the receiving end of this season.

Despite that, they could still qualify for the Champions League. It’s funny how football all works out, isn’t it?

Just days ago, the Red Devils were celebrating their place in the Europa League final, but things just continue to go from bad to worse on the domestic scene.

Last weekend, they were on the end of a 4-3 defeat at Brentford and despite that win over Bilbao in midweek, they could not carry any momentum in this weekend’s events.

West Ham were the visitors to old Trafford on this occasion and they came away with a 2-0 win, Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen scoring.

United didn’t get on the scoresheet but they really should have. They may have scored seven across their two semi-final legs but in the Premier League, it’s all been rather laboured in the final third.

Why Man United’s attack is struggling

This was never going to be an overnight fix for Ruben Amorim upon replacing Erik ten Hag but not even the former Sporting coach would have expected things to be quite this challenging.

One of the biggest reasons for their lack of potency hasn’t just been the finishing ability of Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund but it could be argued that there’s a lack of creativity and the squad doesn’t possess the right players to get the most out of Amorim’s system.

Patrick Dorgu was signed in January as a wing-back but the manager will need to strengthen significantly in those areas over the summer.

Dorgu

With Amad also injured for the last few months, it’s meant that United have had to rely solely on Bruno Fernandes to carve out goalscoring opportunities. The captain has had a wonderful campaign, registering 38 goal involvements in all competitions, but even his threat has waned in the last several weeks, failing to score a Premier League goal in his last six matches.

So, with Fernandes faltering, they’ve not really had an answer elsewhere. That was all too apparent against West Ham on Sunday.

Yes, the squad may have been fatigued, but it’s evident that, first and foremost, Fernandes doesn’t thrive as well in a deeper position and secondly, that Kobbie Mainoo does not suit this system, playing in one of the central no.10 positions.

He doesn’t score many goals at the best of times and even a re-energised Mason Mount couldn’t expose the Hammers this weekend.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Hojlund too has struggled, largely due to a lack of service. Truth be told, he should have found the net against Graham Potter’s men, only emphasising the problems Amorim faces in their forward line.

How Hojlund is now becoming Man United’s new Martial

Let’s cast our minds back to the summer of 2015. It’s September and Anthony Martial has just become the most expensive teenager of all time, trading the principality of Monaco for a move to the north west of England in a deal worth £36m.

At the time, he was being billed as one of France’s next great football players. In fact, Martial was rated so highly that one part of the terms in his move involved a Ballon d’Or clause which would see Monaco receive another payment should the forward be named the world’s best player.

Well, it’s safe to say he never even came close to living up to that hype. Martial spent nine years at Old Trafford in a stint where he failed to live up to the immense promise many expected of him.

Across 317 appearances in United red, he did actually score 90 goals which is a pretty impressive record by all accounts.

15 of those came in his debut campaign and there was there was even the 23-goal season of 2019/20 to shout about. However, from that moment onwards, he only bagged another 20 in United colours before departing in 2024. He’s now at AEK Athens in Greece.

There are certain similarities between Hojlund and Martial here. Signed for an enormous fee as a young forward, a ridiculous £72m to be exact, the Dane had a promising first season and could still come good.

He netted 16 goals in his first season at the club, one more than Martial’s opening year, but it does feel as though Hojlund’s United career will also go down as a story of unfulfilled promise.

The simple fact is that despite boasting some impressive attributes, namely a powerful running style and the ability to gallop down the channels, he’s an incredibly frustrating player all the same.

There has certainly been a lack of service for the former Atalanta striker this season but even when given chances, he’s fluffed his lines. That was certainly the case against West Ham on Sunday.

Minutes played

90

Touches

31

Accurate passes

9/15 (60%)

Shots on target

2

Shots off target

4

Expected goals (xG)

1.31

Successful dribbles

0/2

Big chances missed

2

Ground duels won

1/6

Aerial duels won

3/8

Possession lost

13x

In the process of amassing just 31 touches and only completing 60% of his passes, he wasted two glorious chances which rather typified his season.

To his credit, Hojlund busted a gut to get on the end of the first one, but after Amad had played his teammate in, the 20-year-old could only stick the shot straight at the on-rushing Alphonse Areola. The second opportunity was even more glaring.

About three or four yards out, the net was gaping and ready for Hojlund to find the net, only for Areola to race across his line and keep out the shot. It was a remarkable save but it certainly looked easier to score than it did to miss.

The £85k-per-week forward was handed a low 4/10 match rating by Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst as a result, who himself lamented that late effort that Areola denied.

While there are some pretty obvious differences between Hojlund and Martial, notably that the latter did go through a prolific spell, their stories of being signed for a colossal sum of money at a young age bear similarities.

Amorim and Co will just hope he can find more consistency than the Frenchman ever did on English shores.

Amorim must axe 4/10 Man Utd star who was as bad as Ugarte vs West Ham

Manchester United suffered a 17th defeat of the Premier League season.

1 ByMatt Dawson May 11, 2025

After winger Mohamed Salah’s new contract was announced over the last couple of weeks, Arne Slot can turn his attention to other areas of the Liverpool squad ahead of next season’s Premier League campaign.

The Egyptian penned a new two-year deal at Anfield, extending his stay at the club to over a decade, hoping to add to the success he’s enjoyed during previous years.

However, if the 32-year-old is to achieve yet more glory on Merseyside, the manager will need to strengthen to help the side maintain the levels they’ve reached in the last few months.

With the summer transfer window now just around the corner, the hierarchy will need to identify players who are capable of bolstering the ranks, with a real emphasis needed on quality over quantity.

One department of the pitch could be set for a huge overhaul, with numerous players already touted with moves to and from Merseyside ahead of the upcoming window.

The latest on Liverpool’s pursuit for new attacking stars

With the futures of Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez up in the air at Liverpool, it would be a surprise to no one if both players were offloaded to raise funds for new attackers this summer.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is the latest name thrown into the mix over the last couple of days, with the German on the club’s shortlist ahead of the off-season.

However, the Reds are unlikely to be alone in their pursuit of the 21-year-old, with fellow English side Manchester City also firmly in the race for his signature despite his £111m price tag.

Other forwards like Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké remain on their list, but Ademola Lookman is the latest player the hierarchy are targeting to bolster the front line ahead of 2025/26.

According to new reports from Italian outlet, Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness, Slot’s side are keen admirers of the 27-year-old left-winger.

It’s stated that if Atalanta receive an offer of at least £50m from Liverpool or any other party, the winger’s sale in the summer would be ‘inevitable’.

Why Liverpool’s £50m target could be their best LW since Mane

In the summer of 2022, all Liverpool supporters were shocked by the news that winger Sadio Mané would be joining Bayern Munich, ending his six-year stint at Anfield.

The Senegalese international was a key part of the success they endured under Jürgen Klopp, forming a deadly partnership with Salah and Roberto Firmino at the top of end of the pitch.

The infamous trio catapulted the side to Premier League and Champions League glory during their time together, with Mane undoubtedly one of their best-ever additions.

He cost £34m from Southampton back in the summer of 2016, going on to register 120 goals in his 269 appearances – finishing as the division’s joint-top scorer back in 2018/19.

However, his subsequent departure saw Luis Diaz tasked with the responsibility of filling the void, with the Colombian only notching a total of 11 league goals throughout Slot’s maiden season at the helm.

Such form has led to links to Lookman, with the Nigerian undoubtedly providing an upgrade on Diaz, subsequently making him the club’s best left-winger since Mane departed nearly three years ago.

When comparing their respective stats from the ongoing season, the Nigerian has massively outperformed the 28-year-old in various key areas, showcasing what a sensational signing he would be this summer.

Games played

27

32

Goals & assists

18

16

Progressive carries

5.7

4.2

Carries into final third

2.9

2.1

Shot-on-target accuracy

41%

40%

Crosses completed

4.7

1.2

Shot-creating actions

5.6

4.8

Aerials won

58%

26%

Lookman, who’s been labelled “world-class” by commentator Matteo Bonetti, has managed to register more combined goals and assists than the Colombian this campaign – showcasing the attacking threat he possesses.

He’s also managed to achieve more progressive carries per 90, whilst bettering the current Reds winger’s carries into the final third, highlighting the danger the former Everton ace presents when having the ball at his feet.

His dominance doesn’t stop there, registering more shot-creating actions, along with more crosses completed, and subsequently able to aid other players within the final third.

It may be a brutal decision to drop Diaz in favour of a move for the Atalanta talent, but from the stats produced, it’s evident that he’s a huge talent and one that would inject added quality to the front line.

£50m in today’s market is an excellent price for a player of his quality, potentially allowing the club to sustain the levels of success endured during Slot’s first year in charge.

£111m Szobo upgrade: Liverpool chasing "the best midfielder in the world"

Liverpool will need to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold’s creativity this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 22, 2025

Chelsea are back in talks with a “big” striker who they were secretly very close to signing back in January, according to a new report.

Chelsea's shortlist of striker targets for Enzo Maresca

It is no secret that Enzo Maresca requires a goalscoring centre-forward before the start of next season, with the Italian forced to improvise and get creative since the turn of the year due to Chelsea’s lack of options.

Chelsea eyeing "deadly" £45m star likened to Anelka with talks already held

They had negotiations in the winter.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 10, 2025

Pedro Neto has featured as a makeshift striker in the last two months, while both Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku are currently struggling to find their best form.

Chelsea were on the verge of completing a deal for Victor Osimhen last summer, competing with Al-Ahli for the Nigerian’s signature on deadline day, but neither side could get a move finalised – forcing him to settle on a loan move to Galatasaray.

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 10th

Osimhen remains keen on joining Chelsea, but according to recent reports, the African isn’t exactly high on Maresca’s transfer shortlist.

Instead, Chelsea are serious about Benjamin Sesko as a potential option, with the Slovenian’s contract including a £62 million release clause, while Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap remain key candidates to bolster Maresca’s forward line.

There are even suggestions that Chelsea could reignite their interest in Mathys Tel, if Tottenham don’t trigger their £45 million option-to-buy clause, but it is Delap’s name which is currently gaining more and more traction.

In the last 72 hours, news emerged that Delap’s release clause will drop to a bargain value of around £30 million if Ipswich are relegated, which could even be confirmed this weekend.

This has understandably piqued interest from a host of top-flight sides who are on the lookout for a prolific number nine, including the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Tottenham, but Chelsea are thought to be the most determined to secure his signature.

Chelsea reopen talks with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap

That is according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, who states that Chelsea are very eager to bring in a striker before the Club World Cup commences in June.

As a result, despite a brief pause in contact, Chelsea have reopened “formal” talks with Delap’s agents as they try to get ahead of the intense competition for his signature this summer.

The Blues are “most serious” about striking a deal for the former Man City gem right now, and they’ve allocated enough funds to their transfer budget to do a deal without having to sell a player.

Phillips adds that Chelsea were secretly pretty close to sealing an agreement for him in January “behind closed doors”. Now, they’re yet again pushing to convince Delap to make a Stamford Bridge, and the 22-year-old is also open to joining Chelsea.

It is clear to see why Maresca’s side are so keen, with the attacking enjoying a sensational 2024/2025 and bagging 12 league goals, which are impressive numbers for a side battling relegation.

“He’s a proper striker, and I think for us as well he’s an outlet,” said Ipswich teammate Alex Palmer.

“He’s a big physical boy. He’s not huge, but he’s got that raw strength. Even build up, he helps us stick and set, so he’s not just a goalscorer. He’s an all-round striker.”

The Bangladesh allrounder is just the fifth man in the world to claim this landmark

Namooh Shah24-Aug-2025Shakib Al Hasan added yet another feather to his illustrious career as he picked up his 500th T20 wicket. And he didn’t stop there.Shakib came into the game between his Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in CPL 2025 one shy of the landmark.Introduced for the first time in the 15th over of the innings, he nearly reached the milestone on the third delivery when Jayden Seales took a lovely catch on the boundary only for it to be ruled as a six when replays revealed the fielder had stepped on the boundary cushion.Shakib created another chance in the same over and this time he made no mistake, completing a return catch to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan and become just the fifth bowler in T20 history to reach the 500-wicket mark. He struck a further two times in his next over to finish the match with 502 wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdWith this achievement, Shakib joins an elite club of bowlers to have taken 500 wickets or more in T20 cricket – Rashid Khan (660), Dwayne Bravo (631), Sunil Narine (590) and Imran Tahir (554).But what sets Shakib apart from the rest is his exceptional all-round ability. He is now the only player in T20 history to have completed the double of 7000 runs and 500 wickets. The closest anyone has come to this incredible feat is Dwayne Bravo, who ended his career with 6970 runs and 631 wickets. Andre Russell who has scored 9361 runs is nearing the 500-wicket mark, currently at 487.Shakib’s legacy is further elevated by his nine Player of the Series awards in T20s, the most by any cricketer. He stands ahead of players like Virat Kohli (8) and Wanindu Hasaranga (7).Among spinners, no player has taken more five-wicket hauls in T20s than Shakib, who has achieved the feat five times. This puts him in joint-second place overall with Lasith Malinga, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Tahir and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who are all trailing David Wiese (7).One of Shakib’s most unforgettable spells came in the inaugural CPL season in 2013 when he ripped through Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel with astonishing figures of 6 for 6. He took another six-wicket haul playing for Prime Bank Cricket Club later in the year in the Victory Day T20 Cup that made him just the second bowler after Ajantha Mendis to claim multiple six-wicket hauls in T20 cricket. A similar feat was later on achieved by Arzan Nagwaswalla in 2023.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[“datawrapper-height”][t]+”px”;r.style.height=d}}})}();