Chelsea have made some questionable additions since Todd Boehly bought the club back in May 2022, wasting a whole heap of money on players not up to the level required of the Premier League.

Mykhailo Mudryk cost the Blues £88.5m back in January 2023, with high expectations of providing added quality to the frontline of the first-team squad.

However, fast-forward two years, the Ukrainian international has only scored 10 times and hasn’t featured since December after his provisional suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

It’s safe to say the club won’t be able to command a fee anywhere near close to what they forked out for his signature, needing to bear such dealings in mind going forward.

Mudryk is only one player in a long list of signings made during the American’s tenure at the club who have failed to deliver, with numerous still currently on the books at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s worst signings of the Boehly era

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez remains a player who continues to divide opinions amongst the fanbase, producing inconsistent displays which have often cost the Blues key points.

The Spaniard ultimately cost them a chance of claiming at least a point against Manchester City after coming off his line and being beaten by Erling Haaland, who managed to clip the ball over him into the back of the net.

Christopher Nkunku is another player who’s been unable to produce the goods on a consistent basis, registering just three Premier League goals in his 24 appearances to date.

After such a poor return, it would be a surprise to no one if he were to depart in the summer, looking to cut their losses after paying £52m for his signature from RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2023.

Any transfer would leave a desperate need for a new attacker, something which boss Enzo Maresca has desperately desired since his appointment – potentially going back in for a target they’ve previously monitored.

The former Chelsea ace who’s been like Isak since leaving

Alexander Isak was a player on Chelsea’s radar in the summer, but Newcastle United demanded a fee of over £100m for his services – which would’ve made him the third player to join the Blues for such a figure since Boehly’s arrival.

The Swede’s tally of 22 goals in all competitions will only have further increased his market value, potentially pricing Maresca’s side out of any move for him at the end of the season.

Regardless of whether Isak arrives in the summer, another attacking talent is needed in forward areas to help Maresca in his quest to take the club back to their former glory – but it’s important they don’t conduct a repeat of one signing.

Former striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang matched Nkunku in failing to deliver during his short period at the Bridge, making just 21 appearances and scoring just three times before leaving on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 to join Marseille.

Since his departure, the Gabonese international has found his goalscoring form, notching 43 goals in the last two seasons, leading to FBref ranking him as a similar player to £100m target Isak.

When comparing his stats to Newcastle’s talisman in 2024/25, the now 35-year-old has managed to match or better him in numerous key areas – albeit doing so in a lower quality division, currently plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.

Games played

22

25

Goals & assists

13

24

Shot-on-target accuracy

49%

46%

Shots on target

1.6

1.3

Pass accuracy

75%

74%

Take-on success

56%

47%

Fouls won

0.8

0.4

The former Arsenal star, who was dubbed “horrific” during his time at the Blues by Aaron Catterson-Reid, has registered slightly fewer combined goals and assists, but has managed to achieve a higher shot-on-target rate – showcasing his clinical edge.

He’s also completed more of his attempted passes and completed more take-ons, providing an all-round option at the top of the pitch with the skillset he possesses.

There’s no denying that Aubameyang failed to produce his quality during his short stint in West London, with his transfer needing to be a stark reminder going into the transfer market this summer.

However, his goalscoring record is there for all to see, recapturing his best form away from the Blues, with his dismal spell at Chelsea now appearing as a small blip in his successful career.

Chelsea flop was sold for only £13m, now he's outscoring Palmer & Isak

Chelsea made the wrong call in allowing one player to depart Stamford Bridge.

ByEthan Lamb Mar 12, 2025

Shakib Al Hasan, has launched a scathing attack on Tamim Iqbal ahead of the World Cup, calling him “childish” and criticising Tamim for putting himself ahead of the team’s needs.Tamim has been in and out of the Bangladesh side, battling a persistent back injury, which on Tuesday was cited as the reason for his exclusion from the World Cup squad. Except, earlier today, Tamim took to Facebook to insist he would have been fit enough to take part in the tournament and that the reason he won’t be travelling to India is because he had grown weary of the BCB creating roadblocks for him. One of which, he said, was a top board official asking him to bat down the order.”I am sure someone who is authorized had said this (to Tamim),” Shakib, the Bangladesh captain, told the Dhaka-based TV channel T-Sports in an interview that was aired on Wednesday night. “I am sure whoever has said it, he thought of the team. A lot of things go into building a combination for a match. So if someone has said this to him, was it wrong? Or we can’t make such a proposal? I am just going to tell someone that you can do whatever you want. Is the team first or the individual?”Related

• Tamim Iqbal to 'wait till January' before deciding on his international future

• Hathurusinghe deflects Shakib vs Tamim talk, wants focus to be on making final four

• Shakib Al Hasan outlines his retirement plan

• Tamim hits out at BCB; claims he would have been fit in time for World Cup

In a sustained and unsparing critique, Shakib said Tamim was being selfish in not thinking of the team.”Someone like Rohit Sharma built his career from No. 7 to opener, scored 10,000-plus runs. If he sometimes bats at No 3 or 4, would it be a big problem? It is totally childish. It is my bat, I will play. No one else can play. A player should bat at any position for the team. Team first. It doesn’t make any difference if you have made 100 or 200, and the team loses. What can you do with personal achievement? You want to make a name for yourself?”You are not thinking about the team at all. People don’t understand these things. Why was the proposal given to him? It was for the team. What is wrong in that? You are a team man when you agree to such a proposal. Unless you are thinking along those lines, you are not a team man. You are playing for individual records, success, fame, and name. Not for the team.”Tamim’s troubles began in July during a home series against Afghanistan, where he said he was playing through a back injury, the same one that he is currently managing. It led to his missing the Asia Cup and the final match of his comeback series as well, against New Zealand, earlier this week.Shakib said he didn’t want to carry a player with a fitness question mark over him into the World Cup and even went to the extent of saying anyone playing without being 100% fit is cheating the team.Tamim Iqbal did not like being asked to bat down the order•AFP/Getty Images

“I didn’t discuss the subject with the particular player, medical team or selector. It is definitely the board’s decision. People might doubt my capability or capacity but someone like MS Dhoni, who has won everything and has the knowledge and sense, once said that the unfit player who is playing is cheating his team and country. I think we should accept it, and not just Tamim but every player (that you have to be fully fit when playing for the team or country).”Other teams have similar concerns, like New Zealand have named their captain Kane Williamson for the World Cup despite him not being 100% after an ACL injury. But there has already been clarity around the extent of his participation and the lack of certainty when it comes to Tamim appears to be a sticking point.”Kane Williamson won’t play the first two matches, but then he will start playing,” Shakib said. “If I knew something like this, I wouldn’t have any problems. But if I know that there’s uncertainty about him playing the seventh or the third or the first game, or that I will only know in the morning of the game, it will be difficult for me to select the team. I don’t think we need such a player.”There has been speculation that Tamim was only fit enough to play five matches at the World Cup and though the opener has refuted them as lies, not everyone is convinced.”I certainly heard that he will play selectively,” Shakib said. “A journalist can’t really tell you that he will come to the office an hour before he wants to come to office. If you ask me personally, if I was the company CEO, I won’t keep that employee. Although I never had any discussion about this matter.”Shakib also took a dim view of Tamim choosing to resign as ODI captain just two months out from the World Cup. “I have often heard in the dressing room that he is leaving the captaincy. Even a player once told him that ‘, leave it early so that the new captain gets a bit of time’. Exactly that’s what happened. The one who came in, didn’t get the time. Each and everyone knew including the selectors and board officials. Papon (BCB president Nazmul Hassan) certainly knew about it.”I don’t know why he didn’t leave it (earlier). He can tell you. It is like, your commander takes you to war but (Shakib mimicking a solider) after he has got you ready, the commander isn’t telling you to fire or retreat. Where will you go? We were in this situation in the last two matches against Afghanistan (in July).”The captain wouldn’t have changed ahead of the Asia Cup and the World Cup, unless he himself announced that he was resigning or retiring. It would have happened 18 months ago, when everyone knew what was about to happen.”

Amad Diallo followed Harry Maguire's lead by attending Sunderland's Championship play-off semi-final second leg against Coventry on Tuesday.

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• Amad attends Sunderland's play-off semi-final
• Played for Mackems in 2022-23 season
• Team-mate Maguire was at Sheffield United on Monday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amad played for the Mackems on loan from Manchester United in the 2022-23 season and was present to watch his old side progress to Wembley in dramatic fashion. His attendance came 24 hours after Maguire was spotted watching his old Sheffield United side also book their place at Wembley for the play-off final.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amad featured for Sunderland in the play-offs two years ago when they were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Luton Town at the semi-final stage. He remains a hugely popular figure at the Stadium of Light, hence his return this week.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Maguire was born in Sheffield and is a Blades academy product, eventually leaving for Hull City in 2014. He went on to play for Wigan Athletic and Leicester City before joining Manchester United.

• WHAT NEXT FOR DIALLO AND MAGUIRE?

  Both players are set to feature in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur next Wednesday as they aim to win silverware for the club for the third consecutive season.

Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson also receive first call-ups for five-Test tour starting in January

Matt Roller11-Dec-2023

Shoaib Bashir, the 20-year-old Somerset offspinner with 10 wickets in his first-class career, has been named in England’s 16-man squad to tour India for a five-match Test series in early 2024. He is one of three uncapped players included along with left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and fast bowler Gus Atkinson, who have both represented England in limited-overs cricket.England’s captain Ben Stokes, who underwent surgery on his left knee last month, is included in the squad as expected, though will not be fit to bowl. Ben Foakes is also recalled after he was dropped for the Ashes, while Jack Leach and Ollie Pope both return to the squad after back and shoulder injuries during the English summer.Related

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Hartley in the right place as England opportunities beckon

Rehan Ahmed, who took seven wickets on Test debut in Karachi a year ago, is one of four specialist spin options alongside Leach, Hartley and Bashir. There are only four frontline seamers in the squad, with James Anderson and Ollie Robinson complemented by the pace of Atkinson and Mark Wood – meaning no place for Chris Woakes.But it is Bashir’s inclusion that stands out. He made his professional debut in June after signing a professional contract with Somerset and has played only six first-class matches, but was the outstanding spinner on England Lions’ recent training camp in the UAE, taking match figures of 6 for 42 in a three-day fixture against Afghanistan’s A team.Rob Key, England’s director of cricket, said that Bashir’s natural attributes, including a high release point, had encouraged the selectors to look beyond his modest first-class figures, and added that the upbeat environment fostered by Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes would help bring out the very best in his abilities.”I think we focus more on what style of cricket we want to play and what do we think is going to go out there and win,” Key said. “It’s about ‘what is someone’s upside?’ It’s very hard, especially for spinners in English cricket, to judge them on their numbers as such. You’re not going to expect your spinner to average 24 with the ball in county cricket, you’re trying to see something else and back their character.”You want to see how the ball comes out of their hand – you’re going more to the art of selection, rather than the science of selection – and you back that environment that Stokes and McCullum have created with all the other players, to get the best out of these people. With Stokesy’s captaincy in particular, your bet is often that he’ll be the one who can get something out of these players. You just want to create an environment where you think they can thrive, which is no mean feat when you’re talking about a Test tour of India.”Hartley has a modest first-class record for Lancashire, with 40 career wickets at 36.57. But England believe that he also possesses attributes – he is 6ft 4in, and regularly bowls at speeds of 60mph/97kph or more – which will make him well-suited to replicate the role that Axar Patel has performed in Indian conditions.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With Stokes unlikely to bowl a ball – “we never had him down to be bowling in India,” Key said – England will have difficult decisions to make over the balance of their side, not least over the identity of their wicketkeeper. Key hinted at the end of the World Cup that Bairstow had been told to work on his fitness – “he needs to actually get himself into a position where he can go and take on an Indian Test” – but insisted that they have not made a call.”[It is a] decision to be made and it hasn’t been made yet,” Key said. “A bit like the Ashes, we will get to the point where we feel like we have to make that decision. A lot can happen between now and then. That will come down to Brendon [McCullum] and Ben balancing the side, all kind of things. It’s a different place to keep than England. That decision will be made nearer the time.”Along with Woakes, who hinted at his likely non-inclusion earlier this year, other notable omissions include Dan Lawrence, Liam Dawson and Will Jacks. Lawrence was the spare batter throughout the Ashes but has been squeezed out of the squad, while Dawson and Jacks both have contracts to play in South Africa’s SA20, which clashes directly with the tour.Liam Livingstone, who made his Test debut in Pakistan a year ago, was not included and will instead play franchise cricket, while Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue – who picked up an injury on the Lions’ training camp in the UAE last month – are among the seamers on the periphery.England’s squad will travel to the UAE for a preparatory camp in mid-January and will arrive in India shortly before the first Test in Hyderabad on January 25. An England Lions squad, which is yet to be named, will also travel to India to shadow the main tour.England Test squad: Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (captain), Mark Wood

Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck Afghanistan’s fastest ODI fifty, but the 269-run target proved a bridge too far

Ashish Pant26-Aug-2023No Naseem Shah, no Haris Rauf, no problem, said Pakistan as they stitched together another splendid bowling performance to secure a clinical 59-run win over Afghanistan to sweep the ODIs 3-0. Crucially, with the win, they also zoomed to the top of the ODI rankings just ahead of the Asia Cup.Batting first on a two-paced Colombo surface, attritional half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped them reach 268 for 8. In reply, Afghanistan never really found their bearings on a pitch that seemed to have quickened up under lights. Mujeeb Ur Rahman tried his best to briefly throw a spanner into Pakistan’s works as he struck the fastest fifty by an Afghanistan batter in ODIs – off 26 balls and eventually finishing on a 37-ball 64. But the target proved to be a bridge too far.Eventually, they were bowled out for 209 in 48.4 overs with Shadab Khan being the pick of the bowlers taking 3 for 42.Chasing 269, Afghanistan needed a strong start from their openers which they never got. It did not help that Ibrahim Zadran couldn’t open, because he spent the last few minutes of the first innings off the field and hence had to serve time before walking out. Riaz Hassan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were all at sea against the Pakistan fast bowlers, with Faheem Ashraf causing the most problems.Mujeeb Ur Rahman registered Afghanistan’s fastest ODI fifty•AFP/Getty ImagesShaheen Shah Afridi got the ball to nip around, but his radar was off initially. Ashraf, however, was exemplary with his lines and lengths. He kept the ball in the channel outside off, back of a length and had the batters guessing. He prised out the key scalp of Gurbaz, who missed a straight ball and was trapped in front of the stumps as he missed a flick. DRS confirmed the ball would have clipped the leg bail. Ashraf then claimed Zadran, who fell for a 11-ball duck. The two batters, who had amassed a collective 231 off 252 in the second ODI, could only muster 5 off 26 in the third.Hashmatullah Shahidi and Riaz added a brief 30-run stand for the third wicket but took 61 balls. There were plays and misses all through as the Pakistan bowlers stuck to a plan and more importantly, delivered.Riaz’s chancy 66-ball 34 was ended by Shadab, who then also sent back Shahidi in the same over as Afghanistan stared down the barrel. From 60 for 2, they slipped to 75 for 6 and then 97 for 7. At that point, it seemed another quick end was certain. But Mujeeb and Shahidullah Kamal held fort.They added 57 off 42 balls for the eighth wicket with Mujeeb doing the bulk of the damage. The only Afghan batter to show intent, he hammered five fours and five sixes during his knock which ended with him being dismissed for hit-wicket. He had his chances, took them on and frustrated the bowlers to no end.Earlier, Pakistan’s was an innings of two halves. The first 30 overs yielded only 103 runs, the last 20 got them 165. At no stage did the batters look comfortable. Babar and Rizwan added 110 runs for the third wicket, but took 145 balls and had 84 dots. As it turned out, it was their innings which formed the cornerstone of Pakistan’s batting.Babar Azam made a solid 60 on a tricky pitch•AFP/Getty ImagesThe under-fire Fakhar Zaman was off the blocks early climbing into Fazalhaq Farooqi, slamming him for five fours in the 20 balls he faced. Imam-ul-Haq, on the other hand, struggled all through. He played back-to-back maidens off Mujeeb and in general lacked timing.Pakistan still managed to get going at a tick over four an over, with Fakhar finding his groove. But a bowling change got the hosts back into the game. Gulbadin Naib, playing his first game of the series, made an immediate impact.A couple of outswingers beat Fakhar’s outstretched blade before he tried a release shot only to miscue a length ball straight up with the catch intercepted well by Riaz. Naib then removed Imam as well. He came dashing down the track to a short-of-a-length ball outside off, but could only manage a thick edge with Gurbaz doing the rest.Babar and Rizwan got together in the 13th over and for the next few overs, run-scoring became a massive task. Only four fours were hit in the next 18 overs, with the run rate dropping to below 3.50.But the duo flicked a switch after drinks. Pakistan collected 85 runs between overs 31 to 40 to up the ante. Rizwan was the one to break the shackles and he reached his tenth ODI fifty off 69 balls while Babar joined him soon taking 77 balls to reach the landmark.Both batters, however, failed to post a three-figure score. While Rashid Khan induced an outside edge off Babar’s blade, Rizwan fell lbw to Fareed Ahmed. In between, Afghanistan also ran out Saud Shakeel as Pakistan lost 3 for 9 in 15 balls. Mohammad Nawaz and Agha Salman, however, made sure to give Pakistan a good end. They stitched a 61-run stand off 47 balls for the seventh wicket. Afghanistan, who were brilliant in the field in the top half of the innings, started to make mistakes. There were a number of misfields and dropped chances with Pakistan going past 250 with ease, smoking 80 runs off the last ten overs.

da dobrowin： Everton have seen their attempts to sign a talented European teenager stall due to visa issues, a source close to the player has now revealed.

Everton eye attacking reinforcements

da jogodeouro： After a turbulent few years at Everton, the club’s new owners, the Friedkin Group, have restored a sense of stability as the club looks ahead to a fresh chapter away from Goodison Park.

Not only have Friedkin reappointed David Moyes as manager, which has resulted in a huge upturn in the Toffees’ fortunes on the pitch, they’ve also significantly reduced the club’s £600 million debt, which should free up funds for new signings in the upcoming season.

With money in the kitty, Everton have been linked with a number of big names ahead of the summer, including former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who is currently on loan at AC Milan from AS Roma.

Everton are understood to have already made an approach for the Englishman, who has scored eight goals in 34 games for Milan this season, with Moyes keen to bolster his attacking line, especially with the future of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign, uncertain.

Related Contact made: Everton now make first move for "sensational" £34m striker

The Toffees have asked for information about a forward who is keen on moving to the Premier League.

Posts ByDominic Lund Mar 6, 2025

Abraham himself is believed to be keen on a return to the Premier League, with West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Fulham also named as potential suitors. Elsewhere, the Toffees are also reported to be keen on both West Ham United star Tomas Soucek and Brentford’s Christian Norgaard, seeking an experienced head in midfield.

Everton to lose out on teenage star

Another player Everton had reportedly been keen to land was Hungarian youngster Ricsi Pisont. Pisont, the 13-year-old nephew of former Hungary international István Pisont, has, according to Sportal, recently spent time at the Toffees’ academy, where he impressed enough for the Toffees to want to sign him.

The teenager also attended Blackburn’s academy, where he again convinced an English suitor of his talent. Instead, however, he will now have to stay with the academy of Budapest Honvéd, his uncle’s former club, because he is unable to get an English visa.

“He has gained great experience and both clubs wanted to sign him, but unfortunately we are not yet at the point where we can get a visa to England,” the youngster’s father, Richárd Pisont, told Sportal, per Sports Witness.

“In any case, we are in a very good place now, serious work is underway at the Honvéd academy, and everything is in place for Ricsi to develop his talent in Kispest,” he said.

If István Pisont’s comments on his nephew are anything to be believed, Everton look to have missed out on a serious talent.

“He has extremely good insights in the attacking zone, he makes good decisions in different game situations, he has high game intelligence and very good technical preparation,” the Honvéd legend, who now manages Hungary’s U-17s team, said. “If his physical parameters are also suitable, and if God helps him, he will have a very good career.”

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and drug driving after multiple fans were driven into during Liverpool's trophy parade.

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11 people remain in hospitalMan arrested by police50 people were treatedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Merseyside police have confirmed that a 53-year-old man from West Derby has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, drug driving, and dangerous driving offences after a car was driven into fans at Liverpool's title parade. A total of 50 people were treated for injuries, while 11 remain in hospital.

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has reported that police are investigating whether the car involved tailgated an ambulance to find its way onto Water Street, which was closed to accommodate revellers along Liverpool's parade route. The ambulance had been waved through the cordon to treat a suspected heart attack.

DID YOU KNOW?

The police are not said to be treating the incident as terror-related. The man is still in custody and is being interviewed by police.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Inquiries will continue, with an extensive investigation underway. That includes tracing the car's movements in the lead-up to the ramming.

MatériaMais Notícias

da 888casino： Adversários na Supercopa do Brasil, Palmeiras e Flamengo serão “inimigos íntimos” neste sábado, às 16h30, no Mané Garrincha. E isso não se deve apenas à rivalidade recente entre as equipes. As delegações dos clubes estarão, literalmente, lado a lado durante este período em Brasília. Os hotéis escolhidos pelas diretorias são vizinhos e separados apenas por uma rede de fast-food. Veja acima!

RelacionadasFlamengoFlamengo divulga relacionados para a Supercopa do BrasilFlamengo27/01/2023PalmeirasDirigente que trabalhou com Abel em Portugal elogia técnico do Palmeiras: ‘Nada é só aparência’Palmeiras27/01/2023

da bet7k： Uma caminhada de 300 metros é suficiente para ir do hotel onde Abel Ferreira, Dudu e companhia ficarão hospedados para o local que acomodará Vítor Pereira, Gabigol e os demais rubro-negros. No trajeto, apenas uma famosa rede de fast-food os separa. O local, no Setor Hoteleiro Norte de Brasília, foi escolhido pela proximidade do Estádio Mané Garrincha, que fica a menos de 1,5 km dali.

Left-arm quick looks forward to returning to the IPL, “swinging the new ball, reversing the old, and trying to smack those wickets”

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Dec-2023Mitchell Starc was “jittery” on Tuesday evening as he followed the IPL 2024 auction at his home in Sydney. It had already been a busy day for Starc: he had mowed the lawn, walked the dogs, done his shopping rounds and made himself dinner.Starc waited anxiously for his name to come up for bidding in the fourth set comprising capped fast bowlers. His Australia captain and friend Pat Cummins had already gone to Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.5 crore (US$2.569 mn approx.), surpassing the record set by England allrounder Sam Curran at the 2023 auction to become the IPL’s most expensive player ever.Related

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That distinction, several pundits and franchises heads had believed in the lead-up to the auction, would belong to Starc. Nearly two-and-a-half hours into the auction in Dubai, player Number 28’s name came up for bidding: Starc.Starc and everyone else following the auction wouldn’t believe what was about to transpire. Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani and his counterpart at Delhi Capitals, Kiran Gandhe, started the bidding. At the INR 9.4 crore mark, Gandhe pulled out. Enter Kolkata Knight Riders at the INR 9.8 crore mark. The Knight Riders had been favorites to bid for Starc on the eve of the auction. After all, they had signed him for INR 9.4 crore at the 2018 auction, but Starc had to pull out due to injury.After Mumbai, too, dropped out, Gujarat Titans locked into a bidding contest with Knight Riders. Several tense minutes followed as both franchises raised their bidding towards Cummins’ price tag. The auction room let out a sigh of excitement when Starc surpassed Cummins. Finally, after nearly 17 minutes of bidding, Knight Riders had Starc at INR 24.75 crore. The most expensive player tag had moved from Cummins to Starc in less than two hours.Starc was as gobsmacked as his wife Alyssa Healy, who was relaying updates from Mumbai where she is part of the Australia women’s tour of India, which starts with a one-off Test this week. In a chat with , Starc said he had been “intrigued” about how he would fare, and wasn’t prepared to end up making history.”I’m not sure any words would do it justice, really,” Starc said with a chuckle, asked to recount his reaction to Knight Riders’ winning bid. “Alyssa was over there with the Australian team at the minute, so her coverage was slightly ahead of mine here in Australia. So she sort of saw the numbers before I did, so I was getting the updates through her. But, yeah, a fair bit of shock, and certainly excitement with how it was all unfolding. But nothing that I could’ve ever imagined. Thoroughly thrilled to be joining KKR.”Starc has played only two seasons of the IPL – in 2014 and 2015, at Royal Challengers Bangalore, who had picked him up at INR 5 crore. He then decided to manage his workload for a few years before deciding to enter the auction ahead of the 2018 season. Even then the Knight Riders had bet big money on Starc who they believe has all the skills to be a serial match-winner. These included his ability to bowl in the 140-150 kph range while generating conventional and reverse swing, flooring batters and breaking stumps with toe-crushing yorkers, mix things up with a wicked slower ball, all this with the added threat of his left-arm angle, as well as provide depth to their batting with his lower-order hitting.Unfortunately, Starc hurt his tibia, ruling him out of the 2018 season. But six seasons later, Starc is happy to play in Knight Riders’ colours. “Firstly, it’s exciting to be back involved,” he said. “Secondly, it’s more of a bit of a shock and a surprise, I guess.”The Knight Riders had come to the auction with a remaining purse of 32.7 crore with the most slots to fill of any team – 12 including four overseas players. As soon as the auction began, they got to work by raising their paddle for West Indies allrounder Rovman Powell, who ended up going to Rajasthan Royals. The Knight Riders would eventually walk out with 10 new signings.0:34

Healy: IPL record buy a justification for Starc’s choices

Incredibly, the nine others apart from Starc were all signed at their base price. As Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore said after acquiring Starc, you can “slice” the purse in different ways.But how do you make sense of a team spending INR 24.75 crore, or 75.69 % of the purse they started the auction with, on a single player? Starc was laughing himself. “They are amazing numbers, aren’t they?” He understands the pressure and expectatins that will come with the price tag as soon as the season begins. But he has qualities not many possess: vast experience, and the experience of winning World Cups in high-pressure situations. “I’m 33 now, so I’ve had to deal with a few ups and downs and pressures of certain games,” he said. “I would like to think that I can keep that in check, but that always comes with the territory when some of those numbers get added to the anticipation of an upcoming season as well.”It’s been a long time since I played in IPL in 2014 and ’15 and have obviously played a fair bit of cricket since then. A lot of it for Australia in different formats. There’s been a lot of white-ball cricket there [in India] across a few World Cup campaigns, and so that experience is there and a little bit of leadership if you like, in terms of the experience side of things in white-ball cricket that hopefully I can bring to bring to KKR as well and play my part there. And being able to bowl at different stages I think is something that’s held firm throughout.”While he sat out of the IPL, Starc never felt uneasy. His had chalked out his priorities, and had been focused on performing for Australia. He played a key role in a historic 2023, in which Australia won the World Test Championship final, retained the Ashes, and then overcame a dominant India in the final of the World Cup in front of a 90,000-plus crowd in Ahmedabad.Starc now believes he is ready for the IPL .”I’ve probably prioritised international cricket firstly for a long time whilst having a bit of a taste of IPL and Big Bash in Australia.” he said. “I’ve always held firm that I’ve wanted to play my best cricket for Australia and make myself available for Australia where I can. At the same time, the temptation to go back to IPL and how exciting it is to be involved in such a great tournament, big names, big players, big stages – it’s too hard to pass up. There’s a place to play all of it. it’s just being mindful and putting the work ethic in to be able to do all of it.”The Eden Gardens also holds good memories for Starc. On November 16, he took a three-for and then batted resolutely with Cummins in a tense chase of 213 against South Africa in the World Cup semi-finals. “I’m very much looking forward to playing as the home team and experiencing that home crowd [at Eden Gardens],” he said. “Some new colors to pull on and a new challenge to look forward to.”What can the passionate Knight Riders fan expect then from Starc? “Hopefully, more of the success that I’ve had over some time – swinging the new ball, reversing the old, and trying to smack those wickets.”As for the present, Starc is looking forward to meeting Cummins ahead of training on Wednesday as they get ready to join the rest of the Australia squad in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. “It could be an interesting conversation between the bowling group tomorrow and the gym,” he said, with a laugh.While he and Healy will spend the rest of 2023 indulging in a “Christmas of cricket” in different continents, Starc is happy to share the joy he and Cummins have experienced today with rest of the Australia squad. “The team chat has been going nuts,” he said. “The are all saying it’s our shout, so we’ll just go about our business and get ready for the next Test match. But a few of our Australian team-mates might be waiting for us to treat them.”

This season has felt like a real slog for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have had to deal with a drop in form, questionable officiating, and a mountain of injuries, which have eviscerated their frontline.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are all out injured, with the last two not set to return until next season, which makes the decision not to sign anyone last month look utterly absurd.

Gabriel Jesus

ACL

22/11/2025

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Knee Surgery

06/10/2025

Kai Havertz

Hamstring

21/07/2025

Gabriel Martinelli

Hamstring

01/04/2025

Bukayo Saka

Hamstring

16/03/2025

Following the loss of Havertz earlier this month, we reckon the manager would love to have one of his former forward options back in the squad, especially as he’s won comparisons to Manchester City’s new addition, Omar Marmoush.

Havertz's pre-injury form

It would be fair to say that Havertz is a centre-forward who divides opinion.

After all, the former Chelsea ace was initially signed as a midfielder to replace Granit Xhaka in the summer of 2023.

However, while the criticisms of his finishing ability certainly hold true, as evidenced by Understat revealing he’s underperformed his expected goals by 2.76 this season, he’s been more effective than people have perhaps given him credit for this year.

Appearances

34

Minutes

2776′

Goals

15

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

138.8

For example, in 34 appearances before his injury, totalling 2776 minutes, the 25-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by writer Jake Entwistle, managed to rack up a pretty decent haul of 15 goals and five assists.

That means the Aachen-born forward was averaging a goal involvement every 1.7 games, or every 138.8 minutes, which not only makes him the Gunners’ top scorer this year but also demonstrates why his absence from the starting lineup for the rest of the campaign is such a significant concern.

It’s a problem that Arteta will have to find a solution for as soon as possible, and while he likely will, we can’t help thinking about how useful it’d be to have one of his former stars back in the team, especially as they’ve won comparisons to Marmoush of all people this year.

The former Arsenal star compared to Marmoush

Arsenal have had some brilliant strikers play for them in recent history, such as Olivier Giroud and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but perhaps one of their most underrated number nines in the modern era was Alexandre Lacazette.

The French poacher joined the Gunners in the window before Aubameyang arrived, so his efforts in attack were often, understandably, underappreciated, as while he could be profligate and even sluggish at times, the Lyon-born star had a pretty decent record.

When he left the Emirates for free in the summer of 2023, the 33-year-old did so with 71 goals and 32 assists to his name in 206 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game, and considering he’s since racked up a haul of 63 goals and 12 assists in 103 appearances for Lyon, it would be fair to say he would’ve been the ideal solution to Havertz’s recent injury.

On top of his raw output, the French “goal machine,” as former teammate Sokratis described him, has been likened to one of the most exciting players in Europe this season: Marmoush.

The comparison stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Egyptian is the second most similar forward to the Lyon star.

Progressive Passes Received

7.52

7.52

Penalty Kicks

0.14

0.10

Goals per Shot

0.15

0.18

Passing Accuracy

70.6%

71.2%

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.45

1.44

Passes into the Final Third

1.66

1.78

Expected Assists

0.26

0.24

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, progressive passes received, penalty kicks, goals per shot, expected assists, passing accuracy, passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, there can be no doubt over the fact that following Havertz’s injury, Arsenal are in the midst of a crisis in attack, and while moving Lacazette on over two years ago was probably the right move, we can’t help but imagine Arteta would be feeling much better about the situation with him in his squad.

Arsenal lost a "top talent" for £0, now he's similar to Isak & Havertz

The experienced Premier League star would be perfect for Arsenal at the moment.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 28, 2025