جوارديولا يدافع عن موسم مانشستر سيتي: فزنا بكأس.. وهناك فرق لم تحقق أي شيء

دافع المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، باستماتة عن موسمهم، بعدما تعرضوا للكثير من الانتقادات خاصة مع عدم حسمهم التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، قبل مباراتين من النهاية.

ويخوض مانشستر سيتي مباراته في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي مساء الغد ضد بورنموث على ملعب “الاتحاد” في الجولة السابعة والثلاثين.

ويحتل مانشستر سيتي حاليًا المركز السادس في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي، برصيد 65 نقطة، حيث ينافس نيوكاسل يونايتد، تشيلسي، أستون فيلا ونوتينجهام فورست على التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وعانى مانشستر سيتي من موسم كارثي حيث فشل في التتويج بأي لقب، وخسر يوم السبت الماضي نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي أمام كريستال بالاس.

اقرأ أيضًا | “تجربة السجادة الزرقاء”.. مانشستر سيتي يجهز احتفالية خاصة للاعب الفريق في مباراة بورنموث

ورغم ذلك، فإن جوارديولا يرى أن مانشستر سيتي توج بكأس الدرع الخيرية، قبل بداية الموسم على حساب مانشستر يونايتد، على العكس من أندية أخرى لم تفز بأي شئ.

وقال جوارديولا، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: “قدمنا نهائيًا رائعًا، ولكن لم يكن ذلك كافيًا من أجل الفوز به، لدينا آخر مباراتين في الدوري، نحتاج إلى 4 نقاط من أجل التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، وهذا يكفي، على الجميع إدراك ذلك”.

وأضاف: “بكل تأكيد التأهل مهم، ولكن بالنسبة لفرق أخرى، باستثناء نيوكاسل الذي فاز بكأس الرابطة، وليفربول فاز بالدوري الإنجليزي، ومانشستر سيتي فاز بالدرع الخيري، في حين لم تفز الفرق الأخرى بالألقاب”.

وواصل: “هناك فرق أخرى مثل تشيلسي بالطبع يمكنها الفوز بلقب هذا الموسم (دوري المؤتمر الأوروبي)، وكذلك مانشستر يونايتد وتوتنهام اللذان يتنافسان في نهائي الدوري الأوروبي، تتوقع جميع الفرق الأخرى التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا لأنه مهم لكل نادٍ يشارك في هذه البطولة العام المقبل”.

ولم يكشف جوارديولا بشكل مباشر الفريق التي يسخر من كونها لم تفز بأي ألقاب هذا الموسم، ولكن يمكن القول أن أبرزها آرسنال، الذي نافس ليفربول على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي قبل تراجعه في الجولات الأخيرة، بخلاف خروجه من دوري أبطال أوروبا من نصف النهائي.

Worth more than Cherki: Liverpool have already struck gold on "elite" star

Despite losing their final game in the Champions League group stage against PSV 3-2, Liverpool still managed to finish top in the group phase, automatically qualifying them for the round of 16. The Reds won seven of their eight games played, earning 21 points and finishing with 12 goal difference.

One man in particular who took his chance against PSV, was Harvey Elliott, who has struggled for minutes under Arne Slot so far, but managed to score in their final Champions League group game, also managing 70 touches, enjoying 100% dribble success and winning 100% of his ground duels.

After his performance in Holland, Elliott could have shown his manager that attacking reinforcement isn’t needed, with recent links to Lyon attacking midfielder, Rayan Cherki, proving he can provide that creative spark needed, whether it’s from the bench or a starting position.

Liverpool's very own Cherki

Elliott has made 14 appearances for Liverpool this campaign, scoring three goals, providing one assist and totalling 404 minutes played so far.

Market Movers

The 21-year-old did miss the start of the season with a broken foot, but since returning, Slot has been easing him back, with substitute appearances in the Premier League and starts in cup competitions.

The youngster joined from Fulham back in the 2019/20 season, being an extremely highly rated teenager at the time. His value quickly skyrocketed, going from a €4.00m (£3.3m) player to a €22.00m (£18.4m) player in the span of two years, spending time with Blackburn on loan – as per Transfermarkt.

Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool

According to Transfermarkt, Elliott is now worth €35m (£29.2m), having stagnated at this value since September 2022, having a brief dip in December 2023, before returning to the same value.

This £29.2m valuation is higher than the French attacking midfielder being linked to the club, begging the question of whether Liverpool really need him.

Cherki vs Elliot comparison

Cherki has made 24 appearances so far this season, scoring five goals, providing eight assists and totalling 1,501 minutes played. His current value is €30m (£25m), which is less than Elliott’s as previously stated.

Rayan Cherki (24/25) vs Harvey Elliot (23/24) comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Cherki

Elliot

Goals

0.30

0.13

Assists

0.48

0.35

Progressive Carries

4.77

3.00

Progressive Passes

10.1

7.85

Progressive Passes Received

8.08

7.55

Shots Total

2.41

2.96

Passes into Final Third

4.77

5.11

Passes into Pen Area

3.97

2.75

Key Passes

4.11

2.19

Shot-Creating Actions

7.68

4.72

Stats taken from FBref

When comparing the two players’ metrics – having used Cherki’s from this season and Elliott’s from last season due to minutes played – you can see Cherki outperforms Elliot in all but two areas, the Englishman having a higher shot volume and completing more passes into the final third, thus showing his willingness to drop deep and link play.

Elliott was labelled “elite” for a performance against Newcastle back in 2022 by Statman Dave on X, with a midfield performance orchestrating play, completing long passes, making ball recoveries and completing dribbles in the final third.

Rayan Cherki

Whilst Cherki has perhaps shown a higher level thus far, Elliott has shown his potential already playing in the Premier League, and given more trust and responsibility, Elliott could go to the next level, taking the creative burden as a playmaker in this Liverpool side, which would see his underlying numbers spike.

Liverpool hold concrete interest in "exceptional" £50m Salah replacement

The Reds now hold concrete interest in a forward who has been in impressive form this season, as a potential heir to the Egyptian.

ByDominic Lund Jan 30, 2025

McMullen earns maiden call-up to Scotland squad for T20 World Cup; Wheal, Davey return

Ali Evans, Gavin Main, Adrian Neill, Chris McBridge and Oliver Hairs – all part of recent series against New Zealand – have been left out

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2022

Josh Davey finished with nine wickets in five matches at last year’s T20 World Cup•ICC via Getty

Allrounder Brandon McMullen has earned a maiden call-up to the Scotland side for the T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia next month. Brad Wheal and Josh Davey, the pace-bowling duo who weren’t part of the white-ball series against New Zealand in July, have been called back into the 15-member squad to be led by Richie Berrington.Pace bowlers Ali Evans, Gavin Main and Adrian Neill, and batters Chris McBridge and Oliver Hairs – who were all part of that home series – have been left out.According to a Cricket Scotland release, McMullen has been called up on the back of his impressive performances at the Regional series and A team matches with both bat and ball. Wheal, meanwhile, finished fifth on the top wicket-takers’ table at this season’s Vitality Blast with 22 wickets in 13 matches playing for champions Hampshire, after which he also played in the Hundred.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Davey, who represented Somerset across formats this summer, finished with 15 wickets in 11 matches in the Blast. He also topped the wickets charts for Scotland in the T20 World Cup last year, finishing with nine wickets in five games, including 4 for 18 against PNG.The squad includes the experience of Berrington, George Munsey, Matt Cross and Calum MacLeod in the batting department, while the bowling line-up also features Mark Watt, Safyann Sharif and Hamza Tahir. Cross has been named vice-captain of the side.The release also mentioned that “forty players were considered for selection” after analysing the performances at men’s T20 Blitz cricket at Ayr and Clydesdale.Related

Coetzer announces T20I retirement after giving up Scotland captaincy

Richie Berrington appointed Scotland captain

Associates have not kept up – because they're playing too few games

“It was good to see other younger players put performances in under pressure, and I have no doubt their opportunities will come in the not-too-distant future,” head coach Shane Burger said. “We have selected 15 that we believe will make the desired impact we are looking for. For those players who are not going to the World Cup, we look forward to seeing them challenging for international honours in years to come.”The squad has a blend of youth and experience alongside locally based players and County representatives. The balance of the team and chemistry is crucial to contributing to performances at the World Cup. We believe we have a good mix of the above and have selected players that are in form and can perform under pressure.”The only T20Is Scotland have played since last year’s T20 World Cup – where they finished winless in Group Two after qualifying for the Super 12s – are the two matches against New Zealand in July. They are scheduled to play warm-up games against Netherlands and UAE ahead of their first-round matches in the upcoming tournament, where they are placed alongside West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe in Group B.Scotland will take on West Indies in their opening match in Hobart on October 17.Scotland squad: Richard Berrington (capt), George Munsey, Michael Leask, Brad Wheal, Chris Sole, Chris Greaves, Safyaan Sharif, Josh Davey, Matthew Cross (wk), Calum MacLeod, Hamza Tahir, Mark Watt, Brandon McMullen, Michael Jones, Craig Wallace

André Mazzuco fala sobre Marçal e Zahavi e agradece apoio da torcida do Botafogo: 'Muito gratificante'

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a derrota para o Goiás, a torcida vaiou e questionou o desempenho do Botafogo no Brasileirão. Com a proximidade da segunda janela de transferência (dia 18 de julho), o Alvinegro segue no mercado para reforçar o elenco comandado pelo português Luís Castro. O diretor de futebol André Mazzuco falou sobre o futuro em entrevista ao “Canal do TF”, no Youtube.

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– Estamos trabalhando na segunda janela, tem uma prospecção no mercado. Dentro das possibilidades, queremos qualificar o elenco e vai fazer parte do plano. Esperamos que o time evolua. Temos discutido com o Luís (Castro), com a comissão. Pretendemos trabalhar em jogadores que preencham ou qualifiquem algumas lacunas – elucidou, e em seguida acrescentou:

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

– É uma janela mais curta, mas tentamos sempre antecipar, como tem sido as negociações com Zahavi e Marçal. Nessa janela ganhamos a concorrência grande da Europa também. Vamos tentar ser eficientes no máximo que pudermos. Não tem um número certo, mas faz parte do nosso projeto qualificar a equipe nessa segunda janela para terminarmos bem a temporada – acrescentou.

O diretor também falou sobre dois dos principais nomes que o Botafogo segue negociando: o lateral-esquerdo Marçal e o atacante Zahavi. Cabe ressaltar que John Textor citou recentemente que pretende trazer reforços para que o Glorioso se fortaleça ainda nesta temporada.

– Eu sou otimista. Estou otimista com os dois. Vamos ver se tem um desfecho logo. A janela fecha dia 18, ainda tem um tempinho. Não demos prazo não, não é assim que funciona. Tem concorrência de outros clubes, não é fácil, são jogadores que nos interessam e estamos fazendo todo o esforço possível para fechar com eles – disse Mazzuco.

Além disso, o profissional também analisou o momento do time, que não vence há três jogos no Brasileirão (empatou com o América-MG, e perdeu para Coritiba e Goiás). Ele agradeceu o apoio da torcida no Nilton Santos, disse que nada mudou com tropeço e pediu paciência.

+Erison prega evolução do Botafogo após críticas da torcida: ‘Eles têm razão, têm o direito de nos cobrar’

– Não acho que houve ruptura com a torcida. A torcida comprou a ideia e vai continuar comprando a ideia. A torcida chateou, vaiou, nós vamos ganhar outros jogos. A torcida do Botafogo é uma das mais fiéis que já conheci. Temos que retomar o caminho das vitórias, é isso que temos que entregar para o torcedor. Vamos ganhar de novo, o torcedor vai estar conosco, vamos perder, esse é o processo. A torcida está conosco, o torcedor do Botafogo é algo a ser estudado, é uma torcida maravilhosa mesmo, que nos dá muito orgulho, e por isso nos dá mais responsabilidade para entregar cada vez mais.

– Tem que ter paciência, não é da noite para o dia. Estamos construindo algo que será muito sólido no futuro. Queremos mais qualidade de jogo, de equipe, de estrutura, estamos há quatro meses mais ou menos nesse processo. Ontem foi uma derrota realmente ruim, acho que não esperávamos principalmente pelo primeiro tempo que fizemos. Temos que assimilar essa derrota. Houve cobranças sempre, como há todo dia, entre nós, comissão e atletas. Todos querem vencer, todos estão engajados no projeto e agora temos que retomar a confiança – afirmou Mazzuco.

O dirigente quis passar um recado de agradecimento ao torcedor do Botafogo, que compareceu em grande número mesmo numa segunda-feira à noite diante do Goiás, e pediu calma para que o processo siga seu caminho.

+Gustavo Sauer, do Botafogo, agradece após cirurgia: ‘Quero voltar logo a vestir essa camisa gloriosa’

– Temos recebido apoio. Está sendo muito gratificante. Ontem era o jogo que deveríamos ter entregado. Não aconteceu, mas agora não pode ser o caos. Entramos num jogo com 30 mil pessoas para chegar no G-4. Não aconteceu? Precisamos retomar a confiança. Mais uma vez essa fidelidade ao projeto tem sido grande. É um processo, não é simples. Lógico que queremos ser campeões já esse ano, mas temos que ter os pés no chão. Não faltou apoio em nenhum momento, agora é dar a volta por cima e essa é a cobrança que temos internamente – disse Mazzuco.

لاعب ليفربول يتلقى البطاقة الحمراء في مباراة كريستال بالاس

تلقى لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، البطاقة الحمراء خلال مباراة كريستال بالاس ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويواجه ليفربول نظيره كريستال بالاس، في الجولة 38 والأخيرة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “أنفيلد”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. الفرق المتأهلة من الدوري الإنجليزي إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا 2025/26 (محدث باستمرار)

وتحصل لاعب ليفربول، ريان جرافنبيرخ، على البطاقة الحمراء عند الدقيقة 67 من عمر الشوط الثاني.

ويأتي ذلك عقب سقوط جرافنبيرخ أثناء استلامه للكرة وحيداً في منتصف الملعب، لينزلق ثم يعيق لاعب كريستال بالاس، كامادا، ليحصل على البطاقة الحمراء، ليكمل ليفربول اللقاء منقوصين عددياً.

يذكر أن هدف المباراة الوحيد جاء عن طريق إسماعيلا سار بحلول الدقيقة التاسعة من عمر الشوط الأول.

Barcelona already plotting summer move to sign "amazing" Crystal Palace ace

As the January transfer window comes to a close, Barcelona have reportedly already set their sights on signing an in-form Crystal Palace star when the summer arrives.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles have done well to keep hold of their own star men in the last month whilst also welcoming additions themselves to hand Oliver Glasner a welcomed boost.

Having commenced the January transfer window by welcoming a young talent in Romain Esse – who scored on his debut against Brentford recently – Palace ended their window by welcoming an experienced defender in the form of Ben Chilwell.

The Chelsea defender comes in at the same time that those at Selhurst Park were reportedly forced to reject an offer of as much as £70m from Tottenham Hotspur for Marc Guehi.

After Chilwell: Crystal Palace now pushing for dream Chalobah replacement

This could be Palace’s second deadline day signing after Chilwell

ByJoe Nuttall Feb 3, 2025

Rejecting the offer with such little time remaining to find a viable replacement, Guehi may not be the only star man who Crystal Palace face a battle to keep when the summer arrives.

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona are now plotting a move to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta this summer and see the forward as a less complicated option on the spending front as well as one who could replace Robert Lewandowski.

Whether Crystal Palace agree with that verdict on the economical front remains to be seen, however, given that they remained unmoved by Spurs’ late big-money attempts to lure Guehi away from South London.

Should they remain just as stubborn in the face of Barcelona’s chase of Mateta, then Palace may yet keep hold of their star striker this summer.

"Amazing" Mateta is more important than ever

If Barcelona come calling this summer, then Palace should do everything in their power to turn the Spaniards down amid Metata’s growing importance. The 27-year-old is at the peak of his powers and last summer’s move to sign Eddie Nketiah seemingly only spurred him on to make the starting role his own and prove that he is the best option for Glasner at Selhurst Park.

After scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Manchester United last time out, Mateta was at the centre of his Glasner’s praise. The Austrian told reporters: “We don’t always talk because he knows what we demand of him. With his two goals today, he is amazing in the box.

“He has the feeling that a number nine must have in the box. He makes so many runs where he doesn’t get the ball. You need to suffer as a striker because you make so many runs where you don’t get the ball. He gets the reward and it decides the game for us.”

With six goals in his last five Premier League games, Mateta is once again the man of the moment for Crystal Palace.

قبل مونديال الأندية.. أتلتيكو مدريد يعلن تجديد عقد جريزمان

أعلن نادي أتلتيكو مدريد الإسباني، تجديد عقد لاعبه الفرنسي أنطوان جريزمان، في بيان رسمي أصدره اليوم الإثنين.

وكان عقد جريزمان ينتهي في يونيو 2026، وقرر أتلتيكو مدريد بالاتفاق مع اللاعب، تجديد العقد حتى 2027.

ويأتي تجديد تعاقد جريزمان، قبل استعدادات أتلتيكو مدريد للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وتنطلق منافسات مونديال الأندية، يوم 14 يونيو الجاري، وتستمر حتى 13 يوليو المقبل، في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

اقرأ أيضًا | رسميًا.. هانز فليك أفضل مدرب في الدوري الإسباني 2024/2025

ويتواجد أتلتيكو مدريد في المجموعة الثانية والتي تضم أندية باريس سان جيرمان وبوتافوجو وسياتل ساوندرز.

انضم جريزمان إلى أتليتكو مدريد في موسم 2014-2015، وغادر في يوليو 2019، ثم عاد مجددًا للروخي بلانكوس في أغسطس 2021.

وأصبح جريزمان الهداف التاريخي لأتلتيكو مدريد برصيد 197 هدفًا، وفاز بكأس السوبر الإسباني (2014) وكأس السوبر الأوروبي (2018)، وبالدوري الأوروبي (2018).

Sub-15 do Palmeiras aplica nova goleada no Paulista e segue invicto na temporada

MatériaMais Notícias

Na manhã deste sábado (25), o Palmeiras goleou o Comercial por 6 a 1, em jogo válido pela segunda fase do Paulista Sub-15. Ítalo e Luis Saboia balançaram as redes duas vezes cada um. Erick Belé e Lucas Perez fecharam a conta alviverde.

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GALERIA

>150 dias para a Copa: veja quem deve aparecer na convocação

TABELA

> Confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão 2022!

O Verdão já acumula quatro pontos em dois jogos e está na liderança do Grupo 14. Além disso, vale lembrar que a equipe de Rafael Paiva não sabe o que é perder na temporada, somando nove vitórias e um empate, com 51 gols marcados e apenas cinco sofridos.

Nessa fase da competição, 32 equipes são divididas em oito chaves, cada uma com quatro participantes. Depois de se enfrentarem em turno e returno, os dois melhores colocados de cada grupo avançam.

Sendo assim, na próxima rodada do Paulista da categoria, o Palmeiras visita o Grêmio Prudente, no dia 2 de julho, em Presidente Prudente, às 9h.

Usualmente, a equipe Sub-17 disputa uma partida válida pelo Paulista no mesmo dia em que o Sub-15 entra em campo. Contudo, o time comandado por Rafael Paiva tem a segunda partida da final da Copa do Brasil da categoria neste domingo (26), contra o Vasco, em São Januário, às 11h. No duelo de ida, as Crias da Academia golearam por 4 a 1, com gols de Figueiredo, Endrick (duas vezes) e Thalys.

continua após a publicidade

Gardner cuts loose as Sydney Sixers make it 10 wins

Thunder started well in their chase but fell away after the opening stand was broken

Andrew McGlashan18-Nov-2022Ash Gardner turned on the power at North Sydney Oval before Sydney Sixers, fresh from knowing they would host the WBBL final, quelled a strong start by local rivals Sydney Thunder to take their tenth win of the season.Gardner hammered 85 off 48 balls with 64 of those coming in boundaries as Sixers recovered from an uncertain start when Suzie Bates and Alyssa Healy fell cheaply to leave them 2 for 16. Ellyse Perry initially dominated the scoring with a fluent 45 off 30 balls in a stand of 59 for the third wicket before Gardner took over.Erin Burns and Nicole Bolton, who struck 24 off 15 balls, provided support in consecutive stands of 43 and 56. There was an outside chance of Gardner reaching a hundred in the final over but she was bowled by Sam Bates who was Thunders’ standout bowler.Ash Gardner plundered 85 off 48 balls•Getty Images

Bottom-placed Thunder raced out of the blocks in the chase as Tammy Beaumont and Phoebe Litchfield rattled up 81 in under nine overs. Litchfield’s first two scoring shots were sixes and Beaumont collected 10 fours in a 30-ball half-century before falling to England team-mate Sophie Ecclestone.When Litchfield followed in the next over to Gardner the chase started to lose its way.Kate Peterson continued her wicket-taking form, adding three to the four she took in the previous match, with her scalp of Chloe Tryon coming courtesy of a fantastic running catch from Lauren Cheatle who took the ball over her shoulder. When Olivia Porter was caught behind next ball Petersen was on a hat-trick and was not too far away when Sammy-Jo Johnson nearly provided a catch into the off side.There was a potential concern for Sixers with Healy taking a painful blow on the hand from a fielding return and looking uncomfortable for the rest of the innings, although she was able to take a steepling catch to Johnson.Rachael Haynes, who now has one game left in her professional career on Sunday, was left unbeaten on 29 and Thunder will hope to give her a winning send-off.

How Maresca feels about £40m forward with Chelsea favourites to sign him

A report has shared how Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca really feels about a potential forward signing, with the club apparently seizing pole position to secure his services.

Chelsea short of striker options after Jackson and Guiu injuries

Both Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu will be sidelined for a significant period at Chelsea through hamstring injuries, leaving the west Londoners with precious few striking options to select from in the final third.

Chelsea now willing to make huge bid to sign star with £833m release clause

The Blues are prepared to make a huge bid for a defender.

ByDominic Lund Feb 17, 2025

Maresca played Cole Palmer as a false nine in their 3-0 defeat at Brighton last Friday, with Chelsea failing to register a single shot on target and proving ineffective in their attacking phases.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (away)

February 22nd

Southampton (home)

February 25th

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Christopher Nkunku, who was reliably believed to be pursuing a Stamford Bridge exit in the January transfer window (Florian Plettenberg), is Maresca’s only real option in that area of the pitch.

On paper, the £195,000-per-week forward is hardly a bad choice, having scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, but even Palmer’s presence as a false nine against Fabian Hurzerler’s side couldn’t quite inspire Nkunku’s best form.

While Maresca backs the Frenchman as a solution to Jackson and Guiu’s absences, Chelsea’s boss insists that he isn’t their only point of call.

“Because of Nico and Marc’s situation, we are working and trying to find different solutions,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s striker shortage.

“Christo could be one of the solutions, but it’s not the only solution. It can be Christo, as he played the last game, and also different kind of players. For sure when you don’t have a proper nine who can be a threat always, you have to change not only the nine, also a little bit the way you want to play.

“I have said many times I consider Christo a very important player, and I have said since day one Christo is not a nine. Christo is an attacking midfielder, but we use him as a nine to find a solution.

“Christo is a completely different player to Nico on and off the ball, so we probably need to adjust something because the skills of the players are different.”

What Enzo Maresca thinks about Liam Delap with Chelsea in pole position

Ahead of the next Premier League campaign, co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who oversee Chelsea’s recruitment strategy, will be looking to ensure that Maresca isn’t left in such a precarious position when it comes to centre-forwards at his disposal.

One of their top targets, according to various reports, is Ipswich Town star Liam Delap.

Ipswich Town'sLiamDelapapplauds fans after the match

The English striker has scored 10 goals this season, which comes as impressive when factoring in that they’ve been for a relegation-threatened side, and he’s reliably believed to be turning heads in west London.

Reporter Simon Phillips has claimed that Chelsea have already laid the groundwork to sign Delap, and could seek to strike a deal before this year’s Club World Cup. CaughtOffside now have another update on the 22-year-old’s future, which involves Maresca’s personal stance on the player.

The outlet reports that Chelsea are in pole position to sign Delap, above the likes of Man United, and Maresca believes that the former Man City starlet is a valuable number nine to have at their disposal.

Delap would also apparently cost around £40 million, which is actually cheaper than other mooted figures.

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