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Offspinner keen to continue development after “great experience” in India and Sri Lanka

Alan Gardner04-Apr-2021For any cricketer who has spent a winter touring with England and waiting in vain for their chance, the start of a new county season is bound to loom enticingly. For Amar Virdi, who was a reserve squad member in Sri Lanka and India, bowling in the nets for weeks in case of injury or illness affecting England’s frontline spinners, it will be an opportunity to be grasped with particular relish.A bouncy, bearded 22-year-old, Virdi has long been thought of as an England prospect, having emerged as an ever-present during Surrey’s 2018 Championship-winning season. Fitness issues limited his progress but, having trained in England’s Test bubble last summer, his merits as an attacking offspinner were on show during the Bob Willis Trophy, when he finished as Surrey’s leading wicket-taker.Virdi described his time with England on their trip to the subcontinent as a “great experience” but is now focused on a strong county showing with Surrey to push his case for a Test cap. April may be the cruellest month for spinners in England, but Virdi is eager to get back on the field and work out “a few different gameplans” for the grassier surfaces that are likely to predominate during the opening two-month block of Championship games.”The last time I played a game in April would have been when we won the Championship,” he said. “This time of year, as a spinner, it’s a bit of a new experience for me playing on these pitches. I haven’t really played on early-season pitches. I’ve always found you get a bit of grip when I played before, so I think this year might be a bit different.Related

• Virdi hoping to jump to front of England spin queue

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“It’s just a lot of excitement, everyone raring to go. You want to get out there, obviously with Covid and everything that happened we had a shortened season last year, so I think after a long winter like this you just want to get out there and play some games.”Even when considering what might likely be a holding role in the early part of the season, Virdi gave an indication of his approach to the spin bowler’s craft.”I think it’s not necessarily a case of being defensive. I wouldn’t say I’m a very defensive bowler,” he said. “I think it’s a case of finding other ways to attack. So it might be through maybe a defensive mindset, trying to bowl a lot of maidens and keeping things very simple and attacking in that way. I’m always looking to attack. I think I’ll always keep that mindset, regardless of the conditions.”Although England did not ultimately consider their spin-bowling reserves, which included Matt Parkinson and Mason Crane, for selection in Sri Lanka or India, Virdi was pleased with how his time as part of Joe Root’s touring party went. In particular, he said observing at close hand the level of control exhibited by India’s spinners, R Ashwin and Axar Patel, who claimed 59 wickets between them during the four-match Test series, had been instructive.”It was a great experience,” he said. “Quite a long trip, but I think it was very beneficial, being in an environment like that, that’s where I want to play. That’s where I want to be so getting an insight as to what it’s like bowling to guys like Rooty and [Ben] Stokes in the nets. It’s great practice, and I think it’s really helped my game.

“I think you’ve got to be prepared to bowl on any type of pitch. It’s a case of trying to be a well-rounded bowler and being able to bowl in different conditions”

“The big difference is there’s no room for errors. If there is, it’s very minimal, even when the conditions are perhaps in the favour of the bowler. You still need to have that consistency and I think that was one of [India’s] main strengths. You take Axar for example, just being able to land it in a certain area over and over again, and then relying on the pitch or allowing the pitch to do the work, seemed like the way forward. So, I think they did that very well. And I think that just overall in terms of consistency. I think it’s a very important part of Test cricket.”England’s struggles in India highlighted both the lack of depth in their spin bowling, as well an ability to counter it effectively – in turn raising the perennial debate about the nature of pitches for County Championship cricket.The Kia Oval has long been a ground where spinners have needed to play their part, and with the impressive left-armer Dan Moriarity also coming through the ranks, Surrey could be tempted to lean in that direction. However, asked whether his development could be aided by bowling on more helpful surfaces, as was the case with England’s incumbent spinners, Jack Leach and Dom Bess, Virdi said that he felt it was important to gain a grounding in a variety of conditions.”My experience with county cricket has been that I find a lot of pitches do turn around the circuit. You’re playing at Essex and it spins there, I’ve played at Hampshire and it spins there, I’ve played at Worcester and it spins there. So I think it really just depends on you as a bowler, what you can actually get out of the pitch. It might not turn straight away, but it may turn as a game goes on, or you get the footmarks to work with.Amar Virdi was part of England’s Test bubble last summer•ECB”I think you’ve got to be prepared to bowl on any type of pitch. If you’re always bowling on pitches in your favour, you could go to a Test game and pitch doesn’t turn for four days, then you’re used to bowling really wide outside off stump and trying to spin it through the gate – and you’re like ‘what do I do?’ So I think it’s a case of trying to be a well-rounded bowler and being able to bowl in different conditions.”You’ve just got a face what’s in front of you, I think that will keep you in good stead going forward. Speaking with Leachy and Bessy, we always have chats. I speak to Leachy quite a lot, he’s a great guy, but it’s not something I’ve spoken to him about necessarily, playing down at Somerset and how it’s aided his development. It’s more about different things as a bowler that you can do on different pitches and things like that.”With Bess enduring a difficult time in India, and Moeen Ali missing the opening chunk of Championship cricket while at the IPL, Virdi could soon have the chance to put pressure on Leach for a Test spot. But for now, Virdi’s chief concern remains attacking April with gusto and seeing where that takes him.”I’m just thinking about county cricket at the moment and having the best season I can. If I have a good season and I perform well, then I think that I can’t really control the things that come outside of that. So my focus is going to be on doing my best for Surrey and trying to win another Championship.”

The good times keep rolling on for Chelsea as they took their strong domestic form into the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Enzo Maresca made sweeping changes to the side that beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Saturday, but instead of looking dysfunctional, they demolished Ajax 5-1.

Granted, the Dutch side were a man down after just 17 minutes, but even then, it was an impressive showing from the young Blues side.

There were brilliant performances from several starters, including the incredible Estevao and someone else who is now emulating the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé.

Estevao's performance vs Ajax

While he didn’t win the Man of the Match award on Wednesday, it was yet another sensational showing from Estevao.

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

The young Brazilian was seemingly here, there, and everywhere throughout his time on the pitch, and Ajax simply could not live with him.

His first Champions League goal may have come courtesy of Enzo Fernández letting him take the penalty just before half-time, but it was he who won it in the first place.

Moreover, on another night, he could have easily scored at least one more from open play.

It really was an all-action performance, one that should see him start the game on the weekend and one that left quite the impression on the Express’ Bobby Vincent, who awarded him a 9/10 match rating at full-time.

Unsurprisingly, his statistics more than justify such a rating.

In 95 minutes of action, he produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 1.69, took eight shots, took 70 touches, won one penalty, played two key passes, completed 92% of his passes, and made one interception.

Minutes

95′

Expected Goals

1.51

Goals

1

Expected Assists

0.18

Shots

8

Touches

70

Penalties Won

1

Key Passes

2

Accurate Passes

34/37 (92%)

Long Balls

1/1

Interceptions

1

Recoveries

1

Overall, Estevao once again demonstrated why he is one of the most exciting youngsters in the world, even though it’s one of his teammates who is now emulating Haaland and Mbappé.

The Chelsea gem emulating Haaland & Mbappé

There were several other standout displays for Chelsea last night, from Jamie Gittens to Moises Caicedo, but only one player who is now emulating Haaland and Mbappé: Marc Guiu.

Yes, as incredible as it might sound, it is the exciting young Spaniard who managed to do something that only the two international superstars have managed before: score for two different teams in the Champions League as a teenager.

It was the 19-year-old who opened the scoring with a close-range tap-in for Maresca’s side, but his first goal in the competition came for former side Barcelona, in a game against Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp in December 2023.

Now, it has to be said that while he has emulated the Manchester City and Real Madrid stars, nobody is really claiming that the youngster is going to be quite as good as them.

However, the Spanish gem is undeniably talented, and showed on Tuesday night and in the game against Forest that he is every bit the “nightmare” talent scout Jacek Kulig said he would be to come up against.

The Granollers-born forward is technically sound, agile, physical, has an impressive jump on him and knows how to finish, so while he might not match Haaland’s goal tallies, there is a world in which he could end up being an incredibly useful player for Maresca this season.

Ultimately, there is a long way to go before Guiu reaches his full potential, but his goal and performance against Ajax show he’s a real talent.

"Very happy" – Maresca says barely-used Chelsea player is now really impressing him

The Italian says he’s getting “better and better”.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 22, 2025

أعلنت جائزة جلوب سوكر اليوم الأربعاء، عن القائمة النهائية للمرشحين لجائزة أفضل مهاجم في العالم، وذلك عن عام 2025.

ومن المقرر أن يقام حفل جلوب سوكر يوم 28 ديسمبر المقبل، وذلك في الإمارات، حيث يقام الحفل كل عام بالفعل.

وشملت قائمة المرشحين لأفضل مهاجم ثمانية لاعبين يتقدمهم نجم ليفربول، محمد صلاح، والذي لعب بشكل رائع مع النادي الإنجليزي خلال هذا العام.

محمد صلاح لعب بشكل استثنائي مع ليفربول خلال هذا العام وحقق مع ليفربول بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، إذ توج بهداف المسابقة.

ويأمل محمد صلاح في أن يعود إلى مستوياته في أقرب وقت ممكن، حيث يعاني اللاعب الأمرين خلال هذا الموسم مع ليفربول وفشل في تقديم المأمول منه مع النادي الإنجليزي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. القائمة النهائية للمرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب في العالم من جلوب سوكر.. موقف محمد صلاح

ودخل محمد صلاح في فترة شك وقام مدرب ليفربول، آرني سلوت، بإجلاس الدولي المصري على مقاعد البدلاء أمام وست هام يونايتد يوم الأحد الماضي بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وشهدت القائمة سيطرة كبيرة من لاعبي برشلونة، حيث تواجد ثلاثة لاعبين وهم رافينيا دياز وروبرت ليفاندوفسكي ولامين يامال. المرشحين لجائزة أفضل مهاجم في العالم من جلوب سوكر

محمد صلاح (ليفربول).

روبرت ليفاندوفسكي (برشلونة).

لامين يامال (برشلونة).

رافينها (برشلونة).

كيليان مبابي (بريال مدريد).

هاري كين (بايرن ميونخ).

خفيشا كفارتسخيليا (باريس سان جيرمان).

عثمان ديمبلي (باريس سان جيرمان).

Sky Sports reported on Monday that Celtic are closing in on the appointment of Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy as their successor to Brendan Rodgers in the dugout at Parkhead.

The Hoops are poised to make the French tactician their new permanent manager, which will end Martin O’Neill’s time in interim charge after he takes the next two matches.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it will not be long before the incoming head coach will have the chance to bring his own players in to bolster the squad.

Celtic set to make move for new centre-forward

According to The Scottish Sun, Nancy is set to make a move for Columbus Crew centre-forward Wessam Abou Ali as one of his first transfer targets in January to add to his options at the top end of the pitch.

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

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The report claims that the incoming Celtic manager views the Palestine international as a ‘perfect goalscoring machine’ and wants to reunite with him at Parkhead ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.

It adds, though, that Columbus Crew and Nancy only signed him in July from Egyptian giants Al Ahly for £5.7m, which means that the Hoops will have to pay a fee in excess of that as he has only been with the American side for a matter of months.

If the Scottish Premiership champions can seal a £6m+ deal for the MLS sensation in the January transfer window, it could end Johnny Kenny’s career at Parkhead.

How Abou Ali could end Kenny's Celtic career

Kenny has scored four goals in five matches under O’Neill, which is an impressive return, but he was subbed off at half-time in the 1-0 win over St Mirren in the Premiership last weekend.

The Ireland international has been playing as the main number nine due to an injury to first-choice number nine Kelechi Iheanacho, who is on his way back in the coming weeks.

This suggests that the arrival of a big-money centre-forward signing could put him third in the pecking order, behind Abou Ali and Iheanacho, when they are all fit and available, which may make him consider his short-term future in Glasgow.

Kenny has shown, with five goals this season, that he can be a capable goalscorer at this level. This means that he could find another club where he can play regularly and score goals consistently, if that does not continue at Parkhead.

Abou Ali has scored three goals in five matches for Nancy in the MLS for Columbus Crew since his move in the summer, after he scored three goals in three games at the Club World Cup.

Celtic’s potential CF upgrade

Season

Abou Ali

Kenny

2025/26

6 goals

5 goals

2024/25

15 goals

6 goals

2023/24

19 goals

13 goals

2022/23

10 goals

5 goals

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Palestine international has outscored Kenny in each of the last four seasons in all competitions, which suggests that he would be a much better option for Nancy to call upon up front for Celtic.

Abou Ali was described as a “clinical” and “proven” goalscorer by Columbus Crew General Manager Issa Tall, and his statistics suggest that was an accurate description of his qualities.

The 26-year-old scored three goals from 0.75 xG in the MLS in the 2025 campaign and bagged three goals without missing a single ‘big chance’ at the Club World Cup, per Sofascore, which shows that he is a lethal finisher.

Therefore, the Columbus Crew centre-forward could be a fantastic signing who could lead the line impressively for the Hoops, whilst also potentially ending Kenny’s career at the club, as falling down the pecking order may force him to reconsider his future.

Related £1.5m Celtic flop has been an even bigger waste of time than Balikwisha

This Celtic flop has been an even worse signing than Michel-Ange Balikwisha for the Scottish giants.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025

Newcastle United just cannot string together a consistent run of wins at the moment.

Indeed, Eddie Howe would have been hopeful that his side had turned over a new leaf when getting the better of Manchester City in Premier League action 2-1 last time out, but – again – home comforts clearly were in play, as the Toon have since succumbed to a 2-1 away defeat at Marseille in the Champions League.

On another night, however, Newcastle might well have walked away from the Orange Velodrome with another three points secured in Europe, with Harvey Barnes’ early opener suggesting that the Magpies would be successful on their travels.

Unfortunately for the away side, though, ex-Premier League goal machine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have other ideas, as his quickfire second-half brace sealed the win for the Ligue 1 hosts.

While the former Arsenal striker was his instinctive self throughout, he was undoubtedly helped by Nick Pope dropping even more clangers in between the sticks.

Why Nick Pope has to finally be dropped

It’s now three away games on the spin where the ex-Burnley goalkeeper has looked ropey and unconvincing.

He gifted Marseille a route back into the even contest on Tuesday night when rushing out of his net, only for Aubameyang to utilise his pace to comfortably place an effort past Pope, who was stuck in no man’s land after the “inexplicable” error, as it was branded by the Athletic’s Chris Waugh.

The immediate inquest now centres on whether Howe should get rid of the 33-year-old or not, with Aaron Ramsdale certainly a capable replacement, having previously kept 32 clean sheets on the books of Arsenal.

Still, despite all the rampant criticism coming his ‘keeper’s way, Howe would publicly defend Pope at the full-time whistle, stating that he “certainly” backs him, having saved his side “many times” in the past.

Yet, even with this very public vote of confidence, Howe must be aware that his usually trusted number one is declining, with another well-established defensive presence for the Toon, who lined up against Marseille, now also fearful of his starting spot moving forward.

Howe must also bench another Newcastle hero

At this point in time, the 47-year-old could well find he’s on the chopping block sooner rather than later, if he doesn’t drop the likes of Pope, even if they have been regular fixtures of his reign so far.

Fabian Schar also falls into the category of a long-standing servant who likely isn’t the required standard of the first team anymore, even with 241 games under his belt at St James’ Park, and the label of being a “total one off” handed to him by his manager for what he provides for the club at his very best.

Minutes played

61

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

30

Accurate passes

13/16 (81%)

Possession lost

5x

Tackles won

0/0

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Blocked shots

0

Recoveries

1

Total duels won

0/3

Based on the table above, though, he is experiencing a swift decline akin to the Toon number one right now, with the Swiss international winning zero of his attempted duels, during his 61 minutes on the pitch.

On top of that, the ageing centre-back would only manage to complete 13 accurate passes all night long, with Aubameyang no doubt feeling even more confident in front of goal, knowing he had the shoddy duo of Schar and Pope to get the better of.

With only five Premier League starts next to his name this season, too, it’s clear that Schar is no longer a guaranteed first-teamer under his manager, with talk also centring on the ex-Deportivo defender being resigned to walking away from Tyneside when his contract expires next year.

As the new breed of Newcastle stars coming through in Malick Thiaw continue to shine, with the German completing 36 passes and winning four duels in France, it’s now very clear that the old guard at St James’ Park are rusty, and cannot be kept in the side long-term.

The obvious alteration to make is to drop Pope, after another “moment of madness” cost his side dear, as his rush out of the goal was branded by journalist Mark Douglas.

But, Schar isn’t above criticism, either, with both well-established Toon servants in very grave danger of dropping out of their manager’s XI for the upcoming away trip to Everton.

As bad as Pope: Howe must drop 4/10 Newcastle dud who made just 14 passes

Newcastle were defeated at Marseille in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 26, 2025

Everton need to win against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

It’s a strange thing to say, almost. Clubs seek victory each time they enter the field, but after just one win across seven recent top-flight outings, David Moyes’ side need to return to form at the Hill Dickinson and pause for the November international break on a high.

Crucial in achieving this will be the availability of talisman Iliman Ndiaye, who was withdrawn after an hour against Sunderland on Monday evening with a suspected knock, limping off the field.

The latest on Iliman Ndiaye's fitness

In short, Ndiaye has been cleared to play. The Senegalese winger has been nothing short of brilliant this season, with his return of four goals and an assist across ten matches.

But that hardly paints the full picture. It was the goal that counted at the Stadium of Light, but the manner in which the 25-year-old skipped his way into the box, wrongfooted one man, two, and then struck so sweetly past Robin Roefs, who was not wrongfooted but frozen in place.

He’s fast, furious and clever in his decision-making. So guileful. There has been concern that he will sit this one out, but Moyes revealed on Friday morning that the winger had trained as usual and is ready to play.

Given that Moyes has been so reluctant to start the 19-year-old Tyler Dibling this season, Ndiaye’s availability is crucial, not least because Fulham are a resilient and well-structured outfit, and his maverick nature could unlock that backline.

However, he’s not the only one who has the skillset to shine. Pitted against Everton at the Hill Dickinson will be their former star Alex Iwobi, and Moyes has found the Toffees’ new version this season.

Moyes must unleash Everton's new Iwobi

Iwobi was a trusty servant across his four years on Merseyside, and it was under Frank Lampard’s wing that he was resfashioned from an electric winger into a robust central midfielder.

Here the Nigerian’s creativity has been allowed to flourish, hitting 15 goal involvements in the league last year. Everton have missed this kind of player, but in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moyes might have signed the solution.

Dewsbury-Hall, 27, joined the club from Chelsea for a £28m fee this summer and he has impressed across his nine Premier League starts, scoring one goal, assisting one more, and creating four big chances. Sofascore record that he won 55% of his ground duels and completed 71% of his dribbles, too.

This is a complete midfielder, and while he doesn’t shirk from defensive responsibilities, Dewsbury-Hall’s bread and butter is his passing, and this makes him the perfect solvent of Iwobi’s talent, for he could overpower him in his number ten role.

The pair are considered statistically similar players in the Premier League this season by data-led platform FBref, and the £90k-per-week Dewsbury-Hall could now prove his worth by stepping up and leading the Toffees toward three points.

Goals

0.11

0.11

Assists

0.11

0.22

Touches

43.93

57.59

Pass completion (%)

77.2

79.2

Progressive passes

5.19

6.24

Shot-creating actions

3.50

3.56

Through balls

0.56

0.45

Crosses

4.63

2.67

Progressive carries

1.36

4.46

Successful take-ons

1.13

0.56

Ball recoveries

3.05

4.23

Tackles + interceptions

1.47

1.34

Playing balls in behind is Dewsbury-Hall’s speciality. He has the athleticism to dribble the ball forward, but is designated as the Blues’ conduit between midfield and attack, passing through the spaces and creating for his teammates.

Iwobi has probably enjoyed the better season so far, as the statistics will tell you above, but this is a chance for Everton’s summer recruit to properly announce himself and become the “revelation” that former boss Brendan Rodgers said he was at Leicester City.

Fulham are a tough team, and they thrashed lowly Wolves last weekend after skidding to four successive defeats. One point and one place behind Moyes’ side, they will be hungry to cause an upset.

If Dewsbury-Hall turns up, he could not only stand out and overshadow his opposite number in Iwobi but also take Everton back into the win column.

Everton flop "failed a succession of managers", now he's saving Moyes

This Everton veteran is proving to be the unlikely signing of the summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

'The Bundesliga Tax'. It's a phrase that has become more prominent amongst supporters over the past decade or so, used to describe the growing trend of players who have lit up the German top-flight who have been sold to Premier League clubs for big money, only to fail to replicate that same form when arriving in England.

The debate over how well performances in the Bundesliga translate to the Premier League has reared its head again in the early weeks of this season following the struggles of Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons at Liverpool and Tottenham, respectively. The pair combined for 40 league goals and assists last term, but have mustered just the solitary assist between them in 17 Premier League appearances thus far despite being sold for almost £170 million ($191m).

Former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz has struggled to find a suitable role at Anfield, which has led to him being benched on numerous occasions by Arne Slot, while Simons suffered the ignominy of being substituted against Chelsea on Saturday despite having only entered the game off the bench himself earlier in the piece.

There remain question marks, too, over how Benjamin Sesko, Jamie Gittens and Jeremie Frimpong will fare in the Premier League following their summer arrivals from the Bundesliga, and while plenty of players do arrive into England from Germany and thrive – see Erling Haaland, for one shining example – the list of individuals who fail to live up to the hype is in danger of growing to the point that some fanbases will actively call out their clubs for fishing in such an unreliable pond.

GOAL, then, looks back at the most high-profile transfer flops to have arrived into the Premier League from the Bundesliga in recent years:

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Jadon Sancho

  Borussia Dortmund plucked a 17-year-old Jadon Sancho out of the Manchester City academy back in 2017 and instantly handed him a first-team role. Over the next four years, he became one of the most exciting wingers in Europe, registering 107 goal involvements in just 137 appearances, while also getting his hands on a DFB-Pokal winners' medal alongside fellow young stars Haaland and Jude Bellingham.

  In the summer of 2021, United made Sancho the second-most expensive English player ever when luring him away from Signal Iduna Park, and then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confidently predicted the winger would "bring tremendous pace, flair and creativity to the team". Unfortunately, though, Sancho never made good on those words.

  He has only scored 12 times for United to date, and has made more headlines for fallouts with managers than his exploits on the pitch. Sancho was exiled by both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, and after temporary spells with former club Dortmund and Chelsea, now finds himself on loan at Aston Villa with no guarantee of regular minutes. Despite possessing all the talent in the world, Sancho's attitude and lack of physicality have prevented him from making any meaningful impact in the Premier League, and he's seemingly been stricken by fear in a way he never was in Germany.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Christopher Nkunku

  Christopher Nkunku has all the qualities a forward needs to succeed on the elite stage: pace, intelligence, immaculate technique and ruthlessness. RB Leipzig saw all of that between 2019 and 2023, as the Frenchman blasted in 70 goals in all competitions to become their talisman, and when Chelsea snapped him up for £52m ($68m) in June 2023, it was seen as a major coup.

  But the step up in intensity from the Bundesliga to the Premier League proved too much for Nkunku. He was unable to build any sort of rhythm at Stamford Bridge due to a series of injuries, and after the emergence of Cole Palmer, he was restricted to a bit-part role. 

  Nkunku left for AC Milan in the summer of 2025 with a respectable goals tally of 18 from 62 appearances, but few Chelsea fans were sad to see the back of him. Despite flashes of brilliance, the former Leipzig frontman wasn't robust enough for the rigours of English football and too often stood on the fringes of games instead of grabbing them by the scruff of the neck.

• Getty
  

  Kai Havertz

  Kai Havertz was on the radar of almost every top club in Europe after a stunning rise to prominence at Leverkusen, where he recorded a combined total of 77 goals and assists after breaking out of their academy ranks. Chelsea eventually won the race for his signature at the end of the 2020 summer window, and some were even billing the Germany playmaker as the next Mesut Ozil despite it not being immediately clear how he would fit into the Blues' starting XI.

  Leverkusen put Havertz's versatility to good use in No.8 and No.10 roles, but he was deployed predominantly upfront for Chelsea, and looked like a fish out of water. Indeed, his first season at the club yielded just four Premier League goals, and was only salvaged by his winning strike in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

  Havertz continued to be a fixture in the Chelsea side over the next two seasons, but never properly silenced his doubters, and the Blues jumped at the chance to offload him when Arsenal came in with a £65m ($85m) bid in June 2023. It's been a similar story for Havertz at the Emirates Stadium, with consistency remaining largely elusive, and the 26-year-old's career has essentially been on hiatus in 2025 due to serious injuries.

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• Getty
  

  Christian Pulisic

  Chelsea initially signed Christian Pulisic from Dortmund in January 2019, with ex-United States star Taylor Twellman describing the deal as a "watershed moment for the American soccer player". Borussia Dortmund were sad to lose a "characteristically flawless footballer", as their sporting director Michael Zorc put it, but Pulisic closed out his time at the club in disappointing fashion, losing his place to Sancho amid struggles for fitness.

  That led to claim Pulisic, then only 21 years of age, had "stagnated" and insist Chelsea were "mad" to spend so much money on him. Over the next four years, the German outlet was proven right. Although the USMNT star would pick up Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup winners' medals in west London, and deliver some memorable moments (including a hat-trick against Burnley and a brilliant solo goal against Manchester City), he was dogged by physical setbacks and hampered by Chelsea's chaotic transfer policy.

  Pulisic gradually fell down the pecking order as competition for places in attack increased and never recovered. Chelsea eventually accepted a £36m ($47m) loss on the Dortmund academy product when shipping him off to Milan, where Pulisic has since replenished his confidence stocks.

  "I felt pressure that I needed to do more when I did get on the pitch," he admitted to when looking back on his time at Stamford Bridge last December. Bad luck also played a part, but Pulisic buckled under that pressure, and it remains to be seen whether he gets another chance at the very highest level, with standards at Milan no longer as high as in Serie A's golden years.