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Chelsea are now believed to have taken a serious interest in one marquee Newcastle star amid a real worry for incoming new manager Liam Rosenior.

After Enzo Maresca’s shock exit on New Year’s Day, credible reports suggest that the west Londoners are about to turn to their sister club for the Italian’s immediate replacement.

Talks are underway with the former Hull City boss and believed to be progressing, with Rosenior the overwhelming favourite to take over from Maresca just two days after the 45-year-old parted company.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are currently waiting on the Ligue 1 side to find a replacement before they green-light their manager’s departure.

Rosenior is very highly-rated for his work developing young players, and he’s already transformed the likes of Diego Moreira at Strasbourg after he was previously let go by Chelsea.

Despite links with the likes of José Mourinho, it is clear that BlueCo see Rosenior as the man to take them forward after Chelsea’s sour relationship with Maresca came to a very abrupt end.

Amid their chase for the tactician, Stamford Bridge chiefs are also making transfer plans, and their ‘major concern’ about injury-ridden midfielder Roméo Lavia has prompted them to look at proven alternatives.

Related Big-name manager prepared to join Chelsea instead of Rosenior after Maresca exit

It would be a statement move.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini

That is according to journalist Wayne Veysey, who told Football Insider that Chelsea are now eyeing a move for Newcastle star Sandro Tonali.

Chelsea set sights on Sandro Tonali amid 'major' Rosenior concern

In what is likely to be a big worry for Rosenior once he does come in, Chelsea have few midfield options bar Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo, who’ve been run into the ground this season.

The club also want an upgrade on Andrey Santos, prompting them to look at the Italian as an option for the summer, rather than January.

In any case, Veysey writes that Chelsea have set their sights on Tonali after taking a ‘firm interest’ in the 25-year-old.

Tonali is a key figure in Eddie Howe’s midfield, starting 16 of their 19 Premier League games so far, and the Magpies are set to demand a marquee fee to let him leave.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Chelsea transfer insight For wider context on Chelsea’s Rosenior link, Tonali interest and how transfers shape the squad, subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth coverage, analysis and informed perspectives on these moves and what they mean.

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Lee Ryder reported late last year that Newcastle want similar figures to Alexander Isak, with fees north of £130 million expected to be the benchmark for any negotiations about Tonali.

The big question is whether Chelsea would be willing to pay anywhere near that sum considering they’ve already splashed north of £100m on both Caicedo and Fernandez since BlueCo’s ownership began.

Tonali isn’t the traditional signing in terms of age that Chelsea usually go for, despite still being pretty young, so it would be a pretty out of the ordinary move by Behdad Eghbali and co.

Another worry for Chelsea is Howe’s recent admission that Tonali hasn’t quite hit the same heights as his comeback campaign last season.

Related £325,000-a-week Chelsea star now wants permanent exit amid interest from West Ham

He has not played for the Blues since 2024.

Posts ByJames O'Reilly

Todd Murphy is firming to play his first home Test, after the SCG’s head curator declared the pitch’s green covering would be near-irrelevant come day one.With administrators still on edge after last week’s two-day debacle in Melbourne, an extremely green SCG surface raised eyebrows in Sydney on Thursday.Related

• Root and Brook shine before afternoon gloom ends play early

• For England, if the message has gone too far, what about the messenger?

• ICC rates MCG Boxing Day Test pitch 'unsatisfactory'

• Murphy enters the fray with Australia questioning spin

• 'I'm trying to bring everyone together' – Khawaja, and a career that changed Australian cricket

But chief curator Adam Lewis insisted on Friday that should not be a concern, and he was hopeful Sydney would extend into a fifth day.”You want to see green tinge three days out,” Lewis said.  “If you’re not seeing any live grass three days out, then that’s when [it’s a worry] … I’m really comfortable with where we’re sitting.”We had a little bit of sun this morning. They’re saying a bit more sun tomorrow. That will take the greenness out of the pitch. We’re really happy with the pitches at the moment. We’re looking good.”Lewis admitted he felt for MCG counterpart Matt Page last week, but said he felt no external pressure to ensure the fifth Test in Sydney went the distance.It’s estimated that Cricket Australia (CA) has lost in the vicinity of AUD15 million in profits this summer, with the opening Test in Perth also finishing inside two days.Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joked at a function with teams on Thursday night that they had to ensure the game went to day three, in order to support the McGrath Foundation fundraiser.The pitch at the SCG has been the centre of much attention•AFP/Getty Images

One of the hardest grounds in the world to bowl on between 2014 and 2023, last year’s SCG Test was over in just two-and-a-half days.Lewis said that his ground staff would go with 6mm of grass this year compared to 7mm last season, while also reducing its density. That in itself generally acts to flatten out the wicket and produce less movement, while also inviting the chance of spin late in the match.”We just thought … we could thin our density out a little bit,” Lewis said. “That’s what we’ve done this year. We’ve practised that in the Shield matches and we’ve received very good marks.”CA CEO Todd Greenberg said he too was confident the SCG Test would last the distance.”I’ve had more phone calls and conversations about wickets and millimetres of grass than I thought I’d ever have,” Greenberg said. “But I’m hopeful and confident we will have a long and productive Test match here.”Cameron Green’s form is under scrutiny heading into the final Test•Getty Images

All of which should spell good news for Murphy. Australia’s coaching staff had a prolonged conversation around the pitch on Friday morning, after leaving Murphy out and going with four quicks at the MCG.Murphy then spent most of Friday’s training session bowling to Australia’s top order, while Alex Carey also had an extended run keeping to him.With seven Tests to his name overseas, Murphy would be expected to come in for Jhye Richardson if he does play in Sydney.England have promised to take the attack to Murphy, who played two Tests during the 2023 Ashes were he conceded 4.72 an over.”Whoever plays, I think that’s the mantra of our team, is to try and put pressure on people,” opener Zak Crawley said. “Todd’s a very good bowler, but I can envisage us trying to put some pressure on him, like we would all their bowlers.That’s going to come with some risks, and if it’s turning it’s definitely going to be a threat. But I think we’ll try and put pressure on all their bowlers.”The other question for Australia will be whether Cameron Green remains in the side, after Beau Webster was spotted fielding in the gully during slips training on Friday. Green has averaged 18.66 with the bat in this series. The SCG was the scene of Webster’s debut a year ago against India.

	Ian Chappell: “There is gamesmanship, which has always been around and there’s always place in the game for that. But there’s no path for personal abuse or inane chatter” © Cricinfo Ltd

With the cricket world’s attention on sledging after the controversial Sydney Test, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara and former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar said the problem could be tackled if more power was given to on-field umpires, and called for players to act with more responsibility.”If you have a CEO who is not even in the country and not even in the ground trying to call in and say, ‘Well I saw this’, that is never going to work,” Sangakkara said during Cricinfo’s Round Table, a fortnightly audio show. “Even a match referee is quite far removed from where the action is. The two guys who are in charge are the umpires and they should be allowed to handle it as they see fit.”Chappell was critical of the ICC for undermining the authority of the on-field umpires. “[The ICC have] diluted the decision-making process of the umpires on the field and in doing that, they have diluted the authority of the umpires on the field. They have also put layers of officials between the umpires and the players.”The three thought that while banter on the field was always going to be present, there are lines which should not be crossed. Sangakkara said a player’s colour, race, country or family should not be dragged into the debate. Chappell agreed, “There is gamesmanship, which has always been around and there’s always place in the game for that. But there’s no path for personal abuse or inane chatter.”Sangakkara also stressed that incidents should be left on the field. “Players have to be very honest with themselves that if they do engage in gamesmanship and banter, that is always something you can leave on the field. You should not go running around and complaining to the media or to the match referees.”Manjrekar was of the opinion that television was also a contributing factor to players displaying more aggression on the field. “Some players have realised that if they behaved in a certain manner, if they said some things or glared at the opposition, they would get a lot of attention via the television cameras,” he said. “Obviously, this is the cricketer who perhaps doesn’t get enough wickets or runs to get the attention. So he realises: ‘If I behave in a certain fashion that is slightly over the top, I tend to get lot of attention’.” (Click here to listen to the show or read the transcript.)

Liam Plunkett hopes the use of technology can lift England © Getty Images

Liam Plunkett, the England fast bowler, hopes the use of modern technology can help his team-mates prepare for their World Cup opener against New Zealand on March 16 in St. Lucia. Mark Garraway, England’s team analyst, has ensured footage of practice and matches, including that of opponents, were transferred onto players’ iPods and games consoles, a decision fully endorsed by Plunkett.”When we are batting I can go on the computer and have a look at the wickets I’ve taken and the way I’ve bowled,” he said. “The good thing about Mark Garraway is that he’s put a lot of the video footage onto our iPods and our games consoles.”Plunkett said the technology was beneficial for batsmen and bowlers alike, but that not everyone would need the boost of watching themselves play. “That’s obviously a good thing before you go in for a bat and you want a confidence boost,” he said. “KP [Kevin Pietersen] might want to have a look at himself scoring a hundred or a fifty to give him that bit of confidence, not that he needs it.””If Belly [Ian Bell] wants to have a look at how [Daniel[ Vettori grips the ball or how Shane Bond is running in or mixing his slower balls up, he can do that.”While players from all leading teams have long been able to sit at a computer and study footage, Plunkett said the iPod transfer had “only happened in the last week”.New Zealand aside, England will play Canada and Kenya in Group C, but Plunkett chose to focus on what he termed “a massive game”. “It will set the standard for the way we play in the rest of the tournament. We beat them and been through lots of plans against them so we know what each player does. They’ve got two good spinners who will play a massive part [Vettori and Jeetan Patel] and Shane Bond bowls plenty of slow balls so he’ll be useful on these wickets.” The winner of the England-New Zealand match will carry two points through to the Super Eights.England are expected to rest at least one fast bowler from Plunkett, Sajid Mahmood, Jon Lewis and James Anderson for that game. “I finished well [in Australia] but Jimmy and Lewy bowled really well at the start of the one-day series,” Plunkett said. “It’s good for the team but I want to play every game, especially in a World Cup. We’ve been getting together and chatting about the wickets. It’s been really valuable having people like Lewy around who has played county cricket for a long time and knows a lot about his game.”

Chris Silverwood, the former England seamer, is set to sign for Middlesex after being told he has no future with Yorkshire. Silverwood has two years left on his contract at Headingley, but has been allowed to look for opportunities elsewhere.According to the his early release from Yorkshire could result in a five-figure payout and means Silverwood will join the list of frontline pace bowlers to have left the county. In recent years Darren Gough, Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Kirby have moved on, leaving Yorkshire struggling for strike bowlers.However, they have signed Jason Gillespie for the 2006 season and are now aiming to build their attack around him, Tim Bresnan and Deon Kruis in their first season back in Division One of the County Championship.Silverwood has played six Tests for England, the most recent being on 2002-03 Ashes tour when he bolstered an injury-hit squad for the third Test at Perth. However, he played just six Championship matches in 2005, taking nine wickets at 53 apiece.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Gallery
5th day
Bulletin – Pakistan clinch a famous win
Pakistan Verdict – Gains aplenty
Indian Verdict – Too many chinks
Plays of the day – Running into happiness
Quotes – ‘The only option was attack’ – Inzamam
Quotes – ‘My future is upto the selectors’ – Ganguly
Commentary – The silence of victory4th day
Bulletin – Afridi and Younis set up last day
Verdict – Forces of nature
Plays of the day – The longest wait
Quotes – ‘We will go for a win’ – Laxman
Roving Reporter – The view from the stands
3rd day
Bulletin – Pakistan recover after Sehwag double-hundred
Verdict – Achievement and appetite
Plays of the day – Stumped
Quotes – ‘I found no-one difficult’ – Sehwag
Stats – Fastest Indian to 3000
On the ball – Strokeful Sehwag2nd day
Bulletin – Younis powers Pakistan to 540
Verdict – The silver lining on a cloudy day
Commentary – Younis’s defining innings
Play of the day – Irresponsible? Not me
Quotes – ‘Pressure does not affect me’ – Younis
Stats – Home disadvantage
On the ball – Harbhajan without the doosra1st day
Bulletin – Inzamam and Younis power Pakistan
Verdict – Inzamam the inevitable
Play of the Day – Into the 21st century
Quotes – ‘We won’t repeat the mistakes of Kolkata – Inzamam
Stats – Celebrating in style
On the ball – The back-foot masterPreviewPreview – Playing to win
The ground in numbers – A nightmare for Indian batsmen
Interview – Sourav Ganguly speaks exclusively to Cricinfo
Quotes – ‘Our batsmen should take more responsibility’ – Inzamam
The Big Picture – Taking aim

New Zealand Cricket has changed the date of its Christchurch andWellington National Bank Series ODI matches against South Africa toavoid a potential clash with a Crusaders Super 12 match in Christchurch,following a late change to the Super 12 schedule.Martin Snedden, the NZC chief executive said NZC agreed to the change ofdate of the Christchurch match to avoid a head-to-head clash with aCrusaders Super 12 match which otherwise might have been played at QueenElizabeth II Park in Christchurch on the same day as the Jade StadiumODI.The Jade Stadium ODI has been moved from Saturday February 21 to TuesdayFebruary 17 (as a day-night fixture) allowing the Crusaders Super 12match to be played at Jade Stadium on the Saturday.As a result the Wellington ODI has been transferred from WednesdayFebruary 18 to Friday February 20 (as a day-night fixture).”It is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this position. Weworked with the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to avoid a schedulingclash before finalising our itinerary,” Snedden said.”Following a late change to the Super 12 schedule, Canterbury Rugbyapproached us with a joint marketing proposal which included asubstantial compensation package if we transferred our Jade Stadiummatch from the Saturday.”It would have hurt both cricket and rugby to play head-to-head matchesin Christchurch and would not have been good for fans of both sports tobe forced to choose between the two matches. We will continue to work with rugby in the hope that scheduling issuescan be avoided in the future,” he said.

Chris Tremlett reckons he can break the 85mph barrier in 2002 – and make his full England debut.Paceman Tremlett returns to Australia on January 12 with Hampshire teammate Derek Kenway and the rest of the Rod Marsh-led England Academy after a four-week break over the festive period.

Tremlett prepares to bowl Photo Vic Isaacs

The 20-year-old has a new-look action after the first seven weeks at the Adelaide Oval with former Australian Academy coach Marsh and his assistant John Abrahams.And he believes that nine more weeks Down Under will help crank his speed up further – and win him a place in England’s one-day side this summer.Tremlett, who models himself on Glenn McGrath, said: “Playing one-day international cricket for England this year is a realistic goal for me.”England haven’t done too well in one-day cricket this year and I played plenty of limited overs games with Hampshire last season.”It might be a bit early to think about going straight into the Test team, so I’ll be concentrating on staying in the Hampshire team. But one-day cricket is my goal.”Southampton-born Tremlett roomed with Northants spinner Graeme Swann and was given tips by Surrey ace Alex Tudor during the academy’s first two months in Adelaide.And he is confident that Hampshire fans will see a more formidable Chris Tremlett at the Rose Bowl this summer. Tremlett, who stands at 6ft 7in, has taken 26 wickets at 18.92 in his first two seasons of first-class cricket.He added: “I’m aiming to break the 85mph mark this year. I was bowling around 81mph last season but my fitness really improved in Australia.”I haven’t been clocked yet but I reckon 85mph is definitely do-able this season.”After doing a lot of fitness work in Australia, I’m a lot more powerful in the upper body and I feel like I’m bowling quicker. I’m coming over a lot higher and am attacking the crease a lot more than I used to.”Alex (Tudor) is a couple of inches shorter than me but we’re similar sorts of bowler so he’s given me some useful tips on my action.”He got five wickets against Australia last season and Graeme Swann toured South Africa with the Test squad a couple of years ago.”I want that experience as well but I need to be a bit quicker if I’m going to reach the top level.”It’s not all about pace but you need to be looking at consistent speeds in the mid 80’s to play international cricket.”Dad Tim, Hampshire’s director of cricket, said: “I’ve seen Chris’s new action in the nets and it looks good.”He’s using his height more and is much stronger as well

Just as Punjab were putting up a gallant fightback in their secondinnings, Tamil Nadu grabbed two wickets late in the day to placethemselves in a commanding position at stumps on the third day oftheir Ranji Trophy quarter-final at the MA Chidambaram stadium inChennai on Saturday.In arrears by 203 runs on the first innings, Punjab’s openers VikramRathour and Reetinder Singh Sodhi put on 126 runs off 40.5 overs. Justwhen it looked like the two would come in unbeaten at stumps, Sodhiwas caught behind by Reuben Paul off Mahesh for 89. Sodhi, the moreaggressive of the two, faced 146 balls and hit ten fours. WicketkeeperH Jagnu, sent in as a night watchman, was run out in the followingover for zero. By that time however the light was bad and play wascalled off with 11.4 overs still to be bowled. Punjab, at 127 for two,still have a lot of work ahead.Early morning showers meant that play started 75 minutes late. Thenfurther rain saw to it that 12 minutes play was lost shortly beforelunch. Tamil Nadu, 346 for five overnight, were all out about an hourafter the break. Sridharan Sriram was finally out for 165, caught byMongia off Harbhajan Singh. He batted 509 minutes, faced 278 balls andhit 12 fours. The off spinner then dismissed Sadagopan Mahesh firstball. But the Tamil Nadu tail wagged. First Rajath Bhatia (24) andReuben Paul (32) added 27 runs for the ninth wicket. This was followedby a last wicket partnership of 47 runs off 13 overs between Paul andJ Gokulakrishnan (21 not out). Harbhajan Singh who bowled very wellwas rewarded with five wickets for 106 runs.Rathour and RS Sodhi brought Punjab back into the game with theircentury first wicket partnership. But the fall of two quick wicketslate in the day saw Tamil Nadu regain the whiphand. Rathour by closehowever was unbeaten with a defiant 37 off 101 balls with four hits tothe ropes. Play was extended by more than a hour and a half to make upthe loss due to the rain. But bad light ultimately halted play at 6.10pm.

Wolves have had solid defensive foundations to work with for the majority of their time in the Premier League, with club captain Conor Coady leading by example at the back so often.

This season, the West Midlands club have conceded just 21 goals – the fourth lowest in the entire division, with just Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City leaking less.

One man who has had a significant contribution this campaign, particularly in helping the defence become a rock-solid unit is homegrown centre-back Max Kilman, who has become one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan labelled him as “incredible” and “sensational” in an interview with Football Insider, while Sky Sports described him as a “revelation”, displaying how far he’s come in a short period of time.

Still without having made a single error leading to a goal in the Premier League this year, the Wolves star has made 2.31 interceptions per 90, as well as an impressive 1.35 defensive tackles per game within his own half.

However, it is his ability when in possession that is arguably the most impressive, ranking in the top 16% for dribbles completed per 90 (0.43) among central defenders in Europe’s top five leagues, the top 24% for progressive carries per game (3.60) and also the top 20% for carries into the final third per game (0.85).

For a 24-year-old defender without an England cap who has played just 48 Premier League games, keeping 14 clean sheets in that time, the statistics show just how rapidly Kilman has developed – and he is continuing to progress.

This season, he is ranked joint fourth by SofaScore in terms of average match rating, alongside versatile Moroccan Romain Saiss, who has also had an excellent campaign.

What separates the two though in how important they are to Wolves, isn’t just statistics though, it is the fact that Kilman is a left-footer playing in a three-man defence.

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Nowadays, it is becoming more and more common for clubs to use left-footed central defenders next to a right-footer, but for balance in particular, it is crucial when setting up with three defenders and wing-backs.

Despite being valued at just £8.1m by Transfermarkt, his price tag would likely be far higher than that, as Wolves have truly found themselves a gem of a homegrown left-footed wide centre back.

In other news: Forget Neto: Lage can fix big Wolves issue with rarely-seen 19yo who “catches the eye”