Starc is available to play up to three matches plus finals depending on how he recovers from the five-match Ashes series

Alex Malcolm09-Oct-2025Mitchell Starc is set to play his first BBL match in 11 seasons in January after signing with the Sydney Sixers but remains adamant that any changes to the competition should not come at the expense of Test cricket.Starc played six matches in the first season of the BBL back in 2011-12, the same summer he made his Test debut for Australia, including taking two wickets in the final which Sixers won. He played four more games over the next three editions but has not featured since, having long prioritised the international summer with Australia.Related

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But after retiring from T20I cricket this year, Starc will not have any commitments with Australia following the completion of the fifth Ashes Test on January 8. It presents an opportunity for Starc to play upwards of three BBL matches on January 11, 16 and 18, depending on how he has recovered physically after a gruelling five-Test series, as well as the BBL finals if Sixers qualify.”I’ve got no cricket scheduled between the fifth Test and the IPL at this stage,” Starc said.”An opportunity to play some BBL cricket, I’ve obviously been a part of the small part of the Sixers throughout the 15 seasons, so it’s nice to return to potentially a playing role. Obviously, we’ve got the five Test matches to focus on, first and foremost. But post that, it’s obviously my intention to be available to play some part if called upon.”While Starc was excited about the possibility of returning to play with the Sixers, he was adamant that Australia’s Test summer should remain untouched regarding any future scheduling decisions to do with the BBL which are likely to come amid the privatisation discussions.”I’m fine with BBL windows,” Starc said. “The only view I have on it is the Test cricket schedule is not to be touched. Test cricket is the pinnacle. I don’t think Test cricket should make way for T20 cricket at all. Whether it’s the BBL, the IPL, anything, the Test summer is the Test summer. I would hate to see that change for domestic cricket.”So that is not a snipe at anyone. That’s just my opinion of Test cricket and where it sits on my priority list. Whether you move the Big Bash into a smaller window and play back-to-back, it’s T20 cricket. It’s not as physically demanding as Test cricket. I know they’ve shortened the schedule already. I think that’s been a positive impact.”Starc’s signing is another significant boost for the BBL in what is expected to be a massive season for the competition. Former India spinner R Aswhin is set to play the whole season for Sydney Thunder and there is a potential that Ashwin, Starc, David Warner, Steven Smith and Pakistan batter Babar Azam (provided the PCB’s NOC suspension is overturned) could all play in the same match on January 16 between Sixers and Thunder at the SCG.The Sydney Sixers with the inaugural BBL trophy•Getty ImagesHead of the BBL Alistair Dobson was thrilled that Starc had made himself available for the BBL. “To have Mitch signing off for Sixers it just shows that it’s still a comp that everyone wants to play in,” he said.Despite Starc’s retirement from T20I cricket, his availability in the BBL may be short-lived because Australia have Test commitments in January of 2027 in India, with Starc on record saying he wants to push his international career through until the 2027 ODI World Cup.The BBL is still yet to create a clear window for Australia Test players to be available, which has been a key talking point among potential investors interested in being involved in the league as Cricket Australia continues to investigate the possibility of allowing private investment into the competition.”Global scheduling is a really challenging topic,” Dobson said. “It’s only getting more complicated. And the ability, not only for the BBL to grow, but the Australian team to continue to play great cricket around the world, is really important. How you combine all those things is part art, part science and a little bit of luck probably along the way. So the future FTP is a little way away, but as we look at the future of the BBL it will be part of those discussions.”

An analysis of the trends formed in IPL 2025

Shubh Agarwal05-Jun-202514:45

IPL 2025: Do both Pandya brothers get picked in the team of the tournament?

:Indian batters on top
The dominance of Indian batters was one of the most prominent aspects of IPL 2025. Not only did they score over 16000 runs, they also achieved that at a 150-plus strike rate – both were firsts for Indian batters in an IPL season. Their average of 29.76 is also the highest in a season.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat makes it more noteworthy is the contribution from the uncapped batters. As many as nine uncapped Indian batters scored over 250 runs. The 2023 and 2024 seasons had six uncapped batters each doing so, which was the previous record.Related

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IPL 2025 showed the might of the uncapped Indian batter

Prabhsimran Singh became only the second uncapped Indian batter to accumulate over 500 runs in a season, after Yashasvi Jaiswal in 2023. Prabhsimran’s opening partner, Priyansh Arya, scored over 450 runs in his debut season. The 14-year-old IPL debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi broke the record for the youngest batter to score a T20 hundred.Most impressively, the uncapped batters stood their ground against bowlers with international experience. There were 10 entries of an uncapped batter scoring over 20 runs against international bowlers at a strike rate of over 200 without getting out, the most in a season.This pattern played a vital role in deciding the top four sides. Delhi Capitals’ (DC) two home wins came in Vishakhapatnam; in five matches in Delhi, they lost four and won a Super Over to garner two points from a tied game against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Chennai Super Kings won only one of their six matches in Chepauk. In total, seven of the 10 teams lost more than 50% of their home matches.Bowling offspin against left-handers as a match-up did not prove effective this season. Left-handed batters faced only 25.54% of offspin, the lowest in a season. In this match-up, they conceded 8.87 runs per over, only the third IPL season when they went at more than eight per over against left-handers, after 2008 (8.50) and 2018 (8.26).ESPNcricinfo LtdWhere were the close games?
IPL 2025 was a season that the faint-hearted would have enjoyed without many complications, as there were only a few nailbiters. While the 200-plus run chases were exciting to watch, five of them were finished as contests before the start of the final over. None of the 37 successful chases went to the last ball. Only six matches were decided with a margin of less than 10 runs. Throughout the season, only four matches were effectively alive on the final delivery, including the Super Over contest between DC and RR.ESPNcricinfo LtdOverall, only 21.13% of matches were close (with the margin under 10 runs or less than six balls to spare having less than three wickets in hand in a successful run chase). Only 2011 had fewer close games – 20.83%.Even the playoff qualification was quite straightforward, with the top four decided after the 63rd league game. That is seven matches before the league stage was over, the earliest the top four have been confirmed in a season.

Despite a few poor results, this season is starting to shape up nicely for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are currently second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut the gap to Arsenal to just three points when they play them on Sunday.

However, for the West Londoners to have any chance of beating the high-flying Gunners, they’ll need to have their shooting boots on, and Liam Delap will have to show why the club signed him in the summer.

However, Chelsea might already be having second thoughts about the Englishman, as reports are linking them to another exciting young striker, someone with shades of Didier Drogba in their game.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

Given Chelsea’s propensity to spend big in the transfer window, it’s not been much of a surprise to see reports already linking them with a host of talented players ahead of the January window.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Athletic Bilbao’s incredibly exciting Nico Williams has been touted for a £62m move to Stamford Bridge, and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo has also been heavily linked.

However, as talented as these two internationals are, neither can be compared to Drogba, nor would they be a threat to Delap’s place in the team, unlike Robinio Vaz.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are one of a few teams interested in the exciting French talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues have already established contact with Marseille over a possible move that could cost as much as €30m, about £26m.

However, sides like Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli are also said to be interested in the youngster.

It could therefore be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Vaz’s ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Delap and has shades of Drogba in his game.

How Vaz compares to Delap and Drogba

Okay, so before looking at how Vaz compares to Delap, let’s examine the shades of Drogba in his game and this potential move.

The first and most significant would be that, so long as this transfer happens, the youngster would be following in the legendary striker’s footsteps, who moved from Marseille to Chelsea in 2004.

Another trait he appears to share with the iconic centre-forward is that he’s more than a goalscorer.

While he certainly can put the ball in the back of the net, the teenage sensation is also someone who can create chances for his teammates through, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, an ability to “hold up the ball.”

With all that said, how does his output stack up to that of Delap’s this season?

Appearances

14

7

Minutes

331′

294′

Goals

4

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

N/A

Minutes per Goal Involvement

55.16′

N/A

Well, despite still being just 18 years old, the “lethal” number nine, as one analyst dubbed him, has scored four goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances, totalling just 331 minutes this season.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.33 games, or far more crucially, one every 55.16 minutes.

In contrast, the West Londoners’ summer signing has failed to score a single goal or provide a single assist in seven appearances across all competitions, totalling 294 minutes.

Granted, he has been out injured, but the Englishman has almost played as many minutes as the youngster and arguably for a far better team.

UltimatelyUltimately, it’s still early in his career, but as one analyst puts it, Vaz looks like he’s “going straight to the top,” and therefore Chelsea should sign him, even if it’s bad news for Delap.

Bad news for Garnacho: Chelsea submit bid to sign £62m "level-raiser"

The game-changing forward could be brilliant for Chelsea but bad news for Garnacho.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 24, 2025

It’s no secret that, despite winning the last two European Championship titles and reaching the final of the most recent Women's World Cup, England’s Lionesses lack options at left-back. Sarina Wiegman has tried plenty to address the issue, deploying centre-forward Rachel Daly there for a good while, moving centre-backs across to test their credentials there and even changing formation to mask the problem.

More recently, Wiegman has successfully convinced Taylor Hinds to switch allegiances back to England, from Jamaica, to add a natural left-back into her squad, while West Ham’s Anouk Denton has also earned another call-up this month. The 22-year-old can play a variety of positions, including on the left side of defence.

But there is another option lurking in the England set-up who many Lionesses’ fans are keeping tabs on, too. After making her Aston Villa debut back in April, 18-year-old Rachel Maltby has emerged as a key starter for the Midlands outfit this season and has impressed plenty with how well she has adapted to not only senior football, but also the slightly newer role of left wing-back.

As Wiegman continues to hand out opportunities to stars of the Young Lionesses, with the likes of Denton, Maltby’s Villa team-mate Lucia Kendall and 20-year-old Freya Godfrey all examples in this month’s senior squad, youth national team coaches keep asking their players who is going to stand up and be next. Though still only 18 and just settling into the senior game, Maltby is sure to be one of those on Wiegman’s radar.

Getty ImagesWhere it all began

Born in Northamptonshire, Maltby started playing football at under-six level with the local boys’ team at Long Buckby. She’d briefly stop, focusing on gymnastics and swimming for a few years, before rejoining at the under-nines stage and enjoying a steady rise in the local area. She soon became involved in the Northamptonshire Advanced Coaching Centre, which would lead to her being integrated into the England set-up and going on her first youth national team camp at U16 level. It was around the same time that her path to Aston Villa unfolded.

Playing for a Rushden & Diamonds boys’ team one Saturday, Villa’s head scout for the men’s side was in attendance and quickly brought Maltby to the attention of the women’s team. “I wasn't necessarily pushing to get into any academy,” the teenager recalls, speaking to GOAL. “I hadn't been to any trials because I was quite happy with where the boys' game was taking me. But then when it happened organically, it was quite nice and that kind of felt a bit natural then, like natural timing for me to then transfer into the girls’ game.”

At that point, Maltby was more often a winger or a striker, but she’d transition into a left-back under the guidance of Natalie Henderson, England’s U17s coach at the time. She’s made a real splash in the position, too, playing an important part in the Young Lionesses’ run to the final of the U17 Euros and semi-finals of the U17 World Cup last year, before helping England secure a spot at next year’s U20 World Cup via the U19 Euros this past summer.

“The memories and experiences that I've gained are just incredible,” Maltby says, reflecting on those major tournaments. “I think that will stay with me and everyone else throughout our whole career and it will definitely benefit us moving forward.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

It’s on the left side of defence, albeit in the slightly tweaked role of a wing-back, that Maltby has broken into the Villa first team, too. After training with the seniors here and there beforehand, she made a matchday squad for the first time back in March, just a few days before her 18th birthday, and would make her senior debut the following month when Villa secured an incredible 5-2 win over Arsenal, just a few weeks before the Gunners beat Barcelona to be crowned champions of Europe.

Natalia Arroyo, who took over at Villa in January, has a track record of trusting in young players and she has only enhanced that reputation in England, with recent Lionesses debutante Kendall another talented prospect that she has put real faith in, alongside Maltby.

“She takes the time to understand you as a person,” Maltby explains, asked what makes Arroyo so good at developing young talent. “I usually go through clips with another member of staff, after games, after training, and she takes the time to want to be within [those sessions] or wants to know what we go through. She takes the time to speak to us and kind of understand us a little bit more as people, off the pitch and on the pitch, and just understand what makes us tick, I guess, which definitely helps us grow.”

Getty ImagesHow it's going

Maltby built on that foundation in the summer, enjoying her first full pre-season with the Villa first team, and has now become a regular starter at left wing-back this season. When one considers that it’s not long since she made the switch to the role, how she is performing is made all the more impressive.

“Last season, when I wasn't playing as much, I would watch back the games and I'd analyse Maz Pacheco or Paula Tomas, whoever was playing in my position, and watch what they would do and almost analyse their performance,” Maltby recalls, asked about the adaptation. “I'd still have those one-to-one clips, but it wouldn't necessarily be about me directly, but about people in my position.

“I think the fact that I've played left-back and left winger, it was kind of easier for me to combine the two. Obviously, there are still things that I need to work on and understand about the position, but it definitely helps that I already have experience as both winger and full-back. There's been challenges at times but I've definitely enjoyed it.”

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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

That commitment to learning and improving is something that clearly stands out about Maltby. Raised by parents who weren’t particularly into football, she admits she didn’t watch the sport much growing up, but that’s changed a lot in recent times and is feeding into a growing game intelligence that is evident when the teenager takes to the field.

It’s not the only strength in Maltby’s psychological makeup, either. As she takes her first steps in the senior game, the defender also has great perspective in what she admits is a mentally “challenging” period.

“There's lots of ups and downs because, obviously, you're constantly trying to learn from the senior players and you're not expected to necessarily play 10 out of 10 all the time,” she explains. “When you are constantly learning and you might be making a couple more mistakes than you want, it's quite hard to keep that confidence. But I also think the support from the coaches and the players is quite beneficial to help me keep that confidence and continue to play like how I know I can.”

As for her physical capabilities, Maltby has an impressive final product for young talent and her previous experiences as a more attacking player shine through in her positioning in that final third. Combine that with her great athleticism, which allows her to get up and down the pitch with ease, and it’s clear why Arroyo sees her as a good fit for the wing-back role.

Big picture

Is the toss still the key to winning a Test match in Pakistan? Pakistan did win the toss in Lahore and used it to establish a position of advantage that South Africa never seriously looked like reining in. But there was enough to suggest it might not have the decisive hold on a game as it did at times during Pakistan’s last home season, with South Africa digging in for long periods with the bat against Pakistan’s spinners, and outscoring Pakistan’s third innings in their final reply.For Pakistan, the win promises to set up a better World Test Championship cycle than the last one, and a win in the second Test in Rawalpindi would get one of their tougher series out of the way and give them a platform to push for a top-two spot in what is a favourable two-year draw.Unusually for them, there has been stability and quiet around the composition of the side. Notably, the only point of selectorial discussion that emerged concerned the captaincy of the ODI team, all but ending Mohammad Rizwan’s brief stint. But in terms of personnel, strategy or game plan, continuity appears to be the keyword as far as this series goes.South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram refused to put his side’s loss in the first Test down to the toss, choosing instead to focus on controllables. They, in fact, looked solid in adverse circumstances, despite losing the toss and conceding a substantial first-innings lead. England crumbled in similar circumstances last year, but South Africa matched Pakistan toe-to-toe for the second half of the Test.Related

• Plot intact, result missing: South Africa's Test revival still a work in progress

• Toss, turn, triumph: Pakistan's home formula pays off for now

A similar effort in Rawalpindi could see them pose even sterner questions of Pakistan, especially if they get the opportunity to bat first. Keshav Maharaj’s return changes the equation, too, with the visitors having their most crucial bowler in these conditions available. It potentially allows South Africa to sneak in another quick bowler, with Marco Jansen the likeliest option with his ability to extract bounce and add batting heft to the lower order.South Africa knew what to expect coming into the series, and after the first Test, they will be much better equipped to deal with it. For Pakistan, Lahore was yet more vindication of their turn to these slower tracks; all they are looking for is more of the same.

Form guide

Pakistan WLWLL (last five Tests, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWW

In the spotlight

Pakistan won’t win the toss every game, and Shan Masood has spoken of finding different ways of winning at home. Shaheen Shah Afridi offered a glimpse of how they might go about that, using his ability to reverse swing the ageing ball on a wearing surface. With Hasan Ali not quite up to speed yet, that responsibility is set to fall on Afridi once more. While success for Noman Ali and Sajid Khan is expected, whether Afridi’s electric burst to seal the win in Lahore is repeatable will reveal if there are more dimensions to Pakistan’s Test side than a crackling dusty surface.Keshav Maharaj is back for South Africa•Associated Press

The limelight will fall invariably on Keshav Maharaj, a step up from the spin options South Africa had at their disposal in Lahore. Maharaj was made for this sort of wicket with his ability to use drift as well as the arm ball, and take wickets both with the ones that turn and those that go straight. Combine his skills with the surface he has to work with, and South Africa may find themselves using the spinner on autopilot from one end.

Team news

Masood hinted strongly at satisfaction with the combination Pakistan went with in Lahore. While there is some pressure on Abdullah Shafique, an unchanged unit is the likeliest.Pakistan (probable): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Agha, 8 Noman Ali, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Sajid KhanSouth Africa have questions about both personnel and combination. They went with three specialist spinners while opting for Wiaan Mulder as the second seamer, but he ended up bowling just two overs all match. Maharaj will come in for sure, and Jansen could be an option on a Rawalpindi surface that has historically offered some bounce.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Dewald Brevis, 4 Tony de Zorzi, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Senuran Muthusamy, 10 Simon Harmer, 11 Kagiso Rabada

Pitch and conditions

Rawalpindi is slightly cooler than Lahore, but Pakistan will attempt to prepare the same spin-friendly strip. There haven’t been any of the extreme measures – the fans or wedding-style heaters and tents – that characterised the build-up to the deciding Test against England. It may end up a slightly more balanced strip, though the slower bowlers will remain the primary sources of wickets across the game.

Stats and trivia

• Simon Harmer is eight wickets away from completing 1000 career first-class wickets.
• This is set to be Masood’s 14th Test match as Pakistan’s captain, taking him past Sarfaraz Ahmed and Moin Khan, and tying him with Zaheer Abbas.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Deyverson está fora da partida entre Grêmio e Cuiabá, deste sábado, pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão. O jogador foi barrado por “motivos disciplinares” e sequer embarcou com a delegação para Porto Alegre.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Deyverson retornou à capital mato-grossense ainda nesta quinta-feira (18), enquanto a equipe seguiu de Goiânia para o Rio Grande do Sul, após a derrota para o Vila Nova, na semifinal da Copa Verde.

Em nota oficial do Cuiabá, o presidente Cristiano Dresch afirmou que o clube precisa de “jogadores comprometidos”. Confira abaixo.

Nesse momento precisamos de jogadores comprometidos com o clube, independente de estarem participando ou não efetivamente dos jogos.

Com oito gols em 17 jogos, Deyverson é o artilheiro do Cuiabá ao lado de Isidro Pitta. Além disso, o atacante deu sete assistências.

Tudo sobre

CuiabáDeyversonGrêmio

The Dodgers built a comfortable lead over the Reds in Game 1 of their National League wild-card series and hung on for a 10–5 victory. Shohei Ohtani blasted a titanic home run and Blake Snell was dominant through seven innings. But a trio of pitchers—Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez and Jack Dreyer—were very shaky in an eighth inning that resulted in three Cincinnati runs.

And Colin Cowherd thinks that's a very bad sign for a team expected to valiantly defend their World Series crown.

"Last night's a prime example of why they're not going to win the World Series," Cowherd said on his show Wednesday. "

"Dave Roberts doesn't trust the bullpen," he continued. "Dodger fans don't trust the bullpen. The Dodger bullpen doesn't trust the bullpen. They're going to push their starters as long as they can go."

Cowherd believes Los Angeles need to get great starting pitching and have their big bats deliver. Which sounds like a lot but is the same challenge almost every team in the MLB playoffs is hoping to receive. So there's no need to panic, especially with that lineup.

There is also the possibility that razor-sharp focus wasn't there in an 8–0 game and the effort could be better with more on the line.

"It feels good," Cowherd said of the opening triumph. "But this is how they're going to have to win."

The Yankees' slide continued on Sunday in the form of a 7-1 loss to the visiting Astros. New York has now lost 7 of its last 10 games and each loss feels progressively more painful. But for manager Aaron Boone, there's optimisim. Bleak optimism, for sure. But optimism nonetheless.

Speaking to media after Sunday's defeat (from which he was ejected in the third inning), Boone insisted that despite their struggles, the Yankees are still well-positioned to make a run. Once they start playing consistent baseball, that is.

"The game is littered with dead and buried teams," Boone said, per Chris Kirschner of . "We're in playoff position right now. We've been through two bad months where we haven't performed at a level we need to. Go back the year before, the year before, you can pick out a number of teams that are sitting in a worse position than we are right now that go on a run. We have the people to do that, no doubt in my mind. It's just sitting here as talk right now.

"We haven't been good enough the last two months. This is different than '23 where I didn't think we were necessarily capable of that run that we needed to really get hot. We were out of it at that point. This is different. We're in a position right now where we're in control of things. We're in a playoff spot, technically. I believe we have the people to get it done. We got to play consistent baseball, period."

Boone isn't wrong to an extent. Even after the defeat to Houston, the pinstripes own a half-game lead on the Cleveland Guardians for the last wild-card spot in the American League. If they manage to keep hold of that spot and make it to the postseason, anything can happen.

Right now it's hard to see Boone's vision. It's up to his players to make it reality. And time is starting to run short.

سجل ألكسندر إيزاك مهاجم ليفربول هدفه الأول في الجولة قبل الماضية في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ضد وست هام يونايتد خلال اللقاء الذي انتهى بفوز الريدز بهدفين نظيفين.

وشارك إيزاك حتى الآن في 12 مباراة مع ليفربول منذ انضمامه من صفوف نيوكاسل يونايتد إلى ليفربول، وكان قد تعرض لإصابة في شهر أكتوبر الماضي عطلت من اندماجه مع الفريق.

وقال إيزاك قبل لقاء ليدز يونايتد في تصريحات نشرتها “سكاي سبورت” البريطانية: “لم يكن الأمر سهلاً فردياً وجماعياً، لم نحقق أفضل النتائج وأتمنى المزيد مني أيضاً لكني أحاول أن أبقى إيجابياً، ونحن كفريق مجموعة جيدة تتطلع للأمام ونحاول تقديم الأداء الأفضل”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. سلوت: مازالت أشعر بدعم الجميع في منصبي.. وهذا هو الفارق بين إيزاك نيوكاسل وليفربول

وأضاف :”أتوقع أن أفعل المزيد، حتى عندما أقدم أداء جيدًا فأنا أرغب بالمزيد، هذه ليست مشكلة بالنسبة لي، أحاول العمل على ذلك، أعلم أيضاً جيداً متى أقدم أداء جيدًا ومتى لا أقدم، لا أحتاج لأحد ليخبرني حول ذلك”.

وواصل: “كلاعبين أو على المستوى الشخصي، لا أقيم الموسم الحالي بل أقيمه بعد انتهائه، ومازال أمامنا الكثير لنحققه”.

واختتم المهاجم السويدي تصريحاته: “أفضل طريقة لتحقيق ذلك هو التركيز على اللحظة الحالية، المباراة القادمة والبدء بالفوز”.

Things are looking up for Chelsea.

Despite a couple of poor results earlier in the season, Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League, with a chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then on Tuesday night, they showed the continent just how dangerous they are by beating Spanish champions Barcelona 3-0.

One of the stars of that game, and of Chelsea’s season, was Estevao, and so fans should be excited about reports linking them to someone who could be seen as the original version of the wonderkid.

Chelsea target the original Estevao

The transfer window is still over a month away from opening, but that has not stopped Chelsea from being linked with a host of potentially game-changing signings.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Nottingham Forest’s man-mountain Murillo has been touted for a £79m move to Stamford Bridge, as has Athletic Bilbao’s £62m Nico Williams.

However, as talented as those two are, neither one can accurately be described as the original Estevao, unlike Vinícius Júnior.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Chelsea are one of a couple of teams interested in signing the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that should the Brazilian be up for sale in the summer, the Blues will be one of the frontrunners for his signature, alongside Manchester City.

However, the report has confirmed that, even though he’d have just a year left on his deal, Los Blancos would demand a fee of around £80m.

Even so, Vini Jr is a genuinely world-class player and someone Chelsea should be happy to break the bank on, especially as he’s the original Estevao.

Why Vini Jr is the original Estevao

Now, when it comes to the similarities between Vini Jr and Estevao, there are a few that are quite obvious and somewhat surface-level.

For example, they’re both exciting wide players, they’re both Brazilian, and now they’ve both played for the national team.

However, what makes the Madrid star the original version of the Chelsea star is how they were both spoken about prior to their big-money moves to Europe.

The Blues ace, for example, was labelled a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by respected analyst Ben Mattinson a few months before his deal was agreed.

Likewise, when the 25-year-old arrived in Spain over seven years ago, president Florentino Perez said: “He’s a player who is already considered one of the great hopes of Brazilian and world football.

In short, the West Londoners’ new prospect looks to be following in the footsteps of the former Flamengo ace, and they’ll certainly hope he continues.

After all, despite having a slow start to life in the Spanish capital, the São Gonçalo-born monster has now amassed 340 appearances for the biggest club in the world, during which he has scored 111 goals and provided 89 assists.

Moreover, he’s helped the club win everything there is to win in the game, including two Champions Leagues, three La Ligas and one Copa del Rey.

Finally, he also has some sensational underlying numbers to his name, with FBref ranking him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with all that in mind, it’s hard to disagree with Ronaldo’s assertion that Vini Jr is “the best player in the world,” and therefore, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign him next year, especially as he could help Estevao’s development.

Chelsea have already signed another exciting star who's "just like Estevao"

Chelsea have already signed another youngster who could become another Estevao for Enzo Maresca.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 26, 2025