أكد سيمون رولفس، المدير الرياضي لنادي باير ليفركوزن الألماني، على استمرار تشابي ألونسو المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم، خلال الموسم المقبل.

تشابي ألونسو يتألق مع باير ليفركوزن ويتصدر ترتيب الدوري الألماني، وقاد فريقه للفوز على بايرن ميونخ بثلاثية نظيفة بملعب باي أرينا.

طالع أيضًا.. تقارير: انتهاء مغامرة كيليان مبابي مع باريس سان جيرمان

وارتبط المدرب الإسباني بخلافة يورجن كلوب في ليفربول بعد إعلان الأخير رحيله عن الريدز بنهاية الموسم، كما رُشح لتدريب ريال مدريد خلفًا لـ كارلو أنشيلوتي.

وفي تصريحات لبرنامج “Doppelpass” قال سيمون رولفس: “أنا متأكد من استمرار تشابي ألونسو، أولًا العقد مستمر حتى 2026، وثانيًا هو يشعر بالراحة مع النادي”.

وأضاف: “ألونسو يعلم أننا سنمتلك فريقًا كبيرًا في الموسم المقبل، ويمكنني أن أؤكد للجميع أنه سيستمر معنا لقيادة هذا الفريق”.

ألونسو مدد عقده مع باير ليفركوزن قبل بداية الموسم الحالي، وحتى عام 2026، وتمكن خلال آخر 51 مباراة من الحفاظ على سجله خالي من الهزائم خلال 31 مباراة، محققًا 27 انتصارًا، وتلقى 3 هزائم فقط.

ولم يخسر ليفركوزن حتى الآن في بطولة الدوري الألماني، ليصبح الفريق الوحيد في الدوريات الخمسة الكبرى الذي لم يتلق أي هزيمة.

Chelsea are intrigued by the prospect of bringing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic to Stamford Bridge.

What’s the latest on Dusan Vlahovic to Chelsea?

According to ESPN’s Julien Laurens, the Blues have made the 23-year-old their top priority for the summer and have already made an offer of €80m (£69m).

The report also claims that the Serbian is “unhappy” in Turin and as such, he is supposedly keen on a move to the capital with the incoming Mauricio Pochettino setting his sights on a new No.9.

However, the 2021 Champions League winners are set to be challenged by Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

Would Dusan Vlahovic be a good fit at Chelsea?

The 21-cap international has endured his least productive season since joining Serie A in 2018, having netted 14 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions. However, this term has been complicated by injury issues that have stalled his rhythm and consistency.

However, one quieter season isn’t enough to outweigh his previously glorious potency at Fiorentina and his early days with Juventus.

In the past three campaigns, the 6 foot 3 "monster" – as dubbed by Carlo Garganese – notched 45 goals in 73 league outings to establish himself as one of Italy’s most deadly and dangerous forces.

Meanwhile, the west London outfit has only found the net on 36 occasions in as many top-flight games as the disjointed and underperforming attack is one of the primary reasons for the club’s monumental decline.

Their offensive woes were epitomised in their last encounter with Manchester City as Raheem Sterling lacked a cutting edge, whilst Kai Havertz was borderline anonymous in the false nine role as Frank Lampard’s men failed to score for the 14th time in the league.

Indeed, Sterling (33) and Havertz (35) both had so few touches throughout the game that even goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, registered more touches (43) during the contest.

The two aforementioned players are currently the Blues’ top finishers this term, however, sharing a measly nine goals a piece to underline the painfully obvious issue at Stamford Bridge.

Vlahovic possesses a profile that no other Chelsea player currently matches – a commanding focal point with an abrupt physicality and a keen eye for goal.

Micah Richards is a huge fan and when the frontman was in free-scoring form in Florence, the pundit described him as “lightning” and having “everything you need.” That should be music to the ears of the hierarchy.

A new striker is perhaps the most imperative upgrade within the Chelsea squad this summer and whilst other clubs may be deterred by the price tag, it is unlikely that the new ownership will feel the same. Indeed, the Serb one of the best options Boehly and co could find on the market this summer.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal has had surgery after being struck on the hand during a domestic match last week

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2016Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal has had surgery after being struck on the hand while playing a domestic match last week.Chandimal suffered “multiple dislocations around the right thumb area” after he was hit during a Mercantile tournament match. The recovery period for the injury is three weeks and the Sri Lanka team management said that Chandimal is expected to be fit for the team’s tour of Zimbabwe in October and November. Although the schedule for the tour has not yet been announced, the first Test is likely to begin on October 29.Chandimal’s, Sri Lanka’s vice-captain, was also the side’s designated wicketkeeper during the recent home Test series against Australia. He struck a crucial 132 in the first innings of the Colombo Test to lead Sri Lanka from 26 for 5 to an eventual 163-run win that helped them sweep the series 3-0.Chandimal has also been prolific this year, making 1451 runs from 36 matches across formats including four centuries. He also scored five successive ODI fifties between June and August this year, but missed out on becoming the first Sri Lanka batsman to score six consecutive fifties when he was dismissed for 48 in the second ODI against Australia.He also stood in as captain during a part of the ODI and T20I series against Australia, after Angelo Mathews suffered a calf injury.

Crystal Palace could turn to Sunderland winger Jack Clarke as a potential replacement for Wilfried Zaha, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Jack Clarke?

Recently, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano dropped an update on interest surrounding Clarke on Twitter, stating: "Burnley, Brentford and Crystal Palace have all submitted bids for Sunderland talent Jack Clarke. Understand Sunderland are currently negotiating a new deal for Clarke as he’s considered ‘vital’ for the club to get promoted."

TEAMtalk also understand that Sunderland plan to offer the 22-year-old extended terms at The Stadium Of Light to ward off interest from Premier League clubs following a stellar season for the £16k-a-week ace at the Black Cats.

The Eagles could be set for some movement in the wide department in the off-season due to the uncertainty surrounding the future of club icon Zaha, who has yet to agree new terms at Crystal Palace and has been offered a deal worth £10 million per season at Qatari outfit Al Sadd, as per The Sun.

talkSPORT detail that Zaha has been offered around £200,000 per week to stay at Selhurst Park and would become their highest-paid player ever if he was to commit to the proposed four-year deal on the table.

Marseille and clubs in Saudi Arabia are also keen on the Ivory Coast international heading into the forthcoming transfer window.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones thinks that Clarke would be a signing that would appease the Crystal Palace supporters and go on to have a big impact at Selhurst Park.

Jones said: "I think Crystal Palace are always in the market for that emerging exciting talent and I think Jack Clarke, is unsurprisingly linked given that he fits the mould in that sense.

"I'm not sure how likely it is that he actually lands at Crystal Palace because I think that there is clarification yet to be made over Wilfried Zaha, however unlikely that might look.”

What have Jack Clarke's stats been like this season?

Clarke was in excellent form for Sunderland as they fell just short of winning promotion to the Premier League at the play-off semi-final stage.

In 2022/23, the Englishman enjoyed a productive time of things, registering 11 goals and 13 assists from 50 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also notes that the talent managed to average around 1.7 key passes per match in the Sky Bet Championship, demonstrating his ability to lay chances on a plate for his teammates.

His qualities in providing scoring opportunities are also reflected by FBRef, who show that Clarke has successfully performed 147 shot-creating actions.

Moving into the summer, bringing in someone with the potential that Clarke has to grow into an established Premier League player may be a sensible move by Palace chiefs, especially if Zaha doesn't extend his stay in south London.

Australia’s pace depth will be tested during their ODI tour of South Africa, with none of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, James Pattinson or Pat Cummins present

Brydon Coverdale22-Sep-2016Mitchell Starc was to be rested, and is now injured. Josh Hazlewood is being rested. James Faulkner is injured. Nathan Coulter-Nile is injured. Pat Cummins and James Pattinson are recovering from long-term injuries. John Hastings and Scott Boland are, remarkably, the senior frontline fast bowlers, such is the dearth of experience in Australia’s one-day attack in South Africa.The squad has arrived for their tour of five ODIs against South Africa and one against Ireland, but the locals could be forgiven for wondering if this was an Australia A tour. The presence of Steven Smith, David Warner, George Bailey and Aaron Finch at least provides Australia with an experienced batting order, but when it comes their turn in the field, Smith’s men could hardly be greener.Hastings, with 33 ODI wickets, and Scott Boland, with nine, are the only specialist fast men in this squad who have so much as a one-day cap, although allrounder Mitchell Marsh will also feature in the attack. The rest of the pace group is made up of Victoria’s Chris Tremain and the South Australia pair of Daniel Worrall and Joe Mennie, all of whom will debut over the next few weeks.But Australia’s selectors and team management are already looking ahead to the first Test of their home summer in Perth, also against South Africa, which is just six weeks away, and keeping Hazlewood and Starc fresh was a priority – until Starc gashed his leg at training. Coach Darren Lehmann said the absences provided wonderful opportunities for new men to shine.”We do turnover a bit in our one-day set-up because you’ve got to give the Test players a break somewhere,” Lehmann told reporters in Johannesburg upon the squad’s arrival. “So we get our one-day players to chop and change a little bit. They handle it very well.”The great thing is it gives them a chance at this next level, so we’ve had someone like Travis Head come in and do really well for us, and the bowlers chop and change a bit. Steve knows he’s got a lot of depth of bowlers in this format.”We’ve done that since the World Cup final, you can really chop and change, and making sure we’re giving everyone enough game time looking ahead to major tournaments – we’ve got the Champions Trophy next year and then looking ahead to 2019 [World Cup]. We’re always looking ahead. The players adapt really well when we do that.”There’s obviously good reasons we don’t bring Starc and Hazlewood here. We’re playing you in a Test series and we want to give them a break. It’s a great challenge for our young guys … They’re good young players and they’ll go well.”Remarkably, Hastings is the only specialist bowler in Australia’s attack who had so much as made his ODI debut when this year began. Boland first appeared against India in January and legspinner Adam Zampa debuted in New Zealand in February. At least one of Worrall, Mennie and Tremain – and potentially all three – will debut in the opening ODI against Ireland in Benoni next Tuesday.”We’ve got some good young fast bowlers,” Lehmann said. “We’ll only know that at the end of a series against a quality side. We’re hoping they step up and I’m sure they will. They’ve got some pace, they swing the ball and we’ve got some variations.”We’ve also got some good quality there with Hastings who has played really well for us, Boland did well last series [in Sri Lanka] and then you’ve got the three debutants who will play at some stage during the tournament.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers will face interest from other sides in striker Hwang Hee-chan this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Hwang Hee-chan?

According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are 'monitoring' Hee-chan looking ahead to the forthcoming transfer window as Old Gold boss Julen Lopetegui is under pressure to cut down his squad size.

The report states that Wolves may need to sell some of their prize assets in order to comply with financial fair play regulations at Molineux and Serie A giants Roma have emerged as candidates to sign the South Korea international as a result.

In 2022/23, the 27-year-old made 32 appearances in all competitions for Wolves and managed to bag four goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Contractually, Hee-chan is tied to Wolves on a deal until the summer of 2026 and is believed to earn around £30,000 per week at the Premier League outfit, as cited by Capology.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones doesn't think that Lopetegui will want to let go of the former RB Leipzig attacker in the off-season; however, he expects there to be plenty of interest in his services.

Jones told FFC: "I don't think they would want Hwang to go. That's going to be something again that is key to these conversations that Lopetegui has. He's got an understanding of who the club were expecting to sell. He won't want too many surprises beyond that of other players, especially ones that have goal creation in them. There's definitely going to be some interest and I think their clubs might even look to target Wolves given that they now know their precarious financial situation."

Who else could Wolverhampton Wanderers sell this summer?

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set for a sizable rebuild this summer which may involve several players leaving Molineux in the transfer window.

AS via The Daily Mail have reported that club captain Ruben Neves could be on his way to Barcelona and an agreement has apparently been reached for a fee of around £26 million.

His teammate, Matheus Nunes, is another name that could be on the move amid continuous interest from Liverpool in his services, according to Football Insider.

Joao Moutinho and Diego Costa have now left Wolves, whilst Adama Traore is a free agent, but the Old Gold are still in communication over a potential new deal for the Spaniard when the money allows them to.

A round-up of all the Group B Ranji Tophy matches on the penultimate day of the third round on October 22, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2016Five-wicket hauls from medium-pacer Kushang Patel and left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja forced Maharashtra to follow-on after Saurashtra declared at 657 for 8. Maharashtra, who posted 635 in their previous game against Delhi, were bowled out for 182 in 56.2 overs, with Murtaza Trunkwala top scoring with 64 on first-class debut. Trunkwala followed that up with an unbeaten 65, but Saurashtra were in with a chance to force a bonus-point win as Maharashtra headed stumps on 114 for 2.Rajasthan slumped to 67 for 3 in chase of 280 against Jharkhand in Vadodara. Jharkhand, who resumed on 73 for 2 after taking a two-run lead, extended their advantage with Ishank Jaggi’s 100. Meanwhile, Virat Singh (35), Pratyush Singh (38), Saurabh Tiwary (24) and Shahbaz Nadeem (32) all failed to convert starts. Mahipal Lomror, the 16-year old left-arm spinner who represented India at the Under-19 World Cup, picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in his third first-class match. Pankaj Singh, the Rajasthan captain, took three wickets to finish with match haul of 8 for 123.Ganesh Satish’s 105 and a string of half-centuries from Ravi Jangid, Jitesh Sharma and Aditya Sarwate hauled Vidarbha from their overnight 254 for 3 to 416 in their Group B fixture against Assam in Trivandrum. Akshay Wakhare, the offspinner, then struck twice to leave Assam at 88 for 3. Rishav Das and Tarjinder Singh were at the crease when stumps were drawn on an extended day. No play was possible on Friday, the second day, because of rain and a wet outfield.Delhi v Karnataka: Gowtham’s five-for routs Delhi for bonus-point win

Cameron White’s 130-ball 145 helped Victoria amass 343 and thump South Australia by 135 runs in their Matador Cup match in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2016
ScorecardCameron White’s 10th List A century helped Victoria amass 343•Getty Images

Cameron White’s 130-ball 145 helped Victoria amass 343 and thump South Australia by 135 runs in their Matador Cup match in Perth.South Australia’s chase crumbled to 208, propped up only by a maiden List A century by Cameron Valente and a fifty from Tom Cooper. The rest of the line-up could muster only 44 runs between them.White and Marcus Harris gave Victoria a promising start, adding 70 in a little over 13 overs. White then forged two stands of exactly 100 – with Victoria captain Peter Handscomb for the third wicket, and with Marcus Stoinis for the fifth.White’s knock included 12 fours and four sixes and his partnership with Stoinis helped Victoria plunder 109 runs from the last 10 overs. Stoinis finished unbeaten on 59 off 45 balls with four sixes and two fours.South Australia’s chase had fallen apart by the eighth over as strikes from left-arm spinner Michael Beer and fast bowler Jackson Coleman left them at 5 for 35. Beer took a hat-trick spread across two overs in this period, dismissing Jake Weatherald, Jake Lehmann and Sam Raphael. Valente, who had made his List A debut in the tied match against Western Australia last week, and Cooper averted the possibility of the side being bowled out for less than 100, adding 101 for the sixth wicket, but once Cooper fell, South Australia crumbled again. No. 10 Nick Benton struck 21, and helped Valente push the score past 200 before Victoria wrapped up the match in the 43rd over.

Leeds United suffered relegation down to the Championship last week as they finished 19th in the Premier League table with a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day.

The Whites are now braced for a summer of change, as they remain without a manager following Sam Allardyce's exit, and that could include plenty of movement in the playing squad.

One player who could be on his way out of Elland Road is central midfielder Marc Roca, who arrived at the club from German giants Bayern Munich last summer.

The Athletic's Phil Hay has reported that an exit is 'likely' for the 26-year-old and that he could make a return to Spain, where LaLiga outfit Real Betis have been credited with an interest in his services.

Who could replace Marc Roca at Leeds?

U21 midfielder Lewis Bate, who has been out on loan at Oxford United in League One, could make the step up to replace the Spaniard next season.

The 20-year-old, who has played four first-team matches for the club, offers similar attributes to Roca in the middle of the park as he has the ability to create chances for his teammates from a central midfield position and has the defensive awareness to make interventions at the back on a regular basis.

In League One, the youngster averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.84 across 28 appearances and made 1.1 key passes and two tackles and interceptions per game for his side.

Roca, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.81 in the Premier League across 32 matches and made 2.7 tackles and interceptions and one key pass per outing for Leeds.

This suggests that the pair, who both averaged between 79 and 80% pass accuracy in their respective divisions, are both combative midfielders who can also put their foot on the ball and use their quality to find teammates in attacking positions in order to create goalscoring opportunities.

Recruitment analyst and U18 specialist Connor Rowden claimed that Bate's ability to "control" games is "unparalleled" amongst his peers and this suggests that the academy gem could excel in the Championship in games that Leeds are expected to dominate in as teams potentially sit back in low blocks in an attempt to counter-attack against a side that was just in the top-flight.

He could use his ball-playing quality to wear down teams by rotating possession and shifting the opposition from side to side before utilising his creativity to play a killer ball to find a teammate in the final third.

The former Chelsea starlet's creative statistics in the third tier this season indicate that he has been able to translate his skills from youth level over to senior football and Leeds must now hand him an opportunity to showcase his talent in the second tier in 2023/24 after a full year of development under his belt.

Bate, based on his solid form for Oxford this term, could make the step up and save the club millions by coming in as a direct replacement for Roca, assuming the Spaniard does depart the Yorkshire side this summer.

ScorecardAshton Agar delivered victory to Western Australia•Getty Images

Ashton Agar smashed 47 off 19 balls to set up victory for Western Australia in a severely rain-shortened match against the Cricket Australia XI at Hurstville Oval in Sydney. The game was reduced to 15 overs per side due to the wet weather earlier the day, and after Duckworth-Lewis adjustments were made, the CA XI’s 8 for 147 translated into a target of 156 for the Warriors.Agar had taken two wickets and Andrew Tye picked up 4 for 23 as the CA XI pushed for a competitive total, with opener Sam Harper the top scorer with 48 off 28 balls. Jake Carder contributed 43 from 18 deliveries and Matthew Short struck four sixes late in the innings during a cameo of 27 from 10 balls.But a fast and furious opening stand of 44 from 3.2 overs between Hilton Cartwright (32 off 14) and Michael Klinger (29 from 20) set the Warriors on the right path, and Agar steered most of the remainder of the short chase. Agar struck four fours and four sixes and although he departed with 13 runs still required, he had done enough.Adam Voges hit the winning runs as the Warriors completed their five-wicket win with eight balls to spare.