Nicolas Jackson has described his transfer to Bayern Munich as an “emotional rollercoaster” after his loan move from Chelsea almost collapsed ahead of the deadline. The striker revealed how Vincent Kompany’s personal touch convinced him to join the German champions and is now preparing to face his parent club in the Champions League.

• Jackson’s transfer saga unfolds

  Jackson’s switch to Bayern appeared straightforward when the two clubs agreed on terms at the end of August, but the move was suddenly thrown into doubt after Chelsea striker Liam Delap picked up a hamstring injury, prompting fears the Blues would need to keep the Senegal star. The forward, however, remained in Germany and pushed for the transfer to go through, eventually sealing a loan with a €65 million (£56m/$77m) conditional obligation to buy after a dramatic final 48 hours.

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  Jackson reveals he was stuck waiting in hotel room

  Speaking to , Jackson admitted the uncertainty took a toll on him during the negotiations, saying: “It was truly an emotional rollercoaster. So much happened in such a short time, and sitting in the hotel room, waiting, thinking, hoping. Those were very intense moments. But deep down, I always believed the move would work out. I was excited by the idea of coming to a club like Bayern – such a historic institution in world football."

• Vincent Kompany’s role in sealing the deal

  The 24-year-old credited the Bayern boss Kompany as a decisive factor in his choice to leave Chelsea for Bayern. 

  “After the initial discussions with [sporting director] Max Eberl and especially with coach Kompany, I was 100 per cent convinced that this was the right move for me," he said. "From the very first call, I felt a special connection with the coach. He showed me that he really wanted me in his project and explained in detail how he wanted to integrate me into his attacking system—especially with all the fantastic players already here.

  "Vincent Kompany is a young coach with a tremendous professional career behind him. And you can tell he knows exactly how to talk to us young players. It's about more than football. It's about human nature. This attitude, this respect, and this clarity really made the difference. They played a decisive role in my decision."

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  Bayern and Jackson's true test awaits?

  Jackson could hardly have asked for a bigger stage to announce himself in Bavaria, as Bayern face Chelsea in their opening Champions League clash on Wednesday. A strong display against his parent club would not only underline his determination to succeed but also test whether the obligation-to-buy clause will be activated. With Bayern seeking to reclaim European supremacy, Jackson’s integration into Kompany’s system will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.

Otago fast bowler has played ten ODIs, and was impressive during the recent home series against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2025Fast bowler Jacob Duffy has been added to New Zealand’s squad for the ODI tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa beginning in Lahore on February 8. His inclusion is primarily as cover for Lockie Ferguson, who is currently playing in the ILT20 in the UAE.Duffy, 30, has played ten ODIs, and taken 18 wickets at an average of 25.94 and economy of 6.25. He recently took four wickets in two ODIs, and eight in three T20Is against Sri Lanka in a home series that ended earlier in January.The New Zealand squad departs for Pakistan on February 3 to play the tri-series followed by the Champions Trophy. Their two round-robin fixtures in the tri-series are in Lahore, against Pakistan on February 8 and South Africa on February 10. The final is in Karachi on February 14.New Zealand then play a Champions Trophy warm-up game against Afghanistan on February 16, followed by the tournament opener against Pakistan on February 19, with both those fixtures also being in Karachi.They then travel to Rawalpindi to play their second Group A fixture against Bangladesh on February 24, followed by a trip to Dubai for the game on March 2 against India, who are not playing any of their Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan because they did not get government clearance to travel.New Zealand squad for tri-series and Champions TrophyMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy (tri-series only)

Crystal Palace have now made an approach to sign an “incredible” defender, who is being targeted as a replacement for Marc Guehi.

Palace working on replacement for Eze and Guehi

It has been a difficult summer for Palace on the transfer front, with talisman Eberechi Eze leaving to join Arsenal, but it appears as though they have already secured a replacement, with Fabrizio Romano dropping some exciting news on Tuesday evening.

That said, Palace may still have some work to do before the deadline, given that Marc Guehi’s future remains up in the air, with the captain still expected to join Liverpool, although Manchester City were also recently named as potential suitors.

There has been talk about Man City’s Manuel Akanji heading to Selhurst Park, but the Eagles have also now made an approach for more of a left-field target.

That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Crystal Palace have made an approach to sign Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly, who is being targeted as a replacement for Guehi.

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Oliver Glasner’s side have lodged an enquiry over Kelly, alongside Premier League rivals Sunderland, and there is a feeling that a deal could be possible, with the Italian club currently working on a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Beraldo as a replacement.

Having failed to adapt to life in Italy since making a £20m move from Newcastle United, the 26-year-old could well be on the move this summer, considering Beraldo joining Juventus is deemed ‘very possible’.

"Incredible" Kelly needs to leave Juventus this summer

It would be fair to say the Bristol-born defender failed to adapt to life in Italy last season, making just 12 Serie A appearances throughout the campaign, but he has proven himself in the Premier League in the past.

Indeed, the former AFC Bournemouth man was particularly impressive during his time with the Cherries, with ex-Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil once praising him for a solid display in a 1-0 win against Liverpool.

O’Neil said: “I thought Lloyd was incredible. I think he had a 12-week ankle injury followed by a six-week calf injury. Didn’t have much time in between, and then came back today having not trained much, to play left back against one of the best wingers in the world.

“I thought he showed everything, the potential he has to be a top defender.”

If Kelly is to fulfill that potential, however, he needs to receive consistent game time, so a move to Palace could suit all parties, although the Juventus defender clearly isn’t currently on Guehi’s level, given that he is yet to be capped by England.

Fair to say, the start of this season has not gone to plan for Rangers.

The Light Blues were actually impressive during the early rounds of Champions League qualifying, knocking out both Panathinaikos and then Viktoria Plzeň, winning the first leg at home both times.

However, their Champions League dreams quickly went up in flames on Tuesday night, 3-0 down after less than 20 minutes at home to Club Brugge, ultimately defeated 3-1, but still needing a miracle in Belgium next Wednesday, or once again the Europa League beckons.

Meantime, the start of the Scottish Premiership campaign has been catastrophic, held to a 1-1 draw by both Motherwell at Fir Park and then Dundee at Ibrox, thereby failing to win either of their opening two league matches for the first time since 1989 under Graeme Souness.

Thus, the pressure is really on as the Gers travel to St Mirren on Sunday, with the first Old Firm of the season to come a week later.

Defeat in both of these fixtures would be unthinkable, but could have drastic consequences for the new man at the helm.

Russell Martin is under pressure already

When he was appointed during the summer, Russell Martin became only the 20th permanent manager since Rangers’ first in 1899.

However, the way things are going, he could become the shortest-serving, not including caretakers, as the table below documents.

William Wilton

1899-20

718

Bill Struth

20-54

1,390

Scot Symon

54-67

681

David White

67-69

113

William Waddell

69-72

130

Jock Wallace

72-78

306

John Greig

78-83

289

Jock Wallace

83-86

124

Graeme Souness

86-91

257

Walter Smith

91-98

377

Dick Advocaat

98-01

195

Alex McLeish

01-06

235

Paul Le Guen

06-07

31

Walter Smith

07-11

245

Ally McCoist

11-14

167

Mark Warburton

15-17

82

Pedro Caixinha

2017

26

Steven Gerrard

18-21

193

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

21-22

69

Michael Beale

22-23

43

Philippe Clement

23-25

86

Russell Martin

25-present

8

As the table outlines, Pedro Caixinha is the shortest-serving permanent Rangers manager of all time, taking charge of only 26 matches in 2017, winning just 14, overseeing the infamous Europa League qualifying defeat at the hands of Progrès Niederkorn.

Well, with pressure increasing already, Martin could break that record, needing to remain in charge until late-November to avoid this fate which, at the moment, is in the balance.

However, could the new manager immediately win over the Ibrox faithful by landing a statement signing before the window closes?

Rangers aiming to rebalance midfield

Most would’ve forecast that midfield would be the strongest part of Rangers’ team, given the performances of Mohamed Diomandé and player of the year Nicolas Raskin last season.

However, they’re yet to find the right balance with those two alongside summer signing from Bournemouth Joe Rothwell, who is yet to impress supporters.

With that in mind, could Rangers reignite their interest in Andy Irving, after it was reported by the Scotsman earlier this month that they were among many sides interested in securing his signature?

Numerous other clubs from across Europe are also interested, Wrexham, Köln, Stuttgart, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Sturm Graz, to name but a few, but Rangers could place themselves at the front of the queue.

The 25-year-old, who is reportedly valued at £3.5m, has already had a fascinating career; born in Edinburgh, he began his career at Heart of Midlothian, loaned out to both Berwick Rangers and then Falkirk, appearing 61 times for Hearts in total.

He then made the unconventional move to Türkgücü München, spending one season in Germany’s third-tier, before joining Austria Klagenfurt, playing for two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga, scoring 16 goals and registering 14 assists.

This earned him a move to West Ham, although he’s been used infrequently by the Irons, his sole Premier League start, to date, coming at Stamford Bridge in February, serenaded by supporters throughout, despite a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

He was then handed his senior international debut by Steve Clark against Liechtenstein at Rheinpark Stadion in June, remaining very popular amongst West Ham supporters, earning the nickname the ‘Portobello Pirlo’ due to his ‘precocious talent’ and ability to dictate play from the base of midfield.

Writer Kai Watson outlines how Irving can “play under pressure” and “break the lines with his passes”, concluding that the Scotland international “would do well in Martin’s system”.

As he proved at Southampton last season, Martin is not going to change his principles nor his philosophy, or playing style, so the only way he is a success at Rangers is if the players are better able to carry out his instructions.

Based on what he’s produced so far, Irving appears as though he could do just that at a high level, so he could be the man to save the sinking ship, with his ability to succeed in the system being played.

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As a Scotland international, Irving may also warm to supporters quickly as a player they may have an added investment in, which could help to get the fans back onside at Ibrox.

Barcelona are lining up a backup plan for their home fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in case Camp Nou is not ready on time to host their first Champions League home game. The Blaugrana have suffered several delays in their efforts to return to the renovated stadium, and are currently targeting the clash against Real Sociedad on September 28, just days before the French giants come to town.

Plans to host Real Sociedad at home while moving the PSG game away

According to , Barcelona are confident of securing the final construction certificate in time to host Real Sociedad at Camp Nou at the end of the month. However, the club will only be able to admit around 27,000 spectators, with large sections of the stadium still under renovation. For the clash against PSG, though, Camp Nou may remain unavailable, as a key section with a 45,000 capacity cannot yet be opened. Both PSG and UEFA have already been informed of the possible venue change to avoid any confusion.

AdvertisementAFPRevamping the Camp Nou as part of Espai Barca

As part of the project, club president Joan Laporta convinced the General Assembly that the revamped stadium was a crucial element of Barcelona’s financial future. In December 2022, the Assembly voted in favour of the renovation plans, which were also approved by the City Council. They initially planned to return to the iconic stadium last year but have faced several delays which have now run into the current campaign. La Liga granted their request to start the season with three straight away matches in order to give them more time to get Camp Nou in order but they yet to confirm when the stadium will be ready to host a match.

Camp Nou delays and postponement

Recently, the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona’s annual pre-season fixture which had been scheduled to take place at Camp Nou, was moved to the Johan Cruyff Stadium after the club failed to obtain the necessary licence from the council. Missing the deadline once again, Barcelona were forced to host their home game against Valencia at the Johan Cruyff Stadium for a second time. The situation looked even bleaker when vice-president Elena Fort admitted uncertainty over when the team could finally return to Camp Nou. It is reported that the club have lost close to €90 million (£78m/$106m) in revenue by being unable to play at their iconic home ground.

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gettyWhat's in store for Barcelona?

Barcelona will hope that there will be no more delays in revamping the stadium and they will be able to host big games and Champions League nights at the stadium. Otherwise, they will have to play all of their League phase matches at the stadium in Montjuic. 

This weekend's game against Getafe will take place at the same 6,000-capacity stadium that hosted the Valencia match.

The Professional Footballers' Association is reportedly in talks with Chelsea over how they are treating exiled duo Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi. Both the Blues winger and defender tried to secure deadline day exits but in the end they stayed put in the club's 'Bomb Squad'. Now, it is understood the PFA have intervened over how they are being looked after.

• PFA concerned about Chelsea duo

  According to BBC Sport, the PFA have contacted Chelsea as they want to ensure that Sterling and Disasi have the 'platform to train to an optimum level' despite not being involved with the first team. The union has sought to ensure clubs are aware of FIFA's strict regulations over players who are isolated from squads in circumstances that could fall under 'abusive conduct' by the club. If so, this may entitle an individual to terminate his contract, citing 'just cause'.

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  Uncertain future for Sterling and Disasi

  Sterling's contract, which earns him £325,000 per week, runs until 2027, while Disasi's terms expire in 2029. The former nearly joined Fulham on loan, and the latter turned down a switch to West Ham earlier this month. Both are unlikely to have a future at Chelsea, with the pair unlikely to play first-team football for months.

• Sterling and Disasi had summer offers

  The report adds that Chelsea, who are closely working with the PFA, presented former Manchester City star Sterling with potential moves to Bayern Munich and Napoli over the summer. Bayer Leverkusen and Galatasaray were also interested, and Disasi decided against joining West Ham and Bournemouth.

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  What next for the Chelsea outcasts?

  Both Sterling and Disasi are said to have been assigned specific training times and a designated Chelsea coach to work with at the club's training ground. Meanwhile, the first team travel to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tottenham are expected to be one of the busier Premier League sides during the final few weeks of this summer transfer window, and technical director Johan Lange will have multiple plates spinning behind-the-scenes.

Lange is known to operate in secrecy when it comes to his transfer planning, with Spurs showing a tendency to agree out-of-nowhere deals since the Dane took over from ex-managing director Fabio Paratici.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

The Lilywhites’ move for Wilson Odobert last summer took everyone by surprise, while their botched deal for Morgan Gibbs-White accelerated in similar fashion with very few leaks to the press – until the transfer was very close to being done.

Unfortunately for Lange, he ended up missing out on Gibbs-White in what was a very bizarre transfer saga.

After losing club legend Son Heung-min to the MLS, and now James Maddison for the majority of the season, it is absolutely imperative that Tottenham’s technical director brings in a fresh, proven attacking alternative before the deadline on September 1.

Maddison will undergo surgery on an ACL rupture, Spurs confirmed today, with the 28-year-old set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Tottenham called Man City over Jack Grealish in the last few days, according to Fabrizio Romano, but face stiff competition from Everton, who have now opened formal talks over a loan deal for the 29-year-old.

Elsewhere, Liverpool sensation Harvey Elliott has been mooted as a potential target for Spurs after his exceptional Euro Under-21 Championships with England.

However, Bundesliga sides like RB Leipzig are offering Elliott the chance to further his development abroad, with sides across Europe now clamoring to reinforce their squad as we reach the final phase of this window.

Daniel Levy is dealing with a major headache when it comes to their pursuit of an attacker, and that botched deal for Gibbs-White is now looking all the more significant after Maddison’s injury.

According to Alasdair Gold, the most reliable Spurs source you could ask for, Levy and Lange have other items on their transfer agenda too – namely signing another new centre-back.

The club triggered Kevin Danso’s obligation to buy clause from RC Lens earlier this summer, and already boast the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin among their crop of central defensive options.

Dragusin was recently handed Sergio Reguilon’s number 3 jersey, whilst Romero’s links to Atlético Madrid have practically died after Diego Simeone sealed a deal for David Hancko – so none of the quartet appear likely to be going anywhere this summer.

Tottenham ready to meet asking price for Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi

Regardless, Spurs are apparently in the market for another central defender, and they’re still contenders for Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi.

According to French newspaper L’Équipe, as translated by Sport Witness, the Ukranian’s switch to PSG is advanced, but Luis Enrique’s side are currently haggling over a few million.

PSG made a recent written offer to the Cherries for Zabarnyi – £52m whilst covering FIFA’s solidarity payment.

Bournemouth are prepared to accept this bid, if PSG include a further £3m in bonuses, which the Ligue 1 giants are currently refusing to do.

This has handed Levy an opportunity to hijack the deal, with L’Équipe reporting that Tottenham are ready to meet Bournemouth’s demands for Zabarnyi ‘immediately’ and are ‘pushing’ to sign the 22-year-old.

Spurs were actually in the mix for his former Bournemouth teammate, Dean Huijsen, before he chose a move to Real Madrid (Fabrizio Romano).

Now, Frank could win the race for another Bournemouth defender instead, but they’ll first have to convince Zabarnyi himself, who’s been chasing a move to Paris for quite some time.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are now expected to make an offer for an “unstoppable” striker imminently, but a deal could amount to €50m (£43m), according to a report.

Wolves remain keen on strengthening attacking options

Despite already adding the likes of Jhon Arias, Fer Lopez and Jorgen Strand Larsen to his squad permanently this summer, Vitor Pereira remains keen on bringing in another centre-forward, which could raise concerns about the Norwegian striker’s future.

However, reporter Liam Keen has been quick to point out the Old Gold retain their hardline stance, despite interest from one of their Premier League rivals, saying: “Wolves wanting to sign a striker does not mean they will sell Jorgen Strand Larsen, however.

“The Norwegian is wanted by Newcastle but Wolves’ stance remains that he is not for sale.”

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The 25-year-old was a reliable source of goals for Pereira’s side last season, finding the back of the net 14 times in 35 Premier League outings, so it is good news that there are no plans to cash-in this summer.

However, another striker could also be on his way to Molineux, with it recently being revealed Wolves are now looking at a move for FC Nantes’ Matthis Abline, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of the Frenchman.

According to a report from Le Parisien (via Sport Witness), Wolverhampton Wanderers are now expected to make an offer for Abline imminently, but it could be a costly operation, with the French side holding out for a fee of €50m (£43m).

There may also be competition for the centre-forward’s signature, with FC Paris also keen, although the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side do not plan to offer more than €20m – €25m (£17m – £22m).

Paris’ unwillingness to shell out the full asking price should be encouraging for Wolves, although it is also unclear whether they are willing to pay £43m to get a deal done.

"Unstoppable" Abline could excel at Molineux

Journalist Andres Onrubia Ramos spoke very highly of the 22-year-old forward, saying: “It’s unbelievable that a striker with Abline’s talent isn’t in a European top flight. He’s one of the few things that’s redeemable from France’s U21 match against Portugal so far.

“His technique is extremely refined, he’s unstoppable when he gets going, and he can play as a number 9 and on the right.”

Not only that, but the France U21 international enjoyed his best campaign to date in the 2024-25 season, picking up 11 goals and two assists in 36 matches for Nantes in all competitions, which indicates he could be capable of kicking on at Molineux.

That said, given that Pereira already has Larsen at his disposal, signing a new striker shouldn’t be a priority, and it may now be time to strengthen at centre-back, considering the Old Gold shipped a whopping 69 Premier League goals last season.

Thursday’s fixture against Cricket Without Borders is their first as a team, what will that team look like in future?

Valkerie Baynes and Firdose Moonda29-Jan-20252:03

Mel Jones: This group of Afghanistan women are trying to rebuild their lives

For Afghanistan’s women cricketers, their first competitive match since escaping oppression in their home country represents a significant step in their sporting journey – although the path ahead may not be the one they envisaged before.Thursday’s T20 against Cricket Without Borders at Junction Oval falls on the same day as the start of the day-night Women’s Ashes Test at the nearby MCG and is a platform for them to not only play the game – something which is now banned under Afghanistan’s Taliban government – but to remind the world that they exist.So what are the ways forward?Playing as Afghanistan WomenAgainst Cricket Without Borders, the players will compete as the Afghanistan Women’s XI as opposed to Afghanistan Women and wear a kit specifically designed for the match as opposed to a national team uniform.Mel Jones, the commentator who was instrumental in helping the formerly contracted Afghanistan Women’s team players escape their country after the Taliban took over in 2021, says that until the ICC recognises them as a national team, those differences are likely to remain.The Afghanistan Cricket Board and ICC say they cannot do so as it would contravene the country’s laws. This is why Afghanistan have been allowed to retain ICC membership, despite not currently fulfilling the requirement to commit to developing women’s cricket.Firooza Amiri and Nahida Sapan pose in their playing shirts ahead of the Afghanistan Women’s XI match•Getty ImagesThe ICC are a member-led organisation, bound by the vote of its member boards and, if the boards who support recognising an Afghanistan Women’s team are in the minority, the governing body can argue its hands are tied.”Anything to do with these players as a team would be their own individual team,” Jones told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “They won’t play underneath the ACB or the Afghanistan flag as a side.”But what we’re trying to navigate at the moment is how can we allow them the opportunity of still feeling part of their country while not saying that they’re the Afghanistan Women’s cricket team because my understanding is that that will never be the case.”That is really, really tough for them as a group to try and understand. I still don’t think most of them have got their heads around that at the moment, and that just adds to the trauma. I think, hopefully, that they themselves know that they were the contracted players, the contracted Afghanistan women’s players at the fall of Afghanistan, and they get an opportunity to once again play, for the first time really, as that group.”Related

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Pressure mounts on ICC amid Afghanistan women's fundraising drive

Jones acknowledged the complexities of the sport’s governance, but highlighted the need for discussion. She credited Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s outgoing CEO, for meeting the players on several occasions and listening to their concerns.”The ability to sit down and listen has made such a difference to this group, and that’s probably the one piece that I would say we’ve been really bad at over the last four years, is that people turn their back on that conversation,” Jones said.”I would hope that if we learn anything from this, if something like this happens again, that we just don’t turn our back on people and hope that silence will make it go away because it just doesn’t.”Refugee teamIn July 2024, 17 players, contracted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2020 before the Taliban takeover asked the ICC to assist them in setting up a refugee team based in Australia and administered by the East Asian Cricket office based at Cricket Australia. There has been no formal response to that request.In the meantime, one sticking point to fielding a refugee team is that, unlike the Olympic refugee team, which comprises individual athletes from various countries, this team is from only one nation. Any refugee team would have to be open to players in exile from other countries, unless this team is recognised purely as the Afghanistan Refugee team.Even then, the fact that some of the exiled Afghan players reside in the UK and Canada poses logistical challenges for bringing the team together, particularly without the funding to do so.