Ex-Manchester City and Inter striker Mario Balotelli has signed up for a Baller League UK 'Legends vs Creators' game alongside Jay-Jay Okocha.

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• More stars join Baller League project
• Balotelli & Okocha to play for Legends team
• All action to unfold at the O2 Arena

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Balotelli is set to headline a team of footballing icons in an upcoming Baller League UK 'Legends vs Creators' match. The 34-year-old Italian forward, currently winding down his time at Genoa with his contract set to expire this summer, will grace the pitch at the iconic O2 Arena as part of the highly anticipated season finale.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Balotelli will line up alongside Nigerian great Okocha, who is revered for his magical footwork and show-stopping style, bringing a dose of flair to the Legends squad. Waiting on the other side of the pitch is a dynamic group of digital heavyweights, led by none other than KSI, the YouTube sensation, boxer, and president of Baller League UK. Joining him in this high-octane fixture is popular entertainer and football content creator Chunkz, forming a formidable duo representing the Creator community.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The evening will also feature two semi-final battles — pitting the 1st and 4th place teams in the Baller League Uk against the 2nd and 3rd, respectively — leading into a climactic winner-takes-all finale that will crown the 2024 champions.

  Among the teams that have already punched their ticket to the final four are ‘Deportrio’ and ‘Yanited’. Deportrio, managed by legendary English trio Micah Richards, Gary Lineker, and Alan Shearer, currently sit at the top of the standings. Yanited, under the leadership of fan-favourite Angry Ginge, have also locked in their place in the semi-finals.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Balotelli’s career has taken him from Inter and AC Milan to Man City, Liverpool, Marseille, and beyond. Though his time at Genoa has been brief, he continues to show flashes of brilliance that once made him one of Europe’s most exciting young talents. The Baller League appearance provides him a platform to showcase those talents once more.

CSK seem to have run out of gas after being the pace-setters early on, but are still in the top four on the table

Deivarayan Muthu05-May-20235:48

Can Mumbai’s in-form batters overcome resurgent Jadeja and Co?

Big picture – MI have the wood on CSK at ChepaukThe last time Chennai Super Kings lost two home games in the league stage of an IPL season was way back in 2013. After they suffered a last-ball defeat to Punjab Kings last weekend, CSK’s head coach Stephen Fleming suggested that the Impact Player rule has allowed teams to go harder at oppositions this IPL – both Adam Zampa and Prabhsimran Singh, who had been brought in as Impact Players for the two games, messed with CSK’s plans and set them up for rare home defeats.But even before the introduction of the Impact Player, Mumbai Indians had breached CSK’s fortress multiple times. In fact, MI have a dominant 6-2 win-loss record against CSK at Chepauk, and are on a six-match winning streak against CSK at the venue.Related

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MI’s recent form is also encouraging: they’ve won five of their last seven games, with their middle order, in particular, dripping with explosive power and class. Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David and Tilak Varma have all contributed handsomely to MI becoming the first IPL team to hunt down 200-plus totals in back-to-back games. MI also have depth in their spin attack, which will be handy if Chepauk rolls out a black-soil turner.As for CSK, they seem to have run out of gas after having been the pace-setters in the first half of the season. Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu and Moeen Ali are yet to properly fire with the bat while Tushar Deshpande has leaked runs at the death although he has the knack of taking wickets in clusters. Deepak Chahar, who had pulled up injured when CSK and MI last met at the Wankhede, is fit again and could lend some experience and powerplay bite to their attack.A win for CSK on Saturday could potentially take them back to the top two, while a win for MI could see them break away from the mid-table logjam and enter the top half of the standings.The big questionTeam news – Hrithik Shokeen could return for MIMI are usually big on match-ups, so they might bring back offspinner Hrithik Shokeen against a left-hander-heavy CSK line-up. There is no official news from CSK’s camp on whether Ben Stokes is available for selection – he has been batting and bowling in the nets over the past week. Sisanda Magala has also resumed both batting and bowling in the nets, but with Matheesha Pathirana establishing himself as CSK’s go-to death bowler, there is no room for him.Form guideChennai Super Kings: NRLLWW
Mumbai Indians: WWLLWImpact Player strategyAs far as the Impact Player is concerned, CSK have followed a fairly consistent pattern, with Rayudu replacing one of the bowlers when they chase. They could start with Deshpande if they bowl first and replace him with Rayudu in the second innings, or vice versa.CSK Probable XII: 1 Devon Conway, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 , 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Matheesha Pathirana, 12 If the Chepauk pitch plays true to its nature, MI could consider using left-arm-all-sorts spinner Kumar Kartikeya as an Impact Player and strengthen their spin attack even further. Suryakumar might make way for Kartikeya if MI go down this route.MI Probable XII: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Cameron Green, 4 , 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Tim David, 7 Nehal Wadhera, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Hrithik Shokeen, 11 Akash Madhwal/Arshad Khan, 12 Matheesha Pathirana has been a revelation for CSK at the death•AFP/Getty ImagesStats and Trivia David has a strike rate of 199 between overs 16 and 20 this season – the highest among batters who have faced at least 60 balls in this phase. Jadeja, in comparison, has struck at only 146 in this phase. MI have the worst death-overs economy rate (13.36) in the IPL. CSK have fared much better in this phase, conceding 10.47 an over. Piyush Chawla has a good head-to-head record against Rayudu in the IPL, having dismissed him six times in 13 innings while giving up only nine boundaries in 53 balls against him. Rohit Sharma holds the unwanted record of having bagged the joint-most ducks in the IPL. Dinesh Karthik, Mandeep Singh and Sunil Narine have also collected 15 ducks each in the tournament.Pitch and conditionsWhile the Chepauk pitches in this IPL have offered some purchase for spinners, the true bounce has allowed batters to hit through the line. The overhead conditions were overcast when MI and CSK started training on the eve of the game and there’s also some rain forecast for Saturday evening.Quotes”We’ve played [Lasith] Malinga in the nets when I came here in Mumbai Indians and that gives us a lot of confidence. He was a legend and we did practice well when he was bowling, so we will just look to watch the ball and play our own game.”

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has his eyes on both Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes and Real Sociedad ace Martin Zubimendi, according to reports, but he could also look to bring in another highly-rated player with the duo.

Berta targeting Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi for Arsenal

Earlier this week, journalist Eduardo Burgos broke news that Berta personally wants both Guimaraes and Zubimendi, not either or, to come in and bolster Mikel Arteta’s midfield ahead of next season.

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While Arsenal are struggling to finalise a deal for Zubimendi right now, with advanced talks stalling (CaughtOffside), they haven’t completely given up the chase either, and it is believed that the Gunners could strike a deal for Guimaraes for around £59 million if Newcastle fail to qualify for the Champions League.

News of Berta plotting moves for both midfielders was then backed up by reports closer to home, with GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs sharing that Guimaraes has been put forward by Arsenal’s new transfer chief as a serious option.

Arsenal’s interest in the Brazil international with Zubimendi appears pretty concrete at this stage, which comes as good news considering Thomas Partey and Jorginho are set to leave when their contracts expire this summer.

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Jacobs, sharing a further update on the club’s plans for what could be a record-breaking summer under Berta, says another Newcastle United star Alexander Isak remains firmly on their radar.

Arsenal may sign Alexander Isak with Guimaraes and Zubimendi

The £120,000-per-week striker has dazzled as one of the English top flight’s standout forwards this season, and despite the potential cost involved in their mooted double-swoop for Zubimendi and Guimaraes, it is believed Berta may also try to sign Isak for Arsenal alongside the pair.

“So Zubimendi is very much the Edu target, but Berta is going to be looking at Bruno Guimaraes,” said Jacobs to GiveMeSport.

“And my understanding is that Arsenal may try for both Zubimendi and Guimaraes, plus Isak or [Benjamin] Sesko.”

The Swede has scored 22 goals in just 32 appearances across all competitions, so Arsenal are well aware of his quality, but a deal for him could be too much to ask. Newcastle value their man at around £150 million, so the Gunners would need to smash their transfer record to even hope of prising Isak away from St. James’ Park.

Arteta personally wants Isak, according to other reports, but Sesko may be a much more realistic target considering the release clause in his contract.

Manchester United have begun to find their shooting boots in recent weeks. Goals have, at times this season, been an issue for the Red Devils, under both former manager Erik ten Hag and his replacement Ruben Amorim.

However, in their last two games, the 13-time Premier League champions have had more joy in front of goal. United have found the back of the net seven times in their last two outings, beating Real Sociedad 4-1 at Old Trafford, and Leicester City 3-0 away from home.

Things have begun to pick up for United on the goalscoring front in the last few weeks. It seems like they want to continue this hot streak in front of goal, and have been linked with a new striker ahead of the summer transfer window.

Man Utd's striker targets for the summer.

The Red Devils are not short of options in the summer transfer market when it comes to signing a new striker with Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen said to be targets according to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg.

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The reporter name-checks the two forwards as players the Red Devils are ‘closely monitoring’. However, they are also targeting Eintracht Frankfurt’s France U21 international Hugo Ekitike.

Plettenberg notes that Amorim’s side are ‘looking to strengthen their attack in the summer’, with 22-year-old Ekitike one of the names on their list.

At the start of March, a report from French outlet L’Equpie valued the striker at an eye-watering £67m, linking United’s rivals Liverpool to him.

It remains to be seen if this valuation will stick for United, but it could be tough to meet if they fail to get into Europe next season, thus reducing funds available.

How Ekitike compares to Rasmus Hojlund

It has been an outstanding season for French striker Ekitike. He is an all-round centre forward, who can score and create.

The young striker has 19 goals and eight assists in 38 games across all competitions and was described at the start of the season as “one of the most in-form attackers in Europe” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Ekitike’s ability to link up with players around him could see him explode in Amoirm’s 3-4-2-1 system. He would be playing alongside two number 10s, flying wingbacks and Bruno Fernandes in his new deeper-lying role. He surely would not be short of service or players to link up with.

Should the Red Devils get this deal over the line, Ekitike could be a replacement for Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane’s form has been disappointing this season, with just eight goals and two assists in 39 games across competitions.

However, he did manage to get on the scoresheet in their last game against Leicester. It was a well-taken strike, too.

Fernandes clipped a ball over the top, with Hojlund bringing the ball under control, and driving his shot into the bottom left corner, across the goalkeeper.

Well, Hojlund’s form has certainly been a concern for United, and there is a report that Napoli could look to sign him this summer if the Old Trafford club decide to cash in on him. They are thought to want £50m for the striker.

If United do decide to sign Ekitike as a replacement for Hojlund, the stats via FBref from this season suggest it would be an upgrade. For example, the Frenchman averages 0.62 goals and 3.78 shot-creating actions per game, compared to 0.29 goals and 1.9 shot-creating actions per game for Hojlund.

Goals

0.62

0.29

Shots on target

1.51

0.72

Expected goals

0.73xG

0.31xG

Shot-creating actions

3.78

1.9

Goal-creating actions

0.61

0.13

As the goalscoring numbers, and the underlying stats, suggest, the sensational Frankfurt star would be a big upgrade on Hojlund for United. The Frenchman has been in superb form this season, and cannot stop scoring, which is exactly what United need to enhance their attacking prowess.

Even though the fee of around £67m is an expensive one, it could be the perfect investment for the Red Devils to take their goalscoring to the next level.

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With the summer transfer window approaching, Barcelona chief Deco is now reportedly preparing the club’s wage bill in order to afford a move to sign a Liverpool attacker worth £63m.

Barcelona already preparing Liverpool blow

In quite the contrast to last time out, Liverpool could be in for a fairly busy summer transfer window this year.

As things stand, the Reds are set to lose Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold on free deals with their contracts coming to an end once the season has concluded.

Meanwhile, Arne Slot’s own reported push to mark his own stamp on his side is likely to swing the exit door open for others at Anfield.

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Names such as Harvey Elliott and Diogo Jota are reportedly at threat of losing their Liverpool place on a permanent basis in what would be a ruthless move by Slot in his second summer in charge of the Reds.

One player the Dutchman does not want to lose, however, is van Dijk, having had his say on his captain’s contract situation and reiterating his desire to keep hold of the centre-back this summer.

It’s not just Van Dijk that Slot should be worrying about though. According to Football Espana, Barcelona are now clearing their wage bill to make room for signing Luis Diaz, who Liverpool reportedly value at around €75m (£63m) this summer.

The interest of the Spanish giants is far from new, given their push to sign Diaz last summer which eventually ended in failure. Following another mixed campaign for the winger, however, they’re set to go again in pursuit of his signature in what could yet prove to be successful at last.

Why Liverpool should cash-in on Diaz

There’s not been many clear issues in Slot’s side this season. After all, they are about to lift the Premier League title. Alas, it’s become more and more difficult to ignore their striker problem throughout the current campaign. Whether it’s been Diaz, Darwin Nunez or Diogo Jota, the Reds have lacked ruthlessness if it’s not been Salah or Cody Gakpo stepping up.

An attacking overhaul is arguably needed even in the face of their Premier League crowning. And that should see the Reds cash-in on Diaz if Barcelona come calling this summer. Having once been among Jurgen Klopp’s favourites, with the German dubbing the winger “special” in 2022, Diaz is now among those who could be shown the door under Slot.

What his exit could pave the way for is a move for the likes of Alexander Isak. The Newcastle United star is a man in demand and is undoubtedly a player who would complete Liverpool’s attack once and for all.

The Reds have sold to buy to such success in the past and may now repeat their transfer genius by cashing in on Diaz before chasing Isak’s arrival this summer.