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Nottingham Forest have a huge summer ahead of them to avoid any further breach of the Premier League’s PSR rules whilst improving their squad to maintain their top-flight status.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side endured a tricky second half of the 2023/24 campaign, especially considering a four-point deduction which plunged them into fresh relegation woes.

With the summer transfer window now open, the club will undoubtedly need to bolster their ranks if they are to build on the end of the season which saw Nuno’s side win two of their last three matches.

However, given their financial troubles, they may have to sell multiple players to cut the wage bill and give themselves a huge chance of avoiding a second PSR punishment in as many seasons.

Financial Fair Play: What is PSR, how does it work and who's in trouble?

Leicester City have become the latest club charged with an alleged PSR breach, but what could happen next?

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 16, 2024

One player in particular must be sold, especially considering his lack of impact since his move to the East Midlands last summer.

Odysseas Vlachodimos’ stats at Forest in 2023/24

After arriving in Nottingham following a £7.7m move from Portuguese side Benfica, goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos had ambitions of becoming the club's number one despite the addition of Matt Turner just a couple of weeks prior.

The 30-year-old, who is Greece's number one, had to bide his time before making his debut for the club, failing to make a single appearance until the 2-0 win over Aston Villa in November.

His clean sheet against Unai Emery's side is his only during his time in the Premier League, with his game time decreasing massively since the turn of the year.

Vlachodimos has only featured twice under Nuno, with both starts coming in the FA Cup against Blackpool. Insteaad, January addition Matz Sels started every Premier League match after his move to the City Ground.

The former Benfica shot-stopper has since become the third choice behind Sels and Turner, failing to appear in a single matchday squad since the 2-1 defeat against Arsenal in January.

A summer move must be on the cards for the 30-year-old, with the club needing to shift his hefty wages to avoid another punishment from the Premier League for breaking their PSR rules.

Games

17

16

5

Clean sheets

2

1

1

Goals conceded

28

27

12

Save percentage

66%

59%

46%

Pass accuracy

64%

65%

79%

How much Odysseas Vlachodimos earns at Forest

A recent report from Football Insider claims that the Reds are willing to part ways with the shot-stopper this summer, hardly a surprise given his hefty wages at the City Ground.

The goalkeeper signed a four-year deal upon his move to the East Midlands, on a reported £45k-per-week, as per Capology – a huge figure given his lack of impact on Trentside.

His weekly wage of £45k-per-week sees the Greece international take home £2.3m a season, with the club needing to cut such a figure off the bill this summer.

Vlachodimos’ subsequent wage sees him earn nearly two times more than attacker Anthony Elanga, who only earns a reported £25k-per-week, despite his stellar first campaign at the City Ground which saw him register 14 goal contributions.

Whilst at the time it was seen as a brilliant piece of business signing a player of his calibre, it has, unfortunately for both parties, been a complete disaster.

Given his experience in Portugal and internationally, he certainly won’t be short of interest, with the Reds needing to cash in as soon as possible to avoid missing the June 30th PSR deadline.

What Forest's starting XI could look like after £77m spending spree

The Forest boss has a huge transfer window ahead of him this summer.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 16, 2024

Qalandars, at home, will captivate, but a well polished Gladiators enter the final with seven consecutive wins

Danyal Rasool24-May-2025Happy teams look better than they are, and Lahore Qalandars are very happy. Anchored, over a decade of inconsistencies and swings of form, by the philosophy that this is just a game to be enjoyed, Qalandars have radiated carefree freedom in a way no other side has quite managed. The butt of jokes, the punching bags, the lovable buffoons, local lads come good. All those personas, each so central to the city’s identity as much as this team’s, mean the Qalandars’ biggest achievement – even as they go for their third title in four years – is the assembly of a cricket team in the image of the city they represent.It is that infectious joy, more than the obvious quality Qalandars can produce on the nights they crank the dial up to 11, that can make this side seem like a juggernaut. As they did against a staid, sterile Islamabad United in Friday’s Qualifier, or the mechanical, repeatable brilliance of Multan Sultans in each of their marches to the title a couple of seasons earlier.Because when the league was suspended a fortnight earlier, Qalandars were arguably the hardest hit by absences from what remained of the season. Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell and David Wiese did not return. Sikandar Raza came back, but only for a game – a knockout against Peshawar Zalmi. Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan, two mainstays of Qalandars’ back-to-back titles, were both off colour and extremely expensive.Related

Afridi, Mirza, Kusal Perera power Qalandars into PSL final

Faheem's all-round show leads Gladiators into final

Shaheen's fury, Shafique's grace – the night Qalandars fought back

Qalandars plugged those gaps by bringing in two Sri Lankans – Kusal Perera and Bhanuka Rajapaksa – who hadn’t played T20 cricket in three and four months respectively; they combined for 83 off 48 against United on Friday. Salman Mirza, the 31-year old fast bowler who made his first-class debut in the giddy heights of the Logan Cup in Zimbabwe 18 months earlier, has sparkled, taking seven wickets in three games. Mohammad Naeem looked like a player shoehorned into the side for the sake of further promoting the Qalandars player development programme, but is now a mainstay of the top order alongside Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique.Stringing it all together is Shaheen Afridi, who continues to have his captaincy nous, leadership abilities, form, pace and fitness questioned. Having been through the full gamut of highs and lows with the national side, he has cut a forlorn figure in the Pakistan green of late. In Qalandars’ pastel reinterpretation of the colour, though, he can produce some of his most stirring performances. In an environment where respect and affection for him are never in any doubt, he has soared yet again close to the top of the wickets charts, culminating in figures of 3.1-1-3-3 as Qalandars blew United away. He is on the cusp of a third PSL title as captain, one that, thanks to Qalandars snowballing momentum, suddenly feels inevitable.Salman Mirza and Shaheen Afridi have been among the wickets•PCBBut if Quetta Gladiators appear a sideshow in the final, it’s because they’ve spent much of the last six weeks clinically stripping any jeopardy from their position. They last lost a match on April 18, and have produced seven wins in their last seven completed matches. Their most important overseas players – Finn Allen and Rilee Rossouw – have returned, and another pair of Sri Lankans – Avishka Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal – made handy contributions in the qualifier that took them to the final on Wednesday.More ominously, though, Gladiators’ trusty local bowling core stacks up against any across the league this season. Mohammad Amir has been near that wicked, wily best that has made him such an asset to any T20 franchise; no fast bowler with more wickets as an economy rate as low as his 7.41. That title belonged to his fast bowling partner Khurram Shahzad before an expensive last two games; in each of his first five he conceded 31 runs or fewer in his spell, and has as many wickets as Amir.Faheem Ashraf’s all-round heroics took Gladiators to the final•PCBAbrar Ahmed is joint-second on the wickets charts with an economy even superior to Amir’s, while one of the men who joins him on 16 wickets is his fellow allrounder Faheem Ashraf. The allrounder has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence this year, and topped up his bowling contributions with a devastating 23-ball 45 in the qualifier that earned him a player-of-the-match award, and his side a spot in the final. It has allowed the Gladiators to lock in four big-hitting batters in the top six, even if they are joined, somewhat less true to the Gladiators current slapdash brand, by Saud Shakeel as opener.Gladiators’ journey is almost the mirror opposite of Qalandars’, having made three of the first four finals while Qalandars spent each of those seasons propping up the table. But though that victory in 2019 suggested the heralding of a dynasty, it was followed by a nosedive as the franchise lost its way, meandering meaninglessly through the next five seasons and missing out on the playoffs in four of them.This year, they have meticulously worked to remove weaknesses from their side, while Qalandars appear to have done a phenomenally good job of papering over theirs. A Qalandars victory is probably what the narrative wants, the sponsors favour, and, of course, what Lahore’s crowd, in this newly refurbished stadium, demands. But in this interminable, unhappy year for Pakistan cricket, the only constant has been you don’t often get what you wish for. And for followers of the national side who might have forgotten what a happy team looks like, perhaps that is why this Qalandars unit feels quite this captivating.

Also says Ravindra Jadeja is “looking good” at training on return from his thumb injury

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2021MS Dhoni is likely to remain part of the Chennai Super Kings set-up at IPL 2022, according to the franchise’s CEO, Kasi Viswanathan. Viswanathan also confirmed that allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, who left India’s tour of Australia early with a broken thumb and hasn’t played since then, is “looking good”.”I don’t think it is going to be his final year. This is my personal view and I don’t think we are looking at anybody now,” Viswanathan told the .This is not the first time Viswanathan has come out with such a statement. With doubts over Dhoni’s future in the game swirling ever since the end of the 2019 World Cup, he had said last August, “We can expect MS Dhoni to be part of both [IPL 2020 and 2021] and probably for even the next year – 2022.”Four days later, Dhoni retired from international cricket, and the Super Kings went on to have a woeful run at the 2020 IPL, finishing seventh out of eight teams in the UAE. Dhoni himself managed only 200 runs from 12 innings at a strike rate of 116.27 in the tournament. Questions of a complete overhaul of the Super Kings set-up naturally followed, prompting the question to be put to Viswanathan.On the topic of Jadeja, who had fractured his left thumb during India’s epic draw in the New Year’s Test in Sydney, Viswanathan said that while he might not have played cricket since that game, he has been training with the team and they are hopeful of him being fully match fit for their opening game, against Delhi Capitals on April 10. “See, Jadeja has been cleared [to play] by the NCA [National Cricket Academy],” he said. “He has joined our team for practice. He is looking good. He is working hard. And we are hoping that he will be fully fit by the time the IPL starts.”Viswanathan also said the Super Kings’ decision to pick Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara at the auction – his first IPL gig since 2014 – was partly down to wanting to “honour him” following his fine showing in Australia, but also because of his “calibre” as a batsman. The bid – at his base price of INR 50 lakh (USD 69,000 approx.) – drew attention given the tempo and style of his batting: his T20 strike rate stands at 109.35.”We also wanted to honour him, that’s for sure. But at the same time, I can tell you one thing, a person of his calibre with such good technique, he can adapt to any format,” Viswanathan said. “That is our view. He can be a player who can contribute a lot to CSK. That’s what we felt and that is the reason why we picked him.”He will certainly have a role to play, but I cannot say whether he will play the first game or the second game.”The Super Kings’ top officials throwing their weight behind Dhoni is not new. Last year, N Srinivasan, the vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements, owners of the Super Kings, had also indicated that Dhoni would be retained at the next mega auction, at the time scheduled for the lead-up to the 2021 edition. As part of the fallout of the pandemic, that has now been postponed by a year, and it remains to be seen whether Srinivasan’s opinion stands then.

Chelsea are looking to strike an Enzo Fernandez-like agreement, following a breakthrough in transfer talks for a player targeted by Bayern Munich.

Chelsea in early negotiations as busy summer window kicks off

Reliable transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano has tipped Enzo Maresca's side to have a busy summer window, and that prediction has certainly come to fruition thus far.

£113 million star now convinced Boehly could end up signing him for Chelsea

He looks likely to be on the move this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 14, 2024

Indeed, they kickstarted the window before it had even opened with the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham, and Chelsea have been in constant talks with Aston Villa over a deal for young striker Jhon Duran.

“I think Chelsea are in active talks for Jhon Duran, and he has become a front-runner, which is no real surprise, because they nearly did a deal in January, and then Duran got injured," said journalist Ben Jacobs this week, backing multiple other reports.

Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool

8.36

Aston Villa 3-1 Crystal Palace

7.48

Aston Villa 4-0 Everton

7.38

Man City 4-1 Aston Villa

6.90

Aston Villa 3-2 Burnley

6.80

"And, at that point, Duran was liking Chelsea posts, and that's a clear indication that the player would like the move. But it's not just the player that would like the move. Unai Emery doesn't see Duran as part of his plans, which is another crucial part of the jigsaw, and Chelsea will look to capitalise on that in, at the time of talking, ongoing talks to try and get a lower price.”

As well as Duran, Chelsea have been in contact with Crystal Palace over Michael Olise, and it is rumoured that players like Noni Madueke could be offered as makeweights in a potential deal for the 22-year-old.

The west Londoners are believed to be closing in on a move for Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian as well, which is a deal Chelsea think will be concluded in a matter of days, according to Romano.

Stamford Bridge chiefs appear hard at work, and now a crucial update has come to light over their move for Olise, who is also wanted by Bayern and Newcastle United.

Chelsea look to strike Enzo Fernandez-like deal for Olise

TEAMtalk says Olise has agreed to join Chelsea by striking terms, and they've made a "breakthrough" in talks in the last 48 hours.

Now, Chelsea chiefs are looking to strike a Fernandez-like deal for Olise, by forking out his £60 million release clause through structured payments. It would be similar to how they arranged to pay Fernandez's £107 million clause which they negotiated with Benfica, as suggested by TT.

It's added that Chelsea insiders see Olise as a "gamechanging" target, and one who would suit Maresca's system perfectly.

Sussex spun to brink of defeat after doughty fightback

Alan Gardner24-Apr-2021Sussex 221 (Haines 86, Patterson 4-26) and 136 for 6 (Bess 5-33) need another 99 runs to beat Yorkshire 150 and 305 (Ballance 74, Lyth 66, Carson 5-85) Yorkshire’s trip to the south coast proved a restorative experience for England offspinner Dom Bess, as a five-wicket haul on the third afternoon helped push the visitors towards a hard-fought victory. There remained work to do on the final morning, after a day of blustering winds and shifting fortunes, but Bess’ dismissal of George Garton with his final delivery left the Sussex chase precariously placed.Having steadily dragged their way back into this contest, turning an overnight lead of 92 into a fourth-innings target of 235, Yorkshire seemed set to complete the turnaround by reducing the home side to 86 for 5 during the evening session. Ben Brown, Sussex’s doughty captain, bolted together a stand with Garton as the shadows lengthened, only for Bess to cap his day by securing a maiden five-for in Yorkshire whites.On a dry Hove surface, and following success for Sussex’s young offspinner, Jack Carson, Bess quickly became the focus of attention – much as he was for large portions of England’s winter assignments in Sri Lanka and India. He has not had an easy start to the season, going wicketless in Yorshire’s opening two fixtures, and suffered a rib problem while fielding in the first innings of this match, though he was able to bowl through the discomfort.The ease with which David Willey and Duanne Olivier added 51 in 13.2 overs during a last-wicket stand for Yorkshire either side of lunch hinted at some of the life going out of the pitch. But there has been turn throughout, and Bess was soon into the attack after the openers got off to a solid start – much as in each of the three preceding innings of this match – with Tom Haines setting the tempo for Sussex during a 45-run stand.Having started his spell with a maiden to Aaron Thomason, Bess’ seventh delivery was replete with intent: drift into Haines from round the wicket, spin and bounce past the outside edge. Carson had found plenty of grip bowling from the Sea End, and with five left-handers in the Sussex top seven, the sense only increased that this was a golden opportunity for Bess.The breakthrough came in the same over, as Thomason’s attempt to get down the track ended with him being bowled through the gate after a desperate hoy across the line. A second for Bess followed soon after the tea interval, as Tom Clark was lured forward only for some extra bounce to see the ball pop off the splice to silly point. In between times, the lively Haines was caught down the leg side off Jordan Thompson.Dom Bess hadn’t taken a five-for for Yorkshire since leaving Somerset•Getty ImagesWith Joe Root joining the attack from the Cromwell Road End, Hove suddenly became reminiscent of England’s most-recent Test outing in Ahmedabad – albeit you would struggle to squeeze in a 130,000-seater “Modium” between the flats and terraces that flank this ground. Root might have removed Stiaan van Zyl on 21, as a thin edge evaded Adam Lyth at slip, but the Sussex No. 3 became a third victim for Bess in the following over, leaving one that went on with the arm to clip off stump.Bess was now in a groove, and Delray Rawlins was dispatched first ball, a thin edge deflecting off Jonny Tattersall behind the stumps to be taken at slip. Garton saw off the hat-trick delivery, but Bess had 4 for 12 from 13 overs and Yorkshire seemed set to roll through, only for Brown, who edged Root through the hands of Lyth on 11, to battle through to the close and keep his side in contention.Not that Yorkshire will be getting roundly clapped back to the broad acres, should they manage to make it back-to-back wins on the road. “All French people have two jobs, their own and film critic,” said the director Francois Truffaut. Substitute in the words “Yorkshire” and “cricket”, and you might have a fair reflection of how seriously things are taken in the White Rose county. There had been mithering aplenty after Yorkshire were second best to Glamorgan in their opening game of the season, and they have had to come from behind here.A factor in the final analysis might well be the relative experience of these teams. While Yorkshire could draw on the skill and knowhow of six full internationals in their XI, the Sussex side has just two men aged over 30 – van Zyl and Brown – and as many as seven who are 23 or younger. Sussex have had their chances in this game, but too many have slipped by.Related

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Mohammad Abbas targets Pakistan recall after taking County Championship by storm

Another example came on the third morning. Yorkshire were 254 for 9 and the target still fewer than 200, but Willey and Olivier set themselves against the prevailing wind to produce the second-highest partnership of the innings. The change in momentum was in keeping with a game that has kept all concerned guessing, shifting like the contours of the dunes at the beach.Gary Ballance’s first half-century in any form of the game since August 2019 provided a vital bulwark for Yorkshire, the No. 3 adding stands of 37 with nightwatchman Patterson and 32 with Bess. He fell when padding up ill-advisedly to Carson, bowling from around the wicket, before Ollie Robinson struck twice in as many overs to leave Sussex on the brink of batting again – Thompson smartly held one-handed by Thomason at slip, Bess given out lbw to a nip-backer.Carson had impressed with his control and character in helping to check Yorkshire’s progress on the second evening, laughing at the idea that life for a spinner during an English spring is tough. “It’s nothing to playing in Northern Ireland, as a 13-year-old in short sleeves – it’s absolutely Baltic,” was his swift rejoinder. Although the last-wicket pair kept Sussex waiting beyond a delayed lunch, it was Carson who finished the job, spinning one into Olivier’s pads to secure career-best figures and a second five-for in only his seventh first-class match.

Ex-Arsenal star David Seaman has lashed out at the "clear and obvious" rule "disrespecting" goalkeepers after William Saliba's red at Bournemouth.

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Seaman slams 'clear and obvious' ruleShared his opinion on Saliba's red cardArsenal face Liverpool nextFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

William Saliba’s sending-off against Bournemouth last Saturday grabbed all the headlines as several pundits weighed in on the controversial decision. The French defender was initially shown a yellow card for tugging back Bournemouth’s Evanilson as he looked set to run through on goal. However, referee Rob Jones was sent to the monitor by VAR Jared Gillett and after a thorough check, Jones overturned his decision and produced a red card.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Now Seaman has shared his opinion on the incident. While the Gunners icon did not question the match officials’ decision to send off the France international, the veteran star did point out a major flaw in the "clear and obvious" rule and its impact on goalkeepers.

WHAT DAVID SEAMAN SAID

Speaking on the Seaman Says podcast, brought to you by Betway, the 61-year-old said: “The sending off, I can understand why it was given. There was a little pull. The striker made the most of it, which you're going to do when you're clean through like that. You can't do it. You can't pull them. If you run across them and they just clip their feet, a little accident on purpose, then you might get away with it. But you ain't getting away with a pull.

“My only problem with it is that the referee gave a yellow straight away. Was it a clear and obvious error? They’re disrespecting goalies. They say it’s a clear and obvious goalscoring opportunity – hang on, you’ve got to beat the goalie! David Raya’s a good goalie, you’ve got to get past him first. It’s not making it easy [the red cards]. There's no doubt about that.”

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

After a narrow win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta’s side will now gear up to face current Premier League leaders Liverpool in a crucial encounter on Sunday at Emirates Stadium, but Saliba will play no part as he serves a suspension.

At 38, the record-breaking allrounder has made peace with the possibility of never playing for India, and continues to find ‘happiness and fulfillment’ in the game he loves

Shashank Kishore16-Feb-2025Since his first-class debut in December 2005, no one has taken more Ranji Trophy wickets than Jalaj Saxena. Nearly two decades into his career, he continues to push boundaries at an age where several of his contemporaries have long retired.Earlier this season, the Kerala allrounder became the first player to achieve the double of 6000 runs and 400 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. As Kerala prepare for their semi-final against Gujarat in Ahmedabad, Saxena chats with ESPNcricinfo about his career, the challenges he has faced, and what keeps him going.Nearly 7000 first-class runs, 478 wickets, 34 five-wicket hauls. At 38, what keeps you going?
I love this game and I want to keep playing as much as I can. That is the motivation. Also, I’ve never played for India and that fire is still there. As a professional, if that fire is not there you won’t be able to survive. Even if you’re 38-39 or 20-22, you have to push yourself. There has to be a goal; without an end goal you won’t be able to perform. I know it’s close to impossible to play for India now and I may just be dreaming, I know that. But if that dream dies, I won’t be able to perform.Has that feeling of having achieved something big never crossed your mind?
I really love first-class cricket, red-ball cricket. It’s easy for me to retire and just sign up with one of the many legends leagues for good money, instead of toiling all season-long in the domestic circuit. But I don’t find joy in doing that. I don’t think I’ll retire to play in those leagues only. I don’t think I’ll emotionally be happy doing that. Because my emotions, heart, everything is with first-class cricket. Playing top-flight cricket keeps that motivation alive – of wanting to develop new skillsets with the ball, staying fit and coming back again to perform. I find my mental peace and happiness in just bowling, taking wickets. I won’t have that contentment playing for easy money, the fun is in this grind and to be able to perform match after match.In 2023, you tweeted saying ‘I’m finding ways to be optimistic.’ Why did you feel that way?
That was a phase where it was difficult for me to find motivation. I was weighed down by the constant thought that I hadn’t played for India. Every selection meeting had rejection written all over it for me, despite performances. I let that pressure chew me, and I wasn’t enjoying my game. That season, I learnt to let go. I made peace with the possibility that it may not happen and I haven’t felt better on the cricket field. The motivation, hunger – it’s all there.

Out of all 50 wickets which i have taken last year in Ranji Trophy, This one is my fav. Finding ways to be optimisticpic.twitter.com/hctPR9FezZ

— Jalaj Saxena (@jalajsaxena33) June 14, 2023