Chelsea‘s next move is obvious following Marc Cucurella’s shock move to Real Madrid. The Spanish left-back was always a potential departee this summer amid talk of a return home, but it has shocked everyone that he has agreed to move to the Bernabeu.

Cucurella came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy system, and he has recently said he would find it hard to turn down a return to Camp Nou. But he now joins Barca’s arch-rivals, and to put it lightly, that will complicate his visits back home in Catalonia.

For Chelsea, they lose a starting left-back and one of the best in the world, no less, but they now have the opportunity to get an ideal replacement.

Chelsea must move quickly for Brown

Chelsea now have a glaring gap at left-back, but they can replace one of the world’s best with the player who could well become the next best. Nathaniel Brown looks almost certain to leave Eintracht Frankfurt this summer, and he is likely to carry a price of around £52m this summer.

That price seems to be scaring off Bayern Munich, who are very interested, but Chelsea have just pocketed £50million from the sale of Cucurella, albeit around £3.5million of that is in add-ons.

The next move should clearly be to go out and buy Brown, who is already dazzling for Germany at the World Cup, scoring in his nation’s group stage opener.

There are very few top-level left-backs on the market, and while Brown is still only 22 years of age, he is already entering that conversation. He is also an attacking full-back by nature, which is what makes him a perfect replacement for Cucurella, whose departure will mean a big loss in terms of outlet down the wing and delivery into the box.

How good is Brown?

via Reuters

Brown is just coming off a season that saw him crowned Frankfurt’s Player of the Season, which is pretty rare for a 22-year-old, and especially for a left-back. Jürgen Klopp recently said of Brown: “The boy always has a full set of tools. You can rely on him blindly and he never has problems. He has a good sense of timing to get into the penalty box and feels comfortable in half-spaces,”

Elsewhere, RB Leipzig left-back David Raum, who was in competition with Brown for a World Cup spot, said: “He had an outstanding season, even though Eintracht Frankfurt struggled.”

Brown was a standout player Bundesliga-wide, and at 22 years of age, the sky seems to be the limit, which is what Chelsea will like. The Blues have focused their transfer strategy on signing young players with big upside, and few players fit better into that strategy than Brown, especially at left-back.

ITV pundit Emma Hayes has gone viral for her ‘brilliant’ actions during the World Cup hydration break between Spain and Cape Verde. It was a below-par performance from the European champions, who were unable to find a winner against the tournament debutants and, truth be told, aside from the shock scoreline, the match was hardly a thriller.

Late substitute appearances from Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams failed to spark Spain into life, while Luis de la Fuente would have been forgiven for nodding off in the stands at Atlanta Stadium. That should not take anything away from Cape Verde, whose disciplined display earned a memorable result for a nation of just 529,600 people. However, the spectacle was once again disrupted by two scheduled hydration breaks.

Virgil van Dijk became the first player to publicly question the FIFA rule following the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Japan on Sunday, while many pundits and fans agree that the breaks can take the wind out of a game’s sails, disrupting the rhythm and slowing the action to a crawl. But ITV may have found a way to keep viewers engaged when the match itself grinds to a halt.

Emma Hayes Shone During Spain vs Cape Verde Hydration Break

While the BBC and most other major broadcasters typically rely on commentary to fill the dead air during the several-minute drinks breaks, ITV appear to have found a smarter solution. With Emma Hayes temporarily on punditry duty while awaiting the USA women’s national team’s next international window, the broadcaster handed her the spotlight – and she used it to deliver a tactical masterclass.

The seven-time Women’s Super League-winning manager knows the tactical side of the game like the back of her hand, and she needed little time to identify how Spain could break down their stubborn opponents. Thinking on her feet, Hayes produced a detailed and insightful analysis that quickly caught viewers’ attention. Praising her ability to deliver such a well-thought-out breakdown at the drop of a hat, Joe Tomlinson from Sky Sports wrote (watch the full segment below):

Elsewhere, another added: “In awe of Emma Hayes, her punditry is so insightful yet effortless and makes it seem so easy to understand. No outrageous comments for effect, her tactical knowledge is so vast, she’s a class act,” as a third labelled her actions “brilliant.” A fourth concluded: “Absolute cinema!”

Hayes Is Perfect All-Around World Cup Pundit

For the most part, pundits like to dumb things down for the ordinary spectator. This way, anyone can watch football and quickly get to grips with what’s happening. But for those connoisseurs who know the ins and outs of the sport, this style of punditry can become quite repetitive, and that’s where one of the best analysts in the game, Emma Hayes, comes into play.

The coach-turned-pundit is just as detailed in her journalism as she is in her management. A diary loaded with stats and facts makes for an in-depth and fascinating analysis before and after the ninety minutes are done. While others try to streamline football, Hayes, who is best known for her work with Chelsea, teaches her viewers about the complexities, catering for those who thought they already knew it all.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has revealed the heartbreaking reason his mother was unable to watch his Man of the Match performance against Spain at the World Cup on Monday evening. The tiny island nation of just 529,600 people pulled off a stunning 0-0 draw in their first-ever appearance on football’s biggest stage, sending shockwaves through the tournament.

Spain peppered the Cape Verde goal with 23 shots, but the 40-year-old rolled back the years with a heroic display, producing eight saves to keep a clean sheet and deservedly claim the Man of the Match award. At times, he seemed to have more arms than an octopus as he frustrated the European champions at every turn. Unsurprisingly, the scenes at full-time were a mixture of disbelief, joy and raw emotion as Cape Verde celebrated a result that few saw coming.

Vozinha currently plays for Portuguese side Chaves in Liga Portugal 2, having also featured for clubs including Limassol and Zimbru Chisinau during his career. It is not the sort of footballing pedigree usually associated with the World Cup spotlight, but when his moment came, he grabbed it with both hands (literally).

Vozinha Explains Why Mum Missed His World Cup Debut Heroics

Bernadett Szabo via Reuters

Whereas most of the Blue Wave players’ tears came courtesy of pride, the reason Vozinha could be seen struggling to hold back his true emotions is a little sadder. After the full-time celebrations, he revealed that the US government had denied his mum entry into the country, and so he wasn’t able to share one of the biggest moments of his life with his family. He revealed, as per The Athletic:

It meant that Atlanta Stadium was missing an important piece on Monday evening, and with very few from the island nation travelling to the match, his mum’s ticket was left unused due to well-documented issues that many others are facing.

Ongoing Visa Issues Have Plagued USA’s Hosting Duties

Bonnie Cash / SIPA USA via Reuters Connect

FIFA president Gianni Infantino promised that “the world will be welcomed to America” ahead of this summer’s tournament, while US President Donald Trump said his administration was exploring ways to address ongoing visa and border-entry issues that have left many visitors struggling to get through immigration.

However, those problems appear far from resolved. Just last night, Uruguay’s team plane was denied entry to the United States less than 24 hours before their opening match against Saudi Arabia. It is the latest in a growing list of World Cup-related travel complications that have raised eyebrows throughout the tournament.

Among the most notable cases was Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied the opportunity to make history as the first official from his country to referee at a World Cup. Fans, coaches, players and support staff have also encountered similar obstacles, suggesting that the issue is becoming something of a recurring headache for organisers.