Chelsea: Pochettino Could Repeat Hazard Masterclass By Signing £30m Jewel

Chelsea may have already brought in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson so far this summer, but Mauricio Pochettino's side appear to be homing in on another attacking player.

Who have Chelsea signed this summer?

Nkunku and Jackson arrived for a combined £81.5m earlier in the window, while a host of others have since been linked as part of a huge overhaul at Stamford Bridge.

Montpellier's Elye Wahi recently emerged as a possible option for Chelsea, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims the Blues have now pressed on with their initial interest.

"Understand Chelsea are now advancing in talks to sign Elye Wahi – agreement getting closer, new negotiations round scheduled with Montpellier," the Italian journalist tweeted. "Chelsea plan includes loan move for Wahi this season. Chelsea want to accelerate [this] week as there's competition."

With a number of other clubs also circling, including Chelsea's Premier League rivals Arsenal, Foot Mercato previously reported that Wahi is valued by Montpellier at around €35m (£30m).

Is Elye Wahi a good option for Chelsea?

Having hit double figures for Montpellier in 2021/22, Wahi's career truly took off last season – his third as a senior member of the French club – when scoring 19 goals in 33 Ligue 1 appearances and setting up a further five.

Those 24 direct goal involvements put Wahi on a par with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar.

Indeed, the France U21 international ranked in the top 11% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues in terms of goals scored last season, according to The Analyst.

There are strong parallels to be drawn with another young player who made a name for himself in France before making the switch to Chelsea, a certain Eden Hazard.

Mauricio Pochettino new Chelsea manager

Hazard was just a year older than Wahi when joining the Blues from Lille, with whom he won the league title in 2011 – something he would repeat twice with both Chelsea and Real Madrid.

The Belgium international scored 20 goals in his final season with Lille, having netted 12 combined in the two seasons prior. Wahi scored 19 goals for Montpellier last season, having scored 13 in the two seasons prior.

While Hazard assisted 10 goals more in his final season with Lille than Wahi managed last season, he played 694 minutes more – the equivalent of nearly eight additional matches – in what was a stronger side.

The pair also showed similarities across those respective seasons in terms of shots on target per 90 minutes (1.71 for Hazard, 1.29 for Wahi) and fouls per 90 minutes (1.24 v 1.15), as per FBref, with the latter metric showing the pair are – or were in the case of Hazard – willing to get stuck in.

Comparing Wahi to Hazard is not entirely fair, given the latter would go on to become a major hit in west London, but there is no reason why the French jewel – who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as having an "incredible" season with Montpellier last time out – cannot have a similar impact.

In a summer of change at Stamford Bridge, the most exciting signing may have not yet arrived.

'Fun in the mud' – Chelsea and England star Millie Bright continues rehab after missing latest Lionesses squad through injury

Chelsea captain Mille Bright continued her rehabilitation from injury as she sat out the Lionesses first game of the year.

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Bright continues rehab in mud and rainChelsea skipper missing since NovemberMisses Lionesses first fixture of 2024Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The defender has missed the Lionesses winter camp in sunny southern Spain and will be absent when her colleagues take on Austria in Andalusia on Friday evening. But Bright shared some news on social media of her working hard on her recovery in soggy Surrey.

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"Silently grafting, fun in the sun and mud today," posted Bright on her Instagram account alongside a photo of herself at Chelsea's training complex.

Instagram @mbrighty04

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Bright has been on the sidelines since suffering the recurrence of a knee injury in November. The skipper is not the only high-profile casualty for the Blues as star forward Sam Kerr suffered a season-ending ACL injury in January. Mia Fishel was recently struck down with the affliction on international duty too.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MILLIE BRIGHT?

An exact return date for Bright remains unknown but the 30-year-old will be hoping to be back in action for the business end of the season as Chelsea chase silverware in four different competitions with the Emma Hayes era drawing to a conclusion at Stamford Bridge.

Lionesses star Georgia Stanway warns players risk ‘potential burnout’ due to hectic international schedule – despite not qualifying for 2024 Summer Olympics

Georgia Stanway has warned that the Lionesses risk being burned out this summer as they confront yet another busy period – even without the Olympics.

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Stanway hit out at England's busy summerWiegman echoed the same sentiment Players and manager unhappy with summer international windowsGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite failing to secure qualification for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB, the Lionesses are slated for international camps in June and July due to Euro 2025 qualifying commitments. This demanding schedule, coupled with potential Champions League qualifiers for some clubs in early September, means that many players will miss out on a much-needed break.

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Numerous members of the England squad have endured a gruelling sequence of tournaments, having participated in three consecutive competitions – the 2021 Olympics, Euro 2022, and last summer's World Cup. Additionally, some players were involved in youth tournaments prior to these major events.

WHAT STANWAY SAID

Stanway expressed her disappointment, stating, "When we didn't qualify for the Olympics we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have the summer off, maybe travel a bit further. We realise it's not quite as simple as that but the best thing we can do is work with countries and clubs to find the best solution.

"Hopefully the best solution is giving us a good enough time of rest but also the most important thing is we want to qualify for Euro 2025 – we will do anything to put ourselves in the best possible position to go to that tournament. It is a potential burnout but Football is our life. Everything we do is to be successful on the pitch."

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England manager Sarina Wiegman echoed Stanway's concerns, revealing that they have appealed to FIFA and UEFA to reconsider the international calendar. However, she conceded that significant changes may not be feasible until 2026.

"There's no tournament so that should be an opportunity to get some rest, but because of the window in June and the window in July how are you going to take some time off?' Wiegman said.

"Then after that, there is some time off, in England the WSL starts later, but then round one of the Champions League starts in early September, which takes away the summer from the players. That's what we need to take care of and we've asked FIFA and UEFA to look at that and change that in the future so players can have some rest. It's great that we have players that love football, but we have to take care of them too so we have to do something about the calendar.

"We can't change it so you're trying to do the best to take care of the players and at the same time perform to the highest level and take out the highest risks of getting injured, in collaboration with clubs. The clubs and we as the FA don't have any control over the calendar."

Man City keen on signing "unbelievable" record-breaking teen

Manchester City are now keen on signing a record-breaking striker, but they will have to do battle for his signature with some of Europe's top clubs, according to a report.

What's the latest Man City transfer news?

Man City will be in the market for a new left-back in the January transfer window, considering Sergio Gomez is their only natural option in that area of the pitch, and Football Insider has revealed they are now confident about signing Boca Juniors' Valentin Barco.

Although the Boca defender has a release clause of around £10m included in his contract, the Sky Blues may have to stump up a fee of £15m, as there is considerable interest in his signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion also being named as potential suitors.

Barco is not the only young left-back that City have been credited with an interest in, as it has been reported they are also keen on signing Chelsea's Ian Maatsen, amid the uncertainty surrounding the 21-year-old's future at Stamford Bridge.

The vast majority of the Citizens' transfer targets are under 21, having also been linked with a move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, and there have now been reports they could make a move for another young striker.

According to a report from CalcioMercato, Man City are now interested in signing 15-year-old AC Milan striker Francesco Camarda, who is attracting the attention of several top European clubs, as they are "convinced" he has a great future ahead of him.

The Milan starlet continues to break "record after record", recently netting a brace against Newcastle United on his debut in the UEFA Youth League, which meant he became the youngest Italian ever to score in the competition.

In light of the impression the youngster has made for AC Milan, there are a number of clubs vying for his signature, with Borussia Dortmund also being named as potential suitors, but there is an indication he may not be on the move anytime soon.

The Italian club are currently in the process of handing Camarda his first professional contract, and he "dreams" of making his debut for the Rossoneri in the Serie A.

Who is Francesco Camarda?

The Milan-born forward has started to make a name for himself at youth level, having scored one goal in three Primavera 1 games this season, while he recorded three goal contributions in his first-ever UEFA Youth League outing, bagging two goals and an assist.

The Italian has also made his breakthrough on the international scene, having found the back of the net three times in three appearances for the U17s, during which time he has also recorded one assist.

Manchester City managerPepGuardiola

It is no wonder some of Europe's top clubs are queuing up for Camarda, as he clearly has a lot of potential, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauding him as an "unbelievable" talent just a few days ago.

However, the Milan academy graduate does not seem to have much interest in leaving his hometown club at the moment, so Man City should keep him shortlisted for the future.

A testing target

A weak batting display from the Indians left South Africa with a target of 211. They have the advantage, but history indicates that it might not be a cakewalk. Cricinfo looks at the stat highlights of the fourth day

George Binoy05-Jan-2007

Would you have bet on Sourav Ganguly scoring the most runs in the series for India? © AFP
331 – Is the highest target successfully chased at Cape Town; by Australia in 2002. However, the second-highest target chased is only 179, also by Australia in 1967.175 for 6 – The highest target South Africa have chased at Cape Town. However, they scored 335 in the fourth innings against New Zealand in 1962 and 224 against England in 1927 but lost both games.This is only Rahul Dravid’s third series (at least two Tests) in which he has failed to score a half-century. The previous two instances were in Australia in 1999-00 and against South Africa at home in 2000.214 – Sourav Ganguly, averaging 42.80, is the highest run-scorer for India in this series. Sachin Tendulkar is second highest with 199 at 33.16.15.1 overs – The amount of time Dravid and Tendulkar took to add 24 runs for the fourth wicket. The innings run-rate before Tendulkar and Dravid began their partnership was 2.84.4 – The number of innings out of five at Cape Town that Tendulkar has batted at No.5. It’s a remarkably high percentage considering he’s played only 20 of his 216 innings in that position.25.71 – Tendulkar’s strike-rate against debutant Paul Harris against whom he scored 9 off 35 balls. He didn’t score a run against ten balls from Shaun Pollock.69.7 – The number of overs South Africa took to dismiss India for 169. Munaf Patel was the last man out off the seventh legitimate ball of Dale Steyn’s over.16.00 – Pollock’s bowling average in this series. His haul of 13 wickets is second to Makhaya Ntini for South Africa. He’s also scored 150 runs at 37.50, the third highest tally and average for South Africa after Ashwell Prince and Graeme Smith.

Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo could still get 'Last Dance'! Inter Miami would 'love rematch' with Al-Nassr after 6-0 drubbing in Saudi Arabia

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may get their ‘Last Dance’ after all, with Julian Gressel saying Inter Miami would “love a rematch” with Al-Nassr.

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CR7 sat out friendly game due to injuryArgentine icon introduced as late substituteRematch could take place at some stageWHAT HAPPENED?

The Herons suffered a humbling 6-0 defeat when lining up against the Saudi Pro League outfit as part of their pre-season programme in 2024. Tata Martino’s side are still getting themselves up to speed and looked well off the pace against a team that are in the middle of their domestic campaign.

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Messi was only given seven minutes off the bench during Inter Miami’s final game in the Middle East, while Ronaldo did not figure at all due to injury. They could, however, cross paths again at some point, with Gressel saying when asked if the shock result proves MLS is behind the Pro League at present: “I don’t think you can compare. We are very early on in the process, only in our third week together as a team after a long couple months off. So, you can’t really compare. I think we would love to have a rematch at some point. That’s the competitor in me, maybe in an official competition like a Club World Cup.”

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Inter Miami have suffered three defeats through four friendly games so far, and are yet to pick up a win, but Gressel is not reading too much into form at this stage. The USMNT star added: “Ultimately, when the time comes, when it counts for us, that’s when we want to be at our best and these games are valuable, even though they sting quite a bit. I think it’s actually good to have games like this to prepare for the season. These aren’t your regular preseason games I’ve played in the past where you play in your training gear at times against other MLS teams. These are real games and that that will bode well for us.”

He went on to say: “Obviously not the result we wanted, but obviously, a lot of lessons to take. There’s a lot for us to learn from, for us to grow. There’s a ton of stuff we can look at on film, but it starts with us having a good start to the game. You can’t be down 3-0 in 12 minutes into the game. Those are lessons you learn in pre-season.”

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Inter Miami have now travelled to the Middle East for meetings with a Hong Kong Select XI and Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe. They are due to get their 2024 MLS campaign up and running against Real Salt Lake on February 21.

Jurgen Klopp is the king of Christmas fixtures! Liverpool boss sets all-time Premier League record after leading Reds to victory over Burnley

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has set a Premier League record following his side's Boxing Day victory over Burnley.

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Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0Nunez and Jota score in winKlopp sets Premier League recordWHAT HAPPENED?

Goals in either half from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota sent Liverpool to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Burnley. As a result, according to Opta, Klopp is now six for six on Boxing Day fixtures – the outright most by a manager with a 100 percent win rate on this day in the Premier League's history.

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After two straight draws with Manchester United and Arsenal at home, Liverpool returned to winning ways with the victory at Turf Moor. They are two points ahead of the second-placed Gunners, although Mikel Arteta's men could leapfrog the Reds if they beat West Ham on December 28.

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On the flip side, according to Opta, Burnley are the first side in English top-flight history to lose as many as nine of their first 10 home games of a season. Vincent Kompany's side sit 19th in the table following their promotion from the Championship this summer.

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Liverpool have played their last match of 2023 but kick off 2024 with a home clash against out of form Newcastle United on January 1, whereas lowly Burnley round off their year away to high-flying Aston Villa on December 31.

Fulham: "Match-Winner" Eyeing Move To Craven Cottage

BBC journalist Shamoon Hafez has shared an update on former Wolves and Barcelona winger Adama Traore's potential move to Fulham.

Who will Fulham sign?

Manager Marco Silva has seen two major signings come through the door this summer, with defender Calvin Bassey and striker Raul Jimenez joining the club this summer.

Bassey, after a standout season with Ajax in the Eredivisie last term, signed for around £18.2 million while Jimenez opted to swap Wolves for west London.

However, Fulham's manager has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the club's transfer business overall, candidly admitting they still need to strengthen in a number of key areas.

Silva says they're short on full-backs and options out wide, and with the new season starting today with a trip away to Everton, Fulham are running out of time to reinforce their squad.

“Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” he said last week.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.

“We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now.”

Ex-Fulham transfer target Fred has completed a move to Turkey, dealing a blow to their hopes of signing a midfielder before deadline day, but they have been linked with many wide players recently.

The likes of Everton winger Demarai Gray and Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi stand out as just some of the high profile names, with ex-Wolves star Traore now firmly on their radar.

That is according to The BBC and Hafez, who claim Traore is now considering an offer to join Fulham. The 27-year-old, who spent a portion of 2021/2022 on loan at Barca, left Wolves upon the expiry of his contract in June.

Traore is now a free agent and readily-available for hire, but Fulham are not the only competitors for a Bosman deal, as clubs in Saudi Arabia are also circling.

How good is Adama Traore?

Wolverhampton Wanderers' former winger Adama Traore.

The winger, who former Spurs boss Antonio Conte was once desperate to sign for Tottenham, could now move to Fulham for nothing.

Traore was once highly sought-after with some reports claiming Wolves valued him at around £50 million. The attacker, during his arguably best season at Molineux, was a seriously exciting dribbler.

According to WhoScored, Traore averaged a very impressive five successful take-ons per 90 in the final third over 2019/2020 – a season which also saw him bag four goals and nine assists.

These numbers indicate there is a real player to be had, when Traore is at his best, with former Leeds striker Noel Whelan calling him a "match-winner" to Football Insider.

"When you’re talking about signing game-changers and match-winners from the bench, wow, Traore is the perfect fit,” said Whelan.

He can produce something from nothing. That’s the excitement about him – the unknown, the power, the way he can drive past players and brush them off.

“He’s proven in the last few years now that he’s not just a one-trick pony. There never used to be any end product to his game, but now he’s improved that. He picks the best pass a lot more often now."

Confident Morris raring for comeback

The fast bowler has tweaked a problematic action with inputs from coach Ottis Gibson and is ‘champing’ to work his way back

Firdose Moonda08-Nov-2017Chris Morris’ search for speed caused the back injury that has sidelined him for the last four months. As a result, he has had to modify his action.Morris suffered a lower-back problem in England in August, which ruled him out of the fourth Test in Manchester and all action since. He expects to make a return midway through the Ram Slam, for the Titans, and when he does, it will not be at the expense of pace but with a smoother, better approach which the new coach Ottis Gibson has helped him with.”I’ve had a few tweaks in my action that Ottis has changed. I had to iron it out because it wasn’t good enough – simple as that,” Morris said at the Ram Slam launch in Johannesburg. “I think in striving for a bit of extra pace, there was some twisting in my action. I’ve got quite a bad kick-out with my left foot before I land. I was getting lazy and doing quite a lot of twisting, which caused a lot of pressure on my lower back and inevitably caused the injury.”A hallmark of Morris’ performances in England was his pace, particularly when Faf du Plessis gave him freedom to “be aggressive and bowl fast.” The directive paid off in the short term as Morris dismissed Joe Root and Alastair Cook in an impressive spell at Trent Bridge but caused a long-term concern.Though Morris did not break or tear anything, he suffered inflammation and strain in the muscles of the lower back. If left untreated, it could have caused a stress fracture. Part of the treatment was making the changes to his action that should keep Morris symptom-free, though he knows he may respond adversely at any time.”If I didn’t get injured I still would have had to change my action. In bowling, you like to work in straight lines, and I was working along the wrong lines. That’s where the injury came along,” he explained. “We can’t re-scan the same injury because we’d see the same thing the whole time. So we work on symptoms – if there is pain you stop, otherwise you play. I’ve got to trust the gym and rehab, all the things I’ve been doing behind the scenes since my injury happened.”Like Morris, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Wayne Parnell have also been doing undergoing intensive rehabilitation. Philander also had a lower back problem and returned to action in the first-class competition, with good results – he took five wickets and scored 80 for the Cobras. Steyn, Morkel and Parnell will all be back at some stage of the Ram Slam, which means that when the time comes for choosing a Test squad – first to face Zimbabwe in the inaugural four-day Test on Boxing Day and then to play India – there will be competition.Gibson has already flung the door open for Steyn, saying as long as the premier pacer thinks he can make it through a match, he will play. Morris cannot expect the same hospitality, given his relative inexperience especially at Test level. But he was encouraged by Gibson’s approach and is confident he can work his way back.”It’s always good to know that the coach is backing the guys who aren’t playing, especially with injuries because that’s part of the game,” Morris said. “If a youngster is better than me he must play, it’s as simple as that, but I’m always going to be fighting for my spot because playing for South Africa is what I want to do. If I never play for South Africa again it’s cool, but I’m going to give it my best shot. I’m obviously champing at the bit. It hurt me quite a lot to see the guys running around this morning and playing soccer, so I’ve got quite a lot of motivation.”Morris is particularly looking forward to working more with Gibson, whose experience with England he is hoping to draw on.”I’ve only had a week and a half with him and he’s been excellent. In England, he had the fortune of working with the best new-ball attack in the world in my opinion. If they’ve rubbed off on him, as a South African bowling attack we’re going to be richer for it,” Morris said. “He’s been doing this for a long time and has a lot of experience. It’s quite clear what our plans are going forward as a team. We’re in a happy space, and it’s quite exciting.”

Mehidy, Anamul and Mahedi star as Khulna claim hat-trick of NCL titles

They have now become the country’s most successful first-class team having eclipsed five-time champions Rajshahi Divison

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2017Tier 1Khulna Division completed a hat-trick of National Cricket League titles after crushing Dhaka Division by an innings and 49 runs. They have now become the country’s most successful first-class team having eclipsed five-time champions Rajshahi Divison.Mehidy Hasan set up the victory at the BKSP-3 ground with a seven-wicket haul in the first innings as Dhaka were bowled out for 113 in 38.4 overs. Mehidy’s 7 for 24 was his best bowling figures, and he finished the game with his third 10-for in first-class cricket.Khulna replied with 459 for 8 in only 91 overs with Anamul Haque making his second first-class double-hundred while Mahedi Hasan blasted 177. Anamul struck 23 fours and four sixes in his 251-ball 202. Mahedi hammered 21 fours and two sixes in his 160-ball effort. The pair added 295 runs for the second wicket.Later, Mehidy and Rubel Hossain took three wickets each as Dhaka were bowled out for 297 in their second innings on the fourth morning.Nasir Hossain fell five runs short of a triple-century during Rangpur Division’s drawn game against Barisal Division in Chittagong. Nasir’s 295, spanning ten hours and 510 balls and including 32 fours and three sixes, is now the second-highest score by a Bangladeshi in a first-class match.His 368-run fifth wicket stand with Ariful Haque, who made 162, is now the fifth highest stand in Bangladesh’s first-class history. Ariful struck 10 fours and two sixes in his 290-ball effort. Their partnership was the cornerstone of Rangpur’s mammoth 614 for 7 in reply to Barisal’s first=innings 335. Sohag Gazi had top-scored for Barisal with 99.Barisal reached 217 for four on the final day and were relegated to Tier 2 alongside Dhaka Division.Milton AhmedTier 2Rajshahi Division were one of two teams to earn promotion for next season’s NCL after they drew their last Tier-2 game against Dhaka Metropolis.Batting first, Dhaka Metro posted 328 with Shadman Islam and Marshall Ayub hitting fifties. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam took 5 for 105.Rajshahi’s reply was massive, as they posted 668 in 152.4 overs. Nazmul Hossain Shanto made 194 with 21 fours in seven hours and 42 minutes. He was involved in a record 341-run opening partnership with Mizanur Rahman, who made 175 off 210 balls, which included 30 fours and two sixes. Their partnership is a new high for opening stands in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket.Later, Farhad Reza also chipped in with 106 off 151 balls, an innings included 12 fours and five sixes.The game meandered to a draw as Dhaka Metro reached 118 for five on the final day. Shafiul Islam took three wickets.Sylhet Division also gained promotion to next year’s Tier 1 after a drawn game against Chittagong Division.Chittagong were bowled out for 215 with Abul Hasan and Enamul Haque jnr taking three wickets each. Yasir Ali top-scored with 81.Offspinner Iftekhar Sajjad then took a five-wicket haul as Sylhet were shot out for just 137. Left-arm quick Mehedi Hasan Rana took three wickets.Chittagong then stretched their lead to 458 thanks to more good form from Yasir, who struck an unbeaten century. His 102 came off 176 balls and contained seven fours and a six.Rajin Saleh then played a typical backs-to-the-wall innings to save Sylhet from defeat, his 104 coming in five hours and 36 minutes on the final day. Sylhet reached 309 for 7 in 126 overs. Iftekhar and Rana took three wickets each.

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