Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has explained why somebody had to babysit Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal during a triumphant Euro 2024 campaign.
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As Everton anxiously anticipate the result of their appeal against their 10-point deduction for breaching Financial Fair Play rules earlier this season, Sean Dyche is beginning to turn his attention to the summer transfer window and preparing to make some ruthless decisions at Goodison Park, according to reports.
The Everton headlines have been centred around potential exits rather than incomings for a few months now and that's unlikely to go away anytime soon with the summer transfer window fast approaching.
The two biggest names linked with a move away are Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite. Onana is still reportedly attracting interest from Chelsea and has a price-tag of £51m. Branthwaite, meanwhile, has seen his name linked with clubs as big as Real Madrid in what would likely be a dream move for a hefty fee.
Everton's 6/10 star with fewer touches than Pickford was Dyche's villain
He only managed 34 touches during last night’s 1-1 draw.
By
Ethan Lamb
Feb 20, 2024
It's no major surprise that big-money moves could be possible out of Everton this summer, given their need to balance the books after two FFP charges. If the Toffees do drop down from the Premier League, they will be left with no choice but to sanction the sale of a number of key players. There is one player who Dyche isn't exactly desperate to keep, however.
According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Mason Holgate no longer has a future at Everton whilst Dyche is in charge. The defender is currently on loan at Sheffield United and made the headlines for the wrong reasons last time out when his horror tackle on Kaoru Mitoma resulted in a red card inside 13 minutes.
Holgate's loan spell is his second of the season, having failed to earn a place in Russell Martin's Southampton side on a consistent enough basis earlier in the campaign, before being recalled by Everton and sent to the Blades.
Holgate's Everton career has taken a downward dive in recent years, having initially got off to a promising start after completing a move worth a reported £2m in 2015. 18-years-old at the time, Holgate is now 27 and may look back on what might have been in Merseyside, with his time at Everton seemingly destined to come to an end.
There was a point in which the defender was at the centre of praise from the likes of Peter Crouch, who told the Daily Mail after Everton's victory over Liverpool in 2021.
Three years later, however, and Holgate isn't the player that Crouch predicted and must now go again at the end of the season, when he may finally get a permanent move away from Goodison Park.
Alisha Lehmann feels "so happy" after registering her first competitive goal for Juventus since completing a transfer from Aston Villa.
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Islamabad United couldn’t overcome the loss of their overseas players and became the first team eliminated from the knockouts
The Report by Danyal Rasool14-Mar-2020The good times had to end some day, and for Islamabad United, that day was today. The PSL’s most successful team bowed out of the competition at the first hurdle for the first time since its inception, with a fantastic comeback against Karachi Kings not quite enough in the end to keep them in contention. An ordinary effort with the bat meant they had a mountain to climb if they were to restrict Karachi’s slew of explosive batsman under the 137 they had set them for victory, and a disastrous first two overs that saw Sharjeel Khan bludgeon 36 didn’t help matters. They would pull Karachi back magnificently in the middle overs, and towards the end looked like they had done enough for a great escape act, but a pair of lusty blows from the unlikely bat of Umaid Asif meant sneaked Karachi home with four balls to spare, and through to the last four, at the same time sending Islamabad out.Just as in the previous game, Karachi had their bowlers to thank for making things easier in the second innings. In a superbly disciplined bowling performance, they would stifle Islamabad right from the outset, no bowler allowing himself to be a weak link the batsman could pick off. Mohammad Amir began superbly, the changes of pace and the sideways movement keeping Islamabad on their toes, while five different bowlers were amongst the wickets. No bowler, Usama Mir aside, went for over 7.7 an over. Then Chris Jordan’s customarily brilliant death bowling prevented Islamabad from the big finish they desperately needed to keep themselves in contention.Islamabad, in truth, were severely hampered by the absence of four key overseas players, and it showed in the top order. The absence of Luke Ronchi and Colin Munro was crippling, with Phil Salt and Rizwan Hussain not able to put the bowlers under similar pressure, and Colin Ingram, who they needed a big contribution from, was run out after a mix-up. Even Shadab Khan, who has been a revelation with the bat, was subdued, and only managed a scratchy 14-ball 12 before top edging Arshad Iqbal.A low total meant Islamabad needed early wickets, but what they got instead was a brutal onslaught from Sharjeel Khan that looked like it had put the game to bed. He flew to 32 off 9 balls, with four sixes and a couple of boundaries as Karachi knocked off nearly a third of the target in the first two overs. His wicket slowed things down considerably, and Karachi were nearly punished for being overly cautious when the asking rate began to creep up and the pressure mount. When Imad Wasim, Cameron Delport and Iftikhar Ahmed fell, they still needed over 30 to win, and the required rate had shot up beyond 10.A six and a four from Walton helped, but when he chopped one to extra cover, the game looked gone. Asif would step up as Shadab’s patchy form with the ball continued, the Islamabad captain conceding 13 runs in the penultimate over meaning Karachi needed just five from the final one. The win was sealed with a glorious off drive from Asif, and Islamabad’s charmed relationship with the PSL finally suffered its first serious blow.Muhammad Musa’s mixed bagIt was quite a day Muhammad Musa had, and didn’t seem an especially memorable one for the teenager when Sharjeel carted him away for two fours and two sixes in his first over. It would get worse when he finally came back on for his second spell, the first ball driven back hard by Babar Azam, the ball clattering into his shin. He spent some time writhing in agony, but it was just the start of a sensational comeback spell. That over would end up being a wicket maiden, with the wicket being that of Azam. With Karachi more circumspect during the middle overs in the belief they could coast through, Musa tightened the screws, tighter than a taxman’s purse as he allowed just four in his remaining two overs. After getting smashed for 20 in his first over, Musa would concede just four in his remaining three, helping his side get to the brink of victory.Turning pointThere was more than one, but let’s allow recency bias to look at the one that finally decided the game’s fate. With the asking rate having crept up and Asif’s reputation with the bat not exactly world-renowned, Shadab decided to pepper him with a few flat, quick balls instead of conventional legspinners. It worked the first couple of times, but the Islamabad captain tried it once too often. With 13 needed off 8, Asif hung back in anticipation of another dart, and was in prime position to time the full toss over long-on for a huge six. The game had turned on a single delivery, and Islamabad would pay a dear price for it.Where the teams standKarachi Kings have qualified for the last four, and go up to second in the table for now. Islamabad United are fifth, and now cannot finish in the top four, meaning they become the first side to be eliminated.
Under Steven Gerrard, Aston Villa fans would never have expected their side to be challenging for the Champions League in the near future.
However, 14 months later, their side is currently sitting fourth in the Premier League, with a record of 15 wins from 24 games.
A lot of this success has come down to the appointment of Unai Emery, who hasn’t just improved the players but changed the entire environment at Villa Park.
During his career, the Spaniard has worked with many top players, including Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, but one that will surely go down as one of his favourites is Ollie Watkins.
Watkins became known as one of the deadliest attackers in the Championship during his time at Brentford, tearing defenders apart as a left-winger during his first two seasons at the club.
The signs of the England international being a proper goal-scorer were already on show, as he netted ten goals on the left before really excelling as a number nine in his final season at the club, netting 25 times in 46 league games.
In the following summer, Dean Smith broke the club’s record transfer fee to sign Watkins, as he moved to Villa Park for £28m, in an attempt to bolster the side's output in the final third.
His start to life at Villa was unbelievable, notably scoring a hat-trick and picking up an assist in the 7-2 battering of Liverpool on just his second home start for the club.
Over the rest of the season, he netted 14 goals and provided five assists, instantly justifying the fee paid for him.
Fast forward to today, and Watkins is regarded as one of the finest centre forwards in the Premier League, due to not just his goal-scoring ability but also his consistency, with the number 11 hitting double figures in every season since 2016.
Since the arrival of Emery, the striker has gone to an entirely new level, adding creativity to his game. This season in the Premier League alone, he’s scored 13 goals and set up 12 in 25 games. Journalist Jacob Tanswell gave the perfect description of Watkins, labelling him a “difference-maker,” with his qualities being priceless to Villa.
A report towards the end of October stated that the Villans now value Watkins at a minimum of £75m, which is a 168% increase from what they bought him for in 2020. However, in truth, the fee should be much higher considering he is an England international and a consistent performer in the top flight for a top side.
|
Watkins' Value Over Time |
|
|---|---|
|
Season |
Value |
|
18/19 |
£6.9m |
|
19/20 |
£10m |
|
20/21 |
£27m |
|
21/22 |
£30m |
|
22/23 |
£34m |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|
With Watkins' performances continuing to improve and impress, his future at Villa beyond the summer is unknown, with Arsenal being one team that is reportedly interested in signing the 28-year-old, and if the value trend above is anything to go by, he will continue to become even more valuable by the end of the season.
That said, the only thing on Watkins’ mind will be securing himself a spot on the plane to Germany for the Euros and earning Champions League football for Villa.
Bangladesh’s coach hinted that Najmul Hossain Shanto would take the No. 3 slot in the Rawalpindi Test
Mohammad Isam03-Feb-2020Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo has asked his batsmen to deliver a big performance against Pakistan in the Rawalpindi Test, which begins on Friday.During Domingo’s tenure so far, Bangladesh have lost all three of their Test matches, and with Shakib Al Hasan’s ban in place for most of the year, there is a lot of concern over how the team will cope in a Test-heavy 2020. Domingo believes Rawalpindi may be a good place to start showing positive results.Some of the batsmen have shown good form recently in the domestic first-class competition, while the Test specialists have worked extensively with batting coach Neil McKenzie when the T20I side was in Pakistan last month.Domingo hopes Bangladesh will show an overall improvement as a Test team since their crushing series defeat in India in November, and that they can put Pakistan under pressure and expose their vulnerabilities.”The wickets that they are playing here [in Bangladesh] don’t have much pace and bounce, but I am sure Rawalpindi might have some pace and bounce,” Domingo said. “It is going to be a big challenge for the boys. The Test players have been working on some technical things with Neil McKenzie. Of course, some of the boys know that they have to put in some big performances on the back of a poor Test series against India. We have to show a bit more commitment with the bat, and find ways to manufacture scores even when the conditions are not good.”We know that we haven’t played well in Tests, but if you are going to Pakistan thinking that we can’t win, might as well stay here. I am confident that if we do things well and improve considerably from our tour to India, we can push Pakistan. It is going to be tough; they are a quality side. But we know they can also have a bad day. We need to have a great day when they have a bad day. If that happens, we give ourselves a chance.”Among those on whom Domingo will pin his hopes will be Tamim Iqbal, who has just made a maiden triple-hundred in first-class cricket, as well as Mahmudullah and Mominul Haque, who also scored first-class hundreds shortly before departing for Rawalpindi. But inconsistency has dogged less experienced players such as Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Mithun, who have been given an extended run in Tests since 2018. Domingo stood by his batsmen, saying he believed in consistent selection.”When you say Mithun is not in good form, he is currently 60-odd not out. He has come off playing one T20I in Pakistan. I think he had a decent BPL. I wouldn’t say he is in bad form. Soumya seems to be playing well. I want to make sure we have continuity in selection. Mithun was in our last Test series in India, under tough conditions.”It is hard to leave a guy out after one or two Tests. I have always said that selection needs to be consistent, and we give guys an opportunity to play a number of Tests before you make decisions on their careers. A lot of the guys on this tour were with us in India. We are giving them opportunities to improve their game.”Tamim Iqbal drives through the covers•Raton Gomes/BCB
Domingo said the big runs his batsmen have made in domestic cricket will be the best preparation they can have, given Bangladesh only have one practice session at the venue of their Test match.”There’s no doubt that runs in the middle is worth more than just practicing in the nets,” he said. “So the players who got runs will gain confidence. Tamim’s three-hundred is a fantastic effort and it is something that should be treasured, as it doesn’t happen often.”Mominul and [Mahmudullah] Riyad got hundreds and Mithun got a 60. Guys have got five wickets. They have shown why they are in the Test team. It is always important for Test players to put in big performances in domestic cricket.”Domingo said Bangladesh are likely to give Najmul Hossain Shanto the No 3 spot, with Mominul batting below him to compensate for Mushfiqur Rahim’s absence.”At the moment Mominul is earmarked to bat at No 4. I will probably get Shanto to bat at No 3, and Saif Hassan to open the batting with Tamim Iqbal. Mithun and Riyad at No 5 and 6, and Liton [Das] probably at No 7.”Domingo, however, added that over the next three Tests, Bangladesh would be forced to change their batting line-up at least for one position, when Mushfiqur – who is available for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe later this month, but not for the Pakistan Tests next week or in April – returns.”I am under the impression that this is the squad for this one Test match. We will re-evaluate once we get back,” Domingo said. “You have to remember that Mushfiq got runs in the last Test, but we also need to consider the fact that it is hard to pick a batting line-up, change it for one Test, and then change it again for the third Test. I want to give guys a run, but we also need to consider that Mushfiq was our best player in India.”This headache is for later, but right now, Domingo wants his Test side to train its focus on the job at hand, and not pay too much attention to the big names, such as the legspinner Yasir Shah.”We have a few left-handers which will help us [take on Yasir].” Domingo said. “He is not at the top of his game recently. Pakistan always produce great fast bowlers and legspinners, but we have to be positive and confident to negotiate them. Yasir Shah is a fantastic bowler but it is just a cricket ball. As Ottis [Gibson, Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach] says, ‘play the game, not the name.'”
Three times in the last four years, Aston Villa have broken their transfer record. First, when Dean Smith was manager, they shelled out £33m to sign Ollie Watkins from his former club Brentford and then, 12 months later, they agreed to pay £38m to land Emi Buendia from Norwich.
Last summer, under Unai Emery, NSWE blew both of those transfers out of the water by parting with up to £52m to recruit Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen, having previously signed Leon Bailey from the same side.
|
Aston Villa record transfers |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Signed from |
Year |
Fee* |
|
1 |
Moussa Diaby |
Bayer Leverkusen |
2023 |
£52m |
|
2 |
Emi Buendia |
Norwich City |
2021 |
£38m |
|
3 |
Ollie Watkins |
Brentford |
2020 |
£33m |
|
4 |
Pau Torres |
Villarreal |
2023 |
£32m |
|
5 |
Leon Bailey |
Bayer Leverkusen |
2021 |
£30m |
*With potential add-ons included
Could they eclipse it again this year? Well, on the one hand, they could potentially have some Champions League money on the way, even if they end up losing out to Spurs in the race for the Premier League top four. As part of the new competition format, the two-best performing nations in this year's tournaments will be entitled to an extra spot, and England is only a fraction behind second-place Germany in the current standings.
On the other hand, though, there's a sense that Villa may have to sell a first-team player before the end of June in order to comply with the league's Profit and Sustainability Rules. Those circumstances may not be especially conducive to a historic outlay.
Undeterred, NSWE are now eyeing up a deal for Lucas Paqueta, according to West Ham outlet Claret and Hugh. The Brazilian would like to move to reigning champions Manchester City, but Villa have joined Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United in making it clear that they will try to sign him if that deal doesn't materialise. Significantly, the 26-year-old's contract includes an £80m release clause.
Paqueta is currently under investigation for alleged breaches of betting rules, which he denies, and is apparently considering legal action against the FA if he doesn't receive a verdict by April. Any move, of course, will hinge upon whether he avoids a ban.
Signing Paqueta could be a huge statement, and not just because of the record-shattering transfer fee. Villa and West Ham are two clubs of a similar status, each playing in European competition and trying to pierce the big-six bubble, so it may say a great deal about the former's trajectory if they can poach a player from the latter.
Dubbed a "magician" by former Premier League midfielder Robbie Mustoe, Paqueta can play as a left winger, number 10 and number eight. He's capable of playing the final ball – he ranks second in the West Ham squad (among those with at least 1,000 minutes played) for expected assists per 90 (0.17) and key passes per 90 (1.55) – but he can also launch dangerous attacks from deeper positions too. Nobody in the Irons ranks averages more progressive passes or passes into the final third than Paqueta (6.9 and 4.76).
Aston Villa eyeing Tielemans repeat to land "gifted athlete" for Emery
Two other Premier League clubs are also in the running.
By
David Comerford
Feb 16, 2024
With a penchant for dazzling tricks, the former Lyon man also places second for successful take-ons with 29, only behind Mohammed Kudus (60). However, he embraces the dirty side of the game too, having won the fourth-most tackles (53) and made the seventh-most fouls (50) in the division. That, clearly, is a midfield combination that appeals a great deal to Emery, but Villa could face some mighty competition for this particular transfer.
The German's enforced exit proves that the Blaugrana remain beset by financial problems – four years after Josep Maria Bartomeu's resignation
Joan Laporta claimed in February of this year, "If we meet the budget, the darkest era in FC Barcelona's history will be over." Just over two months ago, he revealed that the "financial transition", from the edge of bankruptcy to economic stability, was "getting closer and closer".
Alluding to the mess he inherited from his disgraced predecessor, Josep Maria Bartomeu, Laporta said, "The culers (Barca fans) have been patient and we are working to turn the situation around from the one we found when we came to the presidency (in March 2021). The balance sheet this season will be positive and I hope soon we can be '1:1' (the Liga regulation that allows a member club to invest as much money in transfers as it generates in revenue).
"I am an optimist and a realist, and I know what I am talking about. We have grown in terms of income and we have reduced expenses, and we are in a situation in which we are about to resolve the Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues from last season."
Many Barca fans are beginning to wonder, though, if Laporta really does know what he's talking about, because just nine days before the close of the transfer window, the club is still not in a position to register star summer-signing Dani Olmo.
Consequently, Barca are once again scrambling around at the tail end of August, trying to either sell players or remove high-earners from the wage bill just to make ends meet. At the time of writing, Ilkay Gundogan – who only arrived in Catalunya last summer and was one of the Blaugrana's best players last season – is being pushed out the door, which only begs the question: Are Barcelona really making any progress under Laporta – or simply back to square one?
Despite a slight stumble during the festive period, Arsenal have once again found themselves in the midst of a title fight in the Premier League this year, only this time, they have two opponents to contend with: Manchester City and Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta's side aren't quite as free-flowing and intense in attack as they were last campaign, but with the addition of Declan Rice and some tactical tweaks here and there, they look significantly more assured in midfield and defence, something borne out by the fact that they hold the second-best defensive record in the division.
However, for as good as the north Londoners have looked in defence and midfield, they're only really one injury away from a minor crisis, as behind Rice, Arteta can only call on an ageing Jorginho and an injury-prone Thomas Partey, who simply cannot be relied upon to remain fit anymore, with the Ghanaian missing a massive 66 games and counting for club and country since making the move to N5 three years ago.
With this problem impossible to ignore, the club have made no secret about their desire to sign a new, younger central midfielder who can fill in at six in case of a Rice absence, with Everton's Amadou Onana, Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and, perhaps more than any other, Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz constantly linked with the North Londoners this month.
The first murmurings of the Gunners' interest in Villa's Brazilian machine sprung up in the dying hours of the 2022 summer transfer window, as the club saw three offers rebuffed by the Villans before the player then signed a new five-year deal at the club a few months later.
However, that new long-term deal obviously did little to deter Edu and Co, as they maintained their interest in the former City youth product, and the links came back in full force in the January transfer window.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, though, a report from Football Insider earlier in January revealed that a move for Luiz mid-way through the season would cost any interested parties at least £100m, essentially killing any move before it had a chance to develop.
With the fee unlikely to drop much in the summer, lest Luiz kicks up an almighty fuss, it might be wiser for Arsenal to finally drop their interest and instead turn to a Hale End graduate who is currently tearing it up in the Championship.
Charlie Patino has been playing senior football for two seasons now, but he first made a name for himself with the Arsenal and England junior sides.
The midfield "maestro", as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him at the time, made 25 appearances for the Gunners U18 side, in which he scored one goal and provided four assists, before going on to make 22 appearances for the U21 side, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
At the same time, he was rapidly progressing through the England ranks, making his debut for the U15 side in February 2018 and reaching the U21 squad just five years later.
He has won 22 junior caps and represented every age group from the U15s to the U21s, scoring three goals in the process.
With how well he was performing at the youth level, it was only a matter of time until he made his senior debut for the Gunners, and when it did come in December 2021, he made sure to leave an impression, scoring his first senior goal for the club within minutes of his entrance.
His first start would come just a month later in the FA Cup, and while the result – a loss against Nottingham Forest – was far from ideal, his talent was evident to see.
With youth football firmly behind him, he spent a fruitful albeit doomed campaign on loan with Blackpool last year before heading to Swansea City this season, where he has been fantastic.
|
Charlie Patino's Blackpool Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
37 |
|
Goals |
3 |
|
Assists |
4 |
|
Goal Involvements per game |
0.189 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|
Now, if your initial thought is that Luiz, one of the key players for a top-four chasing team in the Premier League, must be leaps and bounds ahead of a 20-year-old who has but one full season of senior football behind him, you'd probably be right – most of the time anyway.
However, Patino is, in the words of journalist Phil Smith, a "special talent", and with how well he is performing for the Swans in the Championship this season, there is a chance that he could make the step up to top-flight football next season and cement himself in the midfield of a title-chasing Arsenal side.
The Watford-born gem has made 24 appearances for the Welsh side so far, scored four goals, and provided four assists, giving him a goal involvement every three games on average, which is pretty remarkable for a youngster who primarily plays in central midfield.
In contrast, Villa's midfield monster has made 32 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists, giving him a goal involvement every 2.46 games.
While that is slightly more impressive on the surface, four of his goals have been penalties, making a £100m investment a little harder to justify on that front.
Finally, how do the pair's underlying numbers stack up? Well, somewhat surprisingly, it's the Arsenal man who emerges victorious in the majority of metrics relevant to a modern-day central midfielder.
For example, he produces a more impressive non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, more shot and goal-creating actions, makes more interceptions and clearances per 90, and is more adept at taking on defenders.
|
Douglas Luiz vs Charlie Patino |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats per 90 |
Luiz |
Patino |
|
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists |
0.23 |
0.31 |
|
Non-Penalty Goals |
0.10 |
0.25 |
|
Assists |
0.15 |
0.33 |
|
Progressive Carries |
2.11 |
1.33 |
|
Progressive Passes |
5.88 |
4.83 |
|
Shots on target percentage |
21.2% |
27.3% |
|
Goals per Shot on Target |
0.29 |
1.00 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
3.83 |
3.84 |
|
Goal-Creating Actions |
0.29 |
0.33 |
|
Tackles won |
1.23 |
0.58 |
|
Interceptions |
0.74 |
1.08 |
|
Clearances |
0.74 |
0.83 |
|
Successful Take-Ons |
0.74 |
1.25 |
|
Aerial Duels Won |
0.83 |
1.33 |
|
Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season |
||
In his defence, Luiz produces more progressive passes and carries per 90, but under the tutelage of Arteta and with more quality around him, there's no apparent reason why Patino couldn't eventually produce the same numbers as the Brazilian.
Arsenal plotting deadline day bid for Martinelli 2.0
The 19-year-old has more than a few shades of Martinelli about him.
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Feb 1, 2024
Ultimately, there is a risk in going with youth, but in today's FFP and PSR-aware world, there is arguably more risk in spending vast sums of money on a player a team doesn't need.
Anyway, trusting in the youth worked pretty well regarding Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.
Carlo Ancelotti's side have all the pieces in place to dominate yet again in the new campaign
How can Real Madrid actually improve? Los Blancos were the best team in Europe for most of last season, dominating Spain and securing an obligatory Champions League triumph with aplomb.
Well, they've done all of the right things to suggest that they could actually get better. In Kylian Mbappe, they finally got their man in the transfer market (albeit after years of waiting.) And even though a key player has retired, Los Blancos should have enough about them to run it back.
Should all else fail, they have arguably the best manager in the business to figure it all out. Be prepared for a growing pain or two, but this could be the best year in Madrid in a while.