A major injury concern has emerged at Celtic regarding a “terrific” player, prior to this weekend’s Scottish Premiership clash with St Johnstone.
Latest Celtic news
The Hoops are looking to keep up their 100% winning start to the league season this weekend, making the trip to St Johnstone on Saturday evening. Brendan Rodgers’ side will once again be favourites to prevail, and they have a great chance to open up an eight-point lead over Rangers, prior to their home meeting with Hibernian on Sunday. It would heap further pressure on their biggest title rivals, who know their further dropped points could be fatal even this early in the season.
Meanwhile, exciting Celtic transfer news continues to emerge, with 18-year-old Hammarby starlet Bazoumana Toure linked with a move to Parkhead in a potential £8m transfer. Capable of thriving on both wings, the teenager has already made 16 appearances at senior level for his current club, and even more impressive is that he has registered six goals and three assists in that time.
While there is plenty to be positive about at Parkhead currently, Rodgers has now suffered a potentially big blow after a fresh injury update dropped.
Celtic dealt injury blow to "terrific" hero
According to a fresh update from Football Scotland, Cameron Carter-Vickers missed Celtic training at Lennoxtown on Friday before the St Johnstone game, throwing his involvement in the match into serious doubt. Brendan Rodgers confirmed he had picked up an injury after he missed the win against Falkirk last week and the worst may yet be to come.
Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers
Not having Carter-Vickers available immediately weakens Celtic, considering what an impressive performer he has been at the heart of the defence for so long, featuring in every minute in the Scottish Premiership this season, winning an average of 3.4 aerial duels per game.
Former Hoops ace Jackie McNamara has heaped praise on the USA international “Carter-Vickers is strong and has a lot of attributes. He’s been a terrific signing. Yeah, he’s up there with some of the best – although he’s not quite the same kind of player as Bobo! I played with some cracking centre-backs over the years – Johan Mjallby, Mark Rieper, and so on. Carter-Vickers has definitely been one who has been an excellent signing. He’s very steady and consistent.”
While Celtic could easily get by without Carter-Vickers for a short period, suddenly having him unavailable for a lengthy spell of action could threaten to derail their season, especially in the Champions League.
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The 26-year-old has suffered injury problems in the past, not least undergoing knee surgery last year, so this will be a concerning update for Rodgers and anyone of a Hoops persuasion. The fact that the club are keeping things close to their chest arguably makes it more of a worry, too, so fans must wait with bated breath in the hope of good news.
Aston Villa have been forced to rely heavily on Ollie Watkins since the start of last season as the Englishman only has Jhon Duran for competition.
It hasn’t exactly hampered his performances, as the Englishman scored 27 times last term, which steered Villa to a top-four finish in the Premier League, thus qualifying for the Champions League.
Duran has stepped up this season despite the continued interest shown in him during the summer transfer window, as the Colombian has netted twice in just three league matches so far.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran
While the 20-year-old is potentially a player to build around for the future, could Unai Emery have another Watkins brewing in the academy?
Why Rory Wilson could be Ollie Watkins 2.0
The 18-year-old striker has certainly impressed since moving to Villa from Rangers back in the summer of 2022.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
The Scot scored a remarkable tally of 49 goals during the 2021/22 campaign for the Gers youth teams, which naturally led to interest from down south.
James Grady, a Scotland youth coach, even described Wilson as being “obsessed with becoming the best” and it was perhaps no surprise that Steven Gerrard brought Wilson down to the Midlands ahead of his first full season in charge.
Since then, the youngster has exuded similar qualities to that of Watkins, finding the net on a regular basis by showcasing his incredible finishing skills.
During the U18 Premier League campaign, Wilson scored 16 goals in just 13 appearances, before making the move up to the Premier League 2, finding the back of the net three times in 13 games.
He has kickstarted the current campaign off with a goal already. Could he stake a claim for a first team berth in the coming months? Especially with games coming thick and fast for Emery.
Why Wilson could be Villa’s biggest talent since Jack Grealish
Not since Jack Grealish made his breakthrough at Villa nearly ten years ago has there arguably been so much hype over a single youth player, with the teenager currently attracting interest from the likes of Inter Milan and RB Leipzig.
The current Manchester City gem made over 200 appearances for the Midlands side before joining City for £100m in 2021, with the move turning out to be a stunning piece of business conducted by the club.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2020/21
27
7
10
2019/20
41
10
8
2018/19
35
6
8
2017/18
34
3
8
2016/17
34
5
5
2015/16
21
1
1
2014/15
24
0
3
It's safe to say Grealish hasn’t quite had the best of times under Pep Guardiola, scoring just 14 times for the club and there was even some talk regarding him moving back to his boyhood club during the summer.
Despite only being 18, Wilson has made a couple of appearances for the Scotland U21 side, clearly demonstrating how ahead of the curve he is. If the young talent continues to score for fun for Villa’s own U21 outfit, Emery surely cannot ignore him for much longer.
Indeed, with Watkins and Duran the only senior centre-forwards in the first-team squad, an injury to either could potentially see the Scot given an unlikely opportunity.
Should this happen, Wilson has the ability to make an impression for the first team, without a shadow of a doubt, with the hope that he can follow in Grealish's footsteps before him.
Worth more than Grealish: Aston Villa hit gold on "dangerous" Smith signing
The club have conducted excellent business in recent years.
Tottenham Hotspur kickstarted their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester City last night, and while it wasn't a disastrous result, it was undeniably disappointing.
Ange Postecoglou's side are aiming to make it back into the Champions League places this year, although to do that, they will have to be far more clinical going forward.
While there were a couple of good performances for the North Londoners, there were also plenty of poor ones, including from club captain Son Heung-min.
Son's game vs Leicester
Yes, despite being an immensely talented winger and undoubtedly a modern great of the Premier League, Son looked like a totally different player last night.
The South Korean international was wasteful in possession, struggled to create chances of real quality and just looked totally off the pace.
The former Bayer Leverkusen star didn't impress Express journalist Amos Murphy either, who awarded him just a 4/10 on the night, writing that he 'failed to link up with the rest of Spurs' forwards' and 'broke down promising attacking situations for Tottenham on more than one occasion.
Son's game in numbers
Minutes
89'
Goals
0
Assists
0
Expected Goals
0.03
Shots on Target
0
Shots off Target
0
Shots Blocked
0
Passing Accuracy
41/48 (85%)
Crosses (Completed)
3 (1)
Lost Possession
13
Dribbled Past
3
Duels (Won)
12 (6)
All Stats via Sofascore
While harsh, this assessment of the 32-year-old's display is backed up by his statistics from the game, as in his 89 minutes on the pitch, he failed to score or assist a goal, racked up an expected goals figure of just 0.03, took one shot that was blocked, maintained a passing accuracy of just 85%, completed a single cross, lost the ball 13 times, was dribbled past three times and lost six duels.
Overall, it was a really poor game from the captain, although his teammate on the opposite wing was just as disappointing.
Brenan Johnson's game vs Leicester
Yes, one of Spurs' other disappointing performers last night was Brennan Johnson.
Brennan Johnson for Tottenham
The Welsh international was given the nod to start on the right of the front three, and while there were little moments here and there in which he looked okay, he ended up hurting his chances of starting the next game more than anything else.
Like his captain, the former Nottingham Forest ace struggled to provide clear-cut chances for his teammates to put away and, bar one or two moments, he never looked like a threat himself.
Unsurprisingly, it was a display that left Murphy unimpressed, although he was somewhat kinder to the 23-year-old, giving him a 5/10 in the night and writing that he was 'a passenger for the most part' and 'struggled to impose himself on the contest.'
This assessment really should have seen the wideman receive a 4/10 as his senior teammate did, and his statistics from the game back that up.
Johnson's game in numbers
Minutes
78'
Goals
0
Assists
0
Expected Goals
0.08
Expected Assists
0.08
Shots on Target
1
Passing Accuracy
20/26 (77%)
Crosses (Completed)
2 (0)
Lost Possession
13
Dribbled Past
1
All Stats via Sofascore
In his 78 minutes of action, he failed to score or assist a goal, produced an expected goal and assists figure of just 0.16, took one shot on target, was unable to complete a dribble, maintained a passing accuracy of just 77%, failed to complete a cross, committed one foul, lost the ball 13 times and was dribbled past once.
In all, it was a game that should see him drop to the bench for the next one, especially as Dejan Kulusevski injected some much-needed energy when he came on in the 79th minute.
The Swedish international has been inconsistent during his time in North London, but when he's on it, he is one of the best attackers in the country and, therefore, he should be given an opportunity to get his season underway at home against Everton this weekend.
Ultimately, it wasn't the best of starts for Postecoglou last night, but the silver lining is that they can forget all about it if they can kick into gear and go on a run in the coming fixtures, which will be made easier if Kulusevski can play a more meaningful role.
9 duels lost: Spurs' 4/10 ace was as bad as Solanke vs Leicester City
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a busy transfer window, with some interesting incomings and significant outgoings from Molineux. This summer, the goal has been to modify the squad so that Gary O’Neil and his side can take on the challenge of improving last season’s 14th-place finish, a campaign in which they got 46 points and came 20 points clear of relegation.
In terms of the Midlands club’s two major sales this summer, the first was a deal that saw them lose club captain Max Kilman to West Ham United for £40m. It was a move that saw him reunite with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui. The other significant sale saw star winger Pedro Neto join Chelsea for a sizeable fee of £54m, after five years at the club.
Pedro Neto and Max Kilman
That money has been reinvested into youngsters Rodrigo Gomes from Portuguese side Braga, and Brazilian fullback Pedro Lima. Tommy Doyle also saw his loan from Manchester City turn into a permanent deal, and Jorgen Strand Larsen signed for the club from Spanish outfit Celta Vigo on loan with a chance for the move to become permanent.
However, with just under a week left of the window, the Molineux side might not yet be done with their summer incomings and could look to add further attacking firepower to the squad.
Wolves target Saudi Pro League winger
The player in question here is Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad and Portuguese winger Jota. The 25-year-old has struggled to settle since his move to the Middle East last summer and could depart the club for a fresh challenge.
According to a report from French news outlet L’Equipe, the Midlands club are thought to be one of the clubs interested in signing the former Celtic star this summer. This comes after the rumours surrounding the former Portugal under-21 international's future in Saudi Arabia have once again intensified.
Former Celtic winger Jota.
However, they will not be alone in their quest to sign the Al-Ittihad winger, with Portuguese giants Sporting CP looking to bring him back to his homeland, and French side Stade Rennais also believed to be showing an interest in the winger this summer.
At this stage, a price has not been clarified by the report from L’Equipe. However, the former Celtic man is valued at around £5.5m by Football Transfers, meaning he could offer a cheap solution to Wolves’ lack of depth on the wing since Neto’s departure to West London earlier in the month.
Why Jota would be a good signing
It has certainly been a rocky time of things for Jota since his move to Al-Ittihad. The 25-year-old was briefly not registered by the club, for them to comply with the Saudi Pro League rules of having a maximum of eight foreign players registered; thus the Portuguese winger was sacrificed and found himself an outcast in many ways.
Jota, Celtic forward (now Al- Attihad)
However, he has appeared for the club, playing 25 games in total, with 16 of those coming in the league before and after his registration issues. In those 25 appearances, he has five goals and an assist from the left wing.
The Benfica academy graduate arguably played the best football of his career for Scottish giants Celtic. He played 83 games for the Bhoys and found the back of the net an impressive 28 times, grabbing 26 assists along the way, too.
Celtic forward Jota.
The entirety of his spell at Celtic Park came under the tutelage of current Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou. The Australian manager clearly thought highly of the winger, praising him for his “dangerous” and “threatening” attacking ability during their time spent together in Glasgow.
Should Wolves bring Jota to the club this summer, he could be a perfect replacement for Neto. The Chelsea number seven was superb for the Molineux side despite injuries and showed his class with 14 goals and 24 assists in 134 appearances for the club.
Indeed, the Al-Ittihad man would be a like-for-like replacement for his fellow Portuguese winger. The pair are both rapid, direct wingers with an eye for goal. Crucially, the former Celtic man, who currently earns a whooping £190k per week in Saudi Arabia as per Capology, is a versatile player.
Wolves star Pedro Neto celebrates
Last season, O’Neil played the new Chelsea man right across the Wolves frontline, and this is certainly something he can count on with Jota, too. During his time in Scotland, he played on both wings and had great deals of success on each side.
Jota record by position for Celtic (min 45 mins played)
Position
Games
Goals
Assists
Left-wing
50
16
15
Right-wing
28
12
10
Total
78
28
25
Stats from Transfermarkt
Their stats are also comparable and demonstrate just how good of a Neto replacement Jota could prove to be. It is important to consider that for this comparison, Jota’s Sofascore stats from 2022/23, his last season at Celtic, have been used, with Neto’s stats from last campaign have been considered, courtesy of Sofascore.
Firstly, in terms of their pure goals and assist numbers, Jota scored 11 goals and got ten assists in 29 SPFL games, with Neto scoring just twice but getting an impressive nine assists in 20 Premier League matches.
Wolves forward Pedro Neto in Premier League action.
Their creative numbers per 90 minutes are very similar. The former Celtic attacker – who has been dubbed "a striker's dream" by pundit Marvin Bartley – created 13 big chances and averaged 1.9 key passes per game during his last season with the Bhoys, with the former Wolves winger creating seven big chances and also playing 1.9 key passes.
The pair are also neck and neck when it comes to their dribbling stats from those respective seasons. The Al-Ittihad number 11 averaged 1.5 dribbles per game with a completion rate of 48%, and although the ex-Wolves man averaged more dribbles each game, with 1.9, he had a slightly worse completion rate of 47%.
Former Celtic winger Jota.
As the stats, the goals, assist numbers and Jota’s versatility shows, he is a perfect replacement for Neto. Whilst he has struggled during his time in Saudi Arabia, he is clearly a talented player rated by the likes of Postecoglou, which the stats also reflect.
It maynot be an expensive deal for Wolves to get over the line, and he seems to be the dream replacement for one of their best players of the past few seasons. It would be a very well-profiled signing from O’Neil and the scouting staff at Molineux.
Talks held: Wolves could repeat Gomes masterclass with £30m "monster"
Two rounds have been cut from the Sheffield Shield and the Marsh Cup will be a five-game tournament in the restructured Australian domestic calendar, but the completion of all the fixtures hang in the balance because of the uncertainty regarding state border controls around the country. Western Australia remains a major concern for Cricket Australia’s schedule, with the state government maintaining strict Covid-19 border rules for travellers coming in.CA and the state cricket associations ticked off on the new revamped domestic schedule late last week with each state to play eight Shield matches in total, including those already played, and five 50-over Marsh Cup matches with the top two teams in each competition to play off in the finals in April. The Marsh Cup final will be played on April 11 and the Shield final on April 15-19.The Australian Cricketers’ Association agreed to a reduction of games this season on the understanding that it would return to ten rounds and a final next season.The first half of the Shield season took place in October and November in a hub in Adelaide but the rest of the fixtures will now be played in all six states, with teams to fly commercially alongside the general public and arrange their own accommodation as has been the case in previous seasons. The bio-security rules are set to be far less stringent than they were during the BBL.Related
Victoria cleared to travel to NSW for domestic fixtures despite Melbourne lockdown
NSW and Victoria aiming to still play Marsh Cup opener despite latest lockdown in Victoria
Australia seek middle-order answers during T20 mission in New Zealand
BBL beats season of uncertainty
Cummins named NSW captain for the rescheduled 50-over Marsh Cup
The season recommences next Monday with New South Wales hosting Victoria in a Marsh Cup fixture in Sydney, where Pat Cummins will make his NSW captaincy debut before the two sides meet in a Shield game at the SCG two days later.WA were initially scheduled to face New South Wales in Sydney on that date but the entire schedule was restructured because of WA’s complicated border situation.Travellers entering WA from states where there has been a community Covid-19 case in the previous 28 days are required to do 14-days strict home isolation upon arrival. With the BBL final being played in Sydney, where there has been a recent case, WA and Perth Scorchers’ entire coaching staff, as well as WA and Scorchers players Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Joel Paris and Corey Rocchiccioli have been forced into home isolation in Perth for the next 14 days, with the period to end on February 21, a day after the first two rescheduled Shield games have been completed. Had the final been played in Canberra, where both the Qualifier and the Challenger were played, none of the coaches or players would have needed to do home isolation.David Moody delayed his return to WA in the hope that borders would open, only for Victoria to report multiple Covid-19 cases in the past week•Getty Images
Shaun Marsh and Hilton Cartwright, who played in the BBL with the Melbourne Renegades and the Melbourne Stars respectively, are currently in home quarantine, having started 14 days earlier than those coming back from Sydney. David Moody, who was with the Hobart Hurricanes, is also starting a 14-day quarantine having travelled home from Melbourne. Moody delayed his return to WA in the hope that borders would open, only for Victoria to report multiple Covid-19 cases in the past week. The remainder of WA’s squad that aren’t in New Zealand with Australia’s T20I squad, including Test player Cameron Green, have been in WA during the BBL, although Green and Australia coach Justin Langer had to serve 14-days quarantine after returning home from the Brisbane Test against India last month.The WACA has secured training exemptions for staff and players to attend three training sessions at the WACA ground next week on the proviso there are no further cases in NSW.WA is set to host three Shield matches and three Marsh Cup matches under the new schedule, including fixtures against Victoria in both competitions from March 23 to March 28. WA is also set to travel to Sydney to face NSW in a Marsh Cup fixture on March 14. If the current WA border rules remain in place, both NSW and Victoria would need to have 28 consecutive days from now without a community Covid-19 case for those fixtures to go ahead as planned.CA executive general manager of high-performance Drew Ginn said CA would remain agile and open to shifting fixtures if and when necessary as it was during the BBL.”Today’s announcement safeguards the integrity of the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup competitions while managing the physical and mental wellbeing of players, officials, and staff on account of the extraordinary demands placed upon them this season,” he said. “Every person across Australian Cricket has worked incredibly hard to deliver this summer of cricket and should be proud of those efforts. At the same time, the lived experience of operating through the pandemic has provided us all with new appreciation and perspective for the increased workloads required to deliver elite, national sporting competitions.”It is out of this duty of care that, with the input and support of the States and Territories Associations and the ACA, we have elected to shorten the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup, while ensuring both competitions are of a sufficient length to ensure a high-level of competition for teams and players.”As has been the case throughout the summer, we will need to remain agile and responsive given the public health situation across the country. The health and wellbeing of players, officials, and staff remains the top priority.”
His position as Pakistan’s chief coach doesn’t seem to be in any kind of threat at the moment
Umar Farooq11-Jan-2021Misbah-ul-Haq has played down talk of his days as head coach of the Pakistan team being numbered, saying that stakeholders in Pakistan cricket need to avoid “being reactive”. He added that he is hoping that the PCB cricket committee’s summons to him and Waqar Younis is only a discussion to help improve Pakistan cricket and not much more.Misbah has a three-year contract with the PCB but his position – first as chief selector and chief coach and now as only the latter – has come in for scrutiny often in the recent past as losses have piled up for the team, most recently in New Zealand. When the PCB cricket committee meets him on Tuesday, it will be the second review of Misbah’s performance in three months. ESPNcricinfo understands that the review is a routine affair that broadly covers 2020-21 domestic and international season.”There is scrutiny and then there is an analysis of any series, which is how it should be, and I don’t mind it,” Misbah told a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday. “But obviously there shouldn’t be any communication gap. We need confidence and continuity with no uncertainty.”Improvement takes time and you can’t be overly reactive with it. We have young players and haven’t got experience in the side and that is why it’s taking some time to get favourable results, and this needs to be understood. I hope this committee isn’t for grilling me, but to help and share what they think needs to be done to get things better for the country.”After Misbah came into the picture, the PCB took several bold decisions, such as removing Sarfaraz Ahmed as captain and dropping him from the team in all three formats. Soon after, Azhar Ali was made the Test captain while Babar Azam was chosen to lead the team in the limited-overs formats. However, after the England series last year, Ali was stripped off the captaincy and Azam made captain in all formats.But with the results not being as good as expected, Misbah’s stocks appear to have taken a hit.
“Moving from one bubble to another and maintaining the quality of cricket and player fitness is becoming a worry. If you look around in the cricket world, coaches like Mark Boucher, Mickey Arthur, Ravi Shastri, they are all facing the same problem”Misbah-ul-Haq
“There is always pressure on me being in this post, on the team, or the position in which Waqar is,” Misbah said. “We are indeed disappointed about these results [Pakistan lost the Tests 2-0 and T20Is 2-1 in New Zealand most recently] because this is not on. This is not the result we anticipated. Nobody needs to tell us, we know we need to improve as a team, we know we need to improve as a coaching team to get good results.”But, at the same time, no sportsman in the world can be locked in a room for 19 days and then with just a week of preparation expected to beat a world-class team and that too in their own conditions.”I have no doubt about the commitment of my players. They are giving their best and there are performances we can take forward, but overall it’s not reflecting on the end result and that is where everyone is focusing. There are performances in phases and there were some great fightbacks we saw on the New Zealand tour. I know we are improving and when you judge the series, it doesn’t always give you a true picture.”Prior to the tour of New Zealand, the contingent spent three days in Lahore, got on a flight to Auckland, and then spent 14 days in strict quarantine in Queenstown. The team effectively got six days of training before the first game. Before that, the Pakistani players were in a bio-bubble in England, as well as at home during the final leg of the PSL, the Zimbabwe series, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the National T20s.”Bio-bubbles are affecting players mentally and physically and this isn’t just an excuse but a fact everyone is talking about,” Misbah said. “Moving from one bubble to another and maintaining the quality of cricket and player fitness is becoming a worry. If you look around in the cricket world, coaches like Mark Boucher, Mickey Arthur, Ravi Shastri, they are all facing the same problem.”The preparatory camps aren’t serving the way they used to, and that it affecting the fitness of players. All of this is adding up and eventually reflecting on our performance. We have to find a way out to counter this situation.”
The Thunder will feel very little impact of international duty except for a late start by Sam Billings
Andrew McGlashan09-Dec-2020Captain Callum FergusonCoach Shane BondSquad Sam Billings (Eng), Jonathan Cook, Ben Cutting, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Callum Ferguson, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales (Eng), Baxter Holt, Usman Khawaja, Nathan McAndrew, Adam Milne (NZ), Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Chris TremainIn Sam Billings, Ben Cutting (Heat), Baxter Holt, Adam Milne Out Jay Lenton, Gurinder SandhuOverseas player availability Sam Billings (in quarantine until approx. Dec 25), Alex Hales (all tournament), Adam Milne (all tournament)Last season: Challenger finalA promising start to the tournament where they had three wins in five matches – and could well have had four if the match against the Strikers in Canberra had not been abandoned due to the smoke from nearby bushfires – become more of a struggle in mid-season. However, they clinched fifth place in a virtual knockout against the Scorchers then kept themselves alive with victories in the Eliminator against the Hurricanes and the (actual) Knockout final against the Strikers. However, needing one more win to reach the final they fell to the Stars at the MCG.Bubble impactThey are the only team not to have suffered any impact from the various Australia squads (as of now). Usman Khawaja would have been closest to a spot, but he was overlooked for the enlarged Test group. Given that two of their overseas players – Alex Hales and Adam Milne – are not involved with their respective national sides the only early loss they will need to cover is England wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings while he serves his 14-day quarantine after arriving from South Africa.Player to watchOn his day, Adam Milne can be quick. Very quick. But his body has struggled to stand up to the strain. It is almost a decade since he made his international debut (in a T20I against Pakistan) and it has been a stop-start career. When he takes the field for the Thunder, having opted for a BBL deal ahead of New Zealand domestic cricket, it will be his first game since August 2019 when he suffered an ankle stress fracture playing for Kent and hopes of Plunket Shield cricket early in the season were hit by a hamstring injury. His overall T20 numbers – 116 wickets at 22.32 with an economy of 7.65 – are impressive and he will form a lively attack with Daniel Sams, Brendon Doggett and Chris Tremain. He could be an x-factor for the Thunder, if he can stay on the park.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)No one took more wickets in the last four overs (33) than Sydney Thunder last season. This was mainly due to the bowling of Sams. He finished with 15 wickets in the death (overs 17-20) at an average of 10.33.
Everton manager Sean Dyche has already begun the summer transfer window by selling two players and releasing two.
Lewis Dobbin has joined Aston Villa, while defender Ben Godfrey has reached an agreement to join Atalanta for a fee in the region of £10m.
Leeds United transfer target Ben Godfrey in action for Everton.
Combine these sales with the fact that Dele Alli and Andre Gomes have both been released, Dyche has slashed the wage bill considerably.
Could this mean he is about to delve into the market to sign some players ahead of next season?
Everton transfer news
According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey earlier this week, Everton are interested in signing Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards during the current transfer window.
Peterborough defender Ronnie Edwards.
Newcastle United and Southampton are also keen on luring the youngster to the Premier League.
Sky Sports state that a transfer fee of around £10m could be more than enough to prise Edwards away from the Posh, who would be making a substantial profit on the centre-back.
With Godfrey leaving to move to Italy, there is a space for another defender in the Everton squad and a move for Edwards could see Dyche forget all about Godfrey, no doubt about that.
Ronnie Edward’s season in numbers
Football analyst H has lauded Edwards previously, claiming that he “will play for England one day” and his stats from last season suggest he is going right to the very top.
The 21-year-old made 55 appearances for his club last season, missing just one league match all campaign, showing a remarkable level of consistency as he came so close to leading his side back to the Championship via the playoffs.
Accurate passes per game
83.4
Total duels won per game
4.2
Possession lost per game
8.6
Clean sheets
13
Tackles per game
1.3
Interceptions per game
1
The Englishman shone among his teammates in the third tier, ranking third with regards to overall Sofascore rating (7.21), first for accurate passes per game (83.4), first for accurate long balls per game (6.9), and first for clearances per game (4.1), showing how important he was for the club.
Director of football at Peterborough, Barry Fry, has heaped plenty of praise on Edwards previously, saying: "Ronnie is a Rolls Royce. We knew that when we signed him.
"It’s no secret how highly Ronnie is rated by other clubs and by the England set up. We had 18 Premier League scouts watching him play for the under 23s at our stadium".
It will surely only be a matter of when and not if the youngster makes a move to the Premier League, and he has all the necessary tools to shine in the top flight.
Dyche should use the funds gained from the sale of Godfrey to bring Edwards to Merseyside, as the Toffees could be the ideal place for him to get regular first-team football in one of the best leagues on the continent.
Everton enquire about Branthwaite replacement who will "play for England"
He is wanted by a few clubs in the Premier League this summer
It was recently reported that Manchester United have decided to stick with Erik ten Hag instead of pursuing a replacement in the dugout this summer. The Red Devils, now that they have made that decision, must back the Dutchman in the transfer market before it slams shut at the end of August.
They are reportedly interested in signing Everton central defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who missed out on a place in the 2024 Euros squad for England, to bolster their options at the back.
However, the Toffees are said to be looking for a fee of up to £70m for the former PSV loanee, which is not deemed to be an 'acceptable' fee for United to pay at this moment in time – per Fabrizio Romano.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite
The Premier League giants could now land an alternative to the English colossus as they are said to be preparing an offer to sign a star who has made it to the Euros.
Manchester United's interest in EURO 2024 centre-back
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (16/06/2024), as relayed by Man Utd News, the Red Devils are one of the teams "preparing" a swoop to sign Goncalo Inacio this summer. The report claims that the English side are ready to pay his £51m release clause to bring him to Old Trafford, despite their active interest in Branthwaite.
It states that there are other teams also in the race to land the Portugal international, who could make his first appearance at the Euros against the Czech Republic on Tuesday, but it does not name them.
Goncalo Inacio in action for Sporting Lisbon
However, CaughtOffside did recently report that new Liverpool boss Arne Slot has identified the central defender as a main target for the current window. This suggests that United could face some stern competition to land his services from a team that can offer Champions League football, which is something they are unable to do.
Why Man Utd should sign Goncalo Inacio
Firstly, he could be a dream alternative to Branthwaite as, like the English defender, he is a left-footed centre-back who can offer a balance on the left side of the backline with his ability to play out from the back on his favoured foot.
At the age of 22, Inacio is also another young colossus who could come in and be a long-term option for Ten Hag at the heart of his defence for many more years to come.
Appearances
32
35
Pass accuracy
89%
80%
Progressive passes per 90
8.56
2.14
Progressive carries per 90
1.27
0.06
Error led to shot/goal
1
2
Duel success rate
54%
68%
As you can see in the table above, the potential is there for the £51m-rated star to offer far more than the England international in possession of the ball. The Portuguese giant was hailed as an "exceptional" talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango and he could indeed be an 'exceptional' alternative to Branthwaite for United this summer.
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Both players are young left-footed centre-backs but Inacio's statistics suggest that he is more suited to a possession-based side, due to his progressive passing and carrying qualities.
Enzo Maresca has brushed off questions over Jadon Sancho's 'discipline', insisting a booking on his Chelsea debut was a sign of the winger's 'desire'.
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Sancho was booked for dissent 11 minutes into debutChelsea loanee went on to provide assist for match winnerMaresca insists Sancho has been 'fantastic' since arrivalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Maresca was questioned over Sancho's discipline after seeing his deadline day signing booked for dissent early into his Chelsea career, however the Italian was adamant that he would rather see passion from his players than they show a 'lack of motivation'.
The Chelsea boss was also full of praise for Sancho's day-to-day conduct and believes the 24-year-old's display against Bournemouth was 'what we expected of him'.
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Sancho was shown a yellow card on a night which saw referee Anthony Taylor hand out a Premier League record 14 bookings during Chelsea's 1-0 win at Bournemouth last weekend.
The forward, on loan from Manchester United, produced a game-changing display after coming on as a half-time substitute, with his creativity leading to Christopher Nkunku's winner.
Getty ImagesWHAT MARESCA SAID
Maresca said: “If a player comes and doesn’t look motivated or passionate, it’s a problem. Now a player comes and looks passionate and motivated, it’s a problem? It’s not a problem. It just shows his desire. I don’t think there was any kind of discipline problem in that game. Jadon showed what we expected from him.
“Not only in that 45 minutes, but also in the day by day, the way he is working, it’s fantastic. Hopefully it can continue in that way.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO AND CHELSEA?
Sancho will be hoping his impressive cameo against Bournemouth will net him a start when Chelsea travel to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, although the winger may still be eased into action as he continues to build his fitness.
The Blues are aiming to make it back-to-back away wins to build on an encouraging start for Maresca, who has won three of his first six games as Chelsea manager.