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Arsenal and sporting director Edu Gaspar have given a European club the opportunity to sign a "top level" member of Mikel Arteta's squad, with the transfer now totally down to them and whether they pursue it.

Players who could leave Arsenal after Emile Smith-Rowe

The most high-profile exit at Arsenal this summer, at least so far, has been midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe's £35 million transfer to Fulham.

"Top, top player" doesn't want to sign for any other club except Arsenal

The Emirates is his favoured destination.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 8, 2024

The Hale End academy graduate, who made just 13 Premier League appearances, thanks partly due to reoccurring fitness issues, joined Fulham last week for what is their club-record transfer fee.

According to some reports, Arteta would've ideally liked to keep Smith-Rowe, but the competition in Arsenal's squad means it wasn't a foregone conclusion that he'd get more opportunities next term.

Smith Rowe's Arsenal stats (all competitions)
Stat	Total
Appearances	115
Goals	18
Assists	13
Yellow cards	2
Red cards	0
Minutes played	5,846
(via Transfermarkt)

After Smith-Rowe, a few more Arsenal players would well be sold by Arteta and Edu. Indeed, uncertainty surrounds the future of Reiss Nelson, while the likes of Kieran Tierney, Aaron Ramsdale, Jakub Kiwior and Thomas Partey have also been linked with departures in recent weeks.

There is also the matter of striker Eddie Nketiah, who's recently attracted serious interest from Ligue 1 side Marseille. The former Leeds United loanee scored six goals across 37 cameos in all competitions last season, but found himself coming off the bench more often than not when he did feature.

Marseille handed fresh chance to sign Nketiah from Arsenal

Nketiah reportedly agreed personal terms with Marseille a while ago, but club-to-club talks haven't exactly been smooth sailing. There remains a gap in valuation, but Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna now believes that Arsenal are prepared to soften their demands for the Englishman.

Indeed, it is believed that Arsenal have reopened the door for Marseille to sign Nketiah as a result.

Called a "top-level" player by Arteta, the £100,000-per-week player has also been praised for his work rate and attitude by those who've trained him.

"One of the best athletes we’ve got on our books in terms of his attitude and commitment,” said Athletic Development Club director Chris Varnavas to ESPN via talkSPORT.

“He’s just on another level. His goal was to build a bit of muscle, build some strength, improving his overall athleticism so his strength, his speed, his power. We sat down with the family, with himself, we put a plan together. What we do in the gym, can we transfer it to the pitch? That’s the most important thing.

"What I like about Eddie is he is very humble. He takes his instructions really well. Even when he first came to us, when he was around the first team but maybe on the bench here and there, he had that inner belief in himself that he could be Arsenal’s main striker. He never doubted his self-worth.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers will hope that their 2024/25 campaign can be even better than the performances they put in during last season. Ahead of 2023/24, many people thought the Midlands side could face the drop, including BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty. He explained he had a ‘very, very worrying feeling’ about them last term.

However, they defied McNulty and many other people’s expectations and managed to finish 14th in the Premier League, ending up with 46 points, which saw them finish an impressive 20 points clear of Luton Town who occupied the final spot in the relegation zone.

However, they did slightly overachieve on their expected points tally, according to Understat. The midlands side were expected to get just 39.79xPTS, which would have seen them finish 17th according to the expected points table, although they would still have finished a comfortable six points clear of the danger zone.

As they look to push further up the table in the 2024/25 season, Wolves will no doubt need to strengthen their side and add quality depth to their squad. They have already made some moves in the transfer window, but have been linked with another player who could finally replace a club cult hero.

Wolves' search for a striker

The player in question here is Middlesbrough and Ivorian centre-forward, Emmanuel Latte Lath. The 25-year-old impressed in his only season in England so far, and has now been linked with a move away from the Riverside Stadium during the transfer window.

As reported by Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato earlier this week, Wolves are one of the clubs who are thought to be interested in signing Latte Lath this summer. The 25-year-old has been subject to interest from the Midlands side, with the reports suggesting there have been ‘various surveys’ done on the player and his availability.

However, they are not alone in the hunt for the Ivorian international this summer. Austrian outfit RB Salzburg is one potential destination, as is German side Stuttgart. However, it is Ligue 1 side AS Monaco who are leading the race to acquire the services of Latte Lath this summer.

In terms of a price, it is thought that Boro could charge over £8.5m for the 25-year-old Ivorian after he impressed last season. That would see the North Eastern outfit make a small profit after they paid a fee of around £5.1m to Atalanta.

Why Latte Lath would be a good signing

It was certainly an impressive season for Latte Lath in the Championship last term. During his first season in England, the Cote d’Ivoire international played 30 Championship games and got himself on the score sheet an impressive 16 times.

Should he make the move to Molineux this summer, he could finally prove to be a replacement for Wolves legend Raul Jimenez. The Mexican was superb for the Midlands club during his time there before a terrible head injury led to a long time out with injury.

He departed the club for West London and Fulham last season, but he had an exemplary record for Wolves and left as their leading goalscorer in the Premier League, with 40 goals in total.

Jimenez record by PL season for Wolves

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2018/19

38

13

7

2019/20

38

17

6

2020/21

10

4

0

2021/22

34

6

4

2022/23

15

0

1

Stats from Transfermarkt

Indeed, Latte Lath has shown such goalscoring pedigree already, having scored more goals than any other Boro player last season. In fact, the 25-year-old centre-forward was one of only two players to reach double figures in the second tier of English football, with Finn Azaz the other, scoring 11 times, as per SofaScore.

It would certainly be interesting to see how Wolves would utilise Latte Lath with Jorgen Strand Larsen. The 24-year-old Norweigan international signed for the club on loan which could become permanent at the end of the season.

Of course, having squad depth is important, although Gary O’Neil could well prefer to play one striker, as he did at times last season. Therefore, it would be a straight shootout between the 25-year-old and new acquisition Larsen, although given Latte Lath’s form in the Championship last season, he could well get the nod. Football analyst HC described the Ivorian as "the real deal", and this certainly shows based on his performances last season.

Regardless, for a deal of around £8.5m this summer, it could be an ideal option for the Molineux side, as they look to add depth up front and finally replace one of their all-time great players, Jimenez.

Related Wolves could land a dream signing for Cunha in "superstar" target

Gary O’Neil could land a Colombian sensation this summer…

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 3, 2024

Chelsea are now reportedly most advanced in the race to land a future star worth £52m alongside London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this summer, as they look to add their seventh incoming of the transfer window.

Chelsea transfer news

After yet another campaign to forget last time out, it's no surprise that Chelsea and Todd Boehly have enjoyed a busy summer transfer window, welcoming six fresh faces so far and a new head coach in Enzo Maresca. The former Leicester City manager most recently welcomed Renato Veiga from Basel with the 20-year-old among those looking to make an instant impression on the new boss.

Giving Chelsea fans a hint of what they can expect, Veiga told the club's official website after putting pen to paper: "I’m a smart, aggressive player.

"I’m comfortable on the ball and I would describe myself as a complete player due to my versatility. I’m comfortable in many positions on the pitch. I wouldn’t say I have a favourite position because it depends on the opponent or tactical elements, but I have played at left-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder."

Chelsea to offer club Gallagher plus cash in deal to sign Euro 2024 hero

This could be one of the moves of the summer…

ByTom Cunningham Jul 14, 2024

He might not be the only young player that excites those at Stamford Bridge, either. According to L'Equipe, Chelsea are now most advanced in the race to sign Desire Doue alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Stade Rennais reportedly value their 19-year-old winger at €60m (£52m) and have already rejected a €35m (£30m) offer from Bayern Munich.

After missing out on Michael Olise, Doue represents an ideal option for the Blues to turn to this summer. The teenager has attracted interest around Europe for good reason and if Chelsea want to continue their trend of signing the next generation of stars, then the Ligue 1 winger certainly makes sense.

"Fantastic" Doue could be a Mudryk upgrade

Over a year on from his arrival, Mykhailo Mudryk is yet to make an impact in a Chelsea shirt, struggling under both Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino. Now, if Doue arrives, the Ukraine international could find himself out of Maresca's starting side altogether with places up for grabs for those who impress the Italian this summer. Based on his development so far too, Doue certainly has the talent to take Mudryk's spot.

Goals

4

5

Assists

4

2

Key Passes

31

32

Take-ons Completed

64

39

Whilst Doue's output shows room for improvement, his take-on success at just 19 years of age highlights a player who lacks no confidence driving forward in something that Chelsea may need to add to their attacking options.

The young winger has earned plenty of praise, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig who dubbed the teenager "fantastic" on X.

Now, it's Chelsea who could benefit from that "fantastic mix" as they look to beat Tottenham in the race for yet another future star.

If there is one area that Manchester United heavily tipped to recruit in during the 2024 summer transfer window, it is at centre-back. Injury issues hampered the Red Devils at times last season, and the centre of defence was one area that was hit particularly badly throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Two United defenders have left this summer. Raphael Varane departed the club upon the expiration of his contract, which was confirmed before the end of last season. Academy graduate Willy Kambwala also left Old Trafford on a permanent deal, joining Spanish side Villarreal in a deal worth £9.6m, although United do have a buy-back clause.

To replace those two departed defenders, United signed one of Europe’s most highly-rated young defenders, Leny Yoro, from Lille. The 18-year-old Frenchman cost the Red Devils £52m with £6.73m in add-ons and joined on a five-year deal. United beat off competition from Real Madrid to secure his signature.

Aside from Yoro, the Red Devils have been linked with other centre-back signings, most notably Matthijs de Ligt and Jarrad Branthwaite. However, there have recently been reports of another defender who Erik ten Hag’s side are targeting to bolster his options at the back.

Man Utd target Premier League defender

The player in question here is Chelsea academy graduate centre-back Trevoh Chalobah. The 25-year-old is not currently in favour at Stamford Bridge, under new manager Enzo Maresca, and could depart the club this summer as a result.

According to a report from Pete O'Rourke, transfer correspondent for Football Insider, the Red Devils have 'joined multiple Premier League clubs in the race' to sign the Englishman this summer, with O’Rourke confirming that the defender will definitely leave Stamford Bridge this summer. This comes after he was left out of their squad to tour the USA this preseason.

O’Rourke’s report does not name any other Premier League clubs who want to sign Chalobah this summer. However, he did state that there are 'clubs across the Premier League' who are considering signing the defender, although it could be a risk given his injury issues in the past.

The Red Devils are 'keeping tabs' on the Chelsea defender with his versatility at the back being seen as a 'valuable asset' by the Old Trafford recruitment team, as the report states. A price for Chalobah has seemingly been set at around around £30m, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Why Chalobah would be a good signing

Sadly, the Blues defender suffered from injury issues last term that kept him out for a whopping 32 games. His main problem was a thigh issue, through which he missed 26 games and 162 games in total.

With that in mind, Chalobah played only 17 times in all competitions, which included just 13 games in the Premier League. Towards the back end of the season under former Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino, he became a key player. The 25-year-old started ten games in the top flight once he returned from injury.

Should the Red Devils sign Chalobah this summer, he could prove to be a perfect player to play next to Yoro at the heart of United’s defence. He is a very versatile player and could slot in at right-back, tucking inside when United have the ball and playing at right centre-back, with Yoro to his left.

The Chelsea number 14 could also play left centre-back next to Yoro, which would allow Lisandro Martinez to rest and reduce the risk of an injury to the Argentine. He is an incredibly versatile player, and could also slot in at the base of United’s midfield, as he has done in the past for Chelsea.

Chalobah games by position for Chelsea

Position

Games

Minutes

Centre back

58

4.558

Right back

12

981

Defensive midfield

2

68

Stats from Transfermarkt

One of the benefits of signing Chalobah this summer is the fact he would likely not be on much money each week. According to Capology, the 25-year-old currently earns just £50k per week. Whilst United may well give him a pay rise, he would not demand the hefty wages United have given out to some players in recent seasons,

United could be adding a William Saliba-like player if they bring the Chelsea defender to Old Trafford this summer. According to FBref, the pair are similar players, which is certainly reflected in some of their stats.

Defensively, several of Chalobah’s numbers actually exceed those of the Arsenal defender. He averaged 2.26 combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to Saliba’s 1.84. The Chelsea man also averaged more clearances with 4.81 compared to the Frenchman’s 2.13. However, the Arsenal centre-back does have a better aerial duel win rate, with 59.5% compared to Chalobah’s 46.3%, and more ball recoveries with 5.61 compared to Chalobah’s 4.34.

In terms of when his side are in possession of the ball, the 25-year-old is very comfortable on the ball, and averages more progressive carries each game than Saliba. Chalobah averages 0.47 progressive carries, with the Frenchman slightly fewer at 0.42. However, Saliba does average more carries, with 52.4 compared to the Chelsea defender’s 44.8 per 90 minutes.

Where Saliba does trump Chalobah is in his progressive passing. The Frenchman averages an impressive 4.13 progressive passes per 90, and 4.61 passes into the final third. In comparison, the Chelsea academy graduate averages almost half of that. In each game, he plays 2.92 progressive passes and 2.83 final third passes.

Chalobah could well be a smart piece of business for the Red Devils this summer. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “monster”, and that is certainly reflected in his FBref stats from last season.

Whilst it could well be a risk to add someone with a poor injury record to their squad, United would be adding a versatile player who could thrive next to Yoro and allow tactical flexibility for Ten Hag.

Related Man Utd want £88m "superstar" who's a bigger talent than Yoro

INEOS are ‘convinced’ that they can get the deal done.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jul 26, 2024

Glasgow Rangers head of recruitment Nils Koppen has wasted little time in the transfer market with a number of incoming deals to bolster the squad.

The Belgian chief has swooped to sign Clinton Nsiala, Oscar Cortes, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Liam Kelly to add more options to Philippe Clement's side.

Meanwhile, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Jon McLaughlin, Borna Barisic, and Kemar Roofe all left the club earlier this summer upon the expiry of their contracts at Ibrox.

In order to make room for further new signings to improve the team, Rangers may need to move some more of their first-team players on and interest in one of their duds from England provides them with an opportunity to do just that.

English interest in Rangers forward

According to the Daily Record, English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday are keen on a deal to sign Light Blues winger Scott Wright this summer.

The report claims that Owls head coach Danny Rohl, who was on punditry duty at the 2024 European Championship, is a fan of the Scottish forward.

It states that the former Aberdeen man is one of the players who the club could be open to offers for amid plans from Clement to make wholesale changes to the squad.

The Daily Record adds that he has one year left to run on his current contract at Ibrox and that Wednesday will now hope to negotiate a deal to snap him up from the Scottish side.

Koppen must now brutally ditch the Rangers lightweight before the end of the summer transfer window after his underwhelming performances on the pitch last term.

Why Rangers should sell Scott Wright

If Wednesday are prepared to offer a fee for the forward, the Scottish Premiership giants should gratefully accept and move him on ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Wright did not do enough with his opportunities last season to suggest that he is worth keeping around to be a part of the squad moving forward.

Rangers dipped into the market to sign Fabio Silva in January to play ahead of him on the wing and the Portuguese loanee outperformed him in the second half of the season.

Appearances

23

18

Goals

2

4

Assists

0

0

Key passes per game

0.6

0.7

Dribbles completed per game

0.4

0.8

As you can see in the table above, Wright was only directly involved in two goals in 23 appearances, which extended to four goals in 33 outings in all competitions.

He scored fewer goals than Silva, who has since returned to Wolves, and his poor form in front of goals not indicate that he is likely to be an important player for Clement next term as the ex-Dons man failed to provide quality on a consistent basis.

The £5.6k-per-week dud had also produced zero goals and two assists in 34 matches in all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, which means that he has managed just four goals and two assists in his last 67 games for the club.

Therefore, Koppen must take advantage of this reported interest from Sheffield Wednesday and brutally bin the Scottish dud, due to his dreadful form at the top end of the pitch in recent seasons.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quinta-feira, 9 de setembro de 2021, um dos maiores ídolos da história do Corinthians está ficando mais velho. Trata-se de Neto, chamado de “Xodó da Fiel”, que completa 55 anos de idade, e que atualmente faz enorme sucesso como apresentador. Sua história no clube ficou eternizada, principalmente, pelo título brasileiro em 1990. O clube utilizou suas redes sociais para parabenizar seu ex-atleta e desejar sucesso neste novo ano de sua vida.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansGrazi completa 200 jogos, e Corinthians goleia por 10 a 0 no Paulistão FemininoCorinthians09/09/2021CorinthiansRóger Guedes comenta bom início no Corinthians e revela conversa com Luan antes de cobrança de faltaCorinthians08/09/2021CorinthiansPara sonhar com título, Corinthians precisará se aproximar dos melhores turnos da história do BrasileirãoCorinthians08/09/2021

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José Ferreira Neto nasceu em Santo Antônio da Posse, no interior paulista, em 9 de setembro de1966. Ele deu os primeiros chutes na Ponte Preta, mas rapidamente a trocou pelo Guarani, onde iria se destacar na infância e adolescência. Ainda aos 17 anos, em 1984, estreou no time profissional do Bugre, onde ficou até a metade de 1986, quando foi contratado pelo Bangu.

Estabilizado como um meia-atacante, ele ficou pouco tempo no futebol carioca. Foi contratado pelo São Paulo, voltou para o Guarani e chegou a ser negociado com o Palmeiras, onde foi escalado fora de posição. Na metade da temporada 1989, foi envolvido em uma troca com o Corinthians, na famosa troca em que ele e o lateral Denys vestiram alvinegro, e Dida e Ribamar deixaram o clube.

Desta vez, no entanto, a camisa alvinegra caiu perfeitamente. Vestiu a 10 do Timão e rapidamente tornou-se o ponto central do setor ofensivo do time. E em 1990, viveria seu grande ano liderando o time em uma campanha de recuperação na tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série A. Após um começo ruim e uma troca de técnico. Nelsinho Baptista deu liberdade a Neto, e o resultado foi o melhor possível: cinco gols de falta dos nove marcados no total.

Responsável pelos gols de bola parada nos clássicos contra Palmeiras e São Paulo na primeira fase, e pelos tentos da vitória sobre o Atlético-MG nas quartas de final (dois) e Bahia na semifinal (um). Cobrou, ainda, a falta que Wilson Mano completou de joelho para o gol no primeiro jogo da final contra o São Paulo, vencido por 1 a 0.

Capitão alvinegro, Neto saiu no segundo tempo do segundo jogo da final, mas levantou a taça do primeiro título do Brasileirão da história do Timão, em 1990. No ano seguinte, também conquistou a Supercopa do Brasil. Em 1992, ficou eternizado por marcar um golaço de bicicleta contra o Guarani.

Permaneceu no time até 1993, quando foi para o Millonarios, da Colômbia. Retornou ao time em 1996, permanecendo por uma temporada, e levantou sua terceira taça pelo time, a do Paulistão de 1997. No mesmo ano, Neto encerrou a sua passagem com o manto alvinegro. Em 228 jogos, anotou 80 gols. Também venceu pelo Timão a Taça dos Invictos em 1990, o Troféu Centenário em 1991, e o Troféu Ramón de Carranza em 1996.

continua após a publicidade

55 ANOS DO CRAQUE NETO! @10neto 🥳🎂🎉

228 jogos
80 gols
3 títulos

Parabéns, "Xodó da Fiel" 👏🏽#ParabénsNeto#VaiCorinthians pic.twitter.com/xn0PisbihQ

— Corinthians (@Corinthians) September 9, 2021

شارك الدولي المصري محمد صلاح لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ليفربول الإنجليزي، في فوز الريدز على نظيره ليستر سيتي بملعب أنفيلد.

المباراة جمعت بين الفريقين ضمن الجولة 18 من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي “جولة البوكسينج داي”، وانتهت بفوز ليفربول 3-1، في آخر مباريات الريدز على ملعب أنفيلد لعام 2024.

في الدقيقة 4 أهدر محمد صلاح فرصة تسجيل الهدف الأول بعد تسديدة قوية من الجانب الأيمن داخل منطقة الست ياردات، ولكن الحارس تصدى لها من أسفل الزاوية اليمنى.

طالع أيضًا.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد هدف محمد صلاح في ليستر سيتي

وفي الدقيقة 24 سدد محمد صلاح مجددًا بالقدم اليمنى ولكن حارس ليستر سيتي جاكوب ستولارتشيك، تألق ومنع المصري من التسجيل.

وقبل نهاية الشوط الأول في الدقيقة 45، سدد محمد صلاح لثالث مرة، هنا كانت العارضة تقف أمام ليفربول وهداف ذلك الملعب في الدوري الإنجليزي.

انتهى الشوط الأول وكان محمد صلاح أكثر من هدد مرمى ليستر سيتي، وفي الشوط الثاني، تمكن محمد صلاح من تمهيد الكرة لـ ماك أليستر ليصنع الهدف الثاني للريدز لـ كورتيس جونز في الدقيقة 49.

في الدقيقة 54 سدد ماك أليستر بالرأس بعد عرضية محمد صلاح ولكن الأرجنتيني لم يتمكن من تسجيل الهدف الثالث للريدز.

في الدقيقة 62 أرسل محمد صلاح عرضية لـ داروين نونيز، ولكن اللاعب الأوروجوياني أهدرها رغم تمهيد الكرة بطريقة رائعة من المصري.

وقبل نهاية المباراة بحوالي 10 دقائق، سدد محمد صلاح تسديدة بالقدم اليسرى بعد تمريرة رائعة من ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، لكن الكرة استمرت في معاندة النجم المصري، وذهبت في أحضان حارس ليستر سيتي.

وفي الدقيقة 82، وصلت الكرة للهداف محمد صلاح، ليسجل الهدف الثالث بطريقة رائعة بعد تمريرة كودي جاكبو، ليسدد المصري على يمين الحارس ستولارشيك.

هذا الهدف رفع رصيد النجم المصري إلى 16 هدفًا في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بفارق 3 أهداف عن النرويجي إيرلينج هالاند. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وليستر سيتي

Belinda Clark, Cricket Australia’s chief of community cricket, was given reassurance that Queensland Cricket and its chair Chris Simpson were not seeking to tear up the national system of support for the game’s grassroots after he questioned the “centralised model” of the governing body earlier this year.Ahead of a vital meeting of the Australian Cricket Council, comprising the chairs of CA, the state associations and the Australian Cricketers Association on Thursday, Clark stated that the hot rhetoric from Simpson, delivered to an ordinary general meeting of QC in late June, had reflected a desire for states to be heard and empowered but not to dismantle the growth of a national network to encourage the game’s junior and community tiers.”I’ve had those conversations and have followed up with the CEO there, Terry Svenson, and the message coming out is that both Chris Simpson and our ambition around supporting the community is absolutely aligned,” Clark said. “I think what’s important to recognise is that the state associations play a really important role in nurturing their affiliates and their club system and providing support to those people that are playing inside their state.ALSO READ: Belinda Clark: ‘There’s still plenty of money in cricket’“What we’ve been able to do from a national perspective is work very closely with each of the states and territories. So, we run national programs. We design them with the states. The states implement them and all the clubs implement them and the benefits of those flow through the entire system. I’m comfortable that we’re all aligned in terms of what we’re trying to do.”There may be some differences in opinion in how we go about doing that, but it’s a very connected system and we are meeting with our counterparts weekly to ensure that that’s the case.”Simpson’s words had been delivered in the midst of a dispute between CA and the states over the matter of annual grants, one of the key issues for the ACC to unpick this week as the CA chair Earl Eddings seeks to find common ground with the governing body’s owners. Cricket New South Wales, chaired by John Knox, has also blocked CA’s proposed reductions in annual grants, while wider questions of the game’s governance model – a nine-member independent board – have run parallel to the annual nominations committee process for new directors.”The centralised model or the behemoth that CA has morphed into has consumed all aspects of cricket, assumed the role of the master of all matters cricket,” Simpson had said. “The states take offence to this – as we live and breathe grassroots and the day to day running of cricket. The states are resourcing and supporting the volunteers, the lifeblood of the game and cricket’s most valuable asset. In my view, the states have lost control of cricket. We are told from Jolimont Street how to run cricket and we do not believe in many of these ‘systems and processes’.”If CA is a master of all, then the board must comprise of some masters of volunteerism and grassroots cricket as it is our primary function at state level to provide services, support and resources to volunteers far and wide who deliver cricket so wonderfully…it is nonsensical to think that centralisation is good for grassroots cricket. Cricket administration of yesteryear gave regional communities a voice; cricket administration of today is not a collaborative model, rather a top down ‘we know best’ beast.”Cricket Australia is seeking a solution to their ongoing negotiations with the states•Getty Images

CA’s push for cost savings in the time of Covid-19, initially through staff cuts at the organisation, reduced distributions to states and also a shrink in player payments, raised a host of discontents in terms of relationships between CA, the states and the ACA. This led ultimately to the exit of the CA chief executive Kevin Roberts and senior executives including his chief operating officer Scott Grant. At the same time, all states other than NSW made their own piecemeal cuts, amounting to more than 150 staff being shown the door including a huge swathe cut through community cricket roles in Victoria.”If you just think about the number of people we still have in the field, it’ll be the envy of many sports to still have that,” Clark said. “What’s difficult is if there’s something there and if it’s taken away, and people react to that. Look, there’s no doubt that we are getting great results from having more people involved, more support going to the clubs. But we have to adapt and we can’t walk away from that.”The clubs are adapting to what’s in front of them with Covid-19. We need to adapt with less field staff in some areas, it’s not in all areas but in some. And the community is adapting as well. At the end of the day, our job is to make sure that those people feel supported and there’s opportunities for people to play the game.”Clark, who stepped away from community cricket temporarily in 2018-19 to run elite performance areas before the appointments of Ben Oliver and Drew Ginn to oversee the game’s top end, said that the difficulties of Covid-19 meant that communication and co-operation across the game were more vital than ever before.”It’s obviously been difficult for every sport to deal with the situation that Covid’s played in our lives at the moment,” Clark said. “There’s the health and safety, the economic impact as well and sports are all dealing with that and cricket associations are all dealing with that as they see fit. What I can say is that as community teams across all of the states and territories and Cricket Australia, we’re absolutely committed to providing that support to volunteers. And what we’ve had to do in some areas, in some instances, is just be creative about how we do that.”

Barcelona haven't given up on Nico Williams as they are reportedly set to reignite their pursuit of the Athletic Club star in 2025.

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• Barcelona seemed to be the frontrunner for Williams
• Forward stayed put at Athletic Club
• Catalan club to resume efforts to sign him next summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The talented winger, who has been one of Athletic Club's standout players in recent years and also emerged as a bright spark for La Roja in Euro 2024, attracted significant interest from multiple European clubs – with Barcelona particularly keen to bring him to Camp Nou. However, despite their best efforts, the deal did not materialise as Williams decided to remain at Athletic Club for the 2024-25 season, which put an end to the Blaugrana's immediate pursuit.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to reports from Barcelona are already making plans to return for Williams in the summer of 2025. The club has maintained good relations with both the player and his representatives, and they believe that a deal is still possible in the near future. Williams has a release clause set at €62 million and the Catalan club hope that they will be able to pay the fee upfront next summer, braving their persistent financial struggles. The report further mentions that Barcelona had always wanted to sign the player in 2025 but his meteoric rise in Germany, inspiring Spain to the European championship, led them to make a serious push for the player in 2024.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Barcelona's arch-rivals, Real Madrid, are also reported to be monitoring the Athletic Club winger. According to , Real Madrid sees Williams as a possible successor to Vinícius Junior, should the Brazilian winger leave the Santiago Bernabeu for Saudi Arabia. Real Madrid are reportedly open to the idea of parting ways with Vinícius, especially after securing the services of Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman's arrival has strengthened Real Madrid’s forward line, and the club believes they could manage without Vinícius if a suitable offer were to come in for the 24-year-old.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  With both Barcelona and Real Madrid expressing interest in Williams, the battle for his signature could intensify next summer. While Barcelona have maintained a close relationship with the player and have been tracking him for years, if Real Madrid come calling, it would be difficult for the forward to turn them down. Nonetheless, the stage looks set for a potential battle between Spain’s biggest footballing rivals for one of the game’s most promising young talents.

Tottenham are eyeing up a £60m forward as they look to strengthen their forward line this summer.

Tottenham to revamp squad

After finishing 5th in the Premier League during Ange Postecoglou's first season at the helm, Tottenham are looking to make major changes to their squad this summer as they look to regain a place in the Champions League.

The Australian stated earlier this year that it will take multiple transfer windows to turn Spurs into a complete force.

"We haven’t had any European football this year, so if you’ve got European football as well, it’s impossible to try to maintain a level of performance in the Premier League and play in multiple competitions unless you have a strong squad," said Postecoglou.

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Part of the key to building a strong squad is moving on players who are not of a high enough quality, and in Spurs' case, a number of names could depart this summer.

Emerson Royal, Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso, Troy Parrott, Joe Rodon, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Richarlison, Tanguy Ndombele, Sergio Reguilon, Japhet Tanganga, Manor Solomon and Djed Spence have all been rumoured as the Tottenham players up for sale this summer, and it is believed Postecoglou is eyeing upgrades across the board.

The Tottenham boss also spoke of the need to revamp his forward line recently. "Yeah, absolutely. It's no secret. You saw the way we finished the season. We obviously lost Richy and Timo as well with injuries but we're fairly light in that area," said Postecoglou on the need for new attackers.

"We started last season with Manor [Solomon] and [Ivan] Perisic and we were quite healthy in that front third in terms of numbers, but as the year went on it became pretty evident that we need to bulk up. We're in Europe as well next year so we'll have more games and it's definitely an area of the park we'll need to strengthen."

Tottenham eye move to sign £60m forward who may replace Richarlison

Now, an update on Spurs' pursuit of fresh names at the top end of the pitch has been provided by GiveMeSport, which reports that Tottenham are considering a move for Evanilson after monitoring the FC Porto frontman's performances during the second half of the season.

In terms of a fee for the South American, GMS adds that Newcastle were previously expecting to pay around £60m for the striker. Given Spurs have no Champions League football next term, such a transfer would likely need to be funded by player sales.

As Evanilson is a striker, moving on a player like Richarlison would make sense to help fund the move. The Brazilian is earning £90,000 a week at Tottenham and is valued at around £35m by Transfermarkt. While that fee may not be enough to fund the full deal for Evanilson, it would go a long way to helping land a player who enjoyed a more prolific campaign than his fellow countryman.

Richarlison vs Evanilson 2023/24

Stat

Richarlison

Evanilson

Appearances

28

27

Goals

11

13

Expected Goals (xG)

9.59

12.8

Goals per game

0.4

0.5

Big chances missed

7

10

(via Sofascore)