Sadio Mane is reportedly “not comfortable” alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, with a shock switch to their Saudi rivals being speculated on.
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Senegalese moved to Middle East in 2023Hit 19 goals alongside Portuguese superstarCould now link up with Benzema at Al-IttihadWHAT HAPPENED?
The former Liverpool star made his way to the Middle East in 2023 when severing ties with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich after just one season in Germany. He signed a three-year deal with Al-Nassr, but may see another agreement cut short after only 12 months.
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According to , Mane is already mulling over his options. He took in 50 appearances for Al-Nassr in the 2023-24 campaign, contributing 19 goals to the collective cause. The 32-year-old forward is, however, said to be feeling unsettled.
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He is not looking for a way out of the Saudi Pro League, having embraced the riches on offer there, but would welcome another change of scenery. Having spent time working alongside Ronaldo, it is being suggested that Mane could link up with former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema at Al-Ittihad.
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A loan switch is being mooted, with Al-Nassr reluctant to write Mane off completely. It may be that he rediscovers his spark elsewhere and returns to their squad to see out the final year of his contract. Ronaldo – who hit 50 goals last season – could have moved on by then as his record-breaking deal is due to expire in the summer of 2025.
Under-suspension Zimbabwe look to kick off Hamilton Masakadza’s farewell series on a high as hosts Bangladesh aim to recover from their Test defeat to Afghanistan
The preview by Liam Brickhill12-Sep-2019Big PictureZimbabwe are a cricket team in desperate need of context; Bangladesh, one that is aching for a return to normalcy and stability. Bangladesh’s first T20I match of the year, against an opponent they have dominated at home in recent years, should give them just the sort of soft landing they need in this tri-series ahead of what will likely be sterner challenges against Afghanistan, who are probably the favourites at this stage.Hot on the heels of the Test defeat to Afghanistan, further ructions are at play in Bangladesh’s cricket system, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board set to take charge of the next edition of the BPL after a fallout with the team owners. Shakib Al Hasan has grown increasingly frustrated in his captaincy tenure, and the T20 World Cup is just a year away. A win over Zimbabwe will go some way towards calming everything down a little bit for Bangladesh.Zimbabwe, of course, do not have any global tournament on the horizon to look forward to. They are still under suspension, and both the men’s and women’s sides lost their places at the T20 World Cup Qualifiers as a result. The suspension opened up divisions in their squad that are yet to fully heal.Zimbabwe enter the series without one of their most accomplished players as Sikandar Raza has been left out for ‘disciplinary reasons’ – a curious catch-all phrase that is yet to be fully explained. Their head coach, Lalchand Rajput, admitted that Raza will undoubtedly be missed, but he also underscored that Zimbabwe are a team in transition, with their eyes on the future. What that means for Raza’s future remains to be seen. And with only three members of the squad aged 25 or under, and nine aged 30 or above, Zimbabwe do not appear to be in a huge rush to usher in a new era.And first, they will say goodbye to the past. This series will be Hamilton Masakadza’s last in national colours. A long-time servant of the game, Masakadza has struggled a little of late, amid tumultuous times, and will be desperate for his last games as captain to be happy ones. So, surely, will Shakib.Form guide(Last five completed matches, most recent first) Bangladesh: LWLWWZimbabwe: WLTLLIn the spotlightSince his teenage Test hundred on debut 18 years ago, Hamilton Masakadza has summited several statistical peaks for his team, and he will go out playing a format in which he blazed a trail for his country, holding several Zimbabwean records. But the last year has been a lean one in all formats: he has passed fifty only once in internationals – during the Sylhet Test the last time Zimbabwe visited Bangladesh. Runs at the top of the order will provide a fitting finale, as well as vastly improving his team’s chances of success.Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in this format over the last year, and is only narrowly behind Liton Das as their leading T20I run-scorer over the same time period. Indeed, he is central to Bangladesh’s fortunes no matter the format, and in a sense the spotlight is always on him. Perhaps that is why he has become an increasingly reluctant captain. But there will be no let-up for him just yet, and Bangladesh will continue to look to Shakib as a leader with bat and ball, even if he doesn’t have the captain’s hat on.AFPTeam newsTamim Iqbal is still on R & R leave, so Bangladesh will have to cobble together a new opening pair for this series. But plenty of experience remains in the core of the middle order. There could be some new faces lower down, however, and Afif Hossain’s three quick wickets for the BCB XI on Wednesday could see him picked ahead of Mosaddek Hossain, while pace bowler Yeasin Arafat may be in line for a T20I debut.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mohammad Saifuddin, 8 Afif Hossain, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Yeasin ArafatBrendan Taylor kept wicket in Zimbabwe’s warm-up match, and will likely take the gloves again, despite Zimbabwe having, somewhat bizarrely, two specialist wicketkeepers in the squad in Regis Chakabva and Richmond Mutumbami. The absence of Raza leaves a hole in the middle order but Timycen Maruma’s outing against the BCB XI in the tour opener means he should fill the vacant slot ahead of either of the wicketkeepers. Chris Mpofu, Zimbabwe’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is over the last year, didn’t get a bowl in the warm-up, so he may well be left out of the series opener.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 2 Brendan Taylor (wk), 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Timycen Maruma, 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Tino Mutombodzi, 8 Neville Madziva, 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Ainsley Ndlovu, 11 Tendai ChataraPitch and conditionsThe T20 strip at the Shere Bangla Stadium has built a reputation for big scores in recent times: Bangladesh breached 200 here for the first time during West Indies’ visit in December last year. This should be a good track to bat on, while probably offering a little more to the spinners than it will the quicks.While the track might be conducive to exciting cricket, the weather may not. Rain is forecast in Dhaka in the morning and the evening. This being an evening game, wet weather is likely to be around.Stats that matterHamilton Masakadza’s 1529 runs in this format are the most by a Zimbabwean, and almost twice as many as the man below him on the list, Elton Chigumbura. He also holds the record for most fifties (10), and most runs in a series – the 222 he scored over four games in Bangladesh in 2015/16.Craig Ervine is Zimbabwe’s leading run-scorer in this format over the last year, with 211 runs at an average of 70.33The last time these two teams met in a T20 here, allrounder Neville Madziva inspired Zimbabwe to a win when Bangladesh seemingly had the match in the bag, spanking two sixes and a four in the final over to pull off a memorable heistBangladesh have won five of the nine T20Is between these two sidesShakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker against Zimbabwe in this format, with 185 runs at 37.00 and 12 wickets at 17.50 against them
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had plenty of players leave for impressive fees over the last few years.
The exit of Matheus Nunes, Ruben Neves, and Nathan Collins saw the club pocket over £100m in the summer, which they used a good chunk of to buy Matheus Cunha.
The fact that this has been going on for a while now just highlights how great their transfer strategy is, with their sustainable approach helping them keep their status as a Premier League club.
However, there is a certain player who the Wanderers played a blinder on back in 2019.
Benik Afobe’s time at Wolves
Benik Afobe’s career is fascinating, and his time at Wolves can certainly be described as interesting.
The striker originally joined the club in January 2015 from Arsenal for a fee of around £2m after impressing for MK Dons on loan, scoring 19 goals and registering five assists in 30 games.
benik-afobe-wolves
Over the next 46 matches for Wolves in the Championship, Afobe went on to score 22 goals, which earned him a £9m move to Bournemouth just a year later.
In January 2018, the “excellent” forward, as per England manager Gareth Southgate, returned to Wolves on loan, with the club then buying him back for £12.5m in the following summer.
However, six months later, he would leave Wolves once again for Stoke City for £12m. After that, although a shock, Afobe did not return to the Wanderers again for the rest of his career.
Afobe’s career once leaving Wolves
In his first season at Stoke, Afobe netted eight goals, with his performance in the second half of the season largely uninspiring, which ultimately led to the forward being loaned out yet again to Bristol City in the summer of 2019.
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His career would continue to follow a similar theme, enjoying a spell in Turkey for Trabzonspor and, more recently, a return to the Championship with Millwall.
The former England U21 international's time at the Den was rather successful, with one of his best seasons being in the 2021/22 campaign, netting 12 goals in 34 Championship. Unfortunately, the club missed out on a play-off spot, but Afobe’s influence on the side will be remembered.
Afobe was most recently playing in the UAE after leaving Millwall, first playing for Hatta and more recently for Al-Dhafra.
His latest game was on the 13th of January, and according to SofaScore, the 31-year-old has scored 11 goals this season.
Wolves
64
36
Bournemouth
70
15
Stoke
51
11
Trabzonspor
29
5
Millwall
65
20
Nonetheless, the fact that Wolves were able to recover all of their costs on Afobe over the years was an absolute masterstroke, with his career clearly not living up to what it once could have.
The attacker failed to make any club his home over his career, struggling to settle down for any extended period, which ultimately may have cost him becoming a constant figure in the Premier League, with both the Cherries and Wolves now recognised as top-flight clubs.
Glasgow Rangers travel away from Ibrox this evening as they return to action once again in the Scottish Premiership to take on Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
The Light Blues are currently two points clear at the top of the table and will be hoping to retain their place in the division as their rivals Celtic face Dundee tonight.
Depending on how both games go, the Gers could end the night five points clear in first or one point behind in second, which illustrates how vitally important every match is at this stage in the season.
Philippe Clement's side are in a fantastic position but they must maintain their current performance levels and not let many points slip between now and the end of the season.
The Scottish giants hammered Hearts 5-0 last weekend but the Belgian head coach could make some changes to the starting XI from that match in order to keep players fresh.
With this in mind, here is FFC's predicted Rangers line-up to take to the field at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock this evening…
1 Jack Butland
Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland
Starting off in goal, Jack Butland should keep his place as the impressive giant, who is reportedly in contention to make the England squad next month, has been fantastic this season.
The 30-year-old colossus has kept 17 clean sheets in 27 Premiership appearances throughout the 2023/24 campaign since his move from Crystal Palace last summer.
2 James Tavernier
At right-back, captain James Tavernier should keep his place once again. The English dynamo has scored two goals and provided three assists in his last three Premiership outings.
He has the quality, with 12 goals and eight assists in 27 league matches, to provide a huge attacking threat down the right flank to potentially win the game for the Gers.
3 Connor Goldson
Rangers defender Connor Goldson.
Connor Goldson is another player who could start again. The English titan won 70% (7/10) of his duels against Hearts as he helped to keep Jam Tarts star Lawrence Shankland quiet at Ibrox.
4 John Souttar
Rangers centre-back John Souttar.
Alongside the former Brighton ace, Scotland international John Souttar could start after he won 100% (4/4) of his aerial duels against Hearts on Saturday.
The dominant central defender has won 76% of his duels in 19 appearances in the Premiership this season, which shows that opposition players rarely get the better of him on the floor or in the air.
5 Borna Barisic
Rangers defender Borna Barisic.
The first change to the starting XI could come at left-back. Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz have been rotated throughout the campaign and it could be the Croatia international's turn to shine.
He has started 12 matches, to the Turkish gem's 14, in the Premiership and provided his teammates with three assists and 1.9 key passes per game.
Barisic's current contract with Rangers is due to expire at the end of the season and he is currently playing to either earn a new deal or attract interest from elsewhere.
6 Mohammed Diomande
Mohammed Diomande
In midfield, Mohammed Diomande should be provided with another opportunity to impress after a fantastic start to life in Scotland after his move during the January transfer window.
The Ivorian wizard has scored in each of his two Premiership starts for the Light Blues so far, with long-range strikes against St. Johnstone and Hearts this month.
7 John Lundstram
Jack Butland
Alongside the recent arrival, the experience of John Lundstram should be called upon in the middle of the park to partner Diomande for Clement.
The former Sheffield United star produced a fantastic no-look assist for Fabio Silva at the weekend, threading a perfect ball through to the striker to make it 5-0.
8 Ross McCausland
Rangers forward Ross McCausland.
The second change to the XI could come on the right side of the attack as academy graduate Ross McCausland could replace versatile gem Dujon Sterling.
Minutes played
56
Shots
One
Key passes
Zero
Goals + assists
Zero
Duel success rate
17%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the former Chelsea prospect endured a difficult afternoon against Hearts, in spite of the comfortable scoreline, with a lack of impact in and out of possession.
Clement could ditch Sterling from the line-up for this clash to unleash McCausland, who has provided three assists in his last eight appearances in all competitions, as a natural winger on the right side.
9 Tom Lawrence
Glasgow Rangers forward Tom Lawrence.
Tom Lawrence should retain his place in the starting line-up with Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell both missing through injury, as he is the only natural number ten option in the squad.
The Welsh magician assisted Oscar Cortes with a crisp pass across the box to the winger against Hearts on Saturday, which was his third league assist of the campaign.
10 Oscar Cortes
Lens forward Oscar Cortes.
On the left of the attack, Cortes could start again after a goal and an assist in the 5-0 win over Hearts, with no quality replacement available for him.
Scott Wright, who was the manager's other back-up winger on the bench alongside McCausland, has made 15 appearances in the league without a goal or an assist to his name this season.
Lionesses star Lucy Bronze will leave Barcelona this summer despite being offered a contract to remain with the European champions.
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Bronze to leave Barcelona this weekDefender's exit comes despite a renewal offerChelsea have held discussions with LionessWHAT HAPPENED?
Bronze's contract expires this month and as well as the England defender talking about her love for the club, reports suggested that Barca wanted to keep her around, too. However, doing so was always going to be difficult due to the financial regulations that the Catalans need to adhere to. Even before Alexia Putellas renewed in a bumper deal last month, it was widely reported that Bronze would need to take a pay cut if the two parties were going to come to an agreement on a new contract.
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In the end, Barca were able to put an offer on the table for the England star but understands that Bronze's decision not to accept it comes from her wanting to be guaranteed a bigger role in the team. The 32-year-old will now become a free agent when her deal runs out on June 30.
WHAT BARCELONA SAID
A statement from Barcelona read: "Seven titles out of eight possible. This is the legacy left to FC Barcelona by one of the best defenders in the history of women's football. And it is that Lucy Bronze will not renew her contract that tied her to the club until June 30 of the current season. The club wishes Lucy Bronze the best of luck and success in her new stage, both personally and professionally."
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Unsurprisingly given her calibre, there has been plenty of rumoured interest in Bronze while her contract has been expiring, with clubs in England and the United States among those keeping tabs on her situation. understands that Chelsea have held discussions with her over a move.
KL Rahul and Umesh Yadav are the only players to be left out from the squad that beat the West Indies recently
Alagappan Muthu12-Sep-2019Shubman Gill has won his first Test call-up on Thursday as India announced their squad for the home series against South Africa. The Under-19 World Cup winner replaced KL Rahul from the team that went to the Caribbean recently while Rohit Sharma has been green-lit as India’s new opening batsman.Rohit to captain Board President’s XI against the South Africans
Having been selected to open the batting for India in Tests, Rohit will get a sneak-peek at the South African attack when he leads the Board President’s XI in the three-day tour game in Vizianagaram starting September 26 Board President’s XI: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, AR Easwaran, Karun Nair, Siddhesh Lad, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Jalaj Saxena, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Avesh Khan, Ishan Porel, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav
Mayank Agarwal kept his spot at the top of the order but there has been a lot of speculation over who will partner him. Rohit’s name had done the rounds in the lead-up to the squad being named, with former captain Sourav Ganguly and one-time IPL team-mate Adam Gilchrist among those supporting his promotion up the Indian batting order. Then the man himself expressed his desire to do the job and chief selector MSK Prasad was happy to give Rohit all three Tests against South Africa to make his case.”Yes, we are definitely looking at him [as an opener], and we want to give him an opportunity,” Prasad said. “He [himself] is keen, and all of us in the selection committee are keen [as well]. We want to push him, and give him some opportunities up the order, and see where he stands, and then we will take a call.”He has been opening in white-ball cricket for more than a decade [since 2013]. We feel he has the ability to bat up the order, we have seen that in white-ball cricket, and if he can do that in red-ball cricket, then nothing like it. We have a lot of practice matches coming up, which will be a boost to this side.”ESPNcricinfo LtdThis continues a lengthy second coming for Rohit, who last year said he had made peace with the start-stop nature of his Test career. It was 2010 when he was supposed to don the India whites for the first time, but an ankle injury threw a spanner into those plans. He finally made that long-awaited debut three years later against West Indies and smashed back-to-back centuries, suggesting that he was more than ready for the step up to the longest format. However, issues against the moving ball have restricted him to 27 Test appearances, prompting him to go rather philosophical last May.”There’s limited time you have as a player and I have finished almost half of it. There’s no point in spending the remaining half thinking whether I’ll be picked or not. I am going forward with the theory of ‘whatever time I have, make it count’,” Rohit told , referring to his record in international red-ball cricket.Gill, meanwhile, has been banging the door down to India’s Test team for a while. In July, the 20 year-old had expressed his disappointment at not being selected for India’s tour of the West Indies, saying he expected to be there in at least one of the squads. He responded by scoring an unbeaten 204 off just 248 balls after coming in at 14 for 3 against West Indies A in the third four-day game. Earlier this week, captaining India A against South Africa A in Thiruvananthapuram, Gill scored 90 in the first innings.In 14 first-class matches so far, Gill has amassed 1443 runs at an average of 72.15 with a highest score of 268. In Ranji Trophy 2018-19, he was the top-scorer for Punjab with 728 runs at an average of 104 despite playing only five games.”He has done well both as an opener and in the middle order, so he can be a back-up for both the slots,” Prasad said. “That’s the reason when KL [Rahul] was dropped out, we had given him the opportunity, but as he keeps playing he’ll get more opportunities because he’s a player for all three formats.”Speaking specifically on Rahul, Prasad added: “To tell you the truth, I think he’s an exceptional talent. We backed him, but his form has definitely dipped in red-ball cricket. With Shikhar not there, Murali Vijay has gone out, so you need to stick with one opener. You just can’t keep changing both the openers in the side. Probably with the seniors [having] exited, KL has got more opportunities but unfortunately he was not delivering consistently, and only delivering in patches. And even during those patches you could see that brilliance in him, so that gives you confidence ‘Come on, let’s back him.’ When he’s on song, he’s a treat to watch. Whoever we give an opportunity now, we will give them a fair run. We have created a bench-strength succession chart in each department in all formats.”The rest of the team lines up as it did in the Caribbean, where Virat Kohli became India’s most successful Test captain after winning the series 2-0. Jasprit Bumrah leads the fast bowling attack alongside Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami. Both Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, and Kuldeep Yadav too, can expect more game time with the three Tests being played in spin-friendly Visakhapatnam, Pune and Ranchi. Rishabh Pant lines up as first-choice wicketkeeper while fast bowler Umesh Yadav has been pushed out. The first Test starts on October 2.
Emi Martinez was the penalty hero once again for Argentina against Ecuador, with the World Cup winner revealing his message before an epic shootout.
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Albiceleste needed a hero on U.S. soilMessi slipped his penalty against the barGoalkeeper delivered when it mattered mostWHAT HAPPENED?
The Aston Villa goalkeeper has forged a reputation as one of the most reliable shot-stoppers on the planet when it comes to a battle of nerves from 12 yards. He has previously starred for his country in dramatic shootouts at Copa America and World Cup tournaments.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT MARTINEZ SAID
Martinez delivered again in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa, as he saved two efforts and helped Argentina to a 4-2 win on penalties. The 31-year-old said afterwards of the rousing speech that he gave before a ball was kicked: “I told the boys that I wasn't ready to go home. Even though we are world and American champions, we deserved to continue. We have been locked up with all the people for 35 days and it is exciting.”
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Martinez, who broke out more celebratory dance moves when beating away Ecuadorian spot-kicks, added to on another emotional outing for his country: “I dive 500 times a day in training, I always stay in good shape. The people who spend their money to come see us deserve it. I lost my voice in the emotion of shouting. I want to continue growing as a goalkeeper and as a person.”
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Ecuador scored in stoppage-time to take their meeting with Argentina to a shootout. Lionel Messi then clipped a Panenka effort onto the crossbar, with the Albiceleste left wondering if it would be their night. Martinez stepped up when it mattered most and is now preparing for another semi-final showdown in the defence of a prestigious continental crown.
Cricket Australia will boost the team’s winnings for next year’s tournament
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2019Cricket Australia will top up the team’s prize money at the women’s T20 World Cup to match the men’s for whichever stage of the tournament they reach next year.That announcement follows the ICC’s decision to substantially increase the prize money on offer for women’s events.If Australia successfully defend their title on home soil in February and March it would see CA putting up US$600,000 (AUD$885,000) alongside the ICC prize pool.”We want to continue our commitment to equality by ensuring that any prize money earned by the Australian Women’s team in the T20 World Cup is the same as what is on offer in the men’s side of the tournament. This will include matching the prize money for the final, semi-finals, or group stage.” CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said.”The quality and skill level of the women’s game continues to grow and that was witnessed firsthand last week with the team breaking another world record, winning 18 consecutive ODI matches.”Roberts added that there was still much more work to do to bring parity between men’s and women’s pay and prize money.”I commend the ICC’s commitment and while there is no doubt we are starting to see financial progress for our talented cricketers, we still have a way to go and CA will continue to play a role in driving equality for our athletes.”Last week CA announced a new parental leave policy which provides 12 months paid maternity leave plus a guaranteed contract extension and a range of other support.
Nottingham Forest haven't been shy of a transfer or two since the club's promotion back to the Premier League under Steve Cooper in May 2022.
Since defeating Huddersfield Town in the play-off final at Wembley, the Reds have made 34 new additions, with owner Evangelos Marinakis investing over £200m to the playing squad – giving the club the best chance of maintaining their Premier League status.
Whilst the club achieved the goal of survival with a game to spare last season, the club had wasted a lot of money on transfer fees and wages with some players not meeting expectations at the City Ground.
Jonjo Shelvey joined the Reds in January 2023 for an undisclosed fee, with the former Newcastle United man eventually being released in order to pursue a move to Turkey.
Nottingham Forest's starting XI if they never achieved promotion in 2022
The club gained promotion to the Premier League in the 2021/22 season.
ByEthan Lamb Feb 16, 2024
He wasn't the only player who joined the club with high expectations, with another experienced Premier League midfielder also looking past his best in England's top flight.
Cheikhou Kouyate's stats at Nottingham Forest
After arriving on a free transfer from fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace during the summer of 2022, Cheikhou Kouyate was brought in to provide needed Premier League experience to a relatively inexperienced Forest side.
The 34-year-old agreed a two-year deal upon his arrival at the City Ground, with Kouyate looking to have one final stint in the Premier League.
During his first season at the club, the midfielder made 21 appearances in the league – with the Senegalese international starting just seven times.
This season he's taken up a bit part role at the club, making ten appearances. However, he's found starts even harder to come by with just two during the duration of the 2023/24 campaign, with both coming under former boss Cooper.
With his contract expiring at the end of the current season, it looks unlikely he will be offered a new deal – especially considering the amount of money the midfielder earns per week.
How much Cheikhou Kouyate earns at Nottingham Forest
The deal to bring Kouyate to the City Ground saw the club fork out £45k-per-week on the midfielder, with the former Palace man originally one of the club's highest earners after promotion.
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During his time at the club, the 34-year-old has currently earned £3.7m in wages – with Kouyate in line to take home another £900k before the end of his deal in June.
His weekly wage at Forest is higher than many current starting players, with Anthony Elanga the biggest name on the list.
Andrew Omobamidele
£35k-p/w
Nicolas Dominguez
£35k-p/w
Danilo
£30k-p/w
Murillo
£30k-p/w
Ryan Yates
£25k-p/w
Anthony Elanga
£25k-p/w
Players such as Ryan Yates and Brazilian pair Murillo and Danilo both earn less than Kouyate – with the first team members earning £25k-per-week and £30k-per-week respectively.
Undoubtedly, at the time the deal to bring the Senegalese player to the City Ground was a no-brainer. However, it's clear to see he's not up to the level required for the Premier League with the club needing to offload him this summer.
Newcastle United's 3-2 loss to Chelsea on Monday night was just another in a long list of disappointing results this season.
Eddie Howe's side haven't been able to replicate their impressive form from 2022/23, and they currently sit tenth in the Premier League.
However, compared to where they were just a couple of years ago, the club are on a clear trajectory, and with a team full of talented stars, it's only a matter of time until they start regularly challenging the big boys.
For example, starters like Joelinton have seen their value skyrocket over the last few years, although another star's worth has increased even more.
Joelinton's value since joining Newcastle
Newcastle signed the Brazilian from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in July 2019 for a then-club record fee of £40m during the torrid reign of Mike Ashley.
His arrival came with lofty expectations due to his impressive form in Germany, but his first few years in English football didn't entirely go to plan.
Newcastle midfielder Joelinton
Then-manager Steve Bruce opted to start the Aliança-born star as the team's sole striker for the first two and a half seasons at the club, a decision which was the wrong one as it saw him score just 12 goals in 73 games and get labelled as the 'worst transfer in recent Premier League history' by some in the press.
That all changed with the arrival of Howe, who, after a few more games of playing the Brazilian as a nine, opted to start him in central and attacking midfield, a position he has come to dominate in the years since.
In all, the 27-year-old has made 180 appearances for the Magpies, came second in the club's Player of the Year award in 2022, is set to sign a lucrative new contract this year and, best of all, has seen his valuation rise above what he originally cost the club.
Appearances
180
Goals
25
Assists
15
Goal Involvements per Match
0.22
According to the CIES Football Observatory, the Toon titan is now worth around €60m, about £51m – or £11m more than he cost the club in 2019. However, another star at the club has seen his value soar even higher.
Alexander Isak's transfer valuation in 2024
Swedish striker Alexander Isak moved to St James' Park from Real Sociedad in August 2022 for another club record fee, this time £63m.
The then-22-year-old was effective from the word go and opened his account with a goal against Liverpool on his debut.
The rest of the campaign was a mixed bag for the Swede. When he was playing, he was arguably one of the best strikers in the league, scoring ten goals in 27 appearances, but a thigh injury saw him miss 16 games and disrupt his campaign.
It's been a similar story this year for the "outstanding" nine, as dubbed by Howe, as he has scored an impressive 16 goals in 29 appearances but missed ten games through a recurring groin injury.
Appearances
56
Goals
26
Assists
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.51
That said, the 6 foot 4 goal machine is clearly an incredible talent, and his increasing value represents that, as according to the CIES Football Observatory, he's now worth around €100m, which is £85m – or £22m more than Newcastle paid for him just a year and a half ago.
Outscoring Isak: Newcastle may have sanctioned their £1.7m sale too early
The player left Newcastle United behind in a £2m deal.
ByEthan Lamb Mar 7, 2024
Ultimately, while 2023/24 hasn't been the most enjoyable season for the fans, a team filled with players like Joelinton and Isak isn't going to stay down for too long.
If the club can add one or two more quality players in the summer, they could cause a real upset next year.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?