Chelsea players have come up with some surprise revelations as the Blues pass the time on their flight out to the United States for a pre-season tour.
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Daniel Farke should be commended for thinking on his feet when it comes to the right-back position at Leeds United this season, thrusting Archie Gray into the spotlight in an ingenious move.
Onto 34 appearances for the season at just 17 years of age, with 20 of those coming as a makeshift full-back, Gray has helped ease concerns over who could come into the side in that position in what has been a problem area at Elland Road.
Concerns have further been eased by the addition of Connor Roberts. The Welshman was linked with a move to Elland Road throughout January and then finally put pen to paper on transfer deadline day.
Signing on loan from Burnley, the full-back will spend the rest of the season with Leeds with Farke having bolstered his defence depth impressively.
The aforementioned problems arguably stem, however, from Stuart Dallas picking up a serious injury two years ago.
Once a stalwart in the Whites lineup in defence, he is now sadly burning a rather large hole in Leeds' wage bill by unfortunately becoming a permanent fixture in the treatment room.
Stuart Dallas' salary at Leeds
At the peak of his powers for Leeds, talk around how much Dallas was earning was irrelevant chatter compared to his heroics on the pitch.
During the 2019/20 campaign for Leeds – who Argentine icon Marcelo Bielsa managed at the time – Dallas would manage to fire in five goals on top of picking up three assists as the Whites soared to automatic promotion from the Championship.
The Northern Irish star wasn't done there, however, smoothly transitioning to the demands of the Premier League the season after with eight goals and two assists notched up from 38 appearances.
Dallas' £45k per week wage wouldn't raise any eyebrows therefore at the time, with the now 32-year-old a key first-team presence loved by the Elland Road masses.
Adept at playing in a whole host of positions away from just Gray's current spot – able to play at left-back, further forward down the wing and even in central midfield – it must have been a gutting blow when the news was announced that Dallas had suffered a femoral fracture playing against Manchester City back in April 2022.
Still, with his wage making him the sixth-highest earner currently in West Yorkshire, the time could come soon when Leeds need to assess Dallas' future at the club and whether he will ever make a plausible comeback after such a horrific injury.
Dallas' salary at Leeds compared to the squad
Dallas is by no means the highest earner at the football club, Georginio Rutter and Patrick Bamford are both tied for that title at a handsome £70k-per-week.
Yet, with Rutter's dazzling performances of late and Bamford's fantastic reemergence back onto the scene after injury issues of his own, their hefty wages could be justified.
1. Georginio Rutter
£70k
2. Patrick Bamford
£70k
3. Junior Firpo
£60k
4. Daniel James
£50k
5. Pascal Struijk
£50k
6. Stuart Dallas
£45k
Sourced by Capology
Dallas hasn't managed to play a single minute of action for Leeds since his horrendous injury, which has seen him sidelined for nearly two years now, with key figures in the Whites first team right now such as Ethan Ampadu perhaps justifying a better cause for a wage increase in the future.
Ampadu comes in at £5k-per-week less than Dallas despite rolling up his sleeves all season long as a tough battler for Farke's troops, establishing a formidable partnership in defence recently with Joe Rodon to play their part in the Whites making it seven wins on the spin in the Championship.
With Dallas also reaching the end of his career now regardless of his fracture, the Northern Irishman 32 years of age, Leeds will need to brace themselves for the day where they'll need to kindly and sadly sever ties with their esteemed servant to free up room in the wage bill.
Perhaps this may well happen if they secure promotion back to the Premier League in the summer.
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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DID YOU KNOW?
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.
Glasgow Rangers were active throughout the January transfer window and completed their final signing on deadline day as they brought in Oscar Cortes on loan from RC Lens.
Mohammed Diomande and Fabio Silva had also been added to the squad on loan prior to the arrival of the young winger as Philippe Clement looked to bolster his squad.
The latter caught the eye as the Light Blues swatted Livingston aside at Ibrox with a comfortable 3-0 win in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
|
Fabio Silva |
Vs Livingstone (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
|
Sofascore rating |
7.6 |
|
Shots |
Four |
|
Goals |
One |
|
Big chances missed |
One |
|
Chances created |
Two |
As you can see in the table above, the Wolves loanee chipped in with a goal, which was an instinctive finish from close range after a scramble from a corner, and created opportunities for his teammates.
His impressive performance came after the Gers failed in their pursuit of another striker, as it was reported that the club wanted to bring in another number nine to compete with Silva and Cyriel Dessers.
Football Insider reported at the end of December that Rangers were keeping tabs on Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland as a possible target.
However, they added at the time that the Gers would be priced out of a swoop for the Scotland international in January as they were looking for a fee of at least £3m for their star striker.
It stated that the Ibrox giants would need to raise funds through player sales to afford the prolific marksman and they were unable to do that, which is highlighted by all three of their signings – Cortes, Silva, and Diomande – initially arriving on loan deals from their respective clubs.
Football Insider now claim that Rangers are 'eyeing' a summer swoop for the Scotland international, alongside a permanent deal for current loanee Abdallah Sima from Brighton & Hove Albion, to finally land a goalscorer.
The report states that qualification for the Champions League next season would significantly boost their chances of being able to strike deals for both players. Winning the Premiership would secure automatic qualification for the Gers should they best Celtic in the title race this season.
They add that Hearts have offered Shankland two 'record-breaking' offers to extend his current contract with the Jam Tarts, which is due to expire at the end of next term, but he is yet to put pen to paper.
This means that his future is up in the air and the door could be open for Rangers to swoop for the £3m-rated striker in the summer, when he will only have 12 months left to run on his deal.
It would represent Hearts' last opportunity to guarantee a fee for his services before a possible exit on a free in 2025, which the Gers could take advantage of with a move to add him to their squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Clement could now avenge the club's deadline day howler of failing to sign a striker to bolster their side by signing Shankland, who would be a big upgrade on Dessers, in the summer.
The Nigerian centre-forward was snapped up from Italian side Cremonese ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and has endured a mixed bag in front of goal this season.
He arrived at Ibrox off the back of a fairly underwhelming season for his former club as they were relegated from the Serie A and the marksman only scored six goals from 7.15 xG in 26 league appearances.
His underperformance in the final third in Italy has carried over to Scotland as the experienced striker has been wasteful with the opportunities that have come his way for Rangers.
Dessers has scored eight goals and missed a staggering 13 'big chances' in 20 Premiership appearances for the Scottish giants so far this season.
|
Cyriel Dessers |
Vs Livingston (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
14 |
|
Touches |
Six |
|
Duel success rate |
0% |
|
Pass success rate |
0% |
|
Big chances missed |
One |
|
Goals + assists |
Zero |
As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old attacker struggled badly off the bench on Saturday as he spurned a good opening and left a lot to be desired with his passing and lack of strength, which has been an issue throughout the campaign with a ground duel success rate of 29%.
Rangers could land a big upgrade on Dessers and avenge their deadline day howler of not adding a terrific marksman to the group by signing Shankland in the summer.
He is a proven Premiership performer who has been lethal in front of goals for Hearts since the start of last season. The £3m-rated ace knows the division and knows how to find the back of the net.
Journalist Euan Robertson once hailed Shankland as being "clinical" and that is still very much the case based on his form over the last 18 months.
His quality was on full display for Hearts in the Premiership on Saturday as he was directly involved in all three of their goals in a 3-2 win over Dundee, as you can see in the table below.
|
Lawrence Shankland |
Vs Dundee (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
|
Sofascore rating |
9.6 |
|
Shots on target |
Two |
|
Goals |
Two |
|
Big chances missed |
Zero |
|
Big chances created |
One |
|
Assists |
One |
The 28-year-old ace is now up to 16 goals in 24 top-flight appearances for the Jam Tarts this season, and he has racked up that total with only seven 'big chances' missed.
His incredible form this term has come off the back of a return of 24 goals and 16 'big chances' missed in 37 league games during the 2022/23 campaign.
This means that Shankland has produced 40 goals and 23 'big chances' missed in 61 Premiership clashes for Hearts since the start of last season.
That is a phenomenal return in front of goal over a significant period of time and proves that he has the quality to be clinical when chances come his way, whereas Dessers has missed five more big chances than he has managed goals this term.
Therefore, the Scotland international has the ability to be a sensational signing for Rangers as a proven Premiership upgrade on the Nigerian forward, with more goals and fewer big chances missed, which is why his arrival in the summer would avenge their deadline day blunder of not signing a striker.
أبدى محمد أبوجبل، حارس مرمى البنك الأهلي، رغبته باللعب في الدوري السعودي خلال الفترة المقبلة.
وقال محمد أبو جبل في تصريحاته لقناة SSC السعودية: “ارتباطي بجماهير السعودية شرف كبير لي، أتمنى أن أمثل الدوري السعودي في يوم من الأيام وأن أكون على قدر المسؤولية، وأتمنى أن أرى هذا الحب دائمًا متواجدًا”.
طالع..فيديو | رونالدو يقود النصر للفوز على الوحدة بثنائية في الدوري السعودي
وتابع: “أتيت للسعودية أكثر من مرة، ولكن هذه المرة منبهر بالتطور الذي حدث في معظم المجالات”.
وواصل: “خلال الأيام الماضية، تحركت كثيرًا في الشارع وشاهدت حبًا من الجمهور السعودي ودعمًا كبيرًا جدًا، وأنا سعيد بشيء مثل ذلك”.
وأتم: “ارتباطي بجماهير النصر ارتباط عاطفي، وأشكرهم على دعمهم لي، وأتمنى لهم التوفيق”.
وسبق لأبوجبل، وأن وقع على عقود الانتقال إلى صفوف النصر، لكن الأخير تراجع عن ضمه قبل انطلاق الموسم وقتها.
Chelsea have reportedly held Stamford Bridge talks to sign a Premier League striker, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea eyeing new striker
The Blues may well be busy in the final days of the January transfer window, with the possibility of a new striker being needed in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.
Nicolas Jackson is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and besides the Senegal international, Armando Broja is the only fit and available senior striker on the books, which may surprise some given the club have spent over €1bn since Todd Boehly’s arrival.
Pochettino’s attacking options could soon be down to just Jackson as well, given recent reports have claimed that Chelsea are open to selling Broja on a permanent basis. The Albanian has no shortage of suitors in the top-flight, with Crystal Palace, Fulham, West Ham and Wolves all expressing an interest in a potential £35m transfer.
Should that be the case and Broja ends up leaving for one of the mentioned clubs, then a new forward may need to be landed if the club are to continue to climb up the Premier League table.
Four forwards that have been offered to Chelsea are AZ Alkmaar’s Vangelis Pavlidis, Zenit St Petersburg’s Mateo Cassierra, Cercle Brugge’s Kevin Denkey and Atletico Mineiro’s Paulinho as short-term solutions, but it looks as if the Blues are eyeing an option closer to home.
Chelsea hold “internal talks” for Aston Villa forward
According to Romano, Chelsea are eyeing up a move for Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran and have held Stamford Bridge talks over a potential deal. However, any move also appears to be dependent on Broja’s future.
However, since then, it has been revealed that Duran is set to be sidelined for the next three weeks with a hamstring injury, something which could scupper a move as Jackson will be back at the Bridge in that time.
Duran made the move to Villa Park 12 months ago but has struggled to make a significant impact under Unai Emery, mainly playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins. The 20-year-old, who is a Colombia international, could therefore be open to the idea of moving to London, should the opportunity arise for more game time.
He may also represent a shrewd replacement for Broja, with some of the pair’s career stats highlighted below, as per FBref.
Matches played
98
88
Minutes
4,287
4,594
Goals
19
18
Expected goals
9.8
16.1
Assists
7
2
Expected assists
1.9
3.4
The youngster has also previously earned the praise of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who hailed the forward on X back in 2022:
It looks as if a deal for Duran will be one to keep an eye on, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Blues make their move.
England’s stock of potential batting candidates for a summer that includes the World Cup and an Ashes series has been further hit by the news that Surrey’s Ollie Pope is likely to miss most of the season after dislocating his shoulder.News that Pope will require surgery on his left shoulder follows confirmation of Sam Billings, England’s likely back-up for the World Cup, being sidelined for three-five months with a similar injury.Surrey said that the club hoped Pope would be back in action “towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season”. Pope has not been capped in limited-overs cricket but could have been in contention for England’s Test team to face Australia.A Surrey statement said: “After suffering an injury while fielding during Tuesday’s Royal London Cup victory over Essex at the Kia Oval, the 21-year-old was confirmed to have dislocated his shoulder. Having since visited a specialist, he has been advised that surgery would be the best course of action.”It is hoped he will return to first-team cricket towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season.”Pope made his Test debut last summer, playing twice against India, and was part of the squad that toured Sri Lanka. He was subsequently released to join up with the Lions, but began the season with a career-best 251 in Surrey’s Champion County fixture against MCC.
Manchester United have cancelled their end-of-season awards dinner as the club want the players to remain focused on the FA Cup final on May 25.
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Man Utd cancel end-of-season awards dinnerClub wants players to focus on FA Cup finalDinner was scheduled for May 25Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Man Utd are looking to end what has been a rather disappointing season with a win in the FA Cup final against local rivals, Manchester City, and therefore they have decided to call off the yearly ceremonial dinner which was scheduled for May 20, as per The Athletic. The club reportedly consulted for the same with the under-pressure Erik ten Hag, whose job could very well hang in the balance depending on the result of the final.
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The awards dinner is attended by the entire squad of the men's, women's and academy teams, as the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award is handed out and recognition is given to the breakthrough young talent for the season. However, the poor form of the club this season, and the looming FA Cup final have prompted the cancellation.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
The same had also happened during the 2021/22 season when the Red Devils suffered from a similar catastrophic down-turn in form under Ralf Rangnick when they barely managed to finish sixth in the Premier League despite winning just twice in the last nine league matches of the season.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
The club can still achieve success at the end of the season if they somehow manage to jump Newcastle United and Chelsea to achieve the European-playing spots in the Premier League. Another and the main objective will be to beat Man City in the FA Cup final on May 25.
England batsman cops ODI criticism on the chin as she eyes big score in second T20 against India
Annesha Ghosh in Guwahati06-Mar-20191:07
‘Too good to not be in the team’
England batsman Danielle Wyatt has owned up to her struggles matching potential with performance in ODIs, having put those concerns to rest briefly with her maiden ODI fifty in her 63rd appearance in the format, against India last week in Mumbai.Wyatt reached the milestone a game after she was dropped from the starting XI, in the second ODI, after which England captain Heather Knight explained the decision was based on Wyatt’s inability to “transfer” her explosiveness in T20s to the longer format.”I was unaware she said those comments,” Wyatt said of Knight in Guwahati on Wednesday, having helped England to a 1-0 lead two days before in the ongoing three-match T20I series with an 89-run opening stand alongside Tammy Beaumont. “But it’s probably fair enough. It’s taken me 60-odd games to make my first ODI fifty, which is frustrating.”I’ve shown my talent in the T20 game. It’s just a matter of showing what I can do in ODIs. So to get that first fifty and help us win that last ODI was a bit of a relief, really. Hopefully that’s a start to more runs to come [in the format].”After England’s loss in the second ODI, Knight had underlined that dropping Wyatt in favour of Lauren Winfield wasn’t a decision based solely on Wyatt’s 6-ball 1 in the first ODI.”Danni’s been slightly upsetting the way she’s been getting out,” Knight had said after England’s 66-run defeat in the second ODI. “She’s been outstanding in T20 cricket. She’s become one of the best T20I cricketers in the world, but she hasn’t quite managed to transfer that into ODIs yet.”She’s had a lot of opportunities and she has a lot of talent. We set the challenge for her to try and be the best finisher in the world in ODI cricket. She hasn’t shown that yet… the way Lauren has played in the nets, she’s put pressure on Danni for us to pick her ahead of Danni.”The punt worked in England’s favour to some extent with Winfield making an enterprising 49-ball 28 to help arrest a collapse in the company of half-centurion Natalie Sciver although England lost the game and the series. Had it not been for an injury to left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, though, Wyatt may not have figured in the starting XI in the series ender, where she scored her maiden ODI half-century to deny India a 3-0 whitewash.Mark Robinson, the England head coach, echoed Knight’s assessment of Wyatt’s struggles to deliver on her promise as a potent ODI batsman.”Danni is incredibly frustrating and immensely talented, and a pleasure to be around at the same level,” Robinson told ESPNcricinfo. “She’s got all the skills and attributes, but sometimes it’s about joining it all together. When we left her out, I said to her, ‘You’re too good not to be in this team.'””It’s just that she needs a little bit of extra control at times. We don’t want to put shackles on her because she’s such a naturally talented ball-striker.”Danielle Wyatt plays one to the off side•Getty ImagesRobinson also underlined that as with every other member of the England women’s squads, Wyatt’s job in the two limited-overs sides has been clearly outlined and explained to the 27-year-old batsman.”Her job is to win games for England, her job is to finish games off,” Robinson said. “And at times to accelerate the scoring rate, take risks at times, at times is to sit in and stop the bleeding, and that’s what she must do when batting at No. 6 and 7. The more she does that, she won’t be out of the team. That’s the message.”At the top of the order [in T20Is], she must play with freedom and take on the Powerplay and the best bowlers in the world, and occasionally play with control so we can make sure we convert good scores into big scores”.Wyatt said the challenge for her to attune her style of play to the two formats was more mental than tactical, and that she was aware of the role her coach and captain required.”It’s all in the head,” Wyatt said. “[In] T20, just go out there. My job at the top of the order is to explode from ball one, really, whereas in ODI, you’ve got a lot more time to think. It’s more about knocking the ball around.”What the coaches have said is they don’t want me to lose my aggressive play – the way I play. In that first ODI, I guess that loose shot from me… [I] probably deserved to get dropped in the second ODI, but [I] bounced back in the last game.”Heading into the second T20 in Guwahati, which will be played on a different track at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Wyatt said an encore of her blinding 124 against India at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai last year may not be too far away. In her three appearances for England on this tour, she has made 1 and 56 in the two ODIs, and fell for a brisk 35 in the first T20I.”I want to perform in every game, every time I play for England, “Wyatt said. “Obviously, I’ve got that 124 at the back of my mind, in Mumbai. I know I can do that [here]; it’s definitely that [kind of] wicket. Hopefully in the next two games I can get as many runs as I can.”
India’s bowling coach said that consistency was a big issue on previous tours, and the bowling group has responded extremely well to correct that
Sidharth Monga in Perth12-Dec-20181:42
‘Probably the best group of fast bowlers India has ever had’ – Bharat Arun
Bowling coach Bharat Arun believes this current Indian bowling unit is the best they have ever had, and it is the consistency of the fast bowlers that has been the missing link. In the Adelaide Test, the Indian bowlers were made to bowl more overs than Australia in both innings, but they gave up 15 and 16 runs fewer.Arun was asked if this was the best attack India have ever had. “So far yes,” Arun said. “I can say that not only now for what they did in Adelaide, but what they’ve done over a period of time in South Africa, in England and now in Australia. This is probably one of the best group of fast bowlers India has ever had.”It’s a great feeling now from the Indian perspective that the fast bowlers are doing a great job, and it’s not just one or two, there’s a bunch of bowlers who are doing well. It’s not about doing well; it’s the effort and consistency with which we are able to perform over a period of time. That’s very encouraging.”Whatever we have come here for and the gameplan we had, it was about being consistent in the areas we need to bowl. I thought the execution was perfect. I can’t ask for anything better.”Arun took over the job in 2014, coming on board after the Test series loss in England when Ravi Shastri was appointed team director. He has since had a spell out, when Anil Kumble was the head coach, but has come back with Shastri being re-appointed. He has worked hard to get the bowlers to be consistent, which was an issue earlier on, and probably had to do with their fitness too. It showed in how they didn’t go chasing for wickets in Adelaide, but just kept bowling according to a team plan.”Consistency was a big issue [on previous tours], and that’s something we’ve addressed with the bowlers,” Arun said. “It’s something we’ve really worked hard on. There’s one-per cent factors, which we insist on even during practice. The bowlers have responded exceptionally well. That’s showing dividends right now.”Each time they come to the net and they bowl, they need to be aware of their plans and what they need to execute. Each time it’s a little different as to what they need to execute. We just test as to how far they’ve executed each time. That feedback allows them to be more consistent. I would probably put it across to the bowlers and ask what their plans are and as long as it’s in line with what we want to execute in the game, that’s perfectly all right.”It is not all about pace, though. Arun was all praise for the lone spinner in Adelaide, R Ashwin. “Spinners mature a lot with age,” Arun said. “Maybe they’re like wine. Ashwin has been really good, and the last match he helped us to control – he gave us the control, bowling close to 90 overs for 147 runs and six wickets. You can’t ask for anything better. He allowed the fast bowlers to take turns, and he could control from one end. That’s the job he was interested in. I think he did that exceptionally well.”Ashwin has been extremely confident. He’s aware of what he’s doing. I think it’s important that a spinner discovers the things he can do. For that to happen, a coach can give the necessary feedback because most often what the bowlers think they’re doing and what they’re actually doing can be two different things. If you can bridge that gap, that’s when the bowlers can grow.”Shaw, Rohit fitness still uncertainMeanwhile, there is no clarity on the fitness status of Prithvi Shaw and Rohit Sharma, nor has there been an official description of the injuries. Shaw was stretchered off the field after twisting his ankle during the warm-up game, and Rohit hurt his back during the first Test. A team spokesperson said late in the night in Perth on Wednesday, two days before the Test: “Both are undergoing treatment. We will get a better picture only tomorrow morning.”The BCCI’s last update on Shaw said he had suffered a lateral ligament injury, and that he was ruled out from the first Test. About Rohit, the BCCI said he had “jarred his back” when he left the field during the first Test. During the Test, Shastri was quoted by SEN Radio as saying that he was hoping Shaw could return for the second Test, but there has been no update on that. In the expected absence of Shaw, M Vijay and KL Rahul should continue to open. If Rohit doesn’t make it, Hanuma Vihari will be the likely replacement.