All posts by h716a5.icu

Everton are still looking to brush up their frontline with the 2023/24 Premier League season set to kick off this weekend, with Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto the prime target.

What's the latest on Wilfried Gnonto to Everton?

That's according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who has claimed that Gnonto's "priority" is to join Everton this summer following the Whites' relegation from the Premier League.

With a full agreement on personal terms, it is now up to Sean Dyche's side to negotiate a fee with Leeds, who are believed to be demanding €22m (£19m) for the Italy international.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Everton have already signed dynamic forward Arnaut Danjuma and Youssef Chermiti from Sporting Lisbon this summer, but Gnonto would bolster the attacking ranks considerably ahead of a pivotal season.

How good is Wilfried Gnonto?

Described to be an "absolute nightmare for defenders" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also credited his explosiveness and energy, Gnonto was the shining beacon of optimism for Leeds last season as they meekly exited the top flight after three seasons.

Completing a £4m transfer from Swiss side FC Zurich last year, Gnonto scored four goals and supplied four assists from 28 matches for the Elland Road side, with Kulig also lauding his "electric pace" and "powerful finish".

Having already earned 12 caps for Italy, scoring one goal, the 19-year-old ranks among the top 24% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 17% for progressive carries per 90, while also demonstrating his defensive application by ranking among the top 20% for tackles and the top 6% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

Capable of playing across the frontline and enjoying most of his trade on the left wing, Gnonto might have been relegated but indeed performed well and has been entrusted with a place in Italy's senior squad for his labours, and as such Dyche must complete a swoop and replicate Everton's deal for Dwight McNeil last summer.

McNeil signed for the Toffees from Burnley on a £20m package following the Clarets' relegation from the English top-flight and impressed after scoring seven goals and providing three assists from 28 starting league appearances.

His defensive workrate is one of the standout aspects of his game, and Gnonto's tenacity is surely a further factor behind Everton Director of Football Kevin Thelwell's desire to wrap up a transfer.

Indeed, McNeil ranks among the top 8% of positional peers for tackles, the top 4% for interceptions, the top 1% for blocks and the top 2% for clearances per 90, and can help to nurture Gnonto's own efforts in the defensive third.

Praised for his "magnificent" performances by scout Ryan Williams, the 23-year-old is tangible evidence that targetting players felled by the bottom three is often a sure-fire route to shrewd success,.

Hailed as a "pocket rocket" by pundit Tam McManus, Gnonto can be an emulation of this, and given that he is still perched in his teenage years, there is plentiful room for growth and development into a first-class attacking talent in the Premier League.

This is something that the Merseyside outfit have been sorely lacking, with the Goodison Park side finishing the 2022/23 term as the division's second-lowest scorers, behind only Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Everton are looking to fortify their attack with younger signings this summer. Dyche is clearly planning for the future, but Gnonto will arrive with the ability to make an instant impact and Everton have to steer this one over the line to forge a successful season.

Royal London, the title sponsors of English one-day cricket, have extended their deal with the ECB for a further two years

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2017Royal London, the title sponsors of English one-day cricket, have extended their deal with the ECB for a further two years.The partnership, which encompasses England men’s and women’s domestic and international one-day cricket, will now be extended until the end of the 2019 season.The marquee fixtures in that period will include a five-match one-day series against Australia and a three-match series against India next summer, as England’s men build towards the World Cup in 2019.The announcement is a boost for the ECB’s commercial department, who suffered a setback earlier this year when Investec, the title sponsors of English Test cricket, activated a break clause with four years remaining on their £40 million ten-year deal.”It’s exciting that Royal London want to extend their relationship with cricket still further – building on the successful partnership we’ve forged together over the past four years,” said Sanjay Patel, the ECB’s commercial director.”With the England’s men’s one-day team victorious in all three one-day series last summer, the England women’s team winning the ICC Women’s World Cup and the Royal London One-Day Cup serving up a memorable Lord’s final, the 50-Over format continues to enjoy a significant media profile and offer valuable brand exposure.Emma Hill, Group Head of Brand and Sponsorship, Royal London said: “Our initial partnership with the ECB began at an important time in the company’s history as we re-launched the Royal London brand.”Owing to a very successful four years of cricket sponsorship, we’re thrilled to be committing to the sport for another two years as we continue on our brand building journey. Like cricket, we’re a brand steeped in rich heritage and tradition and we’re excited about what we can achieve in partnership together over the next two years.”

Referee Andy Madley may have made a massive error in Newcastle United’s rampant 5-1 home win against Aston Villa for not showing Emiliano Martinez a red card for his crazy challenge on Miguel Almiron in the dyine embers of the first half.

What’s the latest on Newcastle and VAR?

Eddie Howe’s Toon played host to Unai Emery’s rejuvenated Villains on Saturday as the sides got their Premier League campaigns underway with what looked like it would be an enthralling battle in the Northeast.

What transpired, however, was a somewhat one-sided affair in which the home side tore the visiting side asunder, scoring five goals whilst conceeding just one against a rather limp Villa attack.

It was a dream debut for Italian Sandro Tonali, who gave his new team the lead just six minutes in before going incredibly close to doubling that lead just a few minutes later were it not for a brilliant bit of keeping from Martinez.

Read the latest Newcastle United transfer news HERE…

It looked as if it was going to be a day for the debutants 11 minutes in as Moussa Diably levelled the score with his first shot on target for the Birmingham side; however, it took just four minutes for the hosts to regain control through a brilliant strike from Alexander Isak and from then it was one-way traffic.

That said, things could’ve been a lot worse for the visiting side when just before half-time, the Argentine number one came flying out of his penalty area to challenge Almiron, only he missed the ball entirely and took his man out instead.

Whilst the crowd demanded a red card, Madley and the VAR team felt a yellow card was the appropriate response.

Did Emi Martinez deserve a red card against Newcastle United?

Looking at the pictures from the game, it’s easy to see why fans of the Toon felt aggrieved by the decision not to send the Ma del Plata-born man off. It is pretty clear that he completely misses the ball and clatters into the attacking Almiron.

It was very reminiscent of what the Magpies’ own Nick Pope did against Mohamed Salah earlier this year, with his punishment being a straight red card that caused him to miss the club’s Carabao Cup final just a week later.

However, the explanation for this decision was that due to three Villa players getting back into position, Martinez did not stop a clear goal-scoring opportunity with his foul.

That said, journalist Dominic Scurr believed that the number one had got away with one, writing on Twitter: “Goalkeeper Emi Martinez lucky to still be on the pitch here. Takes out Miguel Almiron outside the box.”

It was clearly a sentiment shared by those within the stadium, with the fans chanting: “You’re not fit to referee.”

Luckily the game was so one-sided that the incident ultimately had little effect on the outcome. Still, you can imagine if Emery’s men had managed to salvage a draw – or even sneak a win – Martinez’s expedition from his area would’ve probably have got a lot more attention.

With that in mind, perhaps the rules around what keepers can and can’t get away with outside their area need some reexamination this season.

Moeen Ali and Steven Finn have been ruled out of involvement in the first two warm-up games of England’s Ashes tour because of injury

George Dobell in Perth03-Nov-2017Moeen Ali and Steven Finn have been ruled out of involvement in the first two games of England’s Ashes tour.Scans on the pair have confirmed that Moeen (left side) and Finn (left knee) will not be fit for selection for either the two-day warm-up match starting in Perth on Saturday, or next week’s four-day match played under lights in Adelaide. It means both players will have a maximum of one warm-up match – the four-day game in Townsville starting on November 15 – ahead of the Ashes.It appears the injury to Finn is the more serious. While Moeen believes he could, if necessary, play at present, such is his importance to the squad that he will be rested as a precaution and not risked until the match in Townsville. The England camp are not unduly concerned by the possibility of his being sidelined any longer than that.Finn’s knee injury is more of a concern. He will be monitored by the England medical team over the next week when a further discussion on his fitness will take place. No date has been given for his return though it does seems the scan results are somewhat better than were feared.He sustained the injury while batting in the nets on Friday. Whether it was an impact blow – he appeared to jam the bat or a combination of the bat and the ball into his left knee – remains unclear. It seems he also twisted his leg while attempting to play the next delivery and that is when he started to experience more pain.Any further setback for Finn would be a bitterly cruel blow for a man deemed “unselectable” on the previous Ashes tour four years ago. Having fought his way back to the brink of the side – and having enjoyed some fine moments in England and South Africa since – he had a good opportunity to earn some happier memories of Ashes tours.The fitness issues have persuaded England to re-think their plans for the two-day warm-up match against a Western Australia XI starting on Saturday. While Joe Root had initially hoped to field something close to his best team – he suggested on Thursday England would pick 12 players for the match – he has now decided to play 13 to ensure none of them are overworked.That means that every fit player except the reserve keeper, Ben Foakes, can expect an opportunity over the weekend.England had injury worries over Steven Finn and Moeen Ali•Getty ImagesThe most intense competition for places would appear to be between Jake Ball and Craig Overton for the final seam-bowling spot and Dawid Malan and Gary Ballance for the No. 5 batting spot. At present, it seems Overton and Malan have their noses in front but a persuasive performance over the weekend could yet sway things.Meanwhile the coach of the Western Australia XI, Stewart Walters – who is usually one of the assistant coaches for the team but finds himself thrust into the spotlight with Justin Langer and co otherwise engaged with the Shield side – warned that his inexperienced team, led by Australia international Nathan Coulter-Nile, had the ability to hurt England in the next couple of days.In particular, he suggested young fast bowler Lance Morris should enjoy the WACA surface, while Jake Carder recently made a maiden List A century against South Australia.”Lance Morris bowls fast,” Walters said. “It’s a great opportunity for him. And Nathan Coulter-Nile will bowl 100% and give it everything he’s got. He’ll be aggressive.”We want to be ruthless with the ball. We want to make the first 10 runs as hard work as they can be. We’re here to win the game.”While Walters’ comments are perfectly reasonable – indeed, he could hardly be expected to say anything else – there is a sense that Root, in particular, is tiring of the pre-series rhetoric. Responding to yet another enquiry over the “wounds” and “scars” England are carrying from their thrashing in 2013-14, Root provided a gentle but somewhat world-weary reminder that England had actually won the last encounter between these two teams and currently hold the Ashes.”There’s been a lot of talk about last time round,” Root said. “But we’re a completely different side and so are they.”Of course, they’ll try to bring up all sorts of stuff like that. But we’ve obviously played a lot of cricket since then and have played against Australia. And it went quite well for us.”Fortunately for everyone, the time for talking is nearly over.

Southampton are keen on raiding the Premier League for an exciting young striker this window as Russell Martin looks to strengthen his frontline, according to reports.

Is Cameron Archer moving to Southampton?

According to The Daily Mail, Southampton are keen on Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer this window as they look to add some attacking reinforcements in the latter stages of market activity.

The report states that Swansea City forward Joel Piroe is also on the radar at St Mary's Stadium; however, they face competition from Championship rivals Leeds United for both strikers.

Premier League newcomers Sheffield United are also keen on the £20k-a-week ace and saw a bid in the region of £10 million rejected for Archer earlier this month, with parent club Aston Villa said to want around £20 million before parting ways with the 21-year-old, as per Football Insider.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is believed to be open to letting Archer depart Villa Park this summer and has given the 'green light' to the Walsall-born star to leave before the end of the window.

Southampton look like they will need to enter the market to secure another striker as star man Che Adams is closing in on a move to Everton after a fee of £15 million was agreed between both parties for the Scotland international, according to FootballTransfers.

TEAMtalk understand that Saints have also inquired about the availability of Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland as their search for a new forward gathers pace.

Nevertheless, the former Dundee United man has also attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League due to his blistering form in front of the target.

Would Cameron Archer be a good signing for Southampton?

Archer is someone who certainly possesses all the attributes to be a regular goalscorer at a decent level and definitely has room for development that can be accelerated by gaining regular game time.

Last term, the 21-year-old spent time out on loan at Middlesbrough and made a lasting impression at the Riverside Stadium, notching 11 goals and six assists in 23 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

According to FBRef, Archer, hailed as "outstanding" by Clinton Morrison, has also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's next eight leagues below the top five divisions on the continent in the art of successful take-ons, recording around 1.38 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days at the time of writing, putting him in the 89th percentile for this metric.

Realistically, additional depth in the final third at Southampton may be needed, especially in light of Bayer Leverkusen's pursuit of Nathan Tella.

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg issued an update on X surrounding the admiration Bayer Leverkusen have for Tella, stating:

"Bayer 04 Leverkusen is pushing for Nathan Tella! Understand there‘s a verbal agreement with the 24 y/o winger from Southampton. But: No agreement between the clubs yet. Price expectation from Leverkusen around €16-18m guaranteed + add-ons at this stage. Southampton should demand between €25-30m. Negotiations ongoing."

Aberdeen forward Duk is being monitored by Southampton and Leeds United alongside two other sides and has been previously scouted by Saints, according to journalist Darren Witcoop.

Last week’s Ram Slam matches saw a hat-trick from Robbie Frylinck, a few washed out matches, Dale Steyn among the wickets but no outstanding performance from any domestic players

Firdose Moonda04-Dec-2017Results summaryA hat-trick from Robbie Frylinck headlined last week’s Ram Slam action, even though his efforts came in vain as Warriors beat Dolphins by one run in a cliffhanger at St George’s Park. Frylinck’s three in three came in the penultimate over of Warriors’ innings, after Christiaan Jonker’s 59 off 36 balls set Warriors up. They were pegged back throughout their innings and then by the triple-strike to finish on 153 for 8, a score Dolphins should have chased down. Morne van Wyk scored 57 off 44 balls but had scant top-order support and Dolphins were 35 for 4 in the seventh over. Sibonelo Makhanya’s 33 off 24 balls put them back on track before it was down to Frylinck and Keshav Maharaj to finish. They needed 17 off the final over and nine off the last three balls but Andrew Birch held his nerve to give Warriors their second win of the tournament and still languish at the bottom of the table.Earlier in the week, Cape Cobras continued their mid-campaign climb with a 10-run win over Warriors on Wednesday, and did it by defending what seemed a below-par total at Boland Park. Cobras posted 159 for 4 with the hard work done by openers Hashim Amla (52 off 36 balls) and Temba Bavuma (42 off 43) built on by George Linde’s unbeaten 52 off 30 balls. Warriors were 17 for 2 in the fourth over in reply before Colin Ingram and Colin Ackermann shared a third-wicket stand of 75. Warriors folded soon after the partnership was broken. Dane Paterson was impressive at the death while Rory Kleinveldt provided miserly support with figures of 1 for 16 in four overs.On the same day, Titans were unable to extend their lead when their match against Lions was washed out at the Wanderers. They made up for that on Friday, when they beat Warriors in a shortened 13-over affair in Benoni, the only match possible on the day as rain washed out clashes between Knights and Lions in Bloemfontein and Dolphins and Cobras in Durban.Dean Elgar made a case as a limited-overs batsman with 44 from 23 balls but AB de Villiers’ 48 off 19 stole the show as Titans posted 172 for 3 in their 13 overs at a rate of 13.23. All of Warriors’ bowlers, barring Solo Nqweni conceded at more than 13 runs per over. JJ Smuts returned to form in response with 53 from 30 balls but the next highest individual score was 13 for Warriors as Lungi Ngidi (2 for 8), Tabraiz Shamsi (3 for 22) and Malusi Siboto (2 for 18) ensured Titans’ defense held firm to win by 56 runs.Titans extended their lead on Sunday with a five-wicket victory over Knights. Farhaan Behardien led their chase of 134 with an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls, much needed after Titans were reduced to 26 for 3 inside the Powerplay and 92 for 5 in the 16th over. Dale Steyn, who returned after a three-match break, took 2 for 20 at the top of Knights’ innings while Shamsi’s 2 for 21 kept them quiet in the middle. David Miller’s 43 off 34 balls was the top-score in an underwhelming total of 133 for 7.Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyInternational IncidentsDane Paterson was dropped for the Cobras matches against Lions and Knights last week after failing to take a wicket in the opening three matches and the snub proved a reality check. He returned refreshed and took 3 for 25, including wickets at the top and tail of the innings.Chris Morris made a return to action after more than four months on the sidelines with a lower-back injury he suffered ahead of the fourth Test against England in August. He took 1 for 26 against Warriors in the shortened 13-over affair but then went for nine runs an over against Knights, conceding 36 in his four overs. He was at the crease with 17 off 10 balls as Titans won the game and the progress he has made towards full fitness is encouraging.It’s worth noting the form of the oft under-appreciated middle-order man Behardien, who has not been dismissed once in the five times he has batted for Titans (and not once in his last ten matches, including internationals) and should now be taken seriously as a finisher. All the recent matches in which Behardien has not been dismissed have been won by his team and his strike rate of just under 180 in the tournament so far is nothing to be scoffed at. As Ottis Gibson compiles his World Cup squad, Behardien should be part of it.Also encouraging is the resurgence of Shamsi, who is now top of the wicket-takers’ list. His five wickets in two matches have taken his tournament total to 10 and an economy rate of 6.52 is not too shabby either. Domestic Dreamers One of the concerns the tournament has raised is the lack of big performances from domestic players as the campaign has gone on. Apart from Sarel Erwee in the first week, no player who is uncapped at international level has gone on to a showing of substance. The gap between domestic and international cricket is always said to be sizable and as the competition goes on, we may be able to see exactly how large it is.Beyond the Boundary Vernon Philander had to pull out of Cobras’ match against Warriors with an injury, but not the regular kind. His lower back and hamstring were perfectly fine but it was his hand with the problem. Philander had been bitten by his own dogs, as he tried to separate them during a scuffle. He required stitches and is expected to spend a week out of action.

Nottingham Forest are now set to sign Odysseas Vlachodimos from Benfica, with reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano sharing a deadline day update.

Who are Nottingham Forest signing today?

The Reds and Steve Cooper have really stepped up their transfer activity in the final days of the window, with a number of players set to join in the final hours of the window.

Prior to deadline day, Forest had brought in Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, Murillo, Matt Turner, Ola Aina, Andrey Santos and Gonzalo Montiel. Those signings ranged from permanent deals, free transfers and loan moves, with Forest spending around £46m.

In the last few hours, a move for Arsenal’s Nuno Tavares has been announced by those at The City Ground, with the left-back joining on a season-long loan.

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is expected to be the next through the door on Friday, whereas Bologna defensive midfielder Nicolas Dominguez is also set to undergo a medical at the Midlands club in a deal that will see Remo Freuler head in the other direction on loan with an option to buy.

Forest won’t stop there, though, and by the looks of things, Vlachodimos is also on course to arrive. Romano took to X in the last few hours to share what he’s heard on Vlachodimos and a move to Forest. The transfer expert said that a deal has been agreed, with the goalkeeper on his way to the UK.

“EXCL: Odysseas Vlachodimos to Nottingham Forest, here we go! Deal agreed with Benfica right now, it’s all sealed between clubs.

“Player now travelling to the UK for medical tests later today. New goalkeeper for Forest.”

Who is Odysseas Vlachodimos?

Vlachodimos, who has a £51m release clause in his Benfica contract, is 29 years of age and has been on the books with the Portuguese giants since 2018.

A 33-cap Greece international, Vlachodimos began his career in Germany coming through the ranks at Stuttgart and made just three senior appearances for the club before moving to Panathinaikos.

He turned out on 63 occasions for the Greek outfit, keeping 34 clean sheets and then made the move to Benfica. Since then, Vlachodimos has gone on to make more than 200 appearances for his current employers, regularly featuring in the Champions League.

However, he admitted earlier this summer that he wants to move, saying:

"I'm ready to move on. It's something I want now. I established myself, won titles, experienced great successes, played in the Champions League and the Europa League. Benfica gave me a lot, it helped to develop me, but I think that the conditions are met to take the next step."

It looks as if he will get his wish, and it’ll be interesting to see who Cooper’s number one will be between Turner and Vlachodimos as the season goes on.

He had been appointed in the role in January 2016, for a term of two years

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2018Makhaya Ntini and Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) have parted ways, with the former South Africa quick leaving the role of Zimbabwe’s bowling coach behind. He had been appointed in the role in January 2016, for a term of two years.In a release, ZC said: “It is with regret that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announces that Makhaya Ntini, the National Team Bowling Coach, has tendered his resignation from ZC, with immediate effect.”Makhaya has brought a wealth of experience and practical knowledge to ZC, and ZC and its players and coaching staff were fortunate to have had an opportunity to work closely with him during this period, and to learn from his many years of playing for Cricket South Africa at the highest level.””While reluctantly accepting his resignation, ZC fully appreciates and respects the reasons behind Makhaya’s decision, and wishes him all the very best for the future.”In September last year, ESPNcricinfo had reported that Ntini’s contract was unlikely to be renewed.The Zimbabwe job was Ntini’s first foray into coaching after his international retirement in 2011. After almost six months under Dav Whatmore, Ntini was appointed interim head coach when Whatmore was sacked in May 2016. Ntini was relieved of the head coach job in October, when Heath Streak took over, but he stayed on as a member of Streak’s support staff.

Aston Villa enjoyed a busy few months of business throughout the summer transfer window as they bolstered Unai Emery's playing squad with a number of new additions.

Who did Aston Villa sign this summer?

The headline signing for the Villans was the £51.9m capture of France international Moussa Diaby from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen, which smashed the club's transfer record and showed the ambition of the side this season.

Emery also dipped back to his former club, Villarreal, to secure a £35m swoop to sign Spain international Pau Torres to improve his options at the heart of the defence.

Villa also bolstered their midfield with the arrivals of Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City, who were relegated to the Championship, and Nicolo Zaniolo on a season-long loan from Turkish giants Galatasaray.

The Villans were then forced back into the market to sign another central defender as former captain Tyrone Mings suffered a horrible knee injury that is set to keep him out for a significant period of time.

This led to Emery completing a deal to bring in French enforcer Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan from Barcelona as cover for the England international.

However, the Spanish boss could have saved the club millions in loan fees and wages for the ex-Spurs loanee by unleashing academy ace Josh Feeney as Mings' replacement.

Who is Josh Feeney?

The 18-year-old centre-back has been an impressive performer for the academy side in recent seasons and earned himself a call-up to the first-team squad for the recent Europa Conference League qualifiers against Hibernian, although he did not receive any minutes on the pitch in either leg.

Despite only turning 18 in May, the talented youngster has already racked up 43 U21 appearances for Villa as he made his breakthrough at the age of 16 during the 2021/22 campaign, in which he appeared in 16 Premier League 2 matches and scored twice.

Feeney almost bypassed U18 level entirely, with only seven outings in that age group, with this highlighting how highly rated he is within the club. Indeed, the youth coaches clearly believed that the 6 foot 3 titan was good enough to play with and against much older players on a regular basis.

The towering brute's performances have also been recognised by his country as the excellent prospect has been capped 13 times by England's U16, U17, and U18s combined.

He has also captained the U18 team on several occasions, which suggests that the Villa teen is able to offer the leadership qualities that Mings, who was the club's captain prior to John McGinn taking the armband, provided at the heart of the defence.

Feeney's former coach Phil Hulme once claimed that the central defender has the ability to "dominate" opposition players by winning the ball back off an attacker before driving forward to set his team up on the counter in possession, indicating that he is an aggressive player who wants to be on the front foot and would suit a forward-playing side.

His displays for the club in the EFL Trophy have further shown that he has the potential to be a superb first-team player.

The English prodigy made 3.5 tackles/interceptions and seven clearances per game across two appearances in the competition last season, whilst he also won 57% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

This came after Feeney averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 over two EFL Trophy matches during the 2021/22 campaign with five tackles/interceptions and 2.5 clearances per match alongside a duel success rate of 71%.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for the teenager to be a solid operator for Emery if given the opportunity to shine in a senior environment, particularly when you compare them to Lenglet's at Tottenham.

How did Clement Lenglet perform last season?

The France international spent the season on loan with Spurs from Barcelona and struggled to deliver consistently impressive performances at the back.

He averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.65 across 26 Premier League appearances and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game for his side as a central defender.

That rating would have placed him 19th within the Villa squad last term and among their worst-performing players, illustrating how poorly he performed for then-Antonio Conte's side.

The 28-year-old, who won 54% of his ground duels, also allowed opposition players to go past him far too easily as he was dribbled past 0.7 times per match. To put that into context, Feeney was dribbled past just 0.5 times per outing across his two EFL Trophy seasons.

Therefore, the 18-year-old colossus could offer more to Emery than the Barcelona loanee if his academy form can be translated over to the first team. Indeed, his ability to consistently win possession back for his side and deliver a higher average performance level to go along with his superior strength in physical contests bodes extremely well.

Feeney's EFL Trophy form also stacks up well against Mings' Premier League displays last term.

The former Bournemouth star averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.91 and made 1.9 tackles and interceptions and 4.5 clearances per clash, whilst he also won 51% of his battles on the deck.

This suggests that the England U18 international, who has often been deployed as a left-sided centre-back in spite of being right-footed, could step up to be an excellent stand-in for his compatriot.

Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, and Pau Torres appear to be Emery's first choices for the central defensive positions as it stands, meaning that Mings' replacement is not needed as a regular first-team starter, so bringing an academy prospect up could have been an ideal solution.

Instead of spending money on Lenglet for a season, the head coach could have offered a chance to Feeney be around the senior group week-in-week-out, which could also have aided his development by learning from the likes of Torres and Carlos.

Therefore, the signing of the Barcelona flop could end up being a mistake by the club, particularly if he replicates the poor performances he showed during his time with Spurs.

The opener made his sixth 80-plus score in seven innings in the tournament and added 155 with Karun Nair in a nine-wicket win against Maharashtra

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2018Mayank Agarwal crossed 2000 runs across formats this season, scoring an 86-ball 81 in the presence of the national selectors in Delhi, during Karnataka’s nine-wicket win against Maharashtra in the first semi-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. This was Agarwal’s sixth 80-plus score in seven innings in the tournament. His opening partner and Karnataka captain Karun Nair made an unbeaten 70 and hit the winning runs after the pair had put together 155 in a 161 chase.Mayank Agarwal’s 2141 runs are the highest by anyone in a single Indian domestic season•ESPNcricinfo LtdMaharashtra lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first over after electing to bat. A second-wicket stand of 57 between Shrikant Mundhe (50) and Rahul Tripathi (18) would be their most substantial one as first the seamers and then offspinner K Gowtham (3 for 26) ensured the wickets fell regularly. Following the run-out of Ankit Bawne, Naushad Shaikh (42) kept the innings afloat before being the last man dismissed. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna finished with figures of 2 for 26.Agarwal, on the back of a 140 against Hyderabad in the quarter-final, started the chase with a six and four off the first two balls. He got Karnataka off to a quick start and forced Maharashtra to bring on the left-arm spinner Satyajeet Bachhav (1 for 32) early to try and restrict the runs. Maharashtra failed to capitalise on the offered chances and the opening pair went about the chase with the run rate barely falling below five at any point.In the final, Karnataka will face either Saurashtra or Andhra, who face off in the second semi-final at Palam on Saturday.