Celtic have excelled at being able to snap up talented gems before later cashing in on them for significantly higher fees to clubs across Europe over the years.
Who are Celtic's most expensive sales?
The Hoops have offered promising young talents the opportunity to come to Parkhead to experience winning trophies and being part of a dominant team where they will be able to showcase their ability on a regular basis.
This then provides them with a platform to show other teams what they are capable of and has allowed the Bhoys to profit from it as clubs swoop in to secure their services.
Jota
£25m
Kieran Tierney
£23m
Moussa Dembele
£18.8m
Odsonne Edouard
£14m
Kristoffer Ajer
£13.4m
Top five record Celtic sales (fees via Transfermarkt)
Another player, who is not on the list above, the club played a blinder with was right-back Jeremie Frimpong, who was signed by Neil Lennon in 2019.
How much did Celtic pay for Jeremie Frimpong?
The Hoops reportedly paid a fee of £300k to snap up the talented defender from Premier League giants Manchester City and the young gem put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Parkhead.
He arrived in Scotland after starting his youth career with the Cityzens. During his time at The Etihad, the Dutch dynamo produced two goals and two assists in 21 matches for their U21 side after he had racked up 41 appearances at U18 level.
How good was Jeremie Frimpong at Celtic?
The explosive full-back caught the eye with his attacking displays from a right-back position throughout his 18 months with the Scottish giants.
Frimpong scored two goals and provided three assists in 21 games in all competitions during his debut campaign with the Hoops in the 2019/20 season.
He then managed one goal and five assists in 30 appearances for the Bhoys in all competitions in the first-half of the 2020/21 campaign.
Former Celtic defender Jeremie Frimpong.
The 22-year-old whiz started 19 Scottish Premiership matches and showcased his creative quality with 1.5 key passes per game and five 'big chances' created for his teammates as a defender, as per Sofascore.
How much did Celtic sell Jeremie Frimpong for?
His form for the Scottish juggernauts led to interest from elsewhere and that resulted in a big-money move away from Paradise in January 2021.
Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen swooped in to sign the Netherlands youth international, who was once dubbed an "enjoyable talent" by presenter Daniel Childs, for a reported fee of £11.5m midway through the 2020/21 season.
This means that his value soared by a staggering 3,733% from the initial £300k that the Hoops paid to snap him up from Manchester City under Lennon's management.
Therefore, the Northern Irish head coach struck gold for Celtic as his signing was a success on the pitch and ended up making the club a mammoth profit when they eventually cashed in on him.
تحدث براما تراوري، المدير الفني لمنتخب بوركينا فاسو عن الهزيمة التي تعرض لها أمام مصر في تصفيات كأس العالم، مشيرًا إلى أن فريقه قادر على التأهل للمونديال.
وحقق منتخب مصر فوزًا صعبًا على بوركينا فاسو بهدفين مقابل هدف، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة من تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.
وقال تراوري في تصريحات بالمؤتمر الصحفي الذي عقد عقب المباراة: “أثبتنا أننا قادرون على التأهل لكأس العالم بعد ردة فعلنا عقب استقبال هدفين مبكرين”.
وأضاف تراوري: “لا تزال أمامنا فرصة للتأهل إلى نهائيات كأس العالم”.
فيديو | بالعلامة الكاملة.. منتخب مصر يفوز على بوركينا فاسو بثنائية في تصفيات كأس العالم
واعترف المدير الفني: “تأخرت في الدفع بالمهاجم محمد كوناتي، وسعيدو سيمبوري طور أداء الفريق ولكن لم أخطئ في تشكيل المنتخب”.
وعن التباين في المستوى بين الشوطين الأول والثاني، أوضح: “مصر بدأت بداية قوية جدًا وسجلت هدفين وذلك صعب الأمور علينا”.
وأتم: “خط دفاعنا ليس سيئًا، جميعهم جيدون ومنهم من كان يلعب نهائي الدوري الأوروبي”.
وتقام تصفيات قارة إفريقيا المؤهلة لنهائيات كأس العالم بشكل جديد بعد زيادة عدد مقاعد منتخبات إفريقيا لـ9 ونصف، إثر ارتفاع عدد المنتخبات المشاركة في المونديال المقبل.
وتم تقسيم الـ54 منتخبًا إفريقيًا على 9 مجموعات بواقع ستة في المجموعة الواحدة، ويتأهل متصدر كل مجموعة مباشرة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم، فيما يتنافس أفضل أربع منتخبات أصحاب المركز الثاني على النصف مقعد المتبقي بنظام الملحق القاري ومن ثم الإقليمي.
ويحتل منتخب مصر صدارة ترتيب المجموعة الأولى برصيد تسعة نقاط، حصدها من 3 انتصارات متتالية، فيما يأتي منتخب بوركينا ثالثًا في الترتيب برصيد 4 نقاط”.
ويتواجد منتخب مصر على رأس المجموعة الأولى بـ تصفيات كأس العالم التي تضم إلى جواره منتخبات بوركينا فاسو وغينيا بيساو. وسيراليون وإثيوبيا وجيبوتي.
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.
Unai Emery
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.
Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings.
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.
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.
After the second ODI, in which Colin Munro was bowled by a Bhuvneshwar Kumar slower ball, Munro was a little lost.Munro had been part of an experiment New Zealand cricket had undertaken to find a way to beat India with the limited experience they had of playing high-quality spin. They took one of their best batsmen of spin in recent times, Tom Latham, and put him in the middle order. Jack in the box, switch-hit expert, Munro was asked to open to make use of Powerplay overs and hurt India before they get into their favourite part of the game: when the ball is old and the field spread. This was Munro’s chance to find himself a more permanent place in the ODIs and also bring back some of the x-factor that left New Zealand’s ODI cricket with Brendon McCullum’s retirement.Incidentally, McCullum was one of the bigger fans of the move to have Munro open the innings with Martin Guptill. He tweeted: “Massive fan of @manuz05 batting at the top with one of our best ODI players ever @Martyguptill. Ride the ups and downs, gun combo!” Not just for Munro and Latham, if it worked, this move could do wonders for Guptill by relieving him of the pressure of forcing the pace early so he can set himself up for the long innings that he loves.Two innings into the experiment, Munro didn’t feel that good. His early hitting had surprised India in Mumbai, but two slower balls later, Munro had just 38 runs from 52 balls over two innings. He then texted the man who had tweeted his support earlier.”It’s a funny one actually,” Munro said if he had had any interaction with McCullum. “After the second game I was… I wouldn’t call it ‘down’, but I hadn’t got off to the start I wanted to in terms of opening the batting. So I sent him a few text messages just asking his thoughts and let him know what I was thinking.”He again came out and said, ‘No, you’ve sort of got a good record in T20 the way you play at the top of the order, so you can try and commit that same thing in the one-day game. Go out there and express yourself. Give yourself however long it takes, whether it is one ball, two balls or sometimes it could be three or four, if the bowlers are bowling well.’ So funny that you bring that up. Just before that last game I had a good conversation with him.”It is not a surprise that this almost pinch-hitting strategy was not a runaway success. There is much two-way feedback between coaches and bowlers nowadays than in the 1990s. Bowlers are smarter; they watch a lot more footage than they did earlier. India quickly found out a way to bowl after Munro’s quick start in Mumbai: bowl short, bowl slow. To figure out how hard to go when the bowlers were not reacting to early pressure was the challenge for Munro.”The big challenge for me was just finding a good tempo to bat at,” Munro said. “I like to say that I want to go in and try and blast off in the first ten but it’s not always going to be the case, especially when you’re playing against Bhuvi and [Jasprit] Bumrah. They’re probably the best opening bowlers in these conditions going around the world. It’s always a bit hard to start off. I thought I did okay in the first game. Second game, not so well but you got to take those.”The chat with seniors reinforced the need to bat the way he usually did. He did exactly that at the start of the third ODI, chasing 338. He shimmied across to the first ball he faced and played a pick-up for a six. He ended up with 75 off 62, New Zealand nearly pulled off an incredible chase, and the experiment can be termed a success now, especially given Latham’s utility down the order.”And then obviously just having a chat with the senior players in the team who said, ‘Just go out and take your Twenty20 game and see how it goes.’ Luckily, for me it came off,” Munro said. “Like I said earlier, there’s going to be sometimes pressure at the top of the order where you get good balls or sometimes just myself, by throwing my wicket away given the way that I play. For me it’s more a mental shift in terms of taking the good with the bad, especially in this game where you fail a lot more than you succeed. That’s the going to be the biggest change in mindset.”Munro will like to carry on with that slot, hopefully in more batting-friendly conditions. “I hope so,” Munro said when asked if he is looking at a longer run at that slot, “because if I come out and not be so successful it won’t be good for the team. So whatever is good for the team. If that means me batting at the top of the order and bowling a few overs or working more on my bowling and coming through that middle stage, it doesn’t bother me. Whatever is good for the team. Might be different conditions here in India. Could get off to a good start, especially with the spinners in the middle.”For the moment, though, Kane Williamson might split Guptill and Munro, who might follow at No. 3 in the T20Is. Yet, he will now get to do what they have all been asking him to do: bring your T20 game.
In the newest chapter of a sorry saga for the fast bowler, a return to bowling has re-aggravated his previous back stress fracture, a matter of months after he was ruled out of the tours of Bangladesh and India
Daniel Brettig04-Oct-20170:34
Quick Facts – James Pattinson
James Pattinson, touted as the fourth member of Australia’s Ashes pace barrage, is out of the 2017-18 Ashes series and faces a clouded future after medical staff confirmed the seriousness of his latest back injury.In the newest chapter of a sorry saga for Pattinson, a return to bowling has re-aggravated his previous back stress fracture, a matter of months after he was ruled out of the tours of Bangladesh and India due to pain he complained of following appearances in the English county season and then the Champions Trophy.”Soon after returning from the UK, following the Champions Trophy and his county cricket contract, James presented with back pain,” Cricket Australias head of sports science, Alex Kountouris, said. “We made the decision to withdraw him from the Tour of Bangladesh and monitor his pain. He returned to bowling after a period of rest and unfortunately he is still experiencing pain with bowling.”During this time we have been monitoring him, including regular scans and recent imaging has confirmed that James has begun to re-aggravate his previous lower back stress fracture. As such, he has discontinued bowling as part of his recovery which unfortunately means that he will be unavailable for the beginning of the Sheffield Shield and subsequently Ashes campaign.”At the age of 27, Pattinson has endured multiple stress fractures in his back, which Kountouris said was causing a flow-on effect, in that one part of his spine faces more stress than it would in other cases. This diagnosis leaves Pattinson and medical staff with a difficult road ahead to chart a path back to a more sustainable bowling career.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Earlier this year, Pattinson revealed he had asked not to be considered for selection for the India Test tour in order not to be rushed back from injury. “I had a chat with the selectors before this series, saying that I just wanted to really get through this Shield season,” Pattinson said in March.”I know the last two times I’ve done something like this, flown over to a series where it’s in the balance and there’s the potential of me bowling close to 40, 50 overs, which I have – in South Africa in 2014 I did it, and then last year I did the same thing in New Zealand, going in with not a lot of cricket, and it hasn’t really turned out very well for me. We didn’t want to make that same mistake again, because at 26, if I went over there and did my back again or something, it would be not an ideal thing for the third time.”Much of CA’s approach to fast bowlers is based upon the theory that pace bowlers’ bodies don’t fully mature until around the age of 25, making it vital that they do not develop chronic injuries while still growing. That theory has been governed largely by case studies such as that of Bruce Reid, the left-arm paceman who took on a heavy load for Australia at a young age before losing most of his prime years due to chronic back problems.”Whilst this is very disappointing that James has re-aggravated this old injury, we are confident that he can recover from this and return to playing,” Kountouris said. “However, James’ current injury is complex because his history of old stress fractures from his teenage years means there is one part of his spine that absorbs more force than it would normally do.”This is the area of the current re-aggravation but we are hopeful that we can put strategies in place to help manage this when James returns to playing.”Pattinson, who has previously spoken about the mental toll of long months rehabilitating alone, away from the camaraderie of a cricket dressing room, was distraught at the news. “Obviously I am extremely disappointed with this setback after just getting back into a good run of playing cricket,” he said.”I’m especially disappointed to miss out on the possibility to play in a home Ashes series. Over the next few weeks I will discuss all available options available to me with medical staff, to work out the best plan to prevent this from happening again.”Pat Cummins is presently the only member of the aforementioned quartet to be fully fit, and is currently resting after the ODI series in India. Mitchell Starc is due to return from a foot injury for New South Wales in their next domestic limited-overs fixture, while Josh Hazlewood is in the latter stages of recovery from a side strain. Nathan Coulter-Nile, who bowled impressively in India, is now expected to be a part of Australia’s Ashes squad in Pattinson’s stead.
Aston Villa are still keen on signing Leeds United youngster Wilfried Gnonto this summer, but Everton appear to be ahead of them in the race.
What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?
The Villans had such an enjoyable second-half of last season, excelling with Unai Emery at the helm and eventually finishing seventh in the Premier League, qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League in the process. It was a run of form that few saw coming, but they are now in a position where they can improve even further this summer.
Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres have already completed exciting-looking moves to Villa Park, which has the potential to make Emery's team more formidable, but it would be a big surprise if their spending stopped there.
Another player who has been linked with a summer move to the club is Gnonto, who caught the eye for Leeds last term, standing out as a rare spark in an otherwise confidence-sapping campaign for the Whites. The young Italian scored twice and got four assists in the league, and was arguably one of the few players at Elland Road who looked like providing some attacking magic during games.
Now, a new update has emerged regarding the 19-year-old's future, with Villa still in the mix to sign him, but certainly not having things their own way.
Who is signing Wilfried Gnonto?
According to Sport Mediaset [via Sport Witness], Gnonto has the option to join either Villa or Everton this summer, with an exit from Leeds expected due to their relegation to the Championship.
It is stated that the Villans will have to "exceed" the Blues' bid for the winger, however, if they want to have a chance of pipping them to his signature, which is €18m plus €6m in bonuses (£20.6m total). NSWE have made contact with the player and talks could possibly intensify in the coming days.
While Gnonto may not be a guaranteed starter for Villa next season, unlike immediate key men in Tielemans and Torres, he could still be a fantastic signing who is viewed as a long-term addition with a high ceiling.
The Leeds ace has won 12 caps for Italy, despite not yet turning 20 – Leeds coach Michael Skubala has also described him as "special" – and he did enough in a struggling team last term to show what he is capable of in wide areas, combining quick feet, blistering pace and end product that will only improve with age.
With all due respect to Everton, they could again find themselves in a relegation battle for a third year in a row, whereas Villa really do look like they are going places under Emery, making strong signings, having plenty of money to spend and looking to even push for a top-six finish in the Premier League in 2023/24.
They are the more exciting proposition, but the one potential issue is that the Merseysiders could promise him more regular football from the off, which could appeal to Gnonto at this stage in his career, rather than warming the substitutes' bench and having to accept Emery's rotation across four competitions.
Steven Smith admitted his Australia side “got away with one” after rain forced an abandonment in their ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand at Edgbaston
George Dobell at Edgbaston02-Jun-2017
Josh Hazlewood took career-best figures, but Steven Smith was unhappy with Australia’s bowling performance•Getty Images
Steven Smith admitted his Australia side “got away with one” after rain forced an abandonment in their ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand at Edgbaston.Smith criticised his seamers for “one of the worst bowling displays that we’ve put on for a very long time,” as New Zealand amassed 254 for three at the end of the 39th over. And while he felt they clawed back some ground in the final six overs of the innings – New Zealand lost seven wickets for 37 runs in that period – he still accepted Australia would “have preferred to been in New Zealand’s position” when the rain came.”I thought it was probably one of the worst bowling displays that we’ve put on for a very long time,” Smith said after the match. “We bowled both sides of wicket. We gave them a lot of freebies. It was pretty ordinary.”We certainly would have preferred to be in New Zealand’s position when we came off the end there. We still had a lot of work to do and they’ve got a quality bowling attack as well. So we perhaps got away with one there.”Australia were wobbling at 53 for 3 when the match was abandoned. Both sides took a point from the game and realistically have to win both their remaining matches if they are to progress to the semi-finals.While Smith suggested “rust” might have been a factor in the performance – Mitchell Starc hasn’t played a white-ball match since February and any sort of cricket since early March, while Josh Hazlewood played just one warm-up match in a similar period – both he and opposing captain, Kane Williamson, noted the aggression of the New Zealand top order as a factor in unsettling the Australian attack.”Let’s hope it’s rust and let’s hope it’s gone,” Smith said. “Because that was, as I said, was pretty ordinary.”But credit to them. They came out quite hard and played quite well up top. And Kane timed his innings beautifully and played really well throughout the middle.”With Luke Ronchi, once an Australia player, thrashing a brisk half-century, New Zealand raced to 117 for one in the 16th over. Willaimson felt that approach may have been partially responsible for the off-colour performance from the Australian bowlers.”I thought the opening partnership from us was very, very good,” Williamson said. “And put them under a bit of pressure on a good batting surface.”I thought Ronchi was outstanding setting the tone today. Martin Guptill as well. That was a very good partnership at the top of the order against a very good bowling attack. It was a great effort by Luke and very good innings.”Both captains agreed the result was “not ideal” and accepted their sides had to win their final two games in the group stages to stand a reasonable chance of progressing.”The nature of this tournament is that every game is basically knockout,” Williamson said. “We played some good cricket and we can’t control the weather. Although it is a little bit frustrating.””It’s obviously not ideal to have a washout,” Smith said. “So for us now it’s about making sure that we’re playing each game like a final and winning the next two. It’s a pretty quick tournament. You can’t really afford a washout or a loss.”
Arsenal are reportedly remaining in the race to sign Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, as the Gunners prepare for a potential exit in the strike role this summer.
The future of Folarin Balogun is an ongoing saga, with the returning loanee making it clear that he doesn’t wish to exit the club on a loan deal or be handed a sporadic role at the Emirates.
It was claimed by football.london this week that the 22-year-old could have an ‘exit plan’ with a host of clubs interested in the £50m striker.
Mikel Arteta could find his successor to the Hale End product this summer, with Wahi re-emerging as a potential target.
Could Arsenal sign Elye Wahi?
As reported by Foot Mercato, Arsenal ‘remain in the race’ for the 20-year-old, who they reportedly eyed back in January.
Newcastle United and Chelsea are named as other Premier League representatives interested in the striker, who is expected to leave Montpellier this summer.
The report also states that the French outfit value their forward at ‘no less than’ €40m (£34m).
How good is Elye Wahi?
After netting 19 goals in Ligue 1, there’s little surprise that the young Frenchman is attracting interest from the Premier League this summer.
Once hailed as a “superstar” by U23 talent scout Antonio Mango, the 20-year-old forward could be a strong option for Edu to contemplate if Balogun was to depart north London.
With 21 goals in Ligue 1 last term, the Gunners could be juggling between pleasing the talent they already possess and replacing him with a player that has similar attributes to him.
folarin-balogun-premier-league-west-ham-transfers
Gabriel Jesus is expected to remain as Arteta’s favourite, so it will be difficult for Arsenal to give Balogun the assurance that he will be number one with the likes of Leandro Trossard and Eddie Nketiah poised behind the Brazilian in the pecking order.
It’s speculated that the north Londoners have placed a £50m price tag on the youngster with a move potentially on the cards.
Links to Wahi could come at a positive time, as the club weigh up the future both with and without the United States international.
Also lauded as being “one of the most prolific U21’s in Europe” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Wahi is an in-demand talent in the continent, averaging a goal every 133 minutes in Ligue 1 last term.
As per FBref, the Frenchman averaged a higher number of non-penalty goals per 90 than Balogun, recording 0.64 per 90 to the American’s 0.45.
Averaging 1.2 shots on target per game last season as well as 1.43 carries into the penalty area per 90, it’s clear to see the threat that the Montpellier sensation possesses in the final third.
The youngster could also potentially be a stronger asset creatively than the United States international, suggested by his five assists this season in comparison to the Arsenal starlet’s two for Reims.
It’s a favourable position for the Gunners to be in to be rumoured to have the option between two outstanding forward talents, with all speculation dependent on Balogun’s next move.
For Arsenal, adding a talent as dynamic as the Hale End graduate is essential should they allow the 22-year-old to depart for a guaranteed starting spot.
Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, with the Serie A side reportedly willing to sell the player this summer.
Is Sofyan Amrabat signing for Man United?
The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have already bolstered their midfield ranks ahead of the 2023/24 season by signing Mason Mount from Chelsea.
The England international has been backed by Old Trafford officials with a five-year deal as well as being given the famous number 7 shirt. He may not be the only midfield addition, though, with rumours circling over a swoop for Amrabat.
Sky Sports have reported that Man United are looking at a move for Amrabat, although any transfer would depend on sales. Elsewhere, there has been claims that United and Amrabat have already agreed on personal terms ahead of a potential Old Trafford transfer.
There has now been a further update and one that seems to be a boost for Man United and Ten Hag, with the midfielder now into the final 12 months of his current contract.
The Faithful MUFC relayed an update from Corriere dello Sport in the last 48 hors regarding Amrabat and Man United. The report claims that Fiorentina are prepared to sell the midfielder to the Red Devils and want those at Old Trafford to come forward with an offer in the region of €30m (£25m).
It is believed that Fiorentina are closing in on signing Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand from fellow Serie A side Lecce as a replacement for Amrabat.
Amrabat appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation and caught the eye at last year’s World Cup in Qatar, helping Morocco to the semi-finals.
He was praised by former England manager Fabio Capello as a result, with the Italian comparing him to iconic midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.
"If I have to name one name, besides the well-known Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, it would be Amrabat. He is essential for balance and a great runner. I read that he covered more than fourteen kilometres against Spain. I see him as the Gennaro Gattuso of Morocco."
The 26-year-old, hailed as a "monster" in the media, can play as a holding or central midfielder and actually shares the same agency as Man United left-back Luke Shaw.
Amrabat began his career in the Netherlands with FC Utrecht where he made 50 appearances under Ten Hag before moving to Feyenoord and then to Belgium with Club Brugge.
Should he make the move to Manchester over the coming weeks, Amrabat could provide Ten Hag with another high-quality holding or central midfield option, potentially seeing him rival the likes of Casemiro and Mount.
Amrabat’s quality in possession is highlighted by FBref, who have him ranked in the top 10% of midfielders for passes completed, passes into the final third and progressive passes. He also ranks highly when it comes to stopping opposing players in full flow, so he could be another smart signing by United, and by the looks of things, a deal is now there to be done.