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Deals may not have been finalised yet but Aston Villa will sell Douglas Luiz to Juventus, collecting cash, midfielder Enzo Barrenechea and talented winger Samuel Iling-Junior in return.

The Premier League's profit and sustainability (PSR) rules have dictated the summer but the June 30 deadline looms large. Luckily, Villa's prudency has seen them successfully circumvent the possibility of breaching such rules. Now, with Champions League football lying ahead, Unai Emery's outfit can make real headway.

Aforementioned signings are augmented by the nearly-completed move for Ross Barkley, but Luiz's sale marks the loss of a true linchpin, and Emery looks eager to push ahead and sign another replacement.

Villa eyeing Douglas Luiz replacement

According to Spanish outlet AS earlier this week, Aston Villa are tussling with a number of top European clubs for Real Sociedad midfielder Brais Mendez, who has a €60m (£52m) release clause in his contract.

The Spaniard is considered a fundamental, near irreplaceable member of Imanol Alguacil's team, but if Villa endeavour to meet his buyout price, he may well find himself pulled toward the English Midlands.

Why Villa are interested in Brais Mendez

Last season, Sociedad finished sixth in La Liga and Mendez proved his level as one of the standout performers, making good on past praise from journalist Zach Lowy that he is a player of "sensational" quality.

Across 44 appearances in all competitions, he scored eight goals and added nine assists, also winning 1.3 tackles and 4.6 duels per match average in the Spanish top flight, as per Sofascore, to underscore his multi-strength skill set.

A dynamic midfielder, Mendez would emulate Luiz's impressive attacking instinct, with his goal and assist tally from last season ranking him among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 10% for assists and the top 13% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

This could compensate for the departure of Luiz and then some, who ranks among the top 16% of midfielders for goals, the top 22% for assists and the top 17% for shot-creating actions per 90 himself.

Attacking midfield

18

3

5

Central midfield

13

1

2

Right winger

6

3

2

Centre-forward

1

0

0

As you can see, he's not shackled to one position, instead enjoying sweeping success across a range of roles – even competent on the right flank when called upon.

But he'd principally be utilised in the centre of the park, pulled into a more industrious, but still forward-moving, role to tailor toward Emery's system.

In this sense, he truly would be a fantastic replacement for Luiz. Barkley too offers a range of versatile tools to ensure success at Villa Park but Mendez has proven himself to be a player of flair and unique ability from the middle.

A "smooth operator" – as noted by an effusive Lowy – the £36k-per-week ace is daring and deadly from behind the frontline, something that Luiz has also demonstrably succeeded in being at Aston Villa.

Moreover, given the nature of the Brazilian's (soon former) modus operandi under Emery, he averaged 1.7 tackles and 4.2 successful duels per Premier League match in 2023/24, Mendez would be a terrific heir.

Further players Mendez could replace

With Barkley joining a talented group of forward-thinking midfielders consisting of John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and, sometimes, Morgan Rogers, it might feel a tad congested, with Luiz never really deployed further up the field, instead moving forward at an apt opportunity to wreak chaos.

Might another sale be necessary? According to The Times, Aston Villa have recently rejected a £20m offer from Tottenham Hotspur for Ramsey, with the player-plus-cash trend this summer at the centre once again, with Giovani Lo Celso offered.

Lo Celso has never nailed down a starting spot at Spurs since signing for an eventual total of £42m in 2018, despite his patent passing pedigree. He might prove to be a square peg in a round hole under Emery, simply a number and unable to perform the many-faceted jobs to the desired standard.

Ramsey, however, is not unexpendable despite Emery's desire to retain his services, with the Lions making it known that the homegrown attacking midfielder would require a fee of £40-50m to prise from Villa Park.

Mendez could prove to be an upgrade on the 23-year-old, who is talented but inconsistent and marred by setbacks, starting only eight Premier League matches last season and last completing a competitive appearance in early March due to a toe injury.

Still, Ramsey is a good player and excels when unshackled and pointed toward the opposing penalty area, using his wheels to drive forward and strike on goal or thread balls into the path of striking teammates.

Furthermore, he carries a robust and defensively aware style of play that mirrors that of Mendez, with the boyhood Villan averaging 2.0 tackles and 4.6 successful duels per game during the 2022/23 season, when he enjoyed far brighter fortunes on the injury front and posted six goals and seven assists from 31 starting appearances in the English top flight.

There's no question that Villa wish to keep Ramsey at the club but given the need to continue to appease PSR rules and the fact that Mendez could be brought in as a more complete and clinical replacement, it might be worth allowing him to leave, should the lofty price tag be met by a team like Tottenham.

Clearly, Mendez might just be the full package to fire Aston Villa toward new levels of success. With Champions League football beckoning, the Spain star would be a fitting replacement for an outgoing stalwart in Luiz, and potentially even Ramsey too.

New bid incoming: Aston Villa lining up "monster" Cash upgrade

Unai Emery is aiming to sign a talented Italian defender this summer…

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 26, 2024

David Beckham has been told when he can expect to become a “sir”, with the Manchester United legend and Inter Miami co-owner waiting on a knighthood.

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Ex-England captain working with MessiFocused on commitments in FloridaTipped to become a knight at some stageFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Talk of the ex-England captain becoming a knight has raged since his playing days, with the iconic No.7 taking on a number of charitable roles before hanging up his boots. He has rubbed shoulders with royalty down the years, including King Charles and Prince William, but has never been invited to receive the most distinguished of individual honours.

AdvertisementGettyTHE GOSSIP

Beckham does have an OBE and is expected to become Sir David at some stage. That may not happen until his commitments at MLS side Inter Miami – where is now working with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi – are reined in.

WHAT PAUL BURRELL SAID

Ex-royal staff member Paul Burrell, who was once butler to Princess Diana, has told : “We haven't seen [Beckham knighted] yet because A, he's not old enough and B, he hasn't earned his stripes yet and C, he's still in a very commercial world.

“David Beckham is everywhere. He's sponsoring and commercialising himself. Obviously, this is the end of his career. And once this phase is over, the commercial phase, and he goes back into charitable work because you've seen him with William, you've seen him with the King. He's obviously been fast tracked for a knighthood, but not just yet and they're keeping him just dangling for a while. Because, you know, they're waiting to see what happens.”

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Burrell added: “I think he is an excellent ambassador, not only for charitable foundations, but for our country. I think he's shown his worth, and I'm expecting it. Of course it's going to happen. The question is, when. When will the King finally say it's time for David to receive his knighthood?

“I think he has to put some more work into the King's Trust, and I think he'll be seen many more times with the King and William before that honour comes his way. It's a much sought after honour, it's one that's eluded him, but it will come his way, he just has to be more patient. It's on its way. It’s not in the post yet, but it's on its way. His name is on the King’s desk!”

Popular Sydney Sixers bowler who played three matches for Australia calls time on WBBL career

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2020Sarah Aley has announced her retirement, taking to Instragram to reveal she played her last match for Sydney Sixers in the WBBL at the weekend.The Sixers failed to make the tournament finals, which start on Wednesday, but they upset the top-placed Melbourne Stars by five wickets in their last match of the season.Afterwards Aley, the 36-year-old medium pacer who played three matches for Australia, wrote on Instagram: “Well the cat is outta the bag… It’s time to call it a day. Have loved every moment in magenta with the @sixersbbl…”ALSO READ: Century ‘didn’t really mean a lot’ to Alyssa HealyAley took an excellent catch on the boundary at deep midwicket, juggling the ball and holding on at second grab to dismiss the Stars’ and England’s Nat Sciver on Sunday. It prompted Alyssa Healy, who scored a stunning 48-ball century in the match, to muse that she and her team-mates believed Aley was going to “go out in style”.”She’s really busy working full-time outside of cricket and taking up some coaching roles so I think that’s the last time that we’ll see her out here which is such a shame considering she had more energy than the 17, 18 year olds out there today in the field,” Healy told a post-match press conference.”She’s been such a good mate of mine and such a good team-mate to have alongside you and she’s done some amazing things for the Sixers.”She’s just one of those true champions of the game that people will talk about and in 10 to 15 years’ time, ‘remember Sarah Aley?’ and everyone who played with her said, ‘yep, I remember the passion that she brought to the game,’ so it will be a sad loss.”

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Healy also gave a glowing video tribute on the Cricket NSW website when Aley retired from the Breakers in May after a Women’s National Cricket League career spanning 16 seasons, describing Aley as “the lifeblood of this team for a very long period of time”. Then Healy described seeing her friend get the opportunity to play for Australia as “still one of the proudest moments of my career”.Aley played one ODI for Australia against Pakistan at the 2017 World Cup and two T20Is, both against England in Australia later that year.Aley played all six editions of the WBBL for Sixers and began this season in second place behind Melbourne Renegades’ Molly Strano on the competition’s all-time leading wicket takers list with 83 wickets at an average of 17.42. Strano went on to become the first player to claim 100 wickets in the WBBL and finished the season with 104, while Aley finished the season fourth on the all-time list with 89.In her second season in the competition, Aley claimed 28 wickets at 11.75, including 4-23 in the final against the Perth Scorchers. Her haul of 28 wickets remains the most wickets taken by any bowler in a single WBBL season.

Manchester United are still keen on signing a "phenomenal" new forward in the summer transfer window, with a player plus cash move involving a current Red Devils star possibly on the cards.

Man Utd transfer news

Erik ten Hag will be hoping to see his squad improve significantly ahead of next season, following a disappointing campaign overall that saw his side finish eighth in the Premier League table.

It will be fascinating to see which new signings come in at Old Trafford, and it looks as though Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is still a leading option to come in and boost the defensive options on show. Raphael Varane has left, while Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans aren't the answers, and the England international could be an exciting addition.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag has reportedly personally held talks with Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee over a switch to United in the near future, with the Dutchman seen as someone who could add more goals in the final third. He has 23 goal contributions (14 goals and nine assists) in 58 appearances for Bologna, and at 23 years of age, his best years are likely to lie ahead.

The Red Devils are believed to be willing to double Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo's wages, too, with the Uruguayan currently earning £114,000 per week at the Catalan giants. He could represent a more experienced option to Branthwaite, should the Everton man end up not joining.

Man Utd want "phenomenal" striker

According to La Repubblica [via Sport Witness], Manchester United haven't given up hope of signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen yet, with the Nigerian expected to leave his current club in the current transfer window for a fee in the region of £85m.

The report says that "in recent months, United have tried to convince Napoli for Osimhen", offering money plus the services of Rasmus Hojlund, which may come as something of a surprise, but the report claims this is an idea which could now be revisited after the arrival of Dan Ashworth.

Osimhen is one of the world's leading strikers at the moment, considering he has scored 76 goals in just 133 matches for Napoli, as well as being hailed by Walter Mazzarri, who heaped praise on him: "Osimhen is phenomenal because he runs alone at five players and gets through. If you look at genuine scoring opportunities, compared to the number Napoli created lately, I didn’t see that many."

While the 25-year-old is clearly an elite-level striker who could be a devastating addition for United, selling Hojlund would seem like a strange decision, considering his long-term potential. Granted, he hasn't yet set the world alight at Old Trafford, but he has done enough to suggest that he is a star of the future, scoring 16 times in 43 appearances for the Red Devils.

Dan Ashworth start date at Man Utd revealed as Ratcliffe reaches agreement

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has sealed a massive addition.

3 ByHenry Jackson Jul 1, 2024

That being said, if push truly comes to shove this summer, Osimhen would still represent an immediate upgrade on Hojlund and become a potential icon at Old Trafford, kicking off the Ashworth era in style and acquiring the services of a wonderful footballer.

Celtic have less than two months left to bring in any additions they want to make to the squad before the summer transfer window slams shut.

The Hoops are reportedly confident of securing a permanent deal to sign Irish forward Adam Idah from Norwich City on a permanent deal, following his loan spell at Parkhead last season.

Brendan Rodgers' side are also said to be in talks over a swoop to bring back Paulo Bernardo on a permanent transfer, after his loan stint from Benfica.

The Scottish Premiership champions are now reportedly looking at another potential signing to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

Celtic eyeing up young midfielder

According to Football Scotland, the Scottish giants are keen on a deal to sign central midfielder Jakub Kaluzinski from Turkish side Antalyaspor.

The report claims that the Hoops have been keeping tabs on the Polish starlet for a long time, predating back to his spell with Legia Gdańsk in Poland before his move to Turkey.

It states that a deal to sign the 21-year-old maestro would cost around £3.5m and that Spanish side Real Valladolid have already tabled an offer, which means that the Bhoys may have to move quickly if they want to sign him.

Therefore, it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops can get a deal over the line for the young talent. However, if they can then they could secure a dream upgrade on Tomoki Iwata in midfield.

Why Celtic should sign Jakub Kaluzinski

The Japanese midfielder emerged as an option for Rodgers in the number six role during the second half of last season and provided a platform from which the likes of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, Bernardo, and Matt O'Riley were able to build.

Kaluzinski, however, is six years younger than Iwata and his form during the 2023/24 campaign suggests that he would already offer more to the team.

The 21-year-old ace, who has been described as a 'big talent brewing' by Scouting Polska on X, is an athletic midfielder who can provide reliability in possession whilst also putting himself around on the field to win duels.

Appearances

31

19

Big chances created

5

1

Key passes per game

0.6

0.4

Pass accuracy

88%

90%

Duels won per game

3.1

1.9

Aerial duel success rate

52%

47%

As you can see in the table above, the Polish gem provided his team with more creativity, with more key passes and 'big chances' created, than Iwata at league level last term.

He also won more duels and came out on top in the majority of his aerial contests, which suggests that the £3.5m ace could add more steel to Celtic out of possession in the number six role.

Kaluzinski also averaged 4.9 ball recoveries per game in comparison to Iwata's 3.7 and this shows that he can sweep up play to win the ball back more frequently in midfield.

Overall, these statistics indicate that the Hoops transfer target could come in as an upgrade on the Japan international, whilst also having six extra years on him to continue to develop and improve, which is why the club should push to sign him.

Celtic set to pull off "miracle" as £4m+ sale of forward expected

The Hoops are reportedly set to cash in on the rarely-seen attacker this summer.

1 ByDan Emery Jul 9, 2024

“I just backed my strengths – the yorkers and cutters,” Natarajan said of his impressive performance

Deivarayan Muthu08-Dec-2020India captain Virat Kohli has said that T Natarajan could be in contention for the T20 World Cup next year at home if the left-arm seamer builds on his impressive start in Australia. On his first international tour, Natarajan stepped up with his yorkers and slower variations, in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, helping India to a 2-1 T20I series win. Natarajan made an impact on his ODI debut as well, picking the wickets of Marnus Labuchange and Ashton Agar in another match-winning spell in the third game of the series.ALSO WATCH: T Natarajan ends Glenn Maxwell’s innings (India subcontinent only)”Natarajan – special mention to him because in the absence of [Mohammed] Shami and Bumrah, he’s been the guy who has stood up and really delivered under pressure which is outstanding for the fact that he’s playing his first few games at the international level,” Kohli said during a virtual media interaction. “He’s very composed, very sure of what he wants to do. He’s a very hardworking guy, very humble guy, and you feel happy for guys who are committed and working hard for the team when they get the results and make the team win.”So, I wish him all the best and I hope that he continues to work hard on his game and continues to get better because a left-arm bowler is always an asset for any team. So if he can bowl that well consistently it will be a great thing for us heading into to the [T20] World Cup next year.”

Natarajan, you were outstanding this series. To perform brilliantly in difficult conditions on your India debut speaks volumes of your talent and hardwork You deserve Man of the Series from my side bhai! Congratulations to #TeamIndia on the win pic.twitter.com/gguk4WIlQD

— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) December 8, 2020

The T20I leg of the tour ended with Natarajan posing with both the series trophy and the Player-of-the-Series trophy, which Hardik Pandya had handed over to him, in the team photo. Natarajan wasn’t supposed to be in India’s T20I squad in the first place. He was originally picked as a net bowler, but an injury to mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy opened up an opportunity and he seized it with a chart-topping six wickets at an economy rate of 6.91 in a high-scoring T20I series.Speaking to Sony Pictures Network, Natarajan said that he didn’t burden himself with expectations and simply backed himself to execute his skills.”I’m very happy to have played against a good team in Australia and won the series,” Natarajan said. “I have no words to describe my happiness. I didn’t have many expectations. I just came in as a net bowler and then because of some injuries I got a chance. I just wanted to utilise that chance. I was in good form in the IPL which helped me. Everyone around me supported me and motivated me, so I had the confidence to do well here.”In the second T20I, Natarajan showed that there’s more to him than just the yorker, bowling offcutters into the Sydney pitch and threatening the edges of the bat. On a used Sydney pitch on Tuesday, Natarajan rolled out more cutters to pull Australia back in the slog overs.”I just backed my strengths – the yorkers and cutters. Depending on the conditions, I ask the wicketkeeper or captain whether I need to bowl the slower ones or yorker. I adapt to it depending on that. I didn’t change too much about my bowling. Whatever I did in the IPL, I wanted to do it in Australia and wanted to execute it cleanly.”It has been an incredible couple of months for Natarajan. On the day he became a new dad, he yorked AB de Villiers with what was arguably the ball of IPL 2020. He then received his maiden T20I cap from one of his heroes Bumrah earlier this month in Canberra. If Natarajan continues to evolve, he could well be bowling alongside Bumrah in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the death overs.

Adams played 10 minutes in his return, his first action for the Cherries since May.

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Adams made his return to club action against VillaJust his four appearance for Bournemouth since joining in 2023Bournemouth stunned Villa with extra time goalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international Tyler Adams is finally back to club action with AFC Bournemouth after spending months in recovery from a back surgery following the 2024 Copa America. The midfielder made a late appearance as an 80th minute substitute and played a small part in the club's surprising 1-1 draw over third-placed Aston Villa.

With Bournemouth staring at a 1-0 defeat, Evanilson would deliver a crucial headed goal at the 90+6 mark of extra time – ensuring the Cherries would split the points at Villa Park.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Adams didn't have much time to make an impression but his return will only boost a Bournemouth side that have turned heads in Andoni Iraola's second season in charge.

The side, expected to be among the bottom half of the table, is currently 10th and have stunned top tier sides like Arsenal and now Aston Villa.

Adams, when healthy, is one of the top ball-winning midfielders in Europe. It will be interesting to see how he is integrated back into the squad as injuries limited him to just three league appearances last season.

Getty Images EntertainmentDID YOU KNOW?

Iraola actually played his final professional season in MLS as a member of the 2016 NYCFC squad, which finished second to the Eastern Conference-leading New York Red Bulls – a team that Adams was on.

While Adams and Iraola didn’t face each other that season — Adams was mainly starring for the Red Bulls' development team — both men have been part of the Hudson River Rivalry. Now, they work together in the Premier League.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BOURNEMOUTH?

Adams will hope to see more action when Bournemouth host Manchester City on Nov. 2.

The two England internationals have become spearheads at their respective clubs and are among the best players in the country

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For most of the 2020s, Bukayo Saka has been London's most popular player. His standing as the homegrown hero at the capital's most-supported club, combined with an inoffensiveness and lack of boastful arrogance to the neutral, has made him an attraction as notable as Big Ben or Buckingham Palace, an icon on his way to red bus and red phone box immortality. He is Arsenal's best player in the Emirates Stadium era.

But into the picture has come Cole Palmer, an out-of-town Mancunian making himself a home at Chelsea. The 22-year-old's unassuming charisma and number-running has served as catnip to the football world, particularly down in the Big Smoke. He is the early-season favourite to take various Player of the Year awards.

Saka and Palmer bring similar skillsets to the table, and right now are doing much of the heavy lifting to carry the hopes of their respective teams this season. The Gunners' regression has seen the already overworked Saka take on more of the creative and scoring burden, while Palmer is quite clearly the Blues' best shot of achieving anything of note in the BlueCo era.

Sunday's showdown at Stamford Bridge represents the perfect opportunity for Palmer to snatch the capital crown from Saka and kick-start Chelsea's new era, all the while tearing down the flailing hopes of Arsenal.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportMesmeric breakout

As is so often the case, criticism of Palmer for how many goals he scored from the penalty spot turned out to be completely disingenuous. During his ascent in 2023-24, he was quite obviously Chelsea's best player nine times out of 10 regardless and irrespective of his contributions from 12 yards.

Those spot-kicks did help as the amplifier of his impact into the wider football lexicon, however, and provide him the attention which his ability deserved. It's hard to ignore someone with more than 10 Premier League goals in their first season as a starter, but impossible if they reach 22.

Palmer was the go-to option for Chelsea within weeks of his arrival at the back-end of the summer 2023 transfer window, the latest success off the Mauricio Pochettino conveyor belt of young talent. The club's week-to-week soap opera didn't faze Palmer, who kept cool and cold while delivering the goods when his team needed him most. Had the season gone on for another fortnight or he had signed at the start of the window, Chelsea may well have done enough to leapfrog Aston Villa and Tottenham into the final Champions League spot.

Pochettino's foundations have been improved upon by Enzo Maresca and the many bodies of the recruitment team have found more quality in the market, allowing Palmer the support he needs to maintain his level and act as the leader by example to those around him.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChanging of the guard?

There is an excitement to the narrative around Palmer that no doubt helps him in debates against Saka. For example, he was named as England's Men's Player of the Year for 2024, despite making only a handful of starts when his positional rival was a near ever-present and contributed more to the team's success.

Palmer also has the flashier showreel to boast of – his first-half, four-goal haul against Brighton and worldie pass to set up a goal against Newcastle were enough to bring any grown adult to their knees in worship – and is more of a throwback 'moments' player, one that provides the aesthetics of a streets-won't-forget hero and the reliable contributions of a genuine superstar. Saka, though capable of the sublime and the stunning, is more involved in what his team does and doesn't get silenced out of some matchups the way the ganglier and less authoritative Palmer can be.

The Arsenal man doesn't quite have the same tip-toed bounce or on-the-spot jink either, not since he's been needed to knit together the Gunners' attack almost singlehandedly. The work Saka gets through is relenting and isn't as glitzy or glamorous. Losing out in the aesthetics department doesn't make you any worse of a player, though.

How the stats compare

The stats – at club level only from the start of the 2023-24 season, via – largely back up the eye test in the cases of Saka and Palmer. The Arsenal winger is more of a direct threat, with his Chelsea counterpart statistically bringing others into the game more often.

All the while, the physical toll on Saka is also glaringly noticeable, given he's played over 1,000 minutes more than Palmer yet travels further with the ball at his feet despite his added defensive load.

Bukayo SakaCole PalmerMatches played (starts, minutes)78 (74, 6,197)69 (55, 5,095)Goals (non-penalty goals)29 (23)36 (25)Assists2321Goals & assists per 90 minutes (minus penalties)0.76 (0.67)1.01 (0.81)Shot-creating actions (per 90 minutes)305 (5.40)218 (5.49)Take-ons (per 90 minutes)230 (3.34)146 (2.58)Successful take-ons (per 90 minutes)92 (1.34)66 (1.17)Progressive carries (per 90 minutes)267 (3.88)156 (2.76)Progressive passes (per 90 minutes)213 (3.09)270 (4.77)Tackles (per 90 minutes)108 (1.57)33 (0.58)Blocks (per 90 minutes)74 (1.07)25 (0.44)

In total, there isn't a lot to split them. You can make the case for either, which is precisely why Sunday's showdown will go some way to determining London's royalty.

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Getty Images SportDealing with pressure

The higher your aspirations, the more intense the pressure. That's just the world of sport, and it's the world Saka has been living in since Arsenal shed the skin of their previous under-achieving selves and cemented their status as genuine adversaries to Manchester City.

But the burden on the winger's shoulders still weighs that much heavier. He is one of the Gunners' own, the one who's been there right from the start of life after Arsene Wenger. He is the new hope leading the chase for the MacGuffin of a trophy.

Saka has already played a staggering 239 times for Arsenal by the age of just 23. Mikel Arteta so hugely depends on him not only because of his ludicrous tangible output, but the work he puts in going the other way as well. He has the energy – if only just about – to dig in his heels off the ball and withstand double and triple-teams on it.

Green has shown enough poise to suggest that the lessons of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be converted into truly influential displays

Daniel Brettig18-Jan-2021With the possible exception of Will Pucovski, seldom has more expectation accompanied a recent Australian debutant than that experienced by Cameron Green.He had undoubtedly scored the runs to warrant his place at such a young age, cracking comfortably more than 1000 with four sizeable centuries in his most recent 12 Sheffield Shield games. Green also carried the promise of a possibly dominant allrounder having first been chosen by Western Australia as a bowler and scooping plenty of wickets before he was held prisoner by a series of back problems.Add to this the prospect of starting out in the highest of high-profile Test series against India, and there was much for Green to take in, even before he took the batting and bowling creases. What spectators and viewers have seen of Green in the subsequent four matches is a player of enormous promise, undoubtedly, but one still smoothing the rough edges of his game with the bat and even more so with the ball.He has, as Simon Katich observed during his breakout innings of 84 at the SCG, “two gears”, those of stolid defence and then a much more freewheeling and powerful hitting game. The nuances of Test cricket require a range of different gears at many points in between those poles, as aptly demonstrated on the penultimate day of the series.Cameron Green punches down the ground•Getty ImagesGreen walked out to accompany a settled Steven Smith when Australia had just lost the fourth wicket of the morning session, Matthew Wade glancing into Rishabh Pants gloves and perhaps into history as far as his stop-start Test career is concerned. The Gabba surface, which has rewarded tight bowling throughout the match, had begun to deteriorate further in terms of the widening of existing cracks and the forming of new ones, while Mohammad Siraj was putting in yet another outstanding spell.Perhaps genuflecting to Smith, who with every hour of this series has looked more like his usual Test match self and must now be looking forward to rejoining battle with South Africa three years since the unseemly events of 2018, Green concentrated almost solely on survival through his first 41 balls, managing only six singles in that time. He may also have been run out by his very first ball, edging Washington Sundar towards the covers and being reprieved on his instinctive dash for a single by the fact that the bowler was off-balance in retrieving it.This period underlined that, at this developmental point, Green is still liable to be tied down by good bowling without the ability as yet to find unseen corners of the field in which to escape the strikes with singles or more forcefully turn the scoreboard over with twos. This meant that Smith, playing far more positively, took the major share of responsibility in the early part of their stand to ensure the scoring rate did not dip below three an over with time and the unpromising weather forecast on Australian minds.A view pushed consistently by Greg Chappell down the years and now more widely understood, is the value of getting gifted players into the Australian side early on, the better for them to learn many of the required lessons at the highest possible level and thus mature as quickly as possible without gaining too many bad habits. It was the same philosophy that saw Smith himself make his Test debut for Australia as early as a 21-year-old in 2010 before ironing out the deficiencies in his game rapidly enough to be an international force by the age of 24.So it should follow that, much as Smith has worked his way into this series, Green will be able to evolve in a timely fashion in his Test career. “I certainly feel as though I’ve got better as the series has gone on, just purely out of spending time in the middle that’s for sure,” Smith said.”I think I said after Melbourne the longest I’d spent in the middle was 63 balls or whatever it was, the one-day hundreds that I scored at the SCG, and that was for about 12 months. So certainly been able to spend a good amount of time in the first innings in Sydney playing with really positive intent. That made me feel a lot more comfortable at the crease and able to find some rhythm.”I thought [Green] batted really well. They bowled pretty well to him to be fair, the wicket was starting to do a few things. I reckon there was that one over from Natarajan where he copped a few, that’s where the wicket started to sort of play a few more tricks. I think he got five balls in that over that did probably five different things.”The other half of Green’s game, still taking time to unfold in the wake of back stress fractures, is that of a pace bowler who has the natural gifts of height and trajectory with which to worry most top players should he get all the mechanics into a sound enough order. This much was neatly summarised by Damien Fleming earlier in the Test, with the understanding that a bowler concentrating on technical form and changes to ensure the avoidance of future injuries will always take time to “groove” an action before full fluency returns.”He bowls full and definitely shapes the ball away from the right-hand batsmen,” Fleming said on Seven. “His first Test match in Adelaide, I think it was deliberate for him to bowl short to Virat Kohli. Now since that Test Match, I think he has bowled a fraction short, hasn’t given that red Kookaburra enough time to swing in the air. I think it’s due, isn’t it? Your fourth Test match, get your first Test wicket?”He’s made changes to his action because of stress fractures. He’s come into this series with hundreds of runs in Sheffield Shield so his batting technique is grooved, but unfortunately, he is still trying to groove this bowling action which over time is only going to benefit himself and the Australian cricket team. But, you know, four-over spells in Shield cricket coming into this Test series, I don’t think he has built the confidence in his action yet.”That sort of confidence may be derived from a wicket or two, and this was certainly something Smith had in mind as he looked at some of the widening cracks at the Gabba. “All the boys have been really impressed with him around the group, the way he’s handled everything as a young kid coming into play Test cricket,” Smith said of Green.”I think tomorrow he might actually be quite a handful with the ball, with that extra height and those cracks coming into play, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him firstly take his first wicket in Test cricket, which I know he’s pretty eager to get, but I think he might just be in for a pretty reasonable day.”If Green has not dominated moments of this series in the manner of India’s find Siraj, he has shown enough poise at a young age to suggest that the formative lessons of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be converted into truly influential displays well before he reaches the age at which Smith finally felt at home as a Test cricketer.

Chelsea have been contacted over signing a £50 million star from Barcelona, as the player now sets his sights on a move to the Premier League this summer.

Chelsea in the market to sign new forward before deadline day

Summer deadline day looms at the end of next month on August 30, and reports suggest Todd Boehly could still back new head coach Enzo Maresca with fresh faces before that point.

£25 million forward likened to Luis Suarez holds talks to join Chelsea

He’s been highly praised by Joe Cole.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 18, 2024

Official deals for defender Tosin Adarabioyo (free), striker Marc Guiu, homegrown starlet Omari Kellyman, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Portuguese ace Renato Veiga, alongside Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian, who'll join in 2025, set Chelsea back around £93 million.

The west Londoners, in total, have spent near-£120 million so far, including Chelsea's signings of Aaron Anselmino and Caleb Wiley from Boca Juniors and Atlanta United respectively, with the duo costing around £25.5 million (The Athletic).

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

Despite their serious investment in both senior players and talents for the future, co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley remain in the market for a new forward and centre-back.

Chelsea are believed to be prioritising a new winger as one of their top transfer wishes, with Maresca apparently keen on providing competition for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk.

They hold no shortage of options, as reports heavily link Chelsea with the likes of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams and Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi lately.

Chelsea contacted over signing Raphinha from Barcelona

According to HITC, Chelsea may now have a chance to do a deal for Raphinha, who is said to be keen on making a move back to England from Barcelona.

The former Leeds United star, who is valued at around £50 million, scored six goals and registered a further nine assists in La Liga last season. HITC claim Chelsea have been spoken to about signing Raphinha this summer, but it is unclear whether they were approached by the Brazilian's agents or Barca themselves.

The 27-year-old's proven top-flight experience could be a draw for Maresca's side, with Raphinha attracting plenty of praise during his time in the Premier League.

“Each week we are seeing more and more of his repertoire. He has so much to offer Leeds United," said former Whites striker Noel Whelan on Raphinha during his time at Elland Road (Football Insider).

“That skill in the corner against Gary Cahill was a typical bit of Brazilian magic. He really embarrassed Cahill with a clever megs. He is a player now who continuously has an effect on a game, in a positive way. Even if he is not on the scoresheet, he will have played a hand in the goal. He is relentless.

“He gets on the ball, has great balance, is very dynamic and he takes the game to the opposition. What impresses me is that he is not afraid to do the horrible side. I get more and more impressed by his worth ethic.”