Arsenal have had a number of targets for the winter transfer window and their stance for deadline day has now been revealed.
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Arsenal yet to make a winter signingHopes of signing Bayern's Tel wither awayReports suggest Arsenal unlikely to make signingsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
Arsenal have struggled to find a proper striker for Mikel Arteta with Gabriel Jesus struggling due to injuries and Kai Havertz flopping in the number nine position. As such, the Gunners targeted a move for Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran, Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, however, failed to sign any of their targets. The North London side then shifted their focus towards signing Bayern Munich's wantaway starlet Mathys Tel on loan.
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However, the Gunners are now seeing their hopes of signing Tel also fading away and their transfer deadline day plans have now been revealed. As per the BBC's Alex Howell, 'Arsenal are ready to make signings, but new players aren't imminent'. The same may suggest that the Gunners are not expecting any more action in this transfer window.
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Arsenal have seen some late rumours linking them to the potential signing of former Barcelona target Nico Williams from Athletic Club after the winger was left out of Ernesto Valverde's squad for the 2-2 against Antony's Real Betis. However, the move remains highly unlikely as the Basque club have remained convinced that the younger Williams brother is key to their project this year.
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Arteta will have to contend with the squad he has at the moment for the rest of the season with no signing likely with the transfer window set to shut in less than 12 hours. Arsenal will be in action next when they take on Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg at St. James' Park on Wednesday, February 5.
Abu Dhabi cricket said he had been with them for 15 years and had played a pivotal role in their success
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2021Mohan Singh, the chief curator of the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, passed away on Sunday a few hours before the T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and New Zealand at the same ground. The cause of his death remains unknown.Abu Dhabi Cricket released a statement appreciating Mohan’s services. “Mohan has been with Abu Dhabi Cricket for 15 years and has played a pivotal role in all of the venue’s success during that time. Tributes to Mohan and his incredible achievements will be honoured in the coming days.”The ICC also acknowledged Mohan’s contributions in an official statement. “We are deeply saddened and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, Abu Dhabi Cricket and everyone connected with the event,” it said.The New Zealand-Afghanistan game went ahead as scheduled at the request of Abu Dhabi Cricket, the ground staff and Mohan’s family, with New Zealand winning by eight wickets and going on to secure a semi-final spot.
As Mohamed Salah’s contract continues to run down at an alarming rate, Liverpool could yet turn towards the Serie A and one star player who now reportedly favours a move to Anfield.
Liverpool transfer news
Things can’t get much better for Liverpool on the pitch. Arne Slot has enjoyed one of the best starts in the club’s history and is already breaking records, having won 11 of his first 12 games in charge. The Reds have looked relatively untouchable unless Nottingham Forest are in town, which continued against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, as Darwin Nunez’s goal sealed all three points.
Away from the pitch, however, problems remain. Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all on course to leave as free agents at the end of the season as Liverpool head towards what would be the ultimate disaster. And although the best-case scenario is that all three sign fresh deals at the club, those at Anfield must prepare for the worst, which could see one Serie A star arrive.
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scores
According to reports in Spain, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia now favours a move to Liverpool if he decides to leave Napoli after contract talks with the Italian club reportedly reached a standstill, eyeing up the possibility to step into Salah’s shoes. The ‘Egyptian King’ of course followed a similar career path, launching his career on Merseyside after an impressive spell in Serie A.
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With his current deal not set to expire until 2027, the winger certainly has time to make his decision but if the Reds come calling in their search to replace Salah, the Georgian may well join international teammate Giorgi Mamardashvili at Anfield in 2025.
By completing such a move, Kvaratskhelia will get a hefty pay rise that is yet to come his way at Napoli, where he earns a reported £24,000-a-week.
"Cheeky" Kvaratskhelia could replace Salah
Of course, it’s not so long ago that Kvaratskhelia was causing Fabinho and Trent Alexander-Arnold all sorts of nightmares as Napoli defeated Liverpool 4-1 in 2022, and now he can take that earlier audition and potentially replace Salah at Anfield.
The Georgia star earned the praise of former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp during that campaign, with the Liverpool legend telling reporters via This Is Anfield after his battle against Alexander-Arnold: “I know people will talk about one or two situations when Trent tried to be in front of him and the ball goes through.
“But he is really good, the boy, and really quick and you have to defend him together in these moments. When he has the advantage of the first movement, then he is already gone.
“You have to try to be there in the moment when the ball arrives, but if you cannot do that then you need to be protected because he has speed, he is cheeky, he goes inside, he can go outside, that makes it always really difficult.”
The Napoli man has certainly got off to a eye-catching start under new boss Antonio Conte too, scoring four goals and assisting another two in eight Serie A games to leave his stock higher than it’s been since 2022.
“The selectors felt that they cannot have two white-ball captains in two white-ball formats – that’s too much of leadership”
PTI09-Dec-2021Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, has confirmed that the board had requested Virat Kohli to continue as India’s T20I captain, but once he decided to step down, the selectors decided to remove him from the ODI captaincy and install Rohit Sharma in his place to avoid “too much of leadership” in India’s short-format squads.”We had requested Virat not to step down as T20 captain but he didn’t want to continue as captain,” Ganguly told PTI. “So, the selectors felt that they cannot have two white-ball captains in two white-ball formats. That’s too much of leadership.”Related
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Ganguly did, however, say that he was on board with the decision, and that is despite Kohli’s success as ODI captain: of the 60 captains worldwide to have led in 50-plus ODIs, only three have a better win-loss record than Kohli. “Yes, we did consider that but if you look at Rohit’s record in whatever ODIs he has captained for India [eight wins in ten games], it’s very good,” Ganguly said. “Bottom line – there can’t be two white-ball captains.”I can’t explain more about what all was discussed and what selectors have said, but this is the primary reason for having Rohit as white-ball captain, and Virat accepted it.”On Wednesday, Rohit, already India’s T20I skipper, was named the new ODI captain, while also being promoted to the vice-captaincy of the Test side – deputy to Kohli – in place of Ajinkya Rahane.Was there a worry that having two captains for the two white-ball sides would create some sort of confusion? “I don’t know [about confusion], but that’s what they [the selectors] felt,” Ganguly said. “That’s how this conclusion was arrived at – that let Rohit captain in white-ball [cricket] and let Virat be the red-ball skipper.”Rohit has long been considered a potential captain of the Indian side, not least because of his success at the IPL, where he has led Mumbai Indians to a record five titles in just eight-and-a-half seasons in charge – he had taken over some way into the 2013 season, replacing Ricky Ponting, and has led the team since.Ganguly didn’t want to talk up India’s chances in ODIs and T20Is under Rohit’s leadership, only saying, “It’s very difficult to predict. I wish him all the best and hope he does a good job.”The chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma, and Ganguly have spoken to Kohli about the development, the former India captain said. “Yes, I have spoken to Virat personally and chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma has also spoken to him on the issue.”
Each year, the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual award, is handed to the player who has been the world’s best in the previous season. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.
Players, managers and the media have voted on the Ballon d’Or, though they don’t always get it right. Now solely voted for by a jury of journalists from across the world, the event will hopefully be more representative of who truly deserves the award moving forward.
However, plenty of players in the past have been disgracefully overlooked, from World Cup-winning goalkeepers to treble-winning shoo-ins.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a starting XI of the best players to have never won the Ballon d’Or. It’s worth noting that while Maradona and Pele would be on this list, neither player was ever eligible to win the award due to it only being open to non-European players since 1995, by which time Maradona was nearing the end of his career and Pele had long retired.
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1 ByBarney Lane Oct 23, 2024 1 Gianluigi Buffon Goalkeeper (best: 2nd 2006)
Only one goalkeeper in history – Lev Yashin – has ever won the Ballon d’Or, with the Soviet shot-stopper scooping the prize way back in 1963. Gianluigi Buffon arguably should have been the second.
In 2006, Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro was awarded the Ballon d’Or after captaining Italy to glory at the 2006 World Cup. While Cannavaro winning the prize wasn’t exactly a shock, Buffon was certainly worthy of it himself.
At the World Cup, the Juventus ‘keeper kept a record five clean sheets, conceding just two goals in the entire tournament, and made a match-saving save in extra-time of the final when he tipped a goal-bound Zinedine Zidane header over the bar.
2 Cafu Right-back (best: =14th 2002)
In December 2020, France Football – the magazine that conceived the Ballon d’Or – published a Ballon d’Or Dream Team. Voted for by journalists, the idea was simple: create and crown the best team in football history.
Logically, you’d think it would be full of Ballon d’Or winners, no? Think again.
Pele and Maradona made the cut, as did Spanish midfielder Xavi – none of whom have ever won the Ballon d’Or. Brazilian defender Cafu, another player to have never won the award, was also included at right-back.
Cafu’s place in the team was no doubt deserved. He is the one of the greatest right-backs to ever play the game. So why did he never win the Ballon d’Or itself? Perhaps he was too overshadowed in Brazil in the Ronaldo era.
3 Paolo Maldini Centre-back (best: 3rd 1994, 2003)
Paolo Maldini is your favourite defender’s favourite defender.
Take John Terry, for example. “I also hope that one day I will be as good as Maldini,” the Chelsea legend once said of the Italian. Or Rio Ferdinand: “Paolo Maldini, he’s the best,” he said recently.
Maldini is also your favourite attacker’s least-favourite defender – which is perhaps an even bigger compliment.
“Paolo Maldini is the best I’ve played against,” Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario once said of him. Zlatan Ibrahimovic once said: “Maldini was the best and toughest defender I ever faced. He had everything: he was a complete defender, who was strong, intelligent, and an excellent man-marker.”
However, despite him being revered by his peers, Maldini, who won seven Serie A titles and five European Cups during his career, never won the Ballon d’Or. He came closest in 1994 and 2003, finishing third on both occasions.
4 Virgil van Dijk Centre-back (best: 2nd 2019)
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk
If Maldini is everyone else’s favourite defender, then who is the Italian’s favourite defender? No, it’s not his former AC Milan teammate Alessandro Nesta, nor his Italy counterpart Cannavaro.
Instead, and perhaps surprisingly, it’s Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.
“I have played with some of the greatest defenders like Nesta, Baresi, Cannavaro, but I feel I was unlucky not to pair with Van Dijk,” Maldini said of the Dutchman in 2022, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. “Virgil will be the best defender in history of football soon.”
Now 33, Van Dijk has been one of the world’s most outstanding defenders over the past decade, winning almost everything there is to win with the Reds, including the Premier League and the Champions League. He finished second in the 2019 Ballon d’Or behind Lionel Messi, but has yet to scoop the prize himself.
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ByBarney Lane Oct 24, 2024 5 Roberto Carlos Left-back (best: 2nd 2002)
In 2002, shortly after Brazil had lifted the World Cup, Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos came close to winning the Ballon d’Or, finishing second behind compatriot Ronaldo.
It’s difficult to argue that Roberto Carlos should have beaten Ronaldo in 2002 given that the striker was the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, two of which came in the final against Germany. However, had it not been for his countryman’s exploits, the full-back would have been a deserving winner.
Widely regarded as the greatest left-back of all-time, “The Bullet Man” was renowned for his marauding forward runs, mazy dribbles, and, of course, trademark bending free-kick.
The lynchpin in what many people believe to be the greatest midfield trio of all time, Xavi was a truly exceptional deep-lying playmaker, (or regista, if you will) who was a master of controlling the tempo of matches with his unparalleled passing range and vision.
He saw space that other players simply didn’t, allowing him to turn seemingly innocuous moments into dangerous attacks in the blink of an eye.
The Spaniard finished third in the Ballon d’Or for three years running between 2009 and 2011, with Messi winning the top prize in each of those years.
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1 ByBarney Lane Oct 25, 2024 7 Andres Iniesta Centre-midfield (best: 2nd 2010)
Alongside Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Xavi were the heartbeat of the Barcelona and Spain teams that dominated world football between 2008 and 2012, winning the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, La Liga, and countless other honours.
However, unlike Xavi, who ran things from deep, Iniesta had more of a prominent role in the final third. As such, he had some notable moments of glory, including his extra-time winner in the 2010 World Cup final. After that goal, Iniesta finished second behind Messi in the Ballon d’Or, a tale that has proven all too familiar over the years for many a player.
8 Kevin De Bruyne Centre-midfield (best: 3rd 2022)
Kevin De Bruyne has arguably been the Premier League’s best midfielder for almost a decade now.
Since joining Manchester City in 2015, he’s steered City to six Premier League titles and a first-ever Champions League triumph, contributing 103 goals and 171 assists along the way.
It’s difficult to understand quite how, amid those achievements, he has never been awarded the Ballon d’Or, especially in 2018, when he starred as the club won the Premier League with a record points total of 100.
“The way he’s played it’s difficult to find one [better] in Europe,” City boss Pep Guardiola said of De Bruyne at the time.
9 Thierry Henry Right-wing (best: 2nd 2003)
Not strictly a right-winger, but we had to put him somewhere; at his peak, Thierry Henry was simply unstoppable.
Fast, skilful, and with an unmatched eye for goal, the Frenchman scored 226 goals for Arsenal between 1997 and 2007, winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot a record four times and firing the Gunners to the title on two separate occasions. He was also a key man for his country, playing starring roles in France’s 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 triumphs.
Henry’s finest hour came in 2003/04, when he scored 39 goals in all competitions as Arsenal won the Premier League title without losing a game. His achievements, however, went unrecognised by Ballon d’Or voters, with the striker somehow finishing fourth behind Ronaldinho, Deco, and Andriy Shevchenko having been pipped by Pavel Nedved a year earlier.
10 Robert Lewandowski Centre-forward (best: 2nd 2021)
Robert Lewandowski has been robbed of the Ballon d’Or on two occasions.
In 2020 after a stunning season in which he scored 55 goals in all competitions as Bayern Munich won the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup, the award was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The following year, the Pole then put up similar numbers, scoring 48 goals, but was controversially snubbed in favour of Lionel Messi, who had endured a hit-and-miss first season with Paris Saint-Germain.
It’s not too late for Lewandowski, however. This season, despite being 36, he’s already scored 17 goals in just 14 games for Barcelona thanks to his recent double in El Clasico. Keep going at that rate, and he may well find himself in contention next year.
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Barcelona have made Alexander Isak a top target for the summer transfer window as they look to challenge Arsenal for the striker's signing.
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Barca want Isak to replace LewandowskiStriker open to La Liga returnArsenal also eager to sign Sweden starFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Catalan club are in the market for a replacement for 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski and reports Sweden international Isak is their preferred candidate. Talks with his representatives have already taken place and the Newcastle forward has said he is open to joining.
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Arsenal have long been linked with a move for the 25-year-old amid his starring role at Newcastle, but they have been told they will have to fork over £150 million ($187m) to convince the Magpies to sell him. With Barcelona's well-publicised financial issues, however, it is unclear how the Spanish giants intend to match Newcastle's asking price.
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Isak, who joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022, is contracted to the St. James' Park side until 2028 and has been in incredible form this season, scoring 17 goals in 22 Premier League appearances.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ISAK?
After impressing in his side's 2-0 win against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final last week, Isak will hope to enhance his reputation by netting against Manchester City in the league on Saturday,
Knowing he was locked in as David Warner’s partner for the start of the Ashes put the Australia opener’s mind at ease
Andrew McGlashan24-Nov-2021Marcus Harris is grateful for the vote of confidence from national selector George Bailey early in the season which ensured he was locked in as David Warner’s opening partner for the start of the Ashes.When Will Pucovski’s latest concussion ruled him out of contention there was debate around who would go in alongside Warner at the Gabba – even though Harris was the incumbent from the India series in January – but he had been given the nod by Bailey a few weeks before the squad was confirmed.Related
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Harris made a century in the first Sheffield Shield match of the season against New South Wales, and though he failed twice in the return game at the MCG he is also coming into the Ashes on the back of a strong overseas campaign with Leicestershire.”I probably spoke to Bails [George Bailey] about a week before we went away to Sydney for the first Shield game,” Harris said. “We just had a really good conversation. It was just good to have some clear communication with a selector about what I was doing and what was in their thinking for me.”It’s good for your confidence as a player to know where you stand and having the backing of people is really good. It puts your mind at ease a little bit, your mind can run obviously coming into a big series on the Ashes with the amount of attention that’s brought to it, so to not have to worry about that for probably a month leading into the first game has been pretty good.”Bailey also said that Harris, who averages 23.77 from 10 Tests, would be given a run in the role as Australia look to cement an opening pair – at least for the remainder of Warner’s career. The duo had a rocky start against England in the 2019 Ashes when the round-the-wicket line of Stuart Broad caused a mountain of problems, but they added 89 in the second innings against India in Brisbane earlier this year.”David brings a lot of energy to the crease and to the partnership,” Harris said. “Obviously for a long period of time, he’s dominated world cricket. So he takes a lot of pressure off, you don’t feel any pressure to score. I know we had a tough series over in England but in the second innings against India we put on 80 or 90.”Anytime you can play with another player that takes a lot of pressure off you it makes your job a bit easier. Hopefully we can forge something pretty good – we’ll get through this summer first – but over the next period of time.”Harris feels better equipped for his latest run in the Test side after the challenges of the series in England two years ago where he replaced Cameron Bancroft after two Tests. It remains to be seen if England’s quicks can pose the same challenge in Australian conditions as they did at home, but Harris is confident he can respond.”It’s been a ploy that a lot of teams have employed against me now to come around the wicket,” he said. “I feel like I’ve worked really hard on the technical side of my game and tactically to try and combat that. The proof will be in the pudding come December 8 but feels like I’ve worked really hard on it’s gone well.”Harris had shown significant promise in his debut series against India in 2018-19 with two half-centuries and his averaged peaked at 37.75 after five matches before tumbling to its current level. He has always had the ability to bat time at domestic level – his maiden first-class century of 157 in 2011 came from 411 balls and shortly before his debut in 2018 he made a career-best unbeaten 250 from 403 – but he now feels he has struck a better tempo.”My initial idea of trying to get through the 20s was to dash as quickly as I could, but as I’ve got a bit older and more experienced I just let the game come to me a little bit more and let the bowlers come to me a bit more.”That probably comes back to just having a hunger for making a lot of runs, making big runs and having patience. In the first Shield game I think I’ve faced 360 balls so it’s not being satisfied with making 50 or 100. Through the off-season I had some really good innings where I made some big hundreds and over the last couple of years have made a couple of 200s. It comes back to having a bit of a bit of self-motivation and drive to do really well and lead from the front of your team.”
Aston Villa have continued the good form that got them Champions League football last season into the 2024/25 campaign. Unai Emery’s side have been impressive once again, and find themselves in third in the Premier League on 18 points.
Impressively, the Midlands outfit are top of the new-look Champions League format. They are one of only two sides, along with Liverpool, to have won all three of their games so far, which included a famous 1-0 home win over Bayern Munich.
There have been several standout players for Emery’s team this term, although none more so than Jhon Duran.
Duran’s 2024/25 season so far
It has been a simply phenomenal rise to the top for Villa’s number nine. 20-year-old Colombia international Duran simply cannot stop scoring and boasts a stupendous record in a villa shirt, especially this season.
Jhon Duran and Leon Bailey
He has played 13 matches in all competitions but has played a remarkably low amount of minutes given his importance to Emery’s side, just 437 altogether. That equates to just 4.4 full 90-minute games on average. Incredibly, he has seven goals already, a remarkable record in such a short amount of time.
The youngster is not far off catching his tally from last term. He scored five Premier League games in 2023/24 and is already on four in just 232 minutes this season. In total, his Villa record stands at 15 goals in 62 games, and just 1666 minutes.
The former Chicago Fire striker joined the Villans in January 2023, costing them £18m including add-ons. Unsurprisingly, he has risen in value since his big move to the Premier League. News outlet AS Columbia says Villa reportedly value him at £75m, should other clubs wish to buy him.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran
If the Colombian star leaves Villa Park for pastures anew, he could become their first major sale since Jack Grealish departed the club in 2021, a sale which proved to be brilliant given his value today.
Jack Grealish’s market value in 2024
Boyhood Villan Grealish ended his love affair with the Midlands side in 2021 when he made the move from Villa Park to the Etihad Stadium and Manchester City. NSWE fetched a hefty sum for the attacker, with City breaking the British transfer record to sign him, paying Dean Smith’s side £100m.
jack-grealish-villa
The boyhood Villa fan, described as a “menace” by football statistician Statman Dave, left Villa Park with an exceptional record.
He has been on the receiving end of a hostile reception or two when he returned there wearing the Sky Blue of the Citizens despite helping the club win promotion back to the Premier League in 2018/19, and survive relegation the following two seasons. If not for that, they may not be playing Champions League football.
2013/14
1
0
0
2014/15
24
0
3
2015/16
21
1
1
2016/17
33
5
5
2017/18
31
3
6
2018/19
35
6
8
2019/20
41
10
8
2020/21
27
7
10
There are certainly arguments to be made that the England international simply has not lived up to the price tag at the Etihad Stadium.
He has played 135 times for the Sky Blues, scoring 14 goals and grabbing 20 assists in all competitions. Grealish did play a big part in the club’s historic treble in 2022/23, but beyond that his personal success has been few and far between.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
With that in mind, it might not come as much of a surprise that he has decreased in value considerably since joining the Citizens. Once a £100m player, Transfermarkt believe the City number 10 is now worth just £45m, £30m less than what Duran is worth now.
The considerable drop in value could be considered harsh, given he has contributed to a treble win and several other trophies outside of that. However, he has certainly not lived up to expectations from a goals and assists point of view.
Given the drop in Grealish’s value, it certainly seems as though Villa made the correct choice in selling him back in 2021. Whatever the case, Emery’s side have invested the money perfectly and are now one of the deadliest sides in England and the whole of Europe.
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Aston Villa kept their 100% record in the Champions League going versus Bologna.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney broke Wrexham's transfer record to sign Ollie Rathbone, and he has now been likened to Lionel Messi.
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Rathbone signed in summer of 2024Has played his way into top formCatching the eye of fans & team-matesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Rathbone arrived at SToK Racecourse in the summer of 2024 when completing a £300,000 move from Rotherham. That was the highest fee that the Red Dragons had ever paid for a player – although said record has since been smashed again on a regular basis.
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Wrexham believe they are getting value for money from Rathbone, as he has taken in 31 appearances for the club this season. The 28-year-old midfielder’s efforts have helped Phil Parkinson’s side to third place in the League One table and semi-finals of the Football League Trophy.
WHAT STEVEN FLETCHER SAID
His latest outing saw a fourth goal of the season registered, with the finishing touches put to a 2-0 victory at Northampton. Steven Fletcher has suggested that Rathone is becoming Wrexham’s version of Messi, posting on social media alongside an image of his club colleague delivering the same celebration as the Argentine eight-time Ballon d’Or winner: "Everything you have been saying makes sense now."
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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
Messi boats plenty of entry in the record books, with Rathbone hoping to add one of his own as Wrexham look to become the first EFL team to enjoy three successive promotions. They will be back in action on Tuesday when playing host to Leyton Orient.
After twin tons, Khawaja could replace Harris as opener in Hobart
Andrew McGlashan09-Jan-2022Australia captain Pat Cummins has indicated Usman Khawaja should retain his place for the final Ashes Test in Hobart after his stunning comeback with twin centuries at the SCG.Cummins is not on the selection panel – which consists of George Bailey, Justin Langer and Tony Dodemaide – but called Khawaja someone who is in “total command of their game”.However, speaking after the second of his centuries on Saturday, Khawaja said he remained resigned to this being a one-off comeback with Travis Head, who made 152 in the opening Test in Brisbane, assured of a return after missing Sydney due to testing positive for Covid-19.The only option remaining to the selectors is to drop Marcus Harris and install Khawaja as an opener. Harris has made 179 runs at 29.83 in the series which included a fighting half-century in tough conditions at the MCG but he twice gave away starts in Sydney.Related
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England cling on for thrilling final-over draw
Jos Buttler to return home with broken finger
“I’ll preface it by saying I’m not a selector, but when someone comes out and hits twin hundreds, it’s pretty hard to go past them for the week after,” Cummins said. “So we’ll work through that, the selectors will work through that the next few days. But when someone’s running hot, has got a heap of experience like Uzzy, the way he plays is fantastic.”Khawaja has only opened in first-class cricket on three occasions in the last three years and in total in 24 of his 166 matches but does have two centuries in the role in Test cricket. His versatility was one of the key reasons behind him being the spare batter in the Ashes squad and he would have replaced David Warner in Adelaide if his damaged ribs had prevented him playing.”Felt like he could replace any batter from one to six,” Cummins said. “I know there’s been question marks historically on him playing over in Asia but you see how well he’s played spin recently – reverse sweeping, sweeping – he’s just someone who’s in total command of his game. That’s why you love experience.”There may also be changes to the pace-bowling attack for the final Test with Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser in contention but whichever line-up Australia go with in Hobart, hosting its first Ashes Test after replacing Perth in the schedule, they will not be aiming for a whitewash after being thwarted by England’s lower order.It was the second year in a row they had not been able to take victory from a strong position at the SCG but Cummins believed he had got his calculations correct. Seven overs were lost to rain on the final day and Australia had 64 balls to claim the last two wickets after Jonny Bairstow fell.”I wanted about three-and-a-half an over, though the wicket still wasn’t playing too many tricks,” he said. “I thought if they batted well 350 is pretty achievable. Thought 110 overs was enough time… but in the back of our mind we knew it could be a bit of a grind.”I think this year compared to last year we have made some improvements, we probably stuck at some plans a little bit longer. When you are that far ahead of the game of course you want to win it but I thought England played well. I was really proud of how everyone went, got close just not close enough.”