Normally the season-opener, the tournament has been deferred to the beginning of next season because of a cramped international calendar

Arun Venugopal25-Aug-2017

The Duleep Trophy doesn’t find a place in the 2017-18 domestic calendar that kicks off with the Ranji Trophy on October 6. Normally the season-opener, the tournament has been deferred to the beginning of next season given the cramped international calendar that has India playing 20 limited-overs games from September to December.A BCCI official said the Duleep Trophy was conducted in a year-and-a-half cycle and not necessarily on an annual basis. The Duleep Trophy featured three teams – India Red, India Blue and India Green – last year and was played with the pink ball under lights. The official said the tournament, which would continue to be played with the pink ball, was better suited to be played at the beginning of the season than in the middle or the end.Ranji Trophy groups

Group A: Karnataka, Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Railways
Group B: Jharkhand, Gujarat, Kerala, Saurashtra, Haryana, Team Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir
Group C: Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Baroda, Tripura
Group D: Himachal Pradesh, Vidarbha, Punjab, Bengal, Services, Goa, Chhatisgarh

“If you remember, ahead of the World T20 year [in 2016], we didn’t have the Duleep Trophy because there was no relevance in holding it when we were looking at selecting a T20 side,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “Last year, we had a 13-Test season, so starting the Duleep Trophy before the Tests had greater relevance and we had time to do it. The Duleep Trophy takes 24 days [to finish], and with such a long season and with all venues being occupied – obviously we can’t do it in June or July – we had only September.”And, this year we are starting the international season on September 17 which means the team would assemble on September 10 or 11. That’s the reason we decided to defer it to the beginning of next season, which is again a Test season with India playing West Indies and touring Australia and New Zealand. The Duleep [Trophy] will then form the basis for selection in the longer formats.”New BCCI tournaments

One-day tournament for the Under-23 age group

Under-16 zonal women’s inter-state tournament

Under-19 women’s inter-state and all-India T20 tournament

In line with the same principle, the Vinoo Mankad Under-19 50-overs tournament will precede the four-day Cooch Behar tournament, with the Under-19 World Cup being scheduled for January-February next year in New Zealand. Despite India playing a number of limited-overs games in the next few months, the Vijay Hazare 50-overs senior tournament hasn’t been advanced.”The thing is even if Vijay Hazare starts in October-November it will spill over into December,” the official said. “However, even the knockouts of Ranji Trophy will be over before India go to South Africa. That way everyone can participate in these games before the South Africa tour begins.”The quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy are scheduled to be held from December 7 to 11, while the semi-finals will take place from December 17 to 21. The final will be held from December 29 to January 2.In a letter to all the member units, BCCI’s general manager (cricket operations) MV Sridhar wrote that pitch-preparation would be overseen by a curator of the board’s grounds and pitches committee. Sridhar also wrote that the central curator’s decision in the overall preparation of the pitches would be final. “This decision is more to ensure that the wickets are standardised as per the directions of the technical committee.”The Ranji Trophy will also revert to the home-and-away format for league fixtures in accordance with the recommendations of the BCCI’s technical committee which decided to shelve the neutral-venue experiment after just one season. In another significant change to the structure of the tournament, the 28 teams in the competition have been split into four groups of seven each. They have been grouped based on their average points in the last three years.Karnataka and Delhi will headline the matches in Group A, which will also see an interesting tussle between Maharashtra and last year’s quarter-finalists Hyderabad. Group B’s marquee encounter will feature Gujarat and Jharkhand, who clashed in the last four in 2016-17, while Mumbai and Tamil Nadu will resume their rivalry in Group C. The game between Punjab and Bengal is expected to be the highlight of Group D.The new group format means that with a maximum of six games, each team will play at least two fewer matches in the league phase than in the previous years. While a few coaches expressed concerns over fewer opportunities for players, the official defended the decision and said that there was a bigger gap between games now. According to the BCCI’s schedule, a copy of which is with ESPNcricinfo, there is a minimum of four days between each round, with a week’s break during Diwali.”This is something we discussed in the captains’ and coaches’ enclave with everyone,” the official said. “There were in fact complaints that there was no gap between Ranji Trophy matches. There was only a gap of three days earlier and in that your travel takes up one day. Even in Vijay Hazare, the gap between one-day games was very less. At times, we were forced to play two or three matches in a row which is not correct. We could never give that gap because we had to complete our entire schedule in a span of six months.”These are healthy changes. The bowlers had to be given relief. In current-day cricket, with so many formats, spacing [out games] and managing bowlers’ workloads is important. For batsmen it is never a problem, but we are seeing a burnout of bowlers because playing three formats has a very big impact on your body.”With balls frequently going out of shape in the Ranji Trophy last year, the quality of the SG Test balls was a major cause for concern. The official said that a new variety of ball called the SG Test LE would be introduced in the domestic season and will be used for the home Tests against Sri Lanka.”This is imported leather being used on Indian cricket balls for the first time,” the official said. “There have been many trials over the last one year in smaller games and side games and even in Test conditions with the manufacturer. We saw the reports and obviously it looks like a much-improved product. Too many balls were losing shape and not surviving long enough, but we are confident that this ball will remain durable.”

India vice-captain Rohit Sharma believes the policy of rotating personnel has been introduced to ensure that players remain “more than 100% fit” during the course of a cramped calendar. The players’ workload remains an ongoing conversation given the quantum of cricket India are playing in the immediate future: from September to December, they play 23 internationals – three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20Is – against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.Soon after the Sri Lanka series winds down, India are scheduled to tour South Africa for four Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is in January and February 2018. There are then two demanding tours to England and Australia later in 2018. Rohit acknowledged such hectic schedules were an intrinsic part of the modern game, and that it was down to the player to service himself.”We all are used to tight schedules and so much cricket being played. It is not happening now, it has been happening for a while,” Rohit said during a promotional event in Chennai. “We understand how to take care of our body. We have specific people like doctor, physio, trainer… all of those who will take care of it and give us the right schedule.”Which is why there is lots of rotation happening. We have to make sure we need guys who are more than 100% fit. Which is why we have the rotation policy going on, keeping in mind the tight schedule. To me, cricketers have limited career. So we have to make the most of the time we have. So no excuses of burnout or being on tight schedule. We have to play as much we may have to.”R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had been rested for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and the first three ODIs against Australia in accordance with the new policy. Ashwin has been allowed to play county cricket for Worcestershire during the period, to get him acclimatised to English conditions ahead of India’s tour next year.While Rohit said that it was up to the individual to find the right way to manage his schedule, he was personally not for taking a break from playing. Rohit had missed the bulk of India’s home season last year, including the Test series against England and Australia, with a thigh injury. He said he wanted to get as much game time under his belt as possible.”It is up to each individual how he wants to do it,” Rohit said. “I like to follow the schedule being given to us starting from the diet. If we follow that, I am sure we would be fine. It has helped us. I am coming from an injury layoff so I don’t see myself doing that [resting]. I want to play as many games as possible. Whenever there is an opportunity I want to be on the field.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers could now look to appoint Gary O'Neil to replace Julen Lopetegui, with the manager's future at Molineux hanging in the balance, according to a recent report from The Guardian.

Is Julen Lopetegui leaving Wolves?

The Guardian have now reported that Wolves have started to prepare for life after Lopetegui, with the manager's future in extreme doubt just days before the start of the new Premier League season.

The Old Gold come kick off the campaign away against Manchester United on Monday night, and their preparations for such a tough game are likely to have been significantly hindered by the uncertainty surrounding their manager's future.

It is now being reported that the Spaniard is expected to reach a settlement with the club for his departure, having repeatedly voiced his unhappiness about the lack of his investment this summer, due to the financial fair play constraints in place.

As such, the Wolves hierarchy have now sounded out potential successors to the 56-year-old, and they held positive talks with O'Neil last week, meaning he is now the club's number one target to replace their outgoing manager.

The 40-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by AFC Bournemouth in the summer, but he could be set to have another crack at Premier League football, if Lopetegui's departure is finalised.

The current Wolves boss is set to take training this afternoon, but he is now poised to leave the club in the very near future.

Is Gary O'Neil taking over at Wolves?

At the moment, the former Bournemouth boss appears to be the sole contender to replace Lopetegui, with no other managers being linked with the job, and the Old Gold hierarchy will undoubtedly be keen to resolve the current turmoil before the new season.

As such, it would not be a surprise to see O'Neil in the dugout for the game against Man United next Monday night, and there are indications that he could be a solid appointment, given the impact he made at Bournemouth last season.

After taking over from Scott Parker following a 9-0 loss away against Liverpool, the Beckenham-born manager went on a run of seven wins from nine games during the latter stages of the season, which ultimately kept them up, very much against the odds.

As a result of the remarkable turnaround in form the former Liverpool coach instigated, Jamie Carragher suggested he was in the running for manager of the season, lauding him as a "brave" and "proactive" coach, who is not scared to make changes to his side.

Carragher also highlights that Bournemouth were tied with Arsenal for most wins after being behind at half-time in the Premier League last season, as a result of the tactical changes and substitutions the Englishman decided to make.

Of course, the situation surrounding Lopetegui is not ideal just days before the new season is set to begin, and there may be some concerns over O'Neil's lack of experience, but he could end up being a very shrewd appointment for Wolves.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras terá uma semana livre para treinamentos em paz. Depois de iniciar a semana passada pressionado, o Verdão venceu duas seguidas, uma delas o clássico contra o Santos, e agora poderá descansar.

Sem uma semana livre desde o retorno da pandemia, em 22 de julho, Vanderlei Luxemburgo avisou que o período é para recuperar os atletas.

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-Teremos uma semana livre, mas não é de treinamento. É de recuperação de jogos sequenciais. Aquele centro de excelência que temos é para recuperar, não pra treinar. Eles já estão treinados, mas estão estafados mental e fisicamente – avisou o comandante palmeirense.

Luxemburgo fará trabalhos pontuais sem exigir muito dos atletas:

-Batida de falta e escanteio, um dia só pra isso. Saída de bola, um dia só pra isso. Outro só com perde e pressiona e marcação no campo do adversário. Essas coisas que não tínhamos tempo, vamos fazer também – completou.

O Palmeiras poderá contar com os retornos de Matías Viña e Gabriel Veron contra o Bahia. A dupla está em transição física e deve estar à disposição para o duelo em Salvador.

continua após a publicidade

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
At 17 years and 199 days, Washington Sundar had the IPL’s third-youngest debutant•BCCI

The Duleep Trophy final continued to elicit strong performances from youngsters, with 21-year-old left-arm spinner Vijay Gohil and 17-year-old Washington Sundar flattening India Blue on the second day of the day-night fixture in Lucknow.A day after Prithvi Shaw became the youngest centurion in a Duleep Trophy final, Sundar – who is 35 days older than Shaw – came close to grabbing second spot. The Tamil Nadu allrounder faced the first ball of the day for India Red after joining overnight batsman Ishank Jaggi at 317 for 5; almost 44 overs later, he would play the last ball of their innings, falling 12 short of a hundred. He had partnerships of 37 with Jaggi, 48 with Gohil, and 43 for the final wicket with Basil Thampi to lift India Red to 483. Sundar hit six fours and five sixes in his 118-ball 88.India Blue’s senior bowlers, Ishant Sharma and Pankaj Singh, found no control, while Jaydev Unadkat picked up a wicket after going at 4.58. Spinners Bhargav Bhatt (4-154) and Akshay Wakhare (3-95) did most of the bowling.Their senior batsmen didn’t fare well either. Manoj Tiwary, coming in at No. 3, put on 42 for the second wicket with Bengal team-mate and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was fluent in a first-wicket stand of 51 where his partner KS Bharat made only 8. Tiwary played a loose shot however, chasing a length ball from Gohil that turned away and nicking behind. India Blue captain Suresh Raina faced four balls and was beaten three times. On his fourth delivery, he went down the track and was stumped against Sundar, who had been brought on specifically to bowl to the left-hander. Deepak Hooda then sliced Gohil to deep extra cover.Through all this, Easwaran was solid, blocking the good balls and using sweeps and reverse-sweeps to alter the spinners’ lengths. He found an unlikely partner in Unadkat (27*) and took his team to 181 for 5 at stumps. Easwaran ended the day 13 away from a fourth first-class ton.

Celtic officially kick off their 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign next weekend as they host Ross County at Parkhead on the 5th of August.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

The Paradise faithful could see a number of fresh faces in action for the first time in a competitive setting as Brendan Rodgers has been able to make five new signings during the summer transfer window.

Marco Tilio, Hyun-jun Yang, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, and Maik Nawrocki have all come through the door on permanent deals so far.

However, Australia international Tilio will not be involved against County next Saturday as the head coach has already confirmed that he is set to miss the start of the season through injury.

There could be further arrivals before the end of the window and one player who has been linked with a move to Glasgow is Red Star Belgrade dynamo Kings Kangwa, who is likely to cost around €3m-rated (£2.6m).

How many goals did Kings Kangwa score last season?

The Zambia international scored 12 goals across 45 appearances in all competitions last term and could be Rodgers' outstanding goal threat from midfield, which could make him a lethal partner for Matt O'Riley.

Kangwa found the back of the net eight times in 20 league starts for Red Star as he proved himself to be a reliable scorer from a number eight position.

Meanwhile, no Celtic midfielder managed more than six Scottish Premiership strikes and Japan international Reo Hatate was the only one with more than Aaron Mooy's four.

This suggests that the talented hotshot has the potential to be a fantastic signing for the Hoops as he could provide a greater goal threat than Rodgers' current options in that role, which could add another weapon to the manager's arsenal ahead of next season.

The 24-year-old ace, who journalist Callum Castel hailed as "impressive" for his country, could thrive alongside O'Riley as the former MK Dons maestro is an exceptional creative midfielder who could provide the £2.6m-rated talent with the opportunities he needs in front of goal with his superb passing ability.

Last season, the Denmark international produced a superb 2.1 key passes per match for his side in the Premiership, which was more than any other player within the squad, and ended the campaign with a club-high 12 league assists.

O'Riley has the quality to consistently open up opposition defences to create chances for his teammates, which was proven in his performances. That is why he could be a lethal partner for the Zambian finisher, as the pair could link up for goals on a regular basis in Scotland.

Kangwa also averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.24 across 32 league outings for Red Star last term, which would have placed him third for Celtic – only behind O'Riley (7.30) and Jota (7.45), who has since moved on to join Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

This suggests that, if he can translate that form over to the Premiership, the 5 foot 6 maestro could be one of Rodgers' top-performing players whilst also being able to strike up an excellent relationship with O'Riley in the middle of the park, which is why he could be a shrewd signing this summer.

قال أحمد سامي المدير الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي سموحة، إن لاعبيه كانوا ملتزمين أمام الزمالك، مؤكدًا أنه فخور بهم.

وكان الزمالك قد نجح في تحقيق الفوز على الزمالك بهدف دون رد، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة 21 من عمر الدوري المصري “النيل”.

ياسر عبد الرؤوف: سموحة استحق ركلة جزاء أمام الزمالك وطرد حسام حسن غير صحيح

وأضاف سامي في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “أون تايم سبورتس”: “اللاعبون اليوم كانوا ملتزمين فوق الوصف، كنت ألعب بتكتيك معين وطلبت منهم الالتزام به وأدوا بشكل رائع وأشكرهم”.

وآردف: “الزمالك لم يُهدر فرصًا، نحن أغلقنا مفاتيح لعبهم طوال المباراة، ولم يكن هناك حلول لأنه يلعب من العمق ونحن أغلقنا عليه هذا الاتجاه، لذلك لجأ للعب الكرات الطويلة”.

واستكمل: “الزمالك يعاني مشكلة دفاعية ونحن لعبنا على ذلك، وعندما يُهاجمون لا يتبقى إلا 3 لاعبين في الخلف فقط وهذا خلق مساحات كثيرة كنا نستغلها وكان يمكن أن تزيد النتيجة عن ذلك”.

وعن الأداء التحكيمي، أشار سامي: “محمود البنا حكم كبير وأثق به جدًا وأنا أحبه على المستوى الشخصي، لكن اليوم لم يكن في أفضل حالاته”.

واستكمل: “العناد سيء في كرة القدم، وإذا أخطأت لا بد أن أراجع الخطأ، الـvar استدعاه وكان يمكن أن يتراجع ويلغي القرار، وكان يمكن ألا يحتسب ركلة الجزاء ولا يتراجع عن الطرد”.

واختتم: “لاعبو سموحة لعبوا مباراة تكتيكية قوية جدًا، البعض لم يعجبه الشوط الأول، ولكن كنت متعمدًا ذلك وقلت للاعبين ستفوزون في الشوط الثاني”.

The match between Hyderabad and Maharashtra was abandoned without a ball bowled

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2017Group A
ScorecardWhile centuries from Nitish Rana and Gautam Gambhir had already secured a first-innings lead for Delhi on the second day, they had a chance to pull off an outright win over Assam on the fourth day in Delhi.With Assam falling for 255 in their second innings, Delhi were left with a target of 79, of which they managed 49 for 2 in eight overs. Delhi batsman Unmukt Chand claimed that Assam were expected to bowl 14 overs and the game would have had a different result if that had happened.”Of course, it was very deliberate. They were supposed to bowl 14 overs and at least they should have bowled 10 or 11 overs, but bowling half of the overs does not make sense,” Chand said after the match. “It’s not about winning, it’s more about those points. These three points make a lot of difference in the end.”I was constantly telling the umpires to make sure that these guys are bowling quick overs. They did tell them, but they were too slow and you can’t do much about it. Of course, the light was also falling. Two-three overs more, and things could have been different. But you can’t really point out that this right or this is wrong. Any team in that position would have done the same thing. Had we been bowling, we would have done the same thing. So fair enough. Bad luck to us.”Assam began the day on 60 for 3 with No. 3 Sibsankar Roy on 28 and he saw the side past 150. However, his wicket was the first in slide that saw Assam lose three for 33 runs. While Roy scored 87, wicketkeeper Wasiqur Rahman’s 63 lifted the side to 255.Ishant Sharma, who took a five-for in the first innings, was wicketless in the second innings while allrounder Manan Sharma took 3 for 58.The match between Hyderabad and Maharashtra was abandoned without a ball bowled after rain wiped out all four days of play.Group B
ScorecardFile photo – Parvez Rasool missed a century by three runs•Ashwin RajputHaving already conceded a first-innings lead to Jammu & Kashmir on the third day, Rajasthan’s batsmen played out a draw on the fourth day in Jaipur.J&K declared early on the fourth morning on 436 for 8, adding only four runs to their overnight score to take their lead to 106. J&K seamer Rohit Sharma then took two quick wickets to leave Rajasthan at 69 for 4 by the 20th over. However, Rajesh Bishnoi and Mahipal Lomror safely saw out the day for Rajasthan with an unbroken 177-run partnership. Bishnoi scored his third first-class hundred, ending the day on 101 not out off 138 balls, while 17-year-old Lomror played a steady 65 not out.

Leeds United have been strongly linked with a move for Nathaniel Phillips this summer, and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Nat Phillips?

According to LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, the Yorkshire giants remain interested in signing the Liverpool centre-back this summer.

As per the report, the journalist claims that although the noise around Phillips' move has fallen quiet, the Whites had made enquiries about the defender earlier in the summer and remain interested in securing his signature.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

Will Leeds sign Nat Phillips?

There is no doubt that Daniel Farke is still in desperate need of reinforcements this summer, considering the number of outgoings already confirmed whilst the future is not promised for many others at Elland Road.

Several first-team regulars have left the club following relegation from the Premier League last season including Rodrigo, Robin Koch, Brendan Aaronson, Marc Roca, whilst more recently, Maximilian Wober completed a season-long loan move to the Bundesliga via Borussia Mönchengladbach.

As a result, Farke desperately needs to bolster the defensive depth, quality and experience in the Leeds squad to ensure they have the best chance of competing for automatic promotion in the Championship next season, something Phillips could help the side achieve if he makes the move this month.

Despite struggling to gain consistent first-team football over his career at Liverpool due to huge competition in the centre-back position with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate occupying the starting spots, Phillips became a cult hero during a huge injury crisis at Anfield back in the 2020/21 season.

Over 17 Premier League appearances, the 26-year-old titan scored one goal, delivered one assist, successfully completed 100% of his dribbles and won 61% of his ground and aerial duels combined, as well as keeping seven clean sheets to help Liverpool secure Champions League qualification in the final fixtures of the season.

His successful breakthrough for the Reds led to huge praise from many including ex-Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp who waxed lyrical about the defender in 2021 after he scored a goal against Burnley:

"The second goal really helps and Nat Phillips has had an unbelievable time, he's full of confidence. He's a throwback defender. He wants to make blocks, he wants to make tackles, he's got great anticipation."

Since then, the Bolton-born colossus has been rarely seen at Anfield but was given the opportunity to play regularly and gain more first-team minutes whilst on a six-month loan in the Championship with AFC Bournemouth during their promotion challenge of 2022, so such experience would be massively advantageous in the Leeds squad next season.

Phillips – who has a reported price tag of just £10m – tallied up an 82% pass completion rate, kept eight clean sheets, successfully completed 50% of his dribbles and won 65% of his duels combined over 17 appearances in the second tier, contributing massively to the South coast club's final push for automatic promotion success.

With that being said, the opportunity to sign Phillips should not be missed for Farke this summer, as his strong presence, consistency and domination in the defensive third would help Leeds achieve their dreams of instant promotion back to the Premier League.

Aston Villa have backed Unai Emery in the summer window so far as they have brought in three new signings and smashed the club's transfer record.

Who have Aston Villa signed this summer?

The Villans brought in Belgium international Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City, who were relegated to the Championship, as their first piece of incoming business.

Monchi then worked his magic to secure a £35m deal to sign central defender Pau Torres from Spanish side Villarreal before the club splashed out a record £51.9m to sign Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

They looked set to bring in a fourth in the form of Jack Harrison on Sunday night as Fabrizio Romano reported that they hijacked Everton's deal for the then-Leeds United forward.

However, the Villans opted against a move for the former Manchester City man as he is due to be out injured for a number of weeks and the 26-year-old dynamo completed a switch to the Toffees on Monday morning.

Emery and Monchi could now forget all about Harrison by pursuing a deal for reported transfer target Joao Felix, who the club are considering a swoop for.

How good is Joao Felix?

The Portugal international is a terrific forward who can play in a multitude of roles across the frontline, which would make him a versatile option for the head coach.

Like now-Everton gem Harrison, Felix is capable of being deployed on either flank or through the middle as a supporting striker or as a centre-forward.

This suggests that he has the adaptability and skillset to be used in the positions that Emery was eyeing the English magician for before his move to Goodison Park.

Felix, who scored four goals in 11 Premier League starts on loan at Chelsea during the second half of last season, could offer more to the Villans than the ex-Whites at the top end of the pitch.

The talented maestro has produced 25 goals and 13 assists in 55 LaLiga starts for Atletico Madrid to date, which works out as a goal contribution every 1.45 starts on average.

Meanwhile, Harrison managed 21 goals and 16 assists in 100 Premier League starts for Leeds, which is a direct involvement every 2.7 starts on average.

These statistics suggest that Felix, who scout Jacek Kulig described as a "nightmare" for defenders, could make a greater impact than the English attacker in the final third due to his ability to score and assist goals at a more impressive rate.

The Portuguese maestro's underlying numbers also back up his superiority. Over the last 365 days, the 5 foot 11 ace ranks within the top 6% of his positional peers among the Men's Big Five League and European competitions for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90 respectively.

Meanwhile, Harrison does not rank higher than the top 39% in either statistic and is in the bottom half of players in his position for progressive passes per 90 over the last 365 days.

Therefore, Felix could provide more quality in deep possession by driving the team up the pitch, either by carrying the ball forward or finding teammates between the line.

This is why Emery could forget all about Harrison by securing a deal for the Atletico Madrid forward as he has the potential to be a sublime signing for Villa as an alternative to the new Everton wide man.