All posts by h716a5.icu

If Chelsea are looking for a big-name signing to truly kick-start Mauricio Pochettino's tenure as head coach, they do not come much bigger than Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar.

According to The Athletic, that is a possibility as PSG are open to getting the big-earning forward – on wages of £933k a week at the Parc des Princes, according to Capology – off their books this summer.

Is PSG superstar Neymar a realistic target for Chelsea?

Six years on from becoming the most expensive footballer in history when joining from Barcelona for a fee of €222m (£198m), Neymar's time in the French capital may finally be up.

The report suggests Chelsea hold an interest in the Brazil international, and the transfer is now a lot more feasible due to the Blues getting a number of their own big earners off the books early in the transfer window.

PSG would ideally still like to recoup some of the mammoth fee they splashed out on Neymar, but with the forward having two years of his contract to run, it is suggested removing his reported £48.5m annual salary off their books is also appealing.

Can Neymar still do a job in the Premier League?

This is not the first time Neymar has been linked with a move to the Premier League – or indeed Chelsea – with Manchester United said to also be showing an interest this summer.

There is no doubt that the samba star is not as highly regarded as he once was, not helped by a period of stagnation at PSG despite an influx of the world's greatest players, including Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

However, on the basis of last season, the £49m-rated Neymar is still as good as any player in the world in a number of areas. Indeed, he ranks in the top 1% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues last season for chances created, as per The Analyst, while nobody can better him for touches of the ball.

Neymar is also in the top 5% for goals scored, netting 13 of them last season and assisting 11 more in 20 Ligue 1 outings. Many will point to the quality of the French top flight, but Neymar has scored regularly now in both LaLiga and Ligue 1.

It is a goalscorer Chelsea desperately crave, and in Neymar they would be signing a player who has scored 359 times in 584 career appearances for Santos, Barcelona and PSG.

As Brazil colleague at the time David Luiz put it previously, Neymar is a "phenomenon" – a status that he continues to justify based on the statistics alone, even if he has his many doubters.

With Christopher Nkunku having already arrived from RB Leipzig this summer, Chelsea could find his ideal partner in Neymar. Nkunku is himself a goalscorer (top 4% in Europe's top five leagues last season), and would surely thrive off the creativity that the Brazilian brings.

While there is no dispelling the fact Neymar struggles in certain defensive metrics, he ranks higher than expected for possession won – in the top 32% of forwards across Europe's elite divisions.

Interestingly, as per The Analyst, the two players most like Nkunku right now are Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, who formed one of the Premier League's all-time great attacks alongside Roberto Firmino.

Neymar, meanwhile, is very alike Vinicius Junior in terms of their statistical profiles, and his compatriot did not exactly struggle to form a strong partnership with Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.

For all the talk that Neymar will take balance away from a team, there is just as much evidence to suggest he and Nkunku could tear up the Premier League in a double transfer that would seriously ignite Pochettino's tenure.

A round-up of the Regional Super 50 2016-17 Group B matches played on February 3, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2017Barbados won their fifth straight game with a 171-run thrashing of ICC Americas at Windward Park on Friday. Kraigg Brathwaite’s second century of the tournament laid the foundation for victory as he scored 108 out of a total of 282 for 9 after Barbados chose to bat. ICC Americas were bowled out for 111 in reply and remain winless in the Regional Super50.Brathwaite lost his opening partner Anthony Alleyne in the second over for 2, but proceeded to compile three successive 50-plus stands with Shai Hope (27), Jonathan Carter (57) and Roston Chase (40) as Barbados cruised to 240 for 3 in the 45th before a flurry of wickets fell in the final overs. Medium pacer Cecil Pervez, who dismissed Alleyne early on, came back late to remove Chase and Ashley Nurse to finish with 3 for 58 while legspinner Timil Patel had Brathwaite, Hope and Jason Holder all out stumped to claim 3 for 57.ICC Americas responded with their worst start of the tournament as five of the top six batsmen fell for 0, 1 or 2. Alex Amsterdam was the only one of the group to reach double-digits, making 30 before he became Holder’s third victim at the start of the 12th over to make it 39 for 6.Timroy Allen led a brief counterattack, striking two sixes off Carlos Brathwaite in the 13th and then one more off both Holder and Jomel Warrican before he fell for a top score of 36 off 25 balls to Warrican in the 21st over. His team was all out by the 34th.Shivnarine Chanderpaul made his 97th List A fifty•WICB Media/Kerrie EversleyGuyana broke a three-way tie for second place pulling ahead of Jamaica and Combined Campuses and Colleges, whom they beat by six wickets at Kensington Oval. CCC could manage only 188 after deciding to bat at the toss, and Guyana were able to chase it down with half-centuries from captain Leon Johnson and the evergreen Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Ronsford Beaton’s solid tournament with the ball for Guyana continued as he took 3 for 52 while left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul kept the run-rate tight in the middle overs, finishing with 2 for 29 from his 10 overs. Six out of the top eight for CCC reached double-figures but none made more than Amir Jangoo’s 30, with his innings coming to an end courtesy a run-out by Steven Jacobs. With wickets falling at regular intervals, the 41-run partnership between captain Jamal Smith and Nino Henry for the seventh wicket was CCC’s best stand.Guyana stumbled at the start, reaching 19 for 2, before Assad Fudadin and Johnson steadied the chase with a 54-run stand. That was followed by an 85-run fourth-wicket partnership between Johnson and Chanderpaul. Johnson eventually fell for 71 in the 42nd over with 31 left to win while Chanderpaul stayed through to the end, finishing unbeaten on 58.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly 'keeping tabs' on Gambian starlet Adama Bojang.

Wolves transfer news – What's the latest on Adama Bojang?

According to the Evening Standard, the Old Gold are amongst a 'raft of European clubs taking an interest in 19-year-old gem Adama Bojang.

The youngster has shot to prominence in recent months thanks to his exceptional performances for the Gambian team in the U20 World Cup, where he scored in the round of 16.

Before that, in March, he helped guide his team to the final of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished runners-up, and he was named in the team of the tournament.

His club side, Steve Biko FC, have valued the player at just £2.6m, and with a low price tag, it's no surprise that Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham are also interested.

Would Adama Bojang be a bargain at just £2.6m?

In a world in which Chelsea are signing 16-year-olds for £17m, a fee of only £2.6m for a 19-year-old prospect who has plenty of experience as a youth international and some experience in senior football seems like a bargain.

Granted, that senior football has come in the Gambian league for club side Steve Biko, but it will still have been beneficial towards his development.

Looking at the player's statistics from his time with the Gambian U20s paints a picture of a clinical forward. In just ten appearances for the side, he has produced seven goal contributions, six goals and one assist.

Nicknamed as "The Gambian Hurricane" in his domestic league thanks to his rapid pace and trickery, the 6 foot 3 dynamo expressed his reaction to the European links, telling BBC Africa back in April:

"I've heard about the news and I am excited about it. It boosts my morale. I'm focusing more on consistency which motivates me a lot, because seeing such clubs following you is a great feeling."

He hasn't been shy in revealing his lofty ambitions, though, saying: "I want to be like Cristiano Ronaldo."

Bojang might get close if former Millwall and Plymouth Argyle striker Cherno Samba is to be believed.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Pilgrims player said:

"He's ready to go, he works hard and he's hungry. He is destined for greatness.

"Fingers crossed he stays away from injury but he will be a top, top, top player."

If the hype is to be believed and you look at the several Man of the Match awards he has already won with his U20 international side, then that fee of £2.6m starts to look very good.

It was in one of those game-changing performances that he really shone.

In a match against South Sudan in the quarter-finals, and after sitting out the final group game, the dynamic forward came back into the team to score a hat trick in just 27 minutes.

With performances like that, Wolves should be pursuing Bojang, as they held the unfortunate award for scoring the fewest goals out of any team in the Premier League last season, only 31 in 38 games.

Attacking reinforcements are desperately needed at the club, and with Atalanta reportedly asking for an eye-watering £86m for Rasmus Hojlund after one breakthrough debut campaign in Serie A, for example, a significantly cheaper gamble seems too good an option to pass up, especially given Wolves' Financial Fair Play issues.

Western Australia added the 57 runs they needed on day four without much fuss to seal their first win of the Sheffield Shield season

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Jonathan Wells finished unbeaten on 113•Getty ImagesJonathan Wells and Adam Voges led Western Australia to a comeback victory over Queensland, their first of the season, in the day-night Sheffield Shield match at the WACA Ground.The Western Australia pair made short work of the runs required on the final day, finishing off a performance that was turned around in the first place by Simon Mackin’s pivotal 6 for 33 to bulldoze Queensland in their second innings. Mackin finished with 11 wickets in the match.Having started the season poorly, Western Australia are now back in contention for the back-end of the Shield season, which will follow the extended hiatus for the Twenty20 Big Bash League.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has added to his side with one signing to date.

Youri Tielemans is set to arrive on a free transfer at the start of July, after his contract with Leicester expires, and the club have now appointed Monchi as their president of football operations to bolster their efforts to improve the squad.

One player who has been linked with a possible move to the club this summer is Leeds United forward Crysencio Summerville, who has been valued at around €12m (£10m) by the relegated team.

Where would Crysencio Summerville fit in at Aston Villa?

The Netherlands U21 international has played the majority of his career to date as a right winger but he is also capable of lining up on the left and through the middle, which means that Emery could deploy him in a multitude of ways.

Villa's head coach could, however, use the 21-year-old in his favoured role on the right and brutally ditch current attacker Leon Bailey in the process.

Last month, journalist Dean Jones claimed that he would be "surprised" if the Jamaica international is still at the club come the start of the 2023/24 campaign, as there could be a market for teams interested in his services.

This suggests that the Villans could cash in on the 25-year-old winger this summer and bringing Summerville in as his replacement could be a shrewd move by Emery and Monchi.

The Leeds wizard, who was once hailed as a speed merchant whilst playing for the club's U21 side, produced four goals and two assists in 12 Premier League starts during the 2022/23 campaign and completed 52% of his attempted dribbles.

Bailey, meanwhile, scored four and assisted four in his 26 starts for Villa throughout the season and was stopped in 57% of his dribbles, suggesting that Summerville is more effective at committing and beating opposition defenders to drive forward with the ball.

The Dutch wizard has averaged more non-penalty goals (0.25) and shot-creating actions (3.09) per 90 over the last 365 days than Bailey (0.18 and 2.84) has for the Villans, indicating that the talented youngster could provide more quality in the final third, both in terms of scoring goals and creating opportunities for others.

Summerville, who was once dubbed "unplayable" by journalist Beren Cross, is also four years younger than the ex-Bayer Leverkusen dynamo, meaning that he has more long-term potential to develop and improve, whilst already having the quality to offer more on the pitch in the immediate term.

Therefore, Emery could ruthlessly ditch Bailey and cash in on the dud this summer by signing the Whites magician as his replacement.

England manager Gareth Southgate has warned Jack Grealish over his antics during the Manchester City celebrations after winning the treble.

What did Gareth Southgate say about Jack Grealish?

The winger has made plenty of headlines over the past week or so as he's widely enjoyed letting off some steam after Pep Guardiola and his team secured the Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup over the course of the past season.

For instance, he was even spotted on camera drunkenly begging City teammate Bernardo Silva not to leave in the summer, while more footage has seen him ambling around Manchester, often with Champagne in hand.

Despite all this, Grealish's season isn't tenchially over as he's part of the England squad which will play Euro 2024 qualifiers over the next few days – first against Malta, and then North Macedonia.

With this in mind, manager Southgate has been talking to the press about the player's off-field antics, suggesting that he best not cross the line.

He told the press (via TalkSport): "There is a line but in our head we weren't thinking of including the City players for this game.

"I have spoken with the players. We have talked about where the focus needs to be, where we need them to be and acknowledged what they have experienced and that's for me to manage.

"A few of our players would be teetotal. What is different is that everyone posts everything [on social media]. I wouldn't have liked a few of my nights out to be posted publicly. My generation would have a lot more problems."

Will Grealish play for England against Malta?

It's nice to see that Southgate at least understanding Grealish's behaviour and not coming down too hard on him – admitting that his on genertation would have been worse. Although, he did also suggest that none of the City players will featute against Malta.

And for the most part, it seems most of the footballing community has been able to enjoy the Man City man living it up, even if he has looked a bit worse for wear at times.

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor explained on TalkSport why the former Aston Villa captain has every right to let off a little steam.

He said: “You’ve done the work, played in multiple games this season, had the sleepless nights after games – people don’t see that part of it where you’re shattered, you’re dehydrated, you can’t eat after games, people don’t see the side of footballers where they’re putting the work in and how difficult it is to be a professional footballer.

“They’ve done and now it’s time to celebrate. The celebrations are on hold for England duty and they’ll continue after England duty because he’ll have more time off and it’s deserved.

“I just see a lad who is living the dream. He’s won the treble and he’s celebrating as he should do.”

Despite sustaining multiple cheek fractures, West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin said “all is going to be fine”

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2016West Indies women allrounder Deandra Dottin has suffered multiple cheekbone fractures after a collision on the field during the Women’s Big Bash League game between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars.* However, she insisted “all is going to be fine!” in a post on Facebook.”Eye socket and eyesight is fine, jaw and teeth fine,” Dottin wrote. “I am out of hospital now, recovering before a specialist appointment with a face surgeon Thursday. At this stage it is believed I will require titanium plates to fix the issues.”The Cricket Australia website reported Dottin, who plays for Heat, would check in with Brisbane Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon Dr John Arvier to finalise a timeline for her recovery.Dottin suffered the injury at Allan Border Field on Tuesday. In the 11th over, with Stars chasing 130, Meg Lanning hit seamer Haidee Birkett over midwicket. Dottin and Laura Harris were the fielders in the deep and, while trying to prevent the ball from crossing the boundary, they crashed into each other. Dottin seemed to land awkwardly on a kit bag and was stretchered off the field by medical staff. Harris was thrown into the picket fence, but she felt well enough to remain at the ground though she didn’t take any further part in the match, which Heat won by five runs.This incident came a day after Heat’s Holly Ferling suffered a concussion from her head striking the turf hard while trying to take a catch. She was not able to play Tuesday’s game as a result.*0700 GMT, December 28: The story was updated to include details of Deandra Dottin’s injuries

Manchester United's potential new Qatari owners could join the race for Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Frenchman could possibly leave PSG, who would reportedly rather cash in this summer, rather than lose Mbappe on a free next year.

How much is Mbappe worth?

The Mbappe transfer saga is likely to steal the headlines this summer, given his position as one of the best players in the world.

According to ESPN, PSG will demand €150m (£128m) for the forward this summer, with Real Madrid once again leading the race for his signature.

Potential new owners at Manchester United would mean likely new investment, meaning the Red Devils could not be ruled out of making what would be a sensational summer move.

As of right now, with the takeover yet to reach completion, United are not among the frontrunners, though.

What did Fabrizio Romano say about Manchester United and Kylian Mbappe?

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Guys, with the Glazers this is not a topic because Man United are not working on this deal with the current ownership. Let's see what will happen in case they have new owners because we know that the club is for sale, there is this takeover story still on. So let’s follow the story and let’s see what will happen, we can’t predict the future, so we have to wait and see on Manchester United.

"But, the reality is that, of course, Real Madrid have been working on this deal for a long time. We know the childhood dream of Kylian Mbappe is Real Madrid and this has never changed, so let’s follow this story.”

How much does Kylian Mbappe earn?

It's not just the fee that United, and others, would have to contend with if they want to land Mbappe this summer.

The World Cup winner earns a staggering £893,000 per week, according to SalarySport, which would instantly make him United's biggest earner, making more than double the Red Devils' current top earner, David de Gea.

It has to be said, however, that making Mbappe the highest earner at the club would be more than justifiable.

Off the pitch, shirt sales could see a similar spike as they did when Cristiano Ronaldo joined. Meanwhile, on the pitch, he could take Erik ten Hag's side back to the top having shown his ability for both PSG and his national side.

Having seen Erling Haaland join Manchester City last summer, before taking them to the treble, too, those at Old Trafford may be desperate to welcome a star of a similar calibre.

With a lot of the summer transfer window remaining, it will be intriguing to see how this saga unfolds.

James Anderson only arrived in India on Tuesday night but he retains hopes of being fit to play in the second Test against India

George Dobell in Rajkot09-Nov-20161:11

Ganguly: No Anderson even if he is fit

James Anderson only arrived in India on Tuesday night but he retains hopes of being fit to play in the second Test against India.Anderson has not played a game since August having suffered a stress fracture in his right shoulder. But, having been cleared to join the tour last week, he is now keen to prove himself in the nets over the coming days and stake a claim for selection for the Test starting in Visakhapatnam on November 17.”I had a good week at Loughborough last week, bowling to get some overs under my belt,” Anderson told Sky Sports. “Hopefully I can keep that going this week and get some miles into my legs to make sure I’m as fit as I can be and maybe be fit for the second Test.”It is still over a week away so it is hard to say for sure right now. It all depends how the week goes, but I’m sure in the next two or three days we’ll have an idea of whether that is a possibility or not.”At the tender age of 34 I’ve got enough experience to get into match mode quite quickly. Obviously it is not always easy without having any games under my belt, but I think I am able to do that.”While it remains more likely that Anderson will return to the side for the third or fourth Tests, he has been encouraged by the speed of his recent recovery.”We initially thought maybe the fourth Test was a possibility, but the way I’ve progressed over the last three or four weeks has been positive,” Anderson said. “I had a stress fracture of the shoulder blades at the back of my shoulder. It was a bit weird. I think it was just workload thing. I injured the muscle against Sri Lanka in May. The stress fracture has healed now and hopefully that will last.”I bowled 30 overs last week and now it is just about carrying that on and maybe upping the intensity a little bit. The rest is just standing around and getting those miles in the legs and being used to being on your feet for seven or eight hours a day.”Despite being unable to take part in the first Test – Anderson was given Wednesday off and will bowl in the nets in Rajkot on Thursday – he was delighted to be at the ground to see Stuart Broad awarded a silver cap by Andrew Strauss to mark his 100th Test.”I thought I was going to miss it but it is great that I got out here in time and saw him get his cap from Straussy,” Anderson said. “It’s an amazing achievement. He’s been a fantastic bowler for years and I’ve been fortunate enough to play in the majority of his Tests as well. We talk a lot about the game, we know each other’s game inside out and we talk a lot on the field.”We’ve developed a great friendship on and off the field and I’m just delighted that I’m here.”

A round-up of the Sunfoil Series 2016-17 matches that ended on October 23, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2016The Titans surged to their first win of the season with a massive innings and 38-run victory over the Dolphins in Centurion, and they did it courtesy two franchise debutants. Aiden Markram and Lungi Ngidi were both making their maiden first-class appearances for the Titans and showed that the young talent in Centurion is blossoming.Ngidi was first to the fore when he took four wickets in an opening spell that reduced the Dolphins to 61 for 4 in the 21st over. Senuran Muthusamy was the only Dolphins batsmen to show some fight and scored 52 but with no half-century stands, the Dolphins struggled to get over 200. They eked over the mark but not before Ngidi had picked up his fifth.Markram was promoted to the franchise team in the absence of Dean Elgar, who has left on Test duty, and he was a perfect fit. He partnered Heino Kuhn in an opening stand of 203 and then put on 120 with Grant Mokoena for the second wicket while scoring 162 of his own. The Titans were well in the lead by the time Markram was dismissed with the Dolphins unable to make many inroads despite the return of Andile Phehlukwayo. Although none of the Titans bottom seven batsmen made more than 32, they batted into the third day and amassed 432, a lead of 225.A worn-out Dolphins line-up up could not muster much resistance and by the time Ngidi bowled again, they were already three down. Khaya Zondo scored 68 but the Titans’ attack proved too strong for the rest. Wickets were shared all round with three each for Rowan Richards and Malusi Siboto while Ngigi added two for a match haul of seven. The Dolphins won their first two fixtures but only picked up 4.14 points in this match to drop off the top of the points table.At the other end of the log, the Cape Cobras remain in last place despite their high-scoring draw against the Warriors at Newlands. On a flat track, both teams racked up totals over 500 with no time for either to get into a second innings.The Warriors’ batsmen made first use of the surface. After Michael Price and Edward Moore put on 113 for the first wicket, new Leicestershire signing Colin Ackermann scored a career-best 146. Yaseen Vallie and Somilar Seyibokwe managed half-centuries each as the bowlers conceded unenviable amounts of runs. Beuran Hendricks gave away 100 runs while Tsepo Moreki and Test discard Dane Piedt had 110 and 155 runs taken off them. Piedt bowled a marathon 43 overs before the Warrriors declared on 525 for 7 on the second day.If they thought they had done enough to intimidate a Cobras side deep in turmoil over the future of coach Paul Adams, they were wrong. Omphile Ramela and Andrew Puttick, both of whom are among the players unhappy with Adams, put their troubles aside and scored 266 for the opening stand. It took Warriors 106.4 overs before they got their first wicket, when Puttick was bowled on 124. Ramela went on to make 170. Jason Smith, fresh off a half-century last weekend, was the other Cobras batsmen to record a milestone. He scored 63.The Warriors’ bowlers also took punishment. Sisanda Magala conceded 101 while another spinner no longer looked at at Test level, Simon Harmer, toiled the hardest. He bowled 69 overs for 176 runs before the teams shook hands on a draw in the third session on the final day.There was also no winner in Kimberley where the Knights and the Lions shared spoils, although the Knights will be the happier of the two sides. Their 8.88 points took them to the top of the table and Duanne Olivier’s nine-wicket match haul means he now leads the wicket charts.After choosing to bat, the Lions were in early trouble at 133 for 4 but Nicky van den Bergh and Dwaine Pretorius took them out of it. They put on 83 runs for the fifth wicket and van den Burgh went on to score a century which was then topped up by Willem Mulder. The schoolboy shared in a 132-run eight-wicket partnership with Bjorn Fortuin and the Lions were dismissed for 483 – their first total over 300 this season.On a docile surface and with their big international name, David Miller, making his first appearance for them, the Knights had a ready response. Michael Erlank and Miller put on 243 for the third wicket and Miller went on to a career-best 177. The Lions’ attack was kept in the field for 142 overs before they bowled the Knights out, with Aya Myoli taking 4 for 145.The Knights made their 89-run first innings lead appear all the more valuable when their attack reduced the Lions to 92 for 5. Pretorius and Dominic Hendricks steadied the second innings with a 109-run sixth-wicket partnership before Olivier got in on the action. He took four wickets on the third afternoon even as the Lions took their lead over 200. Mangalisio Mosehle’s 67 kept the Knights at bay and there was not enough time for them to try and push for a victory.