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O Palmeiras parece finalmente ter entrado de cabeça na briga por um volante no mercado de transferências. Trata-se de Wendel, atualmente no Zenit-RUS. O Verdão sinalizou com valores dentro de sua realidade financeira ao clube russo, mas tem como concorrência o Fenerbahçe-TUR. Apesar de entender a dificuldade do negócio, a diretoria alviverde vai tentar formas de trazer o meio-campista antes do fechamento deste período de contratações. A questão é: como jogou Wendel nesses anos de Europa e quais são seus números por lá?

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Depois de cinco anos e meio no Velho Continente atuando por Sporting-POR e Zenit-RUS, o volante acumulou 164 jogos, marcou 20 gols e deu 21 assistências. No entanto, em 73,8% dessas partidas ele atuou como um meia central ou um segundo volante, ou seja, não como um camisa 5 que o Palmeiras tanto procura. As partidas como primeiro volante foram apenas 9,7% do total. Até mesmo como meia ofensivo ele atuou mais vezes: 12,2% do total. Já como meia esquerda ele atuou em 6,1% dos duelos.

Em Portugal, quando atuou pelo Sporting por quase três anos, Wendel esteve na posição de “5” em apenas cinco partidas (6,3% dos 79 jogos pelo clube). Além disso, foram 13 jogos como meia ofensivo (16,5%) e 61 jogos como meia central ou segundo volante (77,2%).

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Na Rússia, onde está no Zenit há cerca de três anos, Wendel jogou como “5” em apenas 11 partidas (12,9% dos 85 jogos pelo clube), pouco a mais do que os dez duelos como meia pela esquerda (11,8%) e do que os sete como meia ofensivo (8,2%). Já como meia central ou segundo volante, foram 60 partidas (70,6%).

Em termos de número de gols e assistências, a temporada 2022/2023 pelo Zenit foi a melhor da carreira de Wendel na Europa. Foram 33 jogos, nove gols marcados e cinco assistências, ou seja, 14 participações em gols, média de praticamente uma a cada dois jogos. Para se ter uma noção de como foi boa essa última temporada, a soma dos gols marcados nas outras é 11.

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+ Clube de CR7 acena com interesse em Gustavo Gómez, mas Palmeiras descarta

Pelo Sporting, foram seis gols e oito assistências em 79 jogos. Enquanto pelo Zenit foram 85 partidas, 14 gols e 13 assistências. Assim, é possível notar que seus tempos na Rússia, os mais recentes, são os melhores em termos de números. Aos 25 anos, o meio-campista revelado pelo Fluminense apresenta boas credenciais em sua possível volta ao Brasil.

O Palmeiras aguarda o posicionamento do Zenit-RUS sobre valores que gostaria de negociar pela contratação do volante. Os dirigentes do Verdão entendem que a transferência é muito difícil por alguns motivos, entre eles a grana alta que os russos devem pedir e a concorrência do Fenerbahçe-TUR que se apresenta no horizonte. Caso seu time atual acenar com uma liberação, outros concorrentes podem aparecer.

+ Palmeiras entra na briga com o Fenerbahçe para contratar Wendel, volante do Zenit

Confira os números de Wendel citados acima:

2022/2023 – 33 jogos/9 gols/5 assistências (Zenit) – 30 jogos como meia central, 2 como volante e 1 como meia
2021/2022 – 35 jogos/3 gols/5 assistências (Zenit) – 22 jogos como meia central, 7 como volante e 6 como meia esquerda
2020/2021 – 20 jogos/2 gols/3 assistências (Zenit) – 8 jogos como meia central, 2 como volante, 6 como meia e 4 como meia esquerda
2020/2021 – 3 jogos (Sporting) – 3 jogos como meia central
2019/2020 – 39 jogos/3 gols/3 assistências (Sporting) – 34 jogos como meia central, 2 como volante e 3 como meia
2018/2019 – 33 jogos/3 gols/5 assistências (Sporting) – 20 jogos como meia central, 3 como volante e 10 como meia
2017/2018 – 4 jogos (Sporting) – 4 jogos como meia central

Total – 164 jogos/20 gols/21 assistências – 121 jogos como meia central, 16 como volante, 20 como meia e 10 como meia esquerda

Sporting

61 jogos como meia central
5 jogos como volante
13 jogos como meia

79 jogos/6 gols/8 assistências

Zenit

60 jogos como meia central
11 jogos como volante
7 jogos como meia
10 jogos como meia esquerda

85 jogos/14 gols/13 assistências

Fair to say, in recent seasons, a large number of players have come through Chelsea.

In fact, since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club in 2022, the Blues have signed 49 senior players, costing around £1.5bn, while 64 have been sold, recouping approximately £789m; many fit into both categories!

Almost inarguably, the best signing made during this period is the £40m paid to bring Cole Palmer to the club from Manchester City, considering the England international has scored 43 goals and registered 29 assists in 98 appearances for the club.

However, of the numerous players sold since 2022, many have gone on to flourish elsewhere, with one ex-Chelsea attacker, once compared to an all-time club legend, actually performing better than Palmer in 2025.

Cole Palmer's importance to Chelsea

Talisman Palmer is sidelined at the moment, suffering a groin injury during the warm-up ahead of Chelsea’s 5-1 demolition of West Ham, not featuring since, and not expected to recover in time for Saturday night’s clash with Brentford.

This is far from ideal considering Enzo Maresca’s team travel to Bayern Munich for their Champions League opener on Wednesday, before facing Manchester United at Old Trafford three days later.

The table below emphasises Palmer’s importance last season.

As the table documents, in the Premier League last season, Palmer ranked first for pretty much every attacking metric at Chelsea last season.

Minutes

3,191

2nd

Goals

15

1st

Assists

8

1st

Shots

121

1st

Shots on target

44

1st

Big chances missed

14

2nd

Big chances created

24

1st

Key passes

87

1st

Shot-creating actions

202

1st

Progressive carries

120

3rd

Carries into final third

76

1st

Touches in final third

901

1st

Average SofaScore rating

7.63

1st

This doesn’t even consider his contributions in other competitions, most notably bagging three goals en route to Club World Cup glory, scoring a quick-fire brace during the final demolition of Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium.

However, is a former Chelsea attacker actually outperforming Palmer this calendar year?

The former Chelsea forward with more goals than Palmer

Back in 2019, Christian Pulisic joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £58m, signed in January before arriving in the summer, just as the club were hit with a transfer embargo, thereby prioritising youth under Frank Lampard.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

This worked to Pulisic’s advantage, scoring 11 goals and providing ten assists during his debut campaign in West London, with four of each coming during project restart, with many Americans joking that “lockdown Pulisic” is the greatest player of all-time.

Upon his arrival, he asserted that he wanted to replicate his idol Eden Hazard, stating “he is a guy to look up to and what I would love to become”.

Well, 18 months later, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes aptly stated, “he looks the closest thing I’ve seen to Eden Hazard”, high praise indeed from a legend of the game.

The USMNT winger’s importance dwindled during the subsequent three campaigns, however, scoring just one goal during his final campaign with the club, thereby sold to AC Milan for around £18m in the summer of 2023.

Well, this has been a shrewd bit of investment because Pulisic bagged 15 goals and 11 assists during his first season with the Rossoneri, before increasing this to 17 goals and 12 assists last season.

To commence the new campaign too, he has also scored against Bari in the Coppa Italia and Lecce in Serie A, quickly establishing himself as a key figure in Massimiliano Allegri’s new-look side.

This means, in 2025, the American has now scored 11 club goals, five more than Palmer’s tally, having played just one more match.

Also, according to Football Transfers, this form has seen Pulisic’s value skyrocket up to around £41m, more than double the £18m he was sold to Milan for.

Thus, given that Chelsea have essentially become a player trading platform under Boehly’s ownership, they may regret selling the American for such a low fee and, who knows, had he stayed in West London, he could’ve been a key contributor, working in tandem with Palmer.

The Chelsea academy star turning Maresca's head after Nicolas Jackson praise

Chelsea’s manager is keeping a close eye on him.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 11, 2025

Dhruv Jurel top scored for Rajasthan Royals with 33 off 28

Deivarayan Muthu26-Mar-2025

No Sunil Narine? No problem so far for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).New KKR recruit Moeen Ali dovetailed beautifully with old face Varun Chakravarthy on a dry, sluggish Guwahati surface to keep Rajasthan Royals (RR) to 151 for 9. The two spinners were so good – they claimed combined figures of 8-0-40-4 – that KKR didn’t even need Andre Russell with the ball.The slide that the spinners started – RR went from 67 for 1 to 82 for 5 – messed with the plans of the hosts. RR had originally not named Shubham Dubey among their Impact subs, but they had to slot him in at No.7, at the expense of a frontline bowler who could have been used during their defence.Dubey, however, laboured to 9 off 12 balls before Vaibhav Arora had him holing out. Arora had caused damage with the new ball too, knocking Sanju Samson over for 13 off 11 balls after he had stepped out a bit too early. Yashasvi Jasiwal also fell while stepping out, with Moeen having him hole out to long-on for 29 off 24 balls.Local boy Riyan Parag got cracking with three sixes, including a one-handed hit, but Varun cut his innings short with a 113kph dart. RR promoted Wanindu Hasaranga up to No. 5 to counter Moeen but that experiment didn’t come off. He faced just one ball from the offspinner and fell to the mystery spinner for a run-a-ball 4.Dhruv Jurel top-scored for RR with 33 off 28 balls before Rana got rid of him and Hetmyer in the penultimate over. Jofra Archer’s cameo – 16 off seven balls – pushed RR past 150. He will have a big job to do with the ball for RR, especially after having bowled the most expensive IPL spell ever in his last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on the weekend.

Jurgen Klopp has brutally roasted Manchester United, with the former Liverpool boss able to laugh at the struggles being endured by his former arch-rivals. The German tactician spent nine years locked in Premier League battle with the Red Devils, and ultimately emerged victorious as he was able to awaken sleeping giants on Merseyside from their slumber and turn them into serious contenders for the biggest domestic and continental prizes.

• Klopp turned Liverpool into contenders for every trophy

  Klopp captured a couple of those, with Liverpool savouring Premier League and Champions League title successes during his tenure. Silverware was also secured in cup competitions, with Liverpool emerging as challengers for every trophy up for grabs in any given year. Their haul under Klopp would have been even greater were it not for the strength of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

  United had hoped to form part of that picture, but regression continues to be endured at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have not celebrated a top-flight title win since bidding farewell to Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Ruben Amorim is struggling to deliver a reversal in fortune at present, with the Portuguese facing some uncomfortable questions after winning just 18 of his 49 games at the helm.

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  Man Utd struggling again under Portuguese coach Amorim

  Klopp is no longer prowling the touchline, having stepped down as Liverpool boss in the summer of 2024, but has become head of global soccer for Red Bull and is charged with the task of making the clubs in their elite talent stable as competitive as possible. Klopp told of that challenge, while breaking into his booming laugh: “We are not the final destination. We are not Liverpool… or in former times Man United! You can write that if you want.”

  He is able to make such tongue-in-cheek comments having experienced the stresses of life in the dugout. He said of trying to help those, such as Amorim, that may find the going tough at times: “I want to instil this (stability); more trust, going through the hard times. If you are convinced, then you are convinced. The world is like that: ‘Oh my God, you are great!’ Then it is, ‘Oh no! You’re sh*t.’ There’s no grey area anymore. And very often life is grey.”

• Klopp knows how to lose & pass on that advice

  Klopp knows better than most how it feels to lose and fall agonisingly short in pursuit of an ultimate target, with it that vast experience which allows him to pass on words of wisdom. He went on to say: “I lost more Champions League finals than most people play. I know how to lose and how life goes on. I don’t need to keep my experience for myself. I never did, but I just never had time to talk to people about it because it was the next game coming up. Now if somebody asks me something, I’m the most open book I know.”

  Klopp is enjoying life away from the dugout, with a more stress free existence being embraced. His role with Red Bull is keeping him busy and he will commit fully to that position for as long as he feels that he has something to offer. The enigmatic 58-year-old said: “The last thing I want to be is the old man in the room… The one who says, ‘In the past, everything was good. We did it like that!’ Hopefully I finish before I reach that point. I want to be the counterpart. I want to be, if necessary, the emergency call of the coaches or sporting directors, the guy they call when they don’t know who to talk to. You need to create a relationship.”

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  Will Klopp ever return to management?

  Klopp is still relatively young when it comes to management, with there plenty of elite coaches in the business that are older than him. He has, however, suggested that no return to the dugout will be made as there is no desire on his part – certainly at club level – to step back into that demanding world any time soon.

كشف ييس توروب، المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، عن بدلاء الفريق أمام الاتحاد السكندري، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما، اليوم الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلعب الأهلي ضد الاتحاد السكندري، في الجولة الحادية عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

طالع أيضًا | توروب يعلن تشكيل الأهلي أمام الاتحاد السكندري.. جراديشار يقود الهجوم

ويحتل الأهلي المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 18 نقطة، بعد خوض 9 مباريات، فاز في 5 وتعادل في 3 وخسر في لقاء.

بينما فريق الاتحاد السكندري، يتواجد في المركز السابع عشر بجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 8 نقاط. بدلاء الأهلي اليوم أمام الاتحاد السكندري في الدوري

مصطفى شوبير وعمر كمال عبد الواحد وأحمد رمضان بيكهام وأحمد عبد القادر ومحمد شكري ومحمد مجدي أفشة ومصطفى العش وأليو ديانج وطاهر محمد طاهر.

Manchester United were swept aside by their neighbours in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

There’s no sugarcoating it: Ruben Amorim has some serious issues to overcome, and the whispers of yet another managerial change at Old Trafford are getting louder.

The Etihad Stadium is a tough ground for any club across the globe, and United have a good record on their rivals’ patch, but the manner of the 3-0 defeat to keep Amorim shackled to the lower levels of the Premier League has increased the pressure and then some. Chelsea, you will need no reminder, travel to the Theatre next weekend.

Benjamin Sesko blanked, but the blame cannot be placed solely upon the new striker, devoid of service and limited to seven touches. Sofascore record the Slovenian’s heat map to actually be rather deep, evidence of struggles within a barren final third.

But INEOS spent big on the 23-year-old goalscorer this summer, and the fact that thus far Amorim is failing to get a tune out of him and indeed the wider United system is hugely concerning.

Benjamin Sesko's performance vs City

Amorim doubled down post-match on his plan to maintain the tactical set-up which has proved such a troubling talking point over the turbulent duration of the Portuguese’s reign.

While Sesko was completely anonymous against Pep Guardiola’s outfit, he was indeed starved of support. Hemmed in United were not, but they were inefficient on the counter and struggled for purchase in the final third.

This was a tough maiden starting berth in the Premier League for a young and talented striker, one who opted for Old Trafford in spite of the vested interests of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United last month.

Sesko wasn’t blameless. The former RB Leipzig man made a couple of heavy touches and should have made more of his chance against Gigi Donnarumma, chipping tamely toward the debutant goalkeeper.

Bought over from Germany for a £74m fee this summer to replace Rasmus Hojlund, there are perhaps concerns from some on the red side of Manchester that INEOS have just repeated the same mistake.

But it’s early days yet. And, in fact, there was another starting star on Sunday who might actually be shaping into Amorim’s next version of the Denmark centre-forward, who joined Napoli on loan before the transfer deadline several weeks back.

Amorim's new Hojlund at Man United

Without a doubt, Hojlund fell by the wayside at Manchester United. It was only two years ago that Erik ten Hag welcomed the young forward to England, signing him from Atalanta on a £72m deal.

The 22-year-old’s first term was solid if unspectacular, but he fell to a new low last year, ridiculed for his anonymity at number nine, scoring just four Premier League goals all season.

Sesko will be directly tied to his predecessor all year long, but it’s actually Patrick Dorgu who might be shaping into the new Hojlund.

Dorgu, 20, has been spun into a wing-back role in Amorim’s 3-5-2-1 formation, and it’s not working. For one, his crosses leave plenty to be desired, and he is proving ineffective despite operating within the exact tactical parameters Amorim demands of him.

To put that another way, the Danish wideman might not be the solution, which is rather damning given Amorim championed the £25m signing of the Lecce talent last January to help define the system he so firmly stresses will shape United for the duration of his tenure.

It wasn’t all bad in the derby; Dorgu was right in the thick of the action, but his crossing was woeful, and the Manchester Evening News branded him with a 4/10 match rating.

Patrick Dorgu

Man City

12

Bryan Mbeumo

Burnley

9

Joshua Zirkzee

Burnley

9

Bryan Mbeumo

Man City

9

Amad Diallo

Burnley

7

According to data platform Sofascore, Dorgu won 11 duels, created three key passes and won four tackles against Man City, but this wasn’t enough to disguise a pitiful attempt to inject creativity into Amorim’s ranks, with analyst Dharnish Iqbal remarking that he “hasn’t provided the crosses” despite being funnelled the ball with regularity.

Dorgu, let’s be clear, is a talented young player with the potential to succeed in the Premier League. Hojlund was the same, both arriving from Italian shores. But he seems to have taken on a talismanic role in Amorim’s system that he is unfit for, and so the Portuguese tactician falls ever closer toward the exit.

Given the seeming importance of Dorgu’s role – much like Hojlund’s limp displays last season came to the direct detriment of United’s wider system – it’s rather concerning that he doesn’t appear fit for the role, only completing one of five attempted dribbles against the Citizens as a further underscoring of that argument.

Sesko will often be scapegoated; this is the life of a forward. However, he’s a tall striker and won three aerial battles against City. Even so, Dorgu struggled to provide accurate crosses having been played into space, and that is an issue.

Hojlund, similarly, suffered more criticism than most last term, but he didn’t miss that many big chances, and United were culpable of a dried well of support toward the young man.

Dorgu has already shown this season an aptitude for the attacking side of the game, but so too has he proven himself unworthy of a nailed-on starting berth, and that is exactly what Amorim has entrusted him with, with this being the Dane’s third full 90 of the Premier League campaign already.

Might Amorim need to make an alteration? Wing-backs are instrumental in the manager’s machine working at full capacity, and so his reliance on Dorgu is understandable.

But it doesn’t appear to be working well enough, and if that is the case, and Amorim is unwilling to change, as has been his own declaration, then where do the Red Devils go from here?

Man Utd have two players to blame for Sesko's nightmare first start

Benjamin Sesko was an isolated figure during his first start for Manchester United.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 15, 2025

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is reportedly on Real Madrid’s radar once more, with the Spanish giants prepared to part with €150 million (£130m/$175m) in order to bring the midfielder onto their books. The Ballon d'Or winner is, however, considered to be a priceless commodity at the Etihad Stadium and the Premier League heavyweights have no intention of parting with a prized asset.

Rodri a stunning success story for Man City

Rodri, who was named the best player on the planet in 2024 after helping City to another domestic title and his country to European Championship glory, has been in England since 2019. The Madrid native bid farewell to his homeland at that point when severing ties with Atletico.

The 29-year-old has, after a relatively slow start, been a stunning transfer success story for City. They spent £62.6m ($85m) on him when triggering a release clause and are aware that he is now worth at least double that. The Cityzens are, however, not about to put a price tag around Rodri’s neck as they want him to remain on their books for the foreseeable future.

Rodri is only tied to a contract through to 2027, though, and that is keeping the likes of Real interested. They hope that a deal could be done next summer, as City cash in rather than risk losing the classy holding midfielder for nothing. According to , a huge offer is being readied in the Spanish capital.

AdvertisementAFPHow much Real Madrid are willing to pay for Rodri

It is claimed that Los Blancos would be willing to pay €150m to make Rodri another ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu. That figure highlights how much Real believe the Spain international would be a crucial addition to their ranks – with long-standing interest being held.

It has previously been claimed that Real would not pay more than €100m (£87m/$117m) for Rodri. They are now prepared to increase that offer in a bid to lure City to the negotiating table. Florentino Perez is said to believe that Rodri could reshape Madrid’s midfield for many years to come – as he fills the void created by Luka Modric and Toni Kroos’ recent departures.

New contract? Why Man City want to avoid sale

City, though, consider Rodri to be the man that makes them tick. Pep Guardiola has previously told : "With him, we are a better team. No doubt. If holding midfielders started getting the recognition of Erling Haaland and Kevin, we would have a problem. The holding midfielder has to never, ever be in the highlights. He has to do the job he has to do. But without him, we could not do what we are doing.

"But the highlights have to belong to other people. The holding midfielder has to think for the rest of the team and do not expect the recognition. But internally? All team-mates and staff, they all know how important and decisive he is. Massively important for us.”

The latest reports regarding Rodri’s future claim that City president Khaldoon Al-Mubarak is determined to keep the Spaniard in his current surroundings. Unsurprisingly, a contract extension offer is said to be in the pipeline that will increase the midfielder’s salary and bring any unwelcome exit talk to a close.

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GettyImmediate future: Rodri recovering from another injury

If Rodri were to indicate that he is ready for a new challenge, with a return to his roots holding plenty of obvious appeal, then City would have no choice but to listen to what Real have to say. That is not, however, a discussion that they are planning to have any time soon.

For now, City are focused on nursing Rodri back to full health. They saw him pick up another untimely knock during a Premier League victory at Brentford. Rodri lasted just 20 minutes of that contest before being forced from the field with a muscle complaint.

No setback has been suffered in his ongoing recovery from the ACL injury that kept him out for several months last season, with Rodri stating that he could be ready for the resumption of Premier League action on October 18 – when City face Everton – having withdrawn from the latest Spain squad in order to avoid any unnecessary risks being taken on his fitness.

Ayush Badoni and Abdul Samad produced big hits towards the end

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2025Late blows from Abdul Samad and Ayush Badoni dragged Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 171 for 7 on a two-paced, red-soil pitch after Punjab Kings (PBKS) had opted to bowl in IPL 2025.Such a competitive total seemed beyond LSG’s reach after Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, who had replaced Azmatullah Omarzai, and Glenn Maxwell had carved up their top order. At the end of the powerplay, LSG were 39 for 3. Maxwell had just dismissed LSG captain Rishabh Pant for 2 off 5 balls with an innocuous delivery. LSG, however, offset the early slide by taking 63 off the last six overs of their innings.While Badoni anchored their innings with 41 off 33 balls, Samad kicked into top gear right away, smacking 27 off 12 balls, including two sixes and two fours. Samad left jaws on the door when he reverse-scooped Arshdeep over the keeper for four in the 18th over, which cost PBKS 20 runs. Arshdeep bounced back to dismiss both Badoni and Samad in the final over, but the pair had done enough to repair the innings.Arshdeep had also started well earlier in the evening, snaring Mitchell Marsh for a golden duck. His opening partner Aiden Markram moved to 28 off 18 balls before Ferguson bowled him via an inside edge. PBKS then matched Maxwell up with Pant and got him cheaply too.A cat-and-mouse game then ensued between Nicholas Pooran and Yuzvendra Chahal. When the wristspinner looped a couple of wrong’uns away from Pooran’s reach in his first over, the batter carved those away for fours. In his next over, though, Chahal cut Pooran’s innings short at 44 off 30 balls with a loopier googly. LSG were 89 for 4 in the 12th over at that point. Samad and Badnoni then got together in the end overs to help push that total past 170.

Riyan Parag will lead Rajasthan Royals (RR) for their first three matches in IPL 2025 with regular captain Sanju Samson, who is recuperating from a finger injury, set to play as a batter till he gets cleared for wicketkeeping and fielding duties.Samson, who had finger surgery last month, joined the RR squad on Monday following his rehab at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He is likely to play as an Impact Sub in the IPL, with Dhruv Jurel an option to keep wicket. Jurel had also kept wicket in place of Samson in the fifth T20I against England in February after he was hit on the finger by a Jofra Archer delivery while batting. Samson will return as captain once fully fit, an RR release said.”I’m not completely fit for three or more games,” Samson said in a video posted by the official RR handle on Instagram. “I think there are a lot of leaders from this group. From the last few years, there have been great people who have taken care of this environment really nicely. But for the three games, Riyan will be leading. He is well capable to do it and I expect everyone to be with him and support him.”Related

• Samson to return as RR captain after being cleared to keep wicket

• 'We have to let go of the past' – Samson keen to work out strengths of new-look Royals

• Can Parag's Royals rein in sixy Sunrisers?

• Samson: 'Letting Buttler go one of the most challenging decisions for me'

• Can revamped Royals cope with dearth of overseas batters?

Parag, meanwhile, will be captaining in the IPL for the first time and will be the fifth youngest to lead a team in the tournament. He has been part of RR since 2019 and was retained by the franchise for INR 14 crore ahead of the mega auction last year. In the 2024 IPL, he finished with 573 runs, the most by an RR batter and third-highest overall, and hit four half-centuries which even helped him earn a T20I and an ODI debut for India.”Rajasthan Royals’ decision to hand Riyan the captaincy underscores the franchise’s confidence in his leadership, a skill he has demonstrated through his tenure as Assam’s domestic captain,” a statement from the franchise said. “Having been a crucial member of the Royals setup over the years, his understanding of the team’s dynamic makes him well-equipped to step into this role for the initial phase of the tournament.”Parag will take charge in the opening fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 23, followed by home games in Guwahati against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26 and Chennai Super Kings on March 30. Parag won 10 of 17 matches leading Assam in T20 cricket between 2021 and 2023, averaging 67.09 and striking at 167.72.

Newcastle United have had a rough start to the Premier League season as they are one of only four winless teams and are only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.

This season has already seen them lose their star striker to Liverpool on deadline day, although the British record transfer fee may go some way to soothe that pain, as well as seeing midfielders Joelinton and Sandro Tonali having to go off injured against Liverpool with what have now been revealed to be serious injuries.

However, in his last press conference before the international break, Eddie Howe was looking ahead to the rest of the season and the club’s return to the Champions League:

“We’re just going to try to attack the fixtures in the best way we can. I believe we are more ready than we were last time because there is more experience in the squad and we have been through more together.”

With the manager looking forward to European fixtures, the club, and by extension owners PIF, are looking forward to the January transfer window and another striker signing.

Newcastle eye Mateta as third new striker

Newcastle United are still eyeing up yet another striker in the January transfer window as they contemplate a move for Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Magpies are exploring this deal despite already having signed both Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade as Isak replacements in the final days of the transfer window.

Caught Offside have reported that Palace could be willing to let the French striker go for £40 million, and Newcastle, alongside Leeds United and Aston Villa, are the most interested parties and plan to make formal offers in the New Year.

Former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer has previously praised Mateta when he bagged a brace against West Ham in the 2023/24 season:

“A centre-forward masterclass, scoring two terrific goals that any striker would be proud of. What a revelation he’s been under Oliver Glasner.”

Mateta followed that performance up with another brace, this time against Newcastle in what turned out to be his only goal-scoring performance in nine attempts against the Magpies.

Newcastle's moneyball replacement of Isak

The term “moneyball” gets thrown around a lot in football, but Newcastle, in their handling of the departure of Isak, are enacting the transfer strategy in its truest form.

The initial concept of Moneyball came from Billy Beane’s management of the Oakland Athletics, where, in an off-season where major players departed the club, he tried to replace them not with another superstar but with several players who, aggregated, could reach the same level of output.

Spending the money they received from Liverpool for Isak on Wissa, Woltemade, and now potentially Mateta as well, it seems like they are trying to make up Isak’s goal contributions in the aggregate.

Neither of their new strikers nor Mateta on their own match Isak’s output, but they all still have individually impressive returns. All three of them together would almost certainly make up the deficit that Isak leaves behind, but the difficulty for Howe would be managing the three strikers’ desire for game time.