All posts by h716a5.icu

Are Tottenham Hotspur where Ange Postecoglou wants them to be? Perhaps, actually. The Australian was appointed last summer to rebuild an outfit in ruin, and the framework placed in the months since looks steady and ready for further improvements.

Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League heading into the final stretch of the season but sit just three points behind Aston Villa – who have played an extra fixture – in the top four.

All associated with the London club will hope that silverware, last added to the Tottenham trophy cabinet in 2008, will be clinched under the 58-year-old's rule, but Ange just wants to see progress and development as a unit, even remarking recently that he wouldn't be dismayed if his outfit failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Still, it would be nice to return to Europe's elite club competition, making the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – it really needs a proper name, doesn't it – a more attractive destination and convincing the top dogs within the squad more likely to stay for the long run.

James Maddison is one such player, having proved himself a bona fide success after completing a £40m transfer from Leicester City last summer and being described as a "nightmare for defenders" by The Times' Henry Winter.

James Maddison's season in numbers

Maddison has been a prominent presence in the English top-flight for many campaigns now, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield with Leicester, but it feels like he's taken his game to the next level in the capital, thriving as the creative fulcrum on Postecoglou's system.

As per Sofascore, the England international has scored four goals and supplied seven assists across 18 Premier League appearances this season, averaging 2.5 key passes, 1.3 tackles and 1.3 dribbles per game, completing 87% of his passes and winning 57% of his ground duels.

He brings a skill set unseen down N17 since the days of Christian Eriksen at his peak; ranking among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for passes attempted and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, he's clearly one of Europe's elite No. 10s.

The 27-year-old's importance to the newly-formed Tottenham system was evidenced when the blitzing start to the season was sent into a spin against Chelsea in November, with an undefeated start ended after a spate of red cards and injuries to Maddison and fellow summer signing Micky van de Ven created a maelstrom of troubles that ended the constancy in results.

That erstwhile consistency is still being fought for now, with the 4-0 thrashing over Aston Villa over a week ago followed by a dismal 3-0 loss at Craven Cottage against Fulham last time out.

And while Maddison flattered to deceive in that one, hooked after 66 minutes, he's undoubtedly one of the Premier League's finest midfielders.

Maddison might be Spurs' joint-most valuable centre-midfielder at the present day (£43m), sharing that honour with exciting rising talent Pape Matar Sarr, according to CIES Football Observatory's valuation model, there's a former Lilywhite gem still plying his trade who would eclipse that value.

Indeed, for all of Maddison's ability, he offers but a fraction of the machine-like style of Luka Modric, who would be worth a pretty penny at Spurs, were his transfer to Real Madrid engineered in contemporary times.

What peak Luka Modric would be worth in 2024

Without a doubt, Modric is one of the finest players of his generation and he didn't need a Ballon d'Or accolade to rubber-stamp his lasting legacy (although sure, it's a nice bit of kit to adorn the walls).

A legend at Real Madrid, the Croatian player has completed 521 appearances for the La Liga side and won a horde of major trophies such as five Champions League trophies and three league titles – the latter soon to become four and the continental competition very much attainable for Carlo Ancelotti's outfit this season.

But after leaving his homeland club Dinamo Zagreb, he cut his teeth in the Premier League with Tottenham, transferring for £15m back in 2008 as a 22-year-old and playing 160 matches before crossing the channel to Spanish shores in a £30m package. Fine business from a Spurs perspective indeed.

1.

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

£100m

2.

Gareth Bale

Real Madrid

£85m

3.

Kyle Walker

Manchester City

£53m

4.

Dimitar Berbatov

Manchester United

£32m

5.

Luka Modric

Real Madrid

£30m

This was a relatively sizeable sum back in the day but what if, theoretically, these past movements occurred at the present – is it safe to assume that the Croatia international would eclipse the value of any current Tottenham star?

Thankfully, Totally Money has got it all covered, concluding within its algorithm that Modric would have cost Real a whopping £84m if the transfer happened under Postecoglou's watch in 2024.

Were Modric some 16 years younger, he might not have left Tottenham for a figure eclipsing the £85m Los Blancos paid for Gareth Bale back in 2013 – a world record at the time – but he would have come pretty close.

The transfer market has bloated considerably over the past few decades and it's no wonder that teams are starting to get caught up with financial fair play regulations – it's like a washing machine of obstacles and stipulations that ostensibly favour certain clubs over others.

Still, back to the point. There's no doubt that the 5 foot 8 Modric would be one of the most expensive central midfielders in the world if the events of way back when played out today.

TN won the inaugural edition under Karthik in 2006-07. Can they repeat that feat against a side that thumped them in the group stages?

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu29-Nov-2019
Dinesh Karthik’s Tamil Nadu and Manish Pandey’s Karnataka will square off for the Syed Mushtaq Ali title in a repeat of the 50-over Vijay Hazare final on December 1. Incidentally, this will be the first time that the finalists of the Vijay Hazare trophy will also contest for the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in an Indian domestic season.After asking Rajasthan to bat first under lights in Surat’s Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, Karthik rifled through his options, using as many as seven bowlers to limit Rajasthan to 112 for 9.Tamil Nadu then bumped up R Ashwin to the top – he was opening the batting for only the second time in T20 cricket according to ESPNcricinfo’s data – and although he couldn’t get the big hits away, the senior pro helped see off the new-ball threat posed by Deepak Chahar and co.After C Hari Nishanth chopped on to Chahar for a duck, Ashwin put on 69 for the second wicket with allrounder Washington Sundar to lend direction to the chase. Ashwin holed out for 31 off 33 balls in the 11th over and then Karthik was pinned lbw for 17 six overs later, but Washington remained unbeaten on 54 off 46 balls to finish the chase without much fuss.ALSO READ: Sai Kishore – spinning fingers and sweet dreamsEarlier in the evening, though, Washington didn’t have too much to do with the ball, delivering a solitary over and claiming the wicket of opener Ankit Lamba for 15. Rajasthan captain Chahar promoted himself as the other opener – he was initially picked by Stephen Fleming as a batting allrounder at Rising Pune Supergiant – but Tamil Nadu’s new-ball fingerspinner R Sai Kishore barged through his flimsy defences with an arm ball. The wicket took Kishore’s Powerplay tally to 15 in this Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. No other bowler has taken more than 10 wickets in the Powerplay this tournament.Vijay Shankar provided crucial breakthroughs with the new ball for Tamil Nadu•NurPhoto/Getty ImagesWith Royal Challengers Bangalore’s director of cricket Mike Hesson and a few other scouts in attendance, Kishore finished with 1 for 35 in his four overs. M Siddharth, the other left-arm spinner, who was a belated inclusion in the squad after M Vijay suffered an injury, returned 1 for 22.Seam-bowling allrounder Vijay Shankar hit the hard lengths and compounded Rajasthan’s woes, picking up 2 for 13 in his four overs. Ashwin was held back until the 14th over and he struck almost immediately, trapping Manander Singh lbw for 7. At this point, Rajasthan were tottering at 76 for 7. Some late blows from Chandrapal Singh and Ravi Bishnoi hauled Rajasthan past 100 and helped them avoid the ignominy of being bundled out.Barring the Bishnois – Rajesh and Ravi – no other Rajasthan batsman passed 20. Chahar, however, briefly raised their hopes when he dismissed Hari Nishanth, but Ashwin and Washington saw off the Powerplay without any further damage. Ashwin ventured to play some funky shots, but couldn’t connect with them well enough while Washington was more adept at keeping the scorecard ticking.Washington was particularly severe on Ravi Bishnoi, the legspinner, taking him for 30 off 16 balls, including three sixes, the pick of them being a rasping slog-sweep over midwicket. In stark contrast, Ashwin was scratchy against the spinners and his stop-start innings finally ended when he hit a half-tracker from left-arm fingerspinner Chandrapal straight into the lap of deep midwicket.Left-arm seamer Aniket Choudhary gave Rajasthan another reason to smile when he removed Karthik, but it was Washington who had the last laugh.In 2006-07, Tamil Nadu became the inaugural Syed Mushtaq Ali champions under Karthik. Can they repeat the feat against a power-packed Karnataka side that thumped them in October earlier this year?

After such a positive season last time around, Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign has been rather disappointing.

As of right now, the race for Champions League football next term is an uphill battle, with the Red Devils sitting sixth in the Premier League.

However, in fairness to Erik ten Hag, he’s struggled to name a consistent starting side due to injuries, which is a key reason as to why the side hasn’t continued to progress.

One of those who has endured somewhat of a nightmare period both on the sidelines and in the squad is Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen.

Christian Eriksen’s current worth

At the start of last season, Eriksen joined Man United on a free transfer, following an impressive stint at Brentford, where he registered five goal contributions in ten games.

During his first campaign as a Red Devil, the signing of the Dane seemed like a bargain, with the experienced midfielder proving to be an important player for Ten Hag, as highlighted by the fact that he was United’s joint-top assister last season in the Premier League.

Despite starting 25 Premier League games in 2022/23 with only injuries preventing him from playing more, the 32-year-old has struggled to cement himself a spot this campaign, starting just nine matches.

This decrease in minutes has seen Eriksen’s estimated value drop all the way down to £8.6m as per Transfermarkt.

That's a considerable drop from the £22m he was valued at during the opening months of his time at Old Trafford. A series of underwhelming displays, coupled with injury and a dwindling value may beg the question, why did United get rid of Fred?

Fred’s transfer value in 2024

In 2018, Brazilian gem Fred joined Jose Mourinho’s United from Shakhtar Donetsk for a huge fee of £52.5m, which at the time was the club’s third-most expensive signing of all time.

The number 17 made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils, but he was a player that often split opinions, with football content creator Liam Canning labelling Fred both “outrageous” and “infuriating.”

However, last summer, the 31-year-old departed Old Trafford for a fee of £12.9m, moving to Turkish side Fenerbahce, where he has thrived in a team that’s lost just once in 30 league games.

Although the midfielder left the Premier League, he has still held his value, and he’s now estimated to be worth £16.3m according to Transfermarkt.

Scott McTominay

£27m

Casemiro

£26m

Sofyan Amrabat

£19m

Fred

£16.3m

Christian Eriksen

£8.6m

This would still make him one of the least valuable midfielders in the current United crop, but Ten Hag may have been better off keeping the Brazilian instead of keeping Eriksen and signing Sofyan Amrabat.

Fred is known for his ability to be an excellent squad player who has proven to step up when needed. This was particularly on display when United faced tougher opposition last season, with the tenacious tackler showing his influence against Barcelona in the Europa League, for example, when he scored and assisted across both legs.

Over the two games, Fred also made ten tackles, which highlights his defensive security; however, the aspects that Fred thrives in are where Eriksen struggles the most, in regards to energy, tackling, and out-of-possession tenacity, as shown by the former Spurs players 0.9 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.

Overall, it’s quite clear that letting Fred go in order to keep a declining Eriksen may have been a mistake, with the profile of the former missing in the United squad for Ten Hag this season.

‘He is tactically very knowledgeable. We all know what qualities he has as a man as well’

Firdose Moonda14-Dec-2019Graeme Smith, South Africa’s acting director of cricket, has chosen “hardened, experienced” former team-mate Mark Boucher as coach of the men’s national side until the 2023 World Cup. Enoch Nkwe, the interim team director (a term that has now been scrapped), has been appointed Boucher’s assistant for the same period while former convenor of selectors Linda Zondi has been brought back until April 2020 and Ashwell Prince will coach the South African A side.Boucher, Zondi, Nkwe and Test captain Faf du Plessis make up the selection panel for now, whose first task is to choose the squad that will face England in a home series starting on Boxing Day. The squad for the first two Tests will be announced on Monday, before the Mzansi Super League final. A batting and bowling consultant will also be finalised in the coming week.The radical changes to the South African national structure were made in the last four days after Smith accepted the director of cricket position in a temporary capacity on Wednesday. Smith has signed a three-month contract after which he has a commentary stint at the Indian Premier League and confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he would then consider a more permanent deal with CSA.Smith’s appointment comes after more than three months of negotiation, during which time he withdrew his interest before being re-engaged following the suspension of CSA CEO Thabang Moroe. While Smith confirmed he still has “no relationship,” with the under-pressure CSA Board, he explained that the changes in the CSA executive administration played a major part in his accepting the role.”I didn’t have a lot of confidence in the leadership of CSA,” Smith said. “With such an extensive job description, I didn’t feel I could achieve in the role with the leadership that was there at the time. You need a robust CSA to be able to challenge each other, you need trust and you need to have an environment that was ready for that, and I didn’t feel the environment was ready before I took this job.”If I am going to come in, I want to be able to do the best that I can do. I feel that is slightly better now. The opportunity is there. I have got a lot of confidence in Jacques [Faul] as the CEO.”

“I am very aware of transformation. I led my the country for 11 years and I had to be very much a part of managing those processes.”Graeme Smith

Faul has also been appointed in an interim capacity for the next six months while Moroe undergoes a disciplinary process. With Smith making clear his allegiance, it would appear his future involvement with CSA is tied to Faul’s and will be decided as the summer ends. Similarly, the position of Zondi, whose short-term contract was a result of what Smith called “a budget thing”, will also be up for discussion when the 2019-20 season is over.However, the positions of Boucher and Nkwe are confirmed until after the 2023 World Cup, a decision that aims to provide both expertise and continuity for the national side. “I felt at this stage, the Proteas needed a really hardened, experienced international guy,” Smith said. “I feel that Mark, from a cricket perspective, is very knowledgeable. He is tactically very knowledgeable. We all know what qualities he has as a man as well. I felt those were the decisions best needed for the current Proteas set up.”Smith indicated the long-term plan would be to prepare Nkwe to take over from Boucher in the future. “We have had a couple of chats with Enoch in terms of his pathway going forward and developing him as a high-standing international coach. We feel he has got a lot of qualities that will be very useful to Mark and that will help him progress in international cricket.”Asked whether the demotion of Nkwe, South Africa’s first black African coach, and the appointment of Boucher above him could be seen as a whitewash, Smith disagreed. “My job is to create cricket excellence. I feel I have made the right decision for the Proteas. I think for Enoch’s future as well it is the right appointment. We need to think about managing people sometimes and not just a number,” Smith said. “I am very aware of transformation. I led my the country for 11 years and I had to be very much a part of managing those processes. A number of discussions need to happen behind the scenes but I disagree with the statement [that it’s a whitewash].”Ashwell Prince ‘is full of opinions which we love’ – Graeme Smith•Getty ImagesSmith is also still in discussions with CSA around the transformation targets and the policy going forward but for now wants to focus on getting the South Africa team back on stable ground following a rocky 2019. South Africa lost five successive Tests, including a home series in Sri Lanka and a 0-3 defeat in India, where Smith indicated off-field problems appeared to bleed onto the field. “The disappointing thing has been how South African cricket has been run of late. That has been the most challenging aspect. That’s filtered into the environment and made life difficult for the guys that have been in that position. Hopefully in the short term we can turn it around.”For Smith, it is key to “bring leadership back into the game”, which can be provided by former internationals. Smith singled out Prince’s involvement with the A side as particularly important. “I am very happy that we have Ashwell involved. He has got a lot of international experience, he is a hardened international cricketer. He is full of opinions which we love,” Smith said. “The A side needs to be the second-best men’s team in the country.”If Smith takes on the role post the IPL next year, his job will include developing a strategy that will include the A side, looking at the domestic structures, the Under-19 side, the women’s game, and even cricket at grassroots level. For now, Smith’s sole focus is the national men’s team and the England series and creating the blueprint that will put South Africa on a path to success.”We want the Proteas to play well and start winning again. Faf is happy that there is a bit of leadership around. Both him and Enoch have had very frustrating times over the last period. There has been almost no communication with them [from CSA] for a lengthy period of time. I’m glad we were able to come in and provide some direction for them,” Smith said. “Hopefully we can take away some of the drama from them and Faf and the team that is selected can focus on playing cricket and doing the job well. That’s what’s expected of them. It’s going to be our responsibility to clean up the rest.”

Barcelona outcast Ansu Fati has picked up a foot injury during pre-season training after returning from a disappointing Brighton loan spell.

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Ansu gets injured again Was out for three months with a hamstring issue His Barcelona future is up in the air WHAT HAPPENED?

The youngster's career has been marred by several injuries since he burst onto the scene at the age of 16 in 2019 at Camp Nou. A meniscus tear in the knee initially sidelined him for almost a year in 2020, requiring surgery and rehabilitation. And then subsequent hamstring and muscle injuries further hampered Ansu's progress, which led the Catalan club to send him out on loan to Brighton last summer.

AdvertisementGOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

During his loan spell at Brighton, Ansu once again got sidelined with another hamstring problem which saw him spend three months on the sidelines. His fitness struggles restricted him from realising his potential in the Premier League and he was able to play just over 1000 minutes during the loan stint. The Spaniard returned to pre-season with renewed vigour to impress new manager Hansi Flick, but an untimely foot injury has once again thwarted his progress.

WHAT BARCELONA SAID

Barcelona released an official statement regarding Ansu's latest injury that read: "In Tuesday’s training session, first team player Ansu Fati injured the sole of his right foot. He will follow a conservative treatment plan in Barcelona, and his return to training will be decided by his recovery."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Despite expressing his desire to stay and succeed with the Catalan giants, the club has reportedly informed Ansu that he does not feature in the plans of Flick. Barcelona are said to be open to selling him this summer which has attracted interest from several clubs, including Fenerbahce, where manager Jose Mourinho is considering a move for the forward as he builds his squad for the upcoming season.

It wasn't the best of nights for Arsenal on Tuesday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Mikel Arteta's usually impeccable defensive unit looked out at sea for much of the evening, but with limited options on the bench, there was little he could do.

William Saliba was the man who gave away the penalty in the first half, but Gabriel Magalhães was just as poor, and based on reports from earlier this week, he could soon have some competition to worry about.

Arsenal on the hunt for a new defender

According to a report from TEAMtalk earlier this week, Arsenal has been given a massive boost in their pursuit of Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande, one that puts them in pole position to secure his signature ahead of cross-city Chelsea.

The report has revealed that the highly rated 20-year-old has made a transfer to the Gunners his 'preferred move' over the Blues this summer. This has now put the north Londoners in the 'driver's seat' for any potential deal once the window opens.

Therefore, the most significant obstacle left to secure the defender's services this year is his release clause, which is priced at around £69m, and while that is undeniably expensive, it isn't out of reach for Arsenal, as they demonstrated last year.

While this development has probably gone down exceptionally well with Arteta and Edu Gaspar, it might not be such great news for Gabriel, as his place in the starting lineup would suddenly look a lot less secure.

How Ousmane Diomande compares to Gabriel Magalhães

So, the first thing to say is that there are two reasons that Gabriel would be the defender at risk if Diomande joined the club.

First, he plays as the left-sided centre-back in the team, which would likely be the favoured position for the left-footed Sporting man. Second, the fact that he was left out of the starting lineup at the start of this season suggests that while Arteta rates the Brazilian, he doesn't view him as an indispensable part of the team.

That said, how do the pairs' underlying numbers stack up against one another? Is there a clear winner in that metric? Well, unfortunately for the Arsenal man, the Ivorian comes out ahead here, and by quite some way in specific statistics.

Progressive Passes

5.23

3.68

Progressive Carries

0.97

0.48

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.08

0.17

Passing Accuracy

91.6%

88.4%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.18

0.74

Goal-Creating Actions

0.10

0.07

Tackles Won

0.97

0.77

Blocks

0.36

1.40

Tackle + Interceptions

2.31

2.28

Clearances

1.79

2.90

Ball Recoveries

6.05

4.08

For example, the "incredibly complete" defender, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, produces more progressive passes, progressive carries, shot-creating actions, and goal-creating actions, wins more tackles, and makes more ball recoveries per 90.

This ability to create chances as well as defend marries well with Kulig's description of the Sporting star as someone who possesses "high ball-playing and pure defender skills."

In his defence, the former LOSC Lille star does make more blocks and clearances per 90 than his potential competition, but those two areas of strength do not outweigh his relative weaknesses.

Ultimately, if Arteta and Edu can get this deal over the line in the summer, they absolutely should, and while it may hurt Gabriel's game time, it could also strengthen the squad.

Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal are set to sign "important" striker

The Gunners are intending to bring in a star number nine.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 9, 2024

After a ‘weird’ start, youngster is keen for a sense of normality in his international career

Valkerie Baynes31-Dec-2019Ollie Pope knows how suddenly opportunity can come knocking… then turn around and slam the door in your face.So, rather than panic when illness robbed him of a fifth Test appearance for England at Centurion last week, he just rolled with it. Pope has learned a lot over the past 18 months or so, you see.Having played two home Tests against India in 2018, Pope was bumped from England’s tour of Sri Lanka to make way for Ben Foakes, who scored a century on debut in the first Test at Galle. Pope was then overlooked for England’s Caribbean campaign at the start of 2019 and a dislocated shoulder injury then curtailed his English summer before he found himself on Ashes standby and playing a further two Tests in New Zealand. All that and he is still just two days shy of his 22nd birthday.Now, having declared himself “pretty much 100 percent back to normal now” ahead of the second Test against South Africa starting in Cape Town on Friday after succumbing on Christmas Day to the illness doing the rounds of the England camp, Pope can be forgiven for yearning for a touch of normality in his burgeoning international career.”Absolutely,” Pope said. “It’s been a bit of a weird start to my career … I think the weirdest time for me was after I got told I was leaving that Sri Lanka tour, which was completely understandable with Foakesy coming in, scoring that hundred just put me one down. I wasn’t going to play.”Hoping I’d be on that West Indies trip, not being on that, not really hearing much and then doing my shoulder. I had no idea how far away from it all I was. That was a pretty frustrating time and I had a lot of time to think, overthink things.”As soon as I found out I was the next batter in for the Ashes, that concussion replacement, that was a massive boost for me. Then coming back – last week sums it up. I’m very rarely ill as well so that was annoying. If I do get a go at Newlands… I don’t overthink it really. I try to just take it in my stride… If I do get a run – brilliant – then hopefully I can take that and make it my own. “Also read: We ‘won’t be afraid’ to leave out Broad or Anderson – SilverwoodPope made his debut batting in the unfamiliar position of No. 4, scoring 54 runs in three innings against India. Initially included as the spare middle-order batsman in Sri Lanka, Foakes’ performance, combined with the presence of Joe Denly in the squad and Jonny Bairstow making his way back from injury, made him surplus to requirements. In a twist, it was Bairstow’s omission that handed Pope a chance in New Zealand – where he scored 29, 6 and 75 – and it is Bairstow who could make way again in Cape Town if Dom Sibley also recovers from illness in time.How things can turn in an instant.”I was looking at the county scores while I wasn’t playing and I was thinking about all these players that are probably ahead of me, in line, just purely because I wasn’t really sure even how I’d come back from the injury,” said Pope of his recovery from shoulder surgery which culminated in a double-hundred for for Surrey against Hampshire and a call-up as a potential, but ultimately unused, concussion substitute for Jason Roy, who was hit on the helmet in the nets in the lead-up to the third Ashes Test at Headingley.”Next thing you know I’m nearly playing a Test in the Ashes. That week was a good way for me to gain my confidence back and know where I’m at with this England side. And, having put a score under the belt, that was a massive boost for me as well. That was a strange week but that week hopefully set it all up.”Making Pope’s illness setback over this past week more frustrating was the fact he had scored 132 off 145 balls in an innings full of the attractive stroke play that is a distinctive feature of his game during the warm-up against South Africa A. But it has him straining at the leash to taste South African Test conditions for which he feels prepared, having faced down county team-mate Morne Morkel in the nets at Surrey.”Obviously these pitches will be a different challenge to what I’m used to,” Pope said. “But we’ve come across some quick bowlers in the county circuit, we’ve faced a lot of Morne in the nets – someone who is tall and gets a lot of bounce like a lot of their bowlers do.”In the warm-up games, felt good with it, they had some nice pace and in the nets when I get them to ramp it up on the bouncier decks, then same really. I feel confident in my game to deal with their pace and bounce.”I’ve gained the confidence in myself and my game over the last, probably – and it sounds stupid because I was injured for so much – but over this season and the back-end of last season. There’s no need to put myself under any more pressure.”I definitely don’t see it as ‘I definitely have to score runs in this game’ because I understand how cricket works. If you just stay pretty level across it all then I’m sure the good will come with the bad.”

Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck has responded to transfer links with Real Madrid as he commits to a future with the German side.

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Schlotterbeck linked with Real MadridResponds to the rumoured switchSet to sign new contract with DortmundWHAT HAPPENED?

Schlotterbeck was one of Borussia Dortmund's top performers last season under Edin Terzic as they stormed into the Champions League final. As such, the defender was linked with a potential move to their Champions League final opponents, Real Madrid, as Los Blancos look to continue improving their defence. Schlotterbeck has responded to those links and kept a potential move away from Signal Iduna Park on the cards.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT SCHOLTTERBECK SAID

Speaking to , Schlotterbeck responded to the Real Madrid links, saying: "At some point, I would probably be tempted to go abroad, but I have been here for two years now and have identified so much with BVB that I really want to play here for the third season, and probably the fourth and fifth, too, so I am really happy to be at BVB and also see it as a certain honour.

"I am aware of [the Madrid rumours]. At some point, we can perhaps talk about it, but so far only Borussia Dortmund plays a role in my mind and I think for the next few years too."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Shlotterbeck has all but committed his near future to Dortmund as they look to begin proceedings under Nuri Sahin but has also kept a potential move in the future on the cards. The Black and Yellow have reportedly offered the 24-year-old a contract extension that would make him one of the top earners at the club. Schlotterbeck also talked about the potential extension and said: "For me, everything is possible here. I am very happy at BVB. We will have to see in the coming weeks."

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SCHLOTTERBECK?

Owing to his appearances in Julian Nagelsmann's Germany squad through Euro 2024, Schlotterbeck has been given an extended period off and will likely return to training next week as he hopes to be a part of Sahin's first official match at Dortmund.

Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie has been dealt another blow on the injury front days after it emerged that he would miss the remainder of the Premier League campaign.

What's the latest Spurs news?

On Friday evening, Tottenham's first choice left-back took to Instagram to share some troubling news about his availability for the rest of the season.

“An injury brings my season to an early end. It doesn’t take away from how grateful I am to every person that has supported me this year”, the Italian defender wrote, revealing that he had undergone surgery on his left quadriceps and would not feature again this season.

The left-back had been a key part of Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham side to that point, making 28 Premier League appearances and excelling in the inverted fullback role that the Spurs boss asked him to take up.

Tottenham planning offer for "superb" player who's outscored Richarlison

He’s enjoyed an excellent season.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 22, 2024

Still just 21-years-old, he has the best part of his career ahead of him and looks set to be Tottenham's first choice fullback for years to come, making him a bargain buy at just £25m last summer.

Udogie's first Premier League season

Appearances

28

Goals

2

Tackles and interceptions per 90

3.95

Blocks per 90

1.02

Crosses per 90

0.83

Pass accuracy

85.8%

In his absence, it is expected that one of Ben Davies or Radu Dragusin will fill in at full-back against Arsenal, though Emerson Royal could also be deployed there as he was when Udogie was suspended earlier in the campaign.

However, a potential injury to fellow full-back Pedro Porro could force Royal to return to his natural right-back role, leaving Postecoglou with a conundrum against the highest scoring side in the division and Tottenham's arch-rivals, whose title charge they could effectively end with a result on Sunday. For Udogie though, there is more bad news.

Udogie injury update

Now, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, the defender is "almost certainly" out of EURO 2024 entirely as a result of his injury. That comes as a devastating blow to both Udogie and the Azzurri, with the young defender having made it his "dream" to represent his country at a major tournament.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Udogie is expected to be sidelined for around three months, which will obviously see him return to action in the middle of July, which coincides with the end of the European Championships, making Udogie's participation incredibly unlikely.

The defender only made his debut for the senior Azzurri side in October, but had seemingly nailed down a starting berth in Luciano Spalletti's side. However, his place will now have to be given to someone else, with Inter Milan's Federico DiMarco and Fiorentina's Cristiano Biraghi both alternatives for the Italian boss in that position.

Italy face a tricky task to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition, having been drawn in a group alongside European heavyweights Spain and Croatia as well as Albania.

The current holders of the competition after beating England at Wembley in 2021 via a penalty shoot-out, they will be hoping that they can stage a repeat this time around, but will have to do so without the services of Udogie, who will now simply be hoping to be fit in time for pre-season with Spurs.

New contracts will allow England to manage workloads of promising young fast bowlers

George Dobell29-Jan-2020The ECB has announced the first recipients of England pace-bowling development contracts. Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset) and Olly Stone (Warwickshire) will continue to be employed by their counties, but the ECB will make significant contributions to their employment costs and, in return, take greater control over their playing programme throughout the year.The contracts will also see ECB staff work with the young bowlers in an attempt to minimise injuries and maximise their potential. The contracts run until September 30 2020.The identity of the first recipients is no real surprise. All three have played for England; two of them in Tests. Stone, the quickest of the trio, impressed on Test debut against Ireland and might well have played in the Ashes had a recurrence of the stress fracture that forced him home from the Caribbean tour at the start of 2019 not intervened. He is seen as exactly the sort of fast bowler who can help England win in Australia in 2021-22.While Overton lacks the pace of the others, successive England management set-ups have been impressed with his competitive character and durability. The hope is that, with specialist training and perhaps a reduced workload, they may be able to coax a few more mph out of him.Saqib, at this stage, looks more of a white-ball prospect; he has played just 16 first-class games and not taken a five-wicket haul. But he bowls at a brisk pace, can swing the ball both conventionally and reverse and, aged 22, would appear to have considerable potential for further development. While he proved expensive in his first T20I games in New Zealand last year, conceding 11.50 runs an over, he would appear to have the range of skills to be a good death bowler and could break into England’s squad for the T20 World Cup at the end of the year. He was the leading wicket-taker in the 2019 Royal London One-Day Cup.There were a few notable omissions from the contract list, though. Jamie Overton might be said to have a higher ceiling (he is certainly quicker) than his twin brother, but has struggled with injuries. Henry Brookes, at Warwickshire, is considered by some as the best young fast-bowling talent in the country and also has a history of stress fractures. George Garton, the left-arm swing bowler, wasn’t a million miles from playing in the previous Ashes series in Australia, either, but appears not to have developed as hoped. All might have benefited from similar attention.”Having a strong supply line of high-quality seam bowlers is an essential ingredient for sustained England team success in both white-ball and red-ball cricket,” Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, said. “We are very grateful to the first-class counties for agreeing to this, in particular, Lancashire, Somerset and Warwickshire. We are committed to working very closely with them to best develop players for the long-term benefit of English cricket and to ensure they are at their very best to perform at optimum levels throughout the domestic campaign.”The new contracts are the first manifestation of the broadcast deal for the period 2020-24. Such an idea has been floated for several years but only the money offered by the deal – £1.1 billion over five years – has enable it to become a reality. The first tranche of money is paid at the start of February.So hard up has the ECB been in recent months that England players on white-ball contracts have had their salaries paid by the counties for the last four months, although that money is now set to be repaid.