Hansi Flick shared an update on Dani Olmo's availability amid claims that Barcelona have been unable to register the £51m ($66m) signing with La Liga.
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Barcelona's financial struggles continueAre yet to register Olmo with La LigaNew signing unavailable for Valencia clashWHAT HAPPENED?
Despite the club’s well-documented financial woes, Barcelona have continued to secure high-profile signings with Olmo, Spain’s Euro 2024 hero, being one of their marquee acquisitions this summer from RB Leipzig. The Spanish playmaker, who returned to his boyhood club, is yet to make his debut after being left out of the squad for the 3-0 defeat to AS Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Monday.
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Fans were hopeful that Olmo might be registered in time for Barcelona's La Liga opener against Valencia at Mestalla but Flick in his pre-match press conference on Friday, dashed those hopes by confirming that Olmo will not be available for the match. The manager said that the forward remains unavailable due to his physical condition rather than any registration problems.
WHAT FLICK SAID
"Dani Olmo is not in a good enough physical condition for tomorrow," he told reporters.
"We want to take care of him. It is important that everyone plays but also avoids injuries. We want everyone to be there and train, without getting injured."
When questioned about the ongoing issues with player registrations, Flick chose not to dwell on the topic and instead redirected attention to the Valencia battle. He confirmed that he would have 22-23 first-team players available to face Valencia and refrained from commenting further on the registration setbacks.
He added: "The things we can't change we don't think about. There are no excuses or complaints. Things were said. I have had many experiences in the past and I have arrived here with the situation that exists. We focus on tomorrow's game, we want to play a great match. Tomorrow morning the list of call-ups will be made official."
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However, much to the relief of the Blaugrana faithful, playmaker Pedri, who had been sidelined with an injury sustained while on international duty with Spain, is once again available for selection.
"I am very happy to have Pedri again. He will be able to play the second half tomorrow," informed Flick.
The German also addressed the recovery of Gavi, who is working his way back from a serious ACL injury.
"He is working very well but needs time," he said. "He's a great player and I have to thank all the coaches who are around him and are helping him. I don't want to put pressure on him, he's 20 years old and we have to take care of him."
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have aired their light-hearted “disgust” at Micah Richards’ excuse for missing Match of the Day duty.
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Ex-England internationals fill punditry rolesRegulars on Premier League highlights showFormer City defender missed latest episodeWHAT HAPPENED?
The former England internationals spend plenty of time together, as they keep audiences entertained with their Rest Is Football podcast. They are also regulars on the Premier League highlights show that is hosted by ex-Three Lions striker Lineker.
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He was in the chair again for the first round of fixtures in 2024-25, with Shearer by his side, but there was no sign of Richards, with another former Manchester City star, Joe Hart, filling in. Richards, who is also a pundit for Sky Sports, has claimed that he cannot work two days in a row – but he was spotted filming a penalty shootout for ‘A League of Their Own’ during Everton’s clash with Brighton.
WHAT LINEKER SAID
That led Lineker to say on : “Alan, we were together all day yesterday (Saturday). Hang on a minute though Micah, you were telling us you can't work two days running…" Shearer interjected by saying: "Yeah what about that sh*t?! We saw you working!”
Richards defended himself when saying: “No, no, no. For those of you that don't know, Match of the Day runs from 12.30 noon to 12 at night, I can't do a Match of the Day and do Super Sunday for another eight hours the next day. It's one week BBC and one week Sky.”
Lineker jokingly quipped back with: “It's not going down a mine though is it?," before Shearer added: “You just took the words out of my mouth. F*cking hell. Honestly, the working man will be looking at you in disgust at your attitude.”
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Lineker and Shearer continued to poke fun at Richards when claiming that one-time England international goalkeeper Hart offers greater insight to Match of the Day viewers, with Shearer saying: “Gaz, how good was it to have someone on the Match of the Day set who was good at their analysis? Joe Hart was very good wasn't he?” Lineker replied with: “Having watched your goalkeeping performance at half-time, Joe Hart probably edges it there as well!”
In the summer of 2021, Manchester United fans built up lots of anticipation and excitement around Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s final transfer window in charge of the club. At the time, they did not know their club legend would be sacked just months later, but it is fair to say his final transfer window as manager was a memorable one.
The biggest of the four signings made by the Red Devils that summer was to bring back to the club arguably the game’s greatest player, Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary attacker cost £12.9m plus add-ons from Juventus, and whilst his second season under current manager Erik ten Hag went pear shape, the first season was memorable, scoring 18 goals in 30 Premier League games.
United also signed one of the most reputable defenders in world football, bringing experienced French defender Raphael Varane to the club from Real Madrid for an initial £34m. The 2018 World Cup winner has so far played 93 games in the red of United, although he could well leave this summer.
That summer, the Red Devils also brought two English players to the club. One was the return of Tom Heaton, on a free transfer as a back-up goalkeeper, and the other saw the end of a long transfer saga which had gone on for over a year.
Jadon Sancho’s Man Utd career in numbers
The player in question here is England winger Jadon Sancho, who joined United from Borussia Dortmund for £73m. Sadly, his time at Old Trafford has not been easy, and he is now back on loan in Germany, although is currently thriving and through to a Champions League semi-final.
Sancho has played 82 times for United so far, scoring just 12 goals and assisting six. He was also part of the squad that won the Carabao Cup last season. Of course, those are not the numbers Sancho, or fans, would have been hoping to see, but it has not been an easy time for him during his time at the club so far.
Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho.
Sancho’s time at United started rockily, due to an ear infection he picked up right before his first pre-season at the club, a very unfortunate occurrence. Indeed, it was not an easy season for anyone at United, with Solskjær’s sacking coming in November, and the whole squad struggling under interim Ralf Rangnick.
Under Ten Hag, Sancho struggled for minutes due to the arrival of Antony and took a break away from football for personal reasons. When he returned in the New Year of 2023, he hit the ground running and went on a good run of form for the Red Devils.
In the 2023/24 season, the winger fell out with United’s manager, and after a stalemate in which he was iced out from the rest of the squad, got a January move back to Dortmund, where he has since thrived.
Man United's Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho
Following a disastrous season for United, there are rumours that Ten Hag could leave his post as manager at the end of the season. This may allow Sancho a way back into the first-team fold at Old Trafford, especially considering Thomas Tuchel has been contacted by United, as per journalist Georg Holzner.
How Tuchel would benefit Sancho
At Borussia Dortmund second time round, Sancho has been playing under Edin Terzic. So far, the England international has three goals and two assists in the 17 games he has played since his return to the club.
There are certainly lots of similarities between Sancho’s current role under Terzic, and how that could see him fit in under Tuchel, should the former Chelsea manager get the job at Old Trafford.
Sancho has tended to play on the right-hand side under Tezric so far, yet operates a lot in the half-space, where he does much of his best work. He is a wonderful combination player, often having support from an overlapping full-back and a central midfielder, playing in triangles to help progress Dortmund’s play.
Jadon Sancho
Not only that, Sancho’s final third creativity can shine through in this Dortmund side, who like to pack the box full of players waiting for a cross. Playing on the right means he can very easily cut inside or go on the outside of a defender, before crossing from the byline, a very effective means of creating an opportunity for his side.
Like Terzic, Tuchel has favoured a 4-2-3-1 system at Bayern so far, although both managers are praised by the Bundesliga website for their “tactical acumen”, discussing Tuchel, and “innovative tactical thinking”, talking about the Dortmund boss.
Indeed, the 24-year-old may well fit into a similar role under Tuchel, who loves excellent ball carriers operating in both the left and right half-space, as Sancho excels. Under Tuchel this season, Leroy Sane has been given a licence to drift inside and impact the game from such areas, so it is certainly a possibility Sancho would be given the same chance.
Alternatively, if Tuchel was to play a back three as he did at Chelsea, Sancho could slot into one of the two number 10 roles, which Mason Mount and Kai Havertz at Stamford Bridge under the German mainly occupied. Here, Sancho would no doubt thrive, once again operating in the half spaces again, and being able to drop deeper in midfield at times to carry the ball forward.
Thomas Tuchel
When Tuchel was Chelsea manager, there were rumours he wanted to sign the 24-year-old when he was Chelsea manager. Thus, it is fair to assume that he would happily manage him at Old Trafford should he get the United job.
Should the Dortmund number 10 get another chance, but this time with Tuchel at the helm, we could well see another version of Sancho, the one that was on display during his mesmerising performance against PSG in the Champions League semi-finals.
Tuchel was once described as “a bit crazy” by former player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who then said his “style is a bit like that of Guardiola”. Perhaps the Bayern Munich boss is exactly the man to help Sancho discover his best form in a United shirt.
The manager who could be 'even better' than Arteta if he joins Man Utd
The manager in question has steered his side towards European contention.
Newcastle United have entered the race to sign "one of the best defenders in the world" at the moment, according to a fresh transfer rumour.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies have made some superb signings in recent years, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak really kick-starting this new era and cementing Tyneside as a viable destination for top level talent.
A number of players have been linked with summer moves to Newcastle recently, with defensive, midfield and attacking signings all being looked at. Few individuals have been backed to head to St James' Park more often than Amadou Onana of late, and the Magpies are believed to be among the favourites to acquire the Everton star's signature.
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
Miguel Amiron is expected to leave Newcastle at the end of the season, and Irfan Can Kahveci has emerged as an option to come in for him. He has 19 goal contributions (12 goals and seven assists) in 22 Turkish Super Lig starts this season, invariably shining in a right-sided attacking role for Fenerbahce.
Eddie Howe could need further midfielder reinforcements if Bruno ends up leaving St James' this summer – that remains up in the air, as things stand – and Leicester City ace Wilfried Ndidi is a target for the Magpies, having helped the Foxes secure promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.
Newcastle want one of world's top defenders
According to Mundo Deportivo, Newcastle have joined the race to sign Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, but a host of clubs are keen on snapping him up. The likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are all mentioned as potential suitors for the Frenchman, who is contracted at Barca until the summer of 2027.
Kounde stands out as a wonderful option for Newcastle with the summer window around the corner, even though he is reportedly keen on remaining at his current club for the time being. The France international started in his country's 2022 World Cup final defeat to Argentina, featuring in six matches in the competition and starting five of them.
Barca manager Xavi has heaped praise on him: "He was one of the transfers that I asked for. He’s one of the best defenders in the world right now. Stopping Mbappé was a collective effort. Kounde did amazing against Mbappé but Lamine [Yamal] also helped him a lot."
One of the biggest positives about Newcastle signing Kounde is not only would they be bringing in an elite defender, but his versatility allows him to excel as both a centre-back and a right-back.
Newcastle expected to make official bid for South American talent – report
He has a £13m release clause in his current deal.
ByHenry Jackson May 6, 2024
At 25, the Barca man is also still relatively young, meaning he wouldn't be arriving as a quick fix, and he could provide cover in two key positions, making up for the long-term injury absence of Sven Botman and also acting as a possible successor to Kieran Trippier in the process.
It was a hectic transfer deadline day for Chelsea and among it all was Deivid Washington watching his club fail to agree a move to Strasbourg.
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Deivid Washington was set for Ligue 1 moveStrasbourg are owned by Chelsea's owners BlueCoThe fee agreed was €21m before being called offWHAT HAPPENED?
The young Brazilian made only three substitute appearances for the Blues last season, but that didn't stop Strasbourg, who are owned by Chelsea owners BlueCo, from making a bid worth €21m (£18m/$23m). In the end the deal fell through and Washington remained in west London.
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The striker was ready to do his medical, but he soon found out that Chelsea had cancelled the move because the Premier League and FIFA raised concerns over the transfer, as the two clubs involved in the transaction are owned by BlueCo, per ESPN. The player will now return to be part of Enzo Maresca's packed squad, and will have to wait until January 2025 to leave.
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Despite Chelsea being wary of the repercussions from this move, the French club have already signed Diego Moreira for €9m (£7.5m/$10m) from Chelsea, which is also being investigated by the two sporting governing bodies. Caleb Wiley also joined Strasbourg on loan this year from the Blues, as did goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
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WHAT NEXT FOR DEIVID WASHINGTON?
It is unlikely that the 19-year-old is going to be relied on by Maresca, who has been ruthless when it has come to cutting his squad down. It remains to be seen which clubs will be interested in Washington in January.
England team to wear same logo that has already been endorsed by the West Indies squad
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2020England have announced that their shirts for the upcoming three-Test series against West Indies will feature the Black Lives Matter logo. The move mirrors that already taken by West Indies in asking to use the design by Alisha Hosannah, partner of Premier League footballer Troy Deeney.The decision was taken by the ECB, fully supported by the England players led by Joe Root, the Test captain, and Ben Stokes, who will stand in for him during the first Test at the Ageas Bowl, starting July 8.”It is important to show solidarity to the black community and to raise much needed awareness around the topics of equality and justice,” said Root. “The England players and management are unified in this approach and will use the platform of international cricket to fully support the objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists.”The majority of us do not understand what individuals from BAME background have to go through when people make judgments because of the colour of their skin. As a group, we are learning about this and educating ourselves.”There has to be equal opportunity and equal rights for all. We hope by making this stance we can play our part in standing shoulder-to-shoulder as a team and we hope that by continuing to raise awareness we can move towards a society in which the colour of your skin and your background has no bearing on your opportunities.”It is very simple, we believe there is no room for racism or any form of discrimination, anywhere.”Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, added: “The England and Wales Cricket Board fully support the message that Black Lives Matter, It has become a message of solidarity and a drive for progress and societal change. There can be no place for racism in society or our sport, and we must do more to tackle it.ALSO READ: West Indies to wear Black Lives Matter logo during Tests”Our support of that message is not an endorsement, tacit or otherwise, of any political organisation, nor the backing of any group that calls for violence or condones illegal activity. We are aware of certain aspects of the movement that promote their own political views, and their actions are not supported in any way by the ECB and our players.”This moment is about unity. We are proud that our players will stand alongside those from the West Indies and wear a logo that embodies that philosophy. It is fitting that they do so in solidarity with athletes from the football world who wore it first. Our thanks go to Troy Deeney and his partner Alisha Hosannah, creator of the logo, who generously agreed to share it with us.”We have a responsibility to ensure that cricket is truly a game for everyone. We will shortly set out further steps that build on the work we have already done to make cricket more inclusive and diverse in order to address some of the barriers which still exist for some communities.”Deeney added: “Alisha and I are immensely proud to be asked and take part in a monumental moment in world sport, this amazing decision by the England and West Indies cricket teams to show their support for Black Lives Matter.”When I got the call, I didn’t hesitate to respond, because I know as sportspersons in the spotlight, how important our efforts are to bring about change and the role we play in moving towards change in our society. Watching cricket with my grandad shaped my childhood, so it’s great to be able to help England and West Indies Cricket to show their support in such a meaningful way.”
The Western Australia allrounder scored the most Sheffield Shield hundreds last season
Andrew McGlashan23-Jun-2020Tim Paine believes Australian cricket “can get very excited” at the potential of Western Australia allrounder Cameron Green, after having witnessed first-hand what the 21-year-old is capable of.Green was prevented from bowling for the majority of the 2019-2020 season due to back problems but is expected to be able to resume his full all-round role in time for this coming summer. His early numbers in first-class cricket are eye-catching with a batting average of 43.84 and bowling returns of 21.53.ALSO READ: Nathan Coulter-Nile and AJ Tye cut by Western Australia; Cameron Gannon joinsHe scored all three of his centuries last season – the most by any batsman in the 2019-20 Sheffield Shield – becoming just the second player after Doug Walters to have three hundreds and two five-wicket hauls before the age of 21. One of those centuries, an unbeaten 158, came against a Tasmania team featuring Paine, towards the back-end of last season. And the Australia Test captain also came up against Green with the ball in Perth earlier in the summer before the back problems intervened.”I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but I think all Australian cricket fans can get very excited about the prospect of Cam Green,” Paine said. “I’ve played a few Shield games against him and the first one all the senior guys noticed him bowling first and we thought ‘geez he’s a bit quicker and a bit better than I thought he’d be’ and all the young blokes are saying ‘just wait until you see him bat’, and we thought ‘there’s no way he’s going to be able to bat like he bowls’ and then he came out and hit a hundred.”
To me, Cameron Green is the next superstar of Australian cricket. He is a genuine prospect with bat and ball, but I think his future is as a batsman who can offer some quality overs. Cameron is a batsman of rare talent. At 6ft 7in, he could become something very specialGreg Chappell
Australia have long-searched for an allrounder to balance the Test side, particularly on flatter pitches or overseas when two spinners could be required. Paine was able to study Green’s batting closely from behind the stumps, especially during the match in Hobart where he faced 366 balls across the two innings.”He’s an exceptional talent,” Paine said. “Certainly playing against him he was really impressive out in the middle, looked like he was in complete control of his game and really knew what he was trying to do, and to see him moving around the crease, there were a couple of little things I noticed when I was keeping against him where I thought ‘he’s pretty impressive’, not only is he talented, but he looks like he really knows what he’s doing. It’s an exciting thing for an Australian cricket fan to have someone like that on the horizon.”
In a recent feature for ESPNcricinfo, where two teams were selected for the hypothetical notion of Australia playing a Test and T20I on the same day, former Australia selector Greg Chappell picked Green in his 12-man Test squad.”To me, Cameron Green is the next superstar of Australian cricket,” Chappell said. “He is a genuine prospect with bat and ball, but I think his future is as a batsman who can offer some quality overs. Cameron is a batsman of rare talent. At 6ft 7in, he could become something very special. I would bat him at No. 6 to start with, but I reckon No. 4 is his long-term position. The sooner he gets to play at this level, the sooner he will become the player that he should be.”Australia won’t be picking their next Test squad until November at the earliest – they are due to play Afghanistan in Perth from November 21 – although there remains a change the limited-overs teams could still return to action with a tour to England in September. If the T20 World Cup is postponed, as looks all-but certain, and a rescheduled IPL played in the same time frame, there is the likelihood that some of Australia’s contracted players will be absent from domestic cricket. But Paine believes that the national set-up will be well prepared by being able to have a long pre-season with Covid-19 restrictions lifting in most of the country.”The next Test we’ll play is our summer, so we’re really lucky here that we’ll have a pre-season, all our nationally contracted players have gone back to their states, which is a great thing for both them and all our young domestic players in the country to be learning off Steve Smith, Marnus [Labuschagne], Pat Cummins and all these guys,” he said. “You get a mental freshen up, which your David Warners and Pats and Steves never get, but also these guys are getting to do a full pre-season, getting their bodies right, which they haven’t been able to do for a number of years.”I think our Australian cricketers will be as well prepared as they’ve ever been come their first game, whether that’s Test cricket, one-day cricket or T20.”
Tom Brady's Birmingham City side have made a record-breaking bid of around £10m ($13m) for Fulham striker Jay Stansfield.
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Tom Brady-backed club make huge bidWould become a League One record signingCurrent record stands at £4m ($5m)WHAT HAPPENED?
Per BBC Sport, Fulham have rejected a £10m bid for Stansfield from Birmingham. The 21-year-old was on loan at St Andrews last season and scored 13 goals, leading the club to make a huge offer to bring him back. Had the bid been accepted, Stansfield would have become the division's all-time record signing, eclipsing the £4m Birmingham spent on Christoph Klarer and Willum Willumsson earlier this summer.
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Birmingham were relegated from the Championship last season but have invested heavily as they aim to bounce back at the first time of asking. They have already spent £14m ($18m) this summer, adding Emil Hansson, Sagan Tosu, Ayumu Yokoyama, Alex Cochrane and Lyndon Dykes to Klarer and Willumsson.
DID YOU KNOW?
Stansfield is an England U21 international with three caps to his name. During his time at Fulham, he has made 10 first-team appearances, scoring twice. He also scored nine goals for Exeter City during a loan spell at the club.
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Birmingham play Wigan Athletic on Saturday as they look to build on an impressive start to the season. They have won two and drawn one of their three fixtures thus far.
In two weeks the streets of north London could be engulfed in a sea of red as Arsenal celebrate a historic Premier League title, their first in 20 years.
However, it could equally all be doom and gloom should the might of Manchester City win their remaining three matches of the season.
The Gunners have come so far this term and if they beat Manchester United and Everton, will finish on 89 points. The fact that tally may not be enough to be crowned champions is rather ludicrous.
City are still the favourites and if they do win the league, it’ll be back to the drawing board for Mikel Arteta and Co during what could be a rather exciting summer transfer window.
Last year it was all about Declan Rice. Edu had been tracking the England midfielder for quite some time and in a desperate attempt to ward off the Citizens, a £105m bid was lodged and finally accepted by West Ham after some toing and froing.
The end result has been near perfect. That fee has looked like a bargain for a man now thought to be in with a chance of winning the PFA Player of the Season award following a career-best haul of seven goals and nine assists, as well as some sterling defensive displays.
Declan Rice
He’s attracted praise right throughout the season, the latest of which has come from Ray Parlour.
What Ray Parlour said about Declan Rice
Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of NetBet Sports Betting the former Arsenal midfield waxed lyrical over the club’s record signing.
He said: “Declan has been a top signing for Arsenal and it’s great he is still playing at such a high level when it matters most at the business end of the season. His energy is great, he plays every game, his goal against Bournemouth typifies his drive and energy during the game. He deserves to be up there for PFA Player of the Season. It was a big move for him and he’s settled immediately into this team.”
Asked whether any other Arsenal stars could be in the frame for the award at the season’s end, the Romford Pele commented: “Odegaard has been excellent as has Saka who both are in the mix for sure, but Rice for me takes it.
“One can’t forget both centre-backs who have been amazing and should both be in the team of the season. I think Arsenal will have many players in the team of the season for sure.”
So, what’s on the agenda for the forthcoming summer? Well, it could be about another Premier League star in Alexander Isak.
What Ray Parlour has said about Alexander Isak
Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Newcastle striker is high on Arsenal’s list of priorities for the summer. The trouble is that it could take a seismic fee to prise away a man who has found the net on 24 occasions in all competitions this term. For context, that’s four more than Arteta’s leading marksman this term. Bukayo Saka has 20.
Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak
Speaking to FFC about what the Swede could bring to the Emirates Stadium, Parlour stated: “Isak is a player I like a lot. If you look at the signing of Rice, he is exactly what the team needed when Xhaka left and he has taken the club to another level.”
The move to acquire Rice was certainly a landmark moment in Arsenal’s recent history, but so too could the signing of an exciting centre-forward. There is a sense, despite the club’s leading Premier League tally of 88 goals this term, that they still need a striker to go to the next level.
Isak, therefore, could be exactly that man. Parlour continued: “Isak is the type of player who can do well in this Arsenal team. He will suit Arsenal’s fluid style of play and can do well in this team with the likes of Saka, Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard and Odegaard supporting him. It’s important to have quality strikers as we had in our era with Wiltord, Kanu, Henry and Bergkamp.
“However, Newcastle will not want to lose their top striker. Fee wise, he will be similar to Rice’s fee, so if Newcastle are forced to sell, then yes he would take Arsenal forward.”
The former midfielder isn’t wrong. Reports have stated that the Sweden international may well cost £100m if the Magpies are to sanction a sale.
Arsenal eye "unstoppable" Isak alternative who'd be an upgrade on Havertz
The incredible striker has been in unbelievable form this season.
Stuart Thompson and Shane Getkate dropped; David Delany misses out as he continues his recovery after an injury
Matt Roller10-Jul-2020Ireland have left Stuart Thompson and Shane Getkate out while naming an expanded 21-man squad for a three-match ODI series against England this month, while David Delany is missing the trip as precaution following an injury.Ireland squad
Mark Adair, Andy Balbirnie (capt), Curtis Campher, Peter Chase, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Jonathan Garth, Tyrone Kane, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, Kevin O’Brien, William Porterfield, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Gary Wilson, Craig Young
Curtis Campher, the South Africa-born allrounder who was awarded an emerging contract earlier this year, has been included in a senior squad for the first time after having represented Ireland A against Namibia in February, while there is another new face in legspinner Jonathan Garth – whose sister Kim quit Irish cricket to take up a contract with Cricket Victoria last month.Ireland will arrive in Southampton on a charter flight from Dublin on July 18, and play an intra-squad warm-up match and a fixture against England Lions before the group is separated into a 14-man squad and seven reserves. They will play three ODIs – the first game in the new ODI Super League – at the Ageas Bowl, before returning to Dublin on August 5.”The selectors were delighted to have been able to meet once more to select a squad for international action. We have lost so much cricket this year, so to have a series – let alone such a major series as this – to look forward to is a great relief for all,” Andrew White, the chair of national men’s selectors, said. “This lack of on-field action since March – and the short lead-in programme to the ODI series – influenced our thinking on the broader squad. However, the unique circumstances of the situation has allowed us to involve more players than we would normally bring on such a tour.”White also said that some players had been selected to “help our batters prepare for the type of opposition we’ll be facing”, which seemed like a nod to Garth’s inclusion. He is one of two legspinners in the wider party alongside allrounder Gareth Delany, while England have also named two in their 24-man training group in Adil Rashid and Matt Parkinson.
While a number of players like Stuart Thompson and Shane Getkate are unfortunate to not to be travelling, the experience that will be gained on this trip by a number of the younger players will be invaluable in their developmentAndrew White
“The form shown by several players in the Caribbean in January, Wolves tour in February and the Afghan series in March really bolstered their case for selection,” White said. “We’re delighted that our top wicket-taker in 2019, Mark Adair, returns after recovering from ankle surgery, and feel we have the right squad balance for these important fixtures – keeping in mind that they are World Cup qualifiers.”Thompson and Getkate’s exclusions might come as a surprise, not least given that both have central contracts for 2020-21 and that both have been regulars in white-ball squads in recent years.”While a number of players like Stuart Thompson and Shane Getkate are unfortunate to not to be travelling, the experience that will be gained on this trip by a number of the younger players will be invaluable in their development,” White said. “Additionally, David Delany was not considered for selection this time. As a result of his previous surgery, and the subsequent extended lockdown period, we were not fully confident that he has had the time to complete the necessary amount of preparation in order to safely play in these matches.”As well as the task at hand, several Ireland players will hope that strong performances in this series can provide them with a springboard towards contracts for the T20 Blast. Paul Stirling’s overseas deal at Northants is one of only a handful yet to be cancelled in the competition, and ESPNcricinfo understands that some names in this squad have been floated to counties in recent weeks as possible options to replace their bigger overseas names.