Kylian Mbappe's possible Paris Saint-Germain exit will reportedly cost Ligue 1 a whopping €140 million in television rights.
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Mbappe set for PSG departureEyes Real Madrid summer moveExit could cost Ligue 1 €140mGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The World Cup-winning Frenchman has reportedly told the Paris outfit he wants to leave the club this summer. Real Madrid are frontrunners to recruit him when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season and while this will be a huge blow for PSG, the league could suffer as well. According to , Ligue 1 stands to lose more than €140m (£120m/$151m) in TV rights for the next five years.
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The report adds the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) is in negotiations for rights for the French top-flight for 2024-29 and not being able to count on Mbappe weakens their hand in negotiations. Therefore, the price of TV rights could be reduced by up to 20 per cent of the initial amount the LFP negotiated early on in the process. This will have a huge knock-on effect for PSG and the league as a whole when it comes to attracting new players and revenue.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
Mbappe, 25, is reportedly demanding €70m (£60m/$76m) per year and a transfer bonus of €125m (£107m/$136m) in order to sign for Real Madrid. Lose Blancos areready to make Mbappe their next ‘Galactico’, but personal terms are proving difficult to agree.
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WHAT NEXT?
Negotiations between all interested parties will continue in the coming weeks and there may be some extra twists and turns along the way. But on the pitch, PSG travel to Nantes on Saturday in Ligue 1, followed by a home clash against Rennes on February 26.
On May 28, 2022, Real Madrid secured a record-extending 14th Champions League trophy after batting away a Liverpool onslaught, leaving Jurgen Klopp's side in disbelief as their final chance to cherry-top a stunning season faded away like mist.
It was a poignantly bitter end to what, just one week earlier, tantalised to be a campaign of unprecedented brilliance, with Liverpool's hopes of a historic quadruple thwarted by Manchester City and Real Madrid's inevitability.
After the continental finale in Paris, Klopp declared to reporters that his squad would "go again", but the following year, last season, the Reds could not ignite the gas and toiled throughout a calamitous campaign.
Indeed, finishing fifth in the Premier League after dreadful form and a complete loss of cohesion, the Anfield side were rebuked for their "woeful" – as was said by journalist Caoimhe O'Neill – seasonal collapse, albeit salvaging Europa League football with improved performances and results to close the year.
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It was a team at the end of its life force, an odyssey stretching too long without meaningful replenishment, resulting in weary legs and stagnancy.
In August 2022, it had been four years since a centre-midfielder other than Thiago Alcantara had been signed, and the deadline day panic buy of Arthur Melo (who played 13 competitive minutes for Liverpool) encapsulated the inept approach on the transfer front.
It all could have been so different, if only the Merseyside outfit succeeded in their pursuit of France prodigy Aurelien Tchouameni, but Los Blancos' trophy-winning victory over Liverpool was always going to pave an irrevocable path for the holding midfielder.
Did Aurelien Tchouameni nearly sign for Liverpool?
Liverpool's refusal to sign a midfielder last summer and ultimately opt for Arthur in a stop-gap move was perhaps an obstinate way of throwing the toys out of the pram after failing to sign Tchouameni, who was viewed as the perfect successor to Fabinho's position as the No. 6.
Indeed, according to multiple sources – including transfer guru Fabrizio Romano – Liverpool were in contention for the player's signature, alongside Paris Saint-Germain, though Real Madrid were always the favourites to secure his services.
However, Liverpool's pursuit would ultimately prove fruitless, with Real Madrid securing a €100m (£85m) transfer for the latest Monaco sensation, praised as "world-class" by Transfermarkt's Stefan Bienkowski.
While the prospect of playing under Klopp at Liverpool was undoubtedly enticing, the sway of the Santiago Bernabeu proved too much, especially after Vinicius Junior's goal sank the Anfield ship.
For those of an Anfield persuasion, it comes as a great shame that they were not able to get the deal done for a player who would have made a greater impact last term than Jude Bellingham, who was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool before the club withdrew from the race for his name in April.
This is largely due to the need for comprehensive change, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch instead being landed to restore the midfield.
How good is Aurelien Tchouameni?
Not only would Liverpool have upgraded on Fabinho – who had an "awful" season at the epicentre of Anfield's demise, according to pundit Jamie Carragher – but they would have procured a new central focal point to transform the entire team.
His particular set of skills would have been a better fit than Bellingham's last season, as contentious as that may sound as the England international obliterates defences with ease after emulating Tchouameni's move to Madrid.
One of the most imperturbable presences on the ball and a superlative and tenacious defensive cog, the Frenchman ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 2% for interceptions, the top 6% for clearances, the top 20% for tackles and the top 10% for aerial wins per 90, as per FBref.
Most comparable players to Aurelien Tchouameni (via FBref)
Arsenal's Thomas Partey (1)
Manchester City's Rodri (2)
Chelsea's Moises Caicedo (4)
Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (6)
Arsenal's Declan Rice (7)
Given the names that the £205k-per-week is likened to, it's clear that Liverpool would have secured the services of a midfield machine custom-made for the rigours of Premier League football.
The "superb talent" – as dubbed by Rio Ferdinand – did not enjoy the incredible first year in Spain that many would have hoped, and despite making 50 appearances across all competitions, he was benched for every knockout tie in the Champions League and both semi-final legs against historic rivals Barcelona in the Cope del Rey.
However, the 27-cap international is still young and already boasts qualities that eclipse the lion's share of talented midfielders across Europe; that might not be the case when comparing him to Bellingham, who has been hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Raphael Honigstein.
Moreover, as much as Bellingham is a bona fide prodigy, he is not a defensive midfielder, actually utilised in and around the final third with Real Madrid, and his French counterpart would have provided the steely assurance in the centre to prevent the malaise that seeped in last year.
Bellingham, aged just 20, joined Real in an initial €103m (£88m) deal this summer after rising to prominence in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, and has blitzed into life at one of football's greatest-ever clubs with five goals and an assist across his first four outings in the Spanish top-flight.
There were rumours that Liverpool would return for Tchouameni once more this summer, with The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe claiming that the 23-year-old had remained a coveted commodity on Merseyside, with Klopp earmarking him as he rebuilt his team's midfield.
But after starting all four of Real's LaLiga matches thus far this term, it's looking increasingly unlikely that he will be departing the Spanish capital any time soon, especially after personally distancing himself from rumours in July after liking a tweet suggesting he is not for sale amid interest from the Premier League giants.
Once remarked to be "pure gold" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Tchouameni will long be remembered as a player who could have reinvigorated the Liverpool ranks and prevented a detrimental campaign that has severed the club's illustrious seven-year stay in the Champions League.
And while Liverpool's fortunes look far brighter at present, there is no telling how mighty the squad could have become with such a blistering talent orchestrating the play from the nucleus of Klopp's system.
Gideon Haigh reviews Out of My Comfort Zone by Steve Waugh
Gideon Haigh23-Jan-2006
Michael Joseph, hb, 801pp, £20
Eight hundred and one pages; 300,000 words; 1.9 kg. In this statistically-minded age, it is the dimensions of Steve Waugh’s autobiography that first command attention. He has, again, swept the field. Bradman disposed of his life in 316 pages, Hobbs in 320, Allan Border in 270. And this after 10 tour diaries, an album of photographs, and three biographies. The man’s a machine.The hackneyed sportspeak of the title isn’t insignificant either. This is not a comfortable book to hold, let alone read. Most sport memoirs are slight, perfunctory and produced with little care. Waugh has the opposite problem. His stupendous effort in producing this book oozes from every page, almost every passage. He writes like he batted, seemingly in thrall to the idea that the man with the most pages wins. Unable to determine what is important, he has convinced himself that everything is.That’s a shame. There are hints here of genuine self-disclosure, of the drive that made him the cricketer he was, and of the frailties contained by his tight-wound personality. “For me,” he explains, “the hardest part about not doing well was that I began to think I was a failure not just as a player but as a person too.” He was, he admits, a bottler up of his emotions, even with brother Mark. At the peak of his twin’s travails in the match-fixing mess, Waugh recalls, they had a heart-to-heart that, in the great tradition of Aussie stoicism, wasn’t: “Before we parted, we had one of those moments where you know you should let your guard down and just do something. I’m sure we both sensed it – the notion that we should embrace and reassure each other it was going to be okay. But we didn’t.”Waugh is the voice of pragmatism when he wonders if he came back a better player after omission from the Australian side: “Sounds fantastic in theory, but most players who get dropped either don’t make it back or are no better prepared when they get their next chance.” But he is the voice of suggestibility when he enumerates his host of superstitions above and beyond the famous red rag – the alighting on him of a ladybird, for example, he took as a good omen.Captaincy was even lonelier than playing: “A captain can tell he’s skipper the moment he sits down to a team dinner at a restaurant and the chairs on either side are vacant for longer than they have been in the past.” He admits to the occasional “mild anxiety attack” at the coin toss. By the end of his career, his only confidante was his wife, to whom he “let all my pent-up emotions gush out and bawled like a baby” when he was retrenched as one-day skipper.Just when Waugh seems about to open up, however, he seeks the comfort of cliche (“An overwhelming sense of anticipation on top of the comforting knowledge that this was an Australian cricketer’s ultimate sporting adventure stirred me as we gathered at Sydney airport in readiness for my second Ashes tour”) and the safety of statistics (“I performed okay in our other matches, playing in all eight games and finishing fourth in the Australian batting aggregates”). His comfort zone is not merely small but well-fortified.Waugh is also prone to descriptions that are like literary slog-sweeps: batting on an awkward pitch is like “being a wildebeest crossing a swollen African creek bed, knowing that eventually a submerged crocodile will eventually sink its fangs into your flesh”; Michael Bevan was “a `pyjama Picasso’, creating masterpiece after masterpiece to the point that his genius became mundane when people were spoiled by his continued brilliance”; Gavin Robertson “once had the classic textbook technique but it somehow metamorphosed into a batting stance that resembled a badly constipated individual with a `headless chook’ approach”. The writer might have left his comfort zone, but did he have to try taking the reader with him?
The on-loan Spain forward bagged a brace to lead Carlo Ancelotti's side to a comfortable win on the road
On a night when Jude Bellingham struggled, Joselu stepped up. The Spain striker, handed a rare start, bagged a tidy brace to send Real Madrid to an ultimately comfortable 2-0 win against Getafe that sees them reclaim top spot in La Liga.
It was a game of few clear chances, but Joselu was in the right spots for most of them. He came closest early, flicking an effort off the bar after a smart pass from Luka Modric. He didn't miss on the second time of asking, though, nodding a floated Lucas Vazquez cross into the far corner after 15 minutes.
The big striker scored his second shortly after the break, pivoting from one foot to the other before firing an angled strike across the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead. He should have bagged a crucial third after an hour, too, but opted to find Vinicius Jr, who inexplicably missed from five yards out.
The only real gripe for Carlo Ancelotti was the exit of Antonio Rudiger, who took a heavy knock to the thigh – and had to be replaced at half-time. Madrid will need him for Sunday's Madrid derby, where Los Blancos will once again look to continue their title charge.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Coliseum Alfonso Perez…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Andriy Lunin (8/10):
Made one very important save at 2-0 to keep his side in control. He's firmly the No.1 over Kepa now.
Lucas Vazquez (7/10):
An absolute peach of a cross set up Madrid's first goal. Scampered up and down the right diligently. An excellent performance.
Antonio Rudiger (7/10):
Dominant at the back before being replaced at half-time. Looked like he took a heavy blow to the leg – Ancelotti will hope it isn't serious.
Nacho (6/10):
Mixed throughout. Put in a few important tackles, but wasn't entirely convincing in possession.
Ferland Mendy (6/10):
Solid in the first half, had a bit more difficulty with the lively Greenwood after the break
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):
Solid at the base of midfield, winning his duels and keeping the ball moving. Not as comfortable at centre-back after dropping in to replace Rudiger, but his team survived.
Federico Valverde (8/10):
Another excellent showing in his new deeper-lying role. Covered ground and made the occasional dangerous run. Understated but brilliant.
Jude Bellingham (7/10):
Made his standard mazy runs, and created problems with his incisive passing, but he never had a clear shot on goal. Disappointing, by his standards.
Luka Modric (7/10):
Magnificent in the first half as the most advanced midfielder. Played a key pass in the build up to Madrid's first goal. Looked tired after the break.
Getty ImagesAttack
Joselu (9/10):
Took his first goal well. Made his second look even better. Squared to Vinicius when he should have bagged a hat-trick. Say what you will about his gangly nature, but the striker is immensely effective.
Vinicius Jr (7/10):
Dangerous on the left, as usual. Created chances for himself and others. Should have scored in the second half, though.
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Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):
A professional showing at the No.6 after the break.
Rodrygo (6/10):
A lively cameo, but not much in the way of end product.
Brahim Diaz (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Dani Carvajal (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):
Got his selection right, giving Carvajal and Kroos rests. This wasn't a particularly taxing one for his side, but they made it look easy. All eyes turn to the Madrid derby…
Liverpool are interested in completing the signing of an "exceptional" player who has broken Reds hearts in the past, according to a fresh transfer rumour.
Liverpool may need Mohamed Salah replacement
Jurgen Klopp has assembled one of the strongest attacking units on show at Anfield in many years, with five brilliant options to choose from in the final third. Mohamed Salah is the undisputed star man, but Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo are top-quality players in their own right, too.
There is the worry that Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, however, with the 31-year-old out of contract at Anfield in the summer of 2025, and therefore having to make a key decision regarding his future later this year. He will either need to sign an extension or move on to pastures new, most likely a Saudi Pro League club.
Should that happen, it is essential that the Reds and FSG act fast and replace the Egyptian superstar with a fantastic player, trying to fill the void left by one of the best players in world football over the past five or six years. While not necessarily a tailor-made immediate successor for Salah, it looks as though Liverpool are eyeing up one highly-rated young attacking ace.
Liverpool want Crysencio Summerville
According to an update from Anfield Watch, Liverpool are interested in signing Leeds United youngster Crysencio Summerville, seeing him as an exciting prospect.
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"Liverpool are considering a move for highly-rated Crysencio Summerville during the upcoming summer transfer window, Anfield Watch can reveal.
"The 22-year-old Dutch winger has been turning heads with his impressive performances for Leeds in Championship this season, leading to a slew of interest from clubs in the Premier League, with Jurgen Klopp's side among the former Feyenoord star's admirers."
As mentioned, Summerville, who shares the same agent as Curtis Jones, may not yet be close to Salah's level, in terms of being a world-class player who any team on the planet would want on their side, but he is someone with a high ceiling who Liverpool know a lot about. That's because he scored the winning goal in Leeds' 2-1 win at Anfield last season, in what remains the Reds' only Premier League home defeat in front of fans since April 2017.
Appearances
23
Starts
21
Goals
12
Assists
6
Key passes per game
3.0
Dribbles per game
2.6
The Dutchman has plenty of admirers, one of whom is former Reds striker Michael Owen, who has said of him in the past:
"This is such a good goal. Look at that for a touch [Summerville’s first]. The ball is behind him. He takes one lovely touch with the outside of his foot, then another one to keep him away from the defender and finishes it brilliantly. This is a really hard chance. He’s behind the defender in many ways when he gets the ball. I mean how he does that is really, really exceptional."
Still only 22, Summerville has starred in the Championship this season, shining out wide, and he could be seen as a good squad player to begin with at Liverpool, before becoming more of a key man over time.
West Bromwich Albion are reportedly looking to bring in two new players before tomorrow evening’s deadline.
What’s the latest West Brom transfer news?
The Baggies and Carlos Corebran have enjoyed a solid start to the new Championship season on the pitch, picking up seven points from a possible 12. However, off the pitch, it has been a struggle for those at The Hawthorns to bolster the squad, with just two new players arriving so far.
Brighton & Hove Albion attacking midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento arrived at the club on loan, whereas centre-forward Josh Maja signed on a free transfer after leaving Bordeaux.
Speaking after the win over Middlesbrough on Saturday, though, Corberan addressed the need for late arrivals, saying:
"I think our future in the competition depends a lot on this week.
"I like to have a strong team in attack and strong team in defence. The fact we scored goals today doesn't mean anything. We still need one attacking player for me, to strengthen the squad. Also we need someone who can play as a wing back or full back to cover the options for the team at the back."
A fresh update has been shared by The Express and Star, and it looks as if the club are trying to give Corberan exactly what he wants. The report, relayed by West Brom News, stated that the Baggies have rejected offers from Stoke City for striker Brandon Thomas-Asante, whereas Grady Diangana is attracting interest from Burnley, Leicester and Leeds.
Should any player leave, it is claimed that they will be replaced, but even if the club don’t sell, they are looking at signing an “attacking midfielder or versatile option able to cover a couple of attacking roles”. Another area is at right-back, with USA international and free agent Reggie Cannon named as a potential target.
Who could West Brom sign?
It appears as if it could be a key couple of days at The Hawthorns, especially following Corberan’s comments on the weekend, so it’ll be interesting to see if the club can give him his wish before the window slams shut.
One player who has recently been linked with a move to the Championship is Newcastle United’s Jeff Hendrick. It has been reported that West Brom, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday have all registered their interest over a possible transfer after falling out of favour at St James’ Park.
The 31-year-old is primarily a central midfielder who can turn out in an attacking or right midfield role when required. He spent last season out on loan with Reading where he was praised by former manager Paul Ince, who said:
“He trains like a demon every day. He is very professional and I like professional players and he is one you can trust. The thing about football ultimately is that you’ve got to have 11 players you can trust. Sometimes you don’t pick the players with the most talent but ones you can trust week in, week out and Jeff is one of those."
Therefore, a move for the Irishman and defender Cannon could be ones to keep an eye on before tomorrow evening.
South African seamer should be available for seven County Championship matches and entire Royal London campaign.
George Dobell21-Feb-2018Derbyshire have signed Duanne Olivier as an overseas player for the first half of the 2018 season.The 25-year-old South African seamer should, subject to final clearance from Cricket South Africa, be available for the county’s first seven County Championship matches and the entire Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.”We identified new-ball bowling as an area we wanted to strengthen, especially for the first half of the season in red- and white-ball cricket,” Cricket Advisor, Kim Barnett said. “He is a tall, quick bowler who is keen to prove himself and he will give us another quality option with the ball. He comes highly recommended and will offer further depth to our seam attack.”While Olivier has struggled to command a settled place in the South Africa side – a reflection, in part, of their depth of seam bowling talent – he has played five Tests and claimed his 17 wickets at an impressive average of just 23.11 apiece. His first-class record – he has taken 284 wickets at an average of 22.04 – is excellent and, while he is still learning his trade in white-ball cricket, he has claimed the two best List A figures of his career this year.”I’m looking forward to joining up with Derbyshire and getting straight into bowling overs and contributing to success for the club,” Olivier said. “The club is clear in its drive to keep improving and I’m excited to be a part of an ambitious dressing room. There is a strong bowling attack at the club and I hope to play my part, both on and off the field.”Derbyshire have previously announced the signing of Mitchell Santner as an overseas player for the T20 competition and the second half of the Championship campaign and the release of several young players.
USMNT star Chris Richards has boldly declared that “another one’s coming” after breaking his Premier League goal duck at Crystal Palace.
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Defender on target against BurnleyHas one effort for his countryBelieves there are more to comeWHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international defender moved to Selhurst Park from Bayern Munich in 2022. Opportunities were in short supply during his debut campaign in English football, with only 10 appearances made across all competitions.
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He has figured more prominently this term, filling a holding midfield role at times, and registered his first goal for the Eagles at the 31st attempt in a 3-0 victory over Burnley. Richards hopes the floodgates will now open for him, with the 23-year-old confident that he can contribute at both ends of the field.
WHAT RICHARDS SAID
Richards has told Palace’s : “I've wanted it [my first goal] all year. Of course, you always like to score goals, but I think it was a very crucial goal in a very crucial game, so I'm very happy about it. Jordan [Ayew] was talking about hitting it back post the whole time, so I figured if T [Tyrick Mitchell] jumped with the man, I was going to be wide open, so I just tried to stay back post. Everybody likes to score goals. Fans like to see it, so it definitely changed the mood for the game, and the games coming up as well. I think another one’s coming!”
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Richards did find the target during a loan spell at Hoffenheim in 2021-22 and has one effort for his country – which came against Canada in June 2023. He will hope that there are more goals to celebrate over the coming weeks, with 2024 shaping up to be a big year for Palace and the USMNT.
The ICC has set October 1-3 for the hearing on the PCB’s dispute with the BCCI, and the decision of the panel will be final
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2018The BCCI and the PCB’s dispute over two unplayed bilateral series moved a step forward after the ICC constituted a three-person dispute panel four months after Pakistan decided to take the legal route in pursuit of its resolution. The hearings will take place in Dubai from October 1-3 and the decision of the panel will be final.”The International Cricket Council today confirmed that the Hon Michael Beloff QC will chair the Dispute Panel in the matter of proceedings between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Board of Control for Cricket in India,” the ICC said in a statement. “The other two members of the panel, which has been established under the Terms of Reference of the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee, are Mr Jan Paulsson and Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett AO, SC. The hearing will take place in Dubai from 1-3 October and, as per Article 10.4 of the Terms of Reference of the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee, the decision of the Dispute Panel shall be non-appealable and shall remain the full and final decision in relation to the matter and binding on all parties.”The PCB claims up to $70million worth lost revenue from failure of the BCCI to play two series – in November 2014 and December 2015 – which were agreed by the boards in April 2014. Both series were officially slotted into the ICC’s Future Tour Programme (FTP) with Pakistan as host. However, amid a deteriorating political situation, the BCCI refused to honour that agreement.The PCB, saying they had no option left, sent a notice of dispute to the ICC. Under the watch of the ICC, both boards met on a number of occasions to try and reach a resolution in good faith, to no avail.In a final motion, a three-person dispute panel headed by Beloff with Paulsson (Pakistan representation) and Bennett (Indian representation) will have a three-day hearing at the ICC headquarters in Dubai. Beloff, incidentally, was head of the ICC tribunal which banned Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for spot-fixing in 2011. The proceedings are likely to be conducted in private.”Unless the parties agree to settle their dispute in the meantime, the Dispute Panel shall decide the outcome of the case following deliberation in private,” read the terms of reference. “They shall endeavour to reach a unanimous decision, but a majority decision shall suffice. No member of the Dispute Panel may abstain from voting on the outcome of any dispute, but any member may record a dissenting opinion which may be attached to the majority decision with the permission of the Chairperson of the Dispute Panel. “The bone of contention is the original agreement between the two sides in 2014, which is expected to be a central pillar in the PCB’s arguments. It had agreed on both sides playing six series between December 2015 and November-December 2022, and also an effort to play a short limited-overs series in Pakistan (or a neutral venue) in November 2014. But amid tense relations between the two governments, any chance of a resumption in bilateral ties had always looked distant. And that has been the BCCI’s core claim all along – that it does not have government permission to play Pakistan.India and Pakistan have not played a full series since the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which India blamed on militants based in Pakistan. Pakistan visited India for a short limited-overs series in December 2012, but that did not do enough to thaw the frosty relationship.