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A £72 million Chelsea player could now reunite with former teammate and France star N'Golo Kante in Saudi Arabia, with Al-Ittihad plotting a surprise summer move for him.

Players who could be sold by Chelsea this summer

Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson and Ian Maatsen have already left Stamford Bridge, with four of the aforementioned five bringing in a combined total of around £84 million.

£210,000-per-week striker compared to Ronaldo really wants Chelsea move

He thinks a switch to Stamford Bridge is the best possible outcome for him.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 5, 2024

While Silva re-joined boyhood club Fluminense for free after the expiry of his contract, Chelsea still stand to save some money by chalking off his £110,000-per-week wages. Ziyech, Hall, Hutchinson and Maatsen were all out of favour in west London, and move on to pastures new with the good grace of Todd Boehly, as the American balances Chelsea's books in a busy early summer.

Armando Broja, Malang Sarr, Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Mykhailo Mudryk and Conor Gallagher are other players who could be sold by Chelsea in the coming weeks, according to various reports.

There are high-profile players who co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley will be desperate to offload, with the main one being Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku. AC Milan and Napoli are frontrunners to sign Lukaku, with Chelsea demanding around £38 million to let him go.

Boehly is prepared to take a £60 million loss off Lukaku's sale, with the 31-year-old originally joining in a deal worth £98 million in 2021. Meanwhile, Chelsea are under pressure to do a deal for Gallagher, despite his importance under ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino last season.

The England star's has entered the final 12 months of his contract, so his boyhood status at the club may well be discounted as Boehly ponders the ruthless business decision of finding a buyer before Gallagher can leave for nothing.

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who spent last season on loan at La Liga champions Real Madrid, is also being heavily linked with the exit door. The Spaniard has been tipped for sit-down talks with Enzo Mareca over his future recently, and it is believed Kepa is really wants to leave Chelsea on a permanent deal.

Al-Ittihad plot surprise move for Kepa who could leave Chelsea

According to TEAMtalk reporter Rudy Galetti, Al-Ittihad are planning a surprise move for Kepa this summer, who oould well reunite with Kante in the Gulf State.

The PIF-backed Saudi Pro League side are currently in talks with Athletico Paranaense keeper and Brazil international Bento, but if a deal falls through, Al-Ittihad will bid for Kepa as an alternative.

The 29-year-old joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in a deal worth £72 million, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in history, but it hasn't exactly been plane sailing since his move to the Premier League.

On around £146,000-per-week in west London, the club would save a decent portion of cash by trimming Kepa's salary off the wage bill, but it is unclear just how much the Saudis are willing to pay for him.

Lamine Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, has backed his son to win multiple Ballons d'Or and even compared the young Barcelona star to Zinedine Zidane.

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• Yamal's father backs winger for Ballon d'Or success
• Barcelona winger finished eighth in 2024 voting
• Spaniard makes blistering start to 2024-25 season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The world has only seen 20% of Yamal's ability, according to his father. Nasraoui has just witnessed his son win the Kopa Trophy and finish eighth in the voting for the 2024 Ballon d'Or award, a remarkable feat for a 17-year-old, and doesn't believe it will be long before he claims the Golden Ball.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In an interview with France Football, Nasraoui also said he doesn't believe Yamal is a winger and that he will be more effective as a number 10; playing behind the striker will unlock the wonderkid's Zidane-like ability, in his opinion.

• WHAT YAMAL'S FATHER SAID

  "I quickly understood that he was a star, that he was not a human being like the others," Nasraoui said in an interview with . "From a very young age, there was a ball in his stroller.

  "I always had faith in him, I kept telling my friends that he was going to become the best player in the world, that he was a pure diamond. He must remain the same, on and off the field, and have fun. Today, he is a man. I told him that the other day and I could not hold back my tears.

  "I was not surprised that he was nominated for the Ballon d'Or, you have only seen 20% of what he is capable of doing. For me, he is a number 10, not a winger. He has the skill and the mentality to play in the center, behind the striker, like a Zinedine Zidane. You will see. I rub my hands thinking about the Ballon d'Ors he's going to win."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Yamal was forced to miss Barcelona's La Liga clash against Real Sociedad on Sunday evening owing to a severe contusion sustained in the Champions League win over Crvena zvezda in midweek.

They’d rather be playing Test cricket, but Edwards and Co have plenty of T20 to look forward to over the next few months

Tim Wigmore30-Jun-2012Anyone who berates the standard of women’s cricket should watch Lydia Greenway field. With her athleticism, catching ability and cricketing awareness she brings the same intoxicating thrill to any match as Jonty Rhodes used to do.In England’s two Twenty20 victories against India, Greenway took four outstanding catches, both at backward point and at deep midwicket, a position she patrols with vivacity. And she can do much more than just catch, as shown by her awareness to throw the ball back into play after she was about to carry it over the rope after a boundary catch. No wonder the captain, Charlotte Edwards, said the side is “completely in awe” of her fielding ability. Overall, England’s fielding oozed professionalism, and the contrast between theirs and India’s was perhaps the most obvious difference between the sides.But there is much more to admire in England’s team: they are simply a very fine cricket side. Their second win over India was their 13th consecutive victory in T20 internationals. Add to this their record of seven consecutive one-day international wins and their status as the best women’s international side is indisputable.Katherine Brunt’s new-ball bowling, with a steady action, pace in the mid-70s, consistent nip off the seam and a dangerous yorker, is formidable. Edwards is a model of calm – never flustered, and with a knack for canny bowling changes, as well as being a superb batsman in her own right. She has the most international one-day caps of any female cricketer. And then there is Sarah Taylor.The batting of her namesake Claire, most notably a wonderfully paced 76 not out against Australia in the World T20 semi-final in 2009, earned her the accolade of one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year. Yet Sarah, no relation, increasingly looks an even better player.Taylor’s real strength lies in her exemplary technique. She is imperious driving down the ground, cuts with authority and skilfully uses her feet against spin; few would say there is a better female batsman in the world today. Taylor hit two serene 60s in England’s two T20 wins over India – earning the Player-of-the-Match award in both games – as well as 109 not out in England’s last ODI, against New Zealand. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also a brilliant wicketkeeper whose poise and quick hands contributed to the five Indian run-outs England affected in Chelmsford.But those who want to see much of Taylor better have a stomach for T20 cricket: ten of England’s 15 internationals this summer are T20s. As Edwards says, “The game is so marketable in the T20 format.”One key reason for this is that it is perfect to be played before men’s games – as was the case for both T20s against India, which were hosted at Canterbury and Chelmsford and preceded domestic men’s T20s. Given the attractive proposition of free entry to the women’s international before the Essex-Hampshire T20, well over 1000 supporters were in place for the start of the women’s game. And many were attending out of more than curiosity, with England having an outstanding record there in recent years. As Taylor says, “Chelmsford’s perfect for us – the crowd keep wanting to see us play, which keeps bringing us back.”Taylor is an enthusiastic champion of the double-header format: “It’s definitely a bit more exciting when we play before the men.” Edwards emphasises: “The girls react really well to the TV and the crowds; it’s a huge boost for us.”Yet England’s women also play in some rather more obscure locations. Truro in deepest Cornwall, which has a population of 17,000, will host an England-India ODI on July 8. But Edwards is enthused about the prospect, saying, “We love playing at the outgrounds”, and is confident that after a concerted marketing campaign, the game could be watched by as many as 1500 people.While limited-overs games, especially T20, may attract the crowds, the great frustration for England’s women is that they seldom have the opportunity to showcase their skills in the longest form of the game. Indeed, their last Test was in Sydney in January 2011, when they failed to defend the Ashes. The lack of Tests does not owe to any absence of desire on behalf of the players. Edwards says it is frustrating: “We would love to play more Test cricket but we understand that’s not where the game’s going at the moment.”Still, there is much else to be occupied with. After five ODIs against India, the preparations continue for the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September and October, when England will aim to regain the title they lost in the Caribbean in 2010. Far from being worried about playing in different conditions, Taylor is confident the side will be able to adapt. “Out there it doesn’t really do much in terms of movement, so that’ll suit my game down to a tee if I’m hitting straight. A lot of our girls hit very well straight, so hopefully we’ll come good.”After the World T20 there is not long to wait until the next big challenge: the 50-over World Cup in India in March. While Edwards accepts that T20 is “probably” the priority of most players now, she thinks differently. “For me the 50-over cricket is what women’s cricket is judged on and the World Cup is the ultimate prize in the women’s game.”It is undeniably a great shame that England’s women play so little Test cricket. But happily they are not lacking for stages on which to show off their considerable talents.

Youngster still suffering concussion symptoms and won’t play for Victoria before Christmas

Alex Malcolm17-Nov-2021Will Pucovski won’t play any domestic cricket prior to Christmas after being ruled out of Victoria’s final Sheffield Shield clash against New South Wales, starting on Friday at the SCG, as he continues to deal with ongoing concussions symptoms.Pucovski predictably wasn’t named in Australia’s 15-man Ashes squad or the Australia A squad having not played at all this summer after being concussed during a throwdowns session while training with Victoria early October.Related

• Pucovski finally set for first-class return

• Khawaja and Head set to compete for Australia's final batting spot

• Pucovski sees concussion specialist after head knock at training

The 22-year-old is still suffering concussion symptoms over a month later. Pucovski was at the Junction Oval on Wednesday but left the facility while Victoria’s Shield squad was training ahead of their flight to Sydney. Victoria coach Chris Rogers confirmed that Pucovski won’t play for Victoria until February, once the BBL has concluded.”Will is just still feeling it a little bit, still a few symptoms,” Rogers said on Wednesday.”So, we felt it’s probably better not to rush him into this last game. Give him some time now. There’s a bit of a break after this game. And we can look into how we, perhaps, support him through and almost get him ready for the block after the BBL. I think he didn’t really even do a pre-season with Victoria just with coming back from the shoulder, so maybe this is the right way to go about it.”Pucovski has not played a single game since his Test debut in January this year. He suffered a dislocated shoulder while fielding against India and subsequently had surgery which ended his season prematurely. He has never played in the BBL and does have a BBL contract.The BBL is set to begin on December 5 and run through to January 28, leaving Pucovski with no option but to return to playing via premier cricket in Victoria for his club side Melbourne.”I think he’ll probably just see how he can get himself right and play some club cricket,” Rogers said. “Whether that’s before Christmas or after, and then we’ll have a really big block of domestic cricket post the BBL. I think we have five Sheffield Shield games and three one-day domestic games. So hopefully, he can be a part of all those.”Rogers was reluctant to definitively rule Pucovski out of a Test match return before playing again for Victoria, but he was pragmatic.”I can’t see how he can now get the opportunity to show that he is ready to go to play in the Test matches if he was to be playing club cricket and to be picked out of club cricket,” Rogers said.”I’d probably be pretty surprised as a lot of people would, and I think even Will understands that as well. So, I don’t have a crystal ball with that. But equally, I think it’d be, it’s probably going to be challenging for him to play Test cricket this summer.”Australia chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed that he simply wanted Pucovski to return to play any form of cricket before they consider him at Test level again.”He hasn’t played any cricket up until this point,” Bailey said. “Obviously, it’s a really stepped process for him but one it’s about getting symptom-free and feeling good physically. And then secondly, it’s about just putting together a batch of games. And I think if you look back over his last couple of years, it’s been really hard for him to get that body of work together.”Certainly, in my chats with him, it’s just, you know, first and foremost, get yourself right and look after yourself. And then secondly, I’m not that concerned about what he’s playing. I’d love to see him playing some grade cricket. I’d love to see him playing some state cricket. I just love to see him playing a lot of cricket and really getting some confidence that he can put together a string of games.”

Both teams are coming off wins and seem to have finally figured out their best combinations

Varun Shetty02-Oct-20211:43

Should Pooran continue at No. 3? How should RCB deal with Bishnoi?

Big picture

Both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings seem to have finally figured out what their best combinations are. They’ve also won their last games and are looking to put together the kind of rollicking streak that can seal a playoff spot early in the IPL.

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IPL 2021 is available in the US on ESPN+. You can subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to RCB vs PBKS here.

Royal Challengers are significantly closer to that – they’re on 14 points with three games to go and have won their last two. Solving their domestic No. 3 conundrum by giving an extended run to Srikar Bharat has brought stability, and the return of Shahbaz Ahmed has been a move that’s brought them closer to the team that dominated in the first half of the tournament.For the Kings, the chance to push each of their middle-order players some spots higher in the absence of Chris Gayle has created a sturdier batting since it has allowed Shahrukh Khan and Fabian Allen – bona-fide T20 finishers – to bat in more suitable positions. It also gives them flexibility in terms of bowling and all-round options, and although it’s only been one game so far, this might finally be a way that they’re able to break their reliance on the openers.

Qualification chances

With the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Mumbai Indians losing their most recent games, the Royal Challengers only need to win one of their last three matches to qualify. Three wins will give them a chance to finish among the top two if the Chennai Super Kings or the Delhi Capitals slip up in their last couple of matches.However, if the Royal Challengers botch up the last week and lose all three remaining matches, they could be eliminated, for as many as four teams could end up on 14 points, vying for two qualification spots.A win for the Kings will keep them in the hunt to reach that all-important tally of 14 points. Even if they get there, though, they will need other results to go their way to qualify. A defeat will leave them clutching at the slimmest of lifelines with some very specific result requirements: apart from winning their own last match, they will need the Knight Riders to lose their two remaining matches and stay at 10, and for Mumbai to beat the Royals, who in turn should beat the Knight Riders. Then three teams – the Kings, Mumbai and the Royals – will finish on 12 points, with the Kings likely to have the best net run rate among the three and take the fourth spot.

In the news

Fabian Allen appeared to be limping when he came in to bat against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. There is no official word on the type and extent of the injury.

Likely XIs

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Virat Kohli (capt.), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Srikar Bharat (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Daniel Christian, 8 George Garton, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPunjab Kings: 1 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Fabian Allen/Harpreet Brar, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Nathan Ellis/Chris Jordan, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Shami

Strategy punt

• Mayank Agarwal has an incredible strike rate of 184 against Yuzvendra Chahal in T20s; but that has also come at a cost, with Chahal dismissing him four times in 37 balls. Royal Challengers could use Chahal in the powerplay to break that opening stand
• Harpreet Brar has gone for 6.1 this IPL in five innings, with a Player-of-the-Match performance against RCB in Ahmedabad earlier this year when he dismissed Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Glenn Maxwell. With Allen’s injury a potential concern, the Kings could consider bringing Brar back into the XI in Sharjah, where spinners have dominated the second half of the tournament

Stats that matter

• Royal Challengers haven’t beaten Kings since the 2019 season
• Arshdeep Singh has gone wicketless in only two of his ten matches and is currently the Kings’ leading wicket-taker this season with 16 scalps in 10 matches. He averages 16.2 for six wickets in the powerplay at an economy of 6.5, and 13.4 for eight wickets in the death overs at an economy of 8.7
• AB de Villiers has faced only 19 balls in four innings since the tournament’s resumption in UAE

Arsenal lost 1-0 to Inter Milan after Hakan Calhanoglu converted his penalty in the first half and Mikel Arteta is not happy with the refereeing.

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• Arsenal lose 1-0 to Inter Milan
• Arteta fumes about penalty decisions
• Backs side to beat Chelsea on Sunday

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal were the dominant side at San Siro during their Champions League clash, however, the Gunners were unable to avoid defeat to Inter Milan after Calhanoglu converted a penalty in injury time in the first half. Referee Istvan Kovacs pointed to the spot after Mikel Merino was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box. However, Arteta has revealed that he feels his side were hard done by the refereeing for a contentious penalty as he also claimed his side should have been awarded a penalty early in the first half after Merino was caught by Yann Sommer on the head as the keeper attempted to punch the ball.

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  WHAT ARTETA SAID

  Speaking to the media, Arteta said: “I don’t understand. There is no danger at all. You cannot react because the ball is very close. We were told at the start of the season that wasn’t a penalty. That was clear. Today it was a different story. But OK. They decide that is a penalty.

  “But if that is a penalty then the one on Mikel Merino where he punches him in the head has to be a penalty, 1,000 per cent. These are the margins in this game and it’s very, very difficult to accept. I am extremely frustrated because these are two decisions that marked the course of the game. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do. We have to accept it and move on.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal very much dominated the proceedings at San Siro as the Gunners gathered 63% possession on the night and took a total of 20 shots compared to Inter's seven shots. The Nerazzurri only had one shot on target, which came from Calhanoglu's penalty. As such, Arteta praised his side's dominance on the night and said: “This is the way I want to see my team. Of all the big games we have played in Europe, this is by far the best one that we have played in the last few years…

  “I haven’t seen them play in Europe in the manner they have today. And we are very disappointed because we didn’t get what we wanted out of the game that’s for sure.”

• WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  The Gunners will be in action next when they take on London rivals Chelsea on November 10 as they look to dump their three-game winless streak in the Premier League. Arteta has revealed that he is confident about the Gunners taking the win at Stamford Bridge, saying: “If we play the way we played here we have a good chance to win against Chelsea. I told them I’m proud of them."

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the opening game of the Asia Cup, between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Mirpur

Siddarth Ravindran at the Shere Bangla Stadium11-Mar-2012The freak dismissal
There have already been a number of bizarre dismissals and close calls in one-dayers this year. Lahiru Thirimanne reprieved after being Mankaded, the David Hussey obstructing the ball/handling the ball conundrum, and the Sachin Tendulkar run-out after he crashed into the bowler Brett Lee. Add to that the Shahid Afridi dismissal today. In the 40th over, Afridi tamely pushed his first delivery back towards the bowler Shakib Al Hasan. It flew low to Shakib’s right, and though he got both hands to it, he couldn’t collect cleanly. With the ball now dropping to his left, Shakib lunged again, and only managed to juggle it once more, this time onto the non-striker Misbah-ul-Haq. The ball deflected off the batsman’s chest, hit the grill of his helmet and looped up before Shakib finally snaffled it. No batsman will be happy with a golden duck, but to get one in this manner would be particularly galling for Afridi.The celebration
All headlines about Tamim Iqbal this week had been about his controversial axing from the squad, and his subsequent inclusion, a consequence of a tussle between the national selection chief and the board president. If anyone had any doubts over his place in the ODI side, he answered them with an unusually cautious half-century, his first since the series in Zimbabwe in August last year. He reached the milestone with a punch to long-on for a single, and celebrated with a series of fist pumps. That was followed by some vigorous pointing to the dressing room, before he raised his bat specifically at the person he was looking for.The silence
Mohammad Hafeez is another opener coming in to the tournament needing runs. He had a dismal limited-overs series against England, which he ended with a couple of ducks in the Twenty20s. He rediscovered his touch in some style, first top scoring with the bat and then delivering with the ball. The game was evenly poised when he came on in the 29th over. He first dismissed the well-set Tamim – an inside-edge on to the stumps – and then sent back the vice-captain Mahumudullah for a golden duck. Two strikes which found the Shere Bangla’s mute button.The counterattack
Umar Gul was changing the game’s momentum with his late blitz after Pakistan had slumped to 198 for 7. He saved his best for the 49th over, off a fading Mashrafe Mortaza. A slower ball was clubbed over midwicket for four, the follow-up was a full toss down the leg side which was duly put away for another boundary. Mortaza’s radar remained misplaced as he served up a waist high full toss next; it was dispatched for six to bring up Gul’s highest score in one-day internationals.The comeback
Gul had a rough time with the ball early on, with the returning opener Nazimuddin playing some stylish strokes to send him out of the attack. When he returned for his third spell, in the 43rd over, the Shere Bangla was buzzing after Shakib and Nasir Hossain had brought Bangladesh back in the game. The pressure increased even more on Gul as his first ball was dinked to the third man boundary and the next tucked for four to fine leg. 7.2-0-50-0 were his unflattering figures at that stage, but he hit back with his next delivery, bowling Nasir to stall the home side.

Birmingham City head into the forthcoming League One season as a major sleeping giant, with the Blues more used to battling it out in the Championship, as opposed to playing the likes of Burton Albion in the third tier.

The relegated side cannot underestimate the challenge ahead, however, as teams are likely to raise their game when facing off against Chris Davies' men, in an attempt to pull off a scalp and embarrass the Blues.

Birmingham could, however, become more feared by their upcoming League One opponents by signing this attacking gem, who could also soften the potential blow of Paik Seung-Ho departing, by strengthening the midfield ranks.

Birmingham locking horns over soon-to-be free agent

According to a recent report by Birmingham World, Birmingham could be set for an intense transfer scrap with Championship side and near neighbours, West Bromwich Albion, over the services of Josh Windass this summer.

The soon-to-be free agent, who was dazzling towards the back-end of last season for Sheffield Wednesday, would have been a much-needed boost to Birmingham's survival chances if he was on the roster at the Blues then, with Davies and Co now having to convince the 30-year-old to drop down to League One.

The former Accrington Stanley man will, no doubt, see West Brom as the more attractive offer on the table currently, and with the Baggies having already made contact as per the report, Carlos Corberan's men look to be in the driver's seat over a deal for the enigmatic attacker.

What Windass could offer Birmingham

With a reported £20m up for grabs in the Birmingham transfer kitty, Birmingham could flex their guns in the market and swoop in for Windass by offering him a bumper deal, without having to dent the bank too much when it comes to a fee, owing to Windass joining for £0, with his Wednesday contract ripped up shortly.

As well as offering Birmingham a composed head who can finish under pressure, as seen with the curled-in strike above against Newcastle United, Windass would also offer the Blues another option through the centre of the park, if South Korean gem Paik Seung-Ho is off this summer.

Linked with the likes of Blackburn Rovers recently, the 24-year-old Seoul-born midfielder departing will be a blow, but one that would be softened quickly by Windass' arrival onto the scene.

As much as Seung-Ho endeared himself to Birmingham supporters last season with his versatility across the midfield positions, Windass is, arguably, even more flexible for his team when needed, as can be seen glancing at the table above.

The 30-year-old's numbers last playing in the third tier will also make for extremely encouraging reading from a Blues perspective, with a combined goals and assists league tally of 18 from just 34 regular league games really sticking out.

That doesn't even take into account that a last-gasp header from the daring 5 foot 9 forward sealed promotion for Wednesday at the end of that campaign too, crashing in a very late header to win the League One play-off final for the Owls.

Danny Rohl even described Windass as being a "game-changer" for his men on his day last season, seen in his heroics in that play-off final, with more up his sleeve perhaps, if moved onto St. Andrew's soon.

Birmingham could sign perfect Miyoshi partner in swoop for deadly forward

Birmingham City would surely be overwhelming favourites for promotion if they signed this deadly Koji Miyoshi partner.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jun 25, 2024

The Super Kings captain has indicated his playing days might come to an end soon

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2021MS Dhoni is set to remain with Chennai Super Kings next season, but perhaps not as a player.Speaking at the toss during his team’s last IPL 2021 league match against Punjab Kings on Thursday, Dhoni indicated that his association with Super Kings – whom he has captained since the inaugural IPL season in 2008 – would continue into the 2022 season.Related

• N Srinivasan: 'There is no CSK without Dhoni and no Dhoni without CSK'

• 'We have to decide what is good for CSK' – Dhoni on his future with the franchise

• 'Watch the ball, hit the ball': Vintage Dhoni rolls back the years to turn CSK's hero again

• How Chennai Super Kings kept the whistle alive

• IPL to become 10-team tournament from 2022

“You’ll see me in yellow next season but whether I’ll be playing for CSK you never know,” Dhoni said, when asked about his future by the toss presenter Danny Morrison. “There are a lot of uncertainties coming up, two new teams are coming, we don’t know what the retention rules are and so on.”The IPL will expand to a ten-team tournament next season, before which there is set to be a mega auction, which will mean teams are allowed to retain only a handful of their players. While Super Kings may find it difficult to let go of Dhoni for sentimental reasons – he has led them to three IPL titles, and has become inextricably linked to the franchise and the city it represents – his returns with the bat have diminished greatly over the last two seasons.Since the start of the 2020 season, he has averaged 19.73 and struck at 108.42, a steep fall from his corresponding IPL numbers until the end of 2019: 42.20 and 137.85. In Thursday’s match against Punjab Kings, Dhoni was out for 12 off 15 balls, bowled by a wrong’un from Ravi Bishnoi.The IPL is the only serious cricket Dhoni has played over the last two years. He announced his retirement from international cricket in August 2020, more than a year after playing his last match for India, the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.In case Dhoni decides to end his playing career at the end of the ongoing season, there is a chance that Super Kings might move him to a role in the coaching set-up. He is already set to play a backroom role with India during the upcoming T20 World Cup, as a mentor.Super Kings have already sealed a top-two finish in the league table, so Dhoni fans can expect to see him play at least two more matches – the first Qualifier against Delhi Capitals on Sunday, and either the second Qualifier on October 13 or the final on October 15, or both.

As the midfielder was rewarded for his sensational 2023-24 campaign, the rest of the 30-man shortlist found out their final positions in the voting

The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2023-24 campaign, the winner of the 2024 Golden Ball has been announced: Rodri.

The Manchester City and Spain midfielder has emerged as the finest No.6 in world football over the past couple of seasons, and he was key to City winning a record-breaking, fourth-successive Premier League title before he then won Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 as La Roja triumphed in Germany.

As well as his ability to shield the defence and maintain possession in the middle of the park, Rodri has taken his game to a new level by providing more in attack. He returned 12 goals and 15 assists for club and country over the course of the season, while he only finished on the losing side once inside 90 minutes, that coming when City were beaten in the FA Cup final.

The 28-year-old faced tough competition for his first Ballon d'Or as he beat off competition from Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, who finished second and third, respectively, after playing key roles in Los Blancos winning both La Liga and the Champions League.

That trio were up at the very top of the rankings for 2024, but how did the rest of the 30-man shortlist shake out when all the votes were counted? Check out the official rankings below:

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  =29. Artem Dovbyk (Roma)

  No one would ever have predicted that Girona would finish in La Liga's top three and threaten to crash the Clasico party between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the battle for first and second places. They put up an incredible fight and Ukrainian forward Dovbyk was vital, scoring 24 times to beat Jude Bellingham, Robert Lewandowski and Alexander Sorloth to the top scorer award before joining Roma over the summer.

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  =29. Mats Hummels (Roma)

  The German defender showed that, at 35, he still has plenty to offer at the highest level. He played every minute of Borussia Dortmund's journey to the Champions League final, and scored the vital semi-final second-leg goal to beat Paris Saint-Germain and set up the clash against Real Madrid. Amazingly, he ended up leaving the club on a free transfer before joining Roma in September.

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  28. Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)

  A year ago, the 28-year-old left-back would never have imagined he would be on this list. But few would argue against his place in the top 30 after his amazing 10 goals and 13 Bundesliga assists as Bayer Leverkusen sealed their first ever title. He was also part of the triumphant Spain squad at the Euros.

• AFP
  

  27. Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)

  The Portuguese midfielder played a vital supporting role for the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani as Paris Saint-Germain sealed another Ligue 1 title and made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.