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انتقد آلان باردو، المدير الفني السابق لنادي نيوكاسل يونايتد، أداء اثنين من لاعبي ليفربول في الوقت الحالي، حيث سخر من مستواهما تحت قيادة المدرب آرني سلوت ذلك الموسم.

ويعاني ليفربول من فترة سيئة مؤخرًا، حيث تعرض للهزيمة في 4 مباريات متتالية في الدوري الإنجليزي أمام كل من كريستال بالاس، تشيلسي، مانشستر يونايتد وبرينتفورد.

وقال آلان باردو، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول وورلد” الإنجليزية: “أليسون مصاب، ليفربول يمتلك حارسًا آخر، مامارداشفيلي، الذي لا أقول إنه ضعيف، ولكنه يتمتع بشخصية مختلفة في حراسة المرمى”.

وأضاف: “كيركيز يعاني بشدة بقميص ليفربول، لقد جاء من بورنموث حيث قدم موسمًا رائعًا، خاصة بفضل أدائه الهجومي، لكنه انكشف دفاعيًا وعانى مجددًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. وارنوك: الراحل جوتا وراء ما يحدث لـ ليفربول.. وأشعر بالذهول من الحديث المنتشر حول سلوت

وواصل: “لطالما كان برادلي يدخل ويخرج من تشكيل ليفربول، في حين يبدو أن كوناتي وفان دايك وكأنهما دخلا في شجار، لا أعلم، ربما يسرق وجبة فان دايك في ملعب التدريب! يبدو أن هناك نقصًا ما”.

واستكمل: “يعتمد ليفربول على كورتيس جونز وسوبوسلاي، لذلك لم يحصل أليستر على الزخم المناسب، هناك مشكلة هنا، كان جرافنبيرخ أساس الفريق منذ العام الماضي”.

وشدد: “محمد صلاح لا يؤدي العمل الذي كان يفعله في العام الماضي، جاكبو ليس مدافعًا بالفطرة، هناك العديد من نقاط الضعف عندما يكون التحليل من الناحية الدفاعية، بينما يبحث سلوت عن الاستقرار خاصة في الخلف والوسط”.

Pair put on unbroken 110-run third-wicket stand after Lancashire’s Marcus Harris-led 450 in the first innings

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay03-May-2025Ollie Price and Miles Hammond both made fifties as Gloucestershire produced a determined response to Lancashire’s first-innings 450 on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.Replying to the home side’s formidable total, in which Marcus Harris made 167 and Ajeet Singh Dale took three for 67, the visitors were 184 for 2 at the close with Price on 54 not out and Hammond unbeaten on 57. The pair have so far put on an unbroken 110 for Gloucestershire’s third wicket.Two days are left in this evenly poised match but barring collapses, it is difficult to see either side being bowled out twice on an easy-paced wicket after three sessions on Saturday in which 94 overs were bowled, 292 runs were scored and only seven wickets fell.In the first session, the home side’s attempt to push on towards 400 and four batting points was seriously hampered by the dismissal of Harris, who had added only two runs to his overnight score when he was leg before wicket to Ajeet Singh Dale for 167 in the fifth over of the morning.Lancashire eventually needed 14 off the 110th over for that fourth point but after hitting a six off Josh Shaw’s first ball, Luke Wells was lbw for 38 to the second and his side had to settle for three points, which are as many as they had collected in their three previous games put together.George Balderson was trapped in front for six just four overs later but Tom Hartley and Tom Bailey took their side to 437 for 8 at lunch.Hartley and Bailey added only 13 runs in the afternoon session before Lancashire lost their last two wickets to successive balls from Tom Price. Hartley was caught behind by James Bracey for 32 and and John Turner collected his second successive golden duck when he was lbw.Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth launched Gloucestershire’s reply to their hosts’ formidable total with a serene stand of 47 and Lancashire had to wait over an hour for their first breakthrough, which came when Balderson jagged one back through Bancroft’s gate and bowled the Australian for 18 to claim his hundredth first-class wicket.The next wicket fell four overs before tea when Charlesworth was beaten in the flight by Tom Hartley’s seventh ball of the innings and chipped an easy return catch to the bowler. The opener’s dismissal for a polished 43 left Gloucestershire on 74 for 2 but Price and Hammond batted resolutely after tea to prevent Keaton Jennings’ attack making further breakthroughs.Hammond swept and reverse-swept Tom Hartley to the ropes but Price’s front foot drive through wide mid-on off John Turner was comfortably the shot of the session, if not the day, and it epitomised Gloucestershire’s dominance in the evening session. For Lancashire, Balderson finished with 1 for 35 and Hartley 1 for 37.

Unai Emery will be praying that his Aston Villa team puts their slow Premier League start behind them when Crystal Palace comes to town.

After all, much like the Villans this summer, Crystal Palace have had to grow accustomed to the prospect of their top assets being poached by sides higher up the top-flight food chain, with Eberechi Eze now donning Arsenal red and white.

Thankfully, the West Midlands outfit still has Morgan Rogers available for selection – despite new interest in his services coming from Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur – with a hope he can kickstart his own individual season against the Eagles to steer Villa to a win.

Away from speculation about those who could exit Villa Park between now and September’s looming deadline, there is also a long list of faces that might well relocate to the claret and blue half of Birmingham shortly.

Aston Villa lodge bid for new midfielder

However, it does now look increasingly unlikely that Nicolas Jackson will be one of those faces pulling on a Villa strip.

Indeed, reports from Germany indicate that Bayern Munich has agreed a loan deal for the hit-and-miss Chelsea forward to move to Bundesliga giants, over sealing a return to work under his ex-Villarreal boss in Emery.

The early Premier League underperformers might well feel lady luck could be on their side more by trying to land Christopher Nkunku instead from the West London outfit, but there will also be competition from the German top-flight here as well, with Nkunku’s former side RB Leipzig keen on a reunion.

Villa have also been gifted the opportunity to land Adrien Rabiot to enhance their midfield personnel, with French outlet L’Equipe revealing that Emery and Co. have sent an offer for the wantaway Marseille ace, who is on thin ice at the Ligue 1 side owing to a bust-up.

Other sides, such as West Ham United, Galatasaray, and Inter Milan, are also among those to have lodged a proposal, with Villa hopeful they can get a statement deal over the line that is a far better late foray into the market than snapping up Nkunku or Jackson.

Why signing Rabiot is a better buy than Nkunku & Jackson

The argument in favour of both Nkunku and Jackson will be that they’ve at least been exposed to the intense pressures of the Premier League, with the Frenchman only ever plying his trade on faraway European shores, in contrast.

Yet, it’s been well-documented at this point how tricky both the ex-Leipzig attacker and his Senegalese counterpart have found it to be consistent in the English top-flight, with Nkunku only finding the back of the net a sheepish six times in league action from limited starts.

Jackson does have more credit in the bank, arguably, with the 24-year-old boasting a promising 24 goals in the Premier League to date, but it’s his staggering 43 big chances missed across his two top-flight seasons that will seriously worry Emery.

After all, if Rogers or Watkins were to both leave at the death, the Spaniard would certainly want instantly successful replacements, not unpolished projects who have struggled to regularly make an impact in the testing division.

PSG

227

24 + 17

Juventus

212

22 + 16

Marseille

32

10 + 6

Toulouse

13

1 + 3

Whereas, despite Rabiot never setting foot onto English soil, his consistent excellence in both Ligue 1 and Serie A should stand him in good stead to be an instant success story at Villa Park, with an outrageous collection of 23 trophies coming his way in Paris and Turin when being an important cog in the middle of the park.

He has even been dubbed “world-class” by French great David Trezeguet, with his efforts for Marseille last season – before his time at the club publicly unravelled – also showing off a star still performing at the peak of his powers, away from both Nkunku and Jackson flopping at Chelsea.

Nine goals and four assists would fall into Rabiot’s lap last campaign in Ligue 1 action, with his manager in Roberto De Zerbi, going as far as to herald the number 25 as an asset who “gives everything” for the cause.

With Boubacar Kamara now out of the Villa side owing to injury, adding in a composed midfielder such as Rabiot into the group could prove to be a very smart next buy.

It certainly does feel as if it would be a better investment than gambling on Nkunku or Jackson to come good, that’s for sure.

Aston Villa make approach for World Cup finalist who is available for move

The Villans could be set to do battle with other clubs…

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 25, 2025

India captain hails “great, great milestone” after his side made it 23 wins from 24 in ICC tournaments

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Mar-20255:26

Santner: ‘Rohit puts fear in bowlers’

In the last three men’s ICC tournaments, India have won 23 out of 24 completed matches, and claimed two trophies. This is the kind of run that signals the kind of sustained excellence that few teams in the history of cricket have achieved. Rohit Sharma, the man who has captained India right through those tournaments, knows that.Although in this Champions Trophy, India have played all of their five matches in Dubai, their schedules in the 2023 World Cup (albeit at home), and in the T20 World Cup they won last year, were more challenging. In 2023, they played in nine different venues, losing only the final to Australia. In last year’s T20 event, they played three matches in New York state to start, but then played their last six matches (one of which was abandoned) across five different venues.”That’s a great, great milestone to have, honestly speaking,” Rohit said about India’s 23 victories. “It speaks to the kind of team this is. I know we reached the ODI World Cup and lost that final. But then we went to the T20 World Cup and didn’t lose a single game. We went on to win the trophy here as well.Related

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“That shows the quality in the team. A lot of depth. A lot of understanding within the group. A lot of excitement. And that is how we want to play our cricket. That’s what we had spoken before the tournament – that there’s too much pressure on the outside. If one game, India loses, or the match goes here and there, there’s so much speculation that happens.”But the boys and the team have actually managed to put that aside, and just focused on how to win games and how to enjoy the game. That’s been the most important aspect of our game in the last two or three years that we’ve been here.”If you narrow the sample down to just 2024 and 2025, India have now won 13 out of 13, across two different formats. MS Dhoni helmed India’s victory charges to all three limited-overs trophies, winning the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. But only in the 2013 Champions Trophy did his team go undefeated through the tournament. And at no point did Dhoni’s India team win two ICC trophies in succession.”It is a great team achievement for the team to win two ICC trophies and to go undefeated is the icing on the cake,” Rohit said. “I have seen very few teams that have won two tournaments undefeated. We used the conditions well and won. There’s no future plan, whatever is happening will keep happening.India won their third Champions Trophy title•ICC via Getty Images”We lost the 2023 final after playing such terrific cricket in nine games. So with the same mindset, with the same intention, with the same game plan, we went to play the final. But we talked about the fact that [we] don’t give up till the game is over. This is what we spoke about before these two finals – that we’ve to stay in the game till the end.”Rohit also paid tribute to a versatile XI, packed with allrounders, with almost everyone who played making a serious impact on the tournament.”If you look at Nos. 1 to 11, the players who got a chance to bat or bowl, they have contributed in their own ways. Eventually, when everyone plays together and a lot of people contribute, you get a lot of success consistently. In this tournament, we saw the players who got a chance to bowl played their part. The players who got a chance to bat won us games.”It was not like only one player scored all the runs in the tournament. Everyone has contributed here and there because we knew that wickets were challenging here, and it’s not easy for everyone. So getting all contributions from top to bottom was crucial.”There is a lot of hunger and a lot of passion. These things are not supposed to be taught. It is very natural to a lot of guys here.”

Chelsea are reportedly closing in on their next signing of the summer for Enzo Maresca, and BlueCo are simply ironing out the final details, claims one reporter this week.

The west Londoners, following their recent confirmation of a deal for left-back Jorrel Hato, have taken their transfer spending this window to around £277 million (including their pre-agreed summer arrivals).

Amid pressure from UEFA to balance out their squad through player sales, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are on track to secure just as many outgoings as incomings, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Armando Broja, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Lesley Ugochukwu all leaving Stamford Bridge permanently thus far.

Carney Chukwuemeka is expected to re-join Borussia Dortmund too, and many more could still follow the Englishman.

This will allow Chelsea to make room for a few more key additions before the transfer deadline on September 1, with two players believed to be high on the Blues’ agenda.

Maresca’s side are in pursuit wantaway Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and talks are being held over a move for the Argentine, according to Sky Sports, with Chelsea looking to add another left-winger after Jamie Gittens.

In a big boost, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Garnacho has given his “total priority” to joining Chelsea, so the 21-year-old is very keen on a move to west London and personal terms may not be an issue.

As well as the Premier League forward, Chelsea are actively targeting RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons.

The attacker only made his move to Leipzig permanent in the winter after one and a half years there on loan, but the Dutchman is seeking a fresh challenge and has informed the Bundesliga side of his desire to join Maresca.

Now, journalist Orazio Accomando claims to have a big update.

Chelsea reach "total agreement" for Xavi Simons

Taking to X, Accomando reports that Chelsea have reached a “total agreement” for Simons, with the deal now “concluded”.

The 22-year-old, who’s racked up 21 goals and 23 assists in all competitions for Leipzig since the start of 2023/2024, is their current highest-paid player ever on a contract of around £192,000-per-week.

Interestingly, Bundesliga expert Kevin Hatchard recently alluded to rumours he’s heard about Simons’ questionable attitude, but emphasised the ex-PSG starlet’s real quality.

“He scores goals, he makes goals, he’s always trying to affect the game,” said Hatchard on talkSPORT.

“He’s a real puzzle, Xavi, because I like watching him play. I like what he brings to a game. He’s got really silky skills,” said Hatchard.

“The debate in Germany has been: Is he a team player? Does he have attitude problems? All of that.

“Now, that might be paper talk. That might be just media noise, and it just isn’t true, because there are some coaches that speak up for him. But there are also coaches that have alluded to, he could be more of a team player, his attitude could be different, etc.”

NZ captain Latham concedes his side was unable to cope with pressure

Vithushan Ehantharajah08-Dec-2024

Ben Stokes has credited England’s “more dominant cricket” for securing their first series win in New Zealand since 2008, with Black Caps captain Tom Latham ceding his side were unable to cope with the pressure they were put under by the tourists.England needed just three days to secure a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, rounding out a thrashing of 323 runs at the Basin Reserve on Sunday afternoon. It comes a week after winning the opener at Hagley Oval by eight wickets.England arrived on day three on 378 for 5 in their second innings, already leading by 533. Joe Root’s 36th Test hundred eventually set New Zealand an improbable 583. They were bowled out for 259.The bulk of the work had been done on day one. England battled seaming conditions by sprinting to 280 all out inside 55 overs thanks to a remarkable 123 from Player-of-the-Match Harry Brook. They then channeled those same conditions to dismiss New Zealand for 125 in their first innings, with Brydon Carse’s 4 for 46 and Gus Atkinson’s 4 for 31 (including a hat-trick to finish the innings) leading the charge.Related

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Stokes asserted it was England’s aggressive nature that allowed them to boss this match, and the series so far, particularly when up against it. Here, they were 43 for 4 before making it to 280. It was reminiscent of the first Test, when they rallied from 71 for 4 to make 499 – courtesy another Brook century – after New Zealand had posted 348.”To play the more dominant cricket over the days we have played so far,” answered Stokes when asked how this first away win in New Zealand for 16 years had been achieved.”In this Test in particular, on day one we were 43 for 4 to be here on the winning side on day three is quite phenomenal. We got bowled out in fifty overs (54.5) but we had 270 runs on the board which was a good score on that day one-wicket, and then we obviously had time left with the ball to be able to make some inroads. To score 270 and take five wickets at the end of day one (New Zealand closed on 86 for 5) really set this game up.””We back ourselves to be able to go out there and change games and we feel that there needs to be a bit of impetus put into the game, particularly with the bat.”As a bowler you want to be able to plonk it on a length and plonk it onto the top of off stump over and over again. But sometimes when a batter is brave enough to take you on and knock you off your length, it’s very hard to commit to still doing that.”Latham begrudgingly agreed with the sentiment. Though New Zealand knew what to expect – this was their seventh meeting and sixth defeat against England in the Bazball era. They were unable to halt the tourists’ – especially Brook’s – intent.”It’s the pressure they are able to put you under, especially with the bat. I think on day one it was offering enough for our bowlers and the way Harry played in that innings was outstanding.”Credit where it’s due. The way he played puts you under pressure from ball one. He played some incredible shots that you don’t necessarily see from other teams around the world.”Meanwhile, Stokes was unwilling to be drawn on whether Jacob Bethell has emerged as a challenger to Ollie Pope’s regular position at No.3.Following Jordan Cox’s broken finger, sustained on the final morning of England’s warm-up match in Queenstown, the decision was made to move Pope to six to allow him to keep wicket, with Bethell, the spare batter, brought in at first drop.Jacob Bethell seamlessly slotted into No.3 in New Zealand•AFP/Getty Images

Bethell struck an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls to take England over the line in their chase of 104 in the first Test, and bettered it with 96 in the second innings at Wellington. He missed out on what would have been his first professional century in just his 22nd first-class appearance.Pope has also excelled lower down the order. A vital 77 last week was followed by an equally important 66 here, both in rebuilding, fifth-wicket first innings stands with Brook, of 151 and 174, respectively.Pope has stated he wants to return to three, where he has been throughout Stokes’ tenure. But a conundrum is on the horizon with Bethell’s excellence and the return of Jamie Smith, who missed this tour for the birth of his son, Noah, who arrived last week.Stokes side-stepped the question, but heaped praise on the 21-year-old Bethell for the way he has stepped up a level in an unfamiliar role.”I know there was a bit made of Beth batting at three with his inexperience and the lack of first-class cricket batting up the top of the order.”But me and Baz don’t think like that. You’ve got a young lad with so much potential and so much talent, why not let him go out there and expose himself to Test cricket at its toughest.”As a young lad, I was devastated for him to not get that three figures. But I walked in and I said to him, “it’s only four runs, isn’t it?” And his response was “Yeah, but it would have been flair if I smacked that through the covers to bring it up.” Class. I think he’s proved a lot to a lot of people and proved why we rate him so highly.”

While South Africa will continue to be without regular captain Temba Bavuma, Bangladesh will miss the services of Jaker Ali

Firdose Moonda28-Oct-2024Big picture – SA have a shot at WTC finalTest cricket’s context was cracked open over the last week as South Africa won a first match in the subcontinent in a decade, and New Zealand won their first series in India to prove (some parts of) Asia can be conquered. All that means that the World Test championship (WTC) is alive. Both South Africa and New Zealand remain in contention for the final, with virtually every remaining match a must-win. For South Africa, that starts in Chattogram, where they will play their last away Test of the 2023-25 cycle.After beating Bangladesh in Mirpur, South Africa will be confident of their chances of a clean sweep – especially as their opposition continues to operate in disarray. Bangladesh replaced their head coach on the eve of the series, which they expected to start with a farewell for Shakib Al Hasan. But he had to make himself unavailable as he was not able to travel to Dhaka. Now, their current captain Najmul Hossain Shanto wants to step away from the leadership after being in charge for less than a year.Related

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Shanto’s legacy includes an away Test series win over Pakistan, and a drawn series against New Zealand at home. If this is his last game in charge, he will doubtless want to add South Africa to his list of achievements.To get that right, Bangladesh will have to acquit themselves better in the first innings, which is where they lost the opening Test. Conditions in Chattogram are expected to be less hostile, but they will also need some of their big names to step up. Mominul Haque and Litton Das, neither of whom got into double-figures last week, are two players on whose shoulders much responsibility rests, as they seek to blunt a South African attack buoyed by a fast-bowling great.Kagiso Rabada picked up his 300th wicket and his first five-for in Asia in the first Test, and after sitting out white-ball series in recent months, is showing the value of workload management. How he performs on what is expected to be an unhelpful surface in the second Test could define the outcome of the series.The same might be said of the two spin contingents. Taijul Islam exposed familiar problems in some South Africa batters’ reading of turn, and Bangladesh may want to provide him with someone who can offer more support than Nayeem Hasan did. South Africa, too, might seek an extra bowler to add an option to the four frontline bowlers they used in Mirpur, especially as the result has important consequences for them.South Africa more or less need to win at least four of their five remaining Tests to qualify for the WTC final, and while Bangladesh are out of contention, they will want to do well at home after a major setback.Mahmudul Hasan Joy hasn’t scored a half-century in his last eight Test innings•AFP/Getty ImagesForm guideBangladesh: LLLWW
South Africa: WWDLLIn the spotlight – Mahmudul Hasan Joy and David BedinghamWith scores of 30 and 40 in the first Test, Mahmudul Hasan Joy was the only Bangladesh batter to get starts in both innings. He will know that a lot depends on him if his side is to bat better. Mahmudul already has a Test century against the same opposition, with his only hundred so far having come in South Africa in 2022, against an attack that included Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder. Since that hundred, Mahmudul has scored three half-centuries in 21 innings, and none in his last eight. As recently as August, he scored 65 for Bangladesh A against Pakistan A, and will want to re-find form in this most important of matches.Just seven Tests into his career, David Bedingham will be keen to build on the hundred he scored with an under-strength South Africa team in New Zealand earlier in the year, by showing what he can do in a first-choice team. Since that match, Bedingham has not crossed 40 in six innings, and was dismissed for 11 and 12 in Mirpur. With a first-class average of 51.66, Bedingham is, by a distance, one of South Africa’s best batting talents, and will be given a long run in a Test side searching for stability. He’ll also know that he carries a reputation as a run-scorer, and is expected to deliver on that soon.Team News – Jaker Ali ruled outBatter Jaker Ali has been ruled out of the second Test after suffering from concussion during practice on Sunday. Bangladesh have handed a maiden call up to Mahidul Islam Ankon in his place. But they could yet replace Jaker with a bowler in seamer Nahid Rana, who has four Test caps to his name. Bangladesh might also consider handing a debut to left-arm spinner Hasan Murad in place of offspinner Nayeem, who went wicketless last week.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahidul Islam Ankon/Nahid Rana, 9 Nayeem Hasan/Hasan Murad, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Hasan MahmudSouth Africa could field an additional seamer in either Lungi Ngidi or Dane Paterson•Alex Davidson/ICC/Getty ImagesTemba Bavuma has been ruled out of this match as he continues to recover from an elbow injury, which will leave Aiden Markram with the leadership role again. Though four bowlers proved enough for South Africa in the first Test, they may want to bulk up their resources at a more batter-friendly venue in Chattogram. That would likely mean benching Matthew Breetzke, and including one of spin-bowling allrounder Senuran Muthusamy or a seamer in either Lungi Ngidi or Dane Paterson.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 David Bedingham, 5 Ryan Rickelton, 6 Matthew Breetzke/Senuran Muthumsamy, 7 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 8 Wiaan Mulder, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Dane Piedt, 11 Kagiso RabadaPitch and Conditions – Chattogram likely to be batting friendlyAfter the bounce and turn of Mirpur, which was particularly prevalent on the opening day, Chattogram is expected to be better for batters upfront. It is reputed to be the flattest of all Bangladesh’s pitches, with ten totals of over 500 in 24 matches played at this venue. That might make taking 20 wickets a challenge.The weather is set to be fair for all five days, with no rain forecast, and temperatures in the early 30°C. Humidity is high at over 70%, and South Africa were asked how they were preparing for it. “From a weather point of view, there’s not too much we can do besides hydrate well,” Markram said.During the first Test, Kyle Verreynne joined Aiden Markram in getting a Test century in Asia•AFP/Getty ImagesStats and Trivia Bangladesh have only won two of the 24 Tests they have played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, and the last one was almost six years ago. They beat West Indies in 2018, and previously also won a match against Zimbabwe in 2014. Before the Mirpur Test, Markram was South Africa’s only top-seven batter to have played a Test in the subcontinent, and consequently, the only one to have scored a century in Asia. He has since been joined in the latter category by Kyle Verreynne. Quotes”You have asked a very deep question. I don’t have an answer to it. This depends a lot on the individual. Some can move on, while others may be affected by [off-field activities]. I personally try to keep away from these things, and stick to my job.”
“It’s not much that we pay attention to, to be honest. It’s completely outside of our camp, outside of our team… Whatever the Bangladesh team is going through, unfortunately, has got nothing to do with us.”

أعلن الفرنسي صامويل أومتيتي، مدافع برشلونة السابق، اعتزاله لكرة القدم نهائيًا بعمر 31 عامًا، اليوم الإثنين.

وفاجأ صامويل أومتيتي، الجماهير اليوم الاثنين بإعلان اعتزاله، بعد مسيرة لم تدم طويلاً في عالم كرة القدم، أثرت عليها الإصابات.

وكتب أومتيتي عبر حسابه الرسمي على “إنستجرام”: “بعد مسيرة حافلة بالنجاحات والإخفاقات، حان وقت الوداع… لقد بذلت كل ما في وسعي بشغف، ولم أندم على شيء، أود أن أشكر جميع الأندية والرؤساء والمدربين واللاعبين الذين تعاملت معهم”.

لعب أومتيتي لأولمبيك ليون الفرنسي في بداية مسيرته حيث تواجد في أكاديمية النادي، ثم ظهر لأول مرة مع الفريق الأول عام 2012 واستمر مع الفريق الفرنسي حتى عام 2016.

وبعد مستواه اللافت، حرص نادي برشلونة الإسباني على التعاقد مع أومتيتي من ليون، في صيف عام 2016.

اقرأ أيضًا | مقارنات مع برشلونة.. تفاصيل تقرير ريال مدريد إلى الفيفا بشأن حكام الدوري الإسباني

وأمضى المدافع الفرنسي ستة مواسم في صفوف برشلونة، إلا أن الإصابات المتكررة أثرت على مشاركته وخاض 50 مباراة رسمية فقط مع البلوجرانا.

وسعى برشلونة للتخلص من أومتيتي الذي بات عبئًا على الفريق، وفي موسم 2022-2023 انتقل على سبيل الإعارة إلى ليتشي الإيطالي.

وكانت محطته الأخيرة مع ليل، وفي الفترة من 2023 إلى 2025 أثرت عليه الإصابات أيضًا وقد شارك في 13 مباراة فقط قبل أن يقرر اعتزال اللعب.

على الصعيد الدولي، كان أومتيتي من بين المشاركين مع منتخب فرنسا في مونديال روسيا 2018 والذي توج به منتخب بلاده، وسجل هدفًا برأسية حاسمة ضد بلجيكا حسمت تأهل فرنسا إلى النهائي، وقد خاض 31 مباراة دولية وسجل أربعة أهداف.

Leeds United are reportedly waiting for an “excellent” player to make a decision over his future, as they look to snap him up during the summer transfer window.

Leeds need to be "clever" this summer

The Whites are back in the Premier League after a couple of years away, so supporters will naturally be desperate to see top-quality players head to Elland Road.

Leeds cannot simply spend huge amounts of money and be reckless, however, and journalist Adam Pope has said he expects the club to be “clever” this summer more than anything.

“He has looked at what everybody can spend in the Premier League and he mentioned Leeds might be looking at £100m to spend at the top end. This doesn’t really go that far because they had two years in the Championship so this year of the three-year cycle they can afford to lose £61m.

“You can’t spend wildly so people who are talking about what the owners are putting into Rangers and what they’re not putting into Leeds – there are limits. £100m doesn’t sound a right lot so they have to be cute, they have to be clever.”

Leeds continue to be linked with some exciting players, though, including Udinese centre-back Jaka Bijol, who could make a big difference at the heart of the Whites’ defence. Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic has also been linked with a switch to Elland Road, coming in as an upgrade on Illan Meslier.

Leeds ready to move for "excellent" defender

According to The Express, Leeds remain interested in signing Millwall centre-back Japhet Tanganga, but they are waiting for him to make a decision about his future. He has a £1.2m release clause that can be triggered this summer, which they are ‘ready’ to meet once he picks his destination.

The Whites are far from the only club in the mix to sign the 26-year-old, however, with fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Burnley all mentioned as options and also waiting to pounce.

Tanganga could be a shrewd acquisition by Leeds ahead of next season, having initially burst onto the scene at Tottenham during his emerging years.

He has since gone on to shine for Millwall, becoming a key figure in defence and 40 starts in the Championship last season, as well as being hailed by Alex Neil for his performances in 2024/25.

“He’s the ultimate professional, Japh. After the game, he’s pretty much nearly always the last to leave. Him and Wes [Harding] go through the ritual that they’ve got in terms of recovery, the minute the game’s ended. He prepares as well as anybody. His performances throughout the games have been excellent. Hence the reason why he’s clean swept the player of the year awards.”

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Tanganga could immediately bolster the squad depth at Daniel Farke’s disposal this summer, and his best years are still ahead of him, meaning he could grow into a real force at Elland Road.

One of the most interesting transfer sagas that will develop this summer regards Aston Villa’s former loanee Marcus Rashford. His future is up in the air at Old Trafford, and it does seem likely that he will depart Manchester United after a decade at the highest level for his boyhood club.

He went on loan to Villa Park in January, but it remains to be seen if he will stay at the club. The Villans have a £40m buy option for the winger, but BBC Sport reported that ‘there have been no negotiations over a permanent transfer’, and Rashford thinks United ‘would be prepared to sell him for £40m to anyone this summer’.

So, if they do not keep hold of the England superstar, it means Villa will need to sign a new winger. Perhaps that player could be Rashford’s international teammate.

Aston Villa’s potential Rashford replacement

It will be fascinating to see if Rashford stays at Villa Park beyond this season. However, if that is not to be the case, then it seems as though Unai Emery’s side have done due diligence on alternative options.

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According to a report from TEAMTalk, the Villans are a ‘team to watch in the race’ to sign their former attacker Jack Grealish. The Manchester City star seems destined to leave this summer, and could now launch a move for their ex-captain, who was a superstar at Villa Park.

Emery is said to be ‘a big admirer’ of the forward, and could push for a deal to be done. However, they will face competition from Everton and Newcastle United, as well as Scudetto winners Napoli.

Grealish is valued at £40m by Football Transfers, and could cost upwards of that price.

Why Grealish would be a good signing

If Villa are to bring Grealish back to his boyhood club this summer, it would be a sensational return for a true maverick of the Premier League. Despite a tough season for City, the England international is still a player capable of magical moments.

He has only played 20 games in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola this season. In that time, the 29-year-old scored and assisted one apiece. Despite four goal involvements in five games in City’s run to the FA Cup final, he was snubbed of an appearance at Wembley, with Guardiola choosing to bring Claudio Echeverri on for his debut, instead.

Should Grealish get to call Villa Park home again next season, he would surely love to reignite the exceptional form that earned him the £100m move to City in the first place. In 213 games for the Villans, he scored 32 times and created 43 goals.

So, how does that stack up to Rashford’s form at Villa Park? Well, the Wythenshawe-born superstar was sensational during his 17-game stint in Claret and Blue, leaving a huge impression in such a short time.

During his brief career as a Villa player, Rashford found the back of the net four times and grabbed six assists. He played 940 minutes, the equivalent of 10.4 games, leaving him with a goals per game ratio of almost one.

With that being said, Grealish could be the perfect Rashford replacement. The numbers from the 2020/21 campaign, his final season at Villa, compared to the United star’s stats from the same season, show exactly what he can do in a Villa shirt.

According to FBref, the former Villa skipper averaged 3.33 key passes and 7.08 progressive carries per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Red Devils’ number 10 averaged 1.33 key passes and 4.14 progressive carries each game.

If Villa get that version of Grealish, or even a player half as good, they have an excellent replacement for Rashford. Both players were sensational that season, with 16 goals and assists for Grealish and 20 for Rashford.

To bring back a player to his boyhood club who can be one of the best attackers in the country, as the stats show, might be a genius move for Villa.

As Statman Dave once called him, he is a “menace”. If Emery can bring the best out of Grealish, it will be a fantastic deal for the club and player.

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