Kylian Mbappe has been finding ways to have fun after being left out of the France squad, with the Real Madrid star going go-karting with Eden Hazard.
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Left out of back-to-back France squadsFinding alternative ways to pass the timeMade the podium at end of karting raceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The World Cup winner was surprisingly overlooked by Les Bleus for their latest round of UEFA Nations League fixtures, having also missed out in October when supposedly carrying a knock. There has been talk of Mbappe suffering a falling-out with national team coach Didier Deschamps.
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With international action off the agenda for now, Mbappe is keeping himself busy with alternative routines. He has posted videos on social media of training sessions taking place in Madrid that he would usually have been absent from.
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Mbappe has also taken to putting his driving skills to the test during a visit to a karting track owned by Formula One superstar and Real Madrid fan, Carlos Sainz. The Frenchman was joined at that event by ex-Blancos forward Eden and several members of the club’s coaching staff.
Senior spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman continue to recover from injuries
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2024Mystery spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Nangeyalia Kharote have broken into the Afghanistan senior side for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland in Sharjah. Both Kharote and Ghazanfar had played for Afghanistan in the Under-19 World Cup.Senior spinners Rashid Khan (back surgery) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (right phalanx sprain) continue to recover from injuries.”Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman continue to recover from their respective injuries and are unavailable for selection,” ACB chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said in a statement. “However, we have included some of the top-performing youngsters in Nangeyalia Kharote and Bilal Sami. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is a very talented cricketer and has demonstrated excellent skills during the U19 World Cup. He will provide cover in Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s in the ODI series against Ireland.”Fast bowler Bilal Sami, who was among the reserves for Afghanistan’s most recent ODI series against Sri Lanka, has been promoted to the main squad. Sami is also uncapped in international cricket. In all, he has played 10 List A games so far, taking 23 wickets at an average of 21.60 and economy rate of 6.21.Wristspinner Qais Ahmad, who had struggled for control in Sri Lanka, has been demoted to the reserves. Zia Ur Rahman and Shahidullah Kamal are the other reserve players in the side.Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Nangeyalia Kharote, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik Reserves: Zia Ur Rahman, Shahidullah Kamal, Qais Ahmad
An "outstanding" Manchester player has now reached an agreemnt to join a new club this summer, according to an update from the reliable David Ornstein.
Man City transfer news
Pep Guardiola continues to keep an eye on potential signings ahead of the new Premier League season, as his side look to win an unprecedented fifth title in a row. Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich has been linked with a move to the Etihad, which could in turn allow City to cash in on midfielder Mateo Kovacic. The former only has one year remaining on his current deal and is weighing up his options this summer.
Similarly, there is also a chance that Jack Grealish could be sold before the end of the current transfer window, which may pave the way for Eberechi Eze to seal a move to the Cityzens, having caught the eye so much for Crystal Palace in recent seasons.
Eberechi Eze celebrates for Crystal Palace
One of the most impressive players at Euro 2024 was Spain star Dani Olmo, who played a big role in his country going all the way in the competition, scoring three goals in as many starts, as well as registering two assists. He is another rumoured target for City, as RB Leipzig try and keep hold of one of their standout performers.
With doubts surrounding Ederson's future at the Etihad, it is only natural that a fellow world-class goalkeeper has been lined up as a replacement, with Paris Saint-Germain and Italy stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma backed to come in as his potential successor.
"Outstanding" Man City youngster close to sealing exit
According to Ornstein on X, Julian Alvarez will join Atletico Madrid once personal terms are agreed, in a deal that is expected to be worth at least £81.5m. A "total agreement" has been reached, so the young forward's deal with his new club is the only step left standing in the way.
City supporters could find themselves divided when it comes to City's decision to allow Alvarez to leave, considering what an impressive footballer he is. While he hasn't always managed to nail down a spot in the team, he has so often delivered on the pitch, scoring 36 goals in 103 appearances.
The 24 year-old World Cup winner has been such a model of professionalism during his two-and-a-half-year stint at the Etihad to date, which hasn't been lost on Guardiola either.
Man City set to loan out "impressive" ace who could be Gvardiol 2.0
The Cityzens youngster is poised to complete a move away from the club this week.
ByDan Emery Aug 5, 2024
The fact that City are willing to move Alvarez on surely suggests that they have a replacement lined up, with one report claiming that Atletico star Joao Felix could be that man in a swap deal. While that looks unlikely after this new update, a top-quality footballer needs to come in before the new Premier League season starts.
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been told he could replace Cristiano Ronaldo as the "biggest player" in the Saudi Pro League.
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Salah into final year of Liverpool contractSays he's yet to receive contract offerTipped to join Saudi Pro LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Salah's future at Liverpool remains uncertain as the Egypt international is into the final year of his contract. The forward has also insisted he is "more out than in" at the club and is yet to receive a new contract offer from the Reds. The situation has led to speculation that Salah could move on as a free agent and head for a new challenge in Saudi Arabia.
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Dozens of top stars such as Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema have already made lucrative moves to the Middle East to feature in the Saudi Pro League. Former Manchester United and England star Lee Sharpe believes Saudi Arabia is Salah's most likely destination, if he does decide to leave Anfield, and says he would replace Ronaldo as the biggest star in the league.
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Sharpe told Racing Tipster: "I can only imagine Mohamed Salah would go to Saudi Arabia, as I don’t think anyone else will be able to afford him. There’s also nowhere else he could go in Europe that’s a bigger club, with a bigger fanbase, crowd and atmosphere than he has at Liverpool – he’s not going to go to Manchester United, that’s for sure! He’ll likely just want to secure his future and have an easier life in Saudi. If he did go there, he’d be the biggest player in the Saudi Pro League – he’s still young and fit enough to dominate. We see Cristiano Ronaldo doing well over there, but I think Salah is a better player and a bigger name than him these days.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SALAH
Liverpool fans will be waiting anxiously for news on Salah's future and will need no reminding that, as things stands, he is able to talk to overseas clubs from January 1st. In the meantime, the Reds will be hoping Salah can continue his prolific form this week as Arne Slot's side face huge games at Anfield against Real Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur kickstart their Premier League campaign on Monday night with a tricky away game to newly promoted Leicester City.
Ange Postecoglou's side will be looking to go one better than they did last year and qualify for the Champions League, although to do that, they'll need to make sure they're operating at near their best for the next ten months.
With that in mind, the suspension of Yves Bissouma for his misconduct off the pitch could not have come at a worse time for the club, and following an incredibly underwhelming season last year – to be diplomatic – it could be time to move on.
Yves Bissouma
Fortunately, recent reports have again linked the North Londoners to a longstanding transfer target who could be the perfect long-term upgrade on the Mali international.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news
According to a recent report from Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth via GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are still interested in Chelsea ace Conor Gallagher.
Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher for Chelsea
Yes, following the Englishman's move to Atlético Madrid stalling and his subsequent return to West London, Sheth has claimed that the North Londoners will be "keeping an eye" on the situation.
The Lilywhites have been consistently linked with the Epsom-born midfielder in recent years, but their chances of securing his services looked to be over earlier this month when it appeared his transfer to Atlético was all but sewn up. However, the events of the last week or so have changed the situation.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher
While some fans may not be delighted with the links returning, Gallagher could be the perfect solution to their Bissouma problem, especially if Levy and Co can get a deal done close to the £34m the Spanish side supposedly agreed to pay.
How Gallagher compares to Bissouma
Okay, so before the pitchforks come out, we aren't saying this move is going to happen, as at this point, who knows where Gallagher is going to end up?
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher
However, if the reports are accurate about Spurs' lingering interest, it's worth comparing him to one of the players he could replace in Postecoglou's squad, Bissouma, as while the Englishman has played all over midfield in West London, he's started a significant number of games in defensive midfield, 59 to be exact, and could therefore be an ideal replacement.
So, how do the pair stack up with one another? Well, as you might expect given the areas they primarily operated in last season, it's the Chelsea ace who comes out miles ahead in terms of raw output, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists in 50 appearances, compared to the Malian's return of zero goals or assists in 28 games.
A better way to compare the two midfielders is to look at their underlying numbers from last season, although unfortunately for the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace, this is another comparison in which he comes out looking significantly weaker than the player who could replace him.
For example, the 24-year-old "pressing and transition monster", as dubbed by analyst EBL, comes out on top in the majority of relevant metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes received, shots and shots on target, key passes, passes into the penalty area and shot and goal-creating actions all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.27
0.08
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.35
0.00
Progressive Carries
1.78
1.87
Progressive Passes
4.94
7.35
Progressive Passes Received
3.51
0.57
Shots
1.38
1.04
Shots on Target
0.49
0.22
Passing Accuracy
89.2
91.7%
Key Passes
1.49
0.48
Passes into the Penalty Area
0.92
0.52
Shot-Creating Actions
3.14
1.91
Goal-Creating Actions
0.40
0.13
Tackles Won
1.49
2.26
Blocked Shots
0.32
0.22
Blocked Passes
1.12
1.00
Interceptions
1.24
1.61
Errors Leading to a Shot
0.00
0.13
Ball Recoveries
6.35
5.57
Aerial Duels Won
0.72
0.61
Interestingly, he even comes out on top in a few defensive metrics, like shots and passes blocked, ball recoveries and aerial duels won per 90, highlighting that he can excel in both areas of the pitch.
Ultimately, this is a move that was entirely off the table just a week ago, so whether the Lilywhites can get their hands on Gallagher this summer is anyone's guess, but given Bissouma's disappointing displays last season and his antics off the pitch this year, bringing in the Chelsea man to replace him doesn't seem like the worst idea.
Attacking depth: Spurs target £20m poacher who outscored Solanke last year
The “mind-blowing” forward would add so much quality to the squad.
Manchester City and Newcastle United should be able to spend more freely in the transfer market, according to the 'godfather of PSR'.
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'Godfather' of PSR says state-owned clubs should spend freelyDe Marco fought Mendy's case against the CityzensComparison made with billionaire MuskFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Famous British sports lawyer Nick de Marco, who is often known as the 'Godfather' of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, has urged the authorities to allow clubs like Man City and Newcastle to spend more freely on their transfer targets. He has fought several high-profile cases in football, including Benjamin Mendy's £11m in unpaid wages claim from City.
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The 57-year-old further explained his stance on transfer spending by bringing in the example of American billionaire Musk as he drew a comparisons between the X (formerly Twitter) owner's wealth and state-backed clubs like the Cityzens and the Magpies. De Marco, however, advocated some sort of check to be present to maintain a balance in the league.
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Speaking to the , the senior counsel said, "There is nothing unsustainable about how Manchester City, Newcastle or other [similarly owned] clubs are run. They are very sustainable. The new point people are making is about competition. I understand there may need to be some upper caps. But let's not get diverted into this argument about whether it is state-owned or not, which, of course, there are legal points about.
"Imagine if Elon Musk bought a club in the Premier League. He must have a personal wealth of more than many states in the world now. You see how he has taken over Twitter, now X, and completely changed it. He is very powerful. Would it be any different if it was a private individual or a state? I think the focus on state is a bit of a mistake. I think owners should be allowed to invest a bit more money if they want to but they have to guarantee it so they can't just pull the plug."
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City and Newcastle will be back in action in the Premier League on Wednesday as they face Nottingham Forest and Liverpool respectively. The reigning champions, who have lost their last four league games, will aim to get back to winning ways at home.
He played four Tests for Australia and was within 11 runs of a century on debut in 2014
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2021Tasmania batter Alex Doolan, who played four Tests for Australia, has announced his retirement.He finishes with 6824 runs in first-class cricket, of which 5978 came in the Sheffield Shield putting him eighth on the list for Tasmania.His best Sheffield Shield season came in 2012-13 as he made a push for national honours by scoring 876 runs at 51.52.His four Tests came in 2014 – all away from home – and he got within touching distance of a century on debut when he fell for 89 against South Africa at Centurion. That would remain his one half-century and he lost his place after the first Test against Pakistan in October 2014.The season after losing his Test spot was a lean one where he averaged just 18.94 but in subsequent campaigns he was a consistent contributor for Tasmania and made his career-best 247 in the 2017-18 summer and last season scored twin centuries in the match against South Australia.However, with the emergence of some new batting talent he became a fringe player this season although was handed a hasty recall for what became his last first-class match when he was summoned to Melbourne on the morning of the game against Victoria after Tim Paine withdrew through illness. He was still collecting his luggage at the airport when the innings started.”It wasn’t tough at all really,” Doolan said of the decision to retire. “I had two weeks off over Christmas while the Big Bash was going on, and it was just a bit too good to refuse, so I made the call then and I’ve been very comfortable with it ever since.””I’ve probably come into the last three or four seasons thinking maybe [it will be my last] you just never know. But selection definitely didn’t sway it at all. Once you’ve reached over 30 and you’re no longer in the frame to play at the highest level you’re always on borrowed time a little bit.”I thought I was contributing really well to the team but the team has also progressed to a point now where there are a lot of young guys coming through, filling those spaces and looking to take the next step as well, so you can’t play forever, and sometimes it’s just time to get out of the way and let the next crop come through.”
Whilst they've not had the busiest summer, Arsenal have now reportedly reached a breakthrough in their deal to sign their second new reinforcement of the summer for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal transfer news
Of course, those in North London didn't enter the summer window in desperate need for fresh faces like they have done so often in the past. This time around, fresh from competing for the Premier League title once more, the Arsenal squad just needed the fine-tuning that Riccardo Calafiori will help to add.
The central defender arrived from Bologna earlier this summer, having helped the Italian side shock the rest of Serie A by qualifying for the Champions League last season.
Shock twist: Arsenal race for £85m star who'd be their best CF since Auba
The goalscoring “monster” could fire the Gunners to the title.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 22, 2024
The Gunners very much looked a side ready to compete yet again on the opening day of the Premier League campaign, easing past Wolverhampton Wanderers in a routine 2-0 victory, in which Bukayo Saka was predictably the star of the show.
Now, with just eight days left until deadline day, those at The Emirates are set to secure victory off the pitch. According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have finally reached a breakthrough in their deal to sign Mikel Merino, agreeing a deal worth €32m plus €5m in adds ons (£27m plus £4m) with Real Sociedad.
That said, even with a deal reportedly agreed, Arsenal fans will likely have to wait until after this weekend's Aston Villa clash to see their new man in action at the heart of Arteta's midfield.
"Monster" Merino could finally replace Xhaka
Whilst Arsenal enjoyed an impressive campaign even in the absence of Granit Xhaka, who swapped North London for an invincible Bundesliga title win with Bayer Leverkusen last summer, replacing the Swiss midfielder could become the key to unlocking crucial silverware at long last. And that's where Merino should play a part.
Analyst Ben Mattinson has been full of praise for the Euro 2024 winner this summer, describing Merino as an "aerial duel monster" and dubbing the Spaniard "press resistant".
For just £31m and a reported £52k-a-week, Merino could quickly turn into one of the bargains of the summer if he replaces Xhaka and adds backup for the likes of Declan Rice in one swoop. Fresh from winning the Euros too, the midfielder certainly knows all about the top prizes.
Attempting to make it a third time lucky in pursuit of stealing Manchester City's Premier League crown, Arsenal have looked to add quality over quantity in recent months.
And how did Holder end with 3 for 30 on a pitch that was slow and sluggish?
Hemant Brar14-Apr-2021Are Manish Pandey’s runs hurting the Sunrisers? With 99 runs, Manish Pandey is the leading run-scorer for the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the moment but with a strike rate of 119.27. For someone who faced 83 deliveries across two games, are Pandey’s runs hurting his side more than helping them?Chasing 188 against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Pandey finished with an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls. According to ESPNcricinfo’s smart stats, which take into account the match situation, his 61 was worth only 56. It was a similar story on Wednesday. The target was 150 but Pandey crawled along for 38 off 39 balls. His smart runs were 34.The problem with Pandey is even after being set, he fails to kick on. Shiva Jayaraman from our stats team dug out these numbers: in the last three IPL seasons, 25 batsmen have played ten or more innings where they faced 25-plus balls. Pandey’s strike rate of 136.24 after facing 25 balls is the second-worst among them. Only Chris Lynn (129.54) is below him.Pandey’s dot-ball percentage though isn’t bad, which means he simply struggles to find boundaries. On average, Pandey takes 7.9 balls per boundary after 25 balls, the most in that lot of 25. It’s possible Pandey may have been assigned the role of the anchor, but such a low strike rate, especially after facing so many deliveries, isn’t helping his team’s cause.Why was Harshal allowed to continue after bowling two waist-high full tosses? In the 18th over of the Sunrisers’ innings, Harshal Patel bowled a leg-side full toss to Jason Holder, which was called a no-ball for height. In the final over, he bowled another such delivery to Rashid Khan. That too was given a no-ball. But Patel was allowed to continue.The reason being the on-field umpires didn’t deem at least one of those deliveries not dangerous. The law states that only if a bowler delivers two dangerous deliveries, not necessarily two waist-high full tosses, can he be suspended from bowling further in the innings. While deciding whether a delivery is dangerous or not, the umpires also keep in mind the speed, height and direction of the delivery, and the skill of the striker. Trevor Bayliss, the Sunrisers coach, also agreed with the umpires, saying the first one was not really directed at the batsman.How did Holder use the slow Chepauk pitch to his advantage? The MA Chidambaram Stadium surface is known to be slow, sluggish and helpful for spinners. On Tuesday, the Knight Riders bowled spin for the first five overs against the Mumbai Indians. That though also had a bit to do with Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock’s lower strike rates against spin. Still, since 2018, spinners have fared much better in Chennai than seamers. They have a better average (20.74 vs 29.10) and a better economy rate (6.47 vs 8.47).So far this season, the ball hasn’t swung much in Chennai. During the pitch report, Murali Kartik called Wednesday’s pitch “the driest” of the lot. Still, Holder finished with figures of 3 for 30 from his four overs. How did he do it?ESPNcricinfo LtdThe answer is by banging it in the middle of the pitch and taking the pace off. Seventeen of Holder’s deliveries were either short or short of good length; and only 15 runs came off them. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is a swing bowler and normally bowls fuller, also bowled similar lengths. Out of his 24 deliveries, only two were full, while 11 were either short or short of good length. Off those 11 deliveries, he conceded just six.Why did Shahbaz Ahmed bat at No. 3? Shahbaz Ahmed had played 24 T20s coming into this game and had never batted higher than No. 5. But Virat Kohli stated at the toss itself that Ahmed would be batting at No. 3.Over the years, the Royal Challengers have been too top-heavy and been found wanting in case of early wickets. While they have got Glenn Maxwell, alongside AB de Villiers, to shore up the middle order this time, they probably want to ensure the two don’t come in too early. That’s why in the first game they had Rajat Patidar batting at No. 3.Now with Devdutt Padikkal fit, there was no place for Patidar. So the Royal Challengers went with Ahmed, who was aggressive right from the start, allowing Kohli to take his time at the other end. He managed 14 off ten and fell on the first ball of the seventh over. Did the move work? It might just have because you don’t want to keep two of your best batsmen out of action for too long.
Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas has revealed how much money clubs are receiving for participating in the Club World Cup.
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CWC draw made earlier this weekPorto will play Lionel Messi's Inter MiamiAlso face Palmeiras and Al AhlyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Porto are set to face Inter Miami, Palmeiras and Al Ahly in the expanded Club World Cup once the season is over. There are now 32 teams in the tournament and Porto earned their way into the tournament through the UEFA ranking pathway.
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Now, Villas-Boas has revealed how much teams are paid purely for taking part in the competition, with the figure of between €16 million (£13m/$17m) and €20m (£16.5m/$21m) seemingly below what Porto were expecting. Last season, they finished third in the Liga Portugal, 18 points behind eventual champions Sporting CP.
WHAT VILLAS-BOAS SAID
Villas-Boas told reporters: "It is estimated between €16m and €20m per participation and then with an increase related to the performance achieved.
"Well below initial expectations, but always important for FC Porto for losing the Champions League this year. But I also say from the bottom of my heart, we are very pleased to be in this competition and very proud. We won the Intercontinental (title) twice and we want to be in this competition and honour these parchments."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
The Club World Cup starts in June of 2025 and will take place in the United States. Porto's clash with Miami is undoubtedly their most newsworthy fixture, as they face off against Lionel Messi and Co.