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With Marc Guehi attracting interest from the Premier League's top six, Crystal Palace are already looking at alternatives for if the England international is to depart Selhurst Park this summer.

Clubs ready big money moves for Guehi

Whilst Guehi has not been short of interest from numerous clubs during the transfer window, it appears that the two current front-runners for the central defender are Liverpool and Arsenal.

Fabrizio Romano: Crystal Palace make £12.5million offer to sign 26 y/o ace

The Eagles may have found their Olise alternative.

ByTom Coates Jul 24, 2024

Liverpool's interest in the 24-year-old stretches as far back as the start of the summer with the most recent development suggesting that the Reds are confident of getting the deal done. With Arne Slot's side missing out on the signing of Leny Yoro it appears that Guehi could now stand as Liverpool's top target in this area of the pitch.

Whilst Arsenal appear to be a more recent entry in the race for Guehi's signature, it is understood that the Gunners are serious about bringing the player to the Emirates before the window closes. A report from last week suggested that Arsenal chiefs are prepared to use Palace linked striker Eddie Nketiah in order to get a deal over the line.

With the Eagles valuation of Guehi standing at around £65million, Steve Parish will be in for a significant windfall if the defender is to depart this summer. As Palace plan for a future without their star player, it appears that the club already have their eyes on a highly-rated defensive star.

Eagles ready swoop for Clarke-Salter

As reported in the print edition of the Sunday Mirror and later relayed by We Are Palace, Crystal Palace could make a move for QPR's Jake Clarke-Salter if Guehi leaves Selhurst Park this summer. The outlet claims that the higher ups at Loftus Road value the defender at around £8 million with fellow Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers also expressing an interest in the player.

The 26-year-old featured 33 times for QPR last term as the Hoops defied the odds to stave off relegation under new coach Marti Cifuentes. Clarke-Salter first arrived at Loftus Road in a free transfer from Chelsea, where he spent the majority of his youth career.

Despite struggling to break into the first team at Stamford Bridge, the defender was still regarded as one of England's top prospects earning numerous call-ups to the Three Lions' youth sides.

Like many young prospects in the Blues' academy, Clarke-Salter was subject to a slew of loan spells both at home and abroad. During a temporary spell with Bristol Rovers back in 2016/17 then manager Darrell Clarke spoke very highly of the player's talents: “Jake is a very gifted, technical centre half. Obviously there are areas of his game he could improve on, showing a bit more strength at times perhaps, but he acquitted himself superbly in League One for us."

After managing just one Premier League appearance during his time at Stamford Bridge, it could be a move across London that finally sees Clarke-Salter establish himself as a regular fixture in the English topflight.

The summer transfer window slams shut at the end of next month and Celtic may be hoping that they manage to keep hold of star midfielder Matt O'Riley.

He has been linked with an exit from Parkhead amid interest from Premier League sides Leicester and West Ham United, among others, after a return of 18 goals and 13 assists in the Scottish Premiership last term.

Another midfielder who could move on from Glasgow before the end of the window is academy starlet Daniel Kelly, who has been excluded from the first-team's pre-season plans.

Brendan Rodgers revealed that the teenage whiz has not signed a new contract with the club, ahead of his deal expiring at the end of December, despite being offered "really, really good" terms.

Celtic's interest in midfield prospect

The Northern Irish head coach could forget about the B team star, though, by swooping to sign reported target Jakub Kaluzinski from Antalyaspor.

Football Scotland claimed last month that the Premiership champions are keen on a deal to sign the central midfielder from the Turkish Super Lig outfit.

The outlet revealed that the Hoops have been keeping tabs on the talented prospect, who was dubbed a "high-level" player by analyst Miguel Ruiz, for a while now, dating back to his time in Poland.

It added that it will likely take a fee in the region of £3.5m to secure his services, amid competition from Spanish side Real Valladolid, but it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic are willing to pay that price.

The Hoops must now press ahead with a deal for the Polish maestro as he could come in to replace Kelly as an up-and-coming deep-lying midfielder.

Why Celtic should sign Jakub Kaluzinski

Unlike Kelly, Kaluzinski has a wealth of first-team experience already under his belt and could come in with the potential to make an immediate impact on the pitch.

The current Celtic youngster has only made six senior appearances for the Hoops, which all came last term, after he had played 30 times for the B team.

Whereas, Kaluzinski, who is three years older than Kelly, has made over 100 first-team appearances in his career and played 35 times for Antalyaspor last season.

Appearances

31

Starts

25

Big chances created

5

Pass accuracy

88%

Duel success rate

50%

Aerial duel success rate

52%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old ace showcased his quality in and out of possession last term by holding his own in physical duels and offering reliability and creativity on the ball.

Whereas, Kelly has not had many chances to show off his ability for Celtic, which makes it hard to assess his potential for the club moving forward.

With Kaluzinski, there is clear evidence that he has the potential to be a solid player for the Hoops, as he has proven himself in the top-flight in Turkey, and that is why he could be a superb signing to help Rodgers forget about Kelly.

Celtic could fix Kyogo by signing a star with "aggression and flair"

The Hoops are reportedly interested in a swoop to sign the winger this summer.

ByDan Emery Jul 17, 2024

At the age of 21, the Polish gem could be the long-term midfield prospect the manager looks to develop and eventually make a key player, rather than the Scottish youngster – who appears to be on his way out of the club.

With the wounds still fresh from Michael Olise's departure from Crystal Palace, the club are already looking for the Frenchman's replacement at Selhurst Park.

Olise alternatives at the top of Parish's to-do-list

Whilst the loss of Olise will be a significant blow to Oliver Glasner's side, the £50 million fee received will give the Eagles a much-needed boost in the transfer market. With Steve Parish now in a position to open his chequebook this summer, Palace have already been linked with a number of highly-rated wingers.

Crystal Palace want to sign 22 y/o who matched Eze’s assists last season

The update comes courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.

ByHenry Jackson Jul 7, 2024

Jaden Philogene has been the name most prominently linked with the vacancy in Palace's wide areas with the Hull City star eager for a move to the Premier League this summer. It has been reported that the Eagles have already submitted a bid for the England under 21s ace.

The Championship is clearly the market of choice for Palace as they are also interested in deals for Sunderland talents Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham. Whilst the latter is more of a central midfielder than a wide man, there is no doubt that Clarke would be an exciting addition for Olise in Glasner's side.

With a new winger the top priority for Palace, it appears that the club are interested in a player with no shortage of experience in England.

Palace set to make a surprise move for Sarr

As reported by Give Me Sport, journalist Alan Nixon is claiming that Palace are ready to make a "dramatic" move to sign former Watford star Ismaila Sarr. The South London outfit have reportedly been interested in a move for the Senegalese winger for many years with Parish and Co viewing this summer as the best time to finally pull the trigger on a deal.

Currently playing at Marseille, Nixon reports that the French outfit would want a fee in the region of £20 million in order to part ways with Sarr this summer. The 26-year-old has struggled for form following his July 2023 move to the South of France with the most recent campaign seeing the winger score just three league goals.

Despite his recent issues, there is no doubt that Sarr would still be a quality acquisition for the Eagles. The winger would arrive at Selhurst Park with no shortage of experience in England thanks to his 131 appearances for Watford.

The Senegalese attacker contributed 34 goals and 22 assists during his time with the Hornets, establishing himself as one of Watford's star players.

A November 2021 interview saw former Watford boss Claudio Ranieri sing the praises of the 26-year-old, saying of Sarr: “For me he is a diamond. He is a diamond and I have to work with him in every direction. I think he can achieve very big things.

“When I worked in France I was told there are so many diamonds there but it is important to work with the general football philosophy that is in Europe. Ismaila is one of the players who can decide – in any moment – the match"

Whilst the loss of Olise will be a significant blow to the Palace faithful, there are few better replacements on the market than Sarr when it comes to replicating his unpredictable flair on the flanks.

أصدرت رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة عقوبات الجولة السابعة من بطولة الدوري المصري، والتي شهدت عدة قرارات بشأن عدد من المواجهات.

وشهدت الجولة السابعة من الدوري المصري، فوز الزمالك على الاتحاد السكندري بثنائية نظيفة، وتعادل الأهلي وإنبي سلبيًا.

وتلقى عبد الغني محمد لاعب الاتحاد السكندري البطاقة الحمراء بعد حصوله على إنذارين خلال مباراة فريقه أمام الزمالك.

وجاءت أبرز العقوبات من رابطة الأندية، توقيع إنذار إداري لـ نادي مودرن سبورت من أجل إشراك لاعب لا يحق له وتوقيع غرامة مالية.

طالع | أيمن الرمادي يوضح حقيقة الرحيل عن سيراميكا كليوباترا

وحدثت واقعة مثيرة في مباراة الإسماعيلي أمام مودرن سبورت بعد إشراك الأخير لـ6 لاعبين أجانب، وهو ما يعد مخالفة للائحة المسابقات للدوري المصري. عقوبات الجولة السابعة من الدوري المصريمباراة حرس الحدود وطلائع الجيش:

إيقاف حميد ماو مكامي لاعب فريق طلائع الجيش مباراتين وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 جنيه وذلك بسبب الطرد. مباراة الزمالك والاتحاد :

إيقاف عبدالغني محمد عبدالغني رضوان لاعب الاتحاد مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 2500 جنيه وذلك بسبب الحصول على إنذارين في نفس المباراة. مباراة الجونة وبيراميدز :

 إيقاف كرونسلاوف يورنيتش المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 15000 جنيه وذلك بسبب الطرد للمرة الثانية. مباراة فاركو وسموحة :

إيقاف ياسين السيد محمد مصطفى لاعب فريق فاركو مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 وذلك للحصول على الإنذار الثالث. مباراة زد أف سي وبتروجيت :

إيقاف حمدي علاء السيد لاعب فريق زد أف سي مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 وذلك للحصول على الإنذار الثالث.

إيقاف مجدي عبدالعاطي المدير الفني لفريق زد أف سي مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 15000 جنيه وذلك بسبب الطرد للمرة الثانية.

إيقاف السيد عيد المدير الفني لفريق بتروجيت مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة ماليه عليه قيمتها 10000 جنيه وذلك بسبب الطرد. مباراة مودرن سبورت والإسماعيلي :

إنذار إداري لفريق مودرن سبورت وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 10000 جنيه وذلك بسبب إشراك لاعب لا يحق له الاشتراك قانونا. مباراة غزل المحلة والبنك الأهلي:

إيقاف أسامة فيصل أحمد لاعب فريق البنك الأهلي مباراة واحدة وتوقيع غرامة مالية عليه قيمتها 5000 وذلك للحصول على الإنذار الثالث.

مع تطبيق المادة 54 من لائحة مسابقة دوري nile موسم 2024-2025 الخاصة بحالات الإنذارات على الأجهزة الفنية والإدارية والطبية واللاعبين.

If there is one player that Chelsea have never really replaced from their superb team of the Noughties and 2010s, it is Ivorian striker Didier Drogba. The four-time Premier League winner was superb for the Blues over a span of 381 games, scoring 164 goals in that time, and registering 88 assists.

The two strikers who have so far come closest to filling the void left by Drogba are Diego Costa and Olivier Giroud. Costa actually played one season with the legendary striker, in 2014/15, when Drogba returned to Stamford Bridge for a second spell on a one-year contract. The Spain international scored 59 goals and registered 21 assists in just 120 games across three seasons at Stamford Bridge. It was a short but sweet stint in blue.

As for Giroud, he played 199 times for Chelsea between 2017 and 2021, scoring 39 goals and claiming 14 assists. He joined the Blues from London rivals Arsenal, winning the Europa League and the Champions League during his time with the club, something he did not achieve with the Gunners.

As good as Costa and Giroud were, they still were not long-term solutions to Chelsea’s centre-forward issues. However, this could be the summer they finally replace Drogba, having been linked to one of the most deadly number nines in the world in recent weeks.

Chelsea looking to sign Serie A striker

The player in question here is Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen. The 25-year-old has had two impressive seasons for Napoli despite some injury issues, which has led him to be linked with several big clubs around Europe.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea’s desire to sign the Nigerian 'remains firm', with Blues owner Todd Boehly thought to be 'intent on capturing' the former Lille striker – who has become a 'priority target'.

However, the piece reports that, before the Blues can make a move for Osimhen, they must first offload players in order to afford the striker and comply with financial fair play (FFP) rules.

In terms of a price for Osimhen, it seems the Stamford Bridge side will need to raise a fair amount of money. As per the report, Napoli originally asked for an eye-watering £145m, but have since lowered their asking price to £102m, thought to be a release clause in Osimhen’s contract.

How Osimhen would benefit Chelsea

There is no doubt that Osimhen will bring one thing Chelsea need more than anything; goals. His record over the past two seasons in Serie A speaks for itself, and, despite a poor season for Napoli in the defence of their Scudetto title, Osimhen still found the back of the net plenty.

He scored 15 goals in 25 Serie A appearances this season, backing up the impressive 26 goals in 32 games he scored in the 2022/23 campaign. Although he missed 10 games due to injury, plus five games due to his national team call-up for Nigeria at AFCON in January, his record speaks for itself.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2020/21

24

10

3

2021/22

27

14

5

2022/23

32

26

5

2023/24

25

15

3

In fact, the signing of Osimhen could coincide well with another player Chelsea have been linked with, Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise – the £60m man having been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge of late.

The 22-year-old has had an astounding season for the Eagles, scoring ten goals and registering six assists in 19 Premier League games. In the 2022/23 campaign, he grabbed 11 assists, which was bettered by only Leandro Trossard and Mohamed Salah, who both registered 12 assists that year, and Kevin de Bruyne, who got 16 assists.

This led data analyst Ben Mattinson to say that the former Reading man would “push for the assist record” – currently held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne with 20 – in a team with a “killer” centre-forward. Could Osimhen be that 'killer'?

According to FBref, Olise is one of the most creative players in Europe over the last year. He averages 2.54 key passes per 90, which ranks him in the top 12% of wingers, and his 2.40 passes into the final third ranks him in the top 7%.

However, where an Olise and Osimhen partnership could excel is with Olise crossing the ball into the Nigerian for him to head home. Statistically speaking, Olise is one of the best crossers in Europe, averaging 6.85 crosses per 90 – Mattinson also noting that he has "one of the best final balls in the league".

Osimhen, meanwhile, is superb in the air. In the 2022/23 Serie A season, he averaged a win rate of 54.6% aerial duels, which ranked him in the top 4% of strikers, as per FBref. That seems like a match made in heaven. We have already seen Osimhen form an elite partnership with Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. It is not a stretch to imagine him doing the same with Olise.

Osimhen’s 0.99 goals per 90 in that same campaign also made him one of the most clinical finishers in world football. He ranked in the top 1% of strikers for goals per 90 that season, and averaged 0.84 non-penalty goals per 90 campaign, showing his effectiveness from open play.

Where Olise also excels is in his goal-creating actions. Within the last year across Europe, the 22-year-old France under-21 international has registered 0.99 goal-creating actions per 90, which ranks him in the top 1% of wingers. Given Osimhen’s ability to sniff out a chance from any kind of situation, combined with his excellent conversion rate, it seems like he could score a lot of goals with Olise on the same pitch.

Olise is a direct winger, who is confident in one-vs-one situations and is comfortable looking to beat a defender on both the inside, on his favoured left foot, and the outside, on his right foot. With his directness and wonderful creative ability in mind, it certainly seems like Olise could be a man to get the best out of Osimhen.

If Chelsea are successful in their pursuit of the Nigerian, he could finally solve their issues in front of goal, and finally be a long-term replacement for Didier Drogba, nine years on from when he left the club for the final time.

Chelsea eyeing “the best 9 in the world” to finally replace Drogba

The Chelsea target would cost around £94m.

ByTom Lever May 31, 2024

علق سيد عبد الحفيظ، مدير الكرة السابق بالنادي الأهلي، على هزيمة المارد الأحمر أمام باتشوكا المكسيكي بركلات الترجيح، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ببطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

والتقى الأهلي مع باتشوكا، على استاد 974 بالعاصمة القطرية الدوحة، في مباراة كأس التحدي والمؤهلة إلى نهائي كأس انتركونتيننتال.

وقال سيد عبد الحفيظ في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “الأهلي أهدر أسهل موقف في تاريخ كأس العالم للأندية، والوصول لنهائي عالمي أمام ريال مدريد، باتشوكا كان فريقًا في المتناول، واحدة من الليالي النكد فيها عالي جدًا، وصعب جدًا يتكرر في المستقبل”.

طالع أيضاً.. أحمد حسن: كولر ارتكب خطأ لا يغتفر.. وتريزيجيه أخبرني بموقفه من العودة لـ الأهلي

وتابع: “لا يوجد تقصير من أحد، ولكن لوم”.

وأضاف: “باتشوكا فريق حالته سيئة جدًا، ترتيبه في الدوري الـ16 ومستواه أمام بوتافوجو لا يعكس حقيقته، الأهلي تسيد المباراة، وفي آخر 4 مباريات للأهلي أحرز هدفًا”.

وواصل: “خسارة اليوم أهدرت تفوقًا لبعض اللاعبين مثل مروان عطية، هو قدم أداءً جيد جدًا وأكرم توفيق بذل مجهودًا كبيرًا، توجد أشياء نحتاج فهمها من كولر مثل تبديل أفشة بحسين الشحات”.

وأوضح: “كيف السولية مصنف للتسديد رقم 1 في المباريات ولا يسدد ضمن الخماسي اليوم في ضربات الجزاء؟”.

وأتم: “أسهل فرصة للوصول إلى النهائي، هذه المحاولة السابعة”.

West Bromwich Albion will want to get back to winning ways against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, knowing that their spot in the Championship play-off picture isn't concrete just yet.

Hull City's entertaining mid-week win over Coventry City will have troubled the Baggies somewhat, knowing that the Tigers could be level on points with Carlos Corberan's promotion challengers if the West Midlands outfit lost to Danny Rohl's Owls at the end of play this weekend.

Corberan will want titan-like performances from his defenders away at Hillsborough subsequently, knowing that Wednesday will be going full-throttle to attempt to win themselves in their bid to stave off relegation.

West Brom will also know that one of his centre-back heroes, Cedric Kipre, could be nearing a summer exit even if do they go up, walking out of the building on a potential free transfer – with the Baggies at least cashing in sensibly on another former star in the heart of defence back in 2008.

Curtis Davies' time at West Brom

Remarkably, Curtis Davies is still lining up for League One outfit Cheltenham Town at 39 years of age, with Baggies supporters fondly remembering the veteran defender more for being a spritely young star.

Davies would make his West Brom debut all the way back in 2005, the 6 foot 2 warrior plunged straight in at the deep end at the Hawthorns by making 33 Premier League appearances that same campaign.

Scoring two goals during that season too, Davies' name would start to be uttered by higher-up suitors as a potential transfer target when the Baggies were relegated to the Championship.

Under Tony Mowbray during the 2006/07 season in the second tier, in which West Brom failed to clinch promotion, Davies would star again with 32 appearances accumulated before near neighbours Aston Villa swooped in for his services.

Reportedly signing on the dotted line at Villa Park for £9m, after initially joining on loan for the 2007/08 campaign, the Baggies would end up winning with this sale by offloading Davies for such a high price which would be even higher in today's inflated market, according to TotallyMoney's Transfer Index.

Curtis Davies' transfer value in 2024

If that same deal went through by 2024's inflated standards, West Brom would have pocketed significantly more at an eye-watering £23m, as per Totally Money.

Regardless, the West Midlands outfit would have been pleased with the original amount Villa coughed up especially when evaluating how much their ex-centre back ended up struggling away from the Hawthorns.

West Brom's record departures
1. Salomon Rondon	£16.5m
2. Matheus Pereira	£16m
3. Saido Berahino	£12m
4. Nacer Chadli	£10m
5. Jay Rodriguez	£10m
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Davies' new bumped-up fee would see him become West Brom's record departure in a theoretical world, the Baggies hitting the jackpot anyway by making the 6 foot 2 defender Villa's problem.

Admitting his debut performance for his new club was that of a "pub player" in 2007, his full three seasons at Villa Park would be very underwhelming with the move now seen as a major flop.

Davies would make 68 appearances in total before becoming public enemy one by moving on to Villa's arch nemesis in Birmingham City, relocating to St Andrew's controversially after playing just three games during his final season for The Villans.

Amazingly, the now-veteran defender would be a hit for the Blues to add even more salt into Villa's gaping wound by netting 12 goals from 106 games.

West Brom will hope that they can tie down Kipre to a new contract soon, not wanting to fall victim to a transfer blunder in the here and now involving their current crop of defenders after having the last laugh over Davies.

West Brom can solve Kipre situation with 21 y/o who “leads by example”

West Bromwich Albion will have to prepare for life without Cedric Kipre soon.

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 23, 2024

Calls for fewer games, better pitches and more overseas players to revive league

Matt Roller14-May-2020

Shane Watson showed his power•Getty Images

Shane Watson has criticised the expansion of the Big Bash season from 32 group games to 56, describing the tournament as “just too long” and suggesting that “the quality of the cricket has been put on the back burner”.Watson, an influential figure in the as the president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and one of Australia’s most experienced T20 players, proposed a four-step plan to “save our beloved BBL before it’s too late” on his blog ‘T20 Stars’ which involves: reverting to the format used in the 2017-18 season; only playing on “international quality” pitches; increasing the number of overseas players permitted per team from two to “three, if not four”; and stopping players from being mic’d up to ensure they can focus on the game itself.Discussions about the Big Bash’s format have been a near-constant feature of the Australian summer in recent years. The tournament’s group stage lasted 32 games in 2016-17, when the average attendance was over 30,000, but while aggregate attendance has grown steadily, the average has decreased markedly to around 18,000 in 2019-20.An expanded finals stage meant there were 61 games in total last season, and Watson said that “the writing was on the wall” ever since CA announced its new broadcast deal in 2018 that involved extending the season.”Continuing on after the kids go back to school is another reason why the tournament runs out of puff in the lead up to the finals, when this should be the time when the tournament really cranks up,” Watson said. “Again, the tournament is just too long. It’s disappointing for all of the families that follow the season so closely until school goes back, and the last thing parents want is for their kids to stay up [until] nearly midnight watching the matches on a school night.”Watson also criticised the standard of the tournament, suggesting that a combination of poor pitches, a lack of international players, and the distraction caused by conversations with commentary teams has diluted the quality of cricket.”A lot of the warning signs… have very sadly started to come to fruition,” he said. “I know all too well that the quality of the cricket that is being played in the BBL is now behind some of the tournaments around the world.”The one thing that the IPL and PSL do is make the quality of the cricket, the product, the number one priority. This is where the BBL has really lost its way. The quality of the cricket has been put on the back burner in the Big Bash and the entertainment gimmicks have been brought to the forefront.”As the BBL is comprised of 8 teams, the talent pool is already stretched pretty thin and now with the extension of the tournament, it is a challenge to keep your best players fit. Right now, if a team gets a few injuries, the franchise has to continue to find club cricketers to fill in. This happened way too many times during the season just gone. If the BBL wants to be one of the best T20 leagues in the world they need to have the best players in the world participating in the league.”Watson described the pitches he played on at the Sydney Showground as “very ordinary at worst and pretty good once in a blue moon”, and suggested that the Thunder should either ensure the drop-in wickets at the ground are “world-class” or consider playing all their home games at Manuka Oval in Canberra.The average scoring rate in the competition dropped from 8.37 in 2016-17 to 7.82 in 2018-19, coinciding with an increase in the number of fixtures played at outgrounds – though it did jump back up to 8.15 in 2019-20.”In theory, it sounds great to play games out in regional areas, so other BBL fans can watch their favourite players,” Watson said. “Well, they need to make sure that the pitches are up to a world-class standard to ensure that world-class cricket can be played at these venues.”

Angel Di Maria claimed that ex-Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is the "worst" manager he's played for but put Diego Maradona in his top three.

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Di Maria was signed by Van Gaal at Man UtdArgentine struggled to find his feet at Old TraffordStill holds a grudge against the Dutch coachWHAT HAPPENED?

The Dutch manager was at the helm of the Red Devils when Di Maria was signed from Real Madrid for close to £60 million ($79m) in 2014 – the highest transfer fee ever paid by a British club at the time. However, he struggled to adapt to Van Gaal's methods and only lasted one season in Manchester before heading to Paris Saint-Germain.

AdvertisementAFPWHAT DI MARIA SAID

In an interview with ESPN Argentina, Di Maria said: "The worst (manager) is Van Gaal, you can be sure of that. In case you had any doubt, I'll clear that up for you right now."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While Van Gaal may have left a negative impression, Di Maria had nothing but praise for two of his national team coaches, Lionel Scaloni and Alejandro Sabella. Scaloni, who led Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup, is considered by Di Maria as "one of the best" managers he has worked with.

The 36-year-old added: "Scaloni, without a doubt. He's a great coach in every sense because of the staff he has, the connection with the players and how he manages the games, it's perfect. I think he's one of the best. Then, Alejandro (Sabella) too, was a manager who had a big impact on me, I learned a lot with him. And after, it's hard. I had a lot of coaches, [Jose] Mourinho, and [Carlo] Ancelotti. I played for so many good managers that it's hard to pick."

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AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Di Maria completed his top-three list of managers with Argentina legend Diego Maradona. He hailed the 1986 World Cup winner as more than just a coach to him and his deep affection for Maradona was evident as he described the late football icon's profound influence on his life and career.

"I won't consider him as [just] a manager because to me he was more of a close friend, someone who stopped by to chat," Di María said. "He didn't seem like a manager but more like a friend, a brother, a dad. A dad more than anything. He would put up with me when nobody else did and helped me to move forward. The more criticism I received, the more he supported me. He was everything to me. Diego is the best that ever was. I've said it before, Leo Messi is the greatest of all time, but Diego is Diego. To me, to Argentina and the world."

Gary Neville has raised a theory behind Manchester City's quiet transfer activity, suggesting that it's linked to their 115 FFP charges.

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Neville raises City transfers theorySavinho City's only summer arrivalHearing into charges to begin next monthWHAT HAPPENED?

Gary Neville has questioned whether Man City's quiet transfer window is linked to the impending hearing over their 115 charges. The Premier League champions have had a muted summer, with Brazilian winger Savinho the only arrival, and Neville has questioned whether the club are bracing themselves for a guilty verdict.

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City have denied all charges against them after being accused of breaching the Premier League's financial rules. They will present their case in front of an independent commission next month in a hearing that is set to last 10 weeks – with a verdict not expected until next spring at the earliest due to the amount of information the commission will need to consider.

WHAT NEVILLE SAID

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, via Sky Bet, former Manchester United defender Neville said: "It was announced that Manchester City's hearing will start in four weeks. I wonder if they're not signing anybody on purpose, thinking they might get the book thrown at them.

"If they think they're going to get found guilty, and something ridiculous happens – they get relegated or deducted 20 points – they might think what is the point of signing players now. They got £82 million for [Julian] Alvarez, and they might just see what happens."

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The club are also getting ready to defend their Premier League title again. Pep Guardiola's side take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their season opener on Sunday.