Category Uncategorized

Devon Conway is likely to get in for New Zealand at the top of the order in place of the injured Rachin Ravindra

Danyal Rasool09-Feb-2025

Temba Bavuma will lead a weakened side for South Africa’s tri-series opener•Associated Press

Big picture: Ravindra out after opening-night injuryNew Zealand’s start to what they hope will be a full month in and around Pakistan couldn’t have gone much better. The squad they picked for the tri-series as well as the upcoming Champions Trophy appears to be especially well-suited to these conditions at this early stage. They kicked off the tri-series with a comprehensive dismantling of Pakistan, pacing their innings with the bat perfectly, before choking Pakistan with spin under the renovated Gaddafi Stadium’s lights. Dew, if any existed, was no hindrance to spin, with New Zealand turning to it for 26 of the 47.5 overs they sent down.The bad news comes in the form of potential player unavailability. Rachin Ravindra will not feature after sustaining a nasty blow to the forehead in the first game, where a ball struck him after he lost sight of it while fielding in the deep; there was plenty of blood and it required stitches. More serious damage, as initially feared, appears to have been averted, but he continues to be monitored for potential signs of delayed concussion. It has also emerged that Lockie Ferguson’s injury may need a longer recovery time than initially hoped, placing him in doubt for the Champions Trophy.The SA20, which only finished on Saturday, has meant that South Africa have not had the luxury of sending a full-strength side to this tournament. The side that plays the Champions Trophy will be markedly different, but two or three games here gives Temba Bavuma’s side the opportunity to get an early look at conditions in match scenarios. Bavuma captains a side drawn largely from South Africa’s domestic pool, but it does feature familiar names in Kyle Verreynne, Tabraiz Shamsi and Wiaan Mulder, all of whom played recently against Pakistan on their all-format tour to South Africa. Keshav Maharaj and Heinrich Klaasen are expected to be in the mix for their next game, against Pakistan.Perhaps limiting the value of the extra game is its starting time. This match is the only day game in this series, and no matches will be played in this time slot for the duration of the Champions Trophy. The morning start, coupled with a game that does not see Pakistan feature, means attendance figures won’t be anywhere near what they were for New Zealand’s contest against Pakistan. It may also make it even more of a batting surface than day-night games in Lahore tend to be, but with dew guaranteed to not be a factor, New Zealand’s spinners will likely be even more potent.Tom Latham needs runs desperately•AFP/Getty Images

Form guideSouth Africa LLLLW
New Zealand WLWWLIn the spotlight: Tom Latham and Lungi NgidiIt’s not a secret that Tom Latham has endured a difficult spell with the bat of late, but the focus will only intensify after he was dismissed for a duck in an otherwise productive New Zealand batting effort against Pakistan. In the other ODIs Latham played this year, he managed one run across two innings, and though these are his first ODIs since 2023, he averaged under 30 across 27 innings that year. Furthermore, the scorecard suggests he didn’t quite convince when he dropped down a level to play the Super Smash, managing 95 runs across four T20 innings at just over a run-a-ball. With the Champions Trophy coming up, it’s a problem New Zealand would rather do without, and a weakened South Africa bowling unit may be the perfect time for Latham to get back in the groove.Lungi Ngidi endured a pretty ordinary SA20, and in normal circumstances, may have faced a battle to be part of this side. But the number of first-choice players rendered unavailable to South Africa because of the SA20 as well as injuries to Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee, saw him tagged on as a late addition to the travelling party. Injuries and fitness concerns haven’t helped him, but this is a bowler who, for several years, was a regular across formats in South Africa’s international squads. With the Champions Trophy around the corner, this would be a particularly useful time to remind coach Rob Walter and the selectors of what he can do when at his best.Senuran Muthusamy is one of many players in the tri-series squad that won’t be part of the Champions Trophy•AFP/Getty Images

Team newsRavindra will miss out because of the blow he sustained against Pakistan, meaning his side will need to find a new opener. However, New Zealand are unlikely to make big changes to the side that delivered such an all-round performance against Pakistan.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Michael Bracewell, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Ben Sears, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O’RourkeSouth Africa have added Ngidi and Shamsi to the tri-series squad. Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka and Tony de Zorzi are all on their way to Pakistan to join the squad but will not be available for this game.South Africa (probable): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Jason Smith, 3 Matthew Breetzke, 4 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 5 Senuran Muthusamy, 6 Wiaan Mulder, 7 Mihali Mpongwana, 8 Junior Dala, 9 Tabraiz Shamsi, 10 Ethan Bosch, 11 Lungi NgidiPitch and conditionsDew wasn’t a factor in the day-night game at the Gaddafi Stadium when New Zealand played Pakistan. With this being a day match, it is guaranteed not to be an issue on what should be a warm and sunny spring day.Stats and trivia Ngidi is four wickets away from reaching the three-figure mark in ODIs. He will become the 13th to get there for South Africa in ODIs when he does This is South Africa’s first ODI in Pakistan since 2007. Their last game produced one of South Africa’s great ODI winsQuotes”For us, it will mainly be about acclimatising to the conditions and being able to share it with the wider group; and for the young guys, it’s about showing what they can do at this level.”

أكد التونسي سيف الجزيري، مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، أن التركيز كان سر فوز الكتيبة البيضاء على بيراميدز في نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المصري.

ونجح الزمالك في عبور بيراميدز في نصف نهائي السوبر المصري، بالفوز عليه بنتيجة 5-4 بركلات الترجيح، بعد انتهاء الوقت الأصلي للمباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق.

وقال الجزيري في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي لنادي الزمالك: “سر فوز الفريق على بيراميدز هو التركيز، اللاعبون كانوا في كامل تركيزهم حتى الدقيقة الأخيرة من عمر المباراة”.

طالع | ناصر ماهر: لم أفكر في كرة الهدف.. وسنركز على النهائي

وتابع: “سعيد بالتسجيل في مرمى بيراميدز، وأشكر الجماهير التي حرصت على مؤازرة الفريق في لقاء نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المحلي بالأمس”.

واختتم: “سنبذل قصارى جهدنا في المباراة النهائية من أجل تحقيق الفوز والتتويج بلقب السوبر المصري، لإسعاد الجماهير الزملكاوية”.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري، بعد أن فاز المارد الأحمر على سيراميكا كليوباترا بهدفين مُقابل هدف، وذلك يوم الخميس المُقبل الموافق 24 أكتوبر.

Derby County will know, after all the promotion parties have settled down, that the Championship is a completely different beast to that of League One.

The Rams will want to steadily manage the step-up and consolidate themselves as a second-tier side next campaign, with Paul Warne having to prove doubters wrong about his sketchy record in the league to date in order to secure survival.

Warne tasted the bitterness of relegation from the Championship a grand total of three times whilst at Rotherham, wanting to change the narrative with the Rams this time around however.

The popular 50-year-old could attempt a raid of his former side as a first swoop for Derby in the upcoming transfer window, beating a whole of suitors potentially to land this in-demand Millers man.

Derby going after in-demand star

According to a report from journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, Derby are now a surprise party looking at Viktor Johansson with various Championship clubs trying to capitalise on Rotherham's relegation to attempt to land the stand-out goalkeeper.

With Nixon further revealing that Rotherham could be willing to give up their star Swedish 'keeper for just £900k, Derby will hope Warne's past connections to the South Yorkshire club have some weight in trying to get this coup deal over the line.

Johansson's sterling season in-between the sticks for the relegated Millers, which saw the 25-year-old peppered constantly with four saves averaged per 90 minutes, has alerted other clubs such as Leeds United, Stoke City and Sheffield United to his services.

To beat that trio to his signature would be a statement of intent from Warne's men, who will need a top shot-stopper in goal in order to shut out teams effectively when making the leap back up to what can be a chastening division in the Championship.

Why Derby should sign Johanssen

Despite boasting League One's meanest defence this season, helped by the staunch efforts of Eiran Cashin and Sonny Bradley at the back who shipped just 37 goals from 46 clashes, Derby could well fancy an upgrade in between the sticks regardless.

Both Joe Wildsmith and Josh Vickers have been solid options for Warne's men in the third tier, with Wildsmith, in particular, standing out by picking up 20 clean sheets from 40 contests, but their weak past displays in the division above could unsettle the Rams manager when putting together a Championship capable team in the summer.

Goalkeeper

Games played

Clean sheets

Wildsmith

64

17

Vickers

3

1

Johanssen

109

22

Vickers is also inexperienced at making the step-up, as can be seen glancing at the table above, with Wildsmith falling behind Johansson when it comes to clean sheets collected.

The Scandinavian stopper has managed to keep bravely battling in goal for the Millers this season, even during such a terrible campaign that saw his team finish rooted to the foot of the second tier.

The highly-rated Millers shot-stopper picked up 13 of his 22 clean sheets at the level the season before this disastrous basement finish, as the South Yorkshire side survived in 19th position with Warne briefly still at the helm until Derby came calling.

Warne will want to be reunited with his former 'keeper to see if he can get him back to these heights with a more solid defence in front of him, with football journalist Josh Bunting even describing the Swede as "outstanding" when the Millers stayed up.

Derby will aim a little higher than simply keeping their heads above water you imagine, but with how demanding the Championship can be, survival as an initial aim will be a reasonable one.

It's well documented that Everton have struggled with their finances in recent seasons, with the club suffering with a six-point deduction this campaign.

They've found themselves in trouble with the Premier League due to their erratic spending in previous years, with the club also investing a large amount of money towards their new stadium.

However, their poor business in the market is certainly eye-catching with the club spending over £20m on players such as Yerry Mina, Yannick Bolasie and Jean-Phillippe Gbamin, with the trio leaving the club on free transfers at the end of their contracts and failing to provide value for money.

In recent times, the club have operated more efficiently, buying youngsters such as Jarrad Branthwaite, with the defender joining from Carlisle United for £1m back in 2020, with the 20-year-old now subject to £75m interest from Manchester United.

The club have also conducted good business in selling players in recent years, with the club doing the right thing by selling one player for a hefty fee despite his lack of impact at Goodison Park.

Moise Kean's stats at Everton

In August 2019, the Toffees completed the signing of 19-year-old striker Moise Kean, on a deal rising to £27.5m – with the Italian having a lot of potential to live up to after two goals in his first three international games.

The striker made 33 appearances during his first campaign in English football, with Kean only managing two goals during the 2019/20 campaign.

Everton's starting XI for Kean's debut v Wolves (01/09/2019)
1. Jordan Pickford
23. Seamus Coleman (C)
13. Yerry Mina
5. Michael Keane
12. Lucas Digne
8. Fabian Delph
21. Andre Gomes
10. Gylfi Sigurdsson
7. Richarlison
17. Alex Iwobi
27. Moise Kean
Date via Sky Sports

However, he would start the next campaign in good goalscoring form for the Toffees, scoring twice in his first four outings, before agreeing a loan deal to join Ligue 1 side PSG for the remainder of the 2020/21 season.

The move would be a success for the youngster, with the marksman scoring on 17 occasions during his one season at the Parc des Princes – but the French side would not make the deal permanent with Kean returning to Goodison at the end of his loan move.

Kean would feature twice at the start of the 2021/22 season, before leaving Everton once more to re-join Juventus on a two-year loan deal, with the Italian giants having an option to make it a permanent.

The Old Lady decided to take up the option in the loan move, with the now 24-year-old re-joining the club for £25m – just £2.5m less than they sold him four years prior. A brilliant piece of business by Everton, considering his lack of goals in England.

Moise Kean's stats in 2023/24

Nearly one year on from the 6-foot striker's permanent return to Italy, he has failed to replicate his form that saw Everton decide to fork out £27.5m for his signature.

In Serie A this season, the Italian has failed to score a single goal in his 14 appearances, with his market value of £14m as per Transfermarkt now less than Everton's latest big-money forward, Beto.

The Portuguese forward joined Everton from Udinese for a fee in the region of £30m, with the 26-year-old scoring just four times for the Toffees in a rather inconsistent debut campaign.

His market value has since dropped to £18.7m according to Transfermarkt, but his goal return this season is far superior to Kean's with Everton doing the right thing in replacing the Italian with the 6 foot 4 attacker.

When delving into the stats of the two strikers, Sean Dyche may well have hit the jackpot with Beto's stats per game much more positive than those of Kean.

During the 2023/24 season, Everton's number 14 has averaged 4.2 aerials won per 90, with his tally over three times higher than the Italian's, with Kean only able to manage 1.3.

The Portuguese striker also has the edge over the Juventus forward, with his tally of 1.7 tackles more than Kean's 1.3 – with Beto a better fit for Dyche's system of pressing from the front, one of the reasons the Toffees have the best defensive record outside the Premier League's top four.

Despite Beto not scoring as many goals as the Everton faithful would've liked, it's clear the club conducted great business by allowing Kean to leave and replaced him with a player who's more suited to the manager's playstyle.

Leeds United may have just been handed a major boost in their transfer pursuit of one star this summer, with his club being urged to sell him for almost any decent fee.

Leeds eyeing up summer revamp

No matter how their impressive Championship campaign concludes, Daniel Farke's side are seemingly set for major change this summer.

The futures of plenty of loanees need to be decided, including Max Wober, Brenden Aaronson and Marc Roca. Meanwhile, there will almost certainly be interest in the likes of Archie Gray and Crysensio Summerville, both of whom have enjoyed memorable second-tier seasons.

"One day" – Leeds United star reveals La Liga dream

The Yorkshire side could lose a key man if they get promoted.

By
Ben Browning

Feb 9, 2024

Though promotion may encourage them to overhaul their squad, Farke is likely to want to keep the core of his squad together as best as he can, in order to try and hit the ground running in the top flight and hand the Yorkshire side the best chance of survival for another season.

One of those that they are thought to be most keen on keeping is Joe Rodon, who is currently on loan from Tottenham Hotspur but has been a vital part of Leeds' promotion push and has slotted perfectly into Farke's backline, helping Leeds boast the best defence in the division.

Tottenham told to accept 8-figure offer

Now the Elland Road outfit may have been dealt a major boost, with one club insider urging Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to "learn from his past mistakes" and "just accept any deal" over £10m for the Welshman.

Rodon has been impressive during his season in the Championship, showing signs of why Tottenham initially took him to north London across his 34 appearances for Leeds this campaign. But it is clear that his future lies away from the Tottenham Hotspur stadium after two successive loan spells away from the club, and plenty of defensive cover having been bought in in his absence.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Spurs insider Jon Wenham has revealed that he would accept any deal for Rodon over £10m, and has urged Levy to do the same.

“Tottenham’s decision to sell Rodon this summer will be down to whether or not Levy has learned from his past mistakes", he explained.

“Do Spurs want to actually continue with this rebuild or do they want to dig their heels in and try and get more money for Rodon?

“I think they would be doing well to receive a fee of anywhere between £10-13million, and should just accept any deal in this range.

“It is a far higher fee than they would have got last summer after Rodon’s unsuccessful loan spell in France with Stade Rennais F.C.”

Tottenham players on the chopping block
Player	Contract expires
Joe Rodon	2025
Sergio Reguilon	2025
Japhet Tanganga	2025
Tanguy Ndombele	2025
Djed Spence	2027
Giovanni Lo Celso	2025

With Spurs keen to continue to splash the cash this summer and looking to build on an impressive first season under Ange Postecoglou, preparation for a return to the Champions League is likely to take centre stage, which could leave Leeds free to grab a bargain and make Rodon's loan move permanent at a cut-price fee.

Eight of Australia’s T20 World Cup-winning XI are now confirmed for the new competition

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2020Three more of Australia’s T20 World Cup-winning side have signed deals to play in the inaugural season of the Hundred, with Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner and Nicola Carey all confirmed to appear in the competition.That means eight of the Australia XI from the final have contracts in the tournament, with Georgia Wareham, Delissa Kimmince and Megan Schutt the only three yet to sign.Mooney will link up with international team-mates Jess Jonassen and Meg Lanning at Welsh Fire, with Australia coach Matthew Mott in charge of the side.Carey joins player-of-the-final Alyssa Healy at Northern Superchargers, while Gardner becomes Birmingham Phoenix’s second overseas signing in the women’s competition alongside New Zealand captain Sophie Devine.Two further signings have been announced, with Marizanne Kapp joining Oval Invincibles and Chloe Tryon heading to London Spirit.”I’m really excited to take part in the first season of The Hundred,” Mooney said. “It looks likes it is developing into a high-quality, world-class competition.”As head coach, Matthew Mott is building a really strong side at Welsh Fire and I can’t wait to get out there with my new team-mates.”Beth Barrett-Wild, head of the women’s competition, said: “It’s fantastic to see five more international stars signing up to play in The Hundred this summer. The competition is really building momentum, and it’s very exciting to see the growing list of world-class talent involved across the eight teams.”We’ve now confirmed the names of 18 overseas players who will compete in the women’s competition, including the likes of Meg Lanning, Suzie Bates, Stafanie Taylor and Lizelle Lee; with six still to go, the standard of cricket is set to be very high.”

Michael di Venuto and Dave Houghton are also out of the UK and awaiting developments

Matt Roller22-Apr-2020

Jason Gillespie is back home in South Australia•Getty Images

Jason Gillespie is used to long-haul flights thanks to a long playing career and holding down coaching roles in two different countries, but his March travel itinerary would make even the most seasoned traveller wince.Soon after he flew from Adelaide to Cape Town via Dubai for Sussex’s pre-season camp, it became clear that the coronavirus pandemic meant it was unwise for the county’s squad to be overseas, meaning that after a week in South Africa he was on the move again, flying back to the UK. And 48 hours after landing, amid constant conversations with the club’s hierarchy, he was in the air heading back to Australia, when it became clear the county season would be postponed for some time.”It was a bit of whirlwind, that’s for sure,” Gillespie said. “The situation changed quite quickly, and quite considerably in a matter of days. The plan was to try and get everyone back safely to the UK. I was in my flat in Hove and had a couple of conversations with our CEO [Rob Andrew].”The club said: look, you’re probably best to be at home with your family. I had to self-isolate for two weeks. I’m fortunate that my mum lives in a little house just round the corner from where we are, so I stayed at hers. I had the kids coming down with my groceries and leaving them on the back porch.”ALSO READ: The Hundred’s future uncertain as ECB board prepares for postponementSelf-isolation complete, Gillespie is back with his family and feels safe: there has not been a new confirmed case of Covid-19 in South Australia for three days, and there are signs that an end to lockdown may not be too far away.But there is a complication. Australian citizens are currently banned from travelling abroad indefinitely, and while there is naturally little clarity on the likely duration of restrictions, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly suggested a six-month time frame is likely. That means that if the delayed English season is able to get underway – and the ECB board will meet on Thursday to discuss contingency planning – there is no guarantee that Gillespie will be able to get back to fulfil his role.”We just have to wait and see,” he said. “There’s so many logistical things to consider. If the season does get up and running, I’d probably have to self-isolate in the UK before I can link up with the squad – if I can even leave Australia.”I haven’t been thinking about it too much, because we simply don’t know. We’re all in the same boat, where health and safety are the priorities. We’ll have to wait and see: I know [Surrey coach] Michael di Venuto is in that boat too, and a good mate of mine who lives here in South Australia Mark Cosgrove plays at Leicestershire. What does he do?”Like Gillespie, Surrey coach Michael di Venuto is in Australia with his family•Getty Images

Derbyshire coach Dave Houghton is in the same position as di Venuto and Gillespie: he is currently in Zimbabwe with his family, with no clarity over when he will be able to return to the UK. Other non-British coaches – Adi Birrell (Hampshire), Stuart Law (Middlesex) and James Franklin (Durham) – are currently in England.Similarly, while several counties have cancelled or deferred the contracts of their overseas signings – Gillespie hopes that Travis Head will be able to join Sussex in 2021 if he is unable to play for the club this year – there are question marks hanging over several cricketers who count as ‘local’ players via EU passports or the Kolpak loophole, but are not currently in the UK. While Dane Vilas and Simon Harmer, for example, are in England, Stiaan van Zyl, David Wiese and Vernon Philander are among various players in South Africa with no clarity over the prospects of leaving.ALSO READ: Little appetite for upheaval as ECB begin review into Watmore appointmentThere is some hope that Thursday’s ECB board meeting might provide some kind of clarity about the likelihood that a season will be possible, but it seems probable that those overseas will be left in limbo until government advice is updated and an end to the UK’s lockdown comes into sight.For the time being, then, there is little that Gillespie can do to change things. Instead, he has been reaching out to his squad to keep in touch – “the mental side of all this is really important” – and is enjoying an unusually long period at home with his family.”That’s the one good thing – I don’t think we’ve ever spent this much time together as a family ever, with my job and the nature of cricket. I’m doing my running to keep busy, and one of my sons has challenged me to slam dunk a full-sized basketball, so I’ve been doing all kinds of jumping training, skipping, lots of plyometrics.”On my birthday [Monday] I did a jumping session with the kids, and slam-dunked a size three, so my son said: ‘dad, why don’t you try and dunk the bigger one?’ With my last jump I reckon I ripped my quad, because I’ve been struggling to move for the last few days.” Needless to say, struggling to move may prove to be a theme of the next few months.

da bet7k： Glasgow Rangers decided to part ways with former Ibrox boss Michael Beale back in October 2023 and replaced him with Belgian boss Philippe Clement.

da stake casino： The English tactician failed to win a single trophy during his time as manager of the Light Blues, after helping to win the Scottish Premiership title as Steven Gerrard's assistant previously, and made a number of questionable signings.

He overhauled the playing squad during the 2023 summer transfer window, as several players moved on from Ibrox to make way for new signings.

Cyriel Dessers, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, Abdallah Sima, Sam Lammers, Danilo, Leon Balogun, and Jose Cifuentes all came through the door, after the likes of Ryan Kent, Glen Kamara, Antonio Colak, and Alfredo Morelos departed.

Several of those new additions have struggled in Glasgow this season, including Cifuentes and Lammers as they both left on loan in January, and Dowell, in particular, has been an underwhelming signing so far.

Beale had a nightmare with the signing of the Rangers flop, who currently earns more than first-team starter John Souttar, as his injury issues have hampered his time in Scotland.

Kieran Dowell's time with Norwich

The English boss swooped to sign the former Everton youth prospect from Norwich City last summer, upon the expiry of his contract at Carrow Road.

Dowell produced 12 goals and six assists in 75 appearances for the Canaries in all competitions across his three-year spell in Norfolk, having joined from the Toffees in the summer of 2020.

His first season with Norwich was disrupted by an ankle injury that kept him out for 14 Championship matches from September to December 2020.

He was then an unused substitute in eight of the next 18 league games, as the talented gem continued to recover from his injury, before an impressive end to the campaign with five goals and one assist in 12 matches as Norwich won promotion to the Premier League.

Dowell followed that up with one goal and one assist in just 19 Premier League outings throughout the 2021/22 campaign, as the Yellows were relegated back down to the second tier in England.

22/23 Championship

Kieran Dowell

Appearances

23

Starts

14

Goals

5

Assists

3

Big chances created

6

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed whiz provided quality as a scorer and a creator in his limited starts for Norwich in the Championship.

Those limited starts, however, came as a result of him being absent from a whopping 19 matchday squads throughout the campaign as he struggled to remain fit for a consistent period of time.

Overall, Dowell started just 37 league matches across the Premier League and Championship combined in his three seasons with the Canaries, which should have served as a warning to Beale and Rangers.

Kieran Dowell's Rangers season in numbers

The 26-year-old whiz has only made 12 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues since his move to Ibrox on a free transfer last summer.

Dowell has missed out on the matchday squad, through either selection or injury, on a staggering 35 occasions domestically and in Europe this season.

He is currently out with an injury that was sustained during the winter break in January as the midfielder got his studs stuck in the pitch, and Clement claimed that the Beale signing would be out for around two months. However, it remains to be seen exactly when he will make his return to first-team action.

Arguably, the most frustrating part about his situation is that the ex-Norwich star has shown glimpses of quality when he has been available for selection.

Premiership starts in December 2023

Kieran Dowell

Vs St. Johnstone

Vs Motherwell

Minutes played

90

86

Sofascore rating

8.0

7.7

Goals

0

1

Key passes

3

0

Dribble success rate

100% (2/2)

100% (2/2)

Tackles + interceptions

4

5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Dowell caught the eye in his two league starts in December with his quality in and out of possession in the middle of the park.

Unfortunately, his consistent injury issues have made him an unreliable option for Clement, as his ability on the pitch is irrelevant when he cannot be on the field, which is why Beale had a nightmare with the signing as those issues plagued his career at Norwich as well.

The warning signs were there for the Gers but they did not heed them, and they now have a rarely-available midfielder who earns more than one of the manager's key performers – Souttar.

Dowell is currently – per Salary Sport – on a wage of £16k-per-week, and that is more than Abdallah Sima (£8.5k-per-week), Ryan Jack (£8k-per-week), and the central defender Souttar, who is on £8.1k-per-week.

John Souttar's season in numbers

The Scotland international, who recorded a dismal 5.9 Sofascore rating for his country against the Netherlands in a 4-0 loss on Friday, has been a reliable performer for the Gers this season.

Souttar, who had his own injury problems last term with 46 games out due to an ankle issue, has made 33 appearances in all competitions for the club – almost three times as many as Dowell despite earning almost half as much in wages.

23/24 Premiership

John Souttar

Appearances

21

Clean sheets

9

Pass accuracy

88%

Ground duel success rate

71%

Aerial duel success rate

76%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers colossus has been a man mountain at the back for both Beale and Clement this season with his dominant defensive work.

Opposition players have rarely been able to get the better of him in physical contests, on the floor or in the air, which has contributed to the club having the best defensive record in the division – with at least seven fewer goals conceded than any other team.

He has formed a strong partnership with Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence for Clement and there is little to suggest that his position in the XI is in any danger any time soon.

This illustrates how much of a nightmare Rangers have had with Dowell as they are spending more money on his services, to rarely be available to play, than they are on an integral member of their starting XI in Souttar.

Hopefully, the attacking midfielder can overcome his injury problems and eventually emerge as a key player for the club. At this time, however, it looks to have been a howler of a signing by Beale.

Mikel Arteta dropped a massive hint on his Arsenal future and warned that the Gunners will be "very aggressive" in summer transfer market.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arteta's current contract runs until 2025Believes that a new deal "will happen"Currently focused on getting the right signings WHAT HAPPENED?

The 42-year-old’s current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2025 and although initial expectations were for renewal discussions to commence at the end of last season, the focus has shifted. Nonetheless, Arteta believes that everything will fall into place at the right time and "it will happen".

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ARTETA SAID

Speaking to , Arteta revealed: "There is no update [on his contract] at the moment. The thing that hasn't changed is how happy I am and how valued I feel here and how much I love representing this club. Things happen in a natural way and our relationship is that good that I don't predict any issues happening. But things have to develop in the right way and it will happen."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arteta has also outlined Arsenal's ambitions for the summer transfer window, indicating that the club will adopt an aggressive approach. The manager revealed that the Gunners are looking to strengthen various departments and not just their attack.

"We are looking to improve in every possible department," he said. "With the new regulations, there are certain things we have to respect and be conscious of and then obviously the Euros and Copa América are slowing everything down. Hopefully, now it is going to pick up a little bit because we have things to go and we will try to provide that. [How active do we expect to be?] I think both ways. There are things that we have to improve, that's for sure and we are going to try to do. But the market is tricky. We have been very aggressive, we are very determined and we have a clear idea obviously of what we want to do. It will come down to finding the right agreements at the right time."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arteta has assembled a squad of nine players not involved in Euro 2024 or the Copa América for a training camp in Marbella. Arsenal’s preseason will kick off against Bournemouth on July 24 before they fly across the Atlantic to Los Angeles to face Manchester United at SoFi Stadium on July 27 and Liverpool in Philadelphia on July 31.

Having endured a season to forget on the pitch, which has so far seen Eddie Howe's side fail to replicate the form that saw them qualify for the Champions League last time out, Newcastle United now face problems away from St James' Park. The Magpies could soon have no choice but to bid farewell to some key players, perhaps even in the January transfer window.

Newcastle's FFP situation explained

The Premier League's profit and sustainability rules have left Newcastle walking a fine line when it comes to Financial Fair Play sanctions. According to The Guardian, the rules state that over the course of three seasons, a club is only allowed to record a loss of £105m. Newcastle's in that time period stands at a reported £155m, but the Magpies are safe from any punishment for now due to investment into the women's team, academy or charity foundation.

PIF will likely have to sell before they can think about spending big once more though, with chief executive Darren Eales saying earlier this month: "If we’re going to get to where we want to get to, at times, it’s necessary to trade your players. It’s a counterintuitive part of the PSR system that there is an incentive to trade players if you want to reinvest.”

That said, reports suggest that the Magpies could be set to lose a key player before the end of the month. According to Football Transfers, Chelsea are considering matching Newcastle's £18m asking price for Callum Wilson, who has also been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid in the winter window.

The forward has been at the club since 2020, but could now leave amid Newcastle's FFP fears in a deadline beating move, with the Blues themselves in desperate need of a truly clinical number nine who won't break the bank.

Newcastle must keep "excellent" Wilson

Given that Chelsea sit ninth, two points and one place above Newcastle in the Premier League, it wouldn't exactly be wise for those at St James' Park to sanction Wilson's exit to the London club this month, or to wherever else for that matter. The former Bournemouth man holds the experience that Alexander Isak lacks and is still going stride for stride with the Swede, who is not ready to take up the goalscoring mantel on his own just yet. Here's how Wilson's stats compare to Isak's in the Premier League this season…

Premier League 2023/24	Starts	Goals	Assists	Expected Goals
Callum Wilson	7	7	1	7.2
Alexander Isak	13	10	0	10.1

After working with Howe at Bournemouth and now Newcastle, Wilson is certainly one of Howe's favourites, with the manager full of praise for the forward back in their days on the South Coast, telling Sky Sports: "Callum was excellent today, as was Josh King – they caused lots of problems today. It is testament to Callum's professionalism that he is able to play 90 minutes, he has worked hard on his comeback. It was great to see him score and the team were boosted by his return."