da betano casino： Looking to continue their transfer strategy of welcoming future stars, Chelsea are now reportedly preparing an offer worth £17m to sign a young South American full-back ahead of the summer.
Chelsea aiming to spoil Liverpool's title party
da bet esporte： Level on points with sixth-place Nottingham Forest, Chelsea are playing host to the Premier League champions at the worst possible time. The Reds will enter Stamford Bridge with the pressure eased, celebrations continuing and fresh from the first of four guard of honours. For Chelsea, meanwhile, this is simply a must-win game.
Manager Enzo Maresca is well aware of the importance of victory this Sunday too, having told reporters in his pre-match press conference: “The mood is good and I’ve said for a few weeks now that it’s a matter of how we manage emotions until the end [of the season].
“When we win games, we are happy and when we don’t win, we’re not happy. But it’ll be a race until the end and we need to manage the emotions. In this moment, the main thing is to watch ourselves and be focused on ourselves. This is the main point. For sure, there are more clubs involved [in the top-five race] but for us, it’s important to stay focused on ourselves.”
Approach made: Chelsea now ready to splash out £60m to sign "amazing" star
He almost joined Arsenal in January…
ByTom Cunningham May 3, 2025
With games against Newcastle United, Manchester United and most importantly, Nottingham Forest on the final day awaiting Chelsea, it is set to be a frantic few weeks for the Blues. Maresca has arguably been handed the toughest games of his tenure at the most crucial stage of the campaign.
On the pitch, securing Champions League football would signal quite the sigh of relief. Away from the action, meanwhile, it would allow those at Stamford Bridge to get to work in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea preparing £17m Wesley offer
According to Caught Offside, Chelsea are now preparing an offer worth €20m (£17m) to sign Wesley from Flamengo, with talks over a deal set to intensify at the Club World Cup – a competition both sides will be competing in this summer.
As things stand, those negotiations will need to reach a breakthrough regarding the defender’s price-tag, given that Flamengo are reportedly holding out for €35m (£35m), rather than the £17m offer that Chelsea are seemingly preparing.
It should come as no surprise to see Chelsea interested in signing Wesley, given how often they’ve set their sights on South American talent throughout BlueCo’s ownership.
The Blues have already sealed the talented Estevao Willian and could now sign Wesley to go alongside the midfielder. Described as “pacy” by South American football expert Nathan Joyes, the right-back is certainly one to keep an eye on.
The allrounder won’t feature in T20Is against West Indies or New Zealand due to a focus on red-ball cricket this month
Andrew McGlashan09-Feb-20240:56
Is Smith in? Finch names his T20 World Cup starting XI
Cameron Green remains firmly in the thoughts of Australia’s selectors for the T20 World Cup with the upcoming IPL to play a role in how they put together the final squad ahead of the tournament in June.Green has been left out of the two T20I series against West Indies and New Zealand to prioritise red-ball preparation for the Tests against the latter – which will include a Sheffield Shield outing for Western Australia against Tasmania next week – but he could yet feature in the World Cup.He will return to IPL in late March, where he has been traded to Royal Challengers Bangalore from Mumbai Indians, and performances in that competition could still sway the selectors.Related
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“Yeah, very firmly,” national selector George Bailey said when asked if Green was still in the frame. “We know he’s going to go to the IPL and getting a big batch of T20 cricket in. It’s a constant conversation with multi-format players, working out the priority at any given time, and making sure they get what they need but he’s certainly one whose name I think, as we are finalising that 15 for the World Cup, will be firmly in the mix.”Green made his mark at the top of the order in T20Is shortly before the previous World Cup in 2022 when he hammered two rapid half-centuries against India. He was then elevated into Australia’s squad when Josh Inglis was injured although only played once in that tournament, in the final match against Afghanistan.He did not feature in any of Australia’s eight T20Is last year with the priority given to Tests and ODIs. Green endured a challenging 2023 across formats after his first IPL stint, struggling for runs in Tests before losing his place at the end of the Ashes and only having a bit-part role in ODIs which included suffering a concussion against South Africa when he’d been earmarked for a run at No. 4.He has since returned to the Test side in a new role at No. 4 amid the post-David Warner batting reshuffle, which has seen Steven Smith move to open. Three innings against West Indies brought a top score of 42 and he’ll get another chance in that position against New Zealand with selectors happy to play the long game.”There’s a skill set there that’s unbelievable across all three formats,” Bailey said. “[We’re] really confident that just continuing to expose him he’ll get better and better and learn more about his game.”But like any player, I don’t think it’s going to be a straight line – there’ll be fluctuations throughout, as there always is. His last two years have been a whirlwind, I imagine, at different times. He’s travelled with the team basically non-stop.Cameron Green made a half-century in the ODI series against West Indies•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”It’s a challenge that all those players do go through, but I guess when you are younger and you get exposed to that, it can be tough. But I’m sure if you ask Cam he wouldn’t have it any other way.”Like for Green, the IPL could play a part in who takes the final pace-bowling slot in the T20 World Cup squad although Nathan Ellis’ skills at the death currently have him at the head of the queue, meaning T20 player of the year Jason Behrendorff has a challenge to get in with Sean Abbott also likely to be squeezed out.Behrendorff will face West Indies but is not part of the New Zealand tour. Ellis was due to feature in both but has been withdrawn from the West Indies games as he continues to recover from a rib injury sustained late in the BBL. Behrendorff has an IPL deal with Mumbai Indians while Ellis is with Punjab Kings. Spencer Johnson, who was one of the big-money signings at the auction, will feature for Gujarat Titans.Behrendorff has developed his death bowling to the extent that he was Australia’s second-most economical bowler in that phase last year, behind Ben Dwarshuis who played just two games, conceding 8.51, while Ellis went for 10.90 although he did send down more than double the number of deliveries.”It’s not necessarily who’s in front, it’s more the roles you are looking for them to fill,” Bailey said. “Working through the what ifs and what skillsets you want to prioritise if something happens to another player, where you’ve got cover and what you need to make sure you have access to.”Nathan’s skills at the death are fantastic, think we have some great new-ball bowlers there. Can’t fault the work that Jason Behrendorff’s done over the past 12-18 months and his ability to add to his game…the ability to be able to now bowl through the middle and at the death is really impressive so he’s another one who is really putting their hand up.”Again, it’s just trying to get that balance of how we can get some information through these next six games and which guys will be getting an opportunity in India in the IPL which we’ll obviously be watching really closely.”
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are reportedly in talks over extending Clement Lenglet's stay at the Metropolitano Stadium.
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Atletico wants to extend Lenglet's contract
French defender been on loan at Atletico
In talks with Barcelona to finalise deal
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WHAT HAPPENED?
After three seasons out on loan, the French defender seems to have finally found his groove. As per Mundo Deportivo, the centre-back has impressed the Atletico management, who are keen to retain his services beyond the expiry of his current loan deal this season. A permanent move from Barcelona to the Metropolitano is also being considered.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Lenglet featured in 34 games for Atlético Madrid this season, starting 32 of them. His current loan deal expires on June 30, 2025, making it crucial for Atleti to address his future soon. The club is reportedly considering two main options – extending his loan or negotiating a permanent transfer, provided the Frenchman agrees to a pay cut. With the Club World Cup set to begin on June 15, 2025, Atletico are expected to push for clarity on his situation sooner rather than later. The French defender has been out on loan since 2022, first with Tottenham Hotspur, followed by a stint at Aston Villa, before returning to Spain to join Atletico.
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Lenglet, who joined Barcelona in 2018, is not the only Atletico player facing an uncertain future. Antoine Griezmann’s contract runs until 2026, meaning he will enter the final year of his deal this summer. Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC have shown interest in the Frenchman, but that is not set in stone.
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WHAT NEXT FOR ATLETICO MADRID?
Tottenham's Cristian Romero has also been on Atleti's wish list this summer. Manager Diego Simeone admires the Argentine defender and believes the Europa League winner would be a strong addition to bolster their backline for next season. However, Romero remains under contract with Spurs until June 2027, which could complicate any potential move. Incidentally, the Spanish club are set to kick off their Club World Cup campaign in just over two weeks, with a high-profile opening clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Arne Slot is well on his way to securing his first Premier League title with Liverpool in his first attempt, currently sitting top of the tree on 67 points after 28 matches played, 13 points ahead of second-place Arsenal who do have one game in hand.
Liverpool are unsurprisingly the league’s top scorers, scoring 66 goals in their 28 games played, taking the most shots per game with 16.6 and averaging 56.7% possession; the fourth highest in the division.
Mohamed Salah has scored a whopping 25 Premier League goals this season, whilst also providing 17 assists and totaling 2,485 minutes played.
Liverpool’s top ten Premier League scorers 2024/25
Player
Goals
Mohamed Salah
25
Luis Diaz
9
Cody Gakpo
8
Diogo Jota
5
Dominik Szoboszlai
5
Darwin Núñez
4
Alexis Mac Allister
3
Curtis Jones
3
Trent Alexander-Arnold
2
Ibrahima Konate
1
Behind Salah, the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota have all contributed with goals, as has Dominik Szoboszlai in recent weeks, being deployed as a false 9 at times under Slot.
This has left Darwin Nunez’s future in doubt, as he clearly finds himself out of favour.
The Darwin Nunez conundrum for Liverpool
Nunez was signed by Liverpool back in 2022, joining for a club-record fee of around £85m from Benfica.
Since joining the Reds, Nunez has made 132 appearances, scoring 39 goals, providing 22 assists and totalling 7,105 minutes played.
The story of Nunez’s time at Liverpool can largely be put into perspective with his missed chance against Aston Villa.
Whilst he gets himself into very good positions, working hard for the team and constantly offering a threat on the break, his ability to provide that final clinical touch has proven to evade him at times.
This term, he has missed 13 big chances which remarkably is an improvement on last season where he missed a colossal 38 across all competitions.
Some of his misses have been described as “unacceptable” by pundits, and the longer this continues, the more you begin to wonder if Nunez will eventually be replaced, even if it’s by someone from Liverpool’s academy system.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Liverpool's "special" star could replace Nunez
The Reds are currently bringing through a number of highly-rated young forwards at the moment with Jayden Danns perhaps the most exciting from a striker perspective.
Liverpool's Lewis Koumas, Jayden Danns and Trey Nyoni celebrate winning the Carabao Cup with the trophy
However, in the shape of Ben Doak, they have a winger who could also take minutes away from Nunez heading into Slot’s second term.
Liverpool signed Doak from Celtic back in 2022, with the youngster joining for a measly £600,000 compensation fee from the Scottish giants.
The 19-year-old has found himself on loan at Middlesbrough this season, making 24 appearances, scoring three goals, providing seven assists and totalling 1,789 minutes.
Doak can play on both wings, which opens the opportunity for Slot to continue using the likes of Diaz, Szoboszlai, Jota and even Curtis Jones through the middle, looking to exploit his attacking firepower out wide with the likes of Salah and Gakpo.
The Scotland international was described as a “special” young player by Jürgen Klopp, whilst Jones described the Liverpool youngster as a “potential game-changer” when he joined Boro in the summer on loan.
Doak is clearly an extremely talented player, who is expected to make the jump to Premier League football next campaign one way or another.
Ben Doak for Liverpool
If Slot is willing to put his trust in the 19-year-old next season, Doak could offer some extra firepower to their attacking line, leaving the door open for Nunez to be sold, which may become more feasible if he remains out of favour under the Dutch manager.
Sold for £15m: Klopp’s Liverpool star is playing like a £100m Salah heir
This former Liverpool star could have been a valuable asset in Arne Slot’s system.
da bet sport： Tottenham Hotspur are no closer to climbing back up the Premier League table after they were beaten 2-0 by London rivals Fulham on Sunday.
da stake casino： Ange Postecoglou’s side remain stuck in 13th place in the division, five points behind Crystal Palace in 12th, after goals from Rodrigo Muniz and former Spurs man Ryan Sessegnon secured all three points for the hosts.
The Lilywhites, as you can see in the clips above, did have chances to take the lead before the second-half strikes from the Fulham pair, as Dominic Solanke missed two big opportunities to find the back of the net.
Tottenham’s £55m signing from Bournemouth last summer failed to step up and put his team in front, which provided the Cottagers with the chance to go on and win the match – and they did.
Solanke was far from the only Spurs player who underperformed on the day against Fulham, however, as Yves Bissouma was hauled off the pitch at half-time after his struggles in the opening 45 minutes.
Spurs' poorest performers against Fulham
Postecoglou decided to go with the Mali international as part of his starting midfield three alongside Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur at Craven Cottage.
Unfortunately, however, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man did not justify his manager’s faith in him with a positive performance on the pitch against the Cottagers.
Instead, Bissouma struggled badly with his play in and out of possession in the opening 45 minutes before he was withdrawn from the action, to be replaced by Lucas Bergvall for the second half.
The central midfielder only completed 82% of his attempted passes in the first half, despite not attempting a single long pass or cross, and did not create a single chance for his teammates. This suggests that he was sloppy in possession without offering any threat to the Fulham goal.
Vs Fulham
Yves Bissouma
Minutes played
45
Touches
17
Ground duels won
2/6
Aerial duels won
0/1
Tackles + interceptions
1
Clearances
0
Fouls committed
2
Possession lost
8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Bissouma also struggled out of possession throughout his time on the pitch for the Lilywhites, losing five of his seven physical duels.
He made more fouls than tackles and interceptions made combined, which speaks to how much of a liability the midfielder was off the ball, and his play at both ends of the pitch may have contributed to Postecoglou’s decision to take him off the pitch.
Chalkboard
The 28-year-old dud was not, however, the worst player on the pitch for Tottenham during that first-half display. Winger Brennan Johnson was also taken off after the first 45 minutes, after he put in an even worse performance than Bissouma at Craven Cottage.
Brennan Johnson's performance against Fulham
The Wales international was selected to start on the right side of the front three for Spurs, with Solanke down the middle and Bayern Munich loanee Mathys Tel on the left flank.
It was Johnson’s lack of fluidity in possession that ultimately cost him in the first half, though, as he failed to be effective with the ball at his feet for Tottenham on the wing.
The former Nottingham Forest man was substituted off at the break, with club captain Heung-min Son coming on in his place, after he was unable to cause many, if any, problems for Antonee Robinson.
Johnson ended the first half with zero shots attempted, zero crosses completed, zero long passes completed, and zero chances created for his teammates in his 45 minutes on the pitch. On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise that he was handed a dismal 3/10 player rating by Football.London at full-time.
Vs Fulham
Brennan Johnson
Minutes played
45
Shots
0
Key passes
0
Dribbles completed
0/2
Crosses completed
0/1
Long passes completed
0/1
Pass accuracy
55%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Welsh forward was completely ineffective at the top end of the pitch and incredibly loose with his passes, which gave Robinson a fairly easy afternoon.
Johnson also struggled to deal with the physicality of the Fulham players, losing four of his six duels, as he put in an even worse performance than Bissouma, who at least completed 82% of his passes and was not expected to make a difference in the final third.
Why Spurs should drop Brennan Johnson
Postecoglou must, now, ruthlessly bin the Welsh attacker from his starting line-up when Spurs are back in action against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after the international break, by bringing Son or Wilson Odobert back into the side.
Johnson has been in disappointing form of late for the North London outfit, with just two goals and zero assists in his last ten appearances against Premier League level or Europa League opposition.
Both of those goals came in a 4-1 win over relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, who were in League One two seasons ago, which means that the ex-Nottingham Forest man has failed to register a goal or an assist in any of the other nine outings.
The 23-year-old is not a dynamic winger who is likely to progress play with passes or dribbles to make things happen, but he does have excellent positioning and a good feel for when a chance will come his way.
24/25 PL
Johnson (per 90)
Percentile rank vs att. mids & wingers
Non-penalty xG
0.48
Top 2%
Non-penalty goals
0.47
Top 6%
Assists
0.10
Bottom 24%
Expected Assisted Goals
0.08
Bottom 11%
Shot-creating actions
2.20
Bottom 9%
Progressive passes
2.99
Bottom 37%
Progressive carries
2.73
Bottom 38%
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, Johnson is exceptional at finding himself in high-quality goalscoring positions, yet leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his use of the ball outside of his shooting opportunities.
He ranks incredibly lowly among his positional peers in the Premier League at progressing play and creating chances for his teammates, which was part of the issue with his performance against Fulham.
This is backed up by his return of just two assists, from 1.43 xA, in 26 appearances in the top-flight this season, which shows that he rarely provides his fellow attackers with chances to score.
When Johnson does not get the big chances to score in matches, the former Forest man does not offer much to the side on the right flank and that is why – amid this current dry spell in front of goal – Postecoglou should drop him from the starting line-up.
Fewer touches than Vicario: 5/10 Spurs dud proved why Levy must replace him
Tottenham Hotspur’s forward may have just prompted the club to spend millions once again.
Tottenham Hotspur are ready to test the water with an offer to sign a potential replacement for exit-linked forward Richarlison, and it is believed the Spurs target is keen on a big move elsewhere this summer.
Tottenham prepared to sanction cut-price Richarlison sale
The Brazilian was linked with a move away from N17 last summer, with clubs in Saudi Arabia displaying a public interest, but Richarlison opted to remain in north London and fight for his place under Ange Postecoglou.
£35m Premier League forward wants to join Tottenham after talks
Spurs are convinced.
ByEmilio Galantini Mar 6, 2025
Richarlison was adamant that a move to Saudi didn’t interest him at the time, but the forward has since struggled with injuries and a lack of opportunities to establish himself as a star player under Postecoglou as a result.
Bournemouth (home)
March 9th
Fulham (away)
March 16th
Chelsea (away)
April 2nd
Southampton (home)
April 5th
Wolves (away)
April 12th
Reports suggest this could be the South American’s final season at Spurs, with Everton said to be planning talks to sign Richarlison early on in the summer window as they prepare for life in a state-of-the-art new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.
Richarlison injured for Tottenham
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is apparently prepared to take a £20 million loss on the 27-year-old’s sale this summer as well. Tottenham are willing to sanction Richarlison’s sale for £40 million, far beneath the £60 million they paid to sign him from Everton in 2022, according to GiveMeSport.
With Everton lurking in the background for Richarlison’s signature, there are now reports emerging of the Lilywhites scouring for possible replacements. As per CaughtOffside, Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo is firmly in Spurs’ thinking.
Tottenham set to bid £34 million for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo
According to their information, Semenyo is one of Tottenham’s priorities to replace Richarlison, following his excellent campaign under Andoni Iraola at the Vitality Stadium.
It is also claimed in the report that Spurs are set to test Bournemouth’s resolve with a £34 million bid for the 25-year-old, who will actually face off against Postecoglou’s side later today, so it will be interesting to see how he performs.
Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo vs Wolves in the FA Cup.
In the build up to this game, Semenyo has bagged nine goals and five assists across 30 appearances in all competitions, with his performances also attracting attention from Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle and Serie A title chasers Napoli.
It is added that Semenyo is keen on a big move elsewhere this summer, which could hand Spurs a boost. The former Bristol City star has also been praised for his top flight performances this season, especially by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.
“He’s a lovely footballer to watch”, said Redknapp on Premier League productions earlier this term.
“The manager’s taken him to another level, he obviously has that capability because you saw it with Solanke. I’m just seeing him elevate his game right now, we’ll talk about why does that happen, a lot of it is purely on confidence.
“He looks like he’s enjoying his football, his shoulders are back, he’s relaxed, every time he gets it, he plays with a bit of a swagger. He’s actually a joy to watch right now.”
Chelsea returned to fourth in the Premier League for the time being, after beating Southampton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, with goals coming from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella.
They also kept their first clean sheet in the Premier League since December 22nd, when they drew 0-0 with Everton at Goodison Park. The Blues have conceded 36 goals in 27 games so far this season.
Despite only facing seven shots against the Saints, they did create two “big chances” with their two shots on target, generating 0.72 xG and forcing Chelsea’s new shot-stopper into action.
Chelsea's rising star
Filip Jorgensen was signed in the summer by Chelsea, joining from Villarreal for a fee of around £20.7m.
First Impressions
Since arriving, the 22-year-old has been the number two keeper, making 17 appearances so far for the Blues, most of which have come in cup competitions, conceding 18 goals in total and keeping six clean sheets.
However, in recent weeks, thanks to the poor form of Robert Sanchez, Jorgensen has been made Chelsea number one according to Enzo Maresca, which has seen him start the previous four Premier League fixtures against West Ham, Brighton, Aston Villa and Southampton.
Whilst Jorgensen did make a big mistake of his own against Villa, he has clearly done enough to earn the trust of Maresca for the time being, both on the ball and making important saves, which will allow the Italian to fully axe one of their worst performers this campaign.
Chelsea can now finally sell £60k-p/w flop
Since Sanchez joined Chelsea back in 2023 for a fee of around £25m, the 27-year-old has made 43 appearances for the Blues, conceding 59 goals in total and only keeping nine clean sheets, totalling 3,864 minutes played.
When the £60k-per-week flop was first signed, sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart were “excited” by his arrival:
That said, things haven’t turned out quite as planned….
Stats (per 90 mins)
Sanchez
Jorgensen
Goals Against
1.38
1.07
Shots on Target Against
4.58
4.40
Saves
3.20
3.33
Save %
74.8%
77.3%
Clean Sheets
0.18
0.33
Passes Attempted
40.8
31.5
Pass Completion %
73.3%
83.6%
Crosses Stopped
1.38
0.33
When comparing both Sanchez and Jorgensen’s underlying numbers so far this season, the 22-year-old shot-stopper comes out on top, making more saves despite having fewer shots taken against him, conceding fewer goals and even having a higher pass completion.
Having the ability to play short-circuit passes around the back to attract the opposition press is very important to Maresca’s system, and the fact Jorgensen is doing it without making the same mistakes as Sanchez – or at least to a much lesser degree – is another positive sign for the Blues.
With Jorgensen now Chelsea’s number one, it is in his hands to make that position his own, keeping Sanchez out of the fray and finally allowing Maresca to settle on one goalkeeper, with Sanchez’s future potentially now lying elsewhere.
With the former Brighton man having made five errors leading to a goal in the Premier League in 2024/25 alone, Winstanley and Co’s initial excitement has undoubtedly disappeared.
100% duels won: 9/10 Chelsea ace is rapidly becoming more vital than Palmer
Chelsea ended their dismal recent run with a 4-0 win over Southampton last night.
Teams likely to have a purse of INR 100 crore to build their squads for next season
Nagraj Gollapudi26-Oct-2023
The IPL auction will be held outside India for the first time•Arjun Singh/BCCI
The IPL player auction ahead of the 2024 season will be held on December 19 in Dubai; it is the first time the auction will be held overseas.The event will coincide with the second ODI of India’s tour of South Africa, which is scheduled for December 19 in Gqeberha.The ten IPL teams have until November 15 to submit the lists of players they are retaining and releasing, after which the auction pool will be finalised by early December.Each team will have a purse of INR 100 crore (USD 12.02 million approximately) to build their squad for the 2024 season, a INR 5 crore increase from last season’s purse of INR 95 crore. How much each team has to spend on auction day depends on the value of players they release, in addition to their unspent purse from the 2023 auction.Punjab Kings have the largest purse at present – INR 12.20 crore (USD 1.47million) – while Mumbai Indians have the smallest at INR 0.05 crore (USD 0.006 million). Of the remaining teams Sunrisers Hyderabad have INR 6.55 crore (USD 0.79 million); Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals both have INR 4.45 crore (USD 0.54 million); Lucknow Super Giants have INR 3.55 crore (USD 0.43 million); Rajasthan Royals have USD 3.35 crore (USD 0.40 million); Royal Challengers Bangalore have INR 1.75 crore (USD 0.21 million); Kolkata Knight Riders have INR 1.65 crore (USD 0.2 million); and defending champions Chennai Super Kings have INR 1.5 crore (USD 0.18 million).Despite being only a day-long event – compared to the two-day mega auction once every four years – mini auctions have produced some of the most expensive buys, especially in the overseas players category. Ahead of the 2023 season, Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was bought by Punjab for INR 18.5 crore in December last year.Several prominent overseas players are likely to enter the upcoming auction, including Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc who recently said he was “definitely” heading back to the IPL after an eight-year hiatus. Pat Cummins is also likely to put his name up for bidding, having skipped the IPL last year. Some of the other key players franchises expect to see at the auction are Travis Head, Chris Woakes, Alex Hales, Sam Billings, and Gerald Coetzee.
Harry Kane was given a beer shower following Bayern Munich's Bundesliga trophy celebrations.
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Kane wins first trophyCelebrates Bayern's Bundesliga winMobbed with beer showerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bayern backed up their Bundesliga title win last weekend with a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday, with Kane getting on the scoresheet again. And just when the England captain was being interviewed about his team's triumph, the striker was doused in beer in front of his home fans – a tradition known as a Weißbierdusche (or wheat beer shower).
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Former Tottenham man Kane finally ended his lengthy wait to win a trophy when he helped Bayern win the league title earlier this month. The 31-year-old has been prolific for the German giants since signing for them in 2023 and now he is enjoying some well-earned celebrations.
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Kane's Bayern round off their Bundesliga season away to Hoffenheim next Saturday.
Former Pakistan captain, coach and selector in line to head new cricket committee in the board
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2023
Misbah ul Haq has been both the Pakistan coach and selector in the past•Getty Images
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is set to return to the PCB nearly two years after he resigned as head coach of the national side.ESPNcricinfo understands Misbah is likely to be appointed the head of a cricket committee that will soon be formed. He will also be the advisor on cricketing affairs to the current head of the PCB, Zaka Ashraf.The impending appointment is the first major move the new administration will make in the running of Pakistan cricket. Ashraf was appointed head of the PCB’s new management committee earlier this month, after a brief legal tangle following the end of Najam Sethi’s stint as caretaker chairman in late June.Misbah’s role is expected to be an honorary one, which means he will not be paid a salary. The decision was finalised after he met with Ashraf on Monday.It means a return for Misbah nearly two years after he resigned in September 2021, shortly after Ramiz Raja was appointed PCB chairman. Since then, he has worked as an expert and analyst on various TV channels, commitments that he is likely to continue to pursue.Misbah also served as Pakistan coach and chief selector in September 2019, replacing Mickey Arthur as head coach. He had played under Arthur when he was captain of the Test side for a year, with Pakistan becoming the top-ranked side in the world during that time.After his retirement, Misbah was part of a committee that played a role in Arthur’s removal as head coach and he subsequently took over the role, as well as the responsibility of being the chief selector.When Arthur was appointed team director earlier this year, Misbah said the move was a “slap on Pakistan cricket,” not so much that it was Arthur but for the nature of his role and appointment. Arthur has remained in his job as Derbyshire coach, while overseeing the Pakistan side with Grant Bradburn as head coach. “It’s a slap on our cricket system that we are not able to find a high-profile full-time coach,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo in February. “It’s a shame that the best ones do not want to come and we insist on having someone who is looking at Pakistan as a second option.”I blame our own system, which is vulnerable enough with so many weak lines for anyone to exploit it. We are to be blamed ourselves that we have disrespected and discredited our own people to make a bad image. The present and former lot don’t respect each other, with media and former players using their own YouTube channels for ratings, damaging the credibility and value of our cricket which, as a result, gives an impression that we are not capable.”