تحدثت صحيفة آس اليوم السبت، عن أزمة من المحتمل أن يواجهها لاعبو نادي أتلتيكو مدريد، وذلك قبل موقعة ديربي العاصمة الإسبانية أمام ريال مدريد هذا الشهر.
وسوف يستضيف أتلتيكو مدريد نظيره ريال مدريد يوم السبت الموافق 27 سبتمبر الجاري، وذلك على ملعب واندا ميتروبوليتانو، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني.
أقرأ أيضًا .. ألابا يكشف حقيقة رحيله عن ريال مدريد
وأشارت صحيفة آس، إلى أن أتلتيكو مدريد من المقرر أن يكون في مأزق قبل لقاء ريال مدريد، حيث سيحصل لاعبو أتلتيكو على راحة أقل 24 ساعة من لاعبي ريال مدريد.
وأضافت الصحيفة، أن ذلك يمثل مشكلة كبيرة لأتلتيكو مدريد في ظل الوضع التنافسي بين الفريقين، على الرغم من تفوق ريال مدريد الواضح في بداية هذا الموسم.
ولم يحصد أتلتيكو مدريد سوى نقطتين فقط من بداية هذا الموسم، في حين يتصدر ريال مدريد ترتيب الليجا برصيد تسع نقاط وبالعلامة الكاملة.
وأوضحت الصحيفة، أن هذه ليست أول مرة يحصل ريال مدريد فيها على راحة أكثر من أتلتيكو مدريد قبل لقاء الفريقين ببطولة الدوري.
وأشارت إلى أن ريال مدريد خلال الموسم الماضي حصل على راحة أكثر من أتلتيكو مدريد بـ48 ساعة، حيث تعادل الأتليتي يوم الخميس مع سيلتا فيجو خارج أرضه 1-1، ثم اضطر رجال المدرب دييجو سيميوني السفر إلى مدريد للعب لقاء الديربي في ظل إجهاد كبير.
Fair to say, West Ham United supporters are not coming into the new season with sky-high optimism.
Last time round, the Hammers finished 14th, only just above the disastrous duo that was Manchester United and Tottenham, while their tally of nine home league defeats was the most they’ve endured since being relegated in 2010/11.
Graham Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui in January, but this did not lead to an upturn in results, winning just five of his 19 matches in charge.
Thus, Potter will be under pressure to make a fast start to this season, but will need some new recruits if he’s to achieve this, potentially with his eye on an attacker reminiscent of a West Ham fans’ favourite of yesteryear.
West Ham's search for a new attacker
So far this summer, in a very unpopular move amongst the Hammers’ support, star winger Mohammed Kudus has departed to join fierce rivals Tottenham for a reported fee of £55m, becoming the first player to make such a move since Scott Parker in 2011.
Meantime, left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf has arrived from Slavia Prague for around £19m, but this has done little to get supporters back on side.
Mohammed Kudus celebrates for West Ham
Well, that could change because, according to a report by Jack Johnson for talkSPORT, West Ham have made contact with Leicester City over the possibility of signing Bilal El Khannouss.
They add that Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Monaco also ‘hold a concrete interest’, while adding that the Moroccan international’s contract contains a £22.5m release clause, activated following the Foxes’ relegation to the EFL Championship.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Loïc Tanzi of L’Équipe claims that El Khannouss has no intention of playing in England’s second-tier, prioritising a return to the Premier League, so could he soon swap the East Midlands for the East End of London?
How Bilal El Khannouss would improve West Ham
After arriving from Genk for £21m last summer, El Khannouss managed to impress during his debut campaign in the Premier League, despite plying his trade in a generally hopeless Leicester side, who infamously failed to score in nine successive home league matches, an unwanted new top division record.
The table below outlines the Moroccan’s importance to the Foxes last season.
Bilal El Khannouss’ Premier League statistics 2024/25
Statistics
El Khannouss
Leicester rank
Minutes
2,182
7th
Appearances
32
4th
Goals
2
5th
Assists
3
3rd
Shots
30
4th
Goals – xG
+0.7
4th
Progressive passes
128
1st
Key passes
42
1st
Passes into the box
31
1st
Shot-creating actions
78
1st
Successful take-ons
34
2nd
Take-on success %
56.7%
2nd*
Progressive carries
73
2nd
Carries into the final third
45
1st
*minimum 13 attempted.
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com
As the table outlines, El Khannouss was very much Leicester’s creator in chief last season, ranked first for a variety of passing, chances created and dribbling statistics.
Ben Mattinson of Breaking the Lines notes that he ‘boasts the vision to spot impossible passes’, adding that he ‘oozes composure’ and is capable of a match-winning moment at any time, asserting that it’s only a matter of time before he is plying his trade for one of ‘Europe’s biggest outfits’. Writing on X, Mattinson has described him as “a player made for the big stage”.
Well, that last part sounds just like arguably West Ham’s greatest player of the modern era, does it not?
When Dimitri Payet joined the Hammers from Olympique de Marseille for just £11m in the summer of 2015, no one could’ve forecast what would happen next.
In 60 appearances in claret and blue, the France international scored 15 goals and registered 22 assists, with Josh Fordham of talkSPORT asserting that he is ‘easily the most talented player’ of the club’s modern history.
Meantime, Roshane Thomas of The Athletic outlines how the “world-class” Payet “entertained supporters” with countless jaw-dropping moments, before forcing through an acrimonious return to Marseille just 18 months after arriving.
So, could El Khannouss be the next Payet? Let’s compare the pair to find out.
Bilal El Khannouss 24/25 vs Dimitri Payet 15/16
Statistics
El Khannouss
Payet
Goals
2
9
Assists
3
12
Shots per 90
0.9
2.3
Big chances created
8
16
Key passes per 90
1.3
4
Successful dribbles per 90
1.1
2.2
Dribble success %
59.6%
57%
Average SofaScore rating
6.91
7.68
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore
Of course, Payet’s statistics are more impressive, but this should not come as much of a surprise, given that, as noted by Harry Sherlock of Goal, he was one of the best players in the Premier League in the 2015/16 season, so much so that he was on the Ballon d’Or nominees list.
El Khannouss is certainly yet to hit those heights, but his numbers are comparable, especially when it comes to chances created and dribbling, so he too has the potential to light up the London Stadium.
He’d be amazing with Bowen: West Ham in contact for "sensational" £34m star
West Ham are looking to add goals to their side this summer
For over three hours on the final day of the Duleep Trophy game in Bengaluru, KL Rahul’s discipline kept India B waiting. Victory had seemed a mere formality post lunch when India A stumbled to 99 for 6 chasing 275. Rahul, who walked into bat at No. 4, denied himself runs he would pocket on most days because he wasn’t willing to be lulled into driving on the up even with cover vacant.It meant the scoreboard came to a standstill. Rahul battled for 99 deliveries for a half-century, even going 55 balls without a boundary at one stage. But when he saw width from Mukesh Kumar, he couldn’t resist a cut. The ball gripped a hint onto the surface to take the edge as Rishabh Pant dived forward to complete the catch. Rahul’s 121-ball vigil that brought him 57 was over and India B went on to win by 76 runs.The margin of victory could have been a lot bigger if not for Akash Deep’s enterprising 43, which wasn’t the only highlight for him. His 5 for 56 earlier in the day ensured India B were bowled out for 184 after pocketing a 90-run first-innings lead. This included the wickets of Abhimanyu Easwaran, first-innings centurion Musheer Khan and Washington Sundar.Related
Akash Deep uses Shami's advice for impressive Duleep Trophy outing
One-Test-old Akash Deep determined for more
Magnificent Musheer revives India B from 94 for 7
Pant and Sarfaraz's thrilling double-act hands India B advantage
Akash finished with a match haul of 9 for 116 to put himself in the frame for the Bangladesh Tests which begin in 11 days as the third fast bowler in the squad. Among the other quicks to make an impression was left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal, whose 3 for 50 triggered India A’s second innings slide.He had Mayank Agarwal nicking to second slip in his first over when he got one to move away appreciably off the seam to square him up. Dayal had his second when Riyan Parag feathered a drive to Pant. He celebrated the wicket with a send-off after not taking too kindly Parag’s adventurous short-arm jab that flew over midwicket for six. Dayal’s third came shortly before lunch when Dhruv Jurel’s loose drive away from the body flew low to Yashavi Jaiswal.In between Dayal’s carnage, Navdeep Saini, who made quite an impression with his ability to bring the length ball back in, had Shubman Gill caught behind with a loose drive. The match seemed to be heading for a quick finish until Rahul’s obstinance took centerstage. This perhaps stemmed from wanting to make up for his first-innings lapse, when he was out attempting a cute paddle sweep off Washington Sundar after battling his way to 37.KL Rahul looked comfortable in what was a tricky time for his team•PTI Losing a clutch of wickets left Rahul with two options: going for runs or looking to take the game into the final session. He chose the second option. It wasn’t necessarily entertaining, but his willingness to put a price on his wicket on a surface Akash felt was “getting more and more tougher” stood out.However, on the positive side, at least from an Indian standpoint, there was also perhaps no bigger endorsement of Rahul’s match fitness, considering he was playing his first red-ball game in over seven months. That said, it wasn’t all dour defence There were two on-drives that oozed class, a cut shot that sped to the fence. He hit seven fours in all.Akash’s slogs provided some late fireworks, but the fun ended when he was run out after losing his balance attempting to fend a bumper, with Musheer Khan at short leg flicking the ball back onto the stumps. India A were bowled out for 198 in 53 overs. Dayal apart, Saini picked up two wickets to go with his three from the first innings, while Nitish Reddy and Washington picked up a wicket apiece.
Leeds United are ready to arrive on the Premier League stage once again and could now be lining up a swoop for a captain in one of Europe’s top five leagues, per a report.
Leeds United urged to bring in Premier League quality
Daniel Farke was lauded for the magnificent job he did at Elland Road last term after his side gained promotion to the top flight. However, the German coach knows more than most how big the jump is between the Championship and Premier League.
Back in 2021, the 48-year-old was sacked by Norwich City after the Canaries endured a tough start to life as a newly-promoted outfit, which will be a scenario the Whites will be desperate to avoid this time around.
Leeds United manager DanielFarkecelebrates after the match
With bringing in Premier League quality on the agenda, Paul Robinson has urged Leeds to sign Kyle Walker-Peters after he departed Southampton under freedom of contract following their relegation last term.
He stated: “I think he’s given himself a real opportunity now of being the master of his own destiny as to where he wants to go. I think the important thing is he just doesn’t go into a squad and be a bit-part player, but he goes into a team where he gets the opportunity to play every week.
“That could be Leeds, and it’d be a very good signing. With Firpo looking like he’s moving on, there’s an immediate opportunity to get in the team, though Tottenham will also be in for him, and it may depend on regular football.”
Romano: 49ers "in negotiations" to seal "complicated" £20m+ Leeds transfer
He is ‘really appreciated’ at Elland Road.
1
By
Charlie Smith
Jun 27, 2025
Versatile Juventus star Timothy Weah could also join Leeds after he turned down the opportunity to join Nottingham Forest, potentially presenting a coup if the Whites can put forward a compelling offer to the United States international.
Now, there is every chance Farke and company could now swoop to land a midfielder from France who would fit the bill at Elland Road.
Leeds prepare bid for Himad Abdelli
According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, Leeds are preparing a £12 million bid for Angers captain Himad Abdelli after scouting the Algeria international for an extensive period.
Farke is said to be a huge fan of the 25-year-old, who recorded 112 ball carries in Ligue 1 last term, drawing level with the likes of Florian Wirtz and exceeding Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.
Five similar players to Himad Abdelli (Fotmob)
Mateus Fernandes
Southampton
John McGinn
Aston Villa
Iliman Ndiaye
Everton
Tete Morente
Lecce
Omari Hutchinson
Ipswich Town
Labelled “powerful” by Angers manager Alexandre Dujeux, Abdelli registered six goals and a solitary assist in 36 appearances last term and could become the Whites’ third signing of the summer after sealing deals for Lukas Nmecha and Jakub Bijol.
Leeds are in the market for attacking midfielders to bolster their chances of survival, and the man in question may be a cost-effective solution if all parties can come to agreement over a deal that sees Abdelli pitch up at Elland Road.
It really is all happening for Arsenal at the moment.
Instead of the frustratingly quiet and slow summers fans have grown accustomed to, the North Londoners have been incredibly busy in the transfer market.
Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arizabalaga and Christian Norgaard are already through the door, and Noni Madueke’s £52m move from Chelsea has been given the ‘here we go’ treatment from Fabrizio Romano.
And yet the Gunners aren’t finished there, as they continue to be linked with more attacking superstars, like Rodrygo and an international who’d be his dream number ten.
Arsenal target Rodrygo's dream ten
The stories linking Arsenal with Rodrygo first started popping up over a month ago, after it was revealed that he was unhappy with being played out of position on the right.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The links might have taken a slight backseat in the last couple of weeks due to reports on Viktor Gyokere and then Madueke, but they are still very much there.
It seems like the Brazilian would cost the Gunners around £78m, and while that is a massive sum of money, he’s more than proven his ability to be a game-changer over the last few years.
Moreover, the North Londoners are also targeting an attacking midfielder who would not only improve the entire team but would be a dream ten for the Brazilian.
At least that is according to a recent report from Italy, which has reaffirmed Arsenal’s intense interest in Eberechi Eze.
In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the player has given the green light to the Premier League runners-up, and that talks between the two clubs are already ongoing.
A price is not mentioned in the story, but it has been widely reported that he has a release clause worth around £68m in his deal, so a final fee is likely to be near that figure.
It would be a sizable investment, but Eze has proven his worth and then some over the last few years and would be a dream ten for Rodrygo.
Why Eze would be Rodrygo's dream ten
The first, unavoidable and arguably most crucial reason Eze would be Rodrygo’s dream ten at Arsenal is his output.
In 43 appearances for Crystal Palace last season, totalling 3303 minutes, the game-changing “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists.
In other words, the former QPR gem averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, and he was almost as effective in the campaign, averaging one every 134.41 minutes.
Appearances
36
43
Minutes
2285′
3303′
Goals
11
14
Assists
6
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.47
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
134.41′
132.12′
Just imagine how effective the Real Madrid ace, who racked up 25 goal involvements in 3452 minutes last season, could be playing with the Palace ace.
The second reason he’d be a dream teammate is that last season saw him prove that he’s not only a big game player, but someone who can help drag his side over the finish line for major trophies.
The 27-year-old scored in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the final of the FA Cup, so the Los Blancos winger will know that he can rely on the Englishman to be at his best in the most tense moments.
Finally, by looking at his heat map from last season, we can see that the former Santos gem likes to come inside when he’s on the wing, and conversely, the Greenwich-born star clearly likes to drift wide based on his heat map.
In other words, the two players would be able to interchange and get into their preferred areas of the pitch without getting in each other’s way.
Ultimately, Arsenal need to improve their attacking options this summer, and if they want to do that in a big way, then signing Rodrygo and Eze would be the way to do it.
Gyokeres' dream number 10: Arsenal weighing up move for £100m "machine"
Viktor Gyokeres could strike quite the partnership if Arsenal signed this Premier League star.
Derbyshire are on the brink of ending a five year red ball drought after Jack Morley put Glamorgan in a spin on the third day of the Vitality County Championship match at Derby. The on-loan left arm spinner from Lancashire took 3 for 35 from 20 overs to put Derbyshire on course for a first Championship victory at the County Ground since August 2019.Glamorgan were fighting back at 226 for 4 but they lost three wickets in the space of six balls and closed on 236 for 7, still 25 behind. Colin Ingram and Kiran Carlson scored fifties but Morley and Pat Brown (2 for 50) bowled Derbyshire to the verge of a first Championship win anywhere for 25 months.After rain washed out the morning session, Brown and Zak Chappell started Glamorgan’s decline with three wickets in six overs. Billy Root did not profit from his escape the previous evening, scoring only 13 before he pushed at a ball from Brown he could have left and was caught behind.Brown tempted Ben Kellaway into a loose waft that gave Brooke Guest another victim before Chappell bagged the big wicket of Sam Northeast. The Glamorgan skipper had started purposefully but there was little he could do with a ball that was angled in and straightened enough to get through his defence and pluck out middle stump.A shower held up play for 20 minutes which would have helped keep the bowlers fresh and disrupt the batters concentration but both Carlson and Ingram settled in well after the restart. Carlson was more circumspect after he got away with a big drive early in his innings and Ingram, who scored a century on this ground last season, was quick to pounce on anything short or overpitched.With Anuj Dal off the field, Derbyshire were a bowler down and there was frustration for Brown when Carlson saw an edge loop just over third slip before Ingram was given a life on 25. Brown tempted him into a drive and the edge went low to Guest who could not hang on diving to his left.Ingram reached his 50 off 93 balls the over before tea which arrived with Glamorgan recovering well to get the deficit below three figures. But all the hard work was undone three overs into the final session when Ingram attempted a big slog-sweep at Morley and was bowled to end a stand of 110 from 179 balls.Colin Ingram made a fighting fifty for Glamorgan•Getty Images
Derbyshire thought they had Carlson in the next over, caught behind off David Lloyd, but the umpires ruled correctly that the ball had been played into the ground.Carlson completed his 50 off 125 balls before Derbyshire lost Brown who limped off with what appeared to be an ankle injury four overs into his second spell.Lloyd took over and struck when Chris Cooke tried to drive and was bowled, breaking a stand of 50 from 122 balls. Derbyshire moved a step closer to victory in the next over when Carlson inexplicably gave Morley the charge and was stumped.Timm van der Gugten was lbw first ball and although Mason Crane averted the hat-trick, Glamorgan will need something remarkable on the last day to deny Derbyshire that long-awaited home win.
حرص وزير الشباب والرياضة، أشرف صبحي، على توديع وتحفيز بعثة منتخب مصر للشباب تحت 20 عامًا المسافرة إلى تشيلي لخوض منافسات كأس العالم للشباب.
ومن المقرر أن يشارك منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا في بطولة كأس العالم المقرر إقامتها في تشيلي خلال الفترة من 27 سبتمبر حتى 18 أكتوبر.
وأكد وزير الشباب والرياضة خلال لقائه مع البعثة، حرص الدولة المصرية على توفير كل أوجه الدعم والمساندة للمنتخبات الوطنية بمختلف أعمارها، مشددًا على ثقته الكبيرة في قدرات اللاعبين والجهاز الفني لتحقيق نتائج إيجابية ترفع اسم مصر عاليًا في المحافل الدولية.
طالع | مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر للشباب في بطولة كأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا
وأضاف: “نثق في عزيمة وإصرار أبنائنا اللاعبين على تقديم أداء مشرف يليق بمكانة الرياضة المصرية، ونعوّل على جيل الشباب في صناعة إنجازات جديدة لكرة القدم المصرية”.
وأشار الوزير إلى أن مشاركة منتخب مصر في كأس العالم للشباب تُعد فرصة كبيرة لاكتساب الخبرات الدولية وصقل مهارات اللاعبين، بما يعزز من مستقبل الكرة المصرية على المدى القريب والبعيد.
واختتم وزير الشباب والرياضة كلماته متمنيًا للبعثة التوفيق والنجاح في مهمتها الوطنية، مؤكدًا أن الجماهير المصرية تساندهم وتثق في قدرتهم على إسعاد الشعب المصري.
وأوقعت قرعة كأس العالم للشباب، منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولي، بجانب منتخبات تشيلي واليابان ونيوزيلندا.
It’s a step into the unknown for West Bromwich Albion next season with Ryan Mason at the helm.
Appointing the 33-year-old rookie boss is a bold next step that might well pay off for the Baggies, but he will have his work cut out for him from the get-go, with the likes of Grady Diangana, who had been a part of the furniture at the Hawthorns for some time, now heading out the exit door.
After those high-profile departures soured the mood somewhat, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur coach has been backed, notably with Aune Heggebo leaving Brann behind for a fee around the £4.7m mark to join the Championship side.
The additions up top might not grind to a halt here, however, despite the Nordic striker’s lavish fee, as more attacking signings look to be prioritised.
West Brom's next moves in the market
Diangana isn’t the only notable name in attack that could desert the Hawthorns, with Mikey Johnston still likely despondent after a £5m move to Flamengo fell through at the last minute.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Spurs youngster Mikey Moore might well be on the West Brom shopping list to bolster down this depleted left-hand side, therefore, but Heggebo could also have competition up top very shortly if the West Midlands outfit power on to snap up an EFL-experienced striker for free.
Indeed, a new report by the Sheffield Star has revealed that Rhian Brewster is unlikely to pen a new contract at his current employers Sheffield United, which will open the door for a suitor to snap up the ex-Liverpool forward for nothing.
The Star further indicates that Sunderland are looking at the hit-and-miss Blades striker, but a report by SportsBoom right at the start of July also suggested that the Baggies were keen on a move for the free agent.
This interest might well accelerate back into motion now this exclusive development has come to light, with West Brom perhaps eager to work their Josh Maja magic again on the former Blades number seven in unearthing a goalscoring diamond in the rough.
How West Brom can work their Maja magic on Brewster
Before transforming into West Brom’s number one option in attack, Maja had been through the wringer during his often bumpy playing days.
The one-time Nigeria international would initially come onto the radar of English football fans when rising the ranks at Sunderland, with Maja powering home a promising seven strikes from 29 Sunderland U23 appearances, before taking it up a notch even further when finding the back of the net 17 times in the senior picture.
However, everything started to unravel when he left the comforts of the Stadium of Light behind, with his spell at Bordeaux ridden with injuries, whilst then struggling to find his feet back on English soil with the likes of Stoke City and Fulham.
West Brom have managed to get the best out of the unfortunate 26-year-old again, with an impressive return of 12 strikes coming his way last season in Championship action, but he is still prone to an extended stay in the treatment room.
Games played
190
Goals scored
48
Assists
18
Games missed through injury
158
Days missed
1157
Brewster has an eerily similar story to Maja’s, considering the 25-year-old once had the world at his feet when leading the line for Liverpool in the U23 scene, before finding the men’s game to be a cruel beast.
He has since found his way back on the horse despite an injury-plagued few seasons in South Yorkshire, with a promising seven goal contributions coming his way last season, which led to his then-Blades boss Chris Wilder heralding him as “amazing” for his perseverance.
He might well be Mason’s very own Maja-like project if a move is sealed, with the London-born forward amazingly ahead of his Nigerian counterpart in terms of second-tier strikes bagged, as seen in his 18 strikes and counting, next to Maja’s 15.
With Brewster missing only seven clashes last campaign through injury, the hope will be that he can kick on and reclaim his former Reds magic – which saw him net a blistering 13 U23 goals at Anfield – only this time around it could secure a promotion in the senior game.
West Brom could land the dream Johnston replacement in "future superstar"
If Mikey Johnston does end up finalising a move away from West Bromwich Albion, this rising star could be a perfect replacement.
The ICC’s broadcast partners ask the global body if it believes it delivered an event that justified the huge investment made in securing media rights
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2024
The pitches in New York produced a highest total of 137 across eight games•ICC/Getty Images
Overshooting its own budget is not the only fallout for the ICC from its recently concluded men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. ESPNcricinfo understands that Disney-Star*, the ICC’s broadcast partners, have raised concerns about the event, asking whether the ICC believes it delivered a product that justified the investment made in the rights, and whether better value overall can be derived from the rights deal.Among the concerns raised was the schedulling of matches, in particular the timing of those games which ended up being broadcast in the early morning hours in the subcontinent, thereby affecting viewership significantly. These include most of West Indies’ games, the co-hosts and two-time champions, as well as the first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan.It is also believed that the broadcaster had communicated its worries about the drop-in pitches that were ultimately used for the Nassau County stadium for the New York leg of the tournament. The venue saw a succession of bowling-friendly surfaces on which two sides were bowled out for less than 100 and the highest completed score was 137.Related
T20 World Cup 2024: New York, Tarouba pitches rated 'unsatisfactory'
ICC Board seeks answers after costs spiral for US leg of T20 World Cup
No rain, but still no play: Lauderhill washouts prompt questions
The first two surfaces were eventually rated as “unsatisfactory” by the ICC, only one rung above “unfit”. The venue also hosted the marquee India-Pakistan match, for which the pitch was rated “satisfactory” but where Pakistan failed to chase down a target of 120.Later in the tournament, the Trinidad surface for the semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan, where the latter was routed for 56 on a brutish pitch with excessive seam and uneven bounce, was also rated “unsatisfactory”.Through its various iterations, Disney-Star has held the the rights to every single ICC event since the 2011 men’s ODI World Cup. Last year, Disney-Star acquired the rights to broadcast ICC events in the India market in a four-year deal worth just above USD 3 billion. Dissatisfaction from such a long-term broadcast partner is likely to be taken seriously, given the implications it has for all ICC members, who receive annual revenue derived from the rights deal. Most members, other than India, Australia and England, rely heavily on these revenues.ESPNcricinfo understands that there were discussions within the ICC to swap the USA-West Indies event with either India in 2026 or England in 2028 in order to give the venues more time to get ready, but those discussions did not go far.Apart from New York, Florida came in for criticism as a venue as well, where matches could not be held even though the majority of the rain there fell in the preceding week. The ground’s drainage was not up to date, and it didn’t have enough covers to protect the whole playing area, which led to frustrating scenes where the pitch was ready but there were wet patches on the outfield despite strong sunlight. Three of the four matches in Florida were abandoned, one of them an India game.ESPNcricinfo understands that the disgruntlement is limited to this event, the handling of which is already undergoing an audit after it emerged that the original budget for the US leg ballooned over by up to USD 20 million. The event has prompted one idea to be floated to convert the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy to T20Is. There has not been any development on this since the grievance was first raised a month ago. This issue was not discussed in the ICC meetings this Tuesday.
Slowly and then all at once might be one way to describe Arsenal’s transfer window so far.
For weeks and weeks, it felt like very little was happening at the Emirates, but now Martin Zubimendi’s transfer is reportedly wrapped up, as is Kepa Arrizabalaga’s, and there have been reports of progress being made towards both Rodrygo and Viktor Gyokeres.
It’s not just incomings either, as Fabrizio Romano broke the news yesterday afternoon that Thomas Partey is now “set to leave” this month.
As if that wasn’t enough, yesterday also saw news come out linking Arsenal to Christian Nørgaard as a potential replacement, but if other reports are to be believed, Mikel Arteta could be looking to sign another midfielder who’d be even better than the Brentford star.
Arsenal target Nørgaard upgrade
While it’s been known for a few days now that the contract talks with Partey were not advancing and that there was, therefore, a real chance the Ghanaian could leave this summer, there were no murmurings that Nørgaard was being looked at as a potential signing.
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In fact, the report from Danish journalist Mads Glenn Wehlast on Wednesday morning was the first time most people had any idea the club were even supposedly interested in the 31-year-old.
The report claims that the Gunners have already submitted an offer worth around €11m in total, which is about £9m.
While that could end up being a good deal, there is still another midfielder the club are interested in, someone who’d be a better signing: Lucien Agoume.
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Arsenal are still very much interested in the Sevilla star, who has been the subject of talks.
A price for the young Frenchman is not mentioned in the report, but stories from earlier this week claim that he could be available for just £20m, although he is also a target for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
It might not be a big-name signing, but based on the ability Agoume has already shown, and the potential so many believe him to possess, it’s one Arsenal should fight for, especially as he would be a better addition to the squad than Nørgaard.
How Agoume compares to Nørgaard
So, if it ends up being a choice between signing Agoume and Nørgaard in the coming weeks, why should Arsenal opt for the former?
Lucien Agoume in action against Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
Well, the first argument, and its significant one, is the statistical one, as when we take a look under the hood and compare their underlying numbers, it becomes clear that the Sevilla star, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig described as “10 out of 10 talent,” is the more well-rounded midfielder.
The Dane might do marginally better in a few metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists and passing accuracy per 90, but he comes out a clear second-best in most other statistics that are relevant for a number six.
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.14
0.18
Progressive Carries
1.23
0.45
Progressive Passes
5.74
4.92
Passing Accuracy
81.5%
81.6%
Key Passes
1.15
0.58
Passes into the Final Third
5.36
4.38
Shot-Creating Actions
2.55
1.85
Goal-Creating Actions
0.21
0.42
Tackles
2.98
2.52
Blocks
1.28
1.66
Interceptions
1.74
1.57
Errors Leading to a Shot
0.00
0.03
Successful take-ons
0.94
0.22
Aerial Duels Won
1.79
1.57
For example, the former Inter Milan gem comes out looking far better in things like progressive passes and carries, key passes, shot-creating actions and, most crucially, tackles, interceptions and aerial duels won per 90.
This suggests that not only does he have the Bees ace beat in plenty of attacking areas, but he’d also be able to better provide cover for the back four, and the fact he’s so good at winning balls in the air will be like music to Arteta’s ears.
Finally, there is another number that matters here: his age.
At 22 years old, the Yaoundé-born maestro has plenty of time to continue developing, and if he does do that, then the Gunners would have a serious midfielder on their hands down the line, whereas at 31, the Brentford star is only going to regress over time.
Moreover, if Zubimendi is going to be the starting six anyway, surely it makes sense to bring in a promising understudy to cover for him, someone who could seriously rival him for game time in a few years.
Ultimately, while Nørgaard wouldn’t be a bad signing by any means, Agoume just looks like the far better option, and therefore, Arsenal should be doing what they can to get him this summer.
Dream teammate for Rodrygo: Arsenal now in talks to sign £68m "magician"
The creative monster could help the Brazilian reach another level at Arsenal.